(15)->MOVING FORWARD

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" " - Dialogue

' ' - Thoughts

---(LOCATION)---

--(POV)--

-(Time gap)-

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---BANG'S DOJO, BACK MOUNTAIN, TATSUMA ESTATE---

--Seiya's POV--

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Waking up from my slumber, I observed my surroundings with groggy eyes while lying down on the mattress where I had been sleeping until moments ago. The unfamiliarity of the room jolted me awake from my half-awoken state, making me wonder how I got there. As I recalled my fight with the robot earlier, the door slid open, revealing my father standing on the other side, along with my sensei right behind him.

As I tried to get up, my father came up to me and held me down, saying,

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Ryoma: "Keep laying down. You still haven't fully recovered yet."

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My father's words were said with a tone of finality, leaving no room for discussion. Complying with my father's wishes, I lay down again but my curiosity had not been sated yet. Turning towards my father, I asked,

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Seiya: "Why was I sleeping here, father? And what happened in the test?"

Ryoma: "Hmm, I don't know how much you remember but while fighting that robot, you fainted from exhaustion after which I brought you here so that you can rest properly. As for the test..."

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Saying the last part, father turned towards sensei who then came forward. Clearing his throat, he said,

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Bang: "As per the rules of the trial, losing consciousness before the 10 minutes timeout results in a failure..."

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--Author-san's POV--

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Despite being subtle, Ryoma and Bang could see Seiya's expression turn a little sour with his fists clenching tightly, clearly showing the anger and frustration, he was feeling currently. Ryoma wanted to say something but Bang signaled him to remain silent when suddenly Seiya closed his eyes and started taking slow deep breaths.

After a minute or two, Seiya opened his eyes but unlike the anger and frustration before, there was only determination and vigor present in them, again surprising both Ryoma and Bang.

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--Seiya's POV--

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To say that I wasn't disappointed would be an understatement. Deep inside I knew that I did the best I could and there wasn't anything else I could do to change the outcome at the time and it was this very realization that frustrated me even further.

But the path of going from being a modern high school kid to a world-saving hero and warrior had been filled with many such failures and disappointments. Having dealt with them so many times made it easier for me not to give in to these emotions of mine and use them to drive myself forward instead. But being 'easier' doesn't necessarily equate to easy seeing as how I had to make a conscious effort to calm myself down by closing my eyes and taking slow deep breaths.

Finally, after calming myself and renewing my determination, I opened my eyes and while lying down, turned my head towards my sensei. I was about to ask him to punish me for having failed him, but he cut me off, continuing from where he left off,

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Bang: "...However, you performed well beyond my expectations today by defeating that robot, proving to me beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are indeed someone who can continue to protect the legacy of the Tatsumas."

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To my shock, sensei then bowed towards me and said,

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Bang: "I, Bang, would be honored to be your sensei, Tatsuma Seiya."

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--Author-san's POV--

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Ryoma had to admit that no matter how brazenly rude his friend acted towards other people, he would always give ample praise where it was due. And that bow at the end was even out of his expectations.

Suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes on himself and turned to find Seiya giving him a look that seemed to be asking for his permission. Understanding his intentions, Ryoma gave him a nod to express his approval, following which Seiya got up from the bed he was laying on and returning Bang a bow of his own, he said,

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Seiya: "I would be the one honored to have you as my teacher, Sensei. I swear not to let either you or the legacy of my ancestors down!"

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Rising, Bang's eyes then turned sharp and he said loudly,

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Bang: "Then, disciple, your training starts tomorrow morning sharp at 4:30 a.m. Is that clear?"

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Seiya, too rising from his bowing position, said,

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Seiya: "Hai, Sensei!"

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--1 year later--

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*Swish*

The sound of multiple objects tearing through the air could be heard in the usually quiet atmosphere of the mountainous forest which was accompanied by the sound of running footsteps. Seiya who could currently be seen running through another one of those obstacle courses that his sensei had designed for him, was the one to whom these footsteps belonged.

