They were screwed. Everything. Absolutely everything was going well until now! He had fulfilled one of his lifelong goals of having a strip club. He had female workers, guards, and loyal enough men. He was even about to start drug dealing! All in all, he had success! It could have continued this way until all of the underworld of Musutafu knew about his business and enjoyed it!
Unfortunately, they found him again and were ruining everything. Instead of fighting him head-on in a bloody war, they were sinking his business. He knew for a fact that they were actively ruining the reputation of his establishment. He had fewer and fewer customers for his strip club. His restaurant wasn't affected, but that was only a front, so the little income he received was mostly worthless compared to what he earned before. That was the reason he closed the restaurant and strip club today. He needed to think and plan for what he should do to solve this problem.
He was surrounded by dozens of his men, all sitting at the tables usually reserved for the customers. Most of them dressed like ruffians, and only a few bothered wearing suits since they didn't care about their appearances. They didn't think it mattered when it came to guarding this place or working here. They weren't the ones dancing on the poles, after all.
Nonetheless, even if he had quite a few men, there still wasn't enough of them to fill the whole room. Indeed, the underground strip club's main room was spacious enough to host around 200 patrons. The biggest strip clubs in other countries could easily host more than a thousand, but this wasn't too bad for one located in Japan. He had also hoped to expand it one day. The bar was stocked with an array of drinks and cocktails, while dancing poles were strategically placed around the room, near the tables where patrons would gather. Normally, dim, colorful lights would flash, but with the establishment closed, only a regular light illuminated the space.
He even set up a special stage where his most popular dancers would perform. They were now as empty as the rest. It was a pathetic sight. Seeing one of his dreams crumbling under his eyes filled him with rage.
Oh, right. Who was he? It was simple. He was the man sitting on the stairs leading to the private rooms; however, he was not like the others. Firstly, he towered over them, easily taller than the average man. However, his most recognizable feature wasn't his size, but rather the rest of his appearance. He looked like the crossbreed of a human and a bull. His legs were hooves, and he possessed bulging muscles and a bull head with large horns protruding from it. On his nose, he wore a golden nose ring. While his skin was tanned, his back, legs, and topless upper chest were covered in black fur.
His brown eyes filled with fury, mixed with his size and overall appearance, would intimidate nearly anyone. Even some of his men sweat nervously as if they could feel his anger emanating from him. Despite that, two lightly dressed women, only wearing bikinis, lay in his lap without fear.
He was the leader of the Wild Dogs: Zhong Liu. He breathed through his nose as he clenched his fists.
"This joke lasted long enough! Those bastards screwed us over for the last time! Since they want a fight so bad, we'll give it to them," Zhong Liu declared confidently.
"What should we do, Boss?" One of the closest men asked, as pumped as his leader.
"First, recruit some guys, as many as possible. We need some canon fodders, tell them there'll be good pay. Screw handguns, contact everyone we know, and let's get some serious firepower. Once we're ready, we'll leave Musutafu, head over to their turf, and bring war with us," He explained. His plan was basically to run head-first into them and blindly attack. He would lose a lot of men, either killed or arrested by pro-heroes. That was why he would canon fodder, that way he could sacrifice them instead of his own gang members.
"Aye!" One man yelled, pumping up a fist.
"They'll see what we're made of!" Another one declared.
"Uhm… Boss?" The bullhead picked up a frail and nervous mutter. Quickly, he turned to the entrance door, noticing only now that it was open. The guard he posted on the upper floor was here, shaking like a leaf.
"What is it?" Liu inquired with an annoyed tone, silencing the whole room.
"Someone is here to see you," The henchman nervously responded.
"Didn't I say I don't wanna be disturbed? Tell them to fuck off," Liu grumbled, waving his hand in dismissal.
"I… Didn't really have a choice, Boss," The other man replied. Suddenly, he was propelled across the room as if he were hit by a car and crashed into one of the nearby tables.
"This is getting too long," The person who shoved him muttered before coming in, leaning down so their head wouldn't hit the top of the doorframe.
The Wild Dogs' leader narrowed his eyes as a giant of a man entered the room. Just like him, this one had horns, too. A mutant type, without a doubt.
"That's the first time I have to look up at someone," He mumbled under his breath. Even if he was sitting, he could tell the green-haired man was a good head taller than him.
"T-That guy is huge!" A nearby gangster exclaimed while looking up.
