A chill ran down the students' spines.
It was so for Momo, whose eyes had widened as she lay under the thick door-like block of steel.
It was so for Monoma, who had come to an agreement with his Dark Shadow, letting it cloak over him like Tokoyami.
It was so for Luke, who was standing still because of shock, not expecting Tenya's decision to sacrifice himself… at this point in the event.
And, it was so for Midoriya, barely conscious, the entire scenery blurring before his eyes.
Todoroki let out another breath, blood dripping down his chin.
Suddenly, with a hiss, and not even leaving a sign of its appearance, an ice wall propped up to his right.
With a loud THUNK, the flat side of a massive blade hit the block of ice, breaking off many chunks, Luke pulling it away instantly.
From Todoroki's left side, a monstrous amount of flames shot up, making Monoma, who had inched toward him for a surprise attack, back off, his Dark Shadow screaming as it pulled the boy away.
Momo pointed the sniper toward him from under the steel blanket.
A layer of ice hissed toward her faster than she could have pressed the trigger, though.
With tremendous speed, the moment this layer of ice crawled under her, a blue-white pillar sprouted from it… like a hammer.
Something broke as it slammed into Momo, pressing her between ice and steel.
Then, together with her sniper and the block of steel, the pillar of ice sent her flying, her body rolling near the laser boundary before coming to a silent halt.
Silence.
The timer overhead RANG, heralding the last two minutes of the Battle Royale.
Someone moved who shouldn't even have the ability to blink.
Midoriya's entire body screamed.
His left side felt like it was being squeezed by gravity a hundred times stronger than usual.
In his mind, the Vestiges cursed at the sudden outburst of Blackwhip, asking him to step off the stage before it could happen again.
The sad thing was that… they were right.
If it had happened when he was perfectly alright, with no injuries, broken bones, and a draining, nauseating feeling troubling him, then he could have regained control by himself, Midoriya knew.
Now?
If it hadn't been for Tenya deciding to knock the Blackwhip out of him, then he could have truly ended up injuring others gravely.
Tenya was gone.
Midoriya had seen a hole swallowing him outside the laser boundary.
But, if he stepped off the stage now, then… he wouldn't be able to look into Tenya's eyes… ever!
Things had already taken the worst turn.
He had ended up revealing Blackwhip as the entire world watched him.
Midoriya knew All Might would help him cook some ridiculous story regarding this, but… would that be enough?
Was the excuse of losing control over one's Quirk enough to justify leaving the stage?
Was it enough to look at Tenya and say… sorry?
You are next…
A painful, hollow chuckle escaped Midoriya's dry throat, making him taste blood.
How would he ever be the next All Might, if he gave up now after what happened… after what could have happened?!
Full Cowling — 20%…
Still lying facedown, Midoriya dug the edge of his shoes into the earth, barely looking at Todoroki.
— Shoot Style —
Then, pulling out strength from the deepest parts of his bones and spirit, he blurred, leaving behind a trail of cyan-colored bolts of lightning.
— Hell Rush!
Zig-Zagging, deluding senses and deafening ears, Midoriya appeared all over the icy, dusty stage… at once!
A kick went for Luke's exposed chin.
He dodged it by taking a step back, a crackling sound brushing past him.
But then, as if Midoriya had cloned himself, he appeared right behind him and kicked Luke's back.
Before Luke's feet had even left the ground, Midoriya's foot went for Todoroki's legs.
Ice crawled out from those legs, instantly freezing everything within the laser boundaries.
But, in the very next moment, Midoriya appeared to Todoroki's left side, where flames were burning so high and hot that they looked like clouds of red-blue smoke.
Even a moment's touch would burn someone.
Midoriya didn't just touch; he planted his entire foot on Todoroki's left side, his boots melting instantly.
Just as those flames were about to do the same with his flesh, Todoroki was sent flying, breaking walls of ice as he tried to arrest his momentum, his left hand pressed tightly over his broken ribs.
Midoriya hadn't stopped meanwhile, though.
A kick had sent Monoma and his Dark Shadow flying high in the air, leaving behind trails of blood on ice.
Then, as if the world had lost all sense of time, the people experienced a massive déjà vu.
Crack!
Luke was kicked back into the earth.
Crack!
Todoroki was kicked from one side of the field to the other.
Crack!
Monoma and his Dark Shadow came flying like a bullet, crashing with a BOOM.
Crack!
A foot bent Luke's waist; a hand grabbed his leg and pulled him back; a kick landed on his helmet, breaking it off; a set of teeth bit Luke's exposed ears; a forehead landed on his nose, breaking it with a crunch.
Crack!
A kick broke Todoroki's left ankle; a half-burnt foot broke through ice and bent Todoroki's right leg at an odd angle; the top of a head hit his icy, burning chin, making him grunt in pain; a knee landed on his iced stomach, shattering it, and proceeded to send him flying.
Crack!
Midoriya, not thinking, not seeing, not hearing, not trying to make any sense, just kept putting one foot after another, appearing right above Momo.
She was lying a few steps ahead of the laser boundary.
But Midoriya didn't show mercy to the person who had ousted even Bakugo.
Pulling back his leg, surrounded by cyan lightning bolts, he kicked at her sides, deciding to throw her out of the field before going back for another round… and another… as long as he was breathing… as long as the timer didn't reach zero.
There, in the motion of kicking Momo, Midoriya paused.
And he remained like that, looking like a statue, with his eyes rolled back into his head…
… until a hole opened into the earth and swallowed him alive!