A/N: Hey, I know it's been an incredibly long time, but I just felt like writing this chapter and wrote it after playing some of the witcher 3. So Don't have too high expectations of me, I still am a college student.
It was a quiet day; the birds chirped, a soft breeze filled the air, rustled the trees, making their leaves fall off in moderation, and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. It was a nice day to reflect on life and pay respects to those who had passed.
That's exactly what Izuku was doing—he stood quietly in a cemetery right in front of a memorial stone. The wind softly blew his long, curly white hair, revealing the dark green roots of the hair. With his green and orange cat-like eyes, Izuku looked down stoically as he remembered the short yet eventual time he spent with this person. Feeling a weight in his hands, Izuku was reminded of why he was there.
Bending down, he placed a bouquet of flowers down on the offering tray of the tombstone, and he formed a soft grin. Today was a day of remembrance; there was no need to be stoic and cold. Having made up his mind about his behavior, Izuku sat next to the tombstone and felt a peaceful sensation overtake him as he enjoyed the bright day.
"Today is a great day, right? Happy birthday, Yuyu. How old are you now? 13? 14? It doesn't matter since Koga will probably run over my toes with her wheelchair before she tells me your age. Then we'll all laugh about it and sing you happy birthday." Izuku chuckled to himself as he talked to the grave, reminiscing about times long past, then he heard the cemetery gate open.
"Speaking of Koga." Izuku looked over at the cemetery entrance and saw a young lady with long, wavy black hair rolling up the hill. She looked up and caught sight of Izuku; once they saw each other, they smiled, and she wheeled up faster. "You're late; I thought we agreed to skip school at lunch and come see our friend."
Koga wheeled over to Izuku and playfully slapped his shoulder, saying, "You try sneaking out of school in a wheelchair; besides, I wanted to stop by my house and bring you this." Koga pulled out a wrapped, triple-layered box and showed it to Izuku.
"You wanted a picnic?" Koga frowned and dumped the boxes in Izuku's lap.
"Sorry for wanting to eat with my friend!" She pouted, and Izuku softly grinned at her since this was just like her.
"Hey, come on, I like your cooking; I just hope you made enough; despite being blind, Razon's got a huge stomach."
"Why do you think I made three boxes? One is for him; I swear he's getting fatter every day." Izuku tilted his head since he was inclined to agree.
"He can indeed clear out a buffet, but we all could; all of our metabolisms are increased, so cut him some slack." Koga rolled her eyes and rolled over to Izuku's side, where she got out of the wheelchair and crawled up to Izuku so she could lie down beside him.
"It's a nice day today; maybe we should... do something," Koga said with a slight blush of embarrassment that Izuku didn't notice.
"Maybe, I don't feel like going back to school after this anyway, we can stop by Tobei's family diner?"
"We go there all the time though, not that I'm complaining since the food is good. But why don't we go shopping or to an arcade?" Izuku stared ahead, not looking at anything, as he contemplated Koga's proposal.
"Sure," Koga grinned, but that grin faded as Izuku continued to speak. "Let's just tell Razon so he knows." Koga sighed and pouted since she thought she finally had a chance to be alone with Izuku. Then Koga stopped pouting when she heard footsteps coming up the hill.
Izuku heard them too, and he looked over and softly grinned as he saw the brown hair that belonged to Razon. Razon grinned brightly as he walked up the hill with his black aviator sunglasses and a box full of food. From an outside perspective, no one would be able to tell that Razon was blind since he could get around normally.
"Don't tell me I was interrupting something." Razon said with a grin that made Koga slightly blush and Izuku shake his head.
"You weren't, we were just talking about what to do after this, the idea of an arcade came to mind, do you want to come?" Razon had an annoyed look on his face, but then an idea popped into his head.
"Nah, I can't go; I don't have the money," Razon said with a nudge to Koga, which made her light up.
"It's fine, I have plenty of money so I can cover you," Izuku said, unaware of the situation, making Razon look down in frustration. Razon pulled up some grassroots mixed-in dirt and threw it at Izuku.
Izuku tried to block but got covered in dirt shrapnel. An annoyed look grew on Izuku's face as he stared at his friend. "What was that for?"
"Go clean yourself up." Izuku stared at Razon's sunglasses and set Koga's boxes of food down before he got up and brushed himself off. Izuku passed Razon with an irritated aura as Razon walked by him to sit next to Koga.
"You know for someone so sharp, he sure is dull. I take it he didn't get the underlying message?" Koga deeply sighed and sat up with some frustration.
"No, he didn't get the hint... Does he not like me? Is that why he never picks up on my advances? Maybe he doesn't want a girl in a wheelchair?" Koga started to doubt her abilities since she couldn't get Izuku to look her way, but Razon gave her a look that said she shouldn't doubt herself.
"Well, as a fellow member of the male sex, I can tell you this: we are some of the densest creatures on the planet," Razon said with a grin while being reminded of Izuku's lack of perception. "Plus, I don't think he would mind the wheelchair if you guys started dating; he hasn't abandoned us yet, so I don't think he will in the future."
"You're probably right; Izuku is a guy who tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. That's one of the reasons I like him." Koga smiled as she said that, and a small blush appeared on her face.
"Then stop worrying about asking him out; you'll get your chance soon enough." Razon patted her shoulder to comfort her and to give her confidence.
As Koga's spirits were lifted, a small breeze blew past them and made her hair wave in the wind. Koga looked up and admired the beautiful blue day as she appreciated the life she was given, then she heard Izuku coming back up the hill.
Looking over at the sound's origin, Koga saw Izuku's white hair blow in the wind, revealing the green roots of his hair. Koga loved the way Izuku's green and orange heterochromatic cat eyes shone in the light. It made her heart beat fast, and Razon smiled while shaking his head; even though he couldn't see, he could partially hear her heartbeat get faster at the sound and sight of Izuku.
"Now that Izuku is back, let's eat some lunch!" "I'm starving, and it's Yuyu's birthday, so let's relax!"
"Good idea; I was starting to feel hungry myself." Izuku agreed as he finished walking over to them.
They all began setting up a blanket in the grass next to Yuyu's memorial stone. Izuku grabbed Koga's wheelchair and parked it next to her. Once they were all set up next to the stone, they sat down and began digging into the food Koga and Razon had brought.
"Koga, this food is delicious; thank you for making it," Izuku said with a small smile as he took a bite, unknowingly making Koga's heart flutter since he usually doesn't show this much emotion. Razon just giggled at the situation as he ate his own food, still surprised by how much emotion Izuku was showing. But this gave him an idea of how to tease his friend.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask, Izuku, do you still plan on being a monster hunter?" Razon asked while trying to suppress a few giggles since the idea was so stupid. Izuku just sighed at him, since he knew he was going to be mocked for it.
"... Yes, Razon, I still plan on doing that. Sure, when you think of the word monster, you think of some big, scary creature. But there's more than one kind of monster." Izuku had a sharp seriousness as he said that, and it snapped Razon out of his mockery. Instinctually, he brought his hand up to the number 2 brand on his neck as he understood what Izuku meant.
"I guess you're right." The mood shifted to a sorrowful one as they were all reminded of the trauma and pain they had to experience as they were experimented on and mutated.
"Guys, let's stop thinking about this; that's all behind us now. The doctor is dead, so we never have to worry about it again." The boys nodded as Koga tried to cheer them up. She pouted and tried again.
"So Izuku "How's school been? It's early in your first middle school year like us, right?" Koga asked, trying to lighten the mood, and Izuku got a tired expression on his face.
"Schools have been fine; Bakugo is still Bakugo, though; even in middle school, he's still the same, always yelling and cursing while challenging me. But what do you expect out of a guy like that?" Izuku took a bite of more food as he mulled over his interactions with Bakugo.
"Isn't he the guy that wants to go to UA?" Razon asked.
"He says he's going to be the only one from our school to go. He may have an atrocious personality, but he certainly has the skill and talent to be a hero." Izuku hated to admit it, but Bakugo was a formidable fighter, matching him in a fight depending on how it went.
"I'm sure you can beat him," Razon said as he took a bite out of whatever it was he was eating.
