Kacchan's harsh words had left me feeling hurt and discouraged, but I knew following him down this overgrown path was the key to uncovering our clue. After a brief moment of hesitation, I started trailing behind him, careful to keep my distance. I nearly lost sight of him as he began ascending a steep, brush-covered slope. Then a bright burst of sunlight through the trees ahead signaled that he had reached a clearing. I quickened my pace, scrambling up the incline as swiftly as I could manage. When I emerged from the dense thicket, Kacchan was standing just paces away, his back turned as he seemed to take in something ahead. Maybe he still hadn't noticed my presence. I took a cautious step to his side, and what I saw then left me utterly awestruck. There, in the middle of the sun-drenched clearing, stood the oldest, largest apple tree I had ever laid eyes on.
This tree must have been centuries old to reach such monumental proportions. Its trunk was as wide across as a small room, textured with deep grooves and knots from untold years of growth. Sturdy branches stretched outwards from the trunk, extending so far they seemed to embrace the entire clearing. Each bough was laden with plump, ripe apples, gleaming red and gold in the soft light. They hung heavy from the graceful, sweeping limbs, as numerous as the stars in the night sky. I could scarcely believe this ancient titan had been hidden away undiscovered in the depths of the wild forest.
It was like stumbling upon a sacred relic from the past, standing firm against the ages. I could feel an energy humming in the air around it, as if it had witnessed generations pass through this clearing, bestowing its fruitful bounty on all who came across its path. This majestic apple tree felt so much larger than life to me in that moment, too beautiful and wizened by time to be real. I stood transfixed beside Kacchan, knowing I would never forget this glimpse of living history before my eyes.
"Wow, it's so huge" I said. Kacchan jumped, startled by my voice.
"Don't sneak up on me like that, you coward. Why are you trailing behind me like a pathetic sidekick?" he barked, as though he was surprised.
"I... I'm sorry, Kacchan" I said meekly. "I should have listened to you earlier. I didn't mean to hold us back but that path was so creepy."
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Deku" he snapped. "Your clumsiness always cause trouble."
"Please forgive me Kacchan. I promise I will be more careful"
"Yeah, of course you didn't mean to" he grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Just try not to mess up this time. We already have wasted enough time. Now focus on the clue."
"Yeah, sure. Where should we start looking first?" I said, sighing in relief. The lack of his normal explosive reaction was evidence that he was far more drained than I thought.
As much as we needed to complete our assignment, I couldn't bring myself to disturb this natural wonder in any way. The thought of harming even a single leaf or root seemed like sacrilege. So I started thinking of a way to appreciate the tree's beauty without damaging it.
"Don't you go near that tree. It's far too beautiful for your rough and clumsy hands. I will go search the top and you will stay put. Got it?" he threatened.
Far too beautiful? I never imagined Kacchan appreciating anything other than his own quirk. The Kacchan I knew only cared about power and strength. Considered himself above all. He seemed to have realized that being a hero meant appreciating all life, not just his own power. Seems like our hero training has honed more than just our quirk, has helped us realize what we are, made us believe in ourselves.
"Sure, Kacchan. I will do as you say. I will stay put" I agreed amiably. More than happy to step back.
He used a big explosion and the next moment, he was out of sight, leaving me behind to ponder over the last clue. I scuffed my feet to push away some of apples and collapsed awkwardly onto the hard, dusty earth. My legs throbbed and my back protested from the grueling hike through rugged terrain and the exhaustive process of clambering up each towering apple tree, scouring every branch and leaf. The hours of fruitless searching had worn me down, leaving my body weary and sore.
I tried to ignore my body's protest and focus on our last clue. Why did the clue said "Beware of the hands that reach for me" ? If the clue was pointing to this place all along, why should we be wary? Judging by the overgrown tree, it seems no villager has discovered this place yet. The fence ended back there, and even within it we saw many animals. So what danger could lurk here?
