The moment my name lit up next to Bakugou's on the screen, something clenched deep in my chest—not quite fear. Not quite excitement. Just pressure. A weight.
Midnight's voice still echoed around the arena, but I was barely listening. The screen flashed again, displaying the updated bracket. My name stood bold and clear under the word semifinalist, but it didn't feel real. Not yet.
Katsuki Bakugou.
The walking explosion. Hot-headed, overpowered, relentless. Most of 1-A tiptoed around him like he was a landmine that could go off if you breathed wrong. And now I had to fight him.
"Welp," Mina muttered beside me. "You're dead." I gave her a side glance. "Not literally!" she added quickly. "Just... y'know, metaphorically. Like, you're going to get blown up."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I deadpanned, standing from my seat.
"Hey—" she grabbed my wrist for a second, more serious now. "I'm joking. But also, don't underestimate him. He doesn't just blow stuff up for fun. He thinks when he fights."
"I know," I said quietly. "So do I."
30 minutes later
U.A. Arena – Combatants' Prep Area
The locker room was quiet—too quiet. Just me and the low rumble of the crowd above. I sat on the bench, already in uniform, hands resting on my knees, eyes closed. I could feel it.
The ground. The air. Soft tremors in the concrete beneath my boots. The whisper of oxygen moving through vents, past my skin, brushing my hair. Earth and air—my elements.
They calmed me.
In this room, there was no fire licking at my ribs, no cold water threatening to drain my stamina. Just solid stone beneath me, open air around me. That was where I thrived.
Fire and water—I could produce those. But it was different. Straining. Like trying to light a flame with wet matches. They cost me.
If I used fire or water in this match, it meant I was desperate.
And I didn't want to be desperate against Bakugou. I needed control.
Earlier That Day – Flashback
Training Yard
"You keep closing off when you're on the defensive," Aizawa had said during our short one-on-one sparring session that morning. "You retreat instead of redirecting."
"Because if I push too hard with fire or water, I burn myself out," I'd told him, launching a low pillar of rock under his feet. He dodged effortlessly.
"You're relying too much on what's easy," he said, his voice sharp as his scarf. "Earth. Air. That's fine—for now. But what happens when someone doesn't let you stay grounded? Someone like Bakugou." I'd hesitated.
"Think about that. And stop fighting like you're hoping to survive."
Present
The prep room door opened with a hiss, and I stood as Midnight's voice echoed from above. "Contestants Kimi Akio and Katsuki Bakugou—report to the stadium floor!" This was it.
I exhaled once, reaching down to touch the ground beneath me. The polished cement was cool against my fingertips. Familiar. Waiting.
"Let's move," I whispered.
The sunlight hit me first. Then the roar of the crowd.
Thousands of people. All eyes on us. The open arena stretched in front of me, already repaired from Midoriya and Todoroki's earlier warzone. It was pristine again—flat, level. Perfect for shaping.
Bakugou stood across from me, arms crossed, head tilted slightly. "Tch. Finally," he muttered. "Thought I'd have to fight another half-assed extra."
I stepped into position without responding.
He scowled. "What? No comeback? No trash talk?"
"No," I said evenly. "I'm saving my breath. I'll need it to dodge your tantrums." He cracked a grin—sharp, dangerous. "Heh. Cute."
I took a deep breath, sinking into my stance.
Feet shoulder-width apart. Knees slightly bent. My right foot curled inward, pressing gently into the earth. My fingertips fluttered at my sides like they were feeling the wind.
Come on, Bakugou. Light the fuse.
Midnight raised her hand. "BEGIN!"
He moved instantly. A blast erupted under his feet, launching him forward like a bullet. His gauntlet-arm cocked back, sweat already igniting. The heat shimmered around him.
I dropped. One sharp motion and the ground beneath me opened—just enough to dip me out of his blast path. The explosion screamed past, shattering the space where I had just been.
I popped back up a few feet to the left, crouched, palms splayed on the arena floor.
He twisted in mid-air and landed in a skid, already turning. "Using dirt tricks again?" he sneered. "Come on, Akio. Be interesting."
I smiled thinly. "You'll regret saying that." I clenched my fists and pulled.
Pillars of rock burst from the ground in a circle around him. He leapt over one, but I twisted the air around the top edge of another and slammed it sideways, nearly clipping him.
He blasted upward, spinning mid-air, hands cocked. "You want interesting? TAKE THIS!"
Both gauntlets hissed and clanked—click—CLACK—and then fired.
The twin explosions weren't aimed at me. They hit the ground around me, kicking up dust, wind, and blinding heat. He used them to mask his descent.
Smart. But not smart enough.
I waited—just one heartbeat—and then shaped the stone beneath my feet into a spike trap. He landed hard—and the moment his boots touched the floor, the trap sprang. Earth shattered, pillars launched, and jagged terrain surged up under him like a stone tidal wave.
"Whoa!" I heard from the stands.
But Bakugou blasted himself clear at the last second. The shockwave from his exit tossed me backward like a ragdoll. I hit the ground with a thud, rolled, and hissed as heat singed my side.
Smoke curled from my jacket. Burned. Okay. That's one hit.
I stood, coughing once, and narrowed my eyes. Bakugou hovered in the air with one hand under him, keeping himself aloft with short, sharp explosions.
"You're clever," he admitted, brushing soot from his shoulder. "But you're too slow."
I raised a hand and shifted the wind behind him—sharp, slicing. Enough to throw off his hover.
He dropped a few feet. Not enough to stop him. But enough to annoy him. Good. Keep him angry.
Because the more he raged, the more reckless he got—and the more control I still had. And this fight? Was just getting started.
YOU ARE READING
Metamorpho (Mha x OC)
Fiksi Penggemar"One day Kimi...there will be someone only you can save..." Mama said. "But mama, there is someone..." ************************************************************** Kimi is about to get the chance of a lifetime. A chance to prove the heroes that ha...
