I only own this fan fiction. May contain Out of Character moments.
The next floor matched the Chinese aesthetic innate to the Temple most. There were paper tapestries hanging on the walls depicting traditionally painted natural landscapes, especially ones from China. Training dummies made of wood instead of more modern materials lined one wall and mats made from straw lined the floors in front of another. And there were shelves filled with scrolls and Chinese weaponry, though staves were the most common of them all.
Students were, like the dance hall below them, were organized by age and were all practicing their respective form progressions in tandem. One of those groups was being led by Master Ping, the large panda that moved with greater ferocity and speed than his more human-looking fellow instructors.
However, the moment Izuku and Minoru stepped towards the panda… A very familiar and angry voice howled through the hall.
"You!"
Minoru whipped his head around and found the huge, threatening wolf girl from the Provisional License Exam, Okami, stomping towards him. The sight of her approach completely silenced the shorter boy. Izuku also paled at the sight of her, remembering how intimidating she was. The two immediately prepared for battle with baton extended and One for All sparking. But what stopped the confrontation from taking place was the two fuzzy paws that picked up Okami by the waist and placed her aside.
"Saigai Asahi! What did I tell you about mauling other people!?" Master Ping asked, placing his paws on his hips. It was weird to see a panda scolding a wolf, especially when the latter is at least a few heads taller than the former.
"But Master! This is the guy I was telling you about! The sticky rat that done Raidou in at the License Exam!" She replied with a point, a clawed finger pointing at Minoru.
"The little guy won against 4 of you! FOUR! I'd say that should warrant some respect from you considering he's not built for direct combat. The problem doesn't lie with your supposed nemesis! You're just upset that Kazama's extra lessons robbed you of alone time with him!"
"N-No one else needs to know that! Least of all them!" She barked, noticeably getting more and more flustered as she gestured at Izuku and Minoru. The two of them just stared in at the two animal persons going back and forth. And each time the conversation made a pass, the wolf girl's impressive presence simply shrunk until she finally relented with Master Ping's final point.
"You all got your provisional licenses, right? So stop being so damn obsessed over this petty shit and move on with your fucking life! It's just not worth it! And please excuse my language! Go take 10!" Ping replied, yelling those last two things towards the rest of the hall.
"Yes Master Ping!" The students shouted in unison as they finalized their drills.
Saigai didn't say anything to the panda. Instead, she turned to Minoru suddenly, causing the shorter boy to reflexively flinch. Saigai then walked past him with 'hmph' and curled up in an unoccupied corner like the wolf she resembles. Ping simply sighed and placed a paw over his face, shaking his head all the while.
"Such a problem child… Totally going about my advice in the most aggressive way possible… It's hard to believe she's one of the finest Heroes-in-Training currently in Tsujigiri. Did you know, despite the heavy penalty placed on her, she was able to pass the License Exam without any further error?"
"Wow, really? Pretty much everyone then made some kind of error during the second half. So for her to pass, despite what she did to Minoru-kun, is honestly impressive." Izuku said, eyes wide with awe.
"Dude… I'm right here…"
"Sorry…"
"Anyway, sorry for getting you guys caught up in all that when you've just arrived. I'm Ping Liang Shan, I teach Animal Style Kung-Fu here in the Mountain Hall. I'm not a pro Hero… But feel free to drop by if you need advice or something." Ping said with a bow.
"Midoriya Izuku and we'll take you up on the offer when it's needed." Izuku replied, returning the gesture.
"When you do, I promise I'll be more welcoming and– Hey! HEY! Don't touch that or so help me God I'll say something we'll all regret!" Ping said, before hurrying off to the sight of students messing with an intricately detailed urn. Izuku looked at Minoru, who simply shrugged.
And so the two simply went onto the next floor.
