Iota, Zaire, and Marsh are gathered in Iota's control room.
Iota: Marsh, this whole operation is imperative to your success.
Marsh: I understand, Master. You can count on me.
Iota holds up a single dart.
Iota: You only have one shot, don't try to wing it. Use your quirk.
Marsh: Yes, Master.
Marsh takes the dart and loads it into his sniper.
Iota: You'll be the first one sent in. Zaire will fly you over the stadium in a small plane. From there, you’ll have the perfect chance to take the shot. Zaire, you cleared the airfield, correct?
Zaire: Yessir, but there’s one problem.
Iota: What is it?
Zaire: I did a final check of U.A. and their defenses this morning. The school has been designated as a no-fly zone for the next day. So we can’t go near that airspace.
Iota: What? When and why did they do that?
Zaire: This Festival is critical, Master. I don't think they're going to take any chances.
Iota: Damn!
Marsh: Why not just have Zaire warp me on top of the stadium? I can fire from there easily.
Zaire: Ever since Master infiltrated U.A., their surveillance equipment has been heavily upgraded. The only way you're entering is through the front door.
Ivy: Then that's what we'll do.
Ivy has entered the room. Her arm is in a sling.
Marsh: What happened to your arm?
Ivy: I dislocated it, saving your ass.
Marsh: Do you expect a thank you?
Ivy: No, I don't want one.
Zaire: Ivy, why are you here?
Ivy: I can infiltrate them by walking through the front entrance.
Zaire: How?
Ivy takes off her mask.
Marsh: Woah.
Ivy: They've never seen me before. I'm just an ordinary girl to them.
Zaire: What would you do from there?
Ivy: I'll head into the stadium and find the security room. Once I neutralize the guards in there, Zaire can safely warp Marsh onto the top of the stadium.
Marsh and Zaire look at each other.
Marsh: That's actually not a half-bad plan.
Zaire: Master?
Iota stares at Ivy.
Iota: You really wanted to contribute that badly, huh?
Ivy: Master, this is the day we win; I need to be a part of it.
Iota thinks for a moment.
Iota: Okay.
Back at the stadium, Aster catches his breath after his outburst.
Aster: (Alright, Aster, no more games. I will disassemble these second-years one by one, starting with the most aggravating one!)
Aster looks at Verity.
Aster: (I need to figure out how her quirk works. Otherwise, those two ingrates will keep dodging my attacks. Also, I need to figure out how they're communicating this information. Say her quirk is just a future sight ability. That doesn't explain how she's conveying her visions to her teammates. So, my goal now is to figure out what caveat her quirk has and find a way to break their line of communication, and the only way to do that is by trial and error!)
Aster bursts towards Alec.
Aster: Take this!
Alec: Neh.
Aster launches a continuous barrage of punches against Alec, but he dodges each one.
Alec: You can't hit me! You can't hit me!
Aster: I can and I will!
As Aster continues trying to hit Alec. Hayze sees that Kevin is reaching exhaustion.
Hayze: (He's probably only got two minutes, maybe less.)
Hayze reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of syringes.
Hayze: (Only two shots, but if Alec has him occupied, this might be the best to use one.)
Hayze runs over to Kevin.
Hayze: Kev, it's time.
Kevin: *breathing heavily* You think so?
Hayze: Yes, now hold still.
Hayze deploys one of his tornado daggers from his gauntlet and hands it to Kevin.
Hayze: Bite on the handle. This is going to hurt.
Kevin does as Hayze says. Hayze stabs Kevin with the syringe, powering down Kevin's quirk, but this lowers his pain tolerance, and an overwhelming agony runs through Kevin as he can now feel the numerous third-degree burns he's sustained.
Kevin: *muffled* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Blair looks over at Kevin and Hayze.
Blair: (Looks like Kevin is finally feeling my brother's wrath, and it doesn't look pretty.)
Blair turns to Verity.
