Kirishima just stared at the now empty, destroyed, ring in the middle of the stadium. The battle between his teacher and the ice user had been a spectacular thing to observe, but he wasn't focusing on that.
The only thing that he could think of was the fact that Izuku had made Todoroki use his flames. He may have looked angry at Todoroki, but that wasn't the case. Izuku was mad over the fact that Todoroki was suffering while refusing help, and Kirishima could see it as if it was crystal clear.
There were more things that bothered him, one was Izuku's backstory. His own teacher had suffered so terribly, yet he didn't share it with him. Kirishima knew that his teacher kept it secret in order to protect him... But the red haired boy couldn't shake the feeling that Izuku, his teacher and best friend, didn't trust him enough to share his past...
"I don't get it..." Sero suddenly exclaimed, which caught Kirishima's attention.
"Midoriya was clearly the superior in this match, he overwhelmed Todoroki even though he had given himself a handicap. He had many windows to end the match, so why didn't he do it?" Sero then continued, voice showing how confused he was. The rest of the class had listened in on this, and only a handful understood what was happening.
"Midoriya wasn't fighting Todoroki." Kirishima answered, his voice being calm. Everyone, except for Rachel, looked at him confused, so he continued.
"He noticed that Todoroki was struggling with something, and he couldn't let that slide. He wasn't fighting Todoroki, he was helping him.... Just like he helped me..." Kirishima continued.
Everyone in class was shocked after hearing this. Most had thought that Todoroki wasn't using his fire because of arrogance or fear, they didn't notice that he was suffering because of it. They also thought that Izuku had prolonged the match out of rage and arrogance, when fighting wasn't even his intention.
At that moment they all realised something, Izuku wasn't like anyone else. If he sees something wrong, he won't pretend that'll go away by itself. He is a hero, through and through.
"That sounds just like him... He has always been someone that can't sit and watch... " Rachel added, her voice being soft as she was smiling...
"A civilian that can't sit back and watch... Where have I heard that one before?" Tokoyami responded, and Rachel froze completely. No one could see her expression, but right now she was panicking... For she had screwed up!...
Class 1-A weren't stupid, they knew what Tokoyami was refering to. They were all shocked to hear it, the fact that any of their classmates had been connected to The Guardian in any way.
At that moment Yaoyorozu had realised something, and voiced her comment.
"This might be a coincidence, but... Did anyone notice the stance that Midoriya had taken before the final clash?" She said, and it made everyone think. Rachel already knew what she was talking about, she had also noticed it, and she was stressing out because of it... Both her and Izuku had screwed up!...
Kirishima started to scratch his chin, as he was shocked. That stance was the signature stance of The Guardian, he would recognise it anywhere. Kirishima had attempted to recreate the stance at some point, but he failed after he realised that there wasn't much he could do other than get hit. Izuku had used the stance like it was nothing, and it looked as if he felt at home with it. Kirishima also had another looming feeling he couldn't shake, that stance suited Izuku.
He felt that whenever Izuku took any stance, from any martial art, he looked completely underwhelming. With this stance, however, he looked impressive. It was as if the stance was a puzzle piece that didn't fit with anyone, except for Izuku.
"He can't be The Guardian..." Ojiro suddenly said, which nabbed the attention of everyone.
"If he was, then he would have been ten years old when debuting. As for the stance, there's not much to it. It's only purpose is to make yourself harder to push back, therefore it perfectly suited The Guardian, but that stance is sometimes used by those who have incredible strength without any form of technique. Midoriya's fighting style consists of nothing but the abuse of his brute strength, which makes it plausible for him to use that stance... The wrench in this is how well he used that stance... " Ojiro said, and everyone was impressed, before he continued.
"When taking that stance you pretty much lock yourself down, which makes it hard to change and use another stance. Midoriya had managed to use that stance without that issue, for he charged Todoroki immediately after. It's as if he has used that stance so much that he can use it perfectly... I'm not saying that he is The Guardian, he is dead and Midoriya is too young, but that doesn't mean that he has nothing to do with him... Perhaps he had a connection with The Guardian, before he died... " Ojiro finished.
The entire class was in shock, for they would have never known this. They would have just thought that it was a coincidence, it most likely was, but the idea that their classmate is somehow related to the greatest vigilante ever is both incredible and terrifying at the same time.
Kirishima was at a loss. This was just speculation, they had no actual proof to back anything up, but it felt so real. Izuku's strength and powerful resolve, even his motives, could stem from The Guardian. If he did have a connection with him it would make sense that he never talked about his past, why would he risk people knowing that he is connected to an infamous vigilante. His reason for not talking about it could also be that it is too painful, because The Guardian is dead. The vigilante could have been someone important to Izuku, like a friend, a family member, or even... His teacher...
Kirishima realised something else at the end of his thought process. Right now Izuku was teaching him how to fight, and train. If The Guardian was his teacher then it would mean that everything Izuku knows once belonged to The Guardian, so he probably knows his fighting style. If that is the case, could it be that he is passing that onto Kirishima now? Could it be that everything that The Guardian once taught him, he is teaching to Kirishima?
"ALRIGHT! TIME FOR THE NEXT MATCH!" Annoying mic roared, bringing everyone's attention back to the center of the stadium.
Kirishima needed to focus, he was up next and his girlfriend was fighting right now. He needed to push this aside for now, but he couldn't just forget about it.
If any of his speculation turns out to be true, it means that Izuku is hurting and needs help. He needs to talk about it to someone, one that he trusts... Correction, one that both Izuku and The Guardian trust. Someone that he is sure stood close to them both...
. . .
Mina humiliated Aoyama, there is no other way to put it. That match was no more than Mina making Aoyama useless after just one attack, then uppercutting him.
My match is up next, and I'm facing the man that had insulted my class not so long ago. I'm not afraid of him not as much as I was before fighting Jack.
Tetsutetsu is similar to me when it comes to quirk, we probably would've had the exact same fighting style if I wasn't trained by Midoriya, but I have learned to use my hardening in a way that is unique to me... and I have One for all.
Sweat poured down my face, as I threw punches into the air. I'm warming myself up, because I shouldn't underestimate my opponent. I have tricks and techniques up my sleeve, I would be ignorant to think that my opponent doesn't.
"ALRIGHT! TIME FOR THE NEXT MATCH!" Present mic announced, so I stopped my warm up and started to walk towards the ring.
"IN ONE CORNER WE HAVE THE UNBREAKABLE SHIELD FROM CLASS 1-B, TETSUTETSU TETSUTETSU!" Present mic roared, as my opponent entered the ring with an expression of anger.
"IN THE OTHER CORNER WE HAVE THE UNBREAKABLE SHIELD OF CLASS 1-A, EIJIRO KIRISHIMA!" Present mic then announced, as I walked into the ring.
I could tell that Tetsutetsu was just as annoyed as me, after hearing that we had the exact same title.
We're nothing alike!... I roared in my head, right before Tetsutetsu spoke up.
"You've been trained by Midoriya, right!?" He said, his voice and expression as angry as ever. I looked at him calmly, as I answered.
"Yeah, so?" With a calm voice. Tetsutetsu looked angry as he looked at me, and answered.
