Blisters are always annoying. Thankfully mine are healing up nicely…though it still is hard to walk with my left leg. Damn you.
Anyways, here's your chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Kumagawa sat restlessly in his cramped airplane seat, his usual confident demeanor overshadowed by a subtle unease. The low hum of the engines and the occasional turbulence made him fidget uncomfortably, a stark contrast to his normally composed self. As the aircraft taxied on the runway, Kumagawa's grip on the armrest tightened. He shot a glance at the window, watching the ground gradually give way to the vast expanse of sky. His expression, usually marked by a mischievous smirk, now revealed a trace of apprehension.
「flying is the least impressive thing we've achieved with machinery」 he muttered to himself, as if challenging the very concept of air travel. 「ground is solid, more reliable there. air is unpredictable」
"Jeez. Stop being a baby." Saki said, not even bothering to lift up her eye mask. "It's just a fucking flight."
「in a metal TUBE, saki」
「man was not meant to fly in tubes」
"We drive in tubes, y'know. More statistically likely to die in a ground tube than a sky tube."
「but never zero percent」
"Whatever." Saki rolled her eyes. At least she wasn't sitting next to Inasa, who was...
"YEAHHHHHHHH!"
Inasa.
Meanwhile, up in first class, Pyrrha and Jaune lounged comfortably in plush seats. Jaune sipped on a glass of champagne, his eyes glancing over the stunning view of the clouds below.
"First time WE'VE been selected for this kind of thing." Jaune mused.
"And your first time in first class." Pyrrha grinned. "How do you like it?"
"Isn't so bad when you have a bit more legroom." Jaune said. "Or...have to jump out of the plane."
Pyrrha chuckled at Jaune's jest, the sound mingling with the gentle hum of the plane's engines. She took a sip of her own champagne, the effervescent bubbles tickling her palate. "Still. This might be the only relaxation we have all break. Gonna be a hard time, managing all those kids..."
"Nothing we can't handle. Survived the normal school year to get here, right?"
"I suppose," the Invincible Girl smiled.
For the Shiketsu Staff; joining the trip was Jaune, Pyrrha, 92, Star and Stripe, Mrs. Cherry, Messhi Kuguhara of Class 10, Sanagi Naginoura of Class 7, Shikii Mukueda of Class 2, Richigi Eburi of Class 14 and Student Model UN Leader Akiko Katsuragi.
Those 9 adults and 1 soon to be adult were in charge of 55 students.
And no, I am not listing all of them. Just know all of Class 13 is here, and so is Camie, Seiji, Kouki and that hair guy who's name I can't remember. It'll come to me, I swear.
The flight over had been relatively smooth for everyone, well everyone who wasn't afraid to fly. Inasa had let everyone know about his enjoyment, especially Zenkichi since he was seated next to the would-be gale hero. Mogana had mostly enjoyed the flight as well, but she did wonder why she the plane couldn't be a bit more lavish all around. Medaka had thrown out the suggestion of letting her pay for it, but after last time, the idea was quickly shot down.
And Kumagawa was thankful to be on solid ground. 「sweet dirt reclaim me」He muttered, as they got out at the airport.
"Dude. Seriously. How would you have reacted if we traveled by boat?" Saki asked, annoyed.
「boats are ok」
"Just by air, huh?"
「yes, thankfully. why?」
"No reason," Saki lied, saving that in the back of her mind to mess with him later. Kumagawa just rolled his eyes at that, certain that little "no reason" would come back to bite him. Somehow.
"Ah, here we are! Ryloth Island," Star said as she walked off the plane, happy to finally stretch a bit after the trip over.
"A home away from home, really," Akiko added.
"Huh?" Saki asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"This place is half resort, half hero training course." Akiko explained to the younger student.
"Riiight, but the whole-"
"Oh. My uncle partially owns it," Akiko humble-bragged.
「uncle?」Kumagawa repeated.
"My uncle is the leader of the Hearts and Mind Party! Y'know, that group that promotes social harmony and unity among the Japanese citizens?" Akiko bragged again. "Empathy, compassion, and understanding in political decision-making- truly a party for the people!"
Kumagawa felt a red flag go off, but couldn't explain why.
"And as a bit of an outreach, he's letting us use the island for our training."
"Letting us?" Zenkichi asked.
"Oh, anyone can pay to use the facilities. Clear about where the money goes too, with a good percentage going to charity and some going to upkeep and other political events. Setting up rallies and such," Akiko answered confidently.M
"Sounds promising." Medaka said. "But I don't imagine we'll be doing much 'lounging' this break."
Hana growled, as she held up her phone. "Heyyy, why can't I get any internet out here?! This sucks."
"Oh that's always been a bit of an issue. Don't remember what he said the problem was," Akiko explained.
