Ch. 43: Devil Dragon vs. Explosive Bomber
The roar of the crowd was deafening as the final two competitors took to the raised cement platform, their eyes locking onto one another the second they entered each other's view. Katsuki's near-permanent scowl was locked onto Izuku, but the One For All inheritor wasn't about to give in. Not now.
["Welcome to the final battle of the U.A. Sports Festival!"] Present Mic exclaimed, spinning around in his seat before slamming his hands on his desk. ["In just a moment here, we'll see which first years come out on top! Yes, it all comes down to this, folks! Ya know 'em, you love at least ONE of 'em! It's the Lean Green Machine from the Hero Course, Izuku Midoriya, versus… his classmate, the Mad Pomeranian, Katsuki Bakugo!"]
"C'mon, Izuku! Put him in his place!" Rias cheered.
"He's got nothing on you," Koneko quietly added.
"You can do it!" Akeno said.
"Put the hurt on that guy!" Ravel shouted.
"So… it's come down to this," Izuku looked into his childhood friend's eyes.
"Hmph, I was hopin' it'd be you," Katsuki smirked. "Deku… I'm sure you've been itchin' for this just as much as I have."
The wielder of One for All and the Boosted Gear closed his eyes calmly. "In truth… I never cared who I would face off with in the final round."
Katsuki blinked at that, recoiling slightly. "H-Huh? What?!"
"You heard me. I would've been happy fighting against you, Xenovia, Hanakai, Kirishima, Ashido, Kendo, even Asia, or Uraraka." He opened his eyes, his resolute stare meeting Katsuki's shocked gaze. "No matter the opponent, I still would hope for a good, clean match. And I'd say, 'May the best student win,' as well."
Katsuki sneered, scoffing as he turned his chin up to him. "Hmph! Famous last words, Deku. But that best student is gonna be me. That's what I'm here to prove!"
Izuku wasn't surprised to hear that. "…Of course, you'd say that. You always go on about how being the best is everything. To be honest, that's something I admire about you, Kacchan, the fact that you never give up." He raised a clenched fist and yelled straight at Katsuki. "Well, get this! I'm not about to give up either! But I'm going to prove that I'm strong in my OWN way!"
Once again, Katsuki was taken aback by Izuku's declaration. However, he quickly shook himself straight. "Grr, whatever!" He pointed at his opponent. "Listen, you may have beaten me back in our first training class, but now, I hope you enjoyed that one because there's no way you're getting another one!"
["Now… BEGIN!"]
*Zoom!*
Izuku, having activated his Boosted Dragon mode the second that Present Mic made that announcement, zoomed right towards Katsuki with impressive speed and landed a sucker punch to his jaw, causing him to come very close to losing his footing.
"You're gonna have to do better than that, DEKU!"
*BOOM!*
Katsuki quickly retaliated, setting off an explosion in Izuku's direction, forcing the greenette to recoil from the heat and force of the attack.
'Damn, his explosions are still so strong!' Clearly, watching them in Katsuki's previous battles wasn't enough to gauge their strength properly. Oh well, lesson learned. And of course, it wasn't like that would be enough to make Izuku back down either.
[Boost!]
"Dragon Shot!" Izuku fired a bright green energy ball at Katsuki, who proceeded to jump into the air with an explosion to dodge.
As Katsuki landed, Izuku took off in a zigzag pattern, attempting to make it too erratic for Katsuki to keep up. And it worked, as Izuku was able to land a solid hit to Katsuki's abdomen, making him grit his teeth as he braced from the impact.
"Still not good enough!" Katsuki said before readying a blast in Izuku's direction.
Izuku noticed this and quickly backed off, avoiding the attack.
Katsuki then went on the initiative again, rocketing himself in Izuku's direction with more explosions.
Izuku got ready and clenched his fists to meet Katsuki head-on, but right as the latter got close, he set off an explosion at his front, backing away from Izuku, much to the greenette's surprise.
Katsuki then proceeded to prime his explosions again and dragged his arm close to the ground, setting off his explosion at the same time to tear up the ground and create debris, and when he swung his arm up in an arc, the explosive blasts kicked up a lot more debris, which was sent flying in Izuku's direction.
Izuku was forced to open up his wings and cover himself to block against the debris. When he retracted them, all he could see was smoke around him.
*BOOM!*
He then heard the boom of an explosion from his side and turned his head in that direction, but he did not see his opponent. As he wondered what was happening, he suddenly received a kick to his back, courtesy of Katsuki, who wore a manic grin at getting one over Izuku.
Izuku was knocked to the ground, but quickly got back up and turned to face Katsuki.
"You like that, nerd? You're not the only one who can be sneaky!" Katsuki boasted.
["Midoriya and Bakugo are neck-and-neck! Just what I'd expect from our two finalists!"] Present Mic commented. ["But only one can take the gold, and the question is… Who will be the one?"]
