Justice Across Space and Time

Chapter 55

I'll get into a bit more into some of the power and potential that comes with ki in this chapter. As well as how it could be pushed to its limits in the way I wrote it. Well, ki and the one who wields it. And don't think everyone will be jumping on the ki train. Let's be honest, most of them probably wouldn't want to put in the work the same way when many of them already have a similar attack or would see it as redundant. So on with the show.

(No POV)

After rescuing Mina, Itsuka's hand was screaming in pain from the chop she just pulled off. Once the gesture of respect was done, she broke her façade and started shaking her hand. "Ow, ow, ow, ow! You didn't warn me about it hurting after I used ki!"

"Yeah, that takes a little getting used to at first. At least when it comes to ki enhanced strikes. Though if you notice, your hand's not broken." Jotaro said before looking down at the appendage.

Itsuka did as well and saw that he was correct. Her left hand was hurting, but as she stretched and flexed it the pain started to fade. When she asks how that was possible, Jotaro likened it to his own barrier.

"My body creates its own protective field around me. I subconsciously generate it and it cushions my blows from hurting me. Ki works the same way. When you channel it, it cushions the blow to keep the likely injuries away. But it has limits as you've found out."

Everyone else though caught up with them and asked how both of them managed to do such incredible things. Only to have flat looks on their faces when Jotaro mentioned teaching ki to Itsuka.

"You're kidding right? I thought that was like a….. fictional thing!" Kaminari says as his glasses slip off his head. Jotaro gives him a look before pointing out that one of their classmates has sticky orbs that come out of his head. "How is this that weird?"

Vlad and Aizawa meanwhile were also shocked at the turn of events and what both of their students apparently knew how to do. "Can you teach this to anyone?" Kan asks as he and the other teachers walk up. Jotaro shrugs and admits he could try.

But there was a problem that he pointed quirks again as the source of. "It's not that quirks themselves remove the ability to learn it. It's more that… well you guys are kinda lazy when you think about it."

This gets quite a few indignant at that phrasing and the pout or call out Jotaro for being one to talk considering all of his power. "Hold up. I want to hear a little more of this. Though I think I have an idea on what he means." Aizawa says as a few students had grabbed Jotaro's coat. Kan nods and notes he has an idea as well. After removing Tetsutetsu's hands from him, Jotaro smiled and started his explanation.

"It's not that you can't do or learn it, but most of you would rather stick with what you're comfortable with. Look at Shoto. His use of ice is much stronger than his fire because he's pushed it. And even though he's been learning to use his fire, not only is he still not proficient in it but he's not…. The most creative or sensible with his usage."

Shoto thought about what his friend had said and could see what he was getting at. Noting for himself that he still has to alternate both sides with his power. "And….. yeah, I do have a bad habit of relying on insanely powerful attacks. And we all saw how well that turned out in the Sports Festival."

The rest hum for a moment before a few come up with their own points and conclusions. One surprising, the other not. "It also has to do with our combat styles or even how much we've wrapped up and obsessed over our quirks. Like me with my tail. It's my whole quirk and without it I'd feel like I have nothing." Ojiro notes while considering the martial arts of ki.

The one who surprised everyone though was Mineta. "Not to mention some of us don't have the same kind of focus or application with our quirks. Like with my balls. They're really only good for restraining so I've kind of built a style around that. Meaning me, Ibarra, heck even Kamui Woods could have trouble making ki work for us. So, we'd just stick to what we know."

"There is a different problem as well. These are ancient techniques Jotaro and I learned. And frankly everyone turns their noses up at the oldest ways of doing things. Not saying that isn't a bad thing in some cases, but you can't really learn from it if you don't at least listen to it. Toss in that it may be easier for someone without a quirk and…. Well that just shows where your perspective would lie. You might think that it was a quirkless person's only way to match someone else with a quirk."

Saphentite's words are harsh, but a few of the more contemplative students take what she said as a truth many of them probably know but try hard to ignore. Even if they don't say it out loud.

