Chapter 8
To say that Yaoyorozu was anticipating the upcoming exercise was putting it lightly, the young woman barely able to prevent herself from bouncing on the balls of her feet. She wanted an opportunity to engage with Shirou and prove her worth and she had it right here, right now. She had just heard what Shirou had said before he and his team had entered the facility, he could only make medieval weapons.
She could make anything that she knew the inner workings of.
How could a sword compete with a firearm?
Not that she would be using real bullets! She didn't want to kill Shirou, far from it. She needed to teach him, and subsequently, his team a lesson.
Speaking of teams, while hers had the number disadvantage it was actually well rounded and would do well storming the building. Sato was their powerhouse, though due to his quirk his strength would only last so long. Hence they had planned to use him in sparse moments, tagging him out with Kaminari whose electric ability would keep any potential counter attackers at bay.
Kaminari had also been given the title of their VIP, the belief being that the members of the opposing team would be more than a little hesitant to get close to the member of their squad that could constantly produce an electric field around them, a great defensive measure. While all this was happening, Tokoyami would be running as decoy, hopefully creating the idea that he was the VIP that would cause their whole team to be eliminated. Due to the strengths of his own quirk, Dark Shadow, he would be the hardest physically to handcuff so it would make sense that he would be targeted by either strength or numbers, depending on who encountered who.
"BEGIN!"
All Might's voice boomed around them, signaling the start of the competition and causing the members of Team D to begin their assignment. They proceeded slowly, knowing full well that Team E had had a full ten minutes to scout out the building and prepare accordingly. Also, it didn't take them long to notice the cameras located in the corners of the corridor, informing them that their entire performance would be monitored by All Might and assumably their peers. Yaoyorozu couldn't help but smile, hoping quietly that the whole thing was being recorded so that she could watch these next few minutes over and over again.
The path ahead branched off, the trio of Kaminari, Sato and Yaoyorozu took the left path, Tokoyami taking the right. The three students approached the stairs slightly hesitant, expecting an ambush to be awaiting them. Sato stepped forward first and found that it was an ambush of sorts. At the end of the room stood Midoriya and Mineta, the two of them bracing themselves for the conflict to come. The room they were in had purple balls seemingly littered across the ground, no pattern apparent. It was heavier on their side but that was nothing unexpected. The real question though, was what did they do?
None of their team had truly paid much attention to Mineta during the quirk assessment test the previous day. His small frame meant that his physical abilities weren't that great but he had managed to get into the Hero Course ahead of hundreds of other applicants. That meant that his quirk was something that couldn't be underestimated. While yesterday would have been an excellent day to watch and learn everybodies capabilities, most of the attention had been focused on the person who had already stood toe to toe with heroes. Without anything outstanding, nobody had truly paid attention to Mineat and what the balls that he produced from his head were capable of.
They needed to be avoided though, that was clear.
Sato moved forward, careful to watch his step as he proceeded towards the two smaller students. Kaminari followed behind, pulling the handcuffs out of his pocket and getting into position. While Mineta's orbs were uncertainties at this moment in time, Midoriya's quirk was very much known with the teenager having had to see Recovery Girl after yesterday's exercise. Incredible strength, terrible feedback.
Yaoyorozu watched patiently from the entranceway, wondering just how Midoriya would act in the situation before him. It seemed as if the boy was so far incapable of controlling his immensely powerful quirk, one which could likely turn the tide of any battle in an instant but it had to come with some horrible outcomes. Knowing that in order to throw a full blown punch, one which would provide victory in almost any given situation at the almost guaranteed result of injuring himself to such a degree that he could no longer compete. Momo had to give credit where credit was due, the fact that he wished to become a hero while his own body was incapable of dealing with the self sustaining damage was incredible and took incredible determination.
The creaking of floorboards next to her was all the warning Yaoyorozu received before she felt her body begin to fall, having been pushed to the side by seemingly nothing. The answer to her current predicament was quick to come to her, there having been one other member of Team E hiding in the room. Hagakure was invisible, that was her quirk and nobody had considered the possibility that she would go completely nude and hide near the entrance to the room. They had merely thought that the purple balls scattered around were the only traps in waiting.
Knowing how her dilemma came about however didn't prevent Momo from falling. Twisting her head, she saw that she was heading towards a slathering of the purple balls. Reacting on quick thinking, a wooden rod formed out of her palm, landing in a gap between the spheres. It wasn't pretty, but it kept her out of trouble for the moment. She didn't want to know just what those balls did just yet.
"Look out!"
The call from her teammates alerted her to oncoming danger, looking up to see three balls soaring through the air at her. Her predicament was a simple one, avoid the spheres at all costs while remembering that there was an invisible opponent somewhere nearby that could interfere with her efforts at any given moment.
Simple.
She began her work, preparing herself to avoid all oncoming assaults, both visible and not. It would be difficult and all of her focus would be required to successfully return to the fight at hand.
"Tokoyami has been eliminated from the test," boomed All Might's voice over the speaker system.
And there went her concentration. Yaoyorozu avoided the first ball but both the second and third connected with both her shoulder and torso, her elaborate movements flailing as she fell towards the floor, still unsure what the balls currently attached to her body did. When she did land awkwardly atop a number of them, she suddenly discovered her predicament as she found herself unable to move.
Try as she might, and she did try quite vigorously, she could do nothing bit flail with little success of getting anywhere more than where she remained. It seemed as if she had discovered just what the balls that grew on top of Mineta's head did, as did her teammates who now found themselves glued together.
While they could fight on for a handful of seconds longer, Kaminari couldn't activate his quirk without taking out Sato and the strong man would be unable to utilize his strength to his fullest without risk of injuring Kaminari. She meanwhile could do nothing from her position. Sure she could utilize her quirk to craft items for her teammates to use but Momo could tell from her place on the ground that the result was clear.
She was incapacitated, her partners were being approached from three sides with their opponents all wielding their handcuffs and preparing to finish the battle.
They had lost.
She had lost.
She had lost without even having seen Shirou. She had been taken out by the three students who occupied the lowest places in her class. It was humiliating, beyond humiliating! Unfortunately that left her with one very terrible thought on her mind.
Where did that leave her?
...
The general studies class couldn't help but find themselves in a situation they hadn't even remotely considered at the start of the day. Their teacher had decided that it would be good for them to watch and analyse the aspiring heroes. It was very possible that some of them would become well known journalists or even be a part of a hero agency in an administrative role. Those were only a couple of the examples that the teacher had come up with but the students were in agreement that it would be a good lesson.
"Do you think that Sato's quirk would be perfect as an advertisement for a children's cereal brand?"
"What kind of exercise do you think Jiro does to keep in shape?"
"Do you think it was morally wrong for Hagakure to go completely nude, I mean, I know we can't see her but still..."
These were a few of the conversations currently surrounding Rin, the world traveller barely paying attention to the rabble of the masses. Her eyes were solely locked on a single student, but to call him on the same level of those around him would be an insult.
