Giran

Izuku glanced at his phone while looking around. He carefully followed Giran's instructions to find where he was supposed to meet him, but he was still having difficulty finding the place. He expected it would be in a district similar to the one where the underground fight club was. Meaning, something poorly frequented, and with little to no heroes. However, this looked like any regular street you would find in the center of Musutafu. It didn't look completely safe, exactly, but it still didn't seem too bad.

He guessed hiding in plain sight wasn't a bad option. If Giran was only an information broker and helped get two groups or people in contact, then he would not need to be overly sneaky as he did nothing too suspicious. Nonetheless, people smart enough to hide in the light rather than in the shadows were often the most efficient monsters. Maybe Izuku did make a good decision by getting in contact with him.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and turned left. There, standing in front of him was what seemed to be a cabaret. He was hesitant to go in since he wasn't sure this was the place. After all, Giran didn't send him a full address, only the name of the street. He only added in his text that they would talk about their deal over a drink. This cabaret was the only place where you could order a drink on this street, so he supposed he should go in and check.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, he went in, pushing the door open while slightly leaning down so his head wouldn't hit the top of the doorframe. He immediately cocked an eyebrow in surprise once he was inside. Only a few people were sitting at the tables and with only light drinks. Sure, the cabaret's atmosphere was pleasant since it was peaceful, and the soft musical ambiance did well to soothe someone's spirits. However, he expected the place would be louder and more vulgar considering it was likely often the meeting place of various villains. It was no wonder no hero found this spot. No one would think they would find many criminals here.

He had no idea what Giran looked like nor did he want to question every person about him here since it wouldn't be discreet at all. Instead, he figured he should just buy a drink, and the man would likely figure out he was the one he communicated with on the phone.

The bartender, who was cleaning a glass, slightly widened his eyes as he looked up to Izuku's tall form approaching the counter.

"What can I get you, big fella?" The bartender inquired once Izuku sat at the counter, on a stool that could barely fit someone his size.

"Give me a glass of sake," The horned boy ordered.

He never had alcohol before, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. Since everyone always mistook him for an adult, he was aware he could buy a drink in any bar and no one would ever check his ID. It probably didn't matter in this place though, considering the activities happening there. He knew his mother often drank sake while he was at home or at school, so he always guessed it tasted good. Now was the perfect time to check.

"Here you go," The bartender stated as he placed the glass of sake in front of the massive boy.

"Thanks. Keep the change," Izuku replied before giving him a bill, and immediately taking a sip of his drink after that. It slightly burned his throat, but it did nothing beyond that. He liked the taste, but he felt like he would need much more alcohol to get affected by it.

When he expected it the least, the smell of cigarettes invaded his nostrils, making him glance to his left. A man stood there, leaning on the counter. He looked middle-aged and had gray hair with round glasses. With the missing tooth, the goatee, and the cigarette in his mouth, he looked like one hell of a sleazy bastard.

"I'm guessing you're the one I had on the phone earlier?" The man, presumably Giran, asked with a mischievous smile.

"I am, and you must be Giran. How did you know it was me?" Izuku responded, making the man grin with confidence.

"I've never seen you here before, and I'm also a pretty good judge of character. I can just tell by looking at your face that you aren't here to play around," He explained before walking away. "Let's get a more comfortable seat. Take your drink with you," He suggested before walking toward a nearby table.

The booth was a bit too tight for Izuku's liking, but he didn't complain. He was used to having his size being a drawback for possibly anything he did.

"So, are you new in the field? I don't think I've ever heard of you before," Giran started the conversation as he took a puff of his cigarette.

"I've only been in underground fights, but apart from that, I haven't really done anything yet," Izuku replied, figuring he could tell him since it wasn't something that could be used against him.

"I figured since you knew Pero. Do you mind me asking how you got into this life and your goal? It could help me find you what you want,"

"That depends. You want to work for me?" Izuku questioned with a raised eyebrow. Of course, he wouldn't just spit out his plans and goals to anyone, especially if they weren't even working under him. Giran slightly widened his eyes in surprise, then laughed out loud.

"You're a funny one! But I can tell you're not the type to tell many jokes," Giran leaned back. "You said you wanted to do business?"

"I need a new source of income, and I've heard from Pero you were an information broker. Information is exactly what I have," Izuku explained, making the older man arch an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh? What type of info? Blackmail material? On a pro-hero or another villain? Information on a big score could be good, too," He listed excitedly.

"How to kill a pro-hero. Is that good enough for you?" Izuku suggested as Giran paused in surprise. Suddenly, the older man's eyes gained a malicious glint.

