"Hey...wake up."

Izuku felt his eyes open as his arm was being moved. Looking at the bedridden Mineta, he was unconscious from the pain. Turning around, he saw Katsumi standing next to him.

"The preliminaries are done. You need to get ready." She said. With a nod, Izuku stood up and gave his bedridden friend one last look before turning over to Katsumi. The two shared a look before Izuku walked out with the blonde following behind.

"All the rest of the fighters are back on the stage. Head there, your girlfriend is waiting for you." Katsumi says with neutrality as she turns to walk in a different direction.

Izuku found himself out in the stage with the rest of the fighters. He stood next to his girlfriend who offered him a pleasant smile which he returned the gesture.

"Alright folks this is the rounds matchups!"

A white board showcasing the names of the remaining fighters.

Izuku Midoriya vs. Mu-Tzu

Gine Midoriya vs. Xian-Pu

Ranma Saotome vs. Ukyo Konji.

Ryoga Hibiki vs. Taro

"Will this rounds first pair of fighters stay while the rest can return to the fighter's wing?"

As the martial artist left behind the two. Izuku stared at the blind young adult as he in turn stared back to him. The returned gaze was a little bit unsettling. As if through those closed-shut eyelids were pupils staring into Izuku's soul.

A gentle hand carressed his arm. Looking briefly at his girlfriend, she gave him a assuring smile and whispered "good luck." Before she followed the rest of the fighters.

"These two young men from different backgrounds and different styles of fighting. Who will take this one? The Chinese-Amazonian man or the Japanese-Turtle Style-Teen?! Get into your stances!"

Izuku got into his while his opponent stood calm and upward.

"Get ready? Begin!"

Izuku dashed forward in a blur as he aims a strike at the blind martial artist. Had he fought him in the first round, he would have been hesitant to hit a visually handicapped person but knowing the knowledge of what was in store for him due to Mineta's defeat. Izuku wouldn't take that chance.

Dodging his attack, Mu-Tzu circled around the teen before countering him with a strong mid-kick. Izuku ducked before spinning a 360 degree low kick, breaking the stone floor beneath them. Mu-Tzu jumped and flipped away.

"Impressive. Certainly impressive. I can tell your are new to our world of martial arts but you have talent. I can see why you held your own back in the USJ."

Izuku pauses. "You know about USJ? How? They don't disclose information about the students personally."

"Japan is a small place young man. Even if you're off shore from the mainland, I have connections that inform me of the most recent events."

"So your more than just a martial artists."

"You have to be in order to get by in China my friend. Nowadays, it's all about the connections, for good or for worse, you'll need them."

"I think I will get by just fine." Izuku says, declining the idea. Leaping after him, Izuku continues the fight.

Mu-Tzu knowing of his incoming opponent, took to the sky's via giant vertical jump and aimed down with his hands in his sleeves.

Izuku jumped after him but he was bombarded with thousands upon thousands of throwing knives. Concentrating hard, he deflected as many as he can. Some had slice and cut him in his Gi and on his skin.

Once the bombardment was over, Izuku saw incoming figure diving towards him. He was immediately slammed downward with his head hurting. Izuku landed with a earth-shattering crack on the stage. Left in a daze, Izuku looked at the man who was standing outside of his human sized crater, carrying a metal bo-staff.

Feeling his head starting to bleed down his nose. Izuku got up and rushed at his opponent. Mu-Tzu kept the young teen at bay with the bo-staff. He would stab or swing at Izuku to keep him at a safe distance before landing a thrashing blow acting as the counter.

Izuku felt his torso getting riddled with bruises. The stabs were easy to dodge but the swings he had to block. Thus leaving him open for a chance to be attacked. It would be a kick or it could be a fist. Izuku was always to focus on the blocking to notice.

This flow of the fight would be going on before Izuku thrown a hard right at the incoming stab of the bo-staff. The end broke off causing the weapon to bent inward. Izuku grabs the end and takes it away from Mu-Tzu before throwing it out of the arena.

