DISCLAIMER: NO, I DO NOT OWN My Hero Academia, SIMPLY BECAUSE I'M NOT AWESOME ENOUGH....YET! I ONLY OWN THIS AMAZING STORY OF MINE BECAUSE THAT ALL I CAN AFFORD!!!
Fire (Camp Rock) by Matthew 'Mdot' Finley
Zuko firebending gif
CHAPTER 13: WILDFIRE
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THIRD POV
IN THE STANDS, everyone just finished watching the third match between Kasai and Shiozaki. The Todoroki's classmates were all murmuring about the fight, excited. The ones who showed their obvious enthusiasm were Mina, Kirishima, and surprisingly, Midoriya. The pink toned girl was proud of her newly acquainted friend, happy that she moved to the second round. Kirishima, he clearly enjoyed the show of strength that Kasai presented at the end of her match, the gutsy determination that made him yell out 'what a man' which is a positive in his book. Midoriya, he was just muttering about Kasai's quirk, quickly taking note of the improvements from middle school.
However, it was Katsuki who smirked at the girl's victory. The ash blond knew that the Todoroki wasn't going to let anything stop her from winning, not even when it came to her overheating drawback. The end result of the match was a clear example of just that. She was heating up, so she took it in her hands to win in an unexpected way. By literally throwing her opponent out of the arena. Her unorthodox ways of thinking is exactly why she's his rival because when she gets stumped, she gets creative, and it makes defeating her a challenge.
Though, at some points, he found moments to laugh at the girl. Like when he got first place in the entrance exam simply because of the alphabet order of their names. Then there was the day of the quirk apprehension test, at the ball pitch he beat her by 0.1 points, not much but enough to get a win over her. And today, he laughed at how miserable she looked in that stupid cheerleading outfit. Though, he would never admit at how great she looked in that outfit, how her exposed body made him feel extremely flustered - he would deny all the feelings she made him feel.
Scoffing, Bakugou sat back in his chair and watched as Kasai made her way back into the viewing area. The blond observed her as she smiled at Raccoon eye's compliment. Clicking his tongue, Bakugou huffed and looked away, ignoring the heat rising at the tip of his ears. It's just a smile, nothing to get worked over about!
Taking her seat next to Mina, Kasai watched as Iida stepped onto the arena. Though, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she saw their class president decked out in support gear. Her mind seemed to click the pieces together quickly when she noticed Iida's opponent - Hatsume. The Todoroki immediately knew that this match was going to be something different.
"Alright! Here comes the next matchups! Sprint to the top! He's coming across like a center fielder! It's Iida Tenya of the department of heroics! Versus! She who is fully decked out in support gear! Hatsume Mei of the department of support! What sort of match will we be laying witness to? And what is that... Is that a full array of support items on you, too, Iida!?"
The pale haired girl then listens to Iida as he explains his reasoning to Midnight, how he wants to be on equal par with Hatsume by wearing her equipment. The girl shakes her head at his naivety, but he made his bed and now he needs to lie in it. Whatever the outcome, because Midnight actually allowed him to wear the support gear.
"Start!"
Iida initiates the battle by shooting forwards, even faster than usual with the help of the leg parts he's wearing. Something Hatsume made sure of.
"That acceleration, it's fantastic, isn't it, Iida?!" The pink haired girl's voice rings out through the stadium, and it makes Kasai laugh.
She was right, this match turned out to be different.
"Why are you laughing," Ochaco asks the Todoroki, somewhat offended that she finds Iida's situation amusing.
"I'm not laughing at him, I'm laughing at the circumstances. Because of Iida's naivety, Hatsume was able to fool him into wearing her equipment. It's just like how that Shinso kid said, the other classes will do anything to pull the rug out from under us heroic kids, and she's doing just that. Pulled it out with no hesitation! We're idiots if we think the other classes are going to play fair, this is a competition after all. Heck, Midoriya almost lost his match a few seconds in. I'm just saying," Kasai informs, keeping her gaze on the fight.
"Everyone's giving their all, so that means no hesitating. Because in the end, everyone wants that top spot," The pale girl tells her peers, smirking.
They nod at her words, determined. They're encouraged to give their best.
