My Hokuto Academia
I DO NOT own Hokuto no Ken or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and Kohei Horikoshi. Support the official releases, especially of Souten no Ken. Oh, someone's already translating Souten no Ken: Regenesis [manga version] already!
Italics = Flashback
"Italics" = Speaking in a Different Language
'Italics' = Inner Thoughts
Italics = Flashback
"BOLD" = All-Might's tone or Present Mic [excited]
Chapter Forty-Seven: Revelations of the North Star
"At least... they're safe..." were the words of a stirring Izuku Midoriya before slipping into unconsciousness once again. Iida, on the other hand, was as stiff as a wooden board. However, he was alive.
Hours would pass...
...
"Hey," said a masculine voice.
...
"Holy shit, looked like he went 12 rounds with a heavyweight," said another deep voice.
...
"Well, I'm pretty sure Stain's worse than a heavyweight champion..."
...
In a few moments, Izuku woke up, shocked to see his master and another buff individual next to him. Kensei had a dress shirt on, two buttons unbuttoned, a small coat on, and dress pants on. The other one had a simpler outfit: a black short-sleeved shirt with dark-blue pants and a knee-length coat.
"Wait... where am I?"
"Hosu General Hospital, kid. Oh, the name's Ryuki Kasumi. I'm currently training Icey-Hot."
"...Icey-Ho-wait? Todoroki?"
"I still call him Icey-Hot regardless."
However, that was a topic for later, Kensei had a few questions of his own.
"So... the Hero Killer, huh?"
Izuku nodded, but said: "He... outed me... he knew about Hokuto Shin-"
Ryuki immediately closed the doors, interrupting Izuku. "You might want to make sure there are no extra ears who might overhear. But continue, kid."
The boy cleared his throat, continuing. "He knew... he knew about you and your style too."
This made Kensei flinch, prompting him to ask how.
"He knew Nanto Seiken, specifically Nanto Muon Ken."
As soon as this bombshell dropped, Ryuki and Kensei's eyes widened, more so on the latter.
"A rogue Nanto Seiken user, fuck. Is he-"
"I... I... beat him."
"Well, that takes care-"
"I snapped, I saw the remains of Native, and... I just snapped. I wanted to..." Midoriya paused, then exhaled. "end him... Permanently."
"Something else caused it, did it?" asked Kensei, knowing that Izuku was omitting a part or two.
"He threatened not only Iida but also Ashido. However, this blonde guy, Todoroki, and even her tried stopping me from delivering the final blow."
Kensei took all of this in, took a deep breath, realizing that there was no easy way to say this.
"I'm guessing a few other people overheard Stain outing you?"
Izuku nods in response, causing Kensei to sigh in exasperation. However, the former spoke up.
"They know, they'll want answers."
"... who does?"
"Todoroki, Ashido, and three Pro Heroes."
"Okay, maybe-"
"Kensei, s-she deserves to know."
"It's Ashido, is it?" asked Kensei, but Izuku nodded. "...are you sure about this, kid? Are you really sure about her getting involved with our world?"
Izuku held his ground, mouthing 'yes'.
"But... how did you know I would be at this hospital?" Izuku asked.
"Oh, that's simple. Ashido notified me. But I'm serious, are you sure about her coming into our world?"
Ryuki sighed a bit, speaking up. "If you want me to help, I'll bite."
"How so?"
"I can act as a substantial buffer if your classmates get a little too nosy..."
"Ryuki... if you do so, keep the bloodlust to a minimum," said Kensei, almost pleading. "The last thing we need is a bunch of Pro Heroes on our backs."
"You know they can't lay a finger on us, even if they tried," Ryuki responded with a grin.
"It's... the principle of the matter."
As Ryuki and Kensei were debating, the other patient was starting to stir awake... but he was in no mood to talk, only feeling shame and it was made apparent by the small mutters he made...
"Why am I alive...? Why didn't they let me just die... I'm a failure as a hero and younger brother..."
...
Creak!
Kensei and Ryuki turn around, instantly taking their stances.
"Midori?" said a familiar voice. Kensei softened a bit, then motioned for Ryuki to cool it. As the door opened, it revealed a familiar set of faces to Izuku: Ashido, Todoroki, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and the blonde guy in the tracksuit from last night.
"Wait, Ryuki-Sensei?" spoke up Todoroki.
"In the flesh, Icey-Hot."
Some were a bit surprised at this, which led to Todoroki revealing that this was the martial arts teacher he was training under. However, the blonde guy was feeling a bit pensive, prompting Ochako to ask...
"Kiryu, is something wrong?"
"Och-chan... yea. There's something off about those two," Kiryu responded. "One's giving off the pressure of a sleeping demon, similar to mine."
"And the other?"
"Like the Grim Reaper himself."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Ochako shivered and then looked at the two individuals, her brother wasn't kidding. Even if they weren't in combat mode, they still exuded an aura of power. However, Yaoyorozu wondered what Kensei was doing here.
"What, I'm not allowed to visit my apprentice?"
"Wait... I never got your name," Ochako asked.
"Kensei. Kensei Kasumi," replied Kensei, then pointed to Ryuki, introducing him, "and that's my cousin, Ryuki Kasumi."
The two individuals step to the side, letting the hero trainees ask any sort of questions, but the first question was actually directed at him. Out of all the ones who asked, it was Ashido.
"Did... did you teach Midori..." Mina paused but managed to get the words out, "to fight with the intent to kill?"
Kensei had his back to her but took a deep breath. "Yes, I did."
"W...Why?"
Kiryu and Yaoyorozu both focused on Kensei's next words, but he continued. "I taught him to fight with this mindset: 'assume that every villain's merciless'. However, there's something you're leaving out, aren't you?"
