My Hero Association Chapter-9
Month 1: Weeks 1-4:
Sero, Sword & Sorcery
Raiders of the Lost Sword: Atomic-Samurai, Iairon, BushiDrill, Geisha-Itachi, Sero
The world seemed to tilt and spin around Sero, as he clung to the railing of the large but rickety fishing-boat. He squinted into the endless expanse of gray-blue ocean, his stomach lurching with every rise and fall of the stormy waves. He had never been on a boat before, much less out at sea, so this was a brand-new experience for him.
A very nauseating experience.
He'd been at sea for nearly a week now, joining the Swordmasters Atomic-Samurai, Iairon, BushiDrill, and Geisha-Itachi on some epic quest, but had spent the first few days unbearably seasick and unable to do anything but stay in his sleeping quarters, attempting to acclimate to the conditions of the voyage.
On the sixth day, he finally found his sea-legs and was able to exit his quarters and explore the rest of the ship. Atomic-Samurai and his disciples spent most of their time on the ship-deck practicing their sword-technique, and all Sero could do was watch from the sidelines. The Swordmasters were completely unfazed by the stormy weather and the constant rocking of the ship. Even after several days, Sero was barely able to keep himself steady, but their footing was nearly perfect.
"Ugh… This sucks..." he groaned, tightening his grip on the railing as another ocean wave slammed into the ship, sending a salty spray of seawater all over his face. His nausea kicked in again, and he expended the contents of his stomach over the side.
"So this is how Uraraka feels, whenever she fights or pushes her Quirk?" Sero thought to himself. "Damn. I knew she was tough, but to feel this way so often and never once complain?"
"Get your act together, Tape-Boy," Atomic-Samurai said flatly, giving Sero a hard look. "A warrior maintains his footing, even at sea. If you can't handle this, then you can forget about being a hero."
BushiDrill and Geisha-Itachi both laughed at Sero's expense, while Atomic just shot him a glance that seemed to weigh his worth - or lack of worth.
In truth, Sero wasn't expecting a warm welcome. Atomic-Samurai already made it clear that he "only acknowledged the strong," and Sero's Tape was... Tape.
Iairon was the only one of the Swordmasters who didn't give him a hard time. He spent the entire voyage practicing with his katana, alone on the opposite end of the ship. When Sero asked why he was training alone, BushiDrill and Geisha-Itachi explained to him that Iairon lost his right-arm during the alien-invasion that destroyed City-A, and ever since then, he's been training twice as hard as he had before.
"He plans on becoming more dangerous with one arm than he ever was with two." BushiDrill said.
Sero found himself drawn to Iairon's solitary practice. His movements were clean and precise, even with the constant sway of the ship. With each strike of his katana, the blade whistled through the salty sea air, a testament to his relentless training and form. Sero couldn't help but admire the quiet intensity of the swordsman, his single arm moving in perfect harmony with his body.
Sero couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose an arm in battle, and silently hoped that he would never have to find out for himself.
"Hey, Iairon," Sero called, approaching cautiously. He still wasn't entirely steady on his feet, but the railing served as a decent crutch.
Iairon paused mid-swing, lowering his blade and turning toward Sero with a calm but curious expression. "Yes?"
"Mind if I ask you something?" Sero scratched the back of his head, feeling a little self-conscious under Iairon's piercing gaze. "I mean, you're always training so hard, and I just wanted to know... How do you… I mean, what keeps you going?"
Iairon sheathed his katana with practiced ease, his gaze shifting briefly to the horizon before meeting Sero's eyes again. "You're asking why I train?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, you've been at it nonstop since we got on this boat, even in this weather. I can barely stand, let alone do anything productive."
Iairon smiled. "The reason I train is simple: Necessity. Losing my arm may have been a setback, but if anything, I'm grateful for it. For every setback, there is an opportunity for you to learn something, and the greater the setback, the more you can learn."
"What did you learn?" Sero asked.
"I learned that there are enemies out there who are far more powerful than I am, and I can't afford to stay where I'm at now. Being near the top of Class-A might sound impressive to some people, but with the increasing number of Demon and Dragon-Level monsters attacking... Class-A just isn't enough anymore. I need to make it into Class-S, and fast. I don't have the luxury of training at a comfortable pace, and losing an arm is no excuse. I need to train harder, so I will."