Shoto looks at his sister, conflicted, as he remembers their father's words, 'You let your failure of a sister get one up on you! You're different from your older brothers and younger sister! You are my greatest masterpiece!'
Is that why she's always angry? Because she knows that our old man sees her as a failure? Because she's aware of him favoring me? Is that why she's always hostile with me, the boy questions, frowning as he continues gazing at his sister.
He then remembers her declaration. How it was always him. That it's her turn now. That she's going to show everyone that she's the best. That she's the one to beat. He should have realized sooner, that it wasn't just him, Midoriya, or Bakugou who were aiming for the top. He should have realized that Kasai was right there with them, in the race for first place. Shoto should have known that his sister was tired of being overlooked, tired of being in the shadows.
Her words of encouragement to the class, those are her words, telling them that she won't hesitate to burn them down if it means winning. A warning, that's what they were.
Kasai, for who are you willing to win for? For yourself, or for our father?
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
EVENTUALLY, THE FIRST ROUND was nearly finished. Hatsume actually forfeited by purposefully stepping over the line when she finished presenting her support items to the audience. After that, it was the match between Mina and Aoyoma which was over quickly after the girl destroyed the blond's support belt before delivering a strong uppercut punch, knocking him out. Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu's match ended quite quickly as well, the boy won after pushing the ravenette back out of bounds with his Dark Shadow. However, the match between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu was coming to a close.
Kasai watched as the two boys in the arena delivered simultaneous punches, decking each other out at the same time.
"The match up of nearly identical quirks, Tetsutetsu versus Kirishima! It was a full-on-close-quarters-punch-up! But who is the victor?!" Present Mic's voice calls out.
"They're both down! It's a draw!" Midnight informs everyone. "In the case of a draw, after they both come to, the match will be decided after a simpler game, we'll have them arm wrestle for the right to advance!"
"Next match is that match. The match that is bound to be the most upsetting," Tsu states from her seat.
"I feel like I might look away the entire time," Jiro concurs, sounding nervous.
Kasai crosses her arms and frowns. She's actually looking forward to this fight because she knows Bakugou. She knows that he will never hold back on his competition, no matter who they are! He treats all his opponents equal. And she believes Uraraka will give it her best, that she will use every second to her advantage.
"I'm actually quite excited for this match," the Todoroki girl professes.
Those sitting around her all snap their heads to her.
"How can you say that?!"
"Bakugou is going to be ruthless!"
"Uraraka stands no chance against him!"
The pale girl frowns. "I'm excited because I know that they'll both give it their best. Uraraka is a smart girl, and she's strong, so I believe in her. Bakugou, yeah he's ruthless, and sure he won't hold back, but that's how he always fights. He isn't going to change his ways simply because Uraraka's a girl, he'll treat her as an equal," she huffs, defending both her classmates.
Midoriya and Iida nod, appreciating the girl's words as their concern for their friend disipates.
"It's the last match of the first round! The boy who's been somewhat famous since middle school! But that face ain't the face of a kid on the straight and narrow! Bakugou Katsuki of the department of heroics! Versus! The kid I'll be rooting for! Uraraka Ochaco, of heroics as well!!!"
Kasai is surprised that it's Ochaco who initiates the fight as she rushes forwards. The Todoroki knows that Bakugou has this in the bag because he's such a power hitter, quirk or not. The distance between the ash blond and the petite brunette is a massive one. But that doesn't stop the pale girl from silently cheering on the girl in the arena.
Unfortunately, Bakugou doesn't hesitate to attack as he releases a explosive blast on the brunette. Kasai says nothing while everyone around her winces, she's too busy taking mental notes. Because there's a slight possibility that she could be fighting him, and she needs to prepare. She watches as her rival steps into the cloud of smoke for his next move. And again, he doesn't hesitate to use his explosions.
Only this time Uraraka used her shirt as a decoy, making it float.
Quickly the brunette moves to attack the ash blond, only for him to blast her away with a fiery volley of heat.
"He's keeping a sharp eye out before making any moves," Sero comments loudly.
"With that reaction speed, not even a smoke screen's any use, huh," Kaminari concurs. "That kid's scary."
Her icy eyes narrow as she continues to watch the fight, unaffected by the brutal retaliation. It's blast after explosive blast, but Uraraka keeps getting back up, she keeps fighting. If Kasai didn't know the girl already, she would have been impressed with her by this display of strength. Well, at least she was right on the money about Bakugou not holding back.
