A/N: This will be a minor rewrite of an old fanfic of mine called Manufactured Talent, with grammatical fixes and polishing.
Boring.
All of it.
Everything.
Is there even any meaning in the Ultimate Hope bothering to enroll in Hope's Peak Academy?
Izuru Kamukura was bored, as usual. Ever since he had been brought into existence by those surgeons, he had found little to no entertainment in anything. He knew that he used to be Hajime Hinata, a regular teenager who went to a typical public high school. But since he was signed up for an 'Ultimate Hope' project, he gained talent. No more then a month later, he was invited to this school as the Ultimate Hope.
Every single talent that Hope's Peak had ever researched... Izuru had it. Analytical prowess, martial arts, swordplay, luck, swimming, writing, musical talents, pretty much every single type of sport out there, medical skills, gaming, there was really too much to list.
So nothing gave him a challenge. He just breezed through life, bored out of his mind. A large contributing factor of this was one of his given talents - The Ultimate Analyst. He could predict everything that was going to happen, and consequently, he couldn't find much purpose in doing anything. Why bother if he knew what was going to happen anyway?
But since he was invited to Hope's Peak, Izuru figured that he might as well accept. It would probably be boring, but it seemed just marginally better then just wandering around town with no goal in mind.
"Sooo, welcome to the first day of Hope's Peak Academy! I am Chisa Yukizome, your new homeroom teacher!"
Chisa Yukizome, the Ultimate Housekeeper, was the teacher for the 77th Class. She was wearing an apron over a long blue skirt which clashed with her vibrant orange hair. Her hair was tied into a long ponytail and was long enough to stretch across her entire back. She had striking green eyes that seemed to be able to pierce through your soul.
"Now, since it's the first day and all, I would like for all of you to mingle with each other and get to know your fellow classmates! Please, feel free to talk with everyone!"
At that, the 77th class started buzzing loudly. Everyone broke into various conversations and introduced themselves. Everyone that is, except for Izuru. He just sat in the corner and stared straight forward, not engaging with any of his classmates. He didn't need to. His extremely precise hearing was able to pick out information from the several conversations happening at once. No more then two minutes later, he had learned the names and talents of the other students.
Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer.
Akane Owari, Ultimate Gymnast.
Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Ultiamte Yakuza.
Gundham Tanaka, Ultimate Breeder.
Hiyoko Saionji, Ultimate Traditional Dancer.
Ibuki Mioda, Ultimate Musician.
Kazuichi Soda, Ultimate Mechanic.
Mahiru Koizumi, Ultimate Photographer.
M ikan Tsumuki, Ultimate Nurse.
Nagito Komaeda, Ultimate Lucky Student.
Nekomaru Nidai, Ultimate Team Manager.
Peko Pekoyama, Ultimate Swordswoman.
Sonia Nevermind, Ultimate Princess.
Teruteru Hanamura, Ultimate Cook.
The only one he couldn't get information about was Ryota Mitari. He claimed to be the Ultimate Animator, but it seemed exceedingly obvious to Izuru that he was lying about having this talent. His natural instinct stemming from having the talent of the Ultimate Interrogator told him that Ryota Mitari was likely not his real name.
Only a few of these talents were truly unique. Those unique talents were very niche and specific, such as the Ultimate Princess and the Ultimate Traditional Dancer. However, most of the other students had repeat talents, meaning there were other students who shared their titles in the past. This meant that Izuru had their same talents. Not only could he match their various talents with his own, he was also probably far better than any of them could ever hope to be. It wasn't any sense of egotism or pride that gave Izuru this conclusion, rather it simply an obvious fact; he had more talent than the entire class combined.
"Hey hey! Um, I'm Chiaki Nanami."
Izuru glanced to his left. There, a pink haired girl wearing a cream colored hoodie and a short brown skirt was looking at him with a slight hint of curiosity in her eyes. She was the Ultimate Gamer.
"..."
"What's your name?"
"I am called Izuru Kamukura," Izuru replied in a toneless voice.
Chiaki tilted her head slightly. Ever since she had seen Izuru, her interest had been piqued. He was tall and had those flowing silk locks... and those dark red eyes too! He looked pretty unique, that's for sure. Her interest only grew as she noticed that Izuru didn't bother to talk with anyone.
If this were a video game, then he would definitely be an overpowered character... but as a good guy or a villain?
"You are called?"
Izuru gave a curt nod. "That was the name given to me."
