"OUR FIRST TWO SEMI-FINALISTS ARE DECIDED!" Present Mic bellowed, letting the crowd's cheers wash over the stadium. "SOUTA TODOROKI AND KATSUKI BAKUGO ARE MOVING ON! BUT NOW, FOR THE MATCH MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! IT'S A BATTLE BETWEEN TWO 1-A POWERHOUSES WHO'VE SHOWN INCREDIBLE GRIT! WILL IT BE ICE OR SMASH?! GIVE IT UP FOR SHOTO TODOROKI! VERSUS! IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
The stadium roared. Shoto walked out with his usual icy calm, but his gaze towards Midoriya seemed even more intense than before. Midoriya took his place opposite Shoto, flexing his fingers, his expression a mixture of nervousness and fierce determination. Their earlier conversation hung heavy in the air between them.
"Quarter-final match 3... BEGIN!"
Shoto attacked instantly, just as he had against Uraraka, but with even greater speed and scale. A massive glacier surged across the stage, aiming to end it immediately.
'Not this time!' Midoriya channeled One For All into his right index finger. "SMAAASH!" He flicked, unleashing a shockwave of compressed air that blasted a hole straight through the center of the ice wave, shattering it outwards. The force, however, instantly purpled his finger, broken again. He ignored the searing pain.
Midoriya knew, his current percentages were not enough to withstand the onslaught of ice, and dodging in this limited space wouldn't work. He had to give it his all. He had to use OFA at a 100 percent!
Shoto frowned slightly, sending another, faster wave of jagged ice. Midoriya switched hands. "SMASH!" Another finger flick, another blast of wind, another shattered ice attack, and another broken finger on his left hand.
This pattern continued. Shoto relentlessly attacked with waves, pillars, and spikes of ice, trying to overwhelm Midoriya with sheer volume and speed. Midoriya, knowing he couldn't dodge forever and needing to protect his already damaged body, kept sacrificing his fingers, blasting apart Shoto's attacks one by one. The pain was immense, his fingers mangled, but he stood his ground.
'He's only using ice...' Midoriya thought, watching Shoto's right side begin to frost over from overuse. 'He's actually limiting himself... just like he said. Because of his father...'
"Why are you going so far?" Shoto called out, his voice tight, breathing becoming visible mist from the cold clinging to him.
"Because I want to live up to people's expectations!" Midoriya yelled back, channeling OFA into another finger. "Because I want to be a cool hero like All Might... and to win!" 'And because you look so sad when you fight like this!' "SMASH!"
He blasted away another ice shard, his middle finger breaking. Shoto sent ice trapping Midoriya's foot. Midoriya slammed his fist – another broken finger – onto the ice to create a shockwave that freed him, leaping back.
"That power of yours is incredible," Shoto stated, sending yet another ice barrage. "I understand why All Might... and my brother... are interested in you."
Midoriya, dodging and preparing another flick, saw the frost creeping up Shoto's uniform, saw him shivering slightly. He saw the self-imposed limitation, the pain Shoto was inflicting on himself. The memory of their conversation, the weight of Shoto's vow, surged through him.
"TODOROKI!" Midoriya screamed, his voice raw with emotion, pouring everything into his words as he prepared one last, full-power smash with his already broken left index finger. "EVERYONE'S GIVING IT THEIR ALL! TO WIN, TO GET CLOSER TO THEIR DREAMS!"
He flicked his finger, the resulting shockwave immense, stopping Shoto's largest ice attack yet in a shower of frozen shards. "TO FIGHT WITH HALF YOUR STRENGTH AND WIN?! I HAVEN'T EARNED A SINGLE SCRATCH FROM YOU YET!"
He glared across the ruined stage, tears welling from pain and frustration. "SO COME AT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"
Shoto stared, visibly stunned by the outburst. Midoriya's words echoed his earlier thoughts. Isn't it yours, too?
"IT'S YOUR POWER, ISN'T IT?!" Midoriya roared, the plea tearing from his throat.
