Hey folks! Welcome back to another week of "Through the Rough"! Last time we left off, we had gotten into the thick of the League of Villains' battle against Re-Destro and Nero. Tomura and Shura are struggling, but it seems like the former's about to have an awakening after looking back at his past.
Will the latter have one, too? Well, let's find out!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
FLASHBACK
Tenko was all alone. Blood stained his hands as he wandered aimlessly through the city streets. No one came to him. No passerby would even dare come close. That look in his eyes was scaring anyone who even attempted to approach.
His itch returned. He thought that all of this was a form of divine punishment for killing his family. And now, no one would come. He was still alone.
Then there was that fateful day when the hand that reached out to him changed his life forever. He didn't know what All For One had in mind for him, but he now had a place to call home. And in time, he'd rise under a new name: Tomura Shigaraki.
The hands upon his body that decorated him were of his family. They were what would drive him forward. They made him feel sick, yet calm. It was a strange sensation, but he didn't mind. He'd make sure those feelings would never fade... and become exactly what All For One envisioned...
END FLASHBACK
Looking through the scope of his rifle, Fie was able to spot where everyone was in the city. Maria and Spinner had just commandeered Koku's truck, Dabi was still embroiled in battle against Geten, Twice's doubles were running around, overwhelming more liberation soldiers as they multiplied, and Compress and Daichi were trying to evade their own foes. As for Tomura and Shura, the Flame Ammo Quirk user couldn't tell. Whenever the dust started to settle, more plumes would erupt, veiling the remains of the tower even more. He could assume a serious battle was underway there. Suddenly, he felt a rumble.
"Da hell?" he uttered, turning around. His lone eye widened. Charging toward the city was none other than Gigantomachia, seemingly ready for nothing to stand in his way. "Aw, crap!" Fie yelped. Throughout the city, the others could hear the rumblings as well.
"Oh, don't tell me…!" Compress gasped out.
"Machia's already here?!" Daichi exclaimed in shock.
"Bastard woke up early…" Dabi muttered from afar.
"What is that…?" Koku wondered, trembling aboard the truck. Maria grimaced.
'The hell's going on?!' she questioned inwardly, 'Machia wasn't supposed to be here for another fucking hour!' she pointed out to herself.
'Why would he wake up earlier…?!' Spinner wondered through his thoughts, only to blink in realization. He put his right hand up to his earpiece.
"Ujiko, did you do this?!" he inquired loudly.
"Oh-ho-ho!" the doctor laughed over the communication line, "Seems this throws a wrench into your plans, doesn't it?" he presumed.
"Cut the crap!" Spinner yelled, "We're actually trying to win this fight now!" he pointed out, "If Machia jumps in now, Shigaraki's as good as dead!" he proclaimed in panic.
"If he's in a bind, he'll need to pull himself out of it," Daruma argued to his surprise, "That's the only way Machia or myself will even acknowledge him, right?" he presumed rhetorically, making the lizard-like man growl in frustration.
"Crazy old fart…" Maria muttered.
"So you have a monster of your own on your side…" Koku commented, getting her attention as she heard him chuckle.
"What's so funny?" she asked, narrowing her eyes onto the politician.
"You see…" he began, grinning under his support item, "we have a trump card of our own, aside from Nero and Re-Destro," he told her, causing her to blink in surprise.
"Master's successor…!" Gigantomachia roared as he closed in on the city. However, he found himself suddenly blindsided by a left hook to his face. Every member of the League in the city looked over and gasped in shock.
"That's…!" Spinner exclaimed as his whole body trembled.
"One of the Oracion Seis," Koku said as Gigantomachia toppled over to the ground upon his back, slowly sitting back up to see who had struck him, "The Eternal Titan… Deadend Crow," he introduced. The titanic android gave off a wicked smirk, ready for battle.
OPENING
Insert "Memories" by ONE OK ROCK
Opens with an image of Tenko Shimura crying in his family's backyard with Mon in his grasp as he scratches at his eyes. A shadow looms over him, being that of his older self as Tomura Shigaraki, who narrows his eyes under the hand over his face. Meanwhile, we also see an image of Poseidon Shura looming over his younger self, as he's crying in a corner.
We cut to the opening logo, which is crushed and disintegrated before turning into "My Villain Academia". We see images of Fie, Maria Slime, Daichi, Mr. Compress, Dabi, Himiko Toga, Twice, and finally, Spinner. He sighs as he sees his colleagues loitering around, seemingly doing nothing of importance. Maria looks back at him sadly, dropping her lollipop.
All of a sudden, the ground shakes before shattering around them, with Gigantomachia revealing himself to challenge them. We also get a shot of Doctor Garaki, who grins under his moustache. The scene switches over to the likes of the Meta Liberation Army and those of Nero's forces, including the likes of Deadend Crow. Amidst them, Giran is being held captive in a tower, grimacing with frustration.
The League of Villains arrives in Deika City, being pitted immediately into battle against the Meta Liberation Army. Explosions from Curious blow back Himiko and Maria, as both have sudden flashes of their pasts, with the former trying to live her life in spite of her habits, while the latter looks in a mirror crying before Drakken Joe places a hand onto her shoulder reassuringly. We see green slime coat Maria before turning black and unleashing tendrils violently onto her foes.
Next, we see Twice getting himself trampled by puppets of his own visage. Fie tries to help him, but he's suddenly bombarded by a barrage of cards fired by Lyra. We see a flash of him as a kid having watched a particular hero constantly on TV, smiling brightly. His body flares up in flames, creating a torrential inferno.
Tomura and Shura charge through more members of the Meta Liberation Army, with Spinner, Daichi, Compress and Dabi holding off anyone from following them. We see Fabiano leap in covered in crystals, striking Tomura to send him flying back. Meanwhile, Shura gets blown away by Callum, who uses his Carburetor to tear a hole through the Satan Gravity Quirk user.
The Meta Liberation Army seems so imposing, especially with Re-Destro, Nero and Deadend Crow on their side. However, we witness Tomura and Shura charge through to them, yelling all the while. There are flashes of their pasts, with Tomura meeting All For One as he extends a hand to him, while Shura is introduced to Ijuna as his personal servant. She watches the battles rage on from the tower looking over the city, closing her right hand into a fist as she grimaces.
