Chapter 19: Izuku's Eternal Rivals
Meanwhile, Izuku was just lying on the floor in the corridors, he was trying his best not to lose his consciousness as this was all he could do right now. However, he suddenly heard footsteps coming towards him.
A mysterious figure was coming close to Izuku with an evil smile, happy that his victim was unable to move. However, as the mysterious person got closer, he suddenly stopped.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" A familiar voice said.
Izuku's eyes were blurry, but nonetheless looked at said voice owner, only to find that it was Kurogane-sensei. "Sensei… why are you here?" Izuku questioned in surprise.
"What do you mean by why I'm here? Of course, I couldn't miss my pupil's Sports Festival." Kurogane replied, before pulling up Izuku and helping him to stand. "You were going to use it during the second event, weren't you?" Kurogane asked.
"Yeah… but I never imagined that it would make me this… tired, after nearly using it. You were right when you told me that… it's a forbidden technique." Izuku replied weakly.
"And that's why I'm here." The older man replied as he opened his hand revealing a strange medicine.
"Uuum… drugs?" Izuku asked with a puzzled expression.
"Of course not, why would you think I would give you something like that?!" The man shouted.
"Because you're still pretty… sus to me. I still remember when you… vanished like a ghost during our training." Izuku exclaimed, making the older man facepalm.
"And why would a ghost give you drugs?" He groaned.
"So, you do admit that you're… a ghost." Izuku pointed out.
"Just take the damn medicine!" He yelled at the younger boy.
"Yes, sir." Izuku quickly replied with a chuckle, as he took the medicine, and gulped it with water.
"Jesus, I swear Mori really turned out to be a much worse influence on you than I initially thought. Who in their right mind even suggested that he should be the one to fix your social skills and personality?" Kurogane questioned with visible annoyance as Mori and Daisuke both sneezed.
"So, what does this medicine do?" Izuku asked.
"It heals the negative effects that are caused after using that technique. After some rest, you should be able to fight and heal normally like you used too." The old man explained.
"Wait a second that's cheating." Izuku pointed out. He was perplexed as to why his sensei would do something against the rules.
"I figured out you would say that. That's why I made sure you take the pill first. Now listen, after each fight where does the injured competitors go?" He asked the younger boy.
"To Recovery Girl so that she could heal their injuries." Izuku replied, feeling much better now.
"Exactly, and then they wait until their next match, right?" Kurogane questioned Izuku again.
"Yes." He simply responded.
"Now, do you think that Recover Girl would've been able to heal the effects that your body sustained after nearly using that technique?"
"No, as we saw earlier, I went there and it made things worse since more of my stamina was depleted, and then when I used the Chidori things became even worse." Izuku murmured as he put his hand on his chin, thinking about what his sensei is implying. "So instead of going to Recovery Girl who would've been able to do nothing about the matter, it's like I went to you and you healed me with this magic pill."
"Exactly, just like Recovery Girl uses her Quirk to heal people, part of my Quirk can be used to heal people too. In fact, this pill was created by my Quirk." Kurogane explained, while Izuku pupils widened in amazement, it was time to enter the fanboy nerd mode.
"Tell me more about your Quirk sensei! What type of healing Quirk is it? What do you mean by part of it can heal people? Can it do more than that? What exactly did the pill do to my body? How does the healing exactly work?" Izuku overwhelmed the man by million questions, until the man gave him a chop on his head.
"Enough!" He shouted before letting out a sigh. "Fine, but I'm taking you to Recovery Girl first, I'll explain it on the way there." Kurogane said, before carrying Izuku on his back.
Wow, even though he's old, he's strong. Izuku said in his head, clearly impressed by how his old sensei could easily carry him like that.
While Izuku and Kurogane went to the infirmary, Shinso was hiding behind a wall. "Tsk, I thought that this was a good chance to hypnotize Midoriya and take him out of the competition… yet this old man came and helped him. But what was… that? I couldn't move earlier or do anything… He had such a strong aura around him, as if he was constantly looking deep into my soul." Shinso murmured, before he went to the competitors' waiting room and prepare for his next match.
"My Quirk's name is…" But the older man paused for a moment thinking about a certain person, before he shook his head. "My Quirk's name is… Absolute Blood." He lied.
"That's a weird name." Izuku replied.
"At my time people had weird name for their Quirks." Kurogane lied again. "My Quirk lets me use my blood to heal people by boosting their healing ability, and unlike Recovery Girl, mine's boost your metabolism, blood flow and increase the vitamins in your body, which restores some of your stamina, no matter the blood type. I made these blood pills to make things less disgusting for my patients." Kurogane explained his Quirk.
"Cool, that's amazing sensei! You can do a lot of things with a Quirk like that! It could be a valuable asset in many different situations. I wish I had my notebook right now to write down that stuff. So, what does the other part do? You only talked about the healing mechanism." Izuku asked.
The man stiffened for a moment. He didn't know whether to answer this question or not. After all this was a sensitive question. Since he knew that Shinso was no longer present, he decided that there was no harm in telling his student. "What I just told you about is what happens when people ingest my blood, but things become different when I ingest their blood." Kurogane further explained.
"What happens? Please tell me what happens?!" Izuku pleaded, eager to know more about his sensei's awesome Quirk.
"I can paralyze them for a certain amount of time." He replied.
"What?! Really?! That's even more amazing sensei, your Quirk is really versatile in many different situations, it could be used to support people, or offense, the possibilities are endless!" Izuku said in excitement, as he thought about different situations where his sensei's Quirk would be really useful.
Kurogane could only smile, but as soon as his smile appeared it vanished again. I wish I had the luxury the share the same opinion as you Midoriya… but unfortunately this Quirk did more harm than good…
He decided to change the topic and go with something else. "I have to say your last attack was pretty good." Kurogane praised Izuku.
"Thanks a lot sensei, I was secretly working on it in my room when I was injured. However, I was never able to really try it until a few days ago. In fact, this is the sixth time I ever use it."
"I see a new attack, good to see you're improving." The older man exclaimed, happy to see his last pupil becoming stronger.
"It was thanks to you, Mori-sensei and Daisuke-sensei that I was able to get so much stronger and get to UA." Izuku replied, hiding the fact that he also trained with All Might. After all, he didn't know that they all knew each other.
"Yes, but you became much stronger and it's all down to your hard work, so keep it up."
After a couple of minutes, they finally arrived to the infirmary, where Kurogane put Izuku in a bed so that he could rest a bit.
"Thanks a lot sensei, I really do owe you one."
"You say that but you keep annoying me with the smart mouth of yours! Maybe training in the woods again might be more entertaining for you, don't you think?" He said with a smirk.
