Chapter 27 - A Sword's Reflection
"Hey Shirou, want some Takoyaki?"
"No, I'm fine Yu."
"Come on, it's your lunch break! I know that you already ate, but a little more couldn't hurt, right?"
"Overeating is as bad for me. I know my limits," Shirou replied to his guardian, recalling a certain Servant of his that certainly knew her limits, before gazing off to the surrounding stands.
Yu gave up and decided to leave him alone. She went back to her street food, but she still kept close by. Just in case he would wander off, which he had tried to do a few times already.
They were wandering the fairgrounds together. The hustle and bustle of the people crafted a lively atmosphere, one that any regular person would be enthralled by. The varied smell of Japanese cuisine, the general and business course students calling out to the crowds, all of it just evoked a festive melody.
It would've been pleasant to experience… if he wanted to be here in the first place.
Yu had dragged him off as soon as the break began and he couldn't even complain, not for a lack of trying. Whenever he would say he had something to do, Yu would shut it down saying he could do it later.
He needed to leave. His classmates were still irritated with him, a certain blonde especially, so he needed to clear the air with them.
"I know that look on your face," Yu warned. "I know you feel like you need to do it, but you really shouldn't."
Shirou felt his brow twitch. "And why shouldn't I?"
Yu shrugged. "That Bakugo kid seemed like the angry type. Do you think an apology, or whatever idea you had in your head, would work with the guy?" She pointed out.
… Admittedly, no matter how Shirou thought about it, that particular encounter might not end well.
"But there are others, Todoroki has a grudge on me and I have no idea why," Shirou added.
"Endeavor's son?" Yu muttered in consideration before she shrugged it off. "Eh, you probably hit a switch on him without knowing what it is."
"Then all the more reason to–" Just as he was about to reinforce his idea, Yu shoved a Takoyaki ball into his gaping maw. He had to shut up and chew the thing. He wouldn't waste food no matter how much he wanted to continue.
"You just gave another reason why that would be a horrible idea," Yu added. With the food he was chewing, he couldn't reply right away. "If you have no idea why you made him mad, then all you'll be doing is making him madder. Imagine someone messed up and you got mad, but the guy has no idea what he did wrong. What do you think would happen if he just apologized to you?"
Shirou swallowed the fried octopus and answered. "I'd forgive him."
He also preemptively dodged a failed attempt at a finger flick. "That's because you're too much of a nice guy! Listen closely, if someone said sorry to me but he couldn't be arsed to know the reason, then I'd just be angrier at the guy!" His guardian dumped the now empty tray of fried octopus into the trash and continued. "There's a time and place for everything, including apologies!"
Shirou just sighed. "Then all the more reason to figure out why he's angry at me."
Yu snickered. "What? You going to ask him?"
"Yes– hey!" Shirou called out before her fingers could even graze his scalp. "What was that for!?"
"I know your people skills aren't the best, but do you expect someone would tell you why they're angry at you?" Yu argued. "Sure, there are some people who would, but do you think that Endeavor's kid is one of them?"
"... Honestly, yes."
Yu paused and gave her adopted son the flattest of stares.
Shirou merely stared back.
"… Okay, you got me there," Yu conceded. "However! I still believe there's a better time to go and talk to him."
This time, all the red-haired magus could do was let out a sigh. "You're not letting me go, are you?"
"Nope!" Yu declared. "You can chat, argue, punch, and throttle your classmates all you want in the next event. I'm keeping you all to myself, for now~"
Even though the woman known as Mount-Lady had matured over the months, she was still the somewhat selfish woman he had met all those months ago.
Yu had to blink in irritation once a familiar tune echoed from her pocket. "A call at this time…?" She muttered. After quickly retrieving it and holding it up to her ear, she replied. "Okay, what is it? I'm a little busy at the moment?"
Shirou couldn't hear what was exchanged, but from how Yu narrowed her eyes, it probably wasn't good. She hung up rather quickly and frowned.
"I take it that something's wrong?" Shirou asked. His mind was already forming numerous conclusions. What if the festival was attacked like USJ? With the number of civilians here, the chances of casualties if an attack occurred was too high for Shirou's liking.
However, contrary to his expectations, Yu simply sighed and pocketed her phone. "It's nothing for you to worry about. A friend of mine just told me to meet with them. I can just do that later–"
Her phone rang again which caused her to pause. She slowly panned towards her pocket with the blankest of expressions.
"It seems pretty important," Shirou pointed out.
Yu just deeply exhaled before answering it again. "I heard you the first time! Can't we do it later– what do you mean you're– fine. Fine!" She hung up and shoved the offending object away like a villain she wanted to mangle.
All she did next was sigh in exasperation. "Okay, I'm going to meet with my friend for a bit. Just stay here and I'll be back soon."
Shirou blinked and looked around. "… This is a crowded street."
"Alright then, see that tree over there," she pointed to a rather lonesome tree surrounded by nothing but grass. A few stalls were set up near it, but they were far enough that lines didn't form near it. "Just wait by it. I'll be back soon– very soon, I promise!"
