Well this is the last Shiketsu idea i have rn. Anything else people wanna see from the school?
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Coreca Mors clattered to the ground. A few more powerful strikes from King, barely blocked by his shield, were enough to finally put Jaune down, alive but unconscious. The same could be said for the rest of the Shiketsu students and staff that had been fighting him earlier, even Katsuragi. King was scratched, but only superficially. His costume had taken a beating and one lucky punch from the star-powered student had almost knocked his mask off. Once Jaune was down for the count, he quickly readjusted it.
King walked past the bodies, stomping on some of them that obstructed his path. A simple stomp from his body was enough to cause minor fracturing, to ensure they'd stay down if they did wake up.
It was time for him to properly deliver his message.
Or maybe, if he was lucky, he'd already made it. There were those few that escaped him earlier. Maybe they found Star and had already informed her of his return. If that was the case, then there'd be a sonic boom on the horizon any second now.
But what there really was before his path was...a bunch of freaked out kids.
Easy pickings.
He sighed, honestly a little bored by how easy these students had been to beat. Just his luck to mostly fight a bunch of first years.
Where were the students hiding, actually? Maybe their bloodshed would send a message.
He tried to find them, searching around the wilderness outside for a few moments before deciding they weren't here. Instead, they were probably up in the main hotel building, hiding behind Star and that other Pro.
Zenkichi gave a sigh of relief from their hiding spot- they were all hiding inside some storage area. At least, their class was. And a few other kids. No idea where everyone else was hiding, but they KNEW something was happening.
It was Jaune's group, Pyrrha's group and Gasmask's group hiding inside. "See anything?" Saki asked, voice low.
"No." Zenkichi huffed.
"What about the teachers?" Saki asked.
"...don't ask."
"Are they...dead?" Yuna whispered.
"Down but...I don't think so," Zenkichi answered.
"They went down THAT easy?" Ryuji asked, almost sounding offended.
"Believe me. They were putting up a good fight for a few minutes...and then..." Zenkichi huffed. "We could be next. Who knows if Mogana reached Star yet..."
"IF Mogana did." Akune frowned.
"S-she did. She had to!" Yuna argued.
"And do you know that for sure?"
"Shut. Up." Zenkichi said, with grit teeth.
"Never send a first year to do something. Even if she is as head strong as she claims..." Akune huffed.
"You're not helping, Akune."
"Well sorry if I'm just saying what might be the truth!"
"But we need hope right now! That's what we're supposed to do when we become pros!" Yuna countered.
"Why would I lie about something like this?!" Akune hissed.
"I am this close to punching you..." Zenkichi growled.
"Hey, quit it." Moji said, getting in between the two of them.
"And why should I listen to YOU?" Akune sneered.
"I dunno, the fact I'm older than you? Respect your elders, damn it." Moji said.
"Why would I listen to some Endeavor flunkee?"
Wrong choice of words. Moji suddenly slammed a fist into Akune's face, making him stumble back.
"That's goddamn why." Moji frowned.
"Idiots are gonna get us caught..." Nekomi muttered.
"I'm trying not to, but someone just won't learn to keep their damn mouth shut," Zenkichi glared daggers at Akune.
"Well if you want him to be quiet, could always just keep my hand over his mouth...or knock him out," Nekomi offered.
"You're taking his side?" Akune grumbled, still recovering from the punch.
"For once, yes. Because he's right. Sit down, shut up, and actually hope for a damn minute."
"We're missing two other kids too...three if you count Satou." Itsuki said. "But he's probably oblivious to everything right now."
"I know he hasn't...done much, but he doesn't deserve to be out there during this," Zenkichi said.
"Absolutely. Hope he's safe." Sunako frowned.
"So, what do we do if...we get attacked?" Mimic asked.
"Run, obviously." Saki huffed. "No way we stand a chance against them."
"What if we don't have a choice?"
"Then someone will remember you fondly," Akune said.
"Oh my GOD, DUDE!" Nekomi punched Akune in the shoulder, "You need to shut up."
"Is...is he always like this?" Yuna asked.
"I don't know, but if he is, how did he even get in?" the girl wondered, rubbing her face, "Look as long as everyone just stays quiet, we don't draw attention, we should be fine."
"Agreed." Inasa said, being more quiet than ever. That hammered the nail for a few Class 13 students- this was serious business.
Even Akune took notice of the usual energetic wind-user's tone. It felt so off to hear him like that.
The room went quiet. Zenkichi peered out the window once more, keeping his head low. Medaka...please be safe. Wherever you are. I know I'm your shoulder to lean on, but I don't know if I can think continue on the hero road without you-
BOOM. The door to their shelter was immediately ripped off the hinges. Yuna shrieked as King forced his head in.
He didn't say anything, as usual, but the mere sight of him was enough to freak out all of the students. Nekomi grabbed a random board and quickly smashed it into King's face, hoping to at least stun the villain, surprise him enough to make him withdraw for a bit. Surprisingly, King did pull back from the hit. The wooden board that Nekomi bashed him with cracked in two, splinters littering the ground. The martial artist looked at the board with a disappointed look.
"Well...good for one hit," Nekomi sighed.
"Now we just need about a thousand mo-" Akune was about to say, but was cut off when King began just tearing apart the door.