"No internet?" Hana whined.
"Laaaaaame." Itsuki frowned.
"Hey, we're not here to relax! We're here to work." Medaka reiterated. "Now, please, let us-"
Medaka's words were suddenly cut off by the sight of Hiroshi Sato, wearing full vacation garb and wheeling behind a suitcase. He stared intently at Medaka, as if challenging her notion.
「looks like someone didn't get the memo」Kumagawa said.
"Gee, wonder why," Zenkichi glared daggers at the resident screw and card users.
「yes because i knew this exact outcome would happen. my quirk is screws, not foresight.」
"You guys have fun with your drills." Sato said, rolling his bag past the groups. "I'm going to enjoy a nice, tropical getaway. For free."
"...seriously?" Hana deadpanned.
"Seriously. Have fun." Sato said, departing for his vacation.
"Am I allowed to hit him?"
"Tempting as it is," Itsuki sighed.
"Well, we don't need him." Ryuji huffed. Living with his lecherous lifestyle was annoying enough- he'd honestly hoped he would skip out on this. "How soon can we start training?"
"You really want to get started right after we land?" Yuna asked.
"Training starts tomorrow," Pyrrha said, "Though I do appreciate the initiative. Rest of today, you can get settled and relax a little after the flight."
"Are you sure?" Ryuji asked. "I feel like I need to do something-"
"I dunno...take a walk?" Jaune asked. He didn't expect Ryuji to be raring to go like this.
"I'll handle it, if need be." Gasmask said, walking over. "I don't think a 'walk' will suffice here."
"You sure? After the flight?"
"Feel the same honestly. Either you get drained on a flight or you just feel an absurd amount of energy after. No real in between," Gasmask admitted.
"He's got a point." Pyrrha said. "People react differently."
"And some of us can't handle airplanes at all." Saki turned to face Kumagawa.
「hush, you」Kumagawa frowned, before Star rustled his hair a bit.
"Ah, don't worry kid. Happens to the best of us. Hell, I get boat sick." Star comforted him.
「see? that's worse」
"How is that worse?" Saki asked.
「boats are slower」Kumagawa said. 「if you throw up on it you're a coward」
"Sure, kid." Zenkichi huffed.
"Coward's a bit far. It was less fear and just...I guess the same explanation as motion sickness," Star just shrugged.
「whatever」Kumagawa just shrugged as he and the other students started to make their way to their homes for the next three weeks. The facilities on Ryloth were state of the art, minus the lack of proper wifi. Training facilities included shooting ranges, field tracks for those with speed Quirks, pools and beaches for those with water baser abilities and there were even some resources set aside for the more support-based students. Workshops and labs were present with all manner of blueprints and chemicals, all courtesy of the sponsorship by Deternat.
"It's funny- I heard UA was considering this place before the whole incident at the mall last week." Jaune said. "I was kinda looking forward to working with them, maybe!"
「they're...overrated」Kumagawa frowned. 「except for mirio. he's cool」
"They're overrated? Are you just singling out one in particular?" Medaka pointed out.
「ya know...i hate it when you ruin my vague and cryptic sayings sometimes. takes out all the fun」
"Didn't you say someone from UA was a handful?" Zenkichi asked. "The one you worked with at Best Jeanist's place."
"Handful means he'd be a 'passion project' if he attended Shiketsu. One we'd tackle with the same sensitivity as any other." Medaka clarified.
"That kid would probably benefit from a big wake up call." Mogana said.
(A week later, she'd be sort of right.)
"I'm sure he'll improve in time. Somehow. It would take some time and effort...a not insubstantial amount of effort, but it could still be done," Medaka nodded confidently.
"So what I'm hearing is that this guy might actually challenge the legendary Medaka patience," Mogana said, a little smug.
"I wouldn't go that far."
"For now, you kids go drop your stuff off to your assigned rooms. Check in with the front desk to get your key cards," Pyrrha said. "And don't worry about room service. Shiketsu is covering all costs."
Mogana blinked. "So...it's all for free?"
"Yes, Mogana." Pyrrha confirmed.
Mogana began vibrating rapidly. "The fine life..."
"Careful there," Zenkichi smirked, "Vibrate too much and you might turn invisible to the human eye."
"Do not ruin this moment for me."
Kumagawa rolled his eyes. Seemed like it'd be a normal, boring field trip to the middle of nowhere. Maybe he'd finally get some good work here...
But there was this weird feeling in the back of his mind that something would go wrong. Maybe it was just some remnants of his old negative self, trying to break free. He decided to push it back down...and relax.
On the surface of the vast and mysterious oceans, a boat named Aurora embarked on an extraordinary journey. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a passionate one man crew, Aurora had one mission - to study the enigmatic creature moving across the floor. The creature first walked off into the ocean, after it escaped from a Floridan prison off the coast...and it was just walking. Further and further. With no need for rest or air.
