The stadium shook with excitement as the announcers called out the next match.
"NEXT MATCH: REIJI KUROBANE VS. TODOROKI SHOTO!"
The crowd roared, anticipation at its peak.
This wasn't just any fight.
This was the battle between the two strongest flames in the tournament.
On one side: Todoroki Shoto, the prodigy of U.A., son of the No. 2 Hero, Endeavor. His ice had already dominated every match… but for the first time, he was going to use his fire.
On the other side: Reiji Kurobane, the unpredictable wildcard, the student whose brutal fights and Hellfire Quirk had shaken the entire festival.
And now, they were about to collide.
The Fighters Enter the Arena
Reiji stepped forward, golden eyes gleaming with amusement.
Across from him, Todoroki stood still, but his entire body radiated intensity.
No words were exchanged.
None were needed.
Midnight stepped up, cracking her whip.
"BEGIN!"
Ice vs. Flames
BOOM!
The moment the match started, Todoroki unleashed a massive glacier of ice, freezing the entire arena in an instant.
The ground beneath Reiji turned into an arctic wasteland.
But he didn't flinch.
He smirked.
[Predictable.]
Then—
FWOOOOM!
His Hellfire exploded, melting the ice instantly.
The ground hissed and cracked, steam rising into the air as the arena turned into a battlefield of ice and fire.
Todoroki's eyes narrowed.
[He melted it that fast…?]
Reiji grinned. "Come on, Ice Prince. That all you got?"
Todoroki's fists tightened.
[No. Not this time.]
Then—
Fire erupted from his left side.
The entire stadium gasped.
"T-TODOROKI JUST USED HIS FIRE?!" Present Mic shouted.
From the VIP section, Endeavor leaned forward, eyes burning.
"That's it… Shoto."
Todoroki exhaled, steam rising from his body.
"I told you," he said coldly.
"I'm going to defeat you."
Then—
He attacked.
Flames Collide
BOOM!
Todoroki's flames surged forward, clashing against Reiji's Hellfire in a violent explosion of heat.
The entire arena rumbled, the very air warping from the intensity.
Reiji grinned wildly.
[Finally. He's fighting for real.]
They clashed in the center of the battlefield, their flames roaring as they exchanged blows.
Todoroki launched a fire-enhanced punch.
Reiji blocked it with his own burning fist.
The impact sent shockwaves through the ground.
[He's strong.]
Todoroki kicked forward, his foot coated in fire.
Reiji dodged, vanishing in a burst of Hellfire.
He reappeared behind Todoroki—
But Todoroki was ready.
Before Reiji could strike—
A wall of ice exploded upward, cutting off his attack.
Reiji's golden eyes widened slightly.
[Oh? He's adapting fast.]
Todoroki spun, flames coiling around his arms, and threw another massive blast of fire.
Reiji grinned.
And punched straight through it.
BOOM!
The flames parted around his fist, his body completely unburned.
Todoroki's eyes widened in shock.
[He walked through my fire?!]
Reiji smirked. "Your flames are strong."
His golden eyes gleamed.
"But my Hellfire is absolute."
The Turning Point
Todoroki gritted his teeth.
[Then I'll just burn hotter.]
He took a deep breath, then—
FWOOOOOOM!
His flames EXPLODED outward, surging with a heat that shook the entire stadium.
For the first time…
Reiji felt it.
The heat of true fire.
He exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"Not bad."
Then—
His golden eyes flashed.
"But let me show you the difference between us."
He took a step forward.
Then—
The world ignited.
The Hellfire Awakens
The moment Reiji moved, his entire body erupted in black-gold Hellfire.
The temperature skyrocketed, the stadium turning into an inferno.
Todoroki barely had time to react before—
BOOM!
Reiji vanished.
He reappeared right in front of Todoroki, his fist already moving.
Todoroki's instincts screamed—DODGE!
But too late.
CRACK!
A Hellfire-infused uppercut slammed into Todoroki's stomach, sending him flying into the air.
The crowd gasped.
But Reiji wasn't done.
He vanished again—reappearing above Todoroki mid-air.
His leg swung downward, coated in searing flames.
"BLAZING DROPKICK."
BOOM!
Todoroki crashed into the ground with earth-shattering force.
Silence.
The flames died down.
The dust settled.
And at the center of the impact crater…
Todoroki was unconscious.
The buzzer rang.
"Winner: Reiji Kurobane!"
The stadium ERUPTED.
The Aftermath
Reiji exhaled, rolling his neck.
[That was fun.]
He glanced down at Todoroki, who was still unconscious.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
From the VIP section, Endeavor gritted his teeth.
"Tch… Even Shoto's full power wasn't enough."
All Might, sitting nearby, narrowed his eyes.
[Reiji is growing stronger with every match.]
Bakugo, watching from the waiting area, was shaking with rage.
[No. That should have been ME fighting him.]
His hands crackled with explosions.
[I'll destroy him.]
The Final Match is Set
The last semifinal fight happened next.
Bakugo vs. Deku – A brutal fight, but Bakugo won, knocking Deku out cold.
Now, the final match was set.
U.A. Sports Festival Final: Reiji Kurobane vs. Bakugo Katsuki
Reiji grinned.
He could already feel Bakugo's rage.
This was going to be fun.
He cracked his knuckles.
[One more fight.]
Then, he would prove once and for all—
That this stage belonged to him.
End of Chapter 17.
_________________________________________________________________________
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