Feyblue

Fate/esoterica

@Raineh DazeNot that the sex magic part would be RP-friendly at all.

@Crusader Lord

DID SOMEBODY CALL FOR A MANA TRANSFER DRAGON?

Fate/esoterica

@VitaVitaARAs a Bounded Field expert herself, that's going to blow Mira's mind.

...Then again, her own Bounded Field is a bit of an aberration, too.

Fate/esoterica

@VitaVitaARNah. I was planning on doing the same. Although, I am curious about something else.

You mentioned a Bounded Field surrounding Estelle's body. That would imply that either she's stationary within it... or she's achieved the nearly impossible feat of making a mobile bounded field. If it's the latter... holy fuck that's terrifying to know there's a Souren Araya-level magus whose powers border on the realm of Reality Marbles and True Magic in this war, and it's a super buffed Homunculus of all things.

GAME: Crush A Wish

Granted. You complete all of them, but you never said anything about POSTING them, so your browser crashes before you can hit submit, and all your backups are lost. Now you get to do it ALL OVER AGAIN! :D

I wish that I knew how to drive.

Fate/esoterica

Lancer

Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #0EB94D || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #FFFA90

---

Lancer blinked, surprised at the sudden contact. No way... he'd actually picked up on it? Her master, who had been so dense that she'd had to start clinging to him and flirting so that he'd get the idea, had realized that she wanted him to take her hand? Of course, he immediately killed the mood as per usual with one of those dismissive comments of his about how this was just a formality and nothing more... She sighed, shaking her head. Naturally, the War was the first priority... but this was a rare opportunity, was it not? Two souls, joined across time in apparent defiance of natural law! A guardian, called up from the deepest recesses of time to protect and serve the master of her soul. It was like a wish come true, so it would have been wrong not to savor these moments, wouldn't it? Even if she herself was more than happy just being by his side, it wasn't the same if the man she devoted herself to didn't share in that happiness. He really didn't understand so many things, and when she thought about it that way, her heart felt as though it would break...

Nevertheless, there was no sense in dwelling upon melancholy. The past was the past, the future a blank canvas. There was still time, still a chance. She couldn't give up on her hopes before she'd even tried them, now could she?

She was snapped back to attention from her reverie by his comments about the restaurant they were passing. The establishment looked quite upscale by what she had come to understand of modern standards, and she could smell the delicious scent of spices, baking bread, and roasting meat wafting outward into the night air from within. It wasn't quite the same as the sorts of grandiose banquets she was used to, but she could appreciate its refinement. Besides, this was so much more romantic than a night of clamorous carousing and revelry.

"No, this place looks perfectly fine," Lancer replied demurely, shaking her head. "Besides, if this is the place that has caught my Master's eye, it would be in poor faith to refuse, would it not? Anything whatsoever which my Master desires, I shan't refuse him. A-ny-thing.~" She leaned a little closer, speaking each syllable with a teasing grin as if spelling it out just in case he didn't take the hint. Although... She'd be rushing things far too quickly to savor them if she actually followed through with the implications of her flirtation, but her Master would probably get all embarrassed in that adorable way of his anyway, and wouldn't ask any further, so she doubted it was an issue. Ah... The fact that he tried so hard to present herself as a gentleman only made it more fun to watch him squirm and fidget as he tried to keep his act under control. And yet, that wasn't the real him, was it? She knew him better than that... she must have.

@Seirei No Hai

---

Mira Grace

Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #8AB8E6 || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #EBB40E

---

"I'm sorry! I just... didn't want to be rude..." She bowed apologetically, hoping against all hope that her incredibly straightforward Servant wouldn't inquire any further. Just in case she did try to press the subject, however, Mira disengaged from the conversation as best she could, slipping behind the large cellar door as she made a show of holding it open, hoping to stall Saber from continuing any further inquiry on that subject. "A-anyway, let's hurry so as not to delay!" She motioned for Saber to follow her out, deciding to press on before things could get any more awkward. Besides, Saber herself had said that they needed to quickly make their way to the church, hadn't she? In that case, hopefully she wouldn't question the Witch any further. Mira was already on edge from the stress and anxiety she'd felt leading up to her summoning, and she really had no idea to deal with this person when her only human contact up until this point had been limited to one person. Unless one counted talking to herself... She could talk to herself pretty easily, and Servants were supposed to be suited to their masters, right? Then maybe if she just thought of it like... No, no matter how she looked at it, Saber didn't seem anything like her...

@VitaVitaAR

The Primal Fury - A Dragon Ball Story

C A I L A N

| B I R T H N A M E |

• Cailan

| N I C K N A M E |

• Cai

| S O B R I Q U E T S |

• Magic Bullet, Bastard Upstart

| P O W E R L E V E L |

• 5000

| A G E |

• 20

| A P P E A R A N C E |

• Somewhat distinctive amongst the other Saiyans of the expedition, Cailan notably forgoes most of the traditional Saiyan battle armor and accoutrements. In their place, she's usually seen clad in a simple, form-fitting black bodysuit and a loose-fitting green silken robe with an odd, asymmetrical design, held up by a matching belt and bandolier. The latter of these also sometimes holds up a band of weights around her body, in the event that she's trying to hold herself back in a fight for the sake of training.
  
  Although this is ostensibly her combat attire, her robes are not terribly durable or resistant to damage, simply very comfortable and easy to move in. The only real bits of her wardrobe that are distinctively "Saiyan" in design are her green-tinted scouter and her dark navy and silver armguards and boots, while the others appear to be based on some kind of alien design - made obvious by the fact that the hole in the back of her bodysuit for her tail seems to have been crudely cut into it rather than sewn into the original garment. Speaking of her tail, she's also notable in that she doesn't normally keep her tail wrapped around her waist like a belt, but rather keeps it tucked beneath the skirts of her dress, wound loosely around her left thigh. This makes it hard to so much as see underneath her robe, much less grab onto it, preventing people from taking advantage of an otherwise dangerous weak spot.
  
  As far as Cailan's actual physical features go, she's... not terribly imposing. She stands only at a total height of five feet, four inches, and while her build has some muscle to it, she's not nearly as brawny as the other Saiyans on the ship. Her skin is very pale, suggesting a life spent mostly either in space or on planets without much natural light - or perhaps some alien ancestry in addition to her Saiyan blood. She also notably lacks many battle scars or other such marks of past conflicts, of which her comrades-in-arms have countless more. Although her dark hair isn't terribly unusual for a Saiyan - jet black in color and generally very straight but curving back upward into messy spikes at the ends of each strand - her bright green eyes are definitely an oddity, as most Saiyans have brown or gray eyes. And, if this wasn't enough to tip an observer off that she's not entirely of Saiyan blood, a closer inspection might reveal a couple of other bizarre traits - her ears are actually slightly pointed, as are her canine teeth...

| P E R S O N A L I T Y |

• When one envisions a stereotypical Saiyan, they'd imagine someone with lots of bluster and built-up rage, always roaring or smashing or... well, you get the picture.
  
