[Denki's POV]
In the original timeline, Midoriya barely scraped into the tournament bracket—only getting a spot because two people withdrew. But thanks to my intervention and encouragement, he'd developed Full Cowling at 10% early and earned his place legitimately.
'Character development speedrun successful. Achievement unlocked, Make the protagonist competent ahead of schedule.'
I studied the tournament bracket with satisfaction.
'I have to say, I'm quite pleased with these matchups. Would've been boring to fight the heavy hitters in round one. Where's the dramatic build-up? Strong opponents should be saved for later rounds. That's just basic tournament arc storytelling.'
All contestants were directed to the stands where their respective classes would be seated. I settled into a seat beside Momo, with Mina and Eijiro flanking us.
Momo looked nervous, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, so I casually reached over and held her hand.
She relaxed immediately, turning to give me a bright smile that made the gesture completely worth it.
'Emotional support successfully deployed. Also, hand-holding is nice. Underrated activity, honestly.'
Soon, the first Match began, which is Izuku Midoriya VS Hitoshi Shinso.
"FIRST MATCH!" Present Mic's voice boomed across the stadium. "MIDORIYA IZUKU FROM THE HERO COURSE VERSUS SHINSO HITOSHI FROM GENERAL STUDIES!"
The two students walked onto the stage—Midoriya looking determined, Shinso looking... calculatingly bored.
"This is gonna be interesting," Eijiro commented. "Shinso's Quirk is Brainwashing from what we heard, right? If Midoriya responds to him verbally, he loses."
"Midoriya knows that though, if he paid attention," I pointed out. "He's not stupid. Reckless, sure. Prone to overthinking, absolutely. But not stupid... I think."
The match began exactly as I remembered from canon.
Shinso immediately started trash-talking, trying to provoke Midoriya into responding. "You're the kid who got into the hero course on dumb luck, right? Must be nice having connections."
'Weak bait. Try harder, mind control boy.'
But Midoriya, bless his self-sacrificing heart, took the bait anyway—probably defending someone Shinso insulted.
The moment Midoriya spoke, his eyes went blank.
"And he's caught," I muttered.
"Wait, already?!" Mina gasped. "But the fight just started!"
Shinso commanded Midoriya to turn around and walk out of bounds. Midoriya's body moved mechanically toward the boundary line.
The crowd went silent, watching the Hero Course student about to lose without throwing a single punch.
Then—
Midoriya's fingers started sparking with green electricity.
'Here it comes.'
CRACK!
Midoriya snapped his own fingers with Full Cowling, the pain and shock breaking through the brainwashing. He stopped just millimeters from the out-of-bounds line, steam rising from his body as he activated his Quirk properly.
"OHHHHH!" Present Mic screamed. "MIDORIYA BREAKS FREE FROM THE BRAINWASHING AT THE LAST SECOND!"
"That's one way to do it," I commented. "Painful, but effective."
The rest of the match was straightforward. Shinso tried desperately to get Midoriya to talk again, but Midoriya had learned his lesson. He simply charged forward with Full Cowling and pushed Shinso out of bounds with superior speed and strength.
"Winner: IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
"Good for him," Momo said softly. "He's gotten much better at controlling his Quirk."
"Yeah, breaking fewer bones is generally considered an improvement in the hero business," I agreed.
Then comes the Second Match, Shoto Todoroki VS Hanta Sero.
"NEXT UP! THE ICE PRINCE TODOROKI SHOTO VERSUS THE TAPE HERO-IN-TRAINING SERO HANTA!"
"Oh, this is gonna be rough," I muttered. "Tape Guy versus the son of the Number Two Hero. What could possibly go wrong?"
Sero walked onto the stage looking confident, while Todoroki looked... aggravated. Like he had something to prove.
"BEGIN!"
Sero immediately shot tape at Todoroki, trying to bind him and pull him out of bounds—a solid strategy, honestly. Then Todoroki raised his right hand.