What she was watching though was his actions, small mannerisms that only she would notice. She had seen them all before and she was on the lookout for the more worrying ones. With that being said, Shirou did look oddly relaxed. Considering the task that he had just accomplished, it seemed as if he was having a touch of entertainment predicting and countering the plans that the other team had made.
If Shirou really was enjoying this, even just that tiny amount, Rin could call the exercise a success, regardless of the inevitable result.
...
"That was awesome!" shouted Mineta, high fiving Midoriya as the two of them met up with the rest of their team. He then followed up by trying to give Shirou a clap of the hands only for the weapon crafter to cross his arms. Seemingly getting the hint, Mineta retracted his arm and went very still.
"How'd you defeat Tokoyami Shirou?" asked Hagakure.
"I didn't, Jiro did," said Shirou.
"Really?" said Midoriya in astonishment. "How'd you do it?"
Jiro, a touch embarrassed by all of the attention that had originally been directed at Shirou being thrust upon her, found herself playing with her jacks, twirling one around her finger. "Well, since his quirk centred around the whole dark being kind of thing, I made the room lighter to see if that would work against it."
"Made the room lighter?" repeated Mineta.
"She collapsed one of the walls," clarified Shirou.
"Wait, didn't you think about that doing that would risk the roof caving in?" asked Midoriya. The silence that followed along with Jiro sheepishly looking to the side answered his question more than words would have. "Then how did..."
Before anything else could be said, All Might's voice resounded over the speaker system once more. "Due to the damages that have been sustained to the current facility, another location will be used for the next battle where Team C will be the team invading the villain headquarters. Those headquarters will be occupied by...Team E!"
"Team E...us?" exclaimed Mineta. "That's not fair, we're meant to fight again so soon!"
"Why would they make us fight again?" questioned Hagakure.
"Think about the team layouts," said Midoriya, his mouth covered by his hand as his mind went into overdrive. "Every other team have evenly spaced out teams, making them well rounded while ours consists of the highest and the four lowest ranking students. This might well be a secondary test to show that individual skill will does not necessarily mean that there is an advantage over the number of opposition."
"No, I think it's much more simple than that," stated Shirou.
"What do you mean?" asked Mineta.
"It's to punish us."
"Punish us!" repeated Mineta in shock.
"Aizawa threatened to expel the lowest student yesterday," said Shirou. "The standard rules of teaching don't have to be applied in this class. The four of you were the lowest of the pack yesterday in a school which is meant to produce stellar hero after stellar hero. Any hero that comes out of this academy and fails is a blemish on the school itself."
"So what, they want to make us give up?" asked Hagakure.
"That may have been the original idea," murmured Midoriya. "They may have been counting on us all to be wiped out, trounced by students that scored higher than us to either motivate us to get better or get out. One in three hundred applicants get through to the hero course every year so they want to make sure that those who got in are determined to see it out to the end."
"How do you think the other students feel now?"
"What?" asked Jiro, curious about what Shirou had said.
"It may be as you say," said Shirou. "Were we to be badly beaten, our place in the school may have been in jeopardy. Now though that we came out of that fight and the other team failed to capture a single one of us, how do you think that makes them feel? They came in with confidence only to get beaten by the four of you, the four of you who placed at the bottom of the ladder. So I ask again, how do you think they feel?"
Silence reigned after his words, the pleasure they had felt from their victory hollow after Shirou's speech. With them having achieved perfect victory, it also meant that the other team had suffered a total defeat. Students whom they were to share the rest of their schooling with, any potential bond of friendship that may have been formed possibly shattered before it had even begun.
Thankfully their shared sense of uncomfortability was shattered with All Might announcing over the speaker system that the next location had been selected and that they had ten minutes to prepare. Shirou watched as his team marched forward, their spirits dampened from what he had said. Pausing mid step, Shirou allowed a sigh to escape his lips before he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Stop."
Shirou's command resulted in a very quick response by the four other students. They turned around to see Shirou with his arms crossed. "What, you're going to give us a pep talk now?" said Jiro, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Try and boost our morale perhaps."
"Hardly," said Shirou. "I'm going to tell the lot of you that you should quit if something like this gets you down."
"What!" Hagakure screamed out, fists clenched and shaking up and down.
"In your own time, you can worry about whatever it is that is dragging you down and kill those thoughts with movies, ice cream, long walks or anything that helps get your mind off things. However you deal with it, is how you will deal with it after we come out of this victorious."
"Victorious? You reckon we will win again?" asked Mineta. "I reckon we should just call it quits during this one and prevent ourselves from having to fight again."
"Then get out and be known as the guy who just walked out on the second day of school, all because he was scared of getting hurt in a school for people who want to put their lives on the line everyday." Mineta stiffened at Shirou's words as he continued. "We will get hurt, time and time again. Physically and mentally. Then we will get up time and time again. We will recover, get hurt and be stronger to tackle the next challenge each and every time a new problem comes our way. Right now is another task that we will overcome, even if we then have to fight the rest of the class one after the other. Now, I'm going to go prepare myself for the fact I believe Iida is going to hunt me down like a rabid dog on some weird revenge thing. Sero will try to use the tape his quirk allows him to create to pull people off balance, count on that. Mineta, since you're the distance fighter he will try to target you to reduce our overall range. Count on that. Hagakure will stand in front and get drawn in in your place. The momentary shock should give you enough time to strike with the two of you double teaming to take him down. Midoriya, you'll need to combat Koda. His quirk allows him to communicate with animals, so he won't be able to do much in the current situation unless perhaps for some spiders or insects, no need to use your quirk, just put him down with natural strength. He will likely be the one holding onto the handcuffs and be ready to eliminate whoever Sero or Kirishima puts down. On the note of Kirishima, Jiro, you're going to keep him at bay. The shockwaves you produce may be the only way to slow him down, perhaps even stop him completely but you'll have to get through the armour. Aim for the joints, behind the kneecaps, armpits, elbows, find the chinks in his armour. Kirishima or Iida will be their leader, whether they chose to go with speed or strength. They will be the hardest to take down though. Reduce their numbers and collaborate on Kirishima while I teach Iida a lesson. If you have complaints on the plan you are more than welcome to voice them afterwards. Now, let's go."
Shirou marched forward, his teammates parting for him as they tried to comprehend the whole thing before awkwardly jogging to catch up with him, not wanting to walk behind. "So much for the whole no pep talk thing," Jiro whispered to Hagakure who couldn't help but giggle.
Chapter 9
Iida couldn't help as he panted, hands and knees pressed to the ground as exhaustion and fatigue filled his body, sweat pouring from his brow from a mix of physical and mental exhaustion. The bout hadn't been going long, far from it but as the sounds of his comrades being eliminated one after the other echoed through the speakers he had found himself pushing himself harder. Again and again, trying new tactics in an area which didn't allow him to fully utilize his quirk.
Yet it had dawned on him soon enough. It didn't matter how fast he went, what side he struck from or what surprise he tried to mix into his assault, he was powerless against the monster in front of him. This wasn't the top of the class he was facing. This was someone who had seen heroes up close and personal and knew how to compete with professionals.
