Shihai Kuroiro
"Hah…"
"Big Bro," Hikari said, grabbing my attention immediately, "are you okay? You kinda look a little sad! I mean, who could be sad? It's a beautiful day out! You have no right to be sad when today is so pretty!" It was hard to not be downtrodden, but of course, I smiled just for her. Earlier, I opened the curtains so she could finally feel the sunlight striking her skin. She loved the feeling. Out of everything in the world, she enjoyed the sun the most. It was one of the many things she loved.
"I'm sorry Hikari," I replied, smiling a little more. "I didn't mean to frown. I was just, gosh uhm, I was just thinking about a test I took in math."
"You're good at math, Shihai! Wait, did you study? I get that you can't really study math, so I guess, uhm… Did you practice? Yeah, that's the right word! 'Practice', didja practice?" she asked, her voice beaming. Hikari raised her arms as she talked; she often used an abundance of hand movements as she spoke. She loved to be dramatic.
Now, I didn't practice much for this test. Telling Hikari that, she would be so disappointed. My natural instinct was to lie, but she was my sister. Morally, it was wrong to lie to her. That, and she knew when I was lying every single time so there was literally no point in lying. "Well I practiced—No, I didn't practice like I should've."
Hikari pouted, her cheeks puffing up. "You were supposed to practice! You gotta be good in school, Shihai! Just 'cuz I'm not in school doesn't mean you aren't! Why didn't you practice like I told you?"
It was never a pleasant time whenever she scolded me. Her idiotic brother didn't study much. But he couldn't help it. His thoughts weren't on his studies but on his beloved sister. How could he study when worry and concern filled every part of his being? It took over his life, and any sense of normalcy was taken away by the smallest of reminders. Yet Hikari, his sister, acted like everything was normal. To her, perhaps it was. To him, it was as if the sun didn't rise in the morning.
"Nothing," I answered with a shake of my head. "I didn't understand this unit much to begin with, so uhm, I was bound to not do good on the test." My voice was uneasy, uncertain. Hikari picked up on the oddities of my voice, looking past my filler words and my anxiety. She knew how her brother spoke and what made him tick; like for example, knowing when he lied.
Hikari exposed me as if I was an open book, "You're lying again, Big Bro. You talk more nervously than usual whenever you lie! What's up, doc?! Why are you lying to your own sister? C'mon, spill the beans!"
I remained silent. There was no way that I could tell the truth. Why in the world would I? I didn't want to worry her nor to make my very own sister feel guilty! She never asked to be in this situation! It was never her fault, so I didn't want to say the words to make it seem that it was the case. That would be an awful thing to do.
But my sister, she was truly blessed with a gift. "Is it because I'm still in the hospital?"
I remained silent.
"Shihai—"
I finally spoke, "You would be home by now."
"I will! I'm gonna come back home and sleep in my big ol' bed and go back to school and be with my friends! And I'll spend more time with the best Big Bro in the world! That'll happen!" she exclaimed as if it was fact.
"They also said that you would be home last week. 'That'll happen.' But look at us now, Hikari. It didn't happen. What else wouldn't happen?" I asked her implying the obvious. Hikari looked down at her hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown, staying in a hospital room, looking outside a hospital window staring into the world outside this hospital, but she couldn't go outside because she was trapped within this damned hospital.
I was a terrible person for asking that. I shouldn't have asked that while she was locked in here, but I can't take back the words I said a year ago. I can't travel back in time and undo my regrets. This was only a small regret, but even then, I would've changed it.
What we said, we both believed it was fact. Honestly at the time, I didn't know who was delusional and who wasn't.
Hikari, hurt by what I said, slowly angled her eyes up. "Shihai, don't say things like that. You know it upsets me!"
"I know!" I yelled. "I… know…" I was a coward back then, and still am a coward now. I couldn't say the words I wanted to say. How could I say them? Every word was centered around my feelings and my emotions, not hers. It was selfish of me to turn this conversation about myself. I couldn't do that, but I wanted to say it.
I wanted to say that I was upset too. As the one who could become left behind like a lost wanderer, I was upset too. Hikari never asked if she had to leave anyone behind, and I never asked to get left behind. But the world had, and always will have, its own thoughts.
Thus, no words came out of my mouth. No words were mustered from my throat, exhaled through my lungs. All that came out was empty air damp with the tears of those who remained, but I wasn't crying.
Hikari said to me, "Shihai, it'll be okay."
Hikari said to me, "There's no reason to be sad!"
Hikari said to me, "The sun's here! We can't be sad when there's light out!"
Hikari said to me, "Because it's here, I know—I just know that I'll be outta here in no time!"
Hikari said to me, "That's a promise!"
...Yet in the end, one of us is truly able to make good on our promise.
She reminded me, "You promised something to, right? C'mon, talk like that again! Do it for me!" Talking like that was a tad embarrassing, enough to ruin my pride I established and the popularity I gained in junior high. However, it made her smile. It was worth the ruined reputation, and no one would know anyway.
I nodded, clearing my throat. I couldn't waste my time on tears just yet, so I said to my sister, "Very well, my Little Light! This is the persona you sought after, little girl? Fufu, you ought to know better than to bring out the schemer named Vantablack, for I am the one who is able to hatch a scheme against God Himself! I am the ultimate swindler! I am inimitable; I am indomitable!"
I blushed.
I never did this for anyone besides for her. I would be considered a "chuuni" for acting in this manner, but call me a "chuuni" anyhow. I would allow myself to get called many names, but "Vantablack" needed to be one of them. This still applies today.
Hikari brought her hands together and laughed. She had a radiant smile which seemed to make the sun brighter. "Y'know, you're really funny when you talk like that, Big Bro!"
"You say that every time," I said, returning to a dialect that most would consider "normal".
"And I'll keep saying it! You need compliments in your life, Shihai! Watch, when you get older, you'll be so confident that you'll get all the girls!" she foretold. Out of all of the futures out there, that future had had a small likelihood of occuring. Quantum physics forbids Shihai Kuroiro from becoming a charismatic figure known to swoon women like catnip.
I shook my head. I knew this fact ever since I was born. "Yeah uhm, I don't think so… I'll always be the nervous man you see before you."
"That's a lie! C'mon Vantablack, if you wanna be a Hero just like All Might or Hawks, then you need to be confident!" she said, grasping my hand. Her skin was soft, and her hand was so warm. We were a complete contrast to one another. She wasn't born with my Mutation, which turned my skin completely black. Her skin was light, but due to her being locked inside so much, she was pale. However, we both had white hair. It was the one thing that distinguishes us as siblings.
I replied, "Easier said than done…"
"Jeez Shihai!" she exclaimed, pouting again. "You're gonna be the death of me! How many times do I hafta cheer you on? Look—"
"Are you going to scold me again?" I asked in a little bit of a joking manner.
She shook her head. "No, if you promise me something. Actually, you gotta promise to do a lotta things."
For a second, I hesitated. I didn't exactly know why I hesitated, but maybe it was the word "promise". That word was like the word "deal", but more...personal and interconnected, if that garners any semblance of sense. You could break a deal and no one's hearts would shatter; however, breaking a promise and the hearts of both parties would be broken. And I… I had no desire to falter on the promises I made.
Promises, they are an abstract object. They are not tangible, yet I will always hold them dearly.
This was a truth I had to learn, and a truth I had to accept. Even though I hesitated, I didn't remain silent. "Of course. What, uh, what are they?"
Hikari raised a finger. "First, we need a name, Big Bro!"
"A name?" I asked.
"Yup! C'mon, talk like Vantablack again! What would he call these promises?"
The answer came to me immediately. As the dastardly schemer named Vantablack, I announced, "The Hikari Commandments." The purpose of The Hikari Commandments was in the name. These were absolute orders that I had to abide by set forth by Hikari Kuroiro, the Little Light.
Hikari grinned. For a brief moment, I saw sparkling stars forming around her head. "That's it! This will be The Hikari Commandments!" She placed her arm over her chest, clearing her throat like how I did whenever I spoke as Vantablack.
"Commandment One: I hereby state that Shihai Kuroiro gotta be a Pro Hero!"
"Of course."
"Quiet! I'm not done talking! Commandment Two: He has to be known as Vantablack!"
"Mhm."
"Hmph. Commandment Three: As Vantablack, he has to be the most confident guy in the room, no excuses!"
"Again, it's easier said than done."
"Stop commentating! Commandment Four: As both Shihai Kuroiro and Vantablack, he'd better take care of his friends!"
"If—"
"Nope, shut your mouth! Commandment Five: He has to get married! I want to be a sister-in-law and an auntie!"
"..."
"Uh… Uhm… Aha! Commandment Six: Vantablack must be in the Top 100 Heroes of Japan!"
"Hikari—"
"And Commandment Seven," Hikari said, looking into my eyes. It was the look as if out of all the commandments, Commandment Seven was the most important. Thus, if I had to choose one to never forget, it would be this one. And to never forget this commandment, Hikari told me, "He has to swear that he will never forget about his Little Light, Hikari Kuroiro."
A brief moment of silence echoed in Hikari's hospital room. Sunlight shined through the hospital window, striking Hikari as she wore a plain hospital gown, laying in a plain hospital bed with the sounds of the hospital all around us. Gone were the days where we sat in the living room mindlessly watching Heroes on live TV defeating heinous and dastardly Villains for the sake of heroism, and so those days were replaced by afternoons visits, conversating about topics that didn't suit our age, making promises that we never thought had to be made.
Hikari Kuroiro, the Little Light, my Little Light, simply tilted her head and smiled. "But I'mma be with you until I grow old. Me and you and Mom and Dad! So I'm gonna make sure that you'll never forget me!"
"Of course…" I responded, my voice downtrodden and demoralized.
"Mhm!" she hummed, nodding her head. "Since you're gonna be a Hero, we can beat cancer like it's nothing!"
Hikari clenched her fist and raised in the air.
Exhaling, I said, "Yeah… That'll happen."
Juzo Honenuki
"TEAM YOSETSU AWASE AND KOJIRO BONDO HAVE CUFFED MIDNIGHT! THEY PASSED THEIR EXAM!"
"Oh, of course they passed but what about us? We have to deal with a freaking canyon!" Who put this canyon in our way?! Did God do it?! Did He decide to plop a massive hole in the ground?! Because of this hole, we can't get to the Escape Gate! Me and Shoda can't fly! Like heck we can! Power Loader did this on purpose! He knew that our Quirks wouldn't allow us to cross large gaps! So, if I was Power Loader, what would I do? That's simple, actually.
First, we need to take a look at the situation. We, the students, have two win conditions where one of which needs to be fulfilled. Win Condition A requires us to put on a handcuff on Power Loader. Win Condition B requires only one of us to pass through the Escape Gate. However, we have a couple of loss conditions ourselves. Loss Condition A states that we fail the Final Exam if we are defeated/restrained by our respective Hero; Loss Condition B occurs when our thirty minutes are up. As of right now, we have about...22 minutes and 30 seconds left. I'm just guesstimating. It's kinda hard to tell time without a clock or a timer, but it's no biggie.
Power Loader himself stated, "I'm not gonna ease up on you kids! You gotta beat me head-on!" I kinda expected that declaration, not because of his personality but his role as our teacher and our opponent. But, what do you know, he's lying! He's not actually fighting us with his full strength. Evidence A is his metal weights made by Hatsume Mei. Its entire purpose was for him to not fight at full strength. What about mentally? Also true. He's willingly not fighting his best. Of course, I don't have evidence specifically for him, but I do have evidence for the other fights. As of right now, Awase and Bondo are the only ones who passed their exam. No one else passed, but that also means no one else failed.
So who didn't pass? Who didn't fail?
Inochi and Kendo.
They haven't failed yet. They are fighting against All Might, the strongest Pro Hero in the whole freaking world. Let's make an assumption—dangerous, I know—and say that each Hero said something like "I'm not gonna hold back against you brats!" to put the fear of God and Shiozaki into us. If that was the case, then All Might would have instantly defeated Inochi and Kendo. Who cares if they have cool bikes? All Might could run up, give 'em some wind, end 'em, and call it a day—simple as that. But instead, they've been fighting him for over seven minutes, which means they are far from done.
Now, I could stand here all day and theorize who would win, but I need to focus on my own fight.
With my case about All Might made, it means that Power Loader isn't fighting his best against us both physically and mentally.
