Chapter 19: NO. 19 - News Bulletin
"Keiko, don't stop moving! Izuku, stop overthinking it and follow your instincts!"
I continued to watch the future number one hero try and run around a quick-moving blue barrier held up by a tired blue-haired girl. Izuku's calculating eyes followed the barrier created by Keiko's quirk and halted when he found a small opening due to her swaying her arms.
I grinned when Izuku leaned down and exploded forward with impressive speed (for him) around Keiko's defense, causing the girl's eyes to widen. Izuku dashed forward with determination and reached out to grab Keiko with his dirty and bruised hands.
"Take this!" Keiko jumped back as she let go of her current barrier in favor of clapping her hands. Izuku tried to correct his course but was suddenly pushed to the side by a fast-moving wave of erratic energy.
Good. It looks like you're getting used to using your defensive barrier offensively. I grinned as Keiko fell to a knee due to her tired state, her face covered in sweat. Still, she's using too much energy. We'll work on that.
"Geh! So close." Izuku slid to a stop from the force of Keiko's attack. His chest was rising and falling quickly as he rested on the ground. "Y-you really have an amazing quirk, Hase-san."
"T-thank you, Izuku-kun." Keiko smiled tiredly as she tried to stand but failed due to her shaky legs. "But I think you're the amazing one here. You've gotten so much faster that it's getting hard for me to keep up with you now."
The green-haired nerd's eyes grew wide as an embarrassed blush spread on his face. His right hand was rubbing the back of his head as a true embarrassed protagonist would.
"T-that's not true! It's all thanks to Souta-san's training. Otherwise, I wouldn't stand a chance."
With a sigh, I stood up from the lawn chair I had been sitting on for the past twenty minutes and walked over to Izuku. As I walked, I passed by Keiko and patted her head, eliciting a small smile from the girl.
"I thought I knocked that self-deprecating habit out of you, Izuku," I said as I lightly slammed the bottom of my fist on his bushy green and black hair. "Don't tell me you forgot. I suppose I can give you another lesson then."
[+10 SP]
"N-no! Sorry! It just sort of slipped out..." Izuku looked panicked as he rose to stand, his hands waving around in front of him. He then looked over to Keiko and jogged towards her. "Oh, look! Hase-san looks like she needs help getting up!"
"Yeah, yeah. Go run and hide behind Keiko's skirt."
"But I'm not wearing a skirt."
I shook my head and looked around at the rather impressive backyard of Keiko's house. The backyard stretched out like a canvas, wide and inviting, with lush green grass blanketing the ground. Towering trees line the perimeter, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze and providing dappled sunlight in scattered patches while a wooden fence encircles the space.
All in all, it made for the perfect training spot for both Keiko and Izuku.
Then again, any place where that brat Bakugo didn't pop up was perfect.
Looking over toward the green-haired ball of kindness, I thought back to the two years I had spent molding and teaching the kid martial arts while strengthening his once-skinny body.
Due to all that time whipping his butt into shape, Izuku was now a decent fighter who could stand toe-to-toe with any kid in his age bracket in a pure hand-to-hand fight. If someone took a closer look at my ball of clay, they would be able to notice the lith but strong muscles on his frame, even from under his baggy clothing.
I also tried to toughen up his mindset so he wouldn't be such a pushover, but my progress was slow on that front. Additionally, Keiko didn't approve of my "Bullying," as she called it. Severely slowing down my progress on turning Izuku into a confident, ass-kicking protagonist.
I smiled as I watched my two friends/students talk excitedly with one another from their spots on the wooden bench they sat on. They were going over their performance in today's sparring session. While they talked, Keiko's mother walked out with a tray of drinks for them with a loving smile.
"Hmm, perhaps your energy reserves for your quirk coincides with each clap of your hands? Have you ever noticed a strain with each clap you do, Hase-san?"
"Now that you mention it, I think I do feel a slight pull whenever I activate my quirk. I can't believe I never noticed. You're so smart, Izuku-kun!"
I introduced Izuku to Keiko around a year and a half ago when I decided that if I was going to train him, I might as well train Keiko so she would be a heavy hitter if she does get into UA or not.
