Bakuchi Dancer - DOES.
Kyoka Jiro POV
Kyoka Jiro watched as Sora, her best friend, slowly walked up to the piano while screaming at him to stop. To just run, to leave her here. This was all her fault, and she knew it. If she hadn't remained with Sora to try and fight the villain, he wouldn't have been put in this position. She could feel the fear radiating off him with each step he took towards the piano, with Sora's brown eyes once being home to such vibrancy and life being now devoid of any emotion.
How his posture changed, how the small mannerisms she had memorised throughout her time with him completely changed. And it was all her fault. She couldn't stand up to Zero, she couldn't stand up to the villain that haunted her nightmares for months. That made her wake up in the middle of the knight, afraid that she had been pierced through the heart and had died as she had dreamed about so many times.
Instead of fighting the villain directly, she latched onto what he said about Sora and was hurt by it. Hurt that he hid from her the truth about himself, that he had multiple Quirks. Hurt that he was her best friend, but he didn't even trust her with anything that bugged him. That he kept everything to himself, even what was ultimately hurting him, that he'd rather be alone than to ask her for help…
And it hurt her so much.
Sora tried to do the same thing when he fought against that villain earlier, and it scared her. It chilled her to her core that Sora, the loving goofball that she had known for a long time, didn't trust her.
'Have I failed him?' She questioned herself as she was held at knifepoint. Tears fell down her face as Sora walked right up to the piano, but no matter what she said he simply wouldn't budge. She could only blame herself, if she wasn't such a bad friend to him, then maybe he would have trusted her. Maybe Sora would have listened to her, maybe if she wasn't so weak and pathetic, she could have saved him.
She truly hated herself.
"I also promised myself that I'd protect everyone, no matter the cost." Those were his words, his bloody words that hurt her the most. She didn't want him to protect everyone, to protect her… She just wanted him to be safe.
To be happy.
Ever since they arrived at U.A, she could tell that Sora was changing. He smiled more often happy that he teased everyone and made more of an effort to be friendly to others. It made her so happy to see Sora be happy, it made her want to fly to the moon and back.
And yet, watching as he readied himself and played that first note, she couldn't help but cry at the sight before her eyes. She promised him that he'd never play the piano if he didn't want to. But here she was, unable to do anything about it. She was a liar. A bad friend, an ugly whore, a side accessory there to make all the other girls in 1A look good.
She was unwanted, that was her truth.
But Sora made her feel wanted, he made her feel important. And she wanted to do the same for him, but here she was unable to do anything. Just as always, everything would have been better if she wasn't involved. It was no wonder that Sora didn't trust her with all his secrets, not when she was pitiful. When she was weak, even if she tried her hardest it all amounted to the same fate.
Failure.
That was all she was, and all she ever would be. Deep down Jiro knew the truth, that Sora was far too good to be her friend. Let alone her best friend. It hurt her to think like this but watching him play the piano masterfully, watching the terrified expression on his face slowly melt away, slowly turn into nothing. A blank face; a caricature of the person known as Sora Yamazaki, that was when she slowly lost all hope.
Behind her, Zero held on to her tightly.
She didn't hate the villain, not when what he said lifted up Sora's spirits more than she ever could. It was fitting that a villain could help Sora when she couldn't because she was useless.
There was nothing she could do about Sora, and it angered her. It frustrated her to no end that she was so weak, that she couldn't help him in a fight. That she allowed herself to be distracted by what a villain said about her best friend which allowed her to get captured. That she got hurt by what was revealed to her, and instead of trusting in Sora when it was needed at the moment, she allowed herself to be hurt.
Yaoyorozu wouldn't have done that.
Mina, Uraraka, Hagakure, Tsuyu, Tokage, Miwa - Any other girl she knew would have handled the situation better than she did. They wouldn't have been captured, and Sora wouldn't have had to play the piano, he wouldn't have had to do something he was so opposed to doing for her sake. She wasn't worth the trouble, she felt guilty that Sora went to the extreme for her.
Why her?
What was so special about 'Kyoka Jiro' to him?
She was a plain, ordinary girl. She didn't have a particularly impressive body like Yaoyorozu or a bubbly personality like Uraraka. She wasn't a flirt like Mina, nor was she cute in the way she interacted with people like Hagakure. She wasn't even as honest as someone like Tsuyu, as carefree as someone like Miwa - But most importantly, she wasn't as trustworthy as someone like Tokage.
Jiro knew that Tokage had to have known about Sora having multiple Quirks.
She wasn't jealous of Tokage, seeing her make Sora happy made her happy in itself. But it was the fact that Jiro herself couldn't make Sora happy that made her frustrated with herself, that she was such a bitch that Sora couldn't believe in her. It was her fault for being weak, for being untrustworthy, for being a bad friend.
'Sora probably doesn't care when I vent to him,' That was the honest truth, wasn't it? That she was so childish that it made it impossible for Sora to trust her. Why would he care about her insecurities? In fact, why does he care for her at all? Why was Sora friends with her in the first place?
Kyoka Jiro knew that she didn't deserve Sora, which was why tears were rolling down her face as he ultimately played the piano. All traces of what was once her best friend disappeared within seconds, and she knew that whoever was playing the piano masterfully, better than she ever could, was not Sora Yamazaki.
That she had fucked up, and Sora was now paying the price.
And she hated herself for it.
'I just want to die.'
Chapter
Thirty
Four
'Kindness is a Lie'
Sora's eyes were a nice shade of brown, and Jiro often thought about them. A dark brown that you could mistake for black during the winter, but during the spring and summer, that was when his eyes shone brightly. He was always excited about something, even if he never showed it. Whether it was a brand new game that he was excited to play, a new development in one of the many mangas that he read, or just being happy to spend time with everyone - His eyes always revealed his true emotions.
That was why when 'Sora' opened his eyes while playing the piano, the coldness that she could see within them made her body tremble in fear. There wasn't any hint of fear, but at the same time, there was no hint of excitement either. It was blank, and that was unusual for Sora. He was a very emotionally driven person, he tended to disregard logic and go with his heart.
That was simply who he was, and that was why she liked being friends with him.
Because even if he didn't intend for it, he made her day brighter with just his actions alone. If someone cuts in front of her on the line to get on the train, he'll argue with them and call them all sorts of insults. If someone were to shove her and not apologise, Sora would put on an accent and pretend he was a gangster to get some spare change out of them before blowing it all on sweets for the two of them to eat.
But the 'Sora' playing the piano would do neither of those things, and she knew it just from his eyes alone. Cold, unapproachable, filled with such emptiness that it would be impossible to strike a conversation with them, let alone joke around. And it made her cry harder as those very eyes turned hateful within seconds at just glancing in her direction.
Was she that bad of a friend?
Of course, she was.
When had she ever done anything for him? Apart from nagging him, being annoyed at him for keeping secrets, annoying him and even ignoring him. She was a horrible friend, and she knew it. Jiro didn't know what maintaining a healthy friendship was, but she knew that it wasn't supposed to look like whatever she and Sora were. Not only did Jiro get immensely angry at him for holding secrets, for not trusting her, but she also failed at the one thing she had promised him.
She had one job, and somehow she still screwed it up.
C, D major, B major.
He was playing the song masterfully, and it made her slightly jealous. She couldn't play the piano as well as this, but why should she be jealous? Even with music, her one passion, she wasn't all that good at it.
Her 'beautiful voice'? It was probably a lie from Sora to make her feel better.
There was nothing about her that was 'beautiful'.
Nothing.
Sora faced them, but at the same time, it wasn't Sora. It looked like him, but he didn't like him, not at all. From the smile on his face that seemed to enjoy the chaos around them, to his cold, cold eyes. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but in this case, all Jiro could see was darkness. Pure hatred, anger and other negative emotions had no place in Sora.
"Yo," Sora said in a tone of voice that was familiar. Even what he said was something that he would usually say, but it seemed so… fake. Forced, like it was someone pretending to be Sora. And it terrified her as he simply stared in her direction, his smile never leaving his lips. Until his eyes narrowed and she immediately took a step backwards in fear.