It fascinated the scientist studying it. She had been following it for a few days- and what an interesting few days it had been.
You've met her before, albeit briefly. Her name is Youka Naze.
"And he hasn't come up for air once," Youka muttered in fascination, "All the way from Florida to here. Over eleven thousand kilometers of undersea travel without even the slightest hint of needing a breath. A Quirk of his or a record breaking form of physical training? Could be some kind of support gear, but I don't think he had enough time to grab something with that much air capacity."
Youka had some idea what she was following- a high risk, omega level threat villain. One that had stumped pro heroes in the states and even killed a few in combat. Their quirk was powerful, possibly suitable for her boss...
But there was just one mystery she hadn't really solved yet. Where was he going? You don't just break out of a heavily guarded prison and start doing a trans-Atlantic walk just for the fun of it. But she couldn't dive down there and ask him herself, now could she? For now, she was stuck observing, following him closely but not too closely as to come off as a threat. After he had jumped into the water, some coast guard patrols had tried to stop him before he got too far away from land. For their troubles, their wrecks are peacefully resting on the ocean floor.
Youka hummed, before her laptop pinged. Finally- the hack was complete. She wanted more evidence on what she was chasing, and hacking the prison servers seemed like a good start.
"Okay, now...let's see what I can find." Youka said, cracking her fingers. She began searching through documents furiously, looking for anything about a recent escape. After a few minutes, she did- and boy was this person a doozy.
Name: ?
Sex: Male
Age: 35
Birthday: June 1st
Height: 6'2"
Villain Name: Crimson King
Quirk: Adaptive Evolver
Crimson King's grants him an incredible ability to adapt and evolve in response to external threats and challenges. His Quirk is constantly active, scanning his surroundings and analyzing any threats it detects. When faced with Cathleen's New Order, his Quirk activates a rapid evolutionary process that allows him to create countermeasures and resist the imposed rules effectively.
Weaknesses: Firstly, the speed of his adaptive process depends on the severity of the threat and the complexity of his environment. In simpler environments with relatively low-level threats, his Quirk might not work as efficiently, making him vulnerable to attacks.
Secondly, his Quirk adaptation is not permanent, meaning that he can only evolve temporarily to combat a specific threat. Once the threat is eliminated or changes, his Quirk will reset, and he must adapt again to defend himself. This limitation can be a disadvantage in prolonged battles or situations where many threats coexist, and he cannot adapt to all at once.
She dug a little deeper into the file, hoping that maybe it'd give her an idea about what this Crimson King was heading towards. People don't just break out of prison on a whim. There had to be a reason, be it unfinished business, a new score, or just good old fashioned revenge. But with a Quirk like his, which of the three was he going for? It couldn't be the new score, otherwise he would've stayed in Florida. Unfinished business could be it, but then she stumbled upon it. The arrest incident.
Apparently, he was dealing with a bit of corruption in Florida politics. He'd found a few connected politicians and brutally dealt with them. Pro Heroes had been alerted and ended up contributing to the case. They could certainly find Crimson, he wasn't exactly being subtle, but they could never bring him in. Not a single Pro was able to beat him, every one that faced him was soundly defeated and hospitalized, never killed. In interviews, he had said that those other heroes weren't worth the effort.
Until one Hero showed up to end his streak.
"Oh, you have to be kidding..." Youka sighed when she read the name, "Out of everyone to have a grudge on..."
Star and Stripe was the person to lock him away, after a very brutal battle in New York. Star managed to defeat him by...sheer power of will, it seemed. While not wholly believable, it was the Number 1 American Hero. Her quirk allowed her to pull whatever she wanted out of her ass.
"Break out of prison and your first thought is going after the one that put you there. I can understand that. But Star and Stripe? Really? Great...looks like Japan's gonna lose an island as collateral," Youka muttered to herself.
Youka huffed. The path he's going on has been strange. Not a straight line, more like he's a living GPS, making highly specific turns…where is he going?
She remembered hearing something about Star. Thought it was just a rumor at first but she did a quick search to confirm it. She knew that Star had come to Japan, even if she didn't look it up herself, she would've heard about it. News networks flocked to the story. But what America's Top Hero did after arriving wasn't so televised. The villainous doctor had a few theories so she decided to see if U.A. had taken her on board as a guest speaker or even part time teacher. It would make sense, right? If you have All Might, surely you can pull some strings to get Star and Stripe too. While she was on the right track, the specific school was wrong.
"Not working with U.A? Working with...Shiketsu? Huh. Weird choice," Youka said to herself, "Feel like he'd be more impressed if you went head to head with All Might but fighting Star should be just as good. For spectacle if nothing else."