"Oh, you really aren't the joking type. You've come to the right place," Giran muttered as he silently gestured around him. The horned boy didn't need to look around to feel the heavy aura of hate the customers around felt for pro-heroes. That much murderous intent wouldn't have gone unnoticed by anyone.

However, Izuku stayed impassive. He knew this intent wasn't directed at him. Even if it was, he had nothing to fear. He didn't fear anyone.

"I've got some analytical skills some of your partners could find interesting," Izuku stated before taking a flash drive out of his pocket and putting it on the table. "It contains every information I could get on the quirks of two pro-heroes. It has their strengths and weaknesses… As well as the way to beat them," He explained.

"I see… I don't doubt I can easily find a buyer for this," Giran stated as he lifted the flash drive and looked it over.

"How much can I expect for it?" The green-haired boy asked while the older man hummed.

"It depends on the targets as well as how effective your info is. First, I need to check it out myself and make sure it's legit, then I'll find someone willing to buy it. You'll only get your money then but for something like this… I think you'll get around 430,000 yen per pro-hero. Only if your information is accurate, of course," Giran explained.

"I don't mind the wait. It's a fair price, too," Izuku admitted with a nod. Obviously, he would need to sell information on multiple heroes if he wanted to match his earnings from the Fight Club. This wouldn't be an issue since he could just sell information on multiple heroes per month. There was an abundance of them, too many in his opinion, so all he had to do was walk outside and he would find a fight between a pro-hero and a villain, eventually.

"I'm not just a buyer and reseller, by the way. I can get you in contact with other people. I'm sure a few groups could use your skills," Giran explained before leaning forward. "There's this new group who'll make itself known soon if you want to…" He began, only for the massive boy to sigh.

"No thanks. I'm no one's lapdog," Izuku grumbled. There was no way he would belong to someone else. He wasn't the type to follow orders. He understood he would have to do it after joining U.A., but he was willing to bear it because entering such a prestigious school would be beneficial. No villain group was interesting enough for him to bend the knee to someone. However… He wasn't against making a group of his own. "Still… I'm gonna need a crew. How much do I need to pay you to find someone willing to join me?"

"Oh? So you want a group of your own, huh? I'll be frank, I usually don't make the people I like pay for this service. Finding someone looking for a group is the easy part. You and your comrades will have to do the rest," Giran responded.

"What do you mean?" Izuku arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"You need people you can trust, and who'll trust you back. The way you people work or how you motivate your followers… That's something you guys will need to figure out," The older man explained while pointing his cigarette at Izuku.

"Yeah, I got it. Just find me someone, and I'll do the rest," The young boy assured. His confidence seemed to be enough to gain Giran's trust concerning his team-making skills.

The closest thing he had to a crew were some of the worms that served as his classmates. Bullies often had their cronies, kids who followed them because they didn't want to be bullied or because they wanted to feel a glimpse of what power felt like. He wasn't exactly a bully, though. He had much better things to do than waste his time stealing lunch money from the common weaklings you find on the playground. He did intimidate some of the class bullies to get them under his control.

Humans acted the same no matter their age, though. He knew fear alone would make the disposable ones loyal. The fear they'll have of him would prevent them from betraying him because they wouldn't think it was worth it if they lost their lives in the process. This was another story for the people who would become his officers. They needed to be loyal out of respect rather than fear. He could only hope Giran had a good enough eye to find suitable villains that would make acceptable top officers. He suspected he would have to find most of them himself, though.

He discussed with Giran for a few more minutes before leaving the establishment. Of course, he left the flash drive with the information broker, so he could sell the analyses. He had 10 months before UA's entrance exam, and that meant he had 10 months to build himself a good crew and a big source of income.

There were other key details he couldn't ignore. He would mostly fight in close combat because of the nature of his quirk. He couldn't turn into a full dragon just anywhere, especially if he wanted to hide his identity. Even if his natural brute strength was formidable, it would benefit him to have a weapon to fight with. Of course, it wouldn't be a firearm, but it needed to fit his size, so something like that needed to be custom-made for him. He doubted it would be cheap, but he had enough money for something like that.

After saying goodbye to Giran, he didn't stay outside for long since he had no more business. As usual, his mother greeted him without asking any questions and then went to sleep shortly after because of the medicine she took to lighten the pain in her leg. Since he gave her a portion of the money he earned, he wondered if she would use it to get a better prosthetic. She didn't spend a lot of money often, for some reason, probably because she wanted to be careful with it. Izuku didn't care what she did with it. It wasn't his responsibility, and helping her simply improved his own living situation since she was his mother. If she lived a good life, then he also lived a good life.

