MIDORIYA RESIDENCE

''Do you have everything, sweetie?'' Inko asked nervously while Hisashi was beside her with an arm holding her close.

With a fond chuckle, Izuku tied his shoes before standing, clad in his school uniform. ''Yes, I'm sure.'' He adjusted his bag before looking at her with a teasing grin. ''Just like the first three times you asked.''

Hisashi held back a laugh as Inko's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. ''Sorry, it's just that today is a big event.'' The thought of her son being watched by so many viewers made her anxious.

''He'll be fine, love.'' Her husband assured her with a calming hug that she leaned into. ''Our boy's been training hard for this day.'' He sent him a proud grin. ''All of them had.'' They'd heard their fair share of stories from the other families on how dedicated Toga and Bakugou were to preparing themselves.

Izuku returned the grin. "Thanks dad." He went to embrace his mother, the latter returning it after Hisashi gave them room. "Don't worry, mom, I'll give it my all." He rubbed her back.

Inko nodded against his chest and smiled up at him. "I know you will." She reached up to touch his cheek. "You always have." She said in a proud motherly tone before the two separated.

"Just remember not to let the audience get to you." Hisashi spoke, garnering their attention. "Acknowledging them is ok, but there shouldn't be any room for distractions. Especially during fights and games."

Izuku nodded with a serious look. "I won't." He then smiled at his mother. "So, who's going to be hosting the watch-along?"

"Mitsuki volunteered to host." Inko then sighed with a hand on her cheek. "But I am a little concerned; she can be a bit…" She paused. "Intense when it comes to certain things on television." She can still remember the storm of curses she unleashed when her favorite baseball team lost back in their school days.

Izuku snickered at the mental image. "Sounds like an exciting time." His remarks earned chuckles from them. "Are you really going to record the whole thing? I'm pretty sure it'll be posted online in a few days." It wasn't exactly an uncommon thing to do.

"True, but it won't carry as much weight as recording it ourselves. It is the first major event you'll be participating in." Hisashi pointed out. "And besides, chances are, footage posted online might be tampered with."

Izuku shrugged. "Fair enough, just cut out any embarrassing parts later."

Inko giggled. "That entirely depends on how you perform and the timing of the cameraman." She pointed out with a teasing wink, causing both men to chuckle.

*Ding* *Dong*

The OFA user perked up at the sound of the doorbell. "That's my cue." He quickly embraced his parents before walking to the door. "I'm off!" He opened the door, revealing his friends waiting for him; the latter mentioned waving at the adults.

"Good luck, son!" Hisashi called out as he and Inko waved him goodbye with proud smiles.

U.A. STADIUM-WAITING ROOM

Within the room and clad in their P.E. attire, the students of 1A passed the time in their own way, whether it be discussing amongst themselves or simply waiting in silence.

Or in Kaminari's case, anxiously shaking his leg. "Would you relax, Jamming Whey!" Jiro called out in annoyance while removing an earphone.

"Sorry, it's just that I've never done this kind of thing before." The electric user explained apologetically while rubbing his arm. "Especially for a large audience."

Izuku chuckled while doing some stretches. "I'm pretty sure that applies to all of us, but I get it." After finishing his stretches, he grinned at him. "Don't overthink, and I'm sure you'll do fine." The blond nodded to his words and said his thanks.

Jiro on the other hand, huffed. "Trust me, overthinking isn't going to be a problem when he short circuits." She ignored the offended look he directed at her as she casually went back to listening to her music.

With a sweatdrop, Toga leaned close to Izuku. "Geez, Jiro's ruthless." The taller teen chuckled in agreement.

Next to the pair, Bakugou grunted. "It wasn't that bad." He crossed his arms. "She could have said worse if she wanted to hurt his feelings." His point was made when Kaminari pouted when the musical teen directed a smug smirk at him.

"True." Izuku nodded before glancing at Toga. "Nervous?" He gently asked.

The blonde was silent for a moment before answering. "A little." She shrugged. "But I'm trying not to think about it." As much as she preferred not being stared at by countless strangers, she knew it was something that she was going to have to deal with when she becomes a pro.

"That's the spirit!" The taller teen exclaimed in approval as he pulled her into a friendly one-armed hug. "Just focus on doing your best, and it'll turn out well."

With a very red face, Toga dumbly nodded as she leaned into the embrace. "Y-Yeah." She mumbled timidly, doing her best to ignore the teasing looks she was receiving from everyone else.

Kaminari chuckled, grabbing the pair's attention. "Smooth one dude." He gave them a thumbs up and a look of respect, while Mineta turned his back to them to bite his shirt with envy.

"Uh…" Naturally, Izuku was confused by the comment. "Thanks?" His obvious obliviousness caused Bakugou to groan, while others could only sigh. This, of course, increased his confusion. "What?"

While holding back a sigh of her own, Toga merely patted his arm in reassurance. "It's nothing; don't worry about it." The taller teen remained confused, but seeing her sweet smile was enough to convince him to put it aside for now.

Just then, the door to the room opened, revealing it to be Ida. "We have a few minutes before we're called with the other classes, so get ready." The class did just that and went back to what they were doing before.

Seeing this, the class president went to Ochako, who looked to be in thought. "How are you doing?"

The gravity user let out a deep sigh before answering. "My parents said that they know I'll do my best." She directed him an unsure smile. "But to be completely honest, I'm a little jumpy right now." She nervously rubbed her hands together.

Seeing how stressed she was, Ida placed gentle hands on her shoulder. "You'll do fine, Ochako." He smiled reassuringly. "Just focus on what you're doing this for, and you'll prevail."

Ochako took the time to let his words sink in before nodding. "Yeah…" Her posture straightened. "Yeah, you're right." She gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you."

Ida nodded with a friendly smile, glad that she regained her confidence. "Happy to help."

The duo then stood in silence for a moment, simply smiling at each other, before the class rep realized that he was still holding her shoulders before taking a step back to clear his throat. "M-My apologies." The action snapped Ochako out of her stupor; the latter blushed and looked to the side. "I shouldn't take much of your time; good luck." With that, he stiffly turned away from her and marched to another part of the room.

Ochako tried to call out for him but decided against it, simply watching him with a fond smile and a hand over her heart. "Thank you, Ida." She murmured, suddenly feeling like she could win the entire festival.

Unbeknownst to them, Izuku was watching them with an amused grin. Thankfully, Toga and Bakugou were too busy chatting to notice; otherwise, his blonde friend might have exposed them as an audience.

And while a part of him was tempted to share what he'd seen, he decided to just keep it to himself; no sense in embarrassing his friends, especially when it appears that their relationship could evolve into something more.

Yeah, best to leave it be; bro code needs to be honored.

"Looks like Mina and Kirishima won't be the only couple soon." Izuku mused as he observed his two friends, who were dealing with what had happened in their own way, albeit awkwardly. "Then again, it could be me just reading too much into it." He sighed; he mused that this line of thinking is a side effect of watching that drama series Toga and Bakugou recommended.

"Midoriya."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Izuku turned and was curious to see Todoroki standing next to him. "What's up?" The interaction caught the attention of Toga and Bakugou, who also regarded the bi-colored teen in confusion.

"There's no doubt in my mind how incredibly strong you are." The teen continued, oblivious or uncaring to their confusion. "But regardless of this, I will defeat you." Despite the monotone, there was an air of determination as he said this.

Izuku's confusion turned into intrigue. "I appreciate the straightforward challenge…" It was a chance to test himself, after all. "But why so suddenly?" He was more curious than bothered; he at least wanted to know why he was suddenly being called out like this. As far as he can remember, he hasn't done anything to him.

There was a small pause before Todoroki answered. "You're the strongest…" He turned away from him. "That's reason enough." He added with no emotion before walking away.

As he moved, Bakugou narrowed his eyes at his retreating form; Toga didn't know how to feel, while everyone else was just stunned by the sudden challenge.

Izuku, on the other hand, didn't look convinced. "That's it?" His tone stopped Todoroki. "Improving oneself is one thing. But picking fights just because the other person is strong doesn't validate your challenge." He frowned a little. "It just sounds like you're trying to prove yourself." While nothing inherently wrong, recklessly challenging everyone around you could end badly.

"There's nothing to prove." Todoroki glanced at him, his expression a little stern. "I simply want to test myself." His voice carried something that they couldn't place.

Noticing this, Izuku was about to speak, but was interrupted when Bakugou stood with a scowl. "Cut the crap." Who did this guy think he was fooling? "If that were the case…" He pointed to himself. "Why not challenge me as well? I'm just as strong as he is, Toga too." He gestured to Mina. "Even Raccoon Eyes can give you a run for your money." While flattered by the praise, the pink teen pouted at the nickname as Kirishima patted her head with an awkward chuckle.

"So, fess up." The blond's expression hardened. "Why are you after Izuku?" Silence was his answer as Todoroki looked down. "Well?" He sternly prodded.

At once, the bi-colored teen snapped an annoyed look at him, an expression that was surprising to see from the normally monotone teen. "Why are you so concerned about my reasoning?" There was an edge in his voice now.

Bakugou's was about to retort if not for Toga stopping him with a hand on his arm. "He didn't mean to insinuate anything." She said placatingly. "He's just wondering why-"

"Then there shouldn't be a problem." Everyone was taken aback by Todoroki's cold interruption. "If there's no real issue, then stay out of it." The others tensed when they saw that Bakugou looked like he was ready to murder him for talking to Toga like that, the latter shrinking from the bi-colored teen's words.

But what really made them nervous was how Izuku's expression became unreadable. While not appearing to be angry, they could tell that the surrounding atmosphere changed.

"Oi." Kirishima, ever the manly teen, stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "What's going on with you?" He questioned with a frown.

Next to him, Mina had her hands on her hips, her expression in disapproval. "Yeah, why are you picking fights?"

Todoroki firmly pulled his shoulder away from the red-haired teen. "Let me remind you, we're here to win, not make friends." He remarked in a cold tone as he glared at the couple. "Don't get involved." Most were starting to get miffed with the teen's attitude; noticing this, the class representatives were about to step in.

Until all activity ceased when a deep growl was heard in the room. Looking to the source, they saw Izuku staring him down with sharp eyes. "If you've got a problem with me, settle it with me." His expression hardened. "Never lash out at anyone not involved." His eyes glowed as sparks emanated from his form. "Understood?"

Everyone stilled from the intimidating display and aura; even Bakugou, Toga, on the other hand, was more worried about what the tall teen might do, even when she knew that he wouldn't do things impulsively.

Others were unsure of what to do as they nervously looked between the two individuals. Bracing themselves for one to make a move. Mineta was a good example of this, as the short teen hid behind Sato's leg in fear.

Todoroki on the other hand, was better at keeping his emotions in check, apart from the small drop of sweat on his cheek. The latter mentioned, nodding in response before walking away to the empty part of the room.

Seeing this, Izuku's eyes returned to normal as he deactivated his quirk. This encouraged others to snap out of it to either murmur to each other in speculation or silently contemplate what transpired. "What's his deal?" Bakugou cut in as he and Toga stood either side of him.

The OFA user stared at the bi-colored teen, now seated near a corner of the room. "I'm…not sure." He sighed to compose himself. "But whatever it is, it's turning him into a jerk." He looked at his friend. "Try not to take it personally; fighting each other will only cause problems."

Bakugou huffed at that. "Fine, but if he tries that shit again, and you're not around..." He cracked his knuckles with a scowl. "No promises."

Izuku grunted, knowing that this was the best he was going to get. "Fair." He then turned to Toga, his expression shifting into regret. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that." He rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't like how he talked to you and-"

The blond stopped him with a calming hand on his arm. "You don't have to apologize." He met her kind gaze. "I know how protective you are of friends." She smiled warmly at him with a small blush. "Thank you for that."

Seeing that she wasn't bothered in the slightest by his outburst, Izuku felt beyond relieved and grinned at her. "No problem." It was strange; he was usually good at keeping his composure, rationalizing what was the best way to deal with a problem.

But seeing Toga frightened like that urged his instincts to act and forgo calmness for some reason.

Before he could ponder on it, however, someone was knocking outside the door. And not a moment later, a staff member entered and told them to start heading out.

U.A. STADIUM

When it comes to major events, U.A. certainly doesn't skimp on the expenses. The scale of this place put the underground training facilities to shame. Not to mention the amount of people here to witness this.

Something that the students discussed as they made their way to the assembly area. "It's a lot bigger in person." Kaminari mused aloud, while those who heard dumbly nodded in agreement.

Izuku studied the cheering crowd before his eyes landed on a few heroes. "And it looks like Nezu wasn't kidding; I can see a couple of heroes patrolling the crowd." Some followed his gaze and felt relieved to know that security had indeed increased. Mineta especially looked a little braver in his stride.

After gathering in the designated area, the students watched as the R-Rated Heroine, Midnight, sauntered up the stairs. And knowing full well that the audience was focused on her, she emphasized her beauty by moving with a sway of her hips and stretching her arms.

Naturally the crowd went wild, chanting her name or whistling, apart from those in relationships or commitments who remained stoic as they felt their partners' vigilante gazes on them.

Up in the announcer's booth, Present Mic laughed in amusement while Eraserhead rolled his eyes with a smirk, both having long since gotten used to her antics.

Mineta, however, was shamelessly gawking at her with a prominent nosebleed while Kaminari nodded with an approving grin before yelping after being jabbed by an earphone jack on the ribs.

The other male students either blushed or didn't know where to look, while the females were amazed by her beauty and confidence. Toga in particular appeared to be fighting the urge to geek out and maintain her presentable stance, much to the amusement of her classmates.

Izuku looked away with an awkward smile, while Bakugou followed his lead and focused on something else, grumbling about getting the show started.

Upon reaching the mic, Midnight took out her whip and produced a loud crack. "Let us begin!" The crowd quickly began to settle. "Before we start this event, we'll have a speech from one of our students." Said students became shocked by this, more so when she pointed her whip at the students of 1A. "Which will be given by Izuku Midoriya of Class 1A!" The crowd went wild upon hearing this.

"EHHHH!?" The tall teen blurted out in shock before becoming pale when a lot of eyes turned to him. "Since when did this become a thing!?" Shouldn't it be the principal or All Might making the opening remarks!?

Bakugou chuckled at his friend's dismay. "Since now apparently." He patted his back. "Don't worry, just say, 'I vow to win'." He formed a smug grin. "That'll get them hyped up." His reasoning caused most to deadpan at him, suddenly glad that the blond wasn't chosen for this.

"Hush." Toga lightly admonished the explosive teen with a light slap to his arm before looking at her crush with pity. "And it does make sense; you did get first place during the entrance trial."

Izuku groaned in defeat; his mentor could have at least warned him about this. "All that talk about leaving an impression, and yet I might end up making myself look like an idiot in front of millions." He let out a heavy sigh. "Let's get this over with." He grumbled before marching to the front.

"Good luck!" Toga called out, as did the rest of his classmates. Meanwhile, some students from other classes watched him with curiosity and intrigue.

MEANWHILE-BAKUGOU RESIDENCE-LIVING ROOM

"Not even a minute in, and he's already in trouble." Mitsuki jested with a grin before drinking her juice while her husband chuckled in amusement.

Inko could only sigh with her hand on her face. "It might as well be a family trait at this point." While proud of her son being recognized, she knew of his slight stage fright.

Which was funny, considering the amount of attention he gathers without trying.

Hisashi snickered but wasn't any less proud as he watched his son march to the stage. "Still, you have to admit, the cameramen know how to make him look cool." Despite being slightly nervous, the OFA user kept his head high like a determined hero.

Inko smiled at the scene, feeling a surge of parental pride. "Yeah, he does." The rest of the adults watched the screen, wondering what the young hero was going to say.

U.A. STADIUM-ASSEMBLY AREA

"Good luck~." Midnight teased with amusement as she walked away from the mic stand.

