Chapter 34: We won't lose!
Toshinori had an inkling feeling that things wouldn't go as planned. They usually didn't, but this time was different. He shot the rearview of the bus a glance, seeing the boys huddled on their seats with intense focus in their eyes. Izuku had his notebook in hand and was frenetically scribing something while Katsuki used sign language to communicate his ideas, both were on the same wavelength as there were no disagreements between them. Or at least it seemed so.
Maybe Toshinori should ask the boys for lessons in sign language and see if he can't rope Eri and Inko into it too.
While guiding the bus to their test field, that sentiment of disquiet grew. Risking another look back, Toshinori shivered.
Izuku had a positively brilliant smile on his face, finger jabbed onto something in the page of his journal. Katsuki's smirk was equally as intense, only more murderous. They traded a perfectly synchronized nod, and Toshinori felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Oh boy, it would be one of those days.
—
Inko felt her mother sense tingle, her boys were about to do something stupid.
"Something wrong?"
Rei's question made her yelp, almost dropping the kettle she was serving them another cup of tea. Putting it down to avoid any accidents, Inko confessed, "I just had this terrible feeling my boys are going to enact another of theirs 'unorthodox plans of action' or whatever they call it."
"So, they'll do something stupid and use a fancy name to make it seem less so?"
"Yes."
Both mothers traded a commiserate sigh, then a chuckle.
"Is that a mom thing?" Natsu asked, only getting amused stares back. "Yeah, stupid question. Still, if you're so worried about it, why not call the school and ask if the kids are okay?"
That gave Inko an idea. While she didn't like to exploit her relationship with Toshi (she still blushed every single time she thought about it, without fail), in any way or form, she could let this time slide. Inko would only be checking on them, nothing else.
"You know what, yes. I'll do just that. Tesla, get me my purse please!" The Electricorn puffed into existence with the bag already in hand, or mouth in this case, as hooves made holding things difficult. "Thanks, dear; now go help Shiryu keep an eye on Eri."
The Spirit nodded and trotted away to the bedroom door flashing with multicolored lights from time to time. It was probably fine.
"I have so many questions." Fuyumi, the poor girl, downed her whole cup trying to calm her nerves. Maybe Inko should have gone for chamomile instead of green tea.
Inko crossed her fingers, hoping that Toshi was still free to pick up his phone, and called him.
—
"Simple and clean is the way you're making me feel tonight~!"
Toshinori quickly fumbled with his utility belt for his phone, pulling it and hopping the training ground's cameras hadn't caught the ringtone he reserved especially for Inko. He was a hopeless romantic (don't matter how many times Nana called him a dork), but he didn't want the fact broadcasted to the four winds.
"HE- hello! Inko, what do I owe the pleasure?" Cringing at his slip-up and hopping his start of a shout didn't hurt the woman's ears; Toshinori tried to save it by being slick. By her giggles, it hadn't worked.
"I just wanted to check on you and the kids. I know I'm a worrywart, but I just have this feeling things will go sideways."
The man sighed, "You and me both. I already don't like what we put them to do, but what worries me more is how far they'll go to win." While drive was good, too much of it could be a headache in itself. Just look at him, or what he looked like some months ago.
"Will they be alright?"
Her concerned voice tucked at his heartstrings; even then, Toshinori had to be honest, "I don't know. But I believe in them, and that is enough." He wouldn't pull his punches because that would be a disrespect to the boys, who strove for greatness with all they had. They wanted that fight to be as fair as it could in that unfair scenario, and wouldn't settle for anything less.
So, while putting their futures at risk like that pained him, Toshinori would do his best and hope. Hope they would prove themselves greater than him once again.
"You're right. Good luck, to all of you."
"Thanks. See you soon." He hung up and moved his gaze upwards.
The blue sky was clean and bright, just like the future would be, for no matter what, his students would be there.
—
"Did it start?" Yoichi asked the others while sitting in between Nana and Higake.
"Not yet." She passed him the popcorn, being careful to not let the bucket spill into the void surrounding the pillar. Seating at the edge of an endless abyss should have felt a little more tense, but the good part of being a ghost was that they didn't have much to fear.
"What're the odds?"
Hikage checked his notepad, "Bets are three 'lose' and five 'win,' not counting the kid." He pointed at the Other Izuku, who was beside Second at the point of the group.
"Who betted on 'lose'? Asking for a friend."
Nana chuckled, "What, you gonna threaten them with your scrawny arms?"
"Nah, I'll just rub it on their faces when our boy wins!" He slapped the glass under him, "My money is on Little Nine taking the gold home!"
"He kinda already did that on the festival." En pointed out from Nana's other side.
"We didn't bet on that, so it doesn't count." To be fair, they had been busy with all the 'Singularity' thing going on.
"I know it's my boy fighting my boy, but I also threw my lot with Little Nine winning," Nana admitted.
"Okay, that narrows it down some."
"Hey!" The Other interrupted the One For All holder's antics, "It's starting."