On the next floor, Izuku and Minoru found the sight of people with wooden swords and shields flailing at one another. Well… It looked like flailing, but the way they swung their swords and moved their shields were too orderly. There were some older students throwing spears and axes, real spears and axes, into straw dummies at another part of the hall. And the last group of students were forming up into ranks, discussing formations and tactics.
"Welcome to the Thunder Hall, home to Authentic Viking Combat. And right next to you is a historian for the naval museum by the port, and this hall's lead instructor, Soren the North" A voice next to them greeted them. Looking over, there was a table and chair near the stairway. And sitting upon it, working on putting together a ship-in-a-bottle was Soren the North. It was kind of funny to Minoru, seeing a large rugged man like him work on something so small, delicate, and precise. But by the looks of it, man was completely in his element.
He was currently putting together what looked like a pirate ship from that one long running pirate manga.
"Master Soren! Sorry if we're late." Minoru said, lowering his head.
"It's fine, I'm not too picky about tardiness unless it's a repeat offense. And based on what I heard from Ping's floor, you had a run in with Miss Saigai. People from Tsujigiri are always a little difficult to manage. Take Master Eclipse for example." Soren replied with an easy-going smile.
"That… Makes so much sense…" Minoru muttered, reflecting on the man's contempt for Villains and super aggressive driving.
"And this is your partner I take it? You're much calmer in person than in the footage of the UA Sports Festival. Has your visit to the Heaven and Earth Temple been pleasant so far?" Soren asked, turning to the green haired boy. Izuku immediately responded with an enthusiastic nod and his signature smile.
"Midoriya Izuku! It's a little strange and a lot different from what I expected… But I'm really enjoying my time so far! And it's such a surprise to see some familiar faces here."
"Then I hope the surprises keep on coming. The hall above me is the Moon Hall. Could you please bring this up there and to the Sky Hall? I bought some sweets on my way in today and wanted to share it with everyone. But I haven't seen Eclipse or Murakumo yet." Soren said, pulling 2 bags from under the table and holding it before the pair. Izuku and Minoru nodded and accepted the bags, one for each of them.
And without needing another word, the two boys bowed to the rugged man and climbed the stairs.
The Moon Hall was… Interesting. In only one section of the room, there was the standard training equipment. The rest was decorated with furniture commonly found in a house and/or an office, with different lighting to match. The strangest part though was the fact that no one was there and only the sounds from the halls above and below them could be heard.
Last time Minoru was here, there were people training in the combat arts with Master Eclipse and his instructors. But there's no one here now…
"Why is it empty?" Izuku asked as he walked towards the training area.
"I don't think it is…" Minoru replied, following his partner as he noticed haphazardly discarded training weapons. His eyes then had fallen on a nearby dining table and barely noticed a young man sitting under it. His nervous gaze came into contact with the shorter boy's and started shifting his position, making it harder for Minoru to completely see him.
Ah… That's why…
"They're hiding… But from what?" Izuku asked, noticing someone in the darkness of the ceiling. Before the shorter boy could answer, the two of them felt a presence behind them and immediately whipped their heads behind them. But there was nothing there…
"Master Eclipse?" Minoru called out. That was when another, more hostile presence appeared directly behind them again. Izuku's body glowed with the sparks of One for All as Minoru extended his baton, both ready to fight. Only to hear the sound of something spilling on the floor. The boys looked down and found that Izuku's bag was cut open. Then a dark cloaked figure slowly became visible in front of Izuku.
"You died." The figure said, his knife returning into said cloak. Combined with the figure's conical hat, draped in a similarly dark cloth that hid his face, he resembled more of a specter of death than a person.
"Master Eclipse! What was that about!?"
"Something to gauge you and your friend's current counter-stealth abilities. It needs work." Eclipse answered bluntly. He then crouched down, began picking up the sweets and putting them in his pocket. He was lucky they were individually wrapped, or the man would've wasted Soren's kindness and money.
"We weren't expecting something like that." Izuku replied, helping Eclipse pick up the sweets despite it being the man's fault it spilled in the first place.
