There was no doubt about Momo Yaoyorozu outcome. In the end, she still lost, and the time was also shorter than Shoto Todoroki's, and it was incredibly tragic.
Because Momo Yaoyorozu was prepared this time, Aru didn't succeed as easily as before, which resulted in Momo Yaoyorozu four limbs being colorful from the paintballs. It wasn't until the end when her vision was blocked by her shield that Aru was able to get close and a 'close-range explosion' declared her failure.
The final result was that when Lancer announced 'the end of the match', Momo Yaoyorozu directly collapsed on the ground, constantly panting.
"Get up! You can't collapse at a time like this! It will increase the burden on your internal organs!"
After forcefully pulling Momo Yaoyorozu up by her arms, Lancer finally nodded in satisfaction.
"Mr. Lancer... how was my performance... this time?"
Although she had stood up at Lancer request, due to the excessive physical exertion, Momo Yaoyorozu could only hold her knees and stutter out these words, but the expression on her face was much more relaxed than before. After all, she had done her best and submitted the best answer she could. For her at this time, no matter what answer Lancer gave in the end, she could smile and say, 'I did my best, so I have no regrets'.
"It was very good~"
And there was no doubt that Lancer also gave a good evaluation with a smile this time, but then he shook his head.
"What's wrong?"
Lancer sudden head shake made Momo Yaoyorozu nervous again.
"No, I just think... it's going to be a lot of trouble to clean up, right?"
Lancer words could be said to have a double meaning. The first was naturally the arena. The match between Momo Yaoyorozu and Aru was fine. It was just some small holes and some paint. They would just have to shovel up the colored dirt and fill it in. The problem was mainly with Shoto Todoroki.
He was a typical 'mage-style attacker'. His carpet-bombing-style attacks left many unmelted ice pillars stuck in the ground. The entire arena had almost been plowed over by him.
As for the second meaning, it was even simpler. Although Shoto Todoroki lost in the end, the wounds on his body were actually self-inflicted frostbite. It would be fine if he just applied some medicine later, but Momo Yaoyorozu... her four limbs were now covered in various colors from the paintballs. There were also 'lethal attacks' on her chest and back, and her face and hair were also splattered. This made her look much more disheveled than Shoto Todoroki.
Although the two of them together only took less than half an hour, there was no doubt that this almost exploitative method made Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu feel as if they had been completely drained.
"Hoo~~"
Soaking in the bathtub of the private bathroom, Momo Yaoyorozu couldn't help but let out a strange groan.
The soreness in her limb muscles, the fatigue in her eyes from constantly watching Aru, and the impact force of the paintballs, which, although not 'lethal', was still not to be underestimated...
Although Momo Yaoyorozu had always known how refreshing it was to take a shower after training, she had never felt it as much as she did today.
After letting out a sharp breath, she leaned on the edge of the bathtub and constantly recalled the scenes from before. It was obvious that she was trying to find her previous mistakes.
As a 'strategist', Momo Yaoyorozu preferred to summarize and then improve, but unfortunately, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't come up with a solution. After all, there was a complete 'hard power gap' between her and Aru.
"I didn't expect those two cats, who only know how to be cute, to be so powerful. Then the last one, the orange cat, who looks very powerful, must be even more powerful, right?"
Although the size of that orange cat was a little exaggerated, you could tell that its status was higher than the other two from Aru and Jack's attitudes.
There was no doubt that Momo Yaoyorozu was thinking in the wrong direction. In reality, the strength of the three cats was on par. It was just that they each specialized in different things. As for why she felt that Tigre was superior? It was simple. It was the chef, and Jack and Aru needed its help to eat.
But while she was curious about Tigre's strength, she was even more curious about Lancer true strength. How could he have the strength to make three cats with such strength willingly follow him around as pets? It was just a pity that no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't come up with an answer. After all, the only two times she had seen Lancer truly fight were the 'livestream' on TV and the time the League of Villains invaded U.A.
The first time was just a quick glance. Lancer only took three moves from the moment he attacked to defeating the opponent. He had even defeated the opponent before most people could even react. As for the time with the League of Villains, his performance was also very bland. He seemed to be constantly entangled with the boy who was suspected to be the leader of the League of Villains. So Momo Yaoyorozu couldn't even imagine Lancer full power, but it was precisely because of this that she was incredibly curious.