  Cailan is anything but ordinary, as far as these stereotypes are concerned. Generally very stoic and serious, she's usually identifiable by her blank, impassive expression and quiet tone of voice. More often than not, she's quite outspoken, preferring to let others debate and argue things amongst themselves rather than offer her opinion unsolicited. Given her low powerlevel and quiet demeanor, one would thus likely assume her to be a doormat or a sycophant, simply trying to avoid trouble with her superiors. And, in part, you'd be right to assume this. She's usually quite polite and formal when she speaks, and generally does what she's told. However, she's also been known to voice her disgust with particular superiors who given her insane or distasteful orders, couching her scorn and derision in flowery words and sarcasm.
  
  Her attitude towards combat isn't quite as simple. On the one hand, she's got the usual Saiyan battle-hunger, and appreciates few things more than the chance to hone her skills and demonstrate her combat prowess. The more frenetic the pace of the fight, the more beautiful the dance, the more overwhelming the high - so much the better. Similarly, she's clearly quite proud of her martial prowess and accomplishments in battle, and is more than willing to face overwhelming odds to see that pride vindicated. However, she lacks the ruthlessness, the indiscriminate savagery, the brutality, that tends to define her race as a whole. She has little to no interest in killing those who don't pose a threat to her, and finds conquest and dominion to be boring prospects. Raw power without any level of finesse tends to disgust her, as she views it as a waste of potential. If she finds an enemy's resolve or their skills particularly admirable, she might even spare them, simply because she would think it a shame to destroy such potential. She doesn't fight for the sake of bettering her standing, or for acquiring authority or political power, but rather seems solely fixated upon improving herself. She betters herself for the sake of battle and does battle for the sake of bettering herself.
  
  This isn't to say she's a saint however. By and large, Cailan simply does whatever happens to please one person: herself. She enjoys battle, and so seeks it out, but this is far from her only source of fulfillment. Good food, the thrill of venturing into the unknown, the beauty of art, the precise time and artistry of a complex dance... In most cases, these interests are harmless, albeit curious affectations of discriminating taste and culture for a Saiyan - and a low-class half-breed, at that. Even taking all of these things into account, there's one vitally important thing to remember. Even if she's polite, follows orders dutifully, and generally dislikes mindless mayhem and slaughter, Cailan's first and foremost priority is self-fulfillment. In the end, the person who matters most to her is always herself.

| A B I L I T I E S |

• Tinkerer: Although not trained in any formal capacity, Cailan has taken apart several different bits of Saiyan tech and pieced them back together, giving her a general idea of how they work. Based on this knowledge, she's capable of cobbling together some surprisingly effective jury-rigged devices, such as the emergency beacon she used to return from exile.
• Awareness of Self: Rather than being a master of combat, or a master of ki manipulation, Cailan could best be described as a natural genius of self-control. Capable of precisely regulating her breathing and her body's movements down to the slightest twitch, she makes no unnecessary exertions, nor does she wear herself out easily. Through this instinctive knowledge of her own capabilities and limitations, she's also capable of putting her body's natural flexibility to good use, and fighting by using precise control of and redirection of force rather than trying to utilize brute strength, which she herself naturally lacks due to her small size and meager stature.
• Maximum Efficiency: Her self-control also lends itself perfectly to her rather odd style of Ki combat, as even without extensive training, she's naturally talented at narrowing down the focal point of her ki emissions to a very specific point - or, more often, joint - of her body, rather than spreading her power wastefully over a large area. Because of this, she's capable of learning otherwise advanced techniques with relative ease, even despite her lack of formal training - provided that the technique in question doesn't require more raw power than she's capable of letting out. Similarly, it also makes her movements while flying incredibly precise for the same reason, as she's capable of easily maneuvering and altering her trajectory without any significant difficulty.

| T E C H N I Q U E S |

• Fighting Style: Cailan generally fights not via brute strength, but by a mix of precise blows, defensive grappling techniques, and long-range ki-based combat. Her usual method of attacking enemies in close quarters is through sweeping, dance-like kicks, making full use of her significantly greater leg strength and releasing ki at the point of impact to amplify the damage done by her attacks. This also compensates somewhat for her height, as her legs have a significantly longer reach than her arms do, and the constant movement involved in her spinning, twisting, whirling style of combat helps her to avoid retaliation. When she absolutely must face a melee attack head on, she usually won't try to block it directly, but rather prefers to precisely redirect the force away from her center of mass, sometimes using a series of grabs, twists, and pins to use the force of the enemy's own swing to throw them or knock them to the ground, compensating for her lack of strength. In general, though, she avoids hand-to-hand combat if she can help it, due to her lack of strength, leverage, or formal training. Instead, it's her own self-taught Ki techniques that she relies on in serious fights.
• BBB - Blade Bullet Barricade: The first of Cailan's personal techniques, and the basis for those that follow. This move is meant not as an attack, but rather as a means of repelling ki-based attacks against the user. It relies on Cailan's keen control of her own movements to function. While a normal move might use a surface such as "the hand" or "the eye" as a focal point for emitting ki, this move instead focuses ki through the precise muscles and tendons of the user's arm. This creates a "shell" around the arm it's channeled through, which moves in accordance with the muscles of the arm in question. The end result resembles some kind of a mantle or cape made out of her pale green ki, which swirls and twists around her arm, violently severing and distorting anything it comes into contact with (operating under a similar principle of "cutting" through condensed ki to the Kienzan). As a result, this can be used to rip incoming attacks asunder, scattering their energy and rendering it significantly less potent, or simply "erasing" them outright. It has additional uses when it comes to amplifying her otherwise weak punches, since it turns her arm into a makeshift ki drill, and in helping her maneuver, since by moving her arm, she can extend and contract the aura, releasing pulses that can increase her speed or alter her trajectory in the air.
• BBB - Blade Bullet Blitz: A more offensively-oriented and precise variant of her first technique. Instead of focusing using the muscles of her arm, this narrows down the point of emission even further, concentrating solely on the tendons in her fingers. The end result is a "claw" or "spear" of ki energy that can be extended or contracted by miming the same motion with her fingers, and which can bend and twist, seeking out targets so long as she can follow her movements with her fingers. While this attack has tremendous piercing power and limited tracking ability, it has a firing delay for consecutive attacks with each "bullet," as, if one of her "shots" overshoots its mark, she needs to first contract the "spear," adjust her aim, then launch it again. This allows particularly fast opponents to slip through her "net" by charging right down the middle. And, while she's focusing through her extremities, she can't also form a Barricade, meaning her defenses are temporarily down when she's launching a Blitz.
• BBB - Blade Bullet Burnout A fine-tuned variant of both of the above techniques, specialized for higher output, and meant to counter large beam-type attacks a la the Galick Gun or Kamehameha. It functions by channeling energy simultaneously through every tendon of the user's arm, releasing an initial pulse similar to the Barricade while also projecting several curving "spears" from the user's fingers to circle around the beam. If timed right, this can stave off a beamstruggle before counterattacking the enemy to disrupt their control, either by hitting them or forcing them to dodge. However, it uses up a lot more ki than either of the above techniques, and also requires such intense control that a single unnecesary movement could disrupt the technique, meaning that once she starts using this tactic, she's forced to commit to facing an incoming attack head-on, and can't pull out if her defenses start to break before her counterattack reaches its target. Because of this, it's a high risk, high reward maneuver. The opponent will be hard-pressed to dodge, and even if they do escape unscathed, they'll likely have exhausted themselves uselessly and left themselves wide open. However, she herself can't retreat or deal with other attacks in the meantime, meaning she's wide open and easy to overwhelm through a sheer difference in power, limiting the utility of this move somewhat.

