Boku no Hero Academia: Custodian Izuku

Disclaimer: This is a crossover fanfiction story of 'Boku no Hero Academia' and 'Warhammer 40k' (yes, really). I own nothing of the two series other than the fanfiction stories that I make.

I am making this story for the sake of fun, fluff and awesome after writing a one-shot story of the same story concept. If I am able to somehow impress fans of Warhammer 40k or even move someone to tears, even better.

Also, if anyone wants to know how in the world I got this idea in the first place, please refer to the artist, Ryuusei (Mark II), who has made some awesome pictures of gender-bent primarchs. The link is: .us/pools/17320

Please note that while I am familiar with the Warhammer 40k setting, my actual knowledge of it is casual at best. Also, if the genderbent primarchs seem at least a bit OOC, please kindly consider the fact that their bodies (especially the traitor primarchs) have changed drastically after entering Izuku's world.

In case anyone asks how much crack I was taking in to come up with the idea, I am just going to say enough to make even a loyalist Adaptus Astartes trippy.

Chapter 27:Sports Festival Madness (Part 4)

With the first round of matches over, it was time for the second round of matches which were as follows:

First Match: Mortarion and Lion

Second Match: Icarian and Russ

Third Match: Corax and Curze

Fourth Match: Angron and Sanguinius

Given the exciting end to the first round of matches, which would not look out of place as the final match of the entire event, the spectators were understandably eager to see what was in store for the second round of matches.

"Am I the only one who feels that this event is much too cheerful?" asked Mortarion who had an unmistakably grumpy expression on her face.

"No, you're not," agreed Lion who was putting up with the pomp of the sports festival better than her opponent.

"Well, as much as I want to get this farce done and over with," said Mortarion who then wore a grim expression and said, "I refuse to let myself lose without a fight."

"As do I," said Lion who wore a similar expression. Left unsaid was that Izuku's match with Sanguinius had lit a "competitive inferno" within them and the other remaining contestants.

Aware that the two were clearly ready to fight, Nemuri nevertheless asked, "Are the two contestants ready?"

"Yes," replied both former primarchs.

"Then… BEGIN!"

As soon as the match began, both Mortarion and Lion charged towards each other. Mortarion, who was already draining Lion's stamina, attempted to tackle her opponent so that she could attempt immobilizing her by restraining her limbs. Should Mortarion successfully immobilize Lion while maintaining her energy-draining effect, her chances of victory would be significantly increased. However, Lion was a skilled combatant and, despite having her strength drained by Mortarion, was able to not only avoid getting tackled by her opponent but also execute a Judo-styled throw on her. The throw resulted in Mortarion getting slammed onto the floor of the arena with cement-cracking force, thus forcing air out of her lungs as a result. Before Moration could recover, Lion proceeded to punch her in the face in an attempt to knock her out. Many people grimaced and swore as the left-handed punch to the face connected and caused the damaged floor to crater even further.

In spite of the bone-breaking punch, Mortarion was not yet defeated as she suddenly grabbed onto Lion's left arm and, with agility one would not expect from someone who had just taken such a powerful blow to the face, executed a limb-locking restraining move that immobilized Lion's arms and right leg. Lion's frown deepened as she knew that Mortarion intended to lock her into place while draining her stamina to the point of exhaustion. Determined to not lose without a fight, Lion proceeded to leap upward and then kick Mortarion in the face with only her left leg in spite of the fact that she would risk losing her balance and fall forward face-down. As the kick landed onto the same injured part of Mortraion's face, the former traitor primarch flinched which was all that Lion needed to to break her right arm free. Before Lion fell face-down onto the floor, she used her right arm to not only stop herself from falling but also, in an amazing show of strength and balance, lift both herself and Mortarion up in such a way that both former primarchs were upside down with Lion doing a one-hand stand. Lion than proceeded to repeatedly kick Mortarion with her left leg, each kick somehow able to hit her opponent's head with unerring accuracy in spite of her attempts to dodge them.

