The Arena - Round 2
"ALRIGHT, FOLKS!" Present Mic's voice boomed "THAT WAS AN INTENSE FIRST MATCH! BUT WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN! TIME FOR ROUND TWO!"
The screens displayed the next matchup:
SERO HANTA VS TODOROKI SHOTO
"FROM CLASS 1-A, WITH HIS TAPE QUIRK THAT'S PERFECT FOR MOBILITY AND CAPTURE—SERO HANTA!"
Sero emerged from the tunnel, his characteristic easygoing grin on his face despite the nervous energy in his movements. He waved to the crowd, getting enthusiastic cheers in response.
"AND HIS OPPONENT!" Present Mic continued. "ALSO FROM CLASS 1-A, THE DUAL-QUIRK WIELDER WHO CAME IN FOURTH IN THE OBSTACLE RACE—TODOROKI SHOTO!"
Shoto walked onto the arena floor, and the temperature seemed to drop with each step. His expression was completely blank, his heterochromatic eyes cold and distant. But there was something underneath that blankness a fury, barely contained, simmering just beneath the surface.
Class 1-A Section
Tsubaki watched his brother enter the arena, his blue eyes narrowing slightly.
'He's angrier than I've ever seen him,'
Tsubaki observed. 'The confrontation in the hallway. Whatever Father said to him. It's all building up.'
Kirishima leaned forward. "Sero's gonna have a tough time with this one. Todoroki's ice is no joke."
"Sero's mobility could give him an advantage," Yaoyorozu analyzed. "If he can keep his distance and use his tape strategically—"
"He won't get the chance," Bakugo interrupted, his red eyes fixed on Shoto's tense form. "Half-and-Half looks ready to tear someone apart."
Todoroki Household - Living Room
Fuyumi and Natsuo sat together on the couch, the television displaying the Sports Festival. Their father was at the stadium in person, which meant they could watch without his oppressive presence.
"Shoto looks angry," Natsuo observed, his jaw tight. "Really angry."
"I know," Fuyumi said quietly, her hands clasped together. "I hope he's okay. Both of them."
Her eyes drifted to where Tsubaki sat in the Class 1-A section, visible on the edge of the screen.
"They're both so strong," she whispered. "But they're carrying so much pain."
Mental Hospital - Rei's Room
Rei Todoroki sat in a chair by the window, a nurse standing nearby. The television had been brought in at her request a rare allowance, but the doctors had agreed that watching her sons compete might be therapeutic.
Her hands trembled slightly as she watched Shoto walk onto the arena floor. "My baby boy," she whispered, tears already forming in her eyes. "You've grown so much."
Her eyes shifted to the Class 1-A section, searching until she found another familiar face.
"And Tsubaki..." Her voice broke slightly. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you."
The nurse placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you want to watch this, Todoroki-san? If it's too difficult—"
"No," Rei said firmly, though her voice was soft. "I need to see this. I need to see them. I've been absent for too long."
The Arena
Midnight stood between the two competitors, her whip raised.
"READY?" she called out.
Sero nodded, his tape already extending from his elbows in preparation.
Shoto didn't acknowledge the question. His eyes were distant, his jaw clenched tight. The rage that had been building since his confrontation with Tsubaki, since whatever his father had said before the tournament, was reaching a breaking point.
"BEGIN!"
The whip cracked.
And Shoto moved.
His right side erupted with ice not a wall, not a ramp, but a massive glacial wave that exploded across the entire arena floor. It spread with terrifying speed and overwhelming power, a tsunami of crystalline fury.
Sero barely had time to register what was happening before the ice engulfed him completely, freezing him solid from the feet up, encasing him in a prison of ice that stretched dozens of feet into the air.
The entire arena was transformed into a frozen wasteland in seconds.
The crowd went silent with shock.
"HOLY—!" Present Mic's voice cracked. "TODOROKI SHOTO ENDS THE MATCH INSTANTLY! SERO DIDN'T EVEN GET A CHANCE TO MOVE!"
"That's..." Aizawa paused, his visible eye wide behind his bandages. "That's an excessive amount of ice. He's not holding back at all."
Class 1-A Section
"SERO!" Kaminari shouted, half-rising from his seat.
