"HOW ARE YOU, DEAR VIEWERS! TODAY ON HERO.TV, WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A CONCISE YET COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY REGARDING THE LATEST TWO BOUTS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED IN THE MUCH-ACCLAIMED U.A. SPORTS FESTIVAL!!!" The presenter, a man with vibrant purple hair and green skin, exclaimed with open arms, his voice booming with infectious enthusiasm. Behind him, a massive screen prominently displayed the letters 'HTV', illuminated by a kaleidoscope of flashing lights.
On the other side of the presenter stood another man, his gaze fixed intently on the camera, his eyes possessing a discerning, almost calculating quality. He was noticeably thinner than the presenter but undeniably handsome, with crimson red skin, jet-black hair, and a pair of small, obsidian horns protruding from his head, giving him an exotic, almost Oni-like appearance.
"As you can clearly observe on the screen, the combatant for this round was Tenya Iida, a young and aspiring hero who hails from the distinguished Iida Family, a prominent lineage of Professional Heroes, with their most renowned representative being the currently active Hero: Ingenium!" The presenter explained, gesturing grandly towards the large screen, which abruptly changed to display a basic profile of Tenya Iida, accompanied by a dynamic image of Ingenium in action.
"Intriguingly, he was pitted against young Mei Hatsume, a remarkable young woman who also originates from a family of considerable importance in Japan! None other than the famous Hatsume Family!" The Oni-like co-presenter exclaimed, his voice filled with a hint of awe, as the screen once again shifted, showcasing a towering skyscraper emblazoned with a large, distinctive pink and white lens logo. "This venerable family is widely renowned for their groundbreaking technological breakthroughs throughout Japan, being the undisputed owners of the primary distributor of cutting-edge technological products currently utilized by Heroes! They are also recognized as one of the pioneering forces in the meticulous creation of specialized, advanced suits for heroes!"
"The bout, dear viewers, concluded with Mei Hatsume's rather unconventional defeat, who, astonishingly, admitted defeat after... a protracted twenty-minute period meticulously dedicated to promoting her various 'baby' products!" The presenter exclaimed, bursting into hearty laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation. "Instead of a thrilling combat tournament for recognition that would bring fame throughout Japan and even parts of the world, it devolved into what felt more akin to a lengthy, unsolicited Teleshop advertisement! The sheer nerve!"
"Indeed, such unbridled chutzpah has never been witnessed in the previous Festivals, truly impressive in its audacity," the Oni-like presenter commented, shaking his head with a mixture of disbelief and amusement at the female participant's audacious marketing strategy.
"Moving on to the next battle, we have... Sero Hanta, an ordinary young man with a unique Quirk that enables him to shoot remarkably strong, adhesive ribbons from his elbows, strikingly similar to America's famous former Arachnid Hero!" The presenter explained, drawing a clear comparison to one of America's most iconic and recognizable Heroes.
"And he will be facing off against... The prodigious son of Japan's current runner-up! ENDEAVOR!" The Oni-like presenter exclaimed, his voice rising in excitement as the latest promotional video for Endeavor and his powerful Hero Agency, who, interestingly enough, happened to be sponsoring the show, was prominently displayed in the background.
"As was to be expected from the son of Japan's Second Best Hero, the duel concluded in a mere few seconds, ending with Sero Hanta buried helplessly in a gigantic block of ice, almost as colossal as the stadium itself!" The screen dramatically displayed an image capturing the terrifying scope of Todoroki's power, showcasing something akin to a massive, jagged iceberg dominating the very center of the stadium.
"A terrifying participant, wouldn't you agree?" the presenter remarked, a subtle shiver running down his spine.
"Indeed, and undeniably the darling of the Hero community's online platforms," the Oni-like presenter added, nodding in agreement.
"Now, we have only two more bouts remaining before we transition to the second block of the tournament, where things could genuinely begin to escalate and become truly interesting!" The presenter announced, his voice brimming with anticipation for the upcoming matches.
The screen in the middle of the TV announcers shifted, transforming into a dynamic column chart displaying the names of the actual winners of the first round. The chart was a live, real-time vote on which of the remaining contenders was most likely to win the entire Tournament. If one looked closely in the top left corner, they could clearly see that the creator of this intriguing poll was none other than the official U.A. account itself, diligently marketing its students.
From the highest percentage of votes to the lowest, the ranking was: Todoroki, Kyoka, Lena, Momo, and Tenya.
In the comments section, the U.A. account had posted a clear message, which read, "Participants will be added and removed as the Tournament progresses, ensuring fairness and dynamic matchups."
"It seems U.A. truly never sleeps, even during a major event like this," the presenter commented jokingly to the audience, a light chuckle escaping him.
