[Ismini Demetria]

[attr="class","shinigami"]

Be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled

“You want to become my student?” Ismini leaned back in her chair as she eyed Masao up and down. When she first saw the name ‘Ando’ on her student roster, she nearly had a heart attack, and the bright red hair just confirmed that she was indeed a member of the family, the family she was almost a part of before Hikari-

No, there was no time to think about that. He was a shining star in her life, and he wouldn’t have wanted his baggage with his family to get in the way of her teaching. Still, she wasn’t sure what kind of Ando Masao wanted to be. Was she more like Hikari? Or did she take after her father? From her file, she wasn’t even sure if Masao knew the answer to that, and her participation in the Sports Festival against Ylva Riis showed she had a lot to learn. It reminded me of herself and her facing off against Saku in the past, nearly the same quirk. It felt ironic that Masao of all people was approaching her for this given the unknown, almost familial relation.

Smiling as she placed her hands on her desk and rose to her feet, she said, “You want to surpass Ylva Riis, huh? I recognize the look in your eyes. I had the same look a long time ago when it came to an old friend of mine.” She would take a few steps to her right and place her hand on the key ring. “If you truly want to be more than what you are now, I’ll train you.” She would spin the keys around her finger as she turned to face Masao.

“But on two conditions. As a teacher, I’d be doing a poor job if I didn’t turn this into a learning opportunity.” She’d raise one finger. “First, your official homework for this extracurricular activity is to build me a proper spear. From what I've heard, you have experience in Sojutsu but could use some more discipline.” She would equip her bracelet. “Second, you’re going to learn how to fight properly without your quirk. If your friend is anything like mine she’ll be focusing on how to use her quirk and if you can’t beat her in a head-on clash…” She would grab her own spear from her desk and extend it. “You’ll need to outlast her. Follow me to the lab first, and then we'll go to the training field.” She would toss a spear to Masao. “We’ll get you into proper shape.”

Masao Ando

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[Masao Ando]

“That is correct.” She bowed her head in respect. It was an outrageous request, for a student like her to approach a teacher so brazenly, asking for additional help. As much as she wanted to rely on herself, on her own skills, her own intuition, time and again she had come up short. Enma, Misaki, Ylva… They were all rushing ahead while she was falling behind. “Your abilities are unparalleled, and while we differ in many ways I believe I can learn a lot from you, should you give me the chance.” She looked up at Ismini who seemed so laidback. Was she being too tense? Too nervous?

“Yes.” She blinked her eyes, taking in the surprise of her response. “You know about Riis-san?” Somehow she hadn’t made the link that their Sports Festival match had so many eyes on it. To her and Ylva that fight had been important, but to the public eye she assumed it was just another fight in the tournament. “I do, I want to become someone who can protect others. As I am, I could hardly call myself ready to become a hero.” She couldn’t help but get distracted by the keys a bit.

“A proper spear? Certainly. While my title is that of a weaponsmith, my specialty is spears.” First step sounded easy enough, build a strong, robust and proper spear. It was the second one that threw her for a loop. “Fight without my quirk?” She repeated, more confused than before. Relying too much on one’s quirk was dangerous of course, but she was a tank, a shield. Unless she fashioned a suit of armor that wasn’t quirk powered she couldn’t possibly hope to become as durable as her quirk. “Sensei, my quirk is the source of my power, it is the very reason I’ve made it this far.” She caught the spear and looked it over for a moment before following Ismini. “You’re saying I need to abandon it?”

Ismini Demetria

[Ismini Demetria]

[attr="class","shinigami"]

Be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled

“Unparalleled abilities huh…” Ismini had a sly smile as she tapped her chin, feigning deeper thought. Truthfully, she had already decided to train Masao long before she came here to ask her directly. Once she knew the circumstances surrounding Masao and what had been said to her opponent during her sports festival match, she knew that Hikari would have wanted her to help his niece…her niece. She assumed Masao didn’t know this as Akari wasn’t exactly fond of his brother's life choices, and it wasn’t her place to share that with his daughter. As much as she wanted to do otherwise, she would respect the wishes of her deceased husband.

“You’re sure about this? You’re sure you don’t want to remain just a support student?” This wasn’t something she believed but it was worded in that way to see just how much resolve Masao had truly. The drive to not fall behind and keep up with her classmates was a good enough motivation, but if she wasn’t up for the task mentally, then it was a waste of time. Many Support Students had similar motivations, and yet they fell at the gates.