"Is there another way out of here?!" Saki asked.
"Back door, now!" Zenkichi ordered. In a panic, the students that had taken refuge here began making a break for it. King, for the most part, disregarded them until his eyes locked onto Yuna. Not because she was special or anything, but because he recognized her. She was with the group that ran from him earlier. So was Zenkichi but he figured that she'd make a better challenge than him. He smirked behind his mask and began lumbering towards her. If any other student got in his way by accident, he just tossed them aside. The only ones who figured out who he had targeted were Zenkichi and Nekomi. The latter tried to leap in first, maybe get a good few hits on the villain, but before she could even lay a claw on him, King Crimson just backhanded her through a wall. Zenkichi was given the same treatment without so much as even a single punch thrown.
Yuna realized King was coming after her and first tried to fight back. With her Quirk, she created two turrets of Legos, firing off brick after brick to try and slow down the walking disaster. The bricks just bounced off of the villain's form. Then, Yuna tried to run, but she underestimated how close he'd gotten. King reached out and grabbed Yuna by the head, lifting her up off the ground and rearing his fist back. Nothing flashy here, just a straight punch to the spine. He thought he'd the sound of plastic breaking given what his victim looked like. Yuna struggled in his grasp, but she just couldn't break free no matter how much she squirmed.
Right before King Crimson could throw his punch though, a roundhouse kick smacked into the side of his head. He staggered to the side before an axe kick came down on his arm and forced the villain to release Yuna. It wasRyuji.
"W-wha-?" Yuna stammered.
"RUN! NOW!" Ryuji ordered.
"But you can't beat him!"
"I don't need to!"
"B-BUT!" Yuna yelled.
"GO!" Ryuji yelled, as he pounced towards King. He spear kicked the villain in the chest, making him stumble backwards. Ryuji quickly recovered.
He's going to adapt- but I don't CARE. If don't care if he shoots pesticides, or grows spikes, or even catches fire- I WON'T BACK DOWN NOW!
King just raised a brow at the student attacking him and he smirked behind his mask. The kid had a fire in his heart that the walking disaster could appreciate. He took a fighting stance and then taunted Ryuji to strike.
Come on.
Ryuji leapt forward, ready to strike King in the face. He reared his leg back...
And bounced off King's face.
King just smirked before slamming his fists together and began his own brutal assault of punches. Ryuji was able to jump and doge out of the way of each heavy haymaker that came his way, but both he and King knew he couldn't evade them forever.
Ryuji flinched, as King's fist neared his face- only for a massive gust of wind to suddenly blow his attacker backwards.
"HEY! LEAVE MY CLASSMATE ALONE!" Inasa's booming voice always sounded so warm. To hear him properly pissed was almost alien.
King quickly jabbed his fist into the ground, tearing up the ground as he skid back thanks to Inasa's gale winds. He soon slowed and pulled his arm free of the soil, shaking off the remnants. Another student with a fire of determination in them and a powerful Quirk on top of that. He rolled his neck, cracking the bones and getting ready for a proper fight. The teachers and older students hadn't given him much, but maybe these youngbloods would give him something to remember before he found Star.
Very single-minded sometimes, King.
"Hey, Hurricane Head!" Moji yelled, activating his quirk. "Snuff him out with this!" Smoke flew towards Inasa.
"Hurricane Head? That's a new one," Inasa muttered, but he wouldn't refuse the offer. Winds swirled around both of his hands before he held them out. The smoke was pulled into the miniature tornadoes and was quickly woven into them.
King was barraged by the smoke, but it did him no damage. He'd adapt quicker than-
Something started to pelt his body. It was mixed into the smoke. It didn't hurt that much, but it was still distracting him. He managed to snag a piece, and angrily glared at it.
A child's building block?
What did they think that was going to do, exactly? Were they mad with fear, making rash decisions?
Then other things started flying at him. Cards. Beams of light. Fire. More smoke.
More annoyances.
"Keep him pinned!" Inasa yelled, as Mimic (using Endeavor's arms), Hana and Saki threw more ranged attacks into the gale. "DON'T LET HIM GET NEAR US!"
More and more Quirks quickly battered the walking counter, faster than he could adapt to them. He hated to admit it, but he was a bit rusty there. Damn.
These kids might wear me down...before I get a chance to deliver my message. King frowned. Damn...it!
"He's weakening! He's gotta be!" Hana called out.
King huffed, as he reached for his gun. Let's see how these kids like a bullet between the eyes. He aimed right towards the eye of the storm.
He smirked and pulled the trigger. Time seemed to slow down as the bullet flew from the chamber with a flash. Usually, the bullet would counter the Quirk it was targeting, but that wasn't the case here. The counter only really worked if the projectile connected. With Inasa's control over the wind, he basically had a shield against any sort of ranged counter like that. Seeing the walking counter take aim towards him, Inasa increased the wind around him so that, when the bullet got close, it would be deflected. The bullet just harmlessly slammed into the ground, much to King's dismay.
I don't have time for a prolonged fight with this many of them. I still haven't found Star. I need. To fight. HER, King mentally growled, I was hoping to save this, but they're not giving me many other options. An honor for them, an annoyance for me. So be it.
