Chapter 466 - 27-31

Chapter 27: Omerta

"Now that our taste buds have been whetted by that incredible first fight, let's jump straight into the next!" Present Mic announced before the crowd exploded with cheers. Mineta had to take a few extra breaths to stop his nerves from giving out on him. He wasn't sure why he was having second thoughts now, especially when he'd already been out there before. Maybe it is due to the fact that at least half of the audience would be on him at all times.

And be ready to laugh the moment Mineta makes an ass out of himself. But while that hasn't happened in a long while, the shorter boy knew it was only a matter of time. Today could be the day where he reveals the more pathetic aspects of his being.

"If I hadn't already done that with the girls earlier…" Mineta thought, doing his best to silence the churning of his stomach. Still, this was an opportunity to show the world at large what small and feeble Mineta Minoru can do. He may have been called a pest. He may have been compared to an ant. But everyone knows that they still thrive despite all attempts to exile them from existence.

Yes, like the rats and roaches he's constantly associated with, Mineta will succeed!

"And I've completely given up on being more than a pest." He said as his head began to hang. Man, being successful and a good person is hard. Makes one wonder how Midoriya has a handle on his life in spite of everything.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that. Because right now, Mineta had to take to the stage. Ready or not, his destiny awaited him. He walked forward, chest puffed out and eyes staring straight ahead. The shorter boy left the safety of the stadium's interior and came out into the light.

"Introducing our first combatant! His small body betrays a vast, cunning intellect! He's the mastermind behind Team Tsuyu's hack tactic! He is Mineta Minoru of the Hero Course!" Present Mic introduced, audience letting out a cheer. Not that Mineta was focused on that. Instead, he was facing the commentator's box with arms raised at the Voice Hero. Hack tactic!? Aizawa, whom the shorter boy made eye contact with, simply shook his head as words were transferred through the aether.

Focus on the match, your opponent is deceptively strong.

"And for our second combatant. While he hasn't done anything note worthy in the previous events, he still made it this far! So please welcome Shinso Hitoshi from General Studies!" Present Mic continued, the crowds giving a much lighter applause. This caused Mineta to stop as he faced his opponent, his gut starting to flop around again.

Shinso Hitoshi… There wasn't anything too remarkable about him. Wild hair? Seen that several times before. Purple hair? It was just a few shades lighter than Mineta's. Bags from the possible lack of sleep? Aizawa's are way more impressive. And no matter how much Mineta noted down his features, he could feel Shinso to slipping away from his perception

However, the one thing that the shorter boy could not ignore was the dark glint in his eyes. There was a simmering scorn dwelling behind those dark purple irises. It made Mineta remember those questions he had about Shinso. Why does he hold such contempt for the Hero Classes? What is he trying to accomplish by waging war on them? And was it as simple as prestige difference? Or was it something greater than he could guess?

Whatever it was, this battle will yield answers. Both about Shinso and Mineta himself.

"Now, do either of you boys need a refresher on the tournament rules?" Midnight asked, looking between the two fighters. Mineta shook his head, it was simple enough even with additional rules. Shinso also shook his head, though his eyes were still trained on the shorter boy before him.

"Then let this fight… Begin!" Midnight shouted, snapping her whip. The crowd roared around Mineta. But somehow, it was all quiet as his ears focused on Shinso. He was talking. As bad as listening to him was… There was no avoiding it.

"Do you know what separates ordinary people from the greats? It's their ability to pursue their vision without quarter. If they believe so strongly about their goals, they wouldn't worry about the means to get there. Unlike that dumbass monkey you call a classmate… Seriously, only the mentally challenged would throw this chance away." He said, his shadow somehow darkening with each syllable that left his tongue. Mineta could feel words starting to burst forth from his lungs. The shorter boy had to control it; otherwise he'd lose and be unable to show Shinso what for. So with that, his brain fired out a memory that would put his body into motion.

That way, he'd be too busy to talk.

Left hand curve, box 1. Mineta plucked a ball off his head, adjusted his grip and entered his pitching stance. He went through the motions before finally releasing the hairball at the right moment. The ball traveled relatively straight, went over Shinso's left shoulder, and quickly sunk to the ground. Now, it'll remain there until it gets cleaned out.

And while it was a clear miss, Mineta could feel his urge to talk back die down. There was nothing that could kill his desire to speak faster than remembering Aizawa's training. It was a time where stupid questions were rewarded with stupid answers after all.

Shinso looked back at the ball that went past him, before turning back to Mineta. His expression was completely unfazed. His mouth opened and the scathing words came pouring out again.

"And that's not even going into you and your friends. That last fight? There was nothing exciting about it. It was just ugly. Are Heroes in Training really supposed to make fights look like bloodbaths? Or are we training petty thugs now?"

Left hand two-seam, box 9. The shorter boy plucked another ball off his head, the grip automatically coming to him. He pitched and it began to sail towards Shinso's abdomen. The ball, however, dipped down and broke to the right, missing Shinso entirely. The General Studies student raised an eyebrow before returning back to his dark expression.

"And why were the girls in your class wearing those cheerleader costumes? Because I feel they weren't part of the team to begin with. Were they so stupidly naïve that some pervert tricked them? Or are they all just degenerates?"

RIGHT HAND CUTTER, BOX 3. Mineta slugged out another hairball, this one traveling much faster as it went straight for Shinso's face. His opponent's eyes widened, seeing the object threatening to collide with him. However, the ball broke right several centimeters from his face and went just past his right ear. It was such an impressive pitch that the audience roared with cheers. Mineta didn't hear this though; he was too busy drowning in his own thoughts.

"I swear to God, if fucker says one more thing about anyone that isn't Bakugou, I'm going to lay the smack down on him!"

"For a Hero in Training… Your aim just plain sucks. Whoever taught you is a hack that needs to be fired." Shinso said, recovering from the last attack. The shorter boy's mind cooled to the sound of that insult. In fact, he was internally doing summersaults as every last teaspoon of grey matter cheered. The reason is… There were no words that could hurt Mineta directly. Not when he could come up with far more hurtful words for himself.

And the last part to Shinso's statement? Aizawa would thank whoever got him fired as he could finally get more sleep.

Abandoning his grips, Mineta grabbed as many balls that could fit between his fingers and scattered them in front of his opponent. Shinso, who didn't notice the change in behavior, continued down this line of insults. Perhaps he thought that the shorter boy was getting so frustrated that he can't even pitch anymore. That it was only a matter of time before he cracked… Oh how wrong his opponent was.

"What's wrong? Not going to say anything to refute my claims? I'm smearing your class with mud and you're just going to accept it? Do you hate them so much that you won't even bother to protect them? What a pathetic Hero you'll grow up to be, too spiteful to even look after your own. Perhaps it's because they're better than you?"

Mineta scattered more balls, this time it was on the ground to Shinso's left and right. Now all he needs to do is to get a few more balls behind him. And that meant more pitches. The General Studies student continued to glare at him, but there was a spark of sadness dwelling within. He continued to speak, but there seemed to be a more desperate tone to it.

"I mean, this Quirk of yours is pretty shit. I wouldn't be surprised if they all picked on you for it. Doesn't it suck? To be born with such little power that everyone overshadows you? That they start deciding what your life means for you?"

Mineta pitched his balls around Shinso, allowing them to stick to the area behind him. But the words he spoke rung deep within the shorter boy's soul. Not only did it resonate with his feelings about himself, but also the struggles that Midoriya faced. Did… Did Shinso feel the same way? Mineta kept his ears and heart opened for whatever was said next. He wante– no, he NEEDED to know.

"I bet they all think you'll be nothing more than a creep… That you'll use your Quirk to achieve some Villainous agenda… Aren't you tired of hearing that? All the prejudice leveled against you? All for something you had no control over?"

The more this continued, the less his words felt insulting. Rather, it began to resonate with Mineta as he started to see Shinso's true self. Through the spiteful glare was a small light. If it were to be compared to a flame, it was a single birthday candle. And that was all Shinso had to fend off whatever darkness was eating away at him. It reminded Mineta of how Midoriya was before their chance meeting with All Might.

And the way he talked about Quirks… It was like Mineta was looking at a mirror.

"It's like he took on our problems… And is looking for a way out like us…" He thought before pitching more balls behind his foe. In truth, he was losing his will to fight Shinso. How could he defeat him when Mineta knows of about the suffering he faces? In fact, winning might worsen the problem. It might forever damn Shinso to be stuck in mediocrity for the rest of his life, a fate that Mineta fears just as much.

Could he subject someone to that willingly?

"Do you ever wonder why we're all born unequal? I could never figure out the answer… Back before Quirks, who we're born as had very little effect on our future. When we had a dream, we could freely shape ourselves to suit it. Want to be a Doctor? Dedicate your time to science and medicine. How about a great musician? Just pick up an instrument and play until your hands bleed. But now, our lives have been decided for us."

No… That's not right… Mineta wanted to tell him that. Tell him that we can still decide our own destinies. Tell him that even if you don't believe in yourself, someone else will. But his mouth wouldn't move as his arms kept scattering more hairballs. Was it too late? Did he temper his own mindset too much?

