Day 3 of the camp
"Sensei, I'm fine now..."
Aizawa stubbornly refused to accept these words for the fifth time since today began.
"Don't make me say it over and over again. If you collapse again, I'll be held responsible."
"But that doesn't mean..."
Ritsuka looks down at her desk.
There is a huge pile of booklets and prints.
"I don't think it's necessary for me to take supplementary lessons..."
"This is also a part of summer vacation to improve students. It's reasonable."
"You don't have to come here to do that...!"
But staring at the unfolded reference book with hatred will not reduce the volume.
Although there was some air-conditioning in the room, Ritsuka wanted to go outside, even if it was under the blazing sun.
She really didn't want to come to this place to study, but at the same time, that was also her intention.
It is during this camp that Ritsuka, a regular student, can use her quirk to the fullest.
If possible, she don't want to waste even one day.
(But what if it's like yesterday again...)
To tell the truth, Ritsuka's body is still not in perfect condition.
Ritsuka, who has a habit of neglecting her own physical condition, doesn't know this, but if Ritsuka had used her quirk like yesterday, she would have reached the limit of her activity in less than half an hour.
Aizawa may or may not be aware of this.
Ritsuka's concern was not about her own body, but about hurting someone else by forcing herself to use her quirk again.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Did you want to talk to All Might or something?
You asked aizawa-sensei about him, right?."
As Midoriya was setting the wood on fire, Todoroki called out to him from behind.
"Oh...um...yeah, it's about Kota-kun..."
"Kota? Who's that?"
"Eh⁉︎ It's that kid there, uh..."
Midoriya tried to point.
"Oh...he's gone again."
(Secret base, I guess... You really... like it there, don't you...?)
Midoriya told Todoroki about Kota's feelings.
Then he asked the same question to Ritsuka.
"...What would Todoroki-kun say?"
Todoroki's reply fell neatly into Midoriya's mind.
It was similar to the reason why All Might inherited his quirk to Izuku.
At the same time, he remembered that
"Fujimaru-san said the same thing as Todoroki-kun..."
"Fujimaru?"
"Yeah...Fujimaru-san seems to have something on her mind too, doesn't she? Compared to that time at Hosu, she's a bit more ... rigid...
Don't you feel it too, Todoroki-kun?"
"Really? I didn't see much difference."
It's hard for Midoriya to tell if Todoroki really thinks everything is normal or if he's just not interested in what's going on around her.
Ritsuka, on the other side of the room, is quietly chopping vegetables, just like she did yesterday.
As Midoriya tilted his head to think how he could explain it, Todoroki opened his mouth.
"...but it was a bit strange that she came to the camp."
Midoriya tilts his head further at Todoroki's words.
"Why?"
"When Fujimaru and I fought in the sports tournament, she said she wasn't going to be a hero."
Didn't you hear her, Todoroki asks.
I've never heard of that before.
But then again, I've never heard Ritsuka say that she wants to be a hero.
What I heard was...
"──I want to be able to live on my own..."
He muttered as if it was spilling out of his mouth.
What does she mean by that?
.
──I'm not strong at all. I'm just relying on my quirk.
──If I were Kota
──Midoriya-kun, you're amazing...
do your best to become a hero
.
Ritsuka's words went round and round in Midoriya's head.
"Then why did Fujimaru participate in the summer camp?"
Todoroki muttered, a little confused.
"I'm not sure if it's because she want to live on her own or..."
Midoriya was convinced that, todoroki really did think that everthing is normal before.
I heard that they were going to hold a test of courage between Class A and Class B. When I told Yaoyorozu that I was neither in Class A nor Class B and refused, she gave me a troubled and sad look, which hurt my heart a little.
There was nothing special to do, so I rolled over on the tatami mat and sat in a daze.
When I opened my cell phone, I saw that I had received a text message from Shingo.
I sent him a message saying that there was no problem and that I was having a great time.
I made dinner with Class A again today, just as I did yesterday.
I didn't speak to them, but it was interesting to listen to the chatter of Class A.
As I stared at the ceiling without turning on the lights, I began to doze off.
In the corner of her mind, she thought that she hadn't done much physical work today, but Ritsuka's consciousness went deeper and deeper.
＊ ＊ ＊
This is the story of one night soon after the search for the Holy Grail began.
The inorganic white room, the white light, the white bed, the clean room where not even a single germ is allowed is truly worthy of being called a doctor's office.
On the bed, Ritsuka was sleeping with a bandage on her head.
If you look closely, you can see bandages on her face and hands, too painful for a girl of her age.