Ashido gulped but answered. "Midori... snapped. He was gonna kill Stain... it scared me. To see Midori act like that." She started tearing up a bit but tried keeping her composure.
However, Kiryu spoke up, saying: "So mind explaining why he snapped?"
"Two poss-"
"I can explain this one, Sensei," spoke up Midoriya. He turned to Ashido and said: "I saw the remains of Native... he was sliced apart. Then... he threatened Iida and the rest, but the one comment that set me off... he threatened you."
Ashido was shocked at this, then looked to Ochako to know if this was true. The brunette nodded yes.
"... there's something else, was there," asked Ashido, not sure if she wants to know more.
"He... said I was gonna go down a similar path as he did."
As soon as that left his mouth, the whole room was in a pitch silence. Some disgusted at what Stain implied, but Mina broke that silence.
"No. No. You're nothing. Nothing like him."
Kiryu kept his comments to himself, not wanting to cause unnecessary trouble. However, Shoto needed to say something.
"You're many things, Midoriya. A psycho? You're not. However, it's not like I have much room to talk either."
Yaoyorozu and the others looked at him wondering what he's talking about, but Ryuki interrupts.
"Well, cat's out of the fucking bag, but I'll let Kensei explain first."
Kensei sighed a bit but asked everyone to hold questions until the end. However, looked at Izuku and said this to him:
"Once this threshold is passed, there's no going back. Are you sure you want this?"
"They deserve to know, plus I just want one thing. Please... please don't judge Kensei too harshly," Izuku responded, but there was pleading on the last part. Mina nodded in agreement, Yaoyorozu looked a bit pensive, Shoto would remain neutral, Kiryu and Ochako were listening, but the older brother was still suspicious about the man.
Iida didn't say a thing.
Kensei sighed a bit, knowing this would hurt.
"My name is Kensei Kasumi, current grandmaster to the murderous martial art known as Hokuto Shinken."
Some flinched, but Kiryu maintained his calm. Ochako noticed it too but asked Kensei an important question.
"How does your style... get passed down...?"
"It's simple, my style follows the principle of Isshi Soden. One father, one son. Those who fail the test for successorship will be subject to three outcomes, two of them not pretty."
"What are the outcomes?" asked Shoto.
"The best outcome: renouncing the style voluntarily. The other two will make you wince," Kensei paused.
Ryuki did not smirk, indicating to Shoto that he should pay attention. Kiryu did the same to Ochako.
"Your memory erased or having your fists crushed."
The whole group flinched, one even shuddering a bit in fear, but the only two that didn't: Ryuki and Kiryu. Ochako was now curious about how Kiryu wasn't flinching at this bombshell.
"Wait, how come you're not flinching?"
Kiryu stumbled a bit but said: "Oh... well... I mean, umm... let Kensei finish explaining."
"Save the questions for later, you two," Kensei interrupted, prompting the two to silence themselves. "Now, where was I... oh right. The techniques."
The group focused, especially Shoto who might gain insight on how Hokuto Shinken operates.
"Like every martial arts style, they have soft and hard aspects, might want to take note of this..." said Kensei. "Soft aspects involve accuracy of hitting pressure points, well, specific ones. The hard aspects involve hitting many pressure points with strength, form, and force.
In essence, I trained Izuku on how to destroy the human body in multiple ways."
Mina was shocked, but that was an understatement. Momo, Ochako, and Shoto couldn't believe it either, no, the bi-haired boy could believe it: Izuku's fight with Stain proved it.
"D-Destroy?" sputtered Mina nervously, "A-As h-he did during the USJ?"
Momo spoke up, "One of our classmates said this, 'he fought them as if he was going to kill them.'"
Ryuki had to smirk, making his own remark: "Well, cuz. You trained your apprentice well."
Ochako stepped back a bit in fear, Kiryu emitting some aura, but Shoto tried standing his ground.
'Midori... you can't be that dangerous, right?'
'Shoto, are you learning a similar style under Ryuki?' said Momo in her thoughts.
"If it's any consolation..." Kensei said, gaining the group's attention once again. "There are multiple pressure points that can heal ailments within the human body. Like, say, muteness or blindness."
"Wait, is that actually possible?!" exclaimed Momo.
"Yes. However, there's a key component to it: Touki," responded Kasumi. He let that word sink in for a minute, but he noticed Kiryu's face not shocked at this info. "To save a few questions, touki is essentially ki energy. No, it's not exclusive to my style. Yes, it can do energy blasts like in action anime."
Kensei demonstrated by emitting his aura, but it sent a heavy pressure through the whole room. Kiryu was the only one who stood up to it, complete with Shoto trying to.
As soon as it comes, the aura disappears. However, Ryuki speaks up, noticing how Kiryu handled his cousin's aura of power.
"If you were trying to hide your power... you did a shitty job at it, Xiaozi."
Kiryu tried playing it cool, saying: "Well, I fought some monsters like him before..."
"Oh, really?" questioned Ryuki with a grin. "Because not many people can withstand aura like that. They, one, slump down to the floor. Two, shudder in fear or this rare one, three: struggling to bear it like Icey-Hot here.
It means one of two things: you either know a style similar to us or you're just as vicious as me when in a fight. Am I right, Xiaozi?" said a grinning Ryuki, and Kiryu was not liking where this is going.
"I don't like what you're implying, pal..." Kiryu snarled. " Test me fucking further... and you're gonna be eating the floor in a minute!"
"Oi, both of you. Calm yourselves!" near-yelled Kensei as his aura flared up more. "You're scaring the rest... Ryuki, if you-"
"Alright, alright. I'll take it easy."
Kiryu glared at him, but relented, and apologized to Kensei for that outburst. The teacher continued for a bit more...