'Uh oh.'
A massive glacier of ice erupted from the ground, completely engulfing Sero and half the stadium. The temperature dropped so sharply that frost formed on the windows of the observation boxes.
The entire audience sat in stunned silence.
Sero was completely frozen inside a mountain of ice that extended dozens of meters into the air.
"HOLY—" Present Mic's voice cracked. "THAT'S... THAT'S A LOT OF ICE! IS SERO-KUN OKAY?!"
"That seems excessive," Momo looked concerned.
'That's what happens when you have unresolved trauma and use a school sports festival as therapy. Emotional regulation is zero and Ice production is literally off the charts.'
Todoroki stood there for a moment, then seemed to realize what he'd done. He walked over and started removing the ice carefully.
Sero was freed, shivering violently but otherwise unharmed.
"S-s-sorry," he chattered. "I f-f-forfeit. T-too c-cold."
"Winner: TODOROKI SHOTO!"
Todoroki bowed slightly in apology before walking off the stage with that same brooding expression.
"I feel bad for Sero," Mina said. "He didn't stand a chance."
"Nobody in our year stands a chance against Todoroki in a straight fight," I corrected. "Except maybe me, Bakugo, and possibly Midoriya if he control his Quirk more perfectly."
"And you, obviously," Eijiro added while grinning.
"Obviously," I agreed without false modesty. "Speed beats ice. That's just physics."
And then the Third Match is Ibara Shiozaki VS Mezo Shoji.
"NEXT MATCH! CLASS 1-B'S HOLY VINE USER SHIOZAKI IBARA VERSUS CLASS 1-A'S MULTI-ARMED HERO SHOJI MEZO!"
This match was visually impressive but strategically straightforward.
Shiozaki—the girl who looked like she walked straight out of a religious painting—controlled vine-like hair that extended and multiplied at incredible speeds.
Shoji tried using his multiple arms to grab and tear the vines, but they regenerated faster than he could destroy them.
"She's got crazy control," I observed. "And apparently infinite vine generation. That's actually a really strong Quirk if used creatively."
"How would you beat it?" Momo asked curiously.
"Fire would be most effective, but since I don't have that, I'd just move faster than her vines can track and knock her out directly," I explained. "Or use high-voltage electricity to fry the vines at their root. Plant matter conducts electricity pretty well when you apply enough voltage."
Eventually, Shiozaki's vines completely entangled Shoji and pushed him out of bounds.
"Winner: SHIOZAKI IBARA!"
"She's strong," Eijiro commented. "Think you'll have to fight her?"
"Not until later rounds, assuming she keeps winning," I said. "And honestly? I'd rather not. Her whole religious aesthetic makes me uncomfortable. Like she'd try to baptize me with her hair or something."
Mina snorted. "That's the weirdest concern I've ever heard."
"My concerns are valid and numerous."
"AAAAAANNNDDDDD THE NEXT BATTLE!" Present Mic's voice reached fever pitch. "THE LIGHTNING BOY WHO'S DOMINATED EVERY ROUND—KAMINARI DENKI! VERSUS THE SUPPORT COURSE'S MAD INVENTOR—MEI HATSUME!"
'Lightning Boy. Really. That's the nickname we're going with? I've done so much character building and that's what sticks?'
I walked onto the stage with one hand in my pocket, waving casually at the crowd with the other.
The audience went wild—apparently my complete domination of the previous rounds had earned me some serious fans.
'Just smile and wave, Denki. Smile and wave. Pretend you're not nervous about performing in front of millions of people. You're totally cool and collected. Definitely not internally screaming.'
Mei Hatsume practically bounced onto the stage, her eyes gleaming with manic excitement behind her targeting goggles.
"KAMINARI!" she shouted enthusiastically. "I'm so excited! This is the perfect chance to show how amazing my babies are against the first-place winner! Maximum exposure!"
I opened my mouth to respond, but she kept talking.
