Chapter 29: The Final Event: Track 3 - Quarter-Finals, Within Reach
- WILDKAT CAFÉ, MUSUTAFU -
Two felines stared each other down with only a glass door being the barrier that kept them apart. Outside the bustling café was the newest arrival, the white cat with red patches of fur. Across from him, within the walls of the café, was BK with his blue eyes never breaking away from the blue and yellow ones of the outside cat.
- U.A. UNIVERSITY STADIUM -
Toshinori leaned back into his seat, a slight groan escaping his lips as he stretched. He listened in on the chatter of his fellow instructors as they talked about the performances of the students, oftentimes nodding along with their assessments but the emaciated Hero focused on four in particular.
When Izuku first told the Hero that he wouldn't accept One For All if he couldn't share the secret with his friends, there was an initial hesitance within Toshinori. One that he wished he didn't feel, but years of keeping it a secret had set a precedent with him.
When Toshinori accepted Izuku's condition, he at least wanted to learn more about the friends his successor trusted implicitly. During the time leading up to the festival, the blonde man was impressed, to say the least. Shoka, Momo, and Shinso may not have crossed his mind as successors, but they had proven that they were dedicated to being the best kind of Hero they could be.
His views on Izuku and his friends continued to rise as the festival commenced.
The first event showed him their tenacity.
The second event showcased the group's teamwork, contributing to why Izuku was so insistent on bringing them into the circle of trust.
And the first round of the third event easily showed that they knew how to defend themselves and how to handle a fight.
Toshinori was proud of Izuku and his friends. They all seemed to bring out the best in each other and Izuku seemed to find a way to connect with others.
And to see his successor have such a concerned look on his face every time he looked at the youngest Todoroki gave Toshinori pause. It was a look Toshinori knew all too well.
'Perhaps I should talk with young Midoriya and address his concerns over young Todoroki.' The blonde Hero thought to himself. He looked down at his successor one last time before nodding to himself. 'Yes, after all, it is my duty as his newest mentor to offer my help and advice should he need it.'
Izuku stood with the other victors of the preliminaries on the arena floor as they all waited for the announcement of the quarter-finals match-ups. Shoka, Momo, and Shinso stood next to him, Iida not too far from them while Bakugo, Tokoyami, and Todoroki kept to themselves. To pass the time, the Wildkats began to theorize possible match-ups.
Including possible ones, they really didn't want to entertain.
Izuku heard Shoka huff. "As cool as it is that we each made it further, it's gonna seriously suck if or when we have to fight each other."
"I would have to agree, Shoka," Momo said dejectedly. "Still, we should all strive to do our best, even if we must face each other."
"Let's just hope that it happens in the semi-finals. It would make for a better story that the four of us made it that far. Well, more like better bragging rights, really." Shinso said with an indifferent shrug.
As Izuku listened, he couldn't help but agree with them. It's not like he couldn't face off against them. If he was being honest, he would be disappointed in himself if he didn't give them his all during a fight with any of them. He just wanted to make sure they each went as far as they could.
The issue was the two obstacles in such optimistic thinking.
The verdette turned to look at Bakugo and Todoroki. Going through his mind, he could see each of them having a good chance against Bakugo. Momo could simply use her brains to cancel out his Quirk, Shoka could possibly match the ash-blonde in skill and power, while Shinso could find a way to trick him.
Todoroki was more of an issue. Again, Momo's Quirk would give her the better advantage, but Shoka could pressure Todoroki and quite possibly cause him to drop a glacier on her. Shinso might struggle seeing how Todoroki wasn't very vocal. And then there is also the issue with Todoroki having another aspect to his Quirk. One that the bicolor-haired young man has taken great care to keep under wraps.
To Izuku, that screamed buried issues to him. It's why he hoped to go against Todoroki soon. Maybe he could find out what was wrong or talk some sense into his scarred coursemate. The verdette just hoped that whatever he had to do at that moment, Shoka and Momo wouldn't be too hard on him.
Before he could think further on that, Midnight stood atop her platform as Present Mic restarted his commentary. [AND WE. ARE. BACK!!! I hope you all are ready for another intense round of one-on-one battles between these stellar students!]
Present Mic gave the crowd a moment to voice their excitement. The stadium reverberated with the cheers and cries of the crowd, shaking it to its very foundations.
[That's what I'm talkin' about!!! Without further adieu, let's hand the mic off to our very own Midnight!]
Midnight gave the spectators a flirty laugh while winking at the cameras that were pointing at her. "Thank you, Mic! Now then..." The holographic screen made its appearance again as the R-Rated Hero addressed the students in front of her, "As I said before, the quarter and semi-final rounds will be randomized to keep things interesting. We certainly wouldn't want to fall into such boring ruts. It's more fun to add some spice every now and then." Midnight licked her lips slowly as she said that last part.
While the majority of the crowd felt a sensual shiver down their spines, Izuku just imagined either Shoka or Momo doing the same as the Pro Hero. He had to shake away those thoughts, not wanting to suffer the effects of his own vivid imagination. The freckled student did notice Shinso completely stone-faced during the display. He honestly wanted to know his friend's secret to withstanding Midnight's antics.
Shinso simply just compared the dark-haired woman to Himiko and found Midnight lacking. Midnight's actions just reminded him of his ash-blonde friend's last text message as it replayed in his mind over and over again.
"So now, it's time to determine the quarter-final match-ups!" Midnight declared as the screen behind her began to shuffle the names. The whole stadium watched with bated breath as the names cycled through over and over again, causing the crowd and participating students to focus entirely on the screen.
Shinso breathed a bit easier as the first match was decided, though his relief was more of who he wasn't fighting. Shoka clicked her tongue while Momo let out a heavy sigh, neither of the two ravenettes happy with the match-up. Bakugo snorted, either in annoyance or overconfidence. Izuku's gaze hardened as the air began to chill around him.
Shinso Hitoshi -v- Iida Tenya
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Sakurane Shoka -v- Yaoyorozu Momo
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Tokoyami Fumikage -v- Bakugo Katsuki
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Midoriya Izuku -v- Todoroki Shoto
Midnight looked at the students and addressed them, her voice laced with excitement. "The matches are set! Shinso, Iida, you are free to remain here while the others leave to either the waiting rooms or to their seats. The first match will begin in five minutes."
Shinso hummed, turning his head to Iida. "Hey, Iida?" The indigoette addressed the glasses-wearing speedster. Iida locked eyes with Shinso as his caffeine-addicted coursemate continued to speak. "I would appreciate it if you didn't try to speed-run our match."
Iida was confused at first until he noticed the faint smile on Shinso's face. He gave the indigoette an amused smile of his own. "I shall try. However, I believe I can only have two gears: Speed and more speed. You will just have to try and keep up."
"Oh my god... he's got jokes!" Shoka declared with a smirk on her face.
Izuku and Momo began to stifle their laughter at the interaction in front of them, their amusement turning into full-on laughter as Iida tried, and failed, to plead his case that he always had a sense of humor.
As the group settled down, the two combatants looked at each other. Shinso gave Iida a nod with the bluenette returning the gesture while offering his hand. Shinso gave it a quick glance and took the offered appendage into his own and the two gave a friendly shake before moving to their ends of the arena.
Todoroki watched the group interact with one another, his heterochromatic eyes boring into Izuku. The verdette felt Todoroki's gaze upon him and turned to meet it. The scarred young man didn't say a word, simply turning to leave the stadium field.
The verdette grew more and more worried about Todoroki's behavior, his mind still not coming up with any explanations. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, breaking him out of his thoughts as Izuku turned to see Shoka and Momo give him their own questioning looks. The freckled student looked back at the tunnel Todoroki entered before choosing to move on.
His mind soon turned to other thoughts as he looked back at Shoka and Momo.
The throuple left the field soon after, making their way through the tunnels of the stadium. The trio were silent as they walked, each of them unsure of what to say. They came to an intersection and stopped in place.
"Are you two alright?" Izuku asked his two girlfriends. The lack of a response worried him.
Izuku spared the two ravenettes a glance, noticing the mixture of emotions displayed on their faces. Not wanting to leave his two girlfriends in such a state, the verdette took a step forward and turned around, facing the two dark-haired beauties.
"Shoka, Momo," Izuku said softly. The two ravenettes looked up at him, their hearts skipping a beat as he gave them his warm and bright smile. "No matter what, go out there and give it your all. You've both done an amazing job today. And if any Hero that's been watching us thinks they can just skip over you needs a swift kick to the ass, even if I have to deliver it myself."
