Happy April Fools everyone! That said, despite the long untiring tradition of pranking people on this lovely day, all that's about to go down in this chapter is serious business.
But before that, I wanna inform you all that I'm finally done with making Alumi's costume~! I felt that words were not enough to fully describe the full appearance of her costume, so I made a photo to do the talking. Kindly head over to my Deviantart account for a good eyeful! The link is in my profile =)
Also, the long wait is finally over folks, for THE SECOND SEASON IS FINALLY HEREEEE! PLUS ULTRA! *cue fireworks* It's still at Episode 0, but hey, it's the beginning of a brand new adventure. The Manga's great, but it's just not the same without the motion and the talented voice actors, you feel me?
Special thanks and a rain of colorful confettis to: Diamond-Grl45, Reversus12, and Guest for reviewing~!
And now without further ado, jumpstarting the chapter is none other than a favorite OTP of mine, the loveable Sound Electric duo!
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〖 Chapter Six 〗
Team C versus Team G
"Man, this exercise really gets my gears goin'!" Kaminari eclaimed enthusiastically after he and his teammate infiltrated the building. "Isn't it cool that we get to be the heroes? I've been waiting for something like this!"
"You're too loud, idiot," Jirou chided, eyes looking around warily. "They might find us."
"Whoops, sorry. Do you think they could be planning an ambush?" Kaminari asked sotto voce. "This building's huge. They could be anywhere in here…"
Jirou threw him a confounding glance as she took his statement into consideration.
"Hold on, I'll check."
Kaminari turned to Jirou who had walked over to the walls, her jack-like earlobes penetrating the cement. She closed her eyes, listening for an imperceptible sound. When it was done, she pointed upwards. "I hear movement right above us, on the third floor."
"So that's where they are, eh?" Kaminari lifted a hand, a smirk forming on his face as a tangible static of electricity began to crackle in between his fingers. "Don't worry. I got this."
He started to walk a few steps away when Jirou hauled him back with her words. "Hold it. Are you sure you want to bust right in? We don't even know what they have in store for us."
"You're right," Kaminari replied with a dejected sigh. "We don't even know what their Quirks are…Oh, except Koseki-chan's."
A replay of yesterday's events flashed through their heads simultaneously, of how Alumi utilized her Quirk effectively in most of the tests, specifically that intense moment when she conjured a crystal barrier to protect Midoriya from Bakugou's sudden assault.
The two of them shared a look, knowing what that meant. Dealing with her was going to be a pain.
"No doubt Koseki's Quirk is strong." Jirou clicked her tongue. "We just had to be up against someone with a difficult Quirk."
"At least it wasn't Todoroki or Bakugou," Kaminari jokingly pointed out before adding, "Do you think you can handle her, Jirou-chan?"
"I'm not confident I can win against her head-on," Jirou admitted grimly, "but I can at least try and prevent her from using her Quirk. What about you? You can knock her out with your electric Quirk, right?"
Kaminari was struck with shock, finding the suggestion absurd. And she was really looking at him with this serious expecting expression (that would've been cute, he noted) as if she was really expecting him to do it!
"I can't do that!" Kaminari sputtered in shock. "I don't wanna hurt Koseki-chan or Yaoyorozu-chan with my Quirk. It's really painful if you get hit with it, you know!"
Jirou frowned. "That's the point! And what do you mean you can't? Didn't you look all excited to use it earlier?"
"W-Well, yeah…but that was more of a spur-of-the-moment kinda thing," Kaminari admitted sheepishly. He didn't want Jirou to know he did it just to show-off in front of her.
Jirou shook her head before shooting him a decisive look. "Remember what All Might said? Treat our roles and this match seriously. You can't hesitate during a battle or the villains will take advantage of you." She crossed her arms. "It doesn't matter if our opponents are girls or not. The point is, be a man and don't hesitate to use your Quirk if the situation calls for it."
"Easy for you to say, you're a girl," Kaminari muttered drily. But mentioning All Might and realizing how Jirou was right, Kaminari sighed in resignation. If push comes to shove, he'll have no choice but to comply with his partner's suggestion.
There's only one problem: Kaminari can't control the amount of electricity he can release.
Jirou rolled her eyes at him as they resumed their trek within the hall. "Genders don't matter here, dumbass. There are only heroes versus villains. Now, the only thing left bothering me is Yaoyorozu. We have no idea what her Quirk is, and the fact that none of them came to attack is really suspicious."