Now let's take our battlefield: it's a dirt field being the same color as Shishida's thick hair. It's relatively flat with a few mounds here and there. It'll be super easy to spot someone and gun 'em down, taking 'em back to World War One with trench warfare. But, here's the kicker: I can't see Power Loader at all. I'm gonna assume that he isn't secretly a bird, and thus, he can't fly; as a result, he's right under us digging with his Iron Claws. How deep is he digging though? Easy answer: really freaking deep. If I can't feel or hear him digging, then he's really far underground, so far underground that it would make Heroes like Eraserhead jealous.
As he's digging, he's probably setting up more traps than we could count. If we can't hear him, then he can't hear us. That means he's giving us the time to do whatever the hell we want! He's stalling to enact his masterplan to kill his own students, so y'know, normal high school things! The best way to prevent us from getting over to the Escape Gate is this giant canyon in front of us.
For the past seven minutes, me and Shoda have been avoiding traps as we go along, which mainly consist of sharp bits and pitfalls. I noticed the traps due to the dirt being slightly discolored and sinking a little too deep into the ground. It's hard to find those signs at first, but it became easier after the first three or so times.
So with all of this in mine, I need to think about how I'm gonna cross this gap with Shoda. There's no way I'm leaving Shoda here to die. It's Shoda! Everyone likes Shoda! He's pretty much the only normal guy in Class 1-B! I'm being serious here!
We got:
A Quirkless guy who came straight out of an anime.
An actual stereotype of an otaku.
An heiress who knows she's cute.
A kuudere who's able to get the world to bend at her command.
A son of a Villain.
A horse.
A guy who's literally black.
An incarnation of a weasel with blonde hair.
And the rest of those weirdos.
Then there's Shoda, who's so normal that it's amazing that he's able to exist in this world. And everyone likes him. It's hard not to. He's generally unoffending and tries to help everyone in his own way. That, and his Quirk is pretty good. There's really no reason to hate Shoda unless you're a jerk like Bakugo. I swear to God and Shiozaki, if he didn't have such a good Quirk, then he wouldn't be in U.A. whatsoever with that attitude. Of course, men like Mayor Yamamoto wouldn't give a damn about that. As long as Bakugo benefits him one way or another, he's off the hook.
Anyway, tangent over. I have an idea to cross the gap. It's way too far to jump over it; I'm not a parkour master or have a Quirk made for agility. However, I can create a bridge. If I create a pool of softened dirt and throw it onto the other side, then re-solidify it… A bridge would form. It wouldn't be the best bridge structurally-speaking, but it oughta be enough for us to cross.
"I got it!" I exclaim, snapping my fingers. "With Softening, I'll just create a dirt bridge by throwing a buncha softened dirt on the other side, then solidifying it."
"...Honenuki," Shoda says, sounding like he has a better idea.
"Shoda," I reply, sounding like I'm convinced that Shoda has a better idea.
He replies to my reply, replying, "A couple of seconds ago, you were yelling about the canyon, and now you're strangely calm…" Oh, my thoughts were only a couple of seconds long? Score! I was always a fast thinker. Sometimes I can think up an essay within a few seconds and other times, I can only think a single thought in a minute. Life be like that…
I shrug, tapping my head. Actually, I tap the spot where my head would be if it isn't for my helmet. "Well, I calmed myself down in those two seconds. But besides the fact that I'm bipolar, you sound like you have a better idea. Shoot me, and it'd better be with a sniper rifle."
"I don't know how to respond to that," admits Shoda. "But uhm, we can cross this gap without using a bridge. I can use Twin Impact to jump longer distances, and I can get you over there too."
I point at him. "Since when can you do that?"
"Ever since I received my Quirk…?" Shoda answers in the form of a question, shaking his head a little; he's probably intimidated by me. "Can we get going? Power Loader is making his move, so we need to make ours."
"Smartest idea I ever heard! So…" The gap's pretty long… About fifteen meters long? Maybe sixteen? Olympians, who aren't using their Quirks, can jump about this length with Quirk Passivity in effect—nine meters if they are completely Quirkless. Seeing as I'm not an Olympian, I could probably make almost half of the distance without the use of Shoda's Quirk. Well, let's hope for the freaking best. I ask Shoda, "How are we doing this? Are you strong enough to throw me across?"
"Uhm, no," he answers before smacking my back. Wow, he's a lot stronger than he looks, especially for a chubby guy. He pulls his hand back, his face scrunching up. Must be deciding if he should do it again.
"Shoda—"
He does it again.
"Sorry Honenuki… I want to make sure that you get across. Whenever you're ready, jump and I'll activate Twin Impact," he tells me. I nod, approaching the edge of the canyon.
Here I go… Just don't fall into the deep abyss! No pressure. "Shoda," I say, my voice calm yet serious, "if I meet Death, who will take me home where I belong, then please—I beg of you—spread my ashes over the Roman Empire."
"That hasn't existed for—?!"
"—ThreetwooneGeronimo!"
LEAP!
I only learned the word "Geronimo" from Pony! It's a pretty fun word to say!
C'mon Shoda, show me your guns!
LAUNCH LAUNCH!
Oh crap! That's too much! He underestimated the force of Twin Impact! My velocity just increased thricefold! I'm gonna cross the canyon, yeah, but way too fast! The ground's approaching me! It'll—!
THUD!
…
LAUNCH!
"Uhm...Honenuki? Are you okay?" I bring my head off of the ground. I faceplanted hard. There's dirt in the crevices of my costume, especially in my helmet. Does he know how hard it is to clean this thing? God, my life just keeps getting better.
Oh yeah, Shoda made it across without the pain and humiliation I'm experiencing. Lucky bastard. It's like I, Juzo Honenuki, am made to be humiliated as if I have a fetish for it. I do not, by the way. I say to this guy, "What's up? Did you have a nice trip?"
"Uh, yes? We need to start heading towards the Escape Gate before Power Loader—!"
RUMBLE!
Aw crap. I hear him. He's right below us. Gauging from how loud he is, and how he's getting louder by the second, I predict that we have about… Let's say… Two seconds before he eats us alive. Two and a quarter if I'm being generous.
Thus, if we fail to act, then we can kiss our sorry asses behind and be stuck in remedial classes to make up for how inadequate we are. Way to fix my self-esteem, guys. You really know how to treat your students.
Anyway, my self-esteem isn't the only problem that needs fixing. I got a mole below me that needs countering. Since we have two seconds, every bit of movement is vital. I need to analyze my way out of here or else I am dead.
Situation A: Let's say I manage to stand up. If I do it masterfully, I'd do it in a second. That's half the amount of time that Power Loader will take to bury us. That leaves me with a second to dodge his trap with both myself and Shoda. It's not in our odds. I can't rely on this plan to wind. Sorry Situation A, no can do.
Situation B: What if I push Shoda away? He's right beside me. I can easily push Shoda away out of range of Power Loader's pitfall, but that will take two seconds to do as well. I won't have any time to save myself, and so I'll be defeated. Shoda won't be able to evade Power Loader's other traps without me, so he'll be defeated quickly after as well. Situation B is a Situation Bust.
Situation C: I activate Softening. By activating Softening, I would turn the ground into mud and it would prevent us from free-falling into a pit. There's a problem with that though. Let's say I did stop his advance. Afterwards, the top layer of the dirt is literally mud. We are the only ones able to traverse through it. He can dig under the mud and I can swim through it. I'll only have the element of surprise that will give me an advantage for a few seconds, but once those seconds are spent, we're back at where we were. Power Loader would be able to attack me and Shoda, with the environment advantage against us. Why? Well that's because Shoda can't swim like I can. He'll be trapped within Softening. This situation isn't good, but…
Situation D: What if I use Softening in a different way? Instead of turning the top-side layer of dirt into mud—which is where Shoda and I are at—I turn everything but the top-side layer into mush? That means Power Loader will have to dig through liquefied dirt, and he isn't quite so effective in digging through that compared to actual dirt. And oxygen is a limiting factor as well. He needs to come up for air, and so we'll force him to come out. As a result, he has two things limiting him: mud and oxygen. Mud causes him to slow down and oxygen limits his time spent underground. With those combined, it's impossible to catch us in a pitfall because we would have already evaded it, even if Power Loader makes one before he needs to come up for oxygen. Though, if we can predict exactly where he'll burst through the ground, we can react properly. Still, I'm not gonna count Situation D out. It's our best shot at winning.
Time to see it through.
"Honenuki—!"
"Yeah yeah, I got it!" I slam my hand against the ground.
SOFTEN!
To Shoda, I did absolutely nothing. But to Power Loader, that's a different story. I can hear the mud slowing him down; it also dampens the noise he's making, so that's kinda a bummer. Can't worry about that though! I jump up, taking about a second and then some to do so. I grab Shoda's arm and jump forward, moving away from our exposed position. Let's explain to Shoda what's gonna happen. "I used Softening to slow Power Loader while he's underground. He's a mole not a fish, so he needs to come up for oxygen sooner or later. When he does—"
"—We can react appropriately! We only need to find out exactly where he'll burst through the ground!" Shoda finishes what I was gonna say. At least he can follow along with my crazy plans. With Shoda here, his question can be easily answered.
I nod, saying, "Mhm, I always knew you weren't an idiot."
"...I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment. I'm—!"
BURST!
Power Loader bursts through the spot where Shoda and I were about four seconds ago. He's covered in dirt and muck, absolutely disgusting. Not only does he look disgusting, he looks angry. "Damnit you kids, I told you I'm not gonna hold back!" the mole says. Weird, I dunno why a shirtless mole is talking. Wait, do moles even wear clothes in the first place? Food for thought.
"How's life, sir?" I ask him while he's still in the air.
"Shut it!" he replies, flying towards us with his Iron Claws pointed at our very attractive skulls just begging for a-crackin'.
I step back and say, "Mines."
"Got it!" Shoda rushes forward and meets up with Power Loader. Of the two, one of them has their attack telegraphed. Guess who it is?
GRAB!
Yup, it's Power Loader. With his claws aiming to dig a cave into our heads, it makes it pretty easy for Shoda to counter. He dodged Power Loader's attack by stepping off to the right, then he literally grabs onto his helmet and slams onto the ground.
Here's where things will get tricky. I gesture towards the Escape Gate with a head nod. "Shoda, let's get the heck outta here before Mister Mole wakes up!"
"Alright!" he responds before we run together, running at the Escape Gate with Power Loader behind us. We don't need to worry about traps anymore, since I muddied the dirt beneath our feet. Whatever pitfalls and spike traps there are, they're disabled.
All we need to do is outrun Power Loader. In total, Shoda and I have one hundred meters to cross—that's a little over the length of an American football field. With our speed, if we manage to keep a steady pace, we'll reach it in about thirty seconds. If we up the ante and start to sprint, we'll reach it within twenty. Compared to Power Loader's speed—underground obviously—in normal circumstances, he could dig one hundred meters in less than ten seconds. However, if I use the measurements that I took before when he bursted through the ground, I predicted that he would reach my position in two seconds; it took him four. So my results: the mud halved his overall speed. It's not a far assumption to think that he would take twenty seconds to cross one hundred meters, the same amount of time it would take Shoda and I to sprint there.
Considering that he will reach the Escape Gate before us—underground obviously—it means that we are slower than him—if we aren't sprinting anyway, and we aren't. Damnit though, even when mud is slowing him down, he's still faster than us.
This whole thing is a race with extra steps, but our opponent is also simultaneously trying to kill us. Go us! Go team! But of course, there's a reason why I had Shoda attack Power Loader! His support gear, obviously. It's called "Impact Location Recording Devices". The purpose is in the name. By recording the impact he just made, we're able to also track Power Loader's position underground.
DIG!
And from the sounds of it, it's about to come in handy real soon! "Shoda, keep us updated on Power Loader's location! I can't tell where he's at!"
"Okay! He's approaching us really fast!" he tells me with one of his eyes focused on his visor. "Uhm, oh crap! Dodge now!"
LEAP! DODGE!
BURST!
"You damn stupid kids!" Power Loader calmly says after bursting through the ground. Shoda and I didn't take the time to look back. Why would we? We know where he's at. We just need to keep running as if the world is breaking apart behind us! I hear Power Loader digging back underground. Looks like this will be one great chase scene!
We have eighty meters to go!
"—He's coming to our left!"
DODGE! BURST!
Seventy!
