It was the end of the first round of the sports festival. Izuku let Momo shed her insecurities on his uniform until she was satisfied.

"S-Sorry, I shouldn't have stained it. You have your match with Todoroki coming up."

And he said it to her. "You're more important than that."

Her eyes widened and welled up, she was about to cry again before stopping herself. He believed she could be strong and that's all she needed. She straightened herself out and wiped her own tears away.

He didn't need to say anything, the comfort was already there. He left getting ready to fight Shouto Todoroki in the second round.

He came across Shinso in the hall.

"Yo."

"Yo."

It was the first round and the only two who made it from general studies, through the first two sections of the festival were Izuku and Shinso. Both of them displaying their skills throughout the festival. And fate would conspire to pit them together in the first match!

One would expect that it would be Izuku's complete victory, and yet, his rough nature had rubbed off on Shinso, meaning he wasn't afraid to exchange blows with his friend!

It was a display that let Shinso show his heroic nature, at the last encounter Shinso asked the question he knew Midoriya would answer.

"Tell me, why did you want to be my friend?"

"Because you're a genuine human being!..."

And just as Izuku said during their first conversation, he punched him just before Shinso activated his quirk.

In that moment, Hitoshi wasn't affected by Izuku's fist but by his words. He was sent crashing yet he didn't feel it. He rolled up to his knees, holding his gut, staring at Izuku, realizing that his quirk worked.

"Walk out!"

Shinso clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't feel bad. He had to take this opportunity, it was the only one he would get.

"Hitoshi Shinso is out of bounds, Izuku Midoriya is the winner!" Midnight proclaimed.

"N-Nani!?" Hitoshi glanced down at where he was. His eyes narrowed, his leg had crossed the out of bounds line. He realized he lost with a sigh, releasing his quirk before Izuku could walk out.

They both stared at each other before breaking into a grin.

"Show the hero course." Shinso rooted for him in his own way.

"I'm going to show Eri." Izuku's one and only reason to win the sport's festival was for her to realize she was in safe hands now. That he was strong enough.

"There he is." The little girl was in the stands watching with Tenko, Torino, and Toshinori.

"Yeah, that's your big brother, Izuku." Tenko, of course, was the one holding her up on his lap.

Eri glanced around at the lively crowd, they were all excited and erupted in cheer as both Izuku and Todoroki made their way to the platform. She didn't really get it but she waved her arms around trying to cheer like them.

Izuku and Shouto stared each other down.

"So is it true, your father is All-Might?"

"That doesn't matter."

Todoroki clenched his fist. "Of course it does!" Letting his ice flow out. "I'll beat the son of the world's greatest hero without using the number two hero's fire quirk!" He declared.

"This doesn't involve me." Izuku easily dodged the row of ice.

"Someone like you would never understand." Todoroki shot out another row of ice. Izuku understood its density and freezing properties after seeing it for the first time. He jumped, landing after a flipping twist for momentum, sliding over the already solidified ice, zeroing in on Todoroki. Izuku leapt off the ice, charging at him. Todoroki created a wall of ice to protect him.

It shattered instantly, by a barrage of blows.

Izuku broke through and delivered a swift impact into his gut, launching him.

Todoroki created a blockade of ice behind him to stop himself from going out of bounds. He tried to take in a breath but couldn't. 'It feels like my stomach caved in after his punch... How is he this ridiculously strong?' Todoroki tried to straighten out his body but staggered as Midoriya approached. 'His presence... It's the same as All-Might's.'

"Shouto, what are you doing! You can incinerate him easily with fire!" Endeavor, the number two hero had marched down the aisle, wanting to see his son surpass All-Might's newly revealed son. 'To think that bastard All-Might had a son... My Shouto will surpass your son, All-Might!'

Toshinori was in his weak state next to his family simply looking like another fan, so he wasn't noticed. He was staring at Endeavor before turning his attention back down to the fight unfolding between their children.

The students of U.A. were trying to root for Todoroki but Endeavor's appearance had mucked the mood. Kaminari and Mineta were still cheering hard though, wanting that delinquent to lose, their cheers eventually got others to join them. Honestly, nobody wanted a delinquent to win, especially during a festival meant for the heroes in training.

Tenko glanced around slightly annoyed by the mood, doing his best not to scratch his itches, in front of Eri.

Momo had her index finger curled around her lip, honestly conflicted, she felt it was only right to root for your fellow classmate especially a strong presence like Todoroki but 'It's Izuku...'

Her lips parted before she captured her own courage and began to cheer for him. "You can do it, Izuku!"

Her class gave her a look but she ignored it. 'I will believe in you. You believe in me.'

Yet no matter how the crowd cheered the only men that mattered were the two in a fight against each other.

Shouto had his eyes shadowed. Izuku didn't want to see it but he did and gritted his teeth, shadowing his own eyes before turning to Endeavor, because for some reason he was still running his mouth.

"Shut up. You're annoying me..!" Izuku Midoriya was glaring at Enji Todoroki, silencing the whole crowd.

"W-Wait did he just?!"

Most of class 1-A and the crowd were shocked but not Tenko, Torino, Toshinori, and for some reason neither was Momo. "I knew he would stick up for Todoroki." She giggled to herself.

And Eri, she had her eyes wide. To her, Izuku Midoriya always seemed to shine so bright, like her own light in the tunnel.