The atmosphere shifted the moment the semifinal bracket finalized.
No confusion now.
No substitutions.
Only names that had earned their place.
Shoto Todoroki vs Katsuki Bakugou
The moment they stepped into the arena, the tension was violent.
Bakugou cracked his neck, explosions snapping from his palms like gunfire.
"DON'T YOU DARE HOLD BACK," he snarled. "I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU DO."
Todoroki didn't answer.
He simply inhaled.
And stomped.
Ice surged outward in a controlled wave, racing across the arena floor like a living thing.
Bakugou reacted instantly, blasting upward, explosions screaming as he darted through the air.
"TOO SLOW !" Bakugou roared, spinning and firing downward, shattering ice pillars mid-formation.
The crowd was deafening.
But Todoroki's emotionless expression did not disappear.
He was building.
Layer by layer, the arena transformed — angled ice walls rose where Bakugou would land, not where he was. Frozen ramps altered trajectories. Narrow platforms forced shorter bursts.
Bakugou adapted fast — chaining explosions, ricocheting, laughing like a man on fire.
"THIS IS IT ?!"
Then Todoroki shifted the rhythm.
A sudden ice column erupted beneath Bakugou mid-dash, clipping his footing. Bakugou twisted, blasting sideways to recover—
Straight into a rising wall of ice.
The impact sent him skidding, boots scraping desperately for traction.
Bakugou roared and detonated point-blank, shattering the wall—
But the recoil carried him backward. Too far.
His boots crossed the boundary line.
For half a second, nobody spoke. Then Midnight's whip cracked.
"OUT OF BOUNDS ! MATCH OVER !"
The stadium exploded.
Bakugou landed hard outside the arena, steam pouring from his palms, chest heaving.
"BULL—!!" he screamed, slamming a fist into the ground. "DO IT AGAIN ! I WASN'T DONE !"
Medics and staff moved in cautiously.
Bakugou shook them off, eyes burning, teeth clenched so hard they shook.
Inside the arena, Todoroki stood still.
No celebration.
Just quiet breathing.
And in the arched stands, a furious Endeavor was very angry; his son, his supposed masterpiece, was refusing to use his full potential.
And his anger turned to flames, causing those nearby to move away due to the intense heat.
Winner: Shoto Todoroki
Bakugou stared at him from beyond the line, rage radiating off him like heat.
Wanting to smash Todoroki's face in, to take away any expression from him, even if it was just his face being burned.
"This isn't over," he growled.
Todoroki met his gaze.
Calm.
"It is for today."
Bakugou snarled, swallowing his anger and hatred, he made his way towards the stadium exit, his hands still radiating enough heat to make steam rise from them.
—-
Ben Tennyson vs Izuku Midoriya
Midoriya stepped onto the field to thunderous applause.
Bandages wrapped his arms, but his posture was steady. His eyes were focused — sharper than before.
He bowed slightly toward me.
"Thanks for waiting," he said. "I won't waste this chance."
I nodded back.
"I know."
As the crowd settled, I glanced up.
My mom had her hands clasped tightly.
My dad leaned forward.
Gwen watched with narrowed eyes.
And Grandpa Max…
He simply observed.
Midnight raised her whip.
"BEGIN !"
I didn't rush.
Green light flickered softly.
GRAY MATTER
The world expanded instantly.
The arena stretched into geometry and probability.
Midoriya stiffened, blinking.
"…He shrank ?"
I crouched, hands pressed to the stone.
' I'll end this quickly,' I thought. ' I'm not going to give him a chance to adapt. '
I watched his stance. His breathing. The way he shifted weight to protect his right arm.
' He's going to open with controlled bursts. He's trying not to destroy himself. '
Good.
That meant he was hesitating.
I didn't give him time.
I changed again
DIAMONDHEAD
Crystal formed instantly — clean, precise.
Midoriya reacted on instinct, leaping backward with a burst of power that cracked the ground where I had been standing.
Wind roared.
He landed hard, sliding, arm already trembling.
"Shoot—!"
I didn't let him finish.
I reshaped the arena.
Crystal plates rose from the ground in angled layers, not walls — funnels. They redirected his movement, forcing him into narrow lanes.
Midoriya launched forward anyway, gritting his teeth.
"I can still—!"
I braced.
Not to block.
To counter.
When his fist came down, I shifted the crystal at the last second, absorbing the force and redirecting it sideways.
