Chapter 17: Showing the World the True Ancestor's power

Having captured the vine haired girl's eyesight, Izuku had ample influence over her mind as his crimson pupils shone with their eldritch light directly inside the girl's mind. Almost like writing a book, Izuku began implanting an idea inside her mind. The idea quickly sprouted inside Shiozaki's mind, the girl not being able to take her eyes from the vampire's hypnotic gaze.

Losing is fine. You can't beat me, surrender is the best outcome.

[Mesmerize] gained more grounds the longer Izuku could keep eyesight, and since he was currently holding the girl to keep their vision even, Shiozaki felt as if she was receiving a deep, mind probe.

The vampire's deep and strong voice echoed in her head, her desire for competition waning as her grasp over her motions began to slip away, her eyelids becoming heavy as something akin to an orchestra began loudly playing in her mind. The corners of her sight began to be dyed in red, the only thing occupying her mind right now being the image of the vampire's face and his tender hold of her body. A part of her mind was screaming that he was a foul fiend, trying to paint his colors over her purity; a demon that should be purged and exorcised in the name of the Lord. That part had lost her attention a long time ago, Izuku's gentle hold being the only thing that she could feel this moment.

Competition? Sports Festival? Her classmates shouting?

Minor matters that she could deal with later. Right now her Sovereign was demanding something from her, and as a good sheep she would follow the words of her shepherd.

"Would you kindly lose?"

Yes, my liege! The girl didn't need to speak. She was sure her thoughts would reach him regardless of words. Her body couldn't move fast enough for Ibara to exit the arena grounds, concrete being replaced by grass as she stepped away from the platform with a serene smile on her lips and a most pleased expression on her face.

And then the spell was broken and Shiozaki was faced with the reality of her actions.

Crimson eyes stared at her from the concrete platform, the girl staring back with a furious scowl.

"DEVIL!" Her hair vines, so peaceful before, now resembled an amalgamation of hissing snakes, the sight oddly enough making the audience think of the mythological Medusa. How dare he seduce her with honeyed words and embarrass her in front of all these people! Toying with her mind and free will as if playing some sort of Machiavellian dark god! She had expected a fair match from the vampire, but he'd done anything but play fair; She could barely contain her fury at being shamed like this, having her mind penetrated and tinkered almost as if she was a side project.

Then, the devil turned around and began making his way back to the breakrooms. She would give him a piece of her mind for sure, of that Ibara was certain! She just needed to recompose herself. Her breathing was laborious due to her fury, nothing else.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Izuku returned to his breakroom, taking deep breathes along the way. His mouth was watering at the thought of having allowed easy prey to escape his grasp. The vampire made full use of his [Mesmerize], his opponent being at his mercy. Shiozaki's neck was truly alluring and inviting, but the vampire managed to hold himself back and proceed with giving her a simple command. Sure, it wasn't the most action-packed fight, but not everything had to be about smacking faces and taking names. There was a time for everything; Izuku always made sure he could be ready for whatever the situation called for, be it a speedy assault, a stealth mission or a smack down.

[What waste of a good opportunity…] [Ahhh, how soft was her flesh? Was her blood rich in taste?] [Plant Weaver would make for a fine mate!]

How about you shut it!

The [Inner Beast] scratched its fangs against the cage in his mind, showing its displeasure at having being denied a maiden's fresh blood. His fangs itched a fair amount, hoping to have been sunk into soft flesh, but Izuku did his best to curb the desires for now. He got his phone out and sent a message to the hospital, asking for extra bloodbags in their next delivery; UA had their facilities and resources, but Izuku wished to avoid putting a burden on Recovery Girl and her blood bank.

He reached his breakroom soon enough, ignoring the way Present Mic tried to spin his fight into more than it actually was. Glory didn't matter to Izuku, but he would be lying if he said it didn't stroke his ego, or that of his inner tenant. Whatever the occasion, now he had another case of the munchies; he supposed he could ask Recovery Girl for a spare blood bag to quench his thirst.

The vampire sat down for a bit, taking a few deep breaths to calm his grumbling stomach. He had underestimated how enticing one vulnerable necks could be, added on the fact he was breaking down the recently acquired quirk-factors from his classmates, Izuku needed more blood to snack on. The hemomancer rose from chair in the breakroom and headed to the door, turning the knob and smacking face first into Endeavor's torso. The sudden heat made Izuku [Blink] a few meters back, wondering how the Pro had entered this area, considering it was restricted grounds allowed only for staff and students.

"Fast reactions, as expected." The hero spoke in a low tone, blue eyes staring directly at the green haired child. The man entered the breakroom almost as if he owned the place, a stern expression painting his face, the flame beard only adding to the intimidation factor. Not that Endeavor needed to appear threatening, considering [Hunter Instincts] was now blaring alarms in his head, warning that the man in front of him was not someone they could face right now, as defeat was assured.

The hero and the student eyed each other for a while. For the vampire, all his other mundane thoughts had been carelessly tossed aside, his current focus being on the Flame Hero. As for Endeavor, the man was merely analyzing the child that had given his son so much trouble.

A few seconds passed with the two of them in silence, wondering if the other was going to say anything first.

Endeavor was the first to break the silence as he coughed to gather the attention of the vampire to himself.

"Good afternoon, Midoriya Izuku. I have a couple of things which I need to talk to you, so I need some of your time." Todoroki Enji's voice left no ground for further talk. It was clear he wanted to speak with Izuku and he would do so, no questions about it. The vampire wanted to protest, but one look at the TV on the room corner displayed that the second match had only just began, which gave them plenty of time until Izuku would be called again.

Sighing in defeat, and pushing down the urge to flee from the walking torch that was the pro, Izuku sat down on the available chair and faced the red-haired hero. One tendril of dark matter exited the vampire's shadow and pushed the chair in front of him, giving the Pro a seat. Izuku then gestured to the available chair.

