Yeah, here is another. I am considering working on my From Beyond the World Tree chapter as Zaralann finally responded after his months of silence. As for when I'll work, I'll try to work on it tomorrow-ish. Ironically, I didn't prepare any drafts in that fiction, just write as I go along. We did plan something at the very least with intense debates and discussions here and there, making concessions to not make the story too perverted :/
Anyways, here you go.
All the boys and girls exited the building in their hero costumes as per their training in the Gamma Gym. They were waiting for the newcomer to leave as well… the angry Bang. They don't know what kind of costume he had with him, but judging by the amount of world-ending fury emanating from him, it must be of offensively poor quality for someone like him to be so enraged. The screams still lingered in the air, a feat no one thought was actually achievable even by an angry man.
When the door clicked, opening with a tense silent creak, the seniors gasped upon seeing the man emerging from the locker room. It almost looked like he became a different person rather than just another aspiring hero.
His costume… could be described as a reflection of his character. White furred gloves covering up to his elbow, with bandages covering the end of the gloves and abstract images of wolves devouring what seemed to be the sun and the moon etched on the gloves. One wolf devouring the moon on his left, and a different wolf devouring the sun on his right. The moon and the sun were on the back of his hand while wolves were placed on his arms.
His shirt… was more like a combination of a nordic warrior mixed with the robes of a shaolin monk, some white fur laced robes flapping around his chest while a certain nordic symbol was displayed on his chest representing ‘end strife’, revealing some of his well toned abs. His shoulders were free from the white fur, but around his neck could be seen a silver scarf made from some kind of silken material, with what could be described as… white runes, nordic runes etched on the scarf as it flapped in the breeze.
His pants were also baggy and loose, resembling the pants those of monk would wear but it suited him greatly. He held no mask or cape, as those would ruin his costume’s design and appeal as a whole. In gestalt, Garou held the image of a warrior martial artist of the highest caliber, one mixed with nordic and easter descent, as they could practically hear the silent air humming a certain musical tune to compliment the image Garou was exuding. It did not look like that of a hero, but… as something more instead.
“.......how do I look?” Garou asked with great reluctance, having vented all of his anger in that room. No, he corrected himself. Vented enough anger to maintain his composure to not scream at the heavens in his world-ending fury again. Or break the bones of his idiot disciple.
Bang’s outfit made some of the other students feel a tad inadequate. They looked down at their own costumes, pinching at parts in displeasure. Was there anything this guy didn’t excel in?
“Ooooh! That’s a cool costume! I like it!”
Hado snuck up behind him, circling around him suddenly. Tamaki and Mirio appeared as well, also looking at Garou’s outfit. It was extremely detailed and seemed to hold some kind of thematic message.
Even with Garou standing there, clearly displeased and grumbling, the girls seemed to be swooning. The guys looked at Bang with both jealousy and inadequacy.
“...Question, are hero names just as important as costumes?” Garou asked.
The assembled students all nodded in agreement. A hero’s name was how the public saw them. It was their unique identifier. And often it had some link to their Quirk to help distinguish.
“...if I call myself Fenrir, what comes to your minds?” Garou asked just in case.
Everyone looked at Bang and the costume he was wearing. Almost all at once, every student thought to themselves ‘That name seems to fit perfectly’.
“Well, it’s quite the suitable name.”
Mirio added, still taking in the fact that Garou was wearing a hero costume.
“Hmmm… The White God Slaying Wolf…” Garou murmured the name of the White Wolf… now that he said it, he wondered if he could add the White God Slaying Wolf into his infamous collection of Titles. The sound of it tickled his fancy, making Garou’s lips curl into a small smile.
“I see… what are we doing here anyways?” Garou asked changing the subject as his smile dissipated.
Suddenly, a familiar shape appeared from a nearby building. Wearing his usual yellow suit, the former Symbol of Peace approached the class. Coming to a stop, he could notice Garou in his ‘outfit’. He smiled. Young Ghin certainly knew what he was doing. The air Garou emitted was quite refreshing, a different blend compared to his monster costume. He received the impression of a martial art master of the greatest calibur indeed.
“Well, you are all here for a very specific reason. Even with the threat of the villains somewhat decreasing, we cannot lower our guard down due to the presence of the League of Villains. Therefore, we have made the choice to begin training students in the ‘essence of combat’, mainly, martial arts.”
The entire class was taken aback. They’d thought that they’d come for more training with their Quirks. But martial arts? One hand rose from the middle of the group. All Might pointed at it as a sign to ask.
“Uhhh. Why are we learning martial arts? I thought that we needed to focus on our Quirks?”
The girl, one of long straight hair of gorgeous, wavy blond, asked what many of them were thinking. All Might nodded in understanding.
“Well that was our way. But recent… events have forced us to change our perspectives. We have brought in two Heroes who have experienced the martial arts we will be teaching you.”
Tamaki nervously rose his hand, seeming quite reluctant but curious nonetheless.
“What heroes? Gunhead?”
A few others agreed with the nervous student. Gunhead was one hero they knew who seemed to practice grabs, throws and the like.
“Incorrect, my shy friend! No, two of the famous Pussycats! Trained and disciplined by the infamous Garou himself!” All Might heartily revealed.
The class seemed disbelieving at first. Garou had trained someone? And not just someone, but two of the Pussycats? Students began nervously laughing, looking around at each other. They seemed to think some kind of prank was being played on them.
“Ah ha ha ha! I can read your thoughts like a book! Even I didn’t believe it at first! Garou came to UA himself and turned a new leaf! Nezu personally witnessed the Infamous Hero Hunter taking in disciples in his very office! But not without difficulty! Hah hah hah!” The former symbol released another jolly laugh as his words slowly sunk in the Class’ brains.
From the same building All Might had came from, approached two figures. As they got closer, the students recognised Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll, both in their respective cat themed hero costumes. The two women waved to the class and to All Might as well.
“Hey guys! Has All Might briefed you all yet?”
The class didn’t respond. So these two were trained by the Hero-Hunter? Anxiety seeded in their hearts. The reactions from the ‘Big 3’ were all varied.
Tamaki was staring wide-eyed and in shock, similar to the rest of the class. Mirio kept glancing over to Garou out of the corner of his eye. Was this all part of his plan?
Hado watched the two Pussycats approached with eagerness in her eyes. The idea of being trained by two famous heroes was so exciting and interesting.
Garou, on the other hand, quirked a brow surprised to see them here. He thought they would still be in their private land honing their skills without his guidance.
All Might turned to the two women as they approached and returned their waving.
“I have told them the basics. Perhaps you two would like to continue?”
The two Pussycats cast their eyes across the class.
“Yeah, thanks All Mig-”
They cut themselves off as they noticed a familiar silver-colored hairstyle. Looking closer, their eyes widened. Garou was standing there amongst the students, dressed up in what looked like a hero costume, a very unique one with remarkable detail. They could clearly see Garou returning their stare. Their demonic master rested his finger on his lips, conveying them to be silent. He then ran his thumb through his neck, a threat to their lives if they give him away.
