The moment Cementoss announced the start of the match, Shoto Todoroki moved first.
With a simple flick of his wrist, an overwhelming surge of ice erupted from the ground like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire arena in an instant.
Boom!
To the spectators, it felt as though the world had suddenly turned pale and transparent. Freezing air surged outward, and layers upon layers of ice stacked together, forming towering walls that rose dozens of meters high.
In a single exchange, Shina Etsuha was completely swallowed by the frozen landscape.
"No way… that's insane!"
"Is this the power of the No. 2 Hero's son?!"
"…That ice alone looks stronger than Shina's ability!"
Gasps and cries echoed throughout the arena. Todoroki's Quirk was overwhelming—terrifying even.
Only a handful of teachers remained silent, their eyes locked onto the frozen battlefield with intense focus, as if waiting for something.
Even Shoto Todoroki himself was watching carefully, his expression growing more serious.
Crack!
Suddenly, the massive ice structure shattered.
A colossal pillar of ice burst upward from the ground, soaring into the sky—easily over a hundred meters tall.
And standing at the very top of that towering spire…
…was Shina Etsuha.
"What kind of monster is that?!"
Present Mic, who was acting as commentator, nearly dropped his jaw in shock.
Just how powerful was this Quirk?!
"How is that possible…?" Todoroki's pupils shrank.
Before he could react—
Sharp, blade-like formations of ice erupted from Etsuha's pillar, spreading outward in all directions. In the blink of an eye, they reached Todoroki.
The sheer speed made it impossible to track.
Thud!
Todoroki's ice-covered body was struck head-on.
"—!"
He was sent flying like a broken kite, his body hurtling backward through the air. He quickly summoned ice to cushion his fall, but even so, the impact smashed him deep into the frozen ground.
The ice covering half his body shattered completely.
"…I have to fight back…"
Todoroki coughed violently. The previous blow had already caused internal damage—but even so, he refused to give up.
Just as he prepared to counterattack, a massive shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Startled, he looked up—
—and froze.
High above him, an enormous sphere of ice—tens of meters in diameter—was forming in front of Etsuha.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Isn't that way too big?! That thing has to weigh several tons!"
"If that drops, it'll kill someone!"
Even Aizawa Shouta couldn't help but react.
Was Etsuha's Quirk really this powerful?
At that moment, the giant sphere broke free—
—and fell like a meteor.
"Is he trying to kill me?!"
For the first time, Todoroki felt genuine danger.
Without hesitation, he poured all his strength into creating an ice slide, launching himself out of the impact zone. At the same time, he turned and raised his hand, erecting a thick, ten-meter-high wall of solid ice in front of him.
The ice sphere descended.
Cementoss's eyes widened, his entire body tense, ready to intervene at any moment. Aizawa Shouta's grip tightened—if anything went wrong, he would immediately pull Todoroki out with his binding cloth.
Then—
Boom!!!
The arena shook violently.
It was as if a missile had struck the center of the field.
The ground shattered, the impact blasting outward in all directions. Todoroki's ice wall crumbled instantly under the shockwave, as if it were nothing more than paper.
"Damn it!"
Todoroki frantically reinforced his defenses, building layer after layer of ice. It took several seconds before he managed to stabilize himself against the force.
When the dust settled…
…the arena was in ruins.
"What overwhelming power…"
Todoroki's gaze wavered.
In terms of ice manipulation—
he had been completely outclassed.
The boy before him could shape ice into anything he desired, molding it with perfect control, as if it were clay in his hands.
In comparison, all Todoroki could do was generate large quantities of ice.
That was the difference.
"Do you want to stop the match?" Cementoss wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
The pressure just now had been immense. If Etsuha had aimed that attack directly at Todoroki, even Cementoss wasn't confident he could have blocked it in time.
A single mistake could have meant serious injury—or worse.
Around them, the students stared in stunned silence.
Just moments ago, many had assumed Etsuha was nothing special.
Now, their understanding of the world itself felt shaken.
At the same age—
how could someone be this powerful?
This wasn't the level of a student anymore.
This was the level of a professional Hero.
"…End it," Aizawa Shouta muttered, unwilling to watch further. He reached for his communicator, ready to call off the match.
But just then—
a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
"Let it continue."
It was Endeavor.