Shikigami Dance: Naruto/BNHA Crossover
Chapter 28 - UA Sports Festival: Second Round Battles
(A/N)
Hi guys!
Just letting you know that one of the editors kindly reinstated this story! This fanfic can now accept stones!
Thank you for your support up till now! Early chapter celebration!
By the way... I am making some changes to the canon here concerning Endeavor (kinda). All of this is something I know for a fact can be real so please let me not hear complaining. I take constructive criticism, not trolling. I also am using some manga knowledge for some of this.
***
After Kirishima and Tetsutetsu's match, Izuku stood up from his spot.
"Going to check on your girlfriend, Izu?"
Izuku's face lit up in a bright pink hue at Haru's question, "Huh? Wha-? No! S-she's not my girlfriend!"
Haru wiggled his eyebrows at the blushing teen, "Oh?"
Izuku clenched his fists, his eyes squeezed shut as he weakly pounded at the grinning redhead's shoulder, "I told you, it not like that!"
Haru laughed while the rest of Class 1A looked on in amusement. Ashido was smiling evilly from where she sat in the back as she drew a heart next to the IzuOcha ship on her list.
"Oi, Deku!"
Izuku jumped at the sound of Katsuki's angry voice, "K-Kacchan!"
The elder Bakugo glared at the shorter boy as if he wanted to skin him, "It was your idea, wasn't it? That stupid, desperate plan of hers. You would come up with something that annoying. If we end up–"
"You're wrong," Izuku's demeanor did a 180 as he gave Katsuki a serious look, "Uraraka came up with her plan all on her own. If that battle was harder than you thought it would be, then it's because of her strategy, not mine."
Izuku calmly left to prepare for his next match, even bumping his shoulder against Katsuki's as he walked past. Katsuki gritted his teeth but otherwise didn't react.
'If we meet in the finals, Deku. I'm going to roast you alive.'
Sero tried to break up the tense atmosphere as he grinned at the ash blonde, "Must have been tough playing the villain, Bakugo."
Tsuyu nodded in agreement, "Even if it was because of who you were up against, you did make a pretty convincing bad guy."
Katsuki popped a vein, all thoughts of Izuku purged from his mind, "Shut up, you idiots! Or else!"
Kaminari gave Katsuki a blank look, "For real dude, I don't know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that. I couldn't help but hold back in my match."
Ashido flung her pencil at his head where struck with uncanny accuracy, "Hypocrite!"
The electric blonde flinched as he rubbed the spot the pencil tip had stabbed his scalp, "OW! Can't you just let me have this!"
Haru got a mischievous glint in his eye and placed his hands in a ram seal. 'Transform!'
The smoke cleared to reveal a female version of Haru, her bodily curves complemented perfectly with her gym uniform. It could go without saying, but everyone was stunned at this new development.
Haru pushed a strand of her now shoulder-length hair behind her ear. "Does that mean that if I fight in this form you'd go easy on me, Kaminari?" she gave the teen a closed-eyed smile.
Kaminari, Sero, and Mineta screeched, their nosebleeds spraying blood all over the place.
There was a boom as Katsuki slammed his hand into Haru's gut, blasting him to kingdom come.
Haru's simply scattered into several pieces of paper.
"My, my, jealous are we? Didn't want anyone else to see me like this?" Haru teased as she leaned over Katsuki's shoulder.
"Hey, can you Class 1A rejects quiet down over..." Monona's voice trailed off as his head appeared from behind the divisive wall between the class seating areas.
He stared at Haru, looked at Katsuki, and looked at Haru again.
"What the **** are you doing?"
Haru released the transformation. "Doing my job as class rep," he said nonchalantly.
Monoma raised an eyebrow.
"Class Rep! Behavior such as this is disrespectful and unbefitting of your position," Iida scolded.
Haru was about reply when Katsuki grabbed him on a headlock and wrestled him to the floor. An uproar arose as a result.
"Whoohoo! Fight!" Ashido cheered.
Ojiro frowned at her, "Ashido, don't encourage them."
"A banquet of madness," Tokoyami brooded.
Iida was chopping his arms robotically in agitation, "Desist this conduct at once!"
Even Monoma tried climbing over the wall, "Looks like it's time to settle the score, Bakugo!"
He slumped as Kendo, his class representative, chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out "Behave."
***
(A little later...)
The announcement board blinked and showed the next pairings.
Izuku Midoriya vs Shoto Todoroki
Haruko Bakugo vs Denki Kaminari
Tenya Iida vs Fumikage Tokoyami
Katsuki Bakugo vs Eijiro Kirishima
[NOW, WITH KIRISHIMA'S WIN WITH THE ARM WRESTLING, WE HAVE A FULL ROSTER FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT! IN A FEW MINUTES, WE'LL GET THIS PARTY STARTED! YUH DIG?]
***
Izuku heard Present Mic's announcement from the waiting room where he had been talking to Uraraka.
The brunette gave him an encouraging wave, "I'll be watching. Good luck out there!"
Izuku looked slightly flustered for a moment, then he smiled, "Thanks."
As he shut the door behind him, Izuku's face fell. 'She must be so upset. I thought I could help her in some way. In the end, I didn't do anything for her. Instead, she's cheering me on. She's got my back.' He rubbed his arm across his eyes. 'She's the one encouraging me again.'
His thoughts were cut short when he saw a flame-wreathed figure rounding a corner.
"Endeavor?"
The number two hero seemed to notice him for the first time and recognition flickered in his eyes, "Ah, I was looking for you."
Izuku was mentally screaming and his face showed it, "Uh, yeah, hi... So, what are you doing back here?"
Endeavor's huge frame towered over the now trembling boy, "I watched your fight against the brainwashing guy. Your power is pretty impressive. To create so much wind pressure from just flicking your fingers," the hero's turquoise eyes pierced through Izuku's soul, "It reminds me of another Quirk. You seem to have much in common with All Might."
Izuku hurried past the Flame Hero, avoiding his eyes, "Oh? Well... I guess I never thought about it that way... sorry, but I should get going..."
"It is my Shoto's duty to surpass All Might as the number one hero," Endeavor watched Izuku stop in his tracks, "And his battle with you is a good testing ground for how much training he has left. So, hit him hard. Don't disgrace yourself or him by holding back," he started to walk off, "That's all I wanted to say. I apologize for bothering you."
Izuku hunched his shoulders slightly, "Endeavor..."
"Go to your match, Izu. I'll talk to him."
Bother Izuku and Endeavor turned to see Haru leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his ċhėst. The redhead's amber eyes were glaring thoughtfully at the number two hero.
"Haru-chan?"
"You worry about Todoroki," Haru didn't take his eyes off of the hero, "I want to have a little talk with Endeavor."
Endeavor frowned, "I do not have time to exchange words with you."
The corners of Haru's lips twitched upward ever so slightly, "How rude. I made time for you, you could at least show me the same courtesy."
Izuku felt the domineering aura emanating from the number two hero and felt like shrinking away. Haru didn't flinch as he stared Endeavor down the look in his eyes not matching the expression on his face.
"Shall we watch the next match, Endeavor?"
***
(In the stadium, at Endeavor's private box...)
Haru had used his origami (mixed with a small Transformation Jutsu) to disguise himself in a full-length, white robe. The hood was raised to completely hide his hair. One could not be too careful with the number of cameras and the thousands of probing eyes, especially if your hair color was the kind of red the Uzumaki's are born with.
Endeavor eyed the redheaded boy leaning against the wall from where he stood.
"So Shoto told you both."
Haru didn't bother answering, having already revealing that what he knew to the hero a few moments before.
The number two hero frowned, "I'm not reading judgment in your face."
"On the contrary," Haru pushed himself off the wall. He proceeded to seat himself without invitation, "I very much want to fill you with holes. Luckily for both of us, I'm not an idiot and don't want to go to jail. So, I'm compromising by having this talk with you because I have some questions."
Endeavor sighed, feeling that his hands were tied. The boy knew the truth about his family situation. If the hero refused to comply, the kid could easily ruin his reputation. Silencing him wasn't an option, the boy had too many powerful friends, something which Endeavor had admittedly been jealous of in the past.
The hero sat himself down in the seat next to Haru, "I don't need to answer to a child's sense of justice. Don't waste my time. There is no point in explaining things that do not need explaining."
Haru looked at Endeavor from the corner of his eye, "You can drop the act. I can sense you are lying. You make it look like you don't care, but you're actually drowning in desperation."
"Don't get ċȯċky, brat," Endeavor growled, "If that's what you think, you are dead wrong."
Haru sighed, leaning his head back for a moment, "He isn't All Might, you know."
Endeavor looked over at Haru, "What? What are you talking about?"
"The same goes for your son. He may be your flesh and blood, but he isn't you."
Endeavor didn't answer for a moment and the expression in his eyes calmed a little "...I have no intention of Shoto becoming me... I want him to surpass me."
Haru looked at the hero's unusually passive features, sensing a softness and regret under all the pride, "But is it all worth it? All the pain, all the loneliness, all the hatred directed towards you?"
"It doesn't matter how I feel as long as Shoto surpasses All Might."
"So, the rest of your family's crushed hopes and dreams mean nothing?"
Endeavor frowned, giving the boy a stern look, "It's too late to fix things now."
"You don't believe that. You're just afraid of facing them."
Endeavor's flames blazed dangerously, "Are you implying that I'm a coward!"
Haru felt the heat rising from the enraged hero and felt the sudden surge of harmful intent directed towards him. Without realizing it, Endeavor had allowed himself to open up a little, revealing the hero's true feelings under his angry facade. It was as if he was baring his soul to the harsh scrutiny of Haru's sensory.
"You were afraid of failing as a father, so you pushed away your family. You failed at becoming number one so you took all your frustration and anger out on them until you realized too late that you had broken them. You don't know how to do anything in life besides climbing to the top so that's the only way you are able to express yourself."
Endeavor's flames declined as a shocked look appeared on his face, "How?"
"After you realized your mistake, you didn't stop and pretended not to care, hoping to use your children's hatred towards you to push them to surpass you. You knew you cannot redeem yourself after what you did. You felt you didn't deserve redemption and wanted them to hate you."