And here he was, a student who hadn't even been in this academy for a week thinking he could take on this juggernaut before him.
What a fool he was.
"So, tell me, what did you learn?" asked Shirou as he stood over Iida, the teenager having successfully brought Iida to this state without breaking a sweat.
"You're...you're too strong," said Iida ashamed.
"You already knew that," declared Shirou. "If I wasn't at that level then there would have been no way I could compete against your brother and the other heroes. Try again."
"Then I'm too..."
"If you're about to say weak then I want you to walk out that door and leave this academy with your tail tucked between your legs," said Shirou as he crossed his arms, creating an imposing figure. "You're trying to become a hero. The moment you doubt yourself is when the battle is lost and those people you were trying to protect die."
"Then what do you want me to do?" asked Iida, raising his gaze up from the ground.
"There is always going to be someone better than you, whether that is because they are faster, stronger, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you use everything you have at your disposal to close the gap. Take this experience and learn from it. Treat every fight as if your life depended on it and figure out just what you are capable of. Every time you get knocked down, count it as experience so it becomes harder for them to knock you down again."
Iida couldn't help but find himself swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat. Shirou wasn't simply saying this because it was something that he had seen in a self help book. He had been knocked down, repeatedly by the sounds of it and found ways to get back up, no matter how bruised, bloodied and battered he was.
He knew how difficult the journey was, he had already crawled on that path through whatever means necessary to come out the other side. It painted a terrifying picture and Iida could find himself understanding the person in front of him that little bit more, however scary that idea was. Shirou didn't become as strong as he had because he wanted to, his strength had come from the fact it was necessary.
Iida didn't resist as the handcuffs were secured around his wrists, eliminating him, and his team from the competition. Though it didn't truly matter, he had been the last one standing from his team after all.
As he stood up and started heading towards the exit of the room, he took one final look back at Shirou and wished that during their battle he had managed to accomplish a single thing. Just one single thing to show that he had been taken seriously.
Shirou had bested him without using his quirk. Not a single weapon had been crafted to battle him.
Next time though, next time they fought Iida knew that he would lose to Shirou again. If he could make him use his quirk however, no matter how badly he was beaten it would be an incredible victory.
...
Shirou looked at Mineta and Hagakure, the two of them having been captured during the last contest. Looking at the bright red handprint on Mineta's face said more than any explanation would. It seemed as if the small student had tried to get a bit frisky at some point and had jeopardized the whole operation in order to cop a feel.
"Have you said you're sorry?" Shirou asked.
"It doesn't matter if he said it or not!" started Hagakure. "He thought that while I was in front of him he could..."
"I know it won't change the way you feel," said Shirou, offering the invisible girl a small smile. "It will tell me however if he has even the slightest bit of remorse for his actions."
"Oh, in that case, no he hasn't said sorry," said Hagakure.
"Alright then, there's only one thing that we need to do in order to get him to repent for his sins," said Shirou.
"What's that?" asked Mineta, fear creeping into his body.
Shirou crafted an ancient knife, one which had originated hundreds of years earlier and was crude in design. It did make a solid point visually however and was perfect for what he was about to say next.
"Castration."
Mineta felt his knees go weak under him and he struggled to remain standing. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he begged, fearing for his manhood.
"Don't say it to me," said Shirou as he pointed the knife from Mineat to Hagakure.
"I'm sorry Hagakure! Please forgive me, I'm sorry for everything!" Mineta shouted in desperation.
"This is too much," mumbled Jiro as she found herself rubbing at her temples.
"Emiya, you're not really going to...you know..." said Midoriya, unable to find the actual words.
No answer was given however as All Might's voice came over the speaker system. "Team B, please get ready for your operation, you will be storming the headquarters of...Team E!"
"Oh what a surprise, it's us again," said Jiro with sarcasm almost visible in her words.
"Hey All Might, can we get the keys to the cuffs!" shouted Hagakure, waving her hands up to the camera, not sure if the number one hero could hear her.
Apparently not.
"While I can't hear you young Miss, I have some unfortunate news for you. You and the young sir by your side were eliminated from the competition, the whole competition," said All Might. "The rest of your team is still in the contest."
"Wait, so we're not only fatigued from our previous fights, but our number advantage is gone," said Jiro, biting at the inside of her lip.
"If you want to take a breather, find some cover and I can do the heavy lifting this time around," said Shiro.
"Are you really going to fight all of them?" asked Hagakure, still bummed out that she couldn't compete in the following event.
"No, I'm just going to fight three of them," said Shiro as his gaze shifted to Midoriya. "I think there's someone in Team B that Midoriya needs to face one on one."
Considering the four people that they were going up against, it didn't take long for Midoriya to figure out just who Shiro was hinting at. "Kaa-chan," he said softly, his palm clenching into a fist.
"We all saw him charge at you after you launched the ball yesterday," stated Shiro. "I won't ask what kind of bad blood there is between the two of you but this is your chance to rectify some issues."
"I don't know," said Midoriya with more than a hint of uncertainty.
"This is your chance to face your demons head on," stated Shirou. "If you can't even face your own fear, how are those you protecting going to know you're a real hero."
"So, Midoriya, the real question is this...Can you do this?"
Second ticked by as Midoriya did his best to gather the courage necessary to answer. Weeks ago were he given such an option he would never have chosen this but now...now things were different.
"Yes."
"Good, let's go," said Shirou with a cunning smile, wondering whether any of the other three students he was going to target would get him to use anything within his arsenal.
Jiro meanwhile couldn't help but see the smile that Shirou was wearing, an almost playful nature to it. She along with most of the world had seen just what Shirou and his partner were capable of, the way the two of them had been able to stand up to a multitude of heroes like it was nothing. Hagakure may have reached fangirl levels of obsession but she had been much more on the analytical side of things.
Even during that last bout after she and Mirodiya had succeeded in capturing Kirishima, she had watched Shirou toy with Iida all for the idea of teaching him a lesson. Having seen the footage, she was more than aware that Shirou was capable of so much more but he simply chose not to push himself. At any time he could have taken Iida out and likely in the next match he would take his time, perhaps even give some random hints of advice as he danced around their coordinated attacks.
Then, once they were tired and out of ideas, he would capture them and end the fight.
It was sadly all too predictable.
It would give her time to rest though for the final fight and after having had to restrain Koda, Sero and Kirishima, she was more than content to take a break.
...
The general studies class watched as the third bout started only for Bakugo to charge straight forward, leaving his teammates still standing at the entrance. He moved as if a man possessed, a single terrifying thought on his mind. Many of those who had never seen the explosive quirk user felt intimidated, all of them hoping to never be in the path of the teenager who looked more like a villain than a hero in this single moment.
Considering that there was someone who was once called a villain was standing right beside them, that was saying something.
Rin meanwhile couldn't help but feel mildly impressed. Mildly.
