My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 43: Settling the Scores
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
"What!?" Onkyo gasped in shock after Vlad King had shown them the internship offers that the students of Class 1-B had acquired from the Sports Festival. Since Tsukiba Okami was the only member of Class 1-B to make it to the Tournament, he had received the highest amount of offers, numbering at 892. Besides Tsukiba, only six other students received offers: Setsuna Tokage with 108, Kaze Yonaka with 281, Itsuka Kendo with 87, Hinote Onkyo with 103, Chikao Kato with 204 and Kana Hironaka got 8.
"Of course those Class 1-A egomaniacs got more offers," Monoma groaned.
"That's because the majority of those who made it to the Tournament were Class 1-A, you idiot," Yonaka criticized. "Okami's the only one who made it to the Tournament. It makes sense that he gets the most internship offers out of us."
Onkyo silently groaned at not receiving as many internship offers as Okami, Yonaka or Kato. He could understand why Yonaka got a lot, considering how his Quirk was very handy, but Kato…why him? He only got into the Cavalry Battle because he grabbed onto Tsunotori by complete accident and fell across the finish line. He didn't even make it into the Tournament, so how was it that Kato, Yonaka and Tokage got more internship offers than him?
"Alright, enough complaining." Vlad King demanded. "Now's not the time to compare yourselves negatively to Class 1-A. You need to remember that they were recently attacked by villains at the USJ last month; they were put into a life-or-death situation that tested their skills. Suffice to say, that trial may've tempered their skills for the Sports Festival."
"So what now?" Awase asked. "More people are already paying more attention to Class 1-A."
"For now," Vlad King responded. "But each of you are also strong in your own right. People will see that in time, but for now, you have something else to worry about."
"And that's Hero Names," Sunstorm answered as he entered the room. "Today, Hero Course students will be choosing Hero Names for their internships. Vlad King and I will judge the names and decide whether they're suitable or not. But before we start, I wish to go further into detail." Sunstorm took a deep breath.
"The heroes today are not like the ones from the past. Some heroes only choose names that'll gain them attention, publicity and fame, yet they don't live up to those names. Your Hero Names aren't just for your own sake, but for the sake of the people you're swearing to protect. You must live up to the name you choose; if you can't…then you're not fit to be a Hero."
His words were harsh. Some of the students were put off by it, but others believed it was necessary. The truth of many heroes today was that they cared more about fame and ranking rather than actually protecting people. Being a hero meant using heroic ideals to serve others, not just themselves like many Pros today do.
"These Hero Names could be temporary, though the Agencies you'll go to will remember you by them," Vlad King informed. "But do consider them carefully. As Sunstorm said, these names embody the ideals you set to uphold. They tell the world your reasons for becoming a Pro Hero."
Whiteboards and dry erase markers were on the front of each of the rows, so the student at the head of each row took one of each and handed them down. As Kaze received his whiteboard and dry erase marker, he looked over at Tsukiba Okami, who had seen his argument with Raionhato the other day.
"Okami," Kaze asked the wolf before they reached their classroom.
"Oh, hey, Yonaka," Tsukiba replied, already sensing what Kaze wanted to talk about.
"How much did you hear when I was with Raionhato?"
Tsukiba had tried not to eavesdrop, but his wolf-like hearing picked up on a lot of stuff he heard them arguing about. He had picked up on things like Anzu, Yoruge, and how they blamed each other for their deaths. He only intervened because he thought it'd get violent and wished to prevent that, which he did.
"I heard a lot," Tsukiba confessed. "I tried not to, but when you have hearing like mine…"
"Then I must ask you to keep it to yourself," Kaze requested. "That's between me and him. You have no business getting involved."
Kaze wished Tsukiba hadn't overheard their argument, but he had and he needed to make sure that what he heard was kept to himself. As much as Yonaka hated the scum and would gladly let people see him as what he saw him as, that meant publicly exposing their feud, including the truth of Yoruge and Anzu…and he wasn't ready for that.
As for Tsukiba…he felt uncomfortable knowing what he now knew about Takeo and Kaze's feud. He suspected things weren't great between them, but what he heard that day…it was far worse than he anticipated. There was so much bad blood between the two of them that it was a miracle that they didn't end up in the same class; had they done so, Tsukiba dreaded what would've happened.
But they'd have to worry about that later. For now, they had the task of coming up with Hero Names today. Kaze already his name in mind, so he wrote it down and was the first to go up, showing his name written in Japanese.
