Chapter 8: It's Our Power
U.S Stadium Arena, Match One
"Alright, folks, are we ready for this first round?" Present Mic asked the audience loudly, he was met with a roar of shouts and whoops. "That's what I'm talking about! In our first corner, we have the Festival's Favourite so far… IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
The audience went rabid with applause and the boys of 1A started a mini riot, throwing their shirts off and swinging them around, revealing they had all spray painted their chests green. "If you go against Izuku then throw in the towel 'cause you ain't got a chance when he goes, 'FULL COWL!'"
Present Mic took a second to laugh at the green-haired teen's hype squad – that the greenette in question almost teared up at – before announcing Shinso. "And his opponent; rising from the shadows of the festival we have our dark horse! The purple python of the general studies course that slithered undetected into the final event! The Last General!" Even Shinso was starting to get hyped from these announcements. "HITOSHI SHINSO OF CLASS 1C!"
The entirety of the general course student area had gone wild with shouting and had set off purple smoke bombs and fireworks, shouting their representative's name. "Shinso! Shinso! Shinso! Shinso!"
Down on the arena floor, both contenders walked up, steadying themselves.
Izuku was taking deep breaths and keeping himself calm while he thought everything out. 'I don't know anything about him, so I have to be careful.' He caught Shinso's eyes and steeled his nerves. 'He could have everyadvantage here.'
'I have absolutely no advantages here!' Meanwhile, Shinso was letting his resting bored face mask his immense levels of panic. 'He seems like a nice enough guy; he'll respond to a simple greeting… Right?' The indigo-haired teen was really banking on that train of thought.
However, both of them had to stow their thoughts as Midnight called out to them. "Are both contestants ready?" Inwardly, they were not, but the two nodded anyway. "Then let this match…" Midnight cracked her whip. "BEGIN!"
Izuku immediately went to power up One For All but Shinso started speaking before he could. "Midoriya, can I ask you a question before we start?"
The greenette missed the sweat rolling down his opponent's face and nodded. "Sure, what is it-" Before suddenly feeling his mind go blank and his body shut down. 'Huh?'
'Thank you, Jesus; I have never doubted you.' Shinso thought, letting out a sigh of immense relief. "Please turn around and walk out of the arena."
And with those words, Izuku felt his body move to answer the indigo-haired teen's demands. 'I'm sorry… what?' It felt like he was trapped in his mind; seeing and processing everything but unable to do anything as his body walked to the edge of the arena. 'No…'
"Woah! Looks like Midoriya is walking out of the arena without putting up a fight!" Present Mic shouted out, confusion clearly lining his voice. "Is this to give general studies a chance or has Shinso finally revealed his quirk?"
While the audience deliberated over that question, Izuku's classmates were yelling at him to stop.
"Come on, Midori-bro!" Kirishima shouted as loud as he could. "I did not get this hype squad together with Hikaru so you could walk out!"
Akira nodded furiously. "Yeah, I even got Katsuki in on this!" The blonde in question was silently fuming. "Don't do this!"
However, no matter how loud the guys were, none of them were as loud as Mina. "Izuku Midoriya, you stop walking out of the ring right now!" The pink girl was barely still in the stands and was hanging over the railing. "Just turn around and beat him!"
Meanwhile, as they shouted, Izuku resorted to deal with this problem in a calm and collected matter. 'Damnit, body, stop moving; why do you never want to listen to brain!' Okay, so, he wasn't calm. 'Honestly, it's like you-'
A blur of movement suddenly caught Izuku's attention and he saw a man- no, a spirit standing before him. The spirit was a short man with short, dark hair parted twice away from his narrow eyes wearing a large jacket with numerous straps and buttons, and a high collar that obscured his mouth and nose.
Izuku was just staring at the man as he floated in front of him with surprise before the spirit spoke.
"Don't worry, ninth." The man's voice was calm and soft and he placed his hand on Izuku's head, stopping him from walking. "We are with you in all your endeavours." That was the last thing he said before he disappeared in a flash of light.
'What in the…' The greenette suddenly felt everything become clear again and began to move his body. 'I can move…' He looked at his arms and saw the light glow of One For All leaving them. 'One For All…'
As the greenette revelled in breaking out of his trance, Present Mic was going crazy, shaking Aizawa with energy. "Midoriya has stopped his walking out! Has he changed his mind or did Shinso's quirk fail?"
The indigo-haired teen in question had a slightly frustrated but mostly fearful look on his face. "Why aren't you listening to me?" He shouted out, nervousness clearly lining his voice. "I said, 'walk out of bounds!'"
Unfortunately, Shinso's attempt at regaining control failed and only served to remind Izuku of where he was. 'Mind control… Great quirk.' His eyes locked on to his opponent's and he saw him flinch. 'It probably requires a vocal response for it to be activated…' He mentally shrugged. 'So just don't talk.'
"Talk, damnit!" Shinso was shouting as loud as he could, hoping he could magically activate his quirk without getting a response. "Talk! Shout! Say something!" However, the green-haired teen continued to stalk forward so he decided to play his ace card; trauma dump and guilt trip. "Someone who's as blessed as you can't understand the discrimination I go through!"
Shoji suddenly stood up at the general course student's words, able to pick out what he said among the audience shouts. 'Not to Izuku…'
Next to him, Jirou winced. 'Poor choice of words.'
Unaware of the mistake he was making, Shinso continued to shout. "Everyone's told me that I can't be a hero because of my quirk; it's a quirk for a villain!" He suddenly found that he had run out of room to move backwards. "You can't possibly know what that feels like!" His tone was becoming more crazed as the greenette moved closer and his body began to glow. "The discrimination, the insults; every day! You! Know! Nothing!" And as a final ditch effort, he threw a right hook towards his opponent.
His last mistake.
Izuku grabbed the teen's fist out of the air before pulling him while raising his knee right into Shinso's stomach, causing his opponent to nearly spit out his lunch.
That alone would have sent Shinso out of the ring but the greenette threw him back into the arena and let him get up before getting into a stance. 'Gotta let him show off something.'
Unaware of what his opponent was doing for him, Shinso got up and took a deep breath before getting into his own stance – sloppy, but it was something – and rushing forward.
After that, it was basically assault.
Every hit Shinso threw was either dodged or parried before three were thrown right back at him. A relentless barrage of lightning-fast hands and powerful kicks sent the purple-haired teen around the whole arena for a minute before he was at the edge again.
And then – and only then – when Shinso shakily stood at the edge, barely able to stand, did Izuku walk up and stand face-to-face with him.
"I've only had my quirk for a year…" Izuku whispered, putting his hand on the other teen's chest. "And I didn't need it for this fight." Before shoving him off the stage and onto the field.
Seeing this, Midnight cracked her whip. "Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next round!" And while it wasn't as flashy as they had expected, the audience still cheered for a good first match.
