I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.

The day continued after breakfast. And for the first three hours, Mineta reviewed what he learned about Balintawak the other day. He learned two minor but useful tricks that can aid him in his battle. The first was the abaniko, strikes that utilize the turning motion of the wrist. And the second was the semi-strike, a fast attack that's done before a block.

While they were by no means powerful, damage was still damage. A tree can still fall to millions of small cuts.

But now, it was time for his next lesson. And so, there stood Mineta in his Hero costume… In the back alley of the Temple where the light was dim and there was a variety of trash laying about.

"Welcome to Simulated Ground C. This will be your training area for the rest of today's session." Fenghuang said as she continued to stretch.

"This is the Temple's back alley." Mineta retorted. His teacher shook her head as she walked over to a trash can.

"This is Simulated Ground C. With authentic simulated garbage, my young pupil." She repeated while opening the lid of the garbage can. Mineta looked inside and found bags of packaging peanuts inside. He leaned back, brows furrowed before studying the other bits of garbage lying about. Those stacks of aged magazines? They were actually a carved blocks of laminated wood. The scrap metal that was leaning against the building? Those were simulacrums made with ply wood.

Even the various vents and wires on the walls didn't look right. At least, the ones on the Temple side weren't correct.

"… Let's just get right to it. What are we learning today?" Mineta asked, giving up the argument.

"We'll be sparring to build what you've learned so you can effectively use it in the field. You may use your Quirk in conjunction with your Balintawak training. And don't worry about your abilities not being compatible; I've taken the initiative and had our armorer apply a non-stick coating to your baton." Fenghuang answered. Mineta raised an eyebrow to that and moved to test that. But just like Midoriya's shoes, the sticky orb didn't adhere to the metal of the rod. The shorter boy nodded to that before tossing the hairball up the wall so it won't interfere.

And with that, his master took out two giant knives–

"Hold on, what's that!?" Mineta asked, taking a step back. His master wasn't going to butcher him was she?

"These are bowie trainers used by knife fighters to polish their skills. According to reports, the Hero Killer used bladed weapons against the Heroes he attacked. So I must get you accustomed to fighting them before our patrol in the event you get caught up in the fight." Fenghuang explained as she readied a stance. The shorter boy felt any argument against that die on his tongue. She was right. If by some misfortune he had to fight Stain, he needed to know how to handle it.

Otherwise he'd end up in easy to eat pieces.

"Okay, I'm ready." Mineta said as he took up his stance. The heroine nodded and dashed forward, knives swinging with the left ahead of the right. The shorter boy, in response, met the left slash and pushed it back before blocking the right. Fenghuang drew her left knife back over her right shoulder and swung into Mineta's guard. That attack had much more force in it, causing the shorter boy to flinch.

Using that opportunity, the heroine pushed with both knifes while turning her body. This force ended up throwing Mineta off balance and onto his back. Fenghuang then leapt onto him, pinning his baton hand with one leg, his open hand with the other, and shoving blunt aluminum into his neck.

"Not bad, but you need to keep your posture stable when you guard. Now try to work your Quirk into the battle." She said as she got up from her student. Mineta nodded as he got up. He returned to position and the two went at it again. Due to his height, Fenghuang's attack angles on the shorter boy were limited. Even then, the speed and ferocity of her swings were something to behold.

But Mineta managed to find an opening. He thrust forward while pulling a hairball off. His teacher stepped back to avoid the strike, but that was what he waited for. He threw the ball at the ground with just enough speed to reach it before Fenghuang's foot. The heroine looked at her foot, then at a rather smug Mineta.

Before he could speak, she leaned in and slashed, hitting the artery in his neck.

"Don't assume the fight is over until the Villain is unconscious, completely restrained, or unable to battle in any way. Rendering their lower half immobile doesn't mean victory." Fenghuang explained. She then removed her shoe and took out a new one from a nearby duffle bag. Mineta raised an eyebrow as he caught just how many shoes were in there.

