Hello and welcome once again! We have now reached chapter 11! This will likely be the close of the tournament arc, with the finishing rounds and all that whatnot. Once again, we are getting close to where the second magic character, and the (current) chosen foil for Kytheon will come into play.
BUT LET'S NOT WASTE ANY TIME GO GO GO!
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Kytheon looked up in surprise when he heard the waiting room door kicked open, but then sighed when he saw it was Katsuki.
"Oi! Why are you here? It's waiting room… oh, this is room two? Damn it!"
Kytheon shook his head with a small smile. "I admire your drive, Katsuki. It really is impressive how far you have driven yourself."
"...Eh?"
Kytheon stood up to face him. "I mean what I said. I admire your drive. But today I am going to test you."
Katsuki's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, bastard?"
Kytheon stood firm, even as Katsuki's fingers started to spark. He levelled a stare at Bakugo that gave him a second of pause.
"What I mean is that you've been riding high on your laurels, having not taken a loss. And today will be the true test of your character. How can you handle a fall?"
"That's rich, coming from you!" Katsuki yelled. "You haven't exactly done much different! Where the hell did you even come from? You haven't exactly lost either! You're just mister perfect, never making a mistake!"
At that, Kytheon's eyes narrowed. Images flashed through his mind. His smiling friends, rejoicing over the body of the vanquished titan. All of the fellow soldiers and squads he led on Zendikar, Innistrad, Ravnica. All of the planeswalkers he couldn't save. The trial mates on Amonkhet. Oketra. He felt the burning lines criss crossing his body, searing away flesh and turning it to ash before his very eyes.
Bakugo could see his words had some sort of impact on Kytheon. The normally boisterous and optimistic teen suddenly seemed centuries older than him. He could see the pain in Kytheon's eyes, and he took a step back as the words were spat at him with the most vitriol he had ever heard from the Akroan.
"I have lost far more than you could ever imagine, and suffered for it every night. I would not wish my fate upon you for I have some restraint. But mark my words, I will be a wall to you. You will not surpass me without changing who you are. And today will be a crushing reminder of that." He said, cold as ice before storming past him.
As the door slammed shut, Katsuki let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"The hell was that…"
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"IT'S FINALLY THE LAST BATTLE OF THE UA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS FESTIVAL! THE TOP OF THE FIRST YEARS WILL BE DECIDED WITH THIS ONE MATCH! THE FINAL, IF YOU WILL!"
The excitement was especially clear in Present Mic's voice, and the roars of the audience appeared to match it as the pillars of flame erupted from the platform.
"FROM THE HERO COURSE, KYTHEON IORA! VS! ALSO FROM THE HERO COURSE, KATSUKI BAKUGO! NOW….. START!"
Kytheon got low as he charged towards Katsuki, who he noticed was not charging in. Rather, he was standing his ground, as if waiting for him to arrive. It seemed that he was being much more cautious with Kytheon than he might have at the beginning of the year. Interesting, but he supposed not unwarranted.
As he drew close, Bakugo's eyes narrowed, and a sudden explosion propelled himself forwards. Acting purely on instinct, Kytheon planted his one foot and swiveled into a defensive position, bringing his arm up and deflecting his palm with his forearm, redirecting the blast upwards. The resulting explosion propelled Katsuki's and Kytheon's arms downwards. Acting fast, Kytheon grabbed the forearm and pulled, twisting his body to try and throw Bakugo. But acting just as fast, Katsuki swung his other arm down, aiming an explosion at Kytheon's gut. There was a flash of light as his aura blocked the blow, parting it like water over a rock.
"I said, I would be your wall." Kytheon growled, spinning and slamming the explosion user's back into the ground and hopping back.
"Then stop holding back!" Katsuki bellowed, blasting into the air and using his explosions to propel himself downwards with greater momentum. He spun in the air, delivering a mighty axe kick. But Kytheon raised his arms above his head and his aura flared as he absorbed the blow with ease.
"If I did that, you wouldn't learn!" He shot back, twisting his guard and grabbing the leg, slamming Katsuki into the ground again. He knew that would not stop Katsuki, and he was proven right as a much larger blast forced him to retreat a small distance.
'Makes sense, the more he moves, the more he sweats, the more potent his blasts.' Kytheon thought to himself, looking at his snarling opponent.
Up in the stands, some of the students were mildly concerned.