That was all she said before hurriedly rushing away… before he could even offer a word of protest.
He could just leave to find Todoroki… but this late into the break, he had no idea where his classmate could be. Shirou would end up spending the rest of the break before even finding a hint of him, especially in this venue where people roamed without end. The chances of finding him were astronomically low. Maybe Yu realized that when she left him?
With a sigh, Shirou made his way over to the tree. At least he could try calling him. Oh wait, he didn't even know his number–
"Emiya-san? Is it okay if we can talk for a bit?"
Shirou widened his eyes in surprise before noticing the green-haired classmate behind him.
Midoriya?
His classmate had a minor panic at his reaction. "O-Of course, if you're too busy, then we can talk some other time–"
Shirou just shook his head and smiled. "It's fine. I wasn't doing anything anyway," he turned and beckoned Midoriya to follow. The lonesome tree seemed like as good a place as any. At least he'd be following Yu's orders by doing so.
After a short while, Shirou leaned on the tree and cleared his throat. "So, Midoriya-san, what is it you want to talk about?" The two of them rarely ever talked to each other, so this was new. He still had that odd scent on him though.
Midoriya nervously laughed and lowered his head in embarrassment. "This might seem weird coming from me, but lately my head is full of questions. I just wanted to ask you a few things so I can get a better idea of something."
Shirou nodded. That seemed reasonable. There was a horde of civilians at a distance around them. Even when they were talking, nobody paid them any heed. The festivities were far too distracting for them.
It gave them this… enclosed world, to simply voice out their concerns without being interrupted.
"Go ahead," Shirou prompted. He took a seat on the grass and crossed his legs. Might as well, seeing as he wasn't going to be leaving any time soon.
After a deep breath, Midoriya started.
"Emiya-san, I respect you. And it is because I respect you that I'll come right out and say it."
Midoriya stared at him directly.
"Why are you holding back?"
Shirou blinked.
"Pardon?"
Maybe he had misheard. Midoriya didn't seem like the most competitive type.
"Ever since USJ, where I could do nothing at all. You, Kacchan, Todoroki, and even Mineta, all did more than I could ever hope to do," Midoriya clenched his fist in frustration.
"While I was knocked out, you fought to protect us. While I was recovering, you and Kacchan saved All-Might," he gritted his teeth at that particular mention. "You're strong, stronger than me, USJ proved it. You were even tied for top at the entrance exam, out of all the first-year students, but for the life of me I can't figure it out. Frankly, it's driving me up the wall."
Shirou couldn't offer a reply because the normally nervous teen was on a roll.
"From what I can see, and from how Kacchan's been reacting, you're holding back," Midoriya said without a hint of a stutter as if there wasn't a reality where he was wrong. "It's weird. Normally, other students give their absolute best here, because results matter a lot more in the U.A. sports festival than they do in any other regular festival. They can impact your future. It influences which agencies might pick you up once you graduate. It could accelerate your progress as a professional hero. There are so many benefits to the event, but even so, you're holding back."
A slight self-deprecating mutter left his lips. "Not that I'm one to talk. I haven't used my quirk yet. At least, not at its full potential."
"Your quirk has a drawback. That's nothing to be ashamed about," Shirou offered.
Midoriya though, he took his offer and turned it on its head. "Yes, my quirk does have a drawback, but from what I can see about yours, there isn't one… Which is frustrating."
Next, his classmate simply sighed. "… even if I know that you're holding back, I can't figure out how you're holding back. I can feel it deep down that you are, but I can't figure out how. Your quirk is to make weaponry so your imagination is the limit, but if we think about all the events and your performance, nobody would think that you were holding back. If it weren't for that last spurt in the obstacle race, I'd never have figured it out."
Shirou closed his eyes and sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot, recently. "… I have a few reasons, but you're probably not going to like them."
"As long as it's a good reason for holding back, I won't mind," Midoriya said. "Everyone has their own reasons… that was the main reason I held back from asking you this before, after the first obstacle race. But, if I don't ask you now, then I'll probably never get an answer. Go ahead, I want to hear it, your reason."
The young Emiya nodded and began.
"I guess to address the holding back issue, I guess I don't see the need for this festival," Shirou admitted. "I don't want to get into a good agency when we graduate, I plan to follow Aizawa's path and be an underground hero. Exposure doesn't help that." Someone like Shinso would likely follow that path too. His quirk was made for it.
Shirou had participated in sports festivals in the past. He even worked hard to succeed in them, but comparing Homurahara's yearly tradition to this national event was pointless.
"… I guess in a way, that makes sense," Midoriya muttered a little. "But, you said reasons, as in plural. What else is there?
Shirou furrowed hid brow and closed his eyes for a single second before gazing back to the green-haired teen.
"USJ…" Shirou started. "That event made me realize that there would be villains watching us and noting our quirks. I felt that by keeping my limits hidden, I could catch them by surprise."
In a simpler time, he could give it his all. However, here? He was watched by too many eyes. His athleticism meant nothing to those watching except for entertainment, but here his abilities will be gauged. He will be seen planned against.
