Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Azula Pov .
"Good training," Todoroki said as she approached. We'd been training our fire Quirks under Endeavor's cold gaze. I expected her to focus more on her daughter, but to my surprise, she'd dedicated the same amount of time to us. Though I was sure it was so she could keep pushing her daughter.
"Likewise," I said as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
"Okay, you two, take a shower, get ready, and meet me downstairs. We're going to Hosu." Endeavor said with a grimace.
"Hosu?" Todoroki asked in confusion as Endeavor growled.
"The hero killer will be there. We'll go and capture him," Endeavor said simply before turning around and leaving. We both looked at each other for a few seconds.
"Let's get ready," I said curtly. Todoroki nodded, and we both headed to the showers. After a quick shower and putting on my armor—my costume—I met up with Todoroki. We both nodded in each other's direction and started walking together.
"By the way, I was looking for information about your mother, but I never found any maternity leave time. I was curious," I said distractedly. Todoroki fell silent.
"Surrogacy. Most high-level heroines or hunters do it." Todoroki said simply. I nodded. It's what I expected. Losing almost a full year of one's career, especially when a heroine is young and in her prime, could be a big problem, especially since it would take her weeks or months to get back to the same physical state she was in before. And it's not like there's a shortage of women.
"You're getting better with your left side," I said simply as we continued walking. Todoroki nodded.
"And your fire only grows hotter." She said, and I nodded. I'd only spent a few hours training with Endeavor, and yes, she may be blunt, but she knew what she was doing. Under her guidance, I was able to focus my fire even further while performing Sun and Flame Breathing. I still hadn't been able to turn the fire blue, but I was getting closer. I couldn't help but smile at that. Blue fire was something that was mine, something I identified with. Perfection.
"There they are. it's about time." Endeavor growled when she saw us. We both approached Endeavor. "Like I said, we'll go to Hosu. If the pattern set by the previous attacks is the same, then the hero killer will be there again." Endeavor said before turning around and starting to walk.
We weren't far from Hosu, so we took a short walk there. Along the way, Endeavor continued to work as a hero while we patrolled, which involved stopping several villains we encountered. I shivered slightly and frowned at the sight. Cold? No, something else. I looked up at the sky and narrowed my eyes. We had left at dusk, and the sky was already dark.
But there definitely shouldn't be a storm cloud in the sky. I stopped stiffly.
"Endeavor! The sky! " I exclaimed quickly. That stopped Endeavor and Todoroki at the same time, as did several passersby. They all looked up. Just in time to see monsters start to fall from the sky.
"What- a broken gate?!" Endeavor exclaimed angrily.
"They look like the same black monsters that attacked the USJ," Todoroki said seriously. Endeavor looked at her for a few seconds.
"So those third-rate villains are involved. It must be that teleporter." Endeavor growled before looking up at the sky once more. "Shouko, Azula, follow me! " she exclaimed, just in time for me to feel my Scroll vibrate in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and saw Todoroki do the same. We both frowned and looked at our phones.
"Midoriya?" Todoroki asked. I nodded. There was no message, just a pin pointing to a location not far from here.
"Stop looking at your phones and watch me!" Endeavor exclaimed in front of us. Todoroki seemed to make an instant decision.
"When you're done, and if there are any free heroes, I'm requesting backup. Go to the narrow alley off Ekou Street, 4-2-10. My friend may be in trouble." Todoroki turned around. "We know, it's you. you'll be able to solve this in seconds." She said, without looking at her mother before looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "I need your help. Come with me, please." Todoroki asked calmly. I sighed; it seemed my decision was already made.
We started running without even looking at Endeavor. I let Todoroki lead the way; she was the most familiar with this area. We quickly reached an alley and saw the reason the alarm had sounded.
The Hero Killer was standing with his swords drawn, about to kill a heroine- no, a hero student. She was our age, and around her were lying a professional heroine and Midoriya.
Both Todoroki and I moved instantly; a wave of my blue fire and a combination of Todoroki's fire and ice shot out in the direction of the Hero Killer without the slightest hesitation. The Hero Killer jumped and dodged our attacks with ease.
"Today it's one after another... my work keeps getting interrupted..." the hero killer growled as she looked at us. The hero killer, or rather, she, was a lanky but skinny, yet muscular woman, almost the size of Izumi's body. She wore a blood-red scarf and had dozens of knives and swords all over her body.
"Midoriya, for something like this, let us know first. We're late," Todoroki said impassively as she approached. "It took me a few seconds to understand what that message meant. All you did was send your location pin to all your contacts. You're not a kid who would do such a thing for no reason. No, if it were you, it must have meant something like 'Call for backup, I'm in trouble.' Don't worry, in a few minutes, even the professionals will be here."
