Chapter 29 - Sharpening Other Swords
Shirou relaxed in the waiting room with a sigh.
There were a few minutes of intermission left before the next match began so he had wanted to rest for a bit. Three events back-to-back with barely any downtime was exhausting, but he wasn't feeling winded in the slightest. If anything, he was feeling more mentally exhausted than physically.
Granted, the only reason to feel exhausted would be due to an odd sensation, one he had not felt since coming to this world. Liberation, freedom, the feeling of being unshackled from an unseen duty.
It was nothing that extreme, but in some ways, he had started seeing it like that. He had a duty to protect his classmates, to save the lives right before him, and handle everything by himself. That was his usual modus operandi, even long before the Holy Grail War had come into his life.
Long before Rin entered his life.
However, it was never the right mindset. In hindsight, Rin had wanted the exact opposite for him. In his efforts of shouldering every issue around him, he had build up a burden too much for him to bear. That was the exact thing that led to Archer's downfall.
But he was alright with that. Emiya Shirou did not mind the end that awaited him and only sought to deny Alaya's eventual offer. However, with his very person being thrust into this new world, which seemed to both exalt and exaggerate his deepest wishes, he realized that Archer's end was no longer inevitable. His lonesome death was no longer inevitable.
As long as he had companions along the way, that is.
Midoriya– that usually nervous classmate of his, had said so himself. They weren't weak, no one from Class 1-A or Class 1-B was. They had the same aspirations that he had, to become a hero. They wouldn't want him to babysit them, even if it wasn't Shirou's intention.
EMIYA had fought alone, worked alone, and died alone without an ally in sight. Emiya Shirou might never need to, but he needed to make sure his allies were strong enough. He didn't get this strong being kept away from danger. Why should he expect his classmates to be any different?
It pained, irritated, and grated on the very core of his being, but it was a necessity. He was mature enough to grit his teeth and ignore it.
Shirou sighed. Give it enough time and this complex feeling would fade. More importantly, he really should vacate the room. The next participant would probably be arriving soon.
Speaking of the devil, the door opened just as he was about to leave.
"Ah, sorry Yaoyorozu," Shirou apologized. "I was just about to leave."
The somewhat startled expression on his classmate, and technical student– even if they only had one session together so far, had faded and replaced itself with a nod. She moved out of the way and let him leave.
… For some reason, a nagging feeling on the back of his mind kept him from walking out immediately.
"Is something wrong?" Shirou asked. "You don't look so well."
Yaoyorozu simply offered him a small smile. "No, I'm fine. I was just feeling a little nervous about the upcoming match."
"Worried that you'll lose?" Shirou tried, and at her nod, he smiled. "I think it'd be best if you just think about giving it your best. Winning or losing doesn't matter," but his pole-jumping child-self might disagree, even if he had outgrown that competitive nature.
"I see…" her weary expression had yet to fade. If anything, his words had the opposite effect. Crap, he wasn't the best with words. "Is this advice you personally take to heart?"
Shirou nodded and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I don't care about winning or losing, which seems to irritate some of our classmates–" or one in particular "– but in the end, if you care enough about something, you should give it your best. That's what I believe right now."
"So you don't personally care about winning?"
Shirou blinked at Yaoyorozu's sudden reply.
It seems she realized that her thoughts had leaked out and wet her suddenly dry lips. "What I mean to say is, you haven't seemed to be going to the same lengths as Todoroki – or even Midoriya – when it comes to winning. Throughout the day you were content with being sidelined. Do you not care about winning? I had expected you to want to do well."
Shirou had a feeling that there was something more to the question but answered as he usually would. "I'll be frank, I don't care about this event, at least not to the degree that the others do. The impact this would have on my future is little. Even if I land myself a good agency to be a 'sidekick' in, I would rather be going solo like Aizawa."
And just like Aizawa, the spotlight and the media attention was not something he liked in the slightest.
The light seemed to dim in her eyes as she looked away. "I see. I guess that makes sense. I suppose it's foolish of me to apply my expectations on others. I apologize, Emiya."
Seeing his presence as a detriment instead of improvement for her mood, he sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll leave you to relax. I'll be rooting for your victory. We'll be facing each other next round if you do, so I'll be waiting."
"Waiting?"
Odd tone, but he turned his head and nodded. "Yeah, frankly it doesn't matter to me who I face next, but it would be nice to face you again. I'd like to see if my teachings, as meager as they were, had any effect. It'd be like a rematch."
She blinked.
"A rematch…"
"Is there something wrong with it?"
Yaoyorozu shook her head fiercely. "No! Nothing at all. A rematch, I didn't see it that way, but I suppose it would be," She nodded to herself and soon a small smile sprouted at the edge of her lips. "A rematch…"
Shirou blinked and waved the odd behavior off. If she suddenly became happy then all was well, even if he didn't have the slightest clue as to why. "Good luck with your match, Yaoyorozu!" He said as he made his way down the corridor.