"It was certainly to be expected from the best hero academy in all of Japan; they even expertly integrate marketing strategies with their own participants and students, turning them into valuable assets," the Oni-like presenter hummed thoughtfully, offering his seasoned opinion on the topic.
"An interesting strategy, to say the least. Well, that concludes our news coverage regarding the U.A. Sports Festival for now. For more breaking news and exclusive content, stay tuned to... HERO.TV!"
'Woah! So many people!...' Toru thought excitedly, her invisible form almost vibrating with anticipation, though she also felt a subtle prickle of nervousness. However, that apprehension quickly dissipated when she remembered the distinct advantage of her invisibility; she was, after all, completely hidden from the thousands of scrutinizing eyes. It was a bit of a downer, of course, that her opponent would likely still know exactly where she was.
Dispelling these unnecessary thoughts, Toru looked intently at her opponent, Ochako Uraraka, who was slowly climbing onto the platform. Toru felt a subtle wave of annoyance at the prospect of having to fight one of her friends. Well, almost everyone in her Class was, by now, considered a friend, but it was annoying nonetheless, a conflict of interest in a competition.
'I'm not going to hold back just because I like you, Ochako!' Toru thought, her determination solidifying, as she performed a few small, agile jumps and threw a couple of practice punches in the air, warming up her body. 'That trainer Momo hired was incredibly helpful! My hand-to-hand combat skills have improved immensely!'
(A/N: I didn't find a good time to explain this earlier, but basically Kyoka and Toru now possess fundamental hand-to-hand combat skills. Nothing incredibly advanced or complex, certainly not on the level of a seasoned martial artist, but they know how to throw a good, effective punch, defend themselves, and execute basic maneuvers.)
"Hey, Ochako! Let's make sure we both give it our absolute all, alright?!" Toru exclaimed, her invisible body adopting a low fighting stance, her palms open and ready, though Uraraka, naturally, wouldn't notice the subtle nuances of her posture. "I'm going to be truly annoyed if you hold back, even for a second!"
"Um!" Uraraka nodded, her eyes burning with an unyielding determination, reflecting her inner resolve. 'I have to win, no, I will win no matter what it takes... for my mom and dad, for their dreams.'
"START!"
Neither girl made any immediate move; they simply stared intently at each other for a few tense, drawn-out seconds. Neither participant spoke or initiated any offensive maneuvers; they were meticulously analyzing the other, searching for the slightest opening, a minute flaw that would grant them a decisive advantage.
Making an extremely slight, almost imperceptible movement, Toru subtly pointed a finger towards Uraraka's thigh. Suddenly, a small, blinding flash of light inexplicably appeared in Uraraka's vision, momentarily disorienting her. She instinctively moved swiftly to the right while simultaneously closing her eyes, thinking it was a concentrated flash designed to stun her, a blinding attack.
Her profound surprise came when a sharp, piercing pain unexpectedly erupted in her leg, a jolt so intense it caused her to stumble violently from the agony.
'Since when can her Quirk actually hurt?!' Uraraka thought, gritting her teeth in excruciating pain, her mind reeling from the unexpected offense.
Toru, realizing that her initial surprise attack, while effective in inflicting pain, was ultimately a failure in its primary objective of incapacitating Uraraka, raised both hands and deliberately spread all her fingers apart. Her fingertips began to glow with an intense, pulsating white light, an ominous prelude to her next move.
Uraraka, seeing this, knew, with a sinking feeling, that Toru would not move from her spot but would instead bombard her with hundreds of light beams, a relentless volley. And seeing how incredibly fast those beams could travel, she knew she had absolutely no chance of dodging them all simultaneously.
'But if I get too close, she will most likely destroy me with her enhanced melee capabilities,' Uraraka thought in growing frustration, vividly recalling Izuku's detailed mutterings about Lena's and Kyoka's improved close-combat skills, and Lena's own earlier, blunt confirmation.
"This is incredibly weird... I'm pretty sure Kyoka didn't know how to fight in melee, she almost always keeps her distance and catches the enemy by surprise with her Jacks and by strategically breaking the ground," Midoriya began, muttering to himself in his usual "Nerd Mode," but now, his analysis was even more pronounced, far more detailed and rapid-fire than usual, a flurry of observations. "So, it's entirely possible that her, Toru's, and even Lena's improvements are due to—"
"Ugh, for the love of Jesus Christ, Zeus, Thor, and Mother Earth, shut up, Midoriya!" Lena interrupted him abruptly, her voice laced with a genuine, almost murderous glare that made the One For All heir visibly wince, shrinking slightly in his seat. "You're just taking our attention away from the fight with your completely unnecessary bullshit talk, and we absolutely do not need two announcers blabbering simultaneously! And to answer your incredibly obvious question, yes, me, Momo, Toru, and Kyo have indeed been meticulously training in close combat during our two weeks off, much to my father's occasional exasperation."
