Oh boy, I do hope I haven't upset anyone with how long the gap between chapters has been. Life has been… hectic as of late. 21st birthday, Grandfather passed away, sister came home for the first time in about a year, and then the usual holiday craze. But now we are heading into a fresh new year which we hope to be better than the last. And with that comes a resurgence in the writing spirit! So glad to be back.
Without further ado, I've kept you waiting long enough, let's go!
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Kytheon's face was grim. Izuku had stepped out to make a phone call to Ochaco, and he had been brought into a separate room to be examined. He knew that with time and enough application of white mana he could bring himself back to normal, but it was still incredibly sobering to have been so seriously injured. The last time he had been so impaired was after the fight with Nicol Bolas. He knew Stain was nowhere near the level of the nigh-omnipotent dragon god, and it made him realize just how soft he had gotten in this relatively peaceful world. He came back and sat down on his bed, resting his chin in his hands and staring out into space.
"Um, Kytheon?"
Kytheon glanced over, seeing a downtrodden Tenya looking over at him. He put on a small smile. "Hmm? What's bugging you?"
"How… how bad is it?"
Kytheon bit his tongue. The ligaments between his knee and thigh had almost completely been severed when stain kicked the knife, and there was pretty serious damage to his forearm and shoulder. The burns on his legs were the stars of the show, though, having several burns through the entirety of his calves. The medical team was curious how he managed to get burns on the insides of the muscles, but he remained rather quiet about it. And he had a feeling that it would be rough for Iida to hear the full extent. He looked up, hearing the door open and Izuku walking in.
"Ah, good timing Izuku. I just got the report on the extent of my injuries. It appears that my quirk did manage to keep the injuries down somewhat. There may be some minor permanent damage to my leg, but nothing that can stop my journey."
"I-I'm sorry to hear that." Izuku said. Kytheon saw the expression on Tenya's face tighten.
"Don't be sorry." The Akroan teen stated, waving his one uninjured hand. "I responded to the call, and the injuries I received were my fault. No one can feel sorry for me but myself. It's no one's fault but my own."
Tenya looked like he was about to say something, but Kytheon held up his hand. "Tenya, stop it. You responded to a crime by trying to stop it. No matter what anyone else says, in my mind, you are no less a hero. If stain hadn't hospitalized your brother, and you saw him attacking Native like that, would you still have responded in the same way?"
"I… y-yeah? Kind of..."
"Then in my mind you are still a hero. That change that came over you towards the end of that fight, hold onto that feeling. Motivate yourself, drive yourself to be better than anyone else. And I will not take no for an answer."
"R-right…"
Izuku held up his hand. "Let's all get stronger together. Let's all rely on each other when we need to, and make sure we all can overcome any obstacles."
Kytheon chuckled and raised his hand. "Hear hear! Now where can I get a drink…"
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The internet, some would say, is the greatest power in the world. Any piece of information can be leaked, and spread like fire on iron wool touched to a 9-volt battery. Two different videos had been put up at around the same time, and they kept getting taken down. But someone else would already put it back as soon as it was gone.
The first was about Stain, his life and ideals. It was influencing various shady characters to start acting up, but also drawing people towards the League of Villains. It was a dangerous, infectious charisma that spread outwards. It was subtle, like the spread of black oil.
The second had a much more immediate effect, but just as dangerous. And it was a video of the mystery newcomer.
"YES! SMASH THIS CITY TO THE GROUND! BREAK IT DOWN AND BURN THE ROT THAT LIES WITHIN! LET THE LAWS OF MAN FALL TO THE WAYSIDE! HEED NATURE'S CALLING AND LET LOOSE THE BEAST WITHIN!"
Many dismissed him at first. An angry teen, raging at society. Yet another anarchist. But he had his own charisma, raging like a bonfire. And as a result, due to his words and the words of Stain, a number of people were taking sharp, violent action. Two words from the video of the mystery teen had been repeated a few times: "Rubblebelt" and "Gruul". The way he spoke of those two things had ignited something in a surprising number of youths, and when a symbol appeared painted on the scene of destruction from that night, everyone took it as the symbol of this "Gruul" the teen had spoken of.
And it wasn't long before another incident occurred. A small group of teens, bearing similar paint and scraps of armor were rampaging in a small corner of town, trashing vehicles and breaking windows. They were quickly subdued and arrested, and it came to light that they had not even met the mystery teen, they just wanted to follow him.
The world was changing, and people were taking sides…
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Kytheon stood at attention in front of Yoroi Musha. With daily meditations to get his mana back after the exhaustion of the past several days, he healed up at a rather high rate. He was cleared to leave the hospital under the promise to not do too much exertion until cleared by the doctors. He had received grafts to clean up the burns, but the patches were still very pale. His arm and back had received several stitches, and his leg required more in depth surgery. He no longer needed crutches to move himself around, but there was still a bit of a limp from the injury. Due to the doctor's notes and Musha's insistence, Kytheon found himself not able to go on patrol or spar. Instead he joined Yoroi during his meditation sessions with a cup of steaming tea. They had discussions of theory and tactics, powers and weapons. He would get quizzed several times with scenarios that he would complete to various degrees. The rest of his internship wasn't wasted, per say, but Kytheon felt he could have done much much more than he did. And now it was time to depart, standing in front of the elder hero.
