A.N: You know what I love? When things go from zero to a hundred in an instant? You'll know what I mean soon enough...
Chapter 21: Peace Denied
"First question, what is your name?" Ging Freecss asked the Cardinal of Denial standing before him. "You may be able to pull that macho 'the dead don't get to know my name' attitude with those War Hunters, but you'll find that I'm not so easy to kill."
The Cardinal of Denial waved his arm vertically at Ging. Ging narrowed his eyes and leapt to the side, much to the shock of the Cardinal's Bishop Triad. They watched as a small fissure was suddenly created from the Cardinal erasing part of the ground from existence.
"I don't know what the hell kind of power that is, but it's terrifying." Ging acknowledged to himself.
"He dodged the Cardinal's attack?" One of the Cardinal of Denial's Bishop Triad said in surprise. "Can he see the Cardinals' Erasure?"
"No, that's not possible." Another responded. "Even those with Reiki find themselves hard pressed to see the Cardinal's techniques. It takes someone with tremendous sensory abilities to see the Erasure technique. The only one I've ever seen with the skill to sense it is the Archbishop and the other Cardinals."
"What, not gonna answer my question?" Ging asked the Cardinal. "Come on, buddy, work with me here. I'd much rather know the name of my opponent so I know who's name to say when I tell 'em they're going down."
"Amusing," the Cardinal of Denial said before falling silent for a brief moment.
He then spoke up and Ging smiled at what he said next. "My name is Kyoya. I am designated as the Cardinal of Denial. My sole purpose in life is to deny life to all who deny my god." Kyoya properly introduced himself.
"Normally, I'm pretty respectful of other peoples' religions, but I think yours deserves an exception." Ging responded. "Still, it's been years since the world's seen a religion whose idea of being 'faithful' is to commit genocide. So, you've certainly piqued my interest."
"There's also the fact that what you're using against me is clearly not Nen." Ging added with a glare. "Just what the hell are you people, eh Kyoya?"
"We...are nothing." Kyoya responded. "Nothing but tools in service to our god. Do we feel things such as joy? Sadness? Anger? No. There is nothing but our servitude to our god."
"Now that just sounds like a sad existence." Ging admitted. "But, it fits. You not only deny people their lives, but you deny yourself everything except this purpose of yours. You're empty. Nothing but a puppet dancing on lonely strings. A true Cardinal of Denial, whatever the hell that is."
"A little advice, Kyoya." Ging continued. "If you define yourself by only your goals and desires, what you hope to achieve at the end of whatever journey this is, you'll find yourself lacking. You'll really be as empty as you claim to be and you'll have no one to blame but yourself. You should try to enjoy the little things. That which makes the journey that is life so enjoyable."
"And what do you have, Hunter?" Kyoya inquired curiously.
"Well, I've got a son." Ging responded with a shrug. "I'm not much of a father, but I'm glad he's a part of my life in some way. And frankly, I've been all around most of the known world, and I've enjoyed every moment of it."
"You want to be some depressing, empty shell of a man because you think it brings you closer to whatever god this is, fine with me, Kyoya." Ging told him. "But leave the rest of the world out of it. Because most people don't desire to be as empty as you. Most people don't want to be denied the joys and even the sorrows that life brings. Because that's what it means to be alive!"
"Die." Kyoya responded simply, throwing his palm forward, making Ging dodge instinctively.
Ging looked over his shoulder and saw a hole appear in one of the ruined buildings. No debris or dust, or anything along those lines appears when areas are destroyed by this guy's attacks. Ging noted. It's as though...his attacks just erase everything in its path from existence.
Ging's eyes briefly glanced over at the dead War Hunters. He looked at how they had been eliminated in a bloodless carnage. No blood, no indication of any wounds. It was as though parts of them and their organs had been erased from existence. Not only that, but parts of their limbs had fallen off, as though what had held their limbs together had been erased as well.
And I know that every time he moves his hands as though he's attacking, something gets erased as a result. That means this attack originates from his hands. Ging quickly deduced.
Kyoya seemingly prepared another attack, only for Ging to react first this time. If hand movements are the key to reading his attacks, then the solution is simple. I'll just attack him first and stun him out of his movements!
Ging punched downwards, emitting his aura from his arm and into the ground. Suddenly, a wormhole appeared beneath Kyoya. Kyoya barely reacted as a fist emerged from the ground, stretching tremendously and striking him in the face. Ging did not let up. He punched the same spot repeatedly, and multiple fists emerged from that same wormhole in rapid-fire succession, striking Kyoya repeatedly.
"Cardinal Kyoya!" One of the Bishops yelled in concern for their master.
Kyoya remained impassive. Much like his fellow Cardinal, Shido, he was finding a legitimate challenge in the form of a powerful foe. However, unlike Shido, who had been suffering from a boring and unfulfilled life until he met All Might on the battlefield, Kyoya suffered from no such illnesses.
He was a perfectly emotionless being, fully dedicated to wiping out his enemies. To better conduct his duties, he had denied himself of everything that made a man. Pleasure, joy, sorrow, all of it. The only thing that mattered was conducting his duty as a Cardinal of the Cult of the End.
This was what every day was like for Kyoya, Cardinal of Denial. It was the only life he ever knew. But more importantly, as far as he was concerned, it was the only kind of life he ever needed in this universe that would soon be cleansed.
Kyoya swiped his hand downwards, which caused Ging to retract his fist from the wormhole. Kyoya then swiped his other hand outwards towards the spot Ging was on. Ging quickly attempted to pull away, reflexively opening his hand. He looked down and gasped. He was not fast enough.
The fingers on his left hand were gone. Kyoya's attack was supposed to erase most of him from existence, but thankfully, he had managed to at least avoid most of the attack. If only his poor fingers had been so lucky.
Ging then looked over his shoulder and saw a ruined building he could take cover behind. He quickly leapt into the ruins, covering himself from sight. Kyoya scowled, raising his arms. "You cannot hide from me." He told him. "I will erase you from existence."
Ging smirked from behind the wall. A fight against someone like this will bring nothing but a stalemate. I need to retreat and report on what's happening here to the Hunter's Association. Pariston will love this. A psychotic religious cult attempting to commit genocide. My one regret is that I couldn't figure out what the hell these guys were.
But I can tell this much: what they're using is not Nen. Which means either the Dark Continent has some sort of ability that even Chairman Netero knew nothing about, or these guys aren't from this world.
Ging then planted his hands on the ruined wall. He grimaced at the sight of the missing fingers on his left hand. Note to self, a visit to Biscuit is in order. Hopefully she can heal up my fingers, even though they've been erased like this. If she can't, I'll just go back into Greed Island and grab an Angel's Breath card. Shouldn't be too hard.
