Hello there, Sir. JoeMama here,
I cant believe it but apparently after upload the previous chapter I got a lot more stones and feedback. I did say I will upload more if I get more feed back. So here's the next chapter.
Also special thanks to:- Typhon_1704, May_teytey, Shiva16dargi, SDIYBT, and, TH3R3DX01 for the powerstones. Really appreciate it.
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Third Person POV
The next morning, Akaza slept peacefully, wrapped in the warmth of his blanket. The sun's gentle rays filtered through the curtains, but the serenity didn't last long.
The storm arrived.
Kazuko burst into the room with the energy of a hurricane.
"Good morning, everyone! Rise and shine!"
Her cheerful voice echoed through the dormitory, instantly pulling the kids out of their slumber. Groans and muffled protests filled the air.
Akaza squinted, still clinging to his last moments of sleep. Just as he tried to pull the blanket back over his head, a shadow loomed over him.
"Akazaaa… didn't you say you were going to become a hero?" Kazuko's voice was sweet, but her smile was dangerously suspicious.
"Y-yeah," Akaza mumbled awkwardly.
"Then wake up! Your first mission as a future hero is to wake up the others and get everyone downstairs in ten minutes. Fail, and you'll face my wrath!" She vanished as quickly as she appeared.
Akaza sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes.
"Let's get this over with…"
Ten minutes later, Akaza entered the dining hall, leading the sleepy kids like a small army. Kazuko stood at the front, arms crossed, an approving smile on her face.
"Well, would you look at that? My little Akaza is growing up," she said warmly, patting his head.
That moment stirred something inside him. For the first time, Akaza understood what it meant to have someone who cared like a mother. He met her gaze and said softly,
"You can always count on me, Kazuko-san."
Her eyes softened.
"I know I can, Akaza. I know."
After breakfast, everyone scattered to do their own things. When the dining hall was empty, Akaza found Kazuko in the kitchen, washing dishes.
"Kazuko-san, do you need help with that?" he asked.
She turned, smirking knowingly.
"You know you can just tell me what you really want, right?"
'Of course she knows,' Akaza thought.
"I… want to join a dojo. I need to learn how to fight."
Kazuko didn't hesitate.
"Of course! With your quirk, any dojo would take you in. But first—help me with these dishes. After that, we'll go together."
Akaza dragged over a crate, stood on it, and began scrubbing. The two worked in silence, but it wasn't awkward—rather, it was peaceful. The quiet moments spent with her felt… comforting.
When they finished, they changed clothes and set out to find a dojo.
The first dojo they entered was a modest one. The wooden floors smelled of polish, and the faint echo of strikes and kiais filled the air.
A man greeted them at the entrance with a polite bow.
"Welcome to the Iron Fist Dojo. How can I help you today?"
Kazuko smiled.
"I'm looking for a dojo for Akaza. He wants to become a hero, so he wants to start training early. Can you help us?"
The man nodded.
"Follow me. I'll take you to our sensei."
As they walked through the dojo's corridors, Akaza's mind drifted back to memories of his past life.
Akaza, the demon from Demon Slayers, he had possessed an uncanny ability—one that allowed him to determine an opponent's strength with a single glance. He remembered clearly how he had instantly recognized Kyōjurō as a Hashira, just from the way the man carried himself.
But that wasn't all. The demon's senses had extended far beyond normal perception. He could detect the presence of opponents around him—even those hidden in his blind spots—and predict their attacks before they even moved. It was instinctive, almost supernatural.
'If I can replicate that ability… '
Closing his eyes briefly, he focused. The world around him seemed to sharpen. The shuffle of footsteps, the faint creak of floorboards, the breathing of the students nearby—every detail came alive in his mind. Slowly, his awareness expanded, as if an invisible web stretched outward, capturing everything within its reach.
'Yes… I can feel it. The space, the movements, the presence of everything around me…'
The sensation was exhilarating—but it didn't last long. A sharp pain lanced through his skull, forcing him to grit his teeth.
"Tch—!"
The expanded awareness began to flicker, unstable. Akaza quickly reined it back in, letting the overwhelming senses fade until the world returned to normal.
'Not yet. Pushing it too far too soon will only break me. I'll master this… but step by step.'
The sensei awaited them, a bald man with a stern presence.