As the battle rages on, we see Crow and Gigantomachia collide with each other, Tomura losing his jacket and shirt as he disintegrates much of the ground, and Shura having energy lines expand around his body in midair as he faces down his adoptive father, who rolls his trio of dice in his right hand. We end the opening with the young forms of Tomura and Shura looking away from each other, both born into families that resented them. They turn to each other, now aged up to the current time, flashing sadistic grins.
END OPENING
"Agh…" Shura groaned as he tried to push himself up, blood and water dripping down his body. He looked out to see Tomura staggering forward, still having a grin on his face. Why was he smiling at a time like this? What would he even be thinking about, faced with two strong enemies?
'Get up… dammit…!' the Satan Gravity Quirk user demanded of himself, gritting his teeth as he pushed against the ground, only to fall down again. He breathed heavily as he could barely manage to see his enemies prepared to face the only foe left to challenge them. He had no strength left. Re-Destro was probably one thing, given how he was battling the Decay Quirk user, but Nero? He was practically unbeatable.
And Shura knew that. He had fought him for years ever since his Quirk first manifested. And over the years, his drive had slowly vanished. So what was motivating him now to keep trying? Why was he so fixed on killing his adoptive father?
FLASHBACK
At five years old, Shura was a Quirkless boy bouncing a basketball outside of the orphanage he stayed in. From what workers had been told, he was abandoned at birth, having been called a mistake by his biological parents. He didn't care, only because it would've been a hassle over to lament what could've been a good life for him. But life gave him content already. He just wanted to do the things he could.
"Oh, h-hello!" one of the workers stuttered in greeting, getting his attention as he let the basketball roll away from him. He looked over to the entrance to see the figure of Nero speaking to the woman there. After a moment, he turned to see the boy alone in the yard. His eyes slightly trembled.
Before he knew it, he was adopted by the strange man. It was less of him getting to choose the Oracion Seis member as his parent and instead was just taken without so much as a whim. The mutant-like man held his left hand out for his newly-adopted son to take, which he did. They walked along to the chauffeur car parked at the end of the sidewalk.
"You're going to have a new life," Nero told him, "From this day forward, your name is Poseidon Shura," he declared. The little boy blinked.
"Shouldn't it be Shura Poseidon?" he inquired out of confusion. His new parent stopped for a moment, letting off a chuckle.
"It's a matter of culture, my boy," he replied, "You'll understand soon enough when we return home," he promised, smiling under his beard of tentacles. Shura smiled himself, now starting to get excited for his new life.
I didn't realize it at the time, but that was the only moment I'd ever seen that bastard smile around me. It was the only time he treated me like an actual son, too. He was born in Greece, getting all the wealth he could through international business practices and extortions. From bank frauds to tax evasions, he and his companies got away with a lot of bullshit.
I never knew all that until I was older. He brought me to Japan, and that was where I learned what he was really up to…
"Whoa-ho!" Shura exclaimed, outlined in a greenish light as markings had appeared along his arms, "So this is what gravity's like, huh?!" he inquired excitedly, floating about and spinning in midair of the foyer.
"Ha-ha!" the figure of Ziggy laughed as he stood on the floor below with his arms folded over his chest, "You're a fast learner, Shura!" he complimented, "My grandson's still learning how to float like that," he pointed out.
"Grandson?" the new Ether-type repeated in confusion, "Aren't you as old as my dad?" he inquired, causing the Demon King Hero to flinch in surprise.
"Ah… well…" he stammered, "That's a bit of a long story…" he admitted. Shura arched an eyebrow. All of a sudden, the glow around him vanished as he yelped, starting to fall toward the floor. Fortunately, Ziggy caught him. "Don't go losing concentration," he advised, "Remember, your Ether flow's weak at the moment," he pointed out, "so you need to hone it and then make it second nature," he added further in explanation.
"Right!" Shura responded with a nod. He then blinked as he took notice of Nero and a maid entering the foyer. "Dad!" he called out in greeting.
"How goes the training, Ziggy?" the Oracion Seis member inquired, not acknowledging his adopted son as he hopped out of the Demon King Hero's arms.
"It's good!" he responded, "The boy's already learned how to float around," he pointed out, "Once his Ether increases, he'll be able to do a lot more," he affirmed on.
"I see," Nero said as Shura ran over to him. However, the maid stepped in front of him.
"Master Shura, let's get you ready for dinner," she advised of him, taking his left hand.
"O-Okay…" he stuttered in reply, being walked off with her, "See you later, Dad!" he exclaimed with a wave to his adoptive father, who didn't respond. Ziggy took notice.
"What made you adopt a child?" he inquired curiously.
"Aside from the fact that you did the same, I selected myself a successor," the Oracion Seis member responded.
"A successor…?" Ziggy repeated, lowering his head in thought for a moment, "Is that why you had me meet him and teach him my Quirk?" he questioned further.
"I didn't think Wormhole nor Hydro would be suited to him," Nero replied, rolling his trio of dice in his right hand, "Besides, I can tell he's more accustomed to your power," he affirmed.
"That isn't why I asked," the Demon King Hero said, causing the dual-type Quirk user to narrow his eyes, "You're treating him as a vessel to mold, not as a son," he pointed out.
"I don't see any obligation that I would have to look after the boy myself," the Oracion Seis member argued in response, "As he learns to better harness your power, he'll be able to take care of himself," he told his friend.
"Nero…" he uttered out, "I won't tell you how to treat your child," he decided, starting to walk off, "but don't ignore what the boy is trying to do to have a proper family," he insisted. Nero huffed, walking away himself.
"Did you see, Dad?" Shura asked later that night at dinner, "It was like I was really flying!" he pointed out excitedly. The Oracion Seis member didn't respond, continuing to eat his meal. His adopted son was confused, wondering why he wasn't even bothering to acknowledge him.
"After this meal, I'd like for you to come with me," he advised, getting his attention, "It's about the future of our empire," he said. The new Satan Gravity Quirk user didn't know what to think, especially as he was led by his father down the long hallway of the villa they resided in. They then entered a large, empty room.
"What's this place?" Shura asked upon wandering in, "There's nothing here…" he noted. His adoptive father shut the door.
"This is where you will train until your ascension," he told him, causing him to blink in surprise as he turned to face him.