Sero was impressed by the conviction in Iairon's voice, but hearing his story also made him feel a bit guilty. For the longest time, he never really pushed himself at all. In fact, he was probably the least ambitious member of his entire class. Ever since his humiliating loss against Todoroki back in the Sports-Festival, he knew there was absolutely no point in trying to compete with him, or Bakugo, and certainly not Midoriya. Trying to compete academically against Yaoyorozu and Iida was just as futile, but he didn't really care as long as he got passing grades. He was perfectly content with just scraping by and becoming Cellophane the support-hero, and nothing more. Until now, he always thought that he was being humble and realistic for thinking that way, but was that truly his reason? Or was he just being... Lazy?
"Wow, that's… honestly, that's incredible. But, uh, what about me?" Sero asked. "I mean, you've seen my Quirk. It's Tape. What's that good for against… well, anything?"
Iairon tilted his head slightly, studying Sero for a moment before speaking. "Well, your Tape may not be very powerful like a sword, but it's flexible and has good range. If you could improve your accuracy, and how quickly you're able to fire your strands, that can make a small difference at least. I'd also suggest looking into other kinds of weapons and tools, to compensate for your Tape's lower offensive abilities. Once we return to the mainland, I could help you search for the right weapon, if a sword isn't a good match."
Sero mulled over Iairon's words, glancing down at his hands. "Improving my aim and quickdraw..."
"I think it's a good place to start," Iairon replied, his tone firm but encouraging. "The results won't happen overnight, but if you truly commit yourself to any kind of training, for any kind of skill, then I promise your efforts will not be in vain. Having raw power is good, but dedication is everything."
For a moment, the two stood in silence, the sound of waves crashing against the ship, misty seawater filling the air. Sero felt a spark of inspiration take root, a sense of purpose he hadn't felt in a very long time.
"Thanks, Iairon," he said, a genuine smile breaking across his face. "I guess I better get to work."
Iairon simply nodded.
As Sero turned around and headed back across the deck, he found himself brimming with a newfound resolve. If dedication is everything like he said, then it's no wonder why he was so much weaker than the rest of his classmates.
"I've been too lazy for too long," He thought to himself. "I might never be as tough as Todoroki or Midoriya, but that's no reason to settle for where I'm at. I can't afford to settle for where I'm at!"
Iairon's words about necessity echoed in the back of Sero's mind. If they were going to stand any chance against All-For-One, Shigaraki, and all the other villains back home, then they all needed to get stronger, including him. Especially him.
If Sero ended up being Class-1A's weak-link...
Well, he wasn't going to be their weak-link.
The morning sun peeked over the horizon as the crew prepared for another day at sea. Sero had been awake for hours, his mind replaying Iairon's advice. He sat on the edge of the deck, extending his mutated elbows and testing the speed at which he could fire his tape, trying to imagine scenarios where every fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death. There wasn't much on the ship for him to practice with, but until he returned to the Association Headquarters and could use one of their special gyms, he decided he would just work-out his Quirk any way that he could, and also work-out the rest of his body while he was at it.
He had woken up two whole hours earlier than normal, and found a quiet, solitary spot on the portside of the ship to train. After spending those two hours firing his tape out into the ocean with as much force as he could muster, the ship's deck suddenly creaked as Iairon approached. Sero paused his training to greet the young Swordmaster.
"Oh, hey Iairon!"
Iairon nodded. "Training already?"
"Yeah," Sero replied, "I'm trying to put more 'oomph' into my shots. Y'know, make it shoot out faster and farther. I've already wasted a whole lot of time being seasick, and I don't want to return from this trip with nothing to show for it."
"Alright," Iairon said with a grin, drawing out his katana in a single, fluid motion. The blade glinted in the morning light. "Show me."
Sero blinked. "Huh?"
"Attack me," Iairon said. His tone was calm, but the intensity in his gaze left no room for argument. "Use your Tape on me. Shooting it into the ocean is fine, but having a clear target to aim at is better."
Sero gulped and stood up, readying his hands. He fired a strand of tape at Iairon's chest, planning to restrain him, but before the tape could make contact, the Swordsman's blade came down in a powerful chop. In the next second, Sero's tape gently fell to the deck in two neat halves.
Iairon lowered his sword. "Again."
Sero fired two more strands at him in quick succession, one aimed at his right shoulder and the other at his left. Iairon dodged the first one and cut through the second with minimal effort.
"I can see there's a little more power behind your attacks compared to the first time we sparred," Iairon observed. "However, you mustn't overstress yourself. You're tensing your muscles up several seconds before you strike. Doing that may increase the power of your shots, but it also telegraphs your next move in advance. Not only that, but your entire body is incredibly stiff. Try to relax a little. Build-up the pressure in your elbows as you're raising them up and firing, no sooner and no later."
Sero nodded, and tried again, this time trying not to be so tense. The two heroes continued training for the rest of the day, with the occasional conversations in-between exercises.