| B I O G R A P H Y |

• Born to a low-class warrior and a near-Human - or rather, near-Saiyan - alien warrior woman who was taken by him as a servant and concubine in exchange for sparing her life, Cailan was largely scorned by the people of her father's homeworld due to her mixed ancestry and low power-level at birth. Although originally she was allowed to be raised by her mother to become a servant herself, after her father was injured in battle and could no longer fight, he needed some way to continue his legacy of service to the crown - and, by extension, to their new PTO masters. It was a toss-up between his weak legitimate younger son and his equally weak bastard daughter. So, in order to spare himself the shame his first offpsring might bring him, her father petitioned her to be sent on a "purge mission" to test her worth: she'd be dropped onto a potential target for the PTO when she was still only a child. If she could survive once her fighting instincts awakened and exterminate the planet's inhabitants, her pod would activate a distress beacon confirming she was alive and well, and she'd be recovered to put into service as a low-class warrior for the PTO. And, if she didn't manage to survive... well, then what was the big loss if some half-breed bastard bit the dust, anyway?
  
  Needless to say, Cailan didn't die there. Her mother, taking pity on her, managed to slip a few useful tools and supplies into her pod before it was launched, and left her instructions on basic things like building a shelter, finding food, and making signals in the hopes that she could find shelter with the natives until she was strong enough to overcome and exterminate them. Even still, her odds weren't good, but a series of accidents ultimately worked in her favor. First, her pod ended up getting inadvertently stranded when it stopped on a largely uninhabited planet to replenish its environmental subsystems. Next, she discovered that the planet she had ended up on was home to many dangerous predators, but also had a great many indigenous fruits, as well as two large moons with short orbital periods. As a result, she spent most of her days sleeping, then would sally forth during the night, taking on her Great Ape form to rampage through the area until she'd exterminated all creatures in the surroundings, or driven any other potential threats away. After that, she'd go out on the following mornings and scavenge up whatever food she could. In this way, she managed to establish a territory of her own, and, indeed, managed to live somewhat comfortably.
  
  In the mean time, she began tinkering with her damaged pod, trying to discover how it worked based on the instructions left her by her mother. Through trial and error, she managed to get the distress beacon working again, and, to her surprise, it was answered not by Saiyans, but rather by a group of alien space travelers. Taking pity on the girl - who wisely concealed her Saiyan heritage for fear of being abandoned - they offered her a place aboard their ship. She spent the next few years in transit along with her benefactors, sating her curiosity by learning as much as she could from them. They taught her about a great many things she'd never been aware of - of formal combat, yes, but more importantly of things such as art, etiquette, and philosophy, which fascinated her.
  
  Even in her isolation, she had appreciated the beauty of the world around her, the grace of the birds in their flight. Based on these impressions, she'd taken her first steps towards self-mastery, discovering how to fly by herself, and inventing the first of her special techniques to assist her in her efforts to be like them by granting her "wings" like theirs - the "mantle" she ultimately mastered creating later on. Finding that there were entire arts dedicated to replicating that beauty made her feel vindicated in her efforts, and drove her to obsess over further perfecting the "art" which she had set about creating. Combat wasn't just about who was strong and who was weak, as her father had so foolishly assumed when he sent her away. Rather, it was about skill, finesse, mastery for mastery's sake! By perfecting her talents to the highest degree, she might perhaps demonstrate that to the ones who had derided her as useless, and prove the value of her life and her abilities.
  
  Eventually, she jumped from ship to ship clear back to Planet Vegeta, and offered her services as a warrior. As it happened, however, she turned out to be a convenient tool for the crew of the Primal Fury, as her power had grown to a point which, while not considerable, it would nevertheless make her useful as a vanguard. And, fortunately, what few records existed of her birth and life all recorded her mission as a failure and herself as being lost in transit and presumed dead, which meant there wasn't even any information about her to falsify. So it was that she was placed as one of the grunts of the crew - a disposable low-class warrior meant to fight for the cause of future Saiyan glory.
  
  Personally, she couldn't have cared less what she was fighting for. So long as she could attain newer, greater heights and demonstrate her own "art," she'd ask for little else.

| M I S C. N O T E S |

• Her mother's species, while I don't have a name for it, is basically a Humanoid with pale white or blue skin, fanglike teeth, and pointed ears - just in case that ever becomes relevant to the plot.
  
  Also, as she spent a great deal of her childhood in her Great Ape form, she's reached a certain level of control over it, such that she's still capable of retaining her basic thought process while she's transformed. However, she detests the Great Ape form in general, since she can't control her Ki with nearly the same level of precision while using it, and thus it symbolizes everything she detests in battle - power without artistry, elegance, control, or finesse.

Fate/esoterica

Lancer

Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #0EB94D || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #FFFA90

---

Lancer frowned as she felt her Master's hand forcing her back and away from him. Why was it that every time she got close to him, this always happened? It wasn't that he felt distaste towards her - of that much, she was reasonably certain, given his adorable blushing and stammering every time she approached him this directly. And yet, she was beginning to realize that her worst fears might have been more founded than she had thought. For all of her attempts to remind him of what he should have known, and for all her efforts to prevent the inevitable...

No matter. He'd understand soon, wouldn't he? And... even if he didn't, then couldn't she still be...? And yet, in his eyes... what exactly did he see when he looked at her? Every now and again, Lancer couldn't help but wonder about these things.

Still, it seemed he'd caved to her demands - or, at the very least, to his own boredom. A nice dinner for two, was it? If only she'd had some nicer clothes to wear...! Then, her beauty by her master's side would truly be a spectacle to behold. They would be like twin stars newly descended from the heavens, bedazzling the common masses! Like a fairy tale prince and princess, arriving with extravagant show and great ceremony to the great ball! Like... like...

Well, just being with him as she was now was still fine, she supposed. She grinned, nodding enthusiastically in response to his grumpy demands for her to follow. He was even cute when he was angry...

"A mission and a date, all in one?" She sighed like a lovestruck maiden. "Not to mention that you even took into account that I can't astralize like other Servants, and chose something we could do together without standing out... That's so sweet of you, Master." Lancer spoke as if, rather than offering her a meal, he'd given her a diamond necklace. Well... to be fair... For a man of wealth and taste like her Master, a mere trifle like a diamond necklace would hardly hold any more significance than any old rock. But, his company for the evening, which she'd otherwise have had to whine and wheedle out of him... Now that was a gift that meant something.

"Oh, but I'm afraid that I don't really know much of anything about the delicacies either of this era, or this particular region. I'm afraid that I'll have to rely upon your judgement again..." She looked bashfully away as if embarrassed, but couldn't resist tacking on a little aside comment to play up her appeal. "Really, I'm so fortunate to have been summoned by such a dependable Master..." As she sidled up beside him, she considered taking his arm again, but decided against it. He'd probably just bonk her on the head like usual and totally kill the mood... Although, she left her hand dangling at her side, fingers extended in an invitation that would probably completely slip his notice, which he probably wouldn't accept even if he realized its meaning... But, even if he wouldn't so much as hold her hand, she could at least dream... right?