Cheers that Shinso tuned out as he simply stared at the sky. 'God, I'm gonna be feeling this for a whole week.' Izuku suddenly entered his line of sight and he made himself stand up despite the bruises. "Hey, Midoriya." He involuntarily flinched as the greenette whipped his head to him. "Is… Is what you said true?"
To Shinso, his trauma dumping would've been an insult if it was.
However, instead of nodding or shaking his head at the question and walking away, Izuku walked up to Shinso and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Look at me." The indigo-haired teen barely met his eyes and was stiff as a board. "When I was diagnosed as quirkless, my life went downhill; people bullied me, harassed me, pushed me to suicide." He ignored the pity he saw in the other teen's eyes. "I continued to work to be a hero though, I didn't use people picking on me as an excuse to not work for my dream." His hand left Shinso's shoulder and he began to walk off. "Like I said at the start…" A small smile worked its way onto his face as he left. "Don't let your dream end mid-way."
'He really is…' Shinso watched as Izuku disappeared into the stadium hallways before looking at his fists with a determined look. 'I'll push through then.' He thought before walking off himself, smiling at the still rabid general course students.
Class 1A Stands
'I shouldn't have listened.' Jirou had her hands in front of her face to hide the horrified look she had at hearing what Izuku said. 'Sweet Jesus.'
Next to her, two people noticed her distress, Momo and Akira. "Jirou?" The former was the first to speak. "What's wrong; was it something Midoriya said?" She too had been trying to listen in on the conversation but couldn't over the chatter of her classmates.
However, before Jirou could even just consider telling her, Akira intervened. "Nah, he didn't say anything that important." His tone of voice, sounded jokey, but it was very clear that he wanted this conversation done with.
Jirou whole-heartedly agree. "Yeah, not much." She said with a snarky smile, trying to shake off what was going through her head. "Just some stuff."
Speak of the angel and he shall appear. "Yo!" And as soon as he did, all the students of 1A stopped talking. 'Huh?' The greenette looked behind him, thinking Aizawa was there, but found nothing. "What is it?"
Everyone answered in the most suspicious tone possible. "Nothing…"
"Oh." But they got lucky since Izuku was still working on his social skills. "Okay." The greenette missed their collective sigh of relief as he walked over to Mina and sat down next to her. "Hi."
"Hi." Despite the simple greeting, the pink-skinned girl still found herself smiling. "So… What happened down there?" She asked the question everyone was thinking. "I mean, it looked like it got pretty intense."
"Ah, it was nothing much." But Izuku waved that notion off with a wave of his hand. "It was just Brainwashing; I got out of it though."
Iida shot him an incredulous look at the explanation they all listened in on. "You… Got out of it?" He asked, lowering his glasses in disbelief.
Disbelief that Momo matched. "Quirks of such nature are not something one can simply 'get out of,' Midoriya." She explained, tapping her head. "To counteract that you would require an extreme level of mental fortitude or outside interference."
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly at that; she hit it right on the nose. "Uh… I'm special?" Not that he'd let her know that. "Yeah, I just got out of it 'cause I'm special."
Mina leaned closer to him with a warm, sweet smile. "Yeah, you are."
"Haha…. I…" The proximity of the pink girl and her words almost turned Izuku's face into a tomato, but he suddenly realised something. "Wait a minute." Izuku looked to his right and saw Akira and Ochako cuddling. "Don't you and Uraraka have a match right now?"
His question spurred the two girls out of their respective trances and they both shot up. "Crap!" Before immediately running off to their side of the stadium; Ochako leaving Akira one last kiss before she left.
Arena, Match Two
"Alright, we were a bit late on the uptake there but here we are for our second match!" Present Mic announced, getting a large roar from the audience. "In our first corner, the girl who defies gravity! Ochako Uraraka of Class 1A!"
Akira was on the edge of the railings, whistling as loud as he could. "Come on, Ochi!"
"And her opponent, the pink-skinned Madonna!" Present Mic continued. "Also from Class 1A, Mina Ashido!" This time, Izuku was cheering loudly. "Let's get this match started!"
Midnight nodded and looked to the two young woman before her. "Are the contestants ready?" At the nods she received, she cracked her whip. "BEGIN!"
One Fight Later
Ochako grunted as she landed outside of the arena before letting out a sigh of disappointment. 'Damnit!'
The gravity girl had tenacity and speed but Mina's reflexes – plus her flexibility and incredible usage of her quirk – made it near impossible for Ochako to lay a finger on her.
Midnight cracked her whip again. "Uraraka is out of bounds! Ashido proceeds to the second round!"
Mina walked over to the gravity girl and held out her hand with a smile. "You did really well, girl!" She said while sticking out her tongue. "I got scared when you almost floated me though."
Ochako took her hand with a smile and laughed. "Thanks, Mina!"
Arena, Match Three
"Here we are for the third match!" Present Mic called, getting everyone to their feet. "And we've got one of our recommendation students for this match! Shoto Todoroki!" The crowd roared in excitement for one of Japan's most famous legacies. "And his opponent, the versatile, charismatic, capture student, Hanta Sero!"
'Oh, come on.' While Sero was happy his introduction was cool, he was a bit put off by the much quitter applause he got. 'Screw it, I already knew this was gonna happen.'
"Let this match…" Midnight cracked her whip as both teens signalled they were ready. "Begin!"
Literally Ten Seconds Later
"S-Sero is unable t-to m-move. Todoroki a-advances." Midnight stuttered out, hugging herself as she shivered uncontrollably. 'I should've brought my winter outfit.'
Around the arena – mostly in the area in front of Shoto and behind Sero – the audience was also wishing they brought along a coat. Even the audience members with fire quirks found themselves wishing that.
Why?
Because Shoto had let out a lot of ice on Sero, one could say it was far too much – it was.
This match wasn't really a fight, not in the slightest, this was just Shoto venting. And one could only hope that the stadium-sized iceberg meant he got most of it out.
'By the stars.' Up in the stands, Izuku looked at Akira and Fumikage with worried looks. 'Whoever wins their match…' He looked back to the multiple fire quirk users – alongside Endeavour – melting the iceberg Shoto made. 'Has to go against… That.'
Arena, Match Four
"Alright, it took us a while to get that ice all melted down, but we are back and ready for our fourth match!" Present Mic announced, still working off his shock from the power display he just saw. "For this match we have the shadow king, Fumikage Tokoyami!" The crowd roared in applause. "And his opponent, the golden warrior, Akira Hikaru!"
Ochako was now the one hanging off the railing, holding a sign with a surprisingly well-done drawing of Akira on it. "Come on, Akira! You got this!" She was very vocal.
Midnight quietly laughed at Ochako for a moment before looking at the two boys. "Are you two ready?" They both nodded, quirks activated. "Then let this match…" The purple-haired hero cracked her whip. "Begin!"
One Intense Fight Later
The crowd roared in applause for the match they had just witnessed. "Tokoyami is out of bounds!" Midnight called out, cracking her whip. "Hikaru advances to the next round!"
On the field, Dark Shadow helped Fumikage get up off the grass as Akira walked over. The fight they had was intense and filled with excitement, but Akira ultimately won out… Barely.
