My Hero Academia: Aura Farming

────────────────────────
[Just this once]
────────────────────────

...

"Takahashi-san…" Midoriya stared at the scene below with a worried look.

For a moment, after that giant ice attack, he feared even someone as strong as Takahashi might have been done for. He hadn't even thought Todoroki was capable of that much power. They had seen him fight—but not to this extent.

But his fears turned out to be unfounded. The attack, while clearly powerful, had done nothing to Taka in the end.

It just went to prove once again the absurd gap that existed between Taka and everyone else.

"Why the hell are those two just talking now?" Kaminari asked, squinting at the two fighters standing calmly on opposite sides of the arena, speaking to each other. Soon he stood up, swinging his fist. "Boo, less talking, more fighting!"

To the side, Uraraka looked at the two wryly and let out a sigh. "The fight started so abruptly… seeing them just chat like that afterward, like nothing happened, feels super weird."

"To dare have a conversation in the middle of a fight broadcast to the whole world those two sure have guts," Sero commented with a wry smile.

Tokoyami closed his eyes, his tone heavy. "Is this what it means to be the strongest?"

Tsuyu put a finger to her mouth, looking at the arena curiously. "I wonder what those two are saying to each other right now."

"Looking at Todoroki's face… nothing good." Mina commented with a smirk.

Just like the class, the crowd was speculating just as much, staring at the brief ceasefire with confusion.

The fight had begun so forcefully—with an attack that would have put down anyone, maybe even some of the top-ranked heroes—yet had been completely disregarded by a mere student just like him.

Then, just when everyone expected a counter to come once Taka broke out from the ice unharmed, the two had strangely begun talking instead of fighting.

Which was why it all felt so out of place.

—Luckily, they didn't have to wonder about it for long.

—SSSSHHHHAAAAAA!—

Without warning, the exchange between the two ended—and a wave of ice surged violently toward Taka, forming a giant spire that struck him head-on.

—CRASH!—

Yet it shattered the instant it made contact, exploding into thousands of tiny glittering shards like a burst of snow.

Taka didn't even flinch. He began walking slowly in Todoroki's direction through the haze of ice fragments, his gaze fixed ahead.

But Todoroki's attacks didn't stop there. Without a moment's hesitation, he sent more and more ice spires surging toward him.

—CRASH!—

—CRASH!—

—CRASH!—

Yet no matter how many waves came, Taka's advance remained unchanged. Every attack ground to dust the instant it landed.

With each one that proved futile, Todoroki's face contorted further, desperation beginning to creep into his eyes.

If direct attacks weren't working…

"Hgh…!"

He struck the floor with both hands and changed his approach.

From his palms, a thick layer of ice began spreading across the ground like a coating. Before long, it reached Taka's feet and started creeping up them, locking them in place.

—For about half a milisecond.

Then Taka's foot tore through the encasement like it wasn't there, his walk completely unimpeded.

"…!"

Seeing even that come to nothing, Todoroki's teeth came together. He had no choice but to fall back—Taka was close enough now that he needed to rebuild some distance.

He retreated quickly, eyes never leaving Taka, and sent another ice wave ahead of himself to at least maintain the pressure.

—CRASH!—

The result, however, was unchanged. Taka walked straight through it with an impassive look.

Still, the distance had been rebuilt… but not everything was going well.

By that point, Todoroki's breathing had turned ragged, his whole body trembling with cold, his arms going numb.

He was hitting his threshold too quickly—the result of pushing his best attacks too hard and too fast.

At this rate, a few more attacks were all he'd be able to throw before the cold overtook him too much to continue using his ice.

He could manage for a little while longer. But even that might not be enough, given how easily Taka was brushing off everything thrown at him.

But despite knowing that, he wasn't going to give in.

Not with his old man watching. He couldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing him fail to prevail with ice alone.

He just couldn't. It would make everything he'd worked for until now feel useless.

With that resolution filling him, Todoroki readied himself to restart the barrage—but before he could—

"Hngh—?!"

A tendril of red aura shot from Taka, wrapped around his throat, and lifted him clean off the ground.

Without his feet on the ground, he couldn't generate any ice. He could only watch, helpless, as he was raised into the air and Taka slowly closed in.

Before long, his opponent stood mere meters away, eyeing him with a bored look.

He took in Todoroki's shivering frame, clearly feeling every bit of the cold he'd put himself through.

"Aren't you cold?"

"T—this is nothing." Todoroki answered through the telekinetic hold, his voice strained and his scowl stubborn.

Taka smirked. "Doesn't look like nothing to me."

Todoroki didn't answer. He knew putting on a front was useless.

Even he was aware that what he was doing was going nowhere. No matter how much ice he put out, it wouldn't be enough to beat Taka.

His fire was the only thing that might open even the smallest possibility… but he refused to use it. No matter what.

Even if it meant losing this fight, he'd pay that price.

His eyes shifted to the stands for a moment, finding his father's scorn-filled face.

'I won't.'

"Is that it, Todoroki?" Taka's voice cut through, pulling his attention back.

He found Taka's face looking back at him, expression flat with disappointment.

"So all that talk about wanting to be a hero was just something you told yourself to feel good?"

Todoroki's face shifted—confusion first, then outrage.

"No!"

Taka tilted his head, eyes dropping to the shiver running through him. "Then what is this you're doing?"

"What…?"

"Because, as far as I know, a hero doesn't risk lives and hold back just because of a tantrum."

Todoroki's face tightened. He didn't answer, but the anger in his eyes was plain.

Seeing that, Taka sighed.

"I asked you this already, but let me ask again. What will you do when you're a pro, and lives are depending on you? Will you still refuse to use your fire just because you want to upset your dad?"