The clue also said "You can take the time to pause and retreat". Hmm, Why retreat when we are so close to completing our assignment? This is the last checkpoint. The clue we find here will reveal the location of our hidden object.
Suddenly, a growling sound pierced the silence, and I realized why I had felt so uneasy about this dark path. I stood shakily, searching for the sound's source. Instinctively taking a fighting stance, I swung my bag around, pulling out my blade. The sound of rustling came from my right. Suddenly, four wolves emerged from the bushes. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment as we sized each other up. The way those wolves nonchalantly came here seemed like this was their place and I am the intruder here. Their fur were matted and their eyes were wild, focused intently on me. As they bared their teeth, strands of saliva stretched between their jaws. The largest wolf, a hulking grey beast, took a step forward, snarling menacingly. The wolves' aggressive posture and lack of fear indicated these were no ordinary wolves. The wolves wasted no time and charged forward.
I dropped into a crouch, dropping my bag and knocked the first wolf into dirt and rolled right to create some distance. I sprang to my feet and took fighting stance reluctantly as I don't want to hurt them. I looked the three wolves in the eyes to convey my silent message as they circled me. My plea went unheard as the second wolf on my right lunged. I crouched low and spun, slicing the wolf's belly. It gave a miserable yelp and I shuddered at the sound. I paid for it dearly when I failed to notice another wolf lunging at me. Its teeth sank into my arm and I heard myself scream. The pain was like nothing I'd ever known. It echoed inside me, multiplying on itself, scraping at the bone.
My blade clattered to the ground as I collapsed, the wolf's weight pressing me into the damp earth. I struggled beneath it, managing to dislodge the snarling beast before it could clamp down again. But as I staggered to my feet, a third wolf was already barreling towards me. Adrenaline surged through me as I focused my power, channeling 20% of One for All into my fist.
"DETROIT SMASH".
There was a sickening wolf flew backwards and crashed limply to the ground, defeated. I stared at its motionless form and prayed for forgiveness for my sin. My heart ached and I was on the verge of sobbing.
The first wolf had recovered and was circling. I tried to ignore the pain in my right arm and stood up slowly. I don't want to attack them. The wolves were just defending their territory and saw me as an intruder. My goal was to escape without violence. But I can't go without Kacchan. The wolf lunged and I dove left. I turned away and activated my Quirk, Full Cowl, to sprint down the path from which we had come earlier. I climbed up some vines on a tree to hide myself. I could hear the wolves approaching below, before they stopped and retreated. I let out a deep sigh of relief as I cradled my injured arm, which was radiating waves of pain from the altercation.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the trees, which could only mean one thing - Kacchan had returned. I quickly jumped down the tree and sprinted towards the sound. I was horrified by the scene before me. One wolf lay twitching to my right, a big dark patch of blood covering its belly and two wolves were pinning the blonde boy. I activated Full Cowl again and kicked the wolves forcefully to get them away from Kacchan. I seized one of the wolves by the scruff of its neck and hurled it with all my might across the bushes. It let out a pained yelp as it crashed into the undergrowth. I was about to do the same to the second wolf when it lunged at me. I grabbed the wolf's neck in a choke hold before it could sink its teeth into me. The wolf's hind legs scrabbled at the sand, its eyes rolled, frightened whites showing bright against its matted fur. A high whine rose from its chest and then it was over. The wolf's body stilled as the life drained from it. I had acted on pure instinct to save my friend, not wanting to kill the wolf but having no other choice.
I gently laid the now lifeless wolf on the ground and scanned the area to ensure there were no other threats. My heart was pounding, my hands shaking. I sat down in the sand, trying to catch my breath and compose myself. Even though I felt hot tears running down my cheeks, I pressed my lips together firmly to keep from sobbing.
Kacchan faced me and barked "Is this the way you stay put?"
I was stunned. I had just saved his life and this was his response. Anger swelled up in me as I shouted back, "Is this the way you say thank you?"
