Izuku's first match of the afternoon was against the opponent he had been most wary of: Hitoshi Shinso.
Standing on the arena platform, Izuku watched him carefully, his expression serious.
"First match—begin!" the announcer called.
"Hey," Shinso said, stepping back to create distance, "I don't think I've asked your name yet."
Izuku moved forward.
"Deku."
His lips didn't move, but the word reached Shinso clearly.
Shinso froze for a split second. "What kind of ability is that?"
"Ventriloquism," Izuku replied calmly. "Picked it up in my free time."
Shinso frowned.
"My Quirk works through conversation," he said. "So if you don't speak—"
Izuku closed the distance in an instant.
He grabbed Shinso by the collar and threw him cleanly out of bounds.
"Midoriya advances to the second round!"
"That was close," Izuku muttered as he dusted off his hands and stepped down from the platform. "Another second and I might've run out of breath."
"Seriously strong…" Shinso said quietly as he exited the field. "Stronger than I expected."
Izuku returned to the waiting room and pulled a lollipop from his pocket, unwrapping it and placing it in his mouth.
"Still nervous, huh…"
He sat down, leaning back slightly as his thoughts shifted to the next match.
"Todoroki…"
His opponent's strength was obvious. And yet, there was something incomplete about it. He wasn't using everything he had.
How do I deal with that?
For a moment, Izuku considered forcing Todoroki to his limit through sheer pressure.
No… I'm not even fully in control of One For All yet. That's risky.
He exhaled slowly.
Then I have to reach him instead.
Before he could think further, his phone buzzed.
A message.
{Long time no see. I saw you on TV—you looked really cool! —057984}
Izuku paused when he saw the familiar number, then quickly typed a reply.
{Aren't you in China? When did you come back? —057983}
Their numbers differed by only one digit. It had started as a wrong number, but somehow, they had stayed in touch ever since.
{Not yet. I've settled down here, actually. It's amazing! Deku, your suggestion really worked out. You should come visit sometime!}
{Maybe during summer break. Where are you living now?}
{Hainan Island! It's great here—beaches every day, swimsuits all the time. And there are so many good-looking guys… I'm thriving.}
Izuku coughed lightly, almost choking on the lollipop.
His "older sister" was… eccentric. And very open about it.
{Won't your books get banned over there?}
{You underestimate me. Your sister here is a bestselling author. I know how to work around those problems.}
{That's impressive.}
Neither of them mentioned his Quirk.
{By the way, I sent you some clothes. Make sure you wear them. I've got to go—talk later!}
Izuku stared at the message for a moment, then sighed.
"Why does she keep sending me outfits…"
He put his phone away and stood.
"Focus. Todoroki's next."
His power has limits. Everyone does. If I push him hard enough…
He paused.
No… that's not it.
Izuku glanced down at his own hands.
If he once stood at the edge of something dangerous, then Todoroki was standing halfway inside it—trapped by something he refused to face.
Breaking through that would be the real challenge.
"…So now I'm trying to save someone else?" he muttered, shaking his head. "I should just focus on the fight."
He left the waiting room.
As he walked down the corridor, he came face-to-face with Endeavor.
Izuku's expression cooled instantly.
"Oh? There you are," Endeavor said, studying him with interest. "I saw your performance. That Quirk of yours… in terms of raw power, it rivals All Might."
"I'm in a hurry," Izuku replied, lowering his gaze as he moved to pass him.
"My son," Endeavor continued, unmoved, "exists to surpass All Might. Your match with him will be… an interesting test. Try not to disappoint."
Izuku stopped briefly, then glanced back.
"…So you couldn't do it yourself, so you expect him to?" His voice was steady. "I'm not All Might. And Todoroki isn't you."
He turned and continued down the hall.
"This match," he added without looking back, "we'll both give it everything we've got."
By the time he stepped into the stadium, the noise of the crowd had already risen.
"You're finally here," Shoto Todoroki said, narrowing his eyes slightly as Izuku took his place across from him.