Hunter Amongst Villains Draft - Fun Times

This is the part of the story I enjoyed writing most with my friend. Never did figure out how Ghin could acquire actual good culinary skills though in this case. Anyways, tired as hell as my sleep schedule is whack now :/ Enjoy

Guttural growls spilled from between the glistening fangs of the two titanic canines looming over the small, new faces.

“Get out! You are trespassing in holy lands!” Ghin shouted from atop of one of the giant… wolves. The orange wolf he sat on was on fire, covered in ashen rocks of molten magma. The other covered in crystalline ice. And both of them were staring down at the smaller class, growling at them.

Unfortunately, Aizawa had neglected to mention the two huge wolves to his class. And to think they had thought it was a simple dojo…

The class looked up with abject horror, feeling overwhelmingly small. Mineta already wet himself, Ashido almost lost her consciousness, Izuku felt like dropping dead from a heart attack, and other similar reactions from each respective member of Class 1-A.

Aizawa gestured to his class, shouting into the air. He knew Garou could most likely hear him.

“They all accepted. I’m still not going to forget about your ‘offer’.”

“They're not welcome here! Shoo! Shoo!” Ghin shouted at them again from atop Hati, as gouts of white fire leaked out her mouth like fuming steam.

Izuku stared, wide eyed at the two giant predators. Raising one hand, he waved to Ghin.

“H-Hey Ghin! Nice to see you...”

Bakugou did not share Izuku’s waving. He glared up at the distant silver-haired boy, fire in his eyes… though not without a tinge of fear at the sight of the giant meat eaters glaring down at him.

“Hello! Now get out! I will have Skoll and Hati trample you all if you don't!” Ghin greeted then threatened.

Raising his head to look at Ghin, Kirishima nervously gestured both of his hands towards the two large wolves.

“We came here to fight you again. If you run us over, how are we gonna fight?”

“If we are gonna fight, do it in that gym!!! I refuse to let you guys step a foot in here!” Ghin shouted back as Skoll breathed on the class, his monstrous air chilling them as frost started to form on their clothes, making them shiver with cold.

Shouto stared at both the giant wolves with interest. Seeing their dual ice and fire powers, he felt somewhat intrigued by the two large predators. As he felt the frost forming on him, he got a sense of familiarity to his own powers.

“...Where did you get them?”

“Oh, them? I found them during hunting! I took them in! They're awesome right?!” Ghin shouted from above, smiling proudly as the two wolves barked, their roars shaking the earth around them.

Adjusting his glasses, Iida attempted to keep his balance as the ground shook beneath him. Much like the rest of the class, he felt like a small animal, cornered by a larger predator. Despite his underlying sense of fear and apprehension, he couldn’t stop himself from questioning the young both on the legality of owning two wild animals.

“...Have you submitted the paperwork for the ownership of these two wild animals?”

“Eh? You can’t document ownership. I am raising them no matter what. You wanna die?” Ghin threatened Iida.

Iida barely suppressed a shiver as the two pairs of giant eyes focused in on him. Raising both of his hands in a gesture of appeasement, Iida spoke up once again.

“I was just asking for their sake. Without recognition by some authority figure, should both of your pets become ill, then the necessary vaccines may be hard to come by.”

“Eh?” Ghin blinked at the mention of vaccines.

“I don't think they'll ever get sick. I mean, look at them.” Ghin gestured to the two wolves as they barked with overflowing vitality.

“They do appear in good health. But humans with gigantification Quirks can still acquire illnesses.” Iida straightened his posture, adjusting his glasses once again.

“They're not humans though,” Ghin pointed out.

Aizawa was massaging the bridge of his nose as he watched his class verbally clash with Garou’s apprentice. Surely Garou must be watching. If not...

“Is Garou actually here today?”

“He's busy with some students up there.” Ghin pointed at the mountain in the distance behind him.

“..Can we go and see him?”

“Lose the baggage. You can come. The others must leave the holy grounds,” Ghin demanded.

Aizawa merely shook his head in response. Ghin didn’t seem like he was going to budge on this matter.

“They’re my students. I’m not going to leave them alone in a forest with two giant wolves. And you.” He imagined Ghin attempting to torment his students with his pets if his students exited his sights.

“Yes, you will,” Ghin shot back.

“You want to fight us or not?”

Kirishima glanced up at Ghin. He had to shout to even expect to be heard at that height.

“I don't want you all anywhere near this place. This is holy grounds. Leave! Nothing you do will change my mind!” The boy shouted back adamantly.

Sighing heavily, Aizawa continued massaging the bridge of his nose. Dealing with the silver-haired duo was always a trial of their own. Turning to Yaoyorozu, he sighed once again.

“...Could you use your Quirk to create something to help us?”

The black-haired girl cupped her chin as she thought. Suddenly remembering, Momo stared up at Ghin. She knew of his fondness for Garou-related material. He’d told them as much.

“If you let us pass, I’ll use my Quirk to create something for you. Anything you’d like.”

“..........are you finally going to make me that badass Japanese katana?” Ghin shouted back with great expectations.

Yaoyorozu was glad that she’d thoroughly studied almost every aspect of the creation of katanas. Every slight detail, every intricacy. In order to create something of the required quality, she had needed to apply herself to the reading of dozens upon dozens of books. Slowly, her exposed midriff began to glow. Slowly, what looked like a handle emerged. As she took hold of it, the rest of the weapon began to emerge. The elegant blade seemed to go on forever. Even her classmates were stunned by the quality of her creation.

With a ‘pop’, the sword fully emerged from her body. Raising one arm in the air, she made sure that Ghin could see it.

“Ohhhhhhhhh!” Without another word, the boy leapt down from his perch and landed in front of Yaoyorozu, unfazed by the heavy landing. Inspecting the weapon, the sheath was dyed in silver with elegant curving grooves depicting the waves of a river, the long black hilt bearing a face of a demonic asura.

“Yes!” Ghin grabbed the blade from the class vice-president and unsheathed the blade, seeing a wonderful gleam from the metal graced by the sunlight.

“....is it strong?” Ghin asked the busty girl.

Running her eyes up and down the blade, she flicked her gaze over to the silver-haired boy. She could feel the twinge of regret. She’d just given Garou, the Hero-Hunter, a sword.