Endeavor looked stunned but managed to recover a little of his composure, "Who told you to say this?" his voice was stern, "There is no way this is a guess."
Haru shrugged, "Your emotions are an open book."
"I see..." Endeavor wasn't entirely convinced.
There was a short silence.
"Your wife... Did you love her?"
Haru felt a heavy sense of sorrow come in from Endeavor although the hero's face remained expressionless.
"I treated her like a tool because I wanted her Quirk. What I called love was just some sick obsession, and yet... I loved her... I just never knew how much until she left... What I did cannot be undone. I broke her beyond repair."
Haru closed his eyes letting out a slow sigh, "Endeavor, as one of the top three heroes, you are aware of my true identity. Let me share something I learned with the knowledge from my world. If you let guilt and denial rule your choices, you will really become the monster you fear. I'm only a kid, I don't know how it feels to experience what you feel or do what you did."
"That's right, you don't," Endeavor replied scathingly.
"That's why I can say it's better to fix your mistakes instead of running from them. I don't need to understand to tell you the truth."
The Flame Hero looked at the boy sternly, "Why are you so concerned about this?"
"I'm a selfish person, Endeavor. My family was broken and destroyed before I could remember them. I got a second chance. I want to give others a second chance," a guilty look appeared on his face and he rubbed his neck, glancing in the direction of his class. "I'm also avoiding someone right now."
Endeavor grunted but didn't say anything.
"Only you can fix your family, Endeavor. If you can't find redemption, then find atonement. You need to give your family closure. If you don't, no one will, and the consequences of that will haunt you forever."
Endeavor sighed, "Even if I decided to listen to your naivety, Shoto would never accept it. The hatred and bitterness he holds against me runs too deep."
Haru suddenly smirked, "Don't worry about Shoto. He's in good hands."
The sound of widespread cheers roared across the arena.
Present Mic raised his hands in the air as he cheered along with the spectators, [I CAN FEEL THE ANTICIPATION IN THE STADIUM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE SECOND ROUND'S FIRST MATCH IS GONNA BE EPIC!]
Haru and Endeavor stopped talking and focused their attention on the two figures entering the field.
[IT'S THE GUY WHO WON HIS LAST FIGHT BY A LANDSLIDE AND LITERALLY LEFT HALF OF THE AUDIENCE FROZEN! THE HERO COURSE'S SHOTO TODOROKI!]
Todoroki's face was calm as he approached the arena stage.
[AND THIS KID ALMOST WALKED OUT OF HIS FIRST MATCHUP BUT MADE A SPINNING COMEBACK WITH SOME IMPRESSIVE MOVES. ALSO, FROM THE HERO COURSE, IZUKU MIDORIYA!]
Izuku's face was determined as he stood opposite Todoroki.
Haru couldn't help but quote the famous line from the Two Towers, "So it begins..."
***
Play: Deku vs Todoroki Theme Song: youtu.be/nCLJ53uvLsg
***
Todroki's expression hardened as he glared at his opponent, "So here we are."
"And only one of us can win," Izuku finished.
***
Endeavor didn't take his eyes off of his son, "Tell me. How do you think this match will go?"
Haru crossed his arms thoughtfully, "It will depend on whether Izuku will be able to get close to Todoroki."
Endeavor snorted, "And that won't happen."
Haru shrugged, hiding his worry, "Maybe."
***
[BOTH OF THE HEROES IN TRAINING HAVE BEEN FRONT-RUNNERS IN THE SPORTS FESTIVAL, BUT WHICH ONE OF THESE RIVALS WILL ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ROUND?]
Both boys got into fighting positions.
[BEGIN!]
There was a rumble, and a wave of ice shot towards Izuku. The green-haired teen raised a hand, supporting it with the other, and flicked a finger.
The blast of pure power shattered the Todoroki's attack and sent gusts of icy wind all across the stadium. Todoroki was pushed back by the force and only kept himself from getting pushed from the arena by bracing himself from behind with an ice wall.
Izuku's face was twisted in pain, his broken finger heavily discolored.
[WHOA! MIDORIYA MANAGED TO BREAK TODOROKI'S INSANE OPENING MOVE!]
Todoroki glared at Izuku and sent another powerful wave of ice. Izuku repeated that same move, breaking a second finger.
[HE COUNTERED AGAIN!]
Izuku gritted his teeth. Biting back the pain that shot through his fractured fingers. His mind raced as he tried to figure out Todoroki's weakness.
Todoroki let out an icy breath, "Let's continue."
The duel-Quirked teen shifted his right foot, sending a wave of ice yet again.
"SMASH!"
A blast of air blasted it away as Izuku broke a third finger.
***
Kirishima was late for the start of the match.
He ran into his classmates' seating area, a look of dismay on his face, "Oh no, crap! I'm missing it!"
Kaminari pulled his gaze from the fight to look at the redhead, "Hey! Nice job making it to the second round, Kirishima!"
Kirishima gave Kaminari a sharky grin, "Thanks, man!" he motioned his head at Katsuki, "It looks like I take Bakubro down next!"
Katsuki's eyes stayed riveted on the match below them as he answered, "I'll kill you."
Kirishima laughed goodnaturedly. "Heh! Yeah sure, in your dreams," he sobered a little, "But seriously, it's crazy how you and Todoroki both have moves that blast the whole stadium. Must be pretty nice."
"Plus, you don't have to pause between attacks," Sero griped, still a little put out from his earlier loss.
Katsuki's expression didn't change, "It's not as easy as you think, you morons."
Kirishima blinked in confusion, "Hmm?"
"If you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them apart. If you sprint too much, you run out of breath," Katsuki leaned his elbows on his knees, "Quirks are physical abilities too. They can get worn out. You can't just use them nonstop."
"Makes sense if you put it that way," Kirishima agreed, now understanding. He sent a thoughtful look towards the arena, "I wonder if that's how Midoriya thinks he's going to beat Todoroki."
***
Todoroki had the exact same thought as he faced Izuku.
"You want an endurance match," he braced his body to attack, "But I'll end this quickly."
He sent an even larger wave of ice towards Izuku.
Izuku flicked the last finger of his right hand, causing the ice the explode.
Todoroki braced his feet and sprinted forward, creating a ramp of ice as he ran.
[TODOROKI WITHSTOOD MIDORIYA'S POWER AND IS NOW RUSHING HIS CLASSMATE!]
Izuku quickly switched to using his left hand, flicking away the ramp before it could reach him. Todoroki leaped off of his ice just as it flew the pieces, raising his arm to attack. Izuku launched himself back, narrowly avoiding Todoroki's downward strike.
It was lucky he did. The instant Todoroki's hand touched the ground, ice blossomed around the heterochromatic-eyed boy's arm. However, Todoroki wasn't finished. The ice blossom spread in Izuku's direction, managing to latch onto the boy's leg while he was still in midair.
Throwing caution to the wind, Izuku clenched his left hand and sent a fully powered punch in Todoroki's direction.
The blast eliminated the ice and sent Todoroki sitting back, even with his ice walls slowing his movement towards the edge. He came to a stop a short space to the far edge. The dust settled showing him slumped against the surviving remnant of his wall, making many people mistake him to be unconscious.
"That was much more powerful than any of your previous attacks," Todoroki pushed himself to his feet, "You're trying to keep me away... Smart."
***
Haru and Endeavor hadn't taken their eyes off the match since it had started.
"I must admit, your son is very impressive, Endeavor," Haru commented, "It's not just his Quirk that is powerful, his judgment and reasoning are pretty incredible. His mobility could use some work though. Either way, he's better than the average pro."
Endeavor grunted, "As I said. Shoto was trained to surpass both me and All Might."
"And yet, he still refuses to use his full power."
Endeavor grimaced at that, "It's just a passing phase of rebellion."
"You know, you really need to work on your people skills."
The number two hero raised an eyebrow at the teen's way too innocent look under the hood, "You're one to talk."
"For your information, I have excellent people skills… most of the time."
***
Todoroki glanced up at the flame-wreathed figure among the audience noting the glowering expression. He turned his gaze back at Izuku.
"I'm sorry about this, but thanks for drawing it out," he leaned his head in Endeavor's direction, "Look at him. He's furious I'm not using his power."
Izuku snuck a glance and noted a familiar figure sitting next to the number two hero. 'I don't think that's why he looks angry...'
Unaware that he was the only one out of the loop, Todoroki continued belittling Izuku, "With your hands all broken, you can't fight anymore, can you? Why don't we end this?"
A stream of spiked ice pillars shot forward, growing in size as they got closer to Izuku's bowed form.
[WHOAHOHO! TODOROKI CONTINUES HIS OVERWHELMING ATTACK! COULD THIS BE HIS FINISHING MOVE?]
Izuku raised his head, a fierce look in his eyes, "...I am not done yet!"
An overwhelming blast of wind obliterated the ice and sent Todoroki flying towards the edge. The bicolor-haired boy bȧrėly kept himself from tumbling out of bounds by the hastily created ice wall he created just inches from the boundary line.
Everyone gasped in shock upon seeing the index finger on Izuku's right hand. It was an even deeper purple than the rest of his finger. Izuku had used his already broken finger and broke it again to counterattack Todoroki's move!
"You're trembling... Todoroki..."
Todoroki's face lit up in shock at the words.
"It's easy to forget that Quirks are physical abilities," Izuku bit down a hiss of pain, "And that means... there's a limit to the cold your body can take, right? I get it. Usually, you make up for the drop of temperature using the heat from your left side... but you refuse to do that now."
Todoroki gritted his teeth in frustration, for it was the truth.
Izuku wasn't done, however, as he looked at his damaged hand, "Listen. We're all giving it our all to try and win... To make out reams into a reality... To become number one. Do you think you can win with half your strength? Look at me Todoroki," he clenched his fist. "You haven't managed to land a single scratch on me yet," he raised his voice to the point that everyone can hear, "SO COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!"
Todoroki's eyes hardened, "Midoriya, what are you trying to do here? You want my fire?" An enraged look appeared on his face, "What, did my monster of a dad bribe you or something?" He ran forward, anger apparent on his face, "Now I'm mad!"