Of course, he was huge. He was Izuku Midoriya, and thanks to his quirk he hardly felt intimidated by anyone, even when meeting someone close to his size and height. Himiko Toga, or rather Ace, was hiding in his shadow, ready to pounce if needed. He kept her hidden in case he wanted her to go for a surprise attack.
"He must be 3 meters tall!" Another one added, taking a step back.
Eh, more like 2,87 but who was counting anymore? Well, the horned boy had to since he often bumped his head on ceilings.
"You're Zhong Liu, right?" Izuku questioned, though he already knew the answer.
"You know me, but I've never seen your ugly mug. Who the hell are you?" Liu glared at the intruder, who not only dared to attack his base but also disrespected him.
"You can call me Ryu," Izuku responded. "I'm here for a specific reason, but I'd rather avoid dirtying and trashing this place, so let's do it the easy way. I want to take control of this business. I'll be your new boss from now on," He boldly announced, much to everyone's astonishment.
The area was stunned into silence, not expecting this in the least. You could almost hear a pin drop. Finally, after a few seconds, a tiny snicker escaped Liu's mouth, which grew louder and louder until it turned into full-blown laughter. It didn't even take a second before his men joined it, mocking the horned new arrival.
"You're crazy, I'll give you that! What a joke!" Liu belly laughed while holding his two dancers, who only giggled among themselves. "That punk has no idea who we are! Teach him a lesson, guys!" He ordered.
"Aye!" They shouted in unison as they jumped off their chairs.
"Knew it wouldn't be that easy," Izuku muttered before pulling his right arm back. "Out of my way, small fries!" He shouted as he kept his arm outstretched and bent before swinging it forward like a scythe. Surprised at his quick moves, the men he targeted had no time to dodge as his arm closed it on them. "Dragon Scythe!" He shouted as he made contact with them.
Due to his long and wide arms, at least five of the gangsters found themselves struck by his forearm. The moment his limb collided with these fodders, he put in even more strength and sent them flying, along with parts of the bar on his right. The wind produced from the blow alone was also enough to blow many of the bottles. As for the men that were hit? Their bodies flew across the room, either slamming into a wall, tables, or even their teammates. None of them came out unscathed. One's jaw had been blown off his, and another had the left side of his head bashed in, which most likely got his brain smushed by the skull. Someone else's face had been flattened as if it had been ran over by a truck. Even if some of them survived the initial blow, they were doomed by their injuries. Those three were only the worst cases as the rest were just as bloodied.
If he had used all his power, they likely would have been torn apart. However, Izuku didn't want to show his whole hand yet. He needed to see if that was enough to make them understand he wasn't to be messed with. Anyone would realize that fighting someone who could break all your bones in only one hit would be stupid. As expected, many of them swiftly recoiled at that display.
"F-Fuck! What the hell was that?!" One of the gangsters shouted as he fell on his butt. One of his buddies had flown right where he was. Even if he was used to gruesome sights, he rarely had to witness someone dying with a single hit from a forearm. The comrade that landed near him had his neck fully twisted and the head open.
"He might be as strong as the boss!" Another one added, flabbergasted.
That one comment made Izuku perk up with interest. While what he did was pretty good, he knew that many other people in the world could do the same. Many had mutant or strength-based quirks, after all. However, he didn't expect he could potentially fight someone on his level.
"You'll pay for that!" A Wild Dog member screamed, running toward Izuku at full speed. The man joined his hands together as a sword came out of them, gripping the handle tightly, he jumped and delivered a vertical slash at the horned man's chest. Himiko who remained near the door smirked, already knowing the outcome. SHLING! The gangster widened his eyes as his blade broke in half. "W-What?" He uttered while staring at his broken blade. Looking up, he froze once he noticed he left no scratch on the other man's body.
"Are you going to fight yourself or not?" Izuku questioned Liu before grabbing the gangster who attacked him's head. He ignored the man attempting to claw his way out and casually crushed his skull in his palm like a grape before letting the body drop. "If you're as strong as I am, then it'll be interesting,"
Zhong Liu's eyes wandered around, taking in his men's emotions. They were still ready to fight even if they were slightly shaken up. However, he knew that even if they managed to bring the intruder down at some point, they wouldn't do it without spilling gallons of blood. He wasn't willing to lose any more valuable men. Finally, he stood up.