@Seirei No Hai

---

Mira Grace

Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ #8AB8E6 || Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ #EBB40E

---

"Eh? Um... well... I suppose it's not really all that important... I guess... I merely thought..." She trailed off. Thought what? That a soldier like you would be more comfortable wearing colors associated with her allegiance? How could she go and almost say something so stupid? She had no idea who this woman was! For all she knew, she'd been betrayed by all those she held loyalty towards, or had served under no one's banner but her own! She needed to learn to shut her mouth and watch her words, or she might end up angering the one and only ally she could count on in this war!

"Sorry..." She apologized sheepishly, tugging at the brim of her hat with pent-up nervous anxiety. "I... I'll just... Umm... Let's just go and get you some clothing to wear, then." She motioned to the door leading out of the cellar. "Oh, and, er, I guess I can show you around the house while we're at it..."

@VitaVitaAR

The Primal Fury - A Dragon Ball Story

I'll try to post my bio later today. Gotta go to work first.

The Primal Fury - A Dragon Ball Story

@Chev

I suddenly find myself experiencing a wave of dread - an awareness of an unfathomable, unknowable, unstoppable evil that has just entered this roleplay universe.

Its name... is Popo.

...Hi.

♦ A New Era ♦ - A My Hero Academia RP

Kenichi VS Fumika

FINALE

Point A

_{Feat. @Zeroth}

---

Fumika braced herself, the brilliant green glow of her eyes rising to a fever pitch, and then...

Her opponent's only warning was a shadow suddenly being cast over his head as a new projection took form there. But, unlike her earlier usage of her Quirk, this wasn't just a clone, but rather-

A giant metal shipping crate appeared mere inches above him and immediately began to fall, and yet, as soon as it had appeared, Fumika shut her eyes tightly. The image continued in its motion in the absence of a guiding signal, but without any of its original mass or weight behind it. The intangible crate fell to cover the blue-haired boy completely quite literally in the blink of an eye, and the moment it stopped moving, Fumika opened her eyes again. The crate once more became solid, with her target now suddenly entrapped at its center.

...But even if this was an impressive trick, she couldn't keep it up for long - certainly not long enough to disqualify him. The sheer mass of the object was draining her energy at a tremendous rate, meaning she'd only have a few seconds before she'd have to dismiss it, or else risk burning herself out almost immediately. But, then again, a few seconds was all she needed! She sprinted to the left, then turned sharply, rushing in towards the box from the side. Right before she hit it, she blinked, and the projection flickered once more into intangibility, allowing her free passage through. Within the darkness of the crate, the boy wouldn't be able to see anything until she was already upon him, but Fumika had no such difficulty. Since he was already surrounded by her particles, the returning signal from her projection told her exactly where he was! Thus, blinking through the formerly-solid wall of the crate, she dive-tackled him, dismissing the projection as she did so and causing the box to shatter into dust around them. If she could just knock him to the ground and get in close on top of him, then she could keep him from bringing his speed and power to bear. Then, maybe, she could...!

They collided amidst the glittering cloud, but as Fumika's arms closed around his torso Kenichi instinctively leaned into the contact as he turned. He was shorter than her, so his center of gravity was lower, and he was heavier. He moved two quick steps without losing his balance completely, and once he brought his own muscle into the struggle the girl had no chance--he grabbed her forearms and pried her off of him with an iron grip, before pushing her away as he lunged backwards. As soon as he landed he leaned forward and dashed again, straight back at her.

"Jet Hound!"

It was just a lunging punch, but the air whipping around him gave it a howl befitting the name. Still though, the attack was one-dimensional, completely straight forward--!

Fumika gave a sharp cry as she was flung bodily backward once more, but this time, she still had her wits about her. Rolling with the impact as she hit the ground, she broke her fall and came up in a crouch... Just in time to see her blue-haired adversary launch his own attack. By the time she could comprehend the course taken by the blow, it was already too late to dodge. But, she'd still saved a recording just for this purpose! Her eyes flashed brilliantly as, right in the way of her adversary's blow, the heavy wooden pallet she'd recorded earlier appeared, standing upright in front of her for a split second. At the same time, she forced herself to her feet, as if preparing to take his blow head on.

The upper half of the wooden barrier was shattered to pieces in an instant, but this time, her creation was a bit more durable than before. The lower half didn't immediately disintegrate, but rather, remained intact for just long enough to get under his feet as he was carried forward by the force of his blow. At the same time, his fist passed through the disintegrating debris, once again headed right for her gut just like the last blow that had nearly crippled her. But... she'd seen this attack before! She twisted her body ever-so-slightly to the right, raising her left arm as she did so. She could feel his fist grazing across her side, his knuckles all but cutting into her like a blade as part of her tracksuit was ripped away by the sheer force of the air passing by her. She gritted her teeth and endured the pain as best she could. If she hesitated, then she'd only be dragged down with him, but... if her timing was perfect...!

Her arm wrapped down and around his, catching his outstretched wrist between her elbow and hip as she completed her turn. If the rubble she'd left beneath him had tripped him up, then he'd be barreling forward at full speed. Which meant that she didn't have to overpower him... She just had to redirect his momentum! She stepped past his center of mass, spinning violently as she did so and releasing his arm. Giving a wordless yell, she exerted all the force she could must to fling him bodily past her, straight towards a half-completed wall.

Kenichi hit the wall with the flat of his back, smashing right through a sheet of plaster and a timber frame in a cloud of dust. He rolled over one shoulder and came up on one knee, quickly gauging his condition. Bloody lip, scrape on the forehead, some cuts on his arm where he'd smashed through the pallet, general pain all over where that impact just now had spread out. Nothing too bad yet, and he only had to get her once! He jumped straight up, grabbing the lip of the wall and pulling himself up on top of the frame. As much as he hated to hit her too hard, he'd have to up the power to make sure he could go through whatever barrier she used next fast enough to make contact.

From up top he found her again with no problems, then with a quick breath he pushed off the wall. The half-finished construction broke off halfway down from the force his legs put on it, but by the time it collapsed into a pile of rubble he was off like a gunshot. He turned a flip in the air and leveled out with a flying, Kamen Rider style kick, coming straight at Fumika.

"Jet Eagle!"

The second attack was as unreasonable as the first. But this time, the way he moved was more familiar...

A dark shape rebounded violently off the large oak tree, the branch shattering beneath her feet as she kicked off, flipping midair to bring down a mighty kick that could split rock. "HARUKAZE HAMMER!" With this roar, the strike came down fast - far too fast to avoid. Fumika was slammed into the ground by the shockwave alone, and by the time she managed to regain her senses, her opponent was already standing over her, signaling the end of the match...

Not this time. That technique was strong, but it had weaknesses, too. He had to alter his trajectory in mid-air, which meant that he needed to leap in an arc rather than a straight line. To get the right distance, he couldn't use his full speed or else risk overshooting his target. And, even so, if she could get in under him, then all those calculations would be...! She hurled herself bodily forward just as the kick descended, passing beneath his descending leg before it could reach her. She rolled once, and then-

The kick slammed into the ground below, kicking up a storm of dust and dirt, the shockwave once more carrying her into the air as the ground began to shake. She was launched away from the point of impact, but she'd been prepared for that, too. She managed to flip herself face down just before she could hit the ground, then projected a copy of herself beneath her to catch her and break her fall. Using her own image as a cushion, she managed to land without more than a few more scrapes, and rose to her feet as the image faded.

