An Asura Is Born

by TheNexus97

"So..." The stranger took off his hood, and the first thing they saw was a long mass of messy emerald curls. After that they focused on his face, and noticed sharp and confident eyes of the same color. He took his stance. "You wanna fight, too?"

7. Chapter 4

AN ASURA IS BORN

CHAPTER #4:

I WANNA BE A SUPERMAN

---

My Hero Academia, Kengan Asura and Baki belong to their respective authors and publishers.

---

Three Years Later

-Jakku Park-

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD-slam-THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD-slam-THUD-slam*

*crack*

The sound of something hitting a tough surface was the only thing you could hear in Jakku park.

*WHAM*

*THUD*

*SLAM-thud-SLAM*

*THUD*

*WHAM*

*THUD*

*SLAM-thud-SLAM-thud*

*crack!*

No children running around screaming. No background hum. No fuss or deafening noises. Nothing.

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD-slam-THUD*

*CRACK!*

The park was deserted. Nothing strange or out of the ordinary, being sunrise. In the midst of this idyllic scene, only one person could be found.

*THUD*

*THUD*

*slam-THUD-slam*

*WHAM*

*THUD*

*WHAM*

*WHAM-thud-WHAM-thud*

*CRACK!*

A teenager. No older than thirteen or fourteen-years-old. He was of average height. His face was framed by a long mess of fluffy dark-green hair which stood up at odd angles around his head, casting noticeably dark shadows onto itself. Said unruly mass was kept tied into a manbun. His eyes, sharp and focused, were of the same color of his hair. His most distinguishing features were a set of four symmetrical freckles in diamond formations, one on each cheek and two small scars: a cross-shaped one on his right cheek and a small one on the bridge of his nose.

And then there was his body.

Despite his young age and the tank top he was wearing, you could clearly see the boy's muscular and well-defined physique.

Currently, the teenager was busy slaughtering a tree trunk. Punches, elbows, kicks and knee strikes were thrown with violence and precision on the wooden surface, now close to giving way under the onslaught of strikes.

The boy positioned himself, firmly anchoring himself to the grassy ground with his feet. With his left arm extended toward the trunk, he pulled his other arm back, bringing it close to his chest. With his hand he formed a nukite.

He inhaled.

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Then he exhaled.

"HYAAA!"

*THUKK*

The boy's hand sank into the trunk of the tree, stopping about halfway up the palm. He could barely hold back a grunt of pain, but he didn't give up, and continued.

Tightening his stance, the boy inhaled again, this time more deeply.

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Then he exhaled again.

"GYAAAAAAH!"

*KSHUKK*

*CRACK!*

He pulled his hand from the trunk violently to the right, effectively opening a large gash in the body of the tree. Splinters and shavings of wood fell to the ground, along with some leaves, which fell off due to the sudden movement.

The teenager staggered back, shaking the hand he had just used to gut the log. He looked down at the hand.

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"N-Ngh..."

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"N-nnnghh...!"

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"AAAAAARGH!"

Then he threw himself to the ground, rolling left and right as if convulsing, clutching his hand, now his fingers bleeding and aching.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Son of a...! GAARGH!"

This, ladies and gentlemen, was none other than Izuku Tokita. thirteen-years-old. And now on the verge of regretting his life choices.

After calming down and controlling his breathing to ease the pain in his hand, Izuku stood up. Then he approached the trunk, and as usual, took his bag from behind it.

From the sack he took a towel to clean up, and an ice bag for his hand. While he was there, he pulled out a smartphone with a plain green cover, and unlocked it to see the time.

"Mhm... 07:02 A.M. I still have plenty of time..."

He took another couple of minutes to rest, then gathered his things and left the park.

As he walked on his way home, he looked up at the sky, lost in his thoughts.

"What should I make for breakfast?"

---

Later

-The Asura's Den-

After returning home, Izuku tidied up his stuff and medicated his injured hand properly. After that, he took a quick shower and to clean up and dressed in fresh clothes.

He wasted no time opening and arranging the place for the usual morning clientele, warming up the stoves in the meantime. Eventually, he opted for something traditional: salt grilled mackerel, rice and miso soup.

While he was there, he turned on the TV in the dining room to hear the morning news.

While he was in the middle of cooking the mackerel, a woman on the news caught his attention.

"... We still don't know exactly the dynamics of the incident, except that this night, yet another Pro Hero was found dead in an alley in Tokyo. The wounds on his body suggest the modus operandi of Stain, the infamous Hero Killer. The victim in question was a young Hero, whose debut took place just a couple of months ago, however..."

Izuku sighed.

"Another one? Come on..."

Concentrating on the stove, the young man finished cooking and took the dishes to one of the tables in the living room, setting it. Just as he finished tidying up, he heard movement from behind the door, the same door that led upstairs and into the house. The door opened, and Izuku heard a voice behind him.

"Mmgh... *yaaawn* Good morning, Izu-chan..."

A tired, sleepy voice greeted him. Izuku turned to reciprocate.

"Good morning to you, Ne-"

Izuku stopped immediately.

Before him stood a tall, curvaceous woman with sky blue eyes, which tilted downwards in the center; framed by a set of rather long eyelashes. She had abundant, spiky, dark purple hair which was made up of layers of varying lengths, the longest ones reaching down below her waist. Her chin-length bangs were split into three sections; two swept to the sides and one over her face, going diagonally down to the left between her eyes. She also had a small mole under her left eye.

And currently she was facing Izuku.

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Completely naked.

Izuku's face exploded in red, before covering it with his hands and turning abruptly.

"Damn it, Nemuri! At least have the decency to get dressed before coming down!"

The woman looked at the embarrassed boy with a confused air, tilting her head, before looking down at her body.

She raised her eyebrows, making an "o" with her mouth.

"Hehe."

Then she giggled.

"What do you mean 'hehe'?!"

Izuku sighed in exasperation, but the woman just giggled again.

Enter Nemuri Kayama.

A.K.A. R-Rated Hero: Midnight.

A.K.A. Currently the bane of Izuku's existence.

Deciding to spare the boy further embarrassment, Nemuri retreated briefly behind the door, and then re-entered the room wearing a shirt far too large to be hers and sweatpants.

"You know, Izu-chan, many would kill to be in your shoes right now, you know~?"

The woman walked over to the boy and patted him twice on the shoulder, and he turned around, relieved to see her dressed.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I already have my hands full with too many eccentric individuals... I don't think I'll survive with a crazy nudist..."

Nemuri pouted.

"You're no fun!"

"I aim to please."

Izuku smiled before pointing to the set table.

"Breakfast is ready. Sit down while we wait for dad to wake up."

At the mention of the food, Nemuri seemed to shake off the weariness.

"Oh yes! Izu-chan's cooking in the early morning! You know how to make a woman happy!"

Nemuri gave Izuku a kiss on the cheek before sitting down at the table. The boy rolled his eyes affectionately.

"Did someone say 'cooking'?"

"Gah!"

"Kyaaa!"

Izuku and Nemuri jumped in fright, and turning to the source of the voice, they noticed Niko. He had just entered the room and was scratching his head with a tired expression on his face.

Noting the two occupants of the room, he offered them a smile.

"Good morning you two... *yaaawn* is everything ok?"

Taking a few breaths to calm down, Izuku replied.

"Good morning to you, dad. Yeah, all's good, apart from the fanservice kindly offered to me by your girlfriend and you popping out of nowhere and scaring us to death. Again."

"Hey, I aim to please."

Nemuri chuckled.

"It's a family thing, then!"

The three shared a laugh, before sitting down at the table for breakfast, conversing about the most disparate topics.

Unfortunately, they couldn't avoid the subject of Stain's latest victim.

"Son of a...!"

"Damn it..."

"Yeah... and this time the Hero was a rookie. Recently graduated from Ketsubutsu..."

Niko sighed slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I hope Akoya hurries to catch that bastard..."

Izuku shook his head.

"Don't encourage him any more than others already do. Auntie Shunka told me that he practically lives in his office in the police department now."

"And how is that any different from the usual?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Touché."

Father and son laughed before addressing their host.

"Nemu, please be careful. Stain is operating near Tokyo for now, but who knows when he could 'move' to our city..."

The woman, who had just finished eating, took a long sip of her coffee and smiled at the boy, then reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Awww, thanks Izu-chan. But don't worry! As skilled as he is, even Stain wouldn't risk getting noticed in Musutafu. Not with all the high-profile Heroes who live here."

Niko finished his miso soup, and joined the conversation.

"Anyway, Stain chooses his victims carefully. From what I have noticed, he mainly favors Heroes hungry for money and fame. So, our dear Kayama-san has nothing to fear, does she?"

The man winked at his girlfriend, and she responded by gently bumping her shoulder against his.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Tokita-san~"

"Really, now? Judging by the way you were squealing last night, I beg to differ."

"Oh...~?"

"OH HEY! LOOK AT THE TIME!"

Izuku made a swift exit from the awkward atmosphere in the room, much to Niko's and Nemuri's amusement. After depositing the dishes in the kitchen sink, he retreated to his room upstairs to get ready for the day.

Over the years, Izuku's room had changed noticeably. From a barren, characterless space, it was now effectively a space a teenager lived in. A desk with a laptop, various school supplies and other utilities on it. Above it, a shelf with the boy's famous analysis notebooks and school books, kindly given to him by Shunka. On some free spaces of the walls there were posters of various Heroes and athletes, always linked to the world of martial arts and combat sports. On the right side of the room, entering the door, there was a full bookcase full of technical manuals on martial arts on the upper shelves, while on the lower ones you could see some comics, both western and eastern. On the left side, instead, there was a simple closet with sliding doors.

Izuku walked over to the latter, and after opening it, he took his clothes for the day.

A simple gakuran uniform.

After getting dressed, Izuku heard a gentle knock on the door, and walked over to open it.

Nemuri entered the room, and after setting her eyes on the boy, she smiled.

"Look at you, young man! The uniform fits you perfectly!"

Izuku tugged at his collar uncomfortably.

"I don't know about that... I asked for a bigger size, and yet..."

The woman shook her head.

"If it fits you tight, it means the uniform is just fine for the rest of the school boys. I doubt they all have your physique, Izu-chan."

Izuku scratched his head, embarrassed.

A few seconds of silence passed between the two, until Nemuri broke it.

"Izu-chan, listen..."

"Mhm?"

The boy turned his attention to his interlocutor.

"I don't want to be pessimistic the day you go back to school after... what? seven years...? Anyway..."

She walked over and placed her hands on the boy's shoulders in a comforting gesture.

"If something, ANYTHING, should happen, don't hesitate to contact me, okay? If the students, or even the teachers, give you trouble, give me a call and I'll demolish the whole building if necessary."

Izuku raised his eyebrows, surprised. He noticed the fire behind Nemuri's eyes, and laughed softly.

"Thank you for the thought, Nemu. Don't worry, though."

He squeezed the woman's hands on his shoulders.

"Do your best to be the most amazing teacher you can be at U.A.. And keep me a seat while you're at it."

Izuku stuck out his tongue and Nemuri poked his forehead, just like Niko tends to do.

"With that attitude you won't have any problems, young man! Now go, come on."

And so, after saying goodbye to Niko (and having received a speech similar to Nemuri's), Izuku left the house, walking towards his destination.

---

Half An Hour Later

-Aldera Junior High-

The walk to school was uneventful, and before he knew it, Izuku had arrived at what would be his middle school for the next two years.

After being introduced to the faculty, Izuku was escorted to his class. As per practice, he was told to wait outside the classroom in order to introduce himself to his new classmates.

Despite being inches from the sliding door, Izuku still managed to hear the chaos coming from inside. After the teacher entered, he made the students calm down.

"Okay, class. Go back to your seats and be quiet. Many of you may have already known, but for those who are still in the dark, starting today we will have a new student here with us."

Immediately, the volume of the class quieted down, instead starting to murmur to each other. The teacher took the opportunity to call Izuku in, who obeyed.

Opening the door and then closing it behind him, Izuku walked in front of the class. Then he took a deep breath.

"Hello everyone. My name is Izuku Tokita. Nice to meet you."

He bowed.

"I hope we get along well for the next two years."

Rising, he smiled at the rest of the class. The other students reacted in the most disparate way. Some were indifferent, others relieved to see that the new boy seemed nice enough, while some girls...

"Oh my god, look at him!"

"He's so cute!"

"Oh, I think we'll get along well, Tokita-kun...~"

"That uniform is about to rip itself apart... *gulp*"

"Dibs! I call dibs!"

... were emanating pure "ara ara" energy...

Izuku, now uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting, turned to the teacher to ask where his desk was, but-

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"Deku...?"

-was interrupted.

"Mhm?"

Turning his attention back to the class, Izuku put on a thoughtful expression, while frowning.

"Deku? Heh... the last time someone called me that was when I-"

The realization hit him like a bolt from the blue.

"Bakugou?"

True enough, at the back of the classroom, sat a young man of average height and a fair skin tone. He had short, spiky, ash-blond hair with choppy bangs over his eyebrows. His eyes were sharp and bright red in color, and currently they were wide open with disbelief.

Izuku mimed his expression.

"Bakugou, it's really you! Wow... How long has it been since the last time we saw each other? Ten years?"

Katsuki couldn't help but stay there, gasping like a fish. The other students looked at each other, wondering about the relationship between the two. The teacher was also curious, and asked Izuku directly.

"Tokita-kun, you and Bakugou-kun already know each other apparently. Are you two friends?"

Before Katsuki could argue with the calm and polite manners he was famous for, Izuku beat him to it.

"No."

The answer, although spoken with the same gentle and calm expression with which he had entered, had a sharp edge that almost made Bakugou and the others jump.

"No, we're not."

Izuku reiterated.

"Sensei, if you don't mind, where is my seat?"

"Oh, right. We've cleared the desk by the window. Go on."

Izuku bowed his head in a gesture of gratitude, before heading to the aforementioned seat. Once he settled down, he took the school supplies out of his shoulder bag and got ready for class.

Completely unaware of the two red eyes that were glaring at him.

---

End Of Last Period

Izuku had just walked through the school gates to head home.

All in all, his first day of school had been enjoyable. Some of his classmates (mostly girls...) had approached him to introduce themselves and ask him some personal questions. And to his surprise, their reaction to discovering he was Quirkless was rather... 'mild'. Some were incredulous, given the rarity of people like him, others expressed compassion or pity (Izuku had to refrain from rolling his eyes), while others completely lost interest in him.

Typical.

Sure, it wasn't the best, but it was still a far cry from total acceptance. Still, beggars can't be choosers, right?

"Well, it could be a lot worse..."

Izuku thought as he fiddled with his smartphone to occupy the time while walking. A little calm was always welcome before heading to the dojo to train.

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But of course it didn't last long.

*siiigh*

Izuku sighed, and stopped. With his phone still in hand, he spoke.

"You can come out. All three of you. I can almost feel Bakugou seething, you know?"

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A few seconds passed, and from around a corner, three individuals emerged. One, the most recognizable of the trio, was Katsuki. Behind him, two boys from their own class, whose names he had not yet learned.

Izuku put the smartphone in his pocket and turned to the trio. He wasn't surprised to see the furious expression on Katsuki's face.

Determined not to waste time so that he could go home and then to the dojo as soon as possible, Izuku stepped forward.

"Hello, Bakugou. Guys."

He nodded to the other two.

"Can I help you? Do you need anything?"

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Silence.

"Well?"

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Silence again.

"Everything ok? Do I-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Izuku jumped at the sudden tone of the boy, who started stomping towards him.

Izuku raised his eyebrows, but otherwise, he remained impassive.

Now Katsuki was mere inches in front of him.

"Something wrong?"

Izuku asked, but that only infuriated the blonde even more.

"Is that all you have to say?! You disappear for ten years, then reappear out of nowhere and act as if nothing happened?!"

Izuku was confused.

"Well, how am I supposed to ac-"

"I SAID TO SHUT UP! I'll ask the questions here!"

Behind Katsuki, the two boys sneered. Izuku, once again, had to fight every fiber of his body to keep from rolling his eyes.

"Where did you disappear?! What happened to you?! What have you been up to for the last ten years, huh?!"

