The Okami Hero: Amaterasu
Arc 3: A Mind Divided
Chapter 9: See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil
[Sunday 27th March 2280]
[The Astral Plain]
Jinhad experienced a lot in his 29 years of life. Being orphaned by Villains, growing up friendless in Foster Homes, losing his home and job for something that wasn't his fault, stealing to survive, being driven to greater acts of Villainy by a mysterious voice, losing his mind when his Doubles had rebelled, and then being befriended and brought home by one of his would-be victims…
And yet none of that managed to be stranger than what he was currently watching/experiencing.
His one and only friend, Himiko, had put her palm against his heart with a soft smile, just as her teammates; Izumi and Katsuki, were doing the same with the two remaining Demons currently possessing a couple of his clones. They had shouted "SUNRISE!" and then the most indescribable feeling had overcome him. Jinfelt like he was floating as Akuma-Hasu, kept buried inside his heart by Twice, Jin's only surviving Alter, was pulled out of his body. It felt like Jin was sweating off an illness as the Demon emerged from his body through his skin, being chased out in the form of black smoke by the light Himiko had pumped into him through the mark on her palm.
Once the black smoke had been chased out, the light that followed it seemed to burn it away, causing a demonic shriek of pain before the last of Akuma-Hasu was finally destroyed. With the Demon no longer inside him, Twice didn't need to hold it down any more and joined Jin in watching what was happening with the other two demons.
Akuma-Saki and Akuma-Tsuta had cracked apart, just as the latter had done when Izumi tried purifying him earlier, and the black smoke and light had been driven from the clones, which melted immediately. Just as it had happened with the smoke driven from him, Jin and Twice watched the other two demons burn away in the light, shrieking as they went and leaving behind nothing but tiny specks of light. The specks of light that had emerged from the Demons combined together into a single large mass, before splitting into three and taking shape.
Sakigami, Hasugami and Tsutagami each took form and landed on the ground between the large groups of humans, all three panting slightly and checking their bodies. There was a moment of eerie silence as everyone waited to see if it had worked, or if they'd become corrupted again, but their question was answered when the Astral Plain was completely taken over by Izumi's light, purifying it and confirming there was no longer a Demonic Presence.
Everyone began screaming and cheering with relief and delight, shouting thanks to the heavens that the battle was finally over! Even the purified Hanagami Monkeys were laughing and clapping with relief, dancing around and hugging each other.
Unlike their Demon Forms, the Hanagami Monkeys were identical to each other; all had the plump ape-like bodies and faces, with thick white fur all over them and red Divine Markings. They also had the wing-like crests of fur on their shoulders and even wore the same light pink neckerchief and Onmyoji Hat. The only way of telling which was which was by their weapons. All three instruments were golden now and looked much less sinister. Sakigami's Sho resembling the pipes of a church organ with a golden ribbon around it and pieces of metal shaped like clouds attached to the back. Tsutagami's Cymbals now had a smooth edge and had carvings of a tree on the back of each one. Lastly, Hasugami's flute became covered in intricate detailing, with golden leaves on the end and a large golden flower attached to it too.
"I've got no clue what's happening, but I'm guessing it worked?" Jin asked.
"We don't have to deal with any more asshole monkeys, right?" Twice added.
"I think so." Izumi said, "Are you three alright now?" she asked, addressing the Monkey Gods.
"We are well, thanks to you and your companions." Sakigami bowed.
"Yes, the Dark One and our twisted counterparts did not expect such valiant resistance from Humans. The Dark One will think twice before attacking them again." Hasugami smiled, also bowing.
"Though I believe I speak for my brothers as well as myself when I say we owe you all both our thanks and our apologies." Tsutagami said, following his brothers in their show of respect.
"It was no bother for me. As the Leader of the Brush Gods, purifying you is my duty." Izumi smiled, "Though I cannot speak for the others." she added. The Girl wanted to say it was okay, so the Monkey Gods could feel better about what happened, but she couldn't ignore her friends' feelings.