“...yes, it is. But I don’t think it could take your ‘full power.’ It might snap like a twig.”

“I think Aniki can work around it,” Ghin smiled.

“Fine. You earned passage into the holy lands. Do you want to walk or take a ride on Skoll and Hati?” Ghin asked begrudgingly as the lights behind him formed into wings of silver.

As the individual members of 1-A all shared a glance, Izuku smiled at Ghin, answering before them all.

“I’d love to.”

Seeing Izuku so quickly accept the ride on the back of one of the giant wolves, the rest of the class all wisely made the same decision. Walking would probably kill them, judging by the sheer distance.

“Feh. I shouldn't have offered you all VIP seats…” Ghin grimaced, already regretting it.

“Would you like some more Garou Plushies?” Yaoyorozu asked with a sweet voice.

“Hop on board! Down, girl! Down!” Ghin shouted with a smile as he whistled, the two wolves lowering themselves for the students. With a mighty beat of his wings, Ghin flew up to the air and perched atop of Hati’s head, his favorite spot as he snuggled between her ears. Hati panted, her whining a sign of affection.

Even with them lying flat on the ground, the students did have to climb up the tephra-encrusted fur on the wolf. One by one, they all took their places. As they all sat on the back of the wolf, they grabbed hold of handfuls of fur for balance.

“Don't get too comfortable. This is my private seat.” Ghin pouted at them as they sat behind him, Hati raising to her four feet.

Izuku opened his mouth, letting his jaw drop as he got a first class view of the environment around them, green lush leaves, clouds dotting the blue horizon, and mountains far in the distance.

“Wahhhhhh.” He let out an utterance of wonder.

“You shall walk!” Ghin shouted at Aizawa before he had the chance to get on.

Aizawa sighed again, knowing that he couldn’t rebuke Garou’s first disciple. After all, Garou had made such a specific mention of the hierarchy. Resigning himself, Aizawa glanced over in the direction he’d need to walk. He could already feel his legs getting sore.

“Hati! Skoll!”

*Shriii Shriii*

Ghin whistled as they perked their ears, and started turning around 180 degrees and marched towards the holy mountain.

The students on the back of Hati swayed and shook with the slightest movement from the wolf. Their grip on the handfuls of fur were the only thing keeping them on. As the wolf marched along, Class 1-A was treated to a truly spectacular and unique view. As Hati continued on, 1-A could see along the entire forest, an ocean of green canopies blanketing their panorama. The trees shook and shuddered as the wolves passed, sending huge flocks of birds into the air. Class 1-A merely watched all of this, astounded by everything.

The giant strides of the wolves seemed to cover tremendous distances, passing over a river in almost a single step. From the back of the wolf, the wind whistled loudly as it buffeted the students. The fur swayed and bounced with each step, each gust of wind.

Suddenly, Ghin flew off with the sword in his hand heading somewhere off in the distance, before he returned without the sword this time. The boy must have hidden the sword somewhere since he wanted to keep it until the surprise.

It had only seemed like they had been on the back of the wolf for a few scant minutes, before a huge spire of stairs came into view. It seemed to climb into the sky and beyond.

“Thank for riding Hati transportation services. Now get down or I will kick you before I get to hear how wonderful it is.” Ghin threatened as he glared back at them.

Glancing over the the back of the wolf, Kaminari’s head began spinning with the sheer height. Turning over to Ghin, he smiled nervously.

“I don’t think we can get off here. We’d break our legs. And everything else.”

“Find a way. Or I will kick you out.”

“Would you like a Garou backpack?” Yaoyorozu asked sweetly.

“Skoll! Help them down!” Ghin immediately changed his tune at the mention of a Garou backpack, as Skoll walked over to Hati and started to pick Kaminari by the scruff with his teeth… while the electric boy started panicking at the sight of big teeth heading his way.

Kaminari covered his head with arms as he saw the approaching maw. A wave of hot breath from the wolf’s mouth rolled over him, causing him to shudder.

“Woah woah woah! Can we be a little more safe here?”

“Never! Do it!” Ghin proudly rejected as Skoll clamped his maw on Kaminari.

“ASDADGODAIRGNFBERGOWJAODJWEIF!!!” Kaminari babbled incoherent messages.

Despite the somewhat gentle grip on him, Kaminari kept his eyes closed the entire time. He felt like a toy that a dog would carry around and chew on. He could feel the wind rushing by him as he could feel himself being lowered to the ground. Suddenly, the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet caused his legs to buckle as he fell to his hands and knees. He laughed nervously at the feeling of the solid ground.

As Kaminari reveled in being reunited with the ground, Skoll raised his head to bring more of the students to the ground. None of the students were particularly looking forward to being placed in the mouth of the huge predator. Only one accidental gulp and they’d be a snack for the giant animal.

After Skoll had ‘carried’ Koda, Kirishima, Mineta and Tokoyami, his giant wolven eyes landed firmly on Bakugou, who glared back into the giant eyes. Standing up slightly shakily, Bakugou walked to the edge of Hati’s back.

“I will not be a chew toy for that dog.”

“Then enjoy landfall.” Ghin said from behind as he kicked Bakugou off with a spartan kick.

Bakugou had been preparing to jump, but the sudden kick had shocked him. As he fell, he could just imagine the look of smugness on Ghin’s face. Gritting his teeth, Bakugou began unleashing explosions to slow his fall. Eventually, he landed on the ground alongside the others.

“Don't call Skoll a dog.” Ghin called down gravely from atop Hati.

Bakugou glared up at the distant form of Ghin, remaining silent. Huffing, Bakugou turned away as he surveyed his environment.

It wasn’t too long before the rest of Class 1-A had been escorted down in Skoll’s jaws. As they all regained their balance, the students began to look around. Of course, the first thing they saw was the huge spire of stairs rising along the mountainside.

“Your next step. Climb.” Ghin ordered as he landed to the ground, then pointed his finger at the top of the mountain.

With trepidation, 1-A began approaching the huge amount of stairs. Judging from their sheer height, it was unlikely any of them would be in a fit state to properly fight Ghin once they reached the top. Still, they had already come all this way.

As they reached the base of the stairs, Izuku stared up at the pillar before them. He wasn’t the only one. The rest of 1-A could already feel their legs crying with despair.

