"Just think about it," Nezu said, his smile stretching wider with every word. "Within a single year of training on his own, he's already reached that level of strength. Now imagine how quickly he could learn and master One For All."
He clasped his paws together, tilting his head. "Dreams and experiences alone aren't enough, of course. Without discipline, without true mastery over his quirk, he would have been stuck where he started. And yet… in only a year, he achieved what should have taken many. Truly remarkable, don't you think?"
With a light hop, Nezu slid off his chair and began pacing toward the door. His tone remained cheerful, but each word carried weight.
"This is why I've taken such an interest in Tsutsumi Ryoko. His potential borders on limitless. His dreams don't just grant him knowledge, they give him perspective. His understanding of heroism, of life itself, is unusually mature for someone his age. Perhaps, Toshinori, your successor could learn something from what Tsutsumi tried to tell him today."
At the doorway, Nezu stopped. Slowly, he turned back, his beady black eyes locking onto All Might with unnerving intensity.
"Remember this: young Midoriya can't hope to save anyone… if he can't even save himself."
And with that, Nezu finally slipped out, leaving the infirmary in heavy silence.
Meanwhile, back in the arena.
Tsutsumi stood face-to-face with Tokoyami. The match had only just begun, yet from the way Tsutsumi carried himself, it was clear, he had no intention of dragging this fight out.
"Tokoyami," Tsutsumi said, his voice calm but firm, "I know this match matters to you. But right now, I don't have the time to play around. So let's keep this short."
"I understand," Tokoyami replied, his tone respectful. He knew the gap between their strength. Still, before the fight could continue, he bowed his head slightly. "But there is something I must ask you."
Tsutsumi raised a brow. "Go on."
"My power, sometimes it could get out of control, and I can't control it. It would attack any living thing on sight. I'm somewhat afraid that one day I might accidentally harm others and those I care for. Do you know how I can control it?" Tokoyami's gaze hardened, though his voice wavered.
Tsutsumi's eyes narrowed. He studied Tokoyami for a long moment before speaking.
"So, you're afraid of your own power," he said plainly. Tokoyami gave a silent nod.
While Dark Shadow might seem powerful, it still carries the risk of losing control once consumed in darkness. If there is no light around, Dark Shadow could only grow too powerful for Tokoyami to handle.
"Then you shouldn't fear it," Tsutsumi replied, his tone steady, almost casual. His words struck Tokoyami harder than any blow could. "It's your quirk, isn't it? It's just a tool, it's you who is trying to be a hero here. If you let it control you, then that only mean you're just weak."
He then spread his arms slightly, using his own experience and knowledge about the Kamen Rider's power he has as an example. "So my advice here to you is either embrace its power and let it become one with you, or find a way to work around it, make that uncontrollable power your own to control."
With OOO's Putotyra Combo and Build's Hazard are once uncontrollable forms, also known as Berserker Form, causing the wearer to lose control after some time using them.
OOO, after using that form for enough time, could confidently transform into it without immediately losing control.
Build, worked his way around the Hazard Form, making upgrades to have better control over it.
Tokoyami's eyes widened as the words sank in. Slowly, he nodded, conviction replacing doubt. "Thank you for your advice, Tsutsumi-kun."
He then turned toward Midnight. "I forfeit."
The declaration sent a wave of boos across the stands. The crowd had come for spectacle, for a clash of power, not a quiet exchange of words. But the sharpest minds in the audience caught on to what Tsutsumi said.
The quirk didn't make the hero. It's the person who wields it that makes the hero.
In a society where everyone has a superpower, people tend to forget what really qualifies as a hero to begin with. It's not about the power, the paychecks, the fame, but the intention for those who wield that power and decide what to do with it.
You can save people, but if you're doing it just for a paycheck and the fame, then it becomes nothing more than a job. Then, when the time gets tough and those paychecks aren't coming in, those people would most likely be the first to quit.
That's where the line between real and fake heroes.