The rest of the Konohana Household had gathered around Jin and Himiko now so they were all in one group. This made it very easy for all three Monkey Gods to turn to them, get on their knees and bow so deeply their heads touched the floor.
"We, the Hanagami; the Gods of Flowers, do offer our sincere apologies to the people we have harmed. We also offer our gratitude for helping the Great Amaterasu to restore us. If there is a boon we can grant, it shall be done." they said, each God taking turns to speak.
Himiko was the first Human to react; "My problem was with the Akuma-Hana. Those guys bit the dust, so there's nothing for you guys to worry about." she smiled.
"Same. It was a fun fight, so I don't have any issues with you." Katsuki added, slowly taking deep breathes to wind down from the excitement of the battle.
Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugou shared their son's sentiments, understanding that the Gods couldn't be fairly judged for what their Demon Selves did. Gin Maeda and Doi Nazo were a little angry that they hadn't gotten to smack Akuma-Hasu for calling them fat, but they refused Hasugami's offer to hit him instead, so they decided to forget the issue. The Maeda Sisters were too exhausted from overusing their quirks to really say much, but they did give the Monkeys a thumbs up. Tenji Iida was in much the same boat, his heart a little overworked due to his quirk, so he just waved the Monkeys off and sat down to catch his breath. The Onikawas, true to form, said nothing at all and just gave "Okay" signs with their hands as they deactivated their quirks. Master Onigiri thanked the Monkeys for the bout, saying it was a good experience for him and his young students. Granny and Grandpa Citrus, who'd only been spectators through the whole affair, just smiled and said it wasn't their place to judge Gods for the crimes of Demons. Torikago, who sympathised after having been made to commit crimes against her will before, simply told them not to worry as she struggled to remain standing. That left only Hawks and Sakuya, neither of whom had been kidnapped or hurt, so they had no reason to be upset at all.
The only person to complain was Jin/Twice.
"Hey, we don't really get what happened, but from what you guys are all saying… these Monkeys and Himiko's sister..." Jin pointed to the Hanagami and then to Izumi, "...are somehow Gods. Not the Western "UNLIMITED POWEEERRR!" kind of God, but the Japanese Shinto kind, right?"
Everyone nodded, curious as to where he was going with this.
"And those Monkeys got turned into Demons by this "Dark One", and possessed me, right?" he received another nod, "So what I wanna know is why me? What was the point?" Jin asked.
"And what exactly did I do that was my fault, and what was theirs?" Twice added.
The Monkeys looked at one another for a moment, then nodded and turned back to Jin/Twice.
"We were first made to possess you about three years ago. The Dark One, also referred to as the Evil One or the Black One, ordered us to possess you specifically. He possesses a way of seeing potential futures, and used it to foresee you becoming a Villain. We were made to possess you so we could accelerate the process and drive you to becoming a Lieutenant in the Dark One's Demon Army." Sakigami explained.
"You were already committing minor crimes when we possessed you; mostly pickpocketing and shoplifting in order to survive. Our voices began to urge you to commit greater and greater crimes, while we used our corrupting powers to whittle down your personal morals and magnify your greed, sloth and overall anger towards Society. You were not an evil man, despite the Dark One's predictions, so we worked hard to push you down the path of Villainy." Hasugami continued, his head bowed in shame.
"When that started going well, we triggered your mental breakdown and the rebellion of those Doubles… While you slept, we took direct control of your body and made clones so each of us had a body, just like today, then we created more clones to replace the ones you'd left to do your housework. Those clones were born with the order to question you and eventually rebel, claiming to be the original… When the Clones rebelled as we hoped, we ensured you were tied up and scarred, so your mind would shatter without your body being killed. We then led the clones to kill each other. Once all three of us were back in your head, we created the illusion of the voices screaming at you to further your corruption. At the time, Amaterasu had purified two of the Brush Demons already and had befriended Himiko; the host of the third demon, so we hoped to irreparably damage you before she found out, so even if we were purified, she wouldn't gain you as an ally. The only thing we didn't count on was Twice… Our actions split your personality in half, resulting in Jin and Twice becoming different personalities in the same body…." Tsutagami admitted, unable to meet Jin's eyes.