Then, Ging fired two phasing bullets that passed through the wall, shocking Kyoya and his Bishop Triad. Before Kyoya could respond, he was struck by the phasing bullets. Ging smirked. He had the opening he needed now to retreat from Kyoya. And so, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him while powered by Nen.
Kyoya's eyes widened at Ging's final move. Ging's actions had finally managed to get some sort of reaction out of him. By the time he managed to recover from Ging's phasing bullets, the famed Hunter had already managed to escape.
"Damn him." Kyoya regained his composure and simply settled for snarling at Ging's final actions.
"Bishop Kyoya, are you alright?" He was then joined by his Triad.
Kyoya shook his head. "He got away." He said. "He was not supposed to get away."
"He was far craftier than we expected." One by one, the Bishop Triad of Denial began to lower their cloaks, revealing their faces. The one that had just spoken was a bespectacled, purple-eyed woman with back-length pink hair. She was known as Aina.
"Cardinal Kyoya, perhaps we should've aided you in his death?" The second of the Bishops was a young man with white hair and a haggard face and dark blue eyes. The kind of face that suggested a man had not slept in days and was not properly taking care of himself. He was known as Yukimura. "We wouldn't have to chase after him if we had all fought at once."
"Cease your arrogance, Yukimura!" The third of the Bishops snapped. He looked far older than both Aina and Yukimura. His long, shoulder-length black hair was greasy and slicked back and his black beard scruffy. He glared at Yukimura with piercing red eyes. He was Rokuro, one of the eldest of all the Bishops. "Cardinal Kyoya was more than capable of handling the matter on his own. The fact that man fled proves that Cardinal Kyoya was superior!"
"I think you're missing the point here, Rokuro." Yukimura said with a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "No matter how much stronger Cardinal Kyoya is, the fact that Hunter managed to escape means that Cardinal Kyoya...well, he failed."
Rokuro glared at Yukimura while Aina adjusted her glasses. "Well, I must thank you, Cardinal Kyoya." She said to her superior. "Every time we challenge one of these Nen Users to combat, I gain invaluable data. Very soon, I think I will be able to pierce through this aura they use to protect themselves.
"Good," Kyoya nodded, ignoring the argument between Rokuro and Yukimura, "then we are gaining something of value."
"That being said," Kyoya continued, "Yukimura is correct about one thing. My strength means nothing. That man, Ging Freecss, managed to escape me."
"Cardinal Kyoya…" Rokuro muttered.
"I want you all to spread out and try and find him. Make him suffer for making a mockery of our duty." Kyoya ordered. "Do not lament your failure if you do not find him. In the end, I should've simply had you three aid me. I will not deny that the failure to kill Ging Freecss is my own."
"Afterwards, scatter our forces across this world. It is time we expanded our efforts."
"Yes, Cardinal Kyoya." The Bishop Triad of Denial said in unison before they disappeared with Vanishing Walk, attempting to track down Ging.
Kyoya hummed thoughtfully as he surveyed his body, taking note that there were no permanent injuries from his fight with Ging. "Still, his attacks were rather impressive." Kyoya acknowledged. "Trash may still be trash, but that was one who was worth keeping an eye on. It is now more important than ever that his life is denied and offered to our god."
"Someone like him must not be allowed to become a threat to our grand vision in the near future." Kyoya vowed. "He will be hunted to the ends of this world if necessary."
"But until we find him, I cannot afford to be sidetracked." Kyoya continued. "This continent has fallen. There is no way around it. It is now time we devote our efforts to other parts of this world."
Kyoya then thought back to the map of this world he and his subordinates had taken a look at before beginning their assault. "The Dark Continent," he muttered to himself, "a very dangerous place, if the rumors are to be believed."
"I, however, will not allow such stories to deter me." Kyoya vowed. "If there is life, then it must be exterminated. The negativity that comes from death will be used as nourishment."
"All in the name of our god."
Elsewhere, day began to break. It was bright and early in the morning for the proverbial "landing party", led by Grandmaster Sojiro. And there was only one thing they could do to spend their morning before finding some sort of breakfast. Spar.
Ruby Rose yelled as she circled around Yami Sukehiro in her Petal Burst form, quickly returning to her physical form to strike at Yami with Crescent Rose. Yami easily blocked and parried each of Ruby's strikes, smirking all the way through as he continued to gauge just how powerful Ruby actually was.
At her peak, she's actually as fast as Asta. But Asta has the advantage in raw physical strength. Yami noted. Still, using speed to dodge and counter quickly is a valid strategy. But if those Bishops and that Cardinal were of any indication, speed's no longer going to cut it for her. She needs power to back up her speed now.
Yami briefly glanced over at Sojiro, wondering if the old man had the same thoughts as him. He noticed that Sojiro's gaze was currently focused on Ruby. Yami smirked at the old man's gaze. Yeah, he's definitely got the same idea as I do.
Sojiro's eyes then drifted over to Izuku Midoriya, who was currently locked in a fierce duel with Yang Xiao Long. Both were pushing their powers to the max. Yang's Semblance, Burn, was actually matching One For All at 20%. Thankfully, Yang was not attempting to blast Izuku with Ember Celica's shotgun shells and was just trying to match him blow for blow physically.
Sojiro nodded in satisfaction. It was just as he suspected. With every blow Izuku's One For All landed on Yang, Yang grew stronger. And as a result, Yang would continue to push back against Izuku and allow him to slowly and subconsciously tap into more and more of One For All's power.
The question now is, Sojiro continued, How much can we expect Izuku to be able to tap into One For All. It's certainly unreasonable to get him to 100% right off the bat. But if I can figure out how long I can get him to...say, the next multiple of ten, that can give me a better idea of how long we can expect him to reach 100 under my tutelage.
And that just leaves Asta, Sojiro now turned to see Asta in a sparring match with Kinpatsu. Kinpatsu had a big grin on his face as he used Taiyomaru to easily repel Asta's assaults, even in his "Black Asta" form.
Physically, Asta's undoubtedly the strongest of these three children. I would love to know what kind of training he had done when he was younger. Because it allowed him to become one of the strongest fighters in his own kingdom. Sojiro noted.
Still, Asta's greatest strengths are only strengths in his own world. Sojiro grimly added. His Anti-Magic is useless against Reiki. Which means I can only imagine that it's probably useless against Ruby's Aura and whatever exists in Gon's world...if anything like that does exist for that matter. That means, all he has to fall back on is his physical strength, and unlike his world, the other worlds do put some sort of effort on mixing their abilities with physical prowess. No matter how strong Asta is, fighting with only half of what he can do puts him at a disadvantage on principle alone.
From what Yami explained to me, Grimoires grow and add pages in moments of personal growth. The question now is what will stimulate Asta and make him and his grimoire grow?
