Episode XIII: Battle Royale Part I
The students stood before Midnight, Kaminari and Mineta still in their Cheerleader Uniforms, as they got ready for the next announcement. Midnight cracked her whip as she gestured up to the monitors.
"Hope everyone had a nice little break! After we have our recreational fun, we'll move on to the final event! A good old-fashioned tournament! Of the 16 students left, we'll have one-on-one battles to determine this year's champion!" Midnight announced as she showed a blank bracket where each student's name would go.
"Aw, man! A tournament!? Now I wish I kept my headband!" Kirishima groaned as Tetsutetsu nodded, feeling just as bummed.
"Did they have a tournament last year?" Mina asked.
"Sometimes, they randomise the events every year. Try and keep things interesting, but sometimes they'll have a straight-up one-on-one match," Sero explained, remembering the Sports Event from a while back.
"This year will be pretty tough though, between Bakugo, Todoroki and Midoriya. I just hope we make a good impression," Tsuyu hoped as Ochako nodded. She had a lot riding on making a good impression, otherwise her dream of helping her parents would be dashed.
"The matches will be determined by drawing lots. Once the first round of matches has been decided, we'll move on to the festivities and then the final events!" Midnight explained. "Now, step up and pick out a number! We ain't got all day!"
'You're the one explaining it?' All the students thought, as one by one the sixteen were placed into different brackets.
"Okay! Now that that's settled! Here are the following First Round of Matches!"
Round One
Match One: Izuku Midoriya vs Hitoshi Shinso.
Match Two: Mina Ashido vs Itsuka Kendo
Match Three: Mashiro Ojiro vs Tsuyu Asui
Match Four: Ibara Shiozaki vs Shoto Todoroki
Match Five: Katsuki Bakugo vs Toru Hakagure
Match Six: Ochako Uraraka vs Neito Monoma
Match Seven: Fumikage Tokoyami vs Momo Yaoyorozu
Match Eight: Tenya Ida vs Mei Hatsume
'Looks like I'm up first. And I'm against that guy from General Education…Hitoshi Shinso?' Izuku turned to see the purple-haired boy who was staring up at the screen. 'I didn't see him during the last event. How did he manage to stay in the game? I haven't seen his Quirk yet, maybe he was hiding like Toru… but something tells me he'll be trouble,' Izuku rationed before looking at the other matches. 'Well, at least I'm not facing Kacchan or Todoroki in the next match any time soon. But I get the feeling I'll be facing off against Todoroki when he wins…and I can guarantee that Kachin will be gunning for me too… terrific.'
Todoroki glared at his name, before shoving his hands in his pockets. Bakugo glared as well, as he was ready for the fight. Ochako swallowed her nerves as she felt the pressure to place herself high on board. She needed to be noticed, she needed to become a hero to help her parents and repay them for everything they've done for her. Izuku was determined to let the world know that he was here and that he was ready to take All Might's place. His fist was gripped firmly as he set his sights on what was to come.
"…Can I change back now? I said I was sorry…" Kaminari asked as he covered himself.
For the next hour, the other members of the student body participated in recreational activities. Mostly just to pass the time until the main event would start. Those who were part of the main event were busy preparing themselves for the tournament.
Izuku considered using his Web-Shooters, but he had been using them a lot for most of the Sports Events. Mostly for dodging, evading and pinning his opponents down. But this next event was one-on-one, there wouldn't be a lot of stuff he could swing off. Also, he was basically out of web fluid after that last event. So sad to say, it was time to put the Web Shooters aside. He showed how useful they were, now it was time to show how powerful he was without them.
"You have served me well my friends," Izuku placed the Web Shooters in their case as he smiled. "But it's time I showed them how strong I am," he said as he placed them in his locker.
"Hey, Deku…" Izuku nearly jumped when he saw Bakugo glaring at him.
"Jeez! Don't sneak up on me like that! What do you need, Kacchan?" Bakugo glared as he gripped his biceps and ground his teeth.
"…Don't lose…"
"…Well yeah, I don't plan to."
"I mean it… don't lose… that half-n-half bastard made his little declaration to the wrong person. But that doesn't mean I don't want to kick your ass," he said as he glared. "I hate admitting it, but you've gotten stronger… stronger than I've ever seen before. That trainer of yours was right… I won't know which of us is the strongest until I face you head-on. You won the team battle due to the rules, beat Nomu at the USJ, outpaced me in the race and managed to avoid me in the last match. But during this tournament… I will face you head-on, and prove which of us will be the Number One Hero… so don't you dare think about losing in the first round! Or I will kick your ass!" He declared as Izuku stared at his childhood friend
"…Wow… that is the probably nicest thing you've ever said to me," he responded as Bakugo grinned his teeth.
"Shut up! Just don't lose and make sure to face me! Fuck!" He kicked the locker room door open and stormed out.
"…He cares in his own way…" he quipped before heading off to the arena.
Cementoss had used his Quirk to create an entire tournament-style arena. Almost like something from a Manga, with four flames situated at each of the furthest corners outside the ring.
"Okay, this is it Izuku. Your big moment… no pressure," Izuku tried to pep himself up.
"Don't worry about it too much, Young Midoriya," he heard as he turned to see All Might in his regular form. "You've been dominating the competition so far. You've come a long way since that kid who ran into danger nearly a year ago. You've got this," he assured the boy who smiled and nodded. "But that doesn't mean you should relax just yet. Your next opponent may look unassuming, but you know what they say about 'Judging a book by its Cover'. Just stay focused and you'll do fine," All Might advised as Izuku nodded
"Can do, thanks All Might." He spun around and left for the arena, All Might nodded. But remained near the entrance to watch.
"And coming in is the one that's remained on the top! The Wall Crawling, Web Shooting Super Star! It's Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic announced as the crowd cheered. "And… uh well he hasn't stood out much… But it's Hitoshi Shinso from the General Education Department!" Shinso glared at the announcement before glaring at Izuku.
