"ALRIGHT!" Present Mic shouted, attracting everyone's attention. The crowd cheered and watched as the competitors below were all preparing. Those set to fight in round 1 were told to take their positions in the arena, and Shinso and Mineta did as instructed. "WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE MAIN EVENT OF THE SPORTS FESTIVAL! THE FIGHTS! THIS IS THE PERFECT WAY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO SHOW WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF! OH YEAH! ALSO, LET US HEAR IT FOR THE REFEREE OF THIS EVENT, THE R-RATED HERO HERSELF! MIDNIGHT!"
"Thank you, Mic! Thank you!" Midnight said as she stepped into the arena, standing in the middle of the two competitors. The others stood on the sidelines, far from the arena, watching. "I first wish to thank everyone present for coming here today to sustain our dear competitors! Now, I don't want to prolong the foreplay, so let us move on to the first round!"
"On my left, coming from General Studies, we have Minoru Mineta!" She continued, presenting the competitors. "Who, by either luck or skill, has managed to reach this stage of the festival!"
"H-hi?" Mineta said, but his eyes were lingering elsewhere, specifically, on Midnight.
Midnight seemed to notice but didn't say anything, simply giving a sly smirk. "And on my right, recently added to the Hero Course, we have what I can only describe as a mini-version of our dear Erasurehead! Hitoshi Shinso, from 1A!"
The crowd cheered the two, expecting a good match.
"Now, let us go over the rules once again! You are allowed to use your Quirks in this battle, but you must respect the rules! First, if you are thrown out of the arena or end up outside the arena, you lose! Second, if one party is unable to continue fighting, they lose! Third, at any point, either competitor can surrender, automatically losing the match! Additionally, excessive force or disobedience won't be tolerated!"
"What does that mean? Simple! If your opponent is down or has surrendered, you must cease any attacks on them at once! Failure to comply will carry harsh punishments! Additionally, although we'd like our competitors to give it their all, we must ask that you refrain from taking things too far! Individuals who are fully aware of how dangerous their Quirk is must show restraint! We do not want accidents, or worse, intentional acts of aggravated assault or maiming."
"Tch." Michinzune clicked his tongue. "Cowards."
"Do you both understand the rules?" Midnight asked the two.
"Yes," Shinso replied.
"CRYSTAL!" Mineta said loudly, already grabbing his hair.
"Then in 3!" She held up three fingers. "Two!" Three became two. "One!" And the final finger. "BEGIN!"
"Hey, is it true you were sent to General Studies from Heroics because you were being sued for being a Peeping Tom?" Shinso asked Mineta.
"Huh?! Where'd you hear that-" Suddenly, however, Mineta fell into a trance.
"Heck, that was easy," Shinso said, having simply used rumors to bait Mineta into opening his mouth.
"Ummm…" Midnight went to Mineta, checking him by waving her hand in his face. "Is he alright?"
"I brainwashed him. He is alright. To finish it, I need to make it official. Hey, grape-head! Walk out of bounds." Shinso ordered Mineta, who obeyed his words. The crowd was silent as they watched Shinso win and Mineta walk out of the arena.
"M-Minoru Mineta is out of bounds!" Midnight announced. "The winner of the first round is Hitoshi Shinso! God, that was a fast round."
"He just won so easily…" A person in the crowd said.
"He said he brainwashed him, right?" Someone else asked. "That must be his Quirk!"
"He can brainwash people? That is a villainous Quirk!" Someone else said.
"What is UA thinking, placing a guy like him in Heroics! He belongs in prison with a Quirk like that!" Another person said, as the cheers of the crowd quickly turned to jeers because of the nature of Shinso's Quirk.
"Hey! Behave yourselves!" Midnight shouted through the microphone.
"It's alright. I expected this kind of reaction." Shinso said, turning around. "I assume I am free to go until my next round, correct?"
"Y-yes, but don't you want to say something to defend yourself?" Midnight asked.
"Defend what? They can't change what my Quirk is, and neither can I, just as they cannot change the fact that I will become a hero." Shinso replied, then walked away as the crowd jeered at him.
Michinzune watched, but his eyes were shaky. "That guy…Is a predator, like me."
"That was quick," Izuku said, standing next to Ida and Ochako. "That guy, Shinso, is also very calm despite the situation."
"Shinso's Quirk is also perfect for direct encounters," Ida stated. "If he can successfully bait you into replying to him, there is no hope for victory left. The only way to counter it is by knowing how it works."
"And we know how it works." Izuku realized. "He knows you two know, but not that I know. Still…"
"If I win, I'll make sure to keep my mouth shut," Ida said. "That way, he cannot use his Quirk on me. But my opponent is someone we do not know. In fact, I've never heard of this woman before, so she must not be part of UA."
"Speaking of which, your round is next." Izuku pointed out to him. "Best go get ready; you can get called at any moment."
"Right! Thanks for reminding me, Midoriya." Ida then left to get ready, but on his way to the lockers, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. "Hm? Yes, Mother? Something the-" Suddenly, Ida stopped cold. "W-what? Tensei is…"
"Well, that round was a letdown in terms of action. But let's welcome our next competitors for round 2!" Midnight announced, the crowd cheering once again. In the welcoming of the crowd, the competitors walked upon the stage, and now everyone could see who Sakura Shiruyana was. She was a young woman of a bit of a shorter stature than most, currently wearing the standard-issue gym clothing from UA for the event.
However, the most striking feature about her stood out instantly! Her hair was not normal. It was made up of petals - cherry blossoms! Her hair was a vibrant pink because of it, and it was long, reaching her lower back. Her eyes also matched the color of her hair, and as far as her physical description went, she looked a bit more endowed than other women in 1A. Guess the loss in height gave her curves elsewhere.
"On my left, everyone gives a warm welcome to Sakura Shiruyana! She is one of the individuals who took the UA Entrance Exam but failed, resulting in her being forced to attend a normal university! However, she is here today to show UA what they have lost! But it won't be easy! Her opponent today is no pushover!"
"To my right, I present you all with Tenya Ida!" Midnight said, presenting Ida as he stood in the arena. "He is the son of the Ida family and the brother of the Pro Hero Ingenium! His family has a good history of producing heroes, and each generation has proven itself better than the last! He is 1A's powerhouse in terms of speed and one of their most studious members!"
"Now, I trust you both know the rules! I won't repeat them! Get ready!" Sakura got into a fighting stance, and Ida got ready as well, getting ready to accelerate her way as his Quirk roared to life. "Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Go!"
Ida launched himself right at Sakura, likely attempting to finish it quickly with a strong kick to her side. However, Sakura's Quirk had other things to say. Petals swarmed in front of her, so when Ida's kick connected, he hit a wall of petals instead. Surprised by this, he leapt back, watching as Sakura stood in the middle of the petals, her hair now shorter.
"You control those?!" Ida asked, watching her Quirk at work.
"This is my Quirk." She said quietly. "I can freely control the petals that make up my hair. I usually have several thousand on the ready, giving me my hair. It is effortless to compress them to fool people into thinking I have less."
Ida gasped slightly. "What a Quirk!" He said as he sped off again, running in circles around Sakura. "But don't think your Quirk will be enough to defeat me!" He declared, constantly running in circles around her. Tenya knew he had to find an opening. When he hit the petals, they felt as hard as steel! That indicated that those are not normal, durability-wise. If she had good control, that meant she might have a good defense as well!
Which worried him. Quirks like hers, which have a telekinetic component to allow for control, usually have a range limit. He had to assume the range was enough to cover the entire area of the arena until he could prove it otherwise. But Sakura saw through his tactic and manipulated her petals into forming a defensive ring around her. It was not a full-blown defense but rather a tactic to ensure her Quirk reached him in time to stop him.
A good defense. But Tenya was worried. No, he wasn't just worried! He knew something was off! Why was she focusing so hard on defense when she could attack? Unless…
"I see…" Tenya said, then suddenly engaged on the offensive, charging at Sakura from behind. The girl barely had enough time to react when Ida jumped and flipped himself, angling his leg and activating his engine to boost his kick. "AERIAL JET STRIKE!" He shouted, naming his move, but Sakura was quick.
The petals formed around his leg right before he made contact with her head, stopping him dead in his tracks. However, he noticed something else. His leg was still advancing! This told him the strength of her petals was not absolute! But with his momentum broken, he had to pull back!
"I got you now!" Sakura claimed, and then more petals seized his arm.
