The roar of the crowd was the first sound to pierce through the fog of my exhaustion. I slowly raised my head, the world still spinning slightly. The concrete stage beneath me was shattered, a silent testament to the cataclysmic clash that had just occurred. Across the ruined arena, I saw Todoroki being helped to his feet by medics. Our eyes met for a moment amidst the chaos. No words were spoken, but I could see it clearly in his gaze: an acknowledgment, a respect born from a fierce battle. I gave him a small nod, and he returned the gesture. We had both pushed each other beyond our limits, and we had both been changed by it.
"Incredible! A truly incredible fight!" Present Mic yelled, his voice managing to jolt me back to reality. "Let's give a huge round of applause for both of our finalists!"
The medics quickly came over to me, helping me onto a stretcher. "I... I can walk," I protested weakly, but my legs refused to cooperate.
I was taken back to the infirmary, a place that was starting to feel familiar. Recovery Girl was waiting for me there with an expression that was a mixture of exasperation and admiration. "I told you not to break yourself, young man!" she chided while beginning her examination. "But I have to admit, the way you won that fight... that wasn't just power. That was pure will."
She gave me another healing kiss. Warm energy flowed through my body, mending most of the muscle damage and taking the edge off the worst of the pain. But it couldn't touch the deeper exhaustion, the fatigue that felt bone-deep and soul-deep. As I lay there, recovering, the door opened and Todoroki walked in, his right side lightly bandaged. He stood by my bed in silence for a moment.
"A good fight," he said finally, his voice quiet.
"You too," I replied. "Your last attack... it almost worked. If I didn't have one last trick, I would have lost for sure."
He looked at my uninjured hands. "Your power... it's not just armor. It adapts. And it reacted to my fire. I've never seen anything like it."
"I still don't fully understand it myself," I admitted honestly.
"It seems we both have a lot to learn about our own powers," he said with a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "See you in class, Tatsumi." With that, he turned and left, leaving us with a new understanding as respected rivals.
Meanwhile, in the heroes' lounge, Nejire Hado was bouncing in front of the screen. "HE MADE A SPEAR! OUT OF HIS ARM! THEN HE ATE FIRE! THEN HE PIERCED THROUGH ICE! THAT WAS SO COOL! Ryukyu, we totally have to recruit him! I want to ask him what it feels like to absorb fire!"
Ryukyu herself was silent, her eyes fixated on the replay of Tatsumi's armor morphing into a spearhead. "Not just a spear," she whispered to herself. "That was a fang. He forced his power to manifest as a pure weapon for the first time, in the most critical situation. His will and his adaptability... they exceeded all my expectations." She smiled, the smile of a dragon who had just found a rare treasure. "Yes, Nejire. We will recruit him. I need to know more about the dragon hiding inside that boy."
In a modest apartment somewhere in Musutafu, Sora and Kenji Tatsumi were hugging each other in front of the television, tears of joy streaming down their faces. They had watched every moment with their hearts in their throats, especially when their son had collapsed at the end of the fight. "He did it, Sora," Kenji whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "Our son... he's the champion." Sora could only nod, too happy for words.
After a short break, the medal ceremony began. I, Todoroki, and Bakugo were called to the winners' podium. I stood on the highest platform, number one, feeling completely surreal. Todoroki stood calmly on the number two podium. And on the number three podium... was a scene of utter chaos. Katsuki Bakugo was chained to a block of concrete, his mouth gagged, and he was thrashing with pure rage, letting out muffled roars. He clearly hadn't taken his loss or the way he won his previous fight against Kirishima well. The sight was so ridiculous I almost burst out laughing.
All Might landed in the arena with his heroic leap to present the medals. He first went to Todoroki, offering the silver medal and a few words of encouragement I couldn't hear. Then, he faced the raging Bakugo. "Young Bakugo, you fought hard as well!" he said, trying to place the bronze medal. Bakugo just roared louder. With great difficulty, All Might finally managed to hang the medal between Bakugo's clenched teeth.
Finally, he came to me. The crowd cheered its loudest. He draped the gold medal around my neck. It felt heavy and cool. As he did so, he leaned in close to my ear.
"You went beyond your limits, like a true hero, Tatsumi Shonen," he whispered, his booming voice now a murmur only I could hear. "But remember my warning. Your path will be difficult. Within all the power of that armor, never forget your human side. That is your true strength."
He pulled back, his public smile back in place. Praise and a warning in a single breath. I could only nod, understanding the weight of his words.
"As this year's champion, do you have anything you'd like to say?" All Might asked into the microphone.
All eyes were on me. I looked out at the sea of faces before me. I wasn't a speaker. I wasn't a symbol. I was just a boy trying to survive. So, I said the only thing that felt right.
"Thank you," I said, my voice echoing through the stadium. "I... I just tried my best. But I didn't do it alone." I glanced toward the Class 1-A stands. "My victory is thanks to my classmates who constantly push me to be better. It's thanks to the teachers who gave us this opportunity. We all... we will all strive to become heroes you can be proud of." I paused for a moment, then added. "Plus Ultra."
The short, simple, and sincere speech seemed to touch a chord with the audience, because they gave a roaring round of applause.
The U.A. Sports Festival finally came to an end. As the sun began to set, we students were finally dismissed. I walked slowly, my gold medal feeling heavy around my neck. I received a brief, tearfully happy call from my parents, promising I'd be home soon.
"CHAMPION!" a cheerful voice called out. Toru and Momo came running up to me. "I'm friends with the U.A. champion! This is awesome!" Toru exclaimed.
"A fine speech, Tatsumi-san," Momo added with a warm smile. "Short, humble, and sincere."
"I was just telling the truth," I replied.
We walked together in a comfortable silence, away from the slowly emptying stadium. The golden light of dusk illuminated our faces. The adrenaline and fanfare of the day had completely faded, leaving a deep exhaustion and a quiet satisfaction. I looked at the gold medal in my hand, then at my smiling friends by my side.
This festival was just one step, one chapter in a much larger, more dangerous story. The real challenges—mastering Incursio, facing the League of Villains, and navigating the future I knew was coming—still awaited. But in that moment, walking under the twilight sky with my friends, I felt ready. For now, that was more than enough.