Movie Special:
The Hard Path to Glory Part 1
18 Years ago, Unknown, Unknown
A woman with white hair tied up in a ponytail sat by a window inside her rustic home. The streets were empty today and only a few people were seen walking around. She sighed, bored out of her mind, and sparing her phone another glance. No messages.
"Hey, sweetheart?" She heard her husband called for her from the kitchen."Tsubaki, you there?"
"What?" She drawled back, taking a pack of cigarettes out of her purse.
"Come on, it's not that bad. Come to help me cook!"
She fought the urge to roll her eyes but did it anyway."Not a chance. I hate cooking. Besides, I'm having phone looking at the idiots we call neighbors walk around."
"Maybe you should consider picking a hobby?"
She scoffed."Like what? Go into your line of business?"
"Of course not! That's insane! I was thinking of maybe start painting? You know, let your imagination flow. Or maybe you can pick up your own little apprentice!"
"Like that kid you've picked up? I thought you said you hated kids being involved in your line of work."
"That's different and you know it. I'm doing him a favor and to be honest, I see a lot of me in him. You're a skilled fighter, maybe you can pass down your knowledge to other people."
"What is there to teach anyway? The world we live in requires the ability to think on your own and act on your own accord. Survival of the fittest in this godforsaken town."
"You know all about Neko Mode. Maybe you can pass that knowledge down to some people. Someone you really trust and has the potential to become a good person."
"Yeah? And where am I gonna find that in this town?"
"I found that kid, didn't it?"
Tsubaki growled under her breath."Fair point. I'll give it some thought. But for now, I'm content with just working as a humble groundskeeper at the cemetery."
"You really like working there? I know what I did is not any better, but don't you think it's a little moody?"
"It is. But it's a calm atmosphere to work in. Besides, I like to keep up appearances, and my nickname of "grumpy mean witch" that them kids call me isn't for nothing. I'm not as cheerful and hopeful as you."
"And for that, we are together. Because we complement each other in what the other lacks. Trust me, if everything goes according to plan, we won't have to put up with this anymore. We'll be free and we'll be able to live our lives our way. I'll take you to live in a nice house in Japan near the beach. I'm sure the scenery will be a nice competitor to your beauty."
Tsubaki snorted at that, standing up from her chair."Okay, I'll admit that was a good one. Here, let me try what you're cooking. I'm honestly starving."
Current time, Bus on way to Shirahama Resort, Morning
"Are we there yet?" Tetsutetsu asked impatiently, waking up Monoma who was sleeping next to his seat.
"Almost there, according to this map." Setsuna supplied as she scanned her phone."Hey, Copy Cat, you awake yet?"
"Thanks to Tetsutetsu here, yes I am, my lizardy." Monoma stretched on his chair, yawning."Is everyone else awake too?"
"For the most part." Darby, who was sitting next to Setsuna, observed. He accidentally glanced over at Yui, and she stared back. Both of them had a mini stare-down contest until they flushed, glancing away.
"Those two didn't sleep at all." Matsuda pointed at Yanagi and Yasukage, who were covered by a blanket as they looked intently at a laptop."Probably reading creepy stories again."
"Matsuda, that's not polite." Ibara frowned at the boh sitting next to her."They are free to watch whatever they desire. As long as it's not-"
"What, indecent? I doubt that." Takashi gave a snarky comment."What about the two of you? Don't think I didn't see you two praying just now."
"And what's wrong with that?" Itsuka gave Takashi an annoyed look."No one is bothering you when you're typing away on your phone."
"Fair point." Takashi shrugged, not caring to comment on the matter more.
"Good thing we stopped at Mcdonalds and ordered stuff. Good bless coffee." Ashe sighed, putting a cigarette in her mouth and lightning it.
"Not on the bus, Ashe-san!" Everyone protested in unison, much to the older lady's surprise.
"Fine, fine. Jeez, you kids could be a little grateful. I even got the whole place rented for 2 nights."
"And we appreciate that Ashe-san, but we're still kids and can't be learning bad stuff from adults," Darby commented with a grin.
Before Ashe could come up with a retort, the boss came to a stop."We're here." The driver announced, earning loud cheers from the students. They grabbed their bags and followed Ashe out the bus. The resort was huge, almost like a hotel. At the entrance, a man dressed in a black tuxedo walked over to the group. He had black hair tied up in a ponytail that reached his shoulders and had a considerable small bear. He had brown eyes and had all sorts of jewelry on his hands such as rings and bracelets.
"Welcome, welcome, U.A! I am honored to have you in my fine resort! My name is Ryuji Orihara! Please to meet your acquaintance. Please, follow my assistance, Reimu Amamiya to your respective rooms." A short young woman with red hair appeared from behind a pillar. She was wearing a business black skirt and a dressing white shirt underneath a black vest. She was wearing glasses and had a Bluetooth headset on her right ear.
"She seems familiar..." Ashe rubbed her chin in thought.
