Upon arriving at Recovery Girl's infirmary, I wasn't too surprised to find Toshinori there.
But where was Todoroki?
"Hey, where's Todoroki? I'm sure I left him pretty dazed with my punches. Are you not attending to Todoroki because All Might wants to talk to me? That's funny and at the same time so wrong."
"Young Midoriya! I am proud of you!"
"Are you going to pretend I didn't ask about my classmate?"
"Sit down so I can heal you, boy."
"Even Recovery Girl? Does no one care about Todoroki? I already feel bad for hitting him so hard."
"Hey, seriously, where's Todoroki?"
"The efficient way you used your gift was amazing, Young Midoriya!"
...Every time I think All Might can't surprise me anymore, moments like these happen, and I realize how wrong I am.
"Thanks, but you still haven't answered my question. I want to know where..."
"He's resting in another room we have. And stay still, I can't heal you if you're moving."
"Ah, that explains it."
"I understand. Thanks for the clarification, Recovery Girl."
I stayed and chatted with Toshinori in the infirmary for a while to recover the energy I lost from being healed by Recovery Girl.
Once he left, with the excuse that leaving Gran Torino alone with many heroes around is an invitation to disaster, I stayed a bit longer while watching the battles on a television in the infirmary.
Kirishima beat Tetsutetsu in an arm-wrestling match and went on to face Bakugo.
Iida beat Ibara by moving faster than the girl could attack.
And Tokoyami defeated Mina, making Bakugo the next to fight against Kirishima.
I would have continued watching the matches, but Todoroki woke up from unconsciousness.
"Hey, did you sleep well? Or do you want me to knock you out for a while longer?"
"No thanks, Midoriya, I've rested enough, but I appreciate your offer."
I had forgotten that Todoroki doesn't understand sarcasm.
An awkward silence filled the room after that response.
Although I think I was the only one who felt awkward... Todoroki seemed normal. He really needs me to give him some lessons on being sociable.
Another thing I'll try to implement in him... I hope I don't have to do it with my fists... Or maybe I do, it never hurts to fight with Todoroki.
"Midoriya."
Finally, I was about to leave the room.
"What's up, friend?"
"Friend? Are we friends?"
Good question. We've basically talked three or four times, and the last one was during a fight.
"Of course we're friends! We beat the crap out of each other! That's what friends do!"
"Really?"
"Ehhh, more or less? We're friends, period. So if one day I go to your house and open your fridge to get food without your permission, don't forget it's okay. Because we're friends!"
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."
I have free food at Todoroki's house. I can already see this new tradition forming.
"But that's not what I wanted to ask you, Midoriya."
"What do you want to know then?" I asked with genuine curiosity this time.
"If I used my fire side from the beginning, could I beat you in a hypothetical rematch?"
Was that it? I was expecting something deeper and more reflective.
"No, the answer is no. I would still beat you, Todoroki."
"...I see. What do you think I'm lacking to be at your level?"
Finally! I've been waiting for someone to ask me that since I arrived in this world!
With the most monotonous voice I could muster, I replied:
"You lack hatred, Todoroki."
"...Huh?..."
...
Once Todoroki and I were in "condition," according to Recovery Girl, to return to the participants' podium, they let us go.
Everyone congratulated me on my victory and also commented on how strong Todoroki is.
Bakugo wasn't at the podium, so I assume he was preparing to face Tokoyami.
Kirishima had already lost to Bakugo, while Iida had to leave for a "family emergency."
Basically, I have a direct pass to the final.
I thought this Festival would be somewhat complicated to overcome, but up to this point, except for the battle with Todoroki, everything has been very easy for me.
I guess by preparing and psyching myself up for battles against people with absurd abilities, I've become too powerful compared to my classmates.
It doesn't matter. I'd rather feel bored but be alive than die for wanting to stay on the sidelines and not train properly.
"Katsuki Bakugo is the winner!"
Well, the break is over.
...
The cheers from the crowd as they watch me enter the stadium are even louder than before.
The excitement is contagious. I know I'm smiling like a madman right now.
I've reached the final of the Sports Festival!
"Are you both ready?"
"Yes!"
"Let's do this."
"Then... Begin!"
"One For All! Full Cowling 17%!"
"OI DEKU! DIE!"
Bakugo didn't hesitate to propel himself towards me with his explosions.
They're fast, but speed is my forte.
He always starts with a right hook. Even if he's changed in some aspects, old habits die hard.
And indeed, a right hook came towards my face along with an explosion.
I stepped back a bit to get out of the way of his attack, but at that moment, I felt that buzz in my skull again.
I looked for the source of the buzz, and there I saw it: Bakugo was sending an explosion at me with his left hand.
Using the right as bait? Clever.
I sent a kick towards his left hand, managing to hit it and snuffing out his explosion before it even happened.
Without losing my own momentum, I sent a right punch towards his face. Bakugo deflected my punch with his now-free right hand.
Bakugo has very good reflexes for not having a Quirk focused on that.
Too bad my reflexes are better.
