Even after Bakugo finally took a direct hit from an explosion originating in the sky—a strike that reached into a place even Kirishima couldn’t touch—he broke out in a cold sweat.
Anyone unfamiliar with Kirishima might have celebrated, but Bakugo knew the truth.
There was simply no way that demon-like opponent would be defeated by such a blow.
After all, this was the same monster who had withstood a beating from someone strong enough to battle All Might and still remained on his feet.
To put that bastard away for good, he needed even more firepower—an even more catastrophic explosion.
Bakugo’s throbbing head, overwhelmed by dilated blood vessels, raced as he searched desperately for the perfect moment.
A rush of oxygen filled his brain, and endless strategies flashed through his mind before vanishing just as quickly.
The conclusion was simple:
Deliver maximum firepower in the shortest possible time.
The duration of Nitro Booster was short.
He had to settle this within that brief window.
Just as Kirishima’s shadow began to emerge through the billowing smoke, Bakugo detonated his charge, hurtling straight toward him.
As Bakugo’s body spun wildly from the uneven blast, he caught sight of Kirishima grinning, his fist drawn back in anticipation.
In that instant, he realized something formidable was coming his way.
"Howitzer Impact!"
Though he hadn’t intended to shout the technique’s name, it spilled out instinctively.
His brain, pushed beyond its limits, registered Kirishima’s rapidly closing fist.
It was merely a fist—barely the size of a palm—but in that moment it seemed monstrously huge as Bakugo thrust out his own hand to meet it.
A massive explosion erupted, slamming into a pillar of force that tore through the sky.
The overwhelming shock sent Bakugo reeling backward, the force flinging him in the exact opposite direction of his charge.
In the haze of his fading consciousness, he suddenly remembered a book his grandmother used to read to him in his childhood—before his Quirk had even manifested.
It was the day he had pestered her to show him an All Might video, only for her to suggest, "Let’s watch something else today," as she pulled out that very book and read to him.
The story itself wasn’t particularly captivating.
After all, what fun could a kid possibly find in reading about an old man who, one day, went off the rails and caused chaos?
Yet one particular scene now resurfaced with startling clarity.
"The Knight of La Mancha..."
It was the scene where that mad old man—who insisted on calling himself the Knight of La Mancha—charged at a windmill with a spear, convinced it was a giant.
There wasn’t much to it, really.
Just a few lines: the old man dashed at the windmill, got knocked back, and ended up a laughingstock.
And yet, Bakugo felt an odd kinship with that madman’s determination.
After all, what difference was there between him challenging an impossible demon and that old man charging at a windmill with nothing but a spear?
Both were dreamers—fools reaching for the impossible.
In that moment, Bakugo’s eyes snapped open.
He unleashed another blast from his palm, propelling himself forward just before his momentum could carry him past the boundary line.
"You think this is over? Kirishima!"
Bakugo’s body, which had seemed destined to hit the ground, was flung back into the arena.
Just as his feet were about to touch the stadium floor once more, a red demon materialized before him.
"You really have grown. Good," the figure remarked coolly.
With a single explosive burst, Kirishima shattered the wall of sound and struck; his blow just grazed Bakugo’s jaw before the latter could even regain his stance.
Through his darkening vision, Bakugo saw Kirishima’s body—streaked with soot and grime from the explosion—proof that his own hand had made contact.
"This time, I'll settle for just a touch. But next time—next time..."
Ultimately, as Bakugo’s consciousness faded completely and his legs threatened to buckle, Kirishima caught him, preventing a collapse.
Gazing at Bakugo’s surprisingly unscarred face after the battle, Kirishima mused, "He definitely reacted. I don’t know exactly what he did, but he did something."
Kirishima had always found it difficult to guide Bakugo, given the unique mechanics of his Quirk.
In some ways, he had let the boy grow on his own—and the young man had grown remarkably well.
A pleased smile tugged at Kirishima’s lips.
"Is this what it feels like to be a teacher?"
"Match over! Kirishima Eijiro advances to the third round! That means the semifinal lineup is complete! First match: Todoroki Shoto versus Iida Tenya! Second match: Tokoyami Fumikage versus Kirishima Eijiro! We’ll take a short break and then resume, so don’t go anywhere!"
After gently placing Bakugo onto the medical robot’s stretcher, Kirishima stepped into the corridor.
His broad, imposing back bore the marks of battle—splotches of soot scattered across it.
After changing back into the clothes he had prepared earlier, he returned to the stands, where the children greeted him enthusiastically.
"Wow! Eijiro, that was incredible. And Bakugo was amazing too. He sure didn’t hold back in that match!"
"No kidding. I was planning to go all out and beat him down. But he dodged well, and his strategy was solid. Not even considering keeping his feet on the ground was a smart move."
"You mean that was everything you had? The attack that punched a hole through the clouds earlier, Kirishima?"
"Yeah, that one. He really has grown a lot."
The kids were torn—should they marvel at Bakugo’s ability to parry such a devastating attack, or at Kirishima’s flawless recovery from the explosion?
Kirishima folded his arms and waited for the next match to begin.
Fortunately, Cementoss showed no signs of fatigue and swiftly restored the battered stadium to its original state.