Since he wasn't going to the Fight Club anymore, he had no reason to skip his classes. It was still boring, but no one bothered him. Bakugou hadn't even tried to challenge him. Instead, he only glared for a few seconds once in a while, then returned to his activities. Maybe he simply wanted to keep training until he was sure he could defeat the massive boy or perhaps get a better score in UA's entrance exam. Honestly, Izuku didn't care enough. Bakugou didn't interest him in any way. Sure, he had much more potential than the average middle schooler, but the green-haired boy didn't believe the blonde would ever be a challenge to him.

Moreover, he couldn't recruit him either. It wasn't because Bakugou clearly revered heroes since Izuku truly believed that no matter how much someone loved heroes, you could always turn that love into hate. Especially Bakugou's, the guy who only wanted to be the strongest. Izuku could respect that drive. However, someone like Katsuki would never work under someone. He already knew the blonde wouldn't respect his authority, and would constantly argue with him.

The dragon boy had no time to waste on these things. Maybe someday in the future, Izuku would give him the choice to join him. If he refused… Well, that was a problem for another time.

As expected, a few days later, interesting news shook the pro-hero fanboys' forums. Air Jet and Master Driller had both been killed. It was also talked about in the news soon after. Izuku couldn't keep his smirk off his face. It wasn't that he held a grudge against them or anything. He wasn't happy about their deaths specifically. He was glad because this was no mere coincidence. It meant Giran found a buyer, and that buyer disposed of these two pro-heroes. He would get paid and do the same thing again. He still had folders of info on multiple heroes.

So he used them. He regularly met up with Giran and handed him one or two folders, which the older man sold, then gave him the money. The business was going well; however, the information broker couldn't find anyone who would work under him. It was mostly because he wasn't known yet, so villains were reluctant to be under the thumb of someone who they had no idea what they were capable of.

This was a pain in the ass, but it was also understandable. He didn't expect this to be easy. He needed to build a reputation. A part of him also encouraged him to seek out gang bosses and outright challenge them to take over their crews. It could work, especially since he was confident in his abilities. However, he couldn't simply look out for any random gang. Taking over a group of four people would have been useless. Moreover, he needed to take over a gang that also ruled over a territory, which wasn't uncommon. The only issue was that it had to be a minor territory, otherwise, he would risk painting a large target on his back. He didn't want his name to get out before even entering UA.

While Izuku was writing notes about his next possible strategies and plans right in the living room, his mother was putting on a vest. Inko limped around the room, looking for her keys as she avoided her son's hulking hunched form over the table.

"You going somewhere?" Izuku asked, slightly curious.

"At Mitsuki's. Do you want to come, too? Katsuki-kun will probably be there," Inko replied as she limped to the door.

"We're not exactly friends," Izuku simply responded to Inko's surprise.

"Really? But… You've known each other for years. You are in the same class," She arched an eyebrow, stating the obvious, to which Izuku scoffed.

"So? We don't walk the same path, and he isn't worth befriending," He retorted while shaking his head.

"That's a shame… I'm sure Mitsuki would have been happy if you had come. She hasn't seen you in a while," The woman argued, making Izuku roll his eyes. Mitsuki was Katsuki's mother and Inko's closest friend. She was like an aunt to him, which was why she always insisted he should call her 'Auntie' when he was a kid. He personally thought it was pointless since she wasn't his aunt, and he didn't feel such a connection with her. In the end, she wasn't even close enough with Inko to know about how bad her relationship with Hisashi was. "She always asks me how you're doing when I have tea with her," She insisted.

"Maybe I'll go there if I don't have anything more important to do," Izuku sighed in annoyance. "Happy, now?" He grumbled. Inko begrudgingly looked away, seemingly not completely satisfied.

"I'll see you later," She said with a downcast look before going out.

The long-haired boy rolled his eyes before looking at his notes again. Since he couldn't look for information himself, he had no other choice but to ask Giran for it. Actually, there was another option, which was to check which gangs were the most notorious on the news, but this wouldn't really tell him which territory they controlled, and which ones would allow him to stay in the shadows. He pulled out his second phone and texted the older man before standing up.

He would also use this as an opportunity to receive the money from their previous transaction since his analyses allowed the killing of one more pro-hero.

***

In a way, perhaps it was bound to happen. When you had a quirk like hers, nothing good would come in your life. Her parents were the first proof of that… The way they rejected her, she could never forget it. They reminded her every single day, after all. She was called crazy because of her quirk, something she couldn't control. She was called crazy because of her eyes, and her expression.