"What makes you say that, Razon?" Koga asked since she was curious.
"Well, for starters, Izuku is physically superior to him; sure, he has a quirk, but Izuku has the upper hand in a fight due to his hand-to-hand skill. I hear you practicing sometimes, and from the sound of it, you're pretty good."
"Wait really!? Izuku, you've been training and practicing your hand-to-hand combat." Koga asked, a little surprised since she was unaware of Izuku's training.
"Did you not know I was training Koga? Even Razon knew, but that's probably because he comes over a lot." Izuku asked, a bit shocked since he assumed Koga gossiped with his mom when she came over. As Koga sat there surprised, Razon began snickering. "What's so funny, Razon?"
"I wouldn't call what you do 'training,' Izuku," Razon said while suppressing more giggles; Izuku just shook his head while Koga was curious.
"What does he mean by that, Izuku?" Koga asked curiously about Izuku's training; Razon answered her question before Izuku could.
"His training consists of getting lost in the woods with nothing but the clothes on his back, a knife, and a blanket, and training while camping under a tree." Razon began laughing at Izuku's training regimen. Izuku tossed some food at him to make him stop, but Razon just caught it and ate it with a playful grin.
"I don't just get lost in the woods... Okay, I kind of do... I camp in the woods, living off the land, hunting, and making shelter. But I also train my hand-to-hand, strength, speed, reflexes, and everything." Izuku tried not to sound like a homeless person, but all it did was make Razon shake his head as he ate, and Koga look at him with a questioning look before responding to Izuku.
"Izuku… That just sounds like being homeless." Razon began laughing at Koga's accusation, and Izuku just shook his head with a sigh before responding.
"But it's paid off, my herbalist knowledge is pretty good, and I know how to survive, hunt, and trap. I've also gotten stronger and faster, and my senses are more precise; my 'training' wasn't for nothing." That last statement left Razon and Koga confused, and Koga asked Izuku about it.
"How can you be stronger and faster? I thought we couldn't improve our physical abilities due to the mutations we underwent." Izuku shook his head to deny it.
"Although the mutations are permanent and they heavily affected our body's chemistry, they made us stronger, faster, and more resilient. Our bodies are still made of physical flesh and blood, so if we break down our bodies, they can recover and improve our abilities. Just like any person with a mutant quirk, There is a catch though; we have no idea what we're fully capable of, and we might never know, but if I can get stronger then there's a good chance you guys can as well."
"And your training has let you become stronger? Is that right?" Razon asked with some disbelief since this was too good to be true.
"That's what I'm saying, but don't get it twisted; you can't just go into a gym and start lifting weights to get stronger. I only got stronger because I don't bring anything but a knife and a blanket with me when I go to the forest. So I've started adapting to the somewhat harsh conditions out in nature."
"But is it possible for us to get stronger?" Koga asked as she rubbed her paralyzed legs.
"Yes, but I don't know the exact limit of our power," Izuku stated as he took a bite out of some more food. The air went silent as everyone thought about the new information Izuku just mentioned.
"Well, I don't need to get stronger; I'm doing fine as I am." Razon confidently said as he stuffed his mouth. Koga nodded alongside him, and since she didn't have any complaints about her life either, she turned to Izuku with a smile.
"At least you can get stronger to fulfill your dream, Izuku."
"Oh yeah, what's the progress on that? I know you still want to be a monster hunter, but I'm curious to see what you've accomplished so far." Razon said as he shoved more food into his mouth.
"I already told you guys about my training; my skills and abilities are all good, but I feel like I could be doing more. I just don't know what else I can try." Izuku scratched his head and ate some food as he thought about it.
"Maybe try a weapon of some sort," Razon suggested between bites.
"Okay, but what weapon would that be? Something too long won't work well since it has limited uses in close-quarters melee fighting. I don't want something too short, and I need a weapon that is good for nearly all ranges."
"Why not try a sword?" Koga suggested as she grabbed some more food. Izuku thought about it, and it wasn't a bad choice, but where would he get a sword?
"That's not the worst choice, but there are a lot of swords out there; how do I choose one, and where do I even get one? Plus, I have no idea where to start training with a sword."
"If you're going to be that negative about it, then don't get one," Razon said as he shoveled more food into his gaping mouth.
"I'll look into it; thanks for the suggestions, guys." Razon nodded at Izuku with his mouth full of food, and Koga smiled at Izuku.
"It was our pleasure; now let's enjoy the rest of the day for Yuyu's sake."
"I suppose that's a valid point." Izuku grinned and began to dig into the food with more enthusiasm.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with joyous laughter as Razon made jokes while also giving Koga plenty of chances to talk with Izuku. As they ate, they all forgot the past and simply enjoyed the company of close friends.
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After they ate, the sun was just above the horizon, and seeing that evening was coming upon them, they said their goodbyes to Yuyu's memorial stone. Then they headed off to the arcade, where other first-year middle school students were gathering after school was let out.
Izuku pushed Koga in her wheelchair, with Razon walking right next to them while commenting.
"Damn, there's a lot of people here."
"What makes you say that?" Izuku asked as he continued to push Koga.
"I can hear all the people inside; I know you two can as well."
"Will it be a problem for you, Razon?" Izuku asked, wanting to make sure his friend could deal with the noise.
"No, it won't be; I can deal with it; let's just go and have some fun!"
The mutated trio walked into the arcade; unknown to them, there was a certain ash-blonde boy who watched them enter with a scowl. Bakugo ordered his goons to follow him to the arcade so he could beat them and a certain someone.
Izuku, Koga, and Razon were walking through the isles trying to find a game they wanted to play. As they walked, Razon caught the sound of an air-hockey table, and he grew a grin. "Hey guys, why don't we try air hockey?"
Razon pointed his finger at the various tables set up, and Izuku liked the idea; then Koga spoke up. "Sure, Razon, that sounds like it could be fun."
The trio walked over and paid for a game. Razon grabbed his mallet and walked over to his side. Then Koga wheeled over to Razon's side, and Razon wondered why she was over here with him. He figured Koga would have wanted to play on Izuku's side. Izuku also commented on the team's formation.
"This is unfair; Razon's played this before; shouldn't Koga play with me to make it at least somewhat fair?" Koga chuckled and responded to Izuku.
"I think two disabled people versus one able-bodied person sounds fair."
"When you put it like that, it makes me sound like the bad guy, but whatever, let's play you two. The first side to score three points wins." Izuku grabbed his mallet and got ready to play the game. Koga and Razon both anticipated playing; they were aware that Izuku was probably stronger than them, but they just hoped they had enough of an edge to win.
Izuku grabbed the puck and lined up a straight shot, which he slammed forward. Razon heard the loud slam and used his mutated reflexes to block the shot. The puck went sideways and slammed into the wall, where Koga quickly shot her arm forward. Nailing the puck head-on, Koga sent the puck rocketing across the table, right at Izuku.
With a swift movement, Izuku blocked the puck and sent it straight at the wall to ricochet into the goal. But Koga caught the puck and sent it back for Izuku to block. The puck came back, and Razon deftly killed all the momentum in the puck so he could line up a shot.
Razon slammed his arm forward and, like a bullet, the puck slammed into Izuku's goal after he tried to block. Izuku stared into Razon's sunglasses and smirked. "Looks like this will be more of a challenge than I thought."
A smile broke out on Razon's face as he met Izuku's banter with his own. "You fool, you haven't even begun to see what I'm capable of." Both friends made faces at each other and said they weren't going down that easily.
But their egos were crushed when Koga spoke up: "That was cringe; do me a favor, guys, and never do that again." Both boys lost their momentum and decided to just play a normal game of air hockey.
Razon made the next move and slammed the puck down the middle. Izuku threw his arm out and intercepted the puck, sending it crashing into the wall where Koga blocked. Koga blocked the puck and passed it to Razon, who was preparing for a large and powerful swing.
A loud slam echoed through the arcade as Razon smashed his mallet into the puck. The puck zips across the table and appears to go into Izuku's goal. But Izuku was already there and prepared for the strike.