"I will crush you! Then I will crush that pathetic teacher of your's!" With malicious intent.
I know why Tetsutetsu felt this way, he had been absolutely destroyed by Midoriya after all. I know this, but I still get angry after I hear him insult my friend like that.
Upon hearing his words I started to lightly bounce on the spot, as I spread twenty percent of One for all over my entire body. I could feel how my entire body relaxed, as if it was turning to liquid.
"Come and get me then!" I responded to Tetsutetsu, and he looked even angrier.
"BEGIN!" Midnight shouted, and Tetsutetsu took action immediately.
He turned his entire body to steel, as he charged me. From my point of view he was as slow as a snail, and he looked fragile. I decided to finish this quickly, so I took action.
I charged Tetsutetsu with incredible speed, then I used that momentum to charge a strong punch. My arm was completely relaxed, until I activated my hardening and upped to thirty-five percent at the moment that my fist made contact with Tetsutetsu's chin.
The collision made the sound of steel cracking, as Tetsutetsu stumbled face first into the ground. The audience looked shocked, in their eyes I probably looked like a blur that had knocked the other down within less than a second.
"IT- IT'S OVER!" Present mic roared, as I was declared the winner. The entire stadium cheered as I made my way out of the arena.
That match felt like it was too easy. When Jack had taken one of those hits he was up and fighting immediately after, most students at UA really can't compare to Jack Hanma... That concerns me...
"You did well Kirishima!" I heard the familiar voice of Midoriya call out to me. I looked towards him, saw that he was smiling, and gave him a smile of my own as I answered.
"He wasn't that great to be honest..." With a calm voice. Midoriya didn't give a verbal response, he only nodded.
"Yes, that is true." Another familiar voice called. I looked towards it, and saw a familiar old man. It was Tokugawa, and behind him were Jack, Hanayama, and two others who seemed to be quite old.
"You guys could have told me that you'd be here." Midoriya then said, with a smile. One of the older men walked up, he was pretty buff and wore sunglasses to cover an eyepatch that was over his right eye, as he said.
"We wanted to see how you performed, and we wanted to surprise you... Also... " With a calm voice, as he turned his gaze towards me at the end.
"We wanted to meet your only student." He then finished. I don't know what to make of this man, he seems friendly but also seems to hide his intent. The old man reached his hand out to me, for a handshake, as he introduced himself.
"I'm Doppo Orochi, founder of Shinshinkai Karate, nice to meet you!" He said, with a smile. The second that I heard him mention that he was a founder of karate I froze with shock. Midoriya had once spoken of a dojo called Shinshinkai, and that they had many great and formidable fighters, so to be standing before their greatest is nerve racking.
I quickly shook Orochi's hand, as I introduced myself.
"Eijiro Kirishima, it's great to finally meet you!" I said, being quite nervous. They all seemed to have noticed, as they giggled a little, before the other older man came up to introduce himself.
"Goki Shibukawa, master of Jijutsu and Aiki. It's an honor to finally meet the student of Izuku Midoriya!" He said, as he reached his hand out. Once again I was frozen, for I was standing before a man who had the honor of being called a master. I shook his hand, as I spoke.
"No, the honor is mine!" I said, rather panicked. They all giggled once again, and I could see that Jack was barely holding in his laughter.
"Well, I had hoped to see more of your style... But that steel boy wasn't as good as I thought... " Shibukawa said, to which everyone nodded in agreement. I felt that I needed to say something, so I spoke.
"Don't worry, I still have three more matches to show what I go for!" I said, confidently. Everyone looked at me shocked, then they smiled.
"Confident you are. I'll look forward to your matches." Orochi then said.
I smiled at his comment, then I looked towards Midoriya. He was smiling, as if he was proud, then he spoke.
"You have done some fine progression... I can't wait to see what that style of yours has in store." Midoriya said with a proud smile. Everyone else agreed with his statement, and I could only smile.
If I win two more matches I'll get to face Midoriya in the finals.... Now that I think of it, I haven't had a proper match with him before.
The closest that we've ever been to fighting are sparring matches, we've never had a real match. If I make it to the final I will face him, there's no doubt that he'll reach the final, and I'll get to see how well I'll do against him...
"Just you wait, I'll be there to face you in the final!" I then said, shocking Midoriya for a second... Until he smiled again.
No words were spoken after that point, there were just smiles and stares. Midoriya was just looking at me, he didn't need to say what he wanted to say... Win... Then come and face me!...
. . .
Shortly after Kirishima's match had ended it was time for Uraraka to face off against Katsuki. She put up a good fight, but she lost in the end. Katsuki held some respect towards her, but he was still more furious than usual.
The second round was about to start, with Iida facing off against Rachel... since Izuku and Todoroki fought in advance. Midnight was about to declare the start of the second round, but was stopped when a student walked into the ring and spoke.
"Wait!" The student shouted, as he entered the previously empty ring. It was Ojiro, and he seemed to have some weird intent.
"Before the second round officially begins, I'd like to challenge a fellow student to a duel!" Ojiro said. Everyone was shocked, for he intended to add an extra match to the tournament. Midnight was going to say something, but Ojiro beat her to it.
"Izuku Midoriya! I challenge you!" He shouted, as he stared daggers at the spot in the audience that was Izuku.
Izuku was smiling after hearing this, as he leaped from the stands and crashed down on the opposite side of the ring. Everyone could see the smiling Izuku after the smoke cleared, and he answered Ojiro.
"Challenge accepted!" With a confident voice.
The teachers looked towards the mummified Aizawa for an answer, but he only said.
"Let them do it." With a tired voice. He may have sounded like he was bored, but he was actually excited. He wanted to see how this match would play out.
"Alright! We will have an additional match to fill where the first match of the second round was supposed to be! The results of this match won't have any effects on the rest of the tournament!" Midnight shouted, and the audience roared in excitement. Rachel was surprised, but knew that something like this would eventually happen ever since she heard Izuku say that he accepted all challenges. Kirishima was confused at first, but was then excited.
Izuku looked straight at Ojiro, and he noticed something. Ojiro had that expression again, like he had some grudge against Izuku.
"BEGIN!" Midnight shouted, and Ojiro charged at Izuku immediately.
Izuku pulled his arm back for a punch, but it was interrupted mid swing. Ojiro was fast, he had used a combination of his fists, his feet, and his tail to rail on Izuku and make him cancel the punch.
Izuku swiped the air, but hit nothing. Ojiro had jumped back, and he was in a stance.
"You're pathetic!" Ojiro shouted. Izuku looked at him confused, as he continued.
"Your mere existence is a disgrace to martial arts! You only use your brute strength to win, you have no techniques! I'm going to show you just how weak you are when faced with true logic!" He shouted, and the entire stadium was shocked.
Most of the ones present knew what Ojiro was talking about. Izuku had only relied on his physical capabilities to fight, of course he would get angry.
Rachel only facepalmed after hearing this, for she knew what was about to happen. Once again, Izuku was going to beat his opponent at his own game... He was going to use an actual technique...