In contrast to her appearance, Ritsuka was breathing softly in her sleep.
The door to the infirmary opened.
Mash entered the room quietly so that Ritsuka would not be awakened by the sound of her footsteps.
She sat down on the tripod chair next to the bed.
"Senpai..."
She muttered worriedly.
The doctor had said it was not a serious injury, but for Mash, Ritsuka's wound, no matter how minor, was a serious matter.
On top of that, Ritsuka's injury this time was due to her own negligence.
It was when she was dealing with magical beasts as usual.
One of the magical beasts headed towards Mash.
Ritsuka was wearing her Chaldean battle suit that day, so she was able to kill the magical beast with her gund.
The relief only last for a short while.
Immediately after, another magical beast attacked Ritsuka from the side.
It was the magical beast that Mash had failed to kill.
Arash immediately shot the claw before it could reach Ritsuka, but Ritsuka lost her balance and hit her head on a rock and fainted.
In the middle of the night, in the doctor's office, Mash was crying without raising her voice.
She was frustrated by her weakness and felt unworthy.
『I'm totally fine. Don't worry so much about it. It's just that I was careless. 』
Still, the fact that Ritsuka hadn't blamed her at all was more shameful than anything else.
I want to be strong.
strong enough to be able to protect the people I care about.
The girl with the shield was crying and wishing just for the sake of it.
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(Don't cry...)
Someone was crying silently beside me as I slept.
The crying sounded so sad that I wanted to comfort her, but my body would not listen to me and I could not move it properly.
I was too sleepy to even speak.
In the end, I couldn't do much for her.
The crying didn't stop, and I felt like crying as I listened silently.
I'm sure that the next time I wake up, I won't even remember it as a dream.
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"'Fou, nkyou...
Fo, fo──────U!."
If he licks my cheek, I have to wake up.
It was an alarm that had been ingrained in Ritsuka's body, more accurate than any clock.
Ritsuka woke up with a jolt, her body shaking.
She looked at the clock and saw that it hadn't been long, but the sky had long since darkened.
She felt as if someone had woken her up, but seeing as there was no one in the room, they were probably still in the middle of a test of courage.
She looked down from the window.
"...?"
Black smoke was covering the forest.
At first she thought it was part of a test of courage, but there was something wrong with it.
『Everyone‼︎』
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed in my head.
I startled for a moment, but soon realized that it was Mandalay's telepathy.
『Two villains are attacking! There may be more!
If you are able to move, please retreat to the facility immediately and do not engage them. 』
"Villains...? Why?"
At the same time, there was a roar from somewhere.
I tried to look out the window of my room, but the black smoke made it impossible to make out anything.
It would be better to stay in the room or go to the teachers.
But if anyone had run into any villains, ...
After thinking about it for a while, Ritsuka activated her quirk.
"Heroic Spirit Possession (Grand Order) Rider『Sakamoto Ryouma』
A token curse glowed under the black gloves I usually wore.
『Hello, you wanted to see me. Master. 』
"It's been a while, Sakamoto-san. And..."
"Looks as good as ever. It's nice to see you again after all these years."
"───Oryou-saaan! I'm glad to see you too."
Ritsuka hugged with all her might at the beautiful girl with long black hair and wearing a sailor suit who appeared in front of her.
The nostalgia and joy of being able to talk to a Heroic Spirit when she activate her quirk is so strong that she forget about her current situation.
Some of Ritsuka's quirks, when activated, would materialize as treasure tools or servants themselves.
Most of them were riders.
And Oryou, who is also the treasure of 『Sakamoto Ryouma』, was one such example.
『...Aren't you a little more excited than I am? 』
A voice echoed in my head, just like Mandalay's.
"Oh, no, I'm just happy to see her in person, and of course I'm happy to talk to you too, Sakamoto-san!"
『Haha, I'm just kidding. Now, Master, what can I do for you?』
Ritsuka explained the situation in brief.
"I'm not allowed to leave the facility, so if any student is attacked by an enemy villain, I want Oryou-san to help them. Oh, if you can, please don't mention my name."
"Hmm...if it's Master's request.
I'll listen to you."
Oryou opened the window with a rattle.
"I can eat this villain right? Just leave it to me."
"Eh?"
『Eh? 』
Then with a swoosh, she dove into the forest at night.
"No, wait a moment. Stop, you can't do thaaaaaaat!"
She rushed to the window and shouted out, but she was long gone. I can only hope that Ritsuka's cries have reached her.
『Ah─...Well, I guess it's Oryou-san's way of joking. I'm sure she's just happy to see her master after all these years. Ah, by the way I wonder if you can float like her too. 』
"Is this really the time to say that?"