Without noticing, Razon and Koga heard the point sound go off, and when they looked at the score, they saw that Izuku got the point. Looking back at Izuku, the duo saw Izuku looking at them with a smirk.
"If you guys couldn't see that coming, then you're out of practice." Razon got frustrated with Izuku and raised his voice.
"We have the same mutations. I'll show you we're not that different." Razon picked up the puck and slammed it onto the table. Then he swung his arm forward with as much speed as he could muster, fully expecting that Izuku wouldn't see this coming.
An even louder slam echoed throughout the arcade, and the puck shot off toward Izuku's goal. But Izuku defied the odds once again; he managed to block the puck, but it shot back at the duo.
Koga used the opportunity to shoot the puck sideways to get Izuku on one side of the table. Izuku followed the puck's trajectory and slammed it back at Koga, who shot it at the same corner again.
Razon caught on and prepared to use the other corner to score a point off of Izuku. 'If we can't beat him with ability, then we'll beat him with strategy!' Koga sensed Razon's preparation and got ready to pass to him. The puck came speeding back toward Koga, and she finally made her move.
With a swift motion, she passed to Razon, who was already swinging his arm out. The puck slammed into Razon's mallet; it quickly changed directions and shot at the other corner on Izuku's side.
Izuku knew he wouldn't reach the other side in time to block. But his body was already moving, which let his mind come up with a plan.
In one swift and unexpected motion, Izuku quickly slid his mallet across the table and successfully knocked the puck off course. The puck hit the edge of the goal and was knocked back into the wall. Izuku dashed to the other side of the table and got his mallet, then he slammed the puck into the opposite wall to make a zigzag.
The puck slid across the table fast enough to make Koga miss her block, thus letting the puck enter the duo's goal. The game was now in Izuku's favor, except no one cared; Razon and Koga were too shocked by Izuku's pinpoint mallet slide.
"Dude, that was so fucking cool!" Razon exclaimed; he may not have seen it, but he heard the sounds Izuku made and the sounds the mallet made when it hit the puck.
"That was impressive, Izuku; how did you know that would work?" Koga asked with some surprise.
"I just did what I thought would work; it was a risky throw, so I guess I just got lucky. If I missed my toss, then you guys would be the ones with the advantage."
"That was more than luck, and you know that." Razon complimented him as he pulled the puck out and set it on the table for match point.
"Then prove me wrong." Izuku gripped his mallet and got ready to finish the game. Razon responded to Izuku's taunt by blasting the puck away. The puck shot straight for the corner, and Izuku intercepted the puck, launching it back at the duo.
Koga quickly blocked the puck and hit it with all the strength she could muster. The puck shot across the table, bouncing off of both walls, making it hard for any normal person to track its movements.
But Izuku wasn't a normal person. Izuku easily tracked the movements of the puck and threw his arm out to hit the puck back at the duo. With a swift hit, the puck slid across the table with great speed and a straight shot at the goal.
Razon heard the puck and tried to block it, but Izuku hit the puck too fast. By the time Razon's mallet got into place, the puck was already past him. Koga tried her best to protect the goal, but Izuku's hit made the puck slam straight into the goal, giving him the win.
A buzzer sounded, and Izuku won the game. He had a slight smirk on his face as he looked at his friends, who were frustrated they lost. But they were surprised to see Izuku's improved abilities.
"You weren't joking when you said you were training Izuku," Koga said as he put her mallet down and wheeled over to Izuku. Razon put his mallet away, walked over to them, and swung his arm around Izuku.
"That was an impressive show of skill, Izuku. I guess I got some catching up to do." Izuku just shook his head and grabbed onto Koga's wheelchair handles.
"Is there anything else you guys want to try?" Izuku asked as he pushed Koga.
"We're at an arcade; there are plenty of things for us to do here," Koga said with some excitement as she saw all the games. As the trio walked, Koga saw a photo booth and wanted some pictures with her friends.
Izuku and Koga entered the booth, but Razon stopped before he entered. He wanted to let them get some pictures together, but he also heard something through all the noise in the arcade.
"Razon, aren't you going to join us?" Izuku asked as he turned to his friend. But Razon looked at Izuku with his sunglasses and smiled at him.
"Nah, you and Koga take some pictures; I want to try something first. After you guys are done, I'll meet you over at the coin-pusher machines." Izuku stared at Razon and just accepted that he wanted to do something else. Then he watched Razon go over to the gambling corner, and he deflated over the fact that Razon would rather gamble than take pictures with his friends.
"Okay, we'll meet you over there; try not to lose all your money to those machines." Razon waved at the two and walked off as Izuku closed the curtains.
Razon heard the curtains shut, and then he stopped and walked over to a wall to lean against it. As he leaned, he focused his hearing to listen to his surroundings. Razon tried his best to listen through the other sounds, but with his hearing so well-developed, it made it hard to listen for specific sounds through all the other noise.
Fortunately, the sounds he wanted to listen to were loud. Off in the distance, Razon heard a loud "Fuck!" and he instantly recognized it as the sound of a voice that he had heard earlier and that was following the trio.
Walking over in that direction, Razon heard three boys. Listening to the sounds of their steps, Razon deduced that one of the boys was heavy-set and another was lanky. But Razon also heard micro-explosions as one boy raged at the fact he had lost money to a gambling game.
Once he heard the explosions, Razon knew who the boy was. Now that Bakugo was here, Razon wanted to stay clear of the explosive teen. But he also wanted to gamble. Without paying any attention to the teen, Razon walked over to the machines on the other side of Bakugo and pulled out some coins to use.
Putting some coins in, Razon began playing, and his first turn ended up in a loss. Sighing, Razon pulled out another coin to use, but before he put it in, he felt a hand grab his arm. With a surprised expression, he pulled his arm away and jumped back, annoyed that his guard wasn't up. Listening closely while sniffing the air, Razon recognized the steps and smell as Bakugo. With confused thoughts, Razon tried to figure out how Bakugo managed to sneak up on him, so he figured that with the smoke from his explosions all over the air, it masked his scent and the loud noises silenced his footsteps.
Bakugo stared at Razon with a curious expression but ignored it anyway. "Hey, dude, just wanted to tell you that these machines are rigged; I've never seen anyone win anything so your coin is better used elsewhere."
Razon stared at Bakugo curiously, but figured he was telling the truth. 'What reason does Bakugo have to lie?' "Thanks for the heads up; I'll consider it." Razon turned away from the teen, but Bakugo stopped him.
"Hang on, do I know you? I feel like I've seen you before."
"I've never seen you, so I doubt that you know me." Razon tried to walk away, but Bakugo got in his way with a grin growing on his face.
"Yeah, I do know you. You're the guy who always wears sunglasses when hanging around Deku. If you're here, then where is the dipshit?" Bakugo said as he walked closer to Razon to intimidate him. Razon was about to try and rush past Bakugo, but someone made an appearance.
"Bakugo, what are you doing to my friend?" Everyone looked over to see Izuku walking over while pushing Koga in her wheelchair. Bakugo glared at Izuku and wanted nothing more than to fight him.
"Well, it looks like I won't have to search anymore. Come on, Deku, you and me, one on one. It's time we figured out which one of us is stronger!" Bakugo got closer to Izuku while growing a scary smile, but Izuku wasn't affected by his brashness.
"Bakugo, we've done this multiple times now; can't you give it a rest?"
"NO! We're tied, five wins each! This time I will beat you and claim to be the stronger one!" Izuku sighed at Bakugo's desire to fight; ever since their first fight as kids, Bakugo has been obsessed with proving himself stronger.
"Bakugo, is there a need to do this? You've beaten me five times, and I've won five times. I'd say we're pretty even when it comes to strength."
"SHUT UP! Every time I've won, you were holding back! I want a true fight! I'm stronger now, so I can beat you!" Bakugo's declaration shocked everyone, but Izuku remained unfazed.
Izuku let go of Koga's wheelchair and walked over to Bakugo with a stoic expression. "Are you sure you want this fight? We're middle school first years; why not push this fight back?"
"Because that just won't work. I need to prove myself right now!" Bakugo yelled out and pointed his finger at Izuku.