“Oh, I know, Masao. I will be testing the quality of your crafts and that will be the official grade. Our training will be after that so I can test the spear.” She would walk past Masao and give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’ll have to bring your A game; it’ll be a trial by fire.” With a wink, she gestured for Masao to follow, locking up her office as they made their way to a support lab that Ismini had set up in advance for Masao. Ismini was nothing if not diligent, and nothing that happened in the support course went unnoticed.

“Spear of Athena.” She would put the blueprints she had drafted on the table in front of Masao. “If you know your history, you might have heard of The Sliding Yari of the Owari Kan Ryu.” It was up to Masao to figure out the rest, and Ismini would take a seat nearby as she observed her process. “A request like this doesn’t come out of nowhere. Usually its motivated by competition.” Ylva. “Or a desire to protect a loved one.” Enma. She knew these things in advance, but you could tell a lot about someone by how they reacted to intrusive questions.

Masao Ando,

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[Masao Ando]

She wasn’t sure how to interpret Ismini’s smile, but it was probably safe to assume that she at least didn’t hate her. What was she thinking though? She looked like she was in deep thought, hopefully they were good thoughts. ‘‘I am sure.’’ She responded firmly, and perhaps with a bigger hint of desperation than she would have liked. ‘‘It is true, my profession is creating weapons, but I wasn’t meant to just sit in a small workshop making things.’’ She hesitated as she took a moment to find the words. ‘‘That is what I believe. Sensei, every significant step of progress I have made, it wasn’t making weapons. Ever since I started pursuing a more active path of heroism is when my quirk evolved, it’s when I started making friends, it’s when I started getting people I wanted to protect that weren’t just my fellow citizens. If I didn’t continue to follow this thread, to see what lies ahead, I would regret it for the rest of my life. That is what I believe.’’ She bowed her head again. ‘‘I want to beat Riis-san, but I also want to protect her. I want to protect Takanashi-san, and Enma too… What good am I to them if I cannot do that?’’

She hadn’t expected that she would get so emotional, but maybe it was because her body was still readjusting after her emotions were tampered with by that villain in Tokyo Bay? ‘‘Then…’’ She took a deep breath to compose herself. The pat on the shoulder helped her too. ‘‘I suppose I will have to do just that.’’ She smirked back. ‘‘I was always taught to give it my all. In crafting and in life.’’ She followed after Ismini, wondering what the specifications of the crafting challenge was going to be.

Thankfully she wasn’t going to have to wait long. Picking up the blueprints she looked them over. ‘‘Spear of Athena?’’ She did in fact know her history, although she wasn’t a walking encyclopedia either so she would have to let this information come back to her slowly. ‘‘I see…’’ She took one more look at the blueprints before putting them down and tying her hair back. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been evaluated live, but it didn’t bother her in the slightest. Like usual, once she had a design put in front of her, or once she had her mind set on what she wanted to make her brain went into work mode. This was the side of her, as much as Ylva seemed to enjoy ridiculing her, that she almost never got to see. ‘‘Recently, I’ve realized how much of a fool I am.’’ She continued talking while working unhindered. ‘‘I want to make up for that. For myself and for those I care about.’’ There was a certain melancholy to her voice, regret, shame, but she was also hopeful that she could improve and course correct herself.

Ismini Demetria

[Ismini Demetria]

[attr="class","shinigami"]

Be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled

Ismini felt like she was looking into the past. She thought back to Hikari and how he made a similar declaration when he was about to enter the Sports Festival. He didn’t do too well, but she never saw him happier than when he was making some speech. Her eyes would briefly drift down to her teardrop necklace before snapping back into focus of Masao and her work.

“A wise man once told me if you want to protect something, do it right.” Another Hikari favorite but held true even after all these years. Masao had a fierce determination in her eyes as she got to work, and Ismini couldn’t help but admire her craft. She, like so many others she’d seen in this generation, was a certified genius.

Even if Masao was able to maintain her composure under scrutiny, Ismini wasn’t done prodding her for weakpoints. If her ‘niece’ was going to be her student then she needed to train her in everything from the mental to physical. “You really care about Ylva Riis, huh?” She knew they had a rough start, but someone this set on improving themselves had to have something changed to gain this much resolve.

