Hello, Hello, Hello! Please, save your rock throwing for afterwards! I know that I don't normally put Author Notes here, but I just wanted to put in a warning that there are very big connotations of r*pe and some severe gore in the final section of this chapter. I will put warnings for things that can be potentially triggering for people, because I know how necessary they are. Now, enjoy your read!


OP1- Deal With The Devil by TiA

"This is unprecedented…" Her voice was filled with power, with pride. Amber eyes looked over the pulsating mass of flesh in front of her. "There are no gods here. We've made them obsolete. Fate is in our hands now."

Rubbing his neck, her assistant began contemplating finding a new job. Sure, she was really pretty, and he had been there for a few months now, but he couldn't help but think that he was...underqualified.

Suddenly, she whipped around to catch his gaze. "We did this. I could not have done this without you. Your brawn, my undeniable intelligence and unrivalled beauty and-"

"Alright, you're pretty, but let's focus on what's in front of us. We don't want something going wrong and our entire thing just fails like that." Ruffling his off-white hair, he let out a sigh. "You know, when I saw that ad, I honestly thought you were going to harvest my organs or something."

"Now, now, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. We don't know if that is entirely ruled out just yet."


Swinging her mottled mauve and chartreuse satchel in front of her, Heiya slowly took a seat on one of the abyssal benches sprinkled about the area. Flipping it open, she began to take mental notes.

"I hope they'll last long enough for the exam...I wish they would open up about something for the exam." Sighing to herself, she continued rummaging. It was hard to determine what preparations anyone would need because Uchu Academy had become notorious for producing a new terrifying entrance exam each year…among other things, of course.

In fact, Heiya hadn't even known about the true functions of the beautiful school before today. After being late for the entrance exams for UA and Shiketsu, she had seen Uchu as the reigning champion of Japan's Most Beautiful Academic Settings in her monthly magazine.

Although it might have mentioned it...she had been distracted by the absolute specimen of a man that graduated from it. She couldn't recall his name at the moment. Su? It was something short and sweet, but he looked like the definition of eye-candy that magazines tease.

Her mind began to track back to Kasumi…

"You all will be trained to face the most dangerous and unhinged villains, and aim to kill them in the most extreme situations."

Was that really a thing? Were there heroes out there that were trained to kill? What must they do to prepare kids to take a life? Could she really manage to do that? Would she ever be able to do that?

Letting out a warm sigh, she released the quickly building tension within her shoulders. Taking a moment to smooth the wrinkles of her salmon-shaded skirt, she began to recollect herself.

After all, she had to do this. She had to do it for her. There was no over sleeping this time, and she surely wasn't going to chicken out. But she couldn't help but wonder just what the future held, and just how many of these kids knew what they were getting themselves into.

'It's okay if you don't get in or don't want to. There's hundreds of other schools, it's alright. Yura will just have something else to pester you with.'

Shaking away the thoughts, she took her glasses off and began cleaning them with the kit in her bag. Her shawl today was not great for wiping away the dirt and grime, and she couldn't risk leaving it on like she normally might.

Overall, she was feeling confident in her ability for the exam. As long as they don't do something absolutely crazy like releasing actual villains and expect them to be killed for the exam...it should be fine. She didn't pull an all nighter like last time, and she made sure to eat a healthy meal before-hand! She had learned from her mistakes. She had to do this, at all costs. At least, she had to try.

Donning her glasses, her vision cleared yet again. As was her norm, everyone was talking amongst themselves and acknowledging each other, meanwhile she seemed to be invisible to them.

But how could she blame them? People could look like dogs now, or have snake fingers, or have massive wings out of their back, or look like a terrifying monstrosity creeping from the furthest reaches of the planetary depths, crawling from a realm of horrors that we could never comprehend. . .

Goosebumps spread across her skin at the very thought. There were just some quirks that made people look like the furthest thing from humanity...they scared her. It reminded her of a manga she had read, where half-animal people began slowly losing their natural human side and completely succumbing to their animal sides. She picked it up once the ratings started going back up after the author transitioned it from horror to being a dark smut.

As a blush began to warm her cheeks, she fanned herself comically, only to meet the gaze of a familiar crimson-haired boy.

"Hey, you're here!" His voice reminded her of her dogs when they were puppies and she got back from school only to be drowned in their love. Turning around, she couldn't see anybody that he would be talking to. Was he really talking to her? Was he mistaking her for someone else? As he approached, her face only grew hotter, fair skin giving way to crimson. "You didn't tel-"

"YOU'RE STILL NOT WEARING A SHIRT?!" Heiya's hazel eyes scanned Bokujou, trying her best to shield her face with whatever she had available. "We're going to be fighting, don't you want that extra protection?!"

Bokujou hummed for a moment before shaking his head. "I already told you, they aren't for me. Besides, they take away from the mementos of my babies!" He proudly held his necklaces of feathers, fangs, and claws outward. "I've gotta show off pieces of their younger years everywhere I go!"

Heiya took a deep breath as the harsh red colour of her face began to subside. "Haishisareta Bokujou, right? I don't think I could forget you after what you did at the convention."

Nodding enthusiastically, Bokujou pinched his chin for a moment. "And you're. . ."

'Here it comes. Fuugi, or Hwasa, or whatever fresh new mix-up.' She held a small smile in anticipation for something she had grown all too used to.

"Fuugawarina Heiya! Fuugawarina-chan!" Bokujou pointed at her. "And like I was saying, you didn't tell me you were going to be trying out for Uchu! Then again…" He shuddered at the thought of her friend that erupted from the crowd of students and reminded him all too much of the terror and intimidation his mom could cause in people. "Your friend did cut in there. She's not here, is she? Is she going to drop on me out of the air for talking to you?!" He instinctively shielded the top of his head, earning a light chuckle from the girl in front of him.