"Fine, got a place where you want to fight?" Izuku finally relented, and Bakugo smiled as Izuku accepted his challenge.
"There's a trash-covered beach close by we can use; no one will know we're there." Bakugo smiled harshly and began walking, prompting Izuku to follow. But before Izuku completely left, he turned to his friends.
"You guys go home; I don't know how long this will take." Razon walked over to Koga and gripped her wheelchair handlebars.
"No way, man, you're about to go fight; I want to watch." Razon began walking, and Koga smiled at Izuku.
"I want to be there to support you, Izuku. Will you let us come?" Koga asked as they began following Bakugo. Izuku waited for them and then walked alongside them as they followed Bakugo.
"I can't think of any reason to stop you guys from coming; just make sure you wear ear protection when Bakugo and I fight. It will get loud."
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After a short walk, the group arrived at Dagobah Beach. Izuku saw mounds of trash just waiting to be picked up. There was barely any visible sand; it made no sense to call this dump a beach.
Izuku continued to follow Bakugo, and they arrived at a somewhat clear area of the beach. The trash still covered every surface, but there was enough room to move around. Bakugo walked over to one side, and Izuku walked over to the other side.
Razon and Koga stayed on Izuku's side, but closer to the edge of the area where there was some trash to protect them. Bakugo's goons went to his side and sat down, waiting for the fight to start.
Bakugo began stretching his arms and legs as he pulled off his shirt to reveal a tank top. Izuku sighed as he took off his shoes and jacket. With their unnecessary clothes removed, the two teens stared at one another. Angry eyes and a growling frown made their way onto Bakugo's face. Izuku's orange and green cat eyes were cold and focused as he stared down Bakugo.
"Remember, you wanted this fight," Izuku warned Bakugo as he got into a fighting position, with one hand extended forward and another formed into a fist right at his chest. Bakugo huffed as he pulled his hands back, ready to launch at Izuku.
The tension was in the air, and it made Koga halt her breathing in anticipation. Razon stopped moving and focused his ears so he could hear the fight, and from the sounds Izuku made, he seemed calm and collected.
On instinct alone, Bakugo blew up the ground and launched himself at Izuku. Izuku rolled to the side after seeing the attack. As Izuku rolled, Bakugo redirected himself and launched himself up into an arc. Hearing the second explosion, Izuku looked up while kneeling just to see Bakugo's shoe coming for his face.
Barely having enough time, Izuku moved his head out of the way, but his cheek still got hit as he pulled away. Flying by Izuku, Bakugo landed and slid to a stop as he looked at Izuku with angrily focused eyes.
Izuku stood up, narrowed his gaze at Bakugo, and grinned. "You've gotten faster, and you started incorporating your legs into your attacks. Interesting." Bakugo grinned in response as he watched the love tap he gave Izuku begin healing slowly.
"Nah, you've just gotten slower, Deku!" Bakugo got up for another attack, making his grin wider.
"At least let me attack first, then judge me." After finishing his words, Izuku ran straight for Bakugo. Bakugo raised his hands and prepared to launch an explosion, but Izuku was instantly right in front of him with his fist coming straight for Bakugo's face.
Having no choice, Bakugo blasted himself into the air to dodge Izuku's punch. Izuku looked up and saw Bakugo gunning for him with a kick. Swiftly moving to the side, Izuku dodged Bakugo's kick and spun around with his own spin kick.
Once Bakugo landed, he was swatted away by Izuku's leg. Slamming into the garbage, Bakugo tried to get up, but Izuku was already there with his fist pulled back.
Bakugo quickly raised his arms and let off a large explosion, launching Izuku back. Bakugo got up and saw that Izuku was trying to deal with the loud sound of the explosion, so he took advantage of Izuku's loss of hearing.
Launching himself over to Izuku, Bakugo body-slammed Izuku and sent him skidding across the floor. Trying to reorient himself, Izuku stood up only to be kneed in the face by Bakugo, who then followed up the knee with another explosion to keep Izuku's mind in a haze.
Bakugo continued his onslaught of attacks by constantly throwing out explosions to keep Izuku discombobulated. Rushing in once more, Bakugo prepared to throw out his biggest explosion yet to finish off Izuku. Reaching out with an open hand, Bakugo prepared to ignite his sweat to finish this fight.
But, through the smoke, came the hand of Izuku. Izuku tightly gripped Bakugo's forearm and redirected his palm upward. A massive explosion launched upward, creating a shockwave that shook the ground. With a shocked look, Bakugo looked over at Izuku to see his ears bleeding, but his green and orange eyes were staring right at him.
"Found you." Izuku gripped down tightly on Bakugo's forearm, making Bakugo wince at the pressure. Out of nowhere, Izuku thrust his palm into Bakugo's stomach, making Bakugo briefly hop into the air. With no air in Bakugo's lungs, he tried to breathe, but Izuku brought his palm out and threw it back into Bakugo's gut, making him jump again.
With blinding speed, Izuku repeatedly pulled his arm back and shoved it into Bakugo's stomach, forcing him to gasp for air. Once Izuku finished drilling Bakugo with his palm strikes, he let go of Bakugo's arm and swiftly spun around with a kick aimed at Bakugo's gut. With great force, Izuku kicked Bakugo across the floor, making him tumble until he stopped.
After the kick, Izuku grabbed his head and wiped the blood from his ears as he watched Bakugo take in a massive gulp of air. After taking a few breaths, Bakugo stood up, but he hunched over in pain while gripping his stomach. 'Damn it! He isn't holding back this time; just after those hits, I'm already at my limit; I have one shot left. I need to hit him with all my speed and hope that I'm too fast for his reflexes. Alright, here we go!'
Quickly falling to his knees, Bakugo pointed his palms behind him and launched himself like a rocket with his foot aimed at Izuku. Izuku immediately predicted the last-ditch tactic and saw it coming. Izuku quickly moved to the side with his arm fully extended and flexed. By the time the attack was noticed by Bakugo, it was too late; he was moving too fast to redirect himself.
Bakugo flew straight into Izuku's rock-solid armbar, killing all his momentum and making him flip in the air and land on his face. As Bakugo fell, he landed on his back and saw Izuku walk over to him and kneel to look at him. Izuku patted Bakugo's shoulder and smirked slightly.
"You almost had me, but once I got my hands on you, it was all over. Maybe next time you'll get me." Bakugo wanted to curse at Izuku, but his chest hurt too much to even help him form words. Instead, Bakugo just turned his head and closed his eyes, trying his best to ignore Izuku.
Feeling confident that the fight was over, Izuku walked over to Razon and Koga, who were cupping their ears. Seeing the blood drip from Izuku's ears, Koga handed Izuku a rag, which he gratefully accepted. Izuku wiped his face and ears, trying to remove all the blood and dirt. Then he tossed the rag into a trash pile.
No words were exchanged between the three friends; they wanted their ears to re-adjust after the loud battle. Izuku simply put his clothes back on and began pushing Koga's wheelchair. The trio began walking out of the dump, but Izuku stopped and briefly stared at Bakugo before moving on and leaving the trash-filled beach.
The friendly trio walked through the streets and saw that the sun was going to set soon. Eventually, their ears stopped ringing, and they could hear much better without the pain. Razon took this as his chance to speak.
"Man, why is Bakugo such an ass? I get that he's skilled, but he doesn't need to be a dick." Koga seconded that statement, and Izuku just sighed.
"He's not so bad; yeah, he's bloodthirsty and rude, but you can't deny that he has the skills necessary to be a hero." Koga shook her head at Izuku; the last thing she wanted was for Izuku to dismiss Bakugo's terrible behavior.
"I don't doubt that Bakugo has skill, but should you tolerate that kind of behavior from him, Izuku? He keeps challenging you, and he won't stop until he's had enough." Izuku looked at Koga and knew she was right, but he wasn't going to give up on Bakugo just yet.
"You're right that he has issues. It would be wonderful if he stopped challenging me and started acting like a good guy. But I know that won't happen after he gets what he wants. You can't just force a man to change; you have to carefully guide him down the right path. And I want to help Bakugo, so I'm doing my best to guide him down the right path without having to directly tell him to change. This will take time, so just bear with it."