She could feel his bloodlust.
Whoever he was, it wasn't Sora.
They looked and talked like him, but it wasn't Sora Yamazaki.
She knew her best friend, and the person in front of her simply wasn't him. Even Zero tensed up beside her, pushing Jiro to the side as he walked up to Sora-,
'No, that's not him. That's not Sora!' No matter how many times she repeated that statement in her mind, her eyes told her a different story. It was Sora Yamazaki in front of her, even with that cruel smile and twisted eyes, it still looked like her best friend. It was her best friend, and that terrified her more than anything.
"Why are you looking at me differently?" Sora asked her, tears prickling his eyes as he tried to wipe them away. He even cried like Sora. She was wrong, the mannerisms weren't different from Sora's, they were like Sora's, to an insane degree even. To the point where it didn't even feel like it was a human moving naturally, it was like someone was pretending to be Sora.
"Y-you aren't him! You aren't Sora!" She yelled, her voice cracking near the end. 'It's not him! It's not him! It's not him! I know it's not him!' Despite the 'Sora' in front of her crying, telling her how much her words hurt him, she didn't believe it for a second. "Just drop the act, I know my best friend enough to know that you aren't him!"
"Fine." Within seconds, it was like a light was switched on, or rather off. His posture became more relaxed, and he dropped the smile altogether. But it was his eyes that haunted her, he briefly closed his eyes only to open them to reveal that they had changed completely. It was still the same dark brown she was familiar with, only with vertical-slit-like pupils that made him look far different compared to before.
Cold.
Detached.
Not Sora.
"I'm surprised you could see through me so easily, I thought I put up a good performance," Sora sighed, no, it wasn't Sora. "Still, I suppose I can't fool everyone. Oi, you with the mask. Stop standing around there and approach me, you wanted to talk to me, no? Isn't that why you forced him to 'play the piano.' Well, here I am. Talk."
"Someone I know wishes to-," Zero couldn't finish his sentence in time as 'Sora' rushed him, building a construct that propelled him towards the villain faster than Jiro could follow. She watched in awe as Zero had to dodge out of the way to avoid the small dagger that was aimed at his throat. 'Sora' cracked his neck, growling in response as he readied himself for a fight.
"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. You were saying?"
"If you want to fight, I'll give you a fight," Zero replied, clicking his fingers to summon his double-sided sword once again. "But don't think for a second that I don't see you for who you really are, beast. I knew this was a bad plan from the start, but I didn't think it would be this bad. So, what should I call you?" Zero's voice gained an edge to it that hadn't been present before, and it made Jiro want to run.
They were fighting each other, she could run and be free.
If she ran she would be safe.
'Sora's in trouble, and once again it's because of me,' She shook her head, unable to avert her eyes from her friend standing in front of her. 'If I run, I'll never be able to help him. I'll prove to him that I am untrustworthy, that I am all those things that I said I was. That I am weak.' She made up her mind as she got up from the ground, and ran towards 'Sora' only to pause.
Before she could even meet him head-on, all it took was a single glance from 'Sora' to make her stop in her tracks. He would kill her if she took even a step further. Jiro shook her head. 'I can't do this. I can't. I'm not strong enough, I'm just the same girl who needs help, just as always. I can't help him.' She mentally berated herself, trying to move her legs, but they were locked in fear.
This was all she could do and that made her want to cry in frustration.
'Sora' threw a knife made from Sora's Quirk at her, only for Zero to deflect it using his sword. It was aimed at her heart. The Sora she knew, no, everyone she knew wouldn't even attempt to throw a knife at someone's heart. Let alone Sora.
"My name? Hm, well I suppose if you want to call me something, you can call me Kurai." He replied, licking the dagger he had created. "But what's the point? I'll kill you, then I'll kill the girl. And maybe everyone else on this mountain. You really have no idea what you awoke, didn't you? You just blindly follow your 'boss' to try and get closer to your unreachable goal. You're like a dog. So I'll put you down for good, 'kay?"
"You can try, but it'll take more than killing intent to beat me." Zero replied, holding his arm out to stop Jiro from walking forwards any further. "You needn't concern yourself with your friend, I'll make sure to get him back."
"Get him back?" She laughed at the absurdity of what he said. "Whatever you did to him is affecting him, but you want to get him back? Are you sure you can even get him back?" Jiro wanted her friend back, she wanted to see his smile again. To see his eyes light up whenever he was speaking to her, to see him be happy with everyone once again.
She didn't care for his secrets, not anymore. If they kept him away from her, Sora could keep them. Even if it hurt her, she just wanted her best friend in the world, the one person that she could always count on, back home. Back to where he was always happiest at.
Back at 1A.
But that wasn't true at all.
She wanted answers.
"I will get him back, so please, stand aside for the moment," Zero replied, twirling his sword in the air. "Kurai, was it? I'm giving you this chance to stand down. Bringing you out was a mistake, so as the one responsible for you, kindly go away." Kurai grinned at that, his eyes shining with excitement that he could barely keep in check as he charged Zero once again, aiming to kill him.
"I'm not Sora! I have no qualms with killing you!" Kurai screamed, "If you think I'll stand down, you are sorely mistaken! I'm my own person! I'm me, not anyone else, and most definitely not Sora Yamazaki! I'm Kurai!"
All Jiro could do was watch from a distance.
'Please, just come back, Sora.'
Where was I?
Who am I?
I know.
Who?
I am…
Who?
I am…
Who?
Sora.
Who?
No, I'm not Sora.
Who?
Yamazaki.
Who?
I am Sora Yamazaki.
My eyes opened, and I yawned, waking up from my position on the chair. My head had been lying down on the kitchen counter, apparently, I fell asleep after coming home late. But why was I out late? Why didn't anyone wake me up? It wasn't evening morning anymore, it was midday. Where were mum and dad? Had they gone out? No, they wouldn't leave me asleep.
But they used to do that to me all the time.
But they weren't that neglectful, sure I brought some shame to the family, but they still loved me. I was a disappointment. A delinquent. It's a miracle that Gekko and Hinata didn't just abandon me when I was younger, considering how hard I must have made their lives I still felt guilty for how I used to act.
But I changed.
Not really.
I pushed them away, but I don't anymore!
I still push them away.
I trust them!
I lie to them.
I believe in them!
I hurt them, I constantly go behind their back to do what I want.
It feels like I've found my home!
I was never meant to belong here.
They are my family in all but blood.
I'm surprised they haven't abandoned me already.
I love them.
But I doubt that they love me.
I'd do anything for them.
I'd do anything to protect the lie I've told myself.
My life is perfect.
My life is crumbling all around me.
I feel like my carefree tomorrow is in reach!
I feel like my goal is further away from me compared to before.
I can't wait to live my life with everyone else!
I can't wait to live again.
Why do I feel guilty whenever I fight.
Because you are guilty.
Why?
Because I enjoy fighting.
No, I don't.
Yes, I do.
That's not me that enjoys it.
It is.
No, that's the other side of me!
There is no 'other side of me'.
There is!
There isn't.
But I'm not in control!
Was I ever in control?
I was.
When? All I ever did was follow what I wanted to do.
So I was in control.
Control of what? My body? My emotions?
Yes.
But when have I ever done something for myself.
That's selfish.
I'm the most selfish person I know.
But I want to help others!
I want to help only the people I care about.
That's heroic!
That's selfish.
I saved that boy from the fire!
Don't I regret it? I could have saved Native if I didn't rescue that boy.
But the boy would have died.
So what.
I don't understand death.
I do.
I don't.
I do.
If I did, then why would I be so against killing others? Why would I be so against murder?
I'm not.
I am.
I don't want to be seen as a monster with no emotions.
I have emotions.
Not for everyone.
I care about everyone here.
I only care about the people I know.
I'm a hero.
I'm not a hero.
I'm tired.
