BNHA: Singularity

While Cementoss repaired the arena, Izuku returned to his waiting room rather than accompanying Ochaco to the Class 1-A viewing stands. He wanted to cool his head before his inevitable match with Todoroki, but it seemed fate had something different in mind as he sensed something 'off' the moment he entered the seemingly empty room.
After a moment of silence, disturbed only by the faint vibrations echoing through the entire stadium, Izuku called out, "Is that you, Toru-san...?" in a hushed tone.
Following a nearly inaudible sigh, the familiar voice of Toru answered, "If you're able to perceive me this easily, I'm going to lose confidence in my ability to remain hidden..."
Though he adopted a faint smile, Izuku questioned, "Shouldn't you be preparing for your match with Mina-san? With Cementoss-sensei on the job, repairing the arena shouldn't take long."
"..."
Instead of responding to Izuku's words, the faint sound of Toru's bare feet against the tiled floor tickled the former's ears as she moved closer to him. When she eventually reached his front, close enough that Izuku could vaguely feel the warmth radiating from her body, she surprised him quite a bit by saying, "I like you, Izuku-kun. Like, really 'really' like you..."
Opening his mouth, Izuku was going to respond when something soft, presumably Toru's fingers, touched his lips, silencing him as she added, "I know I really messed things up between us, but I can't help wanting what my heart wants..."
Retracting her fingers from Izuku's lips, a timid but longing look adorned Toru's invisible face as she looked up at him and softly asserted, "Even if we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend...I can't stand just being friends. Can we...can we go back to how things were before our date?"
Understanding that Toru was referring to how they used to tease one another and exchange texts, some racier than others openly, Izuku's expression softened as he replied, "We can't go back in time, but we can sure as hell move toward a similar future..."
Though Izuku couldn't see it, he could picture a broad smile blossoming across Toru's face. In reality, she had a somewhat coy look on her face as she moved closer to him, eyes turned up, whispering, "I don't think I have the right to be your girlfriend anymore...but until you find one...I would like us to be something more than friends..."
Feeling Toru's breasts press against him, followed by the feeling of her tentatively touching his crotch, Izuku's expression became serious as he whispered, "You deserved better than that..." in a slightly disproving tone. Yet, even when Toru began caressing his bulge, he made no overt attempt to stop her.
Responding to Izuku's assertion, Toru shook her head, stating, "You're wrong...I've been a bad girl my entire life. The only reason I decided to become a Hero was to place my parents' worries at rest. But, even more than that...what I most enjoy is sneaking around, spying on people, and doing things no girl should do in public. That's the actual reason I broke things off between us...you're such a considerate person, Izuku-kun...you deserve a normal, devoted girlfriend like Ochaco-san. Not some pervert who gets excited that a packed stadium and three hundred million people at home are seeing me completely naked..."
Though he had long suspected everything Toru was revealing, especially with how quickly her pictures became risque, Izuku was surprised to hear her admit it so soon. He expected that, if or when they started dating, she would slowly test the waters before gradually dragging him into the deep end of exhibitionism. Disclosing her secret so early was incredibly risky on her part, but it also showed how 'serious' she was...
Feeling Izuku's surprisingly large bulge hardening against her palm, Toru felt nervous yet emboldened as she stood on the tips of her toes and whispered, "I'm a bad girl, Izuku-kun...but if you help me keep it a secret, I could be 'your' bad girl..."
Regaining a faint smile, Izuku gave his best smoldering look as he replied, "You're wrong, Toru-san...you might be a pervert, but you aren't a bad girl. From the moment I met you, you've been nothing short of amazing..."
Before Toru could refute him, Izuku surprised her by wrapping his arms around her waist, cupping her large and pliant ass cheeks as he added, "If you believe your actions make you a bad girl, I'm a straight-up villain. As for becoming mine...it's not too late for us to start dating. Ochaco and the other girls might feel betrayed, but that was always bound to happen once I started dating someone. I simply can't make everyone happy, even if I wish I could..."