"Is it just me, or is Kytheon… kinda scary right now?" Kaminari asked. Izuku rubbed his chin.
"This is really the first time we have seen him have an evenly matched close quarters fight, so it makes sense we would see something new… But he does seem more serious than before." The green haired teen mumbled.
"There's a look in his eyes…" Mashirao said, tilting his head. "He's… almost cold right now. Like he's carved from stone. See? He isn't smiling."
"I wonder if Bakugo said something to piss him off, it seems likely…"
"But what could get under his skin? He seems to brush off negative emotions easily!"
Toru and Momo, the two who knew more about him than any other in the booth were similarly concerned. After he had been through so much, what could Bakugo have possibly said to him to make him this… frightening?
Down in the arena, the fight continued without stopping. Bakugo flew threw the air, now trying a different strategy. He tried to stay out of reach of Kytheon to prevent himself from being grabbed while trying to blast him away with increasingly larger blasts from his quirk. But he kept getting more and more frustrated as Kytheon seemed to push through every blast, every cloud of smoke, with the same flashes of golden light. It wasn't fair! How could he struggle against this person he had never heard of before, who wasn't even going all out? He jumped back, wiping the sweat from his jaw as Kytheon emerged from yet another cloud of dust, with nary a hair out of place. He scowled as Kytheon got into yet another defensive stance.
"You damn bastard…." He snarled, launching himself into the air, before beginning to corkscrew with consecutive blasts from his palms, building up speed and momentum. Kytheon's eyes followed him coldly as he spun faster and faster. Then everything almost seemed to slow down. He began to duck and dash forwards as Katsuki closed in on him. Sparks began igniting on Bakugo's fingertips as he started to finish up the last rotation, and Kytheon's glowing fist began to move forward as his whole body became coated in golden light. Then the impact came.
"HOWITZER…. IMPACT!"
Both hands slammed into Kytheon's glowing chest, igniting a truly enormous blast point blank on the Akroan teen. At the very same time, Kytheon's fist slammed right into the lower left side of Katsuki's jaw, driving itself into him in the opposite direction of the spinning momentum. There was a vicious cracking noise, but no one could see what caused it or even hear it through the giant smoke cloud and the explosion.
Kytheon was sent skidding backwards a short distance, leaving furrows in the cement as he braced himself to recover, while Katsuki fell backwards, staggering from the stunning blow he received. Kytheon had to admire his determination to not fall even when dazed, which was why he needed to finish this now. While the smoke cloud was still there, he dashed forwards, and began to unleash a flurry of blows.
No longer was this Gideon Jura, fighting on the front lines. This was Kytheon Iora, the street rat of Akros. Each blow was aimed to where it would hurt. This was no longer about winning or losing. This was about teaching a lesson. A sharp hook to the nose. An uppercut to the solar plexus. A jab to the throat. Haymaker to the temple. He would make Bakugo understand what it meant to lose. He would be crushed so utterly beyond all doubt. And this would allow Kytheon to see if he could really be a hero. If he could pull himself up from his losses, and rise to the challenge once more. Because that was what it meant to be a hero. He lost more than he won in his last life. But that never stopped him. It never shook his morals. He would never stoop, never bow. Could Bakugo do the same? He stood there, panting as the dust cloud finally settled. His hair was disheveled, sweat pouring down a face devoid of emotions. The stadium was silent as they stared at the battered body of Katsuki, lying on the ground. He was bleeding, and he was unconscious, and there was some blood dripping from Kytheon's knuckles.
"I told you I would be your wall." He mumbled as the crowd erupted into cheers at the sheer display of power.
"THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S FIRST YEAR SPORTS FESTIVAL IS… KYTHEON IORA FROM CLASS 1-A!"
However, the students that were in the balcony were fairly horrified at the scene. Never had they seen Kytheon so frightening, so cold. He was brutal, and he demolished Bakugo with apparent ease.
"Holy shit…" Kaminari mumbled, and everyone couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.
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"All of the first-year events for this year's U.A. Sports Festival have been completed. And now, we will begin the Award Ceremony!" Midnight declared, throwing her arm in the air as the crowd cheered.