Razon and Koga sighed at Izuku's statement, despite Izuku's somewhat cold and stoic exterior. He was still someone who cared deeply about others, and Izuku's stubbornness was also something that Koga admired because it let him never give up.
"That's just like you, Izuku. Always wanting to help those around you. No wonder you want to be a monster hunter." Koga said that as she smiled, Izuku caught the smile and wondered why she said that.
"A monster hunter protects everyone without them knowing. There is no glory or praise to be had if you're a monster hunter, and that's why I want to be one. That is the truest form of being a hero." Izuku had a stoic face on as he said that, and his declaration made Koga and Razon respect him a bit more.
"Yep, you're still the same guy that saved us when we were locked away. Never change Izuku." Razon said with a smile as he walked right next to his best friend and slapped him on the shoulder.
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The trio walked to a train station, where Koga and Razon had to get on trains to go home. Razon began pushing Koga in her wheelchair, and Izuku waved them goodbye as they got on their train.
Izuku watched the train leave with his two friends; it left him feeling lonely. Koga and Razon were two of the closest people he's ever known. Of course, there was also Tobei, but he never came out as often as Koga and Razon; usually, they would all stay at Tobei's place and hang out.
But lately, Izuku hasn't been seeing his friends that much. It makes sense considering they all live in different areas, so it's hard to always meet up. This feeling of loneliness was compounded by the fact that Izuku isolates himself in the mountains so often to train. Of course, on days like today, they all tried to meet up, but it was getting harder and harder, plus Izuku sensed some sorrow in their moods today, and he had a feeling he knew why.
"I guess we all feel like we don't belong here or anywhere. After all, we weren't born with quirks, and even people with abilities are still treated differently because of their physical disabilities. They have more of a right to feel lonely than I do. So I should stop my self-loathing and be there for them. I could sense their distress at being disabled in this superpowered society. I wish I could help them in a more meaningful way, but all I can do is keep supporting them."
With a final sigh, Izuku shoved his hands into his pockets and turned around to leave the train station. His mind was full of thoughts about his friends; he wanted to help them, but he had to be discreet about it. If the others found out Izuku worried for them all the time, they would immediately put a stop to it and tell him to only worry about himself.
"How can I only worry about myself when you guys are all my best friends? It's the right choice to help you all in any way I can." Izuku passed multiple shops and people as he walked home. Thoughts about how he could help his friends were on his mind, and Izuku believed he had come up with an answer.
"Maybe they all feel like they can't do anything right; Koga is stuck in a wheelchair, so she must feel like she takes up space; Razon can't do much if he can't hear; and Tobei is always stuck in one place paralyzed. What I need to do is make it so they feel like they're important, but I can't just push them into it, or else it will have the opposite effect. I find something that only they can do, and it should bring some light back into their lives."
Feeling satisfied with his conclusion, Izuku held his head high and let his white hair bask in the remaining evening sunlight as he felt his slitted pupils spread further to adjust to the coming darkness. Continuing to walk, Izuku found his thoughts moving away from his friends and toward his training, more specifically his weapons training.
'If I continue to train by doing what I usually do, then I will improve my physical abilities and hand-to-hand combat skill. But I know that won't be enough in the future; I need to expand my skills, and the others were right about a sword being the best fit for me. I just don't know which one to use or how to train... I'll see what happens when I go back up to the woods to train more; maybe then I'll get some inspiration.'
Satisfied with his plan, Izuku picked up his pace to get home before Inko threw a fit about him staying out late again. Even though she knew he liked to sneak out and go live in the forest for the entire weekend,
"The last thing I need is mom installing cameras to see when I leave. Don't worry, mom, I'm coming home." Feeling like his life was on the line. Izuku pulled his arms out and shot into a full sprint. With his enhanced body, he could keep this up for a while.
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Mere moments later, Izuku was walking up the stairs to get to his apartment. But by using his enhanced hearing, Izuku heard frantic steps coming from his apartment, and he sighed, knowing what was on the other side of the door.
Izuku walked up to the door, mentally preparing himself, and opened it. Once there was a crack in the door, it swung open with full force, and Inko immediately grabbed Izuku and bear-hugged him.
"IZUKU! My baby! Where have you been!? Do you know what time it is!? I was so worried!" Izuku tried his best to get away from Iko, but he didn't want to hurt her with his enhanced strength.
"Yes, I know what time it is, mom. I was just with Koga and Razon; I'm fine, so can you please let go of me?" Izuku finally managed to push Inko off, but like a spider, she stuck his arm and refused to let go.
"No! I won't let go of my son; you keep staying out late, and when I'm not looking, you disappear into the woods for an entire weekend! Plus, today you skipped school! So I was worried about you; I can't let you out of my sight!"
"Mom, you do realize you've called the police so many times that they refuse to initiate a manhunt for me now, right? Plus, I still come home, so there's nothing you need to worry about." Inko looked downcast as she held Izuku tighter, and Izuku could feel how distressed she was, so he put on a soft tone and face.
"Mom, look at me." Inko looked up at Izuku with wet eyes and saw him softly grinning at her. "Mom, I would never do anything that I knew would cause you great pain, but I have to do all this for the sake of my goals. I can't stop, but at the same time, I don't want to worry you. So please, have faith in me."
Inko looked into Izuku's eyes and saw genuine care and compassion; she grinned because that was the Izuku she knew. Inko wanted to let Izuku go and become who he wanted to be, but at the same time, she couldn't just let him go. "I know, Izuku, but... I don't want you to disappear. I can't handle that again."
Izuku hugged Izuku's arm as hard as she could. The thought of Izuku not returning home terrified her to no end. When Izuku was just a child and he was kidnapped, Inko felt like a complete failure as a human being. She didn't know what she'd do to herself if Izuku didn't show up at the house one day.
Gently grabbing her hand. Izuku delicately pulled them off and held them. "Mom, I'm a lot tougher than I used to be. And now I have the strength to pursue my goals. But at the same time, I promise I won't leave you like that. After all, you're the only person who makes Katsudon the way I like it."
Izuku tenderly smiled at Inko, and she felt relieved to hear Izuku promise to always return. Gathering herself, Inko took a calming breath, backed away from Izuku, and saw just how much he had grown. Despite being a first-year student in middle school, Izuku was imposing; his clothes outlined his muscles; his slitted orange and green eyes were intimidating; and his white hair with green roots shone brightly just like his confidence.
Inko was proud that Izuku had come so far. He could be cold and stoic most of the time, but Inko could tell that Izuku was still genuine. A small, proud smile made its way onto Inko's face as she looked at her son.
"Alright, Izuku, I expect you to keep that promise. Now let's make dinner." Izuku watched as his mom walked to the kitchen to start dinner. His lips moved into a small smile as he thought about how Inko has grown to accept his personality traits.
"I knew today was a great day." Izuku took his jacket and shoes off, then he walked over to the kitchen to see Inko preparing a rather large meal, but that was what Izuku needed due to his mutations.
Izuku and Inko quietly made dinner; they helped each other and didn't want to break the peaceful atmosphere they had created. Once the food was prepared, Izuku set the table and helped bring food over.
With everything in place, Izuku and Inko dug into the food. Izuku devoured his food as quickly as he could since he was feeling hungry. Inko just smiled at Izuku as he ate two and a half meals in front of her.
The rest of the evening was quiet and peaceful, with the mother and son exchanging some words here and there. Soon, though, everyone went to get ready for bed. But before Izuku laid down in his bed, he had a bag he needed to pack with supplies.
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It was extremely early in the morning; no one should have the will to wake up before the sunlight can even be seen over the horizon. To wake up this early would mean that you're not entirely human.
Except there was one person who always woke up this early. Of course, it was someone who wasn't wholly human. Izuku stretched his arms and legs as he got out of bed. With his excellent night vision, Izuku easily got into black jeans, a grey long-sleeve shirt, and a dark green jean jacket.
Now fully clothed, Izuku grabbed his supply bag and prepared to sneak out of the apartment to go to the mountains. Izuku quietly left his room, making sure to softly close the door. Freezing in the hall, Izuku focused his ears and listened to the silence. Izuku heard his mom sleeping in her room, and he heard the hum of other electronics.