The course was the same as the test that he had given about a year ago, however, the difficulty of the course had risen manifold with all the additional upgrades that his sensei had given it over the past year.

Now, it wasn't just arrows being shot at him, no, now there were logs embedded with spikes, pits that were camouflaged to look like normal ground, and barely visible strings that would trigger one kind of trap or the other. The latest addition was that of pikes to the pits and while Seiya had never fallen in one of those before, it did increase the psychological pressure that he faced. And to top it all off, he was restricted from using his quirk altogether.

But even so, Seiya did not seem to be struggling at all. His figure moved as smoothly as water did, maneuvering through the various obstacles with ease, clearly exhibiting the transformation that he had gone through, during the past year. He was faster, stronger, and had sharper senses compared to before and they were more than just due to his natural growth. But the greatest change could be seen in his movements, which were much more refined and efficient, no doubt, thanks to his sensei's teachings.

Meanwhile, standing on the distant cliff of the back mountain were several figures who were observing Seiya's performance from afar. These figures belonged to Aria, Nejire, and Bang along with Ryuko who had returned from Musutafu City only yesterday.

Ryuko: "Whoa! What's with the difficulty of this course, Bang Oji-san? It looks like its difficulty has gone up by several times compared to what it was during my previous visit, which, mind you, was just two months ago."

Bang: "Well, that is natural considering that it isn't a daily lesson but rather a test."

Ryuko: "A test? What exactly for?"

Bang: "You would have to ask him that yourself. All you need to know is that it was your brother who wanted to take this test and your parents have also permitted him to do so."

Nejire: "A test? Is it something like what happens in our schools?"

Bang: "Something similar to that, yes, except that it will be more physical."

Ryuko: "*Sigh*I still feel this is a little too much. Not even U.A. pushes their students this hard."

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Bang responded with a snort, showing his opinion on the matter. Nejire, on the other hand, turned towards Aria, who had been focused on Seiya's performance this whole time, and asked,

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Nejire: "What do you think Aria? Will Seiya be able to pass this test?"

Aria: "Mm. I am sure he will pass this test."

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Hearing Aria's answer filled with confidence, Nejire tilted her head in confusion and asked,

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Nejire: "How are you so sure?"

Aria: "Because I believe in him. You have seen all the hard work and effort he has put in his training, right?"

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Seeing Nejire nod, Aria continued,

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Aria: "Then trust in all that effort he has put in and you too will become sure of Seiya's success."

Nejire: "But, what if he fails?"

Aria: "Though it doesn't look the case, if he does fail then, Seiya will learn from his shortcomings and try again, putting more effort for the next time and he will keep doing so for every single time he fails until, in the end, he finally succeeds. As his 'good' friends, all we can do is to trust in him and continue to support him until the end."

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Looking at Nejire's pondering expression on listening to her words, Aria let out a smile until it turned stiff when she heard her response,

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Nejire: "You mean as his girlfriends, right?"

Aria: "Right..."

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Bang and Ryuko, who had been eavesdropping on the girls, could not help but glance at Aria. Her mature thinking and her character made her a great match for Seiya, which simply pleased the two of them. Ryuko, in particular, was very happy for her little brother but deep within there was also a strange and uncomfortable feeling which she could not quite place. Just then, her attention was grabbed by Seiya on the mountainous trail, who had by now, covered much of the remaining portion of the course and was about to reach the cliff soon. In a jubilant voice, she said,

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Ryuko: "Look! Seiya is in the final stretch of the course. Seems like we were worrying over nothing after all..."

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Only to see Bang with a sly smile on his face, which seemed quite scary to her,

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Ryuko: "Did I just jinx it?"

Bang: "He he he, how can I end this test without a fitting finale."

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Seiya, who had no idea about his sensei's creepy laugh, had already noticed a slight deviation in the course from the original route. This meant that he was going towards uncharted territory and if he had come to know one thing about his sensei, then it was that he had no idea how his mind worked which meant that he did not know what to expect next.

