Chapter 49: "I see it now, Midoriya…"
"There you are." Enji Todoroki had been having a frustrating day. Between that fool All Might attempting to play friendly with him and his stubborn son's rebellious phase making him refuse to use his Quirk at its full potential, he could feel his patience being tested. But he was a patient man, he had waited for his masterpiece to be born, he had waited for his body and power to mature to this point, and he would wait for him to realize his destiny. Especially now that he'd found the perfect rival for his son.
"Endeavor. Why are you here?" Izuku Midoriya was the boy's name if he remembered correctly. Enji had been watching him closely thus far. He was the one who had managed to remain one step ahead of Shoto the entirety of the Sports Festival thus far, he was most certainly a cut above the rest of the rif raft that he and his son called classmates.
Enji raised a finger to point at the boy. From where he stood on the staircase, he actually had to point upwards, the boy's position almost giving the illusion that he was above him, a fact that vexed the Number Two Hero for some reason, "You have quite the Quirk, boy. Being able to smash those robots, propel yourself through the air, even getting my Shoto to use his flames for a split second. You may not look like him, but your power is the spitting image of All Might's even with its peculiarities like that purple smoke you produce at times."
The Midoriya boy's features remained unflinching as he simply continued to stare Enji down, something about that bothering the man in a way he couldn't discern. He crossed his arms and resumed talking, "I won't ask what your personal relationship is with the one man who stands above me, because frankly it makes little difference. My Shoto will be the one to surpass All Might, facing you will be the perfect test to finally get him to use his left side." When the boy didn't immediately respond, Enji turned and prepared to leave. "Apologies for the bluntness, best of luck out th-"
"You really are his father, aren't you?"
Enji paused, surprised to hear the boy finally say something to him, "Pardon?"
With his gaze remaining in the same neutral expression of displeasure that it'd been since this conversation had started, the Midoriya boy continued to talk, "I see the way you act, the way you regard others, and it reminds me all too much of your son."
Enji raised an eyebrow at that, "Well it would only be logical that a parent and child would be similar to one another."
"I just find it so deeply ironic." Replied Midoriya. "Given how little he wishes to be associated with you that he stubbornly refuses to use the power he inherited from you, in spite of the risk such a thing is to himself and those around him."
Enji's frown deepened as he glared up at the boy. What had Shoto told him…?
Midoriya closed his eyes and took a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth. When he opened his eyes, Enji saw a look in the boy's eyes that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It took all his willpower to resist his instincts as a Hero to use his Quirk to apprehend this boy, something inside him believing that he was a genuine threat for a half a second, before calming down and reminding himself that he was just a child.
"I wonder, Number Two Hero, do you truly believe that you are above consequences?" Asked Midoriya, making Enji's eyes widen for a brief moment before he returned to the usual glare he wore in his face. "Do you think that the things you've done won't catch up to you? Sure you've saved countless people and stopped countless villains, but I wonder if any of that will matter when your true nature comes to light."
Was this boy attempting to threaten him!? "Listen here you-" He started to say, only to blink and for Midoriya to be out of view. His eyes darted downwards to see the green haired teen, whose head didn't even reach his shoulders, walking past him without even taking the time to look at him.
Once he moved past him, Midoriya spoke again, without even bothering to face Enji this time. "Watch me, Endeavor. Watch me be the one to save your son. Both from himself, and from you."
Enji couldn't even say anything as he watched the boy walk away, his fists at his side gripped so tightly that his arms trembled and his jaw clenched so hard he was at risk of cracking his teeth.
"Ooooh that flaming fuck face! I wish I had a body so I could fuckin' drop kick him in the teeth! Let's see if he can maintain that ugly ass fire beard when he's bleeding from his nose and mouth!"
Izuku had been listening to Seventh's tirade for a while now. She was feeling very… passionate about her opinions towards Endeavor. Frankly Izuku shared the sentiment. He may admire Heroes but something about the way that flaming sack of shit spoke made him want to Detroit Smash the guy so hard he became nothing but a smear on the wall before running of to the sink to wash his hands to cleanse himself of having touched the man.
"How heroic…"
"Fuck off Third! You of all people should be in the same page as us after hearing the shit that man put his family through."
"Dial it back woman. Honestly if you scream any louder you might actually give the kid an aneurysm."
'Is that even possible?' Wondered Izuku. He heard Third chuckle.
"We could always find out? It could make for some interesting Quirk Analysis."
Against his better judgement, Izuku started pulling out a notebook, but a quick spectral smack to the back of his head from Eighth convinced him to put it away and focus on the task at hand.
"Speaking of the task at hand, I'd just like to once again reiterate that I think you're insane."
"I thought you of all people would be up for this idea?"
"Oh I am, don't get me wrong. Doesn't make the kid less insane for coming up with it."
'Thank you for the vote of confidence, Fifth.' Deadpanned Izuku, making the old man laugh.
"You can do it Izuku, I believe in you. We all do."
"Just don't sacrifice your win because you're dead set on 'saving' that stubborn edgelord."
"Hark? Is that a man standing in a glass house I see in the distance? He seems to be preparing to throw something! It couldn't be a stone could it?"
"…"
Izuku could practically feel Second vanish back into One for All.
"Good riddance, that'll hopefully spare us from listening to his damn voice for at least a couple weeks."
Izuku sighed and shook his head as he entered the stadium.
"Hope you folks are ready for things to really get kicked into high gear!" Announced Present Mic. "We're starting off big with the two leading lads of this Festival! The top two placers of the Preliminaries, as well as the team leaders of two of the four teams to clear the Cavalry Battle! From the Eastern Entrance, we've got the Superpower Power House whose only match to his brawn is his brain, Izuku Midoriya! And from the Western Entrance it's the son of Japan's Number Two Hero, half hot, half cold, and all powerful, it's Shoto Todoroki!"
At the mention of his father, Izuku saw Shoto make a face like he'd bitten into a lemon. He could also see his right arm and leg shivering, frost coating his skin and clothing.
"You're looking a little cold there, Shoto." Said Izuku with his arms crossed. "Maybe you should start a fire to warm yourself up."
Shoto glared at him, "The only 'fire' you'll be seeing is me firing enough ice to send you right off this arena."
Izuku sighed, "Alright, have it your way." He turned to their teacher. "We're ready, Miss Midnight."
Midnight frowned slightly before nodding her head and raising her whip into the air. "Alright, if you boys are ready…"
"Theeen Fiiight!" Instructed Present Mic.
The moment Midnight brought her whip down, Izuku started running straight for Shoto, a determined look on his face.
Shoto responded by adjusting his footing a little and sending ice his way.
"Alright kid, showtime."
The audience, including Ochako and everyone else sitting in the 1A booth waited with bated breath as Deku and the ice clashed. For a moment it seemed like Deku had vanished, had he been knocked out of bounds and they just couldn't see it?
Their concerns were quelled however, as they suddenly saw Deku parkour his way over the top of the ice and begin sliding down it.
"Woo! A close one! Midoriya was just barely able to avoid being taken out thanks to some quick thinking and quicker feet. Probably would've been more effective to use those air blasts though, right Eraser?"
"Hmmm… yes, you'd think that…"
Ochako's squinted at the arena, something felt wrong here but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Shoto's eyes narrowed as he created more ice, generating pillars from the ramp he'd created for Izuku.
"Huh, Eraser isn't that ice super cold? How the heck is Midoriya touching it with his bare hands with no issues?"
"Because his hands aren't bare. Look at them, and then look at his gym uniform."