"Now the rules are simple! You either knock your opponent out of the ring! Knock them out! Immobilize them! Or make them say, Uncle! But for legal reasons, we also accept 'I Give Up'. And don't be afraid to fight dirty! Ethics have no meaning here! …well except of course no killing. That is a big no-no and the School cannot afford those legal issues! And you will be disqualified! A True Heroes Fist should only fly in the pursuit of Justice!" Present explained as Cementoss waved his hand.
"If it gets too rough I will stop you," Cementoss assured as both of them nodded.
"Get your opponent to say 'I give up?' …You get what that means Midoriya? It's not just a battle of strength, but will as well. But then again you've been showing nothing but your strength since the start, haven't you?" Shinso started to rant as Izuku raised a brow.
"Get ready!"
"I saw how you took down those 0-Pointers like they were nothing. I even heard a rumour that you stopped a creature that was as Strong as All Might. No one else here has been able to match you in terms of strength and power. It must be nice to have such a powerful Quirk. You must've been born under a lucky star or something." He complained as Izuku glared at him.
"And… Start!"
"Hey, look I don't - !" Izuku had started walking towards him when suddenly he felt all control leave his body as he became rigid. 'W-What? Why can't I move?'
"Uh? What happened to Deku?" Ochako worried as she saw the boy become completely still.
'Young Midoriya!?' All Might blinked in worry
"Izuku?" Into and Eri watched from home, as Izuku stood completely still after taking a few steps forward.
"What the hell?" Bakugo grumbled as he watched from the stands as well.
"What the heck just happened folks!? Midoriya has been blasting through the games like a cannonball! Now he's as stiff as a post!? Could this be Shinso's Quirk!? …No seriously what's going on?"
"This is a perfect reason why I think the Entrance Exam is irrational. I brought these along because I knew this would be a Quirk vs Quirk battle." Aizawa suddenly interrupted as he showed Present Mic some documents. "Izuku Midoriya has a powerful Quirk, there is no doubt about that. Strength, Speed, Agility, Invisibility and Danger Sensing. On top of that a new Electrical Ability. He is by far one of the strongest students we have in the first years. Hitoshi Shinso on the other hand failed the practical exam, even though he passed the Written. The reason being because the Exam could not factor in his type of Quirk against non-biological enemies," he explained to present Mic.
"Says here his Quirk is 'Brain-Washing'. He's able to put anyone under his control simply by responding to him. But it doesn't work unless he wills it. Dang, so this means that?"
"Yep… Midoriya may be stronger… but right now he's just a puppet at Shinso's mercy…" Aizawa concluded.
"Now… turn around and walk out of the ring…" he ordered as Izuku turned on his heel and started to walk towards the edge of the ring.
"Whoa! Hey, Midoriya! Stop! What are you doing!?" Kirishima shouted from the Class 1-A stands.
"Deku! Stop! You're going the wrong way!" Ochako shouted as well as they watched the boy walk towards the ring's edge.
"Deku! You dumb ass! What did I just tell you!?" Bakugo shouted as explosions raged in his palms.
"No baby! Turn around! Turn around!" Into shouted and waved her arms at the screen, as if trying to make her son turn around.
"Izu-nii! Stop!" Eri also shouted as she watched her brother about to step out of the ring.
'Young Midoriya! Stop! Stop! Stop!' All Might pleaded to the boy as quietly as he could as Izuku had no control over his body.
'D-Damn it! I can't…I can't stop! I can't control my body! How's he doing this!? Is it… is it a mind control Quirk!? Damn it! I was careless! I should've been on my guard! I need to stop! I need-I need!'
Suddenly the doorway to the arena became shrouded in darkness, and he felt a rush of energy passing through his body. Eight ghostly figures in different colours suddenly appeared in the darkness. All of them glared at him, but somehow he knew that it wasn't out of hatred. It was something else, as he felt One for All suddenly spark to life within him and his body radiated with electrical energy. But at the last moment, the world became dark and he found himself before a massive web that shimmered like the cosmos…
And a Giant Spider
His right arm suddenly snapped up and decked himself clean in the face as he snapped out of Shinso's control. The shockwave blasted out and pushed Shinso back ever so slightly, as Izuku gasped in deep breaths.
"W-What!? Impossible! He broke free!?" Shinso exclaimed as Izuku stumbled slightly from punching himself in the head.
"What the heck just happened here folks! It looks like Midoriya managed to stop himself!" Present Mic announced.
"My baby!" Into cried tears as she held Eri in a tight hug. Who was also hugging her mother in relief.
"That was a little extreme…" Jiro cringed slightly as she could hear his fist smashing against his skull with her Quirk.
"But so manly!" Kirishima yelled with excitement.
"Totally!" Tetsutetsu agreed. Izuku meanwhile was catching his breath as he glared back at Shinso.
'…I… I somehow managed to move my arm… but what was that? It was like someone jolted me awake from a slumber. And those people… wait… are they the previous One for All users? But then… What was that last image? The Giant Spider? The Web? What the hell is going on with me?' He questioned before shaking his head. 'Focus on that later. Okay think, I talked to him and then he put me under his control… after I responded to him. That means he can only control someone if they respond to him. So I need to keep my mouth shut!' Izuku then bolted towards Shinso who cursed.
"So you somehow managed to break free!? Must be nice to be blessed with such a powerful Quirk!" He tried to taunt Izuku.
'That's not it…'
"I couldn't get in because of my Quirk! But you wouldn't understand what that's like!"
'I know how you feel…'
"You people who are born with more powerful Quirks! You get to follow your dreams, while the rest of us have to sit on the sidelines!"
'No, that's not it… I felt the same way… but that's not it! I am blessed! But not because of a Spider or because of All Might! I am blessed by the ones I care about! The ones that believe in me!' Izuku closed the distance as he ducked under Shinso's arm and placed his palm on the boy's chest. 'And that's why!'
"Damn it! Say something!"
Izuku held back as much as he could as he pushed the boy and went flying back. Shinso flew right over the line and landed on the grass below.
'I'm not going to lose!'