One only helps others because it would benefit them, while the other helps because it's the right thing to do, even if they suffer because of it.
Tokoyami ignored the jeers as he stepped out of the arena. The match was over almost before it began. Tsutsumi, unfazed, turned and left as well, his mind already elsewhere.
Tsutsumi is heading back to the infirmary to sit beside Jiro.
He already doesn't have many friends. The first girl who ever confessed to him died on the same night during the time his sister was taken away from him, leaving him alone and empty once more.
Leading him not to build much of a connection with others and cherish any form of relationship he has left.
...
"Ughhh..." Jiro groaned, her eyes fluttering open to the all-too-familiar white ceiling of U.A.'s infirmary.
"Congratulations!" a cheerful voice rang out. "The operation was a success. You're officially a girl now."
Her eyes snapped wide open. Tsutsumi stood beside her bed, face hidden behind a surgical mask, a pristine white lab coat draped over his shoulders like he'd just walked out of a drama set.
"What!?" Jiro bolted upright, frantically patting herself under the blanket. Her panic froze mid-motion. "...Wait... I am a girl!"
She whipped her head toward him, narrowing her eyes at his smug, faux-professional stance.
"You absolute asshole!" she shouted, swinging a weak punch into his arm before slumping back with a relieved sigh.
Recovery Girl, who had been watching the whole performance, pinched the bridge of her nose. "You really shouldn't scare patients like that," she muttered, though the corner of her mouth betrayed the faintest smile. Their exchange was, despite the antics, oddly heartwarming.
Unlike the useless Toshinori, who was still lurking nearby like a useless piece of hospital furniture. A fifty-something-year-old virgin, Shuzenji Chiyo, aka Recovery Girl, has more hope of seeing these two become a couple than expecting Toshinori to have an interest in a woman.
Shaking her head, she turned back to Jiro with a grandmotherly smile. "Still, you did great out there, dear. I've finished treating your injuries; you just need to rest properly now."
With that, the old healer shuffled back to her desk, pouring herself a cup of tea, letting the two teenagers have their moment.
After some time, once Jiro felt a little better, Tsutsumi helped her walk back to the 1-A stands. The moment she appeared, her classmates erupted into cheers, welcoming her warmly.
Meanwhile, Bakugo's gaze clashed with Tsutsumi's across the stands. Neither spoke a word, but the giant screen flashing their faces made it clear enough who would be standing across from one another in the final match.
Before Yamada could even announce it, both boys moved. Their boots pounded against the metal railing of the 1-A stand before they launched themselves off, landing side by side in the arena.
"What is this!?" Yamada's voice boomed through the speakers, nearly drowned out by the roaring crowd. "It seems both contestants for the final round couldn't hold back any longer and have jumped right into the ring!"
The stadium shook with excitement. This was the fight everyone had been waiting for, the moment promised ever since the last thirty seconds of the Cavalry Battle.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Yamada's voice carried above the noise. "Since you all know them by now, there's no need for introductions! The final round of the U.A. Sports Festival Fighting Tournament starts in three... two... one... START!"
The words echoed across the stadium. But neither Bakugo nor Tsutsumi moved. They stood still, eyes locked, tension crackling in the air.
"Since this is the final match... let's start off strong, shall we?" Tsutsumi smirked, pulling a card into his hand.
Bakugo didn't wait. He launched forward in a burst of fire and smoke, detonating a massive explosion point-blank.
Attack Ride: Hardening!
When the smoke cleared, Tsutsumi stood firm with arms crossed, skin hardened into armor, completely unscathed.
"Weird Hair's quirk? I just beat him not long ago!" Bakugo snarled, blasting again.
But before the flames reached him, a hardened fist slammed into Bakugo's ribs, sending him flying.
"Surprise?" Tsutsumi called, charging forward faster than Kirishima ever could, tackling him hard and tossing him back.
"How the hell...? You're faster than him..." Bakugo gritted out, pushing himself back up.