"Touki can also be used to defend yourself, almost like living armor. On the other end, it can be used for mirage-like attacks, like say, sending out a barrage of fists or spears into the enemy."
Momo sputtered in disbelief, saying: "This... this... goes beyond science. This sounds like it came out of anime, an action anime. I mean, you have to agree, right?"
"... she's right," said Shoto. "However, there's a secret I'll have to reveal too."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"I'll let Kensei finish."
"I know, it sounds pretty out there," said Kensei. "Who's to say that Quirks weren't the same when they first appeared. However, there's another thing..."
"And what's that?" asked Kiryu.
"Hokuto Shinken has existed for more than 2000 years. It continues to grow as time goes, hell, I'd make the argument that the advent of Quirks gave combat styles like mine the kick they needed to improve and grow."
It was Mina's turn to ask now.
"Wait...! You're saying that Hokuto Shinken can act as a deterrent to Quirks?!"
"Not just Hokuto Shinken, Ashido. For my style, it's either tapping a pressure point in the wrists or the legs but that's just the start of it. Other styles will just lop off your limbs."
Mina shuddered alongside Ochako and Yaoyorozu. However, Shoto asked a question of his own.
"... could Izuku do the same?"
In a few seconds, Kensei responded by saying: "Yes, I taught him a few pressure points here and there. Some meant to heal and others meant to destroy."
The group shakes a bit in fear, especially Shoto, who realizes that Izuku could have likely crippled him in the Sports Festival. Something that he's very thankful for. Mina followed up by asking the following.
"History may not be my strong suit but is there an origin story?"
"That will be for another time. Besides, Ryuki..." Kensei said turning to face him, "wanted to give his own two cents, right?"
"Well, Icey-Hot's gotta learn about it at some point. Especially since he's learning that," responded Ryuki with a grin. However, he snarled, emitting a vile aura which felt... heavy... and most of all... it came with the feeling of dread.
"W-W-What i-i-is t-t-this...?!" yelped Mina.
"Matouki AKA Demonic Fighting Spirit... one of the core proponents in my style, Hokuto Ryuken."
Ochako was stunned into silence, instinctually hiding behind her brother, who took his stance, but the shock was this: he started emitting a similar aura! Shoto noted it was a bit similar to Ryuki's.
"Now, now, Xiaozi. I'm not gonna hurt anyone," responded Ryuki, but his voice sounded bestial. "Like Hokuto Shinken, we have a pressure point system, but under a different name: Keiraku Hako."
"D-D-Destructive C-Channeling Points?!" exclaimed Momo who's still feeling the dread.
"Exactly, Babaiwan. They aim for weak points, prolonging the enemy's suffering before they, well, explode," responded Ryuki. "Don't worry your fucking head, Icey-Hot did not learn them. YET."
"... You're making things worse, cousin."
"It's better to rip the band-aid off, you fucking know that better than anyone, cuz."
"I still wonder how we're related..." said a sighing Kensei.
However, he noticed that Kiryu was still standing his ground, but Ryuki continued.
"Continuing on Matouki, you're encouraged to rely on negative extremes: hatred, disgust, depravity, and sometimes pure spite. It allows one to distort's one aura for its own use, this is a process called... entering the demonic realm. It's all for the purpose of turning your aura into Matouki."
"Sensei, you m-mentioned a d-demonic state called the Majin, right?"
This caught everyone's attention, but Momo was growing worried.
'Demonic state?!'
"The Majin State. It happens when you're overwhelmed by Matouki, you become a berserker-like beast, killing everything and everyone in sight," responded Ryuki in a knowing tone. "The worst part of it all? You won't remember a thing once you're knocked out of that state."
"... So you risk Shoto going into that state?!" snarled Kiryu. "What the fuck is the matter with you?!"
"For your information, Xiaozi. Icey-Hot's learning it in small bits, just so he won't be overwhelmed on the first fucking try," Ryuki responded to Kiryu. " However, you don't have much room to talk, considering you're emitting a similar aura too."
Kiryu stood his ground still, acting a shield to his sister, but managed to calmly say: "Does the name Hakushachi ring a bell?"
Ryuki nodded no but instantly said: "Wait... cuz. In our family's historical archives, does the name Jukei have any importance?"
"One of the early predecessors to Hokuto Ryuken. As I remember, he had four students: Kaioh Kasumi, Hyo Kasumi, Han, and Shachi. However, Jukei died before completing Shachi's training. Wait a fucking minute... as I remember, Shachi left Shura-Kokka a month after his passing, right?"
"Though it was generations ago, you hit the fucking mark. As last recorded, Shachi became a seafarer like his father."
"Hakushachi was likely his descendant, I met him during my time in Singapore. However, there's something that still escapes me... why was he considered to be the runt of the litter?" asked Kiryu, still keeping his aura.
With a snap of his fingers, Ryuki said: "It's because he lacked any sort of true malice in his heart. Therefore, his demonic aura wouldn't have the chance of overwhelming him."
Kiryu nodded, almost as if he was confirming what was already true. However, Ochako sputtered at this revelation, her brother? Knowing a similar fighting style like the man-mountain before her AND on top of that, the demonic aura he's emitting...
"Ryu... please tell me... please tell me you were going to tell me at some point," she said, pleading.
With a heavy breath, Kiryu said it. "I would Och-chan, it's... well, I didn't think it would be this soon."
Ochako just hugged her brother tightly in response, but she would have a long talk with him once they get back home. However, there were a couple of other pink elephants in the room that needed to be addressed.
"Kensei-Sensei, y-you need to tell them..." said Izuku.
"... are you sure, letting them know about Hokuto Shinken was pushing it... but my time as HIM?"
Izuku nodded, but Mina felt this was leading to something... the pit in her stomach didn't want to admit it.
'Could Yaobitch be right... no, it's circumstantial at best, right?'