There was an eruption of smoke and confetti, as a podium rose from under the ground. On the third place stand stood Tokoyami and Todoroki, both of them not expressing much emotion, just looking around at the paparazzi and reporters gathered behind the fence. On the second place podium stood Bakugo, who had a thousand yard stare on his face as he looked around, trying not to look at the spot next to him. Even with recovery girl's help, he wasn't able to fully recuperate with a single visit, lest she drain too much of his energy in an attempt to help, so he was still feeling pretty out of it.
And on the first place stand stood Kytheon, standing looked around and smiled and waved at the crowds as he was expected to do, but that was just a mask. In truth, the last match left a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn't feel good about what he did to Katsuki. He was brutal, and he could hear the injuries he inflicted on him even as he landed the next blow. He felt miserable. He felt like a villain, like he descended to the level of Krenko or the Shattergang Brothers. Bakugo was already on the ropes, and he just laid into him.
"In third place, we have Tokoyami and Todoroki! In second place, Bakugo! And in first place, you should all know his name by now! Kytheon Iora!"
Kytheon smiled back at Midnight as she gave him a proud wink, but his stomach curdled inside.
"The presentation of the medals will, of course, be by this man-"
"HA HA HA HA!" A loud voice boomed, from atop the stadium. Kytheon looked up to see All-might silhouetted against the blue sky. He kept the beaming smile on his face, but he was certain that the mighty man had probably been able to see through the dust cloud and witness his actions.
The presentation of the medals began with All-might putting the bronze over Tokoyami and Todoroki's necks, before embracing each of them and offering some supporting words. He then moved over to Bakugo, and Kytheon could not hear the words that the symbol of peace said to the explosive blond, but he elected to not try and eavesdrop. He would need to tread carefully around Bakugo for a while, there was no telling how he would take the interactions. And then, all too soon, All-might was in front of him, holding the gold medal. It gleamed in the sunlight, shining warm, brilliant rays onto his face. But Kytheon couldn't help but feel cold.
"Now then! Young Iora!"
Kytheon swallowed nervously.
"Excellent showing! You did well to live up to the ideals you put forwards in your speech at the beginning of the festival. You truly are a shining beacon of hope, and you will undoubtedly stake your claim in the pages of history, as you so boldly proclaimed!"
"You are too kind, All-Might, sir. But if I may be so bold to ask, after this is all done… I wish to speak to you. Privately."
"Of course, Young Iora. I can see something is weighing on you heavily. I can spare a minute or two when we are done here. But now…" The massive man gently placed the gold medal around Kytheon's neck and embraced him. "Rest easy with your victory. It is no small feat."
He stepped back down from the podium.
"Well, they were the winners this time! But listen here! Anyone here could have ended up on these podiums. It's just as you saw- Competing! Improving each other! And climbing even further! The next generation of heroes is surely sprouting! So, I have just one more thing to say! Everyone, please say it with me! Ready… go!"
"Thanks for your hard work!"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
Kytheon couldn't help himself and gave a small chuckle. Seemed that even All-Might had a few points to work on.
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"Young Iora, you wished to speak with me?"
Kytheon nodded. He was near the locker rooms, standing across from All-might. He had told his classmates he would catch up with them in a bit, that he had something pressing he needed to take care of.
"I wanted… to apologize for what I did to Katsuki… I screwed up, and he paid for it."
All-Might sighed. "Yes, I had noticed that young Bakugo was not… all there at the ceremony… could you elaborate for me?"
"Yes sir… In the finals match, in the dust cloud from his massive attack, he was already almost down. He was swaying, and I could feel that I had broken his jaw with my counterblow. And then… since I had the cover of the cloud, something came over me. I was no longer thinking about winning or losing. I wanted to teach him a lesson, and since the referees couldn't see me, they couldn't stop me from injuring a defenseless classmate…"
All-might shook his head. He had seen the condition Bakugo was in when he was carted out, but he didn't realize the situation was quite that bad. "I… See. Can you explain what you mean by 'teach him a lesson?'"
Kytheon nodded again, swallowing. He didn't know why he felt so cowed by All-might. It felt like he was standing in front of a disappointed father figure.
"Before the fight, I told him that he had been doing very well, but that I would be a wall to him that would change him. He isn't a nice guy, I've seen how much he bullies Izuku, and how he treats everyone around him like scum. His battle cry is "DIE" for goodness' sake. And I wanted to knock him down a peg, and remind him that there is always going to be someone stronger than him that would stand in his way. But then… he started yelling, about how I wouldn't know, that I've never lost… and…. Something in me decided then and there that he would not receive mercy. I have lost… I have lost more than I want to admit… and I was outraged that he would suggest that…"
He stiffened as he felt All-Might's arms wrap around him in a warm hug.
