18 Uraraka Training Arc

"Eh, Master... What am I doing here?"

Uraraka glanced around her surroundings and felt a bit anxious. She was in the middle of nowhere, staying in a random warehouse. According to her Master, it was for training.

But that doesn't stop her from being nervous. This was her first time out of the cities, and she was alone, surrounded by two beautiful ladies. 

"As I said before, you are here for training."

Makima sat at the picnic table with Lady Nagant, serving her tea. On the other hand, Konrad stood beside Makina and drank some vodka hidden in his suit. 

It has been quite some time since the creation of Makima and Uraraka's contract. The Tengen Conglomerate and Uraraka Construction Company were collaborating to build the headquarters of the Counter Division. 

Its location was unknown. 

Uraraka's parent seemed delighted and honored with the job opportunity. This also cemented Uraraka's determination of the choice she made. 

"But why in the middle of nowhere? Couldn't we do training in a gym where it would be cool? Wouldn't that be better?"

Uraraka protested with a pout. While she was used to the sun, basking in its light over an extended period didn't feel pleasant for the bubbly chestnut-haired girl. 

"The purpose of this training is to make your endurance stronger. So there's no use complaining, Uraraka-chan."

"Do 250 push-ups, 250 pull-ups, 250 sit-ups, 250 squats, and run for about 15 kilometers."

Hearing the training regime of Makima made Uraraka want to grumble. But seeing the expectant and mesmerizing smile of her Master pointed at her made the bubbly girl swallow her annoyance.

Uraraka gritted her teeth and glanced forward into the expanse of the seemingly never-ending wilderness. She took a deep breath and began running with all her might.

Makima, Lady Nagant, and Konrad observed her from a distance with interest on their faces. 

"Master seems confident that Uraraka-chan will be able to complete the training regime." 

Lady Nagant remarked, making Makima gazed at her with a confident grin. 

The completion of the training regime seemed impossible. But for the beginner Uraraka, it wasn't improbable. The only thing the bubbly girl needed was control over her quirk.

"She can do it, Lady Nagant. I believe in her."

Such were Makima's words, which Lady Nagant and Konrad could only respond through their eyes pointed at the bubbly girl working hard in the wilderness. 

An hour passed as Uraraka kept running through the field. Sweat dripped from her body while her breathing got heavier with each second. 

Her perception felt hazy, and she felt her limbs wane in strength. Uraraka knew she was exhausted. But she only needed to run three kilometers before the marathon ended.

She didn't want to give up. And she also couldn't lose her Master's expectations. So she must move her body and never stop.

'I must!'

Uraraka cried out in her mind, though no matter how much she tried. She was losing strength, and her body was beginning to fail her.

"You can do it."

As she was about to give up, Uraraka heard the cheer of her Master, getting her out of the internal trance of exhaustion. 

She looked at her Master, standing in front of the picnic table. Her Master waved at her with a smile and a thumbs up. 

"Uraraka-chan, use your quirk." 

Uraraka couldn't under her Master's advice. After all, this was a running marathon. If she had used her quirk, she would end up flying. 

"I can't! Otherwise, I'll be floating instead of running." 

She wasn't someone who'd shy away from a challenge she had taken. 

"I don't mean that, my dear puppy."

"Think about the essence of your quirk. What does it do to you and the things you touch?"

Uraraka thought about the words of her Master deeply in her mind. What does her quirk do? It takes the gravity of others or something and turns it to zero. 

The results would be something or someone floating in the air unaffected by gravity.

'So, how could it help me run better or faster?'

'No, what's stopping me from running better or faster?'

'It is weight that's making me exhausted and slower.'

And what was weight? One's weight could be defined through the force of gravity on the object. But how can she make herself weightless yet still stand on the ground?

'Does my entire body need to be affected by zero gravity?'

An idea popped up inside Uraraka's mind. Instead of influencing the entirety of her body, why can't she only affect her body and use her limbs as anchors?

Uraraka didn't hesitate and activated her quirk. She wanted to influence herself without her limbs and head being included. 

With her eyelids closed, she concentrated on how much can be affected. It took a couple of seconds, but as she opened her eyes.

The bubbly girl discovered herself sprinting at a speed she couldn't have imagined before. She felt light, as if almost half of her weight disappeared. 

