My Hokuto Academia
I DO NOT own Hokuto no Ken or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and Kohei Horikoshi. Support the official releases, especially of Souten no Ken. Oh, someone's already translating Souten no Ken: Regenesis [manga version] already!
Italics = Flashback
"Italics" = Speaking in a Different Language
'Italics' = Inner Thoughts
Italics = Flashback
"BOLD" = All-Might's tone or Present Mic [excited]
Chapter Fifty-Eight: Fragility
Haruunkaru Municipal Park
It was 6 PM. Todoroki's elbows were bleeding, his hands were numb, his feet were hurting, his head was leaking blood. However, he never felt more alive.
"Well, Peppermint. You're getting better."
"Yes... Ryuki-Sensei," Shoto responded, albeit with some pain. "Lethwei's still a different beast compared to Hokuto Ryuken."
"You went a little harder than usual... mind explaining that?" Ryuki asked, a bit concerned. "Not that I mind but breaking yourself isn't a good way to go about improving yourself.."
"Right... you remember that one Sunday night?" Shoto responded. "The one where I watched my friends' debut in the ring?" the word friend still sounded a bit foreign to him. He's getting a bit better though.
It took a few seconds for it to sink in. "Wait, wait. Right... did something happen there or not?"
"No, something else. I was offered a spot for a fight that's coming either next week or next month," Shoto responded. "That's why I have been training harder today. I want to be well-prepared. As both a fighter and hero."
"Underground matches... I see the appeal and logic behind it. Any idea who your opponent is?"
"No. Rouga - is in charge of arranging matches. I'll know once it happens."
Ryuki switched up topics, "How are things at U.A.?"
"They're good but..." Shoto paused. "Things are tense over there."
"What the fuck happened...?" Ryuki asked, curious. Shoto would give him the summarized version but the former said not to leave any detail out, it would help him understand the situation better. The bi-haired boy gave a small summary of what UA labels the Monoma Incident, Ryuki listening in.
"Someone from 1-B, Monoma was his name. Midoriya was in a bad place and that blonde idiot decided to agitate him."
"For what..." Ryuki responded, not at all pleased with this Monoma.
"He seems to have some sort of grudge against 1-A, something about us making them look second-class," Shoto said, briefly pausing. "He snapped... Ashido gave us a few details. I'm thankful we intervened, otherwise Monoma would have been murdered."
Ryuki said nothing as he still listened.
"The teachers barely stopped him," Shoto said, briefly surprising Ryuki. "I knew the incident with the Hero Killer affected him, I didn't think it would lead to an episode like that. However... he's better now."
"How'd he get better?"
"Counseling session and Jiro's date..." he said with a bit of bite, Ryuki picked up on it. "He's not bad... but he rubs me the wrong way. Especially with what he revealed about himself."
"You did tell me a few things about the triple date. However, is there something more?" asked Ryuki.
"He goes to Ketsubutsu Academy High and... he's a user of Nanto Seiken. Nanto Ho-Oh Ken to be specific." The moment that left his lips, Ryuki's eyes widened a bit and Shoto knew it, he shivered a bit. "Master, what's the matter?"
"Nanto Ho-Oh Ken... I didn't think I'd hear about it, again," Ryuki said, tone heavy.
"Wait, you're familiar-"
"No, I fought the predecessor. He was a masked fighter, never got to see what was underneath though..."
Underground Tourney, Thailand-Burma Border
BOOM!
A Lethwei fighter went down with one strike to the skull, all because of the swarthy-skinned brawler in front of them. Some were mad because they had bet money on the local champ while others were excited because of the newcomer.
"Come on, bring the next one!" screamed the brawler. Some of the crowd murmurs if there's anyone else that can take his guy down but there was a masked individual amongst the crowd.
"What was the prick's name again?" asked someone in the crowd.
"Ryuki... Kasumi... 22-year-old brawler from some Chinese territory," responded another. However, the masked individual stepped up to the ring where Ryuki was standing. The masked one wore a black shirt, blue combat pants, and a pair of combat boots he threw to the ground. Ryuki also noticed the sleeves were torn and the pants made him think ex-military. The mask is what caught his attention, it was smooth with two eye holes and two small horns near the forehead.
The masked stranger cracked his knuckles as he got into a stance, similar to MMA. Ryuki responded by taking a Lethwei stance but his posture was more forward, ready to meet the challenger head-on.
