(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Cementoss smoothed the arena floor once more.
Cracks vanished. Scorch marks sealed. The battlefield reset.
Midnight's voice rang clear and sharp.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The Quarter-Finals begin now!"
The giant screen flickered alive.
-Flick! -Flick!
Brackets updated.
Crowd energy surged again like a rising tide.
Quarter-Finals... Began...
Izuku Midoriya vs. Shoto Todoroki...
The atmosphere shifted the moment they stepped into the ring.
No theatrics. No jokes. Just tension.
Todoroki opened with ice. Massive. Overwhelming.
Midoriya dodged—barely.
He countered with bursts of One For All, shattering ice pillars with carefully controlled strikes.
The arena trembled with each collision.
Todoroki pressed forward relentlessly.
Ice waves forced Midoriya backward toward the ring edge.
Midoriya shouted through the storm—
"You're not just your father!"
The words struck harder than any punch.
The stadium fell silent.
Todoroki froze—not from ice.
"...."
From hesitation.
Midoriya forced himself forward, fingers breaking under the strain of One For All as he countered again.
"Use your fire!"
The crowd held its breath.
"...."
"...."
"...."
For a moment—Flames flickered at Todoroki's left side.
Then vanished. He clenched his jaw.
"I won't use it."
A final ice surge erupted.
Midoriya launched one desperate smash—But Todoroki's freezing wave overwhelmed him completely.
Ice consumed the arena.
Midoriya collapsed, unable to continue.
Midnight raised her arm.
"Winner — Shoto Todoroki!"
But the victory felt complicated.
Incomplete. Up in the stands, Endeavor's flames burned brighter.
"Thats it Shoto!!! Show the Fireeeee!!!"
Fumikage Tokoyami vs. Mina Ashido...
Mina began fast. Acid slides at an unpredictable angles.
She tried to outmaneuver Dark Shadow's reach.
Tokoyami adapted quickly.
He kept Dark Shadow defensive at first.
Then gradually expanded its radius.
Each acidic splash lost momentum against overwhelming shadow pressure.
Dark Shadow cornered Mina.
One powerful sweep—Ring-out.
Tokoyami bowed slightly.
Victory through controlled aggression.
Katsuki Bakugo vs. Eijiro Kirishima...
This was pure collision.
Kirishima hardened immediately.
"COME AT ME!"
Bakugo didn't hesitate.
Explosions hammered against hardened skin.
Kirishima pushed forward through blast after blast.
But Bakugo wasn't brute force alone.
He changed angles. Targeted joints.
Used concussive blasts to destabilize footing.
A well-timed explosion beneath Kirishima's stance broke his balance.
Another blast from the side—Ring-out.
Kirishima laughed even in defeat.
"Man… you're insane."
Bakugo didn't answer. He simply turned away. Focused.
Tenya Iida vs. Ibara Shiozaki...
Ibara's vines surged immediately.
A living barrier. A forest of control. Iida circled.
Measured. Waited.
Then—Recipro Burst activated.
He vanished. Speed beyond reaction.
He slipped past the vines before they could fully coil.
A decisive shoulder charge.
Ibara slid across the floor—Out of bounds.
Iida bowed respectfully.
She returned the gesture.
The screen updated once more.
Semi-Finals Approaching:
Shoto Todoroki vs. Fumikage
Tokoyami Katsuki vs. Bakugo Tenya Iida
The crowd's volume rose again. Only Four remained.
Cementoss reshaped the battlefield yet again.
Cracked slabs rose. Scorched marks sealed.
Concrete flowed like obedient clay.
Midnight announced another short intermission.
The crowd buzzed, discussing Todoroki's incomplete victory and Bakugo's relentless drive.
Boys' Lobby...
Inside the locker area,
Tenya Iida stood alone near the lockers, adjusting his gloves.
His posture was rigid. Focused.
Still thinking about his uncomming fight at the arena.
Then—His phone vibrated.
-BUZZ!!! -BUZZ!!!
-BUZZ!!!...
He glanced down.
[Caller ID: Tensei]
His older brother. He answered instantly little excited thinking he was calling him since he was impressed by his demonstration of his quirk and his fight.
"Yes, brother—"
Silence.
"...."
Then a voice. Not Tensei's. Medical staff.
Words blurred together.
"Critical condition… Hosu City… severe injuries… Hero Killer Stain…"
The world tilted. Iida's fingers trembled.
"...."
"…Paralyzed… uncertain recovery…"
The phone slipped slightly in his grip.
-Thud.
The noise of the stadium outside became distant.
Muted. His eyes widened. His breathing shortened.
Tensei. His brother... aka Ingenium.
The hero he admired.
The brother who walked ahead so he could follow.