Yoichi munched on his popcorn, excited to see how far his legacy had come.
—
"That's it, huh?" Dynamight huffed, looking at the mock city with a controlled feral gaze.
"That's it." Deku offered him a fist, "See you on the other side."
The bomber bumped knuckles with him and smirked, "Don't go dying on me, damn Deku!"
The key bearer lit up with his viridian aura, 23% of One For All infusing him with power, "Don't lose, Dynamight!"
"START!"
With a flash, Deku disappeared among the city buildings. Dynamight took a deep breath to fill his lungs, then roared with everything he had, exploding down the hallway at match speed with murder in his eyes.
From the other end of the battleground, a wave of force tore the street apart, coming straight at the bomber. The boy huffed, step one completed. He exploded himself up to dodge the cataclysm of an attack, "You missed bastard!"
"DID I?" The hero's question came from right beside Dynamight. In the second he flipped himself upwards, All Might had crossed the entire mock city and appeared beside the bomber.
"Did I fucking stutter?!" His palms ignited, but instead of setting off an explosion against the man, Dynamight used them to spin and launch a roundhouse kick to All Might's face.
The hero grabbed the boot going to his cheek, but that only gave the boy leverage to plant the other one on his nose. It was as effective as throwing a marshmallow at a wall, but props for the effort, he supposed.
With a spin, All Might threw his student at the ravaged street. The bomber skidded to a halt and rolled to his feet, using his quirk to fly at the man for another bout.
All Might felt something was off. Dynamite was going all out, yes, but he must have realized his attacks were doing zero damage, right?
"Fucking die already!" The boy planted both palms at the hero's chest and set off an explosion that pushed him a few feet back, thanks to the asphalt giving out underneath his feet.
"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? I EXPECTED BETTER, YOUNG BAKUGO!"
Click
The smug smirk that opened on Dynamight's face made All Might flinch. He raised an arm and tapped the side of his grenade-shaped gauntlets, "You know what these are?"
Why did All Might felt he shouldn't answer? "YOUR BRACERS?"
The blond laughed mockingly, "Oh, that's golden. Listen here, old man, this shit right here is the product of the deranged minds of two kids that had zero common sense and the hands of two deranged teenagers with a track record of fucking exploding at the regular." He pointed his arm at All Might, hooking a finger at the grenade pin, "Meaning, this shit is a stars-dammed weapon of mass destruction that should be against the Geneva Convention." He pulled the pin.
All Might committed a severe miscalculation. He thought the boys would be afraid of losing, but it seemed like they were too angry at the notion to consider things like their physical health, especially his. In a second, All Might's world turned into a sea of fire and smoke as a wave of pressure launched him down the street.
Dynamight may or may not have laughed like a psychopath, and if he did, no one had the balls to call him out on it. The worst part was that the damn things still smelled like mint! "Your turn, shitty Deku!"
The angry bomber's initial assault was only bait to get All Might in the right place. Which place was that? Right in front of one of the mock city's tallest skyscrapers.
A Green blur, which had built up enough of a Fa Jin charge to punt a truck into space, came out of the tick of the concrete jungle and launched itself against the skyscraper.
Deku had a brilliant smile on his face, and Heroes Rising winded back for a slash, "Leave it to me!" He swung.
A glowing line parted the building near the base, angled upwards. Deku, now at the other side of the slowly inching away skyscraper, cocked his leg and did a donkey kick. The impact sent the structure toppling…
Right onto All Might.
The hero, still coughing from all the smoke he inhaled, looked up in time to see several tons of infrastructure falling.
"OH SHI-!" His voice was lost on the sounds of destruction that followed.
Dynamight used his quirk to fly above the chaos and the rising dust clouds, joining a laughing Deku who was happily Floating away from the crime scene.
"You're not right in the head, right Deku?"
"Look who's talking!"
They cackled while flying away, both feeling like kids who had just pulled a prank and gotten away with it.
"You think that will hold the bastard down?"
Deku opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Danger Sense screeched in his mind, "Look out!" He used an Air Step to launch himself at his friend, covering the blond just in time.
A solid slap spiked the boys down, going through two buildings before finally cratering the street with their bodies.
"Ouch. I think not." Deku rolled over, having tanked the slap and buildings.
"No shit." Dynamight pulled himself from the asphalt, having softened the impact for his friend with his face.
Before them, a towering form landed heavily. The shadow cast by All Might completely covered the boys, and the glow of his eyes made them flinch.
"My turn." His usual bombastic voice was nowhere to be seen, instead, his tone was grave. He had to play the role, after all.
"Crap-!" Deku's cry was cut short by a boot being planted on his chest.
"Fuck off!" Dynamight lunged at the hero, only to have his head grabbed.
With a grunt, All Might threw the blond at a van parked up the street, the boy's body folding it like a tin can from how fast he crashed into it.
Deku tried to hack at All Might's ankles with his Keyblade, not having space for much else. That not only had no effect but also led to him having his weapon kicked away. He quickly joined it by being sent flying by a foot to the ribs.
