A/N
Great news everybody! I've had an epiphany and now have an even better way to do the entrance exams! It'll take some setting up though, so for now just enjoy a few more chapters before the UA Entrance Exam Arc begins! (Also, the creature at the end of the last chapter was supposed to say "until then" but I accidentally put "until now". Sorry about that!)
CHAPTER NINE: HEROISM
The flames crackle. The sounds of women and children screaming echo through the streets, now devoid of life. The sound of the buildings around me crumbling. The sound of those monsters, the Nomu, growing nearer. This has happened before, hasn't it? I remember running, they were behind me… I think? I ran out onto the main street and saw a girl about to be attacked by one of those monsters. I saved her, got her away from the danger, or at least away from the danger behind me. I distracted the Nomu, more came, and then I… I… oh god. They're punching, kicking, stomping, I can't escape. A rabbit saves me, then continues on its way. And then… I die. No system. No phantom pain from my "missing arm". Nothing. A dark void, where I spend the rest of my days…
Katsuo almost flung himself out of his bed with how fast he sat up. He gripped his face with his sweaty hand, attempting to get his breathing under control. Just a nightmare, it was just a nightmare. After a few moments, Katsuo finally calmed down enough to forget his nightmare and take a look around. He wasn't on his bed, but a green cot. I've really made it a habit of collapsing, haven't I? Looking around, he was in some kind of medical tent. Memories of his fight with the Leviathan and the poor bastard he couldn't save returned near instantly. He slowly got out of bed, and after assuring the worried nurse that he was fine, made his way out of the tent.
It seemed that the town had survived. There were only a few people inside the tent, with the rest helping out in restoring the town to its former glory. The merchants had returned to their shops, but one in particular was just staring at his shop, dumbfounded by the large hole in his wall and ceiling, caused by Katsuo being rammed into by the Leviathan's tail. I'll have to help him repair that later. Katsuo, having nothing else to do other than that, decided to go check out the guild leader. It was a bit hazy, but he remembered the old man helping him after he collapsed. Looking around, Katsuo finally spotted the guild leader on top of some sort of makeshift wooden tower.
"Make sure that thing doesn't collapse!" Katsuo said teasingly. The old man looked down, smiling wide when he saw Katsuo back to normal. "Katuso, my boy! I'm happy you're awake!" The guild leader spouted off a few more orders to the adventurers and climbed down, walking over to meet Katsuo. I know this might not be the right time, but please follow me, I have your reward in my office." Katsuo wanted to help out with the merchant's shop, but that could wait for later. It was reward time! Upon entering his office, the guild leader stepped to the side and allowed Katsuo to see the massive leather sack on his desk, along with a card.
Picking it up and examining it, Katsuo discovered it was an Adventurer's Card. It was shiny and white, a subtle glare showing as Katsuo moved it back and forth under the magic lights of the room. Although, it was blank. "Is this a joke, or some kind of irony that I don't get?" Katsuo said, waving the empty card around beside him. "Of course not Katsuo, you're the pride and joy of my guild after all! Simply place a drop of your blood on the card and the magic will do its work for you." Simple enough. Katsuo summoned his dagger (which was definitely going to break soon) and pricked the tip of his pointer finger with it, placing the drop of blood on the card as he was instructed to. A light began to glow from the point of contact, and a sort of ripple moved across the card's surface. After the ripple made it to the edge of the card, Katsuo's information appeared on the card.
Name: Hiroki, Katsuo
Class: Assassin
Rank: SSS
Katsuo's eyes began to trace the shape of the letters coming after his rank. SSS? That's the strongest ranking! Katsuo was terrible at hiding his excitement in this situation. To his credit though, so was the guild leader. "My god! I knew you were the strongest in the guild, but to be this strong!" Katsuo high fived the director before the two realized how "uncouth" they were being and settled down. "Ahem. Anyway, you might be wondering what this card is for. Basically, it will track your progress through the dungeon. Each level is not only more difficult, but longer as well. It will take more time on each floor to reach the boss. The card can also tell you how strong you are currently!" Katsuo looked on the back and found a familiar looking pentagon. I already have the system for that and more, but I'll keep this as a memento because it's cool.