"Or," Kaminari began. "They could be waiting for us. I say let's head up there and get this thing started."
"That's exactly what's suspicious, you dumbass," Jirou said tiredly before arching one of her brows at the blond when he brought his fists together. "And I thought you're against hurting girls."
He shrugged. "Well I can't say I'd hurt them. But thinking back on what you said, it'd be pretty stupid to go easy on them when they obviously don't plan to do the same. It's heroes versus villains from here on out."
Jirou smiled at him with disbelief over her shoulder. 'Heh, what do you know. He's not as stupid as he looks after all.'
Although Kaminari didn't intend to hurt their pretty classmates (not that he could even if he wanted to), hearing himself say those words sounded really cool. 'Besides, Jirou-chan doesn't need to know~.'
Momo had been on guard by the entrance the entire time when she picked up the sounds of footsteps approaching them.
"They're here."
Alumi perked up at her teammate's announcement. It's only been about two minutes since the match began, and now their opponents were right outside the door. "My, that was faster than I expected. Do you think one of them has a Quirk which allows them to detect someone's location?"
"Most likely. Well, even if they did manage to find us, they can't enter this room easily."
"That's true…But Momo-chan, what if they somehow find a way to enter?"
It was a concern Alumi couldn't help adhering to. While she and Momo were confident in their defenses, their opponents weren't in Class 1-A for nothing. She knew it was wise not to underestimate any of her classmates, not even that short-stacked pervert Mineta.
Momo narrowed her eyes. She already calculated that possibility, and while the prospect of them breaking through her impregnable barrier might seem slim, it wasn't a 100% guarantee.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "Then we have no other choice but to fight." Momo straightened her composure and gave Alumi the first fired up look the bluenette had ever seen on the raven-haired girl's visage. "It still poses a high risk, but I will not hesitate as I do not intend to lose this exercise."
Alumi smiled. She couldn't have said it better herself. "Neither do I."
Giving her a nod, Momo pulled a steel bō staff from her leg and held it out to Alumi.
"Since you can't use your Quirk right now, I figured it's imperative to give you a weapon," Momo explained upon seeing her dumbfounded expression. "Just in case," she added for good measure.
Alumi blinked twice upon hearing the word 'weapon'. She took the staff and examined it quizzically.
"Do you know how to use it?"
"I've seen how it's done, but I've never really used something like this before," Alumi admitted.
Back at the dojo, her Sensei never allowed them to touch any of the wooden staffs sitting placidly at a corner. "The only weapon you'll ever need is your resolve. I'll only teach you how to protect yourself. The rest you have to learn in U.A." Was what her Sensei had told her. And so, the only combat training Alumi ever received was limited to defensive techniques, mostly under the style of Aikido. In other words, she never experienced using a weapon.
"It's quite easy," Momo replied as she created another bō staff, this time coming from her midriff. She started to make short but impressive moves with it, the steel rod making an audible 'whoosh' as it sliced into the air. "There's a certain technique to holding it, but since we don't have enough time for me to teach you the basics, my only advice is to smash it into their faces."
"Goodness," Alumi exclaimed in shock even though she was grinning. "I'll be sure to remember that, Momo-chan."
She looked on the bō staff. The cold and heavy metal felt foreign in her hands. 'But am I really going to need this?'
"Oh, and don't swing it too widely," Momo added. "Your opponent might use it as an opening against you. Also…"
Alumi amusedly listened to Momo's instructions. Who was the one who said they didn't have enough time for impromptu bōjutsu lessons again? Nevertheless, she was grateful for it. When Momo was finally satisfied, she turned towards the sealed door and narrowed her gleaming eyes, the footsteps now closer than ever.
"Now, we wait."
Kaminari and Jirou stood before the steel door of the opposing team's hideout.
"So, what do you think we should choose? Make our presence known like All Might and 'SMASH!' right in, or be all sneaky like Edgeshot? Either way, we should make our entrance totally cool!"
Jirou's eye twitched. "Don't you ever run out of stupid ideas…? We're not even capable of doing any of those things!" she half-snapped in a harsh whisper. "The villain's lair is right in front of us. Take this more seriously!"
The spiky blond boy deflated like a popped balloon. "I just thought it'd be cool if we did a hero-like entrance..."
Jirou shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Just stay put and keep your voice down, got it?"
