Chapter 19
Title: Battle Is Everything
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Third Person POV. -- 15th Of October -- 2415 --
[ Hinode City ]
The Gakushūin Junior High is a private school that is situated in the middle of the more popular districts of Hinode City.
It is situated in the middle of modern, two story houses that many of these children's homes occupy.
Currently, it's 15th of October, just 15 more days till the Benihanas will attend the party being held by Yotsubashi Rikiya, the founder and CEO of the Detnerat company.
Currently though, it's afternoon when school will end. The students are in their last period with the bell being seconds away from ringing.
Inside the classroom, Retsu and the other students are seen quietly taking notes, with some of them subtly glancing at the clock, looking to see when the timer will be up soon.
And it does so moments later. The school bell rings, marking the end of the day with all the students starting to pack up.
"Remember to read from page 270 upto page 275. It's going to be included in the upcoming pop quizzes.
Alright, class dismissed. " Mrs. Yamada says, before she starts packing too and exit the room moments later.
As Retsu is quietly gathering her things from her desk, a hand falls on her shoulder, making the tall girl look up and see it's Himiko.
"What's up? Need something? " She asks, getting a smirk from the shorter girl in return.
"Let's go to the park that's near here. It'll be a nice refreshment after the hectic day, don't you think? " She says, leading to Retsu looking down in quiet contemplation.
Not finding anything of importance that she'd need to do today, she agrees. "Alright, let's go there after school then. "
The duo pack up, before heading out of the classroom. They get to the front entrance and change from their indoor shoes to outdoor ones, before heading towards the entrance of the school.
"There is a convenience store on the way there. We should go buy some snacks before heading towards the park. " Himiko informs, getting a nod from the girl who looks forward and sees her chauffeur is at the gates, standing and ready to take her home.
Retsu gets before her driver, before she informs her of her decision, "Me and my friend are heading towards the park that's near our school. I'll call you later for when you can pick me up. "
"Very well, young mistress. I'll be calling to your parents too then, informing them so that they may not worry about your whereabouts. " Her driver says, bowing slightly before she turns and enters the car, driving away from in front of the school and to a side where she can park to wait for Retsu's call.
"Alright, let's go. " Retsu says, before the duo start heading towards the park that's near here, –just a few streets away actually.
As they're heading there, Himiko suddenly remembers something and speaks up, "ne ne! About that boosting ability you were experimenting on, how is it progressing? "
"Hm? Oh the Boosting? It's mostly been the same. The problem i have with it hasn't been solved yet.
The only way i can think of improving it is through continued use, but it also has the drawback of leaving the boosted quite exhausted, " Retsu says, getting Himiko to nod,
"Yeah, that stuff is pretty tough. I still remember the feeling of exhaustion when you boosted me before. " Himiko says.
Boosting.
it's an ability that Retsu has been working on for a while now. The process is like this:
When Retsu is Augmenting her own physical strenghth, she does that by making her blood circulate around her body in specific places that will Augment her physical traids.
The blood circulation has to be constant, otherwise she will lose her augmentation and revert back to her normal physical strength.
Now Boosting is an ability that embodies this same concept, but it's applied to an outer organism. For example, someone else.
But in order to keep that someone else augmented, Retsu has to constantly put effort into the blood she's circulating through their body. The mental strain that this process takes is negligible by the young Benihana, but the main weakness she has with this ability is something else.
Benihana Retsu has a limited ability where she can control her transmuted cells for only 10 minutes, 12 or 15 minutes if she puts a lot of thought on the subject.
After this timer has run out, her blood that she's transfirmed will stay that way, but Retsu will also lose her control over the substence.
10 minutes, that is Retsu's limit for how long she can control her transformed blood, as well as the period where she can keep someone else augmented.
'I've been working on it for a while, but it seems that my current limit is just 10 minutes.
The process can be extended through training it, but it would take a lot of effort, –something that I've come to realize isn't the way for me to strengthen this ability.
No, the core weakness of my ability right now is my limited sensory capability. I'm sure that, if I'm able to widen my sensory perception, then this ability would also become stronger and have it's time limiter completely removed.' Retsu thinks,
By now the duo has reached the convenience store. The two teenage girls head inside to buy some snacks, Retsu choosing her all times favourite, which are Zetsubō Zings.
The treat is a type of snack with many different flavors to it.
There is the hot flavors, spicy types that may burn the mouth of its consumer, –this one being Retsu's favourite.
There is also Sour types, treats that are very tangy for the consumer.
There are other flavor types too, but these are the ones that Retsu likes most, these being her favorites among the flavor types.
For Himiko, she chooses the same thing, but their sweet flavored versions instead of the other intense types, –having a sweet tooth herself so that's why she likes them sweet.
The duo pay for their snacks, before heading out of the store, heading towards the park.