What she had been more impressed with thus far was how Shirou was interacting with those around him. She was glad that he wasn't actually using his proper strength against children pretending to be superpowered. She didn't care what kind of ability they possess which they believed gave them the right to be called the pitiful excuse of a hero in this world, they couldn't be any kind of idol if their mindset was that of a toddler. The best lesson that they needed to have beaten into their skulls was that it didn't matter that they had gotten into the top class level of the academy, they were still unprepared for the world.
Which made it all the more surprising as she watched the teenager that had yet to display a single bit of power during all of the fights thus far take the battle to the kid that could create explosions. Rin could hear the panicked whispers of those standing nearby about the thought how someone whose profile stated how the green haired kid had incredible strength but a terrifying self-destructive drawback.
Kid had courage, Rin could give him that. Unfortunately, it looked like courage wouldn't be enough in this battle. She had been in enough situations where she and Shirou had faced unspeakable odds during the Holy Grail war, not to mention everything that subsequently came afterwards. They had taken on the challenges knowing full well that they were potentially unprepared. Courage, was only good when one had the skills to back up their bravado.
Meanwhile, on one of the other screens, a couple of the students watched as Shirou danced between three sets of attacks almost effortlessly ad if he knew everything that would be coming his way. Rin allowed a smile to grace her lips for only a moment, making sure nobody else saw her reaction.
Just a small smile, one that was gone as soon as it arrived.
Shirou had had years of watching the worst of mankind eat away at his soul for decades. Rin knew that he had struggled and did his best to hide the effects that countless inhumane events had had on his psyche. He always did his best to wear that irresistible smile of his but every now and again Rin had seen it waver ever so slightly, telling her that perhaps they were fake smiles being sent her way. Shirou never wished to burden her with anything that would stress her out or make her worry, something which infuriated Rin to no regard. Yet she cared for him, and this was his way of showing that he cared for her.
A gasp from nearby caught Rin's attention, turning her head slightly to view the other screen to see Shirou's teammate on the ground, rubble and debris surrounding his barely moving body. It was clear that her earlier deduction had been on the mark, though the blood trickling both from the explosive kid's nose and a cut that had formed across his cheek. Saying that he looked annoyed was putting it lightly, infuriating also seemed as if it was an understatement.
Well, it just looked as if there was another person for Shirou to put into place.
...
Shirou secured the cuffs around Ojiro, the third person whom he had eliminated this bout. True to his style, during the entire time he had been combatting the trio, he had been trying to push them to better themselves. They actually had had some good chemistry, likely chatting amongst one another beforehand and creating some sort of plans.
Sadly it had all been a bit too predictable. Aoyama's laser instantly made him their long distance fighter while Ojiro had tried to combat him in close combat with Uraraka playing support where she could. They were still a bit green but there was nothing wrong with that. They would learn in the years to come, provided they made it that far.
The wall nearby exploded towards them, Ojiro flinching and closing his eyes as he braced himself for some manner of debris hitting his body. Nothing hit him however, his body being protected by the unmoving frame of Shirou who had stood in the path to protect him. Whatever rubble and grit collided with his frame did little to move him from his spot and only once the dust had cleared did he step to the side to see who was still around.
"Go," instructed Shirou, Ojiro taking no time to heed his call.
"There you are," snarled Bakugo as he raised a fist, his arm trembling in anticipation for what was to come. His menacing presence was only made more so by the amount of blood that was smeared across his face,red liquid still trickling from his wounds.
"I see," said Shirou as he leant to the side, the explosive palm that Bakugo possessed bypassing his head by a matter of inches. That was only the start as the momentum allowed Bakugo to twist, his leg swinging up in an attempt to strike again at Shirou's face. It failed to strike however as Shirou tilted backwards, allowing the leg to sail above his nose by the barest of margins.
Bakugo skidded off to the side, preparing himself for some measure of counter attack that never came. Instead he focused on the fact that Shirou had yet to move from the position he had been standing in when he had defended Ojiro from the destruction he had caused.
The explosive kid wasn't a fool. He knew that all of the other people in his class were merely pebbles that he needed to move past in order to reach the top. Standing in front of him though wasn't a pebble, it was a mountain. Shirou wasn't like the other students, that much was obvious. Even mountains however were scaled by the strongest and bravest of explorers, and Bakugo knew what the first step would be to ensure that he would be recognized as the strongest. That was to do what no one else had been able to do thus far.
Make Shirou use his quirk.
None of the other students had managed to do so, but Bakugo was determined to make the seemingly impossible a reality. "You better take me serious," he said as he slapped his wrists together, his palms pointing towards where Shirou was standing. "I'll crush you if you don't come at me with everything you've got."
"Everything I've got," repeated Shirou as Bakugo charged at him, the sweat building on his palms. Those watching on the cameras did so in horror as Shirou didn't budge from his spot as the palms connected with his torso, engulfing his body in an explosion which shook the foundation of the building. Smoke enveloped the human that Bakugo had struck with everything he could have mustered, causing the first year student to shake.
Many might have assumed he was terrified with himself because he had struck someone clean with his quirk, a powerful quirk that had the potential to kill an individual if not used carefully. During his childhood, while he had constantly been praised, he had also been given fair warning about the danger such a strong quirk could have.
That however, was not why Bakugo was shaking.
The smoke parted to show Shirou still standing there, seemingly unfazed by the attack that had struck him square. An attack that could have crumbled a wall hadn't even damaged the hero costume that Shirou was wearing. Was it the material itself that was able to withstand the attack or was it Shirou himself?
Knowing that potential defeat was coming soon, Bakugo's right arm swung upwards, his fist connecting with Shriou's chin in such a way that it sent the head recoiling backwards. A menacing smile crossed Bakugo's features for only the barest of moments before Shirou spoke.
"A haymaker is meant to end a fight," he said as his face shot down and his eyes connected with Bakugo's. It took only a split second then for Bakugo's insides to nearly collapse on themselves as Shirou's fist embedded itself in his stomach with enough force to send him crashing against the opposite wall.
Bakugo couldn't help the bile and blood that he coughed up as he found himself on his hands and knees, doing his best to take deep breaths. Hazy eyes went wide as he looked at Shirou and the weapon he held in his hands.
A spear. Crimson red in colour with an intricate pattern etched into the core.
Yet it wasn't these details that Bakugo noticed.
He could feel the power, he didn't know how it was possible but it felt as if the weapon itself was radiating an aura of pure strength.
Bakugo would later go on to stay that it was the weapon that had caught him off guard to which lead to his defeat. The spear never struck him, but being able to see his reflection in the spear face when it was only an inch away from his head with the tip embedded into the wall was an experience he never wished upon anyone else.
Bakugo didn't resist as Shirou placed the handcuffs on him (the pair that he had taken from Ojiro), the explosive teenager more than content to allow this competition to come to an end and allow some himself to have some manner of medical treatment administered. It was very possible that a few of his ribs were broken. It also didn't help that Shirou hadn't needed to summon the weapon to defend himself and the pure amount of strength in his fist alone was terrifying. Shirou had summoned the spear to make one point obviously clear.