More than a few people, including a certain faction of superhuman soldiers in a separate universe, traitorous counterparts included, winced from watching the brutal kicks.

Although Mortarion was able to use the drained stamina to maintain both her restraining hold onto Lion and recover from the rapidly accumulating injuries on her head, she knew that she would not be able to hold on her long. As such, she attacked Lion with her right fist with the intention of breaking her ribs just below her right armpit. However, Lion's combat instincts kicked in as she instinctively twisted her body to throw Mortarion's punch off-course and, with a mighty lion-like roar, break free from her opponent's hold completely. Before Mortarion could response, Lion grabbed onto her right arm and spun around once before throwing her opponent out of the arena.

With Mortarion thrown out of the boundary of the arena, Lion was declared the winner although it was clear that Lion was understandably exhausted after fighting her opponent. As for Mortarion, her face would remain bruised for a while even after considering her ability to drain stamina to energise herself. Understandably, Chiyo (a.k.a. Recovery Girl) was displeased with the brutality of the fight as she healed Mortarion's bruised face with her quirk.

-Second Match…-

Icarian smiled bitterly as she spoke to Russ whose injuries had already been healed by Chiyo, "I never thought we would fight again, especially under happier circumstances."

Well aware of the circumstances of Icarian's execution, Russ wore a similar smile as she spoke, "I'm simply glad that you still see me as a bro… sister even after how things went between us last time."

"Well, differences in circumstances aside, I still do not intend to let you win easily," said Icarian who then assumed a fighting stance and said with a smile, "Ready when you are."

"Right back at you," said Russ as she took on her own fighting stance.

With both contestants clearly ready to fight, Nemuri yelled, "BEGIN!"

Russ charged forward while transforming into her wulfen form. Icarian activated her precognitive ability to predict Russ' next move and, without hesitation, ducked low while spinning around so that she could grab onto Russ' outstretched right hand and then execute a body-slamming throw. However, while being thrown, Russ' animalistic instincts kicked in and she slammed both of her clawed feet onto the floor thus averting the full-body slam that Icarian had intended to execute. The wolf-like former primarch then attacked her opponent with her left arm. Icarian dodged the attack by letting go of her hold onto Russ' right arm and retreated quickly enough to avoid the hit.

Russ slammed her right elbow onto the ground with enough cement-cracking force to make more than an few people wince so that the back of her head would not hit the arena floor. Ignoring the relatively mild ache in her right elbow, Russ quickly rolled over so that she could get back onto her feet. She then charged towards Icarian while running on all fours like a wolf.

Despite having the ability to predict future outcomes, Icarian failed to predict Russ' next attack as she executed a horizontal spinning heel kick instead of another lunge. However, Icarian was a former primarch who had faced Russ in combat before so she was prepared for such scenarios. Therefore, she not only managed to block Russ's kick but also managed to grab onto her leg and did a spinning throw. However, Russ was able to avoid getting thrown out of the ring by using one of her clawed hands to claw at the floor of the arena and slow down her trajectory.

Before Russ could attempt another attack, Icarian charged forward and did a somersault so that she could strike her with a vertical heel kick. Russ barely avoided the kick that nearly hit the top of her head and, as soon as Icarian's heel hit the floor, slammed her left hand onto the extended right leg to pin it down. Icarian bit back a curse as she proceeded to defend herself from Russ' vicious attacks. Although Russ could only attack with her right arm, never mind the fact that Icarian was already striking back as often as she could with bone-fracturing blows, Russ was relentless as she continued her attacks.

By the time Russ' attacks slowed down, Icarian's arms and upper body were badly bruised with fractured bones. Russ' state was not much better though as her torso, face and left arm were similarly bruised. However, it was clear who won the match in the end as Russ proceeded to stand up while Icarian fell onto her backside.

In spite of the bruises on her face, Russ wore a broad wolfish grin and said, "That was fun!"

Icarian chuckled bitterly as she replied, "Of course you'll think that beating the frakking crap out of each other is fun."