“...And Garou is at the top?”

“Yep. You should've been here when the Pro Heroes were here. It was so funny seeing Snipe become a zombie.” Ghin gave them an energetic grin.

“What ‘students’ is Garou with?”

Tokoyami added, taking in the veritable tower before them.

“His class got canceled because Snipe became a dead zombie, and my class is closed down from a sudden monster attack. I killed the monster though, but my classroom got wrecked a little. So he's busy teaching his friends his newest skills.” Ghin replied.

“Oh, so Mirio-senpai is up there?”

Hearing the name of his fellow intern, Izuku turned to Ghin. Technically, Garou was also his fellow intern. That was still so surreal to think about.

“Along with the Pussycats and some heroes with too much free time on their hands.” Ghin nodded before his face adapted to a serious glare.

“Now climb. Or embrace the wrath of Skoll and Hati.” Ghin demanded as he pointed his finger up the stairs.

Without pause, Class 1-A began to climb the pillar of stairs the moment they heard Ghin’s threat. But not before Ghin and his two wolves ran ahead of them, racing up the stairs with a massive head start.

Around thirty minutes later…

“You guys suck as always.” Ghin commented, already at the top of the stairs long ahead of them.

Slowly, the students of 1-A all emerged from the exit of the stairs. They were all visibly panting and sweating, clearly very tired. Even Bakugou, though he doesn't show it through his face. As they reached the top, they were met with the sight of what they assumed was Garou’s dojo. Since it was the only visible building under construction.

The entire class of 1-A all stood at the top of the stairs, attempting to regain their energy. Heavy, tired panting filled the air as they all doubled over.

“Couldn’t you… haaah… haaah… install an elevator?”

Kaminari practically dragged himself across the ground at the top, clearly exhausted.

“This is a dojo meant to test the mettle of those who wish to study the ways of the God Slaying Arts. An elevator is nothing more than an insult from the weak.” Ghin admonished.

“So… where is Garou?”

Izuku glanced around the nearby area, still doubled over. He couldn’t see any people around. Perhaps they were in the under-construction dojo?

The sight of a man flying across their vision answered his question, as the man started tumbling across the rocky terrain before ending up in an awkward position, his back on the ground with his legs over his shoulders.

“Owwww…” The pained voice of Mirio resounded.

They all stared the downed Third Year. To say they were surprised to see him sailing through the air like a ragdoll was an understatement. Noticing the group of students watching him, Mirio waved at them as he slowly got to his feet.

“Oh, it’s 1-A! What are you all doing here?”

A few of the students looked around, to see where he could have come from. Izuku waved back at his fellow intern.

“Hey, Mirio-senpai.”

Izuku glanced around the area, trying to see if he could see Garou.

Glancing around the right, Izuku caught the glimpse of Garou fending off… what seemed to be Hado and Tamaki-sempai, along with the two Pussycats lying down tired.

“You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to channel your energy with will. Not by your Quirk, girl.” They heard Garou lecture Hado as he held Tamaki up by the two fingers lodged up into his throat behind him and stopping a straight punch from Hado.

1-A watched as Garou toyed with the two third years. Even so, their level of strength was still impressive to the first years. Even if it didn’t help against Garou.

Noticing Hado and Tamaki continuing the attack, Mirio began to rush back towards his classmates, offering a wave to the watching class.

“I got to go and help. I’m sure we won’t last much longer.”

They watched as he tried to attack Garou, his fist almost sparking with a golden ficker of embers. The class blinked at the sight, wondering if their eyes were playing tricks.

As Mirio neared Garou, the glow surrounding his fist seemed to brighten slightly. Stepping in close to his opponent, Mirio’s fist almost seemed like a blur to 1-A as it sped towards Garou.

Only for him to be kicked hard in the face, tumbling before Class 1-A in the same awkward position as last time.

“Owwwwww….” He groaned in pain.

A few of 1-A exchanged glances, a little confused as to what was happening. Even Izuku was a little taken aback by everything. He’d never seen Mirio display this glow before.

“You're getting the concept, but it's weak. Even the me from before my debut can take you down still. No, the me when I first started my Hero Hunting.” Garou lectured as he threw Tamaki as he landed next to Mirio, headfirst to the ground.

A cloud of dirt was thrown up by Tamaki’s unceremonious landing. With both Mirio and Tamaki thrown aside, now only Hado stood against Garou. The class of first years

“Want a break?” Garou offered Hado.

Lowering her arms, she nodded, smiling at Garou. Both Mirio and Tamaki rose from the ground coughing violently before they dusted themselves off. To the entirety of 1-A, they didn’t even seem that injured after sparring with Garou.

“So the pups are here.” Garou chimed at the sight of 1-A.

1-A couldn’t say anything in response. Now that they thought about it, Aizawa still hadn’t shown up. He knew most of the details of the challenge. Bakugou stared at Garou, his eyes slightly narrowed. Izuku stepped forwards. The fact that they were both interns for the same person was the only reason he could talk to Garou casually even in the slightest.

“H-Hey Garou…”

“So. He actually brought you. I am surprised you would even set foot here. Tell me, did the boy try to scare you off?” Garou asked as he looked at Ghin, the boy averting his gaze while whistling nonchalantly.

“Yes… We managed to bribe our way up here.”

Yaoyorozu turned away, attempting to feign ignorance. Ghin had told them how much Garou disliked merchandise of himself. If he knew that she could make such creations, there was no telling what Garou would do.

“Uhuh. I see. Tell me, what do you think of my humble abode?” Garou asked gesturing to the building under construction as well as the location.

Turning their eyes to the partially built building, its style seemed to fit Garou reasonably well. It was a relatively large building, and with only being half-built, it did look imposing.

“It’s… pretty impressive. Did you build it all yourself?”

“No. I used the sweat and suffering of others to build it.” Garou grinned.

As Garou said this, several Heroes came from the dojo out the rectangular entrance. 1-A turned to the forms of the Heroes. Endeavour, Ryukyu, and Mt Lady all appeared to be carrying various kinds of tools. 1-A stood there, shocked to suddenly see such famous Heroes.

“Meet my current slave force. Wave hello to them.” Garou introduced the heroes.