"Train… for what?" he questioned, "Do you want me to try and be a hero someday, Dad?" he inquired. Nero narrowed his eyes with contempt. Blue and green lines of energy spread along his right arm as he reached over to the side, making a thin portal appear. He stuck his hand into it, while other portals appeared around his adopted son, making him widen his eyes and tremble. "D…Dad…?" he stammered with fright as tears were pricking his eyes.
"I'm going to make you the perfect successor," the Oracion Seis member proclaimed, having massive torrents of water shoot out from the portals, heading for Shura as he screamed.
Ten years. Ten whole damn years that bastard tormented me with training, if you can even call it that… Once every week I'd have to fight that old man. He didn't go easy on me at all, even when I was just a little kid. Even if my injuries from my last fight weren't fully healed, he'd drag me into another.
He was trying to mold me into something I didn't want to be. I just wanted to live my life… I just wanted a family… But he took that away from me… twice.
At fifteen years of age, Poseidon Shura looked more and more like a delinquent, wearing nothing but an open jacket over his upper body with a fur collar. He trudged through the halls of the villa he had lived in and was kept in, staring down at the floor solemnly. Today was supposed to be his birthday. But it was also another day he'd have to face his adoptive father.
"Prince Shura," a voice addressed, getting his attention as he looked to see the figure of Fabiano standing ahead of him, "I take it your training's gone well?" he presumed.
"Tch," the Satan Gravity Quirk user scoffed, "The hell do you think?" he inquired back rhetorically, "If it was, I wouldn't be fighting the old man all the time…" he grumbled. The Oceans member watched him go, exhaling a sigh. Later that night, Shura flew about the training room that was drenched with water stains, evading the torrents sent his way via the portals conjured by Nero below. At one moment, his adopted son that he had an opening to strike, zipping down instantly for a heavy punch. However, it was thwarted by another raging stream of water that gushed out from his left, slamming him against the wall. He fell to the ground in a heap, unable to push himself up as he breathed raggedly.
"…Pathetic," the Oracion Seis member muttered, walking away, "We'll continue next week," he decided, all while Shura glared at him, "By then, I expect you to finally attain your Overdrive," he added, much to the Satan Gravity Quirk user's frustration. He later returned to his room that evening, wincing from the bruise upon his shoulder. He had plenty of bruises, ones that didn't heal as quickly as others. Many maids in the building were supposed to be tending to him, but he refused their help. It was all because he loathed his father for trying to give him charity.
He felt like nothing more than a punching bag to Nero. Ziggy was far more fatherly to him than anyone he had ever met before. He glanced over to the TV in his room, seeing the reports of a riot breaking out between his adoptive father's business and the rebel group called Oasis.
"Hm," he huffed, lying down on his bed. Oasis had caused Nero quite a fair amount of trouble over the years, threatening to doom his businesses with protests against their corrupt practices. Several CEOs of those companies were investigated and put away for many years, disrupting the growth of the Oracion Seis member's secret empire. In hindsight, Shura was rooting for Oasis. But at the same time, he knew that their efforts were mostly in vain. He sighed, lying back down on his bed.
Basically, he had two options. Either he'd try to leave and join Oasis, maybe giving them a fighting chance, or he would have to continue fighting his adoptive father… likely to death. Neither appealed to him. He wanted to just give up.
"Let… me go!" a voice shouted from the other side of the door, causing him to perk up in confusion. He could hear grunting from outside, sitting up as he arched an eyebrow. All of a sudden, the door burst open, with someone falling down onto the carpeted floor. He blinked in surprise to see that it was a girl with shoulder-length, maroon hair, wearing a cream-colored sweater and a grey skirt with black leggings underneath. She pushed herself up, glaring back at the person who threw her into the room, being Fabiano. "Where are we?!" she questioned angrily.
"You're in Prince Shura's room, and you shall be his personal servant from now on," the Oceans member told her in response, causing her to widen her eyes, "Be grateful that we didn't decide to have you killed," he advised, grabbing the door handle and closing it.
"Wait!" the young woman yelled, getting to her feet, about to bolt for the door.
"Don't try it," Shura warned, causing her to freeze instantly, "The doors here are coded," he pointed out, "They can only be opened by certain people like me," he mentioned as the young woman slowly turned around, seeing him seating there. She trembled with fright, but then steeled herself as she gritted her teeth. She reached for a hidden knife in her right boot, but all of a sudden, it was pulled out of her grasp by the Satan Gravity Quirk user's gravitational pull, hovering just inches away from his right palm.
"A-Ah…" she stammered out in shock.
"Still had a weapon, huh?" Shura noted, "Boy, Fabiano and security's getting sloppy these days…" he muttered, letting the knife fall down onto the carpeted floor, "So… I'm guessing you must be with Oasis…" he presumed of the young woman, "Who are you?" he asked to her surprise. She glanced away for a moment.
"I…Ijuna Aka…" she finally answered. The Satan Gravity Quirk user slightly widened his eyes.
"The Oasis leader's daughter?" he said, earning a nod of confirmation from her, "When'd you get caught?" he inquired on.
"I was… caught up in one of the riots after my father's passing… and your father's men captured me…" Ijuna responded, only to blink in confusion, "Wait, why are you asking me all this?" she questioned.
"Just curious, I guess," Shura responded uncaringly, standing up from the bed and putting on his jacket. The young woman couldn't help but notice his bruises. "I'm gonna go eat something," he decided, walking off past her, "Don't go anywhere if you don't wanna get killed," he advised, opening and closing the door on his way out. Ijuna didn't even move. She looked down, seeing the knife still on the floor. She crouched down and picked it up.
In the dining room, Shura munched on his food at the table, where Fabiano, Lyra, Nasseh, Callum and Milani were having dinner as well. The Satan Gravity Quirk user took notice of the several servants around them, prepared to assist whenever they needed to. Surprisingly, Nero wasn't present, but he didn't care.
"So, I hear you've got yourself a new plaything to maybe brighten your spirits…" the Eye of Horus Quirk user suddenly commented, getting his attention as he saw him taking a sip of his soup, "That rebel group girl, right?" he presumed.
"I heard she's pretty feisty!" Lyra chimed in with a giggle.
"She was troublesome, yes…" Fabiano admitted, "But now that she is in your care, Prince Shura," he continued as the Satan Gravity Quirk user tensed up a little, "I am certain she'll fall in line," he affirmed.
"Huh," Shura huffed, "Did my old man put you up to this crap?" he assumed, causing the eldest of the Oceans to blink in surprise.