How was he supposed to save people if his enemies were prepared for him?
Midoriya grimaced. "You say that like you plan on fighting them again, the League of Villains that is."
To that, Shirou remained silent for just a moment. While that wasn't his exact thought, Midoriya was much sharper than he gave him credit for. "… I suppose I do. With All-Might as our teacher, UA will be targeted more in the future. This is an undeniable truth, so I want to be as prepared as I can for that."
Next time they appeared… Shirou would use everything to defeat them and imprison them. They were too dangerous to this world's status quo. The magus of the sword could feel it, something about them was different from the other villains running around in this world… but he supposed the only difference was one person.
Avenger.
He went toe-to-toe with All-Might, the world's Symbol of Peace, the top hero in all of Japan, and came out on top. Even if he had a little help from his allies at the time, it was a notable feat… of course, that was to be expected from Angra Mainyu, all of the world's evils. There was no Servant better at the act of killing humans, and All-Might was human.
Shirou blinked. How did I know that?
"Even then," Midoriya's words cut his thoughts away. "Even with villains watching us, we should give it our best!" His shout had gotten one or two bystanders to stare, but they walked away pretty quickly. "I think that it's still worth giving it your best. You never know your limits! You never know how you're going to improve yourself until you give it all you've got!"
The fuzzy mop of green hair clenched his fist with determination. "… I wouldn't have gotten this far without constantly pushing myself to my limit, and overcoming those limits. How can we become heroes without overcoming that?"
"They'll watch us, they'll be cautious, they might even plan for us, they might even kill us…" Midoriya simply stared directly at him, eyes unflinching. "But if we don't show them that we aren't afraid, that we can still take them on, then how can we still be heroes?"
Shirou stayed silent.
"We aren't weak," he continued. "Not a single person in our class, or over at Class-B, is weak. We're getting stronger every day. If they plan for our quirks based on what they see here in this open stadium, then there's only one answer we have."
Midoriya placed his open palm on his slowly expanding chest.
"Get stronger. Stronger than what we were a year ago. Stronger than what we were a month ago. Much stronger than we were yesterday!" He declared without a hint of hesitation. "If we aren't putting that much effort in– if I'm not putting that much work in, then how can I become as strong as All-Might? How can I become the number one hero!?"
Shirou widened his eyes.
"That's my dream, that's what I want more than anything in the world," Midoriya added with vigor. "Tell me, Emiya-san. Why are you studying in U.A.? Why are you here, learning to become a hero? What's your dream? "
Shirou blinked in confusion. "… Why are you asking?"
"By understanding a dream, a person's reason for living, you can understand the person even better," The green-haired student said as he swallowed some bile. "Maybe I'm just grasping at straws. I still don't understand your reasons, not completely, but maybe this would help me more."
The magus simply stared at him. Does he answer, does he not? The question made laps in his mind, but eventually, Shirou decided that he could only answer. It wouldn't be right, to not answer when the boy before him wholeheartedly declared his. Besides, it wasn't as if his dream was something he was ashamed about.
"My dream is to save everyone in front of me," Shirou answered. Like Midoriya, there was no shame in his voice. There was nothing about it to be ashamed of. "If they're calling out and wanting to be saved, I want to save them. I want to save everyone, even if the world says I can't. That is my dream. From what I've been told, doing well in this festival isn't necessary for it."
Doing well here would certainly help him get better options in the future, but it wasn't necessary. What was necessary was keeping his enemies in the dark about his powers. Simple reinforcement and basic weaponry are fine, but the epitome of a hero's legend wasn't. If he used one, saving everyone would become much harder.
Yes, save everyone. Two words. It sounded so simple, but they say the most simple things were the hardest.
Archer had said it himself, experienced it himself. You can't save everyone. No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone you couldn't save. A voice you couldn't hear or a hand you failed to grasp. A life you need to cast aside to save countless more.
Even then, Shirou would try and save them all. Until his body broke down and his limbs failed to move, he would save. This dream, the dream he borrowed from Kiritsugu, was his dream nonetheless.
A hypocrite was what Archer called him. Even when Shirou would admonish the guy, he couldn't deny it. To deny it was to be ignorant, and he couldn't afford to be ignorant. Not when he had an ideal to fulfill.
Shirou sighed. "I suppose you think it's foolish? An impossible dream?" Archer did. Yu undoubtedly would. Even Rin, the woman he gave his heart to, called it a fools dream… perhaps that was why she called him a fool. "I don't really care if you do. Others called it dumb too–"
"No, I think it sounds wonderful!"
Shirou blinked.
"Saving everyone," Midoriya muttered with a light smile. "That's a very beautiful dream. I respect you for it."
A hypocrite he may be, an impossible dream it might be, Shirou would still strive for it, for it was a beautiful dream.
That was all that mattered.
"… I suppose I can understand you a little better," Midoriya admitted. "Not enough, but close. You don't care about this festival because you don't have a stake in it. You want to save people, but doing well in this festival won't impact that…"
However, Midoriya's soft smile inverted.