"Well, that's not a surprise." Ryuji walked up to Ashe."It's very nice to see you again, Ashe-san. Or should I call you by your name, Tsubaki Nanaya?"
"Tsubaki is fine, I'm not in my hero costume after all, so nothing about the job. I can't believe you made it big, Ryuji." She pulled out a cigarette and lit it in her mouth, watching as the kids were guided inside the building."Got an assistant and everything. Seems you found your place."
"Ah, well, what can I say? I'm not suited to be a hero, so this was the next best thing I could do." Ryuji laughed whole-heartily."So, who are the children? I recognize some of them from the U.A Sports Festival."
"Yeah, I'm just being a good hero and showing the children a good time. Nothing more. So..." She took the cigarette out and smirked."I do hope you have some decent alcohol in here. I plan to enjoy my stay here to its fullest."
"Of course, Tsubaki-san." He bowed down in respect."Please, follow me." Unbeknown to Ashe, Ryuji had a sardonic smile on his face.
Shirahama Resort, Pool, Noon
"Yoooooo!" Darby yelled as he was pushed inside the spacious pool in the back of the hotel. The water splashed Setsuna, who was enjoying the sun on a chair.
"Hey, what the hell?!" She growled, removing her sunglasses and shot a glare over to Tetsutetsu and Hoshi. The boys immediately ran off, much to her enjoyment."Hey, Neito! Can you put sunscreen on my back?"
"Sure." Monoma stood up from the side of the pool and walked over to Setsuna."Take care of my towel for me, Yasukage."
"Sure..." The boy replied, merely splashing his feet on the water.
"You don't look so happy. Is something wrong?" Ibara made her way to him, offering him a bottle of water.
He shook his head, muttering a "thank you" and accepting the water."I just don't know how to swim..."
Ibara offered him a smile, sitting down next to him."I see you and I have the same problem. Do not worry, Matsuda has told me various times that he's a remarkable swimmer. Mind teaching us?"
"Uh..." Matsuda sweatdropped."Should I go? Or should I tell her I don't know how to swim?"
"Just go." Reiko, who had come out of the bathroom in her swimsuit, said."I do not understand why you're so indecisive about these things."
"Hey, it's not easy, okay?" Matsuda glared at her."What if I say doesn't satisfy her? I don't want her to hate me. But I could also just leave and go have fun with Tetsutetsu! This is such a dilemma!"
Yanagi sighed, grabbing him by the ear and ignoring his grunts of pain.
"Oh? You convinced him to come...?" Nagito offered his hand to Yanagi to help her sit down next to him.
"I can be persuasive, I suppose." She merely shrugged."So, will you teach them how to swim?"
Matsuda looked over to Nagito, who shrugged, then over to Ibara, who had a tender smile on her face.'How can I say no to that face? She's a goddess!' He coughed, clearing his voice."Alright, let's do it."
"At least you guys are having a good time..." Darby coughed up water as he laid on the side of the pool."I told them I was trying to pick up my glasses, and these jerks pushed me while I was crouching down! I couldn't locate myself."
Yui, who was sitting on the bar next to the pool, hummed. The backwardness between the two had increased, and neither of them knew what to say.
"Maybe now is not the right time..." Darby sighed, shifting his gaze over to the sky."I wonder how Itsuka and Takashi are doing."
Shirahama Resort, Boy's Section, Takashi's room, Noon
"Takashi, come on, it's just the pool." Itsuka, who was wearing a two-piece green swimsuit, stood by the door holding two towels."Are you really going to be here all day?"
"What's the point? I'm doing some research." Takashi responded, eyes scanning over his laptop screen."Besides, they don't like me and I don't like them. I think that's good of a reason."
"It's not like that." Itsuka sat on the bed beside him."They don't hate you. It's just, they're still a bit anxious from the Sports Festival."
"Could have fooled me. Tetsutetsu looks like he's on standby." Takashi grumbled."Sorry, but I'm good."
"Okay, that's it!" Itsuka stood up, snatching the laptop away from him."What the hell is wrong with you?! You just don't tell me what's wrong and you keep avoiding the question! Why are you acting like this?! I've been trying to hard to get you to at least smile, but you're now always frowning and just spend your time on your phone! Why did you even come here if you weren't going to spend time with us?!"
"You want me to be honest? Because this way, my family wouldn't find out that I'm digging for information on them."
"Huh?"
A dreadful silence filled the room. Itsuka's eyes started to water, unable to former a proper sentence. All she could say was: "Why...?"
"My family aren't what they seem to be. There's more to them than meets the eye." Takashi stood up, a dark expression on his face."So, I'll ask you nicely. Stay the fuck out of my business. You can do that, right...?" A small smirk graced his lips."Sweetheart? Don't tell anyone what I'm doing. I trust you. Once I find something...then this will all be over."
Itsuka turned around, opening the door to the room."Okay. I understand. I hope this makes you happy. Because that's all I want for you." With that, the ginger left the room, not allowing him to see her tears.