"What?!" Tenya gasped, finding himself getting covered in petals. She was trying to cover him, likely to force him to submit. But he was not about to give her the win so easily. He pushed the engines on his free leg to their maximum and managed to spin himself violently, escaping the grasp of her Quirk and landing on the ground again.
Once he was down, he activated the engines on his right leg to launch it forth and deliver a kick to Sakura, given she was in range. However, upon attempting to do it, he felt a deep pain course through his leg. "GAH!" He shouted as he used his good leg to jump back instead, then he examined his affected leg. "Petals…They are clogging up the exhaust pipes of my Quirk!" He said as he saw them, then looked back at her. "You clogged it up when you caught me!"
"Surprised it took you so long to notice," Sakura said. "I will admit, you are fast. But my Quirk is faster. And with a leg down for the count, I doubt you can accelerate again."
"Then why are you not taking the chance to take me out?" Ida asked, making her frown. "I see. Your Quirk has a limited range, doesn't it? Standing where I am right now puts me at a safe distance from it."
"I can still run to you, idiot!" Sakura pointed out, seemingly getting annoyed with Ida. But that was not it. She was getting frustrated.
"Maybe. But you cannot run fast enough!" Ida said, getting into position yet again.
"This again?! Give it up! I will just catch you! With your leg down, you cannot hope to accelerate to fast-enough speeds to get past my petals!" Sakura pointed out.
"You're right," Ida admitted, looking more than a bit off in that moment. "But as it stands…I need to finish this as quickly as possible!"
"What?" Sakura asked, and then she saw it. And sensed it. Her petals, the ones clogging Tenya's pipes, were burning up. "What are you doing?!"
"Using my own ace in the hole," Ida said, and then his exhausts began letting out flames. "RECIPRO BURST!" He shouted, then shot out with speed unmatched at Sakura. The girl tried to put her petals forward, but Tenya managed to shoot right through them thanks to his speed. His leg went in first and connected with Sakura's stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs in the process.
A shockwave rocked the arena as Sakura's petals got blown away, then she was launched forward out of bounds, landing roughly on the ground.
"GAH!" She shouted, passing out. Midnight went to check on her, seeing her both out of bounds and knocked unconscious.
"THE WINNER! TENYA IDA!" She declared, seeing Ida kneeling as his exhaust pipes were glowing from the heat. However, as the crowd cheered, he went to Midnight.
"Professor, may I have the microphone?" Tenya asked. "I need to make an announcement."
"Huh? What kind of announcement?" She asked, but looking at his face, she had a bad feeling about what he might be thinking.
"Forgive me!" He bowed and spoke loudly, his voice caught by Midnight's microphone. "I must…Announce my surrender from the rest of the event!"
"What?!" Midnight gasped, followed by collective gasps from the audience as well as his sudden announcement. His own classmates all had shocked expressions, including the teachers who watched as Tenya then rushed away from the arena. "Wait, Ida, what are you-..." But it was too late. He was gone. "What just happened?"
"Why did Ida run off like that?!" Ochako asked. "This isn't like him!"
"Something must have happened," Izuku stated.
"Michizune?" She asked, thinking their current issue was at play.
"No, this doesn't feel like him. Ida was acting odd the entire battle. He almost seemed to be rushing, not wanting to drag it out. The fact that he used that move, which I noticed seemed to cause his Quirk to overheat, tells me he was really desperate to finish the battle as quickly as possible." Izuku said, analyzing the situation. "But why would he do this? It is as you said, Ochako, this isn't like him."
"We need to go after him!" Ochako said.
"We can't." Izuku pointed out. "We need to remain here until our fights conclude for the first rounds."
"We can go!" Tsuyu said from the stands. "I will gather a few of our other classmates and see if we can catch up to him! Ribbit."
"Please, do," Ochako said, watching Tsuyu run off to get some of the others and go after Ida.
"Next competitors are asked to present themselves for the next round!" Present Mic said, and Ochako knew it was her time.
"Let's get this over with." She sighed.
"Alright!" Midnight said loudly, getting the crowd's attention once more. "I admit, the first two rounds are bringing us quite the surprises! First, a quick round without much action, then a second round with fast action, but an unforeseen outcome! Due to Tenya Ida's surrender and retreat from the event, it has been decided to allow Hitoshi Shinso to progress further, since the winner of round 2 was to fight the winner of round 1 in the next set! But now, the boy gets to move further without any issues! Lucky him!"
"Regardless of that, let us present you, our dear audience, with the third round! We have two classmates from the same class, 1A, of the Heroic Course going up against each other! To my left, Ochako Uraraka! And to my right, we have the son of Enji Todoroki himself, Japan's number 2 hero, Endeavor! Shoto Todoroki!"
The two stepped onto the platform, but then something happened. A barrier seemed to get erected around the arena, leaving only Ochako and Shoto inside.
"What is this?" Ochako asked.
"This special barrier will prevent any unfortunate stray attacks from hurting our audience! No worries! There is just enough space left for a ring out!" Midnight said, then put her hand up. "Competitors! Get ready! Three! Two! One!"
One second.
That is how fast the round ended. The moment Midnight's countdown reached zero, and she gave the signal to start, Todoroki unleashed a torrent of ice that froze Ochako solid, trapping her fully.
"HOLY SHIT!" Midnight said. "DROP THE BARRIER AND GET THAT GIRL OUT OF THE ICE!" She ordered, the fight already finished before it began.
"She is alright. Just frozen." Todoroki said.
"Hmmm." And in a VIP section of the spectator area, sat a man who was watching the fight closely. He was a tall, sturdily built man with a very muscular physique, with short, crimson hair, spiked up around his head, and sharp turquoise eyes. His beard and mustache were made of fire, but without them, he'd have only stubble on his face.
His hero costume was comprised of a tight, navy turquoise bodysuit, with flames streaming across his chest, upper torso, arms, and, most prominently, his shoulders. He used his flames as a makeshift mask around his eyes, and his tall boots appeared to be either made of fire themselves or constantly left alight, as only their soles and laces are visible around the flames. He sported white bracers on his lower arms, styled in a cage pattern, and a blue belt with a pouch on either side.
"It appears he won using only his ice, just as he said he would." Next to him was one of his sidekicks from his agency. His agency primarily recruited people with fire Quirks, so it came as no surprise that this woman had one such Quirk.
She was a curvaceous young woman with big red-orange eyes and pointy teeth. Her most distinguishable feature was her long, flaming yellowish-green hair, with two bangs on each side, and a wider bang from the center of her forehead to the right. She also had noticeable pointy fingers, a slight mutant trait inherited from her family.
Her costume consisted of a light-gray double-breasted mini dress with orange and black lining and slits on both sides of the skirt. Her collar, belt, and wrist guards were black with a smaller orange line, and the silver buttons resembled flat-headed screws.
She also wore a belt with a temperature gauge on the front and a fire extinguisher on the back, black knee-high socks, and short black boots. Her mask was black and connected to a red headband. Her name was Moe Kamiji, hero name: Burnin'.
"He is stubborn, I'll give him that." Endeavor said. "But it's useless. Mark my words, Burnin'. By the end of this event, he WILL use his fire."
"And if he doesn't?" She asked slowly.
"I'll see about that later."
Ochako was successfully rescued from the ice, completely fine. However, the winner was obviously Todoroki. Encased as she was, not only was her Quirk useless, but she was totally incapacitated. Todoroki left without saying another word, retreating to the sidelines to rest and prepare for his next round. Ochako was taken to the infirmary for closer examination.
But as he watched, Izuku began to think about what Todoroki had told him. And what it entailed. He was dead set on using only his ice to win this, which, in its own way, was a means to rebel against his father. But Izuku was worried. He believed there was more that Shoto was not saying, or refused to say.
He knows he said it'd be useless to go after Endeavor, and he was right. Given what the others told Izuku, so long as the Hero Commission had his back, Endeavor was untouchable. However, he had to worry about his upcoming fight against Michizunr. He couldn't afford to be distracted from his real opponent.
"That guy is insane."
"As expected of the number 2's son, he has a compelling Quirk."
"But why ice? Isn't Endeavor's Quirk fire?"
"Maybe it's the mother's Quirk?"
"Endeavor's wife? I didn't know he was married. What is known about his family?"
The crowd was muttering, asking questions. However, Midnight had to continue with the next round of the event. "Alright! Quiet down with the muttering and speculating! Let us instead hear some noise for round 4!" The crowd cheered again. "This time, it is a true catfight! Two young heroines, one from 1A and one from 1B, will engage in a fight to see who's the top bitch!" Despite her crude language, Midnight continued. "To my right, we have 1A's smartest girl! Daughter of the Yaoyorozu family! Momo Yaoyorozu!" Midnight said, presenting Momo as she got into the arena.
