BNHA: Singularity

Though he still intended to get his hands on the 10,000,425-point headband, Bakugo temporarily had to retreat since his forearms were beginning to cramp due to overusing his Quirk.
With the pressure off of them, at least for a moment, Tsuyu and Ochaco helped Toru right herself. In the process, two very soft objects touched the back of his head as Toru exhaled a sigh of relief and said, "That was terrifying..." in a slightly shaken tone.
Maintaining his focus, Izuku said, "It's not over yet. Even Mineta's Quirk can be troublesome if utilized properly, so let's stay on our toes!"
As if in response to Izuku's words, the ground beneath them began to soften like thick mud, the result of a somewhat scary-looking youth with teeth on the outside of his mouth utilizing his Quirk. However, instead of attacking, it was a completely different group, comprised entirely of girls from Class 1-B, that made a push for the 10,000,425-point headband.
Supported by a gloomy-looking girl with grey hair, a green-haired girl with pointed teeth, and a diminutive girl with mushroom-like brown hair, a very sporty-looking girl with teal eyes and orange hair tied in a side ponytail on the left side of her head, shouted, "Sorry about colluding, but we can't let Class 1-A hog all the limelight...!" while growing her right hand to the size of a car door.
Though he only remembered that the orange-haired girl was named Kendo, Izuku had a vague impression of the other three girls' Quirks, shouting, "Secure the headband...!" as he kicked some of the mud-like goop around his feet at the approaching girls. Others might have trouble moving in the swamp-like environment, but it gave Izuku a much-needed way to repel attacking enemies.
Using her oversized hand, Kendo managed to block most of Izuku's 'surprise' attack by leaning forward and covering her horse's, Yanagi's, face and upper body. The lower halves of the three girls supporting her got 'muddy,' but as aspiring Pro Heroes, it would take more than a bit of dirt and grime to deter them.
What Kendo hadn't anticipated was that while she was busy protecting her team, a whip-like tongue would come out of nowhere, snatching her headband and inadvertently unfastening her ponytail.
Amidst the confusion, Izuku said, "Sorry, but I'm not the only capable person on our team. You'll need to do much better than that if you want to steal our headband."
Punctuating his statement, Izuku leaped into the air, aided by Ochaco using her Quirk to make herself, Tsuyu, and Toru functionally weightless. He had no intentions of staying in the air, but the liquefied terrain would become an extreme detriment if someone like Sero, Mineta, or the glue-spewing member of Class 1-B showed up.
As if reading Izuku's mind, the team comprised of Mina, Sero, Kirishima, and Tokoyami came charging at them the moment they landed. Mina was the group's rider, Kirishima was the horse, and Tokoyami and Sero were in the somewhat enviable position of providing support. With the former being able to harden his body and the latter two's Quirks allowing them to manipulate a powerful shadow beast and exceptionally durable tape, they were an exceptionally powerful combination.
Unleashing a veritable torrent of viscous, pH-neutral acid, Mina, smiling like an imp, exclaimed, "Sorry, Izuku, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Toru-chan, but this is a competition, after all! No hard feelings, okay~!?"
"I hope you feel the same way...!" shouted Izuku, kicking his foot out to repel Mina's acid with a blast of wind pressure. As a result, the acid goop intended for his team ended up covering Mina's. Seeing the latter covered in a viscous liquid was a fairly captivating sight, but the same couldn't be said for the boys. In fact, Izuku felt genuinely apologetic toward Sero and Tokoyami when he saw the two of them with deadpan, slightly accusatory looks on their faces. As for Kirishima, Izuku felt like he had done the boy a favor since he currently had an excited grin on his face...
"Dekuuuuuu...!"
Conveniently announcing his presence, Bakugo came charging at Izuku and his group for the second, or was it the third time? Either way, Izuku was starting to get annoyed as the Cavalry Event was far more limiting to his abilities than he expected. If he had selected just a single teammate to give a piggyback ride, specifically Tsuyu, they would have been able to dart around the battlefield, potentially snatching every other headband...
