No, I didn't forget your chapters on people?
Chill
___
'I probably could have handled that situation better, couldn't I?'
'Being at odds with the current Number Two hero probably wasn't the smartest move.
Finally leaving Endeavor behind, Yuta shoved open the door to the infirmary.
"I'm reporting for my mandatory—"
He paused.
Recovery Girl, the sat in her chair seemingly going through something. She was not alone. Shoto Todoroki was already sitting on a bed nearby, a small bandage barely covering the back of his neck where Yuta delivered the final strike.
They both locked eyes.
'Right. He's here.'
With the encounter with Endeavor, he had forgotten Todoroki would also be here receiving treatment.
What really surprised him though was the man standing beside Todoroki In a well tailored suit, bright blond hair and bulging muscles stood.
"All Might?"
All Might wore the same wide grin Yuta had seen a hundred times on TV.
"Ah, Young Akutami!" All Might boomed. "Perfect timing. We were just discussing..." He trailed off, his gaze sweeping over Yuta's intact body, then to Todoroki's bandaged neck. "...your decisive victory."
Recovery Girl spun around, her face scrunched up in annoyance.
"Finally, you brat!" she snapped, marching towards Yuta. "I swear, your student body is only surpassed by your students' stupidity! Get over here, let me look at you!"
"I'm perfectly fine, Recovery Girl. My Quirk—"
"I know what your Quirk does, you fool! But that doesn't mean I don't need to check for secondary trauma!"
She grabbed his head with surprising strength and forced him forward, her cane pointing to a nearby bed. "Sit! And don't you dare try to heal anything until I get a proper scan! You've just been in a horrible accident and here you are forcing self repair again. If it were up to me, you wouldn't even be participating in the sports festival."
Yuta sighed, submitting to the immediate chaos. He sat down and risked a glance at Todoroki.
Shoto was conscious and glared straight back, his expression a complicated mix of anger and humiliation.
"MATCH TWO OF THE SEMIFINALS IS UNDERWAY WITH TOKOYAMI AND BAKUGO GIVING IT EVERYTHING THEY'VE GOT."
Present Mic's voice resounded from the TV screen.
"HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THAY BAKUGO'S RUSH IS UNSTOPPABLE."
BOOM!
Having another blast blocked by the black entity, Bakugo's veins twitched. "Tch. That thing is so annoying!"
He twisted midair, performing a complex maneuver and released another explosion.
Dark shadow twisted simultaneously, shielding Tokoyami once again.
Smoke obscured Tokoyami's vision, as he stepped back. '.. The stamina needed to keep up these attacks .. '
Another explosion came directly from the smoke forcing Tokoyami to retreat with dark shadow bearing the brunt of it. "I underestimated him."
"TOKOYAMI'S QUIRK HAS BEEN NEARLY INVINCIBLE. BUT THIS TIME, HE'S BEEN SOLELY FOCUSED ON DEFENSE."
Blast after blast hammered on his defense as Bakugo refused to let up. "Just fall already you bastard! I have bigger fish to fry!"
In the stands,
"Midoriya. What's wrong with Tokoyami?"
"Yeah. He attacked pretty well for you guys in the cavalry battle. Now it seems he's focusing on defense."
"Does he want to wear Bakugo down?"
"Um. I'm not sure really." Midoriya replied, his face solemn. Uraraka and Iida carried similarly expressions.
'He can't adjust from defense to attack because of the light from the explosions. The weakness he shared with us ... It's the worst possible matchup.'
Midoriya thought.
'He might still have a chance if Bakugo hasn't found out yet. If not ...'
BOOM! Bakugo flew up like a rocket.
"Now! Catch him Dark Shadow!"
The black entity shot forward with extended hands.
Bakugo blasted, one hindering Dark shadow 's advance and the other dodging its attack by changing direction.
'That's it!'
Bakugo's eyes widened.
Landing behind Tokoyami, he placed both palms together, condensing what looked to be a miniature sun in his palms.
"Stop him ..."
"STUN GRENADE!"
Dark shadow instantly shielded Tokoyami. A cloud of smoke rose to the sky as Bakugo's explosion rocked the arena. Followed by a flash of light that momentarily blinded the cameras.
"HEY! Everything's covered in smoke. I can't see anything!" Present Mic leaned forward. "What happened?"