Kensei sighed a bit, clenching his fist, but it had to be done. It was going to be found out one way or another, the teacher took a deep breath and said this.
"Ryuki, you might sit down and listen to this..."
Ryuki turned towards him, lowering his aura, saying: "Alright. Oi, Xiaozi. Take it down a notch."
Kiryu took a few seconds to lower his aura but kept his eyes on Ryuki. The latter just smirked at him, his grin saying 'just fucking try it.'
"You know the rule still applies. Nothing leaves this room," said Kensei. The whole group nods, but Kensei turned his head towards the wall. "That also applies to people eavesdropping, you know?"
The group heard some stumbling footsteps outside the room, Mina opened the door to let them in, but the individuals that came in? It was the heroes that they interned under!
"How much did you fucking hear?!" flared up Ryuki, both in voice and aura. The heroes paled a bit under Ryuki's glare, but Edgeshot stood up and said this.
"85% of everything..."
"Fucking hell..." Ryuki sighed. "Take a seat, all three of you."
Miruko was awkwardly waving hi to Mina while Gunhead rubbed his head a bit, thinking if it could have gone better. Edgeshot was the only one who stood his ground, but said: "You must be Kensei Kasumi, Midoriya's teacher."
Kensei nodded.
"It would be hypocritical of me to scold you for hiding a secret like that."
Ryuki, Kiryu, and Kensei picked up on it, having the same thought.
'Is he like me? Then he understands then.'
"...Alright, it's time to reveal it. However, does anyone have questions before I begin?"
"Here's the thing, Stain mentioned about Suiken," Miruko said, pointing out Midoriya. "him being Shichisei's successor and all that. You know anything about that?"
"Actually, that's what I was getting to..." Kensei stated. The group went silent, one motioning for him to say it, prompting him to continue. "It's not an easy thing to admit... but all of you have heard of an infamous vigilante called Shichisei, right?"
The group nodded, Gunhead adding more, "Yea... I was on the receiving end of his fists. It was from a failed sting operation years ago."
"I also heard this, he killed a horror-inspired Villain outfit called The Terrors by himself," Miruko added. "God... the aftermath was disgusting. I never seen so many limbs spread all over a single room."
"That I heard too, one of the epithets they gave him... that unnerved me too..." said Edgeshot. "I believed it was... the Thousand Manslayer. The one who slain 1000 criminals during his reign."
Yaoyorozu picked up on this, but let Kensei say it, maybe he could shed lig-
"Huh, so that's one of the epithets they labeled me with," responded Kensei.
"W-W-Wha?! You-" Mina said, trying to form words.
"Wait a minute, are you-" sputtered Shoto.
"It's... true... you're HIM. Aren't you..." Yaoyorozu said, shocked that the final piece of the puzzle was in front of her.
"Yes... in the past, I was Shichisei."
The group felt tense, especially Kiryu and Miruko who took their stances right away. Ryuki, on the other hand, was fairly shocked. However, the one taking it the most was Ashido.
"What caused you to become a vigilante, to begin with?"
"It started in Mandoroa Senior High..."
Mandaroa Senior High.
Years Ago...
A young Kensei Kasumi was practicing Jeet Kune Do on a punching bag, visualizing it as his father.
'Relax... then explode!'
BOOM!
Kensei's left fist explodes into a powerful punch, partly shredding it. However, he imagined his father recovering and striking back!
"Oi, Kasumi!" yelled someone, getting his attention.
"Yo, Douji. So what's-"
"TROUBLE! OUTSIDE! BIKER GANG!" screamed the glasses-wearing strongman.
"Wait, the fuck?! Did you call anyone?!"
"Yes! They said a local Pro Hero's coming in."
"... wait, why's a biker gang fighting with our school?"
Douji struggled to say but relented. "One of their grunts has a beef with a teacher of ours!"
Kensei quickly turned around, saying: "Let's go. Right now."
"W-Wait, are you serious?! These are dangerous thugs!"
"How long until this Pro Hero's supposed to arrive...?" Kensei questioned. Douji said nothing, prompting the former to say... "I fucking thought so."
"I-Isn't that a bit reckless?" asked a concerned Mina.
"In hindsight, maybe."
Kensei cursed his luck, it was starting to rain, but he was rushing to the scene...
What he saw surprised him, there were at least 10 bikers, and at the center... it was a bloody scene. A fairly tall thug who can pass for a strongman was beating on one of his teachers whom he recognized right away.
"Shit! Mr. Yanagi!"
The tall thug turned towards him, showing off some facial tattoos, barking: "This isn't your business, kid. So scram."
Kensei took a Savate stance as his response.
"Well, look at that, teach. Looks like this brat's gonna take the rest of your beating..." replied the thug. "By the way, the name's Nightcutter, yours?"
Kensei still said nothing.
"FINE!" screamed Nightcutter as threw a punch straight at him. The boy side-stepped the punch, then...
BOOM!
BOOM!
Two low-kicks to Nightcutter's knee but that caused him to stumble for a bit. He didn't stop one bit.
SMACK!
Chassé Frontal Médian!
A fast front kick to the side caused him to gag for a bit, forcing him to scream out: "Oi, the fuck you're standing around for!?"
"Oh, shit! You're right! GET HIM!" screamed a mohawk-wearing thug with steel-studded knuckles. Two others follow him, mainly pale-looking ones in their 20's. However, Kensei could tell right away.
The pale twins were amateurs while the mohawk in front of him was a trained fighter. The latter was coming straight at him...
"EAT LEAD, FUCKO!"
SMACK!
Kensei landed a straight punch into the mohawk's face, but that left him open to the two pale-looking bikers to ambush him!
"Gotcha honors student!" said one of the pale bikers who managed to tackle him to the ground. However, he didn't expect this!
