After the cavalry battle, U.A. granted the students a break. Those who hadn't qualified for the finals were redirected into recreational events, scavenger hunts, ball races, and other lighthearted activities meant to keep the audience entertained and ease the tension before the tournament.
For the finalists, however, the choice was theirs: participate for fun, or rest and prepare for the battles ahead.
At the Faculty and Student Entrance, Todoroki stood silently, his gaze locked on empty space. He had called Tsutsumi out for a private conversation. But Tsutsumi never came.
Instead, he was off somewhere else, walking through the festival with Miyu, handing her snacks, pointing out attractions, and watching her eyes light up at new experiences she had never had the chance to try before.
"Ryoko-niisan, aren't you worried about the final round of the Sports Festival?" Miyu asked, tilting her head up toward him. Her violet eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Tsutsumi smirked lightly. "I fought all Seven Heroic Spirits and came out alive. This isn't even a warm-up." His tone was casual, but his confidence was absolute.
In truth, he wanted the spotlight for one reason only: to catch the eye of someone connected to his mother's past. But no matter how ambitious his goals, he refused to let Miyu miss out on life again. The thought of giving her the normal joys she'd been denied weighed more heavily on him than any upcoming fight.
This desire, the need to protect, to care, was the same thing that had driven him to chase after his mother in the first place. Now it burned just as fiercely for his little sister.
Miyu smiled shyly. "I know you'll do fine, but… still, do your best, Onii-san!"
Tsutsumi chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Right."
He walked her to a quieter corner, then activated the Aurora Curtain, sending her safely back home. As much as he wanted her to watch his matches in person, he couldn't risk leaving her alone among strangers.
As Tsutsumi made his way back to Class 1-A's seating area, he stopped short, face-to-face with a very pissed-off Todoroki.
The two locked eyes. The air between them tightened, sharp enough to cut.
Tsutsumi tilted his head. "What's with the long face? Don't tell me you're holding in diarrhea or something."
The tension snapped like a string. Several students choked back laughter.
Todoroki's jaw tightened. "You…" he growled, low and cold.
"Oh, scary. What's next? You gonna bark? Sorry, but growling like a puppy won't make you intimidating." Tsutsumi shot back without missing a beat.
Now the crowd didn't know whether to laugh or brace for a fight.
"…I can see why he doesn't have many friends," Hagakure whispered to the girls nearby.
Momo fidgeted, glancing between the two. "Shouldn't we… step in before it escalates?"
"Jiro! You stop him!" Mina urged, eyes darting toward Tsutsumi.
"Yeah, Jiro, only you can stop him," Uraraka added, pushing the responsibility onto her.
Jiro pinched the bridge of her nose. "You guys aren't helping."
With a sigh, she marched forward and grabbed Tsutsumi firmly by the arm. "Alright, alright, no need to start a brawl in the stands. Save it for the field."
To everyone's surprise, she managed to drag him away without resistance.
Even so, Todoroki's eyes stayed locked on Tsutsumi's retreating back. Frost prickled over the railings, the temperature in the seating area dipping several degrees as his glare followed him.
After the recreational event wrapped up, Midnight strutted to the center of the arena with her usual flourish.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the final event! Sixteen students from across the four teams have advanced this far, and what better way to end the Festival than… a battle tournament!"
The crowd roared, thrilled at the announcement.
"We'll decide the matchups with a lottery!" she continued, holding up the box dramatically.
One by one, names were drawn, and before long the board lit up with the brackets.
But just as the hype was building, Ojiro and a student from Class 1-B suddenly stepped forward, bowing their heads. Both claimed they didn't feel they had earned their spots fairly.
Gasps spread through the stands, but Midnight quickly smoothed it over. And their positions were filled by two other Class 1-B students that have the highest score during the last round.
With that settled, the matchups appeared clearly on the giant screen:
Tsutsumi Ryoko vs Midoriya Izuku
Todoroki Shoto vs Shinso Hitoshi
Tokoyami Fumikage vs Sero Hanta
Ashido Mina vs Shoji Mezo
Kaminari Denki vs Iida Tenya
Kirishima Eijiro vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Yaoyorozu Momo vs Jiro Kyoka
Bakugo Katsuki vs Shiozaki Ibara
The audience erupted with cheers and chatter.
Midoriya, however, went pale the moment his name lit up beside Tsutsumi's. His hands trembled as he muttered anxiously to himself.
Tsutsumi, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. He leaned sideways, nudging Jiro with a grin. "Hey, Kyo, don't go too hard on your friend out there. You might scare her off."