"Sit." Yoroi said, gesturing at the mat. Kytheon quickly sat down cross-legged across from the armored hero. His own armor had to be sent back to UA for them to repair it, leaving him wearing a variety of Chitons the rest of the time. He tried a Kimono at one point, but he had to admit that the amount of fabric felt like it would just be in the way, so he stayed in his more traditional Akroan clothing. Once he was comfortable, Yoroi sighed and removed his helmet.
"I think it is time that instead of me hearing your report, I give you mine."
Kytheon swallowed, but nodded nevertheless. "About my performance this week?"
"Yes." Yoroi took a deep breath to gather his words.
"You are reckless. But the problem comes with the fact that you have the power to handle it. Your magic is unlike anything anyone has ever seen in the world. It is so far beyond the power of Quirks, with their own benefits and weaknesses. And from what you've told me about this Domri brat, we are going to need you on our side if we want to stand a chance against him. The ability to summon beasts that we have never seen before… creating life from nothing is no joke. But anyway, back to you, you throw yourself into situations you can't possibly handle and only escape alive due to your magic. And from the stories you've told me, that seems to have always been the case. I am completely unsurprised by the thought of you thinking the best way to stop a robot is to jump into the gears."
"That all being said, I must say that you are brilliant. A tactician of incredible intelligence, as well as a quick read in battle. I've never met someone catch onto my quirk so quickly, as well as begin to implement a countermeasure. While it wasn't perfect, it was fast. You are powerful. You are fast, and you are smart. You have the enormous potential for heroics and an almost guaranteed position in the top heroes of japan not long after you get your license. But there is definitely something else I've noticed. How self-sacrificing you are. It is almost as if your life holds no meaning to you. You only think of the mission, of others. That's admirable up to a point, and you move past the point to borderline suicide. I am not a psychiatrist or a therapist, but… I recommend you see one, so that you don't rush into a situation you have no chance of returning from."
Kytheon looked down at the floor, his hands balling up. A brief flash of the emotionless gaze of Erebos went through his head and he winced. He hadn't told Yoroi about that event or the Emrakul incident, but he knew he had to deal with it at some point. It certainly wouldn't go away like an illness, it would likely travel with him until the day he died… again. He looked back up with a hesitant smile. "I will sir."
"Now, I will not necessarily tell the school everything you have told me, but I will put in a recommendation for therapy with the rest of my report. However, you did incredibly well, and I am suitably impressed by you." Yoroi stood up, and Kytheon did as well. Yoroi bowed deep, and Kytheon followed suit as he was taught. "Kytheon Iora! The Hero Gatewatch! I eagerly await the day you surpass me on the rankings. I know I stand no chance. Now go and change for the train ride home, we washed and pressed your school uniform this morning. Thank you for your service."
"And thank you for the lessons sir." Kytheon said, bowing once more.
"You are dismissed."
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Kytheon raised an eyebrow as he stood in the doorway, staring at what was undoubtedly about to become a murder scene.
"So uhh… gotta say I'm not a fan of that look on you."
"YOU THINK I AM!?" Bakugo yelled, whirling around, the sheer anger causing his hair to explode back to it's normal self. Kytheon smiled.
"Ah, that's much better." He said with a laugh, before limping on by. He was getting there with his healing, having received a go ahead from the doctor to be allowed in smaller exercises, but still not 100% yet. Which, kinda sucked, but he could deal with it. Bakugo certainly noticed, however, and didn't say anything, just narrowed his eyes.
Everyone seemed to be chatting with each other about their internships, happy to see each other once again as he moved over to his seat. He nodded and gave small smiles to Tenya and Izuku and Shoto as he moved towards his seat when he heard Denki's voice.
"But the ones who changed the most, or at least went through the most were you guys, right?"
"Oh that's right, the hero killer incident! And that other weird guy Kytheon fought too!"
"I'm glad you guys made it out alive! Seriously."
"I was worried."
Kytheon smiled awkwardly as Hanta and Eijiro both chimed in, and glanced to the side from the concerned tone in Momo's voice. Kytheon raised a hand.
"We made it out fine, thanks to the pro heroes that were there." He said, hoping to wave it off, but Tenya raised an eyebrow.
"Kytheon, I wouldn't quite say we 'made it out fine', especially you. Yeah we survived but it wasn't clean." The glasses wearing teen said, narrowing his eyes. Kytheon chuckled sheepishly. "As your assistant, class rep, I recommend you not lie about the injuries you received."
"Injuries?"
There was a collective mumble that went through the class. While injuries were expected with such a scary incident, hearing that Kytheon got hurt was big news. Kytheon sighed, sitting down in his seat.
"Alright, I'll admit, the fight with the first guy drained me quite a bit, and Stain was no joke. My quirk gets weaker over time with continuous use, and becomes more directional when shielding. He slipped through my guard and I got hurt pretty bad. But it's no big deal!"
"I wouldn't call almost losing a leg no big deal…" Izuku mumbled. It was clear it was meant to be a thought and not said out loud by his distracted look about him, but the class didn't miss it, and it exploded into a cacophony of noises. Kytheon noticed Katsuki staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face, Izuku looking apologetic, Eijiro staring in terrified awe, Ochaco looked on the edge of fainting, and Momo was staring at him with huge eyes. Kytheon sighed, rubbing at his temple before rolling up the pant leg and showing off the scar from the stitching. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that it would also expose the healing grafts on the back of his calves.
"Whoa whoa whoa what are those!?" Mina and Kyoko said in unison, pointing at the marks all over his leg, causing him to sigh and roll the leg back down.