"Shut up! What do you even know?"

Taka let out a mocking snort, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Quite enough, apparently. You rambled a lot, and so did your dad. Must run in the family."

Todoroki's eyes widened for a moment before his scowl deepened, now looking at Taka like he was truly his worst enemy.

"So in the end, he did buy you off—"

"He came to me, so I heard what he had to say," Taka cut him off with a scoff. "But like I said, there's little a mere second place can offer me. What I'm telling you now is my own choice, as your class representative and your opponent right now."

"…"

"You think doing this is getting back at your father… and maybe it actually is. He didn't look very pleased when he talked to me about your situation. But is this really the only way you can think of to get back at him? By halving your own potential? By half-assing a profession where lives are on the line? By letting your goal of becoming a hero take second place to the need to get back at him?"

"…"

"I'm not telling you to forgive him and forget your anger. I'm telling you to take this seriously."

With those words, he let go of Todoroki, letting him drop to the floor.

-Thud!-

Now with contact to the floor, Todoroki looked ready to press the attack for a moment—but hesitated as Taka stepped closer, and saw his eyes fall upon him with a questioning glare.

"... Is your dad really worth all that?"

"..."

Todoroki didn't answer, letting the silence of his own doubts hang over the platform.

Taka stayed equally quiet, giving him the space to think it through.

But when enough time had passed, Taka closed his eyes, his tone a little softer.

"Hey, Todoroki—have you thought that maybe your mom is watching this right now?"

"…!" Todoroki's look of confusion sharpened into something like shock.

"I don't know her. But judging from what you told me about her—do you think this is what she would have wanted for you?"

Todoroki's hand moved to the burn scar on his face.

"What do you know? I'm doing this for her. She hated my fire—she called it my unsightly side as she burned my face."

"I'm talking about your mother. Not the one who burned you."

"…?"

"The mother you remember. The one that makes you hold her so dear. What would she think of seeing you waste yourself like this—out of hatred for someone like your father?"

"…" Todoroki's eyes closed as he turned it over in his mind. Especially the moment he had first decided he wanted to become a hero.

She had been there with him. She was the reason he'd made it his choice.

But as he reached for that memory, others surfaced alongside it—her face, terrified, and the scowl of the man responsible for all of it.

He couldn't let go of it that easily. If he did, that bastard would get the satisfaction of seeing him play along with his desires, even after everything he'd done.

But as those thoughts started to crowd in, Taka's voice reached him once more.

"Forget about everyone here right now. This isn't about me, the people watching, or Endeavor. It's about you and what you really want."

Todoroki's eyes opened, and he found Taka standing there—no longer radiating that oppressive presence from before, just his classmate, looking at him with a calm expression.

"Do you want to be a hero?"

"I…!"

Todoroki's mouth opened, but the answer didn't come right away.

'What I really want.'

He wanted to see his father pay. He was sure of that.

But like Taka had said—was this really the way? By halving what he could be?

His mind returned to his mother.

She was the reason he hadn't wanted to use his fire—when she burned him, he had seen the hatred for his father in her eyes… but would she, the mother who had once pushed him toward becoming a hero, when everything was simpler, truly come to hate this side of him? Would she be glad to see the path he was taking?

Would his mother, right now, feel the same way?

He hadn't spoken to her in so long. He didn't know.

His fist tightened.

For a moment, his father's face surfaced again.

But as he looked at Taka—standing there not as an overwhelming wall, but as an opponent who genuinely wanted the best from him, just like everyone else giving everything they had at this festival—his father's face faded away.

Displaced by a single desire.

"Haaah…" Todoroki let out a slow breath.

Then—

—Fwoosh!—

Fire ignited from his right side.

He lifted his hand, stared at the flames covering it, and closed his eyes as the warmth seeped into his body, chasing away the cold that had settled into his bones.

Then his eyes opened again, locking onto Taka.

That desire...

That desire was to fight with everything he had, right here, right now.

"Just this once," He finally said, smiling faintly.

Taka smirked back.

Then, in but the blink of an eye, his figure blurred, suddenly jumping from Todoroki's spot, to the opposite end of the arena.

The instant both were at enough distance, aura from before began flaring around Taka again. Like a fire that was alive, dancing in earnest for battle.

"Then let's end this with a bang. This has been too much talk—don't you agree?"

"It's you who couldn't mind his own business." Todoroki said, the smile not leaving his face.

Even as he said it, his fire intensified—hot enough that the heat began reaching the crowd from afar.

And then, from his left side, ice started generating in enormous amounts.

On Taka's side, his smirk widened.

The aura around him shifted, pulling away from him in four tendrils, which slowly converged and began forming a sphere of pure crimson light before him.

—FWOOSH!—

Then, the next second, it no longer was light—but raw fire, concentrated into a single point. It was equal to, if not hotter than Todoroki's.

—Crackle, crackle!!!—

Only for arcs of electricity to then begin wrapping around it, sharp and violent.

—Bzzzzz!!!—

The sphere gave off a dangerous feeling, like the concept of destruction made physical.

As the two readied their attacks, they glared at each other one last time, smiles widening in equal lengths.

To go all out, without restraints anymore… truly felt good.

"Not this again, what's with these first years?!" Cementos snapped out of observant state, rushing toward the platform.

He had been attentive during all the fight so far, so he was close enough to reach it in an instant.

As he did, Cementos drove both hands into the platform, pushing up several thick concrete walls between the two.

But by then, it was already too late for that.

"Don't blame me for what happens next." Todoroki said, not particularly caring whether Taka could hear him from that distance, or with the walls separating them.

—SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHAAAAAA!—

Without further delay, the ice from his left side surged in enormous quantities—equal to, if not greater than the first wave he'd unleashed against Taka. A surge of ice so massive it swallowed the distance in mere milliseconds.