"Now, now, young Iora. It is alright. You let your emotions get the better of you. I understand that… I understand that entirely. You carry yourself like an old man, who has seen too much, and you are just a teen. I shudder to imagine what could have possibly happened to you to make you this way. But the fact you are feeling this way shows that you are still good. You feel awful about what you did, rather than gloating about it and shoving it in his face. And thanks to Recovery Girl, there will be no lasting physical damage to Young Bakugo, so you do not need to worry about that." He stepped back and looked down at Kytheon. "Learn from this, Young Iora. Know this feeling, and use it as a reminder for the next time you are about to lose control of your emotions. Use it to power you for acts of good, rather than acts of harm. I must go now, and so do you. Do not worry too much about the future, I am sure your little altercation with Bakugo will work out for the best. Besides, you also won first place! That is no small accomplishment, so celebrate it! Good luck!"
"Thank you sir."
And with that, he was gone, a red and blue and yellow blur speeding through the hallways. Kytheon sighed before turning and starting to head back towards his classroom to catch up with his classmates. All-Might was right. Well, he was right about many things. But he could not let this get to him too badly. He needed to put a smile on his face, anyways. He won! Somehow, he won the gold medal. He smiled as he felt a little bit of red mana flow through him.
Victory was his.
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Kytheon found his smile had returned by the time he had reached the classroom, even if it was mostly just to relax his classmates. They had seemed mildly concerned when he was pulled aside by All-might after the ceremony in the hallways, but carried on when he waved them off with a reassurance. He slid the door open, the exhaustion of the day finally starting to wear on him.
"Hey, it's Kytheon!" He heard from Eijiro when he stepped inside, and he waved as he quickly made his way to his seat. He quickly bowed to Aizawa.
"Sorry Sir, I had to stop for a quick conversation with All-Might."
"So I've heard from your classmates. Go have a seat, I waited for you to get here. It's illogical to have to explain it twice."
"Understood." Kytheon said, rushing over to his seat and plopping down. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Momo mouth 'are you ok?' to which he nodded, before focusing back on Aizawa.
"Now that everyone is here… Good Work. There will be no school tomorrow or the day after. I am sure the pro heroes who watched the sports festival will want to recruit you, but we'll consolidate everything and announce it when you get back. So rest well, and look forward to that."
"Yes sir!" The class all declared.
Kytheon glanced over and saw that Tenya was missing. Concerned, after not hearing any reason about his absence, he leaned forward and tapped Izuku on the shoulder. He figured if Tenya would have told anyone, it would be the green haired teen.
"Izuku… where's Tenya?" He asked, tilting his head in confusion, which only worsened when Izuku suddenly looked a lot more panicked glancing around.
"I uhh… I don't know if I should be telling you, but… I suppose Tenya would want you to know." He leaned in close and his voice dropped to a whisper. "Tenya's older brother, he got attacked by a villain. Tenya went to the hospital to see him, and as a result, missed the end of the tournament."
Kytheon scowled, looking at the desk as his fist balled. "Dammit… Very well. I will make sure I send something to him and his family as soon as I can." he said. He realized he shouldn't be too surprised at this, it was the job he was training to do after all. But a part of him stung at the reminder that this world was not a perfect utopian place that he ended up in.
"By the way, what did you do to Kacchan?" Izuku asked, looking rather concerned as he glanced at the surprisingly passive Bakugo. Kytheon barely managed to successfully hide the wince that he felt at the mention of the boy. "He's been… acting weird. Not like the Kacchan we know…"
"Let's just say that… there were some words shared, and it was an eye-opening experience for both of us." He said while looking down. He pushed his seat back and stood up, stretching. "God, I would kill for an Akroan Bath right about now." He mumbled as several joints in his back popped. He could tell everyone shared similar sentiments to varying degrees as not many people were crowding him, most of them passing a word of congratulations as they headed home.
"Hey, congratulations, Kytheon!" A bright and bubbly voice called out. Kytheon glanced over to see Toru coming up to him, followed by Mashirao.
