Sports Festival (7) [Bonus Chapter]

(Kata POV – Sports Festival Stadium)

We stand still, staring at each other. Todoroki lowers his stance, flames roaring to life around him.

From the stands, Endeavor begins his usual brand of encouragement, but neither of us acknowledge him. Right now, it's just me... and him.

Todoroki's flames flare even hotter, his face unreadable except for the sheer focus in his eyes.

"Prepare yourself. Underestimate me now, and you'll regret it."

I chuckle, rolling my shoulders. Funny how those words feel more convincing now, but...

"You're still the one underestimating me."

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes and letting my Radar take over. My surroundings sharpen in my mind—Todoroki's heat signature, the roaring wind, the faint tremors in the ground. My senses stretch, locking onto every shift in his posture.

"You wanted my best? I'll give it to you."

My words echo through the stadium, vibrating through the very air itself, my Vibration Emission lending them weight.

Then, the trembling begins.

The ground quakes, the walls hum, and even the air itself vibrates as I open my eyes—locking onto his mismatched gaze.

I spread my hands before my chest, focusing. Air is rapidly drawn into a compact sphere, roughly the size of a basketball.

Todoroki doesn't hesitate. He hurls a jet of fire at me, but I flick my hand, and the flames swerve off-course, dissipating harmlessly.

I can't let him interrupt me.

With a thought, chunks of loose concrete rip from the ground and shoot toward him, propelled by unseen force. But it's not just a simple attack—I tether the rubble to him, forcing them to chase him down unless completely destroyed.

It buys me a few seconds. I focus, feeling the molecules within my sphere begin to accelerate.

Molecular Acceleration.

The temperature spikes instantly, heat compounding within the confined space. I need control. If I don't contain it properly, I could burn everyone in this stadium to ashes.

I set the sphere into a violent spin, then form a vacuum around it, sealing it in a deflection field. A miniature storm of searing energy rages between my palms.

Good. I know the theory—it should hold.

Todoroki realizes the rubble won't stop chasing him. With a sharp breath, he sends a wave of ice surging outward, trapping the debris in massive crystal formations. He turns back toward me—

—Too late.

A soft hum fills the air as the sphere in my hand shifts. A brilliant white-blue glow pulses in my grip, its radiance flickering like lightning trapped in my palm.

A shockwave ripples outward as the light intensifies—white-hot with an eerie blue hue. The sheer heat distorts the air itself.

Todoroki's eyes widen.

It's over.

I smirk, expanding the vacuum for an instant. The plasma interacts with the atmosphere, and—

BOOM.

The resulting shockwave slams into Todoroki, tearing through his ice and sending him skidding backward. The force rattles the entire stadium.

But I'm not done.

The temperature continues to climb—higher, hotter.

Then, at 10,000,000°C—

Fusion.

A seismic shift occurs as the sphere in my hand undergoes a fundamental transformation. The raw energy within exerts a staggering outward force of nearly 100,000 newtons. It thrashes against my containment, but my telekinesis locks it in place.

Three layers of containment—rotation, vacuum, deflection—hold the star-like mass steady.

Sweat drips down my forehead. The energy is heavy, its weight pressing against my body, my mind, my power. The heat waves alone make the stadium swelter, but I block them out with my aura.

Wind surges past me, powerful enough to shove Todoroki back. The sheer radiance dims the afternoon sun.

The crowd falls into stunned silence. The heroes watching from the stands have gone rigid. The scientists among them? Terrified.

They understand what I've done.

I exhale, my voice strained for the first time.

"This is it."

The best I can do while maintaining control.

The plasma hisses, crackling like a newborn star in my palm. Without my Vibration Emission muting the noise, its deafening hum would drown out every sound in the stadium.

The air hums with unstable energy. Lights and screens flicker. Electronic sparks from nearby metals. If my containment had been slightly weaker, there would've been a full-scale blackout.

The heat still radiates outward, despite the vacuum barrier, pressing against my aura. My hands tingles from the heat that manages to leak through.

'I really need to be careful now.'

I glance toward Todoroki. His ice barely keeps him standing, rapidly forming and melting to counteract the scorching winds and keep him cool. Behind him, a crumbling ice wall shields him from being thrown off the stage.

I raise the burning sphere, its blinding glow casting long shadows across the stadium.

"It's over."

The vacuum layer expands for a fraction of a second, before snapping back into place. A sudden pressure wave erupts, slamming straight into Todoroki. He barely has time to react before he's launched backward, crashing through his ice and into the stadium wall, completely unconscious.