Contrasting Izuku's assertion, Toru believed that if it was him, he might actually be able to pull it off. All the girls in Class liked him to varying degrees, so if he had gone with Mina's suggestion, he could have dated all of them. They might call it 'practice' at first, but that distinction would invariably blur as time passed. Then Izuku could have gone a similar route as the Playboy Hero from America, Captain Celebrity...
Instead of trying to convince Izuku he was far more charismatic than he seemed to think, Toru stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him. Unlike the past, however, the kiss was longer and far more intense, partly due to her being naked but primarily the result of Izuku's hands on her ass. That, and the fact Izuku was surprisingly good at kissing...
Separating after nearly a full minute, Toru's breathing was heavy as she stared into Izuku's paradoxically calm yet intense eyes. He didn't appear to be even remotely flustered. Instead, his deep green eyes reflected the expectation in his voice as he asked, "Is this really what you want, Toru?" without honorifics.
Shaking her head, though Izuku could only feel, not see it, Toru's gaze became similarly intense as she said, "If I told you what it was my heart truly desired, you might hate me..."
"That could never happen," lied Izuku. "At the very least, you would have to do something pure and intentionally malicious for me to even consider hating you..."
"Is that the real, honest truth...?" asked Toru, linking her arms around Izuku's shoulders in the process. Then, when he nodded in affirmation, she whispered something into his ear that caused his eyes to become as round as saucers, specifically, "I want to see you do it with other girls..." in a tone comparable to a Succubus.
Blinking in surprise, Izuku asked, "Seriously...?" with a look of disbelief on his face. Toru had made it clear she was a voyeur, but he never expected her to have such 'extreme' tastes...
Nodding her head, Toru clarified, "Only if they're okay with it. I may be a bit naughty, but I don't want either of us to become actual criminals..."
Adopting a wry smile, Izuku found himself at a loss for words. He had been fairly 'active' in his previous life, but he had never had a threesome or allowed someone to sit in as he fucked. If he was being honest, it was 'really' weird. However, instead of voicing that thought aloud, he gave a noncommital, "I doubt it'll be the case, but if I get a girlfriend and she's open to the idea...we'll discuss it at that time..."
Though Izuku couldn't see it, a broad smile plastered itself across Toru's face. Except for Jiro and Tsuyu, she was reasonably confident she could convince the other girls to let her watch, if not join in. Ochaco gave the impression of a girl open to experimentation, and Mina was nearly as free-spirited as her. That only left Yaoyorozu, but if she and Izuku managed to overcome the obstacle of her family and enter into a relationship, Toru got the impression she would be willing to try just about anything once. After all, Yaoyorozu was a very 'prudent' girl...
Dismissing her wayward thoughts, at least for the time being, Toru drew her lips closer to Izuku's, asking, "So, what now? I still feel it's too soon for us to cross the line, but there are other things we can try...and I mean 'a lot' of other things..."
With nearly two and a half years of pent-up frustration, including the time he spent in-country during his previous life, Izuku found it extraordinarily difficult to resist Toru's temptation. He didn't think it was healthy for them to have such an 'advanced' relationship at their age. However, as he didn't want to hurt Toru's feelings or make her feel there was something wrong with her, he eventually answered, "You've clearly put a lot of thought into this...how about surprising me?"
Smiling to the point her eyes narrowed in glee, Toru's voice was especially chipper as she replied, "Then you better prepare yourself, Izuku, because it's going to be shocking...!"
Though she didn't explain what she had in mind, Toru's intentions became very transparent when she released Izuku from her grasp, followed by his gym trousers being pulled down rather abruptly.
Losing a bit of her enthusiasm, Toru asked, "Uh...is it supposed to be this big...?" while experimentally poking Izuku's rather sizeable tent.
Shaking his head, Izuku replied, "Nineteen centimeters is hardly what I'd call 'big,' but I appreciate the compliment. I'm hoping to hit at least 25cm before I finish my growth spurt."