Now everyone saw it. It hadn't been noticeable before, but Todoroki's movements had been getting slower.
Izuku waited until the opportune moment just when Todoroki was most vulnerable. With a quick spring forward, he closed to distance.
Todoroki's eyes widened in realization. 'The instant I lifted my right foot! He's coming!'
Izuku's face was in complete focus as he remembered a piece of advice given to him several months before.
***
(Several months previously...)
Haru blocked another punch and sent Izuku spinning to the ground.
"You're doing it wrong, Izu. Stop copying another person's style when your body isn't built for it yet."
"You need to keep your form loose, Young Midoriya," All Might called out from the sidelines.
Haru sent the hero a meaningful look, "You're not helping."
The Symbol of Peace deflated, quite literally, "Sorry..."
Haru looked back at Izuku, "You can throw a punch, but you can't put enough power behind it yet. Let's try something else. Get ready."
Izuku got into an attack stance and sent a roundhouse kick to Haru's body.
Haru moved forward, throwing Izuku of balance. With an open palm, he struck Izuku in the ċhėst. The force of the strick sent the mossy-haired boy tumbling back a good distance, the wind forced from his lungs.
All Might gaped at the force of such a simple blow, "What move was that?"
Haru calmly moved forward and placed a hand on Izuku's back, "Just a simple palm strike. I once heard of a clan that specialized in a fighting style called the Gentle Fist. It required minimal contact but had major consequences for the ones on the receiving end. I cannot replicate their complete fighting style, but it is very similar to Baguazhang."
Izuku finally got some breath back but was unable to speak, "..."
Haru bopped Izuku over the head, "You're too small to use raw strength for now. Someone of your type doesn't have enough force to throw an effective punch to end a fight just yet. The palm strike focuses the weight of your body into the heel of the palm of your hand. If used right, it will push an enemy back to create distance. Unfortunately, it only works best at close quarters."
Izuku rubbed his still sore ċhėst, "It felt like I was being pushed back by air."
Haru grinned, "I simply demonstrated what happens when you mix in a little power into the strike and distribute it into the entire arm. It's called..."
***
Izuku unclenched his right hand, bringing his open palm forward to strike, veins of power trailed up his arm, spread across his entire hand.
"Eight Trigrams Air Palm!"
A compact blast of air hit Todoroki square in the ċhėst knocking him off his feet.
Izuku gave a sharp cry of pain. I didn't break any bones, but the pain...
***
Haru sat up in surprise, "That move!"
Endeavor furrowed his brow as he also realized Izuku's hand hadn't gained any more significant damage, "He spread out the power of his attack through his whole arm so it wouldn't break. An admirable move but a little late."
Haru deadpanned, "He's surprisingly stubborn about using new moves until forced to use them. Improvising yes, but a different fighting style, no. I'm surprised he used it. On top of that, the pain of him using it defeats the point by now."
For the first time, Endeavor smirked, "It seems we both have students in a rebellious phase."
Haru glowered in annoyance, "In case you didn't know, I hate you."
"Brat."
***
If looks could kill, Todoroki's glare would have sent Izuku six feet under. The dual Quirk user coughed as he picked himself up. With another shift of his foot, he sent a stream of ice in Izuku's direction. Izuku jumped to the side, dodging it easily.
'The ice attacks aren't moving as fast now.' Izuku stepped back as Todoroki closed in on him again, trying to freeze him at point black range.
"Air Palm!"
Both boys were knocked back from the blast. Izuku screamed in pain as his over-stimulated nerves sent waves of burning pain along his injured arm.
Todoroki sent more ice.
Not having time to build up power, Izuku stuck his undamaged thumb into his check, "SMASH!"
Todoroki smashed against an ice wall once again. He looked at Izuku, seeing how damaged his hands were, "Why are you putting yourself through this?"
"I want to live up to people's expectations," Izuku answered as he ran forward again, "I want to be able to smile while doing something good for them! I want to be a pro... whatever it takes to be a hero!"
Todoroki looked dazed for a moment, a flash of memory from his childhood flickering through his mind.
Izuku bowed down and headbutted into Todoroki's stomach. "That's why I'll give it my all just like you should be!" he lowered his voice, "There's no way I can know what you've gone through or why you are even here. Your life has been so much different than mine... but now you need to stop screwing around. If you want to reject your father, fine, but you don't have the right to be number one if you aren't going to use your full power!" He drove a powered-up fist into Todoroki's stomach, "THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO WIN THIS AND SURPASS YOU!"
***
Flashback...
A young Shoto Todoroki cried in his mother's arms as she ran a comforting hand through his hair.
"Just remember. Stay true to yourself. You can be the kind of hero you want to be when you grow up."
*
Todoroki fought back tears of pain from the burn on the left side of the face. The bandages clearly showed how large the damage was.
Endeavor frowned as he looked down at his son, "Moronic woman. To hurt you at such an important time."
"Where did mama go?" Torodoki's voice was almost dead.
Endeavor frowned, "She hurt my masterpiece so I put her in a hospital to keep you safe."
Todoroki clenched his fists in anger. "That was your fault," tears of rage flowed from his eyes, soaking the bandage, "You're the one who made her hurt me!"
***
Present...
Todoroki coughed forcing himself to not look in his father's direction. I will reject you.
"I refuse... to use my left side..."
Izuku gave a low growl of anger from deep inside his ċhėst, "IT'S YOURS! YOUR QUIRK NOT HIS!"
***
Haru's gaze bored into Todoroki's soul.
"I fight with all the power they passed on to me so as not to repeat their mistakes. I can't change what they did. I am fighting because I never want this world to experience what mine has," the boy's amber-colored eyes glinted in the light, "I'm here because others supported me. For their sake, I will fight and win. If you refuse to fight me or Katsuki at full power. You will lose."
***
A sudden wave of heat engulfed the arena as flames burst from Todoroki's left side.
Present Mic voiced everyone's surprise, [WHOA! IS THAT...?] he couldn't find the words to describe it.
Izuku held an arm over his face to shield himself from the scorching air.
Todoroki had a look of confusion and wonder on his face as he faced Izuku. "Helping your opponent," the frost that had spread across the dual Quirked teen's body melted away, "You fool. Even though you want to win this battle... now which one of us is screwing around?" Izuku could only gaze in wonder at the uncontrolled flames coming from Todoroki''s body as he continued, "I want it too... I'll be a hero!"
Izuku's face lit up into a feral grin and Todoroki matched it.
***
Endeavor smiled, his face full of pride, "SHOTO!" the Flame Hero stood up as he yelled out encouragement towards his son, all previous cares forgotten at the sight of his son's accomplishment, "Now you've finally accepted your power. This is a dawn of a new era for us! With the blood that runs in your veins, you will surpass me!"
[ENDEAVOR SUDDENLY SHOUTS WORDS OF... ENCOURAGEMENT? WHAT A DOTING FATHER!]
***
Izuku had only one word to describe the power in front of him, "Amazing..."
"Why are you smiling?" the question made the green-haired boy frown in confusion as Todoroki continued to let off continuous amounts of ice and fire from his body, "With those injuries. In this hopeless situation. You must be crazy." Todoroki sank into an attacking stance while Izuku did the same, "Don't blame me for what happens next."
The ground shook as ice and fire flared around Todoroki and Izuku activated his Quirk to one hundred percent.
Cementoss slammed his hands on the ground, "That's it, Midnight! One of them could be killed!"
Midnight ripped the material on the sleeve of her costume, letting out a cloud of violet-colored mist, "Their bodies won't hold up!"
A concentrated wave of ice, much bigger than all of the previous ones in the match thundered across the arena like a sentient glacier.
Izuku blasted from where he stood the force of his jump sending him flying over the ice field as he channeled all the power of his Quirk into his right arm for a final strike.
Todoroki's figured was engulfed in flames as he raised his hand. 'I see now, Midoriya. Thank you...'
The two cataclysmic forces threatened to clash and destroy everything around them before several immense walls of cement rose up between them. Even so, Cementoss's walls crumbled under the force of the two attacks and only served to blunt the destruction caused.
An intense light flashed as the arena imploded on itself, scattering cement shards everywhere.
A wailing alarm blared as Aizawa pressed a red buŧŧon, activating the emergency plasma shields to protect the spectators from the debris. The cement pieces turned to dust upon contact, but the shields weren't able to block the full force of the shockwave.
***
The dust began to settle revealing the results of the clash.
[What happened just now...?] Present Mic's loud voice was much deflated from where he lay, his seat having been sent tumbling back from the shock wave, [What the heck is up with these students?]
Erasure Head sat calmly, having weathered the whole scenario, [The air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down and then rapidly expanded when heated up.]
[WAIT! THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSION? HOW HOT DID THAT FIRE GET? GEEZ, I CAN'T SEE A THING! IS THE MATCH STILL GOING ON OR WHAT?]
The plasma barrier faded, having fulfilled its purpose.
Midnight picked herself up with a groan. She peered through the smoke and caught a glimpse of something.
Izuku stood slumped against the wall completely unconscious.
The heroine's voice was almost stuttering with suppressed shock, [There... Midoriya is... Out of bounds!]
Unable to support itself, Izuku's body went limp and began to fall.
There was a flicker of white as a figure in a full-length hooded robe caught him, letting the teen rest on his back. Without a word, the unidentified person picked up the injured Izuku in a piggyback and walked out of the stadium.
Midnight caught a glimpse of the person's face and allowed the action. She looked over at Todoroki and saw a carbon copy supporting Todoroki, who was still bȧrėly standing, [Todoroki wins! He advances to the third round!]
The crowd cheered their support and appreciation for the hard-fought match.
***
Haru's clones helped both Izuku and Todoroki off the stage the former making a beeline for Recovery Girl's office while the latter made do with just leaving the arena.
Todoroki gave the clone a calm look as they reached the tunnel, "I can walk on my own."
The clone complied and stepped away from the bicolor-haired boy, "You will need to rest. Your next round may end up just as difficult," it spoke, disguising its voice.
"Who are you?" Todoroki peered at the clone, trying got to see the face hidden underneath.