"Look at… wait, those are strips of fabric wrapped around his palms and fingers, where did he- wait are you saying he ripped off strips of his uniform to use as protection for his skin!?"
"Yup."
"Huh… I thought his pants seemed weirdly shorter than usual…"
However, in spite of Shoto's various attacks, Izuku was fast enough to evade being struck by them. "Funny thing about attending Aldera as a Quirkless." He said as he reached the base, standing up and charging at Shoto, his fist raised. "It gives you lots of practice avoiding people trying to hit you!"
"Thank god you're visiting a therapist."
Shoto jumped backwards, just barely avoiding Izuku's fist connecting with the side of his head. He kept jumping backwards as Izuku's assault continued.
He swung his hand, sending more ice towards Izuku's feet, but Izuku was faster, leaping into the air and tucking his legs in fast enough that the ice simply passed under him before he landed a punch that Shoto only barely blocked with his left arm before staggering back.
"Huh… Eraser, correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't Midoriya's punches be doing a lot more thanks to his Quirk?"
"They would be doing more… if he wasn't so clearly adamant against using his Quirk since the moment this fight started."
"…Eh?"
"Mic, Midoriya hasn't used his Quirk a single time since the match has started. He's currently fighting the son of the Number Two Hero Quirkless."
"…EH!?"
"That crazy fuckin' jackass." Growled Bakugou as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Always shoving his nose into other people's business."
Ochako looked over at him, "Wait, you don't mean…?" Bakugou nodded his head. Ochako turned to look back at the arena. "Oh, Deku…" She said worriedly.
"What're you two on about?" Asked Sero suspiciously.
"Couldn't say." Grunted Bakugou.
Izuku keeps up the pursuit, refusing to give Shoto the time to breathe, the time to counter. The two toned teen specialized in ranged combat, he relied on playing a game of keep away with his opponent, not letting them get close and simply overwhelming them with powerful ranged attacks. That had worked for him so far but it was also, ironically enough, burning him out, given how slow his body had begun in contrast to the start of the race.
In all honesty Izuku was amazed the guy could even stand with how cold his body had become at this point.
The guy looked like he was in pain, a fact that made Izuku have to push down the bile forming in the back of his throat. He had to keep pushing, if he faltered now it'd all be for nothing.
"Don't blame yourself for this Izuku. It's called a necessary evil. If you don't slap the boy awake then you're allowing future calamity to occur. Keep moving forward, you can do this!"
Shoto let out a choked cough as his fist made contact with his left ribs, sending him onto his back.
Izuku watched in silence as his opponent staggered and struggled back to his feet.
"Are you being serious right now?" Asked Izuku, a look of frustration and contempt on his face as he watched the pitiful state that Shoto was in, that he was allowing himself to be in thanks to his own self destructive idiocy. "I thought you were supposed to be the strongest? The one who was so special thanks to his Quirk. The one who bested nearly everyone in the Q.A.T, the one who won his match in an instant during the Battle Trials, the one who defeated countless villains alone at the U.S.J, the one who was so sure that he had what it takes to call himself a rival of mine."
Shoto looked up, a look of desperation and frustration on his face.
"And yet, after all the struggling and all the walls I climbed to get into the school and to get a grip on my Quirk, I'm beating the supposedly strongest kid in class without even using the damn thing!?"
"Hey, this damn Quirk has feelings y'know!"
"Not the time, Fifth!"
Izuku is barely able to register the next attack before his body instinctively moves, the underside of his bright red shoe stomping into Shoto's face, causing the ice attack to misfire. Izuku hisses in pain as part of his left arm gets frozen over in a thin sheet of ice, one he'd have a hard time removing without usage of his Quirk.
Shoto sways slightly, a trickle of blood leaking down and over his lips.
"Ugh, could you be any slower?" Groaned Izuku in frustration as he gripped his frozen arm, doing his best to melt the ice with his own body heat. "Your entire body is literally freezing up because you're too stubborn to use your flames to warm yourself back up!"
Shoto snarls, and Izuku coughs violently when he suddenly dashes forward and smashes his knee into his stomach. "You heard me, Midoriya!" Izuku's ears ring as he tries to ignore the all too familiar burning of vomit rising in the back of his throat. "I told you, I'm going to climb over you with my right side alone."
"Great job so far." Izuku chokes out.
"I don't need," Another blow to the ribs, met with a punch to the side of the head from Izuku, "that bastard's power!" Izuku ducks a right hook and aims a punch at Todoroki's stomach, but his classmate braces himself for it. "I'm going to climb to the top without it!"
Izuku's crouched low at this point, and when he thrusts himself upward, his forehead meets Shoto's chin. It hurts like hell, but judging by the choking sound his opponent's making, he made his classmate bite his tongue. "Without his power…?" He snaps back.
"Don't do something careless."
"Keep pushing! Give that brat the left, right, goodnight if that's what it takes!"
"You're kidding me, right? It's a little late to be saying that, don't you think?" Asked Izuku as he coughed into his elbow a couple of times.
Shoto glared as teeth continued to leak from his nose and lips, "I will not-"
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Izuku yells, as Shoto turns to head to spit out bloody saliva. "Remind me again… which one of us got in on whose recommendation again?"
Shoto stares at him in shock before lashing out. Izuku's just barely able to tilt his head to the side in time to avoid taking an icy punch straight to the eye, he felt a trickle of blood leak from the gash in his cheek. Izuku planted his feet firmly on the ground as he reared his own fist back, "Let's see you grit those teeth!" He shouted before punching Shoto right in the cheek, sending the guy flying a good couple of feet away, though not before creating a burst of ice from the ground that slammed Izuku in the stomach, knocking him back too, putting a decent amount of distance between them both as they found themselves on opposite sides of the arena once more, though it could hardly be said they'd gone back to square one given the blood coming out of both their faces and the way their breathing was so labored.
"Deku…" Said Ochako softly as she watched him continue to struggle, continue to strain himself all so he could save someone from himself, from the dark place he had become trapped in. Gritting her teeth, she stood up and shouted into the stadium, "C'mon Deku! I know you can do it!"
"Uraraka, ribbit?" Said Tsu, surprised by the outburst, that surprise was compounded when Bakugou stood up too, "Bakuchan?"
"Hurry up Deku! Wipe the floor with this smug bastard already!" Shouted Izuku's rival.
They weren't the only ones to stand either, over in the Class H section, Hatsume took a stand too and shouted, "Do it Izuku! Show them all why you're the one who's going to become the best! You're here to win, right!?"
Class B's President joined in too, much to the shock of her classmates, "Midoriya! After everything you've done to come this far you better not be planning to throw in the towel just yet!"
"Midoriya!" Shouted Shinso from Class C's seats. "You got me to trust in you and give it my all, so I'm trusting you to do the same dammit!"
"Woah, what's this!? The various first years are raising their voices to cheer on Midoriya! What great friends he's got, don't you think Eraser?"
Izuku let out a grunt as he forced himself to stand once more, the cheers of the friends he'd made echoing as more and more people joined in, "Ochako… Kacchan… Mei… Sero, Iida, Shinso, Tsu, the students of Class B, each of us has given our all to come this far, fought and scratched and clawed our way to the top sixteen, to fight with everything we have in this tournament, and then there's your dumbass who refuses to take shit seriously, do you get why this pisses me off so much!? You think you're so far above everyone, well now you're getting your shit rocked by a guy who's fighting Quirkless, still think you have what it takes to be Number One!?"