Thirteen then breaks up the discussion with a clap of her hands. "Alright that's enough. You all did well with rescue training today. Itsuka, Saphentite, Jotaro, Izuku. I would say the four of you did the best considering the situations I presented. Is there anything else the rest of you want to add?" Thirteen says before addressing her fellow teachers.

Most of them shake their heads 'no' and compliment some of the students they saw as doing well with their tasks. But before the ki talk could be left to the wayside, Aizawa asked Jotaro something he felt was necessary. "What exactly can you all do with ki?"

Thirteen was annoyed by the insomniac dragging the conversation back to that. Though she couldn't deny the lingering curiosity herself. Jotaro hummed before asking if they could use some of the landslide area for him to demonstrate.

"Of course. I'm quite curious on what you can do myself." Nezu says before asking the students to give Jotaro some room. He lets out a breath before taking off his jacket and then his tee shirt. A few wolf whistles are let out as they see his muscles in more definition. He puts on a pair of fingerless gloves before taking his stance.

He starts out by using his mixed style of arts to warm up before going into his techniques. "Rising Storm!" he shouts first before uppercut kicking, and then pushing himself into the air. Launching more kicks into the abdomen of an imaginary opponent. Some of his audience wincing at the thought of taking said kicks.

When he lands next to a boulder, he winds up his leg and delivers an "Axe Blow" to it. Cleaving the rock in two with the heel of his foot. "I'm not taking a hit from him again." Kirishima says with a gulp before looking at his hardened arm.

"Rampage Straight!" Jotaro shouts next before blasting forward with a strong straight punch. One that breaks one boulder and then another behind it. He then shifts his weight and stance to one that looks similar to Izuku's shoot style Las Vegas Smash.

"Cross Cut!" He shouts before flip kicking quickly and then after landing, throwing out a wide crescent kick. Some think they just see the wind from the attack, but Itsuka knows what it really is. Proven when another rock gets cut in quarters.

Most jaws were already on the ground, and they dropped harder when Jotaro unleashed his Storm Fist blast from between his palms and then a Gaia Wave to blast forward on the ground.

The teachers assumed the demonstration was done, but a new look of calm told Saphentite that it wasn't. "Stay back. I think he's going to use something special." Jotaro holds his hands to his side before breathing deep and feeling the power coming from the Earth and from the atmosphere.

He pulls one arm back before unleashing a massive spinning attack. One that whips up the wind all around him, he then launches it forward and the whirlwind continues to spin. Sucking up rocks and debris. Some even the size of people.

"Avalanche REX!" Jotaro shouts out before slamming both fists on the ground. The resulting blast unleashes a massive wave of power that could even knock flying opponents out of the sky.

After shaking out of a bit of their shock most of the audience had one thought or statement: "where has that been all this time!?" Jotaro shakes his hands a bit to shake out the soreness. Before answering the question.

"Truth is I can't use this power and frankly techniques while I'm super powered up. If it did, the resulting aftereffects could be devastating. I'm already too strong for my own good with my powers. I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt." Jotaro said with a slightly sad look.

It still confuses some, but the teachers all start rushing them out of the USJ. They say it's so they can get a start on their lesson plans and the kids can start on their homework. But underneath it, they are a bit nervous and scared for what else Jotaro could unleash.

"So Midoriya? Did Jotaro ever teach you how to use that? Is that how you came up with the energy tentacles?" Mineta asked as they were riding back. Izuku cleared his throat before saying it wasn't and he didn't. "We're kind of similar in that I need to gauge my power. And that is hard enough to do with just my kinetic energy. The tendrils though were my own idea (sort of)."

Izuku moves past it by mentioning that he thought a restraining power might be good against opponents who were fast enough to evade his punches. But he does tell them that the ki training was used to help Izuku with his newest set of powers.

Demonstrated by first heating and then cooling a bottle of water in his hand. And then with a bit of concentration, he did the same to the bottle of orange juice Ida had. With Shoto being stunned that Izuku had similar powers to him now.