"No, she's attending U.A. I'm actually impressed though, most people don't remember me even if they saw me half an hour ago." Heiya said, primarily looking at the scenery around or pinpointing on Bokujou's face. She had never met someone so open about their body with such pure motives.

There were, of course, the guys in gym class who would come out shirtless trying to hit on her and her friends, but they often ended up with bloody noses and black eyes. She vividly remembered one guy who ended up losing his two front teeth after he smacked her butt in front of his friends. Yura was in so much trouble for it, but she had said it was worth it.

Raising his thick eyebrows, Bokujou gave a nonchalant shrug. "I never forget a face or a name. Not of the ones that matter, anyways." Wanting to avoid invading her personal space, he sat on the grass in front of the bench, looking up to her. "Plus, I couldn't forget someone when they are unique like you are."

"U-unique?" She sputtered. "That's a new one. Most people just see me as your regular 'Plain Jane'."

"That's part of why you're unique. You don't immediately stand out as someone flashy or anything like that, you could blend into crowds without being picked out easy by people who don't know you. But, I still wouldn't call it completely plain, I would just call you…" He pondered for a moment. "Subtle. I mean, look at me. I've got enough hair to wrap myself up and then I've got this!" He gestured to his face-covering on the left side of his face.

Heiya took a moment to process the words. Coming from anyone else, those words would have seemed almost like a back-handed compliment, but this boy didn't seem the type to even understand what those were. "Well, thank you, Haishisareta-san." Taking a moment to linger on the crimson cloth on his face, she leaned forward a bit. "What is that for anyways? Is it just to look cool or…"

As she began to reach for it, her hand was quickly caught by the sitting boy. "I need it, it's not an accessory." His voice was momentarily dull, lacking his usual passion. "Sorry, that was serious! I just don't like taking it off, it really ruins how amazing I can look." Just like that, he was back.

"I can imagine that it has got to make things harder for you." Heiya let out a quiet hmph as she leaned back.

"Oh, absolutely! But that's what my babies are for! They help to let me know when things are around on this side!" He flashed a wide smile, placing his hands on his knees triumphantly.

"Your "babies" are those creatures, right? Do you just summon them from your imagination?" Heiya asked, having questions ever since the convention that she hadn't gotten to ask.

He quickly shook his head. "I create and raise them!"

"You...create them?"

"It's this whole process that my mom and I both use our quirks for. She can only use one medium, but I can use any number of mediums. We use cells, strands of DNA, genes, and some of the creatures have Quirks thanks to DNA that people sent in. Once I create them, I have to raise them from just a bundle of cells to a full being!" Bokujou continued explaining.

Heiya deadpanned, thinking of the entire process and how creepy it probably got at times. "That...sounds like a lot of work to raise them. Are there helpers, or is it just you?"

"It wouldn't be the same if it was all helpers all of the time! I try my best to put every ounce of love and care into raising them every day! But...yes, sometimes I need helpers, I am human after all." Bokujou sighed. He physically had to fight the urge to go on one of his hours-long tangents about the Extinction Reversal Organization. "Enough about me though! Are you getting excited for whatever the exam will be?!"

Her gaze drifted for a moment, chocolate-coloured hair blowing in the wind. "As excited as I can be."


What despicable whelps awaited him at this school? What possibilities to commune with greatness? So many were ill prepared for what they had just been told, and left without a second thought.

Nakamura Masanori had already known about LAEF Heroes for quite some time now. That man, Iten Kasumi, who in prowess alone seemed to be an obvious Pthumerian touched by the Great Ones, definitely caught the eye of Masanori. Almost three decades following the era of All Might, and Quirks that involved teleporting and warping oneself were still astoundingly rare.

That only begged the question of what other exciting rarities this realm of academia held. What monstrosities would be laid bare to conquer and slay? It's no matter, for whatever was thrown at him, he would face them with little adversity. After all, he was-!

"Oi, watch it, bone-boy!" A horrid blobby being of a human interrupted him, his atrocious mop of mangy yellow hair bouncing in an almost fake fashion as he shoved Masanori aside. The two small horns of stark white protruding from his forehead began to grow outwards, slightly curling into a more menacing position.

The putrid bastard was long gone though. Off to continue his trail of blasphemy, disgracing someone as fearsome as The Fiend Who Shall Take The Light?!

'No matter, such filth would never make it in a glorious role such as that of the LAEF Heroes.'

Yes, that was what he was here for. To become a LAEF Hero. And what a curious role that was. When placing a standard Hero next to a LAEF Hero, it was easy to tell there were differences between them that went past just how far they were allowed to go. He had learned that from Jin.

He understood that the Pthumerian Kasumi could not explain everything to the freshly exposed minds during the assembly, but he wished that the pink-haired man would have given more insight in an attempt to show the greater truths of Uchu.

For instance, how LAEF Heroes were taught psychology and practically trained in it, all because they would at some point hold a life in their hands and they would really have to figure out if there was no going back. Just how much training, how much screening, how much consideration must Heroes of this sort make in a split second? And how could they possibly be prepared for that within the span of three years? For some, it would be even less time. May the Great Ones have pity on those who have to take a life within their first year.

Not to mention, the lines between LAEF Heroes and Normal Heroes were blurred far more than one would expect at surface value. It wasn't as simple as calling them, "Villains in the disguise of Heroes" as some did. No, it wasn't quite so simple. Rather, they were a multitude of roles. They took on the role of villain sometimes for sake of protecting those close to the villains that unfortunately had to perish, other times they played the role of the righteous paladin-like Hero, having done what was good for the general populace. There was no concrete way to classify them, they were ever-changing, assuming roles that either placed all blame upon them or none of it at times.

The subtle difference in ideology and philosophy he had discussed with his father and his fellow...companions was perhaps something that went the most unseen by not only the media, but also the public as a whole as they swarmed and rioted along the roads to Uchu in the first years of its opening.

