Chapter 27: The Final Event: Track 1 - Prelims, the First
- CAFÉ WILDKAT, MUSUTAFU -
"Man, this year's festival has been intense." One of the many guests of the small café said openly.
"Yeah, but it's been very exciting!" Replied another.
The café fell into a comfortable pattern of small talk and discussions over the sports festival. Those talks soon turned to predictions and ideas for the final event. While a tournament was the likely choice for the final event, the theme of the tournament has yet to be decided. Mr. H simply smiled as he made a series of small lunches for his guests since there was a lull until the final event started.
All the while, Beat and Rhyme were busy having their own discussion.
"So, who should we send our offer to?" The younger blonde asked her brother.
"Well, Midoriya for sure. If H-Man says he's good, then we give him that chance." Beat said. "Plus, it's our job to bring out the best in him, right? Greenie's got a lotta good for us to work with. Make sure that good becomes great, ya dig?"
Rhyme nodded, jotting down her older brother's points on her notes. "I think we could also send one to Sakurane. She's got the energy to keep up with us, that's for sure. And we can also help her with her insecurities based on what Mr. H shared with us."
"True dat." The older blonde replied as he took a sip of his fresh cup of coffee. There was a look of deep thought on his face, his brows scrunching up as he had a thought. "The fights are gonna be intense."
Beat looked at the TV as it was replaying some of the more intense moments of the first two events of the festival. The screen began to display Izuku and Bakugo rushing each other, Izuku's Buster-Shot and Bakugo's explosion building up for their attacks. Beat focused on the look in the two's eyes.
"Gonna be one helluva fight, that's for sure."
"So, who else should we consider?" Rhyme asked, returning to her notes.
As Beat and Rhyme went back to their draft picks, the guests of the café continued to carry on as usual, waiting for the final event to start, they missed another interaction beginning to take place. BK focused his blue eyes on the door to the café, the clear glass giving the star-eyed cat a perfect look at the unexpected appearance of a new cat.
Outside was a snow-white cat with several patches of faded red fur on its left front leg up to its shoulder and a flame-like patch over its left eye. The cat stared its heterochromatic blue and yellow eyes into BK's bright blue ones. Neither cat moved.
They only stared at each other, as if judging the other to see if they were worthy.
- U.A. CAFETERIA -
A cacophony of noises and excitement rang through the large cafeteria as the first-years took the time to relax and enjoy their meals before walking around the school grounds to enjoy the festival or to partake in the smaller events planned for after lunch.
In their own little corner, Izuku sat with Shoka and Momo, Shinso, and several of their friends as they finished eating their lunch. While the group chatted among themselves, Izuku's attention was elsewhere.
Izuku looked across the cafeteria at Todoroki, the scarred young man doing the same. Emerald green eyes locked with turquoise and gray ones as the two stared at each other. The verdette's mind ran wild with ideas at the sudden reveal of Todoroki's fire.
'So, he has a Dual-Quirk. Fire and ice but he only ever uses his ice. Did he not train his fire?' Izuku shook away that idea. 'No, his dad is Endeavor. If anything, he should have trained it extensively. So why hasn't Todoroki used it before?'
The verdette considered that there might be something he was missing. Todoroki kept to himself at the start of the year, only really interacting with the rest of 1-A rather recently, and even then, he still was more of an observer. Like the bicolor-haired student didn't really know what to do in regard to social interactions.
'Maybe he just doesn't know how to deal with people. Not like Endeavor is the best example to follow. Even he doesn't have a good rapport with his fellow Heroes based on those interviews I've seen.' Izuku looked back at Todoroki who had focused on his cold soba. 'What if that somehow affected Todoroki?' The verdette's eyes trailed over Todoroki's scar, the angry red skin marring his face.
A thought crossed his mind at that. And it was one he really didn't want to consider.
As those thoughts began to plague his mind, Izuku was soon brought out of them by a hand placing itself on his shoulder and shaking him slightly. The verdette's head jolted as he looked to his side, seeing Shoka look at him with some concern in her gray eyes.
"Hey, Izzy? You ready to check out some booths?" The slender ravenette asked him.
"Hm? Oh, yeah." Izuku replied as he stood up from his chair and followed after his friends and ravenette girlfriends. As they left, Todoroki spared the verdette one more glance before he disappeared in the mass of students leaving with him.
The scent of confectioneries and festival foods filled the air as the group of 1-A students traveled the school grounds, some heading back to the stadium to join in on the recreational games while Izuku and his group visited the booths. Mina and Toru's excitement was apparent, the two energetic and bubbly girls debating on where to go first. Iida had begun to relax, though everyone could see he was holding back on trying to corral the two.
The biggest surprise was Momo herself. The busty heiress' personality became bouncier as they got closer to the booths.
"Oh, what should we do first? I haven't played festival games in ages!" Momo said with a wide, bright smile on her face.
Izuku and Shoka looked at each other as they smiled at the onyx-eyed girl's excitement as she wrapped her arms around theirs and pulled them along. Shinso and Kyoka followed along after them at their own pace, more than willing to just go along with them during their break.
Momo led the group from booth to booth, making sure to try each and every game and treat that the three of them could partake in. To the three of them, it was a well-earned mini-date, even if their friends were with them. As the group continued on with their activities, one booth caught their eyes.
"Oh my god, they're so fluffy!" Toru exclaimed as she rushed to a game booth. The walls were lined with various prizes ranging from simple toys to Hero merchandise. And to the Invisible girl's joy, plushies.
Toru immediately paid to play in order to claim her prize, with Mina, Tsuyu, and Ochaco cheering her on. As she worked on hitting the targets, Momo's eyes landed on a white and gold owl that seemed to grab her attention. Izuku noticed her onyx eyes sparkling as she couldn't take her eyes off the small plushie. He chuckled to himself, placing several monetary notes on the counter to try his hand at the game.
It was relatively easy for him to hit the targets, his experience with Buster Shot coming in handy for a game like this. Izuku couldn't help but smirk as he claimed the owl, Momo's elated expression causing his heart to swell. The ravenette blushed as he handed her the owl plushie, hugging the toy to her chest.
Momo looked at Izuku and in a sudden show of affection, quickly placed her lips on his own. Her blush deepened with her action, though the blush and wobbly smile on the verdette's face made her heart flutter. She saw Shoka behind Izuku, holding a prize of her own, and gave her fellow ravenette a knowing smile.
"Well, guess that means I also get a prize of my own," Shoka said as she stood behind Izuku and brought her arm around, a green bunny similar to the one on his pins in her hand.
She watched the verdette over his shoulder as he took the bunny into his hands. Izuku let out a mirthful chuckle as he turned his head and looked at the young woman leaning against his back. "It is only fair." He said as he cleared the small gap between them and gave her a small peck on the lips.
Shoka hummed in contentment as she continued to lean against her verdette boyfriend's frame, Momo joining the two as she leaned against his side. The three stood there for a moment, simply enjoying the comfort of each other's presence. Izuku brought up the bunny plushie and began to look over it. He tilted his head, the action catching Shoka and Momo's attention as he seemed to study the toy in his hands with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"What are you thinking about, Izuku?" Momo asked, her curiosity starting to build.
"Just... noticing how similar they look to the Mr. Mew plushie I got Shoka when we moved into the dorms." The verdette explained.
Shoka's gray eyes widened at the realization. "Holy shit! They do!" That fact had brought a smile to her face. "Guess we all have matching spirit animals now."