Katsuki flashed Izuku a grin. "Now this is more like it. Unlike that training class, I don't have to keep structural damage in mind that much." And then, his face changed back into his more usual scowl. "But I get the feeling you're not going all-out on me, Deku. What's the matter? Think I'm not worthy of your full power?!"
Izuku didn't respond and instead took off in a zigzag pattern again, readying another punch. When he got in close for the hit, however, Izuku was met with the ashen blond's hand, which was lit up to unleash another blast.
Izuku managed to dodge the ensuing explosion by sliding to the slide, and then he was forced to quickly move out of the way to dodge a kick to his side.
"Did you really think I'd be dumb enough to fall for the same trick twice, ya nerd?!" Katsuki asked, unimpressed.
'Damn, he's right. Should've used that as an opening for a different move.' Izuku mentally cursed. 'I think it's about time to start using One For All–'
While Izuku was momentarily distracted with his internal monologue, Katsuki took advantage of it to attack again. "TAKE THIS!" He proceeded to unleash a volley of rapid-fire explosions in Izuku's direction, which left him no time to plan his next move other than dodging. "You can't keep dodging forever!"
'Crap! I let myself get distracted! And he's not giving me time to think!'
Katsuki then dragged both arms over the ground and swung up hard to send up scorched debris flying towards Izuku, and for good measure, set off explosions from both hands in the debris's direction for extra propulsion. Even though Izuku was able to avoid getting hit by the projectiles, the raw force behind the blond bomber's latest attack was enough to make him step back a bit.
Despite his showing against Izuku, Katsuki's expression seemed to be changing to indicate that he was starting to get impatient. "Nothing's changed, huh? Even now, you're still looking down on me, aren't you?!"
"…Huh?"
"Let me tell ya this, you bastard! You better stop tryin' to make me look weak by holding back! Or I'm gonna–"
"Or WHAT?!" Izuku suddenly snapped, interrupting Katsuki and causing him to be taken aback by the unexpected outburst. "'I'm gonna make you regret it!' Is that what you were about to say?! You say nothing's changed? Well, I could say the same about you! You've always mocked and picked on me ever since we were little kids, but I've been pretty much the exact opposite the whole time!" He balled his fists in frustration as he glowered at Katsuki. "When you got your Quirk, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I couldn't wait to get mine. But that didn't happen, and yet, I never stopped admiring you! And after all this time, when I finally got my own power, I realized something: …I could finally be LIKE you. I could be strong, I could be a Hero… and then maybe we'd finally be on even footing. Why can't you get it through your damn mind?!"
In the commentators' booth, Present Mic and Aizawa were paying thorough attention to the exchange below.
"Hey, isn't it, like, getting intense?" Present Mic muttered to his co-commentator. "It doesn't seem like stuff that we can ignore."
Aizawa was in agreement; this was something that needed to be addressed later. "Let it play out," He replied. "The way I see it, it's something Midoriya's been keeping inside himself for a long time, and now it's all coming out. He needs to vent."
Meanwhile, Izuku continued to speak his mind, without averting his glare away from Katsuki. "Even now, you still see yourself as above others, stuck in the center of your own universe while hardly acknowledging anyone else who's done their best to get as far as they did. They're all just stepping stones for your way to the top!" Katsuki had no response to Izuku's small speech, as he wasn't exactly wrong with his statement. "Well, guess what?! I'm not gonna be like that! My dream is the same as yours: to be Number One! And I am NOT gonna let you walk over me and trample that dream!"
Katsuki's expression then changed into a sneer. What Deku said certainly caught him off guard, but his goal to win against him at his full power was still the same. "Done letting your feelings out, Deku? Now listen up, 'cause there's only one thing I want from you, and that's for you to come at me with everything you've got, just like with Icy-Hot! That's the only way I'll be able to prove to everyone that I'm the absolute best in this Festival!"
[Boost!]
After activating another Boost, Izuku proceeded to channel One For All into his arms next. "…You want my full power?" Izuku brought his fists up, both arms radiating with power. "Well, Kacchan, you got it. BRING IT!"
"HAHA! 'BOUT TIME!" Bakugo hollered as he blasted himself toward, his lips curling into a sadistic smirk. "Finally, this is what I've been waitin' for! Show everyone that you're trying to destroy me, DEKU!" As he flew, Katsuki began rapidly blasting himself around so that he was spinning through the air, increasing his speed to the point that he made the smoke around him swirl with him. 'If you're gonna face me, you can't half-ass it.' The young man thought with glee as he closed in. 'Try everything you can to defeat me and don't you DARE hold back!'
Izuku briefly peered over his shoulder, smiling as he saw all of his friends watching with anticipation. His friends in both Classes 1-A and 1-B, from the Occult Research Club, especially Rias. It all began when she took an interest in a seemingly powerless boy like him and gave him a chance to be more than what he thought he could be. A Hero. 'Rias. Everyone. Thanks so much for all your help…'
Inside Izuku's body, the powers of One For All and the Boosted Gear began coming together, and a greater burst of power began to be unleashed. Izuku then started to see the same flashes of light he did back during his match with Shinso, along with the red and green glow of the Boosted Gear, which then all came together to form an even more intense flash of light.
