Thirteen Years Ago
Nonon Jakuzure marched across the kindergarten playground with her head held high in the air, her pet monkey resting atop it. The second any of the other kids caught eye of her, they'd immediately get out of her way or in some extreme cases, start bowing to her. Just as they should have.
"Good morning, Lady Jakuzure!"
It was fine, a bit too sunny for her tastes. She didn't like to admit it, but she couldn't exactly make the sun do her bidding. Yet.
"Looking good, Jakuzure!"
Of course she did.
"Jakuzure, can you come to my birthday party this weekend? If you're there, the whole class'll be sure to come!"
Never in a million years. On the other hand, she couldn't exactly turn down free cake. Fine, she'd go. But only for an hour. And he had to get her a present instead of the reverse. And he had to do her homework for the rest of the year!
Nonon smiled as she gazed at her kingdom. She was the most important person at this whole entire school! How could she not be? She was the heiress to Jakuzure Transportation, the largest shipping company in Japan. Not to mention her powerful Cacophony, a quirk befitting of the future number one hero! It wasn't just the kids who respected her either. The staff, teachers, and even the principal all treated her like royalty. Well, almost everyone.
Her eyes quickly focused into a piercing glare aimed at a lone tree, far away from the rest of the playground, where the sole thorn in her otherwise perfect life was located. No, it wasn't the tree! It was the girl with long, black hair sitting in its shade, reading a book. Who even did that?
Nonon wished she could ignore that girl, just write her off as another insignificant loser who wasn't worth thinking about. But she couldn't. Because that girl was the only person at this school who was more important than her. Because she was the heiress to the Kiryuin Conglomerate, the most powerful mega-corporation in the world. And also just so happened to own Jakuzure Transportation.
Not too long ago, Nonon was simply envious of the girl's higher status, but she had since moved past that phase. Just as the commoners knew their place on the totem pole, she had come to understand her own. That didn't mean she didn't have a bone to pick with that girl, no, she definitely hated her guts. The problem was that the Kiryuin girl, the heiress to a global conglomerate more powerful than most countries... was so. Freaking. Boring!
First off was the way she arrived to school. Nonon's entrances were appropriately dignified for someone of her status, preferring her personal limousine as her method of transportation. But the Kiryuin girl, who should have had her own helicopter? Walked. Holding her precious daddy's hand to boot. And the way she clung to him whenever she was dropped off! Nonon had to look away from her every morning to avoid dying of second-hand embarrassment.
So the girl seemed to go out of her way to make a terrible first impression. Fine. But if she really had to be of higher status, she could at least have the decency to be even loftier and more ambitious than Nonon herself. This school should have been hers, students and teachers alike should be groveling at her feet! But no, instead she had to be cheerful and pleasant to talk to, with a smile that never wavered. Just like a good, ordinary little girl.
Nonon made sure that everyone knew who she was. She used the power of her Cacophony to trash whatever losers annoyed her on the playground whenever she could, no matter how many futile attempts their parents or her teachers made to stop her. But the Kiryuin girl refused to show off her quirk or even tell anyone her name! Nonon wouldn't have been surprised if it turned out she had neither.
She was a completely boring, unimportant, unremarkable person. Who was destined to one day be the most powerful woman in the world. The very thought of it made Nonon want to puke.
"Hey Jakuzure, what are you staring at? We're all waiting for your orders!"
Crap, how long had she spent thinking about that stupid Kiryuin girl? Just one more reason she was so annoying. Fortunately, the voice of one of her followers brought her back to the real world. The one that mattered. The one where she was on top.
Nonon stood on top of a bucket laid out before her and shouted out. "Sidekicks of the Jakuzure Hero Agency! Today we're gonna..."
Hmm, what should she make her sidekicks do? She usually had the most fun messing with whatever loser had pissed her off that day. And that Kiryuin girl had annoyed her a lot more than usual. She wasn't planning on outright attacking the girl, she'd never resort to something so brutish. But if her stupid book suddenly exploded into paper shreds, that wouldn't be anyone's fault, would it?
"There's a disgusting, ugly villain attacking the city!" she continued with a devious smile. Her followers gasped in pretend shock, then quickly activated their quirks. Perfect.
"And she's right there, under that tree!"
Izuku Midoriya's entire body ached with exhaustion as Recovery Girl's lips pressed against his forehead, accelerating his healing at the cost of his stamina. It was rather disorienting the first few times, but he was slowly starting to get used to it by now. Despite being drained both from Recovery Girl's quirk and the injuries she was trying to heal, his spirits had never been higher.
Putting up such a good fight against Kacchan was exhilarating, probably the most alive he'd ever felt. Sure he lost, but the symbol of victory he had spent his life chasing was now within arm's reach. And he'd done it without breaking a single bone!
Both All Might and Recovery Girls were also pleased with this development, given that she agreed to heal his injuries in the first place. His mentor in particular was practically gushing with pride.
"Young Midoriya, do you know what this means?" All Might asked, an excited glow in his eyes. "It means that now we can-"
"MIDORIYA!"
All Might had been cut off by the door suddenly slamming wide open, startling him to the point that he spat up a little blood. Ryuko, Uraraka, and Mankanshoku all barged into the room and surrounded his bed, much to the displeasure of Recovery Girl.
"Hey, Deku," Uraraka said. "We wanted to make sure you were alright after your fight. It looked like Bakugo really stopped holding anything back. How are you feeling?"
"Sorry it took so long for us to get here. We, uh, had something to take care of first," Ryuko added.
"We ran into that exploding guy you fought and Ryuko wanted to have a staring contest with him!" Mankanshoku chimed in.
Ryuko sighed. "He doesn't need to know that, Mako."
"Yeah, they were staring at each other for a super long time! It was so cool! I never knew that staring contests had so much shouting involved. And punching."
"He definitely didn't need to know that, Mako."
Izuku decided against asking for more details. "I'm fine, really. At least I didn't cause my own injuries this time," he assured his friends. "But what are you guys doing here? Ryuko, don't you have a match coming up? And what happened to Iida?"
"Eh, I got a few minutes before the arena's ready again. It got way too damaged to use. Again. As for Iida, he kinda just left. Said something about a family emergency."
An emergency? He hoped everything was alright with Iida.
"But you're right, I should probably be getting ready for my fight. Before I leave, I do have something I wanna ask though. Who's he?" Ryuko pointed to All Might, who was trying to slink away into a corner to avoid being detected. Apparently it didn't work.
Crap crap crap! Izuku had to muster all his willpower to not let anyone see his internal panic. What was he supposed to say? He and All Might never came up with a cover story for their relationship! He knew that All Might disguised his true form as being a secretary at All Might's hero agency, but that still didn't explain his relation to Izuku! No, this was still fine. If no one connected All Might's true form to his hero one, then he could make up whatever story he wanted as long as he and All Might kept it consistent.
"He's uh... uh, an old family friend!"
"Oh, I'm his uncle."
Izuku and All Might had responded at the exact same time. Now that might be a problem. His friends were looking at him with slight confusion, but not like their worlds had been shattered. It was more like realizing that they'd put their shirt on backward, or accidentally skipped a page in their notebook, or didn't put the right protective covering on their Ultra Rare 1st Edition Holographic All Might trading card. Not that he ever had experienced that before.
"Well, we're not actually related," Izuku explained, which wasn't a lie this time. "You know how your parents might have a really good friend that you call 'uncle' or 'aunt'? It's like that."
His friends nodded in understanding. Perfect. Now his secret with All Might was safe. Just as long as no one asked him for more details-
"Yes! That's exactly it!" All Might said, coming dangerously close to his hero voice. "Youn- er, Midoriya's father and I go way back! We met back when we were both studying abroad in America."