Momo smiled brightly at that idea. "Indeed! What a rather splendid coincidence!"
As they chatted, Shinso and Kyoka joined up with them. Kyoka huffed in amusement at the affectionate scene in front of her, causing the three lovers to take notice of their two friends and the golden bat plushie in Shinso's hand. The three looked at the sleep-deprived indigoette, who simply stared at them in response.
"For a friend," Shinso stated.
The answer placated the three for the time being. The group prepared to head off to another booth when a loud voice stopped them.
"YO! If it ain't the Wildkats! Wassup Shoka?"
The group turned to see the massive frame of Susukichi making his way over to them, sporting a wide, sharp-toothed grin on his face.
Shoka felt her lips tug into a wide smile. "Hey Big Su! How have ya been, big guy?"
"Been doin' well. Gotta be on my best behavior for a bit but the rat was pretty chill with helpin' me out." Susukichi turned his hat around, showcasing his role as extra security for the festival. "Gotta play by his rules, help him out every now and then."
"At this point, we've given up on trying to understand Nezu," Shinso stated with little emotion. "Pretty sure he is in the middle of planning world domination."
Izuku and Momo went quiet at the indigoette's remark. They didn't want to worry their friends about how accurate Shinso's statement was. The first "Brainstorming Session" with Nezu nearly broke them.
It didn't help he just kept calling them hypothetical scenarios that seemed all too real.
"Yeah, I hear ya. Damn rat seems to just play like five games at the same time while we're still tryin' set up the board." Susukichi started to smirk. "Damn good Reversi player though. Really keeps me on my toes. Same with that Mr. H guy. Can never get a read on him though..."
"You know Mr. H?" Izuku asked, surprise laced in his voice.
"Yep! Part of the probation. I mostly just help out at his café every now and then. Not so good with makin' coffee though." Susukichi said as he took a small glance at his hands.
Shoka held back a laugh. "Yeah, I've seen your texts, big guy. It still took me several rereads to get what you meant whenever you messaged me."
The muscular blonde shook his head, an amused smile on his face. "But enough with that noise. Name's Susukichi. Didn't really have the time to properly introduce myself when Handjob and his Big Bird reject were getting flipped."
"Right. Well, I'm Midoriya Izuku. Thanks for helping us out when you did, Susukichi." The verdette introduced himself. Susukichi gave him a smirk and held out his fist, which Izuku followed up with a bump.
"Yo. Just call me Shinso." The indigoette said with a lazy wave.
"Wait, you were the disc that countered Handjob's strategy!" Susukichi couldn't help but laugh madly at the realization, putting his hands on his knees as he tried to keep steady. "Bro! The look on his face after his Nomu got dusted was great. Talk about a reversal." After catching his breath, the hulking blonde turned his attention to the final two members of the group.
"Jiro Kyoka. How's it goin' big guy?" The punkette said next, giving him a two-finger salute. The muscular blonde smirked and returned it with one of his own.
Momo gave Susukichi a nod as she held her hand out. "Hello. I am Yaoyorozu Momo. I must thank you for helping keep both Izuku and Shoka safe during the attack."
"Eh, it ain't a problem. Gotta help out a friend, ya know?" Susukichi replied, gently shaking the ravenette heiress' hand. "So, you guys just hangin' out for a bit?" He asked, randomly pointing to each member of the quintet.
"Yeah. Wanted to chill before the final event." Shoka answered. The corner of her lip curled as she gave the blonde a cheeky smirk. "Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to know what kind of tournament we're having, do you?"
Susukichi laughed at her attempt to get an answer out of him. The fact that the others leaned in hoping he had an answer made him laugh even more. "Nice try, Shoka. They don't pay me enough to know that stuff. You're just gonna hafta wait for the rat to make his play."
Shoka shrugged while the others deflated a little bit. "Oh well. I tried." She simply stated without a care.
"HA! Classic play by Shoka," Susukichi said as he shook his head fondly. "Anyway, I hate to run but I gotta get back to my job. Gotta make sure these discs don't make any illegal plays and ruin the games for everybody. As for you four." The hulking blonde pointed to Izuku, Shoka, Momo, and Shinso. "I better see you sweep the board! That Mr. H really hyped you guys up a lot."
"Don't worry, Big Su. We got this." The slender ravenette replied with confidence.
"Like there's any doubt. We're aiming for the top." Izuku added with a determined look on his face.
"Not like we got a choice. We made a pretty good showing so far." Shinso spoke next, his lips forming into a smirk.
Momo couldn't help but smile brightly as she gave a nod. "Indeed, we will need to follow up our previous performances with an even greater one."
Kyoka just watched from the side as she let out an amused huff. "Man, what are you putting in that coffee, Greenie? Pretty sure I could've used some of that earlier."
Todoroki left the 1-A waiting room as the time neared for the final event. He wanted to be away from everybody as his mind dwelled on the final minutes of the second event. The fact that Midoriya and Bakugo had prevented the capture of Midoriya's Home Zone. The idea that Midoriya had pushed him to the edge.
At how hot his father's fire burned from his left side when Midoriya committed everything to his last attack.
Todoroki stopped at that memory. The only sound heard was that of the crowd as their cheers reverberated through the stadium's walls. The scarred young man clenched his right fist, frost forming around him as his irritation spiked.
'I won't use his fire. I will win with mom's ice.' Todoroki declared to himself.
The bicolor-haired young man continued his trek through the stadium's halls. He didn't get far when he came across his father, the No. 2 Hero, Endeavor, standing in his way. The Pro Hero's imposing figure loomed over the younger Todoroki; his arms crossed with a disappointed expression on his face as he looked at his son.
Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes narrowed at the sight of the Hero. His irritation soon spiked into anger as he schooled his features.
"You're in my way," Todoroki stated.
Endeavor continued to hold his gaze on his son, choosing to maintain his silence a little longer. After what felt like hours, he spoke, "Shoto, this farce has to stop. Your childish rebellion is affecting your performance."
Todoroki ignored his father's words. He continued walking. He would just have to continue to ignore Endeavor as he made his way back to the field.
"You are starting to fail." Todoroki felt his anger growing more and more as Endeavor spoke.
"Even you felt the pressure building up around you during that Scramble Slam." Todoroki grits his teeth as Midoriya's hardened gaze flashes in his mind. The verdette's look of determination that had forced the scarred young man to lose control.
"What will happen when your ice fails? What then? You are the one to surpass me. To surpass All Might. You can't do that with only half of the power you hold!" Todoroki maintained his pace, never missing a step as Endeavor continued with his remarks.
'I don't need your power. I only need mom's.' Todoroki's face became enraged as his temper flared. His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. 'I will ruin your plans, you bastard. I will never use your fire!'
Endeavor watched his son disappear down the hall. He lowered his head, his turquoise eyes showing a hint of melancholy before they flashed with frustration. "You will learn, Shoto. That you were meant for more. You can't run from this."
- U.A. UNIVERSITY STADIUM -
[Welcome back dear viewers and listeners! Are you ready for the final event? CAN I GET A YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!]
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!" The crowd roared with excitement. The sixteen students participating in the finals felt their bones shake as they stood on the elevated platform that would be their fighting arena. Off to the side, Midnight's own umpire platform was upgraded, courtesy of Cementoss, giving her a grander stage to stand atop as the final event took place.
Midnight and Cementoss stood on the new platform, waiting for the crowd's energy to die down a little before the R-Rated Hero spoke up. "Well now, I just love your energy! It really gets my blood pumping. But now, it's time for these sixteen students to show us what they got!"