"No thanks sir." Izuku quickly replied. He gulped as he remembered those two weeks.
"Anyway, I only had one pill, if you use that technique again, you'll be on your own." He added, before the curtains around another bed were opened revealing an angry Recovery Girl.
"It seems like my words are falling on deaf ears. Not only did you get injured again, but you injured other people too to bring them with you!" Recovery Girl angrily scolded Izuku, before hitting him on his head with her cane.
"Ouch! I'm sorry!" Izuku replied.
"Look at what you did to the poor girl, her jaw was almost broken, and her nervous system wasn't working well for a while!" Recovery Girl further scolded Izuku, while pointing to Ibara.
"Sensei, help me out." Izuku called for help, but when he turned around, he didn't find his sensei. "He vanished again!" Izuku comically freaked out.
"What are you talking about? Now show me your injured hands." Recovery Girl held Izuku's hands but to her surprise they were completely fine. She was confused for a moment, until she figured out who healed Izuku. I see… so you finally used your Quirk again, Sakonji. "You should be good to go in a few minutes." Recovery Girl said with a warm smile.
Izuku lied on the bed, deciding to rest well this time. He glanced over Ibara who was in a bed next to him. "Hey Shiozaki, I'm sorry about that last attack. It was the only thing I could've done to win. You were really a strong opponent." Izuku apologized for hurting Ibara this much.
"Just like Itsuka said, you always think about the people around you." Ibara said as she turned her head to look at Izuku. "Anyways, it's okay Midoriya you were a strong opponent, and you bested me with all you've got so I have no regrets. If anything, this just showed that there's still room for improvement." Ibara exclaimed, taking the loss pretty well, which really surprised Izuku.
"All right if you say so." Izuku replied.
"I want to ask though, what was that attack at the end? When my class was discussing your Quirk, no one mentioned that you had lightning powers." Ibara questioned the Sharingan user.
"To be honest with you, I don't know." Izuku simply replied, which left Ibara with a puzzled look on her face. "I had a dream about a kid, a couple of years younger than us. He was wearing a black, short-sleeved shirt with a high collar, black shorts, with many small belts adorning his left arm and similar bands around both legs. He also had a blue-clothed forehead protector with a weird symbol on it. He was fighting another kid, in a tournament or something… just like the Sports Festival. And then that first kid I mentioned used the same attack I just used, but once he hit the other kid, who seemed to have a… sand Quirk, yeah, a sand Quirk. He stopped and looked at me, before saying You can do this too." Izuku explained, as he recalled the dream he had and Ibara listened carefully.
Not to mention, he had the Sharingan. Was he another Uchiha? I've been trying to talk to Shisui again and learn more about them, but I can't go back to my mind scape at all. Izuku said in his mind.
"At first, I thought it was just a dream like any other, but unlike any other dream I normally have. I couldn't forget it. So, one day when you were all training, and I was in my room getting better, I tried it. I tried to focus my energy, my Quirk and lead the lightning to my hand, and then it happened, more lightning was being focused around my hand." Izuku further explained.
"What do you mean by focused on your energy?" Ibara asked, she didn't understand what Izuku meant by that.
Izuku thought for a moment trying to find the right words to describe the feeling. "You know how we usually use our Quirk like a muscle, or an extension of our bodies?" He asked to which she nodded. "This is different, it's like you focus on the source of your Quirk, and once I did that, I found a source of energy. I tried to use this energy with my Quirk and move the lightning that's usually around me to my hand and then it happened. The lightning gathered around my hand, where my energy was. Sorry, that's really the best I could describe it." Izuku finished explaining.
"No, it's totally fine Midoriya, I get that your Quirk is pretty unique, that even you don't know its full capabilities. But that part about the Quirk source or energy is really interesting." Ibara commented, before the infirmary door opened.
"Midoriya!" Momo came in shouting in panic.
"Yaoyorozu?" Izuku called her name with visible confusion at why she seemed so nervous.
Momo let out a sigh of relief, before saying "Where were you? Why didn't you go back to the stands until now? I thought that something happened to you. I thought that the Villains attacked you again."
Izuku just looked at her like she grew a second head. I mean he was just in the infirmary resting. He never knew that Momo could be this paranoid, but then he remembered something why did Momo join his team today? Usually, Momo is someone who's smart who prefers taking the safe side rather than taking risks. Something was not right and he had to know what it was.
"I'm sorry, I was bit tired and decided to rest a little longer." Izuku replied, as he put his hand behind the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.
Ibara though, looked at Momo with a different look. Looks like you have a rival Itsuka. She said in her head.
"It's okay, sorry if I acted out of character." Momo replied, a little embarrassed because of her earlier outburst.
However, before anyone could say anything else, they heard Present Mic's voice from the room's TV.
"AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AFTER FINALLY REPAIRING THE ARENA, IT'S TIME FOR THE SECOND MATCH TO BEGIN!" Present Mic announced as the crowd erupted in cheers. "SHE MAY BE CUTE, BUT SHE'S DEADLY, SHE MAY BE ONE OF THE FIRST-YEARS BEAUTIES, BUT WATCH OUT FOLKS BECAUSE WITH ONE FLICK YOU CAN FIND YOURSELF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN. IT'S THE FLICK OF DEATH! FROM THE HERO COURSE, CLASS 1-B ITSUKA KENDO!" Present Mic went with the introduction.
"That's it, I'm calling the FBI." Aizawa said, before dialing a number.
"VERSUS- SORRY, HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING TO STAND OUT YET! FROM THE GENERAL STUDIES! AIZAWA'S SECRET LOVE CHILD! HITOSHI SHINSO!" Present Mic announced, before Shoto jumped from his seat and took a good look.
"Yes, yes, he's right." Shoto murmured as he nodded his head in approval.
"Please try not to destroy the arena again." Cementos added. He didn't want to keep repairing it.
"This is a fight to test the strength of your spirit. If you know what you want for your future, then you can't worry about appearances." Shinso murmured under his breath, while Itsuka was trying to figure out his Quirk, as well as a good strategy to defeat Shinso.
"READY?!"
"I don't really know how someone like you got accepted into the Hero Course…" Shinso began, while Itsuka gave him a confused look.
"START!"
"…always playing lovey-dovey with that… what did that dynamite kid called him again? Oh yeah, Deku, the useless Deku. People like you who're blessed really irritate me when you waste your gifts foolishly like that. I bet that when you guys got attacked by Villains, you did nothing except crying while your useless crush got crushed by the Villains. And they chose you as class rep, Ha! More like clowns rep." Shinso mocked her, as well as Izuku and her classmates, which made Itsuka boil with anger. There was no way she was going to let him get away with that.