Alright, that wasn't the worst thing that could have happened. Even if his father never studied in America, it wasn't totally unreasonable. And it wasn't like his father was around to contest that story. He just hoped that the story wouldn't needlessly overcomplicate itself-
"So how did you guys meet?" Mankanshoku asked.
Before Izuku could signal to All Might, he immediately jumped in with a response. "We had a few classes together, but we almost never talked. Then one day, a villain attacked the lecture hall we were in! Everyone fled the building, but a falling beam had pinned me to the ground and I couldn't escape! I begged for someone to help me, but they were all too concerned with saving themselves and the heroes had to deal with the villain. Just when I thought all hope was lost, it was none other than Midoriya's father who lifted the beam off me and opened a path for us to escape together. From that day forth, I swore to my life to his and his family's. Ever since that day, we've been best friends and he even named his first child after me!"
The color had practically drained from Izuku's face. He knew that All Might had a flair for the dramatic, it was one of the aspects that made him so effective as a superhero, but that story was a bit on the... outlandish side. If his friends were confused before, now they had to be onto him. There was no way that they would buy that a complete stranger just spilled something so personal!
"Your dad must have been super strong! Guess now we know where you got your power-up quirk from!" Uraraka said.
Wait, they believed it? Not just that, but now he also had a way to explain his quirk! "Uh, sure! That's exactly right!"
"So, does that mean your name is Izuku too?" Ryuko asked All Might.
All Might opened his mouth to speak, but Izuku hastily responded before he could make up a story about his non-existent siblings. "Yes! Now, Uncle... Izuku and I have some catching up to do! Could you give us a minute?"
"You heard him! You're overcrowding the room. This is now family members only!" Recovery Girl came to the rescue, shooing Izuku's friends out of her office.
"Wait, but I thought you weren't actually related!" Ryuko protested.
Ryuko Matoi was sitting in her waiting room, waiting for the arena to be repaired for what, the tenth time? She was pretty sure that there were more matches that ended with the thing destroyed than ones that didn't. She planned to spend most of that time checking in on Midoriya, but he clearly had something else going on. For some reason, she couldn't help but shake the feeling that she had seen his uncle before.
"You know he's hiding something," Senketsu suddenly spoke.
"What, you're just realizing that now? Come on, did you see him fidget every time more details about his uncle came up? He looked like a ghost by the time we got kicked out."
Senketsu raised his eyebrow. "And you're not more concerned about it?"
"Well, it is his private business. I probably shouldn't have even asked him about it in the first place. Same thing with Iida's family emergency. Whatever it is, it's for the best if we stay out of it."
"I'm sure Midoriya and Todoroki would disagree."
Ryuko felt her heart tighten in her chest. He just had to mention that. She still couldn't comprehend just what had possessed Midoriya to try so hard to get Todoroki to use his fire, or why Todoroki himself ended up giving in. Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore. Midoriya had lost his fight and she had to win hers.
"It's finally time for the first match of the semi-finals!" Present Mic's voice boomed over the stadium's speakers. "Whoever wins this battle will be our first finalist! Here come our fighters. She's already defeated two of the Elite Four and it looks like she's ready to make that three! It's Class 1-A's Ryuko Matoi!"
Ryuko stepped out into the light and took a deep breath, psyching herself up for the fight. Just like Mic had said, she'd already beaten two Elites and this one would be no different. She hadn't seen Jakuzure's Goku Uniform yet, but whatever it was, she would be ready for it.
"And her opponent is the Tiny Terror herself, Nonon Jakuzure!"
As soon as her name was called, loud music began blasting from the other side of the arena. Great, she was gonna make this a performance too. And a terrible one at that. The tiny girl walked out onto the battlefield, but she wasn't alone this time. An entire band of one-star students marched in formation behind her.
"Let the first match of the semi-finals... begin!"
"This won't be like those clumsy battles you've had with the boys!" Jakuzure said. "Prepare to be pummeled cheerfully, jauntily, and utterly one-sidedly!"
The three stars on her uniform lit up and it began to unravel, reforming itself into a skintight pink suit. The band all tossed their instruments into the air, where they absorbed into a massive metal contraption shaped like a heart. The machine sprouted treads at its bottom, making it into a tank. Her uniform turned into an entire tank.
"Three Star Goku Uniform: Symphony Regalia Grave!"
Izuku Midoriya walked out of Recovery Girl's office, All Might following closely behind him. The two of them had just narrowly avoided a disaster, but neither of them were willing to relax just yet. Izuku looked down the halls to make sure that no one was around to listen to them before he spoke.
"Hey All Might, what were you going to say earlier?"
"Right, I was just gonna congratulate you on not going overboard with One For All. Mostly I just wanted to cheer you up after lost, but it seems like you're taking it pretty well!"
The words hit him like a sack of bricks as soon as he processed them. He'd been so focused on his fight with Kacchan that he didn't even think about the fact that he lost! This was supposed to be his chance to declare to the world that he was here, or at the very least save Ryuko from herself by convincing her to be a hero, but he had failed at both. And all so he could prove to Kacchan that he was wrong about him. Even though Izuku himself admitted he wasn't worth obsessing over anymore!
All Might must have saw the disappointment on Izuku's face. "Oh, I'm sorry I brought it up. I just thought that you didn't care."
"It's just that- All Might, you told me that you were at UA to search for someone to inherit One For All. I thought I put everything I had into winning the Sports Festival, but there were other people who fought even harder than I did. I wasn't able to tell the world that 'I am here' and I wasn't able to reach out to Ryuko. I couldn't even make it to the finals without help. So maybe-"
"You're thinking that it might be better if I chose someone else to be my successor," All Might finished for him.
Izuku held his breath. All Might had put his faith in him to be his successor. He couldn't bring himself to tell his idol that he was wrong to do that. But if he was, then it was wrong for him to keep a power he didn't deserve. "Yes," he admitted, his shoulders relaxing.
"Well, you're not wrong. There are plenty of talented individuals in these halls. One For All is a crystallization of power, so it enhances quirks as well. For example, if Young Matoi had it, I don't think it would be much of an exaggeration to call her a god."
So it was true. Even All Might himself knew that there were better choices then him. Izuku's lip began to tremble. "Then-"
"But you know, I was quirkless too as a kid!"
Izuku turned around to face his hero, who was grinning widely. "Quirkless? Seriously?"
"Back then it wasn't as rare of a thing," he explained. "But it was still out of the ordinary. Even though I didn't have a power of my own, I had someone who believed in my potential. My master gave me One For All and raised me to become a hero."
"You never told me about any of this!"
"It's not my fault you never asked," All Might pointed out. "Which is honestly kind of surprising!"
He had a point. Izuku was kicking himself for not asking such an obvious question. If One For All was passed down from generation to generation, then it only made sense that All Might himself had to get it from somewhere. But on the other hand, All Might was so powerful that it never even crossed his mind that he was once just like him. "I just can't believe the number one hero used to be quirkless!"
"It's true. I guess I saw a little of the old me in you. But kid, you've gone beyond my expectations time and time again." All Might crouched down and put his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "Look, I know that you didn't accomplish what you originally set out to do. But look at what you did achieve! You learned to use One For All without hurting yourself and you convinced Young Todoroki to stop holding himself back. These are great things and I'm sure that you'll go on to do many more."
Izuku's eyes began to water. He'd lived his entire life that he could never become a hero, or anyone of importance because of his lack of a quirk. But now, he was learning that not only was it done before, but by All Might no less! So it was true. Even someone quirkless could change the world if they tried. He would make sure that would too.
"I'll do my best!"
"My god, how the hell is that a uniform?" Ryuko Matoi exclaimed at the giant tank that was rolling towards her.
