What Do We Strive For?

"KYAAAAAAAAAAH~~! Look, everyone look! The Number Two as well~! It's King-Sama~!"

Half a dozen of the fan-girls present at the gathering near Strive would soon whip their heads around as they heard the squeal, and they proceeded to cry out in awe as well as indeed, the Number Two Hero would stride up to the crowd as well. He seemed a bit indifferent towards the crowd around them, sometimes even trying to dampen the excitement, but he'd sign autographs and take pictures all the same, for formality's sake. King was not really one for fame and fortune, as he wished to focus himself on actually saving lives and performing Hero duties. But, one of them did include to inspire awe among the citizens, so why not?

Finally, however, he'd make it up to Strive, as he'd give him a bit of a polite, yet challenging grin.

"I figured you could use a little bit of alleviation from this massive group. Seems only fair I take part of the load off your shoulders, no?"

Strive would be able to tell that King was indeed trying to lighten the burden... but in a bit of a playful manner.

"Really, that surprised? All of Japan counts on us all, Strive. Just because your main hall of fame is here in Tokyo, does not mean that I should be unfamiliar around here."

King chuckles a bit as the two of them pose and smile for the cameras and fans, the crowd just bursting with energy to the point where one could swear it was ready to erupt! And even if he did dislike the whole 'fame' part of being a Hero, King could not lie... it was nice to get recognition for his deeds. But, he was indeed here for a bit of business, so he appreciated Strive's attempt to distance them from the crowd, and he'd walk with Strive for a bit until they were out of earshot.

"Well, I say you've handled that well. Ten years as the Symbol of Peace, eh? You must've had it quite well, what with all the attention you've been given. Not to mention your crime-stopping record. But I try, as usual, to not slouch behind. It almost feels as if but yesterday where I was able to take down a gang of bank robbers by myself."

"Always 'Striving' to be the best, as usual~"

King mused with a chuff of a laugh, straightening his coat a bit as him and Strive would just hang out for now. If there was ever a hero that got him to 'loosen up' so to speak, it'd have to be Strive. The one hero who was always that much better than him, and striding onward in both power and popularity, always keeping King pushing to do better. And do better he did. He was not Number Two for nothing!

"Yes, I remember that all too fondly. Or... as fondly as I can."

He'd grimace a bit, enough for Strive to notice it, and he'd also notice that King's gaze had wandered up towards his face, more specifically honing in on the center of it. That scar that ran across the bridge of his nose, and under his eyes. Strive loved to brag about it and tell tales of how he got into a close call with a Villain, and that is why he had it. But few knew the true story of it.

For it was he who had given him that.

In the third bracket of the head-to-head fight, him and Strive had been teamed up against each other, and it had been a close fight for both of them. They had traded blows for minutes on end, neither side wishing to give up. And in one moment or the other, the frustration and adrenaline of their rivalry had sparked something within younger Blanche's mind, and he had, for a lack of better term, snapped. He had accidentally unleashed his Hellhound Armor, which was his most powerful, but unstable armor, and he had inflicted that wound upon the Number One Hero.

"... I do still feel like I did not deserve that win. I lost control of my Quirk, and it was only due to that side of me overwhelming you that gave me the victory."

Now, he had to stop this rioting mass, and fast. King was sure Strive could handle himself for the time being, so he focused his efforts on the crowd first. A swirl of green and icy-blue energy surrounds him, the air getting a bit colder as even his eyes change color to a frosty white hue, a suit of armor begins to shift and form around him as he dons his Cocytus Armor and leaps into action, the tip of the lance accompanying his armor releasing a hiss of steamy frost as it glides through the air.

He jumps into the front of the crowd, jabbing the spear-tip into the asphalt as with a flash and a frosty breeze, ice and rime shoots out in a wide cone in front of him and travels along the feet and legs of the citizen, freezing and trapping them in place, as well as crawling lightly up along their torsos and arms, freezing them in place as well. He made sure that the frost was not too cold that it'd harm them, but solid enough to hold them in place and pacified.

"Please, cease this disorder at once! You are all better than this, noble citizens! Do not give in to whatever feelings of ire and rage that course through you. Stay calm, and we shall figure out who is behind this."

He announces to the crowd, before he turns to spot Strive being attacked by the tall stranger, but he held his place and observed for now, ready to join in if Strive needed it.

The stranger stopped in his tracks. For how long he stood there, weighing his options, it may even seem like he was going to do as Strive said. This was the Symbol of Peace, after all, as well as King. Two of the strongest Pro Heroes in Japan. He turned to leave… then, suddenly, his entire body tensed. His tail, largely hidden from view under the cover, whipped into action. It gripped a nearby fire hydrant and with a single tug, plucked it out of the ground, chucking it straight for King’s head in the same motion!

The large man moved his neck from side to side. It cracked in both directions, sounding like the crunching of bones. Slowly, he faced Strive, who remained the focus of his attention. Now that he was looking at him straight on, Strive would be able to see the glowing purple lights peeking out at him.




With one tug, the rags fell to the ground around him. Though it hadn't left much to the imagination before, seeing his full form put things into perspective. He was ten feet tall, thicker with muscle than anyone Strive had seen before, and last but not least, most definitely not human. His head was like some kind of snake, proportionate to the rest of his body and glowing with a deadly purple hue. He was wearing no shirt, which exposed his monstrous hide, though the pants and shoes he was wearing seemed to fit his figure just fine.

He reared his head back, and roared. It was an ear-splitting noise, one that people would hear for blocks around. Rather than flee from it, though, many people, shellshocked as they were by what they had just been hit by, started shambling towards the origin of the noise like the previous crowd had. These people differed in that their agitated state seemed much more severe. Their movements were more haggard, feral, and if one looked closely, their eyes had traces of the same purple glow that was coming off of the stranger’s body. The people that King had subdued were quiet now, lost in whatever stupor that had come over them. This was to say nothing of the force behind the roar itself. Cars, trash bins, pedestrians, and most things that weren’t bolted down in the current city block were uprooted like a strong wind had come through like a cannon of catastrophic air.

The Villain - for what else could he be? - clapped his massive arms against his chest twice, a goading gesture to these Heroes. They wanted serious? He could do serious.