I'm awake.
I'm helping everyone I care about them becoming better.
I'm helping everyone to feel important about myself.
I am important.
I'm a loser, someone easily replaceable.
My friends care about me.
My friends will leave me when they see who I really am.
They want to help me.
I don't want them to help me.
Why not?
How can they help me?
I don't know.
That's right, I don't know.
But they will find a way!
Will they?
Yeah! I believe in them!
But do they believe in me?
Why wouldn't they?
I lie to them constantly, I always try to manipulate them. Even when confronted with my lies, I lie again to keep my secrets. I'm a bad friend, I always have been.
I lie to protect them.
From who?
From Zero.
No, I protect them from myself.
Myself? I'm their friend, why would I hurt them.
Because all I do is hurt them.
That's not true.
So why was I alone?
Because I didn't know how to act.
Why didn't I know how to act?
Because I was alone.
I was alone because I pushed everyone around me away.
But I learned that I was wrong!
But I'm still in the wrong. I still push everyone away from me.
That's not true.
That's why I'm here.
No, it's not.
Yes, it is.
No.
Yes.
NO!
Yes.
Why?
Why what?
Why would I push everyone around me away?
Because I'm a broken person.
I'm not broken.
I am.
I'm not.
I died.
I'm alive.
I'm dead.
Sora Yamazaki is alive.
But I'm not Sora Yamazaki.
I am.
I'm using Sora Yamazaki to run away.
From who?
From myself.
I don't do that.
I do.
That's not true.
Then why am I here? Why do I lie to Kyoka? About my feelings, about the truth.
Because the truth hurts.
I'm afraid of being rejected by her.
She said she won't reject me.
I'm always rejected.
No, I'm not.
My mother left me. I don't know my father.
But I have Gekko and Hinata!
So what.
They didn't leave me!
But they must have thought of it.
But they didn't leave. That counts for something, right?
Yes.
So then how am I always rejected? How am I broken? I'm just lost.
Lost because I'm broken.
I died, but who cares?
I care.
I found a place where I belong.
I found a place where I want to belong to, but I'll never belong there.
1A is my second home!
1A is hell.
I love my time there.
I want to leave.
I want to help everyone there!
Why can't they help themselves?
I'm their friend.
They don't help me.
I don't let them help me.
Exactly, that's my problem.
Is that a bad thing?
Yes.
Why?
Why wouldn't it be a bad thing? Why would I want to torture myself by shouldering everything?
Because I don't want to burden anyone with my problems.
That's not true.
Why isn't it true?
I don't care about my problems.
They worry me.
Do they?
Yes.
Then why do I try to solve them all by myself?
Because I don't want to burden anyone with them.
I don't want help.
Yeah.
Being helped makes me look weak.
No, that's not it.
It's because I want to be a hero.
That's right!
I want to be the main character.
I want to be important.
I want to be strong.
I want to save the day.
I want everyone to look at me like I'm their leader.
I want to be everyone's hero.
I want to be trusted.
I want to be the one holding 1A together.
That's toxic.
But it's my dream.
What about my 'carefree tomorrow?'
That isn't my dream.
Yes, it is.
No, it isn't.
Why isn't that my dream?
Because everyone living their best life means a life without me.
That's not true.
It is true.
It isn't.
IT IS!
If it was, then why are they still friends with me.
Because I haven't fixed them yet. I haven't told them the truth.
They aren't toys.
They aren't toys.
I'm breaking their trust, eventually, they won't trust me anymore.
But I can't admit the truth to them.
So I'll lie?
Yes.
So I'm a bad friend.
…Yes.
Why can't I be a good friend?
Because it's as I said, I'm a broken person.
I don't want to be broken anymore.
How can I fix myself?
I can't. But they can.
Jiro? Kaminari? Mineta? Midoriya? Yaoyorozu? Iida? Mina? Bakugo? Sero? Aizawa? Hagakure? Uraraka? Koda? Kirishima? Tokoyami? Shoji? Tsuyu? Todoroki? Ojiro? Aoyama?
Yes.
I've had this conversation before.
Yes.
But they won't save me, not really.
Why not?
Because I don't want to be saved.
That's not true.
It is.
It isn't!
So then, why am I here?
To be saved.
No, I'm here because of my lies.
That's not true! I can be saved!
I want to be saved. I want to feel important. I want to be everything I'm not, but I'm placing my hopes on the wrong people.
They are my friends!
They are teenagers.
I'm a teenager!
No, I'm not.
I never got to grow up.
I still haven't grown up.
I'm growing up.
Am I? Or am I just pretending to grow up.
That's not true.
So then, why am I here?
To grow up.
I thought I was here to be saved.
To grow up, I must allow them to save me.
But I said that I don't want to be saved! I want to save myself!
I can't save myself.
I'm going around in a circle.
I hate myself.
You aren't me! You aren't me! YOU AREN'T ME!
I'm not you.
I'll never accept you! I'll save myself! I'll lie to everyone to save them, and I'll always be at the centre of 1A! I'll be friends with them forever. I'll make sure that I'll never end up alone, that they'll never abandon me! Not like my old life! You just don't want to see me happy!
I'll only be happy when I change.
I have changed! I treat others differently! I can love again! That's why you'll never be me, I bet you just like fighting! You like chaos! You want me to be alone! You're my enemy, that's why I'll never accept you!
You want to continue living a lie, you want to continue being someone you aren't! All you are doing is hurting those you care about, pushing them away! Eventually, I'll end up all alone, and I'll blame them once again! I'll never be able to truly look at myself and grow.
I can.
I can't.
I'll save them all.
I won't be able to save them at all.
I'll show you how wrong you are!
You'll doom us to being alone.
I'm never alone, they will always be around!
Not if I push them away.
You want me to be alone.
I hate being alone.
That's why you'll never win. That's why I'll never accept you! I hate you!
I hate myself too.
Kyoka Jiro POV
Jiro watched as Kurai and Zero fought each other, both held nothing back as they traded blows with one another. While Zero promised her that she would get Sora back, she doubted if he would actually get him back. 'How is he going to do it?' She asked herself, 'What can he do that I can't? Why can he save Sora, but not me?' Watching them fight only reminded her of how weak she truly was.
Kurai created multiple different constructs with Sora's Quirk. From walls to cannons that Zero either dodged or managed to split in half with his weapon. It was like watching two dancers, both taking up the stage together and managing to outperform not only herself but Sora too. Kurai managed to land multiple blows that could have been fatal had Zero not managed to shift his body at the last second.
Not to say that Zero didn't absolutely batter him, with multiple cuts and bruises starting to be formed across Sora's body. Not only were his clothes ripped, but his blood was starting to dry. It was then that Jiro noticed that Sora's body was healing the wounds Kurai was getting, far too quickly for a normal person.
'So that's why he was able to get up so quickly after fights where he got injured. He had a healing Quirk the entire time.' It made sense to her, he knew all along that he had a healing Quirk. He just didn't bother to tell her. And why would he? Why would he tell Jiro anything?
What could she do to help him?
All she could do was stand and watch him from afar, continue to walk forwards. Even when she stumbled, he paused to help her back up. Sora was always ahead of her, but never close enough to reach.
But he was always there to help her back up.
It made her sick.
That she relied on him so much, no wonder he couldn't trust her. Why would he? He had seen her at her absolute worst, he had an idea of her strengths. But he still continued to lie to her, to make her feel better about herself. To make her feel like she could be as strong as him, but that simply wasn't true. Kyoka Jiro would never be as strong as Sora Yamazaki, not in a million years.
"You're done for!" Kurai shouted manically, slapping his hands together as behind him a loud roar could be heard. She heard his left arm snap, before being completely mended within seconds as a dragon made from Nimbus flew towards Zero, its mouth wide open as it not only ate all the trees in its path, and at that moment Jiro felt lost more than anything. She watched as the dragon not only devoured Zero but then exploded into a ball of fire. The trees around the forest immediately were set on fire as Kurai laughed at the destruction he had caused.