The holographic screen returned; a large graphic proudly displayed to announce the final event. "Because the final event is a one-on-one tournament!" The crowd roared with excitement once more. "The rules are simple. Two students will enter the ring, and a winner is decided by either knock-out, ring-out, yielding to your opponent, or being immobilized for ten seconds."
"And while I may like it when you get rough, don't get too rough darlings! Otherwise, you will be punished." The R-Rated Hero ended her explanation by licking her lips. The display once again, caused many of the audience in the stadium and at home to shiver.
"And now, it's time to announce who will be facing who in the preliminaries!" As she spoke, the screen behind her changed, showcasing a tournament bracket with names along the sides.
Ashido Mina -v- Todoroki Shoto
-----
Shiozaki Ibara -v- Tokoyami Fumikage
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Shinso Hitoshi -v- Kendo Itsuka
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Midoriya Izuku -v- Monoma Neito
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Bakugo Katsuki -v- Kirishima Eijiro
-----
Tokage Setsuna -v- Yaoyorozu Momo
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Iida Tenya -v- Hatsume Mei
-----
Sakurane Shoka -v- Kaminari Denki
Izuku scanned the screen, feeling relieved that he and his friends didn't have to face each other right off the bat. He looked to the side and saw Monoma looking at the screen as well. The 1-B blonde turned and looked at Izuku.
Monoma smirked, but gave the verdette a respectful nod, letting Izuku know he was ready for their match.
Izuku returned the nod, giving the blonde a small smile when he returned his attention to the screen. Before he could formulate ideas and plans against Monoma, Midnight spoke up.
"For some added entertainment, the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be randomized. Don't think that you will face off against the person who wins the match after yours." Her words made Izuku grow thoughtful.
'That does add some chaos into the mix. That means I might face Shoka, Momo, or Shinso next.' Izuku looked over to his old childhood friend. Bakugo just stared at the screen with a calm look to him. He turned his head, locking eyes with Izuku for a moment before choosing to ignore the verdette. Or, Bakugo and I could finally have our match.'
Another thought crossed his mind and he looked over to Todoroki. Izuku grew concerned with the expression on the scarred young man's face. Todoroki's usual stoic look was replaced by a calm anger. The verdette noted that there was a chill in the air building up around them. And it started to make him worry.
Izuku took the chance to make his way over to Mina. "Hey, Mina."
The pinkette perked up and turned to face Izuku, confusion written on her face. "What's up, Midori?"
"Be careful during your match. Todoroki looks like he isn't in the best of moods." Izuku explained in a hushed tone.
Mina listened to the verdette, taking in what he said as she tried to discreetly take a glance at their heterochromatic coursemate. She involuntarily shivered as she did, understanding what Izuku meant. "Yeesh. Yeah, thanks for the heads up, Midori."
"ALRIGHT! It's time to start the first match! Todoroki Shoto and Ashido Mina, please remain in the arena. Everybody else, please head off to your seats with your classes. Shiozaki Ibara and Tokoyami Fumikage, make your way to the waiting rooms. After the match, we will have a five-minute intermission to make sure everything is reset and give you time to prepare." Midnight explained as she ushered the students away from the arena.
Izuku looked at Todoroki one more time before joining up with the others as they made their way to their seats. As they made it to their section, Izuku took his seat in between Shoka and Momo, the two ravenettes leaning closer to him as they kept their eyes on the arena.
"So... How are Mina's chances looking?" Kaminari asked.
"It depends. This could come down to a battle of attrition." Izuku answered. 1-A, and a few curious 1-B students who overheard him, turned to look at the verdette, several of them being surprised that he already had his notebook and wondering where it came from. Izuku paid them no mind as he continued to speak, "Mina's and Todoroki's Quirks have limits. Mina can only make so much acid before it affects her and Todoroki can suffer from frostbite if he generates too much ice." And wanted to say more on that, but he had to be sure.
"You must also keep in mind that Mina will have to produce sulfuric acid in order to combat Todoroki's ice. That would be the only effective way to do so but that comes with a risk to her as that form of acid can burn her rather easily." Momo added, giving the group an impromptu chemistry lesson.
"Kero But Mina has a resistance to her acids, right?" Tsuyu asked, slightly confused on the matter.
"She's resistant, yeah, but after a while that resistance goes away." Everyone looked at Kirishima as he spoke. "If she was using a less powerful acid, she wouldn't have to worry as much. But if what Yaoyorozu is true, then it will be harder for Mina to keep it up."
The spiky redhead stood up, slamming his hardened fists together, and smiled. "But Mina's got this! Even if she loses, she's gonna make Todobro work for it!"
"MANLY!"
"Bro!"
"BRO!"
""BRO!!!""
1-A and 1-B just watched as Kirishima and Tetsutetsu's broship flourished, no one really having a way to understand what they saw.
"Moving on..." Shoka said as she looked back at the arena. "So, Pinky's got to hit Iceman hard and fast before he can freeze her, yeah?"
Izuku nodded. That's what he had in mind and hoped Mina could pull it off. His problem was that Todoroki wasn't acting like his usual stoic self.
[ALRIGHT VIEWERS AND LISTENERS!!! Are you ready for some good ol' fashioned one-on-one beatdowns, throwdowns, melees, and brawls?]
[Please don't market it like that...]
The crowd didn't seem to mind the two's antics, completely ignoring them as the excitement built up in the air.
[Ignoring my grumpy co-host-]
The sound of a brief scuffle could be heard through the speakers.
[Let me have my fun! Anyway, DEAR VIEWERS AND LISTENERS, it's time for the first round of the preliminary match-ups. On the west side of the arena, we have the pink Venus of 1-A, whose Quirk will have you melting like putty in her hands, from the Hero Course it's Ashido Mina!!!]
The energetic pinkette basked the attention being showered upon her, playing into the crowd's excitement as she did so.
[And on the east side of the arena, we have the ice-cold prince of 1-A, the master of the blizzard that leaves his opponents frozen in place, from the Hero Course it's Todoroki Shoto!]
Mina grumbled at how much louder the crowd seemed to be for Todoroki but didn't let it bother her too much, instead getting her head in the game. The pinkette's smile grew wide as she heard her friends cheer from the stands, making up for the difference in the crowd's initial reaction.
"Come on, Pinky!!!"
"Style on him!"
"You got this, Mina!"
With the boost in confidence from their support, Mina focused on her opponent across from her, Todoroki's mind was elsewhere.
Midnight looked at both competitors, giving them a final check before starting the match. "Ashido, are you ready?" Mina gave a determined nod as she readied herself. Midnight looked over to Todoroki, seeing the Hero student's current state, and grew concerned. "Todoroki?" The heterochromatic young man didn't respond. "Todoroki? Are you ready?"
Todoroki gave the slightest of nods, still focused on his own internal turmoil. The R-Rated Hero begrudgingly moved things along and raised her whip. "Combatants are ready. Match one..."
Izuku focused on the arena, his emerald green eyes narrowing as a chill rolled through the stadium once more. The hairs on his neck rose as he felt like Todoroki was about to try and pull off a quick win.
"BEGIN!"
Mina moved, skating across the arena floor with grace and finesse. The pinkette's actions saved her. Todoroki let loose, an enormous glacier erupting from him as he shifted his right foot. The frozen giant loomed over the crowd, the spiky top peaking over the rim of the stadium.
While Todoroki had been showcasing his power and control during the festival, this went beyond what people expected. The crowd was stunned into silence by the display in front of them.