The Three Monkeys looked at the ground, ashamed and repentant; "Those are our sins. Your madness and the heinous crimes you committed were done at our whim. We were corrupted into the Akuma-Hana at the time, so while we may not have had a choice in the matter, it doesn't change the grave sin we committed. We deeply apologise, and offer our services in repentance." they said together, kowtowing to the Scarred Blond.
Jin frowned, unable to decide what to do. On the one hand, he was really upset that he'd been used as a tool and made to do horrible things… almost all of his suffering had been because of the Demons possessing him. But on the other hand, those Demons didn't exist now… they'd been purified by Himiko and her two friends. Jin couldn't help but be thankful to Himiko, who'd become his friend and saved him from a horrible fate all on one day, and upon hearing she'd been possessed too, he wanted to know how she'd handled it.
"Himiko, what do you think I should do? I feel like I should forgive them, but..." Jin began.
"I also want some payback!" Twice finished.
Himiko thought for a moment; "To be honest, I never really considered getting payback on Tachigami, the one who had possessed me as a Demon. I had other things I was worried about, like my crappy parents and the fact I'd sort of exposed my biggest secret to Izumi. I don't think I felt any kind of anger towards Tachigami, so forgiving him was really easy. Plus, he made for a really cute little mouse!"
Within Izumi's heart, Tachigami glowered; "I am not a "really cute little mouse!" I am a warrior that religiously studies the way of the blade! Great Mother, please correct her!"
Izumi giggled; "Tachigami wants a more manly compliment." she said, making Himiko smirk while Tachigami grumbled even more. Putting on a neutral expression, Izumi bowed politely to Jin/Twice. "Mr Bubaigawara, all the Brush Gods, including the Hanagami here, are in my service. If you want reparations for what was done to you, allow me to take responsibility. I can offer you a lot more than they can, since I live in the Human World unlike them."
"Great Mother Amaterasu… to think you would humble yourself for our sakes…" The Hanagami Monkeys said, clenching their fists and crying manly tears; "We will serve you with even more devotion!"
Izumi and the others blinked at the Monkeys' odd declaration. In the meantime, Jin and Twice spoke to each other inside their shared head, and came up with a solution.
"I have an idea." Jin said, "I can't blame you for something you didn't actually do, and I'd feel shitty asking Himiko's Sis to do something for me, so instead of repaying me, why don't you guys play us a song or something? You've got the instruments for it. A little show will help everyone feel better, right?" he said, looking to the Konohana Household. Each one either nodded in agreement or shrugged, not caring either way.
"Just make sure it doesn't suck, or I'll never forgive you!" Twice added for good measure.
Seeing as everyone appeared to be either neutral or agreeable to that plan, the Hanagami briefly put their heads together to agree on a song. It didn't take them long though, and once they'd decided on a song, they had everyone sit down in a circle around them so they could put on a proper show. With everyone seated, the Monkey Trio nodded to each other and began to play.
The song they played was one none of the Humans present had ever heard before, though Sakuya recognised it as a song from Ancient Nippon, and Izumi felt a huge wave of nostalgia washing over her as she listened. The song primarily used the Flute and Sho, with the occasional bit of percussion from the Cymbals. It was a peaceful song, pleasant enough to calm the hearts of even Katsuki and his mother, who generally preferred livelier music, but there was also an almost haunting feeling that came with the gentle tones, making everyone present think back on their lives, both good and bad. As the song played, flower petals would occasionally appear from the pipes of the Sho, or blowing out from the end of the Flute. Sometimes a cloud of them would appear when Tsutagami clashed his Cymbals, and they all floated gently in a pleasant breeze, filling the air with the colours of spring. Jin and Twice, who'd agreed on the song idea as a token gesture to let them forgive the Monkeys while also getting something small in return, found themselves even more at peace as they listened. Both sides of Jin Bubaigawara felt calm and content, enjoying the song and display of flower petals.
Demon Possession aside, today had been a good day for the Two in One Man.