Izuku continues the pressure again, he gives the older martial artist a few of his barrages before Mu-Tzu afterimages on the last hit. The young teen looks back to late to have something come swinging at him. Dodging by ducking and performing a back peddle to gain some distance. He felt his cheek. Blood on his fingertips as he holds the wound briefly.

Mu-Tzu. Now it was coming back to him. A master of concealed weapons, mastery over assassination. Born out of China's ancient Amazonian tribe. Izuku heard very little of Mu-Tzu compared to the other bandwagon of Nerima. It explains why though.

His opponent was the most disciplined and calculated out of them.

"Good, very good." Mu-Tzu compliments as he twirls his scimitar while his other hand reaches into his robe sleeve to pull out another one. Izuku narrows his eyes, had his opponent been anyone else, he was sure he could take him no problem. However, the fact that he was fighting a skilled assassin made it worse.

"Let's continue."

Izuku gets ready for the incoming Mu-Tzu. Blind man was hunting down the youngster. Izuku sweat nervously as he dodges slash after slash, each one nearing closer and closer to a vital spot.

The flow of the match was not in his favor. Any attempt to try an engage, would lead him to be on the ropes sooner than he planned.

The Chinese martial artist danced on his toes as his blades were literal extensions of himself. Growing increasingly faster and faster, Izuku did his best to dodge the next round of attacks but he doesn't come out unscathed. His shoulder gets nicked, his thigh cut, chest slashed. This time blood was dying his orange Gi a dark red. The blue shirt underneath becoming a dark purple-ish color.

Learning the move set was coming at a price. He knew if the damage would accumulate and the bleeding would get terrible. Izuku with a quick reaction, performed the afterimage technique as soon as the blade was near his neck. Mu-Tzu sliced through a visage of Izuku before trying to get a better sense where his opponent was.

Izuku strikes with a dynamic kick sending his opponent at the edge of the ring.

"Guh!"

"Ha...Ha..." Izuku was desperately calming down to get his breathing in order. That last exchange was close, too close. Looking at his opponents uprising, Izuku narrowed his eyes again but something was amiss with himself.

Vision blurred. His arms and legs felt heavy. This sudden change was startling him.

"What?"

"Gelsemium elegans. One of my home countrie's most poisonous plants. But I made some editions to it for a more...faster result."

"H-How?" The dizziness was settling in.

Izuku saw the two swords crossing each other as he found his answer with the blades. Feeling nauseous, Izuku vomited out on the ring, his meals and some blood mixed together landed on the floor.

"I suggest you forfeit the match before you forfeit your life."

Izuku shook his head before getting into a lazy stance.

"Very well then." Mu-Tzu charges in with his blades but this time he was caught off guard by Izuku's sudden aggression. So much so, that when Mu-Tzu strikes first, Izuku dodges and gives the assassin a knife-chop to his neck then follows by a mid-kick to the side. Izuku saw his opponent recoiling, taking this chance he delivered a body blow, sending the assassin in the air. Izuku dropped a knee in response to his weakened state.

'Damn. My body is getting slower. I need to end this fast!' Izuku ran through multiple scenarios on how to win quickly, but nothing was coming to mind. His opponent was keeping him on his toes. Mu-Tzu flipped in the air before landing fast and leaping at him again.

Izuku had to switch up his plan. Planting a foot into the cement floor causing a crack, he charged all of his KI into a palm strike. Mu-Tzu was to close to react fast enough and took the hit straight into the chest. The blow sent him flying across the arena and had him tumbling.

The crowd applauded for such a performance.

Izuku didn't relent though, he charged again once he saw Mu-Tzu getting up. A chain of combos were landed on the blind martial artist. Izuku felt his fist becoming numb and his arms heavy. The last strike was a spinning back-kick to the face, having the older martial artist fall outside of the ring unconscious.

"The winner is Izuku Midoriya!"

When the crowd cheered for spectacle of the fight, Izuku held and raised his fist before walking off the ring.

His girlfriend smile at him by the gates though a look of concern soon washed over as Izuku stumbles due to the poison. He can barely hold his body together. Soon falling over, he was embraced by the warmth of his girlfriend.