"It seems this conversation will be about some serious issue. Please, Endeavor-san, sit down." The vampire said, hoping that whatever the pro had to say would be short talk. He saw the hero glance at the chair with curiosity, then taking the seat.

"I'll be forward with this issue. I want you to make Shoto constantly use his fire in this tournament! He has yet to realize his full power, but considering he hasn't faced a true threat I guess it can be forgiven. However, you have managed to make him use his fire power. Continue doing it and I may consider giving you a reward." Endeavor spoke to Izuku, eyeing the reactions of the vampire. The man was sure that the offer of some cash or even being owned a favor by the Second Rank hero would be enough for the child to colaborate without much fanfare. It wasn't as if Enji had been asking Midoriya to lose the match on purpose; only that he pressure Shoto enough for him to use the entirety of his powers. Besides, while Shoto had been delayed by his stuborness and skilless teammates, the hero was confident that his son would never lose in a battle match. Shoto was too powerful, too full of potential to lose like that.

The pro waited to see if the kid would give an answer soon enough, wondering what sort of request this Midoriya child would have for him. At most the hero pictured an intership or a paycheck.

Izuku looked at the pro with empty eyes, squashing any previous fear that his [Hunter Instincts] had fed him. What kind of ridiculousness was this? Was he being mocked? Being treated as if he was merely a stepping stone, a boosting pad for the true star of the show? Anger began bubbling in his stomach, the vampire having a sudden urge to [Blink] at the pro and have a bite at his neck. The more logical side of him screamed that such action would be a bad idea, while his more primal parts agreed with a snarl that died in his throat. The vampire lowered his head for a moment, his fingers massaging his eyelids as the hemomancer took another deep breath.

"I'm going to be completely honest right now, Endeavor-san." Izuku said, focusing his green eyes on the Flame Hero. "I have nothing to do with your family issues, and honestly I couldn't care less about them. What Todoroki does is not my business; if he decides to use his fire powers, then that shall be it. I'll do my best out there, but I won't go out of my way to coddle him." Endeavor's face hardened into a scowl, the hero mildly annoyed at the teen's words. "It seems you and Todoroki have your own troubles to sort out, so do that instead of going behind his back to try and settle some obscure deal. I'm just a vampire, not a councelor." Izuku finished talking and stood up, his previous hunger set aside as he glanced at the pro.

Endeavor's body language conveyed his annoyance at Izuku, the pro huffying at the impertinent behavior of the child. The man left his seat, the vampire noticing that the chairs seemed more malleable than what they should be, walking to exit the room. However, before he left, Endeavor smirked at Izuku with a side glance.

"At the very least you seem to be worth more than the countless fools I see everyday. We shall talk more another day, Midoriya Izuku." The flame hero then exited the room, the temperature lowering almost immediately as the heat source went away. That gave the vampire plenty of time to release the breath he was holding in.

Damn, did I really stood up to the Number 2 hero?! He glanced at his hands, finding the clawed digits to be trembling slightly. Is that the hurdle I have to overcome? Arrogance and problematic behavior aside, Izuku had to admit that Endeavor had refined himself to be at the very peak of his power, the only one able to top that being All Might. Not for very long, his mind reminded the hemomancer of the sickly state that the top hero would shrink to. Izuku shook his head to get rid of his somber thoughts.

"I really need that blood bag now." He mused to himself, making his way to the infirmary. The walk was short, the vampire's enhanced hearing telling him that the nursing room was empty of people save for the heroine/nurse. A quick knock and Izuku entered the room, going to the nurse.

The elder heroine looked over the vampire, taking in his frame for all of two seconds before she pointed her syringe-staff to a refrigerator. "Top shelf, don't take more than three bags. I swear, Nezu really enjoys picking up weird ones." Recovery Girl returned her attention to the TV, the match between Yaoyorozu and Mei being in display.

Well, calling it a match would be a slight exageration, considering that the young heiress had yet to land a blow on the mad mechanic. Izuku quickly took his bags and got closer to the televisor, one bag already half-drained of its contents. The vampire was tempted to call the "match" a ad, or more simply a comercial break; it would make more sense, considering Mei had done nothing but display various support items against Momo, that the black-haired beauty finding herself quite miffed at being used like this. The worse thing was that he could make out an excited bunch among the expectators, no doubt the support companies that his friend intended on targeting.

It went on for about 15 minutes before Mei finally run out of items to display, where then she merely walked off the arena limits, a shining smile across her face as she left her opponent quite frustrated.

The vampire chuckled at the display. Typical Mei, he mused, moving on to his second bloodbag; as the vampire drank the bland-in-taste blood, he felt a slight build of static all over his body. Blinking, Izuku brought his arm close to his face in hopes of finding out what was the tingling sensation over his skin was. He finished his current bag and moved onto the last one, feeling the static continuously build up over all of his frame. It was weirdly energizing, almost as if Izuku was grasping at live lightning. Then, Recovery Girl's cane banged on his shin, malking Izuku release an yelp and lose track of his progress.

"What was that for?" He asked the elder.

The woman pointed at the empty bag hanging from his teeth and then at the many items that had moved closer to him. "Enough already sonny, you were magnetizying the entirety of my office!" The nurse grumbled at him for a few moments, before she suddenly stopped. "Wait, how did you do that boy?" With how fast the elder heroine appeared by his side, Izuku wondered if she too didn't have a second, [Warp]-type quirk. "Your records clearly state that your quirk is related to vampirism and I don't exactly see many people drink blood as if it was fruit-punch, how are you generating electricity like that? As a matter of fact, that control over shadows was your doing too, wasn't it? That Tokoyami boy's power is similar, but he could only create one powerful shadow, while you can create many more weaker ones."