A corner of Shoka's lips quirked into an amused smirk at the verdette's attempt to alleviate some of her tension. She looked over and saw Momo's eyes begin to shine, the busty heiress also feeling the weight on her shoulders leave her. "So go out and show the world what you both can do, let them know who you are. Make sure you're both proud of how far you made it today."
The two ravenettes were pulled into an embrace, both of them sinking into Izuku's body as he pulled them closer. He smiled, wanting to give them a smile before he left for the spectator box for their class. "Just... Remember I have to try and follow up your fight so imagine how bad I have it. I don't know if I can top your upcoming performance."
That had caused the two to laugh. Shoka rolled her head back as the melodious sound echoed throughout the hall while Momo buried herself into the crook of Izuku's neck, her own laughter muffled by her actions.
Shoka recovered first, her gray eyes gazing into his emerald ones. "Well, not like we can take it easy. But don't worry, Izzy. I'm sure Momo and I can give you another opportunity to 'top us' later. Right, Momo?" The gray-eyed young woman looked over at the taller ravenette, giving her a knowing look.
"Indeed," Momo said, joining in the conversation as a heavy blush dusted her cheeks. "And you're right, Zuzu. No matter what, we need to give each other our best." The busty ravenette turned her head and looked at her slender lover. "Just be prepared, Shoka. And don't you dare take it easy on me. I want to be able to hold my head up high when I win."
"Wooooow. Them's fighting words right there." Shoka replied with amusement. "Guess I really have to try now. I'll be sure to share some love when they announce my victory."
The three lovers fell into a comfortable silence as they basked in each other's presence. Their moment was broken up by the sounds of the cheering crowd. Shoka was the one to speak up first, albeit hesitantly. "Guess we gotta split for now."
"So it seems." Said Momo. She looked at her two lovers, leaning in close to them as her soft lips planted a quick kiss on theirs. "I'll see you on the field, Shoka."
The onyx-eyed heiress gracefully turned to start her walk down the left pathway to her waiting room while giving the two one more look over her shoulders. Izuku watched her disappear down the hallway when he felt Shoka turn his head to her and press her lips against his as she followed Momo's example.
The slender ravenette smirked. "Wish us luck." With her piece said, Shoka made her way down the opposite pathway. Izuku watched her raise a hand as she waved back at him.
[And our five-minute waiting period is up! It's time to start the first match of the quarter-finals!]
As Present Mic's voice rang out through the speakers, Izuku made his way up the stairs and to the spectator box to join his coursemates.
[On the west end of the field, we have the silent voice of 1-A, the mental master who proved that he has both brain and brawn to match even the most skilled fighter. Viewers and listeners, make some noise for Shinso Hitoshi!]
As the crowd made their excitement known, Shinso focused on himself, doing his best to limber up while trying to determine a way to beat Iida.
'First things first, he's fast. I don't think I can pull off my mental trick that easily on him if I can't maintain eye contact. Second, he knows my Quirk, but his personality can work in my favor.' The indigoette thought to himself. As he finished his stretches, he opened up his thoughts to more creative options. 'Maybe use his speed against him or somehow find a way to factor it out?'
[And on the east end of the field, we have the speedster of 1-A who showed that even tech can't keep up with him. To him, speed limits are merely suggestions. Viewers and listeners, it's Iida Tenya!]
Iida was about to voice his displeasure in the assumption we would disregard road safety, but held his tongue and chalked it up to Present Mic trying to hype up the match for the crowd. His blue eyes landed on Shinso and, much like his opponent, he started to consider his options for the match.
'Shinso will most likely try and get a rise out of me. I'll need to keep a level head. I know he won't mean what he says if he has to escalate but I can't afford an easy slip up.' The bluenette considered his options. With his mind set, he started to psych himself up, trying to reach a state of mind that might help him ignore Shinso's attempts to control him.
Midnight glanced at the two students, her eyes going back and forth as she watched them ready themselves for the match to come. After giving them ample enough time, the R-Rated Hero called out to Shinso, moving things along.
"Shinso, are you ready?" The indigoette gave her a quick nod while he kept his eyes on Iida.
Midnight quickly looked over to Iida, as she spoke, "And you, Iida? Are you ready?"
"Yes, Midnight-sensei." The bluenette replied with a voice full of assurance.
The dark-haired woman raised her whip into the air, giving the two students one more look. "The combatants are ready. Let the first match of the quarter-finals... Begin!"
Iida wasted no time, his engines flaring to life as he blitzed Shinso. Within a second or two, he was already on the indigoette, sending out a swift kick into Shinso's solar plexus.
The caffeine-addicted student grunted in pain at the sudden force, thankful that he managed to bring up his arms in time to mitigate the damage.
Unfortunately, that didn't help much as his body skidded across the arena floor.
[Man, what a hit by Iida! Talk about getting the wind knocked out of you.]
[Iida is taking this match seriously. We've hit the point that each fighter knows what the other is capable of, meaning their strategies and attacks are made with this in mind. Iida has to end this match quickly, while also making sure to not give Shinso a chance to catch him in a trap.]
As if to prove Aizawa's assessment right, Shinso was given no time to recover as Iida was on him almost immediately, lunging at him at a high speed. The indigoette rolled his body out of the way as Iida nearly stumbled, giving Shinso a chance to counter. He lashed out, sweeping his leg along the ground.
Only to have Iida hop over the outstretched leg and regain his balance. He quickly spun on his heel, intent on catching the indigoette. Iida pushed his Quirk to activate, his engines roaring at the sudden start as he chased after Shinso.
The sleep-deprived Hero student kept his eyes trained on Iida as he was forced onto the back foot. When he would look eyes with the bluenette, the speedster would already be on the move with another attack in progress. Shinso bit back a curse. Blocking a kick to his side, the indigoette took a chance and slammed his shoulder against his larger opponent.
Iida felt his body lift off the ground as gravity pulled him back down after Shinso's counter. He hissed in pain as his head hit the arena floor. The bluenette was in a daze, his vision blurry as he felt his head spin. His nerves blared alarms in his head as Shinso's arms wrapped around him. A sudden pressure was applied on his leg as the indigoette put Iida into a leg lock.
The crowd roared with excitement at the action on display, the sudden shift in the battle's momentum.
[And what a sudden turn! Shinso has trapped Iida!]
[It's a smart move. Shinso needed to turn the tables on Iida. By constricting Iida's movement, Shinso has now put the odds in his favor.]
Iida grits his teeth as he tries to free himself from Shinso's hold. The indigoette grunted as the two struggled. Growing annoyed, Shinso tried to speak to the bluenette. "Iida, just yield and I'll let go. How does that sound?"
Iida opened his mouth to answer, only to quickly shut it as he realized Shinso had set a trap with his wording. The glasses-wearing young man renewed his efforts in response. The indigoette clicked his tongue as he tightened his hold on Iida's leg. The match had slowed to a crawl as it became a battle of wills.
'I have to free myself!' The bluenette thought in frustration. He tried to turn his body, only to have Shinso block the movement by shifting his own. A desperate idea came to his mind as Iida revved the engine in his free leg. The sudden force and movement caught Shinso off-guard and forced him off of the bluenette at the cost of Iida straining his leg.
Iida stood up on shaky legs, favoring his good leg as he winced from a jolt of pain that shot through the other. Several feet away from him, Shinso shook his head in an attempt to clear away any fuzziness that lingered. His purple eyes narrowed as they fell onto Iida, taking in the new details that he could work with.
The two entered into a stare-down, neither moving an inch as they waited for the other to move first. Shinso smirked, knowing that the match shifted further in his favor now that Iida would be slowed down, he just needed to keep eye contact.
Iida tested his engines and found that both were fine and that it was only his leg that suffered from the strain of his desperate maneuver. He tested his leg, noting how much weight he could place on it before feeling any pain. It was more than he expected, but still less than the bluenette would have wanted.
"Well, at least I didn't get beat in the first minute. Good job me." Shinso said jokingly. His expression hardened as he looked at Iida. "That being said, I don't want to drag this out."
The indigoette rushed forward. Iida watched as Shinso cleared the distance between them, readying himself to throw a punch at the bluenette. Iida took up a quick guard, blocking the hit with ease. His mistake was looking into Shinso's eyes, hearing a whisper that echoed in his mind.
"Jump back."
Out of instinct, Iida did so, falling for Shinso's verbal feint. While his mind was fuddled, the bluenette had used his bad leg to brace for the landing. This second mistake caused him to trip, falling to the ground once more. The jarring motion freed Iida from a moment, allowing him to right himself, using his engines in time to dodge a kick from Shinso.