Pixie-Bob shared a glance with Ragdoll. They both silently knew that they needed to stay silent. Their master had ordered it. Still though, they looked back over at Garou. They couldn’t stop themselves from looking at that outfit… it somewhat befitted Garou in every way somehow.
“Hello? Ms.Shiretoko? Ms.Tsuchikawa?”
The voice of All Might pulled them out of their trance. Shaking their head to bring themselves back to reality, the two women focused back on the task at hand. They were here to train these young men and women.
Pixie-Bob silently fumed. The youth of all of these prospective heroes made her feel too self-conscious of her own dwindling youth. She must hurry up and marry before it’s too late.
“Y-yes! Anyway… We are assigned as your instructors for today. Through my behest, we both experienced the hell that was the Hero-Hunter, and came out stronger than ever.”
Ragdoll gestured across all of the young students, watching her with anxious eyes.
“And through us, you will experience the same.”
The class seemed to recoil. No one wanted to have to face the Hero-Hunter. And now they would have to experience the Hero-Hunter via proxy? Shivers passed over everyone in apprehension. Still though, they were all at least morbidly curious. To be trained in the same way Garou trained them…
“You will not be permitted to use your Quirk during training. The purpose of this training will be to strengthen other aspects of your person. Reaction times, counters and presence detection. These are skills that need to be honed in order to be a true Hero.”
Ragdoll spoke loudly and clearly, full of confidence. She evidently believed in her own words.
The anxiety that the class felt was slowly beginning to be replaced by excitement and enthusiasm. Such a unique experience wasn’t something that every student got. Excited murmurs began to pass around the class. Even Tamaki and Mirio were becoming eager and interested in such a proposition.
“We will first be teaching you the correct stances. Then we will move on to practicals. After we have experienced each of your respective ‘styles’, then we will give you all advice on how to improve.”
Ragdoll seemed so… authoritative. It shocked the class to see a hero who was known for her energetic, happy spirit, to see her so serious and focused. She clearly had been instilled with a sense of seriousness by her own teacher.
“Any questions?”
Dozens of hands rose into the air. Clearly the entire class was intrigued. Ragdoll pointed the one of the many hands.
A girl with long brown hair and golden eyes stared at the two Pussycats with sly, curious eyes. The two Pussycats didn’t like the way she was staring so intently.
“How close were you two to the Hero Hunter? What’s he like?”
Tomoko’s eyes quivered at the jabbing question regarding her relationship with Garou.
“...he is evil.” Tomoko said as she averted her eyes, her face drained of all color upon remembering the hell he and his disciple put her through.
“He shows no mercy to us, even though we are girls…” Tomoko dryly said.
The brown-haired girl seemed to wilt. She appeared to have some romantic assumptions. They were promptly smashed by the colourful, brutal picture that was being painted by the two Pussycats.
“Do you even know the hardships he put us through? Everyday we have to return home in pain in every joints of our body, only to return back more tired than ever. It is hell. Literal hell. And worse, his training actually worked, giving us newfound strength born from our pain and suffering…” Pixie-bob followed with an equally despairing tone.
All Might kept his eyes on the figure of Garou in the crowd, seeing him bearing a wicked smile as if relishing their pain. He could only sympathize with the two women. He too knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of Garou’s might. He subconsciously rubbed his forearm in tender memory.
“O-oh. Was that all?”
The brown-haired girl had now clearly deflated. These didn’t seem like the answers she wanted. Not at all. The rest of the class was also somewhat disappointed. They were hoping for some juicy insider details on the life of the Hero-Hunter.
“…outside of training however…” Ragdoll added a but.
“He is a surprisingly decent man…” She admitted, her words perking up the ears of the seniors.
Decent? The 3rd years, minus ‘Bang’, all wondered on how the man known as the Hero-Hunter could possibly be decent. Even taking into consideration his recent reformation. ‘How?’ was the question on everyone’s mind.
“...he accepted my request for training, even though it would bring him nothing but trouble.” Tomoko sheepishly confessed, her cheeks started to redden.
Tomoko’s description began to change the image the seniors had of the Hero-Hunter. No one could miss the tone that Ragdoll was using, when discussing her master.
“I was the one who begged him for training. Even though he had every reason to refuse me, a complete stranger… he accepted in the end, without even showing any impatience. He made sure that he will uplift me to the level I needed to return to my duty as a hero, in his own way. He warned me about the difficulty many times, but… I accepted anyways.” Her lips then grew into a small smile, as ‘Bang’s’ smile slowly curled into a horrified frown.
The girl who had asked the original question now gazed at Tomoko, her eyes sparkling, with a large smile on her face. A few of the other students bore smiles as well. The compassion of the Hero-Hunter. It sounded so paradoxical. But here was Ragdoll, pouring her heart out.
“He sounds like such a cool guy! I hope I can meet him one day!”
The female student seemed to have developed some kind of idealized version of Garou. She had clasped her hands together as she gushed happily. Who knows why.
‘You already did…’ was the thought of All Might, Ragdoll, and Pixie-bob. Ragdoll doesn't know if she should reveal the unpredictable and surreal nature of Garou as well. And his sadistic hobby in messing with others for his enjoyment. ‘Bang’s’ frown slowly returned to his wicked smile as he watched the female idolize an already accomplished dream.
Tomoko shifted her gaze from the now-starstruck girl, and cast her eyes across the rest of the seniors present.
“Any more questions before we begin the training?”
“What martial arts did he train you in?” Mirio, this time, raised his hand, wanting to know what Garou taught them. Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob smiled at the question.
“The Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist and the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist.” Tomoko answered with a teasing smile.
Mirio now bore a look of confusion. He had never heard of those two martial arts before. He took a moment to consider. If anyone was capable of making their own martial art, it’d be him.
“Here's a fun fact! Did you know that in Garou’s hometown, Quirks never existed in the first place? Oh, and there is only one continent there.” Pixie-Bob jubilantly revealed as she stuck her tongue out the corner of her lips as she acted cute.
The seniors all remained silent. They began looking at each other in blatant surprise. Multiple pairs of wide eyes all stared at Pixie-Bob in incredulity. A few students had looks of disbelief, shaking their heads as if to deny the information they had been given. Mouths opened to speak, but no words came out. They just gaped, dumbfounded at such a thing even being possible.
“Really? Is he like, an alien or something?”
One male student shouted out, clearly incredulously. His eyebrows were raised high in a look of astonishment and amazement.
“It's true. The strength the Hero Hunter possessed defied all logic, even that of Quirks… it is something more profound. I mean, his first disciple showed signs of obtaining the same power Garou has despite being Quirkless. So yeah, I had no reason to believe someone like him is an alien,” Pixie-bob casually replied.
Another male student with a hammer for a head raised his hand and shouted out his next question. He apparently couldn’t wait to ask his potential questions.
“Has Garou trained anyone else other than you two? Any other heroes?”
“Oh no. Not a hero. A child… a… scary, strong child…” Pixie-bob’s face lost all color upon remembering the evil boy torturing her the same way as Garou.
“He is just as evil as our master… really, and the kid is even my senior. He trained him too well…” Pixie-bob dryly confessed as she shuddered visibly for all to see upon remembering the beatings he gave her.