Flinching slightly at the feeling of bones cracking and at the sight of his boy crashing into an overpass further away, All Might taunted, "DONE ALREADY? I THOUGHT YOU TWO WISHED TO BE THE NEXT NUMBER ONE?!"
"So you should know we're not done yet!" Dynamight's retort was followed by an explosive palm strike to the forehead. The bomber flipped over the man and delivered another detonation to the back of his head, hoping to rattle him.
All Might dashed said hope by backhanding the boy into a shop window.
With Deku, the key bearer pried himself from the side of the overpass that caught his flight and plopped on the street with a dull thud. He tried to push himself up, but his back was killing him, and his legs weren't responding right. He pulled a Hi-Potion from his utility belt and downed the vial in a single gulp.
As the green light that covered his body healed his wounds, the boy forced himself to stand, "We have to slow him down." The thought gave him an idea. He summoned Thermal Duality and took aim at the distant All Might's back, "Firaga!"
Orbs of flame the size of cars flew out, with the first catching All Might off guard, the next two got blocked by his arms, and the last one circled the man and sneaked into his flank. Each contact made the spells burst into an inferno of bright orange and blue-tipped flames, Thermal Duality's ability and One For All pushing the elemental magic's power up.
The hero threw his arms wide, the force behind the movement blowing the flames away, "THAT'S MORE LIKE-!" All Might got interrupted by a Blizzaga impacting his face, the spell detonating into sharp icicles and covering his body with frost.
"Die!" To add insult to injury, Dynamight chose that moment to leap out of the shop he was thrown into and set off a double-palm explosion against All Might.
The cloud of smoke obscured the boy's sight for a moment, and that was all the hero needed to counterattack. An arm came from the smoke and snatched Dynamight by the throat, the boy struggled, but before he could do anything, he got thrown at his friend.
Deku barely had the time to raise his arms to catch the bomber before getting rammed by him. In the second the young Keyblade Master was off balance, All Might had crossed the distance and raised his linked hands. Even with Danger Sense's warning, there was simply no time to do anything.
The hammer blow once more spiked the boys into the asphalt, making them skid and leave behind a trail of destruction.
When they finally rolled to a stop, they pushed their battered bodies up. Deku spit a mouthful of blood that had pooled in his mouth, "You okay?"
Dynamite used his left hand to grab his dislocated right shoulder and align it right, then set off an explosion to push it back into place, "Peachy."
"Going one at a time isn't working."
"Nope."
"So, together?"
"Why the fuck are you asking? Let's put this bastard into the dirt!"
Both students bolted, going straight at their teacher. Deku Focused, seeing the world slow down as All Might got covered by blue and red crosshair marks, Thermal Duality humming with the energy building up inside it. At the boiling point, he raised the Keyblade with both hands, "Cocytus!"
From under All Might, pillars of fire sprung to life, while above, ice chunks formed and fell onto him. Dynamight used the chaos to his advantage to blitz the hero with bomb rushes, never getting hurt by his friend's move.
With a final pass through the stunned hero's guard, the bomber slid under his legs and performed an explosive lunge into a flying knee to the back of his head, "Now!" Dynamight flipped himself over the man, extending his hands parallel to each other, sparks popping up quicker and quicker, "Stun Grenade!"
All Might got blinded by the searing flash of light, his eyes burning more from it than from the flames he got just hit by. When he blinked the spots from his vision, his successor was coming straight at him with a fist armed for a punch.
His glowing red fist.
Unlike the emerald aura over the rest of his body, the one over his arm was a ruby red, an arc of wispy energy expanding from it. Deku had an idea after seeing how Nirengeki's, or Mines's as it was his hero name, quirk worked. If he was right, that would make All Might feel the blow; if he wasn't, his arm would probably implode. Either or.
'Channel Fa Jin in one point, separate it from Full Cowling, and…!' Deku's fist impacted All Might right on the middle of the eyes, then a moment later, a second impact pushed his head back violently.
It also sent Deku flying into a building, the boy ending up buried in a wall, "Okay, good news, I still have my arm, bad news, that didn't go as planned." He pried himself from the crater in the shape of his body, noting that Red Riot was right, those were kinda comfy. "I need to keep Flowmotion going while Fa Jin and Full Cowling are separated, or physics will get in the way."
The key bearer switched his current weapon back to Heroes Rising, needing a little extra strength for his idea. He formed a warhammer, one side of the construct's head flat, while the other was shaped like a pick. He ran out of the building that caught his flight while spinning it over his head.
All Might had nailed Dynamight into another vehicle while Deku was away, but that got him an opening while the man recoiled from his throw. The boy grabbed the warhammer's handle with both hands and leaped at the hero, "Fa Jin…" Deku brought the flat side down on All Might's head, a dull thud sounding from the impact, "Mines Style!" A perfect circle of red light expanded from the hammerhead, just as an even stronger force struck the hero, but not pushing Deku back this time.