Shouto’s usual stoic expression was shattered, replaced by one of shock and confusion. His father looked like he had just come from a construction site in the middle of a warzone. The idea of his father ever doing something like that stunned Shouto. The rest of the class were also slightly surprised

As the three Heroes noticed the students, Endeavour stiffened slightly. He could clearly see his son looking at him with bewilderment in his eyes.

“Come on. Don’t keep me waiting.” Garou was eager for their reaction.

“You’ve… been using Heroes as a construction team?”

Izuku had thought that the Heroes might be undergoing actual training. Not… this.

“Yes.” He answered without shame.

“This is to test their stamina as well. Imagine trying to do work after climbing the stairs. I made the gas masked gunslinger carry a mountain of supplies yesterday when he climbed the stairs… and it resulted in him becoming a zombie.” Garou informed the class with a wider grin.

Beside Garou, Tamaki, Hado and Mirio all grimaced, thinking of their teacher.

“I was about to make him work despite him being zombified. Yet, I had it in me to spare him the torment. This time.” Garou grinned even wider with malevolence.

“That’s… pretty damn cruel.”

Kirishima turned his head, looking back at the exit of the stairs. The strain from carrying a mountain of supplies must have been pretty extreme. He was a man who valued determination, but this was beyond the scale.

“I am proud of it.” Garou rejoiced from Kirishima’s ‘praise’.

“We thought you were training them. Not killing them.”

Kaminari added, with a hint of humour. What Garou was describing sounded more like torture.

“That is the point. Before I train them, I kill them. I did the same to the shrimp and the others before I started the real thing. This is called conditioning.” Garou countered.

“W-Will you f-force us to do the same?”

Uraraka stared at the dirty, tired Heroes in front of them. None of 1-A exactly relished the idea.

“I doubt you have to guts to go through the fires of hell, wimps.” Garou scoffed.

Bakugou narrowed his eyes slightly, still staring at Garou. The rest of the class could feel their pride being stepped on by the silver-haired hunter before them.

“...I think you are underestimating us.”

Tokoyami added from the back of the group. 1-A almost all agreed with him. It seemed like Garou was belittling them.

“If you are surprised to see the level of difficulty, it speaks much about you all already.” Garou dismissed his claim without a second thought.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the area as the students of Class 1-A all stared at Garou. Seeing the frustration of the students, Mirio quickly broke the silence as he turned to his former ‘opponent’.

“How about we show them around?”

“...alright then. I'll show them around. Shrimp, prepare lunch for everyone. Including the pups.” Garou said pointing at the class.

“Ehhh…” Ghin frowned, very upset.

“But I don't want to feed them.” Ghin complained.

Hearing Ghin’s refusal, a few of the first year students turned to Yaoyorozu expectantly. Feeling the hopeful gazes of her fellow classmates, she stared at Ghin. She couldn’t risk making any Garou products in front of the man himself, but she could still promise them.

“Do it. They're our guests. And prepare extra for the zombie that will come afterwards.” Garou said.

The Class Vice-President sighed in relief upon hearing Garou urging the boy to cook irregardless.

“...Zombi- ohhhhh, Eraserhead.” Ghin nodded as he looked at the stairs.

*Ughhhhhh*

Then came the rasp of what seemed to be a zombie.

All eyes turned to the top of the stairs, as the exhausted shape of Aizawa came into view. As he exited the huge flight of stairs, he hunched over panting heavily. 1-A was a little taken back by the sheer level of exhaustion their teacher was displaying. He looked like he’d ran several consecutive marathons.

As he hunched over, he raised his head, staring at Ghin. It felt like he had been walking for hours. His legs were trembling and both his feet were beyond the point of being sore.

“Haaah… urghhh…”

“Ohhh, another zombie. I'm quite proud.” Garou nodded in approval of Ghin’s actions. The boy gave him a proud smile in response.

“Why did you… urghhhh… make me walk… that distance?”

Aizawa’s words were cut off by his heavy, tired breathing. Sweat poured freely down his head, dripping on to the ground.

“Conditioning!” Ghin shouted with a smile.

The teacher of Class 1-A looked like he was about to collapse at any moment. All of 1-A watched their homeroom teacher, clearly concerned. Turning to Garou, Izuku pointed over at his exhausted teacher.

“How much… conditioning do they need to go through?”

“A week or two. I went through it for more than a month of it to be honest.” Ghin answered for him.

“Haaah… and we’ve only been doing it for a day or two…”

The tired voice of Eraserhead suddenly registered in their ears. He was barely managing to speak between the heavy wheezing.

The other three Heroes all looked at Eraserhead with something approaching sympathy in their eyes. As Eraserhead continued recovering, Mirio broke the momentary silence.

“...Should we show them around now?”

“...yes. Shrimp. Prepare the food in the makeshift kitchen.”

“Awww…” Ghin whined as he slumped his shoulders and then walked over to the unfinished dojo, his visage disappearing into the building.

*ring ring ring*

The sound of a smartphone ringing rang within Garou’s pocket. Taking out his phone, Garou answered.

“Who is it?” Garou called.

The familiar voice of Vlad King came to life from the other side of the phone.

“[Garou, it’s Vlad King. I’ve brought my own class as well. They’ve accepted.]”

“So?” Garou tilted his head in confusion.

“[So… can you maybe help us with transportation? I don’t think my students could handle the walking, the climbing and then fighting Ghin.]”

“It is supposed to be a test to the mettle of my students.” Garou replied.

A audible sigh came from over the other end of the phone.

“[But they aren’t your students. They’re my students. And I think accepting to fight your first disciple is proof of their mettle.]”

“...fine. But you will walk.” Garou stated his condition.

“[... Alright. How long will the ‘transport’ be?]”

Vlad King didn’t sound too pleased about the idea of having to walk that entire distance, and then climb that pillar of stairs.

“Hmmm…” Garou closed the phone, cutting the connection off.

“Which one of you want to take Skoll and Hati to the other class and bring them here?” Garou asked his three friends.

Raising her hand, Hado smiled widely. She seemed to be rather excited about the idea. 1-A was shocked to see how eager she was when it came to the wolves.

“I’ll take Hati.”

*Shrriiii*

Garou whistled. Skoll and Hati then came over in puppy form, both wolves panting and wagging playfully before Garou.