"But I suppose you don't have to worry about all this… I mean, you've already passed those golden gates… You yourself had more luck and skill than I will ever possess…"

"It's because I had Midoriya, Aizawa, and everyone that I got this far! I'm nothing without them!" That's what Mineta wanted to say. But again, his jaw remained rusted shut.

"My throat's sore from all this slander and preaching… So I guess this is where I'll call it a day. Still, it was nice to stand here and feel important… Like the Heroes I wanted to be." Shinso said, teetering on the edge of breaking down.

This isn't the end! Don't give up! Those words echoed in the shorter boy's mind but only in his mind.

"Coordinator, I wish to surrender." Shinso said, turning to Midnight. The crowd all gasped and began talking to themselves over this strange action. Not that Mineta could hear all this noise, not when his heart was screaming. But alas, the disconnect between his body and soul still stood. It was like he was possessed by Shinso's Quirk… Except this was all Mineta's doing. All his fault.

"Are sure? Because once you say yes, you'll lose without doing anything." Midnight asked.

"Not true, I've done all I can. But yes, I give up." Shinso said, each word deeply piercing Mineta. No…

"Then I hear by declare Mineta Minoru the winner of this battle!"

The crowd was still in locked discussion but Mineta could hear 1A cheering. But those voices just drove the daggers deeper into his heart. He didn't earn this win, not when he willing sacrificed someone else to do so. Someone who had a dream as grand as his own. So as Aizawa and Present Mic did post battle commentary, Mineta ran forward.

Towards the person who was walking towards the darkness of the stadiums interior.

With all the weight of his emotions dwelling in his hand and resolve burning in his eyes, he reached out and grabbed Shinso's arm. The General Studies student stopped and slowly turned to face him. He looked tired and definitely didn't want to deal with whatever this was. But Mineta knew if he let go, Shinso's dream would forever disappear.

"What do you want? You won, so go celebrate and rest up for your next fight." Shinso asked with words heavy with both disinterest and frustration.

"I need to talk to you." Mineta answered. He was afraid that the guy would brainwash him to leave him alone. But he didn't feel that out of body sensation as Shinso narrowed his eyes at him.

"And now you talk… To be frank, I don't feel like speaking anymore. So unless it can change the outcome of the fight, don't bother."

Mineta's grip remained firm, his heart still pumping all his emotions into it. This made Shinso's expression soften somewhat. With all the zeal and courage in his small body, the shorter boy spoke in a resolute tone.

"There's still a chance for you to be a Hero."

Chapter 28: The Words in His Heart

*Clunk*

Shinso reached through the vending machine's deposit slot and extracted a can of lemon and honey tea. He then proceeded to pop the tab and took one long drink of it. Mineta awkwardly fiddled with his can of grape soda, something to take the edge off the tension that was simmering. Currently, the two boys were standing in one of the many public rest areas that dot the stadium interior. Here, the audience can use the bathrooms or get a quick drink before the next match.

And as the battle between Sero and Todoroki should be starting soon, the place was currently deserted. The perfect place for a conversation.

"Alright, that's much better. Now, what's this about a chance?" Shinso asked before sitting down on one of the benches.

"Before that, I want to answer all those things you said during our fight. There was so much I wanted to say, so please give me this chance to get it off my chest." Mineta said, leaning back into his seat.

"Just so you know, I don't actually believe in any of the things I say. It's just something that lets me get under people's skin so that my Quirk could work. Pretty shitty thing to do, but what other options do I have? It's the only reliable way to get a response."

"I wouldn't say shitty, there are worse ways to use a Quirk. But that's not the point I want to talk about… During our fight, when you were preaching about how one's Quirk decides their place in the world. You were talking about yourself, weren't you?" Mineta asked. Here goes nothing.

Shinso didn't say anything, nor did the expression on his face change. However, the grip on his drink tightened as the sound of aluminum straining took to the air. Mineta hit the nail right on its head. But this was no victory, just the prelude. For the fear of this conversation closing off is now in the air. If the shorter boy fails to read the atmosphere for even a moment, he knew that his words won't reach Shinso's heart.

And while Mineta had experience with motivating Midoriya… He doesn't know if those same techniques would work on a different person. It doesn't matter if they have similar problems, they may react differently.

Still, Mineta had to try.

"Why do you care? My problems are nothing compared to the stuff you deal with in the Hero course." Shinso answered quickly. A bit too quick for the shorter boy's liking, but at least he didn't just completely cut the line. And that's not even going into the actual content of that statement. But it did give an angle of attack that Mineta can follow.

"But problems are still problems. And what kind of Hero would I be if I ignored someone in need?"

"… Point taken. Still, I don't think you really get what it's like. To be born with a bad Quirk and be treated a certain way because of it. You're all the golden eggs that'll be our future Heroes after all." Shinso replied, taking another drink of his tea. Mineta took a deep breath as he began to conjure memories from before UA.

Of the times they mocked his Quirk.

Of the times they treated him like a pest.

Of the times Midoriya got bullied for his Quirklessness.

Of the times where Midoriya almost lost his dreams.

It all came back and filled the shorter boy with a fierce determination. He was not going to let someone else suffer that Hell any longer. He needed to tear down whatever tinted lens Shinso was looking through and give him a another perspective. And only then can Mineta share the knowledge that can revive his dream.

"We might have been chosen… But we're not as spotless as you think, both physically and mentally. Every last one of us is carrying a weight in our hearts. And mine can tell you, with absolute certainty, that I've walked every mile in your shoes and seen a friend go twice as far." Mineta said, each word bearing the sorrow of the past. Shinso looked over, one brow raised high. Though there was a glint of skepticism within his stare, his ears have opened up more. He wanted to know.

Were there really kindred spirits even amidst the coveted Hero Classes?

"Twice? How's that even possible? Was friend's Quirk that awful?"

"Worse… He was born without one." Mineta said as his grip on his can tightened. It didn't feel right, talking about Midoriya's past without asking for his permission first. It was, after all, his second greatest secret after One for All. However, if Mineta remained vague enough about it, his partner's identity will stay safe.

Shinso's normally half closed eyes snapped open, his pupils shrinking slightly. He began making several gestures to help articulate the words on his tongue, even though they never came out. He went through showing all kinds of emotions as Mineta waited for a response. But there was one thing that was consistent about Shinso right now. And that was his attitude towards his own issues.

"To dream of becoming a Hero only to discover you're Quirkless… I can't imagine the pain he went through. It really makes all my moaning and complaining look petty. So what happened to him? If you don't mind me asking."

Oh boy, this was getting a little close to the line. However, with no way to go back, Mineta silenced that cowardly voice in his head and spoke the lie from his heart. Well, half-truth. Whatever the term was, the shorter boy had taken the air of an empathetic sales clerk.

"He managed to get into a Hero school, but only after months of non-stop training. Even then, the problems he faced didn't end. You see, he did something that made him well liked by his class and became popular with them. However, to live up to those standards, he's constantly hurting himself and lives in constant fear of having his condition discovered. He even had to lie about having an analysis Quirk to avoid suspicion." Mineta answered, words smoothly flowing from his mouth.

Shinso carefully listened, his expression changing as the words came out. There were two that remained consistent, a healthy level of awe and the realization of extreme adversity. He must have realized that, even if one squeezes through those 'golden gates', the hope of becoming a Hero is still very far away. And it wasn't just that, there was also the revelation that one's problems don't disappear. In fact, some will say that it can get worse.

"Damn… I knew it was hard, but that's something else. He must have quite the luck to have even made it that far." He asked.

"No, luck had nothing to do with it. He just had some really good people by his side. He had a teacher who believed in him, a mom who did everything to support him, and a friend who never gave up on him. These were the things that kept him going. All so that he can become the Hero they know he could be. And it's the same story with me, I'd be nothing without the people in my life." Mineta answered.

Shinso raised an eyebrow. He was curious, but anything beyond that was a mystery to the shorter boy. Oh no, did he push this angle too hard? Did he see through it?

"But isn't meeting the right people a luck thing? Don't get me wrong, you have a point. It's just that your message is weakened for that reason, you won't know someone until you take a chance on them." He asked. Okay, that's what it was. A little difficult to argue against, but not an impossible task.

Unlike the one Mineta made for himself when he screwed over Bakugou.

"Sure, but it's still our decision to let them in. I decided to make friends with a Quirkless guy even if it meant I'd get ridiculed too. I decided to learn from my master even without knowing any of his skills. And BOTH of us decided to have this conversation, right after our match."

Shinso opened his mouth, an argument dwelling within his throat. But as the seconds passed in relative silence, Mineta could see that he was reconsidering it. The General student placed a hand on his chin, the cogs of his mind turning. A new argument was starting to form, only to be scrapped. Mineta could tell that much, since he himself was like that whenever Midoriya brought up a good point.