"Step back, guys. That man may be too much for you to handle. I'll take care of this," He instructed them while cracking his neck. "I do have a lot of strength, but don't lump me in the same basket as you,"
"Oh? Why?" Izuku arched an eyebrow.
"I'm not just a stupid brute. I actually used my strength to help me master martial arts and deal deadly blows with ease," He revealed as he took a combat stance, slightly bending his knees and arms, and raising a hand above the other, pulling it back near his head. "A Chinese martial art that tears the flesh right off my enemies: the Hikisaku Ken," He explained pridefully.
"Now this is getting interesting," Izuku grinned, feeling his heart pumping. "Alright! Show me what you can do!" He declared excitedly.
"Tsk. Guess you won't understand how dangerous I am until I show you," Liu scoffed. Suddenly, he charged forward, making the floor shake with his powerful hooves. "Here, take this! Sora o Waru Ken!" He announced as he raised his hand and quickly brought it down toward the horned boy.
Izuku narrowed his eyes as he realized Liu was using a chop attack, which was the first time anyone tried to hit him in such a way. Not taking any risks, he didn't let himself get hit like he usually would when playing around with an opponent. Before Liu's hand could connect, The green-haired boy grabbed his wrist, stopping his attack mid-air.
"Martial arts are worthless if you can't hit me," He smugly remarked, only for Liu to smirk.
"You sure?" He asked, not bothered at all that his wrist had been caught.
Suddenly, Izuku's jacket was torn off on his left shoulder as if it had been through a shredder. The boy widened his eyes and grunted, not in pain, but in surprise. Sure, he was still intact, but the fact that his jacket had been partially torn off even though his enemy didn't even make contact with it was not something he expected.
"You're wide open!" Liu shouted with glee, immediately taking advantage of his opponent's surprise. "Taki Noboru Ken!" The bull-man's other hand shot upward vertically in a claw-like position as if trying to scratch Izuku's chest.
Fortunately, the dragon boy still didn't let his guard down. With quick reflexes, he leaned back and dodged the man's hit, this time also making sure he was going far enough to avoid getting caught like last time. Of course, he also had to let go of the man's wrist to do that.
"Not so fast! Niku o Hikisaku Sharin!" He announced again as he raised his right leg and pivoted on the other, making a horizontal circular motion in Izuku's direction. The giant of a man stepped aside with incredible speed, dodging the kick. Yet, it was too close to his comfort as he had witnessed what his martial art could do. One unfortunate soul had been standing near Izuku, so once the horned man avoided the blow, they were the ones to take it instead.
Blood poured out in the air like a bloody fountain while the curling screams of one of the Wild Dogs filled the entire room. The man lay on the floor, kicking underneath him as he held his arm in agony. Not only the sleeve where he was hit was gone, but his skin and flesh were too, exposing his bone.
"H-Help! Call for help!" He begged while tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Idiots! You know you shouldn't stand close while I'm fighting!" Liu admonished the whole group as the two of his men grabbed the injured one and pulled him away from the fight.
Still near the door, Himiko licked her lips at the display. Not only did she get to enjoy the nice show Izuku put on with his opening attack, but Zhong Liu made a bloody mess, too!
"Looks yummy," She mumbled to herself, her grin reaching her ears. She couldn't wait to see how the battle would play out.
Meanwhile, Izuku stared at Liu's display with a certain admiration. He never knew such a martial art existed before. If it was something not bound by a quirk, then that meant anyone could learn it, didn't it?
"Hey, how does that martial art work?" He boldly inquired. Even if he wasn't one to speak about how he fought and his quirk, he was well aware that this wasn't the case for everyone.
"Oh, so you're taking me seriously, now? I do have to admit you're quick on your feet for someone your size," Liu snickered arrogantly as he entered his combat stance again. "The Hikisaku Ken relies on both strength and speed, which combined with precise and calculated movements can create blows as ravaging as the torrents in a powerful tornado. Each blow acts like a wind that tears you to shreds. The meek average person could never unlock the full potential of that art as they would peel off someone's skin at most, but with my quirk and peak physique, I tear the flesh right off the bones!" He proudly explained, smirking as he expected his opponent to be shaking. He focused his stare on Izuku, studying his position. The taller man was looking down, and just as Liu expected it… He was shaking! Yes, it was fear! "You understand what you got yourself into, don't you?" He chuckled.
Izuku clenched his fist as he finally looked up. There was no fear in his eyes. There was joy, in fact! He had been shaking with excitement, looking at Zhong Liu with a wide and eager smile!
