"Hatsume Mei," Izuku repeated the name, as if testing it on his tongue. "What happened in there? I heard a lot of shouting," He motioned at the door behind her.
"The sound of my sensei trying to suppress my genius," The pinkette casually answered with a shrug. "I just wanted to complete my jetpack prototype!" She grumbled loudly while shaking her fist at the door.
"Jetpack? Like Airjet?" The taller boy remarked curiously. Yep, this was definitely the support course, just as he had believed.
"Exactly!" Mei exclaimed happily.
"And you can build something like that? Alone?" Izuku probed her deeper. Of course, where students from the Hero course were all naturally 'strong' since they were the best of the best, the support course students were also the best of their field. It wouldn't be surprising for one of them to make a jetpack alone, but he'd expect that to happen later in the year, not in the first week. This girl… was interesting.
"Of course, I can! Though I could build it alone, I was actually having some help with it, and… You wouldn't happen to be in the support course, would you?" Hastume stopped herself to question him.
"I think you'd notice me if I were, wouldn't you…?" Izuku sweatdropped while the pinkette's gaze spiraled down to his toes, then rocketed up to his horns, which made her look up higher than anyone should when looking at someone.
"...Well, your horns are hard to miss, I guess. And you've got some wild and long hair," She pointed out while holding her chin.
"That's not really what I was referring to," He deadpanned. He was starting to doubt that this girl was any intelligent, after all…
"You do look pretty old, too. Like you could be my grandpa!" Mei exclaimed as if she had just figured out the answer to a riddle.
"Most people mistake me for a middle-aged man, but you're really pushing it, here!" Izuku snapped in annoyance. Scratch that, maybe she was just an idiot! "In any case, I'm in the hero course," He added.
"Hero course?! Really!" Hatsume suddenly beamed with wide eyes. The moment Izuku nodded, the girl punched the air excitedly. "Yes! Finally, a potential business partner!" She yelled. Well, now that perked the boy's attention. "Listen up! If you ever need a support item, I want you to come to me! I don't have a lot to show off, for now, but give me a week or two, and you won't believe your eyes at the wonders science can produce!"
"She just went into her sales pitch… Well, I'm not the type to use tools in combat, especially considering my quirk. I haven't even unlocked all its potential yet, but a science team would obviously be useful for my group… Better than what I have going for now…" Izuku thought to himself as he was reminded of his subordinates'... amazing prowess with technology.
I think the world will be way more fun if we fight only with knives and stones! The blood's fresher! - Himiko Toga (Too bloodthirsty)
Ehem… We might need a new microwave, Master… - Zhong Liu (Broke three microwaves in a week)
Look, I was just an accountant, man. - Vortex (Completely clueless)
And the rest of his team wasn't any better. He really shouldn't expect anything interesting, technologically speaking, coming from them! While he didn't need technology to be powerful, most of his subordinates did!
"I'm tempted, but I'd have to see the competition first," Izuku crossed his arms.
"Pfft! You're not gonna find better, big guy! I'm already the best! Well… Second best, next to my unofficial business partner. She's the one who was helping me make the jetpack I was talking about! Her name… Name's… Huh, I-Island girl, I think," Hatsume retorted as Izuku deadpanned again. He doubted it was her actual name, but it did tell him one thing: this chick was from I-Island. And who didn't know about this place? Its reputation preceded it. Making friends with these girls was certainly the right call. "If only I knew where she ran off to! She should be back by now! Though I guess I don't have to fight for my first customer, now…"
"She's probably in the cafeteria. Lunchtime's almost over, you know?" Izuku pointed out, not denying that he was a customer.
"I doubt it. We were having lunch in class, here!" Hatsume pointed at the support classroom with a thumb.
"That's not allowed, is it?"
"Heh! As if I'd let something like that stop me! I was in the middle of work! And progress doesn't let rules get in its way! Creative geniuses need unlimited freedom!" Mei retorted casually. It didn't seem that she was afraid to break the rules. U.A.'s rules of all things. "And she said she needed to go to the bathroom, but hasn't come back yet! Is she taking a huge dump?" The pinkette wondered out loud.
"Why don't we go and check it out, then? That way, you can introduce me to her. I wouldn't mind checking the future business deals… I pay well for good services," Izuku suggested as he almost thought he saw Mei's eyes turn into Yen signs.
"Well, let's go, then! I-Island girl's gonna be thrilled!" Mei immediately led the way to the bathroom while the tall boy followed.
It didn't take them too long to reach the girls' bathroom, which made that other girl's "disappearance" even stranger. However, as soon as he was in range, Izuku's ears perked up from the sound coming from the other side of the thin door, making him freeze. Curiously, Hatsume paused behind him as the horned boy listened in.
"Listen, I don't know what I did to you, but… I'm sorry, okay? I don't want any trouble! I-I'm new and…" A soft-spoken girl pleaded with a shaky voice.
"You being here is trouble, pet. See, I've got to be the best and, while there's no way you're any better than me, I can't have you outshining me because Miss I-Island is in class, got it? So, if you want to avoid trouble… Be a good girl, and quit U.A. That's the easy way… I'm leaving you one last chance," Another girl retorted, probably not her friend if Izuku had to guess.
"Careful, Takahashi, she looks like she might piss herself," A boyish voice snorted, making Izuku arch an eyebrow. What was a boy doing in the girls' bathroom?
"I'm sorry, but… I'll have to refuse. I'm not leaving U.A," The first girl spoke again, this time more confidently. Obviously, this was the person Hatsume was talking about, and… it seemed she had a bully problem.
"Ah…" Takahashi sighed. "Well, you asked for it. Enjoy your next three years because I can be real nasty," She giggled.
"So… Can I get in or not, big guy?" Mei suddenly asked from behind Izuku, peeking at the door from behind his back. Unlike him, she didn't have enhanced hearing, so she didn't hear a thing about what he did.