The indigoette huffed as he kicked the air, only to grunt as he was tackled by Iida. Shinso's body slammed into the ground, his lungs expelling air when Iida's added weight pressed into him. The sleep-deprived student forced his eyes open, his purple irises darting around as he scanned for the bluenette's own eyes. In one brief moment, he found them and whispered once more.
"Right."
Iida felt the small mental haze come over him again as his body shifted its weight to the side in order to dodge a phantom strike. Shinso capitalized, pushing his larger opponent off of his downed form and off to the side. The indigoette smirked as he saw how close they were to the edge. He just needed that one last push.
Both combatants stood up, albeit shakily, as their bodies began to ache from all the damage they had taken. Iida's body swayed, the bluenette struggling to stay on his feet. Shinso winced, doing everything he could to keep his eyes open.
The crowd watched in anticipation, unsure of who would come out on top. All eyes fell onto Iida as he began to make a move against Shinso. The indigoette seemed to barely react, the screens surrounding the stadium displaying the haggard young man as he looked at his opponent.
"Jump back."
Despite issuing the feint, the lids of Shinso's eyes felt heavy and sank, breaking his eye contact as he spoke. The next thing he knew was that Iida had gripped his sports jacket. After that, a sudden spike in his speed and momentum as Iida tossed him out of the ring, using his engines to increase his force and using his bad foot as a guide while spinning on his good foot.
Shinso soared through the air, time seeming to slow down as he neared the ground. His body landed, causing dirt to fly up after his impact. The silence that filled the stadium quickly grew into uproarious applause that rang out. The sleep-deprived indigoette stared into the air, letting out a defeated huff before his lips formed into a small smile.
"And the winner by ring out, Iida Tenya!"
Even as Midnight announced his defeat, Shinso was fine with it. Shinso blinked tiredly as Iida walked over to him, slowly lowering himself from the upper platform of the arena and onto the field below.
"Well fought, Shinso," Iida said as he leaned down. He offered his hand to Shinso, which the indigoette took, allowing Iida to help him off of the ground.
"Yeah. Nice toss by the way." Shinso replied. He looked down at his feet and then at the arena platform, with Iida following along with him as he eye-balled the distance. "Think you got like two or three meters with that one."
The indigoette looked at Iida, noticing the glass-wearing young man still favoring his good leg. "Sorry about that," Shinso said, wincing a little as he gestured to Iida's injured leg.
"Ah." The bluenette looked down as well, giving his coursemate a strained smile. "No worries. It was bound to happen. I trust Recovery Girl to be able to help me once I make my way to her temporary infirmary."
Shinso nodded. He moved to Iida's side, taking the bluenette's arm and placing it over his shoulder, allowing Iida some reprieve. "Well, let's not waste any time then." As the two began to make their way to one of the gates leading into the stadium, Present Mic's voice was heard through the speakers.
[And that is the end of the first match of our quarter-final round! While Iida's speed let him control the first half of the fight, Shinso was quick to shift things in his favor and slow down the speedster. But Iida kept his momentum as he managed to turn the tables back around on Shinso.]
[As I said earlier, the next few matches will show how each student deals with knowing their opponent. Matches that could be clear-cut may end up being a complete surprise for all of us.]
- MUSUTAFU, CITY STREETS -
"Damn, I was rooting for that Shinso kid."
"Still, Iida being able to push through the pain is something else. I mean, you saw him limping after Shinso got him in that leg lock."
As the gathered crowd discussed the match, Himiko stared at the screen in front of her. Her lips formed into a sad frown as she watched Shinso helping Iida leave the field. That disappointment didn't last long as a wide smile replaced her frown.
"You still did awesome, Hitoshi." The ash-blonde said as she weaved through the surrounding crowd. The bun-haired young moved through the city, her strides turning into skips.
"Still got some time before I go for a walk tonight," Himiko said to herself as plans to pass the time filled her thoughts. For several minutes the ash-blonde thought of an idea, only to shoot it down a second later. In the flurry of ideas, an unwanted feeling began to bubble up inside her.
Himiko came to a sudden stop, her breathing becoming erratic as a deep hunger filled her with dread. 'No. Nonononono. Just breathe, Himiko. Just like Hitoshi and Mr. H told you to do. It's a part of you but it doesn't control you.' The bun-haired young woman moved to the side, leaning against a nearby wall as she slowly steadied herself. The hunger lashed out as it faded away, leaving Himiko to feel lightheaded at its passing.
She stood there, using the wall as a support to help keep her on her feet for what felt like hours. Himiko's mood had taken a turn. Her wide smile disappeared into a muted, neutral look as she picked herself off of the wall and continued walking.
"I still have to go on my walk tonight. Maybe I can handle it." Himiko muttered dejectedly.
Despite the shift in her demeanor, one thought crossed her mind that brought back some measure of happiness for her to latch on to. Himiko let out a giggle. "I can see Hitoshi tomorrow!" The small smile on her face quickly turned into a wide one as she licked her lips at the thought. "Gotta celebrate him getting as far as he did."
- HOSU, CITY STREETS -
While the tournament continued on, Ingenium's search for the Hero Killer had been underway. And while he tried to keep the focus on the goal, his secondary objective in the form of the Hero, known as Stagecraft, who he suspected would be a target didn't make things easier. The Turbo Hero made sure to keep Stagecraft in his sights, staying a few steps behind him in order to make sure he didn'taccidentally break off.
He had already tried it 20 minutes ago, though luckily Ingenium caught up with him. The Hosu Hero had not so subtly made it known that he was gunning for the Hero Killer and it wasn't hard to figure out why he wanted to. Prestige made many Heroes do stupid things.
"Man, it sucks we're having to miss the sports festival. I was hoping to see if I can scout any interns from the first years." Stagecraft whined.
"Well, you can always ask U.A. to send you recordings of those who pique your interest," Ingenium replied. It's not like he was in a good mood either. He was missing his brother's matches. He at least planned for that.
[Ingenium sir? I just wanted to let you know that your brother just won his second match.]
"That's great! Thank you for letting me know." The Turbo Hero answered, pride evident in his voice.
As Ingenium and his temporary partner continued down the streets, they were swarmed by a small horde of fans. The Turbo Hero was hesitant but offered to sign autographs for the younger fans as he explained he and his partner were currently on the job. That had placated the fans thankfully but in the brief chaos, Ingenium's charge had used his Quirk to break off, creating a small illusion to keep the Turbo Hero distracted.
Ingenium's eyes widened and he took off in a sprint in search of the Hero Killer's target.
"All Heroes be advised! Stagecraft has broken away from me and is on his own! The Hero Killer will be on the hunt!"
Izuku sighed. While he didn't want to voice it, he was disappointed that Shinso had lost. He shook his head at those kinds of thoughts. The verdette was proud of his best friend. He knew that this wouldn't keep Shinso down.
"Damn. I thought Shinso almost had it there." Kirishima said as he walked into the 1-A spectator box.
The group of 1-A students turned around; surprise evident on their faces at Kirishima's return. The group quickly jumped from their seats to greet the redhead, swarming around him as they checked on their coursemate and gave him their praise and consolation for his loss.
"Bros, I'm good. RG fixed me up, I just needed to rest up a bit before heading back here." Kirishima explained. He turned his head, a wide, sharp-toothed smile forming on his face. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Bakugo passing the group by as he made his way to the waiting rooms. "Yo, Bakubro! That was a damn good match! But don't think this is the end of it. Next time, I will do more than tank your explosions!"
Bakugo stopped in his tracks, sparing the redhead a quick glance. "You better bring it, Rocky. I don't want my punching back to break so easily." Despite his words, there was a competitive smirk on his face as he left the spectator box.
The group of 1-A students just watched as he disappeared. Kaminari was the first to recover. "Well, that's new." Several others simply nodded along, agreeing with his statement.
Tokoyami stepped around the crowd and made his way to the exit. He stopped next to Kirishima and gave him a respectful nod. "It is good to see you up again, Kirishima. I would stay but I should follow Bakugo and prepare myself for mine and Dark Shadow's match against him."
"We'll take him down for you, Kiri!" Dark Shadow cried out excitedly as they emerged from Tokoyami.
As Tokoyami disappeared down the hallway, the group of 1-A students returned to their seats. Kirishima looked around and noticed that Shoka and Momo were gone. "I take it that Shoka and Yaomomo are fighting next?"
"Yeah," Izuku answered as he kept his eyes on the field below them.
"Sooooo, who do you think will win?" Kaminari asked, only to receive a hit from Kyoka's jacks.
"Dude, wrong question." The punkette said with a notable twitch in her eye. She turned to Izuku, checking on him to make sure he was alright. She was surprised to see an amused smile on his face.