"Yeah, though was there ever really any doubt you would sweep this?" The tailed teen joked, rubbing the back of his neck. Kytheon laughed as he waved to Momo as she left.
"Now now, don't say that, there was never any guarantee I would win this. I mean, I very nearly lost several times in the beginning there. Everyone competed really well!" He said, trying to push off some of the celebration.
"Oh don't be modest, you were so cool!" Toru declared, jumping forward and hugging his arm. "Oh man those glowing punches, and when you took Todoroki's fire like it was nothing! Even Bakugo didn't stand a chance! And man are you ripped!"
Kytheon's face flushed slightly at the reminder. "Ah yes… that will be all over the internet now, I'm assuming… I envy you Mashirao. You at least stand a chance of blending in. This type of attention is not something you want."
Mashirao laughed quite a bit. "Get ready for the fan clubs, Kytheon. I'd recommend taking cabs over public transport from here on out." He stated with a lingering chuckle, one that Kytheon mimicked. "Aside from that, though… I wanted to say thank you."
"Thank me? What for?" the Akroan asked, tilting his head.
"For your words when I withdrew. I felt really bad about it at first, with all the pressure that was on doing well at the competition. But you helped me feel a lot better about my decision. I hope that you are right, and some pro noticed that about me. Either way, I will make sure that the next year's festival, I will go all the way!" The blond clenched a fist forwards, and Kytheon grinned.
"I look forward to seeing you there. Take this away from me then!" He said, holding the gold medal up. He glanced at Toru. "Now uhh… if you don't mind, I would love to get home. I am exhausted…"
"Oh! Right! Of course!"
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The trip back to Nemuri's apartment was pretty uneventful, and when he got back, he was greeted by a very enthusiastic Midnight, now wearing casual clothes.
"Congratulations Kytheon!" She declared, throwing her arms out and embracing him. He chuckled awkwardly, but then moved himself to embrace her back.
"Thanks, Nemuri." He said. He sniffed the air and looked over at the table. "Is that…"
"I didn't have time to make any of it myself, but I found this tiny family restaurant more than willing to make take out for us! I also went and got you a present too!" She said, pulling out a clearly hastily wrapped gift box. He chuckled again.
"When did you…"
"Oh, on the way home! Now let's save it for after dinner! Let's eat and celebrate! I've never had this type of food, but after you talked about it, I just had to try it!"
There had been several dishes he had seen from time to time in the wealthy homes he had robbed back in his childhood on Akros, and after learning more about Greece in this world, he found that they had several dishes similar to the ones back home. For example, there weren't exactly Nessian Boars here on this plane, but Souvlaki was Souvlaki apparently. Whether made from giant terror pigs or something else, it didn't appear to make too much of a difference. The smell was positively delightful, and just a whiff of the various dishes were enough to send him back to a more easy life, the scent of home.
Nemuri could see the change that came over him as soon as they had sat down at the table. Where normally the teen would wolf down the food that was placed in front of him, his normally ravenous appetite seemed to be traded for one that savored the tastes more than the sustenance. He ate slowly, chewing almost pensively, with a faraway look in his eyes. In her heart, she immediately knew that she hit a home run with this, and was very proud of herself.
All too soon, the meal was done, and the tray of Baklava Nemuri also brought out was promptly demolished. That all done, they moved over to the couch, where Nemuri handed him the box.
"Well? Go on, open it!"
Raising an eyebrow at her eagerness, he shrugged and tore open the wrapping paper, and opened the cardboard box to find…
"Wait… is this?"
"Yup!"
He gave her a flat stare. "You do realize giving me this is illegal, right?"
She chuckled. "As long as it stays here and you don't go out with or after, it's fine! Besides… You may try to hide it, but I can tell you're much older than you look."
Kytheon looked back down at the four bottles of wine, something he had not had in a very long time. These appeared to be pretty expensive, too, and a deep dark color. He sighed and smiled.
"Alright, fine. Do you have glasses? I'm not gonna drink this by myself."
Nemuri giggled as she pulled out two wine glasses. "Right here!"
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The two days of freedom had passed, and for Kytheon, they were eventful.
The first one out, he could barely go anywhere without immediately being accosted by people on the street, congratulating him or all sorts of requests and questions and conversations. It was ridiculous, and he had to duck back into the apartment before he had another panic attack like the day in the cafeteria.
The rest of that day was spent trying to find all the ways to get to everywhere he needed to go without being seen by fans.