"E-Emperor Nero only wished for you to be in better spirits," he pointed out, "And… it is your birthday," he added, causing the Satan Gravity Quirk user to clutch the fork in his right hand tightly.
"If I were you, I'd make the most of this opportunity and give that girl an experience she'll never forget," Nasseh suggested, not noticing the energy lines forming along Shura's right hand, "You can sneak up on her when she's asleep and then—" With just a flick of his finger, the Satan Gravity Quirk user made the bowl of soup flip up and smack the white-haired teen in the face, much to the surprise of everyone else at the table. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed as the emptied bowl dropped back onto the table, "It's hot! IT'S HOT!" he wailed as many of the maids and servants went over to him. In the meantime, Shura grabbed the lone roll of bread on his plate, stuffing it into his jacket.
He was grinding his teeth together in frustration as he trudged back to his room. All he ever wanted was a normal life, with a normal family that cared about him. As he made it to the door, he pushed it open, blinking in surprise to find Ijuna standing in the dark room with the knife in her left hand. She looked over to see him there.
"Why did you leave the knife?" she asked. He looked away.
"Why didn't you try to kill me?" he questioned back to her shock, "Huh…" he sighed, reaching into his jacket for the bread roll he stashed, "Here," he said, tossing it over to her. She caught it in her hands, blinking in shock. "That's all I could get without anyone noticing," he pointed out, walking over to the couch nearby.
"Wh…What are you doing?" she inquired, seeing him lie down upon the plush surface of the furniture.
"Sleeping here," he replied, "You can take my bed," he said. She looked back at the empty divan, completely astonished.
"Wh…Why…?" she asked. With his arms folded behind his head, Shura looked up at the ceiling.
"My old man gave you to me as a birthday present," he told her as she blinked in shock, "But for my birthday, I'd rather not treat you like a slave," he decided, "I'll figure out how to get you clothes and food and other crap tomorrow," he promised, turning away, "Night," he said. Ijuna stared at his back for what felt like the longest of times. He was supposed to be the infamous son of Poseidon Nero, able to use the same Quirk as the Demon King Hero, Ziggy. Yet here he lied… not tormenting her nor harming her in any way. It felt almost too good to be true, but it was.
She set her knife down onto the nightstand, crawling into the bed. She took one last look at the Satan Gravity Quirk user, wondering just what kind of life he lived that made him this way. And with those thoughts in mind, she drifted off to sleep.
X
The moment Ijuna awoke, she couldn't believe how peaceful her rest had been. She had basically been in her enemy's stronghold the whole night, unable to escape. Yet for some reason, she felt at ease. As she sat up, she turned her head… and saw Shura standing beside the bed.
"AH!" she yelped, covering her mouth with her hands.
"Morning, sorry…" he apologized in greeting, raising his right hand momentarily, "Still trying to figure out the whole food thing for you, but I think I can get you some clothes," he affirmed, heading for the door, "I'll be back in a bit," he promised, "Don't go anywhere, okay?" he advised, leaving the room as he shut the door behind him. The maroon-haired girl got up from the bed, exhaling a sigh. She knew trying to escape would be a bad idea. Even if the Satan Gravity Quirk user was being genuine to her, she still couldn't let her guard down. But at the same time, she didn't feel as threatened as when she was first brought here. She then noticed that the bathroom door was left open…
"Clothes?" Milani uttered with an arched eyebrow as she and Lyra were approached by Shura.
"Nothing too flashy or whatever, just basic stuff," he requested of the pair of Oceans members.
"Why not a maid outfit for her to wear?" the Gambler Rush Quirk user suggested, causing Shura to glare at her, "Okay, never mind…" she said as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head.
"You care about this girl?" Milani inquired, getting the Satan Gravity Quirk user's attention.
"I just don't want her to stink up the room if she's wearing the same crap…" he muttered in response. Meanwhile, Ijuna was partaking in a shower, letting warm water wash over her naked body as steam filled the bathroom. With soap running down her skin and shampoo filling her hair before it was rinsed away, she stepped out, grabbing a towel. She dried her hair as she walked out, making sure not to shut the door in case she needed access to the bathroom for anything else.
'I'm supposed to be a prisoner…' she noted to herself, 'yet I'm able to do all this freely…' she mentioned inwardly, 'If I was anyways else's prisoner…' she continued, only for the door to suddenly open.
"Hey, I got you some stuff and—" Shura stopped himself upon realizing that he had just walked in to find Ijuna standing naked and wet in his room with just a towel upon her head. The pile of clothes in his hands was dropped as he quickly departed, slamming the door shut. "J-Just hurry up and get changed!" he stammered out, standing on the other side with a reddening face that he grabbed. The maroon-haired girl was shocked. Not only was Shura respecting her boundaries, but he was also… not taking advantage of her. Outside, he exhaled another breath to calm down.
"Um… Shura?" Ijuna uttered from the other side of the door, getting his attention, "You can come in now…" she assured. The Satan Gravity Quirk user turned around with a sigh, opening the door and entering. He found that the maroon-haired girl was wearing a black tank top and a pair of jeans, with her feet still bare. "I… should've asked if I could take a shower…" she admitted ashamedly, blushing as she looked away.
"N-No, it's fine…" Shura argued with a stutter, "Clothes fit okay?" he inquired.
"Yes, they're fine…" Ijuna confirmed in reply. An awkward silence filled the room as the two couldn't look at each other. "I… noticed your bruises…" the maroon-haired girl noted to the Satan Gravity Quirk user's surprise, "What are they from?" she asked of him. He glanced down for a moment.
"Training," he answered to her surprise.
"F-For what?" she stuttered out in question.
"To succeed my old man," Shura answered, "At least… that's what he wants…" he muttered on. Ijuna looked at him worriedly. "I'm supposed to fight him once a week," he told her, "I got five days until the next round," he mentioned further.
"Have you ever beaten him?" the maroon-haired girl inquired.
"Of course not…" the Satan Gravity Quirk user grumbled as a response, "If I ever do beat him, I'd get to do whatever I want," he pointed out, "But until I do, I'm here on his terms," he mentioned, "That's how it goes," he said, about to walk away.
"That sounds awful…" Ijuna noted to his surprise as he stopped, "Isn't he supposed to be your father?" she questioned. Shura sighed.