"The Dark Hero: Shadowfox."
"Shadowfox…isn't that name of another Pro Hero?" Sunstorm asked.
"Was," Kaze corrected. "That was my father's Pro Hero name before he had to retire. I wish to honor his legacy."
Back in his father's days as the Pro Hero: Shadowfox, he had rescued countless people with his skills in martial arts, stealth and his Quirk. Kaze deeply desired to honor his father's name, doing what he did before he was forced to retire due to his back injury.
"Do you understand what you're doing by taking the name of a hero before you?" Sunstorm asked. "It means that you're choosing to honor them, their legacy, what they stand for. Are you prepared to carry that burden, Yonaka?"
"I am," Kaze responded. "I will honor my father." Sunstorm and Vlad King nodded their approval and Kaze returned to his seat, receiving various looks from the class. He received nods and smiles of approval from Awase, Onkyo, Kendo and Tsukiba, a flirtatious look from Setsuna…and a grin from Kuroiro, much to Yonaka's annoyance. After he returned to his seat, Setsuna winked and went up next.
"The Splitting Hero: Lizardy."
"That's a good one," Vlad King praised. Setsuna grinned widely before returning to her seat.
"Lizardy and Shadowfox…has a nice ring to it," she spoke.
"Don't be full of yourself," Kaze responded as Onkyo went up next.
"The Acoustic Hero: Surround Sound. Hold your applause; I know it's great." The whole class groaned at Onkyo's bragging, though the Hero Name looked good. However, as soon as Onkyo saw Kendo's face, his expression slightly soured.
Kendo sighed at how Onkyo reacted as soon as he saw her. Was he still angry about his loss at Open Palm's tournament? He lost fair and square; she was simply better than him at martial arts without the use of Quirks. Perhaps if he had used his Quirk, he would've won, but Open Palm only wanted to see their martial arts skills. She really didn't get Onkyo's deal.
"You okay, Kendo?" Shoda asked the Class Representative.
"I'm fine," she assured with a smile before going back to writing her Hero Name. Hironaka was up next and all the guys immediately paid attention to her as she skipped happily and approached the podium.
"A light in the darkness," Kuroiro spoke as if he saw an angel before turning to Yonaka. "Do you agree, dark brother?"
"I said stop calling me 'dark brother'," Yonaka groaned. Hironaka then placed her whiteboard on the podium, written in Japanese and decorated with hearts.
"The Impact Hero: Compound!" Before either teacher could offer criticism or praise, the guys started chanting 'Compound! Compound!'. Hironaka just smiled innocently, loving the fact that her classmates…her male classmates enjoyed the name so much. Vlad King and Sunstorm showed annoyance at the males of Class 1-B fawning and cheering for the oblivious Kana Hironaka.
"Alright, alright, enough," Sunstorm silenced the chanting.
"Shoto Man," Todoroki revealed after his first name was rejected. Midnight shook her head.
"Todoroki, that's practically the same thing except adding 'Man' at the end," she criticized. "If you need help, try asking your classmates."
"Okay," Todoroki responded with his usual monotone expression. He quietly returned to his seat and erased his whiteboard. As he thought of another name to use, Yukine rose from her seat and went up next.
"Here's mine," she announced. "The Winter Hero: Snow Angel."
"That's a great one!" Midnight praised. After Yukine returned to her seat, Nagami slithered up to the podium and showed her name in Japanese kanjis.
"The Snake Hero: Medusa!"
"Nice!" Takeo complimented, earning a smile from his friend.
The students kept coming one by one forward to reveal their Hero Names, being met either with approval or criticism and needing to change it. Todoroki simply stared at the whiteboard, having no ideas for a Hero Name besides 'Shoto'. He had never thought of a Hero Name before, but he certainly had no desire to take the name 'Endeavor'.
"You need to learn to control your left side," Endeavor told Shoto after his match with Midoriya. "But still, I'm happy to see that you've finally overcome your childish rebellion." He then extended his arm towards his son, filled with pride that he had finally used his flames in the fight against Midoriya.
"Come work for me after you graduate. I'll lead you down the path of the mighty."
"Shut up," Todoroki snapped, causing his father to drop his arrogant smile. "In that moment, I didn't even think of you." Shoto looked down at his left arm, the left side of his gym clothes having been burned off by his flames.
