The interest in the final battle to determine the winner of this first-year festival was mixed.
Some looked forward to it, while others believed the outcome was already decided. No one could blame the latter for thinking that way.
That's exactly what was going through the mind of the number 2 Pro Hero. Endeavor didn't even feel the need to meet the brat who would fight his son and ask her to push him to his limit as well.
In his eyes, and the eyes of everyone watching this event, Terumi Mei had no way to defeat Todoroki Shoto. Sure, her physical strength and speed were outstanding, as were her close-combat skills, but such abilities wouldn't work against Shoto's overwhelming power.
In that regard, Midoriya Izuku had better chances, and he still failed. What could Terumi Mei do, whose brute strength was nothing compared to Midoriya's?
The same went for her Quirk. Endeavor deeply analyzed the battle between the siblings and determined that Terumi Mei's control was superficial.
She had power and a certain ability to mold her water, but Shoto's Ice wouldn't melt like her brother's sand, and his son's flames could evaporate the girl's water.
It was so obvious that no one, not even Nezu, could imagine a scenario in which Mei would defeat Shoto. No one except Tetsumaru and Mei herself, although the cost of obtaining the victory would hurt them.
—The final battle is here!!— Present Mic announced, boosting the spirits even of those who considered the match lost for the water girl.
Todoroki Shoto stood in front of Terumi Mei, his expression softer than in previous moments after Deku's evangelization.
Even his adolescent hormones that had made him divert his thoughts whenever Mei's face appeared in his mind were calm now, replaced by total confusion in his heart.
Mei was more or less aware of this, although she didn't exactly remember how much the whole talk with Deku affected him. She didn't care in any case.
According to what she remembered from some internet videos, the whole Endeavor nonsense was whitewashed or something like that, altering the sinister past and telling a different version of events, one where things weren't as macabre as they were initially presented.
That was the knowledge that both shinobi had, and they clung to that fact so as not to intervene in those matters. They came to live a life of righteousness, not to become saints who solve all problems.
—Begin!— Midnight cracked her whip once more, declaring the start of the fight.
From the stands, Endeavor watched with crossed arms and a bored expression as his son created a gigantic iceberg that covered almost the entire arena. Direct, simple, effective, but he refused to use his fire, which disappointed him greatly.
However, a blur of movement at the top of the iceberg caught his attention. A speck of reddish-brown hair was moving at high speed, stepping on the ice as if running on solid ground.
Endeavor watched Terumi Mei jump toward Shoto's position, exposing herself in an extremely stupid way, in his opinion.
As he expected, Shoto sent another wave of cold to freeze the girl mid-flight, but something strange happened.
Suddenly, the girl's neck expanded, followed by her cheeks, as if she was holding a large amount of vomit. But it wasn't vomit that came out of her mouth.
A dense mist was expelled from Terumi Mei's mouth, which enveloped the ice traveling toward her. Endeavor didn't understand the meaning of that, but then he noticed how the ice was melting at a visible speed, and heat waves distorted the air.
—W-what the hell?! Is that steam?!— exclaimed Present Mic, dumbfounded by the new application of Mei's Quirk.
Boil Release.
Shoto was caught by surprise by the sudden thermal shock, forcing him to squint and preventing him from seeing Mei's figure as she landed with feline grace and shot in his direction.
By the time he realized it, the kunoichi was already in front of him, suspended horizontally with her knees in contact with his chest.
In an instant, like a spring releasing energy, her feet met Todoroki Shoto's chest, expelling air, blood, and saliva from his mouth and sending him flying out of the arena bounds.
Silence invaded the entire stadium. The crowd, the professional heroes, the UA teachers, Midnight, Cementoss, and Nezu himself didn't know how to react to this turn of events.
Midnight snapped out of her daze when Mei's figure appeared before her, hands on her hips and chest held high with pride, declaring her victory with an otherwise charming smile.
—I won, Sensei— were her only words.
And then the crowd roared in cheers.
******************************
Terumi Mei's victory shook everyone watching the sporting event. No one expected someone so random to win, at least not when compared to other participants whose performance and brute power far surpassed hers.
But Mei didn't win by power, or strength. She won with something the professionals valued more: Cunning.
It became clear to everyone that the girl won because she played smartly, hiding her capabilities until the last moment.
She didn't reveal her physical prowess until the individual fights began. She didn't reveal her overwhelming ability to flood everything with water until her confrontation with her brother. She didn't reveal her Futton until the confrontation with the only Quirk it was necessary to use it against: Todoroki's ice.
All Might presented the medals to the finalists, with a furious Bakugo in third place, a thoughtful Todoroki in second, and the unexpected star of the festival, Terumi Mei, taking the gold.
Tetsumaru did not reach third place due to the total score, as although he reached the semi-finals, unlike Bakugo, he did not get the top spots in either the obstacle race or the cavalry battle.
In the end, it's a sports festival and not a martial arts tournament.
But in the UA Principal's office, that wasn't exactly what was being discussed between a professional hero and the principal himself.
—So, do you know what the hell those two were playing at?— Aizawa asked with a touch of curiosity.
The siblings' performance seemed suspicious to him, but he couldn't pinpoint where the trick was. He came to consult with Nezu, and surprisingly, the principal seemed to have the answer.
—Of course. Look here, these are the camera shots from the betting section throughout the festival— Nezu explained as a dozen screens appeared on his desk.
On them, Aizawa saw the figure of a certain black-haired reincarnation approaching several times and placing bets.
—Money? They used the festival to make money?— he questioned in disbelief.
—In fact, they made a small fortune. It was very well planned, if I may say so myself— Nezu chuckled.
—From the beginning, Terumi Mei was going to win this festival. In the first two events, she did absolutely nothing, going almost unnoticed by everyone. Thus, when the matches started, no one had any hopes for her.
She won against Kirishima by pure skill, but showed no superiority in any other aspect. Then she won against Bakugo by surprising everyone with that mist, but it was still nothing remarkable, like the fight between Midoriya and Todoroki.
Her brother, on the other hand, went through the first two events with disdainful ease, capturing everyone's interest. The same happened with his matches. By the time they had to fight, almost all the bets were in favor of Tetsumaru— Nezu explained, and Aizawa's eyes lit up.
—That's where the first strike was— he said, and Nezu nodded.
—But it's not that simple— the principal continued. —At first glance, one might think the support would be redirected to Mei, but the way she won didn't give much hope for the final.
In the eyes of the whole world, the girl simply countered her brother too well. The water made the mobility of his sand difficult, and her physical ability is something Tetsumaru cannot match.
—He can— Aizawa interrupted.
—But no one apart from us knows that— Nezu replied before continuing. —In any case, the final confrontation looked lost for the girl. Even I couldn't think of any way she could win, at least not one involving steam.
—And that was the final strike. They bet on the girl at the most important moments— Aizawa concluded with a frown.
—Hehe, it was quite good, actually— Nezu chuckled.
—That is unsportsmanlike and goes against the spirit of UA— Aizawa reprimanded.
—But there is no rule against it. I will make sure to rectify that for the coming year, but for now, we can take our hats off to their schemes— Nezu shrugged.
—Besides, they aren't doing it out of greed. Look at this— the principal said while passing his tablet to Eraser Head.
There was information about the siblings' adoptive father's company and its general situation.
—That doesn't justify it— Aizawa denied, shaking his head.
—It doesn't, but it proves they didn't have bad intentions from the start. From my point of view, they are two orphans who are afraid of losing what they've gained.
While the principal and the teacher discussed, Tetsumaru, Mei, Sasuke, and Sakura celebrated at home with a loving and enthusiastic family dinner.