His eyes wandered to her hair as he noticed a pin she was wearing. "A Galaga hairpin?"
Izuru somehow surprised himself as he said this. He was not one to blurt out unnecessary information like this. Why did he said this out loud?
Interesting... I couldn't anticipate my own behavior, Izuru mused to himself.
Chiaki's eyes widened in surprise. While a few people here had commented on it, none of them knew that her hair pin was from Galaga. Most people don't remember such an old game, especially high school students.
"You know about Galaga? It's such an old game, don't you think! But even so, it still remains a classic! Do you play? Are you also the Ultimate Gamer? If not, are you good at video games?" She couldn't help but bombard him with questions. For most of her life, she had pretty much been stuck playing single player. Most other gamers were boys, and consequently, she wasn't taken very seriously. The few who she had played with had gotten either uncomfortable or angry when she completely trashed them in games. Even in co-op, they got mad at the fact that she always got more points then them or something.
But now, here was a potential playing partner! And in her class no less. The question was though, how good was he?
Izuru slowly shook his head. "I am not the Ultimate Gamer. However, I have a mastery over a wide genre of games."
Suddenly, Chiaki shoved her handheld console at Izuru's face, eyes shining. Gala Omega was booted up on it. "Can I see you play?"
"I suppose." Izuru sighed and took the handheld console from her. Truth be told, he had actually never played this game before. However, like everything else he tried, he was sure that he would just effortlessly breeze through it...
How boring.
And sure enough, by the time he finished playing, his high score was tied with Chiaki.
999900
As Chiaki watched Izuru play, her eyes grew brighter and brighter. His technique was flawless! Every single movement seemed calculated, and she couldn't see even a single flaw with his gameplay. It was like something out of a TAS video.
Wordlessly, Izuru handed Chiaki back her console. As he expected, the whole thing was boring. He had experienced as much challenge during the late game of Gala Omega as he did at the very beginning.
"If you aren't the Ultimate Gamer, then what are you?" Chiaki asked, amazed.
"My given title is... The Ultimate Hope."
"Hmm. You've got a well-balanced bone structure... Your posture shows your physical ability... If you work hard, you could become an athlete that'd leave his name on the world."
Nekomaru's booming voice filled the air as he gave his analysis to Izuru. He had approached Izuru after class and gave him a quick once over.
"I don't need to work hard to become the best athlete. I already am."
"GAHAHAHAHAHA! What confidence! Splendid!" The team manager clapped once, bellowing.
"Confidence? I just stated the obvious," Izuru said.
"Very well, Izuru. Let me be your manager. I sense tremendous potential in you, and I guarantee you that if I manage you, then you shall truly become the best athlete. Perhaps I can even do it to you."
Slowly, Izuru shook his head. "That would be pointless. I see no point in pursuing athletics. "
Nekomaru frowned. "Let me tell you one thing... Your talent will only have meaning once you have a goal to direct it towards."
"How boring. I have no interest in goals."
"You use words such as 'pointless' and 'boring'. Why is this?"
"Because that is what life is. Pointless and boring. There is no meaning for someone such as I to live. As talent incarnate, nothing is a challenge. I know everything that will happen. Why set goals if all it will do is make the future more obvious for me? That is the opposite of what I want."
"... I can not say that I understand you. However, if you choose not to pursue athletics, then I will respect your decision."
"Hey you! Get back here!"
Izuru turned around at the sound of being called. There, someone was approaching him with an angry look on his face. He was wearing a reserve course Hope's Peak uniform and in his right hand, he held a rusty metal bat. Izuru was wandering near the school grounds without any particular destination in mind, when he was stopped right in front of the gates to Hope's Peak. From here, one could easily see the massive building of Hope's Peak Academy in its entire glory.
"Oi, you're in the main course, ain't ya?" The reserve course student went up right to Izuru's face as he asks this.
Izuru responded in a calm tone. "That is correct."
"I knew it. You're way to snobby to be just a regular person. What's your talent, huh?"
"I am known as the Ultimate Hope."
Eyes widening, the reserve course student's mouth pulled back in a snarl. "You fuckin with me? You think that just cause your a main course student, you can joke around, huh? Well I got news for you pal, you ain't getting out of here without a few scars."
"Fighting me is not advisable." Despite being confronted by an armed enemy, Izuru still felt nothing but utter boredom. And why wouldn't he be bored? This kid posed zero threat to him. Even if he was carrying a gun, he could still leave unscathed.
