Chapter 118

A Meaningless Fight (意味のない戦い) is the one hundredth and eighteenth chapter of Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia.

Summary
A security bot is secretly watching the fight between Izuku and Katsuki. The security bot alerts Shota and tells him to come and stop them. Shoto leaves his room, but before he can proceed further someone stops him.

Katsuki has just attacked Izuku with an explosion but Izuku barely manages to evade which results in a wound on his leg. Izuku tells Katsuki that his aspirations are not wrong. Katsuki ignores him and attacks Izuku with another explosion which Izuku successfully dodges using One For All: Full Cowl. Katsuki remembers his childhood where Izuku would always trail along behind him and no matter how many times he would beat him up or scold him, Izuku would still tag along. Katsuki demands that Izuku fight him while remembering that even through they admired All Might, Izuku has still managed to get ahead of him. Katsuki remembers All Might telling him during the end of term test that he understood that Katsuki's anger is due to Izuku's sudden growth and tells him that someone at level one and someone at level fifty won't grow at the same rate. Katsuki charges at Izuku with his right arm swinging forward; Izuku prepares to block Katsuki's right swing, but as they get close to each other, Katsuki instead kicks Izuku in the face with his right leg, revealing that Katsuki's right hand swing was nothing more than a diversion. Katsuki takes the opportunity to attack the defenseless Izuku, but Izuku uses One For All Full: Cowl to perform a back handstand which knocks Katsuki away and onto the ground.

Izuku sees Katsuki on the ground and asks him if he is all right. Furious, Katsuki demands once again that Izuku fight him and tells him to stop worrying about him. As he gets up, Katsuki is confused as to how he ended up trailing behind someone who was always trailing behind him his entire life and is angry that the roles are now reversed. Katsuki is angry as to why he became the reason for All Might's end. Katsuki notes that if he had been stronger he wouldn't have been kidnapped and All Might would still be a Hero. Katsuki has been keeping his discovery about the truth of All Might to himself which has been causing him strain and anxiety. Izuku realizes that Katsuki has been carrying that burden of keeping All Might's secret to himself for a while.

Katsuki charges at Izuku. Izuku activates One For All: Full Cowl Shoot Style and manages to kick Katsuki in the face, which stops Katsuki's charge. While the fight between them may be meaningless since no matter who wins or loses, Izuku understands that the only one who can perceive Katsuki's feelings in this battle now is him and has decided to fight seriously. Izuku activates One For Full: Cowl throughout his body and tells Katsuki that there is no holding back between them.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Shota Aizawa
 * Izuku Midoriya
 * Katsuki Bakugou