—BOOOOM!—

In an instant, the ice tore through the concrete walls Cementoss had made, rushing toward Taka.

But then—

"Try not to die," Taka said.

And snapped his fingers.

—BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!—

The sphere of fire and electricity exploded into a monstrous beam of both elements, letting out a sound resembling a mixture between screeches and howls, like hell itself brought to earth.

—SCREEEEECH!!!—

The beam soon clashed against the massive amount of advancing ice, letting out a sharp screech as it ate through it, evaporating all of it in mere instants, and quickly tearing through it in Todoroki's direction.

But that wasn't the end of Todoroki's attack.

In that brief moment where both attack clashed, even if not for long, Todoroki's right side moved.

He pointed his flaming hand forward.

"Takahashi—thank you."

And with those words—

—FWOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!—

A beam of pure fire shot forward, joining the clash.

The ice gave out not long after, but by then, the fire beam had arrived at the collision point.

—BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!—

Both beams met with such force that the arena itself began crumbling from the energy radiating off them.

Heat and violent gusts of wind exploded outward in every direction.

Cementoss had no choice but to shield Midnight and himself instead of interfering, knowing this was beyond them, even as pros.

The sound that seemed to come from hell only intensified, followed by an amount of light coming from the clash that many had to cover their eyes.

It was like seeing the very sun being created.

'Should I step up?! At this rate, those two will destroy the entire stadium!' For a moment, even All Might looked ready to intervene, looking incredibly worried as he too covered his eyes from the light.

But before he could think how to disrupt such a destructive clash without causing a disaster, the stalemate between both attacks ended.

—FWOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!—

A second later, Taka's beam swallowed Todoroki's, absorbing it completely, and surged toward the wide-eyed teenager. So scorching and violent that, for a moment, Todoroki felt his own life nearing its end as he saw the beam advance toward him uninterrupted.

But before it could reach him—

"…?!"

The beam redirected upward, curving comically and shooting straight into the sky.

—BOOOOOOOOOM!!!—

As soon as it was high enough, it detonated with an intensity that sent a shockwave rolling across the entire surrounding area—the ground shaking like an earthquake from the sheer energy of it.

Todoroki stared at the result of their clash, completely dumbstruck.

So much so that he didn't notice the figure now standing directly behind him.

"This was a start. But next time, once you're past your restraints, I hope you'll give me a more proper fight."

"…?!" Todoroki's eyes snapped wide open and he spun around.

But by then it was too late. His collar was grabbed, and he was swung around like a ragdoll before being thrown out of bounds, completely unable to do anything in time.

-Thud!-

His body hit the grass. He caught himself before landing too wrongly, but it still hurt.

As his eyes shifted once again to the platform, he saw Taka, looking satisfied.

Todoroki let out a huff as his mouth curled into a small smile.

Thus, after a few more seconds of utterly baffled silence—

{"T-Todoroki is out of bounds—Takahashi advances to the next round!"}

The fight was finally declared over.

...

────────────────────────

-To Be Continued...-

────────────────────────

Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

pḁtreon.com/TheSynonym (Change the a)

──────

(A/N: I wasn't too satisfied with how this chapter went when I first wrote it. But revisiting it, I think it was fine. If anything, maybe the two talked a bit too much, and the clash didn't quite have the feeling I'd hoped for.

But whatever.)

(A/N: Sorry for the wait, I keep thinking I've uploaded on all sites when I have in fact not.)
────────────────────────
[Following Fights]
────────────────────────

...

"It can't be…"

Endeavor couldn't believe what he was seeing.

When he saw Shoto finally shake off his shackles and use his fire, he had been ecstatic.

At last, his son had left his childish phase and embraced his glorious destiny.

At last, the countdown to surpassing All Might had begun ticking.

He felt so overjoyed that for a moment he almost made a scene—interrupting the fight to shout encouragement at his son for taking that big step toward becoming the next number one.

His flames even intensified for a moment.

But when the clash between the two youths unfolded, he saw something that stopped him cold.

Fire.

No—something similar. It looked like flames, crimson as hell itself. Hotter, more intense, and considerably more dangerous.

And they weren't his son's.

They were from his opponent.

'Wasn't his Quirk Telekinesis…?' Endeavor couldn't help but question, staring in disbelief at the blazing inferno condensed before Takahashi—a sphere of pure flames and electricity.

And what followed only cemented his fear.

His son threw his best at him. Both ice and fire.

But in the end, Takahashi's attack engulfed both like an insatiable inferno and advanced toward his son uninterrupted.

For a moment, he saw his son's imminent death, and moved to try and stop it somehow.

But at the last second, the attack curved beyond logic and launched itself into the air harmlessly—followed by his son being thrown out of bounds while he and many others had been focused on the catastrophic blast going off overhead.

Endeavor had already known Shoto wouldn't win.

But this way?

With his fire being completely outclassed?

His teeth ground together.

It could be argued that Shoto's mastery of his own power was primitive at best. His control over ice was exceptional, certainly, but without an equal command of his fire—and further still, without full control over the harmony of both sides to produce something greater—Shoto was far from his full potential.

But what about Takahashi? He was a teenager, the same age as Shoto, and was already capable of unleashing that kind of destructive power while barely, if at all, looking winded.

Who was to say this was his limit?

—Especially when a Quirk described as telekinesis had turned out like this. If it was capable of that, what else was it hiding?

"It can't be..."

At that moment, Endeavor felt the full weight of Takahashi's words in his bones.

The problem is, when he does, it'll be meaningless—because by then, I'll have already replaced the symbol of peace.