"Oh, for the love of..."

Izuku's expression hardened slightly, and he answered.

"Drop the delinquent act, Bakugou. It's embarrassing."

The answer silenced all three, especially the two boys. But it didn't last long, as Katsuki's fury returned with a vengeance.

"What the fuck did you just tell me, you freak?!"

"You heard me. Now, excuse me, but I have to go home."

This time it was Katsuki's turn to sneer.

"Home? Hah! You mean that shitty orphanage?"

Before the two boys could laugh at the blond boy's alleged jab, Izuku retorted.

"No. 'House'. Y'know? Building. Roof. Doors. Windows. The one I was adopted in about ten years ago, yes? That kinda house."

Once again, the three remained silent. And this time it was Izuku himself who sneered.

Not wanting to prolong this enriching exchange of opinions, Izuku started to turn and leave.

It was then that Katsuki instinctively tried to grab the boy's collar.

But Izuku was faster.

With his right hand, he slapped off Katsuki's extended arm, and with his left gave him a sharp push to the sternum, causing him to back off.

"Agh...!"

The other two boys, surprised by what had happened, hurried forward, approaching Katsuki.

Izuku's expression was definitely angry now.

"Don't try it, Bakugou. I had a good first day of school and I would like it to keep it that way."

Katsuki growled.

"You...! Who do you think you're talking to?!"

"With you, Bakugou. I don't know what problem you have with me now, even after ten years. You never gave a damn about me, and unless you regret what you put me through when we were little, which I strongly doubt, I have nothing to say to you."

Katsuki dropped the backpack to the ground and started to trigger small explosions in the palms of his hands, while the other two boys showed off their respective Quirks. One stretched out his fingers, while the other sprouted red wings from his back.

Izuku's eyes widened.

"Dammit... I wish I had one of my notebooks right now..."

Katsuki's explosive voice (no pun intended) caught his attention.

"Looks like you've forgotten where your place is, you trash!"

Izuku glared at him, gently placing his backpack on the ground.

"Oh no, on the contrary, Bakugou."

Then he unbuttoned the sleeves of his uniform, folding them halfway up his forearms. The incredible musculature and scars on the exposed skin were not unnoticed by the trio.

"...?!"

"...?!"

"...?!"

"I know very well where my place is. And that's not what you and your sycophants think it is."

"..."

Katsuki was stunned. The Deku of ten years ago was a pansy scared of his own shadow. An incompetent loser who could barely find his navel. A Quirkless shit who couldn't even defend himself from a fly.

But now...

"Ngh...!"

Katsuki gritted his teeth so hard they were almost on the verge of breaking.

"So?"

Izuku's voice brought him back to reality. He was still there, with his hands lowered to his hips and a relaxed posture.

"Are you going to attack me or what? Or do you want to make me eat the dust by boring me to death?"

"..."

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"DIE!"

Izuku allowed himself to grin.

"Heh... I almost missed it. Almost."

Katsuki catapulted forward, preparing to hit Izuku with an explosion.

He grinned savagely as he delivered the blow right in the face of the boy he almost wanted to maim at the moment.

"HA! CAUGHT THIS, YOU TRASH! You never should have come back, you hear me?! You were supposed to stay in that shithole of an orphanage, you piece of shi-HUH?!"

Once the smoke cleared, Katsuki hoped to see Izuku's shitty face covered in burns, but found nothing.

"What the fu-"

"Predictable."

Katsuki registered a voice to his right, but when he turned towards it, it was too late.

Izuku formed an ippon ken with his right hand, and used it to lightly graze Katsuki's chin...

*jab*

... then with a sokuto kick, he hit his right ankle...

*fwhip*

... and finally, as he was stumbling, he slapped his left ear.

*SLAP!*

*thud*

And so, Katsuki fell to the ground. Mind you, he wasn't unconscious, just heavily dazed.

This was enough to make the two lackeys' jaws drop. When one of them tried to move, Izuku glared at them.

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*rumble*

The two boys were petrified.

They felt like they were crushed by an evil presence as they looked into Izuku's almost fiery eyes.

They were about to shit their pants as they looked like preys ready to be devoured by a predator.

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By a tiger.

Izuku mouthed a "fuck off" to them, and that was enough to make the two run away with their tails between their legs.

"Gah..."

Hearing Katsuki trying to get up, Izuku rolled down his uniform sleeves, went back to get his backpack and started walking away.

"H-Hey! Wait...! We're not done here yet...!"

Izuku didn't turn around.

"Yes, we are."

A now standing and furious Katsuki barked at the back of the boy's head.

"YOU FUCKER! You think you're so damn cool, huh?! I wonder how our classmates would act if they found out what kind of freak you really are, you-"

"Go ahead."

Once again, Katsuki was silent. Izuku turned, and this time there was only contempt and malice on his face.

"Most of them already know I'm Quirkless. But if it can make you feel better, then tell the rest. What the hell, tell the whole school. So everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, will know you got your ass handed to you by a 'Quirkless freak'."

Katsuki saw red, but Izuku continued.

"I'm not the same as before, Kacchan."

He spat out the blonde's old nickname as if it was poison on his tongue.

"I've grown up since we were little. Both physically and mentally. So go on, do your worst. I wonder how the school would act if they found out how you used to treat 'freaks' like me. It would be a sore point in your 'spotless' record, right? You sure U.A. would let in someone like that?"

Katsuki exploded (again, no pun intended).

"BULLSHIT! You don't have the balls to do it!"

"Try me. As I just told you, I'm not the same as before. So I'll keep it simple, just for you, Kacchan."

Izuku approached the boy, who in the meantime prepared himself in case of an attack from the green-haired teen.

"I'm not putting up with your ego anymore. Either learn to get over yourself and learn some fucking humility, or continue acting like a spoiled, whiny, little bitch. But whatever you do, leave me the fuck alone."

And with that, Izuku turned and walked away, once and for all. But Katsuki insisted on having the last word.

"You finally grew a spine, huh?! You fucking nerd!"

He snarled, but Izuku didn't stop.

"More or less. Let's just say that the Inside opened my eyes."

Izuku did not register any other words, but a bitter thought crossed his head.

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"Tch... I was an idiot to hope you changed..."

---

A Few Hours Later

-Kureishi Dojo-

".. I mean, I get that everyone has their own tastes and I shouldn't judge people based on those, but come on!"

"Nngh... t-true...!"

"You should have seen her, Izuku! She put mustard on a goddamn pork bun! MUSTARD!"

"Agh... unforgivable, r-right...?"

"You can say that! And it's not even the worst thing she did! To end the date with a flourish, I thought I'd take her for a short walk on the river bank. Sunset, perfect atmosphere, the two of us alone, you feel me?"

"A... gah... c-classic...!"

"Indeed! While we were talking about our tastes in food, it turns out this degenerate eats pineapple pizza! PINEAPPLE. PIZZA."

"Aurgh...!"

"Exactly my thought! I can overlook the mustard on the pork bun, but on the pizza I'm immovable! And I'm not just saying this because I'm half Italian! It's common sense, damn it!"

"Kuh...!"

"And then she-"

"Cos, buddy... ow... as much as I'd love to stay here listening to your experiences of life with the fairer sex... if you keep squeazing I think they'll have to amputate it..."

"Huh?... Oh, crap! Sorry, Izuku!"

In one of the Kureishi Dojo mats, Izuku and his friend Cosmo were trying out various submission and grappling techniques. Currently, Cosmo had immobilized Izuku with a Triangle Choke, and in his verbal rant he had inadvertently tightened his grip on Izuku's arm. After letting him go, Cosmo helped Izuku standing up, and the latter began massaging his arm before stretching the sore limb.

Cosmo looked at his best friend with an embarrassed expression.

"Hehe... sorry... I tend to let myself go sometimes..."

Izuku chuckled.

"You don't say... I still don't get why all these dates. You have practically dated all the girls in your clas-no, scratch that-the whole school."

Cosmo shrugged.

"I prefer to give them the sop, at least that will calm them down for a while, giving me some breathing space..."

The blond sighed in exasperation.

"You're lucky you don't have a whole entourage of girls chasing you at school, Izuku ... Sometimes they even follow me to the toilet..."

Izuku chuckled again.

"Well, blame that pretty little face of yours. Wait until you debut as a fighter and Hero, then you can really complain about being too popular with the ladies."

Cosmo rolled his eyes.

"Jerk. Hey, speaking of school and girls, how was your first day? Tell me everything!"

After cleaning up with towels and getting bottles of water to cool down, the two boys sat on the hard floor outside the mats, against a wall. Izuku told his day to Cosmo, who listened silently. The latter's face soured noticeably when towards the end he mentioned the scuffle with Katsuki and his minions.

"'Katsuki Bakugou'? The one with the explosive Quirk who tormented you as a kid? That him?"

Izuku gave a dry chuckle.

"Heh, it's a small world I guess."

"I'm surprised you went so easy with him... I don't know if I would have controlled myself so well in your place, especially given the history between you two..."

Izuku shook his head.

"Trust me, I was very tempted. But I didn't spend all this time learning martial arts and the Niko Style to waste it on some cheap delinquents. However, I'll be happy to kick him all over the floor once we get to U.A..."

The "Tokita grin" appeared on Izuku's face, much to Cosmo's chagrin.

"You give him too much credit... This Bakugou seems to me just another enriched brat who thinks the world owes him everything just because he won the genetic lottery with his Quirk..."

Cosmo glared at the other occupants of the dojo.

His memory went back to when Mitsuyo gave the legendary lecture to his students three years ago. Many of them decided to go straight and behave. Others even sought Izuku to apologize to him when he returned from his adventure in the Inside. Sadly, several kids decided to heed their master's warning only initially, just to keep him good and away from them, and...

well…

---

A deathly silence pervaded the dojo.

*plic*

Nobody dared to move.

*plic*

Nobody dared to utter a single word.

*plic*

They could only witness the scene before them.

*plic*

The students tried to keep their distance as much as possible, while trying in vain to stop shaking like leaves.

*plic*

Even Cosmo, once thrilled to see him again, could now only look at him, horrified.

*plic*

Kureishi had an expression similar to that of his pupil, with his mouth slightly open in disbelief.

*plic*

Niko, on the other hand, was at the back of the room. He was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed. His eyes were half closed, but his gaze was not one of astonishment or horror.

*plic*

But a guilty and, perhaps, almost disappointed one.

*plic*

In the main dojo ring were two figures, one standing and the other down on the mat. One was a boy, around fourteen, but he was barely recognizable due to his swollen face and body full of bleeding wounds and bruises. His arm was completely dislocated, possibly broken, beyond repair.

*plic*

The other figure was still a boy, but much younger. He towered over his opponent, who was completely at his mercy.

*plic*

A cold and impassive look in his green eyes.

*plic*

The sound of blood dripping from the boy's hands into the ring remained imprinted in the heads of all present.

---

... you reap what you sow.

Cosmo shook his head abruptly, trying to forget the scene of that day. Izuku looked at him with his head tilted, confused.

"Everything alright, Cos?"

The blond flashed his friend a smile, then changed the subject.

"I was just thinking that your first match is next week!"

Cosmo jumped to his feet, but Izuku got up more calmly.

"Ah, man! I remember my first match like it was yesterday, and I-"

"Your first match was yesterday, Cos..."

"Shuddup! How do you feel anyway? Nervous? Agitated? Restless? Hungry?"

Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"Why should I feel hungry..."

Cosmo smiled broadly and, for a change, his stomach roared. Izuku rolled his eyes.

"Come on, snake boy, let's think about giving you some food before you eat one of the punching bags. We'll talk on the way to the Den."

"Yay!"

"But just to be clear, this time you'll pay out of your own pocket. The last time I offered you dinner, you almost emptied the pantry. Are you sure your Quirk doesn't include anacondas too...?"

Izuku and Cosmo burst out laughing. Then they took their things, changed and headed out of the dojo.

---

After Dinner

-The Asura's Den-

"I'm ruined..."

Niko mumbled as he lay on all fours on the floor, a gloomy aura around him.

*cling*

"Haaah! Just what I needed!"

Meanwhile, Cosmo had just finished gorging himself with the Tokitas' heavenly cooking, amassing a gargantuan tower of plates. Izuku, on the other hand, who was satisfied with a simple meal, was reviewing the notes he had taken at school and adding new ones. Without taking his eyes off the notebooks, the boy spoke to his father.

"At least this time he's paying, Dad."

Niko got up from the floor, starting to carry away the dirty dishes from Cosmo's table.

"Well... with what he spent, I could replenish the pantry twice, so... yeah, I guess you're right..."

The man chuckled, before retiring to the kitchen to finish tidying up and closing the restaurant for the day. Cosmo took a moment to calm his belly, almost on the verge of bursting, before thanking Niko for the meal and joining Izuku at his table.

"Wow, you are so damn lucky, Izuku! Having great food available whenever you want! Are you sure I can't let your father adopt me too?"

Izuku snickered.

"Hey, try asking Kureishi-san. I'm sure he'll be delighted not to have you around anymore!"

Cosmos snorted.

"Ouch. Low blow, man."

The two burst out laughing and began to talk amicably, with Niko occasionally joining the discussion. They went on for about an hour before the restaurant's phone started ringing. Izuku instinctively stood up to answer, but Niko motioned him to sit down and that he would take it.

After wiping his hands on his apron, he picked up the phone, holding it to his ear.

"Good evening, you called The Asura's Den. How can I help you?"

"..."

"Oh?"

"..."

"Aha."

"..."

"Sure."

"..."

"Continue..."

"..."

Niko groaned.

"Seriously? Of all the people available in the Association, it had to be him...?"

"..."

"Really..."

"..."

"Okay... I'll let him know. Thanks for the info, Rin-chan. Send my regards to your husband."

"..."

"Same to you. Good night."

*click*

Niko hung up. Then he turned to the boys, who were staring at him curiously. Izuku was the first to break the silence.

"Who was that?"

"Rin-chan. She called to tell me you have to report to her and her husband tomorrow, after school. Apparently they received the details of your upcoming match."

Cosmo's face lit up.

"Finally! I was really curious about it!"

"Same here, Cos. But..."

Izuku noticed his father's annoyed expression.

"... there is more to it, right?"

Niko sighed heavily.

"I don't know who your opponent is, but I know which company he's fighting for, and consequently, which Association member..."

Izuku and Cosmo looked at the adult with trepidation, inviting him to continue.

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"Yoshitake Real Estate."

---

At The Same Time

-Unknown Location-

*clink*

In the middle of a professional gym, stood a single figure.

*clink*

Although it was pitch dark in the room, it was still possible to see that he was a male, with a massive and muscular build.

*clink*

Currently, he was sitting cross-legged on the hard floor, hunched over.

*clink*

He was holding something in his hands, but-

*clink*

-from the noise coming from these, he seemed to have broken it, then he tossed it away and took something else.

*clink*

By now a pile of some sort had formed to his right.

*clink*

A filtering moonbeam lit up the dark room for a few seconds, and it seemed to make the ever growing pile glow in the darkness.

*clink*

By looking closely, one could see what it was all about.

*clink*

Coins.

*clink*

500 yen coins. Split perfectly in half.

*clink*

*thud*

The figure finally stopped.

He squeezed his hands, making his big fingers crack loudly. Then he looked at the now colossal pile of split coins to his right.

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"Heh."

---

The Following Day

Thus, Izuku found himself strolling the streets of Musutafu after school, headed to his boss's offices to discuss his upcoming fight.

His second day of school was similar to the first. The only difference he noticed was the clear detachment most of his classmates took from him. It didn't take a genius that was surely the work of Katsuki and his minions, most likely in a pathetic attempt to heal his bruised ego.

Well, not that Izuku cared that much, to be honest. But the glares he continually received from the explosive blonde were really irritating.

Anyway.

After about ten minutes, Izuku arrived in front of his destination.

It was a large building, but still smaller than the colossal skyscrapers and stores that surrounded it. It looked somewhere between modern and traditional. It sure attracted attention, but it wasn't overly glitzy or pompous. From the numerous windows one could glimpse numerous offices, in which a comings and goings of people worked intensely.