("I 'really' need to awaken Blackwhip...") thought Izuku, turning to meet Bakugo with a fierce resolution on his face. However, what awaited him the moment he turned around was a desolate landscape enveloped by a storm-like swirl of purple energy...
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"..."
Looking down at his body, enveloped by a dark-green haze veiling what appeared to be glowing green pathways reminiscent of a circuit board, Izuku thought, ("I really must have inherited the fate of the Protagonist. This timing is way too convenient...")
"Hey, you! The Ninth Wielder...!"
Turning his head, Izuku found a large muscular man with a bald head, square jaw, and beady blue eyes walking toward him. He looked like a generic street thug or a biker at first glance, especially with his leather jacket, pants, boots, and a bandolier around his chest, but he gave off a strangely 'friendly' aura despite shouting, "Even if that Quirk of yours is super amazing, you can't become complacent! The easier things are for you, the harder you need to work! The moment you let your guard down, that's it! You're done...!"
Opening his mouth, Izuku attempted to speak but found himself unable to. The bald man, seemingly noticing this, adopted an uncanny yet gentle smile as he said, "You won't be able to act freely in this place just yet. The power inside of you, the Singularity serving as the core of One-for-All, has only just begun to stir. I'd like to explain more, but I don't have much time. For now, let's focus on my Quirk."
Raising his right hand, palm up, the thug-like man generated several tendrils of black, teal-tinged energy as he explained, "This is Blackwhip, an Emission-type Quirk that allows you to produce and manipulate energy tendrils from any part of your body. Like most Emission Quirks, the power of Blackwhip is heavily influenced by your mental and emotional state. To master this power, you'll need to be calm and collected in even the direst circumstances. Do not lose yourself to anger or hatred, as, no matter how effective they are as a fuel source; they consume your body and mind just as much as they empower your Quirk..."
Following his words, the thug-like man placed his fingers against Izuku's chest, sinking into the dark-green swirl of energy comprising his form as he said, "Listen, kid. Alongside mine, you'll have six more Quirks manifest within you. The power they grant you will be tremendous, but don't worry. If you ever find yourself straying or backed into a corner, we'll be here to pull you back from the brink and guide you back to the light. You are not alone..."
Accompanying the man's words, several silhouettes appeared in the hazy purple storm at his back. Izuku couldn't make out their features, but the moment they appeared, a surge of positive emotions flowed through him, the most powerful among them being trust...
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"Izuku-kun, what are you doing!? Snap out of it!" shouted Toru, breaking Izuku from his apparent daze just in time to see Bakugo snatch away the 10,000,425-point headband.
Grinning like a demon, Bakugo bellowed, "Way to space out in the middle of a fight, dweeb! Good luck getting enough points to pass now!" while using his free hand to propel himself away.
Feeling what he could best describe as a cold fury swelling from within him, Izuku forced himself to remain calm, inhaling a deep breath before adopting a smile and saying, "Sorry, but I'm not the 'extra' here..." as a series of black tendrils 'erupted' from his chest.
"What the hell!?" exclaimed Bakugo before hastily placing the 10,000,425-point headband in his mouth to increase his mobility.
Using several additional tendrils to grasp each of the girls, Izuku leaped into the air, shouting, "That's against the rules! Stolen headbands need to be placed around the head or neck! Cough it up, explosion boy...!"
With Izuku closing the distance between them in an instant, Bakugo exclaimed ("Shit...!") in his mind. However, as there was some truth to Izuku's words, he also spat out the headband, screaming, "Just try and take it from me...!" as he flipped to avoid Izuku's charge, using the brief window to place the headband around his neck.
Unfortunately, while Bakugo's aerial maneuverability and athleticism were a sight to behold, he was effectively Quirkless while placing the headband around his neck. As a result, he could only clench his teeth as Blackwhip's energy tendrils enveloped him, forming a spherical cocoon. Izuku couldn't permanently entrap him, as it would likely constitute deliberately knocking his opponent down, but all he needed was a moment to create two extra-thin energy tendrils, looping them around the 10,000,425-point headband and the 265-point headband around Bakugo's head. Then he just needed to trust that Mr. Boomboom would do something stupid.
