How are you all doing?
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Today Class 1-A was going to be working on Super Moves.
That's what Aizawa had told them as Midnight, Ectoplasm, and Cementoss had burst into the classroom.
Of course, that left Astolfo and Gray at a loss again as they stood in Gym Gamma, watching their classmates in their Hero Costumes train with Ectoplasm's clones. Ojiro was nearby, training on refining his basics while Ashido was working on the range of her Acid Shots. Kirishima was working on his hardening, Yaoyorozu was working on her speed, and Bakugou was just having fun making stuff explode.
"What do you think, Gray?" Astolfo asked as he stood on a plateau above the Assassin. Two of Ectoplasm's clones were standing nearby, one for him and one for Gray.
Gray sighed, shifting Add in her hands. "It's a bit hard for us, isn't it?" she asked with a slight laugh, dodging Ectoplasm's kick. "In all honestly, I used to want to try to do a stage One and a Half with Add, condensing Mana around the other blades that he could become..."
"Then why not work on that?" Ectoplasm asked and Gray shrugged.
"We're only as strong as our Master before we have to start pulling from our own stores of energy," Astolfo said, "And while I have more than enough in my Rider form, and enough to change into a Saber for a while and maybe twice a day now? Something like that. Gray doesn't have that same luxury. While strong, his reserves aren't a Dragon's."
Gray nodded. "It's possible, but I don't want to strain my Master at the moment," she admitted Ectoplasm thought.
"Can you lower the blast power of Rhongomyniad?" the Clone Hero asked and Gray nodded.
"A bit. Still really destructive, but I can lower it a bit," she said, "So letting it loose here still wouldn't be smart, I don't want to injure anyone here."
The Hero seemed to be at a sort of a loss as he nodded slowly. "I'm afraid I don't know how to help you then," he admitted, "But we can continue sparring if you wish."
Gray nodded, adjusting her stance. "Yes!"
"And you shouldn't be dazing off either, Astolfo," the second clone scolded and the Rider turned back to him, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sorry!" he said, "Let's keep going! I guess I figured out what I want to do now and that's to quicken the speed of my Class change!"
Ectoplasm nodded. "Very good."
Aizawa watched the two Servants for a moment, eyes passive as he looked away from them. He glanced over the rest of the students before a voice pulled him from his observation.
"Everyone's hard at work, huh?"
He turned around, raising a brow. "All Might?"
"Yeah, I am here..." the blonde man said tiredly before popping into his muscle form. "Because I had the day off and didn't have anything else to do!"
"Can you please go and focused on your recovery?" Aizawa asked tiredly as Kayama looked over as well.
"Now, now, we wouldn't want to miss a day like today," a second voice said and Chiron peered out from behind him. Aizawa raised both brows this time.
"Today's a special day, they're working on power moves, right? Besides, I was just released from prison," the Centaur continued as Yagi deflated back to his normal self, the two of them walking (or trotting, in Chiron's case) over to the dark-haired heroes.
"We are both still teachers, after all," Yagi added as he gazed up at Midoriya. Gray glanced over, eyes brightening before she got kicked by Ectoplasm. Chiron just chuckled.
"Looks like Gray's at a loss," he said, "I bet that she's unsure what to do since Servant's are different."
"She's probably overthinking it too," Yagi added as Aizawa nodded. "She forgets that I'm more resilient than I look."
There was a beat of silence before Aizawa and Kayama both whipped their heads to look at the blonde-haired man.
"Wait—"
"You're—"
They both started and Yagi laughed, walking off and leaving the usually un-shockable Aizawa and a startled Kayama with Chiron. The two turned to the centaur for answers and he smiled in return.
"Yagi is Gray's new Master, yes. Gray was going to return to the Throne at the end of the battle against All for One," he told them, gazing at the Assassin as she and Ectoplasm danced around each other, striking and dodging while Astolfo changed Classes. Aizawa nodded slowly, thinking as the three of them watched as the former Number One Hero walked to Midoriya, then Kirishima and Jiro, exchanging words of wisdom with them.
"I was in debt to him," Chiron said with a laugh. "So I gave him some tips and a handbook."
The centaur laughed again as Aizawa gave him a bewildered look. He galloped over to the created spaces, leaping up and scaling the platforms, startling a few students before he landed up next to Gray.
"Having trouble?" he asked her, catching her as Ectoplasm kicked her back.
