Musutafu, Japan - April 2197
"Before we select the first round, we will have a few opening words from the Freshmen Representative. He placed first in the entrance practical exam with a total score of 99! Midoriya Izuku of Class 101-A!"
Midoriya blinked twice. 'Uh, what?'
"I was not aware you'd be giving a speech, Izuku-kun." Yaoyorozu said excitedly.
"Heh… Neither did I." Midoriya commented quietly.
"Eh?" As Midoriya started walking toward the stage, her eyes widened in realization. 'Wait… Did no one tell him?!'She covered her mouth in horror, feeling sympathy for her friend. 'Oh Izuku… Just… do your best.'
Midoriya took a deep breath as he calmly made his way toward the stage. 'Really wish I had been given a heads up about this. Wonder who dropped the ball on that one…' He didn't have to think long before a potential (more than likely) culprit came to mind. 'Toshinori.'
He internally sighed. 'Oh well… No sense getting worked up about it now.'
As the World War III veteran stepped up onto the stage where Midnight was waiting, he put his enhanced mind to work on thinking up something to say.
'For something so short notice, I just have to speak from the heart.' He quickly rationalized.
Making sure the microphone couldn't pick up her words, Midnight gave him a small, understanding smile. "Good luck, Midoriya-san. Just remember to breathe, alright?" She whispered.
Despite how she acted, after two weeks of having her as a substitute, Midoriya knew that Midnight cared about her students. Midoriya nodded and smiled as he proceeded toward the microphone.
Kayama's eyes widened slightly. 'He's not even the least bit nervous…or at least he's not showing it.'
When Midoriya reached the microphone, he stopped to take in a silent breath. The arena was focused entirely on him. There were envious, disillusioned stares from most of the students in the non-Heroic courses while his Hero Course peers looked at him in excitement, minus a few.
The whole world was watching him right now. Time to make a statement.
"I only have two fears. The first is being incapable of helping those in need due to my own weaknesses, and the second…is public speaking." Midoriya stated wryly.
This earned quite a bit chuckling from the crowd.
Well, starting things off with a little icebreaker couldn't hurt either.
Midoriya continued. "The UA All-Star Games are not just for entertainment. They're a chance for us students to showcase our skills to the world. To prove that we are capable and worthy to one day call ourselves Heroes." He briefly paused as his mouth formed a thin line. "But what does it mean to be a Hero?"
As Midoriya's voice echoed from the speakers, the students on the field and the audience watching were caught off guard by his question. Though for many, they believed that he was merely asking a rhetorical question.
"Do you need some powerful, flashy Quirk? A colorful costume? Or even a Pro Hero License?"
Many thought the answers to those questions were also obvious.
"No. You don't need any of that." He resolutely declared.
The crowd, who had been listening restlessly, became subdued at Midoriya's unexpected response.
From a high box suite, Yagi leaned forward in his seat with eager anticipation.
Everyone else was now listening with growing interest.
"One moment is all it takes." He proclaimed. "One moment to reach out to another in need. One moment to rise to a challenge… To conquer a flaw… To spare an enemy… To lay down your life for someone else."
"One selfless moment is all it takes for anyone to be a Hero; Quirk or no Quirk."
Yagi was immediately reminded of the Sludge Villain incident where Midoriya had rushed in to help…and managed to not only weaken the Villain but pulled Bakugo to safety as well. He did all that while the Pros (including himself) had just stood by and watched.
He tightened fists as tightly as he could in his weakened form. 'Heart over power…'
Uraraka and Yaoyorozu both recalled their first meeting with Midoriya in the alleyway. He didn't have to follow after them after alerting the authorities. He didn't have to potentially risk his own life against a group of delinquents to help the two girls…but he did it anyway.
Bakugo, meanwhile, grimaced when an unpleasant memory he wished he could wipe from his mind resurfaced.
Midoriya rushed in to pull Bakugo out of the Sludge Villain, using a water hydrant to weaken him. "What the hell!? Green hair…What're you doing here!?"
