Goddess Wink | Various!BNHA x Reader

14 ♡ mesmerizing

The first round was officially over, with the second looming just around the corner. Yours and Katsuki's would be the last battle, which meant that you were free to watch the rest of the contestants, but you were on edge for several reasons.

Firstly, your match against Katsuki. He was incredibly strong, and since you'd been on the same team for the Cavalry Battle, he knew most of the finer details regarding your Quirk. This should've been your primary concern, but the other thing tugging at your mind was Izuku's battle against Shouto, which would kick off the second round and was just about to begin. You still remembered the cold, near-murderous look in his eyes when he'd frozen Sero solid during his first match. He hadn't seemed anywhere near as hostile when you'd spoken to him last, so something must have happened. Now, you seriously worried how Izuku would fare against him, especially when he couldn't use his powers without injuring himself.

"I'm heading out, [Name]-chan." The freckled boy had already stood up from beside you, his expression resolute. You nodded slowly, not really sure what to say. Izuku was a strong person, but you honestly had no idea what was about to happen.

"Good luck, Izuku-kun." One way or another, you managed a smile. "I'll be cheering for you."

"Thanks."

Izuku flashed you a wobbly smile before making his way down the stairs. Shouto was strong, and fueled by hatred, but he was purposefully limiting himself out of spite for his father. If he didn't use his flames, perhaps Izuku still had a chance. Not that it was the right way to go about things, but...

I worry that this could get ugly.

You stared ahead at the arena, watching as the two contestants took their places on opposite sides. Shouto still had that cold glare in his eyes. Just looking at him made your heart ache.

"Without further ado... the first match of the second round... STAAAART!"

As always, Present Mic's resounding voice was the signal to begin, and as expected, Shouto was quick to send out a swarm of ice. If his attack connected, Izuku was already done for. In order to even keep the match going, he would have to defend.

"Oh, gods..."

You unknowingly clasped your hands together, squeezing your knuckles tight. Izuku had deflected Shouto's attack, but at the cost of breaking one of his fingers. There was a limit to how many times he could do that before his limbs fully turned black and blue. You wondered if the gods would answer your prayers in a time like this, to protect your friend from injuring himself past the point of no return. You already knew Izuku wasn't the type to back down or give up. He was too brave for that; too much of a hero.

More ice came thundering Izuku's way, and another finger was broken. You clenched your jaw, suddenly aware of the fact that you were grinding your teeth together. You heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue.

"You look like you've seen a goddamn ghost," Katsuki scoffed at you. "Calm the fuck down. They're not gonna kill each other. You're way too concerned with that shitty nerd."

"But still..." You pressed your lips together. "Izuku-kun can't do anything but defend, and each time he does, he breaks more and more of his body. Shouto-kun can just keep unleashing attack after attack."

"That ain't true."

"Huh?"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "It's not as if we just shoot them out rapid-fire. Quirks are still physical functions, at the end of the day. That guy must have some kind of limit too."

Now that you thought about it, you supposed that was true. In that case, Izuku's best bet was probably to drag out the match and make it a test of endurance, assuming he could fight off the excruciating pain for that long.