"A student of Recovery Girls," it glanced over its shoulder at the presence of a fire wreathed figure, "I will leave you both for now."
The clone walked past the hero and rounded the corner where it dispersed in a rustle of paper.
Endeavor crossed his arms over his ċhėst, a small smile lightening his features. Todoroki couldn't remember ever having this expression on his father's face before.
"What's the matter? Not going to tell me to get lost?" there was a hint of amusement in Endeavor's voice. He sobered slightly as he glanced at his son's burned uniform, "You need to learn to control your left side. It's dangerous to use so much energy like that, but I'm glad you're seeing reason. Now that you've abandoned your childish rebellion we can get back to what's important." Endeavor held out a hand, "After you graduate, you will work by my side. I will lead you down the path of the mighty, Shoto."
"I haven't abandoned anything."
Endeavor's smile dropped.
Todoroki looked at his left-hand thoughtfully, "You're a fool to think my feelings can so easily be reversed. Instead... out there... for that one moment... I forgot all about you."
Endeavor's eye's widened.
Todoroki walked past his father, not sparing him a glance, "Whether that is good or bad, I don't know. Maybe I don't need you."
As his son's footsteps faded away, Endeavor smiled in satisfaction to himself. 'He's mȧturėd. It seems that the mistakes that I made can be fixed little by little. Thank you, Izuku Midoriya.'
"Did you tell him that you were proud of him?" Haru's voice sounded from behind him.
"I forfeited that right long ago. He is his own person. Whether he decides to use me to achieve his goals or not is his choice."
The redhead sighed, as he began to disperse into a cloud of buŧŧerflies, "I won't say anything. It is all up to you and your family from here. I'll just be an outsider."
Endeavor grunted, "I'll try. Promise me one thing."
"Yes?"
"Support my son if you can."
Haru smiled before his face started to peel away, "Of course."
***
(Recovery Girl's office...)
Haru's clone kicked open the door and hurried into the room.
Recovery Girl was already waiting, motioning at a nearby bed, "Place him there."
The clone gently unslung Izuku from its shoulders and laid him down on the bed. Izuku's eyelids trembled as he slowly began to wake up. The clone gave a sad sigh and dispersed.
A moment later, Haru burst into the room, still clutching his head from receiving the clone's memories. "Izu!" he paled at Izuku's injuries, "I didn't realize his injuries would be this bad at first. His body..."
He held out his hands a green chakra encasing his palms.
Recovery Girl smacked his arms down, "No."
Haru looked taken aback, "What? Why?"
Recovery Girl looked stern, "Your Mystical Palm is still incomplete and may cause more harm than good with this kind of damage. Don't even think about using the Heal Bite either. I forbid you from using it more than once a day unless it is a life or death situation. Your body and that seal of yours won't be able to take it. We just don't have the data to ensure success."
Haru looked devastated.
The old heroine gave him a comforting pat, "He'll be alright. I may not be able to heal all the damage, but he will recover."
She didn't sugarcoat it. Izuku would be healed, but there was possibly lasting damage from this fight. Scarring was definitely unavoidable at this point. However, Recovery Girl wasn't a licensed healer for show.
"Your match is next. Prepare yourself."
Haru gave Izuku one last look and open the door to leave. He almost bumped into a deflated All Might and slid around the hero in a single smooth moment, "Excuse me."
The Symbol of Peace watched his student leave, a look of concern on his face.
***
Play: Aggressive Battle Music: Flash Point by Robert Slump: youtu.be/Dn4F42bG9Dg
***
(A while later...)
[THANKS FOR WAITING WHILE WE REPAIRED THE FIGHTING STAGE... AGAIN! NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE SECOND MATCH OF THIS ROUND! LET'S HOPE THIS ONE DOESN'T DESTROY THE STADIUM THIS TIME!]
The crowd cheered as Haru and Kaminari's pictures appeared on the announcement screen.
[FIRST OFF, THE BOY WHOSE SHOWS UNUSUAL BRUTALITY TOWARDS HIS OPPONENTS BUT COMPASSION TOWARDS THE DEFEATED! FROM CLASS 1A HARUKO BAKUGO!]
Haru raised his hands and slapped his cheeks. 'Okay. I need to focus. I can't back down!' He entered the stadium and was greeted by cheers.
[AND SECONDLY, BUT NO LESS IMPORTANT! THE GUY WHO LITERALLY SHOCKED HIS LAST OPPONENT! ALSO, FROM CLASS 1A, DENKI KAMINARI!]
Kaminari entered the arena with a confident grin, giving Haru a wave.
"No hard feelings when I win, right?" Kaminari teased as he got in a ready position.
Haru returned the smile, deciding to just live in the moment for now, "Sorry, Kaminari. I made a promise that I'd win this."
Kaminari smirked, "I won't let you win that easy. I've got some aces in the hole that you haven't seen yet."
"BEGIN!"
Haru ran forward intending to land the first strike. Making sure to encase his forearms in a pair of scale-like origami gauntlets.
Electricity crackled as it coated Kaminari's body in an efficient stun armor as he swung a straight kick in Haru's direction.
Haru raised both of his arms vertically in front of his body. Feeling the shock of electricity of Kaminari's Quirk starting to affect him despite the insulation, he used the momentum of the kick to push himself back, creating distance by performing a couple of back handsprings.
Landing in a crouch, Haru extended the gauntlets to form a pair of Neko-te, digging the claws into the ground to keep himself from sliding back further. There was a grating screech a row of claw marks were gouged across the surface of the arena.
'He covered his body with electricity so I can't touch him. Smart. Even with Origami, I can't fully insulate that level of voltage.' Haru's eyes hooded over. 'He's controlling his output so he won't burn out for a good few minutes. Direct combat isn't the best option.'
Kaminari gave Haru a satisfied smirk, "Cool huh? Came up with this at the USJ."
Haru stood up, giving Kaminari a closed-eyed smile as paper began fluttering all around him, "Senbon Shower!"
A series of paper senbon formed and shot straight at Kaminari's figure. Kaminari grinned as his body shifted at an almost unreadable speed to the side, completely avoiding the onslaught.
Haru raised an eyebrow as he directed more senbon in Kaminari's direction. The blonde dodged again before charging directly at the redhead in a streak of yellow lightning, his arm crooked in an upward L-shape. He slammed his upper arm against Haru's ċhėst and with a mighty heave, slammed the other boy's body into the ground.
"LIGHTNING LARIAT!"
The audience cheered their approval as Present Mic screamed, [WHOA! KAMINARI COMPLETELY AVOIDED BAKUGO'S ATTACKS AND MANAGED TO FLOOR HIM!]
Kaminari's ċhėst was heaving as he looked down at Haru's stunned figure. A moment later, however, he realized something wasn't right.
Out of instinct, he rolled forward. Avoiding Haru's heel as it slammed into the ground where he had been kneeling before. He grimaced remembering how many beatings he had been forced to endure at the Shuei-Gumi before learning to detect sneak attacks.
"When did you make a clone?"
It was Haru's turn to smirk, "When I fired off the senbon. You were so absorbed with the obvious attack you missed my backup plan."
Several paper tentacles shot out of Haru's back and wrapped around Kaminari's wrists and ankles.
"Shikigami Dance: Rinkaku Kagune!"
Kaminari didn't have time to dodge as he was suddenly restrained. Not wishing to give up he wrenched his arms in separate directions, sending out a burst of electricity. The Kagune tore and Kaminari was free.
His armor had also faded at that moment
Haru suddenly moved forward, sending a roundhouse to the unguarded Kaminari's head.
Kaminari's eyes widened in shock unable to react before Haru's foot slammed into the side of his skull.
The crowd gasped as Kaminari's body tumbled across the stage like a rag doll.
[OHHHHHHHH! DIRTY MOVE!]
[Hardly.]
Kaminari pushed himself up, his arms trembling as stars filled his vision. The ringing of his ears did little to help him detect Haru as the younger Bakugo flickered to his side.
"Yield."
Kaminari shook his head, his body blurring as he used his electricity to speed himself a short distance away.
Haru eyed his beat-up friend, seeing the swelling on his face, "You probably have a concussion. You can't win at this rate."
Kaminari staggered to his feet, his eyes overshadowed by his hair. "What, and let you win without a fight?" he raised his head, a bright grin plastered on his face, "C'mon! This is the first time I wasn't scared to fight someone!"
Haru gave a soft smile, "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
Kaminari's body began to crackle, "Sorry, but I don't intend to lose."
He sped forward, narrowly missing as Haru rolled on his heel, swaying in place to avoid the strike.
Kaminari gritted his teeth as he slid to a stop. 'Damn! If I can just get one hit on him!' He realized he was at his limits and had only one more shot left before he went dumb.
"You leave my no choice..." he murmured.
There was a sharp crackle as a burst of yellow electricity shot from Kaminari's body.
"Indiscriminate Shock: 1.3 Million Volts!"
Everyone watching gasped in awe at the sudden surge of power rolling off in one gigantic wave towards the redhead.
Haru's eye widened in surprise for a moment but suddenly braced his feet as he raised a hand towards the attack, his index and middle fingers pointed towards the shock wave.
"RAITON!"
A boom of thunder filled the arena as blue lightning appeared on Haru's fingers clashing with Kaminari's
Haru slid back as his lighting chakra clashed with Kaminari's electricity, the blue and yellow energy casting a greenish glow across the arena.
Kaminari was stunned, his mind still just bȧrėly comprehending what just happened
Haru's teeth were gritted together as he felt the burning heat of the clash threatening to scorch his skin. Even so, he was far from finished. With a yell, he pushed his arm forward. There were a shrill wail and the blue lightning pierced through the yellow, forcing it away.
With a heave, Haru shot it all into the sky, creating another boom of thunder as the mixed electric attacks dispersed harmlessly into the open air.
Then there was dead silence...
"Yaaaaay..."
Kaminari gave Haru a thumbs up from where lay on his back, a dopey look on his face.
Haru lowered his head a bit so no one could see the smile on his face, "Thanks for the fight, Kaminari. Harlequin."
There was a swirl of paper as the bear clone rose up and gently placed a restraining paw on the electric blonde's ċhėst.
