Chapter-58

"The preliminary battles are over! Next up is Uzumaki Naruto versus Todoroki Shiori in the quarterfinals! Get ready for a big showdown, folks! Coming up soon!" The professional hero cheered with excitement, his eyes on the screens displaying the upcoming fights order.

In the stands, the girl with two-tone hair stood up first, slowly making her way down the stairs. Uzumaki followed, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. They walked side by side down the long concrete corridor that led to the battle stage.

It was quiet between them, occasional glances exchanged. Just as she was about to say something, they reached the corridor's end, and an unpleasant surprise awaited them – her father.

"Don't let me down again," Endeavor said sternly, his gaze fixed on his daughter. She clenched her fists and kept walking, while Naruto eyed the second-ranked hero skeptically.

"Some 'Father of the Year'," Naruto quipped, and they continued down the corridor. Endeavor, however, didn't take kindly to the shinobi's comment.

"Mind your words, kid. I'm not like All Might, who lets such disrespect slide," the hero warned, flames flickering ominously on his body.

"I'm not like those other kids who worship you. I'm not scared to teach an old man some manners," Naruto shot back, his defiant gaze meeting Endeavor's furious one.

"You've got guts, especially in front of my daughter," Endeavor retorted, walking up until he stood face to face with Naruto. The shinobi's grin took on a threatening edge as Endeavor's flames intensified, forming fiery tendrils around him, as if preparing for a fight. "Watch your back, old man," Naruto taunted, his sinister grin growing wider. Tension built up, but just as quickly as the flames appeared, they vanished, leaving the corridor untouched.

"..." Hero number two walked away without saying anything, leaving the two teenagers alone. Shiori observed this with confusion, uncertain if Naruto had protected her or if he was merely confronting his father.

Maybe the latter, as Naruto continued with his emotionless expression. The girl watched as he walked past her, heading to the battle platform. "I didn't ask for your help..." she muttered, her tone serious and frowning.

"Help?" Naruto questioned, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "Don't misunderstand my actions..." His response didn't seem to convince Shiori, who remained serious. Eventually, they both left the hallway and entered the battle zone. The cheers for Shiori were met with boos for Naruto.

In the arena, Midnight, the referee, stood on a platform and pointed at both teenagers. "Are both of you ready?" They both nodded in response.

Shiori knew she had to stop Naruto before he could do anything. She covered her right arm with a thin layer of ice, well aware that getting too close would be dangerous. Hand-to-hand combat wasn't her strong suit, and she'd seen what happened when Naruto landed a hit, like in his previous fight against Yaoyorozu.

The battle began, and Midnight nearly lost her balance as an unexpected icy wind swept through. Naruto calmly assessed the situation as a massive ice wall appeared in front of him.

"Direct attack, easy to predict," he commented calmly.

The entire stadium watched in amazement as Shiori created a colossal ice wall, even larger than her previous one, in a matter of seconds. She was pushing her quirk to its limits, forming an immense ice field that far surpassed her earlier efforts.

Shiori, now breathing heavily and covered in ice, growled in frustration. She broke free from the icy restraints and glanced up at the towering ice mountain, where she assumed Naruto was. She panted heavily, realizing she had reached her limit. With a sigh, she looked toward the fight referee, who was struggling to free her legs encased in ice.

"Contestant Uzumaki Naruto can't," the heroine started, but the platform beneath her suddenly cracked and broke apart. Annoyed, she said, "Now what? This is the third time I've been interrupted trying to declare a winner."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the middle of the melting ice field as it slowly collapsed, exploding into thousands of pieces that flew everywhere. Luckily, Cementoss had quickly put up a concrete wall to shield the spectators from the flying ice fragments. However, one person wasn't so lucky.

"Ahg," Shiori slammed her right hand onto the ground, trying to make a protective ice wall. It held for a moment but soon gave in to the onslaught of ice projectiles, leaving her exposed.

As the ice debris and cold vapor settled, Naruto emerged from the chaos. He had a determined look and an electric aura surrounding him. He casually brushed some snow off his jacket and then grinned menacingly at his opponent.

"I hope that's not all? Because I'm just getting started…"

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