"This place will do."
I looked around at the vast and desolate terrain from below the mountains. Off in the distance, a broad line of trees stood away from what would most likely be a hail of fire.
Standing far away from was Dabi. He was looking around the location I had brought him to with careful consideration. Despite his goal of joining my ranks, he was still cautious of and wondered if I had lured him into a trap.
"Not bad. Far enough that we won't garner any unwanted attention and desolate to the point where I won't be able to burn this whole forest down." Dabi had a crooked smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Now that we're here, let's get this show on the road." Raising his arms beside him, Dabi ignited his hands with blue flas. "I hope you don't regret giving only five minutes. I'll have you know, I'm a pretty tough bastard."
"We'll see about that," I said without taking my hands out of my pockets, a fact that caused a frown to grow on Dabi's scarred face.
[ 15 SP]
Without another word, Dabi swung his right arm forward and launched a massive wave of flas towards . As they grew closer, I couldn't help but be impressed at the level of heat his flas produced.
"With this treasure, I summon..."
Over my head, a small Dharma wheel materialized.
Dabi's flas can reach temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Celsius, significantly exceeding the heat of molten lava and the heat generated by Disaster Flas. In comparison, my Divine Arrow can achieve temperatures of 5,000 to 5,400 degrees Celsius. However, these extre temperatures are too intense for Mahoraga to adapt safely without risking his destruction.
This ans I now have the perfect opportunity to have the Divine General adapt to what was quite possibly this world's hottest source of fire.
Raising my right hand, I released a Dismantle slash that split the wave of fire in two without alerting Dabi, causing the now parallel waves of flas to pass off on my sides. Reaching out, I stuck my arms into the fire and felt a wave of pain as my arms were imdiately charred.
Clang.
"That's one," I muttered as I reverted the shape of my soul to its original state. Effectively healing back to 100%.
How odd, I can still be hurt despite his flas not being able to strike my soul. Could it be due to not being a curse like Mahito?
Hearing no screams or seeing no movent. Dabi stopped his attack and looked over the charred and smoking ground where I once stood with a guarded expression.
Jumping to the side, he released a ball of fire to his right, where I had suddenly appeared. I batted the flas aside with a wave of slashes.
Rushing in, I slamd an open palm into his chest that sent him sliding back. Gritting his teeth, Dabi exploded upwards with a burst of flas beneath his feet. With a roar, the firstborn Todoroki launched a massive explosion of azure flas at like a raining tsunami.
Despite the overwhelming heat, I remained in place and raised my arms in front of . Quickly, I reinforced myself with a thin layer of CE that helped endure the flas just enough so I wouldn't burn to death.
Fuck! That's hot!
Clang.
"That's two!" Swiping my arms, I split the fire apart and used the opening to leap high into the air.
Dabi watched jump out of his fla's path with wide eyes as he watched my charred and burnt flesh quickly disappear, only to be replaced with perfectly intact skin. Still, my clothes had barely held on due to the intense heat.
I was left with tattered and charred pants while my whole upper body was laid bare. My mask remained in place thanks to Kaina's use of so extrely tough materials in its construction. Plus, if it did break, I had five more backup masks within Zaiko.
Off a safe distance away, Zaiko was watching the ongoing battle from atop a tree branch with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.
With a swipe of my arm, I sent two slash attacks into Dabi's chest. Being mindful not to kill him, I had held back in the Dismantle's power. Leaving only shallow but still painful wounds on his scarred chest.
[ 35 SP]
"You can heal yourself?!" Dabi said in shock before he quickly landed on the ground. Due to his fla's powerful heat, his lower half was smoking and burned. Leaving him without shoes and ruined pants. Pulling back, he focused a bright ball of flas over his left hand. "That ans I can really let loose!"
Just as I landed on the ground, I had to move left and right to avoid a volley of incoming fireballs that scorched the ground. With great speed, I closed the distance between Dabi and and landed several quick punches onto his face.
Due to his mighty Quirk, Dabi never needed to work on his hand-to-hand skills. After all, what would be the point of that, considering that anyone who got even remotely close to him would instantly be burnt to ash?
Whoever thought of attacking Dabi head-on would need to be a suicidal fool or completely insane.