"Yes ma'am," Kaminari muttered dejectedly.
"Anyway, I don't think a direct approach will help us win," Jirou said as she turned towards the door. "We have to do this the stealthy way."
Kaminari's features lit up immediately. "Ooh! Since you're good at that, I'm leaving it to you!"
Jirou shot him a withering glance over her shoulder before placing her hand against the smooth gleaming steel. 'It's too hard…I won't be able to pierce through.' She shifted her gaze to the concrete wall beside it, extended one of her jack-like earlobes and promptly embedding it into the cement. There was no movement, as if the two girls inside opted to stay still on purpose. It was so quiet, like nobody was there at all.
However, Jirou caught the sound of them breathing. The subtle intake of air normally wouldn't be detected by a human's average hearing capacity, but due to the cement, it seemed to absorb and accumulate even the tiniest of vibrations within the enclosed room, spreading it within the wall, and further exploited by her Quirk.
'Strange…Why are they so quiet? Do they already kno—'
Jirou froze when she suddenly heard someone talk. It was Alumi's voice.
"I wonder why they aren't attempting to enter yet…they're right outside, aren't they? I think I heard Kaminari-kun just now."
The purple-haired girl's eyes widened in alarm. 'Blast it! They already know! And is she seriously expecting us to walk right in!?'
"They're being cautious, it seems." She heard Momo reply. "No matter. They will eventually find that their efforts to enter are futile."
Jirou narrowed her eyes. 'And why exactly is it futile?'
"How was it?" Kaminari asked the moment Jirou detached herself from the wall looking none too pleased. She gestured for him to back away from the door and to keep his voice down.
"They're in there alright, and they know we already found them," Jirou answered, momentarily jerking her head purposely at the door. "From what I picked up, they're really comfortable with their defenses. It's like they made it so there's no way for us to get inside."
"Really? Damn! So we can't enter through this door?" Kaminari asked as he scrutinized the said door with a suspicious glance.
"Obviously," Jirou said. "Yaoyorozu made it clear we can't get in there easily, so it's got to do something with the entrance. But that's fine since we aren't really planning to—WHAT'RE YOU DOING!?"
Kaminari had grabbed and pulled at the door's wide vertical handle halfway through Jirou's explanation. "Finding out whether we can really go in or not. Besides, they already know we're here right?"
Jirou gaped at him with infuriated disbelief. "You're seriously going to face them head on?! Didn't I just tell y—"
They both froze as a loud clang resounded from the door when Kaminari pushed it forward. "Woah! They really did do something to the door!" he exclaimed as he gave the door another shove, causing another loud 'Bang'.
"Cut it out, you idiot!" Jirou whispered angrily.
Kaminari complied with a pout. "At least we found out they really blocked the entrance," he reasoned weakly.
"That's not the point," Jirou rebutted as she smothered a palm over her face. "That was exactly what they expected us to do. If we're really going to try and bust right in, then we'd be playing right into their hands!" She huffed and gave him a hard, pointed look. "Listen. The key is the element of surprise. We have to be discreet if we want to win. We need to find another way in, somewhere they least expect."
Kaminari responded with a solemn nod. "All right, I get it. But let me tell you that I'm really bad with all the delicate thinking stuff—"
'Gee, you don't say.' Jirou thought drily.
"—so let's go with your idea! I'll support you no matter what."
He smiled at her with a thumb raised, and Jirou regarded his devil-may-care grin with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, if you're fine with anything…I already thought of one."
Kaminari answered with a nod. "Let's hear it."
Jirou walked away from the entrance and gestured for Kaminari to follow her near the stairs where they won't be heard. "What you did back there was stupid, but for one thing, it proves they really did place some kind of barricade in there." A knowing smirk appeared on Jirou's lips. "It's gonna work to our advantage."
"Eh, what do you mean?"
"Here's the plan, sparksfly. You stay here and distract them, while I go up there and try to see what's inside. I'll scout for another entryway or any possible route."
Kaminari gave her a dubious look. "Okay, but you're not going to confront them on your own, are you? And it's Kaminari!"
"Of course not, it's too risky," Jirou replied as she started to ascend the stairs, completely ignoring the last bit. "I'll contact you once I've thought of our next move."
"Wait, how am I going to distract them?"
"Just do what you did with the door before," Jirou commanded over her shoulder. "Make lots of noise, use your Quirk if you need to, but don't start until I say so."