Broken. By Stain.
Something cracked inside Iida.
"...."
His glasses fogged faintly as tears gathered but refused to fall.
He ended the call slowly. Stood still. Processing.
Then—A decision hardened in his expression.
He packed his gloves.
Closed his locker. He needed to be in Hosu.
Not here. Not in a tournament.
He moved toward the exit corridor.
Each step heavier than the last while his inside was in turmoil.
"Hey, Iida!"
The voice stopped him.
Izuku Midoriya jogged up behind him.
Concern written plainly on his face.
"Iida, are you okay? You look—"
Iida turned.Composed. Too composed.
"I apologize, Midoriya. I must attend to a family matter."
His smile was mechanical. His tone overly formal.
Midoriya frowned hearing him feeling something was wrong.
"A family matter? But the semi-finals—"
"I am withdrawing."
The words were calm. Controlled.
But his eyes—His eyes burned with something unfamiliar.
Midoriya noticed. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
"Iida… what happened?"
A pause. Just long enough.
"Nothing that requires your concern."
He bowed slightly. Turned. Walked away.
Midoriya stood frozen. Watching.
"...."
That wasn't the Iida he knew. That wasn't just worry.
That was fury wrapped in discipline. Up in the security stands, Ra-One's visor flickered faintly.
He had just received updates through the network.
Hosu City. Hero Killer Stain. Critical injury.
A thread was pulling tight.
And that thread—Was about to drag someone down a dangerous path.
The semi-finals would resume soon.
But one competitor—Was no longer fighting for victory.
He was walking toward vengeance.
Midoriya remained near the tunnel entrance for a moment longer.
Something felt wrong. Not just worry.
Not just family urgency.
There had been a tremor in Iida's voice.
A steel edge beneath the politeness.
Midoriya clenched his fist slightly.
'Hosu… Hero Killer Stain…'
The name lingered in the back of his mind like a shadow that hadn't finished stretching he had a few hero's discussing among with their peers about that incident.
Back in the Stadium...
Present Mic's voice boomed again, snapping the audience's focus back to the arena.
"WE'RE BACK, FOLKS! THE SEMI-FINALS ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN!"
Beside him, Aizawa leaned lazily against the booth railing.
"Students are adjusting. Injuries are minor. The stage is stable."
Mic grinned wide.
-Grin
"BUT THE INTENSITY? MAXIMUM!"
Below, Cementoss finished the final smoothing of the ring, stepping back with quiet satisfaction.
VIP Section...
Near the pro-hero seating area—
Midnight stood beside Mt. Lady, arms crossed loosely.
"...."
Mt. Lady tilted her head slightly.
"So… Ra-One," she began casually, pretending her curiosity was accidental.
"Is he always that serious? Or does he ever… smile?"
Midnight's eyes narrowed just a little.
Not hostile. Just… measured.
"He smiles," she replied smoothly. "More than you'd expect."
Mt. Lady raised a brow.
"Oh?"
Midnight's lips curved.
"He's easygoing. Sharp-witted. Surprisingly patient."
There was warmth in her tone.
A familiarity. Mt. Lady caught it instantly.
'Ah.'
That tone. That slight edge when describing him. That subtle ownership.
'Interesting.'
"So," Mt. Lady continued lightly,
"mysterious behind a mask, strong, calm, and apparently charming off-duty?"
Midnight smirked.
-Smirk
"You'll have to find out yourself."
Mt. Lady's interest ticked upward.
A mysterious hero. Mask always on before the public.
Calm in chaos. Respected by staff.
Defended instinctively by another woman.
That combination? Irresistible.
Her internal monologue was already plotting angles.
'If he's serious on the outside and interesting behind the mask…'
Her eyes drifted briefly toward where Ra-One stood overseeing security.
'…then that mystery deserves investigation.'
Midnight noticed the glance.
She didn't comment.
But her posture straightened slightly.
Because when one woman recognizes another woman's curiosity—The air subtly changes.
And somewhere above the arena—Ra-One remained unaware that, while students battled for trophies—A quieter rivalry had just begun.
The arena lights sharpened again.
Midnight's voice cut through the noise like a ribbon of silk over steel.
"Welcome back! It's time for the Semi-Finals!"
The massive screen flickered, revealing the updated bracket.
Semi-Finals:
[Shoto Todoroki vs. Tenya Iida
Katsuki Bakugo vs. Fumikage Tokoyami]
Shoto Todoroki vs. Tenya Iida...
The crowd noticed immediately.
Only one student entered the ring.
Shoto Todoroki stood calmly at his starting position.
Across from him—An empty space.
Murmurs spread like ripples in water.
Midnight tapped her earpiece.
"...."
A brief announcement followed.
