𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 - 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐢 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐠𝐨

victory and defeat

After watching the intense battle between Midoriya and Shinso, I couldn't help but feel the pressure weighing down on me. Midoriya had put up a fierce fight, and now it was my turn to face off against Momo.

I took a deep breath as I walked toward the arena. Momo was already there, she was calm as she watched me. She gave me a polite nod, and I returned it with a smile.

"Good luck," I said, trying to keep things light, even though the tension was palpable.

Momo nodded with a small smile of her own. "May the best one win."

The arena felt huge as we stepped into positions, the cheers from the audience filling the air. Bakugo's words from earlier echoed in my mind: "I want to see if you've actually improved." He pushed me to do better, whether he realized it or not.

Midnight raised her hand, and the crowd fell silent. "Begin!"

The moment Midnight's voice rang out, I felt the rush of adrenaline surge through me. The arena was made of cement, which posed a real challenge since my quirk wasn't exactly suited for this terrain and I wasn't wearing my hero costume. Most of the vegetation was further out, surrounding the edges of the arena.

Momo wasted no time, summoning a staff and coming at me with a series of strikes. I dodged, barely avoiding the swift swipes as I tried to think of a plan. 

As I evaded another swing, I reached out toward the ground, willing the grass surrounding the arena to rise. I was using all my strength to control the vines that were further out of my touch, but I can't lose, I need to show that I have improved.

Vines of green shot up and wrapped around Momo's legs, attempting to trap her. But she quickly reacted, using the staff to slice through them before they could fully ensnare her.

"I won't let you win so easily," She said, analyzing the situation, before coming at me again, this time sweeping her staff low, trying to take out my legs. 

I leaped backward, barely avoiding it before sending more vines her way, this time aiming higher, trying to trap her arms. As they closed in, she shifted tactics and created a shield, blocking the vines just in time. But I wasn't done yet.

As she blocked, I rushed forward, closing the distance between us. The vines were just a distraction. 

Momo didn't expect me to close the gap so quickly. She braced herself, adjusting the shield to block what she thought would be another wave of my vines. But I wasn't relying on my quirk this time.

I slammed into her with all the force I could master, catching her off guard. My shoulder connected with her side, and I felt the shock of the impact ripple through me. She struggled to keep her balance and with a final push, I drove her backward, sending her over the line.

Midnight's voice cut through the air. "Yaoyorozu is out of bounds! L/N is the winner!"

Panting heavily, I straightened up, I couldn't believe I had pulled that off.

"That was clever," Momo said, a hint of admiration in her voice.

"Had to get creative," I replied, still catching my breath. "You're tough."

She nodded in acknowledgment, offering me a hand, which I gladly shook.

After the match, I made my way back to the stadium seats, my body still buzzing from the adrenaline of my fight with Momo. As I approached the spot where Bakugo and Kirishima were sitting, I noticed Bakugo's sharp gaze flicking from me to the arena, while Kirishima gave me a grin and a thumbs-up.

"Nice job, Y/N!" Kirishima called out, scooting over to make space for me. 

"Thanks," I said, taking the seat between them. "It wasn't easy with all the cement, I had to use more strength than I intended to."