The seconds became minutes as Shinso continued to think. The air went from the usual semi-loud murmurs all stadium interiors to a strange and eerie quiet. Something must have happened with the Todoroki and Sero fight that stunned them silent, just like the Midoriya and Kirishima match. Still, that was just a momentary distraction as Shinso's voice finally came through.

"Then who do I decide to meet with and become a Hero in Training?"

There was both a steady resolve and a turbulent fear dwelling within that question. For him, this may be the only chance for him to still realize his dream. And while one part of Mineta was over the moon, considering he held someone's future in the palm of his hand… The other, more rational part, was also feeling that turbulence.

"Would he accept a student like Shinso? He was willing to teach if the student was willing to learn… And this guy wasn't utterly hopeless with his abilities… Still, that's too many chances to gamble on. Here I was talking about how we can still make our choices…" Mineta thought. He had to say it though and take that leap of faith.

"There's a teacher here named Aizawa Shouta, he's not your average Hero. He has scraggly black hair and wears this massive scarf around his neck. Right now, he's in the commentator's box with Present Mic giving battle commentary. If you met with him, he can help you."

"He's the one covered in bandages right? But how do you know he'll even accept me?" Shinso asked. Mineta, with every ounce of confidence he had, leaned in and gave an expression halfway between pride and weariness.

"Let's just say he and I are on familiar terms…" Mineta said, the pain of those torturous months coming back.

"Ah, so he's the one who trained you. Hmmm… Kind of worried though, he didn't seem to do that good of a job." Shinso said, frown forming on his face.

"Hey! I'll have you know–!"

Mineta's mouth stopped as his whole body went stiff. He could still feel the world around him; he just had no power to interact with it. From the corner of his eye, he could see a pretentious smirk spread across Shinso's lips. Oh that bastard, he just wanted to use his Quirk on him.

"Like I said, I don't believe the things I say. If only you were this easy during our fight, then I'd move on to the next round. But then I suppose we wouldn't have had this conversation. I just guess life's funny like that." Shinso said as he got up from his seat. He proceeded to throw away his empty can of tea and began walking off. And before Mineta could even think that he was going to be stuck there for a while, his body began moving again.

The shorter boy looked to the General student and found him giving a wave of farewell. Shinso then walked around a corner and vanished from sight. Mineta watched that corner for a while, but not really knowing why. Perhaps some part of him was afraid that would be the last he sees of Shinso Hitoshi? Could be, after all, he faced problems that Mineta and Midoriya had faced and are still dealing with.

"God speed Shinso... There's a Hero in you."

Mineta began getting up from his seat. He stretched to get that strange lingering feeling of Shinso's Quirk out of his body before tossing out his drink can. It's about time he got back to 1A and see what's going on with the matches.

However, before he actually began walking, the shorter boy saw Midoriya and Uraraka walking his way. Did both of them need a drink or a bathroom break?

"Ah! Mineta-kun, there you are! I was wondering where you went after your match." Midoriya asked as he hastily approached his partner.

"Oh sorry, I was a bit busy." Mineta replied, his eyes immediately going for the corner Shinso disappeared around.

"But missed you something crazy! Todoroki-kun froze over half the stadium!" Uraraka said, stretching out her arms to try and describe whatever happened. Mineta's gaze snapped back to his two friends, brain trying to process the words the girl spoke. And ultimately… He couldn't.

"Wait, what!?"

Chapter 29: The Preliminary Matches Pt 1

After Mineta returned to the 1A seating area, he got filled in on the Todoroki and Sero fight. Apparently, before the former could get thrown out by the latter, Todoroki conjured what was effectively a glacier. And when Sero got back, anyone could tell that he was frustrated to all Hell and back. Not that anyone was saying anything, which made Mineta confused.

"Don't… The crowd was chanting 'good try' after what happened. And now Sero-kun's a little sensitive to encouragement right now." Midoriya whispered. The shorter boy looked to his partner and nodded. He proceeded to carefully step around Sero, without making that fact obvious to avoid damaging his ego more, and sat back down next to Tsuyu.

It then hit him, Iida was not there.

"Oh right, his match is next. Hatsumei Mei from the Support Department was it? She's pretty and has a good figure… But there's something off about her…" Mineta thought with a hum.

"Mineta-chan, good job on your fight. It must've been hard to stay quiet against him." Tsuyu said. The suddenness of her voice caused the shorter boy to jump, eyes snapping to her. Soon, he found several others looking to him as well.

"Yeah man! Based on what Ojiro said, that Shinso guy will try and get under your skin just to get you to talk back. I'm surprised you didn't let out a single word!" Kaminari said, jumping into the seat next to Mineta.

"Honestly, I was sure he'd get you. I'm guessing his taunts didn't have enough bite in the match proper." Ojiro commented. Mineta's mind went back to those taunts that the General student hit him with. And though Shinso admitted that it was just baseless slander, it still made the shorter boy feel pangs of anger. Mineta slowly turned to his tailed classmate and stared straight into his eyes. Without a word, anyone could tell that there was a heavy turbulence around the subject.

"That bad?" Midoriya asked, looking over with a frown on his face.

"That bad…"

Before the subject was explored any further, Present Mic's voice ripped through the air again. "I hope everyone's warmed up, because our next match is here and now!"

The crowd roared to life as the next two fighters took the stage. On one side, it was the pink haired tinkerer Hatsumei Mei and her cavalcade of support items. She faced the audience with a blinding enthusiasm that was borderline unnatural. And on the other side was the esteemed Class President of 1A. There he stood tall, his glasses shining brightly alongside his cavalcade of… Wait a minute…

Mineta rubbed his eyes and looked at Iida again; to make sure what he saw wasn't an illusion. Turns out, he wasn't hallucinating. On Iida's body were a few devices of unknown functions and origin. And as the crowd began to murmur to themselves over this, Midnight decided to vocalize the question in everyone's head.

"Iida Tenya, may I ask where you procured these items?"

"Of course, allow me to explain. Hatsumei-kun loaned me this equipment to, in her words, 'provide extra footing so that I can fight her as an equal'. Touched by her sense of sportsmanship, I couldn't refuse and so here I am in these strange devices. I apologize if this seemed confusing and out of the blue." Iida explained before taking a deep bow. And this wasn't just aimed at the R18 Heroine, but to the entire audience. Midnight hummed to that before turning to his opponent, who was waiting with an energetic patience.

"Is this true?"

"Absolutely! I mean, my babies provide me all sorts of advantages that could borderline unfair. So, to stop this from being utterly one sided, I gave him items suited to his Quirk. Don't tell me we're not allowed to do that, because I'm sure we are." Hatsumei answered.

"What do you think Eraser, Mic?" Midnight as she turned to the commentator's box.

"Both of them already have it, so why not? Can't delay the main event just for an unequip." Present Mic said.

"And both of them agreed to do the match like this, like Midoriya and Kirishima with their fight." Aizawa added.

"Then let's get on with the show! Iida Tenya versus Hatsumei Mei, begin!" Midnight shouted with the crack of her whip. Iida darted forward, using his Engine Quirk to quickly close the distance. Mineta knew that, once he gets right up to you, there was no escaping this methodical sprinter. And with a clean, flat space, it was only a matter of time before the Support girl would lose.

Or so the shorter boy thought.

"Woah Iida, what incredible speed you have!" Hatsumei said, her voice somehow projecting itself around the stadium. Excuse me?

"Don't your legs feel lighter than normal? That's thanks to those custom leg supports! They can keep up with any movement at any speed! It can let a sprinter like you spend less time running and more time catching poor villains like me!" Mei continued, almost like she was presenting… Something…

Oh Hell…

"I knew it! She's using him as a sales monkey!" Midoriya cried as he clutched at his hair. And as Mineta watched Hatsumei demonstrate some device called Hydraulic Attachment Bars, the shorter boy could safely confirm it. This was less of a fight and more of a sales pitch.

"This… This is going to be a disaster, isn't it?" Mineta asked.

"Definitely. Poor Iida-chan, he was too honest for his own good." Tsuyu answered.

So the audience watched as Hatsumei dodged circles around Iida. The latter was doing everything he could to catch the Support girl, but kept falling short as the girl made another demonstration. Mineta had a suspicion that, because she probably made Iida's items, Hatsumei knew how all those items worked. Ergo, was able to utilize that knowledge in her favor.

Whatever the case, Hatsumei surrendered the moment she exhausted all possible demonstrations. The girl simply walked off the ring as Midnight declared her the loser. But in all honesty, did she really lose? I mean, looking at Iida scream in irritation while she had this satisfied smile on her face… One could tell that, personally, it was the reverse.

"Well that was something. Anyhow, it's my turn to dance with Tsuyu-chan. Any bets to how it will go?" Kaminari asked as he stood up. Mineta avoided saying anything because he really couldn't choose between the two. Kaminari was his fellow man of culture while Tsuyu was the first girl who personally supported him.

But if the shorter boy were to objectively compare the two…

"Sorry Kaminari, but I feel Tsuyu's got you beat." Mineta answered, clapping his hands together as his head lowered a bit. He didn't have to look at the electric blonde to hear his jaw drop. As for Tsuyu, she simply let out a croak of humble gratitude.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Mineta-chan. I'll do my best."