Stood next to the two women, All Might smiled and laughed. He could tell that they were describing young Ghin. Such a tenacious spirit for one so young… He’d go far in his future, should he choose the path of the Hero.
The class on the other hand, were shocked to find that Garou had trained a young boy. Murmurs began and they started speculating on who the kid was. Did Garou have a relative? A younger sibling?
“W-What's he like?” The hammer headed student asked.
“...the boy is deceptive. Don't let his smile fool you, he is strong and quite fierce. He takes too much after Garou, it is scary…” Pixie-bob shuddered upon remembering the child saying ‘Fear me!’ with sadistic cheer.
The topic of the whisperings changed slightly after hearing this. A kid that took after Garou? Did he have a son? The entire class, minus Bang, began sweating and shivered at the mere thought.
“The kid isn't even related to Garou in any way… which is even scarier. If he continues to grow, another Garou will be born one day…”
The entire class stopped muttering in astonishment. The fact that Garou had taken to training a young boy that he didn’t even know warmed the hearts of the seniors. It appeared that the Hero-Hunter was not only a decent person, but he also looked after children he didn’t even know. The murmurings started up once again, but this time they were debating on whether or not Garou was actually a Hero. Albeit an absurdly powerful, violent Hero.
“...anyways, anymore questions? One not relating to that devil spawn?” Pixie-bob asked the class to avoid the subject of Ghin.
Mirio raised his hand once again. He was quite interested in the martial arts they were learning. He wasn’t quite sure if Sir Nighteye would be as interested, but he had to get some more info out of their twos’ prospective ‘teacher’
“So what is the difference between the two martial arts we’ll be learning?”
“...according to Garou, they're martial arts designed to kill monsters in his home.” Tomoko was the one answering.
“Monsters?”
Mirio voiced the concerns of his class. The seniors were wondering what kind of monster would need such excessively powerful martial arts to deal with.
“...in his land, there are monsters. Not like those with Quirks… most of those in his land eats human beings for food… or for pure enjoyment.” Tomoko grimly revealed.
The atmosphere changed swiftly, darkening as the 3rd years imagined such a hellish place. A place, prowled by vicious man-eating beasts. Everyone could barely suppress a shiver from passing through them.
“Garou’s stories about his home was… quite beyond my imagination. A giant man whose head reached the clouds, destroyed an entire city with a swing of his fist and another when it's body fell, an alien warship reducing an entire city to a wasteland in a split second, a giant carnivorous centipede monster of ridiculous size… it's no wonder Garou is so strong… he has to be. Or else he will(would) die.” Tomoko narrated a glimpse of what lies in Garou’s homeland, dangerous abominations that could end the world they live in today.
Numerous students had paled at the stories being told. One or two took steps backwards in fear and the rest could only stand there numbly. The nightmarish reality of Garou’s world was something none present wished to experience.
“Heh, what's even more surprising is how humanity actually survived for so long, don't you think?” Pixie-bob chimed in as she nudged Tomoko’s shoulder with her elbow.
“I mean, it gave birth to the scariest man in our world hahaha!” She jubilantly reminded as she casted a wry smirk at ‘Bang’. The man in question averted his eyes, avoiding eye contact.
The seniors could only nod in agreement. The Hero-Hunter was quite the terrifying individual. They’d heard word of his ‘exploits’ out in the world, taking down villains group by group. The rumours they heard painted a bloody picture.
“All right everyone.”
Pixie-Bob clapped her hands, quickly drawing the attention of everybody present.
“I believe that is enough questions for now! We’ll begin your training now.”
Suddenly, the air around Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob seemed to shift, becoming more threatening. They barely moved as all the students shivered slightly. All, minus one, who stood there with a analytical eye, observing their moves.
Several students activated their Quirks in self-defense and tensed up. Hado, Tamaki and Mirio all prepared the use of their own Quirks as they anxiously awaited whatever was to come next.
Pixie-Bob wagged one finger in the air in a dismissive manner as her face bore her usual wide smile.
“What did we tell you? No Quirk usage! Unless you want to be taught a lesson.” She teasingly reminded, while adding a warning as incentive.
“Just so you know, the difference in the Water Steam and the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist… is that the latter can slice you up like sushi with bare hands alone. Garou told us a story of a certain old man capable of turning monsters into pieces of meat unarmed. You all want to stay in one piece, don't you?” While waving her paw playfully at the students like a cat, Pixie-bob’s eyes glinted red for a moment, her glare directed at the students that prepared their Quirks.
One by one, their respective Quirks receded and shrunk away, until they were once again a class of unarmed students. The seniors stood there, knuckles clenched and eyebrows furrowed. This was not what they had been expecting from training.
“Who wishes to be first to experience the monster slaying arts?” Pixie-Bob taunted the class to walk into the fires of hell, albeit much more tame compared to the real thing.
Silence reigned as not a single person spoke up. After hearing the stories of Garou’s world, they knew they’d all be in for a world of hurt.
Without warning, Bang was the first one to step up, with a very amused smirk plastered on his face, as he walked past his fellow seniors with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Then I will go.” He declared.
The dangerous aura emanating from the two Pussycats seemed to falter at seeing their opponent. Bang strolled easily through the lapping waves of their aura. Like a rock facing a wave, he didn’t halt, nor was he hindered. The rest of his class watched with incredulity as their new addition seemed to be facing their teachers head on.
“The new guy has to go first for his seniors, no?” Bang snarked, as he narrowed his eyes at the two.
“Show me what you've learned.” He taunted with a cocky tone.
A sudden flurry of action came from the two women as they both sped around Bang. Ragdoll faced Garou down from one side, and Pixie-Bob was on his other side. They both had their arms out in a martial arts stance and their legs were bent, ready to react to the slightest movement from their target.
‘Fast!’ The seniors thought in unison. Pixie Bob and Ragdoll were not famous for their physical prowess, yet they actually performed feats only those with certain Quirks could perform.
However, Bang did not seem to react at all.
“Huh, not bad.” Bang said as he formed his own stance, one very different than what the two heroes were used to. It was… not his usual stance, but… a foreign one. Turning to face Pixie-bob, two outstretched fists clenched and one leg forward.
His expression was calm, no form of aura or threatening pressure, only serenity in the air around him.
“What are you waiting for? Come at me.” Bang spoke.
Tomoko and Ryuko kept their eyes locked onto Garou. As they looked at their master, they could feel every bruise and injury that they had been given during his hellish training. A single drop of sweat trickled down Ryuko’s head. The air around them became tense and stifling. Were they both ready to face their teacher?
The students could barely follow the two women’s movements as they rocketed towards Bang. A sweeping leg came from Pixie-Bob, whilst on Bang’s other side, a fist shot out aimed at the side of his head. The class was awed by the simultaneous attack from the two Pussycats. Such a coordinated attack displayed their effective teamwork.
“Good.” Bang, however, displayed just a just as impressive counter. Raising one leg, Garou blocked Pixie-Bob’s sweeping leg, and raising his right hand, he caught Tomoko’s fist in his palm, unfazed even as the air around them dispersed by a shockwave of colliding might.