Silence.

A heavy, suffocating silence.

Then, a sharp intake of breath from the crowd.

Slowly, I let out a long breath, reducing the plasma's temperature with Molecular Acceleration. The blinding glow fades to a dull shimmer as it cools. A final gust of wind erupts as I release the compressed gases back into the atmosphere.

My arms feel heavier than before. 'That… really took a lot out of me.'

'That was my strongest attack. If I had actually used the plasma…'

I shake the thought away. There was no point dwelling on it. But I know now that... 'I'm strong enough not to worry about getting killed.'

I turn to Midnight, who carries a tense and serious expression as Todorki is quickly taken to recover girl. She gives me a deadly glare and I shrug my shoulders calmly.

"I had it under control. No one was in danger." I reply calmly.

Midnight gives me a long look before sighing. Her voice then slices through the tension, as she announces the results.

"Shoto Todoroki is unable to continue. Kata Okada advances to the next round."

Her tone is firm, but I catch the edge of unease in her voice.

The stadium erupts.

"Holy shit! Do you realize what he just did?!"

"We could have died!"

"He said he had it under control, though!"

"How the hell is a first-year pulling off something like that?"

Their voices blur together. It's nothing new. Fear. Awe. Confusion. I push it aside and walk back to my seat.

I barely have time to sit before my classmates close in on me.

"W-what the hell was that?!" Kirishima exclaims, grinning despite his shock.

Ida, unusually flustered, adjusts his glasses. "Y-you created plasma… and achieved fusion…"

Even he sounds hesitant, as if saying it out loud makes it more unbelievable.

Kaminari scratches his head. "I mean, it looked crazy strong and all, but isn't plasma just… like, fire?"

I wave a hand dismissively. "Plasma itself isn't special. You just need to heat something to 5,000°C."

Kaminari's eyes widen. "That's insane though!!"

But the smarter ones in the group know just how big the difference between making plasma and achieving fusion is.

I finally allow myself to sink into my seat with a tired sigh. The next match is starting, but the energy in the stadium hasn't settled.

They're still stuck on my fight.

I close my eyes, exhaling slowly, allwong myself a a short rest. Seeing my fatigue, my classmates choose to let me be and focus on the upcoming match.

Momo's match against Bakugo was more than just a battle of strength—it was a battle of wits. Many underestimated Bakugo, dismissing him as a brute, but in reality, he was just as much a tactician as he was a fighter.

The match began with Momo swiftly creating a reinforced shield to absorb his blasts, along with a long staff—a choice meant to keep him at bay while giving her the range to strike back.

Bakugo, however, saw through her plan instantly.

Rather than engaging her head-on, he blasted himself forward at high speed, launching an enormous explosion at the ground—not to attack, but to create a smokescreen. Then, before she could react, he propelled himself into the smoke, zig-zagging through the air with sharp, unpredictable movements.

Momo turned, following the sound of the explosions, but she was a second too late.

Bakugo exploded out of the smokescreen from behind, blasting her in the back. She stumbled forward, barely managing to spin around and retaliate with a flashbang.

It worked—for a moment.

But Bakugo wasn't thrown off for long. When she tried setting up traps—spiked on the ground, more shields, even stun guns, he avoided and overcame her every strategy.

He flew over hazards, countered long-range attempts by closing the gap in an instant, and overwhelmed her before she could fully execute a plan.

In the end, a final explosion to her stomach sent her crashing into the arena floor, unconscious. Bakugo was then declared the winner.

Then, the screen lit up with the final pairing as Momo was taken to recovery girl.

Okada vs. Bakugo

The last battle was about to begin. After a 30-minute break, I made my way to the arena.

'Is there anything else I even need to show?' I pondered as I walked.

(Bakugo's POV – Sports Festival Stadium)

I stepped onto the arena, rolling my shoulders as I locked eyes with that bastard standing across from me.

He had that blank, uninterested look again—like this was nothing to him.

"Tch." That really pissed me off.

A feral grin spread across my face as I clenched my fists, a sharp crackle of explosions igniting in my palms.

'I'll wipe that smug look off his face.'

But then, I forced myself to take a breath. I couldn't just rush in like an idiot.

'He's strong. If I give him even a second, he could end this match instantly. I need to find a way in before that happens.'

Present Mic's voice boomed across the stadium.

"At last, we've arrived! The best of the best among U.A.'s first-years will be decided! It's the final match—Okada versus Bakugo!!!"

My muscles tensed, my blood pumping as I got into position.