Midnight snapped her whip, [Kaminari is unable to continue and has been restrained! Bakugo wins!]
Hi guys!
Just letting you know that one of the editors kindly reinstated this story! This fanfic can now accept stones!
Thank you for your support up till now! Early chapter celebration!
By the way... I am making some changes to the canon here concerning Endeavor (kinda). All of this is something I know for a fact can be real so please let me not hear complaining. I take constructive criticism, not trolling. I also am using some manga knowledge for some of this.
***
After Kirishima and Tetsutetsu's match, Izuku stood up from his spot.
"Going to check on your girlfriend, Izu?"
Izuku's face lit up in a bright pink hue at Haru's question, "Huh? Wha-? No! S-she's not my girlfriend!"
Haru wiggled his eyebrows at the blushing teen, "Oh?"
Izuku clenched his fists, his eyes squeezed shut as he weakly pounded at the grinning redhead's shoulder, "I told you, it not like that!"
Haru laughed while the rest of Class 1A looked on in amusement. Ashido was smiling evilly from where she sat in the back as she drew a heart next to the IzuOcha ship on her list.
"Oi, Deku!"
Izuku jumped at the sound of Katsuki's angry voice, "K-Kacchan!"
The elder Bakugo glared at the shorter boy as if he wanted to skin him, "It was your idea, wasn't it? That stupid, desperate plan of hers. You would come up with something that annoying. If we end up–"
"You're wrong," Izuku's demeanor did a 180 as he gave Katsuki a serious look, "Uraraka came up with her plan all on her own. If that battle was harder than you thought it would be, then it's because of her strategy, not mine."
Izuku calmly left to prepare for his next match, even bumping his shoulder against Katsuki's as he walked past. Katsuki gritted his teeth but otherwise didn't react.
'If we meet in the finals, Deku. I'm going to roast you alive.'
Sero tried to break up the tense atmosphere as he grinned at the ash blonde, "Must have been tough playing the villain, Bakugo."
Tsuyu nodded in agreement, "Even if it was because of who you were up against, you did make a pretty convincing bad guy."
Katsuki popped a vein, all thoughts of Izuku purged from his mind, "Shut up, you idiots! Or else!"
Kaminari gave Katsuki a blank look, "For real dude, I don't know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that. I couldn't help but hold back in my match."
Ashido flung her pencil at his head where struck with uncanny accuracy, "Hypocrite!"
The electric blonde flinched as he rubbed the spot the pencil tip had stabbed his scalp, "OW! Can't you just let me have this!"
Haru got a mischievous glint in his eye and placed his hands in a ram seal. 'Transform!'
The smoke cleared to reveal a female version of Haru, her bodily curves complemented perfectly with her gym uniform. It could go without saying, but everyone was stunned at this new development.
Haru pushed a strand of her now shoulder-length hair behind her ear. "Does that mean that if I fight in this form you'd go easy on me, Kaminari?" she gave the teen a closed-eyed smile.
Kaminari, Sero, and Mineta screeched, their nosebleeds spraying blood all over the place.
There was a boom as Katsuki slammed his hand into Haru's gut, blasting him to kingdom come.
Haru's simply scattered into several pieces of paper.
"My, my, jealous are we? Didn't want anyone else to see me like this?" Haru teased as she leaned over Katsuki's shoulder.
"Hey, can you Class 1A rejects quiet down over..." Monona's voice trailed off as his head appeared from behind the divisive wall between the class seating areas.
He stared at Haru, looked at Katsuki, and looked at Haru again.
"What the **** are you doing?"
Haru released the transformation. "Doing my job as class rep," he said nonchalantly.
Monoma raised an eyebrow.
"Class Rep! Behavior such as this is disrespectful and unbefitting of your position," Iida scolded.
Haru was about reply when Katsuki grabbed him on a headlock and wrestled him to the floor. An uproar arose as a result.
"Whoohoo! Fight!" Ashido cheered.
Ojiro frowned at her, "Ashido, don't encourage them."
"A banquet of madness," Tokoyami brooded.
Iida was chopping his arms robotically in agitation, "Desist this conduct at once!"
Even Monoma tried climbing over the wall, "Looks like it's time to settle the score, Bakugo!"
He slumped as Kendo, his class representative, chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out "Behave."
***
(A little later...)
The announcement board blinked and showed the next pairings.
Izuku Midoriya vs Shoto Todoroki
Haruko Bakugo vs Denki Kaminari
Tenya Iida vs Fumikage Tokoyami
Katsuki Bakugo vs Eijiro Kirishima
[NOW, WITH KIRISHIMA'S WIN WITH THE ARM WRESTLING, WE HAVE A FULL ROSTER FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT! IN A FEW MINUTES, WE'LL GET THIS PARTY STARTED! YUH DIG?]
***
Izuku heard Present Mic's announcement from the waiting room where he had been talking to Uraraka.
The brunette gave him an encouraging wave, "I'll be watching. Good luck out there!"
Izuku looked slightly flustered for a moment, then he smiled, "Thanks."
As he shut the door behind him, Izuku's face fell. 'She must be so upset. I thought I could help her in some way. In the end, I didn't do anything for her. Instead, she's cheering me on. She's got my back.' He rubbed his arm across his eyes. 'She's the one encouraging me again.'
His thoughts were cut short when he saw a flame-wreathed figure rounding a corner.
"Endeavor?"
The number two hero seemed to notice him for the first time and recognition flickered in his eyes, "Ah, I was looking for you."
Izuku was mentally screaming and his face showed it, "Uh, yeah, hi... So, what are you doing back here?"
Endeavor's huge frame towered over the now trembling boy, "I watched your fight against the brainwashing guy. Your power is pretty impressive. To create so much wind pressure from just flicking your fingers," the hero's turquoise eyes pierced through Izuku's soul, "It reminds me of another Quirk. You seem to have much in common with All Might."
Izuku hurried past the Flame Hero, avoiding his eyes, "Oh? Well... I guess I never thought about it that way... sorry, but I should get going..."
"It is my Shoto's duty to surpass All Might as the number one hero," Endeavor watched Izuku stop in his tracks, "And his battle with you is a good testing ground for how much training he has left. So, hit him hard. Don't disgrace yourself or him by holding back," he started to walk off, "That's all I wanted to say. I apologize for bothering you."
Izuku hunched his shoulders slightly, "Endeavor..."
"Go to your match, Izu. I'll talk to him."
Bother Izuku and Endeavor turned to see Haru leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his ċhėst. The redhead's amber eyes were glaring thoughtfully at the number two hero.
"Haru-chan?"
"You worry about Todoroki," Haru didn't take his eyes off of the hero, "I want to have a little talk with Endeavor."
Endeavor frowned, "I do not have time to exchange words with you."
The corners of Haru's lips twitched upward ever so slightly, "How rude. I made time for you, you could at least show me the same courtesy."
Izuku felt the domineering aura emanating from the number two hero and felt like shrinking away. Haru didn't flinch as he stared Endeavor down the look in his eyes not matching the expression on his face.
"Shall we watch the next match, Endeavor?"
***
(In the stadium, at Endeavor's private box...)
Haru had used his origami (mixed with a small Transformation Jutsu) to disguise himself in a full-length, white robe. The hood was raised to completely hide his hair. One could not be too careful with the number of cameras and the thousands of probing eyes, especially if your hair color was the kind of red the Uzumaki's are born with.
Endeavor eyed the redheaded boy leaning against the wall from where he stood.
"So Shoto told you both."
Haru didn't bother answering, having already revealing that what he knew to the hero a few moments before.
The number two hero frowned, "I'm not reading judgment in your face."
"On the contrary," Haru pushed himself off the wall. He proceeded to seat himself without invitation, "I very much want to fill you with holes. Luckily for both of us, I'm not an idiot and don't want to go to jail. So, I'm compromising by having this talk with you because I have some questions."
Endeavor sighed, feeling that his hands were tied. The boy knew the truth about his family situation. If the hero refused to comply, the kid could easily ruin his reputation. Silencing him wasn't an option, the boy had too many powerful friends, something which Endeavor had admittedly been jealous of in the past.
The hero sat himself down in the seat next to Haru, "I don't need to answer to a child's sense of justice. Don't waste my time. There is no point in explaining things that do not need explaining."
Haru looked at Endeavor from the corner of his eye, "You can drop the act. I can sense you are lying. You make it look like you don't care, but you're actually drowning in desperation."
"Don't get ċȯċky, brat," Endeavor growled, "If that's what you think, you are dead wrong."
Haru sighed, leaning his head back for a moment, "He isn't All Might, you know."
Endeavor looked over at Haru, "What? What are you talking about?"
"The same goes for your son. He may be your flesh and blood, but he isn't you."
Endeavor didn't answer for a moment and the expression in his eyes calmed a little "...I have no intention of Shoto becoming me... I want him to surpass me."
Haru looked at the hero's unusually passive features, sensing a softness and regret under all the pride, "But is it all worth it? All the pain, all the loneliness, all the hatred directed towards you?"
"It doesn't matter how I feel as long as Shoto surpasses All Might."
"So, the rest of your family's crushed hopes and dreams mean nothing?"
Endeavor frowned, giving the boy a stern look, "It's too late to fix things now."
"You don't believe that. You're just afraid of facing them."
Endeavor's flames blazed dangerously, "Are you implying that I'm a coward!"
Haru felt the heat rising from the enraged hero and felt the sudden surge of harmful intent directed towards him. Without realizing it, Endeavor had allowed himself to open up a little, revealing the hero's true feelings under his angry facade. It was as if he was baring his soul to the harsh scrutiny of Haru's sensory.
"You were afraid of failing as a father, so you pushed away your family. You failed at becoming number one so you took all your frustration and anger out on them until you realized too late that you had broken them. You don't know how to do anything in life besides climbing to the top so that's the only way you are able to express yourself."
Endeavor's flames declined as a shocked look appeared on his face, "How?"
"After you realized your mistake, you didn't stop and pretended not to care, hoping to use your children's hatred towards you to push them to surpass you. You knew you cannot redeem yourself after what you did. You felt you didn't deserve redemption and wanted them to hate you."
