19

Chapter 19: Sports Festival VII – Fight for the TopNotes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Worried for Yaomomo?" 

Tsuyu turned slightly to her side, seeing that Kyoka had changed seats, and nodded. 

"A bit, ribbit. I know she's amazing, but Shiozaki is a lot to deal with." 

Kyoka sighed in agreement, moving her eyes on her arms. "Did it hurt?" 

"Not that much," she shook her head. "Her control is okay, I guess. She kept me locked in her vines but didn't squeeze too much. Some thorns scraped my skin, but Recovery Girl took care of that." 

"Still sounds harsh though." 

"You've literally taken Bakugo's explosions in the face, and your ears are sensitive, ribbit." 

"Touché," Kyoka huffed, rubbing her jacks. "Nothing much I could do there without my amps." 

"It was a good fight, ribbit. Bakugo looked pissed as hell." 

"When doesn't he?" 

The two chuckled as the fighters were introduced, cheering along with their classmates for their vice representative. 

"Kick her ass Yaomomo!" Mina shouted, standing on her seat. 

"Ashido, return to your seat!" Ida called with a strong shout, despite the fact that he himself was barely staying still, his legs moving like a jackhammer. 

"Both of you, do your best!" Toru cheered, having added the 1-B girl to the people she found pleasing talking to. 

"Let's cross our fingers, Shiozaki was relentless during the cavalry battle," Mineta pointed out, his words confirmed by Shoji's nod. 

"Yeah, will she even have time to use what she makes?" Sero asked, doubtful. 

Midoriya snorted, making some turn his way. "Wanna bet?" 

"Uh, no, definitely not," Ojiro said, as he was now both in awe and terrorized at Midoriya's tactical mind. 

"Yeah, Shiozaki won't be able to touch Yaomomo!" Ochaco tightened her fist as she exclaimed. 

"No, she will. Too many vines, too little time to dodge," Izuku stated, shocking the brunette. 

"Why are you sure she'll win then, ribbit? If she's caught it'll be over." 

Izuku smiled, keeping his head up boredly with a palm on his cheek, his back hunched. He pointed a finger to the action, as Shiozaki had finally managed to surround Momo in a trap of sorts. The vines didn't waste time surrounding the girl, roping around her like constrictor snakes. 

"Damn, I should've taken that bet," Kaminari groaned between more calls of Momo's surname from the group. 

Tsuyu thought otherwise. "Be glad you haven't, ribbit." 

Momo wasn't showing the panic she had when faced with problems she hadn't thought how to counter. She had a calm smile that told everyone, "Just as planned." 

The vines came undone as flames and blades cut them apart, letting Yaomomo land on her feet. A number of red-hot knifes and small tubes were sticking out the heiress's uniform. She spent just a second moving a dark visor on her eyes before sprinting forward, effectively changing the flow of the fight. 

Shiozaki had been so taken aback by the sudden turning of the tables that she had started her countermeasure late, attacking without having the time to think about her plants' ineffectiveness. 

"Oh my god! Go Yaomomo!" Toru cried out. 

"Is that Todoroki's Quirk or what?!" Kirishima stomped on the ground in excitement. 

Tsuyu could feel Kyoka's hold on her arm getting tighter, her seat neighbor too excited to realize. 

More vines lashed to grab or hit Momo, but she made short work of them, cutting them apart with a newly reinforced staff with very sharp ends, or directly burning them by using something on her hand that looked a lot like a flamethrower. 

Low attacks on Yaoyorozu's legs proved to be useless as well. Every time something grabbed around her ankles, the vines just seemed to sizzle and break apart on contact. Even the "Faith's Shield" move that had given Tsu so many problems met its match, the 1-B girl having to retract further back as it got reduced to coal. 

Shiozaki proclaimed her surrender when their Vice Representative held the staff to her chest. 

Tsuyu and the whole class let out their collectively held breaths. 

"That was... hot," Mina judged, being met with a series of hums. 

"Was that a pun?" Kyoka groaned. 

"Unintentional truth." The two locked eyes and nodded in agreement. 

Midoriya eyed Kaminari and Sero, raising an eyebrow and smirking. 

"Dude, you're great, but sometimes you scare me," the blonde shivered. 

Tsu couldn't help but agree. - Memorandum: never bet against Izuku. -

Tenya completed his warm up with some hip rotations as Present Mic began to call their names. 