Izuku mumbled out a 'thanks' before looking sheepish as he held onto the mic. "Good morning, everybody." The chorus of replies from the audience and students alike served to intimidate and motivate him, an odd feeling. "To be blunt, I don't have a speech prepared." He chuckled before sighing. "In fact, I didn't even know I had to make a speech to begin with." As the audience chuckled at his remark, Toshinori looked embarrassed for forgetting to mention it.

"Now while I don't have a fancy speech that would probably bore some of you." He joked, gaining confidence as the audience laughed again. "I can give you a promise." The audience grew silent, intrigued. "A promise that all of us, regardless of department, will give it our all!" Some students were surprised, not expecting to be put into the speech.

Seeing this, Izuku decided to go with it. "I'm aware of the doubts that some of you have concerning the worth of the courses you're assigned with." In the gathering, Shinso looked a bit embarrassed, while others felt like they had been acknowledged. "And while I can see where the doubts come from…they are unwarranted." Everyone was taken aback by this. "Heroics come in all forms, not just fighting. Your presence here is proof that you managed to showcase your potential to do good for the world." Almost all were stunned in disbelief at the amount of belief that the tall teen had for them.

"With that said!" His shout snapped the students out of their stupor and gave him their full attention. "Today is an opportunity." He eyed the students. "For you to-no." He shook his head. "For us to show everyone what we're capable of!" His statement stirred something within the students. "Hero Course, Support, General Education and even the Management Course!" Each batch unconsciously stood in attention with each call. "Win or Lose, all witnesses to this day will see our potential as the next generation of heroes!" The students gradually grew hyped and motivated.

Izuku clenched his fists as his form sparked. "That we can all go beyond…" His eyes shone with determination before he raised his right fist in the air in a classic All Might pose. "PLUS ULTRA!" A beast-like roar was mixed into his declaration, which echoed throughout the stadium.

Inspired by his words and determination, the students responded in kind. "PLUS ULTRA!" They cried out with equal determination before devolving into repeating the phrase in chants or just generally cheering.

Meanwhile, the crowd couldn't help but cheer as well from their infectious energy. Incredibly excited for what the event had in store for them. ["LISTEN TO THAT CROWD!"] Present Mic excitedly exclaimed from the announcer booth. ["Looks like this festival is going to be one for the books."] He turned to his co-host. ["Wouldn't you say Eraser?"]

The bandaged man grunted at that, more annoyed by the burst of noise. ["That remains to be seen."] After all, apart from the motivational speech, nothing has happened yet.

But then again, with how the school year has been going so far…he wouldn't be surprised if this festival ended up being remembered forever.

From where he stood, Izuku grinned at the response as he lowered his fist. "That's it, everyone!" He praised as the audience began to settle. "Keep that spirit up, and you'll be fine. Because regardless of the outcome, everyone here will be seen as heroes!" His declaration increased their morale and gave them comfort. "And of course, remember to have fun; no point in growing gray hairs early." His remark was met with a chorus of amused agreements.

The OFA user was about to leave before pausing and holding the mic again. He then searched for the nearest camera and smiled at it. "Before I forget, to my loving parents…" He formed an earnest expression. "Thank you for supporting me!" He exclaimed before hastily leaving the stage, doing his best to ignore the fond coos and chuckles from the audience.

Upon reaching his class, Izuku let out a heavy huff, suddenly feeling drained as he crouched while his classmates gathered around him. "Nice speech, greenie, you got the whole stadium cheering for us." Jiro commented in amusement. "It felt like being in a concert." In fact, it reminded her of the time when her favorite band first debuted live.

The tall teen chuckled. "I may have gotten a bit into it." He admitted with a sheepish smile as he straightened up while most chuckled. "At least it was well received despite it being on the spot."

Toga giggled. "That's an understatement." She excitedly hopped in place. "I feel motivated!" Most of their classmates agreed and expressed their sudden boost of energy.

"Morale would do that." Bakugou chimed in with a chuckle before giving Izuku an amused look. "But did you have to add that last part? You know how Aunt Inko is." Izuku and Toga chuckled knowingly.

This drew curious looks from their classmates. "What does he mean by that, Midoriya?" Ida asked.

Finally noticing the curious looks from everyone, Izuku answered. "Make no mistake, mom's a warrior, but she can be a little…" He rubbed the back of his head with a fond smile. "Emotional." Bakugou snorted while Toga giggled, increasing their curiosity.

MEANWHILE-BAKUGOU RESIDENCE-LIVING ROOM

"IZUKU!" Inko proudly wailed before blowing her nose onto a tissue. Next to her, Hisashi sweatdropped but continued comforting her. On the other side, Mitsuki pinched the bridge of her nose with a tired sigh while Mana quickly switched the empty tissue box with a new one and disposed of it in the trash, where a pile of tissue boxes is seen.

After moving the full bin aside, Mana observed the crying mother with surprise. "My goodness, it feels like Inko grew more emotional over the years." She giggled a little. "And yet, she can crush a car or destroy buildings if she wants to. She's really something." She met Hisashi's gaze, and both shared how amusing the situation was, evidently thinking along the same lines.

Mitsuki, on the other hand, was done with this.

Just then, Masaru and Hideo came back with plastic bags. "Got the snacks!" The latter called out, while Masaru hastily moved to his wife. "And tissues." He added in amusement as he handed his bags to Mana, who kissed his cheek in thanks.

"Thanks babe." Mitsuki gave her husband a loving kiss on the lips before sighing at the duo. "Good grief Inko! If I'd known you were planning on flooding the place, I would have prepared fifty boxes of tissues at least!" She exclaimed with no real heat as her husband handed the tissues to Hisashi, who thanked him and prepared one while rubbing his wife's arm in comfort. "Or at least had a heads-up that Izuku was going to make a speech."

Inko sniffed. "W-W-We didn't know about it." She blew her nose on a tissue. "And from how he looked earlier, it's safe to say that my baby boy didn't know either." She pointed out while wiping her tears.

"It would seem so." Hideo agreed as his gaze returned to the screen. "But despite this, he carried himself well." The energy seen on screen attested to that. "He looked like a leader."

Hisashi wore a proud smile as he eyed the screen. "Yeah, he does."

Inko's eyes misted as she watched her son being surrounded by friends. "MY BABY 'S GROWING SO FAST!" She wailed with renewed vigor, surprising everyone.

Mitsuki groaned. "Oh, for fuck's sake you two!" She exclaimed in frustration while grabbing another box of tissues. "At least let her calm down first!"

"S-Sorry!" Hisashi and Hideo replied at the same time. The latter looked embarrassed as his wife patted his back in amusement while the male Midoriya hugged his wife again with a sheepish expression.

U.A. STADIUM-ASSEMBLY AREA

When everything settled, Midnight resumed her spot on stage and held the mic, looking motivated from the speech. "Let's begin with our first event!" She directed their attention to a large screen that was going through the possible games at random before stopping. "THE OBSTACLE RACE!" She read with enthusiasm as the audience cheered. "The first 42 to reach the finish line will participate in the next event!"

As the students walked to the designated starting area, Izuku paused when he noted the size of the exit tunnel. "Hmmm…" He narrowed his eyes and looked between the mob of students and the tunnel before stopping Toga and Bakugou when they were about to walk past him.

"What's the big idea nerd?" The blond inquired in slight annoyance while Toga looked at him curiously.

The taller teen nudged his head forward, prompting them to look ahead. "You see what I see?"

Almost instantly they did as their eyes widened. "Yeah, I do." He then gave him an inquisitive look. "But why'd you point it out? Don't you want to win?"

"Of course I do." Izuku calmly answered before shrugging. "I just figured that we can work together for a little bit, just to make things interesting. I mean, when will we ever have a chance like this again?" He raised a playful eyebrow at him. "But if you're not interested, feel free to enter the tunnel."

Toga giggled at his remark while Bakugou wore an unimpressed look. "Well, it does sound fun." The blonde agreed before frowning. "But won't that be unfair for everybody else?" The last thing she wanted was to be labeled as a cheater.

Izuku waved a hand. "That's why it's only for a little bit; after that, it's everyone for themselves." He glanced at Midnight, who looked ready to start the event. "Are you in or not?"

"I'm in." Toga happily agreed, always looking forward to getting close to her crush and having fun. "Bakugou?"

The explosive teen thought about it before groaning. "Fine!" He scowled at the beaming looks directed at him. "But after this, I'm winning this thing." How they keep roping him into their games is a mystery. "What's the plan?"

"Toga and I will use Bemstar to fly over everything; you decide whether you want to hitch a ride." Izuku explained, gaining nods from the duo before following him to the back of the crowd.

Meanwhile, on the stage, Midnight assessed the gathering until she felt that everyone was ready. "On your marks!" She raised her whip as everyone tensed. "Get set!" Izuku's eyes sharpened, slime formed on the top of a determined Toga's head, while Bakugou looked ready to launch himself. "GO!" The heroine cracked her whip.

At once, the large gathering of students attempted to rush through the entrance, which of course clogged the path with bodies. Some screamed in pain, but were ultimately unable to move.

As this happened, Izuku and Toga transformed into Bemstar in a flash and took flight with synchronized roars while Bakugou blasted into the air, the commotion surprising those who saw while amazing the audience.

["There they go! Midoriya and his friends take flight!"] Present Mic yelled as cheers were heard.

Aizawa hummed in approval. "Impressive, he noticed the subtle trap and took action." He eyed the flying trio in thought, wondering how they planned on proceeding with the event. "But I'm sure they realize that only one person can win the race."

MEANWHILE-U.A. STADIUM-BLEACHERS

A young girl vibrated on her seat in excitement. "Did you see that grandma!?" She squealed while flapping her arms. "They turned into monster birds!" She then pointed at Bakugou. "And the other one turned into a rocket like BOOM!" She exclaimed while trying to imitate the explosion she heard earlier.

When no response came from the elder, the child turned to her in confusion, which only grew when she saw the woman looking up with a stunned expression. "Grandma?" The child called out again, this time with concern as she placed a hand on the woman's arm.

That did the trick as the elder jolted before looking at the girl with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry…" She tapped her head jokingly. "Just going down memory lane is all."

The girl tilted her head in confusion before her expression lit up. "Have you seen the flying heroes before!?" Her outburst drew a few looks from the crowd.

"Not exactly." The elder chuckled with warmth before making a shushing gesture. "I'll tell you later at home, but right now, we shouldn't disturb others." The child looked around and immediately blushed in embarrassment, causing the woman to chuckle and pat her head. "Don't worry, just enjoy the festival." The child nodded and went back to focusing on a large screen that focused on the flying trio.

The old woman smiled fondly at the child before directing her old gaze to the same screen. "I never did get to thank you properly for saving us all that day." Her smile turned wistful as she remembered the crushing feeling upon hearing about her Savior's death. "But at least I can find solace in knowing that your legacy lives on." She put a hand over her heart. "Rest easy. And may you watch over them."

IN THE SKY

"Well, we definitely got everyone's attention with that one!" Toga called out in a joking tone, recalling the cheers that erupted when they took flight.

Bakugou snorted while balancing himself on Izuku's back. "No shit!" He then scowled down at the OFA user. "But why did you have to pick me up?"

While making sure he was steady, Izuku glanced at the blond. "You wouldn't have caught up otherwise." He looked ahead before his friend could retort. "Besides, we'll separate once we land up ahead."

"We better." Bakugou grunted and sat with his arms crossed once he was sure he wouldn't fall. "It'll be a shitty win if we just fly the whole way." He glanced at the side as they chirped in amusement. "Can't complain about the view, though." Due to the explosive nature of his flight method, he rarely got a chance to simply enjoy the scenery.

Toga glanced back at the duo in amusement. "Glad you're enjoying yourself." She then noticed something below and became surprised. "Woah! What happened to the starting line?" Her comment caused both to look back.

And to their shock, the starting area looked to be frozen. "Well, I'll be damned…" Bakugou repositioned himself to get a better view. "Looks like half-and-half noticed too." He then patted his friend's back with a smug smirk. "Too bad he didn't consider the three of us."

"Not just us, it seems." Izuku pointed out as he narrowed his sharp eyes in focus. "Our classmates broke through and are now trying to catch up with him." He observed with amazement.

Bakugou grunted, not surprised. "If he thought ice cubes were going to stop them, he must be dumber than I thought." He gruffly said, still pissed about earlier.

"No need to be mean Kacchan." Izuku scolded in a joking tone, as Toga looked ahead with a giggle before gasping in shock.

The blond's eye twitched. "I thought I told you not to-!"

"We have a big problem!" Toga's call snapped their attention ahead, which also shocked them. "Five of them!"

Far up ahead stood a row of imposing Zero Pointers, though noticeably a little less bulky than the one in the entrance exam, ready to engage the students who were on their way. "What the hell are they doing here!?" Bakugou yelled in annoyance as he stood.

"Most likely the first obstacle of the race!" Izuku mused as he eyed the intimidating defense. "Still, someone could get seriously hurt!" Even if U.A. built some sort of countermeasure to protect the students, the risks were still there.

Toga chirped in agreement. "Sounds like we'll have to deal with them!" She called out as she glanced at him. "How are we doing this?" Bakugou also paid attention.

Izuku analyzed the formation for a moment before speaking. "We'll need to break their formation for the others." They nodded in affirmation. "Toga, you take the ones on the far left, I'll deal with the ones on the right!"

"Which means the middle one is mine." Bakugou cracked his knuckles with a feral smile. "Ready when you are!" He declared with small explosions from his palms.

Izuku shared his eagerness, but he needed to tell them what he knew from experience. "Aim for the eyes, joints and use their size against them." He eyed the goliaths again. "They're a bit smaller than the one at the exam, but they could still be slow enough and have difficulty reaching at the back of their neck." He eyed the robots' arms and legs. "But just to be safe, don't stay in one place for too long. Remember, our goal is to clear an opening for the others. If one or two are still dangerous, we'll deal with them together." He explained with seriousness. "We'll continue the race when it's safe."

"Right!" Toga and Bakugou responded with equal determination.

Izuku's form sparked with 12% OFA, his horn glowing along with Toga's while Bakugou was set to jump off. "GO!" He roared.

[Ultraman FE3 OST - "Ultraman Tiga Fighting Theme" - Plays]

At once the trio separated and rushed to their respective targets, immediately gaining their attention. {"TARGETS ACQUIRED!"} They announced in sync.

"Your mine tin can!" Bakugou yelled as he blasted forward to the middle bot. The latter raised an arm and attempted to smash the teen, who easily dodged it with a spin blast dash. "Too slow!" He blasted over the limb and continued his route to the giant's face.

The two giants on the left moved to assist before being struck by laser blasts. Glancing behind them, they spotted Toga hovering in place with a defiant look. Their eyes flashed red with digital roars as they turned to face her.

On the other side, Izuku roared and fired a powerful laser beam from his horn towards one of his targets, who raised a hand in defense.

The maneuver did nothing, however, as the attack pierced through the metal like it was paper and struck the other metal giant behind it in the eye. {"OPTIC DAMAGED!"} It bellowed with a roar.

Back with Bakugou, the blond laughed as he blasted off the bot's damaged face, dodging an arm swing as he flew. He then redirected himself towards the giant's shoulder and unleashed a powerful explosion on its joint.

As Izuku had advised, the explosive teen went for a hit-and-run strategy. Maneuvering around the goliath until he was over a joint or vital part before releasing a powerful explosion. The added speed would allow him to avoid any possible counterattack while, at the same time, making his attacks hard to predict.

The middle Zero Pointer roared and eyed the explosive teen, following his trajectory before going for a grab. The action caused the teen's eyes to widen for a moment before he blasted out of its reach. "So, you can learn!" He shot up in the air, staring down on the giant as it locked on him again. "Good! Adds flavor to the fight!" He licked his lips with a scary smile before diving at the giant again.

Meanwhile, Toga spun between one of the giant's legs and fired a laser beam to its back as she flew up, causing a few explosions on its surface that made the beast roar and stagger forward. As this happened, the one next to it grabbed a large chunk of the ground and threw it at her.

The blood user easily dodged the projectile and countered with a powerful laser beam in a downward motion, destroying two of the robot's eyes in one move. It roared as the destroyed optics erupted. But Toga wasn't done and dived towards it at high speed while rapidly firing a barrage of laser blasts.

