As Izuku made his way toward the waiting room, the noise of the roaring stadium fading behind him, he suddenly felt the air shift. The temperature spiked unnaturally, heat licking at his skin. A heavy shadow stretched across the corridor, and Izuku knew before he even turned who it belonged to.
Slowly, he pivoted on his heel.
Towering over him was Endeavor, his flames smoldering faintly across his shoulders and hair, his sharp gaze piercing straight through him.
"That's quite the quirk you've got there," Endeavor said, voice like a low growl. "It reminds me of a certain vigilante… but that's a conversation for another time." He stepped closer, the heat intensifying with every movement. "My boy, Shoto—when you face him, I expect you to give it your all. Show him no mercy."
Izuku blinked, unfazed. "Oh, okay," he replied flatly before turning back to walk away.
But Endeavor wasn't finished.
"Yes… it'll serve as the perfect test for him," Endeavor continued, flames flickering hotter with his pride. "If Shoto can beat you, then I know—he'll be able to surpass even All Might."
Izuku stopped mid-step, his smirk returning as he glanced over his shoulder. "Is it because you failed to do that?"
The words cut like a knife.
A sudden surge of heat flared. Flames roared up Endeavor's hair, his entire body briefly engulfed in fire as his eyes narrowed into a glare sharp enough to pierce steel. The corridor felt like a furnace, sweat forming on the walls.
Then, unexpectedly, Endeavor chuckled. "You've got a sharp tongue, kid." The flames dimmed, though the heat lingered. "After this is over, come by my agency. I'd like to have a nice, friendly spar with you."
With that, Endeavor walked past him, leaving scorch marks along the floor tiles in his wake.
Izuku stood there for a moment, then exhaled, shoulders dropping slightly. 'Man, parents… I'm lucky I got a nice mom like Inko.' He shook his head and pushed open the waiting room door.
---
The following matches rushed by in a blur. Some were over in seconds, others dragged longer than they should have.
One in particular stood out: Katsuki vs. Ochaco.
Ochaco fought far harder than most had expected. She moved with sharper reflexes, her control over her quirk more refined, and her determination burned like steel in her eyes. With every blast Bakugo hurled, she adapted, closing the distance again and again. The stadium buzzed with energy as people realized this wasn't the same "sweet, clumsy girl" they thought they knew—this was a fighter who refused to back down.
Even still, the difference in power was overwhelming. Katsuki's explosions shattered her strategy, but when she finally fell to her knees, she wasn't broken. She had forced him to fight seriously, and everyone knew it.
Izuku smiled quietly in the waiting room, watching the broadcast. 'That's the Ochaco I knew was in there.'
---
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
The bracket board lit up:
Izuku Midoriya vs. Shoto Todoroki.
The roar of the crowd was deafening as the two names appeared side by side. Commentators shouted over one another. Bets were whispered, gasps echoed, and all eyes locked onto the arena floor.
Izuku stood, stretching his arms casually, rolling his shoulders. His green eyes gleamed with excitement as he walked toward the stage.
Across from him, Todoroki was already stepping out, cold mist rising off his right side while faint sparks of heat shimmered from his left. His expression was as sharp as the ice forming at his feet.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! It's one of the fights you've all been waiting for! Two prodigies, both carrying insane potential, both storming through the rounds like natural-born champions—but only one can move forward! Who will it be!?" Present Mic roared, his voice shaking the stadium.
The audience erupted, stomping, cheering, clapping—an ocean of sound.
' I'll put all my cards on Izuku... kid's unstoppable,' Present Mic thought, sweat rolling down his temple.
"MIDORIYA VS. TODOROKI... START!!!"
The horn blasted.
' What abilities should I use?' Izuku thought calmly, hands still buried in his pockets.
The moment the signal dropped, Shoto lunged forward, slamming his foot into the ground as a massive ice wave exploded outwards, racing straight toward Izuku.
CRRRRSSHHHHHH
The temperature plummeted, frost racing across the arena floor as jagged ice spikes shot up.
Izuku's eyes narrowed. His lips curved into a small grin as he cocked his arm back.
BOOM!
With a single, thunderous punch, the entire ice wave shattered into shards, blasting back toward Shoto. The ground cracked beneath the impact.
The shards flew like blades, forcing Shoto to throw up a towering ice wall. The audience gasped as the ice barrier cracked under the recoil.
Izuku didn't wait. His figure blurred, sprinting through the collapsing ice. Shoto countered by conjuring a massive ice boulder overhead, freezing the ground beneath his feet and sliding forward like a skater.
The ice boulder dropped.
"!!!"
Izuku's eyes suddenly glowed emerald. ZZZT!
Twin beams of energy burst from his gaze, slicing cleanly through the ice boulder. It split apart midair before melting into steam and water, raining down over the arena.
The steam hissed. Shoto was already there, ice coating his fist. He swung at Izuku point-blank.
Izuku tilted his head. The frozen fist whooshed past his cheek.
Shoto pressed harder, striking again and again—ice bursting from each punch as his movements grew sharper, more desperate. But Izuku? He had his hands in his pockets the entire time, body weaving between each blow like he was dancing. His calm smirk only deepened.
Shoto gritted his teeth. "Tch…" His left arm shot out, releasing a sudden burst of ice wave point-blank into Izuku's torso.
KRSSHHHHHH
The arena floor cracked as cold fog swallowed everything. Half of Shoto's body froze over, frost spreading down his shoulder and cheek.
And Izuku? He was completely engulfed in ice.
The crowd went silent.
"Did… did Midoriya just—!?"
Before Midnight could even say anything, the ice shattered.
CRACK! BOOOOM!
Shards exploded outward as Izuku hovered above the ground, his UA uniform soaked, hair dripping with melted frost. He sighed, brushing his sleeve off.
' This is getting boring. And now I'm wet… pause,' he thought dryly.
He floated down, landing lightly in front of Shoto, who was already panting, steam rolling from his frozen half.
"You better release your other side," Izuku said flatly, his voice carrying through the mist. "If you don't, you'll die. And that would be… boring."
Shoto clenched his fists, his breath ragged. "No! I won't use his power!"
Izuku tilted his head. "His? You're only chaining yourself. This is your fight, not his. If you lose here without using everything you've got—you'll feel nothing but emptiness. Because you didn't try your best. So…" His golden eyes glowed brighter. "…let go. Otherwise, with just one punch—"
He cocked his fist back. The air around his arm trembled, the arena floor cracking from the sheer force gathering in his muscles.
WOOOSH!
He lunged forward, fist cutting through the air. The shockwave blew across the arena like a hurricane, debris, dust, and shattered frost blasting back into the walls. Izuku stopped his fist an inch from Shoto's face, the gust ruffling his dual-colored hair.
Shoto's eyes widened, frozen in place.
"…You'll be down."
Silence. The stadium roared back to life.
Izuku relaxed, stepping back to his spot like nothing happened. His uniform still clung wetly to his frame, water dripping to the ground. Shoto stood stiff, still frozen in half, his chest heaving, his pride trembling.
This wasn't just a fight—it was a message.
TO BE CONTINUED