"How fascinating! I never knew someone could fight like that!" He laughed. "Come and show me your moves! I want to learn that style!" He admitted.
"Y-You…" Liu muttered before clenching his teeth so hard you could hear them grind. "Bastard! You still mock me? As if you could learn it so easily!" He shouted before charging toward the horned bastard.
"Of course, not! I'm taking you seriously!" Izuku replied excitedly as he readied himself to intercept the enemy. With a newfound speed, his fist shot forward, nearly getting invisible to the small fries watching their fight.
Zhong Liu widened his eyes in surprise before swiftly raising his arms in a guard. Miraculously, he blocked the fist right in time. Despite that, he was still pushed back. Considering his weight, it was a testament to Izuku's strength that Liu pushed away like this. Not only that, but the pain in his arms wasn't negligible. Thankfully, nothing was broken.
Izuku didn't let him rest, and closed in on him, delivering multiple blows. Liu breathed out, not scared in the least of the approaching enemy. He blocked every single blow, either with a well-placed guard or by redirecting Izuku's strength with the help of his martial art, using the man's own strength against him. Nonetheless, the long-haired man was still gaining ground on him, forcing him to step back.
He blocked a right, then a left, dodged another right and even blocked Izuku's leg with one of his hooves. Alright, Liu had to admit that this man was strong. If there was any praise he could give him, it would be his power and speed. Each hit would have broken an average man's bones. However, Liu had a much stronger build than the average man, so you would need more than that. He bid his time for a couple of more seconds… There! He countered yet another of Izuku's blows in a way that finally left the horned man completely open.
He directed one swift palm thrust toward Izuku's chest.
"Ten no Tenohira!" Liu yelled, only for the green-haired man to manage to push up his hand just before it could hit his chest. However, this time, the blow not only tore off pieces of Izuku's jacket but also shredded off his skin! Midoriya grunted in pain, his shoulder all red from his exposed muscles. Liu slightly narrowed his eyes. It was supposed to deal much more damage, yet it only peeled off the skin… His enemy's body really was unusually strong… Yet, it didn't matter. This hit was only a distraction! "Shinzo Jokyo Ken!" He thrust his right hand forward where Izuku's heart should have been located.
Zhong Liu smirked as his hand successfully penetrated the other man's chest, digging into his flesh. Izuku grunted in pain again before spitting out blood as he fell to a knee. With his hand still on the other man's chest, Liu could feel the warm crimson liquid pouring out all over his hand and onto the floor.
"I-Izuku! He's bleeding!" Himiko shouted in shock, astonished as she witnessed the boy's pain. For the first time since she met him, she saw his blood flow out of his body.
Izuku explicitly told her not to act or interfere in his fight if there were any, but this was clearly an emergency, wasn't it? If she stood there, he would probably die! She took out her knife, gritting her teeth with rage. No, even if he didn't want her to interfere, she couldn't let this guy get away with hurting her leader and friend. Right now, she was even ready to ignore Izuku's blood to save him. However, before she could jump into the fight, she stopped, noticing the boy's expression.
"Tsk," Liu clicked his tongue. Unfortunately, his hand hadn't reached Izuku's heart. No matter, this was still enough to put him down. He paused as a small chuckle reached his ears. Huh? Who was laughing now of all times? With a certain apprehension, his eyes focused on the opponent.
"Ha… Haha… HAHAHA! Got you, now!" Izuku eagerly laughed, much to Liu's shock.
"What?!" He exclaimed, flabbergasted while the horned man suddenly stood up.
"Your blocking and dodging was getting annoying!" Izuku stated as he grabbed Liu's left wrist, squeezing it until his bones cracked. The gangster released a pained grunt before attempting to pull his right hand out of the boy's chest. The instant the dragon boy felt his flesh moving at the attempt, he flexed his muscles, squashing Liu's hand inside.
"M-My hand's stuck!" He shouted, unable to pull it out. "You're telling me you let yourself get hit just to land a blow on me?! Are you crazy?!" He asked, baffled.
"You finally get it!" Izuku exclaimed, laughing as he swiftly stood back up. "Thundering Headbutt!" The horned boy pulled his head back before slamming it as hard as he could into Liu's head, making his skull crack so hard that even the gangsters nearby heard it.