"T-That's all?"
"That's all. What?" Jirou smirked. "You scared bein' all alone down here?"
"O-of course not! Geez get up there already!"
Kaminari fumed after her snickering figure before frowning at himself. 'Seriously though? That's all I have to do? Then again, I really shouldn't be complaining…' He shot a quick glance at the door before pinning a determined look on Jirou's retreating back.
"Do your thing, you can count on me!"
Two minutes later, Jirou was standing in the middle of the room of her intended destination which was precisely one floor above the villains' hideout. Lowering on her hunches with one knee on the floor, Jirou reached up to activate the mini walkie-talkie device in one of her ears.
"I'm in position. Do it."
"You got it. Commencing operation Clang n' Bang!"
"Oh for the love of—"
Jirou flinched at the loud clashing sounds of steel hitting steel echoing and bouncing from wall to wall within the building. Recovering instantly she dug both of her jack-like earlobes into the floor after the first clamour of noise. With baited breath and eyes narrowed in concentration, she sent steady amounts of her own heartbeat to a specified point, careful not to amplify more than what was needed.
The forceful surges of pressure broke parts of the floor, small chunks of cement already falling away as the tiny cracks began to reveal what's underneath. Kaminari was doing a good job with his relentless racket-making that it was highly unlikely for the two unassuming girls to notice Jirou's little construction work.
'Not when the whole building looks like it's going to collapse with all the noise he's making,' she thought with grim satisfaction.
When it was complete, Jirou paused to inspect the makeshift hole she created. It was too small to be used as a passageway, much less noticed, but it was large enough to peek into the room below.
'Now, just what did you two do to the door…'
Only half of the room was visible from Jirou's vantage point, but her eyes eventually locked unto their opponents' figures. Just as she expected, Momo and Alumi's attentions were trained on the sealed entrance, the doorframe lined with stacks of plated steel. Her eyes widened. 'So that's why it made such a loud noise when Kaminari pushed the door open. It's blocked with steel plating! Where did it come from? How did they even do it? It couldn't be Koseki, so it must be Yaoyorozu's doing.'
She peered closer and saw the crystal-encased faux weapon stationed a little farther from where she was. 'There it is. It's covered in crystal?' But it wasn't completely covered. Jirou narrowed her eyes and stared at the exposed top. Then she slid her eyes back to the two girls holding their weapons. 'We just might have a chance at this. If we could just get inside…But how?'
Jirou pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and tried to come up with another strategy, but each passing thought only served to aggravate her more. No matter how hard she thought at the moment, none of the discreet approaches seemed to work. Even worse, the room didn't have any windows they could use. They were stuck in between a rock and a hard place. And time was running out.
"Damn it," Jirou cursed beneath her breath before raising a hand to contact her partner. "Spark-hands, come in."
There was a short crackle of static before Jirou heard his reply. She could barely hear his voice over the racket he was making. "It's Kaminari!" he whispered-screeched. "Anyway, I'm listening."
"Change of plans. Leave your post immediately and join me up here."
"Gotcha," came his reply. She heard his hasty footsteps against the floor a beat later. "I'm guessing you already found a way in?"
Jirou hardened her eyes into a determined look he couldn't see.
"Yeah. We're not going with the sneaky route anymore."
Momo and Alumi tensed in alarm as their opponents made their rather noisy and futile attempt at intrusion. But now it was suddenly silent. The last thing they heard outside was a rush of footsteps hurrying off somewhere.
While Momo was relieved that her steel barrier wasn't breached, Alumi didn't miss the disappointed tone in her voice when she said, "They certainly gave up early."
"They must have something else in mind," Alumi said as she scanned the room in placid apprehension. "Probably trying to find another way in."
"I'd like to see that happen," Momo said. "We are fortunate to be stationed in a room with no windows, after all. So apart from the door I can't imagine how else they would—"
But Momo broke off abruptly when they heard a loud blast of ground-shaking vibration that shattered the ceiling not too far from them.
"—from above!?"
The two girls immediately leaped away from the falling debris and huddled near to the crystal-encased faux weapon. Momo narrowed her eyes and gave Alumi a speaking glance, "Get ready!" Alumi nodded and together they moved into a defensive stance, their bō staffs poised and ready for any upcoming assault.
Not a second later the two distinguishable figures of Jirou and Kaminari landed in the middle of the gaping hole above them, creating a tangible wall of dust from the fallen cement that served as a smokescreen.
