If only he knew. "Probably. The touch limitation has to be a pain, but damn... for a combat style, I'd recommend a little bit of everything with an emphasis on the defensive to buy you time to make safe contact. But, then, you know all that, don't you?"
"Well, I wouldn't want to brag, but I am one of the better students in our class."
More than that, he's had training before coming here. In a quirkless fight, I anticipated him being able to keep up with me or Shoto. And I fucking needed to recruit him if I could.
Without ever allowing him to touch me. If that happened, we were in for a situation. Like myself, he not only copied the quirk, he knew how they worked. He traded my range and versatility for greater strength. "There's not much I can teach you, is there?"
"Maybe not, but I'll ask regardless," he said. "I saw you in the Nomu fight, and you did a lot of good in spite of being no direct help in battle. I, meanwhile, spent the whole fight drawing on Sensei Aizawa's quirk. To little avail."
Three... during that battle, that Nomu was taking three fucking power cancellers and toxic shock and acid and still kept fighting. "I... hadn't realized that." I took a breath. "You saved our lives."
"R-really?" He seemed almost startled by what I said.
"Really. You may not have had a chance to do so, but I saw what that thing could do with and without Aizawa's power slowing it down. Between the two of you, it was probably fighting at half its maximum capacity. As opposed to about 80% with one of you alone."
"Half?" And because he was no idiot, he understood what that extra 30% would mean.
"Half." Less another maybe 10% from my own contribution. "Frankly, it's a miracle any of us are standing here."
"Even if Midoriya gets most of the credit?" Monoma asked.
This, he was clearly upset by. "Even if. He was the one who threw himself in front of us every swing the Nomu took. He'd have died first, if things went wrong."
I started teaching him- while avoiding any physical contact. Thankfully, this was Japan, they were contact-phobic by culture, so I hoped it didn't raise any flags.
And I gave pointers to all the rest. Even to Mineta and Junko, weird as that was.
After all of that, I had the ones willing run through some combat drills. Most weren't, for fear of tipping their hands to competitors. And then I led them into another meditation cycle. I had a quirk to thank, and quirks to copy.
It was... faster than it had ever been. Smoother, too. Once a two minute process, it took me thirty seconds to connect to Izuku and Kaminari. Far from combat effective, but better than ever before.
And I felt closer to my quirk. It came to me, sang with me without a moment of hesitation or struggle. Like I was half-deaf my whole life, and only now knew what that meant. I couldn't begin to guess why, but this was a gift on a physical and spiritual level.
I would not see it, or any of the other gifts I'd received this day, wasted.
=====
"It's time to go home, Mei." Even Momo could get annoyed. "I'm exhausted. We can make babies later."
She really was annoyed and tired if she failed to realize what she said.
"But- there's so much more we can do! I'll do anything you want!" Mei, I assumed, never realized what she said.
"What we want, is rest. You've got lots of raw materials already," I said. "And like fifteen people you've promised to make toys for. So... you do that, and after school tomorrow I'll host another get training session... we've barely scratched the surface."
I wasn't too worried about Mei spending all night inventing. She would, no doubt, but support classes, much like hero classes, were performance based. Every successful toy she created went to improving her final grade. As I understood, they only needed fifty to guarantee a pass in first year even if they slept through their other classes.
At Mei's current rate, she'd have that before the sports festival even began.
I had other priorities. Like cuddling with Momo on our way out. "So, your place or mine?"
"Mine. Daddy wants to thank you. Apparently he had quite the exciting meeting with some senator who seems to be angling for a presidential run on an 'empire' platform, whatever that means, exactly."
That... well, I'd be obligated to send Dad a text about potential foreign interference in an election, but in spite of several constitutional amendments to stamp out corruption, they always seemed to find a way that was still legal.
"It means politics suck. So... before we go, what made you decide to reveal that we were dating? It seemed like jealousy."
"No!" She all but cried. "I mean, that was maybe a part of it. Setsuna was asking me some questions about you, and... But the more I thought about it, the more I saw how unfair I was being to you. You've been nothing but supportive of me, better than I deserve, and I'm pretending we're barely friends.
"If it wasn't me, if you were dating some other girl doing that, I'd be screaming at you to, quote, drop the bitch and never look back. And, again, not out of jealousy."