Something snapped within Shoto. Memories flashed – his mother's pain, Endeavor's abuse, Souta's complex changes, and Midoriya's desperate, challenging eyes. With a guttural yell, flames exploded from his left side, melting the frost instantly, engulfing him in a vortex of fire and ice. The heat blasted across the stadium.
"You idiot..." Shoto whispered, a fierce, almost relieved smile touching his lips. "Helping your enemy... Which one of us is screwing around now?" He stomped his right foot, sending a massive ice wave, while simultaneously preparing a huge burst of flame from his left hand.
Midoriya, seeing Shoto finally unleash his full power, grinned through the pain, channeling One For All through his entire ravaged right arm. "Yes!"
Ice surged forward. Fire roared to life. Midoriya punched forward with everything he had left. "SMAAASH!"
The resulting explosion was colossal. Ice, fire, and wind pressure collided in the center of the stage. Just as the potentially lethal forces were about to meet, thick walls of cement erupted from the ground, thrown up by Cementoss, separating the two boys. Midnight simultaneously released her sleep-inducing aroma.
At this moment, Endeavor in the stands stood upright, his eyes frantically looking towards the stage, "SHOOTOOO!"
The dust settled. Midoriya stood swaying, his right arm mangled beyond recognition, his left hand destroyed. The force of his final smash, combined with the defensive walls, had thrown him backwards, just outside the boundary line. Shoto remained standing within the ring, breathing heavily amidst the steam and fractured cement, his dual powers raging.
"M-Midoriya is out of bounds!" Midnight declared, shaking off the intensity of the moment. "Shoto Todoroki wins and advances to the semi-finals!" Shoto stood silently for a moment, looking at his flaming left hand, then extinguished it, his expression unreadable as medics rushed to Midoriya.
---
"WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE MATCH!" Present Mic screamed, voice hoarse. "TODOROKI IS MOVING ON AFTER A CLASH THAT SHOOK THE STADIUM! WOW! LET'S TRY TO CALM DOWN FOR OUR FINAL QUARTER-FINAL MATCH! IT'S SPEED VERSUS NATURE! FROM CLASS 1-A, IN HIS U.A. P.E. UNIFORM, TENYA IIDA! VERSUS! FROM CLASS 1-B, ALSO IN HER P.E. UNIFORM, IBARA SHIOZAKI!"
Iida adjusted his glasses, his expression intensely focused. Without his hero suit's armor, he knew any contact with Shiozaki's thorns would be punishing. He had to rely purely on speed. Shiozaki followed serenely, vines twitching slightly.
"Quarter-final match 4... BEGIN!"
"RECIPRO BURST!" Iida exploded forward, pushing his engines to their absolute limit. The blue flare erupted from his calves as he became a blur, aiming straight for Shiozaki. He knew he only had seconds at this speed.
Shiozaki reacted instantly. Anticipating the head-on charge, she commanded her vines to erupt from the ground in a dense, overlapping wall directly in front of her, while simultaneously sending other tendrils shooting out like grasping hands.
Iida slammed into the wall of vines. Thorns tore at his uniform and scraped painfully against his skin, but his sheer momentum ripped through the initial barrier. However, the grasping tendrils immediately found purchase, snaking around his arms and legs, thorns digging in. He felt his incredible speed start to bleed off as the entanglement began.
No! Faster! He knew Recipro Burst was fading – it only lasted a few moments. He was already decelerating, the vines tightening their grip with alarming speed. He wouldn't get a second chance.
With the last fraction of a second of his enhanced speed, as the vines were pulling him to a halt, Iida lunged forward desperately. It wasn't a clean grab; it was more like a low, powerful tackle aimed at Shiozaki's center of mass. He slammed into her torso, using his rapidly diminishing momentum.
Shiozaki gasped, caught completely off guard by the tackle after her vines had seemingly caught him. The force sent both of them tumbling uncontrollably off the side of the stage.