"Well, obviously the answer is my girlfriend. Same for who I'm rooting for." The verdette answered, earning him a chorus of chuckles from those around him.
Mina shot him a thumbs up. "Good answer, Midori." The pinkette replied through her laughter.
As the group began to settle down for the match, Izuku felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned his head slightly, noticing Todoroki giving him an inquisitive look, the bicolor-haired young man studying him before breaking away to look at the field. The verdette did the same, but not before a thought ran through his mind.
'Why are you holding back, Todoroki?'
[Alright dear viewers and listeners, it's time to move on to the next match! On the west side of the field, it's the feline fatale who can react faster than lightning. The young woman whose claws will cut through the competition. It's Sakurane Shoka!]
Shoka didn't pay attention to the crowd around her. Her gray eyes only focused on her fellow ravenette standing across from her.
[And on the east side of the field, it's the vice-rep who proved that with her sharp mind, she can overcome the odds. The young woman who is a walking arsenal. Viewers and listeners, it's Yaoyorozu Momo!]
Momo was in the same mindset as Shoka. The Yaoyorozu heiress only focused on the ravenette across from her as she ignored the world around her.
From her podium, the R-Rated Hero noted that there was a different air around the two students. There was a hesitancy coming from the both of them and Midnight knew why. It was the issue of having to fight and possibly hurt someone you were in a relationship with, even if it was for a competition.
Thankfully, even her fears were abated when Shoka cut her off to address the ravenette at the other end of the field.
"Ready, Momo?" Shoka asked with a determined glint in her eyes.
"I am, Shoka," Momo replied with the same look in her own eyes.
Midnight couldn't help but smile at the interaction, proud that the two wouldn't hold anything against the other. She raised her whip into the air, giving the young ravenettes another look before speaking. "The combatants are ready. Match two…"
Shoka drew upon her Quirk, the black of her sportswear fading to gray as her skin paled.
Momo took up a stance, her arms wide and ready to move as she began to fuel her creation.
"Begin!"
Shoka's Quirk formed around her arms and legs, the segmented tail flowing from her lower back as she sprinted from her starting point. It was only mere seconds before she was on top of Momo. The heiress lowered her body to a crouch, ready to snap into action as a myriad of colors emanated from her left arm. The slender ravenette leaped into the air, twisting her body as she shot her leg out at Momo.
Only to find that she slammed her foot into a metal kite shield. A loud ringing sounded out at the impact of her attack. Taking her chance, Momo pushed Shoka off, using her legs to apply more strength as she swung her shield.
Shoka's body was flung back into the air. Using her Quirk's tail, the slender ravenette adjusted herself as she neared the ground. She lashed out her arms, her white claws digging into the arena floor, cutting several small trenches that followed her as the gray-eyed student slid across the pavement. Shoka's eyes widened as he flung herself out of the path of a pair of prongs that were launched at her.
Momo clicked her tongue as her taser missed the mark. She quickly discarded the used device and rushed after Shoka. From behind her shield, her creation began to forge a new object. The busty heiress used her free hand to pull out a dulled, rounded single-handed sword. Shoka was forced to dodge a quick swing from Momo, who herself had to quickly raise her shield to block a swipe from Shoka.
The two young women seemed to dance around each other as their battle continued. The crowd watched on, entranced by the display of skill before them.
[Man, it looks like Sakurane and Yaoyorozu are holding nothing back from the word go.]
[And they shouldn't. Both of them have made it this far and both want to go further. Both have the skills to do so, but this will possibly come down to their instincts and how well they listen to them.]
Momo gracefully moved in step with Shoka's speedy strikes, doing her best to keep up with the rhythm that her slender lover was setting. Even as she held her own, Shoka was able to catch her off guard, knocking the blunted sword out of the heiress' hand. Before she could press her advantage, she jumped back, narrowly avoiding a shield bash from Momo.
Shoka was put on the back foot as her onyx-eyed opponent rushed forward, lashing out her arm. The slender young woman's gray eyes widened as she saw sparks dance from the heiress' hand. The long-haired ravenette twisted her body, showcasing her flexibility as she avoided Momo's stun gun. Using her momentum from the dodge, Shoka spun on her heel and delivered a mule kick to her opponent's midsection.
Momo grunted from the hit as the air was expelled from her body, dropping both her newly created stun gun and her trusty shield, leaving her defenseless. She felt herself being knocked back from the force, her feet leaving the ground as she tumbled along the arena floor. The busty ravenette was given little time to recover as Shoka pounced on her.
The arena floor sported several new holes as Shoka's claws dug into the ground, with Momo safely rolling away. The slender ravenette was about to give chase when an odd, wooden doll trailed after her target. In a bright flash, Shoka was left temporarily both blinded and deafened, her ears ringing from the impromptu flashbang as she cried out in severe discomfort.
Even the crowd closest to the arena felt the effects of the flash.
[Yeesh. Even with shades, I'm still seeing spots...]
[... Problem children... every single one of them...]
"This fight is mine, Shoka!" Came the distorted and garbled voice of Momo.
Shoka felt her body being pelted by high-speed objects. The stinging pain was met with a wet, viscous feeling that began to coat her upper body. But that was pushed aside for a more concerning realization.
Shoka felt her Quirk begin to falter.
The slender ravenette squinted her eyes, her vision slowly returning in time to see a blue blur rush at her. She hissed as a metal staff slammed into her thigh, followed by a strike to her arm, and another to her gut.
The distorted roars of the crowd compounded on the ringing of her ears, the disorientation getting to Shoka as she stumbled in a vain attempt to fight back. The slender young woman grimaced, taking another strike as her Quirk continued to fade. Shoka grew annoyed at her predicament and began to feel the connections to her Quirk and drawing power from more sources on her person.
Momo had been mobile, dancing around her slender opponent with each strike. The busty ravenette swung her metal bo staff once more at Shoka's unguarded back. Her onyx eyes widened as a hand lashed out and gripped the weapon in a vice, preventing Momo from pulling it back.
The tall ravenette noted that Shoka's Quirk had returned to its empowered state, though her arms, legs, and tail seemed to have a fiber-like texture added to them while her raven-black hair had shifted into a pale gray color. The most surprising addition was a pair of black cat ears resting on top of Shoka's head, segmented in a similar style to the rest of her transformation, with white coloring on the insides of them.
"Sorry, Momo. Better luck next time." Shoka said as she quickly struck Momo with a jab.
The ponytailed heiress gasped at the force of the hit and soon found herself under a barrage of strikes that pushed her back. She attempted to counter, to use her creations to fight back against Shoka, only to have the slender ravenette easily put a stop to her efforts.
Not giving up, Momo moved back further from Shoka to give herself some distance and pulled out a plastic pistol. From her other hand emerged a small clip with several white balls packed within. The busty heiress reloaded and took aim.
She squeezed the trigger as a white ball shot out at Shoka.
The slender ravenette's new ears twitched and she lowered her body as Momo's projectile missed her. Shoka heard the mechanisms in the gun begin to work once more as another bullet shot out at her. The gray-eyed girl's instincts blared, her body reacting swiftly as Momo's attempts at tagging her failed, the white paint bullets missing their mark every time.
The effects of the flashbang receded as Shoka's eyes opened fully, taking in every detail they could. The slender ravenette smirked as she aggressively attacked Momo, her efforts redoubled now that her sight had returned. The heiress struggled against the onslaught, doing everything she could to fight back against her opponent as she was pushed further and further back.
It was then that Momo felt the world shift. Her feet reached the edge of the arena and all it took was one more push from Shoka to send her falling backward. The busty ravenette kicked her legs out, trying to keep her feet glued to the ground as gravity worked against her. Just as she stamped down on the edge, Shoka's arm lunged out, grabbing a hold of Momo's.
Momo breathed heavily, with Shoka matching her rhythm as the two stood there. The taller ravenette felt her body begin to go limp as her exhaustion caught up with her. Despite it all, there was an accomplished smile on her face.
Shoka couldn't hold back a cat-like grin on her own face as she stared into Momo's onyx eyes. Her body and hair were marred with a white paint that was splattered haphazardly on her. She ignored it all as she focused on Momo.
"I yield," Momo said. There was no disappointment in her voice. Only a mixture of pride and accomplishment she felt for herself and for Shoka.
"Yaoyorozu Momo has yielded! Sakurane Shoka is the winner!" Midnight declared loudly from her podium.
The crowd roared and cheered for the two young women as the battle ended. Across the stands, no one was left unimpressed by the display before them.
[And that, viewers and listeners, is what I call a back-and-forth match. Just when you thought Sakurane was on the way to victory, Yaoyorozu was able to quickly turn things around only for Sakurane to flip the script. Man, these 1-A girls are no joke.]
