Midnight was cut short as All Might jumped down from the stadium ceiling. Muscle form, clad in uniform and all.
The crowd went hysterical with his appearance.
"Now All Might, please present the medals."
Toshinori did just that. Taking the first two medals and heading to third place position where Iida and Tokoyami stood ramrod straight.
"Young Tokoyami, Young Todoroki. You are truly strong and have shown great prowess today."
He placed the bronze medals on their necks.
Tokoyami bowed slightly, the bronze medal gleaming against his dark feathers.
"Thank you, All Might. It is an honor."
"You fought with excellent control, Young Tokoyami," All Might said, his voice carrying across the stadium. "Your quirk, Dark Shadow, is powerful—but as you discovered today, it has vulnerabilities. Learning to compensate for those weaknesses while maximizing your strengths will be key to your growth as a Hero."
Tokoyami nodded seriously. "I understand. I will work harder to overcome my limitations."
All Might's grin widened. "That's the spirit!"
He turned to Todoroki, whose expression remained carefully neutral.
"Young Todoroki." All Might's voice softened slightly. "You displayed incredible power today. Your versatility with your right side is remarkable."
Todoroki's jaw tightened fractionally. All Might continued, choosing his words carefully.
"But," All Might added gently, "hesitation lingers in your heart. Evident from your reluctance to use your left side. Regardless of your reasons, only when you fully accept yourself, all of yourself, will you become truly formidable."
Todoroki was quiet for a moment.
"Understood."
For a moment, something flickered in his heterochromatic gaze. "...I'll remember that."
All Might squeezed his shoulder once, then moved to the second-place podium.
Yuta stood waiting, hands in his tracksuit pockets, expression carefully neutral.
"Young Akutami!"
He lifted the silver medal with both hands, and placed it around Yuta's neck.
"An incredible performance today! Truly, you've shown everyone what determination and tactical thinking can achieve!"
Yuta blinked.
"...Thanks?"
"Your strategic mind is exceptional!" All Might continued, oblivious to Yuta's awkwardness. "Recognizing when to push forward and when to withdraw—that's a skill many Pro Heroes struggle with their entire careers!"
'He's really trying to spin my forfeit as a positive, huh?'
"However," All Might's tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious. "I must remind you—knowing your limits is important, but so is expanding those limits. Today you fought intelligently within your constraints. Tomorrow, work to remove those constraints entirely."
He leaned in slightly, voice dropping so only Yuta could hear.
"You have great potential, Young Akutami. Don't let pragmatism become an excuse to avoid pushing yourself when it truly matters."
Yuta met his eyes.
"...I'll keep that in mind."
"Good!" All Might's grin returned full-force. He straightened, speaking loud enough for the stadium to hear again. "Your transfer to the Hero Course is well-earned! I look forward to seeing what you'll accomplish!"
This was practically a public guarantee from All Might himself.
He gave Yuta's shoulder a firm pat, one that nearly knocked him off balance, then turned to face the first-place podium.
"NOW THEN. YOUNG BAKUGO."
His smile grew strained at the sight.
Bakugo had stopped thrashing at this point. Arms bound behind his back by metal restraints, muzzle covering his mouth, eyes absolutely murderous.
Muffled snarls emanated from behind the gag.
All Might approached, gold medal in hand.
"This seems a bit much. Let's get that off."
He said removing the gag from Bakugo's mouth.
"Well you did what you said you would do during the student pledge. You're true to your word."
"All Might .." The words came out like a guttural snarl.
'Huh?' All Might's smile faltered slightly.
"Winning first place this way ... DOESN'T PROVE I'M THE BEST ONE HERE!" He roared. "EVEN IF THE WORLD CONSIDERS ME THE WINNER, I REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT LIKE THIS!"
"Um right," All Might uttered. "In a world of constant comparison, those who can keep their minds focused on the top, true to themselves are rare. You're one of them." He said cheerfully, placing the gold medal around Bakugo's neck despite the struggles.
"Come on, take this medal."
"I DON'T WANT THAT PIECE OF GARBAGE!"
"Oh come on."
"IT DOESN'T COUNT. I'M STILL GONNA KILL HIM!"
"You won! Smile!"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
On the third-place podium, Todoroki stood silently, expression neutral, watching the chaos with what might have been amusement.
All Might lifted his hands in the iconic pose. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THESE ARE YOUR NEW CHAMPIONS!"
The stadium exploded—a mix of thunderous applause, confused cheering, and lingering shock over the final events.
The official broadcast cut to a wide shot of the stadium, displaying the four podium figures: the restrained, furious victor, the calmly awkward runner-up, and the two stoic third-place finishers.
On social media, the discussions were already breaking records.
