Chapter 48: Training Camp (4)

{3rd Person POV}

On the third day of the training camp, the Class A and Class B students woke up at seven o'clock and started their training. Each student was doing the same training regime that they did prior day.

Aizawa advised Kirishima, Ashido, Kaminari and Sato to improve their quirks, he also advised Uraraka and Aoyama. After that, he gave the other students advice by speaking out loud and to focus on training their quirks.

"Everyone, tonight, we will have a test of courage with the classes pitted against each other! After training hard, you  can play hard The carrot and stick! So do your best right now!" Sitting on top of the food boxes for Momo and Sato, Pixie Bob said out loud so that everyone could hear her clearly.

"Oh yeah, there's that huh." Saiba said out loud and thought 'I have to save Ragdoll as soon as possible. Can't allow AFO to have her quirk which will give him advantage on scouting out for the enemies.'

"Hey, Saiba! Concentrate!" Bakugo barked at Saiba as he was in his own thoughts.

"Yeah yeah." Saying that, Saiba absorbed the explosion from Bakugo. Then raising his eyebrow, he asked Bakugo "Did you just call my name?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Bakugo asked him.

"Nope. Just asking." Saiba replied as he melted the ice created by Todoroki.

"Yo Shoto, how are you, any improvement?" Saiba asked Todoroki.

"Not at the moment. But, I'm getting somewhere." Todoroki replied and asked Saiba "How about you?"

"I can hold it in for a couple of seconds without storing, I'm trying to increase my endurance for holding it in." Saiba said.

"Didn't Aizawa-sensei tell you to improve your energy storage." Bakugo asked Saiba,

"He did. For starting that, I would need to increase the time I can hold in the energy." Saiba replied.

"Oi! Saiba, Todoroki, Bakugo! What did I say just now?" Aizawa shouted at the three.

"To focus on training our quirks." Saiba replied.

"Then lose the chit chat and focus on your training." Saying that, Aizawa looked over to other students as the three of them concentrated on their quirk training.

When the training for the day was over, the students went back to the camp. After freshening up and changing clothes, they started to prepare for dinner.

"Alright everybody, today you will be preparing meat stew! Work hard to eat delicious food!" Ragdoll said out loud excitedly.

Pixie Bob walked up to Saiba and said "Saiba-kitty. Can you make a portion for us too?"

Saiba who was standing at the meat counter with Eri holding on to his pants replied without taking his eyes off from the available meats "Yeah, sure no problem."

"Thanks!" Pixie Bob replied excitedly as she thought about the mouth watering meat stew that Saiba will prepare.

As she went back to her teammates, Ragdoll asked "Did he agree?"

"Yep, we six will get a portion of meat stew prepared by Saiba-kitty." Pixie Bob replied with a confident smile.

Back with Saiba, he took ox-tail, tongue, cheek, filet, tripe and skirt steak. Moving those into the tray he brought with him he asked Eri "Can you inform the guys to get celery, carrot and onion for me?"

"Un." Confirming that, she ran towards Todoroki, Shoji and Tokoyami.

Taking the meat parts and the other ingredients that are required he went to the work table and started to cut the meat into small pieces. A couple of seconds into it, his group returned with the items and Eri. Looking at them he said "Dice them up into medium chunks."

After cooking every meat part and the vegetables separately he combined and arranged various beef parts into the style of a chikuzenni, creating a harmonious blend of flavors.

The smell itself was drool worthy, as everyone who smelled that scent was drooling. Separating the portions for his team and Eri, the portion for the Pussy Cats and teachers, and the portion for the rest of the students he gave them to the respective people. Every bite of it sends them down the twists and turns of a flavor roller-coaster.

Giving the meat stew on rice to Eri in a bowl, Saiba said "Here Eri, eat up."

"Thank you, Jojo." Eri thanked Saiba as she took the bowl into her hand.

Seeing their interaction, Hagakure who was near them said "Saiba's girlfriend is lucky, he would be a good father for his kids."

Hearing that, Todoroki spat out the water he was drinking with a disgusted face. Which attracted everyone's attention, the girls of Class B zoomed in on Hagakure to get some juicy gossip, and the boys were looking at Saiba with envy. Especially Mineta, who was crying blood while mumbling "I lost to a lover! I lost to a lover!"