"Hitoshi Shinso has left the ring! Izuku Midoriya is the winner!" Midnight declared as the crowd cheered.
"My baby!" Into's eyes flooded with tears as they shot up to the ceiling. Eri herself cheered as she was proud and happy her brother won.
"Well, that was an uneventful match! But let's put our hands together for these two combatants!" Present Mic suggested as the crowd applauded the two.
Shinso stared up at the sky as he glared. He was angry, annoyed, and frustrated. This was his one chance to prove he could make it into the Heroics Course, and prove he could use his Quirk for good. All his life people had been suspicious of him due to his Quirks Nature. He could hardly blame them, a Quirk that could make others do what you wanted? Those were prime powers for a villain. But he didn't want to live like that. He wanted to prove he could be a Hero…
'Not like that can happen now…' he groaned to himself before a shadow passed over him, and Izuku was standing over him. Hand out reached as if to help him.
"You okay? I didn't want to hurt you, I tried holding back with that push," he said as Shinso glared slightly.
"…I'm fine…" he brushed off his hand and stood up. "I guess I had no chance after all… but I guess we don't get to choose the powers we're born with…"
"…Can I tell you something?" He looked over to Izuku as he stared at his palm. "The truth is I'm a bit of a late bloomer. My Quirk didn't come in until I was fifteen… I know it's odd but for most of my life… I was essentially Quirkless… so I know how you feel…" Shinso raised a brow as Izuku gripped his fist. "But since then I've been pushing myself every day. Worked myself until my knuckles bled and my body collapsed from exhaustion. Because to be truthful, I'm playing a serious game of catch-up with everyone else…" he looked back at Shinso as he set a determined glare in his eyes. "I think you're Quirk is amazing, and I think you can be an amazing hero one day. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to show it off at the Entrance Exam. But I think if you continue to work hard, push yourself, you can make your dreams come true…" Izuku looked up to the crowd as he nodded. "And I'm not the only one," Shinso looked back to the crowd as his eyes widened slightly.
"Way to go Shinso! You showed them what the General Education students can do!"
"Yeah, man! You had us on the edge of our seats! You totally would've won!"
"A quirk like that would be amazing against Villains, I wish I had that Quirk," some of the Pro-heroes in the stand discussed amongst themselves.
"What is U.A. Thinking, putting a kid like that in General Education?"
"Can't be helped. They can only admit so many students to the Hero Course. Some are bound to slip through the cracks. But I think the kid has the guts to make it."
"Well, maybe it's time for the Academy to change up the Entrance Exam?"
"You hear that? You made an impression out there. So don't see this as a loss, think of it as another step towards your dream," Izuku assured as Shinso just stared at him before chuckling to himself.
"You are one strange person, Midoriya…"
"Yeah, I've been getting that lot - gah!" He found himself under Shinso's control before he was released instantly by Shinso.
"Better learn to keep your guard up. Remember what I said, they can transfer anyone in and out of the Herorics Course." He turned back to face Izuku as he smirked. "So don't lose so easily," he asked as Izuku nodded.
"I won't - dah!" He found himself under control again as Shinso chuckled.
"Good Luck…Midoriya…." He said as he walked away after stopping his Quirk. Izuku nodded, as he walked through the doorway.
Infirmary
Recovery Girl finished looking over the boy's cheek before nodding. "Your body is still as durable as ever. That punch of yours managed to knock you awake, but there's no physical damage," she assured as Izuku nodded.
"That was a pretty interesting match, Young Midoriya. Though I will say I'm proud of how you cheered him up. You've got the heart of a real Hero."
"I just… understood what he's been through… I think he's an okay guy, just needs to believe in himself more. But if I was my old self I probably would've stumbled my words a bit. This Spider bite has changed me since we first met, huh?"
"Honestly child, I think you would've gotten this way, Spider or not." Recovery girl assured.
"She's right. The Spider might have changed you physically, but it hasn't changed who you are as a person, only brought out the best of you," All Might assured as Izuku nodded.
"Thanks All Might, that makes me feel better… by the way… something happened that I can't explain. But when I was under his control…I had a vision?" All Might perked up at this. "When Shinso had me under his control, I could've sworn I saw people… it cleared up the fog and I got control of my arm… But I think there were eight of them. And one of them had your hairstyle…was it the souls of the Previous One for All users?"
"Creepy!" All Might paled as he shivered.
"What!? I thought you'd know!?"
"Relax kid, I'm just messing with you. But yeah, I saw them once too when I was younger. It's a sign that you're getting more in sync with One for All. What you saw were traces of the past users of One for All. I don't know what they are exactly, but they can't seem to influence or interfere with you. Although, it is strange that you're only just seeing them this late when you've had One for All for months now and mastered 20%."
"Is it a side effect of my Spider Powers?"
"Possible. I noticed that One for All was only just recently starting to fade within me. It could be a delayed reaction, seeing as your Quirk is not natural. But who knows? But don't think they were the ones that broke Shinso's brainwashing. That was your will powering through with One for All."
"…Yeah I'm not a hundred percent convinced on that one."
"Oh don't worry about it! You should focus on your next match!"
"Right! Thanks All Might! Thanks, Recovery Girl!" Izuku said as he ran out of the room. But then paused as he looked back. "By the way, there was something else…" All Might raised a brow. "I… I was in a strange place, like a giant web… but it was made of celestial stuff or something… and there was a giant spider? Was that part of One for All?"
"Hmm… don't think so kid…probably just stress?" All Might assured, as Izuku nodded and left the infirmary.
"…So, you were there too?" All Might nodded.
"That's not a bad thing…"
"But a Giant Spider Web? That's a new one."
"Yeah…this Spider Power of his is getting stranger and stranger by the day…" All Might worried about the implications as he had no idea what was in store for his successor.
Arena
Izuku just managed to get back to the stands, as he sat next to Ochako and Ida, as Mina and Kendo made their way to the arena.
"Deku, how's your face?" Ochako asked as Izuku nodded.
"I'm fine. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as when I fought Nomu. I might've held back a bit?"