"What did you say?!" She shouted as she activated her Quirk and enlarged her fist to give him a pounding he'll never forget. Unfortunately for her, it was already over.
"I win." Shinso simply said, while he activated his Quirk on Itsuka, as she stopped moving.
I'm sorry Itsuka, but I promised him not to tell anyone about his Quirk, so please forgive me. Ojiro said in his mind. He was a little bit sad that his friend was going to lose the match.
"HEY, HEY WHAT'S THE MATTER! LIVEN THINGS UP! KENDO, THE MATCH HAS JUST STARTED AND SHE'S COMPLETELY FROZEN?!" Present Mic exclaimed with visible confusion.
Recovery Girl's Temporary Office:
"What's wrong?! Why isn't Itsuka moving at all?!" Ibara asked, worried about her best friend.
"I don't know…" Momo simply replied. She was confused, by the information she had on Itsuka's abilities. Itsuka should've captured that guy with her big fists and threw him out of the arena by now.
Izuku just silently kept watching the TV, trying to figure out what did Shinso do to her, but the thing is he didn't even move. Just what kind of Quirk does Shinso possess? He thought.
Back To The Arena:
"This is not good." Daisuke simply said, as he watched his granddaughter. "She has been completely overwhelmed." He added with a sad expression, while his two friends nodded.
"SHE'S GOT A BLANK LOOK ON HER FACE AND ISN'T MOVING A MUSCLE! IS THIS SHINSO'S QUIRK?! HE DIDN'T STAND OUT AT ALL, BUT COULD HE ACTUALLY BE SOMEONE AMAZING? HITOSHI SHINSO FROM THE GENERAL STUDIES HAS GOTTEN THE BETTER OF ITSUKA KENDO FROM THE HERO COURSE! WHO WOULD'VE IMAGINED THIS?! WILL THE BOTTOM REALLY OVERTHROW THE TOP?"
"That's why I said the Entrance Exam wasn't rational." Aizawa simply said.
"HUH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN ERASER?"
"Here's some basic data on the two of them. Since it's individual matches from here on out, I had someone compile it for me. Shinso failed the practical exam for the Hero course. Since he also applied for general studies, he probably knew that would happen. His Quirk is very powerful, but the practical exam consisted of fighting faux villains. That gave an advantage to those with physical attack Quirks. Shinso wouldn't have been able to rack up any points with his Quirk." Aizawa explained to his friend.
"You're lucky that you've been blessed, Itsuka Kendo. Turn around and walk out of bounds." Shinso said, before Itsuka turned around and began to head towards the edge of the arena.
"What's wrong Kendo this isn't you!" Monoma said with frustration.
"If she goes out of bounds then she'll lose the match." Awase remarked.
"I don't understand what's happening." Kirishima exclaimed with visible confusion.
Name: Hitoshi Shinso
Quirk: Brainwashing! Answering his question turns on a brainwashing switch in his opponent's brain, forcing them to do what he says. If he doesn't want the brainwashing switch to turn on, it won't!
Stop! Stop! Itsuka screamed in her head. My body's moving on its own! No, I can't lose now! I was so close to my rematch with Izuku… Damn it, it's like my head is filled with… fog. Please stop! Itsuka thought as she was now one step away from stepping out of bounds. She desperately begged her body to stop. She didn't want to lose after coming this far.
Suddenly, Itsuka felt like she regained control of her body again. She quickly turned around, ready to win the match. She finally figured out how to counter Shinso's Quirk.
"Itsuka Kendo is out of bounds, Hitoshi Shinso wins and advances to the next round." Midnight announced as she cracked her whip, and immediately the crowd began cheering for Shinso.
Itsuka looked down at her feet and found that she was indeed out of bounds. At that moment, she couldn't even hear what was Present Mic saying, everything fell on deaf ears. She lost… she was so close to that rematch with Izuku, where she would prove herself and then she was going to tell him… She remembered Shinso's words. Despite being harsh, she couldn't help but feel that he was right. She walked out of the arena, and decided to find somewhere private, where she could stay alone. She wanted to go away and forget about the Sports Festival.
Itsuka ran and ran through the corridors, until she finally left the stadium through a back entrance. She leaned on a wall and let her body fall, before she brought her knees to her head. Am I really unworthy of becoming a Hero? Am I really wasting my potential? Am I just wasting time by crushing on Izuku? She thought as tears fell from her eyes. Memories of the USJ came back to her, with images of the Nomu pounding Izuku while she was just standing there, watching him almost die. "I really am pathetic…" She murmured, her voice breaking because of her crying.
"Are you really?" A familiar and gentle voice asked.
Itsuka raised her head and looked at the voice owner, only to find Izuku standing in front of her. He was panting as if he ran for a few minutes. However, Itsuka was so ashamed of facing Izuku right now. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, as tears were still running down her cheeks.
"I saw the match from the infirmary's TV and I saw what happened. I also saw that you weren't taking the loss so well, which isn't like you, so I looked for you." Izuku replied with a comforting voice.
"How did you find me?" She asked.
"Well, I asked some people if they spotted you, and figured out you'd want to be alone in somewhere private." Izuku exclaimed.
"But…Why?! Why did you follow me?!" She asked again, raising her voice this time.
"I already told you, I followed you because you were sad." Izuku replied as he frowned.
"Still, it doesn't concern you!" She responded visible frustration.
"Then what are friends for?" Izuku asked, while Itsuka stared silently at him. "During the USJ incident, you were concerned about my safety, you were concerned about everyone's safety. Even after the incident, I saw you trying to talk to the other students and help them in case they were still getting nightmares. You always try to help people feel better, and yet when it comes to yourself you push others away?"
"What if I say that I only fulfilled my duty as class rep?" She questioned the Sharingan user.
"Liar…" Izuku simply replied, as Itsuka stared blankly at him. "If that was the case, then I don't know how your classmates call you their Big Sister." Izuku said with a gentle smile. "Point is Itsuka, you should think about yourself too, it's okay to be sad, it's okay to be frustrated and angry, but you shouldn't face these things alone. Class-B is there for you, Ojiro is there for you, I'm here for you."
"You're the last person who should tell me this…" She murmured loudly enough for him to hear.
Izuku chuckled, while Itsuka gave him a cute angry face. He stopped for a moment, before taking a much more serious yet comforting tone. "I don't know what happened out there, but I assume that you're not sad because you lost, because I know this isn't you. I assume you're sad because of the things Shinso said." Izuku deduced, hitting the jackpot, as Itsuka looked down with a sad expression.