Verity: Left, Right, Right, Left, Right, Left, Left, Left, Right, Right-
Blair: (Amazingly, she can do it that fast.)
Blair looks out at Aster, still trying to hit Alec.
Blair: (He's so angry, he didn't even notice that Kevin has powered down… I'm not surprised, though, given the circumstances.)
Aster leaps back from attacking Alec.
Verity: *earpiece* He's planning to light your left leg on fire.
Alec leaps into the air as a fireball appears.
Alec: Nice try!
Alec wraps his scythe around Aster again.
Alec: But this time, I'm going to-
Verity: *earpiece* He's about to take flight.
Alec: Huh?
Aster flies into the air pulling Alec behind him.
Aster: (She conveyed my plan, but he was too stupid to react in time.)
Alec uses his rope mechanism and pulls his scythe back in, releasing Aster and sending himself plummeting to the ground.
Alec: AHHHH!
Alec slams into the dirt, covering himself in a cloud of dust.
Blair: That guy is really dumb.
Verity: Yes, indeed he is.
Aster floats in the air.
Aster: (That barrage disproves my theory that she can see the future. There's no way she could have conveyed all of my random strikes and memorized the order that quickly. Her quirk is something else… Maybe she's a telepath? She could be reading my thoughts and sending those thoughts to her teammates before I attack? That could be it… but that's too powerful. Every quirk has a downside. A quirk that could allow her to read thoughts from any distance and telepathically communicate seems fantastical… I think I'm on the right track, but I need more information!)
Aster notices Hayze and Kevin.
Aster: (WHAT! Since when did he power down! How was I so stupid to not notice that! I need to attack now!)
Aster dives towards Hayze and Kevin.
Hayze: Looks like your break is over.
Kevin spits the dagger out of his mouth.
Kevin: Yeah, let's do this again in a few minutes.
Hayze: Sure thing.
Kevin slowly gets to his feet. The crowd is in awe of his ability to keep going despite his severe wounds.
Kevin: 60%!
Kevin powers up and leaps forward. Intercepting Aster in midair and slamming him face-first directly into the dirt. The impact is loud and shakes the arena.
Hayze: (5 minutes on the clock… you've got this, Kevin!)
Kevin lets out a blood-curdling screech as he smashes down on Aster and begins continuously punching him.
Kevin: TAKE THIS AND THIS!
Kevin doesn't let up his barrage for a second.
Verity: He's your brother, correct?
Blair: Huh? Y- yeah.
Verity: Does it not bother you to watch this?
Blair: It does a little, but… Aster said when he took that form that he's invincible, and I'm going to take this word for it.
Kevin still hasn't stopped punching.
Aster: GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!
Aster lifts his head up and sets Kevin's nose on fire, blocking his vision and causing him to stop punching for long enough that Aster can fly off and away from him.
Aster: (Hm…)
Aster's eyes widen
Aster: (I've got it!)
Kevin rubs his face in the dirt and puts out the fire on his nose.
Kevin: YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!
Kevin leaps into the air after Aster.
Aster: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know!
Aster flies towards Kevin.
Verity: *earpiece* Kevin, he's going to-
Aster closes his eyes.
Verity: Uh oh…
Blair: (He figured it out!)
Aster rockets toward Kevin, opening his eyes at the last second to grab Kevin by the ankle and slam him to the ground. Kevin's collision creates a crater and shrouds him in a cloud of dust.
Aster: THAT'S RIGHT! HOW DO YOU LIKE IT!
Hayze stares at Aster as he hovers midair.
Hayze: (Amazingly, that's the same guy I met in front of the restaurant. It makes me wonder...)
Kevin leaps up out of the dust cloud after Aster.
Aster: (Oh right… damn pain tolerance!)
Aster flies against the arena's wall as Kevin jumps onto it and chases him.
Aster: (Oh right… damn speed boost!)
As Aster flies around the arena with Kevin hot on his tail, Hayze runs to Verity and Blair.
Blair: Hayze? Why are you over here?
