I'm stressed as all hell so you guys can have this early. Everything else for this book is pretty much edited and stuff, so all that matters is getting it posted every Friday as usual. Please be safe with the virus spreading.
Frostlash: You have to remember, Gray's not a real assassin in terms of "she's assassinated someone". She's not even a "real" servant. She's more like Mashu/Galahad than Zhuge Liang/Waver Velvet. If you check the FGO Wiki, Gray doesn't have Presence Concealment as a passive skill. Yes, fgo is limited, but otherwise, Gray isn't a servant. She's a special case from an FGO event. Like Waver Velvet, she doesn't have the credentials alone to be a Servant. So yeah, she doesn't have presence concealment. 28 of the 35 confirmed assassins in FGO don't have it, three of those are just alt class as well because of summer (unlike Li, who canonically can be either or outside of events)— Gray, Li Shuwen, Mata Hari, Kama, MHX, Okita J Souji (Event, sorta doesn't count), and Osakabehime. Also I'm not postponing the attack on the camp. It's still happening at that time— I'm just not writing it. Call me lazy or whatever, but I think it would be better to see Chiron's reaction than to see Bakugou get tied to a chair. We'll see Achilles' NP eventually
Winterwolf23543: eh. I didn't want it to be a major blow up. (Mineta voice) "I mean, if I squint, you could be a girl" could have been a part, but just didn't. It could have been bigger, but I didn't feel like it. Peeping is an entirely different thing than being Endeavor or an arrogant hero. Not peeping at naked girls is called being a decent fucking human being and I will always flame mineta for that. Anyways, sure, Astolfo could have been written better, but its too late now hahaha
Chiron was exhausted.
Physically, he was fine. Slightly singed and he was certain that he looked like a mess, but fine nonetheless.
Mentally though? That was a whole different question.
Since the incident with Stain, Chiron had ended up with his free time divided between two very different men as his two personal projects.
One was Yagi Toshinori, who he had originally been working with from the beginning of the year. He had found that the blonde hero had untapped magical potential and with All for One at the edges of their senses, he wanted those dormant circuits working at full capacity. Heroes weren't one-trick ponies and if All Might could startle All for One enough by pulling his punches back and activating magic, that would be enough time for Chiron to get in a well-timed snipe to the head.
He also wanted to monitor his physical condition. He had developed a medicine that was for Yagi only, something that would keep him from dying as early as the blonde had predicted. It had extended his time at the cost of the man's strength, but it was hardly noticeable to the public eye. Chiron had a theory about One for All, but he'd have to look into it later— and ask Recovery Girl about it as well. Through medical examinations, he had discovered that the man only had one scar— a rarity for Heroes, even more so for one who was always so physical and practically in the thick of it all the time. That scar was the one that all but put a glaringly bright time stamp on his lifespan. There was a high chance that his current, skeletal form and the man's quirk were more connected than originally perceived. Still, that theory was something he'd have to look into much later.
The other person he was training was very different. He too had very strong circuits that had been dormant, but his attitude was standoffish at best and downright hostile at worst. His temper was as quick to flare up as his Quirk. This one was also getting a sped-up version of the training he had given Yagi, since Chiron wanted him ready as soon as possible.
This other man was Todoroki Enji.
And the two heroes did not get along with each other— well, Yagi tried to, the Elder Todoroki did not. Chiron suspected that their interactions were worse than the ones between Astolfo and Mordred.
Thank the gods he kept them separated, but the mere fact that Enji knew he was also working with Yagi drove the Flame Hero to push himself to the max. And by default, Chiron.
"Are you alright, Chiron?" Yagi asked as he walked over, setting the silver sword down on the ground before sitting next to him.
Chiron sighed, resting his head back against the wall. The two were currently in Gym Gamma and away from prying eyes. Ishiyama hadn't questioned them when they asked to use the gym, which was a relief.
The less who knew the better.
"Oh, yes," he said with a slight smile. "Just recovering from Endeavor, mostly." Yagi chuckled.
"That's right, you're also training him too, aren't you?"
"Mm. The both of you have insanely strong Circuits for not having them active at all, I'm just surprised neither of you showed any output of magic before now. You're both progressing nicely, but Endeavor seems to want to burn as bright as the Phantasm I'm lending him, without using it."
"Sounds rough," Yagi sighed as he picked his water bottle. "Todoroki always was like that, though."
Chiron nodded, silent for a bit. "I lectured the hell out of him a while ago, though," he said, "Actually, the first day of training was all lecture."