The light dissipated, revealing Bakugo hovering over a slumped Tokoyami, clamping hmm by the beak.
"Did you ... Know about Dark Shadow's weakness?"
"I figured it out after attacking over and over, you idiot. It wasn't that hard." Bakugo sneered in response.
"Ultimately, it was a bad matchup. I kinda almost feel bad for you."
Tokoyami's grunted and stopped struggling.
"I ... Give up."
"Tokoyami gives up! The winner is Katsuki Bakugo!"
Midnight announced.
The audience exploded.
Bakugo let go of Tokoyami and rubbed his aching arms.
"WITH THIS, THE FINAL MATCH WIL BE BETWEEN YUTA AND BAKUGO."
Bakugo's brows furrowed as he looked towards general studies. The opponent he was looking for was nowhere to be seen.
"Tch."
The thunderous roar from the stadium was the backdrop to the quiet tension in the infirmary.
Recovery Girl pulled her scanning device away from Yuta's chest with a final huff.
"Well, you idiot, the external damage is nonexistent, thanks to your ridiculous ability to force cell replication. But stretching your body's healing ability was extremely unwise. Come over here!"
She planted a quick, powerful kiss on his forehead.
"There. Now get out. I have two finals participants to deal with," she said, pointing to the screen where a weary-looking Tokoyami was being carried to the tunnels, followed closely by a scowling Bakugo.
Yuta stepped off the bed, feeling refreshed.
All Might, who had been observing the exchange with a deep solemnity placed a massive hand on Todoroki's uninjured shoulder.
"Young Shoto, you fought brilliantly. I know this defeat must sting, especially given your emotional struggle. But this festival... it is about growth. You pushed your limits, and performed wonderfully. Your journey is just beginning."
He squeezed Todoroki's shoulder gently, then turned to Yuta.
"And Young Akutami! Your performance was truly impressive. The tactical mastery, the control. With this level of performance, your entry into the Hero Course is all but guaranteed. You have certainly earned your place in the finals."
All Might winked. "Good luck."
With a nod, All Might turned and exited, leaving the two rivals alone in the room.
Recovery Girl busied herself with preparing a bed for the approaching participants. An unbearable silence settled between Yuta and Todoroki.
'Well, this is awkward.'
Yuta stood up and grabbed the door handle, ready to make his escape.
"Wait."
Yuta stopped.
He looked back at Todoroki, who was swinging his legs off the bed, his face still etched with fatigue.
"What is it?"
"You won." Todoroki uttered. "So tell me, what exactly is your quirk?"
'Oh, yeah I did say I would tell him.'
Yuta took his hands from the door and let the handle go.
"My Quirk is Enhanced Control," Yuta explained, keeping his explanation deliberately simple. "Basically, it grants me a much greater control over my own body than what's normally possible."
"I see." Todoroki's brows tightened, his gaze flickering briefly to Yuta's arm—likely remembering how it healed mid-fight. "So your abilities…"
"…Are all extensions of my quirk," Yuta finished.
Silence lingered. Todoroki seemed to mull it over, shifting slightly on the bed.
"If that is true, then it raises another question," Todoroki stated, pushing himself fully off the bed. "… why are you in General Studies?"
His heterochromatic eyes narrowed. "With that kind of quirk, the robot test shouldn't have been an issue. You should've passed easily."
Yuta blinked, then chuckled.
"I didn't participate."
Todoroki's frown deepened. "You didn't? Why?"
"Well, let's just say I'm a lot stronger than I was a month ago." Yuta shrugged, leaning back against the doorframe.
"To me, there was no point in participating back then," Yuta added casually.
Todoroki's frown deepened into a hard crease. 'Is he insinuating that he achieved this dramatic shift in power—enough to defeat me—in just four weeks?'
The statement was arrogant, almost insulting, yet Yuta's performance made it impossible to dismiss.
"That's impossible."
"Hehe, you probably would have said the same thing if someone told you you'd be forced to use your fire. Trust me, you have no idea what's possible."
".."
"I see," Todoroki conceded, deciding to table the unbelievable claim. He knew Yuta was capable of lying, but his next question was far more important to him to care.
"In that case… I have one more question."
Yuta raised a brow.
"Go ahead."
Todoroki's eyes locked onto him.
"I want to know," he said, voice low, "what's your motivation to be a hero?"
___
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