Chapter 6 - Blood sucker

As Soren walked home after an intense solo training session, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, his body barely feeling any exhaustion. The night air was cool, and the streets were quiet—until he heard soft sobbing. 

He stopped, his sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit alley ahead. 

A small figure sat curled up against a wall, her knees hugged to her chest. Blonde hair, messy and unkempt, framed her tear-streaked face. Even in the poor lighting, Soren could see the sadness in her golden eyes. 

Toga Himiko… 

Soren recognized her instantly. He knew her future—the girl who would become a bloodthirsty villain, broken by a world that never accepted her. But right now? She was just a crying little girl, all alone. 

He approached slowly. "Hey, why are you crying?" 

Toga flinched, her head snapping up. Her teary eyes locked onto his, wary and cautious. 

"W-Who are you?" she sniffled. 

Soren crouched in front of her, offering a small smirk. "Just a guy who doesn't like seeing cute girls cry." 

Toga blinked, clearly caught off guard by his words. "Cute…?" 

"Yeah." Soren sat down beside her, stretching his legs out. 

"So, what's wrong?" 

Toga hesitated, hugging herself tighter. 

"Everyone says I'm weird… that I'm a freak." Her voice trembled. 

"I just… I like blood. It makes me happy, but when I told people, they got scared. Even my parents…" Her voice broke, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. 

"They don't love me anymore." 

Soren remained silent for a moment, observing her. He could see it—the pain, the rejection, the loneliness. The world had already begun turning its back on her. 

But he wouldn't. 

"They're idiots," he finally said. 

Toga's eyes widened. "Huh?" 

Soren leaned back against the wall, his expression calm. 

"People are afraid of things they don't understand. Instead of accepting you, they push you away. It's their loss." 

Toga sniffled, looking at him uncertainly. 

"You… don't think I'm weird?" 

Soren shrugged. 

"Nah. Everyone has things they like. So what if yours is blood? That just makes you unique." He smirked. 

"Besides, I like strong and interesting people." 

For the first time that night, a small, hesitant smile appeared on Toga's lips. 

Soren stood up, offering his hand. "Come on. No point in sitting here all night." 

Toga hesitated, then slowly reached out, placing her small hand in his. The moment their fingers touched, she squeezed tightly, as if afraid he'd disappear. 

He wouldn't. 

Not this time. 

As they walked together, Soren's mind raced. He had no intention of letting her fall into the League of Villains' hands. If the world wouldn't accept her, then he would. 

'I'll save you from your fate, Toga.' 

And in return, she would become his. 

Soren led Toga through the front door of his house, her small hand still gripping his tightly. The moment they stepped inside, his parents turned to them, surprised by the unexpected guest. 

His mother, Hana, blinked. 

"Oh? Soren, who's this?" 

His father, Renji, raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze analyzing the girl. 

"You brought home a stray?" 

Toga shrank back slightly at the intensity of Renji's stare, but Soren simply smirked. 

"I found her alone, crying in an alley. Her parents don't want her anymore." His tone darkened slightly. 

"They think she's a freak." 

Hana's expression softened instantly, and she crouched down to Toga's level, giving her a warm smile. 

"Oh, sweetheart… that's awful. What's your name?" 

Toga hesitated before mumbling.

"Himiko… Toga Himiko." 

Hana gently placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"Well, Himiko-chan, you're welcome here. Any friend of Soren's is part of our family." 

Toga's eyes widened. 

"R-Really?" 

Hana pulled her into a soft hug, stroking her messy blonde hair. 

"Of course. You don't have to be alone anymore." 

Toga stiffened at first, unused to such warmth. But slowly, she melted into Hana's embrace, her small hands clutching the woman's clothes as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. 

Soren watched, arms crossed. 

'She's never had this before… love, acceptance. This is what she needed.' 

Renji sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

"You sure about this, Hana? You're already babying our son." 

Hana shot him a glare. 

"Renji, she's just a little girl! She's been abandoned. What do you expect me to do?" 

Renji grunted, looking at Toga again.

"Fine. But if she stays here, she'll have to train too. If she's going to be around my son, she better be strong." 

Toga, still holding onto Hana, looked up at him with wide eyes. 

"Train?" 

Soren grinned. 

"Yeah. We don't do weak in this house." 

Toga's lips slowly curled into a smile.

"That sounds… fun." 

Hana chuckled softly, still stroking her hair. 

"For now, let's get you cleaned up and something to eat, alright?" 

Toga nodded, her heart feeling warm for the first time in a long while.

After a long legal process, Soren's parents officially gained custody of Toga Himiko. Her biological parents had been arrested for child neglect and for failing to address the side effects of her Quirk—her blood craving. The courts deemed them unfit to raise a child, and just like that, Toga had a new family. 

Adjusting to life with the Oda family was surprisingly easy for her. Hana showered her with warmth, making sure she never felt unwanted. Renji was strict, but his straightforward nature was something she could respect. And Soren… Soren was different. He wasn't just kind—he was strong. Strong in a way that fascinated her. 

Not long after, she was introduced to Izumi and Katsumi. 

"I'm Toga Himiko! Let's be friends!" she declared enthusiastically, standing in front of the two girls. 