“Skoll, stay here. Hati, follow the nice girl and let her lead you to somewhere. I need you to listen to her and behave, alright?” Garou informed as both wolves yipped in response.

Seeing the two wolves now far smaller, 1-A stared with wide eyes. The giant, intimidating predators were nowhere to be found. They had been replaced by two energetic, adorable little wolves, yipping playfully. These were some pretty… unique pets.

“They can shrink too?”

Kaminari’s shock mirrored that of the rest of his classmates. Such a versatile set of powers. It made sense then that they’d be Garou’s pets out of everyone.

Hado glanced down at the small form of Hati, a large smile on her face. The small wolf seemed to be looking back at her, sharing her gaze. Slowly leading the way, she began to head over to the spire of stairs with Hati yipping behind her.

“Anyways, let me show you around. As for you maggots, break time. Help Ghin with prepping lunch.” Garou ordered the heroes.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Endeavour, Ryukyu and Mt Lady began to follow Ghin inside. Mt Lady didn’t seem to pleased about her break time being used to make lunch.

“Follow me.” Garou said as he started walking.

Slowly, 1-A began to follow Garou. As they walked slightly behind him, they all had a good look around. The entire rocky terrain was flat, as if someone had deliberately flattened it. Glancing over some distance away, they noticed what looked like a field of various plants. Now that they thought about it, it looked like a farm.

Garou didn’t stop walking as 1-A continued to follow him. It kind of felt like a strange school trip. And Garou was their tour guide. Suddenly, a gout of steam rising up from the ground drew the classes’ attention. It appeared to be coming from a nearby hot springs.

“As you can see, I made myself a farm, flattened another area as my training grounds, and a good water source nearby for bathing. Planned to expand it some more to fit my needs to be honest. I was wondering if I should move mountains to expand the terrain.” Garou started introducing the area to them.

The class couldn’t be sure if Garou was joking about moving the mountain. The entire area was rather spectacular. Garou’s dojo fit in perfectly with the surroundings.

“...How long did it take you to do all of that?”

Izuku had a guess that it probably didn’t take too long. It was Garou after all.

“A few days.”

Izuku’s guess was only shared by Bakugou. The rest of the class gaped at hearing how long it had taken. Judging by the scale of his abode alone, it should have taken months, if not years.

“It is smuggling the materials I needed out here without anyone knowing about it that is the most troublesome part. I am also planning to add some solar panels and some independent human powered treadmills or something to avoid paying the electric bills.” Garou continued.

The image of Aizawa running on a treadmill, providing power for Garou’s dojo was quite funny. However, 1-A did feel sympathy for whoever would be forced onto the treadmills.

“Why did you smuggle the materials? Is it a secret?”

Izuku cocked his head to one side, slightly confused to

“I was thinking to make it a surprise when I open this to the public… assuming anyone want to join the dojo of the scariest man on earth.”

“I’m sure there would be people who would sign up for that exact reason.”

Iida knew that being trained by Garou would be prestigious, even if he wasn't aware.

“That and I refuse to let scum try to harass my abode. Which is why I employed guard wolves to protect this place while I'm away.” Garou added.

“I don’t think a simple thug would be able to make their way up here easily.”

Anyone who would even attempt to reach Garou’s dojo would have to walk through the forest, climb the stairs. And then face down Garou, Ghin and the two giant guard wolves. There probably wasn’t anyone like that in the entire world.

“I am also thinking of ways to expel slackers or bad seeds out my dojo. I refuse to train the unworthy.” He continued explaining his plan for his dojo.

“...Have you expelled any ‘slackers’ yet?”

To Izuku, it seemed like each, and every ‘disciple’ of Garou was giving their all. Even if it almost kills them.

“Not yet. All my students so far are eager learners. And fun pack mules. I am mostly trying to come up a way to deter any potential villains trying to sneak in since there are a lot of idiots these days.”

Now that he mentioned it, Aizawa did say that the training the Heroes underwent was voluntary, which meant some of the top ranking Hero signed up for wageless labor.

Sensing an opportunity, Izuku glanced up at Garou. If there was one person who would know how much Ghin had improved since the last time 1-A had fought him, it was Ghin’s teacher.

“...How much stronger has Ghin become? Since the last time.”

“...you really should find out for yourself instead of asking me. Realistically, if I were a villain, I would've reduced you to paste.” Garou said.

“But you have a Hero costume. I don’t think many villains have one of those.”

Mineta added with a somewhat snarky tone. Slight smiles began to grow on the face of each student as they remembered Garou’s Hero costume.

“I would still throw you off the mountain without batting an eye.” Garou rebuked.

Mineta cast his eyes away from Garou. To be honest, he was also kind of jealous of the silver-haired martial artist. To be at the top of a mountain with so many famous female Heroes…

“...Lucky guy…”

He mumbled to himself, keeping his tone low so as not to be heard.

“How about testing your luck with gravity, grape boy?” Garou, however, heard it.

Hearing Garou’s swift response, Mineta seemed to jump. As Garou stared down at the purple student, he squirmed under Garou’s fierce gaze. Very nervously.

“Well… do you think we stand a chance?”

“...” Garou paused, pondering.

“Truthfully, there is a small chance. But I won't be satisfied with that result. You will all ruin the lesson behind it.” Garou answered.

Hearing Garou’s assessment, 1-A felt slightly more relieved now. If Garou gave them a small chance, then they had hope. And besides, Ghin wasn’t the only one who has been training.

”I made sure the Shrimp is robust, but even he is not invincible. There are flaws in his form and his Quirk that he doesn't know yet.” Garou added.

“...I thought you told us to find out for ourselves?”

Izuku raised one eyebrow, looking over at his fellow ‘intern’.

”I didn't. You just have to find out for yourself.” Garou denied.

An awkward silence then settled over both Garou and 1-A. The First Year students didn’t know exactly what to say. They all stood there, silent.

”...I've been having trouble finding obstacles that can really push my students to be honest.” Garou said dispersing the silence.

“What do you mean by ‘obstacles’?”

Kirishima wasn’t too sure on exactly what Garou meant. Neither was the rest of the class.

”Rivals. A challenge they must work hard to overcome continually. Those kind of things.” Garou replied.

“Did you have a rival when you were training?”

Kirishima’s sudden question also intrigued most of the class. To see if Garou had any ‘rival’ or formidable opponent.