"Huh... busy day?"

Izuku thought, before taking a deep breath and entering. As he crossed the entrance, he passed a large plaque with the name of the company he will fight for.

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Yamashita Trading Co.

---

-Inside Yamashita Trading Co. Offices-

After announcing his arrival at the entrance and exchanging the usual pleasantries with some of the workers in the offices, Izuku headed to the upper floor of the building, where most likely he was expected to be. Taking the elevator to the top floor, Izuku walked out of its sliding doors, but...

*thud*

"Ow!"

"A-Ah!"

... he accidentally bumped into someone.

Luckily, the other person didn't end up falling to the ground, much to Izuku's relief, but they dropped several papers to the floor.

"Oh, crap...! Forgive me, miss. I was so distracted, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going! Allow me to hel-"

"'Miss'? You wound me, Izu-kun!"

"Huh...?"

Izuku looked up from the papers he was picking up, and his eyes widened slightly before smiling.

"Ah, I apologize, Rin-san. You're... uhm... hard to 'notice'... no offense!"

Before him stood a short, pretty, young woman. She appeared to be in the middle of her twenties, with a bob of red hair, thin eyebrows and sharp, closed eyes. She was wearing a classic formal business suit: a smart black waistcoat over a white long-sleeved shirt, with a black tie, a short black skirt and short heeled dark pumps. At breast height, on the left side, she wore a plasticized label with her name, Rin Yamashita, on it.

Currently she had just got up and was scratching her head sheepishly.

"The life of a shorty!"

The two shared a laugh. Then Izuku handed Rin the papers from earlier.

"Here. And sorry again. While you're at it, would you like to take me to your husband's office? I should meet him to-"

The proverbial light bulb appeared on the top of Rin's head.

"Of course! The match! Follow me, come on!"

"Wha-"

Before Izuku could finish speaking, Rin grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the end of the hall, outside the door of the CEO's office and-

*SLAM!*

-she opened it without even knocking, of course.

The CEO's room was large and spacious, with a large rectangular table in the center, currently covered with folders and papers, and sofas and armchairs on either side, also buried under piles upon piles of paperwork. Metal cabinets that stored even more papers were againts the wall, while on one side of the room, the one on the side of the window overlooking the city and the street below, there was a large desk with a computer on it, and behind them, the boss himself.

He was an average looking young man with cropped black hair, brown eyes and a thin sprinkling of facial hair on his chin. He was wearing a blue dress shirt with rolled up sleeves with a white shirt underneath, black slacks and polished black shoes.

And judging by the bowl he held in one hand and the chopsticks in the other, he was in the middle of an impromptu lunch between work.

Despite the loud noise with which Rin had practically broken down the door, the man took a while to notice the presence of the two "intruders" in his office. When he did, his face lit up. Before addressing the two, he swallowed the morsel of rice in his mouth.

"LIGHT OF MY EYES!"

He exclaimed. Then he turned to Rin.

"Oh, look. My wife is here too."

He chuckled, but-

*WHACK!*

"Gah!"

-he was hit in the face by a flying heeled shoe.

"I'm sorry, darling, I'm afraid I didn't hear you~?"

Both Izuku and the man began to tremble when they saw the menacing aura Rin was emanating.

"Scary!"

They thought.

It was then that Izuku walked over to the desk, where Rin's husband was rubbing his aching face.

"Hi, Yasuo-san. I'm here to talk about my match, but..."

The boy took a quick look around, noting the amount of work that

he seemed to be submerged in.

"... maybe it's a bad time? Should I come back later?"

The man, now revealed to be Yasuo Yamashita, CEO of Yamashita Trading Co., dismissed Izuku's words.

"Nonsense, Izuku-kun! We summoned you here, after all!"

Yasuo got up from his desk to approach the boy, giving the shoe that hit him just before to Rin, earning a pout from her, in the process.

"Also, if we're so busy today it's somehow connected to your match, so..."

He pointed to one of the free sofas.

"Make yourself comfortable, I have several things to update you on. Rin?"

He turned to his wife, who smiled at him and nodded.

"I'll make some tea and I'll be right with you."

Yasuo smiled back.

"Thanks, honey."

Then he joined Izuku.

"Tell me, Izuku-kun..."

Yasuo hunched over, with his elbows atop his knees and his hands clasped together. He stared at Izuku with a serious expression on his face.

"... what do you know about Kengan matches?"

---

"In Shotoku Year 5 (1715), in the darker recesses of the nation of Japan, there were bloody conflicts between the merchant clans as they all desired the status of Shogunate Purveyor. With the merchants willing to go to any lengths to achieve the status, the increasingly violent conflicts spiraled out of the merchants' control until the intervention of 7th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Ietsugu. Summoning the merchants at the heart of the quarrel, Ietsugu told them to settle their conflicts by "battling it out fair and square".

Upon the Shogun's command, the merchants formed a guild and, whenever a dispute arose, they would establish a venue of competition through the guild with the results of the competition being indisputable. Conflicts were settled in a simple 1-on-1 fist fight between combatants hired by opposing merchants. As such, merchants entrusted their desires to the fists of fighters.

Thus, the Kengan Guild was born, and consequently, the Kengan Matches..."

---

Yasuo went on to tell the origins of the guild, with Izuku listening intently. He was so engrossed in the story that he didn't even realize he had finished his cup of green tea until Rin refilled it for him.

Yasuo seemed to have reached the end of the tale.

"... the guild still exists today, albeit with a different name. The Kengan Association consists of illustrious business owners, large corporations and influential people, with the current number of members resting at 418. The Association is rumored to have ties with the Hero Public Safety Commission and the most popular Pro Heroes too, but I'll let you decide whether to believe it or not."

The man finished the tea that was left in his cup, then placed it on the table, taking care not to damage the paperwork on top of it. He looked really pleased at having been able to explain everything to the boy so flawlessly, but...

"Remarkable, dear. How many times have you rehearsed the speech in front of the mirror before you got it right~?"

"Ack!"

... unfortunately Rin decided at that moment to take revenge for her husband's previous jab.

Izuku stifled a snicker as Yasuo pressed a hand to his chest, as if he had just been stabbed.

"R-Rin, how could you?! I looked really cool a moment ago!"

The woman simply smiled as she filled her husband's cup.

"Revenge is always welcome in marriage, remember that. Now, Izu-kun..."

She turned to the boy.

"Are there any questions?"

Izuku's eyes lit up.

"Oh yes! Three, actually!"

The couple chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"The Association was originally conceived as a guild, right? So it was led at the same time by several clan leaders, wasn't it? But who's in charge now?"

Rin nodded.

"Good question! Ever since the Association took on a more modern structure, it has always been led by a chairman. The current president is Hideki Nogi. He was elected following the victory of his company, the Nogi Group, in the last tournament held by the Association. Do you know him? After all, your father was his affiliated fighter."

Izuku looked down into his cup.

"I heard dad mention a certain 'Nogi-san' and the Seishus talking about a certain tournament and... well... from what I understand, something bad happened, as when I tried to talk to dad about it, he reacted. in a rather... cold way..."

The boy took on a melanchonic expression, but the two adults looked at each other with worried and anxious faces. Yasuo spoke next.

"Well... let's just say that the final match of the tournament, the one between your father and the former president's affiliated fighter was nothing short of brutal. It was... hard to watch... even by Kengan tournament standards..."

Izuku looked up.

"Had something happened to Niko...?"

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"Shit!"

"Idiot! Now you've made him even more curious!"

Yasuo and Rin had the classic mental conversation between husband and wife, but luckily the woman decided to defuse the situation.

She took a deep breath, then...

"Izuku."

The serious tone of voice that Rin suddenly took startled the boy.

"Y-yes?"

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"Look at me."

"Mhm?"

*crash*

The cup fell from Izuku's hands as his body went limp. Yet his head remained stiff, as if he couldn't take his gaze away from Rin's eyes, which now shone like two little suns.

Rin continued to stare at Izuku for a few seconds, until she looked away from the boy, assuming her trademark closed-eye expression.

Izuku seemed to recover almost immediately from the trance he had fallen into, and began to look around, confused.

"Wha-"

"Izu-kun, forgive me, but I'm afraid I didn't understand your second question?"

The boy redirected his gaze to the couple. Rin sipped her tea nonchalantly, while Yasuo tried to seem oblivious to what had just happened, looking everywhere in the room except at his wife and the boy.

"Oh, sorry... I could have sworn that..."

Izuku scratched his head, confused. Then he shrugged.

"Oh well, never mind... Anyway, my second question: how are the fighters of the various companies selected?"

This time it was Yasuo who answered.

"In different ways, to be honest. But the most common ones are through clandestine tournaments or fights, or as in your case, through contacts who have connections with the Association."

The boy nodded.

"Obviously, the Association cannot afford to let anyone into its ranks, so it organizes 'preliminary' matches, some sort of tests to evaluate the skills of the fighters and who is worthy to represent their company on behalf of the Kengan Association. In some rare cases, both fighters from a preliminary match have been selected."

Izuku chuckled.

"That's some pressure you're putting on me..."

The three laughed together. Then they resumed.

"I have one last question. How do these matches work? Are there any specific rules to follow?"

Yasuo shook his head.

"It's a simple martial arts match in which the 'vale tudo' is in force. Any kind of martial art, grab, technique or Quirk is allowed. No limitations. The match ends when one of the fighters gives up or when he can't keep on fighting. In official matches this also means the death of one of the two fighters..."

Izuku swallowed nervously. Rin continued her husband's speech.

"It should be noted, however, that the use of Quirks in matches is at the discretion of the two contending companies. Now, you shouldn't have any problems with that, which means less paperwork for us, but..."

"... But your opponent's boss insisted that the free use of Quirks is introduced into the match."

Izuku raised an inquisitive eyebrow, remembering his father's reaction when the CEO of Yoshitake Real Estate was mentioned.

"While we're talking about it... What kind of person is the president of Yoshitake Real Estate?"

At that, Yasuo sighed heavily, while Rin frowned.

"Let's just say that he's... quite eccentric and difficult to manage..."

Rin gave her two cents.

"That is to say he's a narcissistic asshole."

Yasuo rolled his eyes in exasperation at his wife's comment, but deep down he fully agreed with her.

"I'm sure you'll love him, Izu-kun..."

She spat in irritation, but Izuku just shrugged, smiling.

"Oh well, if that's the case, I can't wait to meet him."

Izuku picked up his cup from the floor...

"Huh... when did I drop it...?"

… and put it on the table and got up from the sofa.

"Anyway, as much as I'd like to be here and talk about my upcoming match, I really have to go! If I want to look good in the ring, I can't skimp on training!"

Yasuo and Rin got up after the boy.

"We'll get in touch in the next few days to polish the details, but I'm sure you'll be fine, Izuku. Whatever happens, Yamashita Trading Co. is happy to have you with us!"

Izuku returned the welcome with a formal bow.

"Thank you, Yamashita-san. Rin-san. I won't let you down!"

Rin smiled.

"I know you won't, Izu-kun! Show them what you've got!"

After exchanging more pleasantries, Izuku left the offices.

Yasuo sighed, pleased with the meeting.

"Well, we've done everything possible to update Izuku on what he will need to know to survive within the Association. Don't you think, Rin?"

"..."

"Rin?"

*THUD*

"Wha-RIN!"

Yasuo realized late that his wife had collapsed to the floor, and was holding her head, clearly in pain.

Yasuo rushed to her side, helping her to stand up and directing her to one of the couches. After throwing away the papers on top of it, he made her lie down.

Rin weakly opened her eyes.

"Yasu-chan..."

The man frowned at her.

"Damn it, Rin! You know you don't have to use your Quirk unless absolutely necessary!"

Rin smiled wobbly.

"Hehe... my bad..."

---

RIN YAMASHITA

Quirk:

Mindwipe

Description:

Rin's Quirk allows her to erase recent memories of a living being, whether it is a human or an animal.

Pros:

This power is useful in case you want to catch someone off guard by making them forget what they were doing / saying, leaving them at Rin's mercy for a few moments.

Cons:

Mindwipe can only be used on one target at a time, and even then, it requires direct eye contact between the latter and Rin. Additionally, Mindwipe is extremely taxing on Rin's body, causing her severe migraines if used excessively or for too long.

---

Rin reached out and lightly punched Yasuo's shoulder.

"Look, if Niko didn't tell Izu-kun what happened during the last tournament, we certainly won't be doing it. Understood?"

Yasuo sighed, but eventually found himself agreeing with his wife.

"We just hired him and we're hiding secrets from him already?"

He chuckled, but Rin hit him again, pouting.

"Izu-kun is a great kid. We are lucky to have him with us."

"You say this because you see a kindred spirit in him?"

This time it was Rin who chuckled.

"More or less. But I grew up in the Inside. He instead had a normal life, kinda, only to be thrown suddenly into that hell. For a year. And he came out of it alive, remaining the same ray of sunshine as he was before."

Yasuo frowned.

"I'm not so sure about the last part..."

"And when he wins, and you heard right, 'when' not 'if', I can't wait to see the expression on Yoshitake's face!"

Rin grinned mischievously, but her husband shook his head, exasperated.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

She stuck out her tongue.

"Personal deformation."

Yasuo rose from his position by the sofa, leaned over to Rin, and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

"Rest, okay? I'll take care of the paperwork."

Rin smiled at him with a loving gaze.

"My hero."

Yasuo smiled back and returned to his desk.

---

A Week Later

-City Streets-

It was early in the afternoon, and Izuku was walking the streets of Musutafu. On his back he was carrying a large duffel bag.

The temperature was mild, and there was a pleasant breeze. The wind passed through the boy's long, loose hair, making them move.

A perfect day.

Rightfully so, since the time has come.

Soon, Izuku would clash with his opponent in his very first Kengan match.

Was he scared? A little.

Was he agitated? A lot.

Was he anxious about the idea of fighting a strong opponent? Definitely.

Izuku took a deep breath of the afternoon air, releasing a long breath. Then he looked up at the sky, thoughtful.

In order not to have time problems for the start of the match, Niko advised his son not to go to school that day, but Izuku insisted on going. After avoiding the glares, insults (veiled or not) and shouts of Katsuki and his group, he walked out of school. He considered whether to reach the match site by public transport, but then opted to walk there.

After his year in the Inside, Izuku began to appreciate even more calm places with little to no crowd.

Feeling that he was now close to his destination, he pulled out his smartphone to check.

"Let's see... It shouldn't be lon-"

"DEKU!"

"Oh, for the love of...!"

Taking another long sigh, this time of frustration, Izuku turned away.

And, lo and behold, he found himself in front of the figure of Katsuki Bakugou.

Completely covered in sweat and panting.

"He chased after me from school...? That's some dedication..."

Still out of breath, Katsuki opened his mouth to regurgitate yet another verbal jab to Izuku, but he was beaten to it.

"Look, Bakugou, you have chosen the worst time to pick a fight. I have no time to waste on you or your childish taunts right now, so do both of us a favor and get lost."

*boom!*

With the sweat accumulated from the long run, Katsuki triggered an explosion with both palms of his hands, and made an angry grimace at Izuku.

"Oh no, I don't think so, Deku!"

Katsuki slurred the derogatory nickname in an attempt provoke Izuku.

"I've had enough of your haughty attitude-"

"Coming from you, it's a compliment."

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME! You've been getting on my nerves ever since you came back and it's time for someone to remember your place once and for all!"

*boom!*

Katsuki ignited another explosion, but Izuku remained impassive.

"I told you Bakugou, I don't fight outside the ring."

"HAH!"

Katsuki sneered.

"Are you still going on with that martial arts bullshit?! Like someone would hire a useless wimp like you to fight!"

"From the guy who ended up with his ass on the ground because of said 'useless wimp', it's a compliment."

Katsuki, now glowing with anger and with a guttural scream, lunged at Izuku, ready to pulverize him.

The latter, now exasperated, threw the bag to the ground and got into position. He narrowed his eyes to the approaching form of his former childhood friend. He set his gaze on Katsuki's neck.

"The Water Kata is not my forte, but it should be enough to knock him out just enough to get there in time for the presentation..."

