"—Then tell me, what am I supposed to do?!"
The words suddenly burst from Todoroki's mouth. I watched as he staggered to his feet, his vision likely swimming. But the light in his eyes told me his fighting spirit hadn't flickered out just yet.
"If I don't win with this power, it's meaningless. If it's not only this power, it doesn't count!"
His face, twisted in a mask of agony and resentment, turned toward me.
"What could someone like you possibly understand?!"
He lunged. His movements were sluggish—so slow I could have seen a fly landing on him. It didn't matter how much resolve he had; a slow punch is just a slow punch. I wasn't afraid.
The desperate swing of his fist.
The frantic expression.
The hollow defiance.
I felt zero weight behind any of it.
『This charge is—!! Wait, what's happening?! Is it over SOON?!』
『Shut up for a second. And cut the audio feed from the arena floor.』
『Haaah?!』
I slipped past Todoroki's pathetic right hook and buried a left hook into his jaw. Cross counter! Booyah!
Of course, I didn't hold back. A clean punch to the face is the best medicine for an ego trip. Man, that felt refreshing.
As he started to go down, I grabbed his collar and yanked him back toward me. Since he was already dazed, I decided to give him a little bonus: a headbutt.
Todoroki's head snapped back, blood blooming from his nose as he wobbled on his feet. I could have let him just collapse, but I was currently in a very foul mood. So, just like I did with Shinso, I grabbed his arm and sent him flying with a throw.
He bounced across the stone floor several times. Unlike Shinso, however, he managed to twist his body and stop himself right at the edge of the arena. I guess being a "pretty boy" really does come with better perks.
He glared at me with those resentful eyes. Honestly, I was sick of looking at them.
"What... do you... understand?!"
He was like a broken record, repeating the same line over and over. Maybe I'd knocked a few screws loose. I felt a tiny, microscopic bit of regret for hitting him so hard, but I decided to give him the honest truth.
"NOT A DAMN THING!!!!"
I yelled it because he was being so persistent, but it seemed to shock him more than the punch. He just stood there, blinking. What's with that dumb look? Should I take a photo and post it online? I didn't say anything weird.
"Are you my brother? My boyfriend? No. At best, we're just friends. Not best friends, not 'ride-or-die'—just classmates. And you expect me to know every little detail about your life? Get over yourself! You're being arrogant... you baldy!"
"B-Baldy...?"
"And another thing. Do I have to know your whole life story before I'm allowed to say anything? People walk around not knowing most things about each other. If you wanted sympathy so badly, did you even try to make yourself understood? No! You haven't told me a single thing!"
I didn't know what exactly was making him suffer. I could tell it was important to him, but so what?
"I already told you I acknowledge your choice. I don't know your reasons, but if you don't want to use your fire, don't use it. If it's too hard, then run away. I'm out here busting my butt because I want to run away from remedial classes and enjoy my summer vacation!"
"I feel like those aren't comparable..."
"They are! It's the same thing!"
Todoroki muttered, "Am I the one who's crazy...?"
Finally! The "natural" airhead finally noticed. But don't worry, Peppermint—you've been crazy this whole time. It's a bit late for a realization.
"You can stick to your right side if you want. But like I said, don't you dare regret it. Don't regret the fact that because of your pride, there might be someone you can't save."
"—!"
He gasped, his eyes widening. He finally got the point.
"Go ahead, become a pro using only your right. And when you run into someone who could have been saved if only you'd used your left—when their family is crying in front of you—you stand there with your head held high and tell them, 'It couldn't be helped.'"
"That... I...—!"
"If you can't do that, then stop playing around!!"
I used my "Pull" Quirk to reel him in and sent him flying with a front kick. My foot grazed some ice he tried to form, but I didn't care. I stomped right through it.
"There's no room for excuses! In this world, you either can or you can't! That's why I... that's why Kacchan... we've been working our asses off!!"
I launched myself at the staggering Todoroki and drove a knee into his face. His left hand was too slow; he tried a weak guard with his right. Blood sprayed from his fingers as the impact broke through. Ugh, nosebleeds are so messy.
"Becoming a hero isn't the finish line!!"
I aimed my "Pull" Quirk at a glacier behind him and went full throttle, accelerating my body into a blur.
"Quit looking at the past and look at what's in front of you!! IDIOT!!!"