That this was merely a taste of what he was truly capable of.
...
All Might couldn't help but allow a sigh of relief to sound out as the battle came to a close. Small medic robots were already on their way to pick up Midoriya, the kid having put up more of a fight against Bakugo then anybody could have predicted. He needed to learn how to utilize One for All better though or else he wasn't going to be able to see the rest of the semester through.
He was also glad that Shirou had opted to make a statement with his fist rather than the weapons he could have created. Heaven forbid he terrify all those who were watching by splashing Bakugo's blood all across the wall. Hopefully the explosive child had learned something from this and would be able to use it in the future.
Although he still wasn't sure how to feel about Shirou willingly taking Bakugo's attack head on. Was he simply that confident in his ability, or did he know he would be okay because he had been through worse in the past?
Now was not the time for idle thoughts however as there was one last bout to occur. Now it would be up to Team A to try and accomplish what no other team could.
Jiro and Shirou.
Asui, Ashido, Shoji and the son of Endeavour, Todoroki.
On paper it was two to four. Jiro and Shirou would be entering their fourth consecutive match with minimal breaks in order to restore their stamina. Team A had been able to watch what their opponents were capable of.
None of this would likely give Team A any advantage whatsoever.
Chapter 10
Aizawa watched on from his isolated room, thankful for the quietness that surrounded him as he made his own notes about the one sided battles that had come and gone. There had been some mildly entertaining moments and he would need to give some 'special' lessons to some of those who had done extremely poorly but they were here to learn after all.
It just so happened that there seemed to be someone else in the class who was more than willing to try and teach the brats a lesson.
Other members of the faculty who watched the footage might see things differently however he could see the small indications here and there with the movements. It was clear that Shirou was toying with his opponents but had he gone at the same level of strength he had done against the professional heroes then there wouldn't have even been a contest. The fact that he had actually gone along with it showed that either he didn't want to waste their full power because he saw them as no kind of threat, or if he wished to show them something. Perhaps it was a mix of both, maybe something completely different.
The fact at the end of the day was that Shirou had toyed with them in such a way it would likely inspire them to be better than the person they were today.
That being said, Aizawa knew that there was another lesson that the brat would teach before the day was over. The kid had an annoying sense of foresight considering that at the start of the lessons he had been the one to tell All Might who their team leader was, despite the protests that had been made by his peers.
It had been a trick that he himself wouldn't have considered which would make it all the more interesting to see how he would play this out.
...
Todoroki stared at the entrance to where he and his teammates would be proceeding through shortly in order to begin the task set before them. A task which had been made easier by the groups that had come before them, but nonetheless one which seemed almost an impossible assignment. Still though, they were expected to show just what made them students of the academy and he intended to do just that.
"Stand behind me," he instructed as his quirk flared into life. They had nominated him as team captain and they trusted him to instruct them to the best of his ability. Considering how widespread his quirk was, it was in their best interest to listen to exactly what he said.
Those behind him could only watch in awe as the building that their targets were holed up in became encased in ice, both externally and internally. "Wow," said Ashido, unable to stop the word from coming out of her mouth.
"Will you be okay?" Shoji asked of the other member of the team, the one with the amphibious quirk.
"It will be a strain," said Tsuyu. "Even standing out here I can feel myself wanting to find somewhere warm."
"There's no shame in staying," declared Todoroki. "Due to my quirk, our capabilities as teammates is at a disadvantage. While I can use the other half of my quirk to keep your temperature stable it will reduce my own abilities during the oncoming struggle."
"I'm sorry, I wish I could be of more help," stated Tsuyu, fully knowing that the drawback to her quirk in these conditions would be more of a hinderance than anything else.
"Don't worry, we'll win this for you," stated Ashido giving her female classmate a thumbs up for good measure.
"Let's move, the longer we wait the longer they have to counter," said Shoji knowing his role in the upcoming scuffle.
"Right," agreed Todoroki as he lead on at a brisk pace. His costume came with shoes that weren't affected by the change in terrain, being able to walk over the ice as if it were nonexistent. Unfortunately those who were backing him up had no such equipment and had to tread carefully.
He had discussed this with them beforehand and how it would hinder them as a unit. At the start of the competition he had planned on doing the same thing, regardless of how it affected those around him. When he had watched the first team fall without a single member of Team E falling, he knew that he needed to count on those who he had been assigned with.
He wasn't his father after all.
"Where do you think they'll be?" asked Ashido, trying to break the silence that had encompassed the group. She hadn't needed to speak to break the silence however as the roof creaked before breaking, all three members of Team A diving out of the way in order to avoid a majority of the debris, though they were unable to avoid it all. "You guys okay?"
"Yeah," said Shoji, a little battered from some of the floorboards that had unexpectedly crashed on top of him. "To answer your earlier question, I believe they're above us."
...
Tsuyu stood outside of the frozen complex awkwardly. She hadn't technically been eliminated from the competition so she was theoretically still in the bout, even if her contribution to the oncoming fight was minimal if anything at all.
She could tell however that this was a learning point for her. Tsuyu wanted to be a hero, one that was able to help in any kind of situation. Looking at the terrain only a handful of feet in front of her knowing that she could do nothing was a blow to her pride. She had to talk to some of the people in the school to see if it was possible to get some modifications done to her hero attire. While what she had was more than suitable in most conditions, Tsuyu wanted to be a hero that could help in all situations.
There was another learning point here, one that she hadn't thought of on her own and before she knew it, she was about to play a much bigger part of the game ahead, regardless of the conditions.
...
The three members of Team A moved slowly, taking in their surroundings as they progressed further and further into the building. It wasn't a large building by any stretch of the imagination, however the two students they were facing could very well be lying in wait to ambush them from any vantage point accessible.
Unfortunately, their set movement came with another setback, that being that Ashido and Shoji were starting to suffer from the effects brought about by the conditions they were in. Todoroki had been mildly sceptical when they had swiftly accepted the plan he had put forth but they had agreed to do so, regardless of how it would affect their bodies. Had they not mentally suffered the attack from above with the roof caving in, there was little doubt that they would be moving at a quicker pace. The looming threat of the roof coming down on them once more or perhaps even the ground from underneath them giving way made them extra cautious.
Understandably so.
"Ahchoo!"
"Bless you," said Shoji in response.
"Thanks," replied Ashido as she wiped at her nose.
It made sense that it was the last room of the house located on the top floor, with the only entrance being the door and the only alternate escape route being the window that was four stories above ground. What was more unnerving was the fact that Shirou sat on a chair in the centre of the room, his fingers interlaced under his chin as if he were a spy movie villain. Standing behind him and to his right was Jiro, rubbing at her arms to try and create some extra warmth.
The two members of Team E however were not the only ones in the room.
"Tsuyu!" shouted Ashido, noticing the fourth member of their team being held hostage in the corner, a cage made of steel swords keeping her entrapped in the corner of the room. "Let her go!"
