When lunch was announced, Kirishima headed off in search of the missing Bakugo.
Bakugo had mentioned he was just stepping out to use the restroom, but after that, no one could tell where he had gone.
Inside the building, along a corridor curving toward the outdoors, Kirishima spotted Bakugo standing perfectly still. Just as he was about to call out to him, he hesitated.
From the outer edge of an unseen corridor, Todoroki’s familiar, unruffled voice reached them.
"I was overwhelmed."
"Huh?"
Todoroki’s tone was as calm as ever, yet Kirishima sensed a deep undercurrent of unrest behind his words.
"Overwhelmed enough to shatter the vow I had sworn to myself."
Kirishima’s quirk granted him a full-body, all-directional sensory awareness.
Tactile sensations, sounds, sights, even intuition combined to alert him to every occurrence within a certain radius.
Strictly speaking, it functioned less as deliberate detection and more as an automatic, instinct-driven interception; though with effort, it could serve as simple reconnaissance.
He could feel Midoriya nodding subtly toward Todoroki, and he noticed Todoroki pulling his left hand from his pocket to scrutinize it.
"Iida, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Uraraka... none of them felt it. In that decisive moment, only I was under pressure—only I, right beside All Might when he truly gave his all."
"So, what exactly does that mean?"
"It means I sensed something similar from you. Midoriya, are you perhaps a hidden child of All Might or what?"
Kirishima nearly burst into laughter at Todoroki’s offbeat remark.
He kind of understood why Todoroki might think that way, yet the notion was entirely misplaced.
Still, it was impressive.
'Sharp, huh? Honestly, this isn’t something you’d notice even after watching All Might fight up close.'
Todoroki possessed a keen intuition—a trait that, whether innate or honed through rigorous training, proved invaluable in battle.
Midoriya, however, was visibly flustered.
Being suddenly summoned and then asked if he was All Might’s secret offspring was confounding to say the least.
What kind of absurd question was that?
While he hesitated, searching for the right words, Todoroki pressed him once more.
"Well?"
"N-no! That’s not it at all! Even if I were an illegitimate child, I’d deny it without question—so there’s no way you’d accept it! Besides, I really want to ask you the same thing. Why would you say something like that to someone like me...?"
"So you’re saying that there’s at least some unspoken connection between us?"
Todoroki picked out the crucial point from Midoriya’s rambling with precise attention.
In a voice as cool and chilling as the ice he could summon, he said, "My father is Endeavor. You know him, right? The perennial No. 2 hero. If you possess something of the No. 1 hero, then it only gives me more reason to win."
At that moment, Bakugo noticed Kirishima.
Before Bakugo could utter a word, Kirishima quickly clamped his hand over his mouth.
Bakugo’s eyes narrowed sharply at the unexpected intervention, though he made no move to struggle.
The weight of the exchange between Midoriya and Todoroki prevented him from causing a scene.
Then Todoroki continued.
"My father—damn that man—is driven by a fierce desire to climb higher. As a hero, he stormed to fame, yet he couldn’t stand being upstaged by the living legend All Might. Unable to surpass All Might himself, my father devised another plan."
"What... what do you mean, Todoroki? What are you trying to say?"
Sensing the seriousness of the conversation, Midoriya asked cautiously.
The atmosphere was heavy and unsettling.
If he could, Midoriya wanted nothing more than to run away.
But instinct screamed at him that now was not the time to turn away from Todoroki.
"Quirk marriage. You know about it, right?"
At that, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Kirishima all jumped slightly in unison.
Todoroki went on in a tone as if recounting nothing remarkable.
"It became a contentious issue from the second to third generations after Quirks emerged. It’s an antiquated, ethically bankrupt idea—people strengthening their Quirks by choosing a mate solely to pass them on through marriage. My father, a man of impressive achievements and means, seduced my mother’s relatives to secure her Quirk for himself. In doing so, he tried to fulfill his own ambition by molding me into a hero greater than All Might."
Midoriya staggered back in shock.
Bakugo, though remaining physically still, felt his heart race for a moment.
Kirishima, however, remained largely unmoved.
To him, while the story sounded like some colossal wrongdoing, he had seen enough human depravity and disaster spawned from malice and hate in the depths of despair to consider it no extraordinary matter.
After all, long before Quirks emerged, people had tried to fill what was missing within themselves through marriage.
Political alliances between the powerful and the wealthy, or among powerful families, had been a staple since the dawn of society.
In truth, Kirishima didn’t view Quirk marriage as inherently immoral.
If both parties were in agreement and built a good family, what was the harm?
Judging by the way Todoroki spoke, it was clear he had grown up far from any notion of a loving home.