"Right below us—!"
DODGE! BURST!
Fifty-five!
"—Our right—!"
DODGE! BURST!
Forty!
"Coming from below again—!"
DODGE! BURST!
Twenty!
"Damnit all!"
DIG DIG DIG!
Shit, Power Loader sounds like he's digging even faster than before! Shoda sharply gasps, probably seeing just how fast he's moving. "Honenuki, he's coming—!"
BURST!
"—Take this, Mudman!" To my left, Power Loader popped out of the ground with his right claw flying towards my face. My costume is mostly made out of metal, but metal hitting metal is still isn't favorable. Instead of experiencing cuts or gashes, I'll experience blunt force trauma. That's if Power Loader's Quirk isn't sharp. There's a chance that his Iron Claws are so sharp that it can rip through my armor. Damnit, I don't know enough about Iron Claws to even consider taking this hit!
But I don't need to! I don't need to do anything! My partner can save me here!
Isn't that right, Shoda?!
LAUNCH!
"Geh—?!" Take that! Shoda's impact is still dwelling on his helmet, so he activated Twin Impact to send him back in the opposite direction! The inside of his metal helmet—shaped like some kind of dinosaur for some weird reason—bangs against his skull. Since Twin Impact multiples the original force dealt, it's enough for a concussion. Power Loader falls to the ground, moaning in pain while me and Shoda take this time to make our speedy escape!
Twenty meters left!
Then fifteen!
Ten!
"Kids…—"
Aw come on.
"—Y'think I'm done yet?!" he yells, no longer trying to dig underground. He's running right at us, using his claws to boost himself forward.
"Time to run! Sprint like you mean it, Shoda!" I shout, sprinting ahead. Shoda whimpers and sprints after me while the mad dog of the Support Course is charging like a bull. The Escape Gate is so freaking close! I see Nezu's smug head right in front of me! Don't worry little rat-cat-dog thing, I'll make you proud!
STOMP STOMP STOMP!
I hope I can make you proud!
Almost there! Less than five meters to go!
"You aren't—!"
So close!
"—gonna—!"
No, we'll—!
"—win!"
BLARE!
"TEAM JUZO HONENUKI AND NIRENGEKI SHODA HAVE ESCAPED POWER LOADER'S MINEFIELD OF TRAPS! CELEBRATE EVERYONE!"
"Heck yeah! We passed!" I stop a meter or two away from the Escape Gate due to momentum and stuff. I huff and puff, but my heart isn't beating out of my chest. Shoda, on the other hand, is a lot more tired.
"I'm not—hah—fit for cardio…" he admits, having his hands on his knees and looking straight down at the ground.
Power Loader sighs and walks up to us, clearly disappointed in himself. I would be too. He says, "You kids beat me… Can't say I'm surprised. This year's batch is not so crap compared to other years."
"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" Shoda asks.
"I mean!" Power Loader smiles, scratching his helmet with one of his claws. "Eraserhead didn't expel any kids this year! Hell, he didn't recommend Vlad King to expel any of his students either!"
"Yeah, we aren't dirt trash. We're just trash," I say.
Shoda again asks, "What am I supposed to take as a compliment…?"
Me and Power Loader glance at Shoda, then each other, and laugh right at his face. We both know we're joking… Well, I'm joking. This guy probably isn't, but who cares? We're better than the previous years. That's good… With how the year's shaping up to be, having all this unwanted attention and crap, we better make use of it. It's no time to sit 'round and cry.
"You two are good men," Power Loader genuinely compliments us, putting a hand on Shoda's shoulder. "There's no way that you won't be a good Hero. Anyway, let's head back to the bus. I need to catch All Might's fight."
"We all do," I reply, looking back at the bus that took us here. "They're making the rest of us look like chumps."
Heh, isn't that right, Inochi? Can't sit 'round and cry about what life's given us. If you did that, then you wouldn't be here right now. Can't sit down and complain about everyone hating us, because you've been hated for your entire life. Still—and not to be a dick or something—I'm glad that I'm not you. I have my own issues to deal with. The entire class has our own problems and our own aspirations. And I'm pretty sure that they're pointed towards the future.
The heroism caste system is rigid. Personally, I'd rather see it reworked brick by brick, starting from the foundations up. I'm not one of those zealous idiots who would take a sledgehammer and knock everything down. The only thing that would do is destroy everything we had worked for. That was what Stain tried to do. This fact separates the Villains from admired reformers.
And I guess I'm trying to be a reformer…
Great.
I'm only sixteen and I'm trying to change the world already.
God, I'm just like the ordinary dreamer.
Well, unlike everyone else, I have the tools to actually make it happen.
I'm more of a realist than everyone else, but I think it's possible. There's no way a single person could do it alone. I mean, in history books, the names of generals are recorded, but each general needs an army to win the war. So even All Might needed people to win his war.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is: We, Class 1-B, could maybe, possibly, mayhaps, and probably will change the world.
Ibara Shiozaki
CEMENT!
"Rrrrrraaaaaah—!"
SHATTER!
"—Ratatatatatatatata—!"
PUNCH! CRACK! BLAM!
"He's not letting up, Shiozaki—!
"So I see." Tetsutetsu did find work thus far, being able to destroy the walls that Cementoss creates on his side of the conflict. I for one have been dutifully dispatching Cementoss's creations lest we would wish a swift and humiliating defeat. However, I hear soft panting from Tetsutetsu, signaling that exhaustion is starting to sweep through his body and tire his muscles. 'Tis unfortunate. Tetsutetsu is expending more energy than I, and soon he'll tire and let his body fall limp and his fighting spirit shall fade like a flickering candlelight.
That shall not happen.
Cementoss is simply in front of us, specifically in Tetsutetsu's direction, with a few blocks separating us from him, and the walls have become our partitions. At this rate, we will not be able to reach him. We need a way to twist the threads of Fate and gain the upper hand. And perhaps, I know of a way.
I step back, my blessed Vines demolishing and destroying these meddlesome walls threatening to pummel our bodies. My back rests upon Tetsutetsu's, whose chest is bare like a nude child—such shamelessness. I ask of him, "Tetsutetsu, ease your fists and relent. Allow me to turn the tides in our favor."
"Alright!" exclaims Tetsutetsu, his body hard and gray due to the effects of his Quirk, "I trust ya, Shiozaki! Whatcha gonna do?" After he finishes his question, he punches the wall in front of him, letting it shatter from his fist, littering the street we stand upon. We fight in a mock city, exactly where Cementoss would be at his strongest. Cement, his Quirk, allows him to control any and all cement he touches. Such power…
"You shall see," I answer, walking past him and towards where my foe stands. Yet my vision of our dear teacher is obstructed due to the army of lost, derelict barriers facing us as if they are sheep being led by a shepherd. If that is so, then it is necessary to be the false shepherd and lead them astray, shattering them like mirrors.
CEMENT! CEMENT! CEMENT!
They come in numbers, roaring with mass hysteria. They come numerous, running with wrath dwelling within their hearts. Who are they? I may ask, speaking to not these souls, but to the one possessing them. And to which, they respond, We are Legion, for we are many.
Foul demons: that is what you are. So come, face the divine might of Maria. So come—"And part. Be vanquished, my dear enemies."
EXORCISM!
Exorcism: it is a Super Move of my devising. My Vines bury themselves into the street, running below the concrete and asphalt, running and stretching ahead underneath the Legion who pose a threat to my way of life. I run them in all directions, none are discriminated against. The Legion still continue their endless charge, a charge that will mark their demise. Before they approach us, burying us with their cold walls, my Vines part from the earth and raise towards the skies above.
CRUMBLE!
CRACK!
SHATTER!
Rising, they embrace the newfound sun and lay witness to the land that they have created. The land that now surrounds us is briefly enveloped in a thick cloud of dust and debris generated from Exorcism. Before, the wails of the Legion was as loud as an evening bell, and now the bell is silenced, being replaced by the soft whistling of the wind. Tetsutetsu stands amazed as my Vines slowly slink back into my head. I mustn't be overzealous with my attacks because I would run the risk of rendering myself completely unable to use my Quirk. But as we may see…
"Holy shit…" Tetsutetsu swears much to my disapproval, yet the reaction is deserved. As the dust finally departs from this land, all of the concrete walls are gone. They have been destroyed, utterly destroyed. They litter the roadsides, sleep broken along the sidewalks. The streets are ruined. They are hardly recognizable; it would take a keen eye to even notice that these were once streets in which cars drove on. There, in the distance, is our true foe. Cementoss, our mentor and instructor, stands five blocks ahead with a gentle smile strewn on his lips. Tetsutetsu stands beside me, slamming his knuckles together and creating a loud clang that echoes off the desolate buildings.
Cementoss yells, "What a wonderful move, Miss Shiozaki! You truly have a splendid Quirk! But I wonder how long it will take to reach your limit? And that, I will test."
Our endurances? What a pity... He is testing the endurance of not our bodies, but our Quirks. That must be the reason why Tetsutetsu and I are partnered. Our Quirks are powerful, yet limited. Cementoss is our perfect counter, as his onslaught of Cement is endless. To a man such as he, he sees no limits. If we were to continue fighting like this, then our defeat would be certain. We cannot fight this battle on his terms, but rather create our own terms and force him to fight us there.
The only reasonable option is to retreat.
I tell my partner, "We must flee, Tetsutetsu. We are right back where we were before."
"We can take him down, Shiozaki! I know it! Just gimme a chance and I'll knock the brains outta him!" he exclaims with simple crudeness… I am surprised that this trait of his did not become more of a detriment earlier… What folly, but worrying about this troublesome quality of his will amount to nothing.
"You will only accomplish achieving a foolish defeat, so please, if you insist on doing so, I will not be the one stopping you—" I gaze at Cementoss ahead, "— he will."
"..." Tetsutetsu lowers his head. I can feel his spirit waning, decreasing in strength. "...Yeah alright."
"...Are you finished talking?" Cementoss asks, tilting his head curiously. "I was pondering if I was interrupting an important conversation. I don't mean to be rude, but we do have an Exam to carry out." Hehe, there's sincereness in his voice. Most teachers would say that as a taunt, but not he. Truly, he's a respectable man.
I nod. "Yes, we have. Now if you excuse us…" I take hold of Tetsutetsu's cold and clammy hand before departing from our current battle. Cementoss exclaims in surprise realizing that we are fleeing, especially Tetsutetsu. We make our way into the narrow alleyways of the mock city as if we are ants surrounded by feets of many giants. The creeping sounds of concrete and cement creak and moan, closing the distance between us by each passing second. Tetsutetsu grits his teeth, and I see why: there is a wall blocking our pathway. When I first look upon it, it's about the height of myself. Yet after each moment, as fast as a blink of an eye, it grows, becoming as tall as the buildings surrounding us.
We cannot escape here.
"'Zaki, follow my lead!" Tetsutetsu yells, giving me quite an interesting nickname. He lets go of my hand and looks towards a brick wall. Without hesitation, he literally runs through it, breaking the bricks effortlessly due to his Quirk. I follow him inside, going into an empty building. Ah, I assumed that nothing was in these buildings. They're only for appearances, after all. Where we once stood, the alleyway is soon quickly replaced by Cementoss's walls. If we had stayed there, we would have surely met our end.
We must continue onward. We mustn't lose hope. God is shining His light upon us, His faithful and pious Heroes. To abandon the fight now would be abandoning Him.
Tetsutetsu charges forward once again, running to the wall on the other side of the room. However, he is stopped. Through the open windows, Cementoss rises walls, more cement structures that immediately shield the light from leaking inside, sprouting upwards where I assume he would cover the entire building. Tetsutetsu looks towards the stairs, but what good would that do? Cement is faster than both of us combined. When we reach the third floor, the entire building would already be covered in concrete and cement. Conventional means of escape will not earn us the passing grade we desire.
We must think outside the box, which is quite ironic with the notion that this building is likely to become our tomb. Tetsutetsu, my dear vibrant partner, decides to fruitlessly punch Cementoss's barriers as if that would achieve anything. Well, anything but mindlessly destroying your body and thus decreasing your chances of success. He screams, "You won't take me slacking, Teach! I'm not 'bout to go down this way! Not like this! Ratatatata—!"
PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!
"Please conserve your energy."
PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!
"...I insist."
PUNCH!