All Might turned back, staring at the boy flatly, who made a show of hiding the weapon behind his back (even if most of it was still visible) and whistled innocently. "Anything to say for yourself?"
"Just one thing." Deku pointed in the last direction his best friend got flung at, "That's gonna hurt."
Standing over the folded metal block that had once been a car was a very angry Dynamight. His left hand was positioned in front of his right palm like the barrel of a gun, a bright orange light building up in it, "No one steals my fucking thunder! AP Fire Shot!"
Dynamight had spent weeks working into making sense of his best friend's annotations and training the spark of Light in his heart to be able to pull one over the others. He learned how to do magic, on his own, with determination and spite alone.
He learned that magic was like a toddler with ADHD, that he had to tell it exactly what he wanted every single time and be convincing enough for it to believe him instead of stupid bullshit like the laws of physics.
After that, the bomber went to the second part of his scheme, mixing it with his quirk in a way to make both stronger. It took a monumental amount of effort and getting his palms mangled a good dozen times, but he did it. He fucking did it!
And for the last part of his master plan, Dynamight created a special move that was a combination of both superpower logic and the subtle art of gaslighting the universe. Then he did it again and again and again until he had as many moves as Deku. Why? Because he fucking could.
Now it was time to throw it all and then some at All Might.
From his hands, an orange orb, like a small sun, was sent flying at the hero with blinding speed. At impact, it burst and covered him with a blistering blanket of flames. And the next thirty shots were much the same, just with more cursing from Dynamight.
All Might had to approach the boy while under a constant barrage of literal fire. The man was very impressed with their improvements, but he had to admit, it was starting to annoy him some. Finally close enough to Dynamight, the hero went for another grab.
The bomber expected it this time, and he was prepared. When All Might opened his guard, Dynamight threw his palms forward, both glowing with an icy blue light, "Blizzara Detonation!" An explosion infused with ice magic, looking more like a semi-solid wall of winter mist, impacted the hero, leaving him looking like an ice statue.
"Get fucked, idiot!" The blond exploded himself back, getting away from the blast zone. Not the one of his own attack, but the one Deku, who had taken the time Dynamight bought to launch himself in the stratosphere and was now coming back down fast, was about to unleash.
The young Master barely had time to notice his teacher breaking free from his cold prison, but that didn't change the outcome of his offensive. Flipping into an axe kick at the last second, leg glowing yellow until the knee, he brought his foot down like a guillotine, "Thundaga Smash!"
A violent discharge burst out, ravaging the street. Chunks of asphalt were torn apart and sent flying while streetlights popped like party crackers. A moment later, Deku landed beside his friend, away from the destruction, "Think he felt that?"
"You stupid?"
"Yeah, dumb question."
Just to confirm it, All Might walked out of the destruction. Was he dirty? Yes. Was he hurt? The man hadn't even a bruise on his body.
"I have to say you two surprised me." He cracked his neck, "Strength, speed, resourcefulness, you two have it all in spades." There was none of his usual bombast in his tone, which showed he truly meant his words. But more than that, it showed his seriousness. "I was worried at first, thinking I would be bullying you in this unfair test, but seeing you two are so strong…" All Might's eyes glowed a powerful blue, "The kiddie gloves are off."
In the time it took for Deku's brain to process Danger Sense's warning, All Might was already behind them, arm winded up. A meaty fist collided with the key bearer's side, pushing him aside, crashing into Dynamight so quickly neither felt the impact, they were sent flying so fast a sonic boom echoed through the street. The boys hit an office building so hard that all windows of the structure burst, making glass shards rain.
Pulling his fist back and observing his handy work, All Might sighed, "Nana's gonna kill me." He stopped to think about it, then corrected himself, "No, no. Inko's gonna kill me, then Nana's gonna kill me." That sounded right, maybe the other holders also would go for a pound of flesh, but All Might was sure that there wouldn't be much of him left after the women of his life were done with him.
When the seconds dragged out a little too much, the hero started to get worried. Just when he was about to check, the base floor of the building exploded. All Might yelped, watching yet another building falling on him, "OH SHI-!"
At the end of the street, the student duo gathered themselves. Deku passed his friend a Hi-Potion to help with the cut on his forehead that was cascading blood, downing a Mega Potion himself to heal his broken ribs.
"Why the fuck does this shit tastes like coffee?" The blond complained about the taste.
Knowing the real reason, the legacy successor quoted Nana, "Sometimes, you have to enjoy the bitter things in life."
"Fuck you and your philosophical crap, Deku! I don't need to like this bitter shit!"
The other boy laughed, throwing a glance at the settling dust clouds, "You think he would have learned after the first time."
"I did."
Each boy had his head enveloped by a hand, then got knocked against each other. A snap kick lashed out and sent both boys straight at a lamppost which got dented from the crash, tilting forward. Before it could crumble, All Might ripped it from the ground and used it to bat the boys away.
They were sent straight through a bus, rolling out the other side to a dead stop.
"Ouch." Both said at the same time. The attacks were so fast that when the pain registered, they were already on the ground.
"You dead?"