Knowing what future that school had, I'd prefer it if she went to Shiketsu.
At first, Izuku was extremely nervous at the fact he was talking to a girl, but Keiko's bright and happy disposition quickly melted away his awkward nervousness.
Sorta.
Fine, it took him around a month or so to talk to her without any issues.
Keiko herself accepted Izuku as her friend immediately, which didn't shock me whatsoever. She always had an easy time making friends if going off the way everyone at the orphanage loved her was anything to go off by. It also helped that the two of them coincidentally went to Aldera Junior High.
Anyway, while I had Izuku work on his body strength and techniques, I focused on getting Keiko's quirk to level up beyond what she originally could do. Using my rather extensive knowledge of all twelve of my cursed techniques as a base, Izuku and I were able to quickly brainstorm all of the possibilities Keiko's quirk could have.
Some of our ideas were moving barriers, vertical and horizontal positioning, floating disks so she could essentially walk on air, fast-moving concentrated barriers to use offensively, and so much more.
Keiko had a highly versatile quirk that could be used for so much more than just simple shields. Despite that, getting her to the point of actually implementing all of our ideas was a slow climb up a very steep mountain.
So far, Keiko has only been capable of performing moving barriers, vertical and horizontal positioning, and fast-moving concentrated barriers to use offensively. And even that last one was a work in progress.
Still, she was slowly growing, and there was no doubt in my mind that my friend would be more than ready for any hero school she got into in three years.
Training wasn't all the three of us did. We also did the typical activities most young teenagers do as well. Going out to watch movies, wasting time around the local mall, hanging out at one another's houses (except mine, for reasons), and a lot of other activities.
All this time spent together caused the two of them to grow pretty close to one another while I tagged along. Having two genuine friends, or an awesome sensei like me, so early on in his life had the added effect of increasing Izuku's self-esteem.
Which was a plus in my book. I needed him to be ready for when shit hits the fan in case I'm not around.
I would have introduced these two to Mei, but with her personality, she might just ignore them for a few weeks before even bothering to remember their names. Still, I'd give it a go when she finally decides to get out of her workshop.
Actually, I'm going to have to force her to go outside, if I'm being honest.
"Souta-kun."
I was nudged out of my thoughts as Keiko's mother walked up to me with a motherly smile and a glass of fresh lemonade in her hands. "Would you like a drink?"
"Thank you, Yoshiyuki-san. This is just what I needed." I accepted the drink with a smile and took several sips. Causing the older woman to smile.
[+5 SP]
"Huh? Weren't you sitting around the entire time, Sou-chan? Why are you thirsty?" Keiko asked as she looked at me with squinted eyes. Izuku tried to look away while covering his mouth to hide the amused smile on his face.
"Teaching is a hard job that requires nourishment, Keiko. That's why."
"Oh, is that what you call it? I always thought it was because you were lazy." Keiko said with a large, bright smile.
"…I don't like this new snarky attitude, Keiko."
x x x
"Nue."
Rising from the shadows arose a large owl-like creature with orange feathers and a white mask-like skull. Its large wings stretched and flapped in the wind as two sets of talons stepped around on the rooftop we stood on. Its mask-like face and human-like teeth looked around the area before settling on me.
I grinned at the large bird shikigami and jumped onto its back. Without waiting for a command, Nue flapped its wings and took flight.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Nue soared high above the sprawling cityscape. I felt the rush of wind against my face and hair as we glided across the sky; the sensation of freedom filled my lungs.
"Ahh, I'll never get tired of this."
Below, the city pulsed with life—cars streamed along the streets, their headlights twinkling like stars, while the rhythmic hum of urban existence created a symphony of sounds. Skyscrapers reached toward the sky, their glass facades reflecting the fiery colors of sunset.
If anyone were to look in my direction, they would see someone soaring through the air in a seated position without assistance.
Quite the funny sight.
With each movement, Nue and I glided effortlessly, weaving through the clouds that dotted the twilight sky. I gazed down at the parks speckled among the concrete, where small clusters of people enjoyed their evening and distant bridges that connected different parts of the city like veins in a living organism.