Jirou and Kaminari dashed out the instant they landed and the two girls tensed the moment they made eye-contact with their opponents across the room. The heroic pair looked bloodthirsty brandishing the white capture tape in their hands. Alumi and Momo moved back instinctively when they saw one of Jirou's jack-like earlobes stretching toward her right boot.
With a quick skid, Jirou planted her right foot on the ground and sent the same ground-shaking sound wave towards them.
"Look out!" Momo yelled. The two immediately jumped out of the blast's range, breaking the defensive formation they formed when they separated to the opposite sides of the room.
Alumi thought Jirou only did it to break their formation when the blast ended up hitting the weapon. 'So that's your real intention.'
Everyone paused and furrowed their brows in anticipation, watching as the faux weapon quivered from the impact. To Alumi's relief the crystal didn't break, but she knew if Jirou were to try that again with double the force, there was a high chance it would damage the crystal barrier. Not only that, but the entire room as a whole would be affected.
Alumi saw that realization dawn on the jack girl's eyes. They both knew what would happen if she used that move again inside the small room they were in, not to mention the impact could possibly destroy the weapon itself.
Frustration flashed across Jirou's face. She moved into a stance, Kaminari doing the same behind her, and then promptly nodded to her partner. Kaminari nodded back with a smirk. Whatever the plan was, it became obvious when Jirou and Kaminari dashed forward and promptly separated into two directions – Kaminari going for Yaoyorozu, and Jirou charging straight for Alumi.
'Divide and conquer, huh.' Alumi masked her shock with a small smile. "My, that was certainly a bold entrance for a hero to make, breaking in through the ceiling like that," she commented pleasantly just as Jirou entered her range.
"What can I say? Flashy is the latest trend," Jirou retorted with a smirk as she swung at the bluenette.
Alumi evaded the attack with ease, but Jirou already anticipated that. She followed Alumi's momentum and struck with a swift roundhouse kick followed by another. Alumi's eyes widened. She swung to the side and fumbled with the bō staff – as if she was contemplating to use it or not – and was barely able to dodge the first one before hastily using her free arm to block the second. She gritted her teeth as Jirou's foot connected with her forearm, the impact disrupting her balance. Jirou instantly used that second to deliver another kick that landed square on Alumi's midriff.
Jirou leaped away before Alumi could counter attack. Her chest swelled with pride seeing the bluenette grunt and stumble a few feet away as she tried to recover from the blow. 'We just might have a shot at winning this if I keep the fast and hard tactic and prevent Koseki from using her Quirk. But it's weird…' Jirou furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why Alumi was using a weapon if she could've just used her Quirk to defend herself. She certainly looked tough with the bō staff, but it was obvious she wasn't well-versed in it like Yaoyorozu was.
'Why isn't Koseki using her Quirk?'
"You got me," Alumi commented suddenly. Jirou regained her stance and watched warily as Alumi forced a cough to relieve the painful pressure from her torso before breathing deeply and straightening her back. She sent the other girl an even stare, and it unnerved Jirou that Alumi was smiling. "You're really good with your legs, Jirou-chan."
Jirou frowned. "Aren't you going to use your Quirk on me, Koseki?"
"Are you sure you want me to do that?"
Jirou watched with narrowed eyes as Alumi walked in such a way that she was now circling Jirou. Then she stopped when she was directly in front of the faux weapon which was approximately two meters behind her.
"You're running out of time and all I have to do is keep you from touching the weapon. It doesn't matter whether I use my Quirk or not, now, is there?"
Jirou clenched her teeth, hating the fact that Alumi was right. They probably only have four minutes left now. Her eyes darted from Alumi to the weapon, then back to the bluenette. She lunged. Alumi intercepted the advance and the two continued on with Jirou pushing forward and Alumi responding accordingly. Even with her eyes to the prize, it didn't take long for Jirou to realize that Alumi never once attempted to go on the offensive during the whole exchange. She just kept on defending. She wasn't even trying to hit her with the bō staff, but rather using it to prod and deflect her, like a cat would to its plaything.
"You're really starting to piss me off!" Jirou yelled. She saw an opening for another fast and hard attack and instantly did a quick side step. She lunged and spun in the air with a leg brought up and ready to make contact.