Blair clears some of the magma bubbles so Hayze can walk in.
Hayze: Your brother… Does he usually get this worked up?
Blair looks away.
Hayze: I thought so… he seemed like a chill and down-to-earth guy when we first met. I never would have expected him to react like this.
Blair: That's because… this match… it's different for him.
Hayze: What do you mean?
Blair: *sighs* Remember how I told you that my parents separated us in school by putting us in different grades?
Hayze: Yes.
Blair: Well, it wasn't that my parents held me back. Aster started a year early. If my parents did separate us, Aster would have been our classmate.
Hayze: I see… we're connected by what could have been, but that doesn't explain why he's so… invested.
Blair: Well… I know my parent's hearts were in the right place when they decided to separate us. But, I don't think they took the time to realize how it would affect Aster and me. We both were born with quirks we couldn't control. For example, it took us a long time to understand command temperature. Aster wasn't a prodigy. He wasn't ready to start school early. He was smaller than the rest of this class in elementary school and was mocked for needing more time to learn things. Finally, in 4th grade, he was in grave danger of needing to be held back and… I think that's when everything changed for him. He saw how disappointed my parents were in him, and it was like a switch turned on his head. It wouldn't have been the end of the world if he got held back and put in the grade he was initially supposed to be with, but that wasn't how he saw it. He worked hard every day, studied well throughout middle school, and never stopped improving with his quirk. He made the honor roll in high school and finished top of his class. He got a perfect score on the H.A.E. and the Entrance Exam. He won both of his class' Sports Festivals and got an internship that led to a work-study with Exciton. He never stopped working. He applied himself to his studies and mastered his quirk. Becoming the Top Student in U.A. was… it was the final piece of validation he needed to know that my parents made the right choice. He was top of the class he never should have been in.
Hayze stares at Aster as he continues flying away from Kevin.
Hayze: (So, when he heard he'd be going up against the class he should have been in, he assumed he'd crush us.)
Blair: Aster is a perfectionist. He strives to be the best and never loses sight of his ultimate goal: Being the number one hero. He wants to be the youngest number one ever.
Hayze: He thinks he can beat Colossus within the next two years?
Blair: Well, that's his goal, and I assume that this new transformation was how he thought he'd do it.
Hayze: But instead, he's getting knocked around by the very group of people he was afraid of rejoining.
Blair: He's a good guy, Hayze. He usually loves to fight and doesn't disrespect his opponents, but I think he let his own feelings about our class blind him and make him arrogant.
Hayze: (“Usually,” huh?) Blair, in Aster's two years here at U.A. Has he ever lost a fight?
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Blair: Uh… not against another student.
Hayze: I figured. (Of course, he usually enjoys fighting because he’s usually winning. He's allowed his perfectionist nature to cloud his mind; having fun and respecting your opponents shouldn't require you to be winning first. The pleasure of fighting is the back and forth, putting your will to win up against your opponent's and knowing the best kind of matches are the ones where you're evenly matched. I can see where Blair's self-confidence issues stemmed from. Aster and Blair are two sides of the same coin, where "heads" is inadequacy and "tails" is perfectionism. Aster's superiority complex towards my class hurts his ability to see that this is a great fight.)
“ Justus: You think because you beat Silver that you can lecture me about how to deal with my familial issues, huh? Go fuck yourself! You didn’t defeat Silver; he let you win! If he had used his attack to destroy the forest at the start, you would have lost instantly! So don’t act like you’ve accomplished anything. You’re still weaker than me! “ - Chapter 18
Hayze thinks for a moment.
Hayze: Blair, tell me everything you know about Aster's quirk.
Blair is surprised.
Blair: I thought you didn't want to know. You tried to figure it out for yourself.
Hayze: I did, but I think I want to do something else now.
Blair stares at Hayze for a moment.
Blair: Alright, here's everything I know.
Aster looks back at Kevin.