"You snobby Hope's Peak students think you're all that cuz you were born with talent? Well why don't you do something with it, huh?! Contribute to society instead of acting like a rich piece of shit why don't you? So far, all I've seen you do is walk around like a loser all day! What the hell is so hopeful about that?"
"... How boring. Your misplaced anger is both expected and unnecessary. You are a waste of time."
"Oh, that's it you fuck! Prepare for the ass beating of a life time you piece of shit!"
Without further delay, he hefted up his bat and swung as hard as he could directly at Izuru's torso. The movement was slow and projected. He was obviously an amateur, and probably had never even swung a baseball bat in his life. With no trouble, Izuru ducked under his swing before doing a sweep kick, knocking the reserve course student to the floor. He fell to the ground, hitting the back of his head in the process, knocking him unconscious.
Disappointing.
When not aimlessly wandering outside, Izuru spent most of his time cooped up inside of his dorm. He never did anything in particular - he just sort of sat there and meditated. Why not? Time passes the same for Izuru regardless of what he does. He had no reason to do anything.
Occasionally though, someone knocked on his door. Of course, Izuru had never answered. This was because he already knew who it was and what they wanted. Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer. And of course, she would want him to play games with her. He had no intention of doing so, as he already knew how it would end up. It happened a few times each day. Izuru just ignored it though.
*knock knock knock*
Here it was again.
*knock knock knock*
Why bother playing video games if there was no enjoyment to be taken from it? It was like reading a novel that you have already read a hundred times before. There was no point in doing it..
*knock knock knock*
"What a nuisance." Izuru muttered to himself.
Eventually though, the knocking always stopped. Chiaki always knocked on his door for around ten to fifteen minutes before giving up. Today was no different.
...
...
...
Glancing up at the clock, Izuru looked at the time - it was 1:30 in the afternoon.
I suppose I should eat something.
Izuru ate the same things every single day. For breakfast, three apples and a glass of milk. For lunch, a kale salad topped with fish and carrots. For dinner, beans and chili. It provided an optimal amount of nutrition that was needed for each day, so he sees no reason to vary this diet.
As he left his dorm though, he meets something... unexpected.
How long had it been since Izuru had been surprised? It felt like years. But now here he was, caught off guard by this.
Chiaki was standing in front of his door.
She was playing something on her handheld console but as soon as he opened his door, she had paused and looked up at him expectantly. Her usual knocking had ceased around an hour ago. This meant that she had been waiting out here for that long.
Interesting.
She tilted her head slightly and held up her console. On it, Street Fighter II was booted up. "Play with me?"
"... Why are you so persistent? I have ignored your attempts numerous times."
Chiaki placed a hand on her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I've finally made a friend who plays video games... I think."
"Friend," Izuru echoed. The word felt alien to his mouth. What gave this girl the impression that the two of them were friends? They had only talked once or twice before this. To call him a friend of hers was simply illogical, especially considering he had so blatantly ignored her attempts at socialization so far.
"So, please? If you don't like fighting games, I have other types in my backpack."
Izuru thought for a second. This girl had surprised her once today... so perhaps she could show him uncertainty? It was unlikely, but... it wasn't as if he had anything else to do.
"Very well," Izuru said simply. It was only two words, but Chiaki's face brightened up considerably. It hadn't gone unnoticed to her that Izuru hadn't specifically denied that they were friends.
For a moment though, the two just stood there face to face. Chiaki had been expecting Izuru to step out of his room and walk with her somewhere, but he hadn't moved an inch.
Finally, Izuru spoke, breaking the silence. "Come in."
"Huh? Oh..." Chiaki blushed almost imperceptibly. She hadn't expected to actually be invited inside of his room... but it wasn't as if she was complaining. In fact, she saw this as Izuru opening up more.
That was her goal. To get Izuru to open up. She had decided this right after she had met Izuru for the first time - the win conditions for this friendship would be to make Izuru act...
Well, act more like a person, I guess.
She doesn't know why she felt so strongly about this... she just did. So when she was invited into his room... well, her heart couldn't help but flutter a bit as she reached this small victory.
Chiaki had no idea what to expect of Izuru's room. She knew that he was the Ultimate Hope, but what does that even mean? Maybe he's a really motivational speaker who has an endless amount of optimism?
...
Probably not.
But as she entered his room, she is struck dumb. His dorm was completely empty.
Well, not completely. There was a bed, a single desk along with two chairs, and a wall clock. But other then that, there was really nothing there. Just a vast empty floor furnished with more empty walls. She couldn't see the restroom, but she would bet that there were no decorations in there either.