"It's not exactly like yours Todoroki. I don't create ice or fire. Instead….. you could say its like what happens when you rub two stones or your hands together. Increasing the heat through the friction of molecules by kinetic energy. Or reversing the process by pulling it away."

Kaminari seemed to have short circuited his brain, while Mina just looked confused and bewildered. Shoji, Aoyama, and Sato weren't much better and though Toru's face couldn't be seen, they could see that she was scratching her head.

A few others understood, but thought it was a crazy application for a power they thought was just about punching harder. 'Perhaps that is what makes true metas more powerful. They can do things we can't, don't, or rarely think of. Because their power is far greater than ours.' Momo thinks as they return to Heights Alliance.

Nezu considers much the same as the teachers meet after reviewing the lessons of the day. Some of the teachers wonder if this could be turned against them in some way. Like there could be a rouge ki master that could compete with the current top 10.

"I don't think we need to worry that far. As Jotaro pointed out, most people wouldn't be interested in trying to train or learn use ki. What he explained about that master he and Sapentite learned from was that he was hidden away from the world, and they found him by chance." Aizawa notes when Snipe was almost twitching at the thought of the potential.

Cementoss was uneasy as well, but he did see the 1-A homeroom teacher's point. "If nothing else we should be glad that we have two, well now three, who actually know how to use these techniques. I could be a good counter just in case."

Vlad agrees and notes that he overheard Jotaro and Itsuka talking on the way out of the USJ. And how Jotaro was simply advising her on perfecting her martial arts skills. "He's likely looking at the use of ki as a last resort or a tool only used when necessary." Vlad says with his arms crossed.

Toshinori agrees noting Jotaro's preference for strikes that didn't have any flash or a name typically. "You've all seen it. He has a variety of techniques or skills he's developed with the various energies he's absorbed. But he never names them. Using names for his attacks now is a pretty big shift."

The rest of the teachers nod and see what the former number 1 was getting at. So for the time being, they were willing to let the matter stand and see what Itsuka could develop as she was trained in ki usage.

Speaking of, she was practicing a few of her kata after returning to the dorms. She tried again and again to feel the ki flowing, but something kept feeling off with it. "Hey!" she heard from the side as a kick was thrown her way. She quickly blocked and slid back from the impact.

She lowered her guard slightly and saw that the one who kicked her was Saphentite. "Not bad, but if I hadn't said anything you'd probably be sprawled out on the ground." Saphentite said with a smirk. Itsuka sighed but did agree with her.

"You know, Jotaro isn't the only one who knows ki. I don't use it because I have my magic. But I know the principles and I know quite well what it's like to channel a lot of power." Saphentite says before taking Itsuka's hands.

The red head looks from her hands to Saphentite a few times before smiling. "Okay Saphee. Can you help me understand what I'm missing?" Itsuka said to her friend. With the genie girl returned the smile before telling Itsuka to take her stance.

The two exchanged slow blows back and forth while trying to help Itsuka get a feel for what she was missing. But after a time, Itsuka felt they weren't finding what it was. Saphentite though has a different perspective. "Think back a bit. Aside from saving Mina and the rest, what were you thinking when you unleashed that attack?"

"Um… I. It was…. It was chaotic at the time. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I just…. Oh, for the love of, now I think I get it." Itsuka says before facepalming. She remembers her stance and what her mindset was in that moment. Without calling its name, Itsuka unleashes her Tatsu strike once more.

Right as the blade of her hand comes down, Saphentite catches it in a bit of magic. A spell to freeze the energy in place. Itsuka raised her hand up and saw that her hand literally had a blade of ki around it. "Whoa…. Okay. This is awesome!" Itsuka says with glee.

But it fades when the magic lets up. "You know what it looks like now. So, try to feel that. Let the energy of the planet, the energy around and inside you. Flow to your hand." Saphentite says while putting her hands behind her back.

Itsuka took a few deep breaths and tried to pull it to her hand. When Saphentite saw her struggling, she told her to stop forcing or controlling it. "Let it flow. Then it will sustain." Itsuka realized she was still thinking a bit in terms of her quirk by turning the ki on and off. Even when she had been without it for weeks.