Suddenly, both former primarchs felt a chill run down their spines and they quickly realised that a certain Chiyo was going to be quite cross with them, again.

-Third Match…-

"I originally planned to give up this match and let you win," admitted Curze.

Corax raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is that so?" As a fellow former primarch, Corax knew that Curze had at least some level of pride which meant that simply giving up a match, even a friendly one, was an unusual decision.

Curze smirked and replied, "I wanted to spend more time with Eri-chan."

Realising what Curze had intended to achieve by giving up the match, Corax almost snorted at the admittedly amusing logic. Aware that Curze had apparently changed her mind, Corax asked, "Izuku's match with Sanguinius?"

Curze nodded and answered, "While winning first place in this sports festival is of little interest to me, putting up a poor performance after witnessing that match is… unacceptably dishonourable even for someone like myself."

Corax nodded in understanding and assumed a fighting stance as she spoke to Curze with an amused smile, "Then I'll make sure that your loss, intended or not, will look good to everyone watching us."

Curze wore a seemingly psychotic smile in return as she assumed her own fighting stance, which somehow looked even more primal than Russ' own stance, and said, "You'll have to earn that right to be victorious, Corax!"

As soon as Nemuri announced the start of the match, Corax transformed into a wraith-like form which resembled a massive crow. Able to see future visions, Curze quickly reacted by deflecting, blocking and dodging all of Corax's attacks which were physical blows. Before long, Curze was surrounded by what looked like a swirling whirlwind of shadows, wings and clawed hands. In spite of the apparent disadvantage, Curze did not relent in her defence as she not only made sure to avoid getting struck down by Corax but also made sure to avoid being forced to move towards the edge of the arena.

After more than a minute of intense non-stop fighting, the two combatants backed away from each other. Curze then raised her hand and said, "I admit defeat. I do not wish to prolong this fight any further."

Nemuri raised an eyebrow and asked, "You saw the outcome of your match with Corax?"

Curze nodded and said, "Win or lose, neither of us will be able to fight at our best in the next round of matches if I continue to drag on my match Corax after this point. Besides, I want to spend time with Eri-chan and I have already seen several visions of Corax defeating me unless I am willing to use lethal force against her."

"Then I declare Corax as the winner of the match!" said Nemuri who was both amused and glad that Curze had chosen to admit defeat. No one really likes a match that has been dragged on for too long after all, never mind fatal injuries happening during a friendly match.

-Fourth Match…-

Sanguinius, who had taken off her armour, stood before Angron and asked, "Do you plan to put up a good fight and then admit defeat like Curze?" Angron's desire to be by Izuku's side was obvious to everyone who knew about her relationship with him.

"Pretty much," admitted Angron who then smirked and cracked her knuckles while adding, "That being said, I plan to hit you at least once." Although the former daemon primarch no longer had any genuine hard feelings towards Sanguinius, she still remembered losing to her in a fight during the Horus Heresy and wanted to even the score at least a little bit.

"Then I will have to try defeating you without getting hit once if possible," said Sanguinious who was clearly amused by Angron's statement.

"Just try not to knock each other's teeth out. Recovery Girl's already upset about your sisters' injuries," said Nemuri. Both Angron and Sanguinius almost grimaced as they knew that Chiyo had quite a temper and a surprisingly strong striking arm in spite of being a small elderly lady. Without further day, Nemuri started the match, "BEGIN!"

Sanguinius immediately took to the sky with a single bound and flap of her wings. Angron did not leap into the air to take down Sanguinius but instead stayed her ground as she knew that Sanguinius had aerial superiority. In theory, Angron could punch the floor of the arena and use broken pieces of cement as makeshift projectiles but she was certain that the spectators, who were nothing like the cruel ones back on Nuceria, would not appreciate the risk of getting brained as a result. Besides, Sanguinius would have to get within grabbing distance to attack so Angron was in no rush to bring her winged sister down to her level.