He didn't get a reply, but that was fine too.
Yaoyorozu breathed in and out.
Before, it was to steady her uneasy heart, but now it was to calm her excitement.
A rematch! It was perfect!
Even if Emiya didn't care about the event as a whole, which was just a suspicion at first then confirmed later, he did care about their upcoming rematch. Now was not the time for wallowing!
Once, she had seen herself as a genius, but that was quickly uprooted and humbled by the appearance of Emiya. He stood head and shoulders above her in many attributes, mainly combat. She aimed to be strong enough to compare to him – since they would inevitably be compared with how similar their quirks were – but deep down she saw herself sorely lacking.
If there was a word she could use to their relationship with each other, she'd have called it a rivalry. Much like what she had Todoroki, Bakugo, and to an extent Midoriya. A benchmark to set herself against, compare to, and improve upon, even if they didn't see it that way.
She had thought that, as rivals, she would be able to improve with head-to-head encounters throughout the sports festival. That hope was horridly dashed when she realized he didn't think the same way, and that honestly had placed a damper on her mood throughout the event.
However, there was a rematch abound, one that Emiya himself was looking forward to! Like a rival would!
It was the perfect way to set herself against him and improve! She had taken his teachings from what seemed like ages ago and adapted. She was not the same arrogant girl whom he had defeated easily. No, Yaoyorozu would face him to win.
As a rival!
Oh, that sounded good. Superb, even. She'd have to tell mother about this!
Yaoyorozu shook away the excitement, knowing that getting too caught up in her thoughts would be a detriment. She needed to have a clear mind in this match up.
"Offense and defense in one body! The dark samurai accompanied by an ever-present Dark Shadow! Tokoyami Fumikage from the Hero Course, versus–" Present-Mic bellowed. "–All mighty creation! She was admitted through recommendations so her abilities are the real deal! Also from the Hero course, Yaoyorozu Momo!"
Her opponent was strong, seeing him break out of Todoroki's fortress of ice with brute strength alone told her that much, and as usual with great strength came great durability. As her English teacher had said, offense and defense in one body.
Also, whilst she needed time to create her tools, Dark Shadow can come out instantly. An ever-present dark shadow was an apt moniker for it. The chance for a preemptive strike was high.
However, she had a plan. A solid plan, one that she had Todoroki to thank for. If she hadn't been in his team during the cavalry battle, then it was likely she might have lost this round, along with any hopes for a rematch.
She would not let that happen!
"Sixth match–" her opponent's narrowed eyes flashed open. "–start!"
"Go, Dark Shadow!"
"ORYA!"
There it is!
Yaoyorozu would not stand idle. She had a body and was not limited to just her creations. A half-formed shield took shape on her left arm as she parried Dark Shadow's form to the side. She took this chance to strafe away, trying to close the distance between them as much as possible.
If you couldn't block, then parry. Out of the few lessons she had gained from being on the wrong end of Emiya's shinai, that was one she didn't need a lecture for. Dark Shadow's form was far too fast for her to block without solid footwork. To even attempt was a one-way ticket to the boundary. Far too risky.
Yaoyorozu didn't stop there. Her plan was coming to fruition. The shield she made had finished forming. Unfortunately, not too thick, but it covered her forearm and that was enough.
Her left arm was creating something in her palm whilst her right arm formed a familiar polearm. That short bit of time would've cost her the match had she not dodged once more, rolling forward as Dark Shadow tried to force her out once more.
She wasn't close to him in the slightest. They were still on opposite ends of the arena, but she was making headway. The monstrous quirk wouldn't be able to knock her out of the arena from where they were at… maybe. It wouldn't hurt to remain cautious.
She thrust her spear to the side, where Tokoyami's quirk aimed to attack her, but her steel polearm bent and snapped. That's what she got for making it hollow inside, even if she needed it to come out faster.
Yaoyorozu rolled away from an impending attack once more but realized her error when Dark Shadow halted and changed direction.
A feint– he saw right through me!
Luckily, Yaoyorozu was on the ground so any attack he did was weaker. She was knocked away by the blow but rolled onto her feet to dodge the subsequent attack. Swift and unrelenting, much like a real shadow. She supposed that was a good thing.
Because much like a real shadow–
"Don't look away, Tokoyami-san!"
–they retreat from the light.
The flashbang she had been creating since the start had finally finished. It soared across the field towards her opponent while she covered her face with her shield.
A blinding flash cascaded from it and with that, a chance to move forward.
She lowered her shield and rushed ahead. This caused her to see that Tokoyami was caught off guard covering his eyes and straining to keep them open. Even if he closed his eyes, just a bit of light would've passed through. The human eyelid was not able to block all of it.