Sure enough, Todoroki’s tone suddenly turned heated.
"It’s revolting! I’m not going to be some pawn for that trash of a man! My mother in my memories was always crying—she’d pour boiling water over me, saying my left side was hideous."
'What a mess,' Kirishima thought, almost clicking his tongue before catching himself.
He doubted they’d actually hear his internal remark, and he had no reason to risk drawing attention.
An inexplicable sour feeling took hold of him.
Todoroki hadn’t specified exactly when it happened, but it must have been during his childhood.
Kirishima, known for his cynical outlook, his reluctance to trust easily, and his self-centered nature (never having boasted about being American, by the way), nonetheless adhered to one value he couldn’t shake—protecting children.
Children must be sheltered.
At home, in society, they must be shielded from poverty, ignorance, accidents, and crime.
Conversely, anyone who harmed a child deserved to have retribution delivered in the name of justice.
As Kirishima’s mood sank further, Todoroki continued,
"I’m bringing this up to make you reflect on yourself. Even if you didn’t use that damn father’s Quirk—no, even without resorting to it—I’ll still become number one! I’ll completely repudiate that man!"
'What the hell is he on about?'
If you kill someone with your mother’s weapon instead of your father’s, does that somehow negate your father?
Of course, a Quirk was not the same as an external tool like a gun; its inheritance ran in the blood, making it even harder to dismiss if it belonged to a father one despised.
In the end, however, the Quirk within you was your own—it belonged to no one else.
From the outset, the notion that one could effortlessly climb to the top simply by refusing to use certain inherited advantages was completely misguided.
If you were a rebel aiming for the throne, you’d be lucky to wield even the Quirk of a murderer rather than that of a brutal, abusive father.
Kirishima understood Todoroki’s perspective, yet felt that the latter was too young, overly optimistic, and somewhat narrow-minded.
He sighed inwardly as he noticed Midoriya shrink back and Bakugo’s mood darken.
These kids were far too innocent—even Bakugo, with his notorious temper, had grown up like a delicate orchid cradled by a loving family.
Todoroki, having said all he felt he needed to say, turned away from Midoriya and began to walk off.
"If you can’t discuss your connection to All Might, so be it. No matter what role you play in All Might’s life, I’ll still outshine you using only my right side. Sorry for taking up your time."
Midoriya stood frozen for a moment, as if nailed to the spot.
Then, after a few determined steps, he hurriedly pursued Todoroki, shouting, "I... I’ve always relied on the help of others. Even now, I’m here because of someone’s support!"
Memories of the many people who had aided him rushed through his mind:
The young, bleeding Kirishima roaring as he fought a villain.
Uraraka asking if she could share her hard-earned points.
His mother, showing him the suit she had painstakingly crafted while promising her support.
Even All Might himself, assuring him that he could become a hero.
And countless others flashed in and out of his thoughts.
Clenching his fist, Midoriya declared, "The greatest hero—the one who saves people with a smile... All Might. I want to be just like him. To do that, I have to grow incredibly strong. My motivation might seem trivial compared to yours, but I can’t afford to lose. I must repay everyone who’s helped me! And regarding that declaration you just made, I’m returning the favor. I’m going to beat you too!"
Todoroki offered no reply.
Yet Midoriya felt as though he had heard an answer in the silence.
All that remained now was to prove it.
Only then did Kirishima release his grip on Bakugo’s mouth.
Bakugo grumbled irritably, "Why the hell were you covering my mouth?"
"Because you were about to call out to me."
"And you couldn’t let go halfway?"
"I could have, but I wasn’t sure how you’d react."
"I wasn’t going to overreact!"
"Good. Let’s go eat. And hey, I know you’re not clueless—but you do know that whatever you just heard isn’t for public broadcast, right?"
"If you know that, then don’t bother telling me, you damn beanpole."
Bakugo growled and reluctantly followed Kirishima toward the cafeteria.
Their lunch, shared with a friend who might one day become an adversary, passed quickly.
After the children relieved some of the fatigue from the morning’s hectic activities with a meal and some rest, they reconvened in the stadium.
Before Present Mic could announce the third event, he informed them that there would be a recreational segment.
The cheerleaders imported from America lifted the mood with their polished group routine.
Soon after, the girls from Class A took the field in cheerleader outfits.
"Huh? What’s up with that?"
"Seriously? Have they all lost their minds? What is this supposed to be?"
The girls’ expressions, matching the sour assessments of Kirishima and Bakugo, were decidedly glum.
Amid their gloomy faces, Sho and Kaminari exchanged glances and flashed thumbs-ups.
"Kaminari! Sho! You tricked us!"
"I can let Kaminari off the hook, but Sho always seemed so proper..."