"You traitor… What happened to bros before hoes?" Kaminari asked, head now hanging in defeat. That was a bit much. In fact, it was so much; Jirou had positioned her jacks to strike down their classmate if he utters another crass comment. Mineta was about to say something, but his partner interrupted. And seeing that it was Midoriya, the situation was pretty much diffused.

"Now let's not get so hasty with our predictions. Anything could happen once you two hit the field. I mean, did anyone expect my fight with Kirishima-kun to go the way it did?"

"Yeah dude! Don't worry about whose on your side or not! As long as you believe you can win, you've got a chance!" Kirishima said.

"Thanks guys… Okay, shall we?" Kaminari asked, making the 'after you' gesture to Tsuyu.

"Let's go, Kaminari-chan."

The two proceeded to leave and the wait for them to reappear on stage began. The wait would've been boring if it hadn't been for the conversations. Like with Kirishima and Midoriya, everyone was taking their sides and giving their reasons. But no matter what it was, it seemed that Kaminari was edging out over Tsuyu for one simple fact.

"Once Kaminari discharges, it's pretty much game over. And I don't think Tsuyu's got anything for electrical attacks. Man… I wanted her to win after that 'bros before hoes' comment… And for the nonsense you idiots put us through." Kyouka said as she glared at Mineta. The shorter boy turned away sweating.

It's probably best not to face her direction for a while…

"Who knows, she might have some secret frog biology that'll let her win." Sero chimed in, killing the rising tensions. As the arguments continued to circulate, Mineta looked to Midoriya for his thoughts. And as he came to expect from his partner, the green haired boy was muttering into his Hero notebook. Then there was Uraraka, who was watching him in abject horror.

Yeah, this was about right.

"Kaminari-kun's Electrification has a lot of raw power, as expected from an elemental type Quirk. But it has poor range, which could be attributed to the fact that air is a very poor conductor. To overcome that resistance, he has to discharge a lot of his energy reserves, effectively becoming an electrical bomb. This is a double edged sword as he can incapacitate himself if he uses it recklessly. But without–" Midoriya mumbled as his voice grew louder with each syllable. That was until someone broke him out and shattered everyone's ear drums with a well delivered shout.

"SHUT UP DEKU!"

Mineta looked over and saw Bakugou tapping his foot, his brows deeply furrowed. Okay, let's not piss him off any further. Turning to Midoriya, who was covering his mouth, the shorter boy could still see something dwelling within his mind. And luckily, he wasn't the only person to figure that out.

"Did you figure something out, Deku-kun?" Uraraka asked, leaning in to read his entry on Kaminari.

"Don't know… But I have this funny feeling that Tsuyu-chan will win this fight. Despite what I know about their Quirks, there's something that's stopping me from siding with Kaminari-kun." Midoriya answered as a blush formed on his face. Before Mineta could internally congratulate his partner on containing his nervousness, a new voice entered the conversation.

"Then let's watch this battle and figure what that factor could be."

The three turned to the source and found that Iida has returned. Although it looked like he had seen better days, as if there was some kind of weight on his shoulders. He then proceeded to robotically walk over to the empty seat to Mineta's right and sat down. He didn't say anything until Kirishima tried to strike a conversation.

"Class Pres, welcome back! Sorry about how your fight turned out."

"Why are you apologizing Kirishima-kun? You had no bearing on that mess. But please, do not remind me of that farce. The less I remember of that pink haired devil, the less my very being wants to scream." Iida said, shaking his head. Yesh, that Hatsumei girl really did a number on him. Mineta guesses he won't be hanging around any Support Department students any time soon.

Still Iida was right. Whatever factor was clogging Midoriya's thought process; it would reveal itself in this fight. And not too soon after, Tsuyu and Kaminari walked upon the stage. Whatever bombastic introduction Present Mic was giving them, Mineta wasn't paying attention to it. Instead, he was focusing on his amphibious classmate.

Tsuyu, unlike Kaminari, wasn't standing at all. Rather, she was looking very much like her Quirk's namesake. She was crouched down with legs fully bent, her arms supporting her front. She was also staring, unflinchingly, at her opponent like he was some form of prey. And Mineta could tell, Kaminari was a bit unsettled by the piercing glare of Tsuyu's blank eyes.

"Nice, a bit of psychological warfare to give her an edge." Mineta thought.

"Contestants, are you ready!?" Midnight asked.

"Ready." Tsuyu said, still intently staring at Kaminari.

"Ready!" Kaminari said, doing his best to not look fazed by his opponent.

"Then begin!" The Heroine yelled, cracking her whip.

Not even a millisecond after the signal, Tsuyu's tongue shot out her mouth at an incredible speed. However, instead of striking Kaminari directly, she wrapped it around his body. The frog girl then jumped straight up, tongue stretching as she went. And she just kept going, breaking whatever notion of height Mineta had about her.

"I know she's a frog with nice legs… But this is more than I'm familiar with…" Mineta thought, still watching Tsuyu go up. His eyes turned to Kaminari to check what he's up to. And imagine his horror when he saw the electric blonde emitting sparks. Mineta began biting his nails as he realized Tsuyu had nowhere to go.

Kaminari began his discharge. It was much smaller than his 5 million volt burst, but it was enough to leave a visible electrical silhouette on him. Tsuyu should definitely be feeling that… Except she wasn't. Looking up, where the girl was starting to slow down, she was showing no visible signs of electrocution. In fact, she maintained the same look on her face. Uh, what?

"The Hell?" Bakugou asked, his posture straightening. Kaminari's electrical silhouette began growing more and more, brighter and brighter. Electricity began to branch out from the blonde, arcing all around him. All of it made it seem like the field was experiencing a localized lightning storm. And yet, in spite of the light show that was going on, nothing was happening to Tsuyu. There wasn't even a spark coming off of her.

The audience murmurs of confusion grew louder as Tsuyu reached the apex of her impressive leap. And the moment she began her descent, Kaminari's sparks stopped flying. The electric blonde's head lolled back slightly as his nose began leaking a bit of snot. What's worse were his eyes, which had this incoherent glazed look to them. A dopey smile began to spread across his lips, one word managing to escape it that stunned the stadium silent.

"Wwwwhhhheeeeeyyyy~!"

Silence was the only sound in the air as Tsuyu landed back onto Terra Firma. The amphibious girl began to shake out her legs before looking to Midnight. The Heroine raised her whip and aimed it towards the victor of the match.

"Asui Tsuyu has incapacitated Kaminari Denki! She'll be advancing to the next round!"

But despite that announcement, no one could really applause through their bafflement. Mineta watched as Tsuyu simply left the field, trying to figure out what happened. Why didn't she get electrocuted? She's an honest person, so cheating was out the window. Does this have something to do with Midoriya's unknown factor?

"If you have time to be surprised, then use it to go study some Physics. I recommend the chapter on electricity and how it behaves." Aizawa said, his tired voice echoing through the stadium.

"AH! That's it!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed as she got to her feet. All of 1A's eyes went to her as she began to take on the airs of a teacher. Mineta paid extra attention, being the most curious about Tsuyu's victory.

"Asui-san made use of advanced electrical knowledge. Before Kaminari-san could discharge, she used her tongue to tag him and jumped high into the air. The latter was to stop the effects of grounding. And the former was to maintain the same electrical potential as him. Once Kaminari-san has run out of charge, all the energy in Asui-san would safely dissipate as well." Yaoyorozu explained. Mineta could hear about half of the class understanding that, including himself. The others blankly stared at the girl before Uraraka slowly raised her hand.

"Can… Can we break that down?"

"Simply put, Asu– Tsuyu-chan understood how his Quirk behaved and used it against him." Midoriya replied as Yayorozu nodded with a sad sigh.

"That's just sad. Your Quirk is your own. No one should know it better than yourself." Bakugou commented. Though there was a great degree of smugness in his voice, Mineta could feel the cautiousness surrounding him. Mineta swallowed the newly formed lump in his throat, eyes still on the human grenade. Yeah, he was really dangerous right now…

"Oh right! It's our turn next Aoyama!" Mina shouted, getting back onto her feet. Her opponent, the ever sparking faux Frenchman, stood up dramatically and bowed to the pink girl.

"I am in your care Mademoiselle Ashido."

"Before we go, any bets?" Mina asked as she began walking. There were no takers and Mineta knew the whole process was going to start up again. They both go as the class debates over the winner, the match plays out, one of them wins, and repeat. Both Mina and Aoyama should know this, yet still ask for the lines to be drawn. Maybe they just wanted to know who's on whose side.

Not that it seemed to divide the class in any way though. In fact, Mineta believed it brought 1A closer together as they discussed the odds. Sure, Todoroki isolated himself and Bakugou was Bakugou, but everyone else was treating each other as equals.

As it should be.