"As a Hero, you never know when trouble arises. So it's important to be ready the moment you sense something is wrong. A single moment of hesitation can cost someone their lives. It can be a Hero, a civilian, or your own…" Eclipse said grimly as the two finished picking up the sweets. The man then offered two pieces to Izuku and Minoru, who accepted them gratefully but cautiously.
"This is my first lesson to you as Eclipse of the Moon Hall, teacher of Post-Quirk Ninjutsu. And you'll be learning many more here at the Heaven and Earth Temple."
"Midoriya Izuku. And we'll be more aware next time."
"You better be… For I won't be nearly as merciful then…" Eclipse said before disappearing from sight.
"He's… Pretty scary…" Izuku said, letting out a tense exhale. Someone in the hall let out a yelp as they stumbled out of a dresser. Izuku and Minoru then saw students and instructors alike, one-by-one, getting forced out of their hiding spots in succession. It was honestly terrifying, to know you cannot hide from Eclipse no matter how out of sight you are.
"He's totally on a different level from Bakugou or Todoroki. He's even worse with Villains and criminals, if you could believe that." Minoru said, causing his partner to shudder at the thought. But with that, and the discovery of every person hiding in the Moon Hall, the two climbed up the steps into the final hall.
Upon reaching the top floor, they saw that half of the floor was a dedicated archery range with archers firing into straw and wood targets. On the other half, students were sparring with one another by using the bow itself as a weapon. Standing amongst the archers, Minoru spotted the sky blue hair of Master Murakumo. She was using a traditional yumi bow instead of her impressive greatbow, following the graceful yet stoic forms put into firing it.
And once the arrow was loose, it struck the target's dead center with satisfying thud.
"Good shot Master Murakumo!" Minoru said as he and Izuku approached the archer from behind. She glanced over her shoulder and nodded at the two before readying her next arrow.
"Welcome to the Heaven Hall, I am Murakumo. Please excuse my lack of hospitality, I am in the middle of a demonstration." She said, going through the firing form again. Her arrow was fired again, hitting the spot on the right of the first.
"No, that's okay. You're actually a bit more welcoming than Eclipse below… I'm Midoriya Izuku."
"That does sound like him, good manners are not his strong suit. But just know, he, like many heroes, is incredibly dedicated to his job. I am often jealous of his passion, and those of the other masters, since I have yet to find mine." Murakumo replied, firing another arrow. It had struck the target again, this time to the left of the first.
"You're not passionate about your work?" Izuku asked, tilting his head. It was a pretty foreign concept, even to Minoru, as almost everyone has some kind of drive that moves them through life. And even if they don't have one, they tend to find one at some point in their lives.
Murakumo made it sound like she'll never find hers.
"Being a Hero is simply a job. I don't feel the need to invest or immerse myself more than I need to. Of course, I don't neglect my duties, nor the people I look after… But unlike my arrows, I have no direction in this." She replied, firing another arrow that flawlessly struck the target. This time above the first. But as she drew her final arrow, Minoru and Izuku could feel a greater sense of purpose behind it.
"But Fenghuang Shifu, my fellow masters, this Temple… Everything here gave me a hint to the path I want to travel. And it all begins by showing others the beautiful yet deadly art of Combat Archery." Murakumo said, letting loose her final arrow. Instead of striking the target below the first, it went straight down the first arrow and split it in two.
"I'm sure you both will find your paths here too." She continued, turning to the two boys.
"We've already found the path we want to be on… We just need the strength to travel it." Minoru said. The archer gave the smallest of smiles and walked over to the hole at the center of the hall. Izuku and Minoru followed as she rested a hand on the railing.
"Then you best start from there. Your training awaits." Murakumo said, her eyes falling on the taiji on the basement floor, something that can still be seen from this far up. Minoru and Izuku gave a resolute nod, feeling the determination and motivation flow into them. However, before they started making their way back down, Minoru raised his bag of sweets to Murakumo.