"Chiron!" she said, smiling. "I'm glad you're back... and yes," she admitted, "I don't really know what else I can do, I'm just a Pseudo-Servant, after all."
He hummed, setting her back onto her feet as Ectoplasm bowed to him.
"You don't mind if I give her a bit of advice, do you?" he asked and the masked hero shook his head.
"Go for it," he told him and Chiron smiled before he trotted around Gray, standing in front of her.
"Gray, how quickly can you transform Add?" he asked. "Add's transformation relies on your calculations and own mana output."
The Assassin glanced down at the scythe before it glowed, changing into a bow.
"Nine, no, ten seconds," Chiron noted, nodding. "Quick, but not quick enough. While you and Ectoplasm spar, start working on changing Add faster. You also shouldn't worry about Yagi so much, he's a lot more resilient than you think. Add has thirteen forms, try going through all of them."
The girl's eyes changed and a determined glint shone in her eyes, a flicker of orange too.
"Right."
"Sounds fun!" Astolfo called before yelping as he was hit lightly on the head.
"Don't get distracted," Ectoplasm scolded and Astolfo leaped back into action. Chiron smiled, waving a bit before he turned back to the girl.
"There's also the matter of your eyes, but we'll look into that later on, I'm afraid I can't do anything for you at this moment for that," he told her and she nodded again. He smiled before he turned, leaving Gray to continue her fight with Ectoplasm's clone. He trotted over to Midoriya, who was gazing at his hands in concentration again.
"Midoriya?" he asked as Ectoplasm backed up, the masked man seemed a bit relieved to see him. The freckled boy blinked, looking up at him.
"No ideas, yet?" he asked and the boy nodded.
"No," he sighed, "If I use my full power my bones will break. I won't be able to use my arms."
Chiron nodded with a hum. "I've noticed that," he said, "You and I both know the origins your power came from, but the difference is the body type."
He held an index finger up.
"You're the more book-and-writing type," he said, "Your body never had the chance to slowly build up physically to withstand what basically is the equivalent of the impact of a truck. Your predecessor, on the other hand, was more of the athletic-type, even before it was passed to him. That said, your talent is outstanding and you quickly pick up on many things others don't. The way you fight, for example, is a shadow of All Might, Gran Torino, and Bakugou, with a little bit of Iida and even some of Aizawa's own style in there."
He smiled as the boy perked up a bit, listening to him. Nearby, Bakugou had landed and was listening in with a few other students. Chiron cleared his throat before he clapped his hands.
"Midoriya, get into a fighting stance and come at me with whatever you feel comfortable with," he told the boy, who hesitated. In a second, Chiron had aimed a punch at the boy's face, startling him as it stopped a hair away from his nose.
"Lesson one, never show hesitation against an enemy stronger than you," he told the boy, "Showing restraint is important in certain situations— for example if you plan on making negotiations. I'll tell you again," he said as he dropped his arm back to his side. "Get into a fighting stance."
The green-haired boy nodded, shifting his footing and entering a fighting stance before he activated his Quirk. Chiron gazed at him before he walked around to his side. He nudged his feet apart with his hoof, adjusting the boy's arms before he frowned. He shifted his footing a bit closer than he had moved it.
"While your form is impressive, your center of gravity was unbalanced," he told him, "Next time, lower your arms a bit and bring your feet a bit farther apart."
He stepped back before he adjusted his own stance. "Attack me," he told Midoriya and he did, lunging for him and aiming a punch. Chiron sidestepped before lightly chopping his back.
"You're stopping the flow of your Quirk at your arms," he scolded as the boy fell to the ground. He got back up, wiping dirt from his face.
Chiron placed two fingers on the boy's arms. "Your fighting style relies on your arms," he told him, "So you focus your energy there. I'm sure Gran Torino and you went over a similar thing, but even now you still subconsciously focus all of your energy, or at least a major portion of it, into your arms and firsts." He trailed his fingers up and to his chest. "Focus on spreading it out. Then on different limbs. Another thing," he added. "Your ability to shadow and copy other's fighting style is admirable, but it's hindering you. Think about that for a little bit."
He dropped his arm as Midoriya nodded and he smiled. "Good. Practice that with Ectoplasm," he told him before he turned, gazing up at Bakugou, who seemed to be glaring down at them. He chuckled before leaping up to the explosive blonde, startling him slightly as he landed next to him.