Was she supposed to forcefully change herself? If only they accepted her, maybe she wouldn't have resorted to these drastic measures to be happy… But they didn't. No one did. Every person she looked at was happy, smiling widely as if there was nothing wrong in their lives, and the moment they were in danger anyway, a grand hero would come and save them. How was it fair that only they got to smile without a care in the world? How was it fair that only they got to be saved by heroes?

At some point, she simply understood that those heroes only saved those who belonged in society. The rest, crazy people like her, were to be thrown out like trash. This was the cold reality she learned when she was just a child.

Her life was dark, cold, grey… It wasn't worth living. The only people close to her only wanted to "fix" her. She wasn't broken! She didn't need any fixing! If she needed to change who she was… To fix herself to be loved by her family, and have friends… Then maybe those people didn't deserve to love her at all.

The day that boy was hurt, and she drank his blood, put a definitive mark on her. This was how everyone in school would remember her. The crazy girl obsessed with blood. She couldn't count on her parents to help her, of course.

In the end, the only thing that could help her was the sweet life juice every living creature had. She had quite a fascination with blood. In fact, she loved it. She felt like she could be herself every time someone's blood graced her lips. Her life gained colors and light. She was happy! So she figured she needed to chase after it to be happy for as long as she could.

The first time she took someone's life had been… Special. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. She had no remorse. She craved more. So she became a sort of… Hunter. She hunted people who caught her eye and killed them.

She wondered what her parents would say if they had seen her. Would they say how much they knew she wasn't normal? Would they attack her in fear? They probably forgot about her anyway. She had been missing for several months already. Ever since she drank the blood of that boy, near the end of her last year in middle school, she had been on the run. She couldn't stand everyone's hate, and she didn't want any more trouble. Instead, she lived as she pleased. However, it was hard when you lived alone on the streets.

She had needed to throw away her middle school uniform. She replaced it with a seifuku with a beige cardigan, a blue skirt, and black knee socks. She hoped most people would pay more attention to her clothes rather than her face. At least, they would think she was just an innocent girl for some time.

Today, she was thirsty for blood again. Like many other times before, she sneaked through the random passerby with her eyes wandering around, checking out if she could find anyone whose blood would taste good enough. Everything was based on a hunch, but she usually had a gift when it came to finding people who would taste delicious. The issue here was also the fact that she needed to find someone alone and isolated from any possible witnesses.

As if the heavens answered her prayers, someone passed her by, nearly knocking her over if she hadn't moved away at the last second. Other people weren't as lucky since many of them were pushed out of the way. However, none of them spoke up or insulted the one who pushed them. The blonde girl immediately understood why once she looked up. The one who nearly pushed her down was a massive man with black leather clothes, horns, and long wild green hair. He easily towered over everyone else!

The girl had seen a few people with mutation quirks that made them big, but the ones with that size certainly weren't common.

Someone like him must have had gallons of blood to spare! The rarity must have made it taste even better, too! She grinned widely and sinisterly, showing off her teeth as she imagined a way to take the giant down. This was too soon to claim victory since he was still in a busy street with many witnesses, but if she followed him long enough, then it was possible he would end up alone at some point. That would be the time to strike.

She wasn't afraid of his size since she was a bit experienced thanks to her time on the streets and the various murders she committed. She discovered a talent for silent assassinations. Actually, she was sure that even an assassin wouldn't discover her presence. It may have been a bit arrogant of her, but she was confident in her abilities.

She followed for at least half an hour until he finally took an advantageous turn for her. She wasn't sure what his destination was, but it didn't matter. The alley he went to should be empty. Before following, she waited for a few seconds until he was far enough, so there wouldn't be anyone close enough to see or hear what would be happening. It wouldn't be the first time there was a witness, but she would rather avoid it.

Any other villain would have been found out already. After all, she was only a few meters away from him, silently following him in the narrow and filthy alley. However, as expected, she had erased her presence completely. Her steps were so light she didn't make a sound. her breath was so soft it wouldn't be heard even if they were in a small and quiet room.

She slowly pulled her knife out of her cardigan's pocket, making sure her clothes didn't even rustle. His size was a problem, but nothing she couldn't overcome. Once she was finally close enough, the girl suddenly dashed forward and bent her knees, putting all her strength into her legs before jumping up.

She used as much speed as she could muster and managed to use her other hand to grab one of his horns and avoid falling back down, then wrapped her legs around his neck. She quickly raised her knife in the air and immediately brought it back down to stab the man in the face. However, right before she could… A sudden killing intent made her body freeze in place.