Finally, when the song ended, everyone clapped politely for the Monkeys, who bowed graciously. Jin/Twice gave a thumbs up to convey his approval of the show, and to display that he'd officially forgiven them.
"That was a nice song. I wanna hear it again someday." Jin grinned.
"I'll forget about all the Demon shit." Twice added.
The Monkey Gods exchanged pleased smiles, happy that their song had lifted everyone's spirits.
"I hate to be a downer..." Hawks said, "But shouldn't we all be leaving now? There can't be much more time before our 3 hour limit is up and we humans won't survive once we pass it. Plus, everyone's kind of banged up and I don't think Izumi has much strength left..."
Everyone looked at themselves; they all had either bruises or cuts (though none were serious), and Izumi was remaining conscious only through willpower and the dregs of her strength. After the trials of the Provisional License Exam and the battle with the Demons, Izumi was exhausted to the point of her health actually being effected; she was pale and sweating profusely, and she felt like she was about to lose her lunch.
"You are right, Man of the Hawk Clan. With our Great Mother's permission, we shall return to her spirit and send you all to your homes." Tsutagami said.
Izumi nodded tiredly; "All three of you are welcome to rest within me. Yomigami, Bakugami and Tachigami are already present. With you three, that'll double the number of Brush Gods within me." she said, smiling despite her drooping eyes.
"Technically, these three only count as a single Brush God. All three make up the Hanagami, the real member of the Thirteen Brush Gods." Ishiko corrected, though no one was bothered by the semantics.
"You have our thanks. We shall do this one at a time, but allow me the honour of saying this." Sakigami said, bowing his head to Izumi, "Great Mother Amaterasu, we appreciate the grace you have shown us. We, the Hanagami, the Gods of Flowers, humbly return to your side, and return to you our Celestial Brush Techniques; the collection known as Greensprout. Fare thee well, Daughter of the Sun."
Sakigami then played a short tune on his Sho and his body dissolved into petals, leaving behind a glowing orb containing the Kanji: "Saki". The orb flew into Izumi's chest and returned another memory.
Izumi saw herself in a dead valley, rolling a strange green crystal ball onto an altar above a small sapling. She then summoned forth the Sun, as she could do at her prime, and allowed its light to flow through the crystal and touch the Sapling, making it grow into a mighty, but barren, cherry tree. The Tree's restoration summoned forth Sakigami, who granted her the power of Bloom; the first ability of the Green Sprout Technique. With Bloom in her hands, Izumi witnessed herself drawing a circle of green ink around the barren tree, restoring it to its full beauty. The Tree's revival also resurrected all the dead plants in the valley, creating a beautiful landscape of flowers and trees.
Unlike the previous times this had happened, when the dream ended, Izumi was still in the Astral Plain, as were her friends. She barely had the time to look blearily at Hasugami, as the Monkey played a tune on his flute and dissolved into petals, just as Sakigami had. This time, he left behind a ball of light bearing the "Hasu" kanji, and upon absorbing it, Izumi experienced another dream.
This time, Izumi found herself in the ancient Kamiki Village, standing on a wooden platform overlooking the Original Konohana Tree. With her was an old man, who was a dead ringer for Grandpa Citrus. The Old Man gulped down some sake and began to dance, pointing his cane at parts of the Konohana Tree that had not yet bloomed. With each point, Izumi cast Bloom to make the buds blossom, and by the time the dance was over, Konohana was in full bloom and covering the village with both beautiful pink petals, and Divine power. Izumi witnessed a brief encounter with Sakuya, who due to the restoration of her tree, had taken on a slightly altered form… one wearing what was basically a translucent pink loin cloth and green leaves for a bikini bra… a blushing Izumi decided to ask the Present Day Sakuya about that outfit later. That was when Hasugami appeared and granted her the power of Water Lily. The dream then jumped forward in time, to where Izumi was creating Lily Pads as platforms to run up a short river, leading to a deep forest.