"But, I still think it's wrong to not give it your all," he muttered. "Even if you don't care, there are others who do. I'm sure everyone in our class, Kacchan, Todoroki, and even Mineta, wants to do their best. You can't save everyone without getting stronger, right?"
Shirou only blinked.
Midoriya had another minor panic at his reaction. Whatever the teen went through in life gave him determination, but horrid composure. "I-I mean, think of it this way! If you do well, the villains focus on you and you keep them away from everyone else, right? Or you can rack up fame so people can get you to help them more! Or you can enter a well-known agency that helps a lot more people!"
He stopped himself once he realized he was running his mouth. "Wait, no! Those are just suggestions, things I just thought up! You don't have to listen to them! I mean, it does just feel like you're keeping things hidden out of habit–but I didn't mean that in a bad way! That wasn't my–"
"Thank you, Midoriya."
This time, it was Midoriya's turn to blink. Only, the teen blinked at the serene smile on the young Emiya's face.
"You've given me quite a bit to think about," Shirou admitted lightly. "You… might be right about the habit part. I'll think about it."
Midoriya deflated but nodded. He inflated once more when he realized what time it was. "Oh no! I promised to meet with Iida later! I'll be late!"
Shirou just waved him off. "You can leave, you know? I'm just waiting here for someone."
"Oh yeah. You're right," Midoriya muttered once he calmed down. He got off his seat and made to leave, but paused in his step to turn back. "Wait, I nearly forgot. We never really discussed how you're holding back yet."
The magus gazed at his own open palm. The only way he was holding back was by not using Noble Phantasms. Using them was just plain overkill in an event like this.
The only times he traced them was when he used Kanshou and Bakuya, but that was only because it was far too late to stop using them. Aizawa would've noticed. There was also Gae Bolg in USJ, but that monster needed to be stopped before it could hurt anyone else.
How could he explain that, though? Could he reduce Noble Phantasms, the absolute epitome of a hero's existence and legend, to a mere quirk?
At Emiya's silence, Midoriya smiled softly.
"Don't worry. If it's a secret, you don't need to tell me. I've gotten more out of you today than the month we've been classmates," Midoriya added. He raised his finger towards the stadium. "I don't know how you're holding back, but… if you ever decide to stop holding back, show it in the stadium."
Midoriya didn't even wait for a reply before making his way into the crowd and fading from sight.
… Had he always been a determined person? Was he the same person that Shirou had tried to help by lowering his own score on purpose?
They hadn't ever had a proper talk before today, and perhaps that was why Shirou barely had a perception of Midoriya as a person, but perhaps now he could say that he had one. A good one.
"Sorry I'm late, Shirou!" Yu replied as she checked her watch, coming out from the crowd. It was a surprise nobody tried to get her autograph–oh wait no, she's closing a recently used marker. Looks like there were fans after all.
Not that Shirou had even given a single glance to notice that.
"Dang it, even when I ran… There's only ten minutes left!" She paused when she curiously noticed that Shirou simply stared off into the distance. Even following his gaze didn't give her answers. "Did I miss something?"
Shirou simply shook his head.
"Well, get up you lazy butt," Yu weakly taunted. "Your matches will probably start once you get into the stadium, but you'll have to be there if you want to win! Chop-chop!"
He just got up and followed her.
"Oh yeah, don't forget to do your best Shirou!"
His best…
All she got from him was a simple hum.
Perhaps, that was enough.
Shirou stood away from most of the other students, mostly because they were far too busy with their own thoughts to give focus to someone like him. A few meters away, he saw the class girls clumped together and gossiping. Further from them were Kaminari and Mineta, both lamenting at a failed opportunity.
Before Shirou could even figure out where everyone else was, Present-Mic bellowed from the speakers.
"Alright, everyone! Let's have fun competing in some recreational games!" he said. "When that's over, the sixteen participants, the four winners from each of the teams from the last round, get to duke it out one-versus-one, tournament-style!"
A bit of murmuring spread about the coalition of students, but the majority remained silent. Shirou watched as Midnight held up a lottery box, continuing off from Present-Mic as she began explaining.
"Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket," she said from atop the podium. "Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in recreational events. I'm sure some of you want to rest or save your strength, so we'll give you that opportunity."
She coughed and walked closer to the edge. "Now, if you all come here and draw some lots…"
They had all went and drew. Shirou had drawn the number seven, but what that entailed, he had no idea. Once everyone drew and gave their numbers back to Midnight, hidden from each other on her orders, the professional hero tapped on a tablet she had on-hand and pointed to the big screen.
"Now, if you pay attention to the screen. These are the matches as a result of the lottery draws!" she called.
The screen flickered to life and the matches were shown.
The first match, Todoroki Shoto versus Sero Hanta.
"Oh man," he heard Sero mutter. "That doesn't look good. Not good at all."
"Dude, you look like you're going to lose."
"Thank, Kaminari."
Second, Shishida versus Kaminari.