Youka hummed, before shifting her applications to a mapping course. She zoomed out, to see if there were any islands of interest around them. Most of them were uninhabited, but there was one of note.
Can you guess what island that was?
"Oh. Huh. Hope he has enough to deal with losing an island," Youka scoffed.
Youka zoomed in on the island, and decided to read up on it. "Let's see... Ryloth. Island maintained by the Hearts and Minds party- ugh, hope there isn't anything shady going on there. Politicians always have plenty of skeletons in their closet." She hummed. "Is Star taking a vacation here?"
And then the pieces connected. If she was working with Shiketsu, then this might not just be a vacation for her.
"Oh. Oh she's there with students. Shiketsu's about to have their own U.A. Summer Camp incident, aren't they?" Youka wondered aloud.
The UA Camp incident was happening when Youka set sail. She kept some tabs on it, since one of her 'patients' probably had a hand in it. Word on the street was that he joined, and she wanted to make sure her work was up to snuff.
"I trust they'll sort that crap out. For now...how does he know she's there?" Youka wondered again.
The answer? Sheer hatred.
At once, Crimson King might have thought of Star as an ally, hell he even still held a great amount of respect for her. But the fact she ended his spree always stuck with them. With nothing to really do in prison except dwell on that failure, what started out as a spark turned into an inferno in no time.
She was the only person to properly best him. They both were blessed with quirks that could shake the foundation of the world, could go toe to toe with Tennyson himself, could question what was truly a 'quirk'- their powers were immense. Why did she bother focusing on the ants?
All that hate was mixed with disappointment too. By focusing on those he'd dubbed "ants," she was missing out on much larger problems, problems that, if solved, could actually change the world. Removing corruption, toppling dictatorships, those should be easy to solve. Just cut out the cancer itself, that's what he did. But no. She had to concern herself with problems that would barely register in making a difference.
In his mind, Crimson King became obsessed with the idea of showing Star her mistake. He believed that if he could break free from prison, he would prove to her the error of her ways. He would demonstrate the true potential of their abilities and force her to acknowledge the importance of tackling significant challenges.
The thought of revenge consumed him. He envisioned a future where he would not only defeat Star but also expose her for the small-minded hero he believed her to be. He would make her regret ever crossing paths with him, and he would make the world acknowledge his superiority.
All it would take is one bad day.
One very, very bad day.
He didn't even know that the island he was heading to would give him ample opportunity for such a strategy.
The battle that awaited them would not simply be one of power and revenge...
But also be a rather strange formative experience for the students of Shiketsu.
As Youka sat there just tracking and observing Crimson as he trudged along the ocean floor, her phone suddenly went off. She rolled her eyes a little, making sure to keep them on them on the monitor while she answered.
"Little busy right now," Youka answered bluntly.
"...doing what? Last I heard you rented a boat," the caller pointed out.
"Important research. Now, what is it?"
"Boss' condition...it regressed."
"When did this happen?" Youka asked, grabbing a notepad and pen, writing down the details.
"Few days ago. Your medicine had worked fine for weeks and-"
"Let me guess, he didn't take it today?"
"He did. Nearly collapsed from the coughing fit that followed!" the called growled.
"That shouldn't have happened... Symptoms are the same as last time right?" Youka scribbled down that detail.
"Yeah. Ragged breathing, practically bedridden, though now...his Quirk flares up. Weather in the area's fluctuating like crazy. One minute it'll be all bright and clear and the next clouds will have moved in and started dropping sleet on your head."
"That's new, that's new. Not the good kind of new either..."
"Thanks 'Doctor Obvious,'" the caller's eyeroll was practically audible with the way he said those words.
"...I might not have the means to help-"
"Then why the FUCK DID I CALL YOU?!"
"-but I might know someone who can. Not the easiest to get into contact with. We both appreciate our privacy. And anonymity."
"So what? You're gonna send us on some wild duck hunt while our boss is wasting away?!"
"Do I honestly come across as that cruel? Actually, don't answer that. You'd probably say yes. I'm still a doctor." Oath and all that. But if the patient's deteriorating faster than I can help, then I can offer you an alternative to myself."
"Who?" the man asked coldly.
"Unlike me, his codename isn't exactly creative. Just calls himself the Doctor."
"Tenth or eleventh?"
"Funny. Anyway, I can get you in contact with some of his...associates. Everything should go swimmingly from there I think."
"It better. You said you took an oath. Do no harm if I remember right. I didn't take it. So for his sake and yours, this 'Doctor' better be worth the hoops."
"Oh he should, believe me."
"Why? Does this guy feel generous?" The caller asked.