His teacher really prepared for this occasion, didn't she?

"Again with your Quirk." She said, taking position again.

"Yes Shifu!"

For the next two and a half hours, Mineta and Fenghuang repeated that spar. With each loss, the shorter boy's weaknesses were pointed out for correction. And as a result of this, he was starting to keep up with his teacher. Not only that, Mineta was finding more and more opportunities to use his Quirk. Slowly but surely, direct combat was becoming an option for him. No longer did he have to rely on just predator tactics and forward planning.

He'll need to figure out how to work pitching into this though.

Still, it wasn't easy getting to that point at all. Fenghuang kept throwing in new moves to keep her student on his toes, readying him for anything. She began including thrusts after the 3rd spar. Then at the 8th, she began using back cuts with bowie's swedge or back edge. At the 16th, she began using reverse grip attacks. At 23, she began throwing in feints. For spar 31, she began including kicks of various kinds. For spar 44, she threw one of her knives at him before fighting with an open hand. And recently, starting from spar 50, she began swapping the one knife between hands.

By the end of the 58th, there were so many shoes on the ground stuck to hairballs. But despite all that, Fenghuang was still able to gracefully move through and deal a fatal strike to Mineta.

"Hmmm… Take a break my young pupil while I make a call." She said as she walked off. Mineta, taking many deep breaths nodded, before the heroine walked a few steps away. The shorter boy then propped himself against a wall, feeling the exhaustion run through him. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't really built for direct combat. He was short and didn't have stacks of muscle like Midoriya did.

Looks like he needs something more for this to work.

"Shifu, I've brought what you need."

Mineta looked over to the new voice and found himself looking at what was a contradiction. There stood a light haired man who had a pretty face that also had a degree of roughness to it. He looked polite and gentle, but there was an air of danger behind his eyes. Fenghuang bowed and the man bowed back as four others came out and began cleaning the alleyway with great gusto.

"My young pupil, I want you to meet another of my eight masters. This is Kamishiro Yuu, the head instructor for Practical Self Defense. Master Kamishiro, this is Mineta Minoru of UA." The Heroine greeted as she gestured to the man.

"I heard you're making great progress with Shifu. Keep up the good work." Kamishiro said with a bow.

"Yeah, she's been very thorough." Mineta replied. The man then handed the shorter boy a bag, inside was a thermos and a large bun. Okay, lunch then. But where was Fenghuang's portion? Or was she not going to eat yet?

"Help yourself; I need to prepare for a demonstration." She said before going into a whispered conversation with Kamishiro. Mineta shrugged and took a bite out of the bun, this time it had ground chicken inside. He then unscrewed the thermos and drank deeply from it, hot chrysanthemum tea filling his empty gullet. He could feel his body relax as energy began returning to him. The shorter boy didn't know what was in the food and drink here, but it was a Godsend.

Now he can keep on training.

"We're ready to begin the demonstration. Please pay attention my young Pupil." Fenghuang said as she readied her training knives. Kamishiro readied himself as well. But while he was unarmed, the man had forearm and lower leg guards as well as plated gloves. But before either of them could exert their intent to spar, Mineta realized something.

"Wait, what about–?" Mineta began as he looked to the ball and shoe riddled alleyway. That was until he found that there was nothing but asphalt and the assorted simulated trash. His eyes popped from their sockets as it scanned around. But alas, the evidence of his and his teacher's numerous spars were gone. Strange, he was feeling pretty okay that morning, so they should have been stuck for at least a few hours longer.

"We couldn't wait that long, so I had the cleaning crew rip out the asphalt they were attached to." Fenghuang explained. That caused Mineta's eyes to launch out even further. Rip out!? He began to examine the ground more and finally noticed that certain spots were darker than their surrounding area. There was also the faint smell of asphalt in the air.

"Due to the intensity of some of the spars between me and the eight masters, it's only reasonable to have cleaning crews that are also repair people. But with that sorted, are you ready for the demonstration?" The Heroine said. Mineta sighed, he seen all sorts of nonsense by this point, what's one more to the list?