"Wait till you hear how it sounds! For my first piece, Light Cavalry Overture!"
Jakuzure pointed her baton forward and her tank began to shake as it blared music. No, it was more than that. The entire stadium was shaking from the force of the vibrations.
"Great, so she's gonna fight with her bad music," Ryuko groaned.
Jakuzure had terrible taste, but Ryuko looked closer at the tank and realized what she was doing. The entire thing was basically a giant speaker system on wheels. She hadn't gotten a good look at Jakuzure's uniform before, but what she did know was that her quirk let her manipulate sound waves. And that tank was huge source of them.
"It's so loud I can't think!" Senketsu complained.
"Then let's shut her up! Life Fiber Synchronize: Kamui Senketsu!"
Those speakers may have been powerful, but Ryuko was pretty confident in her ability to dodge sonic attacks. She charged at Jakuzure and prepared to bring her sword down on the tank, splitting it in two, when the speakers fired their first blast. The sound waves covered so much area that despite all her speed, she was unable to dodge. The sound was powerful enough to make her bones and organs vibrate, making her spit up blood as she was launched back.
"I'm getting nauseous from the sound!" Senketsu said weakly.
"Hmm, that was a pretty good warmup. But I think it was a little... sharp."
A barrage of music note-shaped blades fired out of the front of Jakuzure's tank. Even as Ryuko deflected most of them with her scissor blade, a few managed to hit her. It wasn't enough to break her skin, but it still hurt like hell. Not as badly as that pun though.
Ryuko prepared herself for another barrage and as soon as her eyes caught the first razor note, she swiftly dashed across the arena. Jakuzure tried to lead her shots, but Ryuko was still too fast for her, making the blades leave a trail in the ground.
"Haha! Dance for me!" Jakuzure shrieked.
Damn it! If that little gremlin wanted her to dance, she'd get it! While she was reloading, Ryuko jumped in the air for another attack, preparing for the another sonic blast. Despite her being ready for it, she still got blasted out of the air again by another sound wave. As she skidded to a halt on the ground, she could feel Senketsu's Life Fibers writhing in discomfort.
Ryuko had stop for a moment just so her lungs could stop vibrating. So that was how she planned to avoid getting hit. The tank was too large for Ryuko to hit without getting into the air first. And that meant turning herself into a sitting duck. Even though she could move faster than sound, that didn't mean shit when she couldn't move in the air!
"Ryuko, I feel like... I don't know how to describe it, but it feels like our connection is weakening!"
"Just hang in there for a little longer! She can't avoid getting hit forever!"
If she couldn't jump in the air to get closer to the tank, then she'd have to bring it down to her! The massive machine looked slow and clumsy, so Ryuko would have no problem getting in close and slicing its treads off. Then she'd be able to land a hit without needing to get in the air and make herself vulnerable!
"That's more like it! But it feels like it's still missing something. Oh, I know! It's missing the sweet sound of your screams!" Jakuzure gleefully cackled. "Oh well, I'll just have to wring a better performance out of you!"
The back of the tank began to morph into what looked like a tail fin and its treads retracted, replaced by even more speakers. They started blaring loudly and the entire thing slowly rose in the air. Once it was off the ground, the vibrating air around the speakers was replaced by a bright pink glow, making the tank shoot up into the sky. She must have been focusing the vibrations to propel herself!
"Symphony Regalia Presto!"
"Oh great, that huge thing flies now?"
"Damn right it flies now! That's my power! The other three could never even dream of doing this!" Jakuzure boasted. "This is the power that was entrusted to me by Lady Satsuki, my power is hers to wield!"
Satsuki Kiryuin observed the fight from her private viewing box, though her mind was beginning to wander. Half of the reason she was interested in the festival was gone after all. At the very least, she could get some work done. She set down her phone on the table next to her and placed a call that was immediately answered.
"Iori, status report."
A holographic image of the Sewing Club's President emerged from the device. "I've already finished analyzing the Shackle Regalia and the Probe Regalia. The Symphony Regalia is being studied for weaknesses as we speak."
"Good. And what is the progress on the special project I requested?"
The image of Iori sighed. "My lady, I don't need to remind you that at this stage, we're trying to streamline our forces, not add to them. This boy has potential, but I'm not about to prioritize him over the Elite Four. Once I've finished on redesigning their uniforms I'll make a template for the Might Regalia. Even then, I can't make any promises. I'll need a lot more data for this to work."
It was a reasonable response. Satsuki had to admit that she was putting quite the workload on her old friend already. But she couldn't pass up the chance to acquire such a valuable asset. "Put the Might Regalia on hold for now," she conceded. "Instead, see if you can use an Athleticism Augmenting Two Star Uniform as a base and specialize it to absorb and disperse large amounts of energy rather than generate power on its own."
Iori rubbed his chin in thought for a few seconds. "That should be doable. I'll have the schematics sent over to you as soon as they're done, Lady Satsuki."
He finished the call with a salute before his image disappeared. Good, hopefully that was one prospective addition to her inner circle she had locked down. Satsuki turned her attention to the fight to see how the other one was doing.
Evidently, not very well. Jakuzure had already taken to the air, no doubt with the goal of using her superior range to blanket the arena in explosions without fear of a counter-attack. It was an admittedly simple strategy, but simple strategies were often the most practical. And Jakuzure had an endless amount of pride in it.
She was so prideful about almost everything from her quirk, to her status, to her relationship with Satsuki. The other Elites may have vehemently disagreed, but Satsuki found it quite endearing. She smiled reminiscing about their history, one of the few sources of good memories from her childhood. They had come so far since those days of building sand castles in the playground. Now the castles they built were in their hearts.
It was another beautiful day for Nonon Jakuzure, her head held high as she marched across the playground, just as she had done every day before. Her teachers continued to praise everything she did, no matter how trivial. It was quite hilarious really, watching a grown adult have to act like firing a single sound blast was the most impressive thing they'd ever seen. Her followers still offered her no shortage of favors and her mastery over her quirk continued to improve.
But best of all, was that she hadn't needed to deal with that Kiryuin girl for over a week now!
The prank Nonon had tried pulling on her the other day seemed like a total failure at first. The Kiryuin girl didn't even bat an oversized eyebrow as her stupid book exploded in front of her. And when Nonon had called her a villain, she had the nerve to start playing along, still smiling the entire time! In hindsight, she was probably just trying her best to save face. It was the last time Nonon had seen the girl after all. Maybe it was even enough to make her transfer to another school for good!
It certainly seemed that way, given that school was about to start and Nonon still hadn't caught even a glimpse of the girl or her precious daddy. She was about to round up her followers to make them carry her into school when the growl of an engine caught her perfectly trained ears.
A huge SUV with the Kiryuin Conglomerate's emblem on its side pulled into the school's parking lot. Followed by another. And another. And another. The cars formed a circle and armed guards poured out of their doors, pointing their guns at teachers and even children. A singular limousine had pulled up behind the rest of the fleet and a guard opened its doors for the lone occupant.
It was her.
Well, obviously it was her, the cars did have her company's logo on them after all. But if it wasn't for that, she was practically unrecognizable. Not a hint of the cheerful daddy's girl remained. It had been replaced by a sharp, deadly beauty, like an unsheathed knife.
As the girl walked up to the school, students and teachers alike moved out of her way, forming a path for her. Nonon's own followers had left her side, flocking to the Kiryuin girl's instead. It was becoming clear to Nonon where the girl was walking. She was coming her way!
"Nonon Jakuzure."
Nonon froze in place as the girl called out her name. It was the same soft, gentle voice she'd heard so many times before, but now with a cold grace to it. "I- ugh..." she stammered.