Dark Shadow was also struggling. It's previously mean demeanor had regressed into a whimpering child seeking protection from its parent. At that state, Yaoyorozu had a free-running start towards him.
"Dark Shadow, defend!"
"Can't, can't, can't, too bright, too bright!"
"The light is gone now! Hurry and get her!"
Dark Shadow, regaining its larger form and attitude, surged forth as swiftly as a viper–
"Are you sure about that?"
–only to be greeted by another blinding flash.
It recoiled once more, and before the quirk could regain its bearings, Yaoyorozu was already beside Dark Shadow and Tokoyami.
Knowing he could still retaliate, Yaoyorozu used her shield to bash his head to the side. She didn't want to harm him too badly so avoided his beak, but that didn't stop her from following up with a swift punch to the gut.
He gagged and folded over. His posture was unsteady, which was an opportunity.
With Dark Shadow still unable to hurt a fly and Tokoyami trying to catch his breath, she kicked him out of the arena as swiftly as she could. She didn't relax until his back hit the soft grass lining the stadium.
"Tokoyami is out of bounds!" Midnight called out, "Yaoyorozu proceeds to the next round!"
With that declaration, she allowed herself reprieve. She slacked her posture and simply breathed.
"Are you alright, Tokoyami-san?" she asked, worried for her opponent's wellbeing.
"… Fine, but a little frustrated," he admitted as he tried forcing himself into a sitting position. Dark Shadow, having finally recovered to normal size, groaned audibly by his side. "It was a magnificent victory. Stand tall with pride, Yaoyorozu."
A small smile was offered to him as she did as he said.
And the thunderous applause met her.
With this, the promised rematch was all but assured. She was eagerly looking forward to it. Yaoyorozu believed she had changed from the little girl that looked down on her classmate. This match… she believed it to be proof of it.
She turned her head to where she knew her classmates would be. She saw Jiro and Ashido smile and wave at her. She saw the applause from Iida and Ojiro, even the begrudging look of acknowledgment from Bakugo.
That alone told her she surpassed expectations.
But most important was the look of approval from Emiya himself, the man she saw as her rival.
Stand tall with pride. She will do just that, Tokoyami.
"So, you realized my weakness?" He said as he stood up.
"During the Cavalry battle, yes," Yaoyorozu admitted. "I only realized when Todoroki threw the flashbang. I didn't know beforehand, so it was a lucky break for me."
"Still, one or two flashbangs wouldn't have been able to keep me stunned for long," Tokoyami declared. "If I had dodged your attacks, you might've been in trouble being that close to the edge."
"True," Yaoyorozu admitted with a smile as removed she her shield. "However, as you can see, I didn't make just two."
Yaoyorozu's left hand had another grenade set, with her thumb sat neatly on the pin and ready to let it loose.
And Tokoyami's eyes widened as he let out an unheard squawk.
Seeing another flash grenade wasn't that all that shocking.
However, when Tokoyami noticed the literal row of half-formed flash grenades – snaking all around her left arm, ready to slide into her palm at any moment – he realized that she had him from the start.
"It ended the moment I failed to knock you out at the beginning, didn't it?" He muttered. "Still, to be able to create that many items in reserve, all the while cleanly avoiding my Dark Shadow's assaults… I had thought that Bakugo and Todoroki were the only ones in our class to worry about, but it seems that I was wrong."
Once again, all she could offer was a small smile.
Shirou smiled from his seat.
He was proud, to say the least. He didn't invest much time into training her, so he couldn't say if his help had influenced her in any way, but it didn't stop his surging pride.
Tokoyami was the strongest of the two, with his Dark Shadow being able to overpower the average person any day of the week, but he had still lost. Being weak to intense light was just an oddly ironic weakness to have. Tokoyami would need to work on that weakness in the future.
Anyways, Emiya could've chalked it up to arrogance or a lapse in judgment, but the truth of the matter was that Yaoyorozu earned that victory. She had a plan and executed it perfectly.
… Especially after seeing the backup grenades that she had at hand.
"Woohoo! Yaomomo did it!" Jiro cheered. "Didya see, Emiya?"
Now, if only Jiro stopped shaking him.
"Yes, it was a well-earned victory," he dryly commented. "Now could you stop shaking me?"
She laughed it off but complied afterward. "Chill out man, aren't you happy for her?"
"I am," Shirou admitted. "but she wouldn't be able to hear us from here. Might as well save it for when she gets here."
"Tch, if only Dark Shadow tore up her uniform just a bit…"
"I think it's this guy that needs a chill pill, not Emiya," Kaminari muttered before inching away from him as if he didn't want to be associated with him, even if they were friends of some sort.
His efforts were rewarded when a tongue stretched out of nowhere and hung him upside down.
"Hey! Tsuyu-chan, the blood's going to flood my head!"
"I never said you could call me Tsuyu-chan, kero."
