Deadpool was currently wearing a half-red, half-white wig and holding a blowtorch in one hand and a giant bag of ice in the other. He looked completely unhinged.
"Grab your thermal underwear and your sunscreen, tum, because Ring 5 is about to wreck the stadium's thermostat!" Deadpool yelled, accidentally setting his script on fire and quickly slapping it out with the ice bag. "This is the 'Bad Dads and Burns' support group! We've got the half-cold, half-hot hero in training versus the Fire Lord himself! It's Shoto Todoroki against Prince Zuko! It's a battle of fire, ice, and enough family trauma to keep a therapist busy for a lifetime hehe."
Ring 5 was a traditional martial arts courtyard, completely split down the middle. One half was a frozen, jagged glacier, while the other was a scorched, smoking wasteland of black rocks.
Heimdall was hiding behind a thermal-plated barrier. "Match Number Thirty-Nine! The elemental prodigy of UA High, Shoto Todoroki! Versus the master firebender, Prince Zuko!"
The Warm-Up
Zuko stepped onto the scorched side of the ring, dropping into a low, focused stance. He drew his twin Dao swords, the blades catching the sunlight. "You rely too much on raw power. Firebending isn't just about making things burn. It's about life, energy, and control. I'll show you."
Shoto stood on the frozen side, his breath visible in the cold air. He let out a quiet sigh, resting his right hand on his hip. "I don't plan on burning you to ashes. I'll just end this quickly so nobody gets hurt."
Shoto stomped his right foot. A massive, jagged glacier of solid ice erupted from the ground, shooting across the courtyard straight toward Zuko. It moved like a frozen tsunami, threatening to swallow the Fire Lord whole.
Zuko didn't flinch. He sheathed his swords and took a deep breath. As the ice wave crashed down, he unleashed a spinning, roaring arc of red-orange flame. The sheer heat melted the center of the glacier instantly, turning the ice into a cloud of thick, blinding steam.
The Heat of Battle
Up in the booth, Deadpool threw his wig off. "It's a classic clash of styles, tum! Shoto is a walking natural disaster, throwing out attacks the size of buildings! But Zuko is a martial arts master. He's dodging and weaving through that ice like it's a walk in the park!"
Zuko used the steam as cover. He dashed forward, closing the distance in a matter of seconds. He leaped into the air, delivering a fierce, fire-enhanced axe kick aimed right at Shoto's head.
Shoto quickly raised his left arm, summoning a pillar of roaring fire to meet the kick. The flames clashed in mid-air, creating a shockwave that cleared the steam. Zuko landed smoothly, instantly following up with a rapid barrage of fire blasts.
Shoto was forced onto the defensive. He threw up ice walls to block the precise, deadly strikes, but Zuko's footwork was too fast. Zuko slipped past the defenses, drew one of his swords, and swung it at Shoto's chest.
The Overwhelming Scale
Shoto leaped back, getting a shallow cut on his hero costume. He realized close combat was a losing game against Zuko's years of martial training.
"You're skilled," Shoto admitted, his left side suddenly flaring with blinding, intense heat. The ice covering the arena began to melt. "But this is going to cover the whole ring."
Shoto unleashed his ultimate move: Flashfreeze Heatwave. He rapidly cooled the air with his right side, dropping the temperature below zero, and then instantly ignited his left side. The sudden, massive expansion of heated air created an explosive, devastating blast that consumed the entire courtyard.
Zuko braced himself, planting his feet and trying to split the flames with his own firebending. He pushed back with everything he had, the spirit of the dancing dragon flowing through his movements. But Shoto's attack wasn't a focused strike; it was an absolute wall of expanding pressure and heat.
The sheer scale of the explosion overwhelmed Zuko's defense. The Fire Lord was blown backward, crashing heavily into the courtyard wall. He slid to the ground, unconscious, his swords clattering to the stone floor.
"Match Thirty-Nine winner... SHOTO TODOROKI!" Heimdall shouted, waiting for the smoke to clear.
Up in the booth, Deadpool was fanning himself with a piece of cardboard. "The UA student takes the win with pure, explosive area damage! That's 39 winners down, 12 matches to go in Round One, tum! We are burning right through this list!"
The Summoners are Up Next!
We're cooling down and letting the monsters do the fighting for a change!
Match 40 (Ring 12): Lucy Heartfilia vs. Pokémon Trainer Red. (Celestial Spirits against Pocket Monsters! The ultimate summoner battle royale!)
Match 41 (Ring 2): Sonic the Hedgehog vs. The Flash. (The speedster showdown that will break the cameras!)