The First Bout and the Brainwasher
The giant screen in the center of the stadium lit up, displaying the results of the draw for the sixteen competitors in the first round. The names stopped shuffling, and the final bracket was revealed to the roaring crowd:
Match 1: Izuku Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso
Match 2: Shoto Todoroki vs. Yuga Aoyama
Match 3: Tenya Iida vs. Mei Hatsume
Match 4: Denki Kaminari vs. Ibara Shiozaki
Match 5: Roronoa Zoro vs. Mina Ashido
Match 6: Fumikage Tokoyami vs. Momo Yaoyorozu
Match 7: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu vs. Eijiro Kirishima
Match 8: Katsuki Bakugo vs. Ochaco Uraraka
Midoriya stared up at the massive screen, his eyes locking onto his own name. "The first match of the first round, huh?" he muttered, analyzing the bracket. "If Todoroki-kun and I both win, then..." He swallowed hard, realizing he would face the ice-and-fire user in the second round.
He then scanned the board for his current opponent. Before that, if I remember correctly, his name was Shinso...
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a quiet, deadpan voice right beside him.
"It's you, right? Izuku Midoriya."
Midoriya jumped, startled, and spun around. This guy... I remember him. He's from the General Studies department, Midoriya thought, looking into the tall boy's tired, half-lidded eyes.
"I'm looking forward to the first match," Shinso said smoothly.
Midoriya opened his mouth to reply, but before a single sound could escape his lips, a thick, furry tail wrapped tightly around his mouth from behind.
"Midoriya!" Mashirao Ojiro barked strictly.
Shinso slowly glanced over his shoulder at Ojiro, his expression unreadable, before silently turning away and walking off into the crowd.
Ojiro finally unwrapped his tail. Midoriya gasped for air, looking at his classmate in utter confusion. "Ojiro-kun! What's wrong?!"
Ojiro looked at him with a deadly serious expression. "Do not answer him."
Midoriya blinked, completely bewildered by the stern warning.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the gathering, Zoro was looking at the tournament bracket with a calm, analytical eye. His gaze stopped on his matchup: Mina Ashido.
He tilted his head slightly, spotting the pink-skinned girl with horns across the field. She was bouncing energetically, laughing with her friends.
The girl who shoots acid, Zoro thought coldly. His hand instinctively rested on the white hilt of the Wado Ichimonji at his hip. An acid Quirk that melts metal... She's the absolute worst possible matchup for my swords. My body can dodge her attacks, but if even a single drop of that acid lands on the blade, the steel will be ruined forever.
Zoro's Eyes narrowed into a sharp, dangerous glare. I can't drag this out. And I can't use the sharp edge against a classmate. I'll have to end it from a distance before she even takes her first step.
As the students continued to size up their opponents, the atmosphere grew heavy with anticipation.
After a brief intermission filled with recreational games for the audience, the Pro Hero Cementoss finished constructing the battle stage—a massive, elevated square made entirely of solid, thick concrete.
Present Mic's voice boomed through the stadium speakers, shaking the very stands.
"ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! ARE YOU READYYYY?!"
The crowd erupted into a deafening roar, shaking the stadium to its core. The excitement for the final tournament was at its absolute peak.
Down in the dark waiting tunnel, Midoriya stood perfectly still. He closed his eyes, listening to the muffled cheers and Present Mic's hyping, trying to regulate his breathing.
Suddenly, a familiar shadow fell over him. "Hey! Sorry I'm late."
Midoriya opened his eyes and gasped. "All Might!"
The Pro Hero, in his skinny, true form, stood behind him with a supportive smile. "Tell me, Young Midoriya... have you figured out how to control it yet?"
Midoriya looked at his hands, clenching them into fists. "No... it's still all or nothing. I can't regulate the output."
All Might nodded. "Your vessel can't handle a hundred percent yet. You need to consciously limit it. Try drawing out just five percent of that power."
Midoriya looked down, uncertain. "Five percent... I don't know if I can hold back that much. Honestly, I still don't even have a clear image of the hero I'm supposed to be..."
Seeing the heavy doubt in his successor's eyes, All Might suddenly stepped forward and lightly chopped the top of Midoriya's head.
"Ouch!" Midoriya yelped, holding his head.
"Snap out of it!" All Might said, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Stop overthinking! You don't need to have it all figured out right now. Just go out there and show the world that you are here!"
Midoriya's eyes widened. The hesitation vanished, replaced by a burning determination. He nodded firmly. "Right!"
Outside, massive jets of fire erupted from the four corners of the arena, heating the air.
"AUDIENCE!" Present Mic screamed, his voice reaching a fever pitch. "THE FINALS THAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR ARE FINALLY ABOUT TO BEGIN! MATCH NUMBER ONE: IZUKU MIDORIYA VERSUS HITOSHI SHINSO!"
Midoriya stepped out of the tunnel and into the blinding sunlight, walking toward the stage.
"FROM THE HERO COURSE, IZUKU MIDORIYA!" Present Mic announced.
On the opposite side, Shinso walked out of his respective tunnel, his hands casually stuffed in his pockets.
"AND HIS OPPONENT! SORRY, HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING TO STAND OUT YET! FROM THE GENERAL STUDIES COURSE, HITOSHI SHINSO!"
Both boys stepped onto the concrete stage, facing each other with several meters of distance between them.
"THE RULES ARE SIMPLE!" Present Mic explained to the stadium. "FORCE YOUR OPPONENT OUT OF BOUNDS, OR IMMOBILIZE THEM! YOU CAN ALSO WIN BY FORCING YOUR OPPONENT TO SAY 'I GIVE UP'!"
Mic paused for dramatic effect before shouting, "BRING ON THE INJURIES! BECAUSE OUR VERY OWN RECOVERY GIRL IS ON STANDBY! PUT YOUR MORALS AND MANNERS ASIDE FOR THIS MOMENT! BUT OF COURSE, ANYTHING LIFE-THREATENING IS A BIG NO-NO! IT'S NOT ALLOWED!"
At the edge of the arena, Cementoss used his Quirk to raise a tall concrete chair for himself, acting as the head referee.
"HEROES SHOULD ONLY USE THEIR FISTS TO CATCH VILLAINS!" Mic finished.
Cementoss sat down heavily on his chair. "I will stop the match if it goes too far," he stated firmly.
Before Present Mic could even announce the start of the match, Shinso looked dead at Midoriya and started talking. His voice was low, carrying a strange, almost hypnotic calmness.
"STAAAART!" Present Mic roared.
Shinso didn't take a fighting stance. He just kept talking, his words dripping with venom.
"He threw away his own opportunity..." Shinso said, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "What a dumb monkey."
Midoriya's eyes widened. A surge of pure, unadulterated anger flared in his chest at the insult directed at Ojiro, the boy who had just sacrificed his pride.
Midoriya took an aggressive step forward, his jaw clenching as he opened his mouth to shout back...
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