"Let me tell you something… Whatever he told you is not true. He doesn't even know you. I know you much better than he does, and I know that Itsuka Kendo is a strong girl, brave and confident, yet also caring, inspiring and incredible. A genuine person. Someone who I'm proud to call my friend and in the same time, a Hero." Izuku exclaimed, while she looked at him with wide teary eyes.
"Someone once told me that a Hero isn't defined by his strength, but…" Izuku stopped as he raised his arm.
"…his heart." He said as he pointed at his own her heart, before then pointing at hers. "And you Itsuka are one, so never forget that, never doubt yourself. No matter what that Shinso guy said, you're amazing because you're simply you. And remember before being Heroes, we're humans… remember that next time you feel sad."
"But…" She tried to protest but Izuku interrupted her.
"No buts. Remind me exactly who has the Quirk that lets him see everything… That's right it's me, not Shinso or anyone else." Izuku finished, flashing Itsuka a warm smile. It wasn't a long moment, before she jumped off her place and hugged Izuku tightly as she sobbed. "There, there." Izuku simply said, as he patted her head. He was glad that Itsuka was finally letting it all out.
I guess I really am in love with Izuku… This warmth is truly what I needed, no matter what people say it doesn't matter as long as you believe me in me Izuku. She said in her mind, as she felt much better being in Izuku's embrace. She felt safe from any danger. It was really soothing and managed to calm her down. However, as soon as she calmed down, she realized that she could feel Izuku's hard abs and pectoral muscles. Now that she stooped crying, Izuku also realized that there was a cute girl in his embrace, which fired alarms in his brains. Nonetheless, both teens broke out from the hug, their faces were red and they couldn't look at each other for a moment.
After a short while, they both managed to calm down, and Izuku was the first one to speak. "Um H-How about we… g-go back to the stadium and w-watch the rest of the m-matches." Izuku proposed, stuttering a bit. He was still embarrassed.
"Y-Yeah, let's go back." Itsuka responded. Oh my God, I can't believe I was in his embrace and held like that. That's so embarrassing! She screamed in her mind.
The two teens went back to the stadium and proceeded to make their way back to the sitting area.
"Izuku about Shinso's Quirk, I have to tell you how he brainwashes y-" Itsuka began, but was interrupted by Izuku lifting his finger, telling her to be quiet.
"I don't need to hear about it." Izuku exclaimed looking at Itsuka with confidence.
"But you need to kno-" Itsuka began, but Izuku interrupted her again.
"I already know how to beat him." Izuku replied. "I don't need to know anything about his Quirk other than it's brainwashing."
Itsuka looked at Izuku's expression for a moment, all she saw was pure confidence and determination. She nodded her head before saying "I know this might be selfish, but get him for me, will you?"
"I will. I vow to win, and I never go back on my word." Izuku responded. I won't forgive anyone who hurts my friends. Shinso you picked a fight with the wrong guy. Izuku said in his mind, feeling angrier than he should be for some reason.
While Izuku was with Itsuka, Ochaco vs Bakugo's battle had already started. Ochaco knew that the only way to defeat Bakugo is touch him and make him float, but will she be able to?
Ochaco appeared behind Bakugo with her hand stretched out. Her top half of the PE uniform now gone as she was now wearing a black tank top.
"OH! SHE MADE HER JACKET FLOAT AND SENT IT OVER THERE?! SHE DID IT IN AN INSTANT, TOO!" Present Mic cried out.
If I make him float now- Ochaco thought.
But before she could touch him, Bakugo reacted just in time, and fired another explosion at Ochaco. This one had even more force behind it than the last one.
Ochaco was blown back, but she managed to get back on her feet. That explosion hurt a lot, her body was covered with burns and blood, but she was still standing.
"He moved after he saw her?" Sero said as he couldn't believe that Bakugo was able to counterattack. He was amazed by his reaction speed.
"With that reaction time, it doesn't matter if there's a smokescreen. With Uraraka not being able to activate her Quirk unless she touches him, she's at a disadvantage with Bakugo's reflexes." Kaminari commented as he figured that the matchup was not entirely favorable for Ochaco.
Ochaco began running towards Bakugo again in an attempt to touch him and use her Quirk.
"TOO SLOW!" He shouted.
Bakugo fired off another explosion right at Ochaco's face, which made the entire crowd cringe as they were able to feel the heat of that explosion all the way from where they were sitting.
"That brat, he never holds back when it comes to fighting." Mitsuki said as she watched her son mop the floor with Ochaco.
"To be more precise he never holds back in anything." Masaru corrected his wife.
"I feel so bad for that girl. I don't feel that she deserves this." Himiko exclaimed, feeling sorry for Ochaco who received yet another explosion from Bakugo.
"I know it's hard to watch, but that brat is only doing this because he acknowledges her skills. He really hates it when people hold back on him, so he makes sure he doesn't when he fights. He's just too prideful." Mitsuki explained her son's behavior.
Ochaco then reappeared from the smoke of an explosion.
"TAKE THIS!" Ochaco yelled out as she aimed to touch him again with her Zero Gravity.
However, Bakugo just hit her with another explosion which blew her back again.
"Ochaco…. " Tsuyu muttered as she was worried for Ochaco's well-being.
"I can't watch!" Jiro said as she covered her face with her hands. The sight of Ochaco covered in bruises and burns was so hard to look at.
"Bakugo, don't tell me… your tastes run in that direction…." Mineta said with a pervy tone but Tsuyu slapped him with her tongue to prevent him from saying anything more.
"That's because he acknowledges his opponents." Izuku said, appearing out of nowhere.
"Midoriya you're back!" Kirishima exclaimed, as everyone looked at Izuku. Todoroki however just gave him a glance and then his eyes returned to the match again. He couldn't forget Izuku's match when he used the Chidori. Ever since he saw that attack, he kept trying to find a way to counter it.
"Kacchan is a warrior…" Izuku began, grabbing everyone's attention. "Unlike us, he was born to fight and conquer and he won't stop at anything till he proves that he's the best." Izuku explained Bakugo's behavior.
"But Midoriya, isn't he going overboard?" Tenya asked the Sharingan user.
"As I said before, Kacchan is a warrior and he will always fight at full power no matter who is his opponent. He acknowledges Uraraka's abilities that's why he's so brutal. One could say he was a Spartan Soldier in a past life or something." Izuku said, as he watched the match.
"Not yet!" Ochaco kept on getting back up after each blow but Bakugo just blew her back down to the floor every time. It was getting to the point where the entire ring was breaking apart due to the force of Bakugo's explosions.
"URARAKA KEEPS ATTACKING WITHOUT REST, BUT... THIS IS…" Present Mic stopped talking, as he didn't know what to say. What could he say? He said that he wanted bloodbath and all, but this is a massacre.