Finally, Noelle Silva was in the midst of blitzing Weiss Schnee through her Valkyrie Dress. Weiss, for her part, was practically helpless. She had been trying to use her summons and glyphs to even the odds, but Noelle's incredible strength and speed while clad in her dress made her simply insurmountable to Weiss at the moment. It was actually stunning in Weiss' eyes.
Weiss prided herself on her combat style for its speed and elegance. And here was Noelle, in her 'Valkyrie Dress', dancing in battle with all the grace and elegance she had ever dreamed of. It was simply spectacular.
Weiss then created a glyph in defense as Noelle propelled herself forward. Her aquatic lance smashed right through Weiss' glyph, slamming into the former Schnee Heiress in the process. Weiss yelled as the lance smashed the rest of her Aura like glass, sending her flying into a nearby tree.
Noelle immediately turned off her Valkyrie Dress when she saw that Weiss was not getting right back up. "Are you alright, Weiss?" She ran over to Weiss. "I didn't hurt you too badly did I?"
Weiss groaned, slowly gaining back her strength. She then smiled up at Noelle. "No, I'm fine." She said before smiling. "Noelle, that was amazing! I can't believe how strong you are. You could actually be a match for just about any Huntsman with that kind of power and speed."
This made Noelle take a step back in shock. A smile curled slightly. For most of her life, up until the Black Bulls took her in, not a single person ever had anything kind to say to her. Especially about her prowess in battle. And here was Weiss just outright telling her how amazing her fighting was. It was...pretty cool, actually.
"Umm, thanks." Noelle said, helping Weiss to her feet. "But, you shouldn't sell yourself short, Weiss. If I wasn't royalty, I don't know if my magic could beat you and your glyphs."
Sojiro noticed that Weiss and Noelle had finished up their sparring match and decided to call it there. "Okay, that's enough everyone!" He yelled before turning to Noriko, who was standing next to him, watching the whole thing. "Noriko, please treat any immediate injuries."
Noriko nodded and began to address each duo one by one. She first looked over Izuku and Yang, and much to her surprise, found no major injuries on any of them. "I'm impressed, you two," she admitted, "all those punches and no actual injuries."
"Ha, my Aura's damn tough." Yang bragged proudly. "Though I definitely was more on edge than I thought. Green's punches and kicks are something else."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but you hit pretty hard too, Yang. If I hadn't spent so long playing a defensive game while trying to make my Quirk my own, I don't think I'd have had the instincts to avoid your punches."
Noriko then addressed Ruby and Yami. "No major injuries on you two either." She noted.
Ruby grumbled in frustration. "That's because Captain Yami kept blocking all my attacks." She pouted.
Yami glared comically over the girl, grabbing her by the head and lifting her up. "You can't possibly have wanted me to actually just stand there and take it, right kid?" He asked in a low, threatening tone of voice.
"No, no sir!" Ruby squeaked in fear.
Noriko nodded in satisfaction and addressed Kinpatsu and Asta. Kinpatsu, not surprisingly, looked completely unharmed. For a man who was at such a small fraction of his power thanks to the loss of his dominant arm and one of his eyes, he held Asta at bay easily.
Asta, on the other hand…
"I'm fine," he said with gritted teeth, "I'm totally fine…"
And then he fell forward, flat on his face. "Asta!" Ruby, Izuku and Noelle yelled in concern.
Sojiro heaved a sigh at the sight. "I thought as much." He noted. "It seems that blackened form of yours saps your stamina to practically zero."
"Ugh, well, I've gotten better at it." Asta claimed, as Noriko went to work treating him. "It's just that Kinpatsu wore me down so much."
Sojiro nodded. "And I hope you realize how much of a double-edged sword your abilities are with this, Asta." He told the young man.
"They are?" Asta asked.
"Asta, you've relied on incredible strength and stamina to compensate for your lack of magic." Sojiro explained. "And while this makes you an incredible threat in your world, other worlds are vastly different. I hate to tell you this, but you and everyone else in your world are big fish in a very small pond."
"Sheesh, be more harsher why don't ya." Yami frowned, sheathing his katana and putting Ruby down. The adorable reaper rubbing her forehead and whimpering.
"The reality is that most of you are far too simple with your fighting styles. No, it's more like you're far too specialized as fighters." Sojiro claimed. "Asta is the ultimate anti-mage fighter, but not necessarily an 'anti-anything else' fighter. His swords couldn't cut through Reiki, so I assume it'd be the same with Aura."
"As for those who use magic, I could tell this much, they spend so much time perfecting their magic most don't perfect their bodies. Even Julius suffers from this." Sojiro continued. "I think the only exceptions to this rule...are you Black Bulls and the Vermillion Siblings. Whether it's Yami employing his katana, Noelle's incredible Valkyrie Dress, you are all diamonds in a rather unique rough."
"Th-thank you, sir." Noelle blushed. More high praise. She really was not used to this.
"But don't rest on your laurels. By comparison, there is a world much like yours that uses magic." Sojiro revealed. "And frankly, that world is far stronger than yours."
"Asta," Sojiro gave him a smile, "don't be ashamed of this. All this means is that you have more to work on to grow as a Magic Knight, a warrior, and as a man. And I know you're up to the challenge."
"Of course I am, Grandmaster!" Asta yelled with glee.
"Then with you, we need to focus on two aspects, covering up your weakness in fighting non-magic users and seeing if we can expand the scope of your Anti-Magic abilities." Sojiro explained. "Now, if what I understand about magic in your world is true, it grows with you as you mature."
"So, we simply need to broaden your horizons as an individual. In other words, mental training to help you expand your mind." Sojiro revealed. "This is similar to training a friend of mine underwent a long time ago. He traveled to a sacred mountaintop. And once he returned, his abilities had increased a hundredfold because he had gained a true appreciation for life and death. Of course, this was due to his unique abilities. A training exercise like that would only work for two other people I know of."
"And from there, we can continue improving your swordsmanship as well. You rely on power, but not a lot of technique. Kinpatsu, can I count on you to help Asta employ a bit more technique in his swordsmanship?"
"I ain't much of a teacher, but I'll try my best." Kinpatsu shrugged. "Still though, his swords are designed for power, not technique. So if it fails, don't be surprised."
"Understood, learning is all about experimentation, after all." Sojiro noted. "We must be willing to try things that won't necessarily work and then adjust accordingly."
"Now then, let's move on," Sojiro turned to Izuku and Yang, "you two were splendid."
"Oh, thanks!" Yang grinned.
"That's very high praise from someone like you, Grandmaster." Izuku bowed his head.
"Yang," Sojiro turned his attention to the punchy blonde brawler, "your Semblance, Burn, is incredible. The ability to turn damage into added strength isn't to be underestimated."
"Whoa, so it's like a power meter in a video game!" Izuku squealed giddily. "That's amazing!"
"However, and I think you know this by now," Sojiro glanced at Yang's prosthetic arm, "you still take damage and your Aura still depletes with each hit."
