GREAT WEEK GUYS. KEEP THE POWERSTONES COMING
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"AAAAND THAT'S IT!! MINA ASHIDO IS OUT OF BOUNDS! TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!"
Present Mic's voice cracked over the speakers as the crowd roared.
Yuta blinked.
Mina sat on her butt outside the ring, looking both dazed and impressed as Dark Shadow receded back into Tokoyami's torso. Tokoyami gave a stiff bow. Midnight waved her whip.
"Match over! Tokoyami wins!"
"…Wait," Yuta muttered.
Hana tilted her head. "Hm? Something wrong?"
Yuta slapped his palm against his forehead.
"Oh my god. I've seen this before."
Kimura snorted. "Yeah? From the last ten seconds?"
"... Yeah I guess." Of course not. Yuta dragged a hand down his face. 'That's why it looked so familiar. Tokoyami vs Mina. It actually happened in canon. They fought in the next round after they both advanced.'
He clicked his tongue.
A minute later, Present Mic continued his enthusiastic barrage:
"ALRIGHT, THE HYPE TRAIN KEEPS ON ROLLING! FOR OUR SIXTH MATCH OF THE SECOND ROUND, WE HAVE TWO OF CLASS 1-A'S HEAVY-HITTERS!"
Yuta's attention snapped back to the arena. Time to confirm the next piece of the new sequence.
"FIRST UP, THE CREATION QUIRK GENIUS WHO GOT IN ON RECCOMENDATIONS—YAOYOROZUUU MOMOOO!"
Momo walked out, her expression determined but noticeably tense.
"AND FACING HER, THE STRONGMAN WITH THE SWEETEST TOOTH, HE'S READY TO RUMBLE—SATOOO RIKIDOOO!"
Sato stepped onto the platform, already looking keyed up,
Midnight cracked her whip. "BEGIN!"
Sato immediately tore into three sugar cubes and roared as his muscles bulked up.
Fueled by his Sugar Rush Quirk, he sprinted straight across the arena, a human bulldozer of muscle and speed.
Momo reacted instantly, her Quirk activating as she tried to form a shield made of solid steel, but Sato was already on her.
CRASH!
Sato's momentum slammed into the half-formed creation. The steel crumpled with a sound like tearing paper. Momo barely managed to jump back, her eyes wide with shock.
She tried to create a polearm for distance, but Sato was relentless. He pressed his advantage, not giving her a chance to complete any complex creation. Every time her Quirk manifested, Sato's massive, sugar-enhanced arms shattered it, forcing her backward step by painful step.
"No hard feelings!" Sato grunted even as his adrenaline-fueled rush propelled him forward.
Momo stumbled, desperately trying to create a smoke bomb for cover, but she misjudged the boundary line. Sato, trying to avoid making direct contact, swung wide and his shoulder lightly grazed her—enough to send her final step over the white line.
Midnight's whip snapped again. "Yaoyorozu is out of bounds! Sato Rikido advances!"
Sato froze, blushing through his beefy silhouette.
"O–Oh. S-Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I was just—uh—trying my best!"
Momo bowed politely, though her smile was tight.
"No! You did wonderfully. I… simply didn't adapt fast enough."
Watching, Hana winced sympathetically. "Oof. Poor girl."
Kimura nodded. "Yep. That was brutal. Right Yuta?"
Yuta shrugged. "What's there to say? It was a bad Matchup. Simple as that."
"Yuta is right." Tanaka added. "Some quirks just have strong restraint against other types. The Yaoyorozu from class 1A probably couldn't display her strengths as her quirk requires sufficient prep time to make a major impact. Against a brawler with high speed, strength and defense .."
He didn't say more.
Hana let out a long sigh as Momo and Sato exited the field.
"You're probably right. But her quirk was Creation. It sounded so cool. Is it wrong that I kinda expected more from her?"
Yuta rolled his eyes.
'Sato's advanced and so has Tokoyami. So the next Matchup should be ..'
He looked up at the large screen as the bracket shuffled once more. The names for the next match flashed large and bright.
MATCH 7: KATSUKI BAKUGO vs. IZUKU MIDORIYA.
Yuta gave a slow nod. "Now, this is the main event."
He didn't need the canon timeline to know how this would go. Midoriya, currently a walking glass cannon, was facing Bakugo, a fighter who specialized in high-speed, unpredictable offense and incredible aerial mobility.
This wouldn't be like the static confrontation with Todoroki. This was going to be a disaster.
"GET READY TO RUMBLE, FOLKS!" Present Mic screamed, his voice hitting a hysterical pitch. "IT'S THE CLASH YOU DON'T SEE EVERYDAY! TWO CHILDHOOD RIVALS, FINALLY FACING OFF!"
His words drew the attention of the audience.
Present Mic continued:
"IN LANE ONE—THE GREEN POWERHOUSE WITH A HEART OF PURE DETERMINATION—MIIIDOOORIIIYAAA IZUKUUU!"
Midoriya walked out, his face a mix of fierce concentration and sheer dread.
"Come on Deku! You can do it!"
Uraraka cheered from Class 1A viewing area.
Iida similarly cheered. "Do your best Midoriya."
"And IN LANE TWO—THE HUMAN HAND GRENADE, THE EXPLOSIVE PRODIGY WHO TOOK FIRST PLACE IN THE ENTRANCE EXAMS —BAKUGO KATSUKIIII!"
Bakugo stomped into the arena like he owned it. Chin up, eyes sharp, palms already sparking. His eyes were locked on Midoriya, carrying something else that wasn't the usual rage.