"Let me take you to the infirmary."

"Posion..."

Gine felt her eyes widen, she too could sense it, there was a weight on Izuku's energy that she was only now noticing. With haste, she ran towards the infirmary with Izuku on her back.

Backing the door almost off its hinges, the nurses were startled.

"My boyfriend! He was poisoned in the last match!"

The nurses pointed to the free bed where she laid Izuku down on.

"Gine..." Izuku weakly reaches out for, the girl grasped his hand. The lover seemed scared all over again. The incident with the Nomu flashed before her eyes again before she shook off the fear.

"You are going to be alright Izuku. Just rest."

Izuku could only nod as he passes out on the bed. Gine reaches for his forehead, soaked in sweat and now burning as a sign of a fever. Gine leans forward and kisses him on the cheek and cleans of the vomit and blood from his mouth with a nearby cloth.

Heading back with anger and worry. She saw her opponent standing on the ring already. Gine ignored the blind man glancing at her. She walked out on the stage where the crowd waited.

"Our next match will be the an Amazonian from China; Xian-Pu and our second Turtle School student; Gine! Let the match begin!"

Gine didn't expect the woman to lunge at her with a sword. Dodging swiftly, Gine giving a counter to the warrior's ribs with a stunning elbow. Leading the next attacks of low to mid kicks ranging from her knee to the elbow of the arm wielding the sword.

"Xian-Pu finds you annoying, monkey girl!" She checks the last kick before slashing Gine unexpectedly on her cheek. The Sayian returns a strong punch to the woman's chest.

Feeling the blood falling down on her boot. Gine narrowed her eyes as Xian-Pu went on the offensive once more. This time, with more ferocity, the Amazon had delivered a mean chop to the teen's face but not before gripping that same slash wound with her nails.

Gine shouts in pain as the woman's nails dig into her cheek.. Gine used this chance to start a grappling hold. Xian-Pu, unaware of the sudden grapple, was soon struggling against Gine.

The Amazonian warrior didn't act fast enough as Gine thrown her down and pinned her to ground. In a hold that threatened to snap Xian-Pu's arm. The older female was not relenting. The Sayian didn't stop the pressure until in audible pop came from her opponents arm.

"Ah! Monkey-girl is dead!" Xian-pu glares as she uses all her might and launches them both into the air. Gine, losing her ground-game, unhindered the Amazonian.

Looking at the purple-haired woman. Gine saw the arm hang there out of the shoulder socket. Xian-pu grabs her dislocated arm and pushes it back in with a loud growl.

"You don't mess around do you?" Gine questions as she touched her wound and winces. It was going to leave a nasty scar, hopefully master Roshi still had some of those senzu beans.

The two girls stared each other down before rushed each other. Gine delivered a right hook, it was blocked. Xian-pu slashed at her head, it was dodged.

The pair danced back and forth between attacking, deflecting, and evading. Gine was at a disadvantage, her reach wasn't enough due to Xian-pu's sword. Combined that with her speed, Gine was doing most of the dodging.

Feeling desperate, Gine put out her palm as she charged a Ki blast but she remembered her masters words at the last minute.

This is a tournament to test your skills in martial arts, do not use your Ki.

The blade came down upon her, Gine caught the sides of the blade with her palms but was sent down to the ground with Xian-Pu above. Struggling, the blade inching closer to her chest, Gine grit her teeth while trying to muster all her strength and technique.

"Monkey-Girl is strong. But it is over!" Xian-Pu battle cries putting all her force and weight on the blade. Gine's back was now against the arena floor, the blade now cutting into her GI.

In the spectators wing.

"Oh no! We need to call off the match!" Inko shouts in worry, the concern for her pseudo daughter figure was rising. It was bad enough that Izuku looked ill after his match but she was seeing someone dear to her in danger, she was not used to this.

Getting up from her seat, she felt a hand grabbed her wrist. Looking at Roshi, he continued to look at the match.

"Inko, please sit down. Let Gine fight her opponent. There is no need to be worry."