That goes to show her ability as a pro, huh? Not many people figured that one out, Izuku thought as he tried to hold back the elder pro, raising his hands in surrender. "Easy, I give!" He tried to pacify the nurse, whose eyes were seriously taking in every detail of his body. "It was something I kind of discovered recently. If I drink enough fresh blood from someone, I can sort of crack the genetic code of certain quirks and somewhat reproduce their quirk-factor." He explained as best as he could. Honestly, not even I know it for certain. Izuku pulled on [Shadow Control], making his shadow grow a few inches from the ground, morphing to shape itself as a hand. Slowly, the shadowy limb waved to the nurse, sinking back to the vampire's shadow.

The nurse gave him the most wide eyed face he'd ever seen recently.

"Boy, who is your father?" The youthful heroine's voice became stern, something that the hero trainee was not expecting to happen.

"Midoriya Hisashi, ma'am. Is everything alright?" This scenario was trigering all sorts of red flags in Izuku's mind, the vampire wondering if he was going to be expeled from the school. The thought made ice run down his spine.

The nurse checked her phone for a few moments, leaving Izuku to dread his future as his mind began to spin theories. It was only after the nurse touched him that Izuku snapped out of his self-indulced stupor.

"Now now sonny, there is nothing to be worried about, I was merely curious as to how such a thing is possible. Consider it medical curiosity. Would you mind if I were to run a few tests with a blood sample from you?" The nurse's words settled his nervousness a bit.

"About that, I don't know if that is possible." He said, seeing her eyes focus on his orbs as she waited for an explanation. "I don't know why, but my blood degenerates really quickly if it leaves my body for long. A few other medics have tried to study it, but none have found success so far." He explained, allowing some blood to seep from his skin and form a tendril; he got close to a nearby desk where a few petri dishes lay. Choosing an empty glassware, Izuku commanded his blood to drip a few drops inside the dish. A few seconds were enough for the blood to take on an darker shade, drying out quickly after that. "See?"

The nurse looked over the sample, confirming the unusable state of the sample. She then proceeded to take another dish and lay if next to the useless one. Izuku wondered what that would accomplish, but the next set of actions from the nurse surprised him. The elder proceeded to take a bistouri from one of her many pockets and with a smooth move cut a line across two fingers from her hand, letting the flowing blood drip inside the dish. "I dealt with a few [Vampirism]-type quirks in my past, and while yours is one of the most unique, all of them have a similar aspect. Their unique genetic coding is very hard to crack, almost as if it wants to remain secret, but they can't help their desire for feeding on blood. That being the case, I merely have to constantly feed your sample here. Go on." She beckoned, and the stunned Izuku obeyed. His sensitive nose picked on the scent from the nurse's blood, growling almost leaving his mouth.

The woman seemed glad that Izuku was lucid enough to obey her command, rewarding him by filling another dish with some of her blood before she found some bandages to wrap her fingers with.

"Here you go, boy." She presented the dish, making Izuku's eyes settle upon it. "Take it and let me work!" She almost shoved the glass dish on his hands, the vampire immediately treating it as if some holy treasure that he drank in right away. It tasted...old, for a lack of a better word. There wasn't much vigor or the sweet taste that he normally craved, but Izuku wasn't one to reject a new power. He exited the infirmary with a content hum.

As the door closed, the nurse picked her phone once more and sent a text to two individuals.

/Look into his files and confirm his background./ Sent to [Toshinori Yagi] and [Principal Nezu].

[XXX]

[XXX]

Izuku reached the student stands, observing the last parts of the ongoing match. Right now Bakugou and Tokoyami were fighting out, and much to the vampire's displeasure it seemed that his friend would be the one losing. Katsuki had somehow figured the trick to [Dark Shadow], its weakness to light; with that knowledge, the bomber had been doing his best to aggressively corner Fumikage and defeat the raven teen, using the light of his explosions to attack his opponent. The vampire released a sigh, entering the stand and finding himself a seat. A few of his classmates glanced at him, Izuku not bothered by their gazes; the same couldn't be said of the burning eyes that stared at him from the neighboring wall, dull green pupils determined to burn a hole in his frame should it be possible.

Izuku tried to distract himself, but then a rather obnoxiously smug voice echoed.

"Well, well, well, would you look at that?! It seems that the all star of the event has finally decided to grant us peons some of his glorious time. Hello there, Midoriya-san from class 1-A!" A blonde teen leaned against the wall, his voice echoing with a mix of sarcasm and annoyance. "How does it feel to use dirty tactics to win against our most upright student? I bet that your guilt is tremendous, right? Or does the monster of UA not feel the same useless emotions as us, mere mortals?"

Hostility from their sister class wasn't hidden as the 1-B Heroics students began to pile up on the way to glance at the vampire. Some were more open with their angry gazes, the blonde guy and Ibara leading them, while others seemed more passive on their displeasure. Nonetheless, it was clear that the vampire would find no comfort or friendship coming from that side.

"What are you saying? Midoriya-kun has done nothing wrong for you to be this aggressive against him! If anything, his performance should be praised!" For the vampire's surprise, Iida had come to his defense. Izuku let his brows go up, his eyes searching his classmates for an answer. Uraraka rose from her seat and backed Iida, complaining at the other class.

"There was nothing dirty about what Izuku-kun did! He used his skills and won the fight!" While less sofisticated in the lexical sense, Uraraka's words made some warmth flow inside the hemomancer's heart; having people defend him, that was rare at best in middle school.

A discurssion was just about to begin on the wall that divided the two classes, however, a hand suddenly grew ten-fold before it chopped the blond agitator on the neck, blacking him out. The big hand grabbed the teen by his head, peeling him from the wall. Uraraka and Iida were stunned into silence, Shiozaki looking to the side seemingly in shame. A few moments later an orange mop of hair appeared over the wall, teal-colored eyes looking apologetically at the other teens.