"Alright then... " Izuku said, as he slowly raised his hands. Those who looked at this thought that he was doing something similar to the attack that had ended the match with Shinso, but that was not the case. Right as his hands were above his head, he thrust them down into his... Pockets?
"I'll show you a technique... " Izuku finished. Everyone was shocked at this turn of events, and Annoying mic roared.
"What?! Midoriya just put his hands into his pockets! Is he trying to mock his opponent?!"
Annoying mic's observation became what most people believed, even Ojiro, but some knew better. Aizawa thought that he had seen this stance before, but he only recognised it vaguely...
Ojiro was beyond pissed off. He charged at Izuku again, intent on felling him, but was shot back by multiple hits.
After regaining his composure, he looked towards Izuku with shock. He was standing in some sort of post hit posture, and it shocked Ojiro for he couldn't understand what was happening... How could someone who had his hands in his pockets hit him so fast without any sort of windup?!
Aizawa knew what this was now, and he spoke of it right after Annoying mic was done asking what it was.
"It's Iai, the hand-pocket stance. By placing his hands in his pockets he can add the momentum of his rotating hips to his punches, that way he attacks from any angle... With this his fist becomes like a sword that gets drawn from its scabbard... " Aizawa said, and everyone was shocked. Ojiro was frozen, he was at a loss.
The person that he had just said was incapable of techniques just used one, and it was one that Ojiro didn't even know of.
"What's wrong? Am I too fast for you?" Izuku asked Ojiro, teasing him. The tailed man looked at Izuku, who still had his hands in his pockets, as he continued.
"I can go much slower if you'd like." As he, with what made the speed of a snail look like a spaceship in hyperspeed, slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets.
Ojiro was infuriated by this, as he charged Izuku once more. Izuku didn't fight back this time, he smiled as he took all of the hits while his hands slowly inched out of his pockets.
No one understood what was happening. To them it looked like Izuku was being overwhelmed, but the reality was that he was inviting Ojiro to do this.
Ojiro was about to throw a punch towards Izuku's gut, but flinched. He realised that Izuku's hands weren't in his pockets anymore, and as he looked up he would realise what had happened.
Izuku had his fists tightly clenched above his head. He had moved so slowly that no one had noticed him moving, and Ojiro's assault gave him enough time to reach above his head.
Ojiro didn't have enough time to react, as Izuku slammed his fists onto Ojiro's shoulders. The force was so intense that craters were made under his feet, and Ojiro stumbled backwards.
Everyone looked on in shock. This could technically be called a technique, but it was one that relied on Izuku's vitality. Aizawa knew about the hand-pocket stance, and he was surprised to see Izuku use it... But he was even more surprised when Izuku had made the technique his own, changed it to better suit his own style.
"To be honest, I prefer the slow and elegant hand-pocket." Izuku said, as he placed his hands back into his pockets. Right as his hands had been returned to their spot, Ojiro leaped onto his feet again.
He was angry, but for some reason he was questioning his own actions. Ojiro didn't know why he was questioning his actions, but that didn't matter... He needed to defeat Midoriya...
"Good morning Ojiro! Sleep well!?" Izuku said, making his taunt too obvious. Ojiro didn't respond, he only took a stance.
"Alright! Let's finish th-" Izuku was cut off when he received multiple punches to numerous places.
Ojiro had started by stomping down on Izuku's foot, making him unable to proceed as usual. Then he hit him with a palm strike to the nose, followed by a punch to the gut, followed by a palm strike to the right ear. To finish it off he dug his fingers into Izuku's throat, blocking his windpipe, before he gave him a powerful kick to the grapes... No explanation of effect needed...
The audience watched as Ojiro nailed Izuku in many painful and vital spots, and they were all waiting for Izuku to topple over like a domino... But it never happened...
Izuku stood there firmly, almost as if nothing had happened. Ojiro looked at his face, and noticed that he had some veins covering it.
He was going to attack, but stopped dead after receiving a swift blow. Ojiro hadn't noticed at all, but Izuku had managed to get his hands above his head through all of that. What he just did was the same thing that he had done to Shinso, only he wasn't stopping there.
The audience watched as blood spewed out of Ojiro's ears, and he stopped moving. In that moment you could see Izuku pulling his arm back for a punch. His classmates knew what this was, and they were afraid. Izuku intended to use one of his techniques, Unbreakable Cannon, to finish his opponent.
Ojiro was stuck in his mind, he could only think. His hearing had been destroyed, his vision was blurry, and he couldn't move. He was stuck in his thoughts, and he finally realised why he was questioning his own actions earlier... He had falsely accused Izuku...
He had claimed that Izuku was insulting martial arts, and that he could only use his brute. The truth was that Izuku was very much capable of using techniques, there's just no reason to do so when you're as strong as he is. Ojiro also realised that it doesn't matter if Izuku only uses his brute strength or not, what matters is that he wins in the end.
Izuku had poured endless hours and pain into strengthening his own body, just like a martial artist pours hours and suffering into perfecting a technique. There is honor to Izuku's way of fighting, and Ojiro is glad to experience one of his techniques.
Izuku threw his punch, making it collide with Ojiro's face, and sent his opponent flying out of the ring. Everyone was silent for a moment, until the dust cleared to show that Ojiro was inside of the concrete wall with blood pouring out of his face.
"I JUST REPAIRED THAT WALL!!!" Cementoss shouted in frustration. Izuku only gave him a grin, as he answered.
"Get used to it! There's plenty more where that came from!" With a stern voice.
No one objected to it, Midnight just announced that Izuku won the match.
Class 1-A was awestruck. They just saw Izuku tank thousands of hits, and then use some techniques that they didn't know about.
"I don't understand, how did Midoriya manage to take those hits?... More importantly, how was he even standing after taking one straight to the family jewels?" Sero asked, almost stuttering from his imagination going wild about the pain. No one in class seemed to have an answer, until Rachel spoke up.
"Izuku is tough enough to just tank anything, my grandfather even has a saying about it... The champion's body doesn't falter until his mind tells him to, you won't win unless he allows it... As for the jewels, it's a technique. The jewels have been one of the most exploited vital points in human history, so it's no surprise that there are techniques that counter these attacks." She said, with a voice that fit well for a teacher. This answered the question for most, but some wanted to know more.
"What exactly is that technique?" Kaminari asked, still jarred by his match. Rachel didn't look at Kaminari, as she simply answered.
"Just hide your testicles inside of your body." With a straight voice, no sugar to coat it in any way.
It wasn't just Kaminari, but many of the other guys were shocked by this answer. It was so simple, yet so difficult. The idea of hiding your testicles inside your own body seemed genius, but at the same time it sounded painful to get to that point in the first place.
Everyone had more questions for Izuku, and they were going to bombard him. Some, however, didn't focus on that. For the second round had officially started, even if the match between Izuku and Todoroki had been meshed into the first round.
. . .
"TIME FOR THE SECOND ROUND TO BEGIN!" Annoying mic roared. Two students walked up to the arena immediately afterwards, Iida and Rachel.
Annoying mic gave some remarks with weird names and such, but no one cared in the slightest. Iida looked at Rachel with a calm expression, as he said.