Huh. "Well, it's not like I didn't understand the reason. Look at poor Izuku and Ochako, and they were just some cute kids, not the resident freshman power couple. But you know the tabloids are going to talk shit."
"Let them talk. My parents own people in the real media. I'm sure they'd be delighted to have me give an interview. I've avoided the celebrity side of business, but Mom wanted to make me into some sort of idol when I was younger. Dad was opposed, and so was I."
"To be fair, you'd have been a knockout hit. Instead of just being a knockout."
"Flatterer."
"Only because you make it so easy."
"I... was going to talk about Setsuna more, but that will have to wait." She gestured to the limo waiting for her.
Marco opened her door, and she thanked him before she got in and it closed. "I heard about what you did out there, Sir. You did good."
"Sir?" Wasn't expecting that.
"You've earned it. You were there when I couldn't be."
Well, shit. "Thanks." Also, has anyone at U.A. heard of information security? I'd be lucky if I didn't get on the evening news for punching a reporter at this rate.
The ride was quiet, with the usual 'everything is bugged and probably filmed' limiting our topics and any physical contact. But there was one topic I didn't mind sharing. "So, I'm going to need a couple contract lawyers. Think your Dad knows a couple that are good, but not connected to his business in any way that might lead to a conflict of interest, either with his company or each other?"
She looked at me. "Whatever for?"
"Oh, just a bit of background scheming."
"Don't start acting like a villain, my rep can't survive that."
"No? Aren't those like, the, plot of trashy romances the world over? Good girl, bad boy... or occasionally good boy, bad girl, but that's by far the lesser option."
"I don't think I want to star in that sort of romance."
"Then what kind of romance do you want to star in?"
"I'm not sure, but keep doing what you're doing and I think it'll turn out fine. And no villainous schemes."
"That's fair."
Momo's dad was quite thrilled to see me. Beside him, a woman I'd only met once or twice: Momo's mother. And her father was a very lucky man. Mrs. Yaoyorozu was shorter than her daughter by half a head, and didn't quite have her daughter's voluptuous figure, but she was slim and youthful in appearance.
She could have passed as Momo's sister. Momo's younger sister.
"Ah, there's the hero of the hour!" The lucky old man waved at me. "I knew my instincts were right about you all along."
"Uh... thank you, Sir?"
"Come on, dear," her mother said. "You know how Americans feel about talking about that sort of thing. Let's focus on more pleasant topics, instead.
I would hope everyone would feel that way, but I'd defer to experience. "That would be appreciated, yes."
The woman smiled. "But I'm not letting you get away without a proper thank you." She came up and gave me a hug. "I don't know what I would have done if Momo got hurt."
"Me, neither." That was a lie. I'd have kept stabbing. Damn, I was more like Junko than I'd realized.
"And, let me thank you for the friends you've introduced me to," her father said. "Had some delightful conversations. Tell me, what do you think the chances are for an 'imperial' faction getting the presidency this run?"
"Pretty low, to be honest. It's a new, untested, political group. Maybe in ten or fourteen, depending on more factors than I could hope to guess, but not two or six."
Unless the Nomu went public. The idea that America no longer had the best military in the world because some nutjob mad scientist in Japan invented the answer to the nuke would see every politician scrambling to embrace the movement lest they be crushed by it.
But I wasn't going to be the one to say it.
"Ah, yes, the slow wheels of democracy."
"That said, it's hardly like one-issue-voters control the country... let's look into policies..."
Dinner was spent talking politics, as I looked up the people he was courting, their successes and failures, how close they were to their term limits and thus the need to step up or step out.
Did not look like the winning bet was to make a play now, but Momo's father decided to 'put in a few million, to engender good will', regardless.
I also asked about those contract lawyers.
"Ones familiar with both Japanese and American contract law, I assume?" Her father asked.
"That would be best, yes. Rival firms, even, if you can swing it. I want this ironclad in a way only two people trying to one up each other can be. I have a plan, here... promise not to take advantage if I share?"
"We owe you our daughters life," her father said. "We're as cutthroat as you need to be in this industry, but I'm not a monster."
"Besides, it doesn't make much sense to stab our future son in law in the back."
"Mom!" Momo shouted. "You can't just say things like that!" Momo's blush wasn't near as pronounced as Ochako's, but it was every bit as cute.
"I'm pretty sure I can and did," her mother answered back with a small smile. "We won't be able to stay forever, so I need to get what teasing in I can."