Endeavor watched in frustration, the Pro Hero growing more irritated at his son's actions.
[HOLY SHIT! What a starting move from Todoroki! The ice is taller than the stadium!]
1-A just stared at the towering chunk of ice with wide eyes. No one really knew how to respond. The chill emanating from the crystalline glacier permeated through the air, causing the group to shiver in discomfort.
"Holy shit..." Shoka said dumbly.
"I would have to agree with you, Sakurane. Holy shit." Iida added, the display of power causing him to momentarily forget his manners.
Izuku was stunned. His mind raced with new thoughts about his fellow coursemate. The world seemed to fade away around him until Tsuyu's croaks broke him out of his stupor.
"K-k-k-ker-r-r-r-ro..."
Izuku grew concerned and started to act. "Tsu!" The verdette looked to Momo, his own cry causing her to focus on the situation at hand. "Momo! Tsu's going into torpor!"
"On it, Zuzu!" The busty heiress unzipped her gym jacket, the myriad colors of creation forming on her stomach as a large thick blanket began to form. "Hold on, Tsu. It will be only a moment." Momo said in a comforting tone.
Tsuyu nodded as she was brought into a hug by Uraraka, the bubbly auburnette doing her best to warm up her friend as much as she could.
As Momo wrapped up the frog-girl in the newly created blanket, Izuku clipped on Pyre in case he needed to generate a controlled fire in order to help warm her up. The verdette turned to Iida and called out to him. "Iida! Go and see if you can find Tsuyu something warm to drink!"
"On it, Midoriya!" The bluenette speedster hurried away as he followed Izuku's order. The verdette did his best to maintain his fire as long as he could, making sure not to drain it completely so its recharge wasn't inhibited.
"Man, when you think Todoroki was strong enough already, he goes and does something like this." Kaminari managed to say, causing the group to return their attention to the arena.
Mina stared at the glacier and shivered as she could feel the cold nipping at her bones. "G-G-Geez, T-To-Todoro-k-k-ki! W-W-What the h-h-hell!?"
The pinkette looked over to her heterochromatic coursemate, noticing him release a heavy breath as frost formed over his right side.
"Sorry. I was angry." Todoroki stated with some remorse.
"Th-Th-The FUCK!? W-W-Work on your i-i-issues on your-r-r own time th-then!" The pinkette cried out through her clattering teeth.
As Todoroki moved lethargically due to the kickback of his Quirk, Mina fought off the cold and rushed him. The pinkette started to secrete acid that would act as an irritant and lobbed the viscous material at her opponent. Todoroki reacted as quickly as he could, generating a wall of ice that blocked the acid from reaching him.
[And Ashido says no to Todoroki's power, rising up to meet the challenge head-on! Not even ice will slow her down.]
As the acid sizzled lightly against the crystalline wall, the scarred Hero student forced his Ice into overdrive as he slammed his foot against the ground, ice enveloping the ground around him, covering the majority of the arena floor. Todoroki let out another breath, the cold starting to get to him as his body struggled to maintain its heat.
His gray and turquoise eyes widened as Mina simply skated along the icy floor, a wide, shivering smile on her face. "It didn't w-w-work last time, T-T-Todoroki!"
The pinkette let more acid fall from her hands as she flung another salvo at Todoroki. The bicolor-haired young man created another wall of ice to block Mina's attack. More frost formed on his body, the chill biting at his skin as he felt like pins and needles poked at him. Mina was not deterred as she simply outmaneuvered around him, readying herself for another attack.
[It seems Todoroki is now on the back foot! He may have changed the field, but Ashido is keeping him on the defensive as he reacts to her attacks.]
A pillar of ice shot out at the horned student. Mina simply dodged the attack, her skill in dance and her natural flexibility allowing her to slide around it. She was given little time to rest as Todoroki was intent on keeping her at a distance by creating more pillars of ice. Mina continued to wow the crowd as she weaved through the pillars with grace and finesse.
Todoroki grew tired of the pinkette skating around him and planned to end the fight before she could gain the upper hand. He winced as he felt his fingers grow cold. The scarred young man ignored the chill running through his body as he swiped his right hand in front of him, generating a wide wave of ice that shot out at Mina.
The golden-eyed young woman panicked as she couldn't cancel her momentum. She attempted to generate a strong enough acid to try and cut through the ice, only to feel a mass of ice smack against her abdomen, stopping her efforts. The horned Hero student's feet left the ground as she was knocked back, her body tumbling across the icy floor. Mina struggled to create a hand-hold for her to grab, failing over and over as she finally fell off the arena and onto the field below.
The pinkette grumbled as she hit the ground, wincing at the pain coming from her abdomen. "W-w-well, that s-sucks..."
"W-w-winner by ring-out, T-To-Todoroki Shoto!" Midnight declared, trying her best not to be affected by the cold nipping at her body. Her thin, skin-tight bodysuit didn't help matters as it provided little warmth to battle against the chill creeping up on her body.
[And the first round goes to Todoroki! But don't you dare discount Ashido, folks. Despite the power behind Todoroki, our dancing pinkette kept him on the defensive while skating around on his ice!]
[It was a good example of turning the environment to your advantage. Ashido didn't let Todoroki's control of the field inhibit her. She used her skills to the best of her ability but even then, Todoroki turned the tables on her by switching up his attack's direction. She will need to work on her adaptation.]
[Well said, my friend. Either way, both students deserve a round of applause, AIN'T THAT RIGHT DEAR VIEWERS AND LISTENERS!?]
Mina beamed as the crowd began to give both her and Todoroki their due applause. She waved to the crowd and gave them a showy bow. The pinkette turned to where the spectator box 1-A was in and her smile grew as her friends and coursemates showed her their support for her efforts.
Todoroki let out a shaky breath, the cold air making a visible wisp as he did. His body trembled; a majority of his right side was encased in frost. The bicolor-haired Hero student hesitantly used the fire half of his Quirk to warm up his body. As the heat permeated through him, Todoroki made his way off of the arena, leaving behind a mass of ice in his wake.
Midnight shook away her discomfort as best she could, drawing the crowd's attention as she spoke. "Sorry, everyone. We will have a small break to clear the ice and reset the stage."
At her words, Endeavor leaped onto the field and made his way onto the arena. "I will remove this ice. No point in wasting more of these peoples' time or my own."
The R-Rated Hero, while surprised by Endeavor's appearance, simply nodded as he went to work melting the ice. Todoroki stopped outside the gate and turned to glare at his father. He huffed and continued to walk away.
Izuku noticed and grew more and more concerned with his coursemate's actions and behavior. He traced Todoroki's gaze back to Endeavor as more and more pieces began to fall in place. The verdette sighed as he lowered his head. I was hoping I was wrong.' He thought to himself.
Cementoss gave Midnight a thumbs up as he finished manipulating the arena back to its pristine state. The dark-haired Hero gave him a nod and raised her whip. "Thank you, Cementoss. With the arena fixed, it's time to move on to the next match!"
[You heard her folks, it's time for the next exciting match!]
The crowd cheered as Shiozaki and Tokoyami made their way out of the gates and onto the arena.
[On the west side of the field, we have the graceful soul of 1-B. The vine-haired lady who will offer you salvation and dish out punishment. Viewers and listeners, it's Shiozaki Ibara of the Hero Course!]
Shiozaki placed her hands in front of her, bringing them together as she gave the audience a grateful bow.