She hadn't gotten a good look at him when he'd last attacked, but she was fairly certain... That last attack of hers had definitely done some damage! His Quirk gave him speed and power, but that was its limit. The amount of punishment he could take was still finite! In that case, if she could keep whittling him down without taking a direct blow herself, then...!

...But it was too early to celebrate. Her breath was already coming in ragged gasps, and her energy was almost halfway spent. She was starting to feel sluggish - dizzy. But she couldn't give in just yet...!

Even if she couldn't see him, he had to be somewhere in that dust cloud. He probably hadn't gotten a good look at which direction she'd flown off in, which meant she had the chance to close the distance! A copy of herself appeared to either side of her, and all three of them fanned out, running at angles into the smoke towards where she knew her enemy was waiting. If she could just get a little closer, it was possible... She might be able to...!

Kenichi stood up shakily, still bent at the waist as he rubbed his aching calf--the only thing about that move was that if he missed, the landing was hard. He straightened up and licked his swollen lip absently. Should he get out of the cloud, or wait for her to come to him? She had plenty of cover if she wanted it, but he'd beaten her at an in-fight once already. He shook his arms out as he held his ground. He'd wait, at least until the cloud died down.

A shadow appeared in the cloud on his left. He darted at it immediately, raising both fists.

"Jet Wolf!" If the earlier Jet Hound had been trouble, this move was a whole pack of trouble, hence its name. It was, in essence, the exact same as a "Gomu Gomu no Gatling," the "North Star Hundred Cracks Fist," or the good ol' "Ora Ora Ora." Kenichi launched a rapidfire barrage of punches one after the other as he pressed forward, his arms blurring until it looked like he had grown multiple limbs.

The dust cleared out of his way, and the girl's shocked face appeared in his sights. His fists barreled into her--then she burst into shards of light and Kenichi's rush passed through her.

"Tch!" He whirled on the spot, looking this way and that. How many copies had she made? Maybe she hadn't intended to come after him at all--was she setting up for something big from outside the smokescreen? He'd see soon enough, the air was starting to clear...

A sudden shockwave split the cloud of dust a short distance to her left. Using his Quirk to force dust and debris away to once more clear the battlefield... Haruka had used that trick a few times, too, so she'd been expecting it. It seemed like one of her copies had been taken out by his initial attack, too, but judging by his yell and the rapid dispersal of the cloud, she now had a good idea of where she was. She had her second copy close in immediately, charging in from his right, while she approached behind it, creating a third copy directly in front of her to cover for her while she once again moved a short distance to the side and approached at an angle. She was twenty meters from him now, now eighteen, and then finally...

Out of the disappearing smoke, another Fumika emerged, rushing silently towards her enemy and dropping into a slide across the ground, sweeping out her leg as she did so to try to catch the blue-haired boy's feet and sweep them out from under him, then turning as she rose upward to bring up a sudden punch towards his gut. She didn't expect the first attack would work, much less the second, given he must have already been aware that more of her copies were lurking in the mist. However, if she could just make contact with his leg, the particle wavelength would tell her exactly what she needed to know in that instant about his foot's position. He'd have to ground himself to launch a counterattack, and at that moment, all his weight would momentarily be on his back leg. At that exact instant, she'd project it, and bring him down...!

Sure enough, Kenichi jumped over the sliding scissor sweep, turning as he came down to follow her movement. He almost landed on her punch, but threw both palms in front of himself to catch her fist before she could hit him in the solar plexus--notably, this was the first attack he seemed intent on blocking from her. Her very first roundhouse kick he had tried to dodge, but he hadn't been too concerned with the bruise it had given him, and everything since that he had taken without letting it slow him down, although that one kick to the gut had gotten the most reaction...

Gripping her hand with both of his, he suddenly started to torque his body, dragging her across his waist. He put too much muscle into it as opposed to proper form and leverage, but it was the same kind of throw she had used on him after his Jet Hound! He sent her copy flying over his hip with a bit more oomph than she had used on him, but that moment of bodily contact had given the real Fumika what she needed.

Clink!

Kenichi looked down at the metallic sound, just as the cable and hook that had somehow spawned around his foot started to go taut. He could feel himself starting to slide, and followed the cable back to where Fumika and her copes had lined up for tug-of-war. He pulled back with his hooked leg, but even with his enhanced strength he knew her number advantage would make that futile. And just as he thought, the copies all adjusted their grips, leaned back, and gave one synchronized pull--!

He pushed off the ground, using their effort to add to his speed, and not-quite-literally flew at them completely parallel to the ground. He crossed both arms over his face in an X.

Even if I don't hit hard enough to knock her out, I'll try and get my arms around the real one!

"Jet Hawk!" he shouted, before flinging both arms straight out in a flying clothesline.

She'd got him! With a mighty pull on her projected crane cable, Fumika was about to drag her opponent off his feet when suddenly-

The ground shook. She and all of her clones stumbled as the resistance at the other end vanished entirely, and the boy instead launched himself straight at her. At the back of the line, she managed to put her other copies in front of her, but they hardly so much as slowed the boy down as he plowed through them, reducing each one to dust in turn before slamming into her at full speed. Once again, she felt the air rushing out of her lungs as her whole body shook from the impact. However, it wasn't a direct hit. Still reeling from her own overexertion, she'd been falling backward when he hit her. His arms had struck her directly below the collarbone, then grazed off her and gone over her head. As a result, instead of being carried with him as he flew past, she was sent slamming down into the ground as if struck by a hammer. A scream died in her throat as once again, a fiery-hot wave of pain shot up the length of her entire back. She slammed down hard into the dirt, various small stones scraping and scratching at her as she tumbled over and shakily rose to all fours. Wave after wave of pain pounded through her head, as though her very skull were about to burst. She gasped for air, every muscle of her chest screaming in protest at the exertion. Her entire body ached... but she couldn't stop now. She'd come so close... She could still win. She would still win! She forced her glasses back up from where they'd nearly fallen once again, looking frantically back and forth. That boy... where was he?

There, crashing into the ground several meters away! Kenichi grimaced as he had to basically throw himself into a roll to bleed off the momentum, but while it looked like a tumble of limbs ragdolling across the field the impact was reduced to a dull throbbing all over his body. He pushed himself to his feet and turned back towards Fumika. That scrape above his eye had opened up now thanks to the gravel, so he had it closed while blood--a lot of blood, actually--trickled over it and down along his cheek. Those minor cuts on his arm from punching through the pallet were bleeding more than they should be too, making his otherwise fine arm look like something out of a horror film. There were rips and scrapes and stains all over his jersey. He was breathing hard, and it wasn't intentional; the pressurized air he was exhaling even clouded up like steam in the winter. He was sweating profusely too, a sheen that made the pink tint to his skin look feverish.

When your heart was pumping this hard, and when your red blood cells were being produced so fast so numerously, even a minor scrape would bleed like hell. Body heat went up past what was normal for a human too--if he kept this up, his sweat might even start evaporating, making the comparison between his Quirk and One Piece's Gear Second even more apparent.