Standard Heroes, for so long, had killing off of the table for decades. The worst possible place they could end up in was Tartarus, whereas the death penalty was decided by law enforcement, not heroes. Claims such as "The death penalty is not enough for them" quickly came back to bite so many, as that very sentiment resulted in the infamous All for One escaping, even if his escape was met with death at the hands of his own apprentice.

But LAEF Heroes begin with killing on the table. From their very first day under the tutelage of a Hero that authorizes use of their Quirks, they could kill someone. And that intrigued Masanori, perhaps more than most things in his life. Because they can determine that waiting for the death penalty, or rotting away in a void of a cell, will do absolutely no good for society, or for them. There was no change waiting for them, and there was no repentance to be earned from this. Death was the only comeuppance that could be delivered.

Truly, a most fascinating and complex life such Heroes must lead.

"Didja get caught up in your internal monologuing there?" A voice like silk hit Masanori's ears, causing him to spin around.

Pointing his claw-like nail towards the pink haired individual, Masanori's orange eyes glared through them. "How could you have snuck up on me?! Surely I, The Demon That Vanquishes Holiness, would have noticed you!"

"I've actually been here for quite a while. About since," Mischievous pink eyes scanned the crowd. "Blondie over there bumped into you and your horns got to have a little freakout."

Masanori's eyes narrowed. It was not easy for him to be so blindsided and unaware of one's presence for even such a short amount of time. "Very well, I shall grant you audience! I, The Darkest Victor, am also known as Nakamura Masanori!" He held out his hand in the likeness of ancient royalty.

Taking the hand, they decided to indulge the strange boy. Kissing his hand, they pulled back as they held in their laughter. "Enomoto Kiji, you can call me Kiji if you'd like~" He paused for a moment. "Or E, Eno, Moto, whatever fits your preference, honestly."

"I have not gathered enough to properly define you, so I shall stick to Kiji-san for the time being!" Masanori exclaimed, righteously raising his fist in front of him. "Tell me, Kiji-san, do your insides burn with passion or do your innards scream in terror at the adventure we are soon to embark on?!"

Kiji, however, was unable to answer as he found himself climbing up on a tree. Upon standing up on the lowest branch, he looked down at Masanori. "Sorry, I just needed to give you a taste of your own medicine! Being talked down at like that isn't much fun." Holding his arms out wide, he nonchalantly walked further near the end of the branch. "I'd say that they burn with passion between those two choices. Excitement is more like it, though~"

"I…" Masanori hesitated on what he was about to say. "Could you not get so close to the ends like that?" His normal tune had completely changed as he fixated on the androgynous boy. Admittedly, he could have sworn that he knew the boy. A lot of his features, and his name as a whole, rung a bell. He couldn't place it for the moment though.

A smirk split across Kiji's face as he turned to Masanori. "Oh? Does "The Darkest Victor" not wish for me to do this?~" Pulling one leg up, he bounced his body to cause the branch to sway up and down with him. "Relax, I've got this~" He stopped at Masanori's increasingly worried expression.

Clearing his throat, the taller boy continued. "N-no! I simply wished to not have you meet your end in such a lackluster manner!"

"This isn't lackluster though~ It's risky." Kiji's voice raised in an almost sing-song manner. "And that's what makes it exciting. The risk of it all. This exam itself is the most exciting thing I've ever done. Wouldn't you say the same?! The unknown of it, the danger we will be in, it just makes you want to scream in anticipation!"

With a dignified scoff, Masanori raised his head. "Such unknown things are like flies, simply insignificant! It will be a stepping stone for the world to see the glory of my astounding prowess!"

Humming to himself, Kiji laid down on the branch, propping his head between his hands. "Is that so?~ Tell me, what made someone as horny as you want to be a LAEF Hero?~" He gave a sly wink as he gestured to Masanori's receding horns.

"You dare tell such untasteful jokes to an eldritch terror such as I?!" Masanori hid his blush as he harshly pointed at Kiji, barking the words out. "My horns are simply an ant compared to the havoc I can wreak upon those who challenge me!"

Holding his hands up, the small boy did his best to act scared. "Please, anything but that! You'll get me so scared, I just might end up screaming for help~" Giving a light snicker, he couldn't help the cheshire smile that appeared on his face. 'It's amazing when they get so antsy.'

"I shall have you know that I wish to become a LAEF Hero because of the morality of such beings! It gives me chills thinking of the situations they must be in, so I wish to further analyze it, and perhaps be an eldritch horror of a Hero that strikes fear into the hearts of evil-doers from miles away!" Masanori gestured wildly as he explained, a lone actor in a play of his own making.

Raising his eyebrows, Kiji nodded along. "Personally, the morality isn't all that big to me. In a way, it's like we are training to be advanced Heroes. For me, it's all about the risk. That sweet heart-pounding excitement, I want to see what it's like in the rage of a battle when both lives are on the line and you know only one is getting out of it alive!"

"Perhaps you have potential, I shall hope to see it used in the future. But just know that should you stand as an enemy, you will tremble in fear before-!"

"The Darkest Victor? The Demon That Vanquishes Holiness?" Kiji interrupted, his words ever lulling.

Shaking his head vigorously, Masanori performed a dramatic pose. "Nakamura Masanori, the Fiend Who Shall Take The Light!"

"I'll make sure to remember that one as well."


The moments of silence while nice were short-lived, but that was to be expected amid the chatter of the crowds. It was always amazing how complete strangers could just start talking to each other in groups completely unprompted.

Tamashi Atem had never been among those sorts. Unplanned social interactions were a pain, that was just a basic fact. Instead, he had sheltered himself behind one of the trees on the campus, taking in the scenery as he meditated. It was beautiful, that was easy to say. He would have loved hiking it with Takeda.