Midoriya screamed, clutching his own arm as the recoil traveled back through his body.
"Ben—!"
"I've got you," I said firmly. "Stop."
He tried to push again.
I didn't allow it.
Crystal surged upward around him — not crushing, not piercing — locking his limbs in place, supporting his weight before his legs gave out.
Midoriya gasped, chest heaving, eyes wide with frustration and pain.
"…I can still fight," he whispered.
I stepped closer, my voice low — human.
"You don't need to prove that anymore."
He trembled.
Then finally… relaxed.
His head fell back against the crystal.
"I… yield."
Midnight's whip cracked instantly.
"MATCH OVER !"
The crowd erupted — loud, but relieved.
I dissolved the crystal carefully, catching him before he fell. Medics rushed in, and I backed away, breathing hard but steady.
Midoriya looked up at me as they lifted him onto the stretcher.
"…You didn't let me break myself, thank you." he said quietly.
I smiled.
"That's part of the job."
—--
The arena lights dimmed slightly.
The noise of the crowd didn't vanish — it settled, like the stadium itself was leaning in to listen.
Midnight stepped forward, whip resting against her shoulder, eyes shining as she looked out over the arena… and then up toward the stands.
Her voice carried effortlessly.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced, "the semifinal matches have concluded."
A pause.
Long enough to make hearts race.
"After decisive victories—"
The massive holographic screen behind her ignited.
SHOTO TODOROKI
Applause thundered across the stadium.
Students murmured, some in awe, some in disbelief. Todoroki stood at the edge of the arena, composed as ever, eyes lifted briefly toward the screen before returning forward.
Cool.
Unmoved.
Focused.
Then the screen shifted.
BENJAMIN TENNYSON
For half a second—
Silence.
And then the stadium erupted.
Cheers rolled like a wave, louder than before. Not shocked this time — convinced.
Students stood up.
Some pointed.
Some shouted his name.
Some just stared, wide-eyed.
"He made it to the finals…"
"Of course he did."
"Did you see how he fought Midoriya ?"
"He crushed the poor guy.…"
Up in the student sections, reactions exploded.
THE STUDENTS
Kirishima pumped a fist.
"Manly as hell," he said proudly.
Tokoyami watched silently, Dark Shadow unusually subdued.
"A restrained power," Tokoyami murmured. "Worthy."
Uraraka smiled softly, hands clasped together.
Even Bakugou — restrained at the edge of the medical area — looked up at the screen.
His jaw tightened.
"…Tch."
No insult.
Just fire.
THE TENNYSON FAMILY
In the stands, Ben's mother covered her mouth, tears spilling freely now.
"Oh— he actually did it," she whispered, voice shaking. "He made the finals…"
His father laughed in disbelief, clapping hard.
"That's my kid," he said, eyes bright. "That's my boy."
Gwen was already on her feet, fists in the air.
"I TOLD YOU !" she yelled, grinning ear to ear. "THAT'S MY COUSIN !"
"BRING IT HOME, BEN !"
And Grandpa Max…
Max Tennyson didn't shout.
Didn't clap wildly.
He stood up slowly, hands resting on the railing, eyes locked on the arena below.
A proud smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"That's my grandson," he said quietly. "Right where he belongs."
—--
The door slid shut behind me with a soft thud.
For the first time since the festival started…
there was quiet.
I sat down on the bench, elbows resting on my knees, head lowered. My breathing was steady now, but thin — like I was borrowing air instead of owning it.
Every transformation had left a mark.
Something deeper.
A heaviness behind my eyes.
A slow burn in my chest.
That faint, hollow feeling like my body was warning me it couldn't keep doing this forever.
I leaned back against the locker, closed my eyes.
' I'm running out. '
Not dangerously — not yet.
But fast enough that I could feel the edge approaching.
Switching forms.
Holding them.
Stacking fights back to back.
I don't have an Omnitrix, and probably not a safety lock that would prevent my DNA from mutating, which worries me.
And the effects of burnout can be much worse than they would be with the Omnitrix; I've experienced it once, and I don't know what would happen if I continued to test those limits.
And the finals were next.
I flexed my fingers. They trembled — barely.
"…Great," I muttered.
I knew the truth.
I wouldn't get the rest I needed.
No hours.
No real recovery.
Just enough time to stand up again and step into the arena.
Which meant one thing.
' This fight has to end fast. '
Decisive.
I tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling.