Soon enough, the match between Todoroki and Iida commenced.
While Kirishima had already retreated to the waiting room, Iida had charged in with Recipro Burst and appeared to be on the verge of a successful attack—only to be countered by Todoroki and frozen in place.
Upon arriving in the waiting room and hearing the call for the next competitor, Kirishima clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Ended faster than I expected. Iida had no chance in a long fight, so he must have gambled on a quick finish. He probably lost."
At that moment, the disparity in ability between Iida and Todoroki was obvious.
To counter Todoroki’s wide-reaching attacks with sheer physical force, one needed either absurd power, reaction-defying speed, or some combination of both.
Iida mostly met the speed requirement, but not enough to launch an all-out assault.
"He’s too gentle, too," Kirishima observed.
Even if Iida were inclined to employ a more ruthless use of his speed, the Iida Kirishima knew simply wasn’t the type to unleash that on a friend.
So, as expected, he’d end up losing. What choice was there?
Stepping out into the corridor, Kirishima cast a glance across to Tokoyami and began to loosen up.
The very core of his Quirk writhed inside him like a caged beast, gathering power on a scale akin to a reactor.
Having mastered that beast’s reins and calmed its fury, Kirishima ramped up his Hardening nearly to the brink of Demon Form—and then, the moment the match began, he shifted into Demon Form without hesitation.
And what he did next was just as he had against Bakugo.
As if he had vanished and reappeared in an instant, Kirishima closed the gap to Tokoyami until he was within arm’s reach, then stomped down forcefully, slamming the ground to jolt his own momentum to a halt.
The energy surging from beneath him coursed up through his waist and into his shoulder, transforming it into a cannon that propelled his fist like a projectile.
The very act of his fist rending the air unleashed a massive shockwave that burst outward in perfect circular form.
Before Tokoyami could even react, Dark Shadow—a loyal ally and friend—wrapped itself protectively around him.
The enormous force slammed into the body of shadow.
Dark Shadow managed to endure the impact that threatened to scatter it to pieces, though in the end, it could not entirely prevent itself from being pushed back.
When the tumult subsided and everyone cautiously opened their eyes again, Tokoyami found himself pinned against the arena’s outer wall.
In a somber tone, he murmured, "Hah. I couldn’t even withstand a single blow. I have lost."
Kirishima shot a glance at the tearful Dark Shadow before remarking, "Strictly speaking, it did take the hit—thanks to your partner. Few can take a blow like the one I just delivered and come out unscathed. That’s how impressive your partner is. Now, why don’t you comfort it first?"
At his words, Tokoyami finally turned and gently stroked Dark Shadow.
Then, in a slightly lighter tone, he replied, "Dark Shadow is... yes. It is impressive. The problem may lie with me. You won. If we ever meet again for a rematch, I won’t lose. For now, I’ll withdraw quietly as the loser. Congratulations, Kirishima."
"Yeah. You worked hard," Kirishima responded.
"Kirishima Eijiro wins! With that, the final match is set: Hero Course! Todoroki Shoto versus Hero Course’s Kirishima Eijiro! We’ll take a brief break and then resume!"
Back in the waiting room, Kirishima headed outside for some water.
It was still, after all, just a student sports festival—so the waiting room was sparse on amenities, necessitating a trip outside to the drinking fountain.
There, he found someone already waiting.
It was Todoroki, who had already secured his place in the finals.
Observing the conflicted look on Todoroki’s face, Kirishima said, "You’re not going to use your left side?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Your expression is all mixed up. You looked so fired up when you were fighting Midoriya earlier, but now it seems you’ve reverted to your old self."
Todoroki offered no reply.
Unperturbed, Kirishima pressed on, "Whether you use your heat or not is none of my business. I’m going to beat you down with everything I’ve got. I can’t do what Midoriya does—delicately nudging someone awake. All I know is how to drive someone to the edge. It seems Midoriya has already unlocked your potential, so I’ll make sure you’re forced to run. Even a beast that’s been chained for too long will move when death looms."
Having said his piece, Kirishima turned and strode away.
Todoroki stood silently, watching his back.
After the lighthearted episode at the fountain, time passed swiftly.
The two soon found themselves facing one another in the arena.
Present Mic hyped the crowd with a brief pre-match announcement.
"All right, here we go—the last one! Today, the peak of the U.A. first-years is decided right here! The final match: Todoroki versus Kirishima! Start now!"
The moment Present Mic’s declaration rang out, Kirishima surged forward in Demon Form.
Though Todoroki couldn’t quite react to that speed, he anticipated the move and thrust an ice pillar up from the ground, launching himself upward.
'That’s partly a natural disaster. If I try to meet him head-on, I won’t win. Tokoyami showed it well enough—Bakugo too ended up crashing head-on and losing.'
As the ice pillar shattered, Todoroki leaped into the air before it could hit the ground, and the moment he landed, he formed another massive wall of ice.
There was no chance to track or respond to Kirishima’s incredible speed.
There was no way to counter his power with sheer frontal assault.
Instead, every move had to be meticulously planned in advance—act first and act decisively.