As much as he had wanted to become a LAEF Hero to be like the man, Kasumi had made him wonder if they got more light in the media than he had originally hoped for. He had thought it would be similar to vigilantes, only getting a callout now and then on the news, but he was beginning to question that. Kasumi talked as if they were under fire rather frequently.

But, bad spotlight or not, he had to do it. For his uncle, at least, but also for himself. Heroes of all sorts were vital to the world, especially now.

So many believed that crime would simply disappear following Deku's rise to the number one Hero position, and following the dismantling of the Paranormal Liberation Front, but it had been far from that. If anything, villainy got worse as every wrong-doer out there sought to become greater, to have their names end in history, to make a message to the world.

That's why LAEF Heroes seemed to be needed so heavily now. Standard Heroes were encountering villains more frequently that were entering a state of depravity that could no longer be handled as they once were. But the general populace wouldn't understand that. It was so much easier for people to see things as black and white, being unable to see moral greyness and the lines that became blurred along the way.

Despite this, it still surprised the grey-eyed boy just how many people showed up. Sure, plenty of people thought they would just be regular Heroes, but even after Kasumi's announcement, there were still so many that stayed. Were they all comfortable with what they would be doing, or would they be hesitant if the time came?

Truthfully, Atem didn't believe that anyone currently in the collective whole of students was actually certain of their capabilities should the time come. That was something one wasn't able to truly know until they were faced with it directly.

But no more of that. Meditation required clarity and a calm mind. That was what he needed at the moment anyway. The entire exam was a mystery to everyone, so he would have to get it together.

However, it was easily an impossible task to gain clarity at the moment. Not because of the crowd of potential students, but because of one particular mahogany haired boy approaching, muttering angrily to himself as he wrenched a black headband over his forehead.

As the boy slammed himself down on a bench close to Atem's tree, he began spitting curses under his breath, earning a smirk from Atem as he held in his laughter.

As much as he wanted to keep watching the boy clearly discuss his abhorrence for some person within the crowd, it felt like an invasion of privacy. Atem knew that feeling all too well.

"Hey, I...just wanted to let you know you aren't alone right now." Standing up, Atem re-popped his collar as he dusted grass from his legs. "I was trying to get away from people too, looks like we had the same idea."

Gesturing to the tree, he idly rubbed his neck as the boy seemed to be finding the words to say. "The name's Tamashi Atem. I just didn't want to listen in on your anger like that."

"Kurofuko Rin." The steely eyed boy spoke with a deep voice, that was undoubtable. "Thank you. Eavesdroppers are...unfortunately despicable."

Letting out a chuckle, Atem nodded. "Not to mention the fact that they love to make it seem like they weren't wrong for it." He paused, a moment of awkward silence filling the space. "So...what did they do to make you so upset? You looked like you could strangle someone."

"It doesn't matter much. I'm sure they'll fail at getting in here, so I doubt I'll have to worry about them." Rin said, a blank gaze on his face as he scanned the crowd. Another beat of awkward silence. Turning around, Rin's eyes seemed to pierce Atem's soul. "I'm sorry, is there...something else you want to ask?"

Eyes widening as his eyebrows raised, Atem waved his hands in front of him. "No, no! I had just been using this place for meditation, I just didn't know if-"

"Oh, I'm sorry, would you like me to.." Rin began, patting off his black pants as he started to stand up.

"It's okay, you can stay. I wasn't making much progress anyways. So, Kurofuko-san," Sucking his teeth for a second, Atem tried to think of something to talk about. He hated idle chatter, so he wanted to at least make it meaningful. "why do you wear that headband? That look isn't seen too much anymore, it's latest resurgence was, what, five years ago?"

Rin couldn't stop the glare that shot towards the violet haired boy. "I prefer to wear it because things tend to go better with it on."

Nodding slowly, Atem held his hands up. "I'm sorry if I hit a nerve, I didn't mean to. Besides, in a way, it's fresh again. Seriously, not too long ago, you couldn't point a person out on the street that wasn't wearing them."

"I suppose you could say I wore it before it was cool again then." Rin gave a slight huff. "I'm not going to bore you with questions of why you want to be a LAEF Hero, or why you came to Uchu, or what your Quirk is."

Atem let out a chuckle. "Good, because we both know that we're going to be asked that for years if we end up getting accepted. Instead, how about things like," He paused again. "What are your thoughts on Iten-sensei? He seemed real…"

"Hot and cold." Rin finished off. "If he's the teacher we have to look forward to, I can only imagine the others. But, I have to admire him nonetheless. He's a hero that is working to eradicate the rats of this world in a more...permanent manner."

"Yeah! Don't get me wrong, Heroes of all kinds are basically the backbone of our world now. An equal force always has to be made in order to keep another in balance, history shows that obviously, but LAEF Heroes were like...the hydrogen bomb of Heroes." Atem's voice began to pick up as he grew excited. "I thought they were just like...advanced Heroes when I first started to hear about them, but when I really got into reading in on them, there was a treasure trove of stuff to learn!"

Looking over, he found Rin focused on the crowd as a smile started to split his face. "Tamashi-san, would you like to see a rat get his comeuppance?"

Atem sucked in a deep breath. "I guess, yeah?"

He watched silently as Rin slowly took off the black headband covering his forehead, revealing a rather strange sight. A large eye coloured with the darkness of an abyss, only defined as an eye by the crimson planchette-like design in the place of an iris and pupil. For a moment, the eye seemed to have a mind of its own as it spastically twitched and shot between different sights.

Finally, the borderline demonic eye aligned with Rin's sight. Following his gaze, Atem caught a glance of a bright yellow-haired boy, shoving his way through the crowd. For a moment, Atem felt an extreme disturbance, strongly contemplating what Rin would do as "comeuppance." That could mean a number of things. But he strongly doubted the three eyed boy would outright murder someone for whatever they had done. He hoped he wouldn't, at least, because that would probably make him an accessory for not doing anything.

But then.