"Well shit," Tetsutetsu swears once more, shaking his hand. Ah, his knuckles are cracked. His Quirk is waning. He is no longer fighting at full strength… And so our odds decrease. "Shiozaki, got any bright ideas? Think… Think these freakin' walls are too damn tough for even me to punch through 'em. C'mon, you got an idea right? I can't let my bros down, 'specially Inochi!"
Sanji… He wouldn't fare well in this fight. Cementoss's Quirk, despite his overwhelming skill in martial arts, could easily restrain him. The same can be said for myself… Really, Honenuki would be the best at removing himself in this situation. He could easily swim under Cementoss's constructs and reach him from there. Or Pony could fly with her horns higher than he could reach. Out of all of the teachers, Cementoss is surely one of the hardest to combat—with the hardest being All Might of course. I do hope Sanji and Itsuka are faring well in their fight.
But how? How can we escape this prison made from the toughest of stones? Tetsutetsu's fists are not enough, so what would be enough? I could use my Quirk, but it would be extremely limited as Cementoss has also blocked out the sunlight and thus stopped the regeneration of Vines. This building where we once thought would be our safe haven has become our greatest enemy, even more fearsome than our intended foe.
If only we could defeat this building, then perhaps we could reevaluate our options from there…
To defeat this building…
Oh dear.
"Tetsutetsu, I came up with a possible—and very unconventional—solution. Do you wish to hear it?" I ask of him, and he nods enthusiastically like a small puppy.
He pumps his fist into the air. "Hell yeah! What's on your mind?!"
With strong conviction, I answer, "Do you recall our Entrance Exam? When God put us in unfavorable circumstances only amplified by Midoriya's actions? Well, instead of Midoriya being the cause of the destruction, we shall act in his stead!"
Tetsutetsu's mouth goes agape. "Wait, hold on! How the heck can we do that?! Midoriya only knocked down that building 'cuz he knocked down one of those friggin' zero-pointers! I might be a buff dude, but I'm not buff enough to punch the foundations apart!"
My Vines extend, expanding from my scalp. I have not fully tested the strength of my Quirk, yet if they can emerge from the deep and break through concrete, then it would not be far to believe that they can destroy the foundational supports of this building. Through my eyes, Tetsutetsu sees my answer and nods. He walks up and puts his arm around me. Such a brazen character… "I'll protect ya, 'Zaki! When you take this building down, I'll be a shield for ya! I promise that none of us will get hurt!"
"You have my thanks… Tetsutetsu, we—?!"
RUMBLE!
"My dear students, do you concede the match?! You have no hopes of succeeding at this rate! Your plan has failed!" Cementoss calls out from outside. I look at Tetsutetsu, and with my eyes, I ask him to respond in my place.
Because, I extend my Vines throughout the entire building. Every pillar, every support that would be necessary for the building to remain standing, I will strangle them until they become breathless. This building is about ten stories tall, so my reach will be ten stories tall. Tetsutetsu sees my action and sighs, a worried breath leaving him. He calls out to our teacher, "No can do! You gotta knock us out, Teach! No way we're surrendering! Y'know why? 'Cuz I'm Real freakin' Steel, and she's Maria! Don't count us out!"
My Vines wrap around the supports.
"Even if we got a zero percent chance of winning, we'll defy math itself and pull out a win!"
Tighter.
"With my hard-as-hell body, you bet your ass that I'm gonna beat math to a pulp!"
I feel the pillars cracking…
"So that's why Cementoss, you're not gonna win!" Tetsutetsu pulls me close to him. "Now Shiozaki! Give him hell!"
"What are you kids—?!"
With the strength of a thousand men, I shatter and destroy the pillars. A symphony of destruction is heard around us. Immediately after, I detach my Vines from my hair, cutting it short. Tetsutetsu wraps his arms around me and falls over with him on top, using his body to shield me from the incoming debris. The sound is exactly the same from before: the crumbling walls, the groaning of the supports, it's the same from our Entrance Exam. And the feeling is the same as well. Bits and pieces fall onto our hair and body, but then the ceiling cracks like the spindle of a spiderweb.
CRACK!
And before our minds can process this event… Everything falls.
COLLAPSE!
It's not a pleasant feeling if I tell the truth. To have quite literally everything fall on you having the same weight as the world… Well, I would not go out of my way to seek it. However, Tetsutetsu became an amazing shield. He never relented his duty, never shirked it. Throughout the entire duration, he held onto me ensuring that I would receive no wounds, and I did not—only a few scratches, but nothing troubling. For Tetsutetsu however, he experienced more damage than I. His Quirk was already cracked beforehand, and with this barrage of damage, he's pushing Steel to the limit. I can hear him groaning on top of me, his breath hot and exhausted. My dear ally… I cannot thank him enough for doing this.
Darkness surrounds us as we're buried under a pile of debris. The only sounds we hear are that of Cementoss, running towards us with frantic footsteps. He yells, "Shiozaki! Tetsutetsu! Are you alright?! Goodness, what in the world were you thinking?! To pull a stunt like that, it could very well kill you!"
He sounds so frightened and concerned… His instincts as a teacher are taking over… Cementoss becomes closer to our current position, climbing onto the site looking for us. Tetsutetsu groans and shifts around, enough that the debris above us shifts with him. Cementoss must have heard it, because he starts running to our location within a few seconds. Tetsutetsu glances down, his eyes staring at mine. He whispers, "Don't worry 'Zaki, I'll bring home the gold."
"Tetsutetsu, wait—!" I say, but I am too late. As soon as Cementoss climbs onto the pile, Tetsutetsu jumps up and punches through the debris, striking Cementoss's skull. His feet take off from the earth, no longer having contact with the ground beneath him. Tetsutetsu sees this opportunity to attack, and so he does. He charges forward and grabs Cementoss by the collar of his costume, slamming him against a flat piece of debris, enough to crack it whole. Before our teacher could react, Tetsutetsu brings out the handcuffs we were given and puts them around one of Cementoss's wrists…
And…
Well…
That is our victory.
I stand up from the wreckage and make way to the two men. My pure dress is stained brown with dirt, which subsequently reflects my mood. I never expected Cementoss to react in such a way. We have taken advantage of him and his emotions. In this exam, we were expected to fight against our teacher who is supposed to act like a Villain. We forced our teacher, Cementoss, to worry about our well-being. In a real battle, this would never happen. How can we call this a true victory?
Tetsutetsu grins, obviously enjoying the fact that we won, but I am not. Cementoss, for some odd reason, is smiling too. He stands up and nods his head towards Tetsutetsu before facing me still maintaining his smile. "Shiozaki, you don't look pleased. How come?" he asks.
I truthfully answers, "I intended to destroy the building to put us in a more advantageous position—"
"—Which worked," he interrupts, and I nod in response.
"Yes, however we took advantage of your natural instincts as a teacher—"
"—That you did, and I am glad for it."
"Well I am not. Such behavior is unheroic. I never intended to make you fret over the possibility of our death—"
"—What done is done. And frankly, I thought that was intentional. You knew what kind of a man I was and exploited my weaknesses."
"Not like this. None of our Villains will ever act this way towards us—"
"—Yet you can exploit them nonetheless. One aspect of being a Pro Hero is to properly exploit your opponent in all areas: Quirk, technique, and most of all, personality. Today, you did just that, whether or not you meant to, you did."
"Cementoss, I insist—"
"—Shiozaki, I insist , accept this victory. Not all Villains will engage you on a fair playing field. In fact, most of them won't . However, giving yourself an advantage is not wholly a dishonorable strategy. Generals commit this act during times of war, yet many of them are still considered valiant in today's world. Do you know how, Shiozaki? They fight with heroic spirit, and that is how you ought to fight as well. Fight to ensure your victory and your heroic spirit. If you concede one, you concede both."
"...I—"
"C'mon Shiozaki!" Tetsutetsu exclaims with such positivity that I become startled by his voice. He grins and knocks his shoulder into mine. "Cementoss is right! We gotta fight to win and fight as Heroes! I get that ya wanna be fair and all, but that could really screw ya over in the long run! I'd rather get screwed over now than later, 'cuz by then… We'd be y'know…"
The air is suddenly filled with silence.
"I understand, Tetsutetsu. I will consider your words," I say after a few seconds of the silence transpired. Afterwards, I turn to Cementoss and nod. "Thank you, Cementoss… Your words are a blessing. I pray that you have a good day and a good life, for you are a very kind and generous man, and a better Hero."
Cementoss blushes, shaking his head. "Stop praising a blockhead like me so much! I am happy that I have students who are wiser than their age. It's great that both of you defeated me, because it means that you will be amazing Heroes. Now, let's head back to the bus and wait for the other of your classmates to finish."
"Hell yeah! Can't wait to have everyone pass!" Tetsutetsu cheers with another fist raised to the sky.
Yet however, I form a smile.
These are truly my classmates… I am blessed to have their company; even when their desires become too much, they are good men and women at heart. They truly would make splendid Heroes.
I nod. "Yes… I cannot wait."
Togaru Kamakiri
POP!
CRACK!
"Ack! His pop-shooty is so freaking loud!" Pony freakin' hollers in my ear. God damn, she's yellin' like she's in a concern or somethin'! Okay, so I should prolly assess the situation like Setsuna an' the other jackasses. Let's see…
Oh right, I'm gonna get my ass capped like I'm in America! Fuckin' hell, if I didn't got these pillars behind my sorry ass, I'd be riddled with more holes than Bondo's head. Pony 'side me is freakin' out like usual… Shit, she looks too damn pathetic like that. "Horns," I say, grabbin' 'er attention an' 'er big ol' eyes, "we ain't gonna die. His 'pop-shooty' thing ain't gonna hit us. The only sorry bastard's gettin' shot is Quirkless."
"Why is Inochi gonna get all shoot up?" she asks, an' well… He's the first guy I imagine getting shot. Why? Hell if I know. Kinda be funny though.
I shrug my shoulders. Let's see if we can come out now—!
POP!
CRACK!
Nope. Bad idea. "Well, seein' as we the two fastest dorks in the class an' we are stuck 'ere bein' pinned down, Quirkless ain't gonna do crap 'gainst Snipe. Sure, he might cut a bullet o' two, but not a barrage of 'em."
Pony snickers. Okay, that's one more question to answer. "Togaru—"
"Why the heck ya snickerin' like that? Was it 'cuz of somethin' I said?" I ask this goofy girl. She stopped being scared an' shit, but now she's actin' even worse: goofy. I hate goofy people, an' I'm surrounded by 'em every single day.
She points at me. "You called yourself a 'fork' you silly goose!"
Really? Good fuckin' God, Honenuki ain't teachin' 'er crap 'bout Japanese. For a guy as smart as him, he's a top grade dumbass. "...I said 'dork', you dork."
POP!
CRACK!
Pony snickers some more. "Even better! You're the dork here, dorky!" She jabs at my side, gigglin'. Jeez, why am I partnered with 'er again? She's so damn annoyin' that I just wanna pick 'er up an' toss 'er at Snipe. He can have this chick; I don't want Pony anymore. Way too hyper for my blood.
"Shut up, Horns. I ain't got time for messin' 'round," I tell Pony right as when a bullet whizzes past my head. Awesome, I almost died. Thanks U.A. an' 'specially Principal Nezu! They love killin' kids like this some fairy tale or some crap like that. Me an' Pony, we got a job to do: survive an' pass this freakin' Exam. God, I am happy that I ain't Inochi an' Kendo, 'cuz they're prolly gettin' their ass beat by All Might.
POP!
CRACK!
"Ya ain't that bad, Fists. Hate to admit it, but you an' the rest of our idiots knocked some sense into me. Thanks for that. If ya tell anyone this, 'specially Horns, then I'mma gut ya."
But… If it wasn't for 'em, I wouldn't be 'ere.
An' Pony, the one who's always naggin' me, I don't hate 'er so much…
"Togaru," Pony whines, too scared to poke 'er head out, "think we can win this thing?"
I sigh. "'Course we can. We might not be hot shit, but we're better than shit. That's what matters."
"Of course not! We're better than poop! We're super poop!" she… Yeah… I'll just not say anythin'.
"Horns—!"
TINK!
Oh shit… Snipe just threw something at us. Well I ain't gonna stand 'round tryna figure whatever it is he threw! That right there would be a death sentence! Fuckin' hell, I pick up Pony an' run like wind out of 'ere! I'm—?!
BOOM!