"This…this is my power and if you think I used it to appease your ego, you're wrong. I don't give a damn about your hatred for All Might; I will be the hero I choose to be, not the one YOU want me to be."
"I want you to be the mightiest," Endeavor answered.
"You want me to be succeed where you failed," Shoto coldly remarked. "I aim to be #1, but because I want to, not because you tell me to. If I do become #1, don't expect me to thank you…for anything."
He had no desire to 'honor' his father by becoming a hero like him. If Endeavor's idea of strength was being cruel and brutal towards his family with no regard for their happiness, then Shoto would rather be weak. But then again, Endeavor definitely thought so after Shoto lost against Furaya when he hesitated to use his flames.
What name could Shoto come up with that showed his determination to be his own hero and not what Endeavor bred him to be? Perhaps he could ask for help from Midoriya…but he had already gone up and presented his Hero Name: Deku.
Upon hearing that name, Bakugo and Uraraka both looked up with different reactions. Bakugo was furious that the insect had taken the name he had used to degrade him for so long and changed its meaning to 'You can do it!'. What was Deku getting at? To Bakugo, it would always mean 'Useless, worthless'. Uraraka, on the other hand, was happy that Midoriya had taken the name as a motivation rather than an insult as Bakugo intended it to be. She had seen his determination, his strength, his willingness to stand up for what's right and he deserved a name that reflected his desire to be the best hero he can be.
Todoroki didn't smile, but felt some inspiration after Midoriya said why he chose his Hero Name. It embodied the kind of hero he desired to be: the one who could tell others 'You can do it!', who reached out to others with a kind smile. Unfortunately, Todoroki still couldn't come up with a name that embodied the kind of hero he desired to be. But his thoughts were cut short when Bakugo went up to the podium again.
"Lord Explosion Murder!" Bakugo barked.
"That's the same thing," Midnight deadpanned. "Didn't you listen to what Open Palm said?"
"What about Master Explosion Murder!?" Bakugo questioned, annoying the teachers and students.
"Bakugo, having 'Explosion Murder' in your Hero Name isn't going to work," the blind martial artist informed the Explosion user. "Why are you so insistent on using it?"
"Because it's a great name!" Bakugo argued.
As Midnight tried to convince Bakugo that it was not good, Open Palm sensed Bakugo's stubbornness. He simply would not be convinced to drop 'Explosion Murder' from his Hero Name…so he came up with an idea.
"Alright," Open Palm spoke, attracting Bakugo's attention.
"Alright what?" Midnight asked.
"Bakugo, if you're so determined to keep 'Explosion Murder'-
"King Explosion Murder!" Open Palm let out a quiet sigh.
"If you're determined to keep your name, we'll let you…on one condition: you have to beat me in a fight. You and I will go outside and you'll need to land three hits on me in three minutes. If you win, we'll let you keep the name, but if you lose, you drop 'Explosion Murder' for good."
Bakugo truly wanted to keep his Hero Name as it was and Open Palm just offered him a way to do so. However, the Explosion user wasn't a fool; he'd be up against the blind martial artist who had single-handedly defeated Class 1-A at the start of the year, who could go toe-to-toe with All Might in their prime. His Quirk would be a major disadvantage against Open Palm because of how loud it was, which would undoubtedly give away his attacks and location. He'd have to be smart.
"I'll do it," Bakugo accepted. "And I'll do it without my Quirk."
"Without your Quirk?" Open Palm asked, genuinely surprised. "I won't forbid it."
"I said I'd do it without my Quirk!" Bakugo barked. "Now let's go so I can murder you!"
After changing into his gym clothes, Bakugo walked into Open Palm's dojo. The martial arts instructor stood without his staff, waiting for the challenger to arrive. The Explosion user was determined to keep 'Explosion Murder' in his Hero Name, but for reasons he didn't understand, his teachers found it horrible.
"Alright, Bakugo," Open Palm addressed. "You land three hits on me in three minutes, you keep the name. You fail, you have to drop 'Explosion Murder' for good. I won't fight back, I will merely dodge your attacks."
Bakugo would've personally taken that as an insult, but he knew that in a straight up fight against Open Palm, he wouldn't stand a chance. He had made the mistake of underestimating him at the start of the year and he wouldn't repeat that poor choice again.
"I'll murder you and-"
"Yes, I'm aware," Open Palm deadpanned. "Alright, your three minutes start…NOW!"
