From Distant Lands - A BNHA Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty-Seven

**DISCLAIMER : TW - This chapter contains blood, violence, and gore.

I huff, struggling to catch my breath as I fight to stand. Juro has multiple wounds healing, but he still wears a smile on his face... I haven't been so lucky. My side throbs with a fresh gaping wound, my head aches with the pressure of my quirk, and my nerves feel fried beyond repair. It feels like it's been hours here in this room, Shiori passed out at my feet and Juro countering almost every move. As we've been fighting, I've noticed that his technique isn't really better than mine... it's his healing and strength that make him so formidable.

"Don't tell me you're tired already, Kaida..." he taunts, eyeing me like I'm food. I bare my teeth at him, fury still making me strong. Screw the pain. Screw my shaking hands. I won't let him win for as long as I'm still breathing. I launch off the ground, my energy blasting me forward so fast that when I slam into him, it feels like getting shot a thousand times over. I howl when we crash into the wall behind him, my elbow crushing his wind pipe and my energy burning through my limbs with incredible force.

"How does it feel, Juro?" I hiss through my teeth, rocking back to slam him into the wall again, relishing in the way his eyes bulge and his skin grows red from the lack of oxygen.

"How does it feel to choke on your fear? To be at my mercy?" I spit, my rage a ravenous and ugly thing. He laughs, a strangled and raspy sound, blood dripping down his chin as he smiles at me.

"Do you... want me to beg... for my life?" he chuckles darkly, shaking his head as best he can. For a moment, I almost feel like I have the upper hand, but the moment shatters when he slams both fists into my gut, shoving me backwards and sending me flying through the air. I gasp as my body crashes into the far wall, cracking it in half. Pain explodes within me and more of my own blood fills my mouth as I stumble to the ground, legs shaking with the effort. But... I glare up at him, unable to give up. This man is my mother's killer... my sister's kidnapper... I can't let him win. I take a step forward, body aching with the effort as my vision fades in and out. I shake my head, forcing myself to pull it together. No. He won't win.

"I want you dead" I rasp and as my heartbeat increases, my energy glides over my skin, forming a barrier over it just like when I was training with Bakugo. The energy fills my body with sudden power, stealing away my pain and weakness and I clench my fist. I can do this.

"Kaida..." Shiori's voice is soft and scared when it calls my name, stopping me in my tracks. My eyes widen as I look down at her, seeing her sitting up and staring at me with a face full of terror. How much has she seen? What is she seeing now? My eyes dart between her and Juro, desperation making my stomach quiver. Juro laughs outright, a sadistic tone to the sound.

"Now this... is a party!" he exclaims.

"Shiori, stay down!" I shout, pushing off the ground again before she can try to hold me back. I hear her try to call out after me, but her voice is raspy and weak and all I can think about now is protecting her from this psychopath. Energy wraps around my fist, causing power to surge through my arm like a rocket. I land the blow, thrusting Juro into the wall again and creating a crater the entire length of it. He chokes out a gasp, retching as my hit burrows through him. I clench my jaw against the force of it, feeling the impact all the way down into my bones. It feels like my entire body is rattling with it, but now, Juro's getting angry. His fist comes up and grips me by the throat, lifting me from the ground and I cough against his hold, body struggling for air. Damn it... I gasp, my eyes wheeling as I look for my sister.

"Sh-Shiori... get..." I struggle for the words, trying desperately to form them as Juro squeezes the life out of me.

"G-get... down..." I manage. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her lie flat to the ground, moving so quickly that I don't even have to think about my next move. I grab Juro's wrist tightly, a vicious smile on my bloodied face.