"If I was going to let her go, then there would have been no point in capturing her in the first place," said Shirou as he leaned back in his chair, seemingly content with the decision he made. "While your decision to control of the terrain was a surprising one, unfortunately it has lead to your ultimate downfall."
Todoroki didn't rise to the bait but knew that time was of the essence here. Tsuyu's quirk was at a complete disadvantage and a single look at the girl showed that she was beyond suffering. He needed to find a way to finish this quick, though any more ice that he created would inevitably drop her health even quicker.
While he had sworn never to use the other half of his power, for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, he could feel the heat inside him itching to be released.
"What do you want?" asked Shoji, knowing that they needed to speed up whatever process this was if they were to rescue Tsuyu before she suffered anymore than necessary.
"Out of every member of the class, Todoroki here is probably the one that I would struggle to fight," stated Shiro. "I mean look around us, this all happened in the space of a couple seconds. It's not to say that I can't beat him in a straight fight but this isn't a straight fight now is it. The point of a team battle is in the name, the battle you brought forth however wasn't suited to your team."
"Can we hurry this up?" asked Jiro, clearly getting agitated by the length of time this was taking.
"Fine," said Shirou as he stood up, pulling a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. "I could force these on you and win outright but you wouldn't learn anything from that. After all, when I'm in such close proximity to you my own safety is compromised. So, Jiro here is going to put the handcuffs on you at the same time as Ashido there puts her handcuffs on me. Does that sound like a good compromise?"
"We'll take it!" shouted Ashido, speaking for her team. While Todoroki was technically the leader, the decision in front of her was an easy one. They weren't losing the match, they were drawing if anything which was far better than what any of the other teams had accomplished.
Todoroki meanwhile didn't like the outcome and bit at the inside of his lip. The issue with not liking it however was that he really couldn't see another alternative, at least not one that he would willingly rely on. "Fine, we have a deal."
"Good," said Shirou as the swords around Tsuyu vanished. "Get her out of here Shoji, somewhere warm."
"Of course," he said before springing into action, crossing the distance between where he had been standing and where Tsuyu was in a matter of moments. As he took Tsuyu to safety, Shiro held out his arms while Todoroki did the same.
"No funny business now, you wouldn't want to be known as someone who goes back on their word now do you," said Shiro as Jiro took the handcuffs from him and proceeded to where Todoroki was standing.
"You have my word," said Todoroki as Ashido walked past him, crossing paths with Jiro, the two girls nodding to one another in a sign that they weren't going to try any funny business. It took a few seconds for the girls to get in position, with the handcuffs placed around the boy's wrists.
"On the count of three," instructed Jiro.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
The locks slid into place at the same time, capturing both Todoroki and Shiro simultaneously.
"Shiro and Todoroki have been eliminated from the test, Team A has been eliminated from the test. The winners are Team E!" All Might's voice boomed through the speaker system.
"Wait, what?" said Ashido, highly confused about the situation unfolding around her before the conclusion hit her head on. Pointing at Shirou, then Jiro, then Shirou again, over and over. "You mean this whole time, you weren't, but you were, when you're clearly, but why!"
"I was the biggest target," said Shirou as he stretched his arms, shattering the link that connected the handcuffs connecting his wrists together. "Why would we make me the team leader when everyone was out to get me?"
"Not like we didn't strongly suggest it," said Jiro, crossing her arms. "Now can we get out of here, it is freaking freezing!"
...
Rin sat in Shirou's living room, or the small enough area that could remotely be described as a living area. She sat at the coffee table, her head cusped in her palm while her elbow sat on the table. In front of her, Shirou worked in the kitchen whipping them up some dinner, already having declined her help for the night.
She had long since learned that while her skills as a mage were immense, her culinary skills weren't to the ridiculous level that Shirou had pushed his ability to. Him declining her entrance to his sanctuary was a simple way of saying that he wanted to make something immaculate tonight, not just decent.
There was also the distinct possibility that he didn't want her to force him to talk about the day's events. Despite the fact that he had managed to maintain a decent amount of restraint while not doing anything out of hand. Even when he had summoned the fabled red spear into his hand to terrorize the explosive student, it wasn't to harm the kid more than a touch psychologically.
There were hundreds of spears in Shirou's arsenal but she knew that that one was his go to. How could it not be? Had it not been for that night so long ago, who knew where either of them would be right now? Her seemingly foolish choice to save him, had she been more cold hearted than she had been, Rin severely doubted that she would have survived the war.
"Are you going out tonight?" she asked curiously.
"No, I don't know the defence system yet and what it will do to anyone trying to get in or out at this time of the evening," answered Shirou, his back still turned to her. "If I do decide to go out, I'll need you to hold down the fort in my absence. I probably won't be able to get back in until sunrise, maybe even later."
"Of course, use me as you see fit," scoffed Rin, knowing that if Shirou decided to not come home one evening it would be her job to 'convince' anybody who came asking questions that everything was fine.
The sound of culinary equipment being placed on the countertop caused Rin to freeze momentarily. "You know I don't mean it like that."
"I know," said Rin as she got up from her seated position and made her way to the kitchen. She stood there for a handful of seconds before Shirou turned to look her in the eye. Rin reached up and held his cheek in her palm, her thumb tracing just above his jawline. "I've been by your side for decades Shirou, if anybody knows, it's me."
"What would I do without you Rin?"
"Perhaps you would have decided to save people by opening up a soup kitchen and feeding the endless masses as opposed to charging into battle time and time again but what do I know," said Rin as she shrugged her shoulders. The crack of a genuine smile on Shirou's lips allowed her own smile to seep forth.
They stood there, gently smiling at one another until Shirou returned to his work, knowing full well that Rin would eventually yell at him if he were to leave something on the stove too long. If he was going to make dinner tonight he was going to make it right.
...
Todoroki sat in the confines of his bedroom, the day still weighing heavily on his mind. By now it was more than likely that most of his family was asleep, all but his father who hadn't returned home for the night. His father, the number two hero.
It was no secret in their family that their father, while respected greatly as the hero that he was, wasn't winning any father of the year awards any time in the foreseeable future. Shoto hated him for the most part, having decided many years earlier that he would never use the part of his quirk that he had inherited from him.
Today though, today was the first time he felt like he should have truly allowed that part of his power to shine forth. He wasn't upset about the loss, not by any stretch of the imagination. Considering how many professionals Shirou had been able to take down one after the other, even if he had said that a one on one battle against him would be difficult, he still sounded confident in his victory.
What upset him though was how his quirk had been used against his team. Those who had stood by his side and nominated him as their leader had been ineffective to work alongside him because of what he had done. One of them had had to be rescued because of how badly they reacted with his quirk.
At least half his quirk.
He raised his left hand up to eye level, staring at the appendage knowing just what it was capable of if he so chose to use it. How it could have been used today to help his teammate in her time of need.
Todoroki went to bed that evening with a number of thoughts clouding his mind knowing full well that if he was ever going to make it in this world of heroes, half his quirk may not be enough to get him through.