Aster: (He said 60% if I recall correctly, that means he only has five minutes until he fizzles out. I'm sure at least three or four have gone by, so I'll continue hugging the wall and waiting until he runs out of juice.)
Suddenly Alec's scythe slices into the wall in front of Aster.
Aster: (Woah!)
Aster sees that Alec has recovered from his earlier fall.
Alec: Don't forget about me, asshole!
Aster: Oh, I haven't!
Aster starts flying towards Alec.
Aster: (He only withstood my attack last time because he knew it was coming, but it'll be different this time!)
Aster closes his eyes.
Alec: Oh, you think you're so clever, huh?
Alec reverses his rope mechanism, and he begins reeling himself in towards his scythe that is hooked into the wall.
Alec: See ya, chump!
Aster opens one eye and sees Alec sail past him.
Aster: Annoying pest! Hey, wait a second…
Aster notices Kevin is missing.
Aster: (Wh- where did he go!)
Aster spots Hayze leading Kevin towards Verity and Blair.
Aster: (What's he doing?)
Blair lowers the A.D.S.
Aster: (They were distracting me so that they could bring him into the safe zone and power him down!)
Hayze pulls out the second syringe.
Hayze: (Looks like we'll have to move into phase two.)
Hayze backflips and lands on Kevin's back.
Kevin: GET OFF ME!
Hayze injects Kevin with the serum, causing Kevin to power down just outside Blair's barrier.
Kevin: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Blair: Come on! Bring him in here.
Hayze puts Kevin's arm over his shoulder and helps him walk.
Verity: Aster is approaching.
Aster is careening towards them.
Aster: YOU CAN'T PULL ONE OVER ON ME!
Hayze throws Kevin into the circle.
Kevin: *groans in agonizing pain*
Blair reactivates her barrier A.D.S.
Aster: Damnnit!
Aster sees that Hayze is still outside the barrier.
Aster: (Whatever, at least I can finally take him down!)
Aster hovers in front of Hayze.
Aster: You think you're so clever, devising this plan where you don't even have to do anything! Well, I'll tell you what, you're not a great leader! You're a coward!
Hayze smiles.
" Eve: I’ll be honest. I think you made the right choices along the way, but maybe take your teammate’s feelings into consideration next time. " - Chapter 83
Hayze: Maybe you're right, but this match isn't about me. We’re a team, and I’m giving them equal opportunity to shine. We're all trying to become heroes here. So why should I be the one in the spotlight the whole time? My teammates are my classmates, and for the most part, we're friends.
Verify: That's rude.
Hayze: Verity, I was talking about Alec.
Verity: Oh, that's fine.
Hayze: My goal was to create a formation that could defeat you and give all of them a job that matters to the team's success. There's no dead weight here.
Aster: Oh yeah! That's right, act like all high and mighty, like you're so great for putting all of this on your teammates while you do nothing! Stop acting noble, you pompous windbag!
Hayze: Are you enjoying yourself right now?
Aster: What?
Hayze: I've been told that you're someone who enjoys fighting. But based on the way you're acting, I'd say you wish this was over.
Aster: What are you getting at?
Hayze: I wonder, what's different about this match from all the other ones you've ever fought in?
Aster: You're annoying… I thought you seemed like a nice enough guy when we first met. I even said I was rooting for you. But now I can see that you're just an asshole who thinks they're better than everyone else!
Hayze: Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you.
Aster: *frustrated grunt*
Hayze: But, If I'm being honest, I don't think the Aster fighting in this match is the "real" Aster.
Aster: Don't start lecturing me!
Hayze: If you ask me, I'd say you're so angry because you're afraid of losing this match.
Aster: I'm not afraid!
Hayze stares at Aster.
Hayze: I know you are.
Aster: Shut the hell up!
Hayze: You've allowed years of perfectionistic behavior to create this subconscious thought in your mind that losing is equivalent to failure.
Aster: If you don't stop talking-
Hayze: Furthermore… I think you're afraid of losing to your sister.
Aster: SHUT THE HELL UP!