As far as stamina and muscle fatigue went, he wasn't actually that bad off--it was just that he had tried to ignore some hard hits, hadn't been careful enough in monitoring the damage he'd received because he was so sure it would only take one good hit to beat her. He hadn't weighed the risk of his own moves correctly--crashing into things at the speed he moved was worse than just letting her hit him.

But she looked worse off than he was. His first instinct was to call out to her, to ask if she was alright. But she had given it her all here, and he had to answer her in kind. It would be paradoxically gentler, here, to leave no questions unanswered, to make the outcome crystal clear. So he stacked his arms in front of him, forearms presented like the face of a battering ram, and he pushed off at top speed for one last run.

"Jet Stampede!"

Punches and kicks had what you'd call "penetrating power," concentrating large forces into small areas. He couldn't punch her full force because he'd break bones or rupture organs. But a move like this was just one body running into another--like when he hit the wall on the flat of his back, the force was more dispersed. So he ran--actually running, not a straight line lunging dash where his speed made him "glide" over the ground--straight at her, and although he was running fast, if he missed he could make a wide, arcing turn and come back at her again. He didn't even need a direct hit, one or two passes with a glancing blow might do it...

There was no time to think. The moment he was up on his feet, he was already running her down again. But this time, he didn't close the distance in a single bound, but rather took his time to accelerate to a dead sprint towards her. That, combined with the distance his flight had placed between them, barely gave her time to roll to the side rather than being trampled underfoot. Rising once more to all fours, she sprang upright, spinning to face him... only to find him arcing rapidly back around and rushing straight towards her again! He was faster this time - no time to dodge. So this was his plan... He'd keep accelerating and circling back in on her, pummeling her until she couldn't dodge anymore and took a direct blow. There wasn't any cover or way to distance herself from him, and he'd chase her down if she tried to run... In that case, her only option was to slow him down!

Fumika's rapidly dimming eyes flashed once again, a red haze popping out against their whites as her emerald green pupils began to glow once again, the bar around her head decreasing rapidly. Another shadow took form overhead, but this time, she didn't shut her eyes. Between her and the advancing boy, a large metal support pole came crashing down, sticking end-first in the dirt and forming a pillar in front of him, forcing him to swerve away from her at the last second or else crash headlong into it. He circled again, then came darting in from the left. Even though she'd stalled him, he was still accelerating?! Her eyes flashed once more, and another pillar slammed down between them. The ground shook, dust rapidly rising, only to split apart as a dark shape came rushing in from the right. A third pillar crashed down into the earth, but it wasn't quite quick enough. He slipped straight under it as it fell, twisting slightly to the side. Although she tried to dodge, his shoulder brushed against hers as he blurred past her, and this alone was more than enough to send her slamming once more into the ground. Her head knocked hard against the ground, and as she reached up to try to force her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose, she drew back her hand to find it stained red with blood. Something warm was trickling down from her right temple. The pounding in her head redoubled, and the whole world seemed to be spinning around her. But still, she had no time to rest. Given his earlier movements, he'd arc back around and then attack from the nearest opening, and that was...!

She rolled over, forcing herself partially up into a crouch from where she'd ended up lying on the ground. Sure enough, the smoke suddenly washed inward as something on the other side of it began to accelerate. One pillar wouldn't be enough - he'd slip through! So, driven to desperation, she released three more pillars from above, raining them down wildly upon the area in front of the boy, hoping he'd pull out of his attack rather than risk being hit directly by or running headlong into a steel beam. At this exertion, her power plummeted, and her eyelids began to feel almost irresistibly heavy. She was running on fumes at this point, and between the beating she'd taken and the amount of energy she'd been forced to use, it was difficult for her to even raise her head. And yet, she had to get up... He was coming... If she didn't stand, then she'd be...!

The three pillars crashed down, the dust cloud whirling around them as Kenichi changed his movements. As Fumika willed herself to her feet one more time, though, something was off this time. The sound of his footsteps pounding the earth had gone missing! So he had to be--

When she looked up, there he was, crouching like Spider-Man at the top of one of the pillars. His nostrils flared, the air around him whistled, ruffling his spiky hair like a battle aura. His eyes met hers, and he was still looking at her seriously, acknowledging her as his opponent.

"It's over!" he said, adjusting to a three-point stance as best he could on the narrow pipe, "But your choice...WASN'T WRONG!"

Even if she couldn't win, even if she was outmatched. She was smart, she was brave, she kept going as far as she could. She chose to fight him, she chose not to give up. She hated lying, but she lied. She hated not knowing what to do, but she chose anyway, knowing she was wrong.

No. Just because you might lose...it was never wrong to try!

"JET HUNTING!"

"HARUKAZE HAILSTORM!"

He was a blue blur, bouncing off each pillar or swinging around them to slingshot himself in a new direction. The pipes made a sound like oversized wind chimes as he rattled their metal surfaces, echoing through the hollows down into the ground. He kept speeding up, until she lost sight of him just once--

It was an utterly unreasonable attack, impossible for her eyes to follow. First from the left, then from above, then suddenly from behind? When had she gotten to the right of her? She was moving so fast that Fumika's eyes couldn't even follow the direction in which the blur that was Haruka was moving. And then, suddenly-

He barely grazed her, his shoulder across her back, but it was like being buffeted by storm winds. Then he did the same across her side, then her front, then it was like he was all around! At some point she'd been knocked off her feet, but she couldn't even fall because he was hitting her in a new direction over and over. Her sense of balance and spatial awareness couldn't make heads or tails of anything, her vision was just a blur of brown and white as she faced earth, sky, earth, sky, then there was a streak of blue every so often, and it just kept--

Suddenly, gold eyes appeared right in front of her, and Fumika knew it was over. Haruka's leg was already drawn back, spiraling up towards her. The ultimate, super special finishing move she'd been so proud of was about to be delivered, and then-

For a split second, time seemed to stop. Fumika stared with wide eyes as the blue blur collided with one of her pillars, rebounded, and came straight at her. This was the final blow. Once this attack connected, she'd surely be...

I failed. Haruka, I'm sorry... it looks like I really can't... I can't be like you after all...!

The wind was howling. He was almost upon her now. She didn't even have time to shut her eyes or brace for the impact. Her body already felt numb from the repeated impacts, and even her thoughts were getting hazy. Her uniform was ripped and torn, and she herself was covered with dust, scrapes, and bruises. All around her, her projections were crumbling to pieces. Her power was at its limit. Even if she could have dodged this attack, she couldn't keep fighting. So this was it. It had all been for nothing. She couldn't do this after all. It hurt. Losing hurt. She didn't want this. She didn't want it to end like this...!

Please... someone... anyone... Haruka...!

It happened in a flash. The spring wind blew suddenly across the open field, a loud "bang" splitting the air as every single pillar around the plaza crumbled into dust and vanished. Kenichi was suddenly forcibly blown back by a mighty gale, and skidded to a stop on the ground. Then, just as quickly as this sudden storm had come, it stopped, revealing...?

BGM: Allied Force

A dark-haired figure was standing over Fumika, golden eyes staring down at her. At the last second, just before Kenichi's attack could connect, this person... this girl... She'd jumped in the way and pulled Fumika to safety? But who was she? She definitely wasn't someone from Alpha team, but she was clearly too young to be a teacher. With speed and power like that, he should have been able to hear her coming, but rather, she'd seemed to appear out of thin air... A projection?