"I wanted to join your team in the Cavalry Battle, but you were already full, so I ended up with Midoriya because he placed second! We won our bracket, but I didn't get enough time to fully showcase my babies! But now—"
"Hatsume—"
"—I can demonstrate everything! The support items I've been developing! In front of all the pro heroes watching! This is perfect marketing!"
"Hatsume—"
"—and I've prepared specific counters for electricity users and speedsters because I analyzed your fighting style from the previous rounds and—"
"HATSUME!" I finally cut in, mildly impressed. "You just out-talked a speedster. Congratulations. That's legitimately impressive."
She blinked, then grinned even wider.
I smiled back. "How about this, I'll help showcase your inventions during our match, and in exchange, you work with me on some gadget ideas I have. I think you'd really like them."
Her eyes lit up with stars—actual sparkles appeared in her expression like this was a shojo manga. "REALLY?! You have ideas for babies?!"
"Several, actually. Some mobility-based, some combat-oriented, some just cool concepts I've been thinking about."
"DEAL!" She thrust out her hand to shake. "After the festival, you come to my workshop and we'll make beautiful babies together!"
The entire stadium went silent. Then erupted into shocked whispers.
'Did she just—oh god, she doesn't realize how that sounded. This is amazing and terrible simultaneously.'
Present Mic's voice cracked. "Uh... folks, I think she means INVENTIONS! Right?! Please tell me she means inventions!"
Mei looked confused by the reaction but shrugged it off.
"BEGIN!" Midnight announced, clearly amused by the chaos.
Immediately, Mei activated her gadgets. She threw several devices into the air that exploded into brilliant flashes of light—homemade flashbangs.
'Clever. Blind the speedster, limit his movement options.'
Everyone in the stadium closed their eyes reflexively, including me—but I stayed alert with my senses heightened, refusing to drop my guard.
'Don't underestimate your opponent just because they're from the Support Course. That's how you end up getting embarrassed on national television.'
When the light faded and I opened my eyes, the entire arena floor was covered in slick oil.
'Oh, that's dirty. I like it.'
Mei had also deployed several lightning rods around the perimeter and used her jet boots to lift herself into the air, hovering above the oil-slicked battlefield.
Then she started firing projectiles at me—small explosive devices, foam grenades, some kind of sticky net launcher.
'She actually planned for fighting me specifically. Oil to make me slip if I use my speed. Lightning rods to drain away any electrical attacks. Aerial superiority to avoid close combat. This girl did her homework.'
If I still had my hero costume, I could counter most of this—the friction-resistant material would handle the oil. But in the standard gym uniform? This was actually a legitimate threat.
'She's genuinely impressive. If she'd been in the Hero Course instead of Support, she'd be a serious competitor.'
The projectiles closed in, tracking toward me with surprising accuracy.
I simply smiled and then I started vibrating.
My entire body phased slightly out of sync with normal reality—one of my advanced techniques that required immense concentration.
The projectiles passed harmlessly through me and struck the ground behind me.
Mei's eyes widened. "WHAT?! That's not in my data! How are you—"
I stopped vibrating and activated Raijin Drive instead.
"You planned well, Hatsume," I called up to her. "The oil, the lightning rods, the aerial advantage—all solid counters to a normal electricity user or speedster. Problem is..."
I crouched down, placing my palm on the oil-covered ground. "...I'm neither normal nor limited by standard expectations."
I released a concentrated electromagnetic pulse directly into the ground—not lightning, not a traditional electric attack, but a pure EMP burst designed to fry electronics.
The pulse radiated outward in an semi invisible wave.
Every single one of Mei's gadgets simultaneously sparked and died—including her jet boots.
"Oh no—" Mei's eyes went wide as she started falling.
I moved in a yellow blur, crossing the oil-slicked floor without slipping (thank you, electromagnetic field manipulation), and caught her mid-fall in a princess carry.
She landed in my arms, looking up at me with surprised pink eyes.