"I don't even know anymore," he admitted, leaving the room.
Things didn't change for the next few days. I ate, I slept, I trained… all just to prepare to lose again. But as the eve of the next fight came close… Ijuna gave me clarity.
"Sorry… what?" Shura said as he blinked, "What'd you just say?" he inquired of the maroon-haired girl.
"You should sleep in the bed with me," she advised seriously to his shock, "At some point, one of those Oceans are going to find out I'm getting more privilege than I should be as your servant," she pointed out.
"You're not my—! Ugh…" Shura groaned, stopping himself from shouting at Ijuna unnecessarily, "Okay, well…" he began, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "it's gonna be a little awkward," he told her, "I sleep with my shirt off…" he mentioned as he blushed.
"That's fine," the maroon-haired girl replied to his shock, "Look, let's not make too much of a fuss about it," she advised seriously.
"Alright, alright…" the Satan Gravity Quirk user repeatedly grumbled. A while later, he lied in the plush surface of his bed on his right side, unable to fall asleep. It didn't help that Ijuna was snoozing next to him, but he was lost in his thoughts, wondering if there was a way he could defeat his adoptive father tomorrow.
He could remember every loss he had been dealt for the past ten years. No matter how much he learned from each bout, his father always seemed to outdo every plan he came up with, thwarting him and continuing to break his spirit. It was awful.
He didn't realize that Ijuna awoke beside him. She looked over at his back, seeing the bruises that weren't yet healed. From hearing his life story, which was set to continue tomorrow, she knew that more would likely appear. Slowly, she started to reach over, wrapping her arms around him. At that moment, both she and Shura widened their eyes.
"Hey…" the latter uttered, blushing a little, "What the heck are you…?"
"It's cold…" Ijuna's voice said, causing him to blink in surprise. He could feel her trembling as she held him close.
"Wh…What?" he stammered in confusion.
"I've never felt a body that was so cold…" the maroon-haired girl admitted, "I wasn't sure I could totally believe your word about Nero… but it's true…" she realized, tearing up, "You've never really known love, have you?" she guessed. The Satan Gravity Quirk user's eyes watered before he finally gave way to his own tears, whimpering all the while. For the rest of the night, Ijuna didn't let him go.
X
With the bedsheets neatly made and everything tidied up in the room, Ijuna smiled, placing her hands onto her hips. She knew that it would be a while until Shura were to return, especially as today was meant to be another bout between him and his father. Reminiscing on the night they spent in the same bed she stared at, she smiled and blushed.
For someone she had once seen as an enemy, she had empathized with him to the point where she couldn't deny her feelings. She was in love. And she wondered if he felt the same.
At the same time, she also was concerned. She hated that Shura was apparently stuck in the endless loop of losing battles to Nero, not once winning. There had to be a way for her to help him somehow aside from just being kept as a servant. Just then, the door opened, getting her attention.
"So, this is the woman Prince Shura's taken as his pet, huh?" Nasseh's voice remarked as he entered alongside the rest of the Oceans members.
"Wow, she's actually pretty cute," Lyra noted as she leaned over to look at the maroon-haired girl, who tensed up as she turned to face them.
"Gotta say, she knows what she's doing," Milani chimed in, noticing how spotless the room appeared, "Guess Shura must've really broken her in…" she remarked, sharing a chuckle amongst her colleagues. Ijuna didn't appreciate their disparaging remarks, but knew that if she spoke out, she would be in trouble.
"Alright, that's enough," Fabiano advised of the younger Oceans members, "You four need to get to the training ground with Prince Shura," he instructed of them.
"Right, right…" Lyra repeated in understanding, walking off alongside her friends. The maroon-haired girl watched them go, leaving her alone in the room with the Crystallization Quirk user.
"You've been quite obedient, seeing as how you've cleaned up the prince's room," he commented curiously.
"…Why are you here?" Ijuna asked after a moment.
"Emperor Nero has grown curious about Shura's demeanor as of this past week," Fabiano answered to her surprise, "He seems… much more contented than usual," he added, "Perhaps his motivation stems from you or another entity," he presumed, "Either way, you seem to be exuding a positive effect on him," he pointed out, turning around and starting to leave, "In time, we'll see if that translates to results," he finished, departing from the room as he shut the door behind him. The maroon-haired girl looked away ashamedly. She prayed that today, the Satan Gravity Quirk user would be victorious in his bout.
But he wasn't. She gasped in horror to find him staggering into the room, bloodied and shirtless. He would've collapsed onto the floor if she hadn't caught him in her arms. She ran a bath, cleaning his wounds while also preparing multiple rolls of bandages. All the while, she struggled to keep her composure. As much as she wanted to cry, she knew that she couldn't. Focusing on helping the person she loved was far more important.
Eventually, she was able to get him bandaged up, setting him down gently onto the bed. She turned on the TV, which broadcasted the local news. After setting the remote down, she wandered back to the bed, looking at Shura's multiple injuries. Her walls finally caved as tears streaked down her cheeks, while she whimpered profusely. Hearing that, the Satan Gravity Quirk user was stirred awake. He glanced over to her.
"Ijuna…" he uttered out, getting her attention, "…Thanks…" he said simply with gratitude. A sob left the maroon-haired girl's lips.
"Why put yourself through all this?!" she shouted in question, "Why not just try to run away from that monster that calls himself your father?!" she inquired on. Slowly, Shura managed to sit up against the pillows with a grunt.
"What… difference would it make…?" he asked back rhetorically, "If I tried running, he'd come find me and drag me all the way back…" he pointed out, trembling a little, "The worst part is, I was really trying tonight…!" he admitted in frustration as he gnashed his teeth together, "I wanted to win so badly…!" he added, tearing up.
"Why…?" Ijuna asked. The Satan Gravity Quirk user looked over at her.
"To make sure he couldn't hurt you," he answered to her shock, "I know someday, he's gonna try to use you as leverage to motivate me or some crap…" he pointed out, looking up at the ceiling, "And until I give him what he wants, he gets to keep that leverage…" he mentioned, "I'm sorry," he apologized, lowering his head with shame. All of a sudden though, Ijuna embraced him gently. "I-Ijuna?" he stuttered out. Pulling herself back, the maroon-haired girl gave off a smile, even as tears streaked down her face. She placed her left hand onto his cheek.