Ah, this had to be her, then. The other person with a self-enhancing Quirk, the reason that so many of Kenichi's moves were being read and this girl could keep up with him. That force, that speed...even though he knew the projections could only take so much force before collapsing, and that his own moves had already put a lot of strain on them, this dark-haired girl had shattered them all at once. Had that "bang" been a real sonic boom? His top speed couldn't even approach that--could she really make a projection that powerful, with so little stamina left? He looked down at himself, down at his bleeding arm. He clenched his fist and turned his head to the sky. With a heave of his chest and shoulders, he started to draw in as much air as he could. More, so much more, enough to fill himself to capacity and go beyond that, because he was going to need every bit of it...

Fumika blinked, unable to tell anymore whether or not she was awake or dreaming. She was so tired all of a sudden, and felt like she was getting sleepier with every passing second. She could barely keep her eyes open, and yet, she couldn't take her gaze away from the familiar face looking down at her, a sad smile playing on the face of her idol and best friend. She wasn't angry at her, even like this? But she'd failed... She hadn't been able to live up to her promise. She hadn't been able to be a hero like Haruka had wanted her to be...!

And yet, in the silence following the resounding clash of battle, she could almost hear a voice - one she remembered from not too long ago.

Sorry I was late.

"Haruka... it hurts... I can't... I can't do it after all..." Fumika sobbed, gasping for air as she lay prone on the ground. Her breathing was ragged, although whether that was because of how much it hurt just to force the air into her lungs or because she was simply too tired to exert herself any further, she couldn't tell anymore.

Come on, Fumi, are you even trying? Haruka's image gazed sternly down at her. She wasn't angry, but the disappointment in her tone and expression hurt more than all the pain her enemy could have possibly inflicted upon her.

"What is there left to try?" She snapped back. Hadn't she done everything in her own power to win? And after all of that, it still wasn't enough! What more was there that she could do besides give up and save herself further agony and humiliation? "I'm not strong... I couldn't beat you... I can't even beat him... It doesn't matter how hard I try to fight for myself, does it? I'll only lose in the end. Nothing has changed, except I can't hide behind you anymore...!"

Was she talking to that girl, Kenichi wondered? She had to be. Haruka, huh? So this was what she was afraid of, living in this other girl's shadow? Something must have happened--had Haruka just gone to another school, or had there been some kind of accident? And now, this girl had to learn how to stand on her own two feet, and make her own decisions. And Kenichi knew that no matter what he could say or do for her in the present moment, it was up to her to make those choices and follow her own path.

You did a bit better that time. Good job. Haruka's tone changed to a more placating one, and Fumika couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself. Still, what did it change? Even if she had improved, she was still...

"But I still can't win! I let everyone down..." She protested weakly. Haruka shook her head sternly, reminding her of a lesson she already should have learned.

Give it your all! If you don't come at me with everything you've got, then you're letting yourself down!

"But what can I do?" She pulled her hair down over her eyes, tugging on it for consolation like it was the only protection she had left. "I'm scared... if I get up, then I'll just..."

What's there to be scared of?! Haruka's voice rang in her ears, cutting off any attempt she might make to excuse herself. You've got an amazing Quirk, and you passed the entrance exam to one of the best Hero schools in the country, for crying out loud! As somebody who's fought against you before, I can safely say that you've got nothing to be afraid of. She was right. Of course she was right. The only reason she was losing was because she herself was weak. But, with her Quirk... There might still be a chance. She hadn't wanted it to end like this. She hadn't wanted to hide behind others, to compensate for her own weakness with cowardice, to embrace her own powerlessness. But, if it meant upholding Haruka's dream... if it meant vindicating the confidence that the person most important to her had placed in her...!

"So then... I should be able to win here, right?" She asked, clinging now to one last desperate hope. Even if it wasn't what she'd wanted... "Even if it means relying on my Quirk..." She could still...?

Let me ask you this. What is it that you want, Fumi?

Despite herself, Fumika found her hand clenching into a fist. Her vision cleared, and her head stopped spinning. Even though all that was left of the bar around her head was nothing more than a single pinprick of light, even though her power was entirely spent, she'd never felt more clarity, more certainty, ever before. The pain was still there, but suddenly, that didn't seem to matter anymore.

"I want... I want to win."

Haruka's image smiled down at her, reaching out a hand. She'd given the right answer, it seemed. Fumika hesitated for only a moment, and then took hold of it. Although she could hardly stand by herself, if Haruka was there to help her... Even if it was impossible, she'd definitely be able to make it happen!

Then you have a goal. No matter what happens, don't give up on it, okay?

Fumika took her feet, the dying glow in her eyes somehow seeming brighter than ever before. Sparks flew from the ends of her hair as the green arrow surged back into view, lighting up like a star. Releasing her friend's hand, Fumika took a step forward, ignoring the stinging protest of her leg as it struggled to so much as support her weight.

"Then let's do it. Together... Let's win together!" Haruka's image nodded, and stepped forward in front of her, while Fumika settled into her usual spot, bringing up the rear. As the pain faded and her thoughts grew clearer, Fumika realized full well that what she was seeing couldn't be real. Whether it was a trick played upon her by her own Quirk, or simply a dream to comfort her when she'd already lost, it didn't matter. It wasn't possible that Haruka was really there, really telling her what she needed to hear at that moment. Of course there was nobody by her side. She was as alone as she'd always been. But, for just this one moment, she wanted so desperately to believe... to believe that Haruka believed in her, to believe that she still had a chance, to believe that, in this moment, she wasn't useless, but rather...

Motome Fumika wanted to believe that she'd really managed to become a hero.

Kenichi gritted his teeth. He would be facing her, and the projection of someone who matched, maybe even surpassed his own abilities. If she could use that to its full extent, then he needed something that could meet that level of force head on and overcome it, and still have enough left over to win. In other words, a force great enough to cancel out whatever "Haruka" did, break the projection, and then go past it to knock out Ahoge-chan. Between breaths Kenichi smirked to himself--he really needed to learn her name. But for that kind of force, he only had one move--and he doubted he could use it more than once.

The UA practical exam wasn't much after the initial shock factor. Sure, all these robots the size of bulldozers chasing you, but they weren't as tough as they looked. He had earned plenty of points by the time they started counting off the last minutes, and now he had to hope and pray that he'd do as well as this on the other parts of the exam.

Then that one showed up. It was the size of a goddamned sky-scraper, nobody in their right mind was going to take that thing on without a plan. Even Kenichi hadn't jumped out in front of it--he'd been considering trying to climb one of the buildings and jumping on it from there--but then...

Some wimpy-lookin' kid--well, he had that whole "total loser" kind of presence to him, but if you actually looked at him he was pretty built under the tacky tracksuit he'd worn--moved before any of them even saw the girl trapped under the rubble. Everyone had written this guy off after the ruckus he'd made earlier, even that hardass kid with the glasses and the engine-legs. But this wimp just straight up jumped at least fifty fucking stories, stared that titan of a machine right in the face, and yelled one word before blowing it to pieces with one punch...

Everybody knew who All Might was, knew his moves and his style and recognized his power. Everyone wanted to be him. But the thing about All Might was, he never broke. That wimp Kenichi had seen back then...he'd absolutely mangled both his legs and one arm. And he'd done it without a second thought to save that girl.