"Your turn, Bakugou," he told the boy, who scoffed.
"I don't need any of that shit," he grumbled before Chiron chopped the top of his head.
"You might think that you do not, but I can and will exploit every weakness you have in that case," the Sage told the boy as he hooked a hoof around one of his legs and sending him to the ground.
Bakugou growled but got to his feet as Chiron moved over to the other end of the created platform.
"You and Midoriya have different Quirks, so I can't give you the exact same advice. I do have to say though, your fighting is impressive."
"Of course it is," Bakugou scoffed as he brushed his costume off. "I'm stronger than Deku."
"That attitude needs to be curbed, but that's a later project," Chiron said without missing a beat as he trotted over, adjusting Bakugou's stance as well. "The main thing I've noticed and worry about is how much energy you expend while you fight. You and Heracles are very similar in this manner, but while he could afford to waste energy with his stronger strikes and wilder fighting style, you don't. You're not half-god, after all."
The blonde 'tch'd, but quieted enough to listen to the centaur as he talked. Chiron moved back to his original spot. "Just like Midoriya, I want you to attack me, but this time just use your strongest blast once."
Bakugou scowled at being equated to the green-haired boy before he sneered, readying his hands. An explosive blast went off and covered the area in smoke, but the sound of something hitting the ground hard not too soon after made a few of the students nearby look over. The smoke cleared and Bakugou was face down on the ground, Chiron in his human form pinning the boy down with his knee and holding one arm— palm down on the boy's back— bent behind him. The other arm was being held down in the same fashion on the ground.
"Do you understand the problem now?" he asked, "Your big and flashy explosions that expend your energy create a smokescreen that not only puts a handicap on your enemies but you as well. If you were fighting Silkie or anyone who could use echolocation or had superior hearing or even eyesight, you'd be beaten or dead."
Bakugou scowled but nodded as Chiron got off of him, brushing his tunic off. "Focus on saving energy and condensing your blasts," he told him before he walked off, glancing around.
Most of the other students had a good grasp on what they were doing, and with Toshinori walking around as well, Chiron didn't have as much to cover.
A flash of white made him blink before he chuckled, walking over to where Ojiro was getting kicked around.
"Ojiro," he greeted, "Having trouble?"
The blonde groaned a bit as he pulled himself to his feet. "A bit," he said, "Apparently I move too predictably."
Chiron chuckled. "You do fight the way someone with a tail would," he said, "It makes it a bit easier to read your movements."
The boy groaned again as Ectoplasm's clone walked over. "That's what I told him," the man said, "We're revisiting the basics."
Chiron hummed, "That is one way we could go about this," he said, nodding. "For those with mutant-type quirks like you or even myself if I were to be human, it is hard to create 'special moves', but that's why we strive to be stronger." He held his fist out to Ojiro, smiling. "Ojiro, how would you like to learn Pankration from me?" he asked and the boy's eyes widened before he lit up.
"Are you serious?" he asked, tail starting to swish and Chiron nodded.
"Your focus is going to be on martial arts, right? Then you best get more than Tae Kwon Do and Karate under your belt," he told Ojiro. "Obviously, this will take more than just one class session, are you alright with meeting after school as well?"
The boy nodded, grinning wider than Chiron had ever seen him before. Chiron pat his head. "Then we best get started now. Like Bakugou and Midoriya, I want you to attack me and I'll see what I have to do."
"Right!"
Chiron smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "I'll take it from here for a bit," he told Ectoplasm, who nodded and vanished back into smoke.
"Chiron!" Toshinori called up and the brown-haired man glanced to where the blonde was standing by Satou. "Go easy on Young Ojiro," he told him, "We don't need more people with broken bones." Chiron gave the blonde a mock scoff as he shifted into his usual stance, Ojiro moving into one that mirrored his.
"I should be offended that you think I would go that far," he said as Ojiro rushed at him. He dodged a strike from his tail, eyes focused and watching the way the blonde moved.
How he utilized his power, his tail, and other limbs.
The boy had a good grasp on martial arts, but that wouldn't be enough in an all-out fight.
This would be fun.
(x)
To say that Ojiro ended up bruised and beaten by the time the fourth day of training rolled around would be an understatement.
Ojiro was grateful that Chiron-sensei had taken time to train him personally, especially when he knew that the Archer was working with not only Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki on refining their Quirks, but also Iida, Kirishima, Shouji, Tokoyami, and Satou. The rumor was that he was also training all of the girls, but Ojiro hadn't heard anything about that from the seven of them.
