The final match of round one had concluded, a five minute break was put up before advancing to the quarter finals.

The young tiger was walking about, but then spotted his classmate Uraraka. She walked down the hall with her gaze fixed on the ground, looking dissatisfied and upset.

Even with the girl's usual cheerful nature, an event like what had transpired would still have affected her greatly.

'Feeling down, are we'? Zeraora spoke.

Uraraka jumped for a moment.

"Wha...? Oh hey Zeraora-chan! Didn't see you there". Uraraka giggles, trying to cover her dissatisfaction, but failing.

Zeraora sees through the façade.

'You can quit faking it Uraraka, I know you're upset.' Zeraora spoke bluntly.

"Whhaatt? Upset? What are you taking about? I'm more fired up ever"! Uraraka continues the act.

She resumes giggling, but upon meeting Zeraora's stern glare she realizes the tiger is serious.

*SIGH*

"I guess it was really obvious, huh"? Uraraka ceased the façade.

'Very. And you trying to cover it was pretty painful to watch'. Zeraora bluntly pointed out.

"It's just, I thought I did everything right. I had that plan set up to counter him, to beat him". She grips her arm.

"But..."

'It wasn't enough. Bakugo's power was too much'. Zeraora cuts in.

Uraraka nods, tears began forming.

"Maybe...*Sniff*... maybe I'm not good enough, maybe *Sniff* I don't... Have it takes to be a hero". Uraraka's voice cracks, as she doubts her own abilities.

Zeraora knew his words from the student pledge greatly affected her. To leave her in this state would very cruel and heartless.

'Ya know, the average person would tell you that winning makes you better, and how that's the only way you gain any experience. But I once heard, that losing makes you even stronger. Defeats often carry more weight and lessons than simple victories. A defeat tells your current limit, the things you can't do. If all you know is victory, than you'll likely lack the fortitude to stand back up when you lose one day. People who what it's like to lose, will often have greater resilience and the strength to get back up and keep going'.

'So yeah, you lost today. But that means next time you'll be even stronger, as long as you keep your mind open. I mean that is human beings improve over centuries'.

Uraraka was alit by Zeraora's speech.

'You said early that maybe you didn't have what it takes to be a hero. Well if you can move on and learn from this experience, then I'd say your already on the way there. So long as you don't stop growing anyway'. Zeraora reassures.

The young tiger walks off leaving Uraraka to her own thoughts. She looks to her hands, Zeraora's words from student pledge replays in her mind. The young tigers words to her just now, rekindled her spirit. She wipes the tears from her eyes and clenches her fists vowing to not show this weakness again.

After helping to alleviate Uraraka's doubts and uncertainties, Zeraora's mind was fixed on his next match.

'I'm facing Tokoyami next. My only reference points for his skillsets are the battle trials and his match with Yaoyorozu. Though the latter went by too quick, Yaoyorozu seemed way too distracted. Someone with her intellect could've come up with something to deal with Tokoyami's Dark Shadow. That said, from what I was able pick up, Dark Shadow looks to have greater speed then what Ashido pulled off. And judging from how much Yaoyorozu recoiled, it's attacks are pretty heavy. But Tokoyami himself is pretty stationary'. Zeraora ponders to himself.

Zeraora's thought process was interrupted, as he suddenly encountered the mad bomber himself.

"HUH"?! Bakugo called out.

The two stopped dead in their tracks, Zeraora momentarily caught an odd expression on Bakugo. He had a look of concern while lightly massaging his hands.

'Hmmm'? Zeraora hummed to himself.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT FUR-FACE"?! Bakugo shouted.

Zeraora did not respond, and instead walked off.

But to his surprise, Bakugo said nothing and instead growled in annoyance.

Zeraora briefly looked back, realizing that things have gotten more curious.

The audience took back their seats, eagerly waiting for the matches to resume.

Zeraora took a seat in back, from there he overheard a conversation.

Uraraka and Iida were seated two rows in front of him.

"Uraraka! Are you well"? Iida asked with concern.

"Yeah! I'm doing great"! Uraraka replied, regaining her usual cheerful self.

"I thought you might have been a little discouraged, after your match against Bakugo and all". Iida inquired.

"Well, honestly I was. And frankly I am still a little upset. But I can't just let something like pull me down. I just need to better, until it doesn't bother me anymore". Uraraka spoke with vigor.

"I see. I must say, you're taking it better than I had anticipated". Iida said, relieved for his friend.

"Let's just say I had a much needed pep-talk". She said alluding to someone.

Zeraora overhearing the conversation, did not sense any deception in her attitude.

'Guess she's better now'. The young tiger comments to himself.

"ALRIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! HOPE YOU'VE REFUELED THE EXCITEMENT TANK, CAUSE THE MATCHES ARE BACK BABBBYYYYY"!! Present Mic roars with vigor.

The excitement from the audience echoes across the stadium.

"WELL LET'S NOT WASTE ANY TIME AND GET BACK TO THE CARNAGE"!!

"KICKING OFF THE QUARTER FINALS, WE HAVE TWO STUDENTS FROM CLASS 1A DUKING IT OUT! ITS IZUKU MIDORIYA VS SHOTO TODOROKI!! TIME TO RAISE THE ROOF"!

