Chapter 9: What it takes to be a hero

Himari:

Himari's hand idly stroked the cotton like material she wore around her wrist, her starry indigo eyes staring at the building in front of her. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, it was the final battle trial, and everyone would be watching. Every fight before was intense and full of energy, Toshi's team getting a win by eliminating the other team, the girls team taking down the boys in an intense clash ending with the capture of the weapon, and finally the villain team of the last trial winning by capture of the heroes. To say that there was a little pressure on her would have been an understatement, not only was her team in the last of the trials, but she was best friends with two of the people who's teams had won. If she lost now it would let them down.

"Uh, Amajiki-san," Yumi Shoji tapped Himari's shoulder, getting her attention, "Are you Ok? You were kinda just staring off."

"O-oh, yeah sorry," Himari blushed, focusing back on her team, the six armed Yumi was wearing what seemed to be an amalgamation of her parent's costumes, a blue qipao and black legging combo with a facemask like her fathers. The other girl, Eiko, she had merely been introduced to. Himari knew next to nothing about her, but that didn't stop her from worrying. Eiko looked extremely malnourished, even though she was completely covered in a red and white bodysuit, Himari could see how it sagged off of her. Underneath she was practically skin and bones.

"Do we have a plan of action?" Himari asked, once again regaining her focus on the situation at hand, "We can't go in there blindly, if we do who knows what will happen?"

"I have a plan," Eiko spoke up, turning towards the two of them, "From what you've explained about your quirks I believe I have a plan. Our opponents do not seem to be the most intelligent type and as such will likely do the most obvious thing and leave the bomb where it was located when they got it, perhaps relying on their quirks to protect it." Eiko coughed, holding her side, the cough sounding like a damaged garbage disposal.

"Shishikura-san, are you ok?" Himari immediately asked, grabbing Eiko's arm to steady her, not that it did any good because her hand was soon smacked away by Eiko.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Eiko wheezed, before righting herself, "Back to my plan. We should go in as a tight knit group, playing on each other's strengths. They are most likely going to end up splitting up, however from what I've observed of them, they have mostly physical type quirks, something that you Himari will take care of, using your quirk to restrain them. Yumi you will be our brute force should we require that."

"That's a great plan Shishikura-san," Himari said as she clapped her hands cheerfully, "Let's get going then."

"Get behind me, I'll take point." Yumi piped up, the girl spreading her arms as she ran into the building, Himari sprinting after her with Eiko trying her best to follow with her limited maneuverability.

Again Himari couldn't help but look back and watch as Eiko hobbled along. She felt bad, Eiko really was struggling, but she knew that if she offered her help, Eiko would refuse. That didn't do anything to lessen her concern. She wished she knew what was wrong, but just like offering to help, Himari knew that it would end in the same way. Outright refusal.

She saw Yumi go around the corner and sprinted to catch up, preparing to use her quirk at only a seconds notice. She saw Yumi sticking to the wall at another corner, motioning for Himari to approach. She made her way to Yumi and peeked around the corner. Standing guard in the hallway was a boy she only recognized from class. He had a head of hair that looked like golden wheat ready for the harvest, his azure blue eyes contrasted against his hair, and finally his skin was almost too perfect and free of blemish.

Himari shook herself out of it, she couldn't get distracted again. Focusing again Himari leapt out from her hiding spot and activated her quirk, strands of cotton shooting out of her fingertips. The material wrapped itself around him, binding his arms to his side. Another stream of cotton adding an additional layer of binding to him.

Himari Amajiki

Quirk: Cotton

"She may not strike the most imposing figure, but one should never underestimate one who carries the title of hero! Capable of unleashing cotton from any part of her body that she can freely manipulate and shape according to her whims, there are few who could ever hope to escape when ensnared by Amajiki Himari's Cotton!"

"Gotcha!" Himari shouted with excitement, turning back to her allies, motioning for them to come out, "I did it guys."

"Good job Amajiki-san," Yumi beamed, though her face was hidden behind her mask, "You did that quite handedly."

"Uhh, are you just ignoring me?" The captured boy piped up, getting their attention as Eiko rounded the corner, huffing and puffing.

"You captured him already? That's Masaki Nishiya, son of Ryukyu and Kamui Woods," Eiko said between huffs and puffs, "I don't know his quirk but it's likely that he's a combination of plants and a dragon.."