"She's pressing on her charge without a moment's rest, but seeing this..." Present Mic voices.
"That decoy didn't work."
"At this rate, he's going to burn her."
Kasai scoffs at the comments the heroes in the audience are spewing. They're heroes and they're commenting this trash! They're adults no less! Talk about not treating everyone as an equal. Sure, Uraraka is a petite girl, but she deserves the right to treated like an equal opponent! She deserves that dignity! That respect! Kasai can feel her blood boiling at their blatant lack of regards.
Consider her pissed.
Crossing her arms and huffing, the pale haired Todoroki rolls her eyes, but with that action she catches sight of the unexpected. Darting her turquoise eyes up to the sky, her mouth almost falls open in shock. Above the heads of everyone, there's several dozen pieces of cement floating above the arena, and Kasai nods at Ochaco's strategy.
"Hey!! Do you mean to be a hero with conduct like that?!" A hero yells from the stands, making Kasai snap back. But his words cause her to seethe. "If your strength level is that much bigger, just blow her out of bounds already!! How dare you toy with a girl like that!!?"
"Yeah, that's right!"
"And the stands stand to boo him," Present Mic comments, noticing the riled up spectators.
She tries to bottle her anger, but each word those heroes said were like separate triggers. Eventually, she exploded.
"Hey, you piece of uncultured trash," Kasai roars, standing from her seat to point at the hero, her hair blazing. Her outburst catching most of everyone's attention. "You call yourself a hero with that bullshit you're spewing?! What do you mean 'blow her out of bounds'?! He's treating his opponent as an equal because he knows she's strong enough to take it! Going easy on her would be disrespectful to her and it would be highly unfair to everyone who's giving their all in this tournament! If you clearly think like that, then you should rethink your career as a hero!" She seethes furiously, defending her friend - yeah, she called Bakugou her friend!
Mina stands to pull the hot tempered girl back, knowing that everyone's in shock of her outburst. Endeavor glances at his simmering daughter, and frowns, clearly noticing the parallels between him and her. That anger is the same. It's uncanny how similar they both are, it's like she's a smaller female version of himself. Aizawa sighs from his spot in the speaker room, shaking his head at his student's outburst, but nonetheless relieved. Because if she hadn't said anything, he would have been the one to reprimand that hero, he's glad it got taken out of his hands.
Kasai calms down once Mina settles her back into her seat, and just in time, too. Because the brunette in the arena finally sets her plan into play. By touching her fingertips, the shards of exploded concrete all regain their gravity levels, and come rushing down.
"A meteor shower! Pay more attention, folks!" Present Mic yells out, marveling at the sight.
However, instead of being deterred by the sight, Bakugou, cool as ever, releases a giant blast wave. The magnitude of the explosion swallows up every shard of cement and disintegrates them to nothing. The heat dissolving the weaponized earth to ashes. Everyone in the stadium gawks at the retaliated action as a wave of heat presses against their faces, pushing them back.
Kasai stares wide eyed, not even bothered by the blistering heat of the explosion. This is the biggest explosion she's seen Bakugou produce! Bigger than the one from the battle trial! Bigger than the ball pitch!
I don't know whether to be impressed...or turned on, Kasai thinks, still in shock.
"He must be content with himself with that explosive showing!!! He took Uraraka's secret strategem and unreservedly crushed it!"
Shaking herself out of her dazed state, the pale girl watches as both Uraraka and Bakugou run to the middle, most likely to finish the battle. Though, before they meet, the Todoroki witnesses as the brunette suddenly falls to the ground. She smiles sadly, knowing that Ochaco doesn't have it in her to continue, but she's still proud of her newly acquainted friend. She gave it her all.
"Uraraka is unable to move. Bakugou advances to the next round!" Midnight announces, ending the match.
"Just as I expected," Kasai voices, ignoring Midoriya as he steps out of the viewing area.
"The first round is now over! We'll get back to it after a short break!"