Hot, hot, hot!
Despite the roaring of the flas around , I continued raining punch after punch into Dabi's body. He grunted and growled as he tried to blast away with his flas, but all his attacks t nothing but air as I effortlessly danced and moved around him.
"Stay still!" Dabi roared, his body beginning to steam while a putrid sll of burnt flesh filled the air. In an act of irritation and anger, Dabi shrank into himself and scread as he unleashed a wave of flas all around him.
Due to my close proximity, I could do nothing but raise my guard up as the wave of roaring flas crashed into . Launching back across the ruined and charred battleground.
Clang.
"Finally." I looked over at Dabi's panting form as my burnt body quickly reford itself. "I'd like to thank you, Dabi. With this, the General is now completely adapted to your flas."
"General? Adapted? What are you going on about." Dabi asked with a glare.
Grinning, the Dharma wheel disappeared from over my head and sunk into my shadow. From behind , Mahoraga rose into existence. With a low growl, the Divine General moved in front of and stood still.
"How about this? I'll stand completely still and I'll let you use your strongest attack on . If I'm even so much as singed, I'll work under you." I held my arms beside and stared at Dabi's panting form, who was looking at suspiciously. "Well? What do you say?"
[ 35 SP]
"...is this so sort of trick?"
"No. No trick. Just give it all you've got. One burn is all you need to win." I said confidently and made a co-on motion. "Let's see what you got."
Seeing that I was completely serious, Dabi grinned madly and held his arms beside him. In a flash, powerful blue flas roared to life around him. "You better not die then!"
Here it cos.
"Flashfire Fist!" Dabi yelled as the world around us glowed a brilliant blue. "Prominence BURN!!"
Like an unstoppable force of nature, a massive explosion of fire rocketed toward like a tidal wave of death. Unbothered by the coming calamity, I slipped my hands into my pockets as Mahoraga raised his arms.
FWOOSH!
Fire t Shikigami as the Divine General stood as an unmovable shield between and the massive wall of flas. Like a rock sitting within a stream, the flas passed around Mahoraga and and slamd themselves into the mountain to my back. Their intense heat quickly caused the mountain's surface to heat up until it began to glow a bright crimson. Quickly, the rocks began to lt before they combusted.
Clang.
At the sound of Mahoraga's wheel spinning, I watched with curiosity as his body began to grow black ice all over. Quickly, a chilly black armor made of pure ice began to push Dabi's flas back as steam rippled all around him. Seeing this, I promptly commanded Mahoraga to stop his counterattack.
With a low growl, Mahoraga nodded and continued deflecting the attack.
After what felt like an eternity, the roaring blue flas began to die until they completely stopped. All around were scattered blue flas that continued burning away. Pillars of smoke bellowed all around as the very earth below was pitch black and reflective.
"Obsidian," I muttered as the black Crystal released waves of smoke and steam.
Looking over to where Dabi was, I saw him kneeling on the ground with one of his arms wholly charred black while his right leg was practically just bones. Half of his head was skinless while his remaining left eye stared at in complete shock.
[ 65 SP]
"T-That's impossible," Dabi said in a hoarse voice. "You're not even singed!"
Walking toward him, I whistled at his body's state. "I didn't think you'd push yourself so far... How are you going to destroy Endeavor looking like that?"
With a low chuckle, Dabi looked at his charred body with little emotion. "Don't worry, I'll find a way... I've survived worse." His lone blue eye widened before a grin grew on his face. "It's been six minutes and thirty-five seconds... looks like I made it."
"Hmm. It seems you're right." Kneeling in front of his steaming body, I laid a hand on his chest. "If you're going to work for , then I can't have you in that condition."
Let's take a look at your soul, Dabi.
x x x
[???]
"What is this?"
Fire.
Fire and destruction floated all around within this expansive and chaotic space that was Dabi's soul.
Off in the distance was a large floating Japanese house. Its surroundings were lit up with orange flas, and an enormous looming shadow in the shape of Todoroki Enji peered down with disappointed white glowing eyes.
"Is this... Dabi's soul? No, Toya's soul." I asked as I looked down at my glowing body.