Fortunately by the second day a lot of things had calmed down, and he didn't quite have to hide as much when he went to the beach for some exercise. Now he could get away with just a baggy hoodie covering him. He spent the second day relaxing and exercising on the beach, just allowing himself a day to finally unwind after all the pressure of the sports festival. At this point he mostly just used his phone to text or call.
He had seen enough of the internet after discovering a forum thread with a hastily snapped screenshot of him after his fight with Todoroki.
There were some scary people on the internet.
But soon the two days were over, and it was time to head back to school, a strangely novel thought for the broad Akroan teen. It always felt so bizarre, going back to school after such drastic and high energy life changing events. And after successfully making it to school mostly unnoticed, he was able to relax and put the hoodie into his backpack. The rain had also helped him go unnoticed, with everyone always looking down. And within no time at all he was back in the comforting room of class 1-A.
He smiled, hearing the conversations of his classmates, all delighting in their newfound fame.
"Oi, Kytheon! How many love letters did you receive in the mail? I bet a lot of people kept trying to talk to you!" He heard Eijiro declare, coming up to him. Kytheon chuckled and clasped his hand in a firm grip when he came up.
"Let's just say that I have taken to hiding as much as possible in public, and that i'm going nowhere near the internet for a while. For you guys it might be great, but you also are not the ones that were naked on live television." He said with an embarrassed laugh, earning a hearty laugh from Eijiro as well.
"I suppose that's fair. But man, do you ever stop being so manly? Watching the replays of your fights was so cool! How do you always manage to look so cool?"
"Don't sell yourself short man, you looked plenty cool yourself from what I saw! And I can't exactly tell you that, because even I don't know why. Ah, hello Momo! How have you been?"
"I've been doing alright, Kytheon, thank you for asking. These past two days have been very relaxing."
"Great!" He briefly leaned a little closer. "I haven't forgotten. Later, ok?" He asked, and once she remembered what he was talking about, she nodded and made her way back to her seat.
"What was that about man?" Eijiro asked, causing Kytheon to wave a hand.
"It's nothing. Let's get back to our seats."
And just in time, too. He had barely touched his butt to the chair, when the door opened and a haggard but unbandaged Aizawa stepped through.
"Morning."
"Good morning!"
And with pleasantries out of the way, Kytheon was excited to get started again.
"More importantly, we're having a special hero informatics class today."
Hero informatics? Sounded important… What was it about? Law awareness? Crime analysis? Considering the society he was in right now, it could really be just about anything.
"Code names. You will be coming up with hero names."
Oh.
Well he should have expected as much. This was another thing Midnight had pressured him about rather early on, and it was something he always dismissed. To him, Code names and epithets were always given by other people. 'Hero of Zendikar. Steward of Elements. The Mind Sculpter. The Firebrand.' All these different names were given by other people. He never really gave much thought to what he might call himself.
Part of him was wishing he had taken Nemuri up on the offer.
"This is related to the Pro Hero draft picks I mentioned the other day. The drafts begin in earnest in the second and third years, after students have gained experience and can become immediate assets to the pros. In other words, for them to extend offers to first years like you shows that they are interested in your future potential. These offers are often cancelled if that interest dies down by graduation."
"So we'll have to prove ourselves once we get picked, huh?"
"That's right. And here are the totals for those with offers."
Kytheon started choking when the bars came up. He expected to be towards the top of the charts, but…
"5000!?"
He was not even really aware that there were that many hero agencies in the city, much less that were interested in him. Interesting to note was that Bakugo and Todoroki were almost tied in numbers, with Todoroki edging him out, surprisingly enough.
"In other years, it's been more spread out, but all eyes were on these three this year."
'No kidding, that much of a gap… it's ridiculous! I feel kinda sorry for many of these guys, they barely were noticed at all… I suppose I am to blame for much of that though…' Kytheon thought to himself, swallowing nervously with a sweatdrop going down the side of his face. Izuku didn't get any? Huh.
"Keeping these results in mind, whether or not anyone asked for you, you will all be participating in internships with pros."
"Internships?" Kytheon heard from in front of him. This could be interesting…
"At Usj, you already got to experience combat with real villains, but it will still be meaningful training for you to see pros at work firsthand."
"So that explains the hero names!"