"Skin grafts. Got pretty badly burnt as well." He said. "Look, can we move on? I'm sure you guys all had exciting adventures of your own and- oh dear, someone grab a seat for Ochaco…" Kytheon said, motioning towards the swaying bubbly teen, who Tsuyu helped guide to a seat. "But anyways, it's about time to start class, so how about everyone get to your seats?"
"Y-yes, of course! Everyone to their seats!" Momo said, waving everybody off, causing Kytheon to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Thanks Momo."
He glanced back up only to be met with an intense glare from Momo.
"You're telling me everything later." She hissed, but then her gaze softened. "I'm glad you're alright."
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Kytheon let out a whistle.
He was currently standing outside of field Gamma, and inside seemed like a kaladesh worker's nightmare. Pipes were absolutely everywhere in the enormous training ground, and it seemed more like the innards of some giant robot than anything remotely resembling architecture. All-might had described the exercise of the day as a rescue race, which got Kytheon's blood pumping a little. That victory at the sports festival certainly had sparked a bit of a competitive nature in him, but he already knew he was not going to win the race. He still wasn't back up to full speed yet, and he didn't exactly have the best when it came to sensory powers or extra mobility. He was very grateful he wasn't in that first group, with Mina, Hanta, Mashirao, Izuku, or Tenya. He could hear the others talking about who might win, but Kytheon was off to the side, stretching. He was also running some soothing lines of white mana along his legs to help ease their state a bit, so that he might stand a chance.
He watched the race with interest once it got going, however, impressed with Izuku's control over his quirk this time. Albeit, it was obvious practice was needed when his foot found a loose spot and caused him to slip and fall. So it was with no surprise that Sero ended up taking the gold, and Kytheon was honestly proud. Though he wasn't exactly close friends with Hanta, he could feel the embarrassment from him after his easy loss in the sports festival.
The other rounds went by quickly, and as he expected, despite his best efforts he easily lost due to Tsuyu's high mobility and powerful legs. However, he did manage to not end up in last place, so he claimed that little victory. Back in the locker rooms, he grabbed his stuff and moved to a more secluded space in the locker room to change so that he wouldn't get hounded by the rest of the people about the stitches on his arm and back as well. Homeroom had been bad enough already, he didn't want to be at the center of attention like that, and would rather that the incident had not come up at all. He didn't need the others' concern, he didn't need to worry them like that!
"It is almost as if your life holds no meaning to you. You only think of the mission, of others."
The words from his mentor rang through his head, and he balled his fist. He tried to justify keeping it under wraps to himself, but with every possible excuse, Musha's piercing orange eyes would flash at him and those words would replay through his head. Midnight had already made quite the fuss when he had come home from the internship, but she was his guardian. He didn't want others to worry…
He was fine…
He sighed, slumping against the wall.
He wasn't fine.
The things he had seen, the things he had been through, they were enough to make a lesser man break. And sometimes he felt very very close. Maybe he did need help. He had been unable to catch a break his entire past life, and now that he had the chance to open up again for the first time since his Irregulars, he was avoiding it. His thoughts went back to the expressions on his classmate's faces when they saw the remnants of his injuries from Stain…
He was torn. Half of him wanted to get back to training constantly to ensure another incident like Stain wouldn't happen again. To be able to fight Domri. The other half wanted to step back, so desperately. As he was fiddling with the buttons of his school uniform, he felt a hand touch his shoulder and he jumped, whirling around to find Eijiro looking at him with a concerned expression.
"Yo man, you ok? I noticed you kinda disappeared, and everybody is leaving to get back to class, so I thought I would try and find you."
Kytheon sighed, letting his shoulders relax as he began fiddling with his tie.
"Eijiro, you're always going on about manliness… does it make one any less a man to ask for help?"
"What? Of course not man! In fact, I think it's very manly to know when to ask for help!"
Kytheon sighed with a small smile as he put his blazer on. "Thanks man. Remind me to tell you some stories of home sometime, I think you might enjoy a few of them." he said with a laugh. "But let's get to class real quick."
"Sure thing, whatever you say!"
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As everyone was packing up their stuff to leave for the day, Kytheon glanced over before taking a deep breath.
"Momo? I believe I owe you something… do you have some time?"
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Kytheon was seated at a cafe, rucksack slung over his shoulder, waiting. Momo said she would be there, but she had to go take care of something before hand. So he got there and ordered himself a black coffee and sat at one of the booths in the back. He heard the bell at the door ring and looked over, only to see a slightly less enthusiastic than normal Toru coming over.
"Toru? What's up?" He asked, tilting his head as she approached, her body seeming to radiate nervousness.
"I uh… have a confession to make Iora-san…"
"Please, I will keep saying it, call me Kytheon."
"R-right! Kytheon. I uh… I'm sorry, but… I eavesdropped on you, when you had a conversation with Momo about your past. You didn't notice me further down the hallway, but I… I heard it. And when I heard you talking to Momo at the end of class, I-I kinda put two and two together and wanted to show up but be a bit more upfront this time…" She bowed frantically, causing Kytheon to sweatdrop. "I-I am so sorry, forgive me!"
Kytheon sighed and shook his head. "Well, I guess it was bound to happen, at least you're honest about it. Have a seat, I guess I can tell you the whole story when Momo gets here too. Heh… I was thinking to myself I should let a few more people know anyways, so I guess it worked out in the end…"
Toru shifted into the booth across from him, shuffling her hands. "A-again, I'm sorry for intruding on this, it must be incredibly personal…"
"Again, don't worry Toru. It had to come out at some point, might as well. Ah, there's Momo now actually!" He said, looking over and waving with a smile at the figure standing in the doorway. The creation hero smiled, but her expression became a bit more confused at the sight of the floating school uniform sitting across from the bronzed lad.