[And on the east side, we have the dark soul of 1-A. The man who lives in the shadows, bringing villainy into the light. Viewers and listeners, I give you Tokoyami Fumikage and his Quirk, Dark Shadow, of the Hero Course!]
Tokoyami stood stoically; his arms crossed as he simply took in the cheers. Dark Shadow emerged from his body and played into the crowd earning them a few more cheers.
Midnight looked at both students and addressed the 1-B student. "Shiozaki, are you ready?" The vine-haired young woman gave the R-Rated Hero a determined nod. The dark-haired woman then turned to address the 1-A student. "Tokoyami, are you ready?" The raven-headed young man gave a single nod, not taking his eyes off of Shiozaki.
Midnight raised her whip into the air, giving the two one more glance. "Combatants are ready. Match two... BEGIN!"
"DARK SHADOW, ATTACK!" Tokoyami wasted no time as he sent Dark Shadow out on the offensive.
The shadowy bird shot out quickly, clearing the distance between them and Shiozaki. The viney-verdette narrowed her eyes, brought her hands to her chest, and let her vines dig into the ground before she cut them off. Tokoyami raised a brow before he noticed the ground under Dark Shadow rumble and crack, his red eyes widening in alarm as he called out to his Quirk.
"Dark Shadow! From below!" Heeding its anchor's advice, Dark Shadow moved to the left as a mass of vines shot out from the ground.
Several more vines shot out, forcing the Sentient Quirk to weave through the growths. As Dark Shadow neared Shiozaki, she grew her vines out once more, the barbed strands digging into the ground as they took root. A wall of vines erupted from the ground, bending towards Dark Shadow in an attempt to slam into the shadowy bird.
Dark Shadow felt a tug and pulled back to Tokoyami in time to avoid getting hit by the wall of barbed vines. The student and Sentient Quirk stared at the viney-verdette, waiting for her to make the next move.
[It looks like Shiozaki has got some tricks up her sleeve. She's really gonna make Tokoyami work for it if he wants to win]
"Damn, Shiozaki is holding up pretty well against Tokoyami," Kyoka said as she watched the match, ignoring Iida's chiding for her language.
The group of 1-A students saw Shiozaki release another group of brambles into the ground. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow dodged several groups of vines that lashed out at them.
"Indeed. It seems to be an even match." Momo added.
"It's going to come down to who can get to who first," Izuku stated. The verdette flipped through his notebook and started to make notes on Shiozaki's Quirk. "They both have range and both can focus on offense and defense. At the moment, it's a stalemate."
They watched as Tokoyami sent out Dark Shadow once more, the Sentient Quirk rushing forward trying to put pressure on Shiozaki. The viney-verdette grew more strands of barbs that dug into the ground and became a shield to protect her from the attack.
Tokoyami clicked his tongue at Shiozaki's shield. The match was going on longer than he had hoped, a sentiment Dark Shadow shared.
"We gotta end this, Fumi!" The shadowy bird cried out.
"And we will. Dark Shadow, test her defenses! Cut through the bramble!" Tokoyami commanded.
"Aye aye!" Dark Shadow rushed out once again, bearing its talons as it neared Shiozaki's wall of vines. Several brambles lashed out at the Sentient Quirk in an attempt to strike the shadowy bird and push it back. Dark Shadow simply slashed its talons through the vines, causing them to tumble to the ground as the roots stopped moving.
Tokoyami smirked. "Good work, Dark Shadow! Keep on the attack and drive her out!"
[It looks like Tokoyami and Dark Shadow are really going on the offensive. That bird's talons are just cutting through Shiozaki's vines with ease!]
Dark Shadow roared as it charged the wall. The Sentient Quik lashed out wildly, trying its best to tear through the thick vines protecting Shiozaki. After several more swipes, the shadowy bird managed to cut a hole through the wall, giving it a view of Shiozaki.
"Alright Ivy, time to weed out the garden." Dark Shadow said, confidence brimming its voice.
"Unfortunately, for yourself and Tokoyami, I must insist you yield now," Shiozaki replied coolly.
Dark Shadow narrowed its eyes, priming itself for another strike at the vines when the ground began to rumble. It looked around, trying to pinpoint where the attack would come from.
Tokoyami did the same, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the ground around him. Suddenly, a large mass of thick vines shot out from the arena floor, surrounding the raven-headed student and lashing out at him. Tokoyami was lifted into the air as the vines coiled around him.
"Fumi!" Dark Shadow cried out in alarm.
[What a turn around folks! Shiozaki has captured Tokoyami in some bramble, effectively grounding this bird!]
Tokoyami struggled against his barbed bindings. Each attempt only made the vines tighten their hold on him. He looked at where Dark Shadow emerged from his body, noticing the vines had yet to coil around its shadowy form. The raven-headed student looked to his Quirk and called out to it, "Dark Shadow, remove her from the field!"
The Sentient Quirk nodded and refocused on Shiozaki. The viney-verdette grew worried as Dark Shadow tore through the vine wall with renewed vigor. The young woman's attention was divided on maintaining the wall and her hold on Tokoyami. As her focus faltered, Dark Shadow capitalized on its new advantage and ripped apart the barbed bramble, shocking Shiozaki.
Before she could react, Dark Shadow gripped her shoulders and pushed her across the arena floor, shooting past her remaining vines and quickly nearing the edge. Shiozaki closed her eyes, expecting a heavy shove and a rough landing, only to be lifted into the air and gently dropped onto the ground below.
"Winner by ring-out, Tokoyami Fumikage!" Midnight declared.
The vines scattering the arena began to go limp, the mass holding onto Tokoyami slowly lowering as he was brought to the ground. The raven-headed young man freed himself as the vines loosened and made his way over to Shiozaki.
[What a back-and-forth between Shiozaki and Tokoyami! They sure showed both the advantages and disadvantages of staying rooted!]
There was a loud groaning coming from the speakers, the crowd laughing at Aizawa physically cringing due to Present Mic.
[Even if this was a match about keeping your distance, both students really outdid themselves with their moves. Shiozaki played both offense and defense while Tokoyami was about speed, maneuverability, and pressure.]
[Poor puns aside, both competitors showed off control of their Quirks and their adaptability. Tokoyami was just quicker at capitalizing his advantage. Had Shiozaki also captured Dark Shadow with her vines, then victory would have been hers.]
"An excellent match, sister of the light. I hope that we were not too rough on you with that landing." Tokoyami said, reaching out his hand to help Shiozaki back up.
The vine-haired young woman gave him a soft smile and took his hand. "I am fine. Your companion was rather gentle while making me leave the arena. I thank you for the match."
Tokoyami pulled her up and gave her a nod. "Of course. It was well-fought. I will say, you caught me by surprise many times with your vines."
"Same! Those vines are something else." Dark Shadow said, interjecting itself into the conversation.
Shiozaki brought her hands to her chest, clasping them together as if to pray. A mote of light had begun to shine behind her, giving the vine-haired young woman an ethereal glow. "I am simply thankful neither of you were hurt. I do not wish to do harm to others, even when necessary."
Shiozaki looked at the pair, the viney-verdette giving a look of confusion as Tokoyami and Dark Shadow seemed to dither away, the shadowy bird sinking into the raven-headed young man's body.
"Too bright. So pure."
Izuku stood up from his seat and handed Momo his Quirk notebook. "Well, I better head to the waiting room."
Shoka gave him a nod. "If you see Brewd, let him know Momo and I said good luck."
"Let him know we'll cheer for you both during your matches!" Momo added with a bright smile.