The place is very big and peaceful, being in the middle of this upper-middle class houses that has many people living in.
It's length spans for atleast a mile, having a paved road running in its middle that is very good for a light jog or morning runner exercises.
The duo enter the place from the big entrance gates, before heading towards a shaded seat, having a nice view of the greenery that encompasses the whole place.
Many trees and bushes are also put and trimmed neatly in the backgrounds, giving the place an orderly type of feel, with a children's park having been constructed in the center of the place too.
As the duo are idly enjoying the view and their snacks, talking about trivial things, Retsu suddenly voices a thought she's had for quite a while.
"Himiko, what is it you want to be when your older? " She asks, leading to Himiko tilting her head in quiet contemplation.
"Oh, i guess I'd like to be somone free? I like the idea of being able to use my quirk for however much i want, so maybe I'd go the hero route in order to be able to use my quirk constantly.
What about you Retsu-chan? What do you want to be when you're older? " Himiko asks,
"I haven't actually given it much thought, to be honest. But i guess i like the idea of fighting and winning, so I'd pretty much go the hero route too in the end. "
"Woah! Then we should both go to the same high school!
Oh! Oh! How about UA? It's the perfect place to become a licensed pro in only 3 years, right? " Himiko asks, getting an amused look and a nod from Retsu, 'she's like an excited cat, jumping in place at the mere idea of something that sounds fun. '
In the future they may encounter many challenges and difficulties in their pursuit of becoming pro heroes, but that's the whole reason they are taking this route in the first place.
To fight, and win.
For Benihana Retsu, Battle is everything...
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For the people that Lives in Hinode city, there is seldom any villain attacks, but it can still happen. That is why there are a lot of agencies scattered around the city, with many prominent and known heroes occupying the region as well.
Of these more-competent-than-usual pros, there is one figure, one red haired and red costume wearing hero who is very famous.
His name is Crimson Riot, somone who seems to be a hero with a very strong mindset that believes willpower is more important than one's Quirk.
He has stated in the past that, As long as one has a manly spirit, it doesn't matter what kind of Quirk they manifest.
He clearly states that for him, the word 'manly' refers purely to a state of mind, essentially determination and courage, and therefore doesn't have any meaning that's gender-specific.
To him, manliness can be found as much in women as it can in men.
Crimson Riot is an older generation pro hero, so his quirk may not be as strong as the current generation's, but it still does the job for him.
Crimson Riot's quirk, Manes of Valor, is a transformation type ability that lets him extend, contract, and harden his own hair to the point of making it as hard as steel.
With it, Crimson Riot has saved many people in this hero society, managing to climb the ranks to a respectable place, before the next generation of heroes came about.
Crimson Riot's agency is located here, at Hinode City, and with the reputation he's made of himself in the past, not many Villains want to fight the pro hero either.
Although there will always be exceptions to these rules.
In this world there are many who are far from your typical villians.
For these type of people, there isn't much that laws can do against them. They are the worst of the worst, beings who's personal power eclipses the strengths of the laws that govern this society...
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Back with Retsu and Himiko, after the duo has eaten their snacks, and has spend an hour or so just walking around the park, –enjoying its scenery and lively sights, they finally plan on heading back.
Himiko's place is actually near here, so Retsu decided on accompanying her friend to her home, before she calls her driver and heads back home too.
As the duo are walking through the now quieter streets, Retsu suddenly gets a very strong feeling,
It's a feeling of anticipation,
'something will happen, something big. ' she concludes, before looking at Himiko who's walking beside her, talking about random stuff that Retsu is paying attention to while also thinking of other things.
'I should first take her home safely, before i go and investigate the root of this feeling I've gotten.'
Benihana Retsu may not have her Reiryoku anymore, but her instinctsare so sharp that she can tell when something is about to happen, and the old soul trusts her instincts like she trusts her swordsmanship, which is like an unshakable belief in herself.
The duo fimally get in front of Himiko's home, seeing the 2 story modern building in the primary colors of black, grey and white. The place is very neat, modern, and has a rich feel to it.
"Ne, Retsu-chan. You sure you don't wanna come inside? Mom should be home right now and i think she'd like to meet you. " Himiko says, making Retsu shake her head in denial.
"I've been away from home more than enough. Mother is home today, so I'll be going in order to not worry her further. I'll see you tomorrow, Himiko-chan. Have a good night now, bye. " She waves her hand, getting a wave back from the shorter girl, before she heads inside the house.
Thinking of Himiko's family, the Toga's, Retsu is reminded of a past incident,
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It was back when she got to become Himiko's friend for the first time. Himiko's parents had met Retsu's parents in a teacher parents conference held by the school.
There they met and talked with one another.
It was an off day so Retsu's mother was with her, with Retsu and Himiko going outside and playing in the fields to let the adults talk.