While Uraraka didn't particularly like Lena's rather blunt way of shushing Izuku, she had to admit that he had been a bit annoying... and, in a strange, endearing way, quite cute when he went into his analytical rants.
"Sorry, Uraraka, if this hurts too much... it's absolutely nothing personal, you understand," Toru exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of apology and grim determination, snapping Uraraka out of her drifting thoughts. The invisible girl held up her hands and deliberately extended all her glowing fingers directly towards Uraraka.
'Shit, I got carried away with my memories!' Uraraka thought, a jolt of alarm running through her as she realized her lapse in concentration. She quickly touched her shoes, activating her Quirk to lighten her body, and swiftly ducked to the side, precisely where Toru had been aiming, narrowly dodging the incoming light bullets.
Without wasting any time, she quickly got to her feet and launched into a suicidal run directly towards Toru, her resolve hardening.
IT WAS ALL OR NOTHING! A DESPERATE GAMBLE!
Uraraka was less than two meters away from Toru, her heart pounding in her chest. Toru, seeing her rapid approach, simply sighed, a sound of weary resignation, before charging her left hand with a large amount of concentrated light. Then, with a decisive, sweeping motion, she unleashed it all over Uraraka's face, a blinding, concussive blast.
Uraraka's vision was instantly filled with an overwhelming, incandescent white, a complete sensory overload, from one moment to the next. But she kept running forward, fueled by a desperate, unyielding will.
Suddenly, she felt an impact on her back, a force that sent her tumbling violently forward. She felt the soft grass touch her body, and immediately realized what had happened.
"I lost...?" Uraraka muttered, her voice barely a whisper, as she slowly regained her vision, the white fading to reveal the green grass around her.
"HAGAKURE TORU WIIIIIINNNNNN!!!" Present Mic announced, his voice booming with excitement, confirming Uraraka's worst fears.
"N-No..." Uraraka stammered, her eyes watering, and her breath hitched in her throat, a wave of profound disappointment washing over her. Suddenly, she felt a comforting, warm hug from her opponent.
"Are you okay, Ochako? I'm so, so sorry if I went a little overboard, truly..." Toru said, her invisible presence conveying genuine concern, as she hadn't intended to hurt her friend too much during their fight.
"I-It's okay, Toru, it's okay," Uraraka replied, bravely holding back her tears and forcing the best smile she could muster onto her face. She quickly bid Toru a hasty farewell, using the excuse of not wanting to keep the audience waiting, before hurrying off the platform.
After Uraraka's defeat, it was the turn of his nervous friend, Midoriya, who was able to defeat Shoji at the cost of severely damaging three of his fingers. He had, perhaps, underestimated how resilient the giant could be, a costly miscalculation.
Now that the first block of the tournament was over, the bouts for the second block were randomized again, creating new, unpredictable matchups.
After some deliberation on the part of U.A.'s faculty, a consensus was reached that the single person left out of the randomized bouts would automatically advance to the third block, receiving a bye.
The matchups for the next stage were:
... Oxton Lena vs Yaoyorozu Momo Jiro Kyoka vs Hagakure Toru Todoroki Shoto vs Midoriya Izuku Tenya Iida (Automatically advances to the penultimate round due to a bye) ...
RING~ RING~ RING~ RING~ RING~
A young girl stood by the sinks in the girls' bathroom, holding her phone tightly to her ear, tears silently streaming down her face, distorting her features with profound sadness. This was Ochako Uraraka.
"Hey, Dad... I—" Her voice was a shaky whisper, choked with emotion.
"Hi, sweetie, how have you been? You were absolutely amazing at the festival!" Her father's cheerful, reassuring voice came through the phone, brimming with pride.
"Dad... I... I... I'm so, so sorry I couldn't win..." Uraraka sobbed, the words tearing from her throat, laden with guilt.
"Sweetie, don't cry, please... It truly doesn't matter if you won or not, the important thing is that you put on a show we're incredibly proud of," her father replied, his voice soft with compassion, attempting to soothe her.
"But... the money... I couldn't get the money for you, for Mom..." Uraraka whispered, the financial burden weighing heavily on her young shoulders, a source of her deep-seated guilt.
"That's the least of it, honey. Just have fun and enjoy yourself; you're at U.A.! The dream of many aspiring Heroes, that alone makes me feel like the best daddy in the world," her father insisted, his voice unwavering, filled with immense love and pride. "Don't let these old men, these petty setbacks, affect your future, my dear."
A silent cry, a profound sound of helplessness and guilt, echoed through the girls' bathroom, as tears continued to fall from Ochako's face, distorted by sadness. But this moment of raw vulnerability, this profound disappointment, would only serve to make her stronger, more firm and determined in the future. Heroes may fall, but the important thing is to get back up, to learn from defeat, and to move forward with unwavering resolve.