Takashi felt something in his heart yell at him, telling him to go after her and apologize. But something else, something stronger, told him it had to be this way. He had to find what The Baron meant when he said that to him.
"Not everything is what it seems to be." Takashi quoted, resuming his research on his phone.
Shirahama Resort, Pool, Noon
"You know, I think she's waiting for you to approach her." Reiko sat down next to Darby on a chair.
Darby sighed, knowing she was right. Yui was currently watching Setsuna and Tetsutetsu have a swimming contest."I know. But I don't know what to tell her. Everything has been so awkward since that day. When those monsters and the Hero Killer attacked Hosu, I accidentally confessed to her over the phone. At the time, I hadn't noticed. If it weren't for Kendo-san, I would have never remembered. Now with the whole Komori thing, this just got worse."
"Yes, I was wondering about that. What exactly happened?"
"Well, I saw her all depressed and stuff one day while I was out with Ashe-san. She was feeling down because she didn't feel confident about herself. I said a few encouraging words to her and that's about it."
"I see. So it is just as I had expected." Yanagi nodded."And because she began feeling more confident, and improving in all her performances, you feel like you would destroy all that progress if you were to say you don't love her, but Yui."
"Woah, you're really good at reading people, Yanagi-san." Darby chuckled.
"Nonsense. It's a matter of putting two and two together. I understand how you feel, but think about how Yui feels as well. She feels the same way about Komori as well. That is probably why she's distanced herself from you. Because she's doing it for the sake of her friend."
Darby's eyes widened in realization."You're right...I never thought of it that way..."
"Well, you know what must be done now I believe." Reiko stood up, patting him on the head."Perhaps wait until you're both alone. I'm not an expert when it comes to romance, but I believe the feeling blossoms better when the time is right.:
"Thank you, Yanagi-san." Darby gave her a smile, which she returned as well before walking off."It's decided." Darby said with a solemn expression."I'm confessing my love to Yui today!"
Shirahama Resort, Dining Hall, Night
"Alright, if I may have your attention everyone!" Ryuji stood up with a cup of wine in his hand."First, I want you all to give a round of applause for our chef, who is currently busy at the moment, and for my assistant Reimu, who was kind enough to say after her schedule to make sure you all had the chance to enjoy such luxurious food!"
Everyone cheered on cue, whistling, and cheers echoing in the room.
"Now, let's also give a round of applause for our great hero, Ashe! She taught me valuable lessons in life, and I hope she can pass down her knowledge to the next generation of heroes!"
Yet again, everyone cheered on, much to Ashe's surprise. She hadn't expected the students to feel that way about her, even if she only really knew Darby.
"Alright! Everyone raise your cups and let's cheer for the new generation of heroes! Go beyond..."
"PLUS ULTRA!" With that, everyone resumed their meals and chatted away.
"Man, this is so good!" Tetsutetsu was devouring down his plate.
"This has to be a five-star hotel!" Setsuna squealed in delight."Neito, try it out too!"
"I'm going, I'm going." Monoma took a spoonful of food, his eyes instantly watering."This is..."
"So delicious..." Darby finished for him. Both boys were sitting next to each other and chuckled at their own reactions."And here I thought nothing could beat Lunch Rush."
"Indeed. I guess there's a room of possibilities in the world." Monoma agreed, taking a sip from his tea."I must say, Nishikawi, I'm thankful that you invited us here. How come you didn't invite your classmates from class 1-A?"
"Dude, you guys are my friends too. I meant what I said before and you know it. Besides, I asked around our class and apparently, everyone is busy today. They mentioned something about an island, but I wasn't really paying attention."
"I see. I wonder if they're having fun like us too." Monoma trailed off.
"What, you worry about class 1-A now?" Darby teased, nudging him on the arm."That's totally unlike you, Monoma-san."
"Well, after you insisted so much on me looking at the world from my perspective, as the main character, I've decided that maybe class 1-A wasn't so bad. Most of you anyway. It is true that it wasn't your fault that you guys were attacked by villains. I realized that it was unfair for me to judge you for that. In reality, we're extremely lucky it wasn't us who were attacked. Unlike your class, we don't have that many heavy hitters."
"So? You guys are formidable in your own right. Besides, you don't have classmates like Bakugo and Takashi."
Both of them laughed at that, seemingly glad that Bakugo wasn't there and Takashi was busy on his third plate of food."But seriously, don't think for a second we'll keep losing to you guys. We'll catch up and take the spotlight from you."
"I'm looking forward to that." Darby offered a fist-bumped, which Monoma quickly returned.
"So, I noticed you're on a first-name basis with Kachidoki."
"Long story, but we had to fight his dad for our test. I also know his brother, so that's another Kachidoki. In the end, he lets me call him Takashi and I let him call him Darby."
"I see. Well, we're close friends as well, so perhaps we should move on to a first-name basis as well."
"Is that really okay?"
"I don't see a problem, Darby." Monoma shrugged.