”...not anymore.” Garou shook his head.

Glancing off to one side, Bakugou’s face was unreadable. The idea that Garou may have once had someone who could stand on equal grounds…

“...There’s one challenge these days that everyone is trying to overcome. You.”

“Oh?” Garou turned his head towards Bakugou.

“Finally had the courage to speak?” He called out to the living bomb.

Hearing his words, Bakugou’s head spun around, locking eyes with Garou. He glared at the silver-haired martial artist silently, a mix of emotions in his eyes.

“I've surpassed All Might. I've surpassed my sensei. I've ascended past the mountaintop and now stand in the infinite skies, forever soaring onwards… I believe you have questions on that.”

Now that Garou mentioned it, they recalled the strange, glowing energy that had engulfed Mirio’s fist. His Quirk didn’t permit that kind of phenomenon. Izuku curiously stared at Garou.

“That glowing energy… What is it?”

Without a word, Garou’s hand ignited in a dazzling black and white before their eyes.

”A new realm of skill never before seen. It is based on the concept of Chi and tireless study of the mechanics of Quirks.”

1-A stared at the swirling vortex of dual coloured energy that covered Garou’s hand. They were all silent as they parsed what Garou had said. Garou had no Quirk. Which meant he developed this… naturally? The thought was mind boggling to them. It was like Garou was making his own Quirk.

“And it can be taught?”

Izuku noticed that Garou’s coloured energy was quite a different colour to Mirio’s golden energy.

“Of course it can be taught. My friends can do it. The shrimp has talent with it though… Surprisingly.”

“...What can it do?”

Bakugou swallowed his pride, still staring at the energies surrounding Garou’s hand. He, along with the rest of the class, were quite stunned by the strange energy.

“Other than amplifying my attacks, still no clue.” Garou shrugged.

“It is entirely experimental. But I feel that it can bring my fighting style to the next level.” Garou concluded.

The thought that Garou still could make himself more powerful was something that 1-A hadn’t thought of. They had believed, like many others, that Garou had reached the peak. But in Garou’s own words, ‘he reached the sky.’

“...What does the color mean?”

Iida broke the silence, adjusting his glasses as he leaned in closer. The energy seemed so… bizarre.

“Don't ask me. It is new.” Garou shrugged.

1-A continued staring at the shifting and swirling energy surrounding Garou’s hand. They all remained silent.

“Anything else before we head to lunch? The shrimp is cooking this time, so expect something right.” Garou asked moving the topic forward as the energy dissipated.

A few of the members of 1-A shared a glance, trying to think of any more questions they could ask. Turning to face Garou, both Mineta and Kaminari seemed to share a grin.

“Sooo… who’s your favourite?”

“…I have a feeling I should feed you two to Skoll.” Garou immediately concluded.

Both Kaminari and Mineta shook their heads, now intimidated by the thought of the maws of the giant wolves. The rest of the class shook their collective heads at their antics.

“Any proper questions?” Garou asked.

“...My father. He volunteered for this?”

Shouto spoke to Garou, feeling noticeably conflicted. The fact that his father had so willingly volunteered…

“He volunteered to become stronger. This… is just an obstacle. One for my personal amusement to be honest.” Garou’s lips widened to a mischievous grin.

“I’m surprised there aren’t more volunteers. There must be other Heroes who would accept such apprenticeships.”

Izuku glanced up at Garou, one eyebrow raised. To be trained by Garou… What Hero would pass that up?

“Two of them can’t make it here due to their schedule.” Garou interjected.

Furrowing his brow, Iida began to think of which two Heroes Garou could be talking about.

“Who are these two?”

“Midnight and the Orca guy. I prefer to call them Pedophile and Whale man.”

Class 1-A all simultaneously stared at Garou with wide eyes, shocked by what he said. Surely Garou couldn’t have said what they’d thought he said. They might have misheard him.

“Too bad Pedophile and Whale Man can’t come though. Regardless, let’s go eat.” Garou then headed towards the unfinished dojo.

Still surprised by Garou’s ‘nicknames’ for the two Heroes, Class 1-A began to follow Garou back to his dojo.

“High quality hamburger patty drowned in pickle juice and pickled scallions, vegetable medley glazed in honey, hot pot filled with sukiyaki and veggies for simplicity, pasta with garlic and White Texas Onions, crab legs marinated with black bean sauce…” Ghin listed the amount of food laid before them as Class 1-A and the others sat on the wooden planks cross-legged, looking at the array of food before them with plates, bowls, and utensils all already prepared for them beforehand. They felt as if they were being treated in a high grade restaurant.

Raising both his eyebrows at the quality of the food in front of them, Kirishima glanced at Ghin, an impressed look on his face.

“Are you sure your Quirk isn’t cooking?”

“Do you want me to feed you shoe leather dipped in poop and urine?” Ghin threatened back in response.

“Woah. It was just a compliment.”

Kirishima shook his head. He didn’t really want to be fed what Ghin was suggesting. Neither did anyone else.

“We sometimes have to cook for ourselves, you know? Going to restaurants all day sometimes drains Aunty’s wallet so…” Ghin shrugged.

“I sometimes have to cook for Garou ever since the early days. I wanted to cook to impress.” Ghin answers.

“Well you’ve impressed us. This looks like a professional made it.”

Izuku glanced up at Ghin. The smell of the various foods mixed together in the air, creating quite a delectable aroma.

“Shut up and start eating. The food is meant to torment the hungry. Remember that I still don't like feeding you all.” Ghin pouted as he left, returning to the kitchen with his apron still on.

1-A, Mirio, Tamaki and the Pro Heroes all began to select from amongst the foods. There was quite the choice. As they were about to begin eating, the sudden sound of numerous footsteps drew their attention. Suddenly, Hado appeared, followed by the many members of Class 1-B. Seeing the food, 1-B was in a similar state to 1-A. They all seemed to be sweating and breathing heavily. They must have just come up the stairs. Running from behind Hado’s legs, came the diminutive form of Hati.

“Oooohh! Look at all that food!”

“As usual, 1-A seems to get the lion’s share.”

“What the hell is up with the quality of this food? We’re on a mountainside!”

Suddenly, 1-B all began talking amongst themselves as the smell of the food had finally reached them. The sound of numerous rumbling stomachs did show exactly how hungry Class 1-B was.