His Quirk adapted, not to any specific ability assailing him, but to something a bit more simple. It adapted to the numbers. Showers of sparks began to go off around his form, by his shoulders, by his knees, and so on. Bolts of lightning jumped and ran up his arms. His eyes began to glow with crimson energy as he pulled his arms in front of his face. Inasa took notice of the motion and first thought it was just a way for the villain to defend himself from the students' onslaught. Maybe Hana was right, maybe he was weakening.
But then he saw the sparks. No one else really saw them because of the constant barrage of Quirks. What was he-? Oh no.
Before Inasa could warn the other students about the coming danger, King Crimson let it out. There was a deep droning sound before a metallic boom sounded out from the villain. An orb of energy began from Star's nemesis before expanding outward and either slamming into or passing through those surrounding him. Either one of the two groups were treated to a nasty shock, but those that felt the energy slam into them were pushed back quite a distance.
DISCIPLINE was what King called this move.
Steam rose off his body after the burst of energy. King stumbled forward, breathing heavily.
Too much energy expelled. These kids probably didn't know that. Nor did that weird scientist that had been following him. His quirk...was killing him.
Quickly.
He didn't know what it was adapting to, but it was killing him. And that was scary. What could be so bad that death was the only answer?
He shook off that question, though. In the end, it didn't matter. If death was coming for him, then he would get one last accomplishment under his name before the reaper arrived. That's why he was so set on beating Star. He was on schedule and time was running out.
King walked forward, feet dragging in the sand. His quirk would regenerate his lost stamina soon enough. Keeping moving...don't stop. Don't fall until you can deliver that message.
Don't stop until you shatter her dreams.
He was so focused on that goal, that mission, that he didn't notice that not all of the students had fallen from the shock.
King huffed. His quirk would adapt to them in time, albeit at a slower rate. He stood back up, ready to take on the remainder.
"I'll give you this...you're stupidly strong." Zenkichi huffed.
"But we're even more stupid." Nekomi grinned.
"And STRONG." Inasa emphatically said- despite his injuries, he was ready to fight.
Oh of couuuuurse that didn't knock out all of them. No, I can't just do this one SIMPLE thing before I die. There just HAVE to be obstacles! King mentally growled. Why won't these kids stay DOWN?!
Zenkichi felt someone brush past him- two someones. He looked up to see Kanoya and Hyuga, standing in front of him.
"Just so you know, we still hate you." Kanoya huffed. "But we don't feel like dying."
"Can't let some 'cool guy' look stupid defending our school." Hyuga frowned.
Gee. Thanks. Zenkichi sarcastically thought.
King tilted his head. Save for the wind boy, all of them are close range. I'll adapt to their physical blows faster than they thin-
King blinked.
...weren't there more?
Before he could figure that out and before he could counter, another axe kick slammed into his side, courtesy of Ryuji. The grasshopper student leapt away from King before he could retaliate.
King winced. That hurt. More than before...even without an adaptation, my armor should have-
King looked down. His armor laid on the ground, in pieces. His eyes widened.
What!? My armor fell apart!
"Oh, I'm sorry," Kuudou suddenly said as he tossed a piece of the armor in his hand, "Was that expensive?"
King spun around- behind him, there were two other students. When did they sneak up on him?!
...
It was after the explosion when the remaining students started to plan.
"How...how do we STOP him?" Zenkichi wondered aloud. Right now, they all at least had some time to think up a plan. King's outburst had taken a -lot- out of him, more than he'd thought.
"...If I got close enough, I could take out his armor. That seems to be tanking most of the damage for him, right?" Rin asked.
"You're right...but I'd rather not watch one of my classmates die today. He'd tear you apart before you even got close," Isana countered."
"You do always have me," Kuudou leaned in from out of nowhere.
"Where did you-?! Wait...wait, that's IT. You're a genius!" Rin gasped.
"I do have my moments."
"That's right...you're that kid that disappears, right!? Kuudou!" Zenkichi said. "How'd we forget about y- oh yeah."
"My quirk MIGHT be a perfect counter for him. His acts on memory or something, right? If we can dismantle the armor bit by bit..." Kuudou said.
"Then you can make him forget it happened?" Rin asked.
"Exactly."
"We might have to be cheap here. No idea how far away Mogana is..." Zenkichi huffed.
"It'll be enough time. For sure." Inasa reassured him. "Just trust the process-!"
Zenkichi grinned, as Kuudou disappeared again. He's on the ropes here. We need a few good hits...
Where did he just-?! King mentally scrambled. The kid was in front of him one minute, gone the next. Was this an invisibility Quirk? No, that'd be something he could counter, already would have countered.
His mind was getting fuzzy- forgetting details. His quirk didn't adapt against something he couldn't remember, right?
He staggered a bit from the mental hazing, giving Ryuji the perfect opening. He rushed in and focused his next barrage of kicks on the exposed part of King's body. Kick after kick after kick connected with the villain's unarmored chest and arms.
Kanoya and Hyuga were next to join the assault. Kanoya launched a powerful palm strike to King's chest, force of the blow going RIGHT through him.
Now that I don't have to use my power on the ground, my close combat game is MUCH better! Consider yourself my punching bag for embarrassing myself, villain! Kanoya grinned.
King was about to deliver a nasty blow to Kanoya's head to throw the boy off balance, but Hyuga blocked his blow.
