Bab 7: Enchanted!
"Come on, you pussy! Ten more reps! You can do it!" I screamed in Deku's ears, even as his beany arms threatened to decapitate him with the improvised barbell.
Perhaps it was that they had just started puberty or that he had been at it for close to 9 months now, but Deku pushed through, failing only at the 8th rep. And I respected that.
The nervey bastard had shown remarkable willpower over the past year, more so than I had expected. He was still a muttering mess, but at least now he wasn't a half starved emaciated doll. There was meat on his bones and the faintest outlines of definition were beginning to show on his muscles.
Over the past year, he had learnt about nutrition, mechanics, electronics and basic self-defense. And if he hoped to be a quirkless hero, he was going to need all of it and more.
But even as I watched him at work, I grew ever more certain that soon Bakuhoe was gonna get crushed. Incidentally, he did keep his word and left Deku alone for the whole year. Sonething about heroes keeping their word or some such.
Either way, the Deku of today was leagues better than the bullied trauma bitch of yesteryear. And I was going to show him just that today.
"How's this look?" Deku asked, pointing at a recently repaired microwave.
"Huh? Oh. Let's see." I pushed the input pad as the screen lit up with dull hum.
"Seems about right. Let's take it over to the shop." I replied, picking it up between my arms.
"I'll take the drill bits then." Deku added.
"Uhuh." I muttered, using rise to ease my burden.
As we made our way to the shop, I re-evaluated the schematic of the enchantment I was going to put on my weapon. It couldn't be something too powerful. Not just because the Other had told me so, but also because I had double checked the card with my own power.
It wasn't powerful enough to grant OP enchantments even if I could make up the excess with my Psi.
Even so, I used one of my powers, Laplace Junior, a pericognitive ability, to glean a loophole that would give me two enchantments for the price of one.
And today was the day I was going to finalize it.
As we reached the second hand electronics store, the old man at the counter recognized us.
"Ah! Haru-chan, Deku-chan, what do you have for me today?" He asked.
"A microwave. It's mostly new. And working! Give me a good price for it ne?" I replied.
"Sure. How about 4000?" He quoted.
"Deal!" I said, before adding, "Say, uncle, you wouldnt happen to have a key mold would you?"
"I do have one. Why? Lost your keys?" He teased.
"No. But I'm going to a cosplay convention soon and I want to cosplay a charcter that has a cool key accessory."
"Uhuh. Then you can use it if you promise to not break anything." He said.
"Thanks! Come Deku! And bring the drill bits."
"Hold on! Drill bits? Won't you need to use a forge for that then? Wait here for a minute. I know a place that has a quality forge a couple minutes from here. I'll make a call." The shopkeeper said. He ran inside and a coupke minutes later we were at a back alley mill.
This place looks sus af. I almost expect a omnivan hanging around the other side.
But as we entered the place, the interior was the complete opposite of the shady exterior. Shining chrome fittings and marble flooring greeted us. There was no one in there, but that was understandable. Today was a sunday after all.
The shopkeeper led us to a forge at the end of the warehouse, and lit it up.
As the drill bits made of tungsten carbide melted, I used | Remote Control | on the metal melt and pulled out gold and platinum shavings from a plastic bag in my pocket.
I dumped them into the melt as well, creating a zig-zagging puzzle-like circuitry, shaping it into a two pronged key with the preset mold.
From another pocket, I pulled out the enchantment card that I had retrieved yesterday from it's years long hiding place by the bench where I'd spawned first.
From my psi I wrote a program as the instruction on the card said, adding in the function of the enchantment - Disassemble/State Lock. The card began to shine with a blinding light.
This was the two-in-one loophole I had found. Turning the key clockwiae would disassemble any non-sentient material into palm sized bits proportional to the amount of psi used. Turning it counter clockwise, on the other hand would force assembly onto anything it was used on. Materials that would have otherwise broken under little force would remain cohesive and not even budge under much greater powers. For example, an A4 sheet of paper would need a chainsaw to tear through it after it was state locked. What was best about this though was that unlike my abilities, an enchanted weapon would need little focus to use, just with a bit of psi energy.
As the shimmer of enchantment faded a beautifullu crafted key came into view, glittering with platinum and gold grooves, against the rugged black of tungsten carbide .
"That is beautiful!" Deku muttered.
"I know right?" I answered gleefully.
"What did you do with that card?" The shopkeep asked.
"Oh that. Nothing really. It was just a shining glitter applicator.
See the grooves with that small mirror like sheen." I lied.
"That so?" He spied me, unconvinced.
"Yup!" I added, ending the conversation right there.
"Fine then. Keep your secrets." The shopkeep relented, "Let's clean it up befire we leave."
We nodded and got back to work.
Back at the shop I added a cuff and chain to the key to secure it to my arms, preventing it from being lost. Can't go arround losing the only weapon I have, now can I?
As we walked back home, I reminded Deku.
"Tomorrow you're going to fight Bakugo. Remember that. And rest well tonight."
He hesitated a bit, before asking,
"Do you really think I can win against Kacchan? I mean he has this awesome quirk and he's so good at everything he does. He just... feels like a mountain I can't ever climb, you know?"
I looked at the boy with his eyes downcast, unsure of himself. He couldn't see the changes he'd gone through these past months. The fruits of his works invisible to him through sheer mundanity.
I wrapped an arm around him and pulled out my phone.
Showing him that video from one year ago, as he was slumped against the shed, Bakugo bearing over him.
"This was what you were one year ago." I said, "Weak. Wimpy. Pathetic."
He looked at the photos, then at me.
"Shouldn't you be giving me a pep talk? Motivational quotes and all? Why the insults?" Deku asked.
"See Deku. That's the difference. What you just said? Right now, right there? Would you have had the balls to say half of it just last year?" I pointed out.
Realization dawned on him like light after storm.
He nodded lightly, unconciously.
"You're right. I'm different now. I'm not the same Deku I was last year. I can do it." He proclaimed.
"That's the spirit. Here have a pocky!" I said, handing him a pack.
"Umu!" He said, and took a huge bite out of all the pocky sticks, with a mischievous grin.
"What the fuck? Deku you ingrate! Do you also eat KitKats sideways? Come here you!" I screamed at him as he ran off laughing.
"Catch me if you can Haru!" He challenged.
"Oh, catch you I will. And you're gonna regret pissing me off!" I exclaimed, chasing after him.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone