04/10/2022

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The Emperor's Dragon
Emergence 13 - One Last Fight

Izuku grinned at Hitoshi and Ochaco. It was graduation day and while none of them were the Dux of the school, that had gone to Sae Jou, they had all been lauded for passing UA's entrance exam. Ochaco especially. Their Middle School had never had anyone get into UA, let alone three of them, and one of those three into the most prestigious course of Heroics. The praise had done a lot to reinstate her confidence.

This was the last day and they'd just gotten through their last assembly. The rest of the day would be spent with the class reminiscing before they went home. For some, it would be the last time they saw each other but for others, they would go on to High School together. For Ochaco and Hitoshi, they would be looking for accommodation near UA. Dad had already arranged an apartment for him.

"Go talk to others," Izuku encouraged his friends. "They'll want to talk to you today," he added.

"Yeah, because they never have before," Hitoshi noted.

Izuku chuckled. "They'll want to today," he repeated.

"And to you?" Ochaco asked.

He sighed. "Yeah," he admitted. They laughed and moved off. Today, even if they hadn't spoken all year, he knew their classmates would want to talk, and yes that did include him. It was just one of the things that was expected. It was a bit fake. Their classmates had had the last four years to talk to them, but mostly hadn't and suddenly now they did. It was probably a way of repairing bridges for the future and since he only knew he was going into Management at UA… he should probably make sure bridges were repaired, or built. If there was no bridge, then it did have to be built.

Betsu was the first to come up to him. "UA huh?" she said with a sly smile. "I didn't think you, of all people, would go to UA."

Izuku looked at her. "Why not?" He asked. He wasn't friends with Betsu, not the way he was friends with Ochaco and Hitoshi but he had at least spoken to the other girl a few times this year!

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Everyone knows you hate heroes."

"Ah," Izuku replied, sighing slightly with the response. "You do know my dad is going to require assistance with his breathing for the rest of his life," he said. It was slightly defensive but he had a reason to not like heroes that much.

"I know but UA is the hero school so seeing you go there, it's a surprise, that's all," Betsu said.

"They also have the best management class," Izuku reminded her. "And I am going to take over dad's businesses," he added. He didn't know if he was going to do that but, it was the easiest response.

"It's still a bit of a surprise," she repeated, "but needs must-" The way she said it put Izuku on edge.

"You're okay with going to Haisui?" he asked. Haisui was one of the best High Schools in Tsu but it did not have the reputation of UA. No where had the reputation of UA.

Something flashed across Betsu's features. "I'm okay with it," she said in a tone that Izuku knew immediately that she wasn't okay. He didn't know what he could do about it or even if he should attempt to do anything. He had no idea of her situation.

"Did you apply for-" He didn't finish the question.

Betsu shook her head immediately. "Good luck, Izuku," she said instead.

"Good luck to you as well, Betsu," he wished her well. "High School isn't everything," he added firmly.

"Yeah, we'll see," she said as she moved away.

The encounter left Izuku feeling… he wasn't quite sure but he did know there was nothing he could do, so resolutely he pushed it from his mind. Something Tomura had said to him was appropriate. If she wanted to be more than a NPC, then she was going to have to do something, not him. Except… for all that he'd heard longing in her voice, he was pretty sure Betsu would remain a NPC. As much as Tomura complained about his friends, even he had to admit they were doing their best not to be NPCs.

While he was thinking someone else had come up to him. Izuku was a bit surprised to see it was Gatarui and he gave the spider-quirked teen a questioning look. They hadn't been troubled by Gatarui for the last year or so. Sure, the teen hadn't changed his tune verbally but he hadn't been challenged to any more fights.

"I want a rematch."

Internally Izuku berated himself. He really shouldn't have thought anything! He'd jinxed himself. "It's not going to change anything," Izuku told him.

"I want a rematch," Gatarui repeated. "You have a fire quirk, there is no way you are stronger than me," he growled.

That answered one of Izuku's questions. The spider quirked teen did have some spider characteristics such as increased strength. "So how strong are you?" he asked. Maybe Gatarui would be dumb enough to answer him.

He wasn't that lucky. "Stronger than you," came the response. "Are you game?"

Izuku sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot today. He didn't owe Gatarui anything and with him moving to Tokyo, he knew the chances of encountering the spider quirked teen again were low but he was curious now… And he'd never actually tried the trick he'd discussed with his dad after his first fight with Gatarui. Maybe it was time to do that. "Sure," he said. "Later today?"