[Where Yaoyorozu's versatility with her Quirk was a major asset to her, she still needs time to create her tools while having to come up with a plan as Sakurane pressured her. She was smart to figure out a way to deal with Sakurane's Quirk but Sakurane was clever to keep a trick up her sleeve.]
[And we all know one single trick can easily turn the tide of a fight. I know I've had a few fights like that.]
Shoka pulled Momo back up. As she let go of her ravenette girlfriend's hand, Shoka finally took a moment to look at herself. Momo blushed in embarrassment at the pout forming on the gray-eyed young woman's face as she huffed. "Really, Momo, it's in my hair too? What the hell even is this?"
"Please, don't worry, Shoka. It's simply a clothing dye. It will wash off easily, I can assure you." The busty heiress explained, slightly panicked over her lover's reaction. "I am sorry though. It won't come out of your jacket or pants without a good wash though."
"No big." Shoka shrugged her shoulders. "If I need it, I got a spare shirt in the locker I used in our waiting room. That should keep me going for the rest of the tournament."
Momo brought a hand to her chest as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."
The onyx-eyed ravenette felt her body being pulled into a side hug, one she happily returned only to realize that Shoka had pulled her into the still-wet dye that was splattered on her sports clothes.
"Shoka!" Momo cried out as her and Shoka's laughter filled the air.
"Suffer my pain, Momo." The slender ravenette said in a dry tone as she managed to hold back her laughter. The two calmed down enough for Shoka to continue speaking, "Nearly had me there. Think next time you can skip out on the flashbang?"
"Well, it's not like you made things easy for me. You certainly surprised me with the new aspect of your transformation." Momo replied with her lips forming a cute pout.
"Yeah. Something I've been wanting to try for a while." The slender ravenette answered, shrugging her shoulders as she did. Shoka activated her Quirk's transformation, drawing from her hair and giving Momo a better look at her armor's new appearance. "I feel like there is more to it, but I'll figure it out later."
"Understandable." The busty heiress said. Her onyx eyes trailed up to the pair of black and white cat ears still sitting on top of Shoka's head. "The ears are rather adorable by the way."
Shoka's deep-red lips quirked into a smug smirk. "What can I say, I'm hella cute." The slender ravenette nudged her girlfriend before she started to make her way off of the arena. "Come on. I wanna go get this dye off of me."
Momo gave Shoka a nod, smiling as she caught up to her ravenette lover. The two young women left the arena together, disappearing as they crossed the gate leading into the stadium.
Sero let out a long whistle. "Damn, they really went at it."
"It was an impressive showing," Shoji added. "To think Shoka had another part to her transformation."
Mina leaned forward from her seat, her head peeking above Izuku's shoulder. "Did you know about it, Midori?"
Izuku turned his head slightly to look the pinkette in the eye and shook his head. "Nope. The four of us kept any new ideas or applications for our Quirks to ourselves this time around. It's why Shinso's new skill was completely new to us as well."
The verdette began to flip through his notebook, landing on Shoka's entry as he added in the new notes about her Quirk. "Shoka's hair lost its color, so that means literally any black coloring on her body can be used to fuel her Quirk. The ears are new, and they seem to amplify her hearing. It'spossiblethatthisisapseudoQuirkevolutionwhichcouldmea..."
"Uh, Greenie? You might want to put that on hold. You got a match coming up." Kyoka said, tapping his forehead with her jacks.
The verdette jumped slightly. He shot up from his seat like a blur and addressed the punkette. "Right. Thanks, Kyoka." Izuku held out his notebook to the violette rocker. "Mind holding on to it this time?"
"No problem, Greenie. Good luck with Todoroki." Kyoka said as she took the notebook into her hands.
Izuku nodded and looked around him, noting that his opponent was already gone. "When did Todoroki leave?"
"Kero Right as Shoka and Yaomomo's match ended," Tsuyu answered.
Izuku let out a small hum at the frog girl's response. He left the group, thanking them for their calls for 'good luck' or encouragement for his match, and made his way to his waiting room. The halls were empty, the sounds of the crowd above him filling the air as it drowned everything around him. The verdette noted that there was a rising heat growing close to him, only to be surprised to see Endeavor seemingly waiting for him around the corner.
The tension in the air grew hot as the sounds of the crowd seemed to be drowned out by the flames emitting from the imposing Hero. Endeavor kept his eyes on Izuku, looking over the young man as if to study him. Izuku simply stood there and waited. If the Pro Hero had meant to put the verdette on edge, he would have to try harder.
Facing a Nomu would certainly make other forms of intimidation seem like child's play.
"You have proven my assumptions of you correct so far, Midoriya." Endeavor said, finally speaking up.
Izuku quirked a brow, unaware that he had garnered the Hero's interest.
"You have an interesting Quirk, and the skill and knowledge to use it. You are the perfect opponent for my son." The Hero continued. The fire user crossed his arms as he continued to look down at Izuku. "You will push him past his limits. During your match, he will see that he can no longer hold back his gifts."
"What do you mean, exactly?" The verdette asked. The pit in his stomach began to grow larger as several of his recent assumptions were shown to be correct. And if Todoroki wasn't open to explaining things, his father seemed more than willing to share.
"I'm sure you've noticed, but Shoto has only been using half of his gifts. His stubborn rebellion is holding him back. How long until it costs him?" Endeavor explained. The freckled verdette noticed the Pro Hero's voice softening slightly at his final point. His rand rose as he pointed at Izuku, his tone sharpening as he continued to speak. "His mother's gift is not enough. He will not achieve the greatness that I see in him without my gift of fire. It is a legacy he must carry. He will be the one to surpass All Might."
Izuku was silent. His mind mulled over Endeavor's words, going over each sentence multiple times as he tried to make sense of things. The verdette raised his head as his emerald eyes peered through the mask of flames and into Endeavor's. "His mother's gift, your gift, a legacy. You make it sound like he was made for this."
"He was." The Pro Hero's abrupt answer caught Izuku off guard. "Shoto will be everything and more. He will rise above everyone, past, present, and future. But he can't do that if he limits himself. I'm simply coming to you to ensure that you push him. To force him to accept that he is nothing without everything that was done to make him."
Endeavor's tone was final, leaving little room for argument from the verdette. Izuku still pushed through, his own feelings on the matter not fading. They only grew after the pro Hero's admission. "And what about what he wants?"
The Flame Hero quirked a brow at the question. He was silent for a moment, obviously thinking it over just to amuse the verdette in front of him. "All his life, he has been surrounded by heroics. The moment he was born before his Quirk ever came in, he was destined to be the greatest. Shoto will be the start of the Todoroki legacy."
Izuku's eyes narrowed. Ego began to rage at the declaration. "That wasn't what I asked, Endeavor."
The two locked eyes with one another as they committed to staring the other down. Endeavor couldn't help but smirk at the fire he saw in Izuku's eyes but that amusement he felt soon turned to annoyance when the verdette didn't falter.
Before either could speak further, a voice swiftly came from around the corner. "I am here to say hello to a fellow Hero and coincidentally one of my students!" Sliding by the two was All Might, a bright and wide smile on his face.
The No. 1 Hero's sudden appearance caused Izuku's eyes to widen before he adopted a more amused expression at his new mentor's theatrics. However, Endeavor began to scowl at his fellow Pro Hero, the large man's body growing tense at All Might's arrival.
The Fire Hero's tone conveyed that growing annoyance. "What are you doing here, All Might?"
All Might picked up on Endeavor's hostility but chose to ignore it. "I was actually looking for you to congratulate you on your son's performance, which I'm sure you must be proud of, and young Midoriya to commend him on his."
"Fine. You found me and said your piece." Endeavor coldly said. The Pro Hero looked at Izuku and gave him a nod. "I hope that you don't disappoint me. I expect to see yours and Shoto's absolute best."
Endeavor didn't wait for Izuku's response. He left abruptly, leaving the verdette and the blonde Hero behind as they watched him leave.
All Might sighed as his fellow Hero disappeared and he turned to Izuku. He saw the conflicted and concerned look in his student's eyes. The blonde Hero was about to speak up when Izuku cut him off.
"All Might-sensei, I... I need some advice." the verdette said as he turned to look at the No. 1 Hero.
The muscular blonde saw that look in Izuku's eyes. The one he was deeply familiar with. The look of someone who was determined to help someone.
"Of course, young Midoriya. Let's go to your waiting room and we can talk there." All Might said, already leading the verdette down the hall.