"You think you can capture me!?" shouted Bakugo, unleashing his Quirk to disperse the tendrils surrounding him before retreating with a vicious yet victorious grin. Unfortunately, what awaited him when he looked over to see the despair on Izuku's face was a playful smile.
"Thanks for the extra 265 points," said Izuku, raising his hand to reveal the headbands he had snatched. With Ochaco using her power to keep their team in the air, Izuku momentarily felt like a god looking down at a very angry insect.
"Dekuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...!"
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"First Place in the second round goes to Izuku Midoriya and his beautiful team members, Toru Hagakure, Ochaco Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui! Let's all give them a round of applause~!" exclaimed Midnight, waving her whip in the air with enthusiasm.
While the crowd cheered loudly in response to Midnight's words, only a few of the second round's participants joined in. The rest had somewhat gloomy looks on their faces as, after awakening Blackwhip, Izuku went on an absolute tear, securing nearly every other headband. As a result, only three other teams had points, chiefly those helmed by Todoroki, Bakugo, and Mina. Izuku had spared the team that Mei was a part of, but Bakugo blitzed them at the last moment, securing their headband as a last-ditch effort to ensure his participation in the Finals.
Following the announcement of First Place, Midnight went on to declare Todoroki's team as Second, Mina's team as Third, and Bakugo's as Fourth. Then, to prepare for the Finals, an hour-long intermission was announced, during which the qualifying students were advised to recuperate while those who had been eliminated were given another opportunity to prove themselves in a special half-time event.
As the audience and the bulk of the students began to depart, Toru, still topless, exhaled a sigh of relief before perking up and exclaiming, "That was so tense!" Then, while striking a pose and pointing her invisible finger at Izuku, she added, "And you! Warn a girl before you suddenly whip out a bunch of tentacles! They didn't feel slimy or gross, but I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest!"
Agreeing wholeheartedly with Toru's remark, Tsuyu nodded her head, appending, "I'm not really one to talk, but you could have told us before you suddenly wrapped us up. Some of your tentacles...never mind. Just forget about it, ribbit..."
Though it was purely semantics, Izuku felt compelled to point out, "They were tendrils, not tentacles..." with a wry smile. At the same time, he cast his gaze to Ochaco, who, since the end of the event, hadn't said so much as a word.
Seeing Izuku look at her, Ochaco's face became progressively ruddy until she abruptly exclaimed, "W-We should probably join our classmates and get something to eat! Also, since the final event is a tournament, we'll be rivals from this point onward! I wish you the best of luck...!" before turning around and taking off at a speed that could rival Ida without his engines...
While Izuku, Tsuyu, and Toru observed Ochaco's departure in silence, the former couldn't help thinking, ("What's with the girls in this world running away after they say something...?")
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As Izuku was preparing to grab a bite to eat with Tsuyu and a now fully clothed Toru, their path was, unsurprisingly, blocked by a certain icy-hot with an admittedly good reason for his daddy issues.
"Can I borrow some of your time?" asked Todoroki.
"Sure," replied Izuku, "But only a little. It isn't very gentlemanly for a boy to keep girls waiting, after all."
Shifting his gaze to Tsuyu and Toru, Izuku added, "You girls go on ahead. I'll catch up shortly."
While Toru was quick to respond with a spirited "Okay~!" Tsuyu took a moment to look between Izuku and Todoroki before stating, "Wanting to compete against one another is fine, but classmates shouldn't fight..."
"It's fine," assured Izuku. "Todoroki-kun and I aren't on legitimately bad terms. If we are to fight, it will occur in the arena. Isn't that right?"
Nodding his head in affirmation, Todoroki added, "There's no meaning in defeating you where people can't see..."
Though he knew Todoroki wasn't trying to threaten him, Izuku raised his brows and remarked, "Wow, that's ominous..." before shifting his gaze to Tsuyu and reiterating, "Go on ahead, I'll be fine."