I smiled down at her. "You okay, Hatsume?"
The stadium went absolutely wild.
"IS THIS A BATTLE OR A ROMANTIC RESCUE?!" Present Mic screamed into the microphone. "KAMINARI JUST SWEPT MEI HATSUME OFF HER FEET—LITERALLY!"
'Oh god, the shipping is going to be insufferable. I can already see the fan art.'
Mei blinked a few times, then grinned. "I admit defeat! But Kaminari—" She grabbed my collar enthusiastically. "—you HAVE to meet me after this to make new babies! Those ideas you mentioned! I need details!"
My lips twitched, trying not to laugh at the continued accidental innuendo. "Deal. We'll set up a workshop meeting."
I set her down gently outside the boundary line.
"WINNER: KAMINARI DENKI!" Midnight announced, clearly entertained.
The crowd cheered as I waved and headed back to the Class 1-A section.
Eijiro immediately congratulated me. "That was amazing, Denki! You finished it super fast, as expected!"
"It wasn't as easy as it looked. Hatsume actually had solid counters for my standard tactics. I had to use techniques I don't normally break out."
Eijiro looked confused—probably wondering what could possibly be difficult for someone as fast as me—but he knew better than to ask for details.
Midoriya, predictably, was scribbling furiously in his creepy hero analysis notebook.
'Seriously, if a villain ever gets their hands on that thing, we're all screwed. That book is basically "How to Defeat UA Students: The Complete Guide."'
Momo smiled at me warmly. "That was impressive, Kaminari-kun. Though I notice you didn't use any offensive lightning against her."
"Didn't need to," I replied. "The EMP was enough, and it didn't risk actually hurting her. Support Course students aren't combat-trained—no point in going hard when a technical solution works."
Mina leaned over with a teasing grin. "Aww, look at you being all considerate and heroic! And that princess carry! Very smooth!"
"It was practical," I said defensively. "She was falling. I caught her. It's a standard hero protocol."
"Uh-huh. Sure. Totally practical," Mina's grin widened. "Nothing to do with the fact that she's cute and you're a teenage boy with working eyeballs."
I didn't dignify that with a response.
Bakugo looked grudgingly impressed from across the booth, though he'd probably eat his own explosive sweat before admitting it.
Todoroki's expression remained neutral, but I caught him studying me with those calculating eyes.
"NEXT MATCH! SPEED VERSUS SPARKLES! IIDA TENYA AGAINST AOYAMA YUGA!"
This fight ended quickly. Aoyama tried using his Navel Laser to keep Iida at range, but Iida's Recipro Burst was too fast. He closed the distance before Aoyama could get off more than two shots and pushed him out of bounds with superior strength and momentum.
"Winner: IIDA TENYA!"
"Aoyama never stood a chance," I observed. "His Quirk is strong, but it has limited firing time and he's not mobile enough to keep distance from someone like Iida."
"That's kind of sad," Momo said. "He worked hard to get here."
I wouldn't say he worked hard to get here. But whatever—let's go with that.
"Welcome to hero work. Hard work doesn't always beat superior physical capabilities. That's why strategy matters."
After that, I told both Mina and Momo to give their best, since their match was next.
"THIS ONE'S GONNA BE INTERESTING!" Present Mic announced. "TWO CLASS 1-A GIRLS! ASHIDO MINA VERSUS YAOYOROZU MOMO!"
I leaned forward with interest. 'This is going to be different from canon. Momo's actually trained with the gadget utility belt concept I gave her. This could be genuinely competitive.'
Mina bounced onto the stage with her usual enthusiasm, while Momo walked out with calm, focused determination.
"BEGIN!"
Mina immediately used her acid to create a slick surface under her feet and started skating forward at impressive speed, closing the distance.
But Momo was ready. In less than three seconds, she'd created roller skates, a pair of protective sunglasses, and what looked like a Batman-style grappling gun.
'Oh, she's been practicing! Look at that creation speed!'