POKE!
"Ah, my eye!" screamed Pale Biker 1. Pale Biker 2 stayed back for a bit, realizing that this kid was more-
"Hey, Shock. Mind fucking-OOF!"
Kensei kept punching Biker 1 in the face, then grabbed it for a headbutt, breaking his nose. Biker 2 realized he needed to step in and NOW!
BOOM!
"Ah, fuck! Why me, you idiot?!" screamed Biker 1.
"Stun, why didn't you-"
Kensei just saw their weakness: they bicker with each other.
"Use your fucking Quirks, you idiots!" yelled the mohawk.
Biker 1 AKA Stun and Biker 2 AKA Shock just yelled "Alright!". In Kensei's eyes, they were easy to tell apart. Stun wore a red jacket with fingerless gloves while Shock had a blue sleeveless shirt on with some black pants.
BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!
'Electric-based Quirks?'
"Shock, you flank him while I'll soften him up!"
Stun assumed a boxer's stance, charging up with electricity, now rushing right at him!
WHIFF!
A punch missed!
WHIFF!
And again, Stun missed!
POW!
Kensei scored an uppercut, breaking a few teeth. However, he was able to recover quickly and send another punch! However, he saw that Shock was trying to tackle him!
He was fast, he'll give him that. Kensei dodged by ducking and sent out a low kick into Shock's knee, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Oh, shit!" exclaimed Stun as he stopped his punch, almost as if touching Shock was a taboo act. Kensei took advantage of this and delivered another uppercut by leaping upwards.
KRIK-CRACK!
That was the sound of a jawline breaking.
"That's it, you bastard!" screamed Shock as his body emitted electricity. However, he made one mistake: monologuing while fighting.
Shocking Feet!
He started zipping all over the place, forcing Kensei to dodge when he got close.
ZIP!
Kensei felt a small shock on his arm, it was a small cut.
ZIP!
"You like that, fucker?! It's because of my Quirk, Thunderspeed! Electricity-enhanced speed! Can't hit what you can't touch!" said Shock with a growing grin.
ZIP!
Kensei managed to dodge the next punch but barely.
'There's a limit to how much he uses this move. He'll likely run out of juice in a minute...'
WHIFF!
He blocked the strike, surprising Shock!
WHAM!
A hook was sent into Shock's face and a hit below the belt...
CRUNCH!
"You... fucking... bast-"
BOOM!
Kensei shut him up with a roundhouse kick, breaking his teeth and KO'ing him for good measure. The small gang stood astonished... but Stun recovered from that uppercut, looking more pissed than ever.
"You're dead!" screamed Stun, but added this: "The hell are you guys waiting for?!"
The rest of the gang went after Kensei...
"Fine..."
"Oh god..." said Momo. "How did you...?"
"Let me continue..."
Stun was rushing in, trying to hit Kensei, but he was dodging each blow.
'He's getting slower...'
WHIFF!
WHIFF!
WHIFF!
Stun was panting now, the electricity emitting from his fists looked like it was dissipating, but Kensei wasn't going to give him any chance to recover.
'Sorry, dad. I'll have to use it...'
"Here's my desperation move!"
'A simple technique should be enough.'
Shocking Dea-
WHIFF!
"What the?! WHY-"
Hokuto Steel-Shredding Clench!
A sickening crunch was heard, the biker screaming in absolute pain. As Stun fell down to one knee... the thug's face landed in the direction of Kensei's knee.
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM!
Stun fell to the ground, face-first, and blood was seeping onto the ground.
"What the fuck are you waiting for?!" yelled Nightcutter who got up. "GET THIS FOOL! THE STEEL RAIDERS CAN'T LOOK LIKE FOOLS!"
'Two down, eight to go.'
The mohawk thug along with a lion-like biker who wore a leather jacket tried rushing him.
"Shishijima, just use your move!"
Pride's Claw!
The lion-like thug got into a low stance, intending to take Kensei's movements by slashing his legs. Kensei couldn't risk it, he had to stay away from those claws, but there was a gap...
"You can't run any longer!" exclaimed Shishijima. "I'm gonna make sure-"
WHIFF!
"What the?!"
He knew he slashed him, he knew it!
BOOM!
Shishijima felt a heavy impact at the back of his head, sending him flop onto the ground. However, he got back, now pissed, screaming he'll gut him! He ignored all warnings from his fellow bikers, claiming he's gonna fall for a tra-
SLAM!
A jab was sent into his cheek, but Kensei needed to be sure...
SNAP!
A roundhouse kick into the liver.
"It should kick in... right about now."
"The fuck?! The fuck?! I can't see!" screamed Shishijima as he swiped randomly. However, the mohawk-wearing thug saw that his eyes looked blank.
"You blinded him!"
'Keiraku Hiko: Domei - Eyesight's gone.'
"Yukitani, kill this fucker!" screamed Shishijima. The named mohawk thug signaled for two more to join the fight...
"Enjo! Chijo!" Yukitani screamed. They looked like high school punks but their Quirks squashed that image. One summoned fire from his fists while the other's skin turned into stone.
"... was destroying his hand really necessary?" asked a Shoto, a bit deadpan. "... Or blinding Shishijima."
"I saw no reason to take it easy on them."
The two elemental thugs went after him, but Kensei needed to finish this fight quickly.
TAP!
TAP!
He dodged each thug, then tapped the back of their necks, but Yukitani saw something in their eyes: they turned their fangs towards Yukitani.
"Oi! The fuck did-wait, Enjo! It's me!"
Enjo emitted fire from his fists, sending them out via punching. Yukitani activated his Quirk, a basic shield ability to protect himself from the fire. However, Chijo was striking away at his back.
"Oi,! It's me, you idiots! Why are you attacking me?!"