"My apologies. But isn’t this all part of the festival’s fun? Hahaha."
Yaoyorozu, who had even used her Creation quirk to make cheerleader costumes for each class, looked crestfallen.
"How did I fall for such a ridiculous scheme... especially after I put effort into creating those outfits?"
"You fools! Seriously, those guys!"
"Well, there’s still time before the finals, and being tense isn’t good for anyone. Let’s have some fun with it!"
"Eek!"
"Toru-chan, so you actually enjoy this sort of thing?"
Watching the girls react in their own unique ways, Kirishima remarked, "Yeah, they’re cute. Though right now, it’s really not the point."
"Cute? You think that’s cute?"
"Well, aren’t kids in the prime of life naturally adorable? They’re wholesome, energetic, smart, and strong."
"You’re sounding like a parent."
"Maybe I am a bit older."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
As Bakugo chided Kirishima for his parental tone, Present Mic took charge of announcing the schedule.
"Alright! Let’s have a blast! Recreation time! After this, the four teams advancing to the final event—sixteen participants total—will compete in a tournament format! It’s a serious one-on-one battle!"
Amid the excited chatter of the children, Midnight took over as the event host.
"Now, let’s begin the lottery to decide the brackets! Once the brackets are set, the tournament will kick off after the recreation. As for the recreational activities, the sixteen finalists can choose whether or not to participate, on an individual basis. Starting with the team in first place!"
"Um! Excuse me, I’m withdrawing."
Before the drawing commenced, Ojiro raised his hand to indicate his withdrawal.
The children were taken aback.
Midoriya’s eyes grew wide as he asked, "Ojiro! Why?"
"This is a rare chance for the pros to see us up close!"
Even Iida voiced his puzzlement, to which Ojiro replied in a somber tone, "During the cavalry battle, I barely made an impact until the very end—it was all so vague, probably because of that guy’s Quirk... I know this opportunity is a chance to make a breakthrough, and it’d be foolish to squander it."
"Ojiro..."
"But still! We earned our place by pushing ourselves to the limit and competing fiercely! I can’t just stand there without knowing why I’m here. I can’t do that."
"You worry too much! Just focus on making your mark in the main event!"
"By that logic, I didn’t do enough either."
Hagakure and Ashido tried to comfort him, but Ojiro, covering his face with his hands, responded, "No. It’s a matter of pride. I just can’t accept it!"
'So young. Yet pride is precisely what you ought to stand on in times like these.'
Kirishima watched Ojiro with downcast eyes.
If you were to peg your pride, doing so in a tournament like this was far more fitting.
In a real fight, clinging to misplaced pride would only end in bloodshed.
Still, if you considered him a comrade, that unvarnished sincerity had its own charm.
"And why are you girls still in those cheerleader outfits?"
As the surrounding girls blushed at the question, a small blue-haired boy stepped forward and said, "I’m Shoda Nirengeki from Class B. I’d also like to withdraw for the same reason. Before we even get to skill, shouldn’t someone who hasn’t contributed to their team’s progress step aside? It goes against the spirit of this festival."
In response to this unexpected turn of events, Midnight ruled in a husky voice,
"That kind of naive talk... I like it! Shoda, Ojiro’s withdrawal is accepted!"
'She made her decision based on her own taste!'
"Then if we draw two names, the advancing team would be Kendo’s from fifth place in the cavalry battle..."
At Midnight’s cue, the orange-haired girl known as Kendo replied, "If that’s the decision, then it’s only fair that it’s not us—who barely moved— but them, right?"
"Yeah."
"Shouldn’t it be Tetsutetsu’s team, since they fought hard and stayed near the top until the very end?"
Her teammates nodded in agreement.
Kirishima’s eyes shone at the impressive display.
While contests like these held little personal significance for him, they meant the world to these kids.
It was their showcase—a rare chance to announce to the entire nation that they existed, an opportunity they could ill afford to waste—and Kendo’s teammates readily supported her proposal.
Remarkable leadership indeed.
Looking at Tetsutetsu, she explained, "It’s not about cliques or having fun together—it’s just the sensible thing to do."
"Y-you guys!"
Tetsutetsu clenched his fists and howled in an emotional outburst.
After all the twists and turns, the sixteen participants for the tournament were finalized and the brackets drawn.
Kirishima’s opponent was set to be Tetsutetsu.
"Hey, looking forward to it."
"Yeah! Let’s have a proper fight!"
Tetsutetsu shouted heartily, despite every reason he might have had to hesitate after witnessing Kirishima’s earlier display.
Kirishima grinned in response.
What awaited was not a fierce battle, but rather a friendly sparring match just around the corner.
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