Fixing his feet firmly to the floor, Izuku extended his arms slightly, taking a high grappling stance.

Just when Katsuki was this far from launching the first attack, the two boys were interrupted.

"Seriously, kid? Fighting in the middle of the street when your match is just under an hour away?"

"Crap..."

"What the fuck wa-"

Katsuki did not have time to finish speaking, as he found himself in midair. Something had grabbed him firmly on the forearm and made him flip forward using the inertia of his momentum from earlier. The blond gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, waiting to hit the hard asphalt, but...

*thud*

"H-Huh...?"

... he found himself with his feet firmly on the ground.

"Pfft. Show off."

"Hey, give your old man a few moments of glory every now and then!"

Niko Tokita chuckled, releasing Katsuki's forearm, who in the meantime was looking at the intruder with wide eyes.

"Old man...?"

He thought.

"Are you telling me this guy is Deku's adoptive father...?!"

His eyes widened further.

"So the nerd wasn't lying... he was seriously adopted!"

Katsuki opened his mouth to speak, but when Niko turned to him, he closed it immediately.

Despite the serene and carefree expression on the adult's face, Katsuki was able to see beyond it.

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.

This man, Tokita...

"Ah, you must be the infamous Katsuki Bakugou! Pleased to meet you, I'm Niko Tokita, Izuku's adoptive father!"

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… he had an odd "aura" around him...

"Look, Bakugou-kun, today is an important day for my son, really."

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... that was screaming one thing...

"So we can't waste any more time. But if you'd like, you can join me and the other spectators, what do you think?"

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... DANGER.

"Sure."

Katsuki was so caught up in his thoughts that he answered without thinking, alas...

"Great! Come on Izuku, let's not keep the others waiting!"

... it was too late to back off.

"H-Huh?!"

Izuku groaned.

"If you say so... Come on, Bakugou, pick your jaw off the floor and get a move on."

The boy and the adult walked towards their destination, but Katsuki stood there, motionless. Niko turned to his son with a raised eyebrow.

"Is he okay...?"

Izuku shrugged.

"Eh, he's fine."

Katsuki, after a few more seconds of stasis, recovered and turned to the two, a stunned and angry expression on his face.

"What the fuck just happened!?"

---

Later

-Makunouchi Building-

*rustle* *rustle*

"Almost done aaand..."

*rustle* *rustle* *rustle*

"... that's it!"

Currently, Izuku was in the locker room of Makunouchi Building, the "arena" of his upcoming match.

Well, to be honest, calling it "locker room" would have been an untrue exaggeration. Since the entire building had been abandoned and disused for years, the fighters had to make do with two of the building's many empty rooms. Rubble, dust and cobwebs were everywhere inside, but Izuku was lucky enough to find a room complete with a slightly cracked mirror.

Neatly folding his clothes from earlier, Izuku tucked them into his bag, and walked over to the mirror to take a look at his new attire.

He was completely naked, except for a pair of white boxing shorts with green trimmings and the logo of his company, Yamashita Trading Co., on the back.

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Izuku narrowed his eyes to the several scars on his body.

The "souvenirs" from his year in the Inside.

Slowly and carefully, he traced the two nearly parallel scars on his left pectoral.

Then he stopped.

And sighed.

*knock* *knock*

A knock on the door made him jump slightly.

"C-Come in!"

Niko entered the door, and after fixing his gaze on the boy, he smiled broadly.

"Damn, kid, look at you! You remind me of the good times of my youth!"

Izuku rolled his eyes, smiling.

"You know, I find it hard to imagine you young, Dad... You look like one of those people who seem to be born already old. Who knows, maybe it's the beard..."

"I'll take that as a compliment on my infinite experience and wisdom, thank you!"

"Pfft. Jerk."

The two burst out laughing, the tension of the incoming fight, however, was still present. Izuku turned back to the mirror.

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"It's time, huh?"

At his son's words, Niko took on a serious expression.

"Yeah."

Izuku closed his eyes, starting a series of controlled breaths. Niko approached him and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders in a soothing and comfortable gesture.

"You scared?"

Izuku nodded.

"I'd be lying if I said no, but at the same time..."

The boy put his hand on his reflection.

"... it's as if I'm not, on the contrary..."

He squeezed his hand lightly.

*crccck*

"... right now, right here..."

*CRCCCK*

"... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!"

*CRACK!*

The mirror shattered even further under the pressure of Izuku's fingers. The boy gently removed his father's hands from his shoulders and turned to him.

An ecstatic expression on his face.

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"I want to fight. I really want to fight!"

Niko smiled and poked the boy's forehead.

"That's the spirit. And know that, however it goes..."

He put his hand on Izuku's fluffy head and placed his forehead against the boy's.

"... I'm proud of you, son. Everything you did and suffered, the training, the fighting, the injuries, the beatings and whatnot, was all about this moment."

Izuku nodded.

"I won't disappoint you, dad."

The man shook his head, smiling.

"The only person you mustn't disappoint is the one who was staring back at you in that mirror before, remember that."

The two chuckeld.

"Now go. Show them what a tiger can do."

Izuku grinned back at his father.

"Right!"

Izuku left his room, walking the long corridors of the building that would lead him to the fighting arena, located on the ground floor.

As he descended the stairs, he heard a murmur below him, and upon reaching the end, he found three people talking to each other.

He immediately recognized Yasuo and Rin, but the other one...

He was a man of short stature, with a clearly effeminate-looking appereance and short shaved light hair, a noticeable widow's peak, large eyes and noticeably small eyebrows. He wore frameless spectacles and had a single ring piercing in his left ear. He was also sporting a stylish and colorful formal suit.

The man in question was the first to notice the boy's arrival, and his expression brightened briefly, before approaching him, pushing through his interlocutors rather abruptly.

"Rude."

Izuku thought before the stranger stopped in front of him.

"Oh my, you must be... what was it?... Izuku Tokita, right? Yamashita Trading Co.'s new pet.~"

Izuku raised his eyebrows slightly at the man's not-so-veiled jab.

"More or less. Nice to meet you, mr.…?"

Izuku bowed respectfully, but the stranger just backed away, snickering.

"At least they taught you good manners.~"

Izuku got up from his bow, a neutral expression on his face. Yasuo, on the other hand, shook his head with a sigh, while Rin was this close to kicking this guy in the balls.

"Anyway, you're facing Yoshiro Yoshitake, the high-flying up-and-coming hope of the real estate industry. Try to remember that, boy, for the short time you'll stay in the Kengan Association.~"

Yoshiro started snickering again, but Izuku whistled back.

"You're really sure about your victory, Yoshitake-san."

The latter, with a disgustingly theatrical gesture, adjusted his glasses.

"It couldn't be otherwise! After all, who would lose to a Quirkless fighter? Even low-class fighters in the sloppiest and most worn-out businesses could mop the floor with you, boy!"

Another snicker, but Izuku remained impassive.

"Wow. That's some arrogance you've got there."

Yoshiro shot Izuku a glare.

"Is it arrogance to speak the truth?"

He walked over to the boy, jabbing a finger to his chest.

"Do yourself a favor and drop out of the match, brat. There's no place here for freaks like you."

He snarled. Izuku chuckled.

"Maybe, or maybe not. It's not our place to judge, Yoshitake-san, but remember..."

The boy walked past the man, pushing him slightly to the side.

"Hey, wa-"

"Confidence is the way of success, but overconfidence is the end of such way."

*creaaack*

Before Yoshiro could reply, the door behind Yasuo and Rin opened.

"*cough* *cough* Gah... figures... of all the rooms I could choose, I picked the one filled with dust and cobwebs ... *cough*"

From it came a tall, very muscular young man with a wide and powerful build. He had long, messy, blond hair (judging by the slightly dark color at the roots, they were dyed) with small eyebrows of the same color. His eyes were green, round-shaped and stretched quite wide. Just like Izuku, he was wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, but they were decorated with a leopard design.

He finished wiping the cobwebs and dust off his body before looking up and noticing the four people in front of him.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...? Uh... Hello ...?"

Yoshiro darted alongside the newcomer and, still gesticulating in an overly theatrical way, introduced him.

"Perfect timing! Izuku Tokita, meet your opponent in this match, as well as the chosen fighter for Yoshitake Real Esta-"

"For real?! Are you my opponent?!"

The new kid interrupted his boss and approached Izuku, grabbing his hand and shaking it violently in an energetic salute. A wide grin on his face.

"My name is Ichiro Nakata! Nice to meet you, greenhorn!"

Izuku tried to wave back, but still felt the effects of the shake.

"L-Likewise, Nakata-kun. I'm Izuku T-Tokita."

Ichiro pointed at himself with his thumb.

"Heh, actually I'm a rookie myself when it comes to all this Kengan crap. But know that I have no intention of losing, so be prepared for a resounding defeat, Green!"

"Green...?"

Izuku sweatdropped, then replied.

"The same goes for me, Nakata-kun. Your boss has quite the..."

Izuku glanced at Yoshiro, who scoffed.

"... sharp personality. I hope you'll be no less on the ring."

Ichiro grinned.

"Heh, you'll regret using that very word!"

Before Izuku could investigate further, Yasuo interrupted the two.

"Okay, guys, that's enough. It's time for you to head to the arena while we catch up with the other spectators."

He glared at Yoshiro.

"That is, if you're done insulting Izuku, Yoshitake-san."

The man in question huffed, before turning and walking towards the exit.

"If your Quirkless pet was smarth enough, he'd take my advice on the fly. Well, never mind. A pathetic fighter for a pathetic company... Come on Ichiro, let's go."

Ichiro started to follow his boss, but Izuku cut him off.

"I'll see you in the ring, Nakata-kun."

Surprised by his opponent's sporting attitude, Ichiro raised his eyebrows. Then he nodded, grinning widely.

"You bet!"

---

About Ten Minutes Later

-Spectators' Area-

"And here we are! Make yourself comfortable, Bakugou-kun. If you can, that is..."

Niko and Katsuki, after entering the dilapidated building, found themselves in the spectators' area around the arena where the fight between Izuku and Ichiro will soon begin.

Well, calling them "area" and "arena" was a bit too much, to be honest ...

The first was nothing more than a space cleared of rubble and other stuff, separated from the arena, which was nothing more than a huge circular open space in the center of what was apparently the former hall of the building, by large concrete barriers.

"Hmph..."

Katsuki grunted, making space between himself and the man. He leaned his back against one of the barriers and began fiddling with his smartphone.

He was trying hard to figure out what the hell was going on, but he couldn't.

First he realized that, yes, Deku had been telling the truth, and that he had been effectively adopted by someone several years ago.

Then he also realized that, yes, Deku had also been telling the truth about the fact that he was practicing martial arts and that he had been hired to represent some company that he could not remember the name of, and to be honest, he didn't really care.

Eventually he realized that the man who took him to where he was now, Deku's adoptive father, was involved with Deku's disappearance.

Katsuki looked up from the screen to look at the very object of his brooding.

Niko was there, leaning frontally against one of the barriers, while looking from the other side of the arena at the door through which the fighters would enter.

He stared at him intently.

Despite the formal outfit he was wearing, a long-sleeved shirt rolled up to the forearms, black trousers and polished brown shoes, the boy could still notice the man's mighty and powerful physique.

Along with some scars.

Then there was the question of what had happened a little while ago on the streets.

Katsuki clenched his jaw.

All he did was staring into his eyes to become completely paralyzed. He feared that if he dared to move a single muscle, Niko would kill him right there.

Katsuki gritted his teeth.

"Who the hell are you...?"

"If you have any questions for me, don't hesitate."

"...!"

Katsuki's eyes widened. Niko, still without taking his eyes off the door, smiled.

"Better than keeping it all inside, right? I can feel your frustration from here, you know?"

This time he turned partially, leaning on his left side, towards the boy.

The latter, always scowling, put his smartphone in his pocket and took a few steps closer to his interlocutor.

"Before we get to that, what do you know about me?"

Niko raised an eyebrow, confused. Katsuki clarified.

"I don't know how long you have adopted Deku, and frankly I don't care, but surely he must have told you about his life."

Niko crossed his arms.

"He told me enough. About his life before he lost his parents and what happened after that, until we met."

Katsuku opened his mouth to ask for more, but Niko cut him off.

"I'm not going to tell you anything else, Bakugou-kun. Sorry, but it's not up to me. If you really wish to know, you'll have to ask Izu-"

"Why the fuck did you adopt him?"

Niko raised both eyebrows this time. Then he chuckled.

"How blunt, Bakugou-kun."

"Answer the damn question!"

Katsuki almost yelled. He was cautious with Niko, but he still tried to stand his ground. Niko put on a serious expression.

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't have?"

Katsuki didn't waste a moment answering.

"Of course! He's fucking Quirkless!"

"So?"

"So? Are you fucking kidding me?! He's Quirkless! He's useless!"

"Why?"

"Because he doesn't have any kind of power!"

"So?"

"SO HE'S FUCKING USELESS!"

"Why?"

Katsuki was fuming by now.

"Are you making fun of me?!"

Niko, whose expression was still the same as before, serious and impassive, shook his head.

"Not at all. I'm just trying to understand your line of thought. Although, to be honest, I think I've already got an idea."

Katsuki scoffed.

"Oh yeah? Fucking enlighten me, then."

Niko moved away completely from the barrier he was resting on, standing straight and approached the boy.

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"You're weak."

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"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

*BOOOM!*

Katsuki, now completely out of his mind, generated huge explosions from his hands.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"You're weak. You heard me, kid."

Shaking with anger, Katsuki started to move to attack Niko, but-

*fwhip*

The latter seemed like teleporting in front of him, with his right hand on his Adam's apple. Niko pressed lightly with his fingers on said part of the body.

Katsuki swallowed nervously, and looked the man in the eye.

They were cold, empty and fixed on him.

The boy felt the same fear and sense of dread he felt before, when he met him.

"It wouldn't take me anything, you know?"

Niko spoke, his tone sharp.

"Pierce your carotid artery, I mean. It would take you about five to fifteen seconds to bleed to death."

Katsuki didn't answer.

After what seemed like an eternity, Niko pulled his hand away and walked away from the frightened boy. He returned to the same position he had been in before, on the barrier.

"As you can see, Bakugou-kun..."

Niko turned his gaze back to the door.

"... Quirks aren't everything. Remember that."

His head gestured towards the arena.

"Look at the fight between Izuku and his opponent. My son's victory will be the wake-up call you need."

Katsuki recovered, staggering towards the barrier, leaning with his hands. He didn't even register the arrival of other people around him, nor the referee of the match into the arena.

He could only turn his gaze to Niko, who was currently talking animatedly to several people.

It took him some time to stop the trembling in his legs.

---

-With Niko-

After his "chat" with Katsuki, Niko walked away from the shaken boy, and was joined shortly after by a small group of people.

Yasuo and Rin, being already inside the building, were the first. After them came Mitsuyo and Cosmo and, finally, Shunka.

Niko smiled as he saw the group in front of him.

"Look at us! It almost seems that the old gang has gathered once again to kick some ass! Even if in this case Izuku will get to do the kicking..."

Yasuo and Rin laughed, Mitsuyo shook his head smiling, and Shunka rolled her eyes. Cosmo instead had moved from the group to get as close as possible to the ring and have the best view of the fight.

After a further exchange of pleasantries, Shunka turned to Rin.

"Yamashita-san, could you remind me what the purpose of this match is?"

She asked as she took a seat on one of the concrete blocks that served as makeshift seats. She dusted the seat thoroughly before sitting down, paying attention to the creases on her kimono.

The short woman began to skim through a file she was holding, looking for informations.

*flip* *flip* *flip*

"Let's see... apparently we're wagering the construction's rights to the new Makunouchi Building..."

*flip* *flip*

"... a skyscraper to be built here following this building's demolition, and..."

*flip*

"... incidentally, the total project cost is being projected at around ten billion yen and-WHAT?!"

Rin's eyes widened as she read the exorbitant amount. She reread the file a couple more times, in case she got it wrong, but alas...

"Yasuo Yamashita!"

The man in question, who was talking animatedly with Niko and Mitsuyo, immediately stiffened.

Then, after swallowing nervously, he turned towards Rin.