"Maybe it's because it's right in front of my face?" asked Toru. "Well, not that it matters. I'm going to give it my all, either way!"
Following Toru's exclamation, Izuku felt somewhat warm wrap around his shaft, presuming it to be the invisible girl's hand since, less than a second later, he felt something moist and hot flicking the tip of his dick.
"It's not as salty as I was expecting..." remarked Toru, punctuating her statement by wrapping her lips around Izuku's glans. It was a pleasant, almost nostalgic feeling, but what caused Izuku's eyes to widen was his penis disappearing as Toru experimentally began to suck it.
Though he had witnessed food disappearing whenever Toru ate, Izuku felt an indescribable feeling of incongruency when seeing the tip of his dick vanish and reappear. He also had no point of reference for what Toru was doing, as he couldn't see her face, so each of her actions came as a surprise, drastically amplifying the feeling of pleasure.
("Holy fucking shit-!")
Catching Izuku off guard, Toru abruptly tried taking the entirety of his dick into her mouth, failing halfway but holding her position to lubricate and suckle his shaft. Izuku then felt her hands on his ass, allowing her to remain stable as she began to bob her head back and forth, periodically scraping the top of his dick with her teeth but quickly getting better.
Grabbing Toru's head, more out of necessity than anything else, Izuku said, "Slow down...I get that we don't have much time, but are you trying to get me to blow my load in thirty seconds?"
Releasing Izuku's cock with a 'pa,' Toru licked her lips before adopting a mischievous grin and asking, "Does that mean it feels good? I was a bit worried since I've only ever practiced with a banana."
("This girl...")
Shaking his head, Izuku answered, "It feels amazing, way better than I expected, but there is such a thing as too much stimulation. You have to build up to the climax, or else you'll become numb to ordinary pleasure..."
Raising her brows, Toru asked, "Since when did you become an expert?"
"..."
With Izuku remaining silent for several seconds, Toru decided to shelve the matter for the time being, nodding her head before saying, "Okay. I'll slow down a bit&ndash;or, better yet, why don't you try guiding me? That could be fun."
Returning a nod, Izuku replied, "Sounds good." Then, when Toru's mouth invariably wrapped around his dick, he used his hand on the back of her head to guide her movements, starting slow and gradually ramping up the pace as Toru got accustomed to taking his dick into her throat. Seeing his dick disappear gave Izuku the same sense of incongruency as before, but it was far outweighed by the pleasure and peculiar sense of 'relief' he felt having his dick sucked after such a long time...
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With Todoroki defeating Tokoyami, Bakugo defeating Kaminari, and Mina beating Toru rather one-sidedly, it was time for the first round of the third brackets, Izuku vs. Todoroki.
Standing across from the icy-hot youth, Izuku, wearing a relaxed smile and exuding a calm, confident aura, remarked, "You saw what I could do during my match against Ochaco-san. Are you still thinking you can beat me with just half your power...?"
Furrowing his brows slightly, Todoroki replied, "I must..." in a firm, or, more accurately, stubborn tone. Izuku's previous remarks had given him a lot to think about, but now wasn't the time nor place for introspection. All he was concerned about was seizing victory with the Quirk he inherited from his mother.
With Present Mic announcing the start of their match, Todoroki wasted no time in sending a wave of ice surging toward Izuku. Most students would have struggled to dodge such an attack, but Izuku didn't even try, rearing back his right fist before unleashing a powerful punch that destroyed the ice and sent a wave of pressure crashing into Todoroki's body.
"Kuh...!"
Realizing that Izuku was trying to knock him out of the ring, Todoroki manifested a wall of ice behind him, declaring, "I won't lose...!" before sending a much stronger wave of ice, this time resembling an avalanche that enveloped most of the arena.
"Someone who half-asses things has no right to make such a claim...!" shouted Izuku, creating a divide within the avalanche by crossing his arms and sweeping them in a manner reminiscent of All Might's Missouri Smash.