The Zero Pointer raised its left arm to protect its face, enduring the damage and shifting its position as she got closer. Once she reached its calculated range, it quickly shot its right hand forward. But Toga had already predicted the move and easily maneuvered around the striking arm and darted towards its face with her talons ready.

And before the machine could calculate a counterattack, the teen had already slammed on top of one of its remaining optics, crushing it from the powerful impact and her strong claws that dug into the surface. "Enhanced Beak Jabs!" Her beak glowed before rapidly stabbing the already destroyed optic, causing erratic sparks with each strike.

The Zero Pointer roared in anger and prepared to swat her off, but the one next to it noticed and raised its fist to assist. A movement that Toga noticed while pecking and was about to move until an idea came to her.

Feigning ignorance as she continued her strikes, Toga waited for an opening. A shadow loomed over as the robot that she'd been attacking prepared to grab her, but she held out until the second one threw its fist. And that was when she immediately let go of the surface and allowed herself to fall.

The damaged robot watched her fall, oblivious to the oncoming fist, until it was clobbered on the side of its head with a deafening bang, scattering pieces of metal and leaving a large dent. {"E-E-ERR-RO-!"} It's remaining eyes rapidly flickered as small explosions began to erupt from its form.

As she fell, Toga watched the robot stagger with heavy sparks before losing balance and falling onto its side. "That's one!" She opened her wings and took flight before she touched the rumbling ground, her focus was now on the robot who dealt the blow.

While the battle raged on, the other students were able to catch up, with Todoroki running ahead of them. Only for all to stop as they took in the scene in shocked disbelief.

And nearby were custom drones from U.A. that provided footage for the media crews to broadcast live via special receivers placed on their vehicles.

["What's this now!? It seems that Midoriya and his friends have encountered the first obstacle of the race!"] Present Mic exclaimed with an excited tone as the camera shifted to the fallen robot. ["From the looks of things, it appears to be under control!"] He then raised an eyebrow. ["But it makes you wonder why they didn't just fly over them and gain the lead."]

Aizawa analyzed the scene before answering. ["Simple. They want to provide a safe passage for the other contenders."] It sounded like something they would do. ["While illogical for the race, it lessens the risk of unwanted injuries."] He said with an approving tone, thankful for the bandages hiding his smile.

["Such selflessness!"] Present Mic's comment was met with cheers from the crowd. ["It's nice to know that despite being a competition, there are those who look out for each other."]

On the ground, Todoroki ignored the commentary and the crowd as he watched the battle in frustration. Not only had he lost the lead, but he was forced to hold back due to the risk of his classmates being caught in his quirk.

He could only clench his fists; it would have been so simple. Freeze the entrance and gain enough distance where they couldn't reach him.

His classmates completely avoiding the trap was an oversight, with one in particular increasing the complication.

"Look!"

He didn't have to follow their gaze; he had already been watching the subject of his ire since he got here. "Midoriya…"

The OFA user's form emanated harsh sparks as his determined eyes and horn glowed with intensity. The Zero Pointers he had been fighting were damaged, but not enough to the point where they wouldn't pose a threat to the others, and since they were here, he needed to end this quickly.

With this in mind, he added more power as he adjusted his height before darting forward. "SKY DRILL!" He roared as a harsh cone of air surrounded him.

The Zero Pointer in front of him raised an arm to smash him, but the teen wasn't deterred. "THAT WON'T STOP ME!" He increased his speed.

Some students screaming were stunned into silence when he swiftly flew below the strike and punched through the giant's shoulder, dismembering the limb completely, which crashed into the ground, causing the area to shake. While the giant staggered back with a roar and stared at its fallen limb.

When the ground stopped shaking, Ida steadied his footing and turned to his classmates. "We need to move back! It's not safe here!" His order was met with agreements as his classmates worked on telling the others to keep a safe distance.

"Come on Todoroki!" Momo called out before joining the others.

But the bi-colored teen didn't move, simply observing the fight with a hardened expression.

Back in the air, Izuku continued his route and punched through the second Zero Pointer's face. "Just…" He grunted as he focused on lowering his power enough to maneuver. "One…more!" He managed to redirect himself to face the direction of the robot he dismembered earlier, and increased his speed again. "Gotta, make it count!" He roared as he tore through the now faceless Zero Pointer's back and chest, the latter mentioned crashing to the ground.

The one-armed Zero Pointer noticed and turned to face him with its remaining fist raised. {"D-DESTROY!"} It threw its fist forward with a deafening digital roar, causing most who saw it to scream in fear or panic when the teen didn't appear to be planning on dodging like before. Even Todoroki was taken aback by the choice and unconsciously prepared to use his ice. Only Toshinori didn't look alarmed, in fact, he was smiling, already having an idea of what the young hero had in mind.

His hunch was proven right when Izuku tore through the metal fist like it was nothing and ripped into the limb as he drilled through. The Zero Pointer could only helplessly watch before beginning to lose power when the young hero tore through the power core within its torso.

Izuku then burst out of its metal side with a mighty roar while dispelling his powers as he spread his wings to a stop.

The giant machine's eyes flickered as it twitched in place for a moment before falling to the ground with small explosions erupting from random areas on its body, all the while Izuku observed it. ''Hmmm, like I thought, these guys aren't as heavily built as the one in the exam.'' It would certainly explain why fighting them felt a little easier just now.

That, or they'd gotten stronger since then.

A roar from Toga snapped him out of his thoughts and urged him to help her. Meanwhile, the crowd burst into cheers from what they had seen, while his mentor couldn't help but laugh with pride. [''And Midoriya adds to the scrapheap!''] Present Mic shouted before slumping in his seat with a relieved smile. He turned to Aizawa and made sure the mic couldn't hear him. ''See? I told you he could do it.''

While doing the same, the underground hero gave him a dry look. ''I knew he could pull it off.'' He had seen him do it during the entrance exam after all. "You looked like you were about to use your quirk to help.'' Despite the unamused delivery, his tone had a hint of teasing.

With a childish pout, Present Mic turned away with his arms crossed. ''Nemuri's a bad influence on you.'' His comment received a snort from the underground hero, but not a denial.

Back with Toga, the blonde hovered as she planned her next attack on her remaining opponent, the latter mentioned had thick smoke emanating from its back from her earlier attack. She was about to move until Izuku hovered next to her. ''Nice takedown earlier, but now we'll need to speed things up and get the race going.'' The blonde nodded while elated by the praise. ''Here's the plan, we'll beam the neck while doing an encircling maneuver, the robot lacks range, and even if it does end up throwing something, we have the speed advantage.'' He turned to her with a kind look. ''Can your quirk still last?''

''Yep! Duration had a major role during my training these past two weeks.'' Toga winked. ''I can last a while, no need to worry!'' She said with cheerful confidence, warmed by his concern for her.

Izuku nodded with a smile. ''All right.'' His eyes and horn glowed as his form sparked. ''Follow me!'' He dashed away, with Toga following with determination.

Even without OFA, Bemstar's flight speed was nothing to scoff at, which is proven by how Toga can somewhat keep pace with him. ''Charge your attack to maximum!'' He called out as they began circling the robot, which began to keep its optics on them and raised its arms to attack. ''Fire on my mark!'' The duo flew below an arm swing and quickly leveled to the neck as they moved. ''FIRE!'' They fired in sync at once, scoring a direct hit on the giant's nape.

Zero Pointer staggered forward with a digital roar before swinging its right arm back at them, which proved futile when they flew below the strike while still firing their beams. When the duo reached the front, the robot was forced to raise its left arm to protect itself, but again, it proved futile as the two simply continued encircling it with their attacks, undeterred by its attempts to shield itself. ''Try to keep it steady!'' The OFA user called out.

The giant roared again from the damage and its numerous attempts to strike them, going for different angles with each pass from the front and sides. But each movement proved detrimental to the integrity of its surface. At one point, it tried to catch them with both hands, which only exposed it to more damage.

As the battle continued like this, it wasn't long until the damage on the Zero Pointer worsened, smoke started emanating from different areas as sparks increased in intensity. The neck was visibly unstable now, as the sounds of heavy metal bending could be heard, which worsened every time it turned its head to look at them. And when the robot's roar sounded distorted and glitchy, Izuku decided to call it off. ''After this pass, stop the attack and regroup with me!'' Toga yelled an affirmative.

Both teens darted forward and hovered in front of the Zero Pointer, the latter slowly turned its head to look at them with an audible groaning of its metal joints. {''T-T-TARGET-S-S-S L-LOCKED!''} It raised its arm with noticeable difficulty, and despite looking intimidating, albeit damaged, the duo remained in place with firm expressions.

The giant let out a distorted roar before preparing to bring its arm down, only for it to freeze as its eyes rapidly flickered before turning off with harsh sparks from its body. An audible snap was then heard before explosions erupted from its neck, causing its head to dislodge and lean back, pulling the unresponsive behemoth by countless connected wires and crashing to the ground.

''We did it!'' Toga chirped with glee, while Izuku chuckled in agreement. ''Now let's go help Bakugou!'' He nodded and followed her while the crowd and students below cheered.

[Song Ends]

Said blond was standing on the offline robot's scorch-marked face, near one of its destroyed eyes, in a powerful stance. While the giant remained standing, the joints between its arms were heavily damaged by the explosive teen's barrage, leaving the limbs to dangle helplessly. Sparks would occasionally emanate from random areas with thick smoke. ''Hmph, can't say that I'm impressed.'' He huffed and crossed his arms.

"Looks like you took care of things!" Izuku's approving voice was heard.

With a smirk, he glanced back towards the two. "Is it really a surprise?" He switched gazes between the duo's fallen opponents. "Good work, by the way."

"Thanks!" Toga chirped before forming a teasing look. ''Need help getting down?'' She glanced at the ground below. "We're up pretty high." She exclaimed with amused concern.

Bakugou scoffed but smirked at her. ''Watch your beak, feather-head.'' Toga pretended to be offended with a dramatic gasp, while Izuku snickered. ''Just because you out skilled a bunch of clankers doesn't mean you get to-'' He staggered as the offline robot rumbled, surprising everyone. ''I thought I killed it!?'' He glared down at the robot's eye, ready to release another blast.

Izuku critically eyed the giant before he grimaced. "You did! It's just unstable now!" Bakugou cursed and was about to blast off before staggering and looking like he was going to fall. ''BAKUGOU!'' On instinct, the OFA user dashed forward and grabbed the blond by the shoulders and took off, with Toga following.

The explosive teen was about to assure his friends that he could fly on his own but was too focused on a much bigger issue. ''It's going down!'' Groaning metal was heard as the large machine steadily began to fall forward. ''Have anything to catch that thing?'' Although the students started running, the debris or scrap metal could still hurt somebody.

''Nothing for something that large!'' Izuku responded with frantic frustration, cursing his inability to help. ''Bakugou, I'll let you go, and the three of us can-''

Just before they could spring into action, a lone figure was noticed running up towards the falling robot. And in a burst of activity, a large wave of ice came from said individual and encased the front of the machine, providing support and halting its descent. ''What was…?'' Toga mumbled and focused her vision on the individual. ''It's Todoroki!'' She chirped with relief.

On the ground, Todoroki huffed out a cold mist and stared at the giant structure in silence. He then looked to where the other giants fell before looking down with clenched fists. His face scrunched slightly as he pursed his lips.

Just then, the trio landed nearby, breaking him out of his thoughts. ''Didn't know you could make so much ice Todoroki!'' Izuku said with a friendly grin as he approached, while Toga and Bakugou followed, the latter eyeing the bi-colored teen with a scrutinizing gaze. ''We were just about to move in until you saved everyone.'' He offered a fist bump to him. ''Nicely done.''

Todoroki stared at his fist in silence before continuing his run. The action caused Bakugou to scoff with a scowl. ''Asshole.'' He grumbled, patting Izuku's back. ''Don't let that prick get to you.'' The taller teen merely hummed as he lowered his hand with a frown. ''Come on, the path's safe now.'' He didn't wait for a reply as he ran ahead.

Toga, on the other hand, was concerned when Izuku didn't move and simply stared at where the bi-colored teen ran off to. ''Don't worry about it, I'm sure there's a reason for him being a jerk to you.'' She rubbed his arm in comfort. ''We can figure it out later, let's just focus on the race for now.'' She advised while glancing at the others who were running in their direction.

With a sigh Izuku nodded. ''Yeah.'' He smiled kindly at her. ''Let's do this.'' She beamed at him before the two ran off. But as they ran, the taller teen couldn't help but speculate. What on earth had he done to deserve the animosity from the usually passive teen?

What was he trying to prove?

CHASM OBSTACLE

The next obstacle course consisted of a massive chasm with pillars of rocks scattered within with tightropes connected to each one. ''This is crazy!'' Toga got on one knee and examined the cliff. ''How did they even build this!?''

Izuku chuckled at her cat-like curiosity. ''We've faced villains, met our idols and fought against robots of various sizes. And yet a man-made chasm makes you pause?'' His fond amusement caused her to blush, realizing his point. ''Don't worry about it, it's cute when you're curious.'' His blunt remarks only increased her blush and embarrassment.

The tall teen spotted a rope that had been frozen. "Looks like Todoroki had no problem crossing." He looked up ahead as she eyed the rope as well. "And from the looks of things, he didn't make a larger ice structure to prevent assisting other contestants." Pretty logical in his opinion.

Toga giggled, catching his attention. "And it looks like Bakugou had no problems either." Following her gaze, he saw a large scorch mark on the ground, causing him to chuckle. "Guess that's our sign to follow his lead!" She quickly changed into him before turning into Antlar and opening her wings. "See you at the finish line!" She teased before flying ahead.

Izuku watched her go with a smirk and glanced back, making out the figures of the other contestants in the distance. "Heh, looks like they're plenty motivated still." He looked down the cliff, confirming that there are safety nets and other devices to catch people. "Good, they took precaution." His eyes glowed before shifting into Sadola, who turned away from the chasm and placed his claws on the ground. "Which means I don't have to do anything to help." With 1% OFA, he extended his arms in a burst of speed, launching him in the air.

While in the air, after his arms returned, he aimed his feet towards the ground, slamming into it with an audible thump before running while transforming into his normal form.

Behind him, the other contestants were stunned by the sight of the massive pit and became unsure as to what to do. Only Mei ran forward with glee. "Make way!" Was her only warning before her customized grappling hooks attached to her waist fired and attached themselves to a rock pillar. "Inventor coming through!" Her hover boots hummed before activating as she jumped off the cliff, much to the shock of everyone there.

She then aimed her feet towards the rock pillar, harmlessly hovering on it thanks to her boots, making her laugh. "Look how they shine!" She screamed with pride as she pulled herself up and launched herself in the air. "My wonderful babies!" She spread her arms in a triumphant pose.

Snapping out of their shock, the students quickly followed her lead and approached the ropes with caution or used their quirks to traverse the gap.

NEXT OBSTACLE

After skidding to a stop, Izuku was surprised to see that not only were Toga, Bakugou and Todoroki here. But there were also mines spread around the area, according to warning signs placed on both sides of the obstacle. "Geez, did Nezu make this?" His eyes landed on a nearby sign, and noticed a small disclaimer near the corner. "Guaranteed no risk of shrapnel or burns, only sudden momentum! Signed, N." He deadpanned at the message before deciding to focus on the race.

Toga was carefully maneuvering the minefield, the latter opted to go in her base form to save some of her quirk for later events. The same could not be said about Todoroki and Bakugou. The latter had caught up with the bi-colored teen and was currently battling him for first place, which indirectly slowed their progress.

Izuku was about to go in but paused, eyeing the obstacle carefully before withdrawing his foot. He then glanced to the side, smirking when an idea came to him.

Meanwhile, Todoroki and Bakugou continued their struggle. "What happened to that confidence earlier?" He roared while thrusting his right hand forward.

Only for the ice user to move his head and catch the blond's wrist while redirecting his palm away from him with a cold glare as it let out a small explosion. "Stay out of my way." With a firm grip on the wrist, ice started traveling up the limb.