"You're not wrong," Masaki surprisingly smiled at her, "You really did your research, but there's one slight problem, you're totally wrong about my quirk." Masaki smiled as his body burst into flames. Bright blue fire started burning out from his heart, spreading out to the rest of his body. Himari watched in horror as the cotton she had wrapped him with incinerated. In a matter of seconds the boy that was held captive had disappeared, a giant flaming dragon in his place. Masaki spread his large flaming wings, his entire body taking up the hallway, "I'm not a plant!"

Masaki Nishiya

Quirk: Blue Flame Dragon

"Fear not the flames that have engulfed him, for they are merely revealing his true power! Be it his full body or individual limbs, he shall thus be cloaked in the form of a dragon of azure flames! Behold, Nishiya Masaki, the wielder of the Blue Flame Dragon!"

"Oh crap," Yumi's eyes widened in shock and awe, watching Masaki slowly stalk towards them in the hallway, "Let's get out of here." Yumi scooped up Eiko and started sprinting away.

Following suit, Himari scrambled away. Masaki's each step rattled the building. For once in her life Himari was glad that her enemy was larger than her. She kept checking behind her, seeing Masaki struggle to get through the hallway, if they were lucky he'd get stuck. Masaki growled as he had to stop using his quirk, slowly transforming back to normal. Proceeding to run on foot after them.

Himari had a hard time keeping pace with Yumi, but eventually caught up, the girls slid to a stop

in another hallway where another figure stood. Only his silhouette was visible, but it was very distinct, a bird head and cape somehow billowing in the windless hallway.

"Halt Heroines of Justice," He announced, his voice echoing through the hallway, as he struck a pose, "Do not advance further, for I, a Scion of Evil, the Sakura Saboteur, am here to stop you!"

"What's with the showmanship?" Yumi asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Given how unassuming Masaki was, Himari agreed with the sentiment, surely he was far more dangerous than he looked.

The silhouette strode forward, outstretching a hand. Himari could now make out that the boy's head was definitely avian in shape, and both his head and skin were a very vibrant pink in color. It was definitely clashing with that overly-dramatic declaration.

"And now, fair heroines, prepare!" The bird-headed boy declared, still as loudly as before. "For your failure to retreat has forced me to act! Now, prepare to-"

Himari managed to snap out of her confusion, leaping ahead of her teammates to shoot out more of her cotton. The strands wrapped themselves around the boy, binding his legs and arms together mid-stride. His momentum and his singular leg on the floor caused him to tilt over, falling against the wall at an angle.

While the bird head and beak made it difficult to determine his expression, Himari could swear it almost looked like a pout as he called out to them. "Oh, come on, I was having a whole bit there! You can't just interrupt someone's monologue like that!"

"I'm… sorry?" How exactly was Himari supposed to respond to something like that?

"He's probably just trying to distract us and waste time. He's on the enemy team, remember?" Eiko said rather bluntly.

"I was?" Came a confused reply from the boy.

Wait, so that wasn't a diversion tactic? Then what was that whole monologue about? Himari shook her head, discarding that line of thinking. "Whatever, he's tied up now! Let's go on!" The three girls nodded, getting ready to begin running again

"Halt! ...again!"

"Oh, now what?!" Yumi grumbled as their attention was called over to the boy, who was squirming in his bindings. "Oh, fine. We'll listen to your monologue after we win, I promise."

The boy grinned up at her, revealing the teeth beneath his beak. "Thank you, I worked so hard on it!" A silence fell between them, before he began squirming again. "...is what I would say, were I not the true Scion of Evil! I need not your sympathies, nor shall you prevail!"

The three girls shared a look, ultimately ending when Yumi shrugged to her teammates. "Let's just get going already."

The boy's grin turned into a smirk, and Himari could see his red eyes practically glinting amongst the black sclera - about the only thing about him that actually looked intimidating as he was trying to be. "Now, this is the part where I show you the true power of the Sakura Saboteur!"

The three girls took a step back as a strange black liquid began to seep out from where the cotton was binding him, the bonds slowly beginning to loosen on him. After a few seconds, the boy managed to stand up, the cotton dissolving into the liquid they'd seen. He began brushing the remains off of himself, revealing a pink liquid underneath it, seeping from the pores in his skin.