"Sure. Something tells me your friend's in there," He moved out of the way to let her in.
"Great! She's got amazing babies, too. You'll be impressed, future customer!" The pinkette assured before barging into the bathroom, leaving Izuku behind as he pondered her words. Babies…?
"So, U.A has a teen pregnancy problem, too, huh?" He muttered to himself. Heh, he was sure he could work with this, somehow. Though it seemed that while he was stuck in his own thoughts for only a few seconds, the situation in the bathroom ended. Two girls and a feminine boy walked out, throwing him a fearful glance as they walked away. To their credit, they didn't scream at being suddenly faced with a giant.
"Think she's gonna lay low?" The other girl asked Takahashi while they were still in Izuku's hearing range.
"I doubt it, but I'm not settling for second place. I'll make that girl's school year a living hell if I have to," The supposed leader scoffed.
Izuku watched them leave with intrigue. How interesting… Oh, he was happy he stumbled on that. He definitely could use those pieces to his advantage. Nevertheless, he needed to be careful. There were already many pieces at disposition, and he couldn't play them all at once. Still, planting the seeds for his future play would be useful.
"This is the big guy I was talking about! He's in the hero course!" Hatsume exclaimed as soon as she came out of the bathroom and gestured to him. Behind her was a slightly older-looking girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Most of all, she didn't look Japanese.
I-Island girl
The scientists from this place were the greatest in the world, at least, they were reputed to be.
"And does this big guy have a name, Hatsume-san?" The blonde inquired, knowing how bad the pinkette was with names. "I'm Melissa Shield. Nice to meet you!" She extended her hand. "I can see why she nicknamed you like this…" She chuckled nervously.
"I'm Midoriya Izuku," He shook her hand…
"And you are in the hero course? Maybe you'll use some of my products in the future!" Melissa smiled as Hatsume suddenly jumped in front of her.
"In the future? He can use them now! It would be a great advertisement if he uses my babies on his internship!" The pinkette exclaimed excitedly. "And mainly MY babies!" She added confidently.
"Babies? Alright, slow down now…" Izuku raised his hands.
"I don't mind, you know, Hatsume-san… Making support gear is amazing, but I came here to be a hero…" Melissa defended herself nervously.
"A hero?" The horned boy inquired curiously. He hadn't expected to hear that from someone in the support course. If someone wanted to be a hero and didn't pass the exam, they'd be in general studies. Melissa nodded faintly with a slight blush. "Why are you in the support course?"
"It's… complicated. I'm… quirkless. I actually graduated early from I-Island Academy, and wanted to try to become a hero, so here I am. I don't plan on staying in the support course…" The blonde explained, shame written all over her face. Was it because she was quirkless? Because she didn't believe in herself? Izuku couldn't tell, but she clearly lacked confidence, which was surprising coming from someone who graduated from I-Island.
"One less competition for me!" Hatsume grinned.
"I suppose I'll root for you, then," Izuku offered until the bell suddenly rang, indicating the end of lunchtime.
"Thank you…" Melissa whispered, slightly surprised by the sudden vote of confidence.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again, so until then, take care," He said, raising his hand to wave them goodbye before walking away.
"Don't forget it, big guy! If you need anything, come to me!" Hatsume called out to him from behind.
Oh, if only she knew. He'd need to check their abilities, but if Melissa really graduated from I-Island Academy, then…
REEE! REEE! REEE!
Izuku stopped his train of thought as soon as the sound began. Was it an alarm? It was loud, too, which was quite an annoyance to his ears. U.A. wasn't attacked, was it? Before he could make any decision, students suddenly burst into the hallway en masse, pushing each other as they tried to flee… Only to run into him, too panicked to watch where they were going. Anyone else would have been trampled, but the horned boy didn't even move from his spot. The other students simply felt like they hit a wall, and then they looked up…
"A-A villain!" Some of them screamed, quickly trying to run back. Of course, this only caused more panic and incomprehension, leaving them all stuck here with no idea where to go, as they couldn't even agree on a direction to head in.
"Oh, for fuck's sake…" Izuku sweatdropped. Maybe being an undercover villain was a bad idea… When you've got the face of a villain.
***
A little time later…
The situation was resolved. It turned out the alarm buzzed only because of the press outside. Since All Might's working here was made public, the press had been trying to get an interview relentlessly. They even tried asking questions to students outside the school. He was one of those students, but he chose to ignore them. He didn't wish to have his face plastered on media channels, no matter what he'd say. It was best to lie low for now.
After lunch, they had class with Aizawa again, and after that… It was the class some of the boys had been waiting for since the beginning of the year: Modern Hero Art History. No, it wasn't because of the subject at all, but rather because of who taught it: the R-rated heroine, Midnight.
When she had walked in, dressed in her hero costume, a hand on her hips, Kaminari and Mineta almost made puddles of drool on their desks. He couldn't fully blame them. She was gorgeous and had a lot of sexual allure. His draconic beast blood, which always craved for combat and blood, craved her. Craved her body. It wasn't the first time. Just like he always had an urge to kill and to fight because of his bloodlust, he'd also sometimes crave a woman.
Not all. It was mostly mutants, specifically animal-based mutants. It happened often with animal-based quirks, which was why you'd often see two people with feline-based quirks getting together, like a panther woman and a tiger man. Or canine-quirks. Just any animals that'd go together. He was a dragon, so his quirk was a little unpredictable, though eastern dragons were water-based. Myths often spoke of carp turning into dragons.
He didn't like thinking that he was a fish. But then again, it was because myths also said eastern dragons had the power to control the weather that he believed that he had still more abilities to discover. He wouldn't count everything out yet…
In any case, he wondered if Midnight's quirk had any special effect on him, even if she wasn't using it.
"S-She's really here!" Mineta gushed in his seat, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. Kaminari didn't look much better.