Without delay, Bakugou wrenched his arm away from his grip with an intense glare. "Make me! Popsicles for brains!" He blew off the ice with his other explosive palm before attacking again.

While avoiding another mine, Toga looked torn between telling the two to calm down or focusing on the race. Sure, Todoroki was being a jerk, but she didn't want her friend to cause unwanted harm.

Just as she was about to intervene, she wobbled when the ground beneath her rumbled for a moment. "Huh?" She looked down in confusion.

Todoroki went in for a grab, but an explosive palm from the blond forced him to move back from the controlled blast. "Do you really want to waste our time? The others will catch up with us soon." He said in cold annoyance.

"If it means kicking your ass a little?" Bakugou formed a vicious smile as he went into his stance. "Yeah." No one treats his friends like crap and gets away with it!

The bi-colored teen's expression hardened as a chill filled the air. "Idiot." He raised his hand, prompting the blond teen to brace himself to counter. However, just before either of them could make a move, they felt the ground rumble for a moment.

CRACK*

Snapping their attention to the sound, they were shocked to see Izuku emerge from the ground as Telesdon. The latter shook off the dirt on him with a growl before looking in their direction and becoming surprised. "Oops." He shifted into his normal form with a sheepish grin. "Sorry for interrupting." He awkwardly glanced back before pointing a thumb behind him. "I'm…just going to go." Sparks emanated from his form before he bolted for the finish line with a trail of sparks.

Toga gaped at his retreating form; Todoroki was stunned, while Bakugou's eye twitched as a scowl began to form on his features. "Fat chance nerd!" In quick succession, the blond shoved the bi-colored teen before showcasing his quick skills by blasting off the ground without triggering any mines before going after the OFA user. "Get back here!"

Meanwhile, as his foot touched the ground, Todoroki froze the ground where his foot landed while regaining his balance to prevent unwanted explosions. He then looked up with a glare and froze the path ahead of him before sprinting. This may end up helping the other contestants, but that didn't matter now.

He needed to win this.

Toga shifted into Izuku, foregoing conserving her quirk for now. She then quickly turned into Antlar and flew forward.

Up ahead, Izuku panted as he ran into the tunnel. "Almost there." He eyed the light at the end of the tunnel before becoming alarmed when he heard commotion behind. Without turning around, he added more power to his legs. "Note to self, become more subtle while digging." He could hear the distinct sounds of explosions, ice and Antlar's wings getting close.

Thankfully, he was ahead enough to reach the end first, where he was met with blinding light and cheers from the audience.

U.A. STADIUM

After cutting through the finish ribbon, Izuku did a combat roll before hopping to his feet with a triumphant grin. ["And first place goes to IZUKU MIDORIYA!"] Present Mic's announcement renewed the cheers from the audience. Within the group, his mentor stared at him with pride.

After waving to the audience, Izuku turned to the tunnel and saw Bakugou and Todoroki walking towards him, with Toga not far behind. "Great race guys!" He said with a friendly smile.

The sentiment wasn't shared with Todoroki who simply walked past him with a cold glance. "Yikes." Izuku watched him go with a frown, half tempted to call out to him.

"Don't bother, he's not worth your time." Bakugou cut in, having a feeling what his tall friend was thinking. "No use in wasting your breath on sore losers." He said in a dismissive tone before smirking. "Should have figured you were going to use our fight as a distraction."

At that, Izuku's expression became mischievous. "Well, I had a feeling you wanted to get some payback for earlier." He shrugged with a knowing look. "So, I figured, why not just let the two of you settle things?" His reasoning earned a snort from the blond while Toga giggled.

"It's pretty easy to forget how much of an opportunist you can be." The explosive teen pointed out with mild annoyance. "That won't be happening again." He said with a challenging smile.

Izuku just chuckled, glad that there weren't any hard feelings. "We'll see." He raised a fist towards his friend, who bumped it with a smirk. Their attention was then directed at Toga, who snickered to herself. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing." Toga waved a hand, her knowing smile intrigued them. "Just thinking about how much Aunt Inko must be crying right now."

Now understanding her amusement, Izuku laughed in agreement while Bakugou groaned, realizing her point. "If she floods the place, I'll kill you." While exaggerated, he could only imagine the number of tissues he'll have to help his mom throw away.

The taller teen snickered and wrapped an arm around his friend. "Don't worry, I'll help you clean up." He patted his shoulder. "Pretty sure Aunt Mitsuki's been waiting for someone to help with chores."

His words of assurance did little to appease the explosive teen as he freed himself. "Not helping nerd!" As if his mother needed another reason to bark orders at him.

"Chin up Bakugou!" Toga chimed in, gaining their attention. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll be more than willing to help!"

While the explosive teen groaned in reply, Izuku gave her a warm smile. "That's very kind of you." His praise caused the girl to look away with a shy smile.

Suddenly a whip crack was heard, looking in the direction they saw Midnight on stage. "The top 42 winners will be participating in the next event." She pointed her whip to the large screen. "Which will be…" The screen switched through several events before stopping with a ping. "A CAVALRY BATTLE!" The crowd cheered.

"Participants will form into teams with a maximum of four members, the objective is to swipe headbands from the other teams!" The large screen displayed examples of how the teams will be formed, as the heroine explained. "The value of said headband will depend on your placement during the race." Izuku tensed, but that would mean… "Which gives the first a value of 10 MILLION POINTS!" She declared with a sadistic smile as she gazed at the tall teen.

"Oh no!" Toga gasped in shock as all students turned to her crush with a gleam in their eyes, including their classmates. "What are you going to do Izu-huh?" When she turned to look at her dear friend, she was shocked to see him holding his face in his hands. "Are you ok?" She placed a hand on his arm in concern.

To her confusion, Izuku shook his head, his face still on his hand. "I'm fine. It's just…for some reason…" He raised his head, and to her shock, he wore a sharp grin. "I'm getting excited." He directed a predatory gaze at some of the students, who suddenly became pale and intimidated.

While the blood user was shocked, Bakugou snorted. "That's just your warrior instincts kicking in." He crossed his arms with a knowing smirk. "I'd be the same if I was in your position." A team free for all battle with quirks, what's not to love?

As everything suddenly made sense, Toga could only sigh before smiling fondly at him. "Honestly Izuku." She sometimes forgot how much of a warrior her gentle friend tended to be. "Just don't overdo your fun." He chuckled but agreed.

Midnight continued. "The one to wear the headband will be the rider, unless physically impossible, adjustments can be made. Should your headbands be taken, you may still try to take other headbands before the time is up." Her expression became serious. "Everyone can use their quirks, but if used to purposefully harm others, your team will be disqualified." She explained with a tone of finality.

"Shame." Bakugou's casual remark earned him a light elbow from Izuku while everyone else deadpanned at him.

"You have fifteen minutes to form your teams!" Midnight raised her whip. "Good Luck!" At the crack of her whip, everyone dispersed to find their teams.

Izuku scanned the crowd, noting that Todoroki had already picked his members, said members looked unsure about teaming up with him but agreed. "Makes sense, considering the scene he caused earlier. But at least the combination is good." He searched again, noticing some students actively avoiding his gaze. "And no one's willing to approach me either, probably because it'll mean having a huge target on their backs."

"Where do you think you're looking?"

The OFA user turned around and was surprised to see Toga and Bakugou. "Shouldn't you two be looking for your teams?"

Toga playfully pouted. "I am!" She put her hands on her hips. "Since we have the option, I decided to team up with you!"

Izuku smiled earnestly at her before giving Bakugou a curious glance. "I thought you didn't want to team up anymore?"

The explosive blond crossed his arms. "Yeah, but I figured it would be more convenient doing this." He then looked away. "Besides, Toga would be bummed out if I didn't." He grumbled with a hint of embarrassment.

While the taller teen looked amused, Toga beamed at him. "Awww, that's sweet of you!" She immediately embraced him. "But you didn't have to be a big softie for me, we would have understood." She leaned back to look at him with a cheeky, fanged grin. "But since you're offering, we accept!"

While doing his best to remain stern-looking, Bakugou patted her head. "I'm not a softie." He smirked a little as she giggled.

"That just leaves our final member." Izuku mused aloud, prompting his friends to search as well. "Let's see…" It took a few moments before his eyes spotted their final member. "There!" At once, he moved, with the others following.

Upon reaching the individual, he placed a gentle hand on their shoulder. "Want to team up?"

Tokoyami turned to them in surprise. "You would have me?" His shock grew when the tall teen nodded. "Have you forgotten my quirk's drawback?" It was something they ended up discussing after he had passed on the story of his family member from his parents' perspective.

"I haven't, but that doesn't matter." Izuku formed a reassuring smile. "You and Dark Shadow are still strong and definitely a duo that can be depended on." He paused before looking embarrassed. "Forgot to ask, do you already have a team?"

While touched by the belief his friend has for them, Tokoyami chortled a little and shook his head. "No, you three are the only ones to approach me." He offered a hand. "But there's no need to worry, I will join you." He said with a smile, while within him, Dark Shadow was beyond pleased that he accepted.

"We're honored to have you." Izuku returned the expression and shook his hand. "In fact, I already have an idea." He then looked at Bakugou. "Would you be ok with Dark Shadow holding onto you?"

The blond gave him a weird look before it dawned on him as he smirked. "I'm fine with it." He then frowned. "But won't my quirk hurt him?"

While briefly surprised by the blond's concern, Tokoyami quickly answered. "As long as it doesn't come in contact or appear in front of Dark Shadow's face, it should be fine." He pondered for a moment and eyed the blue sky. "But do mind the intensity, the current daylight is already enough." The blond nodded.

"And I can turn into Ochako and use her quirk to make you lighter, that way it wouldn't put much strain on Dark Shadow." Toga suggested, earning approval from her team. "But be warned, I didn't get much of her blood, so the transformation won't last the entire match." To her shame, she overdid her usage during training and only realized it near the end of the training week.

And since Ochako was away doing her own training, she had to hold off on practicing with her quirk.

Izuku patted her head. "It's fine; Bakugou's plenty maneuverable, and Dark Shadow is pretty tough; you don't have to worry about overextending yourself." He then pointed a thumb at himself. "Plus, I'll be supporting them too." She nodded to his point and enjoyed the contact.

"Speaking off, how the hell are you supposed to use your quirk while being the rider?" Bakugou gruffly cut in with a curious look. "I doubt even round face's quirk can make a difference." Next to him, Toga imagined chibi versions of them struggling to lift Gomora with a headband before being squished, making her wince.

Izuku waved a hand. "Simple, I'm not going to be the rider." He gestured to all of them with a confident smile. "You guys are!"

While everyone else was taken aback by this, Tokoyami raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me, but would it not make more sense for you to be the rider? You have the highest value points after all." He calmly pointed out as Dark Shadow emerged with a curious stance. "Yeah, what gives?"

"Remember what Midnight said." Izuku wagged a finger. "Unless physically impossible, we can adjust." At this, it dawned on everyone. "And since the transformation I'm planning to use is pretty big, you guys can hang on no problem." He said with confidence.

While Toga stared at him in amazement, Bakugou, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow wore looks of contemplation. "Hmmm, I stand corrected, clearly you've thought this through." The avian hero's comment caused the tall teen to look pleased, much to his amusement. "Though I'm concerned about our maneuverability, our added weight could take a toll on you." As much as he wanted to win, he didn't want it at the cost of his friend's wellbeing.

Izuku calmly waved a hand. "Don't worry about it, I can handle the weight." He then gestured to Toga. "If push comes to shove, Toga could always use Ochako's quirk to give us a boost, but I doubt it'll come to that."

Tokoyami nodded, glad that there wasn't any risk. "I assume you also have a battle plan ready?" He asked with a knowing tone as Dark Shadow returned to him.

And as expected, the OFA user nodded with an excited grin. "As a matter of fact, I do." He began explaining possible maneuvers they could do while curiously avoiding what form he was going to use. And despite his assurance that it'll be an 'interesting surprise', their curiosity continued to grow.

As Toga diligently listened to the plan, her eyes caught something near one of the walls. "Hmmm?" She squinted her eyes before becoming shocked and pointed ahead. "Hey! It's Mei!" They looked at her and followed her gaze.

"Yeah, it is." Bakugou commented. "But why is she on the floor? Shouldn't she be with her team?" Or bouncing around them with her ideas, at least.

Izuku hummed, frowning at how quiet she looked while staring at a group of students. "Come on." He went ahead, prompting them to follow.

Meanwhile, the young inventor looked ahead with a frown before deciding to grab one of her inventions and tools. But before she could do some calibrations, a shadow loomed over her, making her sigh. "I believe you've already made your point clear." She said with an even tone before looking up. "No need to-oh." Her expression shifted from surprise into a small smile. "Hey guys, sorry about that, I thought you were someone else."

"No offense taken." Izuku reassured her before deciding to get to the point. "What happened?" The rest of his team also stared at her with intrigue.

Mei was silent for a moment before sighing. "I wasn't picked by anybody." She let out a humorless laugh that didn't suit her. "In hindsight, I should have expected it." She wore a sad smile as she began working on one of her inventions with a screwdriver. "It's silly, but I forgot that not everyone is accepting of me as your group." She shrugged, her smile faltering a bit. "It's fine though, I'll just participate in the next one." She began adjusting something without her usual energy.

Izuku and Toga looked at her in sadness, already well aware of how her peers tend to treat her for her passion for inventions. Bakugou looked like he was tempted to march over to her classmates and knock some sense into them. While Tokoyami's frown deepened, having been through similar treatment.

The trio of childhood friends then looked at each other, having a silent conversion that drew a curious look from the avian teen. And just before the latter could ask, Toga separated from the group, causing the young inventor to look in confusion.

Tokoyami and Mei's intrigue grew as they watched Toga walk up the stage and timidly approach Midnight, who was surprised by her presence but kindly greeted her.

Midnight then appeared to be confused by what the teen said before becoming surprised. The heroine then searched the crowd, and when her eyes landed on Mei and the group, she frowned before observing something to the side.

After a moment, Midnight pressed her earpiece with a serious look, prompting a curious question from Toga. The latter became panicked when the heroine casually answered, but was quickly calmed when her idol waved off her concerns.

There was a pause before the pro nodded after getting a response. She then gave instructions to Toga who beamed in response and bowed to her in thanks. Prompting a fond laugh from the teacher, who gestured for her to go.

As Toga left, Midnight grabbed the mic again. "Sorry for the interruption folks! But due to unforeseen events, one team will have an extra member!" Everyone apart from Izuku, Bakugou and Toga was taken aback by this. But none more so than Mei, who wore an expression of disbelief. "Rest assured, the reasons are valid! But if any of you have any issues with this, feel free to take it up with the principal!" She grinned when she spotted the students, she had been observing, becoming nervous. "Think of it as a way to spice things up!" The audience cheered while the students opted to return to what they were doing, though understandably curious.

When Toga returned, Izuku raised a hand to her for a high five. "Nice work!" Bakugou smirked in approval. "I knew you could talk to Midnight."

After high-fiving her crush with a giggle, Toga looked bashful. "To be honest, I felt like fainting." She then smiled at the young inventor as understanding dawned on Tokoyami as he smiled and felt his respect for them grow.

"What…did you do?" Mei slowly questioned, still in shock.

Bakugou gave her a funny look. "What does it look like?" She turned to him. "We opened up an extra slot for you."

Although she figured that much, it was still shocking to hear. "But…" She unconsciously hugged her invention. "Why?"

Izuku chuckled. "Because you're our friend." She looked at him in disbelief. "Competition or not, everyone deserves to have a shot at winning this for their dreams." He offered his hand to her. "That includes you."

Mei hesitated for a moment before grabbing his hand with a smile. After being pulled to her feet, she bowed. "If there's anything you need me to-"

"Oh, don't you start with that!" Toga gently but firmly cut in before pulling the girl into an embrace. "But if you really insist on returning the favor, just continue being who you are Mei!" She tightened her hold. "As long as you aren't hurting anybody, it doesn't matter what others think."