The two women did not hesitate as they quickly switched tactics. From her low down position, Pixie-Bob rose up swiftly, in an attempted uppercut. Ragdoll on the other hand, tried to strike Garou’s wrist, then elbow, then shoulder in an attempt to release his grip of her hand.
With his other hand, Bang caught Pixie-Bob’s fist under his chin and pulled both women back as he backed up, and with his weight, he dropped down on his back as his legs kicked both of their stomachs before launching them back. In the air, both Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob coughed spittle as they landed back first on the ground with a audible thud.
Wide eyes watched all of this, barely keeping track of what was happening. All Might had stepped off to one side, watching the exchange of blows. The students on the other hand grew more and more awed. The Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob weren’t even in the top 10 hero rankings, yet their speed was abnormally high. And Bang! No one had thought that Bang would be able to keep up so well. It seemed like he knew all of their moves.
“Shouldn't you give the new guy slack?” Bang casually asked as he hoisted himself to his feet with a leap.
Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob slowly pushed themselves to their feet shortly afterwards.
“Just so you know, I am a avid martial artist. I studied Wing Chun, Karate, Silat, Chinese Kung Fu, you name it. I can read all of your moves and copy them with just a glance. I'm impressed that ‘Garou’ taught you both something interesting and unique.” Bang smiled at the two.
They could only sigh and roll their eyes. Even in a disguise, Garou never held back even the slightest bit. They brushed themselves off as they gestured to one side of the room, over by All Might.
“Augh… You clearly don’t need any martial arts training. Please stand over there while we continue.”
Ryuko groaned in discomfort, rubbing her shoulders.
“Eh, but I will be left out.” Garou seemingly complained, while still bearing his damnable grin that the other seniors couldn't see from behind.
Ryuko and Tomoko sent glares over to Garou. There was that typical attitude of Garou’s. His cursed grin, a reminder of the pain they went through in those damned woods.
“I’m sure you’d much prefer talking to the former Number One Hero? Hmmm?”
Sarcasm practically dripped from Ryuko’s voice. There was no way she could get back at Garou via combat. So she just had to try her best to put him in awkward and uncomfortable situations.
“Rejected.” Bang waved his hand in denial. He would prefer tormenting them further for his amusement.
Pixie-Bob closed her eyes, massaging the bridge of her nose. Being around Garou was bad for their hearts. She calmed her breathing, trying to get rid of the stress. After all, stress was said to make one look older. She shuddered at the mental image of an old hag that was her.
“Well please just go back to the group. We’ll need to test everyone else.”
“Hmmm… alright. Have fun.” Bang said as his smile faded, turning around to return to his fellow seniors, humming to himself. Plans to torment the two in this session started to formulate in his mind, all of them designed to entertain him.
As ‘Bang’ walked back to the group, he could clearly see the admiration and awe in their eyes. Wide grins adorned the faces of most of the students. As he began to walk through the group, people began to pat him on the shoulder and on the back in support.
“Wow dude. You really are something else!”
“No holding back huh? I can understand that.”
“Ooooh! You sure showed them!”
Praise was heaped on Bang as the seniors continued to group around him. The exchange of blows between the teachers and Bang was so impressive.
“It wasn't easy though… I thought I was gonna lose for a moment there.” Bang replied as if it was obvious.
‘Lies.’ Mirio and Tamaki accused in their minds. There was no way he wasn't messing with them. The two had already grasped a viable glimpse of Garou’s sinister nature.
Two other students stretched and stepped towards Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll, who were patiently awaiting their next challengers. After seeing the battle between Bang and the two Pussycats, the class had increased hope. There did seem a genuine chance for victory in this trial.
As the two students approached, Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll took up passive stances. Analytical eyes observed the two students, considering their capabilities.
“And what are your names?”
Tomoko asked of the two challengers.
The male student pointed one finger to himself. He was a fairly nondescript looking student. He had somewhat long, shaggy black hair. His eyes seemed naturally narrow, staring ahead. He seemed slightly shorter than most of the other students. His most defining characteristic was the fact that his hands were covered by thick, green scales. They continued up his arms, fading off into smooth, human skin at the elbows. His outfit appeared rather reptilian. Large goggles rested on his forehead with yellow lenses and a black slit in the middle, reminiscent of a crocodile’s eye. The rest of his Hero outfit was almost entirely green. His green shirt had a large ‘S’ printed on one side. He also wore rather noticeable boots that appeared to be made of similar scale style to the ones on his forearms.
“Hey! I’m uhhh… Ran Akane.”
Tomoko nodded in acknowledgement and turned to the girl stood next to Ran. The girl had short cropped brown hair. A confident expression was on her face, with a fist raised and clenched. She was quite tall, dwarfing the boy besides her. She was even taller than the two Pussycats. Her Hero costume was quite flashy. Silvery fabric shifted and fluttered in the light breeze. She appeared to have no sleeves. She also wore rather noticeable gloves. They looked more like chrome gauntlets than actual gloves. Her entire outfit had a very ‘chrome’ theme.
“I can’t wait for this! I’m Susumu Keiki!”
She was full of energy and vibrance, clearly itching for a fight.
After looking over the two students, Tomoko once again nodded as she and Ryuko took up their previous combat stances.
“Are you two ready? We won’t be holding back. I hope you won’t either.”
A dangerous glint was in her eye as she stared at the two students.
“It’d be no fun if we didn’t try our best! Ain’t that right Shortie?”
Susumu seemed to be leaning on Ran’s head, making him look even shorter than he already was. The short boy stood there, fuming, before turning to the two older women.
“I’ll have to agree with the giant for now…”
They both stood there, facing down the teachers. They both had taken up the most basic combat stance one could utilize. Clearly they were out of their comfort zone.
A moment passed, but instead of last time, the two students attacked first. Tomoko and Ryuko remained still, watching as they approached.
Susumu led the way, with the shorter boy following behind. She charged with a reckless abandon, bearing down on Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob. Her large strides carried her over quite the distance, and she was in front of Ryuko before many expected it. Using her superior height, she widely swung a fist downwards.
Ran on the other hand, had gone after Tomoko. She nodded in understanding. Divide and conquer a basic stratagem, but effective depending on the situation, and each of the two students had a plan.
A meaty thud echoed throughout the area as Pixie-Bob had blocked the large fist that had been sent her way. Susumu looked shocked that her punch didn’t even seem to faze her target, despite her channeling most of her energy into her muscles for that strike. In the blink of an eye, Pixie-Bob had swung out her leg in a sweeping kick faster than the student could even twitch her muscles, impacting with the student’s torso. A loud crack indicated that the attack had successfully landed, and sent Susumu flying backwards some distance, with an indentation of Pixie-Bob’s shoe marked on her right cheek.
“Nikunikunikuniku. Like I said, his training worked. He taught us to fight monsters, albeit without us knowing.” Pixie-Bob giggled as she watched Susumu push herself up from the floor with her left elbow first than her right hand.
Watching in shock as his teammate was thrown away like a leaf in the wind, Ran failed to notice Ragdoll’s sudden movement as she appeared mere inches away from him, with a fist cocked back.
“Reaction times and presence detection are critically vital skills. You can’t be a Hero if you can’t react accordingly.”