The boy tripped into another individual whose hair seemed to be a congealing mass of mud, his face getting covered in the horrid, rapidly caking substance as his cries of disgust rang louder.

"It wasn't much, but I'm sure a rat like him will ruin himself plenty without my help." Rin shrugged, before turning to Atem's bewildered expression. "What's the matter? Were you expecting something else?"

Shaking his head, Atem actually started to laugh. "The dude seemed like a real jerk already with how he was pushing through that crowd like he was the top of the food chain, so that was actually pretty awesome! I mean, yeah, I thought you were going to make him burst into flames or something at first, but giving him a mud facial was much better."

"You think I would mercilessly kill someone for ripping my headband off?" Rin dully lulled.

"Hey, you never know how far people will go with power. But still, if that's just a bit of what you can do, you'll be one of the coolest guys here!" He gave a wide smile, met yet again by Rin's neutral face. Clearing his throat at the beginning of another silence, Atem pursed his lips.

"Well...good luck with the exam, Kurofuko-san. I think no matter what, we will both need it. After all, I can't get by on my good looks alone. Try not to, you know, kill anybody just yet, okay? I think it would still be counted as illegal."

Waving as the boy began to walk backwards. "Good luck to you too, Tamashi-san." As he got further away, Rin turned his attention back to the grass under his feet.

"Let's hope...that Uchu is what I've been hoping for."


This place was awesome! Sure, there was the whole thing about killing people, but other than that, it seemed awesome!

It was getting him rock hard just to think about the future of the place! He didn't feel like being all angsty or any of that crap, brooding over how wrong or how right the school was. The way Ishikawa Iwa saw it, people were going to dispense justice in whatever way they saw fit, legal or not. That's why there were vigilantes before heroes.

But that's not what he cared about! The hulking boy cared about far more important things...like how tough these awesome trees were!

Hopping up to curl his arms around the thick limb, the combined weight of his massive stone plating and muscular body caused it to snap like the thinnest twig.

Falling to the ground with a very loud thud, he began to let out a deep, husky laugh. He should've expected it, if he was being honest. Staying on the ground was the best place for him, unfortunately. He sank like the boulder he was in water, trees weren't tough enough to hold him, elevators gradually began to become less occupied when he would enter. It was the unfortunate side of having such a glorious physique.

Not to mention the fact that he had become known at his school as, "The Destroyer of All Things Sat Upon" after breaking the third toilet in a month.

Tossing the branch aside, he slowly sighed. His mind really wasn't on the school, it was stuff he had come in expecting, he didn't care.

No...sitting under the trees, feeling the lightest sensations of grass tickling his legs, he was brought back to a different time.

(The sun had already begun setting, but that was to be expected. That was always when Mugen called everyone to meet up. Iwa felt a bit...out of place, though. As if he didn't belong there. Maybe that was just because of the fact that he was the newest one to be brought around.

The cherry blossoms were beginning to fall off, so the air was decorated with flitting petals, heading for death and rot to breathe new life. He remembered that from a really inspirational poem that Mugen had shown him, at least, that seemed like the line.

Mugen had started talking to everyone. The words mostly went in one ear and out of the other for Iwa, mainly because he knew that he would always meet up with him privately to hear more and understand it. But he knew just how he moved everyone.

Charismatic was to put it lightly. Someone could easily mistake the grey haired teenager for having a mind control Quirk. When he spoke, people listened, and when he gave commands and directions? They followed. He was amazing. And he had the power to lead everyone! He was the perfect leader, he couldn't imagine anyone quite like him.

Majority of the speech, Iwa simply...watched Mugen. How he rallied everyone, how spirits were raised with a simple raise of his fist. When he finished speaking, smiles were across every face, and fires of passion were burning in their eyes.

Lightly pushing through the crowd with ease, it wasn't long before he was face to face with the man himself.

"Aniki, you were amazing out there! Everyone seemed real excited!" Iwa lightly bounced in his position, his spiked orange hair unmoving.

Smiling, Mugen gathered up his papers before stepping down beside Iwa, using him as support to steady himself. "Thank you, Ishikawa-san. I sometimes wonder if you think too highly of me."

"I could never! Didn't you see how you touched everyone?!" Iwa exclaimed, restraining himself as he smacked the boy on his back.

"And how did what I say affect you?" Mugen quickly asked, his eyebrows raised in question.

Oh no. He should've been listening. He didn't expect this. He was never great at math, he shouldn't have taken the risk. Think, Iwa, think. "It...inspired me!"

"Oh? What part would you say was the most inspiring?" Mugen followed up.

Crap, he was really catching him at every turn. "The, uhm, beginning! And the middle, and end! All of it, really!"

"Ishikawa-san, I could tell by your eyes that you weren't hearing what I was saying, it's okay." Mugen reassured the giant boy beside him. "Here, take a seat. I'll explain it for you." With a sense of grace, the charming boy lightly sat under one of the cherry blossom trees, quickly followed by Iwa practically slamming into it as leaves, twigs, and what looked like a small squirrel that rushed to scurry away, fell down.

Crossing his legs close to himself, Iwa turned to face the grey haired boy. "Alright, Aniki, I'm ready!"

Stifling a bout of laughter, Mugen nodded. "Alright then. Today was just a day of reminding what we stand for. The little people." Smiling as Iwa compared his height to Mugen, the boys nudged each other. "Not like that, you know that. Little stores run by families, simple people on the street, more than half of the world is forgotten in the eyes of the police and Heroes. If it isn't a full on villain or criminal making a really big show, then chances are low for them to really help out anymore."

"So, we've got to step in for them where the system has failed. To fill the place where so many have left."

Nodding, Iwa always had to remind himself of what they really stood for. "We're like Heroes in the shadows! Doing what everyone else is scared or too busy to do!"

"Yeah, that's exactly it. But, Iwa, you have to understand. At any point, things could get messy. Do you...think you can handle that?" Mugen suddenly gained a grave tone.