"Can we go back to talking business?" Momo grumbled, unable to look at any of us.
"I'd thought I'd never hear those words come out of your mouth."
While the girls were doing girl things, I explained the plan to Momo's father.
"That deal sounds... suspiciously good," he said. "It's covering up something illegal, like blackmail or bribery, good."
"Oh my, are we going to have to wonder if you're sweet on this Uraraka?" Momo's mother sounded as sweet as ever, but there was still that little edge of warning.
"No, Mom, there's no worries there," Momo said. "She's a classmate and a friend, and also adorably in love with another of our classmates. I'd be more threatened by Shoto than Ochako."
I can't share that ultimately the US will foot the bill if they must. "I'm aware of what I'm doing, I'll make my money back. But... if we're honest, she comes from a very poor background, so... call it charity for someone who would refuse charity, if you must."
"Well, then, I think we know the perfect contract firms," Momo's mom said.
At least my important schemes were coming together, even if my social life was experiencing something like what I did to Handjob right about now.
Momo swatted my arm. "What did I say in the car?"
"Yes, dear, no villainous plotting, dear." I did my best to affect a 'tired and housebroken husband'. Which Momo's parents appreciated better than she did.
I'd say it was a good impression, over all. Based upon the end.
"Seems it's gotten late," Momo's mother (Mommomo?) said with a grin. "Perhaps you should stay the night? I'm sure the same guest room as last time is available."
Yeah... that was a great sign, or a terrifying one. Either way, now that I knew the goal of the game, and therefor had a grasp of the rules, I smiled back. "Well, I wouldn't want to impose, but it sure beats my apartment."
It was a weird thing, effectively being told to share a bed with an eighteen year old by her parents, but I wasn't about to refuse. Which soon led to us showering (apart, sadly) and then cuddling together.
We kissed for a while. "There was something on your mind? Setsuna something?"
"Yeah. We talked during class... about you." She looked up at the ceiling. "It was, let us say, 'enlightening'. Even before I realized she was planning to ask you out. And, some of the other girls who chimed in... weren't as subtle."
Lovely. "You know, some other guy might be shocked to learn women are like this, but I've read up on all the fucked up love letters serial killers get in prison." Psych and forensic psych weren't particular interests of mine, but they were potentially useful. "Surprised that type's at a hero school, though."
If this was the cause of her concern, it was easy to kill in the crib. "I'd rather die alone than get together with that sort."
Momo sighed. "I don't get it either, but I don't think Setsuna was one of them. She's smart, right there at the top of the class. And her tactical mind is scary- she's the one who pulled me and Pony into working together against the Nomu."
"You're smart, too," I said. "I'm sure you'd have thought of it. The difference was that you didn't know her quirk, yet she knew yours. That's all."
She snuggled against me. "Thanks, but that's not the point. The point is, she's smart and beautiful. And then there's Mei, Mina... I'm starting to see a pattern."
"First, I don't think Mei knows what sex is." If she did, then I'd bet money she lost her virginity to a gear shift. "Plus, there's a great wisdom known to all men, but achieved only by a lucky few: 'do not stick it in the crazy'."
"That's awful!" The accusation lost a little power when she was grinning. "What about Mina, then?"
I could kinda see it. "I mean, maybe, but I think you're overstating her interest. She was pushing me to get together with you before she found out we already were. Not quite as hard as she was pushing Ochako and Izuku, but... can you blame her?"
"They are aggressively adorable as a couple," Momo agreed. "But if we weren't together, and she was interested? Would you?"
What the hell? "Maybe, once I knew her better, but I'm inclined to 'no' right now. And I'm not just saying that to make you feel better. She seems a little... flighty, for my tastes."
"I... guess I can see that," she admitted. "Well, who would you pick, then?"
"Momo... if you keep asking these questions, I'm going to start wondering if you're into this sort of thing."
She was, of all things, confused by the question. "Into what sort of thing?"
"Uh..." How do I explain this one? "There's a whole subculture around partner-sharing, where one or the other or both will sleep with other people. Maybe even while their actual significant other watches. And, like, a dozen sub-variants with their own subcultures."
"That's a thing people do? I thought that was made up!"
"More weird than writing love notes to serial killers?"
She blinked, then laughed. "No, you're right, and I can see how that might be your conclusion. I guess I'm just feeling insecure. I know why I like you, but I can't really see why you like me."
