Muse

Chapter 23

The Aizuri Cantina was sandwiched right between a Mos Burger and a ramen shop in a burrow somewhere in-between Shibuya and Shinjuku so unless you were looking for it, you would have missed it entirely. The dark lantern light, sports memorabilia, and worn wood of the countertops gave it a seedy atmosphere but in a charming sort of way like the way slipping on a pair of old, comfortable jeans you'd had for years would. The patrons inside varied in appearance, most of them having some sort of mutant Quirk. Some were watching a night baseball game on TV while others were playing cards, along with a handful of tourists out to enjoy some of the famous Shinjuku nightlife. He even saw a few off-duty heroes and military personal chatting amiably in the corner, a rare but not entirely uncommon sight since Japan had sought out aid for the 'civil war' that had taken place a few years prior. Some of the tourists were flirting with them, judging from the girls' bright expressions and arm touches.

The headmaster and one of the students pushed together two tables to accommodate the lightsaber class and then helped rearrange the chairs accordingly. Izuku took a seat on the edge of the table next to Alyssa, a section that was far away from the rabble of patrons and a particularly heated discussion between Chise and Ishikami. She appeared to be preoccupied with her phone, uninterested in her roommate's disagreement.

"Is this where all of you usually go out for drinks?" Izuku asked Alyssa after seeing a group of businessmen who had clearly had one too many shout at the TV after a player from the opposing team had caught a home-run ball.

"I don't know. I've never been out with them for drinks before."

"Really?"

"I don't really get out much." Once they had sat down, Izuku found the Ludosport students were exceedingly friendly and eager to introduce themselves to him when they had the chance. In that time he had learned that Ishikami and Chise were roommates, Itsuka was a mother of three, Akashi was a prison guard, and that the training they had all endured during the class wasn't simply for sport of it all, but actual proper combat training. The different forms were adapted off of different kinds of weapons all around the world, ranging from an African spear to a military saber, and in order to progress, you had to show at least a fundamental mastery of the basics of that form. All of this they had been taught from the headmaster, who was a master of all seven forms. Just who was he, to have so much melee combat under his belt and so young? He had to be in his thirties. The name 'Miki' sounded particularly familiar in his head, but Izuku wasn't about to pull out his hero notebook to check. He'd had written on at least a dozen Campos notebooks throughout the years, so it was unlikely that his most current book, No. 18, would have what he was looking for. He still wrote in it anyways, taking quick notes on his Ludosport classmates and the Quirks they had.

"...so basically, if I wanted to go out and buy a talwar or a gros messer sword," he mused as he jotted down notes, "I could apply the training I already have and be able to use it just as efficiently?"

"Pretty much. Although I doubt most people would be allowed to own a sword, much less wield it, it's a fun thought," Chise confirmed with a hint of pride in her voice as she began taking drink orders to give to bartender. Alyssa, refusing to look up from her sketchbook, said, "Just an ice water for me, Kat."

Chise gave her a funny look as if to say 'who goes to a bar and orders ice water' before moving on. Izuku looked down at his own menu and saw that it listed the Deku as an option, and for a second he almost considered requesting it. Did that make him conceited, ordering his own drink? But it was so good. The mint leaves and lime gave it a real kick, mixing well with the strong shot of cucumber vodka. He had to be smart about it though. He didn't want to show up in some sort of tabloid or be intoxicated if an issue decided to rear its ugly head. This was Shinjuku, after all. It wasn't exactly well-known for its safety, being so close to the red-light district, so he settled on something tamer.