"Well, considering I patched up one of those guys who stole that UA brat...I think we have a bargaining chip." Youka said. "Call the number 118-231-7600. It's a burner number, but ask for Dabi. It's a lifeline he uses only for me. Got it?"
"...anything else to know about the guy?"
"He has a very short temper and a very powerful fire Quirk. You'll know you got the right guy because his voice sounds like he's somehow burned his own vocal chords."
"Charming."
"Very. Now, leave me be...but keep me posted." Youka's voice softened.
"...yeah. I will." The caller sighed. "Sorry for cursing, by the way...just-"
"You don't need to apologize." Youka insisted. "These are very troubling times...especially with the boss."
"Yeah...I'll...I'll call if there are any other updates or problems."
"Shouldn't be with Dabi...but if there are, just tell him 'no deal.' Should be a good bit of black mail," Youka smirked as she looked at a stack of papers nearby.
"Alright. Noted..." The caller said. "Thank you, Youka."
"Not a problem, Chimera." Youka said, as she hung up. She held the phone in her hand for a few moments...before angrily smashing it against her desk.
DAMN IT.
"That medicine should have worked LONGER!" Youka cursed.
Youka's passion project- her boss...
She needed that extra time that hopefully Dabi would agree to.
She needed that damn quirk.
She needed-
Youka took a deep breath, and slapped the side of her head. "Focus, Youka...no time for getting mad..."
Speaking of focus...where was Crimson?
Youka tabbed back to her tracing app- strange, it looked like he was speeding up. Youka raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he senses he's near her." She hypothesized.
It was honestly a little disturbing to see him break out into a full sprint. The whole time, he'd been walking across the ocean to reach his destination.
Star needed a visit.
From the way the resort worked, there were multiple areas for hero workout. An obstacle course, a track, mountainous areas for hiking, target practice, ropes course, outside gym...plenty of opportunities for self improvement.
Jaune handled one half of Class 13 at the obstacle course- he had Zenkichi, Hana, Saki, Inasa, Itsuki, Sunako, and Yoshida, along with some other kids. Pyrrha had Medaka, Kumagawa, Mogana, Yuna and a few others at the target practice area. And Gasmask had Ryuji and a few other kids at the outside gym.
...but most surprising was Sato, lounging on the beach, mocking the others with his enjoyment of doing nothing, right in front of Jaune's group.
Itsuki groaned. "He's rubbing it in our faces..."
"I could use my Quirk on him," Saki said, glaring daggers at Sato, "Just for a little bit."
"No, no. We're not doing that." Jaune frowned, redirecting their attention back to him. "It's HIS choice to slack off. Shiketsu doesn't let students fail out- he'll get his wake up call sooner than you think."
Zenkichi made a face. We tried it. Not gonna make it through to him. He's more stubborn than Endeavor.
Zenkichi felt something drilling holes into the back of his head. He turned around to see Habataki Hyūga- the kid he fought at the beginning of the year at the Kendo Dojo, glaring daggers at him. Zenkichi smirked. Oh, hey. That guy...
He couldn't have a grudge over the dojo thing, could he? Zenkichi wondered.
...then again, I totally beat the crap out of him. Maybe he's just malding.
What was worse though was that someone else was taking the occasional glance in his direction too, someone he knew wasn't exactly fond of him. Kouki Akune.
Great. I'm surrounded by people who don't like me.
...thank God he had a 'buffer'.
"HEY! WHAT'S WITH THE WEIRD LOOKS!?" Inasa roared.
Aaaaand Inasa too. Really, luck was SMILING on me today huh?
Jaune blinked. "Is...something the matter?" Jaune asked.
"Sorry...sort of surrounded by a lot of people I have issues with." Zenkichi said, putting his hand near his eyes to avert Hyuga's gaze.
"Whaaaa?" Hana asked. "People don't like you? That's crazy!"
"Really?" Zenkichi deadpanned.
"No, seriously. We're kinda shocked people have issues with you." Itsuki said. "Aside from Kumagawa. You're a pretty agreeable guy!"
Zenkichi sighed. "Well, others don't see me that way. I can literally tell."
"Your Quirk?" Hana asked.
"Really good at reading people too. Don't always need my Quirk for that."
Jaune cleared his throat. "If that's the case...maybe we should focus on the task at hand. Better to aim that aggression towards something more...constructive?" Jaune suggested.
"...what were we doing again? Uh, for others' sake. Not mine," Hana asked sheepishly, not wanting to admit she spaced out.
"A small fighting activity." Jaune smiled, presenting something to the kids- a ring, surrounded by a moat. "Try to 'ring out' your opponent."
"Oh! Should be easy then!"
"Here's the thing. Can't directly use your powers on your opponent. You have to use it on the surroundings." Jaune said. "It'll be easier for some, but harder for others."