"Her substitution earlier didn't work, so she's getting desperate." A Pro Hero commented from the crowd.
Monoma looked towards him and sighed in annoyance. "What an idiot." He simply said.
"Hey, shouldn't you stop this?! Isn't he going a little too far?!" A random member of the crowd yelled at Cementos.
Ochaco ran straight ahead towards Bakugo but the ash blonde just fired another explosion.
"I can't watch… "
"Hey! How can you say you want to be a Hero like that?! If there's such a huge difference in your abilities, then hurry up and send her out of bounds! Stop bullying and playing with the poor girl!"
"Yeah! Yeah!"
The crowd then began booing at Bakugo for tormenting Ochaco.
"THERE'S BOOING FROM PART OF THE CROWD… BUT HONESTLY, I ALSO FEEL THE SA-"
Aizawa elbowed Present Mic in the face before he could finish that sentence.
"Was that a Pro saying he's playing around? How many years have you been a Pro?" Aizawa asked.
"Huh?"
"If you're saying that with a straight face, there's no point in you watching anymore, so go home! Go home and look into changing careers!" Aizawa yelled.
Everybody was now confused by what he was saying.
"EH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN ERASER HEAD?!" Present Mic asked.
"Bakugo is being careful because he's acknowledged the strength of his opponent who has made it this far. It's because he's doing everything he can to win, that he can't go easy on her or let his guard down."
The smoke cleared to show Ochaco still standing on her feet, panting, but still on her feet.
Not yet… She's still… not dead! Bakugo thought as he acknowledged the fact that Ochaco is a lot tougher than she looks. He commends her for lasting this long.
Izuku nodded, approving of Aizawa's statement, because despite being brutal and blowing the shit out of Ochaco. He saw respect in Bakugo's angry eyes.
"It's about time… I think… Thanks Bakugo… " Ochaco weakly said.
Ochaco brought her hands together.
"...for not letting your guard down!" She finished.
"Huh?" Bakugo said in confusion as he didn't understand what she was referring to.
"It can't be helped from where Bakugo is, but it's embarrassing for a Pro in the stands to start booing without noticing." Monoma suddenly said as he now had everybody's attention. "She kept her body low as she advanced, concentrating Bakugo's attacks on the ground, storing up weapons. And then, she narrowed his field of vision with relentless attacks to keep him from noticing." Monoma then looked up and everybody saw what he was referring to. Up in the sky were a bunch of rubble and other debris that were created due to Bakugo's explosions. Everyone stared wide eyed as most of them didn't even notice that Ochaco had been using her Quirk all along.
"I'm gonna win!" Ochaco shouted with determination as she released her Quirk. All of the debris began to fall towards the ring at high speed.
"A METEOR SHOWER?!" Present Mic cried out.
"You should have noticed." Aizawa said.
"She had a desperate plan like that up her sleeve?" Mina yelled out in shock as the majority of Class 1-A and B didn't even realize that she was planning this from the beginning.
Izuku smirked as he watched Ochaco's fight. And here I was regretting not giving her a plan to fight Kacchan. I guess I didn't have to after all.
Ochaco then began sprinting straight ahead towards Bakugo.
With this much debris, whether he's evading or counter attacking, there will definitely be an opening! In that moment, I'll get close to him with my secret move! Ochaco then activated her Quirk as now she was ready to go for the win.
"I will win! I will win and be just like Deku, too!"
She outstretched her hand and she was fingertips away from touching Bakugo. She was fingertips away from winning… she was fingertips away from winning just like Deku!
But right before she could touch him, Bakugo raised his palm up and ignited a huge explosion towards the sky that pushed Ochaco all the way back. The resulting explosion was so powerful that it completely obliterated all of the debris. The explosion was also able to blow many people off of their feet.
"Since you're friends with Deku, I thought you'd be up to something…"
The smoke cleared to show Bakugo… unscathed.
Ochaco stared wide eyed in horror. How? How is he so strong? She wasn't the only one who thought that, as even Izuku was surprised by the power of Bakugo. That was at least 2 times stronger than the explosion he fired off when we did the Battle Trials exercise. To think he managed to fire an explosion like that without any support items. Just how much strength did you get during the last month Kacchan? Izuku thought, while sweating. It seems like taking down Bakugo might not be as easy as last time.
"B-BAKUGO DELIVERS A SATISFYING EXPLOSION! HE BLASTS BOLDLY THROUGH URARAKA'S SECRET PLAN!" Present Mic stuttered as he and the rest of the stadium could barely form words at the display of such raw power.
Bakugo took a deep breath. "That was close." He murmured.
Ochaco shook as her mind could barely process everything that just happened. I-I did as much as I could…! But he was not fazed at all…
Izuku's eyes widened as he saw Ochaco getting back on her feet. Amazing!She's still not down!
"Even so... "
Bakugo smirked at this.
"All right, let's get serious then, Uraraka!"
Izuku gasped. He… He called her by her name?!
"If it were Deku... " Ochaco turned around as she stumbled on her legs. "... he would never give up!"
Ochaco's body was screaming in pain. She could feel her legs shaking, unable to support her weight any longer. Her skin was burned in various places due to Bakugo's explosions. Her body was screaming at her to stop. To just give up. But she refused!
As she was about to fall, one image crossed her mind. The image of Izuku with his Sharingan and the lightning of One for All swirling around his body. For Ochaco this was the image of victory.
She managed to stay on her feet, and outstretched her hand towards Bakugo one last time, her legs were not moving anymore. Come on, please move! Please! One last time! She screamed in her head. "PLEASE! ALL I NEED IS TO MAKE HIM FLOAT! She screamed at the top of her lungs surprising everyone by her tenacity.
*Music: The Raising Fighting Spirit*
Bakugo just looked at her in silence, before suddenly his feet began to leave the ground.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He shouted, completely shocked. How was he floating? Did Ochaco touch him? No, he's 100% sure she didn't.
The whole Class-A and B were equally shocked. "What is… happening?" Denki stuttered as he looked so confused. "Guys I didn't short circuited my brain again, right?" He asked just to make sure, which made him get a nod from everyone who had their jaws' open.
Izuku couldn't understand. Ochaco's Quirk lets her nullify the gravity of anything she touches. So how? How is Bakugo going higher in the air like that?
"CAN YOU ALL BELIEVE THIS?! SOMEHOW URARAKA ACTUALLY MANAGED TO MAKE BAKUGO FLOAT! UNBELIEVABLE!" Present Mic cried out, while the whole crowd were watching in awe.
"I don't understand?" Aizawa muttered.