The two contestants step into the arena, both bore a serious gaze fixed on the other.

Zeraora watched from the back row, somewhat curious of the eventual outcome.

"Alright boys, you know rules. So play nice". Midnight said with a devious smile.

The two nod in agreement.

"ANNNNDDDDD...! BEGIN"!!

The moment Present Mic gave the signal, Todoroki made the first move, launching a large wave of ice shards towards his opponent. Midoriya stood his ground, channeling One for All through his fingers, he unleashed a powerful shockwave. The resulting blast shattered the incoming ice and caused Todoroki to slightly recoil back.

'At its core, this fight is purely war of attrition, but Todoroki has the edge when it comes range. Modoriya would need to land one good hit if he wants to gain any momentum here'. Zeraora assess the battle.

The battle continues with the repeated exchange of large ice waves and powerful shockwaves. Overtime Midoriya's hand was riddled with broken fingers, as his body cannot physically withstand One for All's power. However...

Todoroki condition is no better. The repeated use of his ice is freezing the right side of his body. His attack grew sluggish as a result.

'So that's what happens when he overuses his ice. His fire would able to counterbalance that. That said, the contrasting nature of fire and ice should give him more of an advantage here'. Zeraora thinks to himself.

As he observes the battle, Todoroki's prior words declaring his 'conviction' replayed in his mind.

'Or rather, that would've been the case, if he wasn't such a coward'. Zeraora growl slightly in annoyannce.

As the battle continues, seeing an opportunity to approach, Todoroki charged towards Midoriya thinking his guard was down. However, he miscalculated and Midoriya punished him with a strong punch to the abdomen. Quickly catching himself, Todoroki aimed to freeze him, but Midoriya evaded and unleashed another shockwave to repel his foe.

The two stand apart from each other, exhaustion seeping in quickly. Todoroki's body was incredibly sluggish and Midoriya was heavy injured.

'From the looks of it, Midoriya losing this match. I don't think he'll be able to pull another spontaneous miracle like he did with Shinso. But Todoroki isn't being very conservative with his ice, he's just abusing his raw power'. Zeraora thinks to himself.

However Zeraora's thought process was interrupted by a sudden shout.

"IT'S YOURS!! IT'S YOUR QUIRK NOT HIS"!! Midoriya screams out.

"IT'S LIKE ZERA-CHAN SAID! YOU CAN'T EXPECT TO BE NUMBER WITH JUST HALF OF YOUR POWER"!! Midoriya continues to scream his lungs out, as he runs in delivering another punch to Todoroki's gut.

The heterochromatic male is sent flying across the area, memories of his mother's words flash within his mind. He falls to the ground and struggles to get back on his feet. But then...

Zeraora senses kicked off as he picked a sudden change in temperature.

As if on instinct, Todoroki's flames erupted with incredible intensity. The audience was gripped with surprise. Zeraora's neutral expression changed to mild surprise.

The Flame Hero's booming voice roared.

"Have you finally accepted your purpose! Good! That's it! This is the beginning of a new era for us! With my blood in your veins, you will surpass me! SHOW THEM THE REASON WHY I CREATED YOU"!!!

"ENDEAVOR'S GIVING WORDS OF... ENCOURAGEMENT? WHAT A DOTING FATHER"! Present Mic comments with slight confusion.

'Yeeeaahh. Kinda forget he was even here'. Zeraora comments to himself.

The young tiger's eyes turn back to Todoroki, his flames melting away the ice stabilizing his body temperature.

Midoriya witnessing this smiles in amazement, but soon grew nervous.

The two contestants looked back to each other. Preparing for their final attack.

Midnight worried for the incoming collision and called out Cementoss to prepare barriers to minimize the damage.

Zeraora sensed a powerful collision incoming as well.

Todoroki unleashed a another ice wave, larger than the ones previously made. Midoriya channeled One for All to his legs and leaped across the mass of ice. With his foe approaching, Todoroki prepared his flames to fight back. Before the two made contact, Cementoss erected large walls. However the resulting impact brought forth a large violent explosion. Plumes of dust whisked throughout the area blinding the audience.

Minutes have passed, remnants of dust still lingers but has die down enough for visible conformation. Midoriya was seen with his back to the wall, unconscious and writhe with injuries. Todoroki was seen laying atop a mound ice lined across the edge, he slowly stood witnessing the aftermath.

"Midoriya is out of bounds! Todoroki is the winner"! Midnight declares.

The cheers of the audience roared with absolute vigor.

"WHAT A CRAZY MATCH, BUT IN THE END THE SON OF THE NUMBER 2 HERO CLAIMS THE VICTORY! WE'LL BE TAKING A SHORT BREAK UNTIL AFTER GOOD OLD CEMENTOSS CLEARS UP THE DAMAGE! BUT DON'T WORRY THE PULSE POUNDING ACTION WILL BE BACK"!! Present Mic shouts with excitement.

Zeraora paused for a moment before standing from his seat a started walking about. His expression not deviating from the usual neutral expression. Something one of his classmates noticed.

"ALRIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! AFTER THAT QUICK INTERMISSION, THE QUARTER FINALS CONTINUES"!!

"FOR THE SECOND MATCH WE HAVE RABBIT AND/OR FOX GIRL WHO IS INNOCENT IN APPEARANCE ONLY! FROM HERO COURSE CLASS 1B: EVELYN EVOILITE"!

The young girl steps towards the area, this time with a more serious smile.

"AND HER OPPONENT WHO COMES FROM A LONG LINE OF HEROES HIMSELF! A HUMAN TURBO! THE CLASS REPRESENTATIVE OF CLASS 1A: TENYA IIDA"!

The tall young man with engines in his legs walks in, bearing a stern expression.

The two combatants step onto the arena.

"The rules haven't changed kiddies. Battle to your hearts content"! Midnight reaffirms the two.

"Begin"!

The instant Midnight gave the signal, Iida immediately changed forward. He leaped into the air delivering his signature kick. Evelyn stood her ground and blocked the attack. The resulting impact repelled the two.

"This one primary traits are speed and kicks, but he doesn't have anything on him to trigger any of my Eeveelutions". Eviolite assess.

She subtly shifts her gaze the sky.

"The sunlight should be strong for me to go Espeon, even if brief moment. I just need to stall the match long enough, then I'll able the take the win". Eviolite sets her plan in motion.

Iida charges in once again, unleashing a series of kicks. However Eviolite evades with her impressive athleticism, and defends with her impressive resilience.

After several failed assaults, Iida begins losing his stamina and his engines are nearly out of fuel. All while Eviolite keeps her distance, looking rather unscathed in comparison.

"What's going on? She hasn't fought back once. From her match against Kaminari, I concluded that she would be rather formidable. And she has yet to even used her quirk". Iida ponders.

"Wait. When Kaminari used his electricity on her, instead of being damaged she absorb the energy and then transformed. What if that could be done with other sources? Like..."?

Iida quickly looked to the sun, then back to Eviolite who began to glow.

"Sunlight! She's absorbing solar energy"! Iida said out loud, concern was present in his voice.

Eviolite's caught his realization.

"He's sharp too. However I'm already accustom to his speed, and it sounds like his engines are burning out. Just a bit more and the match is mine". Eviolite smiles to herself, the glow enveloping her body intensifies.

Iida must act quickly, otherwise he will face imminent defeat.

"No choice. I'll have to use 'that'". Iida alludes to his last dich move.

He assumes a sprinter's starting pose, and revs his engines to the max.

Eviolite grew concerned, she braced for the incoming assault.

"RECIPRO BURST"! Iida roars out.

In a blindly motion, he rushed behind Eviolite faster than she could react.

By the time she realized that Iida was behind her, she was being shoved out of the area. The brief panic disrupted her solar energy intake.

Before she could even resist, Eviolite was swiftly pushed out of bounds.

"Eviolite is out of bounds! Iida is the winner"! Midnight declares.

The crowd cheers with vigor.

"Oh phooey. I wasn't anticipating speed at that level". Eviolite pouts in mild annoyance.

"Oh well". Eviolite brushes it off and skips away, humming to herself.

"WELL THAT WAS AN INTERESTING TWIST! JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THERE'S SUCH THING AS HAVING TOO MANY TRICKS! AIN'T THEAT RIGHT MY CO-COMMENTATOR"?

Aizawa only nods in agreement.

'Guess her power isn't useful against specific people'. Zeraora assess.

Sometime after the third match, Zeraora sat in his waiting room preparing for his next match. Tokoyami will likely prove to be more formidable than Ashido. Which in turn may require more effort on his part.

"JUST LIKE THAT FOLKS WE'RE ALREADY HALFWAY THROUGH THE QUARTER FINALS! THE INTENSITY ISN'T DROPPING AT ALL"! Present Mic giving his passionate commentary.

"CONTINUING ON WITH THE QUARTER FINALS WE HAVE A MATCHUP SURE TO BE VERY INTERESTING"!

"IT'S THE THUNDER TIGER: (Y/N) ZERAORA VS THE DARK SAMURAI: TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE".

The combatants step to the area, both bearing a neutral expression.

No overconfidence, no animosity, and no distractions.

"I'm sure you boys get the idea right"? Midnight asked, not bothering to explain the rules this time.

Zeraora and Tokoyami nod in agreement.

"Then let's get right into it".

"Begin"!

The signal was given and Tokoyami made the first move.

"Dark Shadow"! The raven-headed male calls forth.

The shadowy creature emerges and quickly tackles the young tigers.

Zeraora defends and wards off the creature with a series of claw swipes. Dark Shadow is unperturbed and resumes its relentless assault.

The two trade repeated claw swipes, the shadowy creature lunges forward for a choke slam. Zeraora kicks away the attempt and slashes it across the face. Growing slightly agitated, Dark Shadow tackles the young tiger once more, Zeraora caught the attack but soon finds himself being slowly shoved off the area.

'This thing's more aggressive than I thought. No wonder Yaororozu got beaten so fast'. Zeraora thinks to himself.

The young tiger attempts to push back, but the shadow creature does not yield.

'And stronger too'. He adds.