Aster rockets towards Hayze.
Hayze: 3rd rule of strategy.
Just as Aster is about to punch Hayze, Ash's astral form emerges from Hayze's body and enters Aster's.
Hayze: Always to have an ace in the hole.
Crowd: *gasps*
Aster veers off course and slides against the dirt.
Hayze: I had Ash leave her body at the beginning of the match to add another layer of complexity to this match. You'd always have to keep her in your mind out of fear of her taking you over. I knew that you'd have knowledge of the drawbacks of her quirk, such as the fact that her control is weaker the farther she is from her body. That theory was proven correct when you spent the entirety of the match either far away from her body or in the air where her spirit couldn't reach you. So I had her stash herself away in my body. She gave me 100% control to not give anything away. As I said, I gave everyone an equal part of the formation, and this was our part. The plan was once Kevin was cooled down for a second time, I'd draw you in, and she'd flip bodies.
The crowd goes wild.
Ewing: (How… how is this happening!)
Aster starts to get up.
Hayze: How does it feel in there, Ash?
Aster (Ash): It feels good to contribute.
The teachers are in shock.
Adrian: So… all Ash needs to do is forfeit in Aster's name, right?
Walker: Yes, Madame Mummy will have no choice but to accept Ash's forfeiture as Aster's.
Adrian: Then that means... They did it. They actually beat him…
Walker: Hayze always knew strength wasn't going to win the match. He aimed to win by outsmarting Aster from the very beginning.
2-A is in celebration.
Lilith: They did it!
Zach: I can't believe it!
Jace: Toss one up for Class 2-A!
Silver and Justus are in shock.
Silver: (I never would have even had Ash on my team, let alone have her be the one to win the whole match…)
Justus: (Even with my newfound strength… could I have actually won this match in Hayze's place?)
Saige laughs over Silver and Justus' expressions.
Saige: I always found it funny how you two sat on top of the class, stroking each other's penises over how strong you both were when you never even thought that a guy weaker than you may just surpass you.
Silver sits up in his seat.
Silver: (When I told Hayze I wanted to fight him again, I had 100% confidence I'd defeat him… but now… I know I need to work harder.)
Justus: (I wonder… if your quirk didn't give out that day… would the results have changed…)
Aster smiles.
Aster (Ash): Ready, Hayze?
Hayze pulls out his other tornado dagger.
Hayze: Yup.
Aster powers down Phoenix mode. Hayze throws the dagger and cuts Aster's face.
Hayze: There, now we can say I did something.
Aster raises his hand in the air.
Aster (Ash): I, Aster Maddox, for-
Suddenly Aster starts shaking. Surprising the crowd.
Zach: What's going on?
Gus: She just has to say the final word!
Alexis: Making someone forfeit a match is easier said than done. If Aster climbed to the top of the student food chain, he's definitely got enough willpower to fight off Ash's control.
Karma: And, even though she's close to her body, she's not on top of him.
Aster continues shaking.
Aster (Ash): He's fighting back!
Aster looks at Hayze. He nods.
Aster (Ash): Okay.
Aster fights off Ash, forcing her astral form out of his body and back into her own. Knocking her completely unconscious.
Madame Mummy: Ashley Wright has been incapacitated. Team Hayze now only has five members.
Aster lets out a loud yell.
Aster: You really thought you could defeat me like that? YOU'RE A FOOL!
The crowd goes nuts for Aster reclaiming control.
Dr. Moore: Well, it was a good plan, and he put up a good fight.
Fatal: I don't think it's over just yet.
Aster looks at his hands.
Aster: So you turned Phoenix Mode off, huh? Well, I came prepared.
Aster pulls out another cyanide tablet and ingests it. Killing himself once again.
Adrian: Here he goes again.
Walker: Funny, he's proving Hayze's point by using his transformation again.
Adrian: Better safe than sorry, I guess.
Aster's entire body becomes engulfed in blood-red flames. The flames then beam up and form into a Phoenix that screeches so loud it pierces the ears of all that can hear it.