There was no doubt that the strange contrast between Lancer 'normal' image on a daily basis and the aura he inadvertently exuded had aroused Momo Yaoyorozu curiosity.
So, what was Lancer, who Momo Yaoyorozu was curious about, doing at this time?
"Hoo~! Soaking in a hot spring is great, isn't it?"
Lancer, who was naked, was sitting in a hot spring that he had built himself with only a towel wrapped around him. Shoto Todoroki, in a similar attire, was sitting next to him.
When Momo Yaoyorozu went to the bathroom before, Lancer also took Shoto Todoroki away. In Lancer words, it was to 'warm his hands and feet'. He was then taken by Lancer to this hot spring that Lancer had built.
There was no doubt that since Lancer had decided to temporarily live in Momo Yaoyorozu backyard, he couldn't treat himself badly. This bathroom was built by him by transforming a large tree.
At this time, the two of them were leaning against a large tree, and the water under them was heated by the 'fire (F)' rune. Looking at the stars in the sky, Shoto Todoroki also felt that his originally restless mood was gradually calming down.
How long had it been since he had looked at the sky like this?
When he was a child, his mother would hold him and sit in the backyard to explain the stories of the stars in the sky to him, but as he grew older, that man started to interfere in his life, and the rest of his life was almost spent in 'training'. And even this kind of life completely collapsed a few years ago.
His mother, due to excessive mental stress, accidentally scalded him and was then sent to the hospital by his father. He himself also completely broke up with his father. Although he still trained persistently, unlike before, the reason he trained himself now was no longer because of that man's orders, but because he sincerely hoped to become stronger and surpass that man! All for the sake of proving that he was wrong!!
But at this moment, a hand was placed on his head.
"What are you thinking about? Your expression is a little stiff~ This is a time to enjoy yourself. Don't worry about other things~"
Along with Lancer characteristic 'scolding', a small plate was floating in front of the two of them.
"Come and try it~ Although I personally don't like sake because I can't feel it, I have to admit that Japan hot spring culture is really good, especially eating something while soaking in a hot spring~"
"Meow~ meow~"
And just as Lancer was showing off, a cat's meow came from the distance. It was obvious that Tigre was very unhappy that its master was only caring about himself and had forgotten about it, the 'behind-the-scenes worker'.
"Haha~! I forgot to thank you, Tigre~ Okay, let's not say anymore~ Come and have a bite~"
He laughed and pushed the small wooden plate with the food towards Shoto Todoroki's body, and he, in Lancer encouraging gaze, took a bite, and a hint of a blush appeared on his face.
"How is it?"
Although he could basically guess the answer from the other party's expression, Lancer still couldn't help but ask.
"It's very delicious~"
"Haha~!! That's good!! But you can't eat too much for a late-night snack. Aru~! Jack!!"
With Lancer call, Aru and Jack also swam over, each pushing a small wooden plate with their own sashimi and Lancer sake pot. Then————————
"Splash~"
With a splash, Tigre, who had finished its work, also swam over.
I don't know if it was because its size was a little big, which resulted in a greater buoyancy, but even though it was the last one to get in the water, Tigre was the first to swim to Lancer side.
Looking at the 'late-night snack' in front of him and then at the three cats who were fooling around with Lancer, Shoto Todoroki's originally stiff expression also relaxed a little, which was rare.
There was no doubt that the boy with the warm smile at this time was the real Shoto Todoroki...
And Lancer, who was originally fighting with Tigre for food, also smiled even more exaggeratedly when he saw Shoto Todoroki's smile.
"Haha~~! That's what I'm talking about~! How old are you! Don't be so serious all the time! Come on~! Do you want to try a sip~"
Because of a certain person with a ponytail who didn't want to be named, Lancer also seemed to have a tendency to become a drunkard, and the smile on Shoto Todoroki's face immediately became awkward.
"Mr. Lancer!! Wait!! I'm only 15! According to the law..."
"NO! NO!! It doesn't matter as long as I don't hear it!! Come on~! Have a sip~!!!"
The three cats floating on the water looked at their master, who was acting crazy, and also looked at each other with a helpless smile, but more important than 'helplessness' was the 'smile'.
As the longest-standing companions of Lancer, the three cats could be said to have witnessed Lancer changes.