Another two days passed, and Sero couldn't tell if he'd made any kind of improvement. Iairon continued to evade and slice-up his tape. If he had improved, it wasn't enough to close the gap between them. On the fourth day, Sero asked his mentor if he could see any improvement. Iairon smiled at him and sheathed his blade.
"Yes. It might be gradual, imperceptible for most, but I promise you that you are improving."
Sero wasn't sure if he believed him or not. He suspected that he might just be saying that to be nice.
"How... How can you be sure that I'm improving?"
"Because you haven't given up yet. It's as simple as that." Iairon said.
"Really?"
"I told you before, dedication is everything. Anyone can simply wish to grow stronger, but true strength only comes to those who are willing to delay their gratification, and continue their journey, even when their destination is out of view."
Sero contemplated his words for a moment, but Iairon wasn't done talking yet.
"I've been where you are, Sero. When I first chose to become a swordsman, it took me three years, three years, for Master Atomic to finally acknowledge me. I spent the next three years climbing the ranks of the Hero-Association, and now I'm desperately trying to make it into Class-S. I've been at it for over a month now, but I honestly can't tell if I've made any headway, either."
"Is it really that hard?" Sero asked, and Iairon nodded in reply.
"The power-gap between strongest Class-A and the weakest Class-S is quite significant, and that's not even counting SweetMask."
Iairon then explained to him how SweetMask was the top-ranking Class-A hero, but was more than qualified for Class-S, and that he chose to remain Class-A Rank-1 so that he could screen everyone beneath him, and ensure that only those who are stronger than him were allowed to advance.
"I've been stuck at Class-A Rank-2 for over a year, but I'm still nowhere close to catching up to SweetMask, and Master Atomic is even farther ahead of me."
Iairon placed a hand on Sero's shoulder. "So believe me Sero, what you're feeling right now is completely normal, so don't let it get to you. Just keep going."
Sero forced a smile. "Alright, I will."
The two were about to resume their training, when BushiDrill's voice cut through the air.
"We're approaching the island! Everyone, prepare to disembark!"
Sero looked over the railing and spotted their destination: a jagged silhouette rising from the sea, its peaks shrouded in mist. Whatever the Swordmasters were looking for, it was hidden somewhere within the dense jungles and mountains waiting beyond the island shores. His stomach churned, not from seasickness this time, but from anxiety.
As the crew prepared to drop anchor, Sero glanced over at Iairon, who was now speaking with Atomic-Samurai. He wondered what they were talking about. Were they discussing the mission, or was Iairon giving a progress-report on Sero's training?
Atomic-Samurai briefly glanced over at Sero, then returned his attention to Iairon. The two of them wrapped-up their conversation, and Iairon went to give Sero the news.
"Master Atomic has agreed to let you join us on the island. This'll be a very good learning experience for you. You can pack a lunch and a canteen of water, but otherwise we'll travel light."
Sero did as he was told, and soon he and the Swordmasters were on a much smaller boat, rowing towards the shores of the island.
As they were rowing, Sero noticed that, in addition to himself, Iairon, BushiDrill, Geisha-Itachi, and of course Atomic-Samurai, there was a sixth Swordsman joining them on their adventure, someone that Sero hadn't seen before. He was a very old man with scarred eyes, a cane-sword, and who wore traditional black robes.
"Uhh, who's this guy?" Sero asked.
The old man turned to face him, an amused grin on his wrinkled face.
"I'm sorry, we haven't been formally introduced, have we? I am Nichirin, and I am the head of the Holy-Order of the Sword."
"And for the record, he's also the only one here who's even stronger than Master Atomic." BushiDrill gruffly added. "So I suggest you show him proper respect."
Sero's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "Oh, I, uh... Okay. It's an honor to make your acquaintance, Mr. Nichirin sir..."
He then awkwardly attempted to bow in respect to him, to which Nichirin simply laughed.
"So uh, where have you been? I mean, I never saw you before on the ship..." Sero asked.
"That's because I spent the entire voyage meditating in my quarters." Nichirin explained.
"The entire voyage? But we've been sailing for over 10 days!"
"Yes, my meditations usually last a full month, but this time I was forced to make an exception."
Nichirin spoke about it so matter-of-factly, but Sero was dumbstruck. He was still getting used to the idea that people in this world, without Quirks, could perform blatantly superhuman feats like going a whole month without food or water. And the idea that there was a Swordmaster even stronger than Atomic-Samurai, who was several tiers above Iairon, who was inhumanly powerful and skilled with a blade in his own right...