Well now I know! Smoke grenade! Shit! It means we can't see damn all! I'm pretty sure that Snipe could see our silhouettes, but even then, there's a hundred ways to tell where we are! Pony, who's in my arms, latches onto me and asks, "Togaru, you didn't warn me you dummy! I'm supposed to help too!"
"Well you were gonna be too damn slow!" I shout back. Well, if Snipe didn't know where we were, he did now. That's great, but I do know where Snipe is at. He's a real sharpshooter alright, but he ain't gonna be aiming for our heads. One: he'll kill us; and two: he'll fuckin' kill us. Knowin' him, he'll be aimin' for our center of mass. All goons with guns are taught that. Goin' for the head is way too damn risky, so body shots gotta be the one that brings everythin' home.
So that's fuckin' why—
— TINK!
I block his bullet. With my left arm, I use my Quirk to grow something like a shield alright. A blade comes out on both sides an' a little bit of my Razor Sharp protects the still-exposed bit. My Quirk is meant for growin' blades, but nothin' said that I can't use a blade as a shield. Technically, this is just a really big blade.
"Togaru—!"
"—Shut it, Horns! I'm tryna save our asses here!"
POP! TINK!
POP! TINK!
POP! TINK!
Fuck, guess I know why Razor Sharp ain't a Hardening-type Quirk. After I got shot twice, my shield here is startin' to crack an' crumble. After the next two times, a piece of it actually shattered. Each shot rings throughout my arm like my body's some sort of bell, an' it started to hurt a lil' too. But luckily, I don't gotta worry 'bout being shot anymore. I made it to another pillar which is a bit closer to Snipe. I retract my shield-thing an' plop my ass down. Crap, we're still an ocean away from the bastard. By an "ocean", I mean 'bout twenty meters or so. He can shoot us ten times within two or so seconds, but in two seconds, we'll reach 'bout five meters in that time, one quarter of the way there. Ain't gonna cut it.
After firin' another round at us, Snipe hollers, "Gosh darnit you damn kids! How in the dang hell are ya gonna get yerself outta this situation 'ere? Ain't no one can outrun bullets, boah! Not even God! If God was 'ere, I'd shot His ass a long time ago!"
What kind of a fuckin' boast is that?!
Pony screams at him, "Don't say that, Mister Snipe! You know that Ibara isn't gonna be happy when she finds out! She's gonna put the fear of God into you!"
"Like hell, little girl! I am that missy's teacher! If she needs to be 'fraid of sumthing, then she'd better be 'fraid of me!" Snipe replies, shootin' an' missin' again.
"I'm not a little girl! I am Pony Tsunotori, Your Best Friend! Tell him, Togaru!" Pony tugs at my arm. Oh God, she's givin' me 'er big eyes again… Alright, I don't wanna make her cry again.
I poke my head out a 'lil. "She's right, Snipe! She ain't a little girl!"
"Yeah!"
"She's a freakin' child!"
"What the?! No—!"
"A baby!"
"I'm not a baby, you stupid doofus—!"
"Horns is a baby alright! Tell that to everyone, got it?!"
"Togaru, you dummy—!"
"Eh—?!"
Pony climbs onto my lap an' holds me by the collar, shakin' me 'round like I'm some toy. Well, I'm bothered by one thing an' it's Pony sittin' on my damn lap! "I'm not a baby, Togaru! You're not gonna treat me like one!"
POP!
CRACK!
Shit, almost got my head blown off! Fuck, we're screwin' 'round too much—not like that! We gotta shape up an' beat the hell outta Snipe 'fore we get filled with holes. I kinda like where my blood's at. I push Pony off of me an' slowly stand up where Snipe ain't gonna get a good shot at us. I whisper, "Horns, we gotta stop messin' 'round, alright? We need to end Snipe."
Snipe shoots at us again, an' misses again. Pony nods an' whispers, "I'm gonna throw some horns at him! Follow my lead!"
Eh?! "Horns, the hell—?!"
Pony hops out of cover an' screams, "THUNDER HORN—!"
THUNDER HORN!
She fires a barrage of horns towards Snipe. The bastard can't shoot Pony, 'cuz if he does, then he's gonna get hit by Pony's projectiles. So he gotta shoot the horns comin' at him, even pullin' out a second revolver to shoot 'er horns down. Snipe's guns ain't like normal revolvers. Instead of carryin' five bullets, six, or even eight; his guns can carry twenty. He can prolly reload as fast as I can blink too. Since Pony decided to be a Hero, I gotta be one too.
POP POP POP!
From the other side, I dash out an' grow a nice long blade along my right arm. I run at the jackass with Pony directly in front of me. We got Snipe surrounded on both ends. He sees me comin' an' sighs. He—?!
ROLL!
Fuck me! The bastard rolled to my left! He put me into Pony's line of fire! Clever asshole! Don't underestimate me yet!
LEAP!
Instead of just runnin' on the ground like how a normal person would, I jump on a pillar where Pony's horns ain't gonna reach me. I grow a couple of blades outta my feet; that way, I ain't gonna fall off an' even run on walls. I learned this trick a long time ago. Havin' a bunch of moves an' techniques will surely give me some good marks on my grade. Hate to be Inochi right now.
"Seriously, boah?!" Snipe yells, aimin' one of his revolvers at me an' the other at Pony. She can take care of herself, 'specially since Snipe got two targets to worry 'bout. His accuracy ain't gonna be the best when he's worryin' bout gettin' attacked on two sides. Still, can't get caught slackin'!
POP!
LEAP!
POP!
HORN!
Me an' Pony circle 'round Snipe like we're planets 'round the Sun. I keep leapin' from wall to wall, pillar to pillar, avoidin' any shots he tryna take at me. On the other side, Pony is constantly firin' her horns so Snipe can focus on that rather on 'er. The room gets filled with the sounds of gunfire an' shatterin' horns. The floors get dirtied up from all the brass casings an' the dust crumblin' from the pillars. Snipe didn't hit either of us, but neither of us hit him. Compared from before, we're a lot closer now.
"You stupid damn kids! I'm gonna—!"
CLICK CLICK!
He's empty.
"Now, Horns! Charge in while we still got the chance!" I yell at Pony, jumpin' off a wall towards Snipe. Pony runs in with her towards Snipe's gut. Bein' a marksman an' all, he musta be able to reload pretty quick, but he can't reload if we don't give him the chance. That's how we win.
As we get closer to the bastard, Snipe says, "Ya got me good, kiddos."
BOOM!
"Geh—?!" Another smoke grenade! Shit! I can't see fuck-all! I'm headin' right towards Snipe, I know it, but he could be pullin' out another trick up his sleeve! I gotta—!
— BAM!
"Ughrk—guh—!" I went inside the smoke, an' as soon as I got inside, something hard striked me 'cross the skull—something hard an' metal. I landed on my feet, but stumblin'. A hand gets placed on my chest, then before I know it, I get pushed up against a wall.
WHACK!
"Ow—!" Pony. That's Pony's voice. I hear her fallin' down, prolly on her knees. Then the sound of bullets rattlin' comes next, then the smoke disappears.
"Y'all, don't move a muscle," Snipe tells us, the smoke disappearin' perfectly to reveal just him with a gun pointed right at my skull. A second after, I see Pony layin' on the ground, an' she has a gun aimed at 'er too.
Well fuck.
This ain't good. I'm pressed against a wall while Pony is on the ground. My head rings from getting smacked with Snipe's revolver. Surprised I didn't go unconscious, but hey, that's Heroes for ya. Snipe, like usual, looks like a western hero in one of 'em American movies. Gotta thank Americans for havin' cowboys an' sheep wranglers, 'cuz if they didn't exist, I wouldn't be 'ere nearly getting my brain blown out. Eh, barely have enough brain cells to function right anyhow.
Shit, let's see… I'm 'bout less than five meters away, an' Pony's a little further than that. If only I could distract his ass somehow…
Snipe glances at Pony 'fore givin' me his sweet an' somewhat-divided attention. "Jack Mantis, yer a good kid, alright? Ya got a good plan goin' actually, gotta give you two credit. Chargin' at me at once, 'specially with Tsunotori shootin' those horns? Pretty effective at dealin' with me, but I dealt with much worse, boah. This ain't my first rodeo, see? There's a reason why Nezu wanted my ass in U.A. an' not some chump Hero with glass as his spine. 'Spite all this nonsense, you is smart, boah. You is smart."
"You done lecturin' me, Snipe?" I ask, retractin' my blade. Don't need that piece of crap anymore. I lean against the wall an' cross my arms. Pony sits up, makin' slow movements so Snipe wouldn't suddenly pop 'er head off. Good, for someone as innocent as 'er, she's smart. She ain't gonna do anythin' stupid 'ere.
He scoffs an' says, "Well I'm 'bout to lecture you on some manners, boah. How 'bout a hole in yer chest to start?" Snipe takes a step forward, lowerin' his barrel a 'lil so it's aimed right at my heart. He ain't gonna shoot me. Sure, he might scare me, but he ain't gonna pull the trigger.
"Nah, I'll pass." I plant my feet down. Little does Snipe know, my blades are still there. It's just buried into the concrete, an' I'm more than strong enough to break the concrete. Once I kick my feet up, pieces of concrete will come up with it. It'll be a distraction so I could close in on his ass.
Snipe replies, "But you ain't passin' this exam. Sorry boah, looks like bein' a Hero ain't gonna come easy for ya."
Pfft.
"With all due respect, when was it ever friggin' easy?" I ask, throwin' my arm out. "You forget that I am the son of a Villain. Ever since my dad got arrested, my life was never easy."
No matter where I turned to, I was seen as the Villain. Elementary school, junior high, I was the Villain that needed defeatin'. Somehow, I ended up in this awful school with awful classmates makin' my life just awful . If I was the Villain that everyone thought I was, then I'd be that fuckin' Villain.
Pony musta hated me, 'cuz she kept botherin' me ever since the year started. So durin' the Battle Trials, I pushed 'er an' she cried. Go Togaru.
Kendo hated me, 'cuz I insulted her dad. She almost punched me if it wasn't for Inochi.
Setsuna hated me, 'cuz like Pony, she kept teasin' me 'bout useless shit that no one gave a damn about.
Manga hated me, 'cuz he was a scared nerd who couldn't stand up for himself. Shojo too. They were both afraid of everything pretty much.
Inochi hated me, 'cuz I had to get blessed with his damn goofy attitude as if he was hot shit.
Heh…
That's right, everyone hates me! Everyone hates me so much that they laugh whenever I crack a joke, that they bother smilin' whenever I walk in the room, that some of 'em even ask, "Hey Kamakiri, how's your day?" . They do all that crap, 'cuz they definitely hate me. They hate me so much that they would even throw Operation Jack Mantis to get me to stay in U.A.! They want me to be a Hero! But I ain't doin' it for 'em. I'm…
"C'mon Jack Mantis, you got a world to save. Gotta prove yain't like me, right?"
I'm doin' this for Dad, 'cuz I gotta prove that I ain't like him. Havin' a Villain for a dad, people would think that I was raised as one too. Hell no, this ain't some Japanese drama or anime shit like that. Executioner Wasp, Mamoru Kamakiri, was just an ordinary father. Sorry folks, but my backstory ain't all that interesting.
Onto another thought…
"Heya Jack Mantis, ready to kick ass and take names? I'm not like the Wonder Duo, but I'm even better than that."
"Yo, Quirkless is here, Kamakiri! How's your day coming along? Is our favorite American happy as ever?"
"Heh, I haven't truly apologized for what happened during the Battle Trials. I'm sorry, Kamakiri. Hope you hate me a little less, hehe…"
"Hey Kamakiri, can you stop calling Shojo 'Glasses'? Apparently, she wants you to call her 'Countess of Mangas', but 'Lunatic' sounds a lot better."
"Togaru! Let's watch anime with Manga and Shojo again! They said that I'm gonna cry with this new episode! You better cry with me!"
Havin' idiots who care 'bout me ain't so bad.
Gettin' my head back in the game, Snipe lowers his gun slightly. Ah, there's the teacher Snipe. He ain't actin' like my opponent for once. "Yeah, boah… You has a harder life than most of us. But havin' hardships ain't the ticket to glory."
"'Course it ain't. More unfortunate bastards become unfortunate, an' only a few make it out alive," I say. Hey look at me, I said somethin' smart for once, but it's true. I'm prolly an example of it, an' Inochi is too. That guy's been through some shit alright, but he's here fightin' All Might somehow. Let's hope he wins his fight 'gainst All Might.
