บท 108: Chapter 108: Forest Training Camp: Kouta
On the cliff, Kouta took slow steps backward. A tall man wearing a cloak was steadily advancing toward him.
...
That evening, as usual, Kouta went to the cliff halfway up the mountain to look at the sky. But tonight, dark clouds had covered the sky, hiding the stars.
"Dad... Mom..."
Missing his deceased parents, Kouta crouched on the cliff, hugging his knees, his head drooping down...
"Why did they have to become heroes... why did they do something so foolish?"
Kouta's parents were professional heroes. Their hero team was called "Waterhouse," but both had died in the line of duty two years ago. They were killed by enemies while protecting citizens.
To the citizens they saved, "Waterhouse" was a noble, selfless group of heroes... but to Kouta, his parents, who died protecting others, were just big fools. Why did they have to leave him behind for something like this? Was saving others more important than their own lives?
He couldn't understand it. He couldn't accept it. Because of that, Kouta had only one view of heroes and anyone who aspired to be one... hopelessly stupid fools. He hated heroes.
Lost in thought, Kouta eventually noticed the flames and black smoke rising from the forest. Something felt off. Just as he was about to get up and head back to the camp...
*Crunch!*
Heavy footsteps crushed a small rock, and a tall man wearing a cloak appeared in front of Kouta.
"I was looking for a better vantage point, but it seems I found something unexpected?"
The tall man spoke, then looked down at Kouta with a questioning gaze.
"By the way, I haven't seen you in the information. Are you living here, kid?!"
The voice sounded gentle, but Kouta didn't feel any kindness in it. He slowly began to back away from the man in front of him.
"What's the matter? Are you not going to answer me, brat?!"
Kouta's frightened silence clearly displeased the man, and his tone turned harsh immediately. However, it seemed like he noticed something interesting, and he pointed at Kouta's hat.
"By the way, your hat is nice. How about we swap it for my old-fashioned mask?"
The tall man pointed to the white shell mask he was wearing, speaking in a tone that seemed like a joke but carried cruelty and coldness. His intentions were clear.
Kouta could no longer hold back and turned to run. Though he appeared like a mature, awkward child to others, Kouta was still only 7 years old—a poor child who had lost his parents.
"Don't run away, just let me have a little fun!"
The tall man leaped forward, blocking Kouta's escape path. It seemed like he had used too much force, as his mask fell off.
The strong wind caused by his movement blew off the man's cloak as well, and Kouta, who was about to escape, froze in place. He saw the man's face.
It was the face of the man from the news two years ago—the one who killed "Waterhouse." The criminal who was still on the run. And there was a huge clue on him: the scar left on his left eye by "Waterhouse" two years ago.
This man was exactly the same as the one wanted by the police, and his exposed left eye, which was just muscle and scar tissue... this guy! He was the one who killed Kouta's parents. Kouta stood frozen, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Am I going to die just like my parents... by this guy?"
The tall man's right hand stretched toward Kouta, and in an instant, his arm muscles bulged, forming a grotesque mass of muscle that reached out menacingly toward Kouta.
At that moment, Kouta closed his eyes, fully understanding that keeping his eyes shut was just waiting to die... there was no one here to save him.
"Get away from Kouta!!!"
A familiar, furious shout echoed, and Kouta quickly opened his eyes. What he saw before him was... a steel knight fiercely landing a punch directly on the muscle man's face. At the same time, the "pile driver" mechanism on his arm activated, and the muscle man was sent flying, crashing into the mountain wall, deeply embedded.
"Good timing!"
Midoriya Izuku, who had just landed, immediately shielded Kouta behind him. He had been aware of Kouta's situation outside, so he rushed to the Quirk training area, quickly putting on his mechanical armor. Powered by rocket thrusters, Midoriya flew to the scene and saw Kouta being attacked.
"Kouta, go quickly! I'll hold him off!"
Midoriya Izuku, in a battle stance, kept his eyes locked on the spot where the muscle man had been knocked away. He hurriedly urged Kouta to run back to the camp.
"Dad... Mom..."
Kouta, who had fallen to the ground weakly, did not listen to Midoriya Izuku's instructions. Tears continued to stream from his eyes as he shouted in grief and anger:
"That guy! It's him! He's the one who killed Mom and Dad!!"
"Oh? So you're 'Waterhouse's' kid, huh?!"
The muscle man walked out from the smoky haze, throwing his cloak aside and wearing a terrifying grin as he looked at Kouta.
"You can't say I killed them, you know? Look at my eyes."
The muscle man pointed to his missing left eye and said, "This is the scar 'Waterhouse' left me. I don't blame them at all. So, you can't blame me for killing them. It's because... they were too weak to stop me, and that's why they ended up dead."
The muscular man showed a bloodthirsty smile, spouting disgusting nonsense. Kouta, tears streaming down his face, didn't know what to say. He had encountered the enemy who killed his parents, yet he was powerless to do anything. The guilt of not avenging his parents was overwhelming.
"Shut up! Trash!!"
Midoriya Izuku shouted angrily. The words from this bastard made him unexpectedly furious. Midoriya raised his right hand, preparing to punch:
"First, I want to make one thing clear. 'Waterhouse' is a great and selfless hero, while you're just disgusting garbage."
The back of his mechanical armor activated with a burst of force. Midoriya Izuku charged toward the muscular man with great speed. The enemy wouldn't just stand by and let Midoriya act, so the muscular man's muscles expanded and contracted, and with his immense strength, he charged toward Midoriya.
However, the muscular man's move was too simple and direct. Midoriya Izuku, who could hold his ground in close combat against the "Hero Killer," easily saw through his move. He lowered his head and dodged the punch, then used the thruster in his arm to deliver an uppercut to the muscular man's chin.
The thrust generated considerable force, sending the muscular man flying. He was sent flying five meters and crashed to the ground.
"Secondly, 'Waterhouse' is much stronger than you. As heroes, they not only protect civilians but also hold back against scum like you. If they didn't, you'd be dead countless times already!"
"Dammit!"
The muscular man got up from the ground, clutching his throbbing jaw. He didn't know who this kid wearing a mechanical helmet was, but he was surprisingly strong.
"Third!!"
Midoriya Izuku shouted, taking a stance in the Eight Extremes Fist. The guy in front of him was obviously using a "Power-type" Quirk, so he knew this tough, muscular guy wouldn't be taken down with just a regular hit.
All of Midoriya's mechanical armor's power sources activated as he prepared for his full-strength strike. The muscular man also realized something was wrong. His muscle fibers expanded, tearing his clothes apart, and his entire body became like a monstrous, muscle-bound tank.
Midoriya Izuku shot forward at high speed, boosted by his mechanical armor, and the muscular man raised his arms in defense. The last attack had shown him that his reaction speed was slower than Midoriya's, so he decided to focus on defense.
Maybe the muscular man's judgment was correct, but he didn't anticipate just how strong Midoriya Izuku's attack would be.
"Bajiquan: Iron Mountain Crush!"
With the immense force from the mechanical armor's boost, Midoriya's finishing move slammed into the muscular man.
The impact was so powerful that Midoriya's armor's thrusters broke, and the armor on his arm shattered. However...
The muscular man was sent flying by the devastating blow. The sheer force threw him off balance, and he was sent falling off the cliff.
"Third, if you can't even beat me, a kid who hasn't graduated yet, how can you claim that 'Waterhouse' is weaker than you?"
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