Kasai attempted to zone out, but Bakugou finally made his way up to the viewing area which instigated their classmates' comments. Crossing her arms and adjusting her legs to cross them, she listened how Sero weakly threw a jab at him. Tsuyu gave the ash blond a backhanded compliment, but nonetheless congratulating him on the win. Though, it was Kaminari who said it was unfair of him to go so harshly against a frail girl like Uraraka - that made the Todoroki frown. But Kaminari saved himself saying that wouldn't stand half a chance like the brunette girl.
Bakugou huffed as he sat down next to Jiro, crossing his arms. "Where do you see 'fragile'," he rhetorically asks, regarding Uraraka.
After a moment of silence the girl chooses to rather focus on the current tie-breaker as both Kirishima and Tetsutetsu step out into the now fixed arena. Like stated, they dual their strength in a display of arm wrestling. It's simple, rather boring, but it's to decide the final opponent for the second round. It doesn't take long to determine the first round; Kirishima earning the big win.
With that done, the pale haired Todoroki can feel the adrenaline rush back into her veins, just one more match before I'm up again.
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
THE GIRL WATCHES as her brother steps into the arena, stoic and cold as ever, as he faces Midoriya. She would be lying is she said that she wasn't anticipating the outcome of this fight. Sure, her brother is beyond strong, but Izuku is up to par with his strategic mind - and not to forget his quirk. She felt it back in the Cavalry round, the intensity of the wind pressure, whatever it was, it was enough to snuff out her flames.
That bothered her.
So, yes, she's anticipating this fight because the odds are all out in the open. It could be anyone's match.
Kasai can hear her classmates discussing the possibilities of this fight. Of what could happen. Of what Midoriya would do. She chooses to ignore them and their restless guesses. Her icy gaze only focuses on the sight of her brother. She needs to pay attention to everything he does because if he happens to win, than it's a high chance that she'll go up against him. After all, she would still need to win her own fight against Iida to even have that opportunity.
With Present Mic yelling out the start of the match, Kasai takes in the nanosecond of silent tension before it erupts in chaos. A wave of sharp ice crystals race towards the green haired boy in high speed. However, before the frozen matter can make contact, it all explodes into icy confetti when Midoriya produces a torrent of pressurized wind. The ice and wind mix as it's sent back towards the crowd behind Shoto, hitting them with freezing air.
"Uwah! It's cold!"
"Woah! He smashed it," Present Mic spectates.
The actions of the two repeat, gaining the same result. Kasai narrows her eyes knowingly. She's aware that her brother finishes his fights quickly, usually with large power blows that overwhelm his opponent. Clear examples are the battle trial against Hagakure and Ojiro, at the USJ with the Nomu, the Obstacle Race, the Cavalry Battle, and recently with Sero. It's all with him freezing them in place, layering their bodies in coats of ice. The same simple and fast move.
And once again, their actions repeat for the third time - ice and pressure colliding.
Though, suddenly Kirishima comes racing into the viewing area, out of breath. He stops besides Kasai, who raises a brow in questioning.
"Man, they already started," he grumbles, frowning.
"Oh, good job on making it to the second round, Kirishima!" Kaminari exclaimed.
"Yep! You're next, Bakugou," the redhead declares.
"I'm going to beat you to death," the ash blond scoffs.
"Haha, I'd like to see you try!"
Kasai rolls her eyes at their antics, they definitely have the perfect chemistry for the bromance that seems to be blooming between them. By means, they even fight well together and the evidence is with their teamwork at the USJ and in the Cavalry battle.
"Anyways, you, Todoroki, and Todosai can send out a whole bunch of really strong attacks rapid-fire without breaking a sweat," Kirishima speaks up, gesturing to the pale girl and the ash blond.
Kasai raises both eyebrows at the nickname, she'll let it pass since it doesn't really bother her. Though, she keeps her mouth shut about not breaking a sweat, because honestly, she can easily overheat if she's not careful - not that she'll mention her weakness to them.
"We don't just shoot them rapid-fire, you know," Bakugou tells him, throwing a glance at Kasai who's busy watching the match. "If you over-exert your muscles, you fibers will wear down. If you run too much, you'll run out of breath. Quirks are just physical functions. So that guy should have some kind of limit, too. So I figured the best way to get around that was to have my costume amplify my explosions."
"So, if we think like that, then for Todoroki..."