[Welsh Dragon, Balance Breaker!]
Right at that moment, Katsuki got in close to unleash his final attack.
"Howitzer… IMPACT!" Katsuki threw his hand forward, his hand lighting up as he threw down a MASSIVE explosion that spread through the smoke trail he left behind, completely engulfing Izuku…
However, what Katsuki didn't see was that the moment he was about to unleash his Howitzer Impact, Izuku's body was enveloped in red light right before a red armor matching his red gauntlet formed over his body; it had green jewels, with dragonlike attributes on his arms, chest, and legs, with a tail-like piece protruding from his back.
"Texas… DRAGON SMAAASSH!" Putting in everything he had, Izuku threw his armored fist forward, unleashing a great deal of raw power and wind pressure. This also had the effect of blowing the explosion backward, sending all the heat and force right back at Katsuki.
"W-What?! AAAUUGGH!" He desperately tried to regain control of himself, but even with the earlier forward momentum, he was thrown for a loop. A pillar of fire and brimstone erupted from the center of the field, making everyone in the crowd close their eyes as it blew over them. Within seconds, the entire battlefield was once again rendered unseeable thanks to the amount of smoke and debris that had been kicked up.
["Who-ho-ho-hoa! Bakugo combined speed and rotation with a huge blast like he used against Uraraka! Almost like a human missile!"] Present Mic cried out. ["But somehow, it seemed to have been turned against him! What in the world did Midoriya do?! And most importantly, what has become of our two top competitors?!"]
Everyone held their breath as they eagerly awaited the results to be revealed.
In the Devils' booth, the Occult Research Club members were the most anxious. And yet, there was something else on their minds.
"Did anyone else notice it?" Ravel asked.
"Yeah, it was brief, but it was clear," Akeno said.
"Scale Mail…" Rias muttered, proud and worried for Izuku at the same time. "C'mon, Izuku, don't tell me you've unlocked it, only to lose the match."
Midnight coughed a bit as she tried to blow the smoke away, and when it finally cleared enough for her to see, what she saw made her gasp.
There, the still armor-clad Izuku stood tall in the center of a crater, most likely a byproduct of the blast. He still had his arm thrown forward from his last attack before it dropped down, and he collapsed on his back, the red dragonlike armor disappearing, and yet, he was somehow still conscious.
On the other hand, Katsuki was nowhere in the ring, his location soon determined when he was discovered to have been practically buried into the far wall, no doubt caused by the tremendous force that had sent him flying into it. He was bloody, bruised, scorched, and very much unconscious, falling out of the imprint and down to the grass below.
"Bakugo is out of bounds," Midnight declared, before raising her whip toward the greenette in the crater. "That means… Midoriya is the winner!"
All at once, the crowd roared in celebratory cheers, with the giant screen displaying Izuku as the winner.
["And with that, the final match is officially over! The first-year champion of the U.A. Sports Festival is… IZUKU MIDORIYA FROM CLASS 1-A!"]
"IZUKU!" Inko cried, tears of joy flooding the apartment as a drenched Hisashi hugged her.
"He won!" Ochaco linked arms with Mina and did a little dance. "He won! He did it!"
"That was so awesome… I've never seen anything like it!" Mina chirped as she jumped up and down in excitement.
"That was very awesome, Izuku!" Chacha applauded.
"Yeah! Way to go, Midoriya!" Setsuna grinned.
"He did it," Asia said in relief.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Tetsutetsu said, flexing his muscles.
"That armor of his at the end, I wonder how he summoned it," Ethel noted, while being interested in seeing it again.
Meanwhile, Izuku, still on the ground, couldn't believe that this was really happening and almost wondered if he was dreaming, but he quickly realized that he wasn't and smiled, though it fell when he thought about Katsuki and how he might react once he regained consciousness.
In Recovery Girl's office, Izuku was resting on a bed while Toshinori sat on a chair beside him.
"Well done, young Midoriya. You still have a long road ahead of you, but you're off to a fantastic start!" Toshinori exclaimed.
"Thank you, All Might," Izuku said, smiling. "I still have a long way to go, though."
"That's putting it lightly," Recovery Girl said, looking over the X-rays she had taken of Izuku's arms. "You fractured your arms yet again. You're gonna hit the limits to whatever tricks you've been using, and if you don't start taking better care of yourself, you might break them to the point I can't heal them."
"R-Right," Izuku gulped. "I already figured out how to limit One For All to a certain percentage."
"And let me guess, Yagi wasn't the one who taught you that, right?"
Izuku nodded.
"Of course… Honestly, if Nezu would permit it, I'd do everything I could to revoke his teaching job. That man is awful at it!"
