Standing in line for lunch, Vesemir was approached by a girl he already knew
"Ve..se...mir..kun!" Said the blue-haired student.
"Hello Miss Nejire"
"Aww! Stop with that miss! Call me Nejire-sempai!"
"hmmm..." Vesemir just nodded.
"Wait... do you have a sword? Isn't it forbidden? Is it part of your quirk? Can you fight with it? Who taught you swordsmanship?" Nejire, as is her wont, once again bombarded someone with questions.
"hmnm..." Vesemir thought over his answers... "Yes, No, Partially, Yes, Grandpa"
"Wow! Then you must be trusted by your teachers!"
"I wouldn't say so. Mr. Nezu allowed me to keep my belongings. He also gave me this sword. On the other hand, I am forbidden from leaving UA's premises without supervision."
"Ha! I knew it! You're hiding from someone!" Nejire said a bit too loudly
Vesemir ignored her words to go and get the food from Food Rush. "Thank you, sir." He bowed slightly, to which the cook responded with a thumbs up. Vesemir went with the tray to sit at the table. Nejire caught up with him a moment later.
"Oh you left your favorite sempai alone! Vesemir-kohai how could you! Now you have to answer all my questions without exception!" Nejire puffed out her cheeks in mock anger.
"You can ask, but I don't promise I'll answer"
"Uuuugh! Meanie!" Nejire said, right after swallowing her rice. "So who's after you?"
"Bad people"
"Why?"
"Hmmm... Because they want to put pressure on a certain person, and I'm the target to make it happen"
"So you didn't do anything bad?"
"Bad and good depend on the point of view. A child may see you as bad because you took the candy, but you knew the candy contained poison. Despite saving his life, the child will still think that you just took the candy from him."
Nejire was speechless for the first time in years... She looked the white-haired boy straight in the eyes. He was smart... or rather experienced, with no signs of being a child. Something had to happen... and Nejire would find out what was in store for him, and she would do everything she could to help him... She had the feeling that Vesemir was... or still was stigmatized because of the quirk he had. The ability to influence others, like he did yesterday in front of her, could be considered a quirk great for criminals. Being herself, she simply decided to ask further.
"Did you also have problems with people because of your quirk?"
The question asked in the question did not escape the boy's attention. Despite talking to a beautiful girl, he was able to focus on the conversation.
"Nejire-sempai. You said... did you too?"
Nejire looked at the plate of food with a sad face.
"Yes...I...my quirk is very powerful. People didn't understand me...which isolated me more and more until I learned to control my quirk better..."
"Hmmm...When I traveled with my grandfather, many people didn't want to take us in because they saw us as mutants..."
"Mutants? But how? You don't have any visible mutations."
"From where I come from...there is a certain group...called themselves Witchers. My grandfather is one of them...the same as me. Witchers are professional hunters who hunt monsters. Ordinary people rarely want to have anything to do with us. Of course, it all depends on where we are, but even if someone doesn't openly insult us as changelings...there are still stares."
"Glances...of fear and incomprehension..."
"Hmmm..." Vesemir muttered.
There was a long pause as they ate their meals without further conversation. Nejire decided to change the subject though... she started thinking... monsters?
"Kohai... what did you mean monsters?"
"From where I come from, there are creatures that humans call monsters. Most are similar to animals, but there are also some that are as intelligent as humans... or even surpass them. It all depends on the type."
"Wait... are you telling me that your grandfather forced you to kill monsters as a child!?" Nejire practically screamed in shock.
"No. He didn't force me to do anything. The conditions were what they were... We had to run away... He had taught my mother how to fight before, to defend herself... so he decided to defend me as best he could... by learning his craft."
"You had to run away? How old were you when you had to run away and start fighting?"
"Honestly? I don't remember... I was... 6... 7..."
Nejire covered her mouth. A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Hey! That kid made Nejire-san cry!" A student shouted.
A group of first years rushed towards Vesemir. He stood up, turning to them.