The other boys were more composed, but most of them held blushes… especially when Midnight didn't hesitate to tease them.
"Ah… I am so happy to finally meet you all… I've been hearing a lot of things about you in the teachers' room… Some of you have been too… naughty in your battle training. Well, I won't be too harsh since this was simply due to the passion of youth," She smiled as she sat on her desk and crossed her legs. "But… I'd better not hear any more trouble, or you'll have to answer personally to me… Especially you, boys," The teacher licked her lips sensually. "If I'm not your homeroom teacher,"
This was enough to rattle some of the boys' bones, though it certainly wasn't out of fear. Even Izuku had to wonder if she was really only teasing for fun. Normal schools wouldn't allow this, would they? Did it benefit him in some way? Probably.
The girls, on the other hand, were stone-faced, not at all affected by the teacher's behavior. If anything, some of them seemed annoyed with her. Jealousy at its finest.
"Anyway, let's begin! That was all for introductions! Open your textbooks!" Midnight exclaimed, sliding off the desk and turning around to use the board behind her. Now, she was behaving like a teacher. What they all missed as they reached for their textbooks, though, was the side-eye the older woman gave them. Her gaze traveled around the room, studying her students, but mostly… the males. She couldn't keep the smirk off her face. "We have such a promising batch this year… Ah… I've yet to pick, but I'm going to have so much fun…" She licked her lips again.
Truly, she could never resist youth.
With Midnight's thoughts unknown to the students, class continued until the final bell finally rang. Izuku would have liked to leave right away and see the others one last time before they left for their respective missions. They needed to set up trade deals with gangs from other cities, and would be leaving tomorrow or in two days, depending on the date Zhong would set the meetings up.
However, before going, the horned boy had to begin his operation at U.A, too. And his target was right in front of him. While the other students were walking out of the classroom, Ochaco was still at her desk, putting her school supplies in her backpack, while Tsuyu stood by the side.
"Hey, Uraraka. Can we talk?" He asked out of the blue, making the girl perk up curiously. She didn't miss his serious tone, so, figuring out that he wanted to speak in private, she turned to the frog girl standing by her side.
"C-Can you wait for me outside, Asui-san?" She inquired. "I won't be long,"
"Sure, but I already told you, call me Tsuyu-chan," The frog girl replied before walking out of the classroom.
Izuku hadn't noticed it, but these two became somewhat chummy. Did it happen during lunch break when he was with Hatsume and Shield? Maybe even earlier. He couldn't afford to overlook such details.
"So… What did you want to talk about, Midoriya?" Ochaco questioned, a faint blush across her cheeks. She was so obvious that it was almost cute. Well, might as well be direct.
"I want to ask you out," He said bluntly, making the girl freeze.
"Eh? W-What?" Ochaco stuttered, her face slowly growing redder and redder. "W-What do you mean?! Ask out? Ah! You're… You're just telling me we need to get out for some reason, right? Why? Is something–"
"No, no. I'm asking you out on a date," He clarified before she could go on a tangent. "Like a romantic date," He added just to make sure they were on the same page.
"R-Romantic?!" The gravity girl repeated in shock, her face literally steaming. Izuku had never seen someone so flustered in his life. She looked like an extrovert, so he didn't think she'd be in such a state just from being asked out. He supposed that romance was one of her weaknesses. "I… Uhm, I don't know, Midoriya… I mean, we just met, and the school year just started… Maybe we should focus on our studies instead, for now?"
"Well, the point of a date is to know each other better, isn't it? Besides, most students date from time to time, I doubt U.A.'s any different or that they'd prohibit romantic inter-student relationships. Believe it or not, I just learned today that they have no issues with teenage mothers either," He argued as if he were doing business rather than asking someone out.
"O…kay… That's good to know, I guess…" Uraraka replied slowly. "But still… You're a really nice guy, Midoriya… But… Romance has never been at the forefront of my mind… I don't know the first thing about it, and besides… I'm sure you can do better than me…" She sighed, still blushing, though her face wasn't as red as earlier.
"We can just go as friends if you're that worried. Only one date, and if it doesn't work out, we can simply forget about it," He suggested, watching as Uraraka hesitated before he sighed. "Well, I can't force you. I did think I was aiming too high," He shook his head in mock defeat.
"T-Too high? Me?! No way, Midoriya!" Ochaco raised her hands defensively. "I mean, in this class alone, there are much better options… Like Yaoyorozu…" She fiddled with her fingers. "But… I mean, if it's just one date…" She muttered.
"Well, I think you're most beautiful in class. I was also hoping to treat someone to my favorite restaurant. It's pretty fancy and perfect for a date," Izuku scratched the back of his head. Ochaco looked up again at the mention of the restaurant, her stomach almost growling. "Oh, well… I won't bother you anymore…" He began turning around, slowly.
"Wait!" Ochaco suddenly exclaimed before she could stop herself. Izuku smirked without facing her. "Sorry. Let's… have one date. Just to see how it goes," She finally agreed, a little less flustered now. "I think… You're pretty great, too, Midoriya…" She admitted timidly.
"You won't regret it," Izuku faced her with a smile. "How about we do it this weekend?" He suggested, to which Ochaco nodded.
"Sure! I… I can't wait…" She stammered, then cleared her throat. "A-Anyway, see you tomorrow, Midoriya. I promised my parents that I'd be home early today,"
"Of course. I'm needed elsewhere, too," Izuku nodded as they both finally came out of the classroom, walking down the hallway toward the exit. The tall boy could see Tsuyu waiting for Ochaco and the group of friends he had made waiting for him and the girl he had just asked out. Mina was grinning mischievously while staring at them, making weird hand motions.
"Midoriya-san!" Someone suddenly called out to the boy from behind, making him spin on his heels to see that it was Yaoyorozu. He hadn't interacted with the girl much… "Where are you going?"
"Where else?" He replied with a question. He was going home, of course!
