….
["Ow... that hurts..."]
Everyone in the observation room stared at the screen with blank expressions, lost in thought.
["...One, two, and three. Hmm? That's a lot less than I thought."] Toya muttered with a faint smile, running a quick check on his body.
A chuckle broke the tense silence, it came from Vlad King.
At that moment, he found himself impressed. He began reconsidering letting the kid join Aizawa's class.
To Vlad King, it wasn't just about breaking bones. It was about enduring pain and pushing forward, even if just one step at a time.
This kid was truly extraordinary.
"Is he aware of Recovery Girl?" Vlad King inquired.
"If he doesn't know about her and still pulled off a stunt like that, we might need to think about whether this school is the right fit for him." Aizawa remarked tiredly, rubbing his forehead.
"Should we intervene?" Cementoss asked, concern evident.
"No. Let's wait and watch. I have a feeling he is about to show us something incredible. Plus ultra." Nezu grinned, almost sinister, a departure from his usual demeanor.
["...And now IGNITE."]
The boy's voice echoed through the room.
Nothing happened, at least not immediately. Silence stretched on.
Then suddenly, every corner of the maze erupted in bright blue flames.
Thin threads of fire shot out, weaving and winding through the labyrinth, connecting and separating in a mesmerizing dance until they covered every nook and cranny.
The threads were so thin and low in temperature they couldn't completely burn paper, yet they all converged at the center - at Toya.
After ten seconds, the spectacle began. Like a fireworks display erupting within the maze, every robot was engulfed in flames, blasted off within moments.
The other students stood in awe, jaws dropping as the robots they had struggled against vanished before their eyes.
"How many points does that earn him?" Vlad King asked, breaking the stunned silence.
"I am not sure, but it seems like every robot was destroyed." Ectoplasm replied, scanning the screens.
Nezu rose from his seat and strode toward the screen, hands clasped behind his back. "It's 225 Villain points, three points higher than the previous record."
He paused for effect.
"He is now the highest scorer in U.A. history, surpassing even All Might, the Symbol of Peace."
….
"Yo! Recovery Girl. Is he all patched up?" Jin-Ho inquired as he entered the medical ward.
A patient lay on the bed, one leg and arm heavily bandaged.
"You brat, what did you teach this child?" The old lady's voice was low and dangerous. She came running at him with her walking stick, clearly intent on landing a few blows.
"I didn't teach him anything. That brat picked it up himself." Jin-Ho remarked, dodging strikes left and right.
"I was wondering what all the ruckus was about. So it was you." A lazy voice chimed in as someone entered the room.
"Sensei! Worried about your grand-disciple already?" Jin-Ho looked back with a smirk.
"What disciple?" Aizawa didn't understand.
"I am your disciple and he is my disciple, so that makes him your grand-disciple." Jin-Ho explained as if it were obvious.
"No, it doesn't. And are you still reading those stupid xianxia novels?" Aizawa denied flatly.
"Just now you were so adamant about not teaching the child anything, and now he is your disciple?" Recovery Girl snapped, going after Jin-Ho for another round of beating.
Aizawa watched with a dull expression. He understood his peaceful days were numbered again - for the same reason.
Before worrying about himself, he spoke. "Jin-Ho, if you want to cause trouble, go somewhere else. There is a patient here."
Though he called out his student's name, the message was meant for Recovery Girl too. She wasn't usually the type to get worked up, but she seemed genuinely angry today.
After a few more minutes, everyone calmed down.
"There are four bone fractures, two ribs, left leg, and right arm." Recovery Girl reported Toya's condition.
That's a lot less than I thought... The thought crossed Jin-Ho's mind, but he didn't dare say it aloud.
"That idiot. I warned him not to go overboard." He muttered under his breath.
"They say an apple doesn't fall far from its tree." Aizawa remarked, hearing Jin-Ho's words.
"Sensei, you know I wouldn't do something so reckless, especially when the results are as insignificant as hurting a half-beaten old man's pride." Jin-Ho said with an annoyed tone, though his annoyance wasn't aimed at anyone in the room.