As two walls of ice formed around him, Izuku extended several tendrils of Blackwhip into them, fracturing the ice and grabbing several large chunks to send hurtling toward Todoroki. The latter countered by creating a large wall of ice, but the frost building on his face, clothes, and right arm made it clear he was reaching his limit.
Leaping into the air, Izuku shouted, "Tell me, Todoroki-kun! What will you say to the families of the people you failed to save when they demand to know why you didn't utilize your full power!? Why you allowed their loved ones to die when you could have saved them!?"
Not giving Todoroki a chance to respond, Izuku controlled his strength just enough to shatter the ice wall the former had created. The moment he did so, a tremendous volume of icy energy impacted his face, but he just tore through it, grabbing the half-frozen brat by his collar and pulling him close as he shouted, "Will you tell them, 'Sorry your husband, wife, or children had to die! My daddy issues were far more important than giving it my all to save them...!?'"
Overwhelmed by Izuku's words and piercing, incredibly judgmental gaze, Todoroki found himself unable to respond. Unfortunately, Izuku had no intention of waiting for him to get his shit together, narrowing his eyes as he asserted, "Your existence is an insult to everyone who takes being a Hero seriously..." before shoving him, hard, toward the edge of the arena.
Unable to recover and arrest his momentum in time, Todoroki fell out of the arena and tumbled several meters before regaining his footing. Then, when he looked back up at the arena's edge, he found Izuku staring down at him, his expression seemingly devoid of emotion as he said, "You're just like your father. Shortsighted and egotistical..."
Abandoning his usual, apathetic mask, Todoroki's expression morphed into a fierce glower as he asserted, "I am NOTHING like that man...!" in a defiant tone.
Furrowing his own brows, Izuku replied, "Then prove me wrong. Be a real Hero, not someone obsessed with Rankings just to prove a point or spite someone. That isn't heroism; it's petulance..."
As Midnight had already declared him the victor, Izuku turned away from Todoroki and made his way to the opposite side of the arena, descending the stairs to return to his waiting room. The one assigned to him was on the complete opposite side of the stadium, but he didn't feel like walking past Todoroki or encountering Endeavor, waiting with arms crossed and a grim look on his face...
...
..
.
"I'm an idiot..." remarked Izuku, barely making it halfway to his waiting room before Present Mic called for him to return over the intercom. He had known the second Semifinal match was between Bakugo and Mina, so he should have stuck around to console the latter when she inevitably had her ass kicked. Instead, he had to rush back to the arena, finding an impatient Bakugo waiting for him on the stage.
With crossed arms and a perpetually pissed-off look on his face, Bakugo stared down at Izuku, his husky voice filled with venom as he said, "Get up here, you moss-headed bastard. I don't know how you got so strong, but I'm going to kick your ass and prove to everyone here which of us really has what it takes to be a Hero!"
Staring up at Bakugo, Izuku didn't respond, remaining completely silent as he weighed the pros and cons of fighting the explosive teen. As bizarre as it sounded, withdrawing from the match would probably have the greatest effect, leaving Bakugo at his wits end with fury...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Izuku thought ("Whatever...maybe if I beat the shit out of him, it'll somehow have a positive influence on his character. This world is based on a shonen anime, after all...")
Having made up his mind, Izuku leaped onto the stage, intentionally jumping over Bakugo before twisting and flipping over mid-air to land on his feet. His base Dexterity was 100, ten times that of his Strength and Agility. With his passive 10x multiplier, that meant his base Dexterity was effectively 1000. As a result, his spatial awareness, muscle control, and sense of balance were off the charts, the secret that allowed him to wield Blackwhip and move his body however he pleased.
Seeing the 'smug' look on Izuku's face, Bakugo balled his hands into fists, clicked his tongue, and muttered, "Damn showoff. Let's see you grin when I kick your fucking teeth in..." under his breath.
Hearing Bakugo's utterance, another benefit of his extreme Dexterity, Izuku's smile became even broader as he briefly considered fighting with his hands behind his back. Unfortunately, while it might be effective in pissing Bakugo off, it would also make him look arrogant in the eyes of the spectators. As much as Bakugo annoyed him, he wasn't willing to sacrifice his 'good reputation' to teach him a lesson.