"Right. I forgot that I never properly introduced myself to you," the girl said, her gaze unwavering even as Nonon's own eyes darted around. "My name is Satsuki Kiryuin. We haven't spoken much, but I understand that your parents run a company under the Kiryuin Conglomerate. I hope that this relationship can extend to our own."
The girl- no, Satsuki, offered her hand out to Nonon. Really? That was it? She couldn't possibly be this dense. There was no way she wouldn't be absolutely pissed about how Nonon had treated her before. This had to be some kind of trick!
Nonon stood there for a few seconds, thinking about how to respond when Satsuki pulled her hand back. "It's alright. I understand that this is a bit much. There's been an... incident in my family, so my mother thought it best I have more protection. You don't have to take my hand now, but it is still extended to you."
As Satsuki left her, walking into the school building with her long, black hair flowing in the wind, Nonon let out a sigh of relief. What was happening to her? Nonon was terrified, she admitted it. There was no point in trying to cling to her ego now. But there was something more to it. A part of her that... liked the feeling of her heart beating in her chest, growing in intensity the longer she looked into Satsuki's eyes.
Wait, like her? No! She was just finally starting to behave as she should have from the very beginning. Satsuki was right though, now that she was starting to understand her place in the world, it would be beneficial for Nonon to start establishing a better relationship with her. The two most important people at their school should stick together after all. But that was all it was. Nothing more, nothing less.
That was how it was for the next few months. Nonon was slightly worried that she might be knocked down a peg on the totem poll, but she still remained the undisputed queen of their class. That wasn't to say that nothing had changed. Now Satsuki was there. Nonon was the queen, sure, but Satsuki was the king. People laughed with Nonon, talked about her, respected her. But Satsuki was always in their minds as well. Even though no one spoke to her and she spoke to no one, she still captured their hearts and minds. Everyone feared her, even if they didn't realize it.
Nonon remained the flamboyant queen, while Satsuki ruled as a silent king. It was a perfectly professional relationship. One built solely out of mutual gain. Nonon wouldn't have had it any other way, it was great to not have any complicated emotions getting in the way. No matter how much she felt that feeling of awe creep in whenever she even thought about Satsuki.
Today was shaping up to be another day of their perfect relationship. It was recess and Nonon was feeling in the mood to make the other students do something for her. Her eyes wandered over to the sandbox and an idea struck her.
"Y'know, I sure would like a castle," she suggested, putting on the sweetest (and fakest) face she could. Of course, everyone knew that a suggestion from her was no different than an order.
At once, all the boys dropped whatever they were doing to fulfill Nonon's request. It only took them a few seconds to build an elaborate sand castle, big enough that she would easily be able to tower over even the teachers once she climbed it!
"This is my sandbox now!" she proclaimed, a smug smile creeping on her face. "And no one else is allowed to play in it!"
Nonon realized she made a mistake as soon as the last word left her lips. She had to pay tribute to the king after all. A shiver ran up her spine just thinking about Satsuki again. An extremely pleasant shiver- no! Just a normal one.
"Well, except for you, Satsuki!" she quickly corrected herself. "You can have a sand castle of your own too!"
"No."
What?
"I already have my own sand." Satsuki held out her hand with a small pile of sand in her palm.
"That's it?"
"My sand was left over from that," she said, gesturing to the REVOCS HQ that seemed to take up the entire sky. "It was turned to concrete and used to make that skyscraper. And from the top of it, a child like me can look down on all the adults in the world."
At that moment, a huge gust of wind blowed over the schoolyard, nearly knocking Nonon off of her feet. The castle she was so proud of had returned to the sand it came from. But despite the power of the wind and the sand blowing in their eyes, Satsuki remained completely unfazed.
"A castle that crumbles to a single gust of wind is worthless. Wouldn't you agree, Nonon?"
"Yeah, but sooner or later every building crumbles."
Nonon had just finished rubbing the sand out of her eyes when she was blinded by something else. A bright light that seemed to be coming from Satsuki herself.
"Not if you build them in your heart. The fortress built in my mind will never crumble. Ever."
All those feelings Nonon had tried suppressing and denying burst out. She knocked the pile of sand out of Satsuki's hands and tightly held onto them. They were smooth and delicate, but still had a warm tenderness beneath. At that moment, Nonon knew she had to hold onto these hands forever and ever! She was the only one who had that right! The only one who understood Satsuki Kiryuin.
"Forget about the sand! From now on, I'll help you build stuff, whatever you want. I'll stay by your side for the rest of our lives!"
"For my next piece, the William Tell Overture Finale!"
Ryuko Matoi's ears began to cringe as another blast of god-awful music began to blare from Jakuzure's now flying tank. For someone who prided herself so much on her musical talent, she was little more than an amateur. Did no one ever teach her that just playing loud wasn't the same as playing good? Even if her tempo and tone were perfect, the lack of proper dynamics-
A barrage of razor notes were fired from the airship. Ryuko would have to put her internal musical critique on hold to deflect the projectiles with her scissor blade. With how much further Jakuzure was now, she had no problem stopping every one of them from hitting her. Hold on, she was way further away now!
"Hey, you're out of bounds!" Ryuko pointed out. "That means you're disqualified! Come on ref, call it!"
"No, you're disqualified when you land out of bounds, not when you're still in the air, dumbass!" Jakuzure laughed. "And since I'm flying, I haven't landed out of bounds. Therefore, it's legal!"
Ryuko looked over at Midnight for support, but the referee just shrugged. Ryuko nearly sputtered in disbelief. Fine, just fine! When were things ever not stacked against her anyway?
"You know, you should complain less and fight more!" Jakuzure taunted. "Let's see if you can dodge this!"
The bottom bay of the airship opened, deploying a giant missile shaped like a recorder. Even though Ryuko was capable of outrunning the missile as it rocketed toward her, there was nowhere she could run that wouldn't still get hit by the explosion. That meant she'd just have to brace herself!
Ryuko was showered by flames from the explosion, not even feeling the heat. She still had no idea how that thing could be considered a uniform. Oh well, there was no use complaining about it now. Besides, Jakuzure had just told her how to beat her! If she only lost once she touched the ground, then she would just have to help her along. She extended a cable made from Senketsu's Life Fibers and tied the end to her scissor blade. It may have failed against Sanageyama, but there was no way Jakuzure would be able to dodge!
She twirled her scissor blade like a lasso and hurled it into the air. The cable wrapped around the airship several times before the blade finally anchored itself in the ship's hull. Now she just needed to anchor herself. Several spikes shot out from Senketsu's skirt, digging into the arena and locking her in place. At least, that's what should have happened.
"Senketsu, what's going on? Anchor us to the ground!"
"Ugh, I feel like I'm gonna hurl! Is that possible- Oh, right!"
"Keep it together! We almost have this!"
What was happening to him? All the music was annoying for sure, but for some reason it was making Senketsu physically ill. Hopefully this move would mean that they wouldn't have to listen to it anymore! Ryuko tugged on the cable with all her might, pulling Jakuzure's airship out of the sky. Right before it landed out of bounds, the music suddenly stopped. Jakuzure focused all the sound waves near her airship, blasting a massive crater out of the ground and keeping her in the air.
"You think you can tie me down?" she growled. "I'll cut those flimsy ropes to pieces!"
Another barrage of razor notes fired at the cable, but they only bounced off harmlessly. Ryuko started to smirk. She had Jakuzure right where she wanted her. The only way she could escape was by cutting the cable, but that wasn't gonna happen anytime soon!
"Sorry, but Senketsu is made of 100% Life Fibers! You ain't cutting through him that easy!"
"This fight has been one hell of a roller coaster the whole way through! I'm no stranger to loud noises, but even I could feel that bass rocking me to the core! And how 'bout that flying? I didn't even realize something like that was allowed!" Present Mic announced.