FIGHT!
Ryuki rushed right at him, launching a volley of kicks and punches into the masked stranger. In a minute, he was starting to be overwhelmed... but intercepted with a vertical elbow strike to the chin.
BOOM!
The stranger needs to take advantage of this. He leaped forward, right shin in front...
Raging Phoenix Thrust!
The impact sent nearly sent Ryuki flying but he stopped himself from skidding out of the ring by stomping his right foot forward. Whoever this stranger was, he was definitely a cut above the previous fighters he fought.
"It's time I returned the favor..." Ryuki responded, albeit with a slowly feral grin.
"So Wrath Incarnate isn't an epithet for nothing."
The masked fighter stepped forward, launching a couple of kicks. A middle one and a low one but that barely phased Ryuki. He responded with a combo of strikes into the large fighter's frame...
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"There has to be..."
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Ryuki was tanking every blow but there was something else! He was closing in...
BAM! BAM! BAM! BA-
Ryuki caught the stranger in a clinch with a grin that says 'gotcha'. The stranger was-
BOOM!
A headbutt that felt more like a cannonball. He wasn't done yet, Ryuki unleashed several jabs, then a hook punch.
WHIFF!
Ryuki saw it: the stranger stepped forward with his shoulder raised up and his other hand protecting his face. He backed away and attempted again, but it kept failing.
WHIFF!
WHIFF!
WHIFF!
Ryuki was getting testy, but the stranger struck him with another uppercut. However, Ryuki countered with a sharp elbow strike into the stranger's temple. He'd now unleash one of his signature moves...
Demonfire Breath!
An entire barrage of punches was sent into the stranger. Each punch felt like a battering ram.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
He was getting overwhelmed by Ryuki's punches alone... he needed to do something and fast!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"That's it..." muttered the masked fighter, intercepting with another Raging Phoenix Thrust, interrupting his combo with an uppercut, then follow up by grabbing his hips and throwing him onto the floor.
THUD!
Ryuki recovered by getting up but he got a knee strike into the face for his trouble, he was stunned for a bit, only to feel the sudden impact on top of his head, felling him to the mat for a bit.
"D-Did you see that?! He raised his leg up and drove it down like an ax kick!" said a member of the crowd. "The fuck type of is it?"
"Mountain Storm Kick. From Yaw-Yan, a form of Kickboxing from the Philippines."
As the crowd murmured to themselves, the stranger said to the fallen Ryuki, "If you ever want a rematch, you know where to find me... you may call me Xinthri Kharam."
The match seemed to be over... seemed.
BOOM!
An explosive force came from the ring, an aura of strength and dread came from the center, all from an awakened Ryuki. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?!"
Xinthri was a bit shocked by this but regained his composure by stepping back into the ring. "Fine. Poor choice of final words, though."
"Right back at ya," Ryuki said, quickly closing the pace and initiating with a one-two combo but there was a difference! He was faster and stronger, Xinthri barely blocked that, but then felt an impact into his gut!
GHACK!
"Oh, that won't work this time..." he said as a planted a front kick right into Xinthri's gut. "That roundhouse shin attack." The masked fighter was now wondering what the hell type of beast had he just awakened. As soon as he retracted that foot, Xinthri felt another impact, courtesy of a roundhouse kick to the side!
BAM!
'Aside from the weight advantage, this cao ni ma's fast. Hmm... that aura seems familiar.' thought Xinthri. It started clicking, but Ryuki's elbows were making it difficult to make the connection.
"I know you're hiding your true skills..." as he launched a couple of jabs, getting Xinthri in the face. "Drop the restraint or I will end you..." said the other, his tone bestial. Xinthri now made the connection, it was clear as day to him.
"Matouki or it's called in Southeast Asia, Pisac Kharam," responded Xinthri. "Alright, I'll show you..." he took a kickboxing stance. The feral fighter before him grinned in response, his fists up, intending to beat the masked fighter into a bloody pulp.
WHIFF!
Xinthri managed to divert the blow by parrying it offside. He parried again and again but this time, Ryuki's hits were slowly increasing in speed, forcing the masked fighter to react faster. He back-stepped immediately, making Ryuki miss a decisive blow. He growled a bit but he barreled towards him, intending to take his head off with an overhand.
SLICE!