Yang nodded, her face falling for a moment. "Now, if Semblances are like any other 'superpower' across the universe," Sojiro continued, "that means you can grow and evolve your Semblance. Into what, I honestly don't know yet. For all we know, the true power of Burn could actually be accumulating power over time in a fight, not just from damage, but just the heat of battle in general."
"Some power meters do build up over time." Izuku noted.
"We should work on evolving your Semblance." Sojiro suggested. "Until then, I want you to try and fight smarter, not harder. Know when to avoid a hit, and know when to take it to build up your power. Don't let your flame grow out of control, control your flame instead."
"I've got a suggestion as well if anyone wants to hear it." Asta was now sitting up, much to everyone's surprise.
"You do?" Noelle raised an eyebrow.
"Yang, a long time ago, my friends and I fought this guy. His name was Vetto." Asta explained, making Noelle grimace. She certainly remembered that fight. "Vetto was insanely strong, thanks to his magic enhancing his physical abilities. But he had a big weakness that I only realized after the fight."
"He spent so much time being physically enhanced by his magic, he forgot what his actual limits were." Asta revealed. "And so when I stabbed him with one of my swords, it drained him of his power and left him defenseless."
"So what?" Yang asked.
Asta grinned. "Try training without your Aura and your Semblance and build up a baseline. That way, you don't have to rely so much on taking hits to build up your power. I could lend you my workout regimen if you'd like."
Yang was taken aback by the offer before she smiled. "That's pretty generous of ya, Asta." She said before adding with a chuckle. "But still, I don't know what a squirt like you could do for training that I can't."
"You say that now, Yang." Noelle groaned while Asta's face fell at Yang's joke.
"Now, Izuku," Izuku listened intently, instinctively taking out a notepad to listen to what the good grandmaster had to say to him. Wait, where did he even get that notepad?
"How much of One For All did you say you could use?" Sojiro asked curiously. "20% correct?"
Izuku nodded. "And you are also capable of manifesting six other Quirks?" Sojiro added.
"Well, actually, only one right now." Izuku admitted. "And it's only when I'm using 20%."
"Hmm, I wonder if you'll manifest the other five Quirks as we build up your limits with One For All." Sojiro mused. "Well, regardless, our focus is perfecting your main Quirk. One For All, we'll deal with the other Quirks as they come."
Izuku nodded. "We'll start small though. We'll see how long it takes for you to reach 30%, and that'll give us an idea of how long it'll be before you reach 100%."
"And then I'll have fully mastered One For All." Izuku muttered in awe.
Sojiro laughed. "Nonsense, Izuku," he said, "after we reach 100%, I want to see if we can go even further than that."
"Further?!" Izuku exclaimed in disbelief.
"If memory serves me correctly, the whole point of One For All is to grow with each user." Sojiro pointed out. "So let's use this as an opportunity to further improve One For All. Let's see if we can take it to 200%, 300% or even a 1,000% if we wished for it."
"Not real percentages, but I do see the point." Yami noted. "You're basically asking Green to keep pushing past his limits. And I like that."
Izuku thought it over. "I...suppose it is possible," he acknowledged, "because you're right, Sir. The whole point of One For All is its ability to grow even stronger as a Quirk."
"But...let's focus on getting it to a hundred first, okay?" He sheepishly requested.
Sojiro nodded with a smile. "One step at a time, Izuku." He promised. "That's what it means to learn and grow. Even the greatest scholars were not instant geniuses. Never forget that."
Sojiro then looked at Ruby. His face then contorted into a grimace. "Ruby," he said to her, "were you truly journeying to try and stop Salem and her associates?"
"Yeah, why?" Ruby asked, a bit concerned by Sojiro's look.
Sojiro sighed. "Ruby, please don't take this the wrong way, but do you realize how lucky you are to have gotten as far as you have?" He asked.
Ruby was taken aback by this. "What? R-really?"
Sojiro shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, you're very strong and talented. You certainly earned your right to fight and become the Huntress you wish to be."
"However, let me ask you something," Sojiro folded his arms, "you've clashed with Salem's subordinates several times since your journey, correct?"
Ruby nodded. Sojiro then looked at Weiss and Yang. "Pay attention, you two, this goes for you two as well. I'll have to work this lesson in, with Blake, Jaune, Nora and Ren as well." He explained.
"Ruby," Sojiro turned back to Ruby, "of the times you've encountered Salem's subordinates, how many of them were actually won by you, rather than circumstances?"
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"Well, it's one thing to win on your own strength and merits." Sojiro explained. "However, it's quite another when circumstances win the fight for you. So please, tell me everything about your previous encounters with Salem's forces."
Ruby thought it over. "Well," she said, "when Beacon fell, a criminal who was hired by one of Salem's top goons almost killed me. He was eaten by a Grimm. I...got to that same goon as soon as she killed a friend of mine…and honestly, if my powers hadn't suddenly flared out of control, she would've killed me too."
Sojiro remained silent, letting Ruby explain herself. "Then, while on the way to Mistral, this guy Tyrian almost killed Jaune, Nora, Ren and myself. We only survived because Uncle Qrow saved us. We drove him off after I cut off his tail, but he also poisoned Uncle Qrow and almost killed him."
"And finally," Ruby took a deep breath, "we had a big fight at Haven Academy. We drove them off...but only because the one who killed my friend, Cinder Fall, was defeated and killed...by Yang's birth mom, Raven Branwen. Cinder seems to be crucial to their plans, so they retreated afterwards. Though...we were really getting beaten back by the others who were helping her. We landed some good hits in, sure, but…"
"So," Sojiro heaved a sigh, "it seems you've been relying on good fortune to survive. In other words, circumstances have won you most of your fights."
"Really?"
Sojiro nodded. "I'm afraid so," he said, "Ruby, I'm sure you realize this, but you cannot always rely on luck and good fortune to win you fights."
Ruby nodded. "Of course I realize that." She promised. "I want to be stronger, Grandmaster. I really do. I...I wanna be a great Huntress and help save lives, just like my mom did."
"An admirable dream, and at least you know that it's one you cannot accomplish without strength." Sojiro nodded.
"Ruby, it's one thing to know when you're lucky to have survived. Even the strongest fighters have to rely on luck occasionally. However, I feel I need to tell you this since this seems to happen to you quite a bit." Sojiro began.
"If you continue to win and survive based on nothing more than luck and decent circumstances and don't realize those are what have helped you survive, fair warning, you will grow arrogant."
"Not Ruby, Grandmaster." Yang shook her head. "That's not her at all."
Sojiro sighed. "I know, but many good men and women across the universe have fallen to darkness because of their own arrogance. And plenty grew arrogant because of an undeserved sense of accomplishment. Also a sense of right and wrong and justice, but that's a completely different story."
"Ruby," Sojiro continued, "I want you to experience a true feeling of accomplishment."