With another row of spiked glaciers, Kasai watches as her brother attempts to attack Midoriya again. Though, this time the green haired boy barely manages to block the attack with his own. As if he's getting tired. The girl shakes her head, she notes that it's not exhaustion that's hindering him. She can recall every time that the boy used his quirk, and basically every time he's come out with at least a new broken bone. To conclude this, she narrows her cool turquoise gaze and assesses his stance.
He has his arms out in front of him, and he's cradling his right hand. Plus, so far, he used his quirk four times, Kasai calculates, and instantly her brain figures it out. His fingers, he's purposefully breaking them just so he can fight Shoto. What an idiot. Pain tolerance is something he certainly doesn't know.
Before she can speculate any more, her focus is shifted when she notices her brother making a different move. Taking a sheet of ice, Shoto closes the distance as he jumps forward, towards Midoriya. Landing in front of the latter in a crouching position, her brother doesn't hesitate to release another row of sharpened ice. Now, this time, it actually lands a hit, making contact with the shorter boy as it throws him back.
However, it was only just a bit before Midoriya released another wave of pressure, this one a lot bigger than the last four. Her brother quickly creates a wall of ice behind him to keep him in. When the collision attack dies down, Kasai can see that the green haired boy used a lot more than a finger, noticing the bruises decorating his whole right arm.
His quirk is totally destructive, she notes. It's exactly like a double edged sword.
Narrowing her gaze, she focuses on Shoto and sees that he's frosted in a layer of ice. Is that an effect to over using his ice quirk? Interesting.
Glancing between the competitors, she can see them being at a standstill. Though, it's more like her brother is acknowledging Midoriya's poor state - he looks to be in pain with a broken hand and fingers. But, her brother is also slowly freezing himself. Maybe they're both at their limits? Another possible tie?
Shaking her head, Kasai dismisses those two questions. Knowing the two, they would do everything to win. Her brother for sure won't back down that easily since their father's here watching. Taking a glance at her flame clad father, she takes note of his frown and narrowed eyes. Definitely upset. Midoriya alone, has the thrive to prove himself, always has, so he's certainly not going to take an easy defeat.
So this isn't a standstill, they're taking a moment to strategize, to calculate their next move.
And they did, her brother makes the first move to end things as he produces another row of frozen capsules. Sharpened and speeding, they race towards Izuku's injured state.
"Todoroki is continuing his overwhelming offense! It looks like this ice will make for the finishing blow!" Present Mic's voice booms.
"Where are you looking," Midoriya yells before releasing his own offense.
Kasai's eyes widen, he used a broken finger! How much damage is he willing to sustain for a victory?!
"Are you serious? Why are you going this far to -"
"You're shivering, Todoroki," Midoriya cuts off Shoto. "Quirks are just another one of our physical functions, so there's a limit to how much of your own generated cold that you can take, isn't there? If that's the case, you could just solve that problem by using the heat from your left side, am I wrong? Everyone's... They're giving everything they've got! They're doing it so they can get that much closer to victory! They're doing it so they can someday become number one! You think you can win using only half your power?! But you haven't been able to put a single scratch on me yet! So get over here and fight me!"
Of course, he's willing to go through so much pain if it guarantees him being number one, the pale girl shakes her head, dumbfounded with the boy's words. She should have known.
Her brother scoffs, glaring. "Just what are you planning..."
He doesn't finish, instead he chooses to run forward for his next attack. With turquoise eyes narrowing, Kasai can spot the minor differences. She takes note that his mobility is hindered - it's slower, his movements are choppy. Of course with ice covering half his body, it definitely makes an effect.
She watches when they come in contact when Midoriya delivers a suckerpunch to her brother's stomach, a clear opening. The collision is strong enough to send Shoto several feet back. Kasai winces because even she felt that punch from here.
"Ooooh! And a bitter blow to a very brittle body! I bet you all felt that one," Present Mic voices with a grimace.
The audience all murmur in surprise, clearly not expecting the Todoroki to get a hit on him. Shaking her head, the younger Todoroki watches as her brother pushes himself up from the ground, recovering from the heavy blow.
Holding on to his side, Shoto angrily produces another gale of ice shards towards his opponent. However, Izuku easily dodges as he steps aside, but even he can spot the differences from the previous attacks. The ice is slowing down.
"The power of your ice is weakening," the battered boy shouts at his ice coated opponent.