As we continued on our journey above, the lights below began to blink on, transforming the ground below into a vibrant tapestry of flickering colors. It was a breathtaking view, a moment of tranquility amidst the bustling chaos below.
There truly wasn't anything like soaring through the skies.
Sure, I could fly like Yorozu did with her bug-like wings using my Construction technique. But I liked riding on Nue a lot more. Sitting on my shikigami's back as it soared through the sky reminded me of how Goku rode on his Nimbus cloud.
I was living the dream.
Unfortunately, the sight of a large, black dome in the far-off mountains came into view. Nue tilted its wings, and we began to descend toward the black dome or, as I know it, a curtain.
My shikigami and I glided right through the curtain with no issue, and the sight of a large Japanese-style building surrounded by a ten-foot-tall stone wall surrounded by thick trees came into view.
Soon enough, Nue landed on the large open courtyard of the property and quickly melted into my shadows after I gave it a thankful pat on its wings once I was on the ground.
I looked around my large home and grinned.
Yes, my home.
I had run into this property a year ago during one of my nightly runs when I tracked down a band of Yakuza I thought worked for the Shie Hassaikai, the organization led by Overhaul. Unfortunately, the group of Yakuza I found wasn't affiliated with the child-abusing assholes and was instead a part of a different group.
Oh, that didn't mean that I was going to let these guys go. No, these guys had partaken in several horrible acts such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, child pornography, Extortion, weapons smuggling, and assassination.
How did I know this? Well, after you torture a few of their captured grunts for a day, they'll sing and tell you anything you want.
Not a very heroic thing to do, but what can I say?
I ain't no hero.
I was simply someone who did as they liked.
Whether that be taking out a band of murderous villains or beating a power-drunk hero's face in, it didn't matter. I did as I wanted for my own amusement and interest.
This was a mindset I had adopted around a year ago or so. Finding and getting rid of some of society's worst members who conducted some really abhorrent activities can change one's mindset really quickly.
I'm not sure when it was when I no longer blinked at the act of killing those who deserved it. It must have been when I found that one rabid dog who called himself a man in the middle of cutting a young 14-year-old girl into pieces after he had violated her for several hours.
Shit like that really messes with one's head…
Now, where was I?
Ah, right. My house.
After getting the confessions of their group's crimes from my captured yakuza members, I found no issue with stepping foot into their property and eliminating everyone inside.
Cleaning out all the Yakuza was quick with the help of the Ten Shadows technique and alongside my clones. We struck at the dead of night and took everyone out from the shadows with quick effecientness like ninjas.
It also helped that these Yakuza weren't all that strong, too. Sure, there were some of them who had some impressive quirks, but they weren't much help when they weren't given the time to be used.
Once everyone was gone, all the compound needed was a thorough cleaning and enhanced security in the form of several well-placed seals, creating three strong curtains around the property.
I didn't expect the silver-tier reward—Ijichi Kiyotaka's barrier skills—to be useful, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Now, if any people approached the barrier without my permission, they would experience a strong sense of confusion and be compelled to turn around and leave. It was a rather simple but extremely strong warding barrier that would keep all those darn kids and the government off my property.
And if somehow they did get past the first curtain, there were two others ready to ward them away with even stronger defenses.
The property itself heavily resembled the one from the Emiya residence from the Fate series. This means that it had several Japanese-style rooms throughout the main household and a storage room in the backyard beside the courtyard. Off on the right side of the courtyard was a well-sized building the Yakuza mostly used for storage that I turned into a dojo.
Attached to the rooftops of the main building were several solar panels I created using my construction technique. Something I wouldn't have been able to do if I hadn't gotten Tsukumo Yuki's CE reserves to help power my technique. She wasn't a Special Grade Sorcerer for nothing.
This ensured my property was self-sufficient when it came to power.
When it came to the water, I effortlessly created a highly efficient water transport/filtration system using my mechanical knowledge and my Construction Technique. So, after hooking up my new filtration system to a nearby flowing river, I now had super clean, free-running water for my self-sufficient house.