In one moment, Xinthri zipped by Ryuki, hands out like blades. The latter was a bit confused, wondering what the-
SPLURT!
A stream of blood erupted from Ryuki's shoulder, making the brawler stare at Xinthri. "Good..." Ryuki said, switching to Karate. "You stopped playing around."
"Your wish will be granted..." as he prepped another attack, but he hoped it was enough to bring down this berserker. If not, he'd have to kill him just to beat him. The moment he made the next step, Ryuki rushed right towards him... ready to kill the fool before him. He chambered his fist, ready to throw an uppercut...
Xinthri needed to time it, right here and now!
...
'Wait, what the? Where's the-'.
He took a peek, realizing the other fighter used a fucking feint. The uppercut stopped short on purpose and in one quick motion, Ryuki grabbed his head in a clinch.
WHAM!
Xinthri's face was struck by a fast knee. He wasn't done yet, he repeated the knee strike four times before changing it up into elbow strikes.
BAM! BAM!
"Fine then," snarled Xinthri.
SLASH!
The crowd was silenced by what sounded like a sword searing through flesh. Ryuki was momentarily shocked by the bloody line across his chest.
"The fuck was..."
Xinthri took advantage of his distraction by striking him with an elbow to the side and following up with a front kick to keep some distance between them. "Just so you know, you asked for this..." as his hands got into a knife-hand posture. Ryuki, despite bleeding, did not falter. Despite the rage, he was wary of that cutting attack that Xinthri used. It was fast and most of all, thorough.
The masked fighter dashed forward... faster than Ryuki thought.
GASH!
One of his hands made contact, piercing through the shoulder's skin. Ryuki felt a sting but Xinthri wasn't done yet...
Distant Soaring Peak!
Ryuki felt he was on the receiving end from a barrage of blades stabbing into him. Whatever this stranger was hiding, it was out in the open. "Nanto Seiken... but... which...one..." he muttered as his guard was gradually being cut down.
SLASH! SLASH!
GASH!
"Mother..."
SLASH!
One went right into his forearm, causing him to flinch, covering that wound.
SLASH! SLASH!
GASH!
A stab was sent into Ryuki's chest, causing him to gag a bit. His guard lowered, prompting Xinthri to unload a barrage of stabs and jabs into the berserker brute. In fact, he was pushing the brute back!
BAM! STAB!
BAM!
STAB! STAB!
WHAM!
The final strike? A hook to the jawline. Ryuki was reeling from it... but his eyes still had life. "Hmph. Fine," as Xinthri prepped another Distant Soaring Peak. On the other hand, Ryuki lowered himself and grabbed him, flipping him over and slamming him directly into the ring.
"Fu...ck..."
"Stand... I'm not done yet..." he said, clutching his wound. Panting, he needed to maintain his demonic aura, especially since this masked bastard likely has skills he hasn't shown yet. He wasn't going down, not just fucking yet. In a split moment, Xinthri rose from the man-shaped crater, cracking his neck.
"Interesting, you're tougher than I thought..." as he shook off the pain. "However, that technique should have put you down for the count." He charged forward, looking like a blur, surprising Ryuki.
"GOT YOU!" screamed the berserker as he threw a straight palm strike, intending to KO him with a single strike. Unfortunately, he missed. The masked bastard swayed to the side, getting out of the firing line. The former turned towards him, following up with an elbow to the bastard.
In one fell moment, a sickening sound was heard. The onlookers saw Xinthri make a horizontal swipe across his chest! Then a vertical slash downwards. Xinthri saw his work and said, "This fight's over."
"Oh, no... no, you fuck-"
SPLURT!
A whole stream of blood spewed from the newly made cross-shaped scar on Ryuki's chest. He fell to the floor, desperately trying to keep more blood from leaking, but his eyes were growing heavy... he sputtered... "You... bastard..."
Xinthri walked away but turned around briefly, saying, "That's your first and only warning. Be thankful the Pole Star Cross Fist wasn't fatal at this moment." He resumed walking away...
"I'll... pay you back... one day..." were Ryuki's last words before unconsciousness.
Shoto's eyes widened, this Xinthri Kharam nearly killed his master, a certified monster in his own right. However, there were a couple of questions that sprung up in his mind.
"Sensei, did you ever find out his true identity?"