"Finally."
Midoriya swallowed. "Huh Kaachan?"
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment." His eyes narrowed. "The chance to show the world just where you stand." He slammed his hand against his fist.
A small explosion followed. Midoriya swallowed even harder.
"Um .."
"Shut up and listen Deku." Bakugo hissed across the stadium. "Don't you dare hold back. I don't want any excuses after I beat you."
Midoriya paused.
Slowly, the nervousness and uncertainties drained away, replaced by that determination that would follow him throughout his story.
"You already know I won't, Kacchan,"
Midnight raised her whip. "Contestants… ready?"
Midoriya got into a battle stance.
Bakugo's hands ignited, explosions popping like firecrackers.
"BEGIN!"
Bakugo moved first.
BOOM!
His palms ignited, launching him forward in a diagonal arc across the arena. The acceleration was instant—zero to explosive in half a heartbeat.
Midoriya barely had time to react.
'He's coming straight at me—!'
He raised his arm, channeling One For All into his right index finger—
Bakugo twisted mid-air, angling his body sideways.
BOOM!
Another explosion sent him veering left, completely dodging the predicted trajectory.
Midoriya's finger flicked forward anyway.
CRACK!
The shockwave tore through the air where Bakugo should have been—but wasn't.
The blast carved a trench into the concrete behind him.
Bakugo landed in a low crouch, palms already aimed.
"TOO SLOW, DEKU!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A rapid-fire barrage of explosions peppered the ground around Midoriya, forcing him to leap backward. Smoke and debris clouded the air.
Midoriya landed hard, his finger already throbbing from the first flick.
BOOM!
Bakugo burst through the smoke like a missile, fist cocked back.
Midoriya's eyes widened.
'Already?!'
He braced.
Bakugo twisted, detonated point-blank in front of Midoriya's guard.
BA-THOOOM
Midoriya flew back, body rolling numerous times on the concrete. 'Dammit!'
He tried his best to get a grip. Planting his legs and arms, until he eventually came to a stop. Raising his head, the first thing he saw was the boundary line of the ring.
"WHAT LUCK! MIDORIYA'S STABILIZED HIMSELF BEFORE HE WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE RING!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
BOOM!
Bakugo shot forward. He was going to utilise this opportunity to the fullest for a dominating win, without giving Midoriya any chance to fight back.
"Come On Deku! Try Harder!"
Midoriya's face changed. He raised his hand without hesitation.
CRACK!
Another Delaware Smash, point-blank.
The shockwave collided with Bakugo's explosion, overwhelming the latter, and creating a violent burst of air pressure that sent him flying backward.
Midoriya's left index finger bent at an unnatural angle.
Pain shot up his arm.
'Dammit! This isn't easy!'
In the distance, Bakugo quickly used his explosions to control his trajectory, regaining his balance mid air.
Bakugo landed on his feet, grinning through the smoke.
"Not bad, Deku. You actually hit me that time."
The audience had begun whispering.
Hana winced. "Ouch… that looked painful."
Kimura nodded. "I'll say. The green haired guy's quirk looks pretty powerful."
"Yeah. Too powerful for himself."
"Two blasts for two fingers. Is it worth it?"
"There's recovery girl, remember?"
Midoriya gritted his teeth, cradling his broken fingers.
'He's too fast. I can't predict where he'll come from—'
Bakugo crouched low.
"But you're still too damn predictable!"
BOOM!
He flew upwards
Midoriya's gaze followed as he aimed. Then, Bakugo twisted mid-air, using another explosion to change direction at the last second.
He came in low instead.
'What—?!'
BOOM!
An explosion detonated right in Midoriya's face.
The force sent him tumbling backward, arms flailing as he tried to regain balance.
Bakugo didn't let up.
He landed, spun, and launched again—this time aiming a spinning heel kick enhanced by a perfectly timed blast.
Midoriya raised his arm desperately—
CRACK!
Third finger. Another shockwave.
But Bakugo had already adjusted, using the recoil from his own explosion to spiral out of range.
The shockwave missed entirely.
Midoriya's breathing was ragged now. Three fingers down. His right hand was a mangled mess.
'I can't keep this up. He's not giving me time to aim—'
"COME ON, DEKU!" Bakugo roared, landing in the center of the arena. "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!"
His palms crackled with stored sweat, sparks dancing across his gauntlets.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO HOLD BACK!"
Midoriya's jaw tightened.
'He's right. I can't afford to hesitate.'
He raised his left hand, channeling One For All into his middle finger.
'If I can't hit him directly, I'll force him into a corner—'
He aimed at the ground between them.
CRACK!
The shockwave tore through the concrete, sending chunks of debris flying upward in a wide arc.
Bakugo's eyes widened.
'A smokescreen—?!'
The dust cloud exploded outward, obscuring the entire center of the arena.
For a moment, the crowd held its breath.
Then—
BOOM!
Bakugo blasted straight through the debris cloud, emerging on the other side with pinpoint precision.
But Midoriya wasn't there.
'Where—?!'
His eyes widened.
'Up.'
Bakugo looked up.
Midoriya was falling toward him, arm raised, one leg mangled, finger aimed directly down.
'He jumped during the smokescreen—!'
CRACK!
The shockwave came down like a hammer.
Bakugo crossed his arms, bracing—
BOOM!
He fired both palms upward, meeting the shockwave head-on.
The two forces collided mid-air.
KRAAAACK!
The resulting explosion sent a shockwave rippling across the entire stadium.
___
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