"Then, to my left, we have 1B's quiet girl! Yui Kodai!" Midnight said, introducing Yui. "Alright, girls! The rules are known! In three! Two!"
Both girls got ready, but while Yui was reaching into her pockets, Momo was pulling back her sleeves.
"GO!" Midnight announced, and Momo took the initiative against Yui. She pulled out a Bo staff from her arm, using her Quirk to create it out of seemingly nothing. The crowd was stunned by this action, not to mention how she seemed to be charging right for Yui like Ida's round, where he sought to end things as fast as possible.
However, Yui suddenly took a pebble out of her pocket and threw it at Momo. And to her horror, the pebble grew into a full-sized boulder! Momo barely managed to duck under it, letting the boulder fall to the ground.
Yui remained steadfast, however, with her hands still near her pockets. It was clear to Momo that she must have stuffed her pockets with ammunition for this round, but she had a feeling things were not straightforward with her. Still, she decided to act, resuming her charge by approaching from Yui's left.
The girl, predictably so, threw more pebbles that grew into boulders at Momo, but this time, Momo used her Bo staff to launch herself into the air, abandoning her weapon and choosing to generate a new one mid-air instead. Yui, however, seeing her coming, took something else from her pockets and enlarged it, revealing a medieval shield!
"What?!" Momo gasped, jumping back away from Yui. "What is your Quirk?!"
"My Quirk is called Size," Yui replied. "I can alter the size of anything I touch. With a bit of training, I even learned to delay the effects of my Quirk to be able to kick in after I throw things."
"And that shield?" Momo asked. "Weapons are forbidden."
"But loopholes exist!" Midnight chimed in. "Yes, weapons and support equipment that are non-vital are forbidden during this event! However, not only does this rule not apply to Quirk-made weaponry, like your Bo staff, but it also does not apply to fake weaponry!"
"Fake?!" Momo gasped, then looked at Yui's shield more closely. That wasn't wood. Nor was it iron! "It's plastic! It's a toy!"
"Good job for figuring it out," Yui said, although it was difficult to tell if she was being genuine or sarcastic. "My pockets are full of various small toy weapons for my use."
"And pebbles…" Momo said quietly, then she decided to change her tactic. If close range weren't an option, as Yui sought to prevent her from getting close, she would simply go for range instead! Momo faked another charge, going for Yui, but the girl put her shield up and reached for another pebble.
But to her shock, as she pulled the side aside to throw the pebbles, she saw Momo unzip her top! And from her cleavage she took out something she didn't expect! A gun! But more specifically, a stun gun! She fired it, the electrified wires traveling fast toward Yui, but fortunately, the girl was able to block them with her shield.
Being forced to block, she failed to see Momo leap into the air with her Bo staff and reach her. Yui panicked, backpedaling in an attempt to avoid her, but Momo landed right in front of her and drove her Bo staff into her stomach. Yui was struck dead-on, but despite the hit, she held on. It was then that Momo pulled her staff back and spun it to build momentum, aiming to strike Yui again to knock her out.
However, Yui reacted quickly, reaching for a small balloon she had in her pockets and throwing it at Momo's feet. "Release!" She pressed her fingers together, making the balloon pop as glue was released on Momo's feet.
"What is this?!" She asked loudly, her legs stuck to the ground.
"My Quirk also functions on liquids. But it's trickier. I prepared by shrinking down a lot of glue, and then stuffing it all into a small balloon. When I released the effect of my Quirk, it all surged in quantity, popping the balloon." Yui explained. "Like a grenade, and now, you're stuck!"
"I can still move my arms!" Momo pointed out, but without being able to adjust her footing, her swing was caught by Yui's shield again. It was then that Yui attempted to end the battle by pulling out one last trick from her pockets.
A mini-police baton. It was made of rubber, a mere toy. But upon using her Quirk, it grew to life-size instantly. She planned to strike Momo on the head with it to knock her out, but the moment she thought she had an opening, she forgot something important. Momo's Quirk is not like hers. She didn't have to rely on a limited supply of pre-prepared tricks. The moment Yui's defense was down, she saw another stun gun, ready to fire.
"I got you!" Momo said as she fired, the cables connecting to Yui's chest and delivering a painful amount of electrical shocks to her. Non-lethal, but enough to put her on the ground. Momo let go of the stun gun, seeing that Yui was down for the count. Midnight went over to examine Yui, nodding her head in confirmation.
"Yui Kodai has been tased and is unable to continue! The winner of this round is Momo Yaoyorozu!"
"Thank God…" Momo said, letting out a sigh of relief. "I could use a snack."
"Let's get you out of that glue." Midnight said, the drones already coming over with a glue-diluting substance. Yui was taken to the infirmary as well, and the arena was cleaned of the debris left behind by Yui. Granted, with her knocked out, all items returned to their original size, making it easy to clean.
"Oh?" Endeavor said, impressed with Momo's resourcefulness. But he was impressed with a lot more than just that. "Her Quirk is quite something. What is it? Some kind of storage Quirk?"
"Well, I heard some rumors that her Quirk creates stuff out of nothing," Burnin' said, further enticing Endeavor's attention. "But they are just rumors. Such a Quirk would break a lot of scientific laws, so it has to rely on some form of fuel."
"Still, it's a good Quirk. And that girl seems more than capable of using it to good capacity. Being able to create something out of seemingly nothing, huh? Interesting."
"Alright, everyone!" The crowd cheered loudly. "That was a riveting fight, showing us that it takes more than just brawn to be a hero! Those young ladies used their brains more than their bodies to give us a show, but ultimately, we have our victor! Now we move on to the next round! To my right, the beast of 1B! Jurota Shishida!"
Shishida stood ready for the fight, standing topless so as not to ruin the gym uniform with his Quirk.
"And to my left, he is another one of the prodigal sons who failed our entrance exam! Let's hear it for Michizune Doumou!"
Michizune stepped into the arena, looking highly confident in the fight that followed.
"The rules are known!" Midnight said, and both competitors were preparing for battle. "In three! Two! One!"
"Begin!"
At her signal, Shishida grew in size and showcased his Quirk to everyone as he became more beast than man before everyone's eyes. He then charged right at Michizune, but he was not still, either. He put his arms forward and, using the energy he had gathered so far, conjured a barrier that Shishida impacted dead-on. The barrier pulsed, but held.
The energy Michizune was wielding was red with yellowish vein-like patterns all over it. However, it was not absolute. Shishida growled and punched the barrier with all his might, causing it to shatter on impact, which caused Michizune to click his tongue. Shishida then resumed his charge, but Michizune leapt into the air and began letting out energy from his palms to slow his descent.
The crowd was in awe at his Quirk, impressed by his versatile use of energy. "Coward!" Shishida shouted. "You will pay for what you did to Kamakiri!"
"Huh?" Michizune replied, playing it cool and faking ignorance. "I have no idea what you're on about!"
"Liar!" Shishida shouted, then his hands dug into the arena, pulling out a large block of concrete that he lifted over his head. "Eat this!" He then threw it at Michizune, but the guy merely dropped to the ground and dodged the boulder that was coming for him, leaving it to impact the barrier that was deployed at the edge of the arena.
However, this allowed Shishida to charge right in and swipe his palm at Michizune, landing a direct strike to his side that sent him flying to the edge of the arena. But just as everyone believed it was over, Michizune released energy from his palms to propel him back toward the center, killing the momentum he had and allowing him to land safely.
"You…" He growled, anger visible on his face.
"I knew it," Bakugou said from the side as he observed.
"You can't take a direct hit and keep your calm, Michizune," Izuku said from the other side.
"Had enough yet?!" Shishida asked as he stood firm, well within the arena's central area. "You Aldera trash should have never come here!"
"Shut your mouth!" Michizune shouted. "How dare you speak to me that way?! Huh?! You think I am scared of you? You are nothing but prey!" He shouted back, then energy rippled across his body. "And prey is merely food for the predator!"
"What the-"
"That's new," Izuku said, mimicking Bakugou's own surprised expression.
"Crimson Hunt!" Michizune shouted and shot out directly at Shishida, his entire body covered in crimson energy. However, as he impacted Shishida, pushing against his crossed arms, the bigger student held his ground, refusing to budge even a bit in the face of someone like Michizune.