Endeavor looked stunned but managed to recover a little of his composure, "Who told you to say this?" his voice was stern, "There is no way this is a guess."
Haru shrugged, "Your emotions are an open book."
"I see..." Endeavor wasn't entirely convinced.
There was a short silence.
"Your wife... Did you love her?"
Haru felt a heavy sense of sorrow come in from Endeavor although the hero's face remained expressionless.
"I treated her like a tool because I wanted her Quirk. What I called love was just some sick obsession, and yet... I loved her... I just never knew how much until she left... What I did cannot be undone. I broke her beyond repair."
Haru closed his eyes letting out a slow sigh, "Endeavor, as one of the top three heroes, you are aware of my true identity. Let me share something I learned with the knowledge from my world. If you let guilt and denial rule your choices, you will really become the monster you fear. I'm only a kid, I don't know how it feels to experience what you feel or do what you did."
"That's right, you don't," Endeavor replied scathingly.
"That's why I can say it's better to fix your mistakes instead of running from them. I don't need to understand to tell you the truth."
The Flame Hero looked at the boy sternly, "Why are you so concerned about this?"
"I'm a selfish person, Endeavor. My family was broken and destroyed before I could remember them. I got a second chance. I want to give others a second chance," a guilty look appeared on his face and he rubbed his neck, glancing in the direction of his class. "I'm also avoiding someone right now."
Endeavor grunted but didn't say anything.
"Only you can fix your family, Endeavor. If you can't find redemption, then find atonement. You need to give your family closure. If you don't, no one will, and the consequences of that will haunt you forever."
Endeavor sighed, "Even if I decided to listen to your naivety, Shoto would never accept it. The hatred and bitterness he holds against me runs too deep."
Haru suddenly smirked, "Don't worry about Shoto. He's in good hands."
The sound of widespread cheers roared across the arena.
Present Mic raised his hands in the air as he cheered along with the spectators, [I CAN FEEL THE ANTICIPATION IN THE STADIUM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE SECOND ROUND'S FIRST MATCH IS GONNA BE EPIC!]
Haru and Endeavor stopped talking and focused their attention on the two figures entering the field.
[IT'S THE GUY WHO WON HIS LAST FIGHT BY A LANDSLIDE AND LITERALLY LEFT HALF OF THE AUDIENCE FROZEN! THE HERO COURSE'S SHOTO TODOROKI!]
Todoroki's face was calm as he approached the arena stage.
[AND THIS KID ALMOST WALKED OUT OF HIS FIRST MATCHUP BUT MADE A SPINNING COMEBACK WITH SOME IMPRESSIVE MOVES. ALSO, FROM THE HERO COURSE, IZUKU MIDORIYA!]
Izuku's face was determined as he stood opposite Todoroki.
Haru couldn't help but quote the famous line from the Two Towers, "So it begins..."
***
Play: Deku vs Todoroki Theme Song: youtu.be/nCLJ53uvLsg
***
Todroki's expression hardened as he glared at his opponent, "So here we are."
"And only one of us can win," Izuku finished.
***
Endeavor didn't take his eyes off of his son, "Tell me. How do you think this match will go?"
Haru crossed his arms thoughtfully, "It will depend on whether Izuku will be able to get close to Todoroki."
Endeavor snorted, "And that won't happen."
Haru shrugged, hiding his worry, "Maybe."
***
[BOTH OF THE HEROES IN TRAINING HAVE BEEN FRONT-RUNNERS IN THE SPORTS FESTIVAL, BUT WHICH ONE OF THESE RIVALS WILL ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ROUND?]
Both boys got into fighting positions.
[BEGIN!]
There was a rumble, and a wave of ice shot towards Izuku. The green-haired teen raised a hand, supporting it with the other, and flicked a finger.
The blast of pure power shattered the Todoroki's attack and sent gusts of icy wind all across the stadium. Todoroki was pushed back by the force and only kept himself from getting pushed from the arena by bracing himself from behind with an ice wall.
Izuku's face was twisted in pain, his broken finger heavily discolored.
[WHOA! MIDORIYA MANAGED TO BREAK TODOROKI'S INSANE OPENING MOVE!]
Todoroki glared at Izuku and sent another powerful wave of ice. Izuku repeated that same move, breaking a second finger.
[HE COUNTERED AGAIN!]
Izuku gritted his teeth. Biting back the pain that shot through his fractured fingers. His mind raced as he tried to figure out Todoroki's weakness.
Todoroki let out an icy breath, "Let's continue."
The duel-Quirked teen shifted his right foot, sending a wave of ice yet again.
"SMASH!"
A blast of air blasted it away as Izuku broke a third finger.
***
Kirishima was late for the start of the match.
He ran into his classmates' seating area, a look of dismay on his face, "Oh no, crap! I'm missing it!"
Kaminari pulled his gaze from the fight to look at the redhead, "Hey! Nice job making it to the second round, Kirishima!"
Kirishima gave Kaminari a sharky grin, "Thanks, man!" he motioned his head at Katsuki, "It looks like I take Bakubro down next!"
Katsuki's eyes stayed riveted on the match below them as he answered, "I'll kill you."
Kirishima laughed goodnaturedly. "Heh! Yeah sure, in your dreams," he sobered a little, "But seriously, it's crazy how you and Todoroki both have moves that blast the whole stadium. Must be pretty nice."
"Plus, you don't have to pause between attacks," Sero griped, still a little put out from his earlier loss.
Katsuki's expression didn't change, "It's not as easy as you think, you morons."
Kirishima blinked in confusion, "Hmm?"
"If you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them apart. If you sprint too much, you run out of breath," Katsuki leaned his elbows on his knees, "Quirks are physical abilities too. They can get worn out. You can't just use them nonstop."
"Makes sense if you put it that way," Kirishima agreed, now understanding. He sent a thoughtful look towards the arena, "I wonder if that's how Midoriya thinks he's going to beat Todoroki."
***
Todoroki had the exact same thought as he faced Izuku.
"You want an endurance match," he braced his body to attack, "But I'll end this quickly."
He sent an even larger wave of ice towards Izuku.
Izuku flicked the last finger of his right hand, causing the ice the explode.
Todoroki braced his feet and sprinted forward, creating a ramp of ice as he ran.
[TODOROKI WITHSTOOD MIDORIYA'S POWER AND IS NOW RUSHING HIS CLASSMATE!]
Izuku quickly switched to using his left hand, flicking away the ramp before it could reach him. Todoroki leaped off of his ice just as it flew the pieces, raising his arm to attack. Izuku launched himself back, narrowly avoiding Todoroki's downward strike.
It was lucky he did. The instant Todoroki's hand touched the ground, ice blossomed around the heterochromatic-eyed boy's arm. However, Todoroki wasn't finished. The ice blossom spread in Izuku's direction, managing to latch onto the boy's leg while he was still in midair.
Throwing caution to the wind, Izuku clenched his left hand and sent a fully powered punch in Todoroki's direction.
The blast eliminated the ice and sent Todoroki sitting back, even with his ice walls slowing his movement towards the edge. He came to a stop a short space to the far edge. The dust settled showing him slumped against the surviving remnant of his wall, making many people mistake him to be unconscious.
"That was much more powerful than any of your previous attacks," Todoroki pushed himself to his feet, "You're trying to keep me away... Smart."
***
Haru and Endeavor hadn't taken their eyes off the match since it had started.
"I must admit, your son is very impressive, Endeavor," Haru commented, "It's not just his Quirk that is powerful, his judgment and reasoning are pretty incredible. His mobility could use some work though. Either way, he's better than the average pro."
Endeavor grunted, "As I said. Shoto was trained to surpass both me and All Might."
"And yet, he still refuses to use his full power."
Endeavor grimaced at that, "It's just a passing phase of rebellion."
"You know, you really need to work on your people skills."
The number two hero raised an eyebrow at the teen's way too innocent look under the hood, "You're one to talk."
"For your information, I have excellent people skills… most of the time."
***
Todoroki glanced up at the flame-wreathed figure among the audience noting the glowering expression. He turned his gaze back at Izuku.
"I'm sorry about this, but thanks for drawing it out," he leaned his head in Endeavor's direction, "Look at him. He's furious I'm not using his power."
Izuku snuck a glance and noted a familiar figure sitting next to the number two hero. 'I don't think that's why he looks angry...'
Unaware that he was the only one out of the loop, Todoroki continued belittling Izuku, "With your hands all broken, you can't fight anymore, can you? Why don't we end this?"
A stream of spiked ice pillars shot forward, growing in size as they got closer to Izuku's bowed form.
[WHOAHOHO! TODOROKI CONTINUES HIS OVERWHELMING ATTACK! COULD THIS BE HIS FINISHING MOVE?]
Izuku raised his head, a fierce look in his eyes, "...I am not done yet!"
An overwhelming blast of wind obliterated the ice and sent Todoroki flying towards the edge. The bicolor-haired boy bȧrėly kept himself from tumbling out of bounds by the hastily created ice wall he created just inches from the boundary line.
Everyone gasped in shock upon seeing the index finger on Izuku's right hand. It was an even deeper purple than the rest of his finger. Izuku had used his already broken finger and broke it again to counterattack Todoroki's move!
"You're trembling... Todoroki..."
Todoroki's face lit up in shock at the words.
"It's easy to forget that Quirks are physical abilities," Izuku bit down a hiss of pain, "And that means... there's a limit to the cold your body can take, right? I get it. Usually, you make up for the drop of temperature using the heat from your left side... but you refuse to do that now."
Todoroki gritted his teeth in frustration, for it was the truth.
Izuku wasn't done, however, as he looked at his damaged hand, "Listen. We're all giving it our all to try and win... To make out reams into a reality... To become number one. Do you think you can win with half your strength? Look at me Todoroki," he clenched his fist. "You haven't managed to land a single scratch on me yet," he raised his voice to the point that everyone can hear, "SO COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!"
Todoroki's eyes hardened, "Midoriya, what are you trying to do here? You want my fire?" An enraged look appeared on his face, "What, did my monster of a dad bribe you or something?" He ran forward, anger apparent on his face, "Now I'm mad!"
Now everyone saw it. It hadn't been noticeable before, but Todoroki's movements had been getting slower.