I had no clothes, and the only thing I could make out was the shape of my glowing form. Touching my face, I felt my mouth, nose, and eyes while my now-white hair floated within this infinite space.
"How weird. This hasn't happened before. Is it because Toya has a strong soul... or is this due to how souls work in this universe with the added power from Quirks?"
Holding my chin, I frowned as I realized that I may not be able to one-shot All for One if this was the case. That potato head of a man has been alive for at least a hundred years or so, and who knows how many Quirks have been collected within him? And if my theory that the strength of one's Quirk boosts the size and potential of one's soul, then I may have more trouble killing him using Idle Transfiguration.
Shrugging, I decided to think about that later and flew in the direction of the floating Todoroki household. Entering through the burnt-down front door, I looked inside the dark hallways with a frown. Stepping inside what appeared to be the family room. The room within was lit up with light, and the surroundings appeared normal.
Ambling inside, I turned to see Toya and Fuyumi watching television. However, they were both around five or eight years old. Upon entering, the two seemingly missed my form.
"Hey, Fuyumi. Why don't you think Dad will let do Quirk training anymore? So I got so dumb burns. Big deal! I'm more than tough enough to take that. I know my body better than anyone, and I say I'm totally fine." Toya said as he looked down at his hand, his body covered in bandages. Beside him, Fuyumi looked confused as she ate her bag of chips.
"Are these... mories?" I muttered before Toya grew annoyed that Fuyumi didn't agree with him. The young girl had expressed her worry over his safety, which didn't sit well with him. Sliding off the couch, Toya left the room, which caused the space around to distort and beco dark and oppressive.
Stepping out of the room, I ca upon a dark, snowy forest with flas scattered on the ground and over the crudely made training dummies. Standing in the corner was Toya. Over his left hand were streams of flas as a desperate expression sat on his face.
"Dad, I can surpass All Might, too... Look! I can use such strong flas now. I can surpass All Might... so... look at ." Toya said as tears fell out of his sad eyes.
With a frown, I watched my environnt distort again as the Todoroki household built itself around . Turning around, I saw Enji kneeling in front of an injured and burned Toya with an exasperated expression.
"Damn it! When will you get this through your head?!" Enji shouted as his hands grabbed onto Toya's shoulders. The man's face was both worried and angry. "Have you learned nothing from getting burnt over and over again?! Listen, Toya, find a new dream to pursue. Go play with Fuyumi and Natsuo. Make friends at school and do stuff with them. There are plenty of things to do with your life besides being a hero. Leave this unattainable goal behind you!"
Walking up to them, I turned to my left and saw Rei holding an infant Shoto while Fuyumi and Natsuo were by her side. The woman's face was pained and worried as she watched Enji try to convince Toya out of being a hero.
"But the kids at school said they're going to be pros one day... they don't get what it's like for ," Toya said as tears and snot fell down his desperate, smiling face. "But you do. You showed that being the best is what matters." As Toya spoke, embers and smoke began to burn over his head as his emotions grew beyond his control.
Reaching out, Rei's hand began to emit a chill as she worried about her son. "Toya, stop! You have to cool down-"
"You pushed to want this, Dad! It's too late now. I can't unlearn what you taught . Keep watching. You'll see." Toya muttered as flas exploded out of his head. "Look at , Endeavor!" The boy roared as he pushed past his father with flas over his left hand. With a roar, Toya charged at Rei. Or, more specifically, the infant Shoto.
From there, hundreds of Toya's mories sped around .
Each of which showed off more of his childhood. From when he rarely played with Fuyumi and Natsou. To when he watched his father train and focus on Shoto. To even where Toya ignored his classmates in order to focus on how to grow stronger.
How long have I been here? It feels like it's been weeks, months, years even. Or has it been a few seconds?
"Dabi... no, Toya. So all this is why you are the way you are." I closed my eyes and watched a teenage Toya training on Sekoto Peak. His flas were beginning to scar his body while they began to attain a blue hue.
In his Excitent, Toya had asked his father to co to the mountain to show off the results of his training.
This caused Enji to grow into a fit of rage.
The man slapped Rei while yelling at her about why she didn't stop Toya from using his Quirk as he commanded her to do. In an act of bravery, a young Shoto tried to stop his father by yelling and standing between him and his mom. Off in a corner, Fuyumi and Natsuo sat next to one another with tears streaming down their faces.