"It's true that you only lose once you hit the ground over the boundary line, so flying out of bounds is legal. But Matoi adapted to that loophole excellently," Mr. Aizawa responded.
Izuku Midoriya had finally made his way back to the stands, which looked like they were in the middle of a warzone. In a way, they kind of were. From what he could gather, Jakuzure's uniform had transformed into a gigantic mobile speaker system. It made sense for her quirk, which as far as he could gather seemed like the ability to manipulate sound waves. But in addition to providing sound waves to manipulate, it also had missiles?
Just as he was about to sit down next to Mako, Uraraka, and the former Elites, Izuku realized that the stands were a lot less noisy than they usually were. He knew that Iida and Todoroki had already left, but they hardly talked unprompted anyway. Jakuzure was currently fighting, but her regular bickering partner was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, where's Sanageyama?" he asked.
"He went outside to warm up his uniform before the fight," Gamagoori explained.
"Oh, really? That's kind of odd."
"What, do you miss him?" Inumuta taunted. "Besides, there's nothing odd about it. He's been itching for a fight against Matoi for months now, fighting is just about the only thing that keeps him calm."
"It's just that he already used his uniform against Iida and he'll get the chance to use it again when he fights Kacchan. I don't know why he'd want to warm up now and miss watching Ryuko to study her moves."
"Anyway, isn't Ryuko the coolest?" Mankanshoku practically screamed. "I don't think I can hear anymore! Oh wait, I can hear again! No, that's just ringing."
"Yeah!" Izuku agreed. "She must have realized that she can't dodge sound waves that cover the entire arena while she's in the air, so it was smart to anchor Jakuzure to the ground like that. Now Ryuko can bring her in close for a hit or just make her land out of bounds!"
"On the other hand, Matoi being anchored to the ground means that she can't dodge any of Jakuzure's attacks," Inumuta pointed out.
"But does that really matter? If Jakuzure can't cut Life Fibers then what can she do?"
"It's true that she can't harm Life Fibers. But the ground on the other hand..."
Izuku immediately understood what he was implying. And given all the rubble and covered ears surrounding him, he braced himself for what was about to come next.
Ryuko Matoi was pulling on the cable connecting her to Jakuzure as the airship pulled in the opposite direction with the full force of its thrusters. Jakuzure was no longer trying to sever the cable, but instead rip her anchor out of the ground. It was a stalemate currently, but while Ryuko still had strength to spare, Jakuzure's control over her sound waves was waning.
Jakuzure must have realized her situation, if the furious scowl was any indication. But then it changed into a maniacal grin. "Let's see how you handle this!"
Several panels on the airship retracted, revealing even more speakers. Blasts of sound waves focused into thin, white beams covered every square inch of the arena, blanketing it in explosions.
"Don't worry, I can handle these explosions!"
That wasn't what Ryuko was worried about. Even as the blasts raged right in her face, each one more powerful than Bakugo's Howitzer Impact, she was able to hold firm. The arena on the other hand was being ripped apart, loosening Ryuko's anchors. She was constantly replanting them into the ground, but at this rate there wouldn't be any ground left!
And if there wasn't any ground left, then there was nothing to stop Jakuzure from pulling her out of bounds instead! Ryuko was starting to get overwhelmed just trying to stay rooted in place and being connected to the airship wasn't worth it at this point. So she reluctantly retracted the cable, freeing her opponent from the grasp she worked so hard to keep her in.
Damn it, even if she managed to get out of the barrage of explosions, she was back at square one! There was just no way she could move around in the air with enough agility to get in close to Jakuzure. She'd seen All Might change directions mid-air just using pure strength, but it still wasn't precise enough and she couldn't master that in the middle of a fight!
What little remained of the ground was starting to get even more unsteady, so Ryuko had to fire up Senketsu's thrusters just to stay on her feet. Hey, now that just might work! As long as Senketsu was able to pull off something so crazy.
"Senketsu, are you up for doing something really, really reckless?"
"Ryuko, is that you? I'm sorry, but it's getting hard to focus! I don't know how much longer I can hang in here!"
"Hey, it's alright! I'm right here, try to tune out the music and focus on my voice. Whenever it gets overwhelming, just shut your senses off and focus on that. I know it's a lot, but you can trust me, right?"
Ryuko felt Senketsu take a deep breath and his Life Fibers stopped writhing. She hadn't realized it before, but he had gotten progressively tighter as the fight went on. Now that all the pressure was relieved at once, she could feel just how much of a difference it was making. What the hell was in that music?
"Thank you, Ryuko. Now, I'll do my best!"
Senketsu's skirt extended all the way down to her feet, which were now attached to each other. Ryuko felt herself lift off the ground slightly as a vibrant red flame was emitted from the rocket engine where her shoes used to be. Her shoulder pads also extended, increasing the size of her thrusters and essentially making them giant wings.
It was just in time too, as the bay of Jakuzure's airship opened to reveal a dozen of the missiles she fired earlier. They rained down on the arena, blowing what little of it remained to smithereens and even knocking some unlucky spectators out of their seats. If Ryuko was still on the ground, there was no way she'd have avoided getting knocked out of bounds, but Senketsu's new flight mode let her dodge the blasts without even getting grazed!
A cloud of dark smog covered the entire stadium, even at the top rows, but Jakuzure was still hovering high above it. Ryuko blasted out from the smoke like a rocket, climbing high above the stadium and even Jakuzure herself. For the first time during their fight, Ryuko was the one looking down on her. And she had to admit, it felt pretty good.
"That's my Senketsu! You can do anything!" she exclaimed. "Let's call this form..."
"Senketsu Shippu!"
If Jakuzure liked being up high so much, then seeing someone above her had to make her furious. Sure enough, the tiny girl looked like she was on the verge of committing a homicide. "The sky is mine, damnit! So now the gloves are coming off," she growled.
"YOU GODDAMN, STINKING BITCH!"
Six Years Ago
Nonon Jakuzure had come a long way from her kindergarten days. Well, not that much of a long way considering she was at the top from the very beginning. But spending the rest of her elementary school days with just one person she truly trusted and respected was quite the improvement over legions of sycophants. But today was the day she'd put elementary school behind her and begin a new chapter of her life. As soon as this stupid graduation party was over anyway.
The CEO of the Kiryuin Conglomerate had insisted on throwing a party in celebration of her daughter graduating elementary school. And since her parents were her employee's, that meant Nonon had to come too. At least the guest list was interesting. Business executives, world leaders, and celebrities were all in attendance. Hell, even Japan's top ten heroes were stopping by! And of course, there was the woman of the hour herself, Satsuki Kiryuin.
"Hello, Nonon," she greeted in her usual formal tone. "I trust you're enjoying the party?"
Nonon scoffed. "Yeah, nothing I love more than watching a bunch of old farts talk about business deals and transport chains. I guess it's kinda fun watching Takarada make a fool of himself. But this isn't about me! What are you doing here? This is your party after all, I thought your mom would put you up on stage or something."
Satsuki shook her head. "That's just the excuse my mother made. The real purpose of this party is that she wants REVOCS to branch into the hero industry. I suppose one day you might be doing business with them, considering you were accepted to a hero school."
Nonon laughed sheepishly, but still held her head up with pride at her accomplishment. Satsuki's statement wasn't entirely accurate. Hero courses weren't available until high school, but hero preparatory courses were offered in a select number of prestigious junior high schools only the country's elite got accepted to. Such as Nonon herself.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. But why didn't you apply? We both know you could have easily gotten in. And really, Rinne-Do Junior High? That place is a degenerate shithole, why on Earth would you want to go there?"
Satsuki let out a small sigh. "Nonon, we've been over this. You know how I feel about heroes. And Rinne-Do is nothing more than a stepping stone. One I need to prove to my mother that my plan will work."