Zhong Liu dropped to his knees, feeling the impact and pain traveling throughout his whole body. He grunted in pain while something warm dropped down his face, even going into his eyes. He recognized the taste, scent, and most of all the color… Red. Blood was spilling out of his forehead like a tiny fountain.
"Dragon Scythe," Izuku announced his attack and slammed his forearm against the bull's throat, throwing him back as he released both of his hands.
"B-Boss!" One of the Wild Dogs shouted as they witnessed their leader being flung back.
Pain. That was pretty much all Zhong Liu felt at the moment as he lay on the floor. Ringing in his ears was all he heard, and blood was all he breathed, forcing him to spit it out. With this excruciating pain in the throat, he would have thought his neck was broken, yet it wasn't. He may have slightly underestimated his enemy's strength… He hit like a truck! Maybe even worse! However, he couldn't let himself die here. He refused to lose!
Gritting his teeth, Liu managed to stand back up, grunting all the way with shaky legs.
"I'm fine…" He grumbled to his men while breathing heavily. He needed to finish off that man quickly, or else he wouldn't last too many of his punches. Izuku pulled his arm back again before rushing the martial artist with the intent of pummeling him to the floor. Liu swiftly entered his original stance again before moving his hands in a circle. "Hikisaku Ken no Ogi: Hyaku Netsu no Shinken!" He went to counter Izuku's attack with his own.
It was the Hikisaku Ken's ultimate technique, the one thing that was sure to always end his fights. Anytime he used this move, his enemies were torn apart. Even their bones were reduced to smithereens!
Izuku held a shocked expression as he witnessed a flurry of fists closing in on him, showcasing a speed Liu hadn't used up until now. With clenched teeth, the horned boy brought his arms up to shield himself. Considering what Zhong Liu managed to do to him with weaker hits, he didn't need to be a genius to figure out that his natural body wouldn't be enough to protect him. He needed to use his quirk! Instead of turning fully or into a hybrid form, he covered his arms and the front of his body in scales right before the bull's fists landed.
Intense pain shot up across his body as bullets the size of fists riddled him, giving him no mercy while they tore off pieces of his scales and flesh. He rarely ever bled as even his father had tried to make him and failed despite his many tries. However, this time, his vision was all red. For the first in his life, he was bleeding as if he was close to losing the entirety of his life juice.
Nevertheless, he stubbornly prevailed, retaining consciousness as he was thrown back. Not only he didn't want to lose, but he also absolutely refused to lie down. His pride wouldn't allow it! He stopped himself before his back could fall to the floor, and used his elbows to throw himself to his knees.
"T-That should have killed him…" Liu muttered, annoyed, but mostly impressed. "Even if it didn't tear him apart… He should have lost chunks of flesh, already!" He yelled.
"I-Izu-kun!" Himiko exclaimed though everyone had been too focused on the fight to even notice her. She had never seen Izuku bleed so much in her life! There were red gashes all over his body, which spurted out blood all over him. She was worried, but she couldn't deny the injuries made him a lot cuter. So that was how he looked all bloody… She loved it. Even adored it, but it would be horrible if he died. Still, he was on his knees but could fight on. She trusted him.
Izuku observed his palm. He had never been pushed around like that. When was the last time he was in serious danger? Granted, he was barely using his quirk even now, but it was exciting. It broadened the possibilities for excitement so much. Just because he wanted to conquer Japan didn't mean he couldn't have fun along the way. Most of all, it wasn't just fun he was having. This was an interesting learning experience.
It was time to finish things up. Despite all the blood his body was spewing out, those were superficial injuries that would heal in a few days thanks to his quirk, so he wasn't exactly worried about these even if they did serve to impress him.
"How the hell are you still alive?" Liu questioned, flabbergasted by his opponent's resistance.
"I'm tough," Izuku replied before standing up with his head high, much to the wonder of everyone around. "I do have to admit you have me pretty banged up, but it takes more than that to bring me down. If you want to kill me, then you'll have to cut off my head," He arrogantly stated. "No matter how much you hit me, it won't falter, it won't fall. My body is invincible," He smugly added.
"Your body?" Liu clicked his tongue, glaring at the other horned man. "So that's it? This is your only weapon and talent? That tells me everything I need to know. You've been naturally gifted, and because of that you never put in any effort. You don't know what struggle is nor how to actually fight. All you ever used was brute and unbridled strength. I was like you when I was younger, but I've been humbled a few times, and thanks to that I've worked to perfect my art. I can't lose to someone who's all brawn," The martial artist scoffed proudly.