"Shura…" she uttered, "I love you," she confessed sweetly. The Satan Gravity Quirk user widened his eyes slightly. Ijuna then leaned in slowly, closing her eyes and granting him with a kiss to his lips. For a moment, he didn't know what to think as tears were pricking his eyes. But he melted into the kiss, closing his own eyes. What the maroon-haired girl had said was more genuine than he could've ever imagined.
"Huh?" one of the maids uttered in confusion the very next day, having been approached by Shura, "You want two cakes for desert?" she inquired of him.
"There a problem with that?" he questioned back.
"N-No!" the servant stammered out, "I mean… your diet…" she pointed out. The Satan Gravity Quirk user gave off a smile.
"It's fine," he assured, "I didn't have any cake yesterday, so this'll catch me up," he affirmed. The maid was quite surprised, especially with how friendly he was being. It was a bit jarring.
Later that evening, Shura trekked down the hall to his room with a tray having two cakes and a small vase with a rose in it. Part of him thought it was a little corny to do such a romantic gesture. But when it came to Ijuna, he didn't care.
'Can't believe I forgot to say it back…' he noted to himself somewhat ashamedly. He reached his door, twisting the handle and pushing it open.
"Hey, Ijuna," he greeted as he entered, "Got a surprise for—" He blinked in surprise to find that the maroon-haired girl wasn't there. "Ijuna?" he called out, looking around. The bathroom door was open, indicating that she wasn't there. And none of the windows were opened either.
'Where is she?' he wondered, setting the tray down onto the dresser, 'She couldn't have opened any of the doors or windows unless…' he started to infer, only to blink in realization.
"That woman has caused you to grow soft, my son," Nero's voice echoed behind him, causing him to slowly turn his head and see him there, "I've known for a while that you've been granting her far more privileges than should be necessary for a servant…" he pointed out disdainfully. The Satan Gravity Quirk user gritted his teeth.
"Where… is she…?" he growled in question.
"I made her disappear," the Oracion Seis member responded, "You'll never see her again," he stated. An angered snarl left his adopted son's lips as he pivoted around, preparing to strike with a punch. Nero didn't even flinch. But then, he was shocked to find that Shura's fist slowed, merely tapping his stomach as he stopped himself. He was trembling, whimpering with tears dripping out from his eyes.
"Ijuna…" he sobbed out, "I… I loved her…!" he confessed. Hearing that made the dual-type Quirk user's blood boil.
"Stop your babbling, boy!" he roared, slamming him down onto the floor with his right hand before pressing his right foot against his back, "I'm doing this for your own good, to become my successor!" he exclaimed, continuing to stomp on his adopted son's back, "If you falter so easily because of one stupid woman, what good are you to me?!" he inquired angrily. Shura tuned his voice out. All he could think of was Ijuna… and how he never got to say he loved her as well.
END FLASHBACK
From then on, Shura distanced himself from his adoptive father, even as he continued to try and mold him into the perfect successor. But that was never what he wanted. He wanted to actually have someone in his life who loved him. And the Oracion Seis member had taken that away from him. He growled, forcing himself onto his feet. Green lines of energy spread along his body, trailing up to his face and even hovering off of him. He squatted down, gritting his teeth as the ground around him cracked.
"NERRRRROOOOOOO!" he bellowed, shooting forward. His adoptive father turned around, only to find himself taking a fierce punch to the face from his right fist, making blood spurt out from his nose and mouth. The dice that were in his right hand fell onto the ground as he was sent flying back in an instant.
"Nero!" Rikiya yelped, while Tomura blinked in surprise. He looked over to his colleague, slowly widening his eyes. The Stress meta ability user did as well. "It… can't be…" he uttered out in disbelief. Picking himself up from the ground, the Oracion Seis member looked out and gasped.
"You know… even though you treated me like crap growing up, I still thought you were pretty cool…" Shura admitted as he stepped forward, "So I'm glad my Overdrive turned out like this…" he confessed on. His hair had grown into a mass of tentacles, black markings covering the majority of his arms and leads to the sides of his face, where his ears became pointed, and a pair of pants with a fish scale pattern. "You're finished… Poseidon Nero," he proclaimed as his adoptive father stood up.
X
"Oh fuck! Oh fuck!" one of the Twice clones cursed with fright.
"They got a monster of their own?!" another exclaimed in shock.
"What do we do?! WHAT DO WE DO?!" one more screamed in question. Amongst them were Compress and Daichi.
"Deadend Crow…" the former uttered out, removing his ruined mask, "If he's Machia's equal, we're in trouble…" he noted with a grimace.
"Well, maybe not…" the Pain's Tree Quirk user inferred to his surprise, "If those two are occupied with each other, that doesn't stop Shigaraki or Shura from winning their fights…" he pointed out.
"And what if they're still fighting?" Compress inquired back, "Either way, it's bad news for everyone involved…" he pointed out as Gigantomachia rose back to his feet.
"Hmph," Crow huffed, "So the League's got a monster of their own, huh?" he presumed, rearing his right fist back, "Well, he's nothing compared to me!" he proclaimed loudly, landing a fierce punch to the behemoth's head. He chuckled, but then blinked in surprise to find that Gigantomachia was still standing. He slowly reached up and grabbed the titanic android's arm.
"My… master's… successor…" he growled out, causing his foe to tense up, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he bellowed, landing his own fierce punch straight to the android's face, making him stumble back. He snarled, retaliating with a powerful headbutt before kneeing his opponent in the stomach. Tremors were going off nonstop as their battle continued.
"Well, they're evenly matched at least…" Compress noted aloud.
"Are you sure about that…?" Daichi inquired, "Looks more to me like Machia's in trouble…" he admitted with a shudder. Crow was pounding away at the monstrous behemoth, landing furious punches that created shockwaves of air, blowing by everyone as they failed to get close. He then struck his foe with a downward left hook, causing him to crash against the ground.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the Oracion Seis member cackled, "Is that all you've got, you piece of shit?!" he questioned loudly as violet energy markings started to shine along his body, "I haven't even used my Quirks yet!" he pointed out.
'He's what?!' Compress exclaimed inwardly, seeing that Gigantomachia was slow to push himself up, 'If Machia loses, we're all done for…!' he realized, grimacing as he clenched his fists, 'What can we even do…?!' he wondered through his thoughts. At that moment, he spotted Daichi running off.