When the dream ended, Izumi was once again in the Astral Plain. Her friends were looking mildly confused and worried, as Izumi struggled to remain lucid through the influx of power and visions. Tsutagami bowed his head respectfully, knowing the toll this was having on Izumi's body. He resolved to end things quickly, and with a final clash of his Cymbals, his body dissolved like the others had, and the orb bearing the "Tsuta" Kanji fused into Izumi to give her one final dream.
In this dream, Izumi was wondering a ruin deep within the forest she'd found in the last dream. Within the ruins was a giant statue with a room inside, in which Izumi found a once lush garden driven to rot by Demons and their corruption. Using the power of Bloom, Izumi restored the garden to its original state, revealing numerous natural water spouts in the process. Once the garden was restored, Tsutagami appeared to her and granted her the power of Vine. Izumi immediately used this power to create vines that pulled her to the top of the Statue and allowed her to lift remove the top of its head, revealing a secret passage to the Ruins depths.
Izumi awoke from her dream before she could see what was in the heart of the Ruins, and this time, she found herself back in the Human World again. Everyone else was with her too, all of them collapsing to the floor of the Konohana Manor's central building. The strain of being in the Astral Plains had left them all weak and lethargic.
"You're back!" cried Kabuto, rushing into the room along with Doctor Tanaka. Kabuto immediately went to his mother's side, while Doctor Tanaka went to Izumi's.
"You're all injured and exhausted! What on earth happened?" the Doctor asked.
"Long story..." Izumi mumbled, "… too…tired…. Gonna… sleep..."
With that, Izumi passed out, reverting to her normal Human Form. Granny and Grandpa Citrus, being much older and less sturdy than the others, soon followed suit due to their exhaustion. Torikago joined them a moment later, with the overworked Maeda Sisters falling asleep seconds after. Before long, of the ones who entered the Astral Plain, only Katsuki, Himiko, Hawks, Sakuya and Jin remained conscious, either due to having more stamina or simply because they hadn't spent as long in the Astral Plain. Doctor Tanaka patched up everyone's minor injuries as best he could, but he knew Izumi would heal them fully when she regained her strength, so he avoided wasting any of his more expensive medications and bandages. Once the adults had worked together to put everyone in their rooms for the night, those that remained conscious reconvened in the main lounge.
"So, er, what happens now?" Jin asked.
"For now, nothing. We were going to celebrate Izumi's new license, but that'll have to wait until she regains her strength. You'll stay the night here, so we can all talk and sort things out properly tomorrow. No doubt you have questions." Sakuya said with a kind smile.
"Hell yeah I do. There was some crazy stuff happening today!" Twice yelled.
"Well you can take a load off for now. Being the Reborn Goddess around here, Izumi gets final say on what we do about stuff involving Gods and Demons." Katsuki said. He and his parents would be staying the night in the guest rooms too, since neither Mitsuki or Masaru were in a fit state to be driving.
"Is that really okay?" Jin asked.
"We insist." Hawks said with finality. His tone of voice contained his usual joviality, but the look in his eyes left Jin/Twice with the distinct impression that he didn't have a choice.
Ultimately, Jin/Twice didn't argue (he'd seen enough of Hawks using his feather blades to know he didn't want to risk angering the Wing Hero) and Himiko showed him to one of the guest rooms, giving him some of Kabuto's night clothes to change into. Sleeping in an actual futon and not on a ratty old mattress made the blond man feel much better about his choice too, and for the first time in over a year, he fell asleep without wearing a mask or fearing the voices in his head.
The next day was an extremely late start for everyone. After all the excitement of the previous day, most people staying at the manor didn't rise until almost Noon, with even the eternal early riser Izumi not stirring until 1pm. Once everyone managed to wake up, wash up and dress for the day, they all sat around the dining room table, lazily chewing on breakfast that had been ordered in, as Doi and the Maeda Sisters were in no state to be cooking. With some food in their bellies, everyone became a little more bright eyed, shaking off some of the fatigue of yesterday's battle. Once exhaustion was no longer bothering them, everyone began to feel the soreness of their injuries, so Izumi went around healing everything she could, until every member of the Household (plus their guests) were fully healed.
