Spar
_______________________________
Mayumi woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling for the second time. As she sat on the bed she felt pain pass over her bodies. The bruises had yet to heal.
"That was a good sleep." She said to herself with satisfaction. She was went to the bathroom in the room. After freshening up, she changed into the clothes left by Rei.
She exited the room and found herself in a long corridor. She looked left and right, unsure of where to go.
"Mayumi-chan? You're awake?" A familiar voice called out to her.
She turned to the source. "Yes Rei-san. I had a good rest. I hope you had a good sleep too."
Rei smiled, "I certainly had a good night sleep. I'm happy you're feeling better already. Now, let's get some breakfast." Mayumi nodded, happy to have some food.
The two walked together. Mayumi admired the mansion as they walked. It was certainly big and luxurious. Much bigger than the Ishida House.
Rei smiled as the girl's eyes scoured the hallways and rooms as they walked. The child like innocence reminded her of when Izuku and Shoto were younger. She sighed as she realised how big they had gotten. Shoto had become more open and showed more expression. Izuku had the opposite effect. She, however, couldn't blame either Izuku or the cause, Hisashi.
"Ah, you're here." Hisashi greeted the two of them. He sat at the end of the long table. Hoshi sat on his lap.
Next to him was an open chair, obviously for Rei. Opposite of Rei's chair sat Izuku. Next to him was Shoto.
Rei lead Mayumi to the left side of the table. She sat opposite to Izuku on the open chair, as Mayumi had guessed, and gestured for Mayumi to sit next to her.
An old man with grey hair tied back into a thin ponytail stood next to Kuchiki-sama. A thin but noticeable scar ran vertically across his lip.
"Ah, Ishida, this is Vlad. My... Butler and Izuku's mentor." Mayumi bowed seated.
"Pleasure to meet you." She greeted. Vlad waved at her with a smile. The wrinkles around his eyes showed his age.
"You must be hungry." Hisashi said. Vlad snapped his fingers and the door, different to the one Rei and Mayumi had entered through, opened and multiple maids walked in, all carrying plates, cutlery and food.
"We couldn't show the right courtesy yesterday. The chefs were given a leave. I hope this makes up for yesterday's dis-courtesy." His smile seemed kind but for some reason that made her uncomfortable. This man put her on edge.
Mayumi aggressively shook her head, "The thought didn't dare cross my mind. You have been too courteous, in fact. I won't take advantage of your hospitality further. After this, I shall take my leave."
"Have you been healed already?" Surprisingly, Shoto asked the question. Mayumi looked at him a bit startled.
"Uh, y-yes." Hoshi, who had crawled onto Rei's lap when Hisashi was talking, gently poked her in the ribs. Mayumi audibly winced in pain.
"There is no need to put on an act. You aren't troubling us at all dear. You can stay for as long as you like. Right boys?" Rei started with a motherly tone but as she asked the males in the room for confirmation, her voice turned sickly sweet.
"Y-yes. It's as Rei said. You can stay for as long as you like." Izuku and Shoto nodded along with their father.
"Now, the food is getting cold. Let's eat." Mayumi happily obliged.
______________________________________
Mayumi did not know how she ended up being led by the hand that belonged to a toddler.
"And this is the pond. Many duckies live here. Mommy and I come to feed the ducks sometimes."
She was being given a tour of the place by a toddler. "And that is the smi-smi, that is where Izu-nii likes to hit stuff with a hammer. Grandpa also hits stuff with hammers. He taught Izu-nii how to hit stuff with hammers." She explained happily, mimicking the action of striking steel with a hammer.
"I-I see." Mayumi honestly couldn't think of what to say. "How... wonderful."
"Hoshi-chan, you have a grandpa?" Mayumi didn't hear anything about a grandpa. She had met all of the family, maybe she hadn't.
"Yeah! Grandpa Vlad is the best! He lets me ride on his shoulder! He takes me horse riding! And he makes me stuff too! He is really good at making things! He teaches Izu-nii how to hit stuff and trains Sho-nii and Izu-nii!"
"Ah." She remembered Vlad being the man standing next to Kuchiki-sama during that grand breakfast. Despite her first impression, the man seemed to be an important part of the family. From how Hoshi worded it, he seemed to be more of a grand
father figure than a mere butler.
"Oh! Oh! Izu-nii and Sho-nii must be training now." She jumped up and down and beamed at Mayumi. Mayumi could help but be enchanted by Hoshi's eyes. "Let's go! Let's go!" She pulled the stumbling Mayumi towards the her two brothers.
______________________________________
Vlad was the first to notice the new presence due to the two brothers being engrossed in a spar. "Ishida-sama." He greeted.
"And me!" She jumped into the old man's arms. Vlad laughed and spun her around before letting her settle on his shoulders.
"What brings you two here?" He addressed the question to Mayumi.