Catching Bakugo off guard, Izuku channeled his inner Deku as he raised his fist and said, "I know better than anyone how powerful you are, Kat-chan, so I'm going to give it my all. That way, regardless of the outcome, I won't have any regrets."
Gritting his teeth hard enough that the muscles in his jaw became visible, Bakugo suppressed the urge to tell Izuku to go fuck himself as he lowered his body into his starting position, hands angled behind him like the boosters of a rocket. Izuku was the one to state they shouldn't refer to each other familiarly, so Bakugo interpreted his words as nothing but provocation and an attempt to make himself look good.
Exhaling a faint sigh through his nose, Izuku got into a loose variation of a Muay Thai pose, a no-frills stance that allowed him to transition between punching and kicking freely. His Vitality had decreased below the halfway point after his matches with Ochaco and Todoroki, but he wasn't worried. After all, with just a 10x base multiplier, all his attributes were higher than Bakugo's.
With Present Mic announcing the start of the match, Bakugo shouted his usual, "Dekuuuuu...!" as he propelled himself forward, transitioning into a flying kick partway.
Extending his left hand, Izuku produced multiple tendrils of Blackwhip, attempting to entangle Bakugo's ankle. In response, the latter used his Explosion Quirk to abruptly change his trajectory, spinning to evade the lightning-like tendrils as he shouted, "The same trick won't work on me twice!"
Punctuating his statement, Bakugo released a decently-sized explosion a few meters away from Izuku's face, mostly to obscure his vision but also to push him back. Unfortunately, while he succeeded in the former, Izuku rushed 'into' the ball of flame, leaving Bakugo somewhat confused when he flipped over it to find the former missing.
"Where the fu-"
Before Bakugo could finish asking where he had gone, Izuku revealed his location by grabbing the former's ankle with his hand, stating, "You're kind of slow." in a matter-of-factly tone of voice.
Without giving Bakugo a chance to respond, Izuku spun him around like a professional hammer thrower. Unfortunately, Bakugo had no intention of playing along or letting him do as he pleased, interrupting the spin with an explosion before twisting his body in a surprising display of flexibility, his foot nearly hitting Izuku's face but ultimately impacting his palm.
"This makes things easier," remarked Izuku, once-again proceeding to spin Bakugo like a hammer. This time, however, he began ramping up the energy of One-for-All, drastically increasing his speed and ramping up the centripetal forces faster than Bakugo could disrupt them.
Since he might accidentally kill Bakugo if he threw the explosive youth into one of the stadium's walls, Izuku ultimately flung him high into the sky, literally flinging him hundreds of meters into the air while the crowd watched on with stupefied looks on their faces.
With plenty of time to recover, Bakugo eventually regained his balance and suspended himself in the air with his explosions. He had passed out for a moment from the g-forces, enough to cause his nose to bleed and eyes to become bloodshot, but he pretended to be unaffected, bellowing, "I won't go down that easily...!" before descending toward the arena like a meteor.
Using his explosions to spin himself like a bullet, Bakugo shouted, "Let's see how you like my Ultimate Move! Howitzer Impact...!" an attack that caused a veritable tornado of flames to form around him.
"Hmmm..."
Taking advantage of his accelerated thought processes and enhanced perception of time, Izuku marveled as Bakugo's attributes increased in real-time. It wasn't nearly as extreme as the boost provided by One-for-All, but it was still fairly impressive.
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Name: [Katsuki Bakugo]
Quirk: Explosion
Current Level: 25
Effective Level: 50-&gt;111
[Attributes]
Strength: 53-&gt;318
Agility: 48-&gt;291
Vitality: 153-&gt;75
Intelligence: 81
Dexterity: 88-&gt;270
Luck: 78
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("An increase of sixty-one Levels when using an Ultimate Move. The hit to his Vitality is pretty extreme, but it's an excellent finishing move. At least, it would be against a normal opponent...")
