Chapter 109 Sports Festival Ends

Akira stood atop the giant's forehead, his sharp eyes locked onto Shoto Todoroki.

It was clear that Todoroki had reached his limit. His breathing was ragged, steam rising from one side of his body while flames flickered weakly on the other. If the fight continued any further, he would not only push his body past its limits but also risk serious injury.

"Let's end it here," Akira said, his tone calm yet firm. "That's enough for today. There will be plenty of chances in the future."

As if responding to his words, the towering sand giant began to dissolve. The once compact and hardened sand loosened, and in the next instant—

*Whoosh—!*

The entire mass collapsed, cascading onto the arena in a great wave of golden grains. In mere moments, the battlefield had transformed into a desert-like landscape.

This wasn't the result of another Quirk activation, but rather Akira simply relinquishing control over the sand.

Todoroki let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "I see… I still wasn't strong enough to make you go all out."

Akira gave a small smile but didn't elaborate. "You're both right and wrong."

Todoroki frowned. "What do you mean?"

Akira glanced at him but didn't immediately respond. He had made his point clear—sparring and fighting against villains were two completely different things.

In this match, he had chosen to fight fairly. He hadn't used Haki. He hadn't relied on the Sand-Sand Fruit's full elementalization. If this were a battle against villains, he wouldn't hold back. His attacks would be lethal, and he would use every advantage available to him.

So, in that sense, Todoroki was right—Akira hadn't shown his full strength. But at the same time, he was wrong, because there was never a need to in the first place.

"Let's just say... there's no point in pushing this any further," Akira said at last. "Besides, we're about to head to Country M. It'd be pointless to go there while injured."

Todoroki's eyes widened slightly at that.

"...That's right." His voice was barely above a whisper, as if something had just clicked in his mind.

Without hesitation, he deactivated his Quirk, the flames on his left side vanishing. Then, with a deep breath, he turned toward Midnight.

"I surrender."

A collective gasp spread through the crowd.

No one could believe it.

Shoto Todoroki—the son of the No. 2 Pro Hero—had surrendered?

He hadn't been knocked unconscious. He hadn't been pushed out of bounds. He had simply... given up.

For several long seconds, the audience sat in stunned silence.

Then, Midnight's voice rang out, breaking the tension.

"Shoto Todoroki has surrendered! Kitagawa Akira advances to the finals!"

The moment she finished speaking, the stadium erupted into thunderous cheers.

"Ahh, man! Just when it was getting exciting, Todoroki just gives up like that?" Kaminari groaned, pouting.

Beside him, Bakugo shot him a glare. "Are you an idiot? Did you not see his condition? His body was barely holding together. Even if he kept fighting, he wouldn't last another few minutes."

Kaminari gave him a sheepish look but didn't argue.

"Either way, that's the end of it," Tokoyami commented, his arms crossed.

"Yeah, but we still have the final match left," Kaminari pointed out.

Yaoyorozu shook her head. "Honestly, to most people, this was the real final match. If nothing unexpected happens, Akira will be the champion."

Bakugo scowled at that. "Tch. What do you mean *if nothing unexpected happens*? Who the hell here is strong enough to be his opponent?"

Yaoyorozu gave him a knowing look. "What I meant was, unless *he* decides to surrender, the championship is already his."

Bakugo's expression twitched. "Hah?! Why didn't you just say that in the first place instead of making it sound so complicated?!"

Yaoyorozu rolled her eyes. "It wasn't complicated. Kaminari understood perfectly, didn't you?"

Kaminari nodded eagerly. "Yeah, totally!"

Yaoyorozu smirked and gestured toward him. "See?"

Bakugo's face turned red with frustration. He let out a sharp *tch* before slumping back into his chair, looking as irritated as possible.

—

Time flew by, and before they knew it, the sports festival had come to an end.

It was now five in the afternoon.

While the students were still discussing everything that had happened, Akira and his group had already packed their bags and arrived at the airport. They were set to depart for Country M.

Before they boarded, All Might stood before them, his expression serious.

"When you land, a teacher will be there to pick you up," he explained. "He's an old friend of the principal—he moved to Country M a few years ago to work as a teacher."

Akira nodded. "Understood, sensei."

All Might crossed his arms. "Listen carefully. Do not wander outside the school unless absolutely necessary. Country M is far more chaotic than here. Stay calm, avoid trouble, and in one month..." He gave them a meaningful look.

"...I want to see how much you've grown."

"Yes, sir!"

With that, they turned toward their plane, ready to embark on the next stage of their journey.

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