"Why is your room so... erm, empty?"
"I see no reason to decorate it. The essentials are all that are necessary." A soft yet strong voice comes from Chiaki's right, causing her to jump. She hadn't even heard him walk up next to her.
"But... I think it would be nice to have some stuff in here, you know? Like, place a TV in the room so you can watch it from your bed or something."
"I have no reason to watch television."
"Maybe you could put a bookshelf here or there..."
"I gain no knowledge or enjoyment from literature."
"Or put some pictures of you or your family on the wall."
"I have no family."
This gave Chaiki pause. "No... family?"
Izuru nodded. "There is no one I can call family. While I do have living relatives, I have never talked to them in my life."
This was partially true. 'Izuru' had never talked to his parents, while 'Hajime' had. He was given the opportunity to meet and talk with his parents when he woke from the operation, though he declined it. He saw no purpose in meeting them anyway.
"Oh... I'm sorry." Chiaki said with a wince.
This causes Izuru's ever present frown to curl downwards deeper. "To apologize for something that you have no control over is illogical."
"Well, even if it's illogical... I'm sorry. Everyone deserves to have a family." What kind of past could Izuru have for him to not even have a family? Perhaps this was part of the reason why Izuru acted so aloof.
"Anyway... have you ever played Street Fighter II?" Chiaki asked while handing him her spare Gameboy. While it was the same Gameboy that she uses, it did not hold the various signs of wear and tear. They were both connected via link cables.
"No, I have not. But it does not matter. The outcome is predictable regardless of my previous experience."
"Predictable?"
"Yes," Izuru said, sitting down in his desk. "No matter the game, I will win. But if you wish to compete against me, then I do not mind."
And sure enough, he did. Though a little skeptical, Chiaki didn't stand a single chance. For once in her life, she was completely trashed in a fighting game. In fact, Chiaki had only landed a single blow on Izuru - it was at the very beginning of the match. But even that single hit could be contributed to the fact that Izuru was learning the controls.
The next round, Chiaki was perfected, meaning that she couldn't even manage to land a single blow on Izuru. He perfectly spaced every single hit and performed frame perfect inputs to completely and utterly demolish her.
However, being trashed only hardened her resolve. "Rematch! Play me again!"
For the next thirty minutes, the two play game after game. Each and every match ended up the same - Izuru played perfectly and Chiaki was demolished. No matter what character Chiaki plays, no matter how she starts each match, no matter how she changes her strategy, Izuru always beat her.
And he looked completely dead inside while doing it. Bored to bits. She was starting to feel a little bad for being such a poor opponent. Maybe this was why he kept saying everything was so boring?
"You really haven't played this game before?" Chiaki glanced up from her Gameboy after being beat for the millionth time and gapes at him in awe. His expression remained perfectly calm.
"This is my first time."
"You should enter tournaments and stuff then! You could be the best in the world like that."
Izuru shook his head. "Every match would be predictable. Every match would be boring. There is no point in me entering tournaments."
"But... then this talent would kind of be a waste, you know? Why not show it off to the world?"
For the first time since she had met him, Izuru's expression changed. His eyes sharpened as his face took on a slightly darker look. Though it was subtle, the abrupt change caused the atmosphere to feel dense, almost suffocating. Chiaki immediately regretted even speaking. "You're saying the same things. I hope that this not become a pattern."
Chiaki involuntarily shivered. "Same... thing?"
"... It is nothing." Izuru said, standing up from the desk. "Unless you wish to play another round, I must ask you to leave."
The gamer seemed to deflate as her eyes flicker down at the floor. "O-Oh... Okay then. See you tomorrow."
I guess I offended him in some way...
Izuru sighed in annoyance as yet another person came up to him with an interest in his talents. This time, a girl named Sakura Ogami wanted to fight him in order to test his strength. All Izuru really wanted is some way to relieve his boredom, something to defy his predictions. So far however, most of the people here, despite being Ultimates, were all boring. It was almost like they were following a script.
"Your body doesn't look built at all, but I can tell you're strong. In order to become the strongest human alive, I must test your power. That's what I believe," Sakura told him.
He thought that Chiaki may have held potential in defying his boredom, but that hope was broken when she had asked him about the same exact things that so many other people had asked.
"That's probably true. I'm talented at many martial arts. The muscles you've spent years building would probably mean little against me," Izuru said.
"Why don't you try applying your talent? You could do so much good!"
