//Go watch Chainsaw Man Reze Arc if you haven't already
Renji walked through the familiar corridor once more. One more match and it would be all over.
He'd seen Todoroki's flames. Those hellish flames only reminded him of the train station.
Although, nothing could compare to Bakugo's explosions.
Glad I got that out of the way.
"He better put up a good fight." Renji muttered under his breath, stretching his arms as he hyped himself up for the finale.
The adrenaline from the last fight had already worn off. It didn't take much to take out Iida in one swift move, but it was probably the most fun he had all day.
Iida had quickly taken off after losing, something about his mom calling him.
At least, that's what he told the others.
After the match, Midoriya and Uraraka had shown up in the medical ward where Iida was getting checked up on.
There weren't any lingering injuries, not anything dangerous. But, precautions were precautions.
I'm lucky I heal fast. As much as Renji appreciated having a dedicated medical team, something about Recovery Girl's Quirk threw him off.
Anyways, Renji knew more than he let on, of course. He'd watched Iida talk on the phone from afar.
"Stain…" Renji sent his mind back to when he was going over the countless files in the comfort of his room all that time ago.
"Strong Quirk…" Getting completely distracted, he stopped in place, letting his thoughts fire rapidly.
Without further ado, Renji launched himself from where he stood, through the exit and into the frozen world ahead.
He's stationed in Hosu…
—
Climbing one of the tall skyscrapers in Hosu, Renji scouted out the city.
Multiple heroes were on patrol today, having heard of the recent dangers from the Hero Killer Stain.
Where would Ingenium be?
Despite his boundless intellect, curiosity was Renji's one weakness. Well, that and fighting strong villains.
Within moments, Renji spotted multiple cop cars stationed around a damp alleyway.
Placing his feet on the edge of the building, Renji flung himself like a coiled spring through the air, landing on a nearby roof before running the rest of the way.
Below, emergency lights painted the alley in flashes of red and blue.
Officers moved around the scene hastily, securing the perimeter and taking note of any valuable evidence.
In the center of it all lay a shattered figure in white armor.
"Iida's brother…" Renji muttered, narrowing his eyes. A large splatter of blood flowed out of the hole in the white armor, right where the eyes would be.
Renji exhaled slowly and raised his head into the sky. "Another good one bites the dust…" he muttered, shaking his head.
His eyes lingered on Ingenium's still form, the cracked armor sitting quietly against the alley's wall.
In an instant, sound rushed back to the scene. Officers shouted, boots clattered, and sirens wailed. But Renji was already gone.
—
"Right," he murmured, lips curling into a thin smirk. "One more match."
Renji stepped through the transitioning doors and kept the smirk on his face as he waved to the figure ahead.
"It's a nice day," he said, stepping closer, "isn't it, Number 2?"
Standing before him was a giant of a man covered in hellish flames reminiscent of a certain classmate.
A stern look covered his face in a perpetual frown. "You're fighting my son."
"Uh, yeah." Renji replied starkly, tilting his head. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious."
Endeavor let out a huff of air through his nose, clearly unamused at Renji's disrespect.
"You will show Shoto a good match." Endeavor said after a moment. "He's the culmination of my efforts. You will lose, but don't be disheartened. It was bound to happen since the beginning."
Renji blinked once, then twice.
"…Wow," he said flatly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You really think that?"
Endeavor's eyes narrowed as his flames flared hotter in irritation.
Renji raised his hands lazily in mock surrender. "Relax, Number 2. I'll do my best not to ruin your little masterpiece too badly."
The hero's expression didn't change, but the heat only ramped up into a suffocating aura. Most people would've wilted under that glare.
Renji just smiled. "You know," he said, stepping past him, "you don't really seem like much. No wonder you're Number 2."
Endeavor's flames roared higher for a brief moment, the heat licking dangerously close to the ceiling.
For a long, heavy second, the Number 2 Hero said nothing. Only the hum of his flames filled the silence.
Then, in a tone sharp enough to cut steel, he finally spoke. "Watch your mouth, boy."
Renji's smirk widened as he flicked back to see Endeavor's reaction. "Guess I hit a nerve."
He started walking again, "You want me to push him, right? Don't worry. I'll make sure your 'culmination' doesn't embarrass you too much."
That earned him another low growl from Endeavor. But before the man could respond, the loudspeaker overhead crackled to life.
"Final match participants, please proceed to the stage!"
Renji stopped at the door and glanced back. "Duty calls, Number 2."
He gave a lazy wave over his shoulder, that same sly grin tugging at his mouth. "Try not to burn the place down before I get back."
And with that, he was gone.
—
With a dash, Renji stepped out into the stadium, basking in its full glory as the crowd cheered his name in waves.
The sound hit him all at once, the cheers, Present Mic shouting his name, and a hint of frost forming from the other side of the stage.
"Can you see me now, Mom?" Renji outstretched his arms, letting the sun shine on his face and feeling the warm rays.
He kept steady pace toward his spot on the battlefield, but his mind was elsewhere.
"Could you have predicted this, Dad?" Renji chuckled as he remembered the way Hideo's eyes would glow whenever he used his Quirk.
Man, you were so cool.
Renji let the thought linger for a moment, the way his father's face switched from that stern expression to a warm smile whenever he would run up to hug him.
He blinked it away and exhaled slowly, the corner of his lip twitching upward again. "Not the time," he muttered. "Focus."
Across the arena, Todoroki stood still as a statue. Frost spread across the ground beneath his boots and glittered under the light.
Renji rolled his shoulders, the sound of his joints cracking overtaken by the roar of the spectators.
Present Mic's voice boomed through the speakers with newfound energy. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THIS IS IT! THE FINAL MATCH! ON ONE SIDE OUR MYSTERIOUS POWERHOUSE, KANZAKI RENJI! AND ON THE OTHER, THE ICY-HOT PRODIGY HIMSELF, TODOROKI SHOTO!"
The audience erupted in another wave of cheers, their excitement bouncing the stadium.
Renji looked around, letting himself soak in the moment. For a second, he could almost hear his mother's laugh in the crowd.
His grin softened. "…Yeah. You'd be yelling louder than all of them, wouldn't you?"
Midnight stepped forward, raising a hand between the two competitors. "Fighters ready?"
Renji's eyes met Todoroki's across the slick floor.
Todoroki nodded once, his right hand twitching slightly as frost began to gather.
Renji tilted his head, his smirk returning with full force.
"Don't hold back, Frosty." He spat.
Midnight's hand dropped. "Begin!"