"Well, don't mind if I do, Neito." Darby smirked."Oh yeah! So, how was it?"
"How was what?" Neito arched a brow.
"I mean, how was your exam?" Darby asked him, causing him to choke on his food.
Setsuna, who was nearby and listening to the conversation, snickered."Yeah, Neito, tell him how was your exam."
"I don't want to talk about it." Neito cried, holding back his tears of frustration and indignation.
Both Setsuna and Darby sweatdropped. A loud thud caught their attention, noticing that Ashe had fallen on the table.
"Ashe-san!" Darby stood up from his chair and went to help her, however, Ryuji stood in front of him.
"Don't worry, she probably had too much to drink. She did say to bring out the best bottles of champagne today, so that's exactly what we did. Reimu, please be kind and take her to her room. The rest of you, please, enjoy your dinner. I have some business to attend to. And you can leave the dishes here when you're done."
The group observed the adults leaving the room, leaving them to their own devices.
"We're free!" Setsuna exclaimed in glee.
"And I'm out of here." Takashi muttered, excusing himself from the table."If you guys need me, I'll be in my room."
"What floor is your room again?" Asked Hoshi.
"Figure it out."
"Whatever." Setsuna rolled her eyes before her smile appeared again."Alright! Let's get some ghost stories going!"
"Sounds fun. I know we just ate, but I'll go get some popcorn and snacks for the night." Tetsutetsu stood up."I think the souvenir shop next door is opened."
"Hey, don't try to steal anything, okay?" Itsuka admonished.
"Hey, I'm a hero! I wouldn't do that! I'll leave the money on the counter when I'm done!"
"I'll go with him." Monoma stood up. He was then followed by Yui and Reiko.
"Uh...I'll go too!" Darby stood up as ran after the group. He followed them quietly. Tetsutetsu and Monoma did some idle chatter, but the girls remained silent.
"Say, Yanagi, do you have any good stories to share today?" Monoma asked in curiosity.
"I was thinking we could do a ritual I found on the internet."
"Are you really talking about that again?" Tetsutetsu groaned, looking more scared than angry."Cut it out! We can just tell regular stories and call it a night."
"Are you scared of the supernatural?" Monoma teased, earning a punch to the arm by the silve-haired teen.
"Yui, can I talk to you?" Darby tugged on her sweater, stopping her. They stopped just outside of the resort, immediately observing the intense fog in the area.
"It's really foggy. I wonder why..." Yui pondered, sitting down on the stairs of the entrance."So, what do you want to talk about?"
"About...well, everything." Darby sighed, sitting down next to her and just observing the thick fog that surrounded the resort."That day...when I called you, I was under a lot of stress. The city was total chaos and Ashe-san had taken a Nomu with her to protect the other passengers. And with the whole Hero Killer thing, it must have slipped my mind even more. I'm sorry for not calling you."
Yui remained silent.
"I...don't love Komori. I think she's sweet and a great person, but I don't like her like that. But she took my words out of context and well...now she thinks of me as her boyfriend. I've been meaning to tell her the truth but I'm afraid it will break her and her spirits."
"I feel the same way too.." Yui confessed, rubbing her cheek."When she came acting completely different, we couldn't believe it at first. It was like she was a completely different person. But she would always gloat about the "charming prince" that she met. Soon enough, she told us who it was and well...I felt really weird. On one hand, I felt happy for her but on the other, I felt as if..." She clutched her chest."My heart would break. I don't know what to do..."
Darby stood up, grabbing both of her hands, taking her by surprise."I know I messed up by not confessing my feelings sooner. I'll take responsibility for that. But...I don't want you to feel like that. I'll be honest, I think I've been in love with you since we've met. Something about you just attracted me. You were quiet, sweet, cute and smart. Back then, I thought it was a simple crush, but when you came to me after the attack at USJ, I knew I was right. You were crying for me, even though we didn't know each very well."
He took a breather real quick."After the whole Sports Festival fiasco, I knew I was really in love. You don't notice something is important to you until you don't have it. And being without you for two weeks, thinking you hated me, as devastating. I was actually planning on confessing during the Sports Festival, but I ended up passing out. On second thought, maybe that would have been a little embarrassing."
"Good thing you didn't." Yui giggled, brushing the tears from her eyes.
"I've been getting stronger with the sole purpose of one day being someone worthy of you. Someone you can be proud of. Yui..." He locked hands with her."I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Yui gasped, her face flushed."You really...mean that...?"
"I do." Darby said without missing a beat.
Yui looked down on the floor, a smile forming on her face. She threw herself at Darby, nearly knocking him to the ground."I do. I love you too. I'm so happy I finally got to hear you say that again."
Darby held back the urge to scream in victory. He had done it. He had confessed himself and it went smoothly. He pulled her back slightly, staring into her eyes and losing himself in them. They slowly reached for each other, their lips close to connecting in a passionate kiss.