Aster: Ah… this feels better.
Suddenly Aster ducks as Alec's scythe whizzes over his head.
Aster: I was wondering when the loud-mouth would try again!
Alec charges at Aster.
Alec: You can't avoid me forever!
Alec tries to cut Aster continuously, but Aster repeatedly dodges with his eyes closed.
Alec: HOW. ARE. YOU. DODGING!
Aster trips Alec up and uppercuts him, sending him flying back, but Alec quickly gets back to his feet.
Alec: I'll get you soon enough!
Aster notices his cheek has been cut.
Aster: (Huh?)
Aster wipes the blood off of his face.
Aster: (So, you guys finally did some damage to me.)
Aster chuckles.
Aster: All of that effort, just for a single drop of blood.
Alec starts laughing maniacally.
Aster: You're such a pest…
Members of the audience start to stand up.
Aster: (Huh? What's going on?)
Alec picks up the dagger Hayze threw at Aster off the ground.
Aster: Another knife? Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with sharp objects?
Alec licks Aster's blood off of the dagger. Aster feels a strange feeling that resonates through his whole body.
Aster: Woah… what the hell was that?
Alec has a sinister smile on his face.
Alec: Earlier, when our "fearless leader" told you about my quirk, he said the truth… but only half of it.
Aster is confused.
Hayze: Soul Link: Once he's ingested the blood of someone, Alec and that person become linked together, and any damage taken by either party is reflected back and on the other person.
Aster's eyes widen.
Aster: (I remember now! I barely watched the first-year Sports Festival because I was too busy training for ours the following day, but I remember hearing about an abnormal among the first-years. It was him!) You're… you… you never planned on the surrender tactic working… you just wanted to finally get a drop of my blood in your hands.
Hayze smiles.
Hayze: 1st rule of strategy: the first move is always a fake.
The entire audience is on their feet.
Hayze: Kevin! Light him up!
Blair lowers the A.D.S. and grabs Ash. She and Verity run away as fast as Kevin gets to his feet.
Kevin: I've been waiting a long time to finally say this!
Kevin takes a deep breath.
Kevin: 100 PERCENT!
Kevin's skin turns blood-red, steam comes out of his ears, and his muscles bulk up further. Then, finally, his eyes open to reveal they're bright red.
Aster: Holy… fuck.
Kevin lets out a dinosaur-like screech, piercing the ears of every single person in the arena.
Alec: Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!
Kevin bursts towards Alec with insane speed.
Alec: Nevermind.
Kevin punches Alec in the chest so hard he breaks every one of his ribs. Both Aster and Alec puke blood instantly.
Hayze: (5.)
Kevin grabs Alec's left leg and slams him to the ground, injuring his spine and dislocating his kneecap and ankle. Aster falls to the ground in equal pain.
Hayze: (4.)
Kevin punches Alec in the right arm. Breaking his wrist, forearm, and humerus while also dislocating it.
Hayze: (3.)
Kevin picks Alec up and throws him against the arena wall with intense velocity. Further injuring his back.
Hayze: (2.)
Kevin charges at Alec and flicks his balls.
Aster and Alec: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Hayze: (1.)
Kevin falls to his knees as steam emits from every pore of his body; he plays against the ground unconscious. Alec also passes out from the intense pain he just endured.
Madame Mummy: Alec Vyxon and Kevin Bohm are both incapacitated. Team Hayze is now down to just three.
Aster lies against the ground in agonizing pain.
Aster: *groans* Everything hurts…
Hayze walks over to Aster.
Hayze: So, you're the top student of U.A., right?
Aster: Don't. Mock. Me!
Hayze: You know, if you actually got held back, we could have had a pretty good rivalry.
Aster is surprised.
Aster: What? How do you know that?
Hayze: Blair told me everything, how you should have been in our class, how you were a failure growing up, and you turned everything around to prove to yourself and them that you could handle starting school early.
Aster: She did, huh?