"Todoroki," he spoke, keeping his tone determined but not antagonistic, "I understand you've met problems with your left side. I'll excuse myself in advance if our battle causes more complications." 

The heterochrome boy showed the barest hint of surprise, raising an eyebrow before nodding. 

"Thank you. I'll be careful around your engines too." 

Tenya's mouth turned into a grateful smile before they both wore their fighting personae, much more on the serious side. 

He knew that Todoroki had the upper hand. Despite them both being legacy-kids, Todoroki had received a more in-depth instruction and had a higher-graded Quirk. Tenya had no way of destroying his large ice creations like Kirishima and Shoji had done, not without hurting himself, taking too much time, or leaving himself vulnerable. If the teen could also add his fire to the equation, then Tenya's maneuverability on the field would be greatly reduced. 

But he still had an ace up his sleeve, and he'd warmed up considerably in the last hour. 

- Recipro Burst 1.1 - 

Twenty seconds of pure unbridled speed. The first step to gain his family's secret move set. 

Todoroki ejected a freezing wave from his legs, but he had already lunged, crossing the field with a long jump. His opponent was ready to drop himself on the ground to evade, but a second, aerial burst from his right engine brought his leg to fall directly on his back, smashing the heterochrome teen in one swift move. 

His eyes darted as Todoroki's right moved, his hand almost touching Ida's leg before he shifted, making him grab only air, and instead opt for indirect attacks. Tenya evaded another ice spike, moving to the side to grab the other teen and pull him towards the edge. 

The plan would have worked, with seconds to spare, if Todoroki didn't have other plans for his day. 

Tenya noticed his classmate's left hand reach for his uniform, his instinct screaming at him to dodge. But he was too close to the border not to try and win in one move. 

Planting a foot firmly onto the ground, he pivoted, making a 270° turn and kicking Todoroki in the chest with all the power his burst could provide. The attack also served as a springboard to jump back, as Tenya made his way back to the middle of the arena while getting only his shoes and pants licked by a sudden blaze. 

He rolled and moved back up, seeing that Todoroki was still standing within the limits: he had used his legs to create a pillar behind himself. It hadn't shielded him from the attack, but it had let him survive the ring-out. 

Todoroki groaned in pain, holding his ribs. 

- Have I exaggerated? - 

Then, the boy's serious expression turned into a grin. "Unreachable at the top? Ah, father, you haven't seen anything," he muttered, raising his hands as they vibrated with energy. "I've found my matches." 

Midoriya hadn't been wrong: being each other's rivals was really bringing out the best of them. Tenya was at once relieved by his words, hurting for the burns, and determined to bring the fight to an end. But above all, he was under the pressure of barely having five seconds left. 

Tenya rushed forward once more, meeting Todoroki's incredible powers head-on. 

Despite his loss, he wouldn't bear the tiniest hint of regret when talking with his brother.

"He won't go easy on her, won't he?" Sero asked, directly the question at no one in particular. 

Most of the class frowned or shook their heads. 

"I don't think he would, no." Momo declared, eating to replenish her used lipids. She'd need to be at her best to face Todoroki. 

Mina melted in her seat, sliding down. "He certainly didn't against me." 

"True, I guess. That lightning stuff of his was pretty flashy against you," Kaminari commented, being the one whose eyes were pretty keen on noticing that kind of intensity. 

"Not in mine thought," Ojiro sighed, sounding a bit under the weather. 

"He wanted you to drop your guard, ribbit. Don't take it like that," Tsuyu explained. 

"Nah, it's alright," the blonde shrugged. "He's a beast with or without that powerup. I swear, I think he may be as skilled as my father. And my old man is a grand master." 

"Dojo owner and all that, uh?" Toru asked, receiving back a nod.

"I haven't looked too much into martial arts and the like, but was he that great?" Sato looked thoughtful. 

"It all seems like stuff out of a movie to me," Kirishima chuckled. 

"Are you kidding?" Ojiro shook his head, turning serious. "I've never seen half of the moves he pulled, and I've been doing this since I was three. It's like he's invented his own martial art." 

"Perhaps that's the case then," Momo conceded. 

"It does seem like something he'd do," Kyoka added, humming. 

"A worthy endeavor," Tokoyami approved. 

"Manly..." 