However, the black-haired teen could easily admit, had it been any darker, Fumikage would have wiped him on the arena floor.
"That was a fun fight!" Akira exclaimed through heavy breaths. "I kinda lucked out there since my quirk gives off a glow."
Fumikage nodded. "I am surprised your life essence has such light in it." He commented, feeling his injuries fade. "It is quite powerful."
The black-haired teen took his hand off the bird boy's shoulder and held it out to him. "I'm just glad it's a sunny day."
Arena, Match Six
"I hope you're ready for this next match, folks!" Present Mic started, building up the suspense for the audience. "This match is gonna be the battle of the techies!" The two teens fighting walked in and the crowd went wild. "The mortal-engine, Tenya Iida!" Class 1A went wild with applause. "And his opponent, the steampunk princess of the support course, the bane of Power Loader's classroom, Mei Hatsume!" The support course section went crazy.
However, up in the stands, Akira, Ochako, and Mina weren't a part of the cheering. Instead, they were laughing; quiet laughter but everyone could tell they were obviously trying to keep it together.
"What's so funny, guys?" And Izuku was curious.
Akira pointed at Iida and almost lost it. "It's what he's wearing!" He fell over and leaned on the railing. "This is gonna be so good!"
Seeing his confused, Mina just pet Izuku on the shoulder. "Just watch, Izuku." She said in between laughter. "Trust me."
Though confused, Izuku shrugged and decided to do just that. "Okay."
One Mei HatsumeTM Advertisement Later
Midnight cracked her whip with a confused look mixed with laughter. "Hatsume walks out of bounds…?" She shrugged. "Iida moves on to the next round."
Class 1A was laughing hysterically, the support course was laughing hysterically, the general studies students were laughing hysterically, even the management students were on their ass in laughter.
All because of the match they just watched.
This was not a fight, this was Mei Hatsume doing the funniest possible presentation of her products to support companies while using Iida as a guinea pig.
And while Iida may have won the match, the pink-haired support student had won the show.
Arena, Match Six
"Haha! What a match, am I right?" Present Mic asked the audience between his own laughs; the audience was still chuckling. "But let's get to our next match, shall we?" The crowd roared and the voice hero smiled. "In this match we have the Son of the storms, Denki Kaminari! And his opponent, the Daughter of the jungle, Ibara Shiozaki!" Both teens actually felt themselves become excited at the mention of their on-the-spot epithets. "Let's see what force of nature comes out on top!"
Not wanting to waste any time – and seeing that both teens were more than ready – Midnight cracked her whip. "Let the match begin!"
One Fight Later
"Kaminari is unable to move! Shiozaki advances to the next round!" Midnight called, getting the crowd to their feet.
While the match wasn't long, it was certainly interesting. Kaminari showed that he was capable of small bursts of super speed with his lightning and Shiozaki proved that her 'Daughter of the Jungle' epithet that Present Mic gave her was true.
However, it was ultimately a bad match up for Kaminari and that's what decided the finish. Shiozaki's vines weren't exactly conductors and the electric blonde couldn't cut through the vines either. So, when the vine girl finally managed to catch Kaminari and wrap him up in her vines, the game was over.
Arena, Match Seven
"I hope you're all ready for this match, folks!" Present Mic shouted, unable to hold in his excitement from the match. "It's another 1A against 1B battle with our contestants being their respective class's tanks!" The crowd went wild as the two teens stepped onto the pit, both grinning like madmen. "From Class 1A, the redhead with a body as tough as a mountain! Ejiro Kirishima!" Class 1A went wild as Momo set off red fireworks. "And from Class 1B, the Son of Steel, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!" A particularly hairy student from 1B howled.
Midnight watched on with a laugh as the two boys activated their quirks and punched the ground to get into a stance. "Are you both ready?" At their nod, the woman struck a pose. "Then let this match… BEGIN!"
One Manly Bout Later
"Agh!" Tetsutetsu flew out of the ring as Kirishima struck him right in the face with everything he had. "Oof." And landed on the grassy floor of the arena. 'Damnit!'
Midnight's whip cracked and the crowd roared. "Tetsutetsu is out of bounds! Kirishima advances to the next round!" Momo set off even more fireworks and the boys had thrown red paint all over themselves while cheering.
The fight had been the best one so far in the festival; each teen fought nearly the same, so the bout was also the longest. However, the difference in their quirks made the match. Tetsutetsu's steel worked off the iron in the teen's blood and the drawn-out battle used up all he had, whereas Kirishima's quirk only got harder and harder.
"That was totally manly, man!" Speaking of the red-haired golden retriever, he was holding his hand out for his steel opponent. "I almost thought I was gonna lose there; your steel is really hard!"
For a second, Tetsutetsu stared at the hand, then his class, before shrugging and taking it with a smile. "You were too, bro!" He shouted back, matching Kirishima's energy.
They were both beaming as they walked off to Recovery Girl.
An action that made Midnight coo. "Aw, just look at that sportsmanship!"
Arena, Match Eight
"This has been a fun first-round, hasn't it?" Present Mic asked, getting a roar from the crowd. "Well, what better way to finish it off then with another bang?" The contestants stepped out and everyone started cheering for them. "The Queen of Creation who craves destruction, the onyx-haired heiress, Momo Yaoyorozu!" All the girls in all courses started cheering. "Against the walking firework, a literal bombshell blonde, Katsuki Bakugou!" The crowds roar got louder.
Midnight was thinking of taking a few steps back as she saw the feral looks on the two contestants faces. "Uh… Are you two-"
"YES!" The two answered immediately, both letting off explosions of different kinds.
Taken slightly aback – and actually taking a step back – Midnight quickly cracked her whip. "Begin!"
One Explosive Fight Later
"Yaoyorozu is out of bounds!" Midnight called out, hiding behind a barrier Cementoss had made for both of them. "Bakugou advances to the next round!"
Pure unadulterated destruction; that was the only way to describe the match everyone just witnessed. Neither Bakugou or Momo held anything back from each other and let out their strongest moves without much care. Whereas Bakugou made us of his large, self-made explosions, Momo settled for rocket launchers and flashbangs.
"I'll admit, princess, I did not see that coming." Bakugou said with a hearty laugh as he held out a hand to his opponent, black dust covering his form. "If I wasn't gay as fuck, I'd want to make out with you right now." He almost still did. 'What a woman!'
Momo took his hand with a smile and walked off with the explosive teen happily, a skip in her step. "That was so much fun! Is your sweat non-organic? Do you know its chemical compound? I would love to-"
And as they walked off, Bakugou almost regretted being a good sport.
Almost.
Commentators Box
"And that's a wrap for our first-round! Did you enjoy it, folks?" Present Mic asked the crowd, not at all tired of the cheers he continuously received. "Well, it's only getting better from here as our first-round winners go head-to-head in these next match ups!" The excitement from the stadium was so loud that the residential area around Yuuei could hear it. "My dear Midnight, may I be presented with the second-round brackets?"