"I did, it was when I was recuperating in the hospital. I found out his real epithet, the Bloodstained Phoenix," Ryuki responded. "On top of that, he was an ex-soldier. Chinese military to be specific, don't know which branch though."
"How did you-"
"I described the guy's clothing choice, one of the doctors said he was likely PLA Navy, specifically the marine corps," the master responded, remembering the scar engraved on his chest.
"Did you ever run into him again?"
"No, I didn't. The last I heard, he was fighting in some hostile area called the Golden Triangle. However, that was years ago. Any other questions?"
"What does Xinthri Kharam even mean?"
Ryuki's face drooped a bit, wondering out of all the questions, that one in particular. "Xinthri Kharam means Roaring Eagle in Thai. Anything else?"
"How dangerous is Nanto Ho-Oh Ken?" Shoto asked.
"The apex of all branches within Nanto Seiken. However, you mentioned... someone who goes to Ketsubutsu Academy High?" Shoto nodded yes, prompting him to ask, "Is he some sort of threat?"
"No... he's a pain in the ass," Shoto said with grit in his tone. "Though he's a good singer," the last part being forced out.
"Uh... what did he do exactly?"
"He overheard a comment I made during a concert," Shoto replied. Ryuki deflated a bit, wondering if his apprentice was just annoyed by the guy. "He's might be stronger than Midoriya and I."
"For now, Peppermint, for now," interjected Ryuki. "Does he have a name?"
"Gakuto Soraho," answered the bi-haired boy. As the master absorbed this info, Shoto added a little more. "Two of his classmates are also like him too. Their names are Renato Kanki and Kabuto Nakamura."
"Two other users of Nanto Seiken?"
"Just one. The latter practices some art called Kenka Kenpo, the former knows Nanto Koshu Ken. Before I go further, no, they're not threats either. Nakamura reminds me of one classmate, Koda."
"...and?"
"Koda's completely silent and uses sign language. Nakamura speaks with a stutter, he's also a musician," Shoto said, adding that last one. Ryuki was a bit surprised, especially at the reveal of Nanto Seiken practitioners.
"...Kanki's down-to-earth. I still don't get what Jiro sees in Soraho..."
Ryuki sighed a bit, wondering if this was teenage drama. Shoto wasn't helping but this Soraho? He might need to keep an eye on this one.
'If he's anything like the predecessor... I might need to warn Peppermint as a precaution.'
"I'm guessing this Jiro's one of your classmates? If so, pray she doesn't get hurt..." Ryuki interjected. Shoto was curious to ask why to which the former answered. "If this Soraho's anything like his predecessor... they better pray for a quick death or else, it will be painful."
Shoto was a bit disturbed, Gakuto may have been a goofball but was he capable of going that far?
"I doubt you want to test that theory, Peppermint," Ryuki said. This left Shoto with a bit of unease.
Edgeshot Agency
Momo was sweating heavily. This was the final spar for the day but something was frustrating her. She has some of the fundamentals down to a tee. However, there was an advanced technique that even Edgeshot had trouble mastering the first time.
"I know I'm not that strong but still..."
"It takes time to master Shura Nindo's arsenal, especially Ghost's Hand and Destruction Demon Sand-Spider. The former is more difficult because of the timing needed to execute it," Edgeshot said. "However, you have done well. You advanced a bit faster than I expected."
Momo perked up at this, prompting her to say, "W-Wait, really?"
"Of course. However, I sense you still have doubts."
Momo nodded in response, saying "The world of heroes, it's not as clear-cut as I thought. The fight with Carmilla, the internship under you, and training with you." Edgeshot absorbed what she said, thinking of a sufficient answer.
"Ah, your previous view was clear-cut," the ninja said, to which Momo nodded. "So was mine until meeting my master." Though Momo couldn't tell, there was a smirk underneath the ninja's mask.
"How did your master change your view?"
"Sunagumo-Sensei was once an assassin but wanted to change his life around..."
Xuan Wu District, Shura-Kokka
"This might be one of my biggest mistakes... but it's worth it," said a gray-haired teen in a makeshift ninja outfit. He was in front of an apartment building that looked like it had seen better days. He saw that the balconies were a bit pronounced, some having broken windows, others with iron bars. The teen sighed a bit in worry but wasn't too surprised.
"Sensei did mention this was a bad part of town," said the teen. He now wondered if he stepped onto the set of a crime movie. The type with intense action scenes. He saw the doorbell, checking for the apartment number... and there.