Yagi blinked, coughing a bit and wiping his mouth of blood. "I'm surprised he took that sitting down." The Archer sighed and the hero laughed. "That bad, huh?"
"He certainly wasn't overly happy about me tearing into him," he said with a hum. "But, if he wasn't coming to me in order to become stronger for Shoto, he probably wouldn't have listened." Yagi seemed surprised as he took another drink of his water.
"He came to you about Young Todoroki?" he asked and Chiron nodded.
"Yes. After the Stain incident," he said. "I had planned to have a word with him, but he came to me first." He paused before he sighed, gazing down at his hands.
"For people who are truly human, I think… that parents often don't realize what they'd be loosing until its almost gone— or worse, it is gone."
He rested his head back against the wall of the gym with another sigh. "Like you, I realize that Todoroki's lost one son already, and while I don't condone how he treated any of his children, I think there's no better time than now to reform. Todoroki realized something that day— if it hadn't been for Astolfo, the chance of Stain killing his son would have been much greater than before."
"So he came to you when he realized that you were Astolfo's caretaker?" Yagi asked and Chiron nodded.
"He recognized me from the first half of the Sports Festival as well," he said, "He wanted to know who I was, who Astolfo was. Obviously, I threatened him with bodily harm if he let our Servant status slip to the general public, but I did tell him. As soon as I started talking about Servants, though, he put two and two together— I had told the Embassy that the top ten heroes could know about Servants, after all. Since magic was already known, why not Servants for a select few? Anyways, he figured it out with only a few hints," The Archer told him, shaking his head before he continued.
"Then I lectured him until it sunk in that he could've lost his son that day— and that boy would have still loathed him with all his being. I told him about how both my parents abandoned me and how the heroes of ancient days would flourish under a good parent's hand— even if that parent wasn't their blood relative I told him that everything that he had done could have pushed any one of his kids to villainy, or worse, suicide," Chiron rubbed his forehead, sighing again. "I didn't take him under my teaching at first," he admitted, "After I lectured him, I told him to go back and think about everything. Why was he a hero? What was he putting his life on the line for? I told him that if I didn't like his answer, he'd be turned away again."
Yagi nodded. "So he actually did it?"
"I want to think so," he said with a hum. "He came to me about a week later. He told me that he wanted to be number one and I almost turned him away then and there."
"But you didn't?" the skeletal Symbol of Peace asked and Chiron shook his head.
"He wasn't finished. He told me that even though he still was aiming for the top, he also wanted to be a man that his youngest son could look up to," he said, brushing a hand through his hair. "Someone strong the masses can rely on. I don't know if he feels that way fully, but we'll work on that. Baby steps, after all. He's as stubborn as some of my past students, but I'll make sure to set him straight. Of course, he was pissed off when he learned that his first day was just more lecturing."
He chuckled and Yagi smiled, chuckling a bit as well. "If you don't mind me asking, though," the blonde said, "How far along is Todoroki?"
Chiron hummed, thinking for a moment. "He needs work," he said, "His circuits are as awakened as yours, considering how I used the same method, but he… needs work with a lance. In truth, he can't use one to save his life…" he sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "Oh sure, he can control Karna's flames no problem, but all he needs a lot more practice with the lance."
"Oh?" Yagi blinked and Chiron nodded a bit.
"I suppose when the time comes, he just has to release the Phantasm, but it never hurts to be prepared," he said before he checked the time. "Oh, it's this late already…"
He stood, stretching. "Alright, enough time spent on a break," he said as Yagi stood as well. "Let's see what you can do."
The blonde picked the greatsword up again with a determined look as Chiron summoned Mordred's Clarent to his own hands. He wasn't the best with a sword, but Yagi knew better than to underestimate the Archer. That sword could be dropped in an instant and suddenly he'd have a hand-to-hand combat fight instead of a swordfight.
"Strike when you're ready, Yagi, and don't hold back," he ordered before he shifted his footing.
The blonde man nodded, adjusting his stance before he swung the blade.
Yes, Chiron is training Enji and Toshinori to take on actual, magic work. All will be revealed in time and while I know that we'd like to see that conversation between Enji and Chiron, it's not in the plans as of yet. Since Endeavor isn't a main focus or character in this story, he won't be getting a major role, but you can see how the Todoroki house is changing through Shoto's interactions with Gray and the others if you look real close.
Anyways. The real business starts next chapter. Get ready for the Raid.