Her voice was passive, educational almost. Ran whipped his head around to the source of the voice, attempting to raise his arms in a makeshift defense. His scaly arms instinctively guarded his face as Tomoko’s fist blurred and shifted, her cat paw punch curving at unnatural angles as she struck him in the abdomen. Ran doubled over and coughed spit and a tinge of vomit as her fist lodged itself into his stomach.
“Also, never panic in the midst of combat. To panic is equivalent to losing your life. This is what Garou taught us, to not treat real life like a game.” Tomoko added as Ran tried to reach for her fist, but all strength left him after the impact, his body turned traitor as it barely responded to his thoughts.
He takes two staggering steps backwards as he weakly rose one hand to cover his mouth, the other hand, clasping the front of his green shirt in apparent pain. As he stepped backwards, Susumu jumped back to her feet, somewhat dirtied by her landing. She thundered over to the side of the shorter boy, glancing down at him with a worried expression on her face. She slapped one hand down on Ran’s shoulder, causing the shorter boy to wince in pain.
“Oi! You alright Shortie?”
Ran grimaced, a thin smile being played across his lips. He rose his own hand to push the larger girl’s hand away, but stopped mid-action, a somewhat frustrated look on his face.
“Worry about yourself for once. I’m fine…”
The two students shared a glance, silently communicating to each other. Stepping forwards, Susumu and Ran both faced down Tomoko and Ryuko once again. Susumu began rolling her shoulders in preparation, a wild smile on her face. Ran, however, remained slightly hunched over as he rubbed his neck anxiously.
“Are you ready to go again?”
Pixie-Bob grinned widely, sharing a worrying glint in her eye with Ragdoll. The rest of the class watched on, shocked. When Bang went first, he made it seem so easy, downplaying the capabilities of the two heroes. But, currently, even the combination of Ran and Susumu seemed to be unable to overcome the two Pussycats. How well had Garou trained these two?
“Hell yeah!”
Susumu seemed full of energy, raring to go for another round. Her and the shorter boy next to her seemed like night and day. He clearly didn’t seem ready to go again, but appeared to be being dragged along by the giant next to him.
This time, all four of the combatants rushed towards each other. Susumu thundered directly towards Tomoko and Ran had started running towards Pixie-Bob. As the distance closed between all of them, the rest of the class could feel the atmosphere ramping up in tension. Each and every step they took only rose the tension higher and higher.
Pixie-Bob halted quickly before the boy, spinning on her heel as her other foot shot towards the side of Ran’s head. His head snapped to the side as the foot impacted, causing the rest of the seniors to gasp in worry. However, Ryuko soon noticed that he had raised his arms in another quick armguard. As his eyes locked with Ryuko, she could see how he had withstood such a savage kick. Her foot had impacted with those seemingly hard scales that covered his arms.
Ran grinned as Pixie-Bob seemed somewhat intrigued by his resistance to the kick.
Whilst this was taking place, Tomoko and Susumu beared down on each other. Instead of going in for a downward punch like last time, Susumu hunched down and went for a full-body tackle, attempting to use her greater body mass to overpower the smaller woman.
*BOOM*
However, with a sudden impact, Susumu was sent flying, her back sliding across the pavement upon feeling what seemed to be a cannon exploding her gut at point blank range. Only the spectators witnessed what happened, how she was knocked back.
She came to a stop some distance away from where she originally was. Her body ached from the blow, a throbbing pain spreading all over her body.
“Again, it's a martial art designed to slay monsters. Even big ones. If I used the Whirlwind Iron Cutting Fist, I would’ve carved holes into you like cutting out a cake hahaha.” Tomoko cheerfully reminded with a energetic smile.
Susumu shuddered slightly. Such an image was not a pleasant one. Although it did show that the Pussycats were indeed going easier on them.
Cracking her neck, the large girl waited for a moment. Suddenly she charged in once again. Tomoko could only watch with analytical eyes, concluding that this girl only knew how to charge in headfirst and overwhelm the enemy.
The sudden charge from Susumu prompted Tomoko to react. She raised both palms as she braced for any potential assault. The large form of the student loomed over her, preparing to strike. Instead of one downward punch, a flurry of strikes were sent down at Tomoko like a veritable wave of fists.
However, Tomoko’s palms just seemed to glide through the air as she moved to deflect the numerous, incoming blows. Strike after strike was diverted and redirected, only serving to frustrate Susumu more and more. The more punches that were deflected, the more that Susumu sent her way. The furious pace only increased, soon turning into a blur around them. However, Ragdoll’s motions could only be described as graceful as she channeled Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. Her hands seemed to leave traces behind as her arms cut elegantly through the air, like a knife through butter. The students watched in barely-contained awe as the two dueled furiously, watching a roaring beast face off against the graceful stream.
As the two exchanged blows, Ran and Pixie-Bob were focused in their own battle. After recovering from the brutal strike to the side, and throwing up half of his stomach's contents, Ran wiped his mouth slowly. He knew he wasn’t as capable as his taller teammate, so he would have to compensate. Hunching over slightly, he broke into a sudden sprint away from Pixie-Bob.
“Uh oh. No no no!” Upon seeing him turn tail and fled, Pixie-Bob prowled on all fours, hands and feet touching the ground bearing the form of a cat. Tensing her muscles, she launched herself into a sprint, immediately caught up to the fleeing lizard man, as it took her two to three seconds to catch up, now running along to his right with the feline grace of a cat.
The spectating seniors widened their eyes upon seeing the heroine running like a cougar, abandoning the bipedal etiquette of a human being for the sake of primal, quadrupedal speed.
“What good is a hero that let's the villain flee?” Pixie-Bob snarked while giving Ran a very wide cheshire grin.
The running boy kept glancing backwards to ensure that Pixie-Bob was indeed still chasing him. He knew he wouldn’t last for long in prolonged combat, thus, he fled in hopes of shifting the tides to his favor using hit and run tactics… although, he didn’t expect for the pro heroine to run behind him like a beast.
“What the hell did Garou teach you guys?!” Ran ranted. He had no ways to counter that. If she ran up to him on her two feet, he would’ve stopped to sucker punch her. However, seeing that she was running on all fours. He cannot counter with her body bent at such a low angle, or else he will be defenseless.
Continuing to run alongside Ran, Pixie-Bob could only grin. Is this how Garou and Ghin felt training them? Toying with someone weaker than you was certainly a… unique feeling to be sure.
“One of first things he taught us was to never flee from a fight! The second, never let my prey escape! Now get back here!”
She snidely added as she continued to chase the boy, inching closer and closer to her quarry with predatory glee.
As he continued to glance back to the ‘predator’ chasing him, he could also see out the corner of his eye his teammate fighting furiously. Despite constantly being struck and failing to properly land a blow, she kept getting back up and charging back in.
“Tenacious yet unrefined!” Tomoko shouted as she caught both of Susume’s fists, and channeled her strength into her legs. Lifting her legs high, she kicked the younger student from under her chin with the sole of her shoe, rattling her brain with the vibrational shock and knocking the white out her eyes as her head arched back from the impact.