There it was again, her grand plan to change the world. Nonon and Satsuki always got along despite their differences, but the one major source of friction between them was Satsuki's plan. It was why despite their friendship, despite Nonon's vow to stay by Satsuki's side, their lives were destined to head in different directions.
"Yeah, I know. You're gonna take over the school and bunch of others to create your perfect world without heroes. You've only told me a million times."
"And I'm telling you again because I want to do it with you by my side."
"And I want you by my side! I know how you feel about heroes, but I think if you saw what they were really capable of you'd change your mind! Maybe even... that wouldn't have to happen anymore." Nonon finally addressed the elephant in the room, the bandages covering Satsuki's right arm.
Satsuki looked away as her good arm brushed over the bandages. "This is nothing to worry about. I... fell down some stairs, that's all."
"Wow. All your planning and scheming and you still can't tell a convincing lie."
"I told you, this is nothing," she said more firmly. "Goodbye, Nonon."
As Satsuki turned away, Nonon grasped her hand. "Satsuki, wait! I've known you since forever, I- I know how it really happened." Nonon took a deep breath. "And I know what she does to you. I've seen it."
Satsuki's eyes widened with horror for a brief moment. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, Satsuki! You disappear with your mother for hours and come back with bruises and broken bones, what else could be happening? I haven't seen much, but I know what goes on in your 'training' sessions with her. The way she forces you to fight until you can't move. How she goes ballistic at the slightest perceived mistake. I can't believe I didn't realize it until I saw it myself yesterday. How am I the only one who knows?"
Satsuki let out a sigh of what Nonon could have swore sounded like relief. Now it was her turn to grab Nonon. She pulled her over to an unoccupied corner, far away from the rest of the guests. "Of course you're not the only one who knows," she whispered.
"What? Then why-"
"Don't you get it? Anyone who knows is either on my mother's payroll or too terrified of her to do anything. So they pretend that they don't. I can't wait for a hero to save me, that is something only I can do."
"But- but they're right here!" Nonon protested, gesturing to the heroes currently spread out among the party. "Look, I'll go tell one of them what's going on! They have to help! That's their job!"
"Their job is to preserve the status quo."
"No, you're wrong," Nonon said, trying more to convince herself than Satsuki. "A hero won't be scared of your mother. They'll stop her and save you right now!"
Nonon walked away from Satsuki. She'd prove her wrong, she'd prove that there were heroes who would help no matter what! Sure, some of them were probably cowards, but these were the top ten! As soon as she told them what was going on, they'd beat up Satsuki's mom and then they could be heroes together!
Endeavor tried to tune out the Kiryuin Conglomerate's CEO as she heaped praises on All Might. Right in front of him. While he'd only met the woman a few times, he knew she cared nothing for heroics beyond how much money it could make her. She was just trying to get under his skin.
"It really is a shame that All Might couldn't make it," she continued. "But having you here is almost as much of an honor."
Knowing that overgrown boy scout, he was probably occupied with rescuing cats from trees or off chasing some quirk-stealing boogeyman. Though to be honest, Endeavor wished he could trade places. It would certainly be an improvement to attending this ridiculous party. Unlike All Might though, Endeavor had to fight hard for every scrap of influence and power he had. He didn't have the luxury of being able to blow off the most powerful international conglomerate in the world. No matter how much he wished he could.
"Yes, now I believe we were discussing business. I would like to get back to that."
"Of course, of course," she said, taking a glass of champagne from one of the waiters offering them. "Care for a drink?"
Endeavor wrinkled his nose. "I don't drink."
"Suit yourself. As I said earlier, I want REVOCS to expand into the hero industry. We'll be designing costumes, support items, and branded merchandise. And for the launch of this new product line, we're looking to have only the most prestigious heroes represent our brand. As the number two hero, you most certainly fit the bill."
Endeavor scoffed. He was a professional hero, not some model promoting a new line of dresses! "I'm not walking down a runway. This suit will have to hold up in combat and withstand temperatures of over 2000 degrees celsius. If this is your first venture into the hero industry, why would I trust you over more experienced designers?"
"REVOCS's sister companies already provide combat gear and uniforms for militaries around the world. I assure you, there will be no problems with your suit's combat efficiency," the CEO said in between sips of her champagne. "All of the top engineers under the Kiryuin Conglomerate are being transferred to REVOCS for this project. If anything, you'll experience an increase in performance."
"That's certainly a bold claim. But I'll have to pass. I'm content with my current costume."
The CEO let out a small chuckle. "REVOCS is offering you so much more than a simple costume. Do you know why you keep losing to All Might? Even if you're weaker than him, you still have a higher number of cases resolved than him after all. The problem you have isn't your power, it's your branding. That is what REVOCS can offer you."
"Explain."
"All Might's brand practically writes itself. He's the Symbol of Peace, the Number One Hero, the World's Strongest Man. For heaven's sake, this country wouldn't even exist without him! When people think of All Might, that's what immediately comes to mind. But you? You're just another hero making the rounds in an already oversaturated market. Without a specific image, people create their own based on the few identifying features you do have. Like the perpetual number two, the Shadow of All Might."
Endeavor growled, but kept his cool. "So then what do you suggest?"
"Hmm, I admit this won't be easy. You are terribly uncharismatic, after all. But perhaps that's something we can lean into. All Might has a monopoly on the Goodie Two-Shoes corner, so maybe a... rougher and grittier angle would work better for you."
"A gritter angle?"
"Yes, play up the tough guy image! Someone only concerned with attaining power and defeating villains. Someone willing to let others get hurt if it means winning. I can already see it, the fiery renegade consumed by his rage and ambition. Honestly, you've already done most of the work yourself. REVOCS would just be leaning into what's already there for marketing."
Endeavor's brow furrowed. "That's not the kind of hero I am."
The CEO laughed again. "I beg to differ. But even if you weren't, it still wouldn't change anything. What you actually are doesn't matter, only how people perceive you."
"So a lie, then. An illusion."
"An illusion that is better than reality. I know how humans work. They may say they value truth, but what they really want is comfort. If it means they can keep living life like they always have, they'll believe anything. And if an illusion is good enough to pass for reality, why not give into it? Just something to think about."
The CEO walked away, swaying her hips with each step. Endeavor let out a sigh of relief as soon as she was out of sight. God, that woman was creepy. But she made a few good points. He'd probably have to take her up on that deal, as soon as he could get out of here that was. Before he could leave though, he felt a slight tug on his pant leg.
"Um, excuse me?" a tiny girl with pink hair asked. "Do you have a minute?"
Just what Endeavor needed. Another annoying fan.
"No."
"Don't worry, I'll be quick! First off, I just wanna say I'm a huge fan!" the girl went on, oblivious to Endeavor's annoyance. "Like you're my favorite hero! I know everyone says you're just a knock-off of All Might, but I actually think you're way cooler than him-"
"I'm not giving out autographs," Endeavor growled. "I'm done here."
The girl grabbed him again. "Wait! I- I do have something important to tell you. It's my friend, Satsuki. Satsuki Kiryuin. I've seen her mom... hit her. Like really hard. She calls it 'training', but it's enough to make her throw up or break her bones. I don't know how long it's been happening, but it's probably been years. But now you're here! You can beat that old hag up and save her right now!"
For a brief moment, Endeavor contemplated what the girl was telling him. It was true that Kiryuin's daughter was hiding away in the corner, bandages covering her right arm. But that didn't necessarily mean it was done on purpose. Injury was always a possibility in any serious training. If anything, it would serve to make her stronger, in order to prevent that injury from happening again.