Momo skated backward on the arena floor, maintaining distance while creating various gadgets and weapons.
Mina tried to spray acid to cut off Momo's movement options, but Momo created a shield to block, then used the grappling gun to zip to a different position.
"WHOA! YAOYOROZU IS USING SUPPORT ITEMS MID-COMBAT!" Present Mic shouted. "WHEN DID SHE GET SO TACTICAL?!"
'When I spent three hours explaining Batman's combat philosophy to her and helped her design a modular utility system. You're welcome, Momo.'
Momo created a flashbang and tossed it to which Mina closed her eyes just in time—but that moment of distraction was enough.
Momo created an acid-resistant net (probably with some kind of polymer composite—smart girl) and used a compressed air launcher to fire it.
The net expanded mid-flight and completely entangled Mina.
Then Momo created small jet thrusters, attached them to the net, and launched Mina out of bounds like a rocket.
Mina landed safely outside the boundary line, still wrapped in the net, looking shocked.
"WINNER: YAOYOROZU MOMO!"
I immediately stood up and started clapping enthusiastically.
'That was AMAZING. She adapted my suggestions perfectly and added her own creative implementations. Strategic thinking combined with rapid creation speed. That's my girl—wait, is she my girl? Are we at that stage? ...Focus, Denki.'
When both girls returned to the booth, I congratulated Mina first. "You did great, Mina. Your acid skating is getting really smooth."
"Yeah, but I still lost," she pouted.
"Losing to someone stronger doesn't mean you're weak. It means you know your next training goal." I turned to Momo with a genuine smile. "And you—that was incredible. The gadget implementation was perfect. You've been practicing."
Momo blushed, looking pleased. "Thank you, Kaminari-kun. Your suggestions really helped me think about my Quirk differently."
'The Batman approach works,' I confirmed. "Preparation and versatility beat raw power most of time."
Then comes the announcement, "THE BATTLE OF THE HARD BOYS!" Present Mic announced. "KIRISHIMA'S HARDENING VERSUS TETSUTETSU'S STEEL!"
Originally, Tetsutetsu had withdrawn, but apparently Eijiro had talked him into competing anyway.
'Character development for both of them. Nice.'
The match was exactly what you'd expect, two durable, straightforward fighters punching each other repeatedly.
Tetsutetsu turned his body to steel and Eijiro activated his Hardening. They charged at each other like medieval knights in a joust.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of metal hitting hardened skin echoed across the stadium.
"This is the manliest thing I've ever seen," I commented.
"This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen," Jiro countered. "They're just hitting each other. There's no strategy."
"Sometimes the strategy is hitting harder than the other guy," I defended. "It's not sophisticated, but it's honest work."
The fight went on for several minutes—both of them too durable to take serious damage, too stubborn to give up.
Finally, Eijiro landed a particularly solid punch that sent Tetsutetsu stumbling backward out of bounds.
"WINNER: KIRISHIMA EIJIROU!"
Both fighters shook hands afterward, grinning despite their exhaustion.
It seems all the time I'd spent training Eijiro—punching, getting slammed into different metals—was worth it. He beat the metal guy, but he still had room to grow.
"AND NOW! THE FINAL FIRST-ROUND MATCH! ASUI TSUYU VERSUS BAKUGO KATSUKI!"
Tsuyu walked onto the stage looking calm, her expression is... Same as usual.
Bakugo walked out looking like he wanted to murder everyone in the stadium, starting with his opponent.
'This is going to be painful to watch. Tsuyu's strong, but she's massively disadvantaged here.'
"BEGIN!"
Tsuyu immediately used her tongue to try binding Bakugo's hands—smart strategy, disable his explosion Quirk.
But Bakugo anticipated it, blasted himself into the air with explosions, and started raining explosive attacks down on her.
Tsuyu dodged with impressive agility, using her frog-like jumping ability to evade, but she couldn't close the distance.