Grimacing at seeing his tall friend being so savagely assaulted. Giving one last glance back to Pixie-Bob, he nodded to himself as he changed directions. He now began bearing down on Tomoko, looking to defend his now-unconscious teammate.
“Oh no you don’t!” Tensing her leg muscles again, Ryūko pounced at Ran before he could reach Tomoko, tackling him to the ground as she pinned him down atop of his prone form. She pressed her hand atop the back of his hand and her knees on the back of his arms, trapping him under her weight flawlessly.
Ran struggled and fought against the older woman’s pin. He writhed and squirmed in an attempt to free himself, but to no avail. Despite her appearance, Pixie-Bob seemed to possess superhuman strength.
“A true hero must be more than specialized! One must be prepared to tackle any situation head on.. no matter how painful…” Pixie-Bob then shivered when memories of her time in the gates of Hell resurfaced.
“The torment…” She uttered in almost a whisper. She seemed to be having some kind of horrific flashback. Her eyes stared off, as she recalled all of the hardships she was put through.
Using this momentary lapse in her attention, Ran bucked and squirmed in a final attempt to free himself of her powerful pin. The pressure on his hands and arms lessened as Pixie-Bob was taken by surprise. Quickly yanking one of his hands out of their pin, he swung his scaly fist at Ryuko. With both of her hands occupied by the act of pinning Ran’s arms and hands to the ground, she had no way to effectively counter at this close of a range.
As the reptilian fist sped towards her, she made a snap decision. She released her grip on the boy and backflipped away before the fist could connect with her face. Swiftly landing some distance away, she could see that Ran had now shakily hoisted himself to his feet. Looking back over at Susumu, he could see her wincing in pain as she faced off with Ragdoll. He began to run over to support his friend. From behind he could hear the subtle sound of footsteps rapidly approaching him. Pixie-Bob was after him, probably on all fours again.
“Susum-” He cut himself off upon seeing the white of Susume’s eyes. Followed by her body tilting to the left before crashing down like a fallen tree, landing on the hard stone ground.
Ran crouched over the unconscious form of his friend. He ran his eyes over her to make sure she wasn’t too badly wounded. She was covered in bruises and scrapes. Large patches of red swelling were scattered all over her body.
“Wrong choice.” Tomoko said as she watched Ryuko tackle Ran to the ground again, this time placing her foot down on his spine while pulling both of his arms painfully to the limit.
“Owowowowowowowowowowow!” Ran cried in teary pain as he squirmed belly flat on the ground, flailing his legs for Pixie-Bob to stop.
“Uh uh uh! Biggest mistake! Checking on your friend BEFORE you defeated the villains! You should know better, Mr. Third-Year! Now cry ‘Uncle’!” Pixie-Bob said as she pulled his arms back harder.
“Alright! Alright! I give!”
Ran seemed just wanted the torment to be over. He’d had enough for one day. How the hell had Bang managed so easily? He cast his gaze over to the large unconscious girl. He wasn’t so sure she’d agree…
“Great!” Pixie-Bob released his arms as they fell to the ground.
“What have you learned so far?” She asked the prone Ran with a cheshire smile, while giggling ‘Nikuniku’ again.
“Augh… Don’t run away first! Leave that for the end!”
His voice was somewhat strained as he gingerly rubbed both of his arms. They’d be sore for a while.
“Good start. Now… tell me. What are your impressions of this fight?” She asked Ran again, regarding their experience with Garou’s Martial Arts.
Ran stopped rubbing his arms as he contemplated. To be honest, he hadn’t been so sure about the whole ‘learning martial arts’ thing. Now though…
“Well, you haven’t even broken a sweat! Is this the power of Garou?”
“Hahaha… no, it is my own power, not Garou’s. Garou’s power defies logic. Garou just brought it out… through… so much pain…” Ryuko’s eyes dazed off as she stared into the distance again, her body now visibly shuddering for all to see.
“Yeah I kinda know what you mean now.”
It was true, even though Susumu had taken so much more punishment than he had. He’d been relatively untouched in comparison.
“...you know, the greatest shame a hero can endure… is being a burden to others. Even more if you're a burden to yourself.” Pixie-Bob started lecturing Ran and the class watching from the sidelines.
He hung his head downwards as he knew what she was implying. He had ran, whilst his teammate had been furiously fighting and defending herself. It was truly shameful.
“I learned that the hard way, when I could do nothing when the villains knocked me out before I can do anything. I was useless in a fight. I could do nothing against surprise attacks before… and my friend lost her Quirk because of it.” Ryuko started narrating with her own experience, how she failed to even prevent a single student from being kidnapped by the villains days before Garou’s grand debut.
The rest of the seniors listened, grim looks on their faces.
“At first, I didn't think much of it… though, after I saw how Tomoko grew under Garou’s… demonic guidance…”
The seniors now released a drop of sweat down their brows at the mention of the demonic nature of Garou.
“...I realized that I could no longer remain the same. With my Quirk, I am strong, but my weaknesses will remain to be exploited. My Quirk can’t help me survive a hard blow to the head, or give me the reflexes I need to survive in a fight.” She continued with her somber tone.
Tomoko gazed her friend with gentle eyes, aware of the turmoil she once went through. The guild she felt during that dreadful day.
“...the lesson we both want to teach you. To be a great hero, it's not your Quirk that gives you the strength to stand against evil. Not some, convenient tool or weapon… It is everything you got. Your mind, your body, your spirit. You must fight with everything you got, not just your Quirk. Or else you will all experience our failings.” Ryuko said, giving her words of wisdom to the younger generation, to not make the same mistakes as she did.
Her impassioned words resonated in the hearts of all of the seniors present. Many of them began to look at their own Quirks with new eyes.
Off to one side, All Might nodded wistfully in agreement. Garou really had trained those two very well. As he looked at the two Pussycats, he could see the smallest glimpse of Garou in their stances and mannerisms.
Tomoko smiled as she cast her eyes across the crowd of seniors. They all seemed to be slowly gaining a new perspective. They just needed it beaten into them.
“Now then! Since you are all aware of the lesson, we will be teaching you how to fight with your own hands and feet! Everyone, choose a sparring partner amongst you!” Tomoko energetically shouted cheerfully.
The class started chattering and scattering haphazardly into pairs, each desperately pairing up with their closest friends or ideal partner. Tamaki was paired up with Hado, while Garou…
Was surrounded by many of his fellow classmates, each and every one begging Garou to pick them. Hopeful eyes stared at him from every direction. However, a few of the girls had worrying looks in their eyes.
“Who you gonna pair with Bang?”
“Come on over here! I’m sure we’ll have plenty of fun!”
“Dude I need you to show me those moves!”
Bang, on the other hand… was uncomfortable. He never experienced something like this in his elementary school years. It was… alien. Something out of his comfort zone, which was being used to be hated and feared.
“...” Bang perused the crowd, looking for at least anyone suitable for his entertainment at least… until he laid his eyes on Mirio, staring at him with an analytical gaze in the background. He smirked as he found his entertainment.
“You.” Garou pointed his finger at Mirio.