"Kero..."
Casting one last look at Todoroki, Tsuyu exhibited extreme reluctance as she and Toru departed. She knew Izuku was capable and becoming even stronger as time passed, but if he and Todoroki were to fight one another, Tsuyu didn't think he would win. If that were to happen, Tsuyu feared that Izuku's spirit would be broken. Others may not notice it, but she could tell he wasn't nearly as confident as he pretended to be. The moment he felt even a little pressured, the smile that rarely left his face would disappear, replaced by a serious, almost grim resolution...
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In the wake of Tsuyu's and Toru's departure, Izuku and Todoroki moved to a more 'private' location. There, Todoroki stared intently at Izuku, his eyes narrowing as he stated, "You keep getting stronger every time I see you..."
Crossing his arms and narrowing his own eyes, Izuku replied, "Of course. I may fool around, but I also work hard to improve. You should give both a try, just like that left side of yours."
Touching the scarred left side of his face, Todoroki's expression became especially severe as he said, "I can't&ndash;no, it would be more accurate to say I 'refuse' to use this side. I won't give that man the satisfaction of seeing me use his power..."
Feigning confusion, Izuku tilted his head to the side and asked, "What do you mean? Someone 'gave' you your Quirk? And here I was, believing you had won the genetic lottery."
"..."
Misconstruing Izuku's confusion as genuine, Todoroki attempted to clarify things, asking, "You're aware that my father is Endeavor, right? This is the Quirk I inherited from his side of the gene pool..."
"Oh, so it 'was' something you were born with?" asked Izuku, adding, "Actually, that makes me even more confused. You claim you're denying your father the satisfaction of seeing you use 'his' power, but all I see is you restraining yourself out of...what, spite?"
Shaking his head, Izuku's expression became serious as he said, "Let me tell you something, Todoroki-kun. A wise man once said that hatred is like a poison you consume expecting someone else to die. I'm sure you have a good reason to hate your father, but the only way you win in this situation is by becoming happy. Holding back a power you were born with to teach him a lesson? He probably just sees it as you throwing a tantrum or going through a rebellious phase."
"..."
Unable to refute Izuku's words, Todoroki fell silent and remained that way for quite some time. It was only once Izuku turned to leave, remarking, "I have places to be," that he called out, "Hold on, Midoriya-kun. I didn't ask you here to talk about my past or personal circumstances. I wanted to tell you that I acknowledge your power and that among the other students in our-"
Finishing Todoroki's speech, Izuku joked, "I need your acknowledgment about as much as I need a third coat in Winter. It's not useless, but I can live without it."
Without waiting for Todoroki to respond, Izuku turned around and began walking away, raising his right hand as he added, "I would wish you luck in the Finals, but people who expect to succeed while living half-assedly aren't worthy of such consideration. Not when so many others are trying their best just to survive..."
Punctuating his statement, Izuku surprised Todoroki by raising his middle finger. After all, while he sympathized with Todoroki's situation, the types of people he hated the most were those who wielded their tragedy as an excuse to act entitled. Todoroki had clearly experienced some shit, but if he seriously believed he could become the No. 1 Hero while holding back more than half his power, he was a self-righteous cunt spitting in the face of everyone else's efforts...
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Finding a familiar figure waiting for him in the corridor connecting to the contestant dining area, Izuku adopted a smile and remarked, "I'm pretty popular today..."
Exhaling a lighthearted chuckle, Toshinori, presently in his All Might form, replied, "You've certainly made quite the impression. Keep it up, and every Hero Agency in the country will be vying to have you intern with them. I'm really proud of you, Midoriya-kun."
Not expecting such a heartfelt response, the gears in Izuku's mind briefly stalled. He recovered fairly quickly, but the smile on his face became a lot more sincere as he asked, "I'm guessing you're here to ask me about what happened during the previous round?"