"Unit... 6-F..."
RING!
No response.
RING!
Again.
RING!
"Oi, who is it?" said a male voice, sounding like he just woke up from a nap.
"Kamihara, Sunagumo-Sensei."
"...Ah, come up then," he paused. "Friendly bit of advice: some of the locals are a bit... edgy."
"How... did you make it to the 6th floor?" Momo asked.
"There were only one or two scuffles, nothing major," Edgeshot replied. "On the 4th and 5th floors." Momo was a bit worried. "They were just thugs. Unskilled. I'll skip ahead to where I met my master."
"Here it is..." Kamihara muttered to himself. The apartment unit with 6F in bold letters.
KNOCK!
"Ah, you're on time, Kamihara," he said, opening the door. He got a good look at his master, Sunagumo was taller than he was, bowl-shaped cut, and having a near-serious expression. "Come right in," he added. Kamihara walked through the door, seeing the whole apartment.
'Surprisingly roomy,' he thought. The living room didn't look too cramped. There was a small sparring mat dead-center while a small couch was set to the side. On the left-hand side, there was a mini-kitchen with a skyline view. On the other side, there was a bathroom down the small hallway, and near the end was likely the bedroom too.
"Alright, let's begin..." Sunagumo said, taking his stance. Kamihara did the same. The latter dashed towards him, intending to strike first. Sunagumo did not move from his spot, making Kamihara think of three options.
'One. He'll parry. Two. He'll interrupt his attack. Three. He'll dodge.'
WHAM!
A palm strike got Sunagumo in the jaw! However, that was a mistake on his end. He felt a painful impact in the side and it was followed up by an elbow strike to the skull, knocking him down.
"Again, boy."
The young ninja recovered and changed up his strategy, intending to flank him by darting to the side and catching him with a hook punch. Sunagumo held his forearm out quickly, blocking the strike, and struck him with a straight punch which knocked him back a bit. Sunagumo then switched it up to an uppercut, making a crack noise once hitting the ninja's jawline.
KRIK-CRACK!
"Fuck... ow..." he muttered to himself. On the other hand, this was his master. When he did expect him to take it easy on him? Those thoughts were silenced by his armpits getting stabbed painfully, right under the brachial arteries. He saw it clear as day: Sunagumo launched his arms in an arc-like pattern towards the armpits with hands acting like knives.
Twin Scorpions' Needle!
Kamihara was stunned, either by the technique or the stinging sensation under his arms, still stunned to let Sunagumo take him down with a roundhouse kick dead-center. The boy fell like a tree, coughing a bit, saying, "Fu-ck! What was - that!"
"Oh, that was Ghost's Hand and Twin Scorpions' Needle, two techniques from Shura Nindo," Sunagumo replied as he helped up Kamihara. "Ghost's Hand operates like this: You dodge at the last possible moment, creating the image that you were hit. In reality, the opponent just let their guard down. You can get in a free shot."
Kamihara nodded.
"Twin Scorpions' Needle is pretty straightforward but works better as a surprise attack. Or better, work in tandem with Ghost's Hand."
"Understood, sir."
"Now, we will spar again. I want you to land two hits on me if you can try..." Sunagumo said, taking his stance again.
"Yes, sir."
In a split moment, he dashed towards Sunagumo...
"It wasn't easy... he either parried or used Ghost's Hand," Edgeshot replied. "Sometimes in tandem with other moves. Remember when I said that my master was once an assassin?"
Momo nodded.
"This was after six attempts to land a single hit..."
Kamihara was wounded, his left arm numb, and his legs were sore. Sunagumo, on the other hand, was still standing. Barely. He was showing signs of exhaustion. The young ninja was no fool, his master was a trained assassin and had no room for mercy.
"Six times, you didn't land a blow on me..." Sunagumo said, maintaining his stance. "Maybe you're not the one..."
Kamihara said nothing as he flanked around the side, intending to get the assassin from the side of the head. Sunagumo knew this move, a simple elbow would do the trick. In one swift motion, he threw an elbow into Kamihara's face... or was it?
"What the?!" yelped the assassin as he completely missed. No, misfired would be the correct term.
THUNK!