What a pathetic power. A quirk this powerful should be automatic! Hyuga smirked, shoving his elbow into King's throat.
"Outta the way, everyone!" Inasa called out as he raised his hands to the sky. The wind swirling around his arms raged before firing off into the air. Both smaller tornados twisted together into one massive cyclone that snaked and curved in the air, coming right back down towards King. The other students backed off for a moment as they were warned, not wanting to get caught in the hurricane. King wasn't so lucky. The massive galeforce winds slammed down on him hard, forcing him to the ground with so much concentrated air pressure.
"Nyehhhh!" Nekomi yelled, pouncing on him from behind. "I'm pissed I'm not doing much, BUT! Consider this some help!"
She started to jab some of Saki's cards into his arms and torso. Saki clenched her fist. "Alright! His limbs are disabled!"
Quirk that interferes with motor control, Quirk that manipulates the wind, and a Quirk that...that... King struggled to remember the face of that one kind, that one missing student who posed the biggest risk to his Quirk. Before anything came to mind, there was a click from right in front of him. King's eyes went wide when he realized what was happening. The pressure seal on his mask hissed as even that started to fall apart.
No, No, NO! King panicked.
"And off it comes!" Kuudou grinned.
King yelled, as his mask started to come undone. He didn't want anyone to see his face...not until Star did. No spoiling. No...he wanted to soak in that despair...
He buried his face into the sand. I don't even CARE if I don't have enough energy to fight her! As long as I can deliver the message...it'll be worth crushing all these ANTS!
King's body started to heat up again.
Once again, the sparks began to rain down from all across King's body. He was charging up another blast of Discipline with the aim of taking out the rest of these annoying students. They'd already taken up enough of his already limited time. He could feel the pressure on him almost physically now, so he had to end this quickly. The energy was swelling within him, small bolts of energy jumping up the length of his arms.
"Oh crap..." Kuudou muttered.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM, NOW!" Inasa shouted, using his winds to blow Kuudou and Rin away from the walking disaster. King Crimson just grinned as he could still feel the energy build up inside of him. His eyes glowed before he threw arms wide to the side, ready to send the rest of these kids flying. Inasa, Ryuji, and Nekomi all braced for the incoming energy bubble and the following shock, but it never came. Nekomi blinked and lowered her crossed arms to see what was going on. King was still sparking, still shocking, but even he seemed confused by the lack of effect. He growled and threw his arms wide again, thinking if he did it again, maybe it would happen.
But then he realized what this was and his smile only grew. He started to slowly chuckle, a low and disturbing sound as someone stepped forward towards him. That chuckle became more manic as the newcomer, so full of fury all aimed at him, got closer and closer. Nekomi and the other students could feel a renewed sense of hope as they saw her approach. It was like the feeling of what the kids at U.A. must have felt during the first Nomu attack.
"She...she did it. I told you she did it," Zenkichi chuckled as he struggled to get up. Mogana quickly raced over to him to help, adjusting her glasses and helping her fellow student council member back on his feet.
"Step. Away. From my. Students," Star and Stripe demanded, slamming her fists together, cracking her knuckles and preparing for a beatdown like none she'd dished out before, "NOW, CRIMSON."
King suddenly started to grin. He slowly looked up, giving Star a good look at his face for the first time. The words 'uncanny valley' came to mind while looking at him. The most standard thing about him was his buzz cut. Everything else was horribly off. His bloodshot eyes were too wide, and pupils too black, devoid of any light reflecting on them. His nose was too narrow and long, and his mouth too small. His skintone was also gray- like he hadn't been in the light in his entire life. This was not the face Star was expecting...but still. It was sort of eating at her what he looked like.
"So...this is you." Star said, properly staring her enemy in the eye for the first time.
"...Yes." His voice was low, almost like he spoke in a whisper. It sent chills down the student's spines, but Star seemed unbothered.
"Broke out of prison, and came all this way to kill me. I doubt that was time well spent." Star frowned.
"I have...a message for you." King announced.
Star raised an eyebrow, but didn't break her stance. No way was her guard going to be lowered by this maniac. "And that is?"
"...I'm dying, Kathleen. I'm dying so, so slowly..." King said. "I thought this quirk would mean I'd be invincible against all things, but something I'm dying from something I keep adapting to."
"So, you came to tell me you're killing yourself? Some announcement." Star scoffed.
"No, no...this is just my lead in. The announcement is still to come." King said. That admittedly made Star uneasy. "I thought...if my life is going to be cut short, if I am to be my own undoing, I might as well try and kill you one last time..."
"You think this is a game!?" Star yelled.
"If one of us keeps score, if one of us boasts about it...it is." King frowned. "Have you not talked about that victory over me? Your one win?"
Star said nothing.
King smiled at her silence.
"I know...some scientist was following me. I had my tech hack into her computer, to get some readings. Stay in touch with current events." King said. "Honestly, I was thinking of just killing you the entire way here...but then I heard something juicy."
"So, what? You're Gossip Girl now?" Star snarked. "What's so 'juicy' about this piece of in-"
"All Might's in a coma."
Star's eyes widened, mouth agape with horror. Her body started to tremble. "W-what?"