“Oh, Masao! Part of your grade is how well you can adapt. Add a function to generate electricity through the spear please and thank you!” She’d lean forward, resting her head on her hands as her elbows leaned against the table. Once she figured out her relationship with Ylva Riis, her boyfriend was next. Even if she was being her usual nosy self, she felt something different than her usual curiosity…

She was proud of her niece.

Masao Ando,

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[Masao Ando]

If you want to protect something, do it right…

She took those words to heart, and although she wasn’t sure what the full meaning was, other than not screwing up, she intended to find the answer to it on her journey. ‘‘Those are wise words indeed.’’ She paused her work for a brief moment to give Ismini a tiny smile in acknowledgement. In the past, she had practiced smiling a little more in conversations because she knew she could come off as tense, but she wasn’t just doing it to be polite, she genuinely was enjoying her time with Ismini, even if she didn’t end up passing and becoming her apprentice. ‘‘Riis-san is a brute.’’ She said coldly as she turned back to her work, and while it was easy to mistake Masao’s words and tone for complete disdain, that wasn’t the full story. Her mind drifted back to their match in the arena. When quirks were stripped away, when they were just throwing punches at each other, she realized her and Ylva had a lot in common. Well, there were some key exceptions. ‘‘She acts like a brute. The world has treated her harshly, and while I do not know her well myself, I have inferred that she does not have many people she can rely on.’’ There was a melancholy to this conclusion, but it wasn’t hard to draw considering the type of image Ylva was cultivating in the first place. ‘‘But I am one of those people who stand in her corner.’’ She looked up at Ismini and realized she had been rambling a bit, and… Didn’t she just admit that she didn’t dislike, but might even find Ylva tolerable? She very nearly dropped what she was holding, but managed to catch it as she straightened her back and cleared her throat. ‘‘The school entrusted me with the safety and assimilation of Ylva Riis into our UAU system. I do not wish to lose that trust.’’

She nodded firmly when the request suddenly changed. ‘‘Understood, sensei.’’ Usually she was able to clear her head when she worked, but now thoughts of her friends and rivals were flooding her brain. She assumed that Ismini simply wanted a spear that was compatible with electricity, but didn’t care too much about the little details, so she just got to work on putting together something fast, given that this was all happening live. Within minutes she had a rough, but working prototype, picking it up and spinning it around before stabbing it at the air. The feeling of the spear was there, a little on the heavy side, but she could make more tweaks as she went. Then, moment of truth, holding down a button on the side of the spear caused the tip to light up and crackle with sparks of electricity like a taser would. ‘‘It lacks the flair and attention to detail my family is known for, but it is a spear that can conduct electricity.’’ She looked over at Ismini, bowing her head formally. ‘‘Any other requests? And, sensei, if I may be so impolite, you too picked up a weapon to aid you in your career. I am curious what inspired you to do so.’’

Ismini Demetria

[Ismini Demetria]

[attr="class","shinigami"]

Be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled

“Lose their trust, huh? UAU can be pretty strict. Otherwise, from what I've heard, there wouldn’t be a point in working with someone as difficult as Ylva Riis.” She hadn’t spoken to Ylva, but she did get updates on her situation from some of the other teachers who had mentioned that since the Sports Festival, she had mellowed out if only just a tiny bit.

She wasn’t at all surprised that Masao would ask her a personal question in return for her prying into Masao’s personal life. As she stood up to inspect the final product, she would take out her phone for a few pictures of it and write down some notes as well. “Nope nothing else this is perfect; you pass and I’ll take you on as my student.” She’d reach up and give Masao a pat on the head giving her a genuine smile.

“Same as you. I’m not one to dwell on the past but I did it for people around me until I decided to do it for me.” She would gesture for Masao to follow her. As they approached the training field, she would turn to Masao: “So, if you want to get stronger, the first step is to lean into your strengths.” She would hold up her basic spear and face Masao “Try to disarm me with your own spear but without using your quirk.”

Masao Ando,

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[Masao Ando]

‘‘That would appear to be the case.’’ She agreed with Ismini. ‘‘In the case of UAU I believe the strictness serves a good purpose.’’ Even if she hadn’t been able to understand why UAU would even give someone like Ylva a sliver of a chance at their school. It had taken her time to realize it, but Ylva was capable of becoming a strong hero. Not just a strong hero, but one that could do a lot of good for society too.