Entering the room, the young boy in the apron approached the large circle of hungry mouths and set down two more plates. A large bowl of soup and a larger bowl of rice.

As he walked, neither of the bowls spilled their contents, a testament to the first disciple’s balance.

“Drink soup first before eating. It helps the digestion. And here’s rice for filling.” Ghin ordered before leaving again, exiting into the other room leading to the incomplete kitchen. Hati yipped as she paddled her feet into the room, following Ghin inside. Class 1-B visually trailed the boy entering the kitchen… they did not miss the apron.

“Is there enough here for everyone?”

Izuku turned to the in-construction kitchen, focusing on Ghin. There had to be about 50 people here now. Was there even enough space?

“There’s more plates and stuff next to the door!” The voice of Ghin shouted from the kitchen. He did not miss Class 1-B.

Hearing Ghin’s shouting, 1-B began to grab their own respective plates and utensils. As they all began to sit down, a definite tension began to fill the room, between Class 1-A and 1-B.

“....…”

As everyone stared at the hotpot, each person person glaring at the rest. There may be more than one plate of food, but if everyone went for one plate, then there would be nothing left. And so, every person in the room, Heroes included, readied their chopsticks and various other utensils.

“...heroes have the first privilege.” Endeavour broke the tense silence as he aimed for the beef in the hot pot, only for the beef to be grasped by Shouto’s chopstick instantly the moment he made contact.

“We’re students. We need the most energy.”

Shouto held the beef with his chopsticks, staring at his father.

“But we are the ones who expended most of our stamina under Garou’s whims. You and your friends just climbed the stairs and nothing else.” Endeavour glared back at Shouto with fire, as he grasped the beef Shouto stole.

However, Shouto kept his chopsticks firmly gripping the piece of beef. Glaring at his father, both of them could feel the tension in the air.

“U-Uh… G-Ghin said to drink the soup first…” Izuku tried to intervene, a small voice stranded in the middle of a large ocean graced by thunderous storms.

Neither Endeavour or Shouto paid any attention to Izuku as they both fought over the meat.

“We will soon fight Garou’s first disciple. If we are to stand a chance, we need all the energy we can get.”

“And let us starve while dealing with Garou’s malicious whims? I think not, Shouto.”

Everyone watched the father-son argument going on before them. They didn’t feel like they could properly interject.

“What are you two doing?” The sound of Ghin resounded near the group.

Hearing the voice of the child chef, Endeavour and Shouto both ceased their struggle, but neither relented on their grip.

“Stop gawking and eat or the food will spoil. There’s more on the way. Waste any food and I will feed you to the wolves.” Ghin threatened as he set down two more large plates from his tiny hands, this time fried, crispy noodles and a plate of chips and dip. Then he returned back to the kitchen without another word.

Slowly, Shouto and Endeavour shared a look. Glancing down at the beef that was gripped by both pairs of chopsticks, Shouto looked up at his father.

“...Perhaps we could share...”

But Endeavour yanked the entire piece and plopped it in his mouth the moment he let his guard down.

“First come, first served!” Endeavour stated before jamming his chopsticks into the hot pot, tossing five more pieces of meat along with some cabbage into his bowl before Shouto could reply.

Shouto glared at his father, who was chewing the piece of beef triumphantly. Quickly, Shouto’s chopsticks moved over to his father’s bowl, snatching up two pieces of meat before placing them in his own bowl.

Izuku watched with a drop of sweat as he drank his soup. Then he went for the chips with his chopsticks… only for it to be touched by Bakugou’s chopsticks instead.

“Pick something else. These are mine.”

Bakugou glared over at Izuku as his utensil hovered over the plate of chips defensively.

“Eh?” Izuku blinked owlishly, his chopstick still aiming towards the chips.

Kaminari took a knife and started stabbing at the sizzling hamburger patty, slicing a piece for himself, but Jiro’s fork yanked the piece away before plopping it into her mouth. Kaminari stared at her, mouth agape.

“Hah! Look at 1-A. Fighting amongst themselves over food. I thought they were supposed to be the peak of cooperation!”

Monoka grinned at Class 1-A as they all fought their own little battles over the food. Still grinning, his spoon neared the large pile of vegetables, only to be beaten to the punch by Kendo.

“Wha-?”

The orange-haired girl smirked at Monoka, as he glared at her. Her own spoon now held the large portion of vegetables that Monoka was going for.

“What? I wanted some vegetables.”

Tamaki moved towards the hotpot, his chopsticks nearing a particularly large slice of meat. However, before he could, his chopsticks clashed with Mirio’s. Both of the Third Year students stared at each other, neither relenting.

“You know I need this for my Quirk.”

Tamaki kept his chopsticks interlocked with Mirio’s, preventing them from reaching his food.

“I thought no Quirks are allowed in Garou’s training regimen.” Mirio rebuked with a smile ever present on his face in contrast to the amount of strength he put into his arm.

The force on the wooden chopsticks built up as they trembled. Both Third Years bore a competitive spirit, dueling over the piece of meat.

Mineta started putting the pasta Ghin cooked into his bowl, but the plate got yanked by… Mt Lady.

“Ladies first.” She stated with a damnable, toothy grin on her face.

As the grape-headed student glared at the culprit responsible for the theft of his pasta, he shuddered, recalling his internship with the woman in front of him. Who had thought that a Pro Hero could be so lazy…

Aizawa grunted as he tried to take the fried fish, so crispy the skin is like chips in meat form. The chopstick of Ryukyu, however, took a good chunk of the dried meat as she crunched on the meat with maiden-like grace.

“I am sorry, Eraserhead, but I’m quite famished.”

This didn’t seem to provide Aizawa with any form of consolation. He sighed heavily, glancing over at the Dragon Hero.

“I've walked like a mile then climbed the stairs. I need it more.” Aizawa said as he tried to take another piece, only for the entire fish to be stolen with a swipe.

“....”

“...the fish is delicious.” She gave her excuse as she started crunching her meal. A vein bulged under Aizawa’s skin as his eyes started glowing red, his chopsticks clacked twice and ready to swipe the next dish.