"I respect you as a person, and as an opponent... But I will try to end this as quickly as possible... "
Izuku watched this exchange, and he facepalmed. He felt bad for Iida, out of the teams that progressed he was last, he was forced to become an advertisement in the first match, and now he is facing the spawn of satan... and he just underestimated her, hence why he is facepalming.
Rachel looked confused at first, but then she put on a disappointed look as she said.
"Ahh, that's no fun!" While pouting her cheeks. No one knows how to respond to her, one second she is sadistic, the other she is a stubborn brat, and in another she is a tsundere. Some people came to a conclusion, she is a very good actor.
Iida was a little shocked by Rachel's response, but he shook it off as Annoying mic roared.
"START!" And Iida ran straight for Rachel. He only wanted to push her out of the ring, he was sure that Izuku would intentionally cripple him if he hurt her in any way, but Rachel saw this coming. She dodged to the right in the last second, while sweeping Iida's legs.
The runner fell to the ground, and was trying to get up as fast as possible... but stopped when he felt some excruciating pain in his left calf.
Iida let out a painful shriek, as Rachel was stomping his mufflers into his legs. Once again, people were shocked and horrified at Rachel's approach... But this was a massage compared to what she actually can do.
Iida got up eventually, and struggled to regain his balance. He decided that he didn't care about what Izuku might do to him, right now he was more scared of what Rachel will do to him if he doesn't do something. He threw a kick towards Rachel, but was stunned to see her catch it and then spin to throw him to the ground again.
Iida felt more pain, but Rachel let him get up for some reason. He wasn't going to let this chance go, and decided to charge... Until he had no vision in his right eye.
Iida was suddenly terrified, for this was the same thing that Rachel had done to Kaminari... and he would like to keep his family jewels just a little longer. He started to move around like a headless chicken, until he shrieked when Rachel just pinched his ear.
To the people watching this didn't look like a match, it wasn't even a show. Rachel was just toying with Iida, she was just scaring him to death by staying out of his field of vision while doing things to him. Those who were battle experienced noticed something else, there was a pattern.
Rachel would tap Iida, wait ten second, then do something else. This pattern would continue, and the things she did grew more and more painful each time. Eventually she had grabbed, and ripped, Iida's shoulder blade... Making him scream and tremble in more pain... Eventually she started counting the seconds out loud, making Iida lose whatever has been keeping him calm enough to think.
This kept going, and eventually she shoved one of her fingernails into his back. Iida was now covered in his own tears and blood, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He considered surrender, but he just couldn't speak.
Iida looked into his own head, and saw images. He saw his brother, Tensei, being fearless while stopping criminals, and then encouraging him to be a hero. At that point he decided that he wouldn't give in to Rachel's madness, he was going to win.
"Eight... Nine... Ten!" Rachel's voice counted, exactly what Iida was waiting for. Rachel's next move was to go for his other optic nerve, but that ended up backfiring. She managed to tear it, but Iida managed to fix in on her location.
"RECIPRO BURST!!!" Iida shouted, as he instantly charged for Rachel. He was completely blind, but he could feel that he had caught her. He kept charging towards the edge of the ring, intent on throwing his opponent out of bounds.
He couldn't see, therefore he didn't know where the edge was, so he decided not to run the entire way. After gaining enough speed he channeled all that power into his arms, and threw Rachel towards the edge. She was sent flying, she was airborne for quite a while, but eventually she crashed... Just outside of the ring...
Iida couldn't see, therefore he was scared. If his attempt had failed, he couldn't win. If Rachel was outside by now it would be announced, and he would hear it... But the silence made him nervous...
"Organ is out of bounds! Iida advances to the third round!" Midnight announced, and Iida both celebrated and felt relief... Until he was escorted to the infirmary to fix his eyesight.
Class 1-A was shocked, while also terrified. What Rachel did was the single most horrifying thing they've seen, it might even be more horrifying than the attack on USJ. Izuku, on the other hand, was surprised and shocked for a different reason.
He was still terrified, but at the same time he was thinking about something else. Iida had fought through this, and he won. Izuku honestly thought that Iida was going to lose, but he won... and he did it without hurting Rachel in any way....
"Wh- What on God's green earth was that?!" Todoroki asked, even the ice user was completely horrified. Izuku didn't have a good answer, so he just gave something.
"Y- You could say that this is Rachel's interpretation of Environmental combat.... Although, when she does it, it becomes Purgatory combat... " Izuku said, his voice also trembling.
Class 1-A didn't ask any more questions, they didn't want to know any more. They didn't want to know where she learned this, they didn't want to know what she was capable of, most importantly... They didn't want to know any details about the relationship between Izuku and Rachel...
Why? well... Izuku has shown to be very scary, and ruthless, when he lets his emotions get the best of himself, and Rachel... She is The Spawn of Satan...
. . .
Tokoyami didn't have much of a struggle against Ashido, most people could see that much. There wasn't much she could do, she was simply outmatched.
The final match of the second round will begin soon, Katsuki versus Kirishima. Both fighters are adamant on winning, for they want the same thing... To face off against Izuku...
Even if they win this match they will have to go through Tokoyami first, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that only one of them can proceed onwards, and neither of them are going to give in.
Kirishima was preparing himself as usual, punching and kicking the air in order to warm up. He was a lot more confident, he was sure that he could beat Katsuki... His explosions are nothing, compared to the punches of Jack Hanma.
"Alright! Time for the next match!" Annoying mic announced, and that is when both Kirishima and Katsuki walked into the arena. Annoying mic spoke a few words as they made it to the ring, but through it all Katsuki decided to speak.
"Hey, weird hair!" He said with an aggressive tone. Kirishima didn't verbally respond, he only looked at Katsuki.
"I'm going to beat you!" The explosive blonde said, but Kirishima didn't respond. He only chuckled, as he raised his arms into a stance. Katsuki seemed to be annoyed by Kirishima's chuckle, as he took a stance of his own.
"START!" Annoying mic roared.
Katsuki charged towards Kirishima immediately, but it would amount to nothing. From Kirishima's point of view Katsuki might as well be standing still, so he took advantage of this. He caught Katsuki's right arm, and used it to throw the explosion boy into the ground. The crowd roared in excitement, the match had officially begun...
"You're too predictable! Every move you make has been the same since the first time I saw you! Your pride keeps you from progressing!" Kirishima said, as he went in for a stomp to Katsuki's chest. The explosive blonde blasted himself back to his feet, then went in for an explosion to Kirishima's face.
It connected, but it had no effect. Kirishima had hardened his face just in time, as he threw a punch to Katsuki's face. It collided, and Katsuki was thrown backwards. The punch was like the style that he was developing, relaxed until the moment of impact...
Katsuki was still standing after being hit, as he spoke.
"Don't think that because you've been trained by Deku, that you'll have a chance at beating me!" He growled. Kirishima was unfazed, as he answered.
"Midoriya trained me, yes... But this fighting style is my own, I'll gladly show you more!" With a calm voice, that turned aggressive with the last words. Kirishima charged towards Katsuki, while winding up a punch. Katsuki charged an explosion to his chest, but it was negated once more. Kirishima's punch collided with Katsuki's stomach, and it made him take off from the ground. That is when Kirishima grabbed Katsuki's head, while charging one for all into his leg, then he kneed him in the chin, his knee hardening upon impact.
