My Hero Academia: Izuku Reloaded

adjusts Stitch onesie and pulls hood up for comfort as I address the readers directly

I curled up in my writing chair, clutching my favorite coffee mug emblazoned with "Character Deaths Are Just Plot Twists Gone Wrong." The familiar weight of my laptop pressed against my crossed legs as I scrolled through the recent comments. 

"So... about this last chapter," I began, tugging nervously at one of Stitch's ears on my hood. "I've been reading your feedback, and you know what? You're right. The pacing felt off, especially during the fight scenes. Writing combat is hard, especially when trying to balance technical details with emotional weight."

I took a sip of my now-lukewarm coffee, grimacing slightly. "Here's the thing - I love writing character interactions. Give me two people working through complex emotions or navigating a delicate relationship, and I'm in my element. But fight scenes? They're like trying to choreograph a dance when you've only ever watched dancing through a kaleidoscope."

Pulls legs up closer, getting more comfortable

"Some of you mentioned wanting to see Izuku completely overwhelm Hitomi's ice, and I get it. That would've been satisfying in a face-slapping kind of way. But that's not really my style, you know? I wanted to show growth and struggle from both sides. Maybe I didn't nail the execution, but the intent was to demonstrate how two skilled fighters can push each other to improve."

"And yes, the fight ran long. That's partly because, well, it's a shonen story. Extended battles are kind of part of the genre's DNA. But more importantly, I wanted to use the fight to reveal character - how they think, how they adapt, how they process failure and success. Though I probably could have tightened things up a bit. Made it make more sense."

Scratches back of head sheepishly

"So I've taken your feedback to heart. This edited chapter tries to find a better balance. Don't worry - there's still plenty of action, but I've worked to make it more focused, more purposeful. And of course, there's the character stuff I love writing sprinkled throughout."

"Thanks for sticking with me as I learn and grow. Writing is a journey, and you guys help make me a better writer with every chapter. Now, let's see if this is better..."

======

Ice crackled through the air as Todoroki launched her first attack. A massive wall of frost shot toward our fortress, exactly as I'd predicted. The temperature plummeted, my breath turning visible in an instant.

"Now, Mei!"

She aimed her heat device at the approaching ice wall, firing a concentrated beam that cut through the base. Steam hissed and billowed as the frozen structure destabilized, chunks breaking away.

"WHOA! TEAM MIDORIYA COUNTERS TODOROKI'S ICE WITH SOME SERIOUS HEAT!" Present Mic's voice boomed over the speakers.

I stepped forward, eyes locked on Todoroki. Her mismatched gaze narrowed in frustration, right hand already preparing another attack. Behind her, Uraraka and Ashido moved in formation, clearly executing a practiced strategy.

"Camie, Tokoyami—positions!" I called, rolling my shoulders.

Camie's illusion smoke billowed outward, creating phantom defenders along our walls while Tokoyami sent Dark Shadow to intercept Ashido's approach.

Todoroki slammed her palm against the ground. Ice speared toward us in jagged formations, splitting into multiple paths to overwhelm our defenses.

I stepped directly into the main ice path's trajectory, planting my feet shoulder-width apart.

"Midoriya!" Manga's speech bubble displayed alarm.

"Defend the others," I said calmly.

I waited until the last possible moment, then shifted my weight, my body flowing like water around the frozen spears. The ice passed within millimeters of my skin, close enough that I felt its biting cold against my face.

The crowd gasped.

I maintained my stance, one hand raised in the final Water Stream position. "You'll need to do better than that, Todoroki."

Her eyes widened slightly—the only indication of surprise on her otherwise stoic face.

"AND MIDORIYA DODGES TODOROKI'S ICE ATTACK WITH INCREDIBLE PRECISION!" Present Mic shouted. "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT!"

Todoroki's jaw tightened. She sent another wave, this one lower and faster, clearly aiming to trap my feet. Again, I moved at the last moment, stepping onto the ice itself and sliding along its surface, using her own attack as a path directly toward her.

Her eyes widened as I closed the distance between us. I saw the calculation in her gaze—the realization that I'd used her offense to bypass her team's formation.

"Uraraka!" Todoroki called.

Ochaco touched her fingers together, canceling her quirk. Objects she'd been floating—chunks of debris and small rocks—dropped toward me from above. A diversion to give Todoroki time to create distance.

I didn't break stride, weaving between the falling projectiles without looking up. My focus remained entirely on Todoroki, who backed away on a newly created ice slide.

"I believe this is what they call 'bringing the fight to your opponent,'" I said, still advancing.

Ashido broke away from her engagement with Dark Shadow, sliding on her acid toward me. "Don't forget about us!"

She flung globs of acid in a wide arc. I twisted, letting them pass harmlessly by, then picked up speed. This was becoming interesting—three-on-one, with each opponent bringing different challenges.

"MIDORIYA HAS ABANDONED HIS FORTRESS TO TAKE THE FIGHT DIRECTLY TO TEAM TODOROKI!" Present Mic announced. "A BOLD STRATEGY!"

"Not necessarily," Aizawa corrected. "Look at their positions."

I glanced back briefly. My team had formed a tight defensive ring around our flag, more than capable of handling any other approaching teams. By engaging Todoroki's group directly, I'd prevented them from coordinating a full assault.

Todoroki created an ice barrier between us, thick and tall. Rather than trying to break through, I ran alongside it, looking for an opening. She tracked my movement, adding ice as I went, trying to predict where I'd turn.