But what was shocking was Michizune's Quirk. He was covered in his own energy, circulating it perfectly all over his body, and seemingly allowing him to fly. This couldn't have been kind on his energy reserves, but given how he was touching Shishida, he might not be worrying that much about his reserves right now.
"FALL ALREADY, YOU STUPID PREY!" Michizune shouted
Shishida growled. "Never!" Then he pushed Michizune back, followed by a strong kick that impacted Michizune square on the stomach, sending him flying back through the air. But to their frustration, he caught himself mid-air, refusing to go down. "Persistent pest!" Shishida spat.
"Eat this!" Michizune shouted as he focused his energy into a small projectile in his palm, then released it at Shishida. The beastly young man's instinct told him to dodge the projectile, which is what he did, as it merely grazed his shoulder. But it stung. That ball of energy was dangerous, as even though it just grazed him, it's like an actual bullet grazed him!
Seeing his attack fail, however, Michizune once again charged at Shishida, aiming to lock them in close quarters, but this time with a clear winning strategy. He flew right at Shishida, grabbing him by the stomach. Shishida naturally grabbed him back as Michizune tried to pick him up in flight, but he wasn't budging. Too heavy.
But that was not Michizune's target.
"Ugh!" Shishida felt it. His energy was leaving him. "You damn leech!" He united his fists together, delivering a devastating double strike to Michizune's back. Or at least, he tried. Michizune unleashed a powerful energy wave that threw Shishida back, the larger boy ending up on his back.
Abusing the opportunity, Michizune charged in, flying high, then diving on Shishida's stomach and dispelling his energy for now. He thrust his palm on Shishida's chest and began to drain him dry of energy. "GAH!" Shishida shouted as he felt himself growing weaker and more tired by the second!
"Yes!" Michizune shouted, relishing as he drained Shishida of his energy. "I knew it! You're a big guy, so naturally, you are big prey! I already replenished all I expended in this fight, yet you are still conscious?! More for me!" He intensified the absorption.
"GAH!" Shishida screamed out again, a red light emanating from the point of contact. However, as Michizune was absorbing his energy, he put as much as he felt he had left in his fist.
He swung, socking Michizune in the head and making him get off him. However, Shishida didn't get up. He stayed down after that punch. Midnight went in. "Stop!" She said, then examined Shishida. "He's out cold! The winner! Michizune Doumou!" She declared, but Michizune was not hearing her.
He was kneeling on the ground, fingers over his nose. Blood. He saw blood. His pupils shrank as he saw his blood ending up on the ground, and rage swallowed reason. "You fuck…" He said, voice barely above a whisper as he generated another projectile in his hand. "You will pay for making me bleed, you shitty prey!" He tried to attack Shishida as he was down, but Midnight reacted in time.
She pulled back a piece of her costume, ripping it around her stomach, and releasing her Quirk. The pink mist surrounded the arena, knocking out Michizune in the process and stopping his attack from even starting. Although allowing him to go through it would have given them reason to deal with him, it was not worth putting an innocent student at risk for this.
"Michizune Doumou is equally exhausted!" Midnight declared. "Both competitors will now be taken to the infirmary to rest and recover! With a bit of luck. Michizune Doumou will be well-rested for his next fight!"
'Damn it!" Awase shouted as the rest of 1B stood near him.
"Shishida…" Ibara said quietly.
"He is fine," Reiko said. "Remember what we learned. Michizune's drain is not harmful. Shishida will be fine."
"He still lost," Nirengeki said. "He couldn't avenge Kamakiri."
"It's alright," Monoma said, looking stoically at the arena. "I will try to reach that guy myself if I have to. I will inherit Shishida's will and eventually reach this guy. With my Quirk, I will give him a taste of his own medicine!"
"Not if we get to him first!" Tetsu said with a grin. "We all want a piece of him now!"
"Still, why didn't Midoriya or Bakugou warn us about that move?" Itsuka asked. "It seemed like he went into a super state. Like he was using Quirk to its fullest!"
"Maybe they didn't know." Setsuna pointed out. "They must not have seen the guy in a while, so maybe he developed that after the entire Aldera shitshow?"
"Likely," Monoma added. "But, speaking of the Aldera scions…"
"I know." Setsuna sighed. "Next round is mine, and I am going against Midoriya."
"Ouch," Kendo said, feeling sorry for her. "Good luck against him."
"To beat him, I need to adapt on the fly to each of his forms," Setsuna said, laying down her strategy. "That is the only way I have any chance to beat him. But he must be aware of what my Quirk is as well, given he saw it during the USJ."
"But if you win…" Nirengeki began. "You will be facing Michizune in the upcoming round!"
"Which means I also have a shot to take him out before anyone else!" Setsuna said with a grin. "But, I'd better go change. Can't use my Quirk in those clothes without flashing everyone here!"
"Here we go," Izuku said, going to the arena. He climbed the stairs in the cheers of the crowd, seeing his opponent take the stage as well. However, he immediately noticed she was wearing her hero suit. "You are wearing your hero suit?"
"Kinda have to," Setsuna said with a shrug.
"Allow me!" Midnight intervened. "Given the nature of Setsuna's Quirk, she needs to be able to use it at full capacity without having to worry about her decency being in danger! I'd know; I am mostly the reason for the Hero Decency Laws! And her flashing everyone here goes against those very laws! As such, she is allowed to use her suit, which is especially made for her! It is made of her own cells, so not only does it work with her Quirk, but it also protects her modesty and lady parts from the leers of men!"
"Where's yours?" Setsuna asked, aiming to taunt Izuku. "Wait! Right…You have 20 or so suits, don't you?"
"And I plan to use whichever one I must to defeat you, Tokage," Izuku said, brandishing the Omnitrix. "Forgive me, but I must advance to the next round, no matter the cost."
"Fat chance! That asshole's mine for what he did to Shishida!"
"Oooh!" Midnight sensed the tension. "Looks like our competitors are both aiming for a piece of round 5's winner! Well, let's not hold them for long, shall we?" The crowd cheered further. "Now, time for presentations! To my left, one of 1B's recommendation students, Setsuna Tokage! And to my right, we have UA's wildcard! HAP student, and protégé of the Number 6 heroine, Mirko herself! Izuku Midroiya!"
The crowd went wild as they heard about Izuku's mentor.
"Mirko?!" One person asked. "That guy's being trained directly by her?!"
"That's crazy! She barely takes on a sidekick, let alone trains some random kid! What makes him so special?"
"Competitors!" Midnight said, getting their attention. "First, some additional rules. Given the known capabilities of both of your Quirks, not only will our barrier deploy, but you are also subject to special regulations! First, Setsuna Tokage! Due to your Quirk, so long as one piece of you remains in the arena, you won't ring out! And Izuku Midoriya! You are not allowed to use the form known as Chernobyl! Are those regulations clear?"
"Clear, teach!" Setsuna said.
"Crystal," Izuku said.
"In that case…Begin!"
Upon the signal being given, it was Setsuna who initiated the assault. Her arm detached from her body and flew straight for Izuku. But the Omnitrix, sensing the danger, activated and transformed him. When the green flash died down, he was gone.
"Where'd he go?" Setsuna asked, only to get blindsided from the side by a very fast object. She fell to the ground, then looked up to see Izuku's Accel form. "The fast guy." She said, and then more parts of her detached, leaving her with only one arm and her upper torso as everything else began to charge at Izuku, forcing him to run around the arena.
Her body parts could float, meaning she had flight. But Izuku was faster than her parts, meaning he could easily dodge them. However, he was running in circles around her. And to her horror, she found herself caught in a tornado. Setsuna tried to fight against the strong wind, then realized that he was causing it by running around, so she sent a piece of herself in his path.
Having predicted where he'd run to, she felt him trip over her part and fall, causing the tornado to fade. "That was close." She said, a cold sweat going down her face. But it wasn't over. She saw Izuku tap the badge on his body and change forms, which stunned the crowd.
"Did he just change Quirks?!" Someone asked, but now Izuku had been turned into Trihex. Using telekinetic powers, he grabbed her arms, including her upper torso.
"My apologies." He said, then effortlessly threw all of her out of bounds. Or so it seems. When Midnight gave no announcement, Izuku looked around, seeing one of Setsuna's fingers still on the arena.
"Not yet!" She said, flying back in and taking Izuku by surprise, allowing her fist to fly and strike his skull, dazing him. Then the other fist hit him, and another, and another, and finally, Setsuna's legs put themselves together and kicked him in the stomach. If Trihex couldn't focus, he couldn't use his powers!