Todoroki began manipulating her ice from the ground while attacking the hero killer with her left side, who easily dodged by jumping up and down the walls. Damn, she's a sneaky girl. Still, it served as enough of a distraction for Todoroki's ice to grab the three people on the ground and pull them towards us.
"Todoroki, Azula! Don't leave any drop of blood visible! She can paralyze his opponents by ingesting blood orally! " Midoriya exclaimed quickly. I clicked my tongue, troublesome. It would be best not to hold back in any way. Flame Breathing: First Form: Unknowing Fire. With a strong impact, I launched myself at the killer hero at explosive speed, leaving trails of fire behind me. I didn't have a sword in my hand, but I extended my fingers and concentrated my fire at my fingertips.
A strong, concentrated flame erupted from my fingertips, capable of slicing through things with ease. My attack aimed for the hero killer's neck. Unfortunately, the hero killer reacted quickly, dodging the attack and wielding her hunting knife against my shoulder, only to be stopped by a wall. I took a quick step back.
"You... you tried to kill me without hesitation. I could feel your thirst for blood, but I could also feel your indifference towards me, towards the lives of others, but there was something down there, hatred. Well hidden, but it's there. You... you're not a hero." The Hero Killer said as she looked at me as if she were reading a sentence.
I frowned. She was too perceptive, I'd give her that. I looked back and saw the bodies still frozen on the ground. A paralysis quirk, it must have a time limit. Let's see if it's short-lived or long-lived.
"And why would I care?" I said dispassionately, looking at my nails. "A hero? A hunter? None of that matters. It's stupid." The hero killer's eyes glued themselves to my body; I could feel her trembling slightly. I guess I hit a nerve. Good.
"You're a fake," the Hero Killer snarled. "Before you worry about yourself, go save others. Don't use your power for your own benefit. That's what a hero, a hunter, should do! But no, this world is rotten. Heroes are a joke and treat everything like a big game, and hunters think they're messiahs; they think they have the right to lord over other people because they make sure the gates stay closed. How benevolent of them." The Hero Killer spat.
"Yeah, so?" I asked boredly. That was the way the world was right now. The strong eat the weak. How else would it be? I lost to Zuko and the peasant girl because I was mentally weak. The Fire Nation lost to Liu Zhigang, and now we were no better than a colony to them. That was the way the world was set up. But that doesn't mean the weak couldn't fight back; it just means that you had to be more creative, more insidious, more lethal.
Killers ' murderous intent gushed forth. I flinched slightly but braced myself. I was no stranger to assassination attempts. I'd been in a war, and I was also grateful for Izumi's training and his attempt to finally get me to learn the Total Concentration Breathing technique by trying to kill me. Beside me, Todoroki seemed slightly paralyzed.
The Hero Killer threw a knife, and I braced myself. To my surprise, it didn't come at me but at Todoroki. I clicked my tongue and pushed Todoroki out of the way. In an instant the Hero Killer was in front of me with a machete heading for my neck. Another column of ice stopped the attack. The Hero Killer looked up, making me unconsciously look up.
A flying sword was heading my way. No. A distraction. I made my fists burst into flames and looked down. The Hero Killer had been about to bite my neck before I backed away. Damn, slippery rat.
"That was close," Todoroki said, approaching me, finally moving once more.
"Why... why did you... I inherited my sister's name! Ingenium! I'm the one who has to do it! " I looked over my shoulder to see the girl our age babbling. Who the hell is she?
"I don't know who you are... but I do recognize your sister's heroine name... She was attacked by a Hero Killer a week ago," Midoriya said solemnly. "You must be a student at Shiketsu, you should be interning at the same time as us. I heard a Pro Heroine looking for someone, and I helped her find you. I don't know what you're going through. But the Ingenium I know, she would never make a face like that! " Midoriya exclaimed in her direction. The girl fell silent while Todoroki smiled.
"Typical Midoriya," Todoroki muttered beside me. I sighed, having no context for anything. For once, I cursed myself for not keeping up with Japanese news. It wasn't something I usually looked up, and unless Izumi or the others mentioned it, I had no idea what was happening in the country. I should start rectifying that.
"Are you done talking?" the Hero Killer growled as she leapt toward us once more. Todoroki created a massive wall of ice to block her path. "Trying to avoid being seen by a faster opponent? How stupid," the Hero Killer said before easily slicing through the ice wall. Todoroki frowned and ignited his left side before groaning in pain. His left arm had two daggers embedded in his forearm.
The hero killer was right above us as she fell at high speed while pointing her sword at us. I quickly looked over my shoulder, I couldn't back down; she would just kill one of the other people. Sun Breathing: Sunflower Thrust. I thrust with my fingers outstretched and my fire knives in my fingers upward to meet the Hero Killer head on.
My fiery blades collided with the Hero Killer's sword, my fire melting the tip of the sword, but the Hero Killer pushed further down while reinforcing her sword with her black aura, protecting it from being completely melted into metal. She also ignored the fire licking her body and continued descending towards us.