"Sorry about that, Monoma sometimes gets really out of hand. I hope he hasn't said anything overly offensive." The girl seemed truly sorry for the inconvenience that her classmate had caused, lightly bowing her head at them. Izuku rose from his seat and approached the wall, making the [Vine]-quirk user back off with a flinch.

"It's nothing to apologize for. I understand that my fighting methods may sometimes seem...unfair." The vampire spoke out, doing his best to hide his claws and show as little of his fangs as possible. It seemed to have worked out, as the girl let a smile form over her lips, a pleased expression painting her face. Ibara, on the other hand, seemed to have her mood further soured by the actions of the hemomancer.

"I shall not be swinddled twice by your honeyed words, you devil! Monoma-san was right, we really can't be trusting of you." The pious girl spat her words at the vampire, eyes full of anger against Izuku. "Kendo-san, it would be best if you were to cut short your interactions with this miscreant! Further interactions may prove to poison your mind WITH the falacies spoken by this beast." Shiozaki motioned for the other girl, Kendo, to follow her away from the wall.

The girl gave the class 1-A students a wry smile, an awkward laugh sound left her mouth as she tried to play off the hostile mood. Izuku offered his hand to the girl.

"I think it will be better to part ways for now." The hemomancer's hand was grasped by the girl, their handshake a conciliatory act.

"Yeah, I guess! At least you didn't use your full power and hurt her too bad, except maybe for her pride." The girl said, making Izuku glance questioningly at her. "I study martial arts, I can recognize a [Shunpo] technique like the one you did. One well placed kick like that and Shiozaki would be spilling yesterday's dinner and today's breakfast and lunch all over the arena grounds. My name is Kendo Itsuka, by the way." While the presentation could have involved less...unsavory topics, the vampire was happy to at least have made acquaintaces over by their sister class. He bid Itsuka goodbye with a headnod, unsure if he should correct her on that particular tidbit of information.

He had no idea he was performing a martial arts technique. As far as he was concerned, his [Flash-Step] turned into [Blink] was an original development. Well, it makes sense that other people would have developed techniques to shorten the gap between their adversaries. Melee combatants need to be in close range after all. He mused in his head, returning to his seat as the fight at the arena settled down. Damn, missed most of the fight. The vampire was bothered that Bakugou won against Tokoyami, but the match was unfavorable to his bird-headed friend.

He would score the win for Fumikage, a way to honor their friendship and the power he had been granted by his friend.

As the two fighters exited the arena to make space for the next match, Izuku couldn't help the anxiousness that tugged at his gut. Hitoshi Shinsou. The name was somewhat familiar to Izuku, a faint whisper in his mind and a old taste in his tongue making the vampire finally recall the name. As the two boys reached the arena stage and Present Mic began presenting the two, Izuku watched carefully the taller of the two teens; that mop of messy hair and tired expression were things that the vampire would never forget, as it was thanks to said person that Izuku had managed to discover his ability to take quirk-factors and emulate them. That day when he fled the NekoPara Cafe, trying his absolute best to contain his instincts. It wasn't that long ago to be honest, but it feels like an eternity has passed.

The match started quick, and ended even quicker.

Izuku wasn't surprised by the outcome, considering the same thing had happened to him. Shinsou had goaded Mineta with a quick jab at his short height, the insult quickly taunting the other purple-haired teen to fire back. Unfortunately for Mineta, the moment the first word left his mouth he was paralyzed, his body not obeying any of his commands. The vampire offered a silent prayer to the shorter teen, aware that the hypnotic feeling wasn't exactly pleasant on the senses. The taller teen ordered the end of the match by ring-out, Mineta following the command without much fanfare. To say that the audience was left confused would be an understatement at best; the majority of the spectators were silent as Midnight awkwardly declared Shinsou the winner, the job of hyping the crowd once more falling to Present Mic.

"...that was weird." Uraraka commented, wondering why would the short teen give up.

"It was his quirk. It somehow takes complete control over you and leaves you entirely at his mercy." Ojiro commented from his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes were closed, the [Tail]-quirk user huffing his annoyance. "I remember that he used that on me, commanding me stay still before I could pick my teammates."

The majority of the teens in class 1-A let out surprised sounds, Kirishima even letting out one "How unmanly!". Izuku almost released a scoff as his red-headed classmate's statement, but he prefered to maintain his opinion to himself. Shinsou's quirk, [Brainwashing], was one solution that could solve a multitude of problems that most other flashy and powerful quirks couldn't. Izuku's [Mesmerize] worked on the same principles, but whereas the vampire had to maintain eye-contact for the effect to activate, the other teen needed only to have a response.

Hostage situation? Villain Stand-off? Mass panic? All of those and more could be solved with much less work and danger thanks to such a quirk, the limits of its use only depending on the user. Besides, if people first thought of the negative ways to use such power, then they needed to be the ones questioned.

The next match took Izuku from his mind to the large screen on the stadium wall, two names from his class being displayed together with the pictures of said individuals.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Next Match:

[Todoroki Shoto X Kirishima Eijirou]

"YYOOOOOSHIII! It is my time to show my manliness!" The [Hardening]-quirk user shouted, startling the closeby classmates, as well as earning a surprise encouragement from the stand nearby. Kirishima wasted no time descending the stairs that would lead him to the arena, simply jumping over the elevated stand and falling a few feet. He reached the ground with a loud bang, a dust cloud being raised as he hit the dirt; the teen exited the cloud with a refreshed expression, smiling and waving his hand to the now excited crowd.