"All Might engaged in a battle with a villain at Kamino. And while he fought hard, he fought himself into a nasty coma...Doctors are saying he may not wake up any time soon." King grinned.
Star shook her head. "N-no. You're embellishing the story. You...you have to be?"
King stood up, wounds starting to instantly heal. "I'd never lie. You haven't heard me speak before, have you?" King asked. "Why would the first conversation I have with you...be a lie?"
How? How could All Might fight into a coma? What kind of villain would be strong enough to do that?! Those questions raced through her mind over a matter of seconds, but one of those questions had an answer. She already knew what kind of villain was strong enough to lose a fight but still get one over All Might. A look of fear found its way onto Star's face as she could just imagine that monster who terrorized Japan for so long. She hadn't seen him, only heard rumors and stories, but the imposing mental image of All for One loomed behind her.
"He can't be back..." Star muttered.
"So you do believe me. And it sounds like...you know who he fought," King added.
"Maybe...maybe I do. It doesn't matter!"
"Doesn't? That look on your face says otherwise, Star. But, after hearing about All Might...I got reminded of you. You're a fan of his, if I remember. Then why don't we make you match? You and me. One final fight. Can send you the same hospital he's in..."
"N-no." Star took a step back. "He can't be- he still had a few years left in him!"
"Please." King smirked- his smile was so malicious. It could suck the life out of someone, if looks could kill. "Now...for what I'm here for..."
King sped over, appearing in front of Star's face. "Give me an actual challenge here."
Before Star could even bring up a proper defense, one of King's fists was already flying for her face. She ducked under the strike and threw a right hook of her own, only for the living counter to catch the strike. He grinned and threw another jab of his own, making it Star's turn to catch it. The two struggled against the other's strength, trying to get an advantage over their opponent. Normally, King would just blast Star away with Discipline, but for some reason he just couldn't expel the energy. If he had to guess, it was thanks to one of Star's rules, limiting his ability to fire off energy attacks.
She's using one on herself and one on me. That's her limit. And I doubt she'll let it up, since those brats are here. King rationalized. I can still overheat with energy...I'll use that.
Star gritted her teeth as King effortlessly blocked and countered her strikes. The heat radiating from his body intensified, making it increasingly difficult for her to focus. The air around them shimmered with the intense temperature, and Star could feel the sweat forming on her skin.
Don't get overwhelmed. Star thought. He's trying to get a rise out of you- All Might WILL pull through, I know it! With determination burning in her eyes, Star surged forward, channeling all her energy into her fist.
Show him the power of your master! Don't let his legacy-!
...
Star couldn't bring herself to say that word. But she couldn't falter physically.
"DETROIT!" Star yelled, as her fist connected with King's chest. "SMASH!" A deafening explosion erupted, sending shockwaves through the immediate vicinity. The other students were nearly blown back by the shockwaves, but stood their ground. The force of the impact cracked the ground beneath them, and a cloud of smoke billowed around the two combatants.
"W-woah! Never seen Miss Star throw a punch like THAT!" Inasa yelled.
"It's her arch nemesis, you idiot! Of course she'd bring out the big guns!" Hyuga snapped.
When the smoke finally cleared, Star expected to see King reeling from the devastating blow. That's one of my strongest moves. I don't know if he's down, but he should be at least out of it enough so- Her eyes suddenly widened.
To her surprise, King stood there seemingly unscathed, a sly grin playing on his lips.
"What... how?" Star muttered, her eyes widening in disbelief.
King chuckled, brushing off his chest as if nothing had happened. "I haven't the foggiest myself...it seems I'm not the only one slipping."
"N-no way!" Nekomi said. "That punch was strong! What the hell happened?!"
Zenkichi winced. He knew it'd be an invasion of privacy, but he just HAD to use Parasite Seeing. Star didn't receive that news well, if his words were true. Although Star seemed to be staying strong on the outside, she was plagued by crippling self-doubt inside. The thought that her hero-inspiring instructor may be in his last days was a difficult one for Star to accept. As his disciple, she felt an immense burden of duty that threatened to break her will. She could have been there. Done something. Maybe it would have lessened the blow- but his power HAD to be waning because of his successor, right? He should still be strong enough to pull through, right?
...Right?
Zenkichi had to pull out of her mind. Sensory overload. So many voices. So many doubts.
And it was hurting the first rule of New Order.
Kathleen constantly kept one rule active, which allowed her to grant herself superhuman physical characteristics, meaning that her physical aptitude was similar to...All Might. All Might was her muse. Her inspiration. A basis for all her strength.
The foundation of her strength was compromised.
If he wasn't strong enough...
Then she wasn't either.
King seized the moment- his fist collided with Star's outstretched arms, delivering a powerful blow that sent shockwaves through her entire body. "FRACTURE!" He yelled. The impact was bone-shattering, causing Star to stagger back, clutching her arms in pain. King followed up with a ruthless throat chop. "LAMENT!" He yelled, as Star went flying backwards, into and through a few trees in the woods.
A gasp escaped Star's lips as she felt the sharp pain, her hands instinctively reaching for her injured throat. King smirked, as he sped on over to his weakened opponent. "VROOM!" He yelled, landing a devastating kick to his opponent's side- the heroine went flying like a football. Star was sent sprawling, her body propelled backward from the sheer power of the blow.
