MHA: A Cat's Way (Ch 97) (Patreon)

I stretch my arms across my chest as I prepare for my ‘debut fight’. At least for the identity that Mirko is having me use since she doesn’t know that I hold second place for the Underground Masquerade.

According to my mentor for the week, the HPSC sanctions a number of underground fighting rings for a variety of reasons. The main ones, though, are for; potential recruitment, to keep an eye on potential threats, and information gathering. Not that Mirko has ever been the one collecting information. Evidently she’s best at figuring out which of the people she fights could be ‘reformed’ into heroes, and which ones are most likely to go on a dangerous rampage.

As for the reason I’m getting entered into the fights?

“Sometimes you need to just let go and give your instincts free reign! I know how hero schools are always pushing their brats to stay in control at all times, but for those with animal-based mutations it usually ends up backfiring. Mainly with those predator-based, but more than one prey-based quirked person has snapped and gone ‘feral’ for a bit. It’s one of the core pillars the Creature Rejection Clan built their beliefs on, before the organization was dismantled.”

So, basically the rabbit hero thinks allowing me to fight physically without overly worrying about my opponent will give my instincts an outlet, which will lead to me making less cat puns.

I can’t really say whether or not it will help with that, but at the very least it will be good stress relief! It really has been too long since I was able to let loose. Even on the outing where I met Gentle Criminal and La Brava I was holding back and didn’t leave any of the people I caught overly injured. But here, where I’m in my element? Where I have not only permission, but encouragement to go all out?

I’m looking forward to this~.

Yeah, I doubt that Mirko will just brush it off if my opponent ends up dead or missing a limb, but practically anything else should be fine. After all, I’m just a first year hero student. I’m meant to be learning how to fight while not causing grievous harm or property damage~. It’s certainly not my fault that I got matched up against someone who might have killed somebody before~. I had no idea that I used too much force in that attack and crippled their ability to walk by cutting their achilles tendon!

I’m pulled out of my thoughts by the electronically modified voice of the announcer, and only now realize that I’m baring my fangs in a wide grin. My tail is swaying behind me in excitement at the fight to come. “On this side of the arena, a newcomer! But don’t let that fool you into thinking they’re weak! For they are the disciple of the legendary TIGER BUNNY!”

The crowd goes wild at the announcement, but I can’t help but snicker at the name. I just know she picked it because she couldn’t hide her rabbit mutation under her tiger mask, and would kick the ass of anyone who would call her a bunny normally. She probably still does that as Tiger Bunny, but plausible deniability is really helpful in situations like this as long as she doesn’t respond to her actual name or hero name.

Then again, this arena is sponsored by the HPSC, so she might not have to be as careful. Now that I think of it, I wonder what she came up with for my stage name?

“GIVE IT UP FOR… FERAL!”

Not bad. Very animal based. Not enough of a pun for my taste, but I should only be using the name for a week at most, so it’s fine. I walk out of my assigned room and into the circular arena to the roars of the crowd, showing off my claws and getting even more cheers. I know how to play a crowd. It’s just a shame that I can’t use my quirk, roaring with a cat construct has much more of an impact than swiping at the air.

“And her opponent? Looking to rise through the ranks yet again despite his age, the foreigner who’ll need a coroner when he finally gives up the ring, DEAD-EYE DUNCAN!”

On the other side of the arena walks out an old man who scowls at the jeers of the crowd. They may be mocking him, but with age comes experience. Though there’s definitely such a thing as ‘too old’, and I’m pretty sure Duncan is getting there, if he hasn’t already. Too stubborn to quit, if the announcer’s words are to be believed. Must be frustrated at being stuck as the entry opponent for all the rising stars.

‘If they can’t beat Duncan, then they aren’t worth the time to watch’, essentially. The Masquerade has someone like that as well, though they just do it for fun while using a pseudonym for their actual persona.

I’ll never understand how Sogeking manages to get away with it.