"Acid." Eiko said in a rather matter-of-fact tone. "And the bird head means that's the son of Tsukuyomi and Pinky, Tokoyami Yuudai."

"Alas!" Called out Yuudai, the acid bubbling across his skin. "The son of two great heroes, sadly turning his back on their path, choosing evil! That great power of theirs, brought to bear upon those who represent justice!" The acid moved across his body to his navel, extending outward, taking upon the form of a bird-headed humanoid with clawed hands. He extended his hand outward once more, the acid being mimicking his actions. "You face not only the Sakura Saboteur, but his Quirk, Acidman Redux!"

Yuudain Tokoyami:

Quirk: Acidman Redux

"From my mother came Acid. From my father, Dark Shadow. Much as how they brought me into this world, so too did their Quirks bring mine! Behold, the Quirk of Tokoyami Yuudai, Acidman Redux! An avian of acid, acting according to my will!"

The acidic being lunged forward, rearing back its fist as it advanced. Yumi grabbed Eiko, pulling her back along with her, while Himari threw up her hands, spinning a ball of cotton to shield them from the impact. Redux's hand collided with the ball, tearing through it and sending acid splashing to the sides of the corridor, though the cotton protected them enough from the attack to allow them to retreat a few steps.

Himari looked at the bubbling remains of the cotton, a distraught look crossing her face. "Oh, come on! You mean two of their team can just take apart my cotton like that? That's not fair!"

Yuudai's head perked up at her words. "Two, you say? I see you have met my ally! Yes, my fellow of great power, the terrifying Draconid of the Azure Flame!"

"I never agreed to that name, Tokoyami-san!"

The girls turned to face behind them, seeing Masaki round the corner. He was panting, bracing himself against the wall as he caught his breath. He grinned when he saw the girls, however. "Well, well! Looks like we've got them cornered!"

Yuudai smiled, bowing slightly to Masaki. "Thanks to your timely arrival, yes we have!" Redux returned to his side, crossing its arms as Yuudai laughed. "Let's take them together, Nishiya-san!"

Himari looked to her teammates, backing closer to them. "Any plans, Shishikura-san? We're really in trouble now."

She saw her teammate scan the area, before turning her focus to one of the walls, seeing it look black and charred from where the acid had splashed. "Shoji-san, get us out through there."

Yumi's attention turned to the wall, nodding immediately. Her fists bulked up, much was her mother's would, and she unleashed a string of punches on the designated spot. The wall began to crumble beneath the impact of the numerous blows.

Himari quickly realized Yumi wasn't making fast enough progress, and the two boys would be upon them in seconds. She turned around and stretched out her hands, numerous strands of cotton wrapping around their bodies, restraining them in place.

Much to her frustration, both Yuudai and Masaki went about freeing themselves immediately, the former calling over his acid being to claw apart and melt it while the latter burned his bindings with his flames. She continued spinning more cotton, hoping to keep up the pressure.

Himari noticed someone step beside her, and turned to see Eiko, unsteadily facing Masaki. She raised a shaking hand and extended a bony finger towards him. A split second later, Eiko collapsed to her knees, coughing violently, as was Masaki, his flames growing weaker.

Himari quickly turned to her teammate. "Shishikura-san, are you okay?! What did you-?"

"Strep throat." The girl said between coughs. "That should make his firepower much weaker."

Eiko Shishikura

Quirk: Pandemi

"Unconventional is the first word one would think of when they saw Shishikura Eiko, and her Quirk fits, truly all but conventional! With but a point of her finger at her target, her Pandemic takes hold, spreading any illness or disease of her choosing! And thus, they will soon find themselves at the mercy of this unconventional heroine!"

Before Himari could ask for more detail, she heard Yumi call out, "I'm through!" The two girls turned around, seeing a large enough hole for them to fit through. She hoisted Eiko onto her back, who was starting to look better by the second. "Come on, let's go!"

Yumi rushed through the hole with Eiko in tow, but Himari hesitated, glancing at her foes. Yuudai was starting to shrug off the melting strands, and even while he was weakened, Masaki's fire was still undoing his own. She was also well aware that her own stamina was dropping.