Moving on, he soon found himself in front of a wooden bridge that took him across to where his destination awaited him - the mountain cliff. There were just one or rather two obstacles standing in his path in the form of two figures who were standing on the other side of the bridge blocking his way. The real shock for Seiya, however, was when he saw the faces their faces and he could not help but exclaim,

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Seiya: "What the...!"

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Seiya's shock was shared by the girls too when they finally recognized the figures standing on the bridge. After a moment, as she came out of her stupor, Nejire turned to Aria and asked,

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Nejire: "Aria, what are your parents doing there?!"

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Indeed, standing on the other side of the bridge were none other than Aria's parents, dressed in black battle suits. While her mother, Miko carried a bow with a quiver of arrows by her side, her father, Hiyoshi was equipped with nothing but his fists and stood protectively in front of Miko. Aria who had been surprisingly shocked by this scene as well, something which was as rare as hen's teeth, could only mutter in reply,

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Aria: "...I...don't...know...?"

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It was the eldest of the trio, Ryuko, who was also the least shocked among them, to reply to Nejire's question,

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Ryuko: "They are probably the final obstacle that Seiya will have to face in this test."

Nejire: "Does that mean they are going to fight?"

Ryuko: "Mm. I, too, used to train with them."

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Then turning towards Bang, she asked,

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Ryuko: "But isn't Seiya a little young to be facing them already?"

Bang: "We will get to know that soon enough."

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Hiyoshi: "Greetings, Young Master!"

Seiya: "Hiyoshi-san, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

Hiyoshi: "Apologies young master but this is one order I won't be able to follow."

Miko: "Indeed young master. More importantly, we have a much more pressing matter right now and that is regarding your final hurdle in this test."

Hiyoshi: "You have performed admirably passing through the various challenges and obstacles to reach here."

Miko: "But this final hurdle would be the most challenging yet. You will face the two of us at the same time, right on this very bridge. Don't worry though. For this particular test, you are allowed to use your quirk. So? Are you ready?"

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Ryuko: "I have to ask Bang Oji-san, why do you follow this particular pattern for your tests? Seiya's initial test followed the same pattern as well and now this too where you make him go through an obstacle course and a tough fight to end it."

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Ryuko's question brought an amused smile to Bang's face as he replied in a jovial tone,

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Bang: "Well, I thought, considering his age, your brother would like playing video games, and what is more fun than this very realistic video game that I have arranged for him, ha ha ha ha."

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Nejire and Ryuko could only feel sorry for Seiya while Aria wondered who was worse, Bang or Drago. Then seemingly nodding to herself having reached a conclusion, she brought her attention back to the bridge, where Seiya was ready to face her parents.

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Taking deep long breaths, Seiya prepared himself for what could be his biggest challenge yet. One might wonder why he thought this fight to be more difficult than the ones he had faced since his reincarnation when there was no danger to his life at all as opposed to the ones he faced before. But one also had to keep in mind that, unlike the previous two challenges, here he had to keep a measure of control over his moves because the ones he was facing weren't people he could hurt grievously.

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Seiya: "Here I come!"

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Wanting to finish this quickly, Seiya transformed his entire body and ran onto the bridge at full speed when suddenly he spotted Miko donning an arrow and shooting it right at him in retaliation. Just as he was about to deflect the arrow using his hands, he sensed some kind of energy emanating from it. Not wanting to take any chances, he shifted only slightly from the trajectory of the oncoming arrow and continued his dash.

However, Miko wasn't done just yet. Taking two arrows from the quiver this time, she shot them simultaneously leaving no room for Seiya to dodge on the narrow lane of the bridge. Left with no other option, Seiya had to jump into the air to avoid her two arrows which was exactly what Miko was aiming for. Shooting a third arrow right at the moment of his jump, Miko was certain that the arrow would hit Seiya.

Seiya, too, reached the same conclusion, once he saw Miko shooting the arrow but how could he give up without even trying. Twisting himself, he tried to propel his body away from the arrow's trajectory, however, even so, the arrow still hit his right arm spreading a numbing feeling through it.