"But why?! She is just a child."

"Because I trained her. I know her better as a fighter than you. Have faith in her abilities. Just because she is young doesn't mean she isn't capable of fighting for herself." Roshi lectures. His sunglasses blocking his determine eyes from Inko.

"I..." Inko felt conflicted, she wanted to stop the match but hearing the master's voice of determination gave her made the woman trust his judgement.

"Sit, relax, and watch the match." Roshi says letting go of Inko's wrist.

Back to the match.

"Ah!" Gine gasp as the blade was cutting her skin. She was glaring at the woman on top, her vicious smile aim back at her.

With every ounce of her strength, she lifted the blade up before rolling out of the way. The amount of strength and technique had left a small crater and cut the arena in half.

"Huff... Huff." Gine gasped for air, this human was strong. Very strong. It took her by surprise.

"Well, it looks like Monkey-girl ain't dead yet. That's more like it, it's fun you still draw air."

"You psycho..."

"Oh please, I am a Amazonian, we're warriors, don't go acting like you aren't one either. I can see it."

Gine gave her a confused look but shook herself. She didn't have time to converse, she was losing ground. Leaping forward, the Sayian gave a devastating kick to the woman's body, sending her flying.

In mid-air, the Chinese warrior threw her sword at Gine. Ducking quickly, the blade missed her by a hair. The Sayian then leaped up to the sky after her opponent.

The pair then clashed exchanging blows but it was easy to tell that Xian-Pu was not used to being in air for more than a minute.

Landing a knee to her gut, Gine sledgehammer's Xian-Pu down to the arena. The Amazon crashed against the floor.
Gine gracefully lands a few inches away. Her breathes were shallow.

Blood started to wet the area near Xian-Pu's head. Gine was concerned that she went overboard so she called over the announcer.

"She's unconscious and injured!"

Getting a nod from the announcer, he speaks to the crowd acknowledging Gine's victory.

With a bow to the audience, she rushes off to the infirmary. She was expecting to see an unconscious boyfriend but found him awake.

"Hey... congratulations on your win." Izuku greets with a hint of exhaustion.

"Thanks, how are you? Is the poison gone?" Gine walks to his bed and sits down on it.

"Yea, the doctors came in and gave me antidotes for it. Because it was a modified version of the real thing, they told me to rest until it was my time for the next match."

"That's good to hear. Are you sure you can continue?"

"I mean, I dealt with worse. USJ, remember?"

"Right. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be reckless. You may be stronger than most humans but you are still mortal."

"Same as you. I saw your fight, it looked nasty." Izuku comments with a bridge between concern and relief. His hand touching her slashed cheek then tracing his fingers by the cut on her chest, his fingers smoothly following along the cut to the underside of her breast.

"Hey... that tickles." Gine winces with a pained smile.

"Oh! My bad. I didn't mean..." Izuku tries to take his hand away but Gine, having more strength and energy, caught it.

"It's okay, it's nice that you worry. Just don't worry about me so much and focus on your recovery." Gine assures him. Subconsciously, she brings his hand to her chest. A tint of red got both of their cheeks. They let the moment take them, just silence and enjoying each other's company.

Both of them got lost in each other's eyes. Izuku being the young teen he was, leaned up and brought his other hand to cup Gine's wounded cheek, a wince was offered to him, he brought his face towards hers. The cut becoming more detailed. It was cut but had scratch marks that can leave some scarring.

"Does it bother you?" Gine asks unsure, with her boyfriend's face near hers. Her worry was clashing with his affirmation of his words little over an hour ago.

"No... but I can see that it's bothering you." Izuku says, his hand on her cheek was gently pressing against the wound.

"Gine, would you let me try something?" Izuku asks in a hush tone. The tint not leaving his cheeks and neither Gine's.

In a moment, the stinging pain numbed on both her cheek and chest. She felt her being imbued with energy that was not her own but familiar.

Warm and safe. That's what she felt, similar to those nights where they slept together under the covers with their tails intertwined.

Eye contact never broken, she saw the faint glow in her peripheral. As soon as it came it disappeared.