Bakugou grunted. "Yeah, fuck those guys!" His comment earned a look of disapproval from Toga and Tokoyami. "It's their loss, just keep doing what you do and show them how much of a badass inventor you are!"

"Well…I wouldn't have worded it like that, but…" Izuku rubbed his chin before chuckling. "What he said." He grinned.

Tokoyami nodded with a hum. "Your passion is for the benefit of all that's good, ignore the fools who can't see past their selfishness." Dark Shadow emerged from his back. "Yeah! Those closed-minded losers aren't worth your time!" His user could only sigh at his quirk's remark as the others chuckled.

Mei on the other hand, for the first time in a long time, was at a loss for words. Never before had she ever been supported and accepted by people outside her family.

She wasn't blind, she knew that she tended to be overly…enthusiastic when it came to her inventions. But she couldn't help it, once she got an idea rolling, she had to make a blueprint and prototype as soon as possible!

Naturally, this meant that only a handful of individuals could understand her tendencies and more or less live with it. So, to be accepted like this felt like a gift from above.

Snapping back to focus, Mei carefully returned the embrace, as if afraid that the one wrong move would destroy her first real friendship. "I…" Her eyes grew misty as she swallowed a lump in her throat. "Thank you." She managed to say and tightened her embrace.

With a warm smile, Izuku placed a hand on her shoulder. "No problem." Bakugou smirked and placed his hand on the other shoulder.

Tokoyami quietly chuckled. "It's impressive." The trio looked at him in curiosity. "How the three of you keep proving yourselves as heroes every day." He praised with a look of approval.

Izuku wiped his nose with a crooked grin. Toga became embarrassed but smiled in thanks, while Bakugou huffed. "Did you expect any less from us?"

"Not in the slightest." Tokoyami calmly replied before noticing the other contestants. "Hmmm, I believe it's time for us to get ready."

Izuku glanced at the crowd and nodded in agreement. "Right." He took a step back as Toga and Mei gently separated. "Ok, Mei, what inventions do you have with you?" He gently asked, trying not to sound inconsiderate of her tears.

After hastily wiping her face, Mei grabbed her bag and showed her inventions to them. "I've got more in the locker room, but these are the ones that I think can be useful for this event." She explained as they began rummaging through her equipment.

"Hey, it's like the gauntlets for my hero costume!" Toga exclaimed with glee as she excitedly wore the equipment.

Mei giggled. "That's because they're based on your gear. It was such a good baby that I decided to make more, but for more specific scenarios, like for special forces in law enforcement." She handed her a utility belt that contained ammo for the gauntlets. "The ones you're wearing only use rubber projectiles. And you don't have to worry about your gear being available to everyone, only yours has multipurpose flexibility." The blond nodded, expressing her thanks for the gear that she's experienced with.

"And I'm guessing these are hover boots?" Bakugou questioned with intrigue, after receiving confirmation, a wild smile formed on his features. "These'll come in handy for the battle." He was about to remove his footwear until Mei stopped him and instructed him to put his foot in one of them, and to his shock, they fit perfectly regardless of his shoes. "Heh…Mei, your one hell of an inventor!" His comment earned a beaming smile from her as she showed him how to secure the boots.

Tokoyami hummed as he rummaged through the gadgets until something caught his eye. "Are these smoke bombs?" He pulled out a bundle of handheld circular devices.

"Yes, they are! They're for people who want to focus on stealth." Mei held one of them. "These are something to help them escape if caught." She then pulled out three taller grenades. "And these are basically flash bangs, no explanation is necessary." The avian hero nodded and put on a utility belt and three grenades, each to the side of the belt via magnet. "The smoke grenades have a slight delay or can be detonated immediately after being slammed with enough force." She tapped the flash grenade. "The disorientors have a much faster detonation, so keep that in mind and warn us ahead of time." The shadow user nodded and listened intently as she showed him how to activate them.

Izuku rummaged through the bag before his eyes lit up when he spotted gloves. "Hey Mei, how many of these do you have and how durable are they?"

The inventor's eyes lit up at the sight of the item. "These are my prototype environmental gloves!" She took the item and wore it. "Comfortable, durable and resistant to heat, punctures or slashes! Perfect for traversing rough surfaces and hard-to-grip material." She then frowned a little. "Unfortunately, I only have enough for four people."

Izuku chuckled. "It's fine, I won't need them." When asked what he meant by that, he grinned. "Why explain when I can show you!" His eyes sharpened as a bright green flash emanated from his form, forcing his team to shield their eyes while those who noticed looked in their direction.

When the light died down, the group looked at the OFA user before expressing various expressions of shock. Toga covered her mouth in surprise, Bakugou gaped in disbelief, and Mei was stunned while Tokoyami's eyes were wide. Those who noticed weren't any better, as they expressed their surprise and disbelief at the sight.

What could have brought this reaction?

Well, standing before them was Izuku's new form. A Kaiju with a humanoid body and a massive Eyeball for his head. And all over its strange body were several eyes in various locations.

The back of his 'head' is a rough, spiky surface that offered great defense against attacks from behind as well as a deterrent for those who planned to physically strike him. And on top of it are two horns that also had eyes.

And despite his lack of hands, the tentacle-like limbs looked powerful enough to grip things with ease.

This form is called: Gan-Q. A bizarre transformation that was once wielded by Nao Midoriya. And despite its strange appearance, the transformation was quite powerful and proved to be intimidating. Able to do various things with its unique traits.

With not much known about the hero, Izuku was able to recover bits and pieces of information to give him a somewhat coherent picture of what he was like. Including being nicknamed: "The Laughing Eye." Due to how often he laughed or let out amused shrieks while in the transformation.

And just like his other family members, Nao was surrounded by controversy during his time. Mostly due to his transformation's appearance and surprising destructive capabilities. But despite this, he proved himself to be a beloved hero who saved countless lives (including Tokoyami's grandparents) and defeated powerful foes. Until disappearing on a mission in the Philippines.

"W-What the hell!?"

"The rumors are true! He can turn into Kaiju!"

"I-It's just a giant eye!"

"My sleep paralysis came to life!"

"We're supposed to fight that!?"

Izuku could hear the reactions from the other contestants and couldn't help but laugh a little. And while expected, it was still amusing. He then looked to his teammates, who had just recovered from their shock. "What the fuck even is that?" Bakugou exclaimed incredulously, though still shocked.

Toga on the other hand, after snapping out of her shock, took the moment to study the new transformation. "Hmmm, it's…kind of cute." She tilted her head from side to side, watching with intrigue as several eyes followed her. "In a weird way." She giggled when a few eyes 'smiled' at her.

Mei was absolutely loving it as she took out a notepad. "Amazing! Can you see through all of them at once?" She then gasped as her writing increased in speed. "This gives me an idea for another baby!"

Izuku chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Sort of, I can see through each of them, but I'd have to focus on a particular set at once. Trying to see through all of them at once gives me a major headache, like you're wearing glasses that aren't right for you." She nodded and added more notes. "Think of it, like…" He paused. "Checking through security cameras." She gasped again, proclaiming that she had another baby idea, earning chuckles from them.

Tokoyami eyed the form in approval. "I see you've worked on what we discussed." Dark Shadow emerged with glee. "It's just as bizarre and intimidating as the elders said!" Despite its abrupt appearance, his user agreed with his assessment.

"Thanks, but don't think I'm an expert with this." Izuku looked at one of his hands. "There wasn't much time, and the materials I had to work with were scarce at best." He shook his head. "I had to even base my training on the rumors I've seen about the transformation." Which wasn't always reliable, but did hold weight when confirmed to be true. "And believe me, those are just as weird as the transformation itself." Not that it was a bad thing, that made him unpredictable for his opponents.

Bakugou hummed at the information. "As long as you've got moves, it shouldn't be a problem." He wore his gloves. "Let's get ready." Izuku nodded and got on one knee, prompting Toga to turn into Ochako and use her quirk on the others to make it easier to climb, showing no signs of discomfort thanks to the gloves. And despite his assurance, she still applied her quirk to him for extra speed.

Izuku used the eyes at the back of his horns to make sure everyone was secure before standing. "You guys ready?"

"Yep!" Bakugou responded with a feral grin.

"Ready friend." Tokoyami nodded as Dark Shadow emerged from his back, looming over them. "Ready!"

"Affirmative!" Mei wore her goggles with determination.

"Hang on." Toga as Ochako wrapped the Million Point headband on one of the horns, taking care not to cover any eyes. "Now we're ready!"

Several of Izuku's eyes glowed, and his body sparked as he charged 12% OFA. Sending a pleasant tingle through his teammates due to the proximity. "Then let's get started!" He declared before letting out a roar, prompting them to yell with him.

The commotion caused those who heard to become a little nervous, while Midnight licked her lips from their hesitance. "Looks like everyone's ready." She lifted her whip as everyone tensed. "BEGIN!" She cracked her whip.

[Ultraman FE3 OST - "Ultraman Gaia Fighting Theme" - Plays]

Surprisingly, most teams decided to avoid them and go for the nearest one, probably because they were intimidated by the transformation.

Only a few teams were charging towards them, with one 1B team ahead of them with a metal teen as the rider. "I don't care how scary you look, that headband is ours!" The rider yelled out before looking at a teen with no lips to his left. "Juzo!"

"Right!" The blond stomped forward, sending a strange trail on the ground that was heading to Izuku's team at alarming speeds.

Not willing to see what it would do to them, Izuku jumped to the side, watching as the attack missed and hit the wall behind them. Upon closer inspection, he noted that the ground had become a soft, muddy-like substance. "It's like quicksand." His eyes focused on their charging opponents. "We're too exposed here, we need to move!" A few of his front-facing eyes glowed before firing energy blasts.

"Incoming!" The metal teen called out in alarm as he and several teams moved back before the attacks hit the ground in front of them, producing a thick cloud of dust, which gave Izuku the opening to leave.

While waving away the dust to clear his vision, the metal teen coughed. "Damn! They're getting away!" He looked down at his front horse. "Jurota! We need to-!"

"Halt the pursuit for now Tetsutetsu!" He looked at Ibara to his right and saw her looking at their side with a slight panic. "We're being targeted!" Indeed, a nearby team decided to go after them since Izuku wasn't here anymore.

Tetsutetsu grimaced but knew she was right. "Fine! Let's deal with them for now!" His team yelled out their agreement and went to face the other team.

Meanwhile, with Izuku's team, Bakugou looked back at the clashing teams with a frown. "Why are we running? We should be crushing those extras!" Tokoyami shook his head at his reckless attitude. Toga sighed, and Mei just focused on searching for oncoming threats with her Zoom Quirk.

"We were cornered, I'd rather have my fights on even playing fields." Izuku reasoned before adding. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance."

"Sooner than you think." Mei cut in as she pointed to their left. "Enemies to the west!"

Upon following her gaze, they saw Toru and Ochako's team charging towards them with others following. "Looks like you got your wish Bakugou!" A few front eyes glowed. "Let's take them!" He fired a few energy blasts before running towards them. "Tokoyami! Dark Shadow! Get ready!" The avian hero nodded and grabbed a smoke bomb while his quirk's expression hardened.

The opposing teams moved, thinking that they were about to be hit, only for the projectiles to crash into the ground like earlier, scattering thick dust.

"I can't see a thing!" Toru coughed out, trying to clear the dust from her eyes while her team did the same thing.

Jiro grimaced from the dust before tensing when her hearing picked up faint laughter. "!?" Despite the dust, she looked around to find the source of the sound with her jacks pointing in different directions.

"My headband is gone!"

"You just had it!"

"It came out of nowhere!"

The musical teen felt her heart hammer from the commotion around them but did her best to focus on the task at hand. "It should be clear by now." Sato muttered in confusion before blanching when he heard another team scream in the distance.

Now that he mentioned it, the dust cloud did seem thicker than it should be, a red flag for the musical teen as her nerves grew but nonetheless remained at task as she looked to the left.

Only to come face to face with a giant eye that let out a faint giggle.

At once, all color drained from the musical teen's face. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Her piercing scream was heard all around, startling everyone in the smoke cloud and deterring others from entering out of fear.

Within the smoke, Ochako inwardly cursed and looked down at her unsettled team. "It's too risky here, let's get other points for now!" Her team had no problem with that and began to hastily leave the smoke-covered area.

"J-Jiro!?" Toru yelped in surprise from the sudden commotion and saw what her now pale friend was screaming at before screaming as well.

Sato grunted from the sudden struggle. "Easy you two!" He caught sight of the eye and grimaced but held it together. "We'll topple over!" Unfortunately, his warning fell on deaf ears as both the rider and support continued to struggle in fear, which grew increasingly difficult when one of Jiro's jacks nearly hit him on the cheek. "Careful!"

Koda was also horrified but otherwise coherent enough to notice Izuku's team peeking down at them and the two shadow arms emerging from the top of his head. "A-Above!"

Sadly, they were simply too disorganized to do anything, as Dark Shadow swiftly snatched Toru's headband before his team left.

A moment later, Izuku's team emerged from the smoke. "A perfect execution!" Mei cheered as she glanced behind them with a wide smile. "We were so swift that no one could react!" She laughed.

Toga couldn't help but join in. "That was awesome, Izuku!"

Tokoyami agreed as he internally instructed Dark Shadow to secure the stolen headbands on Izuku's other horn, while Bakugou grunted. "Ok, I admit, that was fun. And seeing 'earlobes' and 'see through' screaming like that was a nice bonus."

Izuku chuckled as he ran. "I just hope they're not mad at me." He made a mental note to apologize to them for undoubtedly traumatizing them.

Toga patted his head reassuringly. "I'm sure they aren't, they're strong." She knew he tended to worry about how people perceived him, and when he didn't seem convinced by her words, she added. "But if you want, we can go and apologize to them later." She quickly elbowed Bakugou with a pout, the latter grumbled at the idea of apologizing for something harmless and hilarious.

"I was already planning to do that on my own, but thanks for offering to join me." The blonde noted that the eye nearest to her was now smiling, making it look cute in her opinion. "Which reminds me…" Izuku stopped his movement and faced the fighting teams. "Rearrange the headbands and hide the value, it'll make it harder for anyone to target the right one." Tokoyami and Toga nodded and began working on it while Mei and Bakugou remained alert.

"Hey Midoriya."

Everyone turned to the voice and was greeted by Shinso's team. It was composed of Aoyama, Ojiro and some guy from another class. "Do you always have to scare the living crap out of everyone?" He casually prodded.

But due to being aware of what his quirk can do, none from 1A replied while Mei was busy keeping an eye out for her team.

When none replied, Shinso's expression faltered a little but kept his composure. "What's wrong?" He gave him what he hoped was a convincing look of confusion. "Why the cold shoulder all of a sudden?"

Tokoyami remained passive, Toga looked apologetic and Bakugou was unimpressed with his attempt. And instead of replying, Izuku's main eye began to glow while Dark Shadow grew in height in preparation to attack.

The moment causes Ojiro to grimace, Aoyama to sweat, and the other guy to feel puny from the OFA user's towering form.

Shinso did better at hiding his reaction but knew they were incredibly screwed now. A part of him regretted revealing his quirk's capability to the taller teen but knew he wouldn't find a great friend if he didn't. Which brought mixed feelings about their current situation.

The mind control user thought about ordering Aoyama to fire his laser, but had a feeling it wouldn't do much. Running away didn't seem like a good idea either, based on what he'd observed earlier.

He then eyed his opponent, searching for any possible weakness, before his gaze landed on Mei. The moment he did this, his eyes widened for a moment before a sly smirk formed on his features, causing the 1A students to become alert. "Hey Mei, are those goggles your first baby?"

With wide eyes, the 1A students were just about to speak until Mei beat them to it. "As a matter of fact, they-" In an instant, the light in the young inventor's eyes became clouded as she ceased her movement.

Shinso's smile widened and acted quickly. "Attack Midoriya."

"Ok." Mei droned out before swiftly pulling out a device from her pocket before slamming in on Izuku's head, causing the latter to scream as electricity surged through his body.