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Seiya: 'What the...! I can't feel my arm?!'

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Name: Miko Kugisaki

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Quirk: Seal Shock

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She can release a particular type of energy from her hands which has a sealing effect on living organic tissues. Though she needs to touch a target-specific area to seal it, she has overcome this weakness by learning to imbue this energy into inanimate projectiles and shooting them at her enemies.

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Seiya: 'As expected of Aria's mother.'

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Despite losing the feeling in his right arm, Seiya had been able to almost cross over the length of the entire bridge as he descended towards Aria's parents, making Miko's arrows at this range much less effective, but he could not help but glance at Hiyoshi who was still standing protectively in front of Miko.

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Seiya: 'No matter what, I still have to take out Miko-san from the fight first but...'

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Having no idea about Hiyoshi's quirk made it much difficult for Seiya to plan his next move especially in his handicapped condition.

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Seiya: 'It's go with the flow, I guess.'

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As soon as he landed near them, Seiya ran forward towards the couple with his only movable fist ready to punch out. Just as he expected, Hiyoshi stepped forward punching out at the same time as him.

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*Thump*

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Their fists collided with equal ferocity with none of them coming out on top, the result surprising Seiya. As the two of them recoiled from the impact with Seiya being pushed further behind compared to Hiyoshi owing to his smaller stature, he tried to make sense of their confrontation. Seiya knew better than anyone the amount of force he had put into that punch and it wasn't something that an average human could handle even if he was trained unless he had a power type quirk. But after observing Hiyoshi's aura, Seiya was sure that this wasn't the case.

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Seiya: 'A quirk that absorbs force, cancels it, counters it or-'

Hiyoshi: "Miko! Attack with senbon!"

Miko: "Hai!"

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Giving Seiya no time to recover, Miko took out several senbons hidden within her sleeves and launched them at Seiya.

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Seiya: 'Shit! Needles!...Hmm? Is this...!'

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Thankfully, he had managed to steady himself on the bridge before the senbons reached him and just before the moment of impact managed to twist sideways, allowing the senbons to hit the right arm that had been grazed by the arrow before. After taking the hit, Seiya observed his arm with a serene expression, thinking,

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Seiya: 'Hmm...I wonder if this will work...'

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When suddenly, he heard Hiyoshi say,

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Hiyoshi: "Give it up, young master, you are not yet ready to face us. If you still choose to resist, however, then do note that we will no longer be holding ourselves back."

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(P.S.: Do give the author's note a read, please. Well, of course, you can just skip it. All it would do is break my fragile heart.)

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\\Author's Note//

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You chose to read it? Yay! You really are the best supporters ever!

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*Clearing throat*

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It's been long, huh. I know I failed to keep up with my dates but well I guess you gotta learn some things the hard way. Honestly, there were many reasons (and not excuses as some of you might think) from my personal life to the plot itself and it is the plot point that I would like to share with you.

The idea for it started just like all most of the other ones out there - to do something about all the things that the source material 'seemed' to do horribly in terms of the story and to create a strong mc unlike the simple and weak ones that we all know, read and watch about. But somewhere along the lines, we all come across the feeling that we may have upset the balance of progression that the story was trying to establish since it's very beginning just because we wanted our mc to look 'cool' and we could not hold back. Well, who can blame us, we are fanfic writers after all.

But this month-long break, along with many other things, made me realize that I wanted this fanfic to be more than an mc showing off his greatness to others (now I am not saying there won't be such moments because obviously, we all love this kind of thing). But, yeah, I will try to make this fanfic a story expressing something which I again later realized that Horikoshi sensei was trying to do all along.

But be aware that I can fail spectacularly at this. Having said that though, I am sure it will be fun. And I will try to make this a fun ride for all of you guys as well.

Regarding the updates schedule, I will not make any promises because all I am getting is like an hour of writing every day and that includes thinking about what to write as well. Because of this, I had to put off my naruto fanfic on the side for now. But I will try to keep it one chapter a week or so but no promises there.

Thank you all for being such a patient audience. Vale!

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