"Y-Yes, d-d-dear?"

The latter stomped towards her husband and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, bringing him to her level.

Then, with a devilish smile on her face, she spoke.

"Would you mind telling me why you wagered all that money on this match, mhm~?"

*gulp*

"W-Well, I-"

"You know very well that if we lose, we could go bankrupt, yes? It could be our undoing, right~?"

"T-That's no-"

Before Rin could tear through Yasuo even further, Niko stepped in, separating the two.

"Okay, that's enough you two. No lovebirds bickering here."

Rin pouted and stomped.

"Niko!"

Niko adopted a serious expression.

"Izuku will win. You won't lose a single yen, I assure you."

Rin held her stern gaze on the man for a few more seconds before relaxing and sighing exasperatedly.

"Niko..."

The latter gave a comforting pat on the woman's shoulder.

"Trust me, Rin."

He smiled, but she wasn't totally convinced.

"It's not a matter of trust! You can't take Izuku's victory for granted just because he's your son! Out of everyone in here, I thought you were the least biased!"

Niko took on a thoughtful expression, then smiled again.

"Izuku will win, Rin. Don't worry."

Then he left the group to join Cosmo.

Shunka took the opportunity to get close to Rin, now clearly upset, to try to calm her down. The red haired woman allowed herself to relax a little, but then she shot a glare to her husband.

"You get the sofa tonight."

She pouted, but Yasuo laughed heartily.

"Yes ma'am. I'll make it up to you somehow, but for now I ask you to do as Niko said, and trust our little fighter."

Shunka sighed.

"Men..."

The quartet chuckled until Mitsuyo noticed something.

"Hey, Shunka-san, speaking of men... where's your husband?"

The woman looked away embarrassed.

"Well..."

---

Meanwhile

-The Asura's Den-

"I can't believe you roped me into doing this..."

A very tired and exasperated Naomasa Tsukauchi said in the middle of Niko's dark and empty restaurant.

"You don't understand, Tsukauchi-kun! This is my hour! The restaurant is closed due to the match, so nobody will bother us! We have plenty of time to look for incriminating evidence against Tokita!"

Akoya Seishu exclaimed as he laid on the floor of the main hall, tapping the floorboards with his knuckles, looking for Niko's "secrest stash".

Naomasa groaned.

"Why can't you just be normal..."

"JUSTICE!"

---

"... he's busy with work."

Shunka replied. Mitsuyo shrugged.

"Well, it's a relief. I thought that things between him and Niko were still bad after... you know..."

Shunka sighed.

"We still question his choices and actions regarding Izuku's training, but... Niko kept his promise, so no harm done."

*tap* *tap*

"Testing, one, two. Testing, one, two, three. Testing, one, two, three. Can everyone hear me?"

Their conversation stopped when they heard the match referee's testing.

Rin's face brightened.

"It's starting! Come on, hurry up!"

She grabbed Shunka and Mitsuyo by their arms and dragged them to where Niko and Cosmo were standing.

Just then, the fighters made their entrance.

---

Shortly After

*tap* *tap* *tap* *tap*

Right now, Izuku was hopping on the spot.

His eyes were closed and his breathing even.

His body was relaxed.

*thud*

Then he stopped.

He took a deep breath.

He raised his arms.

And...

*SLAP!*

… he slapped himself with both of his hands.

His eyes widened momentarily, before returning to their normal shape.

Sharp and confident.

In front of Izuku, his opponent was doing the same.

Ichiro was doing various stretching exercises, paying particular attention to his fingers.

Around the two fighters, there was a cacophony of sounds: screams, music, shots of cameras and smartphones and talking.

"Who's the green haired kid?"

"Is that pretty boy really gonna fight?"

"A rookie?"

"Hey, who's the guy fighting for Yamashita Trading Co.?"

"I bet money on him, so he better not fuck this up!"

"Look at the blonde one, he's huge!"

"Hey! Don't go losing to that little turd!"

However, currently, nothing else existed for the two fighters except the person in front of them.

The two met their eyes.

But they said nothing, merely looking each other in the eye.

Green met green.

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After what seemed like an eternity, Ichiro showed off a toothy grin, while Izuku replied with a smile and a nod of his head.

Just then, the referee arrived in the middle of the ring.

He was a middle-aged man, perhaps already in his sixties, completely bald and slightly overweight. He was wearing the classic referee shirt, with black and white stripes, black slacks and polished shoes of the same color.

The referee adjusted his collar, and seemed to be talking into it, certainly to test the microphone. After confirming the functioning of it, he approached the two fighters.

A serious and unyielding expression on his face.

He raised his right arm, and total silence fell in the room.

It was time.

The referee looked first at Ichiro, then at Izuku.

"ARE YOU READY?!"

The two boys nodded.

"FACE OFF!"

The posture of the two stiffened.

"TAKE YOUR STANCE!"

Izuku adopted the Niko Style stance, similar to the classic orthodox boxing stance, by raising his fists.

Ichiro instead lowered himself, assuming a low grappler stance.

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The air was tense.

The silence was palpable.

Until...

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"BEGIN!"

... the referee started the match!

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"..."

"..."

But nothing happened.

Izuku and Ichiro were there, motionless. It almost felt like they weren't even breathing.

Among the spectators there were several confused and irritated looks.

Including Katsuki's.

"What the fuck are they doing? They're not moving!"

"Wrong."

"Huh?!"

Katsuki turned to the voice on his left, noticing a blond bob-haired boy who looked the same age as him. If he remembered correctly, he was one of Deku's father's friends. He had his eyes fixed on the ring, on the motionless figures of Izuku and Ichiro, while filling his mouth with popcorn.

"Where the fuck did he get those...?!"

It was Katsuki's first thought, but he sent it away immediately.

"What do you mean? They haven't moved an inch! Surely too fuckin' scared to make th-"

"Shut up and watch carefully, Explodo-Brains. They've already started."

Before Katsuki could question the nickname Cosmo had just used to call him, the latter gestured with his hand towards the fighters.

"Gazing, shifting weights, taking stances... They've already been doing the fine-tuning since before the match began."

He threw a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"They are waiting for the right moment to attack, something a brute like you could never understand, much less do."

Once again, Katsuki was interrupted from verbally assaulting someone when he heard movement coming right from the ring.

*FWOOOSH*

Out of nowhere, the two fighters threw themselves against each other.

Kengan Ashura OST - Track #2: Strong Enemy

At first glance, they seemed to have the same speed, but Izuku, thanks to his slimmer physique, was faster.

Now not very far from Ichiro, Izuku threw a right jab aimed at the opponent's face...

*POW!*

... but Ichiro intercepted him with his forehead.

"Tch!"

Izuku pulls back his aching hand, but Ichiro wasn't going to let him retreat.

"That hurt, man!"

Ichiro unleashed a powerful right hook, but Izuku managed to block it with his left forearm.

---

"No way! He tanked Izuku's jab! Even I can't do that!"

Cosmo exclaimed, before feeling a hand rest on his golden hair.

"That's not right, Cos."

Mitsuyo said. Upon noticing the confused expression on his pupil's face, he clarified.

"He didn't tank it, he mitigated the damage by using his own momentum against Izuku's. He deliberately moved towards the incoming attack."

"Wow."

"Yeah. In Boxing, as well as in Muay Thai, it's very common to intercept the opponent's punches with the forehead."

Mitsuyo leaned over the concrete barriers.

"Pay attention, Cos. Everything you'll see here will be very useful to you in the future."

---

"Ngh! You blocked it!"

Ichiro exclaimed, a little blood came out of a wound on his forehead. He got even closer to Izuku, and after taking a deep breath, he unleashed an onslaught of punches on the opponent.

Izuku began to retreat to avoid said attacks, never stopping.

"Mhm. He's very skilled in both attack and defense. A real striker..."

He thought, as a jab grazed his cheekbone. He continued to avoid the enemy assault, waiting for the right opportunity to counterattack.

And the aforementioned opportunity came in the form of a low kick from Ichiro.

"Now!"

*SWOOOSH*

*thud*

Izuku avoided the sweep by jumping high.

Very high.

Then he twisted his body slightly to the left and...

*WHAM!*

… sent a kick straight towards Ichiro's face.

"Gah!"

Blood flowed from Ichiro's now split lip, and he started swaying from side to side, but stayed up.

Izuku, however, wasn't done.

Landing in front of him, he lowered his knees just enough to place them next to Ichiro's inner ones, and moving them outwards, destabilized him even further.

He made him topple to the ground once and for all with a light pat on the left pectoral.

*pat*

*THUD!*

Ichiro ended up on the ground, in a semi-supine position, but before he could recover, he felt two hands grab the sides of his head.

*SLAM!*

"AGH!"

Izuku slammed his right knee onto Ichiro's face, a loud *crunch* was felt in the room, making several people flinch.

"Son of a...! He may be small, but he hits like a sledgehammer!"

Ichiro thought as Izuku climbed on top of him, and this time it was he who released an onslaught of blows on his helpless opponent.

"I feel like I might lose consciousness at any moment if I loosen up just a little...!"

---

"Perfect! He's got the flow on his side!"

Cosmo exclaimed as he stuffed himself with a hot dog.

"Dude, where the hell did you even..."

Mitsuyo shook his head, then turned to Niko.

He was watching the match unfold carefully. His eyes moved incessantly to follow the fighters' movements.

Mitsuyo interrupted his thoughts.

"Do you think it was a wise choice?"

Niko looked away for a few moments to turn to his friend.

"What?"

Mitsuyo pointed to the ring.

"Ichiro."

Niko frowned, confused. But then he understood.

And chuckled.

"Niko...?"

Mitsuyo looked at him puzzled, but the former merely shrugged.

"We'll see, my friend. We'll see."

---

Izuku continued to pummel Ichiro, leaving him no chance to escape.

"Nakata-kun... you're strong... you got good senses... you're a pretty good fighter all around... but..."

Izuku intensified his blows, much to Ichiro's chagrin, who grunted in pain.

"... I know you're holding back... this fight is gonna end soon if you don't do something, you know..."

Finally, Izuku broke through Ichiro's guard, and immediately took advantage of it.

"Now, what it'll be ...?"

Raising his right arm high, Izuku threw it down at Ichiro's face.

The reactions among the crowd were mixed.

Some rejoiced at the "pretty boy" combat prowess.

Some were crying over Ichiro's beating, on which they had bet.

Cosmo and Katsuki were caught up in the match, eyes wide open. The first was overjoyed by his friend's performance, and the second incredulous at Izuku's skill and ferocity.

Yasuo and Rin were smiling along with many.

Shunka watched the scene with squinted and suspicious eyes.

Niko and Mitsuyo were impassive.

And Yoshiro...

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"Hihi..."

… had a disgusting grin on his face.

*SHK!*

"GAAARGH!"

Again silence fell, and everyone's attention turned back to the two fighters.

Izuku was still there, above Ichiro, but he looked with a confused and scared expression at the arm with which he was about to give the opponent the final blow...

*plic* *plic*

... now with blood flowing from three long wounds on his forearm.

"What the he-"

*FWOOOSH!*

*shk!*

"Ngh!"

Izuku barely dodged a hand sweep from Ichiro, but ...

*splurt!*

"Hrrrk!"

He squeezed his sternum, from which blood had just sprayed from a deep wound.

Izuku stepped back, making space between himself and Ichiro, who in the meantime had just got up.

Once fully upright, the latter sniffed, then spat some blood on the ground and put his arms forward.

It was then, after seeing Ichiro's hands, that Izuku finally understood ...

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"Heh ... I wish I had my notebook with me... That's some Quirk you've got there, Nakata-kun."

Ichiro grinned.

"Now let's get serious, Green!"

---

"Ow... he must've felt that..."

Niko winced. Beside him Shunka nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Cosmo was gorging himself even more than before, prey to the anxiety about the development that the fight had just taken.

Mitsuyo was stroking his chin, contemplating the outcome of the match, now no longer so obvious.

Bakugou watched silently, his eyes narrowed towards the arena.

Finally, Rin was violently shaking her husband back and forth.

"Why didn't you tell me Nakata-kun had a Quirk like that?!"

She yelled, exasperated.

"I-I-I thought y-you k-knew!"

"And what about Izuku?! Why didn't you warn him?!"

She shook him even harder.

"I t-t-tried, but he s-said he didn't w-w-want to k-know...!"

Rin stopped shaking her husband, opting to glare at him instead.

"Forget the sofa, you're sleeping on the floor tonight!"

"B-But, dear...!"

The quarrel between husband and wife was interrupted by Yoshiro himself, who took the opportunity to gloat.

"Hihi... Ichiro is an entertainer through and through. He sure knows how to rile up the crowd."

He approached the group, looking out over the barriers to get a better look at the two fighters. He then he turned to Shunka.

"Seishu-san, my dear, I take it for granted that you are a cultured person like myself and that you are intellectually elevated unlike this rabble around you, yes?"

"First, I'm not your 'dear'. Second, get to the point, you're voice is making me queasy."

Shunka replied, not deigning Yoshiro even a glance. The man huffed annoyingly.

"Do you know the three main components of grip strength?"

"The strenght to break object with pressure, crush grip. The strenght to hold object, support grip and the strenght of the fingertips, pinch grip."

She answered without batting an eye. Yoshiro snapped his fingers.

"Exactly! Ichiro's peculiarity, Quirk aside, is his phenomenal pinch grip strenght. This, combined with his Quirk, makes him a formidable fighter in the ring!"

---

ICHIRO NAKATA

Quirk:

Razor's Edge

Description:

Ichiro's Quirk allows him to produce large blades from his body. Said blades can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and from any part of his body of him, although Ichiro tends to generate them around his fingers, similar to claws.

Pros:

Razor's Edge is useful in close-range combat, and when coupled with his strong pinch grip, Ichiro is able to tear through flesh and bone alike.

Cons:

One of the drawbacks to this Quirk is that there is a limit to how much damage the blades can withstand, causing Razor's Edge to slowly dissipate, and Ichiro loses stamina from struggling to keep his Quirk active.

---

"Every part of his opponent's body becomes a weak point! Of course, Razor's Edge would be easily countered if poor little Tokita had a suitable Quirk, but alas..."

Yoshiro sneered. Yasuo narrowed his eyes in irritation at the man's provocation, while Rin was fuming. Mitsuyo, who was still looking towards the arena, was holding back Cosmo, who despite being so this close from rushing to Yoshiro to tear him to pieces, was still eating. Niko remained impassive. And Shunka...

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"Fifty percent."

The woman's comment confused Yoshiro.

"I beg your pardon...?"

Shunka turned to Yoshiro, her eyes cold as ice.

"Fifty percent. If Ichiro Nakata wins the match, I'll sell you fifty percent of my company's stock."

She approached the man, who could not help but step back in fear.

"But if Izuku wins, you will give fifty percent of your stock to my company. So, what do you say?"

Yoshiro, recovering from the initial fright, grinned again.

"You are practically giving me half of your business, my dear. You realize that, right?"

Shunka remained impassive.

"Scared, Yoshitake-san?"

She provoked him, and it seemed to have the wanted effect, given the angry expression the man assumed.

"Hmph, so be it! Your arrogance will be your undoing, Shunka Hiyama! Just like your psycho husband!"

Shunka clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes. The temperature of the large room seemed to drop.

"Choose your next words carefully, worm."

Fortunately, Niko defused the unpleasant situation between the two.

"Calm down, Shunka. I really don't want to see Akoya having to arrest his wife for murder. The match isn't over yet, you know. In fact..."

The group's attention shifted to the arena.

Niko grinned.

"... now the fun begins."

---

Kengan Ashura OST - Track #32: Disturbance

*SWOOOSH*

*snik!*

*FWOOOSH*

*whisk!*

*WOOOSH*

*zshh!*

Currently, Ichiro was assaulting Izuku with a series of sweeping slashes with his Quirk.

Sharp razors instead of fingers were cutting and injuring several places on Izuku's body, respectively his shoulder, forearm and chest.

Ichiro stopped to catch his breath, watching his opponent.

"*Haah*... *Haah*... *Haah*... Okay, with these last few hits I've managed to make him bleed plenty... he won't last long..."