The two of them merely glanced at each other, with Kaminari shivering just a tad bit at the slight feral grin.
A snicker was heard. "Looks like you're going to lose."
"Shut it, tape-boy."
Third, Midoriya versus Kirishima.
"I'm looking forward to a great match, Midoriya!"
In a sudden flash, the red-haired student appeared right before the nervous teen, surprising him momentarily but he recovered swiftly enough to reply.
"R-Right! I'm looking forward to it too, Kirishima-kun."
Fourth, Hatsume Mei versus Kodai Yui.
"Excuse me, ma'am. You are Kodai Yui, are you not? If I could just have a moment of your time to talk about our match–!"
"No."
As for the fifth match… it was Uraraka Ochako versus Bakugo Katsuki.
All Shirou heard was slight fearfully nervous laughter from the girl. Bakugo himself had no outer reaction other than just muttering the name out. He noticed his glance and fixated a glare right back.
Sixth, Shinso Hitoshi versus Iida Tenya.
"I look forward to our match!"
Shinso, who was gazing off into the professional hero stands, refrained from responding. Likely, his thoughts were further away from his upcoming match than anyone else.
Next was the seventh match, Emiya Shirou versus Ashido Mina… so that was what the number seven meant. He was the seventh match.
"Against Emiya!?" Ashido cried out. "Oh man, that's not lucky at all!"
All the red-haired magus could do was offer an apologetic smile.
And for the Eighth and final match, Yaoyorozu versus Tokoyami Fumikage.
"Interesting," Tokoyami muttered. "I'll give it my all, Yaoyorozu-san."
"That's what I expect, Tokoyami-san."
"Ah, youth." Midnight could only chuckle at the sight before her. "And now, let the recreational games, begin!"
-0-0-0-
Since participation was optional for the recreational games, Shirou had opted out. He simply watched by the sidelines for the duration.
His fight was against Ashido Mina. She wasn't an impossible opponent, Shirou could probably defeat her without using any traced objects whatsoever. Her acid was slippery, he knew that from the dash-portion of Aizawa's physical-assessment test, so he could probably just push her out of bounds.
It was the seventh match so he had time to relax. Ashido did wish him the best of luck and for a good match, so that was something.
However… He couldn't relax. His mind was cycling around with thoughts of his conversation with Midoriya. He couldn't forget what they had talked about.
Throughout the hour, he leaned on the railings up above, where the rest of his classmates awaited their own match. Sato and Jiro were avidly talking, while they also made bets on who would win the match before them. Overall, it was a very class-like atmosphere.
"Audience!" Present-Mic shouted, ending any discussions his classmates had. "The finals you've been waiting for are finally starting! Match number one! The participants are… these guys! He's good. He's good, but what's with that plainness he just can't get rid of? From the Hero course, Sero Hanta! Versus– Taking second, then first in the prelims! He's strong, he's a recommended student for a reason– Also from the Hero course, Todoroki Shoto!"
By the time their names were called, they were already on the cement stage. Cementoss, their teacher and professional hero, had created it with his cement manipulation quirk. He was probably the one that repaired all the buildings in the urban training area.
Flames from the edge of the arena's corners flared to life as the competition stretched out their muscles… or rather, just one of them. Todoroki was as still as a bone.
Odd. Shirou kept an eye on the Todoroki boy as Present-Mic continued his announcing.
"And now, for the first match of the tournament– Ready? Start!"
In the instant that Present-Mic had called it, Sero shot his tapes towards his unmoving opponent as fast as he could. Without even appearing to react, Todoroki was ensnared and ready to be pulled off of the arena–
Shirou reacted, leaning away from the rails in time as ice surged forth.
A wall of Ice, not unlike the one from the second event, covered his and all of Class 1-A's vision. It likely covered half the stadium as well.
"… Sero, can you move?" Midnight's voice rang out. They couldn't hear a reply from him, but the following announcement revealed that they didn't need one. "Sero is immobilized! Todoroki advances to the second round!"
Silence. That was all that filled the arena.
It was only after a few moments that a chorus of 'Don't mind' rang out. Sentiments towards Sero, most likely, to comfort him from this… incredibly one-sided win.
Moving out to a new area to get a better view, Shirou could see Todoroki melting away the ice on his shivering classmate with his other arm.
… On second thought, if he were in Sero's position, could he beat a sudden surge of ice like that? Even if he didn't hold back and used Noble Phantasms?
Probably.
The fact that it was a 'probably' and not a 'definitely' spoke wonders of his ability.
After the first match, Todoroki and a lot more other volunteer flame-related quirks users melted the ice away. Hydro-kinesis quirks volunteered to get rid of the water, but if they did then it'd take too long for the next match to occur.
In the end, only the stage was clear from damp spots, but that was only because Cementoss formed a new stadium by reshaping the old one.
"Okay listeners, now that we've dried up the stadium, we can move onto the next match!" Present-Mic shouted to the thunderous reply of the crowd. "For our next contender! He's wild, ferocious, an intellectual, and from Class 1-B! From the Hero Course– Shishida Jurota! Versus– the Spark Killing Boy! From the Hero Course, Kaminari Denki!"