"The surroundings?" Hana repeated. Her Quirk was light based so how could she use that on the surroundings, something to think about.
"You'll find a way to use it." Jaune said, looking around. "Now, to start us off...Zenkichi and...Kanoya."
Zenkichi gave a sigh of relief- a name he didn't recognize. He must have been an upperclassman. Zenkichi turned to try and find his opponent- and their gaze met with a more vitriolic glare than anyone else had given him.
What the hell!? I don't even know this guy! Zenkichi thought.
"Easy," Kanoya smirked, walking up to the ring.
Zenkichi grimaced, and made a rash choice- he needed to know what his beef with him was. With a brief use of Parasite Seeing, he got it-
Zenkichi winced. "You can't be serious."
"What?" Kanoya asked, raising a brow.
"Nothing." Zenkichi frowned.
I totally forgot- the name should have rang a bell. Zenkichi thought. During the student elections, there were a few other kids running for presidency...and I remember hearing one of them used some aggressive strong arm tactics to get some sway.
Zenkichi took a deep breath, attempting to put aside the sudden realization of Kanoya's grudge. Right now, he's probably mad that some freshman won, and not him. Medaka's got a natural sway with her words- she'd win over even the staunchest of people, even if they don't realize it. Zenkichi thought. And this idiot wants to take his rage out on me, her right hand man.
"Hey." Zenkichi said, calling out to Kanoya. "You wanted to make a difference, and you lost. But taking it out on me isn't going to change anything."
Kanoya shot Zenkichi an annoyed glance. "Let's just get this over with," He muttered.
Zenkichi huffed, as his classmates gave him a strange look. "Like I said. Sometimes people don't like me." He commented, walking towards the ring. The tension in the air was palpable as Zenkichi and Kanoya stepped into the ring. The rest of the students watched, curious to see how this unexpected rivalry would play out...and some were ready to see Zenkichi possibly get put in his place.
Jaune raised his hand to signal the start of the match. "Alright, let's keep it clean. Remember, use the surroundings to your advantage."
"Yes, sir." Zenkichi took a defensive stance.
"Whatever." Kanoya huffed.
Jaune swung his arm down, signaling the start of fight. Kanoya seemed more eager to engage. The upperclassman lunged forward, aiming to push Zenkichi out of the ring with sheer force. However, Zenkichi's agility and quick reflexes allowed him to evade Kanoya's initial assault with ease, sidestepping the attack and maintaining his balance.
What's great about my quirk is that I have no tell. Zenkichi said, activating Parasite Seeing. He said not to use my quirk on my opponent- never said I could use it on someone else...and the person I chose is... His gaze fell upon Itsuki, who stood at the edge of the ring, observing the battle with keen interest.
Through Itsuki's eyes, Zenkichi saw the impending attack from Kanoya. He predicted the trajectory, the force behind it, and the exact moment Kanoya would strike. With this foreknowledge, Zenkichi gracefully sidestepped once again, effortlessly avoiding Kanoya's assault.
"Wooooah. Zenkichi is sorta stunting on this guy!" Hana commented.
"He certainly is putting on a show." Saki frowned. Zenkichi is one of the better hand to hand fighters of the Class, even without a strength boosting quirk. However, he's got a cheat with those eyes. His eyes are everyone's eyes...and their thoughts are too. Even without using his opponent, he probably is scanning someone else to get a view of how they're gonna attack.
Zenkichi continued to outmaneuver Kanoya. With each miss, Kanoya grew more and more annoyed. This little brat! The hell is he thinking!? With a determined glare, Kanoya activated his quirk- a surge of energy enveloped Kanoya. His muscles bulged with enhanced power, and a subtle aura surrounded him.
Zenkichi's Parasite Seeing had a limitation. If the eyes he was seeing through didn't understand the power, then neither did he. He had to switch targets...
Kanoya focused the enhanced strength on his legs. With each powerful stride, he sprinted towards Zenkichi, generating shockwaves with each footfall. The ground beneath him trembled as the force of his movements caused a small quake, and kicking up sand in Zenkichi's eyes. Zenkichi cursed, as Kanoya grinned.
My Force Amplfication quirk really comes in handy, even when I'm not using it to deliver a direct blow, Kanoya thought triumphantly. As Zenkichi struggled with the sand in his eyes, Kanoya seized the opportunity. Closing the distance between them, Kanoya unleashed a powerful kick aimed at Zenkichi's side-
...but Zenkichi still dodged it.
I just realized...I don't even need to use my quirk on this asshole. Zenkichi thought. No matter how strong he is...his moves are so basic. Or he's out of depth here. Kanoya, surprised by Zenkichi's evasion, stumbled slightly as his powerful kick missed its mark. But this one fluke didn't deter him. In a blind rage, he began throwing more and more random and rapid punches and kicks. Zenkichi dodged and countered each of Kanoya's subsequent attacks, showcasing a level of agility and skill that left the onlookers in awe.