Before Izuku could leave, Shoka and Momo pulled him down, the two ravenettes leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheeks. The verdette blushed at the action, being caught off guard by his girlfriend's sudden show of affection. Their soft lips lingered for a moment before finally pulling away.
"And a little extra incentive for ya," Shoka said with a smirk, her gray eyes becoming half-lidded.
"Indeed. You better go beyond for us, Zuzu." Momo said coyly.
Izuku nodded dumbly. "I guess I have no reason to lose now."
Shoka, Momo, and the rest of their friend group watched as Izuku left with an added pep in his step, his signature bright smile adorning his face even as he rounded the corner. Momo took over Izuku's seat as she leaned closer to Shoka and the two watched their boyfriend disappear. "You know he is going to one-up our token of affection, yes?" She asked her gray-eyed girlfriend.
"Oh yeah. But are we really considering that as a bad thing?" Shoka replied, her deep-red lips quirking into a smirk as she looked at Momo.
"Absolutely not." the busty heiress said with a cheeky smile as she leaned back into her new chair.
Shinso left the waiting room he had used to prepare himself for his match. He closed the door and let out a held breath, doing his best to psych himself. After taking a moment to collect himself, the indigoette turned and walked down the hallway.
His ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming towards him. Shinso felt the corner of his mouth tug into a smirk as Izuku made his way over to him.
"Shoka and Momo say good luck and that they'll be rooting for you." The freckled verdette said.
"And you?" Shinso asked.
Izuku smiled, raising his hand up in the air. Shinso mimicked the action. The two high-fived each other, not missing a step as they continued down their paths.
"I already know you got this, Shinso. But still, good luck." Izuku answered his best friend.
Shinso began to smile as he neared the gate, the blinding light illuminating his path as he stepped out onto the field.
- MUSUTAFU, CITY STREETS -
In the middle of a crowd on the city streets, Toga Himiko kept her golden eyes glued to a large electronic screen that was broadcasting the final event of the sports festival for the first-years. She watched in rapt attention as she got to see Shinso show off his skills. Her usual beige cardigan was switched out for a dark, leather jacket with a hoodie attached to it.
The bun-haired blonde smiled wildly as she saw him exit the tunnel, her fangs on full display as she started to blush.
"Go Hitoshi!"
- MIDORIYA HOUSEHOLD -
"THAT'S MY BOY! YOU GOT THIS SON!"
"Go Hitoshi! Knock 'em out, honey!"
Inko chuckled at the antics of her friends as they cheered for their son. The Midoriya matriarch got into the spirit of things as she started to cheer alongside the Shinsos.
[YEEEEEEEEEAH! It's time for the third match of the day! Everybody get PUMPED!!! From the west side of the field, we have the master of mind games, the commander of your actions! From Hero Course 1-A, give it up for Shinso Hitoshi!]
Shinso felt his body relax as he looked all around him. He took in the crowd's reaction, the roaring applause, and smiled. 'Have to admit, it never gets old knowing that I made it here.'
"You got this Shinso!"
"Do your best, my friend!"
"Kick some ass Indi!"
[And on the east side of the field, it's the mistress of battle, the fiery brawler with style galore! Viewers and listeners, the representative of Hero Course 1-B, it's Kendo Itsuka!]
"Show 'em what you can do, Rep!"
"Bring the beat down, Kendo!"
Midnight looked at Shinso, pointing her whip at the sleep-deprived student. "Shinso, are you ready?"
Shinso gave the dark-haired woman a nod, keeping his eyes trained on Itsuka.
Midnight turned her attention to the orangette on the other side of the arena. "Kendo, are you ready?"
Itsuka gave the R-Rated Hero a slight nod as well, focusing on Shinso.
Midnight raised her whip into the air "Combatants are ready. Match three..."
Itsuka bowed to Shinso before shifting into a Shotokan stance. Her eyes became sharp as she stared down Shinso. The indigoette returned Itsuka's gesture with a slow nod as he got into his own stance, mimicking Aizawa's personal martial art.
"BEGIN!"
With Midnight's declaration, the two students began to circle the arena, neither of them taking a step closer as they were intent on studying the other and waiting for their opening. After a while of moving around the arena, coming full circle, Shinso spoke up. "So, I take it Setsuna gave away what my Quirk is?"
Itsuka didn't answer but did give the indigoette an apologetic smile.
Shinso huffed. "Figures. Will she at least stop being mad about the minefield after today?"
The martial artist gave him a quick nod.
"Well, that's good... Could've happened sooner, ya know." Shinso grumbled out. He tensed his body as Itsuka used this moment to strike first.
The orangette chopped her hand through the air, her Quirk activating as her hand enlarged. Shinso barely dodged the strike as Itsuka slammed the bottom of her hand into the ground, cracking the arena floor.
Itsuka shrunk her hand back down to its normal size when Shinso rushed her. The 1-B student was forced onto the defensive as Shinso sent out a series of jabs and punches. The orangette blocked the strike with ease, showcasing her skill in hand-to-hand combat. Itsuka began to incorporate her Quirk into the fight, forcing Shinso to risk going for a clean hit at the cost of getting hit himself.
[Well lookie what we have here my dear viewers and listeners, we got a real traditional martial arts fight on our hands!]
Kyoka and several other members of 1-A winced as Shinso tried his best to match the martial prowess of Itsuka. "Damn. Indi's got his work cut out for him." Kyoka stated.
"I can't even keep up with her but Shinso is doing pretty good though," Sero said before watching Shinso take a shot to his arm. "... Mostly."
"Don't count Shinso out yet, dummies," Shoka stated, drawing the group's attention. She glanced over at them before going back to the fight. "Take it from me, he can be pretty crafty if he needs to. Comes with the territory of being friends with Izzy."
They watched as Shinso dodged a flurry of punches by Itsuka and went in for a grapple. The indigoette threw the martial artist away from him, only to have her enlarge her hands to use as a springboard to right herself.
"But Shinso's Quirk requires his opponent to respond to him. Kendo has yet to do so." Iida said with some concern.
Shoka smirked. "Hey, it's like Aizawa-sensei told us one time before U.A., 'You can't be a one-trick pony.'"
Shinso unleashed a punch at Itsuka, only to have his fist collide with her enlarged hand. The indigoette winced at the impact, pulling back his hand and shaking it to alleviate the pain.
"Shit! The hell do you use as a punching bag? Boulders?" Shinso asked. Itsuka kept her mouth shut, doing her best to not respond to the indigoette, though the fact she darted her eyes away from his was answer enough.
Shinso had no time to recover as he was put on the back foot as Itsuka pushed against him. As the sleep-deprived Hero student focused on dodging his opponent's attacks, he started to quip.
"So, aside from boulders, what else do you practice on? Girders? Dense anime protagonists?" Shinso ducked under a fast haymaker, Itsuka enlarging her hand at the last minute hoping to catch him off guard. "Hey, hands to yourself. I still have a list to go through."
The orange-haired martial artist couldn't help but smirk, finding some enjoyment from the fight. She looked at Shinso, her eyes locking onto his, failing to see the shift in his demeanor.
"Behind you..." He whispered.
Itsuka reacted, quickly spinning as she lashed out with a backhand, hitting nothing but air. In her confusion, Shinso attacked, sweeping his leg out and knocking the orangette down to the ground. She recovered quickly, rolling her body out of the way as her opponent attempted to strike her on the ground.