Shaking his head, Toshinori corrected, "That can wait till later. After all, if it were something to be concerned about, you would have come to me or the Principal posthaste. No, what I'm really here for is to congratulate you on your performance in the previous rounds. You've performed far beyond my expectations, and I know you'll do just as well in the Finals."
Feeling a potent 'sourness' building in his nose, Izuku furrowed his brows and clenched his teeth. He didn't know if it was due to the original Izuku's memories or something else, but it felt...painful to be on the receiving end of such considerate words. Not when he hadn't done anything to deserve them...
Seeing Izuku getting choked up, Toshinori's expression visibly softened. He knew about the situation concerning Izuku's father, so he interpreted the latter's response as him being unaccustomed to praise from someone he viewed as a paternal figure. After all, with Izuku being 'Quirkless' for the first thirteen years of his life, he likely didn't receive much praise from his frequently absent father...
Closing the distance between them, Toshinori surprised Izuku by placing a hand on his shoulder. Then, without a word, he suddenly pulled him into a hug, whispering, "You're doing great, kid..." in a gentle tone.
("This son of a bitch...") thought Izuku. Yet, in spite of his internal cursing, he didn't attempt to break free from Toshinori's grasp. Instead, he closed his eyes and internally groaned ("Now I feel like even more of a piece of shit...")
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After refusing Toshinori's invitation to chat and eat lunch together, Izuku finally arrived at the contestant's dining facility, his eyes briefly scanning the room before he closed them and exhaled a faint sigh. Most of the girls from Class 1-A were seated together, so if he attempted to make good on his promise to eat with Tsuyu and Toru, he would be invading their space. Unfortunately, he didn't have much of a choice when Toru bounced to her feet, waving her invisible hand as she shouted, "Over here, Izuku-kun...!"
Ignoring the many gazes that shifted to him, Izuku made his way over to the girls' table, smiling as he noted, "It looks to me like you already have a full table. I'll just go sit with the guys."
"What kind of nonsense are you speaking?" asked Mina. "We saved you a spot between Ochaco-san and Tsuyu-chan. Don't tell me you're shy after showing off like that in the first and second rounds."
As there was, in fact, a space available between Ochaco and Tsuyu, albeit with very little clearance, Izuku just shook his head in mock exasperation before taking a seat. Doing so resulted in him being sandwiched between the two girls, their thighs touching his, but he pretended not to mind it as he asked, "Happy?" with a deadpan expression and tone.
Undaunted by Izuku's standoffishness, Mina smiled to her limits as she pointed out, "I know at least two people who are very happy. Just look, you have Ochaco-san blushing up to her ears!"
"Mina-san...!"
Glaring at Mina with an expression about as intimidating as a chubby-cheeked Quokka, Ochaco suddenly wished she had Toru's Quirk instead of her own. At the same time, the thought that she may have put on a bit of weight crossed her mind. After all, the space between her and Tsuyu wasn't 'that' small...
Refusing to give Mina the reaction she was looking for, Izuku appeared calm and unflustered as he remarked, "I can leave if you're going to use my presence as an excuse to tease others."
Raising her hands and shrugging in an expression of mock helplessness, Mina replied, "Then I don't really have a choice, do I? After all, If I were to cause you to leave, I think everyone here except Jiro would be upset with me."
Furrowing her brows, Jiro said, "Don't go dragging me into this..." in her characteristically neutral tone.
Seemingly having failed to hear Jiro, Mina leaned forward, staring intently at Izuku as she added, "Speaking of which, I'm curious to know why you haven't tried flirting with Jiro like you have the rest of us. I definitely saw you sneaking a peek at her on the first day of school."
Inserting herself into the conversation, Yaoyorozu stated, "I don't believe now is the appropriate time to ask such a question, Ashido-san. It places an undue burden on Midoriya-kun, and I don't think Jiro-san appreciates it in the slightest."
Contrasting Yaoyorozu's assertion, Jiro surprised everyone but Mina by stating, "No. I'm actually curious to hear the reason. It's been bothering me quite a bit, so now is as good a time as any to clear things up."