"Shush! They're starting!" Toru silenced the chatter before shouting. "Go Ochaco! Go Midoriya!" 

"Pick one sister," Mina giggled. 

"Nope! Let's give them some love!" 

Class 1-A kept cheering as the two met in the ring. 

Momo, binoculars at hand, noticed how Ochaco's hands were itching to start, while Midoriya was still keeping that quiet but unbreakable attitude. 

- Any techniques she's learned, he knows as well. How will he be able to stay clear of her touch? - 

Keeping their eyes on each other, Uraraka and Midoriya met in the middle and started to exchanged blows. Or, she attacked while he kept dodging, only pushing back to create some distance. 

Momo squinted her eyes. Was he shouting something? 

"He's giving her pointers," Kyoka muttered. 

"Oh yeah, he does that," Mina added mindlessly, without moving her eyes away from the fight. 

Uraraka's precision seemed to grow with each strike, just as the green lightning grew in brightness. Finally, the girl managed to connect five fingers at once, giving the boy a push that sent him rolling up and away. The public roared as the day's favorite floated to his demise. 

"She's done it!" Mina shook Kirishima back and forth, while Tsuyu whispered a clear "Oh my god, ribbit." 

Ochaco yelled a "Sorry!" as she joined her palms together and released her power. Everybody in the stadium was holding onto their seats. 

Only, nothing happened. 

Ochaco tried again, looking worried as Midoriya just kept floating like a kid's green balloon. 

Then, as if it was as easy as breathing, the boy turned himself upright with a thrust of the back, now appearing to be standing on nothing. 

The dots connected. Ochaco had released her power, but they had missed a critical piece of information: none of them knew a thing about [Superpower]'s limits. 

Midoriya could fly.

He jumped back on stage, cracking his knuckles as more energy covered his form. Whatever he was saying to Ochaco, it worked to renew her fighting spirit. 

"Ready to go all-out against a punching bag who won't break?" Kyoka offered, huffing and smirking. 

"Damn," Toru expressed what they were all thinking. 

Ochaco kept trying to pummel and capsize Izuku at every turn, but he kept countering each blow, keeping his hits few and precise. Moreover, the fight was taking a stranger direction little by little. The greenette had evaded by moving upwards, forcing Ochaco to follow him at zero-gravity in her determination. 

At that point, the fight should have been short, but three minutes had come and gone without the two ever stopping or touching ground. 

Momo brought a hand up to cover he open mouth. - How is Ochaco lasting this long up there? - 

It was only after four full minutes that Izuku took advantage of a small distraction cause by Ochaco's nausea to bring the brawl back to earth, effectively ending the match by holding her hands behind her back. 

Momo couldn't help but analyze the strange event. Ochaco had barely lasted two minutes in her flight with Kendo. How come she had lasted four now? A Quirk awakening? Doubtful. Had she fulfilled an unknown condition? It could be. What had they done differently? 

She blinked as the realization hit her. Kendo's hits were big, punches and blows meant to hurt and bruise. Midoriya's hits were smaller, often barely perceptible, and always in certain spots. He had hit her wrists, her neck, and the side of her head, maybe her ears... All spots were Ochaco's costume was bulkier. 

- Pressure points, - she gathered, remembering her brief interest in Chinese medicine. 

Once again, Midoriya had pulled off something unthinkable. He'd directly added to her time limit without any use of support items. The girl had flown as if it was part of her nature to respond to his moves, all thanks to the diminished need to care about the nausea. Flying Quirks were rare, and he'd just added that part to Ochaco's equation. 

Plus, he'd just taught her how she couldn't only rely on her Quirk to neutralize her opponents. Anyone with a flying ability or a way to move around freely wouldn't be deterred by [Zero Gravity], or worse, they would be helped by it. 

If that was how much a match against him could benefit her, she had to reach the final round. 

Which meant she would have to get... less than courteous. 

Her friends left the field, but watching closely, Momo noticed that they were exchanging some more words... Which promptly made Ochaco turn beet red and Kyoka wince and blush. 

She looked at her friend for a few seconds, feeling disappointed as the girl answered her silent question with a quiet "Nope, I am not repeating that aloud." 

Why did they keep testing her demeanor with constant assaults to her curiosity? 

Momo got up, excusing herself by saying that she had to prepare for her next match. She only hoped she had enough time. 