Kenichi had decided that he had to keep going further too, beyond his limits. He couldn't just train his Quirk, he had to push it. So he came up with this one move.

Anyone who has seen someone be cut deeply, or open an artery, knows that the more oxygen and nutrient rich the blood is, the redder its color. The corollary to that is that the more carbon dioxide is in the blood, and after the blood has deposited its oxygen stores and begins returning to the heart to pick up more, the darker the blood gets. All the oxygen in Kenichi's bloodstream was being pumped rapidly throughout his system, and because systems always get less efficient the higher their power output goes, the gas exchange process was losing its balance. Those red veins all over Kenichi's body, like lightning bolts, began to darken. Maroon, purple...black. Every muscle was tight, his eyes were bloodshot around the edges, he ground his teeth together as he felt that deep, painful pressure in his chest. But he clenched his fist, and drew it back.

Here they...Here SHE comes!

The ground cracked, and another wave of dust was sent flying into the air as the dark-haired blur streaked forward, Fumika herself rushing in as fast as she could from behind. Kenichi braced himself, keen eyes tracking the figure's approach. The distance between him and the projected Haruka closed in a heartbeat, but rather than ramming into him head-on, she suddenly stopped, planting her front foot and bringing up her back leg in a wide, sweeping arc almost too fast to be seen. Kenichi could feel the force that blow almost before it was even launched, like a tornado in the making. If he was going to take his shot, then the perfect opening would be...!

Behind her friend's image, Fumika grimaced. Her power was declining even faster than she'd expected just making Haruka move. As it was, if she launched this attack, not only would she be betraying her earlier vow to win with her own power, but she'd burn herself out entirely. That was why... She only needed to make her enemy think that this attack was coming!

"JET... SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!" Roaring at the top of his lungs, Kenichi forced forward with all his might. His fist closed the gap in an instant, splitting the air itself and sending a hurricane of dust and debris cascading backward as he unleashed one punch filled with all the strength he could muster. And as for the copy, it-

"Haruka, forgive me, but I have to settle this myself!"

Two steps ahead of her, another Fumika took form, once more crouching with hands outstretched, ready to fling her upward. She leaped, feeling herself caught and hoisted into the air as she jumped once again, making it a good few feet off the ground. That was all she needed! With Kenichi's next attack aimed at Haruka's center of mass, most of the force of his blow would be applied beneath her, which meant...!

The copy was instantly vaporized by the force of the blow, and offered no resistance to Kenichi's attack. As it faded, however, it revealed two more projections, hidden in the shadow of the first: Mina and Lysander! In the instant before both were blown away, Mina's copy released a blinding flash of light from right in front of Kenichi, while Lysander's extended his wires, forming a net that wrapped around Fumika in mid-air. She wasn't using his capture technique offensively, but rather, had created an improvised shield against the initial shockwave! The instant it had passed, the wires shattered into dust, and Fumika herself emerged, hanging as if suspended in mid-air. But, at that moment, all the air that had been displaced by Kenichi's punch began to rush back inward to fill the void left in its wake, which in turn would mean...!

An enormous backblast of wind was unleashed, catching Fumika from behind and flinging her bodily straight forward - right towards Kenichi. She had only a split second to think before she'd crash into him, and so did the only thing she could think of. Throughout the fight, his breathing had been carefully measured. First, he'd intake air, then strike, and then release his breath. Just now, he'd released all the air he had stored, hadn't he? Which meant... if she could just keep him from taking in more, then based on Sen's description of his Quirk, she could prevent him from dodging! She only had 1% of her power left, but 1% was all she needed! This last hit... would settle everything! With her remaining momentum, she flipped herself head-over-heels in mid air, her eyes alighting for a split second on her opponent's face right before she made contact.

Her eyes flashed one more time, and as the bar around her head faded to empty, for a few seconds, Sen's gasmask took form over Kenichi's face. Only able to take in as much air as could pass through the filter, it wouldn't matter how hard he tried. There wasn't enough time for him to recover! Her awareness was fading. Everything seemed to be spinning. But she would not give in. She would not give up. At the very least, she had to fight to keep her eyes open long enough to deliver her coup de grace. And so, with one last cry of exertion before her mind and body gave out, she unleashed her final attack.

"Take this...! Harukaze... HAMMER!" With this roar, she brought down her extended front leg as fast as she could, far too fast to avoid. Her technique was a perfect replica, but this was no projection, no counterfeit construction of something she admired. Her movements, her resolve, her everything... All of it was created with nothing but the strength within her own body! Even without her Quirk... she had managed to achieve for a split second the strength she had so admired. This... was the attack of a hero!

The air around them wasn't the only thing that burst from the force of Kenichi's blow. He felt his muscles tearing, felt his bones trembling under the pressure. Blood vessels under his skin burst, unable to take the pressure from over two hundred heartbeats per minute combined with the stress of throwing a punch like that, turning the entire arm the color of a nasty bruise. The cuts from earlier provided a path of least resistance, and with a popping sound sprayed a red mist into the whirling dust cloud.

But he had done it, the dark haired girl's image was blasted apart instantly, and--

Damn it, she read me again!

The light blinded him, and he threw up his good arm reflexively. Where had the real one gone? He had to--

Something closed over his mouth, and he opened his eyes wide in panic. Were those flashes of color just from being stunned, or was he going to suffocate!?

The hammer came down on top of his raised arm with a crunch, and it was sheer dumb luck that he had blocked with the "meatier" underside of his forearm and not the flat side or the hard edge a martial artist might use to block. It didn't break his bones, but it came damn close, and the impact went through and rattled his skull too. Then there was the weight behind it, she wasn't just kicking him she was falling on him--

They hit the dirt, Fumika too spent to even stand up anymore and Kenichi too off-balance to stop himself. He grunted and turned his head to keep from bouncing the back of his skull on the ground, and threw his arms out to the side as he hit flat on his back. Luckily Fumika was lighter and less dense of frame than he was, so having her fall on top of him didn't even hurt.

She was also taller than him, though, which meant that even though they'd been facing each other, they were not actually face-to-face. Indeed, Kenichi was now uncomfortably aware that he was instead face-to-something-entirely-too-soft. His face turned beet-red, even more than when he used his ability, and somehow his heart went from two hundred beats a minute to a complete flatline. But goddammit he didn't have time for this he had to breathe--!

Ah, she smells nice--FOCUS, MAN!

He started to use his arms to pull himself out from under her, but the incredible pain lancing through both limbs nixed that idea.

Well...at least she's unconscious? ...No, no that doesn't make it better.

Fumika, for her part, hardly even twitched, or seemed to notice where she was or what had happened. Her body, battered by the strain of the fight, ached far too much to move, and she herself was far too exhausted to care. Even through the haze that clouded her mind, however, there was one thing she still knew.

"I did it, Haruka," She mumbled, snuggling closer to what in her semi-conscious state she thought was a pillow. Her voice came out faintly, half-muffled as her face buried itself against Kenichi's shoulder, and her words slurring like a drowsy child asking the one who woke her for five more minutes. "See? You were right... I really can be... strong..."

When her awareness finally slipped away, Fumika lapsed into a dreamless sleep, the smile she'd worn at her first victory still playing upon her lips.