"Kirishima hardens about sixty percent of his body, including his joints," Tsutsumi explained coolly. "That makes him slow but durable. I can harden too, but I leave most of my joints free. Less defense, better mobility."
The redhead in the stands gawked. "Awesome! Long live 1-A Class Rep!" Kirishima shouted with such sincerity that Tsutsumi nearly stumbled mid-fight.
Hearing death flags being set up for him.
"Tch! Even if you're faster, you're just slightly faster!" Bakugo spat, using his explosions to circle Tsutsumi.
"Is that so?" Tsutsumi smirked, slotting another card into his belt.
Attack Ride: Electrification!
Magenta electricity sparked violently across his body, but instead of flaring wildly, it condensed, forming a controlled aura of light. His hair spiked upward as power surged through him.
Then he moved, vanishing into a streak of magenta light. The next instant, he was already behind Bakugo, fist cocked.
Bakugo reacted on instinct, detonating an explosion in his face before the punch could connect. The clash forced Tsutsumi to cancel his strike, skidding backward, fingers digging long gashes into the stone floor. Bakugo too was forced to stop, boots grinding against the arena floor.
"What's that Dumb Face's quirk!? That idiot could do that!?" Bakugo barked in disbelief.
"Electricity is just energy," Tsutsumi said calmly. "It can't be destroyed, only transformed. Sparkly's problem is control. If he learns to master it, he could reach the same level I just showed you."
The audience buzzed with murmurs, but in the 1-A stands.
"Long live 1-A Class Rep!! Long live 1-A Class Rep!!!" Kaminari was now shouting beside Kirishima, fists pumping in the air.
Tsutsumi turned his head just enough to see them and sighed.
"Don't turn your back on me!" Bakugo roared, charging again.
Attack Ride: Dupli-Arms!
Extra arms sprouted from Tsutsumi's wrists, stretching like whips before cracking through the air. The sound reverberated across the arena as one strike lashed against Bakugo's chest, throwing him back. He barely managed to stop himself from falling out of bounds, glancing down at the welt left across his torso.
"Now, Multi-Arms' quirk? Just how many of those extras can you use?" he growled, teeth clenched.
"Don't look down on them, at least not too much," Tsutsumi replied evenly. "The only difference between you and them is how much control you have over your quirk."
The whip-like arms cracked again, forcing Bakugo to keep his distance with blasts.
"Shouldn't that hurt? You're basically slamming your own arms into the ground," Bakugo barked.
"Pain endurance," Tsutsumi said casually. "Shoji's weakness... is himself."
Shoji, sitting quietly in the stands, slumped.
Can't he say at least one nice thing...
Tsutsumi reached for another card, sliding it into place.
Attack Ride: Explosion!
He didn't charge. He didn't blast. He simply clapped his hands together, confusing Bakugo and the audience alike.
"Explosion versus Explosion, let's see who would win?" He said with a smile.
"Tch! If you're not gonna take this seriously, then I'll blow you to pieces!" Bakugo roared. Propelling himself skyward, he spun with explosive force, transforming into a deadly vortex.
"Howitzer Impact!!"
"Big Bang!!"
Tsutsumi thrust both palms outward, unleashing an enormous explosion that collided with Bakugo's vortex. The stadium shook as a towering black cloud swallowed the arena.
When the smoke cleared, Bakugo's body was embedded in the stadium wall, charred and battered. Yet, even in defeat, a grin remained on his face.
"That bastard... so strong... which means beating him'll be... even more rewarding..." he muttered before finally falling unconscious.
In the arena, Tsutsumi stood tall, with his sleeves completely burnt.
Silence reigned for a moment. Then the truth settled in, the undeniable result that no one could dispute.
"The champion of the Sports Festival... is Tsutsumi Ryoko!!"
The stadium erupted. The cheers of thousands filled the air, roaring as though welcoming not just a victor, but the birth of a new symbol of peace.