It was later when Retsu had come back home from the conference that she learned of her mother's feelings regarding the Toga's,
"Retsu, your friend's parents are neglective of their own child. They don't look out for their own daughter simply because of her genetic mutation, –something she has no control over.
Quirks have a certain effect on a person's psyche, leading to the child developing certain personalities.
For your friend Himiko-chan, it seems she's developed an obsession towards blood.
If you really want to be friends with her, you'll have to provide for her needs sometimes when she grows too reliant on blood.
Because of your quirk, i know you won't experience any blood loss, so I'm okay with you helping the friend you've made.
As for her parents, I've threatened to report them to the authorities if they don't get their shit together and stop neglecting her. '
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Back then, Kie had a very fierce expression, she seemed truely angry at the Toga's for the negligence they've committed instead of leading their child and teaching her the right ways to feel and act.
It was their negligence in the original timeline that let to Himiko confusing love with obsession, leading to her becoming the villain that she became.
Her obsession over blood conflicted with her need for love, leading to her developing the twisted mindset that she did. Thinking that, 'if she drinks someone's blood, that means she loves them. '
By Retsu becoming Himiko's friend, she changed this mindset of hers, and let her towards a more stable way of thinking.
To Himiko right now, blood has just become something she enjoys drinking, like drinking juice or something. And her need for love because of her isolationist lifestyle in the original timeline was also cured because of Retsu who is now besides her, helping the girl and being the pillar she can rely on.
Anyways, after seeing Himiko enter her house, Retsu first looks at her phone, before deciding on not calling her driver. She chooses to go to her driver who is parked near the school herself, while also looking around for the feeling she got on the way there,
'If it comes my way, I'll do something about it. If not then I'll just head back home. '
As Retsu is idly walking back towards her school, thinking of where her instincts may be guiding her, she rounds a corner and stops dead in her tracks,
coming face to face with a scenario she's known about from her meta knowledge.
A two to three story tall figure under a hood, blocking the way of two school girls, –Ashido Mina's friends , and asking them about coordinates to somewhere.
Retsu looks to the side, seeing a black haired boy who's from the same school as her, but somone from a different class.
He's just standing there, frozen in place out of sheer terror.
'Kirishima Eijiro, another future class 1a student, and the unbreakable hero who would be a vital member of that class. '
Retsu of course, has seen him in the past in between breaks back at school, she just hasn't acknowledged him before.
'There is also Mina-san, who is coming out of that convenience store.
In a few moments she will go and confront the giant villain, but it wouldn't look good if i let her into danger as her friend now would it~' An involuntary smirk marks its way on Retsu's face, and before Mina sprints forth to protect her friends, Retsu beats her to it.
As she gets closer, she's able to hear what the villain, Gigantomachia, is asking of the two teenage school girls.
"Where is Crimson Riot's agency at? I know you are hiding him from me! Tell me where he is! " His voice gradually goes higher, and by now Retsu has gotten near enough to speak up.
"You there! You're looking for Crimson Riot's agency? I know where it is, do you want me to tell you it's coordinates? " She asks, making the villain's face turn towards her now, the giant hand he's put on the side wall having left a crack on it without him putting any effort.
"You know where it is? Lead me to it then. I need to full fill my master's command as soon as possible. " The giant villain says, by now Retsu has motioned for the two girls to back away from here, making them run to Mina who is a few steps behind Retsu.
"Yeah, i know where it is. You just have to follow this same street until it ends, then take a left from there and go forward.
Red Riot's agency is in the mountains outside of the city, you just have to walk for a few hundred meters before you get to him. " Retsu informs,
All the things she just said being lies of course, But the giant villain is too dumb to notice, being a pure brawler than a thinker type.
"Very well. Thank you for informing me. " Atleast he has the decency to thank Retsu, who knew the giant ball of destruction could be polite.
Gigantomachia begins his march towards the mountains, following the trail Retsu has put out for him to a T, and leave the three terrified girls who begin crying while holding each other, a boy who's spirit is left devastated for his inability to act,
and a tembling girl who can't stop the smirk that's starting to form on her face.
'A worthy opponent. Somone who is actually strong and may put out a fight against my current capabilities. '
To Benihana Retsu, the idea of losing doesn't bother her as much as it should, she couldn't care less if she lost this upcoming fight.
She only wants enjoyment out of this upcoming conflict.
'I'm truely sorry, father. It seems i couldn't keep my promise of staying out of trouble after all.
It's like a drug to me, and I'm addicted to it.
To me, battle is everything. '
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Author's note/ Next episode, the strongest opponent Retsu will face since she died in her first life!
Gigantomachia, the gigantic calamity!
It will test her strength to its last, making Retsu put effort more than she's put in anything else since her reincarnation in this world.
Sorry papa bloods, it seems little Retsu wasn't able to keep her promise of staying out of trouble after all,
Stay tuned for the next one! Have a great day/night!