Alumi blocked the attack with the bō staff, the shining steel rod suspending Jirou's leg in mid-air. She smiled graciously. "You're fast and agile, but you're getting predictable, Jirou-chan. Why don't you surrender now?"
Jirou clenched her teeth as Alumi pushed back with all her might. She quickly retracted her leg and regained her footing while simultaneously dodging the downward swing of the staff. She immediately leaped away and glared at the other girl.
"We're just getting started, don't get ahead of yourself!" She dashed forward and extended her jack earlobes, sending them whipping through the air towards Alumi. The bluenette dodged and jumped away all while looking pleasantly surprised.
"My, so you can use them like that too."
Huffing, Jirou straightened her back and threw an accusing finger at her. "Quit playing and take me seriously, Koseki! You're supposed to be a villain here but all you're doing is dancing around!"
Looking genuinely confused, Alumi tilted her head. "But I am doing my job seriously. I'm keeping you from getting near the weapon aren't I?"
"I meant take me seriously. You think I haven't noticed? You're not even trying to do me in!"
Alumi blinked, her smile wavering. "Do you in...? Well…I suppose you're right. I don't actually want to 'do you in'. I just want to keep you busy until time runs out. Unlike you, I don't have to work so hard. We're not the ones with a time limit, after all."
With a tick mark throbbing in her cheek, Jirou narrowed an eye and smirked. "Heh, really? I guess you're a villain after all."
Alumi's expression froze, her smile tightening. Jirou instinctively braced herself, hair standing on end at the way Alumi's eyes suddenly turned cold and unmoving, forming an unnerving contrast with her wide, tight-lipped smile.
'Crap, is she angry? Did I just said something that pissed her off? S-she doesn't look angry…she looks, uh…a-angry? Is it because I called her a villain? Seriously?'
Before she could even react, Alumi closed the distance between them with a single lunge.
"Ngh—!?"
Jirou recoiled and tried to escape but Alumi was already swinging the staff down and swiped it across her ankles. Jirou fell back and landed on her back with a grunt. She rolled to her feet but froze when Alumi brought the tip of the rod against her chin, the bluenette looking down on her with a friendly smile.
"Maybe I really should 'do you in', so we'd have one less persistent hero to deal with."
A singular bead of sweat slid down Jirou's cheek at the notion. 'Oh now she's serious.'
Suddenly Kaminari and Yaoyorozu entered their visual sphere, the spike-haired blond narrowly missing a swing to the head. He yelped and skidded over to where Jirou was. With Alumi's eyes on the flitting spiky blond, Jirou leapt away from Alumi's range just as Kaminari rushed up to the bluenette with a leg swing. It was more of a pathetic attempt to hit her, but it served its purpose of warding her off. Alumi hopped back and allowed the two to reconvene just as Momo came up beside her.
"Damn, they're tougher than I thought!" Kaminari mumbled to Jirou. "I know you said to split up and deal with Yaoyorozu, but you look like you need help over here," he said in a voice that only she could hear.
"You need it more than I do," Jirou shot back in a hiss as she noticed a bruise starting to form on his left cheek.
Kaminari grinned anxiously and grew frantic as their opponents closed in on them – Momo directly in front of him and Alumi in front of Jirou. With their bō staffs aimed and ready, the two faux villainesses had them cornered. Somehow the bluenette's expectant smile frightened Kaminari more than Yaoyorozu's chilling stare.
He fretfully inched towards Jirou and whispered, "What now? We can't go for the weapon like this, we're surrounded." He pressed his back against hers, the jack girl flinching upon contact but did not move away. His back was a little bigger than hers, but it was warm and felt strangely comforting. It reminded her that she was not alone in this.
"I know that," she groused. "I'm thinking! Wait…" Jirou raised an accusatory brow. "You didn't use your Quirk on Yaoyorozu did you?"
Kaminari's response was a sheepish smile and a chuckle. Jirou rolled her eyes. Then her eyes widened slightly as she thought of a new plan.
"Well now's a good time to show off, sparky."
"I told you! It's Ka-Mi-Na-Ri!" he bit out before giving her a dubious look. "Wait, what? You want me to use my Quirk? N-Now!?"
"Just use it on my signal."
"You shouldn't be talking in front of your opponents," Yaoyorozu admonished as she pulled a net from her thigh and stared hard at the two heroes.
"Only one minute left. Let's get this over with, shall we?" Alumi said, taking a step forward.
"It's over," Momo said.