"Ready…" The shorter boy answered as he looked to the two teachers.

Fenghuang and Kamishiro nodded as they faced one another. They entered their stance again and the air about them changed. Unlike when she faced Mineta, the Heroine had serious intent to injure. As for her sparring opponent, he was giving a glare like he was a hunter out for prey. Mineta leaned back into the wall, hoping that they weren't too focused on each other to not notice him.

And then they leapt.

The strikes came at each other fast, much faster than what Mineta was used to. And now that his teacher was fighting a taller opponent, she was able to show off even more attack angles. But that didn't even deter her opponent, as Kamishiro was able to weave and block the slashes. Each time his arm guards met the bowie trainers, a soft sound echoed through the alleyway. Honestly, this whole thing looked like a scene out of an action movie.

Fenghuang thrust forward before swiping across. Kamishiro, while intercepting it like usual, then grabbed the back of the blade with his right hand. His left hand then darted forward and grabbed the partially exposed grip from the Heroine's hand. And with one good pull and push, the fake blade escaped her grip and fell to the ground behind Kamishiro.

The man then punched, unleashing a flurry of jabs at his opponent. Fenghuang weaved or parried them with the trainer. And had it not been for those arm protectors, Kamishiro would be getting cut up if the knife been real. The Heroine kicked towards his throat, though the man easily ducked under. But before he can capitalize on her vulnerable leg, Fenghuang shifted her body and quickly brought down her raised leg. Her knife then came swinging down on Kamishiro's head.

The man quickly grabbed a nearby fake stack of magazines and hurled it into his opponent. Fenghuang blocked the incoming projectile, but it delayed her attack by a second, allowing Kamishiro to roll back and escape. Upon righting himself, he threw another fake stack at her. The Heroine evaded the attack and approached, slashing once he was in range. But he simply intercepted it by grabbing and raising a garbage can lid.

Kamishiro then tried to shove it into Fenghuang, but she simply jumped back. And then, as the two stood armed with their own weapons, they began to relax. The bloodlust that surrounded them had finally passed.

"And that is the end of the demonstration. Well my young pupil, have you noticed anything?" Fenghuang asked, turning to Mineta. The shorter boy snapped out of his 'audience mode' and began processing what he saw. It was a spar, but there were so many more moves that Kamishiro performed. Blocks using his arm guards, that disarm, and using various items around him to create openings, he used everything that he knows and what is around him.

"When a Hero battles a Villain, it effectively becomes a street fight. And in such a scenario, you can say that all bets are off. You must use the full breadth of your abilities and your environment. But while us Heroes must keep collateral to a minimum, there are things that we can still do to tip the scales in our favor." Fenghuang said.

"But… Isn't that dishonest?" Mineta asked. He didn't know why he asked that when he could guess where this was going. Perhaps he just remembered the negative reaction his classmates had to his Calvary Battle tactic. It was wholly unfair. And no Hero who uses such plans can be considered Heroic, let alone become popular like Mineta was trying to be.

Or maybe that was the problem.

"Not to the handful of pragmatic Heroes in service. It's like Eraserhead said during the Sports Festival, Villains refuse to play fair. And if a Hero doesn't stack the odds, they are more likely to fall. So in our next few spars, try to think of and work in a few moves that takes advantage of something." Fenghuang said.

"Uhhh… Yeah, about that. I kind of promised not to use cheap tricks… On my friends at least." Mineta replied.

"And that's fine. But you must understand that by holding that trickery back, many of your advantages will be lost. Master Kamishiro, this is your specialty. Please inform my pupil the most dangerous kind of enemy." Fenghuang said, turning to the other teacher who was still there. Strange, Mineta thought he would've gone back inside. But he supposed that meant Kamishiro was here to make sure he understood something.