She tried to remain as stoic as ever, but she was nervous when Ismini inspected her handiwork. By Masao’s own standards it wasn’t nearly perfect enough, she could easily spend another week polishing it and making it look even better. That’s why she was all the more shocked to hear Ismini’s verdict. She passed? That easily? There had to be a catch. ‘‘Huh?’’ She still wasn’t fully registering what was going on even as her head was being patted. ‘‘T-Thank you, sensei. I will work hard to be worthy of your trust and name.’’ She bowed her head, letting out a small sigh of relief.

‘‘Do it for yourself?’’ She asked, thinking about how her mother and father had essentially forced her down this path at first. Then, she gradually came to enjoy it, but was that because creating and fighting with weapons was all she had ever known? Could she truly say she was doing this for herself if someone had manufactured and planned this path for her from the beginning? Pushing the existential dread aside she looked over at Ismini with a smirk.

‘‘Understood.’’ She raised the spear as they took their positions, giving it a quick twirl to feel its weight before grabbing it firmly. Then, in one swift move, she dashed forward aiming her spear for Ismini’s wrists in her best attempt at trying to disarm her.

Ismini Demetria

[Ismini Demetria]

[attr="class","shinigami"]

Be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled

“Oh, I had already planned to pass you ahead of time, Masao. I’ve watched your progress since you started at UAU; you’re very hard on yourself.” She’d assume a fighting stance with just her spear as well.

She would take a few moments to observe Masao’s choice of attack and speak up, “Ah, disarming your opponent? Not a bad strategy, but… " Instead of retreating, she would take a step forward and angle her spear to the right, using Masao’s lunge as a lever to spin past Masao.

“It’s predictable. A weapon like a spear that lets you attack from a range always results in your opponent acting one of two ways.” She rushed forward. “Option one, they close the gap and either strike from inside your range to try to disarm.” She would use the butt of the spear to smack Masao’s hands hard enough that it would loosen the grip on her weapon. “Or two,” she would leap back and swipe the air in front of her, showing Masao that both of them couldn’t reach the other “They’ll try to outrange you” Placing the spear down she’d hold a hand up for Masao to stop for now “Which counter technique would you want to learn first?” with a smile she eagerly awaited which Masao would choose.

Either way, she was still full of surprises, and Masao would find that out no matter which option she chose.

Masao Ando,

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[Masao Ando]

She couldn't help but look surprised. Pass her ahead of time? Was that kind of assessment allowed, and what did she mean by Masao being hard on herself? Wasn't basically everyone? She wasn't the only one who wanted to perform at her best, who wanted to become a hero that could make a difference. Still, being told she passed so suddenly she couldn't help but blush a bit and respectfully bow her head. However, because she didn't want to disrupt the training she refrained from launching into one of her trademark monologues.

She hoped that her attempt to disarm Ismini would be successful, but felt her whole body tense up as she got past her with ease, her eyes widening a bit. She winced as the butt of Ismini's spear smacked her hand. She clearly didn't mean to do any serious harm, but it was clear she was a serious teacher. As the back of her hand stung, the grip on her spear slipped through her fingers as she turned to face Ismini. She rubbed her hand gently as she looked at her teacher with awe. There was a reason she had such a fine reputation after all.

''The lack of range that I possess due to my specialization and my quirk is a serious flaw in my fighting style.'' She readily admitted, her eyes hopeful as she asked Ismini. ''How can I deal with opponents that try to outrange me, or how can I try to outrange them?''

Ismini Demetria

[Ismini Demetria]

[attr="class","shinigami"]

Be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled

"A diamond in the rough." Masao should have understood the expression, and Ismini would place the tip of her spear on the one Masao wielded, and using it as a lever, she would 'flick' it up into the air and back into her arms should she be coordinated to catch it.

"That line of thinking is very common for support students." She'd take a few steps closer to Masao and lower her spear to make sure Masao knew she wasn't going for a surprise attack. "I was a student here 18 years ago, and through my studies, I always came to one of two conclusions." She would raise two fingers with her free hand. "One, the quirk becomes the focus, and they become trapped by the logic of thinking they should be more like Hero Course students, which in turn neglects the tools they have." She'd put one of her fingers down and continue, "Or two, they abandon their quirk and focus entirely on support equipment." She would lower the second finger and then point to herself, "There's a third path. That involves physical conditioning." To drive her point home, she'd add, "From what I understand, Ylva Riis rivals you in physical strength without her quirk. We need to bring you up to that level."