"THE PREVIOUS MATCH WAS A COLD SHOWER, BUT HERE COMES THE MANLY MAN TO HEAT OUR HEARTS AND SPIRITS! HE WHO CAN WITHSTAND ANYTHING LIKE A CHAMP, GIVE YOUR BEST CHEERS FOR THE WALKING TANK OF CLASS 1-A, KIRISHIMA EIJIROU!" Present Mic announced, his voice overwhelming any other previous noise. As a few photo shots happened and a short video of the calvary match went by, another person reached the match arena. "AND FROM THE OTHER SIDE, A MAJOR POWERHOUSE THAT HAS BEEN DISPLAYING HIS TALENT AND SKILLS TO THE WORLD TO SEE. BE CAREFUL OR HE MIGHT GIVE YOU THE COLD SHOULDER, PRESENTING THE ONE AND ONLY TODOROKI SHOTO!"

If Kirishima's cheers had been loud, the voices that shouted for the [Half-cold, Half-hot] were just short of deafening. If the redhead was discouraged, he didn't show it on his face and he stared at his opponent with a challenging expression.

Midnight checked both the teens before she cracked her whip. "If the young kittens are ready to fight, then let us delay no longer! FIGHT!"

The redhead immediately hardened the entirety of his torso, banging his fists together and rushing to meet Todoroki. "ORAA!"

Or so would have happened.

"Ice Age."

[Crackle]

...

...

..

.

Silence echoed inside the arena, not even static playing on Midnight's microphone.

"I'm sorry about that, but I'm done playing." Shoto stated, exhaling a visible sigh. On the other side of the arena a frozen Kirishima shivered, the spectators stunned into silence. Half the teen had been encased in a tomb of ice, the frozen water rising up until it surpassed the stadium wall's height. Everyone knew Shoto was powerful and had an excelente control over his quirk, but even so the display was mind bumbing. Light mist began spreading over the entirety of the stadium, the youngest Todoroki turning to Midnight. "Could you please declare his defeat by imobilization?"

The heroine/teacher glanced at the other student, seeing that there was no possible way for him to release himself from his ice casing, slowly rose her whip. "I declare that - "

"NO! I CAN FIGHT! I just n-need a moment!" Kirishima shouted in desperation, his unfrozen right hand smashing against the thick layer of ice. It seemed he was already feeling the effects of such a sudden change in his temperature, his entire body shivering. His blows left cracks in his prison, but the angle at which he was frozen didn't allow the teen to really put strength behind his hits. A few more moments were allowed, the redhead trying his very best to release himself and fight his battle.

However, fortune was not on Kirishima's side today.

"Winner by immobilization, Todoroki Shoto!"

The redhead was freed from his ice tomb, Shoto's left heating up and melting the frozen prison. He stayed by the [Hardening]-quirk user's side until the shivering stopped, leaving the arena immediately after his display of overwhelming power.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Izuku observed the rest of the matches carefully, trying to work out a plan. Nothing had been as grand as Todoroki's match, the following ones being rather straight forward; Kaminari had tried his best to convince Mina to give up, but after a few threats of being melted into a puddle by the [Acid] user, the blond gave up. A pity, since Izuku was hoping to see the fighting methods of his classmates, but he contended with adding a few mental notes in behavior to the mind files he had of them.

The vampire wished to say Uraraka's match had been exciting, but honestly, it was a slaughter. Kendo had absolutely wiped the floor with the [Zero Gravity] girl, her experience with martial arts being the deciding factor. Uraraka had little to none reliable methods of winning except trying to get a hold on Kendo and push her out of bounds. That led to the brunette using tackles and lunges, which to an martial artist like the 1-B girl was akin to putting meat in front of a predator.

Side step, trip, neck hold.

Dodge back, elbow strike to the gut, leg sweep.

Hand smackdown, telephone strike to the ears and pushback palm strike.

Five minutes into the match and Uraraka was dazed, hurting badly and almost puking. It was clear on Kendo's face that the girl wished to stop, but unless she knocked her opponent out or get a ring out, the other brunette would not give up. Even Izuku, rapid-healing machine that he was, winced as he saw Kendo perform a five-hit combo on Uraraka, always wary of the girl's hands; considering Ochaco hadn't really hid her intentions, the martial artist girl would not let those fingers even brush against her.

The ending blow came from after a last-ditch effort from the brunette, a rushing charge. Kendo released a bothered sigh, assuming a martial stance; her left leg first, the right serving as a firm base. Torso lightly angled, left hand raised in a palm guard, her body hiding her right hand from the other girl's sight. From Izuku's place he could see the knife-hand motion as well as the slow growth of the limb. The vampire released a simpathetic sigh, observing Kendo's footwork as she dodged Uraraka's lunge with a spin, giant right hand swatting the brunette down for the count. That wasn't easy to watch, he released a frustrated sigh.

The girls from his class were clearly not pleasured at the sight, Mina and Tsuyu being the most outspoken of the bunch. A few other boys commented on the match, Iida being rather vocal about trying to defend Uraraka or offer some good aspect of the beatdown she suffered. Izuku stopped the taller teen before he could try to give some unique spin to what couldn't be changed, pointing out that the next match would be his own and that he shouldn't be late. That got Iida running.

Knowing him, he might make the girls angrier with his robo-speech compliments. Izuku thought, seeing Sero do something like Kirishima, but instead of just falling down, he used his tape to grapple down. It reminded the vampire of a certain american hero with spider like powers. Arachnid Human? Man-Spider? Webster? Something like that.

That match ended...with Iida looking like a cheaper version of Aizawa's sleeping bag, as Sero awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

Izuku laughed a bit, seeing the medbots of UA carry out the mummified Iida back to the infirmary and cut him out of all that tape. His smile was short lived, as he glanced at the screen and remembered who he would have to face.