Midnight cracked her whip and pointed to the screen. "Yes, you may!" The screens around the entire stadium lit up at her pose. "And our next fights shall be…"
Tournament Fights – Round Two:
Match One: Izuku Midoriya vs Mina Ashido
Match Two: Shoto Todoroki vs Akira Hikaru
Match Three: Tenya Iida vs Ibara Shiozaki
Match Four: Eijiro Kirishima vs Katsuki Bakugou
'Akira…' Izuku spared a worried glance at his friend; he had seen this coming, but it didn't make him any less worried. 'I just have to hope he's strong enough to break the ice.'
Meanwhile, the teen in question was dealing with a frazzled Ochako. "Ochako, I'll be fine." He coughed as she held onto his neck tighter, almost choking him. "Even if I lose, I can heal myself up! But I won't be able to do either if I die before the match so please stop choking me!"
Chuckling at what happened, Izuku then spared a glance at Mina. 'Another quirkless fight then.' Out of everyone here, she's the one he wanted to hurt the least. 'It's not like I can't fight quirkless; been doing that nearly all my life.'
Midnight cracked her whip and got everyone's attention again. "We shall have a ten-minute recession so the students can prepare and for you all to do whatever you need." She explained before walking off.
Round Two, Match One
Present Mic swivelled on his chair as his alarm went off and turned on his mic. "Well, well, well! Our break is now over and it's time for the first match of the second-round; are you all ready?" The crowd roared in response to his question and he smiled. "Well in this match we have the lean, not-so-mean, green machine of Class 1A, Izuku Midoriya!" Once more, the boys of 1A cheered loudly. "And his opponent, the acid-queen, Mina Ashido!" This time it was the 1A girls; they were somehow louder.
Midnight looked at the two with a keen eye, noticing the looks the two were giving each other. "Are you two ready?" She asked with a sultry tone, one they both nodded at and ignored. "Then let this match… Begin!"
Acid covered Mina's feet and hands as she threw off her shoes and she rushed forward, skating on the arena at high speeds. "Sorry, Izuku, but I'm beating you here!"
Izuku smiled at the girl's banter but made no move aside from entering a stance, waiting for her. "Don't worry, I'll make sure that apology isn't needed!" The pink-skinned girl stopped a few feet away from him and swiped her hands outwards, sending forward a small acid wall. 'Crap!'
Izuku quickly did a back handspring, dodging the attack, before moving back into his stance. Inwardly, he smiled as his plan looked like it would work; draw her close to the arena and throw her out.
And that's exactly what he did.
Mina kept up her acid assault and Izuku continued to dodge with only a few stray blobs getting him and tearing off part of his uniform. 'Damnit, this is getting nowhere.' And it kind of ticked the pink girl off, so – in a moment of desperation after seeing the greenette was on the edge of the arena – she flew forward with a flying kick. "Take this!"
"Okay!" However, that proved to be a mistake as Izuku grabbed her leg and swung her around a couple of times before completely throwing her out of the arena like he was an Olympic hammer thrower.
And with how far she went, he might as well have been.
"Oof!" Landing on the ground with a hard thud, Mina looked down with a pout. "Aw, poop."
An action that Midnight laughed at before cracking her whip. "Ashido is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the semi-finals!" She moved her mic away from her lips and turned to Mina. "Hey, Romeo is on his way."
"Huh?" Mina looked at her teacher confused before she saw Izuku running over to her. "Oh." And she blushed madly. "Oh."
And to make it even funnier – not for Mina – Izuku thought she had a blush on because she was crying. "Mina, are you okay?" He slid next to her and immediately took her hands in his. "I didn't throw you too hard, did I? I'm really sorry if I did, I just-"
"Izuku." Mina chuckled as the greenette rambled off apologies and tried to fight her blush down. "I'm fine, I can take being thrown out of the ring like I weigh as much as a doll." She secretly began to memorise the feeling of the other teen's hands on hers. "Dork."
"Oh." And unaware of this, Izuku stopped his rambling and smiled. "Great!" Before picking the girl up and walking off. "I'll fly us back to the class then."
And while this all happened, Akira listened to a saddened and depressed Endeavour rattle on about his Son with an exasperated expression. 'God, this guy is even more overbearing than my Mother.'
Round Two, Match Two
"I just know that this match is going to be a great one!" Present Mic shouted, not even talking to the audience. "We have the king of frost with an equally cold attitude, Shoto Todoroki!" Whistling and squealing was heard over the crowd's continuous shouting. "And his opponent; with the healing hands of The Buddha and powerful as a lion, Akira Hikaru!"
The boys of 1A stood in a straight line and saluted. "Hoorah!"
Akira still had an exasperated and done look on his face. "Dude, no offence!" He shouted out. "But your Dad actually sucks!" Not for the same reasons Shoto would've been thinking. 'Seriously, I never thought someone with a face on fire would cry as much as Izuku.'
However, his words only served to make Shoto activate his quirk early. "Let's just get this over with."
Seeing that the boys were both ready, Midnight cracked her whip. "Begin!"
One Intense Fight Later
Akira grunted as he was taken out of the arena by a strong pillar of ice and shouted as he was forced into the stadium walls. 'That half-n-half motherfucker! Literally!'
"Uh, Hikaru, do you need Recovery Girl?" Midnight asked, looking at him with slight worry.
Akira, however, shook his head with a now frustrated look. "No!" His body began to glow and he shouted before the ice pillar holding him completely shattered and the black-haired teen landed on the ground. "Hn… Fuck, that burns." He felt the burn mark on his cheek before healing it and looking to Todoroki. "You're holding back but I won't be able to help you; I'm leaving that to Izuku."
The match had definitely been one of the most exciting yet; Shoto threw waves upon waves of ice but Akira made use of his parkour and limited strength to outrun it and smash through the smaller waves in an intense back-and-forth.
It was going well for the black-haired teen; he hadn't gotten frozen immediately and was able to keep up his evasion long enough for his opponent to reach his limit. Here, when the frost looked like it was too much for the other, he rushed in.
However, before Akira finished the round, he said something that quite literally lit a fire in Shoto. The heterochromatic teen's left side had caught fire at whatever the other had said and burnt him. After that, the black-haired teen was too distracted to stop himself being taken out by a revitalised Shoto.
Round Two, Match Three
"Now that's a fight for the highlight reels!" Present Mic shouted, getting a roar of approval from the crowd. "Let's see if this one can be just as amazing! We have the revving, the roaring, Tenya Iida!" Class 1A shouted and hollered. "And his opponent, the nature goddess, Ibara Shiozaki!" Class 1B stomped and cheered. "Machine versus nature! Who? Will? Win?"
Iida's engines were practically on fire, but the blue-haired teen paid it no mind as he got in a runner's stance. 'Not again.'
Seeing he was ready, Midnight turned to Shiozaki to see her hair already up. "Let this match… Begin!"