"You could be the best in the world if you tried. You should show your talent to the world!"
It was always either one of two of those things. Everyone wanted him to show off his talents. They pretend as if they want this so that he could contribute to society, but in reality, they all just want self satisfaction. None of them had any talent, so they go to him in order to fulfill their own petty desires.
"Will you spare some time to spar against me? Even a little will be fine," Sakura said.
"I don't think that there's any point in a battle where an outcome is obvious."
Their desires were boring and predictable. Each dream that these people held were narrow-minded and only held a single definitive future. In order words, he would be even more bored if he were to do anything that these people suggested.
"You may be able to predict results, but that does not mean they will always be correct."
Was he truly cursed to wander this world in constant boredom? Will there be no escape? Perhaps he should do increasingly risky and outlandish behavior, like scaling mountains or joining wars as a singular third party. Would he find excitement in this? Or would it just end with disappointment?
"The strongest human in the world? What a boring goal," Izuru comments.
"Boring or not, it is my goal. So Izuru, please spare some time to spare me."
"... Very well. If it will placate you, then I see no reason to refuse." Izuru gestures to the surrounding area. They were on the school track, so it seemed like the perfect place to fight, as a wide open area with no obstacles or other people. "Shall we begin?"
A menacing aura emanates from Sakura as she takes a stance. Every single muscle in her body bulges as she levels a cool glare at her opponent. Though she didn't respond, it was clear from her body language that she was as ready as ever to fight.
Unlike Sakura however, Izuru just remained standing in a casual pose. Even so, Sakura couldn't help but feel a cloud of death surrounding him. Every single instinct in her body told her that this. This sense of foreboding and alarm... she had never felt this way before. Not even against Kenshiro. He stood so still, so passively, and yet, she could sense that he had no openings, that any approach she tried would be met with a counter.
However, she can't back down. If she wanted to reach her goal of being the worlds strongest human, she must be able to take down any obstacle in her path. And if one of those obstacles was Izuru Kamukura, then so be it. She would take him down. For once, she would have to ignore her instincts, which were still begging for her to back down.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura made the first move. She rushed forward with blindingly fast speed, little more then a blur in the air. As she closed the distance between her and Izuru, she feigns several hits in quick succession before striking at his leg with her palm. Were it any other opponent, they would have been felled in an instant. But not only did Izuru not fall for her feints, he also shifted his left a few inches to the right, causing Sakura to miss completely.
Heart spiking, she leapt back and took a defensive stance, ready for any retaliation Izuru may have thrown at her. However, Izuru had made no attempt to strike her. He just stood there, unmoving. Since the fight had begun, he had not moved at all save for dodging one of her blows.
Narrowing her eyes, Sakura took a cautious step forward, bringing her just barely in range with Izuru. She does a sweeping roundhouse kick, but purposefully telegraphed it. When Izuru jumped up to dodge it, Sakura immediately punched up in the air where he had leapt. However, Izuru had anticipated this. He bends his body in a way where her strike whiffed, just barely grazing the cloth of his shirt before landing back in the ground in a perfect position. Once again, it was a prime opportunity for Izuru to counter attack. And yet... Izuru did nothing. He just stood there and looked at her expectantly.
Scowling, Sakura regains her balance.
So, he means to mock me... Very well, I shall test his resilience!
Taking a deep breath, Sakura launched a reckless barrage of jabs. Each punch was as fast and as strong as a bullet. For a full thirty seconds, she launched as many attacks as she could, forgoing any thought of defense or safety.
And for those thrty seconds, Izuru flawlessly dodged each blow. He used minimal movement, so that each of her punches just barely missed him. She wanted to at the very least land a glancing blow, but he was too fast.
Finally Sakura stops, exhausted. She panted hard while glaring at the impassive man in front of him. "Why... Why won't you fight?"
But as soon as she said that, Izuru approached. Faster then she could blink, Izuru circled behind her. He uses two fingers to jab at her back, hitting a pressure point on her spine. It was only one blow, but it was enough.
Sakura collapses onto the ground, completely paralyzed from the waist down.
Before Sakura could even process what happened, Izuru began to walk away. Sakura couldn't see his face, but she somehow knew that disappointment was etched into his face.
"I... see. The road to being the strongest person alive is longer then I thought." The martial artist stared up at sky. It was strikingly blue, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. However, she couldn't appreciate its beauty as there was a throbbing agony throughout her entire body. Even though only the lower part of her body had been effected by Izuru's jab, pain spread all over her. Not only was she physically hurt however, her pride was also in shambles. This guy had taken her down with a single blow, and had effortlessly dodged all of her attacks.