"Okay, stop. Continue your discussion elsewhere. I need to heal the boy, so get out." Recovery Girl demanded.
The healing process wasn't complete, she had just given a brief break to let the boy keep up with his fast metabolism.
"Not finished? Don't tell me you are getting old, Recovery Girl. Back in my day, these types of injuries were just a warm-up for you. I wonder what would have happened if he wasn't covered with [Healing Talsimans]?"
Jin-Ho said as if it had been ages, when it hadn't even been a month since left his position as an assistant teacher.
"Get out, you stupid brat!" The Recovery Girl pointed toward the door.
"Yeah, we are going." Jin-Ho finally complied.
Since he had something to discuss with Aizawa anyway, he stepped out of the operating room without much complaint.
"She really doesn't like me..." Jin-Ho sighed as the door shut in his face.
"You know it isn't like that. It isn't about dislike - it's pure hate." Aizawa started as if to comfort him, then ended on a terrible note.
"Come on, it isn't that bad." Jin-Ho protested.
"Well, any doctor would hate you when you hospitalize an entire class in a single day." Aizawa said, remembering the day that made Vlad King dislike Jin-Ho.
"Oh, that? Most of them only had minor injuries, except for two - but they deserved it." Jin-Ho said, clearly annoyed.
He wasn't interested in talking about that topic.
"Actually, I have something I need to tell you about Toya..."
He didn't bother beating around the bush and explained Toya's story, carefully leaving out parts that might expose his own secrets.
Overall, Jin-Ho thought he did a commendable job creating a convincing story.
He started with Toya's life within the Todoroki household and their dysfunctional dynamic.
Then how Toya's quirk got out of control one day while practicing near Sekoto Peak in Musutafu City. He was pronounced dead when no trace was found except a fragment of his lower jaw bone.
In reality, Toya had survived. He was in a coma for around a year, his injuries treated, though much of his body was damaged beyond repair and required replacements.
When Toya finally woke and escaped from the hospital, he rushed back home, only to realize his father was continuing his abusive behavior, this time with Shoto, and his family was still living under his tyrannical rule.
"Sigh... You have managed to get yourself into another mess." Aizawa concluded.
"Well, I am not going alone, that's for sure." Jin-Ho replied with a grin, implying he was dragging Aizawa along.
"Maybe I should consider a job change." Aizawa said with a serious look.
Jin-Ho's mind went blank for a second, thinking that if Aizawa really did quit, it would be the biggest change he'd brought to this world.
"If you do quit, come over to my agency, Sensei." A perfect business smile appeared on Jin-Ho's face.
"Anything but that." Aizawa said warily.
He continued. "What are you planning to do about Endeavor?"
"If he comes to my house and knocks on my door shamelessly, I will give him a nice beating." Jin-Ho clenched his right fist.
Neither of them doubted that statement.
"Then why don't you just arrange a meeting with him before something like that happens? Our principal is quite capable of that." Aizawa suggested.
"That's a possibility, and a nice one at that, but I am not inclined to it. I think Toya feels the same way." Jin-Ho remarked.
"If you are not going to listen to anything I say, why did you even bring this topic up?" Aizawa asked, frustrated.
"Just felt like telling you."
Aizawa sighed.
The door opened and Recovery Girl stepped out.
"The treatment went well. He should be able to walk after regaining his energy." she explained.
"Yep! I wasn't wrong to count on you, Recovery Girl." Jin-Ho said excitedly, giving a thumbs up.
"So, when can I take him home?" Jin-Ho inquired.
"Whenever you feel like it." she replied, taking Jin-Ho's quirk into consideration.
"A month or so is fine, then?" Jin-Ho asked doubtfully, scratching his chin.
"Just take him and leave already!" Recovery Girl snapped and shouted.
Aizawa stood by and watched his former student and his antics. There was only one person capable of irritating Recovery Girl like this, and that was his discip—
Cough. Cough.
He meant his ex-assitant.
….
.
[To be continued….]
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