Pony though, she looks ready to kick ass. I glance at 'er an' cock my head over to the side. She immediately understands. Snipe goes on, "Well look at ya, sayin' stuff that doesn't match yer age. Anyway, enough talk. I got y'all apprehended."
I flash a smirk. "I never said I surrendered."
KICK!
I kicked my right foot up into the air, breakin' the concrete up. Pieces of the floor fly, creatin' a nice barrier 'tween me an' him. Snipe swears under his breath and—!
POP POP!
He misses both shots. I ducked before he pulled the trigger, goin' off to the side. Pony did the same thing; she dashed to my right. We can reach the bastard now! "C'mon Jack Mantis, let's take this punk down!" Pony exclaims. Hell yeah we are!
Snipe points his revolvers at us, but we're way too damn close now! Before he pulls the trigger, I jump up an' grab him by the wrist, knockin' his revolver out of his right hand. On the other side, Pony jumps up an' literally headbutts his other gun, disarmin' the poor bastard. I swing my left leg into the back of Snipe's knee an' knock him over onto the ground. Pony whips out the handcuffs, an' without much ceremony, cuffs our teacher.
There we go. We pass. Cool.
Me an' Pony let go of Snipe. She smiles at me, hoppin' 'round like a little girl in a toy store. Heh, she's adorable. She's always been a cute 'lil thing. It's like she forgot that I pushed 'er at the beginning of the year. Hell, she probably did forget. But I can't feel guilty 'bout it. We moved on from that shit.
Pony says, "We did it Togaru!" She runs up an' gives me a big ol' hug. Great, now she's huggin' me. I would pry 'er away, but shit, her arms are like a vice.
"Horns, get off of me. Snipe is watchin' us." ("Good sir, you is incorrect.")
"Nope! I'm just so happy that we pass, Togaru! When we got partnered up, I just knew that we would pass! And we did! Go team!"
"Doesn't mean you can hug me, so please get off. I'm askin' kindly."
"Nope! It's not everyday that I could hug you! Lemme do it! I need to recharge my energy!"
Fuck, my face is gettin' red. "No."
"Too bad, not gonna pay attention to ya! 'Specially when you're blushing! Aw, you're adorable, Togaru!"
I look at Snipe, who's finally standin' up now. Hey Snipe, shoot me.
Son, I ain't legally allowed to kill my students for obvious reasons. Sorry, but if your missy wants to hug ya, she's gonna hug ya.
What if I kill myself?
Snipe softly inhales. Don't.
Pony nuzzles my chest. "You're a lot more cuddly than I imagined!"
"You imagine what?! "
Shihai Kuroiro
"Vantablack," Yanagi says, finishing her foe. She takes a step forward down the hall. To an outsider, it would be unimaginable to believe that she's training to be a Hero. Her posture and frame is too slender to consider her an able fighter. A pale white kimono with a furred collar is donned over her body, along with a black mask that covers everything from her nose down. There's something elegant in the way she walks, how she moves her hands as if she is commanding an orchestra. She is just like an edelweiss.
Of course, she is my partner: Reiko Yanagi, also known as "Emily". I, Vantablack, am her abysmal guardian in which the dark final gods have named me as their prominence.
We, Vantablack and Emily, are fighting against the fiendish multiplier known as Ectoplasm, our dear mathematics teacher who we study under. However, we are not studying mathematics, but rather war. At the beginning of our Final Exam, we have started in the middle of the arena with the world as our audience. The arena, this labyrinth to be more specific, is our greatest hindrance towards our goal: the Escape Gate. Ectoplasm is a powerful Hero being gifted with a splendid Quirk and more experience than we can imagine.
We are paired for a reason, you see. Each Hero is meant to highlight our weaknesses. For example, All Might is meant to highlight just how much more powerful he is compared to Kendo and Inochi, the Wondrous Duo of Class 1-B. For us, we are not the most apt for close combat. Yes, I could fight with my hands and fists, but at the same caliber as the Wondrous Duo? Ha, what folly! And my dear edelweiss, my partner? She is an expert in long-ranged combat, similarly to an archer. The laws of warfare dictate that archers cannot engage in close-ranged combat because they will surely meet a swift end.
Yet, those laws are old. Modern day warfare involves the use of Quirks, and with Quirks, the boundaries that once limited us are able to be shattered.
"Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!" is our motto.
BAM!
"My clones are dispatched," I tell Yanagi, following after her. Piles of Ectoplasm's, well, ectoplasm is left behind, dirtying the walls of the labyrinth we are trapped in. This place is not good for me. Darkness is of an absence here. As a result, my Quirk use is severely limited. I am only barely able to destroy Ectoplasm's clones with my close combat skills alone, and like I stated earlier, I am not like the two greatest martial artists in my class.
Yanagi, the edelweiss, nods as we walk side-by-side down the crystal-like hallway of our battlefield. 'Tis an endless maze built just for simulations, I suppose. I'd imagine these grounds will be used to replicate Villain Raids where the Heroes must enter the hideout of a Villain, or Villains, and apprehend them all. More often than not, they will be hard to navigate to hinder the Heroes' approach. The real treasure, the concrete glory within this realm is in the middle, where our Escape Gate surely lies. Ectoplasm must be there creating clones to intercept us.
My dear partner speaks, "Strange, how truly peculiar…"
Oh? I ponder out loud, "Why does the edelweiss self-proclaimed as 'Emily' consider this situation to be 'strange' and 'peculiar'?"
"Edelweiss?" Yanagi asks, but shakes her head afterwards seeing as the detail is unimportant. "Gorgeous flowers aside, I expected Ectoplasm to unveil a battalion of his clones. Yet we have only encountered small patrols. It would be wiser to overwhelm us here in these narrow corridors, and yet he isn't…"
"Perhaps he is saving his strength for the grand finale! There, the climax of our battle will take place surely," I propose with a dastardly smirk. "If my theory is correct, then we must conserve our strength! We, Vantablack and Emily, cannot allow ourselves to tire before the end, lest we desire to make our ending a disappointing one."
"You are sounding like Monoma," Yanagi comments with haste being added to her pace; I follow. "However, your theory isn't wholly impossible. I cannot hear any wailing phantoms roaming around in these halls, so Ectoplasm is surely scheming a scheme by his lonesome."
I chuckle, nodding my head. "Ah! I'm glad we're in agreement, Emily. As the masterful swindler as I am—and the one who conquered all realms of darkness—I can detect a devilish scheme up to its very birth in one's thoughts! Fufu, and there have been many a schemes in Class 1-B, especially with our operations."
"Such as Operation Lovebirds ? What do you believe about that scheme?" she asks. Well…
"Excellent, obviously. I was a part of the team who was eavesdropping on Kendo and Inochi and I myself had stakes reliant on the outcome. Why? Well I shall answer! Our secret betting ring which is not so much of a secret at this point and time," I say, raising a finger. So what Kendo found us wearing ridiculous disguises, with Monoma's disguise being the most outrageous of them all? And so what if she casually threatened to throw Monoma into the ocean and never look back? Operation Lovebirds was a successful scheme of Tokage's devising, as no one was able to cash in their bets, including me! Yes, I didn't win, but I didn't lose! That is a victory in my perspective! I have not lost money and I do not plan to!
"Hmph," Yanagi huffs. Ah, she is simply grumpy that she did not win any money. She, much like the rest of the class, has placed bets on these two. "What about Operation Dreamcatcher ? What do you think about that scheme?"
Oh dear…
"Do not speak of the disaster that is Operation Dreamcatcher . Though Monoma head-mastered the operation, his head was almost mastered by the blade. Of course, Inochi apologized profusely, but the situation was awkward for all parties involved," I vaguely recall, not going too deep into detail. Yes, I cannot forget—as much as I wish to forget—Kendo's reaction. She almost ran Monoma through with a blade herself…
Heh, no matter what… Whenever we talk about Kendo, we have to speak of Inochi; when we talk about Inochi, we have to speak of Kendo. Komori, she would say that they are the ideal couple she wants to live up to. She is a hopeless romantic, but her hopelessness does not match mine. The gap between us is whole worlds stretching along the infinite cosmos we sleep under.
Ah, my thoughts are becoming like a poet. I need to return my thinking to that of a Hero! A poetic Hero even, who delivers poetic justice.
"I see. Nevertheless, we have to make haste. We—" Yanagi stops. How come…? Ah, now I see. There is a patrol of five clones ahead of us. I glance at Yanagi to quickly dispatch them, and she nods.
Yanagi raises her hands and from the earth arises small pebbles, large enough to be the average marble. Her hands glide across the air like an ice skater with an adoring crowd as their audience, then—!
CHARGE!
The patrol charges forth like a pack of rabid wolves smelling the scent of delicious blood. Ectoplasm's voice rings out, "Emily and Vantablack, seems you are approaching my location! Make no mistake, because a single error can result in your failure!"
WHOOM!
Using Poltergeist, Yanagi sends the marble-sized pebbles towards the pack, aiming indiscriminately for their false-bodies. Like bullets, the pebbles shred through the clones, forcing them to collapse in a disgusting, slimey pile of goo. However, that isn't the last of the clones. I hear more of those fiends coming; in fact, they are coming from both directions. Heh, Ectoplasm is coercing us. What a clever man…
"Come, Emily! We must charge into the thickets of war! After me!" I shout, gazing towards beyond our position where the enemies lie! They emerge in the distance with large numbers, condensed together! Behind us, I can hear the same! How exhilarating! How exciting! Surrounded on both sides with the only hope of success being the path forward! Yet, this is so prideful of you, Ectoplasm! Something as meager as numbers cannot stop me, Vantablack! I am the absolute article of a Hero, the pinnacle of heroism! Arrogance may be my name, but I shall gladly give you evidence!
I charge forward—!
—The army charges forth!
With concern, Yanagi exclaims, "Vantablack—!"
"—Fwahahahaha! Come fiends and ruffians! Come embrace the ideal image of a warrior of the umbra!"
I leap! Dear foes, this is the end—!
— DARK PHANTOM BRIGADE!
WHAM!
BAM!
BASH!
"Dark Phantom Brigade—!" I announce standing over my fallen foes all defeated by my unconquerable hand! Yes, Black is not effective in lit areas such as these, as I need black areas to morph into! However, take a look on Ectoplasm's costume! Underneath his trenchcoat is a black bodysuit! By jumping into his bodysuit, I'm able to possess him like a true phantom! Thus, I can destroy the clone from the inside, hopping to the next clone and possessing him ! Of course, I repeat this process until every foul clone of his is destroyed! That is my Dark Phantom Brigade! "Fwahahahaha!"
WHOOM!
Yanagi properly deals with her side of the clones, dashing up to me afterwards. We exchange a brief nod before running deeper into the labyrinth. More of those clones approach us.
LEAP!
WHOOM!
We must run, we must keep running until we reach the promised land. To achieve glory, that is our mission.
BASH!
The world is fighting against us, so we must fight back. That is the duty of a Hero.
BAM!
There will always be evil, and so that is why Pro Heroes are made—to combat evil. A Hero ought to hunt ceaselessly, for villainy is relentless.
That is why…
WHOOM!
In the grandest of schemes, the schemes of schemes, the scheme known as 'The World', we are merely ants in the great battle that will last until the world's end.
Yet we still fight on.
WHOOM!
"So you arrived," Ectoplasm says below us with an army of his clones, all standing in the middle of a circular space that resembles an atrium—and the Escape Gate is within our sight. We are about five floors above him, but above us are about ten more floors whose radius gets smaller with each progressing floor. There, on the ceiling is a surface that resembles a twilight sky. If that was to break, then daylight would replace this dreary atmosphere. "Vantablack and Emily, are you prepared?"
Forming a small smile, Yanagi answers, "We are, Ectoplasm sir. I see you brought yourself an army—an army of yourselves nonetheless. We are prepared for your examination, and I hope you'd be pleasantly surprised."
"Yes, I hope so as well," Ectoplasm replies as his army of clones leap from floor to floor, quickly approaching our position. Yanagi and I exchange a quick glance, cementing our plan through eyes alone. Our hope is to reach the bottom floor, but knowing Ectoplasm and his cleverness, we would surely be apprehended. He can quickly overwhelm us, so what if we keep rising to the top of the arena? There, salvation awaits!
