Burnt to Ashes - Kenichi Todoroki

Calm Before the Storm

Kenichi's POV:

I saw my team's names up on the glowing board. Above all the other teams. Number one; Kenichi, Sasha, Draven, Seiryo.

I congratulated my teammates with firm handshakes— although for Seiryo it was a fist bump —but I couldn't help but not remember what even happened. The last thing I knew was Ryker grabbing my headband.

But from the loose tied fabric around my head, I got it back. Or someone else's, at least.

The short break we got before the battles started consisted of me chugging water and self reflecting. These gaps in my memories were affecting me, and they'd only get worse, I'd imagine. I can't afford to slip up during these battles. If I do—

I saw the rest of my classmates participating in the battles walk out. Narrowing my eyes, I followed suite behind them. If I do, I would never forgive myself.

Neither would my father.

The bracket was up. Sixteen competitors, all fighting for the title of winner.

My name was first; and I was against Draven. I gulped.

The other pairings consisted of Coda vs. Taio, Sasha vs. Luxe, Izora vs. Maxwell, Vega vs. Ryker, Milo vs. Astaroth, Seiryo vs. Carlos, and Lolana vs. Anxo.

These were going to be a ton of interesting fights.

I was called up to the stage, as well as Draven. His brown and peach patched skin looked dull with terror as he looked at me. My radiating presence must've been menacing. Good, he should fear me. A dozen ravens won't do anything against my amazing power.

I rolled the short sleeves of my uniform above my shoulders so I could have more access to lava.

Draven got into a bit of an awkward fighting stance, pushing up his glasses.

"KENICHI VS. DRAVEN," Terravine hollered. "GO!"

My arms turned into full lava and molten rock. So did my legs, burning my shorts just a bit. Draven summoned his ravens to go after me, but I had my plan.

I started bolting towards Draven, watching his ravens fly at and around me one by one. I started to shoot them down with my lava.

I could sense Draven's panic as his ravens started to burn and poof. So that's how his quirk works...

From what I could infer, he was able to sprout ravens out of thin air. But they'd poof if they got damaged. So if I take them all out...

He'll be practically quirkless!

One by one, the ravens got demolished. Draven was backing up as I charged at him. I changed my lava arms to pure molten rock and pushed him over and pinned him. One hand around his neck, the other right on his chest.

He shook under me. Although he tried to get out of my grasp, I kept him down. One, two, three—

"KENICHI TODOROKI WINS!" Terravine announced into the microphone.

That was all I needed to let Draven go.

I retracted my lava and watched him defeatedly get up. His eyes were glazed, and I couldn't read his emotions, although I didn't really care. I had won. Won against a Gold Viper.

They're not villains, Kenichi. They're kids.

I narrowed my eyes. I guess that fact didn't matter anymore.

I was congratulated by a lot of my classmates, but I felt disconnected from my body. Like the win would worsen my relationship with Sasha. She didn't congratulate me, all she did was nod in my direction. No outward emotion, no nothing. Just a nod, a nod full of nothing.