What about the orphanage? I can hear some of you ask.
Surely, I didn't just disappear on them again. I was still a barely 15-year-old kid in their eyes, after all. There's no way they would be okay with me moving into my own home without an adult guardian. 
The answer to that problem was to send a clone in my place to keep up appearances.
What an unlucky fellow.
Deciding I had stared at my property long enough, I walked through the back door and removed my shoes.
While I may not have been Japanese in my past life, I appreciated the way they didn't wear shoes inside. Kept the floors clean. I walked past the room I used as my library and stepped into my kitchen to grab an apple. On the shelves in my library were several books and manga.
Some of these were books 1-3 of The Hunger Games, Episodes 1 and 2 of Star Wars, and the first entry to the Harry Potter series. Twelve physical volumes of my TMNT manga sat beside volumes 1, 2, and 3 of Dragon Ball Z.
There was even a poster for the recently released TMNT TV anime by studio NAPPA in a frame as well. I've truly made it as a Mangaka with that milestone.
My editor, Asuka, was over the moon now that one of her Mangakas finally got an anime adaptation for their series. In celebration, she took me out to one of Japan's most expensive sushi restaurants in Tokyo.
The fool. I sure made her regret that decision when she got the bill.
Safe to say, my career as a writer/Mangaka has been very successful so far.
Now, all I needed was to get some movie adaptations for my books.
I threw myself on my large L-couch and turned on the 80-inch OLED television. The television opened to a news channel where a brown-haired newscaster with a purple top looked up from her stack of papers. A large black and red title sat in bold letters near the bottom.
Shocking News! Why?! Bloody Tragedy at Corellia Junior High!
"Sources tell us that the middle school student who mauled her classmate, injuring him severely, is still on the run. No information on the attack has been offered as of yet." The newscaster said with a disturbed expression.
The picture changed to a male student, but his face was hidden from view. "Toga was always smiling and friendly… I can't believe she'd do something so brutal."
The picture changed again to a scared girl, her face also hidden from view." I saw her… Toga. She stuck a straw into Saito's and sucked on it. It was like she was in a trance."
I clicked off the television and sat up on my couch, my hands underneath my chin.
Toga Himiko.
She was one of the main antagonists from the original series. If left unchecked, Toga would one day be a member of the League of Villains, affiliated with the Vanguard Action Squad, and later becoming one of the nine lieutenants of the Paranormal Liberation Front.
Besides all her fancy titles and positions, Toga was also a girl who was mentally unstable due to the years of mental and possibly physical abuse from her parents due to her nature. She was a person who was pushed to her breaking point until she finally snapped and attacked her classmate.
"That child is a… demon."
"That smile, so creepy! Stop it!"
"Why can't you be a regular girl? Why can't you be normal?!"
The words her parents said to Toga when she was a child must have left deep mental scars in her psyche. No wonder she went crazy.
"Now then… what do I do?"
I have two choices in front of me right now.
Option one, I do nothing and let things proceed like they would in canon. This would keep the timeline as close to the one in canon, giving me the edge when Shigaraki and the League start their shenanigans.
Option two, I start a search for Toga and help her go through her issues so she doesn't go down the road of villainy. While I'm not sure what happened to her at the end of the story, if it ever did end, with her status as a killer and a member of the League of Villains, I doubt she had a happy ending.
"I don't know… she may be more trouble than she's worth." I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to make up my mind. "Still, she would be a great constant stream of points."
Coming to a decision, I stood up from my couch and walked out of my living room toward the back door. I slid the door open to step out into my back patio. Once outside, I looked up and whistled. Quickly, several of my crows flew down from their large birdhouse full of fruits, seeds, and corn to stand at attention before me.
Standing in a neat, orderly line were Crow Gojo, Geto, Shoko, MeiMei, Yuji, Nobara, Mai, Miwa, Momo, Todo, Yuta, and Hakari.
"Alright, everyone. I have a job for you."
-
AN:
Wow, you absolute mad lads! It hasn't been a day and you all already achieved the 300 PS requirement for a new chapter. Hopefully, you all enjoyed It!
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