Katsuki was thrown backwards once more, and he landed on the ground. Eventually he pulled himself up, spat some blood, then he stared at Kirishima.
The red haired boy just stood there with his guard up, then he taunted Katsuki by just waving his hand and the blonde haired boy lost it.
He charged at Kirishima, more violently than before, and began to throw explosions left and right. He didn't care about timing or technique, he was just a wild animal that wanted to destroy whatever was in front of him.
Kirishima was unfazed, for he wasn't hit by any of them. He was stepping all over the ring, almost dancing around Katsuki with his swift footwork. He kept a constant twenty percent all over his body, but his footwork was improved by altering it. By constantly increasing and lowering the percentage, from twenty to thirty-five, in his toes he could dance around Katsuki without any issue.
Even though there were hundreds, almost thousands of explosions, Kirshima wasn't affected by any of them. He kept hitting Katsuki, while either blocking, parrying, or dodging the explosions. It got to a point where the explosions started to hurt Katsuki instead. That is when Kirishima decided to finish it.
He pushed Katsuki back, then he channeled the biggest punch that he could manage. It followed the same principle as the others, only this time he would use one-hundred percent and harden his entire body upon impact.
Katsuki couldn't dodge, he had exhausted himself too much, so Kirishima didn't face any form of resistance. His punch collided with Katsuki's chest, and a blast of wind pressure was sent outwards.
Dust covered the entire ring, so no one could see what happened within it. Then it slowly settled, and revealed the results. Kirishima had broken his arm with that punch, but he wasn't bothered by the pain in the slightest. Katsuki, in some miraculous way, was still within the ring... but he was motionless...
Kirishima turned around and began to walk out of the ring, until he heard movement from behind him. He turned back, and saw that Katsuki was forcing himself back to his feet. He could barely stand, as his legs and entire body were trembling.
"I'm impressed, that punch was meant to be used against Midoriya... I'm surprised that you're still conscious... " Kirishima said with a calm voice. Katsuki began to tremble more, but this time it seemed to be out of rage.
"Is that so?!... Then I'll give you the courtesy of the same thing... An attack, meant to take down Deku!" Katsuki roared in rage. He wasn't trembling as much now, it was as if his hormones had activated for one last push.
Katsuki threw his hands together, creating a blinding flash with his explosions. Kirishima had to cover his eyes, while Katsuki began to channel.
He was spinning himself around like a tornado, using his explosions to gain more and more speed. Eventually he had gained enough, that is when Kirishima was able to see again.
"HOWITZER IMPACT!!!" He roared, and Kirishima only had a second to defend before he was engulfed by the explosion. The blast filled almost the entire ring, as it was completely destroyed.
After the smoke cleared once more, everyone could see. Katsuki was on his knees, both arms fractured to the brink of breaking. Meanwhile Kirishima was still standing.
Katsuki was about to stand up, in an attempt to fight back, but both him and Kirishima stopped when Midnight announced.
"Kirishima is out of bounds! Bakugou advances to the third round!"
This made everyone confused, then they looked towards Kirishima. He was indeed out of bounds... but only with one foot.
The entire audience began to protest. They claimed that one foot doesn't matter, that Kirishima should have won. Midnight was about to try and calm them down, until something crashed down in the ring.
More dust cleared, and it was revealed to be Izuku standing there... and he wasn't happy. The audience began to cheer, thinking that he would come and take their side of the argument... but they were confused when they saw him walk over to Kirishima...
He just glared at him, until he said.
"Kirishima..... It's your loss!" With an aggressive voice.
The entire audience was silent, even Kirishima couldn't say anything. It wasn't just that Izuku took Katsuki's side of the argument, it was his presence. His posture, his expression, the way he glared, the way he spoke, his aura, it all built upon each other to make an image... The image of a savage beast, stalking its prey...
"One foot or not, it's your loss... Because you allowed it to happen... Katsuki is on the ground, he definitely can't go on... Had this been a real fight, you probably would've won... But... " Izuku said. There was a silence in the air, then Izuku continued to speak.
"By that same logic, there would've been a bottomless pit where you're standing... " He said, voice being more malicious than before.
No one spoke against him, no one dared to, but they also realised that he was right. Every match is just a simulation of a real fight, designed to be harmless. You lose if you're incapacitated, or knocked out, because that would lead to death in a real fight. Getting knocked out of the ring also means loss, as to simulate that there is something out there that would kill you in a real fight.
"You lose... Kirishima!" Izuku then finished.
Kirishima clenched his fists, as he looked towards the ground. He felt humiliated, and defeated. He had made such a great statement, that he would face Izuku in the final... But he failed it immediately after...
The red haired fighter turned around, before he walked out of the ring.
The audience was completely silent, they had nothing to say. The teachers didn't say anything either, for there wasn't anything else to be said.
Izuku then turned his gaze towards Katsuki, who was on his knees still. He didn't show him any murderous intent, he only showed his disappointment.
"I'm not going to tell you that you didn't deserve that win, but... If that really is all you have, you should just forfeit... " Izuku said, before he turned around and walked out of the ring.
Kirishima had made it pretty far into the corridor, keeping his head low. He felt disappointed with himself, and he couldn't stop thinking about his loss. He wasn't just stronger than Katsuki, he was smarter. His techniques were on point, yet he went out of bounds by one foot.
Kirishima stopped walking when he saw a pair of feet standing in front of him. He looked up and saw that it was Ashido, and she looked at him concerned. She then walked up and hugged him, as she said.
"You did well Eijiro, don't beat yourself up over one foot!" With an encouraging voice. Kirishima looked shocked at first, but then he smiled as he hugged her back.
"I know, thanks... I'll just use this to get better!" He then said.
The couple stood there and silently hugged each other for many minutes, until they let go. At that moment they could feel that someone was watching them. They both turned towards that direction, and were both shocked and terrified.
Standing there were both Izuku and Rachel. They were both grinning like freaks of nature, and they were enjoying what they were seeing.
"You know, you could just do it... " Izuku said, only to have both Kirishima and Ashido turn redder than the former's hair.
"W-W-What?!" Both shouted, but Izuku and Rachel just grinned more.
"Do it... It's fun... And It'll make you stronger... " Izuku answered.
Both Ashido and Kirishima looked shocked, and confused. They didn't get the logic behind Izuku's words, as such they were unsure of what to believe.
"I'm impressed, Kirishima!" Izuku said, as he walked over to the red haired boy. Kirishima looked confused, for a different reason this time, as Izuku continued to speak.
"In such a short amount of time you managed to make your own fighting style... You did lose, but you've come so far!" With a proud voice. Kirishima's shock turned into a smile, and some tears of joy.
Izuku then lifted his fist up, as he lightly bumped Kirishima on the forehead, while saying.
"You should name that style after yourself!... The Art of Kirishima!" With an even prouder voice. Once again Kirishima's face turned redder than his own hair, as he felt even more embarrassed by that name.
Ashido started to laugh incredibly, along with Rachel. Izuku still had his fist in Kirishima's face, as his grin grew even wider than before.