He had already slashed his time in half by switching midforms, so he was not going to do that again. As he saw one of Setsuna's fists coming for his head again, he quickly tapped the Omnitrix, turning back to normal. "You turned back?!" Setsuna gasped at the sight of him taking suchon.
But Izuku was fast, and as he rolled on the ground to avoid another strike, he slammed the dial, changing forms once again. He turned into Flora. "Ok, you need to chill!" He shouted as he dug his roots into the ground, causing vines to erupt all over the arena and grab at Setsuna's parts.
A larger one erupted and attempted to grab her torso and head, but Setsuna detached her head at the last minute, then broke down her torso to escape the hold of his vines. All around, her parts were breaking down into smaller parts to escape his grasp, but that was when Izuku reached to his back and pulled out several strange pods.
Throwing them toward her head, Setsuna watched them pop into a cloud of gas. "Shit!" She swore and flew away from that cloud. But Midoriya was relentless. He extended one of his arms into a whip-like vine and swung it in her direction, but Setsuna split herself apart more in the nick of time to avoid being lashed.
But things were getting dicey. She had to pull herself together; she risked losing control of her body parts, requiring her to regenerate them, and that process tired her out like a motherfucker! So she pulled herself back together, landing safely on the ground.
"Tired yet?" He asked, grabbing more pods from his back. "I can do this all day!"
"Ha! I know you have a limit, so all I need to do is last until that limit is reached!" Setsuna declared, and Izuku finally realized her angle. She wasn't aiming at a knockout or ring out with him! She was aiming at outlasting him! "Once your limit is reached, you become virtually Quirkless! Then it is my easy win!"
"So, that is your plan!" Izuku said, catching on. Given the rule in place for her, it only worked in her favor. She could outlast him, and that was a problem. However…He had an idea. It was a gamble, however. "You should have kept it to yourself!" He threw his pods at her, but this time, massive vines erupted out of them, which he controlled, having them try to ensnare Setsuna.
But she was splitting apart again, flying all over the place to avoid him. His vines kept growing, expanding until they hit the barrier! He was even expanding them below his roots! The vines intertwined with one another tightly, and to his fortune, Setsuna had to come down.
There was a limit to how high a person could fly away from the arena.
Yet, she continued to avoid his vines until, eventually, Izuku saw his chance.
"Now!" He shouted, having surrounded them in the vines and closing off any escapes.
"What the- You trapped me!" Setsuna said loudly. They were indeed trapped in a giant ball made from his vines, and what was worse for her, Izuku made sure this place was AIRTIGHT.
"And now, you are going to take a long drag of this, luv!" He said as he hunched forward, making her see the pods on his back pop open and releasing thick clouds of gas. And when one popped, it fell, and he grew a new one right back up!
"Shit!" Setsuna said, covering her mouth and nose. "What is this stuff?"
"Beats me. All I know is that it is very irritating." Sure enough, Setsuna's lungs were burning, along with her respiratory system and eyes. She was coughing a lot and having difficulty breathing. And with her focus compromised, she pulled herself together once again. She looked up at him, wondering how he could stay in this gas and be alright.
"How are you not coughing?" She asked.
"Flora doesn't have lungs, luv!" Izuku said with a smug grin. "I honestly don't need to breathe! Makes me wonder how I am even alive, not going to lie. But you? You need that precious oxygen, and right now, it is decreasing inside here by the minute!"
"You-" She coughed. "Damn prick!" She cursed at him, but then she broke apart again, going higher where the gas hadn't reached. His gas was heavier than air, meaning it stuck to the ground. "Take this!" Having escaped the gas, Setsuna launched all of her body at him, leaving only her head above the gas cloud.
However, Izuku was ready. Additionally, vines grew from the walls, creating a net that caught her parts as they came at him, with only one part getting past and being caught by him. He then released more gas, making her cough more as she floated above, and finally filling the entire space with the gas.
"I…" She said. "I give up!"
And with those words said, he dispelled the vines. Once they were down, Midnight saw the outcome, seeing Setsuna's head on the ground and all her parts, sans one, in Izuku's hand, caught in a net, and a thick gas spreading all over the arena.
"Shit! I need the chemical drones, now!" Midnight said, not daring to drop the barrier until the drones arrived. Upon arriving, they suctioned all the gas, and Midnight went closer, seeing Setsuna recover slowly once she found fresh air again. "What happened?"
"I called it quits," Setsuna said, her head floating and her parts slowly returning to her as Izuku let them go. But then, she blushed and turned to him. "Can you let go of my boob?"
"Your-" He looked down at the part in his hand, then let go of it quickly. "Freaky! I should have realized you'd be throwing even your boobs at me, with your Quirk and all!"
"Yeah, yeah," Setsuna said, reattaching her parts slowly.
"Well then, the outcome is clear." Midnight said, then turned to face the crowd. "The round is over! Setsuna Tokage has admitted defeat before Izuku Midoriya!" Izuku turned back as his victory was announced, watching Setsuna walk away with her head down.
"Tokage!" He called out to her. "That was a good round."
"Yeah, but I still lost." She replied.
"Your aim was amazing, however!" Izuku said, pointing at her strategy. "You could have totally defeated me like that!"
"Then what went wrong?" She asked.
"You got cocky. You told me what you were planning to do." Izuku pointed out. "I would have potentially realized it as well, but you said it soon enough to allow me to think of a winning strategy of my own."
"Oh…damn, me and my big mouth!" She chastised herself. "Still…Good Game, Midoriya. You know, if you ever wanna hang out, I usually train at Gym Zeta!"
"I will make sure to keep that in mind." He replied, then she left, returning to her class as Izuku was being announced as the winner, and went to his spot as well. Now it was assured. He was going to be facing Michizune in the next set.
"Fuck…" Michizune, who has recovered from Midnight's gas, said as he watched Izuku's fight. "Midoriya is not playing around…Bakugou…You weren't kidding."
"That kid…" Endeavor said slowly. "The way he switched forms like that, as if he was switching Quirks. Who is he?!"
"Ya deaf? He is Izuku Midoriya, a HAP student learning the trade under Mirko. I feel sorry for the kid." Burnin' said.
"I don't want his name! I want his Quirk!" Endeavor said, sounding a bit more invested this time. "What was that? How many forms can he take? What are their abilities? I need to know…"
"How? Such information must be under lock and key!" Burnin' pointed out, then saw Endeavor stand up.
"I know who to ask." Endeavor said, heading off. "Don't look for me! I don't mind who wins the next round, so just tell me who won!"
"Hey, boss, wait- Ugh!" Burnin' couldn't stop Endeavor from walking out, leaving her alone in the VIP section they rented for the event.
As Izuku went to the lockers to rest, Mirko suddenly showed up. "Good work out there." She said, praising him for the victory. "With this victory, you are set to battle that guy in the next round."
"I know," Izuku said, looking down at the Omnitrix, then at her. "But, Mirko, what happened during the fifth round…"
"Midnight had to knock him out, I know. In fact, everyone does. All of us UA staff had been informed of what she saw. Even though Shishida went down for the count, he was about to use his Quirk to attack him again." Mirko said, explaining what happened. "Given what we've seen, I don't think he was merely going for injury. He wanted a fatality."
"Why?" Izuku asked, confusing her briefly. "Why are you allowing him to keep going then? If you know he nearly attacked another student with possible criminal intent, you should act!"
"We can't!" Mirko pointed out. "If he wanted a concrete reason to put his face into the pavement, we'd have had to let Shishida take the hit. And there is no way we'd ever do something like that! By saving Shishida, we allowed him to advance to the next round, yes! But you are going to fight him in the following round! And you saw how his Quirk works! As much as I hate to admit it, however, that's a wicked good Quirk."
"I have two forms that can counter him," Izuku said. "Either Bismuth or Cable. Both of them can absorb energy, but Cable, if I manage to get in close, can absorb all of his energy and leave him powerless."
"Getting in close is a bit risky with that guy. Just look at Shishida! Physically, he had the upper hand, but he got drained and couldn't go on anymore!" Mirko pointed out. "Plus, he seems able to fly or something."
"I don't think he is actually flying freely," Izuku said, presenting his analysis of Michizune's Quirk. "I think he is propelling himself. His Quirk seems able to release waves of that energy out wherever he wants, so he might be releasing such waves to keep himself afloat and control his direction."