Bakugo wasted no time or effort in throwing punches against Open Palm, who easily dodged his attacks. While Bakugo struggled to land a single hit on the martial arts legend, letting out shouts and screams of fury, Open Palm just smirked as he didn't even break a sweat against his student.
"You chose not to use your Quirk because your explosions were loud, didn't you?" Open Palm questioned as he kept dodging Bakugo's punches. "Maybe it'd help if you didn't scream so much."
Just when Bakugo was about to let out another scream of fury, he immediately silenced himself just as Open Palm insisted. The Explosion wielder was so used to shouting in combat that it had become second nature to him, that he always yelled during a fight. But that exact habit would prove detrimental in his fight against Open Palm as it would give away his attacks to the blind martial artist.
Open Palm couldn't help but let a small smile break across his face as he continued dodging Bakugo's attacks. Without him screaming at the top of his lungs, he had a harder time predicting Bakugo's attacks, though he still easily dodged them all the same. However, a few started coming close, the Explosion wielder mixing it up with his punches to hopefully throw the martial artist off guard and land a hit.
Bam. Open Palm felt a blow to his stomach, Bakugo having successfully landed a hit on U.A.'s martial arts instructor. A proud grin stretched across Bakugo's face: one hit down, two to go and he had two minutes left to spare. As he got one hit in each minute, victory would be his and he'd call himself King Explosion Murder.
"You're much smarter than you look, Bakugo," Open Palm complimented as he once again started dodging Bakugo's punches. "Every time you've fought here, you scream as loud as a police siren. And your attacks...they're definitely much more refined than the start of the year."
"Of course they are!" Bakugo barked. "If I'm to be the #1 Hero one day, I need to beat anyone and everyone who challenges me!"
"Don't get cocky, Bakugo," Open Palm reminded. "The test's not over yet; you still need two more hits."
The second minute went by and Bakugo was unsuccessful in landing a hit despite remaining quiet and not letting out ferocious shouts as he often did. He had one minute left to land in two hits on the martial arts instructor, his improvised strategy of mixing up his attacks starting to prove ineffective against the blind martial artist. Open Palm dodged each of his attacks with ease, frustrating the Explosion wielder; caught up in his temper, Bakugo's attacks started to become sloppy. He exerted too much energy in his punches, was breathing too heavily due to his frustration and was doing his best to keep himself from screaming.
An alarm went off on Open Palm's phone, indicating that the three minutes were up. Bakugo had failed to get in all three hits as the challenge required.
"DAMMIT!" Bakugo roared. Just as he was about to unleash an explosion, Open Palm grabbed his hands and pinned him to the ground.
"Don't throw a temper tantrum just because you lost," he scolded. The blind martial artist then released Bakugo and allowed him to rise to his feet, his aura filled with frustration and anger at having failed the challenge.
"I'm disappointed in you, Bakugo," Open Palm spoke. "Not because you failed the challenge, but because of how you're handling the loss. Do you plan to throw an explosive temper tantrum every time you lose?"
"What's wrong with 'Explosion Murder'!?" Bakugo questioned once again.
"Bakugo, we've been over this," Open Palm replied. "Having 'Explosion Murder' in your name does not work. An ideal Hero Name both inspires hope in the innocent people we protect and fear in the villains we fight. Why is it so hard for you to accept that? Haven't you learned from the rescue exercise you failed?"
Still, Bakugo didn't see the reasons why rescuing people were just as important as defeating villains. Every time he thought of a Pro Hero was, he imagined All Might in his battles against villains, ranging from 1v1 to a group of them against him. No matter the odds, no matter how hard they fought, All Might came out on top in the end. That's what he always envisioned as a true hero; someone who fought and achieved victory no matter the difficulty, not wasting time helping extras who were too weak to help themselves.
"So what if it doesn't inspire hope?" Bakugo questioned. "My goal is to become the #1 Hero and that's by becoming the strongest like All Might, not wasting-"
"Is his strength the only thing you admire about All Might?" Open Palm questioned.
"What're you getting at?" Bakugo asked.
"I asked you first," Open Palm responded. "Is his strength all you admire about All Might?"
Bakugo was confused by the question. All Might wouldn't be the #1 Hero if it weren't for his amazing fighting skills, which he had seen firsthand during the USJ Attack. If All Might wasn't the strongest, someone else would've taken the position of #1. But in every battle he had seen and known of concerning All Might, the Symbol of Peace had never lost a fight and Bakugo aspired to be the same.