"Would you like an itemized list? I can probably narrow it down to a brisk two pages if you want the abridged version."
She giggled. "Just a few of the highlights, if you please?"
"Then, if we conveniently ignore your objective physical beauty, which I'm sure you know already... you're smart, kind, funny, sweet, caring, smart deserves to be listed twice, and you accept military weapon schematics as gifts. What more could any man desire?
"Every day since the first night we spent in this bed, I've been telling myself not to fuck this up on a regular, frequent basis."
"The same," she said. "Well, maybe not those exact words, but the sentiment. I don't want to ruin this, and I'm afraid I'm going to."
"Now that you don't have to worry about." I kissed her again. She melted against me, so I guess I finally said the right thing. "I can't imagine being happier."
She grinned. "But I am still curious, if it wasn't me, who would it be?"
Dammit. "No, you've asked enough questions. How about you answer the same question to me?" That should get her-
"In order? Todoroki, Ida, and maybe Monoma if he wasn't so frustratingly arrogant."
- Nevermind. "That... was fast."
"You asked."
"I suppose I did." And she was looking at me, expecting the same. "Real talk? Right now, probably Kendo, maybe Tsuyu."
"Kendo, I can see, but I thought you wanted 'sweet'. Tsuyu's kinda... brutally honest?"
"She is, but honesty's a very desirable trait." My own hypocrisy was not lost on me. "And so far, I've only seen her brutalize people who deserve it, in defense others. To which, I can relate."
"Hmm, I was right then, you and Setsuna would have been a pretty good match."
"Yeah, but I'm not going anywhere unless you kick me out."
She kissed me again. "I know. I'm just being insecure. You've done so much for me, and I keep wondering if someone else would do more for you."
"You don't have to worry about that at all."
"Maybe." She kissed my neck. "Do you think we can go on another date, a real one where I'm not pretending to be someone else?"
"Whenever you like. Though I can't promise our classmates won't lynch us both if we cut into their training time."
Momo laughed. "Mei would do it by herself, after hijacking all UA's robots. Also, don't let her know you can get military schematics. She'd probably make real babies with you if she found out."
"For the sake of my future children, I concur."
=====
"Someone dumb get in my w-oof!" Eijiro's forty foot jump ended in a forty foot landing.
Itsuka's hand had enlarged to catch him, only to vanish.
"What was that!?" Eijiro wasn't hurt, thanks to his quirk, but he made for a pathetic figure picking himself out of the dent in the ground.
She looked up and rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry, I thought you wanted someone else's help."
"You broke my babies!"
"""She means inventions.""" Several people intoned at once.
One of those running gags that a group of people pick up over a few days constantly dealing with one person's eccentricities.
Mei ran right up and yanked the boots off Eijiro's feet, not a single speck of concern directed toward him.
If we were going to make this 'partnership' work, I would have to assign someone who had basic people skills to translate from 'Mei' to 'sane rational human being'.
"Your babies keep trying to break me." Eijiro hopped up, none the worse for the grass stains. "Man, that was a wild ride. How do people control those things?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out!" Mei declared. "Most people who can take this kind of acceleration don't need bunny boots."
"Launch boots."
"What happened to kangaroo boots?" Tetsu asked.
"Kangaroos can't jump over buildings."
Good thing, too. Those bastards are vicious enough when they just want to drown people, they don't need to be pushing them off roofs as well.
Mei, meanwhile, was going on and on about calibrations and gyroscope stabilizers.
Most of the rest of them had their little toys for the festival. Though I was pretty sure Mina and Bakugo wouldn't be allowed to take their best anywhere near a nonlethal anything.
'Water' and explosive jet cutters, respectively. So finely tuned that they were effectively knives that could carve steel. Don't know why Mina wanted one of those- her power could do that for her- but made perfect sense for Bakugo.
I just hoped the support students got some recompense for their designs, because Mei was doing some top-notch work. Then, maybe it would better if she wasn't... way easier to poach the supergenius if she was being robbed by her current 'employer'.
Speaking of poaching, I took a swing by Monoma, currently testing his new costume against Mezo Shoji. Shoji's power let him transform his arms into all kinds of objects and shapes, including wings, splitting into multiple limbs, even sensory organs like eyes and ears.
