"LOOK ALIVE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE SPORTS FESTIVAL HAS REACHED THE FINAL EVENT! BUT BEFORE THAT SINCE THIS IS A FESTIVAL, WE'VE PREPARED SOME BONUS GAMES FOR EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE FINALS! AS AN EXTRA, WE EVEN BROUGHT SOME CHEERLEADERS TO REALLY GET YOU BLOOD PUMPING"!

Present Mic announces, then something caught everyone's attention.

'Are you serious'? Zeraora thought barring a deadpan expression.

"What are they doing"? Aizawa questioned stoically.

"WHOA! LOOKS LIKE CLASS 1A IS GOING FULL ON FAN-SERVICE"!

All the girls of Class 1A were seen wearing the exact same uniform as the aforementioned cheerleaders. Zeraora sighs in disbelief until he caught Mineta and Kaminari giving each other a thumbs up in a rather victorious fashion.

"WHAT YOU TRICKED US?! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS"! Yaororozu shouted at the two, the frustration and aggravation in her voice was very evident.

Mineta and Kaminari were snickering to each other, Zeraora grabbed the two by the head and gave them intensive shock therapy.

Mineta dropped to ground, his body charred with small sparks flickering. Kaminari however proceeded to walk around aimlessly giving thumbs up and mumbling "yay" repeatedly. Jiro broke into a spit-take, giggling uncontrollably witnessing Kaminari's mindless self.

'Perversion by means of manipulation is one of the few things I do not tolerate. Pull this sort of stunt again and the shock will be more painful'. Zeraora warned, as his eyes narrowed with a bloodcurdlingly glare.

Mineta could only lightly nodded, but the fear was clearly present.

' And make sure you warn your partner too'. Zeraora added as he walked off not even taking a second glance at the girls.

"ANYWAY! HAVE FUN WITH THESE SIDE EVENTS! WHEN THAT OVER WITH THE 16 STUDENT FROM THE TOP FOUR TEAMS WILL SLUG IT OUT IN A 1 ON 1 TOURNAMENT STYLE COMPETITION"!

"YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THESE EPIC MATCH-UPS"! Present Mic declares.

"With that said. Everyone come up and draw lots to determine your match ups. Then you can enjoy the recreational games. The finalists can choose whether or not they would like to participate. Though I'm sure you'll want to save your energy for the finals". Midnight spoke up.

"Starting with the first place team".

Before that could proceed, Ojiro interrupted.

"Excuse me. I'd like to withdraw from the finals". Ojiro said shocking his classmates.

Even Zeraora was surprised to hear this.

"Ojiro"! Midoriya called out.

"What are you doing?! This is a rare opportunity to get scouted"! Iida spoke up.

"I know. But I just can't". Ojiro reaffirms.

"But why? You made it to finals"! Hagakure stepped in.

"I did but... This is the second time I've been in a team with Zeraora and barely contributed. My conscience just won't allow me to keep going with this".

"Ojiro wait. Just think this over". Midoriya pleeds.

"Yeah! You're making too much of a big deal over this. Just kill it in the finals". Hagakure adds.

"You don't get! It's my pride okay! I refuse to give that up"!

"Its like Zeraora said during the student pledge. This event is for us to learn what we can and can't do. I've just been taking advantage of Zeraora's superior abilities. I can't continue on with this". Ojiro makes his conviction firm and clear, any attempt at convincing him otherwise would be fruitless.

"Excuse me. I would also like to withdraw". Shoda speaks up.

"My reasons are about the same as my former teammates. It just doesn't feel right to me, advance like this". He says.

Zeraora was quite surprised to see not one, but two people has take his words close to heart.

"You words are incredibly naïve boys..."

"THAT TURNS ME ON! YOU TWO ARE WITHDRAWN FROM THE FINALS"! Midnight boldly states.

'This lady might be more wild than Pixie'. Zeraora thought to himself.

Two members from the fifth place team would have been chosen to fill the roster, but they gave their positions to another team of Class 1B students.