Kasai bites her lips at the sheer intensity that this fight is producing. Despite it going back in forward, it's very captivating. She doesn't care that it's her brother fighting, but she's at the edge of her seat, waiting, anticipating, for the outcome. Again, she watches as her twin brother releases yet another row of frozen capsules. Following the ice with her same colored eyes, she looks to Midoriya as he flicks his thumb from his mouth, producing a gale of pressure.
Being thrown back, Shoto grunts as he glares at his classmate. "Why are you going this far..?"
Izuku runs forwards. "I want to live up to his expectations. I want to be able to answer with a smile. I want to become a super cool hero! That's why everyone's giving it their all," he yells, punching the Todoroki once again. "I can't even begin to understand your circumstances, or your resolution, but even so. Now I think the idea that you'll become number one without using your full strength and that you're doing this to disavow someone, is a fucking joke!"
"Shut up," Shoto seethes, not liking that his words are triggering memories from his childhood, about his mother.
"That's why I'm gonna win," Izuku yells, delivering another punch to the boy's face. "I'm going to surpass you!"
With the blow to the face, Shoto is taken back to his memories, remembering the time he watched all his siblings playing outside. Touya was standing between Natsuo and Fuyumi as he kicked the soccer ball, and Kasai was trying and failing at getting the ball away from him. He remembered them all smiling and laughing before he was taken away from the window, their father leading him away for another training session.
In another flash, he's taken to the memory of his mother talking into the phone. He can still remember her words. 'Mom... I - I think I might be going crazy... I, I can't take it anymore. Everyday, the kids, they get more and more like him. Kasai, she's such a sweet child, but every time she looks at me with... with those eyes, all I can see is him. And Shoto, that child's left side... sometimes looks hideous to me! I - I can't take care of them anymore. If I saw them now, it'll be bad..'
Focusing back to the match, Shoto looks to Izuku from the ground. "My father -"
"It's yours!" The green haired boy yells, cutting him off. "It's your power!!!"
With a brief memory of watching All Might's conference about quirks, and with his mother's assurance, Shoto finally remembers why he decided to become a hero. So, remembering what he's forgotten so long ago, he accepts his whole quirk.
Kasai watches stunned, shocked, that her brother produces everglowing flames that compare to the sun - so bright and beautiful. In all her years in knowing him, he never used his fire side, yet here he is, using the flames he once pledged to never use. Why? Why now? She should be proud of him like any normal sibling for finally accepting his fire side, but she's not. She's had this one sided battle against him for so long, but in those years she's never felt like an equal. She felt small, pathetic, and to see him using his flames against Midoriya, of all people, she feels so, so...
So insignificant!
Should she feel sad? Heartbroken? Angry? Frustrated? Kasai doesn't know, she can't pinpoint her feelings. No, in that moment as she watches her brother burn bright like a wildfire, she feels completely useless.
With Shoto finally using fire, what importance do I have? I'm nothing compared to him. I'm not an equal to his eyes, and I'm even more pointless in the eyes of our father, she thinks sourly as she forces back her angry tears.
And her thoughts get answered when she hears her father - Endeavor - shout from the audience. "Shotoooo! So you've finally accepted yourself, have you?! Good! Excellent! Now, this is your true beginning! You who holds my blood, surpass me, and realize my ambitions in yourself!"
Clenching her hands, and stabbing her nails into her palms, the girl decides to stay in seething silence.
"And Mr. Endeavor with a very sudden...pep talk? Must be quite the doting dad!" Present Mic comments.
If only you knew, Kasai sneers mentally, scoffing.
With emotionless eyes, the girl stays to watch as the fight comes to an with a whopping collision. The magnitude of their shared power sends a blistering heatwave all around the arena, whipping them back into their seats. Huffing, Kasai ignores everyone as she stands - unaffected by the heat - and leaves the viewing area.
"Midoriya is out of bounds! Todoroki Shoto advances to the third round!"
The pale haired girl glares, her blue eyes blazing. Now, it's my turn to move on!
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
WALKING THROUGH THE halls of the stadium, Kasai finally reaches the entrance to the arena, however, she's not alone. No, instead she's met with the sight of both her father and brother. By the looks of it, they just finished having whatever conversation they were having.
The youngest Todoroki sneers, giving them a death glare.