"What did you do?" Gine asks curiously, looking down she saw the hand on her chest. Izuku slowly moves his hand away to reveal a healed wound. The same can be said for the cut on her cheek.

"Healing KI. I didn't think it was going to work, since I didn't have a lot of practice with it. Seems to be enough though." Izuku removes his hand from her cheek. He was right, Gine thought. While her wounds had healed, the rest of her body was tired from the match.

"Amazing, I never thought about using KI for purposes such as this. Since when did you start?"

"A couple of days ago. Since I needed to prepare for future encounters with foes as strong as the Nomu (and Demon King Piccolo)."

Gine nods understandably. "Since you healed me I better get going. The infirmary doesn't have a lot of spare beds and I bet Inko is worried about you."

"Okay, tell her I am alright. I am going to rest a bit more before I leave."

"See you soon, Izuku." Gine says as she leaves his side and left the infirmary.

After seeing his girlfriend depart, he turns to his bedridden friend. Getting up to walk over to him. Izuku leaned forward and removed the sheets.

Due to Mineta's small body, all of his wounds spread across his upper and lower extremities. However, the damage to his torso and head where things that Izuku worried since the smaller teen had landed roughly during his preliminary match.

"Sorry Mineta." Izuku apologies as he raises the teen's upper body to remove the shirt he wore. He saw many bruises line in rows from his collar bone to his pelvis.

Putting both of his hands on the smaller boy's torso. Izuku channeled his KI slowly. He did not want to overwhelm the smaller teen's system. His glow of green energy soon enveloped Mineta's unconscious form.

The bruises soon faded eventually. Izuku was gasping for air, healing took so much stamina to perform for so little KI used. Practically sweating buckets at this point, Izuku finished once he saw his friend starting to wake up. Ending the session, Izuku fell back on his infirmary bed. His hands shaking, hunched over, and breathing through his diaphragm.

"Mhm." Mineta moans discomfort as he rolls to the side.

Izuku sighs in relief that he didn't wake up his classmate. After catching his breath, he gets up and leaves the infirmary. Walking over to the match, Izuku was left confused at the energy shift in the arena followed by a monstrous roar.

Rushing to the entrance towards the fighting grounds. He saw Ryoga fighting a monster? It was a hybrid of multiple things, the head of a bull, the wings of a crane, and the tail of an eel.

"What's wrong lost boy? Didn't you see this coming?"

"I expected better of you Taro. After all these years, you still resort to using that "form". Your mother would be so disappointed in you." Ryoga states in his own disappointment, his stance was firm, lower body grounded and his upper body secure. The beast known as Taro, laughs at his opponent.

"It's not like you can beat me anyway Ryoga. Not anymore, I far outweigh any martial arts capabilities that you can ever achieve."

Izuku steps forward to get a better look. Both men were glaring at each other but with different expressions. Ryoga was anger while Taro was mania. Both in an instant clash with each other. The impact of their fist colliding made the whole island shake. Izuku braced for more that was surely to come.

Ryoga landed the second and third hit, he kicked Taro's hind knee causing it to break instantly then soon delivering a body blow.

"ARGH! Die piglet!" Taro grabs Ryoga by the throat and flys them both up in the air. Ryoga ties to break free by hitting his opponent but Taro had other plans.

Diving down at high speeds, he was going to drive Ryoga down to the stoned floor.

In a instant, Izuku blocked his face as the impact caused the whole arena floor to collapse from the damage. The announcer screamed in fright from the crash as he fell out of the ring.

In the dust, a lone figure stood over the other. It wasn't Ryoga. With a loud victory laugh, Taro raised on of his hooves and stomped down on Ryoga's face. "You see the difference in strength! Your normal form is nothing compared to me!"

Izuku watched in a disturb silence. The amount of malice towards Ryoga was enough to make Izuku feel reminiscent of USJ. However, those feelings were soon gone once Ryoga spoke.

"Is that it? You throwaway your humanity just to keep this power?" Ryoga caught on of the hooves on his face and slowly picked himself up while holding up Taro's leg. The monster looked shocked.