"A...true feeling of accomplishment?"
"The kind that only comes when you win based on your own merits alone, and not because fate decided to hand you the victory." Sojiro explained before gesturing to Izuku and Asta. "What do you see when you look at them?"
"I see two really great guys." Ruby shrugged.
"I see two young men who failed and stumbled a lot on their paths." Sojiro revealed. "I can tell that much just by looking at them. Asta grew up without magic and Izuku was forced to learn how to use the strongest Quirk in existence. There is no doubt in my mind they've failed and struggled."
"Ruby, do not be afraid of failure, do not be afraid of struggling, and do not be afraid of being wrong. Use all of that to grow and then win with your own strength."
"Don't be afraid of being wrong, huh?" Ruby repeated, thinking to herself.
Sojiro nodded before smiling. "That of course will happen as you continue to fight. The point is, use every mistake you make as a chance to grow, don't just dismiss them, no matter the circumstances. If you stumble, pick yourself back up and figure out why you fell. If you're wrong, chastise yourself, even if you think you're right. Because struggles make us better, not worse."
"And now, let's talk about how you can get on that path." Sojiro told her.
"Eh? We're still not done!" Ruby flailed her arms dramatically.
Sojiro laughed. "No, no, we're now going to talk about how I think you can grow as a warrior as far as combat abilities go."
"First, take heart, I think your Semblance, Petal Burst, is quite impressive. While it's nowhere near the speed I've seen from many of my best students back home, you should be proud of how fast you are. My world is simply...on a completely different level."
Ruby nodded in understanding. "However, it's far too simple. You speed around, attack with Crescent Rose, speed around some more. Occasionally you kick up windstorms and clone yourself in petal form. But...I just can't help but feel like you could do even more."
"Really?"
"Ruby, have you considered perhaps partial transformations?" Sojiro asked curiously. "Like, perhaps you could transform only parts of your body to speed up punches and kicks and increase the force of your attacks?"
"I never really thought of that." Ruby admitted.
"As I told Yang, if Semblances are anything like any other 'superpower' across the universe, they can evolve. So anything is worth attempting." Sojiro noted. "Oftentimes, the limits of our special abilities are our own imagination, so if there's anything you think you could do with your power, attempt to replicate it."
"Next, I want you to also examine your Silver Eyes and the power that comes within." Sojiro explained. "At the moment, you can...basically shoot laser beams. But have you and Maria considered that there could be more than just that?"
"Well, no, we're kinda just learning the basics." Ruby explained.
"Nothing wrong with that, I'm just always curious if there's more." Sojiro replied. "Anyway, we need to consider if there's more to the power of Silver Eyes than simply those beams of light. If they come as a result of a desire to preserve life, they must be able to do more. Much like your Semblance, the limit could very well be your own imagination."
Ruby then remembered something Maria had told her. "There was something else, Grandmaster." She said. "Maria told me they only activate in the presence of Grimm. So...how did it activate in that Cardinal's presence?"
Sojiro hummed at this. "The only explanation I have is that your power is evolving...or perhaps even Maria's own information on the power of Silver Eyes is incomplete." He explained. "Either way, this, like your Semblance, could be an amazing weapon. So we must train it."
Ruby smiled eagerly. "Yes sir!" She really could not wait to really get started now.
"Yami, Noelle," Sojiro addressed the other two wizards, "I honestly don't have much to say to either of you. Your powers are quite impressive already. All I have to say is keep pushing the limits of your magic. I believe there is something known as Mana Zone? See if you can tap into that."
Yami and Noelle both nodded. "Oi, you brats." Yami addressed the otherworld kids. "Mind if I also make a suggestion?"
"Sure, Captain Yami." Izuku nodded while Ruby, Weiss and Yang did the same.
"You all should consider learning Ki." Yami suggested.
"Ki?" Izuku had heard of the concept, but did not expect to hear of it from someone from another world.
"You...mean like the energy that the characters in the comic Dragon Gem X?" Yang deadpanned while Ruby had stars in her eyes at the very thought of it. "Look, I liked Gaku growing up, but I don't want to be like him. For one thing, his hair sucks."
"Uh...yeah, sure let's go with that." Yami shrugged. "Anyway, Ki's actually something that exists separate from Mana in my world. It's a natural energy given off by people and even objects when they move. It's how I was capable of keeping up with Ruby's attacks so easily."
"Basically, with proper training, you can use Ki-sensing to predict attacks and enemy movements." Yami explained. "If you all learned it, you'd push past your limits easily."
"That's so cool!" Ruby and Izuku squealed in unison.
"It does sound pretty useful." Weiss noted to Yang, who nodded in agreement.
"That's a brilliant suggestion, thank you, Yami." Sojiro smiled before turning to Weiss. "And that just leaves you, Weiss."
"Yes Sir," Weiss stood at attention, ready to receive her lesson as well.
"I must admit, you're truly impressive." Sojiro told her.
"Thank you, Sir." Weiss nodded. "I have received training from excellent instructors...and I've had the benefit of having wonderful teammates and friends who've helped me improve as well."
"Aww, thanks Weiss-Cream." Yang grinned.
"Yeah, thanks Bestie!" Ruby added.
"It shows. And you have an incredible Semblance with a wide variety of uses. Glyphs with different effects depending on the Dust you use and the ability to summon enemies defeated in the past."
"Which is why I want you to now expand on your repertoire." Sojiro explained.
"Expand? But you said it already has a wide variety of uses." Weiss pointed out.
"I did say that." Sojiro acknowledged. "But I also said it's bad to rest on your laurels. Weiss, considering how advanced the technique is, I'm going to guess you only recently mastered summoning, correct?"
Weiss nodded, amazed at how quickly Sojiro figured her out. Sojiro smiled gently. "That must've felt like a wonderful accomplishment." He noted. "However, you have the talent to accomplish even more than that. You all do."
"So continue to expand your repertoire. Create new types of glyphs. Don't be afraid to experiment. Defeat other types of foes and summon them. In fact, even see if you can summon more than just sentient life forms. Consider creating other kinds of weapons, even armor like Noelle's Valkyrie Dress."
"If your power is as versatile as it is, Weiss, then you owe it to yourself to think of every possible way to further expand it." Sojiro told her.
"That makes perfect sense, thank you." Weiss nodded.
"And while we're on the subject, grow your stamina. Ruby and Yang can last in a fight much longer than you can." Sojiro noted. "All of this can't be easy on your body and your energy, so work on that."
"You are correct, thank you, Sir." Weiss said once more.
"And finally, before we close this lesson, I have one final lesson for Ruby, Yang and Weiss." Sojiro told them. "This will be a lesson I hope to one day repeat to the others from your world."
Ruby, Yang and Weiss listened intently. "I want you to consider naming special attacks in battle." Sojiro revealed.