"We can't leave yet. We need to meet with the class B representatives," The girl with the ponytail explained. Izuku arched an eyebrow. What was she talking about? "We need to introduce ourselves to each other and share a quick debrief of our first impressions on the class,"
"I wasn't aware that we needed to do any of that," Izuku walked up to her after waving goodbye to the others.
"Aizawa-sensei was supposed to inform us, but didn't. Luckily, I've done my own research and asked around. Perhaps our sensei wanted us to show our autonomy by taking our duties seriously," She theorized, though Izuku didn't say anything.
"That old fuck was probably too lazy to tell us," The horned boy thought to himself before sighing. "Alright. Lead the way, then. I don't know where we're supposed to see them,"
"Of course. Follow me. It's in Principal Nezu's office, actually," Momo nodded.
Well, even if that meeting was a bother, at least he didn't mind the view he had as he followed her…
Soon enough, they were both in the principal's office, facing Nezu with two other students standing by their side. The first one was a girl with orange hair tied in a ponytail on the left side of her head. The second student was also a girl, but with vines for hair. They both looked composed, though they weren't the only ones, as Momo also stood with her back straight. She clearly wanted to appear serious. However, Izuku couldn't help noting that, while the two other girls were quite calm, Momo only pretended to be.
He was observant, so he didn't miss the faint shake of her hands, which made her inner stress evident.
"So, how were your first days at U.A?" Nezu suddenly spoke up before sipping at his tea. The four of them answered at the same time with varying responses, ranging from saying it was okay to being pleased. "Oh, my! You're all so tense! You can relax! I didn't call you here to scold you, don't worry! You are the class representatives of your respective classes, correct?" He asked.
"That's right. I'm class A's representative, and she's the vice," Izuku was the first to answer, gesturing to Momo.
"And I'm the representative for class B. Shiozaki-san is my vice representative," The orange-haired girl said.
"I wanted you here to see what you could tell me, and your fellow students, about your class. Since you'll be seeing each other often for anything related to your classes as a whole, I wanted you four to get acquainted," Nezu explained.
"Yes. I've actually met Kendo-san already. She's the one who told me we were supposed to see you," Momo replied before turning to the girls from the other class. "But I'll introduce myself again. I am Yaoyorozu Momo, class A's vice president," She bowed, prompting Kendo and Shiozaki to return the favor.
"I'm Kendo Itsuka," The redhead introduced herself.
"And my name is Shiozaki Ibara. Pleased to meet you," The vine girl bowed solemnly.
"Name's Midoriya Izuku," The horned boy said, which seemed to perk the girls up.
"Midoriya… Oh! You're the one who came in first place at the entrance exam, aren't you?" Kendo inquired. "I heard you beat a record. Congrats!"
"That's me," Izuku confirmed with a nod.
"I figured you were in class A when I didn't see you in mine," Kendo smiled. "I wouldn't mind having a spar with you at some point. Though you'll be the biggest opponent I've ever had," She suggested casually.
"I don't mind, but don't be too mad when you lose," The boy retorted. He meant it, too. She would lose to him; this was inevitable. And if she were as much of a sore loser as Bakugou was, then he would be losing his opportunity at reaching the other class. Still… He glanced at Shiozaki. That vine girl gave him an idea. Risky. Very risky, but if successful… Could also bring him a lot of benefits. He'd have to ponder it later and avoid making hasty judgments for now.
"Oh, confident, are we?" Kendo smirked.
"Kendo, maybe we should do what we're here to do and talk about our class?" Shiozaki suddenly interjected softly.
"Ah, right, sorry," Kendo rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, we're still getting to know each other, but for now, our class has good cohesion and a healthy learning environment,"
"I'd like to say the same about our class, but we have… a disruptive element," Momo sweatdropped in embarrassment.
"Just someone who doesn't like losing, but I'm sure he'll get used to it quickly here at U.A," Izuku added, knowing who she was referring to: Katsuki.
While they were speaking, they soon changed the subject to clubs and the fact that Hero Course students couldn't join them. Nezu simply let them talk while studying them. Just like he and the other professors believed, they had a promising year.
Several students caught his eye, and some of them were recommended students. However, the one he couldn't peel his gaze away from wasn't one of them: Midoriya Izuku. Again, now that he was in his presence, Nezu felt his survival instincts screaming at him to flee. It was as if he were about to be devoured. He had never gone through anything so drastic before. His worst reactions had been shivers down the spine, and it was with people with feline-based quirks. He supposed he shouldn't have ruled out dragons just because he didn't feel a thing when he met Ryukyu, the only known hero with a draconic quirk. At least in Japan…
It was… fascinating. He supposed he'd have to get over it, at some point. He wouldn't want people to think that he was discriminatory against a student.
***
The next day… In Gifu
"What is the meaning of this? I thought we'd be having a small meeting," Shade clicked his tongue as he glared forward. "Not invite the whole group in," He added with a grunt.
He and Himiko, along with a few other subordinates, were in Gifu. They were here to meet with the Kuroinu. Weapon dealers. However, when they got here, instead of being welcomed by their leader in an office, an underling came to greet Ace and Shade Wielder and led them to an underground base. It was vast, but mostly because it housed an illegal fighting ring. And the whole gang seemed to be here, completely surrounding Izuku's men.
"We're having a meeting right now," The Kuroinu leader shrugged. He was a man covered in jewelry, from rings on every finger to multiple golden chains around his neck. He had short, but wild and unkempt white hair with a toned look. "When I was told that your boss wanted to offer me a deal, I expected him to come himself. Not… send his underlings," He gestured to Shade Wielder and Himiko, who was in her masked costume.
"He sent his right-hand man. I'm Ace," Himiko argued, her glare hidden behind her mask. She had a feeling that this loser was about to badmouth her lover.