"No... you aren't meant to be this strong."

"You overestimated yourself Taro. I seen and went through hell to get to where I am. No amount of physical pain can stop me." Ryoga says calmly as he brings Taro's legs towards him and breaking it by the knee.

Taro cries in pain as the elbow from Ryoga broke his knee outward. Once fallen, Ryoga kneels on top of Taro's chest and starts pummeling the beast with all his might.

Taro's face was crashed by every punch from Ryoga. In the end there was nothing but toothless mouth, broken nose, battered cheeks, and swollen eyes.

Standing up, Ryoga walks away from the defeated opponent.

"If only... you were this ruthless. Then she wouldn't have to die..."

Ryoga stops to look at Taro with a cold stare.

"Akari... her screams were so pleasant to hear. Oh how she screamed your name..."

Taro pushes his upper body up to look at his opponent with a bloody, toothless grin.

"If only her husband were there to see her end..." Taro laughs before coughing. He was too busy with congestion to notice Ryoga's stroll over to him.

"Argh!" Taro was kicked down on his chest by a firm leg. It prevented him from getting up. Ryoga had an emotionless expression as he raised his other leg.

"Goodbye Taro."

Izuku was shocked to see the beast's face get crushed by a thundering stomp.

He, like the audience, was in silence at the brutal end to this match.

"R-Ryoga is the winner. Give it up for him! The Boar!" The announcer shouts as he regains his composure. Ryoga meanwhile turn away and left the ring.

Izuku didn't say anything as Ryoga walked past him. The words were caught in his throat.

"Don't bother. I already know what you're going to say. "Why?" Right?" Ryoga says as stops shortly behind Izuku. Backs facing one another. Izuku nods then looks away from the corpse.

"He took something precious from me, it was only right I took it back." Ryoga explains vaguely but it was enough for Izuku to get the gist of it.

"Why didn't you call the police or heroes? They would have helped you, you didn't need to resort to killing him." Izuku reasoned.

"Do you really believe the law would help a vigilante? A criminal? Let alone a Quirkless one? I am sure you know the reality of people like me and my friends. We are a forgotten part of humanity that no one wants to acknowledge anymore." Ryoga says as he turns his head to Izuku.

"My friends are hunted down by the law constantly. Even more so our enemies. Taro was one of those enemies. That is why I need to end him. Before more of our friends suffer."

Izuku looked at his Senpai with pity. While he did felt that way before, back when Katsuki was being sexually assaulted by the sludge villain. The rage and urgency was there but Izuku could understand that loss.

After all, his father was murdered by a villain.

Without any more words spoken, the pair left the open arena with mixed emotions.

Izuku walks past the next pair of fighters, Ranma himself and a woman his age. Her beauty was unmatched similar to the Xian-Pu lady. Wielding two large spatulas on her back, she wore blue crop top and slack pants.

The trio did not exchange words or glances.

Sitting down at the entrance to spectate the fight. Izuku was left with mixed feelings as the fight was a blur to him. The excellent performance of Ukyo didn't hope to compete against the pure talent that was Ranma.

"How can I win?" Izuku asks aloud as Ukyo strikes at Ranma with venomous anger.

"You had me you bastard! Akane! Xian-Pu! Kodachi! So many other women who would want your affection. Then all of the sudden you chose your self?! Your cursed-half. Fucking narcissist." Ukyo screams at the top of her lungs as she throws other cooking utensils at Ranma with such blinding speeds.

With ease he dodges them all. "I'm sorry. I led you all on."

"Filthy womanizer. 6 years Ranma! 6 years!"

Izuku grew worried for the woman's sanity. The match became more than a pity fight. Ranma held no interest in his opponent anymore.

The fight ended with the chef outside the ring. Her back against the ground with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Ukyo." The pig-tailed martial artist apologized before leaving her to sob.

Izuku looked at the woman with pity. This was match sure but he couldn't ever imagine putting Gine through that kind of pain. Luckily he wasn't some playboy, most of his female classmates hate him while the rest tolerate him.