Tetsutetsu and Eviolite were chosen for the finals.

"Take a look at the bracket my dears! These are your opponents"!

Match One: Izuku Midoriya vs Hitoshi Shinso

Match Two: Shoto Todoroki vs Hanta Sero

Match Three: Tenya Iida vs Mei Hatsume

Match Four: Denki Kaminari vs Evelyn Eviolite

Match Five: (Y/N) Zeraora vs Mina Ashido

Match Six: Momo Yaoyorozu vs Fumikage Tokoyami

Match Seven: Eijiro Kirishima vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Match Eight: Ochaco Uraraka vs Katsuki Bakugo

Zeraora looked on at the bracket, some of the matches seemed to be a tad one-sided in his eyes.

"BEFORE WE GET THESE MATCHES ROLLING, IT'S TIME FOR SOME PULSE POUNDING SIDE GAMES"! Present Mic announced, and everyone quickly dispersed competing several side games.

Zeraora wasn't interested and so he walked off into the hallway, until someone called him out.

"Hey fur-face"! Bakugo called out.

However Zeraora did not respond or even turned to face him, angering the mad bomber.

"HEY"!! Bakugo charged in, grabbing the young by the shirt facing him.

"WHEN I'M TALKING, YOU TURN AND FACE ME! YOU DAMN CAT"!! Bakugo glares piercingly, while Zeraora maintained his neutral expression.

'I listen with my ears not with my eyes. Now what do you want'? Zeraora spoke.

"I'm telling you of what's going to happen"!

"When you and I face off, I WILL KILL YOU"!

"I'm going to singe the fur right off your stupid face and you'll learn that you're nothing but a nameless extra"!

"YOU GOT THAT FUR-FACE?!!"

Bakugo grips tighten as he declared his intentions to the young tiger.

Silence envelops the hall, until Zeraora swats his hand away and walks off. Unfazed by his words and no response was given.

Bakugo grits his teeth and clenches his fists, Zeraora's outburst from the USJ and his words to him back in Aldera Junior high replays in his mind , reinforcing his anger.

The side games have ended and most of the class headed for the stands to watch the incoming battles. Pro Hero Cementos was in the process of creating the battle area, Midoriya and Shinso were the first to battle. Zeraora was already seated at the stands, keeping his mind to himself as usual. But then, someone person approached him.

"Mind if I sit here"? Asui approached.

Zeraora simply shook his head telling her he didn't.

The frog girl obliges, taking the seat to his left.

"Midoriya-chan's and the guy from General Studies are first. Who do you think will win"? Asui starts up a conversation.

'Midoriya by himself is hardly a threat, he's an amateur when it comes to melee combat and he's prone to acting purely out of emotion. The only thing dangerous about Shinso is his quirk, without that he's a worse case than Midoriya'.

'I'd say Shinso would take it'.

"What about Midoriya-chan's first approach against Bakugo during the battle trials"?

'That was only effective because Bakugo had no expectations for him, resulting in him getting caught off guard. The only reason Bakugo lost was because his pride got the better of him'.

'A loss he honestly needed, if I'm being blatant'.

"Hmmm". Asui closely observes Zeraora, noticing a peculiar air surrounding the young tiger.

"Say Zeraora-chan"?

'Hm'?

"Do you have any siblings"?

'Well... I have a little brother and a older sister, in a sense. Why'?

"It's just you seem very mature compared to a lot of others. Your stern words from the student pledge, and your leadership from the USJ. You just give off the aura of high maturity". Asui deduces.

'Probably thanks to environment I was raised in, I did grow up around other pro heroes'.

"Really? Is that why you called out some pros as ineffective"?

'No, that wasn't because of them. That was something else. But I'm not gonna go around acting like the pros I grew up were the best. They're different compared to a lot of others I've seen'.

'If you remember, I mentioned a scenario about some kid who got caught by a villain and several pros who stood and did nothing'.

"Yes, I recall".

'Well I was there when it happened. I felt so agitated, so I stepped in myself. Before things could escalate, All Might showed up and took care it'.