"Well, those hero names are still temporary, but if you are not serious about it…"
"You'll have hell to pay later!"
Oh gods.
Kytheon knew that voice.
Into the room strode Midnight, wearing her ludicrous costume. Kytheon still didn't understand how she was comfortable with something so…. Tight.
"Oh gods, Nemuri…" He mumbled under his breath, which elicited a strange look from Izuku.
"Because a lot of hero names used by the students become recognized by society, and they end up becoming professional hero names!"
Many of the other guys in his class seemed really excited to see Midnight, but boy was Kytheon suddenly very uncomfortable. Sure she wasn't biologically his mother, but her position of guardianship over him still made him feel highly uncomfortable at seeing her like this.
"Well, that's how it is. So Midnight will be making sure your names are okay. I can't do stuff like that."
So that was why Midnight was so insistent! And judging by the look she was giving him, she knew too. He silently groaned as she chuckled.
"When you give yourself a name, you get a more concrete image of what you want to be like in the future, and you can get closer to it. This is what it means when they say, "Names and natures do often agree." Like "All Might," for example."
Kytheon looked up as Izuku handed a whiteboard back to him, and he passed the pile on after taking one. Now he was faced with a dilemma. What did HE want to be known as?
The first thing to go through his head was just his name. It's not like nobody knows who he is, especially not after the show he made at the festival. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he needed to actually make a code name for himself. He was going to become a symbol for the people. Now he began wracking his mind to try and figure out anything he could be called. And after running several ideas through his head, he ultimately came to a conclusion, scribbling it down on the whiteboard.
"Alright, let's start presenting names starting with those who are ready."
Of course they were going to have to present these. Why wouldn't they? He immediately re read what he had written, making sure that it was satisfactory. Especially since he had to present it now.
Some of the names were… pretty predictable, coming off of what he knew about his classmates. Aoyama… Did he ever take something seriously? Kytheon really could not get a read on him. Alien Queen for Mina? He didn't really see what was wrong with it, but judging by Nemuri's reaction it was not exactly the best choice for a hero. Oh well. He thought it sounded neat. Froppy was a good name for Tsu, he thought with a smile. A pleasant, cheerful name that really worked for her demeanor. Red Riot was a good solid name for Eijiro. He had come across Crimson Riot when he was researching heroes when he first arrived, and he really appreciated his declarations of Chivalry. Earphone Jack was a very simple option, but it still felt pretty good for Jiro, even if it was a bit on the nose. Tentacole for Shoji, again, simple but good. If Kytheon was being honest with himself, Mezo Shoji seemed like he would have the toughest time becoming a hero in this world, sheerly because of his appearance. Though he knew on Ravnica the Simic would adore him. Cellophane, Tailman, Sugarman, Pinky, Chargebolt, all of these names were quite good, and simple too, which made them pretty easy to remember. Idly, he wondered what Katsuki would say for his… He seemed to be somewhat back to normal, his loud boisterous self. But he seemed less… directly antagonistic now. More banter instead of death threats.
The names carried on, Kytheon momentarily being caught off guard with Shoto's name just being Shoto. But then he came to the realization of who his father was, and realized that it was very similar to the name he had initially thought of for himself. And soon he was called up after Tokoyami.
"Alright Kytheon, what do you have for us today?"
He smiled and looked at his board, taking in both the name and the epithet.
"It took longer than I would like to admit, but I eventually came up with this one…" He said, turning the board around. "Gatewatch: The Sun-Crowned hero!"
"Ooh, very nice! But why did you choose Gatewatch as the name?"
He smiled a bit wider, thinking about the organization and the Oath he had taken. Even beyond the grave, his oath held strong. He put his one hand up in the air, the light forming a symbol that the students recognized from his armor.
"For justice and peace, for the sake of the world, for every life that we may all live in freedom, I will keep watch."
The room was silent, as the weight of his words weighed down on everyone. Then it started with Izuku, and spread from there as the students began clapping. Midnight gave him a proud smile. "Well, how can I say no to a declaration like that? I had better see that as the motto of your hero agency some day!" She laughed before sending him back to his seat.
And now Katsuki stepped up. Kytheon held his breath as the explosive blond stared directly into his eyes with a smirk as he turned the sign around.
"Wall Breaker: The Blasting hero!"
A bunch of confused mutters were scattered throughout the students, and only Kytheon knew what the true meaning of his name meant.