The crowd watched anxiously as Bang chose Mirio. Whilst most of them were disappointed, more than a few watched with interest. Bang, the class dark horse and Mirio, the well established No.1. They all wondered who would win out of the two. Murmurs and whispered bets began passing around.
“You up for it?” Bang asked the number one with a confident smirk.
Mirio stood straight, staring at Garou. He slowly began nodding to display his acceptance of Garou’s choice. He too was interested to see Garou’s strength. He knew he would come to regret that interest of his.
“Yeah.”
He pointed over away from the rest of the group. He knew any potential clash could be quite destructive. And the rest of his class still needed to train after all.
“Over there?”
Garou turned his eyes to the spot he pointed, a blank area of concrete, unnoticeable and unused.
“Why not?” Garou shrugged as he started walking over, his hands in his pockets and his upper body slouched with nonchalance.
The two began pushing their way through the silent crowd, who could only watch. The tension racketed up the closer the two got to their assigned combat area. However, Mirio was the only apprehensive one. He had been attempting to think of any possible way he could effectively fight against Garou.
“You know who I am, don't you?” Garou asked as they were far away from the rest of the class enough to hold a private conversation. Mirio flinched from the sudden conversation.
“Tell me, why is it that All Might is so popular?” Garou asked, abandoning his facade for a split second, his lips curled into an ever present frown.
Mirio crossed his arms as he considered how he should respond. He furrowed his eyebrows as he thought of what Garou might think.
“He is so popular because he is reliable. He’s friendly and personable to even the most regular of citizens. But most of all, I believe that it is that his ever present smiles grants us peace.”
Mirio knew he could only offer his own speculations and opinions. However, he felt particularly strongly about All Might.
“You heard my story. Compared to what lives in my home, he is almost nothing special. Even the old fart back home could take him on without trouble.” Garou said as he narrowed his eyes at Mirio.
“There are no All Mights where I am from. And I abhor All Might for what he represents, a costumed Symbol that never earned his own power.” Garou scoffed upon remembering his grand debut.
The air around the two grew more and more intense as they fiercely debated. Garou seemed relentless and without mercy in his arguments, but the topic of All Might was one that Mirio refused to back down for.
“In your world, didn’t you have some figure? Some beacon that the people could gather around?”
“They don't mean shit. They are not justice. They are egos. They don’t know anything about being a real hero. They’re nothing more than weapons against monsters and villains.”
“Our world is different to yours. We don’t use heroes as a simple fighting force. They can be so much more. Rescue teams, teachers… I’m sure you’ve seen first hand.”
Mirio narrowed his eyes. Garou may have been cooperating with heroes. He may even have claimed to have ‘reformed’. But he’s still the same Garou. The Nightmare of Heroes, The Breaker of Heroes, The Shatterer of Peace.
“Hm.” The old fart back home came to his mind upon hearing the word, teacher.
“The only aspect I respect about All Might, is his understanding and resolve to stand against evil… despite being weak as a toothpick, he knew more about being a hero than me.” Garou then said something Mirio did not expect.
Mirio couldn’t respond to that. He blinked in surprise. For to have Garou had admitted such a thing, it was truly quite shocking.
“I could only grasp a few aspects, the building blocks of All Might’s charisma. He is driven, he knows about his limits more than anyone else… In a sense, he is a natural born hero if what I researched about him is true.” Garou continued.
“However, the only thing that pissed me off is how he made it that only those with good Quirks can become heroes. Quirks don't exist where I am from. They warp the meaning of being a hero, monopolizing it to a certain ‘race’. Tell me…” Garou then narrowed his eyes into slits, as the air trembled with an ominous tune.
“Is it so wrong to treat Quirks like a disease?” Garou asked.
A frown now marred Mirio’s face. He just couldn’t agree with what Garou was saying.
“If you deny Quirks as being a part of someone, then you’re just saying that the person isn’t ‘right’. That they’ve been given ‘the easy path’. I’m sure you would know the difference between skill and talent.”
“They aren't a part of someone. The masked freak during my debut proved that by demonstrating that Quirks can be taken away. Quirks are never part of anyone in the first place if they can be taken away. Quirks are a tool. A ‘sword’, ‘shield’, whatever. And like tools, they can be exchanged. You can't steal skill and talent, which is the difference between Quirks and skill.” Garou refuted with his own powerful logic.
“Arms and legs can be taken away from people as well.”
Mirio attempted to counter Garou’s clearly well thought out response.
“You know how impractical that is. Don't downplay it by using limbs as a reference. Stealing powers cannot be compared with stealing arms and legs. And don't look down on humans because of it.” Garou snarled, very offended by Mirio’s response.
“We are talking about the definition of a hero. Not whether a cripple can become a hero or not.” Garou reminded.
The two of the them stood there in silence as the small crowd had dispersed, going off to train. They both glared at each other as they verbally battled.
“The boy I trained was once Quirkless. A bully victim. He has suffered too much even before I arrived here. Tell me this. If you think your definition of being a hero is true, then… why is it that there are no Quirkless heroes?” Garou asked Mirio, stabbing his ideal’s most critical weakness.
“Unfortunately, many Quirkless people have it set in their own minds that they could never be a Hero. However, there are millions of Quirkless people who are heroic. You don’t need to be a Hero to be heroic.”
“Hahahaha… don't screw with me. Being heroic and becoming a hero are two different things. You are just making excuses. Don't deny that you Quirk users are also to blame for making them give up their dreams. I've seen the bullyings. Don't deny it.” Garou warned as Mirio shivered under his wrathful gaze.
“Even if we lived in a world without Quirks, people would still bully others.”
Mirio bore a grimace. He too, did not like the idea of the Quirkless being bullied. But Garou was placing all of the blame squarely at his feet.
“It's even more unforgivable if it is biased against the Quirkless alone. I am quite pissed at how the definition of heroes is warped because of this. Have the schools ever taught anyone to live up to the worth of their gifts in the first place? Something like Quirks should have never been abused.” Garou asked.
Opposite to Garou, Mirio could only shake his head. He knew that there was no way he could change Garou’s mind in the slightest. Nor was Garou changing his own views. This verbal spar had reached an inevitable stalemate.
“Garou, I know nothing I say can convince you.”
He held his arms out and increased the distance between his legs as he entered his combat stance.
“But we’re here to train. I think we should get back on track?”
The last half of his sentence was worded more like a request than an actual question.
“Heh. Very well.” Garou then presumed his fighting stance, the very same martial stance he used against Pixie-Bob and Ragdoll.
“This stance is derived from what is called ‘Wing Chun’. I have researched the martial arts of your world, I find them interesting to say the least. Good references to improve my skills even further.” Garou jovially informed.
For Garou to have researched and trained himself in such a quick time… He radiated the aura of a master in the art. One could be mistaken for thinking he had been training his whole life. Mirio observed every aspect of Garou’s stance and could only describe it as masterful. He couldn’t see a single weak point. Nothing to take advantage of.
“You first? Or me?”
“You first. You seem special. Your name?” Garou asked out of the blue.
Grinning slightly, Mirio formally introduced himself before the Breaker of Heroes. What a surreal situation he found himself in.
“Mirio Togata. Hero name, Lemillion.”