"That's our boss!"
"Teach him a lesson!"
"Not quite," Izuku muttered, ignoring the cheering of the crowd. He cracked his neck. "So… How did you do it, again?" He asked Zhong Liu, who only cocked an eyebrow in confusion. The green-haired boy bent his knees and arms and raised a hand above the other.
The bull-man widened his eyes in shock and instantly recognized the stance the dragon boy took. This… This was impossible! He was bluffing! He must have been bluffing! Even if his stance was actually perfect, imitating Zhong Liu's to the tiniest detail… He couldn't have…
"What was it called? Sora o Waru Ken, right?," Izuku brought his hand down, chopping the air in the direction of one of his men as if they were training dummies. The man he targeted froze, unable to react in time, he only stood there as all the flesh on his shoulder was torn clean off his body.
"GRAAH!" He screamed in agony, collapsing to the floor while holding his shoulder.
His comrades didn't move from their spot even to help him. They had been too shocked to even react. They had never seen anyone use that move apart from their leader.
"This… Isn't possible. That was my technique! He… He saw me use it only once, yet he copied it to perfection!" Liu gulped, sweat running down his cheeks. Who the hell was this man?
"Yes, those techniques will be useful. I still want to learn more," Izuku stated while closing and opening his fist, watching it with great interest. With new abilities in hand, he felt even more invincible than he did earlier.
"No! This is a fluke! You couldn't have possibly learned it!" Liu screamed, fury burning in his soul. "You did by chance! You must have!"
"Defeat is hard to accept, so I don't blame you for doubting. But we played around enough. We have to finish this, now," Izuku stated calmly as his body began changing. His skin shifted, slightly closing the holes across his body while green scales covered him.
Both Zhong Liu and Himiko gasped as the man finally revealed his quirk, making even the gangsters step back as he changed. Green scales covered his whole body except for his abs. His nails turned into black draconic claws while his horn grew longer and larger along with green tips. Two other horns sprouted out of the top of his head, resembling a crown. His legs changed shape, too, making him reach a higher height. With claws on his toes too, and sharp fangs, he really seemed like a monster. Finally, a large tail with dark green fur at the tip came out of his lower back. Even if he was still bloody, some of his injuries had been covered by the scales, hiding them as if he hadn't been hurt in the first place.
The blonde girl could only watch in awe at her friend's transformation. She finally got to see his quirk! It was unlike anything she had expected! It looked impressive, specifically thanks to his size. He also didn't let anything slip when it came to what it was, and his horns weren't enough to point her in the right direction.
"T-This won't be enough to beat me!" Liu growled, clenching his fists.
"Oh, it will," Izuku chuckled as he took Liu's stance again, making the other man jerk back.
"I won't let you use my moves anymore!" He shouted before charging toward the dragon boy with his head down, aiming his horn at him.
"Nihyanno Shakunetsu no Shinken!" Izuku replicated the same moves as Zhong Liu did before throwing a series of fists at the charging man. Not only he used a similar technique, but it had been even stronger and deadlier as he landed twice as many hits as the bull did earlier.
It was an even worse bloodbath than Izuku suffered through! Chunks of flesh were torn off Liu's body as the bull hybrid was thrown on his back, sliding across the floor and leaving a trail of red behind him. Miraculously, Liu survived. He lay down, panting and barely breathing while he gurgled blood. He wasn't even sure how he was still conscious yet.
The women who lay on his lap earlier huddled together with the rest of the gang, too scared to even scream as they witnessed their leader's defeat.
"M-Monster… You're a monster…" The man spat, wheezing with agony while Izuku turned back to normal.
"T-The boss was defeated…" One of the gangsters stammered with sweat running down his forehead.
"Who the hell is this guy?"
"Fuck this, I'm getting out of here!" One of them shouted before fleeing toward the exit.
"Wait for me!" Another screamed before following after him. Soon enough, the others followed suit, running away in fear.
Unfortunately for them all, a blonde girl intercepted them all, standing between them and the exit. Her wide smile sent shivers down all their spines, making them reconsider the idea of escaping. Sure, she looked like she was nothing but a young girl, but after seeing her partner's display, they began doubting they stood a chance. There was no way she wasn't secretly powerful, too.