Shinso was blind-sided as Itsuka hit him with an enlarged palm thrust. The indigoette grunted as his body skidded across the arena floor, the hard, unforgiving surface knocking the wind out of him with each bounce. He looked at Itsuka, trying to make eye contact, only to struggle as he was closing one of his eyes in a wince.
The martial artist of 1-B pushed her advantage, forcing Shinso closer to the edge of the arena. With each kick or punch dodged, Shinso was forced to block several more. Every hit made him grit his teeth as pain erupted across his body. The indigoette jumped back, gaining some distance from Itsuka, only to find his heels skirting the edge.
Shinso's mind ran wild with ideas of trying to turn the tables on Itsuka. He needed to find a way to catch her off guard, and soon. As the orangette rushed him, he spoke up once more. "So, are you usually this handsy, or is it because of my snark and charm that you can't wait to get a hold of me?"
Itsuka stopped in her tracks, a blush forming on her face. "Wha-" The orangette managed to stop herself, slapping her hand over her mouth to keep from talking.
That brief moment gave Shinso the opportunity he needed. He locked eyes with Itsuka and whispered, "Up top..."
The 1-B martial artist raised her arms in a vain attempt to block an overhead strike that would never come. Shinso threw a right hook into Itsuka's side, bringing the orangette back into the fight. Her teal eyes locked on with his, allowing Shinso to call out another misdirect.
"On your right..."
Again, Itsuka reacted, throwing a series of punches to her right. She felt her mind clear up when she failed to find Shinso in front of her. Her instincts as a fighter flared up as she turned around and brought down a heavy-handed overhead strike.
As Itsuka's fist slammed into the arena floor, Shinso wrapped his arms around her waist. The orangette felt her body being lifted up as the indigoette flung her from the arena. Itsuka hit the ground and rolled. She easily righted herself, coming to a stop as she skidded across the grass.
"Winner by ring-out, Shinso Hitoshi!"
[Now that is my kind of match! A good ol' brawl to mix things up a little!]
[This was a good example of despite having a difficult match-up, it always comes down to how you can turn the situation around or finding ways to make your Quirk work. While Kendo had the skills and physical advantage due to her own Quirk, Shinso had the challenge of having a mental Quirk that requires certain conditions be met.]
[Right, we saw that with those times our martial artist seemed to lose focus and attack at nothing, only for Shinso to pull off an attack of his own.]
[Indeed. This is the kind of development we want to see in our students.]
Shinso made his way over to Itsuka, holding out his hand for the orangette to shake. Itsuka took his hand into her own and spoke, "I have to say, not bad. What kind of martial arts did you use?"
"An adaptation of Eraser Head's. Had to work with what I had." Shinso replied. He looked at the orange-haired student, giving her a deadpan look. "So, you legit punched boulders?"
"Hey! I thought it was good training at the time..." Itsuka answered with a pout.
Shinso snorted, earning him an unamused look from Itsuka. "Hey, you do you, Redfield."
Himiko was bouncing on her heels as she watched the match, her excitement growing exponentially as Shinso was declared the winner.
"YES!" Himiko clapped her hands together, her smile growing wider as her eyes focused on the indigoette. The bun-haired young woman listened to the crowd around her discuss the match as she took out her phone to message the indigoette.
Vampr: Hi~to~shi! You really got my blood pumping with that fight.
Vampr: >,,< Got me all thirsty~
Izuku smiled as he watched his friend on the television installed in the waiting room, the broadcast replaying key moments of the match as Present Mic and Aizawa provided commentary. As Cementoss used his Quirk to clear and repair the arena, the verdette turned his attention to his Psychs, looking at the nine pins he had at his disposal.
"Monoma can copy four Quirks for ten minutes. I can safely assume that he will get his copies before we start, probably already talking to his coursemates before our match to determine which Quirks to use." Izuku began to clip on the six his Quirk would allow him to use, putting the other three in the soft-case pouch and clipping it to the back of his pants.
"I don't know what Monoma can do with the Quirks he copied. Can he only use one at a time or combine his quirks together similar to my Psychronizations?" The verdette left the waiting room and made his way to the field.
As Izuku neared the end of the tunnel and the gate leading to the field, he took in a deep breath and released it. "I won't let that stop me. I'll just have to adapt on the fly." The verdette took a step forward, his foot hitting the grass as the crowd roared to life as he and Monoma came into view.
Inko couldn't hold back the flood of happy tears flowing from her eyes as she watched her son step onto the field.
"THAT'S MY BABY! DO YOUR BEST, SWEETIE!" The Midoriya matriarch cried out excitedly.
"Hell yeah! Show us whatchu got, Greenie!" Beat cheered.
Rhyme shook her head at her brother's antics but soon followed suit as she watched the screen. "Come on, Midoriya!"
Mr. H just watched on with a smile on his face. Everything around him turned to background noise as he focused on the verdette.
'Alright Phones, the stage is yours now.'
- I-ISLAND, SHIELD RESIDENCE -
The Shield duo huddled together as Izuku walked up to the arena. David spared his daughter a glance before looking back at the screen. "So, you think you have an idea for support gear for him?" He asked.
Melissa gave him a quick nod and explained her thoughts, "Yeah, I just need to know more about his Quirk and how he uses it. With a combat scenario, I'll have more data to work with."
[ALRIGHT VIEWERS AND LISTENERS!!! It's time to start the next match! On the west end of the field, the representative of 1-A, the embodiment of creativity and imagination, the green rabbit of domination! From the Hero Course, it's Midoriya Izuku!]
Izuku looked all around him, a bright smile on his face. A smile which grew brighter at the sight of Shoka, Momo, and the others cheering him on.
"Bring the noise, Izzy!"
"You can do it, Zuzu!"
"Rock it, Greenie!"
"Strive for victory, Midoriya!"
Izuku snorted when he saw Shinso standing up and holding a sign reading Go Phones!
[And on the east side of the field, it's the spirit of artistic homage, the living version of 'Anything you can do, I can do better!' Dear viewers and listeners, from Hero Course 1-B, it's Monoma Neito!]
The blue-eyed blonde smirked at his intro. His smirk turned into one of appreciation as 1-B began to cheer loudly for him.
"Come on, Monoma!"
"Show him the combined power of 1-B!"
Midnight smiled at both students as they stood across from each other. The two gave each other a respectful nod as the R-Rated Hero raised her whip. "Midoriya, are you ready?"
Izuku looked at the dark-haired woman and nodded, returning his attention to Monoma. Midnight looked over to the other side of the arena at the blonde 1-B student. "Monoma, are you ready?"
The blue-eyed copycat smirked once more and nodded. The dark-haired woman then raised her whip high into the air, giving one last look at the two competitors. "Combatants are ready. Match four..."
Izuku began sending his energy into his Psychs, ready to jump into action at the word go. Monoma readied himself, doing his best to not give away the Quirks he copied.
"BEGIN!"
Izuku felt the ground shift from under him, the arena floor beginning to soften as Monoma touched the cement floor.
'That's Honenuki's Quirk. He has a way to capture me if I'm not careful.' The verdette thought to himself. Izuku rushed forward, catching Monoma off guard with his action before he created an energy shield from under his feet as he leaped into the air. The freckled Hero student used Orbit to launch himself at Monoma and smiled as he surfed across the softened ground.
The blonde copycat forced Honenuki's Quirk into overdrive as he forced the ground to swell in order to capture the verdette. He grew concerned as Izuku's shield kept him safe from Softening's hold. Monoma switched his Quirk, letting the cement floor harden once more and causing Izuku to stumble at the shift.