Chapter 11
Aizawa stared at the group of teenagers in front of them, many sporting glum looks most likely from the previous day's activities. He didn't blame them. The students in his class had made it past some of the most gruelling challenges in order to simply attend the academy. Having told All Might to alter what he had planned for a larger long term purpose was potentially overstepping his bounds but he didn't care about any potential fallout. These kids were his responsibility after all, and he would prepare them for the worst that the world could throw at them.
That also included the media that had been waiting to ambush them out the front of the school. The weight that was on their minds from the previous day and potentially haunted them that night didn't exactly make them the most reciprocal for what the journalists wanted from them. Effectively information about the number one Hero being a teacher.
It did serve as something of a diversion but other than that they weren't prepared for what was out there. All it took was to get on the wrong side of one of the media outlets and then the slander could begin. A single mistake could be taken out of proportion and a career that had taken years to build up could be torn down in mere hours. Children weren't meant to deal with such things.
"Now, I need you all to focus," he said calmly. "Each of you went through something difficult yesterday and that was the point. You are in an elite school, remember that. There will be ups and downs and sometimes it will be difficult to pick yourselves off of the ground. Not every mission you go on will end the way that you want it and if you are mentally unprepared for something of that nature to happen it can leave you in a vulnerable state."
"I watched and analyzed your battles and if you wish to discuss my findings come find me in your spare time. I'm not going to tell you what you did right and what a lot of you did wrong in front of the rest of the class. I'm sure you went over it all when you went home and rested afterwards. You all will have come up with differing thoughts on just what happened but I can tell by the looks on your faces that you all came to roughly the same result."
"Suck it up and move on."
Aizawa's words stung at those in attendance but he truly did mean them. He did not know a single hero out there who hadn't suffered at some stage in their career but when they were in their darkest they had two options before them. To either better themselves, or retire.
Very few retired.
"Now, onto business..."
...
"And then he just shifted the conversation to classroom leadership as if it was nothing," chuckled Shirou as he sat atop the roof, a lunchbox in his hand.
"Well I can see his tactic, dump all of the depressing stuff on them first and foremost before trying to lighten the mood. So how did they work out who their class leader would be?" asked Rin as she laid down on the rooftop, her own lunchbox empty by her side as she stared at the clouds with her hands behind her head.
"Basically everyone wanted the position for themselves to start with before it got put to a vote," sais Shirou in between bites.
"How many voted for you in the end? I take it those four that you helped through the exercise yesterday voted for you?" stated Rin.
"I refused to partake," said Shirou as he put his now empty container to the side. "Chances are that while those four may have voted for me, it was clear that there is animosity between me and roughly half the class at this point."
"True, no point in leading them when they don't want you to," stated Rin as she pushed herself into a seated position. "Though I know that you would have made them fall into line one way or another."
"You think I would have become a dictator?"
"Please, a warlord is more befitting a title for you wouldn't you say?"
"Emiya Shirou the Warlord, I wonder how that would go down in this world," chuckled Shirou conjuring ideas of endless wave after wave of people trying to take him down in the name of justice.
"I can tell you exactly how it would go," said Rin in an almost sultry voice. Sadly though that was where the train of thought screeched to an almighty halt as sirens started to sound, causing Shirou and Rin to snap into action.
'Security Level 3 Has Been Breached, All Students Please Promptly Evacuate.'
"I hope our houses haven't been ransacked," stated Shirou.
"Really, the entire academy has been breached and you're worried about our accommodations," said Rin as she watched Shirou move to the edge of the rooftop and look down. "What do you see?"
"We've got nothing to worry about, it's just the press," declared Shirou, becoming visibly more relaxed.
"Really, the press got in through the giant barricade that you're worried might have a camera ready to catch your movements in the middle of the night," said Rin as she lowered her arm, the magical energy she had been charging dissipating.
"Well they weren't exactly subtle about the way they got in," declared Shirou. "It looks as if the gate has basically crumbled into nothing."
"Considering this world, I'm really not surprised by that," said Rin as she flicked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "With such a destructive power, they knew they could get through the barricade and if they know they're getting paid handsomely for the scoop they'll do whatever it takes to get it."
"I guess so," said Shirou with a sigh. Rin couldn't tell whether or not the man in front of her was disappointed by the fact there was no threat or not. Chances were that he was just restless.
The confrontations the previous day had probably spurred him on a fair bit, with battle after battle. Unfortunately they were not the same kind of fights that he had spent decades going through. If anything he had played the endeavours out like some sort of chess game, strategically putting his pieces where he needed them in order to achieve victory.
While others might have seen the fights he had been in as something extraordinary to witness, Rin knew that he was restless. They had likely only tickled at the battle prowess that he had wanted to exert but knew to hold back quite significantly when dealing with children. The fact that he had dealt with the ice crafting teenager in the way that he had showed one very specific thing. Were he to combat him, he would have to do so seriously and in doing so, he couldn't have guaranteed Todoroki's safety.
He needed action.
Despite the fact that the perimeter would likely be heavily guarded tonight considering the large hole that was once the entrance, Shirou would go out tonight. That touch of confrontation only fueled his need for conflict. Whether he would spend the night capturing villains as if he were a vigilante or whether he would test the might of the heroes who patrolled the streets, she didn't know nor did she care.
Shirou would return to her the following morning and would not say a thing of the injuries he would potentially sustain, or whether the blood that might be on his clothes were his or anothers. Shirou had devoted so much of his life to battle in order to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He was not the Archer she remembered from so long ago. Whether or not the person he had become was any better or worse, she did not know nor did she care.
All she knew was that when he returned, she would be there waiting to help him if he so needed.
...
The flashing blue and red illuminating the night sky was always a dead give away that trouble was at hand, though from what Ryuko could see it looked as if the police were finalizing the issue. From her viewpoint three stories above, she counted four standard police vehicles and one heavily armoured van. Whatever they were finishing up with, it had been something big.
There was something else that bugged her about it all however and that was the fact that she couldn't spot any professional heroes in the vicinity. It was more than possible that had a professional hero helped in this escapade that they had been called off for another situation but she felt that that wasn't the case.
She was momentarily glad that she wasn't patrolling with her intern. Nejire had the unfortunate tendency to be straightforwardly blunt at the best of times.
It didn't take Ryuko long to make it to where the police were stationed, one of the detectives noticing her arrival. "Evening," he said politely with a tip of his hat.
"What's the situation here?" she asked as she watched a blue coloured man get pushed into the back of the armoured van.
"Drug bust," he said pointing to the inside of the shop. "A laundromat on the surface but behind the scenes is something else."
"I can imagine," said Ryuko. "Who took them out?"
"We don't know, we only came when bystanders heard the sound of gunshots and called us," said the cop.
Ryuko bit at the inside of her lip as she considered this information. There were only two real options she could think that it could have been and unfortunately since there had been no cooperation with the police beforehand, that left only one real option. "Vigilantes?"
"Vigilante, singular, these guys seemed to be unashamed in telling us that little tidbit of information."