"Not yet."
"Good enough."
The duo pushed themselves up, Deku using the last of his magic to cast a Curaga.
"Come on, boys, how will you win if that's all you got?" All Might's voice made them snap to attention, looking at the hero now standing over the wrecked bus.
He expected many things as their answer, but the one he got wasn't one of them.
"We won't."
The hero blinked, "What?!"
Dynamight barked a laugh, "Are you deaf? We can't win, not against you, not yet."
"But that doesn't matter. Being a hero means never giving up!" Deku pointed his Keyblade at the man as if daring him to challenge his words.
"We can't win, but we won't lose!" Both boys shouted, dashing at All Might with renewed energy.
—
"What did we miss?" Uravity glanced at the only lit screen, seeing the last duo going at their opponent.
Grape Juice shot her and Can't Stop Twinkling a look, "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"
"Uh, good?"
Pinky gave a slightly hysterical laugh, "Well, the good news is that they're still alive. The bad is that we don't know how long it will keep like that." As if to confirm her words, on the screen, All Might withstood the students' assault, and when Dynamight tried to circle him and throw an explosion, he grabbed the sparkling palm. The detonation was muffled into a puff of smoke, and the bomber was manhandled like a ragdoll, pulled up, and then smashed onto Deku over and over again.
"Oh ho, that's gotta hurt~!" Invisible Girl's giggle came out slurred, her hair and eyes an opaque gray. She tilted forward and would have faceplanted if not for Tail Man holding her with his extra limb at the last moment.
"Don't mind her, she's still woozy from Recovery Girl's quirk."
Uravity was too focused on the transmission to respond. Her friends were there, getting pummeled by the greatest hero in the world; she should feel concerned, scared, or something, but just one glimpse of their eyes put her at ease.
They hadn't given up.
All Might kicked the boys away, only for them to get back up. Bruised, battered, and haggard, but still with the fire in their eyes burning bright.
"They'll be fine."
Her whisper didn't go unnoticed. "How can you say that while seeing that?!" Earphone Jack's snap was justified, seeing what she was seeing.
The one to answer was Chargebolt, "Y-you say that l-like they don't do worse to each other. Our bros have this in the b-bag!" He gave a thumbs up, no one mentioning how his hand spasmed, the side effects of pushing his quirk too far still showing.
"Yeah! At USJ, they went against that super weapon of the League of Villains and won."
"They also showed an exemplar performance at the Sports Festival!"
"I would say something about Hosu, but I'm legally not allowed to do it." Everybody shot Shoto a blank stare at that but quickly shook it off.
Walking past her class, Uravity stood by the monitor. Deku used Fa Jin to overcharge his blows and match All Might's, while Dynamight displayed his new mastery of magic by mixing every element he could with his explosions. They weren't making any headway in bringing the hero down, but they made him work to land every hit.
The girl put a hand over her chest.
They couldn't win.
T̶̛̞̐̾ḩ̶͓͂̿ą̸̘̘̓̏t̶͎͙̩̔̓ ̸̝̤͍̒͋n̵̞̎̀͜ë̴̛͈̳̫́̅v̷͈̯̋e̴̝̠̚r̶̦͖͎̾͗ ̵̲͊̐ś̶̱͚̫̿̑t̴̛͓͔͘ö̷̱̮̥̿́p̷̳̽̊p̴̳̂è̵̡̫͔̋d̸̡̺̆͆̇͜ ̸̇́ͅȟ̸̨͚̠̕ĩ̵̟͜m̷͖͚̿ ̵̘̅̔b̸̙͠e̷͖̅f̶̥̓̀̀ơ̶̛̗̮̜̊r̶̜̓̽ę̷͙̉͘ͅ.
"They'll be fine." Uravity looked back at her friends, a smile on her face, "I have no doubts about it. They can do it!"
—
Deku pushed himself back to his feet. How much time passed? How many times had he fallen?
Not enough. It wouldn't ever be enough. No matter how many times it took, he would always get back up!
The world slowed, Deku taking in a sharp breath through gritted teeth. One For All rippled through his skin, pushing him forward. "I'm not done yet!" Deku bolted, asphalt bursting under his shoes. In a blindingly fast movement, he rejoined the fray with a flying kick.
All Might caught it, but that only gave the boy a chance to release another Thundaga Smash directly into his arm. The hero flinched back, and Deku used Float to throw himself at his mentor like a bird of prey.
Heroes Rising buzzed with power, being swung with wild recklessness. The Keyblade was as effective as a pool noodle; the lack of Darkness to vanquish and the stalwartness of body and heart of All Might made the weapon as good as any piece of metal, which is to say, it was practically useless.
That didn't stop Deku from putting all his swordsmanship into a charge against his teacher. All Might raised his guard and tried to keep his footing, but by the second strike of his successor's weapon, his boots were carving trenches in the street.
No.
Not enough.
More.
I need more!
Deku tried to pull more power from the seemingly infinite well that was One For All, even if his body felt like a cup overflowing. It wasn't enough. He needed more!
