I decided to start giving extra chapters to gain power stones support from you guys.
Next Extra Chapter will be out when we reach the first 100 power stones. And more to come.
Chapter 53: Full Cowl vs. The Green Storm
The stadium was a vortex of sound and anticipation. The image on the giant screen was a perfect, beautiful dichotomy: on one side, Izuku Midoriya, his small frame now a vessel for a wild, crackling storm of azure lightning; on the other, Rock Lee, a picture of calm, his simple green uniform a stark contrast to the impossible power his opponent now wielded. The air itself seemed to hum, charged with the energy of the two boys and the collective, bated breath of a hundred thousand spectators.
For a moment, they just stood there. Midoriya, his face a mask of intense, painful concentration, was trying to tame the raging river of One For All that now flowed through every vein. He could feel his bones creaking under the strain of the 5% output, a constant, grim reminder of how new and dangerous this power was. Lee watched him, his initial shock giving way to a look of profound, impressed wonder. The boy who had once broken his own bones just to throw a ball was now wearing his power like a suit of armor.
Midnight raised her whip, her own eyes wide with anticipation. "LET THE FIRST MATCH OF THE QUARTER-FINALS… BEGIN!"
The word was a starting pistol.
VWOOSH!
Izuku Midoriya did not run. He exploded. He shot across the stage in a flash of blue lightning and green fabric, covering the distance between them in an instant. The speed was unlike anything anyone had ever seen from him before. It was a raw, untamed, and utterly shocking burst of pure power.
In the stands, the students of Class 1-A were on their feet.
"So fast!" Uraraka gasped.
"That's a completely different level of mobility from his previous fights!" Iida exclaimed, his eyes wide behind his glasses.
Bakugo leaned forward, his hands gripping the railing, a low, furious growl rumbling in his chest. "What…?"
Lee's eyes widened. The speed was incredible, almost on par with his own Third Gate. He had no time to think, only to react. He dropped his head, his body ducking low in a single, fluid motion. A leg, wreathed in the same crackling blue energy, whistled over his head, missing him by a mere inch. It was a miniature Smash, a focused burst of One For All that carried a faint, greenish tinge at its tip, leaving a trail of azure sparks in its wake. The wind from the kick whipped Lee's hair violently.
He was in awe, but he was also in a fight. Before Midoriya's foot had even touched the ground, Lee's own leg was a blur. He pivoted on his heel and swung his right leg upwards in a rising axe kick, a hammer of pure, condensed muscle aimed directly at Midoriya's chin.
BASH!
The blow connected. Lee's timing was perfect; Midoriya's landing was a fraction of a second too slow to evade it. But the effect was not what Lee, or the crowd, expected. The kick, which should have sent a normal opponent flying, had a surprisingly muted impact. Midoriya's body was lifted off the ground by the force, but the Full Cowling aura seemed to act as a buffer, absorbing and distributing the shock.
Midoriya, now airborne and inverted, was not stunned. He was already reacting. He coiled his body in mid-air, drew back his fist, and threw a punch aimed not at Lee, but at the ground below him. "SMASH!"
A focused, contained blast of wind pressure erupted from his fist. It wasn't a destructive force, but a sharp, concussive wave that washed over Lee. It did nothing but whip his hair and uniform violently, but it was enough. The recoil from the punch stabilized Midoriya in the air, allowing him to land gracefully on his feet about three meters away.
The crowd roared, a wave of cheers for the incredible, high-speed opening exchange.
"CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, FOLKS?!" Present Mic screamed. "THEY HAVEN'T STOPPED MOVING SINCE THE BELL RANG! A BLINDINGLY FAST ATTACK FROM MIDORIYA, AND AN EQUALLY FAST COUNTER FROM LEE! WHAT A START!"
Lee looked at his opponent, a wide, thrilled smile spreading across his face. "What was that, Midoriya-kun?" he asked, his voice full of genuine, good-natured challenge. "A refreshing breeze to cool me down during our fight?"
Midoriya's expression was deadly serious. He was panting slightly, the strain of maintaining even 5% visible on his face. It wasn't enough, he thought, his mind racing. His technique, his battle sense… it's on another level entirely. I can keep up with his speed now, but I can't land a clean hit. Five percent is not enough. But any more… my body might not be able to handle it. He looked at Lee's smiling, confident face. I have to try. Just one percent more.
He grit his teeth, a low groan escaping his lips as he focused his will. The blue, crackling aura around him flared, becoming slightly brighter, more intense. He felt a sharp, grinding sensation in his bones, a clear warning from his own body. He ignored it.
He charged again.
This time, the speed was different. Lee's eyes were locked onto him, tracking his every move, but as Midoriya pushed off, he seemed to flicker and then vanish from sight completely.
Lee's eyes widened in shock. He's even faster!
He sensed the movement to his left, but it was too late. Before his head could even turn, a fist, glowing with a brilliant azure light, had already slammed into his side.
The impact was solid. It was the first clean, powerful blow Lee had taken in the entire tournament. The air was driven from his lungs in a pained gasp, and he was sent sliding across the concrete stage, his feet digging two small trenches before he finally tumbled to the ground.
The stadium exploded. The impossible had happened. The undefeated champion was down.
Lee opened his eyes, the world a slightly swimming haze, and saw a figure descending upon him from above. Midoriya was already in the air, his legs tucked, ready to deliver a crushing, two-footed stomp to end the match.
But Lee's body moved on pure, instinctual reflex. He rolled hard to the side, the spot where he had been a moment before shattering under the impact of Midoriya's devastating kick. He didn't stop there. He flowed from the roll into a series of graceful, continuous backflips, creating a wide gap between them.
He came to a stop in a low crouch on the far side of the arena, his chest heaving, his eyes wide with a look of genuine, profound astonishment. The crowd's roar was a distant, unimportant thing. He looked at Midoriya, who now stood in the center of the ring, wreathed in his humming blue lightning, and a slow, wide, and utterly impressed smile spread across his face.
"That… was incredible, Midoriya-kun," he said, his voice filled with a warrior's respect. "You have truly, truly grown. You are no longer the boy who had to break his own fingers just to use his power."
He slowly stood up, his posture shifting. The playful, confident energy was gone, replaced by a deep, powerful seriousness. His dark eyes burned with a new, dangerous light.
"Because of that," he declared, his voice ringing with a new resolve, "I can no longer afford to be anything less than completely serious against you."
He settled into his familiar fighting stance, but something was different. The air around him grew heavy, and a faint, almost invisible pressure began to emanate from his body. Then, it became visible. A soft, swirling, ethereal blue energy, like heat haze given color, began to rise from his skin, wrapping around him in gentle, silent wisps.
The crowd recognized it instantly. They leaped to their feet, their cheers reaching a new, feverish crescendo.
"THERE IT IS!" Present Mic screamed, his voice cracking with pure hype. "THAT AWESOME, OVERWHELMING AURA! THE VERY SAME MOVE THAT DEFEATED ONE OF THE TOP-RANKED TALENTS IN THE PREVIOUS ROUND! IS MIDORIYA IZUKU READY FOR THIS?!"
~~~~
~ More Chapters;
Patr eon. com/salamandar