They landed in a tangle on the grass below. Due to the angle of the tackle and Shiozaki being unprepared for the impact, she hit the ground a split second before Iida did. Iida landed hard beside her, groaning as the last of the Recipro Burst energy dissipated, leaving his engines stalled and his legs aching, scrapes stinging from the thorns.
Midnight quickly assessed the situation. "Ibara Shiozaki landed out of bounds first! Tenya Iida wins!"
Iida pushed himself up painfully, offering a quick, formal bow to the stunned Shiozaki before limping slightly, his engines clearly needing recovery time. He had won, but only by using his Quirk's brief, intense window of opportunity for a desperate, last-second gamble. The Quarter-Finals were complete.
---
"AND THERE WE HAVE IT!" Present Mic declared as Iida limped off the stage. "THE QUARTER-FINALS ARE COMPLETE! OUR SEMI-FINALISTS ARE SOUTA TODOROKI, KATSUKI BAKUGO, SHOTO TODOROKI, AND TENYA IIDA! We'll take one more short break before we begin the penultimate round! Stay tuned, folks!"
Back in the waiting area designated for the remaining competitors, the atmosphere was thick with varied tensions. Shoto sat alone, staring blankly at the wall, his mind clearly replaying the intense clash with Midoriya and the surge of his own neglected flames. Bakugo paced like a caged tiger, radiating impatience and aggression, occasionally shooting glares at both Todoroki twins.
Souta, in contrast, seemed perfectly relaxed, leaning back against a wall with his eyes closed, though anyone watching closely might notice the subtle way his gaze occasionally flickered towards his brooding brother or the fuming Bakugo.
Iida was checking his phone, his usual upright posture slightly slumped from the exertion of his match. Suddenly, his eyes widened in alarm as he read a message and then answered a call. His face went pale. Without a word to the others, he scrambled upright and bolted from the room, his phone pressed tightly to his ear, distress clear on his features. The remaining three competitors barely registered his abrupt departure, lost in their own pre-match thoughts.
---
Meanwhile, in the nurse's office wing, Ochaco Uraraka sat beside Izuku Midoriya's recovery bed. Recovery Girl had done her best, but his arms and hands were heavily bandaged, the damage from using One For All so recklessly severe.
"Deku, you were amazing," Uraraka said softly, concern etched on her face. "But really reckless..."
"I had to..." Midoriya mumbled, wincing slightly. "Todoroki... he needed..." He trailed off, then his eyes focused. "Hey, where's Iida? Shouldn't he be getting ready for his match against Todoroki soon?"
Uraraka frowned. "That's weird... I haven't seen him since his match ended. Let me try calling him." She pulled out her phone and dialed, but after several rings, it went straight to voicemail. "That's not like him to not answer, especially now."
A knot of worry formed in both their stomachs. Something felt wrong.
---
"ALRIGHT, SPORTS FANS, THE WAIT IS OVER!" Present Mic's voice signaled the end of the brief intermission. "IT'S TIME FOR THE SEMI-FINALS! FIRST UP, IT'S A CLASH OF TITANS WE'VE BEEN EAGER TO SEE! THE COOL AND CALCULATING FLAMES OF SOUTA TODOROKI VERSUS THE EXPLOSIVE FURY OF KATSUKI BAKUGO!"
Souta walked calmly onto the stage. Bakugo stomped out opposite him, already letting off warning pops from his palms. "Get ready to be blown away, Ice-Hot Bastard Number Two!" Bakugo snarled.
Souta merely raised an eyebrow. "Try not to lose your temper too quickly, Bakugo. It makes you predictable."
"BEGIN!" Midnight commanded.
Bakugo immediately blasted towards Souta, intending to overwhelm him with explosions. But Souta surprised him. Instead of meeting fire with fire, he stomped his right foot, coating the entire stage floor in a smooth, thick layer of ice. He began skating effortlessly across it, dodging Bakugo's initial blasts with fluid grace.