"Wow, hold on, you're going to hurt yourself!" Nana's voice was accompanied by a sensation of being pulled as if she was physically holding him back.
'I'm not stopping now, not until I prove I can do it!'
"You already did more than-"
Her words cut abruptly, then Yoichi's voice sounded in his heart, "Let him do it."
"What?!"
"It's his choice."
"But he's not ready for more."
"No, but it's still his choice."
For a dreadful second, the only noise filling Deku's ears was the meaty impacts of his Keyblade against All Might's arms. Then, he felt the ghostly hold let go.
23% leaped to 25%, and Deku felt as if his muscles were on fire. The higher the percentage climbed, the bigger the strain, and the difference. With the extra push, the boy was able to keep All Might on the ropes.
The surprise wouldn't last long, but before the moment escaped him, Deku pushed all the energy stored in the Third's quirk into Heroes Rising, "Fa Jin: Second Form!"
A shockwave ripped out of him, and the boy had to bite back a cry. Full Cowling's aura brightened with 35% of One For All empowering it, but the energy made Deku's bones vibrate like glasses about to burst from a loud enough sound. Biting his tongue, he soldiered through it.
It wouldn't last long, but Deku needed to buy just a couple more seconds. He kept swinging his weapon over and over and over again, All Might's guard barely buckling from it.
'Just a little more, hold just a little more!' The inheritor shouted in his mind, begging his body not to fail.
All Might's boots tried to find purchase, to no avail.
Heroes Rising sparked with excess energy, trying to help its Wielder bear the burden.
Fa Jin rippled with a complete charge.
Now!
Pushing the second load of energy to his Keyblade, Deku opened a pained grin and roared.
"Ars Maxima!"
The Keyblade in his hand lit up with an almost phosphorescent aura of emerald energy. Deku felt like he was holding a livewire, but that only made his smile widen even more.
One. Two. Three cuts.
Four. Five. Six thrusts.
A Seventh spinning slash.
An Eighth overhead swing.
And using the momentum, Deku flipped himself forward, both hands dragging along Heroes Rising. The weapon was violently smashed downwards, and a spike of pure power exploded from the point of contact.
What little success All Might had in standing went out the window. His back crashed on the ground, and only years of experience let him use the moment to roll back and plant his arms and knees on the ground, only skidding a couple of meters instead of being sent head over teakettle for half a mile.
The hero laughed, impressed yet again. He stood back up, shaking his slightly sore arms, "Not bad, my boy!"
"And what about me?!" Dynamight must have learned how to teleport too, for the boy once more simply popped out of nowhere to take a shot at All Might. And from how he was aiming his left grenade gauntlet, it would be a hell of a shot.
Unfortunately for him, the Symbol of Peace hadn't built his legacy by being caught by the same trick twice.
A snap of displaced air crackled, and with it, Dynamight's gauntlet.
The bomber blinked, he hadn't even seen the move; in a blur, his gear was just gone, broken into tiny little pieces. Red eyes stared into glowing blue ones… and lit up with almost sadistic joy.
"Now you fucked up bad!" With a maniac smirk, Dynamight let out a spark.
It ignited his explosive sweat.
All of it.
Including the full tank that had been inside his gauntlet.
Unlike the focused and directed earlier blast, this one was completely wild. The shockwave turned the windows of every building still standing on the street into glass shards that were flung away. The asphalt was ripped from the ground and sent flying, chunks landing all the way to the edges of the battleground.
And the perpetrator of all that destruction landed heavily on his back, cursing up a storm. Thanks to having a blast-resistant body as an adaptation to his quirk, Dynamight wasn't dead, only feeling as if he got into a fistfight against a twelve-wheeler. He was also angry as fuck, but that was just how he was.
"Eat that, you piece of shit." The bomber forced himself to his knees, still catching his breath. "You think you're tough? That you can knock me around?!" He planted one foot on the ground and pushed against his knee, forcing his aching body to rise, "I'm a guy that thinks when life knocks you down, you get back up and say…" Dynamite, with spite alone fueling him, for he had no energy left, stood before the colossal cloud of smoke his attack created, "You hit like a bitch!"
"I think you're the first one to ever say that." All Might, covered in soot but not more hurt than he had been a minute before, walked off from the smoke-filled crater. He coughed, clearing his airway, "But I'm not surprised. Since the start of the year, you hadn't shown a once of fear in a fight. The only moment I ever saw you truly distressed was in the USJ." The hero locked eyes with the defiant boy, "But it wasn't from having to face villains, right?"
Dynamight clicked his tongue. He didn't want to speak about that, not now… not yet. Still, he needed to gain all the time he could, "That time, I was kicking myself up for leaving Deku behind. I'm not afraid of fighting… I'm scared of not being there to fight when I need to; when someone that can't fight needs me, but I'm not there."
The bomber coming clean of his fears stumbled All Might for a moment. He hadn't expected such a declaration from one of his most prideful students, even if it shed new light on his whole attitude. "I understand how you feel, Young Bakugo; sometimes I find myself thinking much the same, but no one blames you for that mistake." If anything, it was his fault for not being there from the start.