Izuku recovered quickly and rushed Monoma on foot, keeping Blink at the ready if he needed it. As he neared the blonde, Izuku sent a pulse of energy into Buster Shot and shot his palm out at Monoma. The Spread Shot fired out, several pellets of energy hitting their mark, only to reveal a steely Monoma without a scratch on him.
"Just like you, Midoriya, I planned to cover my bases. With the Quirks of my fellow coursemates, I will achieve victory!" Monoma said. He lashed out with a heavy-handed punch, forcing Izuku to Blink away to avoid the hit.
He was given no time to rest as his blonde opponent switched Quirks again as scales grew from his arm. Monoma held it out, sending a barrage of scales at the verdette. Izuku immediately Blinked away from Monoma's line of sight. The blonde released Rin's Scales and switched back to Tetsutetsu's Steel once more, expecting an attack.
The blonde copycat saw a flash of green energy before getting hit by an energy blade. Monoma twisted around and swung his fist, his steel-coated arm missing Izuku as the verdette leaned back. Izuku smirked, "It's an impressive defense, as well as offense, Monoma. And if I can't affect the exterior, I'll just have to cut deeper!"
Izuku slashed across Monoma's abdomen, the steely blonde wincing as he felt the energy blade surge through him. Izuku didn't let up as he started to chain a combo on his opponent, each strike adding more and more power behind it. Monoma wasn't idle as he lashed out at Izuku, forcing the verdette to abandon his attack chain to avoid getting struck by steel-coated hands.
[What an intense match folks! Both students have displayed a variety of skills and powers with their Quirks! Despite Midoriya's versatility, Monoma seems to match him in his own way.]
[This will be one of the rarest match-ups we will ever see. Both students have an understanding of their Quirks and how to utilize them to the best of their abilities. While Monoma is more limited due to his Quirk's limitations, he has shown his intelligence by utilizing what he can to make up for it.]
Monoma smirked as Izuku drew closer to him for another flurry of slashes. He released Steel and spoke. " WOOSH! " To Izuku's surprise, a speech bubble formed from Monoma's mouth with the onomatopoeia written in bold letters.
Izuku felt a strong gust of wind knocking him off his feet and towards the edge of the arena. The verdette used Orbit and forced himself to the ground, letting the air die down around him. 'Well, that's new. Still, pretty interesting. I'll need to ask whose Quirk that was later.' As his Psych drained, he looked around for Monoma, only to find his opponent gone from the arena.
The vedette tensed. It might be Honenuki's Quirk. It must allow him to move through the softened ground.' Izuku wasn't given much time to think as the entire arena floor shifted, forcing him to Blink into the air to avoid capture. 'Guess I need to force him to come for air.'
As Izuku descended to the softened ground below, he sent his energy into Pyre and shot several jets of green fire under him. The propulsion from Pyre kept him airborne long enough for the ground to heat up. It wasn't long until Monoma escaped the burning floor, the ground hardening as he released Soften.
"SPLASH!" Monoma cried out as an onomatopoeia formed and fell on top of him, cooling him off as he caught his breath.
Izuku's feet hit the ground and he ran at the blonde copycat. Monoma rolled back onto his feet and used Scales on both his arms, launching a barrage at Izuku. The verdette dodged the attack, rolling out of the way and using Blink to cover the distance between him and his opponent as the scales collided with his body when he mistimed his dodges. The 1-B student released Scales and switched back to Steel, using the transformation mid-punch to enhance the force behind it.
Before Monoma's attack connected, Izuku reacted. A surge of energy was sent to Resolute, a green energy shield forming on his left arm in time to parry Monoma's punch. The blonde was stunned, but he still held control over Steel.
Izuku pressed his advantage, switching over to Excalibur as Pyre fully recharged. With the pieces set, Izuku let out a howl, his two Psychs working as one.
"Psychronization! Excaliburn!"
The green energy blade began to burn as flames danced along its length. Izuku slashed once, the firebrand cutting through Monoma. The verdette didn't hesitate, following up with a horizontal slash, then a diagonal leading into another diagonal. Monoma felt his body heat up as the blades continued to hack away at his body. Each hit drained him more and more as his control over Steel weakened.
As Izuku went in for the final attack in his combo chain, Monoma attempted one more strike. He lunged at Izuku, his fist flying through the air as the verdette dashed in, his blade burning intensely. And in that moment, Izuku's attack connected.
Monoma stumbled and fell to his knees. The blonde breathed heavily as his body released Steel. Izuku didn't relax, the verdette standing ready in case his opponent found his second wind.
The blue-eyed copycat tried to use his Quirk, each time switching to another as they failed. He was too tired and too injured to maintain his hold on any of them. Monoma sighed as he struggled to stand up. Izuku watched as the blonde raised his hand into the air.
"I yield. I can no longer continue fighting." Monoma said in defeat.
Midnight raised her whip into the air. "Monoma Neito has yielded. The winner is Midoriya Izuku!"
"MY BABY BOY!!!" Inko cried out with prideful tears gushing out of her.
Mr. and Mrs. Shinso just watched their friend in amusement, more than happy to let her have her moment.
"Booyaka! That's how it's done, yo!" Beat declared loudly as the café cheered along with him.
Mr. H smiled and took a sip of his coffee at his protege's first victory of the tournament.
Melissa shot off the couch, pumping her arms in the air as she released her excitement. "He did it!"
David watched his daughter with a smirk on his face. "So, any ideas for that support gear you have in mind for him?"
Melissa blinked owlishly for several seconds when her father's words set in. "Uh, well... Not yet. I guess I got a little distracted." She replied sheepishly as she returned to her seat. She tried her best to hide the embarrassed blush on her face as her hand began to fiddle with her ponytail.
[What a match everybody! A stunning show of a multitude of powers. It was like watching a battle royale!]
Izuku felt his energy settle as he breathed easy. He looked over at Monoma and made his way over to the blonde.
[An exaggeration, but not entirely inaccurate. Both Midoriya and Monoma can be wildcards in whatever situation they are in. With Midoriya, his self-made Psychs give him a variety to fall back on and even the ability to combine them as we saw. With Monoma, only a few Quirks could give him issues, but the ones he can copy, he already shows he can use them efficiently as the original Quirk owner.]
Izuku held out his hand to Monoma and smiled. "Great match, Monoma."
"Agreed," Monoma said as he gripped Izuku's hand. "While I am disappointed in my defeat, I can say that it was a fair match and I am proud of how I did." The blonde and verdette let go of their shake as Monoma grinned smugly. "Of course, this means you will have to carry on and win the whole thing. I would be disappointed if my fellow wildcard failed to achieve a complete victory."
Izuku smirked at the blonde. "I guess I have another reason to bring home the gold then."
Izuku and Monoma began to leave the field, making their way to drop Monoma off at Recovery Girl's temporary infirmary. As they neared the gate, Izuku took a look back at 1-A's spectator box. He smiled as he saw Shoka and Momo, the two ravenettes looked at him proudly as they waved at him. Izuku returned the gesture and caught back up to Monoma.
The verdette wandered the halls after leaving his friend from 1-B in Recovery Girl's care. As he made his way back to 1-B's spectator box, Izuku came across Bakugo as the ash-blonde made his own way to the arena.
The two passed each other by. Izuku gave a small nod acknowledging the red-eyed bomber.
Bakugo spared Izuku a glance, giving a curt nod in response.
"I better see you in the finals, nerd."
"You can count on it, Bakugo."