It didn't take long for them to reach their destination as Izuku was already close to his assigned waiting room when Endeavor stopped him. As the two turned the entered, the verdette couldn't help but smile, his mood improving significantly, when he saw Momo chatting with Shoka, the slender ravenette's hair damp as a towel hung off of her shoulders.
The two ravenettes sat on top of a table in his waiting room, and from the smiles on their faces when they saw him told Izuku that they had been waiting for him. However, they adopted a more curious expression when they saw All Might standing next to their boyfriend.
"Uh, hi Izzy, All Might-sensei," Shoka said dumbly, giving the two a wave.
"Is there an issue, Izuku? Is it regarding certainfuture lessons?" Momo asked, making sure to stress the hidden meaning within.
Izuku shook his head and looked at All Might. "No. It's just... I think I may know why Todoroki has been off during the festival and I wanted some advice."
"Don't worry, you two. This shouldn't take long." All Might entered the conversation. He shot a quick look at Izuku. "Are you okay with them hearing this? I don't want to send them away when they obviously waited to see you."
"I mean, I'm just looking for advice on what to do. Anything they would hear I would share with them anyway, unless it's something I'm not supposed to." Izuku said with a shrug. "But, are you sure?"
Shoka and Momo watched the two, their expressions becoming confused as they wondered what Izuku had meant.
All Might looked at his successor and nodded. "It's fine. They would be learning this soon anyway, so might as well bring them now. You trust them, so I will trust them." All Might then looked at the two ravenettes as he closed the door. "That being said, please, keep this to yourselves. This part does play a role in young Midoriya being my successor."
Shoka and Momo looked on in surprise as smoke erupted from the No. 1 Hero, their shock growing when they found him replaced by an emaciated version of him. "Again, I ask that you keep this to yourselves. You two, as well as young Shinso, would have learned this after your internships. Should either of you see me in this form, please address me as Mr. Yagi or Yagi-sensei."
The two ravenettes could only nod dumbly at his words, their minds still trying to come to grips with the sight in front of them. They simply watched the interaction between the No. 1 Hero and their boyfriend when Present Mic's voice caught everyone's attention.
[And it's time for the next match! Everybody make some noise for our next competitors!]
Izuku turned to the TV that was hanging in the corner of the room. The broadcast played, already showing Tokoyami and Bakugo as they entered the field of the stadium. The verdette turned his attention back to his newest mentor, focusing on his upcoming match with Todoroki. He already had a feeling who would win this one and expected it.
"So, young Midoriya, what is it that has you worried about young Todoroki?" All Might asked as he took a seat at one of the tables in the room.
Izuku took in a breath and slowly released it. "Todoroki is only using half of his Quirk. There were times during the festival when he started to show the ability to generate fire. Endeavor pretty much confirmed it."
Toshinori gave the verdette a sad nod. "Ah. Yes, his Quirk is Half-Cold Half-Hot. It seems to be a perfect combination of his mother and father's Quirks. I remember Aizawa expressing his concerns and frustrations about the young man not using his full Quirk."
The No. 1 Hero saw the verdette nod along with that information. Shoka and Momo were more intent on listening in, not really having much to say until they learned more.
"I think it has to do with Endeavor," Izuku stated. As the group looked to him, he explained, "Endeavor kept going on about Todoroki being a legacy. How he is supposed to surpass you, Yagi-sensei. He made it sound like Todoroki is refusing 'his gift'."
"It sounds like a twisted version of you two," Shoka said.
Toshinori nodded. He could agree with his student's assessment. He had run into many Hero families. And many of them treated heroics as a legacy to continue. But Endeavor's past behavior and his successor's recounting of their conversation has certainly painted a different picture.
"There is one thing I can agree with Endeavor on," Izuku said, breaking Toshinori from his thoughts. The blonde Hero saw the verdette adopt a frustrated expression on his face, noticing that he began to grip his hands tightly. "If Todoroki is holding back, how long until it costs him. How long until it costs someone else when he chooses to limit himself?" The verdette asked openly.
The room grew quiet at the insinuation. Momo grew concerned over the anger that was forming on her lovers' faces. Unknown to her, both Izuku and Shoka had started to think about the same event. The day they had met in person finally. How a group of heroes just stood by, claiming that they needed a more appropriate Quirk to be helpful.
And how Izuku rushed in to save her and Bakugo at great risk to himself.
"How can I help him?" Izuku asked. His emerald eyes bore into Toshinori's shining blue ones.
The emaciated man gave his successor a smile. "It's simple, young Midoriya," Toshinori said as he held out his hand. "You simply need to reach out to him. That is always the first step. What comes next depends on the both of you."
Izuku let his mentor's words sink in. The advice seemed to resonate with him as Ego hummed, filling the verdette with a determined aura to reach out and connect with his coursemate.
Seeing the look on his successor's face, Toshinori gave a quick nod, seeing that Izuku was taking his advice seriously. He stood up from his seat and started to make his way to the door. "Whatever you're planning, I know you will pull it off, young Midoriya. Still, some good luck wouldn't hurt." The Hero put a foot out of the door before he stopped and turned back around. "By the way. Young Sakurane, young Yaoyorozu. You two had a rather fantastic match. You both should be proud of how far you've come."
Shoka and Momo brightened up at the recognition thrown their way by the No. 1 Hero.
Momo recovered first, standing up from her spot on the table, and gave the emaciated Hero a grateful bow. "Thank you, Yagi-sensei. Your words mean much to me."
Shoka's response was much more subdued but you could hear the appreciation in her voice. "Thanks, sensei."
With a smile and a nod, Toshinori left the three to their own devices. Izuku made his way over to the two ravenettes, sitting next to Momo on her left while Shoka kept her spot to the right of the heiress. Present Mic's play-by-play, along with Aizawa's minimal commentary filled the air as the match between Bakugo and Tokoyami continued.
"So..." Shoka said, gaining the other two's attention. "You have any idea how to get through to Todoroki?" The slender ravenette leaned against her busty girlfriend's shoulder, shifting her body around to get comfortable in her spot.
Izuku went quiet as he began to think about it. This could be difficult. It wasn't just reaching out to Todoroki, it was getting the scarred young man to respond and reach out as well. Todoroki had always been closed off since university started, with him only being more outgoing after the USJ.
And even then, it was just barely. Todoroki had still chosen to keep to himself. And that was fine. Izuku understood wanting to be alone. The issue was he wanted to be a Hero. The issue was he expected to do so half-assing it and believing he was above everyone else. Say what you will about Bakugo, but he at least backed up his words by putting in the work.
[And Bakugo has effectively put Tokoyami in a corner! How will the raven-head turn things around now that Dark Shadow is hiding in his shadow!?]
Speak of the devil.
"I don't really have one other than being stubborn about it," Izuku answered with a shaky smile. While he was honest about that, it wasn't a full plan. "I mean, I think the most important thing is to be myself about it. I mean, I got a best friend and two girlfriends in a similar way, right?"
Shoka and Momo gave the verdette a dry look before the slender ravenette snorted. "Well, there was more to it than that, but yeah, that was the start of it."
Izuku pursed his lips before giving a nod while Momo turned to look at him. "So we should expect Todoroki to join our friend group by the time you win your match against him," Momo said with an amused smile on her face.
"Sucker's bet. That's pretty much a guaranteed thing now." Shoka replied, getting a round of laughter out of her boyfriend and girlfriend.
Another round of silence filled the air as the three settled down once more as the TV continued to play the current match. They mostly chose to ignore it, wanting to focus on each other as Shoka and Momo took the time to recover from their match.
The two ravenettes did preen when Izuku started to pay them compliments as he recounted the fight from his perspective. That, and it allowed them to gush at his nerdy side coming out. Their time of rest would come to a quick end as they watched Bakugo blast Tokoyami out of the arena and onto the field below.
Izuku let out a small, heavy sigh. "I guess that's that."
Momo nodded. A look of reluctance formed on her face as she stood up, careful to not push Shoka off of her. "So it is." She turned on her heels, placing her hands on Izuku's cheeks as she leaned down. "Good luck, Zuzu. Please don't get too hurt."
"... I'm not that bad." The verdette said with a pout.
That pout was erased as Momo pulled him into a deep kiss. After a moment of passion between the two, the onyx-eyed heiress pulled back, her breath hitching as she did. "You are, Zuzu. But Shoka and I love you nonetheless and we don't like seeing you hurt yourself."
"Momo's right, Izzy," Shoka interjected, sliding herself right next to Izuku. "Believe it or not, we like having our boyfriend in one piece."