Yanagi waves her hands around once more, and before my eyes, she herself begins to float. That is the power of Poltergeist. She can control any object around her, which includes living people. She herself told me that her limit is the weight of an average person, so she keeps an eye on her own weight. Thus, Reiko Yanagi is light enough to be affected by her own Quirk!
And I, Vantablack, can reach the upper floors with ease! By blending into the shadows where the lights cannot reach, I am able to climb each floor with a combination of my Quirk and climbing! That is how we shall traverse this environment!
"Come, Emily! Let us climb the stairway to heaven!" I shout, morphing into the shadows and climbing my way to the next floor. Yanagi nods and floats herself towards the top floor. Our ravaging horde is below us, trying to reach our position to surely maim our young, fragile bodies. However, we are faster! We climb the floors faster than they can leap!
Soon, we reach the top floor! Ectoplasm now appears to be a small pixel of a computer screen! Yet his clones are relentless. They are still chasing after our skin, but we have the tactical advantage. Yanagi, who still has her marble-sized pebbles, simply raises her arms and let loose a hailstorm of debris towards the crowd of clones.
None of them are spared from her wrath. Each and every vile creature is destroyed, turned back into the goop they are. A shower of their ectoplasm rains on our teacher, who looks at us from above with a scowl. "What do you plan to achieve up there, my dear students? Ah, don't answer. I'll be up there shortly," Ectoplasm says with his voice echoing off of the empty walls of our arena.
Then, he opens his mouth and spits out an ocean's worth of pale ectoplasm, enough to cover an entire office building from floor to ceiling. The ectoplasm morphs and shifts, taking color and shape… It takes shape into a massive, an utterly gigantic clone of himself. It has no lower body, only an upper body. Before Yanagi and I can process this, his clone immediately rises to our position and—!
ROAR!
Surprisingly, he doesn't produce any saliva. This is probably a very unimportant detail, but a detail nonetheless. So this must be a Super Move of his, being able to create a very large clone that could overwhelm almost any foe. I never knew he could create a monstrosity such as this! Curses, our plan might be foiled! We need to find a way to destroy this clone and reach the Escape Gate without fail! Otherwise, we'll lose progress in our endless journey of heroism!
I look at Yanagi. "We must—!"
SLAM!
SLAM!
"Geh—?!"
"—Gu?!"
We were too slow! Damn everything! Ectoplasm threw his clone forward and that spewed a stream of ectoplasm that enveloped our bodies, pressing us against the cold wall. There's enough of this muck to envelop a hundred more men and deprive them of oxygen. This ectoplasm… It's different. The consistency is like glue. I can barely move my body, let alone using my Quirk. Yanagi is the same, but unlike I, she has smarts. Before she was struck by the ectoplasm, she raised her hands, allowing them to be free. Even when we're trapped, she'll still be able to use her Quirk.
As for me? I am useless like always. We should've charged Ectoplasm while we had the chance. We had the might to overpower him and flee, or maybe even restrain the man himself. And yet, we fled where we would find ourselves at a disadvantage. Like a true Hero, Ectoplasm exploited that fact and restrained us with this Super Move. Curse at my foolishness; curse at my inept ability to think properly!
"My students, will you resign yourself to defeat?" Ectoplasm asks, his voice bouncing off the hollow walls, the empty halls of this accursed arena.
"I…" I struggle against my prison, but I am not strong enough to break it. "I refuse… I refuse to concede defeat! Not like this!"
"Do you have a choice in the matter? It doesn't sound like you can escape, Vantablack. As The Scheming Hero, I thought you had a scheme planned. What about you, Emily? What do you have to say about this?" Ectoplasm replies with malice in his voice, and with disappointment hidden behind his words.
I turn towards Yanagi, who sighs. She let her hands fall limp. "If there is a way to escape, I cannot see it… I—"
"Don't say such foolish things!" I exclaim, fighting against her words. "There is always a way! I refuse to let myself be helpless once again! I refuse to be useless, letting myself be controlled by the whims of the world!"
"Don't you think the sun looks pretty today? I mean, I can't really look at it 'cuz y'know, it's the sun, but you get what I mean!"
Yanagi mutters, "Kuroiro…"
"The world's coming up with a lotta new things everyday! I'm sure there'll be something that can help me! Just you wait!"
"Such strong conviction…" Ectoplasm comments, his voice softening. "Can you live up to your own conviction through heroic action?"
"Aw, don't act like that, Big Bro! You know I'm gonna scold you again, and prolly tug your ear, so don't do it!"
I shout, "I have to! I must! I promised her that I will become a Hero no matter if the odds are infinitesimally small! I refuse, I absolutely refuse to shatter that promise!"
"You promise, right…? You really promise to be a Hero, Shihai…?"
"I won't let you break that promise, Ectoplasm! I…"
I…
It was June 20th, a Sunday… Only a week after Hikari made her famous Hikari Commandments.
Only a week after, so imagine how weak I felt.
How weak I felt throughout everything.
"Hah—" I exhaled with panicked breaths, turning to my parents. Since noon, we waited. It's been an hour or so, maybe two or three… I wasn't sure if I was keeping track of time then. Our mother received a phone call that Hikari's state was suddenly deteriorating—an unexpected development. We rushed to the hospital as soon as we could.
I felt my mother's supporting hand, rubbing my back while my father paced back and forth. He paced back and forth, like a pendulum swinging back and forth, with the minutes ticking by, with the minutes ticking down, with our hearts beating, with our bodies trembling, with an infinite weight weighing down our shoulders, with the world bearing down upon us—denizens who commited no act of evil—with the world giving us no answer to our question:
Why did it have to be her?
And so the world remained silent, silent even to this day, silent to the cries of everyone who Fate wronged because they… they were simply born.
We, those who are left behind, must keep living anyway.
And the clock ran, and time fell from our grasp.
Then suddenly, it fell right into our hands. The doctor approached us with a look we expected, a look that told a hundred words with two simple eyes. We came up to him silent, giving him the opportunity to speak, and so he did! He said, "Please follow me."
Only three words. We responded with none.
We followed him down the hall, down countless doors that almost seemed like a dream. Before this very day, I imagined this moment for so long that it felt like a memory, and it became a memory on this very day.
My father was a proud man who shared my mutation, and he was crying.
My mother was an honest woman who saw past appearances and saw the good in everyone she meets, and she was crying.
I… I was a boy who was about to face The Day in which I knew I yearned to be a Hero, and I was crying.
We reached Hikari's room, and the doctor let us inside first. We piled in, seeing a nurse at Hikari's bedside tending to her. Our Little Light herself was laying in bed with a transparent breathing mask attached to her face. She was hooked to an IV machine, getting the fluids she needed. When she saw us, she smiled as if nothing was wrong.
Our parents rushed to her, saying such kind words and hoping, practically praying that she would miraculously pull through—that she would miraculously pull through by her own will. But miracles aren't controlled by human hands—they are only controlled by the world.
Our parents' words became jumbled to me. They said the same thing over and over that she'll live, that she'll pull through and live for another day, that she'll go outside like she used to and bathe in the sunlight! They promised her the world, but we all knew that the world would have to break it.
Their promise was empty from the moment they said their first word! They were incapable of fulfilling that promise! They only said it because of how miserable Hikari looked! She was bedridden with each breath painfully pressing against her chest! She was dying right before our eyes, and they thought if they could promise her everything, then it'll be big enough that the world would have to listen!
They hoped— we hoped, but that is just another of mankind's follies, isn't it?
So yes, their words became unintelligible to me, because all I did was watch Hikari staring at our parents with a sad smile as tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't reply to anything they said; she only nodded. She would never stay silent. She loved to ramble on and on about the future—talking was one of her most favorite things to do, yet she remained silent. Hikari loved to ramble about the future, the one where she would live.
As Vantablack, my entire existence is built on delusions of grandeur! The average person would believe that I am so delusional that I might as well be convinced that I myself is God! But…
"I'm gonna come back home and sleep in my big ol' bed and go back to school and be with my friends! And I'll spend more time with the best Big Bro in the world! That'll happen!"
With those words, a pessimist would think that you were delusional… Out of the two of us, HIkari, seeing your head there without a word said… You were never delusional, weren't you? I was always the delusional one…
From the look in your eyes, from the very moment you were trapped within this damned hospital, you knew that you were going to die, didn't you? And I, I was convinced that you would, but really, I didn't want to believe it, so I just kept doubting and doubting when I never wanted to doubt in the first place!
You said that you will see the sunlight someday and have the outside air clashing against your skin, but you knew that luxury would never be obtainable. So every word you said to me, you just wanted to comfort me.
Because from the beginning, you accepted your fate.
This was why… This will always be the reason why you're stronger than me even when I reach my prime. At such a young age, you accepted that you would die. That… That takes such a large amount of strength, so much that I am envious of you…
My Little Light.
"Shihai," my mother called for me, seeing as I was standing uselessly near the doorway. With her hand, she ushered me towards Hikari while moving back with our father. Slowly, I approached Hikari's side and got on my knees, just so I could be at her level. With weakness overcoming my arms, I took her hand in mine and held it tightly. Hikari, as her insurmountable strength dwindled, held mine weakly.
"Hey Hikari," I greeted her with a smile she would wear, trying my best to not have my voice break. "Is it… Is it hard to breathe?"
Hikari nodded her head, giggling a little. But even a small giggle made her wince. "Yeah… Sorry Big Bro…"
"Don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing…" I said, clenching her hand which was getting weaker by the second. "Hikari…"
She replied, "Shihai…"
I inhaled, held my breath for a few seconds, then exhaled. "What… What can I do for you?" I asked. "What can I do?"
"..." Hikari let out a heavy breath, staring at me with those gentle eyes of hers. "Talk… like Vantablack… again…"
I nodded, clearing my throat. "Ah, of course, my… L-Little Light… I shall speak like this for eternity if you desire. My heart may be swallowed by supreme darkness, but it never made me heartless."
She giggled again, and she winced again. "Heh… You rhymed... " Hikari shifted around in her bed, trying to make herself comfortable as she possibly could be. "Hey… Do you remember last week…? With my… My commandments?"
"I never forgot! What do you take me as? A f-fool?" I said as if I was offended. My voice broke partly in the last sentence, making me seem like I was the biggest fool in the world.
"Can we… go over it… again…?" she asked me, and of course, I obliged. Hikari smiled, warming my heart. "Commandment One…"
"Shihai Kuroiro must be a Pro Hero."
"Commandment Two…"
"Shihai Kuroiro must be known as Vantablack."
"Commandment Three…"
"Vantablack must be the most confident Hero, no exceptions."
"Commandment Four…"
"As both Shihai Kuroiro and Vantablack, he must care for his friends."
"Commandment… Five…"
"He must be married and have children…"
"Six…"
"Vantablack must be in the Top 100 Heroes of Japan…"
"S-Seven…"
"He must never, never forget his Little Light named… N-Named—!" I raised my voice as tears started to flow down my face. I declared to the world, "—Named Hikari Kuroiro!"
Her voice weakened, becoming so soft that I could barely hear her. As her incredible strength waned further, she asked me, "You promise, right Big Bro...?"
"I… I promise! I'm determined to uphold each and every commandment for you, Hikari! No matter what, I won't falter! I won't! I won't! I won't! I'll become Vantablack! I will never forget you
My tears started to fall on her hand.
"Heh…" Hikari began to cry. "I'm… really happy, Big Bro… I can't wait to see you all… strong and happy…"
Sunlight crashed through the curtains, striking her face.
"Hikari… I'm so sorry for being useless! I'm sorry that I wasn't a better brother!"
"Don't… say that… C'mon… Repeat after me…"
"Hikari—"
"'I… Vantablack... will be a great Hero…'"
I sniffled. "I, Vantablack, will be a great… a great Hero…"
"Say it...again…"
"I, Vantablack, will be a great Hero…"
"Again…"
"I-I, Vantablack, will… will be a great Hero!"
"A...gain…"
"I! Vantablack! Will be a great Hero!"
She closed her eyes. "..."
"I…"
Her grip on my hand loosened. "..."
"Vantablack... will… will be a great Hero…"
And then silence. The Little Light never opened her eyes again, not even to witness a gorgeous summer's day as beautiful and strong as herself.