So, she lets go of that and once again lets the rush of the energy from the planet flow around, over, and then through her. As she lets go of the thoughts about controlling the energy. Instead, she focuses on channeling the power to her hands to form her blades.

"Interesting. So, what's this?" Saphentite asks as she sees the blades form. Itsuka mentions that she isn't sure yet. "But I know how to direct it!" She then charges at Saphentite with a sweeping chop.

Saphentite intercepts the first attack by raising her leg. She winces as she can feel quite a bit of power behind the move. Itsuka seems to be catching her breath before she can feel what she wants to do with her blades.

"Ni moto no ken; Taifu Hashi!" Itsuka shouts before unleashing a surging and spinning series of slashes with her hands. Saphentite realizes that blocking would be detrimental to her. So, she opts for evasion. Initially sticking to the flexible and acrobatic movements of Capoeira and Varzesh-e Pahlavani.

But as the last blow looked like it would still strike, Saphentite decided to get a bit creative. Right as Itsuka's hand was impacting on her stomach, she separated herself in two. Itsuka freaked out initially, thinking she might have killed Saphentite. Only to get slapped in the back of the head and then a kick in the butt from the genie girl's halves.

"Don't do that! You scared the Hell out of me!" Itsuka said while catching her breath. Saphentite smiled before telling her it was a mixed warning. "There is a chance your attack could kill someone if you aren't careful. This was just a reminder of that. But still. Well done."

Saphentite bowed to Itsuka and red head reciprocated. The two worked few another hour or so to help Itsuka get a feel for any more techniques she could think of. One she switched to was a barrage of kicks moving at higher speeds than she thought possible.

"Perk of ki. It can help push your body further. If you use it in concert with other factors then you'll find you can do a lot of things most need a quirk, true meta power, or magic to shortcut them to." Saphentite explained. She then asked what the new technique would be called. After ruminating on it she went with Ame no unten or Driving rain.

With Saphentite, Jotaro, and even Izuku's help, Itsuka was able to get a handle on ki control and usage. But to follow along with Jotaro's warnings about it, there were times she shouldn't use it. As such, she also visited Melissa to see if she had new gadgets and support gear.

While those from UA were improving and learning strange ways to improve, others around Japan and beyond were scheming and planning. "Okay. Kid? You confirm that the target inside is guilty?" The one speaking was the current number 2 hero, Hawks. On a special mission for the HPSC.

"Affirmative. I've been listening to his phone calls as well. He's been behind a few members of the MLA going unpunished or set free. Not to mention he was bragging about attacking some people with no one knowing it was him Do I move in?"

Who was he speaking to? Hoshino Kazuhiko. Not long after the provisional license exams were being taken by the students of UA, the hidden village he lived in was visited by the current president of the commission.

When she looked around and saw some recent damage from others who attacked these people because they didn't have quirks. Well, it made her blood boil. She then asked to talk with the boy and head of the community.

After making a multitude of apologies for what they had to endure, she brought forth a proposition for them. While Jotaro had taught Kazuhiko how to use his powers and the Pussycats had been helping teach him to read and write, the commission wanted to provide him with more of an education and maybe some minor recognition as a hero.

"In exchange… Ha. I do hate to ask this when you've lost so much already. But would be willing to aid in protecting against rogue heroes and villains?" The question surprised the elder and Kazuhiko.

At the same time, the commission was planning to set up some security in the area to keep an eye out for more who wanted to hurt them. Like those from Deika City. "We've suspected and to a point known that the whole city is the base for the Meta Liberation Army. But we can't make a move at this time. The most we can do is try to capture members who-"

"Who try to do what they did to our home." Kazuhiko finishes. The woman looks down in sadness and agrees. She doesn't put pressure on him, and even says they'll still set up the security systems around the village even if he didn't want to help.

But she doesn't even have to finish her statement before Kazuhiko accepts. "What they did to us. What they've done to so many people. Someone has to stop it. And I can operate in ways no one else can." And thus, he was made a young agent of the HPSC.