"START!"

I blasted forward instantly, my body a missile shooting across the arena.

My eyes stayed locked on him, watching for any movement—any sign of his quirk activating. But what I saw was something far worse.

A massive, translucent, purple-red gauntlet materialized above him, easily a meter long..

'Shit—!'

I twisted my arms downward, blasting a powerful explosion to launch myself into the air—just in time to dodge as the enormous fist came crashing down.

The impact was devastating. The arena and stadium shook, a massive crater forming where I had just been standing. A blast of wind sent me flying further back.

My heart pounded as I hovered mid-air, eyes locked on the scene below.

The dust began to clear, and the gauntlet re-emerged—razor-sharp claws gleaming, jagged ridges running across its monstrous form.

'The hell kind of quirk is this…?!'

I glare at that bastard. He just stands there, watching me with that same blank expression, as if this whole thing bores him.

My teeth grind together, anger flaring in my chest.

"Is that all you've got, you bastard?! You think this toy of yours is enough to take me down?!"

I need to force him to fight me himself. If he just sits back and lets these oversized hands do all the work, I'm screwed.

'No... I'll make him regret underestimating me. I'll make him see who's the best!'

For a second, he looks like he's considering something.

Then, he shrugs. "You're right..."

I narrow my eyes, unease crawling up my spine.

"...I should take you more seriously. After all, you tried your best to make it this far."

My eye twitches.

'Is this asshole mocking me?!'

My palms crackle, tiny bursts of explosions snapping in response to my rising fury.

"The hell are you talking ab—"

Then I see it.

More hands.

Nine.

Four more right hands, identical to the first one. Five left hands, just as massive.

'Shit—'

I don't even get to finish the thought before they shoot toward me at insane speeds.

Instinct takes over. I blast off, barely dodging the first one, twisting mid-air to avoid another. But they don't stop—they're closing in, cutting off my escape routes, boxing me in.

"DAMN IT!!!" I roar.

I need to take out the source.

I fire a massive explosion, rocketing toward him, dodging and weaving between the giant hands as they try to swat me down. My arms burn, my body aches, but I don't stop.

I won't stop!

This bastard's still holding back!

I can feel it.

"YOU BASTARD! STOP TOYING WITH ME!" I shout, fury lacing every word. "AM I NOT WORTH YOUR FULL POWER?!"

Another massive claw slams down, barely missing me. I blast myself to the side, gritting my teeth as heat floods my veins.

I see him sigh.

"If you want me to up the difficulty, I can do that."

He says it so casually.

Then—pain.

I barely process what happens before I'm smashed in the gut, a brutal shockwave following immediately after, rattling my bones and slamming me into the ground.

I choke on my own breath, my body screaming in agony.

'When…?!'

I didn't even see it!

I push through the pain, jaw clenched so tight it feels like my teeth might break.

But he's still there. Watching.

That same blank, indifferent stare.

That same goddamn look like this is nothing to him.

'I hate it. I hate it more than anything!'

"You think you're better than me?!" I manage to gasp between breaths.

No reply, but...the hands move.

Eight of them pin me down in an instant. Two for each limb.

I thrash, explosions bursting from my palms. "I WON'T GO DOWN THAT EASY, YOU BASTARD—!"

I'll blow this entire place to hell if I have to.

I suck in a breath, gathering every ounce of strength left in my body. Explosions flicker, building into something massive.

Then—his voice cuts through the air.

"I admire that you don't give up."

His gaze as indifferent as the moment he stepped into this damn arena.

"But it's over. Vibration Emission."

And then—

Agony.

A shuddering, gut-wrenching pain rips through my body as violent vibrations tear through my bones, my muscles, my organs.

I can't move. I can't breathe.

'Shit. Not like this—'

My vision darkens.

"Damn... it..."

(Kata POV – Sports Festival Stadium)

I watch as Bakugo's body finally collapses.

'The synergy between Telekinetic Constructs and Vibration Emission works well. I could do it without the constructs, but this way… much more impactful.' I think as I notice the awed and excited looks from the crowd.

Midnight's voice echoes through the stadium.

"Bakugo is unable to continue! So… Okada is the winner!"

The crowd erupts.

Present Mic's voice follows, booming with excitement.

"AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR CONTEST! THE FIRST-YEAR WINNER OF U.A.'s SPORTS FESTIVAL IS... KATA OKADA OF CLASS A!!!"

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A/N: Yo. I recommend everyone read the author's Notes for clarification, unless you're just fine with the level of power shown.

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