The slender ravenette closed the distance between them, locking lips in a more intense kiss with the verdette compared to Momo's. The heiress stood just a step away, taking in the sight, the faint blush she had now growing redder. The ponytailed ravenette had started to rub her thighs as her two lovers broke away.
"Besides, I still need to collect my prize when I beat you in the finals," Shoka said with a playful smirk. She looked over her shoulder at Momo, her gray eyes half-lidded. "Two dorks sounds pretty good right about now."
Izuku gave the long-haired ravenette a grin as he replied, "Sounds to me that Momo and I still win even if we lose."
Shoka shrugged. "What can I say, I'm a gracious winner."
[Will the students Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shoto please make your way to the field.]
Momo got closer to the two, wrapping her arm around Shoka's. "We'll have to save it for later it seems. Come on, Shoka. We need to be able to root for our Zuzu."
"Yeah, you're right. Good luck, Izzy. Kick Todoroki's ass and knock some sense into him while you're at it!" The gray-eyed ravenette said as she and Momo left the room.
Izuku smiled. Whatever unresolved emotions he felt before his match were gone thanks to his two ravenettes and his mentor's words. The verdette closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He unclipped the soft case attached to the back of his pants and looked at his pins, a plan forming in his mind.
'I'll reach out to you, Todoroki. I just hope you reach out too.'
[ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINAL MATCH OF THE QUARTER-FINALS?]
The stadium roared with excitement once more. After all, it was the son of the No. 2 Hero facing off against the one student who had managed to take the festival by storm.
[That's what I like to hear! Then we better not waste any more time! Introducing from the west end of the field, it's the green rabbit who showed he has plenty of tricks to pull from his hat. The 1-A rep who proved he is one of a kind! Viewers and listeners, it's Midoriya Izuku!]
The verdette listened to the crowd, feeling the energy surge through the air as he kept his eyes on Todoroki. He placed a hand on Ego, his first pin resonating strongly with his goal.
[And on the east end, it's the bringer of the next ice age, the one who leaves his opponents frozen in place! Better bundle up, because bringing the chill is Todoroki Shoto!]
Unlike Midoriya, Todoroki ignored the noise. It didn't matter to the scarred young man. All that mattered was the verdette in front of him.
As the two students entered into a stare-down, Midnight had a concerned look on her face. While the matches could get intense and have done so in the past, to see that intensity before it even started was a surprise to her. And a feeling in her gut told her to play it safe.
Raising a hand to her ear, the R-Rated Hero tapped her hidden headset and made a call. "Cementoss, we may need you down here as a precaution."
"On my way." Came the Hero's response.
With her bases covered, Midnight began to move things along to keep the crowd from going wild in revolt. "Midoriya, are you ready?"
The verdette turned his head to the dark-haired woman and nodded. Getting his confirmation, Midnight turned to Todoroki. She was about to question him, but seeing the more determined and focused look on his face, she assumed he was ready as well.
There was a pause as Midnight chose to wait for Cementoss to arrive before she called for the match to start. Seeing her colleague exit the tunnel near her, she quickly raised her whip into the air and gave the students another brief look. "The combatants are ready. Match four…"
The crowd had silenced themselves as their eyes were glued to the arena. Everyone hung on the edge of their seats, waiting for Midnight to drop her arm. At the arena, Izuku began to send his energy into his Psychs, ready to react and counter Todoroki. Across from him, the air chilled. Todoroki ignored the biting cold on his skin as he never took his eyes off Izuku.
"Begin!"
Todoroki tapped his right foot on the ground, sending out a wave of ice that nearly encompassed the arena floor. Izuku reacted quickly, already knowing his opponent would start with such a move, and Blinked past the ice. The verdette Blinked once more, appearing near Todoroki and closing in.
The scarred young man swiped his right hand in front of him, generating a wave of ice that formed a protective wall, cutting off Izuku's straightforward path. His heterochromatic eyes widened as a green flash appeared out of his peripherals. Reacting quickly, Todoroki caused a flat spire of ice to erupt near his endangered side.
Izuku smirked, Blinking once more to Todoroki's unguarded left side. As he appeared, he sent his energy into Breaker Force, causing his opponent to slow down as the Psych's pressure got to him. Fire suddenly sparked up around the scarred young man, only to quickly be smothered. The freckled student narrowed his eyes and rushed Todoroki, unleashing a barrage of punches before knocking his opponent into the ice wall with a kick.
Todoroki was barely given time to recover as Izuku followed up with Excalibur. The bicolor-haired young man shifted his right foot, generating another wave of ice that shot out several spires at the verdette. Izuku glared at Todoroki, feeling his frustration growing at his opponent's continued use of his ice.
'Why won't you stop holding back!' Izuku internally growled as he used Excalibur to hack away the ice. His Psych drained faster the more he used it, the counterbalance to Breaker Force's Doom Effect.
Todoroki let out a cold breath, noticing the slight shift in the verdette's abilities. 'I need to push him back.' With a plan in mind, the scarred young man slammed his foot down onto the ground as Izuku finished cutting through his quick ice. The verdette's emerald eyes widened at the sudden cold snap approaching and used Blink to move away from the glacier that erupted around Todoroki.
[I know we've seen it before, but man, does Todoroki have some power behind him.]
"Your bag of tricks won't defeat me, Midoriya. You may have multiple abilities, but I've mastered my mother's Ice." Todoroki said coldly.
"And yet, my bag of tricks keeps bringing out that fire in you. If you're going to use that broken saying of 'Jack of all trades, master of none', first, learn the rest of the phrase. Second, pot meet kettle." Izuku replied, frustrated at Todoroki's declaration. The scarred young man glared at Izuku as the verdette continued to speak, "You have two abilities rolled up into one, and you only use half of your power!"
Instead of answering, Todoroki sent out another wave of ice that sped toward Izuku at a much faster pace. The verdette pooled his energy into both Excalibur and Pyre, heat and green flames building up around him.
"Psychronization! Excaliburn!"
Izuku performed a downward vertical slash, cutting the ice clean in two. The sudden heat battled against the raging cold, resulting in a blast that rocked the stadium, knocking away large chunks of ice as they melted in the air.
Todoroki lowered himself to the ground, doing his best to keep from being blown away by the blast. Ice encased him, anchoring the heterochromatic-eyed student to the ground. Izuku followed suit, using Orbit to plant his feet to the ground as winds billowed wildly around him. Off to the side of the arena, Midnight and Cementoss were only spared by the latter creating a wall of cement to brace themselves against.
Not even the crowd was safe from the chilling winds that blew through the stadium.
[Holy shit!]
[Damn Problem Child.]
Izuku winced as he felt his energy begin to rest, four of his Psychs going into reset mode in order to charge. His mind ran wild with ideas and plans, trying to figure out ways to prevent Todoroki from attacking. He still had Blink, the Psych already near full charge again, giving him the ability to dodge if he was careful with his uses. He still had his final Psych, Buster Shot, ready to put more pressure on his opponent if needed.
Todoroki wasn't in any better shape. He began to push his Quirk, using his fire aspect to melt the ice he used to brace himself and battle the hypothermia creeping up on his body. The scarred young man shivered as he began to reheat himself, steam wafting from his body as the frost coating him melted away.
"Todoroki..." The young man in question raised his head to look at the verdette across from him.
"You won't beat me by only using half of your power." Izuku declared. "WHY ARE YOU HOLDING BACK!?"
Blue and gray eyes met emerald as the two students stared each other down. Izuku rose on shaky legs, Todoroki mirroring him on the other side of the arena. The verdette waited for Todoroki to respond.
"... I won't use his power..." Todoroki stated, anger lacing his voice.
"His power?" Izuku asked, confused by Todoroki's wording.
Todoroki didn't answer. He simply fought off the cold and charged Izuku. He stamped his foot onto the ground, sliding across the frozen arena floor. More ice erupted ahead of his path, forcing Izuku to dodge.
The verdette took note of the speed of the ice coming at him, allowing him to dodge with his own athletic skill rather than Blink. He wasn't idle as he used that Psych and disappeared from Todoroki's sight. Expecting an attack from behind, the bicolor-haired student turned ready to react. This proved to be a mistake, as Izuku delayed his Blink, causing it to drain faster so that he could now attack the exposed back of his opponent.
Todoroki felt his body sting as Izuku used a recharged Excalibur to cut him, shoulder to hip. The verdette began to unleash a combo of strikes, keeping himself to his opponent's left side, forcing Todoroki on the back foot.
Izuku grew frustrated as he avoided another ice attack. Letting his frustrations get to him, Izuku Blinked again, appearing right in front of his opponent, and slammed his head down onto Todoroki's. The two young men stumbled back from the angry attack, Izuku wincing as he spoke. "Stop holding back, Todoroki!"