King smirked, as his body started glowing even brighter. "And to finish you off..." King leapt up, his fists burning with harsh white color that nearly blinded everyone who looked at it. "ONE MORE RED NIGHTMARE!" He yelled. Descending upon Star like a vengeful force, King unleashed a relentless barrage of punches. The relentless assault disoriented Star, leaving her with little opportunity to defend herself. The attack ended with a powerful body blow that sent Star hurtling towards the ground like a falling comet. A resounding crash echoed through the surroundings as Star collided with the earth.
King landed on the ground, near the crater. He was breathing heavily- but his smile hadn't faded once. He walked over to the hole in the ground, and stared at the fallen hero. Kids were screaming for her to get back up- he'd silence them in a moment. He wanted to bask in his victory.
"How the mighty fall." He laughed, kicking some dirt onto her body. "Allow me to give you your epitaph. Here lies Kathleen Bates. A so-called offshoot of Japan's 'symbol of hope'. All it took to crumble her was a single phrase...if you lose all strength from a single word, are you truly worthy to be number one?"
King turned away. "I have some brats to kill. Stay down and die for me now..."
He shouldn't have said that.
Those last words were what stirred her back. Her eyes shot open as energy sparked around her body. She bawled her hand into a fist and slammed into the ground, pushing herself back up. The dirt fell off of her body as if she was rising from the grave. The shuffling sounds of dirt falling off made King stop in his tracks and turned back around to see her.
"You. Won't. Touch. Them," Star growled.
"And what are you gonna do to stop me? You can't! You've slipped too far," King chuckled.
Star hated to admit it, but the bastard was sort of right. With her arms heavily fractured, and energy spent rather quickly, there wasn't much...
Star's eyes widened as she saw something shoot across the way.
King raised a brow, noticing the expression on his nemesis's face. He turned, tracking her gaze, before something slammed into him and knocked him off his feet with a sudden shout. He growled, letting his Quirk adapt to make him impossible to knock over, and his body shifted into a heavier form made of lead. He thudded to the ground like a statue, cratering the dirt beneath his feet. What the hell was that?!
The other students were both surprised and relieved to see Medaka, standing at the ready after having unleashed her Kurokami Phantom. King Crimson was less surprised to see her and more so when it came to who he saw slung over her shoulder. It was Kumagawa. And he was healed. But that shouldn't be possible, he punched right through the kid's back. He should've bled out by now, but he was alive from what the villain could tell.
"How the hell...?" King murmured to himself.
"H-hey! Look! It's Medaka!" Mogana yelled. "And she's got Kumagawa with her!"
Zenkichi gave a sigh of relief. "Thank God- one less thing to worry about."
"And my idiot's okay too. Good." Saki smirked.
"Your idiot?" Zenkichi asked.
"Shut up about my terms of endearment."
"Miss Star! Are you alright?" Medaka yelled.
"M-medaka...Get away! I can...I can handle this." Star huffed. "Please, don't get caught up in this mess!"
"What did you do?" King asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, "How did you save him, heal him so...completely? Not a scratch on him..."
Medaka tilted her head. "What, Kumagawa? He was all healed up when I found him."
「yeah」
「you're acting crazy right now...」
"Don't lie to me! He had a hole through his BACK. He did not just heal," King growled.
"I'm...not lying. He was...fine," Medaka answered, but that did get her thinking. She was telling the truth, but why would King Crimson lie about that?
"If he's lying about that...is...is he lying about All Might?" Star asked, a small spark of hope igniting.
Medaka paused. "...No. He's telling the truth about that."
Damn it," Star mentally cursed. But she sighed and focused on King. She brushed off the last bit of dirt from her person and got back into a fighting stance.
"If it makes you feel better...from what I read, All Might's last battle was his greatest victory." Medaka said. "The world is celebrating him..."
"Then once this is done...I'm visiting him," Star promised.
"Please...fight on." Medaka said, tapping Star on the back. Star gave a look to Medaka...and smiled.
"You're planning something, aren't you?" Star asked.
"Maybe." Medaka said.
"Alright. If you insist then," Star smiled and got ready for round two. King just leered and balled his hands into fists, shifting the lead from the rest of his body to just his hands in order to throw heavier punches.
Star accelerated towards her target at full speed. She ducked under a punch King threw to land a powerful blow to his face, sending him reeling backwards.
N-no. How the hell did she punch that hard?! Don't tell me that blue haired bitch renewed her spirit! King frowned. No, wait...what's HER quirk!?
Kumagawa hummed. 「oh」
「i get it」
「you copied new order」
"And gave her two new rules," Medaka grinned.
「and who says you can't be sneaky?」
"Now WHO was implying that?" Medaka grinned.
Medaka had added two new rules to Star's arsenal, on top of her usual one.
All of Star's strength now comes from the people who want her to win this battle.
Star's body will build up energy with each punch.
A lot of people wanted Star to win- the teachers who'd fought hard to protect the kids. Those hopeful students who were too scared to die. The kids who fought hard to make sure Star had an easier fight...
They all were empowering her.
No...no, no, NO! I have to...overpower her! King thought as he blocked another punch from Star. The power behind it felt strong enough to break bones. Pain shot through him and his eyes widened as he realized this strike was even more powerful than the last. Her power was still growing?!