He took on his stance again.

"However..."

Ichiro glared at Izuku.

"... why he's not fighting back...?!"

Indeed, Izuku was there, motionless. His arms were relaxed at his sides. His body covered in sweat and fresh blood. His breaths were heavy.

But despite that, he was calm.

His expression, completely neutral, did not take his eyes off his opponent.

"Tch...!"

Ichiro got ready.

"It doesn't matter! This match is mine!"

Then he launched into the attack again.

"GRAAAAAAAH!"

Ichiro launched an onslaught of slashes, intent on finishing the match once and for all.

But Izuku just dodged again, getting hit several times in the process.

Apart from a slight, almost imperceptible grimace of pain, the boy showed no sign of giving in under Ichiro's sharp strikes.

The latter, now exhausted and almost at the limit due to the protracted confrontation and the excessive use of his Quirk, snarled at the green haired teen.

"What's the matter, Green?! Have you decided to throw in the towel?!"

*SWOOOSH*

"This is it?! That's all you can do ?! You give up as soon as your opponent pulls out his Quirk, huh?!"

*FWOOOSH*

Another dodge.

Ichiro saw red.

"Fight dammit! Stop running! Show me wha-"

*SBAM!*

"Gah!"

Ichiro backed away when he felt a strong impact in the sternum. After recovering, he glared at Izuku.

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He was there, with his right arm extended forward.

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"I wasn't running away, Nakata-kun."

He murmured.

Ichiro looked at him, confused.

"What...?"

Izuku took a deep breath to soothe the still bleeding wounds. Then he smiled at his opponent.

"I wasn't running away, Nakata-kun."

He repeated.

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*tap* *tap* *tap*

Then he began to walk slowly towards Ichiro.

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"I was learning."

The icy tone that Izuku's voice took on made everyone in the room shiver. Beyond that, Izuku's face, previously calm and focused, darkened noticeably.

*tap* *tap* *tap*

Step by step, he got closer and closer.

"You have a truly phenomenal Quirk, Nakata-kun, but..."

*tap* *tap* *tap*

"... unfortunately for you..."

*tap* *tap* *tap*

"... I discovered how to counter it."

*tap*

Finally, Izuku found himself facing Ichiro. He was so close that he could feel the blonde's breath move his green locks.

Icy green eyes met confused green eyes.

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"Your attacks will never reach me again, Nakata-kun."

---

"I win."

Shunka said simply, before getting up from her seat and dusting off her kimono.

This was enough to receive confused expressions and looks from the various present, except Niko, who was always with his eyes glued to the ring.

But obviously, Yoshiro being Yoshiro, had an objection.

"Are you blind, woman?! That pathetic brat just signed his death sentence!"

He snarled, but Shunka didn't even deign a glance towards him, turning to Rin instead.

"Yamashita-san, if you could be kind enough to tell me the details of Izuku-kun's victory, I would be grateful."

The short woman raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Are you leaving already, Shunka-chan? But the match isn't over yet!"

She pouted, but Shunka waved her hand dismissively.

"There is no need for me to stay, really. As I said, Izuku is one step away from victory. Give him my compliments and tell him that Akoya and I will join you for a possible celebration. Now, sorry but I really have to go."

She bowed respectfully, and then took her leave.

Yoshiro took the opportunity to vent his frustration with the situation towards the two fighters. Clinging to the barriers, he let out a desperate cry.

"ICHIRO, FINISH THAT FREAK!"

"That Quirkless loser! He really must be desperate!"

He jeered mentally.

Now Niko, Mitsuyo, Cosmo, Yasuo, Rin and Katsuki turned their full attention to the two fighters.

---

Izuku and Ichiro were looking at each other.

The atmosphere around the two was so thick that Ichiro could have chopped it up with his Razor's Edge.

Izuku, whose expression was always somber and neutral, looked up at Ichiro's confused and irritated blue eyes.

"I don't understand..."

The latter thought.

"It makes no sense..."

He continued, as he stared at the green haired teen who was looking at him as if he were peering into the innermost depths of his soul.

"He dodged my slashes as if nothing had happened, and now he's stepped within an inch of my nose knowing he's within my range..."

He began trembling.

"H-He must be bluffing, right? Yes, it has to be! There's no way a Quirkless can find a way to counter my Razor's Edge!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Ichiro spoke.

"I don't think you understand the situation you're in, Green. You're in my range now!"

Izuku didn't flinch.

"Are you really sure, Nakata-kun?"

"Grnngh...!"

"Okay, I've had enough!"

Raising his right arm high, Ichiro prepared to deliver the final blow to the opponent.

Among the spectators, numerous shouts echoed, cheers and screams of despair.

Ichiro brought down his claws.

"TIME TO LOSE, GREEN!"

Time seemed to stand still.

Ichiro's clawed arm approached inexorably towards Izuku's face.

---

Rin, unable to look, buried her face into her husband's chest.

Cosmo, on the verge of climbing over the barriers, yelled at the top of his voice to his best friend to react.

Mitsuyo watched the unfolding with narrowed eyes.

Katsuki instead watched with eyes wide open like saucers.

Yoshiro instead, once again, had a repulsive grin on his face, and was salivating profusely.

And Niko...

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"Heh."

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Niko smiled.

*spat*

"...?!"

"...?!"

"...?!"

"...?!"

"...?!"

"...?!"

"I'm sorry, Nakata-kun. You are a formidable fighter, with an equally strong Quirk."

"...?!"

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"But this match is mine."

---

In the middle of the arena, the two fighters stood completely still.

Ichiro, in the position in which he had completed what must have been his winning strike.

Izuku, on the other hand…

He was in the same position as when he approached Ichiro, with the only difference that he had a raised left arm and was holding Ichiro's clawed hand still.

Izuku's fingers were applying a strong pressure, not hard enough to cut himself against the razor blades, but just enough to prevent them from moving.

"Ngh...!"

Ichiro tried to push his arm forward, in an attempt to hurt Izuku just enough to let go of the "hold", but it was useless.

"H-How is it possible...?!"

Recovering from the initial shock, Ichiro realized he still had his left hand free, and wasted no time in launching a new attack.

"Nice try, Green! But, unfortunately for you, I-"

*hup*

"Wha-! Huh?!"

Looking to his left, the blond teen noted with horror that it had happened again.

This time, Izuku had immobilized Ichiro's attack using the back of his right hand to block the opponent's arm.

"N-No... h-how did he...?!"

"I told you, Nakata-kun."

"...!"

Looking down at the opponent, Ichiro found himself face to face again with Izuku's blank and cold eyes.

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"Your attacks will never reach me again."

---

*munch* *munch* *crunch* *gulp* *sluuuuuuuuurp*

"Cosmo, I swear to God, if you don't stop eating I'll have you clean the entire dojo for a month!"

Cosmo stopped drinking noisily from his smoothie, and turned to his master.

"Sorry, sensei, nervous hunger! I haven't the faintest idea what the heck happened!"

He threw all the rubbish he had accumulated since the start of the match into a garbage bag.

"How did Izuku repel Nakata-kun's Quirk?! With his bare hands too!"

Before Mitsuyo could respond to his protégé, a voice interrupted him.

"Open those fucking eyes, Bobcut."

Katsuki Bakugou replied crudely, watching the match unfold. Then he continued.

"Do you remember what Kimono said about the grip strength components?"

"Kimono...?"

Mitsuyo sweatdropped, while Cosmo took a few seconds to think.

"If I remember correctly, they were crush grip, support grip and pinch grip, right?"

Katsuki huffed.

"If you were just tearing things apart, your pinch grip would be more than enough, but it'd be fucking useless in combat because it'd leave you open to attacks."

He pulled away from the barrier he was leaning on.

"But to rip through things with as little motion as possible you need both 'grip strenght' and 'distance for acceleration'..."

Cosmo's eyes lit up.

"Oh, Izuku, you smart son of a-Ack!"

Mitsuyo interrupted his student with a painful chop on the head.

"Quiet, now. Concentrate on the match."

He then he turned to Niko, who currently had the largest shit-eating grin on his face of him.

"So, old sport, what do you think of your tiger cub's performance?"

Niko chuckled.

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"You're all about to find out why Izuku is masterful when it comes to using the Redirection Kata."

---

Izuku and Ichiro were stuck in a struggle, as the former had completely immobilized the latter, preventing him from moving.

Ichiro, completely overwhelmed, racked his brain in search of a way to break the deadlock they were in, however...

"I completely neutralized your trump card."

… Izuku's calm, cold voice distracted him from his thoughts. Ichiro glared down at the green-haired teen.

"What will you do now, Nakata-kun?"

"Nnnnngh...!"

The blonde gritted his teeth.

"It doesn't matter, Green!"

He snarled.

"Now that we're this close together, your movements are as restricted as mine ..."

Izuku could see Ichiro's posture stiffen, his notable muscles bulging in the process.

"... with your blows in particular! Your combat technique may be one thing, but my muscle mass is a class above yours! Which means..."

Ichiro applied a strong pressure towards his right arm, throwing Izuku off balance.

"... YOU CAN'T BEAT ME IN A CONTEST OF STRENGTH!"

He yelled, applying more and more force to his push. Izuku took a couple of steps back.

"Hah! Too easy! What was I worried about ?! Now I just have to-"

*thud*

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"Huh...?"

With a light thud, Ichiro fell to one knee.

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"H-Huh...? What just happened? W-Why did I lose my fo-"

Kengan Ashura OST - Track #35: Resolute

*SBAM!*

He didn't have time to finish the thought that a violent right hook hit him in the face.

"Gotcha."

Izuku said.

"I bet you didn't think an attack so close could hurt so much, did it?"

Ichiro registered the opponent's words late, remembering that his left arm was finally free.

He wasted no time.

"RAAAAAARGH!"

Getting up, he threw another slash towards Izuku, but...

*swhip*

"Wha-!"

Izuku shifted slightly to the side, and Ichiro ended up stumbling forward, carried forward by his own inertia.

"N-Not again...?! Don't tell me that he-"

*WHAM!*

This time Izuku delivered a viscious uppercut to Ichiro's jaw, sending him to the ground, holding the injured part in pain.

The arena, previously completely shrouded in silence due to the unexpected change of events, erupted again with loud noises.

But despite that, Izuku was still standing there, bleeding and impassive, never taking his eyes off of his opponent, who in the meantime had got up, albeit on shaky legs.

"Now I understand..."

His vision was still slightly blurry and shaky.

"Just a couple millimiters..."

He touched his left cheekbone, wincing at the sharp pain.

"Just a few grams..."

He repositioned himself, guard up.

"That's all he's doing!"

He narrowed his eyes at Izuku.

"Green... is waitin' for me to initiate an attack, then by puttin' on just a few grams of weight he causes my flow of power to go off just by a few millimiters, throwin' me off completely!"

---

NIKO STYLE:

REDIRECTION KATA

Weeping Willow:

The most basic move of the Redirection Kata, where the user alters the trajectory of their opponent's attack by redirecting their flow of power. In this manner, the user can make their opponent's attacks miss as well as make an opponent lose their balance, allowing an opening for an attack.

---

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING! ICHIROOOOOO!"

Yoshiro's desperate screams spurred the blonde teen to stop dawdling and take action.

"Come on, Ichiro! Focus!"

Ichiro mentally encouraged himself, then took a long breath.

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He held it.

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And then...

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"YAAAAAAAAARGH!"

*SCHIK!*

He forced his Quirk, making razors stick out on his fingers.

"I will win this match! I must win this match! I can't disappoint them!"

He assumed his stance once again.

Izuku looked at him.

Then he opened his arms, as if he were inviting him to attack him.

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"Come."

And so he did.

With a guttural scream, Ichiro rushed full force at Izuku, both arms pulled back, ready to slice his opponent.

Ichiro unleashed a powerful double strike with his claws, but Izuku saw the telegraphed attack from a mile away, and blocked it by grabbing the opponent's wrists.

Then he immediately followed with a kick, once again to the chin. Ichiro backed away, stunned again by the heavy blow, but managed to keep his feet on the ground.

Reflexively, he threw a large and powerful haymaker at Izuku, but that too was blocked, grabbed and...

*CRUNCH!*

"AAAURGH!"

... Ichiro found himself with his forearm dislocated.

"W-What... H-how..."

Ichiro grabbed the aching limb, watching it with trembling, frightened eyes. Looking up, he found Izuku right in front of him, flexing the fingers of the hand with which he had dislocated his forearm.

His eyes were like daggers, piercing him.

---

NIKO STYLE:

REDIRECTION KATA

Entanglement:

A move that goes one step beyond the Weeping Willow. By not only altering the trajectory of the opponent's attacks but grabbing onto them while doing so, the user can redirect the power back into their opponent, causing the dislocation of the joints.

---

"What will you do now, Nakata-kun?"

Izuku repeated.

"..."

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*whop*

With an almost feline leap, Ichiro jumped into the air, and with the only usable arm he had, launched a last, desperate attack.

"GRRREEEEEEEEEEEENN!"

But unfortunately...

*swooosh!*

*tug*

*SLAM!*

... Izuku again used Weeping Willow to deflect the attack, sending Ichiro to the ground. The violent impact emptied the blond's lungs, leaving him without air.

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His vision was blurred.

The pain was excruciating.

But his opponent was still there, his hand pressed against Izuku's.

"G-Ggh...!"

Ichirò tried to get up, but there was nothing he could do.

"ICHIROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! W-WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING ?! G-GET UUUUUUUUUP! STRIKE BACK!"

Yoshiro's desperate wail didn't reach his fighter.

Now on the verge of losing consciousness, Ichiro looked at Izuku.

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He was smiling.

But it was not a sneer of superiority, malice or meanness.

But a genuine smile.

The light behind him made it all the more surreal.

"This guy... he has perfect control over the flow of power... it can't be..."

He swallowed.

"Izuku Tokita... are you really Quirkless...?"

"Nakata-kun."

The green-haired teen called to him. Ichiro forced himself to stay awake to listen to his words.

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"This was an awesome match."

He smiled broadly.

"I hope I can fight with you again."

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"Wha-"

*SLAM!*

Ichiro was unable to respond to the opponent, as Izuku delivered a powerful stomp on Ichiro's face, knocking him out once and for all. Once he lifted the foot, a deep imprint of it could clearly be seen on Ichiro's cheek.

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"WE HAVE A WINNER!"

The referee yelled at the top of his lungs.

"THE WINNER IS... IZUKU TOKITAAA!"

The crowd erupted even further with cheers for the absolutely unexpected victory of the newcomer.

"Holy shit, did you see that?!"

"He looked so weak at first, yet he managed to win!"

"Is that the Quirkless kid that I heard so much about?!"

"Aaargh! I bet my money on that Nakata guy, damn it!"

Overwhelmed by the noise, and now with no more adrenaline in his body to keep him awake, Izuku began to sway in place.

"Aaah... damn it... lost too much blood... not... good..."

Finally, Izuku fell forward, ready to kiss the floor and get a good sleep...

*whump*

... but he was grabbed by a pair of strong arms.

Looking up tiredly, he noticed Niko's smiling face.

Izuku faintly smiled back.

"Haha... hey, dad...did you see that? I *ow* won..."

Niko chuckled, tenderly rubbing his son's hair.

"Yes, you did it. I'm damn proud of you, son."

Izuku's smile widened.

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Then he passed out.

---

Later

-Makunouchi Building Improvised Infirmary-

On a cot, the winner of the match lay at rest. Thanks to the medical staff made available by the Kengan Association, both fighters were medicated and treated, although some scars will certainly remain on their bodies (mostly Izuku's).

The quiet of the room, together with the slight buzz coming from the arena where the spectators were still discussing the outcome of the match, made for a relaxing environment for Izuku, who was resting deeply.

Unfortunately, his beauty sleep was interrupted by an incessant noise from a nearby room. Yelling, to be precise.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Izuku turned away, trying to isolate the annoying sound and go back to sleep.

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But it was useless.

"Uuugh..."

Groaning, he stood up, wobbling a little on his feet and wincing slightly from the pain of his newly dressed wounds.

"I'm not looking forward to waking up tomorrow morning..."

He sighed.