The next hour was spent on the staff fixing the ring from Ryoga and Taro's fight. The body of the beast was finally removed from the stage, as they didn't want to pause Ranma's match with Ukyo.

In that 60 minute time span, Izuku got rest and spent time with his mother and girlfriend. Inko showed the expected worry of her two children. Gine more incline to rest just as Izuku. Mineta had finally woken up from his recovery and spent time talking to Master Roshi about his training. Katsumi merely waited with her family, her thoughts on Izuku, about the regret she had for her behavior towards him.

"Alright folks! Thank you for the wait! We will start the semi-finals. Here is the match ups:"

Ranma Saotome vs Ryoga Hibiki

Izuku Midoriya vs Gine Midoriya

Izuku and Gine looked at each other with excitement and passion. It would be like their many sparring sessions but this time with a grand audience. Bonus, they get to rest up.

"Who do you think will win?" Izuku asks.

"I think Ranma, according to Master Roshi, he had the most victorious of the two." Gine answers as she leans against Izuku. Both teens basked in each other's warmth. The day was long but not finished. Savoring the time to rest was best for their bodies and minds.

After the last two matches, the crowd lost its mania for the tournament upon Taro's demise and Ukyo's betrayal of love. Once the fighters approached the ring. No words were spoken, their gazes said a thousand tales.

Gine knew their expressions. After all she was born a warrior.

"The first semi-final match of this tournament. Ranma Saotome of the Anything-Goes-School-of-Martial Arts versus Ryoga Hibiki of the Hibiki wilderness style of martial arts! Are both fighters ready?"

Both nodded.

"Then fight!" Both men dashed and clashed forearms.

Izuku immediately wrapped Gine around her as the whole island shook from the initial contact. People screamed in terror at the display of raw physical prowess that followed.

Both men dashed across the ring with speeds that left only blurs to the naked eye. The newly replaced cement was breaking under every step.

"There are not attacking." Izuku says aloud, his grasp on Gine ever firm. Her hands held his arms in response to the embrace. Gine was more concern for her surrogate mother, looking over, she saw her still on the seat. Rattled by the shockwave.

"I'm okay." Inko says before wincing again at yet another shockwave that followed. Gine looked back at the ring with Ranma landing the first hit. His fist, planted into Ryoga's face. Ryoga quickly gave a countering blow to the abdomen causing Ranma to wince.

Both martial artist regain momentum and continued their fight with a flurry of kicks and punches.

"Both of them are relatively the same in skill." Izuku comments, his eyes easily able to read their moments. This was nothing compared to the possessed-nomu. No... That's not right. In terms of speed alone, they exceed the Nomu. He was just more powerful to see them clearly enough.

"Yes, Ranma being the faster one yet Ryoga being the enduring one."

It was true, Ryoga was putting more effort into blocking and pacing himself to Ranma's speed.

Eventually Ryoga lands are harsh elbow straight across Ranma's face. Blood dripped. The cut was clean.

Ranma delivers a combination of kicks against Ryoga. The latter eating them while pressing his advances.

Punch, kick, knee, elbow, and another punch. Ryoga was leading the way.

Dodge, block, dodge, dodge, strike, and block. Ranma lost momentum of the fight.

Izuku watched as Ranma struggled to win.

Gine looked at Ryoga's strive to win.

Both were evenly matched, it was slowly becoming clear who the winner will be.

"Damn, why? It doesn't make sense." Ranma questions his losing ground. His pride of martial arts was slowly morphing into frustration at Ryoga.

"You shouldn't be this strong." Ranma delivers a strong uppercut.

"You are wrong." Ryoga comments, bringing his elbow down.

Izuku and Gine winced at he brutal sight of Ranma's fist breaking in one single blow.

"Argh!" Ranma yells in pain. His eyes widen at the broken fingers and knuckles.

"While you were fucking your female-self. I trained until my abilities were at it's peak. You are my only purpose left Ranma."

"Damn it." Ranma attacks with a side kick but Ryoga kicks his balancing leg. Ranma collapses to the ground. He couldn't counter or block the fist directed to his face.