"I, Vantablack, will be a great Hero!" I cry! The tears I shed will not be in vain! Come fiends! Do you want to learn why! Then tremble at my feet and beg! I, Vantablack, have the steadfast resolve to not only become the greatest Hero, but to rebel against the world itself! Fate may control my strings but it'll be weak of me to allow Fate control my thoughts! She may have paved my road towards suffering and torture, but will I allow Her to cloud my thoughts with despair?! I think not!
Because I am the one who wields darkness! I am the one who sees through all delusions with my mystical eye! When the harrowing evils appear from the muck, I shall stamp them out like the rats they are!
I am The Scheming Hero, Vantablack!
I am the ultimate swindler!
I am a genuine article!
I am The One Who Darkness Embodies!
Most of all, I am Shihai Kuroiro!
Yanagi, my dearest partner! Her eyes go wide as if she stuffed large marbles in her eye sockets! Before she could speak, I yell, "Your hands! You have them like that as a reason, correct?!" I turn to the lights above us. "Destroy the light! Demolish it! Whatever our fate will be, we do not need light in them!"
Without question, she nods and straightens her hands out, attempting to raise them to the best of her ability! From Ectoplasm's clone attacking us, this idiotic thing also damaged some of the floors and pillars! Meaning, there are larger objects for Yanagi to control! Ectoplasm yells, "Is this your—?!"
WHOOM!
SHATTER! SHATTER! SHATTER!
Yanagi telepathically threw the debris and rocks into the lights above us. And the world grows dark. There is no more light shining upon us. There is no more light to take hold of. There is only darkness, and there is one man who can wield it.
That man is myself, Vantablack!
Thus, as darkness takes over, I morph into the wall I'm pressed against. Just like that, I am free from Ectoplasm's grasp. This is not the end of the battle though! Yanagi may have shattered the lights above us, but there are still countless more! And I shall break them all!
From shadow to shadow, darkness to darkness, umbra to umbra, I crawl in my sacred place and sweep in to destroy any lights I come across with my bare fists! But yet, await good sir! Await! There is a giant chasing after me tearing his eyes away from Yanagi! He roars and roars with fury stricken across his face, opening his mouth and spewing out ectoplasm in hopes to restrain me! But how could he restrain me when I'm literally shadow itself? How daft is this fool? Does he know who I am? Does he know that I am none other than Vantablack?!
I exclaim with the adrenaline of battle overtaking me, "Fwahahahaha! Come Ectoplasm, my splendid and powerful teacher! Allow me to show you the strength of Vantablack! I shall turn this battlefield into a stadium of darkness where the devil sings!"
SPEW!
SHATTER!
"Too slow, sir!"
SLAM!
SHATTER!
"Too little too late!"
CRUSH!
SHATTER!
"You must try harder than that to defeat me!" I taunt him! We chased each other for what it must feel like five minutes! I destroyed every light on every floor, and now the entire arena is my territory! It's shrouded in absolute darkness allowing me to bathe in its splendid glory like an holy angel wallowing in soothing light!
Ectoplasm is completely in the dark! It may be hard for him to see, but I see clearly! Now this is my chance! I can possess his clone and do what I want with him! That means I can destroy the clone from the inside and free Yanagi! When that occurs, then we could either defeat Ectoplasm himself or go through the Escape Gate! I must do this!
"Vantablack—!"
"—Ectoplasm!"
MORPH!
— ROAR!
Fwahahahaha! This is the greatest gambit! I have taken control of Ectoplasm's clone! The largest one in his arsenal! His whims are fully controlled by me as if I am Fate! Being inside this clone is a strange feeling, frankly. I am my own entity but I am also this entire clone! Ah, I cannot go on about this! I need to find a way to destroy this clone from the inside, but how?! I must figure out how before—?!
ROAR!
THRASH!
Curses, this clone is moving around on his own! He's trying to force me to leave! I can feel this damned fiend struggling against my Quirk! He bangs his head against the floors, the pillars, and including the ceiling! It's powerful enough that the concrete is cracked, even shattering altogether!
It—!
Wait! What if I force this clone to attack the ceiling?! Yes, light will illuminate the arena, but there will be so much concrete and debris that the clone cannot avoid being crushed! That is how I defeat Ectoplasm!
LEAP!
At the right moment, I jump out of Ectoplasm's clone heading towards the cracked ceiling above me. He sees me and charges forth with a makeshift arm of ectoplasm heading towards my way! I—?!
GRAB!
SLAM!
"Geh—!" Damnit! This clone forced me against the ceiling! The impact wasn't enough to break the ceiling apart! Now I'm stuck where I am! I need to morph back into the shadows—?!
WHIP!
SLAM!
No, never mind! As soon as I got myself comfortable, the clone whipped me towards the ground where the real Ectoplasm stands, restraining me against the floor. As I am restrained, Ectoplasm walks up and puts his foot on my chest as if to say, Do not move or I will hurt you . What he actually says is, "I'm impressed, Vantablack. You turned the environment to your favor, but you made a mistake of leaping out."
Tch… I…
"—!"
Yanagi!
She's free from her prison! How?! Ah, I shouldn't ask! She raises her hands and calls forth an army of debris and rock, looking towards the cracked ceiling above us!
Heh, so we will achieve victory after all…
"Ectoplasm sir," I say with a dastardly smirk, "that was not a mistake. I, Vantablack, have won from the very moment you took your eyes off of Emily. So look up towards the skies and witness the graceful edelweiss commanding her symphony!"
"Wha—?!"
Ectoplasm looks up at Yanagi—
—And she calls upon reckoning.
WHOOM!
CRASH!
Ectoplasm sees the ceiling crack, letting sunlight through. He sighs and nods his head, accepting his fate. "Clever."
BREAK!
A blizzard of debris fall upon us like snow on a winter night, colliding with Ectoplasm's clone and destroying him almost instantly. He turns into nothing more than ruined ectoplasm, and the ectoplasm I'm trapped with? It softens and goes back to a liquid state. The debris casts multiple shadows upon our bodies, and through the chaos, I melt into the lukewarm sanctuary that I hold dear. The feeling of a heavy weight—with the weight being Ectoplasm's foot—disappears, and I drift away from the main area, letting my teacher become pummeled by his own arena. I lie in wait, patiently biding my time as the earth shakes all around me, but I'm not yet forced out of my hole. Soon, after the shaking stops and the dust disappears, the assault has ended. I step out from the earth and face my teacher, who is surprisingly still standing. Ah, there's more ectoplasm around him. He must've used his Quirk to somehow shield himself from the debris. Out of all of our teachers, Ectoplasm is one of the smarter ones.
Yet we have won.
I place my right hand on his shoulder, saying, "Don't move, good sir. Within a moment's notice, I can morph into your costume." I raise my left hand. "Yanagi, the handcuffs."
"Okay!" she exclaims above me. Yanagi pulls out the handcuffs we were given and uses her Quirk to float them towards me. Hmm, Ectoplasm can very well knock me down and subdue me once more. It seems he isn't willing to fight any longer. I doubt it's because he is demoralized, but rather proud. With our scheme, he must've deemed it successful enough to merit a passing grade. Heh… I am thankful.
CATCH!
I grab the handcuffs and with one swift motion, I wrap them around one of his arms. This is not a ceremonious end, but this is an end nonetheless. Once handcuffed, Ectoplasm turns around to face me as Yanagi floats herself to where we are. He bows in respect, resting his arms by his side. "You reversed the odds, Kuroiro. I am impressed. That kind of behavior is exactly what I wanted to see. It's one thing to say that you will become a great Pro Hero, but to commit to put your lip service into reality? Well, that takes strength."
Yanagi offers me a kind smile, and I smile back. She says, "Indeed, I never knew such strength lied in Kuroiro."
"Ah perhaps, but maybe he needs a catalyst to use all of his strength. As for you, Yanagi, you did an excellent job in working with Kuroiro despite the lack of communication. He never said a word to you about the breaking the ceiling, yet you knew just from actions alone of his true intent. Not even I expected this. You two did an amazing job fooling me," Ectoplasm compliments us, truly proud of our work. Yanagi and I bow in respect before she starts walking towards the Escape Gate.
Finally, we can leave this place.
Ectoplasm and I follow after her. I—
"Kuroiro," Ectoplasm quietly gets my attention, taking the handcuff off of his arm, "you are a lot more confident in battle. In class, you often stutter, especially since you sit next to a girl."
"Really? I never noticed," I reply, smirking. I genuinely did not notice this fact, but it makes me happy. Little by little, I am fulfilling the commandments that Hikari gave to me.
"Heh, if she was here today, she would be proud." Ectoplasm looks ahead. Ah, it's no surprise that he knows. U.A. seriously vets each and every student, so a detail such as that would not go unnoticed.
I look up at the open sky. The sun is shining its light upon me. Heh, how ironic that I needed to bring light to defeat my opponent, when I myself am the harbinger of darkness? No matter, the day is won and the sun still persists where it stands. I say to Ectoplasm, "Indeed, she would…"
"How did you come up with the name 'Vantablack' anyhow?" he asks.
"Fufu, I am sure you are aware of the material. It absorbs almost all light," I begin to answer, finally walking through the Escape Gate and leaving the battle behind us. Vantablack, the material, absorbs 99.96% of all light. I am sure scientists have created new substances that would increase the percentage to 99.99% even. Yet…
I go on, "There is no such thing as darkness, I'm afraid. Darkness is simply the absence of light, much like how the cold is the absence of heat. You cannot shine darkness upon an illuminated object to render it dark, but you can shine light upon a dark object, and thus, illuminate it. Then what is black? Black is simply a quality where the object absorbs light, never reflecting it, thus the object seemingly embodies the word 'darkness'.
"However, there is light dwelling within blackness, isn't there? Light is absorbed, making a home within the color 'black'. With this logic, there is light in blackness and there is light in darkness. To an outsider's perspective, there is no light, but the object itself feels light.
"So the material so-called 'Vantablack', it selfishly absorbs almost every lumen of light it touches. No matter what, Vantablack is determined to become one with light, never letting go of light's warm touch.
"And I, Vantablack… Fufu," I stop, chuckling. As if I would finish my monologue. A small chuckle emerges from Ectoplasm as well, knowing how my small little speech will end.
Vantablack truly is a selfish Hero. He absorbed the spirit of his Little Light, and he will not allow anyone to tear her spirit away from his greedy hands.
Especially the world.
The next chapter will be the final chapter for the Final Exam arc! Woohoo! Of course, this will be about a certain someone. Look forward to A Thief's Foil.
Post-chapter business:
Honenuki and Shiozaki: These two get to have more scenes where they can just show off what they got. For Honenuki, his brain; for Shiozaki, her might. I don't have much to say about these two other than the fact that it's good to have more characters showcased that aren't just the main cast. I know that it might drag down the story as a whole, but each character has at least one moment to shine in this arc. And when we finally get to the I-Expo Arc, we'll see everything come together more and more. Once we hit the I-Expo, the rest of the story will be really rampant. The only "break" arc we have is the Fireworks Festival after I-Expo, then after that is the Forest Training Camp Arc which will immediately go into Kamino. After the Fireworks Festival, it'll dive back into the more darker aspects of the story as seen in Catharsis.
Togaru Kamakiri: Much like how Manga's scene last chapter, Togaru is practically styled the same. There is no massive developments made since both characters got their needed development. Their scenes are just a reminder of their arc and what they have been through, and their fights are them reminding themselves of *why* they are fighting.
Shihai Kuroiro: And Kuroiro most of all remembered why he was fighting. It was because of his Little Light named Hikari Kuroiro, his little sister who passed away from cancer. Admittedly, I cried a little when writing his scene(s). For me, it sets up why Kuroiro is fighting and what he's trying to achieve. Being a chuuni and all, I want a reason as to *why* he acts as Vantablack. This is a good reason why, since I can still keep up with the themes of Dreaming of Stars and so on. Overall, I think Kuroiro is an interesting character to write. His motivations are simple, but there's nothing wrong with simplicity. In fact, simple things are often the best.
Other news: Well, for me, school is closed for the rest of the year due to COVID-19. More time for me to write! But yeah, I'm looking forward to what DoS has in store. Like I said before, after the Fireworks Festival, things will ramp up tremendously. The next few arcs will determine the atmosphere and mood for the second half of DoS. It will be darker, but I hope I'll be able to pull it off!
Thanks for reading y'all! Leave a favorite, comment, whatever to show your support!