Smiling awkwardly, Yaoyorozu replied, "I see...that's a very pragmatic way of looking at this situation. You're very mature, Jiro-san..."
Ignoring Yaoyorozu's 'praise,' Jiro directed her somewhat lazy-looking eyes at Izuku, absentmindedly fiddling with the cord-like lobe of her right ear as she asked, "Well, let's hear it. It's because you think I'm ugly, isn't it? Not everyone can have a figure like a supermodel, you know..."
With everyone looking to him for his answer, Izuku adopted a half-lidded expression of his own as he pointed at his face and questioned, "Is that supposed to be a joke? I mean, look at me. No matter how much I train or exercise, what awaits me when I look in the mirror is a rounded face with oversized eyes and freckles. I even had to prepare an extra Hero costume because my last one made me look like a wannabe military geek."
Shaking his head before any of the girls could attempt to 'console' him, Izuku's expression hardened as he revealed, "The only reason I haven't tried flirting with you is because I didn't want to bother you. You present yourself as very aloof, so I thought you would be annoyed if I approached you out of nowhere. In truth, I've wanted to ask you what kinds of music you're into since the start of the term. I just never found a good time. It's that simple."
"Oh..."
Slumping in her seat, Jiro suddenly felt the same way Ochaco had a few minutes prior. It didn't help that Mina pointed out, "See? I told you there was nothing to worry about, Jiro-san. You might not have a bodacious body, but you're definitely cute. The way you press the tips of her earphone jacks against each other when you're embarrassed is especially adorable!"
Hearing Mina's remark, Jiro looked down to find that she was currently doing precisely what the bubbly pinkette accused her of. She had never really noticed it in the past, so now that someone had pointed it out, her face became nearly as ruddy as the shirt she wore in her Hero costume...
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Once everyone had gathered around, Midnight revealed what the second event would be, surprising everyone but Izuku as she explained, "As some of you have very clearly realized, teamwork and a spirit of cooperation are among the most important traits of a Pro Hero. As such, the second event is one of the favorites of the UA High Sports Festival, the heart-pounding Human Cavalry Battle!!"
From her position next to Izuku, Tsuyu's eyes widened as she remarked, "I guessed correctly..." in a disbelieving tone. As Midnight had pointed out, the Human Cavalry Battle was one of the more common events at the UA High Sports Festival, but Tsuyu was still surprised since it meant she had won her bet with Izuku and Ochaco.
Hearing Tsuyu's utterance, a teasing smile developed across Izuku's face as he whispered, "Just don't request anything inappropriate..."
Opening her eyes even wider, Tsuyu was about to assert she would never do such a thing but stopped when she noticed Izuku wasn't staring back at her. He, like most of the other students, was paying close attention to Midnight's explanation, so Tsuyu swallowed her 'grievances' and did the same...
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Much like the canon he was familiar with, Izuku was given a headband with a point value of 10,000,000. Unlike the original, however, Izuku wasn't lacking in people who were willing to team up with him. Rather, the moment Midnight afforded them fifteen minutes to find up to three team members, Mei asked the obvious, "I guess that means the four of us will form a team...?"
Though he didn't mind forming a team with the three girls, Izuku pointed out, "That's fine by me, but it might be better if we split up for this leg of the competition. Working together during multiple events could make the Scouts believe we're a 'packaged deal.' If that doesn't bother you, we can have Tsuyu-chan as our rider. With how skilled she is with her tongue, she should be able to snatch multiple headbands with ease."
Hearing Izuku comment on her 'tongue skills,' a potent blush developed through Tsuyu's cheeks. Her expression didn't change, but she pulled the usually dangling tip of her tongue back into her mouth with a 'fwip.'
Appreciating Izuku's choice of words, Mei held her stomach and laughed heartily before remarking, "I always knew we were kindred spirits, Izuku-kun!"
Feigning ignorance, a bewildered look marred Izuku's face as he asked, "What? Did I say something strange...?"
