The tension in the air thickened as the dust of the previous match settled. Midoriya stood across from Madara, sweat beading on his brow, every muscle tensed like a coiled spring. His eyes, sharp with focus, locked onto his opponent, trying to decipher any hint of Madara's next move.
Madara stood tall and composed, hands resting calmly at his sides, the faintest trace of a smile curling at the edge of his lips. His raven-black hair fluttered gently in the breeze as if even nature dared not disturb his stillness.
"You're the first person who deserves me to be a little more serious," Madara said lightly, inclining his head just a bit toward Midoriya.
"Slightly… serious?" Midoriya's breath hitched. His heart thundered in his chest.
He wasn't serious before?
The implications of that were overwhelming. All the battles Madara had dominated—every opponent crushed with overwhelming ease—and that had all been... casual?
Madara calmly rolled his shoulder, the movement elegant yet brimming with power. "But only a little serious," he added, his tone casual.
"You..." Midoriya swallowed hard, voice trembling with disbelief. "Uchiha-san, what the hell are your Quirks?"
But before Midoriya could get an answer, Madara's cold voice cut through the air.
"Izuku Midoriya," he said flatly, "you're still far from being worth my full effort."
It wasn't an insult—it was a truth, delivered with surgical precision.
Midoriya's eyes widened, but before he could process it, a subtle ripple of blue chakra flared around Madara's feet.
And then—he vanished.
The wind howled past Midoriya's ears, his instincts screaming a second too late.
Thud!
A devastating blow landed squarely in his abdomen, and the world spun around him as he was launched off the field like a ragdoll. Pain lanced through his body. Every nerve ignited as if someone had poured fire through his veins.
His body crashed against the edge barrier and slumped to the ground.
"Ugh—" he gasped, doubling over as agony wracked his core. He tried to breathe, but it felt like his lungs were rebelling.
"Green Valley boy…" a familiar voice called gently.
At the tunnel's edge, All Might stood in his weakened form, concern etched deep into his face. His brows were furrowed as he watched his successor writhing in pain.
But his eyes also shifted to Madara.
They narrowed.
When Madara had fought Kirishima earlier, All Might could at least track faint afterimages of his movement. But this time—he had seen nothing.
A cold realization settled in his gut.
Was he hiding his true power all along?
If Madara had been holding back this much, then the threat he posed wasn't just powerful—it was incalculable.
"Is this his real strength… or has he evolved again in the middle of the tournament?" All Might clenched his fists.
Either possibility was dangerous.
On the field, Midnight raised her hand, her voice echoing over the loudspeakers.
"Midoriya Izuku is out of bounds!" she declared. "The winner: Madara Uchiha!"
The audience was momentarily stunned, the silence deafening—then it erupted into roars of approval.
"Madara is too strong! He crushed him in one move!"
"His parents must be powerful Pro Heroes!"
"But what are his Quirks? No one's ever seen anything like this!"
"He doesn't even use flashy moves. He just... dominates."
Theories bounced through the crowd, but no one had any solid answers.
As for Midoriya, he was quickly loaded onto a stretcher and rushed toward the infirmary, groaning softly with every jolt. Judging by the crater in the wall, even Recovery Girl might have her work cut out for her.
Meanwhile, the tournament pressed on.
The next match: Shoto Todoroki vs. Sero Hanta.
As expected, Todoroki wasted no time. A blast of frost surged across the field the instant the match began, encasing the ground in jagged, crystalline ice. Sero barely had time to react before he was immobilized, stuck to the floor like an insect in amber.
A clean win. Brutal, efficient, and ice-cold.
Match three: Tenya Iida vs. Katsuki Bakugo.
The arena shook under the force of Bakugo's relentless bombardment. His explosions lit up the stage like fireworks, each burst coming faster and louder than the last. Iida tried to outrun them, his engines roaring, but Bakugo's sheer unpredictability made escape impossible.
One wrong angle, one miscalculated brake, and Iida was sent hurtling across the field.
Bakugo stomped forward, chest heaving. "Too slow."
Back in the announcer's box, Midnight leaned into her microphone, her voice sultry yet commanding.
"After a thrilling round of matchups, we're down to the final four contestants!"
She paused as the crowd buzzed with excitement.
"Give it up for your remaining competitors: Madara Uchiha, Katsuki Bakugo, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Shoto Todoroki!"
The stadium erupted in cheers once more.
Madara stood quietly on the field, his arms folded, expression unreadable. His presence alone commanded the air.
"The first match of the semi-finals," Midnight continued, "Madara Uchiha versus Katsuki Bakugo!"
The very mention of their names sent waves of anticipation through the crowd. These were two of the most destructive, aggressive personalities in the entire tournament.
A clash of pure force versus overwhelming technique.
"Due to the short turnaround, we'll now take a 30-minute intermission before the semi-finals begin!"
The announcement was met with a rumble of excitement, conversations bursting all over the stadium like popcorn.
Madara didn't linger. He turned without a word and made his way toward the rest area.
Juice, he thought idly. Might as well hydrate before crushing Bakugo.
But just as he reached the entrance of the rest zone, an unmistakably loud and arrogant voice called out behind him.
"Hey! Pink-eye freak!"
Madara paused, exhaling slowly. He didn't need to turn to recognize Bakugo's voice.
Still, he turned, half-glancing over his shoulder with his usual cool indifference. "What is it?"
Bakugo stormed forward, eyes ablaze. "I'm not like those other weaklings you toyed with. This time, I'm going full power. Every ounce of it."
Madara blinked lazily.
"And I expect the same from you, Uchiha," Bakugo growled, fists crackling. "I want a real fight."
The corners of Madara's mouth curled slightly. "You think that'll be enough to make me go all out?"
Bakugo snorted and turned his back, fire crackling from his palms. "Keep laughing. Just don't whine when you're the one face down in the dirt."
Madara watched him go, expression unreadable.
Inside, however, something faint flickered behind his eyes.
Interesting. At least he won't run.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters have been uploaded on my Patreon, please do check it out, it will mean a lot to me
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