"Toru? What… what are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. Kytheon smiled and motioned for Momo to sit down.
"She had overheard me talking to you in that hallway. She came here to apologize, as well as see if she could get the full story like you are going to. I figured she might as well stay." Kytheon explained, Toru giving a sheepish giggle and wave. Momo sighed with a small smile, a little disappointed to not get some one on one time with Kytheon, but was glad that she would still get to hear the story. She slipped in next to Toru, across from Kytheon, who looked a little tired at the prospect of the task in front of him.
"Alright. Toru, you say you heard the whole thing, everything I told Momo?"
"Yeah. Multiverse, magic, a-and… y-your death…" Her voice became quiet, almost like she was walking on eggshells at the topic.
"In that case, let's… let's start from the beginning. What I'm going to tell you is not going to be easy, and I hope you understand that I want to be the only one to tell other people about this stuff. It will get… awful at times."
Two silent nods were his signal, and with one more deep breath, he began to tell them everything. He told them of the world of Theros, how the gods existed through the beliefs of the mortals and would intervene wherever they saw fit. He told them of his mother's death when he was young, and his adventures with the Irregulars. He told them how he was caught, and spent four years in prison learning hieromancy from the prison warden. The Kolophon's assault by the harpies and cyclopses, and his defense using tactics and the other prisoners. He spoke of how Heliod, the god of the sun, had championed him, and sent him on a quest to kill the Titan of Erebos, the god of death. He paused here to take a drink of his coffee to help steel his nerves. Both girls were on the edge of their seats, somehow knowing something big was about to happen.
"We found the titan on a barren plain. It was huge, towering over the nearby trees, wearing armor made entirely from the golden funeral masks of the dead. It carried an enormous flail that could furrow massive trenches in the ground with a single swing. But in my hands, I carried Heliod's spear, the weapon that could pierce any point on the map. I used it to slay the titan, saving the city. But it was also when I committed my greatest mistake." His voice shook a little, but he swallowed the nerves back. "Erebos was there, watching the fight. Riding high on my exuberance, I turned to the god of Death… and I threw the spear of Heliod right at him."
There was a sharp intake of breath from the others, feeling where this was about to go.
"Erebos… he wields a whip that can reach everyone. There is no escaping the pull of death. He caught the spear with the end of his lash, and spun it around him, flinging it back at me. You guys have seen my aura firsthand and the impacts it can take. So I stood there, and the spear struck me like the blast of a bomb. There was a blinding flash of light. And… I was fine. But my friends who fought alongside me… they were not."
His hand that was resting on the table balled into a fist as he felt his heart clench, feeling a warm hand resting on it.
"That day… it haunts my dreams. The smell of burned flesh… the emotionless expression on Erebos's face, the light that seared into me… that was the day my planeswalker spark ignited. Overwhelmed with emotion, I was coated in light… and then I was gone. My first jump through the blind eternities. I landed on the shard of Bant. There I got the name of Gideon Jura, and it stuck with me for the rest of my adventures."
He told them of his training on Bant, and of his adventures with the planeswalker Chandra Nalaar and the Purifying Flame. His imprisonment by the prince Velrav, being fed on by the people and the ritual that was meant to steal his planeswalking spark. He told of his escape and his confrontation with the order of Heliud. Then began the tales of Zendikar and Ravnica.
He told them of Fort Keff, how he helped the people fight off the demonic swarm of eldrazi corrupted insects. But then Emrakul came, and he tried his best to describe the sheer horror that it posed. He felt he likely did a good job by the expression of terror on Momo's face. He told them of going to Ravnica, the City-plane. He told them of working with the Boros legion and the forces of Zendikar, fighting eldrazi hordes by day and the chaotic criminal underworld by night. He had a laugh with them about Krenko, the goblin crimelord that proved to be one of the most aggravating foes Kytheon had ever fought. He told them of recruiting Jace Beleren and uniting the armies of Zendikar to reclaim Sea Gate. But Ulamog was coming, yet another of the titans and brother of Emrakul. He told them of their plan to use the hedrons to imprison Ulamog once more. He spoke of how small he felt, personally pushing against Ulamog with all his strength, when the alignment activated.
"And then… everything went wrong. Ob Nixilis was a demon planeswalker who had lost his spark and was imprisoned on Zendikar. But he had followed Nissa Revane, and used the magic flowing through the hedrons to reignite his spark. Ulamog was freed, and Ob nixilis summoned Kozilek, the third titan. He defeated us all and the armies were scattered or annihilated. Jace, Nissa, and I were captured by Ob Nixilis and tortured. I almost died, drowning in a puddle. But Chadra Nalaar came back, freed us, and together we drove Ob Nixilis away. With Chandra's help, we were able to harness the power of the entire plane to destroy Ulamog and Kozilek."
He then told them about Innistrad, and how Emrakul's presence had twisted the already horror filled world into something terrifyingly monstrous. He spoke of almost being overwhelmed by the hordes and being saved by Liliana Vess, the Necromancer. And then, the nightmare.
He could see the tears in Momo's eyes and hear the sniffles from Toru as he spoke about the vision Emrakul forced into his head, of Erebos and his questions, and the systematic annihilation of his friends, watching them crumbling to dust. He was freed from the illusion by Jace, and fought to keep them at bay while they sealed Emrakul away. He then spoke of the artificers world of Kaladesh and how he once again was fighting against the law by helping the renegades while trying to keep the other members of the Gatewatch in check. He spoke of how he stopped the gearhulks and after resolving some past issues with Chandra, he and the pyromancer turned themselves into a bomb to destroy the Planar Bridge.