Shrugging, Iwa gave a bright smile. "Of course! Messy can't be that bad, right?! As long as Aniki is there, things won't get like that!"

Mugen contemplated the answer. In his heart, he knew that Iwa wasn't ready for if things turned. He was too young. But...for the moment, he wouldn't put him through that. He would keep him safe and away from that part of the dealings.

"That's what I like to hear, Ishikawa-san." Putting his elbow on the stony boy's shoulder, Mugen flipped through the pages of his notebook.

"Alright, then next up…" )

What was that sound?! It sounded like someone was trying to staple a stack of papers that was too thick! It reminded Iwa of the time a few of the guys from his school asked him if they could throw marbles at his back. They made...weird noises when they broke.

Slowly making his way to the source, he was surprised not to find a monster chewing on rocks like potato chips, but instead...a small girl eating away at her nails like it was her favorite food.

"Woah! If you don't stop, your fingers will be on the menu next!" Iwa quickly walked over, eyebrows raised in worry.

The girl stopped, in fear of Iwa's massive size or in shock that someone could hear her. "O-oh...yeah, I've definitely heard that before…" She spoke slowly, patting her still shaking hands against her sides.

Iwa shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "I know it sounds normal, but it's true! It's bad for you! My friend taught me that when I get nervous, or stressed, I should do something to keep my hands occupied to stop myself from nail biting."

Holding his hands out in front of him, he gently placed them against each other and began rubbing as if to warm them. "I like doing this! The sound makes me really happy!"

A small hiccup-laced laugh came from the small girl. "I-it's not something that happens a lot, this entire thing is just so stressful.." Tucking a ruby-shaded bang behind her ear, she nodded a few times. "Not because of the school or anything, I just tend to get stressed about these sort of exams where I don't know what to expect."

"It's not too stressful to me. In fact, it gets me rock hard!" Iwa pumped his fist into the air. "My blood starts pum-"

"I'm sorry, did...did you just say, "rock hard?" The girl's bewildered expression was not unknown to Iwa.

Waving her off, the giant of a boy let out a sigh. "You know, like when someone is really gearing up for something! When they just get so ready for it, they can't possibly contain themselves anymore!"

"I think you mean excited." A giggle erupted from the girl. Hesitantly, she held out her hand. "I'm Akaguro Himohiku, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Slamming his hand into hers, Iwa practically shook Himohiku's entire body instead of her hand. "It's nice to meet ya! I'm Ishikawa Iwa!"

Taking a moment to recollect herself, Himohiku blew a fringe of hair out of her eyes. "So, Ishikawa-san, why are you so excited for this? You don't seem like the kind of person who enjoys beating up on people that much?"

Iwa shook his head. "I just like things that get me really hard! Getting real physical is the quickest way for that!"

Taking a deep breath, Himohiku muttered to herself. "That's going to take some getting used to…" Putting a wide smile on her ivory-toned face, she nodded. "I guess I understand what you mean. As stressful as it is, this will be like a whole new test of our abilities!"

"Yeah! Any chance to really push myself is what I want! Is there anyone you know here? I think this girl from my school is trying to come here? Haj...no, it was, uhm…" Iwa clenched his jaw as he sunk into thought. "Hijikata! She's a small girl like you!"

Puffing her cheeks, Himohiku quickly stomped her foot. "I am closer to average height, thank you very much!" Shaking her head, she tried to remember the people from her school. There was one she definitely knew. "My friend, Katsura-san is here! Who knows where he is, though. I lost him in the crowd."

The fleeting image of an absurdly...normal girl came to mind. "Oh, and there's this one girl! Her name was, ahhhh…" There wasn't a single thing coming to mind as she began muttering. "She was that really plain girl from 2-C with the glasses...what was her name?!"

"Don't worry, it'll come to you eventually! For now, I say we focus on how solid today is gonna be!" Iwa gave the crimson haired girl a huge grin. "In fact, I'll tell you what, if we can, I'm gonna make sure to help you out today! No stress then, and you can get rock hard as well!"

Humming in response, Himohiku shook her head. "Not only is that physically impossible, I don't think I'm going to be quite the wrecking ball that you are. I would probably slow you down if you tried doing something like that."

"Nothing can slow me down! We'll break through it all no problem!" As if he could've been any more of a shounen character, all he needed was a twinkle added to his teeth to perfect the image.

Feeling her face grow hot, she ducked to hide her face that was coming to match her hair. "I-if you say so, Ishikawa-san!"

'He didn't even care about my name..?'


"Fear, in its most primal form, is a tool to be used as every organism sees fit. Every emotion is such as this. For there was no imposed meaning before our sentience deemed us fit to decide their meaning. The question must arise though. What decided that we deserve that honor?"

Yukawa Kogori's favourite author said that, and today of all days, it seemed to ring truer than ever. Shoukanaku Honyuku, the man surely had a way with words, even if he was a faceless phantom that seemed to disappear into thin air every time she went to one of his book signings.

Looking at the buildings littered through the distance, with the trees growing progressively taller. This entire place was...interesting. Her parents had told her about how the place seemingly popped up overnight. Even with the existence of Quirks, the entire forest, the buildings, all of it just practically snapped into existence. No groups of workers, no machines. After the demonization of the headmaster of Uchu, it was practically the second most talked about thing surrounding the school for quite some time.

Checking the back of her dangling tiara earrings, she gave a content hum. At the moment, dwelling on these sorts of things would be pointless. But after her research into the school, she knew more than ever that it was the sort of challenge the world had practically tailored for her.

After all, UA High may have still been the top Hero institution in Japan, but that was purely on technicality. After all, the world learned that fourteen years ago. . .