"Due to personal circumstances, Tenya Iida has withdrawn from the competition."
Gasps. Confusion.
In the stands, Izuku Midoriya stiffened.
"...."
His fingers curled slightly.
Something was wrong. Iida wouldn't withdraw casually.
Not him. Todoroki lowered his gaze briefly.
He didn't celebrate. Didn't smile.
Midnight raised her arm.
"Shoto Todoroki advances to the Finals!"
Polite applause.
-Claps!
But the victory carried a hollow echo.
Katsuki Bakugo vs. Fumikage Tokoyami...
The energy shifted instantly.
This one would not be quiet.
Fumikage Tokoyami stepped into the ring, Dark Shadow already stirring behind him like a storm cloud given shape.
Across from him—Katsuki Bakugo cracked his neck once.
No grin. Just hunger.
"Begin!"
Dark Shadow lunged first. Massive. Fast. Aggressive.
Bakugo blasted sideways, narrowly avoiding a crushing strike that fractured the concrete.
He understood instantly. Close-range wasn't safe.
He needed mobility. Explosions thundered in rapid succession as he took to the air, creating flashes of light.
Each blast disrupted Dark Shadow's expansion.
Tokoyami pressed harder.
Shadow engulfed more space.
Forced Bakugo downward.
The crowd roared as the battlefield darkened beneath the massive entity.
Then—Bakugo detonated a concentrated blast directly above himself.
A burst of searing light.
Dark Shadow recoiled violently. Light. Weakness.
Bakugo didn't hesitate.
"...."
He surged forward in that brief opening and delivered a point-blank explosion.
Tokoyami lost balance. Skidded.
Ring-out.
Midnight raised her hand.
"Winner — Katsuki Bakugo!"
Bakugo exhaled sharply.
"...."
Not satisfied. Just focused.
He glanced briefly toward Todoroki's direction.
The final was set.
Finals Approaching
Shoto Todoroki vs. Katsuki Bakugo...
Fire and ice.
Explosion and frost.
Two philosophies of strength.
In the stands, Midoriya barely heard the crowd anymore.
His mind was elsewhere.
Hosu City.
Hero Killer Stain.
Iida's trembling voice.
The stadium held its breath.
The finals had begun like thunder locked inside a glacier.
Final Match...
Shoto Todoroki vs. Katsuki Bakugo...
The signal rang.
Todoroki moved first.
Ice surged across the arena in a roaring white tide, freezing the ground, climbing the walls, turning the battlefield into a crystalline kingdom.
Bakugo blasted upward instantly, explosions cracking against the cold air.
Steam hissed where fireless frost met detonation.
"USE IT!" Bakugo roared mid-air. "USE YOUR DAMN FIRE!"
Todoroki's expression stayed distant.
Controlled. Measured.
He countered with larger ice structures, pillars erupting like frozen spears.
Bakugo carved through them with violent bursts, shredding walls, refusing to be cornered.
The crowd roared.
Present Mic's voice shook the stadium.
But something was missing.
Half of Todoroki's power.
Half of the storm.
Bakugo noticed. He always notices.
"You think I'm not worth it?!" he screamed, blasting through another ice barricade.
Todoroki clenched his jaw.
Fire flickered faintly at his left side.
A spark. A memory. Endeavor's shadow. It vanished.
More ice. Only ice.
Bakugo landed hard, skidding across frost.
For a split second, their eyes locked.
Bakugo saw it. The hesitation. The refusal.
Rage exploded brighter than any of his quirk blasts.
He charged through the freezing wave head-on, detonating repeatedly, forcing Todoroki backward.
Finally—
A massive explosion engulfed the arena, shattering ice, tearing through the battlefield in a blazing roar.
When the smoke cleared—Todoroki was out of bounds.
Midnight raised her whip.
"Winner — Katsuki Bakugo!"
The stadium erupted.
-Cheers!!!
But Bakugo did not look victorious.
He stood there breathing hard, staring at Todoroki.
"You idiot!" he shouted, veins standing out along his neck.
"You're holding back! Don't look down on me!"
Security heroes rushed forward as Bakugo continued yelling, trying to step toward Todoroki.
"Fight me properly!"
Cementoss quickly raised barriers.
Midnight wrapped her whip around Bakugo's torso to restrain him.
He struggled, furious, explosions popping like firecrackers from his palms.
"LET ME GO!"
The audience murmured.
Some confused. Some thrilled. Some unsettled.
Todoroki looked up from the ground.
Silent. Not humiliated. Not angry.
"...."
Just… conflicted.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Guys My New Fic name is: Star Entertainment: Building An Empire.
Check it out... I hope you will like it
Whats your thought's guys.
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review!!! And power stone too!!!
Guys it will motivate me more?