A loud crash broke off and ruined the movement. Startled, they both faced the direction where the noise came from. Tetsutetsu was on his back on the floor, groaning in pain.
"Tetsutetsu! What happened?!" Darby rushed over to his friend, helping him up.
"I was attacked by...my own Quirk..."
"Huh?" Both Darby and Yui looked baffled."What do you mean? If this is a prank you're doing then-"
"Look."
From the distance, a figure covered in steel walked slowly over to them. Its glowing yellow eyes piercing through them.
"What the hell is that?" Darby's eyes widened."Why is your Quirk there?!"
"We went inside the shop and began hearing weird noises. I decided to investigate and before I knew it, I was facing myself. I don't know where the others are. I couldn't see shit with this fog."
"The fog..." Darby noticed that the fog had turned slightly purple."This isn't regular fog. It was to be someone's Quirk! Yui, go inside and warn the others to stay in!"
"Got it. Please, be careful..." She pleaded.
"I will. Because I have something to come back alive to." Darby gave her a thumbs up until she entered the building."Alright, Tetsutetsu, can we take yourself on?"
"Hell yeah!" Both boys rushed at the figure, however, Darby was grabbed and tossed against the stone ground.
"Nishikawi?!" Tetsutetsu was tackled by his other-self.
Darby stood up, rubbing his chest in pain."What the hell was that? No...no way..." Darby glanced up to see a dark figure with red eyes."That's my Quirk?"
The figure rose a hand, manifesting a black ax similar to its shadowy form. The figure touched the ground, covering it in a dark puddle before manifesting sharp spikes made out of black fluid.
Darby used his Black Umbrella, barely avoiding being pierced."What the hell?! I'm pretty sure I can't do that!"
"Heads up!" Out of nowhere, Monoma jumped from a tree and socked Darby's Quirk in the face, sending him skidding on the floor. Monoma's hands were enlarged, much like Itsuka's.
"Good thing I touched Kendo and copied her Quirk because I wanted to pull a prank on you guys. Didn't think I'd use it for actual combat. So, what the hell is going on, exactly?"
"Wish I knew, but all I know is that someone's Quirk is causing this." Darby explained, manifesting his 4 Black Spheres."I told Yui to go inside and tell the others to stay there. Taking into consideration that we've only seen copies of ourselves, it's safe to say that people who are in contact with the fog are affected.
"So, what now?" Monoma cringed once he saw his own Quirk walking to him. "I'll prevent him from copying their Quirks. You take care of your guy and we'll call it a day."
"Sure!" Darby phased two Black Spheres through his palms, creating two Black Umbrellas to protect himself from the incoming attacks from his Quirk. It had created two hands with its power and was beginning to punch Darby's shields.
"Okay! I know for certain that I can't do something like that! Does the enemy's QUirk enhance ours?!"
"Nishikawi, look out!" Darby instinctively jumped back, barely avoiding being squashed to death by a gigantic rock that had come out of nowhere."Are you alright?!" Yanagi jogged over to his side.
"Yeah...what was that just now?"
"I'm afraid I'm in the same situation as you all." Reiko looked back over to her Quirk, who had rocks flying around her. With her, was Yui's Quirk, who was touching the rocks one at a time.
"That's Yui's Quirk! She was inside the fog after all. Damn it! EVERYONE! STAY CLEAR FROM YUI'S Quirk! Using Yanagi's Quirk, she'll become our worst nightmare!"
"No shit?!" Tetsutetsu blocked another punch from his QUirk, giving it a powerful left hook.
Monoma was trying to hit his QUirk, but his inexperience using Kendo's Quirk was proving to be rather ineffective."If only I practiced more! Next time, I'll listen to Kan's sensei more!"
Darby's Quirk began manifested a black ball and began shooting black needles from it. Yanagi scowled, telekinetically controlling said needles and throwing them back at him."As long as he doesn't throw anything heavier than an average human, I should be able to handle him."
"You are a formidable opponent, Yanagi-san! I'll leave this to you!" Darby rushed over to Copy Yanagi and Copy Yui, jumped and doing the incoming objects flying at him. He held two Black Umbrellas above him, stopping a giant piece of lumber to fall on him."The others better stop this, and fast!" His eyes widened once he saw Yui's Quirk throw a branch at him, using her QUirk to increase its size and send Darby crashing on the floor.
Shirahama Resort, Basement, Night
Ashe had the worst of headaches. Probably the worst she's ever had. As she opened her eyes, the pain intensified even more."Shit...what a hangover..."
"Oh, this is no mere hangover, Tsubaki-san." Her gaze drifted to the figure standing over here. She tried moving her arms but found herself bound on a chair. Furthermore, she was wearing a strange had which was hooked up to various machines.
"What...is this...?"
Coming from the shadows, Ryuji stood in front of her with a smile."You are being used, of course. I'm sure you must have a lot of questions. Let me guess. Want to know why I did it?"
Ashe scoffed."I had a feeling this was too good to be true. Also, I had done some research and didn't find your name on the resort's registry."