With a broken expression, Rei looked up to a monstrous Enji. "I tried my best... he wouldn't listen."
In anger, Enji glared at her. "He's your problem now! You deal with this! Be of use for once!" Reaching out, Enji grabbed Rei's shirt and raised his hand. Turning my head, I saw Toya leaning against the outside wall in the hallway as he listened in.
Closing my eyes, I heard another slap and cries echo before everything around distorted again.
When I opened my eyes, I was back on Sekoto Peak, where a downcast Toya sat on a log. Due to his unstable emotions, Toya's body suddenly combusts on fire as he lost control over his Quirk.
"Gaaaaahhhhh!!"
Toya's screams flooded the space around as his orange flas exploded into a brilliant blue. Quickly, his fire spread all over the mountain until his charred body sat within a nearby body of water, where he tried to put his flas out.
"You've been through a lot. Haven't you, Toya?" I said as I walked up to the charred remains of Toya.
Kneeling next to the dying boy, I placed my glowing hand over his head and activated Idle Transfiguration. "So much so that your soul was shaped by it. Molded by your dreams of pleasing your father. In the end, your sadness and anger gave birth to Dabi. It's only thanks to that very anger that you're still alive."
"D-Dad..." Toya croaked out as his charred hand reached out to my own. "Did I... make you proud?"
"Sorry, Toya. I'm not your Dad." I smiled as his body quickly repaired itself, thanks to my curse technique. Quickly, his body reverted back to its original healthy state. "But I think it's ti you stop trying to please him."
"...I don't think I can," Toya muttered as he looked down at his hands. "It's all I've ever known."
"Live for yourself instead of pleasing your father. Instead, you should surpass him. Show him just how great you are and that he was a fool to abandon you. Live for yourself. Not for him."
"But... my Quirk burns . Every ti I try to use it, I burn myself. I'll never be a hero that can surpass All Might. I'll never beco more than just Endeavor's failure of a son." Toya frowned as he gripped his hands. He jumped when I placed both of my ethereal hands over his own.
"Not anymore. I took care of that." I smiled and motioned him to try out his Quirk. "Go on. Try again."
Anxiously, Toya raised his hands and activated his Quirk. Blue flas burst to life over his hands as a surprised expression took over his face. "It... doesn't hurt! My flas aren't burning !" Around us, the once chaotic and blazing environnt began to rebuild itself while Enji's large, looming shadow began to disappear.
"That's right. I manipulated the shape of your soul so that your body could better handle your flas. Still, I suggest you be careful. It wasn't easy. I tried doing this dozens of tis before, but you kept rejecting my help." Standing up, I smiled and held out a hand to Toya. "I'm not sure if you'll rember our eting when I leave, but I hope you rember that your life isn't tied to your father. Be your own man and surpass Endeavor! Live for yourself!"
With a thoughtful expression, Toya looked down at his hands for a long ti before he finally nodded. Looking up at , Toya smiled and grabbed my outstretched hand. "You're right. I'll surpass Dad, and I'll show him just how much more powerful I am than him! I'll make him regret ever ignoring !"
He's still focused on his father. But this is a start.
Smiling, I nodded at him as the soul space around us glowed a brilliant blue.
x x x
Slowly, my surroundings grew into focus. Looking around, I blearily found myself in a dark and ruined forest with pillars of smoke all around .
It feels as if I just woke up from a long, long sleep.
"What... did you do?"
[ 350 SP]
I looked up and saw a fully healed Dabi, or should I say, Toya, looking over his fully restored body in disbelief.
No longer did he have patches of purple, rubbery skin over him stapled together; no, he now held healthy skin with no signs of his past self. Even his black spikey hair had reverted back to look like his white childhood hairstyle. Just a bit longer and with large red patches on the sides. His voice was also different from before.
Standing up, I watched as he activated his flas with wide eyes. "My flas... they're not burning ." Turning to , Toya stared at with an unfocused look. "What did you do?"
[ 500 SP]
"Not much. I just had a little chat with soone you used to know." Brushing my hair back, I extended a hand to him. "Now that you're back in one piece, let's talk about the future."
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