With Inko sound asleep, Izuku carefully walked to the front door, but once he got there, he saw a note on the door. Using his night vision, Izuku grabbed the note and read it.
Izuku, I know that if you're reading this, then you're trying to sneak out again. I'm not going to stop you, but please come home safe.
A small grin made its way onto Izuku's face as he read Inko's note. He folded the note and put it in his pocket, then Izuku unlocked the door and left the apartment. Izuku breathed in the crisp, fresh morning air as he descended his apartment complex and began to walk in the direction of the closest late-night train station.
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Getting off the train, Izuku looked around and saw the path he always walked to get to the mountains. Izuku spent the last several hours on the train that was headed for the near countryside.
The sun was starting to come up, and Izuku wanted to make it to the mountains to set up camp before the sun fully rose. Izuku walked and walked until he reached a dirt road that led deeper into the wilderness. Soon, trails were the only thing around Izuku, and paved dirt was the only solid surface for feet to touch.
Eventually, Izuku came across a blocked-off path that had a sign saying no entries due to potential hazards. Izuku stared at the sign in confusion since this path wasn't blocked before. Plus, he regularly walked along that path to get to his campsite, and Izuku knew for a fact that there was no way a hazard could be there. Even if a tree fell over, the forest rangers would have it dealt with quickly.
Knowing that there was no danger ahead of him, Izuku jumped over the barrier in place and began walking through the closed-off path to reach his campsite. As Izuku walked, he stared at all the trees that surrounded him, and he felt the rocks under him shift. Relaxation moved through Izuku since nothing here stressed him out.
"Plus, there's no excess noise from the city, so I can rest my ears and hear things clearly. And there's no smell of asphalt or anything else; all I smell is nature. I love coming up here."
After some more walking on a path that no one takes, Izuku came across his campsite, which consisted of a lean tent made with tree branches and a log next to a fire pit. "Just like how I left it."
Finally making it to his second home, Izuku pulled out his knife and threw it at the tree his lean tent was on. The knife got lodged deeply in the tree, and Izuku grinned, "I still got it." Izuku placed his jean jacket on the handle to hang it up. Then Izuku opened up his supply bag and pulled out the blanket he always brought with him and laid it down in the lean tent.
With his minimalist campsite set up, Izuku decided he should go hunting for some food since some animals would be out right now foraging. And he could use more sticks and grass to make a fire to cook the meat he would get.
Having made his plan, Izuku took his jeans jacket off the knife and threw it onto his blanket. He pulled the knife out of the tree with impressive strength. Izuku sheathed it and began walking to his usual hunting grounds.
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Some time passed, and Izuku collected sticks that he could use to make a fire. He hadn't found anything to eat yet, but he could hear and smell the animals close by, so he wasn't worried. After collecting enough sticks, Izuku returned to camp to set them all down.
Deciding to take hunting seriously now, Izuku grabbed his knife and walked off in a different direction. He wanted to go to a more remote area that was downwind to see if he could catch something. But Izuku came across a fork in the road and could either go down the completely untraveled path or use the more worn path.
Thinking he'd catch more if he used the untravelled path, Izuku took that one and felt just how uneven the ground was up here. Plus, there were tons of soft spots that left footprints all over the place.
After some more walking, Izuku came across something weird; he saw torn clothing, but it was just pieces of a shirt. Inspecting the piece of clothing, Izuku saw some weird things but nothing too weird.
"The shirt was ripped from the outside, but there's no indication that the fabric was moving when it was ripped. Maybe a typhoon ripped some clothes and the wind dragged it up here into the remote mountains."
Izuku was ready to pass it off as a weird occurrence, but then he spotted something in the soft dirt that was around here. Walking over to it, Izuku saw it was a footprint of some kind. "Since it's still here and the wind or rain hasn't washed it away, this was made recently, at least within the last few days."
But the more Izuku studied the footprint, the odder it was. The footprint was human-like, but the feet were too long and the footprint wasn't deeply imprinted. Plus there were no toeas, and from the looks of it, there was only one single sharp talon. And with the distance between strides, this was clearly a person since they were bipedal. "There's a discrepancy between the foot size and supposed height; with feet this big, this person should have been heavier and made a larger imprint."
Izuku wanted to continue to analyze, but then the wind blew, and Izuku's eyes widened in shock. Quickly standing up, Izuku sniffed the air and smelled blood. Izuku could tell the smell was coming from upwind and instantly bolted off in that direction to see what was up.
Rushing past trees, Izuku shoved branches out of the way as he moved in a straight line to the smell of blood. Constantly sniffing the air, Izuku made sure not to lose the trail he was picking up on.
Finally breaking out of the trees, Izuku came into a clearing and looked around for the source of the smell. Then he laid eyes on a tent and rushed over to take a look and see who needed help. When Izuku arrived at the campsite, he was in for a shock when he saw the state of it. Chills ran down Izuku's spine as he observed the deadly scene before him.
The tent was ripped open and blood stained the inside of it. Izuku carefully walked into the campsite and saw more trails of blood. But the most concerning part of this murder was that there were no bodies, and the blood trails all led in the same direction, towards the clearing. Kneeling, Izuku calmed himself and focused as he analyzed the murder scene.
"Based on the tent size and blood trails, three people were killed and taken once they died, and the blood is pretty dry, so this murder was about two or three days ago. A sharp object was used based on how clean the cuts were to the tent. But with the amount of blood spilled, it was sloppy, almost beastly. There are no animals out here big enough with sharp claws to kill three people. Plus, no animal would attack three people by itself."
Izuku was left to scratch his head at the scene. But the most concerning part about this murder was how all the blood was localized in the tent. "They were ambushed, most likely in the dead of night, but with this area being so secluded, the only people up here would be them. What the hell would you do this?" Izuku continued to stare and considered calling the police, but then he looked over and saw another thing that sent chills down his spine.
Right next to the campsite was another long humanoid footprint, with the same lack of toes and singular talon. Walking over to it, Izuku stared at the footprint and saw that it also led to the clearing. Gulping, Izuku knew he had to confirm something; he walked over to the blood trails and looked for footprints. There was clear evidence that the bodies were dragged away, but then Izuku came across it.
Humanoid footprints were straddling the blood trail. "Their footprints straddle the blood trails, and they are pointed in the opposite direction of the clearing. Whatever is leaving those footprints killed these people and dragged their bodies away."
Feeling his anxiety begin to peak, Izuku pulled out his phone to call for help, but he had no signal and cursed. Deciding that spending any more time here was a bad idea since night would be approaching soon, Izuku prepared to leave.
But Izuku stopped when a scary thought entered his mind. 'I spent a good amount of time analyzing the scene. I left my scent all over the place. If this thing is an animal, then it's got a good nose. And as far as I can tell, I'm the only person up on this mountain. If I leave now, I'd be leading it right to me, and if I don't deal with it now, I'll be making myself an easy target.'
After collecting his thoughts, Izuku made a decision and hoped it was the best one. "Whatever did this lurks on the mountain, and since I'm up here, it will smell me and come after me next. If I don't kill this beast now, it will kill me. I'll be at a severe disadvantage since it will be on its territory. But since it may only come out at night, I can possibly surprise it and kill it. This is my best course of action."
Steeling himself, Izuku pulled out his knife and walked into the clearing. He found more footprints, and all of them led to a single spot in the clearing. At the center of the clearing was a small hole that led deeper underground. Looking down into the hole, Izuku saw that it was actually an underground cave with a surface entrance.
Deciding that his night vision would give him some visibility, Izuku began to descend into the dark underground cave. It was a tight fit, but Izuku managed to get in and drop down into the cave. Izuku's feet hit the floor, and he lightly dropped in while still making noise as a few loose rocks fell after him. But once Izuku was in the cave, the smell of rotten flesh entered his nose, and he recoiled back at the rotten smell.
After a minute of adjusting his nose and eyes to the dark, smelly cave atmosphere, Izuzku looked around and saw that there was another path that led deeper into the cave. "If this thing only comes out at night, then it will be in the deepest part of the cave."