It was a pretty damn crazy brawler power, though only for his arms.
Monoma was getting a lesson in how to fight straight on, which he needed because the whole 'fight defensively, copy quirks' thing would only get you so far. Trust me, I knew the temptation, and the trap, that was that strategy.
He tumbled to the ground, and Shoji helped him up with a tentacle. "You're getting a lot better."
Monoma scowled for a moment, but not long. He accepted the lift. Meanwhile, his costume was weaving itself back together. One of Mei's little 'memory weave' inventions for those who were prone to wardrobe malfunctions.
Momo didn't like it, because it slowed her quirk down, and she could just make more clothes whenever she liked. Personally I was beginning to suspect she had an exhibitionist streak in her. Not sure how I felt about that.
"Thanks." He brushed himself off while speaking. "I'm starting to see your point. As good as my quirk is, just because I have the quirk doesn't mean I'm skilled with it."
Good. He might resent the lessons, but at least he was learning them. Which was more than I could say for some people. "And since every quirk has its own advantages and disadvantages... being able to switch smoothly from one style with one quirk, and another style with another."
I'd said it before, but repetition was part of training.
"With exception to Momo, you've got the longest, most challenging, road to bring your quirk to its fullest potential, but if you put in that work, you'll easily be among the best."
Over the last few days, I'd discovered Monoma was weak to two things: flattery, and like everyone here, competitive spirit. He was accepting, even eager, to work hard if it resulted in a chance for him to prove himself.
"Right, so now what?"
"Right now I'd suggest borrowing from Pony and practicing some low impact flight and meditation. Overworking the body only ends up setting you back."
"Right, have to balance my training."
"You moreso than most." I then turned my attention to Shoji. "For you, take fifteen, hydrate, and cool down giving Junko a spar. Then, when Eijiro and Tetsu are done helping Mei with her babies, try a two on one."
Shoji nodded. "I... really don't like sparing with Junko."
"Find me someone who does," I said. "But you're getting training I don't think most of the pros get by doing so."
I didn't know why Junko was joining our training session, she was here for a law degree... probably because she wanted to spend time with Mineta. But I was going to take advantage by helping my students train against mind control. I couldn't think of a better suited quirk for that purpose.
And, yes, it turned out to be possible to spar with Junko. If anything, the 'treat like a beloved family member' made it very easy to want to teach her to protect herself. For those of us (everyone) who believed being able to protect yourself was important.
She was also by far the weakest person here, so for this class of devoted athletes, she could only hurt us by breaking the rules of training. Which she would never do. She'd been an exemplary student, with noth- I pushed back against that intrusive thought.
But other than basic fuckery like flirting without us realizing it was flirting- which was good, since it was training- she was an exce- participating student. She put in too much effort to call 'lazy', but wasn't devoted to the grind.
Yes, the exposure was absolutely helping me and the others push back and correct the way her power twisted our thinking. Not enough that we'd be able to overcome it, not fast enough to do us any good, but it was still good practice.
Against most forms of mind control, this could do more than merely save our lives.
I went through, getting everything in order as I could with training sessions.
While loving my newfound control over my power. I'd been running Midoriya-Denki this whole time with only a small amount of lag when I needed to really think. Hell, I'd been running it every time we were in the same or next door classes with each other, so about half the day.
I put Tsuyu up against Setsuna for a while. "It's because we're green, isn't it?" Setsuna teased.
"Well, it's that or because Tsuyu could use some practice against multiple targets, and you could use practice against high mobility foes. But, sure, let's go with 'because you're green... would you like a turn with Midoriya?"
"Nah, I'm not much for pretty boys... I like men I can bite in to."
"I dunno," Tsuyu croaked. "He may have a young face, but there's more muscle there than I think you're giving credit. He's pretty buff for a nerd."
I let them go at it, and paired Ochako off against Momo. "Go quirkless for a while, the two of you still need to work on your CQC."
Their actual fighting styles were much alike- evasion to buy time to employ their quirks, then use those to full efficacy. Ochako's quirk and build were practically made for Judo, while Momo I wanted to have a more generalist approach that could take advantage of weapons and bare handed alike.
I was currently focusing them on proper grapples and throws, plus some good pressure points and more aggressive means of blocking and deflecting.
Pressure points weren't some magic weapon to win all conflicts by pinching a nerve, like some people who knew nothing about combat sometimes believed. But getting jabbed in one hurt like a bitch and could distract a target long enough to turn the tables.
