The tournament bracket moved forward relentlessly. The matches following Monoma's dramatic collapse unfolded exactly as expected.
My next match in the first round against Ibaraki from Class 1-B lasted a mere two seconds. Her vines didn't even have time to touch the surface of the ring before a flash of speed and a lightly directed pressure of Ruler's Authority swept her far beyond the ring boundaries.
The other matches proceeded in a similar vein—Bakugo mercilessly blasted Uraraka away, Iida outsprinted Hatsume, and Tokoyami with his Dark Shadow completely dominated his opponents.
Yet all of this was merely a prelude to the match the entire stadium was waiting for—one that would forever change the dynamics of our class.
Izuku Midoriya versus Shoto Todoroki.
I stood on the Class 1-A viewing platform, leaning against the railing with my hands in my pockets. Beside me, the entire class watched the arena with bated breath.
"Mephisto... do you think Midoriya has a chance?" Uraraka asked quietly, fear in her eyes. "Todoroki is unimaginably strong."
"There's always a chance," I replied in a calm voice.
Down in the ring, the match had just begun.
KRAAAASH!
Without hesitation, Todoroki unleashed a massive wave of ice. Instead of shattering the ice with a raw shockwave, green lightning crackled across Midoriya's body in an instant.
BZZZZZZZT!
By properly distributing a percentage of his power across his entire body, Midoriya leaped into the air like lightning, kicked off the side of the ice wall, and circled around Todoroki's defense at full speed. Todoroki turned his head in shock, but Midoriya was already right beside him.
FUMMMM!
A controlled strike utilizing a low percentage of power struck Todoroki in the ribs, knocking him back several meters. No broken bones, no blood dripping from his own fingers—just pure, fluid speed and absolute control.
Midoriya wove through the spires of ice at full speed and stood directly before Todoroki. Instead of delivering a devastating blow, he grabbed Todoroki by the collar and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Why aren't you using your left side?!" Midoriya roared. "Everyone in our class knows what you're holding back! You know how hard we've been working since day one to master our abilities! And you stand there trying to beat me with only half of yours?! You're only giving me half?!"
"My father is a monster," Todoroki growled, his voice trembling with rage for the first time. "I will never use his fire! I'll prove to him that I don't need him to win!"
"BUT THAT'S YOUR POWER! NOT HIS!"
Those words struck the ring like a meteorite.
Todoroki froze. Something broke inside his eyes. The memory of his mother, his childhood, and the trauma that bound him in chains.
BZZZZZZZT!
Out of nowhere, the left side of Todoroki's body ignited. A giant, blinding column of pure, orange-red flames shot up toward the roof of the stadium. The heat was so extreme that even the spectators in the front rows had to jump back and cover their faces. Endeavor, up in the heroes' box, began laughing wildly and shouting in triumph.
"Interesting..." Agron muttered in my mind. "That green-haired boy forced his opponent to shatter his own mental seals through his stable power. His elementalism has finally achieved balance."
"HERE IT IS!" Present Mic screamed. "Todoroki has finally activated his fire side!"
Both opponents faced each other. Todoroki shrouded in fire and ice, Midoriya enveloped in the green lightning of a controlled strike, ready to pour everything into one final clash.
"Thank you, Midoriya," Todoroki muttered, his eye gleaming with fire.
"STOP! IT'LL KILL THEM!" Midnight shrieked, rushing with Cementoss to raise giant cement walls between the two boys.
It was a futile effort.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The collision of fire, ice, and a fully directed strike triggered an explosion of such force that the shockwave nearly blew away the commentary booth. The giant cement barricades crumbled into dust, and thick smoke shrouded the stadium.
When the dust settled after several long seconds, the entire arena fell silent.
Midoriya lay just beyond the ring boundary, exhausted and scorched by the intense heat. Todoroki stood on the edge of the ring, his shirt burned to ash, with residual heat still radiating from his left side. He was breathing heavily, but he managed to stay on his feet inside the ring.
"Izuku Midoriya is out of bounds!" Midnight announced with an awestruck expression. "The winner is... SHOTO TODOROKI!"
The stadium erupted into an incredible roar.
I smirked slightly and turned to leave the platform. My semifinal match against Tokoyami was approaching. Todoroki had just unlocked his full potential, and the next round promised a battle of shadows against shadows.