Before this fight, he had only known Takahashi by name, and some mentions during his arising fame after the USJ incident. He watched briefly the video, and came to the conclusion that Taka was a promising future hero without a doubt.

But that was all he was able to take from it.

Now that he had been able watch his prowess from up close, however, he realized Takahashi was more than that.

Perhaps, like he had said… it would all be meaningless.

Perhaps, the era of All Might was coming to an end.

"..."

Endeavor stared silently between Takahashi—standing on the platform with a victorious expression—and Shoto, who, despite having lost, looked strangely refreshed.

For a moment his flames burned brighter than before.

But after a while, he turned and left without a word.

He had a lot to think about.

...

°

°

°

| Upper rows of the stadium, VIP seats: |

...

"That kid sure is taking it far," Seiji muttered, smiling wryly as he watched Taka's figure still on the platform.

Beside him, Eri let out an awed hum, eyes wide as she stared down at the arena. "Taka is amazing."

But then she turned to Seiji.

"… But why did Taka enter the fight from up there instead of through the big doors like the others?" She pointed at the stadium's ceiling.

"... Huh?"

Seiji looked briefly startled, then let out a choked laugh.

"That kid just loves to show off. And today he has someone to aim all that toward, so he's going a bit further than usual."

"Someone?" Eri looked curious.

Seiji let out a small laugh and rubber her head. "You, of course, Eri. He's usually a bit more subtle about it, but he's going all out today. So humor him a little and act surprised, will you?"

"But I am surprised."

Seiji smile widened slightly and turned his eyes back to Taka down below. "Then that's fine."

As he did, he took in Taka's confident expression, and the way he was already walking away from the platform, victorious after what would have been an impossible and ridiculous fight last year.

"He's come a long way. He deserves it a little."

...

°

°

°

| Minutes later, Class 1-A's section: |

…

After a while, Taka arrived back at the section, drawing everyone's attention as he walked in like he owned the place.

Everyone stared at him speechlessly. Still a bit stricken by the display of raw power from the fight just now.

For some reason, they had the feeling that that last attack had been a lot more powerful than what he showed against the villain at the USJ.

Even Todoroki, after using his fire—something that no one had expected would happen given his reticence to use it—ended up being overwhelmed completely regardless.

The more they saw about Taka, the more unfair they felt life was.

How does one come across such a powerful Quirk?

"You came back. Decided we were good enough for you, Sir Takahashi?"

As he sat down, Jiro mocked him with a smirk right away.

Taka briefly gave her a flat look."If you guys don't start again, then yes."

She snorted.

"By the way, what were you and Todoroki talking about so much? I swear you spent more time talking than fighting."

"Personal matters." Taka answered curtly, evidently not about to go into it much.

Midoriya muttered something from his corner. "That must be why Todoroki-kun used his fire…"

Taka's eyebrow twitched at his quick realization.

But well, it wasn't that hard to pick up on it.

Todoroki had refused to use his fire. Taka had talked to him about something. Todoroki used his fire.

The sequence of events couldn't make it clearer, could it?

As he thought amusedly about it, suddenly, he felt a gaze upon him.

He turned slightly and found Bakugo looking at him with a piercing gaze.

A little more and he would start shooting explosions from the eyes.

"What?" Taka asked, loud enough for him to hear.

"..."

Bakugo didn't answer. Instead, his frown only deepened.

"..."

"..."

For a moment their gazes clashed. With neither looking away for a whole minute.

But in the end, Bakugo looked away first.

As he did, however, Taka noticed something different. The guy was angry, yes, nothing new there—but in his gaze, he was also carrying something heavier than his usual explosiveness.

And the truth was, yes, he was.

If the previous games had been a direct showcase of Taka's superiority, that last clash had only driven it home further.

With each of Taka's turns to show off, Bakugo felt his own chances shrink a little more.

And now that their fight was just one obstacle away, the pressure was becoming genuinely hard to hold off.

Bakugo's fist trembled slightly.

Noticing it, his eyes widened for a moment, before he clicked his tongue and stood up.

Then, without saying anything, he walked off, leaving the class' section soon after.

As he left, eyes followed him out.

"One arrives, and another leaves."

"I wonder if we make people uncomfortable."

"He must just be nervous. If he wins this fight, he'll be Taka's next victim, after all."

"Yeah, I'd be terrified if I were him."

Taka stared at his departing back with an impassive look, whatever was on his mind known only to him.

After that, minutes passed while Cementoss worked through the damage he and Todoroki had left behind.

While that happened, Iida—who had been talking with Uraraka—suddenly received a call and stepped away to take it somewhere quieter.

And just at that same moment, Jiro, who had been scrolling her phone while they waited, suddenly flinched.

Taka glanced at her, then flinched himself.

She was checking a news site—specifically, breaking news about the near-hospitalization of Ingenium and the capture of the Hero Killer, all at the hands of a certain vigilante.

Quickly, and before she could finish reading, Taka looked away, feigning upmost ignorance to what she was reading.

Not long after, Iida returned, looking shaken but otherwise relieved.

"What happened, Iida-kun?" Midoriya asked, watching his classmate with worry.

Iida seemed to consider whether to speak for a moment, then nodded, his grave expression seeming to relieve for a second as he shared what was on his mind.

"My brother was attacked by the Hero Killer."

Everyone turned to him in disbelief.

"The Hero Killer?!"

"The one that's been on the news lately?!"

"Is he okay?!"

Iida nodded, still looking like his heart had nearly given out a minute ago. "A vigilante intervened just before things could escalate. Rockinesis. Thanks to him, the Hero Killer was captured, and my brother avoided the worst."

"Rockinesis? Whoa."

Uraraka looked at him worriedly. "Is your brother okay, then?"