"I know, but that's not a fucking excuse." Dynamight chuckled, "Also, on your left."
All Might started to turn his head, only to have Deku, in Guardian Angel mode, crashing into him with a cross charge from Wings of Hope and Heroes Rising.
"Ready for round two?" The boy laughed while driving his mentor through a series of buildings, the last one crumbling on their heads.
Now with a moment of respite, Dynamight put his hands on his knees and took in mouthfuls of air. He struggled to regulate his breath for a moment, holding the air in, counting to five, then letting it out slowly. Three more repetitions, and he straightened back up.
Another building fell, but the blond wasn't worried. Wings of Hope had a little trick to its Form Changer, an ability Deku called Rebirth, which gave him a second wind when he assumed the mode. The catch was that it took almost two hours to recharge, so going out and back into Guardian Angel wouldn't work.
It was still broken, but at least, Dynamight didn't feel the urge to strangle his friend with his scarf.
He could take care of himself long enough for the bomber to catch his breath. With that in mind, Dynamight pulled his last canteen from his utility belt and downed the contents, "Why did I let Deku convince me mixing Ethers with the water was a good idea?" It tasted like pure sugar, as magic apparently did, but it helped his empty reserves.
Now, for the damage. Dynamight's left gauntlet was gone, and his wrist was a little strained but nothing too serious. He put his ear against his right gauntlet and shook it, hearing the splash of what shouldn't be a fifth of a tank. Not surprising, seeing he was burning through most of his sweat before it could pool and that he was at least mildly dehydrated.
Verdict? He was breathing, so he could still kick ass.
The Light inside his chest warmed, showing its approval.
"One day, I'll learn just what exactly you are. Your luck is that today I'm too busy getting my teeth kicked in by the most awesome hero ever." Dynamight's complaints only seemed to amuse the spark inside him, just like his childish admiration for All Might. He couldn't mouth off to Deku about being a fanboy, at least not with a straight face, without being a hypocrite.
He wouldn't ever admit it though.
A louder crash came from deeper in the city. Dynamight barely reacted as Deku was put through just as many buildings as they threw onto their adversary's head and crashlanded beside him.
"So much for a second wind." The bomber glanced at the sprawled form of his friend, "You alive?"
"Ouch."
"Good, get up." Dynamight cracked his neck, knowing what came next, "Time for Plan B."
Deku, golden smudges disappearing from his aura and hair and Wings of Hope dematerializing from his grasp, stumbled up, "You sure?"
"I'm only sure of three things in life: we're all gonna die, cucumbers are disgusting, and we are not losing!" He shouted just as All Might smashed into the street some meters ahead of them.
"I wouldn't be so certain about the last one!" The hero stopped, finally computing the entire phrase, "Or the second one too, cucumbers go great on salads."
"Fuck you and fuck your revolting tastes, you bastard!" Dynamight's bark was followed by a finger jabbed in the man's direction, "We came this far, there's no way in hell we're stopping now!" He balled his hand into a first and offered it to Deku.
Both boys traded a glance, a whole story of unspoken words passing by their eyes, and then they nodded. That was it, time to show their childish dreams amounted to more than empty promises, time to show that they could do it!
Deku's knuckles bumped against Dynamight's, the latter being clad into an orange aura. Both boys, glowing like stars, power all but radiating from their bodies, turned to the surprised hero, "Plus Ultra!"
All Might didn't know how to feel. How seeing two boys filled with so much spirit sharing the power he once called his should make him feel? There wasn't time to think about it, as in a flash, they were upon him with warcries.
Dynamight felt the energy flowing through him rip its way to his palms, then out, with such wildness it bordered on violence. That was what Plan B had been from the start, discarding all else and going at the poor sob that incurred such measure with everything. And he meant everything. "Die!" Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Aero, Water, Earth, Gravity, Magnet, and Light rushed out of his palm with his quirk, an explosion of multicolored power obliterating everything directly in front of him.
Of course, Deku didn't fall behind. With the wall of magic slamming into him with the force of a vengeful god, All Might let himself open for a construct-hammer double strike, the red ring of Fa Jin propagating like a ripple in the very fabric of reality.
The teacher gasped. In the time it took his spit to fly, another explosion of elemental fury went off. Then another construct overpowered blow. And another. And another.
Deku made a spear and vaulted himself into a dropkick. Dynamight channeled an Earthra into his next explosion and sent rock fragments flying out from his palm like buckshot. A green shield charge. A detonation of sparking Light. A flying knee with a ruby disk over it. Two palms lit up with a cerulean glow. A punch. A slap. A kick.
Everything devolved into an impossibly fast onslaught. Heat and power and light were thrown out with no degree of skill or finesse, but that was remedied by an intensity that went past desperation and reached the peak of self-destructive stubbornness.
That was it. No holds bared. They couldn't win, but that would never stop them from trying!