'That will occupy them for a while, but I never thought that pressure point Kofu would come in handy.'
The rest of the crew decided to join in, focusing on Kensei.
'Three down. Three occupied. Four more to go.'
"... Did not see that coming..." said Izuku.
"You blinded one of them..." said Ashido, still in disbelief.
Nightcutter led the charge against Kensei! The remaining four decided to flank him in a circular pattern, all of them looking like heavy metal rockers from a bygone era. Face-paint included.
All four decided to use their Quirks.
Two of them had a gun-like Quirk while Nightcutter showed off an explosive contact-like Quirk. The other one showed off an ice-contact Quirk while the other one showed off an arm-strengthening Quirk.
'I can work with this.'
"Jungo and Sobuki, fire at him! Hyoka! Get him with your Ice-Touch! Daiwan! Get him with Hyper-Arm!"
3..
2..
1..
BOOM!
Sobuki, the one with a bad haircut felt a sudden impact on his chest! Jungo, the one with an emo-style cut, turned his fingers into cannon-like fingers, trying to get a lock on the brat.
"Stand...
still!"
He fired once, only to miss. However, Sobuki was feeling a bit sluggish, but he aimed...
BOOM!
"Ah, the fuck?! Sobuki, where you aiming for?!" screamed Junzo as he got shot in the leg.
"Wait, I was-"
KRIK-KRACK!
AHHH!
Sobuki's knee bent the opposite way, making Junzo aim his gun-fingers immediately!
"You little shit!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
However, Kensei managed to dodge each shot, only getting a graze at best. Junzo was now panicking, now firing even more...
"Don't bother struggling."
SNAP!
Junzo screamed in absolute pain! Sobuki and the others saw what happened: the brat snapped Junzo's arms in half! Like they were twigs.
"M-M-My arms! Y-Y-You-"
SMASH!
A sickening crunch was made. And again. And again. And again.
"i-i-it hur-"
SMASH!
A final headbutt silenced him as he flopped to the ground, blood seeping from his battered face.
"The fuck?! You fucking psycho!" screamed Sobuki as he fired, but he kept missing. Instead, he hit the blinded Shishijima and Hyoka in the stomach instead.
'Keiraku Hiko: Jikyukyō - Once hit, your depth perception is gone.'
"Shit, Daiwan! Let's move!"
Daiwan enlarged his arms while Nightcutter followed from behind.
"What happened to the other three?"
"They actually fought each other to exhaustion."
Chijo, Enjo, and Yukitani were becoming exhausted. All of their Quirks at their limit, now forced to rely on basic brawling. Yukitani, on the other hand, was trained in MMA. So this so-called fight was now in his favor.
Yukitani went for a double leg takedown on Enjo, then punched his lights out. Chijo's own stone-skin was looking fragile, but he was sluggish. His punches were telegraphed at best, Yukitani back-stepped and KO'ed him in a one-two combo.
"What the fuck?!" screamed Yukitani as he saw his crew getting devastated. He needed to intervene and now!
"Huh, if I didn't know better, it seems you were just as violent when you were Shichisei," said Ryuki.
"One difference: I didn't kill anyone prior to becoming Shichisei."
'Three against one... not terrible odds. Need to take care of Sobuki though...'
Kensei dodged the rain of fire from Sobuki's gun-arms Quirk but flanked him from the side.
CRACK!
GAHCK!
Sobuki just gagged his side was punched in, launching him a few feet away from him. Now, it was truly three against one.
Yukitani and Daiwan aimed for him at opposite ends; the former going for a tackle while the latter was going for a haymaker likely. Nightcutter was trailing from behind... slower than usual.
Ram of Strength!
A double-punch attack was aiming right at him.
Steel Break!
A low-stance tackle for the legs.
WHAM!
Kensei feels like he was hit by a bulldozer and a bull. At the same time.
He was down on the ground, now being pelted by feet or fists.
"Really, can't handle a beating yourself?!"
WHAM!
WHAM!
"Feels pathetic, doesn't it!" screamed the mohawk-wearing thug.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
3...
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!
2...
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
"What's the matter, done already?!"
1...
WHAM!
WHAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
'No, you are.'
NOW!
SPLORCH!
Daiwan felt a wet sound at his right leg, almost like a bullet punching through it. Yukitani paused briefly too, wondering what-
CRUNCH!
"You... dick..."
Kensei's grabbed Yukitani's wrist and squeezed it like an orange.
GRAHHHH!
Daiwan got a kick in the stomach for his troubles while Yukitani's wrist felt like it was going to explode any minute. Nightcutter actually stopped his pace, now wondering what will happen next.
"You asshole!" screamed Daiwan who got up, but immediately felt something was off. His right leg felt funny, more numb if anything. "The hell did you do?!" as the strong-arms thug limped quickly to where Yukitani was.
KRIK-CRACK!
"Y-Y-You dick! Y-You broke my wrist! YOU BRO-" was interrupted by a knee strike to the nose, sending him to the ground. Daiwan charged up as fast as he could despite the useless right leg.
POKE!
"Ah, my eye!"
However, he felt one of his arms grabbed, he needed to get out of there!
SMACK!
He felt a punch land straight in his face, specifically near his nose. However, he decided not to press his luck, screw the Steel Raiders' rep, and screw Nightcutter.
BOOM!
"Wha-"
BOOM!
"The he-"
BOOM!
'Keiraku Hiko: Joketsukai and Kyosetsu. The first one disables your right leg while the second one turns the enemy's wielded weapon against him. Or Quirk in this case.'
BOOM!
"W-Wait-"
BOOM!
Daiwan's last word was a whimper before he KO'ed himself with his own arm.
"What the hell did you do?!" screamed a different voice. Kensei turned to see one of the wounded, Hyoka. A punk with green-white hair.