Jiro feels annoyed. Without hesitation, she kicked him in the shin. "Shut up!"
Momo: "..."
Momo, sitting nearby, stiffened, feeling insulted. She glanced at Tsutsumi, then at Jiro, then back again.
She bit her lip, choosing not to speak. Unlike Jiro, she doubted she could kick him and live to tell the tale.
Meanwhile, Bakugo was practically vibrating with excitement. Small explosions crackled in his palms as he leaned forward with a manic grin. "Heh… perfect. That means I'll get to crush you in the finals, Tsutsumi."
The blonde wasn't even thinking about his first opponent. His eyes burned only for Tsutsumi.
Across the seating area, Todoroki sat silently, but the air around him was already frosting over. His cold glare locked on Tsutsumi, wordless but sharp as ice.
Tsutsumi only smiled, glancing between the two rivals before lazily tossing out, "Good luck, Bakugo."
...
"The first match of the Final Event! The Class president of Class 1-A, the one who boldly declared he'd destroy all his opponents! Tsutsumi Ryoko! And his opponent, another student from Class 1-A, Midoriya Izuku!" Yamada boomed in his usual over-excited tone, hyping the crowd as the two stepped onto the arena.
While Tsutsumi received a star-like introduction, Midoriya, who had yet to reveal his quirk even once, was met with little more than a name call.
The two locked eyes as they entered the stage. Midoriya's shoulders were tight with tension, while Tsutsumi, though calm, felt slightly unsettled.
"Congratulations on making it this far, Midoriya," Tsutsumi said with a smile, catching him off guard.
"Uh-uh, thanks," Midoriya stammered.
"I'm in a good mood today," Tsutsumi continued, his tone light. "So why don't you do us all a favor and step out of the ring, Midoriya."
He wasn't joking, the smile he'd seen on Miyu's face earlier had left him content, and the sooner this was over, the sooner he could go home.
"I can't do that… Tsutsumi-kun!" Midoriya replied, forcing himself into a shaky fighting stance.
Tsutsumi's smile faded, his gaze sharpening.
"Care to explain why? Or are you just into breaking your bones?" he asked coldly.
"Be-Because… I'm gonna show the world… that I am here!" Midoriya shouted with conviction before channeling power into his finger.
"SMASSHHH!"
The flick detonated with force, shattering his bone and unleashing a gust of wind across the arena.
"Henshin!"
A massive explosion thundered in response, wind and smoke colliding violently.
Form Ride: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight
When the smoke cleared, gasps erupted through the stadium. Standing before Midoriya was not Tsutsumi Ryoko, but Bakugo Katsuki.
"K-Kacchan!?" Midoriya stuttered, stunned and terrified.
"What is this!? Did Bakugo Katsuki jump down in a fit of rage to fight as well!?" Yamada shouted into the mic, equally shocked.
Aizawa's monotone voice cut through the noise. "That isn't Bakugo Katsuki. That's Tsutsumi Ryoko."
The camera quickly shifted to the stands, showing the real Bakugo roaring furiously, then back to the arena, where "Bakugo" stood with Tsutsumi's transformation belt strapped to his waist.
"So his quirk could also help him turn into others, too?" Yamada muttered.
"Apparently so." Aizawa said before turning off the mic and pulling out a notebook, and began writing it down. "He can use other people's quirk, another troublesome discovery."
On the field, Tsutsumi glanced at Midoriya and let a chilling smile curl across his face.
"Since you enjoy being beaten, I guess I can give you a few good hits," he said gently, his voice twisting into Bakugo's. "Deku."
Explosions rang out from his palms, launching him toward Midoriya. Seeing his right hand pull back, Midoriya instinctively readied himself to counter Bakugo's right hook.
Only for Tsutsumi's wrist to suddenly turn, creating an explosion that shifted his momentum. His body spun, and his left foot slammed into Midoriya's face, sending him tumbling across the ground, another tooth flying free.
"What's the matter? Down already?" he taunted, looking down at the boy struggling to rise.
Midoriya forced his other fingers to channel power again.
"SMASHHH!"
Another gust of wind blasted across the arena, sending Tsutsumi flying, only for him to redirect himself midair using explosions, landing unharmed.
"What exactly are you even trying to show here?" Tsutsumi asked, genuinely confused, before surging forward. He weaved past another flicked gust and detonated an explosion point-blank in Midoriya's face, blasting him back.
The Sports Festival was for pro-heroes to scout promising students for internships. Midoriya hadn't displayed his quirk once during the earlier rounds, and now, when he finally revealed it, he only proved that he couldn't control it, shattering his own bones with every attack.