Once the two of them appeared on the stadium, Present-Mic howled. "Ready? Start!"
In an instant, Kaminari fled. Shishida rushed towards him, size increasing as his quirk took effect. Just as he was at the edge of the arena, Kaminari turned and activated his quirk, blasting the incoming bestial boy with several thousand volts.
However, due to his thick hide, Shishida tanked the blow. He roared in pain but forced through the torrential pour of electricity. Once Kaminari realized the output wasn't enough, he cut off the charge and bolted to the side hoping that the combination of his electricity stunning the Class B student and his own momentum would result in him falling off the stage by himself.
Unfortunately, while a good plan, Shishida stretched his arm out and bashed the less agile boy along with him.
Together, they fell out of bounds.
"A short match and a photo-finish!" Present-Mic shouted. "Midnight, who touched the ground first!? I know for a fact that they left the ring at the same time, so let us hear the verdict!"
Midnight, after close inspection raised her whip. "Shishida advances to the next round!"
"Yes! Class B, represent! Suck it Class A!" -came a familiar voice.
"Monoma, shut it," -followed a reprimanding voice.
"You get excited about the weirdest things," -added another, somewhat unfamiliar, voice.
Applause soon came forth. It wasn't much, but compared to the stomp from before, it was a welcome sight.
However for the next round…
"Now, listeners! For the next round we have– Manly and passionate hardening! From the Hero course, Kirishima Eijiro! Versus– Even though he did well, why's he looking all nervous like that? From the Hero course, Midoriya Izuku!"
… these two.
Midoriya took a deep breath, he walked out of the tunnel and towards the stadium with his head held high. All-Might was watching him, he couldn't afford to look bad in front of his idol.
That wasn't all. A glance to the stage stands, where he had sat before during the last two matches, and waved at Uraraka and Iida. They, his friends, were cheering him on.
Friends… he supposed that it's been a while since he had a few he could truly call his friends. Not since preschool, perhaps. Not since Bakugo suddenly had a one-eighty turn in personality, going from being close friends to hated annoyance.
However…
Midoriya's gaze slowly traveled away from his friends to the ever familiar sight of Bakugo, glaring from above the stands looking both incredibly bored and irritated. A combination that Midoriya was sure he wouldn't find on anyone but his childhood friend.
Yes, friend.
No matter what experiences they shared, no matter how much they butt heads, Midoriya did not hate Bakugo. He was still Kacchan, his childhood friend, and a fellow student striving to become the number one hero.
Bakugo, of course, did not even acknowledge him there and focused on Midoriya's opponent, Kirishima. The redhead somehow caught Kacchan's interest, whether that was a good thing or a bad thing Midoriya didn't know, so he was likely just watching the match to see how he did.
Although… thinking about redheads had the inheritor of One-for-All slowly recall another redhead, the only other one in their class.
He wondered… would he take his words to heart?
A small part of him wanted to believe that Emiya would put his all in his upcoming match against Ashido Mina, but the logical part of his mind already told him that he wouldn't. He'd hold back and win without issue.
That wasn't a pot-shot at Ashido herself, but considering the disparaging impression that Midoriya had between them… He truly wanted to believe that the match up would be even, seeing as Ashido's acid could likely melt through the weaponry that Emiya could create, but that wasn't likely.
USJ told him that much.
Ashido would have died against that Nomu, no questions asked. Even if she turned up the lethality of her quirk and melted the creature's brain away, she would never have gotten close, or survive long enough to do so.
Emiya could and did.
Emiya got close and defeated the monster made to kill All-Might.
Todoroki told him so. He had warned him that, should they fight against Emiya, they should try to end that fight as soon as possible. Todoroki believed that Emiya held tricks up his sleeve, tricks he had concealed from the very beginning, all to upstage them in this event. That he was someone dangerous to be wary of.
Midoriya didn't believe it, of course. Whatever interaction they had prior likely colored his perspective on their odd classmate… but he supposed that it wasn't an unfounded one.
Emiya spoke about saving everyone, a beautiful dream that no hero should shame. However, in Todoroki's words, their classmate was willing to kill for it. It was for that reason alone that Todoroki's misgivings had some form of basis… but still, Midoriya didn't want to antagonize any of his classmates.
Emiya was his classmate. Just as Todoroki was, just as Bakugo was, just like everyone else, they were all his classmates. What Midoriya had to do, who he had to fight, and what exactly he was fighting for, he learned all about it in that one talk with his icy classmate.
Midoriya wanted to be the number one hero, to become someone strong enough to save people with a confident smile, for it was his dream, a lifelong dream.
"–I swear, I will not use my left side–"
Midoriya's fist clenched–
"–doing well in this festival isn't necessary–"
–and relaxed.
It was clear what he had to do.
"Oi, Midoriya!" Kirishima called out from his side of the arena. "That's a nice manly face your wearing! Can't wait to duke it out, right!?"
A soft smile crawled its way on his face. "I guess you can say that, Kirishima-kun."
