Chapter 33

The third-place match got far less buildup than the finals. Some of the crowd was already filtering toward the exits by the time Midnight called the match participants; they were assuming the real show was over.

"Todoroki vs. Iida, who do you think will win?" Yaoyorozu asked while checking the schedule one last time before we all settled back into our seats. 

"Todoroki, and it should be quick." That's how I answered, and it was.

Lida came in with everything he had left, which by that point was not much. The semifinal against me had drained him more than he cared to admit. Todoroki barely needed his fire side, ice creeping up fast enough to end things in under a minute. Even though he won, Todoroki's face showed no satisfaction.

"Winner: Shoto Todoroki!"

Todoroki gave the smallest possible nod of acknowledgment. Before skipping any celebration, he looked completely detached as he walked back toward the podium area for the award ceremony.

"He's been like that since the semifinal," Shinso said, watching him go. 

"Not just since he lost. Since before that."

"Something happened," Ojiro said. "Has to be family stuff. Guy's got that look."

I stayed out of their speculation. It wasn't my concern, and saying it wouldn't change his reality.

The podium was set up a few minutes later: three platforms of different heights arranged in front of the stands as staff moved with practiced efficiency. Bakugo, Todoroki, and I filed into our respective positions. 

Bakugo stepped up in total silence, a strange sight for him. No trash talk, no glare. His jaw was clenched tight, and his eyes were fixed straight ahead, like he was processing something internally.

Todoroki was even quieter; he stared blankly at the crowd, his expression devoid of emotion.

I kept quiestayedo, mostly because I didn't have anything

The crowd noise came back when All Might strode onto the field, medals in hand, his wide grin visible even from the highest seats. His presence instantly changed the atmosphere of the stadium.

"CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THREE OF YOU!" his voice boomed as he stepped up to the platforms. "WHAT A WONDERFUL FESTIVAL THIS HAS BEEN!"

All Might placed the bronze medal around Todoroki's neck first, and offered him some words of encouragement. In response, Todoroki nodded once, but remained distant.

Bakugo received his medal next. All Might's usual enthusiasm dialed down into genuine praise. 

"YOU FOUGHT HARD, YOUNG BAKUGO! THAT KIND OF DETERMINATION WILL SERVE YOU WELL!" Bakugo grunted back in acknowledgment, jaw still set tight.

Then All Might finally turned to me, gold medal ready, his grin widening further.

"AND OF COURSE OUR CHAMPION!"

He slipped the gold medal over my head.  "UNDEFEATED THROUGH THE ENTIRE FESTIVAL! HOW DOES IT FEEL, YOUNG ARATA?"

Midnight passed the microphone down to me. I glanced out at the restless stands and decided a few words were fine.

"Thanks. Today was a good day," I said, my voice resounding across the arena before pausing briefly,

"But 'undefeated' shouldn't stay true for long," I continued. "Consider this an open invitation. Anyone in our year who thinks they still have something I haven't seen yet, come find me. I'll take the challenge, whenever, wherever."

A ripple ran through the stands as murmurs broke out inside the stands. Beside me, Bakugo's focus sharpened instantly, his posture shifting from frustration to genuine interest.

"That includes you two as well," I added, looking sideways at Bakugo and Todoroki.

Todoroki's eyes turned toward me, emotions other than apathy finally cutting through his distant haze.

"So let's all go beyond our limit." I raised the medal slightly. "Plus Ultra."

The stadium erupted into a roar of cheers. All Might laughed loudly, clearly delighted by my short speech. He clapped his heavy hand onto my shoulder, which nearly threw me off the podium.

"NOW THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" he said. "SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE HERO IN THE MAKING!"

Bakugo still didn't say anything, but his glare had changed; it possessed less raw fury and more calculation, like someone tackling a tough problem. Todoroki studied me thoughtfully, his previous apathy slowly replaced by genuine focus.

After that, the ceremony wrapped up quickly with photos and medals secured before the crowd filed out.

"That was a bold speech; you gave up there," Yaoyorozu said as she fell into step beside me once I was off the platform. 

"You're inviting the entire year to target you."

"It felt appropriate at the moment."

"A simple 'thank you' would have sufficed."

"A simple 'thank you' would have been boring."

She laughed quietly while shaking her head.

"Well, your next term is bound to be relentless."

"Probably."

….

After the sports festival, they gave us two days off. It felt short compared to the tournament of that scale, but in the U.A. style of doing things, it was already a long break. I spent the train ride home half-asleep, head against the window, medal tucked in my bag, reviewing match fragments in my head.