Chapter 30: The Preliminary Matches Pt 2

The Mina and Aoyama fight was pretty intense. Mineta watched as the pink girl weaved through what was basically turret fire as Aoyama barely moved from where he stood. And looking at how Mina moved, it made Mineta think that the girl must have taken some form of dance. Guess that explains why her thighs are beautifully healthy.

Anyhow, the battle was decided when Mina managed to get a single globule of acid onto Aoyama's belt. With nothing to defend himself, the faux Frenchman froze up as Mina moved in. The girl then gave him the most exaggerated uppercut Mineta has seen, delivering it squarely to Aoyama's chin. And the guy couldn't get up after that.

"Yeah, I didn't think that guy stood a chance once you closed the distance." Mineta commented.

"Also, the crux to Aoyama's abilities is his belt. Damage it and he loses all of his combat ability." Midoriya said, scribbling a few notes into Aoyama's section of the Hero notebook.

"Did he ever mention why he needed that?" Uraraka asked as she leaned in to read her friend's notes.

"No. He said it was a secret." Tsuyu replied.

"Still, that was quite a show from both of them. Let's hope Yaoyorozu-kun and Tokoyami-kun performs just as well as those two. Have they gone to prepare?" Iida asked before looking around their seating area. And it took all of 2 seconds to see that neither of them was present. So with a nod, the class president's eyes went back to field. Cementoss was seen repairing any damages as conversations of the next match began picking up.

"So, anyone has any bets for this match? My money's on Yaomomo, her Quirk's very flexible." Jirou said, putting her thoughts out there.

"Whey~!" Kaminari blurted out as he nodded vigorously. The electric blonde was still very much in dope mode and had batteries wired into his mouth to treat it. Why the medical staff didn't wait until he fully recovered before discharging him was beyond Mineta. Still, it was pretty fun to watch him be silly.

"But Tokoyami's a two in one deal. Just because Dark Shadow does all the work, that doesn't mean he himself can't do anything. Does anyone know if Tokoyami has secret kung fu skills up his sleeve? He seems like the kind of person who learns that sort of thing." Tooru said. Somehow, Mineta could see her head tilting and the gears turning in her brain. How he could tell was beyond him, but it did bring up a good point. Can their feathered classmate fight without his Quirk?

"I don't know. But we're to find out right now." Shouji said as Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami walked onto the field. Present Mic gave his introductions, the tensions mounting as the two readied themselves. But while Tokoyami stood firmly upon the earth, eyes focused like a hawk. Yaoyorozu looked pressured, no doubt trying to figure out something to overcome Dark Shadow.

"Are our contestants ready?" Midnight asked as she raised her whip.

"That I am." Tokoyami answered, voice deep and stoic.

"R-Ready." Yaoyorozu replied, mind still processing.

"Then let's begin!"

The whip was brought down, its crack resonating through the stadium. The audience cheered as Tokoyami released his living shadow and it made a beeline towards Yaoyorozu. The intelligent girl created a shield and blocked the charge, getting pushed back slightly. Mineta blinked and continued to carefully observe how Yaoyorozu was reacting to the attacks.

And the notes weren't good.

"She can't concentrate… Things are happening too quickly for her to do anything but block." Mineta said.

"At this rate, Yaoyorozu-kun will be pushed out of bounds. Fight on! Show everyone why you're 1A's Class Vice President!" Iida cried out as his arms began doing semaphore.

"Yaomomo! You have to move forward!" Jirou shouted.

But alas, their cheers went to waste as Yaoyorozu was pushed past the boundaries. Her feet were dragged the whole way there. The cheers roared all around as Midnight declared Tokoyami the winner. The feathered boy drew back Dark Shadow before silently bowing to his opponent. A respectful and humble gesture despite the overwhelming victory he had achieved. To him, Yaoyorozu must have given everything to defend against him.

However, Mineta could see that it had done nothing for the girl. The girl's eyes were downcast and her shoulders were equally low…

"Oh boy… That's a pretty rough loss… Was Sero and Todoroki's match kind of like this?" Mineta asked before turning to Midoriya.

"HEY!"

Midoriya looked past his partner and wordlessly bowed with a sheepish smile, no doubt aimed at Sero. He then went back to Mineta and just simply nodded. The shorter boy nodded back, seeing that there was nothing else to say. Though that was when he saw Uraraka stand up, body trembling.

"W-Well, it's my turn now. Wish me luck…" She said before briskly walking off. Oh right, it's her fight with Bakugou next. Mineta looked over to where Bakugou sat, only to see that the human grenade has already gone ahead. Moving quickly, the shorter boy nudged his partner and gestured to his Hero notebook. Midoriya blankly stared at him. Mineta then mouthed Uraraka's name. His head twitched up, eyes widening in realization. He scrambled up from his seat and ran after the gravity defying girl.

"I'll be right back!" He shouted, leaving the area. The shorter boy smiled to himself as he stretched out his arms, wrists, and fingers. That'll speed things up nicely between them. But the high came down when Mineta noticed how the rest of 1A was giving him this odd look. And the unwarranted attention made sweat appear all over his body en masse.

"Can I help you?" He asked slowly.

"… Is Ochako going to be okay?" Jirou asked, voice having that uneasy quality. Oh, so that's what this is about? Mineta clenched his teeth together behind closed lips as he looked at some arbitrary spot in the sky. He needed to give them some kind of reassurance that Bakugou wasn't going to straight up maul the girl. But even with all confidence and trickery of a master magician, you can't convince anyone that a chainsaw is as soft as a cloud in the sky.

Especially when it's revved up.

"Uhhh... She'll live?" He finally let out, looking back to everyone. That proved to be the wrong answer.

"We've got to stop the match! He'll brutalize her! Ochako-chan will return as scarred war Hero!" Tooru shouted as she got up. Several others began to stand as well, no doubt going as a united front to Aizawa or another teacher over their concerns. Mineta began kicking himself for riling them up so badly. But he supposed he deserved it seeing that he failed 1A when they needed him most. And as those who weren't going tried to calm those who were, Midoriya appeared alongside Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Mina, and Aoyama.

"What manner of madness is this?" Tokoyami asked, sweat rolling down the side of his head.

"Yaoyorozu-kun! Good timing! Help me calm everyone down!" Iida shouted. The girl with the ponytail, while initially downcast, became increasingly concerned and confused over what her class president just said.

"Could you first explain what caused this please?"

"Oh right, Ochako's against Bakugou! She's not going to come out the same! Let's go!" Mina said. The chaos only got worse as they all began debating their best course of action. And as the noise kept going up, Mineta felt himself shrinking as the want to disappear increased. Spontaneously ceasing to exist doesn't sound so bad right now…

"Everyone! Please listen!"

1A stopped its rowdy behavior as all eyes went to the voice who shouted that. And when Mineta went to the source, he let out a sigh of relief. Midoriya Izuku had stepped up to bring order to this mess. So there the green haired boy stood, arms out like a priest ready to give his sermon. Everyone was waiting with bated breath for him to speak. But as the silence between them increased, so did the awkwardness.

It was so much that Midoriya began to tremble slightly as shaky words came out his warbled mouth.

"I didn't think that would actually work… But now that I have your attention… Uh… What's up?" He said, looking around for anyone who'll take a nibble.

"Will Ochako be okay against Bakugou? We asked Mineta, but he doesn't think things will be fine at all." Jirou asked, rewording her question from earlier. Mineta saw his partner look his way, which caused him to hide behind his seat. But looking back up, he could see that Midoriya didn't look at all disappointed or anything. He just gave a nod and turned back to the crowd.

"I think you misinterpreted what Mineta-kun said. What he meant was that Kacchan won't hurt Uraraka-san in any major way. I know his attitude is… Strong, but he is still trying to be a Hero like the rest of us."

"So he'll hold back against her?" Tsuyu asked, finger on her chin.

"I didn't say that. Out of everyone here, Kacchan is the LEAST likely to hold anything back." Midoriya answered. Before the panic could climb again, the green haired boy raised his Hero book high into the air. All eyes went for it, seeing that it was one of Midoriya's most coveted possessions, and quieted down for him.

"The reason I left is to offer her some advice directly from this book. Do you know what Uraraka-san said? She thanked me, but ultimately declined my offer. And this is despite her intense nervousness against Kacchan. Then why you ask? During each of your… No. During the whole of the Sports Festival, we were giving it our all to win. And she felt that. So if she were to accept my help now, she would be spitting on the resolve and courage we all showed today. So in respect for us, Uraraka-san will rise to the challenge, face Kacchan head on, and show everyone that she's a Hero too." Midoriya said, his soft tone betraying the roar in his words.

The entirety of the class stared at him before they all heard the sound of clapping. Looking over, it was Kirishima doing the action while a steady stream of tears rolled down his face.

"No wonder I lost to you… That was just the boldest and manliest speech I've ever heard…"

"Yeah. It was so awesome, I didn't even need context for that." Kaminari said as he put one arm around his red haired classmate. Oh hey, he's back from being defunct. Anyhow, as Midoriya processed the words, the confident/timid switch that Mineta became familiar with was flicked. As a result the green haired boy returned back to his nervous self as he tried to play down his actions.

