Chapter 71: Todoroki vs. Kira
"I've said it before. If I ran into you, I would win." Shoto Todoroki stood opposite Yoshikage Kira, his calm expression filled with fighting spirit.
Before the Sports Festival had even begun, Todoroki had declared war on Kira in the waiting room, vowing to defeat him.
Several days had passed since their last battle, and Todoroki still hadn't had a chance to avenge his earlier defeat. But now, in this Sports Festival, he was finally facing him head-on. He had to win.
"You're right. Your strength is impressive, Todoroki-kun. And it's even greater now that you can use your fire. I don't think my chances of winning are very high." To Todoroki's surprise, Yoshikage Kira was actually admitting that he was stronger.
"Originally, I didn't have much hope, and I'm already quite satisfied with a top-four finish. But..." Kira thought of what Midoriya had said to him and let out a wry laugh. "A certain someone asked me to completely snap you out of it. So, I don't plan on handing this victory over to you."
Kira hadn't originally intended to agree to Midoriya's request. But when he had looked at his arm, he had vaguely seen a giant eye through the void. His head had suddenly spun, and he had felt a voice in the back of his mind chanting, "Agree to it, agree to it, agree to it."
For some reason, as if possessed, Kira had agreed.
"What do you mean?" Todoroki frowned.
"Let's make a bet," Kira said, ignoring his question. "I bet that you, using your fire, are actually weaker than before. And that I will win this match. As for the stakes... let's bet ten thousand yen."
Todoroki's Quirk was Half-Cold Half-Hot. When he overused his ice ability, the temperature difference in his body would become too great, and his right side would begin to freeze, slowing his movements. But if he used his fire to regulate his temperature, that side effect almost completely disappeared.
The ability to use both ice and fire without any drawbacks—that was the strategic weapon Endeavor had created to surpass All Might: Shoto Todoroki.
Hearing Kira's words, Todoroki found them utterly absurd, almost laughable. In his mind, being able to control his fire made him more than twice as strong.
"Are you joking, Kira-san? That's not a very funny joke," Todoroki said with a frown. "Or are you planning to use the same trick on me that you used on Kaminari-san? I won't fall for such a low-level trap."
In his previous match, Kira had used verbal tactics on Kaminari, making him believe he could win if he just went all out with his electricity. Everyone knew the result of that. His full-power shock had only managed to slightly injure Kira.
"You can try," Kira said with an unreadable smile.
"ALRIGHT, OUR TWO CONTESTANTS ARE READY! ON ONE SIDE, THE HERO COURSE'S TODOROKI, WHO HAS ADVANCED THROUGH THE RANKS WITH PURE, ABSOLUTE STRENGTH! ON THE OTHER, THE HERO COURSE'S KIRA, WHO HAS MADE IT THIS FAR ON PURE, OVERWHELMING LUCK! WILL KIRA'S GOOD FORTUNE CONTINUE IN THIS MATCH!? LET'S WAIT AND SEE!"
"3... 2... 1... BEGIN!"
The moment the signal was given, Todoroki pressed his hand to the ground. The temperature on the stage plummeted, and in an instant, a series of ice pillars shot out, surging toward Yoshikage Kira.
He said he wouldn't fall for it, but he's already taken the bait.
Kira wasn't afraid of these small-scale ice pillars; they could be shattered with enough force. What he was most afraid of was Todoroki going all out and instantly creating an iceberg that covered half the arena. Even if Kira could use Hamon to create a space for himself to stand, it would be extremely troublesome.
Kira coated his fist in Hamon, leaned forward, and with a grunt of effort, threw a punch—
"HAMON OVERDRIVE!"
The unstoppable wave of ice that had been spreading across the stage instantly shattered into dazzling ice crystals before Kira, glittering in the sunlight.
Todoroki noticed it: Kira's attack was powerful, but there was a brief moment of stiffness after he threw the punch.
Frowning, Todoroki changed his position. He ran, bent down, and slid his hand along his calf. When he stopped, a series of ice pillars erupted from three or four different directions, all converging on Kira.
"You really don't let up, do you, Todoroki-kun?"
Kira sighed. He reached into the pile of ice he had just shattered, grabbed the sharp tip of a protruding shard, and with his hand protected by Hamon, forcefully broke off a cone-shaped ice spear.
Like a seasoned general, Kira wielded the Hamon-infused ice spear, sweeping aside the ice pillars that Todoroki sent his way and revealing his cold-faced opponent on the other side.
"The same trick won't work on me twice, Todoroki-kun."
With that, Kira took a throwing stance and hurled the ice spear. The spear, wreathed in golden Hamon, shot through the air and, in the blink of an eye, was right in front of Todoroki, only to be blocked at the last second by a hastily erected ice wall.
What a pity. If I had turned that ice spear into a bomb just now, Todoroki would already be defeated.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Todoroki's cheek. If he had been a fraction of a second slower, would his head have been pierced?
As I thought. Kira is much harder to deal with than Midoriya.
"Don't get distracted, Todoroki-kun!" Wreathed in Hamon, Kira charged toward him. "HAMON SPRING PUNCH!"
Todoroki leaped backward, but the fist that he thought would fall short suddenly extended, striking him square in the nose and sending him flying.
The edge of the ring was right behind him. His reaction was incredibly fast. Even as he was tumbling through the air, he created a stream of ice under his feet, forming an oval-shaped ice wall. He twisted his body, rode the ice like a surfer, and landed on the other side of the arena.
"Fast runner, aren't you, Todoroki-kun? Let's continue!" The smile that had appeared on Kira's face sent a sudden chill through Todoroki.
After that, Todoroki became extremely cautious. He constantly changed his position, probing with ice pillars but unable to find a decisive opportunity. In fact, he was put on the defensive several times by the ice spears Kira kept throwing, one of which had almost pierced his head.
Before long, a thick layer of ice had formed over the right half of Todoroki's body.
Do I really have to use my fire?
After his match with Midoriya, Todoroki had run into his father, Endeavor.
He had laughed at Todoroki, rattling on about how crude his use of fire was, and had bluntly told him to join his agency for his work-study.
"I'll think about it," Todoroki hadn't refused him outright. In Endeavor's eyes, this was as good as an agreement; he was just too proud to say it.
But that wasn't what Todoroki had been thinking. He was genuinely conflicted. Although he no longer rejected his fire, he was still resistant to using it.
Yoshikage Kira watched as frost once again crept over Todoroki's shoulder, and he frowned. With his attacks having no effect, was Todoroki really not going to use his fire?
A strange anger suddenly welled up inside Kira. He could use it in his match against Midoriya, but he refuses to use it in his match against me? To Todoroki, it might have been a matter of principle. But to Kira, his actions were a mockery—a mockery of a certain great existence.
Kira felt that his current state wasn't right. It was as if he were being driven by some feverish rhythm. But he forced himself not to think about it and charged at Todoroki.
"Come on! Give me a little more excitement!"
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 400 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!