With their bellies full, their energy restored, and their wounds healed, the Konohana Household moved to the manor's lounge to finally discuss everything that had to be discussed.
"So, where should we start?" Izumi asked. Between Jin's past, his encounter with Himiko, the Provisional License Exams, and the truth of Amaterasu, there was a lot to cover.
"Could you guys go first?" Jin asked, "I appreciate you all helping me out so much, but other than Himiko, I don't really know any of you well enough to spill my life story yet."
"You've got to grind a few more relationship levels to unlock my tragic backstory." Twice added. Jin's darker personality seemed a lot less rude and a lot more… eccentric… than he had before.
"I suppose that's fair. You were possessed by a Demon after all; you probably have a lot of questions." Izumi nodded.
"Ooh! Can I tell the story?" Himiko asked. She was sitting beside Jin and had been pretty clingy with him all morning, not that the man minded.
Izumi just smiled and nodded at her older sister, causing Himiko to give a bare-toothed grin as she cleared her throat; "Awesome! I want to get this just right! This whole thing is an epic tale that began millennia ago..." she began.
What followed was probably the most overly dramatic, though entertaining, telling of Izumi's past that anyone had ever heard. Himiko spoke of Izumi's first incarnation; the White Wolf Shiranui, as well as the second incarnation that hadn't been given its own name by the people who met her, simply using her true name; Amaterasu. Izumi got a bit nervous when Himiko got to the part about her Human Life, but her older sister had enough tact not to talk about her abuse or how she was bullied, simply saying that Izumi had struggled for a year after her mother's soul was stolen. From there Himiko told Jin about Izumi and Hawks defeating Akuma-Yomi, making Torikago nod with a sad smile, then she spoke of Izumi battling the possessed Katsuki and Akuma-Baku, then Himiko's own abusive past and how Izumi had freed her when she was possessed by Akuma-Tachi.
It took over an hour, thanks to Himiko's dramatic story telling, but by the time she was finished, Jin knew all the important details. As Himiko drank some water to sooth her parched throat, Jin couldn't help but look at Izumi in a new light. It was weird to him that such a small girl could defeat so many strong people, but it certainly gave credence to the claims she was a Goddess reborn in human form. Her powers were also far too diverse to be a Quirk, though most people were easily convinced by that particular lie.
"That whole story seems like bullshit. But I believe it." Jin/Twice said, "Everything I saw, everything those crazy monkeys said, and all your weird powers… Himiko's Sis, you're a really strange one."
"Uh, my name is Izumi Midoriya. You can call me Izumi, if you like." the girl replied.
"Okay sure, and you can call me Jin." the man said, giving a small thumbs up.
"I'm still gonna call you Himiko's Sis. Never figured "The Kami of Musutafu" would be an actual Kami though." Twice added.
"Twice and I should thank you. Without you, there'd be no Himiko, and without Himiko, I wouldn't have been saved. So thanks for saving my friend." Jin finished, giving a big grin to Izumi.
Izumi happily accepted the thanks, "You're very welcome! I guess we both got really lucky with Himiko!"
The blonde girl blushed even as she grinned, "You guys are too nice to me!"
"They have a point though. While Izumi may be responsible for purifying the Akuma-Hana, it was ultimately you, Himiko, who saved Jin. None of us heard what you said to help him get control of himself again, but it must have been important to touch Jin's heart as deeply as it did." Sakuya smiled.
"What did you say?" Katsuki asked, turning to the bun haired girl.
Himiko's blush grew even larger; "T-That's a secret!" she exclaimed. She didn't want anyone learning about her embarrassing speech and declaration! She'd said some things about how she'd wanted to become a Doll of Izumi, and she certainly didn't want the girl to know! Himiko would end up being cuddled to death by a distressed Wolf Girl! "Izumi, no asking Hasugami what I said, okay?"
Izumi giggled and winked, "I won't. Your secret is safe from me."