"Is he okay?!" Mina looked horrified.
Kirishima's expression was serious. "That's... that's way more power than Todoroki needed to win. What's going on with him?"
Tsubaki stared at the massive ice structure, at his brother's rigid form standing at its base. He could see it clearly now the rage in Shoto's eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the way his fists were clenched so tight they were shaking.
'He's not fighting Sero,' Tsubaki realized. 'He's fighting Father. Fighting me. Fighting himself. And Sero just happened to be in the way.'
Bakugo's eyes were narrowed, his expression thoughtful. "He's pissed. Really pissed."
The Arena
Midnight rushed forward, her expression concerned. "Sero! Can you move?!"
There was no response. The ice was too thick.
"Medical team!" Midnight called out. "We need to get him out of there!"
Shoto finally moved, walking forward. His right hand touched the ice, and it began to melt freeing Sero from his frozen prison.
As the ice receded, Sero collapsed to his knees, shivering violently, his lips blue with cold.
Sero managed to stammer through chattering teeth. "I-I c-can't m-move."
"The winner is Todoroki Shoto!" Midnight announced as medical personnel rushed in with blankets and warming equipment. "He advances to the next round!"
Shoto turned and walked away without a word, without even looking at Sero, his expression still blank and cold.
The crowd's cheers were uncertain, shocked by the overwhelming display of power and the lack of... everything else. No emotion. No acknowledgment. Just cold, brutal efficiency.
Todoroki Household
"That was..." Natsuo couldn't finish the sentence.
Fuyumi's hands were pressed to her mouth. "He's so angry. What did Father say to him?"
They'd seen that expression before—the blank mask hiding overwhelming emotion. Shoto had worn it often during the worst of their father's training.
"He's hurting," Fuyumi whispered. "They both are."
Mental Hospital
Rei's tears were flowing freely now. "Shoto... my baby... you're so strong but so angry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what we did to you."
The nurse squeezed her shoulder gently. "He's advancing. That's good, isn't it?"
"He's not happy about it," Rei said quietly.
Round 3 - Kaminari vs Shiozaki
"NEXT UP!" Present Mic tried to regain his enthusiasm after the shocking display. "KAMINARI DENKI VERSUS SHIOZAKI IBARA!"
Kaminari walked onto the arena, trying to psyche himself up. "Okay, okay. I can do this. Electric attacks, just don't short-circuit too early—"
Shiozaki stood across from him, her vine-like hair already beginning to extend, her expression serene and focused.
"BEGIN!"
Kaminari raised his hands, electricity crackling—
Shiozaki's vines shot forward with incredible speed, wrapping around his arms, his legs, his torso. Within seconds, he was completely bound, unable to move, his quirk activation interrupted before it could even start.
"I forfeit on his behalf," Shiozaki said calmly, her voice gentle despite her dominant position. "He cannot escape, and forcing him to discharge electricity while restrained would be dangerous."
Midnight looked at Kaminari, who was struggling uselessly against the vines. "Can you continue?"
"I... I can't move!" Kaminari admitted, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"The winner is Shiozaki Ibara!" Midnight announced. "She advances to the next round!"
The vines released Kaminari, who collapsed to the arena floor, looking dejected.
"TWO QUICK MATCHES IN A ROW!" Present Mic called out. "THESE STUDENTS ARE NOT HOLDING BACK!"
Tsubaki watched Kaminari shuffle off the arena floor, then stood up. His match was next.
Class 1-A Section
"Good luck, Todoroki-san!" Yaoyorozu called out.
"Show them what our class president can do!" Kirishima added.
Mina, who'd been sitting quietly, suddenly looked pale. "Oh no. Oh no, it's my turn."
"You'll be fine, Mina!" Hagakure tried to encourage. "Just do your best!"
"My best against the guy who won the obstacle race and the cavalry battle?" Mina's voice was slightly panicked. "The guy with the ten million points? The guy who flies?!"
Bakugo snorted. "Just don't get frozen instantly like Tape Face did."
"NOT HELPING, BAKUGO!"
The Arena - Round 4
"AND NOW FOR OUR FOURTH MATCH!" Present Mic's voice boomed. "FROM CLASS 1-A, WITH HER ACID QUIRK THAT CAN MELT THROUGH ALMOST ANYTHING—ASHIDO MINA!"