As Angron had predicted, Sanguinius dove down to attack her in a clear attempt to either force her out of the ring or take her down with aerial hit-and-run attacks. Angron waited until the last possible moment to suddenly step forward and execute a kick with her right leg. Sanguinius barely avoided getting kicked in the chin but was caught off guard by the resulting displacement of air as Angron's kick created a shock-wave that could be felt by the spectators. With Sanguinius momentarily distracted, Angron quickly grabbed onto her left leg with her left hand and, in a move that came straight out of a certain pre-quirk era movie called 'The Avengers', proceeded to slam her against the floor with a mighty roar. Sanguinius' wings took the brunt of the slam as her back hit against the floor with cement-cratering force.

Understandably, many people winced and grimaced at the brutal sight.

However, Sanguinius was no helpless maiden as as she suddenly launched herself from the floor with the help of her wings and kick Angron right on the nose with her right leg. In spite of the painful blow, Angron did not let go of her iron-grip onto Sanguinius' left leg and proceeded to swing her left arm so that she could slam the winged former primarch onto the floor again. Before Angron could execute the slam, Sanguinius delivered a powerful kick onto her left hand, breaking its bones as a result. Then, with a strong shake of her left leg, Sanguinius was barely able to free herself and fly away before she got slammed onto the floor again. However, Sanguinius did not escape unscathed as the ankle of her left leg was broken by Angron's powerful grip.

Angron blew out some blood from her nose with her right hand and then said, "Looks like we're both down one limb."

"So it seems," replied Sanguinius who was floating above the floor of the arena and was apparently not bothered by her broken leg. She then suddenly charged forward with the intention of attacking Angron again.

As someone who could sense emotions, Angron knew that Sanguinius was still confident that she could defeat her fair and square. In spite of having little interest in winning the sports festival, Angron had no intention of letting herself lose easily either so she charged forward.

Just before the two former primarchs collided, Sanguinius suddenly spun around Angron and delivered a spinning heel kick with her right leg. Angron barely avoided getting kicked in the back of her head as she ducked low and then swung her arm at Sanguinius. To Angron's surprise, Sanguinius grabbed onto her arm with both arms and, in a single motion, spun around and threw Angron with all her might. Recalling the embarrassing defeat when Ochako succeeded in pushing her out of the fighting ring with the help of her gravity-negating quirk, Angron had no intention of losing in a similar manner if she could help it as she tried to grab onto one of Sanguinius' wings. However, Sanguinius was keenly aware of the possibility of her wings getting targeted by an enemy so a quick flick of her wings was enough to prevent Angron from grabbing hold onto one of them although it also affected the angle and speed of her throw.

Angron fell onto the floor near the edge of the fighting arena with a roll and was soon back onto her feet. Her eyes widened a little as she barely had time to realise that Sanguinius was flying towards her head-on at full speed. Realising what Sanguinius was about to do, Angron braced herself and blocked Sanguinius' "flying punch" with both of her hands, her already-broken left hand taking the brunt of the punch. In spite of Angron's efforts to stay within the arena, Sanguinius' punch succeeded in forcing her out by a few millimetres. That being said, Sanguinius' punching arm was badly fractured by the high-impact blow with also dislocated her shoulder.

Glad that the fight was over before the injuries could get any worse, Nemuri sighed in relief before announcing that Sanguinius had won.

Angron looked at her thoroughly broken left hand and said with a grimace, "Recovery Girl's going to be frakking pissed at us."

Sanguinius chuckled sheepishly and said, "I'm honestly more worried about her wrath than my chances of winning the next match regardless of my injuries."

-Third round of matches…-

With the second round concluded, it was time for the third round of matches with the following contestants:

First Match: Lion and Russ

Second Match: Corax and Sanguinius

Russ was grinning broadly as she spoke to Lion, "So, feeling nostalgic about facing each other like this again?"

Lion wore an unimpressed frown on her face as she replied in a deadpan manner, "No."