"Daichi!" he yelped. The Pain's Tree Quirk user gritted his teeth as he hurried towards the pair of giants, not impeded in the slightest as the Liberation Army soldiers had all retreated from the immediate area. His markings glowed along his body as he closed in.
'My life was pretty much hell growing up…' he noted inwardly, 'Being a Quirkless person yet still having a heteromorph family meant I was basically the runt of all runts to people…' he recalled, 'But Mister Joe gave me the chance to torment them instead, give me a purpose that I enjoyed…' he mentioned through his thoughts as he approached Crow's right foot, 'Now I can give the League a chance to have an even bigger purpose!' he proclaimed to himself, pressing his hands against the Oracion Seis member's extremity.
"Pain's Roots!" he exclaimed. Roots started growing and spreading in Crow's skin. At first, he didn't even feel it as he was too busy punching away at Gigantomachia. However, he suddenly felt a twinge of pain, making him wince as he faltered slightly.
"What the…?" he grunted out, looking down to see the vein-like roots spreading along his leg up to his torso, "The hell's that?!" he yelped out. Him being distracted allowed for Machia to get back up, landing a fierce haymaker with his right fist to the Oracion Seis member's face, making him start to fall over. Daichi watched on, starting to grin gleefully.
"I did it…" he uttered out, "I… actually did it!" he exclaimed with delight.
"Daichi!" Compress called out, getting his attention as he turned to see his colleague running over with a few Twice clones in tow.
"Compress, did you see that?!" the Pain's Tree Quirk user excitedly inquired, "I totally gave Crow the what-for with my Quirk!" he pointed out.
"You idiot, get out of there!" the Compress Quirk user insisted in panic.
"Huh?" Daichi uttered, only to look up and see that Gigantomachia was about to stomp down on him, "…Oh," he said before getting smashed into the ground in a flurry of dirt and dust. Having witnessed the scene from afar, Compress' eyes widened.
"Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick…" one of the Twice clones beside him admitted before gagging.
"He was asking for it…" another of them noted. They watched as Gigantomachia stood tall, staring out toward the city's center.
"Master's successor…" he uttered, restarting his charge. He was coming. Maria and Spinner were screaming for their colleagues as they were having Koku's truck drive them toward the city's center. The Liberation Army was falling apart at the seams.
"You say… I'm finished, boy?" Nero inquired of his adopted son as he staggered to his feet, "Don't forget, I still have both of my Quirks at my disposal…" he pointed out.
"Oh, I'm not worried about them," Shura admitted as he stepped forward, letting off a smirk as he lifted his left foot up. The Oracion Seis member blinked in confusion before taking notice of his dice just in front of the Satan Gravity Quirk user. He stomped down, crushing them into pieces. "You've always relied on those damn dice for crap like this…" he pointed out as his adoptive father trembled, "So now what?" he inquired curiously.
"Now…" Re-Destro's voice began as he sped in behind Shura, rearing his left arm back, "we'll kill you both!" he proclaimed. However, he stopped as Tomura suddenly dashed in, forcing him to stop and jump back before he could accidentally get decayed into nothing but dust. The Satan Gravity Quirk user glanced back at him.
"I didn't ask for your help, you know," he noted.
"Don't worry about it," the League of Villains' leader insisted in response, making him scoff, "Hey, you," he called out to Rikiya, getting his attention, "You wanted to know what kind of future I'd create if I destroyed everything, right?" he presumed, still holding onto the lone hand he had left in his grasp, "Well…" he continued as he grinned, "...I don't need a future..." the Decay Quirk user said to the surprise of Re-Destro and the others, "Those guys can do whatever they want when this is over..." he pointed out, holding his father's hand and making it crumble away. He killed his family because he wanted to. The itch was an urge. "These... are no longer necessary!" he exclaimed as his voice no longer sounded scratchy and hoarse.
Something in Re-Destro stirred. He lunged out to attack his foe with 100% of his power, only for him to instantly decay it, lessening its impact. Tomura, despite being seriously battered, was still smiling.
"So your size is just for show, huh?" he inferred, "I get it... It's fun to destroy the things you don't like, right?" he inquired on. At that moment, Nero teleported himself behind the Decay Quirk user, ready to strike as torrents of water were ready to erupt from multiple rifts in the air.
"Die, Tomura Shigaraki!" he exclaimed. But suddenly, the portals imploded to his shock.
"So that tracks," his adopted son's voice chimed in, causing him to slowly turn to see him floating upside behind him, "Gravity interferes with space-time, so your portals don't work…" he pointed out, "And without any source of water, you can't use Hydro either," he mentioned.
"You damn brat…" Nero growled, only to suddenly get lifted off of the ground as Shura grabbed him by his coat, carrying him into the air.
"Isn't this what you wanted, Nero?" he inquired of the Oracion Seis member, "More importantly, I think we oughta' stay out of their way…" he advised, letting off a grin, "I think I'm not the only one who's ready to let loose…" he presumed, causing his adoptive father to widen his eyes.
"My power is but a means to liberate people!" Re-Destro bellowed in declaration, "To execute Destro's will!" he proclaimed, pressing the button of a device upon his belt. There was a throbbing in his chest. But it wasn't fear. Otherwise, he'd be feeling much more powerful. Metal pieces shot up from the earth, zooming over and attaching to his body, forming a battle suit over his himself. "Stress output... ONE HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY PERCENT!" he bellowed out.
"A hundred-and-fifty percent?" Tomura repeated curiously, "That's nice," he said. Gigantomachia was still coming. Crow was trying to keep up with him.
"Faster!" Maria ordered as she pressed the gun she stole hard against Koku's neck. The truck drove along towards the battle raging at the city's center, though it seemed like it'd be a while before it actually arrived. "Shigaraki… Shura...!" she growled in frustration. She didn't realize that her leader was essentially fine. He didn't have a care in the world, not even as his foe reared his armored right fist back to strike him.
He decayed it before it could strike. Grimacing, Re-Destro jumped away, not wanting to lose his limbs. The something that had been stirring within him was from seeing Tomura essentially liberate himself. He no longer seemed shackled, using his power however he pleased.
"You said a hundred-fifty, right?" he inquired of his opponent, getting his attention, "You going all Plus Ultra on me?" he guessed on. He then placed his right hand upon the ground, digging his fingers into the earth before making everything ahead of him decay instantly. Re-Destro quickly flew back to get out of its range, having the pieces of his armor come apart to fly him away.