However, after snapping out of his shock, Bakugo was not going to let himself lose like that. Not after coming this far. After all he had a score to settle with Izuku.
"URARAKA!" He shouted her name, as he started to challenge gravity itself and fire constant explosions to get closer to Ochaco.
Ochaco tried her best to make Bakugo float higher by making him more and more weightless, her hand glowing pink. "Almost there!" She yelled, as her body was screaming at her to stop and her legs were shaking.
Bakugo flashed an evil grin at Ochaco, showing how confident he was. "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" He yelled as he fired more and more explosions, each one stronger than the one before. His arms were screaming in pain but he believed that he could challenge gravity itself.
"I'LL WIN JUST LIKE DEKU!" Ochaco shouted, not willing to give up to. Her hand was glowing more and more pink. Izuku just looked at her with wide eyes, but filled with respect. This wasn't the same Ochaco that was his partner during the Battle Trials.
For a moment, everyone watched the struggle in silence. Who was going to give out first, Bakugo or Ochaco? Neither side was willing to give up, until Bakugo fired two powerful explosions from his hands and once he was close to Ochaco, he fired a giant explosion from his right hand aimed to the center of the arena, one that made the one he fired when he destroyed the debris seems like child's play.
The giant explosion created massive shockwaves and the whole stadium shook like if there was an earthquake, dust filling the air. The poor people who were standing fell of their feet. When the dust cleared, it showed Bakugo panting, his arm had significant bruises and burns. Everyone was shocked, the entire arena was destroyed. They tried to locate Ochaco, and shortly after they saw the poor girl unconscious besides the wall that separated the spectators from the arena. And it seems like that said wall had a crack in it. She must have smashed into the wall first.
"E-ERASER?" Present Mic stuttered before calling his friend's name.
"Yes?" Aizawa responded.
"SERIOUSLY WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING YOUR STUDENTS?!" Present Mic cried out.
"I certainly didn't teach them that." Aizawa replied, his eyes still looking at the debris of the arena where Bakugo was still standing. He had a wide smirk on his face.
Midnight who was knocked away after the explosion, finally managed to pull herself up thanks to Cementos. "Huh? What happened?" She asked.
"That Bakugo kid destroyed the whole arena." Cementos replied with visible annoyance. He had to fix the arena once again.
"I swear Nezu must pay us double this month." She groaned.
"Make it double for every time they destroy my arena." Cementos replied, still pissed about the fact that his arena was destroyed again.
Midnight chuckled before checking on Ochaco. She was unconscious. It's a good thing that the explosion wasn't aimed at her, or else something bad would've happened to her. "Uraraka is unconscious! Bakugo advances to the next round!" Midnight announced.
"UNBELIEVABLE FOLKS! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY! FROM THE HERO COURSE THE MAN WHO CHALLENGED THE LAWS OF PHYSICS ITSELF AND WON! CLASS 1-A KATSUKI BAKUGO!" Present Mic yelled, while the crowd erupted in cheers.
"BUT LET'S ALSO GIVE IT TO URARAKA FROM CLASS 1-A TOO, WHO DESPITE BEING AT A DISADVANTAGE KEPT GOING!" Present Mic cried out with visible tears in his eyes, as the crowd clapped their hands. "POOR URARAKA I WISHED YOU HAD ONE!" He added.
"Hey! I thought we were supposed to be unbiased." Aizawa sternly told his friend.
Izuku jumped into the arena and ran to Ochaco. He looked at her with a gentle smile, before carrying her. She needed medical attention immediately. "You did well Uraraka."
"I want to win… like Deku…" She murmured in her sleep.
Izuku glanced at Bakugo, who was looking at him with a shit-eating grin, as if he was telling Izuku that he's next. Izuku kept staring in Bakugo's eyes, from what he just saw it seems like Bakugo was a bigger threat than he initially thought. Will he be able to beat him? Izuku didn't know, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't try. So before breaking eye contact, he smirked, telling Bakugo to come and get him if he can. He finally exited the arena and headed to Recovery Girl.
Izuku arrived to Recovery Girl's office, and proceeded to lay Ochaco on a bed. "Poor girl she's so hurt. I swear I hate the Sports Festival." Recovery Girl exclaimed, as she kissed Ochaco and activated her Quirk. Due to the fact that Ochaco used all of her strength, Recovery Girl couldn't completely heal her, so she wrapped her arms and forehead with bandages.
After a few moments, Ochaco finally woke up. "What happened?" She asked, while she held her head. She was a bit nauseous.
"You passed out after Kacchan knocked you out of the ring." Izuku replied.
"W-What?" Ochaco exclaimed with visible sadness. She thought that no Hero will scout her, now that she lost against Bakugo. "I lost… I failed. I'm-I'm usel-"
But before she could finish, Izuku gave her a chop on the head. "Don't you dare say that! You hear me! You're not useless!" Izuku sternly scolded her. He was not going to let her belittle herself like that.
"Deku…" She muttered.
Izuku stood up from his chair and proceeded to pat Ochaco's head. "Uraraka, you were amazing out there. Your match was even better than mine. I'm sure that the Pros will scout you!" Izuku exclaimed in a cheerful tone. Ochaco couldn't help but blush, but how was Izuku so sure?
"How are you sure about this Deku?" She questioned, a part of her wanted to believe that he's right.
Izuku pulled out his phone and showed Ochaco a video when the whole crowd cheered for her. "You see, you did your bes- no, more than your best out there. You were simply amazing Uraraka." Izuku exclaimed, while Ochaco had a puzzled look while watching the video. She lost, so why are the people cheering for her.
"But why?" She asked.
"Wait, you don't remember?" Izuku asked, perplexed by Ochaco's question.
"Remember what?" She asked the Sharingan user again.
Izuku was now confused as how Ochaco didn't remember what happened at the end of the match. "Uraraka, you made Kacchan float, without even touching him! And then he actually struggled and kept firing explosions to stop himself from going higher, but he ultimately knocked you out with a big explosion." Izuku explained, hoping that Ochaco remembers what happened.
Ochaco narrowed her eyes and gave a thoughtful look, trying to remember what happened. She then widened her eyes as she finally remembered what happened. "Oh, I remember now."
"Great!" Izuku exclaimed as he grabbed his notebook and pen. "Uraraka please tell me everything about that new ability." Izuku added as his pupils became like stars.
Uraraka looked at her hand for a moment, she tried to nullify the gravity of a water bottle without touching it, but ultimately failed. "Sorry Deku I can't… I don't even know how I did that to begin with." She apologized for being unable to draw out that power.
"I see a temporary power up…" Izuku murmured as he put a hand on his chin and thought about it.