"But mark my words, I will be a wall to you. You will not surpass me without changing who you are. And today will be a crushing reminder of that."
"An interesting choice, to be sure, but i like it!" Nemuri said. Kytheon matched Katsuki's smirk with a staredown, before nodding.
"Can't wait to see it happen…" He mumbled to himself.
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"Now that everyone's decided on their hero names, we'll go back to talking about the internships. They will last for a week. As for where you'll have them, those who had offers from pros will be given your own lists, so you can choose from those yourself. Those who didn't have offers will choose from among forty agencies around the country that will be accepting our interns. They all work in different places and have different specialties."
Kytheon nodded along to Aizawa's explanation. It made sense over all, they had to have some sort of backup plan for those students who had zero requests, as disappointing as that sounded. He still felt bad that he (somewhat literally) outshone so many students that they barely received any requests from heroes if at all. Part of him was quite upset that Mashirao didn't have any, even though he really knew why.
"For example, Thirteen would be focused on rescues from accidents and disasters more than fighting villains."
"Think carefully before you choose. Turn in your choices before the weekend."
Kytheon blinked as the small pile of papers were set in front of him. He rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "Oh god, I have to go through all of these?" He mumbled to himself. There were a lot of names to go through, and he only vaguely recognized less than a quarter, and he really recognized very few of them. Even as some of his classmates moved into conversations about where they were planning on going, Kytheon kept shifting through his papers, feeling no small degree overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices.
"You good there, Kytheon?"
Kytheon looked up to see Jiro and Momo nearby, where they were presumably having their own conversations.
"You must be pretty lucky, getting so many requests from so many people…" Jiro mused, rubbing her chin as she looked over at the papers. The Akroan teen chuckled and leaned back.
"I wouldn't say that. There is such a thing as too many options after all. I recognize a few, and there is one that I certainly am leaning towards."
"You got a recommendation from Best Jeanist? And the Endeavor agency? Oh man, you are so lucky to have such high-ranked heroes interested in you!"
Kytheon shook his head. "Neither of them are the ones I'm thinking about. No, there is another agency, one that I think may fit better along what I'm trying to do…"
"Oh? And what might that one be, golden boy?" Jiro asked with a laugh. "Who could be better than the number two and four heroes?"
"Number 8." Kytheon said, pointing to the name.
"Yoroi Musha? You want to go with him?" Momo asked, sounding curious but not judgemental.
"Yeah… When I first came here, I did some research on the top heroes here. He caught my eye immediately for his supposedly 'old-fashioned' views on heroism."
"You do seem like an old man sometimes…" Jiro giggled. "I can picture the two of you grumbling about the 'good old days' and drinking tea together!"
Both Kytheon and Momo joined in her giggling at the mental image portrayed, even though they both knew that she was closer than she may have realized. Making a resolute nod, Kytheon began filling in the form for Yoroi's agency.
"Thanks for that Kyoka. I think I'll intern with him. I imagine it would be most enlightening." He said, setting his pen down with a sigh. He stood up and took the paper. "Alright, I'm going to turn this in at the staff rooms. Catch you guys in a bit!"
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Elsewhere, in an unknown location…
A shadowed figure was hunched over in the corner of a dilapidated building in the Hosu district. A few discarded wrappers lay scattered about, and there was a small fire burning. There were other squatters there, but they did not like the feel of the figure in the corner, and so gave them an enormous berth.
"This place… I hate it… It disgusts me. But I can't act yet. I need more strength. I need more time, I need more people… This place is rotten. And you can't build on rot."
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WELL! So that was a thing! Took a while to complete but not quite as bad a gap as some other projects of mine. A lot happened, along with some canon divergence as expected. Hosu and the internships are coming up soon, and we've just received the first hint in the story at who the other mysterious Magic character is! Probably not much of a mystery, and I know some you keen-eyed readers already know who it is, purely based on their dialogue.
For once, I really don't have much to say at the end of this, aside from thanking you for the continued support! We passed a major checkpoint in the last chapter, where we finally exceeded the 60,000 word mark! So yeah! You guys keep liking this story, and that keeps inspiring me to write more of it! I honestly never expected to get this far. I have a few other stories in the works, but none of them have quite clicked with me like this one has. I just keep getting more excited to write different situations!
So again, thank you so much for tuning in once more!