Pulling his knife out and holding it in front of him, Izuku slowly walked over to the entrance of the new path. As Izuku walked closer, he saw something unexpected. Right at the entrance of the path was a skeleton wearing armor and other gear.
"The armor looks too big for me, and it looks like age has caught up with it." Izuku kneeled and rummaged through the skeleton's gear bag and found expired liquids in vials, a gold currency he didn't recognize, weird trinkets, and documents that were written in a language he didn't understand. Izuku stared at the contents of the bag in confusion; there was no Japanese history for any of these items, and the armor and gear looked to be pre-medieval European style. "Where the hell did you come from? And how long have you been here?"
Izuku looked over the skeleton again and just shook his head in confusion. Then he spotted two sheaths on the skeleton's back and reached for them. One sheath had a blade in it. Izuku pulled the blade out, but it rusted through and broke as he pulled. "Rusted blade, which means you've been here for a long time if a steel blade rusted in a sheath, Izuku was about to leave, but then he saw the skeleton's decayed bony hand.
Izuku looked at the hand and saw a shiny, glossy long sword that had no rust on it. Picking up the nice sword and sheath, Izuku analyzed it and then looked at the skeleton again. "This makes no sense; if a skeleton that's not fully decayed is here, then that means you've been here for a long time, and based on the conditions of this cave, your sword should have rusted as you decayed like the other one. But this sword has no rust on it. So it can't be steel, but instead, it's a different metal... Is it silver? If it is, then this is one weird sword. Silver would explain the lack of rust and glossy finish... I like this sword; I think I'll take it."
Izuku grabbed the other sheath on the skeleton's back and placed it on his back, then tied the straps over his chest to anchor the sheath in place. Izuku moved around with the sheath, making sure it didn't interfere with his movements and was comfortable to wear. "It's a bit too big for me, but I'll grow into it."
Feeling satisfied with the sheath, Izuku grabbed the peculiar sword and stared at it. The handle was wood with a dark glossy finish, and in the middle of the handle was a metal ring to help figure out hand placements for two hands. The pommel was also quite hefty, but it didn't interfere when Iuzku held the sword in his hands. But an interesting detail was the sword's crossguard. It wasn't straight; instead, the crossguard was v-shaped, extending up the sword.
"It's going to be easy to catch other weapons with this unique crossguard; the v-shape also doesn't interfere with my hands. And the balance of the sword is quite good, despite how little was ground off in the fuller. Plus, the blade is surprisingly stiff for its feathery weight. Although that may be my enhanced strength talking."
Izuku already liked how the sword felt in his hands and took a few swings with it. The sword cut through the air easily, and Izuku nearly tripped trying to swing the sword. "It's a lot harder to use than I thought; it's nothing like my knife."
Izuku chose his knife over the sword and placed the sword in its sheath on his back. Focusing back on his task, Izuku pulled his knife out and took a deep breath. Letting his breath go, Izuku looked into the cave path and saw nothing with his night vision, so he walked deeper into the cave, making sure to keep his wits about him since this was a creature's home turf, 'Plus, whatever this thing is, it likes to ambush people, probably because it knows it can't win in direct combat, so it will try to sneak up on me. I need to keep my senses sharp and my mind sharper. This thing has intelligence.'
Cautiously moving through the darkness, Izuku saw nothing with his natural night vision, but the smell in the cave was getting worse, so he knew he was getting closer to its den. Izuku came across a turn in the cave path and moved over to it, trying not to make a sound. Leaning against the corner, Izuku peeked out and was confused when he saw a massive cloud of fog sitting at the bottom of the cave path and inside a cave chamber.
'How the hell did a cloud of fog spawn down here? This looks like the deepest part of the cave, but why would fog show up here?' Izuku was confused by what he saw, but then he saw something unnerving: there was a faint light moving within the fog, and Izuku assumed someone was still alive. Losing his better judgment, Izuku held the knife out and rushed past the corner and into the fog inside the cave chamber, yelling out.
"Hey, is anyone alive!?" 'If someone is still alive, I have to get them out of here!' Izuku rushed through the thick and dark fog and couldn't see jackshit in front of him. He ran to where he assumed the light was coming from and prepared to defend whoever this was. But as Izuku got closer, the distinct smell of blood invaded his nostrils, and it made Izuku stop dead in his tracks.
Izuku halted his rush and then looked down to see the floor, except the floor was covered in blood. Looking back up, Izuku tried to see through the fog, but then it momentarily cleared up and Izuku's eyes widened in horror. He saw the torso of a man who had been partially eaten, then he saw the head of a woman. And finally, Izuku saw the severed arms of another guy. All these body parts were piled up as if they were being stored for later use, and if Izuku counted correctly, they made up three people.
Vomit began to make its way up Izuku's throat; his emotions were skyrocketing along with his heart rate. Izuku knew he was losing his cool, so he tried to get it back, but as his composure returned, a realization hit Izuku, and he felt fear rise at his stupid mistake. "They're all dead, which means... I fell for its trap!"
Out of nowhere, Izuku heard a loud fleshy slam behind him, and on instinct, he rolled forward, assuming an attack was coming. But as Iuzku rolled forward, he felt his back get slashed open by something. A resonant pain entered Izuku as he rolled forward, slamming into the pile of bloody limbs.
Standing back up with his knife at the ready, Izuku put his hand behind him and felt a small amount of blood begin to trickle down his back and stain his clothes. Cursing his inexperience and stupidity, Izuku readied his knife for the next ambush. He felt his heartbeat quicken and his adrenaline course through his veins.
The fog got even thicker, and Izuku couldn't see anything, and his night vision could only help so much, but he knew something was there, lurking within the fog. 'It came after me from behind, so it does like surprise attacks.' Thinking of a new plan, Izuku began to cautiously backpedal while focusing on his senses to see if he could pick up on any hints as to where this thing was.
As Izuku carefully walked backward, he saw movement in front of him and halted. Focusing on his senses, Izuku tried to sense this thing through the fog, but out of nowhere, a small light shimmer appeared in the fog, and something burst through.
But Izuku was expecting it; the fog obstructed his view, but Izuku could clearly see the outline of the thing thanks to the small amount of light it somehow emitted. It charged at him, and Izuku pulled his knife back. When the creature got close, Izuku thrust his knife out with his other hand, trying to reach around it to bring it closer for an even more brutal stab.
But when Izuku thrust his hands out, the creature all of a sudden turned into fog and flew by Izuku, confusing him. But Izuku would soon learn why that happened when he felt a bloodthirsty presence to his left and saw a small change of light.
Reacting off of pure primal instinct and adrenaline, Izuku immediately dove to the side and dodged a devastating slash aimed at his neck. But the claw that pierced through the fog cut into his arm as he tried to dive.
Izuk grunted in pain as he looked at his left arm; it was hard to see due to the darkness and fog, but blood was leaking out of two surprisingly deep-cut wounds. 'Damn, so this thing can control the fog and make illusions with it; it's smarter and more dangerous than I thought. I need to seal my field of vision to narrow down its preferred directions of attack.'
Thinking quickly, Izuku ran through the fog until he slammed into a wall. Getting his wits back, Izuku shoved his back onto the cave wall and held his knife out, waiting for the next attack. Calming himself and placing all of his concentration on his senses, Izuku tried his best to track the creature through the fog, but with the fog dampening sound and smell, he didn't have a lot of range to work with.
'I can't prolong this or it will take me down; I need to find its weakness before it finds mine.' Izuku thought about how to deal with this thing. He saw two glowing outlines rushing right for him at fast paces. Izuku immediately readied himself for the attack, knowing one of the outlines was an illusion. 'But which one, damn it!'
Concentrating, Izuku heard the faintest sound and immediately dove to the right. And just like he predicted, the outline he dove toward disappeared and turned into fog. Getting back up, Izuku fiercely lunged for the other glowing outline that was momentarily stunned at his boldness.
Instantly, Izuku hit something solid and tackled it to the floor. Izuku wrestled with the creature as it tried to fling him off of it. A powerful swing flew by Izuku as he tried to gain control. The creature violently threw its arm out and slashed at Izuku's chest.