However, his losses against Deku during Combat Training and against Furaya during the Sports Festival served as a very bitter reminder to him. He was nowhere near All Might's level, not even close, when he couldn't beat the boy he had long tormented nor a Quirkless he demeaned.
"His strength is what makes him the greatest," Bakugo answered. "If he wasn't the strongest, he wouldn't be #1."
"Only half true," Open Palm corrected. "While strength is needed to be a Pro Hero, it alone doesn't make one. What makes All Might the greatest isn't just his strength, but how he chooses to use it. He uses that power to protect people, to give them hope and fight against villain rather than just anyone for the sake of it. Would you still admire All Might if he were a villain?" Bakugo scoffed.
"All Might would never be a villain. He's not a loser like they are."
"So that's your view on heroes and villains?" Open Palm asked. "Heroes are strong and villains are weak? Pretty black and white."
"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Bakugo argued.
"No," Open Palm stated. "The big difference between heroes and villains isn't as simple as simply being strong and winning. Sometimes, heroes win, but other times, villains have won. I would know; I was a Pro Hero for years. If strength is all that matters, there's ultimately no difference between heroes and villains."
Bakugo's angry expression softened a bit. He started to seriously consider Open Palm's question: what if All Might was a villain rather than a hero? What if he had used his strength and power to oppress people rather than to protect them? What if he used his power to rule as a tyrant rather than serving as an example for other heroes? Would he still admire him then?
Open Palm hoped Bakugo would listen. He needed to understand that what made the difference between heroes and villains wasn't strength alone, but how they used that strength. In his years as a Pro Hero, he had seen many powerful Quirks, some used for good, others for evil. In his eyes, that was what truly made the difference between a hero and a villain: a hero uses their powers to help and protect others while villain use their powers to help only themselves, no matter who they hurt.
"Do you understand what I'm telling you, Bakugo?" Open Palm asked.
"Fine," Bakugo groaned before walking away. The martial artist sighed as the Explosion user walked away in a huff, frustrated that he couldn't use the name he wanted because Open Palm and Midnight deemed it too violent.
Bakugo had so much potential, but it was all hindered by his pride, his inability to keep his temper under his control and his almost non-existent empathy. There was no doubt that he would keep aiming to be at the top, but could he overcome the obstacles needed to achieve his dream?
By the end of the day, everyone except Todoroki and Bakugo had decided on a hero name. Now they were handed their list of internship offers, which they were to go over and make a decision by Wednesday.
As he sat with Sato, Ojiro and Kiyama, Raionhato looked over the various agencies that were available to him. Even with his poor choices in his match against Bakugo, he still received quite a bit of attention from high-ranking heroes.
"Whoa," Sato gasped as he saw Takeo's list of offers. "I almost forgot how many internship offers you got."
"Pretty cool, right?" Takeo chuckled. "I was…I was kind of hoping I'd get an internship offer from Guardian, but I don't see his name anywhere."
"Well, you did get over 900 internship offersssss," Kiyama brought up. "Maybe he'ssssss in there and you just haven't found him yet."
"Or maybe he doesn't want to waste his time on a coward like you," Bakugo insulted. Raionhato put the list of offers down and stood up to glare at the Explosion user.
"Says the guy who violently lashed out against Furaya because he couldn't handle a loss," he retorted. "You have no room to criticize me for my mistakes when you won't own up to yours." The tension started to grow between the two students as they glared at one another.
"My mistakes were nothing compared to yours!" Bakugo snapped. "You didn't take me seriously and then you refused a rematch! You think you're anything like a hero!? You're just a coward!"
"And you're a self-absorbed hypocrite!" Raionhato shot back. "It's fine when you disrespect everyone else, but it's such a horrible atrocity when YOU'RE disrespected! You just honestly think you can do whatever you want and no one's allowed-"
"Alright, stop!" Iida spoke, coming between the two of them.
"Stay out of this, Four Eyes!" Bakugo barked. "This is between me and Kitty Squire!" The Explosion user pointed a finger at the son of Lioness.
"You owe me a rematch! If you think I'm going to accept that half-assed result from the Sports Festival, you're wrong! And you better take me seriously or I'll-"
"You'll what?" Takeo challenged before walking up to Bakugo. "You want a rematch? Fine. Let's get into our gym clothes and fight it out."