"Are both fighters ready!?" Present-Mic shouted as his voice echoed throughout the arena. "And now, for the third match of the tournament– Ready?"
Midoriya clenched his fists and held them up.
Kirishima smiled and hardened his knuckles, readying his stance as he did so.
It was clear what he had to do–
"Start!"
–but first, he needed to win!
Yu, having been forbidden from going up to the student stands and watch the fights with Shirou, was currently moping in the staff break room. Oh, it was certainly her break, but it certainly didn't feel like one at the moment.
"I don't see why you're so down, Mount-Lady," Death-Arms said from beside her. "You still get to see the matches here. Once the second round starts, you can go and talk to him during the intermission."
Shinji, Kamui Woods as she would call him while still on the job, sighed in response. "I do not believe that is the issue here."
"That's right!" Mount-Lady suddenly surged up with a fire in her eyes. "Seeing the matches isn't the issue! It's seeing it with Shirou!"
"You've certainly gotten attached to him," Death-Arms commented. "It's been a few months and you're already doting on him. It feels odd, not gonna lie."
Shinji, somewhat feeling the same way, kept his mouth shut.
Yu, however, just blinked. "Am I supposed to not be?"
Seeing the hole he dug himself in, Death-Arms sought help in his co-worker, but he remained stalwart in his silence. Seeing Mount-Lady's fervent interest in his words, he couldn't stay silent. "… well, you know, most parents of adopted kids don't start feeling attached until a year or so passes, right?"
"I know that," Yu informed. "Why do you think I've been so clingy? I'm trying to speed it up! I adopted him so his happiness is my responsibility. Mother didn't raise a quitter!"
"… Okay, that wasn't what I meant," Death-Arms admitted. "I mean, do you think that your relationship is that of mother and son? From what I see, you look like friends."
"Hey! That's–" Yu made to argue, but when trying to find a counter-argument, her tongue stalled for several moments too long. That was all Death-Arms needed as he sighed immediately after.
"Look, I just found it odd. Don't pay me any mind," Death-Arms said, turning his attention to the match on screen. It had a kid called Midoriya Izuku and Kirishima Eijiro.
In another time, Yu would have actively paid attention to the kid they had all admonished all those months ago. In another time, Yu would have been arguing with Death-Arms until her lungs gave out. However, at this time, she found that she could do neither.
It was true that she acted as an overbearing mother for Shirou, emphasis on acting. Deep down, she wanted to mess around with him. She wanted to stay at home and laze about. She wanted to make a big splash as a professional hero. In some ways, she was already a very well-known hero. However, not in the way that she had initially envisioned for herself when she made her debut.
Those were the urges that Takeyama Yu kept sealed under lock and key, that she forbid from ever coming out. The reasons for this were numerous. Bad press for if she acted like she usually would with a kid waiting at home. Wanting to keep a good impression on the kid. But, above all, she wanted to help the boy that foolishly jumped out to save others.
It was like looking at a broken-winged bird, so desperately wanting to fly yet unable to do so. All he needed was a little help to reach it. She wanted to help him, just as her mother had done for her with her dream.
… but was she right in trying to force herself into his life? Shirou looked like he'd have been fine if he was left to live alone for years, and that thought worried her. Did he even want her in his life?
"Mount-Lady's actions may seem confusing, but I believe them to be worth respect."
Yu blinked.
"Do not falter, Yu," Shinji said. "I believe that, while confounding, your actions have merit. As I told you long ago, you have come a long way from the person you were before."
"… Thanks, Shinji."
"Just so you know," Death-Arms piped up. "I agree with him! No offense was meant."
"I got it, don't worry about it," Yu waved it off. Seeing them both turn away and focus on the match, which was admittedly interesting as that Midoriya kid was light on his feet, Yu turned away from them and towards her phone.
Or rather, a specific document she was sent a while ago.
Aizawa was able to access a bit more from Farran's files, which was why she was called away from precious bonding time with Shirou earlier. Yu wondered how he did so in the first place. To unlock the file, they'd need authority higher than the Endeavor himself–
Oh wait, All-Might was a faculty member in U.A., wasn't he? That explained it.
While Yu should have been happy that all the man's secrets were laid bare, she was not.
Because there were no secrets laid bare whatsoever.
The file, the one recorded in their system, had nothing.
His birthday, age, name, occupation, civil status, and quirk, all of that was there, true. However, that was all that was there. No home town, no educational history, nothing. It was like the guy only existed as he was now.
Aizawa was frustrated too, mostly because he said that convincing All-Might to help out was annoying in its own right, which made it all worse when they saw nothing from it.
The file was locked, but it wasn't hiding anything.
WHY!?
At this rate, Yu would need permission from Endeavor himself to know more about the guy.
Isn't that a scary thought?
Yu hid her frustration well and refocused on the match. It looked like it was nearing its conclusion, which was nice seeing as the last two matches ended pretty much instantly. That Midoriya kid looked short of breath, but the same could be said about that Kirishima too.