"I see."
"He even stated that he gave away his name, or his alias I guess you would call it. Does the name Archer mean anything to you?"
"Archer," repeated Ryuko wondering if she had heard that term somewhere before. Perhaps she would reach out to some of her contacts and see if they had any idea. "I will see what I can find out."
"That would be much appreciated," said the policeman earnestly. "The only other real intel we got on him was that despite calling himself an Archer, he defeated them all with only a pair of swords."
"Swords, you mean similar to that kid who took on all those heroes a little while back?"
"We thought so as well but we sent word to U.A. we were informed that with the extra patrols on duty there was little to no chance that their renegade student had gotten out for the night. We asked them to check just in case and the principal informed us that Hound Dog went to check just to be sure but returned with intel letting us know the suspect was accounted for. Hence we have reason to believe it's somebody with a similar quirk, or perhaps even a copycat of some sorts trying to make a name for themselves by utilising someone else's infamy as it were."
"Perhaps, did they give a description of the individual?" asked Ryuko. As the officer jotted down the notes that he and his team had managed to grasp thus far, the number nine hero in the country had a troubling feeling that something here was just out of touch just a little too much for her liking. U.A was miles from where she was currently standing and with the thought of the security the academy had at its disposal, nobody would sanely try to get in or out without some fear of being caught.
Yet a teenager who was more than willing to go toe to toe and successfully hospitalized a number of professional heroes with a smile on their face wasn't someone you'd initially call sane. While she had no real jurisdiction in the academy and how they did things, she would ask Nejire to keep an eye out for her.
Best case scenario, she was being over paranoid and nothing would come of this.
Worst case though... well she'd get to that point if it arrived.
...
Shirou sat at the back of the bus, his eyes closed as he paid little attention to the conversations flowing around him. They were on their way to a separate facility where they would be doing some 'Rescue' training which had gotten many of the students pumped.
Next to him sat the Vice President who had managed to garner quite a number of votes having managed to fight alongside him the day before. Jiro had originally taken the top spot as President of the class but after Iida's performance gathering the attention of the students during the crisis regarding the media (Shirou had been unaware that there had been a crisis) the brother of Ingenium had taken the top position.
If Jiro had wanted to use this opportunity to try to get to know Shirou a little better, she had struggled from the get go. She had offered to share her music with Shirou who had brushed her off, opting to rest in silence. Hence she now found herself flicking through a multitude of tracks in some sort of curiosity, wondering what kind of genre the person beside her would appreciate.
"If we're talking about the double whammy of flashy and strong, then you have to consider both Todoroki and Bakugo."
Shirou tuned in mildly, quickly figuring out that they were talking about their quirks and how the populace would see them.
"I think we're also forgetting about the elephant in the room, or bus as it were."
Shirou allowed a sigh to escape his lips before opening his eyes to find a number of people staring at him. "I mean, you can't deny it after yesterday Shirou," said Kaminari, a cheeky smile off his face. "The way that you managed to exploit our weaknesses and use your teammates to the best of their ability, that's something only the pros can do."
"Indeed," said Tokoyami, his arms crossed over his chest. "While your quirk might revolve around weapon creation, it is clear that you trained extensively in various forms of combat."
"What do you reckon Shirou, could your sharpest sword penetrate my armour?" questioned Kirishima, his arm hardening as he laid out the verbal challenge.
Shirou sighed once more as he leant forward, knowing full well that the entirety of the bus would be listening in to what he was about to say. "For me to answer that, there is something you need to know about my...quirk," said Shirou, still feeling how odd it was to describe his ability as something similar to the oddities the rest of the planet could accomplish. To further prove the point he was about to make, he focused for several seconds before a beautiful katana appeared in his hands. "This katana is one of Masamune's creations, one currently held in the National Museum. Every single weapon I can craft, is one that I have seen before. As soon as I lay my eyes on a weapon, I can recreate it down to the smallest of details. Though this will not work on firearms, something about the inner mechanisms I'm unable to replicate."
To further iterate his point, Shirou unsheathed the blade and held it upwards, the light coming through the windows gleaming off the polished steel. "Now tell me Kirishima, would you still wager your challenge against a katana crafted by one of Japan's greatest swordsmiths?"
All heads shifted as one to where the teenager in question was sitting. His look of confidence from before was still apparent on his face though cracks had begun to show. "Geez, you're putting me on the back foot here mate," he said sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his head. "I mean I thought you just created stock standard weapons like some sort of factory, knowing that you can only recreate those you've seen before, and clearly you've seen some of the best, makes me feel underprepared."
"So," started Tsuyu, interjecting her own thoughts on the conversation currently unfolding. "If what you are saying is true, you can't create an original weapon?"
"Which then begs the larger question," said Midoriya as he focused on Shirou. "How many weapons have you seen?"
"More than you can imagine."
It was a simple statement, yet a highly effective one. Every person on that bus had crafter their own idea of Shirou's backstory after having witnessed his clash with the heroes on social media. Thus they all used their theories to craft an idea of just how many melee weapons Shirou had been subjected to over the years, with the now included knowledge that all he had to do was visit a museum and their greatest treasures became tools for him to utilise.
The numbers that came from there ideas however painted a terrifying portrait. The class went silent at that information and the rest of the bus ride carried on with a sense of unease resting over it.
...
"This lesson will serve as a fresh start!" declared Thirteen, the professional hero capable of crafting Black Holes. He had already gone over how his quirk, while perfectly capable of helping someone in a time of need, could also be something that went terribly wrong if used incorrectly. Shirou was appreciating the fact that the person before them had informed those in front of him that the quirks they had at their disposal could both be used to help in any given situation, but everything had the potential to turn south instantly. Overconfidence usually had the unfortunate side effect of getting thrown into a situation one was ill prepared for.
"Let's get to studying about how to wield our quirks for the sake of human life! Your quirks emphatically do not exist to hurt others! Please leave this exercise having fully understood that your quirks exist to help other people! You have my gratitude for listening so intently and patiently!" concluded Thirteen, complete with a bow towards the students in front of him.
A round of applause was sent out but Shirou sent no such attention. He had greatly enjoyed the speech that had been given. It was just unfortunate that at the end of it he had noticed something changing, shifting ever so slightly. He wasn't the only one. As Shirou looked towards the nearby water fountain, Aizawa also moved his gaze towards the area.
It only took a couple of seconds, but that was enough as people with harmful intentions stepped out of a warp area that was all too familiar to Shirou. For Aizawa, his full concentration went onto the protection of the students, barking instructions without a moment having been spared. Shirou meanwhile braced himself for the coming conflict, immediately coming to the understanding that he may have played his hand far too soon for his liking.
"I wonder if All Might will show up if we kill the kids?"
Those few words send shivers down the spines of all the students in attendance, though it wasn't the spokee that Shirou focused on, his gaze looking on to the man with the power capable of bringing all these people here. For how could he confidently swing with a blade when there was an opponent who could alter where his strike would land?