Ignoring the antics of his classmates, Shirou focused on the arena. True, there was nobody on it at the moment, but the next round of matches would begin soon. Perhaps once Yaoyorozu made it back.
Todoroki had already left so he assumed that Shishida did as well. While Shirou wanted to root for his friend's victory, he knew how low of a chance there was for that to happen. There wasn't much in the bestial teen's arsenal that could combat Todoroki's ice, save for his strength, but even then he'd be overwhelmed by the constant barrage.
"Welcome back. Momo!" Ashido cheered.
"Nice match, Yaomomo!" Jiro called. "Rough a bit at the beginning though, right Emiya?"
As if on cue, Yaoyorozu returned with Tokoyami in tow. They merely smiled, or merely nodding in the avian boy's case, and took their seats. They devolved into idle chatter, but that was fine. Yaoyorozu had asked for his opinion on the match so he answered.
Kaminari wanted Midoriya's opinion too, so he answered by saying time was the defining factor of who would win. Tokoyami would've won had he prevented Yaoyorozu from creating her items, but his temporary student proved to be too elusive for Tokoyami.
Eventually, the student booth quieted down once both opponents appeared on the field. Present-Mic announced it and introduced the students as usual.
Within a few moments, the match began.
Within a few moments, the match ended.
Shishida didn't stand a chance.
Sure, he had managed to hold on for a little while by using his bestial form and dodging the waves of ice. However, once an incredibly large wave came around, all he could do was try and overpower it. He had a little headway at the beginning but the constant onslaught of ice proved too overwhelming for the Class 1-B student to handle. Eventually, he was forced out of the arena.
The audience applauded him for his effort, but it seemed that even they knew the outcome was inevitable.
"Damn," Kaminari muttered. "You know, I don't think anyone here can beat him."
"His quirk is really strong," Uraraka muttered. "There isn't much we can do."
"You might end up facing him in the finals, Yaomomo," Jiro added. "Any ideas?"
Yaoyorozu seemed to open her mouth but ultimately closed it. "I'd have to make it to the finals first."
"Right, you're up against Emiya…" Jiro muttered. "That's rough."
"Yeah, we already know how that match up is going to end," Kaminari added. "He beat her last time in All-Might's class."
"It won't end the same way this time."
Shirou raised his brow at her. She was strangely determined in that declaration.
"Oh? Yaomomo's feeling competitive!" Jiro cheered a bit. "Well, any secret plan to deal with him this time!?"
"I don't think she'd say when Emiya-san is here," Midoriya added as he took a break from his notebook. There seemed to be a sketch of Shishida on it. Shirou found it strange he didn't have one already, seeing as he could have made one during All-Might's class, but he immediately saw the flaw in that logic because Midoriya was indisposed back then.
"–As if the bastard would try to win."
A hushed growl came from behind them.
"Any reason for that, Bakugo?" Kaminari asked as he failed to show the little tact he could've had.
"Ask the fuck himself!" he growled out before looking away from him.
"Yeah, how about no," Kaminari eventually said, likely just to piss him off.
"By the way!" Midoriya hastily continued, trying to make sure that Bakugo didn't burst a vein. "I've been meaning to ask about your quirks. They're so similar that I want to find out the key differences–"
"Before that!" Iida interrupted. "Midoriya, your match is up next. Hurry down before they disqualify you!"
The green-haired student reacted by dropping his notebook and pen, which Ashido snatched midair, and made a beeline for the exit.
"He gets way too lost in his thoughts sometimes," Kaminari commented. "Speaking of lost in thoughts, anyone knows where Kirishima went? He was just here a minute ago?"
"… You're right, he was here just a second ago," Jiro muttered.
"Oi, Bakugo! Any idea?" Kaminari asked him once more.
"Hell if I know! I'm not his babysitter!"
"Touchy, touchy," Kaminari muttered. "You'd think an ant crawled up his ass…"
"It's because you keep egging him on," Jiro berated. Bakugo simply growled and made his way to the far corner of the booth. From his attitude, he wasn't in the mood for talking anymore, but that wasn't saying much.
The glare he sent his particular direction certainly confirmed it.
"You think he went for something to drink?" Jiro tried asking.
"Nah, he would've asked what drinks he could get for us," Kaminari said as he inched away from Bakugo, even when they were already several seats apart. "But a cola doesn't sound too bad right about now…"
"Ah! Let me go get some!" Ashido called from the other end of the booth, she seemed to be skimming Midoriya's notes, hopefully with permission. She took some orders – Emiya refrained from asking for anything – and took off running. "Be right back!"
"Hey, Emiya!" came Itsuka's sudden shout from over the wall. "You missed Yui's last match! Don't miss this one!"
Yui? Ah, she meant Kodai.