Undeterred by the near uselessness of the card, Katsuo slipped it into his jeans pocket and turned towards the table. The leather really was large, about as big as the lower half of Katsuo's torso. Looking inside the bag revealed it was filled to the brim with gold coins. The initial excitement of realizing this was all his faded quickly though. Katsuo turned to the guild leader and pointed at the bag with a face that said, 'will this crash your economy?' In response, the guild leader simply threw a thumbs up, which could honestly mean anything. Katsuo looked back at the bag with a conflicted look. "Sir, I… thank you so much for this, but aren't there people who deserve this way more than I do?"
The old man simply looked at Katuso with a kind smile on his face, one deeply resembling that of a grandfather. Maybe he actually was one? "Katsuo, you are a kind person indeed. You should not feel conflicted about receiving this reward, it's only right after all. You saved a lot of people, and those people are very thankful. I don't know why, but there were more monsters this time than any time recorded in history. If you weren't there two days ago, I doubt any of us would have survived. You have my, and everyone else's gratitude." Katsuo, who looked at the guild master dumbfounded, simply turned toward the bag and said, "thank you." Then he realized something. "TWO DAYS?!"
Panic spread across Katsuo's face in an instant, struggling to process the newfound information. How long have I been in here?!
"Four hours = 10 minutes, 24 hours = 1 hour, 48 hours = 2 hours, oh thank god." The worry and panic soon dissipated from Katsuo's visage. He had thought he was in the scenario for at least a day, but the math checked out. He was only gone from Earth for 2 hours. Like some kind of hyperbolic time chamber or something. Thankful for the money and ready to leave as soon as possible, Katsuo picked up the heavy bag and made his way out the exit, finding a secluded alleyway to dump his money into the system. Then came the fun part. Katsuo sat on the ground and watched the money in his bank account sky rocket from a measly 37 coins to 250,537 coins. Katsuo's hand began to shake in excitement. He sold his worn out daggers (for 100 coins each) and bought two high end daggers for 100,000 each.
Next on the chopping block was armor. It had been a while since the last time Katsuo updated his armor set, but he still remembered his preferences. He bought the most expensive set of light armor he could get, his new total being 5,537 coins. Now, I should probably help out that poor shopkeep.
-HL-
When Katsuo exited the scenario, he found himself standing on top of a rather large building. Now, Katsuo doesn't have a fear of heights, he has a fear of falling from high places. So after the initial "wow!" and "so cool!" Katsuo found himself sprinting away from the ledge and trying to calm himself down. I can take on an army of monsters, but ledges are still too much for me… The rest of the day went as it would before the system. Katsuo decided he was taking things too fast and should just relax for a little bit. Of course, 'relax' didn't mean to him what it meant to other people. That's why when Kirishima stopped by his house the next day asking if he wanted to go to the gym with him, Katsuo asked, "you mind if I bring a friend along?"
And that's how it happened. Two days after the dungeon break, Katsuo and Midoriya were standing outside of a gym, waiting for Kirishima. It wasn't just a regular gym however. It was quite possibly the nicest gym either of them had ever seen. It was the kind of place where the two young boys didn't even think they could afford to sweat on the equipment, much less use it. As always, Midoriya was shaking like a leaf in a storm, although Katsuo couldn't guess for the life of him why. That was just the Midoriya way, he supposed. "Oh, hey Katsuo!" Katsuo turned to greet his friend, but stopped as soon as he saw him. The semi-timid boy with long black hair falling down past his ears was suddenly replaced by a boy with red hair that shot out from his head like spikes.
"You uh… you look different", were the only words that Katsuo could get out. Between the overly-nice gym and his new friend doing a complete 180, Katsuo's brain was fried. Seems the system can change everything about him for the better. "Yeah, I decided that if I was gonna get into UA, I should change myself up a bit and break out of my old shell!" Now it was Midoriya's turn to do a 180. While Katsuo was still processing how someone could change so drastically in just a day, Midoriya got the jump on his new best friend. "You're going to UA?! So am I!" Kirishima and Midoriya became fast friends after that. They began bonding over their shared love of heroes (I mean, who didn't love them?) as well as what they thought the exam was going to be like.
Meanwhile, Katsuo finally got himself back together just in time for his friend's question. "Are you going to apply to UA also, Katsuo?!" Katsuo looked at them confusedly, and said "what's UA?"
"..."
"..."