Intruding on the conversation before any of the three girls could respond, the towering, six-armed Shoji appeared rather abruptly, directing his gaze to Tsuyu as he said, "If the four of you have yet to form a team, would you mind joining mine? With my arms as a shield, we should be able to protect and snatch headbands easily."
Not expecting someone other than Izuku to approach her, Tsuyu found herself in a difficult position. She didn't like disappointing others, so she hated being placed in situations where she had to choose between two or more people.
Instead of directly responding to Shoji's request, Tsuyu shifted her gaze to Ochaco, asking, "What will you do, Ochaco-chan?"
Blinking in surprise, Ochaco pointed to herself and asked, "Me? I'm going to team up with Izuku-kun. I mean, we still have two more years to prove ourselves to the Scouts. I don't mind if I don't stand out much right now. I just want to give it my all alongside my friends."
"Kero..."
Turning her attention to Shoji, Tsuyu adopted an apologetic expression as she said, "Sorry, Shoji-kun. I'm going to continue teaming up with Ochaco and Izuku-chan for this Sports Festival, ribbit."
"I understand," replied Shoji. Then, with a wave of his right hand and tentacles, he turned to leave, adding, "I wish the four of you the best of luck during the remaining events," as he returned to his other teammate's side. When Tsuyu saw it was Mineta, goose pimples spread across her body as she imagined being trapped in Shoji's arms alongside the Class pervert...
"Then it looks like everything's decided!" exclaimed Mei. However, before she could suggest distributing her gear across their team, another person showed up, Toru in her gym uniform.
Sounding audibly nervous, Toru bent forward slightly, her hands behind her back as she asked, "Umm...if it isn't too much to ask, can I join your team?" while staring up at Izuku.
Sparing Izuku the need to respond, at least for the moment, Ochaco smiled apologetically as she expressed, "Sorry, Hagakure-san, but our team already has four members. You could try asking Koda-kun or Sato-kun if they need a fourth."
"Oh, I see..." replied Toru. She already suspected the four had formed a team when she noticed them together, but a part of her hoped that Izuku would make a concession for her sake. It was 'really' difficult to stand out with a Quirk like Invisibility, so attaching herself to a high-profile team like Izuku's was one of her only options.
Catching all four girls by surprise, Izuku exhaled a faint sigh through his nose before saying, "Sorry, Mei-san, but can you please let Toru-san take your place? I promise to make it up to you later."
While Toru was surprised to the point of tearing up, Mei didn't hesitate to respond, "Sure thing!" in a chipper tone. "I mean, the only reason Support students participate in events like this is to attract Sponsors. I can do the same during the School Festival a few months from now, so it's no sweat off my brow. Besides, I already have a sug&ndash;I mean, I already have you to Sponsor me."
Without waiting for Izuku to respond, Mai followed Shoji's example by abruptly leaving the moment she was finished speaking. There were only ten minutes left until the second round started, so she needed to find a few teammates(suckers) to help promote her Support items.
After following Mei's departure with his eyes, Izuku turned to Toru, his smile tinged with a certain 'gentleness' as he said, "Be sure to thank Mei the next time you see her, okay?"
As she was too busy covering her mouth to stifle her faint sobbing, Toru just nodded in response to Izuku's words. Ochaco and Tsuyu both noticed this abnormality, but instead of drawing attention to it or asking what was wrong, they politely feigned ignorance...
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Though Tsuyu was indisputably their best option for their rider/headband snatcher, she relinquished the role to Toru without needing to be asked. It was obvious to her why Toru needed to be on a team like Izuku's, so she and Ochaco served as the back-end supports while Izuku functioned as the 'horse.'
To make it more difficult for their opponents to snatch their headbands, Toru did the same thing she did in the anime, removing her top and bra so that her upper body was invisible. While this seemed incredibly risque, it actually provided two benefits. The first was that the enemy couldn't see her hands, allowing her to snatch headbands more easily. The second, far more significant benefit was that most of the male participants wouldn't even attempt to grab her headband. After all, if they missed and touched something they shouldn't, they risked being labeled a pervert...
