The Last || My Hero Academia X Demon Slayer

23

I think both myself and Nemuri have worried about Shouta since Year Two. Ever since Oboro was killed he has never gone back to himself. Yes, he acts similar, but it's like a puppet trying to copy him. He used to go with whatever idea we had and usually help us, but now it's like he actively avoids getting roped up in our shenanigans. Even just sitting in the Announcer's Booth, not even having to say anything really seemed to push his buttons. When he actually accepted without complaining was something that honestly surprised us, it was like he was almost coming back to himself.

So when Todoroki Shoto and Midoriya Izuku's fight was about to start, of course we didn't expect him to actually sit up in his seat and watch. Watch the Sport's Festival like we used to. Kan was still sitting with us since he decided he liked the view more and Nemuri had joined us too, seeing that she was just about frozen from Todoroki's last fight. Kan had gone to check on the kids and had come back with the news that Bakugou Katsuki had apparently been yelling at Uraraka Ochako because her tactic had been inspired by a plan Midoriya had on the first week of school. I side-eyed Shouta, silently telling him that he would eventually have to deal with the two of them.

He sighed. "Damn Problem Children."

"Shouta, something is going to happen and I would rather not have to announce that a fight caused two of the highest scoring Hero Course students to be injured because of some issues." I argued.

"They went to the same school for a while, there shouldn't be fucking issues... Tell Nedzu I need to talk to him later."

I sighed, shaking my head, "I guess, just please take care of it."

Kan must have been listening to the conversation when he added, "Oh are you talking about the kids? No shit, you need to take care of them, Aizawa."

"Fuck off, I don't need to do shit." He retorted.

"Seriously Shouta, you're their homeroom teacher, you need to help them sort it out. You could just drop them off at Hound Dog if you really don't want to deal with them, but at least get them that far." I compromised, turning to the stage, "Look, they're about to start. Nemuri, you still have to announce the start. Actually, shouldn't you be down there to make sure they don't go too far?"

"I'm not going to get frozen again. Cementoss has pellets with my gas that he can just break. Though you have a point. AREE YOU READY BOYS?" Getting a nod from each of the quiet students she continued. "DON'T FORGET THE RULES, START ON GO. THREE, TWO, ONE, GO!!"

"God dammit Nemuri, you're so lazy."

~~

I began my narration for the audience.

The boys started running towards each other, Todoroki using his ice to leap into the air when he got close enough, jumping off towards Midoriya. Midoriya bent his legs for a single moment before sliding below the split boy. He quickly turned on his heel, running towards the boy who was still turned around. Thanks to the benefit of being in the Announcer's Booth, we could hear everything from the gasp Todoroki made when a foot landed in the middle of his back to the sigh Midoriya made when Todoroki let himself fall forwards.

Midoriya slightly jumped away from the fallen boy, letting him get up. Once he was up, they ran at each other again, but this time Midoriya took to the air, jumping high into the air, more than just outside of Todoroki's reach. "What the hell Shouta, isn't he quirkless?" Kan exclaimed, while I was happy the mic seemed to not pick up on it.

"Problem Child #1 is quirkless, didn't give his all at the tests and is still better than almost all the students. It's complicated and a headache to try to explain."

Prompt Midoriya landing barely a foot behind Todoroki and grabbing the boy's right arm, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him on the ground. "Shoto-kun, why aren't you using your quirk?"

Kan leaned forwards, leading Aizawa to lean closer to the speakers.

His eyes widened for a moment before narrowing. "You don't have a quirk, it wouldn't be fair." Todoroki leaned upwards and brought Midoriya down, nearly covering the slightly smaller boy in a tight grasp, holding him still, unable to escape.

Midoriya kicked his legs, hitting Todoroki's lower back and quickly shimmying out from under Todoroki. "You used your quirk to get above me and even then I managed to slam you down? Excuse me, but that sounds like an excuse to me."

"You would get hurt, and I'm not using fire either way." Todoroki attacked the boy, punching his shoulder before the other could block it. Que almost a full minute of hand-to-hand combat with a skill no one had seen them use before. Nemuri was openly gaping at them, and I had given up on trying to narrate what was going on for the audience, something that had been difficult to do even before now.

During this time Shouta broke the silence. "If Todoroki were to use his fire now the air would heat up and cause all sorts of wind, the gas pellets wouldn't work."

"Huh, how do you know?" Nemuri seemed offended that her own support items wouldn't work.

He pointed to the thermometer showing the temperature on the stage. "He's been using his quirk, probably subconsciously, the whole time. He's been cooling the air." The thermometer showed that it was roughly the temperature of an ice rink, not exactly freezing, but cold enough that the ice from earlier hadn't started melting yet. The people in the first few rows likely could feel it.

Midoriya jumped back after blocking a kick. "But I said it before, I could theoretically staunch any bleeding, besides my training tested me enough that I know when I need to stop. Trust me and let me do this at the very least, Shoto-kun." They then fell silent and still, watching each other.

"I can't use his fire." The statement felt like the equivalent of a period. Never in my hero career had I been so lost.

What are they talking about?

What do they know that we don't know?

Is it Endeavor's fire Todoroki is talking about?

Why is he talking like it's a bad thing?

What don't we know?

But Midoriya was adamant to not let their conversation end. "But you aren't using your mother's ice? Besides, your quirk is totally unique, it's your quirk right? Unless someone has the ability to transfer quirks, it's your fire and your ice."

For some reason the last sentence seemed to send a chill down my spine. The idea that every quirk is different, the idea that everyone had to have a different quirk meant that there was to be someone, somewhere that can, indeed, transfer quirks. They could control what kind of life a person could live, they could be anywhere and yet, might not even exist. But the idea that logically they should actually exist scares me.

Todoroki seemed to still and his eyes quickly narrowed. Despite having just been sparring as fast and hard as he could for the past few minutes, his exhaustion seemed to have been lifted. "Thank you. I apologize for everything."

And then the stage below me seemed to light up in a brilliant display of light and heat and fire and-

Wind.

So much wind.

Shouta had been right, the sudden expansion of the air caused everything to blow back. It rattled the windows and the audience were tightly grasping onto their chairs, desperate to see the fight. Todoroki's whole left side was burning, and then a single pose later, huge flames were rushing forwards, towards Midoriya, who was crouching low for a jump.

Midoriya jumped high, almost avoiding the flames, but getting caught by the tail end of the huge blast, causing his uniform to be a bit more than singed. Todoroki looked to be wavering slightly, nearly unable to move. Midoriya dropped to one leg, grabbing a burnt pebble. They both shared a small smile that seemed to hold so much more than could be described. There was so much understanding so much conversation no person other than the two could read it.

~~

And in that moment, the moment before a blade slides next to a spine, before a rock is thrown, before one can fall unconscious, Izuku has saved a friend from drowning. He released the small pebble in his hand, closing his eyes, not knowing if it would land or if the sudden warmth he felt was from him or his friend, and soon opened them to see the other collapsed on the ground, before collapsing himself.