As Bakugo descended toward him like a meteor, Izuku reinforced his hands and arms with Blackwhip, boosting his attributes by around 500x as he clapped his hands together. The main benefit of One-for-All, at least in his opinion, was that it allowed its user to generate shockwaves as if they were some form of Ki blast. 5000 Strength and Agility wouldn't be enough to produce a significant amount of wind pressure on their own, but as most of the energy was 'discharged' rather than being transmitted back into his hands, it created a visible wall of pressure that stopped both Bakugo and his Ultimate Move mid-air, making him look as though he had his face and body pressed up to a glass pane.
Reminded of one of his favorite manga series from his previous life, Air Gear, a nostalgic smile developed across Izuku's face as he mused, "Not bad. But you'll need more than that to overcome my Defensive Ultimate, Ode to the Rumble King, Over Road!"
Suppressing the feeling of cringe that seemed to exude from the very core of his soul, Izuku leaped into the air, inverting his body to perform a flying kick as the pressure wave preventing Bakugo's fall faded. His base Vitality had dipped below 30% after his little stunt, so he decided it was best to end the fight before he could embarrass himself further. What he didn't expect was for Bakugo to already be knocked out, the whites of the boy's eyes showing as he tumbled out of the sky like a ragdoll...
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Name: [Katsuki Bakugo]
Quirk: Explosion
Current Level: 25
Effective Level: 50
[Attributes]
Strength: 53-&gt;8
Agility: 48-&gt;0
Vitality: 153-&gt;23
Intelligence: 81-&gt;65
Dexterity: 88-&gt;0
Luck: 78-&gt;80
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Encountering Ochaco on the way to their match, Izuku could only smile wryly when she asked, "Why are you sweating so much? Don't tell me you were training until just now..."
Shaking his head, Izuku replied, "We can talk about it later," before asking, "Are you ready for our match?"
Striking a guts pose, Ochaco exclaimed, "You bet! I might not be able to win, but I'll give it my all! Just be careful I don't get my hands on you, or else...!"
Adopting a teasing smile, Izuku raised his right hand, producing several black tendrils as he remarked, "It's you who should be careful. If you try and send me floating into space, I'm taking you with me..."
Furrowing her brows, albeit only slightly, Ochaco complained, "That's not fair, Izuku-kun. If I can't even use my Quirk, how am I supposed to win?"
Closing his fist with a 'pop,' Izuku answered, "I honestly don't know. But if you manage an upset, I'll listen to one of your requests in the future. That includes going out on a date."
Blinking in surprise, Ochaco asked, "Seriously?" before pumping her fists a second time and exclaiming, "Now I'm really fired up!" with illusory flames burning in her eyes. Her reaction made Izuku feel a little awkward, but he just smiled and allowed the petite gravity girl to dream.
Coming down from her momentary high, Ochaco looked up at Izuku and asserted, "Hold on. If my reward is being able to request something from you, it's only fair that I offer a similar prize. Or is there something else you want as a reward?"
Seeing Ochaco staring at him with her big, trust-filled eyes, a faint sigh escaped Izuku's nose as he replied, "Fine, I'll play along. As for what I'll request...how about having you dress up as my favorite Heroine during our end-of-the-year Christmas party?"
Blinking several times, Ochaco subconsciously moved closer to Izuku as she asked, "Who's your favorite Heroine?" in a genuinely curious tone. Her own was Space Hero Thirteen, but she doubted that Izuku, or any boy for that matter, would have such 'tame' preferences.
Regaining a teasing smile, Izuku replied, "I'm half-tempted to lie and answer the Vigilante Heroine, Pop☆Step. But I'll be honest and go with my genuine favorite, Rabbit Hero, Mirko."
As Mirko had been one of the top female Heroes since her debut, Ochaco could easily picture the muscular bunny's outfit in her mind. As such, her face went bright red as she pressed the pads of her fingers together and murmured, "That...might be a little much. I'm nowhere near as fit and athletic as someone like Mirko. There's no way I could pull off wearing her costume..."