Shirou did miss her last match, and while he felt a bit bad about that, he had a few matters to attend to back then. He nodded and focused on the arena before him. He could've used the big monitor, but the magus personally found using reinforced eyes proved better than stylized camera angles.
Once Kodai and Midoriya stepped out, the booth quietened.
He was there.
Unlike during her first match, Emiya sat alongside his classmates and watched her upcoming match. While she should've felt glad that a… friend – could they call themselves that? – she did feel a slight pang of annoyance that he wasn't earlier.
Her first match was a nerve-wracking and hard-earned victory, one in which she clawed the very equipment off of her opponent and use it to her advantage.
Her quirk, Size, only worked on non-living objects she'd touched, after all. Shame though, she'd very much have enjoyed growing and shrinking in size like Mount Lady, at least before the novelty wore off.
Musings of quirks that weren't hers aside, the reason for her annoyance was simple. This match was one she was guaranteed to lose, so she gave her absolute all in her first one. She already made a good impression on a few agencies so her opportunities for internship increased.
She could think of a few agencies she'd love to join, one of them being mentally mentioned before, but musings of the future could be saved for later. There was a time, and place for everything, and currently, this was the time for her to defeat.
Defeat, a forgone conclusion.
Midoriya Izuku, the glass cannon of Class 1-A. One finger from him alone could send her flying out of the ring – no ifs, and, or buts about it. She was a fairly lightweight girl.
The majority of sponsors and the audience might've realized this, the cheers in the audience were more subdued and relaxed than her first one. None of them would fault her if she just gave up now.
Yes, not a single one of them…
"Okay, listeners! The second round of the second match is here!" Present-Mic called. "Welcome them back, Kodai Yui and Midoriya Izuku, both from the Hero Course!"
… But that didn't mean she couldn't try and win. She'd be doing Shinso a disservice otherwise.
Kodai steadied her breathing and took off one shoe.
The action seemed to set Midoriya on edge. Not bad, he seemed to realize her intentions right from the get-go. As the whole stadium knew, her quirk did not work on living beings. She needed something to use it on, so her shoes were a perfect fit.
Unfortunately, she didn't have anything else. She could've taken off her shirt but that would've earned her a one-way trip to the principal's office. Her pants were an even worse idea.
"Are both participants ready!?" Present-Mic shouted. "Start!"
Instead of brazenly charging ahead like Kodai thought he would, Midoriya strafed cautiously to her side. He was still approaching, but at an angle. He was ready to dodge anything she would throw at him.
However, that wasn't her plan.
She tossed the shoe upward, maintaining eye contact with Midoriya to see if he'd stare upwards at it.
When his narrowed eyes focused solely on her form, she frowned. She wouldn't catch him off guard, but that was fine. It just meant that she'd have to be more careful with her followup.
Midoriya started to charge his way towards her– ready to stop whatever plan she had ready. The shoe above her rotated, drawing nobody's attention but her own. By the time the Class A student was close, her quirk came to life.
Slamming her palms together, ensuring her fingertips touched each other to activate it, the shoe she was still wearing expanded and quickly swallowing her form.
Her quirk required prior skin-contact, so she had slipped one of her socks far enough that her heel touched her bare shoe. Grabbing the other shoe was the actual distraction.
A layered distraction, a flowchart of mind games that she felt Shinso – and even Monoma to an extent, would approve of.
The rapidly growing shoe seemed to shock Midoriya, but only for a second as he jumped and latched onto it. Even if he hovered outside the arena line, as long as he didn't touch the ground he wouldn't lose.
However, from her own decisions, she was soon trapped in a dark box of her making. The only way for her to escape was to shrink it back down.
So, she did.
She was sure that Midoriya was still latching onto his dear life, so the sudden shrinking of his lifeline would prove fatal. He'd lose his grip and fall onto the grass below.
The darkness of her footwear was replaced with the light of the sky. With free vision granted to her once more, she quickly gazed around to see where Midoriya would have fallen.
A strange blur left her vision as a swift breeze brushed her side.
"Sorry about this!"
Kodai's eyes widened once she heard the voice from behind her.
Try as she might to swivel and face him, her arms were locked meaning her quirk was sealed.
In one second, she was lifted off her feet.
In two seconds, she was at the arena outskirt.
By the third second, she was standing outside of it.
"Kodai is out of bounds!" came Midnight's familiar call. "Midoriya advances to the next round!"
Kodai frowned and sighed. The restraining grasp ceased and she could feel her arms again. She rubbed her wrists just a tad bit, feeling just a bit sore after being grabbed in like that.
"Sorry," Midoriya said once more. "I didn't want to lose."
A sentiment she could get behind. She didn't either, even when she knew it was the most likely outcome.
"How did you get behind me?" She asked earnestly, already making her way off the stadium.
"Um, I was sort of sent flying upward by your first attack," he admitted. "But I landed on top of your shoe. When it started shrinking I panicked and leaped forward as much as I could. I think I overshot you and landed behind you."
