Post Vitam

Chapter 138

Given how the last match remarkably didn't leave the arena in rubble like most others today, the quarter-finals didn't have to be delayed. After the normal interval to give the participants a chance to rest was over the buzzer went off.

Tokoyami and Ashido left the break room with everyone else wishing them luck. Those who stayed behind settled in to watch the match.

The crowd cheered them as they stepped up to their places. The match started and Ashido opened by sending a blob of acid toward Tokoyami. He sidestepped just in time, the floor next to him fizzled as acid burned a hole through it.

Izuku made a note to not piss off Ashido while he was wondering how that particular attack was allowed. Did Sato come out of his match against her without burns? He kind of wished he had watched it back then. Just then though Bakugo cheered as Tokoyami tried to grab Ashido but she slipped out of his grasp.

She tossed an area of acid on the floor making Tokoyami slip backwards. The floor remained undamaged and Izuku was amazed by the versatility of Ashido's quirk.

Tokoyami switched to using Dark Shadow and finally found an advantage. Ashido's acid didn't have much effect against a literal shadow. That isn't to say she just gave up though.

Tokoyami had to control Dark Shadow and be hyper aware of the acid sent his way. The match went on like that for a while, Tokoyami landing a blow, gaining ground only to lose it when Ashido retaliated. The crowd cheered loudly and so did those in the backroom.

Ashido's undoing was at her own hands however. All the back and forth had seemed random. Tokoyami however had maneuvered them to where Ashido was in front of the slippery acid she had made earlier. A few well placed hits had sent her into it and sliding all the way out of bounds. As the crowd celebrated his victory Tokoyami and Dark Shadow helped Ashido up.

Cementoss went about fixing the arena again. Izuku hoped Nezu had included a bonus of some kind for the man at least.

Everyone else's attention in the breakroom was taken away from the screen as Iida's phone rang. He excused himself and left with a worried look on his face.

Bakugo had to untangle himself from Izuku as his match was against the very guy who just left. Izuku just whined and peppered his face with kisses before relenting. He asked him to not kill Iida before he let him go.

By the time Iida and Bakugo stepped into the arena, Tokoyami had made it back, waving off the congratulations as he sat down.

Izuku knew something was wrong when Iida started off the match by sped up with a punch ready as soon as the buzzer went off. Bakugo naturally dodged it easily but being battle eager was his natural state.

He had taken Iida's attack as a sign to go all out instead of something being wrong with him. Izuku wondered who called for them to change Iida's usual courteous nature to whatever this was.

Iida sped up and launched himself into a kick, Bakugo barely sidestepped. It was nothing but luck that Iida didn't speed right past the bounds of the arena. Bakugo gave a wicked grin as he sent an explosion Iida's way. If he didn't speed away he would have lost right then.

Iida got into a lowered position almost like a scrum and revved his legs. Bakugo got in a similar stance and waited for Iida to do something. Iida's engines made an unfamiliar noise, blue flames shooting out of his exhausts. He shot forward much faster than Izuku had ever seen him go.

He had Bakugo in a tackle hold and was running towards the other end of the arena, clearly intending to push Bakugo out. After the initial shock Bakugo placed a hand above Iida's back and let off an explosion.