"And you're probably a kid. Look at your size!" The leader, bearing the same name as his gang, Kuroinu, scoffed. "Is your boss too afraid to face me?" He questioned.
"What did you say?" Ace growled, ready to grip her knife. Shade glanced at her, wondering if he should stop her. However, the masked blonde stopped herself instead. No, she promised Izuku that she would get a deal with this man. Not kill him.
"Now that you're already here, I guess we can't help it," Kuroinu sighed before going to his seat and leaning back into it, positioned a little above the ring, where he had a perfect view of it. "I'll hear your offer out, but on one condition. One of you must prove yourself in the ring. Here, people only listen to you if you're strong, so… show me you're worth hearing out," He explained.
Himiko sighed. Strength above all, huh? Then, if Izuku had come here, he probably could have made all of these guys loyal servants already. A,h well, he couldn't be everywhere at once.
"Fine! Shade Wielder, get in here!" She ordered without a second thought. She wasn't that good a fighter. She mostly used stealth techniques for her kills, and she was a great threat to most people, even villains or pros. However, she doubted that Kuroinu would choose a pushover to fight here. If it was someone she couldn't overcome with a knife, then it would be a lost cause.
"What?!" Shade muttered, not looking thrilled about it.
"That's an order, by the day," Ace added, leaving no room for discussion.
"Damn it. Alright…" Shade gave up, walking into the ring. Every damn day he spent as Haō's underling was torture. He hated that man with a passion after he stole everything from him and killed his men, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice but to obey now… They just had to rope him into this, didn't they? Why did Haō even want to expend that much?! He already had such a large group and subjugated multiple gangs! It was better than most villains got! No reason to do business with maniacs like Kuroinu…
"Oh, and of course, this is a battle to the death! Just make sure to tell your boss that you simply played the game and lost when you return to him," Kuroinu clarified to Himiko.
"Of course, it is…" Shade grumbled, taking out his katana. "I'm allowed to use a sword, right?" He asked, only for a topless man to jump onto the ring.
"Sure! You're gonna need it," The man grinned as his eyes met Shade's. He was tall, bulky, and muscular with various scars running down his body. He was practically bald, except for the long pigtail reaching his lower back. "I'm Gate, and I'll be your opponent," He said as a red aura began enveloping him. Shade arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, but I'm the worst enemy you could have gotten. My fighting aura will keep rising until I defeat you," He casually explained. Well, it wasn't totally right. His fighting aura would make him stronger, faster, and would rise during the fight, but there was a limit to it. Still, Shade Wielder didn't need to know that.
Level 1
"As if that'd scare me," Shade clicked his tongue. "I've seen the devil up close, already. You look like a teddy bear compared to him," He raised his sword.
"You can begin!" Kuroinu suddenly announced. "Kill him, but try leaving him in one piece, at least, Gate!"
"You got it!" Gate grinned, flexing his muscles. His aura slightly increased as the man pounced forward, quickly closing the distance between him and his enemy.
"Tch!" Shade scoffed, jumping above the man's fist while slashing upward. Gate widened his eyes, instantly bending backwards to avoid the blade, which barely grazed his chin.
"You're an agile motherfucker, huh?" He questioned as he stepped back, allowing Shade to land on the ring again.
"I don't have time for this," Shade grumbled, standing upright. Haō had been so overwhelmingly powerful that Shade knew he couldn't compete and gave up without using all of his power. He excelled in assassinations; if a quick and stealthy death was impossible, then he couldn't win. Thankfully, unlike Haō, Gate looked like an easy target. He needed to end this swiftly. He'd use the full extent of his quirk if needed. He held the index and middle fingers upright together in the tiger seal. "Ninja arts: Shadow Mist," He declared as shadows burst out of him in a sort of black tempest.
"What's this?!" Gate quickly shielded his face with his arms as the tempest enveloped the whole ring. It was like real wind, and it seemed to be cutting into him! Yet… This filled him with adrenaline… and his fighting aura only increased.
Level 3
"That quirk's only a party trick, at best, Gate! Finish the bastard off!" Kuroinu ordered from his seat, not the least bit worried about the situation.
"Oh, it is over," Shade Wielder thought as bits of shadows joined together behind Gate, forming Shade's body with his sword aimed at the man's nape.
"Hah!" Gate suddenly spun on himself, extending his fists outwards, and created his own tempest of red. Shade widened his eyes as the fighting aura slammed into him, hurling him into the ring's ropes, which threw him down to the floor. "Come on, mister ninja! An attack from behind? That was way too predictable!"
"So this is the strength of your 'aura,' huh?" Shade muttered, brushing blood off his lip. "Looks more like hot air to me," He said as Gate laughed before launching himself like a missile. Shade formed a wall of shadows before him, serving as protection, only for Gate's punch to go right through it. However, the first didn't reach Shade. Instead, the man had crouched down and thrown himself forward to swing at his enemy's waist.
Gate raised his leg just in time to block it, though the blade still left a deep gash as Shade moved behind him. He managed to hurt him! Yet… His katana was sharp and should have amputated him right there. His skin was tough… not as tough as Haō's, though.
"Mother of Shadows," Shade whispered as black tendrils burst out of his shadow, flying at Gate.
The man started punching them away, only for them to quickly reform and grab his limbs. Other tendrils attempted to perforate his skin or slam into him. He was attacked from every side, and despite his size, he was proving himself to be agile, too. He grew faster, more capable of destroying the shadow tendrils before they could hit.
Level 4
Shade came out of one of them, slashing at Gate's neck to decapitate him. To his shock, the bulky man jumped… over the blade! Shade Wielder immediately pulled back into the shadow as the man slammed his feet on the rocky ring, sending a shockwave that hurled even some of the spectators to the floor.
"Come out, scaredy cat!" Gate ordered, his fighting aura burning even stronger than before. He looked up, grabbing the throat of a shadow tiger before its claws could hit. "Too easy!" He laughed, crushing the shadow's neck and watching it vanish into thin air.