Making his way through the dilapidated building, the yells from earlier intensified, until Izuku found himself in front of a door. The same one in which he had met Ichiro shortly before the match began.

Before entering to investigate the noise, he knocked a couple of times, but evidently the deafening screams drowned out the knock.

Feeling a headache coming up and irritated by the aching wounds, Izuku unceremoniously threw open the door and-

"YOU WORTHLESS TRASH!"

-he was hit by the howling, irritating screams of Yoshiro Yoshitake.

The man, red with anger and about to explode, was yelling at Ichiro, who was sitting on some debris with a dejected expression, his face and body still bandaged.

"YOU TALKED A BIG GAME, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU GIVE ME?!"

Yoshiro kicked a piece of broken concrete.

"I'm sorry, sir..."

Ichiro said in a weak voice, but this did little to calm the man.

"You're sorry? You're sorry?! YOU'RE SORRY?!"

He stomped towards the boy.

"YOU LOST AGAINST A QUIRKLESS FIGHTER! A QUIRKLESS FIGHTER FROM YAMASHITA TRADING CO., FOR FUCK'S SAKE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE POSITION YOU PUT ME IN ?! ABOUT MY REPUTATION?!"

Ichiro looked away.

"I-I'm mortified, I-"

*slap!*

Yoshiro slapped Ichiro. The sound echoed through the empty room.

"Save your pathetic excuses, scum! I should have known you were nothing but garbage. A dreg coming from the sticks!"

Ichiro said nothing, but he clenched his fists in frustration. But Yoshiro wasn't done yet.

"You're done, you hear me?! DONE! You're fired, so don't show your pathetic loser ass at Yoshitake Real Estate anymore!"

He raised his hand to hit the boy again.

*thwud*

But before he could bring his hand down, Izuku grabbed his wrist.

"H-huh?!"

"Wha-"

Yoshiro and Ichiro looked with surprise at the arrival of the green-haired teen, who was glaring at the former with his emeral orbs.

"That's enough, Yoshitake-san."

Recovering from his initial astonishment, Yoshiro snarled at the boy.

"Y-You! How dare you put your hands on me, you Quirkless freak! Do you realize who I am?!"

"Do you realize that I don't care."

Izuku spat, making the man flinch. Then, with a violent tug, he pulled the man towards him, putting himself betwee him and Ichiro.

"I think you're done here, Yoshitake-san."

"You-"

"Get lost. Now."

The teen growled, and Yoshiro backed away in fear. But he was still determined to have the last word.

"Tch... Whatever... You may have won this time, but heed my words, brat. The Kengan Association will eat you alive!"

Then he stomped his way out of the room, cursing and yelling, leaving the two boys alone.

"Wow... If all the members of the Association are as lovely as him, I'm bound to have tons of fun..."

Izuku thought bitterly. Then he turned his attention to Ichiro, who was currently staring at the floor with a sullen expression.

"Hey, you okay?"

He asked.

"Yes. Thanks for the help. I'm sorry you had to witness that scene..."

Ichiro sighed. Izuku took a moment to observe the boy in front of him.

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His expression.

His posture.

His wounds.

They were very familiar.

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*rustle*

Without warning, Izuku sat down next to Ichiro, still leaving some space between them. The blond didn't move from his spot, much to Izuku's relief.

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"You were really phenomenal back there, y'know?"

Ichiro broke the silence.

"I'm serious. Technique, power, and performance. You were really amazing."

He raised his right hand, starting to flex his fingers.

"And you don't even have a Quirk... Heh, it really makes you put things in perspective..."

He lowered his hand, taking a long sigh. Then he turned to Izuku.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to sound like a sore loser, but..."

"Hey, it's okay. I understand."

Izuku tried to console him.

"I... I had a lot of stuff that depended on me winning and... and I... DAMN IT!"

Ichiro snapped and smashed his fist on the debris he was sitting on, too upset to worry about the pain. Despite the display he had just witnessed, Izuku stood there, motionless.

Ichiro drew a shuddered breath and buried his face into his hands. Then he let out a dry chuckle.

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this... Yoshitake-san was right, huh? I'm really pathetic..."

Izuku took a few seconds to let him calm down, then remembered a similar situation that happened between him and Niko.

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"If you want to talk, I'll listen."

Ichiro glanced up to Izuku's emerald eyes, looking at him perplexed. The latter just smile.

"I know it's difficult to confide in someone you've just met, but If you need to talk or just let off some steam, I'm here."

Ichiro raised both eyebrows, surprised at the unexpected kindness of his opponent. Then he chuckled ahain, but genuinely this time.

"You really are somethin' else, Green."

"I have my moments, thank you."

The two shared a laugh, and the air around them seemed to lighten.

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"I need money."

Finally, Ichiro said.

Izuku put on a surprised expression, but let the blond do the talking.

"We're a family of three. My mom, my younger sister and I. Mom goes out of her way for the two of us, telling us we don't have to worry about our money problems, but..."

He sighed again.

"She's killing herself. She currently has three different jobs, and we can barely scrape by. I tried to get her to let me look for a part-time job, but she doesn't want to hear it. So..."

"You decided to try with the Association, right?"

Izuku asked.

"Exactly. They pay well, y'know? I've always had some kind of fighting flair, and with my self-taught martial arts and Quirk, I thought I'd try to get hired by a company as an affiliated fighter, but..."

"I understand. I'm sorry, Nakata-kun..."

Ichiro shook his head.

"Hey, don't apologize for winning. Like I said earlier, you did great."

Izuku smiled in response, but then something occurred to him.

"If I may ask you, Nakata-kun. You told me about your mother and sister, but what about your father?"

Ichiro gritted his teeth and frowned.

"He's out there, somewhere. But I don't consider him a relative. Not anymore."

Realizing he had touched on a sensitive topic, Izuku dropped it. He changed the subject.

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"You know, I want to be a Hero."

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Now THAT got Ichiro's attention.

He swiftly turned towards Izuku with comedically wide eyes.

"A Hero? But-"

"I'm Quirkless, yes."

Izuku smirked, while Ichiro scratched his face sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't want to sound like a douche, but..."

He struggled to find the right words.

"It's not something you hear every day, I know."

Izuku replied.

"I'm an orphan, Nakata-kun. My parents died about ten years ago in a Villain attack. Life after that was... difficult, to say the least."

He smiled sadly. Ichiro listened attentively.

"I'll spare you the details, but I was in the same situation you are in now. I was ready to throw in the towel."

He sighed.

"But then I met Niko."

He smiled.

"He was the first to believe in me. He took me with him. He taught me a lot of things. He gave me something to put my all into and believe in. He saved me, so..."

Izuku stood up from his spot, dusting his shorts.

Then he stretched.

And finally he looked towards Ichiro.

"... I'll tell you the same thing Niko told me some time ago. 'Hesitation is defeat. Hesitation is death.'"

He clenched his fist and raised it in front of him.

"Don't be discouraged by a defeat, Nakata-kun. Acknowledge it, honor it and accept it. Then learn from it and become stronger than you were before. I know you can do it."

Ichiro stood there, his mouth slighly agape, stunned at the boy's words.

Izuku then turned to leave the room and rejoin his father and the others.

But before going out once and for all, he spoke some last words to Ichiro.

"I meant what I said before, Nakata-kun. Let's fight again sometime."

Then he left.

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Unbeknownst to the two, a certain perpetually pissed blond was listening to the conversation between the two.

---

A Few Hours Later

-The Asura's Den-

"CHEERS!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"*burp* Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Ugh... cheers..."

Inside the croweded Den, a party was taking place to celebrate Izuku's first victory and his admission as an affiliate fighter for Yamashita Trading Co. .

Aside from Izuku and Niko, Cosmo, Mitsuyo, Yasuo, Rin, Akoya, Shunka, Naomasa and several restaurant regulars also joined in the festivities. The latters, now fond of the green-haired cinnamon roll as if he were their own child, showered him with kind words, praises and hugs much to Izuku's embarassment.

Akoya, on the other hand, after congratulating the boy, hit him with a vigorous pat on the shoulder that almost reopened the wounds of the match.

Unfortunately, Nemuri could not be there due to her job as a teacher at U.A. . However, she promised that she would later stop by to smother Izuku with the fiercest hug she could give.

Surrounded by his family and friends, said boy was having the time of his life. Laughter, jokes, friendly jabs and his father's great food filled the room.

This was nice.

"Hey, Shunka! You barely touched your glass!"

Niko exclaimed from his position in front of the hotplate, cooking yet another mountain of food.

"I drank just enough to partake in the toast. You know I don't drink alcohol."

"Wow, you really are a blast at parties, you know..."

"I can be funny when I want. Alas, wishing to be smarter does not make it so."

She smirked as a collective "oooooooooh" and several chuckles were heard across the room. Niko hanged his head in defeat.

"I don't know what burned me the most... you or the hotplate..."

Another round of laughter crossed the room.

"Your wife is ruthless, Akoya-san. Now I understand why you are together."

Yasuo snickered.

"That, and also because she's a Villain under the sheets."

A light slap hit Akoya's forearm by a flustered Shunka. The police inspector smiled lightly at the rare sight of his wife's embarassed face.

"By the way, Akoya-san, are you sure you don't want to join us near the counter? Aren't you uncomfortable sitting in the middle of the room?"

"Not really. Besides, someone must cover the hole in the floor, right?"

Niko hummed in approval.

"By the way, thanks again for stopping the burglar while we were at Izuku's match!"

He tossed some ingredients on the hotplate, and a loud sizzling sound was heard.

"Although, I still don't understand what he was hoping to find under the floorboards and why he didn't rob the cash register directly... Luckily you were around while it was happening!"

Niko exclaimed. Naomasa, on the other hand, on the verge of fainting from the perpetual fatigue that afflicted him, glared at his superior.

"Yeah, very lucky. Right, boss...?"

Akoya tugged at his collar nervously, and sipped some beer from his glass.

"-and then Yoshitake started frothing from his mouth! He was so mad for losing! You should have seen him!"

Rin, whose face was red from the alcohol, yelled at the small crowd who were listening intently to her retelling of the match. Though she apparently was more into humiliating Yoshiro than telling the story. Yasuo was standing next to his wife, ready to grab her in case he couldn't hold her beer anymore.

As for Cosmo...

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... yes, you thought right. He was gorging himself. How strange.

"Where the hell do you even keep all that stuff?!"

Mitsuyo screeched. Cosmo swallowed loudly.

"Come on now, sensei. I'm still young and I have to grow up! Besides, seeing Izuku fight so hard made me hungry!"

"You don't say..."

The older man sighed.

In the midst of all this hustle and bustle, Izuku was sitting at the counter, treating himself to a large, steaming hot bowl of katsudon.

Initially, he wanted to help his father cook the large amount of food, but he was almost threatened by the others to sit back and relax, especially after the match.

So here he was, absentmindedly picking at his food with his chopsticks.

"You okay, kid?"

Raising his head, Izuku found himself facing Niko, who was looking at him with concern in his eyes.

"You sure look glum for someone who won their first match. What's the matter? Do the injuries bother you? The katsudon is bad?"

Izuku smirked.

"Weeell, the breading could have been crispier."

Niko huffed and pocked him in the forehead, as they both chuckled.

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"It's about that boy, isn't it? Nakata-kun, if I remember correctly?"

Izuku looked down and nodded.

"I know I shouldn't feel this way... I won fair and square, but..."

He sighed.

"I feel sorry for him and his family, that's all..."

Izuku resumed eating his food, while Niko smiled at the boy.

"Classic Izuku. Always worrying about other people and the smallest of things."

"Don't feel so down, kid. Sure, they're in a tight spot, but like you said and from what I could see during your fight, that guy is certainly skilled. He has great potential. I'm sure he'll be able to get noticed by a company sooner or later."

"I hope you're right... sorry for bringing down the mood."

"Don't worry. Just think about relaxing and enjoying the evening, okay?"

Niko poked his son's forehead again. He then he turned to the hotplate.

"You know, maybe it's good that I'm cooking this much. We had so much of that fresh fish that I was afraid it would go bad... Oh well, luckily we-"

*clang!*

The sound of a plate falling on the counter alerted Niko, who hastily turned. He noticed Izuku picking up his bowl of katsudon, which thankfully hadn't spilled its contents onto the floor. The boy looked at the man with wide eyes.

"Kid...?"

"Dad, what did you just say?"

Niko raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"We had too much fresh fish and that-"

"And before that?"

The man raised his other eyebrow.

"That sooner or later Nakata-kun would find a company willing to hire him as a fighter."

"..."

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Fresh fish.

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Company.

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*SLAM!*

Slamming his hands on the counter, Izuku jumped to his feet. The loud noise and the sudden movement was enough to silence the whole room.

"I-Izuku?"

Niko asked.

"Dad, everyone, I'm sorry, but I have to go outside and make a call! I'll be right back!"

Leaving no time for anyone to reply, Izuku ran out of the restaurant with his smartphone in hand.

Everyone present looked at each other, clearly confused, before directing their gaze to the owner of the restaurant.

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"Heh, kids these days, am I right?"

Niko chuckled, while the others sweatdropped.

---

Meanwhile

-City Streets-

*siiigh*

Taking a long sigh, Ichiro Nakata trudged through the now desolate streets.

Nothing strange, given the late hour.

Usually, he wasn't the kind of person who took longer than necessary on the various journeys he made to get home.

But today, for obvious reasons, it was different.

Despite Izuku's speech and kind words somehow managed to lift him up and make him feel slightly better, Ichiro was still feeling down for his defeat. Dragging his heavy feet, the tall blonde dreaded the imminent return to his family.

And the eventual revelation of the outcome of the match.

*siiiiiigh*

Another resigned sigh escaped his lips. He knew that his mother and sister loved him too much to condemn him for such a trifle. But...

But it still hurt.

He had a chance to make things easier for them, and he had failed.

He had let them down.

Before being able to breathe yet another sigh, the boy found himself in front of his house. Or rather, the apartment complex where he and his family lived.

"..."

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"Ah, fuck it..."

Steeling himself, Ichiro entered the aforementioned complex, climbing the stairs and finally arriving in front of the door of his apartment.

After fumbling with the keys, he unlocked and opened the door, placing the heavy duffel bag with his stuff inside next to it. He took off his shoes, and then-

"ICHI-NII!"

*wham*

"Ugh!"

-a small force slammed into his gut.

Recovering from the sudden impact, he looked down, noticing a small figure that was hugging him tightly.

He chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Why are you still up, sis? You know it's late."

Releasing him, the figure stepped back, revealing herself to be a small girl, no older than six or seven. She was short, befitting her young age, with long black hair tied in two braids, big green eyes and a few freckles here and there on her round face. She was currently wearing a large white t-shirt that almost completely covered her slightly scratched legs, a testament of the girl's adventurous nature.

This was Ichika Nakata, Ichiro's younger sister. After hearing her big brother's words, she pouted.

"I've been waiting for you to tuck me into bed!"

She stomped her little foot in a cute display of childish anger. This managed to lift Ichiro's mood a little, who laughed.

"You spoiled little devil... Have you done your homework?"

Ichika nodded energetically.

"Mhm! I even helped mom with dinner and took my bath already!"

Upon mentioning their mother, Ichiro stiffened slightly.

"Where is she? Is she already sleepin'?"

He asked as he picked his sister up. Ichika nestled into her brother's arms.

"Dunno. She was chatting with some of her friends on the couch the last time I saw her."

The two siblings arrived in their shared room, where two futons were already spread out. Gently, Ichiro removed the blankets of one of the two and placed his sister on it, tucking her in."

"Ichi-nii, aren't you coming to bed too?"

Rubbing his sister's head, Ichiro shook his head.

"I have to talk to mom. I'll join you right away, 'kay?"

"Mhm! Don't take too long, though!"

Ichiro smirked and with a final pat, the boy left the room, heading for the kitchen.

There, in the living room that was joined with the aforementioned room, Ichiro found his mother, Yuka Nakata, asleep on the sofa.

She was a woman on her early forties, with chest-length chestnut-brown hair that was tied into a low side ponytail. Even without looking too hard, it was possible to notice the signs of fatigue and stress on the woman's body. Dark circles around her eyes, a few discolored hairs on her head and the woman's overall slightly emaciated appearance.