"Oh? Then why did you decide to come?"
"I was hoping I could talk some sense into you." She frowned, her gaze hardening."Why are you doing this? How did a hardworking boy like yourself end up like this? What did you do to the owner of this place?"
"You have some nerve, asking me that. Want to know why I'm doing this? It's simple. Because I want to have my revenge on you, Ashe. You've destroyed my dreams and aspirations!"
"What are you talking about?" She asked, genuinely confused.
"Remember when you took me in?" Ryuji began pacing back and forth."I was about as old as those kids you brought. I didn't make it to U.A due to how weak my Quirk was. And how could I blame them? So I went after you, Ashe-san. You promised me I would gain great power if I underwent that ritual to access Neko Mode. My goal was to reach the perfect level, the one with the blue hair."
He stopped."But even though I put in so much work, even though I trained tirelessly, even though I wanted it so badly..." He clenched his fists so tight he drew blood."I ended up with the imperfect model. And I was cursed, since you can't change between states once you've accessed it. Of course, at the time, I didn't believe that, so I kept on training and training and training. Nothing. My Quirk had gone stronger, sure, but it was not what I wanted. I wanted my hard work to pay off properly. I wanted my efforts to finally mean something in this world. But no...you..."
"I warned you there was a chance you would get the imperfect neko mode." Ashe replied sharply."I always let the people I mentor know that beforehand."
"I realized. Because there's something you're lacking. There must be a reason why you yourself weren't able to achieve the perfected form. But what could that be? Perhaps, like us, you are a failure? Perhaps...there's more to it than it seems. You once mentioned that Neko essence is transferred from user to user via a ritual. It must mean someone passed it down to you. Your husband, correct? You did say that he was the one who had the perfect form. So, after some consideration, I came to the conclusion that what happened to us, was your fault. Because you yourself are flawed like the rest of us."
"You keep saying "us"." Ashe narrowed her eyes."You mean there are more people with you?"
"Of course. And you know them very well. They were your students as well after all."
Ashe snorted, nearly chuckling."So what? You're here to take revenge for you not being good enough to have the perfect Neko mo-" Before she could continue, Ryuji backhanded her heart across the face.
"Don't you dare look down on me, you piece of garbage. You've ruined our lives for giving us false hopes. You knew you weren't good enough to pass down the Neko essence, and yet still you did. You despicable witch. But that doesn't matter now. Right now, your dear students are probably dead. You see, you are connected to a special machine that forces a person to activate their Quirks by capable connected around vital areas of the brain, hence the helmet you're wearing. You are creating a huge fog that's engulfing this whole area, and that's where Sojiro's Quirk comes in handy."
"Sojiro Maruki?"
"The very same. See, he originally didn't want to come with us, but his career at the circus went downhill. His Quirk normally can create illusions inside areas where the air is thicker. However, with these new babies that we have..." He revealed a syringe to her."They call this "Trigger" in the Black Market. It boosts your Quirk to new levels of power. Naturally, we've also consumed various types of drugs to enhance our concentration, so we can maintain Neko Mode for a long period of time now. Giving how Neko Mode is in a sense, a Quirk, the effect and potency are also boosted. Right now, whoever is outside is facing copies of themselves with their Quirk. Those who are inside will be executed by Sakura Otomine."
"Sakura Otomine too...?"
"Yes. She was counting on your help to get stronger, so she could go back home and participate in street fights to earn a living. All of that to ensure her sister survived. Without the perfect Neko Mode, she was overwhelmed and constantly defeated. Not to mention she barely had the time to even use it. Her sister is...well, let's just say she's in a better place now. You get it now, old lady?" Ryuji walked up to her and forced her to look at him."You will pay for your actions. And for that, innocent kids will die as well. Are you happy now?"
"You're right. I was such a half-assed teacher. I should have listened to my husband and paid proper attention when he was teaching me how to achieve Neko Mode. Maybe I am a failure. and it's my fault that your lives are in ruins. Or so I would say, had I not met a certain kid a few weeks ago."
"What...?"
"I had lost hope in ever seeing the perfect Neko mode after many failed attempts from all students that I intern. But when that kid came in, he proved me wrong. He showed me that with hard work and dedication, and hard determination, one can do just about anything. So you have no excuse. In the end, all three of you wanted power but not because you needed it, but because you wanted it. Don't underestimate those kids out there. They will give you hell."
Ryuji was fuming in rage now, he clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white."Very well then. I'll see this kid myself. After that, I'll show you just how wrong you really are." With that, Ryuji exited the room, locking the door behind him and leaving Ashe in the dark.
Shirahama Resort, Inside, Night
"Everyone!" Yui came rushing into the dining room."We have a problem. There's a villain nearby using their Quirk to create copies of us! You have to say indoors!"
"Wait, what?" Matsuda quirked a brow.
Ibara walked over to Yui, putting a hand on her shoulder."Calm down, Yui. Is this true? Are there really villains attacking us?" Just then, the building shook wildly, nearly knocking them to the floor.
