The dimly lit alley echoed with the sharp sound of steel scraping against the concrete. Karsten's breathing was steady, his stance firm, but the weight of the moment pressed down on him. Before him stood the infamous Hero Killer, Stain—his bloodied, ragged attire giving him a menacing aura. The way he gripped his katana, even though he hadn't drawn the blade, made it clear that this wasn't just an ordinary thug. This was a trained killer. Stain's piercing eyes bore into him, calculating, assessing.
Karsten had faced his fair share of school brawls and street fights in his past life, but this was something else entirely. Stain moved with a practiced ease, every step calculated, every slight twitch of muscle a deliberate preparation for an attack. He wasn't just fast. he was efficient. And Karsten realized, with growing dread, that he was being tested.
Their first exchange was brutal. Stain lunged, his katana's blunt side swinging toward Karsten's ribs. He barely managed to sidestep, but the wind from the strike grazed his side, leaving a sharp sting in its wake. Karsten retaliated with a sharp jab toward Stain's face, but the killer weaved around it, his reflexes superior. A heavy knee struck Karsten's stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. In retaliation, Karsten grabbed Stain's hair and reeled his head back before smashing it in his face, a headbutt.
Both staggered back with Karsten gasping for air and Stain with his nose deformed.
Stain observed him as he snapped his nose back into place, eyes gleaming beneath his headband. "You fight like a street thug." he remarked, unimpressed. "No technique. No discipline."
Karsten wiped his mouth, scowling. "Yeah? And you fight like a rabid dog"
That earned a chuckle from Stain. "At least dogs survive."
Karsten gritted his teeth, ducking under a kick as Stain lunged yet again. He knew Stain was testing him, but this was no mere sparring match. If he failed to keep up, he wouldn't walk away in one piece.
After another close exchange, Stain stepped back, his expression unreadable. "You're wearing a U.A. uniform. Do you actually want to be a hero?"
Karsten scoffed, "I'm from a General studies department. I'm not fit to become a hero." giving the same vague answer he'd offered before. He wasn't about to spill his motivations to a serial killer.
But deep down, he knew he had a problem. Stain outmatched him in skill and raw power. If he wanted to survive, he needed to fight dirty.
The Heroes' quirk could be his trumpcard...although he wasn't sure when to use it...I need to find an opportunity to use it. Metal attraction, once stain have seen that i can use that quirk he would be on guard.
Karsten clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his situation. He was outclassed. Every feint, every counter, Stain anticipated it all. If he continued fighting like this, it wouldn't end well for him.
So he did what any self-respecting survivor would do, he cheated.
Underneath his uniform jacket, Karsten always carried a few 'insurance policies' for emergencies. Tonight, those would be his salvation.
A taser.
Pepper spray.
And his personal favorite, fart spray.
The first two were conventional tools of self-defense. The last one? A war crime waiting to happen.
Stain stepped forward, blade raised. Karsten saw his opening.
With a flick of his wrist, Karsten pulled out the taser and jammed it against Stain's exposed arm. A sharp crackle filled the air as electricity surged into the killer's muscles.
Stain let out a grunt, body stiffening—but to Karsten's horror, he didn't collapse.
Instead, he growled through clenched teeth, shaking off the effects like a beast resisting a tranquilizer.
"Oh, come on," Karsten muttered.
Stain lunged.
Karsten barely had time to react. He ducked under a wild swing and, in a last-ditch effort, whipped out the pepper spray and sprayed it directly into Stain's eyes.
The result was glorious.
The Hero Killer roared, stumbling back as his eyes burned, his hands instinctively covering his face. He thrashed wildly, cursing in rage and pain.
But Karsten wasn't done yet.
Karsten took a step back, he charged and when he was near, he jumped, perfectly performing a flying knee on the temporarily disabled vigilante. Stain's body slammed into the ground as a result of such dirty techniques in which Karsten implied. But Stain wasn't finished, just barely a few seconds passed he stood up, Despite his temporary blindness, Stain refused to go down. He swiped his katana in erratic arcs, forcing Karsten to stay on the defensive. Even blinded, his movements were dangerous, proof of just how deadly he was.
Karsten's mind raced. He couldn't rely on his fists alone, and his copied quirks weren't giving him an edge in close combat.
Then he remembered the Metal Attraction Quirk he copied on the hero.
Focusing, Karsten activated the ability, reaching out to the nearest metal object he could sense.
A large garbage container.
Perfect.
Just as Stain regained some of his vision, Karsten felt a sharp sting on his face. A flash of silver passed his vision before he realized what had happened…
A fresh scar ran across his cheek, blood dripping down his face.
Something in Karsten snapped.
Summoning every ounce of strength, he yanked the metal garbage container with full force. It shot forward like a missile, slamming into Stain's back with a loud clang! The impact sent the killer staggering forward, dazed.
Not letting up, Karsten yanked another container and slammed it into Stain's stomach, forcing him into the wall. The Hero Killer gasped, his body momentarily pinned.
Karsten climbed onto the containers and slowly walking towards Stain
Click clack click clack, the sounds of his steps were ominous before stopping, towering over his opponent, preparing his final move.
The fart spray.
With one last, victorious smirk, he jammed the end point of the spray into Stain's nose before unleashing it.
He grinned wickedly. Time for psychological warfare.
A moment of silence.
Then—
The Hero Killer screamed. A choked, guttural wail of pure, unrelenting suffering.
Despite trying to hold his breath, the foul stench violated his senses. His eyes watered, his lungs burned, his body convulsed. The Hero Killer gagged, eyes watering as he recoiled. He had faced countless heroes, killed dozens—but nothing had prepared him for this assault on his senses.
For the first time in his life, Stain. the infamous killer of heroes, was utterly, completely defeated as he throw all the contents he ate that day.
Panting, Karsten turned to the bloodied hero on the ground. He rushed to help him up, but just as the hero weakly muttered a grateful, "Thank you…-"
A sudden blast of energy slammed into Karsten's side.
His body twisted midair before he crashed onto a nearby wall, pain flaring through his ribs. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to look up—
And his heart dropped.
Standing before him were two very familiar figures. He had seen them in multiple occassions in both of his life here and in the past. Who wouldn't remember them?
Ryukyu.
And Nejire Hado.
Nejire frowned, floating in the air as she tilted her head. "Hurting others is bad, you know~!"
Karsten's stomach sank. She thought he was the villain.
Worse, Stain had slipped into the shadows behind the containers, completely out of her sight.
Panic set in. If he got arrested or expelled over this—
Nejire suddenly paused, eyes narrowing as she noticed his uniform
"U.A.?" she muttered in disbelief.
Karsten seized his chance.
Without hesitation, he whipped out the pepper spray and emptied the whole bottle to her face.
A direct hit.
Nejire let out a surprised yelp, her hands flying to her eyes as she stumbled back. "What the—?!"
Karsten turned and ran, disappearing into the night.
In the chaos, Stain also vanished, The only one left was the bloodied hero, staring in stunned silence at the absurd scene that had just unfolded.
As Nejire wiped her tearing eyes, realization and frustration bubbled inside her.
"I swear...I'm going to find that bastard!"
Unfortunately for her, she had only seen his uniform and a bad news for our dear transmigrated friend as he had officially made an enemy out of Nejire Hado.