It was quite an exhilarating experience. 

"I did it, Master." 

A wide smile was on Uraraka's face as she hopped around the field of wilderness. The previous exhaustion on her face faded with the exhilarating feeling she gained from her achievement. 

She looked at her Master, who was giving her a proud smile. Uraraka gave Makima a peace sign while grinning and continued running through the field, determined to complete the 15 kilometer run. 

On the other side, Makima felt immensely proud of the growth of her puppy. She didn't expect the bubbly girl to learn so fast. 

It seemed she underestimated the girl who mastered a fighting style in mere weeks.

"What did I say, Lady Nagant. There's no way my puppy would stay weak." 

Makima smirked at the purple-haired lady beside her. Lady Nagant just shook her head with a smile, admitting her mistake. 

"I guess Master's confidence isn't unfounded."

Lady Nagant remarked and observed the exciting and energetic Uraraka. 

"But this wouldn't be enough to win the U.A.'s sports festival. There are several young ones with good potential participating in the exam."

Learning a new technique to use one's quirk was an excellent piece of good news. But if one intends to win a tournament, it wouldn't be enough. 

"That's why we are here, Lady Nagant. As her seniors, we must teach the youngling."

"We'll turn her into the perfect agent of the Counter Division and a perfect puppy for myself."

Makima glanced at Lady Nagant with a cold and hypnotizing gaze. When met with Makima's eyes, Lady Nagant was reminded that she was talking to the Devil.

"I don't want to cheat and cripple every young one in the sports festival for the sake of my puppy." 

Since Lady Nagant has accepted her identity as the puppy of the Devil, she has observed from a distance. It was hard to understand the peculiar personality of her Master.

But there were things she was sure of. Her Master doesn't care about humans or anything in this world. She looks at them as monkeys or meat bags. 

Despite being somewhat derogatory, the word 'puppy' was a praise in her Master's perception. In Master's view, being a puppy was better than being a human. 

So, in simpler terms, her Master would do anything for her puppies. She'll sacrifice humans if needed. 

'I guess that makes me mess up too.' 

Even though she had concluded that her Master was a Devil inside and out, Lady Nagant couldn't resist serving her lady. 

After all... For the Devil was her torch in the darkness that was the world.

"I'll have to work hard for Master to not cook trouble for the young ones." 

Lady Nagant stepped forward since it was time to teach a young and future heroine. Makima stood up from the picnic table and waved at the purple-haired lady.

"I'll be relying on you, Lady Nagant. I hope you teach her to become a good puppy." 

She walked away from the warehouse and faded into the wilderness. 

Lady Nagant glimpsed at the direction her Master walked into and thought about the mysteriousness of her Master's abilities. 

They weren't quirks, and her Master's abilities didn't seem limited to controlling others. Perhaps there was a wide variety she wasn't aware of. 

Uraraka appeared beside Lady Nagant and wondered where her Master would be going. She looked at the distance and tilted her head with a questioning face. 

"Where is Master going?"

Lady Nagant turned her head at Uraraka and answered while patting the bubbly girl's head. 

"Master has business to attend to."

"Anyhow, I will be your teacher these upcoming days. I'll teach you suppression and execution fighting style I learned from my days as a heroine." 

"The training can only be completed if you hit me once and dodge or block ten of my attacks in a row."

Uraraka pouted and gazed at Lady Nagant, who was ruffling her chestnut-colored hair. She didn't feel like she had a chance against this purple beauty.

But giving up wasn't in her dictionary; earning money was!

Meanwhile, in central metropolitan Tokyo, at the top of the famous Tokyo Tower. Makima was leaning on the railings with a rare cold expression. 

Beside the Conquest Devil were dozens of crows who circled around the tower as though they were guarding their queen. 

Makima's hypnotic and golden gaze was pointed at the vast and rich metropolitan Tokyo. The secrets she learned every day from this city numbered in thousands. 

It was a place rich in confidential information.

"All For One, Hero Public Safety Commission, and Meta-Liberation Army..."

"They are making their moves. And they are exactly following the path I laid out for them." 

"But I do not appreciate them doing it in the middle of 'My City'." 

"Should I make an example?"