I delivered a screaming left lariat as I zipped past. The impact vibrated up my arm, and Todoroki slammed into the ground. I landed gracefully and turned back to check on him.
He was trying to stand up again. Honestly, it was irritating. He knew the truth. He felt the same way deep down.
"Think about why you're trying to stand up right now!! —AND COME AT ME FOR REAL, SHOTO TODOROKI!!"
Suddenly, a pillar of fire erupted from his body. Even with my heat resistance, the temperature was so high it made me break into a sweat. So much for the 'I'm not using it' scam.
『IS THIS—?!』
『Todoroki...』
The announcers were finally back. Hurry up and explain his weakness, guys!
"Midoriya... you really are an idiot."
"Haaah?!"
I was officially "Pissed-Off Nico." A guy like Peppermint shouldn't be throwing insults at me. I was about to go in for another round when I noticed a smile on his face. It was so rare it actually caught me off guard.
"If you'd just stayed quiet, you would have won. If you'd stayed quiet, I would have just collapsed on my own... you really are a fool."
Oh, so we're picking a fight now, are we, Mr. Peppermint? Consider that challenge accepted!
"I wanted to be a hero too...! —I came here because I admired that man's back!"
Engulfed in flames, Todoroki wore a smile—not a natural one, but a forced, jagged, awkward grin that didn't look cool at all.
"Gross."
"Say whatever you want."
As I clenched my fists, I heard a familiar "Baldy" voice screaming from the stands. SHOTO! or something like that. What was his problem? Did his phone break? I didn't care about Peppermint's dad, so I ignored him.
The problem was the Peppermint in front of me. His heat was rising to a level that made mine look like a campfire.
"You're the one who told me to come at you for real. Don't blame me for what happens next."
"Bring it. I'm gonna blast right through you and take you down."
The ground beneath him was covered in ice while the air around his right side began to boil. The cold and heat were swirling together, creating a localized storm. This was the true power of "Half-Cold, Half-Hot."
Using both sides balanced out the temperature strain on his body. He didn't have to worry about the "cooldown" or the "frostbite" anymore. The power he was generating was on a whole different scale. If I took this head-on, I was dead.
Using my own fire to match him was out of the question. The gap in power was too big. Dodge? With that area of effect, it was impossible.
"—Phew. Alright, let's try it."
My Quirk. I'd always felt something was "off" about my "Pull" ability. Why could I only pull objects toward my palm? I could select any target, so why was the destination fixed? I couldn't remember when the feeling started, but I'd been experimenting for a long time. I'd never succeeded... until now.
I raised my hands and focused.
Deep breaths. Deeper. Deeper.
『WAIT! TODOROKI!』
The Mummy-teacher's voice echoed. In that instant, a red flash filled my vision, and a storm of heat roared past my cheeks.
"MIDORIYA!!"
"Pull" Quirk—Maximum Output.
Target: Indiscriminate space directly ahead.
Destination Point: Two meters in front of my palm.
Non-Target: Myself.
"HRAAAAAA!!!!"
A searing pain ripped through my brain, but I saw it—the wall of flame rushing toward me began to collapse into a single point in the air. The very air around me was being sucked into that spot.
The physical strain on my arm was almost nothing, but the toll on my head was astronomical. Calling it a headache was an understatement. It felt like Kacchan was throwing a tantrum inside my skull. I felt like I was literally going to die.
The fire wasn't dying down. If I let go of the Quirk now, I'd be vaporized. My vision began to flicker. The flames in front of me started to blur. I couldn't breathe.
My head... it hurts...
『The Great Napoleon Bonaparte once said: A true hero is one who overcomes the misfortunes of life!』
The Radio Geezer's voice echoed in my mind.
『VILLAIN! HAVE YOU HEARD THESE WORDS BEFORE?!』
I hadn't. But that voice...
『GO BEYOND!!』
『GO BEYOND!!』
『FURTHER...』
『BEYOND...』
"PLUS ULTRAAAAAAAA!!!!"
I mobilized every ounce of grit, resolve, and maidenly spite I had. I kicked the pain out of my mind and ignored the feeling of my brain boiling. I directed every fiber of my being to that single point in the air.
The flames were sucked in and vanished. The heat in my head reached a breaking point.
"—!!"
I heard someone's voice, but my vision turned gray and my eyelids felt like lead. A wave of uncontrollable sleepiness washed over me.
***
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