Pankration, Ojiro learned, was something that caused all restraint that Chiron-sensei had being tossed to the wind. At first, he had felt a bit dirty when the centaur had explained what it entailed. It was, after all, was created from the words "pan" and "Karatos"— in other words, Pankration meant "All of the Might".
And it used exactly that.
(Chiron had simply laughed when Kirishima mentioned that "All the Might" was really close to "All Might". Chiron then proceeded to tell them that he could send All Might to the ground in minutes. That had gotten all of their attentions.)
In Pankration everything was allowed when it was practiced as a sport— save biting and eye-gouging, though Chiron-sensei had told him that in a fight that was life or death he could use biting, eye-gouging, and he particularly encouraged more nasty hits.
Punches and open-handed strikes, kicks, all types of throws and takedowns, joint locks and chokeholds— everything was legal. Chiron-sensei had pushed him, Shouji, Satou, and Kirishima to their limits over and over again, twice he passed out only to wake up to the sight of Chiron brutally beating Kirishima or Shouji in a Pankration bout. Once he woke up to Chiron dragging Satou over towards him, the other boy unconscious.
Iida, Ojiro decided, was lucky that he was only racing the ancient hero.
"The design of Pankration was that it was to be the ultimate test of a person's physical, intellectual, and spiritual capabilities."
That's what the brown-haired man had told them all after the first day of them all getting beaten black and blue. Astolfo and Gray had shown up to take them back to Heights Alliance, and Ojiro didn't remember eating dinner, just passing out in bed after a quick shower.
But, despite everything that had happened, Ojiro felt stronger. Like he could take on Midoriya on even footing.
The tailed boy bounced from one foot to another as Kirishima got back up after a strong hit from his tail. Chiron-sensei was watching over them from a platform above, sitting crosslegged and relaxed.
Ano Pankration was what was being practiced that day, the lighter hits and more restricted fighting. Kickboxing, basically. As long as they were standing, strikes with hands, feet, and Ojiro's tail were perfectly legal. On another platform, though, Ojiro knew that Satou and Shouji were going all out with Kato instead.
It had been him and Kirishima working on Kato the day prior.
While Ano was less severe, it was Kato that the four who were being trained in the art had been subject to. Kato was what Chiron-sensei used and was what Pankration was in it's most well-known form. Tokoyami's training in the art had been limited to Ano due to the fact that he also had Dark Shadow with him and also wanted to focus on controlling him more. Chiron-sensei had accepted that when the feathered boy had told him that he was going to go lighter in the training.
"Start again, you two," Chiron-sensei instructed and Ojiro nodded, readying his stance as Kirishima activated his Quirk.
The blonde-haired boy threw the first strike with a strong kick to the redhead's head. It was blocked by his hardened arm and a jolt of pain went up his leg, but he ignored it in favor of dodging a punch from the other. Kirishima threw a palm-strike towards Ojiro's chest, but Ojiro grabbed his wrist and slammed his hand into his side.
A tail strike was countered by a hardened arm.
A kick caught easily before it contacted with the blonde's shoulder.
Palm-strikes and punches were met blow for blow and Ojiro didn't realize how long it had been until a hand grabbed his shoulder, steadying him as he jerked in surprise.
Chiron-sensei stood behind him, another hand reaching over and balancing Kirishima as the two of them lowered their arms from the lock they had ended up in. His eyes were warm and smile filled with unspoken pride as he brought both of them to the ground to rest.
"You've both improved so much," he told them as the two both panted, exhaustion finally settling and Ojiro just barely managed to catch the water bottle that Kirishima tossed to him. "Take a rest for a bit, Ectoplasm will be here to oversee the rest for the day, so take it easy."
"Yes, Sensei," Ojiro panted as Kirishima nodded. The centaur in human form smiled before he took off again, transforming into his true form as he went to go supervise another student.
"How's that other super move going?" Ojiro asked Kirishima after a moment and the boy shrugged.
"I'm working on it. I can't take Chiron-sensei's hits at full force yet, but I can withstand a lot more of his lighter hits," the redhead said, "And honestly, I'm pleased with that."
Ojiro nodded in agreement. "I would be too. Honestly, it's gonna be a real blow to the school when he decides to take off."
"You can say that again."
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I wanted to write Ojiro.