"I should have known you two were conspiring in the shadows. Are you praising your golden child now that he used his flames, pathetic. It's expected that you only came to the festival for him, why do I even bother for your attention," she jeers, giving a mirthless smile.
She shoves past them, ignoring Shoto's look, not caring for his feelings.
"It's because you know that you're a failure. That's why you seek for my acceptance," Enji tells his daughter, unaffected by her hostile glare and sharp words.
Kasai laughs with contempt, her lips curling as she looks over her shoulder. "Tch, I'll show you what a true failure looks like, but let's get one thing straight...it's not going to be me," she glares, her icy eyes burning with the hottest of flames.
With that, the girl walks away towards the entrance. Her heart is burning, scalding her veins with molten flames. She's had enough! Her father, her brother, she'll show them who's the best! She's tired of being underestimated, of being overshadowed, of being discarded! She's not a fucking consolation prize! She will be number one!
Breathing in as she steps out into the open, the cheers turn to white noise, instead she hears her heartbeat. Thudding in her chest, in her ears, like a drum. On the other side, she can see Iida walking up to the stage, their steps in perfect synch. They're like a mirror of each other, both determined and ready to prove themselves.
Unfortunately, only one can win.
"It's time for the second match of the second round! You all know her by now, she's a killer temper mixed with fiery moves, it's Todoroki Kasai! Versus the boy with quick reflexes and high speed, Iida Tenya! Start!"
Exhaling, Kasai's eyes glare at her opponent as she prepares to make her move. Naturally, she ignites her hands in white embers. Though, before she can make a move, it's Iida who initiates it. With a unblinking gaze, she watches as he speedily preforms a reciproburst. He's like a bullet, darting across the stage with rushing precision.
Not wanting to be a victim to a quickly ending match, the Todoroki shoots out her arms and expels torrents of pale blazes, spreading her arms. Her actions create a barrier of fire in front of her, all while successfully stopping Iida in his steps. He's practically at arm's length, but they're divided by her flames.
Bringing her hands together to extinguish the fire, Kasai smirks mirthlessly as she swiftly turns her body, throwing her right arm forward. Mercilessly, the girl doesn't hesitate to shoot another torrent of flames. Large plumes of heavenly embers explode in a fury towards Iida, and thanks to his engines, the boy manages to evade them.
But the pale haired girl doesn't stop there, she throws punch after punch, and punches of fire. She's not risking a defeat, and if she has to be as ruthless as possible, then so be it. Every volley forces Iida to the edge of the arena, inching him closer to the boundary line. That's what she wants.
"It seems to me that Iida is running out of places to run to! He's got no where to hide against Todoroki's onslaught of flames! As ruthless as she is, it looks like she's not letting up any time soon, folks! What an intense match," Present Mic yells.
Huffing, out of breath, Kasai stops her continuous bombardment to cool down. She's aware of her moves being motivated by her temper, and as much as she wants the win, she can't burn herself out. The girl chastises herself for being stupid, but that image of her brother and father talking - it's eating at her.
Calm down! Stop being stupid! You're acting like a mess, no one would want to work with you if you keep up this behavior, she yells to herself.
In her moment to take a break, Iida takes that chance for his advantage and rushes with another reciproburst.
It's a free second before Kasai widens her blue gaze with alarm. She instantly knows what's taking place when her vision blurs, it's like the cavalry battle all over again. Gritting her teeth and cursing herself in anger, she knows she needs to move fast or else it's all over for her.
With a furious yell, the pale teen digs her heel into the cement of the stage before she forces her body to ignite in a explosion of white hot flames. Every inch of her skin, of her person, is enveloped in the celestial lights of her power, sparking her in a fiery combustion.
She seethes at her class president. "You can't move what you can't touch. Not unless you want to burn your skin in third degree," she informs, turning to face the boy.
She takes note of his already burned hands, they don't look too bad. He got lucky.
"An epic turn of events, people! Iida took the chance and almost had her, but like the burning hot-shot that she is, Todoroki managed a successful evasion! But let's look at this flaming power move! Talk about being hot!"
A tense silence passes over as Kasai and Iida assess each other with narrowed looks.
It's now or never, they both determine.
