After my productive chat with Endeavor, I managed to get to the participants' box to enjoy the rest of the fights.
Sadly, I missed some, but I didn't care too much.
When the Todoroki vs. Sero match came up, I was tempted to talk to the former and try to get him not to go overboard with my classmate.
But Todoroki had already left, so too bad for Sero... at least I tried.
"This fight is a bit unfair, don't you think?" Uraraka asked us, seeing the contestants enter the stadium.
"Yeah, it actually is. But that's how things are. If you're not capable of overcoming injustice, then you're in the wrong job," I replied simply.
"I agree with Midoriya. You can't avoid a fight against a villain just because your Quirk isn't at their level."
Those are good words, Iida, if only you'd use that head of yours not to try and kill Stain.
"Begin!"
(Let's see how different this is to watch in the anime versus in reality.)
And in just a second, I was on the edge of an ice spike.
(This is the most incredible shit I've seen since the festival began!)
It was incredible!
It's one thing to see it in the anime, but in reality? It's brutal.
"...What?..."
Uraraka summed up everyone's thoughts... even mine.
"Participant Todoroki moves on to the next round!"
Poor Sero, he had to face Todoroki after I made him reflect on his life... Now I feel a little guilty.
Is it normal that I'm now more excited to face Todoroki than before?
Seeing a damn iceberg appear out of nowhere is impressive, simply impressive.
"Poor Sero, he really tried hard."
Tried hard? He didn't manage to do anything.
After the iceberg melted and people shouted words of encouragement for Sero (myself included), the matches continued.
Some stood out more than others, like Kaminari vs. Ibara, which caught attention for how short it was.
Kaminari wanted to unleash all his power in a single move and ended up becoming an idiot. Ibara took him out of the arena after that... and a prayer to Christ.
Kirishima vs. TetsuTetsu TetsuTetsu was amazing.
Pure punches from start to finish, no icebergs out of nowhere, or any weird stuff, just two teenagers with similar Quirks hitting each other from start to finish.
Looking at it that way seems bad, but it's not, and the fight was excellent. It ended in a draw, so when they wake up from unconsciousness, the tiebreaker will take place.
Tokoyami vs. Momo was... disappointing. Momo didn't do anything useful or noteworthy.
She created a shield and then simply lost. I really hope Todoroki helps her because her fight was pathetic.
Mina vs. Aoyama... the not-so-secret traitor to me... was a short fight but it showed how agile Mina is.
The way she slid with her acid and avoided Aoyama's laser was truly professional.
Still, I can't look at Mina for too long. Her eyes with black sclera... are too scary. It's like they're looking into my soul.
But putting aside my fear of the Satanic eyes Mina has, the Iida vs. Mei fight was identical to the anime. Iida was a fool, being Mei's subject to show her support items to the world.
At least he won... in a shameful way, but he won.
And now comes the last fight of this first round.
Bakugo vs. Uraraka.
I'm heading to the break room because I know Uraraka is there right now.
If I try to tell her how to beat Bakugo, she won't listen to me. That's how it happened in the canon, and I respect that.
I arrived at the break room and opened the door, seeing Uraraka sitting in a chair with her eyes closed.
"Hey, Uraraka."
"Midoriya? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong with me. I just wanted to wish you luck and also say that I hope to see you in the final."
I know that won't happen, but she still deserves the words of encouragement.
"Thanks, Midoriya! I promise to do my best and see you in the final!" she replied with determination. My words were just what she wanted to hear.
"I wouldn't expect any less from my friend."
Present Mic's voice was heard over the speakers, asking the participants to approach the arena.
"That's your call. Good luck, Uraraka."
Without wasting any more time, I went to the participants' podium to watch the fight.
I know how this is going to end, but I still want to see it.
The fight was identical to the anime.
Uraraka attacked from the beginning, trying to touch Bakugo. He, of course, didn't allow it with his explosions, but what no one noticed was that the debris was slowly but surely starting to rise.
(If I didn't have prior knowledge from the anime, I would have never noticed her plan.)
Uraraka really had this fight won if she had faced any other contestant except Bakugo.
The stadium wasn't pleased that Bakugo was dedicated to "humiliating" Uraraka.
But Aizawa shut them up instantly.
And then... the meteor shower began.
It's still incredible how Quirks allow for this kind of thing.
I guess it's because until less than three months ago, I was a human in an ordinary world. Because seeing this kind of unrealistic demonstration is surprising.
The explosion that followed from Bakugo wasn't bad either; in fact, it was quite the opposite. It looked like I was at a demonstration of a bomb or something.
But Uraraka lost, and it was a real shame, even if I already knew the result.
Seeing her fall unconscious after putting up such a fight was truly sad and at the same time inspiring.
If she could put up such a fight, why couldn't the rest?
Right now, she was having a chat with her parents in the infirmary, so knowing that I didn't have much to do there, I simply went to prepare for my fight.