- Now, where would the Support Department sit? -

Hitoshi kept a quiet façade as his adversary seemed to be all but exploding at the thought of blowing him up. 

This would be easier than he'd thought. 

"Hey there, Angry Pomeranian, how does it feel to constantly lose?" 

If looks could kill... Hitoshi would have been dead a while ago. 

"You'll murder you, fuckin' Extra!" 

The only thing that stopped Bakugo from jumping to his throat was Present Mic's countdown. 

He smiled a bit, holding onto that connection with the blonde's mind. Now he just had to cheat and, possibly, dodge. 

He spoke as soon as Midnight finished. "What is full of holes, but still holds water?" 

"A sponge." Seeing the look of surprise on his face, Bakugo grinned. "What, didn't expect me to get it right? I've got your Quirk figured out, Extra. Plus," his hand started sparking, "second answer: You'll be soon enough!" Bakugo yelled, opting for his "big is better" form of destruction. 

- Damn it! - Hitoshi mentally screamed as he rushed forward, letting Bakugo's [Explosion] thunder above him. Thankfully he'd gotten Midoriya's insight on the blonde's techniques. 

"What gets wet while drying?" he shouted, surpassing the noise. 

"A towel!" Another bomb rocked the arena, making some shrapnel hit him as he evaded. 

- Fuck! Think! What do- That one! - 

"How many letters are in the alphabet?!" He grinned, raising five fingers to start his fake countdown. 

Bakugo came at him like a fury, yelling as he let destruction reign. "Forty-six or twenty-one!" 

- Gotcha. - 

The best way to get an incorrect answer was to ask a question that could be seen from too many different angles. He could have answered forty-six, twenty-one, twenty-six, over fifty-thousand, or even the simple eleven, as there were that many in "the alphabet." And now he had a plausible excuse. 

"Wrong answer!" Hitoshi grinned as he jumped to the side, the explosion risking to send him sprawling on the grass. He held on by the skin of his teeth. Bakugo would be coming again, but the trick would still do its job now. 

"Thanks doggy, now sit," he ordered, flicking his fingers. 

Bakugo stopped his assault, bending his knees and placing his ass firmly on the ground. 

The arena, except for Mic's screaming commentary, was as mute as a cemetery at midnight. 

"Up. Turn around. Bow to the public. Walk to the edge. Stop." 

Hitoshi spoke a command after the other, maintaining his control fully while getting up himself. After Bakugo had reached the border of the arena, Hitoshi cleared his throat and spoke. 

"As you can see, my opponent is completely in my power. If I wanted to, I could make him walk out as I did against Kaminari and Yanagi, or I could hit him until he'd be incapable of continuing even if he were to, somehow, wake up. But I won't do any of that. A friend of mine asked me a favor, because they wanted to fight this guy on equal grounds. I owe him one, so I'm stepping out. But remember that I, a General Education student, could have easily reached the semi-finals. You Hero Course guys may want to step up your game." 

Hitoshi then declared his surrender to a confused Midnight, leaving the field under a shower of chuckles, compliments, yells, curses and stares. 

He waited until he was out before releasing his hold on Bakugo. He'd probably try and murder him, making his whole effort vain. 

Turning a couple of corners, he checked his phone, seeing Midoriya reiterate his thanks. 

He hummed, retaking his seat with his classmates in the General Department, for what was probably one of the last times.

"You ok, Ochako?" Tsuyu asked her friend. 

"I've been better," she sighed, as Izuku let her arm down from his shoulder. 

"Recovery Girl gave her something for the nausea, but it has yet to kick in. She'll be fine in a minute." 

"Just breathe and sit for now," Toru helped her down. 

"You really pushed yourself back there," Rikido commented, trying to cheer her up. 

"It was a grand spectacle," Fumikage agreed, [Dark Shadow] echoing with a "Sooo great." 

"Yeah, you were both so cool!" Mina rejoiced, turning a finger against Izuku, accusingly. "Midori! We didn't know you could fly!"

He gave her a look of surprise. "Didn't you? I thought that those in the U.S.J. Plaza had seen that." 

"Dude, you just jumped twelve meters into the air," Denki shook his head. 

"Yes, ribbit, you've done that a lot." 

"How were we supposed to see that as flying?" Minoru questioned, almost frowning. 

"But I guess what you've done in the cavalry battle should have rung some alarm bells," Hanta thought aloud. 