[Semi Finals Battle Tournament]

Midoriya Izuku X Todoroki Shoto

Bakugou Katsuki X Yaoyorozu Momo

Hitoshi Shinsou X Ashido Mina

Kendo Itsuka X Sero Hanta

The vampire knew that the challenge to come would be hard. To win against the youngest Todoroki, Izuku would need to give his all from the very beginning of the match, otherwise the result would be the same from the earlier match. Izuku would never allow Shoto an easy win, and while it might be his pride talking, the hemomancer wanted to win badly right now. His fists tightened, the vampire staring to the arena where soon enough he would be at, facing his opponent.

His classmates noticed his shift in mood, from observant spectator to full fighter, and decided to give the vampire space. Midnight announced another short break to allow the students to catch their breath as well as give the other courses their chances to shine as a few other side activies happened. Izuku then headed to the infirmary, to go check on Uraraka's state. He might not be fully acquaintaced with the girl, but he hoped to give some comfort to her. She had quickly sprung to his defense, it was the least he could do to retribute.

He stood from his seat with a quiet shuffle, a few glances pointed his way.

"I'm going to check on Iida and Uraraka. They really were looking forward to do well in the event." He explained, already descending the steps that would lead to the corridors. As he made his way, Ashido gave him a cheeky grin together with a thumbs up.

"You go Midoriya!" While he could pick up that there was more in her voice than enthusiasm for him to cheer a friend, the vampire wasn't sure of what it was. Either way, he nodded to the pink-skinned girl and continued descending the steps. He paused as he reached Jirou, the punk girl trying to calm Yaoyorozu down for her next match.

"Hey." Kyouka gave him a quick greeting, focusing on both her phone and patting Momo's back. Izuku shook his head, mouthing a "nothing much, just checking on you.", leaving the duo. He noticed the punk's appreciative head nod, Yaoyorozu much too busy with her own strategizing to notice his presence there, but a foolish idea was whispered in his head by the [Inner Beast]. He rose one hand as if waving while he passed by the punk girl's side, one finger brushing against the tip of the earlobe jack currently not in use, the slightest of sparks zapping between his fingers and the metal tip.

One moment Kyouka was just chilling with Momo, the other it was almost as if someone had fired all her sensitive nerves. A quick blush dusted her face as she involunteraly yelped and stood ramrod straight from her seat, the only clue as to what happened was the grin on Izuku's lips that she caught from the corner of her eye. "Midoriya!" She complained, wishing he hadn't done that. Her jacks were sensitive, and she tried guessing why in seven hells would he do that. When nothing aside from teasing came to her mind, the rocker swore revenge. You done fucked up now, Vampy!

As the rocker pictured the way she would get her revenge, the vampire continued making his way to the infirmary. He stopped in front of the infirmary door, hearing a bit of crying from inside the room while other people talked on the phone. The vampire leaned on the wall close and dulled his hearing, waiting for the girl to exit the room. A few minutes went by and Ochaco finally left the room, her eyes looking quite dry and with a bandage on her right cheek. She didn't notice his presence on the right, as she had turn left to make her way to the student stands. Izuku tried calling out, but he had no idea what to say. He'd managed last time with Mei due to their extreme proximity, but it wasn't like he could just go around kissing people and biting on their necks.

While he was debating with himself, Uraraka noticed that someone was behind her. The sight of the vampire quietly talking to himself as quite amusing, if not slightly cute for her. Sure, he could be truly frightening when he wished to and his ability to control blood was a bit abnormal, but Ochaco could see the charm in his antics. Apparently he had taken some of his time to check on her while he could be doing any other thing, and that made the brunette feel a bit better about her terrible loss against Kendo.

"Hey Izuku-kun." She called him out, waving her hand. The vampire quickly snapped his head to her, his emerald eyes taking in her sight. She could see the worry and care behind those pupils that could seem so savage at times. She tried to fix a smile across her lips, but she could feel her lips trembling again, unshed tears risking to spill from her dried eyes. Her hands fell stationary by her sides, her head tilting down. Don't cry now, don't cry now, don't cry now! Uraraka repeated the mantra in her head, biting her lip to try and maintain some face in front of him. It was harder than she expected, hiccups stubborningly leaving her mouth along with quiet sobs. She thought she'd run out of tears, but the salty water still trickled down her face. She tried to wipe her eyes, her blurry being mighty bothersome right now, but Ochaco found one of her wrists grasped gently by the vampire.

Izuku gently brought Uraraka into a hug, calmly patting the back of her head. He tried soothing her with a quiet hum, the sound akin to supressed grow, but he tried. As he continued to pet the girl's head, her sobs died down and a soft laughter let her.

"Am I doing something wrong?" Izuku tentatively asked, creating a bit of distance between them. He swore a whine left Uraraka, but he played it as an ilusion of his mind.

"N-no, it is just that I feel like am behaving like a puppy, he he." An awkward laugh later, Ochaco finally fully raised her head. Her eyes still had a wet sheen to them, but at least it seemed like she wouldn't colapse. "Thank you for that, Izuku-kun." A tender smile now painted her expression.

The vampire shook his head. "I haven't done much, don't worry about it." He glanced at the hallway, his sensitive hearing picking up the rekindling excitment of the crowd. It seemed that the break was done and he would have to battle. "I need to get going, stay well Uraraka-san." He bid the girl good bye and turned to leave, this time his wrist being grabbed. He turned his head to glance at the girl, finding her looking at him with pleading eyes.

"I-I...I want to wish you good luck on your fight, but I think that you will need a bit more than luck to win against Todoroki-san." She said, and Izuku couldn't help but nod and mock-laugh. "And I know that when you drink blood you can become stronger. I know I lost my match, but I was thinking that if you were to drink from my blood now then at least one small part of me would be winning together with you, SOOO. Could you please drink my blood?" Uraraka's words seemed to freeze the vampire in place.

[How adorable. A meal that knows its place? How quaint! Master, it seems that we have another source of plentiful nutrition now! Another one to fullfil our needs.]

