PAPER FLOWERS ( k. bakugou )

chapter 35

' versus, ii '

━━━━━

Things hurt sometimes and they eventually heal, but Kaede needs to heal these wounds. She needs to win these battles.

Earlier, she told Katsuki - God, she loves that Katsuki Katsuki Katsuki, it's like a drug- he needed help, but seeing as how they can't manage to land a single blow on Kohaku, she- they need help. It's immensely frustrating, that much Kaede can feel. During trainings with Kohaku, she can actually manage to land a blow on him, but during those days she has an inkling that he's holding back.

Maybe it's the intertwining frustration on how how he didn't take her seriously during those times that makes her succeed in landing the first blow.

When she retreats after that blow, Kaede somersaults backwards and Bakugou lands the second blow- something more fatal compared to the blow Kaede delivered.

"Katsuki," she says after they hide behind a concrete post to defend themselves from the bolt of lightning coming from Kohaku's weapon. "I'll support you."

Katsuki doesn't say anything, probably pushes his indifference or anger towards her for the time, and nods.

He raises three gloved fingers at her and begins putting them one by one and when the last finger is down, Kaede attacks to give Katsuki an opening.

With Kaede using the compendium of all the things she learned, Kaede and Kohaku are almost evenly matched so every blow she delivers is either evaded or blocked. There's no such thing as an opening in his impenetrable defense, but Kaede can just wear him out in time for an opening Katsuki can use. Kohaku's mistake comes when he attempts to hit Kaede in retaliation. It opens his guard, and like that, Katsuki registered it, punches him hard in the face. The ash blond follows with an explosion to his gut that sends him stumbling back, and Kaede thinks Katsuki will follow up with another explosion, but she sees the almost imperceptible shaking of his hands.

Kaede feels her temper beginning to flare when Kohaku manages to stand up and sends spikes from his weapon towards them. Both of them barely manage to avoid it, but it's proper distraction, just enough time for Kohaku to strike both of their faces.

The blow lands at Kaede's face, earning a splatter of curses from her mouth, flings her to a nearby cement post, but it's not quite the same for Katsuki. Through her blurry vision, she sees him catch that punch and he sends crackles of explosion across Kohaku's arm that tears a scream from the older man's throat.

As unfortunate as it is, the repercussions of Katsuki's quirk arrive at that time so the moment the explosions stop, Kohaku grabs him by the back of his shirt and knee his gut.

Groaning, Kaede tries to stand up, but her legs are wobbly and every bit of adrenaline is leaving her body. She counts four minutes before she's able to stand up, holding on to a post for support and even then she fails to reach Katsuki who's managed to turn the tables on Kohaku, managing to keep his distance from his hands.

A minion has cut her off from reaching them and Yuko hits it with her staff and Kaede ducks at the assault of wind that follows soon after. She mouths thanks to Yuko before kneeing another minion that tries to cross her path. It's a woman holding four katanas with her four limbs, but she disarms her easily with a knife and a kick to the kneecaps followed by an uppercut.

Deciding that the katanas have more reach and they seem to be as light as the dagger, Kaede straps the dagger in her rubber shoes and chooses to carry two katanas (which is a miscalculation on her part, because she may have trained with them once upon time with other weapons, but she never really favored difficult to conceal weapons, and two katanas is a little heavier than she imagined).