Jirou's eyes darted from Momo to Alumi. "No...It's not!"
In a split-second Jirou looked like she was about to jump at the bluenette. Alumi tensed and prepared to defend herself in reflex, but Jirou halted and aimed a knee at her instead, expelling a forceful amount of her explosive heartbeat towards the other girl.
Eyes widening, Alumi's initial reaction was her foot digging into the ground and a hand about to fling upwards, but realized a beat later that it was pointless. Jirou's eyes flashed. Alumi wasn't able to dodge it.
"AGH!" the bluenette cried. She pressed both hands against her ears and buckled, the bō staff hitting the ground at her feet. The sound wave hit her like a violent wind, piercing into her body like a thousand prickling vibrations.
Momo's face twisted in panic. "Alumi-san!"
But Alumi could scarcely hear Momo calling out for her. It was a pain she'd never felt before. A heavy, deafening throbbing that felt like something with sharp claws was squirming violently in her head and trying to crawl out of her earlobes.
"Now, Kaminari!" Jirou hollered just as Momo charged at them with the net at hand.
"Finally!" Grinning wide, Kaminari straightened into a stance and let a powerful ripple of lightning envelope his body. Momo froze. Kaminari shoved his right fist into his left palm and emitted an even greater amount of electric energy that crackled dangerously around him. "Sorry, but this is as far as you can go, Yaoyorozu!"
Momo clenched her teeth before hurling the net at them. The two immediately dispersed, causing Jirou to halt her sound wave assault aimed at the bluenette. Alumi dropped to the ground on her knees and wheezed, eyes fluttering as she shook her head trying to clear her head of the painful ringing.
Jirou ran straight for the weapon just four feet away. Momo couldn't move to intercept her with Kaminari running in-front of her, acting as the high-voltage electric fence. Alumi was the closest to the weapon, but she was still unable to stand.
At that moment Jirou lunged for the exposed top of the weapon, and everything suddenly started to flow in a state of slow motion. Momo's look of alarm, Kaminari not letting her through, and Jirou's fingers only inches away from the faux weapon's gleaming surface…
'It's over!' the three of them thought simultaneously.
A clang of metal hitting the ground. An impending presence rushing from behind.
Jirou slid her eyes to her left but all she saw were the tips of ice-blue hair flowing out of her view. All of a sudden the crystal covering the weapon melted and seemed to come to life as it lunged towards her, slathering her and coiling around her body like a slithering crystal snake.
Jirou flailed against the molten crystal but then it hardened just as she fell on the floor beside the weapon. She yelped on impact and clenched her teeth together, struggling to free herself in vain. Confusion and disbelief crossed her features. 'But how..?'
Jirou looked up, wide eyes darting from the now exposed weapon before settling on a breathless and trembling Alumi slumping on her side against it. She had a hand pressed on its surface, and it was then that realization hit Jirou.
Alumi breathed out an inaudible sigh of relief. She looked at Jirou directly in the eye, and smiled.
A/N:
Not sure how this turned out. Action scenes just ain't up my alley, but it's always a thrill to write them 'u' On the other hand, Jirou and Kaminari were so much fun to write! I had no trouble at all!
And that's about it for this arc. Look forward to the conclusion of this match next chapter~!
Now for your tidbit:
※ Edgeshot is a Pro-Hero introduced in chapter 88 in the Manga. He acts and dresses in true ninja fashion, which boosts his fame in the modern society. He also made a cameo appearance in Season 2's episode 1.
※ Bōjutsu – or "staff technique", is a martial art using staffs or long rods as weapons, referred to as a bō, meaning "staff".
In response to the Guest Reviews:
Guest: Thank you for the warm welcome! I apologize for worrying you like that. I have resigned not to give up on this story, as long as I know someone actually enjoys this huehue. And boy don't I agree with you about Kacchan. It's a pain in the ass, actually. I want Alumi to mess around with him but noooo because they both don't like each other. At least for now. Hihi.
Just a heads up guys: since my summer classes are bound to start next week, I'm going to have my hands full with the enrollment stuff, so the next chapter will probably take long. But I swear it'll be out within this month.
Until then I hope ya'll indulge your summer vacations. I wish I could do the same, but I already gambled my 2 months of vacation for MORE school. *facepalm*
See you all next chapter!
[Date Updated]: April 1, 2017
[Edited]: Added changes such as fight scenes, changed a few phrases and corrected grammatical errors.