"You think?" Mirko asked.
"Very likely. During his battle with Shishida, if he could really fly, he would have been able to make much finer movements, but he seemed limited to simple attacks. Predictable attacks. Launching himself in a straight line, for one. It might be a difference in speed and control, trading one for another." Izuku theorized. "If I am to win, however, I need to keep my distance from him, as you said. For this job, I am tempted to use Poltergeist."
"Right!" Mirko realized, eyes widening with a wicked grin. "That guy can-"
"Be touched by his energy," Izuku said, shocking her. "I noticed it when Mina accidentally sprayed her acid on me, once. So, I did some research with the Omnitrix. It turns out the intangibility of both Poltergeist and Polar Ghost is not absolute. Certain substances or energy-based attacks can bypass my intangible form, resulting in direct strikes. In the case of a substance, it can even disable my intangibility altogether."
"Are you for real?! Shit! I reckoned Poltergeist was your strongest form!" Mirko stated.
"I don't see any of my forms as being stronger than each other, merely good in different situations." Izuku clarified. "Against Michizune, Chernobyl would have been perfect."
"No radiation." Mirko pointed out dryly.
"I know." Izuku sighed. "I know. Most of my other forms are also not suitable, given that they rely on getting up close and personal. Bismuth is the best bet in this situation."
"That one controls energy as well, right? What can you do as him?" Mirko asked.
"For one, I can actually fly." He replied, with Mirko nodding along. "And second? A lot of energy-based capabilities. Everything he can do-"
"You can do better," Mirko interjected, realizing his point. "Solid!"
"However, I am still worried about the aftermath," Izuku confessed. "You know now how Michizune reacts to being challenged. The fact that Shishida gave him that much trouble almost ended badly for everyone. If he loses, odds are he won't leave willingly."
"And if we cannot restrain him…Shit, you're right! But do you really think he'd try to do something that reckless?" Mirko questioned, but as she looked at Izuku, she realized what he thought about Michizune. "You do."
"There was no one at Aldera, among the so-called star students, who liked to lose. Michizune WILL be petty about it, and he WILL act upon that pettiness." Izuku pointed out. "This is why, if only it were not forbidden, I wanted to deal with him permanently. But the more I think in that direction, the more I both see how wrong it is and how necessary it is. Michizune could go to the infirmary to attack the ones still sleeping from his previous attacks! Tokoyami, I hear, has woken up, but what about Mina? Shishida? Or worse, he might try to ambush others."
"Just to get back at you?"
"No, Mirko. To get back at everyone here for daring to label him a loser."
"I knew I'd find you here." Endeavor said as he faced All Might, having gone to his VIP viewing booth to talk. "What is it, All Might? Not viewing the fight with the other UA staff?"
"Endeavor…" All Might growled as he spoke his name, something that had Endeavor pause, confused and worried at seeing All Might display this level of aggression already. "I had a feeling you might come here, but that is not to say I am currently too happy to see your face."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Endeavor asked.
"It means what it means. As for your earlier question, the rest of UA's staff and I are currently not seeing eye to eye." All Might said, deflecting away from possibly revealing to Endeavor that they knew of his Quirk Marriage. The last thing they want is to tip him off to start tying up any loose ends and erasing any small bits of evidence that might exist. "But that being said, the fact we are alone here is also the reason why I can confidently say you came here because of Midoriya's so-called Quirk, am I right?"
"Tch." Endeavor clicked his tongue. "Since when did you get so sharp, you muscle-headed foreigner?"
"This again? I am not a foreigner. I only trained in the States, and then when I was ready, I returned to Japan. Simple as that." All Might argued. "And I didn't hear a denial regarding my guess as to your visit."
"You're right. That Midoriya kid…What the fuck kind of Quirk is that?!" Endeavor asked loudly. "He switched between several forms, and each one seemed to have its own Quirk!"
"Frankly, even I am unsure of the nature of his Quirk." All Might replied. "But if I am to give you some semblance of an answer, I guess I'd have to start with telling you he has, currently, twenty confirmed forms."
"Twenty?!" Endeavor gasped.
"With one currently banned from the Sport Festival, due to being too dangerous. It's radioactive."
"It was mentioned at the start of his round. Chernobyl, huh?" Endeavor said. "Doesn't matter! He can have a hundred forms! My son will finish him before-"
"He has a fire form." All Might pointed out. "And judging from recorded capabilities, I doubt even you stand a chance against it in terms of firepower."
Endeavor didn't reply verbally. He just stood there, staring daggers into All Might's back. He balled his fists tightly, shaking with anger at what he just heard. A fire form? What did he mean by that? A form that could control fire, like he can with his Quirk? Or a form MADE of fire? Endeavor's mind raced with questions, but one nagged at him the most.
Was this a lost cause?
Was this Midoriya superior to even his own magnum opus? No! That couldn't be true. Shoto's Quirk was perfect. It countered its own weaknesses, and if mastered properly, could allow him indefinite use in battle! No risks of either hypothermia or hyperthermia. He was perfect! So how? How could a random kid he never heard of - one that doesn't even come from a prominent hero family, no less! - How can such a person be believed to outdo even him, Endeavor, in terms of firepower?!
He won't allow it! No!
"We will see, All Might." Endeavor said, then turned around, leaving the VIP booth just as Round 7 ended between Itsuka and Tetsutetsu.
"Round 7 is over!" Midnight declared. "Itsuka Kendo wins!" The crowd cheered as Itsuka was declared the winner, having defeated Tetsutetsu after a lengthy battle. "With this battle, we have officially reached round 8! The final round of the first set!" Itsuka and Tetsu cleared the arena.
"Given this is the final battle, and those two didn't make too much of a mess, we can move on to Round 8 right away!" Midnight announced as the two competitors came onto the stage. "To my right, we have Neito Monoma from 1B! His is a mighty rare Quirk, capable of copying the Quirks of others, even holding multiple at once! A true one in a thousand, people!" The people cheered as Monoma waved at them with a polite smile.
Which is to say it was a steep difference from his opponent's scowl. "And to my left, we have one of 1A's best and worst! Hailing from Aldera High School, one of their star students! Ultimately, given a chance at being a hero, and having joined UA's Hero Course! The explosive bomb, Katsuki Bakugou!"
Bakugou didn't react to any of Midnight's words, but that didn't mean he didn't scowl at the way she introduced him. Aizawa's words held, as now the crowd was not cheering; they were muttering and talking among themselves. And finally, they jeered. They hurled insults at him and cursed his name.
"What is UA thinking, accepting someone from that place?!" Someone yelled out.
"My son won't leave the house because of Aldera!"
"Star Student?! Why is he here and not in jail where he belongs with the other Aldera thrash!"
Bakugou's fist was tight, hearing everything, but he had to keep a cool head. He had to keep his temper in check. He had to remember what All Might told him.
"You are your biggest enemy in the end, Young Bakugou." All Might told him the day before the Sports Festival. "Your temper makes you impulsive! Predictable! The moment your enemies realize this, they WILL bait you with shallow insults!"
"Bullshit!" Bakugou said fiercely. "I don't have a temper!"
"Boy, you have more than just a temper! But as it stands, your temper is the most troublesome part about you! How do you think Midoriya defeated you in that battle?" All Might asked, going for a sore subject. "Had you been thinking more clearly, you would have chosen a different strategy. Young Midoriya's not able to stay transformed for as long as he wants - he has a limit! With your Quirk, you could go on the defense just as well as you do on the offense."
"You mean run away."
"I mean, waiting for the opportune moment to strike!" All Might argued. "Midoriya also shortens his limit every time he switches from one form to another - that is another weakness! If you can make him switch too many times, you can force him to revert to normal!"
"Useless. That nerd can push himself and stay transformed for far longer. That limit of his is more or less bullshit to avoid side effects." Bakugou pointed out. "But those side effects must take time to fix themselves."
"Now you see it. In a setting such as the Sports Festival, especially in the latter rounds, if Midoriya cannot recover in time, you might be able to force him to drop out of the competition entirely! But that shouldn't be your goal! In fact, forget winning altogether!"
"What?!"
"I want to test you, Young Bakugou." All Might's eye glowed. "You must show me you can keep your temper under check, no matter what. No matter how much your enemy gets under your skin. No matter how much they insult you. You must be like rocks in a river! And the insults must flow over you like a river!"
"What the- Why?!"