"What the hell am I getting into here?" Sero wondered. "Why would so many crazy-strong dudes even need to team-up like this? Is the mission that dangerous?"
Suddenly, he wished that he had stayed on the ship.
But it was too late to turn back. Sero and the Swordmasters made it to shore, and with Nichirin and Atomic taking the lead, they began venturing into the mysterious island's dense, foreboding jungle, using their blades to slash their way through any vines and foliage that blocked their path.
"What are we even doing here, exactly?" Sero finally asked Iairon. "If all these powerful swordsmen are teaming-up, then I assume it must be a big deal, right?"
"Yes, very much so," Iairon stated, keeping his eyes forward as he continued to cut a path for them. "If the intel Master Atomic received turns out to be correct, then the Holy-Order of the Sword may finally accomplish their sacred-mission..."
"Which is..."
Iairon stopped for a moment and looked Sero in the eyes.
"Do you not know the Legend?"
"Uhh... No. What Legend?" Sero asked.
Iairon facepalmed himself. "I'm sorry, I just assumed you were aware. It's common knowledge among swordsmen, but perhaps not among other demographics..."
"Hey, it's cool man, I just wanted to know what this whole mission thing is about." Sero told him.
"Yes, well, it's a long and ancient story, but to keep it short..."
Iairon sheathed his katana, and began to give Sero a quick history-lesson about the origins of the Holy-Order of the Sword.
"Many centuries ago, there used to be a second continent on the opposite side of the planet, and on that continent, there was once an ancient kingdom that produced the most powerful swords, and the most formidable swordsmen to ever exist. But then, over a thousand years ago, that kingdom, and the entire continent was destroyed in a catastrophic event, and sank into the ocean."
"Kinda sounds like a magical version of Ancient Japan, with the fate of Atlantis." Sero thought to himself as he listened to Iairon's story.
"Very little is known about what exactly happened and why, as most records and traces of the continent and its inhabitants were destroyed in the cataclysm. Some historians and archeologists have speculated that it was caused by a war between rival nations, or perhaps it was the very first monster-attack in history. Nobody knows for sure."
"Okay, but what does any of that have to do with the mission we're on?" Sero asked.
"A century before the cataclysm, at the height of the Lost-Kingdom's prosperity and military strength, a legendary blacksmith had forged two katanas of Divine-Quality. They were called the SunBlade, and the MoonBlade. The MoonBlade was gifted to the queen of an allied nation, far away on the Western-Continent, while the SunBlade remained on the Eastern-Continent, and was entrusted to the ruler of the Lost-Kingdom. When the cataclysm struck and the kingdom and continent were annihilated, both of these holy-swords went missing."
"Just like the Ark of the Covenant, or the Holy-Grail." Sero thought, being reminded of a really, REALLY old movie-trilogy that his dad always loved to watch. Iairon continued the story.
"However, it is said that whoever manages to find and reunite these twin blades, and also tame their power, will become the strongest swordsman in the entire universe, and even have the power to bring back the Lost-Kingdom. The Holy-Order of the Sword has made it their sacred-mission to bring this legend into fruition."
Sero took a moment to process all that Iairon had told him.
"And you think this trip we're on right now will accomplish that mission?" he asked.
"Yes. Do you realize where we are right now?"
Sero thought for a moment, and then his eyes widened in realization.
"We're on the opposite side of the planet, on an island in the middle of the ocean. And if that story you just told me is true then... This island must be what's left of that ancient continent that sank into the ocean!"
"Exactly." Iairon said. "Furthermore, this island only rises to the surface once every ten years, and later sinks back down after one year. The Hero-Association had discovered it not too long ago using their satellite-imagery. The SunBlade must be here. Or if not the blade itself, then at least a clue to its current resting-place." With that, he resumed cutting up a trail for them to walk down.
Sero looked around at the trees and vegetation. Now that he was paying closer attention, he realized that there was something... off about these plants. The grass and vines bore a closer resemblance to seaweed, the moss had some odd colorations, and many of the trees had properties that made them seem almost aquatic in nature. It looked almost like a hybrid between a tropical jungle and a coral-reef. If what Iairon said was true, and this island was submerged for long stretches of time before periodically rising above sea-level, then perhaps the wildlife here had evolved to live in both environments.
"But wait... Doesn't evolution take millions of years to pull something like that off? And he said the continent was sunken only a thousand years ago..."
After a while though, Sero just shrugged it off and decided not to overthink it. "Different world, different rules. No point trying to make sense out of it."
(One Hour Later...)