Mina walked onto the arena floor, her pink skin seeming even brighter under the stadium lights. She waved to the crowd with forced enthusiasm, trying to hide her nerves.
"AND HER OPPONENT!" Present Mic continued. "ALSO FROM CLASS 1-A, THE STUDENT WHO PLACED FIRST IN BOTH THE OBSTACLE RACE AND THE CAVALRY BATTLE—YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT, TODOROKI TSUBAKI!"
Tsubaki emerged from the tunnel, his white hair catching the light, his blue eyes calm and focused. His hands were casually in his pockets, his posture relaxed but confident.
The crowd's reaction was immediate and loud cheers of excitement and anticipation. This was the student who'd declared he would win the entire festival. The one who'd backed up every word so far.
In the Stands
The pro heroes leaned forward with interest.
"The class president," one hero noted. "He's been impressive so far."
"Declared he'd win the whole thing," another added. "Let's see if he can back it up in one-on-one combat."
Endeavor's flames burned bright as he watched Tsubaki walk onto the arena floor. His turquoise eyes were intense, critical, searching for any weakness.
'Show me what you've really got,' Endeavor thought. 'Show me if you're worth acknowledging or if you're still the failure I remember.'
Himura Residence
Yukihiro sat in his living room, the television displaying the arena. He'd watched Shoto's overwhelming victory, seen the rage barely contained beneath his grandson's cold exterior.
Now Tsubaki stood on the arena floor, calm and collected.
'You're different from your brother,' Yukihiro thought. 'He fights with anger. You fight with cold determination. But you both carry the same pain.'
His weathered hands were folded in his lap as he watched, waiting to see what his student would do.
Midnight stood between them, her whip raised.
The contrast was stark Mina bouncing nervously on her feet, acid already dripping from her hands in preparation. Tsubaki standing completely still, hands still in his pockets, expression calm and unreadable.
The crowd murmured. Would this be as fast as the previous two matches? Would Tsubaki unleash the same overwhelming power his brother had?
"READY?" Midnight called out.
Mina nodded, her yellow eyes wide with nervous energy. Tsubaki simply inclined his head slightly.
"BEGIN!"
Mina moved instantly, her feet sliding on acid she'd secreted beneath them, using it to propel herself forward with surprising speed.
She knew her only chance was to get close, to use her acid to counter his ice before he could create distance. 'Don't think. Just move. Get close and melt whatever he throws at you!'
She closed the distance rapidly, her hands extended, acid dripping and ready—
Tsubaki didn't move. His hands remained in his pockets. He didn't even shift into a defensive stance.
Mina's heart sank. 'He's not even taking me seriously—'
"This is where the match ends," Tsubaki said calmly.
Ice spread from his feet in an instant not a massive glacier like Shoto's, not an overwhelming wall. It was precise, controlled, stopping Mina's charge completely by freezing her feet to the ground.
Mina immediately secreted acid, trying to melt the ice around her feet.
Ice erupted again, but this time in a completely different form. Chains actual chains made of ice, detailed and precise wrapped around her from top to bottom, binding her arms, her legs, her torso, rendering her completely immobile.
She tried to melt them, her acid burning through the first layer of ice. But Tsubaki didn't give her time to think, to strategize, to adapt.
The ice chains lifted her off the ground with perfect control. Then, with a fluid motion, they swung her through the air and deposited her outside the ring boundary, placing her down on the ground with surprising gentleness.
The entire sequence had taken less than five seconds.
The crowd fell silent.
Midnight blinked, then raised her whip. "Ashido Mina is out of bounds! The winner is Todoroki Tsubaki! He advances to the next round!"
The silence continued for another moment.
Then the crowd erupted.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Present Mic screamed. "TODOROKI TSUBAKI WINS WITHOUT EVEN TAKING HIS HANDS OUT OF HIS POCKETS!"
"That was..." Aizawa paused, his analytical mind processing what he'd just witnessed. "That was complete control. No wasted movement. No excessive power. He used exactly what he needed to win and nothing more."
"But it looked so EASY!" Present Mic added.
"Like he was never in any danger at all!"