"SHIT!" Bakugou cursed as he struggled to hang on before grabbing the inventor's wrist, surprised at the strength behind it. "Snap out of it Goggles!" On the other side, Tokoyami tried to pull her arms to no avail, even with Dark Shadow's help. "Don't make me blast some sense into you!"

Toga yelped after nearly falling off before focusing on her crush. "Izuku!" Her worries grew when he held in his screams and focused on keeping himself steady.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Shinso turned to Aoyama. "Shoot the Shadow!"

After snapping out of his surprise, the blond nodded. "Craignez ma lumière! (Fear my light)" He exclaimed while firing a powerful shot.

Dark Shadow looked up in time to see the attack and raised his left hand to block it at the last second before screaming in pain as the attack shot through his hand, leaving a hole. "It burns!" He howled before hastily returning to his user to regenerate.

"NO!" Toga yelled in horror before glaring at Aoyama and firing a wrist blaster at him. The latter had no time to react as he was smacked on the face by a rubber projectile, threatening to topple his group over.

Shinso grunted but managed to keep himself steady before having the wind knocked out of him as a rubber bullet struck him in the gut. "GUH!" He gasped as he held his stomach. "Are those even allowed?" He grunted out as she fired again.

Ojiro, however, was able to intercept it this time with a quick swing from his tail, causing him to wince in pain but remained firm.

Seeing this, Izuku powered through the pain and used his telekinesis to retrieve the rubber bullet that had fallen on the ground after hitting Shinso. And with everyone distracted, he channeled 1% OFA before shooting it towards the mind control user.

The attack scored a direct hit under Shinso's chin, surprising everyone. "S-Shinso!" The other guy yelled as the now unconscious rider began to fall on his back, causing his team to quickly adjust before they toppled over.

And because the indigo-haired teen was unconscious, Mei was freed from the mind control, allowing Bakugou to remove the device from Izuku's head. The latter panted and regained his focus. "Tokoyami! His headband!" He grunted while steadying himself.

The avian hero nodded as Dark Shadow's arm emerged from his back and went for Shinso's headband. Alarmed by this, Ojiro prepared his tail. "Aoyama!"

Though dazed from the attack earlier, the blond still went for the attack with a strained expression, but this time Tokoyami saw the attack and quickly moved the shadow limb away from the laser.

Ojiro was ready to intercept with his tail before being forced to block a few rubber bullets shot at him. The distraction gave Tokoyami the opening needed to snatch the headband. "Damn!" The tail user cursed.

Before they could recover, Izuku stood ready. "Smoke!" The avian hero didn't waste time and threw down a smoke bomb, surprising the other team and allowing the OFA user to run away.

As they ran, Mei rubbed her temple with a groan, feeling a little lightheaded. "What happened?"

After securing their newest headband, Toga answered. "You…got brainwashed into attacking Midoriya." She gently explained, knowing how their friend was going to react.

The young inventor didn't disappoint, as her mind quickly regained focus after hearing that. "What!?" She noticed her taser in hand and immediately paled. "I…I…didn't…"

"It's fine goggles, you didn't know about his quirk." Bakugou cut in with a firm hand on her shoulder. "And it's kind of our fault too for forgetting to share it with you." She looked at Toga and Tokoyami who had the same look of understanding as the blond.

And while relieved that they didn't hate her, she was still guilty. "Regardless, I'm sorry for the pain I caused." She gently rubbed the spot where she struck him. "I know my prototype wasn't gentle." And it was set to the highest setting too.

"It's fine Mei, we're still friends." Izuku's assuring words were a relief to hear. "At least you have data to know that your baby packs a punch." His quip earned a light laugh from her. "Just, uh, try to go easy on the settings, I'm pretty sure it could do lasting damage in the wrong hands." He advised while thanking everything for his transformations having durability.

The young inventor nodded with a serious look, already planning ways to improve her device. "I promise." She then wore her iconic grin as she looked down at the nearest eye. "After all, failure is a path to success if one learns from it!" Her team smiled, glad that she was back to herself.

Their moment was interrupted however when one of Izuku's eyes caught something heading towards them at high speeds before he used his instinct to dodge, forcing his team to suddenly hang on. "What's wrong!?" Toga yelped in surprise.

"Something came at us." Izuku moved to examine the object on the ground, only for him to narrow his eyes. "Mineta's quirk?"

His team quickly looked around until spotting Shoji charging at them with a tent on his back made out of his quirk. And peeking from the entrance was Mineta with a creepy but slightly fearful smile. "Don't think you can scare us off Midoriya!" His tone creeped them out. "Your headband will be ours!" He declared as he retreated into the darkness before a long tongue suddenly lashed out towards them.

Everyone held on as Izuku quickly dodged the appendage and watched it snap back into the tent. "Kero, as expected of you Midoriya." Tsuyu was seen peeking from the tent with a smile before disappearing into it again as another barrage of orbs was launched at them.

To their confusion, however, Izuku remained in place, staring intently ahead, causing Bakugou to speak. "Oi nerd! Don't space out now!" Their confusion and concern grew when they remained in place. "Stop messing around!" Even Mineta's team was surprised, wondering what they were planning.

And just before the projectiles could make contact, they suddenly stopped in front of Izuku. "Wait what!?" Toga exclaimed in surprise before becoming amazed. "You can stop stuff with your mind!?"

"Yep." Izuku chuckled as the captured projectiles were bunched together. "And I can also do this!" His eye flashed, sending the projectiles forward at great speed.

Shoji panicked and was too slow to dodge the barrage, knocking them to the ground and sticking to the surface due to not having Mineta's immunity to his quirk. "That's not even fair!" The short teen whined from within the tent, causing his team to sigh.

On the far side of their battle, where no one was paying attention, Ochako decided to use the chaos as a distraction. "Sero, put your tape on my back!" The teen nodded and began extracting tape. "On my signal, I want all of you to throw me as high as you can!"

Her team was understandably surprised. "Even if you can float, how will you be able to aim where you're going?" Sero voiced everyone's question.

"I'm not!" Her answer confused them more. "Kirishima will swing me at them, and when I'm close enough, I'll grab any of the headbands, the moment that happens, Sero and the rest of you will pull me away." She then wore an embarrassed look. "Kind of like those stretchy and sticky hand toy things."

While aware of the fun toy she was talking about, Mina didn't look certain. "Are you sure about this?" It sounded awesome in theory, but the risks are numerous.

Her boyfriend scrunched his face in thought, trying to find an alternative plan, but with such limited time, they needed to grab larger points in order to guarantee a spot at the next event.

'Go Big or Go Home' he thinks is the phrase.

A shared glance with Sero told him he was thinking along the same lines. "I don't like it either…" He hesitated as they turned to him. "But, with how quick everyone else's headbands are being taken, our chances of getting to the next round are getting slim." He then shrugged. "And with how crazy Midoriya's quirk is, we might as well do something just as crazy to even the odds."

"He's got a point." Sero piped up while nervously glancing at Izuku's team. "Fighting fire with fire feels like giving us a better shot than a head-on fight."

Mina remained uncertain before sighing with a helpless shrug. "Well…ok, we'll go with your plan." She then gave the gravity user a stern look. "But girl, the moment things go wrong, we're pulling the plug." Quite literally in this case.

"I understand, and thanks for the concern." Ochako gave her a grateful smile before becoming serious and eyeing her target. "Now let's find the right timing." At that, her team concentrated on their goal.

The brunette watched intently as Izuku's team carefully approached Shoji, who continued to struggle to free himself. "Not yet…" In a blur, Tsuyu's tongue shot out from the tent in a desperate attempt to snatch a headband before being swiftly backhanded by the OFA user. "Not yet…" She pursed her lips in concentration.

As Tsuyu's tongue retreated into the tent, Bakugou was seen telling Tokoyami something. The latter nodded, and not a second later Dark Shadow emerged to reach towards the tent, making Shoji tense and Ochako's eyes to widen. "NOW!" She hastily applied her quirk to herself.

"On three guys!" Kirishima called out as they lowered themselves while their rider braced herself. "One, two…!" He and his team counted before launching their leader with yells. "THREE!" With her quirk and their combined strength, the brunette was launched at a considerable height.

Ochako gritted her teeth as she ascended before the tape got taut at the appropriate height. After a quick assessment of her position, she looked down at Kirishima and gave him a thumbs up. The latter nodded and grabbed a hold of Sero's tape before swinging downward with a yell.

The brunette was suddenly swung downwards, and for a moment, she regretted her plan, before noticing that she was rapidly approaching Izuku's team with a couple of headbands blowing in the wind on his horns. Just one of those can guarantee her team a spot in the next round and make her parents proud.

With this line of thinking, Ochako steeled herself and did her best to keep her eyes on the rapidly approaching targets. All she needed was one, it didn't have to be the Million Point headband, just something to get them through.

She really hoped none of the contestants would expose her, or worse, the announcers.

As she grew closer, she mentally picked one and reached her hand forward. Putting all her concentration as she prepared to time her grab. "That one!" She gritted her teeth as she neared the oblivious team.

Only for her breath to hitch when Izuku rapidly turned to face her. "Hello." He casually greeted her as his team recovered from the sudden turn to look at her in surprise.

Mina blanched. "Crap! Pull her back." When their rider remained in place, the pink teen looked to Kirishima in slight frustration. "Kiri!"

Her boyfriend's strained grunts surprised her, but not as much as the fact that he was clearly trying to get their friend back. "I-It's not budging!" In front of him, Sero tried pulling, but to no avail.

The strong tugs on her tape snapped Ochako out of her stupor with a gasp. She glanced at her struggling team before looking at herself. "Why can't I move!?" Her panic began rising when she noted that only her arms and legs were held by an invisible force.

"I may have not been paying attention..." Izuku's words made her look up. "But my instincts certainly were." His eyes smiled teasingly as she rapidly paled. "And to be clear…" He slowly began to lean his head back, much to his team's shock. "I'm not doing this out of malice."

Ochako gave him a weird look before her expression turned into comedic horror. "E-Eh?!" She began to struggle in her invisible restraints. "You're just playing around right!?" She said with a nervous chuckle before feeling her stomach drop when he kept on leaning back. "Don't you think this is a bit much!?"

Her words fell on deaf ears as Izuku showcased his form's strange flexibility by leaning back enough to the point where his team needed to hang on, but despite this, his feet remained firmly on the ground. "Wait!" In a blur, his head sprang forward, much to her horror as she froze. "No plea-AAAAAAHHHHH!" Rather than being struck with a finishing headbutt like she thought, the OFA user's head stopped in its original position like a spring before she suddenly found herself being thrown towards her team.

And knowing that they would be disqualified if they dispersed, something that Midnight predicted as she watched the scene unfold, Ochako's team quickly grouped together and braced themselves to catch her.

The impact wasn't pretty, but the group managed to maintain their formation, just barely stopping themselves from toppling over. "That was close!" Kirishima panted as his other teammates groaned in agreement. "Man…it's easy to forget how scary he can be. Right, Ochako?" When no response came, he looked at her in confusion, only to see their rider on her back, groaning with swirly eyes.

Seeing this, Sero coughed awkwardly. "Let's just, uh, go after someone else." His suggestion was met with silent agreement as they moved to the other contestants, hopefully their leader would recover soon.

"Do You think she'll be alright?" Toga asked with concern.

Using her quirk, Mei studied the retreating team before shaking her head. "While the impact wasn't ideal, she appears to be fine." Her observation was a relief to hear for the 1A students, even Bakugou despite not outwardly showing it.

"My, I didn't know 1A would be cruel enough to attack their own."

[Song Pauses]

Turning to the voice, they were met with a blond-haired boy who looked rather condescending in Izuku's blunt opinion. "But then again, what else should you expect from the top dogs?" He said in a mocking tone.

Tokoyami narrowed his eyes at what he was implying. "We're not actively trying to hurt anybody."

"Truly? Sorry for the misunderstanding." His tone betrayed his words, annoying him. "But let's not kid ourselves, we all know what this festival is for." He gestured to the crowd. "And that's to get the attention of a well-known pro or agency."

Mei eyed him neutrally. "Are you implying that we're doing this for attention?" While not wrong from an objective standpoint, to inflict harm for publicity alone is hollow.

"What's there to imply? It's what we're here for." He put a hand on his chest and gestured to their surroundings. "Every single person here, regardless of reason, needs to be acknowledged by the best." He smiled mockingly. "And from what I've seen, through any means necessary in your class's case."

And just like that, Tokoyami and Mei decided that they didn't like this guy. Dark Shadow especially stared at him with distaste. "I don't like you." He said in a factual tone.

The blond made a face of mock surprise. "Oh my! A sentient quirk!" He exclaimed with obviously fake interest. "It's quite rare to see your type." He made a face of contemplation. "But then again…" He slowly formed a condescending smile. "Perhaps it's for the best, sentient quirks can be unpredictable, after all." It took great restraint for Dark Shadow not to pummel him on the spot, while his user was half tempted to let him. Even Mei looked like she wanted to smack him with a wrench. And surprisingly, the blond's team looked just as done with him.

"Looks like we have a Type I in our midst."

The tension was interrupted by Bakugou's words, garnering their attention. And it was then that they noticed that the three childhood friends appeared to be unbothered by the interaction. "I don't think so." Izuku lightly shook his head in disagreement. "If he's in U.A., he must have a powerful quirk."

"A Type II then." Bakugou dismissed in a bored tone.

Toga studied their opponent before shaking her head. "Hmmm, his classmates don't seem particularly close with him." Her observation was proven when they caught one of the members shaking his head with a look of disgust.

Izuku stared at the stranger intently before shrugging. "Type III?" Whether he noticed or not, their discussion was drawing curious looks from their team. What are they talking about?

His observation drew an intrigued look from Toga while Bakugou raised an impressed eyebrow. "No shit?" He looked at the guy with a scrutinizing look. "I can kind of see where you're coming from, but he doesn't look the part." His friends became contemplative.

Having enough of this, the stranger cut in with audible clearing of his throat. "I don't know what you three are talking about." His opinion was shared by his equally bewildered team. "But don't just dismiss me." Even though he didn't know what the topic was, he refused to be set aside.

Izuku chuckled. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to be categorized." Toga and Bakugou shared knowing and amused looks, much to their confusion. "But since you're so bothered by it, why not move to introductions." He pointed to himself. "I'm-"

"Everyone in U.A. knows who you are." The OFA user eyed him neutrally while everyone else was displeased by the rude cutoff. "My name is Monoma Neito." He wore a cocky smile. "I would say it's a pleasure, but that'd be a lie." His team either rolled their eyes or became annoyed by his words.

While his team was equally annoyed, Izuku hummed in acknowledgement. "Ok Type III." He calmly answered as his eye began to glow, causing Monoma's team to become alarmed and the rider to become serious. "Let's do it." He fired one energy blast.

[Song Continues]

Rather than dodging, one of Monoma's teammates took a deep breath before blowing a shield made out of solid air, which shattered upon impact from the blast, causing all of them to grimace from the close call.

A bright flash followed suit before they could recover. Monoma cursed and rubbed his eyes in pain when he felt the unmistakable sensation of his headband being pulled off.

In a surge of panic, he reached out to the perpetrator, only to grab air as his headband was removed. Opening his eyes a little, though blurry, he could make out the form of Bakugou flipping him off as he glided with his hover boots before being pulled back to his team. "Eat it, loser!" After blasting upwards and landing on his seat, Toga and Mei waved them goodbye with smirks before the OFA user moved.

Once his vision returned, Monoma felt a surge of outrage as he glared at the retreating team. "Don't let them escape!"

His teammates looked at him like he had grown a second head. "Are you crazy!?" One of them, Sen, called out. "We're lucky to still be standing! We can't possibly take them head-"

"Do as I say!" Monoma angrily cut in. "We can't let them continue looking down on us!" He then gave his team a challenging look. "Or would you prefer just sitting there after being humiliated?"

The team shared looks, and while not exactly how they would have worded it, they were aware that chances like this to show everyone what they were capable of are rare.