Even with all of her training she was no match... was her road to being the strongest person a fruitless endeavor? For if someone like Izuru was this powerful yet unknown, then surely there were others like him all over the world.
As she closed her eyes, she hears that Izuru had finally said something. It was faint, barely audible, his voice being carried towards her through a gentle breeze.
"As I predicted. How boring."
"Oh... excuse me, may I have a word with you?"
Izuru turned around to find himself face to face with Nagito Komaeda.
Though he hides it well, this man has quite the fatal illness... I suppose his luck is the only thing keeping him alive.
"What is it?" Izuru replied tonelessly.
Immediately, Nagito's eyes widen as he broke into a crooked grin. "For someone like me to be able to speak with the likes of you... Wow, I really am lucky! I can sense it. Your potential for hope... It's limitless!"
"That is my talent. The Ultimate Hope."
Nagito took a ragged breath. "Is that really true? You're the Ultimate Hope? I've heard rumors, but... oh, I'm not insinuating that you're lying or anything, it's just... wow, I'm not fit to even hold a conversation with you, am I? For a talentless nobody like me to be in the same class as you... It's unjust!"
"... Are you finished?" Izuru asked with disinterest. Though this was his first conversation with Nagito, he could already predict what he would talk about. It would just be endless nonsense about Hope mixed with self deprecation. He had learned plenty about him through just the simple act of overhearing conversations.
"Ah, I'm sorry!" Nagito backed up and laughed nervously. "I'm sure that a single minute of your time is worth more then a day of mines. It's just that your Hope... it's irresistible to me!"
"Nagito, you are boring. Your entire existence to me is boring. So I would prefer it if you don't talk to me anymore. Farewell." Izuru turned around without waiting for a response.
Nagito is left speechless as he watched Izuru's back grow smaller and smaller as he walks away. Izuru Kamukura... You truly are a beacon of Hope, one that could choke out even the darkest of Despair.
Laughing to himself, Nagito shook his head. "I shall respect your wishes then, Izuru. I will support you from the sidelines, where I belong."
"You. Who are you?"
Ryota froze as he heard a chillingly cold voice come from right behind him. Slowly but surely, he turned around, only to find himself face to face with a tall, red eyed man in a suit. Locks of silky brown hair flowed from his head, reaching his knees.
He had seen this man during class, but he had never made any attempt to engage conversation with anyone. He just sort of... sat there. Consequently, rumors about him was spread everywhere - not just within the 77th class. He had heard gossip come from not only other classes, but even some of the staff at school. Here he was, face to face with the ghost of Hope's Peak Academy.
"W-What do you mean?" Ryota stammered. "My name is-"
"I did not ask for the name of the person you're impersonating." Izuru said in a flat voice. "I'm asking for your name."
Ryota let out an involuntary gasp. Had this man seen through his disguise?
"You are not the Ultimate Animator, nor are you Ryota Mitarai. So who are you?"
Impossible. Not once in his entire life had someone seen through his disguise. No one had even been suspicious of him. And yet, this person had clearly and confidently stated that he was an impostor. The way he did it too, like it was an obvious deduction. So effortless.
"I... okay, I'm not who I say I am."
"That much is obvious."
"I don't have a name... my talent is the Ultimate Impostor," Ryota admitted. It was hard for him to just admit it like that, but something told him that Izuru wouldn't humor any further attempts at concealing his identity.
Izuru paused. Yes, that would make sense. He had thought that this person might be something like that - Ultimate Impostor, Ultimate Disguiser, Ultimate Doppelganger... As always, his prediction was right. This person was a fake.
"I assume that the real Ultimate Animator is indisposed then?"
The Impostor nodded curtly. "I'm afraid that he's... sick.
"Elaborate."
"He's obsessed with animation. Ever since starting this project, he had been working on it as if his life depended on it. So I've had to take care of him and take his place as the Ultimate Animator."
Ryota had been completely obsessed with working on his animation... He worked almost maniacally on it, day and night. In fact, he probably would have died ages ago from exhaustion and malnutrition if the impostor wasn't taking care of him. Sometimes, Ryota just passed out and the impostor had to nurse him back to health. Of course, as soon as he does, Ryota goes straight back to animating. Working on his animation 24/7 left the impostor with no choice but to substitute him in school.
Izuru nodded. "I see. Thank you for informing me."