"Because he wasn't," Aizawa confirmed. "That was a complete mismatch. Ashido never had a chance to use her quirk effectively."
Class 1-A Section
"Mina..." Kirishima said quietly, his expression sad.
"She didn't even get to put up a fight," Kaminari added, looking dejected for his friend.
"That's... that's what real skill looks like," Yaoyorozu said softly, her analytical mind recognizing the difference between Shoto's overwhelming power and Tsubaki's precise control. "Todoroki-san used the minimum force necessary. He was never at risk."
Bakugo's red eyes were intense, his jaw tight. "Tch. Show-off."
But even he couldn't deny what they'd all just witnessed absolute, effortless dominance.
The Arena
Mina sat on the ground outside the ring boundary, the ice chains already melting from her acid. But it was too late. The match was over.
She looked down at her hands, at the acid dripping from them uselessly.
'I didn't... I didn't do anything. I barely even moved before it was over.'
Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, not from physical pain but from the crushing feeling of inadequacy. 'I trained so hard. Made it this far. And I couldn't even—'
Footsteps approached.
Mina looked up, expecting Tsubaki to walk past her toward the exit tunnel.
Instead, he stopped directly in front of her.
And extended his hand.
The entire stadium went quiet again, shocked by the gesture.
Tsubaki's blue eyes met Mina's yellow ones. His expression was no longer cold it was calm, serious, but not unkind.
"Stand up," he said quietly, his voice carrying in the silence. Mina stared at his hand, then at his face, confused.
"You made it this far," Tsubaki continued, his voice steady. "You advanced to the tournament when hundreds of others didn't. You proved your strength and your worth."
He kept his hand extended, unwavering.
"Raise your head and walk with pride. Don't let one loss break what you've already accomplished."
In the stands, the crowd erupted into surprised murmurs and then warm applause.
The Class 1-A section was stunned.
Yaoyorozu smiled.
Kirishima had a wide grin spreading across his face. "That's so manly! He didn't have to do that, but he did anyway!"
"Our class president," Iida said, his hand gestures proud and precise, "showing excellent sportsmanship!"
Even Bakugo looked slightly surprised, though he quickly scowled and looked away.
The pro heroes in their section exchanged glances.
"Interesting," Best Jeanist observed. "He's competitive and driven, but he still has compassion."
"The mark of a true hero," another hero agreed.
Endeavor's expression was unreadable, his flames crackling quietly.
Himura Residence
Yukihiro couldn't stop the smile that spread across his weathered face.
'You focused on winning, Tsubaki. You were ruthless in your efficiency. But you still had your heart.'
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes soft with something that might have been pride.
'You're not like your father. And you're not like me either. You're something better. Something that might actually succeed where we failed.'
Todoroki Household
Fuyumi had tears in her eyes as she watched Tsubaki help Mina to her feet.
"He's kind," she whispered. "Despite everything Father did to him, despite all the pain, he's still kind."
Natsuo nodded, his own eyes slightly misty. "Yeah."
Mental Hospital
Rei watched her eldest son help his classmate stand, and the tears that had been falling throughout the matches intensified.
"That's my boy," she whispered, her voice breaking. "That's my Tsubaki. Strong and kind. I'm so proud of you."
The nurse smiled gently. "He seems like a good young man."
"He is," Rei said firmly, despite her tears. "Both of them are. Despite everything they're both so strong. So good."
The Arena
Mina took Tsubaki's hand, and he pulled her to her feet with gentle firmness.
She wiped her eyes quickly, a wobbly smile forming on her face. "Thanks, Todoroki-san. I... thanks."
"You're welcome," he said simply.
Then he released her hand and turned, walking toward the exit tunnel without another word.
Mina stood there for a moment, watching him go, then looked out at the cheering crowd. She straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and walked off the arena floor with her head high.
She'd lost. But she'd competed. She'd tried.
And her class president had reminded her that mattered.
Midnight watched Tsubaki disappear into the tunnel, then smiled slightly.
'Interesting boy. Cold and calculating when he needs to be, but not cruel. He'll make an excellent hero someday.'
The crowd's applause continued as the arena was reset for the next match.
Four down. Four to go.
And Todoroki Tsubaki continued his march toward the championship he'd declared would be his.
To Be Continued...
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Author's note:
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.