I stopped abruptly, placing my palm against the ice wall. "Impressive."

Then I kicked off, running back the way I'd come. Confusion flickered across her face for a split second—exactly what I wanted. As she shifted her focus to follow me, I suddenly reversed direction again, using the momentum to launch myself up and over the ice barrier in a single fluid motion.

"What—" Todoroki started, caught off guard by my sudden appearance.

I landed directly in front of her, balanced perfectly on the narrow ice platform she'd created. "Hello."

She instinctively stepped back, right foot slipping slightly on her own ice. I saw the moment of vulnerability and moved forward, not to strike but to maintain pressure. Water Stream wasn't about overwhelming force—it was about finding the path of least resistance.

"THREE MINUTES REMAINING!" Midnight announced.

"You're not getting our flag," Todoroki said, frost spreading from her right side.

"I don't need to," I replied. "I just need to keep you from getting ours."

She launched a direct ice attack at point-blank range. I leaned back, the frozen spear missing my chin by a hair's breadth. As I straightened, I noticed a flicker of frustration in her eyes.

"Getting annoyed?" I asked.

"Focus on yourself," she retorted, creating ice beneath her feet to elevate her position.

I tracked her movement, maintaining eye contact. "You know, you're quite skilled with half your power. Imagine what you could do with all of it."

Her heterochromatic eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't."

Behind her, I spotted Uraraka and Ashido regrouping, planning another approach. Perfect—keep them all focused on me.

"Just an observation," I said, circling Todoroki on her ice platform. "Though I have to wonder why someone would choose to fight with one arm tied behind their back."

"You don't know what you're talking about," she hissed, sending a barrage of ice shards toward me.

I flowed around them. Water Stream was perfect for this—conserving energy while letting my opponent exhaust herself.

"TWO MINUTES LEFT!" Present Mic called out. "AND STILL NO ONE HAS CAPTURED TEAM MIDORIYA'S FLAG!"

Todoroki glanced toward our fortress, then back at me. I could see her calculating whether she had time to make one final push.

She attacked with renewed intensity, ice erupting from the ground in jagged formations. I dodged each thrust, my body moving like flowing water through the frozen obstacles. With each evasion, I closed the distance between us again.

Uraraka suddenly appeared at Todoroki's side, having maneuvered around during our exchange. "Hitomi, we need to try something else!"

"I know," Todoroki snapped, clearly frustrated.

I used their momentary distraction to step inside Todoroki's guard. Not striking—just close enough that she had to deal with me directly.

Her eyes widened at my proximity. I noticed details I hadn't before—the subtle variations in her heterochromatic irises, the small flecks of gold in her turquoise eye, the way her white eyelashes contrasted with her scarred skin.

"You're in my space," she said, voice low.

"Am I?" I replied, not backing away. "Maybe you should do something about it."

She tried to step back, but I matched her movement, maintaining the uncomfortably close distance. Her breathing quickened slightly, whether from exertion or something else, I couldn't tell.

"ONE MINUTE REMAINING!" Midnight announced.

Todoroki's jaw clenched. She slammed her right foot down, sending ice spreading outward in all directions. I jumped, landing lightly on the very ice she'd created. 

"Impressive," I said. "But predictable."

Something snapped in her expression—a crack in that perfect composure. She thrust both hands forward, and for a split second, I saw flames flicker along her left fingers before she caught herself, extinguishing them immediately.

But I'd seen it. And she knew I'd seen it.

I Blitzed backward, creating distance between us. "Oh? Now what was that all about?"

Her face paled, then flushed with anger. "Nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing," I said, tilting my head. "Looked like fire to me."

"THIRTY SECONDS!" Midnight called.

Todoroki's breathing had become uneven, her composure fracturing. The ice around her feet crackled and spread erratically, reflecting her inner turmoil.

"You don't know anything," she said, voice tight.

I maintained eye contact, seeing the conflict raging behind her mismatched eyes. "I know you're holding back. I know you're fighting with only half your strength. What I don't know is why."

"FIFTEEN SECONDS!"

She lunged forward suddenly, ice erupting from her right side with greater force than before. I flowed around it, but the formation was more complex, more desperate. For a moment, I found myself genuinely impressed by her creativity under pressure.

"FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!"

The buzzer sounded, echoing throughout the stadium.

"TIME'S UP!" Midnight announced, raising her whip. "THE FORTRESS CHALLENGE IS COMPLETE! THE RESULTS OF THE FORTRESS CHALLENGE WILL NOW BE DISPLAYED!"

Todoroki and I remained frozen in place, still locked in our standoff. Neither of us moved immediately, something electric hanging in the air between us.

"Well fought," I said finally, relaxing my stance.

She stared at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, without a word, she turned and walked away, frost trailing in her wake.

The giant screen lit up, showing the final standings.

TEAM MIDORIYA

TEAM TODOROKI

TEAM BAKUGO 

TEAM KENDO 

"THE TOP FOUR TEAMS WILL ADVANCE ALL MEMBERS TO THE FINAL TOURNAMENT!" Midnight announced. "ADDITIONALLY, IF YOUR TEAM DID NOT MAKE THE STANDINGS, THERE ARE THREE SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR THE TOURNAMENT WHICH WILL BE SHOWN AFTER!"

"THAT GIVES US OUR TOP CANDIDATES FOR THE TOURNAMENT!" Present Mic shouted. "WE'LL HAVE A ONE-HOUR BREAK FOR LUNCH BEFORE THE BRACKET DRAWING!"