"Now!"
"With everything we got!"
"Together!"
The duo lunged for the final attack. Both Deku and Dynamight, side by side, shoulder to shoulder.
Dynamight pulled his left hand back, putting every single speck of energy he borrowed, that he conquered, that he achieved with his sweat and blood, into his big finisher.
And that was what inspired Deku to do the same. He dismissed his Keyblade and winded his right fist, One For All roaring beneath his skin until it couldn't hold the cataclysmic power anymore. His Magic Force Gauntlet, his sleeve, the very air, it was all torn to atoms by the viridescent energy all but bursting out of him.
"Wait, don't-!"
"Screw it. Go, Little Nine, go!"
With Yoichi's words as a cue, both boys swung forward.
"Firaza…"
"Detroit…"
"SMASH!"
A tsunami of disastrous power impacted All Might, the man getting swallowed by the inferno that burned even inside a vacuum tunnel. The magic nature of the flames disregarded the lack of oxygen to keep burning while the violent pushing and the refill of air caused a second wave, the detonation obliterating a chunk of the mock city.
On the other side of the scale, the boys were sent flying by their own attack. They rolled and stumbled down the torn street, both ending on their backs.
After the storm came the peace, calm silence settling in. The sky opened up, the few clouds being blown away to reveal the fast blue sky;
"That was it, huh?" Izuku muttered absentmindedly, staring up. His right arm was a giant purple bruise, while his bones did a very convincing impression of confetti.
"Yeah. We came a long way." Katsuki found the strength to chuckle even when his left arm could pass for a piece of coal, his flesh charred black and cracked.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you remember? The day I got my quirk, some jackasses from the neighborhood came after me." The boy glanced at his friend before looking back up, remembering days from what was a lifetime ago to him, "I couldn't do shit back then, one decent explosion and my hands got busted, so they came to take a crack at me."
"And we fought them." Izuku remembered it, one clear memory in an ocean of static.
"And we got our asses kicked. We got back up, again and again, until they got tired and left us alone."
Izuku felt a laugh building up, escaping him before he could have any say on the matter, and that prompted Katsuki to do the same.
From inside the smoke cloud resulting from their attack, All Might walked out. His suit was in tatters, his skin had a red tint from the heat he faced, and he held his aching chest. Seeing his students on the floor, spent but happy, his ever-present smile turned genuine.
He had time, but… His boys showed they could do it. They could survive this oh-so-dangerous world. And maybe, just maybe, they could make it better.
The three waited, and all too soon, the buzzer sounded.
"ALL MIGHT WAS INCAPABLE OF INCAPACITATING HIS TARGETS IN TIME. BAKUGO KATSUKI AND MIDORIYA IZUKU WIN THE MATCH!"
"Yeah!" The boys commemorated.
In the control room for the exams, Nezu and the other teachers watching clapped respectfully.
With class 1-A, the students hollered and shouted, celebrating their friends in overcoming the seemingly impossible challenge.
On a bright pillar in the void, ancient heroes showed their support for their youngest one.
"See, he's fine!" Yoichi told Nana, who only sharpened her death stare. The First chuckled awkwardly, cold sweat trailing down his forehead, "I took a calculated risk, but man, I'm bad at math."
The Vestiges descended into their usual shenanigans, with Yoichi running for his live-after-death as a livid Nana flew after him. Second and Third watched their friend with amusement while Forth and Fifth threw on snappy remarks.
En, in turn, looked at the green-haired boy still sitting at the edge of the pillar, a smile on his face.
He pulled something from his pocket, a picture. In it, the same boy, and at his side, an arm over the first's shoulders, both with bright smiles, was a brunette using black clothes with red highlights, sky blue eyes bright with joy.
The Other looked back and smiled, putting a finger in front of his lips as if telling En to keep quiet.
After all, that was a story for another day.
Today, the story told was one of victory, hope, and the promise of the heroes of tomorrow.
Done!
This chapter was written before FFXVI came out and I'm glad I managed to do that because that game has me by the throat.
Either way, this epic battle that was less of a battle and more like the boys trying to outstubborn defeat, to mixed results, came to an end. If you're gonna complain that All Might would have won this in two seconds if he was serious and that he handed it to the kids, you're right.
All Might could have clapped those kids, but that wasn't the point. He held back enough so they could fight back at the same time he cut loose enough to give them an overwhelming challenge. Izuku and Katsuki had to constantly surprise him to keep All Might on the defensive to just barely scrap a win by surviving. And that was still cutting it close.
With that out of the way, this arc is out of the way and the next will be full of surprises, so stay tuned!
Also, for those that want to support me, go to the P site and look for Bola8 to put some change in the tip jar, because that's basically what it is. Then you can have your name at the end of the chapter, like:
Guipa_, SilverZero90, CBN, Brolly Freeman, and kennine a heartfelt thanks to you all!
Beyond that, my friends made this readable, so a shout-out to SilverBits and keeperofhounds!
Oh, and join the discord.
discord . gg / stAGY4V