"Still, punching yourself in the face to cancel out a Mind Control Quirk. That's pretty drastic," she admitted as Izuku chuckled.
"Yeah. Anyway, this will be an interesting match. I saw Kendo before during the last match, she can make her hands grow to a larger size, so she's probably more suited to close-quarters combat. Might be tricky for her, since Ashido can secrete acid from her body. If she covers herself in a thin enough layer, she can create essentially a perfect defence against close-quarters combatants. But I don't think Kendo is that impulsive, she seems more cautious and would probably come up with some sort of counter and blah-blah-blah" Ochako had to lean back as Izuku went on a muttering rant.
"W-whoa… you get into it, huh Deku?"
"GO ASHIDO! USE YOUR QUIRK TO MELT BOTH YOUR CLOTHES OFF AND GIVE US A - ZZZZTTTT!" Jiro jammed her headphones into his head and caused him to pass out.
"Creep," she grumbled while the rest gave her a thumbs up.
"Alright! Let's move on to the next round!" Present Mic proclaimed as the two combatants arrived. "In this corner! She's Pink! She's Bubbly! It's Mina Ashido from Class 1A!" The crowd cheered for Mina as she waved. "And in this corner, it's Martial Artist-inspired Fighting Girl and Class Representative! It's Itsuka Kendo of Class 1B!"Kendo waved less excessively than Mina as she stood her ground.
"Go Kendo! Show those Class-A scrubs who's the better class!" Monoma shouted with his trademark gloating. "Make them realise the folly of looking down on those they perceive as inferior to - gah!" he was knocked out by another classmate, as Kendo groaned.
"I'm sorry about him. We're not like him," she apologized as Mina shook her head.
"Nah, it's all cool. We're sorry for Mineta too… he's the worst." Mina apologised as well. "But don't think I'll go easy on you!" She said as Kendo nodded.
"Me either!"
"Both fighters are ready!?" Both of them nodded as Midnight thrust down her crop. " Start!"
Mina instantly activated her Quirk as she secreted light acid from her shoes, and used it as lubricant to skate towards Kendo. The Martial Artist kept her hands up in defence, as she watched Mina skate around the arena.
"Take this!" Mina shouted as she flung acid from her skin, only for Kendo to jump back as the acid burned into the concrete.
"This will be tricky, Mina has her on the defence. Plus how she's able to use her acid to skate around the arena making it harder for Kendo to get close. Not that she could, since she can't get close without getting burned by the acid. What do you think she'll do?" Ida asked as Izuku pondered this.
"I don't know…but something tells me she might have an idea?" Izuku said as Kendo took note of her speed, direction and pattern of movements.
'Wait for it…' Kendo observed as she carefully watched for the right moment as Mina skated close to the edge and then. 'Now!' She enlarged her right hand and swiped, creating a blast of wind that slammed into Mina and caused her to lose balance.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Mina shouted as she skated off the arena and landed on the grass floor. "Ow!" She groaned as she landed on her butt.
"Mina Ashido has left the arena! The winner is Itsuka Kendo!" Midnight declared as the crowd cheered.
"Whoa! What just happened!?" Jiro asked as Izuku turned to her.
"She used Ashido's advantage against her. Her Quirk allowed her to skate around the arena by secreting low-level acid with a more lubricant feature. But Kendo used the air pressure from her giant palm to change her trajectory. She essentially made Ashido slip out of the arena!" Izuku explained as Jiro blinked.
"Whoa… Class B has some players," she said as everyone nodded.
"Hahaha!" They heard over the wall, as they looked to see Neito pulling himself up over the wall. "How does it feel, Class A!? Not so high and mighty are you! This is only just the beginning of Class B's rise to fa-whoa!" He slipped and fell back down into the B stands.
"…That guy has some serious issues," Izuku noted as the rest of the class nodded.
"That was a wonderful display! Better luck next time Class A!" Midnight said as Mina pouted but shook Kendo's hand all the same. "Now we move on to the next round!" The two students left as Ojiro and Tsuyu walked onto the stage.
"From Class 1 A, it's the man with the tail and fighting moves! It's Mashiro Ojiro!" Ojiro waved slightly to the crowd. "And in this corner, she's cute! She's part frog and says what's on her mind! She's Tsuyu Asui!" Tsuyu nodded as she and Ojiro stood a few feet apart from each other. Both of them nodded as they waited for the match to start.
"Ready!? Begin!" Midnight shouted.
Tsuyu instantly shot her tongue out at Ojiro, who dodged and used his tail to springboard himself toward Tsuyu, who used her legs to jump well above him just as his tail slammed into the concrete. She fired her tongue at him again, as he rolled out of the way.
"This is a pretty close match. Ojiro has better close-quarters combat abilities than Asui, but Asui has her natural agility to avoid his attacks. With her tongue, she also has a range advantage. It will be pretty close," Izuku noted as he was already scribbling down notes in his notebook.
"…Where were you hiding that?" Ochako asked.
Tsuyu did her best to keep her distance from Ojiro as she used her agility and tongue to keep him off balance. Ojiro himself used his tail to block or move out of her tongue's way. Until he decided it was time for a drastic move. When she went in for another tongue attack, he allowed her tongue to wrap around his tail, causing her eyes to widen.
"Sorry about this!" He yelled as he used his tail to fling her out of the ring. The girl had no chance of stopping her fall, as she landed outside the ring.
"Tsuyu Asui is out of the ring! Making Mashiro Ojiro the Winner! Man, we're getting a lot of ring-outs today!" Midnight declared as Ojiro bowed to Tsuyu.
"Sorry about that, hope I didn't hurt you?"
"Kero, it's fine. Too bad I don't have super strength like Midoriya. Otherwise, I would've been able to throw you out." She said with a slight lisp from having her tongue pulled slightly.
"Once again, sorry…"
Hallway
Meanwhile, Todoroki was just leaving the break room, as he headed for the ring. But just as he exited, he found the last person he wanted to see today. The Number Two Flame Hero: Endeavor. Or better known as his father.