"Yeah, I'm not letting you back out of it," Gatarui agreed. "Three-thirty?" the time was offered.

He did some quick math in his head. "Fine," Izuku agreed.

Gatarui gave him a look before moving off. It was somewhat odd to see him without his chaperon and Izuku looked around for Minato Amano. He'd replaced Arata. The other boy was pointedly ignoring him. That was someone he wouldn't be building a bridge with.

Oh well, his loss. Izuku turned away, looking for someone else to talk to. It was the expected thing.

-ted-

Izuku was a bit surprised when he went to the back of the school. It was twenty past three and he was a little early but he expected others to be here. Instead all he saw was Gatarui waiting for him. He raised one eyebrow to question the absence of spectators.

"This is for me," the spider-quirked teen said.

For a moment, Izuku reconsidered his plan. He was going to try something he hadn't before. When Gatarui presented him with a move, he was going to flip the other teen, grab his quirk the way dad did, and then give it back before walking away. He could have asked any spectators to make sure Kumou was okay but with no one here, it didn't really feel right to leave him unconscious and… It would attract the attention of the teachers.

But then Gigantomachia's voice reminded him that when he fought, he had to fight to win. Consequences went to the loser.

"For you?" Izuku asked.

Kumou snorted. "I don't need your speech about how it's not going to change anything again," he growled. "This is for me. There is no way you are stronger than me in a fight!"

"And if I am?" Izuku challenged.

"Your quirk is Fire Breath. There is no way you are physically stronger than me," he shook his head as he took off his gakuran, and then stripped the singlet underneath off. The chitan that covered Gatarui's face, went down his torso and disappeared into his pants. Izuku wasn't sure how thick it was but it seemed to be fully developed with no weak patches.

Seeing it, he was tempted, just for a moment to let his eyes glow along with showing some scales and claws and confirming that yes, he was physically stronger because his quirk wasn't just Fire Breath. He was almost positive he could pull off the lie that his quirk was draconic but again Gigantomachia's teachings prevented that. It was stupid to show off needlessly. This was just something he'd agreed to to satisfy his own curiosity - if he could pull off the move smoothly - and to put Gatarui in his place, once and for all. If the other boy had come up to him today and said he'd been… well… even if he hadn't said much but been polite then Izuku would have gone along with it. He hadn't. He'd challenged again and…

No, as Gigantomachia would say it was time to educate him.

There was no purpose to intimidating Gatarui. If the teen represented some resource that was meant to be brought to heel then fighting with him and showing that he was stronger was a potential way of recruiting but… Mentally Izuku shook his head. That was definitely thinking like his dad. What did he want?

Showing off would be fun but… Even knowing he was thinking like his dad, it served no purpose. In the long run, what would actually showing Gatarui Kumou that he was stronger achieve? It would open up a whole slew of questions about his quirk, questions he didn't really want to answer and… Basically it would create trouble, for what? To prove something he already knew.

No, in this case it was better just to get this over with and at least Kumou hadn't invited others. While it wasn't his job to safeguard it, Izuku recognised the spider-quirked boy's pride, that was best.

"All right. This isn't going to change anything, and I don't think you are going to learn anything but let's get this over with," Izuku said, shifting slightly. Generally Gigantomachia hadn't taught him any techniques, though the giant had taught him how to deal with opponents who were both smaller and larger than him, and how to fight against a single person and against a group. Generally, standing side on, and presenting as small a target was the best, though Gigantomachia said by the time Izuku was an adult, and had a few more quirks to help him fight, then it wouldn't matter how he stood. His dad, according to Machia, faced everything head on. He would have to work his way to that.

So for now, he shifted, presenting Gatarui with a side profile. It wasn't that bad. It was actually easier to throw from this position. He didn't bother to summon scales beneath his uniform or anything else. He wasn't intending to be hit and he figured the spider-quirked boy would rush into it. As Kurogiri had taught him, he reached out with his senses and waited… though he did notice that they weren't as alone as he previously thought.

Minato was just out of line of sight behind the corner of one building. Izuku wondered what that was for before he dismissed it. He was probably trying to get him in trouble by filming and then running to the teachers, or something like that.

Gatarui charged before Izuku could think any further. As expected the spider-quirked boy was going for a simple attack. He was supposedly trained but… Maybe he was more frustrated than he thought. Either way, he threw a punch that was simplicity in itself to step around and grab his chitan covered arm. Izuku didn't even have to activate his strength quirks as he twisted around and pulled Gatarui off balance. He heaved slightly and felt the spider-quirked teen lift. At that point Izuku reached out with his quirk. It was, as always, eager to come to his call and he reached out, surrounding the very fuzzy quirk that rested in Gatarui.