Himari held out her hand to the opening, and within seconds, cotton began clogging up the hole.

"Amajiki-san, what are you doing?!" Yumi rushed to the opening, calling out to her.

Himari put on a brave smile for her allies. "Get going, you two! There's one left, and you can take her together! I'll stall as long as I can, just win!"

Yumi swallowed hard, but ultimately nodded. She turned away, and Himari saw her enter a dash before the cotton blockage swallowed up the sight of her teammates.

Himari felt a pang of regret as she stared at the wall of cotton. She had hoped to keep up with her team, maybe get an elimination in, but her luck just hadn't panned out. Still, she wanted to help her team, and stalling seemed like that was what was most needed right now. She turned to face Yuudai, who was now running down the hallway at full tilt. She held her hand out, strands of cotton flying his way.

"Not this time!" The acidic being hovered directly in front of Yuudai, clawing at any strands that got close to the boy. "Justice shall not prevail while I still stand!"

Himari threw both her hands forward, putting all the effort she could into creating a wall of cotton in front of her, making it as thick and dense as she could manage. The acidic being reached her right as the wall finished, slashing with its liquidy claws. To her fortune, even though it was completely made of acid, the cotton was too dense and thick, its claws slowing to a halt within the wall.

Himari rested her hands on her knees, panting heavily. She glanced up at the wall, which Yuudai had slowed to a halt in front of, his monster clawing at it. "Stand all you like over there, Sakura guy, just don't stand in my team's way!"

"Of man, that's such a cool one-liner!" She heard Yuudai shout out in delight through the wall. "We've totally got to workshop after we're all done here!"

Himari exhaled, wiping her brow. "You're quite the humble loser, Tokoyami-san. I'll keep your offer in mind."

She could hear the boy clear his throat, affecting a more dramatic air. "Even the Scion of Evil has his virtues! But we're not finished yet!"

Man, he was exhausting to handle. But maybe a bluff would work here, or at least slow him down. "Same here, Tokoyami-san! I've still got plenty of cotton left in me!"

She heard the boy laugh from the other side. "Quite excellent, noble heroine of justice! But even a Scion of Evil knows to rely on both my teammates!"

Himari paused, a chill running down her spine. She heard a ragged cough sound it behind her, and glancing over her shoulder, she saw Masaki standing, his right arm now much larger and draconian in shape, ready to strike.

Himari threw up her arms, preemptively flinching as the golden-haired boy swung his fist right at her. Seeing the attack bearing down on her, with nowhere to escape, she closed her eyes. She couldn't help but have her final thought before unconsciousness took her regret that she performed worse than her best friends.

Eiko:

The sounds of battle came from behind Eiko, she looked back longingly, as much as it pained her to do so, she did as Himari obliged. She wasn't anti-social and most certainly didn't hate people, it was just that she didn't know how to talk with people. Whenever she talked with people it was matter of fact and to the point, why waste the effort with semantics?

"Don't worry Shishikura-san," Yumi consoled, the redheaded girl ushered Eiko along as if she were a small child looking at a toy they weren't allowed to have, Yumi of course didn't mean to, but it was how Eiko felt nonetheless, "Amajiki-san seems really capable, I'm sure she did an excellent job of holding them off."

"I don't think so, both of them countered her quirk so effectively, it's like holding a match up to a blizzard, it'll flicker out in a second," Eiko mournfully looked down, she felt terrible abandoning a teammate, not to mention the tactical loss it would have on their team, she just had to be sure that whatever Iida-san did it was something that Yumi and herself could handle.

"What do you think we could expect from Iida-san?" Yumi asked, almost as if she had a mind reading quirk, which of course she did not, as evidenced by her six arms and the ability to transform them.

"She's the daughter of the elder brother of Ingenium and the former hero Miruko," Eiko pondered, allowing the gentle rocking she felt as Yumi maneuvered them through the winding hallways of the building, "She probably has something speed based, which is a big problem for us, unless we can get to the room with the bomb, and she's all the way across the building I don't think we stand a chance."

"That's a really glum way to look at it Shishikura-san," Yumi frowned, well Eiko assumed she frowned, her face was hidden beneath the gaiter she wore, but her eyes told the whole story.