"I thought that was the jetpack!" Mina sounded almost offended. 

"Oh well, now you know," he chuckled. 

"You're irritating, ya know?" Kyoka huffed, tipping his head with her jacks. 

"I try." The others let out some groans of frustration. 

"Ida isn't back yet?" Ochaco changed topic. 

"I believe he's gone to sit with his brother," Izuku traduced Koda's signs. 

"Ah, Ingenium!" Toru exclaimed. 

Hanta nodded. "Must be cool having a Pro in the family." 

"Talking about people with Heroes in the family..." Tsu brought their attention on the arena, as Shoto and Momo were entering. 

"How do you think this one will go?" Mezo asked him. 

"Come on, Todoroki's a beast! Have you seen how he dealt with Ida? He's a Hero's kid too!" Denki interjected. 

"You were skeptic about her match with Shiozaki too," Kyoka spat. "Give Yaomomo some credit." 

"Depends on how much she can make before being encased in ice..." Mashirao thought aloud. 

Mina raised her fist. "I believe in her! Wouldn't she have a plan by now?" 

Tsuyu tilted her head. "Let Midoriya answer Shoji, ribbit." 

"Thanks, Tsu," he nodded, waiting for some silence. "But this is one of the most unpredictable ones. Objectively speaking, they both have a lot of points in their favor. It's hard to make an accurate guess." 

"But what's yours?" Ochaco reiterated, seeing that he was dancing around the answer. 

Izuku smiled, opening his mouth to give his prediction.

"Though luck, Vlad," Ectoplasm said as he returned to his seat. 

"I had such high hopes for my kids this time..." the Blood Hero sighed. 

"At least Shiozaki made it to the quarters. And five in the last sixteen isn't that bad," Thirteen offered, giving Snipe a way of adding fuel to the fire. 

"Aizawa had double that though," the gunner chuckled. 

"Ugh, don't remind me." 

"Ready to pay up?" Ectoplasm called, taking out their betting poll and making some of the others frown. 

Power Loader rubbed his hands. "With a support in the third event I've got my win this time. Sweet." 

"Mic won't ever shut up about that Shinso, won't he?" Snipe said. 

"Let's wait until the end for that," Shota called, signing to put down the written table. 

Inui tilted his head. "You've got all the four top spots Aizawa, what else do you want?" 

"We've still got a bet open." 

The teachers stretched their necks to look at the specter's paper. In fact, there was still one last bet to be confirmed. 

"Damn, did you both go all in for the final round?" Thirteen asked, looking at Eraser Head and All Might. 

"I have to say, now I can see why you'd do this," Yagi nodded with a small laugh. 

"It would've been illogical for anybody else to make it." 

They had both wagered on Midoriya to make it to the end, of course. How could Shota do anything differently when little Eri was seated by his side? She seemed to enjoy the spectacle, though she was reasonably partial to a certain greenette. But everybody else had as well, so that bet was practically void. 

What he was interested in was how his and All Might's opinions differed about who would take second place. 

"The Todoroki kid I can get, Yagi, but you sure about your bet, Aizawa?" Power Loader questioned. 

"Yaoyorozu's got potential," Thirteen crossed her arms, "but this is a fight." 

"And I'm their homeroom teacher. Just wait and see, you cynics," Shota said, deadly serious. 

"To be called that by him feels wrong on so many levels..." Snipe chuckled. 

His kids were entering the ring where the first finalist would be decided. 

Shota wouldn't outwardly admit to being anxious, but he was. The four finalists were his best students, but at the same time they could be... intense. 

The two Recommended Students of his homeroom were a couple who didn't pull their punches. Their Quirk control was great, but they had both already shown how they could get... "taken" by the action. Against Kirishima and Shoji, Todoroki had practically iced three-quarters of the available space, while Yaoyorozu had shown some terrifying methods against Shiozaki. 

He just hoped that they wouldn't have to resort to Midnight's meddling to stop them. He'd sent a text to the referees either way, just to be on the safe side. 

Unluckily, his disastrous predictions turned out to be correct. 

As soon as Present Mic yelled "START!" five things happened in a single breath. 

Something metallic appeared in Yaoyorozu's right hand. Todoroki stomped, sending his biggest creation yet against the girl. A bang echoed in the air. The ice reached the girl, enveloping her up to her neck and turning into a giant jagged spike that towered well above the stadium. Finally, the boy took a step back to find his balance, his face a mask of gritted teeth and pain, putting a hand over is chest, where he'd just been shot. 