The jungle was eerily quiet. There was no sound of insects buzzing or birds calling to one another. Sero stayed close behind the Swordmasters, feeling both excitement and trepidation as they moved deeper and deeper into the island's dense undergrowth.
Then came a high-pitched, bone-chilling screech, vibrating through the trees. A hideous creature BOLTED out of the foliage and lunged right at Sero's face, intending to maul him. But before Sero even had time to scream in utter fright, the creature was completely diced-up into dozens of cleanly-cut pieces and fell to the ground.
"That screech must've been this creature calling for reinforcements." Nichirin thought out load as he sheathed his cane-sword. "We should expect more of them to arrive shortly."
"More of them?" Sero managed to say in a quiet, anxious tone. It all happened so quickly...
He looked down at the remains of the creature that attacked him. Nichirin had made quick work of it, cutting it into straight, even slices like a vegetable on a chopping-board. But its physical features could still be made out. It had an ugly, scaly purple perplexion, a thin, lanky build that was almost skeletal, a long tail, and looked like it must've been quadrupedal, given the four severed feet. Its face resembled a monkey, but with fishlike scales and fins.
"Wh... What even was that thing? Some kind of sea-monkey?" Sero asked. Nichirin just shrugged his shoulders and continued walking.
"The world is overrun with all kinds of mysterious and feral creatures," He said. "It's nearly impossible to keep track of them all, and there doesn't appear to be a single root-cause for their existence. If I had to guess, I'd say that these creatures are maybe some sort of offshoot of the Clan of the SeaFolk that attacked City-J a couple of months ago. Or perhaps they were intentionally created by someone to guard the SunBlade."
Less than a minute had passed when Sero and the Swordmasters were met by an entire horde of rabid sea-monkeys. Nichirin was right, the first one must've sounded an alarm before it died.
The sea-monkeys were numerous, outnumbering them by more than ten-to-one, but the Swordmasters made quick work of them regardless, so much so that neither Nichirin nor Atomic even bothered to participate, leaving it all to their Disciples.
Sero watched in amazement as Iairon demonstrated his full capabilities. With his one arm, he positioned himself in a low stance, his blade gleaming in the filtered jungle light. Seven monkeys lunged at him from all sides, screeching and snapping with sharp, needle-like teeth.
Iairon moved like lightning. In a single, sweeping motion, he sidestepped their attacks, his katana seemingly transformed into an arc of light as he dismembered and beheaded all of them in less than two seconds. Without pausing, he dashed forward and killed another sea-monkey, bringing down his katana and splitting it in half before it had time to dodge. Two more of the creatures, enraged, came at him from both sides, intending to rip out his throat with their sharp teeth and claws. But Iairon slipped out of the way and bisected both monsters in a single horizontal slash.
BushiDrill and Geisha-Itachi were collectively just as formidable. They all tore through scores of the feral, fishlike simians, hardly breaking a sweat in the process. In less than a minute, it was over, and the ground was littered with sea-monkey corpses.
"Whoa..." was all that Sero could think to say.
Just moments later, a deep and powerful roar was heard, and the creature responsible barged into view, knocking over several trees as it approached.
It was a massive, jagged-toothed abomination, standing roughly 7-feet-tall, with a pale-blue scaly hide, webbed hands and feet, and long claws for nails. Its eyes were black as coal, and its mouth was hideously formed into a permanent smile that showed-off its crocodile-like teeth. It also appeared to be extremely muscular, and worst of all... It looked hungry.
"AAAAGH! What the hell is THAT?!" Sero screamed.
"Nothing worth drawing my sword out for..." Atomic-Samurai muttered, stepping forward to confront the monster. His hand plucked his long wooden toothpick from his mouth, while his actual sword remained sheathed at his side.
Sero watched in disbelief. Was he really going to fight that thing with… a toothpick?
The monster charged at him, moving with a surprising amount of speed, its every footfall causing a small tremor in the ground. But Atomic-Samurai was faster. With a few rapid flicks of his wrist, the toothpick sliced through the monster, leaving behind dozens of straight lines of burning-yellow light. The monster froze for a second, its eyes now wide in horror, and then broke apart into hundreds of clean slices, dead before it could even throw a single punch.
Sero was completely awestruck, unable to even process what he'd just seen. Atomic-Samurai casually slipped the toothpick back into his mouth, totally unbothered. The toothpick didn't even appear to have any blood on it, he had killed the creature so fast.
"What the actual F*?!" Sero exclaimed.
The Samurai grunted, stepping over the massive corpse without a second glance.
The Disciples finished cleaning the blood off their weapons, and the party resumed their journey.