Shoto spat out some blood before standing. "You… I won't give him what he wants… I refuse to let my father-"
"Forget your Father!" Shouted Izuku angrily. "He's not the one I'm fighting! You are!" Shoto stared at him with wide eyes as he continued to speak. He could practically hear Seventh in the back of his mind as their desire to save this sad, lonely boy resonated, "Don't you get it! You don't have to be a prisoner of your lineage! It's your Quirk, not his, so use it! Become the person you want to be!"
It seems those words were the ones that Shoto finally needed to hear, as suddenly steam began to emanate from the left side of his face, his breathing began to accelerate, until he eventually let out a shout and exploded into a glorious inferno.
"Woah! Is that-!?"
Izuku stared in awe. "You helped your opponent…" Said Shoto quietly, his voice just barely being heard over the flames. "You fool, even though you wanted to win this battle, now which one of us is screwing around…?" He took a moment to stare at his left hand, which was coated in fire, before looking back at Izuku. "I do want it, Midoriya. I'll be a hero!"
Izuku couldn't help but smile. He was pretty sure he could hear Endeavor shouting something in the background, but honestly he couldn't care less.
"Why are you smiling like that…?" Wondered Shoto, "You just made this battle impossible to win… you must be crazy."
Izuku could hear Seventh giggling in the back of his mind as he continued to grin at Shoto, "Oh trust me, I'm completely insane."
His opponent couldn't help by smirk a little at that, "Hmph, well, don't blame me for whatever happens next." Shoto stomped down, generating a massive amount of ice from his right side while the flames on his left seemed to burn even brighter.
Izuku crouched down, charging One for All up for the first time since this battle began, unaware of a pink energy forming beneath him as he leapt while simultaneously flicking his fingers to propel himself even further and faster. He made sure to angle his jump in a way that allowed him to avoid the onslaught of ice, while Shoto charged up all his flames into a singular point. 'Gotta get close as possible, and give it everything! Come at us with your full power Shoto!"
"I see it now, Midoriya…" Said Shoto softly. "Thank you…"
"SMAAASH!" Shouted Izuku as fist met flames, and the entire arena seemed to explode.
Shoto had to admit, losing had never felt so good…
Chapter 50: "Oh… hello there Shiozaki."
The resulting shockwave of the clash could be felt through the entire stadium, various members of 1A needed to either hold on for dear life, or be held onto for dear life.
"WOAH, HOLY CRAP!" Cried Mineta fearfully as his arms flailed, Shouji holding onto his ankle being the only thing preventing him from being blasted away.
"THIS IS INSANE!" Cried Kaminari as he shielded his face to protect it from the wind.
Ochako held onto the ledge of Class A's booth, determined to remain on her feet to the end. Bakugou was standing right beside her, though he only had one hand on the ledge while the other was hugging Tsuyu to his body, who held onto him for dear life, his own focus was set squarely on the stadium though.
"What's… happening down there!?" Asked Yaoyorozu as she used a metal pole she created to anchor herself to the ground while Jirou held onto her tightly.
Thankfully they got their answer as the wind finally began to die down and the smoke slowly began to clear. "What the-!?" Exclaimed Present Mic as he was struggling to stand back up himself. "What's with your class!?"
"All that chilled air that had been created from Todoroki using ice nonstop was heated in an instant, making it expand. Couple that with Midoriya's own Quirk adding fuel to the fire and you see the results." Explained Aizawa-Sensei.
Present Mic groaned, "What a blast it was! But the smoke's starting to clear and I think I can see the results now!"
True to Present Mic's words, the arena and one of its fighters was now visible, that being Todoroki, who was off the arena and had his back pressed against the wall next to the Western entrance, his breathing heavy and an exhausted look on his face.
"There you have it folks! Todoroki's out of bounds! That means that Midoriya… Midoryia…"Present Mic trailed off as he noticed something off. "Eraser, where's Midorya?"
True to his word, Deku was missing.The crowd began to look around as they frantically tried to figure out what had become of Class A's President.
Suddenly a laugh could be heard from the crowd. "Aaahahaha! No way!" Exclaimed a teal haired Pro Hero wearing an orange bandana as she pointed into the air. "Check that out everyone!"
"What th- check what ou- oh my god." Said Present Mic as everyone began looking where she was pointing. It was Deku, hovering in the air limply, not moving as he simply drifted through the air, his eyes closed. "Is.. is… Is Midoriya FLYING!?"
"I'd call that more 'floating' if I'm being entirely honest." Said Aizawa-Sensei, something about the teacher's tone made it sound like what he said had been clever... "I think he's stuck up there though, someone should go get him down."
"I'm on it!" Said Ochako as she quickly used her Quirk on herself and leapt into the air, angling her jump just right so that she'd float right towards Deku. Little did she realize that not so secret third person would be joining her up there, as she heard the sound of an engine swiftly approaching as she reached Deku.
In perfect unison, both she and Hatsume both reached out and grabbed one of Deku's hands. Ochako looked over at Hatsume, who simply grinned at her in return. "Great minds think alike, huh?" She asked.
Ochako looked at the inventor in confusion for a moment, before noticing the jetpack on her back and that the boots she had on seemed to have an "extendable stilts" function. Very useful for grabbing things out of the air she supposed.
Ochako stared at Hatsume in silence for a moment before sighing and responding, "I guess so." She then looked around. "Ok, in all honesty, I didn't really think about how I was going to get Deku down from here."
"Leave that to me!" Said Hatsume with a thumbs up. "When I give the signal, release your Quirk. I'll do the same with my baby. Our combined body weight should theoretically be enough to counterbalance the effects of Izuku's Quirk."
"'Theoretically?'" Asked Ochako worriedly.
Hatsume stared at her for a moment before replying, "Do you know what the max weight his Quirk can carry is? I'm just operating under the assumption that it's meant to primarily carry his own weight."
Ochako sighed, "Unfortunately this is my first time seeing him use his Quirk like this."
Hatsume nodded her head, "Well then, here's hoping for the best. Ready?"
Ochako resisted the urge to sigh again, instead nodding her head and saying, "Ready."
"Release!" Shouted both girls in unison as Ochako let gravity reclaim her while Hatsume withdrew the stilts back into her boots.
Gravity immediately grabbed them both and began pulling downwards, slowly pulling them, and Deku, back down to ground level. As they got down to the arena, they could hear Midnight speak to them, "Excellent teamwork girls, we'll take it from here."
"Is he… alright?" The sound of Todoroki's voice made Ochako jump a little in surprise.
She and Hatsume turned to see the dual Quirk user standing behind them, a concerned look on his face and the left half of his gym uniform missing. It must've gotten incinerated in that final attack. Midnight placed two fingers on Deku's neck before smiling at the three teens, "He's fine, just resting a little bit." She frowned as a contemplative look crossed her features as she looked between Todoroki, then Deku, before she suddenly pulled her whip and raised it into the air. "Since Midoriya never actually landed out of bounds, I will be declaring him this Match's winner!" She announced. Ochako and Hatsume both smiled at that declaration, Todoroki let out a pleased huff too.
The three students walked with their teacher as she took him to Recovery Girl's office to rest. Once there, the nurse needed a moment to process the fact that the teen was presently floating in the air in spite of being unconscious, before sighing and motioning towards one of her beds. When Midnight finished positioning Deku above the bed, Recovery girl approached with a blanket and handed it to the teacher, asking her to put it over the boy. Once Midnight followed the instructions, Izuku immediately was pulled downwards onto the bed, much to the students' confusion.
