My Hero Academia: Nightmare Mode

The training arena was silent, the tension in the air thick as Class 1-A and Class 1-B gathered to watch the next match. Kikidori Kutima stood on one side of the sparring platform, his mismatched eyes locked onto his opponent: Hitoshi Shinso.

Shinso adjusted his voice modulator and gave Kikidori a steady look. "I've heard of you," he said, his tone calm but with an edge of curiosity.

Kikidori raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of you too."

The moment the words left Kikidori's mouth, his stomach dropped. Realization struck him like lightning.

"That's how his quirk works," Kaminari muttered from the sidelines, his eyes wide.

"He responded," Jiro whispered, covering her mouth.

Shinso's lips curled into a smirk as his quirk activated. "Gotcha."

---

Kikidori's mind went blank for a split second, and then he found himself completely still, unable to move. It felt as though invisible strings were controlling his every action.

"Walk forward," Shinso commanded, testing the waters.

Kikidori took a step forward against his will. The crowd murmured in awe, impressed by the effectiveness of Shinso's quirk.

"This isn't good," Mina whispered to Kirishima. "If Shinso keeps control of him, Kikidori won't stand a chance."

But Kikidori wasn't out yet. His quirk, *Nightmare,* was a mental ability. Even while under Shinso's control, his mind was still his own. Slowly, he focused his energy, activating his quirk. His eyes began to glow—a signal that his quirk was taking effect.

Shinso flinched as a wave of fear swept over him. His surroundings began to distort, the arena warping into a dark, nightmarish landscape. Shadows danced around him, and the sound of echoing whispers filled the air.

"What…?" Shinso muttered, momentarily distracted.

Kikidori used that split-second distraction to regain control of his body. He broke free from Shinso's influence, his glowing eyes narrowing as he intensified the nightmare.

Shinso staggered back, his mind assaulted by visions of his worst fears. The shadows grew larger, morphing into monstrous shapes that lunged at him.

But Shinso wasn't one to give up easily. He gritted his teeth, focusing his thoughts to fight through the illusion. "You're not the only one with a strong mind," he muttered under his breath.

The match became a battle of wills, both fighters using their quirks to try and gain the upper hand. Shinso's mind control and Kikidori's nightmare-inducing ability clashed, creating a tense and chaotic atmosphere.

From the sidelines, Bakugo crossed his arms, watching the match closely. "They're both stubborn as hell," he muttered.

"Who do you think will win?" Kirishima asked, his eyes glued to the fight.

"Doesn't matter," Bakugo replied. "They're both pushing themselves too hard."

---

Kikidori's vision blurred as he continued to use his quirk. He could feel the strain building—he was reaching his limit. The side effects were beginning to creep in.

Suddenly, Shinso broke free from the nightmare, his eyes narrowing in determination. He activated his quirk again, forcing Kikidori to respond to one of his questions. Kikidori stumbled, his movements slowing as Shinso regained control.

But Kikidori wasn't done yet. With one final burst of energy, he unleashed a powerful wave of fear, forcing Shinso to back off once more.

Both fighters collapsed to their knees, panting heavily.

Aizawa, who had been observing from the sidelines, stepped forward. "That's enough," he said, his tone firm. "The match is over."

The crowd was silent for a moment before erupting into cheers and applause.

"It's a tie," Aizawa announced.

Kikidori and Shinso glanced at each other, their exhaustion evident.

"You're strong," Shinso said, his voice low but sincere.

"You too," Kikidori replied, his tone neutral.

But then, the side effects of Kikidori's quirk hit. His head throbbed, and an uncontrollable wave of emotions surged through him. He felt his feelings twist—the people he cared for suddenly irritated him, and those he disliked seemed oddly tolerable.

He glanced at the crowd, his mismatched eyes landing on Mina, who was cheering loudly for him. Normally, her enthusiasm was something he found tolerable, but now it annoyed him. Meanwhile, he found himself strangely okay with Mineta, who was standing on the sidelines with a smug grin.

"What is happening?" Kikidori muttered under his breath, shaking his head to clear it.

Luckily, the side effects only lasted for ten minutes. By the time he made it back to the locker room, his emotions had returned to normal.

As he sat on the bench, catching his breath, he couldn't help but reflect on the match. Shinso was a worthy opponent, and their fight had pushed him to his limits.

But one thing was clear: he'd need to work on controlling his quirk's side effects if he wanted to avoid situations like this in the future.

End of Chapter 14