As the teen traveled overhead, Izuku yanked at his quirk. It was fuzzier than others he'd taken. Actually, it was almost like the regeneration quirk, spread out through Kumou's body. Maybe that's how mutant quirks were? He'd never noticed but now that he knew he was going to have to see if he could tell the difference by looking at them that way.

While his training with taking quirks had focused on taking as many as he could and having the people pass out, he had managed to get some more subtlety in there. Usually Izuku just tugged at a quirk and it came to him. If he wanted the owner to fall unconscious, like what happened when his dad took a quirk, then he had to cover the quirk with his own, when he took theirs. But if he didn't cover it entirely then they recovered quicker. Especially once they got their quirk back. That's what he wanted here. He really didn't need Gatarui unconscious for hours. That would raise far too many questions.

So Izuku used Dragon's Hoard to only loosely cover Gatarui's quirk as he pulled it towards himself. Kumou was unconscious before he hit the ground, and his quirk was returned a moment later.

Izuku sighed as he looked down at the other teen. He released his arm, letting it fall. "Minato Amano!" He called, loud enough to be heard.

The other teen stormed out from where he had been standing. "You killed him!" he accused.

Izuku just gave the teen a look. Where the hell had Minato gotten that from? He huffed. "He just fell badly," Izuku told him blandly, trusting that Minato wouldn't know a clean throw from a bad one anyway. "He'll wake up in a few minutes. Can you take care of him until then?" he asked. It would keep Minato occupied.

"You don't care for him, so why are you even faking it?" Minato spat the question but obediently came forward to take care of the fallen teen.

"You're right, I don't care," Izuku agreed. "But you are going to tell Kumou to think about the fact that I don't need to be stronger, when I can use his supposed strength against him," he replied before turning away. Really, what else was he meant to say? Oh, tell Kumou that I am stronger than him and smarter and… yeah… no point. "And tell him not to hold on to grudges if he wants to enjoy life," he added as he left.

There was really nothing more to do here and he had a summer to enjoy before he went to high school. The future was where his focus lay.

-ted-

Gatarui groaned as he woke up.

"You're okay!"

He recognised that voice. Minato! Typical. He'd told the other teen to just go home so naturally he was here. Except… No! He had not lost.

"What happened?" Minato demanded.

Gatarui thought about that as he sat up. He'd thrown a punch at the arrogant little twerp and then… He'd seen runt catch his arm, as if he was going to throw him. There'd been a moment of weightlessness and then nothing.

The shrimp had thrown him, except that wasn't enough to make him black down. There had to be something else. He focused on the feeling again. After the feeling of weightlessness there was a sensation of loss. Something had hit him. Not physically, something had reached inside him and grabbed at something and that had made him fall unconscious. As he'd fallen unconscious he'd felt something leaving him.

"Something," Kumou replied. "What did you see?" He growled.

He could see the way Minato looked at him. With eight eyes Gatarui had great vision. "You threw a punch, the jerk threw you and then you didn't get up," Amano reported.

"You didn't see anything else?" Gatarui demanded.

"No. He somehow knew I was there though."

Kumou dismissed that. That was hardly a hard thing to realise. The sympathiser had probably been surprised Minato wasn't there.

"He did something," he muttered.

"What?" Minato asked.

"He did something," Gatarui said more firmly as he got more confident. "I felt it.'

Minato frowned at him. "What did he do?"

"I don't know. Something. Getting thrown isn't enough to knock me out."

"He said you fell wrong."

"Bull shit! That was a textbook throw. He did something!"

The other teen looked at him oddly. "There was nothing else," he confirmed.

"There was," Gatarui insisted, getting up. "I don't know what, but he did something," he said again. He grabbed his gakuran and slung it over his shoulder. "And I'm going to find out what," he added.

It wouldn't be now, he was smart enough to realise that, but… That twerp Izuku had done something and one day, he was going to figure out what.

-ted-

Japanese school starts in April. That's confusing to me so I shifted it to start after the summer holidays. All it means is that if there are canon events to come, then they are a few months out, that's all.

After posting this I'm going to post an Omake about what might have happened if Ochaco had been injured in the Entrance Exam :D It will be in The Emperor's Dragon: Extras and Omakes.

My discord is on this code: ZX2R5h2cEm FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out. It's a year old now! YAY!

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!