"What the hell am I doing here?" Sero thought. There was absolutely nothing he could contribute, nothing to justify him tagging along with such outrageously strong warriors, on a mission to fulfill a centuries-old prophecy, one that he had no stake in anyway. He couldn't think of a single excuse for him to be here. He was WAY out of his league.
Another hour passed, and the party soon exited the jungles, and entered what looked like the ruins of an ancient city. Massive stone-structures, clearly manmade, were arranged in a gridlike pattern, some standing over 10-stories-tall, while others had only a single floor. Each and every stone building was covered in the oddly-colored moss and marine vegetation found throughout the island, clear signs that they've been uninhabited for centuries.
"The SunBlade is close," Nichirin stated. "I can feel it's presence now. It's calling out to us. Calling out to any who might seek it."
Sero cocked an eyebrow. Iairon had told him that the SunBlade was of Divine-Quality, but he didn't think that meant it was capable of 'calling-out' or 'wanting' things, as if it were alive. When someone claims that an item is of 'Divine-Quality', you'd normally expect it to be hyperbole. Lots of people say stuff like that, especially salesmen, but it doesn't mean that the sword is straight-up magic...
"Ah, who am I kidding? A this point it'd be weirder if it wasn't straight-up magic." Sero thought.
The party continued through the city-ruins, past the remnants of the city-square, and what must have once been a mighty palace, trusting in Nichirin's sixth-sense to guide the way. They soon exited the urban area, and found their way to the opposite end of the valley within which the city was built, heading towards the base of a mountain. Another ancient stone structure was carved into the mountainside, one that resembled the entrance to a Greco-Roman Parthenon, its once white marble stone having been overtaken by the strange turquoise moss.
"The SunBlade is waiting for us in the heart of this temple." Nichirin said. "And many trials are no doubt waiting for us as well."
Atomic-Samurai and his Disciples nodded, and followed behind Nichirin. Iairon looked back to Sero, and gestured for him to join.
"Do I need to... I mean, wouldn't it be better if I stayed outside? I'd only slow you guys down."
"If you stay outside, then we won't be there to protect you if more of those monsters show up." BushiDrill countered. That was more than enough to convince Sero not to stay behind.
Swallowing his fear, he followed the Swordmasters into the ancient and imposing temple. Using flashlights to illuminate the dark hallways, they could see carvings of ancient warriors etched into the stone walls. As they continued, they were met with trap after trap—mechanical blades, swinging pendulums, narrow paths and pressure-sensitive tiles that set off even more traps, all meant to test the skills of any swordsman who dared enter.
"It really is JUST LIKE the movies that Dad and I used to watch every summer." Sero thought.
Atomic-Samurai led the way, slicing through obstacles with incredible precision, while Iairon, BushiDrill and Geisha-Itachi followed close behind. Sero struggled to keep up, nearly impaled by one of the temple's traps, but Iairon pushed him out of the way just in time.
After what felt like an eternity, they entered the temple's final chamber, and what they found rendered all the Swordmasters breathless. There, laid out before them, was a shimmering golden katana held within an ivory-white scabbard.
"The SunBlade..." Atomic-Samurai whispered.
"This is... this is... Historic." BushiDrill muttered, struggling to find the right words to describe it all.
"A historic moment indeed, one I had feared I would not live to see..." Nichirin added.
The SunBlade rested on an altar, its golden hilt gleaming under a shaft of sunlight that filtered in through a crack in the stone ceiling. But between them and the blade lay an impassable gorge, an extremely wide ravine which couldn't have been less than 300-feet across, and its depths were completely lost to shadow.
Iairon stepped forward, gauging the distance. "We're closer than ever, but without a way across, the SunBlade might as well be miles away."
Atomic-Samurai, BushiDrill and Geisha-Itachi scanned the ravine, each of them visibly frustrated. Their strength and skill with a blade weren't going to help them cross the divide.
That was when Sero had an idea, being once again reminded of the old movies he used to watch with his Dad.
"I got it!" He shouted. "There's actually a bridge crossing the gorge! But it's been painted to look identical to the ravine, making it invisible from this perspective! Like an optical illusion!"
"What the hell are you talking about, kid?" Atomic-Samurai asked him.
Sero just rolled his eyes. Clearly these swordsmen had never been exposed to quality cinema.
"Trust me! There's an invisible-bridge! I'll prove it right now!"
Sero walked towards the edge of the chasm, and for the very first time during this journey, he felt more confident than even the Swordmasters were feeling. Iairon stared in horror, realizing that the young man intended to walk right off the ledge.
"Sero DON'T!" Iairon shouted, but Sero turned back and smiled as he continued walking.
