The thirty-minute break between rounds felt too short and too long simultaneously.
Arthur sat in the prep area, watching medical staff tend to Bakugo. The blonde was conscious now, paralysis worn off, but his pride was still wounded. He sat alone in the corner, refusing to talk to anyone, crimson eyes staring at nothing.
He'll learn from this, Arthur thought. Pain is a good teacher.
"That was crazy," Sero said, dropping into the seat beside Arthur. "Four fights, four completely different styles. This tournament is insane."
"It's a showcase," Yaoyorozu replied from nearby. "Every agency in Japan is watching. They want to see adaptability, not just power."
"Then Arthur's got them all beat," Kaminari said. "Dude didn't even get touched by Bakugo."
"Because Bakugo's predictable," Arthur said simply. "He's improved, but he still telegraphs every attack."
"You make it sound so easy."
"It is easy. Once you've fought enough battles, pattern recognition becomes instinct."
Todoroki walked past without acknowledging anyone, heading toward the competitor's entrance. His left side still had scorch marks from using his fire, and his expression was complicated .
He's different now, Arthur observed. That fight with Midoriya changed something fundamental.
"Think Todoroki's going to use his fire in the semifinal?" Kirishima asked.
"Probably," Arthur said. "Now that he's accepted it exists, refusing to use it would be pointless."
"That makes him way scarier," Ashido said. "He was already overwhelming with just ice."
"SEMIFINAL MATCHES ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN!" Present Mic's voice boomed through the speakers. "COMPETITORS, PREPARE YOURSELVES!"
The viewing area emptied as everyone headed to watch. Arthur remained seated, conserving energy, analyzing what he knew about his potential opponents.
Todoroki with both quirks is formidable. Fire and ice simultaneously creates temperature differentials that can shatter concrete. His range is excellent, his power output enormous.
Shiozaki's vine control is sophisticated, but she's defensive by nature. Against overwhelming offense, she'll struggle.
The final will be me versus Todoroki. That's inevitable at this point.
"Aren't you going to watch?" Midoriya wheeled himself over, arm still bandaged.
"In a moment. Thinking through scenarios."
"You're always thinking." Midoriya pulled out his notebook despite his injuries. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"When you fight, you're always three steps ahead. Like you've seen the attacks before they happen. Is that just your Instinct quirk, or is it something else?"
Arthur considered his answer carefully. "Experience. When you've fought long enough, you recognize patterns. Body language, weight distribution, breathing, eye movement. They all telegraph intention."
"But you're fifteen. How do you have that much experience?"
"I train obsessively."
"That's not enough. Training doesn't give you battle awareness like that." Midoriya's eyes were sharp despite his exhaustion.
"Maybe I have," Arthur said lightly. "In my own way."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Midoriya looked like he wanted to push further but decided against it. "When you fight Tokoyami, watch out for Dark Shadow's range. It extends further than you'd think, and in darker conditions
"I know. I've been observing." Arthur stood. "Come on. The semifinal is starting."
They headed to the viewing platform where Class 1-A had gathered. The arena had been repaired, the ice damage cleared, new concrete laid. It looked pristine, waiting to be destroyed again.
"FIRST SEMIFINAL MATCH!" Present Mic announced. "SHOTO TODOROKI VERSUS IBARA SHIOZAKI! AFTER TODOROKI'S INCREDIBLE DISPLAY AGAINST MIDORIYA, EVERYONE'S WONDERING IF HE'LL USE HIS FIRE AGAIN!"
Todoroki and Shiozaki entered the arena from opposite sides. The contrast was stark, Todoroki all cold intensity, Shiozaki serene and composed.
"BEGIN!"
Todoroki raised his right hand, and ice erupted.
The massive wave consumed half the arena in seconds, but something was different from his match with Midoriya. There was no fire. His left side remained dormant, inactive, despite what had happened in the previous match.
He's not using it, Arthur realized. Even after Midoriya pushed him to accept his fire, he's still refusing.
Shiozaki's vines shot up to defend, forming barriers, but Todoroki's ice was relentless. It consumed the arena, freezing everything, including the vines before they could fully deploy.