"So, cat won't work…" Shade Wielder muttered in a crouching position a few meters away. "Aspect of the Devil: Summoning," He said as a large shadow began forming behind him.
"Stop hiding behind your quirk and fight me head-on! Or… Are you scared of dying, huh? Is that it?" Gate laughed, his aura making him look crazed as his skin seemed to steam. He froze when Shade suddenly jumped forward without even hiding in a shadow. The bulkier man punched forward and barely missed as Shade moved under his arm and slashed at it, only for the sword to make a shallow cut.
The shadow man didn't give up here; he attacked with his sword without giving his opponent a single break, but Gate parried every time and even countered. Every time he was countered, Shade Wielder would barely dodge the hit, knowing how dangerous those fists were.
Level 5
"You slippery, rat!" Gate growled angrily, his muscles throbbing as his aura danced across his body like a flame. Shade finally managed to slip under the man's legs and jumped in the air to stab the nape. Right before he could, though, Gate's pigtail wrapped around his leg and threw him to the floor, his back bouncing off as he grunted. "Got you!" Kuroinu's subordinate laughed and raised his foot to squash his smaller enemy… only for a black fist to connect with his jaw and throw his head back. "Guh!" He yelped, biting his tongue.
"Ah… It was close…" Shade breathed out as the shadow he summoned earlier saved him.
The shadow was tall, nearly two meters, with seemingly long, wild hair and horns on its head. Most of all, it looked as sturdy as Gate was. The man glared at the shadow, which quickly continued its onslaught with a flurry of punches, pushing Gate back. His allies didn't seem all that worried as they watched the spectacle. If anything, they only cheered louder!
"E…nough…" Gate clenched his teeth furiously. His eyes suddenly turned red.
Level 6
Shade's shadow summon was suddenly blown apart, and its master was thrown back with the force of a car slamming into him. The man spat out blood, his sword breaking in half and flying into the air to stab itself into the ground several meters away.
"Agh!" Shade Wielder yelped, bouncing on the floor a few times before coming to a stop. He lifted himself to look at the one he was fighting, clicking his tongue in annoyance once he laid his gaze upon him.
"Level 6: Maximum Overdrive," Gate grinned crazily, his muscles bulging as if they were ready to burst open in a rain of flesh and blow, his veins throbbing and his aura flowing out like a raging fire. "It's over. Over, over, over! Hehehehe! My fighting aura's at its strongest, now…" He laughed obscenely, raising his hands with his palms facing Shade. "Destruction Wave!" He yelled, throwing his palms forward as he shot a red wave toward his enemy.
Shade Wielder widened his eyes, witnessing as the wave of aura destroyed everything in its path, razing the ground. The spectators behind, who had realized what Gate was about to do before he even did it, threw themselves to the floor and prayed the attack would pass over them.
BOOM
Smoke had been raised as stray pebbles fell to the ground, shutting the underground room into silence. Gate grinned gleefully, watching as the smoke slowly dissipated to reveal that half of the ring was gone, and so was his opponent. However, before he could declare victory.
"Ah… Made it…" Shade Wielder whispered, making Gate gasp in surprise and turn to his left. Shade was gripping his sword, breathing heavily.
"How did he…?" Gate's gaze fell to the ground before he widened his eyes in realization. "The sword! He traveled into the sword's shadow!" He exclaimed.
"I need to finish this… And put all my power into it…" Shade gritted his teeth. His sword, which had its blade broken, was slowly surrounded by shadows… to make a sharp and long dark blade. "Ultimate Ninja arts," Shade said as shadows exploded from his body again like the mist from earlier, surrounding the ring.
"That shit again?! Try it! I'll break your sword as much as I need!" Gate declared proudly as Shade Wielder moved faster than ever, his body turning all black and passing through the bulky man to reform behind him, his hand on the katana's handle. "H-Heh?" Gate uttered in confusion, red cuts slowly spreading across his face.
"Dark Lullaby," Shade said softly as his shadows vanished, and Gate's head… was cut into four slices, which slowly slid off his neck before his body ultimately collapsed in a puddle of blood.
"G-GATE! Fuck! I can't believe he got him!" One of the spectators shouted, grabbing his head.
"Boss!" They turned to their leader to gauge his reaction, only to freeze.
"Well… Seems we're at an impasse…" Kuroinu gulped, trying to look impassive as he sweated. He hadn't moved from his seat, but… Ace was behind him, after sneaking past his guards, and had a knife against his throat. "Men… I'll need a room to welcome our guests," He ordered carefully. His underlings rushed to obey, realizing the delicate situation that he was in.
"So…" Himiko mused with a masked grin.
"I'll hear you two out. You've proved yourself plenty…" Kuroinu conceded reluctantly. After what seemed like an eternity, the blonde girl pulled the knife away from his throat.
"Nice! See? It wasn't so hard!" Himiko giggled amusedly. "Oh, and our boss is much, much stronger than Shady, here. Just so you know," She warned him.
She was basically saying that he shouldn't dare cross them. He wasn't willing to, anyway.
Ultimately, they successfully agreed to a deal. Haō's organization will be allowed to sell drugs in Kuroinu's territory, and give them a cut in exchange, but he'd also supply them with weapons at a discount. Kuroinu would also give them all the information he had on his rivals in Gifu, so that they knew which locations were to be avoided if they wanted to deal drugs outside of Kuroinu's territory.
In retrospect, their mission went well. Unfortunately…
That same day… Tonight…
An elderly man sat on a comfortable armchair. He was in a spacious and luxurious room with a long table and a chandelier above it. He sat at one end of that table, but he wasn't alone. Because it had plenty of room, it also had a bar, pool tables, and even arcade machines. This place was often filled with his trusted men. On his left were large windows showing the city, Nagoya, and indicating that they were in the upper floors of a tall building.