'Afterwards, those some pros came up to me trying to get me to join there agencies. I was unbelievably disgusted so I jabbed him in gut, and walked off'.

'Prior to that incident I had no cares about being a hero, but after realizing that a lot of people don't seem to take the job seriously, I felt like I had to out of obligation'.

'So I trained, and the rest should speak for itself'.

Zeraora had laid out his reasons, surprising and awestruck the amphibian-esque girl. Shortly after Asui began smiling at the young tiger.

'What'? Zeraora rose and eyebrow in confusion.

"Its just you've been really talkative these days. It's a nice change of pace". Asui pointed out.

Zeraora found himself unable to respond and as he looked away.

Shortly after, Cementos completed the battle area and Present Mic began the pre battle announcement.

"THANKS A BUNCH CEMENTOS"!

"NOW! ARE YOU SPORTS FANS READY FOR THE FINAL EVENT"?!

The crowds cheers with thunderous force, making Zeraora a tad uncomfortable.

"IT'S TIME FOR THE BATTLES TO BEGIN! CAN YOU FEEL THE TENSION?! OUR CONTENDERS ARE ON THEIR OWN IN ONE ON ONE MATCHES! PRO HEROES WILL OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES IN SITUATIONS WHERE ALL THEY CAN RELY ON THEIR OWN SKILL, STRENGTH, WISDOM AND COURAGE! LET'S SEE IF OUR CONTENDERS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES"!

Large pillars of flames erupt from the sides of the area.

"ALRIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO CUT THE STALLING AND GET RIGHT INTO IT! WELCOME OUR FIRST FIGHTERS"!

"THIS GUY MADE A HUGE SPLASH DURING THE OBSTACLE COURSE AND HE ISN'T SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN! CLASS 1A: IZUKU MIDORIYA"!

"HIS OPPONENT HASN'T DONE ANYTHING TO STAND OUT, HOWEVER HE IS ONE OF THE ONLY NON-HERO COURSE STUDENTS TO HAVE REACHED THE FINALS, I'D SAY THAT'D GIVE HIM SOME CREDIT! GENERAL STUDIES: HITOSHI SHINSO"!

The contestants step towards the center, Midnight stands across team as the referee.

"Okay boys, the rules are simple. Either immobilize your opponent, or you force them out of the ring. Don't be afraid to really lay in the damage, Recovery Girl has you covered, however should the fight escalate too much meaning life-threatening then Cementos and I will have to step in. Remember these are not deathmatches". Midnight lays out the rules, the contestants both nod in agreement.

"READY!! BEGIN!!"

Midoriya charged in only to stop short after taking only a few steps.

"OH WHAT'S THIS?! FIRST MATCH AND MIDORIYA JUST FROZE"?!

"Damnmit! I even warned him beforehand"! Ojiro called out.

Zeraora predicted that Shinso would likely provoke Midoriya with words, leaving an opening for his Brainwashing. Of course he wasn't surprised at the results.

"Deku, C'mon!" Uraraka shouted.

"Why isn't he moving"? Iida asked utterly perplexed.

"It's the guy's quirk. If you respond to him, he takes control over you. He used it on me before the cavalry battle and I couldn't do anything until Zeraora snapped me out of it".

Ojiro explanation had his classmates in shock.

Midoriya soon began walking to edge of the area.

"Deku! What are you doing"?! Uraraka cried out.

"If he steps out the ring he loses the match! Turn back immediately Midoriya"! Iida shouted while violently chopping the air.

Shinso stood proudly, knowing this time there would be no interference. However...

Zeraora picked up on a bizarre energy emanating from Midoriya and moments later, a large shock wave from his fingers surged across the area.

"UNBELIEVEABLE! MIDORIYA STOPPED DEAD RIGHT BEFORE STEPPING OUT OF BOUNDS! THE MATCH CONTINUES FOLKS"!! Present Mic yelled out.

Shinso's stoic confidence was replaced with shock and annoyance.

Zeraora eyes were fixed on what had transpired as he thinks to himself.