All three girls almost fell over in surprise. "What?" Weiss looked at Sojiro like he was crazy. "You want us to do what?"
"You heard me," Sojiro smiled, "consider naming a special attack if you've got them."
"...I mean, we do name some of our team attacks." Ruby tried to find logic in the idea.
"Please don't normalize this, Sis." Yang sighed. "So, what? You want us to name our techniques like Shogo does?"
"Oh goodness, no, nothing like Shogo." Sojiro laughed. "Truth be told, everyone in my world names our special techniques, as do many other warriors from other worlds. Many worlds seem to follow an interesting cultural belief centered around a concept known as kotodama."
"Koto-what now?" Ruby was now very confused.
"Kotodama," Sojiro repeated, "it's an ancient belief that goes by different names and different cultures across the universe that follow a very similar belief: the belief that mystical powers dwell in words and names. The notion of kotodama presupposes that sounds can magically affect objects, and that ritual word usages can influence our environment, body, mind, and soul. It's why many martial artists shout when fighting."
"So, theoretically, by applying the idea of kotodama, chanting a word while using a special technique should give it more power."
"Er...with all due respect, Grandmaster, that all sounds like a bunch of hooey." Yang responded.
Sojiro laughed. "It certainly does, but think of it like the placebo effect. If you believe that the words you shout while using an attack give it more power, then it will do so. If you think it's ridiculous, then you don't have to apply it. However, if you wish to try it, all I ask is that you truly believe that the concept actually works."
"I'll consider it!" Ruby excitedly told Sojiro.
Weiss and Yang just sighed. Sojiro just laughed. "Well, if that's everything, I think we can call this training a success."
And then someone close by could no longer contain his scream of excitement. "SO COOL!" They all heard. "THAT WAS ALL SO COOL!"
"What the…" Noriko spoke off before noticing a young boy fall from the trees.
"GON?!" Everyone present yelled in shock, looking at the sheepish Gon Freecss.
Gon laughed nervously. "Umm...hi?" He said to them. "Er...sorry for spying on you."
Sojiro folded his arms. "Gon," he said, "why were you spying on us?"
Inwardly, Sojiro was panicking somewhat. If he saw everything, then we've been found out earlier than we should have. Then again, perhaps we could use this as an opportunity to ask who we need to speak with to warn them about the Cult's attack.
"Umm...yeah, sorry." Gon rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't mean to…"
"How do you not mean to spy on someone?" Noelle asked, not believing that for a minute.
"Well, see, I wanted to get some early-morning fishing done." Gon explained. "I do that a lot, it's a morning tradition for me."
Gon then kicked the tree he had been in and allowed a bunch of fish he had caught to fall to the ground. "I caught a bunch of fish." Gon revealed.
"And then, on my way back, my nose caught the scent of sweat, and a lot of it."
The girls all blushed in embarrassment while Izuku and Asta immediately sniffed themselves on instinct. "Er, my sense of smell has always been really good." Gon explained.
"That goes way beyond just really good, kid." Yami pointed out. "That sense of smell is freakish."
"That amount of perspiration only comes from a lot of training," Gon explained, "so I realized you guys were training, so I came here. You were all so deep in training, I didn't want to interrupt. So, I disguised my presence like I do when I'm hunting."
Sojiro's eyes widened. I really have gotten old! I didn't even sense him! His stealth is incredible if he's able to disguise his presence so well!
"Anyway, something's got me really curious." Gon said. "You were all using abilities I could see, even though I don't have Nen anymore. And you were talking about stuff like Quirks, Semblances, Magic, Ki, and all that other stuff."
This made everyone freeze in horror. Gon most likely had figured them out. "So, I was thinking," Gon continued, "are you all...from a different world?"
Ten faces went pale in unison. Sojiro then sighed. "I guess there's no reason to hide it anymore. Yes, Gon, we are from a different world...well, different worlds."
Gon's eyes widened. "Whoa, really?" He asked.
"Yes," Sojiro nodded, "you figured it out, why are you still shocked?"
"Well, I had only just guessed, honestly." Gon said. "And it was a pretty wild guess. The kind of guess my best friend Killua would get on my case for."
"...So you weren't being serious?" Yami deadpanned.
"Er...yes and no." Gon shrugged.
"Well, you got it out of us. We're all from different worlds." Sojiro revealed. "If you wish to hear the truth Gon, I suggest you sit down. This is a very long and rather extraordinary tale."
"Sure, I'll listen." Gon eagerly sat cross-legged.
And so, Sojiro told Gon everything. Who he was, where he came from, what his mission was, and how he met everyone else. Ruby, Izuku and Asta spoke up on occasion, adding their parts of the story to back up Sojiro's parts. Gon, surprisingly, listened intently with a look of wonder on his face.
And then, when Sojiro finally finished up, Gon just smiled and nodded. "Okay, Grandmaster, I believe you."
"Really?" Sojiro was surprised.
I guess I shouldn't underestimate childlike wonder. Sojiro noted.
"Yeah, honestly, I figured you guys were from elsewhere as soon as I saw you use those weird powers." He explained. "In this world, Nen is the big power."
"Nen?" Sojiro raised an eyebrow.
"Nen," Gon nodded, "it is a technique that allows a living being to use and manipulate their own life energy. We call that life energy 'Aura.'"
Ruby's eyes widened. "For real? You guys use Aura too?"
Gon nodded. "Anyway," Gon spoke up, "if you guys are looking for allies to help you guys fight against these Cult guys, you need to go to the Hunter Association. It's filled with really strong people, and if they're informed that there's a threat to the entire world, they'll have to take action like they did when the Chimera Ants were a big threat."
"Chimera Ants...okay, you know what, nevermind, I'm done questioning this." Yang groaned.
"There are good people at the Hunter Association. They'd be willing to help you." Gon gave them all a reassuring smile. "And if I could still fight, I'd love to help you guys as well."
Sojiro raised an eyebrow. "Still fight? What's that supposed to mean, Gon?" He asked curiously.
Gon's face fell, much to the surprise of everyone present. After their previous day with Gon, they had thought nothing could wipe that innocent smile off his face. Boy were they wrong. "I...was once a Hunter. Well, technically I still am, I still have my license." Gon sighed. "But...I lost the ability to use Nen after...well, something really bad happened."
"Gon…" Ruby, Izuku and Asta looked at Gon in sympathy. None of them could imagine losing their power. It was part of who they were, after all.
"Well, if you really lack the ability to use Nen now, then I can't allow you to fight with us, Gon." Sojiro told him. "These people we're going up against...they'd be unlike anything you've ever fought before. They'll kill you without a second thought."
"That kind of stuff just makes me want to do it more...you've got me curious now." Gon pointed out. "And...I just can't stand the thought of being weak and being a loser compared to people like the ones you just described."