"He's giving him the buisness! SHOW EM WHAT WE'RE MADE OF!" Hana cheered.
"YEAHHHHHHHHHH!" Inasa yelled, nearly bursting everyone's eardrums.
"The hell...is this!?" Kanoya, frustrated by his inability to land a single blow, began to tire under the relentless assault. Zenkichi took the opportunity to deliver a decisive counter. Gathering strength in both hands, Zenkichi executed a powerful double-handed smash punch that swung upward, aimed precisely to hit opponents in the air.
Zenkichi's blow struck Kanoya's abdomen, forcing him off the ground. Kanoya, already off balance from the strong torrent of strikes, flew through the air like a ragdoll. The strike blasted shockwaves through his body, sending him reeling back and hanging precariously on the ring's edge. As Kanoya clung to the edge of the ring, Zenkichi walked over, and knelt down.
"Like I said. You wanted to make a difference. And you lost that election, fair and square. Not my fault Medaka had a better campaign than you. Now be a good loser and let go." Zenkichi frowned.
He half expected Kanoya to surrender...but that other skeptical half of him knew he was gonna pull some shit. Kanoya's eyes flickered with defiance, a tenacity Zenkichi had become used to in such a short time. Instead of accepting loss graciously, Kanoya's fury expressed itself in a desperate action. With a quick burst of energy, he activated his Force Amplification ability on the ring itself.
"If I can't take you down... then maybe I can take you down WITH me!" Kanoya yelled defiantly, channeling his desperation into one last reckless gambit. The ring trembled under the amplified force, and the ground beneath Zenkichi's feet became unsteady. It felt like an earthquake beneath his feet.
However, the sheer intensity of the amplified forces worked against Kanoya. The ground slipped from his grasp, and he lost his tenuous hold on the edge of the ring. "WAIT, SHI-!" Kanoya's desperate yell was cut off as he landed on the ground with a nasty THUD.
Zenkichi winced as the shaking ceased, watching as Kanoya lay on the sandy beach, defeated and battered.
"The hell did you think was GONNA happen?" Zenkichi yelled.
"Language. But that's enough for now. Zenkichi, you're the winner of this round," Jaune declared, his voice firm but fair. The announcement was met with some small applause from the group, mainly Zenkichi's classmates. However, Zenkichi didn't revel in the victory. His thoughts drifted towards the pettiness and recklessness of Kanoya's mind. This was probably someone Medaka would've showered in affection, to 'fix' them...even if they didn't deserve it. Or they hated her.
Like he did.
"People can be so damn stupid," Zenkichi muttered to himself, hopping off the platform.
Several clicks sounded out as Yuna's Quirk did its work, building up a small turret. The student then hopped in and took the controls, showing that somehow the construction still worked.
"When did you get the ability to build that?" Mogana asked.
"Been working on it in my spare time!" Yuna beamed.
"Impressive," Pyrrha nodded, "Now, let's see if your aim is just as good as your imagination."
Yuna nodded and took aim with the Lego turret, lining up the crosshairs of her turret at one of the myriad of the shooting range. She had built the turret in such a way that the projectiles fired wouldn't just topple the target. Where's the fun in testing your aim if any shot you fire has the potential to knock it over?
"Aaaaand here we go!" Yuna beamed before pressing her Lego figure hand to a button atop one of the joysticks that controlled the turret's orientation. The turret fired off a moderately sized Lego brick at the target, striking but bouncing off one of the outer rings. She tried again and struck that same outer ring. She adjusted the aim a bit, hoping to at least get one of the inner rings. A bullseye would be nice, but hey, progress is progress.
But at the same time, Kumagawa had also stepped up to test his luck with aiming. He created three throwing screws in his hand and eyed the target, just doing some mental math for the throw. See, he could just throw them and have each one land on a bullseye, but that wouldn't work with his "good loser" mask. The mental math he was doing was for how to aim for the bullseye but actually just make it hit one of the inner rings. He nodded once everything was set in his head and tossed the screws out, one after the other. Each screw was given a little spin to have them veer off course by a small enough amount to not be noticeable.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! the three screws impacted and pierced the target at the inner ring, just like Kumagawa had planned.
"Ah well. Aim's still a little off," Kumagawa shrugged.
"Keep at it, Misogi!"
"Miss Nikos, I feel I should ask," Mogana began.
"Why did I bring some of you over when you don't really have ranged capabilities or the range is too wide? Well the answer for the second is help hone that. Your sonic screams can be focused into small attacks. Just needs some fine tuning. As for those without range, well, a good hero should be able to figure out a way to cover for any weakness, be it in the form of a support item or a technique."