"Weighted Blanket." Elaborated Recovery Girl.
"Let me be your pupil." That was what that blond brat had said and was continuing to say as he followed after her like a lost puppy. "Let me assist you."
She scoffed, "Without a Quirk? Ridiculous. Now quit following me."
"Please. I mean it." He said stubbornly as he just kept walking behind her.
"Go defend a three meter radius with that rusty pipe of yours. Good luck." There, that was something for him to do to help.
"My family was killed a while back."
"Mine too. But I don't have the luxury to join your little quest for vengeance." She felt bad for the kid, but she had her own responsibilities as the Seventh.
He stopped walking, "I just can't accept a world… where those who take from others come out on top."She stopped too, deactivating Float and dropping onto her feet. "And then, those who've had everything stolen.. Their grief turns to hatred, in an endless spiraling cycle."
She looked at him over her shoulder, "Yeah, and what's your solution?" Her eyes widened, something about the look on his face making her pause.
"I want to make the world a place where everyone can live with a smile." He said calmly. "And for that… the world needs a symbol."
"A symbol of what?" She asked softly, her hair blowing in the wind and partially obscuring her features.
"Of peace." He replied. "Even with plenty of new buildings… and visible restoration efforts… people have been living in fear for a while now. Their hearts and minds are shrouded in darkness."
She stared at him quietly for a moment before asking, "So you would put on a grand display of power?"
"Everyone's got a tough enough time with their own three foot radius." He replied with a smirk, showing off the fact that he was capable of being a smartass. "So yes, I would step up." His smile then became far gentler. "A Quirkless guy like me… has no role otherwise."
Oh… honestly she had to admit, there was something about this kid she liked, "You got a name, punk?"
"Yagi. Toshinori Yagi." He replied politely.
She grinned and pointed a thumb at herself. "Most know me as the Pro Hero Nimbus. You, kid? You can just call me Nana Shimura…"
Nana had been confident that she, Toshinori, and Sorahiko would be able to hold their ground against All for One.
First, Second, and Third had their doubts, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth had faith, Seventh lacked the experience to make a judgement call so she could only hope for the best.
The original trio of One for All's users proved to be the correct ones, as the Demon King began to overwhelm the trio of Heroes. Seventh could only stare in silent Despair as her living self was slowly beginning to lose ground against the greatest villain the world had ever known.
Seventh could only stare in shock through Toshinori's eyes as Nana just barely pushed him to safety, only to feel Sorahiko's arms wrap around him.
"Tch, looks like that's another one…"
"I leave the rest to you, Sorahiko." Said Nana, looking over her shoulder at her friend and Toshinori, managing to hold onto a smile even as blood leaked down her face.
"MASTER!" Cried Toshinori as Sorahiko fled with him in tow. "MASTER!!!"
"Dammit… I'm sorry Seventh…"
"Don't apologize to me… I made the choice to take up the torch, it was inevitable that I'd eventually burn out with it too…"
"Make your dream come true! All Might!" Shouted Nana as she gripped her fist. "I leave the rest to you…!"
Whatever final words All for One had to say to Nana, Seventh never got to hear them over the sound of Sorahiko's feet taking him and her successor away as swiftly as possible, before the battlefield became engulfed in a brilliant light…
The sound of air jets and impacts could be heard as their training progressed. "No matter what city, that guy's grimy fingers reach everywhere!" Said Sorahiko as his sparring match with Toshinori progressed. "If you can't keep up, you'll get killed by him too!"
"Harsh."
"But true."
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" Shouted Toshinori, only to take a punch square to the jaw.
"You call yourself the 'Symbol of Peace' right!?"Demanded Sorahiko as he pinned Toshinori to the ground. "Your enemy is a monster who's been alive for over one hundred years, it's impossible…"
"My master fought with the last of the fire within her…" Said Toshinori as he attempted to stand back up, his voice struggling to not tremble. "If I am the holder of One for All, I can at least…!"
"It was too early for her to lose to some old timer."Said Sorahiko quietly as he bit into a biscuit.
"She sacrificed her own family to raise One for All, she was a real Hero…"
"You're her successor."
"I thought of her as my own mother." Sobbed Toshinori.
"Oh… Toshinori…"
Even if he could not feel her… even if he could not hear her cries… she shed tears all the same and embraced her student with her spectral arms. Even if her body was gone… she would not ever abandon her successor, she failed to watch over her family, she wouldn't fail this time.
Even when he left for America to continue training, and continued to grieve over his loss, even when he eventually returned and debuted as All Might, and climbed his way to the position of Number One Hero, even when he eventually fought All for One, and lost a lung but still managed to take the bastard's head clean off, much to the excited cheers of her and the majority of the other vestiges, even when he found his own successor and began training him, she stayed his side all the while.
"Because that's what a mother does…"
When Izuku's eyes opened, tears were slowly flowing down his face. Those memories… He had seen the day Nimbus met Yagi-Sensei, and the day she witnessed her own death. So many memories… so much pain that she had endured for the sake of One for All.
"I made my choice, and I'd make it again in a heartbeat, that's what it means to be a Hero, right?" Said Seventh with a weak smile.
"But, why…?" Wondered Izuku. "Why did those memories come to me now?"
Seventh raised an eyebrow at him. "What, didn't you notice? You've got Float now. Guess both of us wanting to save that poor kid from himself managed to wake it up. Not entirely sure what happened to your body once you used it, but you'll probably need to wake up soon, unless you want to risk missing out on the finals."
Izuku nodded his head, "You're right, I'd love to stay and talk but I definitely need to get going." He turned as he prepared to… leave? Could he simply walk out of whatever this place was and wake up? He couldn't be sure, the inside dream world of a Quirk probably had a very unique set of rules. Regardless, before departing he decided to look over his shoulder at Seventh and give her a weak smile. "All things considered, I think you did an amazing job raising Yagi-Sensei, and I'm sure both he and Eighth feel the same way."
Seventh let out an affectionate scoff, "That's sweet of you to say… now get going ya runt! You've got a Sports Festival to win!"
Izuku turned and faced forward as he resumed walking away, raising his hand to give a thumbs up as he departed from the realm of the vestiges back to reality.
Seventh smiled as she watched him go, sighing as she pressed the back of her head against the chair she sat on. "I hope you're right, Izuku. After all the mistakes I made, I like to imagine I got at least one thing right when it came to being Toshinori's predecessor…"
Izuku inhaled sharply as his eyes opened, faced with the familiar sight of the ceiling of Recovery Girl's Office. "Been a while since I had you in here as a patient, and it was for something arguably just as reckless too." Said the nurse, some mild amusement in her voice.
Izuku chuckled at the light jab sent his way, only to be startled as he felt a pair of hands grab his arm and start shaking him. "You can float now too!?" Demanded Mei, her crosshair eyes staring at his face intently.
"Oh, uh… surprise…?" He said weakly.
Mei crossed her arms and sat down. "Well, I suppose that jetpack baby I planned to give you will be a bit redundant now…" She huffed.
"Sorry." Said Izuku softly, feeling bad at making her upset.
Mei said nothing at first, simply staring at him. Then she reached out and pinched his cheek.
"Ow, hey!" Said Izuku as he tried to pull his head away from her grasp.
"Hatsume, why?" Asked Ochako in exasperation.
"Look at his freckled cheeks!" Replied Mei, gesturing at Izuku. "Don't they look super soft and squishy to you?"
Ochako looked at Izuku, and before the boy could protest, she reached over and started pinching his other cheek, with Mei doing the same.