I lazily raise a hand to greet my opponent, getting a sneer in reply before he spits to the side. Nasty, I think before he starts talking. “What’s a brat like you doing here? This ain't a damn playground!”

My ear twitches in annoyance and I give him a bright smile. “We’ve all got to make meowney to eat mew knyow. Besides,” I crouch and set my arms to my sides, claws extended. “Cat fights are for young felines. Old Toms like mew should let their clan take care of them until your time is up.”

He stares at me for a moment before snorting out a laugh and bringing up his knee to slap. “You’ve got guts, girlie. And that’s what it takes in a place like this!” The amusement drops from his face and he sets his feet, bringing his arms up in a cross in front of his face with his fingers straight. “But I ain’t gonna be rollin over just cuz I like ye.”

I smirk back at him as the announcer counts down. “I wouldn’t have it a-nya other way.”

“FIGHT!”

`~`

(Mirko)

I watch as the girl rolls to the side in order to dodge the sharpened fingernails Deadeye shoots at her, the man showing that his name is accurate despite his age. With his quirk revealed, Feral charges towards him with the claws of her right hand dragging across the ground and digging a line of furrows to trace her path.

Deadeye scowls at her, launching another barrage of quirk enhanced fingernails. This time, instead of dodging, the girl brings her hand up and throws a clump of the floor she’d clawed into her hand to take care of some of them. Those that were likely to hit her head or chest, that is. She doesn’t let that lull her into a false sense of security though, keeping the raised arm up to use as emergency cover in case of another attack.

“I told you, she’s good.”

I side-eye my other ward that I need to keep an eye on, who I’ve joined in the commentator’s booth to get a better view of the fight. Seeing the girl accept her opponent jabbing both of her shoulders with his quirk in exchange for digging her own claws into his sides, I grunt. “She’s not terrible. Maybe if I had a name to share with the face…”

Rappa just chuckles, smiling at seeing Feral turn her head and bite Deadeye’s wrist, causing the man to scream in pain and back away. She doesn’t try to catch her breath though, instead pushing her advantage, and her opponent. Deadeye falls on his back, and Feral crouches over him with her legs on either side of his chest while holding her claws up to his throat and seems to growl out a threat.

The man has lost, and judging by the arm he raises to signal his surrender, he knows it as well. Rappa presses a button and a filter works to disguise his voice as he announces the results to those who can’t see what happened. “TAKING THE RING WITH PRACTICALLY NO EFFORT, FERAL IS THE WINNER!”

Groans come from the outskirts of the crowd, gambling junkies who bet on the result of the fight or half a dozen other things that could have happened during it. Cowards who are desperate for money but unwilling to risk getting hurt in the arena itself for the guaranteed payout.

“She’s got good skills.” I admit while mentally clicking my tongue at the man. He’s been a major help in getting the more dangerous villains who’ve passed through the Masquerade put away in Tartarus. But when it comes to anything about his relationship with my new intern, he’s completely silent.

If I were anyone else, I’d assume she was some kind of secretly-trained operative of an organization. No idea which one it would be, but the politicians always have some group they control and deny the existence of.

No, her style is wild, but controlled. Someone who’s unconsciously holding back, outside of whether or not they use their quirk. But hell, if I hadn’t seen her fight just now I might just have bought into that organization bullshit myself!

Then again, I’ve had what Rappa said back before we fought echoing in my head this whole time. “Blue said you can give me a good fight.”

The only ones who should have been aware of the raid on the yakuza are those who were involved. And I sure as hell don’t believe that one of the cops or the heroes just happened to ‘forget’ to mention having a connection to the fight-obsessed man. Which would only leave the students from UA.

And of them -no offense to the third year powerhouses- the only one who seemed like they could even hide that fact is the girl currently making her way back to her assigned room.

As crazy as it is, I fully believe Catia Akihiro is a well known and respected fighter at the Underground Masquerade, one of Rappa’s ‘Gauntlets’ that hold second and third place for that chart ranking.