The two rules Medaka bestowed sort of fed into each other. Each punch fueled Star's power. Each successful punch made people's hopes skyrocket. An exponential increase in terms of power!
Medaka smiled. I believe in you. Please...grant MY request!
WIN THIS BATTLE!
Star just grinned, feeling all of the hope from the students converting into raw power for her. In a mistake, King tried to catch one of Star's empowered strikes, only for it to blow past his shoddy defense and strike him in the side of the chest. The punch was enough to actually make the villain spin in place, all the hope-fueled power adding so much more momentum. Star then landed a series of quick jabs to her nemesis's chest, each one so strong any bystander could see the indent of the punch from behind King. The villain's eyes widened as he realized that he couldn't counter this. He couldn't counter exponentially.
"WOAH!" Insaa yelled, his volume totally appropriate for a moment like this. "Never seen her fight this hard! Looks like she got her spirits ba-"
「MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING MEDAKA'S CHEATING -」Kumagawa repeated as he and Medaka walked over.
"Charming." Medaka huffed.
"Thank God you two are alright!" Mogana said. "What happened?"
"He's not alone- there's a woman with him, a scientist- she came by boat." Medaka explained. "She wants to copy his quirk."
"Copy his Quirk? Why?" Nekomi asked.
"She didn't give me too much...but she said she wasn't working with Crimson. She wants to give it to someone else."
"That's possible?"
"Apparently. She had all of this intel, including a file on Stain. She took me out of the fight for so long by using a recreated version of the Hero Killer's power."
Somewhere on the island, Youka had the strangest feeling that someone was spoiling all her fun. She narrowed her eyes, thinking she already knew who exactly to blame.
Zenkichi's eyes narrowed. "I might have an idea who she is. She must have been the doctor Stain used to patch himself up."
"Shit, seriously?" Saki frowned. "Small world."
"Yeah. Tell me about it." Zenkichi said.
"Boats should be here soon, hopefully. Sent out an SOS." Medaka said.
"Hey...when King said something about All Might, was it true?" Inasa asked.
Medaka hesitated. "Let's not focus on that now, please- not when our teacher is fighting."
"She's right," Zenkichi added, "Keep your hopes up. Star needs every spark of it she can get."
Medaka nodded, as her attention turned back to Star. She and King were zipping around the beach, throwing out what looked like a thousand punches per second.
「like something out DBZ...」Kumagawa muttered.
Star suddenly stopped moving, but King didn't stop running. He began circling around Star, trying to psyche her out. Star smirked, before jumping up in the air. "NEBRASKA!" Star yelled, before smashing down into the Earth. "SMASH!"
As soon as Star made impact with the earth, the ground quickly shattered and spread out from the crater with incredible force. The accompanying shockwave made the earth almost move like a violent ocean swell as it passed. The wave was too fast to be avoided, catching King in its wake and knocking him off balance. Another surge from the shockwave followed as Star punched the ground a second time with even more force. That extra bit of power was enough to throw King off his feet and into the air. The villain's eyes went wide and he screamed on his way up. Star tightened her fist before she leapt into the air, following her nemesis. As he quickly fell, Star began bouncing around the air, slamming into King on each rebound. Faster and faster the hits came and went to the point that All Might's student became faster than the eye could see.
King's quirk couldn't keep up with him anymore. Every punch was far too powerful to counter. She was punching through solid lead to damage him, and her fists were flying faster than a minigun.
"I...I can't! TAKE THIS! ANYMORE!" King yelled. "DAMN THOSE KIDS!"
In truth, those kids weren't to blame.
It was him.
Similar to Star's turmoil, King's Adaptive Evolver was similarly fueled by his own mindset. If he believed he could withstand a blow, then he would. And that would become the truth.
He no longer felt invincible, standing against Star at her fullest.
King was about to be dethroned.
Several more hits slammed into him, before a single hit to his back stopped his descent and launched him back into the air. Star then leapt into the sky, racing past King to such a point where she began falling towards him. The two would actually collide soon if the momentum that they both sported held and it seemed it would. King's eyes widened as he watched Kathleen fall towards him like a bullet, a cone of air forming around her as she raced towards him.
"You threatened my students, those I've sworn to teach and protect. You tried to besmirch my master's name, use it as a tool to break me and an excuse to fight me. You've probably heard these words before and they were probably said better. But in order to beat you...I've had to GO BEYOND!" Star yelled, "PLUS!"
A few more seconds quickly passed before Star made contact with King' her fist impacting his chest. His momentum came to a sudden stop and added to Star's as the duo shot back down to earth!
"ULTRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Star yelled as she descended.
But Star wasn't done just yet. To ensure this battle was really over, she began rushing him with punches. King felt an intense shockwave coursing through his body as the first punch connected, as if being hit by a mighty wrecking ball.
The sheer magnitude of the second punch's devastation left him gasping for breath, his vision momentarily blurred by the excruciating pain. And the third. And the fourth. And the fifth.
Each fist hit with the force of 50.
"UNITED STATES OF SMASH! QUINQUAGINTUPLE GATLING!" Star yelled.