The ninja dropped his body quickly to deliver a quick elbow to Sunagumo's knee, stunning him. This was his chance, he rose quickly and fired off a palm strike to the jawline. The assassin recovered, rubbing his jaw, and sent a small flurry of strikes in response.
Phantom's Spider Pace!
Sunagumo was impressed, no, he was pleased. Kamihara was bypassing his strikes with his use of Phantom Spider's Pace. Next, a surprise attack in the form of a palm strike. The assassin was surprised by this, quickly putting up his guard.
...
No impact came.
"Just like I read..." muttered Kamihara as he prepared his hands...
Twin Scorpions' Needle!
GACK!
Sunagumo fell to a knee.
"Well... got my two shots in..." Kamihara said, panting. He laughed at himself for a bit, prompting Sunagumo to rise up and pat him on the shoulder. "Ow... ow... still your strikes hit like a truck."
"You need to improve on a few things but otherwise... you passed. Hmmm... I never did tell you why I stepped down from being an assassin, did I?"
"Hints here and there."
"I wanted out. My distaste for killing festered after 15 years, all those missions made me think... is this what I'm going to be for the rest of my life? A ruthless killer that will become another statistic?"
"You had enough of that?" the boy asked.
"It was a contract in Hong Kong and it was a fucking disaster. I'll be blunt with you, my targets were not good people. They were either troubled people or pure scumbags, killing them gave me a degree of comfort. At the very least, I thought I was doing the world a public service. I thought at least..." Sunagumo said, a bit troubled. "The Hong Kong contract? It was a homeless guy. A fucking vagrant."
"You... you held off, right?" Kamihara asked, worried.
"I won't lie to you, this story doesn't have a happy ending. All of my previous targets were terrible people, so I assumed this one was the same. I tracked and observed his patterns... lo and behold, an old war veteran who was charitable to people. Giving money to other homeless, helping a few tourists from getting scammed, and even preventing a mugging."
Kamihara listened to this, this was one of the rare times that Sunagumo opened up to him.
"I was stupid. Despite the one part of my head telling me to reject this, BAM. With a single shot to the head, he died quickly. I killed a decent human being, maybe one of the few good ones. I went back to my contractor and guess what he told me? The reason why needed to be killed? A witness to a deal between a Triad captain and a dirty cop. That's the fucking reason."
Kamihara picked up on the anger bubbling in his master's voice. Sunagumo paused, taking a couple of breaths to calm himself. "Okay... that was the day that I knew I couldn't work as a hitman anymore. That profession is rotten to the fucking core, I knew it wasn't glamorous but I knew a whole new truth: I was a tool used by people who were bigger scumbags than the ones they wanted dead."
The young ninja was likely going to regret asking this. "Whatever happened to the Triad captain and cop?" he asked, albeit with some hope.
"Oh... them. Well, the night after killing that man. The same Triad captain wanted to hire me one last time... hmph. Biggest mistake of his life," Sunagumo said with a dark smirk. "I sliced him up and went after the cop a week later. That was my last contact before faking my death."
"So that's how you ended up in Shura-Kokka?"
"Correct... no one knew who I was."
"... and like that, I came to understand why Sunagumo-Sensei did not go easy on me. He wanted to do something right, but he didn't delude himself. He knew there was a lot to make up for. On top of that, he wanted to be sure that Shura Nindo would be left in good hands once he's gone."
Momo was shocked, mainly at the type of man Sunagumo was. He wasn't a complete monster but he wasn't a good person either. He was a man tired of his profession and wanted to find a way out.
"Where is he now?"
"Well, he's retired and living on Shura-Kokka still."
"This is a lot... to take in. You were trained by a former assassin..." Momo briefly paused. "How... how did you deal with that?"
"It took a while for me to come to terms with that," Edgeshot replied. Momo nodded, understanding Midoriya's position better. Better than the beginning, to say the least. "On top of that, he's partly glad I modified some of his techniques with a non-lethal bent."
"So Sunagumo-Sensei didn't have an issue?"
"Not at all, but let's get back to sparring. I believe you can get Ghost's Hand right this time..." replied Edgeshot, taking his stance. Momo did the same, now determined.
Ashido Residence
"Whew... homework's finally done," Mina said in relief. The small pile of homework laying on her desk, all completed. "I never thought Mr. Ectoplasm's math HW would take this long."
