Neither contestant moved immediately. Manga's head displayed a series of dots, like an ellipsis, while Shinso studied him carefully.
"That's an interesting face you've got," Shinso finally said, his voice carrying clearly in the hushed stadium. "Must be hard going through life looking like a rejected cartoon character."
Manga didn't respond verbally. Instead, his head displayed a simple smiley face.
Shinso took a step forward. "Nothing to say? That's fine. I'm used to being ignored by the elite hero course students."
Manga's expression changed to show a question mark, but he remained silent.
"The silent treatment, huh?" Shinso's voice grew louder. "I guess that's what happens when you're too short to be taken seriously. Do they even make hero costumes in your size, or do you shop in the children's section?"
A few nervous laughs rippled through the crowd. Manga's head displayed a steam emoji, but he held his ground, not uttering a word.
"He's doing great," Camie whispered. "Shinso's trying to get under his skin, but Manga's keeping cool."
I nodded, but something in Shinso's posture made me uneasy. He was building to something.
"You know what's really pathetic, though?" Shinso continued, his tone shifting. "Your class president. Midoriya."
My body tensed. Beside me, Camie's hand found mine, squeezing gently.
"Someone with his power claiming he was ever doubted? That anyone told him he couldn't be a hero?" Shinso's voice dripped with contempt. "What a joke. Some of us have quirks that make everyone assume we're villains from day one. Some of us have to fight for every inch. But sure, let's all feel sorry for the kid with monster strength who had it so hard."
Manga's speech bubble head suddenly filled with exclamation points and angry symbols.
"Don't do it," I whispered, even though he couldn't hear me. "Don't take the bait."
"How dare you talk about Midoriya-san like that!" Manga shouted, his indignation finally breaking his silence. "He's the hard—"
He froze mid-sentence, his body going slack, his speech bubble head suddenly blank. Shinso's expression shifted to a small, satisfied smile.
"Dammit," I muttered. "He fell for it."
"Turn around and walk out of the ring," Shinso commanded.
Like a puppet on strings, Manga's body turned mechanically and began walking toward the boundary line.
The crowd murmured in confusion, many not understanding what was happening. Those who had seen Shinso's earlier matches, however, recognized the effects of his brainwashing quirk.
"Oh no," Hagakure's voice wavered. "After all that preparation..."
"WHAT'S THIS?" Present Mic's voice boomed. "FUKIDASHI APPEARS TO BE WALKING OUT OF BOUNDS! HAS HE GIVEN UP? WHAT'S HAPPENING, LISTENERS?"
"Brainwashing," Aizawa's dry voice cut in unexpectedly. "Shinso's quirk activates when someone responds to him verbally. Once triggered, he can issue commands that the victim must follow."
Manga continued his robotic walk toward the boundary, now just meters away from defeat.
"Wait," Camie suddenly sat up straight. "Look at his head!"
I leaned forward. Manga's blank speech bubble was slowly forming letters. Not words – just a string of letters that seemed random at first glance: B, O, O, M.
"He's fighting it," I said, realization dawning. "He's trying to use his quirk!"
The letters on Manga's head multiplied and grew larger, more defined, until they filled his entire speech bubble: "BOOM!"
A small explosion erupted from his head, the concussive force hitting Manga himself. His body jerked violently from the impact.
"Did he just—" Kirishima started.
"He hit himself to break the brainwashing," I finished, a grin spreading across my face. "Smart."
Manga staggered, shaking his head as if clearing fog. His speech bubble displayed a series of stars and spirals, indicating dizziness.
Shinso's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you—"
Before he could finish, Manga's head displayed another word: "WHOOSH!"
A powerful gust of wind materialized, propelling Manga forward at high speed. He barreled toward the startled Shinso, who barely had time to throw up his arms in defense before Manga crashed into him.
Both boys tumbled across the concrete. Shinso recovered first, scrambling to his feet and backing away.
"That's a neat trick," Shinso said, wiping blood from a split lip. "But you still have to be careful not to—"
Manga didn't let him finish. His head displayed: "ZAP!"
A bolt of electricity shot from his head toward Shinso, who dodged by diving to the side. The crowd gasped and cheered at the spectacle.
"WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DISPLAY FROM FUKIDASHI!" Present Mic shouted. "HE'S USING HIS QUIRK WITHOUT TRIGGERING SHINSO'S!"
Manga pressed his advantage, his head rapidly cycling through different onomatopoeia: "SPLASH!" "CRACK!" "BANG!"
Each word manifested its effect – a wave of water, a fracturing of concrete, a concussive blast – forcing Shinso into a defensive retreat. Unable to get Manga to respond again, and lacking any physical offensive capabilities of his own, Shinso found himself backed toward the edge of the ring.