"'That man' is right here," Toshinori mumbled. "And if I don't teach young Midoriya, who will?"
Recovery Girl glared at the Pro Hero. "There's Gran Torino."
The blond's face visibly blanched at that name.
Izuku sat up. "Gran Torino?"
Toshinori hesitated to answer. "H-He taught at this school back in my day, but only for one year. In fact, the man was my homeroom teacher. He knows about One For All, as well. He was also the sworn friend of my predecessor."
Izuku's sunshine smile beamed out. "This guy sounds totally awesome!"
Toshinori was shaking at the idea, grimacing. "I-I-I'm not sure you want to meet him, young Midoriya."
"Oh, no, you don't. I won't let you mention him and back out of telling the boy about him," Recovery Girl said, pulling out her phone. "If you'd rather let fear cloud your judgment over making sure Midoriya gets proper guidance on how to use One For All, I will have to take proper action myself."
Toshinori swiftly swiped the phone away from Recovery Girl as he began to actually shake in pure, unadulterated fear. "T-That w-won't be necessary! I-I mean, young Midoriya is making progress mastering One For All on his own, so j-just give me time to think it over. Asking him to come and help… It's scary. Too scary…" He started slapping his own leg, his knees beginning to wobble underneath him. "Damnit, legs, stop shaking!"
Izuku's eyes widened in shock. 'All Might is seriously freaking out right now!'
[Hehe… Now I'm curious about this "Gran Torino," especially after seeing All Might acting like this.]
"Fine," Recovery Girl huffed. "You have a couple of days. And if you haven't decided by then, then you can be sure I will see to it that Gran Torino becomes an assistant teacher for the year."
Toshinori looked ready to faint at Recovery Girl's declaration.
'Just how scary is this guy?' Izuku mentally wondered.
Then, Toshinori stepped out for a bit, and not long after, the door clicked open and the ORC members, along with a few of Izuku's other friends, entered.
Rias was quick to smother Izuku in her boobs upon seeing him, much to the surprise of several others. "I'm so proud of you, Izu!" The redheaded Devil smiled, her Pawn making incoherent noises in her bosom.
"P-President, t-that's enough!" Asia stammered.
"He's been through a lot today! P-Please give him some air!" Chacha added.
After several minutes, Rias finally released Izuku, who had trouble keeping his head straight for a few seconds.
"Is he going to be okay?" Xenovia asked.
"He'll be fine," Rias reassured, and just as she said, he quickly recovered, and his friends began showering him with praises.
"Dude, that was freaking INSANE! You just blew him the HELL away!" Mina shouted, standing directly next to Izuku's bed.
"You beat his ass," Koneko gave a thumbs-up.
"I knew you could do it!" Chacha cheered.
"Yeah, I already know you're impressive, but you just keep topping that!" Ochaco said.
"Gotta say, Midoriya, you're pretty damn impressive," Asuka praised.
"I think ya mean freakin' MANLY!" Tetsutetsu added. "That red dragon armor and the pose you were in, I'm still stoked from seein' that!"
"Yeah, and I've still got the goosebumps!" Eijiro said.
"I agree. I was truly amazed by that scene," Ethel said.
"Midoriya. Back in our fight, you didn't use that armor," Shoto noted. "You told me not to hold back, but you were still hiding it?"
"No, of course not! That time was literally the FIRST time that's ever happened!" Izuku explained. "Believe me, I was just as surprised as you."
"I see. Well, I can tell you're not lying, so that's fair."
"You didn't just win the finals, you've also come in first place in all the events," Denki said. "You practically dominated the whole thing."
Izuku felt his cheeks blush at that. "W-Well, I don't know about dominated… I-I just did my best."
Itsuka gave a simple shrug. "Well, either way, you definitely showed Bakugo what for. Bet he's still reeling from that."
"Well… judging by the relative silence, I doubt he's going on a raging rampage," Izuku noted, resulting in a few chuckles. "…I was serious about that."
"Yes, and speaking of Bakugo…" Rias began, right as the door opened, and came in All Might in his buff form, along with Aizawa and Nezu.
"All Might! And Mr. Aizawa, and Principal Nezu!" Izuku said.
"I'm glad to see you are doing well, Mr. Midoriya," Nezu greeted, raising a paw.
"Yes, but we were hoping you could explain a few things to us," Aizawa began, and Izuku had an idea what it was about. "Your outburst to Bakugo earlier, that wasn't something random; there were clearly feelings that you were keeping bottled in all this time. So, we'd like for you to give us the full picture."
"As your teachers, it's our job to know so we can help when needed. So please, if there's anything you're willing to share, tell us now, if you would," Nezu requested.
Izuku stared at the adults for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and giving a reluctant nod. "Right. Okay… Here's what happened."
Izuku proceeded to explain his history with Katsuki, from how they grew up together, to how Katsuki got his Quirk while Izuku himself didn't, and how Katsuki's treatment of him started to change afterward, and the time in their final year of middle school where Katsuki burnt one of his notebooks and told him a "way" he could get a Quirk. "…And that's about everything."