Seeing Jin/Twice accepting the story about gods and demons so easily made Mitsuki pout. She and Masaru had been the only people told so far that had reacted badly, even trying to take Izumi away for fear that Sakuya's group were weird cultists. Their son Katsuki, as well as Himiko and Jin/Twice had accepted it with barely more than a raised eyebrow.
"Is there something wrong with us, or are you all too trusting..." she said after voicing these thoughts.
"In fairness Auntie, you and Uncle Masaru were told the same day as the Hibana Incident, which was stressful for you. After what happened, it was silly of us to think you'd just accept that your son had been possessed by a Demon and I was a Reborn Goddess. Heck, I accepted what I was years ago and I still have trouble calling myself that!" Izumi reasoned.
"Plus, you didn't have any evidence. Sunny, Doubles, and I were all conscious while we were possessed, so we saw everything." Katsuki added.
Mitsuki and Masaru thought about it for a moment, then nodded. There was nothing wrong with them; the rest of these guys just had proof literally rubbed in their noses. While the Bakugous were accepting this, Jin and Twice were wondering if they should be offended by Katsuki's nickname for them.
Following that, Izumi told everyone what had happened at her Provisional License Exam, and passed the actual license around the room so everyone could get a good look. Jin/Twice was shocked someone so young was already a Provisional Hero, but he supposed it made sense if she was a goddess reborn. The Konohana Group were impressed by how well Izumi handled the combat portion of the exam, and even more so by her taking charge and acting as one of the commanders in the rescue portion. Katsuki and Himiko were especially impressed by her fight with Ryukyu, though Izumi made it clear she'd only done so well because Ryukyu was severely holding back. Still, Izumi had passed the exam and it was decided that they'd have a celebration party that night, which Doi and the Maedas would get to work on once the stories were finished.
With all of her stories told, Izumi smiled at Jin/Twice, "So, have I gained enough relationship points to get that backstory?" she asked.
Jin blushed, but Twice grinned and laughed; "HA! Himiko's Sis is a little cheeky! I'd tell you to get lost, but after hearing you literally fight a Dragon after punching out a Bear? I think I'll just go ahead and tell you. Himiko is still the best Midoriya, but you're a close second, Kid."
Himiko grinned bashfully, not used to being considered "the better sister"… with the Togas, her little sister had been normal and thus automatically above her in their eyes, while with the Midoriyas, she had to be compared to Izumi, and even Himiko didn't favourably compare herself to the Wolf Girl.
Izumi just giggled; "I'm glad you rate me almost as highly as Himiko! High praise, since she's the one that saved you, right?"
Jin and Twice both agreed, and for the next few minutes, Himiko had to watch with a growing blush and smile as her friend and her sister gushed over her the same way Izumi often gushed over All-Might! Himiko was amazed; to Jin, she was a real Hero! Someone even better than Izumi! He felt the same way about her as Himiko herself did about Izumi. It made the girl want to swell with pride.
For Jin and Twice, having Himiko sat beside him and believing in him, as well as having Izumi, who appreciated the sunny blonde girl as much as he did, made him comfortable enough to finally tell his own story. The Konohana Household listened with grim expressions as they heard Jin/Twice talk of his past; his being orphaned by villains, his emotionally distant foster family, his friendlessness, his abandonment by his old boss, his committing crimes to survive, and finally, his descent into Madness. The Akuma-Hana had been responsible for the madness, and the more severe crimes that led up to it, but the rest of Jin's life seemed to have been driving him slowly down the path of Villains.
Izumi looked sympathetically at the man, wondering just how many other people out there were like him. How many people had turned to crime, gone mad, or even become real Villains because society had abandoned them? It had almost happened to Himiko because of her abusive parents, and it had almost happened to Kacchan because of how people turned on him following Izumi awakening her power. It made the girl want to do something about it, though she didn't know what.
On Himiko's side, it galvanised her new goal; to become a Hero that changes the world and makes it a better place to live for the oddballs and outcasts of society… to build a world where everyone can live happily as themselves without fear of prejudice. She had no idea how she'd do it yet, but she wasn't alone in the matter; she knew Izumi and Katsuki would help her.