But Shiozaki wasn't finished. Her vines, frozen though they were, shattered the ice through sheer growth force. New vines emerged from her hair, thicker, faster, more aggressive than before.
They wrapped around Todoroki's ice constructs, using them as anchor points, and shot toward him like spears.
Todoroki created more ice, massive walls and pillars, but his right side was frosting over from overuse. Without his fire to regulate his temperature, the continuous ice production was taking a visible toll.
Shiozaki pressed her advantage, recognizing Todoroki's self-imposed limitation. Her vines came from multiple angles, forcing him to defend on all sides, accelerating his frost buildup.
But Todoroki's ice control was simply too sophisticated. Even handicapped, even freezing himself, he created a dome of ice so thick and dense that Shiozaki's vines couldn't penetrate it.
Then he shattered it from the inside, sending ice shards flying in every direction. Shiozaki had to use all her vines defensively, creating a cocoon to protect herself.
When the attack cleared, she was unharmed but completely encased in her own defensive vines, unable to continue attacking without lowering her guard.
Todoroki created an ice path directly to her position, slid across it, and placed his hand on her vine cocoon. Ice spread across it instantly, freezing it solid, trapping her inside.
"Do you yield?" His voice was quiet, strained from the cold affecting his body.
A moment of silence, then Shiozaki's voice came from within the frozen cocoon. "I yield. Well fought."
"TODOROKI WINS!" Midnight announced. "HE ADVANCES TO THE FINALS!"
The crowd's reaction was more subdued than his victory over Midoriya. They'd seen him use both quirks before, saw the potential, and now he was back to only ice.
In the stands, Endeavor was screaming something, but Todoroki ignored him completely, walking off the arena floor with frost still covering his right side.
"He didn't use his fire," Yaoyorozu observed quietly. "Even though it would have made the fight easier."
"One breakthrough doesn't erase years of trauma," Arthur said. "Todoroki using his fire against Midoriya was emotional, heat of the moment. That doesn't mean he's accepted it yet."
"But he proved he could," Kirishima said. "Why go back to handicapping himself?"
"Because acceptance isn't a switch you flip once," Arthur replied. "It's a process."
As Todoroki left the arena, his eyes found Arthur's across the distance. The message was clear: You're next.
Arthur nodded acknowledgment. Looking forward to it.
"SECOND SEMIFINAL!" Present Mic's voice was already hoarse from excitement. "ARTHUR HIMURA VERSUS FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI! AFTER HIMURA'S DOMINANT PERFORMANCE AGAINST BAKUGO, CAN TOKOYAMI'S DARK SHADOW CHALLENGE HIM?"
Arthur stood, stretched, and headed for the arena entrance.
Tokoyami was already waiting in the tunnel, Dark Shadow partially manifested, eyeing Arthur with predatory intelligence.
"You know my weakness," Tokoyami said quietly. "Light. Everyone knows it."
"I know," Arthur replied. "But knowing a weakness and exploiting it are different things."
"You'll exploit it. You're too tactical not to."
"Probably. But you knew that when you entered this tournament. Dark Shadow's weakness is obvious. How you compensate for it determines your worth as a hero."
Tokoyami's eyes glinted. "Fight me seriously. Don't hold back because you pity my quirk's limitations."
"I never hold back out of pity. Only tactics."
They entered the arena together, separated, took their positions. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation.
"BEGIN!"
Dark Shadow exploded outward immediately, massive and aggressive.
Dark Shadow's claw came at Arthur faster than most students could track. Arthur's Instinct read the attack, and his blade intercepted, energy meeting shadow.
The collision was explosive, literally. Arthur's lightning-aspected energy disrupted Dark Shadow's form, making the quirk recoil.
"Light-based energy," Tokoyami observed, already adjusting. "Not just light, but effective against darkness."
"Everything is effective against darkness," Arthur replied. "That's why it's called a weakness."
He pressed forward, blades moving in patterns designed to maximize light output. Each strike created flashes, golden energy that made Dark Shadow shrink back instinctively.