"Uh, Hoshi brought me here." She spoke quietly. Vlad nodded in understanding.
"Hoshi, what are the two places I forbid you from going to?" Hoshi looked down at the old man.
"The smi- smi... And the training ground!" Vlad raised a brow. "Sorry." She replied.
"It's fine since I'm here but don't come here without your mother or father." Hoshi nodded.
The only reason anyone would come to the training grounds would be to train.
Vlad over-seed training. His training consisted of two people beating each other until one falls or, if he was in a bad mode, having two brothers fight him until they fall or the matriarch scolds him.
"Well, since you are here. Might as well have a look." He looked at Mayumi who nodded. She came forward and stood next to the old man.
She finally took notice of the area. The training grounds, as Hoshi called it, was a large open area with a metallic foundation. She also, only now, noticed the two Kuchiki brothers standing opposite to each other.
"Start!" Vlad's booming voice took her by surprise. Apparently, Hoshi did not feel it.
Her eyes snapped back at the two brothers whose spar was just starting.
"What's the score?" Izuku asked. Shoto scoffed and planted his foot on the ground. Ice erupted and rushed from near Shoto's foot towards Izuku.
The ice was strong, Mayumi could tell. It had power and speed.
Izuku dodged it with grace and ran towards Shoto. The white haired boy raised his arms up and a column of Ice raised him up.
He put his hand on the column and two tendrils of ice extended from the column and rushed at Izuku who dodged one and cut the other with a sheathed sword, Mayumi noticed.
Izuku slightly pulled the sword out before slamming it back into the sheath. A horizontal arc of pink petals sped towards the column, cutting it in two.
Shoto jumped off and landed where Izuku stood. Izuku dodged easily. Mayumi just noticed the Shoto's feet were covered in Ice.
Shoto breathed out, "I'm getting serious, Izuku." A chilly breath escaped his mouth. Izuku closed his eyes and pulled out his sword, in respect of his opponent, as Sen always taught him.
Ice crawled up Shoto's arm, fully submerging them. Shoto now had gauntlets made of Ice.
He entered into a brawler like stance, completely different from the graceful stance of Izuku.
Shoto ran and jumped towards his brother. He punched towards him but Izuku parried it with the sheath of Sen in his left hand. He brought the sword down to end the fight but Shoto spun and kicked the sword with his ice covered shoes, throwing Izuku off.
He punched Izuku in the chest but Izuku was able to block it in time. He jumped away and swung his sword in a arc once again. Similarly to before, petals followed the arc with a much faster speed.
Shoto put his hands on the ground. The ice gauntlets crawled off his skin and onto the ground and from it a wall of ice was erected. The dense wall withstood Izuku's strike.
Izuku nodded with pride and rushed towards the wall. He pierced it instead of slashing this time. The sword went through and the wall crumbled.
Shoto got ready to fight again before Vlad stopped them.
"Stop!" He booked again. Izuku and Shoto both looked at the man. "Ishida-sama, join them." It was an order.
"Huh? What?" She asked confused. She had been really engrossed in the fight. Both brothers displayed excellent showing of strength and skill. She did not know who was stronger but she did know they were strong enough.
"Shoto, team up with Ishida-sama against Izuku. Izuku, do you have a problem with that?" Izuku, who along with Shoto, was clearing up the existing ice shook his head. He then looked towards Shoto who grumbled but shook his head too.
"Um..." Mayumi looked between Vlad and the two brothers, unsure of what to do.
"Go." Vlad said, "and don't hold back. Don't be afraid to hurt him."
"Good luck!" Hoshi wished her luck. Mayumi was really confused but went with the flow.
She walked over to Shoto. "Why am I getting involved?" She asked the white haired boy.
"Dunno. He must have a reason. Just follow and try to sync up with me. Don't get too close and don't let your guard down if he's too far away."
"So what can you do?" Mayumi asked and Shoto responded
"Ready." Shoto yelled after a short while.
"Start!" Vlad yelled once more.
It was Shoto who rushed first. Ice, once more crawled up his hands taking the form of gauntlets once more.
Mayumi followed close behind. She didn't have any water in her person but she could use the water and moisture in the surroundings without overextending herself much.
Shoto went head first towards Izuku who was barehanded. The both engaged in a fist fight. Shoto punched, Izuku parried. Izuku struck, Shoto blocked.
Izuku grabbed hold of Shoto's right hand that was coming at him in the form of a punch. Shoto readied another punch through his left hand but Shoto caught that too.
Shoto smirked.
Ice crawled towards Izuku, handcuffing him with Shoto. Izuku felt a presence behind him and jumped just in time to dodge a arc of sharp water being send his way.
Shoto was carried along with Izuku. Izuku flexed his hands with spiritual pressure and the ice cracked and fell off. Izuku kicked Shoto away but was cut by a slash of water.