"Where do you think you're going? Didn't I say you'll work under me?" Izuku asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Don't… Don't run, guys," Zhong Liu ordered them, spitting out blood between his words. His eyes shifted to the man who defeated him. "I give up… You win… Arh… We'll work for you, all of this… Is yours…" He panted. He would gladly give up on his pride if it meant he would live. More than that… This man filled him with freezing and deathly fear. He never thought he would face such a monster in his lifetime. To think he didn't even fight at full strength until the end of their battle… Liu had been nothing but his plaything!
"But Boss…" One of the men tried to argue, only for Liu to grunt in pain as he tried to shout.
"No arguing! HE is your new boss, now," He interjected in anger, shutting up any resistance from his henchmen. "He won fair and square… He's strong…" Too strong to resist him.
"At least, you are smart," Izuku stated to the fallen enemy before turning to the gangsters who were still frozen in fear. "Treat him as quickly as possible. I want him to live," He ordered them casually.
"O-Of course!" One of them gulped before running to his former boss. As soon as he did, others followed to help him pull Liu's body to one of the private rooms and treat his injuries. With so many men, at least one of them should have some kind of healing quirk.
"I'll want to have a talk with him once he's better," He said while watching them take Zhong Liu to safety. "Good job securing the exit, Ace," He complimented Himiko as soon as she approached him.
"It was nothing, Ryu-kun," She blushed, smiling at the boy's kind words. Of course, she also stared at his bloodied body not so sneakily, wishing she could just have a taste of it, now.
"We'll need to talk about what to do next," He told her before addressing a nearby gangster. "Hey, did your former boss has an office or something?" He questioned.
"Y-Yes, sir!" The underling replied before pointing in the office's direction with a shaky finger.
Izuku didn't bother saying anything else before walking toward the office, followed by Himiko Toga. His new underlings already had their orders, which were to take care of the injured survivors. On the other hand, he needed to debrief the current situation with his blonde partner and rest. He already had a pretty good idea of how to proceed next, too.
"Hmpf," He grumbled as he sat on the couch. The office was pretty spacious, which wasn't surprising considering who was the previous owner. Unfortunately, there was a mess. His desk was covered with paperwork lazily thrown together while the floor had articles of clothing sprawled around. He also just dirtied the floor with his blood, too.
"This was amazing, Izu-kun! Was that your quirk?" Himiko asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I can turn into a dragon, basically," He finally revealed, leaning back on the couch.
"Woah, the only person I can think of with a similar quirk is that dragon hero, Ryukyu, right?"
"Yeah, but from what I've seen, she doesn't have a hybrid form like me. Besides, we're two different types of dragons," He responded before spitting out blood on the side.
"So you can turn into a full dragon? Why didn't you do it? Please, show me! Please! Please!" She jumped up and down with excitement. She was also wondering what dragon blood tasted like. Seriously, those were creatures from myths and legends, why didn't anyone take Ryukyu in a research lab yet or something?
"If I did, then it wouldn't be discreet. The whole place would probably collapse. I'm sure you'll see it one day," He retorted before placing a hand on his chest. "I'll need to wrap some bandages," He grunted with annoyance.
"I'll grab some real quick," Himiko shouted, ready to run outside.
"Later," Izuku interjected, stopping her in her tracks. "For now, we have more important matters to attend to. My injuries can wait. We succeeded in taking over, so at least that's one step done,"
"You were so cool, Izu-kun! But why did you let that guy live? I get he's strong and you probably want him as a lieutenant, but he'll be pissed after what you did. What if he stabs in the back?" She inquired. She was mostly worried about Izuku since she cared little about her safety at this point. It wasn't like anyone would miss her, anyway… Except maybe for Izuku? She hoped he would miss her if that happened. Moreover, she lived a fun year until now.
"As if! I'm not letting him in my inner circle, that's for sure. But he can still be a pretty good asset. Don't worry about him. He knows he can't do anything to me," Izuku shook his head, scoffing. "I showed him a peak he can never reach, and if even tires anything, I'll teach him another lesson until he learns," He threatened coldly. If Liu did try anything, then the horned boy would likely take one of his arms… Or maybe something small to start? Tail or horns, perhaps? "Besides, Giran told us about him because he expected me to kill him, which meant this would benefit that old man,"
"Is that a bad thing?" Himiko arched an eyebrow.