I stared at him in disbelief. I had risked myself for him without a second thought, and he couldn't even muster a word of acknowledgement? Well, I had never really expected a thank you from him. But this was not on my list of reactions.
"I don't fucking need saving, especially not from a useless nerd like you!" Kacchan shouted back. "This could have been avoided if you had just fucking stayed put like I told you!"
"What did you expect from me when I see my best friend in danger? Sit tight and enjoy watching you die?" I retorted, clenching my fists. My voice tight with frustration.
"I never asked for your fucking help!" Kacchan snapped. "Who do you think you are, acting like a fucking hero? You're nothing but a quirkless loser! Shit head"
"I AM NOT QUIRKLESS ANYMORE" I shouted with all my might, my voice straining. "Why can't you accept it? I am not that same weak, worthless DEKU from before. You're so arrogant and blinded, Kacchan! You can't see anyone else getting better. Even after I got a quirk, you never saw me as human - only as someone beneath you. What more must I do to be seen as a person, if not a hero? When I started at UA, I told myself I wouldn't let your cruel words affect me, but they still cut deeply. You were my only friend, yet you turned your back on me." Tears streamed down my face as I released years of pent-up hurt. I felt drained, my head pounding, but also a bit freer after finally speaking the truth.
"But things have changed now" I said, wiping away my tears.
Kacchan opened his mouth, no doubt to hurl another verbal barb designed to cut me down and reassert his dominance. But then something in his expression shifted from anger to concern, if only for a fleeting moment. He closed his mouth wordlessly.
"I have real friends now," I continued, emboldened. "Friends who care for me, who listen to my opinion and never belittle me." I thought of Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu and the others, of the kindness they had shown me. Of All Might, who saw me for who I could become. "I don't care what you think - I will surpass you and prove myself as the next Symbol of Peace." I shouted at him, my voice ringing with determination.
How could he keep yelling like that, so full of unchecked rage? I was exhausted after just a few sentences. My limbs felt heavy, like lead. It was pure determination holding my head high. And Kacchan was not even looking at me now. I don't think I ever managed to silence his bluster before. He stared down, looking at something with concern. Is he concerned for the dead wolf?
I followed his gaze and saw a small puddle of blood next to my feet. Blood dripped in a steady stream from my injured arm. In my anger, I had completely forgotten about the wound. Suddenly the seriousness of our situation crashed on me. We need to leave this place immediately. Those wolves could return at any moment, this time with the rest of their vicious pack in tow.
A rustling of leaves grabbed our attention, followed by the bone-chilling howl of a wolf in the distance. My heart sank. We were running out of time. Kacchan turned to me, his face tense.
"Tsk. Now's not the time to talk about what you can and can't do. I will tell you how clumsy, stupid and fuckheaded you are. But right now, we need to move." he said.
I nodded, clutching my injured arm as I stumbled after Kacchan. But Kacchan limped in opposite direction. Has he lost his mind? Where is he going? Before I could call him out, he bent down under some bushes and retrieved a wooden box. So he had found the clue after all! It might have slipped from his grasp when those wolves attacked him. Putting the box in the bag, he turned and headed back down the dark, tunnel-like path we had come from. I followed close behind, wincing against the throbbing pain in my arm, trying not to leave a trail of blood that could be tracked. We moved as quickly and quietly as we could through the darkness. The darkness enveloped us eerily as we moved through the shadows. Once we finally reached the fence, we both used our quirks to propel ourselves up and over it. No sooner had our feet touched the ground than the sound of rapid footsteps increased behind us. We whipped our heads around to see several snarling wolves emerging from the dark woods, their glowing eyes fixed hungrily upon us. Drawn by the intoxicating scent of my blood which was dripping down my arm, the wolves approached the fence, fangs bared and saliva dripping. Low growls rumbled in their throats as they stared us down, ready to attack. One particularly large wolf, threw back its head and let out a chilling howl.