Izuku tried dimming the influence from his [Inner Beast], but it was like his desires were almost corporeally speaking at his side. His eyes gained their crimson glint, the eldritch knowledge behind them easily capable of intimidating those of weaker will. Uraraka, however, stared fully into his slit pupils, her resolution absolute on this matter. He almost asked if she was sure of what she was offering, but something told him that questioning her right now would insult the girl. His mouth watered almost instantly, saliva building up at the thought of sinking his fangs into her soft looking flesh and drinking the unique nectar that she could offer to him. Izuku's eyes would constantly shift from Uraraka's neck to her eyes, his rational side searching for any bit of hesitation, the tiniest hint that this act would make her uncomfortable.

When he found none, his throat released a pleased growl, his tongue slipping from his mouth as he slowly approached Ochaco's neck, the girl watching all his moves with firm eyes. His fangs itched absurdly, his throat dry and begging for the feeding to begin already as his body worked up. He offered one hand for the brunette to hold, slowly reaching his target. Izuku's vision began to be dyed in heavy tones of pink and red, Uraraka's outer details fading as his orbs began picking up other details. The movement of her muscles and skin, soon forgotten as he picked a continuous drum, almost like a lazy melody that suddenly picked up. Red and string-like, her veins and artheries began to become more and more detailed as her blood seemed to invite his bite.

[Lick, Lick, Lick!]

[Bite]

"Ahh~!" An yelp/moan left Uraraka's mouth as Izuku slowly sank his fangs into her neck, avoiding puncturing the very inviting vital carothid arthery and only targeting the lesser pathways. A sweet taste invaded his mouth as his hands wrapped around the maiden, securing her in position as his tongue licked the area around the bite, quiet gulping sounds leaving his mouth. It was almost as if the vampire was drinking strawberry mochi, the taste very addicting. The skin that he licked also was very enticing, soft and malleable under his rough tongue, and Izuku couldn't help lightly nipping at it. A sweet medley played close to his ear, the panting and moaning making him even more excited and hungry. How tasty!

His rational mind screamed enough, Izuku suddenly removing his mouth from Uraraka's neck. He still had a hold of her, this time needing much more strength as she looked ready to lay down and rest. He was sure that he hadn't drank that much blood from her, but then he noticed a familiar, yet different scent emanating from her. It took a few more seconds for him to tear himself away from the girl, considering his hands been holding her hips. Her heavy breathing and glazed eyes focused once she had him in sight again, her face resembling a tomato with how red it had become (ironic, as he had drank a fair bit of blood). She tried to stand on her own, but her legs seemed devoid of strenght, Izuku isntantly by her side to allow her to lean on his frame.

[More, more!] [Let the Todoroki wait for his slaying, this female is ready to mate!]

How about you shut it down!

Izuku forcefully silenced the [Inner Beast], the cage in his mind being further reinforced by his willpower. His own vision still had traces of red, the crimson colors waiting his call for further pleas- He shook his head, focusing even as the sweet taste of Ochaco's blood lingered in his mouth.

"How about I get you to your seat?" His voice echoed much deeper than he expected, Uraraka's hold on his gym jacket tightening. She hummed an affirmative noise, and he made haste to get her a seat. As they reached the student stands, he noticed the eyes of his classmates pierce his back. He hoped that the excuse of lending a shoulder would be enough to avoid further questioning. Mina whistled, having ideas of her own, her shit-eating grin all that Izuku needed to see to know he wasn't going to live this one down. Mina seemed to be that type of girl that would hold something over your head for ages, always bringing the topic back when convenient (for teasing).

Before he could be teased, his name was called. Izuku scanned the seats in hopes of finding someone to watch the currently silent brunette, Tsuyu wordlessly nodding her head and jumping (AN: get it, puns.) to the task. Saved by the gong, I guess.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Izuku stared at the Todoroki on the other side of the arena, hardened eyes staring back without flinching. Good, keep looking and let me in your head already. The vampire mused to himself, deaf to any other noise, be it the loud crowd or the blasting voice of the announcer. All that mattered to him was defeating Shoto, which meant he had no time to spare to anything that wasn't this fight. He waited for the signal from Midnight, impatience showing over his face as a vein bulged in his forehead, his blood pumping faster at his command.

(Fight music - God Shattering Star)

To the vampire, all that happened was his perception increased two-fold, allowing him to focus up further. To the audience watching the match, Izuku's kind of bland face became extremely unique. His sclera darkened to a pitch black, the previously emerald-green color changed for a blood-red; the almost forgetable lines on his face seemed to be further accentuated, the scar tissue becoming very prominent. A few veins in his forehead began to bulge under the strain, the sight somewhat disturbing to be seen.

The crack of Midnight's whip seemed to happen in slow motion for the vampire, his opponent's movement of firming his right side almost an afterthought as Izuku [Blink]'ed towards Todoroki's immediate left. His fist was covered by a layer of blood that hardened instantly, [Blood Gauntlet] equipped and making itself acquaintanced with Shoto's ribs with a thunderous blow. Izuku didn't waste time, rising knee cracking into Todoroki's sternum like a hammer, a push-kick blowing the other teen away as Izuku firmed a fighting stance.

All of this happened in less than 10 seconds.

It wasn't silence that follow after that small timeframe, but an stadium's entire crowd of shouting voices.

Shoto hacked and protected his bruised chest, right hand over to ice the injury. He knew Izuku was fast, but he had been training with his father for years. It seemed clear that Midoriya wasn't playing about, and thus neither would Shoto. He flipped up, already summoning a wall of ice to push the vampire back. His construct, however, was used as a platform for the vampire to suddenly appear in his personal space again, his bulky gauntlets aiming for another blow. As if I would allow that!

