Chapter 22: The Cold Shoulder.
The walk back to the tunnel was long.
Usually, a victor is showered with applause. They are bathed in the adoration of the masses. But as Kuzan Aokiji walked away from the frozen, sobbing form of Hagakure, the sound washing over him wasn't praise. It was a low, rumbling murmur of dissatisfaction that quickly grew into heckling.
"Boring!" a man in the front row shouted, cupping his hands. "He just stood there!"
"Hey! You call yourself a hero candidate?" another voice yelled from the upper decks. "That was just bullying! Use your quirk for real!"
"What a waste," a woman muttered loudly enough for the microphones to pick up. "Such a powerful quirk, wasted on a kid with no passion. He looks like he's about to fall asleep."
Aokiji didn't speed up. He didn't slouch in shame. He simply adjusted his amber-tinted sunglasses, his expression completely unbothered. He looked up at the screaming fans with a gaze that said, 'I am not here for your entertainment.'
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, SETTLE DOWN!" Present Mic's voice boomed, though even he sounded a bit conflicted. "THE CROWD IS A BIT SALTY ABOUT THAT PERFORMANCE! THEY WANTED FIREWORKS, BUT THEY GOT A STATUE! BUT HEY, A WIN IS A WIN IN THE BOOKS OF JUSTICE... I GUESS!"
Aokiji stepped into the shadows of the concrete tunnel, the noise of the arena instantly muffled. The air here was cool, smelling of damp stone.
He walked with his hands in his pockets, the heels of his white dress shoes clicking rhythmically against the floor.
Click. Click. Click.
From the other end of the corridor, another set of footsteps approached. Heavier. More deliberate.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Shoto Todoroki emerged from the darkness.
The two ice users walked toward each other. The hallway was narrow, but neither moved to the side. They were on a collision course of temperatures—one lazy and absolute, the other repressed and volatile.
For a moment, they didn't speak. They didn't even make eye contact. They passed each other shoulder-to-shoulder.
Just as Aokiji took a step past him, Todoroki stopped.
"You're lucky," Todoroki said. His voice didn't echo; it absorbed the sound around it.
Aokiji stopped, but didn't turn around. "Lucky?"
"You fought opponents you could afford to pity," Todoroki said, looking straight ahead at the bright exit. "Midoriya broke himself. Hagakure couldn't touch you. But the brackets are narrowing."
"I know," Aokiji replied, yawning and scratching the back of his head. "It's getting harder to nap around here."
"Don't expect me to punch you until my hands bleed," Todoroki warned, his right side frosting over slightly. "When we meet... I will bury you."
"Scary," Aokiji drawled. "Just make sure you don't bury yourself first, Todoroki."
Todoroki walked out into the light without another word. Aokiji resumed his walk into the darkness.
The Infirmary
The smell of disinfectant was strong. Tooru Hagakure sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands were wrapped in thick, heated bandages, and she was sipping a cup of hot cocoa.
"He... he got booed because of me," Hagakure sniffled, her voice thick with guilt. "Because I was too weak to make him fight seriously. The crowd hates him."
Recovery Girl sighed, climbing down from her stool to check the monitor. "It has nothing to do with you, dear. It is his choice."
"But they called him boring," Hagakure whispered. "They said he has no passion."
"The crowd loves spectacle," Recovery Girl explained, tapping her cane on the floor. "They love All Might's smile and Endeavor's flames. They want to see effort. They want to see struggle. That boy... Kuzan... he makes winning look like a chore. That offends people who work hard. But..."
She looked at the screen, which was replaying Aokiji's match.
"He ended it the moment you were in real danger of permanent damage. He took the jeers to ensure your safety. That is a form of heroism, too. Though it is a thankless one."
Aokiji climbed the stairs to the Class 1-A seating section. He braced himself. He expected the same cold reception he got from the general public. He expected Iida to lecture him about 'spirit' or Uraraka to look disappointed.
They're probably embarrassed to be my classmates right now, Aokiji thought. Oh well.
He stepped into the aisle.
"KUZAN!"
Mineta Minoru launched himself from his seat, tears streaming down his face. "YOU'RE HERE!"
Aokiji blinked. "Uh..."
"That was so noble!" Mineta grabbed Aokiji's pants (since he couldn't reach higher). "You refused to hit a naked girl! You let her hit you until you broke! You are the King of Chivalry! How can I become like you? Teach me your ways, Master!"
"Dude!" Kaminari, who had a large bandage on his cheek from his short-circuit incident, gave a thumbs up. "You totally threw that match's vibe on purpose to look cool, didn't you? You stole the hearts of all the sensitive ladies in the audience! You sly fox!"