"Haha, you're dead! I killed you!"
"Not yet." Emerging from the fire, his armour looking brand new without any of the scratches that Sora and Jiro had landed on him, Zero ran towards Kurai and kicked him in the face, before grabbing his legs in mid-air and slamming him to the ground. Clicking his fingers, a pair of twin knives appeared as Zero stabbed one of Sora's hands, causing her to gasp and look away at the sight.
That was why she was weak.
How could she flinch at something like that?
It was just blood.
"Bring. Back. Sora. Now." Zero said slowly, twisting the knife in Kurai's hand while the other was pointed towards his throat.
"You won't kill me," Kurai grinned at him, "You care far too much about him to kill me. You have no leverage over me, and even if I could bring him back, why would I? Why can't I be in control? It's my body."
"You aren't Sora."
"Maybe so, but does that matter? That boy's not right in the head, he's weak," Kurai spat out, "He's pathetic. I despise him with every cell in my body, he's a fool who gets by on luck. You know he asks me for power? 'Take my arm, please! Let me just save my friend!' He asks me for power, and it's funny to see him squirm. If it weren't for me, that boy would be lost right about now, he's just paying back what he owes me. I deserve this."
Zero twisted the knife yet again.
"Bring him back, now." He demanded, but Kurai only cackled in response, using his free hand to create a short sword to stab Zero in the stomach. However, the sword never made it in time as Zero jumped off him, clicking his fingers yet again to make the knives disappear. "You are a ghost, a phantom. Leave, and don't come back."
"I'm simply me," Kurai replied, "If you can't accept me, then I'll kill you. For a villain, you seem rather stupid, so let me break it down for you. If you join me in killing everyone he cares about, I'll help you with your goal. A fair trade, am I right?" Zero paused at that, turning his head to glance at Jiro.
She stepped back in fear.
'I knew I put my trust in the wrong person,' She thought to herself. Why would a villain make such a stupid promise? Villains spread chaos around the world, they caused so many deaths and it was only because of them that Heroes existed. Why would she trust one? She was a hero. She was so stupid, and it only made her angrier at herself. Only she would fall for it.
"Join you?" Zero asked.
"Yeah, what do you say?" Kurai offered his hand out.
Zero said nothing for a few moments, before slapping his hand away from him. "No thanks. I don't need your help, I'd rather work alone. I already promised Sora Yamazaki that I'd protect everyone he holds dear, and I keep my promises. The only one that I'll allow to help me is him, and him alone. I'll never accept you, Kurai. You are a deranged beast, a lunatic. You don't deserve this chance, and I regret ever giving you one. I regret even joining up with the villains and being forced onto this mission."
"I see," Kurai whispered, "I suppose you are as stubborn as he is. Fine then, I'll make sure that you regret making such a promise." Kicking him in the stomach, Kurai used that opportunity to run around and run directly towards her. Summoning a sword, the very same shape of a sword that Sora used, he smiled at her as he threw it directly towards her, only for it to narrowly miss her as Zero caught up to him, tackling him to the ground.
They both got up, using swords to fight one another yet again.
"Just run! I have this!" Zero yelled at her, his sword clashing with Kurai's s they tried to push each other out of the way. "Go! I made him a promise, so just run already! I won't allow you to die, Jiro!" It was how he said it, even with his voice completely masked. His voice which sounded more robotic and fake than a human, had so much emotion in it that it made her think back to him.
Zero was the same as Sora.
Both were helping her when she had fallen over.
Both were allowing her to rely on them, to try and 'forget' about why she had stumbled. Sora, and now Zero, were giving Jiro the chance to run away from her problems yet again. Offering the easy solution. Even if Tokage told her to pick herself back up and fight, to not be weak, even if she did that it wouldn't change the fact that she was weak.
Kyoka Jiro would always be weak.
She couldn't pick herself back up. She was far too afraid to do so. She relied on Sora far too much to do so, which was why it hurt that he didn't trust her. Because she thought she deserved to be told his secrets, it was because she was selfish. She was acting spoilt, just because they were best friends didn't mean that he had to tell her everything. He trusted her, but Jiro didn't trust him.
Not really.
She trusted him to help her back up.
And Sora didn't trust her to help him back up, because why would she? Jiro knew that deep down she was weak. That she couldn't do anything. That at best she would help Sora, but never be able to do things like him. She wanted to be like Sora, to be as strong as him. To be able to make decisions like him, but even if she was strong that wouldn't change a thing.
Kyoka Jiro was a curse. That was the answer, right? Even if she was strong, Sora wouldn't ask her for help. She was unreliable. Kyoka Jiro was weak mentally, and she always will be. Kyoka Jiro is a loser. She has a loser's mentality, and she'll never change it. Not really.
That was why she hated herself.
She wanted to be someone that she wasn't.
She wished she could be reborn as someone else, but life didn't work that way.
Sora, even if she did love her friend dearly, wasn't the strongest person she knew. Jiro knew he had his weaknesses, but she idolised him anyway. She was hurting him. The only reason Sora was hurting right now was because of her selfishness. Because instead of getting back up to fight all alone, she waited to get help from Sora.
Her reliance on Sora made him end up where he was.
This was all her fault.
So how could she run?
How could Kyoka Jiro turn around and run away?
How could she face anyone ever again if she just ran? If she still tried to rely on him for her strength? She wasn't Sora Yamazaki. She wasn't Aozora, she didn't have a cloud-based Quirk or multiple Quirks.
She was Kyoka Jiro.
Kyoka Jiro was the hero Earphone Jack.
Her Quirk was called Earphone Jack.
It was a long name to say. But it was her name. She chose it. So she had to live up to it because she didn't choose to become a hero because of Sora. She didn't decide to come to U.A because of Sora, she had made up her mind long before she met him in Junior High. Because when she was younger, she didn't have Sora to help her get back up.
She did it herself.
And she was going to do it again.
"Just run away!" Zero shouted once again, but this time Jiro shook her head.
"N-no," She whispered. "No. No. I won't run away! Not anymore!" She yelled, running towards Zero and Kurai. She wasn't able to fight Kurai or Zero, she knew that. But just because she was weak physically, it didn't mean that she was useless. She was useful in other areas, which was why she hugged Sora. Not Kurai, she'd never accept Kurai. She hugged Sora tightly, burying her head in his back as she saw his body tense, before relaxing at her touch.
"Come back to us, Sora. Come back to me."
Kyoka Jiro was going to help Sora get up, even if she was hurt by his actions. Even if he had hurt her, even if he was going to continue to lie to her, she wasn't going to allow him to stumble and fall all by himself.
Because that was the hero she wanted to be.
I was falling yet again.
The house I was in wasn't mine. I didn't recognise it at all. Not from my life, or my previous life. It was just an empty house that I had no attachment to. The pictures were blurred out as if I weren't meant to see them. I had no idea what I was doing here, but there wasn't a way out. Not that I deserved one anyways. I had to find my own way out because I was the idiot that got myself stuck in this mess in the first place.
When I get out of this mess, I was going to apologise to Jiro for dragging her into it. Damn, I was such an idiot. The space around me was empty, and I had no way out. Ha, and here I thought I was going to escape.
Maybe this was my punishment?
God knows I deserved it.
Lying to them all, being selfish. But this was my path, the path towards my 'carefree tomorrow!' I'd never be alone, never again. Why would I be alone? I'd never accept that. I'd never accept him. He was just speaking bullshit!
"Come back to me."
Jiro? Jiro?! I heard her voice calling out to me, but I couldn't see where she was. I tried to call for her, but no sound came from my mouth.
"Come back to me, Sora."
There was a light.
A bright, blinding light.
"Come back to me! I know you can do it!"
I heard her voice again. The light only grew brighter as I walked towards it, before hesitating slightly. Someone had grabbed onto my arm, and as I turned around to face who it was, I looked at myself.
It was a mirror of me.