"Understandable, but this is reality for you, Gon." Sojiro firmly told him. "I'm sorry, I appreciate your heart, but it would only get you killed right now."
Gon had to nod in agreement at that. "I know…" he said sadly.
Sojiro smiled kindly and rubbed Gon's hair affectionately. Gon's frown then turned upside down as he smiled back. "Hey, could I at least take you guys to the Hunter Association?" He suggested. "I know a lot of people there, so if I came along to back you up, they'd be more willing to hear you out, right?"
Sojiro frowned slightly. He really did not want to put another child in possible danger like that. Not like he already had with Team RWBY, Izuku, Asta and everyone else under 18 he had brought along thus far.
Kinpatsu then spoke up, noticing the old man's hesitation. "Grandmaster, it may be for the best to let him guide us to this Hunter Association." He offered. "We need a guide, and we can't just march into a place like that claiming some genocidal cult is trying to destroy them. Without someone they know backing up our claims, we'll be laughed out of the damn building."
Sojiro sighed. "You do bring up a good point, Kinpatsu." He acknowledged.
Sojiro then smiled at Gon. "Let's talk to your Aunt Mito first." He said. "If she tells you that you can come with us, you can guide us to the Hunter Association."
Gon nodded eagerly. "If she doesn't, I'll try to get you in contact with a friend of mine." He said. "I'm sure Leorio or Killua will help you once I explain everything. Even Kurapika if I could actually get him to respond to my calls."
Sojiro nodded in understanding. "We very much appreciate your help, Gon." He told him, ruffling the kid's hair once more.
"Yeah, if we can get help from the strongest people in this world, we'd definitely get quite the boost in fighting prowess." Ruby pointed out.
Gon then turned around. "Okay then, let's go see Aunt Mito, and…"
In an instant, all hell broke loose…
Explosions suddenly rang out all across Whale Island. Black smoke immediately poured into the sky from the many blasts. "What the hell?!" Yang yelled in shock.
Yami's eyes widened. "I didn't sense any hostile Ki! They must've disguised their presence like Gon did!"
Noriko, Kinpatsu and Sojiro quickly tapped into their sensory abilities. "Reiki signatures all over the island!" Noriko yelled in horror. "No doubt about it, they have to be Cultists."
"That makes no sense," Kinpatsu growled, "why the hell would so many Cultists come to an out-of-the-way island such as this!"
Sojiro's eyes widened. "No...they didn't come this way because they sensed us, did they? Did a few of them pick out our Reiki and now all of them have converged on our location?"
"Oh Gods," Noriko moaned in terror, "they...they came to this island because of us?"
"Aunt Mito!" Gon immediately started running in the direction of one cloud of black smoke. A look of utter terror on his face. That blast was close to his home.
"Gon! Wait!" Sojiro yelled in concern, running after him.
"Grandmaster!" Noriko yelled after the old man.
"Don't worry about us, just go and help the people of Whale Island!" Sojiro yelled.
With that, Sojiro was gone. Kinpatsu narrowed his eyes and nodded, immediately taking charge. "Okay," he said, "there were a lot of different locations where explosions rang out. Probably some small neighborhoods and of course the market area near the harbor. We'll have to spread out, and…"
"Where are Ruby, Asta and Izuku?" Weiss suddenly asked.
Kinpatsu looked around and saw that those three had already run off. "Seriously?" Kinpatsu gasped. "Those three can't have possibly run off without a plan could they?"
"Damn it, Ruby, you just have to play hero now of all times?" Yang groaned.
"Damn Stupidsta!" Noelle added.
"We'll just have to trust they're heading to the fight." Yami said. "With all the explosions, they're attacking from practically every direction."
"Then that's what we have to do as well." Kinpatsu noted. "Spread out, everyone, if we want to protect the people of Whale Island, we need to respond with our own multi-front assault."
"We'll repay the people of Whale Island for their kindness." Weiss claimed.
"This is Gon's home, so we'll protect it with everything we've got!" Noelle declared.
"I've been waiting for another chance to punch these jackasses into oblivion." Yang smirked. "So let's bring 'em all down!"
"Then fight with everything you've got, push past your limits and win against these guys!" Yami declared. "Make 'em all pay for thinking they could attack this island."
"Noriko, you and I are heading to the marketplace, that's probably got the biggest concentration of people they're attacking. So, we need your medical expertise to help all of them." Kinpatsu told her.
"Understood." Noriko nodded, ready to help out.
"Okay, spread out and stay alive!" Kinpatsu yelled as the group did just that.
All across Whale Island, chaos reigned across different residential areas close to the marketplace. Bodies were already lined across one particular residential area. A ruthless, looking man with sharp teeth like a shark's and spiky blonde hair laughed as he dropped the charred corpse of a man he had just killed. "What a joke," he said, "Tetsuichi tells us that he senses the Reiki of our targets on this rinky-dink island, and suddenly seven teams of Acolytes, including my own have to drop everything and come here?"
"Ugh, it makes no damn sense." He complained. "If they are trying to find allies, why would they come to a place like this?"
His attention was then drawn to fleeing people from the neighborhood. "Well, if we're here, might as well get something of use out of this." He said as golden electricity danced across his hands. "Now, let's hear these little piggies squeal."
Electricity then danced across the cultist's entire body. "Squeal, piggies, squeal!" He yelled. "Squeal while I cook you into well done bacon!"
"Now, Static-"
"Yahoo!" The cultist looked up to see a golden speck rocketing down towards him. The speck then became a woman, who was cocking her fist back to bring him down with a mighty haymaker.
The Cultist instinctively dodged the attack, much to his annoyance. What a pain, can't believe I got scared on instinct like that.
He then got a good look at Yang Xiao Long and smirked, particularly at the girl's impressive cleavage. "What, are you gonna attack me with your tits, blondie?" He taunted.
Yang scowled at the Cultist's taunts. "Pay too much attention to the girls and you're liable to get a bunch of shotgun shells to the mouth, Shark-Boy." She taunted right back.
"Shark-Boy?" The cultist took note of his teeth and snarled at Yang. "My name is Seiji. High-Voltage Seiji, the mighty Deacon of the Cult of the End."
"I dodged your last attack on instinct, Blondie." Seiji told Yang. "But you won't be able to do a damn thing to me now!"
Meanwhile, a citizen of Whale Island whimpered and pleaded for her life as a man with teal colored hair and dark blue eyeliner stood over her, pointing a finger-shaped gun at her head. Meanwhile, other citizens fled in fear. "Too bad for you, it seems everyone has forsaken you, darling." He taunted before blasting high-pressure water from his finger right through her forehead, killing her instantly.
"My, my," he then opened both his hands and pointed them at the fleeing citizens, "you are all just cruel. You're all going to die anyway, so you might as well die with your so-called pride as humans in-tact and not abandon your fellow man and woman like you just did."