Izuku took a slow breath in through his nose and out through his mouth as both girls had their fun, before flailing his arms about and swatting their hands away. "Alright, that's enough of that." He sighed before asking, "Did I miss the finals?"
"The finals? They haven't had the chance for Bakugou and Yaoyorozu to go at it yet." Replied Ochako.
"Eh? How?"
"Well for starters you've only been out for about thirty minutes." Replied Mei.
Ochako nodded, "Yeah, and they've been taking that time to clean up the mess you and Todoroki made."
"Ah." Replied Izuku as he realized that, yeah, that last attack might have been a bit… much.
"Yes, however it was also really cool."
"Sorry about that." Said Shoto.
Izuku nodded his head, "Yeah, sorry about th- WHEN DID YOU GET HERE!?" He practically leapt out of bed at the sound of Shoto's voice coming from the bed next to his.
"Sorry." Said Shoto. "I've been here the whole time trying to warm up, I just couldn't really think of anything to say…"
"He's adorable. Can we keep him?"
"What, are two adopted kids not enough for you?"
"Uh, excuse you, one's an adopted son and the other is an adopted grandson, obviously."
Nope, Izuku wasn't touching that topic. He was walling them off into the furthest corners of his mind possible so he could focus on the task at hand, "How do you feel?"
Shoto didn't say anything at first, simply staring at Izuku, then looking away, then looking at his left hand, then he hugged his knees to his chest, "I… don't know. I've let my oath, my hate guide me for so long, I'm not sure how to feel anymore."
Izuku gave his classmate a look of pity as he reached over and placed a hand on Shoto's shoulder, "Well, whatever you do, don't forget you've got your classmates to fall back on."
Shoto looked over at him, "You think they'd even want anything to do with me after the way I've acted?"
Izuku couldn't help but give an amused scoff, "If everyone was willing to give Mineta and Aizawa-Sensei second chances, I'm sure they'll do the same to you, Shoto."
Shoto took a moment to contemplate that before eventually asking, "Why do you suddenly insist on using my given name?"
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "I mean you were against using his Quirk and could barely stand being associated with your father, are you saying you enjoyed being referred to by the name you got from him?"
Shoto opened his mouth, and then closed it, "Fair enough, Izuku."
Izuku smiled at that, "So what's your plan now?"
Shoto sighed. "Let's see how I feel once the Sports Festival is over and I've had time to think. My old man is definitely going to want to talk to me about his plans going forward now that my 'rebellion' has come to an end."
Izuku scoffed, "Ah, you go tell that flaming trash can that he can take his plans and go stuff them. I mean honestly, who would you rather be, a Hero like Endeavor, or a Hero like All Might?"
"All Might." Said Shoto without hesitation.
"There we go. Whatever you decide to do, don't forget you've got friends in Class A to lean on."
Shoto was quiet. "...I've never had friends before." He admitted.
Izuku couldn't help but laugh, "I didn't have any friends between when I was five and fourteen, So I'm hardly better off than you are. I'd be glad to be your first friend though, if you'd have me."
"Gladly." It was nice seeing Shoto actually smile for once.
"Yes, yes, your bromance is very sweet." Said Ochako, reminding the boys that they weren't the only ones in the room, making Izuku retract his arm and scratch the back of his head while chuckling awkwardly, while Shoto simply turned to stare at her. "I will say though, that was a heck of a first impression your fire made, Todoroki. I thought things were heated between you and Deku when it was just hands versus ice, but you really kicked it up a notch when he got you to take things seriously."
"Thanks, I guess." Replied Shoto. "I don't have much experience using my left side in battle, so I think my output will need some fine tuning."
"It all happened pretty fast, I am very interested in seeing what makes your Quirk tick once this is all over, if you're interested in giving those training sessions that the class was having together a try." Said Izuku.
"You're planning to continue those after the Festival?" Asked Ochako.
"Of course!" Replied Izuku. "The Sports Festival is just, well I guess at this point it's the third or fourth step, but we've still got a lot more to go on our way to becoming Heroes! Honestly if things pan out the way I hope they do then we might even start seeing Class B Students too."
"Oh boy, I can't wait for Monoma to try making a big competition out of that…" Deadpanned Ochako.
Izuku waved her concerns off, "I'm sure Kendo'll keep him on a leash."
"Yeah, he does seem like the type to be into that." Said Mei.
"What?" Replied Izuku and Ochako in confusion, to which Mei simply responded with a smile and a confused hum of her own.
There was an awkward silence after that, which was eventually mercifully broken by Shoto speaking up, "If you hurry, you should still be able to see Bakugou's match."
"Oh, right!" Said Izuku as he hopped out of the bed, needing a moment to balance himself before making his way to the door, Mei and Ochako in close pursuit behind him. "C'mon guys!"
"Go on without me." Said Shoto. "I still have a lot on my mind, I'll be sure to watch your match in the finals though, best of luck Mi- Izuku."
Izuku took a moment to smile and nod his head at Shoto before leaving, leaving the dual Quirk user alone with his thoughts, and Recovery Girl, who had politely been off to the side going through paperwork and staying out of the teens' business.
Shoto was left with very little of that alone time that he'd been hoping for when the door to Recovery Girl's Office opened again less than a minute after Izuku had left. He had expected his father in all honesty, coming to start lecturing him or something. Instead he was surprised to see a familiar face from Class B make her way into the Nurse's Office.
"Oh… hello there Shiozaki."
Chapter 51: "It's about damn time you caught up to me, I… zuku…"
"Okay, now that that mess has been cleaned up- and once again, thank you for your hard work as always Cementos- let's proceed with the second match of the Semi Finals!"Said Present Mic over the speakers.
"Hey guys, have we missed the match yet?" The students of 1A turned at the sound of a familiar voice entering their booth.
"Midoriya! Uraraka!" Said Iida, a smile on his face. He then paused when he noticed something. "And a third person I do not know personally but do recognize from the first round of the tournament!"
"Mei Hatsume!" Said Mei proudly. "Future Number One Support Engineer, and the creator of Izuku's specialized equipment!" She then paused before turning to look at Ochako. "Speaking of, you and I really need to discuss a contract of our own, Uraraka. I saw the way you handled my babies out there and I think we could do great things together."
Izuku and Ochako both stared at the inventor in mild confusion while Kirishima and Ashido both watched her with impressed expressions. "That girl's got skills…" Admitted the Acid user, while her horn buddy could only nod his head in agreement.
"From the East side, we've got Class A's Vice President and Spear of Justice, Momo Yaoyorozu!" Announced Present Mic. "And from the West, the guy whose shouting manages to be even louder than his Quirk, it's Katsuki Bakugou!"
Both students stepped onto the arena, Kacchan keeping his hands in his pockets as he always did while Yaomomo stood across from him, her hands at her sides and a determined look on her face.
"This is gonna be an intense one, both Bakugou and Yaomomo have some killer Quirks so who knows what kind of cards they'll play first?" Said Kaminari.
"A god of Destruction facing a goddess of Creation, truly a clash for the ages." Commented Tokoyami.
"Hm… who should I root for?" Asked Tooru. "The guy who stepped on me during the Battle Trials, or our lovely and helpful Vice President?" There was a beat of silence before she shouted, "Beat his ass, Yaomomooo!"
"It seems like you're the less popular one between us, Bakugou." Admitted Momo with a chuckle.
Bakugou scoffed while rolling his eyes, "Let's see what good that 'popularity' does you when I beat your ass."