"SHINSO IS ON THE ROPES! CAN HE TURN THIS AROUND?"
Shinso glanced behind him, noting how close he was to the boundary. His face hardened with determination as he made one final attempt.
"Is this really what you want?" he called out. "To beat someone who never had your advantages? Who wasn't born with a useful quirk? Who had to claw his way here while you played hero in your elite class?"
Manga paused, his head displaying a question mark. For a moment, I feared he might respond again, but instead, his speech bubble changed to display a new word: SORRY.
Then: "THUD!"
The ground beneath Shinso's feet suddenly jolted upward, throwing him off balance. He stumbled backward, his foot crossing the boundary line.
"OUT OF BOUNDS!" Midnight announced, cracking her whip. "FUKIDASHI ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Manga's head displayed a series of exclamation points and celebration emojis. He approached Shinso, who stood with his hands back in his pockets, expression unreadable.
Instead of gloating, Manga extended his hand. After a moment's hesitation, Shinso shook it.
"I couldn't hear what they're saying," Camie said, squinting down at the arena.
"Probably for the best," I replied. "Shinso might try one last trick."
But the handshake seemed genuine. As both competitors left the arena, the crowd continued to cheer, appreciating the clever quirk battle they'd just witnessed.
"That was MANLY!" Kirishima pumped his fist. "Using his quirk without responding to Shinso – Manga's more tactical than I gave him credit for."
"He adapted well," Momo agreed, making a final note in her book. "Though Shinso nearly had him with that personal attack."
I frowned slightly, Shinso's words still echoing in my mind. "It was a calculated move. He researched his opponents and found pressure points. For Manga, it was loyalty to his classmates."
"For what it's worth," Camie said, her voice unusually serious, "Shinso was wrong about you."
I turned to her, surprised by her tone. Her light brown eyes held none of their usual playfulness.
"He doesn't know your story," she continued. "None of them do. They see what they want to see."
I nodded, appreciating her support even if she didn't know the full truth either. "Everyone's fighting their own battles. Shinso's quirk is incredible – he just happened to get matched against someone who could counter it."
"Still," Jiro cut in from the row behind us, "using you to trigger Manga was a low blow."
"Tactical," I corrected. "In a real fight, villains won't play fair. They'll use whatever advantage they can get."
The conversation paused as Present Mic announced a short break before the next match. Students began to stand, stretching or heading for refreshments.
"You're not upset?" Momo asked quietly, her dark eyes studying me. "What Shinso said was deliberately provocative."
I shrugged. "It was based on assumptions. Besides, I've heard worse."
This wasn't about me or my past – it was about Manga's victory and Shinso's legitimate grievances with a system that often judged quirks on superficial criteria.
"Izuku Midoriya, diplomatic as ever," Camie said with a small smile, nudging my shoulder with hers. "But real talk? If anyone tried that shit on me, I'd have them seeing illusions of their worst nightmares."
That pulled a genuine laugh from me. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Too late," she quipped. "You're stuck with me forever now."
The door to the viewing box slid open, and Manga burst in, his speech bubble head displaying a massive grin. The class erupted in cheers and congratulations, surrounding him immediately.
"That was amazing!"
"The way you broke out of his brainwashing!"
"Those combo moves were sick!"
Manga soaked in the praise, his head cycling through various happy emojis and exclamation points. When he spotted me, he bounded over.
"Midoriya-san!" His head displayed my name in bold letters. "I'm sorry I responded when he insulted you! I just couldn't stand hearing him say those things!"
I stood, offering him a genuine smile. "You recovered perfectly. That self-inflicted BOOM to break his control was genius."
"I've been practicing different techniques after USJ!" His speech bubble displayed a series of little comic panels showing his training regimen. "After I saw what happened to Monoma, I knew I needed a strategy."
"Well, it paid off," I said, extending my hand for a congratulatory shake. "You've earned your spot in the second round."
Instead of taking my hand, Manga threw his arms around me in an enthusiastic hug. Despite his small stature, the force nearly knocked me back into my seat. His speech bubble displayed a series of hearts and stars.
"Thank you for being such an inspiring class president and friend!" he exclaimed, finally releasing me. "I couldn't let Shinso's words stand!"
I felt a flush of embarrassment at his earnestness. "You won because of your own skills and quick thinking, not because of me."
"Group hug for Manga!" Hagakure suddenly called out, her invisible form presumably already moving to join us since I felt pressure from another side.
Before I could protest, several classmates piled in, creating a chaotic tangle of bodies with Manga and me at the center. Laughter erupted as we all struggled to maintain balance.
"Guys, come on," I protested through my own chuckles, "we're crushing Manga!"
"Worth it!" Manga's speech bubble declared, though his actual voice sounded slightly strained beneath the weight of his classmates.