His coffee was already cold by the time he reached the story of Amonkhet. He told them of Oketra, and how she knew his true name, and how in her he found a god he could worship once more, with her message of unity. He spoke of joining the trials, and the shocking horror of Bontu's trial, how too many had passed and their numbers had to be culled. His fist clenched again as he spoke of the borderline fanatical devotion the cropmates had, and how they had slaughtered each other without a moment's hesitation. He spoke of how they fought hard, and he had saved Djeru from death at the point of Hazoret's spear, and the prophecy that he would die by immortal hands, and that he was no god. And then the Hour of Devastation had came.
It spoke to his skill as a storyteller, he realized, that the two girls were still as riveted to his story as ever, even after the literal hours he had spent telling them his story. He told them of the powerful dragon god Nicol Bolas, the architect of so many of the previous challenges. They had fought the dragon, and how he had toyed with them, ultimately piercing his impenetrable aura and giving him a scar on his chest. He spoke of his experiences on Dominaria, fighting in the pits of the Cabal, retrieving the soul-drinking weapon, the Blackblade. He used it to kill the demon lord Belzenlok, annihilating his existence with the sword.
Then came the War of the Spark, and he spoke of everything. The eternal army, coming through the thought-destroyed Planar bridge that had survived through Tezzeret. He spoke of the God-Eternals, the corrupted and destroyed forms of the Gods of Amonkhet, including the form of Oketra. He told of how he killed the God-Eternal Rhonas, stabbing him in the eye with the blackblade, annihilating him as well. He told of how his pegasus was shot down by Oketra, only to be caught by the demon lord Rakdos, who carried him to Nicol Bolas. But the blade was shattered by the dragon, and Kytheon had found himself flung into the horde of Eternals. He spoke of the powerlessness he had felt, being overwhelmed by the swarm, surrounded on all sides, waiting for his mana to drain and for him to be killed. But then the horde had parted, and he saw Liliana turning against Nicol Bolas. She was commanding the dreadhorde to attack him instead, and he saw the contract beginning to turn her to ash.
He took a deep breath.
"I knew then and there, that she was the only one capable of stopping Nicol Bolas, and I knew then that I had to do whatever I could to protect her. So I reached out, using my hieromancy to transfer her contract to myself. She was saved, but I was lost. I felt the lines of her magic burning into my arms, turning my flesh to ash. It was agony, but I knew that what I was doing was working as I saw the remaining God-Eternals turning on Nicol Bolas. And then… I died."
He sighed, pushing his hair back. "I woke up in a back alley here in tokyo, with the Blackblade intact and my sural back on my wrist. I was taken in by the pro Hero Midnight, and she helped me sign up for the test to get into UA. And then… well, you know the rest." He said, finally slumping back in his seat and draining the cold cup of coffee on the table in front of him as he gave the girls time to process everything he said. They sat in silence for a while, before…
"Wow…" Toru said, shifting in her seat, and Momo nodded.
"You have… been through a lot. And you've been carrying all of this with you this whole time, and yet you still manage to lead and inspire with a smile. No wonder you are unparalleled in the hero course, you've been a hero for a long time…" Momo followed. She reached out, resting her hand on Kytheon's hand. "If there is ever anything you need, do not hesitate to ask."
"Me too!" Toru said, quickly grabbing his other hand. "Now that we know, anything you need to talk about, we are here for you! You've helped so many people, you've gotta let us help you back!" She said, shaking his hand. "You may not have your friends from the gatewatch any more, but you have us! And I'm certain that any other of the students from our class would be more than willing to extend the same offer!"
Kytheon smiled, feeling the corner of his eyes starting to sting. He felt an enormous weight being lifted from his shoulders after this confession, and he couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.
"Thank you. Toru, Momo, I extend the same offer. Anything you need, anything at all, never hesitate to ask. Now that you know what I'm capable of, I'm sure I can find ways to help you."
The two girls laughed. "Ever the gentleman, aren't you Kytheon?" Momo said, hiding her mouth behind her hand. "But I will definitely consider your offer."
"Oh goodness, look at the time… you guys should probably head home, I don't want to make your parents worry. I will see you guys at school tomorrow, alright?" He said, standing up. The two girls followed suit, and Kytheon stepped back to brace himself when Toru leapt in and hugged him.
"Ok!"
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Kytheon pushed open the door to the smell of food. It seemed Midnight was trying to learn how to cook the greek recipes she had gotten for him after the sports festival. She was standing at the kitchen when she turned around and smiled, seeing Kytheon coming through the door.
"You're a bit later than usual Kytheon, everything alright?"
Kytheon smiled. "Yeah, feeling better than usual even. Met with two girls from my class after school."
"Oh? My my my~ What a little snake charmer you are~" She teased, swaying her hips, causing him to look at her in confusion.
"Snake charmer? What are you going on about? We just went to a cafe and talked for a while." He said, shrugging off his rucksack and setting it down and taking off his shoes.
"Mhmm~ Ah the glories of youth…" She said, turning back to the dishes as Kytheon just shook his head.
"I don't get you…" He mumbled.
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"Ok, that's it for class. There's only one week left until the final exams. You all are studying properly, right? I'm sure you all know, but it won't just be a written exam. There's also a practical component. Make sure you train your minds and bodies at the same time. That's all."