"Bruh." Kirishima and Midoriya looked at Katsuo like he had grown a second head, and after confirming he didn't, the two explained what the hell UA was while practically tripping over each other in excitement. Basically, UA was one of the many schools that trained people to become proper heroes. The difference between UA and other schools however was that UA was THE hero school, the best in Japan by far. If you graduated from UA, then your hero career was set. Kirishima and Midoriya made sure to hammer that into Katsuo's surprisingly unaware brain. The fact that he didn't know anything about anything was startling to the boys.
After finally calming down the hero-obsessed duo, the three boys made their way inside. A few things automatically stuck out to Katsuo. For one, the gym was nearly empty. Despite the place being so nice and clean, it didn't seem to have any patrons. Two, the owner of the establishment was an old man who definitely didn't look like he could keep this place up by himself. The only way Katsuo thought he could manage was because of number three, there was a BIG man wiping down the bench press. The bell from the door had briefly grabbed his attention, but he soon went back to what he was doing. After Kirishima explained that we were his plus twos to the kind old man at the desk (who was playing solitaire on the computer), he led the two newbies over to the big guy.
The man was at least 6 feet tall, had snow white hair that kind of swooped upwards (if that makes sense), and a bulky frame that was absolutely built. This guy was a regular. "Mr. Hagiwara! These are the two guys I was telling you about!" Katsuo introduced himself with confidence and gusto, while Midoriya did his usual shaking routine while stuttering out his name. If he wasn't careful, people would start thinking his name was Mi-mi-mi-midoriya or something. "Ah, it's great to meet you, kids! My name is Hagiwara Amaya. Kirishima has talked a lot about you, Katsuo!" Kirishima shut his eyes, smiled widely and rubbed the back of his head while nodding. In the corner of his eye however, Katsuo saw Midoriya look up to the sound of Mr. Hagiwara's voice, as if it were familiar.
"You're… DEATH ARMS?!" Katsuo looked at the large gym-goer in alarm, assuming from the name that Death Arms was a villain. The sight of Midoriya pulling his notebook out of nowhere excitedly put him at ease however. Katsuo and Kirishima were easily confused, but the words Mr. Hagiwara said while writing his name into the mysterious notebook did something to ease their confusion. "Honestly, I'm surprised you could find that out, Midoriya. Although, I guess I didn't do much to hide my identity." Mr. Hagiwara chuckled to himself, and Katsuo did the same, knowing he could have seen it if he knew who Death Arms was. After Mr. Hagiwara formally introduced himself to the teenagers, he began to teach Katsuo and Midoriya how to properly use the machines.
The casual gym-goer also helped in making sure Midoriya didn't injure himself while he found out what his limits were. Katsuo also needed help, but much less of it. Katsuo tapped out at around 300 pounds, which was crazy to the other three men considering Katsuo was only 13 years old, and he didn't even look all that strong. That was another reason for Katsuo to hit the gym. While he wanted to enjoy the childhood he never had with his friends, keeping up the appearance of a semi-normal person would aid in keeping his system a secret. After getting a proper working out in (and a nice spar with Mr. Hagiwara), Katsuo was thoroughly exhausted. He planned to hit the gym with Midoriya and Kirishima whenever it was his turn to train Midoriya (yes he remembered), so with that put of the way, it was time to get moving. Katsuo and Kirishima ended up splitting off from Midoriya on their way home, Kirishima using Midoriya's borrowed notebook to ensure there were no more gaping holes in Katsuo's knowledge.
They were already halfway through book 1 of Midoriya's hero database when Katsuo's nose alerted him to the smell of smoke. Not the good, hotdog smelling kind either, but bad smoke that he could only assume was coming from a fire. Without even thinking, he and Kirishima broke off into a sprint, rounding the corner only to find an apartment building burnt to a crisp. The fire was still going strong, and the heroes who came to put it out were busy dealing with the group of villains who started the fire in the first place. Katsuo could tell they wanted to get to the fire and save the people trapped inside, but the villains outside were giving them way too much grief to do anything. They didn't even need to say anything. The two boys saw the look on each other's faces that said, 'fuck it'. One of the pro heroes on the side was the Normal Hero: Manual, who was attempting to fight the villains off while also dousing off the fire.
It wasn't working through, so Katsuo and Kirishima jumped the police tape, evaded the police keeping the public at a safe distance and jumped in the line of fire, getting absolutely soaked in water. "Hey, what the- what the hell are you kids doing?!" Manual's yelling fell on deaf ears however as the duo quickly made their way inside. It was time for Katsuo to use his abilities to their max. Due to his increased intelligence, Katsuo was not only smarter, but he could control his "mana" more effectively. It allowed him to control the amount of mana spent when using a skill, as well control the mana as well. It took a crap ton of practice, but it would all be worth it if he could save people with it.