Ten Seconds Later
Midnight's whip cracked loudly. "Shiozaki is out of bounds! Iida advances to the semi-finals!"
So, evidently, Iida may have still been just a tad bit mad about his last match. The blue-haired teen had used the full power of his quirk right from the jump and the burst of speed let him completely rip through all of Shiozaki's vines without resistance.
Present Mic didn't even think that he could count that as a match, Iida had just pushed her out.
Round Two, Match Four
"Alright, it's time for the final match of the second-round!" Present Mic shouted. "I'm hoping for an explosive finish to this one; what about you, folks?" The crowd roared once more. "Well let's get to it! He's blowing his way through this tournament with tenacity! Nothing is safe from his rampage! Katsuki Bakugou!" Said blonde lit his palms with a cool face. "Fighting against… The ultimate shield and spear! The red-haired spartan-berserker! Ejiro Kirishima!" The red-haired teen smashed his hardened fist together.
Both teens didn't hesitate once Midnight called the start of the match.
One Incredible Fight Later
"Kirishima is out of bounds!" Midnight shouted, cracking her whip. "Bakugou advances to the semi-finals!"
Now that was certainly a much better match than the last one. Kirishima had seemingly been winning the fight at first, laying volley on volley of punches at Bakugou, but that had been exactly what the blonde had wanted. The explosive teen had bided his time until he saw one of his explosions lay a crack on the redhead.
That's when Bakugou went on the offensive; explosion after explosion, each one getting bigger and bigger until he finally shattered Kirishima's defence and threw him out of the ring.
The blonde Pomeranian walked up to the red-haired golden retriever and smiled. "That was pretty manly." He said, getting a bright smile form Kirishima.
The red-haired teen didn't even bother with grabbing Bakugou's hand and instantly leapt up to hug him. The blonde protested but didn't really try and remove the other teen.
An action Midnight found herself cooing at. "Oh, my heart." She said, pulling away from the mic. "It's so adorable!"
Commentators Box
"And that's our second-round done and dusted! Did you all enjoy that more than the last one?" Present Mic asked the audience. "I thought you did; now it's time for our semi-finals!" The crowd continued to roar. "And since our contestants are all from 1A…" 1B stirred and groaned. "Maybe I can get my co-commentator to actually say something." Aizawa raised an eyebrow from where he was sitting at the look Present Mic gave him before he went back to announcing. "Midnight, show us those brackets!"
Midnight twirled and struck a pose, cracking her whip at the end. "Of course!" This made many men and women pass out.
Tournament Fights – Semi-Finals:
Match One: Izuku Midoriya vs Shoto Todoroki
Match Two: Tenya Iida vs Katsuki Bakugou
Mina looked at the bracket with worry. 'He hasn't been using his quirk properly all day.' She was assuming – wrongly – that Izuku was having trouble with his quirk, meaning he couldn't go full out in his match. 'And if he doesn't…' Her eyes went over to a steaming Shoto. 'Izuku…'
Meanwhile, the green-haired teen in question was cluelessly eating a candy apple he had gotten from one of the stalls outside the stadium, having felt a sudden strange desire for one.
Midnight cracked her whip. "The first match of the semi-finals will begin in 15 minutes." She said.
U.A Stadium Hallways, 15 Minutes Later
'You can do it! You can do this! You! Can! WIN!' Izuku mentally shouted to himself, trying to hype himself up for his upcoming match. Yet, no matter how much he tried to focus himself, his thoughts kept travelling back to the end of Akira and Shoto's match. 'I just don't understand, there's no reason why he should be holding bac-' The green-haired teen suddenly crashed into someone, and his eyes widened. "Ah! Sorry, sir…"
They widened further upon seeing who it was.
The Flame Hero: Endeavour
"Ah, it is you!" Endeavour exclaimed with a smile. "I was hoping this was your mop of green hair; I have been searching for you." He bowed his head lightly. "Though, I apologise for running into you, I did not mean to."
If Izuku was surprised to see a pro hero – and Endeavourat that – have similar mannerisms to himself, he didn't show it. "Looking for me, sir?" He asked.
Endeavour nodded. "Yes, but before I ask my question, I'd like to congratulate you on your work in the festival thus far." The man praised, a smile on his face. "Your proficiency with your quirk – whatever it may be – is incredible! And though your quirk seems to be a bit on the fritz today, you are still proving to be a strong contender."
Deciding to ignore the quirk comment, Izuku focused on the compliments and found himself smiling and a bit embarrassed. "Ah, thank you, sir." He bowed, surprised at the attitude the usually gruff hero had. 'Maybe that's his hero persona?'
"Yes, I…" Endeavour's smile slowly disappeared and he dropped his head down with a sigh. "I'm here to ask a selfish thing but I don't know what else to do." The man's flames disappeared from his face and Izuku thought he saw tears welling in the man's eyes. "Many years ago, there was- I did… A horrible thing; ever since then my dear Shoto has hated me... And for good reason." This time, a tear did fall. "But he's also stopped using his fire ever since and hasn't spoken more than a handful of words to his Brother and Sister; it's leading him into a downward spiral that I can't bear to see my Son go through."
Izuku awkwardly stood there through the man's explanation and didn't know what to say. 'This is why Todoroki doesn't want to use his fire… His Dad did something to make him despise it.' But what that was, the greenette could only guess.
Unaware of Izuku's thoughts, Endeavour continued. "I've tried to atone all I can, but it can never be enough, so…" He brought his head up and the greenette saw enough tears on the man's face to rival his Mother's. "Please, I'm begging you, save my Son!"
Izuku's eyes went wide as he saw the large hero get in a seiza position and bow. "Ah! E-Endeavour, sir! There's no need for this!" He quickly tried to get the man to sit up, but he didn't budge. 'Stars, I hope there's no cameras around here!'
"I know it's a selfish thing to ask but…" Endeavour was openly weeping now. "I can't live to see my Son go through this anymore!"
'Stars, he's really torn up about this.' Izuku knew what he had to do to get the man back to normal and nodded. "It's alright, sir, I will save Todoroki from himself." He said, causing the hero to look back up at him. "I was kind of already planning on it."
Endeavour's expression changed to that of hope, and he took Izuku's hands into his own. "Thank you, kind one! Truly!"
And as one of Japan's greatest heroes thanked one of its rising students, All Might watched everything from far away with a sad expression. 'Enji, my old friend.' He sighed and walked away after hearing Present Mic call the start of the match. 'I truly hope you can earn your Son's forgiveness… For your sake.'
Semi-Finals, Match One
"Alright, folks! The break is over and we are ready for the first match of the semi-finals!" Present Mic shouted, jabbing his co-commentator in his ribs. "Eraserhead, who's fighting here?"
Aizawa looked at Present Mic dryly before lazily picking up the mic. "This match is Izuku Midoriya against Shoto Todoroki."
"…Really?" Present Mic looked at his co-worker with a blank look, leaning away from his mic. "That's all I'm getting?"