Masao Ando,

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[Masao Ando]

A diamond in the rough...

It gave her something to think about as Ismini... Was she saying she was the diamond in the rough? She stood at attention as her spear flicked upwards, catching it with both hands on the way down. She looked at Ismini's weapon as she lowered it, listening intently to her story. Two conclusions?

She paused and took in what her teacher was saying and... Yeah, she definitely fell into the category of the former. ''...Is that so?'' She asked, smirking but feeling a bit uncertain in herself after realizing how much of a fool she had been. ''Physical conditioning?'' Indeed, in just about every area except her niche of taking damage, Ylva outclassed her. ''If it is what I need to do to reach my full potential, then I will do my utmost to reach that level.'' She looked back at Ismini with a newfound conviction. ''So then... Does that mean I need to train more?'' She already trained a lot, but perhaps her training regiment wasn't as optimized as it could be. ''To train my strength until it rivals my quirk... It is a way of thinking I will have to learn to adapt.'' She looked down at the floor. ''My father... He taught me that my quirk is everything, to put faith in the armor and nothing else, but I suppose he is just as flawed a hero as he is a person.'' There was a hint of spite to her voice, then she blinked her eyes and looked back up at Ismini with an apologetic smirk. ''Um, my apologies I did not mean to overshare. What comes next, Sensei?''

Ismini Demetria

[Ismini Demetria]

[attr="class","shinigami"]

Be serene and inscrutable, impartial and self-controlled

"Masao, you're already doing your best." She'd approach and place a hand on her hand, ruffling her hair a bit. "Neglecting your physical health and relying on your quirk isn't sustainable." She'd take a few steps around Masao, making a mental note of how rigid she was, exactly like she was when she was younger and trying to figure things out.

"It's all about technique actually!" She'd tap the ground with the butt of her spear. "I definitely can't compete with you in a battle of strength even without using your quirk, but-" she'd kick the end of the spear and twirl it before catching it with her other hand. "In close quarters I'd beat you 9 times out of 10. Can you say that, with or without your quirk, you could compete with Ylva Riis?" She had been in the same position with Saku in their school days; she had lost.

She was thankful she wasn't facing Masao when she spoke of her father. Hikari and Akari never saw eye to eye, and while Akari adored his brother and wanted nothing more than for him to come to his way of thinking and reject the Ando family's outdated ways. When he died she had some choice words for Masao's father that she remembered vividly. Still, this wasn't the time or place. Masao needed guidance, and she would provide it in spades. "You're more than welcome to share as much as you like, my dear~" She would take her place on the other side of the field. "Now I want you to go all out, quirk and all. Push me to use my own quirk against you, I'm going to teach you how to control the battlefield through combat."

Masao Ando,

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[Masao Ando]

Ismini's words were at once encouraging and comforting, but also a disturbing wake up call of how wrong she had been about her own philosophy. Masao thought she had it all figured out, that she was the one in the right and that Ylva was a fool. However, it was becoming increasingly clear to her that she was just as much, if not the bigger fool out of her and Ylva. She frequently thought back to their match in the Sports Festival arena. How her and Ylva had a surprising amount of things in common...

And yet, they had both turned out so different from each other.

''Is that so? I suppose I did neglect keeping up with my training in wielding a weapon because I was too busy forging them during my second year.'' She admitted with a shameful smirk. ''As I am now, I cannot compete with Riis-san.'' She averted her gaze as she said it. ''As her roommate that will not do.''

She felt like she was trauma dumping on Ismini, but part of her felt at ease sharing these things with her. Her doubts, insecurities, her contempt for her own family, or at the very least her parents. ''...Thank you.'' She paused and took another look at Ismini. ''Sensei, forgive me if this sounds odd, but... Have we met somewhere before?'' Although she couldn't remember it herself, this wasn't the first time Ismini and Masao met. Only, back then Masao had been much younger than she was now.

''I see, then I will do just that.'' She nodded firmly, gripping her spear tighter as light enveloped her body. Ismini said something about not being able to compete with her strength... So perhaps she should try to use that to her advantage? When the light settled, a suit of armor had manifested in its place and with her enhanced strength, Masao lunged forward and tried to swipe at Ismini, leveraging her strength and now added durability.

Ismini Demetria