"Ah, always the one who takes the fun out of life," said Russ in mock dismay. She then cracked her knuckles and said with a toothy feral grin, "I'm going to enjoy setting the record straight with you."

"It was your own fault for letting yourself get distracted at the last minute, you know," reminded Lion.

Russ shrugged her shoulders and admitted without shame, "Aye, that was true."

Nemuri sighed and said, "Please don't forget that this is supposed to be a friendly match and that injuries should be kept to a MINIMUM." She then remembered an important detail and quickly added, "Also, we don't have all day!"

"No promises about the first one, Midnight!" replied Russ while Lion nodded in a rare moment of agreement with her fellow former primarch.

Well aware that little else could be done, Nemuri announced the start of the match in an almost-reluctant manner. As soon as the match began, both Lion and Russ charged towards each other. Russ entered her Wulfen form and was clearly intent on defeating Lion with overwhelming feral fury. However, Lion's combat instincts kicked in and she easily countered, deflected and blocked every one of Russ' attacks. Had the match been allowed to continue for a whole day, if not even longer, it was likely that the two combatants would keep trying to take the other down by knock-out. Thankfully, they both knew that the sports festival was supposed to end before the day was over so they had shared an unspoken agreement to either knock the other combatant out of the ring or force the other to submit through a submission hold. That being said, their competitive desire to win was simply too strong for either former primarch to willingly choose a path of possible defeat just yet.

By sheer coincidence, Eijirou and Tetsutetsu asked their respective classmates the same question at the same time, "This is going to take a while, isn't it?"

"Yup," replied most of the students from Classas 1A and 1B.

-Fifteen minutes of non-stop intense fighting later…-

Lion ultimately defeated Russ by successfully baiting her into making a "fatal error" of being close enough to be thrown out of the fighting arena. However, in spite of the victory, it was clear that Lion was not unscathed as she was tired and had numerous bruises and claw marks on her skin.

In spite of losing to Lion, Russ laughed and said, "Well, this is my loss!"

"You knew that I could have thrown you out of the ring from this distance, didn't you?" asked Lion.

"Yeah, I did," confirmed Russ who then added, "The thing is though, I just remembered that we would be having a grand feast later today so I decided to take a risk to either win this quickly or lose so that we can enjoy the feast sooner." She then wore a wide grin and added, "Either way, it's a win for me!"

Lion felt an eyebrow twitch in annoyance before she slapped her hand onto her face and grumbled, "Of course you care more about eating and drinking than actually winning this fight…"

Although there was no denying that Russ had lost match, there was the justified opinion that Lion did not feel that she had truly won either. Russ' boisterous laughter only cemented the opinion.

-Second match of the third round…-

"Are your wounds fully healed?" asked Corax.

Sanguinius smiled sheepishly and answered, "Other than a few fresh bruises from Recovery Girl's cane, yes."

Although Recovery Girl had a policy against hurting an injured patient, she had no such qualms about making her displeasure known to a fully-healed patient with a few well-placed thwacks of her cane. In addition, her years of experience as both a doctor and a pro-heroine had made her well-versed in the art of maximizing the pain of her blows to the point that even the former primarchs knew better than to anger her too often.

Corax almost winced in sympathy towards Sanguinius before she said, "Well, at least you had a bit of time to rest before facing me."

"I honestly expected the previous fight to last longer," said Sanguinius who chuckled at the fact that Russ had decided to risk losing to Lion so that she could enjoy having a feast sooner regardless of the outcome of the match. Lion's petulantly bitter grumbling only made the situation more comical in the winged former primarch's opinion.

"Well, unlike that glutton, I'm not inclined to let myself take such a risk just because there is a feast to enjoy after the festival is over," said Corax who had a smirk on her face.

Sanguinius smiled in return as she flared her wings wide and said, "As do I, Corax."