As she laid back in her chair in her room, she said to herself, "I knew U.A. would be tough but it was worth it... especially after getting out of Musutafu Junior High." However, there was a downbeat tone to her voice. "... the only good things about it were Kiri, Bella, and graduating from it."
Freak!
Mina flinched.
Alien Freak!
Memories of getting slammed into lockers, pulling her horns... Mina held her arm tightly.
Hey, Freak!
She did not want to remember Musutafu Junior High. The mutters of shut up quickened as the insults grew louder...
Fucking Freak!
Xenomorph Reject!
She gripped her arm tighter...
Freaks Aren't Allowed!
She slapped herself in the cheek, shaking herself out of it, then noticed her arm being numb. All topped off with a bruise. "It's just the past..." she said to herself. "It's just the past... it can't harm you anymore."
The tears forming said otherwise...
UA High School
Modern Literature was uneventful. Class 1-A was less energetic, even the explosive pomeranian didn't make as much noise. The only ones who were paying attention were Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, Midoriya, Ashido, Kirishima, Jiro, and also Uraraka. Everyone else was a bit out of it, though some were a bit tense.
"... alright, class. Finish the assigned reading and answer pgs. 332-335," said Mr. Cementoss as he sat back at his desk. As the whole class was completing the assignment, the bell rang.
"Ah, it's lunchtime already..." Cementoss said, signaling 1-A to pack up their things. Like clockwork, Midoriya packed up his things with Yaoyorozu and Ashido trailing behind. Todoroki and the others followed too, the rest of 1-A stayed a fair distance. The green-haired boy sighed a bit but really wasn't surprised at this point. However, there was a silver lining: a circle of friends stuck by his side, especially Ashido.
"I wonder what's on the menu..." Midoriya muttered to himself. As they walked towards the cafeteria, he and the rest were stared at for a bit. Kirishima muttered that they were being unmanly about this.
"I keep hearing rumors," Todoroki said to Kirishima.
"Like what, Todobro?"
"Stick to Todoroki..." Todoroki said, pausing. "Oh, right... there were rumors about people wanting to fight Midoriya us by proxy," Todoroki responded. Kirishima had to raise an eyebrow in suspicion, why fight Midoriya at all? Didn't they see what happened to Monoma?
"I don't know who started it but some are getting the idea that if they best the Ashura of UA in a fight, the chances of them getting into the Heroes Course will be assured."
"Y...Y...You're kidding..." balked Kirishima, wondering if this was a joke. Todoroki nodded no. Jiro picked up on the small convo and could only sigh in disappointment. The group made their way to the cafeteria but... as they went through the entrance. The tension in there was clear as day, some Gen Ed students clearing the way, whether it was fear or not was anyone's guess.
Yaoyorozu and Ashido could only face-palm in response. Todoroki sighed, though he wasn't surprised. "Hey, let's just find a table..." said Uraraka, trying to break the tension. The group nodded but it wasn't too hard finding one... a group of Gen Ed students vacated a table as soon as they saw them.
"... it's never going to end, is it?" muttered Midoriya, frustrated.
The named Emerald Squad were seated at a vacated table but Uraraka noticed it. Some of them were looking over their shoulders, it took the mention of rep for it to click.
"... they're still scared of him, aren't they?"
"Yes and no..." answered Kirishima. "Someone's spreading this rumor: if they beat Midoribro here or any of us, their chances of getting into the Heroes Course will be higher."
Everyone's reaction was exactly as expected: disappointment mixed with disbelief. However, Yaoyorozu understood another implication...
"Great, so we will be targeted too..." she said and looked over her shoulder in case. She saw one student glaring at her: she was of average build, ear-length bangs that slightly arched up with them being styled into twin pigtails. The sullen expression is what made her stand out.
"...so we now have targets on our backs..." Todoroki replied. The group nodded. Ashido looked over her shoulder too, seeing Hagakure wave a bit before turning away. However, they were surprised by two arrivals.
"Mind if we sit here, ribbit?" asked Tsuyu, accompanying her was Kendo. No one minded as they both sat. "All of you seem a bit tense."
"Well... rumors and more..." Kirishima explained. He gave a summarized version to Tsuyu and Kendo, were both of them disappointed? Yes. However, one of the latter voiced it clearly.
"It will take time for this to... die down. Kendo and I know you're not a monster, ribbit," Tsuyu responded. "On the other hand, I can understand why our classmates are acting this way."