"You're disgracing me, Shoto…"
"Move out of my way…" The two harshly glared at each other.
"You could have easily won the Obstacle Course and the Headband challenge if you had stopped holding back and used your left side. Instead, Spider Boy managed to beat you twice. It's embarrassing," Enji grumbled as Shoto walked past him. "You're only holding yourself back from your true potential. Stop this rebellious phase and embrace your left side." Shoto quickened his pace as he felt anger boiling inside him. "Remember, you must Surpass All Might. You're so much more different than your brothers. You are my greatest creation!" Shoto stopped as he refused to turn and face the man who was his father.
"Is that all you have to say to me?… If so, I don't want to hear anything else from you. I'll win using Mum's powers alone. I'll never use my left side…" he declared as Enji grunted.
"That may be fine while you're a school kid…but sooner or later you'll reach your limit…" Shoto grinned his teeth as he walked out into the arena.
Arena
"In this Corner! She's the girl with the thorny curls! She's Ibara Shiozaki!" Present Mic announced as Ibara placed her hands together in prayer. "And in this corner, he's the best of the best! One of the Strongest of the First Years! It's Shoto Todoroki!" Ibara and Shoto stood at opposite ends of each other, as Shoto had an intense glare on his face.
"Get ready!" Midnight raised her crop as Ibara placed her hands together and her hair started to move. "Start!"
Almost immediately vines shout out from under the ground as they quickly surged and wrapped around Shoto. Ibara then commanded the vines to move, as she tried to get him out of the ring as soon as possible.
"Haha! Here's another victory for Class B!" Neito shouted from the Stand.
"Ah… is anyone else getting a bad feeling?" Izuku suddenly asked as he felt his Spider-Sense triggered slightly. But just as they were about to throw Shoto, he looked up with an intense glare and uttered…
"…Sorry about this…"
It was over in an instant.
One second Shoto was in the grasp of Ibara's vines, the next a giant glacier of ice shot out and froze Ibara in place. Everyone stared up in bewildered awe, as the ice just grazed over the Crowd and muttered out of the sunroof. The vines that ensnared Shoto broke apart as he freed himself from her grasp. Izuku, Ida and Ochako had to lean back from getting hit, while Neito stared up in utter disbelief.
"I-Isn't that a little overkill?" Sero asked as he and the others stared up at the display of power. Mentally thankful he wasn't up against Todoroki.
"I-I-Ibara? C-Can you continue?" Midnight asked with a shiver, as her right side was covered in ice. Ibara managed to shake her head as her hair was stiff and frozen over, while her body was encased in the ice.
"N-No…" she managed to admit as Midnight nodded.
"I-Ibara is unable t-to continue! The W-Winner is Shoto T-Todoroki - Achoo!" Midnight declared as Shoto used the heat from his left side to free her.
"Sorry about that…I was annoyed by something else," Todoroki apologized while the crowd awkwardly applauded him, and encouraged Ibara that she had given it a good try.
'…the way he's defrosting himself with his left side…it's almost…sad?' Izuku noticed as Shoto walked away after melting the ice.
"That was…intense…" Ichako shivered from the cold breeze.
"Yeah, wonder what made Todoroki so agitated?" Mina asked as Izuku stared and thought back about their conversation before.
"If I had to guess…Family drama…" he muttered to himself as he watched the boy thaw out the ice.
"Okay! While we get the ice thawed we'll take a quick ten-minute break! If you've got to take a cigarette or potty break, now's the time to do it! But please smoke in the designated areas! There are kids here!" Present Mic announced as Ochako got nervous seeing as her match was next after Bakugo's and Toru's.
"Todoroki is tough. He has an extreme mastery over his right side, being able to instantly freeze opponents in a single blow. But I noticed parts of his body become covered in frost if he overuses it. That could be solved if he used his left side to regulate the frost build-up. Like having a heater during winter. The same must be said if he used his left side, his right side would keep him cool and regulated like having the air condition on during summer. But he seems to have some massive hang-ups about using his left side, given what he told me. However, if he is adamant about using his right more than his left, it would just be a matter of making him overuse his right side. But that doesn't feel right and mutter-mutter-mutter-mutter" Ochako had to lean back, as all the others stared in stunned silence as Izuku went on a muttering rampage.
"…You sure take a lot of notes, huh Deku?" Izuku snapped out of his trance as he scratched the back of his head.
"S-Sorry, old habit. Just trying to think of countermeasures. It's a hobby of mine from before my Quirk activated. I even have some info on you," she stiffened slightly at that.
"It's cool… you're dedicated to being a Hero, huh?"
"Yeah…ever since I was a kid, like everyone when All Might first appeared…" he put his hand on his notebook as he smiled softly. "But a lot of things have changed in my life. It wasn't just about being a Hero like All Might. Now it's more, I need to be a Hero for the people I care about… kind of like how you want to help your parents." Ochako stared at him before smiling.
"I thought you were amazing since the day we met, Deku. But this Sports Festival has just raised you to another level," she admitted to him as Izuku blushed a bit at the praise.
"O-Oh, thanks…" he blushed while Mina watched from the back with a grin.
"Come on…ship already…" she muttered to herself, watching the two love birds.
"My match is up next, see you Deku!" She waved as she went off to the prep room. Izuku waved back before he turned his sights to the ring as Bakugo and Toru arrived.
"Okay! Now that the arena is all thawed out! It's time for our next match! In this corner, he's the Explosive Dude with the Bad Attitude! It's Katsuki Bakugo!" Bakugo growled as he glared at the announcer's box. "And in this corner is the Invisible Girl that will make your heart swell… if you can see her. It's Toru Hakagure!" A pair of gloves waved as she had already removed her gym uniform.
"Fighters ready!?" Midnight announced as both of them nodded. "Begin!" Toru immediately removed her gloves as she completely disappeared.
"And she's gone! This will be a hard match if Bakugo can't see-!"