With the preparations complete to freeze the battlefield once again, all that was left was to use the flame on his left to expand the air, just as before.
That, he thought, should be enough.
"Don’t lose! Come on!"
Midoriya’s shout reached Todoroki’s ears.
But despite the encouragement, the flame blossoming in Todoroki’s left hand dwindled and vanished.
In his eyes, Kirishima’s fist was already nearing—growing closer and closer.
At that speed, it ought to have been invisible; yet somehow it appeared to approach slowly, almost in slow motion.
'I’m sorry, Midoriya,' he thought silently, apologizing to the friend who had awakened him.
Then, just like that, Todoroki lost consciousness.
Kirishima frowned at Todoroki—who had once again failed to use his fire—but caught the falling body before it could hit the ground.
It seemed that saving this boy from his invisible shackles was a task for both Midoriya and Todoroki himself.
"Todoroki is out of the fight! Therefore, the winner is Class A’s Kirishima Eijiro! And with that, all matches are over! This year’s U.A. Sports Festival first-year champion is Kirishima Eijiro!"
At last, the final winner was decided, and the entire stadium erupted in cheers.
Kirishima had kept the promise he made before the festival began—one he declared to everyone.
On the prepared podium, Kirishima, Todoroki, and Tokoyami took their respective positions.
Once the three were in place, Midnight commenced the award ceremony.
"And now, onward to the medal ceremony! There should have been an additional competitor for third place alongside Tokoyami and Iida, but Iida had to leave early due to family circumstances—please understand."
"Iida worked so hard. What a pity."
At Tsuyu’s remark—unaware of the full circumstances—Midoriya’s expression turned grim.
Anyone who had seen him dash off after hearing his brother was attacked by a Villain would have felt the same.
Even amidst Midoriya’s inner turmoil, the ceremony continued without pause.
"Now, for the medals! And presenting this year’s medals is none other than this man!"
"I’ve brought the medals!" "Our hero! All Might!"
'They overlapped,' Kirishima thought.
Though their timing was off and they spoke simultaneously, the audience could only look on with envy at the U.A. first-years of today.
After all, being acknowledged by the hero of all heroes was the dream of anyone.
All Might stepped onto the podium with surprising nonchalance and placed a medal around Tokoyami’s neck, awarding him third place.
"Tokoyami, young man, congratulations! You’re strong!"
"You honor me."
"However! If you want to improve further, you must not rely solely on your Quirk. Train your body harder, and your choices will only expand."
"Wise words."
After All Might had fastened the medal and embraced him, Tokoyami stepped away, clutching the medal as he looked down at it in quiet acknowledgment.
Then All Might strode directly to second place and placed a medal around Todoroki’s neck.
"Todoroki, young man, congratulations. Was there a particular reason you suppressed your left side in the final?"
"I gained a trigger from my match with Midoriya... and then it all became a blur. I think I’m beginning to understand why you hold that guy in such high regard. I, too, wanted to become a hero like you. But I also felt that I couldn’t simply bask in relief and leave things as they were—there are still matters I must settle."
All Might then embraced Todoroki warmly, offering words of encouragement.
"Your expression is different from before. I won’t press further—I’m sure the man you are now can settle any unfinished business."
Finally, All Might approached Kirishima.
An awkward silence hung between them—a remnant of Midoriya’s earlier incident—but this time, Kirishima spoke first.
"Please don’t forget what I said earlier. Keep it in mind—I trust you won’t make the same mistake twice."
"R-right. I’ll be more careful from now on. Ahem. Well then, young Kirishima—the foreshadowing has been paid off!"
"Yes. Of course it’s only natural—but still, everyone performed better than I expected."
In Kirishima’s remarks, which showed no concern for comparing himself to his peers, All Might recognized exactly what he was aiming for.
As a natural-born hero, he never obsessively clung to being number one; the rise of strong juniors was something he welcomed.
He fastened the medal around Kirishima’s neck and said, "You truly are strong. It’s hard to believe that kind of power belongs to a fifteen-year-old. But remember, even the strongest person can’t do everything alone."
Kirishima felt that perhaps All Might shouldn’t have said that, yet he simply nodded in quiet acceptance.
All Might then turned to address the crowd.
"Now then! That was them! But everyone—anyone here could have earned a place on this stage. You saw it: competing, elevating one another, and striving ever higher! The next generation of heroes is truly taking root! And with that spirit, one last cheer!"
He pointed resolutely at the sky and declared, "Everyone, shout with me! One, two! Great work today!" "PLUS..." "Plus Ultra, huh?"
"It’s 'Plus Ultra' over there, All Might!"
"No, well... I thought you might be tired..."
And just like that, the showcase for the rising stars of the new generation came to a somewhat ramshackle close.
Some shone brilliantly today, while others faded silently—but in the end, it was simply the result of this day.
Life is long, and being ahead now doesn’t guarantee staying ahead in the final reckoning. Today’s sports festival was merely a stage that promised even fiercer competition to come.
The event had delivered outcomes laden with significance for both good and evil alike.
Kirishima Eijiro, age fifteen. U.A. Sports Festival. Champion.
It marked the first official career milestone for the young man destined to stand at the eye of the storm.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register