For Jin, he became rather nervous as he explained how he came to meet Himiko… namely dragging her into the woods and threatening her with a knife. However, to his surprise, everyone just laughed.
"Threatening Sunny with a knife? Damn Doubles, you've got balls! Sunny's skills with a knife are almost good enough to be considered a quirk. Trust me dude, the moment you showed her that blade, you'd already lost." Katsuki laughed.
Jin nodded while Twice spoke wryly; "Tell me about it. I showed my knife and she almost immediately pulls a Crocodile Dundee on me and grabs her own knife! I thought I was a goner."
"I wouldn't hurt someone who wasn't trying to hurt me or others. Once you surrendered, you were safe." Himiko assured him.
Jin beamed and with his confidence restored, finished the story of his meeting with Himiko, namely the invitation to gyoza and then being brought back to the manor. Once he was done, Mitsuki laughed and gently nudged Himiko with her elbow.
"Ha! Even adopted, you've got the Midoriya Curse!" the older woman giggled.
Izumi and Himiko just blinked in confusion, so Masaru explained; "Mitsuki and I met each other and Inko back in college. I was the shy type, and Mitsuki was asking me out really forcefully. Inko stumbled across us and thought Mitsuki was threatening me, so they got in a fight. It ALMOST escalated to physical violence, but as soon as Mitsuki let slip that she was only asking me on a date, Inko did a complete 180 and started giving her tips on how to ask me out properly. She and Mitsuki became best friends almost right after. Then, after Izumi was born and she and Katsuki were both only a year old, Katsuki had a tantrum as babies often do and ended up hitting Izumi, making her cry. But as soon as we'd calmed her down, Izumi crawled over to him and wouldn't leave him alone until he took her hand. The two have been friends ever since. Inko, Mitsuki and I started joking that it was the Midoriya Curse; the power to turn the people you fight into lifelong friends."
Mitsuki nodded with a grin; "We thought that little curse was real after Izumi first brought you home, Himiko. It all worked out exactly as it always does; she fought you and then you became lifelong friends and even sisters! And now that you're a Midoriya too, the curse has taken effect!"
Izumi and Himiko looked at each other with equal parts amusement and shock. "To think even Mom made friends with the people she fought… I kinda want to fight more people now." Izumi mused.
"Same here! All I did was slap Jin-chan's and Twicey's knife away, and now we're like best friends! If we just fight everyone, we can make friends with everyone!" Himiko giggled, only half joking.
Everyone laughed, at least until Grandpa Citrus looked like he was about to explode; "Why are you all laughing like fools!?" he yelled, looking panicked, "Lady Izumi and Lady Himiko wish to become Heroes! They'll be fighting Villains all the time! If this curse is real, then all the Evil People of Japan will end up flocking to their side! Having so many criminals offering their praise and devotion to Okami Amaterasu would surely bring only disaster!"
Sakuya giggled; "It's not a real curse, Grandpa Citrus. Don't take it so seriously!" she said, making everyone laugh again. Grandpa Citrus flushed and complained, demanding they show him proper respect as their elder, but even his wife thought he'd overreacted a little.
The only person not to be laughing any more was Vice-President Ryuko Torikago. Instead, her face had fallen into a deep frown as she realised something.
"Um, I'm sorry to bring this up when we're supposed to be celebrating, but..." the Woman hesitated, seeing everyone's faces turn towards her. She steeled herself and continued; "Don't forget; Jin Bubaigawara is also known as an S-Rank Villain. I believe he should turn himself in."
Next Chapter: Do No Evil
To be Released: May 19th 2021
Dun dun duuunn! We've still got one more chapter to go; the drama can't end just yet! Don't think too badly of Torikago; the woman is trying to do what's right, even if she doesn't like it.
This chapter was mostly just character bonding and Izumi getting some of her memories and all her Greensprout Powers back, but I thought it would be nice to have a break after four straight chapters of Demon fighting.
Next chapter will deal with Jin's criminal record and ultimate fate, and bring a new Canon character into the story.
I hope you enjoyed! Please Comment and Review; it really encourages me!