A/N Thanks for your reviews and support.
dogman999: thanks for your review, my friend.
Izuku's POV
Izuku carefully hid the medallion under his shirt. Carved into the gold was a phoenix rising as if towards the sky. It was from one of the clans but for the life of him, he couldn't remember which one.
Sesol yawned tiredly next to him as they tried to make their way towards the train station. The few people who had been on the streets disappeared. He grabbed Sesol by the arm preparing to run.
Two boys stepped into their path. He could feel the ki radiating of both was powerful. Their ki was at least the level of masters. Murim members. This wasn't good. Realistically he knew that he couldn't fight them and win. His skills had immensely improved under Chun's guidance but not enough to take on masters.
The younger of the boys walked up to them and asked," Can I ask you something?"
Izuku flinched. There was no way that he could get out of this. Sesol couldn't run. Not with the shape her body was in right now. Fighting while carrying her wouldn't be possible for him. When a Murim master asked a question it was expected that the disciple was to answer. Even if they weren't bound to the master.
The one who had spoken was about his age. He had midnight black hair with cold onyx eyes. The eyes seemed to pierce into his very soul.
The second was slightly older maybe in his mid-twenties. He had blond hair that fell into his face. It gave him a youthful appearance and very well could disguise his age. Blue eyes stared intently at him.
Izuku cocked his head to the side in feigned curiosity. With a serious look, the boy asked, "Do you know a Goomoonyrong? Or about his operations in the area?"
Izuku froze. Unsure how to answer he kept his mouth shut. Of course, he knew Goomoonyrong. That was his teacher. Sunsengnim's warning rang in his head though. Those that called him that were not their allies.
The blond said unsurely, "Hey! If you say Goomoonyrong... It can't be..."
"I still didn't hear a response. I'll ask once more. Do you know a Goomoonyrong? Or about his operations in the area?"
After another brief moment of hesitation, he said, "I don't know. I'm sorry but I've never heard that name before."
The blond said cheerfully, "Aha. Of course. I was surprised for a second there when you suddenly mentioned Goomoonyrong. Ah sorry for being so upfront. This is Hyuk So Chun from the Chundomoon. If you're Murim you've heard of him before right?"
Shit! He really is Murim. That means he needs to get them out of there.
"I'm Yang Jooho from Baeksuck Dojang. (white rock) Which one are you from."
Izuku replied confused, "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I don't know what Murim is. Thank you for helping me."
He pulled Sesol closer to him and prepared to pick her up. If he was going to run he would have to hold her. All he could do was hope that his ki would hold out during the run.
The one called Hyuk asked, "If you're not from Murim how did you know that Goomoonyrong was a name? I never mentioned that it was a name? How do you know Goomoonyrong?"
Oh crap! Without so much as thinking, he began to pull Sesol. It was sheer dumb luck they hadn't recognized her. They had to get out of here now!
"Hold on! We have been looking for Goomoonyrong all this time? Are you out of your mind? He's the best fighter in Murim right now!"
He pulled her straight up into his arms. Hiding the girls face in his shoulder he ran towards the train station. Focusing his ki into his ankles he used the walking the Jin foot technique. It shot him forward faster than before.
There was a vicious curse behind him and footsteps soon followed. Sesol clung to his shirt with trembling hands. A movement to his left caught his attention. A shifting of his weight sent him to right barely missing the kick aimed for his head.
Izuku skid to a stop his breaths coming in ragged gasps. Hyuk stood before him his eyes darkened with anger. It seemed that Izuku not giving a truthful answer to someone who saw themselves as his better angered the other. Oh well. He wasnt one for listening to anyone besides his masters.
Hyuk said with a frown, "You shouldn't have run, disciple. Even someone who wasnt raised within Murim knows that they have to listen to masters. Is that what Goomoonryong is to you? Where is your master?"
Izuku snarled, "I'll never tell you anything. If you expect to get any information then you'll be sorely disappointed."
He had to protect Sesol. It was his master's final request before he left. Fighting here would be suicide but it was their only option. Their only chance to get away.
Hyuk said with a sigh," Then I have no choice. We will have to go to the Federation of Martial Arts. We will talk there."
Izuku snarled," Do you think I will go without a fight?!"
Another sighed reply, "I will caution you now. If you resist you will get hurt."
No matter if he got hurt or not he would not allow this boy to question him. Lowering Sesol to the ground he entered a basic stance.
Sesol tried to reason, "Stop just tell him what he wants. If you fight him you'll die!"
"Better to fight for something that I believe in and die for that reason. Than to live with the knowledge that I betrayed my master."
Then to the Murim masters, "If you're going to overpower me then go ahead and try."
Both of the other Murim gave him looks like he was crazy. Almost as if he was missing something. Whatever it was it was obvious. At least in their eyes.
Hyuk asked," Can you not sense it? You are no match for me."
Izuku snarled," Shut up! How can you know without actually trying? I've had enough of surrendering without actually trying!"
Chun taught him how to stand his ground. How to fight with everything he had. Backing down now would mean all that was for nothing. His master had given him a job to not only watch the man's retreat but to protect this girl. She was important to his plans and while Izuku was not privy to the plans he would play his part. So that one day he could look his master in the eye with pride.
Hyuk said in a way that made a shiver run down his spine, "I guess I have no choice then. I will show you the difference in our strengths."
This broke him from his thoughts. Izuku couldn't be thinking about the past. That would get him killed. He heard someone say behind them, "Ah damn it. I lost them."
Izuku turned his head slightly to see the blond-haired one. Damn this would be much harder with two of them. Even if he hadn't been distracted he wouldn't have been able to see Hyuk.