Aizawa stared back at him and nodded. "That's the best you're getting out of me." His tone was that of finality.
Down at the arena, the two contestants in question were both revving to go. "I take it you're both ready?" Midnight asked, getting a nod from the boys. "Then let this match… BEGIN!"
Izuku activated Float and let the 15% of One For All he was charging loose, sending him to the skies and narrowly avoiding the large wave of ice Shoto sent at him. However, the greenette's troubles weren't over as a spiked pillar of ice grew from the first wave and chased after him.
'Crap.' Flying around, Izuku was able to dodge the pillar and the ice spikes that started flying at him when Shoto saw his first attack didn't work. 'Alright, my turn.' The greenette suddenly turned in the air and 15% of One For All charged solely in his right arm before he shot down and struck at the ice, destroying it and blowing it away as he did.
'Hmph.' Shoto simply let the broken ice fly around him with squinted eyes. 'I should've known that wouldn't work but…' He watched as Izuku get in a stance with a noticeably dimmer glow than the teen was used to seeing. 'Where's the rest of his power?'
Back with Izuku, he simply held his stance and let 15% of One For All stay charged in both of his arms. 'I just need to wait for an opening before I do anything.' He thought to himself as another wave of ice came at him. 'His frost takes over pretty quick, so I just have to wait until it does.'
So, he did; the greenette kept his stance for wave after wave of ice, smashing all of them with the power he had limited himself to. At one point he'd nearly been pushed out of the ring due to his hands becoming numb, but he pushed through it and floated around the wave of ice after that before resuming stance.
And, luckily for Izuku, Shoto's waves gradually became smaller and slower to the point the greenette was able to completely destroy a wave with a single punch. When he did that, Izuku could see his opponent's entire right-side coated by frost; that's when he made his move.
"I saw you use a fire quirk against Akira." The greenette started, exiting his stance but keeping his power flowing. "Why don't you use it here; it'd melt your ice and make this fight a lot easier."
It was a good thing that Izuku kept One For All on as Shoto sent another ice wave after he finished speaking. "Shut up." He snarled, taking a deep breath after Izuku destroyed his attack. "I don't need to use his fire to beat you, or anyone for that matter."
Izuku nodded. "Your Father talked to me before this match." He revealed. "I can't even begin to imagine what happened to you but you're only holding yourself back."
However, the greenette's words only served to piss Shoto off. "Oh, please; look who's talking." He shot back, following his statement with a half-effort ice wave. "You, of all people here, have no right to tell me that."
"What do you mean?" One that Izuku destroyed. "Are you trying to imply that I-"
"This conversation can go a lot easier if we both agree not to lie to each other." Shoto cut off Izuku before he spouted off more hypocritical bullshit. "I've seen what you're capable of when you actually try; everyone has. The mere presence of your power creates a storm around you and the strength that you can control can easily – easily – crush my strongest ice waves to glacial dust." This time he sent out a snaking ice pillar that shot up before falling down. "But here you stand, holding yourself back!"
Izuku smashed the ice pillar and paused to look at his fist. "That's different, my quirk is dangerous; I can hurt people if I'm not careful."
Shoto actually laughed at that, a deranged and crazy laugh. "Seriously?! All of our quirks can do that; join the club!" He brought up his left arm and let the tiniest flame float above his palm. "My Father's flames can do more damage than good; they can-"
"That's not his fire!" Izuku burst out, losing his cool. "It's your fire! Yours! If you hold yourself back in fear like this… You'll…" Before trailing off as he finally heard his own words. 'Oh my stars.' And realisation struck him. 'I'm being an absolute hypocrite.'
On the other side of the arena, Shoto had also stopped his aggressions as Izuku's words rung in his head. 'It's… Mine?' His mind flashed back to when he was a small child, watching All Might on the T.V. with his Mother and Father… back when they were happy… a memory he thought he locked away.
"You don't have to follow in your own Father's footsteps… His flames are his and yours are yours… Be the hero you want to be…"
All the while, the crowd was watching with bated breath… which ultimately turned to confusion when neither boy moved for a whole minute. After another minute of silence, Aizawa decided that he should probably check on them.
"Midoriya, Todoroki, are you two oka-"
And that's when it hit; two war cries that echoed throughout and around the stadium for all to hear. From Shoto, he screamed as his left side lit with a primal fire that went beyond that stadium walls, melting all of his ice and turning his P.E shirt to nothing but ash.
And from Izuku…
"RAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
The voices of nine mixed together in a cry that was heard across the entire school; the ground beneath the greenette shattered as he powered up 40% of One For All across his entire upper body, ripping his own P.E shirt to shreds. Black and green lightning rolled off him and the audience members – from front to back across the entire stadium – felt a small pressure on their minds.
It made them all go wild.
"Yeah! This is what I came here for!"
"Let out your power! Don't hold anything back!"
"Let's! Fucking! GOOOO!"
Present Mic really had to agree with that last statement. "THE ACES ARE OUT! MIDORIYA AND TODOROKI ARE GOING ABSOLUTELY INSANE!" He shouted all this while shaking Aizawa. "SWEET CHRIST, ERASER! WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU FEED THESE ONES?!"
'Ho… Haaa…' Meanwhile, up in the stands, Mina was getting hot and Shoto's fire had nothing to do with it. 'This is… Whoo!' The pure power on display added with Izuku's ripped uniform was really too much for the pink-skinned girl to handle. 'Hold on.' However, she was able to pause that when she heard other girls whistle and cat call the greenette as well. 'Hey!'
"You're crazy!" Shoto shouted as his fire continued to burn around him and settle down to surround his upper body. "Borderline insane!"
Izuku rolled his shoulders as he got into his stance once more. "So I've been told!"
The two didn't waste any more time after that and Shoto instantly shot forward another wave of ice; this one even larger than the one he threw at Sero since his flames kept him level. However, Izuku wasn't holding back anymore; a single charged backfist shattered the ice and created large amounts of wind that blew Shoto and his flames back; it even sent the front row of Shoto's side back.
Luckily for the heterochromatic teen, he was just able to catch himself with a wall of ice. 'Looks like frost isn't gonna work…' Before landing and charging up his left side in a foreign motion to himself. 'Flames it is.' His left side lit itself again with a passion and he reeled back his arm. "Let's just finish this, Midoriya!"
Izuku's body suddenly became overcame by a new, dim, pink glow and small trails of smoke wisped off him as he moved. "Let's, Todoroki!" Once more, his voice sounded like multiple meshed together as he moved his power up to 50% and slowly stocked it all in his right arm and chest.
And if one was paying attention to the smoke coming off the greenette, they may have spotted a strange, smoky figure floating behind him with his hand on the greenette's shoulder.
But, instead, the only thing anyone was focused on was finding cover.
"DUCK FOR COVER!"
"SOMEONE GET A WALL UP!"
"DOWN! DOWN! DOWN!"
"We have to stop them!" Midnight shouted to Cementoss as she tore off part of her costume. "This could destroy the stadium!"