"Yes, luckily, the Hero Killer wasn't able to do much to him before Rockinesis arrived." Iida nodded.

Gasps and surprised expressions emerged from the class. But since nothing seemed to have gone horribly wrong, Everyone began wishing the best for Iida and his brother, followed by a wave of comments about the Hero Killer and Rockinesis.

While that went on, Taka stared at the air in front of him with an expression carved from stone, as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen.

"…"

"…"

All while Jiro's gaze burned into the side of his head from right beside him.

"That's crazy, ain't it, Takahashi?"

"Hmm, yes. Criminals these days sure are bold."

"Not to mention the coincidence of the one saving Iida's brother being Rockinesis."

"Maybe he was passing by."

"..."

"..."

Luckily, it seemed he wouldn't have to feign ignorance for long.

{"The arena is repaired, everyone—shall we move on to the next fight?!"} Present Mic's announcement rang out suddenly, gathering everyone's attention back to the arena.

As usual, the screen changed and the next two contestants' pictures appeared.

Bakugo and Tokoyami.

The crowd cheered, and waited for them to step out.

They didn't disappoint.

Soon, Tokoyami stepped from the shadows and into the light, gaze locked ahead.

Then, without warning, Dark Shadow emerged from him, spread both arms wide behind him like a pair of enormous black wings, and slammed them into the ground with great force—

-Thud!-

—launching Tokoyami in a high arc through the air, all the way from the entrance to the platform.

He landed brusquely, but imposingly as well. Looking, in what would probably be his words, like a fallen angel that had descended to deliver judgement.

The crowd cheered in excitement.

But that wasn't the end of it.

—BOOM!—

An explosion cut through the noise, and every eye swung to the opposite side.

Bakugo stepped into the light, scowl sharp as ever.

Then, once he had the crowd's attention—

—BOOM!—

He snapped both hands down and launched himself into the sky like a rocket.

—BOOM!—

—BOOM!—

—BOOM!—

From up there, he let off a rapid chain of explosions, spinning his body wildly through the air as he descended.

Until he came crashing down one final time, sliding into a proper pose right at his spot.

The crowd went wild.

"Look what you started…" Jiro muttered, a bead of sweat on her forehead as she stared down at the two.

Taka watched the spectacle in silence for a moment before stifling a short laugh. "They're trying to get sponsorships, aren't they? A little showmanship won't hurt them."

Jiro looked like she was about to say something to that—then stopped, mouth hesitating.

Then she seemed to actually start thinking about it.

"… It's still too embarrassing," she said eventually, cringing at the notion of pulling something like that when her own fight came after this one.

"Only if you do it wrong." Taka refuted her.

"Not everyone has a hide as thick as yours."

Taka didn't answer. He just shrugged.

Jiro grumbled at his silence, then leaned forward to watch the fight already unfolding below.

Her mind, however, was somewhere else entirely.

As she turned her attention to it, so did Taka.

First, the two fighters sized each other up. Bakugo hadn't paid much attention to his classmates throughout the festival, and Tokoyami wanted to get a real feel for what he was dealing with.

After enough of that, both moved.

Bakugo launched himself with the clear intention of ending it fast.

While Tokoyami went in committed to going all out.

And so he did.

Dark Shadow, who had been floating at his side, suddenly did something unusual—something that shouldn't have been possible for months yet.

It wrapped itself around Tokoyami like armor.

His special move… Darksomething, had come in early.

That was also part of why Taka had pushed him to work on his hand-to-hand combat—not only to make better use of the numerical advantage of fighting as two, but to be able to get the most out of this new technique once it arrived.

The current Tokoyami was a much more rounded fighter.

—BOOOM!—

"Hngh—!"

Of course—that didn't guarantee him victory.

As much as he'd grown, this particular matchup was a genuinely bad draw for him.

Not only was the daylight already sapping Dark Shadow's strength, but Bakugo's explosions served as their own powerful light source—an additional, active counter to exactly the kind of power Dark Shadow needed to be at its most dangerous.

So he was fighting with his armor on, yes. But in its current state, and with his still-developing control over it, it wasn't enough.

And even less so against a Bakugo who was fighting with a target far bigger than Tokoyami in mind.

Before long—even with Tokoyami putting up a real fight and landing a few hits—Dark Shadow eventually gave out, and he was blasted out of bounds.

{"Tokoyami is out of bounds—Bakugo advances to the next round!"}

With that, Bakugo took the victory.

As he stood there, breathing hard and sweating, his gaze drifted up to the class section and locked onto Taka.

And he let out a faint smile.

He was ready.

His fight with Midoriya had left him more uncertain than he'd expected. And as his fight with Taka drew closer, the pressure had only mounted.

But now, after letting some steam out, the doubt had cleared.

He'd prepared everything he could, and he was in the best shape he'd be in.

He couldn't win. That much had become clear over the course of the day.

But there was one thing he wouldn't let go of.

He'd make Taka acknowledge Katsuki Bakugo as the peerless prodigy he had always been.

Taka didn't count as a peer. He had the feeling the guy wasn't human.

So he didn't count as a prodigy either—just a freak.

With that settled, and a new kind of resolve in place, he turned away with a sneer and walked off.

On Taka's side, he watched him go with a flat look, then snorted to himself.

If the guy was carrying that much confidence, he hoped he'd bring something worth seeing.

The arena reconstruction after that didn't take long. A few minutes later it was finished, and the next fight was about to start.

Jiro had already left for it, as had Uraraka.

Soon enough, both appeared at the field entrances.

Uraraka floated herself up to the platform, then struck an awkward pose. She'd clearly thought of a simple entrance but hadn't figured out what to do once she'd gotten there.

Jiro, on the other hand…

'The hell…?' Taka's eyebrow twitched.