"B-But those were Uraraka-san's words, not mine. I'm just the messenger, so I really didn't think of any of that…"

"It's still admirable that you've managed to preserve both her words and what she meant. Most other times, something gets lost in the transition and a misunderstanding is formed. But your delivery was perfect!" Iida replied. And as the compliments continued to fly, more than Midoriya was comfortable dealing with, the green haired boy looked over to Mineta for help.

The shorter boy stared as his partner continued to get praise. And while he would normally step in to help him… Mineta wasn't going to this time. And why would he? Midoriya's reputation among 1A had just hit a new peak. So with a smile of apology, the shorter boy bowed to his partner and mouthed…

"Sorry, you're on your own."

And now, Midoriya looked like he wanted to cry.

…

But alas, good times can't last forever. Now, it was the fated time. Bakugou Katsuki and Uraraka Ochako stood upon the stage, Present Mic giving his introductions. The human grenade glared at his opponent with an intensity that could ignite gasoline. He wasn't looking down on her but directly at her, which only increased the glare's intensity. However, the gravity defying girl didn't flinch to that. Instead, she calmly stared back, brows furrowed and face full of determination.

1A quietly watched as Midnight asked if the participants were ready. And when one said they were, Mineta could hear everyone's heart rate go up. When the other said 'ready', it went up even more. The R18 Heroine raised her whip, the tension reaching its breaking point. Upon its crack, the tension was released all at once. 1A catapulted into cheers and shouts of encouragement as Uraraka charged towards Bakugou.

Mostly everyone was on the girl's side and that's not just for 1A. Most of the stadium was treating Bakugou like a Villain as he blasted Uraraka without restraint whenever she got close. Even when she tried to utilize the large plumes of smoke he generated, Bakugou's reactions were fast enough to protect his flanks. But it didn't deter the girl and she continued to bravely charge forward.

More explosions, more pockets in the concrete, more injuries on Uraraka.

Mineta looked over to his partner and saw the focus in his eyes. He never took eyes off of either Bakugou or Uraraka, his mind cataloguing each and every action they were taking. He nodded in approval when Uraraka used her jersey as a diversion during a smokescreen maneuver. But he also hummed at Bakugou's reactionary strike, no doubt noting how efficient it was.

One look at his hands, however, told a different story. His partner was praying. And it didn't take Mineta any brain power to figure out who it was meant for. But this was not the time to worry over his secret agenda. Now was the time to support a friend from all of his heart.

"GO URARAKA! KICK HIS ASS!" Mineta screamed with all the air in his body. Though what came next was something he expected, but not at this moment. The Pros in the audience began to express their displeasure for Bakugou in loudest manner possible. And Mineta was internally smiling that Bakugou was finally getting called out for his behavior.

"Is the one who said he's toying with her a Pro? How many years of active duty do you have? Because if that's all you see from this match, then I recommend you hang up your cape and go job hunting elsewhere." Aizawa said into his microphone. Mineta froze as the chilling tone of his former master's voice. And it was so cold that the entire Pro Hero section, who were so passionately rejecting Bakugou's very being, completely stopped their jeering.

"It seems Aizawa-sensei caught on to Kacchan's TRUE personality…" Midoriya commented. These words made Mineta remember something Bakugou said about the Kirishima and Midoriya match. 'If that nerd has made it this far, then you're damn right he has a chance. It's slim, but it's not zero'. So by that logic, the human grenade is treating Uraraka the same. No matter how much stronger he is, Bakugou's not taking any chances.

"What you see as excessive force is actually his caution. He recognizes her as a worthy opponent that shouldn't be underestimated. It's because he wishes for victory that he cannot allow any room for error." Aizawa continued, his words still heavy with disappointment towards his fellow Heroes. And looking to Uraraka, injured and exhausted, Mineta could see the flames that burned within her eyes. Flames that Midoriya had whenever he was showing the Hero within.

"I'm also ashamed that none of you noticed what's actually going on. Take a closer look at the field." Aizawa finished before leaning away from his microphone.

The shorter boy raised an eyebrow to that. He knew that his former master couldn't be wrong since his power of observation was strong. As expected of a pragmatic, predation Hero with a sight based Quirk. But what was it? Looking at the ring and ignoring Bakugou and Uraraka's dance of destruction, Mineta soon began to feel that something was off. But the more he stared, the more the answer escaped him.

What was it that bothered him about this scene? Where was Aizawa trying to lead the audience's attention?

"Mineta-chan… Look up…" Tsuyu said quietly. The shorter boy looked over to her, then to Midoriya, and finally the rest of 1A. All of them were starting towards the sky with shrunken pupils. When he himself went and looked to the heavens… His whole body numbed as that feeling of insignificance washed over him. All the craters and scars left upon the ring were all made in preparation for this…

High above the field were the various chunks of concrete that Bakugou blasted from the ground. It honestly looked like an asteroid field, a fitting description since the girl who made it can manipulate gravity. Eyes went back to the players on the field and just in time too. Uraraka, all hurt and tired, defiantly glared at Bakugou as she pressed all her fingers together.

The chunks in the air immediately dropped, all converging onto Bakugou's side of the ring. With so many coming down on him, there was no hope that he could dodge all of it. And even if he could, Uraraka was also charging towards him. It was a pincer attack!

"Uraraka-san! You can make it!" Midoriya shouted.

"Get in there!" Mineta screamed.

"Uraraka!" 1A cheered as the gravity defying girl was only a few steps away. And then it happened, the shattering of all their hopes. Bakugou raised a single hand up and braced it with his other. With just a single spark from his palm, the entire space above him was shattered by a roaring flash of red and orange. The shockwave blew past every last member in the audience, the smell to dust and smoke filling the air.

That's that… All hope was lost.

Still, the girl stood with every ounce of strength left within her. Uraraka hasn't given up despite her gambit failing. And as she stepped forward, Bakugou stood at the ready to meet her. But the moment her foot hit the concrete, her body collapsed. The human grenade relaxed slightly, but his eyes were still carefully observing his opponent as she struggled to even crawl. Midnight came onto the scene and began checking on the downed girl.

She then aimed her whip at Bakugou. "Uraraka Ochako is unable to continue! The winner is Bakugou Katsuki!"

It was to be expected… A kind girl against a genius born with everything could only end in defeat. And yet why does it feel so wrong to actually see it. Uraraka, while not unconscious, was carted off by medical robots and Bakugou disappeared into the shadows of the stadium's interior. Present Mic called for a ten minute break as Cementoss began repairing the field for the next match.

As for 1A, they began moving en masse to see the girl who showed that she was a Hero too.

Chapter 31: Brother in Arms

It took quite a while for Mineta and his partner to get to Uraraka after everyone was giving the girl console. And one by one, 1A began to return to their seats, hearts ready for the next match. Finally, it was just Mineta, Midoriya, and Uraraka in the waiting room.

"He really got me didn't he?" She said with an upbeat chuckle. The shorter boy blinked while his green haired partner stared in surprise. Uraraka was taking this loss surprisingly well… Either everyone else managed to cheer her up, or she was still hiding her frustration. And Mineta was sure which one it was.

"I got really carried away at the end, with all those rocks hanging up there. I honestly thought that would get Bakugou… But guess that goes to show how strong he is. Guess I've got to try harder next time." Uraraka said, making a playful show of frustration. Mineta and Midoriya stared in silence turning to one another as the awkwardness began to simmer. It would be his partner that would break it, turning to Uraraka with a question on his tongue.

"Are you okay?"

"Somehow, I am! Sure I lost, but at least I know what to do next. Things can only go up from here, right?" She said, a soft smile spreading across her lips. Mineta kept his mouth closed, seeing that he didn't want to blurt anything out. How could he ruin the mood she was building? How could he tear down the obvious façade?

Before anyone else could speak, they heard the PA system turn on and Present Mic making an announcement. "Ring's been fixed! Can we have Midoriya Izuku and Mineta Minoru take the field? You got four minutes."

"The fated duel between men… I'm sorry I wasted your prep time guys! I guess I got caught up with everyone coming to visit me and all." Uraraka said with a bow.

"No, no, it's fine. We wanted to be here, right Midoriya?" Mineta replied, looking to his partner.

"Yeah, seeing you was more important than our match." He said with a nod.

"Aw, thanks. You really know how to make a girl feel wanted. Anyway, you don't have to worry about me anymore. Just get out there and duke it out like the brothers you're meant to be." Uraraka said, giving the two a thumb's up. Mineta nodded like an energetic puppy and went to the door. Midoriya gave the girl a gentle smile and a slight bow before following. The green haired boy closed the door and off the two went.

But the walk to the field was eerily quiet and Mineta knew why. Uraraka, she had that look in her eyes. Shinso had it. Sero had it. Yaoyorozu had it. And though she put up such a bright mask, it was hard to hide tears shed from the heart. And looking over to his partner, the shorter boy notes how melancholic Midoriya looked. Despite egging him on, he must have honestly wanted to help Uraraka too. And yet, here they were.

