The Shogun

Chapter 7 : The Rebel Strikes Back

Then

Izuku should have known this. He should have seen this coming. Indirectly attacking Katsuki's pride with that question was more than enough to trigger his volatile bully. He saw the lunge coming but he was nowhere fast enough to dodge it. The green haired boy and explosive boy came crashing on the wall. Past Izuku would have turned himself into a ball and would have cowered on the floor. But this Izuku was not like the past one. He didn't need to hold back on his anger. He shouldn't and wouldn't cower in fear. If he feels afraid now, if he let Katsuki or anyone walk over him now, it would be a huge disrespect to his mother. He was already living with the regrets of not letting his mother pass on with happy memories, but he was hell bent to make sure that her dying wishes were not tarnished.

The green haired boy who was now getting repeatedly slammed into the wall, clenches his dominant hand and uppercuts Katsuki in his stomach. He might not have strength to dish out, but an unexpected punch to the stomach did catch Katsuki off guard and he couldn't help but grunt in pain. Izuku used this momentary distraction and pushed the explosive blonde back. He was not using his quirk, Izuku noticed that. Too many witnesses. Katsuki usually used his quirk to threaten but he never used it on him in front of others. Can't prove anything if no one sees it, right?

The explosive boy snarls at the green haired boy and Izuku couldn't help but bare his teeth at the boy like a lone canine who was cornered by an aggressive pack. Izuku was truly alone. No one will come for his aid. He has to stand up for himself. He raised his hands in front of him and took three steps forward. It was more of a stance a street fighter would equip rather than a practiced man, but Izuku didn't have leisure for that. Izuku was channeling all of his suppressed anger towards Katsuki. His mind zones out, ignoring all the murmur and chatter of his classmates who were looking at this as if it was some shit-show.

Katsuki falters slightly as he sees Izuku take his stance. The form was weak. His hands were shaking and his legs were not wide enough. In true sense it reminded the explosive boy of the time when Izuku tried to stop him from bullying a kid back when they were kids. But the only thing, the only difference that bothered Katsuki a lot was his face. It was not the face full of tears and fears like the one he saw back in childhood, but it was the face of rage and hatred. When they were kids, Izuku was trying to save someone from him, but this time Izuku was fighting for himself. It was as if seeing a cornered wolf baring his fangs on him. It made one thing clear to Katsuki. Izuku was not planning to go out that easily.

"What happened? Afraid to use your quirk on me? Afraid that the great Katsuki Bakugou has to resort to his quirk to take a quirkless weakling out?" Izuku asks almost tauntingly and Katsuki couldn't help but snarl back at him. Yes! He took the bait! If he has to walk out of this fight alive, he has to wound his pride. Throughout the years, Izuku realized one thing about Katsuki. He has an ego and superiority complex. If someone tells him he can't do something, Katsuki would do it just out of spite. Izuku literally challenged that he can't fight him without using his quirk. Katsuki's ego wouldn't let him take it lying down. All Izuku had to do was coax the egotist out of him.

"You can use your quirk on me Bakugou", Izuku says, hoping that the reverse psychology would work on him and in order for it to work, he just had to put one last nail down.

"No one would call you weak if you use your quirk on me", Izuku adds and for an extra added measure, he smirks and for any person present in the room, it would appear as if he was looking down on him and that was something Katsuki hates. The boy lunges again with his right hook and that was all Izuku needed. He was not powered by his quirk. For the sake of pride, he was not using it. Izuku successfully got into his head!

In one swift moment, Izuku grabs hold of his right arm, turns around using his own body as a leverage and flips the boy and slams him on the floor. The very move knocks the explosive boy's breath out and causes him to feel disoriented but his sharp ears start to pick on the words the extras were saying.