Alastor hummed as he strode onto the platform. His next match was against the crow kid. From what he could see, the kid had a quirk that gave him a sentient shadow. Alastor wondered if the quirk could feel its own emotions separate from the kid.
It would be an interesting match, even if the kid was severely limited when the light was out. I mean, come on, it was obvious during the cavalry battle when the shadow flinched at Bakugo's quirk. It was either light or fire, and they went hand in hand, so it was easy to abuse.
Alastor raised an eyebrow when he saw the crow kid already waiting for him, standing there with arms crossed, his eyes narrow.
He seems wary. Wonder why… No matter, more fun for me.
Alastor stood as the crowd roared while Midnight explained the rules both contestants had already heard. They stared fiercely at each other, one in suspicion, the other in amusement.
But the moment Midnight started the match—
"Dark Shadow!"
The bird boy swung his arms forward, and a shadow with glowing yellow eyes surged toward Alastor.
Alastor grinned as he breathed in slightly and locked eyes with the quirk.
For a split second, Dark Shadow saw something larger and darker than itself for the first time in its life.
And it froze.
On the outside, the bird boy questioned the frozen Dark Shadow in confusion as Alastor waited.
Then Dark Shadow retreated, curling around the bird boy, trembling lightly as he began to look worried.
"Well, don't give up now! Let's make this interesting!"
Alastor called out, and the bird boy's head snapped back to meet his gaze.
"Who needs quirks when you can throw hands? What do you say? For old times' sake?"
Alastor began to stride forward, his steps somehow audible over the crowd.
The bird boy hesitated but nodded to Dark Shadow, who disappeared into his shadow.
"Very well, a trial of blood is custom for conquests of equal—"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off as a pillar of shadow slammed into his gut, knocking the breath out of him and making his eyes bulge. The bird boy stumbled back, coughing, only to look up and meet an open hand that slammed him headfirst into the ground, cracking it slightly.
"Well, I can't call myself a teacher, but I think I just taught you a lesson."
Alastor commented like it was nothing before leaning down.
"It's only a fair fight when both sides rig the game."
The bird boy's eyes bulged in anger until Midnight called out—
"Izuku Midoriya wins! Tokoyami is unable to continue!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as Alastor stood and bowed. A few wondered why the boy hadn't helped his competition up, but it was overshadowed by the fact that a general course student had beaten two hero course students in a row.
Alastor got to watch as Mei made a joke of that engine-legs guy with her advertising, and Alastor found himself smiling fondly and shaking his head. He was slightly annoyed that all of his matches were ending so quickly, but he figured that the kids who might actually give him a challenge would make it to the end. Alastor simply rested as he idly watched the other matches. Some idiots were going blow for blow like it was a proper boxing match, even if it was against a tank and a stone wall.
Soon it was time for the semifinals. Midoriya vs. Todoroki.
Alastor grinned and strolled out of his waiting room, making his way through the halls to the gate when a sudden wave of heat made him pause. A tall, muscular man who looked like he was made of fire itself stepped out from behind a corner and looked down at him.
"You know, if you crane your neck down like that so much, you might get neck problems."
Alastor noted this while Endeavor, the number two hero, narrowed his eyes at him.
"You're a pawn in this game of chess. My son will deal with you as such. Save yourself the pain and forfeit."
Endeavor growled, and Alastor raised an eyebrow.
"You're bold to assume that I would ever be a pawn."
Alastor stepped forward, the air around him slowly turning static as he met the man's gaze.
"And I will never be a pawn in any game. I am the one who flips the board. Now get out of my way, and I might let your son walk away from this fight."
In that moment, Endeavor, who had never stepped away from a villain, much less a civilian, stepped to the side, letting the green- and red-haired boy walk past him as the air slowly faded back to normal. Endeavor stood there fuming, his quirk reacting to his anger as the heat steadily rose around him.
"Your dad is a wonderful conversationalist."
Alastor mentioned as he stood across from Shoto Todoroki.
"What? My father talked to you?"
Todoroki looked vaguely surprised, his eyebrows raising slightly.
"More threatened, but I think it was a fruitful conversation. It made me annoyed, so I get to take it out on you."
Todoroki's eyes narrowed, and Midnight looked between the two boys in confusion. But in the end, she began the match, and it went as Alastor expected.
A wave of cold hit Alastor just as spikes of ice rushed toward him. He leaped out of the way, then rushed forward, his arm lengthening along with his stride as he covered the distance in moments, hurdling over new spikes of ice that Todoroki threw at him. Todoroki leaped away at the last moment as Alastor swung a clawed hand downward, cracking the concrete.
Alastor snarled, his head whipping to the side as a chunk of ice crashed into him. He tore free and leaped back at Todoroki. Todoroki swung his fist but met only air as Alastor fell into his shadow and reappeared behind him, kicking him in the back and sending him crashing into his own ice wall. Alastor grinned slightly at the huff of air forced out of Todoroki's lungs and pressed forward. Todoroki barely managed to look up before he was slammed back into the ice, shattering it.
Todoroki slammed his hand into the ground, and a pillar of ice shot Alastor into the sky. Todoroki tried to breathe but glanced to the side, noticing a tendril of shadow leashed to the ground. His eyes snapped upward, noticing another tendril stretching above.
A shadow fell across his face.
He looked up to see a wide smile and glowing eyes.
Todoroki's eyes widened as time seemed to slow. Red and blue eyes met something far worse.
And one blinked first.
A plume of fire erupted upward. Alastor dropped one tendril and zipped downward to the left, avoiding most of it, but his right arm burned.
Snarling, Alastor rolled to his feet, letting shadow rise into a swarm of gremlins that froze instantly as ice encased them.
"You…"
Alastor paused, using the time to let green threads stitch across his burned arm. Todoroki stared at him, wide-eyed and panting.
"You… you made me use my fire…"
Alastor let the silence stretch, genuinely confused.
"What, it's not a playboy magazine. What's so special about your fire?"
Todoroki looked shocked, then angry.
"It's his fire. I won't use it."
Alastor rolled his eyes.
Trauma? Wonderful. So full of angst.
"I really don't care."
Even the crowd had gone silent, not because of the words, but the smell of burned flesh and hair.
"You… you don't care?"
Todoroki looked like he'd just met Santa Claus.
"We're here to fight, not do therapy sessions."
Alastor snapped, even if his arm was hurting badly. He launched forward, stepping off the block of iced shadow gremlins and raised a hand, conjuring a spear of shadow.
Todoroki flung his arm up, and a plume of fire folded outward. Alastor swung his arm, letting the shadow expand into a triangle-shaped wall that quickly heated up from the fire and disappeared.
Todoroki cut the fire off for a moment, only to flinch back as a gremlin came hurling out of the smoke and smacked him in the face.
Todoroki tore the gremlin from his face and thrust his arm forward. Spikes of ice erupted in front of him but stopped halfway as ice congealed along his arm, freezing it in place. After a second of hesitation, steam erupted around him, and he breathed a sigh of relief as warmth filled the air.
Alastor waved the steam away with a hand, kicking Todoroki's legs out from underneath him. Todoroki coughed and went to slam his hand down, the air beginning to grow cold, when Alastor slammed his foot down into his chest again.
SLAM
The air began to heat up in frantic bursts.
SLAM
The air fluctuated wildly as heat clashed with cold with enough force to make one half of the stands sweat while the other froze.
SLAM
The stadium fell silent, the cloud of dust surrounding the two contestants slowly settling, revealing a figure standing tall with an unnatural smile on his face.
"Todoroki Shoto is unable to continue! Izuku Midoriya wins!"