And it hurt all the more when gentle sobs came from down the hall.

"Mineta-kun…"

"I know, we tried our best."

"Yes, we did… But I think we actually have yet to say what we wanted to say. To not just Uraraka-san, but to everyone here." Midoriya replied.

"What do you mean?" Mineta asked, looking to his partner. The two of them stopped at an intersecting corridor. One hall led to one side of the field while the other led to its opposite. This was the final point the two can get their thoughts out to each other.

"I mean, everyone out there looked so serious and heartbroken. I know it's the Sports Festival where only one person can win and everyone else goes home with only bittersweet memories… But doesn't that feel wrong? Even if we lose, we should feel like we've accomplished something great today." Midoriya explained.

"So… What do you suggest? We make a show out of our match? I don't think anyone will approve of that." Mineta replied.

"They won't. But remember my fight with Kirishima-kun? Everyone was getting into it. And they all felt satisfied even when I pulled an unexpected move. That's what I want us to do." Midoriya said.

Mineta thought back to that first match and remembered the tension and exhilaration of it all. Every hit had weight and meaning. Every person was cheering for their favorite contestant. And when the count happened, the whole stadium was clamoring to join in. It was a beautiful battle where everyone went with the flow.

"That doesn't sound too bad. But… How do we recreate that? Because I'm not getting into a fist fight with you, I'd instantly get pulped." Mineta said with a laugh.

"Simple, remember what you said to me at the park?"

Mineta couldn't suppress the smile as their first meeting came back to him. It ignited the zeal and determination tucked away within his heart. He had always said it. And this was the perfect chance to tell all of Japan who they were. They were not just classmates. They were not just friends. They were…

"You got it partner. See you on the field."

"Likewise and good luck."

And so, Midoriya and Mineta went their separate ways. The shorter boy's steps felt heavy, but not in a bad way. It was as though he was moving the Earth beneath him with his tempered will. And looking behind him, Mineta could see his partner's back looking as reliable as ever. He looked forward again and smiled brightly. The dream is now more than alive.

…

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the first match of the Quarter Finals. Now, after that last fight, I could use a little breather. But that's not happening anytime soon! So without further ado… Let's meet our contestants!" Present Mic announced, whipping the audience into a wild frenzy.

"In our first corner, we have a little mouse that left some big steps in his wake! He survived being strapped to dynamite! He led his team through with an amazingly backhanded ploy! He escaped a verbal lashing with iron lipped silence! He's the trickster of our tournament! Give it up for Mineta Minoru!"

Mineta breathed out before giving a simple wave to the crowd. There was something different about standing here now that his intentions were different. Before, he felt nervous, thinking he might slip up somehow. Now, the shorter boy stood firmly as he now had purpose.

"In our other corner, we have a timid lion whose heart beats with raw courage! He flew upon wings of steel and smoke! He pulled his team through when all odds are stacked against them! He rose like a phoenix when we all thought he was done for! Introducing Midoriya Izuku!"

Midoriya looked around, smiling that gentle smile of his. But while his face did all the talking, his hands were busy fiddling with the bandages that still wrapped his arms. The damage from his first fight must have not fully recovered yet. Still, Mineta doubts that those would stop his partner for executing their plan.

"It's Saint Vs. Sinner, Sinner Vs. Saint! Midnight, if you would be so kind." Present Mic finished as he eyed his more scandalous colleague. The R18 Heroine nodded and aimed her whip at the two contestants.

"Midoriya Izuku, are you ready?"

"Ready." He answered as his body emitted a soft glow.

"Mineta Minoru, are you ready?"

"Ready." He replied, removing a ball from his head.

"Then let's get STARTED!"

Midnight cracked her whip, cheers echoing all around the stadium. Mineta stared right at Midoriya and vice versa. However, something strange happened in the next few seconds. The green haired boy began to take a big, showy step forward. Going into automatic, Mineta was winding up for a throw but his mind was asking questions.

Why was Midoriya making such a deliberate move? Does he not realize he could get stuck here and now? What happened to making it a fight everyone can enjoy?

But the more Mineta's arm completed the motion, the more he felt like something was off. Midoriya's leg stopped rising and began to fall, foot poised to set down again. The shorter boy's hairball left his fingers and sailed through the air. And in just a single second, the ball landed just as Midoriya's signature red sneaker fell upon it. The crowd was stunned, was this match over already?

"Mineta just trapped his opponent's foot not even five seconds in! That's like… A new record!" Present Mic announced, gripping his head. The crowd began murmuring as Midoriya's foot continued to rest on the hairball. But Mineta couldn't help but feel like something is horribly wrong about all this. His partner looked way too relaxed for a guy who's about to lose. And before Midnight spoke to him, Midoriya gave Mineta an innocent smile.

"I need to go!"

"Midoriya Izuku, can you–?" Midnight began before Midoriya leaned in and sprung away with sparks flying from his body. Mineta rolled away from where he stood as his partner brought his fist down. And while he stopped before it hit the ground, Midoriya's fist still kicked up a plume of dust. Mineta stared, questions bursting from his skull, before the green haired boy corrected his posture and faced him. But judging from the reaction of the crowd, Mineta wasn't the only one confused.

"Wha–!? I don–!? The–!? Midoriya wasn't actually stuck!? What happened!?" Present Mic babbled as Mineta continued to eye his partner carefully. Aizawa leaned into his microphone and gave a hum of interest. He spotted something and the shorter boy opened his ears for their teacher's wisdom.

"So that's what it was… I understand."

"You do? Care to share Eraser?" Present Mic asked.

"First a little context… Midoriya and Mineta here have been friends since before UA. And the two of them have a rather interesting goal, to become the greatest Hero duo of their generation. Both of them then managed to get into the same Hero class and received their Hero costumes." Aizawa began.

"And?"

"Do you remember who determines the costume's functions?" Aizawa asked. A pit slowly began to form in Mineta's stomach, fully aware of where this was going. He, however, couldn't bring himself to believe it. But not because it would make his fight several times more difficult… Rather, it would be because Mineta wouldn't be able to stop his tears from flowing once it started.

The tears of joy and relief that is.

"That would be… Wait… Are telling me, Midoriya Izuku designed his whole costume so that it would work in tandem with his good friend's Quirk?" Present Mic asked, still in disbelief.

"Exactly. And remember how the Hero classes are allowed to wear their costume's footwear?" Aizawa continued.

"Then those red sneakers aren't regular kicks, but super treated Hero shoes!?" Present Mic asked, leaning over his console to get a closer look at Midoriya's feet. Aizawa leaned back, away from his microphone. However, his last word was loud enough for all to hear.

"Yes."

The crowd began talking about this recent discovery. But rather than be off put by it, most of them seemed impressed and in awe. Words began circulating like 'I wish I had a friend like that' or 'Let me spread the word, give your team name'. It all floored Mineta, who normally expected people to be disgusted over this. Even the Pros were watching more intently, interested in what these two friends are fully capable of.

But that was something for later, because right now, Mineta had a whole lot of questions. So with all the courage in his heart, he looked dead at his partner and spread his arms out. A question then escaped the confines of the shorter boy's throat. And it was powered by every last ounce of wonder and bewilderment in his body.

"Why didn't you tell me about this!?"

Midoriya immediately dropped his fighting stance, Full Cowl's glow fading from his body. He began to nervously scratch at his cheek as his eyes danced all over the place. Honestly, if Mineta wasn't so focused on this subject, he'd be exploiting this opening for all it's worth. But given how the shorter boy was also exposed yet Midoriya didn't take advantage of that… It was probably best to talk things out first.

"Well you see… I was planning for it to be a surprise. You know, we team up on an assignment, I'd then do the thing, everyone goes nuts, and it'd be a great story. So… Uh… S-Surprise?" Midoriya explained with a shrug. Mineta stared as the crowd began to chant for them to continue the fight. But through all of this, the shorter boy's lips began to show a smirk and he began pulling balls off his head.

"You really know how to defy expectations partner. But let's see if you can move across them as well as I can." He said, scattering balls around him. And before Midoriya could answer back, the shorter boy scattered even more. The green haired boy reactivated Full Cowl and locked eyes with his partner. A daring smile appeared as he raised his arms, ready to start again.

Mineta threw one more hairball, this time next to Midoriya, before hopping onto a hairball himself. His partner jumped onto it and gave chase to the bouncing form moving away from him. It was a strange sight, to see two people jump after each other. But since it was Mineta's Quirk they were using, if Midoriya's footing gives out even once, he'd get stuck for real. And that added tension.

"Okay… But how do I actually bring Midoriya down? I doubt the Bakugou cling would work since he helped me practice it. I don't have any baseballs to throw, not that any pitches I know would even reach him. And even if Midoriya didn't have Full Cowl, a fist fight was out of the question." Mineta thought as he continued to hop around, placing more balls as he went.