His gang, the Blood Chain, stood behind him protectively. He was Sarada Tato, dressed in an expensive suit, looking at a potential business partner.
Said business partner was none other than Arsenal, accompanied by ten of his underlings.
"Thank you for receiving us on such short notice," Arsenal grinned while sitting nonchalantly across from Sarada.
"Cut the pleasantries. I was led to believe that Zhong Liu would be here," The old man snapped grumpily.
"Why is that? Do you need him for something?" Arsenal retorted with an arched eyebrow, slightly offended that he was seemingly dismissed like this.
"He is the one who convinced me to arrange this meeting in the first place," Sarada scoffed. "I was eager to hear, from his mouth, about the new master he had chosen to follow. That man had taken over Lei Xue's whole operation and annihilated the Chinese mafia, after all,"
"Well, I'm sure he specified that you'd be meeting me, but you probably misheard him," Arsenal snorted, resting the back of his head on his arms.
"Watch your tongue. That's no way to talk to the boss!" One of Blood Chain's men warned him angrily. Tato raised his hand, silencing him.
"Be careful of how you speak. You wouldn't want to go back to your master empty-handed, would you?" The old man said, sitting upright. "From what I understand, your leader wants to expand. What I don't quite understand is how that benefits me,"
"Is that right? Why wouldn't it?" Arsenal asked curiously.
"As if someone who took over the Chinese mafia by force would stop at a simple business deal. The moment I let my guard down, he's likely to stab me in the back and take over my operation, too. If he doesn't, making my rivals more powerful would be a death sentence to me," Sarada explained. "Oh, sure, I don't doubt that whatever deal you have prepared will sound sweet and beneficial to me. Something to instill trust, and I'm sure most idiots would fall for it right away and agree to whatever terms you have, as long as they believe they have the most benefits... However, I know a carrot when I see one. And I'm not interested in getting the stick. So, now that we've established this, why don't you tell me about that nonsensical deal proposal you have… and fuck off?"
The silence and tension in the room were almost palpable as Arsenal's men gulped. They knew the risks of coming back to Haō with a failure, but they also didn't know what to do in this situation. Tato didn't seem to be willing to change his mind. To their surprise, Arsenal chuckled.
"You're a funny old man, you know that?" He leaned forward. "I will be honest with you… I didn't come here to make you a deal," He revealed, making his allies widen their eyes, and Sarada cock an eyebrow in confusion. "My comrades will probably succeed in their missions, with diplomacy and stuff, secure income, and good relations with other groups for our master. But see, that's not good enough for me. I know what my master wants, and if I want to be his right-hand man, one day… Then I'll give him exactly what he's looking for. You're totally right! He was planning on making you his dog at some point in the future, but why wait? I have you right here! So…" He suddenly turned his left arm into a sniper rifle and casually aimed it at Sarada's head. "Swear fealty to my master or I'll slaughter every one of your men in this room," He gave an ultimatum.
The first to react was one of the men who accompanied him.
"What the fuck are you saying, Arsenal?! That's not Master's orders!" He yelled, leaning over him. "We aren't supposed to start a war, damn it!"
"I'm not starting a war. I'm starting and finishing it in one stroke," Arsenal shrugged.
"You…!" The man clenched his teeth as one of their allies stammered incoherently, pointing at him. "What? What is it?!" He turned to face him.
"D-Dude… Are you alright?!" The other man questioned fearfully.
"Huh?" He uttered in confusion when the man he was looking at… began to be split in two. No, his whole vision was split in two. "W–What's wrong with you?"
"Me! What's wrong with your head?!" He retorted, still pointing at him. That was when the first man realized, as he touched his face.
"Oh," He was dead. His head was split in half vertically, before it was completely sliced off his neck. He collapsed a second later with a man standing over him. A man with long blades coming out of his forearms.
"Fuck!" Arsenal quickly changed target, moving from Sarada to the Blade-man.
"Kill them all!" Tato ordered loudly, his face red with fury.
All hell broke loose. Gunfire barked; glass exploded inward from the windows as rounds chewed at the pane. Most of the people here didn't have great offensive quirks, so they used their firearms. Thankfully, Arsenal planned for that, so he brought men with quirks that would be useful for fighting. Only… He didn't expect to lose one before the battle even started!
Was this his fault? No. No way. He was simply doing his best to make his Master the most powerful man in Japan. Then he'd become his right-hand man!
Men shouted all around Arsenal as his own allies countered as best as they could, using their quirks to either shield the others from bullets or attack their enemies. When ten of Sarada's men fell, one of Arsenal's followed soon after.
Unfortunately, the weapon master was busy dealing with that Blade-man. Since his quirk made his body stronger, he wasn't cut as easily. However, his enemy was fast! Arsenal changed his leg into a blade and attacked in a horizontal arc, cutting two men in half before he was blocked by Blade-man. He reacted quickly and changed both of his hands into machine guns, firing all around him, but mainly at the most dangerous threat.
Blade-man was relentless. Every swing of those forearm blades came with deadly precision. He deflected bullets with smooth, almost lazy motions, closing the distance faster than Arsenal expected. Arsenal reshaped his right arm into a cannon, firing a concussive blast that blew half the table apart and sent splinters flying. The blast sent Blade-man tumbling through a wall, but he didn't stay down.
"Damn freak!" Arsenal hissed, his breathing ragged. He turned to look at the rest of the room. Bodies everywhere, but most of them belonged to Blood Chain. Out of the ten men he brought with him, only half remained. Multiple gun barrels came out of his chest as he fired them in the crowd, where Sarada was hiding. Then the Blade-man came back, dropping down. "Persistent bastard!" Arsenal snarled.
Arsenal barely leapt back. The weapon master twisted his torso, metal clicking and whirring as his right shoulder unfolded into a rotary cannon.