As soon as Nemuri announced the start of the match, the two former primarchs immediately took to the sky. What followed after that could be best described as a fast-paced aerial duel of epic proportions as Sanguinius fought against Corax who used her wraith-like form to both fly and avoid getting struck down by her opponent. It was like a duelling dance between divine light and haunting darkness as the two opponents flew around and struck at each other in order to gain the upper hand in the fight. Spectators leaned back with wide eyes as the two former primarchs flew past them. Flying drones that carried cameras for recording and broadcasting the fight did not even try to keep up with the two combatants even as they hurriedly got out of their way. Christians from around the world cheered for Sanguinius while Goths from around the world cheered for Corax instead.

Speaking of spectators and watchers from all round the world, various villains who had been watching the sports festival had been suffering what could be best described as a bad case of "shaken morale" from the moment they had watched Izuku's match with Sanguinius. Watching the matches following that only made them feel even more demoralized and, in the case of Sanguinius' current match with Corax, experience a well-justified case of "collectively shitting their bricks". With a surprisingly level of understanding sympathy, many villains from around the world made solemn prayers for their counterparts in Japan who would undoubtedly have a "really bad time" before long.

While the duel was undoubtedly epic, anyone who truly understood Corax would know that the fight was ultimately not in her favour as she was more used to striking her enemies from the shadows. As such, she ultimately lost to Sanguinius, who was far more used to fighting in the front lines, when the shining former primarch succeeded in pinning her down onto the ground outside the boundary of the arena. Corax smiled bitterly and said, "Well, this went as well as I expected."

"You fought well in spite of being out of your preferred element," said Sanguinius.

Corax almost rolled her eyes and said, "You still beat me in spite of having less than half an hour of recovery from the previous fight."

Sanguinius' smile was one of unmistakable impish amusement as she helped Corax up and said, "Yet you'll be the one that will make villains jump at every moving shadow that they see from the corner of their eyes."

As Sanguinius was announced as the winner, Ibara could contain herself no longer and stood up to yell, "Hallelujah!" She immediately started blushing and sat down meekly when she realised that everyone who could hear her were staring at her.

-Final match…-

"I'm forfeiting this match," said Lion.

Surprised, Sanguinius tilted her head with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," confirmed Lion who then sighed and explained, "After realising that I only defeated Russ because she had decided to make a risky decision to either defeat me quickly or lose, I've lost my motivation to continue taking part in this festival. Besides…" Lion took a look at the surrounding spectators and said, "I do not need Magnus' mind-reading ability to know that many of the spectators hope that you win this match."

Well aware of her popularity among the people of the Japan and beyond, which must have doubled, at minimum, after her previous matches with Izuku and Corax, Sanguinius chuckled and admitted, "I can certainly see the logic of your argument." She then bowed and said, "Very well, if forfeiting is your wish, then I shall humbly accept this victory."

Lion nodded and said, "Be seeing you on the podium, Sanguinius." She then turned around and left with the all the dignity of a proud and honourable knight of ancient legends.

Although surprised by the turn of events, Nemuri accepted Lion's decision with a smile as she announced, "With this unexpected turn of events, I hereby announce Sanguinius as the winner of the U.A. Sports Festival!"

Understandably, many people wondered if they should applaud before deciding to do so out of politeness.

-A short while later…-

With the unexpected quick conclusion of the final match, the award-giving ceremony began earlier than some had expected.

"We will now begin the award giving ceremony!"announced Nemuri.

The spectators cheered as three platforms emerged from the ground behind expected, Sanguinius stood on the tallest one which was labelled "No.1" while Lion stood on the second tallest one which was labelled "No.2". Both Russ and Corax stood on the lowest of the three platforms which was labelled 'No.3".

"Now, we will award the medals!" announced Nemuri who then added,"The presentation of the medals will, of course, be by this man…"

A boisterous laugh could be heard and everyone excitedly realised that All Might had appeared. The No.1 pro-hero jumped off from the top of the stadium and easily landed safely in front of the three platforms.

However, the timing of the announcements was messed up as Nemuri and All Might spoke at the same time:

"Our very own hero, All Might!"

"I am here to present the medals!"