"I guess we have our answer..." Nagito muttered. He then remembered Yanagi had gone outside too, and with a sigh, stood up and headed for the door.
"Hey, where are you going?!" Itsuka called out to him."Didn't you just hear her? We have to stay inside and inform the adults!"
"I have to go...Reiko is outside..."
"I'll go with him." Yui offered, sharing a quick nod with the crimson-haired teen. They rushed outside, leaving Ibara, Kendo, and Matsuda in the dining room.
"So, what now?" The blue-haired teen wondered.
"I'm afraid this is where you die." A voice caught their attention. Reimu, or what looked to be like her, jumped over to stand on the large table. Her red hair was no more, instead, her hair was completely green and her skin was white, resembling Ashe's."My name is Sakura Otomine. Please die quickly!" Her nails enlarged inside, looking like razor sharp blades as she jumped over to Itsuka.
"Barrier!" Matsuda cried out, creating a green light barrier, blocking the attack.
"A barrier user? Now that's not so fun." She clicked her tongue."Fiar enough, let's see how strong it is against this! She closed her hand slightly, uniting her nails as one."Havoc Pierce!"
Ibara quickly wrapped Kendo's waist with her vines, pulling her out of there just in case. However, Sakura's nails broke upon impact, however, successfully creating a gaping hole.
"Very interesting. Good thing you pulled that girl out of there, otherwise she would have died. But I knew you'd do that. That's why I decreased the hardening of my nails. Normally, I would have to wait a bit before my nails grew back, but with the quirk booster we have and the Neko Mode, I am invincible!" With a shout, her broken nails grew back to place.
"What the hell? Did she say Neko Mode?" Kendo gritted her teeth."So she's like Nishikawi?"
"Apparently." Ibara was panting.
"You alright?" Hoshi asked in concern.
"I'm okay. Just a bit nervous." She confessed, her hands shaking slightly.
Hoshi put a hand on her shoulder."It's okay. I'll protect you. I won't let her get close to you. You are our ace in this fight, right, Kendo?"
"Yeah. Unfortunately, my fists are just a big target for her to pierce through me. Hoshi can create barriers, but the more he uses them, the weaker they get. Where's Setsuna anyway?"
"Hiding. She texted me just now." Hoshi pulled out his phone."She's waiting for a chance to strike. Meaning we're going to create an opening. Kendo, I'll shield your fists. I'll go with you and we'll distract her."
Kendo and Ibara observed him intently, their eyes widened."What?"
"Nothing." Ibara giggled."It's just I've never seen you take the initiative like this. You usually just wait for someone to come up with a solution first."
"Hey, have some faith in me, alright?" Hoshi deadpanned. Two barriers engulfed Kendo's giant fists in the form of circles."Alright, let's do this."
"Come out, kittens! My Quirk, Ultimate Spear, can pierce absolutely everything!" She grinned maniacally.
Kendo and Hoshi rushed over to her, side to side. He created a barrier mid-air, jumping on it to gain the high ground.
"It's useless!" Sakura jumped above him, using the roof to propel herself at him, piercing through the 3 barriers he had created. and piercing his left arm. He cried in agony, grabbing the nail as hard as he could. Now, Kendo!"
Kendo rose her fist in the air as she used Ibara's vines as footing.
"Damn! Guess I'll kill you before tha-"
"Not a chance!" Setsuna's torso wrapped her free arm."You're not going anywhere!"
"What the hell?! Why do you not have legs?!"
"FIST IMPACT" Kendo enlarged her fist as she connected against her solar plexus, sending her crashing against the roof and all the floors above."Hoshi!" She enlarged her other hand, grabbing him before he landed on the floor."Are you alright?"
After being set down, he leaned against a wall, grabbing his bleeding arm."Just dandy. Sorry about your hand."
"Dude, we need to stop the bleeding!" Setsuna attached her torso with her lower body and rushed over to them.
"It's fine for now.." He winced as he felt his barriers tightly surround the wound."I'm using my barriers to stop the bleeding."
"You had me worried. Thank God..." Ibara gave him a hug."Why did you have to do that...?"
"Maybe I'm not the only one who Nishikawi has rubbed off on." He chuckled, returning the hug."It's okay. I'm fine. But did we get her?"
"Probably." Kendo sounded unsure."I don't know how tough she was, so it's hard to say. But I did hit her with everything I've got."
"Good, that means we can go help the other out-"
"I wouldn't count on that, dear!" Sakura jumped from the hole below and appeared in the middle of the group, kicking them away in different directions. She coughed up blood, grabbing her stomach."I'll admit, you've got me good. But at the end of the day, you are nothing but children. I know how to kill you now." She jumped over to Setsuna, a shield immediately covering her body. Without wasting time, she hopped over to Kendo, who rose her shielded hands in defense but was protected by another barrier around her.
"What is she plotting..." Ibara wondered, standing up by grabbing the table.