"So, you want to learn how to fight?" he asked.
"Yes," Akaza replied calmly. "If you can teach me anything."
The dojo fell silent. Students stopped mid-practice, staring at the boy who had just spoken with such bluntness.
While they stared, Akaza focused his senses on the man in front of him. After a moment, his eyes dimmed with disappointment. The sensei's strength was average—nothing special.
He exhaled slowly and turned to Kazuko.
"Let's go find a better dojo."
Before anyone could react, he walked out.
Kazuko quickly bowed to the stunned master.
"I'm so sorry! He didn't mean it that way. Thank you for your time." She hurried after Akaza, leaving whispers behind them.
Outside, Kazuko caught up, fuming.
"What was that about!?"
Akaza only chuckled, which made her glare even harder.
"You brat! This isn't funny. Don't you want to learn how to fight?"
"Don't worry, Kazuko-san. I know what I'm doing. My eyes can synchronize with my Technique Development quirk. I can gauge a person's strength just by looking at them. That sensei wasn't strong enough to teach me."
Kazuko blinked.
"So you're calling that ability… Technique Development?"
"Yeah. Sounds fitting, right?"
She crossed her arms, sighing.
"So the plan is to check every dojo, and if the master isn't strong enough, we move on?"
Akaza smirked.
"Exactly."
"This is going to take forever," she groaned, but still followed him to the next dojo.
Hours later…
The sun dipped low, painting the sky orange as the two sat on the beach, exhausted.
Kazuko rubbed her temples.
"After all this time, you didn't find a single 'worthy' teacher?"
Akaza stretched lazily.
"It's not my fault they're—"
He froze mid-sentence. His pupils shrank, locking on to something—or rather, someone.
Kazuko followed his gaze and saw a tanned, shirtless man lying on the sand, lazily basking in the sun. At first glance, he seemed ordinary. But the aura he emitted was anything but.
'That fighting spirit… it's monstrous,' Akaza thought, a thrill running down his spine.
Without hesitation, he walked over and nudged the man with his foot.
The man opened one eye looking at a kid with creepy black eyes.
"What do you want, kid?"
"Do you run a dojo?" Akaza asked.
The man blinked, sitting up.
"Huh? How did you know that?"
Akaza grinned.
"Because you're strong. Really strong."
The man's eyes sharpened.
"Oh? And how can you tell?"
Akaza pointed at his eyes.
"My quirk."
"It lets you gauge people's strength?"
"It does more than that."
"And why are you telling me this?"
"Because I want to join your dojo."
The man chuckled.
"Bad news, kid. I quit running my dojo."
"Why?" Akaza asked bluntly.
'Here comes some tragic backstory,' he thought.
"My wife got promoted. I don't need to work anymore."
Both Kazuko and Akaza froze.
"…What."
The man shrugged.
"Life's good, kid."
After a moment of silence, Akaza asked again.
"There's gotta be a way to make you teach me."
The man thought for a moment, then cracked his neck and stood up.
"Fine. Beat me in a fight, and I'll reopen my dojo—just for you."
A crazed grin spread across Akaza's face. His blood boiled with excitement.
But then—
BOOM.
A crushing aura exploded from the man, slamming into Akaza like a mountain. The pressure pinned him to the sand, forcing him to his knees.
"What's wrong? Already kneeling? Where's all that bravado?" the man taunted.
Akaza's muscles trembled as he forced himself up, veins straining.
"Hahahaha…" His laughter echoed eerily across the beach. His black eyes glimmered with madness.
"Try me, old man!"
He lunged forward—
—and everything went black.
"Akaza!" Kazuko screamed, rushing to his side.
The man walked over calmly, no longer radiating that overwhelming pressure.
"Relax. He'll wake up in a few hours. It's late anyway." He handed her a small card.
"This has my address. Tell him if he's not there by 6 a.m., I'll kick him out."
Kazuko blinked.
"But didn't you say he has to beat you to be accepted?"
The man smirked.
"Lady, do you think this is some manga where the kid beats the old master with the power of friendship? That kid isn't beating me anytime soon."
With that, he packed his things and left, while Kazuko stared at his retreating figure, holding an unconscious Akaza in her arms.
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Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter.
AND KEEP THOSE STONES COMING, DROWN ME IN IT HAHAHAHAHA
Ahem, Peace out