"Just trust me, okay? I've seen this trick before! There's an invisible-bridge! All you need to do is take a Leap of FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
Sero stepped off the ledge and began plummeting down into the dark ravine below, screaming his last word as he fell. The Swordmasters watched with their jaws dropped, too dumbfounded by the Tape-Boy's suicidal strategy to even try and stop him.
Reflexively, Sero shot two strands of tape from his elbows, which adhered to both sides of the ravine and halted his deadly descent. Sero sighed in relief as he precariously hung from his two lifelines. He looked up, and could just make out the stony ceiling above.
"Okay, so apparently there wasn't an invisible-bridge, but there totally should've been!" he shouted back up to the Swordmasters.
"Sero?! You're alive?!" Iairon shouted down with a mix of shock and relief.
"Of course I'm alive! I used my Tape to break my fall!" Sero replied. After thinking through his options, he released one strand of tape, and with his free elbow, fired a new strand directly upwards, until it attached itself to the ceiling. Then Sero began to reel himself back up and out of the ravine.
The Swordmasters had never gotten to really see Sero use his Tape as a grappling-line until now, and some had completely forgotten his Quirk even had such an application. The young hero swayed in the air a bit as he hung from the one strand.
"Alright guys, could you step to the side for me real quick? I'm gonna swing back over to you."
"Swing back over..."
The second those words left his mouth, Sero and the Swordmasters all had the same thought.
"You could swing over to the other side of the chasm and retrieve the SunBlade!" Iairon exclaimed.
Sero looked behind him and gauged the distance, then looked up to double-check the integrity of the ceiling, and smiled.
"Yeah, I bet I could!"
"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on," BushiDrill butted in. "Are we seriously gonna trust the rookie with something like this?"
"Agreed. Too risky." Atomic-Samurai seconded. "He's too clumsy, and he has no business touching something as powerful and sacred as the SunBlade."
"I suppose then that you have a better idea?" Nichirin asked.
Atomic-Samurai stood silent for a long minute, before finally giving an answer.
"No, I don't."
"Well then why not give the boy a chance?" Nichirin suggested.
Atomic grumbled something under his breath, before finally looking over at Sero, who was still hanging by his Tape strand.
"Fine. You get one chance, Kid. Better not screw it up."
Sero nodded. He spun around and started swinging back and forth to build-up momentum. He released his strand and fired a new one, and before he knew it, he had made it across the ravine and the SunBlade was within his reach.
Cautiously, Sero approached the altar that the legendary sword was rested upon. He may have been wrong about the invisible-bridge, but surely it couldn't be this easy, could it? There must be one more deadly trap set to go off, in the event the SunBlade were removed.
"Oh, I get it now." Sero thought, "This place takes after the temple from the beginning of the first movie, not the one at the end of the third."
"What are you waiting for, kid? Grab it and let's go!" BushiDrill shouted impatiently.
"I will, but as soon as I do, we'll need to haul-ass out of here, quickly!" Sero called back.
"Really? Why's that?" Iairon asked.
"Call it a hunch!"
Sero looked back to the SunBlade. He took several precarious steps closer to it, all the while checking the floor for any more of those pressure-sensitive tiles. At long last, the holy-sword of legend was close enough to be grasped by his own two hands. Sero took off the backpack he had been carrying with him this whole time, and unzipped it open. He double-checked and triple-checked his surroundings, and as quickly as he could, he grabbed the SunBlade and stuffed it into his backpack, zipping it closed and bolting in the direction he came.
Just as he suspected, removing the SunBlade from its altar must've triggered yet another mechanism, as the entire chamber began to tremble and quake. Not wasting any time, Sero fired a strand of tape and bravely swung across the gorge, joining the Swordmasters on the other side. There was no time to celebrate, however, as the entire temple was now collapsing.
"Everybody, run for the exit! Sero shouted, "And watch out for more traps!"
The party hurriedly retraced their steps, rushing through the temple hallways, dodging poisonous darts and falling bricks and debris as they went by. Sero could feel his heart pumping from excitement and terror, as he used his Tape to swing through the halls and pass over any traps and pressure-tiles. They were almost home-free, but just one slip up could be fatal.
Thankfully, both Sero and the Swordmasters were able to escape from the temple, and just in time to witness as the entire mountain that it was carved into fully imploded and caved-in on itself, collapsing until the mountain was completely inverted into a bottomless crater.
"Whoa..." Sero managed to say.
"You can say that again." BushiDrill said, still not taking his eyes off the demolished structure.
Sero and the Swordmasters all stood perfectly still and quietly for a full minute, staring at the now vacant space where a grandiose mountain and temple had once stood. Finally, Nichirin turned his gaze to Sero.