(Alright, I'm about to face Todoroki. I can do this. I know his abilities and his weak points. I just have to wait for his own ice to hold him back, and from there, I have to convince him to use his fire... Simple.) I thought as I headed towards the ring.
This will be a good fight.
"Are you both ready?"
We nodded to Midnight to confirm that we were.
"Alright, then..."
"Begin!"
An absurd amount of ice was sent towards me, forcing me to activate One For All to the maximum capacity I could withstand.
*(One For All, Full Cowling 20%!)
Instantly, I sent an Air Force towards the incoming ice, managing to destroy it and causing some fragments to fly towards Todoroki.
He sent more ice in my direction again, only this time it was in a smaller amount.
Since it didn't cover the entire combat arena, I started moving from side to side, avoiding the ice Todoroki sent at me.
Although I noticed that the ice followed a pattern.
(He's cornering me.)
Seeing that I couldn't move anywhere due to the ice, I decided to punch the incoming attack.
"SMASH!"
My punch managed to destroy the column directed at me again.
The problem with fighting Todoroki is that the ice numbs my hands. As long as I avoid hitting it directly, there won't be much of a problem.
I started running towards Todoroki to hit him directly and not his annoying ice.
He continued to send attacks at me, but they were getting thinner and thinner.
All this ice is starting to take its toll on him.
I took a small leap to the right, avoiding his attack again, and sent a reduced Air Force towards his feet.
My attack made him stumble, and taking advantage of this, I managed to hit him in the stomach, sending him near the edge of the arena.
He managed to create a wall of ice with which he could stop himself from going out of the ring.
The stadium wouldn't stop roaring with excitement from the fight we were giving them.
"You're at your limit, Todoroki! Stop thinking selfishly and use all your power!"
My shout made him angry, and he sent a large iceberg of ice at me.
"Did my father buy you or something?!"
Who does he take me for? Hawks?
20% of One For All is not enough to destroy that entire attack.
But 50% is.
Charging 50% into my right arm, I sent a full punch and destroyed all the ice, turning it into fragments that look incredible in the air.
My arm isn't broken, but it's definitely torn.
What is broken is the right sleeve of my UA gym uniform.
Now I'm thankful that the numbness from the ice helps to mitigate the pain.
Because if this continues, I'll lose.
"It's your power, Todoroki! Yours alone! Don't you see?! You are the boss of that power! Not your father! You can be the hero you want to be!"
If that doesn't work its magic, I give up. I'll eliminate him without a second thought.
I don't plan on losing this fight. I'll see how to convince him to...
A flare of fire towards the sky pulled me out of my musings. It seems it won't be necessary to keep talking.
Todoroki is using his full power.
"That's more like it, Todoroki!"
My work here is done.
I approached him again with One For All at 20% to definitively take him out of the arena.
Right now, I don't think I'm capable of withstanding a full attack from him without having to break a bone in the process.
He noticed my approach because he instantly sent a large flame towards me.
I used Air Force in my left hand and dispersed his attack, clearing a path to him again.
With my enhanced senses, I noticed he was about to use his right side to send more ice at me.
Now he's not limited by his own principles.
I can't run the risk of a possible attack that I can't stop, not without at least showing Blackwhip, and that's not going to happen.
Running the risk, I increased One For All in my legs again, but to 30% this time.
I instantly notice my increase in speed.
But unfortunately for him, it was too late.
I decided not to risk leaving him at the limit or some other nonsense like that and gave him a kick right in his solar plexus.
He was sent directly against the stadium walls, and by the time he hit them, he was already out of the fight.
I won...
I beat Todoroki, I made him use his fire side, and I didn't break any bones in the process.
Yes, I tore the muscles in my legs and hand.
But I have nothing broken.
Although I won't increase One For All like that again. In the moment, I didn't feel the pain.
But now that I'm being cheered by the crowd, it hurts like hell.
"Izuku Midoriya moves on to the next round!"
It was worth it. It hurts, but it was worth it.
I started to leave the stadium as I watched them take Todoroki away on some robots.
That reminds me, I have to go see Recovery Girl...
I'm going to be kissed by that old lady... How gross.
Before going through the tunnel that leads me to the infirmary, I made eye contact with Endeavor.
And I gave him the middle finger.
Unnecessary, but I wanted to do it. He told me I didn't have enough potential to my face... Asshole.
Now only the next round is left, but since Iida is going to withdraw because of his brother Ingenium, it's likely that I'll go straight to the final.
I just have to beat Bakugo.
It's going to be exciting.
...
Author's Note:
Hey.
How was the chapter?
A combat chapter against Todoroki and just one away from the battle against Bakugo. The Festival is the easiest arc to write and at the same time the most boring. It doesn't have as many changes as the U.S.J. did, for example.
The next chapter should conclude the Sports Festival to move on to the internships.
So I want to ask something.
Should I use the name "Green Flash" for the MC? Or should I give him another hero name?
If you have any ideas, let me know, and I'll consider it.
I quite like that name, but I still want to ask you.
See you.