The red-haired teenager knew that there was no going against Izuku's words, so there was no point in him arguing against that embarrassing name.... He would just have to get used to the sound of: The Art of Kirishima!
. . .
The next match was Iida versus Izuku, which ended quickly. Iida was still terrified of what he felt in the cavalry battle, and it didn't help that Izuku had already showcased much more strength.
The match ended quickly, with Izuku axekicking Iida's face into the ground.
After that it was Katsuki versus Tokoyami. It took a little longer, but the explosion boy made the shadowmancer forfeit after figuring out his weakness.
Now it was time, the match that many had been waiting for. The finale of The UA Sports Festival, Izuku Midoriya versus Katsuki Bakugou.
Right now Izuku was standing in the corridor that leads to the ring, waiting for the match to start. Any other person would be doing a warm up for their physical body, but all Izuku needs to do is prepare himself mentally.
He kept staring at the ring, thinking about how to go about the coming fight, until he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't need to turn around in order to know who they were, for how could he ever get them mixed with another.
"Feeling nervous?" A feminine voice asked, her tone being playfully joyous. Izuku only smiled at this, as he answered.
"Why would I be nervous over such a child's play?" With his own playful voice. He then turned around and saw two people. One was a male with black hair, a beard, and a suit... His name is Kiritsugu Emiya. The other was a woman with snow white skin, snow white hair, and red eyes... Her name is Irisviel von Einzbern.
Izuku looked at the two individuals, a smile growing on all of their faces, as he said.
"Long time no see... Mom, Dad... " With a joyous voice. The parents looked at their child with joy, as Irisviel then spoke.
"Yeah, it has been too long... " With what seems to be a mix between a smile and some disappointment. Izuku smiled awkwardly, as he scratched the back of his head.
"Son, you should come and visit us more often. We all miss you, that includes both Sella and Lyserith..." Kiritsugu then said, which made Izuku just feel more awkward.
The green haired boy started to scratch his head a lot quicker than before, as he giggled nervously. After that he stopped and smiled, after taking a deep breath.
"Alright, then let's celebrate my victory with dinner at my place... After I win this thing of course. " Izuku then said with a confident voice. Both of the parents looked shocked at first, but then they smiled happily.
"Alright, I'll make sure to bring Sella and Liz. I'm sure that they'll be happy to see you." Irisviel then said, her joyous tone never leaving her voice. Izuku only smiled more, as he added.
"I'll invite Rachel too, she hasn't seen you guys in a while." With his own joyous tone. Both parents stopped and looked at their son with confusion in their eyes, before Kiritsugu got an expression of anticipation while asking.
"Are you guys back together?" With a voice that perfectly mirrors his expression. Izuku didn't give a verbal response, he only gave a broad smile and nodded. After seeing this answer, Irisviel got more excited than usual.
"Really? Oh that is so great! It'll be just like back then! Ask her to invite her grandfather too!" She said, her voice filled with pure excitement.
Izuku was just happy at this moment, so were his parents. They were happy for the sake that Izuku was happy, while he himself was just happy to be with them.
"ALRIGHT! LET'S GET THIS THING STARTED!" Annoying mic roared, marking the time for Izuku to enter the arena.
"Well, you better win now!" Kiritsugu said, pepping his son on. Izuku gave his father a big smile and giggle, before he turned arou-...
What the hell?!... Izuku thought, as he stopped and observed what was in front of him. It was made of old and decaying wood, split in the middle, with massive metal chains and locks hanging around it, and rusty swords buried deep within it... A massive gate, blocking his entire field of vision...
Izuku stood there, both in shock and confusion. He wasn't questioning the fact that a gate was suddenly in front of him, he was questioning why it was in front of him, for it was a gate that only he could see... A trick of the mind if you will...
This gate is like a warning sign, telling Izuku that something bad was about to go down. It only appeared when the danger was life threatening, as such it has only happened four times in the past...
The first time was during his days of training, right before he was going to face off against a monster named Yasha Saru. The second time was during his days as The Guardian, right before he was about to enter combat against Gigantomachia for the first time. Third was during his time in Arizona, before he challenged The Unchained for the first time. Fourth was during his last days as The Guardian... Before a brief skirmish against All For One...
Those events were the times that Izuku nearly died, by all rights he should've. So why was it here now? What was so life threatening that it felt a need to make an appearance? Could it be that Katsuki was more dangerous than he thought?... No, the explosion boy could barely scratch Kirishima even when using his biggest explosion... So what is going on?
"Son? Is everything alright?" Kiritsugu asked, some concern being present in his voice. Slight stress had subconsciously made its way into Izuku's system, making him shake after being knocked out of his cold trance.
"Yeah, everything is fine." He answered, before he pushed all of the stress away. He then began to walk through the imaginary gate, hoping that it was simply acting up... Until he saw what was behind it...
This is getting out of hand!.... Izuku thought, as he looked at the thing that his mind had played on him this time... An imaginary ravine, with a bottomless pit...
Izuku looked towards the ring, seeing that Katsuki had already made it there. He decided to ignore the signs, and simply walked over the imaginary ravine. Katsuki looked more angry than usual, while Izuku seemed to be calm.
"ALRIGHT! LET THE FINAL ROUND BEGIN!" Annoying mic roared, which marked the beginning of the match.
Katsuki used his explosions to fly straight at Izuku, and then deliver an explosion to his face. The green haired boy didn't bother too much with his opponent, he just swept him away without suffering any damage from the attack. The explosive blonde was pushed to the other side of the arena, before Izuku stepped in again.
He held his fist back, winding up for a punch, intent on either ending the match or causing damage to his opponent. Izuku pulled his fist back, as he woun-....
Cllkk!... That sound was heard, or it was felt. It wasn't something that his ears picked up, it was his body and soul that did. The click of a clock, marking something that has happened... and this something was all too painful...
Izuku stopped himself mid wind-up, completely in disbelief. At first he was confused, wondering what was happening, but then he remembered... That painful memory... Something that his body refused to forget...
Katsuki took this opportunity to send a powerful blast to Izuku's face, which did something that shocked everyone... He staggered, the Izuku Midoriya staggered from an explosion as pathetic as that one...
The entire audience, the entirety of class 1-A, looked at this scene in shock. What was happening? Was Izuku toying with his opponent by disrespecting him? Or did something actually happen?
"You damned nerd! You talk so much about giving it your all, yet you hold back! Talk about respecting your opponent by using your full strength, but here you are disrespecting everyone by both holding back and toying with them!!! FIGHT ME! USE YOUR FULL STRENGTH!!!" Katsuki bellowed in something that was far more than just anger at this point. The audience listened to every word that Katsuki spoke, and they took it as truth. Izuku speaks fine words, but he doesn't actually follow them... and it made them angry...
The audience began to boo and roar in rage and disgust, aiming it towards the green haired boy. Todoroki didn't know what to think, Izuku had just spoken to him about not holding back... So why does he do it, and what is happening to him right now?
The few that understood Izuku's reason, Aizawa, Toshinori, Tokugawa and Rachel, tried to speak to the crowd. They understood that if Izuku went all out against anyone, even All Might, his opponent wouldn't leave the battle in one piece... But the audience refused to see that...