"Of course Shifu. Mineta-san, what is the first thing you think of when I say 'strong' and 'weak'?" He asked, facing the shorter boy. While the shorter boy wanted to say the first answer that came to his mind… He kept his mouth shut knowing his teachers wanted him to delve deeper. Strong and weak is something that is both arbitrary and defined at the same time.

Like Midoriya was stronger than Mineta, but weaker than Todoroki or Bakugou.

Or when it came to emotions, Tsuyu was a rock while someone like Kouda is jumpy.

Everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses, a balance that is maintained one way or another.

"Alright, now that I have you thinking about it. Tell me, what kind of person made this scar?" Kamishiro asked as he lifted a part of his shirt. On the side of his abdomen, just above the waistline of his jeans, was a several centimeter scar. And judging by the marks above it, he needed stitches for it to heal. Mineta flinched to the sight, despite having seen worse injuries amongst his classmates. Perhaps it was because it was a scar on a self defense teacher that made it scary.

"… Someone stronger than you. They got past all your skills and managed to stab you." Mineta answered, still staring at the scar.

"It's actually the opposite, someone weak gave this to me. One night, after fighting my old mentor, a kid I saved from bullies suddenly stabbed me. He thought that if he killed me, a famed street fighter, that no one would dare bully him again. I barely survived that attack and never saw him again… But it was an eye opening experience; it redefined what weakness really meant to me." Kamishiro explained. Mineta felt a chill run down his body to that story.

And thinking about it… How many Heroes were almost killed in a scenario just like that? Someone unassuming walks by and suddenly a knife, gun, or Quirk hits them? If that's the case, then the most dangerous kind of enemies were the weak ones. Or rather, the weak but smart ones.

"It seems you've caught on my young pupil. There's nothing more dangerous than a weak and intelligent foe. These are the advantages you're giving up by not resorting to cheap tricks. And please note that this rule will apply no matter how strong you become. You will always be weaker than someone, so aim to be smarter than they can ever be." Fenghuang said.

Mineta processed those words and the image that came to mind was All Might's scar. Whichever Villain inflicted that on him must've been weaker, seeing that All Might is still around… And yet they were smart enough to create an opportunity to rip into him. If that's what a pragmatic Villain can do… Imagine what a pragmatic Hero is capable of? Actually, Mineta knows what they are like.

He's learning from one back at UA. He's learning from another right now. And he, as the Sports Festival has proven, himself is one. Granted…

"Alright, I'll embrace the rat within… But my friends aren't going to like this. Between this and my creepy desires, I won't be surprised if I get casted out again." Mineta said, scratching the side of his face. Fenghuang simply shook her head before approaching her student, crouching down to meet him at eye level.

"I'm certain things won't end the way you believe they would. You're bettering yourself on one front and your friends will one day appreciate the pragmatism on the other. What matters is that you, yourself, know how far you've come since the start of this internship. All the training and meditation that was placed within your body and soul, they will be the proof of your efforts. But if they still don't see you any better than vermin… Well, their opinions aren't the only one that matters." Fenghuang said.

Mineta began feeling a new wave of hope in his chest. His teacher was right; he shouldn't put too much sway in what the others say about him. While Class 1A definitely means well, unless it's Bakugou, there was really only one person's word he should listen to. Well, two now that he has Shifu too. So with a smile, Mineta took up a stance again, ready to spar once more.

"Then let's sharpen those fangs my little mouse, for they're the tools that'll make even the mightiest giant kneel." Fenghuang said before she charged at Mineta.

And that has been Chapter 44.

Not much to say here except that Kamishiro Yuu is a character from the manga Holyland by Mori Kouji. It's a story of how a bullied kid becomes a respected street fighter. It is a tale of self doubt and self discovery that is both brutal yet incredibly fascinating.

Other than that, I've got no other news for you. Things are still crazy in the world. So at the very least, I can give you some order in these chaotic times with these bi-weekly updates. So stay safe and tune in next time to learn the wisdom of nine masters.

Until Next Time. T1.