Atonement [Bakugo Katsuki]

🤍 Chapter 32 🤍

After sending Izuku off to his match with Shoto, Kimitsuki returned to the stands where the rest of her class was sitting and took her place next to Tenya. She had bought herself a new can of blossom soda, drinking the cold lavender drink down to help her out with keeping cool, knowing that before long, it was her turn and she needed to use her fire.

It was just then that Ochaco came rushing out to the stands as well, and as Kimitsuki looked toward the brunette, she almost choked over her drink when she saw just how swollen Ochaco's eyes were – it was clear that she had been crying a lot earlier.

"Those two haven't started yet?" Ochaco said as she hurried her way over to Kimitsuki and Tenya in the front of the stands. "I've gotta watch!"

"Were your eyes hurt?" Tenya asked, shocked at the girl's appearance and even Kimitsuki was very concerned with what she saw. "Kuroyanagi-Kun mentioned that you had already gone to Recovery Girl! You must hurry to Recovery Girl –"

"I already went," Ochaco interrupted quickly but calmly. "This is, you know... it's different,"

"It's different?" Tenya asked. "If that's the case, then you must've been really frustrated earlier,"

"Rather than feeling regretful right now," Fumikage spoke up. "You should use this next match as a source of encouragement," Kimitsuki looked over at him.

"Fumikage-Kun is right," Kimitsuki said, nodding in agreement and sending a smile toward her brunette friend. "The match is starting now, too,"

"Thanks for waiting, everybody!" Present Mic said to the cheering audience. "The first match of the second round is a big match! The man who won a huge victory in the first round and literally left the audience frozen – from the hero course, it's Todoroki Shoto! On the other hand, this guy barely made it past the first round! What kind of fight will he show us this time? From the hero course, it's Midoriya Izuku!"

"So, you're here," Shoto said, facing Izuku on the arena.

"Todoroki-Kun..." Izuku replied, trailing off.

"Since Midoriya-Kun is on the field," Tenya spoke up. "I suppose you, Kuroyanagi-Kun, would know the best about this match-up between him and Todoroki-Kun?"

"Well... it all depends upon Izu-Chan," Kimitsuki replied quietly. "He knows that Shoto-Kun is well-aware of his stick-to-left-side strategy in earlier and he is aware of how far-reaching the ice is – so, Shoto-Kun will definitely try to deflect that accusation. But with Izu-Chan's type of Quirk, it is still an advantage for Shoto-Kun to continue using his ice and not change his strategy because it is just so overwhelming,"

"What is Deku-Kun going to do about that ice?" Ochaco breathed. "He can't lose!"

"At this year's sports festival, both have shown top class performances!" Present Mic announced. "It's like two great rivals fighting against each other! Now – start!"

Just as expected, Shoto began the match with his ice attack – but Izuku responded quickly with his Delaware Smash, halting the ice from reaching him. This defence emitted a great surge of frosty cold wind that swept over the stadium.

Kimitsuki felt her hair whip back from the force of it but she was sure no one was sitting behind her and continued to focus on the scene in front of her, her eyes following the Quirk activities of the two boys in the arena for their next move.

However, it wasn't just the audience that felt it – Shoto was himself forced back from the defence but he had done some quick-thinking and shielded himself from falling out of the bounds of the arena by creating a slab of ice as defence.