"I'd advise against underestimating your opponent, lest a repeat of what happened against that General Education student, Shinso was it?"
"That was a damn fluke and you know it." Replied Bakugou flatly. "And trust me, I've estimated you perfectly well."
"Well, if you kids are ready…" Said Midnight-Sensei as she raised her whip into the air.
"Theeen Fiiight!" Said Present Mic.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Momo widened her eyes, barely having time to create a shield to protect herself as Bakugou suddenly rocketed himself right at her the very same fraction of a second Midnight lowered her whip. His reaction time was nothing to scoff at, that could not be denied.
"Bakugou takes the initiative and rushes Yaoyorozu! Dang, and I thought being fast was Iida's thing!"
Bakugou flipped through the air and planted his feet into the shield that Momo just barely was able to create in time.
"A good attempt, Bakugou." She said coolly as she began to create something in her free hand.
BOOM BOOM!
However, rather than respond, Bakugou instead moved his arms behind himself and fired more explosions, which began pushing her towards the edge of the arena. Doing her best not to panic, she created support beams that tore through the back of her uniform and planted into the ground, stopping her movement, "However it'll take more than that to beat me!"
"You're a smart one, Ponytail." Said Bakugou calmly.
"Eh?" Replied Momo, taken aback by the surprise compliment.
"Smart enough to give the muttering nerd a run for his money. Given the time you could probably outthink damn near anyone in our class." His eyes narrowed as he then put his hands in front of himself, creating a sphere of light Between his palms. "Which is why I won't give you the time to think."
Momo's eyes widened as she quickly started creating armor to shield her face and eyes from what was coming, however Bakugou had been faster.
"Stun Grenade."
The ball of light imploded with a loud flash and bang, completely disorienting Momo. She blinked, the left side of her vision a mess of colors, having not been able to cover it with her armor in time, but thankfully her right eye was still functional. She quickly crafted her helmet, deciding to not create a hole for her left eye so that it wouldn't confuse her and she could remain focused with her right.
Unfortunately, even if she could still kind of see she couldn't hear, that blast having left her with the telltale ringing of tinnitus in her ears. She looked around, trying to discern where Bakugou was now, her opponent having leapt off her shield after he fired that attack. She created a spear from her right arm to accompany the shield in her left as she looked around trying to pinpoint Bakugou's location. She also abandoned the support beams coming from her back and legs, those would only slow her down at this point.
Then she saw it, a flash of movement from her right side, she thrust her spear at Bakugou, who quickly managed to sidestep the metal tip before spinning around and blasting her back with his Quirk.
She hissed in pain and attempted to bash his head with her shield, but Bakugou was faster, ducking down into a crouch and sticking out one of his legs before firing his Quirk at just the right angle that it would cause him to spin, his leg striking the back of Momo's and sweeping her off her feet.
Momo didn't even have the time to hit the floor before Bakugou continued spinning, and then blasted her again with his Quirk. She attempted to shield herself, but her shield taking the brunt of the damage didn't stop the force of the blast from sending her flying, and with two of her senses damaged she failed to orient herself in time to avoid falling out of bounds onto the grassy field beyond the arena.
Momo sighed as she allowed her armor to fall away before hiding her eyes in the inside of her elbow, still unable to hear even as Midnight made the call that she'd been eliminated. She remained there for a moment before the feeling of something nudging the side of her head made her uncover her eyes.
Her good eye squinted to see Bakugou crouched down next to her, his hands moving in weird ways. When she asked what he was doing, he made an annoyed face before facepalming, he then stood up and grabbed her wrist before pulling her to her feet. She wobbled a bit as she attempted to find her balance before letting herself be dragged away through one of the exits. She considered asking where he was taking her, but given that she wouldn't be able to hear the response anyway, she decided to simply follow his lead. Though they didn't get far before the familiar faces of Kaminari and Jirou came into view.
Without warning, Bakugou practically threw her at the pair, who both dashed forward to catch her. She voiced her thanks and then waited patiently as they conversed with Bakugou. The pair nodded their heads at him in near perfect sync before working together to start guiding her, taking her away to Recovery Girl's office to heal for a bit.
She made a mental note to apologize to Kendo later for the flashbang, this felt awful.
"Hope the glasses kid will be okay, he looked like he'd seen a ghost when he came back from that phone call."
'Mhm…' Thought Izuku as he continued flexing his fingers. 'I hope nothing happened. And if something did then I'll try my best to be there for him.'
"As you should. Glasses might be on the uptight side but he's a good kid."
Izuku nodded, 'Yeah, he's very-'
SLAM!
Izuku jumped in his seat and turned towards the door to his waiting room. There stood Kacchan, his foot still raised from kicking the door open, a surprised look of confusion on his face as he stared at Izuku.
"Huh?! Why're you in here…?" Kacchan asked, leaning backwards and checking something outside the room. "'Prep Room…' Ah, crap. This is Room One!!"
"I thought this kid was smart?"
"Pft…" Kacchan flinched, slowly turning his head to see Izuku snickering at him. "Pfahahaha…!"
"The hell's got you gigglin' ya damn nerd?" Snarled his rival in annoyance.
Izuku waved him off as he waited for his giggles to die down. "Sorry… sorry… you kind of just surprised me, I was a little lost in thought for a bit and you wound up snapping me back to reality."
Kacchan gave him an unimpressed stare, Izuku taking note that his hands were remaining in his pockets all the while. Clearly he was trying to build up as much sweat as possible before the match.
"Wait, that's why he does that? I thought he was trying to just look cool or something."
'He probably tries to play it off like that.' Replied Izuku with a smile.
"What's got you all cheerful?" Asked Kacchan.
"How long has it been since that day, Kacchan? Five years? Six? You had turned nine pretty recently and I wasn't ten yet, so it was definitely a little over six." Said Izuku.
"What d-?" Kacchan froze when the pieces clicked into place, his jaw clamping shut as he simply stared at Izuku.
"In all that time, in spite of all the training we'd both done, we've never had the chance to go at it since that day, have we?"
Kacchan didn't say anything, instead simply turning around and walking around the door. Just as he passed through the frame, he paused and said, "I don't plan to lose today, so you'd better come at me with your All Might, Deku. Show me how good you've gotten at making that Quirk your own."
Izuku didn't say anything, simply sitting there quietly with his hands together on the table as he watched his rival and former friend leave.
He sighed as he leaned his head back, groaning softly as he felt the joints in his neck crack from the motion. He then cracked his knuckles, trying his best to hype himself up for what was to come.
A couple minutes of discussing Float with Seventh later, the door to his prep room knocked, much to his confusion. Wondering who was there, he answered, "It's open."
The door opened, and he saw three familiar faces in the doorway. Mei, Shinso, and Kendo. His teammates from the Cavalry Battle.
"Oh, uh, hey guys. What're you doing here?" Asked Izuku in confusion.
"Weeell, as the members of Team Midoriya, I figured that we'd get first dibs on seeing you off." Said Mei with a smile.
Izuku blinked. "First?"
"Yes?"
"He's not talking to you, you fool."
"I know, I just couldn't resist the chance."
Shinso sighed before tilting his head towards Mei. "It was this crazy one that invited me to come along." Then he nodded towards Kendo. "And it was this one who made sure I agreed to it."
Now Izuku was staring at Kendo. The President of Class B gave a tired sigh before smiling at him, "As… uniquely exhausting as being on your team was, I can say that it was in part thanks to you that I progressed to the tournament. And given your reasons for working with me that thanks is compounded, so I figured it was only right I pay you a visit before you go face your rival out there today."