From being cautious at the beginning to growing up later; from being smug at first to being dejected later...
But they also witnessed Lancer recovery step by step from the bottom of the abyss, so at this time, seeing Lancer unconcealed smile, they were genuinely happy for Lancer.
"Meow~"
"Meow!!"
"Meow..."
The three cats looked at each other and also pounced on Lancer.
"Haha~!! Tigre!! Don't lie on my face, I can't breathe! And Aru, don't take this opportunity to steal food!! Jack... this is not the right time to act cute..."
It was the same familiar training ground, but Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu looked much better than before.
At this time, Shoto Todoroki still had a stern face, but at least he was no longer as distant as before. He even had a hint of a blush on his face due to a certain bad boy's 'coercion'. As for Momo Yaoyorozu, perhaps because her hair was still a little wet, she no longer seemed as strong and difficult to approach as before. Instead, she looked more like a normal girl.
Lancer, at this time, stood in front of the two of them with his arms crossed. He also nodded at the changes in the two of them.
"Very good. It seems that you have also figured out some things. I won't say anything more, after all, I'm not good at this. From now on, unless there are special circumstances, we'll meet here after school every day. We'll have a 'real battle' once a day, and after the battle is over, I'll analyze your performance and give you some advice..."
Lancer so-called 'teaching' seemed a little unreliable, but this was indeed the only way Lancer knew how to teach. After all, the situation with Lancer, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Shoto Todoroki was a little special.
Lancer specialty was 'spearmanship'. Whether it was 'Runic characters' or other things, they all served his 'spear'. It could be said that the spear in his hand was the core, and everything else was just an accessory. If he were to teach someone how to use a spear, his performance might have been a little better, but the problem was that this was not the case.
Shoto Todoroki's main fighting style was to use his quirk to manipulate ice and fire. Lancer would naturally teach him some things about using the 'ice spear', but how to use and distribute it still depended on his own ideas.
As for Momo Yaoyorozu, she would probably learn a little more about 'spearmanship' than Shoto Todoroki, but it was also very limited because her 'quirk' didn't strengthen her body much, and using her quirk also required consuming her own fat, which was energy. High-intensity close-quarters combat was not very beneficial for her, so 'spearmanship' was also just a way to strengthen and assist her. Her true fighting style still depended on her.
So, was Lancer useless to them?
No! On the contrary, Lancer specialized in finding weaknesses and killing in one blow. He could help the two of them find their respective weaknesses. Although this slow change was relatively slow, it was solid and could also be combined with other methods. It was a kind of extra help.
"Okay, I won't say any more unnecessary things. From tomorrow on, we will officially begin 'training'! We'll be dismissed for today. Momo Yaoyorozu is fine, but Shoto Todoroki, isn't it a little late for you not to be home yet?"
Lancer words made Shoto Todoroki freeze for a moment. After all, it might sound a little strange, but he enjoyed being with Lancer more than with that 'home' that always made him feel depressed. Although this 'senior' didn't act like a senior at all, he instead made him feel relaxed from the bottom of his heart. But what the other party said was also the truth...
"Lancer-sensei and Momo Yaoyorozu-san, I'll be back to bother you tomorrow!"
After bowing, Shoto Todoroki picked up his backpack from the training ground without any nonsense and was about to leave. Momo Yaoyorozu expression on the other side was a little conflicted, and it wasn't until Shoto Todoroki left that she took a deep breath and walked in front of Lancer.
"Lancer-sensei! What do you think of my performance today... what grade would you give me?"
Having received an elite education since childhood, she was accustomed to using grades to judge the outcome of an event. Lancer, after hearing her question, pinched his chin.
"What grade? I... haven't thought about it. After all, it was just a small test. I just wanted to see your performance..."
Lancer answer made Momo Yaoyorozu not know what to say for a moment. She didn't expect that it really wasn't a 'test'. But Lancer words were not over yet.
"The first time was probably... a zero? As for the second time, it was barely a passing grade?"
Momo Yaoyorozu, who heard Lancer complete answer, lowered her head and was silent for a moment. She then looked up with a firm expression!
"Lancer-sensei! I understand! I will work hard from now on!"
Lancer had something stuck in his throat when he saw the serious-faced Momo Yaoyorozu.
How come everyone around him seemed to 'understand' him? And what exactly did the other party 'understand'?