"Although I'm sorry about this, I still have to thank you, Midoriya. Thanks to you, that guy is making such an unhappy face. Your hands can't fight anymore, can they? Let me end this match."
After saying that, another terrifying mass of ice slammed viciously toward Izuku Midoriya.
His gaze did not even linger on his certain-to-lose opponent. Instead, he stared at Endeavor with hatred in his eyes.
But...
"Where are you looking?"
Izuku Midoriya's savage roar pulled Todoroki's attention back.
His swollen hand unleashed a second Smash!
"What?"
The instant Todoroki came back to his senses, his body was sent flying backward. Fortunately, he used the continuously appearing ice to keep himself from being knocked completely out of bounds.
"Cough, cough, you... actually used your badly injured fingers." Shoto Todoroki slowly stood up from the ice. "Why are you pushing yourself this far?"
Izuku Midoriya tremblingly raised his battered hand. His tightly clenched teeth chattered from the pain.
Yet he still coldly questioned him:
"You're shaking, aren't you, Todoroki? Your body should have a limit to how much ice it can produce, right? Then... if you use the burning ability on your left side, can't you solve that problem?"
At his question, Shoto Todoroki's expression changed slightly.
"To get closer to their goals, to win, everyone is giving it their all. Yet you think you can win using only half your strength? Do you know... compared to her, the effort and pain I've endured... aren't even a tenth of hers."
After saying that, his heavily injured right arm slowly curled into a fist through the pain.
"Her..." Shoto Todoroki frowned.
"Was he talking about me?"
Yukino's eyelid twitched. She roughly understood why Midoriya had been looking at her that way.
That made sense. When a beautiful, fragile girl hid in some deserted corner every day, enduring pain alone, shedding tears while gritting her teeth and persevering... even she would be deeply moved by that contrast.
Yukino's image had left too deep an impression, and Izuku Midoriya, who had always aspired to become a hero, must have seen his own reflection in her.
She was clearly so heartbreaking to watch, yet she still faced everyone with a smile.
"It's just... sorry for the trouble, Izuku Midoriya." Yukino sighed softly. "If that's what you think, then you're bound to be disappointed. Some longings are destined to exist only in fantasies."
Like a butterfly flapping its wings, Su Lin's arrival had caused slight disturbances in certain matters.
But just as she had arrived, one day, this young man who possessed so many avatars would quietly leave.
His heart had no sense of belonging in this world. Though he acknowledged these friends, that did not mean he would accept their affection.
Not to mention that Su Lin was originally male. There was no way he could possibly have thoughts of getting with men.
"This guy isn't still harboring that... evil idea that getting Su Lin means opening up some huge harem, is he?"
Thinking of that, Yukino shuddered.
The battle in the arena continued. The spectators could no longer hide their shock, all of them staring intently at the scene.
"Why are you going this far?" Shoto Todoroki demanded angrily.
For the third time, even though his palm had already deteriorated to the point where he could no longer control it, Midoriya still charged fearlessly at Shoto Todoroki.
"Because I want to become... a cool hero who can answer others with a smile!"
Bang!
A straight punch struck Todoroki's body.
"Your resolve and your experiences aren't something someone like me can imagine or measure. But... your idea of becoming number one without using your full strength, just to completely deny your father—I think that's nothing but a joke!"
"Isn't that your power too?"
Bang!
Shoto Todoroki was completely knocked to the ground.
Everyone watched the scene nervously for a long, long time...
Until, at a certain moment, a scorching blaze ignited in Todoroki's left hand.
Then, a surging heat wave swept across the entire arena in an instant, twisting even the air beyond recognition.
"We just jumped from the North Pole to the equator." Yukino wiped the sweat beading on her forehead.
Endeavor was overjoyed. Excitedly walking down the steps, he said, "Shoto, have you finally accepted your power? That's right, very good! This match will become your new starting point. Keep surpassing me, gain greater power, and fulfill my ambition!"
Ice and fire collided in the air alongside Midoriya's momentum and Shoto Todoroki's two Quirks. Under the enormous pressure, Cementoss hurriedly controlled the cement, creating thick walls in an attempt to block their attacks.
"Midnight, his body can't take it. Don't let him keep fighting."
Too late...
An incomparably dazzling light flashed across the arena.
Then...
It was as though they were standing inside a nuclear explosion. Five cement walls dozens of meters high, along with the entire arena, instantly collapsed.
The shockwave was powerful enough to blow people away in an instant.
Chunks of stone fell to the ground. Yukino felt as if she were being pressed into her chair, unable even to open her eyes.
More than ten seconds later, the explosion stopped. All that remained was a completely destroyed arena and... billowing smoke.
After over ten seconds of silence, Mic, who had fallen to the ground, finally spoke in shock. "What was that just now, Eraser Head? What kind of monsters are in your class? That destructive power is insane!"
After recovering from the aftershock, Yukino straightened her clothes and messy black hair, rose from her chair, and silently left the venue.
Shoto Todoroki had won.
At that moment, Bakugo in the stands turned and glanced at the girl's retreating figure in the distance, grinding his teeth in annoyance.
"Hey, hey, Todoroki is that strong, yet you're looking at Su Lin? Are you serious?" Sero could not help laughing.