"Stop meddling in matters you don't understand," Todoroki replied, his voice now with emotion in it. "I won't use his power. I will be a Hero with only my mother's power!"
"IT'S YOUR DAMN POWER!" Izuku roared out.
Todoroki stopped in his tracks at the sudden words from the verdette.
"It's not Endeavor's, it's not your mother's, IT'S YOURS!" Izuku said. The verdette raised his arm, pointing it towards the 1-A spectator box. "Bakugo's Quirk is a mix of his parents' Quirks. But it's still his Quirk!"
Izuku sent his energy into Orbit, breaking the ice around him, and lifting them up into the air before melting the shards away. "My Quirk is nothing like my parents' Quirks, but I was still inspired to make Psychs based off of them. And even if they are inspired, it's still my power!"
"So, is this your power, or are you just a conduit for your parents?" Izuku asked his opponent.
Todoroki glared at Izuku, a scowl forming on his face. "I will not be what Endeavor makes me."
"Then be a Hero you can be proud of! When you are out there, protecting the people who expect you to give it your all, is all you're going to do just throw ice at a problem? And what happens if that fails, just throw more ice at it?" The verdette questioned Todoroki.
An image of Mr. H flashed through his mind, the café owner standing in front of the mural in the park giving him words to live by all those years ago. "A good man once told me, 'You could have the greatest Quirk in the world but that doesn't make you a hero. It's how you use that power you are given that makes you one."
The scarred young man stopped, letting Izuku's words sink in for just a moment. He shook his head, trying his best to keep those thoughts from latching. "My mother's ice will-"
"Your mother isn't fighting me! You are! Your mother won't be a Hero in your stead! You'll be the Hero!" Izuku yelled out in anger. "You're not your mother, you're not Endeavor! YOU'RE TODOROKI SHOTO! SO WHAT KIND OF HERO DO YOU WANT TO BE!?"
The stadium grew quiet. The air was still. All that mattered was the two competitors on the field. Izuku watched as Todoroki seemed to lose himself in memories when the air around them began to heat up. Izuku smiled as he saw red embers billowing out, transforming into unbridled flames as they danced around Todoroki.
"I want... to be my own Hero..." Shoto stated as the fire danced wildly around him. He raised his head and Izuku saw the determination and resolve in the scarred student's eyes. "I will be the Hero I choose to be."
Izuku gave a smirk, reminiscent of his mentor before it shifted into a bright smile. "Good. Keep your head held high, Shoto. Work hard for this dream. Only you can achieve it."
"To smile so brazenly after helping your opponent... You are an odd one, Midoriya." Shoto said. Despite his words, his face wore a small and grateful smile as he looked at the verdette.
"I guess there's no point fighting it, I am that bad," Izuku said, his smile never wavering. "But, what sort of hero would I be if I didn't reach out to help someone who needed it?"
Ego hummed, the feelings of the pin coming out due to Izuku's actions. Shoto felt something within his core as if something reached out and connected with him.
As the two resolved themselves to continue their fight, a loud, booming voice reverberated through the stadium. "SHOTO!"
The crowd turned to see Endeavor making his way down a flight of stairs so that he could be closer to the field. The Flame Hero had a proud smile on his face as he spoke, "So you have finally accepted yourself?! Good!"
In the arena, Izuku and Shoto only focused on each other. It was because of that that Shoto noticed a small twitch coming from the verdette.
And the slow removal of his shoe.
The Pro Hero continued to speak, getting lost in his own world as he focused on his son. "Here and now, you will begin to stand above the rest of the world! You will-"
A high-speed red shoe slamming into Endeavor's face cut off the rest of his speech. Where the stadium grew quiet when Endeavor spoke, mostly for their curiosity, they now went silent as the grave at seeing what just happened. The Pro Hero looked over to the verdette in the arena, seeing green energy enveloping Izuku's outstretched arm. There was a rather annoyed expression on his face as he stared down the Hero.
Up in the commentator's booth, Present Mic pulled away from his mic, covering it with his hand to make sure it didn't pick up what he would say. "Uh, should we say something to him about that?"
Aizawa shot him a bored glance and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll allow it."
Izuku huffed and looked at Midnight. His shoe carried enough momentum to bounce off of Endeavor as if his face was a springboard, letting the red article of clothing fall back onto the field and on the R-Rated Hero's platform.
Midnight blinked owlishly as she picked up the shoe and tossed it back to Izuku. The verdette caught it and slipped it back on as if nothing really happened.
"So," Izuku said as he looked at Shoto. "Do you think you can handle all of me?" The verdette clenched his fist tightly as he stared at his opponent. "Because now, there's no holding back, Shoto!"
Ice erupted from Shoto's right side. "Yes. Because now, you will get all of me as well."
The ice summoned by Shoto shot out at Izuku like a missile. Chunks of the crystalline creation covered the stadium floor as if a wave blanketed the shoreline. Izuku ran to meet the wave head-on, using Blink at the last moment to appear above the ice to slide across it.
"Cementoss, get ready just in case!" Midnight called out to her colleague. She tore the sleeve of her Hero costume, ready to use her Quirk to knock out both students should their attacks hurt themselves or the crowd.
"Ready!" This was the quick reply from Cementoss.
As the verdette rushed at Shoto, he sent energy into Orbit, using his Psych to launch him at his opponent at a higher speed. Spires of ice formed in front of him, forcing Izuku to Blink out of the way, his momentum still carrying him forward.
Several more spires of ice shot out from the floor, with Izuku using Blink to dodge those as well. His emerald eyes widened as fire was thrown at him. As the flames began to singe his clothes, the verdette sent energy to Excalibur, cutting through the stream of fire with ease.
Izuku felt the air shift, the freezing cold and sweltering heat building up around him. He narrowed his eyes, readying himself. Shoto let the fire from his left hand burn intensely as he brought it forward, the spark igniting his attack.
Cementoss pushed his Quirk, sending waves of cement along the walls of the stadium as they extended upward to protect the crowd. Midnight let loose a haze of her Quirk, only to have it be blown away as the winds picked up in speed.
A large blast erupted from the arena. The stadium rocked as the crowd cried out in shock. Shoto tried his best to keep his eyes on Izuku only to be nearly blown away by the force of his explosion. His quick thinking saved him as he generated a wall of ice that stopped him from tumbling over the edge of the arena.
Shoto winced as he stood back up on his feet. He scanned the arena, looking to see where Izuku was. Smoke blanketed the area, hindering his action. The scarred young man tensed as a flash of green light flashed in front of him as Izuku suddenly appeared. The bicolor-haired young man brought his hands back, readying himself for one last attack. Izuku wasted no time, sending his energy into Buster Shot. Green energy danced around the verdette's pulled back fist.
And just as quickly as he appeared, Izuku threw his first out, opening it so that his palm was flushed with Shoto's chest. The scarred student felt a burst of energy knock him off his feet and through the icy wall. The force behind Izuku's Scatter Shot had managed to counter his momentum, launching him in the opposite direction.
The crowd watched as Shoto flew through the air and onto the field below, crashing into the ground as dirt kicked up around him. Izuku slammed into the shattered arena floor, his body sliding across the surface.
The anticipation built up as they waited for either student to get up as Midnight slowly recovered from her initial shock. She raised her whip up into the air when she saw movement coming from Izuku. The verdette tried to steady himself, using his arms to brace himself as he struggled to get his feet under him.
Izuku slipped along the rubble, stumbling for a second before finally being able to stand up. He winced as he gripped his now injured arm that hung limply at his side. The freckled student struggled to keep his eyes open as he took in his surroundings.
"Winner by ring out, Midoriya Izuku!"
"So, you two done with... Whatever this is?" Mr. H asked the star-eyed BK, gesturing between him and the white and red cat that sat outside his café doors.
The blue-eyed cat looked up to the coffee maker and let out a meow.
Mr. H rolled his eyes as he opened the door. The white and red cat looked at him with uninterested eyes. The dark-haired coffee maker merely stood there, waiting for the new cat to enter the café on his own accord.
BK decided to speed things along. The star-eyed cat walked over to the newcomer and placed a paw on top of its head. BK let out a happy meow, getting a rather monotone one from the other.
Mr. H watched the interesting interaction, smirking as he did when he turned his attention to the TV. The café owner saw his mentee slowly make his way over to his opponent, helping him up with a smile on his face. The small, grateful smile on Shoto's face that the camera drones managed to pick up made the interaction much more meaningful in Mr. H's eyes.
"Nice work, Phones." The café owner closed his door, following BK and his new Kat as they made their way over to the other feline members of the Wildkats.