Just seeing her like this, guilt gripped Ichiro's heart once again.

"Oh well... let's get this over with..."

He approached the sleeping woman with the intention of waking her up.

But before he could do so, Yuka faintly opened her hazel eyes, finding her son in front of her with an outstretched hand, which he immediately withdrew.

"Huh...? Ichiro...? When did you come back...?

Sitting up on the sofa, Yuka covered an inelegant yawn.

"Hey, Mom... I just got back, actually. I've already put Ichika to bed, don't worry about her."

The boy sat cross-legged on the floor in front of his mother.

"Oh my, did I fall asleep on the couch?"

Yuka giggled embarrassed. She then she got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Have you eaten yet, sweetie? If not, I've saved some of your dinner. Do you want me to warm it up?"

The woman stretched, popping a few joints in the process. But upon receiving only silence as a reply, she turned to her son.

"Ichiro?"

No reply. The boy was still there, motionless. From his position she could see that his head was down.

Growing concerned, Yuka switfly made her way to her son.

"Ichiro, what's wrong? You okay?"

Returning to her former seat, mother and son found themselves face to face again.

*siiiiiigh*

Sighing, Ichiro raised his head to look Yuka in the eyes.

"Mom, I have to tell you something..."

Yuka nodded.

"Yes?"

"About the match I had today..."

Then Ichiro told everything to his mother.

---

A Few Minutes Later

And so, mother and son sat together, and Ichiro told all the events that happened that day. From his arrival at Makunouchi Building, to his first meeting with Izuku Tokita until the match and its outcome.

Although he was embarrassed about the last part, just talking about it with his mother made Ichiro feel better. He really needed to let off some steam, it seems.

After tiredly running his hand through his dyed hair, Ichiro remained in silence, letting Yuka taking it all in.

Then he braced himself for her reaction.

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"Haha."

The first thing he heard was his mother's giggle. Ichiro raised an eyebrow.

"Mom?"

Yuka covered her mouth with one hand and waved at her son with the other.

"Sorry, honey. It's just..."

She giggled again.

"For your opponent I expected a coarse and vulgar brute. Instead, this Tokita-kun seems a very nice young man."

Now it was Ichiro's turn to chuckle.

"Heh, yeah..."

"Anyway, for what it's worth, I'm glad you left Yoshitake-san's company."

She grimaced.

"I've only met him once, but it was enough for me to see what kind of vile creature he really was. That incident with Tokita-kun after the fight only proves me right."

"True..."

"..."

"..."

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Silence, until...

"Oh well... Back to before, are you hungry? Or would you rather take a bath first?"

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"H-Huh?"

Ichiro blinked.

"Oh right. Put the dirty clothes with the others. While I'm awake, I'll do a night washing."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...?"

"..."

"Ichiro...?"

"That's it?"

Yuka widened her eyes slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Ichiro opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.

He looked down.

Then he swallowed.

"Aren't you angry?"

Yuka tilted her head.

"Angry? About what?"

Ichiro gritted clenched his jaw.

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"About me losing, mom..."

"...?"

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"Oh."

Realization came to the woman.

"So that's what this is all about..."

She thought.

She now understood why her son looked so miserable.

Sighing, she put on a gentle expression.

"Do you feel down because you lost, Ichiro?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

He raised his head.

"What do you mean 'why'? I wanted-No, I had to win."

"Why?"

"Because I'd have passed the selection or whatever and they'd have hired me as a fighter."

"So?"

"So I-Mom, what are you tr-"

"Answer me, Ichiro."

Yuka's tone was firm, yet gentle. Her son complied with her, albeit slightly reluctant.

"So I could take part in other fights. I could've made lots of money. Money that I could've used to help you and Ichika."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Why woul-MOM!"

Ichiro jumped to his feet, clearly upset.

"Are you serious right now?!"

Yuka, unfazed by her son's behavior, listened intently.

"You have three different jobs, not to mention that you have to take care of the house, me and Ichika! We can barely keep up with the rent, the bills and everything else!"

At this point, Ichiro was straight out yelling.

"No offense, but did you see yourself in the mirror? When was the last time you rested properly?! Because right now you seem to be barely standing!"

He clenched his fists. Hard.

"And you ask me why should I help you?! I...!"

Growling in frustration, Ichiro put his hands in his hair and walked away from his mother, seething in silent rage.

After the furious display, the boy looked like he deflated. Dropping his arms to his sides, he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mom... I disappointed you..."

"Yes, you disappointed me, Ichiro Nakata."

The boy stiffened at the words he feared hearing from his own mother.

But before he could lower his head in shame, his mother cut him off.

"I'm disappointed, but not because you lost."

She stood up, approaching him.

"I'm disappointed that you made such a tragedy out of it."

Then she hugged him. Given the preponderant difference in height between the two, Yuka had to stand on tiptoe.

Ichiro remained motionless, not knowing whether to return his mother's affection or not. The latter started rubbing circles on her son's back.

"Ichiro, I understand wanting to help your family and I'm grateful to you, but..."

She tightened her hold.

"... you're still a kid. You're too young to carry your mother and your little sister on your back. Live your life as you want, and don't worry about us. We're stronger and more resilient than you think."

Finally, Ichiro returned Yuka's hug. After hearing her words, Ichiro gritted his teeth.

"It's all his fault."

Yuka sighed.

"Ichir-"

"Don't try to defend him."

Ichiro spat.

"He used us as an outlet to vent his frustrations for his pathetic existence and then when he could no longer do it he dumped us!"

"Your father wasn't a saint, Ichiro. I know that better than anyone else, believe me. The only thing I don't regret about the time we were together is that he gave me you and Ichika."

Separating from her son, Yuka cupped his face in her hands, gazing at him with a tender expression.

"You two are my world, and you always will be."

"Mom..."

"So don't worry, okay? There will be other occasions, of that I'm sure. But don't make it your reason for living, understood? I would never forgive myself if you lived a life full of regrets just because you had to look after me."

Giving him an encouraging pat on his shoulder, Yuka walked away from Ichiro.

"Better?"

He nodded, smiling.

"Better."

Yuka smiled.

"Good. Now go take a bath, you still reek of sweat from the match!"

The two shared a laugh.

"Yes, ma'am."

So, shortly after taking a hot bath, Ichiro joined his sister for a long and well deserved rest.

Just as he was about to crawl under the covers, his smartphone vibrated, indicating the arrival of a message.

Groaning, he reached for the device and unlocked it to read the content of said text.

"Who the hell is texting me at this hour...?"

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After scrolling through the wall of text, his eyes widened.

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"What...?"

---

A Few Days Later

-Monkala Fish Market-

The next week, Ichiro was at Musutafu's fish market. In his hand he held his smartphone, the message he had still received a few days ago was still on screen.

The latter was precisely why the boy was in that place so early in the morning.

The message, after a somewhat useless turn of words, said to go to the Monkala Fish Market and look for a certain stall.

Now, Ichiro would have ignored such a text, preferring instead to stay a little longer in the comfort of his futon and then join his family to have breakfast all together.

But then he remembered that Ajiro Fisheries, the company that owns the stall he should be looking for, is part of the Kengan Association.

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So, in summary ...

Ichiro is hired by Yoshitake Real Estate as its affiliated fighter. His first match is against Yamashita Trading Co., but he is sensationally defeated by their fighter, Izuku Tokita, being fired as a result. On the same night of the match, he receives an anonymous message in which Ajiro Fisheries asks to meet him for an unspecified reason.

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"What was that saying about coincidences?"

Ichiro thought, a little skeptical.

But hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

So, after searching and walking around the market, and having asked about a dozen fishermen and fish sellers for directions, Ichiro found himself in front of his destination.

"Damn... it's a bit of an understatement to call it 'stall'..."

The boy whistled, impressed, as there was a huge warehouse in front of him. The unmistakable Ajiro Fisheries logo was everywhere on its large doors.

"Oh well, here goes nothing."

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Ichiro reached out and...

*SBAM!* *SBAM!* *SBAM!*

… gave three loud knocks on the metal doors.

After about ten seconds without an answer, Ichiro raised his hand to knock again, but...

*CREEEEEEAAAAAAK!*

... with a long and agonizing creak, one of the two giant doors opened.

From behind it, an equally giant figure emerged.

He was an old, bulky and heavy-looking man with a gruff, weary expression on his face. He was bald, with many scars littering his dome, and had prominent cheekbones with a thick, white mustache which somewhat merged into his equally thick, white beard. He was wearing fisherman's dungarees over a white short-sleeved t-shirt and a rope hachimaki on his head.

The old man looked down at the boy in front of him.

"Yes?"

He questioned with a deep voice.

Ichiro, initially surprised by the appearance of the giant fisherman, composed himself.

"Er... Good morning, sir. My name is Ichiro Nakata, and I'm here to-"

"Ichiro Nakata...?"

"Yes, sir, I-"

"The former fighter of Yoshitake Real Estate?"

"Exactly, but-"

"The one who can turn his fingers into razors?"

"Precisel-"

"The one who recently got his ass whooped in a match?"

"Hey, I-!"

"That Ichiro Nakata?"

"YES DAMN IT! THAT'S ME!"

Ichiro roared exasperated. The old man just scoffed.

"Hey, take it easy, sonny. No need to scream, y'know..."

Before the boy could give the man a piece of his mind, he was interrupted once again.

"We usually start at 4 A.M. , but assuming you're busy with school, I'll be waiting for you in the afternoons. Weekends included, so don't slack off, you hear me?"

Ichiro widened his eyes.

"What are you talking about, old man?"

The latter shook his head.

"Youngsters these days..."

He muttered under his breath. Then he looked Ichiro straight in the eye.

"Ichiro Nakata, from today you are officially the affiliate fighter of Ajiro Fisheries. The position has been vacant ever since I left it to devote myself to the more commercial side of the company. You were recommended by the son of one of the boss's old acquaintances, so here you are."

The old giant pointed to himself.

"I'm Yoshinari Karo, by the way. Nice to meet you. When you're not busy fighting, training or whatever, you'll have to help out at the warehouse. It was within the terms of the contract, remember?"

"Actually it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the mess-"

"Well, too bad, you're already here! And don't worry about the pay, I got you covered! I'm not a slave driver! NOW GET MOVING!"

Yoshinari brutally slapped Ichiro's back, effectively throwing him inside the warehouse.

"Ow! What the hell, old man!"

"Less barking, more work!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Before I begin, can you tell me who exactly recommended me?!"

Yoshinari took the classic "old man thinking pose", starting to stroke his beard.

"As I said, he is the son of an old friend of the boss. We supply his restaurant with fish. If I remember correctly his name was..."

---

Meanwhile

-Unknown Location-

"... Izuku!"

Currently, Izuku stood on a hill overlooking a vast forest. Miles upon miles of trees stretched into the distance, to the horizon.

He took a deep breath, inflating his lungs with the fresh air, clean from the pollution of the city.

Then he exhaled, turning to the voice that called him earlier.

"Yes, dad?"

Niko approached him, having just finished setting up two tents near where the boy was admiring the landscape.

"Are you done?"

Izuku asked his father, who nodded in response.

"Yup. Sorry for making you wait, but Nemuri kept me on the phone for a while."

Izuku snickered.

"That woman has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?. Niko Tokita at the mercy of the Pro Hero Midnight, who would have thought that!"

They both chuckled, then Niko poked Izuku's forehead.

"Someday you'll find someone you'll be willing to do crazy stuff for, I assure you."

The man joined his son in admiring the seemingly infinite forest before them.

The silence that fell over the two was pleasant, only the sound of the wind and the moving leaves were audible. No hustle and bustle of the city to spoil this peaceful and almost surreal place.

Finally, Izuku broke the silence with a question.

"So, are you going to tell me why we came here camping? The last time you did something like this I had to survive for a whole year in the Inside, just saying..."

Niko laughed.

"You can rest assured, it's nothing so extreme... unfortunately."

"Hey!"

"BUT! It's just as important, if not more so, kid."

Niko turned to Izuku.

"This..."

With his head she gestured towards the forest.

"This is the culmination of your training with the Niko Style, Izuku."

The boy turned completely to his father, absorbing every single word he said.

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"There's no turning back now, kid."

Izuku just smirked.

"If you're going to ask me if I really want to do this or if I'm sure about it, save your breath. You already know the answer."

Niko returned the boy's smirk.

"That's my boy."

He poked his forehead again.

"However, I'm curious... what place is this? Have you already been there?"

At Izuku's question, Niko moved even closer to the edge, gazing longingly at the forest.

"This place..."

He took a deep breath.

Then he exhaled.

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"... is home."

He finally answered. Turning around, Niko showed the most savage "Tokita Grin" Izuku had ever seen.

"Welcome to Gakigahara Forest, kid."

He spread his arms wide.

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"Welcome to Hell."

*gulp*

Izuku swallowed loudly.

---

A/N:

Aaaaaand here it is! New chapter for ya madlads!

Yes, I know, I know! It took forever to finally update AAIB, but I was really freackin' busy with life and stuff, mostly with four major things, and they are:

1. Covid-19.

Yes. Who would've thought, right? Between the whole damn country slowing down and the related problems (mainly concerning university and whatnot) I've been buried under stuff to do and I barely had time to sit to get the chapter done.

2. University.

As of this moment, I'm studying for a couple of exams, both at the end of this month. Managing the study sessions and writing is pure hell, I still wonder how other writers can do it...

3. Surgery.

Towards the end of November, I undergone a surgery to remove a blood clot from my chest, around the sternum area. Nothing big, but my mother was worried since her father (my grandfather) suffered from a stroke caused by a blood clot, so she wanted to take precautions. The surgery was a success, but I had to take pain medications and wear a tight harness on my upper torso to keep the wound still so it could heal properly for a couple of weeks. Writing in that condition was basically impossibile, I assure you.

4. Cyberpunk 2077.

Okay... This is a dumb reason for not writing, but come on! I've been waiting for eleven years for this game to finally come out, and I freakin' loved it (yes, even with all the problems it has, but let's not talk about that, okay chooms?)!

Now, onto the chapter!

Timeskip:

For all those expecting a chapter on Izuku and the year he spent in the Inside, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you'll have to wait a little longer! I'm saving her to introduce a certain character, and I already know that you Kengan lovers already know who I'm referring to, don't you...? *wink* *wink*

Niko X Midnight:

You really thought Niko was going to stay single?! DID YOU REALLY THINK HE WAS GOING TO BE SPARED FROM THE SHIPPING MADNESS?! HAH! Think again! Besides, writing shenanigan with these two is gonna be a blast!

Cosmo's Hate For Pineapple Pizza:

Yup. In this story Cosmo is half-italian. Why? Why the heck not. Also, Cosmo is an italian name. And I'm also italian. And I also hate pineapple pizza. Arrivederci!

Yasuo X Rin:

Dunno why, but these two just click for me. I was very disappointed when they basically tossed aside Rin in Kengan Omega, so I decided to make her shine a little in this story. *wink* *wink*

Yoshiro:

He's a prick.

Ichiro:

Our very own Superman joins the fray! This time, Razor's Edge is his Quirk, not his "martial arts". I decided to make him a self-taught mixed martial arts fighter. I'm also very pleased with the way I created his own backstory with his little sister, Ichika, and his mother, Yuka. I know that some of you will notice the similarities between Ichiro and Ochaco, but I'm planning of making the former his own character. I hope I can accomplish that!

Yoshinari & Ajiro Fisheries:

Ichiro working for Yoshinari and becoming Ajiro Fisheries's fighter? Nah, I'm not mad. My mother had me tested, so no worries there. I'd like to clarify that Yoshinari won't be training Ichiro in any way, shape or form. *wink*

Gakigahara Forest:

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

End Notes:

Wow, that's a lotta writing... The longest chapter I wrote... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it reading as much as I did while writing!

Now, onto Embers' next chapter!

Again, I'll leave my Twitter account link so you can follow the status of my stories:

TNexus97

That said, have a nice weekend and stay safe and healthy, everyone! ^_^

Here, have a cookie! 🍪