"Did she just-?" Thirteen sounded stupefied. 

"Ah! Amazing!" Snipe shouted with delight. 

"Bloody hell," Vlad cursed. 

"Is that even allowed?" Ectoplasm questioned, trying his hardest to remember the full extent of the rules. 

"It is," Aizawa said with certainty, a satisfied grin appearing on his face. She had been very attentive to triple check the loophole by asking him. 

Screams filled the arena, hundreds questioning the validity of the used firearm. 

"No lethal force has been detected; no rules have been broken. The match may continue." Nezu's voice came through the speakers, silencing most of the public. 

"Yaoyorozu, are you able to move?" Midnight shouted, closing in. 

"Of course," the girl replied, the block around her body starting to melt. 

Todoroki preceded Midnight's question with a grunted "I'm fine." letting a dart fall from the wound he'd just taken. Something on his face screamed of a need to move on with the fight quickly. His eyes were twitching, and it seemed hard to even lift his arms. 

Though, those difficulties didn't deter him from making all the air before him freeze, burn, and expand in a few seconds. The entire arena was enveloped by a smoky vapor. For a full dozen seconds, the only things that could be heard was the sound of the water dripping down as the ice melted. 

Then, as the view cleared, the whole stadium noticed Todoroki laying prone, completely knocked out and fast asleep. The match's winner left her hiding place, letting her created protections go. 

More voices rose to ask how that ending had been possible. Another result of the line of thinking born with the unstoppable rise of flashy and destructive Quirks in heroics. 

Untrained eyes could have missed it, but no U.A. teacher would. 

By the time the boy had gathered his strength again, making his hands fill with the elements he had dominion over, the girl had already set her own defense. Backed and supported by the ice tower she'd gotten herself out of, Yaoyorozu had constructed her defensive position. A metallic bulwark in a V shape stood before her. It was small enough to be produced quickly, but big enough to hide behind in she kneeled and crouched. It was aerodynamic, so that any force would be mostly brushed off, and it was probably padded to resist extreme temperatures. Shota would have wagered an eye on Yaoyorozu's own uniform also hiding a layer of the kind of cushioning you'd find in spacesuits. 

"Yaoyorozu moves on to the final round!" Midnight announced, congratulating the girl who was taking a small bow. 

"Very interesting..." Power Loader thought aloud, his metallic fingertips scratching his mask. 

"A tranquilizer dart, ingenious." Hound Dog clicked his tongue. 

"She could improve her aim, but she's pulled it off well enough," Snipe nodded, tipping his hat. 

"That's not how I imagined that would go," Ectoplasm admitted, bringing the list out again. 

"You were not the only one," Yagi sighed, taking out his own wallet. 

Shota smiled under his scarf. 

Yaoyorozu Momo had tackled the beast.

"Momo! That was awesome!" Ochaco cheered, smiling for her friend as the others also congratulated her. 

"Totally!" Kirishima yelled, followed by a nodding Koda. 

"Congrats on your win!" Mina, backwards on her seat, smiled widely while offering a high-five. 

"Thank you. I almost thought it wouldn't work. It was a gamble, really," the heiress spoke, letting out a breath and some tension. 

"Pulling a gun on him was so metal," Kyoka shook her head with a grin. 

Momo brought her palm to her cheek. "Oh, I hope it wasn't too distasteful. I had checked the full ruleset and, finding no limits on that kind of Quirk usage, albeit only in regards to sedatives, I thought to employ it as a strategy. The tranquilizer should have been enough to incapacitate him, but I also had to ensure my own protection, so I put my studies on aerodynamics and heating to the test. I'm relieved that my research proved to be effective in the end." 

"'Effective,' she says. She got Todoroki down faster that Ida could say, 'Pardon me,' and that's just 'effective.'" Sero sighed, raising his arm in disbelief. 

"The prepared hunter catches the beast," Tokoyami muttered. 

"Who would've thought that she'd be the first one to pull a gun on one of us?" Mineta pondered. 

"Yeah, ribbit. I would've bet on Midoriya doing it to test Kirishima's toughness," Asui agreed. 

"I can't tell if that's a joke..." the boy in question said, "but I'd do it!" 