"As blunt as she is, she's right," Kendo said. "I can count the number of people in 1-B who are not scared of you. The rumors though... didn't they see what happened to Monoma? Are some of them that cocky or..."
"Bitter at being unable to get into the Heroes Course," Tsuyu added. "Some would view it as an opportunity to put hero students in their 'place', so to say."
As the group was chatting, some of 1-B and General Education sent some glares towards them. One of them was Monoma who was still in a cast, but he knew that confronting Midoriya was a bad idea. However, the thought of Kendo being friendly with a group of 1-A students sickened him. On the other hand, he really doesn't want to be on the receiving end of a beatdown again. Only a few of 1-B agreed with him, the most vocal being Kamikiri and Kaibara.
"That Midoriya fucker should have been expelled for beating you into a pulp," muttered Kamikiri. Monoma also saw that some Gen Ed students were glaring at them, a thought formed in his head which slowly became a plan.
'Maybe... maybe those Gen Ed students can help. It's no secret that a few of them despise 1-A,' the copycat thought. 'Right. The better question, who would be willing to cause an altercation...'
Monoma then turned his head towards a couple of students, both of them having sullen expressions and he could tell that one of them was glaring at Yaoyorozu.
The rest of the day was uneventful, that was the only saving grace. Once the school bell rang, every student was making their way to the exit. Midoriya with the Emerald Squad were traveling in a group but some of them were watching their backs.
Shoto turned his head every few minutes to catch a few Gen Ed students turning away from him.
Kirishima sees Hagakure shiver a bit once facing them, the girl saying, "O-Oh, sorry, I'llbeoutofyourwaybye!", making a beeline for the exit.
Jiro also saw Kinoko of 1-B waving nervously but made a quick line for the bathroom.
Momo saw the girl she saw at lunch. Complete with a glare towards her and she swore she heard her mutter, "Rich bitch..."
"Hey, are you alright?" piped up Midoriya. "Oh... I see," the boy said, picking up on what his friends witnessed. "Look, we can prove them wrong. If they can't accept that, that's on them." Midoriya sounded a little unsure, though.
"You're right... though I think our biggest challenge is You-Know-Who," Jiro replied. The group immediately knew who they were talking about. All-Might. "Can't forget that he seemed real fucking insistent on transferring you to Gen Ed. Togata is at least reasonable."
"Yea..." the green-haired boy said with a disappointed sigh. "I mean, I still look up to him..."
"We understand," responded Mina. "I mean, he can still change, right?" The whole group was wondering the same thing too as the exit was in view. As soon as they passed through the doors, they saw two individuals they recognized right away. Kensei and the vampire heroine, Carmilla.
"Well, looks like the whole group's here. Tell me, any trouble today?"
"Only glaring," Midoriya said, downbeat. "At least it didn't escalate. For now."
Kensei could only sigh in disappointment followed by Carmilla's neutral expression. "So, what's the plan aside from the workout session?" asked the vampire, face turning towards Kensei.
"Study sessions too. I believe Finals aren't that far away either."
The group perked up at that, one of them saying "Oh... shit... Finals. Thanks for reminding me. My grades aren't looking too good at the moment." It came from Mina, twirling one of her horns.
"Alright, anyone else has troubles?" asked Kensei. A few hands shot up, prompting the teacher to say, "Okay, explain to me which subjects you have an issue with. However, I'll need some assistants to tutor a group like this."
"Hmm... I believe I can help," Momo responded. "I think another... wait, is that All-Might? Coming towards us?"
The group turned their necks towards an advancing All-Might but he didn't have his signature smile... it was an angered expression, teeth-gritting. Midoriya and others moved out of the Number One's way.
"Oh, no..." muttered Midoriya as All-Might was in front of Kensei, intent on a confrontation.
"Kensei... Kasumi..."
Author's Notes:
Ghost's Hand - A technique in which the user dodges at the last minute, creating the illusion that the user was hit. In reality, the opponent let down his/her guard allowing the user to get in a free hit. Its name in Japanese would be Ryoshu.
Distant Soaring Peak - A rapid stabbing barrage and its name in Japanese is Yusho Gaku. It was originally seen in Ten no Haoh.
Twin Scorpions' Needle - A surprise attack in which you stab the opponent underneath the armpits, sending a stinging sensation. Its name in Japanese would be Sokatsu Hari.