The tournament marched on.
In the second semifinal match, Shoto Todoroki faced off against Tokoyami Fumikage. However, unlike in the original timeline, Todoroki hadn't yet been pushed by Midoriya into embracing the full scope of his power.
Throughout the fight, Todoroki relied solely on his ice side, the cold tendrils surging forward like waves, forming jagged spikes and barricades. Tokoyami, on the other hand, displayed a remarkable synergy with Dark Shadow, defending and striking with precision. The clash between light and dark was thrilling, but lacked the explosive intensity of true desperation.
The fight dragged on. Neither of them truly committed to the win, as if both held something back.
Ultimately, it was Todoroki who claimed victory, using a surprise wave of icicles to knock Tokoyami out of bounds when the latter hesitated mid-attack.
...
"Dear viewers, we've arrived at the final stage of today's event!" Present Mic's voice boomed, electrified by adrenaline. "That's right! The U.A. Sports Festival is entering its climax!"
The cheers from the stands were deafening, rolling like thunder as the audience erupted into frenzied applause.
"The final round of the first-year division is upon us," Present Mic continued. "Two students, both from Class 1-A, both rookies who've taken the festival by storm—now they'll battle for the ultimate title!"
"Please welcome to the field… Uchiha Madara and Shoto Todoroki!"
Fireworks burst across the sky, streamers rained down from above, and floodlights danced across the arena as the two stepped forward.
Madara walked with that same quiet confidence that made even pro heroes wary. His black uniform fluttered slightly with the wind, his crimson eyes steady, calculating. Opposite him stood Todoroki, his face impassive, eyes sharp. The temperature around him had already dropped several degrees.
As they stood at the center of the field, Todoroki finally spoke.
"…I didn't expect the one I'd face in the finals would be someone with a Quirk like yours—'Hypnosis,' right?"
He emphasized the word deliberately, his voice tinged with suspicion.
Madara offered only a faint smirk in reply.
Todoroki narrowed his eyes. "What's your connection to Endeavor?"
Madara raised a brow, slightly amused. "Endeavor?"
He paused for a moment, as if recalling a memory. A blazing figure came to mind, cloaked in fire. Endeavor—Todoroki's father. It didn't take much for Madara to understand what the younger boy was thinking.
"I have nothing to do with him," Madara said calmly. "If you doubt that, ask him yourself."
Todoroki frowned, then scoffed. "Like I'd waste my breath on him."
His voice grew colder, laced with resentment. "No matter who stands in my way, I will never become the kind of person he wants me to be."
...
"Are you both ready?" Midnight stepped between them with her signature grin.
"Yeah," Todoroki said, eyes never leaving Madara's.
Madara nodded. "Let's get this over with."
Midnight raised her hand, then slashed it downward.
"Begin!"
"Boom!!!"
Instantly, a blizzard of cold erupted from Todoroki's left side. A jagged ice formation burst from beneath his feet, rushing toward Madara in a deadly wave.
Madara didn't flinch.
"Finally showing some fire?" he muttered, forming hand seals at lightning speed.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The colossal fireball surged forward with a roar, colliding with the incoming wall of ice. Flames met frost, heat clashed against cold—the explosion rocked the entire arena.
A massive cloud of steam and mist engulfed the battlefield, blinding the audience.
...
"Not good!" Cementoss leapt to his feet, slamming his palms into the arena floor.
With a heavy rumble, thick cement walls erupted around the stands, protecting the crowd from the shockwave. Just in time—another deafening explosion followed, and a scorching wave of heat surged outward.
"Boom!!!"
Glass across the stadium shattered. Screams rang out. Even the pro heroes on standby were forced to shield their eyes.
Present Mic ducked under his commentary table. "Are they students or living natural disasters?!"
Aizawa, standing calmly beside him, didn't even blink. "Madara isn't someone you put into a box. He'll keep breaking it."
The mist finally began to clear.
Present Mic peered through the remaining haze. "Wait a second—neither of them moved?!"
He gawked at the battlefield.
Todoroki stood with one foot just centimeters from the boundary line, chest heaving, his uniform torn in places and drenched in sweat. He was trembling slightly, trying to maintain his composure. Ice still extended beneath him in thick layers, a network of frozen spikes embedded into the arena.
Across from him stood Madara. Unscathed. Unshaken. Unbothered.
His feet hadn't shifted an inch.
...
Todoroki gritted his teeth. He didn't even flinch...
He thrust his hand downward again. A forest of ice surged forward, sharper, faster, denser than before.
Madara raised a single hand.
"Fire Style: Flame Vortex!"
The column of fire spiraled out, coiling like a living serpent, devouring the ice in its path. Steam hissed and roared as the fire consumed the cold.
He's too calm, Todoroki thought. Like he knows everything I'll do before I even do it.
"Stop looking away!" Madara's voice echoed through the smoke.
Todoroki barely managed to block a blur of movement—Madara was already behind him, delivering a sweeping kick. Todoroki was flung across the battlefield, crashing into his ice wall.
"Guh!"
Blood trickled from his lip. His right arm stung from the impact, but he forced himself up.
"I won't... lose to you."
"You already have." Madara's voice was clear, but not cruel—just honest.
"You rely too much on pain to define you. You're holding back not because of your Quirk… but because you're afraid of becoming someone else. You'll never win like that."
"Shut up!!"
Todoroki's flames flickered—just a glimmer, but they were there. His right side sparked briefly, then extinguished again.
Madara narrowed his eyes. He's fighting himself more than me.
Another flurry of ice shot out—but slower, weaker this time.
Madara vanished, then reappeared inches away.
"I'll end this."
He spun, palm outstretched.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique!"
Multiple fireballs burst forth, weaving like birds through the air. Todoroki dodged two—barely. The third caught his left shoulder.
"Argh!"
A fourth knocked him clean off his feet.
The crowd watched in awe as Todoroki skidded to the ground, panting.
He didn't rise.
...
"Shoto Todoroki is out of bounds!" Midnight announced with breathless astonishment. "The winner of the U.A. Sports Festival is—Uchiha Madara!!"
The crowd went wild.
Cheers. Whistles. Stomping feet.
But Madara didn't react. He stood quietly, looking down at his opponent.
"You're strong," he said softly, "but strength means nothing if you can't use all of yourself."
Todoroki looked up at him, sweat and soot staining his face. He didn't reply—but he didn't look away either.
...
High above in the VIP section, several pro heroes watched with serious expressions.
"Hypnosis Quirk or not, that boy…" Endeavor muttered, flames crackling faintly around his beard. "He's dangerous."
"He didn't use any Quirk effects except fire," Nezu noted. "And yet, not even Todoroki could land a hit."
Aizawa nodded grimly. "I told you before. Uchiha Madara doesn't play by our rules."
...