Besides! Who would want to go to normal UA now that it had Deku practically hovering over like a mother hawk to her chicks? It reduced so many possibilities for challenges to come their way! In Deku's time, there was the entire war that occurred, where every single hero or student was pushed to their absolute limits!

She didn't want a war necessarily, but she wanted something to that degree of challenge. Something that wouldn't hesitate to kick her to the ground and continue to shove her face into the mud. All things considered, Uchu was that challenge.

One thing was for sure though...

She hated that this had to take place during summer. Seriously, why did Uchu place their school year at such strange times? She had heard about how the academics portion was fairly accelerated and advanced by nature. But still, she couldn't stand that this part had to start in summer.

They could've had testing done a few months ago and had time to screen everybody and such, were they seriously going to have everyone's exam performances scored and acceptances delivered in time to not be seriously behind other schools? They were already a month behind.

It didn't matter though. After all, that just meant the training and schedules would be more rigorous than anywhere else. As much as she hated the humid nature of summer, she wouldn't be genuinely set off by it. Only a fool would let such a preference determine their ability to perform.

On the subject of performances…

'Hatsuka-san is a shoe-in for this place, I'm sure she and I will get in without a moment of hesitation.'

Kogori could hardly wait to hear from her friend about what she did to truly show herself off as a top contender for Uchu, even without a, as she would normally call them, "bullshit Quirk that makes bitches think they're hot news."

Their friendship had an interesting dynamic. But, it was one she enjoyed, albeit wondered how she kept it for so long. The two were constantly brought together for sparring before they had actually become friends, and although Niikura bested her often due to catching her in every vulnerable position before she had enough time for her quirk to start up, she always acknowledged her prowess.

Perhaps that's why they got along so well. There was no putting each other down to raise themselves up, they kept each other in check and in place. Not to mention that she understood Niikura's plight more than most others ever could.

Although, she had the slightest feeling that there would be a lot more vent sessions about people with those "bullshit Quirks." Especially in a place such as this.

There were plenty of people who tried to call her delusional for thinking about becoming a Hero with a quirk such as hers. They could prattle on about how she would be dead weight in the beginning of a fight, but she would show them.

After all, none of them even considered Uchu. They were scared. They were scared because they could never overcome the hardships life threw at her. They would have succumbed to the first and never gotten back up.

She would never do that, though. If a challenge ever truly bested her, she would be back on her feet and trying again. Because that is what her willpower has gotten her. Her spirits were unbreakable, even if her body was.

As she descended into her thoughts, the sound of someone approaching quickly drew her attention.

The person approaching was tall, that much was easy to say. Their recognizably pure white hair stood out against their tanned skin as they gave an innocent wave.

"Hello! My name is Yakushimaru Samba! I couldn't help but notice you looking all serious, so I just figured I would come check on you!" Samba's voice sounded jovial as he practically chirped the words.

Eyeing him up and down, Kogori nodded to herself for a moment. She...didn't particularly enjoy these sort of interactions being thrusted towards her. "Yukawa Kogori. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine!" Samba quickly responded as he stood a few paces beside her. "Are you getting second thoughts about the exam? Nobody would blame you if you wanted to walk away."

"I would never walk away from something. It won't be a problem for me to get in. Are you perhaps having second thoughts and projecting them onto me?" Kogori asked, a very slight smug tone behind her words.

Chuckling to himself, Samba shook his head vigorously. So much so, that Kogori could have sworn she heard his neck popping three different times. "I wouldn't pass up the chance to become a LAEF Hero for anything in this world!"

"Oh? Well, that's quite the change in tune from how so many others act about it." Kogori was surprised, she couldn't lie. There weren't many that seemed desperate to become a LAEF Hero as he did. Most seemed like they were in-between on it.

Of course, this could also be about the boy wanting to murder that badly. There were, undoubtedly, some bloodthirsty individuals that try to become LAEF Heroes for that very purpose.

Seeing as he was not going to wander off, she continued. "Why do you want to be one so badly? A LAEF Hero? There's so many negatives about it, statistically speaking, almost every person would have at least one problem with it. You, on the other hand, don't."

"My parents always wondered the same thing. Eventually, they just decided it was best to leave me be, and keep their worries to themselves. They always said that it was like...I was made for it." Samba shrugged.

Realization dawning on him, he whipped a pocket notebook from the back of his black pants. As he flipped through the pages, Kogori could see entire white pages packed with words and illustrations that left almost no empty spaces.

"Speaking of being made for it, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?!" His tone somehow grew even more excited, as the boy looked down to meet her eyes. He had moved closer, and it was clear to Kogori that he was almost a complete foot taller than her.

His excitable attitude was infectious, that was undeniable. "If you can keep it short, then I will answer the ones I am comfortable with."

Nodding vigorously again, Kogori winced at the sound of more pops and clicks in his neck.

And with the sound of his glittery pink pen clicking, it began.

"When did your Quirk first manifest? Has it had any additional abilities appear since the time of manifestation? What exactly is the ability of your Quirk? Would you say that it is best in close quarter fights or-"

Waving her hands in front of her, Kogori attempted to stop him. "Hold on, that is too much, too fas-"

"It's rude to interrupt people." Samba said, his words harsh for a moment. Picking back up, Kogori could no longer even understand the words he was saying as he began to mumble to himself at a rapid fire speed that seemed to rival the speed of the number one Hero.

She couldn't tell what information he was getting, but whatever it was, he was practically analyzing her as he was writing into the tiny palm sized book with blinding speed. The sound of his pen scratching across the paper caused her to stand on end.

As she gritted her teeth, Samba came to a quick stop. "On second thought, that was personal information that you don't need to share at all. All information on Quirks and personal experiences and such are gonna come up during our time at Uchu! I can't wait to be your classmate!"

Before Kogori could even respond, the tanned teenager was on his way, finding his next unsuspecting victim with his fearsome pen and paper. Letting out a sigh of relief at his departure, she released the tension from her shoulders.