"I'm having a very emotional conversation with Nejire-sempai."
"Yeah? What was it about that you made her cry?" A boy from the group said.
Vesemir just watched as five boys surrounded him. His hand itched to grab his sword. "The topic of conversation will remain a secret between me and Nejire-sempai."
The main leader of the group - the boy who turned the skin on his arms into scales looked angrily.
"You little..."
"No! Wait!" Nejire said, holding back tears. "It's just... it's not his fault that I cried!"
"How do we know that you're not under the influence of his quirk, like Saduo-san was yesterday!"
"hmmm... If you want to fight, unfortunately you have to get in line..." Vesemir said in a low voice, already thinking how to use this situation.
"Wh...what?"
"I have a duel with Mr. Brave tomorrow morning. Right after it, I will gladly accept your challenge..." He looked at the students surrounding him. "If you're scared, then bring your friends to help you. One or five... it doesn't make a difference."
The entire group of students was shocked. The five boys who surrounded him, Nejire, and a dozen or so other students who had come closer to witness what was happening.
Someone shouted from the crowd. "You're going to fight Mr. Brave?"
More voices echoed throughout the cafeteria.
"The white-haired foreigner is going to fight Mr. Brave?"
"Who does he think he is!"
"Bets! I'll take bets!"
"He said tomorrow morning! Maki-san! Write in the group!"
"I already wrote!"
"What a spectacle!"
The crack of a whip echoed around.
"What a crowd! Get back to your classes!" Midnight-sensei shouted.
The students immediately went to their classes. Some left the cafeteria, some just lined up to eat. Vesemir sat down opposite Nejire.
"I'm sorry Nejire-sempai. As an apology, I can tell you a little more information about witchers..."
"REALLY!?" Nejire stopped sulking immediately. Her tears were forgotten.
"hmmm... I told you that witchers kill monsters, but that's not the whole truth. If possible, we don't. Like I told you, there are different types of monsters. You can talk to the intelligent ones, and even help them."
"Help? How? Can every monster be helped?" Nejire went back to being herself and bombarded Vesemir with more questions as fast as she could speak.
"It depends on the type of monster. For example, there is the Striga. It is a creature that has been cursed. The Striga only wants to kill everything around it, but there is a possibility of returning the Striga to human form. My grandfather did it... twice on the same woman, actually."
Nejire's eyes widened.
"Really? I've never heard of such a thing. Are you sure you're not making fun of poor Nejire-sempai?" She asked, pouting.
"I wouldn't even dare to think about it."
"Mmmmhmmmm... Then continue, my Kohai!"
"There are other monsters. For example, the Vampire."
"VAMPIRE!?"
"Nejire-sempai please. Yes, a vampire. Despite being classified as monsters, it all depends on the subspecies. There are vampires that are like animals... but there are also intelligent ones. An example of such a vampire is my grandfather's friend, Regis. He is a representative of the high vampires who have free will and look like humans if they want to." "No, really, you're making fun of your sempai!"
"I promise not. I'm just telling you what I've heard, seen, or read myself. In the age of quirk, one could say that Uncle Regis is not a vampire, but has a vampire quirk."
"Uncle Regis?"
"Of course. I met him as a child and since then he doesn't respond to anything I say unless I call him uncle." Vesemir smiled at the mention of his favorite uncle.
"You said that monsters are cursed... does that mean that Regis is cursed too?"
"No. Not all monsters are the result of a curse. Regis was born... with his quirk, just like you were born with yours. It's just... people around him consider people like him monsters, because there are vampires who are just very aggressive animals... I guess that's the simplest way I can explain it to you, without going into details."
"Ah! So Regis isn't dangerous at all?"
"Oh he's very dangerous. He has the skills and strength to even kill, but he doesn't. He chose a career as a surgeon."
"But with such power he could become a hero!"
"Here yes, but not where I come from... people are... hmmmm"
"I see... they rejected him for his quirk, not for what he does with it..."