Ritsuka couldn't help but be more worried about the villain rather than the students.
I headed to Aizawa's place to find out what was going on.
I was sure that there was a make-up class for those that could not participate in the test of courage, but it was more likely that they were out of the room now.
It was just after I left the room to go to the supplementary study room.
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I don't know why it reached me.
Maybe she was in a hurry, or maybe Ritsuka just happened to be within its range.
Whatever it was, it echoed clearly in Ritsuka's head.
『Kota…！』
Her body froze.
The voice continued faster than Ritsuka could comprehend it.
『Kota, can you hear me...⁉︎Go back to the facility now!
I'm sorry, I don't know.
I don't know the place where you go all the time...
I'm sorry Kota, I can't go save you!
Please come back right away! 』
───It's the secret base.
Based on what Mandalay said earlier. I did not go there directly, but I can guess the location from the direction I saw him go last time.
I may be the only one who can move to pick up Kota now.
Ritsuka started to run.
"Ah! Eh, Hey, Fujimaru-san!?"
"Oi, are you going out!?"
"Fujimaru! Get back here!"
As she passed by the make-up room, she ran into Vlad and the rest of Class A. Ritsuka didn't care.
Ritsuka continue to ran.
I went out the back door and ran as fast as I could in the direction that Kota had gone the day before yesterday.
With the help of Sakamoto Ryouma, she arrived at what seemed to be the secret base in a matter of seconds.
"Kota-kun! ...Midoriya-kun!"
Midoriya was in the middle of trying to pull Kota up from the cliff.
Kota had no noticeable wounds, but Midoriya was in shambles. His arm was particularly badly damaged, and the right shoulder of his clothing was torn.
"Ah, Fujimaru-san! There was an enemy villain just now... Anyway, to the facility."
Kota-kun is... While Midoriya was saying that, Ryouma warned Ritsuka quietly.
『Master』
A rock crumbles behind Midoriya.
When Midoriya and Ritsuka looked back, they saw that a mass of muscle fibers was gradually being unraveled.
"No way..."
Midoriya's muttering sends a bad feeling through my body.
When the muscle fibers are completely released, there appears a man with a bare upper body and an injured left eye.
"Startin' off with a little jab hrm? Not half bad... Midoriya!"
I undertood instantly that, this person is a villain. He must have been engaged with Midoriya until a while ago.
"...hmm? There's one more person here.
That's okay.
It just means there are more people to kill!"
As he said this, the man came closer.
"St-Stay back!"
"Now, now. That'd be no fun. You're mine."
Ritsuka and Midoriya put Kota in the back to protect him.
The man and Midoriya exchanged a few words.
And at the moment when the man changed his artificial eye, Ritsuka stepped forward and manifested a sword in her hand and struck it without pause.
"Hey...! You're carrying something dangerous, aren't you, young lady?"
『Master, you know I don't have that much strength by myself.
Without using a gun and without discarding the scabbard, I'll never be able to compete with that man. 』
"I know...!"
The man slams his fist down from above, and Ritsuka avoids it.
The man's fist impacted as if it were gouging the ground.
If he were to hit her directly, she would be instantly obliterated.
"Midoriya-kun! Take Kota to the facility! Call Aizawa-sensei!"
"You think I'd let you?"
In that split second, the man came at me with a big punch. I couldn't avoid him completely, so I quickly used my sword to block him, but he punched me straight into the wall.
The impact from my back almost knocked me unconscious for a moment.
"Ahh...!"
Kota made a small noise.
"it's okay, I'm fine...!"
I tried not to worry Kota, but I couldn't speak well. I was shocked, but my body, strengthened by my quirk, was strong. I'm not going to get hurt by a few things.
"Oh? You're still alive? You're pretty good too! It's worth killing for."
But this one comes first.
When the man said that, he rushed towards Kota. Midoriya immediately takes Kota on his back and avoids him.
Every time the man's fist hits the wall, its power is visible.
I guess the man doesn't intend to let either of us escape.
And he knows that Midoriya can't leave one of us behind and run away.
if that is the case
Ritsuka stepped in front of the man who was still trying to get to Midoriya and Kota.
She struck the man's fist with all her might.
The impact was so strong that the sword and the arm were shaking.
If I relax even for a moment, I'll be blown away again.
With all my strength, I bounced the man back.
Even with that kind of force, which would have sent a normal person flying several meters, it only made the man stagger back three or four steps.
It was overwhelmingly incompatible.
If only Oryou-san were here, I would be confident I can win, but if she were fighting protecting the students at this very moment... I must not summon her.