Her request was met immediately. "I know! I know! I know! I know!" The block-headed teacher already had his hands on the ground and had built up three walls in between the two teens with more forming.
However, both teacher's efforts were in vain as the two students' power absolutely trumped their own. The teens shot forward, one carried by his strength and his form glowing and crackling with lightning, and the other carried by a pillar of ice as he set himself on fire.
Their clash created a shockwave that could be felt outside the stadium from a mile away.
A few Moments Later
It was a whole two minutes after the clash before anyone got up to see the state of the arena; they couldn't even see it. The entire stadium field was covered completely by smoke; all the audience could see were the remains of Cementoss' attempt to stop them stuck in the ground.
"Where are they?" Iida asked, trying to peer through the smoke. "I can't see them at all."
Kirishima turned off his quirk and considered jumping down to the arena. "Do you think they're alright?" He asked, a worried look on his face. "That clash was pretty intense."
His words only worsened Mina's own worried look. "Izuku?" She shouted amongst the quiet of the crowd. "Are you there?"
Surprisingly enough, the pink girl was answered, just not in the normal way. A loud clap followed Mina's question and all the smoke suddenly dispersed, allowing everyone to see the results of the battle.
'Oh my stars…' Standing on the edge of the arena, hands out in a position that showed he was the one who clapped, was Izuku. 'That was a lot.' His feet had dug trenches into the arena which just kept him from going out.
"Ow…" And opposite him, outside the arena and stuck to the stadium walls, was Shoto. "Shit."
Seeing the result of the battle, Midnight grabbed her whip up from the ground and cracked it. "Todoroki is out of bounds!" Her statement got the audience to rise to their feet again. "Midoriya advances to the finals!"
Thunderous applause, roaring shouts; the audience went wild. Some of them even activated their quirks and shot them up into the sky, making an impromptu light show.
"WHAT A MATCH!" Present Mic shouted, shaking Aizawa in excitement. "FORGET THE HIGHLIGHT REEL; THIS FIGHT WILL GO DOWN IN YUUEI HISTORY!"
His words only made the crowd shout even louder, civilians, students, and heroes alike.
And during all the applause, Izuku walked up to Shoto and grabbed his hands. "That was fun." He said, pulling the half-and-half teen out of his own ice. "You alright?"
"No." Shoto said as he faceplanted on the ground, his legs unable to keep him up. "I'm gonna be feeling this up until next week." He could barely even lift his head and spoke into the ground.
Luckily for the fire and ice teen, Izuku picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. "Thanks for the fight, Todoroki." The greenette said as he carried him off to Recovery Girl. "I didn't realise how hypocritical I was being."
Shoto shook his head, letting himself be carried. "I should be thanking you, you reminded me of something my Mother told me when I was younger." He reminisced with a sad and solemn tone. "It's gonna take some getting used to but… I'll be using my flames more often."
Izuku took a deep breath. "And I'll stop holding back." He felt One For All hum within him and smiled. "It's our power, we shouldn't hold back in fear of others."
Shoto nodded, smiling back. "Our power."
Up in the stands, Izuku could see Endeavour openly crying, dousing the flames on his face with his tears. "Please do something about your Dad, he cries more than my Ma."
Unfortunately for the greenette, he only got a shrug in return. "I'll think on it."
The two boys chuckled lightly at that, the crowd still cheering their names as they finally exited the arena.
Class 1A Stands
Izuku and Shoto both arrived back at their class stands with new P.E shirts and mostly healed bodies. Mostly; Recovery Girl hadn't been happy with their performance and gave them an alternative to traditional medicine she called, 'Tough Love.'
"Well, it's about time." Akira said as he caught the two from the corner of his eyes. 'Ha, I totally called it.' Inwardly, he was happy at the results of the battle; they both needed to wake up. 'Call me Sir Nighteye because that, ladies and gentlemen, was Foresight.'
Izuku simply chuckled at his friend before going back to sit next to Mina. "Sorry, Recovery Girl wanted us to know just how much she disapproved of the intensity of our match." He mentally shivered.
A shiver Shoto copied as he plopped himself right next to Izuku. "That old lady is terrifying."
His words served to shock the majority of his class as they mostly snapped their heads to him with wide eyes. "You speak?!"
Ignoring the question, Shoto simply let himself rest. "Wake me up when the festival is over; Recovery Girl took the rest of my energy."
"Okay." Izuku nodded as the heterochromatic teen passed out and looked down to the arena. "Oh, looks like the next match is starting."
And that made everyone forget the fact that Shoto spoke as they all quickly looked over the edge, not wanting to miss the fight.
Semi-Finals, Match Two
"I'm still all pumped up from that last match! What about you, folks?" The audience cheered loudly, all still standing. "Well then let's not stop the momentum and get to the last match of the semi-finals! His engines roar as loud as lions; he's the youngest Son of the Iida Hero Family! Tenya Iida!" His engines were indeed roaring. "And his opponent… The doomsday teen! The blonde firework! Katsuki Bakugou!" Said teen had a feral expression on his face in reaction to his nicknames.
Midnight looked at the two with a raised eyebrow; they were both focused on the other so much they were actuallydrooling. "Uh… Are you two ready?" Their quirks intensified and the purple-haired hero decided to take that as an affirmative. "Then let this match… BEGIN!"
One Fight Later
Iida kicked Bakugou in the face just as the blonde sent a large explosion to the blue-haired teen's chest, causing the two to fly back at fast speeds. Bakugou, however, just managed to flip himself over with an explosion before setting off another one to keep himself in the ring.
"Oof." Meanwhile, Iida fell on his ass outside the ring. 'Damnit!'
Midnight cracked her whip. "Iida is out of bounds! Bakugou advances to the finals!"
The crowd roared and stood to their feet. While this match hadn't been as intense as Izuku and Shoto's in terms of raw power, the technique the two contestants displayed made up for it. Iida's mastery of his own form of Taekwondo – empowered by his engines – and Bakugou's mastery of a kung-fu style that had his explosions enhance his strikes made for a skilful back and forth that had the audience on the edge of their seats for the entire match.
And the final strike was just the cherry on top.
"Good match, engines." Bakugou huffed out, holding out a hand to Iida.
A hand Iida took gracefully – he tripped standing up. "Good match to you as well, Bakugou."
The blonde grumbled at that – for no good reason, he just liked brooding like that – before walking back to the stands. 'Ha.' And sparing a glance and smile at a cheering Kirishima. 'Damn straight I won.'
Arena, Final Match
"I have had a blast during this festival! I'm almost sad that it's ending!" Present Mic shouted dramatically before changing gears. "But let's see if this match can tie today up with a golden ribbon, yeah?"
The crowd all shot their fists in the air. "YEAH!"
Present Mic laughed and watched as the finalists made their way onto the field. "We've got two powerful students for this final match! You know and love them, but let's introduce them one last time!" The entrances to the field lit up with sparklers; one side green and the other orange. "He went through this entire festival without even going all out but he's no longer holding back! He's showing us strength, speed, and everything in between! The Forest Fury of Fukuoka!" The residents of Fukuoka all roared. "IZUKU! MIDORIYA!"