Water began to gather in the man's palms. "Alright, Geyser Cannon!" He yelled. "Drown or be smashed to pieces, let's see what happens to you first!"
Suddenly, several glyphs appeared in front of the fleeing citizens, stopping the attacker's Geyser Cannon with ease. "Hmm...a defensive barrier of some sort?"
Weiss Schnee stepped in front of her glyphs. "Everyone, keep running!" Weiss yelled to the fleeing citizens. "Just keep running until you are far away from all the explosions and fights."
"She's fast to have created a defensive wall of...whatever those are as quickly as she did." The water-user noted before casually pointing another finger gun at her. "Well, she stepped in front of her defensive wall. Not a smart move on her part."
The water-user fired another burst of high-pressure water at Weiss. "Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Lair!" Suddenly a dome of water appeared around Weiss, protecting her from the blast.
"What?" The water-user gasped.
"Weiss," Noelle Silva spoke up, revealing her presence from within the Sea Dragon's Lair, "you let your guard down. You knew that he was here, and yet you took your eyes off him."
"I had no reason to worry," Weiss turned to Noelle, "I knew you'd be right there to watch my back, Noelle."
Noelle sighed. "Yes, I suppose that's true."
"Two of you, huh?" The water-user frowned slightly before smirking. "I suppose things can't be too easy for the mighty Deacon Yoshikawa."
"A Deacon?" Weiss was immediately put on guard.
"Are they dangerous?" Noelle asked.
"They're basically squad-leaders who command the footsoldiers, the Acolytes." Weiss explained. "So, yeah, they're pretty strong."
Noelle smiled. "Well, we're working as a team, so I think we can pull it off."
"I was about to say the same." Weiss smiled back.
Elsewhere, Yami Sukehiro was already upon an extremely thin man with back length white hair with red eyeliner. Two katanas clashed together. "Well, you are eager to get started, huh?" The long-haired cultist said to Yami.
"What, you expect me to give some big speech and tell you how you won't beat me?" Yami grinned. "Sorry pal, but I'd much rather just slice you to pieces."
Wind suddenly began twirling around the Cultist. "I'll wipe that confident grin on your face, you brute."
In another part of Whale Island, several citizens screamed in terror as they were lifted into the air by what seemed to be giant sentient vines. "Useless, escape is simply useless before my power." A lanky man, bone-thin man with black hair and green eyeliner. "For I am Deacon Moriboshi, King of the Forest."
Moriboshi then tightened his grip. "Now, be squeezed into a bloody paste, you insects."
Suddenly, a new arrival roared into view, figuratively and literally. Asta tried to cut through the vines, only to discover that indeed, his Anti-Magic swords could indeed not cut through Reiki-based attacks. "The edges become blunt when used against anything non-magic." Asta remembered in frustration. "That means I can't cut those people free."
Asta turned his attention to Moriboshi. "Guess that means I'll just have to go right for the source!"
Asta leapt at Moriboshi, who gazed dispassionately at Asta. "So that's the no-magic Magic Knight that Cardinal Yakuma took an interest in."
"Frankly, I don't see the issue." Vines suddenly sprouted from the ground and wrapped around Asta, stopping him in his tracks.
Asta glared at Moriboshi and easily ripped himself free. "Let those people go, now!" He demanded. "Your fight's with me now!"
Moriboshi scowled. "...Nevermind, you're annoying."
Elsewhere in yet another residential area, Whale Island citizens screamed in fear as flames fell from the sky. "We have to get out of here!" One yelled as the flames exploded behind them.
"Get out of here? To where though." A woman with orange hair and bright red eyes looked at them all run in confusion. "You idiots. There's nowhere to run, certainly not from my flames."
"Now burn to nothingness!" She yelled. "Meteor Jab!"
The woman punched several times, shooting fireballs from her fists that were sent towards the fleeing citizens. However, one heroic boy was not going to let them die. "One For All 20%!" Izuku Midoriya bravely leapt between the citizens and the woman's Meteor Jab. "Detroit Smash!"
Izuku punched forward, releasing a blast of high pressure air that managed to put a stop to the woman's Meteor Jab. She looked at the boy in surprise. "A kid like you cancelled out my attack?" She then smirked. "Oh I see, you must be someone special, right?"
Izuku kept his guard up. "Let's see, ridiculous green costume, a powerful super-strength based ability...you must be Deku. Or would you prefer I call you Izuku Midoriya." The woman grinned. "The name's Enko, I'm a Deacon. Though once I've charred you like firewood, I think I'll be promoted to Cardinal."
"Too bad, Cardinal Shido, looks like I get your prize!"
Elsewhere, a woman with neon-green hair just laughed, surrounded by small balls of light and nearly an entire residential area worth of corpses. "Looks like the top score goes to me, everyone." She claimed. "Of course, that's no surprise. Once I've lit up the area, there's no escape for anyone."
"Speaking of, if you want to run away little girl, now's your chance." The woman turned as Ruby Rose revealed herself, holding two little children she had barely managed to save.
The woman raised an eyebrow at Ruby's action. She was fast enough to not only get past my fireflies, but also save two children? This might actually be interesting. Well, I didn't actually catch her presence until after she entered my range though, so maybe I'm overthinking things just a little...
Ruby looked down at the children. "Hey you two," she said with a reassuring smile, "get as far away from here as you can. I'll be fine, just go."
The children nodded and ran from Ruby's arms into the forest. Ruby looked around at the corpses created by her opponent. She took a deep breath, a brief flash of silver in her eyes. "I won't bother asking you to justify yourself." She said. "By now, I understand exactly how you people work. And frankly, I hate it. Nothing's going to change that."
"I'm taking you down." Ruby threatened with an uncharacteristically ruthless gaze in her eyes.
This made Ms. Neon-Green laugh in delight. "Someone's getting a little cocky," she noted, "but don't worry, sweetie, Hotaru will be more than happy to show you the light!"
"Bring it!" Ruby yelled back, readying Crescent Rose.
And thus, the battle for Whale Island's survival began...
A.N: Zero to a hundred, baby. Zero. To. A Hundred. We get a nice training piece where Sojiro outlines his plans to improve everyone present (and me dropping some actual knowledge about the concept of kotodama). Then boom! People are attacking Whale Island because they picked up Sojiro's group's presence. And Kyoya, the Cardinal of Denial was strong enough to make Ging retreat (mainly because Ging didn't want a stalemate, but still).
So yeah, a lot of crazy stuff happened. I'm definitely trying to get into the home stretch of this prologue. To everyone who thinks I've taken too long with this prologue, I honestly agree, I just wanted to try something different. Next time I do a story with a "prologue" piece, I'll probably try to find a middle-ground between FWW and WoD. Hopefully I can get this done before I hit Chapter 30. I can certainly see it ending that way.
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you all next time.