Bakugo instantly produced a medium-yield blast into the floor and released a shockwave, as Toru was sent flying out of the ring from the shockwave. They knew she was out of the ring, thanks to the dust that covered her form.
"…Oh…okay…uh…that was quick…"
"Uh…Bakugo wins?" Midnight announced.
"Honestly…that went about as well as expected…" Jiro admitted. "No offence to Toru, but she didn't have a chance against Bakugo."
"Indeed, and it looks like he had been working on a method to deal with invisible Quirk users," Ida noted as Izuku gulped.
"Yep…That's Kacchan for ya."
Bakugo merely shoved his hands into his pocket as he walked out of the ring. He didn't care about any other scrubs, all he cared about was fighting Todoroki and Midoriya. he looked up to the stand and he glared at the two.
"…he really has it out for you, huh Midoriya?" Sero said as Izuku sighed.
"You have no idea…" he sighed. Cementoss was quick to work on repairing the arena, as it was prepared for the next round between Ochako and Neito.
"Okay, everyone! Now that the Arena has been fixed it's time for our next match! In this Corner, she's the Girl that can control Gravity! Ochako Uraraka!" Ochako glared at her opponent with pure determination. "And in this corner, he's got issues! He likes to gloat! It's Neito Monoma of Class 1B!" Neito felt a blood vessel appear on his forehead.
"This is going to be a tough battle. I didn't get a look at his Quirk during the last match. What do you think it is?" Izuku asked Ida who shook his head.
"I'm not sure, but I guess we'll find out…"
Neito gave his trademark smirk as he stared at the Gravity Girl. He was confident he could beat her, from what he saw she had a gravity-manipulating Quirk. He could deal with that.
"Fighters ready!?" Midnight called out as they nodded. "And…Start!"
Ochako was instantly on the warpath, as she rushed towards Monoma, hoping to take him with her Quirk. But before she could he breathed in and then blew out air as it became solid and she collided with the barrier.
"What!" She jumped back as Monoma laughed.
"Nice try! But did you think I'd let you get close!? It will take more than that to beat Class B!"
"Whoa! What was that!?" Kirishima shouted.
"Looks like he can create barriers somehow, out of air?" Jiro guessed.
"But, I saw someone else use that same barrier before?" Momo recounted seeing a boy exhale and create a barrier. "How is it that two people have the same Quirk?" Izuku flinched a little at that. The air barrier then disappeared as tape Cylinders grew on his elbows and he fired them at Ochako.
"Hey! That's my Quirk!" Sero shouted.
"He has Sero's Tapes!?" Mina shouted.
"How can he have more than one Quirk!?" Kaminari asked as Izuku narrowed his eyes.
"I don't think it's multiple Quirks… I think he can copy other people's Quirks. But I don't think he can use multiple Quirks at once, or swap between them instantly. I think he has to wait before he can change them out." Izuku theorised as Ida nodded.
"If that is the case, then perhaps there is a limit to his Quirk?"
"Possible… I just hope Uraraka can figure it out?" Izuku said as he worried for his friend.
Ochako had to avoid the tapes coming at her, as she did her best. The match was exhausting, and so far he hadn't seemed to break a sweat nor let her get near him. She knew she had to get near him to use her Quirk on him, but he wasn't making it easy. Plus having multiple different Quirks was putting her at odds. That's when she got an idea as she waited for the right moment. Monoma launched another shot of tape at Ochako, but she didn't move until the last moment as they missed. But that's when she activated her Qurik on herself and then grabbed the tape and pulled herself towards him. Monoma's eyes widened as she launched herself at him.
"What the!?"
"Here I come!" Ochako shut off her Quirk and reached her hand out to grab him, only missing as he managed to move himself back. But not before he touched her forearm and the same pads that were on her fingers appeared on his. Ochako tried again to grab him, only for him to suddenly jump back higher than before as he used her Quirk on himself.
"What the!? He's using my Quirk now!?" Ochako shouted as Monoma laughed.
"Hahahaha! Is that all you've got, Class A!?"
"So that's how it works! He needs to physically touch someone to use their Quirk!" Izuku realised as they watched the boy float over the arena.
"Now he has access to Uraraka's Quirk, meaning he can use her powers against her," Ida concluded as he glared before Tsuyu remembered something.
"But wait, if he has her power…won't that mean?"
"Hahahahaha! Too bad for you, this is as far as Class A Go - mph!" Suddenly Monoma felt his stomach churn as he held his hands over his mouth and he felt nauseous. "W-Wait, why am I - Mph! Blargh-lalalalalalalalalalalalalala!"
Monoma suddenly began to - (produce Colourful Sparkles) - violently in mid-air. The (Colourful Sparkles) projecting out of him like a fountain as he spun around in mid air, being pushed by the (Colourful Sparkles).
"Cut the feed! Cut the Feed!"
A title screen with principal Nezu's face appeared on television screens that read 'Please Stand By' along with a little jingle song. (Spanish flea by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass)*
But before that, the gross display had been broadcast across Japan, as everyone turned away from the screen. The entire crowd cringed and had to hold their lunch in as they had to turn from the display. Inko herself had to cover Eri's eyes and ears as she turned her away from the sight while holding her stomach. Monoma immediately cancelled out the Quirk and fell outside the ring. Luckily he had been caught by Cementoss before any serious damage could occur.
"I see… not only did he get her quirk, but he also got her weakness. And since Uraraka is probably more used to it than Monoma, it hit him faster than her. So when he used the Quirk on himself…" Izuku cringed along with the rest of the classes. Kendo coveirng her face with her palms.
"…That's just gross man…" Jiro said as she held her stomach from upchucking. Bakugo on the other hand couldn't stop laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Way to go round face!"
"Round face?" Izuku said as Midnight had to hold her lunch in.
"Uh… Neito Monoma has left the ring… the Winner is Ochako Uraraka!' Midnight declared with some disgust, having to hold her lunch in. "Can someone get a mop down here?"
Ochako stared at the boy with pity and sorry, as he was taken away by the bots while holding his stomach. She remembered the first time she used her Quirk on herself. Her room looked like a scene from The Exorcist. But the crowd eventually cheered for the girl as she waved and smiled brightly at the camera.