King Crimson just screamed as each hit landed, each punch slamming into him with so much devastating force. When the two landed, the resulting crater was like a bomb epicenter, a cloud of dust and dirt was thrown into the air that seemed to be miles high, seemingly the same height from which they fell. King just laid in the center of the crater, his eyes empty white voids, completely unconscious. Star, meanwhile, shambled to the edge of the crater, stumbling a few times on the way up because of how much energy she put into that last move. When she reached the top of it, she thought some kind of victory pose was appropriate, something to show the kids that everything was alright.
How would All Might do that? Put a hand over the heart and say how many hits it took? Or just hold an arm to the air in victory? Maybe the latter, so that's what she did. With all the bruises and scratches all over her body, she still managed to hold up her arm in triumph.
The students all gave a sigh of relief, as Star stood proud. Medaka gave a relieved sigh, as she fell back. Zenkichi ran over, concerned etched upon his face.
"M-medaka! Are you-!" Zenkichi asked.
"Sorry...I was straining myself there." Medaka mused. "That Kurokami Phantom took a lot of me...after all, I didn't get a chance to really train with it..."
Zenkichi gave a sigh of relief. "You idiot..." He mumbled, quietly thankful it wasn't anything serious.
Kumagawa, meanwhile, just stared ahead. Not at Star's heroic pose, but past that. To the horizons.
He had seen something when he was dying.
It was gonna take him a while to register that.
But I won't tell you until later.
The aftermath of the King attack was a lot more simple than one would think. Medaka's distress signal alerted not only boats nearby, but also a multitude of helicopters and even some military action. Military apprehended the villain, since they had the proper 'protocols' on dealing with an SSS+ class villain...but all the kids saw was them putting him in some heavy looking full body restraints and hauled him off.
Oddly enough, the criminal known as "Youka Naze", despite having no escape, disappeared off the island. No signs of her. They found footprints near the edge of the beach, leading into the ocean.
They have no idea if she properly succeeded in getting a tissue sample from King, but evidence is still building.
Those who had fought against King were getting medical treatment- Star especially. If you thought Midoriya's injuries were bad, Star's were around the same degree, if not a little worse. Her arms had been fractured by King, but then she increased the breakage with that 'Quinquigtuple' move. That was a 'spur of the moment' move. Had she not fractured her arms, there'd be no drawbacks.
Maybe The End's version of New Order boosted her a bit too much.
Star had also sustained multiple injuries and contusions around her body, and she needed bed rest.
But that didn't stop her, Jaune and Pyrrha from making a VERY important call. This was the first communication they had with the outside world in a long while. Star had questions.
"...and after that, All Might fainted. I assume that's the drawbacks of using all those extra quirks One for All has inside of it." Ben explained on the phone. "He's been stable these past few days, but that's the most positive overview I can give. Sorry."
Star huffed. "You're fine, Ben. Just wanted all the facts."
"What about the UA Kid?" Jaune asked. "Is he okay?"
"The kid lost an arm, but...we're working on his prosthetic. On top of...other stuff." Ben explained. "Again, sorry you had to get hit with a brick like this."
"You don't need to keep apologizing, Ben. None of us even saw this coming." Pyrrha comforted him.
"I know, I know, it's...just a lot." Ben huffed. "World's been crazy these past few days. Crime sorta shot up because every small-time punk thinks that because All Might's gone, law enforcement is gone. My sidekicks have been all around the city stopping petty crimes."
"Yeesh." Jaune grimaced.
Star closed her eyes. "...when we get back, can we...visit All Might?" Star asked. "You, me and Ruby?"
Ben paused. "...yeah. Yeah, we can. Just get some rest, okay? You sound exhausted. Bet you look like shit, too." He joked.
"I look awesome." Star joked back.
"As awesome as someone with two fractured arms CAN look." Pyrrha mumbled.
"Riiiight. Anyways, get some rest, you three. And tell the students Ben 10k thinks they're cool as hell." Ben smirked.
"Will do." Jaune said, reaching for the phone. "See you on the mainland."
"See ya." Ben said, as Jaune hung up. The teachers laid back for a moment, and closed their eyes.
"That...was a lot." Jaune muttered, putting his arm over his eyes. Out of all the teachers, he was probably one of the luckier ones. Aura healed up his injuries in such a short amount of time. He'd probably have to do some extra healing later for the others.
"After I dropped off Satou, I stayed back to protect some of the other students." Pyrrha explained. "I only heard the fight...sounded intense."
"It was." Star said, looking down at her broken body. "It was."
"...you gonna be okay?" Jaune asked Star.
"What, me?" Star said. "Yeah, no. I'll be fine. Honestly, I thought I'd be a lot more beat up about All Might, but...I feel...happy."
"Happy?" Pyrrha asked.
"Well, look at this generation of kids that grew up with All Might at the top." Star mused. "Little generation of determinators. Kids that won't give up, even when the odds are impossible...just like him. I feel sorta...vindicated that way."
Pyrrha chuckled. "I suppose so."
"It's like...every hero has a little piece of All Might in their heart. Whether they admit it or not." Star smiled. "I've never been happier with those kids..."
"Even though they broke the rules." Jaune pointed out.
"Oh, you're one to talk, Mr. 'Let's Steal a Jet.'" Star joked.
Jaune's face went red, as Pyrrha giggled. "She got you there." Pyrrha said.
"Y-yeah, well..." Jaune frowned. "You shush."