"It's the grim reality, we have no way to deal with someone like that, I'm not nearly physically capable and you certainly aren't fast enough," Eiko frowned, her brow furrowed in thought, "Our only chance at victory should she come is to incapacitate her with a powerful sickness and hope that it gives us enough time to get to the bomb in time."

"That sounds like a solid plan," Yumi nodded rounding a corner, her eyes widening as they spotted an open door at the end of the hallway, sitting in the room it led to was the bomb in question. It was a sitting duck.

"I knew I made the right call," Eiko smirked, Yumi jogging the two of them down the hallway, "They were fools to leave it in the open like this, Katsumi is probably running around searching for us and her allies."

"Yes, it seems far too good to be true," Yumi nodded in agreement, again her eyes showing that she was in fact smiling at their circumstances. Eiko thought that maybe they could win this and make a good impression on the class.

"Gotcha!" A voice cried out from behind them. Yumi turned around just in time to make one of her fists larger as a flying kick from Katsumi landed squarely on the back of her hand. Yumi pushed back, sending Katsumi flying back. Like a skilled gymnast she used the wall as a springboard to launch herself onto the floor, breaking into a spring as soon as she did, contrails following behind her, emanating from exhaust vents on her shoulders.

Katsumi Iida

Quirk: Motor Jump

"All heroics requires putting in the legwork, and none know that better than the noble heroine, Iida Katsumi! Capable of taking on a rabbit's physique much like her mother and with an engine on her back much like her father's, Katsumi's Motor Jump keeps her leaps and bounds above the rest!"

"What do I do Shishikura-san?" Yumi asked with concern, Eiko watched as her eyes darted around the room, barely keeping up with Katsumi, occasionally using an arm to block an attack, all just in the nick of time.

"Put me down, then get me an opening," Eiko declared, forcing herself to get out of Yumi's arms with a cough, her throat sore from the strep she had given Masaki. At this point she was just going to be a drag on the team, Yumi needed a range of motion that she could not achieve carrying her, "I'll try to take her down."

"Are you sure Shishikura-san?" The mutant girl looked at her with concern in her dark eyes, the warmth piercing through the coldness they naturally harbored, in her heart Eiko wanted to just let Yumi carry her and go down together, but she couldn't do that to a teammate.

"Yes, of course I'm sure," Eiko wracked her brain, she needed to figure out what was going to be the best use against Katsumi, assuming she could even focus on her long enough to use her quirk. Then it clicked, Katsumi was obviously filled with boundless energy, mitigating that would be her first criteria on deciding a disease.

"Watch out!" Yumi shouted, pushing Eiko to the side as Katsumi came crashing down where the feeble girl had once stood, the concrete cracking slightly beneath her blue and red long fall boots, before she shot away again. Eiko looked at Yumi and nodded her support, watching as Yumi spread her arms wide in an attempt to catch Katsumi, which would have worked were she a bit faster.

Eiko shook her head, this was no time for her to be distracted. Trying to remember which disease would work best for their situation required her to search her mind through countless textbooks she had read over the years, all hoping a disease matched their niche circumstances. Then it clicked, a disease that lowered energy, caused shortness of breath and many more side effects that would provide an edge in their situation, the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as Pneumonia.

"Hey, Shishikura-san, please don't just stand there doing nothing," Katsumi called out from a corner of the hallway where she had landed, nervously tapping her foot, "I really want this to be a win because you didn't try your hardest."

Eiko couldn't help but smile, it was perfect. Katsumi's own pride was her downfall, or maybe it was honor, Eiko didn't care. Either way it provided her the perfect opportunity to secure the win. She focused her attention on Katsumi and activated her quirk, the harsh drawback hitting as soon as she did so. Eiko started to struggle to breath as she felt her lungs fill up with fluid. As much as it bothered her, she knew it bothered Katsumi more, Eiko understood what it was like to suddenly fall ill, Katsumi would be caught completely unawares.

"Now Shoji-san!" Eiko cried out, the very action scraping her throat raw. Shedidn't need to say it twice, Yumi immediately jumped into action sprinting at Katsumi. The poor girl coughed as Yumi neared and narrowly jumped out of the way, Yumi's fist smashing the wall where she was. While Yumi kept Katsumi distracted, Eiko just had to make her way to the end of the hallway, and through the door, and touch the bomb. A massive hurdle, but something she could overcome nonetheless.