'Mum… Dad… I'm doing my best!' She told herself as she hoped her parents were watching with pride. The fact that they were made this moment all the better.
"Okay, we're going to take a quick fifteen to clean up the mess. I think I lost my appetite after seeing that... But then we'll return to the next match!" Present Mic announced.
Ochako left the arena as she felt a sense of pride. She had won her first match in the Sports Event and she was one step closer to being able to provide for her family. Now she had to get herself focused on her next match, which would be against Bakugo…and that made her nervous.
"Uraraka! You were great out there!" Izuku congratulated as Ida and Tsuyu nodded.
"Indeed, you were quick on your feet and used your opponent's abilities against him!" Ida praised.
"It also helped that he wasn't used to your Quirk's side effects, huh?" Tsuyu said as Ochako nodded.
"Yeah. But I do kind of feel sorry for him," She admitted.
"It's fine," she heard over at Class B's side, as Kendo popped her head over the wall. "Monoma is a bit much, but don't take it too hard. You won fair and square, hope to see you further in?" She said as Ochako nodded.
"Yeah…but your next match will be against Bakugo, right?" Tsuyu asked as Ochako gulped and looked over to Bakugo, who merely stared at her.
"…Yeah…"
"Good luck," Jiro placed a hand on her shoulder.
"My match will be next! I must go and prepare! Wish me luck!" Ida said as he sped his way to the prep room.
"…Dude needs to relax more," Sero commented as everyone nodded.
"Okay! Now that the mess has been cleaned up, it's time for the next event!" Present Mic announced after the ten-minute break. "In this corner is the Dark Samurai accompanied by Darkshadow! It's Fumikage Tokoyami!" Fumikage nodded at the title. It appealed to his dark nature. "And in this corner, she can create nearly anything she wants! Got in through recommendations and intellect! She's Momo Yaoyorozu!" Momo held herself slightly as she prepared herself.
"Fighters ready! Start!" Midnight declared.
"Go! Darkshadow!" Fumikage surprised Momo by immediately unleashing Darkshadow. The Shadowy being was instantly on her, and she was forced to quickly create a shield on her arm to block his attack. But he didn't give her any reprieve, as Darkshadow continued to barrage her with strikes, forcing her to drop her shield and summon another one.
'He's relentless! I need to get my bearings!' Momo tried to get a good footing, but Darkshadow was relentless until suddenly he stopped attacking. 'He stopped? Now's my chance!' Momo created a pole when suddenly Midnight blew a whistle.
"Momo Yaoyorozu is out of the ring!" Momo looked down to see that she had been pushed outside the ring. "The Winner is Fumikage Tokoyami!"
"No way…" Momo muttered as Fumikage left the ring. "I couldn't do anything?"
"Man, that was an Overwhelming Victory! A Completely Overwhelming Victory!" Present Mic declared as Izuku glared at the announcer's box.
"Could you show a little tact?"
"Poor Momo…I hope she'll be okay?" Mina worried about the dejected look on her face.
"Guess it goes to show, you can have recommendations and a strong Quirk. But it doesn't matter if the other guy outsmarts ya?" Sero pointed out.
"Well, it's Ida's match next, then on to the next round," Izuku said as he watched as Ida and Mei made their way to the arena. "Hey…what is Ida wearing?"
"We now move on to the last match of the first rounds! In this corner, she's the technical genius of the Support Department! Mei Hatsume!" Mei stood before the crowd, wearing her support gear. "And in this corner! He's the super fast, super serious Representative of Class A! It's Tenya Ida! …uh, what is he wearing?" Ida was strapped with different sets of Support Items, as he looked a little ridiculous. "I thought students had to register to use Support Items like Midoriya? Why is he wearing one?"
"Sorry about this! But Hatsume approached me beforehand and I was touched by her sportsmanship! She said that she wanted us to be fighting on even grounds and gave me these Support Items! How could I look down on such a thing!?"
'…So naive…' everyone thought.
"It's fine if both parties have agreed to it, then there's no need for concern." Aizawa ultimately agreed.
"Somethings not right," Izuku said as Ochako looked at him.
"What do you mean, Deku?"
"I've been working with Hatsume for a bit, and she doesn't strike me as the type to offer that. I think it's odd that she's even competing in the tournament, to begin with. I mean she said herself she doesn't care about being a hero, so long as she gets to make more support gear. So if she's not aiming to transfer into the Hero's course, then why is she here and why give some to Ida?" Izuku pondered as Ochako narrowed her gaze at him.
"…You've been hanging out a lot with her, haven't you?" She said as she felt that strange feeling in her chest.
"Huh? Well, yeah. She's been helping me with my costume, so we hung out a bit. Is something wrong?" He asked as she turned away and huffed.
"No, no problem at all," she merely said as Izuku raised a brow. Mina, Jiro, Momo, Tsuyu and Toru stared at the pair, as they all shared a collective chuckle between themselves.
"Fighters ready!?" Midnight shouted as both of them nodded. Although Mei was glancing at the stands. "Start!" Ida immediately sped towards her, as he was determined to win.
"Hehehe" Mei chuckled as she adjusted her mic.
"Wait…is that a?" Izuku noticed as Mei grinned.
"What incredible speed, Ida!"
"Huh?" the collective thought was.
"Did she hack my feed?" Present Mic asked as she took over the PA system.
"She has a Mic?" Ida asked himself before he continued charging at her.
"Don't your legs feel lighter than usual!? All thanks to my custom-made leg supports that keep up with the user's speed!" Ida blasted towards her, only for her to dodge, thanks to some contraptions that shot out of her backpack. "But that's no problem to avoid, thanks to the Hydraulic Attachment Bars of my own personal design!" Izuku groaned as he massaged the bridge of his nose.
"I knew it…" Izuku groaned. "She's using Ida to promote her gear…"
"…oh…" Ochako said as they watched Ida and Mei dance around each other. Mei using Ida as a sales pitch for her equipment.