She walked down to the arena with a boombox on her shoulder, letting out music.

Once there, she set the boombox aside, out of bounds, and crossed her arms in some kind of mic-drop pose.

Looking incredibly awkward through all of it.

'She might need some extra tutoring,' Taka thought, resisting the urge to facepalm.

Uraraka too, now that he thought about it.

It seemed he might have to help his classmates work on their presence, even after the festival wrapped up.

While he quietly dreaded the new responsibility being added to his list, the fight between the two didn't stay in the countdown for long.

{"Start!"}

The first thing that became clear once both clashed was that Jiro had the close-combat advantage. Not only had her training along the others to hit Taka helped in that regard, but her earlobes gave her reach and threat range that Uraraka simply couldn't match at that distance.

Uraraka tried to close in, but couldn't. Jiro was quicker on her feet, and good at keeping her out using physical strikes or her earlobes as stabbing tools.

But soon, that same advantage turned into a liability.

In one exchange, Uraraka nearly managed to touch her earlobes with her fingertips.

She missed—but it was enough. Jiro had felt how close that was, and the alarm it sent through her shifted her thinking.

So she switched to the next option and drove her earlobes into the floor, trying to throw Uraraka off with her new technique.

—BZZZZ!—

That's when the second disadvantage showed itself.

The moment the soundwave struck the ground, Uraraka went zero gravity, cleared the tremor entirely with ease by just hovering over it, and dropped straight down onto Jiro.

The result followed naturally. Between the shaking from the quake and the drop coming from above, Jiro couldn't dodge cleanly in time—and even though she nearly managed it, Uraraka grazed her fingertips across her.

Which was all it took. Unable to do anything, Jiro went floating, and the fight was over. Declared as her being unable to continue fighting.

It was a tough draw—much like Tokoyami, she'd been in a matchup where close combat was risky and her strongest move had been completely nullified.

After the fight wrapped up, both made their way back to the section.

Uraraka looked like she was floating without her Quirk. Jiro, on the other hand, wore an expression that said she might snap at the first thing Taka said to her.

So he said nothing. Just gave her a small smile.

"..."

"..."

Eventually she let out a long sigh and let some of the frown ease off her face—though she still wasn't looking anywhere near satisfied.

Taka figured something else later would do more for her mood than anything he could offer right now, so he let her drift into her own thoughts.

'We'll see if she can stay upset after what's coming.'

With the fight done, and since Jiro's technique had done a number on the platform, the over-exploited Cementoss had to deal with repairs again.

It didn't take long, since the damage was concentrated in one area. Once it was done—as was Cementoss—the last fight of the stage got underway.

Ojiro versus Iida.

A clash of close-quarters fighters.

Taka leaned back for this one.

Ojiro had sharpened his fighting skills over the past week, but so had Iida. And Iida's Quirk made for a genuinely troublesome problem for someone whose power was as straightforward as Ojiro's.

And just as predicted—though the fight was scrappy, given that both were solid in close combat—Iida's speed-driven strikes eventually did the job and put Ojiro out.

And with that, the second stage of the tournament came to a close.

Three fights remained before the final.

Bakugo against Taka. Uraraka against Iida. And then whatever followed for the final.

As everything settled for the incoming stage, Taka smiled faintly and opened his status.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

[STATUS PAGE]

▸ Strength: (181 Base) 1500

▸ Defense: (362 Base) 3000

▸ Aura Projection: 37,000

─────────────

Total Aura: 88,266 → 45,993 (52%)

1st Clone's aura: 12,273 (14%)

2nd Clone's aura: 5,000 (6%)

3rd Clone's aura: 5,000 (6%)

4th Clone's aura: 5,000 (6%)

...

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

'This sure is growing fast.'

This festival was turning out to be far more than he had expected, and even more than that.

And there was still more to come.

Smiling at that, he quickly allocated what he'd gained so far, then turned his attention back to the arena.

His fight against Bakugo was right around the corner.

Better prepare for yet another grand entrance.

...

────────────────────────

-To Be Continued…-

────────────────────────

Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

pḁtreon.com/TheSynonym (Change the a)

──────

(A/N: What are you guys thinking about the growth speed? Is it being satisfactory? Originally it was tamer, but my patreons felt it was too little, so I boosted it a bit.)

────────────────────────
[Out Of The Bag]
────────────────────────

| Kamino's bar: |

...

"That brat…"

Shigaraki stared at the screen before him with wide eyes, lips trembling with anger.

In it, the footage of Taka's victory over Todoroki was still playing—him standing over the arena, looking down at his defeated opponent.

"You are still watching that, Shigaraki Tomura?" Kurogiri asked, closing the door behind him and looking at Shigaraki, who sat at the counter, watching the small television in the corner. In it, the Sports Festival played on.

"… Kurogiri, my day just keeps getting worse, so don't start."

The foggy villain let out a sigh, then walked behind the counter, picked up a glass, cleaned it with a rag, and poured a drink for both Shigaraki and himself.

"I've just finished talking with the master about our failure in recruiting the Hero Killer."

"…" Shigaraki grimaced.

Once again, he had failed at something that should have been simple, and disappointed his master's expectations.

How was it that the moment he started trying to build his name, everything began going wrong?

His eyes drifted back to the screen. To Taka.

First, it was him. An unknown variable—a sub-boss who appeared out of nowhere during his raid and happened to counter every preparation he'd stored to deal with the final boss.

Then, footage of his failure spread all over the country, making him a joke to every criminal out there—at least until he started turning some of them to dust. Their ridicule lessened after that.

But then something else had to happen, because of course it did. That vigilante. One whose name he'd heard some months ago but hadn't given much thought to.

Rockinesis.

