"I really admire All Might because of the smile he shows when saving people. Because of All Might, everyone can smile happily. So!"
"Even though I'm Quirkless, I, Midoriya Izuku, want to be a hero and protect everyone's smiles!!"
Midoriya's words made Todoroki Shoto look down in silence... He just remembered that the opponent in front of him, Midoriya Izuku, had no Quirk and had pushed him to the brink with just his equipment...
"Todoroki, can you tell me why you want to be a hero? I heard about you from All Might?!"
"......."
Todoroki gave Midoriya a strange look. Did he have a connection with All Might? But that wasn't important. On the stage now, both of them were covered in frost, and Todoroki was losing more than winning... So he decided to chat with Midoriya to buy some time until his body recovered.
"Todoroki, do you also admire All Might? Or is it because of your father?!"
Hearing Midoriya mention his father, Todoroki seemed to be affected. He looked up at the man in the audience, the hero covered in flames, the No.2 hero, Endeavor, who was also Todoroki's father.
"You said you heard about me from All Might, so you know about Quirk marriages?"
"Yes..."
Midoriya nodded, confirming that he had heard a bit from All Might.
"That man forced my mom to marry him to surpass All Might. My siblings didn't inherit the perfect Quirk, and finally, I was born... He only saw my mom as a tool for giving birth!!"
Todoroki's words were cold, but Midoriya heard endless anger in them.
"Since I was a child, that man always treated me as a tool to surpass All Might. Because he couldn't become No.1 in his life, he put his dreams on me?!"
"In my memory, my mom was always crying because of that scumbag father. She lived a very painful life..."
As he said this, Todoroki put his left hand on his left cheek. There was a noticeable scar on Todoroki Shoto's left eye, which earned him the nickname "Half-and-Half" from Bakugo.
"My left cheek... When I was a child, my mom poured boiling water on my face and told me, 'Your left side is ugly'... In the end, my scumbag father sent her to the hospital."
"I understand... It's all because of that man, that scumbag father who hurt my mom. So I want to be a hero for one reason!"
Facing Midoriya Izuku, Todoroki Shoto revealed his reason for becoming a hero:
"I will tell that man, even without his Quirk, I will surpass All Might with just my mom's 'Quirk'!"
Midoriya Izuku stayed silent. He now understood Todoroki Shoto's thoughts and felt sad for him. Was his dream of becoming a hero just to get revenge on his father? But!
"Your idea is good, but it's impossible!!"
In front of Todoroki Shoto, Midoriya Izuku said this. Just as Todoroki was about to get angry at being denied, he spoke:
"You want to surpass All Might? Your freeze can't even beat me, a Quirkless person!"
"......"
Midoriya Izuku's obvious taunt made Todoroki clench his fists tightly... He was telling the truth given the current situation...
Ignoring Todoroki's emotions, Midoriya continued:
"Do you understand, you just wanting to surpass All Might to get revenge on your father? The No.1 hero isn't just the strongest, he's also the 'Symbol of Peace'!"
"All Might fights to protect people's smiles at all times. If your half-hearted idea is all you have, I advise you to give up!!"
Midoriya Izuku wanted to become a hero. He had thought before, if he couldn't become a hero, he would become a police officer. Whether he had a Quirk or not, Midoriya's idea was simple.
"I just want to protect others..."
Even as a child, he would stand in front of others and get beaten up, wanting to be like All Might. Growing up, Midoriya realized how heavy All Might's burden was.
Japan's public safety wasn't great. Every city had daily crimes, and this was the reduced crime rate after All Might appeared.
All Might had serious injuries and could only maintain hero activities for three hours a day, but he still did his best to fight crime every day... Why work so hard?
Because All Might wanted to protect people's smiles. If he, the 'Symbol of Peace,' fell, society would become unstable again.
Midoriya Izuku understood this well, so he seriously said to Todoroki Shoto:
"Your father's actions and your current thoughts will never surpass All Might because he isn't just my hero!"
"All Might is everyone's hero!!"
Midoriya Izuku's words deeply pierced Todoroki's heart. His dormant memories seemed to awaken. Todoroki remembered his mom saying something to him when he was young.
"...Shoto, you..."
Todoroki Shoto held his head in distress... The unclear memories, his mom's murmurs, and Midoriya Izuku's words echoed in his mind:
"I want to be a hero like All Might, so I worked hard to get into U.A. High School and now stand before you!!"
"I don't understand your thoughts, but I know one thing. Quirks are just tools; what's important is your own thoughts!!"
As Midoriya Izuku said, he had no Quirk, only the equipment he made and wore. But Midoriya still stood in the finals because he wanted to be a hero.
"If you still think this way, then please leave!!"
Feeling some strength return, Midoriya activated the 'King of Storms' on his feet and charged at Todoroki Shoto, saying his final words.
"If you want to surpass your scumbag father, then become a true hero and show him!!"
These words pierced through the chains in Todoroki's mind like an arrow. He remembered, remembered what his mom said to him when he was young:
"Mom... I hate Dad. I don't want to be like him!"
"It's okay, Shoto. You're a good kid..."
At that time, the TV was showing an interview with All Might. As the number one hero, All Might was the idol of all kids in Japan, including Todoroki Shoto.
In Todoroki's house, his father Endeavor collected everything related to All Might, claiming it was to gather information on his rival.
Because of this, young Todoroki Shoto also admired All Might and dreamed of becoming a hero like him, just like other kids.
"I want to be a hero like All Might!"
"Yes, you can! Shoto, you can definitely become a hero who brings smiles to everyone, just like All Might."
In Todoroki's memory, his mom gently patted his head with a happy smile on her face, a smile brought by his dream...
Just as Midoriya was about to pull Todoroki Shoto off the stage, flames erupted!
Midoriya stopped abruptly, and in front of him, Todoroki Shoto's left side was engulfed in flames!
"...."
Midoriya was silent, watching his opponent. Todoroki was crying...
Tears streamed down Todoroki's cheeks, but he was... smiling?
"I understand now... Thank you, Midoriya!"
Flames shot up, and the temperature on the stage soared. The frost on Todoroki's body melted away.
"Yes—Todoroki, are you finally going all out?!"
Midoriya gripped the steel wire tightly. The rising temperature melted the frost on him too. The final battle was about to begin!
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