There was a moment of silence before Shinso grunted in pain from Kendo elbowing him in the side. "Fine, fine… Midoriya, you looked at me and didn't see a guy with a Villainous Quirk trying to get into the Hero Course using underhanded tactics, you saw a guy giving it his all to become a Hero, and then you reached out to help me chase my dream. So thanks."
"Uh… geez…" Said Izuku as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm flattered, Kendo, Shinso, but you guys didn't really need to-"
"Gonna stop you right there, because I don't think the others are going to want to wait much longer for their turns and you still have a match to get to." Said Mei as she stepped into the Prep Room and grabbed Izuku's wrist.
Izuku was too confused to put up a fight as she dragged him out of the Prep Room, "Others?"
His eyes widened in surprise as he was pulled into the hallway and saw a small swarm of students gathering in the hallway outside of the Prep Room, the vast majority of his class being present, save for Yaomomo who was still being looked after by Kaminari and Jirou, Shoto who was probably still in Recovery Girl's office, Iida who had left already to visit his brother in the hospital, Kacchan for obvious reasons, and Tsu, Kirishima, and Ashido, whose locations Izuku was willing to harbor a guess towards.
"Looking forward to seeing you get that gold, Midoriya!" Said Sero with a grin
"We all are!" Signed Koda.
"You've done a lot to help us both during this festival and leading up to it." Said Ojiro
"Even those of us who started out as being unlikable." Said Mineta.
"Those of us who were invisible to everyone else." Said Tooru.
"Those of us who are just different." Said Shouji.
"And those of us who aren't even human!" Said Dark Shadow, resting her head on top of Tokoyami's.
"We know you're gonna kick Bakugou's butt out there today!" Said Satou, pumping his fist.
"Because you have a truly brilliant shine to you Monsieur Midoriya!" Said Aoyama, sparkling dramatically as always.
Ochako stuck out her fist towards Izuku, "Because you're the Deku who always does your best!"
Izuku couldn't hold it back, tears gushed down his face like a pair of waterfalls, taking everyone in the hallway aback, "Y… you guys…!" Sniffling a bit, he reached out and pressed his fist into Ochako's, who beamed at him with a smile so bright it practically blinded him.
The pair were thrown off a bit when Mei suddenly wrapped each of her arms around their shoulders. "Alright Izuku!" She declared as she pointed upwards. "Now get on out there and show Japan what the Number One Hero of the next generation has got to offer!"
Izuku couldn't help but giggle at Mei's enthusiasm. "Yes ma'am…" He said quietly as he wiggled free from her arm and gracefully slid through the crowd, making his way towards the Eastern Entrance to the field.
Ochako smiled as he watched him go, before noticing something. Hatsume still had her arm around her shoulders. "Are… you planning to let go?" She asked, turning to look at the inventor.
Mei turned to meet her gaze, a smile on her face, "Not really, no."
Ochako's confusion only increased at the sound of Shinso sighing.
"At last we've arrived!" Announced Present Mic. "The best of the best among UA's First Years will be decided! It's the final match! From the East Side, President of Class A, the ever evolving Superpower Super Star who claimed First place in the first two events, it's Izuku Midoriya! And his opponent, the Big Booming Blond of Class A who got more Villain Points than anyone else on this year's Entrance Exam, it's the Explosive Katsuki Bakugou!"
Izuku rolled his arms a couple of times as he did his best to loosen up, while Kacchan simply stood across from him on the other side of the Arena, hands in his pockets.
Once both boys confirmed that they were ready to go, Midnight raised her whip into the air.
"Alright listeners, this'll be the last time today, so say it with me!" Instructed Present Mic before taking a deep breath and shouting, "THEEEN FIIIGHT!"
Izuku's fingers twitched a few times as he stood there, waiting for Kacchan to make the first move. But he didn't shout, he didn't fire off explosions, he didn't charge in. Instead he simply started walking forwards. Izuku blinked in confusion a couple of times before it dawned on him what exactly Kacchan wanted. Inhaling, and then exhaling, Izuku began walking too.
"Uh… instead of going straight for big blasts and blows, it seems Midoriya and Bakugou are planning to just… meet in the middle?"
Kacchan exhaled as he pulled his hands out and cracked his knuckles. Before long he and Izuku were standing before each other. Without anyone even realizing it, the faint memory of a voice could be heard in the back of both of their minds.
'My Quirk… is never giving up!'
Then, within the blink of an eye, both boys had a fist planted in their face. Izuku's left fist was pushing into Kacchan's face while Kacchan's right was punching his own.
Izuku grit his teeth, already starting to taste blood in his mouth, but couldn't help but smile as he said, "You always love leading with a right hook, don't you Kacchan?!"
Kacchan let out a frustrated growl as he swung his left fist at Izuku's head, but Izuku intercepted with his right arm, striking his forearm with the back of his fist. He threw two more punches for good measure.
Kacchan then swung his right leg straight into Izuku's ribs. Izuku coughed, but then snaked his left arm downwards, wrapping it around Kacchan's leg and trapping it against his side before dashing forwards.
"Woah, what's this!? Instead of using their Quirks, Midoriya and Bakugou have instead elected to opt for a bare fisted brawl!?"
"Well it's unconventional and odd, but hardly against the rules."
"What is Bakugou doing? He's always been quite proud of his finesse with his Quirk, seems weird to want to fight Deku with nothing but his fists." Said Ochako.
"Perhaps he wishes to prove something?" Said Todoroki. "After seeing Izuku fight me for so long without his Quirk."
Ochako nodded her head. "Yea- when did you get here!?" She exclaimed, jumping in surprise when she realized Todoroki was sitting next to her.
He looked over at her with a blank face. "I decided to come watch the fight myself, I didn't want to miss my first friend's match against his rival." He explained simply.
Ochako sighed before asking, "Have you ever considered training to be a ninja? You're quiet enough to be able to pull it off…"
'I refuse to stop chasing after you, I'll chase you for the rest of my life if I have to!'
As Deku continued forcing him backwards, Katsuki began to feel himself falling, so he reared his arm back and punched Deku in the side of the head, throwing him off of him and to the side.
When Katsuki landed on his back, he tucked his body in a way that allowed him to use the momentum to simply roll back onto his feet before rushing towards Deku, who was still on the ground. When he reached him, he raised his foot and attempted to stomp down on him, but Deku was able to roll out of the way and up into a crouching position.
"That the best you've got, nerd?" Asked Katsuki as he used the back of his wrist to wipe away some blood. "Honestly at this rate I won't even need to use my Quirk to kick your ass."
Izuku let out a wheezing laugh, "Same goes for you, Kacchan."
Katsuki gave him a feral grin, "Then let's see who can get the other to use his power first!" He grunted as he felt Deku plant his fist into his ribs. "Yeah, just like that!" He clenched his fist and smashed the back of it into the side of Deku's face, knocking him backwards.
Izuku staggered a bit before raising his hands. "Come on, Kacchan. I can do this all day. All Might's watching us, so let's show him what we can do!"
"DEKUUU!"
"KACCHAAAN!"
The boys' bloody struggle persisted. Punching, kicking, grappling, the two refusing to give an inch against one another.
"This feels like it's been going on for hours… how long can this last?" Asked Ochako.
"Honestly, I'm pretty sure they'll only stop when one of them passes out then." Said Hagakure.
Ochako turned to look at her, before sighing and saying, "Yup."
Katsuki staggered backwards, his nose was practically a waterfall of blood and that last punch was causing his right eye to swell.