Midoriya stood in front of the ash-blonde with a Captain America shield, looking back at him with a confident, reassuring smile. "To save you! Could not watch you die!"
"Tsk." Bakugo clenched his fists tightly, which were starting to smoke a little.
"I say this to my peers, whether you're in the Hero Course or not…"
Shinso's tired gaze focused on Midoriya with subdued interest.
"And to all those who are watching… No matter who you are, no matter who kicks you down or tells you otherwise… Don't give up."
He had paused for no more than a second as several memories involving three people came to mind.
"I can't be a Hero… I'm Quirkless. That's why I'm in R&D…to help the real Heroes like you, Captain."
"Power is crucial for a Pro Hero. They can't do their job without it. So can a Quirkless person be a hero? No."
"The world isn't exactly kind to those with Quirks seen as villainous or niche…and especially not to those without one."
Midoriya's expression became firm and resolute. "Because… You too can be a Hero."
An awed silence fell upon the stadium, some even gasped in surprise. A swell of emotions going through the majority of all those watching.
Yagi's breath hitched in his throat as his blue eyes shot open. "Yes. Those who inspire others to do good, Quirkless or not, are heroes." He recalled the words he said that fateful day last year. The day he had met Midoriya…and learned his true identity.
'Captain…' The emancipated Hero trembled lightly as warm emotions surged through his body. Yagi was so wrapped up in his feelings that he didn't notice the fires of One For All growing hotter from within him.
Midoriya continued. "History will someday paint a picture of us, telling others who we became… Just as it tells us who came before us." The faces of his old friends and moments from the past flashed through his head. "But history is not merely one moment, it's the journey we take to reach our potential."
That seemed to strike a chord with many people as they recalled their own pasts and how they got to where they currently were.
"I urge all of us competing today to embody our school motto of going Plus Ultra. Push yourselves to and beyond your limits. Reassure the world that the future is in capable hands. Show the Villains who are no doubt watching this event that you are not to be trifled with."
Midoriya leaned into the microphone. "Make today a milestone or even the start of your Hero's journey." He then stepped back and bowed in respect. "Thank you."
…
…
The first sound of clapping came from within the student body on the field, and then it spread like a wildfire. Soon, the whole arena erupted into raucous applause. Cheering and cries of motivation rang out from the audience.
"So freakin' manly!" Kirishima became teary eyed, hiding his face behind his forearm dramatically. "I got goosebumps, man!"
"Son of a…" A young muscular man standing at 175 centimeters (five-foot-nine) with long chin, messy gray hair, and sharp teeth trembled with emotions, clenching his fist. "I can't believe that guy's in class A! So damn manly!" He shouted in a similar manner to Kirishima.
Tokage grinned sharply, still clapping. "Damn… He's pretty good at that."
Midnight squealed and hugged herself. "OH! Such youthful passion!" This caused the super-soldier to sweat-drop in exasperation.
With that, Midoriya stepped off the stage toward the awaiting claps of his peers…and the beaming smiles of two certain girls.
Yaoyorozu continued to clap with a stunned look. '...He gave such an enthralling, inspiring speech like that on the spot? He's incredible.' Her face flushed a bit.
'That was so awesome!' Uraraka internally cheered. The bubbly brunette's gaze was locked on her verdette friend as he walked back to the field. 'He's…He's amazing…' Her blush marks grew darker.
Midoriya smiled a little at the positive response as he returned to his spot in line. 'Guess doing all those shows did serve a purpose.' He mused, steadying himself after standing before millions of people.
Amongst the many patrons watching the speech from home, a certain young man with spiked bangs was hearing Midoriya's speech loud and clear on his bedroom's TV. Normally, he wouldn't care about these kinds of events, but this time, he had made a promise to a certain someone he'd watch them compete.
As someone who knew very well the troubles of others being on his case due to his Quirk, a small smirk tugged at the corner of Nakagawa Yuto's lips. 'He certainly knows how to preach to the choir.'