Souls Hero Academia (Rewrite)

Chapter 54: Sports Festival (End)

The following fight between Tokoyami and Ashido was quite a fast-paced one. Izuku had already known that Tokoyami was going to emerge the winner, as Ashido, despite her proficiencies and strengths, had no answer to Dark Shadow's unrelenting offense.

The pink girl couldn't even get close without gaining a few scratches here and there. At least she managed to look cool during her fight, her breakdancing across the floor while making it slippery with acid was a sight to see. She did it in her last match, but that didn't retract from the cool factor it had coming into this match.

Tokoyami was also smart with his decision, him leaving Dark Shadow to basically bullrush the girl while making sure he wasn't anywhere close to the pink-themed menace was a big brain move. He knew he wouldn't win in a fistfight against Ashido, and if he ever was put in a position where he was close enough for her to pummel him, he would've lost the match automatically.

The whole fight was basically a cat and mouse game, but if the cat was a stray and the rat was being protected by its owner, the owner in question being Dark Shadow. It took the better half of ten minutes, but when Ashido slumped on the ground due to exhaustion, Midnight called the fight then and there.

And now, here Izuku was, waiting in one of the locker rooms because they were giving Tokoyami a 30-minute break, and a quick visit to the infirmary to ensure that he was in top shape for the final battle. Izuku understood why. Tokoyami had just finished his fight, and no doubt he wasn't running at 100% capacity. Hell, if he wasn't the way that he is, maybe he too would be running on fumes.

After all, a tournament like this is not that dissimilar to a marathon. A person has to know when and where to use tiring moves, but unlike a normal sprint, one mistake can cost the whole match.

Izuku hummed as he leaned his head against the hard, metal locker, the cold touch of iron seeping through his hair and into his scalp. He wanted to be alone for a moment, to think things through for the next match.

Truth be told, despite the fun fights he had watched and been in, none of them truly scratched the itch he's been having ever since he came back to Japan. Sure, he was enjoying himself a bit with all the spars and fights, but none of them really came close to a fight to the death.

The feeling of melting flesh, puncture wounds, and even splaying guts... He missed them... He missed them dearly...

It was kind of psychotic of him, to be honest, but Lordran changes a man, and for some reason, he became a grade-A masochist... Not in the kinky way, mind you, but a more deranged, psychotic way. It was how he managed to not lose his sanity after every death. If you can't avoid it, you might as well enjoy it.

Sighing, he stood up, eyes zooming at the digital clock that hung over the doorway. Fifteen more minutes until the fight. Pacing around the room, Izuku suddenly stopped as an idea popped in his head.

What if he went all out against Tokoyami? Well, not Tokoyami per se, but Dark Shadow. From what he'd seen, as well as experienced during their spars, damage dealt to Dark Shadow does not rebound to Tokoyami. He doubted Dark Shadow would also die if Tokoyami wasn't killed.

Slowly, a grin crept up his face. If what he thought was true, then it meant there was a way for him to go all out against a fellow student. Sad to say it wouldn't be against Katsuki or even Todoroki – he wanted to try fighting someone that could create both ice and fire – but a being of darkness was good too.

Closing his eyes, Izuku waited for the clock to tick down, every second stretching into what felt like hours. It was when he heard the PA system calling his name that he opened his eyes once more, body energized and ready to cause havoc.