> @UA_Insider: Unhinged behavior or peak ambition? Bakugo Katsuki refuses to accept his medal. #UAChamps #BakugoRage
> @HeroFanatic2077: Bakugo winning while chained up is the most metal thing I've ever seen. This kid's gonna be a problem. #UASportsFestival
> @CasualObserver: Can we talk about how Akutami forfeited? Like, I get it, he was hurt, but still... you don't see that often. Respect or cowardice? #Debate
> @AllMightStan99: Todoroki didn't use his full power again. WHY?! He could've beaten Akutami easily! #Frustrated
> @AnalystPro: People sleeping on Akutami's performance. He beat Todoroki (THE SON OF ENDEAVOR!) and held his own against Bakugo while clearly weakened. Kid's a genius. #UASportsFestival
> @SkepticalCitizen: So we're just ignoring that a General Studies kid made it to the finals? How did U.A. even let someone that strong slip through the cracks? #Questioning
> @ProHeroNews: BREAKING: All Might publicly confirms Yuta Akutami's transfer to Hero Course during medal ceremony. Full statement coming soon. #UASportsFestival
> @QuirkAnalyst: Akutami Yuta's performance is the story. Not only did he transfer out of General Studies, but he ran a tactical masterclass with a known limit in the finals. His forfeit was genius.
> @ProHeroWatch: That's the scariest part. He wasn't even trying to win the title. He was just testing his baseline. The potential is terrifying.
>
[Musutafu - Downtown Shopping District]
In a small electronics shop, a dozen people crowded around the display TVs, watching the ceremony unfold.
"Man, that Bakugo kid is intense."
"Did you see him? They had to chain him up!"
"I don't get why he's so mad. He won, didn't he?"
An older woman shook her head. "Kids these days don't know how to accept victory gracefully."
"But that silver medalist—Akutami, was it? He forfeited in the finals." A salaryman adjusted his glasses. "That takes guts. Or maybe he's just smart."
"Smart? He gave up!"
"He was clearly injured. Pushing himself further would've been stupid." The salaryman gestured at the screen showing Yuta's bandaged hands. "He knew when to quit. That's tactical thinking."
A teenager nearby snorted. "Tactical thinking? Sounds like an excuse for losing."
Across Japan, the image of the Sports Festival was everywhere: a spectacle of power and controversy. But miles away, in the quiet, blood-stained back alleys of Hosu, the chaos of the day was only just beginning to settle.
Pro Heroes patrolled the streets in pairs, eyes scanning every alley and every shadow.
The news of Stain's latest attack had spread through official channels within the hour. Ingenium had survived, but barely and The Hero Killer remained at large.
High above the city, Watchbird circled in wide, methodical arcs.
Her enhanced vision swept the rooftops, the fire escapes, the darkened windows. Her Quirk's thermal imaging overlaid her view, highlighting heat signatures below.
Nothing.
She banked left, wings catching the wind as she adjusted her search pattern.
"Watchbird, this is Command. Status?"
"Sector 9 clear. Moving to Sector 10."
"Copy. Be advised—ground teams report no sightings. Suspect may have left the area."
"Understood. Continuing sweep."
She soared over an abandoned warehouse district, picking up scattered heat sources of stray cats, a homeless encampment, residual warmth from machinery. But no Stain. She passed over a cluster of crumbling buildings, and kept going.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned rooftop Access in the shadow of a rusted water tower, Stain crouched low.
Pain radiated from multiple wounds as blood soaked through the makeshift bandages he'd torn from his own clothing.
The knife wounds in his shoulder and thighs throbbed with every heartbeat.
That masked bastard...
He pressed his back against the cold metal, letting the darkness swallow him as Watchbird's silhouette passed overhead.
The sound of wings faded.
Silence returned. Stain reached into his vest and pulled out a small med kit—stolen from a minutes ago.
Antiseptic. Gauze. Surgical thread.
He bit down on a strip of leather as he began stitching the deepest wound in his shoulder
'That idiot ..' he thought, jaw clenched.
'Thanks to him, another false hero still lives ..'
It was infuriating. To be stopped by ... 'Just who is he?' Stain's eyes narrowed. He had never seen or heard of anyone bearing a resemblance.
'The fact that he saved Ingenium probably means he isn't a villain, ... But even Ingenium didn't recognise him. A vigilante then.'
His brows creased when he thought of their fight. Nevertheless, he had bigger things to worry about now.
Hero's were searching for him. 'Staying in the alleys isn't safe anymore.'
He stood slowly, blood dripping onto the concrete.
'There are too many false heroes. Too many frauds wearing the title like a costume.'
His gaze shifted toward the distant city.
'They all need to be purged.'
Ingenium had survived tonight. That was a failure. But failures taught lessons.
'I'll continue. One false hero at a time. Until only the real ones remain.'
Just then, the darkness emerged.
Stain, driven by instinct honed over years of paranoia, reacted instantly. He ignored the pain and twisted, driving his katana backward without looking. The blade plunged into the pitch-black shadow that had just manifested behind him.
"Greetings, Hero Killer."
__
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