And what if he did try to arrest her? He was a guest at her party in her building surrounded by her security guards. While the initial fighting would probably be chaotic, there wouldn't be any trouble subduing her. But the social and legal fallout would a nightmare. Not to mention he would be torpedoing any prospects of partnering with any companies under the Kiryuin Conglomerate. If his public image was the thing truly keeping him from surpassing All Might, an incident like that would set him back decades!
Endeavor looked over at Kiryuin, who was currently giving the same spiel she gave him to another hero. This was ridiculous, the Kiryuin Conglomerate had advanced medical knowledge by decades and even ended wars. He couldn't just arrest the most powerful woman in the world based on the whims of a single girl who was probably just overreacting! Besides, even if this girl was telling the truth, that hardly warranted an immediate arrest. Because if that was enough to make someone a villain, then that would mean he...
"ENOUGH!" Endeavor roared, his face bursting into flames. "You have done nothing but waste my time! I have far more important issues to deal with than the overactive imagination of a child! Leave me this instant and find someone else to annoy!"
The girl's excited smile quickly fell. "What? B- but, you're a hero! You have to save people when they're in trouble!"
"The only thing I have to do is surpass All Might! NOW I SAID LEAVE!"
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes before she ran away in terror. Finally, it was over. Endeavor let the flames on his face die out as he slumped down on the nearest chair.
"Waiter," he said exasperatedly. "I'd like that drink now."
Nonon Jakuzure wiped the tears from her eyes as she got as far away from that flaming pile of garbage as she could. Who needed that second-rate wannabe anyway? If he didn't want to help, then that bastard could go ahead wasting the rest of his miserable life chasing after All Might for all she cared!
As Nonon's hyperventilating slowed down, her mind began to clear. Yeah, she didn't need Endeavor specifically. There were still plenty of heroes around, one of them had to listen to her! She went to every hero she could find, telling them the same thing she told Endeavor. Each and every one of them responded the same way.
"That's nothing to get worked up over. It sounds like it was nothing more than an accident."
"I'm afraid you must be making a mistake, sweetie. Didn't you hear how REVOCS donated clothes to millions of children? She would never do something like that!"
"This is... uh, a bit outside of my area of expertise. Maybe someone else can help your friend."
What was happening here? Why were they all... so useless? She was telling the truth straight to their faces and not a single one of them did anything about it! Deep down, Nonon already knew the answer. Because they couldn't accept that there was a problem in their perfect world. So it was easier to just pretend the problem didn't exist in the first place. Satsuki was right about them.
As she walked back to Satsuki, it seemed she already knew what happened. Her face was full of sorrow, but also understanding.
"Now you see what they really are. They refuse to acknowledge those that they can't save, so they sweep their pain under the rug," she said solemnly. "But you have a strong spirit, Nonon. I know that when you become a hero, you'll be better than them. Perhaps you'll even be able to change hero society for the better."
Nonon felt a burning sensation growing inside of her stomach. Make herself a part of that world just so she could be a benefit to it? Why the hell would she do that? There wasn't a grain of sand in that entire rotten system worth preserving!
"Screw that! I'm not gonna be anything like them! I'm coming with you and we're gonna build this world from the ground up together!"
Satsuki raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh? What changed your mind?"
Nonon gripped Satsuki's hands, harder and tighter than she ever had before. They felt different than they did the first time she held them, all those years ago in kindergarten. Years of training her swordsmanship had made them grow calloused and rough, but Nonon still felt their warmth and tenderness beneath. Yes, that was what she would be fighting for.
"This entire hero society, everything they've built, all of it is built on lies. It's nothing more than a castle made of sand," she growled. "And I think it's about time someone knock it down!"
Present Day
Nonon was absolutely furious. Just who the hell did this bitch think she was? The power to fly was entrusted to her by Satsuki and only her. It was proof that they were she trusted Nonon more than any of the other Elites. If that bitch thought that she could waltz right into her sky, then she'd have to knock her out of it!
The full power of her Symphony Regalia roared to life, launching barrage after barrage of missiles and razor blades, all enhanced by Nonon's own Cacophony adding focused sonic blasts to the mix. Even as the sky was covered in projectiles as far as the eye could see, Matoi had managed to evade every single one. How the hell was she so agile? Not even that overgrown chicken could evade her for this long!
The horrible screeching of metal slicing through metal filled her sensitive ears. Apparently despite learning how to fly, Matoi was still going for the same tricks as before. Well, it made countering it easier at least.
"Alright, that does it! Time to drop the bass on you!"
Nonon fired a sonic blast, not focusing it with Cacophony so it could cover as much area as possible. Even though Matoi was now able to fly in order to avoid getting hit, it still succeeded in getting her out of melee range.
Now just where the hell was she going? Nonon looked all around before finally catching a glimpse of the crimson energy trail Matoi left behind heading... back toward the stadium? She followed her opponent in hot pursuit, who was shooting straight toward... right where Lady Satsuki was sitting!
Nonon's rage exploded into a blood-boiling fury. That bitch! There was no way she would stand for someone daring to attack Satsuki, not while she was still breathing! The jets on her Symphony Regalia fired at full power, letting her rapidly gain on her opponent. She didn't need missiles or sonic blasts, she was gonna make this hurt as much as possible!
Right as Matoi began to ready her sword, Nonon slammed into her at full speed. Despite being hit by a giant tank flying at supersonic speeds, the girl was practically unharmed and managed to recover before hitting the ground. What the hell was she made of?
"How dare you attack Lady Satsuki!" she screamed. "No one gets between us!"
Nonon tried taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. All that anger would ruin her music. But there was something else ruining her performance already. Now that she was back inside the stadium, the cheers of the crowd and that obnoxious DJ's stupid comments were like worms in her ears. The incessant babbling of the masses driving her insane.
Those pathetic, useless idiots! Satsuki was almost attacked right in front of their worthless eyes and they were all still smiling and cheering. They were living in their perfect little bubble, treating everything like it was just some game! Because what? Some bigger idiots in costumes told them everything was fine?
A sinister idea formed in Nonon's head. This was a hero school right? Then it only made sense to test if Matoi was willing to act like one. That bitch had tried to hurt the person she cared about more than anything in the world. Now she was going to return the favor!
Nonon quickly located the underachiever and that crybaby nerd. Symphony Regalia's bay opened and dozens of missiles fired, screaming toward the stands. Matoi let out a gasp of shock as she rocketed toward the missiles, intercepting them before they could reach the stands.
The missiles exploded and Nonon couldn't help but cackle. Of course the transfer student would step in to protect her friends, and that meant tanking every single missile she fired! A cloud of smoke surrounded the stands and Matoi was still nowhere to be seen.
Until she emerged from the explosion. Holding one of her missiles.
Oh. That might be a problem.
Time itself seemed to slow down for Nonon, giving her just enough time to contemplate just how screwed she was. Matoi hurled the missile like a javelin at her, piercing clean through Symphony Regalia's hull. There was a slight delay before it exploded, blasting the airship to pieces and sending all her unused ammunition flying.
It took a while, but Nonon finally managed to pull herself out of the rubble. Damn it, how did that girl manage to get the drop on her-
A swift strike to the back of the head interrupted her thoughts.
"So what happened to you big performance? Can't fly anymore?" Matoi taunted, hovering above her. "I was just wondering. Cause if you can't... you are so screwed!"
She couldn't really argue with that. Matoi zipped around in the air, smacking Nonon around like a beach ball dozens of times. This was far from over though, she still had a trick up her sleeve: Shamelessly begging for mercy. With her charm and cuteness, it was guaranteed to work!
"Whoa, hold it! I can't fly anymore, so shouldn't you come down and fight here?" Nonon feebly pleaded. "You have an unfair advantage!"