Izuku's chest was slashed open as blood leaked out, but Izuku pulled his knife back and plunged it into the assumed chest of this beast. But Izuku's knife didn't hit anything as his whole hand entered the glowing open chest cavity. Another swing came, and Izuku managed to catch it with his other hand as he pulled his arm back for another knife plunge.
A tight grip was on the creature's arm as it tried to pull its arm back. But Izuku kept it from moving its arms and legs. As Izuku tried to regain control and balance, he felt the creature wind up for another sash with its free arm. Seeing the attack coming due to the light this creature emitted from its chest, Izuku knocked the arm away as it swung at him. Getting sick of its attacks, Izuku plunged his knife into the arm of this creature.
A deafening and primal howl of pain echoed throughout the cave as the creature flailed around even more violently. Izuku tried his best to stay on top, but he was violently thrown off and slammed into the wall. Gathering his wits, Izuku immediately stood up and caught a clear glimpse of what he was fighting. The darkness and fog made it hard to see, but with the light being emitted from this creature and with it close, Izuku could see all of it unobstructed.
Izuku's jaw dropped at the sight of the creature; the body was literally just skin and bone with how little meat there was on the beast. The skin was leathery with a deep and slimy green color. But the skin stopped covering the chest area because there was no chest cavity; it was hollowed out, hiding the source of its light behind its exposed rib bones. Its limbs were slender and disproportionate, as claws stretched out at the ends of the feet, and the hands only had four boney fingers, each with their own claw.
But the most disgusting part of this beast was its unsightly face. The skin seemed almost too tight around the head, pulling it back and making the creature hunch its back in response. Pointy ears stood tall at the sides of its head, and the only sign that a nose was there was the lack of one covering a hole in the face. Misaligned fangs were packed into its gaping maw, forcing the gums to be exposed to air the whole time and making the creature snarl with each breath. And its eyes were wide, reflective, and unnerving as Izuku stared into them.
Time seemed to slow as Izuku stared at this horrid freak of nature in front of him. Motion entered the world again as the creature howled at Izuku, startling him as he watched it disappear into the dark fog, somehow hiding the light its torso emitted.
Izuku felt queasy and unnerved after seeing what he was up against; he felt as if he was facing a monster in the truest sense. 'What the hell is that thing? No, now is not the time for this. My knife is still in its arm; all I have left is this sword.'
Taking his chances, Izuku grabbed the handle of the sword on his back and pulled it out. The sword felt good in his hands, and Izuku tightly gripped it, hoping he could rely on his senses and strength to help him aim his swings.
Focusing on his senses, Izuku sniffed the air and smelt something atrocious, making him want to vomit. Looking over at the source of the smell, Izuku could make out some distinct splatter shapes through the darkness and fog. He saw that it was the creature's blood. Then Izuku sniffed the air and smelled the blood moving through the fog. Inspiration hit Izuku as he got an idea and found a weakness in the creature.
'I can still smell its blood. It can somehow create fog illusions and hide its presence; that's why I can't hear, see, or smell it. But it didn't hide its scent of blood, probably because it doesn't know it has one. I can predict when it will attack by smelling its blood.'
Izuku got into a ready stance and prepared to go on the attack, but with the beast hiding its presence and being surprisingly agile, this became a waiting game. As if on cue, Izuku saw the fog shift, as multiple fog apparitions were coming at him all at once. Pulling his sword up, Izuku saw one come at him, and it swung at him.
He dodged to the left and weaved through the apparitions that attacked him. Chasing his footwork together, Izuku waved through them all and made his way to where the scent of monster blood was the strongest. Two apparitions formed right in front of Izuku, and he swung his sword to clear them and build up momentum.
Letting the sword swing take him, Izuku spun in a circle, destroyed the two fog apparitions, and swung at what appeared to be a random fog cloud. But the moment Izuku swung, he hit something physical and felt his sword slice through flesh. A guttural howl of agony broke out the second his sword was cut. Izuku was stunned by the sheer sound of the howl. It rocked his mind and made his ears bleed, freezing him in place. Which left him open to attack.
Before Izuku could get his senses back, he was hit incredibly hard in the gut and sent flying through the dark fog. Landing with a thud, Izuku skidded across the floor until he stopped. With his adrenaline running high, Izuku immediately got up and held his sword even tighter. Sniffing the air, Izuku smelled even more blood from the monster.
Not letting this chance escape him, Izuku locked onto the scent and, without any regard for his condition, rushed in again. Holding his sword high, Izuku arrived at where the monster was. The beast looked shocked to see Izuku already there. But with his adrenaline running high and his mind focused on the fight, Izuku didn't care what else happened.
A swift swing hit the monster in the shoulder, and it tried to back away. But Izuku didn't give it the chance; instead, he lunged in and plunged his sword through its exposed ribs. The monster screeched in pain as it was stabbed. It reacted to the attack by clawing at Izuku, who was now in close range.
Izuku felt multiple deep lacerations on his chest and arms as the monster clawed at his skin, trying to kill him. Feeling massive amounts of pain, Izuku yelled loudly and pushed even harder, plunging the sword deeper and making the monster claw even faster. Even more wounds appeared on Izuku as the beast desperately mauled his skin.
But Izuku's muscles didn't give; he held strong as he yelled and pushed the monster to the floor, getting on top of it once more. "YYYYAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" The beast hit the floor and was momentarily shocked. Izuku, feeling his blood leak all over the ground as his chest and arms sprayed it, punched the creature as hard as he could, stunning it even more.
Seeing a chance, Izuku tightly gripped his sword and violently pulled it out of the monster. Making the beast shriek as its blood sprayed out of the stab wound. With one last ditch effort, the monster plunged its claws into Izuku's gut, making Izuku gasp in pain as the claws tried to rip him open.
Yet Izuku didn't give up. He grabbed the monster's arm and pulled it out of his gut, making him bleed even more. But Izuku didn't loosen his grip as the monster tried to pull its arm away; in response, he instantly brought his sword up with one hand to decapitate the monster. The beast, sensing its demise, scratched at Izuku's right eye. The claw cut through Izuku's face, and he grunted in extreme pain, but once he felt his right eye still function, he swung his sword as hard as he could with one hand.
The blade swung true as it sliced into the beast's bony neck. Izuku yelled and put all his strength from one arm into the slash, and he felt the sword travel even deeper through the beast's skinny neck.
"RRRAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Almost instantly, Izuku felt the sword fully cut through as the blade lost all resistance and came out the other side. Immediately, the monster's body went limp as blood sprayed all over the floor. The light from the monster's chest began to disappear, as it no longer had any life force in it. Soon Izuku was consumed by the darkness in the cave, making him rely on only his night vision.
Izuku took multiple deep breaths to deal with the exhaustion and pain he brought upon himself. With his mind starting to be clear of adrenaline and instincts, he saw the fog begin to disappear. Huffs escaped Izuku's mouth as he looked down and saw the monster's head roll to the side and smear its blood across the floor.
A small grin of satisfaction broke out on Izuku's face. "Ha... I win..." Izuku's pride overwhelmed his mind: 'I hunted and killed a real-life monster.' Izuku was glad he had this opportunity, but this was his only chance.
Feeling delirious due to his blood loss, Izuku fell off the monster's corpse and laid on his back, staring at the dark cave ceiling, waiting to bleed out. His healing factor was good, but it wasn't that good. Izuku was about to lose consciousness, but then he heard steps coming from the entrance to this cave chamber.
Using his remaining strength before he passed out, Izuku turned his head to see a lady wearing black leather gloves, a black trench coat, black boots, and a black sun hat. But she was deathly pale.
"My, my, you don't look too good. Although I am impressed, you took out a monster all on your own with no preparation." Izuku just stared at her and didn't get a good look at her face before he closed his eyes and waited for death. Yet his ears still worked.
"You did my job for me, so I'll help you. Please don't die; I'll feel horrible if you do."
Izuku felt himself get picked up and taken away, and just before he lost consciousness, he heard her grab his sword and whisper something.
"… Wait… Are you a Witcher?"