He was currently above the dirty hero's home in his radio wave form. But after confirming the target, he was told to fall back. Once he sped away and landed on a different rooftop, his costume could be seen.

Using suggestions from Melissa and David Shield, they mixed a set of metal, fabric, and his hair to make a dark blue suit with a special helmet that let him monitor transmissions. The red visor lifted up before he asked why they weren't moving in. "You can be a bit much if you aren't careful. Luckily, we've got a man moving inside."

Kazuhiko wasn't the only true meta working for the commission now. Nobasu had been revived and had agreed to work with the commission. "If for nothing else…. That those who killed my family can't do it again."

He had flattened himself under the door and was slipping around unnoticed. Once he was in the bedroom, he saw the villain masquerading as a hero in question. He was a man who had pride in his speed enhancing power. And wanted to use it whenever he chose on whoever he wanted.

That included superspeed molesting with multiple women before they had a chance to ID him. Or his actions in faux arresting members of the MLA only to have them moved or freed based on orders from the head of the political section.

The villain had taken some sleeping medication to help him ease into sleep. So, this was the perfect chance for Nobasu. He didn't form his entire body, but he shifted his hand around the culprit's head.

And then rapidly close it around him. Before the man could struggle much, Nobasu used the rest of his body to hold him in place. "Not so much fun when you're the one unable to move or make a scene is it?" Nobasu whispered as the villain was suffocated.

"Well?" Hawks asks after a few minutes. "It's done. And I slipped a few more of the pills out of the bottle. Between that and the tiny pricks around his body beforehand are to make sure he wouldn't look like a strangulation victim, and it should be clear." Nobasu reported before going down the drain and to the rendezvous.

Kazuhiko looks down a bit sadly at the thought that he had a hand in taking a life. "I wouldn't blame you if you feel sick kid. I feel it at times too. But I believe this can do a lot of good down the line. Especially if we can stop more people like you, Nobasu, or even just any others from suffering. It's not perfect, and it's pretty messed up. But it will still help people."

Hawks says this after flying over to the boy on a different rooftop. He places a hand on the boy's shoulder before talking to him. Kazuhiko looks up and sees the compassionate and friendly face of Keigo. The boy nods before saying they should get back.

On the opposite end of the spectrum though, Sosaku and Tomura were checking in on something with Wu. "So, I took some scans of the blood you got from that blue genie girl. Have to admit that was a strange sentence. Anyway! I think I have found a way to track various mystic energy signatures. Just…"

Wu was currently in a new lab and had a few of himself wandering around working on new items. With Jin and his doubles assisting where they could. The main two though were talking with their leaders about a possible new recruit.

Using some satellites Sosaku had invested in some time ago, Wu could use them with a new program he made to scan the world for similar signatures. Aside from confirming that Jotaro himself still had a low-grade energy signature, they were able to zero in on ten major mystic points.

"So which one would you like to go for ma'am?" Wu asks as the highlighted regions are on screen. Sosaku can't decide while looking at them all, so Tomura puts in his own 100 yen.

"I think we should go for the one in South Africa. You have some holdings down that way after all. It would be a logical one to check. Besides, some of these others are way too far from most civilizations. Doubt they'd be willing to aid us."

Natalie thinks on the moment before asking Wu to focus in on the area. She nods as it gets closer and shows that the magic signature was just barely out of the town itself. "Alright. Fancy a trip to the Rainbow Nation?"

As much as I want to focus purely on the students, I feel I should peek in on the others who have a stake in the fights of this world. I was always planning to have Nobasu be an agent like character. He's kind of a more serious Plastic Man.

Oh, and if you get the reference about Kazuhiko, then I hope you got a chuckle out of it. I was kind of going with an idea that he would be a middle ground as it were between Hawks and Nagant. While the former believes in the good, they do, even with his hands stained with blood, the latter let it weigh her down and break her.

We'll get some more details about the future of Itsuka's new fighting style and how it will change her as a hero. Though not without some other complications. Anyway, please review!