The female members of 1-A, along with most of the girls from 1-B all watched the ensuing chaos with a mix of amusement and disapproval. Even the Pro Heroes had joined in with the ‘dueling’ for food. Looking around at the numerous ‘battles’ over the food, Tsuyu shook her head.

“Was this all part of Garou’s plan?”

The entire room now had a rather… combative atmosphere. Loud arguments filled the air, with the casual chatter of the girls being mostly drowned out. The quality of the food only seemed to increase the level of defensiveness when it came to the choosing of meals.

Glancing around the room, Yaoyorozu noticed a surprising lack of Garou. With the combination of his huge appetite and his absurd speed, surely he would be able to clean everyone else out. But he was nowhere to be seen.

“Aniki. I will say it again. You are a Female Slayer. You've slain every female out there.” Ghin said as he placed two more dishes for Garou and… Hado, as they ate outside near the stairs with a grand scenery before them. Away from the chaos.

“...I will let you go this once.”

“You are a true lady killer.”

“Do you want to die?” Garou threatened as veins started bulging.

Smiling impishly, Ghin ran back inside the incomplete dojo, leaving the two alone. Well, four alone. Skoll and Hati also ate their meals outside, feasting on the organic dog food in their respective bowls.

Hado sat beside Garou, still giggling from his words. The hectic, chaotic din even reached them, muffled sounds of arguments and clash of utensils raging inside. As she sat there, alone with Garou, she took in the surroundings.

“...I’m glad we’re out here. It’s a little too busy inside.”

“Truthfully I expected that… though I never planned it to be that rowdy in the first place.” Garou said as he started scooping rice into his bowl.

“Maybe the mountain air is affecting them.” Hado joked, laughing to herself. The busy atmosphere inside was quite unusual. But most dojos aren’t built on a mountain.

“It kind of reminds of my time at the old fart’s dojo a little. He would always swipe my food from me when I was young.” Garou said as Hado swiped a piece of kikurage from Garou’s chopstick and plopped it into her mouth.

“.....”

Hado chewed with both eyes closed. Opening one eye, she glanced at Garou innocently. A smile crept it’s way across her face.

“...What? I’m hungry from training.”

“Why you little…” The corner of Garou’s lips curved into a smile as he took another piece and plopped it in his mouth.

They both sat there, silently eating. A warm atmosphere had settled in around them as they both smiled at each other.

“So… about that thing you offered to us the other day…”

Hado lowered her bowl, clasping it with both hands. She seemed to become a little more serious, although the nervous tapping on the rim of the bowl couldn’t be ignored. She told Garou that they’d talk later about her decision. And now was the perfect chance.

“... I told you that we’d talk later about it. I’ve… made my choice.” Hado locked eyes with Garou.

“You told us that you would treat us to something. I’d like… I’d like you to ask me out on a date.”

Hado stared at Garou, awaiting his response anxiously.

“...............” Garou blinked then his eyes wandered around the rocky terrain. Taking a deep breath under the afternoon sun shining from the pure blue sky.

“............would… you like to go out with me?” Garou asked, his voice a stutter, as if he never uttered these words before.

Hado seemed to practically jump up from her seated position. She beamed widely at Garou, nodding fiercely. Her grip on her bowl increased, but the nervous tapping along the rim of the bowl had stopped.

“Yes! Yes I’d love to!”

Garou smiled at the energetic response. The wolves started yipping at them as if trying to congratulate them, their tails wagging in emulation as they stared at them with their puppy eyes.

Calming herself, Hado glanced down at the bowl in her hands.

“It’s just… I know I could have just asked you for a date. But… what I wanted was for you to ask me.”

“You want to feel special that badly? Never thought you were a naughty girl.” Garou teased.

Hado tore her eyes away from the bowl in her hands, staring at Garou with wide eyes. A blush had begun to spread across her face. Her voice was barely a whisper as she opened her mouth to speak.

“It’s… It’s just with you…”

“Heh.” Garou smirked as he reached out with his hand, and booped her nose with his finger.

As Garou tapped her nose, Hado recoiled, shocked by Garou’s sudden action. Her blush now seemed to cover her entire face. As she pouted at him, her own finger reached out, poking Garou in the cheek.

“You can’t tease me. It’s unfair!”

“Why not? It's fun. More fun than putting those heroes to work and watching them suffer.”

“But I can’t tease you back. That’s why it’s unfair!”

Hado had a look of mock hurt on her face, but she couldn’t stop a smile from forming.

“That's why I love it.” Garou smirked.

Putting one finger to her lips, Hado attempted to think of anything she could tease Garou with. Of course, she came across one particular memory.

“Well… you did seem a little embarrassed after that closet…”

“It was a first for me. It no longer counts.” Garou replied.

Hado frowned at Garou, her blush still present.

“Alright, alright. I'll take you anywhere you want for our date. You can take the lead if you want.” Garou offered.

Pursing her lips in thought, Hado began to think. She could take Garou to some of the locations she wanted to take him to… But she was interested to see what Garou might have in mind.

“...Could you decide where we go?”

Raising an eyebrow, Garou paused as he pondered where to take her.

“...there is Mustafa Mall… though we might get caught. There is a clothing store I know somewhere in Hosu where no one will find us…” Garou murmured.

Smiling widely at her silver-haired classmate, Hado nodded her head enthusiastically. For Garou, those were two good choices.

“Oh that sounds great! But how do you know nobody would find us?”

“I patrolled Hosu the most. I know the patterns.” Garou smirked with mischief.

Seeing Garou’s mischievous grin, the blue-haired girl responded with one of her own mischievous grins. If there was anyone who would know the layout of Hosu, it was Garou.

“...I’d enjoy that. When would you like to go?”

“Hmmm, don't know. Next Saturday, maybe. Away from prying eyes.” Garou suggested.

Nodding in agreement, Hado couldn’t suppress the blush from spreading even further at the idea of their secretive meeting. If anyone else learned about this…

“...What if someone tries to contact you? You seem to have people calling you all the time.”

“...I will either threaten them or send the Shrimp to deal with it.” Garou replied.

As she looked at Garou, Hado couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Taking an opportunity, she darted in, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Eh?” Garou blinked upon feeling the kiss.

As she pulled away, she smiled softly at him. It was a look of genuine affection. Despite the still-present din clamoring from within the dojo, neither of them paid much attention to it.