Home was still the same. 

‘ Yeah, some things stay the same regardless of how much my life rearranges itself around my existence.

"Sweety, You're finally home!" Mom called out to me as soon as I opened the door; she pulled me into a tight hug before I could even take off my shoes. 

"We watched every second of the competition!"

"Every second of it?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Dad said, while approaching us with a wide grin. "She had the broadcast running before the competition even started; she was glued to the screen the whole time."

"I wasn't…"

"You cried during the cavalry battle."

"That was normal! Everyone would be worried; he was surrounded by everyone."

I let them bicker between themselves, dropping my bag by the door. The smell of dinner was filling the hallway.

"Congratulations," Dad finally said, clapping my shoulder firmly. 

"Tournament champion. That's a massive achievement."

"Thanks, Dad."

"And that speech," Mom beamed. "'Let's all go beyond our limit.' So heroic. Just like All Might."

"It was completely spontaneous."

"Of course it was," Dad chuckled, clearly skeptical about the content of the speech since he knew me, though he let the matter drop.

We all sat down for dinner soon after. They asked specific questions about the matches, the podium, and whether I was sore after the matches.

"But they only gave you two days, though," Mom noted, while refilling my glass. That's a very short break."

"It's more than enough Mom."

"Okay, sweetie, but you should actually rest, you know. Your Ability won't improve if you're only under constant stress."

"I know, Mom." She gave me a skeptical look and let it go.

Dad smiled proudly and steered the conversation toward easier topics like school food, new classmates, and other upcoming events. All in all, It ordinary, quiet evening.

….

In the UA staff room, the room was filling up, cramped despite the empty stadium just outside.

Nezu sat at the head of the table, composed and tidy as usual. Aizawa leaned against the wall, looking like his usual sleep-deprived self. All Might was occupying half of his side of the bench in his muscular form, his expression unusually grave.

"Now Let's talk about the students and their performance. Starting with Arata," Nezu said lightly, his tone clashing with the mood. "I heard there was some concern."

"Significant concern," Aizawa corrected. 

"Monoma reported something during his medical evaluation after the Cavalry Battle. He claimed that copying Seiji's Quirk felt entirely different from usual. He described an entity with independent awareness that actively reacted to him."

"Classic Trauma response," another teacher offered. "A quirk feedback can distort perception."

"Recovery Girl thought so too," Aizawa countered. "It's possible, but it fails to explain everything."

"Go on," Nezu invited.

"His file lists his quirk IBM as an invisible construct that he can manipulate for support. Which is true, but watching the tournament footage closely reveals flaws in that description." Aizawa's jaw tightened. 

"If you observe the way he uses his quirk, you'll remark that on multiple occasions, he acted as if he could see behind him or he could perceive things that aren't in his field of view. It's like the construct, and he shares their sense. On multiple occasions, he has displayed multiple abilities. Even his construct doesn't act like an extension but more like a second body."

Silence fell over the room.

"You're saying his ability is, in fact, a distinct entity," All Might said slowly.

"I'm saying he was actually attacked and hurt by his own quirk," Aizawa replied. "That alone warranted a thorough evaluation. Instead, his file remained intentionally vague, and no one has pushed for answers."

All Might hesitated. 

"Shota... could he be connected to All For One? A spy planted inside UA?"

"No," Aizawa stated flatly. "That isn't what this is."

"You sound certain."

"That's because I am. Trained spies don't claim a tournament victory by publicly displaying an anomalous ability on live television. It lacks any subtlety."

Nezu folded his paws neatly. "On that front, I have concrete data. I investigated Seiji's background after the incident in which he was injured by his quirk."

The room focused on the Principal.

"His baseline physical traits his raw strength, reflexes, and the *Ghost* entity are documented as far back as early childhood. Medical records and neighbor accounts of him confirm all this started before any possible infiltration scheme. We can rule out All For One."

"That provides some relief," a teacher remarked.

"A degree of relief," Nezu clarified. 

"However, his Quirk manifested around age three. That is exceptionally early. And given its complex nature, there's the possibility that Arata himself doesn't possess a complete understanding of it. He may still be discovering its parameters as he grows. Which is manageable on its own."

"But it still demands our attention," Aizawa insisted.

"Indeed," Nezu agreed. "It demands thorough observation."

All Might frowned. "What is our official stance?"

"For now?" Nezu smiled serenely. "We observe him closely, and we avoid any confrontation or premature accusations to keep the situation stable. But Arata Seiji will unquestionably require vigilant oversight."

The room fell silent in unanimous agreement.

“Good, now about the others…”