The stagnant atmosphere breaks when they both race to the middle. Kasai, who's still in her flaming state, uses the fire to propel herself forwards with extra speed. Iida, who decides to give it his all, pushes himself to his maximum speed and produces his Torque Over Reciproburst.
The audience watches with anticipation as the two students shoot towards the middle with high speeds. The majority of Class 1-A are watching at the edges of their seats, not knowing who to cheer on. It's been a few minutes since the match started, but they didn't expect it to be so dramatic, so amazing. They knew Kasai was very controlled with her flames, but they never foresaw her using a move to cover herself entirely in flames. Then, there's Iida, their class president who's always prepared for everything, his speed alone always amazes them - especially his Torque Over.
Bakugou and Shoto are the only ones who stay impassive. The ash blond is just wondering how much heat the girl is expelling, if she's feeling the heat herself, he's curious. Of course, he's also impressed, but he will never say that out loud, she is his rival after all. Though, this show of power is only proving how strong she is, and ultimately, he wants to fight her. Shoto, on the other hand, he watches with a sudden mixture of nervousness and animosity. He's aware of the possibilty of fighting against her, and it's startling. Was she always this strong? What fuels her fire to burn so brightly? Is she fighting with anger? What is she proving?
Enji, well, he just frowns. Now that Shoto is using his fire side, he's finally achieved perfection. However, he can't help but notice that compared to Shoto, Kasai has full control over her fire. His daughter may not be his ideal child, but she definitely has the skill he wishes that his son had. Her words ring some truth because he did come here for Shoto, he wasn't aware of her presence here. Every time they cross paths, she always manages to surprise him - good or bad, he's not sure. Kasai may have some similarities to him, but he can also she the similarities she shares with their late sibling - Touya, and that unnerves him.
When two forces collide with great speed, there's always an rebounding impact. A whiplash of flames and steam crash as Kasai and Iida meet in the middle. The girl's fire almost snuffed out completely due pressure in the wind, but she still has embers flickering on her body. Thankfully, she decided to wear her black spanx underneath her uniform along with a black tank top because her uniform is gone, burned to ashes.
Gritting her teeth in frustrastion, Kasai use her flames to push her fowards. She's aware that Iida is worn out at the moment due to his Torque Over, she she needs to finish this now! She can't allow him the opportunity to recover. Naturally, he's still stronger and taller than her, but with enough force, she can push him over the edge. Yelling, the Todoroki ignites her boots in flames and uses his earlier move against him.
With one final push, she shoots flames from her hands and launches him out of bounds like a rocket.
Panting, she watches as his body lands on the grass terrain - scorched and steaming.
"Iida is out of bounds!" Midnight announces, and the next words are music to her ears. "Advancing to the third round is Todoroki Kasai!"
Smiling in victory, she locks gazes with her father, and raises her right fist. Her eyes narrow, do you see me now? This is what a winner looks like!
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Heeeeyyyyy! I finally updated! Sorry, for the wait, I know you guys were waiting for the chapter - me too despite being the one who writes it, lolol :D
Well, what did you think of it?!
Kasai is standing up for Bakugou! For equality, she's definitely a feminist - by means, Ochaco deserves to be treated as an equal! And oop - she yelled at the heroes! I totally love Kasai's and Bakugou's relationship - they're rivals and won't admit to their feelings, but they will always defend one another <3
Oh, Kasai is feeling insignificant to Shoto - I mean, I would too if some stranger kid (Midoriya) got my brother to fully accept himself when I wasted my time trying to outshine him, only for him to shine because of that kid (if that makes sense?)! Kasai just has a lot of negative feelings boiling inside of her, I worry for the moment when she snaps - oop!
Kasai and Enji = No progress! And ooh, is Enji seeing parallels with Kasai and Touya, makes you wonder.
The fight with Iida, I had it planned out, but I guess I didn't write it as well - sorry if sucked or seemed too easy, I really tried!
Also, Kasai and Shoto = one step forward, two steps back. Their relationship is a sloooow burn development with extra bumps here and there. The memories, you got a little insight with their childhood - a tiny snippet!
Anything else?
Anyways, don't forget to COMMENT, to VOTE, and to FANNNN!!!
ADIOS, Mis amigos! And thank you for reading, it means a lot to me that you do! (And please be careful in these times, keep yourself safe and protected!)
Word Count: 6,923