Perhaps I should visit this Ryota... He is the only student that I have not met yet.
"Gah... damn fuckin wires!"
Kazuichi cursed as he shields his face from some sparks. Nagito had slipped on an empty soda can a few meters away, causing the soda can to roll down a hill before proceeding to shoot up from a conveniently placed ramp. The soda can hit a bird nest which for some reason had an extremely sharp rock placed in it. Of course, the nest toppled over and the rock fell directly onto a bundle of wires that was connecting one of Kazuichi's machines together.
This sort of thing happened all of the time with Nagito. For some damned reason, his bad luck always mixes up with Kazuichi's own luck.
"A prototype Teleoperated Robot. Judging by its exterior and design, you have designed it for military use."
"GAHHH!" Kazuichi jumps and whirls around, startled by the sudden cold voice. Behind him, Izuru was looking at him work. Just how long had he been there?!
"What the hell man? You can't just sneak up on someone like that! You seriously surprised me!"
"To frighten you was not my intention."
"Hey I said surprise, not frighten! What the heck are you doing here anyway?" Kazuichi asked wiping his face with a towel. To be honest, Izuru kind of freaked him out. A lot of the reserve course students kept spreading rumors that he was a ghost, or a robot, or something. It had become so widespread that the rumor made its way towards the main classes of Hope's Peak. Kazuichi didn't really know if he believed any of that, but he sure was creepy.
"I just happened to encounter you." Izuru stated in a matter of fact manner.
"What's that supposed to mean? How did you just happen to encounter me?" Kazuichi questioned. Some rumors stated that Izuru was a cyborg, some said that Izuru was a demon, hell, some people even thought that the guy was a vampire. Izuru was pretty much the center of all gossip these days. He had even heard some people say that Izuru had beaten up a reserve course student, and that Hope's Peak was covering it up.
Whoever this guy is, he's just plain weird...
"I was wandering around when I happened to hear you shout, so I drifted towards you."
"Well that's-" Kazuichi paused. "Wait, how did you know that this was a Telerobot? Most people have never even heard of that term. Are you a mechanic or something?"
"How boring. I would expect for the Ultimate Mechanic to create something new," Izuru deadpanned.
"Hey, no need to insult me! What's your problem?" Kazuichi protested. "Besides, this is just a side job I have to get some extra money. I'm working on something right now and I need to buy some expensive parts, y'know?"
"I doubt that your project holds any new innovations."
"That's not true!" Kazuichi was getting pretty angry now. Who did this Izuru guy think he was? Just because he was super scary and brooding doesn't mean he can be a jerk to everyone. "I'm working on this gigantic machine that's like 50 feet tall!"
"What is the purpose of this machine?"
"Well..." In all honesty, Kazuichi had just made that giant thing to impress Sonia. He kind of just attached whatever parts he could find on it, like various speakers and engines. Since it was so huge, he figured that Sonia would be interested and ask him about it. While she did appear, all that happened was that she said he smelled bad before backing away from him. To be fair though, he was usually covered in sweat and oil.
"It does... things!"
...
"As I expected," Izuru said before walking away, apparently losing interest.
"H-Hey! Get back here!" Kazuichi shouted. "It really is an awesome machine!"
Fuyuhiko scowled at the ground, apparently pissed off. He had just received a call from his sister saying that she was robbed.
"Young master. Is there something troubling you?" Peko asked with concern.
"Some asshole just scammed eight million yen from my sister. She said it was some urchin haired freak. You know anyone who looks like that?"
Peko's face darkened. As a matter of fact, she did know someone who fit that description. "That clairvoyant..."
"Clairvoyant? You know this guy?"
"Don't trouble yourself, young master. I shall see to this issue personally."
Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes. "First of all, I told you to stop calling me young master! We're just supposed to be classmates! Second of all, if you know who extorted my sister, then I want to know too!"
Peko winced slightly. Calling Fuyuhiko 'young master' was just a force of habit at this point. She couldn't help it, though she knew how much it bothered him. "That is-"
Suddenly, a sharp jolt ran through Peko's heart as every hair on the back of her neck stood up. She unsheathed her sword and whirled around. There, a man with extremely long hair was slowly walking towards them. Though he walked in a non-threatening manner, every instinct in her body screamed that this guy was dangerous.
"Peko? What's up?" Fuyuhiko asked, peeking out from behind her.
"..."
