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Present Mic didn’t hesitate to begin the commentary, once both students were in place for their one-on-one match in the final round of the sports festival.
" FROM THIS SIDE, WE HAVE OUR VALIANT VIRIDIAN VETERAN WHO DOMINATED THE OBSTACLE COURSE AND WOWED US ALL IN THE CAVALRY BATTLE, IZUKU MIDORIYA! ”
He stepped out of the shadow of the tunnel, shielding his eyes against the bright sun that cast its rays down into the stadium. He peered across the field into the opposite tunnel. There, he met the glowing heterochromatic eyes of one Shouto Todoroki.
“ AND FROM THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE THE STUDENT THAT KEEPS FREEZING US TO THE EDGE OF OUR SEATS, IT’S SHOUTO TODOROKI! ” Todoroki entered from his side of the arena, leveling a cold gaze at Midoriya.
As both participants reached the ring they stopped, and Midnight began speaking to them. “Alright boys, you know the rules! The match ends when one of you is knocked out of the ring, is unable to continue, or surrenders! Keep it clean and try not to kill each other!”
The last line was spoken with a lilting tone and a smirk, but the nod Todoroki gave was dead serious.
That made Midoriya a bit nervous about what he was about to do.
Not one to delay a perfectly good death match between two super powered teenagers, Present Mic addressed the audience again. ” ALRIGHT, LET'S GET THIS MATCH GOING! THREE! TWO! ONE! FIGHT! ”
The frost that gathered on Todoroki’s right side was the only warning anyone received before a glacier even larger than the one he used against Sero began racing towards Midoriya, who already held out his left hand in front of him in a fighting stance. A flick and a broken finger was all it took for the ice to be reduced to shards and snow.
Smiling through the pain, he stared down Todoroki across the arena. “I hope you’re ready to give this your all!” Immediately, he started rushing forward through the now clear field with One-For-All enhanced speed straight towards his opponent.
Another glacier appeared in his path, and another finger broke to blast right through.
Todoroki’s face remained undisturbed. A shift in his right foot, and the arena turned into a skating rink. The ‘Viridian Veteran’ jumped to avoid being caught in the frost, but had trouble regaining his balance on landing. Only a few meters in front of Todoroki, he threw a short ranged air blast to steady himself. It struck Todoroki head on, forcing him to create a barrier behind himself to avoid being pushed out of the ring.
Both contestants took a moment to readjust, panting as they stared each other down. Midoriya watched as snow fell from his friend’s shoulder, frost caking his right side. A smile tugged at his lips. “You know, your quirk is really amazing Todoroki. The only drawback to your ice is that it makes you cold. If you just used your fire-“
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” A lance of ice shot up from the ground, catching Midoriya’s side and forcing him back. The cut it made burned as it was exposed to the frigid air.
“I do know! It’s how your quirk is supposed to work, a natural thermodynamic balance! Your hurting yourself, and if you just used your left side-“
“I’m not giving in.” Midoriya only saw a glimpse of Todoroki’s livid expression before an ice wall of absurd magnitude filled his vision. He barely had time to pull his arm back in time to deliver a devastating smash attack that sent debris flying across the stadium. Midoriya cried out in pain as the feeling of his broken arm set in, before it was washed over by adrenaline. As the snow settled, Midoriya saw Todoroki clearly. Right side frozen over, and shivering violently.
The green haired student wasn’t fairing much better, right arm hanging limp by his side. The broken arm didn’t stop him from continuing to accost his opponent. “You’re freezing, Todoroki! All you’re doing is hurting yourself, not him! It’s your power not his, so stop acting like this!” As Midoriya finished his tirade, he prepared for another blast of ice, or if he was lucky and his plan worked, a stream of fire. He got neither, as he watched Todoroki swipe away the frost clinging to his face. The expression he wore betrayed his usual stoicism, displaying to the world a kind of disappointment that only comes from having hopes squandered.
“You’re wrong, Midoriya. My quirk is an exact copy of his. He had a DNA test done, you know. To see how much of himself resided in his perfect creation.” A pause. “…the quirk factor residing in my left side is an exact copy of Hellflame.“
“That doesn’t change the fact that it’s yours! He has Hellflame, and you have Half-Hot-Half-Cold!”
“I don’t care about that!” Todoroki’s volume shocked him. The boy had barely been known to speak above a whisper, and always in a monotone voice. Now, it was a rage filled shout. “It’s his quirk, I know it is! It’s exactly the same! I don’t know how he put you up to this, but I won’t fall for it!” A foot slamming marked the approach of a new wave of ice, filled with sharp icicles and spikes. Caught off guard, Midoriya kicked backwards to avoid the attack, landing inches from the edge of the ring.
“And you know what, Midoriya?”
Viridian eyes met piercing gray and blue, and suddenly the world froze.
“Even if my father didn’t put you up to this, if you decided to do this all on your own… You had no right to tell me how to live my life.”
A final block of ice rose from the field, catching Midoriya right underneath the jaw and sending him sprawling out of the ring and into unconsciousness.