Katsuo closed his eyes and focused, allowing his mana to pool in the center of his chest before sending it outwards. The invisible energy, completely undetectable to anyone else, spread throughout the entire building. Katsuo knew immediately when he had found people. Living creatures felt different compared to objects, allowing Katsuo to ascertain the amount and location of people. He quickly informed Kirishima of the locations of every victim in the building, allowing them to split up to cover more ground. The people outside the building held their breaths in anticipation as they waited for the teenage boys, only for them to come out holding four or more people at a time. They thought it was over, but the boys knew otherwise. "Hey Manual, I'm feeling kinda dry, mind if I get a quick soak?"
Manual looked at Katsuo like he was stupid before dousing him and Kirishima, despite Kirishima not getting to say anything yet. "Damn brats", he muttered as he fought off the villains. Once again, the boys came out holding more and more people, laying them out on the ground by the ambulances and rushing back inside, coming with dumber and dumber excuses each time they went back in. "Hey Man-" Katsuo was stopped by Manual blasting him with water a little harder than he needed to before running back inside as quick as lightning. It took a little while, but eventually there was nobody left. "Okay, this is the last of the victims, now let's get the hell outta here!"
The danger was never over around Katsuo though. As he and Kirishima ran out of the building with one person in their arms each, the building's structural integrity began to break down rapidly, causing it to collapse. Katsuo, recognizing the sight of something falling down above him, yelled to one of the heroines nearby to catch his victim, with Kirishima doing the same with another hero. After getting them to safety, there was one more person that needed saving. Kirishima grabbed onto Katsuo's arm, and Katsuo grabbed onto Kirishima's arm. They looked at each other dumbfounded. But unfortunately for Kirishima, Katsuo was stronger. With one good throw, Kirishima was out of the danger zone, watching in horror as the building collapsed on top of Katsuo's bright smile.
The people were horrified. The heroes who weren't fighting were horrified. Kirishima simply watched the rubble. And then, a bloody fist came shooting out of the pile of brick and mortar like a rocket. Katsuo dragged himself out, standing on top of the pile with that same stupid smile he had almost died with. Quietly, and too himself, Katsuo said: "I must look SO fucking cool right now." Of course, he could never let anyone else hear him say that, it was way too embarrassing. The audience began to cheer, excited that no one had gotten hurt. Face flushed with embarrassment anyway, Katsuo simply got down from the pile, being instantly surrounded by pro heroes and medics alike. "That was very stupid, kid, what the heck were you thinking?!" The woman, who Katsuo recognized from Midoriya's notebook as the R-rated Hero: Midnight, began scolding him viciously, along with Manual and the other hero there.
Kirishima simply reciprocated Katsuo's smile and waved before being surrounded by heroes and medics too, although not as much as Katsuo was. Eventually they settled down, and the heroes cleared out for the medics to do their work. "Yeah, did you hear what the villains told us?" Katsuo's attention was grabbed by a pair of pro heroes talking over by the collapsed building. The only reason he was able to hear them was due to his enhanced senses. "Apparently this was done by those bastards in the Black Company gang. You know, those crackpots with the crosshair lookin tattoo on their necks? Saw it myself on those guys we captured."
Now that was interesting. After confirming he was okay, Katsuo was let go by the medics and forced to leave by the heroes, but not without getting a "special" goodbye from Midnight. "And if I ever see you doing something stupid like this without a license again, I'll have to punish you." Midnight looked especially sadistic when she said "punish." Katsuo awkwardly smiled at her before turning and running towards Kirishima, who had been waiting for him for a little while now. "Honestly Kirishima, I think we have a lot to be proud of for today." Kirishima agreed, and the two boys walked away from the crime scene with a satisfied grin plastered on their faces.
Still though, It might be fun to look into that gang later. Katsuo was always up for a nice, fun game of cat and mouse.
A/N
Sorry this was late guys! I was struggling with how to connect the scenario event and Katsuo just screwing around in the city doing whatever. Also, I tried to find Death Arm's civilian name, but I don't think he did? So I resorted back to the Japanese Name Generator and clicked the "generate" button for five minutes straight. Dedication or stupidity? Either way, the next few chapters are gonna be fun to write, so until then, have a good rest of your day!