…I'm still injured.
My body needs time—real time—to recover. Apparently, there's a healer from India…
the best in the world.
All Might requested him personally.
He's coming today.
There's still one full day before the third round begins.
And yet—
Something about this feels wrong.
It's… unsettling.
---
"Nana-san."
"What?" Nana replied flatly.
"…Don't be angry, Nana-san. I got carried away back there… I said things I didn't mean."
"…You're an idiot, Izuku," she said without hesitation.
"…Yeah. I know," I admitted quietly.
"So please… keep correcting me, Nana-san."
I bowed my head.
She sighed.
"…You don't have to do that, Izuku," Nana said more gently.
"Just be careful. This tournament isn't what we expected. Not even close."
Her voice softened—but the warning carried weight.
"Just… be careful."
---
Not long after—
All Might arrived.
And with him… a man I'd never seen before.
"You must be Midoriya-kun," the man said calmly.
"I'm Shankar Prasad. Some people call me the Divine Doctor."
"…Divine Doctor?" I repeated, confused.
He smiled.
"I can heal you just fine, Izuku-kun. All Might insisted I come."
"And well… I can't exactly refuse a request from an old friend, can I?"
"…Thank you, Shankar-san," I said sincerely.
"Let me see his reports," Shankar asked.
All Might handed them over.
The room fell quiet as Shankar read.
His expression slowly changed.
"…This may be troublesome."
"…Is it serious?" All Might asked immediately.
"…No," Shankar replied.
"But I can't guarantee he'll recover in time for the third round."
The air grew heavy.
"…Let me see what I can do," he continued.
"Brace yourself, Izuku-kun."
He activated his quirk.
His hand passed through my body—phasing as if flesh and bone weren't even there.
I felt something shift. Adjust. Realign.
He was working directly on my bones.
This wasn't anything like Recovery Girl.
"Can you stand up, Izuku-kun?" he asked once he finished.
…Stand?
That's impossible.
And yet—
…I can.
"I—I can stand?" I muttered, nearly losing balance.
"Don't overdo it," Shankar warned.
"My quirk is Extreme Heal. I can repair almost anything—but bones and tissue still require time."
He looked me straight in the eye.
"I can't guarantee you'll walk properly yet."
Then—
"And your arms… with proper rest, they'll recover fully in three days."
"But… Doc," I said urgently.
"I have a match tomorrow—"
"No," he cut in sharply.
"If you fight again tomorrow, I can't guarantee they'll survive it."
His tone hardened.
"You've already overexerted yourself. Even All Might never used One For All this recklessly."
…He knew.
I looked at All Might.
He nodded silently.
"But—" I tried again.
"No 'buts,'" Shankar said firmly.
"If you insist on fighting, I'll personally mark you ineligible for the tournament."
"…Young Midoriya," All Might said softly.
"I'm sorry."
Before I could respond—
A familiar voice cut in.
"There's no need to apologize."
Aizawa stepped forward, hands in his pockets, eyes sharp.
"Have you forgotten about our jack of all trades?"
Jack of all trades…?
Ah.
…Right.
He's still here.
Here's a clean, cinematic, and more impactful polish—tightened, authoritative, and ceremonial, without changing structure or meaning.
---
The Third Round Begins
Come out when your name is called.
---
America's Representatives:
Ethan Cross
Jade Miller
---
Japan's Representatives:
Izuku Midoriya
Katsuki Bakugo
Shoto Todoroki
---
From China:
Zhang Meilin
Li Wei
---
From South Korea:
Han Seo-jun
Yoon Ara
Baek Ji-ho
…So they made it too.
---
From India:
Arjun Dev
Ishaan Patel
Devraj Singh
Kavya Rao
---
From Germany:
Hannah Weiss
Marta Klein
---
India has the highest number of remaining participants.
That comes as no surprise.
They are—without question—one of the tournament's strongest contenders.
---
> "The Third Round—Elite Trial—will have slight changes,"
the robotic voice echoed across the arena.
> "Notice: The Third Round and Fourth Round have been merged."
A brief pause followed.
> "This combined stage shall henceforth be designated as—
The Champions Trial."
A low tension rippled through the stadium.
> "Participants will be divided into two blocks based on prior performance."
> "Only one shall ultimately remain."
> "The victor will be crowned—
Champion of the First International Sports Festival."
> "All sixteen competitors who passed will have to face battles in one-on-one combat."
Silence.
Then—
> "Well then…"
> "Good luck, heroes."