"That's something we strongly disagree on," asserted Izuku. "However, the last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable. If that's asking for too much, I could always have you assist me with one of my inventions."
Shaking her head rather vigorously, Ochaco hastily responded, "No, no, no, it's fine! I don't mind trying it on if you think it'll suit me! Can I change just one, teenie tiny little thing, though?"
"Sure, go for it," replied Izuku.
Pressing the tips of her index fingers together, Ochaco looked up at Izuku with a bashful smile as she asked, "Do you mind if I only show it to you? If I wore such a revealing outfit in front of our other classmates and had my photo taken, I might die of embarrassment..."
"Ah..."
Recalling that there were die-hard perverts like Mineta and Kaminari in their Class, Izuku didn't hesitate to respond, "Sure thing. In fact, if going out is too much, you could always send me a secure photo. I promise not to share it, no matter the circumstances."
Leaning forward slightly and linking her hands behind her back, a potent blush began to spread through Ochaco's cheeks as she suggested, "I'd rather not leave behind any evidence. How about, instead of waiting until Christmas, I purchase the outfit and invite you to my apartment to view it directly? My family lives pretty far away from Musutafu, so I've been living in an apartment by myself since school started..."
"..."
Though he knew Ochaco shouldn't have any ulterior motives behind her invitation, Izuku was surprised to see how assertive she was behaving. It didn't match his image of Ochaco from the anime, but that didn't stop him from adopting a smile and replying, "Just let me know when everything is ready, and I'll literally come running over."
Snorting in a cutesy way, Ochaco rose to her full height, adopting a fairly mischievous grin as she said, "Don't get ahead of yourself, Izuku-kun. If you get complacent, I might actually come out on top. If that happens, it won't be 'me' wearing Mirko-san's costume..."
Understanding the implications of Ochaco's words, the smile faded from Izuku's face as he asserted, "You've sealed your fate. If my dignity as a man is on the line, I'll be giving it my all from the start. That, and I really want to see you in Mirko's costume."
Instead of being intimated by Izuku's words, Ochaco pumped her fists one final time, exclaiming, "Then let's give it our all!" with the same fiery expression as earlier. After all, even if she lost in the coming match, she felt she had achieved something significant by inviting Izuku to visit her apartment...
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..
.
When Izuku and Ochaco finally entered the arena, Midnight, with her microphone turned off, commented, "You two sure took your sweet time arriving. Are you reluctant about fighting the person you like~?"
Contrasting Midnight's expectations, Ochaco replied, "I'm ready!" with a serious expression, while Izuku asserted, "I won't hold anything back." in a firm tone.
Licking her lips, Midnight teased, "Well, are you two just the cutest little things?" before flipping on her microphone and shouting, "Sorry for the delay, folks, but it looks like our contestants are, at last, ready and raring to go! Show them some love~!"
Though the crowd's response wasn't nearly as loud as it could have been, the combined force of tens of thousands of people cheering and clapping was enough to shake the stadium. Izuku could feel the vibrations through the soles of his feet, but instead of feeling intimidated, he had a confident smile on his face as he met the eyes of the girl standing opposite of him in the arena.
With Izuku and Ochaco in their respective starting position, Midnight raised her bondage whip high, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement as she shouted, "Now, without further ado, let the first round of the second elimination matches...begin!"
Expecting Izuku and Ochaco to have a nice, 'friendly' brawl, Midnight and the spectators were more than a little surprised when the former abruptly 'exploded.' Izuku had promised Ochaco that he would be going all out, so dozen Blackwhip tendrils, resembling teal-tinged black lightning, erupted from his body, flickering around him violently before compressing to form a protective layer around his arms, legs, and chest. Then, demonstrating a surprising degree of flexibility, he raised his right foot nearly 180 degrees, emulating one of Mirko's signature techniques as he briefly multiplied his power more than a thousand times, splitting the entire arena...