"And why doesn't that surprise me," Sato chuckled. 

"Boys..." Kyoka sighed with a resigned shake of her head.

"Anyway, congrats on reaching the finals. You know what you'll do against Midori?" Mina asked, tilting her head. 

"I'm afraid I'm not sure. Finding a countermeasure against his powers seems to grow trickier by the minute," she admitted. 

Sero tilted his head. "We're just taking for granted that he'll win?" 

"Bakugo doesn't seem like one to go down easily." Shoji said. 

"He's ruthless, but he knows what he's doing." Ojiro confirmed. 

"But thinking of how the battle trial went..." Toru thought back, having seen the whole scene from much closer than the others had. 

"Let's just wait and see," Kirishima crossed his arms. "I think Bakugo has something more up his sleeves."

"That boy is trying to kill you with his eyes, Ninth," Hikage sensed, despite there being no need of using [Danger Sense] to achieve the same understanding. Izuku could have read the frustration on Katsuki's face from twenty miles away. 

"He looks pissed as hell, you mean," Daigoro chuckled. 

"He's not exactly subtle about it," En noted. 

- That's just not Kacchan's thing. - 

"Deku," Katsuki said, his voice akin to a growl. 

"Bakugo," the other deadpanned. "Got something to say before we start?" 

The two faced each other, blatantly ignoring the Present Mic's words as they were announced once again. 

"That fucking extra was with you, wasn't he?" he started, snarky. "You made that fucker play with me, didn't you? Had a nice laugh?!" 

His friend's shouts were annoying rather than scary nowadays. So, so annoying.

Izuku kept his cool, putting on a sincere expression. Though it was most probable that the blonde wouldn't listen, he still had to speak up. 

"Shinso's plan was his own, I had nothing to do with it. Any problem you had, that's you losing to him. I can't say it was that funny though, seemed somewhat like bullying the weak to me. You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" 

Bakugo's bloodshot eyes thundered. "You take that back." He'd probably restrain himself only to blow up on the signal. 

"Should I?" Izuku's back got lower as he readied himself.

"I'll make you," Katsuki finished, the threat clear as his hands gathered sweat. 

Izuku locked eyes with him. He knew what had to be done, but despised having to nonetheless. 

"Gimme your best shot, Kacchan." 

A few seconds passed as the stadium turned silent bit by bit, with only the go-ahead signal breaking the quietness.

Izuku stood still as Katsuki leaped, the smaller discharges of his Quirk letting him spin around, building up momentum and getting into an optimal position for his strongest move. 

He was so easy to bait it hurt. 

"HOWITZER IMPACT!" 

The bright light instantly made everybody look away, only letting them turn back as the dark smoke enveloped the contestants. None would see him move, especially if those clouds grew a bit more with En's help. 

Hurdling inside the fiery tornado the combined explosion had generated, Izuku stuck his right hand on Bakugo's face, holding it like a basketball about to be dunked. He couldn't see the boy's eyes, but he could feel the tension of every muscle he'd grabbed. 

For a second, Bakugo was immobile in his hold. 

"Falling Star," he whispered. 

- 10%, New Orleans Smash, - he thought. 

Turning in place with a thrust and a flick, he threw his friend down to the hard platform. The impact was enough to help clear the smoke. 

Izuku landed soon after, checking the ground and the boy's condition. The special cement had taken the hit, absorbing part of the blow. Cementoss sure was careful. Bakugo's pulse was fine, but he wouldn't be waking up for a while after that. He eyed the rest of his body as the rest of the grey curtain fell, making him visible again. 

- Damaged muscles mostly, no bones broken I'd say. His back will ache, but it's easy to heal. - 

Izuku didn't feel much joy as he was declared the winner. This wasn't the kind of match he wanted to have with Katsuki. But his defeat needed to be clear cut, doubtless, a one-move K.O., something that even his fucking prideful beyond compare oldest friend wouldn't dare doubt. 

"You've done what you had to, Kid," the Second nodded, pragmatic as always. 

- You don't need to remind me, - he huffed, clearing away the rest of the covering smoke with a gesture.

"Remember we're here if you need us," Nana offered before inching back into the recesses of his mind, leaving him alone with his thoughts for a bit. 

Katsuki needed to be broken before he could be whole again. 

It was for his own good. 

But that didn't make it any easier to swallow.