… so that gust of wind was him?
"I thought your quirk was strength related?" She asked.
"It is. I just used a finger of mine to change direction midair."
She raised a brow once they were both off the stadium.
Changing direction midair? Now wasn't that familiar. She took a glance at the stadium booths and ignored the audience. The only reactions she took in were her classmates' consolation cheers, a few excited cries from the audience, and the fuming of an explosively irate hero course student.
"You guessed where I got the idea from, then?" he muttered.
Kodai nodded. "Bold move."
"… is it bold enough to stop me from getting blown up though?" He muttered.
However, his sudden wince in agitation caught her attention. Just when she was about to offer aid, she noticed his middle and pointer fingers were wrapped in bandages. The injury must've been a carryover from his first match, but the recent addition of a blackened ring finger caused her to wince. "… five shots left," he muttered again. "Can I do it with just five…?"
"Did you get that looked at yet?" she asked. It wouldn't be good if he kept up the tough guy act.
"If I go to the clinic, then Recovery Girl will probably stop me from moving on to the next round due to injuries," he replied. "I don't want to miss my next match."
His next match… based on the bracket, wasn't that with Endeavor's son?
"You might lose that match anyway," she offered. "I know I'm a stranger to you, but take this advice. It might be better for you, in the long run, to just get it looked at and drop out."
"T-Thank you for the advice, Kodai-san," he thanked with a weak smile. However, that smile faded as a strange look overtook him. "But I'm fine. Even if I lose, there's a reason for me to get out there."
That look… where did she see a similar look before…?
Her mind strayed to the past. Back when she enrolled in this school of dreams. Back when she was naive and misjudged her abilities. Back when she was trapped underneath countless rubble.
That was when it clicked.
Emiya had a similar look on his face.
It was determination. Determination to see something through, even if it costed his wellbeing.
With Emiya, she could understand. They were trapped under an avalanche of rubble – a literal toppled building – with little room for leisure. In such a situation, she could understand him having such a determined mindset.
But Midoriya? What purpose would there be to that determination here?
She had a feeling she wouldn't get an answer from him even if she asked, so wisely kept silent. She still told him to get a few bandages or something, which he thankfully obliged. At least he wasn't suicidal, that was a plus.
She just hoped she could escape Kendo's teasing when she returned to the booths.
Kirishima bit back a frustrated sigh and leaned against the stadium wall.
He left the booth before Midoriya's match started. Nobody noticed, which was a surprise seeing as he was dead center of the booth, but that was fine. He honestly just wanted some more time to think.
Back when he was dragged away by Tetsutetsu, they ended up leaving the festival itself. That guy didn't even pay him any attention when he said he wanted to watch everyone's matches. He could watch it from the giant television screen, Tetsutetsu had said.
It wasn't the same thing, and Tetsutetsu probably knew that too.
Eventually, they arrived in a training hall. It was vast and empty, most likely since nobody was around. They took a trip back to campus and Kirishima still had no idea why.
At least, until Tetsutetsu stepped up onto the training arena with steel coated fists.
A spar.
That guy knew that he couldn't, or rather wouldn't, be able to refuse. Tetsutetsu had strode up and challenged him right then and there, even knowing it was likely going to get them in trouble if they were ever found out.
But for the life of him, Kirishima couldn't figure out why.
Nothing Kirishima could have said deterred him. Tetsutetsu had been serious about that spar and wouldn't take no for an answer.
A few minutes later, they were both covered in wounds with bones and muscles aching from exertion.
Kirishima rubbed his forearm as he recalled how painful that experience was, but any annoyance he could've had over the situation fell flat as confusion took over. Tetsutetsu raged and battered his fist onto the cement floor.
Why? Why was he so angry? Kirishima was the one who fell over first, the one who admitted defeat. If anything, Tetsutetsu should've been happy over his victory.
Except he wasn't. The fact that Kirishima gave up just infuriated him.
When Tetsutetsu stormed away from the training hall and Kirishima asked what was wrong, he just glared his way.
It wasn't clear to him back during the cavalry battle, but after exchanging fists, Tetsutetsu said he got all he needed. He was wrong about him. The manly determination he thought he saw in him was real, but that determination disappeared. It should've resurfaced ages ago, but what Tetsutetsu said he saw now was a mere shell. Where did his gutsy determination go?
He left him there, in the training hall, with only his muddled thoughts as company.
Kirishima should've felt angry. He was dragged against his relative will to a faraway place, fought when he should've been resting, and now abandoned. Any other person would be angry. He should be angry.
He wasn't. All Kirishima felt was confusion.
It took him a minute to get back onto his feet and head on over back to the stadium and into the booth. That should've been enough time to think over what went down, but apparently no it wasn't. Not nearly enough.