Hayze: And the guy she told me about, I don't think he will let a bunch of broken bones and dislocated limbs keep him down.
Aster: He isn't!
Aster starts to float upward.
Hayze: And you see that that's literally the first time Kevin has ever used 100%, and you're getting back up. I've had to use every single trick in my book, every plan I could think of, and you're still standing after it.
Aster: What are you saying?
Hayze: I'm out of plans. I only wrote the script for this far into the match.
Aster looks at Hayze.
Aster: What?
Hayze: I understand that you fought to get to where you are and that being number one means everything to you because you don't want to fail yourself or your family. Why do you think losing makes you a failure? Even if you lose, just surviving everything I've thrown at you shows how much of a success you are. Seriously, how many students at this school would still be conscious after that barrage?
Aster: Just one…
Hayze: So then why, why do you think you're a failure if you lose?
Aster: Because… "he" never loses.
Hayze: Whose "he"?
Aster: Colossus.
Hayze: You really do have an ego, comparing yourself to Colossus.
Aster: And you don't?
Hayze: I do, I walked into this match, and I didn't even know what your quirk was because I wanted the challenge.
Aster looks at Hayze like he's stupid.
Hayze: Your own sister is on this team, and I went into this fight not asking her a single question.
Aster: Are you mocking me?
Hayze: No, once Blair told me about your story, I realized I wanted to help you. Help you enjoy a fight that you're not outright winning the whole time. I tried to help you enjoy this fight, and I realized I can't help you if I don't practice what I preach. So I asked Blair for all of the information on your quirk, even though I wanted to figure it out. My point is that I let my ego get the better of me, and if we had lost the match because I didn't know all the ins and outs of your quirk, that's my fault. The same way you let your ego cloud your judgment on adequately preparing for this fight. Aster, you're a great fighter and an opponent I'll be proud to say I've fought. But you're not Colossus, and I know you want to be the youngest number one ever, but part of getting to that point is experiencing failure. Colossus would say the same, without loss, you can never learn and improve. What's happened in this match will probably have a more adverse effect on your life than any other fight you've been in, and that's because you didn't dominate the whole time. You get to see the error of your ways, and you can become stronger because of it. I lost to Justus at the Sports Festival, and I learned from the moment I felt like I had failed, but it was the best thing for me. Winning that tournament wouldn't have taught me anything. It would have been the worst thing for me.
Justus goes into deep thought.
Aster: Why should I listen to anything you say?
Hayze: Because I was born a failure.
Aster looks at Hayze.
Hayze: I was born with a worthless quirk that I inherited from my amazing parents. I was supposed to continue their legacy, but instead, I had nothing. I was weak and a failure from the jump. I don't even go by the name they gave me because I'm so ashamed, but I never gave up my dream of becoming a hero. I knew I could never rely on my quirk, so I learned all about strategy and learned many other skills and worked hard, desperately hoping it would be enough for someone to give me a chance, and it wasn't. I failed the H.A.E. nine times because of my quirk, and the moment I finally accepted that there was nothing I could do to save my dying dream, my quirk activated for the first time.
A single tear falls from Hayze's eye.
Hayze: Failing so many times so early in my life prepared me for U.A. If I hadn't experienced that feeling so many times, I wouldn't be where I'm standing right now; hell, I might not even be a student here. All day, you've been knocked around by my strategies. Which are the product of my failures, and that's why you should listen to what I'm saying.
The stadium is silent over everything Hayze has said.
Aster: (He's right… I've been so afraid of failure my whole life that I've never allowed myself to improve in the areas I should. The top student of U.A. should never have walked into this match feeling as confident and cocky as I was. Instead, I failed, and I sold out my beliefs for nothing… but… I can learn from those failures, and I can be better.)
Aster looks at Hayze.
Aster: Thank you, Hayze.
Hayze smiles as his eyes turn red.
Hayze: You're welcome. Now, what do you say we finish this fight?
Aster: With pleasure.