The blonde widened her eyes in fear as she glanced to her right and noticed a hand reaching for her head. Sensing danger, she jumped off the man's back and escaped his hand just in time.

"Huh? How did you sneak up on me?" The man questioned, turning around to grab her again. With the agility of a cat, she jumped aside and used her silent technique again. This was even easier in this situation. Because of his size, the man had more blind spots than the average person. "She disappeared…" He muttered as he turned around, only for the girl to slide between his legs and get behind him again.

"Now!" The blonde thought with a crazed grin then thrust her knife into the back of his leg. She was going to make him collapse to his knees, then slit his throat. Unfortunately, her knife simply bounced off upon contact, much to her shock.

"There you are!" The horned man breathed out before turning around and outstretching his hand to catch her. The blonde girl jumped back, nearly falling to her butt but caught herself.

"Just stop moving, please. I want to see you bleed so badly!" She laughed before launching herself forward. She decided to throw caution out the window and use speed instead. If she drove her knife into his chest before he could react, she would win. "Got ya!" She exclaimed with a loud giggle while he remained still as a statue. Finally, the tip of her blade reached his chest, only to sound like it hit a steel wall and bounced off like it did on his leg.

The girl widened her eyes in shock as she fell on her back. After yelping in pain, she swiftly got back on her feet, her knife in hand. This wasn't going as expected, but no matter! It was more fun like this! It would make seeing his blood and drinking it even more worth it! She dashed toward him again, ready to dodge if he attacked her. Fortunately, he remained in place without moving an inch.

Instead of jumping up this time, she stood on the ground and raised her arm high enough to reach his abs and slash across… And left no marks. With a click of her tongue, she attempted multiple other slashes, which were all in vain, then thrust toward his belly. No matter what she did, her knife simply couldn't get through his skin! What was his quirk?!

"Are you done?" The horned man asked in boredom while she panted, trying to catch her breath after pathetically tiring herself out. Before the blonde could answer, he grabbed her arm and lifted her up to his level, making her yelp in pain and drop her knife as he squeezed her wrist. Trying to claw his fist open proved to be useless, unfortunately. "Now, tell me. How did you sneak up on me? What's your quirk?"

"I'll tell you, but you let me stab you first! Deal?" She chuckled while struggling against his grip.

"Oh? That's strange. I'm sure I remember letting you stab me a few times already," He tilted his head. "Your knife isn't going to pierce my skin anyway. No bladed weapon can. You aren't the only one who tried," He explained as the girl finally met his eyes.

She couldn't help but widen her own. This wasn't a civilian, that was for sure. Because when she stared into his viridian eyes, she saw death. Not her own, mind you. She saw eyes like her own. Eyes who had known death and welcomed it. She immediately knew this man had already stared into the eyes of people he killed before. This was a murderer… Like her.

Nonetheless, it wasn't like the common villain who went on a rampage. She knew this because she wasn't like that. His killing must have been calculated. It must have been done for a reason! Then her eyes wandered all over his figure. He was massive, but it wasn't just his size. Everything about him screamed intimidation. This was why no one dared to call him out earlier. They were all scared of him because of his appearance. Was his childhood similar to hers? She wondered. He was an adult and looked several years older than her, so he must have suffered for this even longer than her! Maybe it was poetic justice that she would die to someone… Crazy.

"It's a shame it can't…" The blonde giggled. "Your eyes would have looked even cuter if they were covered in blood!" She exclaimed, only for the man to arch an eyebrow.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" He inquired, clearly baffled by her random statement. "I'm going to ask again. How did you sneak up on me?" He questioned, only for the blonde girl to shake her head stubbornly. "I could break your neck, right now. Are you sure you want to keep quiet?" He asked as he grabbed her head with his other hand.

"Alright, kill me. But first, let me stab you! Let me drink your blood!" She declared with a grin, uncaring of the danger she faced. The horned man stared at her in silence for several seconds before… Suddenly laughing?

"You're about to die and that's all you have to say? You're a crazy one, aren't you?!" He laughed, letting go of her head to hold the bridge of his nose. His laughter soon turned into a chuckle before coming to a stop. "I've wasted enough time. You're lucky we're in broad daylight," He said before dropping her to the floor. "I'm sparing your life. Don't waste it," The man added, then slowly walked away, leaving the girl alone with her knife a few meters away.

She looked back at him in surprise while the distance between them increased with every step. This was the first time she hadn't managed to stab someone and drink their blood. But she wasn't mad. She just made a great discovery. Someone with eyes like that, with such a body… Could only have a wonderful blood. She couldn't simply let go of it!

Himiko Toga yearned to see this seemingly invincible man covered in cuts and bruises.