"So aiming practice for some, a brainstorming session for others."
"Something that Miss Kurokami has already picked up on I see."
"Of course she did," Mogana turned to see Medaka standing in front of a wooden training dummy, used for both range training and normal sparring. With the way her Quirk worked, she figured she'd need more techniques of her own. The question was what exactly to do. She was just rubbing her chin in thought, staring down the training dummy.
"A new technique...one that's wholly mine..." Medaka muttered.
Mogana tilted her head, raising a curious eyebrow. Medaka usually was so determined, but here she looked as lost as a missing puppy. It was boggling to see.
"Is Medaka ok?" Yuna asked.
"Probably just brainstorming," Pyrrha guessed, "Remember how her Quirk works and how...situational it can be."
"I know, but she's usually on top of stuff like this." Mogana said. It's...weird to see her lost like the rest of us."
"Even the 'invincible' struggle." Pyrrha quipped. "I sure did."
"You did?" Mogana asked.
"Oh, several times."
"I refuse to believe that." Mogana said.
"Oh I'm entirely serious. Being the best made people see me more as just the athlete and not the person for the longest time. It seeped into practically everything. For a long time, I thought every friend I made was because of my fame. And then I met Jaune and he heard of me for a different reason," Pyrrha reminisced.
"How?"
"Cereal mascot."
"I've heard of that cereal. Didn't it have an absurd amount of sugar?" Yuna asked.
"Nearly half a daily intake. No idea how kids are supposed to eat THAT." Pyrrha said.
Medaka took a few steps back from her target, and began to jump up and down. This confused her classmates even further.
"...what is she doing?" Mogana asked.
"Hyping herself up? Then again, why would she need it?" Kumagawa asked without even turning around, just throwing more screws.
Medaka took a deep breath, and tilted forward-
And casually unleashed a sonic boom that blew EVERYONE away.
Yuna's turret was scattered into pieces; Kumagawa's screw was blown back and struck him in the face with the rounded top mid-flight; everyone else was just blasted back by the sheer force of the sonic boom.
"WHAT," Kumagawa deadpanned.
Medaka didn't even hit her target. Instead, she smashed into a nearby wall...well, smashed THROUGH a nearby wall.
"Aiming...needs work..." Medaka said, as she stood back up.
"You don't say!" Yuna shot back, burried under the lego pieces of her turret.
"Sorry, sorry." Medaka said, walking out of the hole in the wall.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Mogana yelled, ears popping from the blast.
"Well um, that is the first development step in my own supermove," Medaka admitted.
"Huh?"
"As much as I rely on others, I am shamelessly stealing their work. I don't want to do that ALL the time." Medaka explained. "I...don't like stealing."
"Like I said. Breaking the limitations of her Quirk," Pyrrha groaned as she got back to her feet, "What did you do to get that much power?"
"I used my sheer power." Medaka said.
"...ok?"
"If I don't have a reference, then I let loose."
"You're saying that much force is just natural for you?" Yuna asked.
"In a way, yes." Medaka said. "My quirk is not the blessing you all think it is."
Sure it's not, Kumagawa thought to himself, rolling his eyes as he nursed the head wound Medaka had accidentally given him.
"The End copies even the littlest of things I see, and integrates them into my body, until it becomes second nature. I...want an original move."
Wonder why it took so long to figure that out? Kumagawa mentally scoffed.
"So, your body doesn't exactly know HOW to regulate something like this...because for the first time YOU'RE the one making it." Pyrrha said.
"I don't need help. I just need...space. And lots of it." Medaka warned.
"More than we have here?" Yuna asked.
"Much more. I don't want to damage the facilities," Medaka nodded.
"Well, I think you'd need some isolation. There's one not too far from here. Kumagawa- help her carry some targets over there, would you?" Pyrrha asked.
"Me? I'm not that strong. Maye Yuna could help?" Kumagawa tried to dodge it.
"Do it." Pyrrha said. "You've been making better progress than most. Be a good samaritan."
"I...fine," Kumagawa sighed, accepting his defeat, "What do you need moved?"
"A few targets will do." Medaka declared.
"Alright, alright...I'll take some." Kumagawa said, going back to grab them.
"Thank you!" Medaka smiled before turning and walking off to find that spacious private space. Kumagawa huffed and hefted the targets, slowly following her.
"I must say, if I'm the one struggling and you're the one succeeding, then Shiketsu's giving us both a challenge!" Medaka joked as they walked off.
"...yeah." Kumagawa said.
"I am proud of your progress, Misogi! I've barely had to get involved."
"Yeah, great."
"Maybe that Saki girl is also to thank..."
"Kill me."