Izuku waited until the opportune moment just when Todoroki was most vulnerable. With a quick spring forward, he closed to distance.
Todoroki's eyes widened in realization. 'The instant I lifted my right foot! He's coming!'
Izuku's face was in complete focus as he remembered a piece of advice given to him several months before.
***
(Several months previously...)
Haru blocked another punch and sent Izuku spinning to the ground.
"You're doing it wrong, Izu. Stop copying another person's style when your body isn't built for it yet."
"You need to keep your form loose, Young Midoriya," All Might called out from the sidelines.
Haru sent the hero a meaningful look, "You're not helping."
The Symbol of Peace deflated, quite literally, "Sorry..."
Haru looked back at Izuku, "You can throw a punch, but you can't put enough power behind it yet. Let's try something else. Get ready."
Izuku got into an attack stance and sent a roundhouse kick to Haru's body.
Haru moved forward, throwing Izuku of balance. With an open palm, he struck Izuku in the ċhėst. The force of the strick sent the mossy-haired boy tumbling back a good distance, the wind forced from his lungs.
All Might gaped at the force of such a simple blow, "What move was that?"
Haru calmly moved forward and placed a hand on Izuku's back, "Just a simple palm strike. I once heard of a clan that specialized in a fighting style called the Gentle Fist. It required minimal contact but had major consequences for the ones on the receiving end. I cannot replicate their complete fighting style, but it is very similar to Baguazhang."
Izuku finally got some breath back but was unable to speak, "..."
Haru bopped Izuku over the head, "You're too small to use raw strength for now. Someone of your type doesn't have enough force to throw an effective punch to end a fight just yet. The palm strike focuses the weight of your body into the heel of the palm of your hand. If used right, it will push an enemy back to create distance. Unfortunately, it only works best at close quarters."
Izuku rubbed his still sore ċhėst, "It felt like I was being pushed back by air."
Haru grinned, "I simply demonstrated what happens when you mix in a little power into the strike and distribute it into the entire arm. It's called..."
***
Izuku unclenched his right hand, bringing his open palm forward to strike, veins of power trailed up his arm, spread across his entire hand.
"Eight Trigrams Air Palm!"
A compact blast of air hit Todoroki square in the ċhėst knocking him off his feet.
Izuku gave a sharp cry of pain. I didn't break any bones, but the pain...
***
Haru sat up in surprise, "That move!"
Endeavor furrowed his brow as he also realized Izuku's hand hadn't gained any more significant damage, "He spread out the power of his attack through his whole arm so it wouldn't break. An admirable move but a little late."
Haru deadpanned, "He's surprisingly stubborn about using new moves until forced to use them. Improvising yes, but a different fighting style, no. I'm surprised he used it. On top of that, the pain of him using it defeats the point by now."
For the first time, Endeavor smirked, "It seems we both have students in a rebellious phase."
Haru glowered in annoyance, "In case you didn't know, I hate you."
"Brat."
***
If looks could kill, Todoroki's glare would have sent Izuku six feet under. The dual Quirk user coughed as he picked himself up. With another shift of his foot, he sent a stream of ice in Izuku's direction. Izuku jumped to the side, dodging it easily.
'The ice attacks aren't moving as fast now.' Izuku stepped back as Todoroki closed in on him again, trying to freeze him at point black range.
"Air Palm!"
Both boys were knocked back from the blast. Izuku screamed in pain as his over-stimulated nerves sent waves of burning pain along his injured arm.
Todoroki sent more ice.
Not having time to build up power, Izuku stuck his undamaged thumb into his check, "SMASH!"
Todoroki smashed against an ice wall once again. He looked at Izuku, seeing how damaged his hands were, "Why are you putting yourself through this?"
"I want to live up to people's expectations," Izuku answered as he ran forward again, "I want to be able to smile while doing something good for them! I want to be a pro... whatever it takes to be a hero!"
Todoroki looked dazed for a moment, a flash of memory from his childhood flickering through his mind.
Izuku bowed down and headbutted into Todoroki's stomach. "That's why I'll give it my all just like you should be!" he lowered his voice, "There's no way I can know what you've gone through or why you are even here. Your life has been so much different than mine... but now you need to stop screwing around. If you want to reject your father, fine, but you don't have the right to be number one if you aren't going to use your full power!" He drove a powered-up fist into Todoroki's stomach, "THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO WIN THIS AND SURPASS YOU!"
***
Flashback...
A young Shoto Todoroki cried in his mother's arms as she ran a comforting hand through his hair.
"Just remember. Stay true to yourself. You can be the kind of hero you want to be when you grow up."
*
Todoroki fought back tears of pain from the burn on the left side of the face. The bandages clearly showed how large the damage was.
Endeavor frowned as he looked down at his son, "Moronic woman. To hurt you at such an important time."
"Where did mama go?" Torodoki's voice was almost dead.
Endeavor frowned, "She hurt my masterpiece so I put her in a hospital to keep you safe."
Todoroki clenched his fists in anger. "That was your fault," tears of rage flowed from his eyes, soaking the bandage, "You're the one who made her hurt me!"
***
Present...
Todoroki coughed forcing himself to not look in his father's direction. I will reject you.
"I refuse... to use my left side..."
Izuku gave a low growl of anger from deep inside his ċhėst, "IT'S YOURS! YOUR QUIRK NOT HIS!"
***
Haru's gaze bored into Todoroki's soul.
"I fight with all the power they passed on to me so as not to repeat their mistakes. I can't change what they did. I am fighting because I never want this world to experience what mine has," the boy's amber-colored eyes glinted in the light, "I'm here because others supported me. For their sake, I will fight and win. If you refuse to fight me or Katsuki at full power. You will lose."
***
A sudden wave of heat engulfed the arena as flames burst from Todoroki's left side.
Present Mic voiced everyone's surprise, [WHOA! IS THAT...?] he couldn't find the words to describe it.
Izuku held an arm over his face to shield himself from the scorching air.
Todoroki had a look of confusion and wonder on his face as he faced Izuku. "Helping your opponent," the frost that had spread across the dual Quirked teen's body melted away, "You fool. Even though you want to win this battle... now which one of us is screwing around?" Izuku could only gaze in wonder at the uncontrolled flames coming from Todoroki''s body as he continued, "I want it too... I'll be a hero!"
Izuku's face lit up into a feral grin and Todoroki matched it.
***
Endeavor smiled, his face full of pride, "SHOTO!" the Flame Hero stood up as he yelled out encouragement towards his son, all previous cares forgotten at the sight of his son's accomplishment, "Now you've finally accepted your power. This is a dawn of a new era for us! With the blood that runs in your veins, you will surpass me!"
[ENDEAVOR SUDDENLY SHOUTS WORDS OF... ENCOURAGEMENT? WHAT A DOTING FATHER!]
***
Izuku had only one word to describe the power in front of him, "Amazing..."
"Why are you smiling?" the question made the green-haired boy frown in confusion as Todoroki continued to let off continuous amounts of ice and fire from his body, "With those injuries. In this hopeless situation. You must be crazy." Todoroki sank into an attacking stance while Izuku did the same, "Don't blame me for what happens next."
The ground shook as ice and fire flared around Todoroki and Izuku activated his Quirk to one hundred percent.
Cementoss slammed his hands on the ground, "That's it, Midnight! One of them could be killed!"
Midnight ripped the material on the sleeve of her costume, letting out a cloud of violet-colored mist, "Their bodies won't hold up!"
A concentrated wave of ice, much bigger than all of the previous ones in the match thundered across the arena like a sentient glacier.
Izuku blasted from where he stood the force of his jump sending him flying over the ice field as he channeled all the power of his Quirk into his right arm for a final strike.
Todoroki's figured was engulfed in flames as he raised his hand. 'I see now, Midoriya. Thank you...'
The two cataclysmic forces threatened to clash and destroy everything around them before several immense walls of cement rose up between them. Even so, Cementoss's walls crumbled under the force of the two attacks and only served to blunt the destruction caused.
An intense light flashed as the arena imploded on itself, scattering cement shards everywhere.
A wailing alarm blared as Aizawa pressed a red buŧŧon, activating the emergency plasma shields to protect the spectators from the debris. The cement pieces turned to dust upon contact, but the shields weren't able to block the full force of the shockwave.
***
The dust began to settle revealing the results of the clash.
[What happened just now...?] Present Mic's loud voice was much deflated from where he lay, his seat having been sent tumbling back from the shock wave, [What the heck is up with these students?]
Erasure Head sat calmly, having weathered the whole scenario, [The air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down and then rapidly expanded when heated up.]
[WAIT! THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSION? HOW HOT DID THAT FIRE GET? GEEZ, I CAN'T SEE A THING! IS THE MATCH STILL GOING ON OR WHAT?]
The plasma barrier faded, having fulfilled its purpose.
Midnight picked herself up with a groan. She peered through the smoke and caught a glimpse of something.
Izuku stood slumped against the wall completely unconscious.
The heroine's voice was almost stuttering with suppressed shock, [There... Midoriya is... Out of bounds!]
Unable to support itself, Izuku's body went limp and began to fall.
There was a flicker of white as a figure in a full-length hooded robe caught him, letting the teen rest on his back. Without a word, the unidentified person picked up the injured Izuku in a piggyback and walked out of the stadium.
Midnight caught a glimpse of the person's face and allowed the action. She looked over at Todoroki and saw a carbon copy supporting Todoroki, who was still bȧrėly standing, [Todoroki wins! He advances to the third round!]
The crowd cheered their support and appreciation for the hard-fought match.
***
Haru's clones helped both Izuku and Todoroki off the stage the former making a beeline for Recovery Girl's office while the latter made do with just leaving the arena.
Todoroki gave the clone a calm look as they reached the tunnel, "I can walk on my own."
The clone complied and stepped away from the bicolor-haired boy, "You will need to rest. Your next round may end up just as difficult," it spoke, disguising its voice.
"Who are you?" Todoroki peered at the clone, trying got to see the face hidden underneath.
"A student of Recovery Girls," it glanced over its shoulder at the presence of a fire wreathed figure, "I will leave you both for now."
