Chapter 10: CH-10. She is your opponent
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Yaoyorozu's expression suddenly became disheartened.
Yes, the difference in strength is huge, so the training difficulty is certainly different.
'Is there no way for me to make up for it?'
Yaoyorozu's father tried to ease the tension, "Itadori, isn't it too early to say that? Why don't you let Momo take a look at your training methods? It won't be too late to talk about it afterward."
Yaoyorozu's mother also added, "Yes, Itadori, Momo told me that your strength is the greatest she has seen among people your age. For auntie, please help her out."
So annoying...
Itadori supported his face with one hand, and after a moment said, "Alright, as long as she dares to come."
"Really? Thank you!"
Yaoyorozu's mother tugged at her daughter's hand, "Come on, Momo, thank him quickly."
"Thank you, Itadori."
Yaoyorozu bowed repeatedly in excitement.
"Really? We're all classmates now, so just call each other by our names."
As Yaoyorozu's mother spoke, she narrowed her eyes and smiled at Itadori, "Itadori, don't be polite, just call her by her name." When Momo heard her mother, her face instantly turned red.
In the western part of Tokyo…
Yaoyorozu followed closely behind Itadori, and after some hesitation, she blushed and spoke to his back, "Itadori, don't mind what my mother said. Just call me as usual."
"It's okay. I'll just call you 'Momo.'"
Itadori walked ahead without looking back.
"Huh!?"
Yaoyorozu's face suddenly turned red, "This, this..."
Then Itadori's voice came from up front, "Your last name, 'Yaoyorozu,' is too complicated to say."
It felt like a bucket of cold water was poured over her head, and any small hope she had vanished.
Instead, a trace of annoyance surfaced.
As they continued, Yaoyorozu felt increasingly uneasy. She edged closer to Itadori, her tone growing more nervous, "Itadori…this place…?"
After passing the bustling shopping area, the surrounding streets became emptier, with hardly any pedestrians in sight.
Occasionally, pairs of malicious eyes glanced their way from dark alleyways.
This reminded Momo of her terrifying brush with death the previous night.
"The slums, or high-crime areas. Ever been to a place like this before, princess?" Itadori introduced casually, "It's a haven for lowlifes, drug dealers, and street rats. Sometimes gang members sell drugs here."
After a pause, he continued, "While most here are weak and cynical quirk users, they often fight over territory, giving them a wealth of combat experience. There are also some strong quirk users lurking around."
The more Momo listened, the more shocked she became, finally guessing what he meant. She asked, "Could it be…your training method involves…"
"Oh my, what a beautiful lady!"
"Boss, especially her figure! She's nothing like the girls around here."
"And from what I see, it's natural! None of that plastic stuff!"
"Boss, you go first, but leave us some!"
Before Momo could finish her sentence, a group of five ragged young men spewing crude language blocked their way.
Itadori smiled and explained, "This kind of scum isn't very strong. If they were, they'd be robbing stores or attacking us head-on. These lackeys are the lowest rung here."
From his familiarity, Momo could tell Itadori had been here countless times.
He shifted to the side, grabbed Momo's arm, nudging her forward, and smirked, "Usually, this trash isn't worthy of training with my quirk. I don't even need to lift a finger, but for your current level, they're perfect."
The gang showed up at the ideal time. Based on their abilities, they didn't warrant Itadori's full power.
But for Momo's current abilities, they were the perfect punching bags.
"Jerk! What did you say?!"
"Boss, take his girl! Right in front of him!"
"Yeah! Show him the might of the Black Tiger Five!"
The five men jeered.
Two rushed toward Itadori first. One's fingernails extended into blades, while the other whipped out a nunchaku, which expanded to double its size.
So, that's their quirks?
When the two were just two meters away from Itadori—
Bang! Thud!
No one could see clearly, but they watched the two soar backward, skidding more than twenty meters.
Their fate mirrored that of Bakugo's encounter with Itadori!
If Midoriya were here, he'd notice it was even faster than when he saw Itadori overpower Bakugo last month!
The remaining three looked at Itadori in terror.
"I told you, your opponent is her. Attack with all your might, like dogs in heat robbed of their mate."
With an impatient wave, Itadori barked his unusual order at them.
Momo blushed at Itadori's strange metaphor, frowning slightly.
'Does he not even consider me a woman?'
"Start now, or I'll deal with you myself."
Itadori's tone was more threatening this time, "Or else, none of you will walk out of here."
The sheer aura he radiated made the gangsters realize his power far exceeded theirs.
Though baffled by his odd command, under Itadori's repeated threats, they turned toward Momo and activated their quirks.
The gang leader's hair extended, elongating to more than five meters, reaching toward Momo like tentacles.
"A hair-control quirk?!"
Momo tried dodging, but the hair turned and ensnared her right foot.
The gang leader grinned. His hair was like an extension of his body, completely under his control.
Bound by her right foot, Momo was yanked into the air, nearly crashing into an abandoned building.
At the critical moment, she created a katana with her quirk, slicing the hair and freeing her foot.
However, she fell, rolling twice on the ground, her custom outfit now covered in dust.
"Continue, both of you." Itadori commanded the two short thugs nearby.
"Uh…yes, sir!"
The two reluctantly complied, knowing they couldn't disobey Itadori's orders.
They had quirks too, though less powerful than others. One could increase the weight of objects, hurling heavier stones at Momo, while the other hardened objects like paper into deadly weapons.
Though not entirely useless, compared to heroes like Todoroki or Inasa, their abilities were vastly inferior.
Disillusioned with their quirks, many had fallen into this life of crime.
Nearly forty minutes passed.
As noon approached, Momo, who was sparring with the three, looked completely exhausted.
Despite Itadori's order for them not to hold back, the three refrained from causing serious injury or laying hands on her, fearing Itadori's wrath.
But even with their restraint, dealing with three opponents experienced in street fights was no easy feat for Yaoyorozu.
By now, she was swaying unsteadily, on the verge of collapsing.
Itadori wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed her confidence had shrunk along with her energy.
Momo's vision blurred, and her eyelids grew heavy.
Just as she was about to fall, a hand caught her around the waist.
The next moment, Itadori hoisted her onto his shoulder.
"Here you go."
He didn't clarify if he was addressing Momo or the thugs.
Leaving them with a parting glance, Itadori carried Momo out of the slums.
As he walked away, he turned back, his voice cold and unsettling, "I'll be back later."
When Momo slowly came toher senses, she found herself lying on a bench in a family restaurant.
Itadori was seated across from her, sipping a drink and gazing out the window at passing strangers.
"Did I faint?"
Momo quickly sat up, checking herself in disbelief.
"You were out for about half an hour."