"You could say that. I know he's a vampire. His friends know it too... but no one else knows. If anyone found out... they would lose their job and be forced to flee."
"How terrible..."
"Yes... there was another vampire... Dettlaff... you could call him a distant cousin of Regis... he had the same... quirk as Regis but... he wasn't a good person."
"Villain?"
"You could say that... he had the power to control other vampires... I mean those animal vampires and one day he unleashed them on the city to slaughter."
"That's terrible!"
"I know... I know... He had his reasons... but my grandfather and uncle stopped him... unfortunately Uncle Regis had to kill him... because Dettlaff simply wouldn't stop."
"So... that Dettlaff was a villain... and had the same powers as your uncle... Despite that, Regis decided to do good and became a doctor... that means everyone can choose their own path..." Nejire began to think
"Dettlaff was also a victim in all of this. He was used by a certain person... And in the end he couldn't take it anymore... and wanted to take revenge on the innocent."
"Did that person get punished?"
"No... because her sister, who was in power, simply covered everything up."
Nejire felt angry at how everything had turned out.
"Nejire-sempai. I understand how you feel, but there was nothing that could be done. Besides, it was... about 18 years ago? That person was murdered a few years after the vampire attack out of revenge..."
"But that's... illegal"
"It's illegal here. The authorities protected her there because her sister was in power. That doesn't mean that other influential people who lost family members in the attack haven't forgotten. Do you know why I told that story?"
Nejire looked at him, impatiently.
"To teach me something? That punishment will befall everyone?"
"No, Nejire-sempai... If the people in power aren't fair... then the wronged people will take matters into their own hands... which doesn't have to be legal at all... but neither was pardoning a criminal just because he's your family."
.
.
.
*In the meantime. Nezu's office.*
Nezu was sitting comfortably on the sofa in front of the screens showing what was happening in the cafeteria with Hound Dog. The school psychologist started commenting on the events they were watching as they were happening.
"Evil and good depend on the point of view... I don't like it Nezu... The boy has a warped point of view of good and evil..."
"It's not his fault... and it's our duty to help him... you already know that he's Aizawa's son."
"I know, but that's not why I want to help him. Damn it Nezu... he's just a kid..."
*They both continue listening.*
"Mutant? So the boy had it worse than I thought... He had to fight even as a child..." Hound Dog said.
"Easy Ryo-san. Oho? I see a group of students are gathering..." Nezu replied with interest
*after Midnight intervened*
"The boy has balls and it shows. No fear. He played them however he wanted. Now everyone will come to tomorrow's duel..."
Nezu nodded in response. "Yeah... but he also wanted to grab his sword instinctively when the other student used his quirk"
"I'll have to talk to him about it."
"I don't think there's any need for that... nothing bad happened and Midnight reacted quickly."
*they continue listening to the conversation*
"Striga... Vampires..." Hound Dog began
"His world is different than ours..." Nezu replied
"And his answer... that's how vigilantes are made."
"Ryo-san..."
"I need to start a session with Vesemir as soon as possible. The boy may be at the end of his rope Nezu..."
"I know, but hold off on that until the duel at least... did you watch the footage of his... training with his new sword?
Hound Dog growled quietly.
'Someone turned the boy into a killing machine... I swear I will hunt down the man who did this..."
"Ryo-san, remember that Vesemir comes from a completely different culture... And world."
"I know Nezu... but... he's just a kid... Is Aizawa going to take responsibility?"
"Yes... just please go talk to him about it... Aizawa has no idea how to approach this topic properly..."
"Definitely not: 'Hey son, I met your mother once and now it turns out you carry my genes. Don't worry, it's confirmed information because we have a special test that can check it'."
"That was his original plan," Nezu sighed slightly. "I'll talk him out of that! Where's Aizawa!" Hound Dog left the principal's office, looking for his new victim... the patient, that is.
End of Chapter 11