A moment of awkward silence passed before Nemuri sheepishly apologised to All Might, "Sorry for talking over you…!" She then presented four medals: two copper medals, one silver medal and one gold medal to him and said, "Now then, All Might, please present the medals starting with the two students onthird place."

All Might nodded and took one of the two copper medals before turning his attention to Russ to say, "Leman Russ, though you and your sisters' circumstances have been unexpected, to say the least, there can be no doubt that each and every one of you who have taken part in this sports festival, even those who have chosen different paths in their future careers, are worthy of being called heroes." He then leaned froward and asked conspiratorially, "That being said, is it really true that you lost to Lion because you wanted to enjoy a meal sooner?"

Russ barked a laugh and said, "What can I say? I like enjoying a grand feast with friends and family." She then wore a knowing grin and said, "Besides, this is a sports festival, not a war against an army of horrors from the darkness between the stars, so actually winning the whole thing isn't my biggest concern regardless."

All Might laughed and said, "You certainly got a point there." He then placed the medal over Russ' head and said, "While this is no gold or silver medal, the fact that you have won this copper medal is proof of your achievements in this sports festival, Leman Russ."

After Russ had received the first copper medal, All Might took the second medal and approached Corax next. He then said, "Corvus Corax, I can confidently say that your match with Sanguinius is the most exciting match in the entire third event. Between that exciting match and the fact that you have won first place in the first event, I am sure that many pro-heroes will be very interested to have you."

Corax sighed and actually blushed a little as she grumbled, "Just… get this over with. I'm not used to having so much attention to myself in such a… bright setting." All Might chuckled and placed the second copper medal respectfully over Corax's head while making a mental decision to discuss with Nedzu about her working alongside an underground pro-hero.

"Knowing him though, he has probably already made some arrangements," thought All Might. He then picked up the silver medal and approached Lion and said, "While your decision to forfeit in the final match was surprising, never mind the reason why Russ lost to you, the fact remains that you have won the silver medal fair and square, Lion."

Lion sighed and said, "Forgive me for sounding ungrateful, but I would have preferred to win the medal on better terms than what actually happened during my match with Russ."

All Might laughed and said, "All is forgiven, Lion!" He then placed the silver medal over Lion's head and said, "You may not think yourself truly worthy to bear this medal but know that you are not be the only one who has to deal with such feelings of inadequacy. What matters though is what you do with what you have even then the odds are truly against you."

Lion wore a stern expression of grim determination as she replied, "I understand, All Might-sensei. All too well."

After nodding at Lion, All Might turned around the other students and said, "Now, before I present the gold medal, I would like to first speak to the 'honourable mentions' in this competition."

"Hatsume Mei and Furasu Maina, you two have both shown that, with the right attitude, skill and support gear, even a person without a powerful quirk can stand his ground against powerful villains. Take pride in what you have accomplished in this sports festival."

"Zog, yeah!" yelled Mei while Furasu nearly fainted from the shock of gaining All Might's recognition.

"Nekomimi Nekona, as someone who has both tasted your cooking and seen your duel with Leman Russ, I can safely say that many villains will think twice before attacking your restaurant, and I'm not referring to the delicious meals either."

"Awww… Thanks, Nya!" said Nekona while scratching the back of her head bashfully.

"Kenshinteki Karutoko, in spite of both your tragic circumstances and time as a villain, I am truly glad that you have managed to become worthy to compete as one of the students of this year's sports festival."

"Thwanks!" said Karutoko who had a big goofy grin on her face.

"Yaoyorozu Momo, Honenuki Juuzou and Todoroki Shouto, know that you three could have only taken part in the third event after succeeding in the first two events. Therefore, you have proven to the world that you are indeed recommendation students of this school with abilities and dedication to match. Never forget that."

Momo, Juuzou and Shouto stood straighter as they received All Might's sincere praise of what they had achieved.