Izuku was in his own world, however, just staring into blank space. Memories of that day kept repeating, over, and over... and over.... It was the day that he failed, the day that he broke... The day that someone dear to him, the person that represented the right eyebrow of The Warpaint, lost his life... And Izuku watched it happen, unable to do anything about it...
That is why when he now hears the crowd roar at him in all kinds of resentment, telling him 'use your full strength', he gets hurt... for he hears something else. To him the words get twisted, and he hears: 'Why couldn't you save him?!... Why weren't you stronger?!'.... Izuku clenched both of his fists, so hard that blood poured from his palms... It was at this moment that Izuku figured out what the gate was warning him about... the pain of reliving that moment, that is what threatened to kill him...
The voices of reason tried to calm the crowd, but that is when they were cut off...
"GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLL!!!!" Something powerful and menacing roared, with an incredible bass tone. It lasted for almost two minutes, being so strong that the crowd went silent... The weaker ones even passed out... Everyone covered their ears, but it didn't help. The tone was passing through their entire body, and at some point the concrete began to crack... Then it stopped...
Those who were still conscious were in awe and terror, as they looked at the source of that deafening noise. It was Izuku, roaring with enough air to last a human for almost five days without breathing, and he didn't look happy. The expression he wore wasn't one of joy, it wasn't even one of murder... It was one of pain, and cold truth...
Rachel knew this expression, and the way he behaved when he was like this, that's why she was terrified... So terrified that she wanted to yell and tell Izuku to stop, but she was still stunned from the roar...
"You want me to use all of my strength?" Izuku asked, his voice being so cold that it could start the second ice age. No one answered, but he already knew the answer.
"... Fine then... " He then muttered, to everyone's shock.
Izuku then raised his arm to shoulder height, as he began to tense and harden his biceps. It started to bulge with veins, and it grew so huge that his sleeve tore apart.
The crowd was once again in disbelief, for Izuku's biceps alone was more powerful than many men combined. Then Izuku threw a punch, straight into the ground.
The stadium began to shake, the ground crumbled, and the stands began to crack all over... Everyone was frozen...
Izuku then stared at Katsuki, who looked back at him with some fear, as he said.
"Don't blame me for what happens next!" With a voice that was cold and menacing. Now the audience was not only shaking in fear, but they wanted to take back everything that they said. After seeing just one punch of Izuku's true strength, they wanted to tell him to not use it... Because they, just like him, fear that he would kill his opponent if he doesn't hold back...
Katsuki wasn't given room to breathe, for Izuku had blinked right in front of him. He punched him straight in the face, sending Katsuki skidding across the ground while tearing it up. Izuku then grabbed the blonde by the ankle, and proceeded to repeatedly slam him into the ground like some sort of meatbag. He was then slammed into the ground, and left there for a few seconds... Until Izuku raised his foot above his head, making his sole point towards the heavens, before slamming it down onto Katsuki's face... Axe Kicking him repeatedly to the same spot in the face...
Midnight was horrified by the scene, so she tore her suit up to try and stop the match... But she was stopped by Eraserhead...
"MIDNIGHT! DON'T DO IT!" The mummified hero roared in a panic, making Midnight confused.
"IT WON'T WORK ON MIDORIYA. THAT ROAR USED UP MORE AIR THAN ANY HUMAN NORMALLY COULD. IF YOU USE YOUR QUIRK HE'LL JUST HOLD HIS BREATH AND CONTINUE, WHICH IN TURN MAKES IT SO THAT BAKUGOU CAN'T FIGHT BACK!... " He continued, and Midnight had a horrifying realisation. Izuku could just hold his breath to avoid the gas, but Katsuki can't. In turn it just makes it easier for Izuku to beat Katsuki down... In order words, this will end when Izuku says that he's had enough...
Izuku picked Katsuki up by the head before he gave him a straight punch to the jaw, making him backflip in the air until his head crashed into the ground... A powerful knuckle arrow...
Izuku then proceeded to lift Katsuki up by one arm, making his head hang just centimeters above the ground, then he lifted his foot and stomped the blonde's skull into the concrete. He did this numerous times to him, each time you thought that the sound of fractures could be heard, before he dropped him...
Izuku then stared at Katsuki for a long while, until he roared at him.
"GET UP YOU NOVICE!!! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!!!" Anger being present in his voice.
Katsuki's entire body was trembling as he slowly dragged himself to his feet. He couldn't speak, couldn't utter a word, he could only grunt in pain as he was bleeding from multiple places. He then decided that he couldn't let Izuku win like this.
Katsuki created a blinding flash, which had no effect on Izuku, before he used the explosions to spin himself around. He did this numerous times, picking up more speed than ever before.
"HOWITZER IMPACT!" He roared, as he let his biggest and most powerful explosion off in Izuku's face.
A massive smoke cloud filled the ring, and Katsuki stood in front of it like he had won... Until something came out of it.
Two hands reached out from the smoke, and they grabbed onto Katsuki's lower arms. The blonde tried to escape, but couldn't. Instead he screamed in pain, as the hands applied so much pressure that his arms shattered completely.
"You're so damned... WEAK!" A powerful voice roared, right before whoever was in the smoke headbutted Katsuki to the nose. The blonde roared in agony, as the smoke cleared to reveal Izuku with his shirt blown off... Revealing The Warpaint, with a bleeding right eyebrow, to the entire world.
Izuku then gave another headbutt to Katsuki's face, right as the smoke cleared completely.
"There's no use... When I really harden my muscles, you can't win!" He then said, right before he gave a third headbutt. Izuku then held Katsuki's face, so that he could look at him while speaking.
"I'm sure that you went through some hellish training to master your quirk... But that is just a waste of time, compared to the ten years I dedicated to nothing but pushing my body to the absolute limit!" He said, his voice being colder than before.
Katsuki still retaliated, by throwing pointless explosions with his broken hands. This only angered Izuku, as he raised his hands high above his head... Making The Warpaint cry... Before he smacked his palms onto Katsuki's ears, stunning him and making them spew out more blood.
This would normally be enough, but Izuku still wanted to give him something more.
The green haired boy twisted his entire upper body, while stretching his right arm back. At first this looked like Unbreakable Cannon, but it was different. Izuku was reaching so far back with his arm that it had almost gone a full three-hundred and sixty degrees.
Rachel had seen this, but only once... That is why she was even more horrified... This attack was the deadliest, one that was only used when going... for the kill...
Izuku's every muscle bulged, as he swung towards Katsuki's chest at lightning speed. In the blink of an eye he connected the punch, and the force was so incredible that everything behind Katsuki was being destroyed. The entire arena shook, the stands behind Katsuki was about to collapse... but the blonde hadn't moved... He was still in the same spot, not moving... Even though he had taken the full force of that punch...
The explosive blonde then stumbled backwards to the ground, having been unconscious even before falling. He was bleeding violently, mostly from every hole in his face...
"You might want to get him to a doctor... I broke just about every bone in his body... " Izuku then said... One fact that barely anyone would know, was that the final punch broke everything in Katsuki's body at the same time...