Thus leading to his current situation, leaning against the stadium wall with a lot – yet at the same time nothing at all – on his mind.
Where did his gutsy determination go?
Try as he might, to think back on the past few weeks of his life, Kirishima didn't know where it went. He still felt it pushing him forward in his day-to-day life, but it was muted. The only reason he could think of for why was…
Black and unending.
Anger, arrogance, sadness, greed, emptiness, hate, despair–
His encounter with the Beast of Hosu was short and brief, but he could not forget about it. Whenever he tried surging up some of his determination, that image of unrelenting… something that kept crawling back out.
He hated it. He wanted to forget about it, but it felt as if that image engraved itself onto his very soul.
Thus, any determination that came out was a sham. A facade to fool not only others but himself. Tetsutetsu must've noticed it and thought a good old fashion manly brawl would bring him to his senses. A few times, he thought it might, but in the end, it was snuffed out.
It was like he was back in those days where he couldn't move. Where people needed his help before him but his legs stalled. Kirishima wanted to move past that, to become a better person than he was before, but it seemed to be harder than it looked.
A brave front was all he could put up.
A coward playing at being a gutsy hero was cowed by a horrific villain.
… at this rate, nothing would change.
At USJ, he was the most useless. While Todoroki and Bakugo fought on, he could barely do anything. A punching bag for strong villains, in the end, that was all he accomplished.
"Hey, Kirishima," came a familiar voice. "You okay over there?"
A face appeared out the corner of his eye. A pink one.
"Sorry, Ashido," Kirishima muttered with a somewhat tired smile. "I just went to the toilet! Did I miss anything?"
"That's why you should've gone earlier!" Ashido berated. "Well, you just missed Midori's match with a Class 1-B girl, but then again, I missed it too."
"Why?" He asked. "You're not the type to miss out on anything,"
"Oh? And apparently, you know my type so well?" She teased but conceded the point. "Well, some of our classmates were thirsty so I volunteered. Want to help?"
Kirishima nodded and followed her.
It was a nice distraction to have.
Shirou clapped alongside his classmates.
It was a short, but splendid match. He thought both parties did well. Kodai with her first move and Midoriya with his last.
However, he was worried. He had seen Midoriya's hand when he was resting which caused him some worry, but after the match, he could tell that he could barely use that hand of his anymore. Three broken fingers were not something to laugh at, especially if they're blackened to the point of looking like charcoal. Shirou wasn't sure there was magecraft that could heal that without a downside.
"Midoriya won… but," Mineta muttered from his new home. A bunch of tape restraining him to the wall, a courtesy from Sero. Admittedly, Mineta didn't seem to mind. He mentioned having a good view of the competition. "He's not going to last, you know? It's like he can only use one hand now."
"Recovery Girl's going to need to work on him," Kaminari muttered. "That's gotta hurt like hell. How does he manage to walk fine after that?"
"Adrenaline, perhaps?" Yaoyorozu offered. "In the heat of battle, you tend to ignore injuries to surprising degrees."
"Something you studied in a private tutor's class, Yaomomo?" Jiro teased. When the poor girl stammered a denial, Jiro only offered a teasing grin. Somehow, this only lasted a second before she asked a new question. "Speaking of class… did our resident class-representative make his way down already?"
Uraraka nodded, a hint of a wry smile on her face. "Yeah, Iida went down already. He's diligent like that."
Still worried for her friend Midoriya, it would seem. Well, not that they were blaming her. An upbeat and gentle girl like her would undoubtedly worry about her friends. Friends as in plural. It wasn't just Midoriya she worried about.
After all, the very next match involved yet another friend of hers.
"Hey guys, I'm back," came a familiar voice. Shirou turned to his classmates and smiled in greeting.
"Drinks have arrived!" cried Ashido.
"Yo, Kirishima! Ashido! Oh, and Midoriya. Nice fight!" Kaminari exclaimed before turning back to the spiky-haired brawler. "What took you so long? You missed Midoriya's match!"
Kirishima smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I took a dump."
"I found him on the way to the vending machine, though. He helped me carry everything!" Ashido said. "Come and get your drinks!"
"Well, on the bright side, you're not missing Bakugo's match!" Kaminari continued as he opened his cola. "Wait, where did he– crud, he already left. Impatient as always, still don't get why you're friends with him."
"He's not that bad," Kirishima tried defending him. "Sure, he has his moments, but he's not a bad guy deep down."
"Kirishima, he's a dick."
"Okay maybe a little but– wait why's Mineta tapped to the wall?"
Mineta's eye twitched as he took a sip of his drink. As for how he could do that while being wrapped in tape, his arms were freed so he could have his raspberry soda. "You just noticed?"
"He committed heinous war crimes," Sero, his resident warden, solemnly claimed with a sip into his iced tea. He then tapped a cup holder for Mineta, in case he got tired holding it. They had to clean up any mess they made so a spill would be bad.