He was definitely sure of himself. But if it came down to it, she would beat him out in order to get into Uchu if she had to. Eagerness would only get someone so far in this world.

Before she could descend into her thoughts, a pleasant melody sounded from the auditorium, followed by everyone beginning to return to the building. It appeared as though the next step had just begun.


How long...had she been there? No matter how hard she willed herself to stop counting, she continued again. She couldn't look at a clock, so any sense of time had become completely abstract. She had come to learn to count the clicks of the clock. It wasn't down there with her, but she could hear that massive grandfather clock in the room above her.

She knew when it was morning again, and when it was the evening by the increase in cars driving by. How she wished she could break free, even for a moment, to get someone out there to see her.

And she had kept that wish...for five years.

The steel visor over her eyes had caused her face to grow raw. She tried not to move much, it was so tight that it would only grate against skin and flesh and draw blood. She could see the tiniest glimpses of light from underneath and above, but that was only when he was coming down there.

Then there was the cold, lifeless feeling of scales brushing on her neck. The unconscious snakes in place of her hair had not truly experienced any moment of the waking world in...two years.

Why was this her life? What god did she anger that invoked such a treatment as this? No, there was no such thing as divinity. Why did humanity allow such horrid things as this? Five years she had been gone, and no one had come for her. Five years she had been missing from the lives of so many, five years of a disappearance without so much as a phone call past the first few months.

Five years of being used by a worthless excuse for existence for his pleasure.

She...she couldn't take it anymore. She wouldn't be able to handle it anymore. She would rather die. She would sooner bite her own tongue off than to have his pathetic-!

The sound of rushing water down the pipes. He was home. It would only be a matter of time before he would be down there with her.

Beginning to breathe rapidly, she tried to ready herself for what she was about to do.

No more sedation.

No more being thrown against a concrete pillar at the slightest sign of a bump in her abdomen.

No more darkness from these shackles. No, it would be a better darkness.

But...what would that change? That meant...someone else would be captured and put in her place, wouldn't it?

That's right...there was...only one way for this to truly end.

Digging her fingers underneath the steel visor, she felt both of her fingers bore into the flesh of her face as the shackle grew tighter in certain areas.

Muffling her scream to the best of her ability, her fingers began to tear upwards through muscle as she struggled to push the steel off.

Finally letting out a pained groan, she ripped her blinding agent of four years off. Blood began to pour across down her face as she tried her best to hide the hunk of metal behind her back. She had been given free reign of her arms when he wasn't around her, but that was only because he knew she was too weak to break the shackles around her torso.

Then came his sluggish footsteps down the wooden basement stairs. The smell of smoke filled her nose. She knew what he would do. She knew how she would finally be free.

As soon as his glazed eyes caught sight of her naked face, a horrible grimace spread across his face. "I give you some freedom and this is what you decide to do, you bitch?" Closing his eyes, he continued stepping forward, pulling a rag from his pocket as he took the cigarette from his mouth. "Can't give you shit, huh?"

As he moved to place the burning cigarette against her bare chest, she suddenly slammed the ring of metal into his head, forcing him to fall over beside her. Opening his eyes for just a brief moment in an attempt to recollect himself, a glare erupted from her serpentine pupils, freezing him in his place as she delivered another rage-filled blow to his temple, this time knocking him unconscious.

Pulling him closer, she rummaged through his pockets. He always kept that key on him. It's how he taunted her for years.

Ripping it from his back pocket, she undid the shackles on her torso as quick as her sluggish frame would allow. His cigarette still lay on the ground, burning ever so slowly. Just like the ones that he had used for so long on her as his ashtray.

Eyes stalking along the tables of the basement, her eyes came to rest on one specific item. A teal, poorly made ashtray. She had never been one for symbolism, but she couldn't resist.

Picking it up, she was satisfied by how surprisingly heavy it was. Slowly turning to the bastard who had begun to come to, she held the ashtray high above her head. As she brought it down, she felt every ounce of hate, every ounce of rage, every second he used her, every tear she shed backing her arms.

Perhaps that is why…

The initial crack of his skull was so satisfying.

There was no moment of pause. His body immediately slumped to the ground, a strip of his face now slightly caved inwards, his eyes ruptured. But it wasn't enough. One fucking hit wasn't what this pathetic piece of shit deserved!

Again! Again she would bring it down! Every shard of bone that hit her hands, every piece of gray matter that splattered on her face! It wasn't enough! None of it would be enough!

Turning the ashtray onto its flat side, she continued bashing even more, now sinking the entirety of his face inward, beating it into a fine paste on the cold cement that she had come to define as her bed. She heaved with every hit, sobs erupting in anger and elation.

And by the time she was barely satisfied? It was impossible to tell there had even been a head in the first place. Everything above the shoulders...was now reminiscent of a paint spill on the basement floor.

She...and potentially so many other girls...were free. That useless waste of space was finally wiped from existence.

Tears of hatred still streaking her face, she slowly made her way up the stairs, and to the front door. She expected to find herself in a place she had never even seen before.

But being able to see again, being able to move again...that was something that made her want to scream for joy, but her vocal chords had grown so hoarse. She hadn't used them in so long, speaking seemed like it would take years to come to her naturally again.

As she threw open the front door of the house…

She was met with the same street she used to live on.

In fact, she saw her apartment building in the distance.

For five years, she was a disgusting thing's playtoy...on her own street.

And no one had come looking for her.

They all forgot her.

ED1- Shiawase No Shanana by Bradio


So, I took even longer to get this chapter out! What can I say? Well, in my defence~ There's the entire thing with Covid, my depression, finishing up the semester, and just my general fatigue. But, I'm not giving up. I'm just trying to power through some really tough things in my life!

Also, these beginning chapters will take longer to get through mainly because they are my primary introduction to the flow of writing each character!

Now! You may begin the stoning for my crimes of taking so long!