Bakugo was fighting at range, using aerial superiority to prevent her from using her tongue effectively.
'He's actually being smart. Recognizing his opponent's strengths and countering them. Character development in progress, I guess?'
After several minutes of dodging increasingly powerful explosions, Tsuyu finally raised her hand. "I forfeit, ribbit."
The crowd seemed disappointed but understanding.
"WINNER: BAKUGO KATSUKI!"
Bakugo landed, looking unsatisfied despite winning. Then he turned and looked directly at me, a vicious smirk on his face.
I smirked back, already planning exactly how I'd humble him.
Several more matches continued, each more predictable than the last. Even in the second round, my opponent wasn't ready to face me and forfeited without a fight.
In the third round, one guy tried to start a dramatic speech—so I zapped him before he could finish.
In between all that, I figured I might as well make it worthwhile… so I started flirting with Momo, occasionally dropping comments that made her smile—and blush.
"...The way you adapted to Mina's fighting style in real-time? That's Pro Hero-level combat analysis."
Momo's cheeks turned pink. "You're exaggerating, Kaminari-kun."
"I never exaggerate. I'm a speedster—I don't have time for exaggeration. I only state facts." I grinned. "Fact one is You're brilliant. Fact two is You're beautiful. Fact three is watching you create that utility belt mid-combat was genuinely one of the most attractive things I've ever seen."
"Kaminari-kun!" She covered her face with her hands, completely flustered.
"Ooooh, smooth," Mina teased from nearby. "Real smooth, Denki!"
"Just speaking truth," I said innocently.
Jiro rolled her eyes but smiled. "You two are ridiculous."
Eventually, Midnight's voice rang out across the stadium.
"The third round is complete! Now let's reveal the FINAL EIGHT matchups!"
The screen lit up showing FINAL ROUND.
Shoto Todoroki VS Tenya Iida
Denki Kaminari VS Momo Yaoyorozu
Eijirou Kirishima VS Izuku Midoriya
Ochaco Uraraka VS Katsuki Bakugo
I looked at Momo and she looked at me. We both smiled, though neither of us said anything.
'Well. This is going to be interesting.'
"OHOHOHO!" Mina's voice immediately cut in. "Class President versus Vice President! The DRAMA and the ROMANCE! The—OW!"
Jiro had flicked her ear. "Stop being weird,"
"You're all thinking it!" Mina protested.
She wasn't wrong, judging by the knowing looks from basically everyone in our class.
Even Eijiro was grinning. "You two gonna go easy on each other?"
"Absolutely not," Momo and I said simultaneously.
We looked at each other again and smiled.
'This is going to be fun. Challenging, but fun. Fighting someone I care about who's also genuinely skilled. Can't ask for better romantic training.'
First Final Match is Shoto Todoroki VS Tenya Iida
The match started with Todoroki immediately creating massive ice formations.
But this time, Iida was ready. He used Recipro Burst to dodge and weave between the ice, his speed allowing him to avoid getting frozen.
'Iida's faster than last time. He's been training too. In fact, everyone of my classmates seems to be stronger than the original timeline.'
For several minutes, it actually looked competitive—Iida using hit-and-run tactics, Todoroki trying to freeze the entire arena to limit movement options.
But eventually, Todoroki stopped standing still. He started moving too, using ice to create platforms and obstacles, cutting off Iida's approach angles.
Then, at the perfect moment, he created a massive ice wall that forced Iida into a corner and flash-froze him from the side.
"WINNER: TODOROKI SHOTO!"
'Smart adaptation. Todoroki recognized his weakness—immobility—and corrected it mid-match. That's the mark of a future top hero.'
Then comes the Second Final Match, Denki Kaminari VS Momo Yaoyorozu.
"AND NOW! THE MATCH EVERYONE'S BEEN WAITING FOR!" Present Mic's voice was absolutely manic. "CLASS PRESIDENT VERSUS VICE PRESIDENT! LIGHTNING VERSUS CREATION! KAMINARI DENKI VERSUS YAOYOROZU MOMO!"