"What do you know?" Katsuki Bakugo clicked his tongue irritably. "Who exactly is the biggest threat..."
P.S.: Um... since this morning, quite a few people have posted strange comments and reviews (:∠)
For example, in the previous chapter about the world anchor, there was a level 13 Diamond V who said that anchor was foreshadowing for returning to the U.A. world in the future and having the protagonist marry Midoriya. I don't know what you meant. Did you want me to write it that way, or were you joking? Either way, I hesitated for a moment and deleted it.
An anchor... is used for positioning, not traveling through worlds. This is a setup I left behind, understand?
My protagonist will not fall in love with men, understand?
Wasn't it obvious from the earlier content who the protagonist likes and does not like?
Anyway, my writing condition was terrible today. There were a bit too many similar comments, but thankfully it didn't affect the update.
P.S. 2: Some comments were deleted with the original posters' permission, including one from this afternoon. If you saw one disappear, please don't mind it.
Only Held Back One Barrel of Water
The final qualifiers for the second round were Su Lin, Katsuki Bakugo, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Shoto Todoroki.
The next match would be Su Lin against Bakugo. Though he looked calm on the surface, Bakugo was not in a good state internally.
Because Su Lin had always felt out of the ordinary to everyone in the class.
While everyone discussed Recommended Student Shoto Todoroki as the strongest, they would silently add one more sentence in their hearts: except for that guy.
During the brief break, Yukino left her seat. She planned to make something clear to Izuku Midoriya and let him understand that there was absolutely no possibility between them.
But halfway there, she suddenly felt that she should wait until Midoriya had recovered before saying it.
If he got too upset while injured, he might just die on the spot.
"There are only two matches left. I need to create a symbolic event in this world."
After considering it for a long time, she decided that she should activate her Noble Phantasm during the finals and display her overwhelming presence.
But if she only did that, it would not really accomplish anything, would it?
"Whatever. I'll deal with Bakugo first."
Yukino quickly passed through the dedicated passage and arrived at the arena.
Standing opposite her in his designated position was Bakugo, who had been waiting for some time. That infuriating durian head and monkey face, filled with anger, made Yukino feel the urge to beat him up countless times.
"Hey, give me your full strength in this match." Though it had not even begun, Bakugo was already roaring at Yukino impatiently. "When I fight for first place, I don't want to face an opponent who holds back. What I want is a real... unquestionable, utterly overwhelming first place!"
He clapped his palms together, and explosive flames flashed before vanishing.
A gust of wind happened to blow by, making Yukino's long hair and skirt flutter once more.
"Why do you think I'm standing here without dismissing my avatar?" Yukino stated honestly. "Of course... because I take you seriously enough."
If she only used her main body, she might not even be able to escape the range of Bakugo's attacks.
She did not want her main body to suffer even the slightest injury, even with Recovery Girl's treatment available.
"Hey, everybody!"
"The highly anticipated U.A. Sports Festival is about to enter its second-to-last round—the first match of the semifinals!"
"Hero Course student Katsuki Bakugo versus Hero Course student Su Lin! No more nonsense... Start!"
"Give me all your strength, damn it!"
The instant the match began, Bakugo charged toward Yukino at top speed.
The distance between them rapidly shrank, and a Super Explosion burst from his palm.
"Take this!"
Boom—
"What? Bakugo opened with an unbelievable explosion! Does he think his opponent can withstand an attack like that?"
The swelling fireball flashed with light, making the entire arena as dazzling as a lit sun. Then smoke and dust erupted, covering the field.
When the smoke cleared, Bakugo's expression changed slightly.
A golden-haired girl stood before him, holding an ornate sword, completely unharmed.
"Hey, what's going on? A new avatar? She took an explosion head-on and came out without a scratch! Cute little Su Lin, you've given us too many surprises!" Mic leaned his entire body forward against the glass while Shota beside him shot him an annoyed glance.
Mr. Aizawa really wanted to find a chance to say something, but this guy had been talking nonstop from beginning to end, barely giving him any opportunities to speak.
In the spectator stands, many ordinary civilians and heroes also began discussing things enthusiastically.
"That should be the third avatar, right? Every one of them has a different temperament. They'd be top-tier beautiful girls anywhere."
"Why do I feel like that guy is more attractive to men than actual women are? No one could possibly turn into so many stunning beauties on their own."
"So that's why he might be the strongest?"
"This year's U.A. really has produced quite a few monsters."
"Haha, you finally brought out your trump card." Excitement immediately appeared on Bakugo's twisted face. His body rose into the air again, closing in at an exaggerated speed.
He might have possessed the strongest combat skills among all the students in Class A. As he approached, he even used his arms to control his explosions, making a one-hundred-eighty-degree spin before...
"Grenade Howitzer, Massive Explosion!"
His true ultimate move erupted!
It nearly reached Katsuki Bakugo's current limit, using every bit of energy he had stored.
"What? Katsuki Bakugo used an even stronger move than before! He's practically attacking his opponent with full force right from the start."
Rumble—
It truly was high explosive!
Her body instantly retreated from the core of the explosion. Even with X's current Spirit Origin physique, she could sense the danger.
Before you continue