Tokoyami tried to compensate, using Dark Shadow defensively while he maneuvered for better positioning. But Arthur was faster, more experienced, reading every movement.
He's talented, Arthur acknowledged. His control over Dark Shadow is excellent, and his tactical thinking is sound. But he's fighting an inherently disadvantageous matchup.
Arthur's blade came in low, forcing Dark Shadow to defend, then his second blade came in high, a feint that made Tokoyami commit to a dodge.
That's when Arthur moved, closing the distance not to attack Tokoyami directly, but to manifest a third energy construct.
A sphere of pure light, hovering between them, bright enough to make even Arthur squint.
Dark Shadow screamed and retreated into Tokoyami's body completely, unable to manifest in such intense illumination.
Tokoyami stood alone, without his quirk, facing Arthur's blade.
"Yield," Arthur said simply. "Without Dark Shadow, you can't win."
"I can still fight hand-to-hand," Tokoyami replied, taking a martial stance.
"You can. But I've been training in sword combat since I was six. You'll lose in seconds."
Tokoyami looked at Arthur, at the blade, at the light sphere that made his quirk useless, and his shoulders slumped slightly.
"I yield."
Arthur dismissed the light sphere immediately, let Dark Shadow re-emerge. The sentient quirk looked frustrated but not defeated.
"HIMURA WINS!" Midnight announced. "HE ADVANCES TO THE FINALS!"
The crowd's reaction was mixed. Some appreciated the efficiency, others wanted a longer fight.
Arthur walked over to Tokoyami, offered his hand. "You fought well. If the arena had been darker, this would have been much more difficult."
"But it wasn't darker," Tokoyami replied, taking the hand. "And you would have created light regardless. I was outmatched from the start."
"Your quirk has an obvious weakness. But that doesn't make you weak. Find ways to compensate. Support gear, tactical positioning, environmental manipulation."
"You sound like you've given this advice before."
"I have. To myself, mostly."
As they left the arena together, Arthur could feel the weight of expectation settling. The finals were set: him versus Todoroki. The match everyone had been waiting for.
Back in the viewing area, his classmates were animated.
"FINALS!" Kirishima shouted. "Arthur versus Todoroki! This is going to be so manly!"
"My money's on Todoroki," Kaminari said. "Did you see that explosion against deku? That was insane."
"Don't underestimate Arthur," Yaoyorozu countered. "He's been completely in control every fight. We haven't seen his limits yet."
"Maybe we will in the finals," Sero suggested.
Arthur said nothing, just accepted water and found a seat. He had thirty minutes until the final match, thirty minutes to rest and prepare.
Todoroki with both quirks is a different challenge, he thought. Temperature extremes, massive area control, overwhelming power. He'll open with everything, try to end it fast.
Good. I prefer opponents who don't hold back.
Todoroki appeared nearby, not sitting, just standing with arms crossed. He didn't say anything, didn't need to. The tension was obvious.
"You're not using your fire," Arthur observed.
"No."
"Even though it would make you stronger."
"I don't need it to beat you."
Arthur studied him. "You used it against Midoriya. What changed?"
"Nothing changed. That was... a moment of weakness. I won't make that mistake again."
"Using your full power isn't weakness."
"It is when that power comes from him." Todoroki's voice was ice-cold. "I'll beat you with my mother's quirk alone. That's all I need."
"Then you'll lose," Arthur said simply.
"We'll see."
They sat in tense silence as the thirty-minute break counted down. Around them, their classmates were debating, analyzing, making predictions. The pro heroes in the stands were doing the same. The entire stadium was buzzing with anticipation.
This was it. The finals. The match that would determine the Sports Festival champion.
Arthur closed his eyes, let his mind go quiet, focused on the energy within. His reserves were excellent, his body ready, his techniques sharp.
"FINAL MATCH COMPETITORS!" Present Mic's voice echoed. "TO THE ARENA!"
Arthur stood. Todoroki stood. They walked toward the tunnel together, side by side, two rivals about to determine who was stronger.
The crowd's roar was deafening.
The finals were about to begin.
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