I walked onto the stage with my hands in pockets, giving Momo an encouraging smile.
She walked out with determination in her eyes, already planning strategies.
'She's going to try to counter my speed with traps and area control. I'm sure it won't work, but it better be smart.'
"BEGIN!"
Immediately, Momo created a high-powered rifle and fired.
'Oh, starting aggressive. I like it.'
I dodged casually, the bullets crawling through the air in slow motion from my perspective. I even caught a few mid-flight, letting them fall harmlessly to the ground—all while smiling at Momo.
She kept creating weapons—nets, foam grenades, flash bangs, smoke bombs—using everything in her tactical arsenal.
I didn't attack back and just used my speed to dodge, occasionally phasing through attacks.
'I don't want to hurt her. This is about letting her showcase her skills, not about me dominating her.'
Momo created increasingly creative counters, oil slicks to make me slip, electromagnetic dampeners to interfere with my Quirk, even a high-frequency sound generator to disorient me.
After a few minutes of dodging and counter-dodging, I decided to end it and closed the distance in a blur, appearing directly behind her, and gently took both her hands, pulling them behind my back in a hold that was secure but not painful and pressed our bodies together.
Then I leaned close and whispered in her ear, "You know, Momo, I've been thinking... for someone so smart, you're really bad at recognizing when you've already won."
She tensed. "What do you mean?"
"You've already captured my heart," I whispered. "Compared to that, this match doesn't matter at all."
Her face turned completely red. "I—you—that's—" She stammered.
"I forfeit," she finally managed. "You win, Kaminari-kun."
I released her hands and stepped back while grinning.
As she walked off the stage, she turned back briefly. "You're a complete pervert, you know that?"
"Every man becomes a pervert when he meets the girl he likes," I called back.
She blushed even harder and quickly left the arena.
'Mission accomplished: Win the match AND make her fall hard. I hit bullseye of two birds with one stone.'
Later comes the third Final Match: Eijirou Kirishima VS Izuku Midoriya.
This match was legitimately intense. Eijiro's enhanced hardening—thanks to years of training hitting reinforced metals—made him way more durable than canon.
Midoriya had to use progressively higher percentages of Full Cowling just to make an impact.
15%... 20%... 30%.
Finally, at 100% concentrated in one arm—the same bone-breaking technique he'd relied on before mastering his Quirk—Midoriya delivered a devastating punch that shattered through Eijiro's hardening and sent him flying out of bounds.
Both fighters collapsed afterward, exhausted but satisfied.
"WINNER: MIDORIYA IZUKU!"
'That's a Good fight. Both of them pushed their limits.'
Then comes the fourth Final Match: Ochaco Uraraka VS Katsuki Bakugo.
This played out almost exactly like canon. Uraraka tried her meteor strategy—using her Quirk on debris created by Bakugo when he used his quirk to blast her out of bounds throughout the fight, then dropping it all at once.
Bakugo countered with a massive explosion that destroyed all the floating rubble simultaneously. Then he closed in and knocked her out of bounds.
"WINNER: BAKUGO KATSUKI!"
Bakugo looked at me immediately after winning, that vicious smirk returning.
'Oh, he's excited. He thinks his next match is against me next. Sweet summer child, you're going to be so disappointed when reality hits.'
...
[Third Person POV - Hidden Meeting Room, Deep Within UA]
Long before the final competition resumed, a secret meeting had already begun in a secure conference room buried deep within UA's administrative section.
"Why were we all called here?" Endeavor demanded, flames flickering along his shoulders. His tone was impatient, annoyed at being pulled away from watching the Sports Festival.
Seated around a circular table were, Principal Nezu, All Might (in his muscular form), Aizawa Shouta,.Endeavor (radiating heat and irritation), Best Jeanist (impeccably styled as always), Hawks, Snipe, Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa and Several high-ranking police officers
Nezu folded his paws calmly on the table, his dark eyes gleaming with that characteristic unsettling intelligence.