"Pressure Points, that's all."
"BULLSHIT! YOU USED A QUIRK!"
Kensei sighed, not wanting to bother, but saw Yukitani clutching his arm in pain. The latter was now pissed, seeing that this little punk just humiliated the Steel Raiders MC, and most of all, beating 10 members of their crew!
"That's it, it's on. I'm gonna fuckin' kill you!"
"Fine... you want to play it that way?"
Yukitani tried using a cross punch which Kensei parried with a forearm block, then responded with an uppercut! However, he did not let up. A series of jabs were sent into the mohawk's face, then as a follow-up: two slaps across his face.
"You... little..."
STOMP!
Yukitani yelped in pain as he saw Kensei stomp on his forward feet to prevent him from moving. The mohawk grew desperate, then flailed his arms, sending out elbows and jabs, but that's the thing: they weren't affecting him?!
"Is that it?"
"No, fucko!" screamed Yukitani as he revealed his Quirk: armor-plates generating around his arms.
ARMOR-PIERCING BOMBARDMENT!
A series of jabs, elbows, and hooks were sent into Kensei at an explosive speed.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM!
"Here's the final one, asshole!"
SLAM!
It was an overhand punch into Kensei's face... but something was wrong! The brat did not budge an inch!
"HOW!? Did my Armor-Piercing Bombardment fail!?"
"Nope. But here's my response."
CRUNCH!
A fast punch was sent into Yukitani's stomach launching him away from him and worse of all, making him lose his lunch.
"I hit a pressure point that reduced your strength of 1/100ths of a normal's man," explained Kensei to the now-downed Yukitani. "That's all."
As he turned around, the tattooed thug known as Nightcutter had to applaud him.
"Goddamn, kid. Goddamn. Tell ya what, why don't-"
"Not interested."
"Shit. Didn't even let me finish."
"Though answer me this, why did you attack that teacher?"
Nightcutter frowned for a bit but explained: "One new grunt suddenly wanted out, that's a taboo in our crew. Once you're in, it's for life. Lo and behold, he happened to go to this school and ratted us out to that teacher we were beating on a few minutes ago."
"That's all..." Kensei responded, not letting his anger seep through.
"That's all, kid. So-"
WHAM!
Nightcutter felt a painful impact: it was like an industrial drill boring through his stomach!
"I can't... believe it," Yaoyorozu said. "The heroes didn't arrive..."
"I can't believe it either," Shoto spoke up.
Nightcutter's mouth was now spewing blood as he landed on the ground, but he grinned.
"Heh, got a little fight in you, don't ya?"
"It's enough..."
"Well, hope you can handle this!" yelled Nightcutter as dashed forward, overhand at the ready.
'I'll have to-'
BOOM!
Kensei felt dizzy, plus singing heat, but he was still intact.
"Like that! It's called Explosive Contact!" said Nightcutter, patting his pride and joy. "My fist generates an explosion upon contact, that's the gist of it!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Kensei was now on the defensive, blocking and now dodging those jabs of his.
"Come on!"
BOOM!
BOOM!
Kensei was starting to get overwhelmed...
"Time for the finale!"
Burning Rocket!
An overhand strike, heading towards Kensei's face, making contact!
SMACK!
BOOM!
Nightcutter felt a punch under his chin at the same Burning Rocket made contact. However, the kid took more damage, he was sent flying away for a bit, landing on his back, plus his school uniform shredded too.
"So, what the hell was that supposed to do?"
"Just a moment..."
Burn-
"What?!"
Nightcutter's fist was suddenly aiming at him, his face!
"What did you do to-"
BOOM!
A huge explosion to the face shut him up, but to his shock, he got up, but that would be a useless effort.
BOOM!
However, Kensei wasn't done yet...
'You're gonna harm more people in the future, I know it. So it's better to eliminate you here and now...'
"STOP RIGHT THERE, CIVILIAN!" exclaimed a heroic voice. The high-schooler wasn't in the mood for it, but he stopped walking towards the downed Nightcutter. He got a good look at the hero. He looked like a gaudy gladiator with twin horns on the helmet, but by his build alone, he was a mid-range fighter. The holstered blades were an indicator.
"...took you long enough," said Kensei with some bite.
"Now, see here. I'm new-wait, I'm not done scolding you!"
"Let me guess, they were low on the priority list, right?"
"Uhh... yes..." said the gladiator hero, a bit sheepish. That was all the confirmation that Kensei needed as he walked off, despite the hero telling him to come back.
The whole group was stunned but Edgeshot couldn't blame him. The Pro Hero system had flaws: bureaucracy, fame-hungry heroes [and encouragement of those], and often times, placing small-time gangs on a lower priority in comparison to big-time Villains.
"I... I... can't believe it, the heroes failed," Yaoyorozu spoke up, breaking the silence.
"The worst part is this, that gladiator motherfucker had the gall to still lecture me."
"Why?" questioned Shoto.
"It happened the day after."
Principal's Office, Mandaroa Senior High
"Your student was being bratty and disrespectful, Principal!" exclaimed the gladiator hero whose name was revealed to be Spartan X. Unfortunately, Kensei was seated in the middle of it.
The principal sighed in disappointment, it was a clear case of self-defense.
"On top of that, interfering in Pro Hero business!"
The principal stood up, revealing himself to be a tall but muscular individual. Strongman or fighter at one point?
"Listen, this is a clear case of self-defense. On top of that, you mentioned that this biker gang, the Steel Raiders MC was marked as a low priority... if anything, that paints a poor picture."
"W-W-Well... they have-"
"They coerced one of my students into joining their outfit and assaulted a staff member. I believe that justifies labeling them as Villains, or at least increasing their priority on the danger scale."
"B-But still!"