Seeing the bad situation we were both in, he tried to get away.
He generated small explosions with his hands to retreat, but I moved forward and caught his hands. I applied pressure to them, causing him to stop trying to flee and focus on freeing himself from my grip.
A headbutt from him was sent towards me. I moved my head to the side and kicked him with my left leg. He was sent flying towards the edge of the arena, but as expected, he simply stopped his movement with explosions.
We're both at a stalemate right now.
He hasn't used his strongest explosions, and I haven't hit him with the full power I can use.
"Bakugo! Your mother hits harder!"
What I said changed the landscape of the fight.
He made a grimace of anger and launched himself at me with his explosions at maximum.
I increased the percentage of One For All to 20%.
And I waited for his attack.
His left hand is moving slowly towards my face... This reminds me of the battle I had with Shigaraki.
But his right hand is moving towards my solar plexus.
The left is a feint.
I grabbed his right arm and pulled it upwards, using it as a makeshift shield for his own explosion.
He didn't expect that move because he was instantly destabilized.
Using my free arm, I punched him in the face, sending him flying back again.
Only this time, I chased after him and positioned myself behind him, kicking him in the head and making him start bouncing on the ground.
In one of his bounces, he did something that surprised me.
He aimed his hand at the ground as if it were a sight and, with the other, fired an explosion, sending himself into the sky and landing on his feet.
He just... used the AP Shot?
My presence continues to alter things in a slight way without me noticing... How interesting.
His head is bleeding, and his right arm is completely burned by his own attack.
I, on the other hand, only have my clothes burned by the shrapnel from his explosions.
This fight isn't as destructive as the one I had against Todoroki.
He propelled himself against me again, but this time I didn't let him get close. I used Air Force and started dissipating his explosions with the air pressure my attacks generated.
One of those attacks managed to hit him, causing him to retreat to where he was originally at the beginning of this fight.
"Damn it, Nerd! Stop playing with me and use that power you used against the Half-and-Half Bastard!"
He... just asked me to hit him with all my strength? I was going to do it anyway, but if that's what he wants.
"With pleasure, Bakugo!"
I increased the percentage of One For All to 30% again.
I know it's going to hurt a lot when this fight is over, and I definitely shouldn't be doing this.
But the entire fight is about to be decided with this move, so...
"Die, Nerd!"
Huh? When did Bakugo get so high up?
"Howitzer Impact."
...Son of a bitch...
I had to do the first thing that came to mind.
And that was a makeshift shield.
I destroyed a piece of the arena and discreetly used Blackwhip in small openings so it wouldn't collapse.
And the damn fire tornado arrived.
I felt the great explosion caused inside it; after all, I was at the center of the attack.
The makeshift shield didn't withstand the attack, as expected, and was destroyed.
Taking advantage of the fact that I was inside the tornado and that Bakugo had long since retreated to avoid being at the epicenter of his own attack, I shot a Blackwhip towards the ground and held on to it.
That way, I managed not to be sent flying towards the edge of the arena.
The explosion completely destroyed my UA gym uniform.
Fortunately, the pants have now become shorts.
I wouldn't want to be naked on national television.
Through the smoke and the annoying ringing that wouldn't stop in my head, I managed to see Bakugo's silhouette.
The entire stadium is blind right now from his super explosion, and they've given me up for defeated.
I have to take advantage of that.
In a burst of speed, I managed to position myself behind Bakugo.
And I performed the maneuver that would secure my victory.
"Hidden Leaf Secret Jutsu! A Thousand Years of Death!"
And just as Kakashi did to Naruto, I plunged my fingers into his anus.
I also used the Whips to make the attack go deeper... But he doesn't need to know that.
And using the power that One For All offers me, I sent Bakugo flying out of the arena.
Maybe it was because of the surprise, or the pain... or an emotion from him that I don't wish to discover.
But he fell like a sack of potatoes without resistance.
No explosions to prevent his fall, no exaggerated screams.
Nothing.
I just won... Be proud, Kakashi. I did it your way.
"Izuku Midoriya is the winner of the Sports Festival!"
I really won. How strange it feels.
I did it, I really did it.
I feel incredibly proud of this achievement and... why is everything moving so much?
And why does everyone look so blurry?
And when did I start looking at the sky?
I think... I'm about to faint...
I shouldn't have overdone it with One For All.
What a load of crap.
...
Author's Note:
Hey.
How was the chapter?
The Sports Festival is over, and with it come the internships and the hero name.
This chapter was quite a quick one, apart from the battle with Bakugo, the rest is what was already seen in the canon.
The battle with Bakugo was made so that it wasn't just explosions everywhere; otherwise, everything would be resolved with a single punch from the MC, and although I was about to do that, I decided to do something longer.
By the way, here is an image (which is not mine, obviously) to give you an idea of what the MC's hero costume looks like, more or less.
I've had that image for days but always forgot to post it.
Obviously, the suit is not exactly like that, but it's to give you an idea.
Credits to the respective author for the image.
See you.