"Kendou Itsuka and Shiozaki Ibara, the fact that you two are not recommendation students only highlights just how well you both have done to get as far as you did in this sports festival. If you two continue this path, I am sure that you will both become great heroines that will inspire many others to doing what is right."

Ibara clasped her hands in prayer and said, "I have every intention to doing what is right and just, All Might-sensei."

"As do I," affirmed Itsuka.

A few keen-eyed individuals noticed All Might's smile becoming more sincere as he turned his attention towards Izuku and said, "Midoriya Izuku, once again you have achieved far above not only my expectations but so many others as well. Not only have you succeeded in keeping up with your peers in spite of not using your quirk in the first event but you also played a key role in directing the defences of your team's fortress while also heeding the wise advice of others. That is not even counting your pledge at the start of the festival and your match with Sanguinius which could only be topped by her duel with Corax. If there is anyone who deserves an honorary medal, it would be you."

Izuku smiled even as tears welled up in his eyes and said, "Coming from you, it means so much, All Might-sensei."

All Might nodded at Izuku before addressing the rest of the students, "To all the other first year students, from the rest of the hero course and the support course to the general course and even the business course, never forget that anyone can be a hero. Yes, strength of body and mind are vital but never forget that the true worth of a hero is measured by his will to do what is right and just even if it means standing in defiance against hopeless odds while facing evil incarnate. That is what it means to go beyond, to go…" He raised his first into the air and yelled, "PLUS ULTRA!"

"PLUS ULTRA!" cheered nearly everyone in the entire stadium.

After everyone had cheered, All Might took the gold medal that was to be placed over Sanguinius' head. Before he placed the medal, he asked her, "Sanguinius Angelos, is there anything you wish to say before we conclude this sports festival?"

Sanguinius shook her head with a smile and said, "None that you have not yet already said, All Might-sensei."

"Then it is with great pleasure that I present this medal to you and, with bated breath, wait to see what you and your peers will accomplish in the months to come before the next sports festival," said All Might. Once he had placed the gold medal over Sanguinius' head, he turned his attention towards everyone else and said, "I hereby present to you, our gold medallist of the sports festival, Sanguinius Angelos!"

The cheers that followed was as deafening as it was jubilant…

-In the primarchs' original universe…-

Needless to say, many people across the Imperium of Mankind, along with the Orks who wanted to enjoy the show, cheered. Even those who had lost bests, including mouthfuls of teeth in the case of the Orks, were generally in good spirits. Yes, the two races would go back to fighting and killing each other again, with a large dose of committing heinous war crimes added to the mix, before the day was over but, for now, it was time of celebration. As for those who had to deal with "rude gitz" that had tried to interrupt their entertainment, such as the Tyranids and the Dhrukari, it was generally agreed that killing each other could wait until the "unwelcomed guests" were properly dealt with.

While the Blood Angels and their successor chapters celebrated the victory of their reincarnated primarch, they were willing to offer condolences to their Dark Angel counterparts. After all, Russ' honestly unprofessional set of priorities was what caused Lion to lose her motivation to fight with Sanguinius, let alone try to defeat her, during the final match.

Although the Dark Angels and their successor chapters knew that their Blood Angel counterparts meant well, their offered condolences did little to calm their aggravation towards the sons of Leman Russ who took her loss in good humour. They were not alone in having a bone to pick with the Space Wolves and their successor chapters either as the White Scars and their successor chapters also wanted to avenge the honour of their reincarnated primarch.

As for the Raven Guard and their successor chapters, they were, for the most part, pleased to know that their reincarnated primarch had done well in spite of being forced to fight in an arena that did not favour her set of skills. Their only wish was that she would be given a chance to better showcase her skills as an assassin in the next sports festival. Whether they got their wish fulfilled in the following year was a story for another time.

-End Chapter-

Author's Notes:

Well, this concludes this story's version of the "Sports Festival Arc".

I will be writing at least a couple of minor arcs before writing a final arc and the conclusion of the story.

If all goes well, I will be able to make this story end in a satisfying manner.

Until next time, go beyond, plus ultra!