"Or maybe my Quirk almost awakened just like you Deku!" She said with a cheerful tone and smiled. She liked the fact that maybe her Quirk can awaken like Izuku's.
"Yes, maybe it could be that." Izuku answered. Is that really possible? As far as I know only my Sharingan was the only known power that has the ability to awaken, and Shisui corrected that by saying that it was just evolving and getting stronger. Can Quirks really awaken…? If that's possible than could One for All awaken too? Izuku thought as million questions popped in his head.
"Deku, is something wrong?" Ochaco asked, snapping Izuku's out of his trance.
"Don't worry it's nothing, I'm totally fine." He answered, before Ochaco's phone began to ring.
"Oh, I'm sorry that must be my dad." She explained.
"It's okay, I'm going back to the stands. But before I go, Uraraka I need you to know that I'm proud of you, and that you should be proud of yourself too." Izuku said as he gave her a thumbs up, before leaving her alone. Ochaco blushed, before finally answering the phone.
When Ochaco's father called, he told her how proud of her he and her mother were. And although Ochaco replied, saying that wish she could've done more. Her father told her that she did more than enough, and that there's always a next year. He also mentioned how happy he was when the people cheered for her, which managed to convince Ochaco that she surely got scouted by Pros. She was only frustrated that she lost against Bakugo, and decided that during the internships, she'll focus on combat training. That way, she'll have more options as a Hero in the future.
As Izuku was making his way back to the stands, he met All Might in his skinny form. "Young Midoriya!" He called his successor.
"All Might?" Izuku responded, not expecting to see his mentor here.
"I was looking for you young man. You were so amazing during your match! You really managed to pull it off." All Might said, without referring to One for All. He pulled Izuku to a staff room so that they could speak without worries. "I can't believe you used One for All like that. I never imagined that it was even possible."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head while smiling sheepishly. "I wanted to save it for the finals, but seems like I managed to surprise you."
"I can't say I didn't jump off my seat, while the other teachers just stared at me like I'm a weirdo." All Might replied with a chuckle. All Might then took a more serious tone, as he had something important to tell Izuku. "Young Midoriya, I'm afraid we need to do a better job at hiding your Quirks. After the USJ incident, there were already questions regarding your Quirk, and now with your lightning powers, there ought to be more." All Might explained, while also thinking about his talk with Endeavor.
Izuku frowned as no matter how hard he tried to find an excuse that would be convincing enough he couldn't. "It's really that bad, huh?" Izuku pointed out.
"Yes, but luckily for you I got the perfect one." All Might exclaimed, giving Izuku thumbs up.
"That's great All Might. What do you propose?" Izuku asked.
"We'll say that your Quirk is Sharingan. A mix of an enhancer and emitter Quirk. The enhancer part enhances all the physical aspects of your body including your perception, while the emitter part is the illusions you send to the brain." All Might explained, as in reality this was an idea derived of Izuku's grandfather, Hajime Midoriya's idea when he used to talk about his Quirk too, except in his case things were different.
Izuku gave a thoughtful look, trying to think if there's anything that doesn't seem convincing. "What about the Chidori?" He asked.
"Well, when you usually use Full Cowl, lightning appears around your body, right? You could just say that you found a way to use that lightning." All Might replied, with a shrug.
Izuku thought about it for a second, before he replied "Which is kinda true. Seems convincing to me."
"All right then, I won't take too much of your time. Now good luck in your next matches, keep up the good work and show them who's the next fledging Symbol of Peace."
"Yes Sir." Izuku replied, as his eyes shone with determination.
Izuku finally returned to the stands only to see Hatsume walking out of the ring as she was sweating in exhaustion.
"I've presented each and every last one of them. I have nothing left to say!" Hatsume exclaimed satisfied with her so-called match.
Midnight was confused about this whole thing as she shakily raised her hand. "Uh… H-Hatsume is out of bounds. Iida advances to the quarterfinals!"
"YOU TRICKED ME!" Tenya cried out in horror.
Hatsume walked away, heading towards the tunnel, before saying "I'm sorry. I used you." She said shamelessly.
"I HATE YOU!"
"What happened?" Izuku asked.
"Well, you could say that Hatsume used Iida for advertisement purposes." Ochaco laughed as she couldn't help but feel that the whole situation was so funny.
Izuku chuckled too before saying "That's Hatsume for you."
"By the way Deku, where have you been? You said you would return to the stands, yet when I came back you weren't here." Ochaco asked.
"Uh… I was using the restroom." Izuku lied, convincing the girl, but Itsuka on the other hand felt that something was fishy.
"Next is Yaoyorozu against Ashido right?" Izuku asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, and I guess that one will be more entertaining than the last." Ojiro replied, until he remembered something. "Oh right, Izuku, I want to know more about the Chidori thing you used during your match." Bakugo immediately opened his eyes that were close, taking interest in the conversation.
"It was shiny and magnifique. Vraiment, la crème de la crème." Aoyama exclaimed. He respected the fact that the attack was both shiny and powerful.
(magnifique = magnificent and Vraiment = Really and la crème de la crème is an urban expression which means something of high quality or simply elegant.)
"It was so manly Midoriya, one of the coolest things I have ever seen." Kirishima said with his usual cheerful tone.
"Well, you know my Sharingan is a mix between an enhancer and emitter Quirk. And normally the enhancer aspect generates lightning around me. So, I thought, why not use it?" He said with a shrug. He decided to skip the details and spread the new lie about his Quirk.
"That's not fair…" A voice muttered, but everyone was able to hear it. They looked at the voice owner. It was Denki who was sulking. "Why your lightning worked against grass while mine didn't. I'm the one with the lightning Quirk here. You cheated." He added, while everyone laughed.
"Yes, yes it's not fair at all Midoriya. I can't forgive you. Why do you have a Quirk that can let you see Hagakure naked. I'm the one who should've been blessed with a Quirk like that!" Mineta threw a temper tantrum, but Tsuyu slapped him with her tongue, while Jiro used her earlobes and plugged them in his head, sending vibrations to his brain.
"NOW EVERYONE! GET READY BECAUSE THE FIFTH MATCH IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!" Present Mic announced. "ALL-PURPOSE CREATION! SHE WAS ADMITTED THROUGH RECOMMENDATIONS, SO HER ABILITIES ARE CERTIFIED! FROM THE HERO COURSE, IT'S MOMO YAOYOROZU! VERSUS- IS SOMETHING GOING TO COME OUT OF THOSE HORNS? WELL? FROM THE HERO COURSE, IT'S MINA ASHIDO!" Present Mic announced.
Aizawa let out a sigh, before saying "You always have to say a stupid comment, don't you?"