“Heh. Garou, The Former Symbol of Fear. Hero Name, Fenrir, The White God Slaying Wolf.” Garou introduced as waited for his first move.
Lemillion could only cock one eyebrow upon hearing Garou’s choice in Hero name. The fact that he even chose a hero name was cause for surprise.
“Seems fitting…”
Deciding to act first like Garou had suggested, Mirio began approaching Garou. However, unlike most of the others who rushed in immediately, he slowly edged forwards, clearly cautious of Garou’s close range superiority.
“Hoh, smart. However, in a real fight, being too careful will cost you time. Time is everything in your work as a hero. How will you make use of the time you have also determines your worth.” Garou advised as he continued waiting patiently for his move.
As he grew closer and closer to Garou, Lemillion kept his eyes constantly on Garou, waiting for the slightest flicker in movement. Once he was within range, he swiftly stepped in and swung in a powerful right hook, aimed directly at Garou’s side.
Three swift strikes impacted Mirio’s cheek, chin, and throat at the moment, forcing him to stumble back as he coughed, clutching his throat for the pain to ease.
“First rule of combat. Knock out the opponent’s balance before resorting to strong direct attacks. You are slow and wide open at that time.” Garou informed as he remained unmoving from his position, as still as a statue.
“Try again.”
It took a moment for Mirio to finish violently coughing and wheezing. Raising himself from his hunched over position, he wiped his mouth as he took up his stance once again. An occasional involuntary cough would force its way out of his lips.
This time he approached, his movements swifter and more coordinated, closing in on Garou once more. He sent out his leg to strike at Garou’s shins, in an attempt to knock him off balance. His leg swept in, but there was little to no movement from Garou.
“Hnnn!” Garou then shifted all his weight down as he steeled his stance, his legs widely astride and bent ninety degrees, his footing as impenetrable as a mountain. Even more so when Mirio started crying out in pain, rubbing his own leg as he rolled around the floor like a wailing brat.
“OOOWWWW!!” Mirio cried out in pain, his own shin purple with pain.
“The Horse Stance. My foundation is as strong as steel. My defense, impenetrable.” Garou stated as he smirked at the flailing Mirio.
“You can’t just redirect all my attacks and then suddenly just take them head on like that! I won’t know what to expect.”
Mirio sat on the ground, large patches of red and purple swelling covering his shin underneath his costume’s leggings. He might have actually broken his leg from that.
“That's the point.” Garou replied as if it was obvious.
“I am merely testing newfound skills right now. If I go all out, you would be nothing but a stain on the ground.” Garou added.
“Don’t forget that this is ‘training’.”
Lemillion grumbled as he attempted to raise himself to his feet. He now had a noticeable limp in his right leg, resting more weight in his left leg.
“Truthfully, I expected you to tank that and press on.” Garou commented as he frowned.
“Even I can tell you are different than the others with a single glance. Yet, it seemed I overestimated you.” Garou added.
Slightly hunched over, Mirio cast a pained gaze over to Garou.
“We aren’t supposed to be using our Quirks. I don’t think anyone could have tanked ‘that’.”
“My disciples can. One of them is a child.” Garou pointed his thumb back at the two Pussycats training and yelling at the students to correct their stances and put their backs into their every move.
“I was wondering…”
Lemillion began slowly limping towards Garou with his arms by his sides. He bore a somewhat curious expression as he approached.
“Why are you here in this class?”
“...not by choice to be honest. Someone actually thought I would LEARN something here…” Garou mumbled as he recalled how his landlord threatened him to attend, promising to strip away his food money if he disobeys.
“And what do you think? Of the students?”
Mirio asked. He did not miss Garou’s reactions to the class.
“…as the Hero Hunter, they are weak. Far weaker than I would’ve liked.” Garou gave his standpoint as Garou, The Hero Hunter. Mirio frowned at his opinion, but before he could defend his classmates…
“As their classmate though… I… don’t know. It’s… I’m not used to such… peace. I’m more used to being around assholes than… them.” Garou confessed as he gave another standpoint. As their classmate this time.
Hearing this, Lemillion smiled. Whilst he was conflicted with Garou calling them weak, especially after all their hard work and training, he was happy that he thought positively of the students’ characters and personalities.
Coming to a stop a short distance from Garou, Mirio looked up at him.
“Should we get back to training?”
“Truthfully, you’re the one who needs training. Me, not so much.” Garou replied as he shrugged.
“And you suck more than I thought. I should’ve expected it from a school that focused solely on Quirks rather than the fundamentals.” He threw some salt at Mirio’s wounded pride.
“You didn’t even last as entertainment for even five seconds.” Garou then made a ugly frown, his eyes slanted down, his face now unsightly displeased.
Mirio furrowed his eyebrows. Truth be told, he was just as frustrated that he lacked the ability to oppose Garou. All he could do was attempt. But even his attempts weren’t enough. He’d seen Garou testing Endeavour. It gave him some measure of relief that even the most powerful heroes could do nothing against the Hero-Hunter either. But the back of his mind still bit at his conscience, comparing him with Garou, reminding him of the vast difference of level between them.
“If you want, I could offer you some pointers.” Garou offered as he then dropped to the ground, instantly sitting cross-legged while resting his arms on his thighs.
“Anything in mind?” He asked.
“How would you say I could improve my movements?”
Lemillion could only take up Garou on his offer of advice. Who knew, maybe it could actually help.
“You are too focused on brute strength rather than flexibility. You move like a robot with outdated gears caked in rust from my eyes. Too much wasted movements in fact.” Garou casually replied.
“I suggest you revise the basics until you can move without the need for thought. It’s not something that can be fixed by a cheat, but by effort and hard work.” Garou added.
Nodding, Mirio began stroking his chin in thought. So he’d need to be focusing on movement and speed training, rather than on strength. But…
“If I focus on speed and reflexes more than strength, is there a way to improve my strength along the way?” Mirio asked. Garou had superior speed, AND strength. He should know something at least.
“If you are referring to how I trained my disciples, it is literal hell. You must make sure you cover ALL of your weaknesses, and harmonize your training regimen so all of your stats can grow to your desire. It’s not easy though.” Garou replied.
“I don’t suppose you could write out an example?”
Mirio asked hopefully.
“It is not something that can be taught through a manual.” Garou denied.
“You will have to find your own path to reach your ideal. And I assure you, the road you choose must be hell or else you won’t change.”
As Mirio looked at Garou, he could feel his opinion of the Hero-Hunter change. Where once was fear and wariness, now he could feel a sense of admiration. Garou was dead set on the path he had made for himself. That he didn’t let anyone else change his mind was quite commendable.
As he cast his gaze over to the rest of his class, he could feel a passionate, heated atmosphere as they all practiced again and again. Each and every single one of them seemed so focused and dedicated, their warcries (and cries of pain) resounding through the air as they trained. Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob walked amongst them, correcting postures and demonstrating the various moves.
As he looked on at all of this, he knew that this was only the beginning of their training. As Garou had said, ‘it is hell’.
“…I am almost afraid to ask, but… what did you put your disciples through anyways to get that strong?” Mirio asked already afraid of the answer.
“.…” Garo averted his eyes.
“You don’t want to know.”