MHA: TITAN

Chapter 37 - Battle Trial I

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Ikiru and Momo went to the famous Lunch Rush Cafeteria in the U.A. to have lunch with some people from their class. After they got their food, they sat down at an empty table. "So, how long have you been engaged?" asked Jiro. "About half a year. We've known each other since we were ten years old. Because of our family status, we both had many marriage proposals, but since our mothers were close friends, our fate was predetermined," Momo said, smiling at Jiro. "Are you engaged against your will?" asked Mina, looking at Momo in shock. Momo turned to her, "You misunderstand. I've been in love with Ikiru for a long time. It took me a while to make Ikiru fall in love with me," Momo said, her cheeks a little red as she spoke.

"Man, you gotta give me some tactics!" Kirishima said to Ikiru. "Momo is being kind. It's pure luck that a girl as talented and beautiful as she is fell in love with me," Ikiru said, smiling, but his eyes told a different story. Although he had feelings for Momo, it was not love. These feelings were recognition, respect and a little lust. Mikasa had groomed Ikiru well. The faces of the girls at the table were as red as tomatoes at Ikiru's words. Momo smiled and took Ikiru's hand. Jiro then changed the subject and started talking about heroism. Ikiru and Momo preferred to listen to them rather than give their opinions. "U.A. is not like other schools. I expected an orientation on the first day, but we were given an exam," Mina complained.

"This has nothing to do with U.A. The requirements of our chosen profession should be much stricter. Especially nowadays, with the recent defamation of the name of heroism, the criteria for this profession should be increased. For example, our morning lecture was complete rubbish. Proficiency in English and other widely spoken languages should have been a criterion for studying heroism. But instead, we spend the time we should be learning heroism to train skills that we should already have. Complete rubbish," Ikiru said coldly. Mina, Jiro and Kirishima tensed at Ikiru's words. "But, for our age, there are very few people who have learnt these skills. And what do you mean by the heroes getting a dirty name?" said Kirishima seriously.

"It's really funny. Heroism is a profession that everyone can dream of but cannot do. So what if few people have developed these skills at the age of fourteen? The important thing is not how many heroes we produce, but how many qualified heroes we produce. It is precisely for this reason that the name of heroism has become dirty. Before heroism came into being, vigilantes came into being because it had to be done. Today, heroism, except for a few people, has become a profession of choice, mostly used for easy income and advertisement. If this is not the contamination of heroism, I don't know what is," Ikiru said as he finished his meal. Then he got up from the table. Momo slowly followed him as he left the table. The trio left at the table looked at each other, all of them had different emotions in their eyes. They all realised that Ikiru was telling the truth. But their reactions to it were different. Mina showed embarrassment, Kirishima nervousness and Jiro realisation.

When Momo and Ikiru got up, they also got up from the table and went to the classroom. Ikiru's words confused them. Previously, heroism and U.A. High School had been uncritical for them. But what they heard made them question these ideas. When the lunch break was over and everyone returned to class, All Might enter the classroom dressed in his costume. In the afternoon, there was Basic Hero training. The classroom was buzzing with excitement at All Might's appearance. Screams of fans and smiles were what most of them did. While Momo smiled slightly, Ikiru did not change his expression. All Might first explain the basics of the lesson and the topics covered. Then he posed and told them that there was going to be a battle trial, for which they should put on their costumes and gather in the Ground beta.

At All Might's instruction, everyone got excited except Ikiru and Momo. The fact that they would both wear their costumes and fight made them feel like heroes. For Ikiru, it was the fun of a group of children. A group of children trapped in their point of view, ignoring reality, being educated under the guidance of ideals when there were harder ways to educate them. The children could not be blamed for being ignorant. But the difference between what was promised and what was given to them was not to be underestimated.

Ikiru had never been to a school before. And every day he spent at U.A., he felt more and more upset about the time he had wasted at this school. The 1-A students took the bag with their seat numbers, which were placed on the wall of the classroom, and went to the locker room. Everyone changed their clothes and gathered in the Ground beta. Momo's costume was similar to the one in the main universe. However, there were major differences. The most obvious of these was that the costume covered her entire body, leaving no open space. The costume was primarily red, with black and gold colours. Red was the main colour, with black stripes from shoulders to feet. The belt around her waist was gold, and filled with food pills. The change in Momo's costume was due to Levi. During the application to U.A. High School, this issue came up. Levi took the matter into his own hands and worked especially for Ikiru and Momo. The fabric used in Momo's costume was inspired by the fabric of Mirio Togata's costume. The fabric was developed to act like a person's skin. For this reason, Momo could create things using her Quirk without tearing her costume.

Ikiru's costume, on the other hand, focused on a simple function, but with more visual symbolism. The costume used the colour black as a base and featured gold overlays. On his hands, he wore gold-coloured gloves that reached to his elbows. On his shoulders, there was a pedestal of scales. On his back, there was a large pedestal-scale print made of gold. On the chest of the costume was a plated Heater Shield, and in the centre of the shield was an embroidered eye with a black sclera and pupil, the iris made of gold rods. From either side of the shield grew olive branches inlaid in gold, the branches undulating like lightning branches. At the end of the branches were black diamonds, depicting olives. At the waist of the costume, there were triangular pieces, straight at the back and inverted at the front. These triangular pieces joined at the sides of the waist to form a deltoid shape. Finally, he wore gold-coloured knee-high boots and a gold-coloured cloak.

This was the costume Ikiru designed in collaboration with Levi. The reason why they chose black as the main colour of the costume was the meaning of the colour. The colour black was chosen to evoke a sense of authority and determination. Gold details and embroidery were chosen to symbolise wealth, power and value. The symbols used in the costume were symbols used in different cultures to signify 'Justice'. Thus, Ikiru would show the symbol he wanted to be not only with his actions but also with his posture. In addition, the embroidery and details on the costume were specially developed by Levi to be removable and re-attachable for Ikiru to use. Thus, Ikiru could freely use these parts of his costume with his telekinesis.

As the class gathered in the ground beta, everyone began to examine each other's costumes and give their favourites. There were many people with remarkable costumes. However, Ikiru was like a piece of light in the darkness among them. Momo's costume was also interesting, but Ikiru's was dull and underthought. Since most people's costumes were made using similar tools, there was a big material difference between Ikiru and Momo's costumes. U.A. High School allowed students to make costumes for free, provided they could supply the design of the costume they wanted. Many students took advantage of this opportunity. Everyone except Momo and Ikiru took advantage of it.

Ikiru glanced at Izuku out of the corner of his eye, and quickly averted his gaze. What he saw looked more like a villain's costume than a hero's. Ikiru seriously wondered if Izuku was retarded. With everyone gathered, All Might began to explain the trial. The trial was two groups of two people facing off against each other. One side would be the hero, the other the villain. The villains were tasked with guarding a fake bomb in a building, preventing the heroes from accessing the bomb or neutralising the heroes. The group taking the role of heroes were responsible for accessing the bomb or neutralising the villains.

It was a simplistic trial, but it was also a difficult one. After All Might had finished explaining, he used the computer in the observation room to randomise the teams and match them up as opponents. Ikiru looked at the huge screen in the room and saw that he and Momo were in the same group. He turned to Momo with a smile and said, "I guess we're destined to be together, aren't we, love?" Momo giggled and nodded. For Ikiru and Momo, the role of the villain had been chosen. Their opponents were Team G, consisting of Denki and Jiro.