One moment he was trying to decide who to fight. The next there was a pain in his chest and then his back. He barely understood that he had gone flying. The next second he hit the ground hard.
His mind took several seconds to process what had happened. The other had hit him with a ki technique. One so powerful it had sent him back into the street. Looking up he saw a crater in the concrete block he had hit.
It wasn't until he felt blood running down his face that he understood he was injured. His body was a whole new kind of numb.
Hyuk asked coldly, "Do you understand now? This is the difference in our power. Although I doubt you can comprehend that you just lost."
This bastard was looking down upon him. Looking down on his teacher. That was not something he could allow. He forced his arms to work pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. Even as he heard the other say something on his phone.
The blond said sounding surprised and a little impressed," This kid..."
From his knees, he pushed himself to his feet. If they wanted to take him. They would take him dead not alive. He wouldn't betray his teacher!
Something inside him howled in response. He felt energy go through him. Much like when he gained access to his ki not so long ago.
Unbeknownst to him, the phoenix necklace had fallen from in his shirt. It now lay on top of his shirt for all to see. Hyuk suddenly went from him to Sesol who was trying to hide in the shadows. Recognition flared within them.
Hyuk breathed, "Well then. The girl is the missing phoenix princess. No wonder the Federation has so many members out trying to find information. Goomoonryong stole her."
"She is not something you can just keep. Bastard she is a person just like you and I are."
He asked with a snarl trying to return the attention to him, "What are you doing? Why did you stop attacking?"
He raised his hands back into the first stance. It was all he knew but it would have to work. He had to win.
"Come on! Attack me!"
The blond practically shouted back, "Are you crazy?! This is the Chundomoon! Lower your fists!"
He didn't care who this guy was. That name meant nothing to him. All he was was a threat to him and his teacher.
He growled like a dog, "I don't care! I won't be taken so easily! If you want to take me! You will have to defeat me first."
Hyuk sighed then said in a serious tone, "Please don't do anything so excessive. At your skill level, you won't even be able to touch me. This is a fight where you can seriously get injured. Back down now. Besides that girl is just as important as the information. I'm sure the Federation would love to hear how you kidnapped her. As well as where your master is."
"Never."
Kidnapped? No, he couldn't focus on that now. He had to get himself and Sesol out of here. Even if it meant fighting these guys.
For a long moment, they just stared at each other. Part of Izuku's attention, however, was drawn to his center. Something was happening with his ki. It felt unfamiliar but at the same time like an old friend. What was happening?
Hyuk stepped forward with a somewhat creepy smile as he said, "This is the first time someone has been willing to fight me after hearing my name and school."
The blond asked incredulously," Are you actually going to fight him, Somoonjoo-nim? Please calm down. We will have trouble on our hands if there's a death."
Hyuk replied not taking his eyes off of the green-haired boy, "I also don't want to cause unnecessary death. How about we make a rule before we begin? If you can land a hit just one. I will concede victory to you."
Izuku's shoulders squared. His eyes became hard. If that's how he wanted to play it. Fine. He could play too.
Izuku snarled answering the unasked question, "Until I say I lost with my own mouth. I'm still fighting."
They would have to kill him first. The blond said confused," Hey don't say things like that. It doesn't make sense."
Maybe not to you. In the dark eyes, he saw recognition. He knew that the other understood him. At least on some level, he did.
Hyuk said, "Alright. I don't think there is anyone alive who can take a blow from the Chundomoon's Gwongyuk and survive. If you want to surrender at any time please tell me."
Neither of them noticed the change of the weather above them. Izuku barely noticed the change in his ki. With each passing second, it became wilder and more feral. It was as if there was something living with the ki. His mind didnt have time to process this as he dodged around the first attack.
Aizawa's POV
Being called back to Yuuei after classes ended was not what he wanted for his evening. It was supposed to be his day off from patrol. They were rare and far between.
Grumbling under his breath he knocked on Nezu's door. The rat called out, "Enter."
Doing as he was bid he noticed something out the rat's rather large window. The sky had grown dark and ominous towards the far side of town. It was close to one of the beaches. As far as Shouta knew they weren't supposed to have any storms tonight. The sky should not look as it did. It was an ominous sight to the hero.
Nezu had his back to Shouta his eyes were on the sky. It wasnt often that one would see the principal like this. Even with his back to the Shouta he could tell how contemplative the other was.
Nezu remarked offhandedly, "It been almost two decades since something like this happened. The last time it happened a villain appeared in Murim. A person even their strongest
masters fear."
Murim? They were an underground group that few heroes had contact with. Shouta had been in contact with two masters that were currently in the city. Apparently a wanted criminal on their side had been seen in the area. The two were searching for him to give information to the Federation. They wanted to warn heroes not to approach the individual and to alert them if they saw him.
The individual was known as Goomoonryong an alias within the Murim. It was though he was using the name Han Chun Woo but the information was unable to be verified. They had a decent description but it could also fit hundreds if not thousands of others.
Shouta inquired with the feeling he wasnt going to like the answer, "What is going on Nezu? It looks like a storm is brewing out there."
Nezu turned to face him as he replied, "The Guardian of the Forest is awakening. One of the five Guardians of the Murim world. At last, I checked there were only two Guardians alive. With that we now know there are three."
Guardian of the Forest huh? That explained the changes in the weather. Out of the five Guardians the forest one was supposed to be the most powerful. If history was to be believed he was the insane one. Unpredictable and destructive in a way that would put Endeavour to shame.
"What do you want to do Nezu? It's not like we can interfere in Murim business?"
Nezu admitted, "Normally you be right but there is something different about this one. I think we should go see what is happening. Just in case I'm right."