"We are gathered here because I have an important announcement to make. As you all know, approximately two weeks ago, UA was attacked by an organization calling themselves the League of Villains."
Hawks raised an eyebrow. "And? We already know this. What's the update?"
Nezu explained the attack in detail—the teleportation Quirk that bypassed security, the coordinated assault, the creature called Nomu that was designed to combat All Might.
"We've interrogated the captured villains," Detective Tsukauchi added. "Most provided limited information, but we've confirmed the organization's name and identified their apparent leader: Shigaraki Tomura."
"But there's more," All Might said gravely, his skeletal hands clenched on the table. "Evidence suggests this may be connected to one of the most dangerous criminals in history."
"Who?" Best Jeanist asked.
"All For One," All Might said quietly.
The room went silent and several heroes shifted uncomfortably.
"That's impossible," Endeavor said flatly. "You defeated All For One years ago. He's dead."
"I thought so too," All Might admitted. "But the Nomu—the creature with multiple Quirks—only All For One had the ability to give and take Quirks at will. If someone is creating beings with multiple Quirks..."
"Then either All For One survived," Nezu finished, "or someone has inherited his ability. Either scenario is catastrophic."
Hawks leaned forward, his casual demeanor dropping completely. "So what's the plan? We can't just wait for them to attack again."
Nezu's expression became something close to a satisfied smile—the kind that made people nervous. "We're not waiting but we're striking first."
He pulled out a tablet and displayed a map with a single location marked. "Thanks to young Kaminari's suggestion, we planted a tracker on Shigaraki Tomura during his capture and subsequent escape."
"A tracker?" Endeavor frowned. "How? They would've detected any standard technology."
"Not standard technology," Nezu explained. "We used the Quirk of a support hero named Sora, whose ability allows him to temporarily convert inorganic objects into organic matter. We converted a micro-tracker into organic tissue and implanted it during Shigaraki's brief time in custody."
"Surgically implanted where?" Snipe asked.
Nezu took a delicate sip of his tea. Then began laughing—that high-pitched, slightly manic laugh that made everyone in the room uncomfortable.
"We implanted it... internally. Through the digestive tract. Specifically, we placed it where it would be... expelled naturally after approximately two weeks, at which point it would send a final location signal before self-destructing."
The room went completely silent as the implications sank in.
"You put a tracker up his—" Hawks started.
"YES!" Nezu's laugh intensified. "And it worked PERFECTLY! The tracker sent its final signal this morning before being disposed of through natural waste processes! We have their hideout location!"
Every single person at the table shifted uncomfortably.
Aizawa looked like he wanted to be literally anywhere else. Best Jeanist's perfect composure cracked slightly. Even Endeavor seemed disturbed.
Detective Tsukauchi cleared his throat. "While the methodology is... concerning... the results are undeniable. We've confirmed the location through surveillance. Multiple League members have been spotted at the coordinates."
"So we raid," Hawks said, recovering first. "When?"
"Tomorrow," Nezu said, his expression becoming serious. "We hit them fast, hard, and without warning. The element of surprise is our greatest advantage."
All Might nodded. "If All For One is truly alive and involved, we need overwhelming force. We can't afford mistakes."
"Agreed," Endeavor said grudgingly. "I'll bring my full agency support."
"This mission is strictly need-to-know," Tsukauchi warned. "No leaks. If the League discovers we're coming, they'll scatter."
"Understood," the heroes responded in unison.
Nezu's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Then it's settled. Tomorrow, we end the League of Villains."
He raised his teacup in a mock toast. "And we have young Kaminari to thank for the strategic brilliance of tracker placement. Though I'm certain he'll never know the full details of our... methodology."
Several people at the table simultaneously decided they would never, ever tell Kaminari where exactly that tracker had been hidden. Some things were better left unsaid.