"I see… this is most troubling indeed." Nezu brought a paw up to his face, keeping his grin despite the severity of the news.
"Oh… my gosh," Momo's hands covered her mouth. "Midoriya, how… how could you keep something like that bottled up for so long?"
Tetsutetsu cringed. "I–I can't believe… I don't know what…"
*BAM!*
"GRAAAH! DAMMIT!" Much to everyone's shock, Eijiro had hit a wall with his hardened fist, breaking a big hole in it as he channeled his anger. "I should've known! How the hell did I not see it in the first place?! Bullying ain't mainly! To think… I even tried making friends with that… that JACKASS!"
"K-Kirishima, please, don't beat yourself, or the wall, up over this!" Izuku went over, standing behind the spiky redhead as he put a hand on his shoulder. "In all honesty, I should've come clean about this sooner. I just… I-I wanted Kacchan to be able to—"
Without warning, Eijiro spun back around and met Izuku's eyes with a resolute glare. "To what?! To be a Hero?! C'mon, Midoriya, you can't be serious about that! He's a bully!"
Hilda curled her lips distastefully. "Yeah, I mean, what's to stop us from thinking that what he did to Ochaco out there WAS done just because he wanted to be mean to someone—"
"Stop."
Surprisingly enough, Ochaco herself was the one who interrupted, her brows furrowed at the heavyweight girl. "Hilda, I appreciate the concern, but I don't think that WAS Bakugo's intent at all. He wanted everyone to give it their all against him so that he could prove that he's the strongest student here. His intentions were to win, not bully people."
"But regardless, Mr. Midoriya, you really should have come to see us sooner. If you had, we would've been able to help much faster," Nezu spoke up again.
"Yes, from what you've told, this is a serious matter," All Might continued, the Number One Hero maintaining his own smile, albeit with a serious edge in his features. He extended a hand to Izuku. "From what you've told us, Young Bakugo may be experiencing a clear case of sociopathic behavior. Being aggressively passionate is one thing, but looking down on everyone around you, including your own classmates, is a much heavier situation. Especially for you, young Midoriya, who has been a frequent target of this for many years."
"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't speak up sooner," Izuku hung his head in shame.
"Young Midoriya… why did you not tell us this sooner?"
"W-Well, it wasn't AS bad when we were in Kindergarten or Grade School," Izuku explained. "Teachers would be quick to catch him… at least while we were on school grounds. The local playground was mostly fair game." He winced a little before moving on. "Though when we started Aldera Junior High, it was a bit of a different story for the first two years, and then, in our final year, he began to tone it down, not really getting physical. And after a while, things happened, and we stopped interacting much."
The ORC members and Chacha could tell he was referring to when he was introduced to the supernatural world.
"I noticed him getting mad at Izuku for no reason a few times, but he said it wasn't a big deal," Asia said.
"I didn't start attending Aldera until my third year, so I never knew the full extent, but now I regret not paying much attention before," Yumi said, feeling ashamed.
Rias also felt bad, as she considered Izuku to be strong enough to handle himself after his takedown of Raynare; she neglected to think about what he must have gone through before he met her, and the possibility of doing something about it.
"I didn't really get to know Izuku until our third year as well, and I tried talking to the teachers about it, but they just said that 'they need to work out their issues on their own,'" Chacha added, regretting that she wasn't much help either. "They only started paying attention to Izuku after he passed the U.A. Entrance Exam."
"Apathy and favoritism," Aizawa spoke up. "They most likely didn't care enough to intervene because they didn't see any worth in Midoriya before then. But when Midoriya was qualified for U.A., a top Hero School, he became someone they could use to boost their reputation."
A collective gasp ran through almost the entire nurse's office. "THAT is messed up!" Mina shouted.
"Yes. It's such a corrupt mindset that makes me ill inside. These teachers and faculty members… they're about a step off from acting like actual Villains."
"Yes, this is a matter that cannot be overlooked," Nezu nodded, his grin belying his grave tone. "I will make a report to the board and see to it that such a harmful system is discontinued."
"A-And… What about Kacchan? What will you do about him?" Izuku asked, turning the topic back to his former childhood friend/tormentor. "Are you going to expel him?"
"That depends on the severity of his actions." Nezu clarified. "If he took part in true criminal behavior, such as blackmail or the like, then yes, he would undoubtedly be facing expulsion. However, this is a less severe case, not that I am downplaying bullying, so I believe rehabilitative sessions to fix his behavior would be a suitable consequence."
"U.A. already has a guidance counselor, Hound Dog, so we can set Bakugo up for appointment," All Might stated.
"Is that all? He's been doing this for years! It seems like a slap on the wrist, if I'm being honest," Rias protested.
"I wasn't finished, young Gremory," All Might interjected. "In addition to sessions with Hound Dog, I was thinking maybe we could call in the assistance of a few Pros."