"Don't play that card with me! I gotta chance to win, so I'm taking it!"
Well, most of the time it was guaranteed to work.
"Finishing Move: Sen-i-Soshitsu!"
Matoi's scissor blade slashed across her uniform, sending her flying across the arena. Even as Nonon hit the ground with a rather ungraceful thud, she still had a smirk on her face. She still had one last trick left!
"Symphony Regalia Da Capo!"
Ryuko Matoi was so ready for this fight to just end already. Just how much left in the tank did that girl have? Her uniform turning into a tank was one thing, that tank starting to fly was another, but surviving a Sen-i-Soshitsu and getting a third form on top was starting to push it.
At least this last one was nowhere near as ridiculous. The skintight suit Jakuzure was wearing was now a tailed jacket, similar to what a conductor would wear. Her hat was a lot bigger than before too and the front of it kind of looked like- Wait, was that a cannon?
"For my final piece, here's a little tune everyone knows. Beethoven's Symphony Number 5, Fate!"
A booming bass filled the air as the barrel of her hat cannon extended forward and started to warm up with the signature sparkles of Life Fiber activity. A vibrant pink beam blasted out of the cannon, smashing clean through the stadium walls. Even though she could see the beam coming toward her, Ryuko felt like she was glued to the ground. The best she could do was duck under the laser, but just being near it was excruciating to her ear drums and any movement would mean getting hit directly!
"I'm just getting started!" Jakuzure shrieked.
As the cannon fully charged, the width of the beam expanded, now fully encompassing Ryuko's body. She thought she was getting used to the feeling of every internal organ being thrown in a high-speed centrifuge, but somehow it was even worse than before. Senketsu wasn't doing too hot either. That music was obviously doing something to him already and being hit with an even more powerful and focused blast of it only made it worse. If his connection was weakened by the music before, now it was almost like they weren't synchronized at all.
"Senketsu, what's wrong?"
"I don't know, I can barely hear your voice right now!"
Jakuzure giggled. 'You look confused, Transfer Student! Cacophony allows me to alter the frequency of the sound waves I control. I can make the sound coming from my uniform perfectly resonate with Life Fibers, letting me manipulate them! So here's the deal, you're gonna lie there like a wooden doll until the vibrations rip your Kamui straight off your body!"
Even as the sonic blast finally ceased, it wasn't much of a break for Ryuko. Her eardrums were still ringing and just getting back on her feet was difficult enough, there was no way she and Senketsu were synchronized enough to activate Senketsu Shippu. Restoring that connection was her top priority.
"Alright Senketsu, remember to block out the sound and focus on me."
"As much as I'd love to do that, that infernal music is much more powerful than before. Every last Life Fiber in me is vibrating. Every time I try to listen to your voice, it keeps getting drowned out. I can barely hear you anymore!"
"Forget about my voice, I'm right here with you, sharing my blood!" Ryuko suddenly shouted out without thinking. "I don't know what it is about my quirk that lets me communicate with Life Fibers, but we're connected by a lot more than just some sound waves!"
"Sharing your blood," Senketsu mused. "Yeah, I think I got it!"
Ryuko took a deep breath and readied herself. "Then here goes nothing!"
"This is your finale!" Jakuzure shrieked. "Your Fate ends here!"
Izuku Midoriya winced as another blast was fired out of Jakuzure's hat toward Ryuko. The music was hurting his ears all the way from the stands, he couldn't imagine how painful it was to actually get hit by it. He closed his eyes, but the shaking of the stadium meant that the laser had hit its mark. And then it stopped.
When he reopened his eyes, the laser had split into several smaller beams that fizzled out in the air harmlessly. It was like it had hit an invisible barrier in front of Ryuko. Looking closer, he could actually see the air around her pulsing and vibrating!
Uraraka lightly tugged on his sleeve. "Uh, Deku? What just happened?"
"She's vibrating the air around her to make a force field," he realized.
"I'm totally lost," Mankanshoku admitted. "What's going on?"
"What do you see?" Gamagoori asked.
"By projecting vibrations of her own, Matoi is able to take Jakuzure's sound waves and turn them into a pure tone," Inumuta explained, showing his laptop with a visual representation.
"Oh, then she can alter the vibrations' frequency to match hers!" Izuku joined in. "Like a tuning fork getting hit to make a single tone! With a technique like that, she could theoretically disrupt any vibration-based attack! Or if the vibrations were powerful enough, even stop solid objects by changing their trajectory!"
"I get it now!" Mankanshoku explained. "So basically what you're saying is that Ryuko is super awesome!"
"Well, that's simplifying it a lot, but yeah!"
Gamagoori smirked. "Leave it to Mankanshoku to boil down your complicated explanations. How's that for a pure tone?"
"More like pure stupidity," Inumuta grumbled.
"Hold on, Jakuzure's sonic attack works by altering the frequency to resonate with Life Fibers, right?," Izuku started thinking out loud. "And if Ryuko can also produce sound waves that are more powerful than Jakuzure's and manipulate their frequency, then that means-"
Inumuta unzipped his collar just to gasp. "She can send it right back!"
Ryuko Matoi shut her eyes and slowed down her breathing. The fewer outside stimulants, the better. If this was gonna work, she needed her heartbeat to be steady and calm, not agitated from all the fighting and vibrations. It meant putting her complete faith in Senketsu. Not just the music, but the flashing lights and screaming crowds were all just distractions. Everything else was extraneous to her connection with Senketsu.
"Hey, Senketsu. Can you hear me now?"
"Yes, loud and clear! Is that your heart beating?"
It was far from her first bodily function Senketsu had heavily monitored. Before, it was kind of annoying, invasive even. But now? Ryuko was glad to share her heart beating with him. "Yeah, just keep focusing on that. Block out every other sound except that one."
"Ah, so this is your sound."
Jakuzure still refused to let up her attack, but she was starting to get rattled. "Impossible! How can you block my sonic attack like that?"
Oh, she was doing so much more than just blocking it! All that music had given her and Senketsu one hell of a headache. She would be more than happy to give her a taste of her own medicine!
"Senketsu Mubyoshi!"
Ryuko had already absorbed Jakuzure's sound waves and made them match her heartbeat, but now she was taking it one step further. By expanding her vibration shield and focusing it, she could make a sonic blast of her own, one more powerful than Jakuzure's!
Her opponent wasn't about to go down that easily though. Jakuzure let out a furious scream and intensified the power of her sonic blast. The all too familiar sound of her awful music filled Ryuko's ears again and she could feel her connection with Senketsu start to slip.
No! There was no way she'd let anything come between them! Ryuko dug her heels into the ground and pushed back even harder. "Shut it! Now it's time for you to turn that crap off already!"
The reinvigorated blast completely overpowered Jakuzure's knocking her off her feet and ripping her uniform apart. Finally, she could finish this!
"Finishing Move: Sen-i-Soshitsu!"
A girl walked down the streets of Musutafu, which were now practically devoid of life. There were no pedestrians on the sidewalk, the shops were closed, and only a few cars passed by on the road. She wished she had more time to enjoy herself though, the city was so much more beautiful when there were no humans in it. Unfortunately, her mother had made a request of her and who was she to deny it?
It was unbearably sunny outside. Fortunately, her parasol kept her in the shade. She tilted her head up, getting a glimpse of the giant stadium off in the distance. Her destination. By now, the festival would have been well underway. It was a shame that she wouldn't get to see the whole thing, but it wasn't her fault that her friend had given her the wrong directions on purpose. Oh well, better late than never.
Actually, she liked it better that way. It wouldn't do to simply arrive before everything got started. She needed to be the grand climax, the star of the show! She was getting giddy just thinking about it. The girl took one last look at the stadium before continuing on her way.
This was gonna be fun!