"Because I have a means to even the scales between you and Midoriya. But before I can entrust this to you, I must be sure you are worthy of it. If you show me you can maintain your calm, your focus, and not fly off the handle, then that is a solid first step in the right direction." All Might explained. "So, do I have your word?"
"A means to even the scales against Deku?" Katsuki said slowly. "You likely know what he can do. So, if you claim this can even the scales…"
"I am telling you this with utmost certainty, Young Bakugou. Besides, I, personally, have a feeling about young Midoriya. No one listens to me when I try to be cautious about him, so now I am taking out an insurance policy! You."
He had to keep his cool. "Contestants!" Midnight called out, holding her hand up. Both of them got ready, and Bakugou was feeling confident. Monoma's Quirk was Copy. Even if he copied his Quirk, Bakugou had more experience with it. He had this in the bag. "In three!" Monoma smirked, getting ready to act as well.
"Two!" Bakugou started to pop explosions in his palms, ready to jump into battle.
"One!" Midnight brought her hand down. "BEGIN!"
Bakugou launched himself toward Monoma right out the gate. The barrier was deployed to prevent potential damage to the spectators, but as Bakugou got close, Monoma fell back and vanished. "WHAT?!" Bakugou asked loudly as he passed where Monoma used to be and landed. "What the fuck was this?! I thought your Quirk was to copy other people's Quirks!"
"But it is!" Monoma pointed out, coming out of his own shadow. "Even now, this is the Quirk of my dear classmate, Shihai Kuroiro!"
"So you came with some tricks up your sleeve, big deal!" Bakugou said, then charged right for Monoma with his fist pulled back.
"Oh? A more quirk-free approach? Surprising, but overall…" He then blew air from his mouth, and when Katsuki punched, trying to hit Monoma in the face, he found his fist stopped by some kind of barrier. This surprised him, but he quickly opened his fist and pressed it against the barrier, releasing an explosion that blew it to pieces.
Monoma put his hands up, shielding himself from the blast, but then he saw Katsuki come out of the smoke, one arm thrown back and popping sparks for another explosion. But as he swung, unleashing a powerful blast in Monoma's face, all he saw was his smirk as he caught his hand instead, the explosion going off at point-blank range in his palm. However, Katsuki saw him covered in what he could only describe as metal!
"What the fuck?!" He gasped, then used his free hand to blast Monoma again for the purpose of escaping his grasp, which worked, allowing him to put distance between the two. "That is already 3 different Quirks you used!"
"Good observation! But I am afraid I have far more!" Monoma declared as he put his hand up, his fist enlarging greatly. Katsuki was quick to realize this was Itsuka's Quirk, and as a result, he dodged at once, using his Quirk to enhance his mobility once again. But just as he thought he was in the clear, he found Monoma's arm behind him! This was Tokage's Quirk!
The arm began spinning like a drill and flew right toward him, but Bakugou was able to unleash an explosion below him just in time to dodge the charging drill-hand. But now he was exposed. The giant fist of Monoma swatted him like a fly out of the air. Katsuki landed on the ground roughly, then looked at Monoma, seeing his arm reattach itself to his body and his other hand getting back to normal.
Monoma chuckled. "Quite something, isn't it? Frankly, I can see why Midoriya likes his own Quirk so much! Having multiple options to call upon at your need is quite something!"
"Don't you fucking dare bring Deku into this!" Katsuki barked, getting up once again. "Just how the fuck are you doing this? No quirk is perfect. Every quirk has a limit!"
"You are perfectly correct! In my case, I can only hold up to 4 Quirks at once!"
"You used more than 4, prick." Katsuki pointed out. "How? Are you lying?"
"Me?" Monoma replied with fake hurt. "As expected of 1A's lot! You are likely jealous of my superior Quirk and potential as a hero!"
"Fuck off! I don't care about you or your so-called potential! I just want answers! I already have to deal with Deku's bullshit!" Katsuki said strongly.
"Deku? Oh! You mean Midoriya. What an ugly way to refer to him." Monoma said, but then he decided to come out with the truth. He unzipped his tracksuit's top, exposing his arms to Katsuki as he took it off. And what he had was quite shocking.
"What the fuck are those?! Friendship bracelets?!" Katsuki asked.
"Bracelets? Yes! Bracelets containing the hair of my classmates! Thanks to those bracelets, I can access their Quirks whenever I want! This allows me to bypass my Quirk limit entirely! After I discovered this method thanks to them, all I needed to do was train myself to activate multiple Quirks at once! And right now…I can proudly claim to be able to have 3 Quirks active at once."
"What a reveal, ladies and gentlemen!" Midnight shouted as the crowd went wild with Monoma's words. "This is truly a smart way to enhance oneself! And not only! It is a clear show of support and camaraderie between the members of 1B! You can even say Katsuki Bakugou is not facing only Neito Monoma here, but the entire 1B Class!"
Katsuki growled, preparing himself to attack once more as Monoma put back on his tracksuit top. "So, all I need to do is burn off those fancy bracelets of yours."
"Oh, please, just go ahead and try!" Monoma declared, then whipped his head back. When his head was back in view, his hair turned into vines, which went into the ground, and Bakugou had to launch himself into the air to avoid the vines from ensnaring him. However, he was unable to avoid them, getting caught in a prison of vines instead.
Within, he unleashed a powerful blast that blew a hole through the vines, allowing him to escape. The vines vanished, however, and were quickly replaced by Monoma chasing Katsuki in the air, riding on two horns that he produced from his head. Once he was close enough, he inhaled deeply and then spat out some kind of substance at Katsuki, catching his leg.
He quickly wrapped the horns around it, and Katsuki found himself being dragged away toward the edge of the arena. He was going to ring out if he didn't do something! And something he did!
"AP SHOT!" He used his AP Shot, striking both horns and destroying them, making him fall to the ground instead. As he got closer, he used his explosions to slow down his descent, much to Monoma's chagrin. Landing on the ground, he took out several pebbles from his pockets and affected them with Poltergeist, the Quirk of Reiko Yanagi. The pebbles floated before him, but he gathered them in his hands again before throwing them toward Bakugou.
Only to see them grow ten times in size into boulders. Seeing them, however, Bakugou retaliated by unleashing a powerful blast, throwing most off-course or launching them right back at Monoma. To dodge them, he went into his shadow again, but this resulted in him being forced to cancel out Poltergeist.
The combination of Reiko's and Yui's Quirks is good…But he added a third component to that, hence why his roster was full.
One boulder managed to get through and strike Bakugou in the stomach. It wasn't too bad, but then a secondary impact struck him, sending him flying back until he reached the very edge of the arena. Bakugou held his stomach as he got up again, seeing his current position. Monoma rose from his shadow again, looking smugly at him.
"Bravo! You are a survivor, I will give you that much!" Monoma mocked him with hollow praise, clapping his hands.
"Shut it!" Bakugou shouted. "I don't want your mockery!"
"Oh? But why? I think this is the only praise you will get here anyway! Listen!" Monoma told him, and Bakugou listened to the crowd. They were still jeering at him. They were cheering for Monoma and shouting at him to just jump over the edge of the arena and lose.
They were shouting at him to surrender. To let someone who actually deserves to be a hero win.
"No one wants an Aldera reject for a hero!"
"Yeah! I bet he will judge people by Quirks when rescuing them, to judge who deserves to live or die!"
"Just lose already! You are beaten!"
"No one wants you to win," Monoma said, smiling from ear to ear. "This is honestly outstanding! For the first time since this year started, 1B is getting the praise it deserves! I hear all of you! All your praise and cheers! This is what we always wanted!"
"I am not done yet," Katsuki said, once again recalling All Might's words. He had to let it all pass, like water over rocks. He must be like the rocks, and let all the insults and rage wash over him like water.
"Are you now?" Monoma generated sharp scales on his arm next and started spinning them at high speeds. "Too bad, I don't care!" He charged in to try and finish Katsuki with a close-quarter strike, but at that moment, Katsuki acted. He leapt forward and grabbed Monoma's top, holding it tightly. The fist barely missed his head as a result of the sudden movement, and he acted quickly.
Using his Quirk, he unleashed a close-range explosion at Monoma, throwing him back. However, in the process, Katsuki ripped his top, causing it to fall to the ground. Monoma's eyes widened as he realized what Katsuki was after. "I won't let you!" He declared, suddenly breaking his body up into dozens of parts. Tokage's Quirk again. But this is where Katsuki started taking notes.
"Can't control as many parts, can you?" He asked as he started using his Quirk to jump through the air, his explosions propelling him in a way that made him effectively fly circles around Monoma. His parts were trying to reach Katsuki, too! But those parts were mostly leg parts and arm parts.