Takeo had to own up to what he said: when presented the opportunity to fight Bakugo again, he'd take it. But it wasn't about Bakugo's ego or owing him a way to mend his pride, but for Takeo's own development. It was about proving that he wouldn't repeat the mistake he made during the Sports Festival, one which cost him potential internship offers.
Bakugo couldn't wait to fight Kitty Squire. His victory over him was hollow and empty because Raionhato didn't take him seriously during the fight. In the eyes of everyone, Raionhato's loss affected him more, but in Bakugo's eyes, it affected him the most because it left him with an unsatisfying win. Now was his chance to take that victory and prove his superiority over Kitty Squire.
"You better not cower out this time," Bakugo sneered. "Let's go." Before anyone could object, Takeo and Katsuki walked out of the classroom, presumably heading to get into their gym clothes.
"Uh, should we stop them?" Sato asked.
"No," Zankoku responded. "Those two have been at each other's throats for long enough. Let them duke it out."
It was probably for the best that the class let Takeo and Katsuki fight out their issues. It was no secret to any of them the immense disdain they held for each other ever since they started U.A. At least if they sparred, they could fight it out in a controlled setting without getting into trouble.
"So…who wants to watch?" Shiruku asked. "My money's on Raionhato."
Whack.
Takeo and Katsuki went to the men's changing room to get into their gym clothes for their fight. Neither of them uttered a word to each other; there was nothing to be said between them. They despised each other and didn't bother to hide it from their classmates. All that was left to do was settle the matter once and for all.
Takeo had seen Bakugo's skills in battle; they were nothing to be scoffed at, but the son of Lioness was certain he could beat the arrogant Explosion user. He couldn't hope to match Bakugo's raw firepower, but he had versatility, skill, and creativity on his side. Like Furaya, he hoped to put Bakugo in his place, to show him that he was not the legend he thought he was.
Bakugo remained furious that Kitty Squire didn't go all out on him as he did against Raccoon Eyes and Bird Boy. What right did Kitty Squire have to call himself a hero when he did what he did against the Explosion user? A true hero never backs down from a fight, always goes all out against their opponent.
But now was their chance to let out all their anger towards each other, for Bakugo to prove himself superior to Raionhato or for Raionhato to prove to Bakugo that he wasn't the legend he claimed to be. Bakugo wanted his pride to mended and Raionhato wanted to prove he wouldn't repeat the same mistake that cost him victory and internship offers.
"Listen, Kitty Squire-"
"No, you listen!" Takeo barked, cutting Bakugo off. "I'm not doing this because I owe you anything! I don't care about your pride and your ego! I'm doing this for MY benefit, not yours!"
"I don't care why you're doing this!" he snapped. "What matters to me is that you come at me with everything you've got! I'm not accepting another half-assed result like in the Sports Festival! I only won because YOU didn't give it your all! You cower out like you did again and I'll kill you!"
"Like you tried to do to Furaya, you sore loser!?"
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?"
"You heard me! Let's go!"
"Gladly!"
The two classmates left the changing room and headed for Gym Gamma for their rematch, both of them fueled not only by their disdain for each other, but their desire to mend what they had lost. Bakugo's pride would never be satiated until he had fought Kitty Boy at his fullest and Raionhato needed to show that he would not let his anger cloud his judgment as it did during the Sports Festival. Upon entering the gym, much to their surprise, many of their classmates were there.
"What the hell are you extras doing in here!?" Bakugo barked.
"We just want to see who wins," Kirishima answered. "It's so manly that you two are having a rematch!"
"And we need to make sure you two get medical attention in case either of you pass out," Iida added. "Plus, we need to make sure you keep the damage in Gym Gamma to a minimum."
"Don't lecture us, Four Eyes!" Bakugo snapped. "We know the damn rules of the gym!"
"Then follow them unless you wish to be banned from the gym!" Iida demanded.
"I'll act as referee if you'd like," Momo offered, to which neither Bakugo nor Raionhato refused.
Raionhato and Bakugo took up opposing positions on the gym, Raionhato on the right and Bakugo on the left. Bakugo raised his right hand and created several small explosions, a scowl of determination and surprisingly controlled rage on his face. As for Raionhato, he summoned his Concussion Gauntlet on his right arm and Lion Mane and a Wire Gauntlet on his left, taking a defensive stance against the Explosion user. The two of them didn't break eye contact, focused on the immediate fight at hand.
"So, who'sssss your money on?" Nagami asked Ojiro and Sato.