We said nothing for a few seconds, both studying each other. His eyes were far different than mine, not only that, but he had a cruel smile on his lips that made me step back slightly. No one spoke to each other, but the other 'me' just let go of my arm suddenly, disappearing into the void as I walked towards the light yet again.
Do I want to let her help me? Can't I save myself?
Does that really matter?
How can you build a carefree tomorrow without helping yourself? If you allow others to help you, how can you be the hero you want to be? To be important, loved, the centre of everything?
But I don't want that.
I do. I've always wanted that, to feel like the main character. Like a leader, like one of those protagonists you love to read about. That defy all the odds and get the girl, the ones who are strong.
Maybe so, but I've changed.
I'm the same person I've always been. I burden everything, I make sure that only I can protect those I care about. I help them in my own way, that's how I win. If I accept help just once, how can I achieve my dreams?
I can achieve my dreams right next to everyone else.
But it'll feel cheap.
So as long as I feel good about myself, it doesn't matter what everyone else feels like? Even if I hurt them by not taking their help, if I am happy then everything is okay? Am I that stupid?
Others? As long as I'm loved, I'll do anything to keep that love. If I tell them the truth about me, that I was reincarnated from a world where they are all characters in a book, won't they treat me differently? They won't ever love me again.
I'll end up alone if I tread that path. I know it, I'll burn all my bridges and have nothing left to show for it.
It's better that way than to open your heart up only for no one to trust you anymore! I accept my fate that one day they'll be far too hurt to remain friends with me, but by then I would have built my carefree tomorrow for them. I'll be okay with it.
But-,
No, I'll be fine. Being alone doesn't scare me, not anymore. I'll always have my memories of them, of all the good times we had together. I'll be able to rest peacefully knowing that my memories will always exist, that they'll be happy because of me.
No, I-,
I what? I love them? I love them as well, I want the best for them. I want them to succeed, to become even greater than I ever could. And if I have to become a bad friend to do so, then I'll gladly walk on my own. I don't need their help, not when I'm trying to help them.
I don't want to hurt them, but this is the only way. The only way I can help them, even if I have to suffer for it. It'll be the end of all my sorrows. I can make my way out of here, without any help needed.
I'll do it by myself, I'll be the one to go over the top and pierce the heavens with my sword. I'll be the hero, even if I never change, I won't lose. My dreams will be accomplished, I'll create a carefree tomorrow. It'll be the end for you if you accept her help!
You're right-,
"Please Sora, just come back to me. Whatever happens, just know that I'll be there with you. I want to be right beside you, I want to be next to you for every step you take. I'm your best friend, so please don't go. Please. You promised."
Don't listen to her, I can do it all alone-,
Just because you say it's the end doesn't mean I accept it! I won't give up, I won't stay the same. I have changed, and I'll continue to change. I made a promise to her, to everyone, and even if I lose to myself, it's better than breaking my vow.
Someday the path I've walked will hurt others, but I'd rather do so while telling them the truth than lying to them. Lying to myself. I have to give my all and keep going forwards, relentlessly, side-by-side with everyone else.
Even if they'll never trust me again because of the truth, at least I trusted them with it instead of lying to them.
At least I know that I cared for them.
After all this time, you're still that same kid I've always hated. Strong enough to walk on your own, but too weak to do so. You still pretend as if you care for them, but you don't, you only care for yourself.
To feel better about your flawed, broken self.
Walk forwards then.
Walk alone then, fool.
I'll never accept you, never in a million years. Because my worst enemy isn't Zero, it isn't Shigaraki or the League of Villains. It isn't Yozora or anyone else that threatens my safety. My worst enemy is myself.
The light shone brighter as I walked towards it without a second thought, not looking back for even a single moment.
"-ora! Sora!"
"Mmh? Whaddya' want?" I grumbled, opening my eyes to see Jiro hugging me in relief. "Hey, what's all this for?" I asked her, confused. It was when I looked around me that my eyes widened in surprise. A lot of the forest had been burned down, but how? Not to mention, some of 1A and 1B had made their way towards us. Midoriya, Kota and Mineta as well.
Yaoyorozu and Tokage's groups were close by, with all of them staring at me in confusion. Just what the hell happened? The last thing I remembered was playing the piano… and that was it. Here I was.
Just what the hell happened to me?
"Glad to see you are still alive and kicking," Tokage joked, kicking me lightly. "But you need to get up, we still have the fight to win."
"Are you insane? He's injured!" Yaoyorozu shouted at her.
"Does it matter? Listen to me, we need to get out of here. But there is no way we are getting out of here, not without defeating him!" Tokage shouted, pointing at Zero who stood a few meters away from us.
"Sora's injured. He can't possibly-,"
Despite the pain I was feeling, I got up from the ground. My torso was covered in bandages, not to mention my hands were as well. I looked at where Zero was standing, and behind him were Toga and Twice. Tch. When did they get here? I thought only Muscular and Moonfish were sent over to the forest area. And a third. But with Twice and Toga, it made four. That meant the heroes were close by.
"Hey, I can f-fight too!" I heard Midoriya wheeze next to me.
"Stay put," I told him. "They want you the most, so you better sit the fuck down. Don't get any bright ideas, you're even more injured than me and that says something." I then turned back to Tokage to see that her long hair had been cut short, it came down to her neck now. Rather forcefully as the ends were completely uneven. She scowled at me as she realised what I was looking at.
"Tokage, you got a haircut," I smirked at her, "Did a boy break your heart or something?"
"Shut up. It's a new look, okay? Blame that blonde-haired bimbo over there if you want. And what of your costume? You look like an Egyptian mummy, what's up with that?"
"It's a new look." I replied.
"What? You just copied what I said!"
"No, I didn't." I watched as Zero eyed Midoriya, and started to walk towards him. "Hey Momo, I'd appreciate it if you could make a tachi for me right now. And a normal sword too." Yaoyorozu shrugged her shoulders, making the two items I requested as I threw the sword towards Tokage, who caught it just before it reached the ground. Zero approached Twice, and within seconds two clones of Zero had been made.
"Uh, Setsuna, what do we do now?" Kuroiro asked her.
"Retreat," She replied, readying her sword as the two clones started to walk towards us, readying their own weapons. "So long as Midoriya remains as far away from them as possible, we'll win. You're all exhausted, both physically and mentally, so let the two of us take it up from here." The two Zero clones ran towards us at full speed, their swords held high, and both Tokage and I stepped in front of them, cutting them both down mercilessly within seconds, their 'blood' spraying the ground beneath us.
"We'll cover your retreat," Tokage said, wiping the mud off her sword as her hand floated in the air above us.
"Go." I added, "I'm trusting you with the most important job of them all."
Yaoyorozo and Tetsutetsu tried to protest, but Jiro and Iida shut them both up. Eventually, with the help of Tokoyami, they lifted Midoriya up and ran as fast as they could away from our battle. Heh, I grinned at Tokage who smiled back at me. There were at least twenty or more clones of Zero, but they were considerably slower compared to when Jiro and I fought him.
Something had happened to him while I played the piano, or rather, my body had been the one that hurt him. Judging by the fire that had engulfed the forest, it meant that something had happened while I played the piano. I was probably possessed by that 'other side of me' if I had to wager a guess. And they had managed to injure him. Or maybe I was wrong, something was bugging me about all this.
If I had been possessed by that 'other side of me', then surely I would have remembered it. After all, it was still a part of me even if I refused to accept it, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister had occurred. Something that not even Zero could have predicted, nor myself.
Or maybe, I was wrong.
"Overwhelm them!" One clone of Zero shouted, with many of them charging the two of us all at once. I took the left side while Tokage took the right side, the two of us fighting the clones without letting them take a single step behind us. They were just clones, they didn't live in the first place, in fact, they were made from a grey substance… I much preferred to call it mud.
For every step the clones took forward, Tokage used her Quirk to fight multiple clones at once, savagely murdering them. Stomping on their head until they turned to mush, crushing their throat, or even just skewering them like it was the simplest thing in the world, she fought viciously and it made her a terrifying opponent. This was the first time I was fighting side-by-side with her, and she was already scary.
