Shinovi Versus Arc: Chapter 25: Beneath the Mask

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"ALRIGHT AND THE JUDGES HAVE RETURNED WITH THE RESPECTIVE SCORES FOR HIBARI AND MONOMA!" Present Mic yelled before the results appeared on screen. Hibari was given an eight for her skillful use of the Expansion technique and Neito was granted a seven for his resourceful use of his allies powers in the first half. "OKAY, CLEAR THE FIELD EVERYONE, IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT BATTLE, LET GET THAT RANDOMIZER GOING!" Like a roulette wheel, the randomizer went off, landing on the team's first, Hanzo announced, "It looks like we'll see an exciting battle between The Crimson Squad, and Gessen Academy, but who will be fighting?" He asked just before it was answered as the two images appeared.

 "OKAY, CLEAR THE FIELD EVERYONE, IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT BATTLE, LET GET THAT RANDOMIZER GOING!" Like a roulette wheel, the randomizer went off, landing on the team's first, Hanzo announced, "It looks like we'll see an exciting battle between The ...

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"Today's battle will be the Hot-tempered Fire Ball Katsuki versus the Mysterious Masked Warrior, Murakumo!" Hanzo announced. Katsuki stared across the arena at his foe, earning glares from their team. "You've got this Katsuki!" Yomi assured him. Homura pat him on the back, "Hell yeah he does, show those snobs what Katsuki's Crimson Squad is made of!" "Stop that, I'm not the leader here, you are Homura, that's why we stuck with Crimson Squad, since you wouldn't put your name on it." Mirai then lightly popped him on the arm, or at least, what felt light but was actually her hardest. "Stop that, just get out there and show them that berserk way you fight!" Mirai told him.

Katsuki jumped over the railing and landed down on the ground with a decent dust cloud beneath him. Murakumo did the same but received aid from a white wolf that she seemed to summon. Is that her summoning, better be careful of those, I didn't even see her weave a sign. Katsuki thought as he slowly approached her. "Listen here Renegade!" Murakumo spoke with a deep and burly voice. "I will show you no mercy simply because you turned away from the path of evil, you are still a renegade, therefore you are neither good nor evil!" She assured him. Katsuki cracked his neck and stretched out his limbs, "Fine by me, I have a problem holding back when I fight after all." He grinned.

With Present Mic's symbol, the two began. Murakumo quickly revealed her weapons, a giant cleaver, and a spear, dual wielding them. Katsuki wasted no time and unleashed an explosion to close the gap between them. She stabbed forward with the spear, and he used the explosions to maneuver around her. He landed right behind her and went to unleash a blast at her back when a black wolf charged him and bit his arm making him retreat after punching it in the snout. Murakumo spun around to face him, "Kotaro and Kagero here are also your opponents, they're my guardians." She explained as the black and white twin wolves stood beside her.

Katsuki wiped the blood from his arm and re-evaluated his foe. Three on one isn't ideal when I have to be careful where I go, in that case, I'll set up that move Mirai came up with. With a wave of his arms like a fan, he let off a spiraling explosion that separated Murakumo from her wolves. Katsuki charged forward at her and let off an explosion while touching his hand to the ground. He bounced up with that hand before flying off at the black wolf. It suddenly sped up and he had a rough time keeping track of it until it went to attack him. In that moment he pulled the pin on his gauntlet and annihilated the wolf. "Kagero!" Murakumo yelled as it's body disappeared. Summons when defeated will return to their respective realms to heal, so the wolf isn't truly dead.

Katsuki touched his hand to the ground again and charged forward with a slight ache in his arm. With another touch of the ground he jumped up high and cupped his hands together. "STUN GRENADE!" He yelled as a bright flash blinded everyone in the stadium, everyone except Murakumo who was wearing her mask and leaped at him. She swung her cleaver at Katsuki, but he managed to block it with one of his gauntlets, he was able to stop her spear though and took a blow to his stomach. He coughed up blood from that. "KATSUKI!" Yomi screamed. "Don't give up Kacchan!" Izuku yelled to his best friend. Katsuki smiled, "Like hell I'm gonna lose in front of your ass Deku!" He kicked Murakumo away and landed, with a searing pain in his stomach he kept running around, now dodging attacks, and occasionally touching the ground to pivot himself on turns.

Finally he charged at Murakumo, but instead of an attack, he leaped just above her. She went to block him with her cleaver, and he used that moment to jump high into the air where she couldn't get him. "NOW FOR THIS!" He yelled clapping his hands together. Mirai, I told you before that your move was too difficult to set up, the only time I would be able to use it would be team fights but, I found a way even in this scenario, but, I'm not using the name you picked, I came up with my own. "CARPET BOMB!" He screamed, all the points on the ground that he touched revealed the grenades that were once on his belt, each one infused with his explosion technique that he honed to no longer require his gauntlets. They all blew and flung Murakumo into the air.

He weapons disarmed and her clothes shredded, she faced Katsuki as he prepared his finishing move. "I'M TAKING THAT DAMN MASK OFF YOUR FACE!" He blasted himself into a tight spin and dived at Murakumo like a predator missile, "HOWITZER IMPACT!" He yelled and landed the attack right on Murakumo's mask. The explosion shook the very island as Murakumo was slammed into the ground. With the smoke from the blast, Katsuki took a moment to rub his arms, as they ached from his technique's drawback. The smoke cleared and he looked at Murakumo. She shakily stood up before falling back to the ground.

When she fell, her mask fell off and snapped clean in two. When she realized what happened, she began to freak out. Her once deep voice was now high pitched with he cadence of a frightened maiden. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, my mask, my mask broke, everyone's going to see my hideous face now." The smoke still hung over them, but Katsuki was able to see her clearly.

                        Katsuki blushed at the sight of her face, despite his current standing

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Katsuki blushed at the sight of her face, despite his current standing. D...Damn, she's as pretty as... His thoughts were cut off by Murakumo wailing as she tried to desperately fix her mask. "I can't let these people see me, they'll vomit blood at the sight of me!" She yelled. "Excuse me?" Katsuki questioned her. "Please don't look at me, I'm uglier than roadkill!" Despite the true beauty she possessed, Murakumo believed she was the ugliest thing on the planet, this was mostly due to the past trauma of her parent's deaths (somehow). "You've got to be joking, you aren't ugly, hell, your face would be a damn antonym for ugly!" He yelled with assurance. Wait why do I care? He asked himself, yet she kept insisting that she was hideous.

Katsuki grew angry, "Would you shut the hell up!" He screamed and took the small black mask from his eyes. If it means that much to you then wear this, it won't cover much but, I don't know, maybe it'll confuse people." He told her as she equipped the mask still unable to stand. With the time up the smoke was cleared, and it was revealed to everyone the outcome of the fight. With Murakumo on the ground before Katsuki, "KATSUKI IS DECLARED THE WINNER OF THE MATCH!" Present Mic yelled. Katsuki raised his fist in triumph before exiting the arena holding onto his arm. "The judges have decided to give both Katsuki and Murakumo a lucky seven points!" Hanzo announced. Unseen by anyone else, Katsuki ran into Yomi in the hall, who was waiting for him.

She grabbed his arms and felt how strained hismuscles were from the battle. She looked up at him, looking him right in theeye. Katsuki blushed, feeling safe, alone with her. She giggled and hugged himgently, "You were amazing Katsuki." She told him. Katsuki smiled and pat herhead, returning the hug. "Thanks Yomi."

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