And my thoughts drifted — not to strategies, not to aliens —
But to Todoroki.
Everyone knew his story now.
The pressure.
The control.
The abuse wrapped in ambition.
A child forced to deny half of himself just to survive.
Originally… it was Midoriya who changed that.
Midoriya's words.
Midoriya's stubborn belief that power didn't have to be inherited the way pain was.
"It's your power."
That was what cracked Todoroki's armor.
But Midoriya wasn't here anymore.
Not in the finals.
And that left a question hanging in the air like static.
' If no one reaches him now… then what ? '
I swallowed.
Because this wasn't just about winning.
If Todoroki fought like he had against Bakugou — ice only, control only, suppression only — then he wasn't just choosing a strategy.
He was choosing denial.
And denial always came with consequences.
Burnout.
Fracture.
Collapse.
I knew that feeling.
I'd felt it every time I tried to pretend that the galvanic circuits in the back of my neck was "just a tool."
Every time I ignored the fact that these forms weren't costumes — they were parts of me.
If Todoroki never accepted his fire…
then one day, it would explode out of him anyway.
And that explosion wouldn't be controlled.
I exhaled slowly.
"So that's it," I whispered. "That's the crossroads."
Midoriya would have reached him with words.
I didn't have that luxury.
I leaned against the circuits in the back of my neck., the faint green glow pulsing softly — steady, patient.
I wasn't Midoriya.
I couldn't inspire him by refusing to fall.
Maybe I could reach him another way.
By ending the fight fast — not to dominate him, but to show him something.
That power didn't have to be chained.
Because if Todoroki walked out of this festival still denying half his power…
Then the consequences wouldn't come today.
They'd come later.
In a real fight.
Against a real enemy.
And next time…
There wouldn't be a referee to stop it.
I stood up slowly, rolling my shoulders, forcing my body to respond.
"Alright," I said quietly. "One more."
—-
Aizawa's earpiece crackled.
He paused mid-sentence, eyes narrowing.
"…Say that again."
Nezu's ears twitched as his tablet chimed. His claws moved fast, pulling up a live feed.
Midnight straightened instantly, her playful posture gone.
Present Mic leaned closer to the screen.
"What is that ?" he asked, voice lower than usual.
On the display:
a long-range radar image.
Something massive.
Something fast.
Moving through the upper atmosphere.
Straight toward Musutafu.
Straight toward U.A. High.
COMMUNICATION — HERO NETWORK
"All available Pro Heroes, this is a Level Yellow escalating to Orange."
"Unidentified aerial object detected."
"Trajectory indicates direct approach toward the U.A. Sports Festival."
"Speed exceeds conventional aircraft. No transponder. No response to hails."
A pause.
Then the line everyone felt in their chest.
"Intent unknown."
Endeavor halted mid-step, flames instinctively flaring before he restrained them.
"…Aerial intrusion ?" he growled. "During the festival ?"
Hawks hovered midair, wings spreading slightly as his communicator buzzed.
"Wow," he muttered. "That's… not subtle."
He glanced toward the distant stadium.
"And not slow."
Edgeshot vanished from his rooftop perch in a blur, already moving toward interception altitude.
U.A. — SECURITY CONTROL
Technicians scrambled.
Satellites reoriented.
Thermal scans refreshed.
One of them swallowed hard.
"It's not a plane."
Another zoomed the image.
"…It's not any known craft."
The object cut through cloud cover on-screen — a dark, angular silhouette, massive enough to blot out stars, moving with impossible smoothness.
Fast.
Too fast.
BACK TO THE OBSERVATION ROOM
Nezu folded his paws together.
"Well," he said calmly, eyes gleaming with calculation, "this is… inconvenient timing."
Aizawa's jaw tightened.
"Evacuation protocols ?"
"Not yet," Nezu replied. "Not without confirmation."
Midnight looked toward the stadium, where tens of thousands of civilians cheered — unaware.
"And if it's hostile ?"
Nezu's smile thinned.
"Then we intercept it before it becomes everyone's problem."
All Might stepped forward, his communicator glowing at his wrist. His expression was serious now — no smile, no theatrics.
"Then I will move," he said.
Nezu nodded.
"As will others."
HIGH ABOVE THE SKY
The unidentified object pierced deeper into the atmosphere.
Sensors screamed.
Wind patterns warped.
The object had a target, a goal. And it responded to a will beyond this planet, and it would accomplish its task at any cost.