… Maybe asking Farran himself would be a better idea than asking the number two?
Midoriya ducked under a rock-hard hook, preventing his head from getting knocked like a doorbell.
Not yet. Midoriya had yet to use his quirk.
His quirk was strong, One-for-All had a reputation to uphold, after all. However, it wasn't omnipotent. He destroyed his own body trying to use it in its incomplete state. Against Kirishima, who Midoriya knew could take several and be in okay condition, it wasn't something he'd risk.
Kirishima hardened the molecules around his body and created a craggy rock-hard exterior. While Midoriya didn't know exactly how the quirk worked, he could make assumptions.
Midoriya dodged once more and threw his arm out. Of course, Kirishima blocked it by hardening his chest. His knuckles pained, but he hurt himself worse with One-for-All.
He gritted his teeth and pushed forth. Kirishima, who expected him to recoil in pain, cried out in surprise when he was forced back. A wicked grin slowly grew on his face. "That's manly, Midoriya!"
Those were the only things he said before his first drove down on him, catching him by his shoulder.
Midoriya winced, feeling as if his shoulder could've been dislocated if he hadn't moved back in time. Kirishima was strong. He didn't have to worry about his bones breaking because he could probably even harden those too.
Not good.
Midoriya wanted this to end as soon as possible, so he had been on the offensive, trying to get Kirishima to get back and closer to the edge. He wanted to get him out of the ring, but each time, Kirishima would stay as still, strong as an iron wall.
Time wasn't on his side either. Midoriya was getting tired, but Kirishima wasn't. He was on the defense, meaning he had exerted himself far less than Midoriya did. Even after all of his efforts, they had barely moved away from the center of the stage.
He wanted to keep his quirk unused until he fought Todoroki, just because it'd be extremely hard to face him if his fingers were all broken already, but it looked like it was inevitable.
Kirishima, having noticed Midoriya slowing down, finally charged. "Here I come, Midoriya!"
Midoriya, having seen the charge, resolved his mind and weaved around him. The rock-hard fist soared above him, narrowly missing his scalp, but Kirishima hadn't expected it.
Now was a perfect time. He was unbalanced, with his toe stuck out and his other heel up in the air.
Midoriya gathered One-for-All, and flicked–
"Uwah–!"
–A torrent of air followed suit, throwing the boy into the air like a rag-doll.
A single instance was all Midoriya needed to get the upper hand. If he had used his quirk earlier, it would've been better. Hindsight was not twenty-twenty.
However, he misjudged how far Kirishima would fly. His quirk hardened his body, but just like muscles, the more you had, the denser you were. The denser you were, the harder it was to sent flying. And with Kirishima hardening his entire body mid-air, he wasn't flying above the arena enough to exit. As he was now, he'd land safely on the ground and not the grassy outer rim.
Midoriya ran forward, ignoring the pain in his middle finger, and aimed with hand once more.
Kirishima widened his eyes and noticed something. While he was falling, there was no way for him to avoid a consecutive blow from Midoriya.
Just like that, with another blast from Midoriya's pointer finger, the red-haired classmate was sent flying further from the arena until he impacted the grass below.
"And Midoriya advances into the next round!" Midnight announced.
Shirou leaned against the railings once more, perking up only when he heard his classmates welcome Kirishima back from his match. He received congratulations and 'don't mind' from them, but he played them off with a smile.
From what he said, Midoriya had to go to the infirmary, which made sense. Shirou could tell that he wanted to avoid using his quirk, especially if the match ended up going this long.
Once he was done telling them where Midoriya went, he took his seat beside Bakugo.
"That was a real shit match," Bakugo berated. "Why'd you let him catch you off guard like that? You could've dealt with the nerd."
Kirishima laughed. "He's craftier than he looks! I thought I could go in and end it, but he turned it around. Real manly, don't you think?"
At Bakugo's irritated grunt, Kirishima turned and began avidly talking with Kaminari and Sato, both of whom sat behind him.
"Hey, Kirishima!" came a loud voice from the other student stand. Tetsutetsu, if he recalled. Hard to forget, seeing as his name was 'steel' repeated four times. "Why'd you lose!? You wouldn't have lost if you had your head in the game!"
The redhead in question just raised a confused brow. "But my head was in it, right?"
Tetsutetsu just covered his eyes as if recoiling from something. "Oh, he doesn't even know!?" His head disappeared. After shuffling from the other side of the wall, he appeared on their stand.
Without wasting a second, Tetsutetsu rushed over to Kirishima and yanked him away. "Get over here!"
"Whoa, wait a minute–"
His complaints became one with the wind, fading as he got further away with the Class-B student.
"You gonna follow them?" Kaminari offhandedly asked Bakugo.
"Hell if I care," Bakugo replied. "Leave it to the iron-guy. He doesn't look dumb enough to start something."
It was only when Midoriya returned to them, much to his friend's glee, that next match's contenders were called out. Shirou would've paid more attention, but his phone vibrating got his attention.
He blinked at the message he received.
'Meet me at the upper deck' –Archer.
… Fantastic.