"I agree. And if I recall, Gang Orca was open for taking in a new protégé. Given how his last one turned out, I'm positive that Mr. Bakugo will be left with quite the impact made on him," Nezu suggested. "Or maybe Best Jeanist. He may also be a good candidate for Mr. Bakugo's rehabilitation. After all, he's been able to help several students in the past as well."
"Gang Orca and/or Best Jeanist?" Izuku muttered.
"Man, Bakugo might be a whole different person by the time they're through with him," Tomoe said.
"Not necessarily," Nezu wagged a finger. "Not everyone has such a drastic change right away, but as long as he learns the values that we at U.A. find to be acceptable among the student body, it's an excellent first step."
"Namely, that we won't tolerate any kind of behavior that leans towards villainous," Aizawa clarified. "But of course, first we should hear what Midoriya has to think about this…"
Then, all eyes turned towards Izuku, waiting for his response.
"Well, I'm glad that you're not expelling him, and I know that sounds unbelievable, considering I was his main victim… but I genuinely believe that Kacchan DOES have what it takes to be a good Hero. Even if his ideals are skewed from the traditional definition of heroism, his never-give-up attitude is something I've always admired about him, even now."
"Izuku, you can't mean that–"
"I do." Izuku pressed firmly, furrowing his brow at Xenovia. "Everyone, I appreciate you wanting to look out for me, but I've known Kacchan since we were toddlers. I know him better than anyone here, and while he has his vices, he's also not completely hopeless. We HAVE to believe that a person can change for the better… otherwise, we can't call ourselves 'Heroes,' can we?"
While everyone else was still left utterly silent… All Might was beaming with pride, the Pro Hero even sniffling as he rubbed a finger beneath his nose. "Snf! Th-That's EXACTLY what I would hope to hear from you, young Midoriya! You're absolutely right, we MUST believe that young Bakugo can learn to become a great Hero AND a better person at U.A. Otherwise, we've failed already."
Nezu nodded as well. "Indeed. I believe Mr. Midoriya is right on the money," he eyed Aizawa with a serious gaze. "Moreover, I believe it would be best to be careful in handling Mr. Bakugo's situation. If we're not careful, Mr. Bakugo could allow his vices to take hold of him, and he may give in to his darker inhibitions."
"…I suppose you're right," Aizawa muttered. "Though be warned. I won't go easy on Bakugo. If he wants to be a Hero, then he'll have to prove it to remain in U.A.," His sights zeroed in on Izuku. "Am I clear? If he can't change, then U.A. will no longer have a place for him."
"I understand, Mr. Aizawa," Izuku sighed.
"Good, now get some rest," The homeroom teacher pointed over to the TV. "The awards ceremony will be starting soon."
And with that, the faculty members exited, leaving just Izuku and his friends.
"You're really okay with this?" Akeno asked.
"Look, guys. I get it. Kacchan's a huge jerk, and that might be understating it…But I still think that there might be hope for him yet. He still wants to be a Hero, that much I know is true," He winced as he admitted. "But even though his idea of what makes a Hero is VERY flawed, my hope is that being at U.A. will help change that mindset of his."
"Oh yeah, and how do you figure that?" Eijiro asked, skeptical.
"Well, having a friend could help..."
"…Really? After what you just told me?"
Izuku's shoulders slumped at that. "Kirishima, out of everyone in class, I think he holds the MOST respect for you, and that's saying something. The fact that he remembers your name now only proves that."
Eijiro raised a brow. "And so you want me to keep trying to be friends with him?"
"Considering what I've heard Aizawa's likely going to put him through… I think he might NEED a friend to get him through all that." The One For All inheritor recoiled at the thought. "All I'm saying is… give him a chance, and if it doesn't work out, it's unfortunate, but we've done what we can. But please, I don't wanna just give up on him."
As much as Eijiro wanted to deny it… that situation DID sound pretty hellish, even for Bakugo. Three of the strictest Pros imaginable, and two were even in the Top Ten. "Grr… Man, Midoriya… that's probably the manliest thing I've ever heard. The fact that you still wanna help Bakugo even after all the crap he put ya through… Ah, what the heck?" He extended a hand toward the greenette. "I'll do my best, Midoriya. And… you know what? Maybe I can unearth some of Bakugo's better qualities."
"If he has any…" Koneko muttered.
Izuku sighed as he shook the dyed redhead's hand. "That's all I can ask for, thank you."
Then, Tetsutetsu came over and slung his arm over Eijiro's shoulder. "Yeah, manly respect, dude. And if he gives ya any trouble, you can count on me for backup."
Eijiro grinned. "Sure."
Soon, the others started leaving, and it was just the ORC in the room.
"Now that we have some privacy," Rias began. "Well done, Izuku! You've gone and unlocked even more of your Boosted Gear's power! Your Balance Breaker, Scale Mail!"
"Wait, really?! That armor, that was my Balance Breaker?!" Izuku questioned.