Eiko saw as Katsumi was finally wrapped up in the arms of Yumi. She smiled as the girl attempted to escape Yumi's grasp, but couldn't. Her six arms were strong and true, holding Katsumi in place, despite her best efforts.

Yumi Shoji

Quirk:Kraken

"Many creatures of yore are rumored to come from the sea, the most well known of which may be the legendary Kraken! Capable of growing duplicates of her body parts on her arms, as well as increasing the size and power of those which become fists, Shoji Yumi's power is truly worthy of sharing the name with that beast!"

Eiko struggled to stand, but using two respiratory illnesses really did a number on her. Her breathing was ragged, and each breath felt like she was swallowing sandpaper. Not allowing that to stop her, Eiko struggled her way to the room at the end of the hallway, each step sending a shock of pain through her body. Eventually she reached a wall for support, barely able to keep herself standing otherwise.

"There she is!" Another familiar voice rang out, Eiko turned to see both Masaki and Yuudai, while the latter was looking worse for wear, the sudden strep throat weakening him severely, Yuudai seemed relatively untouched.

"Draconoid of azure flames, trouble yourself not, for I shall incapacitate the heroines and see you avenged," Yuudai flamboyantly stated, covering his face for dramatic flair, "I invoke my inner darkness, Redux rise!" Yuudai spread his arms wide, the acidic being sprouting from his chest darting towards Eiko herself.

Eiko watched in horror as the pink acidic being snaked its way over to her, his arms spread wide to scoop her up. Then a shadow passed in front of her, Yumi stepped in, her six arms capturing the creature within them. Not only did that shock Redux, Yuudai and Masaki, it shocked Eiko. She didn't understand it, Yumi could have just ditched Katsumi to get the bomb and let her get captured, securing their team the win, but she didn't. Yumi saved her.

"Gyah!" Yumi cried out, the weak acid that Redux was currently comprised of stinging her eyes as the creature tried to escape. Eiko watched as Yumi swung her strong arms, swinging Redux and by association Yuudai through the air. Slamming Yuudai into Masaki.

Eiko took this opportunity to continue her way to the bomb, she couldn't let her teammates' sacrifice go in vain. Her legs were sore from the sprinting she had to do earlier, and her lungs were screaming at her from the combined pneumonia and strep. However with Yuudai and Masaki distracted, she just had to touch the bomb to win. Stealing another glance back, Eiko's eyes widened in disbelief as Masaki had shifted back into his dragon form, with Yuudai by his side. Yumi was still there, covered in bruises and burns.

"I-I can't let this be in vain," Eiko straightened herself and started to sprint towards the doorway, it was only twenty feet away and the bomb was only a few feet after that into the room. Fighting through the pain her body was wracked with, Eiko stumbled towards the door.

"Gyah!" Katsumi screamed out, catching Eiko's attention, the sickly girl looked up in surprise and barely had time to bring up her arms to block a kick from Katsumi. Not that it mattered much, Katsumi's powerful kick slammed into her forearms and Eiko felt a pain she hadn't experienced a day in her life. With a resounding crack that echoed throughout the whole hallway her arm broke.

"Aaagggggh!" Eiko cried out in pain dropping to her knees, holding the broken arm in one hand as each heartbeat made it throb. It didn't seem that Katsumi noticed, because as Eiko turned back in time to see Masaki and Yuudai put Yumi down, the girl delivered another powerful kick into Eiko's side. This time she felt her ribs crack and she collapsed to the ground, the pain making the edges of her vision go black.

"Villain team wins!" Red Riot announced through the PA as Eiko saw Katsumi's face widen in shock and horror as the girl rushed to her side.

"Someone get the nurse!" Was the last thing she heard as her eyes finally shut and she slipped into unconsciousness.

A/N: Well this was a pretty intense fight, sorry it took so long to get out, but really I just needed to get past this chapter to get back into the groove of things. I'd like to thank KingOfStories01 for helping me get this chapter out, he was a huge help with writing Yuudai. Well the next few chapters will be dealing with normal school life and maybe we'll get to see what happened to Eiko. As an additional note, from now on imagine that Yuudai is the one narrating the quirk Beyond, Plus Ultra