"ALWAYS!" Present Mic replied, with a grin.
"Midoriya, what do you think of this match?" Ojiro asked his friend.
Izuku who was now holding his notebook, gave it a thought before he said "I think that time will be the key." Izuku replied, while Ojiro nodded.
Mina will try to get close to me when the match starts. If I can create my first item, before she could get close it'll be checkmate. Momo though, as she revised her plan. She had more than an hour to devise one, and knew that it will all depend on how fast Mina could close the distance between them.
"FIFTH MATCH START!" Present Mic cried out.
Once the match, began Mina quickly started to use her acid to slide on it and close the distance between her and Momo, while Momo started to create something quickly.
Come on, come on. Quickly! Momo said in her mind, before creating a shield.
"A shield, Ha! That won't work on me!" Mina exclaimed, as she threw her acid on the shield, waiting for it to melt. She had a grin on her face, as she got closer, but to her horror the shield didn't melt. "What the… How?!"
"High Alloy Steel." Momo replied.
"High what?" Denki asked.
"High Alloy Steel. It's a special metal that has high resistance to acid." Izuku explained, while everyone looked at him. He remembers that from reading a book about metals that have high resistance to acid when he used to spend his time in the school's library. "Right now, Ashido is at a big disadvantage."
"Not fair!" Mina cried out, as she frowned and moved her arms.
Next create a weapon. Momo thought, before creating a staff like the one she usually uses, and started to get closer to Mina.
Mina tried to throw more of her acid at the shield, but it was no use. She couldn't stop Momo.
"If Ashido had a way to spray acid with high concentrations, then the shield would've had weakened a bit, but unfortunately for her she can't." Izuku exclaimed as he knew who would be the winner.
Momo just kept getting closer and closer, before she hit Ashido in her side with the staff, then her legs, knocking Mina down. She moved the staff close to her head, before saying.
"Do you give up?"
"I give up." Mina replied with frustration.
"Ashido lost by yielding. Yaoyorozu advances to the next round." Midnight said as she cracked her whip.
"FROM THE HERO COURSE MOMO YAOYOROZU WINS! I GOTTA ADMIT FOLKS BEING A CHEMISTRY NERD HELPS SOMETIMES!" Present Mic exclaimed, while the crowd cheered for Momo.
Player Waiting Room 2:
Shoto was walking, heading to the arena. It was time for his match, he was thinking about Izuku's Chidori and Bakugo's final explosion, until he came across his father.
"You're in my way." He said with visible disgust.
Endeavor stared at him for a moment, before he said "You're acting disgracefully, Shoto." However, Shoto decided to walk away and not hear any of his shit. "If you used the power in your left side, you would've had an overwhelming victory in the obstacle course and capture the flag. Stop this childish rebellion already. You have a duty to surpass All Might. Do you understand? You're different from your siblings, you're the greatest masterpiece!" Endeavor exclaimed while Shoto kept walking away.
"Is that all you can say, bastard? I'll-" Shoto began to retaliate, but was interrupted.
"Don't say I'll win using my Mom's power, because you won't." Endeavor pointed out, which finally made his son stop in his tracks. His father never doubted him before.
"Explain!" Shoto demanded.
"Putting it simply, you can't win against Izuku Midoriya unless you use your left side." Endeavor explained, which shocked Shoto. When did his father ever took interest in learning one of his classmates' names?
"You talk as if you know a lot about him."
"I know him better than he even knows himself, Shoto. I know his full potential and what he's capable of, and let me say it straight to you again. You can't defeat him using only your mother's power."
"I won't use your damn power!" The younger Todoroki protested.
"Even if that works now, you'll soon realize the limits of this power." Endeavor finished, while Shoto started to walk to the arena again, wearing a really angry face and full of rage and disgust. He despised his father more than anything.
"THANKS FOR WAITING! IT'S NOW TIME TO START THE SIXTH MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND! NEXT UP IS… THESE GUYS!" Present Mic announced as the crowd cheered seeing the displayed images of Todoroki and Sero.
"HE'S GOOD! HE'S GOOD, BUT WHAT'S WITH THAT PLAINNESS HE JUST CAN'T GET RID OF? FROM THE HERO COURSE, IT'S HANTA SERO!"
"That's mean." Sero said in response to Present Mic's comment.
"VERSUS- TAKING SECOND PLACE IN THE OBSTACLE COURSE! YOU'RE WAY TOO STRONG, KID! HE WASN'T RECOMMENDED FOR ADMISSION FOR NOTHING! ALSO, FROM THE HERO COURSE, IT'S SHOTO TODOROKI!
AND NOW, SIXTH MATCH! READY… START!"
"Well, I don't feel like I can win… "
Sero then wrapped Todoroki around with his Tape.
"...but I don't feel like losing, either!" Sero yelled as he began pushing Todoroki with his Tape towards the end of the ring.
"A SURPRISE ATTACK AIMED TO PUSH HIS OPPONENT OUT OF BOUNDS! DON'T YOU THINK THAT WAS THE BEST CHOICE FOR THIS SITUATION?! SERIOUSLY, GET HIM, SERO!" Present Mic shouted as Sero was close to getting Todoroki out of bounds.
"Sorry." Shoto simply said.
He planted his foot down as he launched a stream of ice towards Sero. The ice transformed into a giant ice wall that resembled a glacier. It was able to reach the top of the entire stadium and it completely froze Sero in place.
Everybody gawked at the sheer magnitude of the ice wall that Shoto created.
"What's that?!" Both Deatharms and Kamui exclaimed with visible shock, as they were able to see the ice glacier from outside the stadium.
"D-Don't you think that's a bit much?" Sero stuttered as he shivered. He was damn near freezing to death.
"MY ARENA!" Cementos cried out again.
"Sero, can you move?" Midnight asked. She too was freezing from the ice on her.
"O-Of course not… Ow…"
"Sero is immobilized! Shoto Todoroki advances to the second round!"
Everybody in the crowd was speechless until one Pro Hero said:
"D-Don't worry about it… "
"Don't worry about it!"
"-Don't worry about it!"
"-Don't worry about it!"
The whole crowd started chanting Don't worry about, in an attempt to cheer up Sero for his devastating defeat.
"Sorry, I went overboard… I was angry." Shoto said as he began melting the ice glacier with his left hand. Shoto then glanced at Izuku, who the ice glacier was only a few centimeters away from his face. Izuku looked back at Shoto who was staring at him with cold eyes, as if he's telling him that this is the fate that awaits him.
He looks… sad, more than intimidating. Izuku thought as he could tell something was troubling Shoto. So, he made his decision, that he will help Shoto.