To my surprise, Midoriya appeared next to the Hero Killer, grabbed her by the clothes, and threw her towards the alley once again.
"Midoriya!" Todoroki exclaimed.
"I don't know why, but I can move normally again! There must be a limit! " Midoriya exclaimed, smiling slightly. Finally.
"Impossible, he was the last to fall!" exclaimed the heroine behind us.
"Midoriya, back off!" Todoroki exclaimed as she created a wall to keep the Hero Killer away. Midoriya sneaked towards us.
"She drinks blood to steal movement! I can think of three reasons why I'm the only one free: the more targets there are, the lesser the effect will be; it depends on how much blood she's ingested, or maybe it depends on their blood type," Midoriya said seriously.
"That doesn't matter. Knowing how it works doesn't change anything. We just shouldn't let her paralyze us." I said, frowning. "Iherspeed is enough to dodge our attacks. We won't be able to escape carrying two people."
"Then there's no other choice-" Midoriya began. "We'll protect them." Midoriya and Todoroki said at the same time. I sighed and stood on guard while smiling. I guess I was doing this.
"So, three against one... not so naive, I guess." The Hero Killer said impassively. Todoroki attacked with her ice once more. The Hero Killer used her half-melted sword and shattered the ice once more with extreme ease.
I launched myself at the Hero Killer, I had to get within range. Paralyze her. I'd only have one chance. Sun Breathing: Dancing Flash. I kicked the ground hard as powerful thrusters propelled me at enormous speed. Before the Hero Killer could react, I was already within her range, and she was within mine.
I created my fiery knives at my fingertips once more and attacked the Hero Killer's neck. She reacted quickly, grabbing a dagger from her hip and aiming it at my shoulder. I made no effort to evade it and let it sink into my muscles. My chance. For a moment, I thought about paralyzing her jaw to prevent her from swallowing blood, but she could still move easily and swallow blood in other ways.
So my healthy hand struck twice quickly, blocking the chi from the Hero Killer's legs.
"Azula!!" Midoriya yelled in panic as he launched himself at me. I grinned as the Hero Killer tried to take a step back, but her legs wouldn't respond. Her eyes widened in surprise as she fell to the ground.
"It's time! She can't move her legs! " I exclaimed in the direction of the other two.
"Damn fake!" the Hero Killer exclaimed in fury. She brought the dagger filled with my blood to her mouth only for her arm and the dagger to be frozen by Todoroki. Midoriya suddenly appeared above the Hero Killer and, with a downward kick, hit the Hero Killer's head hard. The Hero Killer's head bounced against the ground, making her lose consciousness.
I approached her and with a swift movement, I hit the various chi points and blocked her entire body. Even if she woke up, she wouldn't be able to move her body in any way.
I sighed in exhaustion before grimacing as I grabbed my shoulder. At least it was over. I really needed to learn how to use a sword as soon as possible. This would have been less dangerous with a katana.
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Izumi Pov .
"Oh, Miss Tawata, what a surprise to find you here." I purred in the direction of the very naked Tawata. I was still dressed in my workout clothes. Baggy pants and a tight-fitting black shirt.
"Miyamura! What the hell!? Why are you in the women's showers?! " Tawata squealed as she blushed and grabbed a towel to cover herself. I tilted my head in confusion.
"This is the men's bathroom," I said as if it were obvious.
"No?! " I can't possibly have been mistaken! " Tawata growled as she finished covering herself. I looked at her, even more confused.
"No, I'm sure it's the men's bathroom," I said with certainty. Tawata grunted, taking long strides with the towel wrapped around her body as she left the showers.
"See! It's the- men's restroom ?! " Tawata squealed, her face turning pale as she looked at the drawing of a man on the sign that indicated it was a men's restroom. "Impossible! I've been using this restroom for years! " Tawata exclaimed, suddenly turning completely pale as if she had just realized that she had been using the men's restroom for years.
Suddenly, the sticker on the sign peeled off and fell to the floor. Tawata stared at the sticker in confusion for a few seconds before looking at the sign, which showed a picture of a woman, pointing out that it was, in fact, a women's restroom.
"Ah," I said simply. The sticker I had placed didn't hold up long enough.
"Y-Miyamura!!" Tawata growled angrily, coming to the right conclusion. This time, what decided to fall off was Tawata's towel, leaving her completely naked once again. "Miyamura!!" Tawata's voice was now an embarrassed squeak. She blatantly looked down at her body before raising her hand.
"I'm sorry Miss Tawata! I have to go! " I said before turning around and starting to run while grinning like crazy.
"Miyamura!! Pray I don't catch you!!" I heard Tawata's angry shout.
Teasing her was so much fun!! Although I had a feeling I was forgetting something...
Meh, it must not be important.