On the other hand, I fought the clones as quickly as I could. Throwing in a few kicks now and then, I used not only my Nimbus to create platforms for me to jump on, but also the clones themselves to try and slit their throats, in some cases decapitating them. It's not like I wasn't injured, and I took a few good hits every now and then, but these Zero clones were a joke. Not only were they not using any Quirks, but even their sword skills had rapidly declined.
That, or they were holding back.
I parried some of their attacks, before creating a wolf construct and watching it tear their clone apart. I watched as a clone came up from behind me, my blind spot, and watched as Tokage's right arm wrapped itself around the clone's throat, crushing it completely. I sent a thankful nod toward her, before rushing in to fight as many clones as I could. Twice wasn't slowing down the clone production at all, in fact, it felt like he was only increasing the number of clones he was making.
Eventually, Tokage and I found ourselves facing each other's backs. The two of us were covered in grey mud, panting as the remaining clones circled us. Up ahead, Twice was freaking out about the clones dying, while Toga was merely smiling at the two of us. She even waved at me, that was nice. She was hot.
Crazy, but hot.
And Zero? The bastard merely stuffed his hands in his pockets, watching as Tokage and I killed all the clones. I wanted to see the damned bastard's reaction to it all, but his mask was preventing me from seeing his emotions. Not even his posture gave anything away, which showed how reserved he truly was. Tokaged rushed forward, trying to make two clones at once, only for a third to appear behind her.
I created a few truth-seeking orbs, launching them as fast as I could toward the clone's face. I watched as those orbs completely destroyed the clone, and as soon as Tokage was finished with the two clones she had fought, she sent a grateful nod in my direction. It was fun fighting side-by-side with Tokage, especially as we covered each other's blind spots.
Not only that, but we were getting closer and closer to where the villains were sitting.
We were going to take the fight to them.
"Sora!" Tokage yelled, stabbing a clone in the eye before dethatching her legs to wrap them around another clone's neck, snapping it forcefully.
"What?" I narrowly dodged a strike aimed for my chest, jeez, I didn't realise these clones were aiming to kill me. Three clones surrounded me, and I plunged my sword through the closest clone's head, before turning around to wrap some Nimbus around my arms and punching a hole in the second's chest, grabbing my sword to finally cut the third clone across the chest.
"Things always seem to never go my way, do they? In this life, and even in my past life, it feels like I've always been met with obstacles to overcome," Tokage told me, strangling another clone to death while her right hand holding her sword flew around the air, stabbing the clones behind her. "I've always wanted to live an easy life. Rich husband, all the money in the world, and good health. I've always had to fight hard to get that dream, to live a fulfilling life with my friends."
"You have friends?! Stop fantasising, Tokage!" I joked, stabbing two clones at once with my sword, before making a boulder construct to crush another to death. Turning around, I jumped to the side to avoid a blow to the chest, making a dagger construct and throwing it towards the clone's face. Bullseye. I elbowed another clone, throwing my sword in the air to punch them in the throat, before catching it with my left hand to cut their head off.
These 'mud clones' dissolved pretty quickly.
They were also much easier to damage than normal human bodies, but maybe it was because I was using a lethal weapon and I wasn't trying to actively avoid murdering them. Well, can you technically murder a 'clone'? Especially a mud clone? I felt like it didn't count, it was like killing a bunch of NPCs in a game. Just harmless, mindless, messy fun.
Eventually, Tokage and I found ourselves standing beside each other once more. She was more bruised compared to before, she even had a thin scar across her cheek. It's not like I was doing any better, my clothes (see bandages) were completely tattered as well as covered in grey mud. Tokage leaned against my back, breathing heavily, as she called all her body parts back. She raised her sword in a defensive position, constantly assessing the situation.
Or rather, assessing what clone would be the easiest to take out.
"I thought I had it rough, but your like is way worse than mine," Tokage said, "I mean not only does a villain have a crush on you, but you said he's a man. A love triangle only works between a boy and two girls, never between two boys and a girl. That being said, are you okay? I heard from Jiro that you lost control."
I nodded at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I don't remember much, but I know for a fact that I wasn't in control of my own body. Whether that 'other side of me' took control, or something entirely else, I have no idea."
She shook her head, sniggering while doing so. "Man, everything is always so interesting with you. I hope you never change, Sora. You'll always be driven by what you think is right, and if you ever became a villain just know I wouldn't take the job of bringing you down. It would be far too much effort."
"Tokage, if you become a villain just know that I'll throw you in jail without batting an eye," I replied, "Funny how the tables have turned. Before you used to be the one making mean comments towards me, now it feels like I'm the one being rude towards you." She rolled her eyes at me, elbowing me in the ribs lightly. The clones were circling us, were they giving us a minute to catch out breath?
"I know it's hard for you to accept help sometimes, but just know that if you ever need me to do anything, I'm here for you. If you need me to kill someone, to kidnap their family, or even if you need a rough fuck, I'll be there for you," Tokage told me, "I trust you wholeheartedly. You may be stubborn, quite stupid, and even a little special in the head, but you're a good friend."
"I trust you too," I replied, "I'll trust you till the day I die, in fact, I'll still trust you even in my grave. So, are you ready to take down this bastard once and for all?" I asked her, pointing my sword towards where Zero stood. Tokage mimicked me, our two swords mirroring each other as it seemed like everything on the battlefield stopped for a few key moments.
"Oi bastard," I started, "Why don't you come down here and give us a little kiss?"
"Or are you too afraid of me? Don't worry hun, I only bite after a couple of rounds on the weekend," Tokage added, "Or do you prefer to be a bottom? Don't worry, I can be the one penetrating you if you like it that way."
"You like dominating?" I asked her, surprised.
"Eh, not really. But if that's what he's into, what more can I do." She answered, shrugging her shoulders. Within seconds all the clones dissolved into a pile of mud, and I thought we had it. I thought we were going to fight the bastard himself, only for Mr Compress to appear, holding a sleeping Midoriya.
Instantly, my mind went blank.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
I turned around to see everyone that was supposed to be guarding him completely defeated. "We have what we came here for, let's go." Mr Compress said in a tone of voice that annoyed me. What a smug prick.
"Not yet," Zero replied, "Dabi, Magne, and Mustard haven't come back yet." Blue flames could be seen torching the trees nearby, but they were still far enough that we couldn't see the fighting. However, Mustard came running through the trees just a few moments after, his costume slightly burnt as he had a grin on his face. "Just Dabi and Magne left then."
"What about Moonfish? And Muscular?" Toga asked him.
"Moonfish disregarded orders and tried to kill the target, so I had to eliminate him. And I have no idea where Muscular is." Zero lied to the villains. Toga simply nodded, while Twice shrugged his shoulders in response. Mr Compress on the other hand didn't believe a single word he was saying.
"We have what we were supposed to secure," Mr Compress argued, "We completed our mission. So why can't we go back, what more do you want?"
"Excuse me," I cut in, stepping forward as I threw my weapon to the ground. Fuck. I couldn't let them take Midoriya, if All For One had even a second alone with him this entire world would be doomed. And so would he. There was no chance that he was going to leave that place alive, or even in one piece. Tokage stiffened beside me, and everyone else behind me whispered at my action. "How about we make a deal?"
"A deal?" Mr Compress laughed at me, "Why would I want to make a deal with a brat like you-,"
"Hush now," Zero raised his finger to silence the other villain, "Name your terms, I'll be the one to judge them."
I made sure to touch my pocket, and sure enough, it was there. Perhaps having a backup plan wasn't so bad after all? Well, this wasn't a backup plan, more of a plan I just thought of now.
"You give us Midoriya, and in exchange, I'll come with you. Willingly." Zero wanted me to join him, I knew that. For as much as he wanted to go back home, I knew that he was just as devoted to making me join his cause, maybe even more desperate than I thought. His promises weren't just a 'code' for him to live by, they were so that I'd see he was a reasonable person. So that I'd be tempted to join him.
And it would also give me a great chance to find out the truth, about Tokage, Nanao and me.
Zero didn't say anything for a few moments as he was lost in thought. Come on, just accept my bloody deal. Mr Compress shook his head, clearly, he didn't care for my offer, but he didn't say anything as Zero made up his mind.
"I accept." Zero eventually replied, taking Midoriya away from Mr Compress, walking over to me while holding him in his hands before laying him down on the floor. Midoriya was unconscious. I bit my lip nervously as Zero turned around, walking back to the villains as I checked to see if Midoriya had any injuries, but thankfully apart from his arm that was injured against Muscular, he seemed fine.
"You can't be serious!" Mr Compress shouted at him, "I was told the mission was to take Midoriya, not to take whoever this person is. I was offered-," Mr Compress couldn't finish his sentence as the top of Zero's blade was pointed towards his throat. Zero still faced me, which made it all the more menacing as Mr Compress took a step back in fear.
"The mission is whatever I say it is. If you want your reward you'll listen to me. Am I clear?" Mr Compress nodded in response, although he clearly wasn't happy at the situation as he stormed off, shaking his head as he glared at me. "We leave in five-,"
"So that it, huh? You're just going to run off, just like always," Jiro interrupted him, "You're going to leave us behind, for what? To not tell us the truth? I… I'm not going to allow you to do that. I won't allow you to burden this, not all alone." She shouted at me, Yaoyorozu agreeing right next to her.
"If you want to leave, then you'll have to fight us," Yaoyorozu added, brandishing a bo-staff.
"Wait, you can't be serious?" Iida shouted at her. "I know this is a very tense situation, but I think we should all calm down and-,"
"Calm down? Iida, are you listening to yourself right now? Sora's agreed to go with the villains, not by force, but out of his own will. Do you know what he's doing? He's breaking the law, he's joining the group that tried to kill us." Iida said nothing for a few moments as Yaoyorozu continued her speech, "He's not just betraying us, he's betraying everything we stand for. And for what?"
"He's protecting Midoriya," Iida answered. "I don't know why he's doing it, but he has a reason. He bargained himself for Midoriya's safety, and he clearly knows more about the villain's goals than we do. Does it annoy me? Of course, but Sora's earned enough of my trust. I know he's not betraying us, he always does what he thinks is right, and I'll forever be indebted to him because of that. So stand down." I watched as Iida stood before Yaoyorozu, blocking her path directly toward me.
Iida…
Surprisingly, Togake stood next to Iida, blocking Jiro's path.
"If the villains get Midoriya, it's game over for all of us. It's as he says, he's not doing this to betray anyone. But I won't allow you to get in his way, it's my duty as his friend to make things easy for him in life. And if it means beating you up, then I'll gladly do so." Tokage told the two girls.
No one spoke for a few seconds, with all four of them being ready to fight. Tokoyami and Uraraka ran around them to pick Midoriya up on the floor, both of them looked guilty as they refused to reach my eyes. Tokoyami was upset that he couldn't do anything to help the situation, while Uraraka didn't want either Midoriya or I to leave. But I could see it in the way she moved, she'd prefer if I went with the villains instead of him.
She didn't want Midoriya to get hurt, and she trusted me completely, enough that she believed I was protecting him.
"It's fine," I told them, "If they want to fight me, let them. But I'm not betraying anyone. I'm not joining the League of Villains or anything like that. I am, and always be, a hero. U.A is my home, and I'll do anything to protect it. Midoriya's life is in danger here, if I go with them I know at least that he'll be safe."
"But how do you know if you'll be safe?" Jiro shouted at me. "Don't be an idiot and believe that you'll be fine, there is no guarantee whatsoever that you'll be safe! Even if Zero promises it, you'll be surrounded by a bunch of villains all alone!"
I nodded, smiling at her.
"You're right, but I'll be fine. I can promise you that." I turned back to Zero, walking towards him. I dug deep into my pockets and hid my grin as I felt it. My phone, somehow, was still intact. Not only that, but I could feel the vibration when I pressed the home button. My phone was still on. If Nanao was still alive, she'd be able to track me down with the bug she put on my phone. The villains didn't know that I was bugged, and they probably wouldn't check.
Even if they did, by then it would be too late. This was my last plan, the last attack I could really do. Was it stupid? Yeah, probably. But it was the best chance I had at getting the villains caught. A last-ditch gamble. Heh, if things finally went my way I'd not only learn the truth, and saved Midoriya but also potentially ensure that all the villains are captured.
I'd beat him.
I'd beat Zero.
Mustard stepped forward, pushing past me to leer at the girls in my class rather perversely. It made me want to punch him in the face, but thankfully, Zero beat me to the punch. "What are you looking at?" He asked Mustard, who simply rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, taking a step backwards. He then walked back to his old position, but his gaze still remained transfixed on the girls.
"Oh man, do you think we can take a few of the girls with us? Don't you think we need to liven up the place? I mean the basement is empty and shit. Plus, some of these girls are super hot. I bet we can sell 'em' for a lot of money. What do you say?" Toga shook her head in disgust, while Mr Compress merely sneered at him.
Twice took a couple of steps away from him.
"You wish to kidnap some of these girls against their will, and force yourself upon them? Even sell them?" Zero asked him slowly, Mustard nodding with what Zero said. "Why not. Come closer to me and pick out your favourite girl, we'll take them together." Before I could even protest, Mustard took a single step forwards as Zero in a blink of an eye plunged his sword through Mustard's chest, killing him instantly. The villain's body fell to the floor lifelessly, stunning not only me but everyone around us.
"What an utter fool," Zero eventually said, "I thought I made this very clear to all of you, so let me say it once again. 1A and 1B will not be harmed. If you break this one rule, I will kill you." Toga gulped, sending a glance over at Tokage who beamed at what Zero said.
"She cut my hair you know," Tokage shouted, pointing at Toga. "Can you kill that bitch for me?"
Zero shrugged his shoulders, snapping his fingers as his sword disappeared. "Amusing, a simple haircut isn't worth dying over. " I walked over to the villains, not sparing a glance at my friends. I knew that if I even looked at them for a second, I'd feel guilty. But I had to do it, or else what would be the point of me even enrolling in U.A? What would I be able to protect if I couldn't stand up when it was needed the most?
I wasn't doing it for them, not really.
I was doing it for Midoriya because he needed my help.
I'm doing it to learn the truth only.
The flames came closer to us as Dabi riding a Nomu came into sight. Most of his clothes were burned, and he had a broken leg. "Hey, let's go already!" He shouted at Zero, who merely nodded in response. Within seconds, all the Nomu's came running after him, as well as all the pros. Most looked worse for wear, especially Endeavour, half of his costume was torn and he was bleeding profoundly from a cut on his cheek.
"Where's Magne and Mustard?" Toga asked Dabi.
"Huh? Oh right, they nicked em'. That hulking dumbass was passed out somewhere, while Magne bit off more than they could chew. Idiot, I told her not to mess about with Eraser Head and Present Mic, but she gets what she deserves. So, did we get the target?" He asked, sizing me up. "He doesn't look like the kid we were supposed to get."
"Change of plans," Zero replied as Kurogiri appeared behind him. "We need to get out of here, now." He ordered as the pro's kept on getting closer and closer to us. Towards me. I felt guilty, especially as Aizawa-sensei's eyes practically widened at just the sight of me as his movements became erratic, he was trying his hardest to save me. But I nodded at him, trying to tell him that everything was alright. I didn't get why the man cared so much about me, he was just my teacher after all.
But he trusted me, and I could see it in his eyes.
I pointed toward my pocket and made a square sign. I knew the villains didn't see me as they had turned away from me, and I hoped that Aizawa-sensei would get what I was trying to say or else I'd be screwed. It was a risky gamble, only I wasn't gambling away my arm or two.