'Weird. Midoriya shouldn't have been able to break out of Shinso's Brainwashing on his own. Actually, even weirder the feeling I picked up, it felt so familiar. It was similar to when All Might showed up during the sludge incident'.

'His power was given to him, All Might's reluctance to stop his and Bakugo's match, and Recovery Girl's words from before. And now this similar feeling, this likely reinforces my suspicions'.

Shinso attempted to reactivate his Brainwashing onto Midoriya, however Midoriya no longer responded to him. Aggravation soon took over as Zeraora's previous words echoed in his mind.

Midoriya charged the indigo-haired aiming to shove him out of the area. Shinso being physically overwhelmed grew desperate, he struck Midoriya's injured fingers causing him to stagger. Seeing an opportunity, Shinso tried to push him out instead, only for Midoriya to counter with the same overhead throw he used on Bakugo.

"Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances"! Midnight declares and the crowd's cheers roar across the stadium.

'Well the instant Shinso's one trick failed, he lost any chance at victory. Although Midoriya breaking out of his Brainwashing was something I wasn't expecting'. Zeraora thinks to himself.

"WELL THAT MATCH WASN'T AS INTENSE AS I WAS EXPECTING! BUT IT MADE FOR A GOOD START TO KICK OFF THE FINAL EVENT"! Present Mic comments.

After the first match Midoriya took a quick stop to Recovery Girls office. The elderly woman was unsurprised by his visit, but at the same time annoyed.

"Honestly! First match and you're already coming here?! This is becoming very tiresome young man"! Recovery Girl voicing her annoyance.

"I know. But I still can't get a handle on One for All yet". Midoriya explains.

"That still doesn't excuse your reckless behavior young man"! She shot back.

"You'll need to work around this soon, otherwise you find yourself with some irreversible injuries".

"All Might may need to renew his teaching methods".

Recovery Girl continued scolding the boy til they were met with a visitor.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in". Recovery Girl granted permission.

Midoriya was anticipating All Might, instead it was some else.

"Wha, Zerachan? What are you doing here"? Midoriya asked, while shocked.

Recovery Girl turned in shock as well.

'Something wrong?' The young tiger stepped in with his arms folded.

"N-no. I was just-"

'Expecting someone else? All Might maybe'? Zeraora cuts him off.

Midoriya was shook and Recovery Girl grew concerned. Their reactions were enough to confirm Zeraora's suspicions.

'Anyway. Going back to your question. I came here cuz there's something I needed to get out of my head and confirm. And judging from your respective reactions, I think you both know exactly what I'm referring to. Right'?

Midoriya began sweating and Recovery Girl's expression hardened. It was as if Zeraora had them hostage.

"I don't know what you're talking about Zerachan". Midoriya attempted to feign ignorance yielded no results.

'Honestly, you're really bad at keeping secrets'. Zeraora shook his head at Midoriya attempted ignorance.

'I'll just get to the point. Your 'quirk' was given to you by All Might right'?

Midoriya lightly nodded, realizing there was no avoiding it.

'Hmm. Interesting'.

"Ho-how? How did you figure it out".

'It was a lot things really. Though it kicked off when you told Bakugo that your quirk was given to you'.

Midoriya griped his knees and Recovery Girl pinched the bridge of her nose.

"It's always something with this boy". She groaned in disbelief.

'For the record miss, you're just as guilty'.

"Excuse Me"!

'When I was recovering from my outburst during the USJ, you gave away the connection between Midoriya and All Might. Which further reinforced my already strong suspicions'.

"So you did know back then"? Recovery Girl realizes.

'Somewhat'.

Midoriya then broke down what he knows. One for All, a power that can be passed down to others. All Might passing it to Midoriya effectively making him All Might's successor. Explaining why All Might chose now to teach at the school he once attended.

'Well this sure is, different'. Zeraora's lax reaction had Midoriya and Recovery Girl perplexed.

"How are you so calm about this? I mean, isn't this bizarre or something"? Midoriya questions the young tiger's reaction.