Haguruma Kaji stood next to Shigaraki Tomura, her eyes sharp and full of vitality despite her years.
Shorter than the young man, the stout but elderly woman did not yield in the slightest when it came to presence and weight. It took more than just power to project such an air around oneself.
—I see you are up early, Mrs. Haguruma— Shigaraki commented casually, barely giving the woman a second glance.
—Please, call me Kaji— she urged in a calm voice, contemplating the sunrise over the ruins of Deika South.
—Are your boys ready, Kaji?— Tomura asked, accepting the old woman's request. He had no real reason to refuse.
Haguruma Kaji smiled, her expression as warm as the rising sunlight splashing across the labyrinth of broken glass, rubble, and debris. —They are your boys now too, Tomura. They are part of your family; never forget that— she advised with wisdom, retreating into the interior of the stranded vessel she called home.
—Follow me. Do you like toast?— the woman called out, pulling Tomura from his thoughts.
The Villain followed her in silence, barely responding with two or three words to Haguruma Kaji's questions and comments. She noticed his slight confusion but made no mention of it.
Kaji had lived long enough, seen enough, and experienced enough to recognize the lack of maternal attention in a young man. It was not for nothing that she was the mother of her entire small but warm gang.
She extended that same warmth to Tomura and intended to do the same for the members of the League. Partly out of necessity, partly because that was simply who Haguruma Kaji was.
A couple of hours later, both groups dragged their sleepy asses out of bed after being sprayed with water by a cranky Kaji and an impatient Tomura.
—Do you think you are on vacation or some shit?! Get the hell up!— the sweet woman roared.
The only ones awakened with more tenderness were Twice and Hibiki, who had slept in separate rooms much to the chagrin of the Sabi-Haguruma Matriarch.
After abruptly returning from the dream realm, the entirety of the League of Villains was led to the center of the vessel, where a section of the floor split open and a square platform descended to underground levels that Tomura was unaware of.
A vast warehouse whose purpose was unclear stretched the equivalent of a city block, more than twenty meters deep.
Reinforced concrete and metal walls, stairs and other passages with uncertain destinations running along the sides, and a large area to train without drawing much attention.
—How the hell did you manage to protect this territory for so many years again?— Tomura asked with genuine bewilderment.
—Because nobody else wanted it, boy— Kaji replied with a condescending smile.
Both factions positioned themselves facing one another, with their respective leaders off to the side, sternly observing those gathered.
—As you know, I made the decision for the Sabi-Haguruma to formally join the League of Villains. This is not a contract; it is not a job. Our little Hibiki has found love and chose to settle down with sweet Jim. Now they are part of the family, and their business is our business— the Matriarch spoke in a solemn tone, addressing her mercenaries.
She pretended not to hear Hibiki's protesting murmur and continued, turning to the original members of the League.
—I am aware that you have gone through hardships along your path. Some of you probably do not feel comfortable with the word family, and everything it implies.
You do not need to see it that way if you do not want to, but at the very least we must act with unity, coordination, and cooperation. Let me introduce you to the Sabi-Haguruma— the woman continued, explaining her mercenaries and their capabilities.
Haguruma Abura, her youngest son. His Quirk allowed him to extract fat from food and refine it into highly flammable oil.
Thanks to dense and durable ducts along his body, he could mobilize that oil to boost his physical strength beyond human limits and his running speed despite his robustness, as well as expel it through special pores distributed across his arms.
Haguruma Hibiki, the only daughter of the family besides the matriarch herself. Her mind was sharp for planning, and her bluntness and savagery made her an unpredictable combatant.
She knew how to handle firearms, explosives, and melee weapons. Her Quirk allowed her to take up to five steps in the air, each one being much more powerful than what she could achieve on the ground. She possessed no physical enhancements of any kind.
Haguruma Kinen, the burly and non-obese giant who had greeted Abura and the League the first time. He does not speak much, but he protects his own with ferocity. His Quirk is called Internal Combustion, and it causes his stomach to operate like a piston chamber.
Upon consuming oil, his body temperature increases and the oil "detonates" within his muscles, with each detonation providing a burst of superhuman power. The consequence is that he constantly releases black smoke from his pores, and if he fails to vent the heat, he can suffer severe internal burns.
Haguruma Hibana, the only one among the family males who is not a walking mass of fat or muscle. He is even smaller and more slender than the women. This is the first time he has shown himself to the League of Villains.
Hibana possesses a Quirk that consumes his stamina to release sheets of kinetic energy or sharp spikes that complement his hand-to-hand combat. He is small and agile, making him a lightweight fighter dedicated to firearms and blades rather than fists.
Finally, Haguruma Renzo. The eldest brother is Abura's bloated-bellied companion, and just like his younger brother, Renzo is built this way because his Quirk demands it.
His Quirk converts whatever he consumes into a thick, dark tar that can harden at the user's will or be heated to fill him with energy. It is as sticky as it is flammable, and the results of igniting it while it solidifies around an opponent are gruesome.
Shigaraki and his companions listened attentively and watched the Hagurumas' demonstration with interest. They quickly noticed the similarities between the three giants, as well as how much those who did not share those same characteristics stood out.
—What about you, Kaji?— Tomura asked, interested in what the mysterious woman could do. To his bewilderment, she shook her head.
—I don't have a Quirk, Tomura. I am just a mother taking care of her children— Haguruma Kaji replied.
After that exchange, Shigaraki focused entirely on the activities the woman had proposed.
He witnessed with his own eyes the combat capabilities of his new subordinates. They were decent, without a doubt.
Although even the strongest among them couldn't match Muscular, the greatest strength of these mercenaries didn't lie in their individual value, but in their impeccable teamwork.
They were direct, forceful, and a couple of them seemed to have a few screws loose. Nothing new, but even in complicated situations, they managed to coordinate perfectly and turn the tables during team battles.
Why the hell was he making his subordinates practice in simulated combat as if they were Academy kids? The reason was standing right next to him.
Kaji had emphasized getting to know one another, operating on a solid foundation of trust and knowledge. Tomura thought the woman was trying to deceive him, to find out more about their capabilities for a potential future betrayal.
Tomura was no longer the idiot of the past. He was suspicious of the woman's intentions, as she had joined his cause far too easily.
Betrothing her supposed daughter to one of his subordinates and suddenly settling the matter as if dealing with the mafia or royalty? Suddenly they were family?
It could be something that would bring him trouble. It could be something that would bring him benefits. He already had an idea of the reason, but Haguruma Kaji wasn't spilling the beans.
After all, a place like that in Deika is not something that simply goes unnoticed by the groups of the underworld.