Despite feeling something occasionally graze the top of his head, Izuku's expression was a mask of intense focus as he eagerly awaited the start of the match. The rules prohibited participants from deliberately attempting to trip or knock down other teams. Because of this, Izuku had positioned his team near the very edge of the area, intending to stand his ground and 'crush' anyone that came their way. After all, with 10,000,425 points, they weren't exactly hurting for more.
With similarly intense looks on their faces, virtually every other team in the second event's Cavalry Battle had their eyes on the 10,000,425-point headband around Toru's head. This was especially true for the teams led by Bakudo and Todoroki, both enthusiastic, maybe even a little desperate, to show their worth.
"Now, without further ado, let the final countdown begin! Three....two..."
As Midnight started the final countdown from three, Izuku's expression hardened as he muttered, "Remember, our goal is absolute victory. We will not give a single centimeter..."
"Right...!" replied the three girls, albeit with varying degrees of excitement and nervousness. Ochaco had proposed they avoid combat by flying into the air, but Izuku insisted they remain on the ground. Toshinori had asked him to exhibit his power, much like he had petitioned 'Deku' in the original series, so Izuku didn't have the option of running. Not because it was a request from Toshinori but because he refused to lose to a bunch of brats when monsters like All-for-One awaited him in the future...
"One...!"
"Back off, you extras! That ten-million headband is mine...!"
The moment Midnight finished her countdown, Bakugo abandoned his team and charged at Izuku, propelling himself through the air with his explosions. His actions could be seen as a violation of the rules, but so long as contestants didn't touch the ground or purposely knock off their opponents, pretty much anything was allowed.
Narrowing his eyes, Izuku said, "Tsuyu-chan, don't let Toru fall..." as he began channeling energy into his right leg. In response to his words, not only did Tsuyu wrap her tongue around Toru's waist, the latter sat on the two girls' shoulders for support, allowing Izuku a greater range of motion as he raised his foot in a faux Muay Thai pose, waiting until Bakugo was within his range before extending his foot like a spring.
Though Bakugo was among the students with the highest Level, his Quirk was an emission type. It very clearly enhanced his body when in use, but compared to Izuku, whose attributes could briefly exceed 10,000, there was an incomprehensible gulf between them. If Izuku didn't arrest his foot's momentum mere centimeters away from Bakugo's face, repelling him with pure wind pressure, he might have kicked the boy's head clean off.
"What the hell...!?" screamed Bakugo, barely gaining control of his body after flipping several times through the air. Once he had, a mixture of fear and anger reflected in his crimson eyes as he looked at Izuku, unable to understand how a boy that had once followed him around like a homeless puppy was so powerful.
Lowering his foot, Izuku's voice was loud enough that everyone paying attention to him was able to hear as he borrowed a page out of Toshinori's book, declaring, "You will not get your hands on this headband? Why, you ask? Because I. AM. HERE...!"
Realizing that Izuku was mimicking his Hero, All Might, Bakugo's explosion-like hair became noticeably spikier as he shouted, "Dekuuuuuuuuu...!" in a blind rage.
Propelling himself forward like a rocket, Bakugo looked like he was ready to blast Izuku directly with his Quirk. Instead, just out of range of Izuku's kick, he performed an abrupt spinning maneuver, creating a 'smokescreen' with his explosions before propelling himself through the wall of flames in an attempt to get his hands on the 10,000,425-point headband. Doing so left him with slight burns on his face, but he wasn't phased as he shouted, "This belongs to me...!" in furious triumph.
Instead of trying to block Bakugo's 'attack,' Toru left the ashen-blonde speechless by dodging backward, effectively rolling off of Ochaco's and Tsuyu's shoulders, trusting that the latter wouldn't let her hit the ground. As a result, Bakugo flew clean over her, his hand momentarily following in the direction of her movement before he clicked his tongue and retracted it. After all, while he was known for his explosive temperament, he wasn't a pervert...
...
..
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Chapter 31: Chapter 31