Unless a hero could help him get his quirk under control, who in their right mind would want an intern who can only cause massive collateral damage and medical expense?
Even if he wanted to be a hero, he couldn't protect anyone if he couldn't even control his own power.
Tsutsumi let out a slow breath, reverting back to his original form.
"Give up, Midoriya," he said calmly. "You can only prove yourself once you learn how not to hurt yourself with your own power."
Putting his hands in his pockets, Tsutsumi turned away, giving Midoriya some dignity to surrender with fewer broken bones. But he underestimated Midoriya's stubborn desire to prove himself and his pettiness.
Midoriya clenched his fist, his body trembling, before he charged One for All at full power.
"SMASHHH!"
The punch slammed into Tsutsumi's back.
"YOU SON OF A BIT-!"
Tsutsumi's body was flung across the arena, crashing into the upper ring of the stadium with a thunderous impact.
"Unbelievable! Midoriya attacked Tsutsumi when his back was turned!" Yamada shouted, his voice echoing across the stadium. "Looks like the winner is-"
"Hold it," Aizawa cut in sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Tsutsumi Ryoko hasn't touched the ground yet."
A silver blur streaked back down into the arena, landing on his feet within the ring.
Form Ride: OOO! Sagohzo Combo!
"Fine, have it your way then," Tsutsumi said coldly. He stomped the ground, unleashing a crushing gravitational force toward Midoriya.
Midoriya screamed as his broken bones and torn muscles were pressed mercilessly into the floor.
"Midoriya Izuku! Can you still move?" Midnight called out, her tone wavering. By rule, if he was immobilized, it would count as defeat.
"I-I can!" Midoriya forced out through clenched teeth, even as the weight dragged him down, blood dripping from his mouth and body.
Midnight's eye twitched. She could see him crumbling under the pressure, yet still refusing to yield.
Tsutsumi sighed, his annoyance boiling over. He canceled the transformation and released the pull. The boy was still on the ground, trembling and crying as he tried to push himself up.
Tsutsumi's boot cracked into Midoriya's face, breaking his nose. Blood sprayed as he rolled across the arena.
"Who are you trying to prove to, huh?"
Another kick struck, snapping his head sideways.
"What ghost possessed you into thinking you're some kind of chosen one? That if you fail, the world ends!?"
A sharp kick to the gut folded Midoriya over, and he coughed violently.
"You can't even control your power without breaking yourself!"
Tsutsumi stomped on Midoriya's stomach, pinning him down with disgust burning in his eyes. Then, he lifted his boot away.
"Think, Midoriya! Think! Who are you going to save when you become nothing but deadweight!?"
Midoriya gave no response. His body was trembling too much to move.
Seeing no point in continuing, Tsutsumi turned away, his steps echoing in the silent stadium. Midnight exhaled in relief, grateful he hadn't escalated further.
"Midoriya-" she began, ready to call the match.
"SMASHHH!"
Midoriya roared, blowing apart his own legs to launch himself like a human cannonball. He rammed into Tsutsumi's back, sending him flying toward the crowd.
Tsutsumi: "…"
He was speechless. But as the arena blurred around him, his gaze locked on a gray-haired girl in the stands, her wide blue eyes frozen as he hurtled straight toward her.
Form Ride: OOO! Tajadol Combo!
Six crimson wings burst from his back, halting his flight before he could crash into her. Scarlet feathers cascaded down like burning embers.
Gasps rippled through the audience. The pale girl cupped one falling feather in her hand, staring in awe.
Tsutsumi glanced around, spotting Kendo among them, realizing he was at the Class 1-B stands. He didn't linger. His focus returned to the battered boy below. He descended slowly, hovering just above the ground, his wings fanning out behind him, crimson and iridescent feathers spreading like a peacock's tail.
But just as he prepared to strike, Yamada's voice boomed across the stadium.
"Disqualified! Midoriya Izuku is disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct!"
Aizawa had seen how cold Tsutsumi was when he killed the Nomu. He'd also seen the restraint Tsutsumi showed here, more than he'd expected. But the moment Tsutsumi turned cold and silent, alarm bells went off in his head. He whispered sharply to Yamada, who made the announcement before things could spiral out of control.
Midnight quickly caught on, her whip cracking through the air. "Midoriya is disqualified! Tsutsumi advances to the second round!"
With the verdict sealed, Tsutsumi let his transformation fade. His boots touched the ground, wings dissolving into crimson feathers that were carried in the wind. Without a word, he turned and walked off the arena floor.