"I think it is. A guy with so many contacts must have sworn allegiance to someone already, so as I told you, I can't trust him. I'd rather not do too many things that benefit him. Now that we got everything we needed to start our plan, we cut all contact with him, got it?" He explained as Himiko saluted with a smile.
"Got it!" She nodded.
"Good. Now about our situation. Unless we're alone or with someone we can trust, we only use our codenames when addressing each other. I'm Ryu, and you're Ace," He reaffirmed. Himiko nodded in understanding. "Your quirk, too, must be kept a secret, alright? No one knows about it. No matter how much you trust them or even if they're in our crew, this must be our most well-kept secret, even more than my own quirk. This is an asset that we can't afford to lose, and the less people know about it, the more they'll fall prey to us. Your quirk will be one of our trump cards, understood?" He explained.
"Oh, you're thinking so much ahead, Izu-kun! No problem! It wouldn't be the first time I have to hide it, anyway," She replied before pausing, realizing something. "Wait, is that why my codename is Ace?" Himiko blushed. "You flatterer!"
"I can change it," Izuku immediately threatened.
"Please, don't!"
"Moving on. We still need to recruit more people and develop this place. That's another reason I kept Zhong around. He'll probably have useful information for me. Obviously, I won't be around here all day long because of the responsibilities I have in my regular life, so I'll count on you to take care of things when I'm not here since you have nothing else to do," Izuku instructed, making Himiko's eyes sparkle.
"So you're putting me in charge?" She exclaimed eagerly.
"Only when I'm not around!" Izuku barked to calm her down as quickly as possible and keep her from getting too excited. "I'm telling you now, you better take things here seriously. I'm counting on you,"
"I will. I promise!" Himiko assured with a confident nod.
"Good. I guess we'll have to wait for Zhong to be in shape to talk, so we can figure out how to work with this place," Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "Go and find me some bandages," He ordered, only for Himiko to grin.
"Gotcha!" She shouted as she grabbed a knife and rushed at him, trying to stab one of his wounds. Unfortunately for her, her partner reacted quickly and blocked the incoming blade with his palm.
"Now, now, I thought it should have been clear when we made that agreement. Stabbing me where I'm already bleeding won't count. You still can't get any of my blood, blondie," He grumbled while Himiko pouted. "Also, you failed anyway," He added as he showed his unscathed palm. "Since you failed,"
"Yeah, I know!" She replied before lifting her skirt, showing her white plain panties, which made Izuku raise an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?" He questioned. "I still didn't tell you what you have to do,"
"But… That's what you've been telling me to do every time I failed until now…" The blonde retorted in confusion.
"That doesn't mean I won't change my orders on a whim," Izuku scoffed. "Show me your pussy instead," He instructed casually.
"Oh, so the same thing but without panties," The villainess plainly stated.
"Just do it already,"
"Alright! I just didn't expect you to be a perv, Izu-kun," The blonde villain giggled, madly blushing while she pulled her panties down.
The long-haired dragon boy arched an eyebrow once he laid his eyes on her crotch. Both her vagina and panties were wet! His partner tried looking innocent, looking away while her fluids rolled down her legs.
"That blood actually turned you on?!" Izuku shouted, both shocked and disappointed.
"It's not my fault! Don't shame me!" She yelled back, although she didn't seem that offended. "It's just… You're so bloody… I like it," She giggled, still keeping her skirt up. "That's the first time you asked me to show you what's under my panties, so does that mean… You want to take me now?" She inquired, her heart beating faster.
"Hell no. I'm pissing blood here, I'm not an animal. I won't fuck in that condition," He replied while waving his hand.
"I wouldn't mind, you know? In fact, I would love it if we do it now!" Himiko retorted, getting slightly too excited as she put her hands on one of Izuku's arms, leaving her panties behind.
"I know you would," He held the bridge of his nose. "Just… Get out and come back with bandages," He sighed. The fight actually tired him more than he anticipated.
Techniques and their meaning:
Sora o Waru Ken: Sky-Splitting Fist
Taki Noboru Ken: Waterfall Rising Fist
Niku o Hikisaku Sharin: Flesh-Tearing Wheel
Ten no Tenohira: Celestial Palm
Shinzo Jokyo Ken: Heart Removal Fist
Hikisaku Ken no Ogi: Hyaku Netsu no Shinken: Tearing Fist Secret Move: Hundred Burning Divine Fist
Nihyanno Shakunetsu no Shinken: Two Hundred Burning Divine Fist