The man was now crashing into me with his entire body.
The power of the man ramming into us at such a terrifying speed made us wonder if he was stronger than a dump truck.
Although the attack is barely avoided, the shock wave sent Ritsuka, Midoriya, and Kota all rolling on the ground.
But she quickly regained her bearings.
Ritsuka headed straight backwards at full speed.
The man's impact had sent a large piece of debris flying straight towards Kota.
"A...!"
In the nick of time, I was in front of Kota.
The debris hit my head.
My eyes flickered and I lost my sense of balance.
I held on until I almost fell on top of Kota.
Once on my knees, I tried to stand up, but I couldn't muster the strength and fell to the ground.
"Oh, eh, are you protecting me...! are you okay,hey!"
Kota shook Ritsuka, shaking her.
I tried to tell him I'm fine, but I couldn't get any words out.
The man continue laughing with a smirk.
"Look at you! About to die defending that kid!
Haha, well there is no need to rush, I'll kill him properly this time."
Ritsuka finally let go of her consciousness at the end when she saw Midoriya standing in front of the man.
"───san!Fujimaru-san!"
A strong hand shaking my shoulder and an impatient voice brought me back to consciousness.
But my body is so sore that I can't open my eyes properly.
I wondered if something similar had happened to me before. Was it at Hosu?
Seems like nothing has change from last time.
"You jump in to protect me...! What would happened if you die..!"
I can also hear a child crying.
"Don't worry, she's alive. Let's just take her to the facility."
I'm sorry, but can you wrap her arm around my neck, Kota-kun? Midoriya asks Kota.
"No," I whispered.
I think Midoriya's arm was the most severely damaged.
"I'm fine... I can still get up..."
"Fujimaru-san! Are you okay?"
"What about the villain?"
I looked behind Midoriya and saw a man half buried in the earth and sand.
"...You defeated him? That's amazing...!
"It was close, though..."
Midoriya was probably right.
His body is as battered as his arms are compared to before I lost consciousness.
Ritsuka looked at Kota next to her.
"I'm sorry, I know it was scary. But I'm glad you're okay...!"
"Why do you apologize...! It's the villain that's at fault!"
"Yes, that's why I have to go."
Ritsuka stood up unsteadily.
Midoriya hurriedly stopped her.
"Fujimaru-san, you need to go back to the facility!
You got a head injury. Also take Kota with you..."
"I can still move."
Ritsuka turned around and said sternly to Midoriya with an angry look on her face.
"What's that? Fujimaru is injured? no matter how you look at it, Midoriya-kun is the one who is more seriously injured. So, Midoriya-kun should return to the facility with Kota-kun."
"That's not going to happen...! Of course I want go back to the facility and send Kota back, but if the other villains are at the same level as before, everyone is in danger. And the enemy villain is after Ka-chan! Someone has to tell the teacher about that too."
"That's why!"
I finally scream out loud.
Eventhough you're the one who is the most injured.
Eventhough there's another person here right now.
I don't like this person who is always worried about others and never looks after himself.
"I'm here, too!"
Midoriya's face puckered up.
He really hadn't thought about it, and Ritsuka was beyond angry and deflated.
"Why are you trying to do this all by yourself?"
I let it out with a sigh.
Why am I so angry at Midoriya?
What Ritsuka just said.
Ritsuka has not yet realized that all of these things apply to her.
This must be what they call self-hatred.
It was only then that Midoriya understood what Ritsuka was trying to say.
"Th-thank you for your concern."
did he finally understand? I thought to myself for a moment, but I didn't have the energy to go into it anymore.
"Then I'm going to leave Kota in the care of Aizawa-sensei, so Fujimaru-san can go check on everyone. Since Fujimaru-san moves faster and can go to everyone's position quickly. Also, if you find Ka-chan, I need you to protect him! I don't know if Ka-chan would appreciate it if he knew I said to protect him... Anyway, thanks! But please take it easy!"
Midoriya said everything like a machine gun, and then ran with Kota wrapped around his neck.
"eh, uh, wait"
When Ritsuka tried to stop him, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Sa, Sakamoto-san"
『Are you okay master?』
She is relieved to see that her quirk is still active.
Ritsuka jumped off the cliff into the forest.
She headed straight for the black smoke covering the area.
"I don't know who Ka-chan is Midoriya-kun!"
Leaving only one confusion.
Translator's note
Douzokukeno= disliking people similar to oneself, I had problems finding the equivalent word for this, but in the end I settled with self-hatred. If anyone knows a better word for this please do tell me.