The door closed behind Eraserhead as he left, leaving everyone in the classroom, when suddenly…
"I HAVEN'T STUDIED AT ALL!"
Kytheon shook his head at the loud exclamation from Denki and Mina, sighing.
"Yeah, with the constant events, I have to admit that there has not been much time for both study and training. I have a feeling I'll likely struggle with the written test, I only got about ninth on the midterm." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ashido, Kaminari! Let's do our best! We all want to go to the training camp together, right?" Izuku cheered, and Tenya showed up not long after.
"Yes! I too have high hopes that you'll all be moved to action!"
"It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class…" Shoto said, causing Kytheon to snort. Kaminari and Mina hardly paid attention in class.
"You two, I may be able to be of assistance with the class lectures." Momo interjected, and Kytheon was eternally grateful that the person with the highest score on the midterm was making such a suggestion. But she seemed to slump down, a bit depressed. "I can't help at all with the practical though…" She mumbled. Kytheon quickly intervened.
"I can help with that! Anything involving the practical, I can help. But I'm not good with written exams, so do you mind if I join in the session?"
"Do you mind if I join too? I'm having some trouble with quadratic functions…"
"Sorry, me too! How are you with classical Japanese?"
"I'd like to join, too. There's a bunch of stuff I don't get…"
Kytheon smiled as he saw the expression spreading over her face and knew that this would be good for her.
"Everyone… Yes, of course! Then, let us hold a study session at my residence this weekend!"
"Seriously? I can't wait to see your house!" Mina cheered. And Kytheon had to admit, he was curious. He didn't really know the lifestyle of his friends, and was curious what kind of living quarters Momo had.
"Oh, in that case, I must tell Mother and have her open up the hall!"
Hall?
Kytheon blinked.
"What kind of tea are you all partial to? In my family, we always drink Harrod's or Wedgwood, so if you have any preference, let me know! Of course, you can trust me to help you study, too! I will definitely show you how I can help!"
Kytheon sweatdropped, but he couldn't wipe the smile from his face. Momo was so adorably excited by the prospect of helping like this, he couldn't help but be just as excited.
"Well, I think this will end up being very interesting…"
######################
At lunch, Kytheon sat down with Tenya, Shoto, tsuyu, Izuku and Ochaco, since it had been a while since he had hung out with his original friends here at UA. He smiled as he pulled his giant portion closer to him.
"The practical exam, huh? It's kind of scary since I can't tell what'll be on it." Izuku said. Tenya glanced over.
"I don't think it'll be anything crazy."
"The written exam questions will come from what we study in class, so I should be able to manage somehow, but…"
"But with the practical, you have to expect pretty much anything." Kytheon finished, shaking his head. "I can understand the nerves behind that… I personally am expecting to have more issues with the written test. I certainly can handle unexpected situations, the gods have seen to that, but pen and paper… ugh." He said, shuddering.
"Yeah, I can understand that…" Ochaco said, sweating slightly
"But seriously, what'll we have to do for the practical exam?" Deku continued. Toru followed it up.
"It'll be a comprehensive test of everything from first semester…"
"That's all Mr. Aizawa would tell us…" Tsuyu said. Ochaco looked up towards the ceiling.
"Everything we did so far… So combat training and rescue training, and basic training."
"So in addition to studying, we'll have to keep in good physical conditio-"
Izuku was cut off as an elbow bashed into his head, and Kytheon had to keep himself from leaping to his feet, only to sigh when he saw who it was.
"Oh sorry. Your head was so big that I accidentally hit it."
"Monoma…" Kytheon said, quirking an eyebrow.
"I heard you guys met the hero killer. Just like at the sports festival, you guys in class A just have to have all the attention, huh? But that attention isn't because people have high hopes for you. It's because you keep attracting trouble, right? Oh, that's scary. Someday, the rest of us might also be caught up in the trouble you bring and become victims as well…"
"Are you saying that you can't handle an altercation?" Kytheon quipped. "Are you saying that the heroes in class B can't handle the same things we can?"
He couldn't help but chuckle as Monoma stopped, blinking as he was caught off guard by the response from the Akroan teen. Then the redhead from the same class came up behind him and set a hand on Monoma's shoulder, causing him to go still.
"Monoma, that's not funny. Don't you know what happened to Iida? Sorry, Class A. This guy's heart's just kinda, you know. Anyways, you guys were talking earlier about how you don't know what's gonna be on the practical exam for the finals, right? Looks like it'll be combat against robots like in the entrance exam."
"Really? Y'think they would really reuse an experience like that again?" Kytheon asked, tilting his head.
"An upperclassman friend of mine told me so. It's kinda cheating though."
As Izuku started off into yet another muttering spree and Monoma began to rant about her giving away an information advantage, Itsuka handed Kytheon an envelope.
"Oh, here, by the way. A classmate of mine wanted to give this to you. Anyways, shut up Monoma. They aren't detestable!" She said, grabbing him by the collar after chopping him on the back of the neck. Kytheon looked at the envelope, seeing the very neat handwriting on it and shrugged. The other kids at the table all turned to look at him and the letter. Kytheon shook his head and pocketed it.
"Well? What are you all staring at me for? I'm not about to read it out loud in front of all of you." he said, giving them all a quizzical stare.
##############################
"Alright!"