"Look, Spartan X... I can tell you're new to the hero scene. Just take it as it is."
Spartan X sputtered but relented, leaving through the door, and slamming it for good measure.
"...this is a mess, Kasumi."
"I don't regret defending myself, Mr. Ushioka."
"I know you had altercations in the past. However, this is the first time that it involved a Pro Hero. Luckily, he didn't involve the police."
"I can't argue that. But you know how those altercations ended..."
Mr. Ushioka sighed a bit, he knew how they ended.
- Altercation 1: Kensei was being harassed by a known delinquent. The boy tried solving things peacefully but said punk kept pushing it. The ensuing fight ended in several broken bones and a trip to the hospital, courtesy of Kensei.
- Altercation 2: Kensei beating a pervert from his class in the mens' restroom into a bloody pulp. However, said pervert threw the first punch after Kensei called him out on it.
- Altercation 3: Two local gangs were looking to mark Mandaroa Senior High as their new turf. Kensei, unfortunately, walked into a meeting by accident. They tried intimidating him, but that resulted in both gangs found severely injured. Bruised-up faces being the tip of the iceberg.
The thing is, some have argued that Kensei should be kicked out while others said he was only defending himself at the end of the day.
"The best I can do is suspend you for a couple of days. Take the time to clear your head, but in all seriousness, you're a good person. It's just..."
"I'm a magnet for trouble?"
"... took the words out of my mouth. I swear, why does it happen?"
"People think I'm a pushover, others think I'm hiding something, and well, I just happen to fall under 'convenient punching bag' when some of these thugs size me up," answered Kasumi, shrugging.
"I hope you use this time to think about your future... and try not to get into more fights before your graduate."
"I'll try to..." said Kasumi. "Although, that's easier said than done."
"I'm also guessing being a Pro Hero is no longer viable either."
With a bit of disgust, he responded. "After that... whatever passing interest I had in them has officially expired. That costumed prick can go fuck himself for all I care."
"Take care, Kasumi," said the principal as Kasumi walked home.
Surprisingly, his dad did not give him a lecture when he got home. If anything, he was glad that he came out unscathed.
"Whatever happened to the bikers you pulverized?" asked Gunhead.
"Simple. Some were wheelchair-bound for life while others had an epiphany: the gang life wasn't for them."
"What about the Steel Raiders MC itself?" asked the rabbit heroine.
"They disbanded a year before my debut as Shichisei."
As Kensei finished his account of how the Pro Hero System failed him, some of the group was silent, feeling a bit uneasy, but a certain onyx-haired girl stood up and then bowed.
"I'm sorry!"
"... for what?"
"Thinking that you were a mindless murderer and for how the Hero System failed you."
"I just took a different route at the end of the day, that's all. In fact, my time as a vigilante should highlight the failings of the Hero System."
Kiryu asked an armor-piercing question, "... Were you always violent like that?"
"Not always, I only resorted to violence when all other options were exhausted," responded Kensei, but Kiryu still doubted it. "If it's any consolation, they threw the first punch, I only responded."
"Do you think that there was a chance of you becoming a Pro Hero if that incident didn't happen?" asked Ochako.
"I doubt it, though I think my principal would have given me a hero school brochure. As a different route for the future."
As Ryuki was stewing this over, he asked this other question.
"I'm guessing you had other epithets describing you, cuz?"
"Never did pay attention to my reputation at the time. Then again, you don't have much room to talk either, considering your rep as a fighter."
Ryuki grinned, saying: "Guilty as charged."
Todoroki and Yaoyorozu were officially curious now, they got out their phones, and searched any sort of references to 'Ryuki Kasumi' and 'Shichisei'. The results they got were interesting... to say the least.
"W-Whoa... I found the nicknames for Ryuki-Sensei..."
"Heh, feel free to read them out loud..."
"Wrath Incarnate, Dragon's Fang, a...and... The Fang of Shura-Kokka," said Shoto, realizing that his master's rep as a fighter might be on par with Kensei, possibly. Some of Ryuki's fights ending up like a one-sided slaughter.
Momo cleared her throat, beginning with the following: "Yan Wang Reborn to the Triad syndicates, Seven Star Demon to law-enforcement..." as she said. The last one was a bit disturbing for her, all things considered. "... oh my, Death That Walks to pro heroes."
"I'm guessing after this, you'll view me as an enemy," Kensei responded, knowing the responses he'll get.
However...
"No, I don't at least," responded Gunhead.
"Why would I view you as an enemy...?!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed. "You needed help and the system failed you!"
"Turning my back on you is like turning back on my friend... plus I think Ryuki-Sensei would be pissed if I did."
"It would be hypocritical for me to do so, from one fighter to another," responded Edgeshot.
"Just... don't let Midori go down that path, okay, please?" Mina said, pleading.
Kensei had to smile at that, but said: "That's a promise I'll try to keep."
"I'll hold you to it," Mina responded with a sad smile of her own.
However, there was another pink elephant in the room that needed to be addressed.
"There's nothing left... for me."
"Iida..." Ochako muttered.
"I should have died... my selfishness cost the life of Native..." Iida said, a bit listless.
Author's Notes: When it came to writing Kiryu's dialogue, I visualize Crispin Freeman's voice. The right balance between an older brother and a raging demon once incensed. Yup, Kiryu's teacher is basically Shachi's descendant [credit to MrNobody2020 for this idea, we talked on Discord about this].
Heh, looks like Kensei as a teenager was on the road to becoming a vigilante in the process. Or is it a foreshadowing of what Izuku will become?
Oh, I also put in a Mad Max reference in there, those who get the reference will get a shoutout in the next chapter.
Before I forget, I'm announcing a new fic: it's a crossover between Super Sentai and MHA, called My Hero Rescue 555. So be on the lookout for that.