"Honestly, I have to say Bakugo," Sato answered. "Raionhato's my friend, but Bakugo…he's just a beast when it comes to fighting."
"I honestly think Raionhato can win this," Ojiro replied. "I mean, he won against Ashido and Tokoyami. He only lost against Bakugo because he wasn't really thinking."
"Yeah, but Bakugo's got insane firepower," Yukine pointed out. "Raionhato really doesn't have that kind of power."
As Momo stood on the center of the sideline, overhearing the conversations between the present students, she herself wondered who would win. Both of them clearly had a great grasp on their Quirks, but Bakugo's Explosion had superior firepower and was overall much better for offense and mobility rather than Raionhato's Inventory. On the other hand, Raionhato had better versatility and a vast array of weaponry while Bakugo was restricted to his Explosions; though versatile, they were restricted to his hands and overuse of them would injure his forearms.
"Begin!" Momo cried out.
Bakugo launched himself towards Raionhato, who threw a punch at him when he got close. The Explosion user evaded the attack by blasting himself slightly to the side and unleashing a bigger blast from the top, which Raionhato blocked with Lion Mane before swinging his shield at Bakugo, connected by his wires. Bakugo used an explosion to deflect the shield before landing and launching right back at his opponent.
The two of them quickly traded clashes with one another. Much to Bakugo's surprise, he was having trouble penetrating Raionhato's defense; his reflexes were much better than he expected. Though he couldn't penetrate Raionhato's defense, the Inventory user couldn't land a hit on Bakugo with any of his weapons. The Explosion user's reflexes were simply too precise and his speed and power unable to be matched by Raionhato's weapons.
This was the fight Bakugo wanted, to fight Raionhato with the same prowess his opponent used against Raccoon Eyes and Bird Boy. Now he started to truly understand how strong the son of Lioness and Paladin was; even if he didn't think he was the strongest in their class, which was taken by IcyHot, Raionhato was still a force to be reckoned with in his own right.
"Whoa," Jiro gasped. "I honestly didn't expect Raionhato to really go toe-to-toe with Bakugo."
"Yeah, it's amazing what Raionhato can do when he's actually thinking clearly," Zankoku commented as the fight carried on.
"Stun Grenade!" Bakugo cried out as he unleashed a blinding light from his hands. Raionhato quickly raised his shield to protect his eyes from Bakugo's Stun Grenade, but this kept him from seeing his opponent launch himself at him. Instead of attacking directly, he used one explosion as a smokescreen while leaping above Raionhato before launching another explosion at his back. However, Raionhato dodged the attack and cried out 'Shield Slam!' He connected Lion Mane to his wires, swung it around him and then down towards Bakugo, though the Explosion user dodged the attack.
As Midoriya watched the fight, even he became uncertain of who would win. Even though he knew Kacchan was a massive jerk, his skill and intelligence in combat was unquestionable. He didn't imagine a lot of people being able to beat Kacchan, but to his surprise, Uraraka, Okami, now Raionhato were putting up a great fight against him while Furaya managed to beat him. He was genuinely surprised that they were quite a few people who could go toe-to-toe with Kacchan, including himself.
Raionhato charged at Bakugo a few times, but the latter would use upward explosions to knock Raionhato off-balance. The Inventory user was quick to dodge Bakugo's attacks, but one of the attacks managed to land on him. Takeo fell to the ground, hurt but not beaten by Bakugo's explosion. The Explosion user pressed the attack, but Raionhato managed to grab his arm with his right hand and then hit Bakugo in the stomach with Lion Mane.
"Whoa, Raionhato managed to land a hit on Bakugo!" Ashido exclaimed. "Man, these two are really strong!"
"Wassss there ever any doubt about him?" Nagami smiled. She was happy knowing that Raionhato had kept his word and had a rematch with Bakugo as he said he would. While his disdain for Bakugo remained present, he was much calmer, strategical and fought with the prowess that made him as strong as he was.
Finally, the fatigue and exhaustion started to catch up with the two combatants and they stopped to catch their breath. They both breathed heavily, hoping to continue the match as soon as they were ready. Though Bakugo wouldn't say it, his forearms were starting to ache from how much he was using his Explosions, but he wasn't about to forfeit. This was the fight he wanted, to see how truly strong Raionhato was.
"You're…much stronger…than I thought…when your head's…not up your ass…" Bakugo huffed.