The clone walked past the hero and rounded the corner where it dispersed in a rustle of paper.
Endeavor crossed his arms over his ċhėst, a small smile lightening his features. Todoroki couldn't remember ever having this expression on his father's face before.
"What's the matter? Not going to tell me to get lost?" there was a hint of amusement in Endeavor's voice. He sobered slightly as he glanced at his son's burned uniform, "You need to learn to control your left side. It's dangerous to use so much energy like that, but I'm glad you're seeing reason. Now that you've abandoned your childish rebellion we can get back to what's important." Endeavor held out a hand, "After you graduate, you will work by my side. I will lead you down the path of the mighty, Shoto."
"I haven't abandoned anything."
Endeavor's smile dropped.
Todoroki looked at his left-hand thoughtfully, "You're a fool to think my feelings can so easily be reversed. Instead... out there... for that one moment... I forgot all about you."
Endeavor's eye's widened.
Todoroki walked past his father, not sparing him a glance, "Whether that is good or bad, I don't know. Maybe I don't need you."
As his son's footsteps faded away, Endeavor smiled in satisfaction to himself. 'He's mȧturėd. It seems that the mistakes that I made can be fixed little by little. Thank you, Izuku Midoriya.'
"Did you tell him that you were proud of him?" Haru's voice sounded from behind him.
"I forfeited that right long ago. He is his own person. Whether he decides to use me to achieve his goals or not is his choice."
The redhead sighed, as he began to disperse into a cloud of buŧŧerflies, "I won't say anything. It is all up to you and your family from here. I'll just be an outsider."
Endeavor grunted, "I'll try. Promise me one thing."
"Yes?"
"Support my son if you can."
Haru smiled before his face started to peel away, "Of course."
***
(Recovery Girl's office...)
Haru's clone kicked open the door and hurried into the room.
Recovery Girl was already waiting, motioning at a nearby bed, "Place him there."
The clone gently unslung Izuku from its shoulders and laid him down on the bed. Izuku's eyelids trembled as he slowly began to wake up. The clone gave a sad sigh and dispersed.
A moment later, Haru burst into the room, still clutching his head from receiving the clone's memories. "Izu!" he paled at Izuku's injuries, "I didn't realize his injuries would be this bad at first. His body..."
He held out his hands a green chakra encasing his palms.
Recovery Girl smacked his arms down, "No."
Haru looked taken aback, "What? Why?"
Recovery Girl looked stern, "Your Mystical Palm is still incomplete and may cause more harm than good with this kind of damage. Don't even think about using the Heal Bite either. I forbid you from using it more than once a day unless it is a life or death situation. Your body and that seal of yours won't be able to take it. We just don't have the data to ensure success."
Haru looked devastated.
The old heroine gave him a comforting pat, "He'll be alright. I may not be able to heal all the damage, but he will recover."
She didn't sugarcoat it. Izuku would be healed, but there was possibly lasting damage from this fight. Scarring was definitely unavoidable at this point. However, Recovery Girl wasn't a licensed healer for show.
"Your match is next. Prepare yourself."
Haru gave Izuku one last look and open the door to leave. He almost bumped into a deflated All Might and slid around the hero in a single smooth moment, "Excuse me."
The Symbol of Peace watched his student leave, a look of concern on his face.
***
Play: Aggressive Battle Music: Flash Point by Robert Slump: youtu.be/Dn4F42bG9Dg
***
(A while later...)
[THANKS FOR WAITING WHILE WE REPAIRED THE FIGHTING STAGE... AGAIN! NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE SECOND MATCH OF THIS ROUND! LET'S HOPE THIS ONE DOESN'T DESTROY THE STADIUM THIS TIME!]
The crowd cheered as Haru and Kaminari's pictures appeared on the announcement screen.
[FIRST OFF, THE BOY WHOSE SHOWS UNUSUAL BRUTALITY TOWARDS HIS OPPONENTS BUT COMPASSION TOWARDS THE DEFEATED! FROM CLASS 1A HARUKO BAKUGO!]
Haru raised his hands and slapped his cheeks. 'Okay. I need to focus. I can't back down!' He entered the stadium and was greeted by cheers.
[AND SECONDLY, BUT NO LESS IMPORTANT! THE GUY WHO LITERALLY SHOCKED HIS LAST OPPONENT! ALSO, FROM CLASS 1A, DENKI KAMINARI!]
Kaminari entered the arena with a confident grin, giving Haru a wave.
"No hard feelings when I win, right?" Kaminari teased as he got in a ready position.
Haru returned the smile, deciding to just live in the moment for now, "Sorry, Kaminari. I made a promise that I'd win this."
Kaminari smirked, "I won't let you win that easy. I've got some aces in the hole that you haven't seen yet."
"BEGIN!"
Haru ran forward intending to land the first strike. Making sure to encase his forearms in a pair of scale-like origami gauntlets.
Electricity crackled as it coated Kaminari's body in an efficient stun armor as he swung a straight kick in Haru's direction.
Haru raised both of his arms vertically in front of his body. Feeling the shock of electricity of Kaminari's Quirk starting to affect him despite the insulation, he used the momentum of the kick to push himself back, creating distance by performing a couple of back handsprings.
Landing in a crouch, Haru extended the gauntlets to form a pair of Neko-te, digging the claws into the ground to keep himself from sliding back further. There was a grating screech a row of claw marks were gouged across the surface of the arena.
'He covered his body with electricity so I can't touch him. Smart. Even with Origami, I can't fully insulate that level of voltage.' Haru's eyes hooded over. 'He's controlling his output so he won't burn out for a good few minutes. Direct combat isn't the best option.'
Kaminari gave Haru a satisfied smirk, "Cool huh? Came up with this at the USJ."
Haru stood up, giving Kaminari a closed-eyed smile as paper began fluttering all around him, "Senbon Shower!"
A series of paper senbon formed and shot straight at Kaminari's figure. Kaminari grinned as his body shifted at an almost unreadable speed to the side, completely avoiding the onslaught.
Haru raised an eyebrow as he directed more senbon in Kaminari's direction. The blonde dodged again before charging directly at the redhead in a streak of yellow lightning, his arm crooked in an upward L-shape. He slammed his upper arm against Haru's ċhėst and with a mighty heave, slammed the other boy's body into the ground.
"LIGHTNING LARIAT!"
The audience cheered their approval as Present Mic screamed, [WHOA! KAMINARI COMPLETELY AVOIDED BAKUGO'S ATTACKS AND MANAGED TO FLOOR HIM!]
Kaminari's ċhėst was heaving as he looked down at Haru's stunned figure. A moment later, however, he realized something wasn't right.
Out of instinct, he rolled forward. Avoiding Haru's heel as it slammed into the ground where he had been kneeling before. He grimaced remembering how many beatings he had been forced to endure at the Shuei-Gumi before learning to detect sneak attacks.
"When did you make a clone?"
It was Haru's turn to smirk, "When I fired off the senbon. You were so absorbed with the obvious attack you missed my backup plan."
Several paper tentacles shot out of Haru's back and wrapped around Kaminari's wrists and ankles.
"Shikigami Dance: Rinkaku Kagune!"
Kaminari didn't have time to dodge as he was suddenly restrained. Not wishing to give up he wrenched his arms in separate directions, sending out a burst of electricity. The Kagune tore and Kaminari was free.
His armor had also faded at that moment
Haru suddenly moved forward, sending a roundhouse to the unguarded Kaminari's head.
Kaminari's eyes widened in shock unable to react before Haru's foot slammed into the side of his skull.
The crowd gasped as Kaminari's body tumbled across the stage like a rag doll.
[OHHHHHHHH! DIRTY MOVE!]
[Hardly.]
Kaminari pushed himself up, his arms trembling as stars filled his vision. The ringing of his ears did little to help him detect Haru as the younger Bakugo flickered to his side.
"Yield."
Kaminari shook his head, his body blurring as he used his electricity to speed himself a short distance away.
Haru eyed his beat-up friend, seeing the swelling on his face, "You probably have a concussion. You can't win at this rate."
Kaminari staggered to his feet, his eyes overshadowed by his hair. "What, and let you win without a fight?" he raised his head, a bright grin plastered on his face, "C'mon! This is the first time I wasn't scared to fight someone!"
Haru gave a soft smile, "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
Kaminari's body began to crackle, "Sorry, but I don't intend to lose."
He sped forward, narrowly missing as Haru rolled on his heel, swaying in place to avoid the strike.
Kaminari gritted his teeth as he slid to a stop. 'Damn! If I can just get one hit on him!' He realized he was at his limits and had only one more shot left before he went dumb.
"You leave my no choice..." he murmured.
There was a sharp crackle as a burst of yellow electricity shot from Kaminari's body.
"Indiscriminate Shock: 1.3 Million Volts!"
Everyone watching gasped in awe at the sudden surge of power rolling off in one gigantic wave towards the redhead.
Haru's eye widened in surprise for a moment but suddenly braced his feet as he raised a hand towards the attack, his index and middle fingers pointed towards the shock wave.
"RAITON!"
A boom of thunder filled the arena as blue lightning appeared on Haru's fingers clashing with Kaminari's
Haru slid back as his lighting chakra clashed with Kaminari's electricity, the blue and yellow energy casting a greenish glow across the arena.
Kaminari was stunned, his mind still just bȧrėly comprehending what just happened
Haru's teeth were gritted together as he felt the burning heat of the clash threatening to scorch his skin. Even so, he was far from finished. With a yell, he pushed his arm forward. There were a shrill wail and the blue lightning pierced through the yellow, forcing it away.
With a heave, Haru shot it all into the sky, creating another boom of thunder as the mixed electric attacks dispersed harmlessly into the open air.
Then there was dead silence...
"Yaaaaay..."
Kaminari gave Haru a thumbs up from where lay on his back, a dopey look on his face.
Haru lowered his head a bit so no one could see the smile on his face, "Thanks for the fight, Kaminari. Harlequin."
There was a swirl of paper as the bear clone rose up and gently placed a restraining paw on the electric blonde's ċhėst.
Midnight snapped her whip, [Kaminari is unable to continue and has been restrained! Bakugo wins!]
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