"I'll cut you into scrap!" Arsenal roared, unleashing a hail of bullets that tore through furniture, walls, and flesh alike. Blade-man weaved between the bursts, sparks flying where bullets grazed his blades. The room had become a warzone: bullets ricocheting, men screaming, plaster dust filling the air. One of Arsenal's own men stumbled backward, clutching his side.
"We need to retreat, boss! This place is–" He shouted.
BOOM!
An explosive shell from Arsenal's cannon struck a wall lamp, igniting the alcohol-soaked curtains. Flames climbed fast, too fast. The chandelier above cracked and dropped molten glass as the fire spread across the wooden beams.
"Ah, shit," Arsenal muttered, realization dawning too late. His cannon overheated and vented smoke. "Guess we're burning this whole damn floor!"
The air thickened instantly with black smoke. Men coughed, were blinded, and were disoriented. The heat surged as the fire devoured the furniture, spreading to the bar stocked with liquor bottles. One bottle burst in the flames, then another, until the entire counter went up like a bomb.
The explosion knocked everyone off their feet. Arsenal rolled across the floor, one arm morphing into a grappling hook that latched onto a pillar. He pulled himself upright, coughing through the thick smoke.
Blade-man wasn't so lucky; his coat had caught fire, but the man ripped it off without hesitation.
"You'll die here!" Blade-man shouted over the roaring blaze.
"Not a chance!" Arsenal yelled. He slammed his palms to the floor, and his arms slid open, revealing lines of grenades inside them.
"Wait, Arsenal, what are you doing?!" One of his last men yelled, panicking.
"Stop the fighting at once! Or else, I'll blow this whole building, do you hear me?!" Arsenal screamed loudly in the midst of the roaring flames. Fuck, he couldn't blow it all up; otherwise, this mission would be a total failure. But he couldn't go back empty-handed either! Alright… Maybe he could still secure a deal? No! What was he thinking?! That was stupid! "Sarada! Tell your men to stand down! You can still swear fealty to my Master! If you do, we'll help you take care of the fire! And my Master will pay you back for the damages, too!"
"You're insane!" Blade-man growled. "Boss! You won't agree to that, will you?!" He turned to Sarada, who clenched his teeth with a glare while several of his men searched for exits. And unless they had flight quirks, they couldn't jump out of the windows. Yet… Sarada knew what a deal with the devil meant.
"You can shove your deal up your ass!" The old man yelled.
"Tch," Arsenal clicked his tongue in annoyance. Well, fuck. He didn't plan that the old man would refuse… What was he supposed to do now?! Arsenal's mind raced, the fire crackling louder than his thoughts. Sweat and smoke blurred his vision. Blade-man was coming again, slicing through the smoke with a roar. Arsenal turned both arms into shields, blocking a furious swing that sent sparks flying between them.
"You're done!" Blade-man screamed, twisting his blades for a killing strike.
"Shut up!" Arsenal bellowed, thrusting his knee up, turning it into a grenade launcher mid-motion. The blast hit Blade-man dead-on, sending him crashing into the ceiling in a burst of flame and smoke. But that single launch set off a chain reaction; the exposed grenades inside Arsenal's arms began to beep wildly. "No… no, no, no!"
He couldn't make these grenades vanish into his arms again when they were about to blow. He did that once in the past, and it injured him too seriously! The grenades started popping loose one by one, rolling across the burning floor. He shook his arms, throwing the grenades everywhere.
"Oh, for fuck's sake…" Arsenal muttered.
"A-Arsenal!" One of his last men roared in panic.
One grenade landed in front of Sarada, who was crawling out from under a burning piece of furniture.
"Uh oh," The older man uttered. The next instant was white. The explosion consumed the entire floor. The shockwave shattered every window, blowing flaming debris into the night sky. The sound ripped through Nagoya, shaking nearby buildings. Sarada's flesh was blasted off his bones in a wave of flames.
For a moment, Arsenal felt nothing but heat and pressure, then wind. He and his last man were hurled outward by the blast, flames trailing their bodies as they burst through a window. Arsenal barely managed to morph his arm midair into a grappling hook and fired blindly. The hook caught the edge of a nearby rooftop, and the cable snapped taut, jerking them both violently before they slammed onto the roof. They rolled, coughing and gasping with the night air cooling them a little. Arsenal breathed out, gazing up at the sky.
His comrade wheezed beside him, staring up at the inferno. The skyscraper's floor was nothing but a burning crater, glass and fire raining down.
"Holy shit… we're alive…" The man muttered. The top of the building they were in began to shake as a burning and screaming man jumped off the floor to the streets below. The structure wasn't stable anymore. The roof and all floors above the burning one collapsed off the building, plummeting like a meteor toward the civilians down there.
Arsenal lay on his back, chest heaving, smoke rising from his body. For a long moment, he just stared at the blazing tower.
"Alive, yeah… and we didn't even get the deal…" He sat up, wiping soot from his mouth.
"The deal?!" The other man turned toward him sharply. "That's the least of our problems! What the fuck, man?! Why did you go and threaten them?! D-Do you even realize how much we fucked up?! Even if they rejected us, I'm sure Haō-sama would have forgiven us and dealt with them himself! Damn it… We're screwed…" He grabbed his head in fear, pacing back and forth before hesitantly looking down at the streets. It was hell. People running and screaming, fire spreading. "Wait… No, this isn't my fault! It's yours! And you'll tell Haō-sama! You'll–" He was cut off when a bullet punched through his forehead, making him jerk back.
Slowly, the man leaned back… until he fell off the building.
"Yeah, no. I'm not about to lose credibility with Master… Huff… I'll find an excuse…" Arsenal muttered, the gun barrel his fingers turned into smoking, before it changed back into his normal hand. "For now… I better get out of here… Huff… Before a pro hero spots me," He grunted as he rose to his feet and headed to the fire escape.
He probably wouldn't get in too much trouble if he found a good excuse, right?