MHA Paragon

Kenji's teeth would have been grinding together in concentration if he had the strength to move his jaw. Whatever Aizawa was doing made the air turn to steel strapping anyone in its range. Kenji knew there was a power difference between the two of them, but not being able to move a muscle was beyond his expectations. 

But Kenji felt a creeping rage spread across his mind and seep into his every thought. Something about being restrained…being controlled was..aggravating.

Feeding into the rage Kenji felt the creeping sensation spread from his mind to the rest of his body and all of a sudden the iron clamp holding him down loosened. But before Kenji could take advantage of the momentary lapse a familiar presence entered his mind.

[THE ABYSS CAN NOT BE TOUCHED]

Kenji's head rang like a gong with enough force to make his vision vibrate, but as everything blurred it was as if some hidden details of the universe were shaken loose. Blinking to clear his eyes Kenji looked around only to frown as everything seemed to gain a strange purple tint. 

---

Aizawa had to admit that Kenji had taken him by surprise, 'Strange he didn't display this degree of marital prowess during the exam. He must have spent every day training since then. Though I don't think he's very compatible with his style of fighting…he thinks too much. He's not a straightforward fighter.' 

All of these thoughts went through Aizawa's head in the split instant between Kenji popping up behind him and his fist smashing through the air like the blunt head of a hammer, 'I didn't expect to use my quirk this early on, maybe with Todoroki or Honenuki. But this is a pleasant surprise.' 

Aizawa blinked and when he opened his eyes they were a piercing red and with a minor flex of his will he stopped Kenji midattack. Standing up slowly Aizawa turned around and faced Kenji, "You did well, but this fight is over. Surrender, there's no need for me to hit you." 

Laying his disdain on thick Aizawa watched the fire bloom in Kenji's eyes, 'That's it get mad, do what you did earlier.' 

Aizawa clearly remembered the feeling of Kenji's veil, the thin layer of…something that had protected him from Aizawa's Lockdown, 'It wasn't canceled by my quirk meaning it has to be part of his physiology.' 

But as the moment stretched on Aizawa had a disappointing thought, 'Kenji only awakened a few months ago, he doesn't know how to use his new body. Like a newborn that hasn't learned how to walk yet, he can't do it on command.' 

Lost in thought, Aizawa almost missed the moment his lockdown on Kenji weakened, but his quirk boosted his perception to an inhuman level. There was very little that escaped Aizawa's eyes. 

'There it is,' Aizawa's eyes dilated as he focused on Kenji, and noticed his eyes were glowing with an eerie purple light. Honing his senses to the max, Aizawa delved deeper, peering past the light spectrum.

For what seemed like an eternity nothing happened but then like a camera zooming into focus, Aizawa could see the thin barrier surrounding Kenji. Like his eyes the barrier glowed with a purple tint, but Aizawa could make out so much more than just the barrier's color. 

'Is this…space?' That was the only way Aizawa could describe it and it explained why his Lockdown struggled to contain Kenji, 'Lockdown creates a perfect sphere around me that I can expand up to 50 meters around me. Those caught within its radius have their movements restricted depending on how far away they are from me. Judging by the strength of my quirk, Kenji's barrier contains an additional five meters of space.' 

Feeling Kenji begin to slip free of Lockdown Aizawa frowned and reduced the size of the area to one meter the smallest he could make it. Once more Kenji was frozen in place and Aizawa could see the look of discomfort spread across his face, "Sorry but I need to try something."

Reaching out with a finger Aizawa poked Kenji in the chest and frowned when he didn't feel any resistance, "Strange it has no effect on physical objects…is it quirk related only?" 

Kenji stared unblinking at Aizawa as poked and prodded him in the chest while muttering something to himself. For a moment when Kenji activated his veil he thought he managed to tip the scale in his face once again, only for the invisible weight pressing down on him to triple, 'Damnit.' 

"Alright this has gone on long enough," Aizawa spoke out loud as he flicked Kenji on the forehead, hard. 

"This fight has concluded, winner Aizawa Shota." 

Kenji gulped in a lung full of air as the weight across his body vanished letting him breath freely for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. 

"You did well," Aizawa said with an interested gleam in his eyes, "To be honest I can't make heads nor tails of your quirk, but it's clear you haven't had much time to practice it. I also suggest you find a different fighting style, you're not suited for it." 

Still trying to catch his breath all Kenji could do was nod, "I really thought I had you for a moment." 

Surprisingly Aizawa's lips twitched up in a shadow of a smile, "You gave it a good effort, but you're going to need at least two evolutions before you can seriously even think you have a chance to pressure me. Which is two less than I give most students, your quirk is just that damn confusing." 

Kenji could help but grin despite the backhanded nature of the complement. 

Walking out of the arena Kenji ignored the looks from classmates as Aizawa called out, "Mina Ashido 

Mina stepped up to the cave exuding nervous energy, and Kenji had to resist the urge to gloat, 'Is it bad that I kinda want to see her get punched in the face?'