"WHAT THE-?! FIGHT ME, DAMMIT!" Bakugo roared, struggling for purchase on the slick surface, using smaller, stabilizing explosions from his feet.
Souta ignored the taunts, circling Bakugo, using targeted ice pillars erupting from the floor to block explosions or force Bakugo to change direction. While Bakugo was focused on chasing the elusive Souta and navigating the ice, Souta was subtly using larger ice constructions, building them up piece by piece around the outer edge of the arena.
Bakugo grew increasingly enraged. Souta's evasiveness, the constant use of ice... it was infuriatingly different yet reminiscent of Shoto. "STAND STILL AND FACE ME!" He launched a larger explosion, trying to shatter the ice floor.
Souta leaped gracefully over the blast, landing smoothly. He saw Bakugo's frustration peak, saw him gathering power for a major attack. Now. The ice walls around the perimeter were complete, forming a rough, enclosed dome over the fighting stage.
As Bakugo unleashed a massive explosion, Souta dropped low, skating rapidly towards the edge. He placed both hands flat on the ice floor just inside his enclosing wall and unleashed a wave of intense cold, far colder than Shoto typically used. It took barely a second before a flash-freeze instantly consumed the entire interior of the impromptu dome. Bakugo's explosion was snuffed out mid-detonation, frozen in a cascade of icy particles. Bakugo himself was caught mid-movement, instantly encased in thick, opaque ice from the neck down, his enraged expression frozen in place.
Souta, who had kept a small pocket around himself free from the absolute zero temperatures using subtle body heat control, stood up within the frozen tableau. He calmly touched the ice wall before him, and blue flames flared from his hand, melting a perfect corridor leading outside the dome. He stepped through.
"Competitor Bakugo is completely immobilized," Souta announced calmly to Midnight and the stunned audience. "He'll require thawing within the next few minutes to avoid tissue damage."
Midnight stared at the frozen statue of Bakugo within the icy prison. "...He is unable to continue! The winner, advancing to the final, is Souta Todoroki! And… please free him if possible."
---
"INCREDIBLE! SOUTA TODOROKI FREEZES OUT BAKUGO WITH UNEXPECTED TACTICS!" Present Mic shouted, regaining his composure. "NOW, FOR OUR SECOND SEMI-FINAL! IT'S SHOTO TODOROKI VERSUS TENYA IIDA!"
Shoto walked onto the stage, his expression unreadable, steam still faintly rising from his body as he regulated his temperature after his previous match. They waited. And waited.
"Uh... Tenya Iida? Please report to the stage!" Mic called out. There was no response.
Officials hurried around. Midnight looked concerned, conferring with Cementoss and Aizawa via headset. After a few tense minutes, Midnight addressed the crowd. "Due to competitor Tenya Iida failing to appear for his match, he is unfortunately disqualified. Shoto Todoroki advances."
A murmur went through the crowd. Midnight continued, "According to tournament rules, in the event of a semi-final forfeiture, the competitor defeated by the forfeiting party in the previous round may be offered the chance to compete." She turned towards the competitor waiting areas. "Ibara Shiozaki, would you like to take Iida's place and challenge Shoto Todoroki?"
A moment later, Shiozaki's polite voice came over the speakers, amplified from the waiting area. "Thank you for the offer, Midnight-sensei. However, witnessing Todoroki-san's previous match... my Quirk relies on vines. Facing his fire would place me at a severe disadvantage and likely result only in immediate defeat. I must respectfully decline."
Midnight nodded gravely. "Understandable. In that case, Shoto Todoroki wins this match by default!"
Present Mic jumped back in. "WELL, FOLKS, IN A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS, OUR FINALISTS ARE DECIDED! IT'S BROTHER VERSUS BROTHER! FLAME VERSUS FLAME! ICE VERSUS ICE! IT'S SOUTA TODOROKI VERSUS SHOTO TODOROKI!"
The stadium buzzed with anticipation for the ultimate family showdown.