"Holy crap…you're such…an asshole," Takeo groaned. "But…at least…you know…how to fight…" It took several moments, but the two of them caught their breath and prepared to continue the fight.
"Let's finish this, Raionhato!" Bakugo cried out as the two of them charged at each other, Raionhato armed with his sword and shield while Bakugo prepared one powerful explosion. Everyone tensed up as they waited for the final clash to see who would win. Would it be Bakugo or would it be Raionhato? Would Bakugo prove his superiority to Raionhato or would Raionhato put Bakugo in his place?
The two of them attacked, Bakugo with an explosion, Raionhato with Lion Saber, resulting a blast of smoke and hot air. A small crater was left in the center of where they collided, though the smoke prevented the students from seeing the victor. When they didn't see any movement for a while, Yukine used her Quirk to clear the smoke, revealing both Raionhato and Bakugo unconscious on the floor. Raionhato's gym shirt was half blown off while Bakugo's shoulder was cut and bleeding.
"Raionhato! Bakugo!" The students rushed over to their unconscious classmates. Nagami and Momo picked up Raionhato while Kirishima and Midoriya picked up Bakugo to get them to the infirmary for their injuries.
"So you're offering Raionhato the internship?" Invulnerastone asked Aquarius in his office.
"Yes, I am," he confirmed. "Nezu asked me to do so. That kid needs to learn the truth behind his father."
Aquarius sighed heavily. He hadn't spoken to Paladin's family in years, ever since a mission that ended in tragedy for him and for Lioness and Takeo. To this day, Raionhato's family didn't know the whole truth behind what happened to Paladin; the Water Body Hero had never found the courage to approach them and tell them.
But he could no longer run. He had to tell them the truth, starting with Takeo Raionhato. He needed to know the truth behind his father's demise.
"Nezu will insist for him to come here," Aquarius told Invulnerastone. "But…from what he was told from Lioness, Paladin and Fukushu can be very sensitive topics for him. I need to be careful about how I tell him."
"Just tell him," Invulnerastone insisted. "You were his father's friend."
"A father's friend he hasn't seen in years," Aquarius corrected. "It…it could get a bit awkward."
"Well, you agreed to it and now you need to see it through," Invulnerastone insisted. "He'll be here next week, provided he does come as Nezu said. I hope you're ready."
As Invulnerastone left Aquarius's office, the Water Body Hero sighed quietly as he reflected on his time with the Weaponry Hero: Paladin.
Before his demise, Paladin was the #18 Hero on the scoreboard, renowned by many of his strong sense of justice and a desire to protect the innocent. Like Lioness, he always spoke out against the shallowness and hypocrisy of Pro Heroes who only cared about their own fame and fortune rather than helping people. He sought to lead by example, to use his strength to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
"Hrah!" Paladin cried out as he thrust his spear at a villain shooting spikes out of his hands. Clad in leather armor and armed with his renown spear, Paladin fought against the villain to protect the innocent woman nearby, who were hanging from a bridge.
"Hold on!" Aquarius called out as he turned his arms into water. "Take a deep breath!" He stretched out his aquatic arms, increased the size of his hands and used them to grab the woman struggling to hold on. While Paladin held off the Spike Villain, Aquarius pulled up the woman to safety and released her on the ground.
"No!" the Spike Villain barked. "You're mine, bitch! How dare you try to leave me!" He was sucker punched in a face with a metal gauntlet, bruising the right side of his face. Paladin then proceeded to do it again and again until he punched the villain against a wall.
"You bastard!" he shouted out. "After everything you've done to her! You'll pay for your cruelty!" He then summoned a round shield and slammed it into the Spike Villain's gut so hard, it made him vomit. The Spike Villain felt onto his knees, groaning in pain and vomit stuck on his lips.
"She's…mine…" he snarled. "After everything-"
"You beat her for the smallest offenses!" Paladin snarled before raising his fist to start beating the Spike Villain down again.
"Paladin, stop!" Aquarius cried out, grabbing his arm with his aquatic hand. "He's beaten. We need to hand him over to the police."
His desire to protect innocent people could be so strong that sometimes, he'd get caught up in the heat of hatred towards his enemies. To Aquarius, he wondered what truly led to his death: his desire to protect innocents…or his desire to punish those he hated. One way or another, it led to the death of the Weaponry Hero: Paladin.
And soon, Takeo Raionhato would learn the whole truth.