The youngest Todoroki jumped back, creating ice under his previous position to have Izuku slip and create an opening. The only problem was that mid-jump he was grabbed, his head shoting down to see black tendrils emerging from the hemomancer's shadow. Ice traveled down from his grabbed leg, allowing him to dodge the incoming punch. Fire almost burst from his left side, but Shoto clamped the fear down and let ice burst from his hand and cool the air around it, creating a cold mist that hid him from sight. The action let him dodge the tentacle of blood that whipped by and would leave a nasty bruise.

Hearing a shout from Izuku, Todoroki let frost build on his body, turning his right side to meet the incoming [Blood Spear]. The crimson weapon cleared the cold mist and shattered once it hit his ice, cracking his defense. Izuku was close, his other gauntlet bubbling and losing its solid shape, Shoto recognizing the move from the cavalry match. [Blood Spear Burst] tore throught the air and the icy defense, but wasn't able to reach Shoto. Not that he was content with the result, Izuku appearing at his side once more, clawed hand closed into a fist that was coming for his left.

Shoto met the attack with his left elbow, hearing the satisfying sound of bone breaking. He knew that the pain would not stop the vampire, and thus spun around while lowering himself, right arm cocked to release another Ice Age attack. His victory almost assured, Todoroki made the mistake of glancing at Izuku's eyes, his body shivering at the sight of the eldritch orbs that were hellbent on hunting him down. Breaking the ilusion with a roar, Shoto used a palm strike that hit Izuku's midsection, immediately letting his power explode. The temperature lowered as an mountain of ice began pushing Izuku back and hopefully out of the arena.

"[RAGE!]"

Shoto's hopes were shattered, just like his ice, as what was previosly Izuku became a blur of red lines. His attack was broken and another fist sank into his torso, the added gauntlets adding insult to injury as the hardened blood dug into his skin like it was truly made of metal. The hit took the air from his lungs, the youngest Todoroki receiving a following lariat that made his back meet the ground harshly. Not a second was allowed for him to rest, Izuku's fist coming down on his face in what would surely smash his nose. A bit of ice allowed Shoto to slip to the side, escaping the punch that cracked the ground where his head was mere moments ago. He tried retaliating with a side kick, his attack blocked by a high guard from the vampire, his dark tendrils smacking at his base leg and dropping him to the ground once more.

This time Shoto couldn't escape the kick, Izuku's right foot digging into his side with enough force to lift him from the ground. Desperation kicked in and Shoto panicked, grabbing the offending leg and releasing everything he could.

The arena burst into a world of ice, white mist blocking the sight of the spectators from the result of the confront. Many walls of ice helped further hide the state of the teens, the sounds of ice breaking the only thing that could be made out from the mist. Then, a body was launched from it, having almost being flung outside the arena left-most border. Skillfuly, an ice rampart surged forth and aided the teen, redirecting him away from a ring-out. The mist slowly began to settle, allowing better vision for the crowd.

Now that he wasn't teleporting around, Izuku's frame was exposed to the world. Right in the middle of his chest lay a frozen line, the pros in the stands sure of that it was a frost-burn injury. The leg that had been grabbed had some frozen parts, the cloth of the pant shredded, the exposed skin red and raw. Yet, a fierce expression still painted the vampire's face.

Still riding the high of his [Rage] state, the vampire took in the sight of his opponent. Shoto seemed to be nursing his torso, a good layer of frost covering his right side; a few places seemed to be bruised, but the determination of the youngest Todoroki was the one most hurt. He was being pushed back, half of his power not being enough to win against the vampire. Izuku knew, and most importantly, Shoto knew this. Yet, he wouldn't use his cursed fire. He could fight still, and would do so.

Not that Izuku would motivate or give Todoroki a pep-talk right now. After the vampire finished dealing with him, them he would give the other teen the magic talk. Right now his fists would have to do.

Another [Blink] had Izuku right in front of Shoto as oposed to the side or behind, right gauntlet-clad fist rising for a nasty uppercut. Izuku knew Shoto could have avoided that were he not being slowed down by the built-up frost, he was among the best of 1-A after all, being a recommendation student. That meant nothing now, since he was sent flying up, skull rattled by the force of the blow; after which another set of shadow tendrils rose to grab him from his mid-air sailing, slamming him back on the concrete floor. Shoto wasn't outright knocked out thanks to the frost built-up, the ice serving an improvised armor that took the brunt of the damage.

He tried to get up, his body giving up on him as he began shivering. He also most likely had a concussion, since there was this annoying ringing that began echoing in his head after the uppercut, but he had to get up. If not, then...

"Todoroki, do you like music?" Izuku asked, walking to close the distance between the two teens. The vampire quickly closed the gap between his opponent, staring down at the other teen.

Shoto couldn't respond, his eyes trying to guess which of the three Midoriyas in front of him was the real threat. The ringing still continued echoing in his head. He refused to believe he would be defeated here. He had to win. To prove the world his mother's power was strong enough to surpass that bastard's cursed fire.

Izuku recalled his gauntlets inside his body, busy with something else to notice the angst of his classmate. He closed his eyes and recalled the feeling from earlier, when he was in the infirmary with Recovery Girl. His body's hair began to raise up, the audience curiously wondering what he was about to do. His eyes opened, akin to floodlights as they focused on his downed opponent, the high from [Rage] giving signals that it was about to be done and leave him exhausted. He hissed, finally capturing the live lightning that now was part of [True Ancestor]. Putting his all into this one attack, Izuku's right hand began to spark with green lightning.

Shoto's gaze met Midoriya's, the red eyes staring him down lighting a fire in his heart. Metaphorically, and literally, as Todoroki's left side burst into flames.

However, it was too late.

"Todoroki, you have been..."

"MIDORIYA!"

...

...

...

"Thunderstruck!"