He barely blocked another slash send by Mayumi with his sheathed sword. "That all?" He asked before unveiling his sword. Pink petals rushed up and covered a trap set by Mayumi, making it useless.
"Tch. He's strong." She muttered, slightly agitated at how a person could be this strong and fight on an even, no, greater level against two opponent.
"His strength is frustrating huh?" Shoto appeared besides her, "you get used to it." She looked at him with pity.
"Now, let's bring the cold up." Mayumi nodded and raised her hands.
Balls of water started to form above their heads. There were hundreds of balls which slowly started to shape into spikes. Mayumi slightly panted at the overexertion.
Shoto breathed in and out, icy breath escaping his lips. He raised both of his hands up and a blast of cold air, akin to snow, shot upward. "I still don't have complete mastery over ice so I can't form objects without a physical support yet. I can use the gauntlets by using my body as a physical point for the Ice to attach to. I can somewhat manipulate ice but I still can't make stuff like this yet." He said to Mayumi.
"Our quirks are compatible." Mayumi said and Shoto nodded. The spikes of water were now dense spikes of Ice. Mayumi provided the ammo. Shoto made it stronger and durable.
Mayumi manipulated the Ice and send it towards Izuku who watched with curiousity. Mayumi could manipulate the temperature of water but to lower the temperature of this much water would nearly kill her or at the very least, incapacitate her.
Izuku smiled at the two quickly adapting to each other and pulled out Senbonzakura. He faced the approaching danger without fear.
The form of Sen appeared behind him. "I want you to cut, pierce, or block all of them. Don't dodge. Don't use me. Use your eyes."
Izuku nodded, understanding this was a lesson. He looked- no glared at the incoming Ice.
Mayumi watched a bit worried while Shoto had a grin. Vlad looked indifferent and Hoshi looked a bit scared but Vlad pulled her down and started rubbing her head affectionately, calming her down.
"Shoto could not perform such a feat on his own." The ice was upon him. He stared straight ahead. Katana in his right hand and the sheath in his left. "This would be a good inspiration for him."
He easily cut the first spike and along with that, he cut a few more from just his first cut. He blocked a few with sheath, those blocked by the sheath were shattered due to the impact. He cut to the right in a vertical arc. He swung his sheath to the left in a horizontal slash. He had his cheek cut and his leg pierced. One got embedded in his arm.
But he did not dodge.
He glanced at Hoshi and was happy Vlad covered her eyes.
He cut a few more and blocked a few more. Got hit by a lot more and the wave finally ended. He panted, wincing in pain.
"Do you know why I said to not use me?"
"You wanted me to get hurt?"
"It seems you still have much to learn."
"Stupid Zanpakuto."
"...."
Izuku focused back and noticed the new duo was doing something. He saw Mayumi's hand hovering over Shoto's and Shoto panting. His right was covered in a thin sheet of ice, a sign of overexertion of his quirk.
Mayumi similarly was panting and looked quite red. Her injuries still weren't heal so Izuku wondered what Vlad was playing at, sending am injured person to fight him.
"Urgh!" Shoto grunted. "I-it's done." Izuku looked at Shoto's hand and saw him holding a Katana made completely of ice. It looked plain but at the same time Izuku knew better than to judge.
"I guess you can finally out your training to use, huh?" Izuku asked, smugly but also a bit happy. Shoto invested as much time training with a sword as him. He did not have the luxury of having a Zanpakuto. He did envy Izuku a bit on that aspect. A normal sword could not withstand
Izuku's blows and Shoto could not create a sword made of Ice like he could the gauntlets, not yet at least.
"I must thank you Ishida." Shoto started, "it's been some time since I held a blade capable of surviving that monster." He looked at Mayumi and smiled, "you've done enough. Rest now. You're already injured. It was fun fighting with you."
"I- I think a rest would be good. Thank you Kuchiki-san."
"Call me Shoto." Mayumi paused and then nodded.
"Now." Shoto approached Izuku. "Where were we brother?"
"18-8." Izuku smirked. He swung his blade. Cherry blossom petals followed.
"Make that a 9 for me." He hovered his hand along the ice katana. The ice was extremely dense. This was all made possible thanks to Mayumi.
"Let's see then if you're training has paid off, Shoto."
______________________________________
Weren't expecting this were ya? I had been thinking of bring this back for a while and I said fuck it and wrote a chapter in one sitting.
I'll try to update it consistently but my main focus will be my new Naruto fanfic, guidance. I'll try to update this once a week or once every or twice every two weeks. I can make no promises. I've gotten much busier so I'll try to update when I can.
Hopefully you liked this chapter. It's been so long I forgot what I wrote previously so if you guys see some inconsistencies, please tell me the chapter the point of interest was previously mentioned and I'll go back and edit it.
And after a very long time....
Peace Out!