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.
Though she didn't ordinarily watch the UA Sports Festival, uninterested in the performances of a bunch of brats, Rumi Usagiyama, better known by her Hero name, Rabbit Hero Mirko, had received numerous emails about a 'promising youth' that would appear among the first years. Such an email wouldn't have been able to divert her attention away from her Hero duties under normal circumstances, but, as the sender was someone Mirko owed quite a few favors, she decided to check it out.
Recognizing Izuku's form the moment he raised his foot, a somewhat predatory smile developed across Rumi's face as she thought, ("Is this cheeky little brat copying me? But what's he hoping to accomplish from so far away...?")
Answering Rumi's question, Izuku's leg abruptly became a blur, much too fast for the camera to follow. The aftermath of his attack, however, was all too obvious, causing Rumi's carmine eyes to widen quite a bit. She prided herself on having the most powerful legs in Japan, potentially even the entire world, so she knew how strong someone would need to be to split reinforced concrete like a karate tile.
Recovering her predatory grin, Rumi couldn't help exclaiming, "Not bad! Great, even! It's no wonder that busybody of a Principal sent me such an email! Looks like UA found itself a good seed!"
Having made up her mind, Rumi leaped to her feet, shedding the white and purple-trimmed kimono she often wore in her traditional Japanese home before racing off to change into her Hero costume. Near the end of his email, Nezu had asked if she would help reinforce security during the Sports Festival, but Rumi had refused. Now, however, she was at least a little interested in seeing how things played out. Thus, after changing into her Hero outfit, consisting of little more than a sleeveless, exceptionally skin-tight white leotard, purple stockings, and a pair of white gloves, Rumi bolted from her house, producing a sizeable crater as she leaped several hundred meters into the air at near-supersonic speeds...
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Though he had nearly slipped into the crack he had created, Izuku was spared from embarrassing himself as the tendrils of Blackwhip embedded into the surrounding concrete, preventing him from falling. As for Ochaco, she had leaped into the air, remaining afloat using her Quirk, but her eyes were completely round as she stared down at the devastation below.
Breaking the usually bubbly girl from her stupor, Izuku called out, "I told you I wasn't going to hold anything back. This should also give you some ammunition to utilize with your Quirk, so if you're ready to continue, so am I."
Shaking her head and waving her hands, all while tucking in her legs to prevent herself from spinning too much, Ochaco loudly replied, "No, I'm good! I've seen everything I need to understand I don't stand a chance against you, Izuku-kun! You're way, way, way stronger than I expected...!"
Though he returned a smile in response to Ochaco's compliment, Izuku couldn't help thinking, ("You say that, but if I didn't reinforce my body with Blackwhip, my leg would be a mess right now. I really need to work on my timing...")
Using Blackwhip to lower himself onto the stage, Izuku clenched his teeth as a sharp pain ran up his leg. He didn't think it was broken, but he sure as shit wasn't using it to execute any flashy moves the rest of the day...
Having been paying close attention to Izuku's and Ochaco's dialogue, Midnight directed her gaze to the latter, asking, "Are you sure you want to forfeit the match? You won't get another opportunity like this for an entire year, you know?"
Releasing her Quirk, Ochaco landed on the arena, the extra-thick padding of her shoes cushioning the impact as she replied, "It's okay, Midnight-sensei. I know when I'm beaten. Besides, not having another opportunity for a year means I can use all that time to practice! Just you wait, Izuku-kun! I'll be ten, no, a hundred times stronger next year...!"
Nodding his head in approval, Izuku's smile broadened as he said, "I have no doubt that'll be the case, Ochaco-san. But, fair warning, I don't intend to slack off. Especially not when I have such a compelling reason to win..."
Understanding that Izuku was talking about her dressing up like Mirko, the perpetual blush marks on Ochaco's face became noticeably redder. At the same time, after observing the duo's interaction with an affectionate smile, Midnight raised her bondage whip, loudly announcing Izuku as the match's victor...
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Chapter 37: Chapter 37