Every audience member behind Izuku stood up in applause and held up green signs that had been made during the break. "Izuku! Izuku! Izuku!" All while cheering the greenette's name.
"And his opponent!" Bakugou's entrance literally exploded with firecrackers. "He's powerful! He's skilled! The blonde with grenades for hands! The dynamite delight! The super sparkler! The one at the top who will not stop until he drops! KATSUKI! BAKUGOU!"
This time, Bakugou's side of the stadium stood up with their own orange signs while chanting the blonde's name. "Katsuki! Katsuki! Katsuki!"
Midnight looked at the two boys and smirked. "A bit excited, are we?" The two already had their quirks dancing along their skin. "I won't hold you two back any longer; let the final match…" She cracked her whip. "BEGIN!"
Despite the match starting, neither teen made a point to move yet, knowing there were words to be said.
"I'll admit it." Bakugou was first, a calm look on his face. "I was really hoping we'd be able to do this again." Though he didn't show it, Izuku shared that sentiment. "Out here in the open, here and now, we settle the flames of our tension."
Izuku smiled at that and charged up 40% of One For All in his arms. 'Out here, I have my retribution.' He had no words for his old friend, and the blonde knew that. 'All I need is one hit.'
"Let's…" Sparks danced in Bakugou's palms as he swung his arms around, manually moving all the sweat he could into his hands before putting his left one behind him. "GO!" And blasting forward…
With a right hook.
'Yes!' Izuku let the blonde get close to him, closer than one should have, before redirecting Bakugou's attack and shouldering him in the chest lightly. "Haha!" Though, with the amount of One For All charging through his arms, it served to completely halt the blonde in mid-air. "Retribution." The greenette's charged double backfist didn't even come close to touching Bakugou.
But it did damage.
The wind force behind Izuku's strike was so powerful that it immediately sent Bakugou and part of the arena behind him flying into the stadium wall.
….
"AMAZING!" Present Mic shouted, seeing that Midnight was still in shock. "The green-haired monstrosity blew away Bakugou and part of the stage away with a single, double, backfist strike!" The crowd shot to their feet. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR WINNER OF THE SPORTS FESTIVAL, IZUKU MIDORIYA!" And roared.
Izuku rolled his shoulders and smiled as he powered down. 'Stars, that was therapeutic.' He walked over to the blonde stuck in the wall and held out his hand. "Good match, Kat." His smile was just the tiniest bit smug.
Bakugou was struggling to stay awake and hence did not respond to the smug look he received. "Just get me out of the fucking wall, Izuku."
Izuku shrugged. 'Better than yelling.' He grabbed Bakugou and yanked him out of the wall. "Do you need help getting to Recovery Girl or…?" His question went unanswered as Bakugou began to limp off. 'Guess not.'
U.A Stadium, 15 Minutes Later
After Izuku's match, the audience all broke off for the last intermission before the rewards ceremony. While they did, they spread the videos they had all taken of the festival all over the Hero Boards, creating an entirely new sub-board specifically for this year's first year festival.
And now…
"It is time for the award ceremony!" Midnight declared, twirling around and cracking her whip for the final time of the day. "Let our champions rise!"
And as the purple-haired hero commanded, they did. The stadium field split down the middle and filled with smoke before three pillars rose from the ground; each holding one of the victors.
On the lowest pillar stood Shoto, a content smile on his face. 'This is acceptable.'
On the second-place pillar, Bakugou stood with an impassive look and his arms crossed. 'Fuck.'
And on the highest pillar, Izuku stood, trying to keep himself together. 'Oh my stars, I actually did it!'
"We have a very special hero to present out champions with their awards today!" Midnight exclaimed as she twirled around with a smile. "Our very own Symbol of Peace!" The audience all stood to their feet with expectant faces. "All Might!"
"HAHAHAHA!" A loud, unmistakable laugh reverberated across the stadium and the audience looked to the source of the noise.
"Oh my God, it's him!"
"It's really him!"
"This can't be real!"
Looking down from the roof of the stadium, the audience saw their number one hero standing triumphantly before he jumped down. "I am here! With the medals!" All Might said, his smile as big as ever.
The audience cheered. "ALL MIGHT!"
Said hero smiled at everyone and gave them a wave before moving over to the third-place podium. "You did well, Young Todoroki; third place is quite the feat." The man offered the teen a softer smile. "It's good to see you using your fire now; you'll make a fine hero." He said, placing the bronze medal around his neck.
Shoto nodded at the man's words and accepted the medal. "Midoriya and Hikaru have a way of bringing out the best in people." He had a small smile on his face as he said this.
"That they do." A smile All Might copied before moving to the second-place podium. "Second place is nothing to be ashamed of, Young Bakugou." The man said, noting the look on his fellow blonde's face. "This is simply a reminder to work hard; you'll go far as a hero but only if you accept your losses and let them motivate you." He placed the silver medal around the teen's neck. "Okay?"
Reluctantly, Bakugo nodded. "Okay." Though it was a whisper, he still was able to say it.
Finally, All Might walked over to Izuku, a large, proud smile making its way onto his face. "Congratulations, Young Midoriya! You didn't just win today, you did it with a smile on your face." He placed the golden medal upon his protégé, trying to fight down a few tears. "Continue to smile, and you'll go down in the history books."
"Thank you, All Might." Izuku stated, a large smile on his face. "I'll continue to smile."
All Might's grin widened and he turned to the crowd. "I have just one more thing to say to you all!" He bellowed, popping a violently immaculate lat spread. "Say it with my, everyone! Go beyond…"
"PLUS ULTRA!" The crowd roared and cheered.
Hosu City, Dark Alleyway
"Fame… Money…" Powe-wrong anime. "Heroes…" A voice echoed off the tight space of the alleyway, cold in tone and rough in voice. "You call yourselves heroes, all of you, but none of you are worthy of your title." Blood splattered across the alley walls. "There is only one who is worthy; worthy of the title of hero and worthy of killing me… All Might!"
The voice came from a shadowed figure who blended himself into the darkness. However, the small bit of light that slipped into the alley let one see that the figure held a sword; it dripped with blood, each drop leaving its own echo in the alley as it hit the puddle of blood beneath the figure.
"Tenya…" All the blood came from a hero in white, knight-like armour. "I have to see him… Please…" His costume was completely torn at the back. "My baby brother…"
The man sheathed his katana at the hero's words; fake as the figure may have thought the other man, he would let him live. "You shall live, if only to spread my message." He jumped away, leaving the hero to stew in his sins. "All fake heroes… Shall be purged."
Sirens blared and the familiar lights of emergency vehicles filled the down man's senses; they were the only thing keeping him awake. As for what was keeping him alive. 'Tenya…'
That was the last thought of The Turbo Hero: Ingeniumbefore he passed out.