Recap:
He looked at the boy more angry at the situation than anything right now—the very situation he never wanted to occur occurred!
Water Molecules x Cold = Slow.
In other words, speed, the very factor that he relied so much on, was practically nerfed in this environment that heavily suited Todoroki.
'Aren't I supposed to achieve my domain ability, which is super OP negating the enemies, and I'll come out on top?'
Jokingly, the boy pushed really hard, eliciting a fart from some excess waste he hadn't dealt with previously, but otherwise nothing.
Sigh
'Well, I wanted to save this for when she was watching, but I'm forced.'
A helpless look appeared on Suijin's face as he looked at the camera that was off to the side, hoping that Mina was looking at it now.
He whispered 'For you.' into the screen before looking at his dad in the stands.
While clearly looking at Todoroki, Suijin said out loud this time, "Thanks, Dad, for the inspiration, and Uncle Akarai for telling me the story."
_________________________________________________________________________________
Todoroki believed he'd put the final nail in Suijin's coffin, with this environment suiting him perfectly and disadvantaging Suijin.
Sure, he'd underestimated the boy before, but now, weakening him and empowering himself?
There's no way he'd lose; surely Suijin has nothing else in his bag…right?
Clearing unwanted thoughts, he opted for his favorite move....sending a huge block of ice towards his opponent.
Suijin cursed the boy in his mind while internally moving some things around to prepare for his upcoming move.
The main reason that he could use this move was his physiology.
There was a tube connected from the top to the bottom of his Spray-Head; that tube was connected to the water supply his body had stored, thus that was where he got his water from.
But…there were many storage rooms in his body.
He had the ability to move the tube from one room to another, allowing him to use a variety of liquids in his body.
These past few months, he'd been looking for that ultimate move, an end-all-be-all.
And hearing a story about how his father awakened his quirk due to a misjudgment in the pressure on the toilet caused him to make some connections.
If he needed an ultimate, a special move, then why not look internally?
And it seemed that he had just the thing located inside of him, just laying around waiting to be utilized.
Pis—stomach acid. . Stomach Acid.
The substance needed to break down foods, and with his ability to manipulate his internal bodily fluids and foods, he can increase the concentration of this acid, making it more potent.
Suijin looked up, narrowing his eyes and ultra-focusing on Todoroki.
'Ultimate Move'
"ACID–SHOT!!"
With the manual trigger pull for style points, Suijin released the shot, and just as he'd seen before, this thing was strong.
With the acid being able to corrode certain metals, it made quick work of the thick layers of ice, keeping its pace and target of Todoroki.
'Hydrochloric acid for the win.'
Realizing the dangers he's in, Todoroki managed to barely dodge it, letting the shot fly past him and into the cement wall, which it quickly made a hole into.
"AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE BATTLE'S BACK ON!!!"
It was going to be a long battle
.
.
.
"ACK!"
Clutching the top of his right shoulder for the third time, he froze over the wound and, more importantly, his nerves, preventing him from feeling the full brunt of Suijin's attacks.
He stared with hatred at his opponent, who wasn't too well off himself.
Their battle had been going on for a little over an hour, and they were nearing the end, as both could tell.
Suijin was slower and less agile than before, with his legs having been pierced by one of Todoroki's icicles.
And though he broke off a part of his lower shirt to cover the wound, showing his midsection, which saw the beginning formation of some abs, the effects of that were rather apparent.
That, along with the decrease in accuracy of his aim due to exhaustion, which subsequently saw him shoot less frequently, showed his fatigue.
But Todoroki wasn't let off either, with the boy not creating anything NEAR his opening move since the beginning of the fight.
The crowd still cheered, perhaps even louder than before, seeing the two boys fight so hard.
Nobody knew who would win, and that's what made it fun!
A predictable battle is a boring one, and that's the exact reason why this one was so exhilarating.
Suijin injuring Todoroki, relying on his corrosion to do the rest, the white-haired boy denying him that satisfaction with yet another ingenious move and mastery display of his quirk.
Him getting rid of Suijin's mobility but remains unable to defeat him.
There was even one play where Suijin had been knocked off the stage, yet the boy used his quirk to push himself high into the air before he used the top of the stadium to push himself back to the ground.
A tug of war where even the slight change in your breath could mean an entirely new winner—that's what many would describe this battle as.
Standing and taking a reprieve, Todoroki steadied his breath. He'd long forgotten his anger from before and just genuinely wanted to win.
Taking another glance at Suijin across from him, he said, "You can't go on much longer."
"Neither can you," Suijin said, referring to the ice creeping up on the right side of Todoroki's face.
Standing on the frozen ground, he received nothing in reply, but Todoroki's silence was enough confirmation.
After his first shot, he mixed the following ones with water, never again spraying another full-acid shot.
This was not only due to its limited supply but also to the fact that, with his Nozzle, not having the same protective lining as his stomach, he was affected by the acid itself.
But he was running out, and like before, he would lose in a battle of attrition.
Suijin looked around for something—anything that'd let him continue on. With determination coursing through his mind, the boy knew he wasn't done yet.
As he was looking around, his eyes drifted…below.
An idea popped into his mind.
A crazy one.
'What if… I use the ice?'
It was an epiphany, yet it was instantly deemed stupid by the rational part of him, and that version was right.
The huge ice chunks would tear the insides of his fingers apart, scarring the inside of his delicate flesh as they were tubes meant to only carry liquids.
Yet… 'Was there any better option?'
No.
He looked at Todoroki, ready to gamble with the gods again.
"Let's finish this."
Silently, the boy agreed to Suijin's proposal, standing up, brushing off the dust on his clothes, readingministering the ice on his shoulder, and preparing.
"So once again, they rise. How many times have these young warriors faced the harsh hand of defeat, not merely today but throughout the intricate tapestry of their lives? How many scars, both seen and unseen, have they amassed to stand proudly on this precipice, under the scrutiny of all these watchful eyes?"
President Mic, opting for a more subdued resonance, underscored the gravity of this moment.
As a commentator attuned to the rhythm of a battlefield, he sensed it keenly.
This, ladies and gentlemen, was the culmination, the grand finale of their Sonnet.
"These two titans, weathering a storm of trials, now find themselves here, standing across from each other, wearied and marked by the unforgiving hands of the contest. Yet, in this arena, only one shall emerge victorious, and both warriors grapple for that coveted pedestal. The question looms — who shall claim the triumph? The clash of glory or the sting of defeat—the verdict awaits, hanging in the air like an unspoken decree. Now or never, the final chapter unfurls."
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A/N: Finally got that Patreon finished. If you are interested in supporting me then feel free to join. There's also a Discord if you wish as well. And more news, I have a new book! So go through my profile if you are interested in reading that one as well.
Patreon: patreon.com/DeityOfSlumber
(Extra chapters won't be added until this Volume is over.)
Discord: https://discord.gg/bcxSKP8FFE