Ever since Peko had met Izuru, she had pinned him as the most dangerous and unpredictable person here, surpassing even the soldier and that writing prodigy. He was the biggest threat to her young m-... her classmate's safety.
"Izuru. What do you want?" Peko asked, shooting a deadly glare at him.
"..." Izuru ignored her, instead choosing to walk past her. Even though he remained in a passive state, Peko couldn't help but feel threatened. He was trying to walk past her. And past her, Fuyuhiko was standing, defenseless.
Quick as lightning, she blocked Izuru's path with her sword. "Turn around and walk away."
"Woah, Peko! You don't need to be so fuckin aggressive!" Fuyuhiko shouts. "What the hell? He's just walking around, the fuck are you so afraid of?"
"Young master, this person is unpredictable. I can not guarantee your safety if he interacts with you."
"Tch, Izuru? Even if he looks creepy, it's not like he's holding a weapon! Besides, I've never even talked to him. Why would he want to kill me?" Fuyuhiko was clearly upset. All he really wanted was for Peko to start acting like a normal person. For the better part of his life, Peko had always referred to herself as a tool. It hurt. To see her degrade herself like that while devoting her life to him... it really hurt.
"But young mas-"
"And for fucks sake, stop calling me that!" Fuyuhiko groaned.
Peko's face reddened slightly as she realizes her mistake. Perhaps Fuyuhiko was right... was she being too defensive? It was possible that her over-protectiveness could actually be damaging his relationships with his classmates...
She blinked.
What... Where?
Izuru was gone. She had the side of her sword right up to his neck. But now, all that remained was empty air. Somehow, he had disappeared... and she didn't notice. At that moment, if Izuru wanted to, he could have killed or kidnapped Fuyuhiko. And she wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.
"Hey, wait a sec. Where the hell did that guy go?" Fuyuhiko looked around but Izuru wasn't anyone in sight. Apparently, he hadn't seen him disappear either. Even though he was literally right in front of him, he had managed to get away without either of them noticing.
Peko shook her head. She could be as overprotective as she wanted to be, but none of it would matter if she couldn't even see her opponents movements... What she needed to do was train. Train until she would be able to face the likes of Izuru.
I will protect my young master...
"Yo! You're strong, right?"
Akane jumped in front of Izuru, springing the sudden question at him. Ever since Nekomaru had told her about him, she had been running everywhere looking for him. Apparently, this skinny guy was supposed to be super strong.
He doesn't look at powerful, but if Nekomaru says he is, then...
"You could say that," Izuru said.
"Alright then, fight me!" Akane said while grinning.
Izuru stares at her with a bored expression. Yet another person wanting to test my talents. And someone obsessed with fighting at that. Not very original.
"There is no point in me fighting you when the outcome is obvious."
"Huh?"
"No matter what, I would win. Thus, there is no point in fighting."
"Hah! Nekomaru was right, you're a cocky guy! Looking at you, you're probably no more then a 2, a 3 at best. But if that old man says you're strong, then I still need to fight you and win!"
"How boring. Your personality is as varied as a brick wall."
"Shut up!" Akane shouted, pounding her fists together. "You're gonna blab all day, or are we gonna fight?"
"If I fight you, will you remove yourself from my presence?"
"Sure, sure, whatever! Let's just go already!"
"Very well. Let us begin." Izuru sighed.
"YEAHHHH!" Akane shouted while recklessly charging at Izuru.
Every single one of her moves are telegraphed. Everything she says is predictable. Everything about this person is boring.
As Akane launched a flying kick at Izuru, he sidesteps, causing Akane to miss. Before she could even land on the ground, Izuru does the same thing he had done to Sakura - he jabs two fingers at a specific point on her spine.
Immediately, Akane collapsed, paralyzed. She gasped as sudden pain courses through her entire body while her legs suddenly fail. "W-What the?"
"I believe we are finished here. Farewell."
"Hey! We aren't done here!" Akane said, pushing herself up with her arms. "You haven't beat me yet!"
"To fight someone in your state is illogical. There would be even less point in doing so."
"Shut up! All I gotta do is win and you'll shut your trap right? Then get over here and fight me!" Akane roared, crawling towards him.
Izuru stared down at her, disappointed. He had gone to this school because he thought that there might be something unexpected may happen. But aside from a few insignificant blips, everything had gone as he predicted. Even the others who had been blessed with talent stayed predictable. It didn't matter if they were loved by talent, or if they were born without it. Everything was the same.
None of his classmates were even the least bit interesting.
There was no point in this.
No point at all.