[Yes, however, that Balance Breaker was an incomplete one.]
Everyone turned their gaze toward Ddraig.
"Huh, that wasn't a complete Balance Breaker?!" Izuku asked the dragon residing in his left hand.
[Unfortunately so. It was more like a preview of a true Balance Breaker brought out by intense emotions. At the time, you felt a strong urge to defeat Bakugo and prove that you can be just as "amazing" as you once saw him. But now that that had been accomplished, there was no longer any reason for you to keep it. Just because you were able to succeed once doesn't mean you can pull it off again immediately.]
"Then what do I have to do to gain a complete Balance Breaker?" Izuku asked.
[That's the tricky part. It varies from person to person. It could awaken from trauma or from training. There are even rare occasions where one is born with their Balance Breaker already active. It all depends on the person's feelings. And, considering how emotional you can get, it might take a while.]
"I think I sort of get it," Yumi said. "Back then, when I got Balance Breaker, that time I resolved to continue fighting for the sake of everyone I care about, especially everyone here, and I still strive toward that goal to this day, so it's like my ambitions that birthed my Balance Breaker are still unfulfilled."
"Well, I guess I've still got a long way to go then," Izuku muttered as he lay on his bed to think about things moving forward.
Half an hour later, it was time for the awards ceremony, and Izuku was making his way to the winners' platforms. When he got there, Xenovia and Shoto were already in their place at the third-place platform, and in the second-place, there was Katsuki… who was just there, looking empty inside with his head down, and a shadow cast over his eyes thanks to his hair.
Izuku was surprised to see him in that state. "O-Oh, hey Kacch–"
"Deku… don't. Not now…"
That was all he got. No yelling, no threats, no angry outbursts.
Izuku then turned to Shoto and Xenovia. "Has he–"
"Been like this the whole time?" Xenovia finished. "Yes. The moment he got here, he made his way over there, and that's where he's been."
Izuku couldn't believe it. Katsuki Bakugo, the explosive blond who's always been known for his loud, egotistic, and somewhat obnoxious attitude since their youth… right now, none of those traits were present, almost like he was talking to someone else.
Even though there was something in Izuku's gut that it was okay for him to feel good about this, that it was cathartic and simply karma for everything Katsuki had put him through all these years, he could not feel any accomplishment. Sure, winning the Sports Festival DID feel good… but that look on Katsuki's face did not bring any satisfaction. 'I'm trying to be a Hero who brings smiles to people's faces…' Izuku peered at Katsuki's downcast frown once again. 'But this, this is the exact opposite.'
Soon, it was finally time for the awards ceremony, and the first-year students were gathered in the center of the stadium as they waited for the winners to make their appearance.
"The first-year students have completed all of the events for the U.A. Sports Festival. Now it's time to relax and enjoy the awards ceremony," Midnight announced as victory music started playing on the speakers and fireworks shot into the air.
Then, smoke erupted behind Midnight as the podiums below rose up to ground level. The third-place spot was shared by Shoto Todoroki and Xenovia Quarta. In second place stood Katsuki Bakugo, still downtrodden, and his hair casting a shade over his eyes. Lastly, the first-place podium was occupied by none other than Izuku Midoriya, who still couldn't believe he was standing on it.
"Now, let's break out the hardware!" Midnight said. "Of course, there's only one person worthy of distributing the awards."
"Hahahahaha!"
The spectators knew that boisterous laugh from anywhere.
"All Might's up there!"
Indeed, on top of the stadium, in his Hero costume, was none other than the Symbol of Peace, All Might!
"Citizens, I am here with the medals!/All Might, the Number One Hero!"
All Might tried to announce as he landed beside Midnight, who, unfortunately, wasn't done introducing him, so she ended up talking over him, making the situation rather awkward.
"Ruined that, didn't I? Sorry!" Midnight apologized as she clasped her hands in embarrassment.
"Tch," All Might responded.
"This group of first-years is so lucky!" one of the spectators commented.
"Can't believe they've got the best Hero teaching them!"
"So now that you're here, All Might, why don't you start the presentation?" Midnight said, holding the box so All Might could grab the medals.
Picking up the bronze medals, he turned and stepped onto the third-place podium.
"Young Todoroki. Congratulations!" All Might said, holding up one of the bronze medals for Shoto, who bowed his head to allow All Might to place it on his neck. "I'm assuming there's a reason you didn't use your left side until the semis?"
"Midoriya opened my eyes during our match, but even now, I still have some doubts. I think I now understand a little about why you're so interested in him. I want to be the kind of Hero you are, but my path isn't as clear as I thought it was. I have a lot to think about," his gaze then lifted to meet the Symbol of Peace's. "And I still need to settle things with someone. Very soon."
All Might gave him an understanding nod. "I've never seen this sort of look on your face before." He then gave the young man a congratulatory hug and a pat on the back. "I won't ask for details, but trust yourself. I'm sure you'll work things out."