"Don't change the subject!" Kaminari admonished. "Bakugo is a dick. A huge one. I don't even know why they let him in here. Not exactly hero material, is he?"
"Well, he is trying to become a hero, isn't he?" Kirishima added on. "Nobody who wants to be a hero is a bad guy in my book. He says a lot of mean stuff, but he's a bro! Trust me, you'll see what I'm talking about."
Kaminari faked vomit. "Alright, maybe sunshine's got a little glimmer. But Midoriya knows he's a dick, right? I heard you practically grew up with the guy."
At suddenly being put on the spot, Midoriya stammered for a short second before responding.
"Kacchan is just Kacchan. He says a lot of mean things, but that's fine. I'm used to it. There's no denying he'll eventually become a great hero," Midoriya offered. From his smile, Shirou could tell that he believed every word he said.
… Although, it probably wasn't a good thing that he was used to Bakugo's foul-mouthed behavior.
"… The two of you are hopeless," Kaminari finally blurted out.
"The third match of the second round is here! Welcome back Iida Tenya and Bakugo Katsuki of Class 1-A!" Present-Mic sounded. "Without further ado, start!"
As if clockwork, the conversation they had died down to focus on the match.
In all honesty… it didn't look good for Iida. Not even a little bit.
Iida's strength was in his speed. The only feasibly way for him to win was for him to ring Bakugo out, and that would be a fruitless endeavor, especially since the explosive teen could just fly back into the arena if he needed to. It was that simple.
There was always straight up knocking Bakugo out to win, but that was as likely as shooting a star from the bottom of the sea. Iida was outclassed in combat in every feasibly way. Iida was restrained to close-combat and sudden bursts of speed. Bakugo had long, mid, and close-ranged attacks, paired with unnatural reaction time and surprising combat sense. Even at a cursory glance, you could tell victory was highly in Bakugo's favor.
And when the match began… it didn't even last a minute.
Bakugo surged to the sky and barely avoided Iida's roundhouse kick. In that same motion, he grabbed Iida's inner thigh – avoiding the searingly hot engine on his calf – and roughly threw him away.
Iida recovered as fast as he could, but once Bakugo was upon him, he lost any chance of dictating the pace.
Iida could not avoid the point-blank explosion – potency reduced to not permanently scar him which was a good thing – and was sent flying off the stadium like a rag doll. Their class president tumbled atop the grassy terrain before being caught by Midnight, who had left her post the moment she realized who was about to win.
"Iida is out of bounds," Midnight called from her built-in mic. A grunt of effort left her as she helped Iida to his feet. "Bakugo moves on to the semi-finals!"
His victory had been swift.
"So… I'm still not seeing how he's not a dick," Kaminari honestly said. "Couldn't he have held back a bit?"
"With how hungry that guy is for victory, I doubt it," Jiro muttered. "It would've been great to see him get what's coming to him, though."
Midoriya was strangely silent. He was staring at the match with a deep frown but shook it off, which Shirou found strange. It didn't look like he was thinking about the match.
"… A thought just occurred to me," Mineta suddenly said.
"If it's perverted in the slightest…" Asui warned.
"It's not!" Mineta denied from his tape prison. "Look, it's Yaoyorozu and Emiya's match next, right?" At the nods he received, he continued. "That means whoever wins that has to face Bakugo next."
Yaoyorozu blinked at the obvious conclusion but paled in realization soon after.
"I admit that I do not think I have a countermeasure for him," she admitted. "What about you, Emiya-san?"
Shirou scratched the back of his head.
He could beat Bakugo with Noble Phantasms. However, if he was just considering the non-obvious phantasms and mystic codes he could conjure, there was a chance. Bakugo would not drop from casual attacks or blunt forces, so he'd need to go for some serious attacks. Problem was, Shirou didn't want to actually maim or permanently harm his classmate.
His trail of thoughts paused as he saw Bakugo, still down in the stadium, glare up to their booth. For some reason, he felt it was focused on him – or maybe on Todoroki since he remained standing at the back of the booth.
"Not sure," Shirou eventually answered.
He could beat Bakugo in a serious fight, he believed it down to his core. However, in a tournament setting like this? He'd probably have to trace Rider's chains and restrain his movement to ring him out. A task much easier said than done.
… In any case, he wasn't looking forward to a match with him. Not at all.
"Before you think of the next match," Yaoyorozu advised as she stood up. "There is another you must think about. A rematch I'm very much looking forward to."
Shirou was silent for a second before nodding. "You're right. I'll think about Bakugo later."
"Later?" Yaoyorozu muttered with a raised brow and slit lips. "Are you that certain of your victory over me?"
"Save the pre-fight banter for the arena!" Jiro shouted out as she raised her boot towards them. "Get going! I don't want any of you disqualified for being late!"
And so they did.