The teachers then panicked, for if Izuku's statement was true it meant that they had to get the blonde to a hospital... Or he would die...
Izuku just turned around and walked out of the ring, not caring to look at anyone. The crowd couldn't be disgusted with him, for they had asked for this. No one announced the end of the match, nor did they announce him as the winner... They were too afraid to do anything...
"M- Midoriya... What did he do?" Kirishima asked, utter horror and disbelief in his voice. No one could answer him, until Rachel gave him a sad look.
"That wasn't Izuku... " She said, her voice being weak as tears streamed down her face...
"T- That was a demon, using his body... To try and kill Bakugou... " She then finished, and no one responded or commented. After all... What could you possibly say that would make this look any less bad than it is?
. . .
What remained of the festival was no more than the award ceremony. Iida had to leave due to family issues, leading to Tokoyami getting third place. Katsuki had been put into recovery, therefore the second place podium was completely vacant. Izuku was present, but only physically. His mind was somewhere else, and All Might could see the thick layer of sadness that covered his eyes.
Needless to say, it was a weird festival. Between absolutely breaking the games, playing matches in advance, agranging extra matches, and then winning by almost killing your opponent... No one knew how to act in this situation, this was all alien to them.
There were a handful that were only worried for Izuku, so much that they couldn't focus on what was actually supposed to happen.
Toshinori's concern stemmed from the violent nature that Izuku displayed in the final. A match that was supposed to be a graceful display of hope and peace, had been turned into a bloody nightmare of rage and violence. This wasn't the Izuku that he knew, that's why he needed to help him.
Kirishima's concern stemmed from a similar feeling. This wasn't anything that he had seen in Izuku before, it was almost the polar opposite. Izuku had been turned into something so violent that it had no place in the natural world, and Kirishima feared that it was due to the past that he knew nothing about. He feared that Izuku had been affected by some painful memory, that is why he needed to help him.
Rachel's concern was similar, but centered around something else. Izuku is a stubborn child, he does things the way that he wants to, and she knows what happens when things don't go as he wants them. Izuku is completely against the idea of killing, he hates it more than he hates Katsuki. She knows what kind of mental breakdown he'll have after being just millimeters away from killing someone, so she needed to help him.
Tokugawa, and the other fighters he was with, had a similar concern to one another. They recognised either the movement or the violence that Izuku used... That is why they felt the need to help him.
Both Irisviel and Kiritsugu were the most concerned of the bunch. They hadn't just watched their son almost kill a man, they saw the reason for his behavior... The reason that The Warpaint started to violently bleed...
All of these parties felt the same thing, they wanted to help someone they cared for. That is why they were surprised when seeing each other heading the same way. Everyone, except for Irisviel, Kiritsugu and Toshinori, were there along with what remained of class 1-A, all looking for Izuku... who had gone off to somewhere after the award ceremony...
"He's here... " Shoji said, as he placed an ear to the door of one of the waiting rooms. Rachel was about to go and open the door, but she was stopped by Hanayama.
"Why are you stopping me?" Rachel asked, her voice being impatient. Hanayama held his stoic expression, as he pointed to the door and said.
"Listen." With an equally calm voice. The entirety of class 1-A looked confused, until they placed their ear up against the door.
The sounds they heard were strange, but it wasn't pleasant. It sounded like a wounded animal, only it was thousands of times stronger. Everyone realised what was happening, right as Toshinori came up.
"Young Kirishima, do you perhaps know where young Midoriya is?" The blonde man asked, but he didn't get a response. Toshinori looked at the expression of the red haired boy, and his concern only grew far worse.
"He's in there... but... " Kirishima barely muttered, causing Toshinori to get even more concerned. Kirishima then looked at the skeletal figure of a man, as he said.
"He's... sobbing... "
No one uttered a single sound, for they didn't know how to react. Izuku Midoriya, the man who could hold a giant back with his bare hands, the man that Rachel knew as The Guardian, was sobbing?... Why is that?...
"He's mourning... " A female voice said out of nowhere. Everyone turned their attention to the voice, and saw a woman with snow white skin, along with a man in a suit.
"Izuku isn't just sobbing... He's mourning... " She then said.
Rachel was shocked, as she walked up to her.
"Irisviel?" She said, and the pale woman answered.
"Yes dear, it's been a while... I heard that you and Izuku got back together." With a voice that tried to be joyous. Rachel could barely hold it in anymore, so she let a few tears fall as she hugged the only motherly figure she had in her life.
"Miss Irisviel, I hope that it isn't rude to ask. What is it that Izuku is mourning? Because I was expecting something else... " Tokugawa then said, which hit the nail on the head for most people that were present. Rachel and Irisviel stopped hugging, before the pale woman took a deep breath... then answered...
"He lost someone... a year ago... " She said, her voice being weak. Everyone was both shocked and more concerned, until she continued.
"... His brother, Shirou Emiya, died in front of Izuku's eyes... on this very day... " She said, pain being clearly visible in her voice.
Now everyone was more shocked and concerned than they ever had before. They didn't want to believe something as horrible as watching your own sibling die. Kirishima had finally gotten a piece of Izuku's past, but the pain that came with it was enough to make him cry.
Rachel was distraught, for she didn't know this. It must have happened after they had broken up, which only meant that Izuku was thrown from one painful moment to another.
"Illya... Is she okay?... " Rachel asked through her tears, hoping that the little girl wasn't as broken as they were right now.
Irisviel didn't answer, she didn't say anything. After hearing the name of her daughter, she started to cry. Kiritsugu stepped in to comfort her, as he answered the question.
"Illya suffered the same fate as her brother, shortly after him... Izuku was forced to see that as well... " He said, his voice being unstable.
Rachel was now heartbroken. Not only did Izuku have to deal with the pain of their breakup, but he had to deal with the loss of both his siblings. The way he has suffered goes beyond anything that any human being should experience, and he still bears it alone.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" A shout of agony filled the entire stadium, and the group already knew where it came from. Rachel, Irisviel and Kiritsugu knew that this was bad. Izuku wasn't calming down, it was getting worse in fact. If this keeps going, he'll enter a state of shock... and it could prove fatal...
Irisviel had enough, she wasn't going to lose her third child, so she walked up to the door and slowly slid it open.
In the room she could see Izuku on his knees, sitting in an ocean of his own tears, while holding his golden medal in his right hand. This scene was more than enough to break her, but she stood as strong as she could.
Izuku looked up from the ground, and his eyes stopped at Irisviel. The boy's eyes were bloodshot red, and his face had horrible markings from all of the tears.
"M- Mom?... " Izuku uttered.
Irisviel couldn't stand it anymore, she wanted to be strong for her son but she couldn't. She fell to her knees and hugged Izuku tightly.
"It's going to be okay Izuku... " She said, as she silently sobbed behind his back.
Izuku hugged his mother, and proceeded to cry some more. Eventually Kiritsugu joined in, shedding some tears himself.
To those outside of the room it was a painful scene to witness, one of an entire family mourning their loved ones.
Everyone, from class 1-A, to the fighters, and even Toshinori, shed their own tears. This was something they never expected, from Izuku. They never expected him, the strongest person they knew, to show so much... weakness...