'All Might's Awesome! He's crazy strong!'
'Even when things seem impossible, he never gives up…'
Izuku was seeing spots, that last punch had really rattled his skull and he could taste nothing but blood in his mouth.
'No matter what kind of bad guys are in front of him, in the end…'
"HE ALWAYS WINS!" Shouted Katsuki as he reared his left arm backwards, his palm glowing brightly.
'No matter what trouble is in his way, he always…'
"SAVES EVERYONE WITH A SMILE!" Shouted Izuku as he reared his right arm backwards, his entire body sparking alight with One for All's power at Eighteen Percent.
"DIIIE!"
"DETROOOIT… SMAAASH!"
Explosion and One for All collided, the impact launching both boys backwards, but this time they refused to fall. They both managed to reorient themselves midair, landing on their feet, before glaring at one another and charging once again.
Katsuki blasted himself forward at Izuku, firing his explosions at his opponent, while Izuku created a smokescreen before leaping into the air, flipping, and bringing his heel down towards Katsuki.
Katsuki avoided the kick, firing an explosion into Izuku's side.
Izuku grunted, using his arm and leg to shield his more delicate areas before slamming his elbow into Katsuki's chest, knocking him back. He turned and dashed at him, but Katsuki was ready for that, swiping at him to blast him again, but Izuku managed to duck under the explosion and tackle him.
The two tumbled to the ground where Izuku sat on Katsuki's stomach and began punching him a couple of times. Katsuki shielded his face with his arms. After taking a couple of punches, he managed to catch one of Izuku's fist in his palm before detonating it.
Izuku reeled back, hissing in pain, which gave Katsuki the opening to fire an explosion that launched his opponent off of him.
Izuku soared through the air, flailing his arms for a bit as he activated Float, his underside glowing pink as he attempted to find his balance while in the air.
Even with his simulated training inside his mind and the memories he'd inherited from Seventh, putting the Quirk into practice was still going to require some training with his actual body.
"Don't take your eyes off me Deku!" Shouted Katsuki as he blasted himself towards Izuku.
Izuku's eyes widened as he activated Smokescreen at full force, the purple haze exploding from his skin and enveloping the arena.
Katsuki's eyes widened as the smoke swallowed him up, he skidded to a stop as he attempted to get a feel for his surroundings, looking around to try and find where Izuku had disappeared to.
Suddenly, his eyes caught some movement in the mist, and he fired off his Quirk in that direction, only to widen his eyes when he saw the singed remains of Izuku's gym shirt fall to the floor.
It was a feint!
Katsuki quickly spun around and fired another explosion, only for his arm to be caught by Izuku, who clenched his fist and prepared to strike again. "One for All, Nineteen Percent…!"
"DIE!" Shouted Katsuki as he used his free arm to blast Izuku in the face.
"DAYTONA SMASH!" Shouted Izuku as he uppercutted Katsuki in the jaw, tanking the blast face first and punching his rival so hard it sent him straight up into the air, punching a hole in the smokescreen in the process.
Not letting the pain in his face or the distance between them deter him for long, Izuku crouched down, activating Float before using One for All to leap while flicking his fingers in unison to launch himself into the air, clearing the cloud he'd created and joining Katsuki in the air.
"And we finally have eyes on our fighter again folks! It seems Midoriya and Bakugou are taking this battle to the sky!"
"One for All… Twenty Percent…!" Said Izuku as he twisted body midair. "San Diego Smash!" He swung his leg at Katsuki, who managed to use his Quirk to launch himself backwards, just barely avoiding the kick, the tip of his shoe brushing past his nose.
"Nice try, bastard, but don't forget you're not the only one capable of using his legs!" Shouted Katsuki as he used his explosions to vertically spin himself in the air, sticking out his leg and bringing the heel of his foot down on Izuku, who blocked the kick with his arms, thought he force sent him flying back down to the ground with enough force it caused the smokescreen to dissipate.
Izuku was breathing heavily as he watched Katsuki remain in the air above him for a moment before letting gravity pull him down.
Izuku stared for a moment, wondering what his plan was, then he noticed Katsuki begin to spin while moving towards him, firing off explosions that caused his rotation's speed to increase.
Izuku squeezed his right hand as he saw him close the distance, he knew it was time to end this once and for all.
"Do it, Izuku!" Shouted Shoto.
"C'mon Bakubro!" Shouted Kirishima.
"Howitzer…" Said Katsuki as he got closer.
"Go Beyond…!" Responded Izuku as he channeled the entirety of One for All into his left arm.
"Bakuchan!" Cheered Tsu.
"GO GET HIM IZUKU!" Cheered Ochako and Mei.
"IMPACT!"
"PLUS ULTRAAA!"
The pair's Ultimate Attacks collided, creating a blast that put the one Izuku and Shoto created two fights ago to shame, the light so bright it was blinding.
Within that blinding light, both fighters saw a vision.
Izuku witnessed a vision of Kacchan as a five year old, sitting in a small creek and staring up at him in shock.
Katsuki witnessed a vision of Deku as a five year old, his ankles submerged in that creek looking down at him and reaching out a hand for him. After a moment, Katsuki found himself smiling as he reached out and took that hand.
"Folks… that was… one heck of a big bang, amirite? Oh wow my eyes, I'm still seeing spots, how about you Eraser?"
"Those kids are going to put me into early retirement if they keep using such literally flashy moves like that…"
The smoke cleared as everyone stared, their eyes and mouths widening in shock as they realized something.
Both boys were just barely still within bounds of the arena, and were already in the process of forcing themselves back to their feet.
"This is ridiculous folks! Even after all that these two kids refuse to give up! They are truly just constructed in an unorthodox manner I suppose!"
"It's 'built different,' Mic."
"I know what I said."
Izuku hissed as he held his left arm, the familiar sensation of the lion being broken was setting his pain receptors on fire as he staggered towards Katsuki.
Katsuki wasn't in much better shape, his breathing haggard and his walking completely unsteady. Izuku might've been shirtless but Katsuki's wasn't in much better shape either in all honesty.
Soon, both boys found themselves standing right in front of each other in the center of the ruined arena.
Both of them reared their right arms back, preparing for another clash of punches, when Katsuki suddenly let out a weak chuckle. "Kacchan…?" Asked Izuku weakly.
Despite everything, Katsuki managed to smile at his rival, "It's about damn time you caught up to me, I… zuku…" Katsuki then let out a weak groan as his eyes rolled back and he began to fall forwards.
Izuku's uninjured arm snaked forward and wrapped around Kacchan's midsection, causing his rival to face plant into his chest before Izuku fell to his knees, allowing Kacchan to rest against his battered and bruised body.
Midnight-Sensei, who was exhausted in her own right after that last blast had sent her flying, approached the two boys.
She watched Katsuki continue sleeping against Izuku before turning to look at the green haired boy, whose face was hidden from her line of sight, "Bakugou's out of commission, are you still with us, Midoriya?"
Izuku said nothing, instead slowly raising his unbroken arm into the air. It was trembling, as was the rest of his body, but he kept it up there.
Midnight nodded her head with a small smile, before raising her whip into the air, "Katsuki Bakugou has been knocked unconscious, the winner of this year's Sports Festival is Izuku Midoriya!"
Once that announcement was made, the crowd erupted into cheers.
Izuku could barely hear the crowd anymore, all he could do was let his good arm fall down before using the last of his strength to wrap it around Kacchan's shoulders, wearing a weak smile as tears streamed down his face.