Kytheon decided to ignore the celebrations going on on the other side of the room. Instead, he was seated at his desk, turning the envelope over in his hands. He had a feeling he knew who it was. He knew very few people in class 1-B, Neito probably would never write him a letter, Itsuka was the one who gave it to him and said it was a classmate. That left Tetsutetsu and Ibara, and he sincerely doubted that Tetsutetsu had such neat handwriting. He was pulled from his musings by a cry of "DEKU!"
He looked up to see Katsuki staring at Izuku, and Kytheon pocketed the letter to open later , getting ready to intervene if necessary.
"I don't know if you've figured out how to use your quirk a little or what, but you seriously keep rubbing me the wrong way."
Kytheon's eyes narrowed, glancing over when he heard Ochaco mention Izuku moving like Katsuki the other day. He thought the movements looked familiar, and that kinda made a connection for him.
"At the upcoming finals, we'll get individual scores, so we'll see who's better whether you like it or not. I'll beat you with an indisputable difference! And Kytheon! You too! I'm gonna beat your ass for sure this time!" Katsuki declared, before stomping towards the door and leaving with a slam. As soon as the door slammed shut, Kytheon couldn't help himself, and he burst out laughing.
"Oi, Oi, what's so funny?" Denki asked, confused by Kytheon's apparent merriment. Indeed, most of the class was staring at him now.
"That's the kind of attitude you guys all need to have! I love a good challenge! All of you need to work hard and beat me! I mean, the paper test, you probably still have a good shot at, but still! I want to see all of you approach this with the same enthusiasm as Katsuki! Maybe don't adopt much of his other personality traits, but still!"
The rest of the class chuckled, and Eijiro rubbed the back of his head. "It has been a while since I've seen Bakugo that intense, since at least before the sports festival."
Kytheon shook his head and stood up, slinging his rucksack over his shoulder. "In any case, I'll see some of you guys tomorrow!"
###################################
"Dear Kytheon Iora,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. When I had heard you had been in an encounter with the Hero Killer, I was praying every day for a safe return of health. I know we don't really know each other, aside from the battle during the sports festival. But I could tell from that brief interaction, that you are a good-hearted and virtuous individual, with incredible strength.
If I may be so bold to request your assistance, the fight with you raised my awareness of my shortcomings in regards to close quarters combat. To be blunt, my close quarters combat skills are nonexistent, and I do believe that I relied far too heavily on my quirk. You have shown me the error of my ways, and I want to not be helpless should an opponent get too close. I humbly ask that you teach me how to fight. Here you will find my phone number, and I would like a response as quickly as you can.
Sincerely,
Shiozaki Ibara
Kytheon sat back on the couch, just wearing a loose Chiton and holding the mysterious envelope, but now there was not so much mystery surrounding it. He chuckled to himself as he set the letter down and cracked open the bottle of water he had grabbed. He pulled out his phone and entered the number provided at the bottom of the letter.
'"Well, who am I to say no to a fellow student?"
####################################
The next day found Kytheon standing in front of a large wrought metal gate with the other five students that were coming to Momo's place to study. He was wearing some nicer clothes more suited for public consumption than the usual fare he wore around the apartment. He didn't like it, but he accepted it as necessary, togas and chitons were not exactly normal modern attire. He had been the first to arrive at the gate, but the others had soon arrived, and he was pretty happy that Mina and Denki had both arrived.
"Wow… I knew she was rich, but I didn't think she was this rich…" Kytheon heard coming from Kaminari and he chuckled.
"What, clearing out the hall didn't tip you off?" He asked rhetorically, causing the sparky teen to chuckle sheepishly. Kyoka pushed the button on the intercom, and Momo's voice rang out cheerfully.
"Everyone, I have been waiting for you! Please, come in!"
The giant gates began to swing open, and kytheon chuckled, looping his arms around Denki and Hanta's shoulders, propelling the three of them forward. "Well? Who are we to keep the lady waiting? Let's go learn!" he said with vigor and bravado, causing Mina to give out a cheer as she, Mashirao and Kyoka all followed the three other guys now heading towards the estate.
To describe Momo's house as big would be an understatement, enormous, an embarrassment, it was truly palatial. Not since Liliana's mansion on Innistrad had Kytheon felt so small and humbled by a simple place of residence. He and his fellow students were greeted at the door and led through the vast hallways to a grand hall with an enormous table of high quality in the middle. They all took seats, feeling dwarfed in comparison to the sheer size of the table as they put their supplies out and awaited their host.
"I feel so out of place, it's making me nervous…" Mashirao stated, looking around. Indeed, Kytheon felt incredibly underdressed for the occasion. A similar statement was shared by Hanta, who was still looking around. Momo soon came out, wheeling a small cart in with trays of snacks and a fine set of china teacups, and her exuberance was palpable, to the point that none of the other students could wipe the silly expressions off their faces.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no, everything is alright, thank you." Kytheon said graciously, and then they were off! They began with some of the more simple stuff, but soon got into recovering some of the more complicated materials. Kytheon had been one of the only ones to keep his enthusiasm through the whole first session, mostly because he couldn't help but smile at Momo's exuberance even as he wanted to tear his hair out from having to do the same equation several times over. The time flew by, and soon the sun was starting to set, and everyone agreed that they needed an extra session the next day as well. Kytheon shook his head however.
"Oh? You can't come tomorrow?" Momo asked, the others glancing over at him. Kytheon shook his head again, kicking himself for the crestfallen expression on Momo's face.
"Unfortunately not. I promised one of the kids from class 1-B that I would teach them how to fight properly. They came to me so politely I couldn't refuse, so my day tomorrow is completely filled with that. But you've helped me a lot Momo, thanks!" He said, shaking her hand before heading towards the door, waving back at the other students. "See y'all later!" He cheered before passing through the door.