"Right."
All Might then turned to the other third-place student. "Young Quarta. Congratulations! Your performance was incredible. You already have a strong grasp on how to use your Quirk, but never forget, there's always more to learn."
Xenovia bowed respectfully. "Thank you, sir. I won't forget it."
All Might then placed the second bronze medal around her neck and gave her a congratulatory hug and pat on the back as well.
With that, All Might stepped off the platform and went to the opposite side, where Katsuki still stood with his head hung low. Seeing this, All Might took a deep breath as he went up, presenting the silver medal to him. "Young Bakugo, congratulations." Even as he put the medal on, Katsuki made no movement whatsoever, which surprised the Hero. "I… can see that you're still deep in thought. I know that you must've had great aspirations, and I apologize that it didn't go the way you had hoped."
"…I…" All Might's eyebrows rose at the small sound coming from Katsuki's mouth. "I just wanted to prove… that I was the best one here. That I could be Number One."
"I see…" All Might went in for a hug, making sure to give his own advice to Katsuki. "Young man, in this world, the journey to becoming a Hero is never easy, and often, things often stray from our original vision. But, you shouldn't let it drag you down." He knelt down so that he could just barely see Katsuki's eyes, the blond glancing up at him. "Regardless, if you wish to be the best and be respected, it's important that you return that respect equally to the people around you. If you don't, then no one will respect you as the best." All Might rose to his full height, his hand firm yet gentle on the boy's shoulder. "Take time to reflect on yourself, the path that brought you here, and the one that will take you forward, okay?"
There was a long pause before Katsuki gave a single nod. "Yeah… sure."
'I think that's the best response I'm going to get out of him for now. It's obvious that he's already thinking about it right now. I can only hope it leads him toward a better understanding of himself and the others around him.'
With that in mind, All Might finally made his way onto the top podium, where the first-place winner and his successor awaited. All Might allowed himself a moment of pride and joy as he stared into Izuku's tear-filled green eyes, though he made sure to keep those feelings in; right now, he couldn't afford to be biased.
"Young Midoriya… congratulations."
Izuku fought hard to keep the waterworks in as All Might held the gold medal in his hands.
"Throughout the Festival, you kept looking straight, never giving up despite the odds. I hope you'll continue to keep on that mindset as you strive to become the best Hero you can be."
Izuku bowed his head to take the gold medal. "Thank you, All Might… I will!"
"You're very welcome, young man."
After giving Izuku a hug and a pat, All Might turned to face the rest of the first-year students. "Here they are! The winners of this year's Sports Festival! But listen closely. Any of you first-years could have ended up standing on these podiums. Think about what you've done today. You've challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer toward your goals of being Pros. I think the next generation of Heroes is proving to be our most promising one yet!" He then pointed toward the sky in a victorious pose. "So I have one more thing to say! I want to hear everyone yell it with me! YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS!"
"PLUS ULTRA!/Thanks, everyone, for your hard work!" The audience and All Might yelled at the same time.
There was a brief moment of silence throughout the stadium before it was ended by long cries of boos and groans.
"WHAT!? THAT WAS THE PERFECT TIME TO SAY 'PLUS ULTRA!' ALL MIGHT!" The audience, and even some of the first-years, shouted in unison at All Might for botching such a big moment.
"Well, yeah, I guess, but everyone did such a good job…"
"Was that on purpose?" Xenovia questioned.
"Maybe he was trying to be funny?" Shoto guessed.
While the crowd continued to make a fuss about All Might's inability to read the room, Izuku continued to bathe in his joy. With his victory in the Sports Festival, he had come one more step closer toward his dream of being a Hero.
That evening, as the sun was getting ready to set, Class 1-A was back in their classroom, changed back into their normal uniforms, as they listened to Aizawa say a few parting words before they were dismissed.
"Nice work. You have the next two days of school off to recuperate. I'm sure the Pros who watched the Festival will wanna recruit some of you. We'll look over the draft forms and update you when you return. Get some rest. You still have a lot of training."
"Yes, sir!" The class responded collectively.
Right before he got up to leave, Izuku turned to look at Tenya's empty desk. He had heard from others the reason why Tenya had to leave in the middle of the Festival so suddenly, and it worried him.
Soon, the Occult Research Club members were heading home.
"By the way, where's Iida? I didn't see him with the rest of your class during the award ceremony," Yumi asked.
The 1-A students' expressions turned grim at the mention of their Class Rep.
"A Villain got his older brother," Mina answered, causing shocked gasps from the members who weren't in 1-A.
"Oh my… poor guy…" Akeno muttered.
"Do you know… if he's going to be okay?" Ravel asked.
"Iida didn't get much details himself," Eijiro said, clenching his fist. "Dammit… Iida's brother was HIS Hero. Who could have done this?"
Izuku craned his head toward the horizon, watching the sun set. 'The Sports Festival is over… but something tells me that this is only the beginning…'