"You have the SunBlade?"
Sero nodded. He opened up his backpack, and from it he pulled out the SunBlade. With as much reverence and care as possible, he walked forward and placed the holy-sword in Nichirin's waiting hands. The Swordmasters all stood silent for a moment, looking down at the ancient and mighty treasure that they had dedicated their lives to recovering. Then Nichirin gave Sero a gentle nod, and BushiDrill cracked a rare smile.
"Nice job, kid." Iairon cheerfully said, placing a hand on Sero's shoulder. "Not half-bad for your first real mission."
Sero smiled. This didn't change the fact that he was a weakling, but at least he got to do something to help them out. He looked over to Atomic-Samurai. If he was at all impressed or grateful to Sero for what he did, he didn't show it.
"Alright, back to the ship. We're heading home."
"Yes, Master!" the Disciples all said in unison, including their Quirky sidekick Hanta Sero.
Some Author's Notes:
SO Sorry for the delay, guys! And I'm DOUBLY sorry for how short this chapter is compared to all the previous ones. And I'm TRIPLY sorry if you were expecting Sero to Awaken his Quirk this chapter like Iida did in Chapter-8. Sero's Awakening won't happen until much later down the road, so this chapter was mostly focused on establishing his relationship with the Swordmasters and introducing the lore of the SunBlade and MoonBlade.
Again, I'm sorry that this chapter was shorter and took a while to release, though rest assured that the next few chapters will be much longer and more eventful. I promise I've been trying to crank these chapters out fast, but some crazy unexpected things recently happened in my personal life, plus I was spending time with my family during Thanksgiving and getting ready for Christmas etc.
The biggest reason this chapter took so long to finish though, is that it's a Sero-centric chapter, and well, I'm just gonna say it, Sero's one of those characters that just doesn't have much of anything going on. I don't hate him or anything, but he's just kinda there, y'know? He's one of the least interesting and least-explored characters in the entire MHA cast, so I had very little to work with, and had to put in a TON of thought into how I was gonna make him an even somewhat interesting character, and give him some kind of arc, and hopefully get people invested in him. And of course, the most challenging part of all is... How the HECK am I supposed to level-up TAPE?
After much thought and consideration, I finally settled on two different kinds of power-ups for him, and I've got a general plan for what his arc and endpoint will be.
Now, since this chapter ended up being a lot shorter, I figured I'd at least spend this time giving some assorted notes and trivia for the story thus far, and answering a couple of questions:
1: Although its name was never stated in-story, the giant pale-blue fish-ape monster that Atomic-Samurai casually slaughtered in this chapter would be named Seasquatch, which is a play on the words 'sea' and 'Sasquatch". His design was inspired by Killer-Croc from Batman: Arkham-Origins and/or Arkham Asylum, along with Abomination from Marvel Comics, and as for power-scaling, Seasquatch would classify as a Mid Demon-Level Threat.
2: In the Official OnePunchMan Manga, Nichirin just kinda already has the SunBlade on him, and then conveniently pulls it out and gives it to Atomic-Samurai as soon as the plot demands that he receive a crazy power-up. Here though, for the sake of making the SunBlade feel less like an ass-pull and giving Sero and the Swordmasters something to do before the Monster-Association War, I decided to make an entire quest out of them acquiring the SunBlade, while also introducing the mystery of the Lost-Kingdom / Lost-Continent, and the Ancient Cataclysm that destroyed it.
3: Since I know somebody's gonna bring this up... Yes, realistically speaking, given their strength and showings, both in my story AND in the canon manga, Atomic-Samurai and Nichirin should both have more than enough leg-strength to just, JUMP over the ravine and retrieve the SunBlade on their own. But for Sero's sake, and for the sake of the plot and the themes of the story and whatnot, I'm just gonna say that they both can only leap a maximum of 120-feet forwards, and leap up to 75-feet high at their current-level, and the ravine was 300-feet wide, over twice as far as their current max leaping-distance. Sero's Tape, however, can be fired a maximum of 350-feet as of now. Before the voyage, however, he could only fire his Tape up to 100-feet, so all that training he did with Iairon on the boat? Iairon was right, even though he couldn't see the difference, Sero REALLY WAS improving, and that small improvement ended up making all the difference at the end of this Chapter!
I'm sure I don't even need to clarify which movie-trilogy Sero was talking about and comparing the temple's traps to, so I won't.
Well, that's all I've got for today. I promise the next chapter will come out sooner, hopefully in time for Christmas or New Year's. Thanks again for all the amazing support, and GodSpeed!