"Your little girlfriend her is dangerous." Sakura licked her lips viciously."Since you're using too many shields already, even if you use another one, it will be easily destroyed. She's dead!" She jumped over to Ibara, who had no time to react to the attack. She closed her eyes tightly, preparing herself to receive the incoming blow. But it never came.
"What the hell?!" She heard the villain cried out in shock. Once she opened her eyes, she saw the image of Hoshi's stomach pierced by five nails and his last barrier, broken into pieces.
"I knew...my barrier...wasn't...wasn't..." He began coughing blood, falling on his knees, and slipping away from the nails."going to last..."
"MATSUDA!" Ibara cried in horror, rushing over to his side."God, please, no!"
"HOSHI!" Kendo gasped as the barrier protecting her broke down."HOW DARE YOU!"
"Well, that was unexpected. I guess he would rather die than see you die." She grinned."Too bad for him, you'll both die-" As she rose her hand in the air, a purple ball of energy collided with her nails, breaking them into shards."What was that?!" She glanced over to the corridor, noticing a pair of glowing purple eyes approaching her.
"Why is everyone making such a ruckus at this time of night?" Takashi fired another round of neon blasts, sending Sakura crashing against the wall."Well, it doesn't matter. I've been looking for a way to release some stress. This works."
"Wait, do-" She couldn't even finish the sentence as she was relentlessly attacked by neon blasts that shot her out of the building into the cold ground outside, unconscious.
"Takashi..." Kendo gaped, holding back her tears."You're okay...?"
"What, you guys thought something happened to me?" He snorted, making his way over to Ibara and Matsuda."Can you make your barriers hold out?"
"Yeah...but it hurts like hell..." The boy chuckled, wincing in agony. He had created a few barriers on his wounds."Good thing she wasn't actually going for the kill, so she avoided my internal organs.
"Alright. Shiozaki, use your vines to gently carry him. I'll come with you guys to the infirmary in case there are more enemies inside. The rest of you can go do whatever."
"Thank you, Kachidoki...thank you..." Ibara used her vines to gently scoped Matsuda off the ground. She followed Takashi as he led the way further into the resort.
"Here I thought he didn't care about us." Setsuna snickered."Guess he's a softie after all. In all seriousness, I'm going to go find whoever is causing all that fog outside."
"I'll go help the others fight. Please, be careful, Setsuna."
"Pfft! Please, I'm a master when it comes to stealth!" Setsuna gave her a thumbs up."We'll make it out of this. No sweat."
Shirahama Resort, Outside, Night
Darby screamed as he was tossed against a tree by a flying oversized pebble. The weight of it knocked the tree down, taking Darby, who was on the branches, down with it.
"We're not making any progress..." He grumbled, hissing as he lifted a branch that was stuck over his left hand."I'm going to have to kick things up a notch." He closed his eyes, emptying his mind to begin meditating.
Tetsutetsu continued beating his copy into submission, eventually grabbing him, and german suplexed him against the ground. The impact was so strong that the upper body of the copy got stuck, unable to free itself, and unable to move his hands.
"That was something...you better stay down, ya hear?" Tetsutetsu put his hands on his hips triumphantly."Hold on, Nishikawi! I'm comin-" Tetsutetsu was cut off by Reiko being thrown at him harshly. He put the white-hair girl down, examining her for injuries."You okay, Yanagi?"
"I'm fine...but Nishikawi's copy..." She pointed at the black silhouette fast approaching, holding a black baton in his hand.
"Stay here and rest. You've done plenty. I'll take care of it. Tetsutetsu got in a fighting pose, awaiting for Darby's Quirk to make a move.
The copy rose its hand, only for him to be kneed in the face and sent flying skidding on the concrete. Nagito backflipped over to Tetsutetsu's side, his arms clad in cement."Reiko...!"
"She's fine. She just hit her head when she landed. But what the hell are you doing here?! Didn't Kodai told you to stay inside?! Now you'll have a...copy..." Tetsutetsu trailed off as he observed Yasukage's copy touch Tetsutetsu's copy, his arms becoming steel like his. Then Monoma's copy also touched Tetsutetsu's copy, hardening his body and turning it into steel.
"I'm sorry, he was trickier than I gave him credit for." Monoma ran to the group."So, any ideas?"
"Kick their asses! Monoma, Yasukage!" Tetsutetsu's body turned to steel."Do your thing!" Both boys touched the steel, absorbing their properties respectively. Monoma went full steel while Yasukage clad only his arms."We're fighting ourselves! Mind staying out of it?"
Darby's copy merely stepped away, leaving the copies to fight the originals."Alright! Let's kick some ass!"
The first part of the movie done. Nex part should be up probably by next week if conditions allow it. I know I'm introducing 3 more characters, but you only really need to focus on the main baddie in the form of Ryuji and you'll see why next chapter. If Darby and company can even handle their own clones, can they hope to handle him? Stay tuned to find out!"