Just when they were about to make contact with the Hero Killer, the bastard had to go and get himself captured by the vigilante.

Failure after failure after failure.

And now, his master had heard of the last one.

"What did he say about it?" He asked, his tone grim—clearly not wanting to hear the answer, but having to anyway.

There was a small pause, then Kurogiri spoke.

"He… wants to talk."

{"Indeed, Tomura."}

The familiar voice of his master echoed from the small black screen mounted on the wall near them.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Shigaraki spoke up.

"... Master, I'm sorry."

Surprisingly, however, what followed wasn't a beration—but a chuckle.

{"Don't be, Tomura. You may have failed at your most recent objective, but I may have found a reason for your recent streaks of bad luck. Something utterly unexpected—and just as interesting—and it's right there on the festival you're watching."}

A frown crossed Shigaraki's face before he glanced back at the television with a baffled look.

The only thing his master would mean by that was…

"The brat?" He asked.

Sure, he'd thwarted the raid on U.A., but how did that connect to the failure at recruiting Stain? The Hero Killer had been captured less than an hour ago, and the kid had been at the festival through all of it.

The footage of the fight had also been released by an unknown party who had been hiding in the shadows like a rat.

Did he misunderstand or something?

{"Takahashi-kun, yes."}

Apparently not.

{"After your failure at U.A., I took it upon myself to investigate him thoroughly. Such potential in such a young mind, yet unknown for so long. It was a disconcerting case… and what I found certainly didn't disappoint."}

Shigaraki tensed. So the brat was more special than he'd thought?

{"Are you familiar with the Quirk of the famous hero, Nighteye?"}

Shigaraki shook his head. The only enemy worth considering had been All Might, and the ones who might have proved an obstacle when he raided U.A.

Beyond those, he hadn't much cared about the rest of the heroes across the rankings.

All For One didn't seem surprised.

{"He possesses a very powerful and rare Quirk... The power to see the future. Although with a few limitations and weaknesses."}

"…!" Shigaraki's eyes widened at the implication. "Are you saying that brat has—?"

{"Perhaps, Tomura. It's just as possible that he has something of a similar nature, or, on the other hand, something that merely makes it appear that way. Regardless of what the answer is, it has been difficult not to arrive at such a conclusion, given our recent problems."}

"But in the records it's stated that his Quirk is telekinesis! And I don't see how he could have caused all the rest of our problems—he was only at the raid to stop Nomu." Shigaraki pressed, baffled and outraged at the possibility that, on top of unbelievable power, the brat might also have future sight.

{"And who else possesses a telekinetic Quirk, and has coincidentally interfered with our plans, Tomura?"}

A spark of recognition crossed Shigaraki's eyes.

"Rockinesis… But the brat was at the festival when Rockinesis—"

{"Time and place are not variables that disprove his identity in this case. With cloning in his arsenal, he could be anywhere, at any time… And besides, both seem to be acquainted in some way with a certain hero, quite a coincidence, don't you think?"}

"A certain hero?"

{"Super Monkey. One of the best-ranked heroes in the city of Shizuoka. The guardian of young Takahashi, and, in the case of the vigilante, the first one to contend with him properly, and from what our informants have told us, also the one Rockinesis warned about the raid to the Shie Hassaikai just minutes before it happened. Although the connections aren't very strong, the fact that they are there might mean something."}

Shigaraki went still, taking a few seconds to absorb the revelation.

If that were true… then that'd make the one responsible for all his misfortune… one single person.

As that thought dawned, rage surged within Shigaraki.

But as it did, another thing dawned on him, making the anger dwell momentarily.

"But if that were the case… how many different Quirks would it mean that brat has?"

Now that it had landed, Shigaraki recalled the bizarre range of abilities the brat had displayed during the Nomu fight, and what he'd shown today with the flaming skeleton on national TV. None of it looked very plausible from telekinesis alone.

But now, if what his master was saying was true, Rockinesis' abilities would also fall under the same kit.

Cloning, energy blasts—and the superhuman physique that both clearly shared.

Plus the future sight his master was theorizing he possessed.

It was impossible it all came from just one. So, just how many Quirks would that amount to?

As he thought of that last ability, however, something else occurred to him.

"But why do you think he can see the future, master?"

All For One sounded pleased with his question. {"There are multiple reasons. One is the rate at which he, as a vigilante, tended to appear right before or at the exact moment crimes were being committed—almost as if he knew about them in advance."}

That, Shigaraki hadn't known about.

Kurogiri, at his side, also looked faintly surprised.

{"The others are somewhat more circumstantial, but equally incriminating. When Machia returned months ago, having failed the task I sent him on after his encounter with the vigilante, he said he only retreated because he heard my voice order him to. If we assume it was the vigilante who was responsible for it, it would mean he already knew of me—despite us having erased most of our tracks over the past years."}

"Machia?"

Shigaraki sounded confused for a moment.

{"A precious subordinate of mine. He shall serve you in due time, when you are ready."}

Shigaraki nodded, looking a bit confused but accepting it regardless.

All For One continued with his explanation. {"Then there's his broader track record so far. According to our mole, he commissioned and brought a weapon to a class exercise right before your strike on U.A."}

'The blade.' Shigaraki's mind made the connection instantly to the blade Taka had used to cut Nomu apart repeatedly.

{"Beyond that, there are the multiple unfortunate events that have prevented our plans from progressing smoothly, all perpetrated by individuals of unknown identity, and the vigilante—allegedly, all the same person… As though he had known in advance of our moves, despite all of it being highly secretive, with no plausible way for a mere student or vigilante without resources to have known."}

His two listeners fell silent at the weight of it.