Izuku watched in pity for the proud martial artist. He learned one thing about pride. It's a cure and a curse.

"It's done." Gine says with conclusion as Ryoga beats Ranma down into the ground.

The victory was anti-climatic. It looked like the end of a street brawl between two thugs.

"It's a shame Ranma, you were not worth any of my techniques. Maybe if you lasted longer then you would have a chance to use yours." Ryoga parts ways with an unconscious Ranma.

Once the medics came and picked up Ranma, Izuku and Gine got up from their spot and made their way to the ring.

The audience seemed less interested in the fights now more than ever. Izuku and Gine looked at each other with longing gazes. They knew that they would have to face each other or their victors but this was best outcome.

"Good luck." Izuku says gearing his body for the fight ahead. His stance was improper, due to fatigue and recovered poisoning.

"Same to you." Gine got into her stance, hers was the better one. Thanks to Izuku healing her wounds.

As the two stared off at each other. A brief memory passes by them.

"Now for your first sparring session." Roshi states. A younger and very nervous Izuku looks at Gine.

"S-Sparring?"

"How else will you get fighting experience?" Gine explains.

"She is right. Now..." Roshi trails off.

"Begin/Begin!" The memory flashes away instantly as Izuku dashes forward. The announcer backing away from the fight.

Gine saw his punch coming. It was easily to dodge. Leaning to the side, she delivered the blow without hesitation. A hard palm to his face.

Izuku stumbles but quickly fights back with a kick. His body falling on his balancing leg. Gine seizes the chance and grabs his leg and spins a 720 before throwing him into the sky.

Izuku backflips to before landing. Gasping for air, he got up and went into a defensive stance.

Gine leaps at him with a flying kick that Izuku ducks with haste. Izuku reaches and grabs her GI and slams her to the ground. Gine coughs in pain but spins on her back whilst kicking Izuku's knees and ankles, tripping him over.

Izuku cringes at his fatigue but soon gasp for air as Gine elbows him in his chest. Her weight on him, shifting to find the best spot to submit him.

Izuku pushes and struggles but his body cannot keep up. Eventually, Gine puts him into a guillotine hold.

The audience, while shaken from the previous matches were starting to get invested into the couple's fight. Cheers went for both the young girl and boy.

However, all that was just noise. Gine held him until Izuku almost stopped struggling. She knew he was still breathing and his energy was wavering.

'Only a few more seconds.' Gine shouts in triumph.

Finally, Izuku stopped resisting. His body resisting on top of hers. She put his unconscious face on her chest to make sure he didn't hurt his neck from the previous position.

"Izuku's loss. Gine's victory." Roshi states, taking a puff from his pipe.

Gine closes her eyes in dissatisfaction, she releases him. Moving him off of her to the side, she got up to take the next lesson...

"Got you." Gine widens her eyes as Izuku turns her over and performs a rear neck choke hold. Wrapping his legs with hers to prevent her from moving to much.

The last struggle was in Izuku's favor. Being the more stronger of the pair, his arm around her neck did nothing but prevent Gine from breathing.

Gine struggled, clawing and scratching Izuku. Desperate for air, but even then those attempts were futile.

'No... I won't let you win. I can't.' She thought as her vision blurred before falling unconscious.

"Izuku Midoriya is the winner!"

Breathing heavily, Izuku released his grasp on his girlfriend and laid her in a better position on the floor. The medics came and picked her up and took her into the infirmary.

Getting up, he followed the medical staff to the infirmary. Gine slumbered peacefully, her gentle snore was enough to reassure Izuku that he didn't hurt her beyond healing. The gap in strength was the reason for his victory and without it, he would have surely lost. He was almost thankful for coming close to death to that Nomu.

"Izuku Midoriya and Ryoga Hibiki. Please enter the ring." The announcement came through the speakers. Izuku sighed as he thought he couldn't catch a break.

Looking at his girlfriend, he kissed her forehead before walking to the exit. His eyes determined to win this tournament. Only one adversary left.