"It was manly!" Kirishima stood up, wiping his eyes. He had a bandage wrapped around his forehead. "You took those hits without complaining! You didn't crush her spirit! That's a real man right there!"
Tsuyu Asui placed a finger on her chin, looking past Aokiji toward the upper row where Bakugo sat fuming. "Kero. I wish all the men in our class were as gentle as you, Kuzan-chan. Some people just like to blow things up."
"TCH!" Bakugo kicked the seat in front of him. "DON'T LOOK AT ME, FROG-FACE! AND YOU, ICE SCUM! STOP SMIRKING!"
Aokiji wasn't smirking. He was just genuinely surprised. He looked around at the battered, bandaged faces of his classmates. They weren't judging him. They were cheering for him.
"You guys..." Aokiji rubbed his neck, feeling a rare warmth in his chest. "Aren't you disappointed? The crowd thinks I'm a joke."
"No," Momo Yaoyorozu spoke up. She was sitting with perfect posture, though her eyes were still slightly red from her loss. "Your judgment was sound. You neutralized the threat with minimal harm to the opponent. It was... a perfect resolution."
She paused, her expression turning serious as she looked down at the arena.
"However, Kuzan-san..." Momo said softly. "I believe that is the last time you will be able to act defensively."
Aokiji followed her gaze. Down in the ring, Todoroki was standing ready. The ice radiating from him was palpable even from this distance.
"Yeah," Aokiji sighed, sinking into his seat next to Midoriya. "You're right. There are only a few fights left... and they're going to be hot."
"AND NOW! THE QUARTERFINALS BEGIN! THE ICE PRINCE, SHOTO TODOROKI! VERSUS! THE JET-BLACK HERO, FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI!"
The screen flashed their names. The crowd roared, their earlier disappointment forgotten. They smiled and cheered. They loved Todoroki. He was powerful, flashy, and the son of the Number Two hero. And Tokoyami's Dark Shadow was a fan favorite for its cool design.
Tokoyami stood in the ring, his arms crossed.
"This will be difficult," Tokoyami muttered. "Dark Shadow."
"I KNOW!" the shadow monster screeched, emerging from his chest. "HE'S COLD! I HATE THE COLD!"
"START!"
Tokoyami didn't wait. "Go! Black Ankh!"
Dark Shadow stretched out, aiming to rush Todoroki before he could set up. The speed was incredible.
But Todoroki didn't flinch. He didn't use the massive, building-sized glacier he had used on Sero (or Shoji, in this timeline). He was precise.
He stamped his right foot.
SWOOOSH.
A wave of ice, sharp and fast, surged forward.
"ORA!" Dark Shadow punched the ice, shattering it.
"He blocked it!" Midoriya shouted from the stands. "Dark Shadow is strong enough to break the ice!"
"But look," Aokiji pointed lazily.
Todoroki didn't stop. He stamped again. And again. And again.
He wasn't creating one big attack. He was creating a relentless, never-ending tide.
Dark Shadow smashed the first wave. Then the second. Then the third. But for every chunk of ice the shadow broke, two more appeared. Todoroki was walking forward, his face blank, simply overwhelming Tokoyami with volume.
"I... I can't get close!" Tokoyami gritted his teeth, stepping back.
The ice forced him to retreat. He was pushed back five meters. Ten meters.
"HE'S TOO MUCH!" Dark Shadow wailed, his claws slipping on the frozen floor.
Todoroki raised his right hand. A massive pillar of ice shot forward, not to hit Tokoyami, but to form a wall behind him.
Tokoyami realized too late what was happening. He tried to dodge to the side, but Todoroki swung his arm, and a sheet of ice slammed sideways, sealing the escape route.
The only place left to go was backward.
Tokoyami stepped back. His heel touched grass.
"TOKOYAMI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! TODOROKI WINS!"
The ice stopped instantly. Todoroki exhaled, a white cloud escaping his lips. He looked at Tokoyami, who was panting heavily.
"Sorry," Dark Shadow wept, shrinking back into Tokoyami. "He was too cold..."
"It is fine," Tokoyami said, bowing his head in defeat. "Total domination. I could not find a single opening."
The crowd erupted. "TODOROKI! TODOROKI!"
Aokiji watched from the stands. He saw the frost creeping up Todoroki's right side. He saw the slight shiver in Todoroki's arm.
He's relying entirely on the right, Aokiji noted. He's reaching his limit. If he keeps refusing to use his fire... he's going to turn into a statue before he even reaches the finals. Well, this is in my favour..