{"Of course, solid evidence remains lacking—much of this is still speculation and coincidence, as is the case for the claim that the vigilante and the student are one and the same. However, if I'm right, then he already has his sights on us. And on this place."}

"…!" Shigaraki's eyes widened.

He already knew where they were?!

"But then—why hasn't he attacked us? He looked eager to kill me back at U.A.!" He shouted, alarmed at the sudden feeling of danger rising through his skin.

{"Or he made it appear that way."}

Shigaraki paused, frowning.

He recalled that day.

While he couldn't say for sure the kid had been trying to kill him—he sure had taken his time in it. He could have cut or burnt the Nomu from the start, yet he first engaged in a fist fight, before slowly moving through his other abilities.

Almost like a play.

"...!"

So it had all been an act?

He had let him go on purpose?

"... Why?" Shigaraki managed to ask through the feeling of humiliation.

A sigh came from the monitor.

{"The reason, I'm afraid I can't decipher. Just like his abilities, his actions have been erratic and hard to follow—as should be expected of someone who knows the future, or a version of it, given that he has been actively interfering. We still don't know the full details, so the details of this alleged ability might turn out to be very different… But as to why he hasn't struck at us yet, I believe I do know the reason. And it's quite worrying, Tomura."}

A pause followed.

Then he dropped it.

{"That reason is power. As he is now, he cannot beat me."}

"... So he's scared. What's so worrying about that, master?"

{"He cannot beat me… yet. He is growing—growing stronger. The doctor ran an analysis of his strength output, energy release, and overall stats using footage from his first appearance to his most recent, assuming the student and the vigilante are the same. The conclusion was clear. He is growing very fast. There is also a possibility that the number of abilities he displays is tied to the progression of his strength as well. Takahashi-kun had shown no Quirk for most of his life, seemingly producing one out of nowhere a year ago—a disappointing one, to say the least. And yet, now he is on the verge of winning U.A.'s Sports Festival. Quite a remarkable rate of growth, isn't it?"}

Shigaraki looked shaken. "He cannot beat you… yet? Are you saying he will eventually be able to defeat you, master?"

{"The doctor ran a rough estimation using the speed of growth he's shown until now, and I'm afraid—yes. If his calculations are right, he'll gain enough power to contend with me in about a year or two. Because of that, and the sketch of his personality provided by our mole, I believe he knows it, and that's why he hasn't contacted the association or the top heroes yet. In an arrogant move, he intends to defeat me on his own—of course, this is all if our conjectures are right. If not, we might just be dealing with a kid with a terrifying potential."}

Shigaraki swallowed. Even if they were being a bit paranoid here, what if they weren't?

What if that brat was just waiting until he was strong enough to wipe them out for good? And one day, without warning, everything they had built collapsed like a card castle?

Which meant… they were on a ticking clock.

"Master, what should we do…?" He asked, worry creeping into his voice, his hands slowly moving up to scratch his neck.

{"First, we relocate."} Came All For One's voice. No longer alarming, but calm, like the worrying part was over, and now it was time for the action.

A second later, Kurogiri opened a portal right beside Shigaraki.

While that happened, All For One continued explaining, {If the future that he sees is fixed, and we move without his knowledge, he shouldn't know our new location. If we move and he does know—then we'll have learned something more about its scope and how it works."}

Shigaraki stared at the portal with a hard expression.

With a nod, he picked up his father's hand he had left aside to drink at the counter earlier, and put it back over his face.

Then he turned toward the portal and stepped through.

{"Second, my plans may need to change to account for this new variable…"}

Kurogiri followed after, stepping through the portal and leaving the bar empty behind him.

Yet, even without them there, All For One's voice continued from the screen.

{"I won't make the same mistake a second time. I won't allow a second All Might."}

...

°

°

°

| Back to the stadium: |

...

-Step, step, step-

Bakugo walked slowly up the stairs toward the platform, his expression set with determination, his gaze so focused it could have bored holes in the concrete ahead.

He'd have liked to pull off an entrance like before, not wanting to lose to Taka even in that. But this wasn't a fight he could afford to waste any energy on.

He'd need everything he had if he wanted to achieve his goal for this fight. So he just skipped the theatrics.

"..."

Not long after, he reached his spot and settled in, ready, waiting for his opponent.

He took a deep breath, nervousness trying to get itself invited in.

But Bakugo wasn't having it. With a clench of his fist, he shrugged it off. Then glanced at the entrance Taka was supposed to step out from—eager for all this to at last begin.

And as luck would have it—he didn't have to wait long.

—Thunk!—

Suddenly, a hand appeared from the gate Taka was supposed to emerge from, moving out, and grabbed the frame of the gate.

A large hand.

And skeletal.

Then, it pushed against the frame, the way something might crawl through a gap too small for it.

And something did crawl through.

"That bastard…" Bakugo's eyes squinted, his scowl deepening as he saw what emerged from there. "He did it again."

The same skeleton from before.

—Thunk!—

—Thunk!—

—Thunk!—

It hauled itself out of the entrance like a creature making its first appearance in the world, then began dragging its enormous flaming frame all the way to the platform—its great hands cracking into the ground with every pull.

Before long, it reached its spot, then pushed itself upright and tilted its face toward the sky.

—ROAAAAAAAR!!!—

A roar tore through the stadium, shaking it to its foundations.

And then—the flaming skeleton simply went out like a flame snuffed in a closed fist.

Revealing Taka standing at its core, arms crossed, eyes already on Bakugo.

Bakugo snarl twisted into something similar to a grin.

"Damn attention whore."

Taka smirked.

"It's called showmanship. You could use some."

...

────────────────────────

-To Be Continued…-

────────────────────────

Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

pḁtreon.com/TheSynonym (Change the a)

──────

(A/N: And so, things start spiraling. Out of control? Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell.)