And last, Toru with her invisibility quirk against Kyoka with the super-hearing aspect of her quirk. Neither of them were easy to train the normal way, though Kyoka had some options with the prehensile and lengthening nature of her heteromorphic ear-cords.
But this fight was meant to force Kyoka to not rely on her eyes, and Toru not to rely on her invisibility in a match. I'd do it myself, but I felt pretty awkward knowing there wasn't even clothing in the way when I made contact with Toru.
With all of that sorted, I approached Shoto. "So, how about a spar?"
He smiled at me. "Been looking forward to it. What are we at, three-two?"
"Three-three, if we count that hero-villain practice." Didn't have the heart to tell him I was holding back hard- but getting used to my newfound strength was my training of late, that and the mystery of what my All Might copy was doing to my quirk as a whole.
So the match began, with the two of us going more or less quirkless in the battle. I'd 'proven' my immunity to Shoto, and we weren't exactly allowed to be too destructive with our lawn-sessions.
The people on breaks gathered around to cheer for us as we tested each other's form and strength.
I did my best to stay down on Shoto's level, trading jabs and playing for 'points' rather than knockouts. This was a spar, not even a match.
Shoto was getting creative, in ways he hadn't been before. The man even replicated one of the better deflection moves I knew to clock me one in the jaw.
Fortunately, we wore padding for this. Didn't need to be showing too many bruises.
In the end, Shoto 'won', but I made him work for it, keeping us point for point until the very end. Did I enjoy the deception? Not really, but it was necessary.
Besides, he was catching up. It'd take several months for him to reach where I was now, and I expected to be stronger still by then, but he was progressing faster than anyone here without a combat-boosting quirk. And having me as a rival was helping him a lot. In addition to helping me gauge my development against a talented fighter.
"You're developing a mean left hook," I said as I rubbed my jaw. If not for the Nomu-boost, that would have hurt.
"It's your left hook," he said. "Almost felt bad about beating you with your own move."
If he feels bad about that, wonder how he'd feel about my quirk? "Hey, I didn't magic it out of nowhere. Had to learn it the same way you did. Getting punched by a guy who's better than me."
"Implying you're better than me when you just lost?"
"Keep talking like that, and we can go double or nothing."
"No. You can't." Momo stepped in. "You promised me a date, tonight, and I'm not going to be happy if my boyfriend is stolen by another man."
"Well, when you put it that way... count yourself lucky, Shoto."
"Keep telling yourself that."
Heh. "Well, all of you who are still in the middle of an exercise, finish up. Don't forget your meditation hour, that's probably the most important training you'll get in these two weeks.
This was true, though they still expected it to be some sort of magic bullet rather than the slow but steady improvement it actually was.
I, meanwhile, headed to the showers with Momo. "So, how do you think you're coming along?"
"A lot better than I expected, in truth," Momo said. "I guess I'm one of those like Toru who expected to be able to rely entirely on her quirk."
"To be fair, you both have quirks that might be able to carry you to professional status," I acknowledged. "But, yeah, there are always times when you'll find a quirk is nearly useless, like against me. And so you'll want something to fall back on. Like Aizawa said, no good hero is a one trick pony."
"I'm pretty sure my quirk would destroy you, mister..." Momo teased. "You're still not bullet proof, remember?"
Yeah, that was a problem. I stopped by the men's shower room. "Well, this is my stop. See you in a few minutes."
While I'd been talking, I'd been measuring how long I could keep locked onto Midoriya and Kaminari's quirks. Every day, it was a little bit further than the day before. Almost double what it had been when I first came to this school.
And the amount of a quirk I could copy was growing as well. Not by massive amounts, but also little by little.
I took the time to submerge and thank my quirk for 'his' hard work, then finished up and met my beautiful, freshy-washed girlfriend waiting for me. "Ready to go on that date?"
"I should go home and get dressed in something nice, maybe some makeup..."
"Oh, trust me, you won't need that where we're going. In fact, you should probably dress down, your school clothes are far too nice."
=====
A/N- Training arcs are hard to do right, because if you don't do enough all future performances look like asspulls. And if you do too much, they become a slog.
All for a tournament that's going to have like three important scenes total.
At least Stain is right after that, and that'll be fun.
A/N-