Saiba just ate his food without minding the happenings around him as he occasionally wiped the stains from Eri's face.

After dinner all of the students gathered at the entrance of the woods for their test of courage. Pixie  Bob who was with her teammates said "Now, we have filled our bellies and washed the dishes! Next..."

Ashido, who was excited for this, said out loud while holding her hands up "It's time for the test of courage!"

"We're gonna test it!" Kaminari, Kirishima and Sato also excitedly said.

But their excitement was dashed by Aizawa who said "Before that, it pains me to say this, but the extra lessons group will be having class with me now."

Hearing that Ashido shouted "You have gotta be kidding me!"

"Sorry. Your training during the day wasn't good enough, so I have to use this time." Aizawa told them as he dragged them for the remedial class using his scarf.

"Give me a break!"

"Let us be tested!"

Their shouts were heard as they were dragged away.

Eri, who was standing next to Saiba, asked him "Why are they not going?"

"Mmm, they failed in the exams, and now they have to study more while we enjoy ourselves." Saiba told her.

"Isn't it bad?" Eri asked, tilting her head.

"They have to improve, and this is one of the methods for it. It's for their own good." Todoroki answered Eri as he stood near them.

"Alright! Now they are gone, let me explain. Class B will be the first to be the scarers. Class A will leave in pairs every three minutes. There are tags with your names written on them in the middle of the route, so bring those back." Pixie Bob explained to them.

"Revelry in the dark.." Tokoyami mumbled.

"Those who are scarers aren't allowed to make direct contact. Show us how scary you are with your Quirks." Pixie Bob said.

"The class that makes the most people piss their pants with creativity and imagination wins!" Tiger said while pointing at the students.

"Now, you'll draw lots to determine your partners!" Pixie Bob announced with paper slips in her hand.

Eri looked up to Saiba and said "Jojo, can I come with you?"

Saiba didn't agree readily and contemplated for a few seconds. Slowly nodding his head, Saiba told her "We will do it next time with Yuki too, okay?"

"Promise?" Eri asked as she extended her pinky.

Holding her pinky finger with his, Saiba said "Promise. Do you want to stay here with them, or should we go back to the camp?"

"I'll stay here." Eri replied with a smile.

Sighing, he said "Alright, stay with Mandalay, I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay." Eri nodded at him.

"Alright, Saiba-kitty. You're The last one." Pixie Bob shoved the last tag to Saiba.

Looking at the tag, he saw the number four. As he looked around he saw Momo coming towards him while displaying her tag that showed the number four.

Ruffling Eri's hair, Momo said "Look's like we're a team."

"Seems to be." Saiba said.

And they waited for their turn as the first team consisting of Tokoyami and Shoji entered the woods, beginning the test of courage.

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"Will they really be alright by themselves?" Kurogiri asked Shigaraki as he was cleaning the glass and Shigaraki was sitting on the bar stool.

"Yeah, It's my turn to be on stage right now. They're enough by themselves. In other words, the game has changed." Shigaraki said.

With a smirk forming on his face, Shigaraki continued "Up until now, it was a role-playing game where we had all the equipment but challenged the last boss while still at level 1. I should've thought of it as a simulation game. I should be the player, using all the pieces I can to break through the higher ranks. In order to do that, I need to first put cracks into the superhuman society."

Looking at Kurogiri he continued "The Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains. It doesn't matter if those guys succeed or fail. Just the fact that they are there will scare the heroes."

"Are they just sacrificial pawns?" Kurogiri asked Shigaraki.

"Don't be ridiculous. Do I look that heartless? Their strength is real. Even though they're all facing different directions, they're comrades I can count on. In a society bound by rules, we're not the only ones being oppressed. I'm praying for their success." Shigarki replied.

Then he asked Kurogiri "Have you done what I asked for?"

"Yes, I have sent nomu to extracion." Kurogiri said.

"Good! When that Saiba kid comes here, I'll have a present for him. Hahahahahahaha."

Shigaraki's maniacal laughter resounded inside the bar as he held the picture of Saiba and his family in his hand.