"Huh, that man can make friends anywhere it seems. When did he even have the time to befriend someone from 1-B?" Hanta asked, tilting his head.
#######################################
Kytheon was out in a clearing in the woods, waiting for his guest. He was clad in a much more traditionally greek outfit this time, as he found working out and training in it was much more enjoyable and relaxing. He didn't have any weapons, but he had brought a cooler with several water bottles for the hours he was prepared to take. He had sent the location to Ibara's phone that morning, and he hoped that she wouldn't get lost on the way there. But soon he looked over and saw her approaching, wearing a similar robe to his outfit. He smiled and bowed as she approached.
"I'll admit that it was a rather unconventional approach to ask me, but I couldn't possibly decline. Are you ready?" He asked, stretching his arms out over his head and leaning to one side. Ibara nodded, setting the bag she had brought with her off to the side.
"I am humbled that you would accept my request, as I am sure you have been busy preparing for the finals. I promise I will make the most of the time you give me."
Kytheon smiled. "You are a very polite and righteous woman. Before we begin, I must tell you that you will most likely get a bit roughed up during our practice today. You will be hit, and not likely gentle. Are you ok with continuing? I can heal up any particularly rough bruises, but I don't intend on anything more serious than that."
"I am afraid not all villains will be so chivalrous. I accept whatever marks I will receive with full understanding." She said, folding her hands in prayer and bowing. Kytheon nodded.
"Very well. Let's start with a basic stance…"
Kytheon moved in close, and began instructing her in how to stand to fight. He shifted her feet around, and helped her balance her weight optimally. She seemed a bit stiff at first, but he assured her that she would learn to loosen up. "In a storm, a pillar crumbles but the reeds survive."
Then he stepped back, and took a deep breath.
"Alright, now, before you can learn to hit, you must learn how to be hit."
Ibara looked at him in confusion, shifting her feet a bit. He noticed that she was trying to stay conscious about where her weight was leaning. "I must learn how to be hit?"
Kytheon nodded. "Arguably, learning how to get hit is more important than learning how to hit hard. Let's give a more practical example. Say a blow is coming towards your face, much like the one that I used to knock you out in the sports festival." He stepped forwards and moved his fist to her jaw. "Back then you kept your face like this. It's a matter of physics at that point. Your head is going from zero motion to the speed of my fist. However, if you start moving your head the same direction before my fist impacts, like so" he said, gently holding her head and moving it as he brought his fist slowly up to it in the same direction, "Then there is less force behind the impact. You were already going that direction, so it is more like a moderate increase of speed, rather than an abrupt force. This is what people mean by 'rolling with the punches'. Just that small change in force is enough to keep you in a fight for longer. The same goes for blows aimed anywhere aside from your head. A punch coming towards your shoulder, you want to twist. This is why stance is so important, as it allows you to avoid attacks so much easier. Do you understand?"
Ibara nodded, albeit hesitantly. "I think so, it does make sense. I have always been so still when fighting, relying on my quirk, that if someone manages to get close enough they can finish it in a blow or two, like you demonstrated… I see. This makes much more sense. If I can manage to roll with a blow, I can stay in the fight, and get my quirk in there again."
Kytheon nodded. "Your quirk is powerful indeed, and incredibly versatile. We will get to incorporating it in combat later today. It has the potential to be a very powerful weapon when applied properly. But for now, we will just practice reading incoming blows and moving with them. Alright?"
"I understand!" She said, a new light in her eyes that Kytheon recognized.
And so they began their exercises, Kytheon starting off slow and giving clearly telegraphed blows at a fraction of his strength, so that she could get the hang of how the exercise worked. Then he began to up the strength and lower the warning, so that she could start picking up on the movements and get the hang of how her stance shifts. She was still rough around the edges when it came to this, but he expected as much.
The day continued much as it had, with him explaining the theory behind what they were about to do, then gradually increasing the intensity of the exercise as she got more comfortable with it to keep her on her toes. He guided her through reading her opponent's approach, redirection of attacks and dodging. At her questioning, he explained why he wasn't teaching her offensive combat.
"You are already very skilled and dangerous at range with your quirk. It is clear with how far you have come that it is difficult for many people to combat the overwhelming power of your vines. So I am teaching you defensive moves, to use when someone manages to close the gap and gets too close for your vines. With these strategies, you can avoid the close up attacks, separating them from you enough to follow up with your vines. It won't be perfect, but it will significantly cut down on one of your greatest weaknesses."
"I see…" She said, rubbing her chin. They were currently seated on the ground with some water, catching a brief break as the sun rose to the midday point. Already she was very tired from the constant exercise, but she was ready to do more. Kytheon was a well of information, and was a calm and gentle guiding hand. Every now and then, he would get a golden glow around him, and his presence would wash over her with a warmth that would drive away the exhaustion. It was almost intoxicating to her. Having to rely on sunlight and water to keep her vines at full strength, it was almost like he was a second sun, gentle and warm. As he pushed himself to his feet, she quickly scrambled to follow, eager for the continued lessons.
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Alright! I think I will end this chapter here! Next chapter will have the finals and maybe some more, but we shall see about that. Again, I'm very sorry this chapter took so long to come out, but hey, it eventually got here! I'm excited to get working on this again in this brand new year. Thank you for the support, this chapter is my second longest for this story, and it's a bit more chill than some of the previous ones. Hope you enjoy it as much as the previous ones! Until next time!