However, the decay was spreading further than he imagined. He could see Tomura laughing gleefully as his body bled. This was his liberation... from everything. All that he had accumulated... was being fully released.
"DESTROY IT ALL!" he exclaimed as his right arm turned a bloody gross purple. Almost everything ahead of him crumbled away into nothing but ashes. In the midst of his escape, a frightened Re-Destro looked back one more time to see the League of Villains' leader cackle at the epicenter of his destruction. And all of a sudden, he too found himself caught up in the decay wave as he was knocked down onto the ground.
Gigantomachia and many of the remaining liberation soldiers had watched the cloud of dirt of and dust linger as a good chunk of the city was just... gone. Below in the crater, the army's leader lied sitting upon the ground with a metal panel in hand. His feet were gone, needing to be cut away before the decay could spread to the rest of his body. And Tomura weakly trudged towards him, yet he looked like the most powerful person imaginable.
Floating down, Shura dropped Nero onto his hands and knees, kicking him down against the ground. He grunted in pain, looking up to see the Satan Gravity Quirk user there looming over him. For a moment, the image of Ijuna flashed through his head. He wanted nothing more than to kill the man responsible for taking away the one single bit of happiness he had in his life. But instead, he decided not to. His Overdrive form vanished around him as he walked away, leaving Nero in shock. He looked over to see Tomura approaching Rikiya.
"Remind me... why were we fighting again?" he asked of his footless foe, "Oh yeah... 'cause you went and picked a fight with us..." he remarked, gesturing toward him with his broken hand. The weak smile of defeat on Re-Destro's face said it all. There was nothing he could do. At that moment, the truck arrived along with several of the liberation soldiers.
"Th-The grand commander..." one stuttered out.
"Shigaraki!" Maria exclaimed, quickly releasing Koku from her grasp and hopping down to meet with her leader. That allowed for the lieutenant to issue a command with his Quirk... but the second Tomura glanced over to the soldiers, they all hesitated in fright. He couldn't believe it.
"That's enough... Trumpet..." Re-Destro advised, holding up his right hand to his head, forming his pledge sign of the Liberation Army, "Any more fighting... will result in pointless death..." he noted aloud. Retracting his support item, the politician was stunned. Meanwhile, both Maria and Spinner went over to their leader's side. He glanced over.
"You're still alive..." he noted with a grin.
"So are you..." the Slime Quirk user pointed out, letting off her own smile, "Now then..." she continued, aiming her gun down at Re-Destro, "what should we do with you?" she inquired curiously, narrowing her eyes.
"What about him, too?" Spinner inquired as he glanced over to the weakened Nero, who couldn't even bring himself to get up.
"...Our followers were devout in following my... no, Destro's dying wishes..." the Liberation Army leader admitted, lowering his head, "They were all brought up with the resolve to die for the sake of cause," he mentioned. He had seen liberation firsthand from the man in front of him. "It's as you said," he noted, "I picked a fight with you and lost," he pointed out, "If you mean to kill me, then get it over with," he insisted, "I too will sacrifice myself for Destro's cause," he vowed, bowing his head, "And as such..." he continued, "the Meta Liberation Army... is yours to command," he told Tomura.
"The... master's successor..." Machia whimpered in joy as he could feel tears stream down from his eyes. He now saw Tomura's worth. Everyone did.
"Well… this is more than what we wanted…" Shura remarked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"No kidding…" Maria agreed.
"Shigaraki..." Spinner uttered out. Down on the battlefield, Tomura slowly widened his eyes as he remembered something. After the group's encounter with the Shie Hassaikai, they had lost out on obtaining riches and good fortune. At least... until now.
"Hey... you've got money, right, Mister CEO?" he inquired of Re-Destro. And like that, his rise to glory had come.
ENDING
Insert "Calling" by Metro Boomin X NAV X A Boogie wit da Hoodie X Swae Lee
Opens with the dawning sun, causing Shura to wake up as rays of sunlight reach his eyes. He looks over to his left to find Ijuna sitting next to him, smiling lovingly at him. He smiles back, putting his hand atop hers. Elsewhere, we see Spinner sitting atop a building, looking out at the horizon. Maria comes over and sits down next to him. She glances at him for a moment before leaning against his shoulder, much to his surprise as he looks at her. We also see Himiko skipping along a sidewalk as Twice walks after her, holding her handkerchief in his pocket.
We continue with Tomura seemingly wandering through an empty house, having flashes of the past as a kid, running through the house and spending time with his family… except for his father. We see him pick up a picture in a study, narrowing his eyes to see Nana Shimura upon it. He disintegrates it as the house around him also crumbles into dust.
Shura stands at the doorway of his bedroom, remembering every day he'd return with bruises and cuts from his training from Nero, not once being properly taken care of. He blinks and finds himself being tended to upon his bed by Ijuna, who wraps bandages around his arms. A small smile crosses Shura's face. He blinks again… and finds that Ijuna is gone. He lowers his head as Nero looms just behind him.
We get a shot of Fie seated inside a warehouse with a rifle by his side, looking at a picture of himself as a kid with his big brother, Hito. He grimaces before burning the image up. Then we cut to Mr. Compress, who removes his mask and balaclava to reveal his face as he looks in the mirror. He sees a reflection of Harima Oji before it changes back to himself, causing him to clench his lone fist tightly.
From another building, Maria watches a civil rights protest for heteromorphs go on as she winces, with bits of green slime dripping off from her body. A hand comes onto her left shoulder, causing her to look over and almost mistake Spinner for Drakken, who nods to her. We see Dabi wandering about city alleys with cobalt flames in his wake, as smoke emits from his skin like burning meat. Even so, he grins.
The song winds down with the League gathering together, looking out over Deika City. Removing the hand upon his face, Tomura grins determinedly. The others do the same, ready to face whatever they have to in order to fulfill their desires…
END ENDING
And that ends this chapter, which was probably my favorite of the bunch to do. Aside from getting to do Shura's backstory, having the League battle it out with the Liberation Army and the likes of Nero was a lot of fun. I know I did a tease with Gigantomachia and Deadend Crow, but trust me, they'll eventually get their moments to shine for sure.
Thanks for reading, everyone! See you next time!