He didn't have Tokage's suit, meaning he couldn't use all his body. Not that he could. Katsuki realized Monoma likely lacked the same level of mastery as his classmates for those Quirks he was using. He was going by instinct for the most part! Katsuki flew until he found an opening, then made his move. "AP SHOT!" He fired an AP Shot at Monoma, and the 1B Copy user could only dodge by detaching his right arm. But Katsuki wanted that. He fired another AP Shot, one he didn't announce, one Monoma was too distracted to notice!
And he blew up Monoma's arm, along with the bracelets on it. "NO!" He shouted.
"I notice that woman's Quirk is on your left arm. I would be disqualified if I actually blew up your arm for good, but I heard a rumor about her regeneration! So long as you have her Quirk, you can regrow that arm, can't you?"
"If I switch out her Quirk, I'd be left without that arm forever!" Monoma said as he reformed his body, now missing his right arm entirely. Along with it, he also lost Shihai's Quirk, Black, but also Cemendine, Scales, Gyrate, and Steel! Others were lost as well, but as it stands, he lost most of his counters to Katsuki's Quirk and movement!
Not to mention, he got locked onto occupying one Quirk slot for good to recover his arm.
And now he was his. "Time to end this!" Katsuki declared as he launched himself into the air again, then began flying around, spinning himself wildly.
"What are you doing?!" Monoma asked. "Whatever you are trying to do…" His hair turned to vines again. "It won't work!" He erected a barrier of vines around himself, trying to buy himself time for his arm to regrow. However, as Katsuki kept spinning around, he eventually directed himself to Monoma's little cocoon.
Just as Monoma finished regrowing his arm, however, he heard it.
"HOWITSER IMPACT!" Katsuki shouted, then unleashed what could only be described as an explosive tornado right up against Monoma's defensive vines, blowing them away and Monoma along with them. The force of the attack was enough to send Monoma spinning on the ground, dazed.
"MONOMA!" His classmates shouted from the side, and at the last possible moment, Monoma recovered, using one more Quirk to soften the ground beneath him and sink into it instead of going over the edge. He then released the Quirk's effects, letting him get on stable ground.
"Tch." Katsuki clicked his tongue, annoyed that he survived his attack.
"A named move?" Monoma asked. "But I thought you were not allowed to train with your Quirk! How did you develop that?"
"A good question, Monoma," Nezu said, watching closely.
"That? It was something I had been working on before the ban." Katsuki said, although it was difficult to tell whether he was speaking the truth or not. "I just thought it was a good time to test it out."
"You-" Monoma took a step back, watching Katsuki pop more explosions in his hands. "No! It's not yet over!"
"Face it!" Katsuki shouted. "Now that you are down half your Quirks, you likely do not have the ones you need to annoy me again! This will be a breeze."
"Don't get cocky with me!" Monoma shouted as his body began growing. Katsuki recognized this as Shishida's Quirk, and Monoma was now making full use of it. Once he was fully transformed, he charged directly at Katsuki. His arm was back as well, but Katsuki knew that it couldn't have grown back without some resources being used up.
Monoma got desperate. He knew he was running low on fumes. With the Quirks he copies, he also must respect their rules. The costs of their usage, the drawbacks, the risk! Everything! And as it stood, he was starting to run low on things! He had to end it here and now! His opponent must have been tired as well, exhausted from the constant battle! He had pushed him time and time again during this fight, forced him to exert himself more than he had!
But this decision, to use that specific Quirk, sealed his fate. Katsuki launched himself right at him, then put his hands forward, timing it just right. "STUN GRENADE!" He shouted, unleashing a blinding flash of light, followed by a big explosion that put a lot of smoke in the arena.
However, out of the smoke, Monoma was seen charging out, blinded by the blast, and eventually running over the edge of the arena. As for Katsuki? He was still in the arena, panting as he looked at Monoma, seeing him return to normal and subsequently pass out. That was a gamble, launching the stun grenade and dodging the charge at the same time. But once Monoma was blinded, it was easy enough to dodge.
Still, he could use some rest.
The crowd went silent, however, seeing Monoma lose. However, Midnight's voice cut through the silence after going to Monoma and looking at his state. "Neito Monoma has both passed out and is out of bounds! As a result, I declare the winner of the 8th and final round of the first set to be Katsuki Bakugou!"
The crowd didn't cheer him, however. They just looked in shock and disgust before Katsuki walked away from the arena.
As Katsuki walked to the lockers to grab some water and maybe a shower, someone showed up not long after. "You did wonderfully, Young Bakugou." It was All Might. "Although your temper showed its ugly head, you kept it down when it mattered and found the means to win despite the overwhelming disadvantage."
"He was good," Katsuki admitted. "The way he was using those Quirks. He almost defeated me…" He said, tightening his fist. "But, strangely, that is not what bothered me in the end. I don't care that he almost beat me."
"Oh? What do you care for, then?" All Might asked, curious.
"As I was there, fighting, the crowd all…They just cursed at me. Jeered at me. Insulted me…" He punched the wall, frustration visible in his voice. "And God fucking damn it, I know why! It's all because of Aldera!"
"Hmm."
"Even though I got this far, that place is like a shitty stain on my life! Every time anyone looks at me, they just remember Aldera and how I was one of their so-called star students! Even my mother and father don't look me in the eyes anymore!" Katsuki said, half-shouting. "This is fucking bullshit! I made it into UA! I proved myself! So what else can those fucking extras want?!"
"I doubt that is the correct question, Young Bakugou. What do YOU want?" All Might asked.
"What do I want? I want everything to make fucking sense again!" He replied.
"So you want things to be just like at Aldera?"
"Fuck no!" Bakugou shouted, strongly denying that. But then, slowly, he seemed to calm down. "No…I know what happened there was fucked up, alright? Some assholes took things too far, and look what happened! But that does not mean they didn't have a point! We, those with powerful Quirks, should show the world what we can do! We should be the ones people look up to, not jeer and curse!"
"Ah, but there is your mistake. That is not enough." All Might said. "That view might be correct, if this were the Wild West of Quirks! But you want to be a hero, Young Bakugou! So you need to act like one! We, with powerful Quirks, have a duty to use them to protect the weak!"
Bakugou looked down after what All Might told him, sneering. "I'm just sick and tired of being judged by the fact I was part of Aldera's problem. Everything that is happening just…Feels unfair. I am tired of everything."
"So, you want to give up?" All Might asked.
"No," Katsuki said. "Whether I like it or not, I cannot give up. This? This is all I have left! The world expects Aldera to have only produced villains now - tugs and who knows what other kinds of lowlifes! I want to rise above that!"
"That's the spirit!" All Might said with a smile on his face.
"And to be free of everything. To finally feel like I can move forward. I need to defeat Deku." Katsuki said, his gaze fixed on his goal. All Might nodded, however. "I know that once I do, everything will return to normal."
"And I promised you the means to do that." All Might added. "And based on what I've seen today, I think you deserve more trust-" Smoke erupted from All Might. "From me."
Katsuki turned around, seeing the gaunt man wearing All Might's suit. "What the…" He asked slowly.
"Katsuki Bakugou. My name is Toshinori Yagi, also known as All Might. And this is my real form." He said, deciding to trust Katsuki with more. He won't tell him about his Quirk, not yet. But for now, he decided to trust him with a bit more.
"The first set is over!" Midnight announced! "We will now move back to Mic and Erasure, as they will present us with the brackets for the next set!"
"Thank you, Nemuri, for your awesome job presenting the first set! Now that you've all witnessed what our contestants are capable of, it is time to put the brackets for the next round in order! Direct your attention to the big screen, everybody!"
Round 1.
Hitoshi Shinso - Default Win
Round 2.
Shoto Todoroki VS Momo Yaoyorozu.
Round 3.
Michizune Doumou VS Izuku Midoriya
Round 4.
Itsuka Kendo VS Katsuki Bakugou
"There you have them, folks! The brackets for the next 4- Errm. 3 fights! We have to account for Tenya Ida surrendering outta the blue, but know what? We are sure he had his- Oh? What is it, Erasure? What is on your phone - OH! Oh…And now we know the reason for his sudden departure! We won't divulge it, but we at least know it is a VERY good reason!"
"Regardless, the next set is due to start in 1 hour! The contestants are suggested to visit Recovery Girl for a quick examination, then prepare for battle." Erasure said.