"Master Soren wanted to give you this."
With a simple nod of thanks as she accepted it, the duo then began their descent down into the basement. Once more, the Taiji Hall was exactly as Minoru remembered it being. The taiji on the floor was made from light and dark wood whose grain blended seamlessly into one another. With the eight trigrams surrounding it, Minoru realized it united the halls above them onto this one space.
Was that why there was a hole in each of the floors? To link them all together?
"Huh, there's some people here too." Izuku commented, causing the shorter boy to look at the 3 other individuals here with Fenghuang. They were all practicing with staves, each using a different set of forms. One of them he recognized from the Provisional License Exam, Kazama Raidou and the Hero-in-Training Nomad. The other two were girls that Minoru almost didn't remember. But the memories of his spring stay at the Temple came back with a particularly nasty event, one that sent Minoru down the road of self-awareness and improvement.
They were smiling, happily sparring with one another and Kazama as Fenghuang provided commentary and pointers. Then, with the tap of her signature black/white staff upon the ground, the 3 of them stopped to fully face her.
"Excellent work you 3, you're learning quickly. That will be all from me this session; go to your other masters for your other training."
Fenghuang then bowed to them, the 3 of them immediately doing the same and shouting their thanks. The two girls began picking up their things, talking about their plans after class or what not, but Kazama immediately went towards Minoru and Izuku. If the shorter boy remembered, the guy was one of the more reasonable ones from Tsujigiri. So unlike with Saigai, Minoru simply relaxed and played it cool.
"Ah, so you're the new arrivals Shifu has been talking about. Well, you'll both be in for quite the regiment that'll even push UA students like yourselves to the limit. It was the same for me." He said, resting his staff against his shoulder.
"That's nothing out of the ordinary, we do that all the time. Don't we Izuku?" Minoru replied before turning to his partner.
"It's our school motto. So I'm sure we'll be fine. Thank you for your concerns though."
"No problem, we Heroes-in-Training gotta stick together. Now, I'm off to find Asahi. I imagine she'll be in a bad mood since the sight of you brought back bad memories. Happy training." Kazama replied, before bowing and walking off. The girls waved and said their good-byes to Fenghuang, climbing the stairs to the upper floors hand-in-hand. With the hall emptied off all other people, Izuku and Minoru approached the Radiant Wing with resolution in their heart.
They were ready.
"The other masters are quite the characters, aren't they? It certainly makes the days here at this temple eventful and enjoyable. Though this question must've crossed your mind as you walked through the many Halls… Why was I having you meet the other masters?" Fenghuang said. Izuku immediately began thinking about it, no doubt trying to piece together the reason behind this simple task.
But Minoru already knew.
"Great wisdom can come from anywhere. You told me that during my time here during spring, before the hunt for Stain. So I'm guessing we'll be learning from the other masters during our time here."
"We'll be learning from them? Is that what you did last time you were here?" Izuku asked, turning to his friend in surprise.
"Yeah. You'd be surprised by what you could learn from people who aren't heroes. I'm sure Shifu wouldn't just let anyone do that." Minoru answered. He thought back to that meeting before the Stain hunt and how Hero and civilian alike offered information from their area of expertise. If they, the masters, were to offer that same expertise again, the shorter boy knew he and his partner would only become stronger.
"You are correct, Young Mineta. Those I involved in the Temple's Hero work are people I, my heroes, and my masters explicitly trust. And I trust them to aid in your development as Heroes and as people. So… Shall we begin?" Fenghuang asked. She then readied her fighting stance, her staff whirling around her before coming to rest behind her. The sparks of One for All began dancing around Izuku's body. Minoru armed himself with his baton and hairballs.
And with a shout, the two boys charged ahead.
"Yes Shifu!"
And that has been Chapter 132!
I've got no other news this update. So...
Until Next Time. T1.