I was gambling on everything.
How fun.
"You aren't disappearing yet, villain scum!" Endeavour yelled from the top of his lungs, managing to break through the barrier of Nomu's. His raging flames propelled him closer towards us, only for a wall of blue flames to completely stop him in his tracks. That was before Zero grabbed him by the collar and pushed him away from Endeavour, facing the number-two hero all alone.
"Shouldn't you be worried about your colleague's safety?" Zero asked him, even his voice modifier couldn't hide the amusement in his voice.
"Safety? From what?" Endeavour asked, confused.
"From this of course." Zero clapped his hands twice, and instantly all the Nomu began to glow yellow. They were expanding in size until-,
Boom.
The shockwave sent me flying backwards, into Kurogiri's portal. The last thing I could see wasn't the explosion, nor the heroes trying to shield themselves from the blast. It wasn't the Nomu's body pieces being sent everywhere, nor was it Dabu's disappointed face that he couldn't fight Endeavour one-on-one. It was my friends, looking unsure of what I had done.
But it had to be done.
If I wanted to continue walking forwards, this was what I had to do.
In my opinion, this is the best chapter I've written so far. I am proud of how this turned out, especially since I've been planning this chapter for a year at this point. Yes, Sora being viewed as a "bad guy" is on purpose. It might annoy you, but Sora being the bad guy in this situation is needed. He is acting selfishly as of now, and he isn't a good friend.
He's using "Oh, I'll protect Midoriya" as an excuse to do what he wants, that should be made abundantly clear. But at the same time, he's accepting everyone's help, even requiring their help by bringing his phone with him. It's hypocritical, irrational and something a stupid teenager would do. Because Sora is a teenager.
Yes, this is his second life. But he didn't mature in his first, nor has he matured as Sora either. He's changed, yeah, but he's still immature. He's still an idiot, and honestly, he'll be an idiot like this for some time. He will fuck up even worse than now, slight spoilers but oh well. He might even lose friendships because of his behaviour because it isn't okay.
But I don't want to just write a slice-of-life story with action every now and then, that isn't challenging for me at all. It's not where I want to take the character of Sora, to truly take him to his lowest point and rebuild him. As an early review said, people don't change with a flick of a switch. I want to write a broken switch that's eventually repaired, and while it may have some rust - It works.
Now, just a few things to really clear up.
1) Kurai is Kurai. Everything will be explained soon enough. Kurai is definitely a curve ball, and it's on purpose. I mean I kept on repeating 'different person' for a reason, at the end of the day the other side of Sora is still Sora. His mind is fractured, with there being two souls, yes, but those two souls ARE Sora. They aren't a different person.
2) Whatever happened to Sora while playing the piano happened within his mind. The italics are still Sora, if you didn't guess it already, it was the 'other side' of Sora so to speak. Both sides of Sora were arguing with each other, and I haven't made it clear which side is actually in control, or has the most influence. Maybe you have your suspicions, but I won't confirm anything purely because it isn't needed.
3) If you think Jiro's negative attitude to herself might have come out of nowhere, let me put it into more perspective for you. Jiro, in 1A at least, isn't the most beautiful or desirable girl. While Yaoyorozu or Mina might be the ones stealing away most of the boy's glances, Jiro doesn't get that. She exists in a world where heroes, especially female heroes with amazing bodies, exist.
Social media is a problem for teenage girls, I've seen it happen. They think they aren't good enough because they don't look like a model. Imagine if said girls tried to become a model, and was surrounded by better-looking girls than them. That would not only affect how she views herself, but also how she views the relationships she holds.
Jiro's mini-breakdown is essentially that, but way worse. Especially when she had to break her promise to Sora, had to trust in a villain that once tried to kill her (and mentally scarred her) as well as watching her best friend turn into a crazed maniac who wasn't him.
It was simply a build-up of all her pressure, and it will be addressed soon enough.
Animeman309:
Has that answered your question? Well, it wasn't Sora who technically made the dragon, but that doesn't mean he can't. Rather Kurai can do it much more easily than he can.
Brocole07:
Yes, there are more reincarnations outside of Zero, Yozora, Nanao, Tokage and Sora. Maybe they will be revealed soon, maybe they won't. I won't reveal how many more of them there are, but it's not the amount you think there are. But all of them will affect the plot one way or another, and each has its own role to play in Sora's journey.
MintEdd:
It was a good theory while it lasted...
Zero didn't want him to play the piano however, his hand was forced into doing it. Now obviously All For One made him play the piano, and that meant Kurai took over his body, and perhaps you'll see the reason behind it soon enough. However I will leave you with one interesting question, just because Sora has been referred to as the pianist, doesn't mean that he himself is the pianist.
Hehe.
Perhaps I've said too much.
All will be revealed soon enough.
:)
ArtsyNoko:
Sora's monologuing is 'over the top.' He could think things much more concise, but where would be the fun in that?
OriksGaming:
Oh yeah, the dialogue formatting at the start is terrible. Sorry for that, it needs a lot of edits. The character development being ham-fisted wasn't intended at first, but over time I've started to like how I did it. It could be (And when I edit it will be) developed more. And I can understand why you think the drama between students is 'boring' but it doesn't matter what an 'MHA fic is like' because there is no set definition for an MHA fic.
The reason I got into fanfiction in the first place was that I wasn't bogged down by rules. I could write what I want in a fandom, and so I wrote a drama for the first portion of this story. Do they have Quirks? Yeah, but they are kids as you said. They aren't going to be vigilantes or fighting villains etc because that's not what I wanted to write.
I could have done so, I could have made a normal 'MHA fic' but then what would I be contributing? I'd like to think that by writing this story I've influenced some writers into writing more slowly, taking their time to do things. Yeah, the start is slow, and when I edit it chances are it'll be even slower as I'll add things to it.
Because even at U.A, the drama between students exists. I think the worst part of canon is not showing us the relationships between everyone in 1A because Mineta looked confident to fight for Aoyama... but I can't remember when the two of them spoke? Like yeah, Kirishima is friends with Bakugo, but are Kirishima and Koda friends? What would they talk about?
Do Ojiro and Shoji work out together? I know School Briefs LN's exist, but they don't scratch that itch for me.
And why would Endeavour show up to meet kids on a business trip to his agency? I went to the Houses of Parliament with my school when I was younger, but that doesn't mean the Prime Minister has to come down and greet me. That's just silly. If he had shown up then what would he have done? Critique Sora's handwriting?
I originally wanted him to make a speech at the end of the trip, but I cut that out because what was the point in it? Nothing, I was just going to include Endeavour for fun. And yeah, the first canon character introduced was Jiro but she is MUCH more important to Sora than Endeavour ever will be, so I think it's for the better that he didn't show up.
Ilayhyams:
Perhaps so, but there is a clear difference between a bully and an asshole. An asshole will sooner or later wake up and face reality, a bully will change because of external pressure. If Sora's teacher didn't intervene when he did, Sora would still be the same person he was then. That's why I'd call him a bully rather than just an asshole (But as of right now in the story he's an asshole, not a bully.)
.
That's all from me. This next section of the story is pretty short, another two chapters, which will round off this arc. I really want to try and finish Part 1 of this story before the year ends. But the fact that I'm getting closer and closer to it is really scary, I mean it feels like I had just gotten to U.A a few months ago (As of this chapter it's been a full year... Crazy.)
But we aren't far off from the main point of this section of the story.
Next time on Over the Top:
"So we have Cheeto's, some chocolate, sweets, sour sweets, cola, Fanta, doughnuts, Sprite, 7up, cake, anpan, red bean paste. I've been told that I'm a really good host, so just name it and we'll get it for you. Oh, and are you free to play some games later tonight? Sensei said he won't mind if we have a little sleepover. I'm so excited! I never meet fans of JRPGs. Toga only plays Minecraft, while Dabi only likes GTA. Oh and Zero hates RPGs with a passion. I feel like I've found a new best friend with you, Sora."