Not only that, it would be an insult to their classmates who are trying their best if they just gave up now.

With heavy sighs, they nodded to each other and steadied their rider. The one who made the air shield, Kosei, spoke. "Fine, but don't say we didn't-"

"Let's move! We've wasted enough time!" Monoma's order was met with annoyed looks, but none argued and decided to just go with it.

They just hope that they won't regret this.

Back with Izuku's team, Tokoyami checked his inventory after being asked how many grenades he had left. "I have one smoke and two flash."

"Ok, at least we have options." Bakugou nodded and showed his right hand. "But even if we run out, I've got just the move I've been working on to compensate."

[Song Pauses]

Just then, a wall of ice blocked their path, forcing Izuku to skid to a stop. "Uh oh." Following the trail, they saw Todoroki's team staring them down with serious expressions.

Using one of his well-hidden eyes, he focused on the timer. "Ok, time's almost up, better stall him." He refocused on the bi-colored teen. "I was wondering when we were going to clash." He said in a playful tone.

Todoroki however was not in the mood. "If you surrender your headband, we promise to let you go without a fight." His tone was firm but sincere.

His demand was met with varying looks of skepticism, in Bakugou's case, offense. "You know damn well we won't give in to your demands!"

While expecting the response, Todoroki's expression hardened in annoyance. "Then you leave us no choice!" At once Momo's abdomen and arm glowed.

Mei frowned before noting the number of teams converging on them from behind Todoroki's team. "At this rate we'll be cornered." She warned in a low voice to not alert their opponent.

Toga glanced behind them and spotted the same thing happening to them. "From behind too." She prepared her gauntlets.

Izuku ignored them however and kept his focus on Todoroki who grabbed a stone staff that the creation user produced while the latter held a thick sheet with her free hand.

The ice user then whispered something, causing Kaminari to grin as he sparked, which immediately alerted Izuku as to what they were planning to do. "Everyone hang on!" His team did just that without hesitation.

[Song Continues]

While frustrated that their plan had been discovered, Todoroki acted quickly. "It's no use!" He planted the stone staff on the ground and applied his quirk, allowing it to travel towards them at high speed.

But just before it could reach them, Izuku's horns flashed before he zipped away in a blur, much to everyone's shock. "Impossible!" The bi-colored teen exclaimed before he and his team were shielded by Momo's sheet, and not a moment later, Kaminari unleashed his quirk, shocking the other teams that consisted of some of their classmates.

Monoma's team in particular was having it rough. "I-I B-BLAME Y-Y-YOU!" Sen strained out as his leader screamed in pain and indignation.

"K-K-KA-A-AMINARI!" Jiro's pained-filled yell caused the electric user to gulp, dreading the revenge in store for him later.

All around them, students screamed out, but Todoroki wasn't bothered by this and focused on searching for his target. "He saw right through us." When the surrounding electricity died down, he quickly slammed his stone staff and applied his quirk, trapping the surrounding teams. "He couldn't have gotten far, grab the nearest headbands, then find them." His team agreed and moved.

Meanwhile, after recovering from dizziness, Toga looked down at her crush in excitement. "You can teleport!?"

After steadying himself a bit, Izuku let out a weak chuckle. "More like, accelerate." He panted. "Gan-Q can increase movement speed in quick bursts, but…" He groaned and fell on one knee, shaking off the nausea.

"It takes a lot out of you, I get it." Bakugou finished with a grimace as Toga rubbed his head soothingly while Mei and Tokoyami remained alert. "Still, it's a good move for tight spots." He patted his head. "Are you ok?"

Izuku nodded slightly. "Yeah, just…" He stood with a grunt. "A little dizzy, I didn't have time to get used to the move." And combined with Ochako's quirk, the speed and disorientation were high.

"Then I advise a steady retreat, it would be unfortunate to overexert yourself." Tokoyami's advice was met with agreement, as the OFA user moved at a steadier pace.

Unfortunately, they didn't get far as another large wall of ice blocked them, this time surrounding them. "Ah, crap." Bakugou grimaced as everyone looked for an opening.

"Midoriya."

Quickly turning to the voice, they saw Todoroki's team, blocking the only way out with determined expressions. "Give up, you have no way out."

Izuku glanced around before his large eye glowed, causing the other team to tense. But instead of attacking them, he fired a powerful energy blast towards the ice wall on the right.

The structure didn't stand a chance as it was blown apart, causing most to shield themselves from the pieces of ice flying towards them.

When things settled, the damaged wall now sported a large hole that most outsiders stared at with dropped jaws. "So…" Izuku casually turned to him. "You were saying?" Behind him, Bakugou looked smug. Toga was ready to fight with Tokoyami and Dark Shadow following her example, while Mei mentally added more data for inventions later.

Todoroki's frustrations grew. "You can't run forever." He slammed his stone staff on the ground and sent a swift wave of ice.

"Hang on tight, guys." Izuku whispered and waited for the ice to get close before applying 5% OFA and zipped away as the trail made contact with the ice wall. After steadying himself, he faced the enemy team. "And you can't chase forever!" Todoroki scowled as he sent another wave of ice.

This pattern repeated a few times, shocking everyone with his transformation's surprising speed. Thankfully, the waves that Todoroki was sending out didn't cover the entire area, probably because he didn't want to affect his team.

After steadying herself, Toga took aim and fired her gauntlet at the enemy team. Which was unfortunately blocked by Momo who had made a shield. "You won't get through!"

"We'll see!" Bakugou and Dark Shadow rushed in, but were quick to retreat when Kaminari aimed his free hand at them while emitting harsh sparks. "Damn!" The blond cursed as he landed, while Dark Shadow looked fearful from the light produced by the electricity.

But during this exchange, Izuku noted something critical. Todoroki hasn't used his left side, not even a flicker of flame. Even when it could have been advantageous.

Izuku was more than aware of who his father is, so surely, he inherited his quirk. Why wasn't he using it? Did he have no control over it? Does he prioritize his ice powers more? Or was his flame not as powerful as his father's?

He was brought out of his musings when he noticed that he was quickly running out of safe ground to step on. Rather than waiting until he eventually slipped, Izuku decided to switch it up. His horns flashed for a second before he moved in a blur, surprising everyone.

Not a moment later, he stopped next to Todoroki's team, namely on Kaminari's side. The latter noticed and accidentally fired off his electricity with a yelp, much to the dismay of his team, as they ended up being shocked; thankfully, he stopped before there was any serious damage. "S-Sorry!" The blond apologized in horror.

Using the opening, Tokoyami mentally gave Dark Shadow the order and quickly swiped as many headbands as he could. "I got some!" The quirk cheered, and Izuku took that as his cue to run for the exit.

"NO!" Todoroki yelled with a pained grimace as he felt his blood boil. How did everything go so wrong!?

After recovering, Ida eyed the retreating team before speaking. "We don't have much time, so hang on! You won't be able to use me after this!" Their confusion turned into shock when he went into a running stance. "Torque over!" His engines hummed as they increased in power. "Recipro…!" Everyone hung on as his engines flared to life. "BURST!"

In a blur, his teammates were barely able to hold on as they dashed forward at incredible speeds. But despite the powerful wind resistance, Ida was able to keep sight of his rapidly nearing target. "Be ready!" Despite Todoroki only being able to keep his eyes a little open, he positioned himself the best he could, ready to grab a headband.

But as they neared, they were overwhelmed by a blinding light. Which was amplified by Ida's glasses, the latter let out a pained gasp as he shut his eyes before quickly stomping his feet, skidding to a harsh stop, lest they run into a wall and hurt themselves.

"What happened!?" Kaminari called out, sounding disoriented from both the speed traveled and the light.

Momo, who had her eyes closed from the speed, was spared from the flash and gasped when she took in their surroundings. "There's thick smoke everywhere!" She readied her shield. "Ida, can you get us out of here?" She looked around for threats.

Even with his vision clouded, Ida can feel that his legs weren't ready, causing him to wince. "M-My engines are stalled!" He called out with regret.

Todoroki grimaced as his vision slowly returned, he scrambled for a plan. "Momo, Kaminari." Both teens tensed. "We'll need to-"

"It's over."

[Song Ends]

A green light shone behind them as the now wide-eyed team of Todoroki slowly glanced back, their collective shock increasing upon the sight of Midoriya's massive glowing eye staring down at them, prepared to let out an energy blast.

Kaminari raised an arm before hearing a distinct clicking sound, making him freeze. "I wouldn't do that." Toga firmly advised with a gauntlet aimed at the back of his head, while she used her other hand to hang onto her crush. Her transformation began to fail as her eyes had shifted into her usual ones, but she endured.

Mei also peeked at the electric user with a smile. "The probability of escaping your current position is very low." She said in a factual tone. "If you don't want to have a concussion, I suggest listening to her." Kaminari gulped and held himself back from nodding.

Momo jolted when shadowy hands gripped her shields. "Don't move!" Dark Shadow ordered in a deep voice as his user peered down at them. "I'd heed his advice if I were you." She tensed but didn't move while Ida tried his hardest to get his quirk to work.

Todoroki glanced upwards and saw Bakugou glaring down at him, looking ready to go wild on them. "Try anything stupid…" Mini explosions emanated from his palms. "And you're done." He promised in a deadly tone.

The smoke eventually cleared, giving everyone who could see a clear view of the standoff. While outside the walls, the other contestants continued their battle.

The bi-colored teen's left hand twitched, knowing that time was rapidly running out. The action caught and intrigued Izuku, but he filed it away for later. "Here's how it's going to go, both teams already have more than enough to qualify for the next round." Even if they took some earlier, he noted more wrapped around each of the ice user's team. "So how about we just take our leave and call it a day?" He kindly offered.

But despite this, Todoroki's frustration grew. From his perspective, it was like Izuku wasn't taking him seriously. Like he was so sure that he could beat them without much effort.

A deep part of him knew that Izuku wasn't belittling him, but his growing anger drowned out that thought. The latter had been thwarting his strategies from the moment the match started. Counterattacks proved futile, and any attack he planned could easily be countered by the strange transformation, and that's without mentioning his team's flexibility and overall range.

Ambushes were useless, and flanking maneuvers could be countered, from what he'd observed from a distance. And if that wasn't enough, he observed that Izuku had been purposely maneuvering to his left side earlier, no doubt noting that he hadn't been using fire, which further angered him.

So much so that he didn't notice his left arm beginning to emanate small flames. Izuku and Bakugou did, however, and reacted accordingly.

The explosive teen looked ready to dive in, while Izuku's eye grew serious as the energy within it increased while being accompanied by the sparks of 6% OFA. The growing intensity of the light caused Kaminari, Ida and Momo to pale.

Before anyone could move, however, the stadium speakers came to life, and Present Mic's voice was heard. ["THE MATCH IS OVER!"] His yell startled the contestants. ["Midoriya and his team have retained first place!"] Cheers erupted within the stadium after the announcement. ["All contestants, please regroup with your classmates."]

And just like that, Izuku gave Todoroki's team space as his power dispersed before going onto one knee, allowing his team to dismount. "That was awesome!" Toga cheered as she hopped off while returning to normal.

"Exhilarating!" Mei added with a pleased expression as she waved her notepad. "Plus, I managed to gain valuable data for my babies!" She can already envision the blueprints!

Tokoyami hummed in agreement as Dark Shadow retreated within him with a cheer. "Aptly put, my friends." He handed the remaining flash grenade and utility belt. "Your inventions are amazing; I look forward to whatever else you forge." The young inventor beamed from the praise.

"Don't relax yet, we've still got more matches." Bakugou pointed out while handing his hover boots to Mei. "Come on, let's regroup with the others." His team nodded and followed as Izuku returned to normal.

Meanwhile, Todoroki stared at his left arm in disbelief. "Impossible…" He clenched his fist. "He…pushed me to use it..." He directed a calculating gaze at Izuku, who was happily discussing things with his team before following Momo and the others.

As the class united, Ida adjusted his glasses with a look of approval. "Excellent match, Midoriya!" He offered a hand. "You truly showed me that I have much growth to do!"

"Don't sell yourself short." Izuku shook his hand with a friendly smile. "If I didn't notice you coming at us, you guys would've snatched our headbands before we could blink."

Kaminari chuckled. "Even if you didn't, I'm pretty sure Toga would have shot at us." And he seriously doubted if they could maneuver properly at that point.

"I didn't even consider support items being allowed." Momo confessed before looking contemplative. "Then again, my quirk is basically that, so it makes sense."

Toga giggled with a nod. "Yep! And as long as you're not actively using it to inflict serious harm on other contestants, it's legal!" She happily said and playfully stuck her tongue out.

Nearby, Ojiro chuckled despite being on the receiving end of her weapons. "You guys are ruthless." He said with no head, drawing amused looks from the trio. "How are you holding up Aoyama?"

The blond had seen better days to put it mildly, but despite the visible bruising from being struck earlier, he let out a haughty laugh. "Your concern is appreciated, but as you can see…" He quickly did a sparkling pose. "I'm doing fi-OW!" A sharp pain interrupted him as he held his jaw with a groan.

Most sweatdropped at this. "Maybe we should go to Recovery Girl." Ojiro's suggestion was met with a gentle nod from the blond.

As the pair left, Jiro was currently in another predicament as she was trying to reassure Izuku, the latter was currently bowing towards her and Toru in apology. "I told you it's alright greenie."

"I still feel bad for making you two scream like that." Izuku raised his head with an apologetic look. The last thing he needed was to give someone a heart attack.

But to his surprise, Toru waved her sleeves with a sound of disapproval. "You don't have to hold yourself back for our sake Midoriya." Next to her, the musical teen nodded. "Sure, we freaked out, but it's something we're going to have to get used to. Especially with how scary villains can be nowadays." She then gave him a friendly hug. "Plus, we know you didn't have any bad intentions." She loosened her hold to look up at him. "Don't sweat it, we're still your friends."

While he couldn't see her face, the sincerity in her voice was enough to convince the tall teen as he let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks Toru." He patted her head. "I needed to hear that."

"We're not made of glass, don't worry." Jiro added with a smirk as the invisible teen released him with a giggle. "Just focus on giving it your all."

Izuku nodded with a grin. "I won't." The two returned the expression, glad that things were settled. He then searched the crowd before spotting the young inventor. "Hang on guys." He quickly left, garnering confused looks from his classmates.

They then watched with intrigue as he spoke to Mei. The latter looked unsure and hesitant from what he said. Izuku placed a hand on her shoulder and said something with a kind smile. After a moment of deliberation, she returned his smile and nodded, earning a beaming look from him before leading her towards them.

Apart from Toga, Bakugou and Tokoyami who had an idea of what he was doing, the others remained confused as the duo approached. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you all to my good friend Mei." He happily announced while gesturing to the inventor.

Mei looked uncharacteristically shy as she waved with a small smile. "S-Salutations." Those who didn't know her returned the greetings, while those who did sent her looks of support.

"See, her dream is to become the best support inventor there is." Izuku proudly proclaimed and patted her back. "And in my blunt opinion, based on what she's made for us, she's well on her way to becoming just that." His friend looked embarrassed but thankful for the sincere praise.

Toga quickly chipped in. "Yeah, she makes amazing stuff!" She gestured to her wrist gauntlets. "Like these, for instance!"

"She even worked on their costumes and made adjustments to ours!" Ochako happily added as Ida nodded in confirmation.

Upon remembering the amazing costumes the childhood trio wore, everyone became amazed. "That's impressive." Momo praised. "Do you think you could make some adjustments to my costume as well? I've been thinking of ways to improve it, but I don't have much of an idea to work with." After saying this, a few of their classmates began sharing similar thoughts.

Something that got an intrigued gleam from the inventor. "Certainly, we can make discussions over-"

"HOLD IT!" Bakugou's stern cutoff startled everyone apart from his friends. "Introductions aren't done." He looked to Izuku, who gestured for him to continue. "Mei is really compassionate about what she does." He pointed a thumb at a particular group of students, who periodically glanced in their direction with varying looks of confusion. "But her classmates are too stupid to see that and take advantage of her or outright cast her out." His classmates grew shocked and appalled by the information, and the sad look the inventor wore amplified it.