10 minutes later
Mei stepped off the arena as she wiped the sweat off her brow. "I've got nothing left to say…my work here is done."
"YOU TRICKED ME!" Ida collapsed to his knees. This would be a serious blow to his pride.
"I'm sorry I used you," she said unconvincingly as she chuckled.
"I really hate you!"
"Mei Hatsume has uh…forfeited… the Winner is Tenya Ida!" Midnight declared as the crowd applauded.
"Poor Ida… Hatsume used his nativity to her advantage. Got to give her points though. She knew what she wanted and used him to get it," Izuku somewhat praised, as Ochako huffed slightly.
"Still a little rude though." She muttered under her breath.
"Okay, folks! That's it for the first round of the Tournament! We're going to take a quick break and then start the next round!" The Screen displayed the next round of combatnants with the students names.
Round Two
Match One: Izuku Midoriya vs Itsuka Kendo
Match Two: Mashiro Ojiro vs Shoto Todoroki
Match Three: Katsuki Bakugo vs Ochako Uraraka
Match Four: Fumikage vs Tenya Ida
"Guess that's me then," Izuku said as he stood up. "Wish me luck?" He asked Ochako who nodded and held up a fist.
"Wish you luck," she replied as Izuku pumped fists with her. He nodded as he left for the prep room. Uraraka smiled at the boy before she noticed the smug stares from her fellow female class members. She turned away with a blush as the girls snickered slightly.
Izuku walked towards the prep room, as his next match was with Itsuka Kendo. If he, or when he won, he would be up against either Ojiro or Todoroki. However, given his previous display, he had a feeling that Todoroki would be the most likely winner.
He knew he would be a hard opponent to beat. Proficient in the use of his Ice powers, had a keen intellect and was determined to beat him. He was not going to be easy to beat. But from his observations, overuse of his ice powers would cause frostbite and hypothermia. If he made him overuse his Quirk, he could force Todoroki to wear himself out…
But that didn't feel right.
He could see that Todoroki was troubled by his father, and his rebellious nature to defy the man to the point that it would negatively impact himself. He couldn't just stand by and let him continue on this self-destructive path. Now normally, one wouldn't meddle in other people's business. But All Might always used to say that meddling when you don't need to was the Essence of being a Hero. And he couldn't just let Todoroki continue down this path.
"Now… I just have to figure out how?" Izuku pondered to himself when he suddenly bumped into someone. "Oh sorry I - gah!" He looked up to see the flaming beard of the Number 2 Hero: Endeavor.
"Whoa! Endeavor! Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" Izuku apologised as Endeavor glared. "…Okay… Sorry for bumping into you, I'm going to go now. Okay bye!" Izuku started to speed walk away.
"You're strong," Endeavor suddenly spoke as Izuku stopped. "From what I've seen, you're possibly the strongest student out of everyone here. I even heard a rumour that you beat a creature that was as Strong as All Might…" Izuku turned to face him as Endeavour glared. "My son will no doubt win his next match, just as you will win yours. Which means you two will fight in the third round…this is good," Izuku raised a brow at this. "My son has a duty to surpass All Might. He's being rebellious and foolish right now. But when you face him, give him a good fight. Push him to embrace his full potential. It will be a good test of his power…" Izuku glared this time as the burning man turned away. "That's all I wanted to say. Sorry for my bluntness." Endeavour began to walk away as Izuku gripped his fist tight.
"You know… I'm not All Might…" he suddenly said as Endeavor stopped and faced him.
"Of course I know that - !"
"I'm not finished, burning man," Enju raised a brow. "Like I said, I'm not All Might. I don't think I'll ever be like All Might… But that also means that Todoroki isn't you…and I don't think he'll ever be like you. He'll walk his own path, and that will be his own choice, not yours…" Endeavour glared at the boy before he turned and left him alone.
"Damn teens…" he muttered as he walked away.
"…Great talk… Let's do that again, never," Izuku quipped, as he turned and walked to the arena.
He walked out into the cheering crowd as he and Kendo stood apart from each other. His gaze drifted up to the stands, as Todoroki stared down at him. He knew that Izuku was more than likely going to win, and that meant they would face off next in the third round. But where one saw an obstacle to overcome, the other saw a person that needed help. And the best thing a Hero does is help those in need. Even if they don't need it.
"And we're back with the Second Round of the Tournament folks! We have Izuku Midoriya of Class A and Itsuka Kendo of Class B from the Heroics Departments! Both of them have been going strong, but only one of them can advance to the next round! Who will it be!?" Present Mic shouted into the Mic, as the crowd cheered in anticipation.
Izuku then turned to face Kendo as she stared at her opponent. She knew full well how strong he was, and knew that if she had even a chance at defeating him, she needed to do something drastic.
"Fighters ready!?" Midnight asked as both of them nodded. "Start!"
Kendo immediately rushed at the boy, hoping to catch him off guard. Her hands enlarged as she tried to knock Midoriya out of the ring. Izuku Immediately avoided her fist as she rushed at him again, hoping to catch him off guard as she swiped at him.
"Sorry about this! But I'm going to win!" She yelled as he continued to avoid her when suddenly he stopped her fist with one hand. She tried to push him back, but he just stood there in place, and she was shocked at how effortlessly he seemed to be able to hold her back.
"And I'm sorry too… but I need to get to the next round," he said as he gripped her fist and threw her outside of the ring as she landed on the grass below.
"Itsuka Kendo is out of the ring! The Winner is Izuku Midoriya!" Midnight ruled as the crowd cheered.
"And Kendo is out folks! She put up a good effort, but given how much Midoriya has been dominating the Sports Event, it wasn't all that surprising!" Present Mic said as Izuku hopped down to help Kendo up. "But now this means Midoriya will move on to the next round! Will it be Ojiro or Todoroki he will face in the third round!?" Kendo nodded her thanks as Izuku nodded before looking up to the stand where Todoroki was staring at him.
"Find out after this Commercial break!"
"What poor timing!"