A rather harrowing realization then hit Mineta. None of the tactics that has gotten him this far can actually help him defeat Midoriya. The only option still available was to simply attach balls to him until he could no longer move. And seeing that this was Midoriya, the shorter boy could predict that strategy would have limited effect.

Mineta would still try mind you. He needed to respond to his partner and to the audience after all.

"Mineta-kun! Look out!" Midoriya shouted. Reflexively, before bouncing off the next ball, the shorter boy turned around and immediately paled. He quickly shifted his weight and sprung off to the side as a green blur passed him. The shape quickly righted itself before red shoes skidded across a long gap of exposed concrete. And on that spot, Midoriya stood up, turned towards Mineta, and started mumbling to himself.

"That was a lot more difficult than I imagined… It seems I need to ease up on Full Cowl so I don't go flying off stage. Controlling my direction was simple enough though, it's just shifting my weight before springing off. Not that I can catch Mineta-kun with just that. I need to find the platonic ideal between speed and control."

The shorter boy kept bouncing in place, watching his partner gradually sort his mind out. And as he listened to the crowd around them, he picked up on their curiosities. Namely, why wasn't he attacking when his opponent was distracted? Mineta, to answer that question, plucked a ball off his head and simply tossed it at the green haired boy.

Midoriya, without even stopping his train of thought, simply leaned to the side and let the ball sail right past. And to further reinforce the point, Mineta tossed out two more before his partner dodged it in the same manner. The crowd gasped at the ease of evasion and began to, rather loudly, discuss the disparity in the fighters' abilities.

"Is that what you're getting out of this? Fine, let's kick it up a notch." The shorter boy muttered, arming himself with hair balls. From there, Mineta leaned his body towards to the space on Midoriya's right and sprung towards it.

Midoriya exited out of his thinking state and quickly began removing his jersey. As Mineta closed the distance, he released tossed all the balls in his hand to the left, letting the momentum carry them. His partner then began spinning his article of cloth around, creating a guard against the oncoming swarm. However, despite his best effort, a ball still made it through and stuck itself onto his left forearm.

"Good move, using the jersey like Uraraka. But how long can you keep swinging that?" Mineta thought as he bounced back, rearming himself. The green haired boy, instead of staying where he stood, hopped onto the nearest ball and bounced towards Mineta. His jersey guard was raised as the shorter boy readied to throw out another hairball assault.

It was Joust of Quirks!

Mineta threw out his balls, only for it to meet Midoriya's jersey. And, when the distance closed between them, the green haired boy shot his left fist out. The shorter boy, using his gained flexibility, twisted his body away and passed through with only a graze. The two fighters righted themselves before landing on the next ball and faced each other again. Both ready to charge once more.

Mineta and Midoriya sprung forward again, the audience leaning in as the distance closed. The shorter boy, this time, threw out his payload in steps with first his left then, when he was closer, his right. Midoriya, as expected, wiped away the first wave and pulled a fist back, moving his jersey away. But upon seeing the second wave, he hastily pulled his jersey back up to defend himself. While that action did shield him from the worst of it…

There was now a ball on Midoriya's right forearm and a few on his chest.

The two landed on a ball and faced each other again. The green haired boy, his jersey now covered in hairballs, quickly examined himself and the situation. Noticing how the gears were turning, this was now the time for Mineta to strike. He started to bounce his way towards his partner, who began to retreat towards the clear side of the field. The end was close; the shorter boy could feel it.

"Sorry partner, but you're dancing to my tune." Mineta thought as Midoriya landed onto clear concrete. With one more ball upon the ground, the shorter boy hopped onto it and launched himself directly at his partner. Mineta then angled his feet towards his foe. And just as his partner turned to face him, both feet hit a ball on Midoriya's chest. The shorter boy kicked off and the force sent his partner flat onto his back.

Where his arms feel upon the concrete, causing the hair balls stuck there to adhere to it.

"Midoroya's down! But is he stuck for good!?" Present Mic announced as Mineta crashed onto the concrete. The shorter boy stood, rubbing the shoulder he landed on, as the crowds began to cheer for him. He allowed himself a moment to bask in the attention, not knowing when he could do it next. And the feeling of it all was…

Rather underwhelming. He could barely hear any of the praise coming from the audience. It wasn't like when they commented on his and Midoriya's partnership, where the sounds were more unified. This was just chaos.

"Wonder if that's why Aizawa doesn't like crowds, too much noise." Mineta thought before going back to his opponent. Midoriya was still on the ground, struggling against the adhesive hairballs. But the strange thing was, his partner wasn't desperately throwing his strength around as one would expect. Instead, Midoriya was pushing and pulling his arms in a rather controlled manner.

"He's not trying to escape is he? Midoriya maybe Midoriya, but no one has gotten out before." Mineta said to himself, continuing to observe his partner. With that last thought, his body began to relax. Perhaps he was over thinking things…

"Midoriya Izuku, can you move? Be honest." Midnight asked. The green haired boy didn't say anything. He did, however, give two big tugs to his bindings and managed to position his feet beneath him. The R18 Heroine, taking that action as a yes, began to raise her whip up.

She was going to call it. Or at least, until Midoriya performed another miracle.

The bandages on his arms unraveled themselves as he pulled his body up. And, without even taking two seconds, Midoriya quickly entered a running position, body glowing with energy. Finally, he took off towards Mineta before anyone could utter a single word.

The shorter boy's eyes shrunk as his partner's body appeared before him. A fist then began to go right for him, causing him to dodge it. But when Mineta tried to move away, Midoriya would step in and cut him off. And this would repeat itself a few more times before Mineta realized that he couldn't escape. There was no path out of his friend's area of attack. Nor could he find the timing to use his Quirk.

Mineta was trapped in Midoriya's rhythm.

And Present Mic's commentary was not helping the situation.

"You know, after seeing all this going on, we've got to revise that rule book. I mean, just imagine how Recovery Girl feels about her treatment being messed up."

"Yeah, she would definitely be upset. However, I personally feel that the rules are just fine. It's quite refreshing to see students finally using their heads and not just their bodies." Aizawa said.

"Really? You're into this mess?" Present Mic asked.

"Mess? Well I suppose those two could've done several things more efficiently…"

"I'M DOING MY BEST!" Mineta thought, barely avoiding another punch from Midoriya. The shorter boy's mind began to look again for any angle of opportunity to get out. If not, then he might as well surrender since this was just going to go on until he collapses from exhaustion. And while that might happen to Midoriya first, Mineta had no way of knowing how tired his partner was. Not when his own muscles are starting to scream and give out.

It was here that he finally caught something. Whenever Mineta dodged, Midoriya had to step quite far just to catch up. But while the shorter boy can't knock his friend off balance, since that would mean taking a blow… He could escape through the wide gap between his legs. And once through, he could attempt the Bakugou Cling.

"There's no guarantee, but I've got nothing else!" Mineta thought, gritting his teeth as Midoriya's fist grazed him. The shorter boy began to move away again, his partner following while winding up for another strike. And as expected, the step he took to follow Mineta was wide. So, before the fist flew out, Mineta quickly dived for the space between Midoriya's legs.

The world flipped around for just a moment. And upon righting himself, Mineta arrived at his intended destination no worse for wear. Reflexively , he then quickly turned and jumped at his opponent's back, hairballs in hand. So long as he could get onto Midoriya, then it will all work out.

"All or nothing! All or nothing!" Mineta chanted in his head.

The green haired boy, without missing a beat, turned his upper body around as far as it can go. His shining green eyes locked onto the shorter boy before his arms shot out towards him. Mineta then felt hands grip his jersey in two different locations. It was all a blur after that.

There he was, on the ground with pain running along his back. And there was Midoriya, standing over him fist pulled back. Mineta's mind snapped out of the confusion and tried to get up. But halfway through sitting up, the green haired boy's arm shot forward as green sparks danced all over his body. It took no time for the attack to make it to its intended target.

…

…

…

Mineta blinked several times. He was conscious… Right? As the shock from feeling Midoriya's intent to slug him with everything he's got, the shorter boy's senses finally picked up what's happening. His partner didn't actually hit him; Midoriya stopped just centimeters from his face. And as Mineta looked up to the green hair boy's face, Midoriya changed his posture and stance. He stood with a slight lean, body completely relaxed, with one hand out towards Mineta.

The shorter boy stared at the extended limb before looking up to his partner. And there, he saw the gentle smile of the Hero he admired so much. Mineta let out a chuckle and sat up, taking the hand with confidence. Midoriya then pulled his friend back up onto his feet, the two of them standing proudly before an applauding audience.

"Mineta Minoru has forfeited! Midoriya Izuku is the winner!" Midnight announced.

"And what a conclusion to this incredible fight! It was so good; I don't think we even need to do any post-battle commentary. What do you think Eraser?" Present Mic announced.

"We've already said what we needed to say throughout the fight. Still, it was certainly nostalgic to see friends working together so well. Not many people realize this, but having someone reliable at your back could mean the difference between victory and defeat." Aizawa said as weight laced his words.

"I hear you Shouta… Nothing's better than a true Brother in Arms at your side…"