Bakugou then cracked his knuckles, wearing a look that promised death. "So, if any of you treat her the same way." He went into his stance. "We'll give you hell!" He promised as Izuku, Toga, Tokoyami, Ida and Ochako that mirrored his expression. Next to them, Mei was red with embarrassment but incredibly touched by their protectiveness.

After regaining her composure, Momo shook her head. "No need to be concerned around us, you're among friends." She looked at the others with a stern gaze. "Right?"

"Yup!" Kirishima nodded with a toothy grin. "I think it's pretty manly how passionate you are with your inventions!" He said with a thumbs up.

Mei blinked. Of all the praise she'd received in her life, 'manly' was a first for her. "...thank you?" She slowly replied, unsure of what to say.

"Do you have someone helping you, or is it a solo act?" Jiro asked with curiosity, prompting Mei to explain that Power Loader was there to mostly supervise her inventions, while U.A. provided the material and workshop. Most of the tools she used were hers, and her classmates generally didn't want to work with her due to her passion. "Damn, sounds like lousy folks, but still pretty badass how you've proved them wrong." The young inventor smiled at her words and thanked her.

Kaminari shook his head. "Their loss, now they don't have an awesome inventor to help them." Mei giggled at the remark as he rubbed his head. "Now I feel bad for wanting to ask you about my hero equipment after being introduced." In hindsight, that would have been a poor first impression.

Mei waved a hand. "No need to concern yourself, I'm always happy to build for heroes!" She pulled out a fresh notepad. "Besides, you don't have to worry about me overworking myself." She gestured to Izuku and his friends with a bright smile. "They helped me learn to make time for myself."

Bakugou grunted. "Those were tough days." He shook his head in slight amusement. "I lost count of how many times we caught her missing weeks' worth of sleep." He pointed a thumb towards Izuku and Toga. "I swear these two grew grayer the longer Mei kept brushing off their concerns." The latter mentioned rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed smile.

Sato chuckled. "I can see what you meant when you said passionate." He then stepped forward. "You don't have to worry about any judgment from us, Midoriya can attest to it." The latter smiled at the comment. "So, let's start right." He offered a hand to her with a friendly smile. "My name is Sato, nice to meet you."

Mei returned the smile and happily shook his hand. "A pleasure to meet you." She looked at the others. "All of you."

Just then, Midnight held the mic. "We'll be taking a break!"

And as if on cue, Izuku's stomach audibly grumbled, causing him to hold his stomach with an embarrassed grin. "Right on time, I'm starving!" His comment got chuckles out of some of his classmates, while others shook their heads in amusement.

"In that case, shall we discuss additional costume equipment over lunch?" Mei's suggestion was met with agreement as they began moving to the cafeteria. As they moved, the young inventor glanced at Izuku and his friends with a grateful look. "Thank you." She gave them a friendly wave before looking ahead, listening intently to Kirishima's idea of adding ranged weapons to his costume.

The trio returned the smile before following. However, a hand on Izuku's shoulder stopped him. "Hmmm?" He glanced behind him to see Todoroki with an unreadable expression. "Something wrong?" He kindly asked, though internally he was hoping that he wasn't holding a grudge from his win.

As Bakugou, Toga and a few others stopped to look at the duo, the bi-colored teen was silent for a moment before speaking. "I need to speak with you." He glanced at everyone else for a moment. "Alone."

"Fat chance!" Bakugou approached with a deep scowl. "If you can't take your defeat with dignity, then you'll have to deal with me too!" Next to him, Toga and a few others mirrored his sentiment with serious looks.

This didn't phase Todoroki, but it was clear that he was contemplating what to do next as he released Izuku's shoulder. The latter remained neutral. "Is it really that important? Or are you looking for an opportunity to get back at me?" He bluntly prodded. With how openly hostile his classmate has been towards him, who could blame the taller teen for being suspicious?

The fire and ice user's eyes widened a little from the question but quickly schooled his features, something that Izuku caught. "I understand the doubt, but I truly just want to speak with you. I won't waste your time."

While most didn't seem convinced, the OFA user contemplated. Todoroki didn't seem like the type to recklessly lash out for the losses, he's smarter than that. He wouldn't risk being disqualified in the festival.

Plus, from what he's seen, the guy truly wanted to become a hero.

After another moment of silence, he let out a deep sigh before speaking. "Fine, I'll bite." He nodded, much to the shock of everyone, including the bi-colored teen.

"You can't be serious!" Bakugou barked in outrage as he grabbed his shoulder. "The second no one's looking, he'll attack!" While others looked at him in disbelief, Toga remained composed and stared at him intently, trying to read him.

Izuku chuckled at their concern. "Relax, I doubt getting disqualified is on his to-do list." He turned to the bi-colored teen. "Isn't that, right?" After receiving a light nod, he looked back at his friends. "Besides, if he does try anything…" His eyes and teeth sharpened as he grinned. "I can handle it."

While his classmates didn't seem convinced, they reluctantly left with Mei leading. Bakugou gave him a hard stare before walking away, leaving Toga to look up at him in concern. "We trust you Izuku…" She gently grabbed his hand. "Just, please be careful." She pleaded with a squeeze.

"I will." Izuku honestly agreed while returning the gesture. The action calmed her enough to agree and reluctantly released his hand before leaving.

Izuku watched them go before glancing at Todoroki, his smile turning into a serious frown. "Prove their doubts wrong, don't do anything foolish." The bi-colored teen nodded in compliance before leading the way.

ISOLATED AREA IN THE STADIUM

The two students said nothing, only staring at each other as they had their backs to their respective walls. Todoroki had his gaze downward, stoic but in deep thought, while Izuku had his arms crossed, his gaze firmly on the fire and ice user, trying to understand what had warranted such aggressiveness towards him.

Izuku's nose twitched but kept his composure, though his eyebrows furrowed a bit. "I was overwhelmed." Todoroki's words broke him out of his stupor. "To the point I broke my pledge." He added with a hint of frustration.

"Pledge?" The OFA user repeated before glancing at the teen's clenched left hand.

Todoroki nodded. "Yes." He raised his left hand and stared at it. "A long time ago, I made a vow to never use my fire." He then directed his gaze on the taller teen. "But that changed today, you managed to corner me into using it." He said with an unreadable tone. "Like how All Might would overwhelm his foes into surrendering."

While a little flattered, Izuku opted to redirect the topic before he keeps connecting him to All Might. "Why hold yourself back?"

Todoroki was silent again before sighing. "You already know who my father is." The taller teen opened his mouth but stopped when he gave him a hard stare. "Don't be surprised, your research on your family's history would mean coming across my family's name at some point." He then continued. "And I'm sure you're also aware that he's been stuck as the Number Two Hero for some time now."

Izuku nodded. Apart from the destruction he caused, Endeavor was a hero who openly declared his desire to become Number One. And based on his family research, that ambition has been going on for some time now.

"His desire to rise in the world is constant." Todoroki continued, seeing that his classmate was listening. "As long as it meant immortalizing his glory, he'd seek it out." His expression darkened. "Through crushing force." He then pointed at the latter teen, his expression remaining. "Which is why it's vital to defeat you."

Izuku was taken aback by this. "Hold on, why me, though?" He raised an eyebrow. "Does your dad have a problem with me?" His brows furrowed. "Or my family?" Not much was revealed in his research about how the Number Two Hero viewed his family, leaving it to speculation.

"Of all the obstacles he faced, All Might remains the only one he cannot surpass." Todoroki explained. "As for the reason why I'm targeting you, it's quite simple." His expression hardened. "You and All Might have a sort of connection, making it a symbolic victory when I surpass you."

The taller teen looked at him like he had gone crazy, while on the inside, he was a little tense. "That's ridiculous, All Might's our teacher." He chuckled a little. "Besides, we don't even know each other that well, and I doubt he'd spend time with a hero nerd when he has lives to save." He really hoped the bi-colored teen would buy his explanation and drop the topic. The last thing he and his mentor needed was to be spied on.

To his internal dismay, however, Todoroki wasn't letting it go. "But you can't deny the growing connection between the two of you." He quickly rebutted. "I doubt any student can say that they teamed up with All Might to defeat villains before they became a pro." He pointed it out with certainty.

"That's because, at the time, I had firsthand experience on how to deal with Nomu." The taller teen retorted with a serious look. "It was a tactical advantage. If any of you were in my position, All Might would have teamed up as well." His expression hardened. "And by that logic, any of our classmates would have become your target." He said in a factual yet stern tone.

Todoroki's eyes narrowed at the tone, but quickly took a deep breath before sighing. "We're getting off-topic." Clearly, the discussion would become heated if they continued in that direction.

While mentally sighing in relief, Izuku regained composure. "You're right, I'm sorry for getting a little upset." He bowed a little, which the bi-colored teen mimicked. "Back to the point, what are you trying to prove by beating me?" He opted to just get straight to the heart of the issue.

The bi-colored teen appeared to appreciate this and explained. "That I don't need my old man's power to win." He clenched his fists. "That I'm just as powerful without it." Izuku tilted his head, curious. "As I mentioned, my father wants to be Number One, no matter what."

The OFA user nodded. "All he ever wanted was to beat All Might." He began counting with his fingers. "Public slander, libel, more missions than normal, and the list goes on." He shook his head. "But he could never do it, every attempt just made him look worse in the public eye." His expression darkened. "With all these strings of failures, he moved on to his next project."

Izuku didn't like how cold and distant he seemed now. "Which is?" He carefully asked, almost dreading the answer.

Todoroki retained his cold stare and spoke. "Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Izuku's expression slowly shifted from shock, disbelief before settling into horror upon the implications. "H-He wouldn't!"

"He did." Todoroki replied with no emotion as he placed a hand over his heart. "My siblings and I are living proof of his desire."

Izuku was at a loss for words, he wasn't blind to how cruel the world can be. His firsthand experience and research into his family had done plenty to enlighten him. But despite this, it never got easy, just how painful life can be. And the fact that all that pain inflicted on his classmate came from his own flesh and blood was sickening to hear, especially for someone like Izuku who came from a loving household.

Seeing the OFA user digesting the information, Todoroki continued. "He plans for us to do what he could never accomplish." He pursed his lips. "But realistically, it falls onto me, my siblings aren't as combat trained as I am." His expression hardened. "But I refuse to become his legacy, I've forged my own path, without his power!" The taller teen's expression turned passive as he listened.

"In my memories…" Todoroki touched the scar on the left side of his face. "My mother is always crying, not a day goes by where I don't hear her grief behind closed doors." He then looked at him, his expression something akin to haunted. "Until one day…I caught her crying while talking to someone on her phone. And when she noticed I was there…" He lowered his hand. "She screamed how unsightly my left side was before throwing boiling water on me."

Izuku was aghast and leaned back in shock, but the bicolored teen quickly spoke. "She tried to heal me afterward, after realizing what she had done." The tall teen calmed down somewhat but was still disturbed. "But even then, I've never forgotten her true feelings being expressed through fear." He said in sorrow as Izuku composed himself. "Now you know why…I need to defeat you." He clenched his fists as he looked up at him in anger. "And why I'll never use my father's power." He spat with venom in his voice.

When Izuku didn't reply and simply stared at him with an unreadable expression, Todoroki concluded that his point was made and turned to the exit. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, I just wanted to let you know my reasoning." He explained before walking towards the exit.

"No."

Todoroki stopped and glanced at the tall teen, who was looking at him with a serious expression. "What?"

"I said no." Izuku repeated. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really pissed at your father and wouldn't mind taking him on." He shook his head. "But what you're doing to yourself…" He sighed. "Is wrong."

While surprised by the bold declaration, Todoroki didn't dwell on that as he faced the tall teen. "What do you mean?"

Izuku paused, finding the right words before speaking. "While I can't relate to your circumstances, I can at least understand why you made your pledge the way it is now." He frowned in concern. "But, purposefully holding your skills at bay instead of honing them isn't the way." He said with certainty.

At that, Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying? That I allow myself to use my old man's power and become the thing he wants me to be?" His tone grew in frustration as he spoke.

"No." Izuku quickly and firmly replied with a shake of his head. "I'm saying that you shouldn't put yourself in a constant disadvantage to make a point." He gestured inside the tunnel. "Everyone here reached this point to show the world what they're capable of." He pointed a thumb at himself. "For instance, I'm pretty strong, but I still plan on going all out for my growth and out of respect for their efforts." He lowered his hand with a stern look. "Can you do the same?"

"..." Todoroki stared at him before turning his back to him with clenched fists.

Seeing this, Izuku frowned. "If you really want to prove yourself, there are other ways to do it." The bi-colored teen turned his head a bit. "Handicapping your growth isn't one of them. You'll only hurt yourself and put everyone else in harm's way." He said with disapproval in his tone.

Again, Todoroki remained silent, but he did look down, pondering his words, a good sign for the OFA user. "I accepted your declaration of war, but if you still plan on holding back, it wouldn't be a true fight." He crossed his arms. "It would be a waste of an opportunity." He said with finality.

The bi-colored teen remained still, his posture tense, until he eventually began moving away without a word. Leaving Izuku to sigh at his retreating form as he digested what he had just learned.

After a few more moments, he made sure everything was clear before looking behind him. "You can come out now." From separate corners in the tunnel, Bakugou and Toga emerged, the latter sniffling as she wiped her eyes while the explosive blond looked outraged. "Heard everything?"

The duo lightly nodded. "H-How c-could he do that?" Toga sniffled as she wiped her tears, prompting Izuku to pull her in for an embrace. "To his own family…" She whimpered against his chest.

"That piece of shit doesn't deserve to be a hero." Bakugou gruffly exclaimed before turning to Izuku with a hard frown. "We need to tell someone."

Izuku focused on comforting his friend for a moment before speaking. "As much as I want to, I doubt it'll go anywhere." He looked at his friend. "Even if we get people to look in his direction, Endeavor most likely has safeguards prepared for anyone snooping around." He frowned. "And without any hard proof, there won't be a solid case."

Bakugou was understandably angered by this and was about to reply. "Yes, the family can speak out, but I doubt the mother and the siblings are brave enough for that. And even if they can convince the masses, in the end, only evidence will decide the trial." The blond looked down, realizing his point. "The situation is too delicate at the moment; all we can do is wait for the truth to eventually come out and keep an eye out for our friend."

The blond gave him an odd look. "With the way he's been acting, I doubt he even considers us as 'friends'." He said with evident skepticism.

At that, Izuku let out a wry chuckle. "Fair, but considering the circumstances…it makes sense." The blond couldn't help but agree with him. "We just need to be ready to vouch for him when the time comes." His friend nodded to him while Toga whimpered out an agreement.

The tall teen looked at her and rubbed her back in comfort. "Come on, there's no use standing around here, let's have lunch." His friends agreed and followed him to the cafeteria, though he made sure to hold Toga's hand in comfort as they moved. Something the latter mentally thanked him for, while Bakugou chose not to comment on it.

While his friends chatted about the possible upcoming matches to lighten the mood, Izuku reflected on his conversation with Todoroki. "You're not alone in this…" A memory of the bi-colored teen's hopeless expression flashed through his mind, making him clench his fists. "I'll do whatever it takes to save you." He swore with a determined expression.

Author's Notes:

1. As I made this, the author of BNHA released an additional panel. And while it's nice, it feels like…meh. I mean, the damage had already been done, and it could be just me, but the new panels felt like damage control for the messy ending that he'd created.

Ah well, I could be wrong. And while a bunch of material had been wasted, it's a nice sentiment at least. Again, at least there are Fanfic writers out there who can do the job better, in my blunt opinion.

2. Sorry if the chapter was abnormally long, I just had a lot of scenes I wanted to add. XD

3. Feel free to point out any errors spotted. I'll correct it as soon as possible. And please give honest reviews, critiques are noted.

4. Oh, and a VERY late Happy New Year, Everybody! May you and your families continue to be blessed and happy!

THANK YOU FOR READING, PLUS ULTRA!