Izumi tilted her head. 

"You're really cheerful." 

Katsumi huffed, arms crossed. 

"You better not be annoying." 

Toga grinned. 

"No promises." 

To Soren's amusement, the three got along surprisingly well. They bonded over training, playing, and even some playful fights. But Toga always found herself drawn back to Soren the most. He was the one who saved her, after all. 

One evening, as they were sitting in his room, an idea popped into Soren's head. 

"Toga," he said, watching her idly twirl a lock of her blonde hair. 

"Hm?" she hummed, looking up at him with bright golden eyes. 

"I want to test something. You like drinking blood, right?" 

She giggled.

"Obviously! It's delicious." 

Soren smirked. 

"Then how about mine?" 

Toga's eyes widened slightly, then her face lit up with excitement. 

"You're offering?! Usually, people scream when I try!" 

"I want to see if you get something from it." He extended his arm. 

"Go on." 

Toga licked her lips, her breathing growing a little heavier. 

"I won't hold back." 

Toga eagerly leaned in, her sharp teeth aiming for Soren's arm—but the moment she bit down, her teeth barely even scratched his skin. 

"Eh?" She blinked in confusion and bit down harder. Nothing. It was like trying to bite into solid steel. 

"What the hell?" Toga muttered, trying again with more force. But no matter how hard she bit, Soren's skin remained completely unscathed. 

Soren chuckled, watching her struggle. 

'Of course, she can't. A Viltrumite's body is far beyond human limits.' 

Toga pulled back, looking frustrated. 

"Soren! What's up with your skin? It's not fair!" 

Instead of answering, Soren casually raised his hand and, with a flick of his fingers, sliced open his own palm. 

Toga's eyes widened as deep red blood dripped down his skin. 

"Wha— You just— How did you—?" 

Soren shrugged like it was nothing. 

"If you can't do it, I'll do it myself." He held out his hand toward her. 

"Go on." 

Toga hesitated for only a moment before her instincts took over. She grabbed his hand and eagerly pressed her lips to the wound. 

The instant Soren's blood touched her tongue, her body shivered. A surge of heat spread through her veins, stronger than anything she had ever felt before. 

"Ohhh~" she moaned, her golden eyes dilating. 

"Soren… your blood… it's incredible! So rich! So powerful!" 

Soren watched with amusement. 

'So it does affect her… I wonder just how much she'll gain from it.' 

Toga's breathing became heavy. Her fingers twitched, and she felt a strange pressure building inside her muscles, like something awakening. 

"I… I feel stronger," she whispered, flexing her fingers. She turned to Soren with wild, hungry eyes. 

"More. I need more." 

Soren smirked, pulling his hand back. 

"Not so fast." 

Toga pouted, licking the remaining blood from her lips. 

"Come on~ just a little more?" 

He chuckled. 

"We'll make a deal. Train with me properly, and I'll give you more." 

Toga's grin widened, eyes gleaming with excitement. 

"You got yourself a deal, Soren~!"

A year went by, The cold, desolate surface of Jupiter's moon cracked beneath Soren's feet as he launched himself forward at hypersonic speeds, the vacuum of space failing to muffle the sheer force of his movement. 

Renji barely had time to smirk before his son's fist collided with his chest. A sonic boom erupted, sending shockwaves that shattered the ground beneath them. But Renji didn't budge—his body remained unmoved, the force barely making him skid back a few inches. 

Soren's eyes widened. He held back too much. 

Before he could react, Renji's counterattack came blindingly fast. 

CRACK! 

Soren's vision blurred as his father's fist slammed into his ribs, sending him rocketing backward. His body tore through miles of jagged terrain, reducing mountains to rubble before he finally stopped, buried deep within a crater of his own making. 

'Damn it… That hurt.' 

Soren barely had time to recover before Renji appeared above him, his shadow casting over the crater. 

"You hesitate, Soren." Renji's voice was sharp, his expression hard. 

"Like I've said before, a true Viltrumite doesn't." 

Then his foot came down. 

Soren barely rolled to the side as Renji's stomp obliterated the crater, sending massive chunks of rock flying in all directions. 

Soren didn't wait—he retaliated. 

His eyes burned. 

Twin beams of red-hot energy erupted from his gaze, striking Renji dead-on. The beams melted through the rock, vaporizing everything in their path. 

For a moment, nothing happened. 

Then, from within the blinding energy, Renji's silhouette emerged, completely unharmed. 

'He tanked it?!' 

Renji grinned. "Good, you're getting serious." 

Then he vanished. 

A fist buried itself into Soren's stomach. 

A shockwave erupted as Soren's body contorted from the force, his internal organs rupturing. Blood exploded from his mouth as he was sent hurtling through space, spinning uncontrollably. 

Renji didn't let up. 

He chased after Soren, reaching him in an instant. Grabbing his ankle, Renji swung him like a ragdoll and hurled him straight into a mountain-sized asteroid. 

BOOM! 

The asteroid shattered on impact, debris scattering across the void. 

Soren coughed, wiping blood from his lips. His body was already healing, bones snapping back into place. 

Renji smirked. "Still alive?" 

Soren clenched his fists. His blood boiled. His Viltrumite instincts screamed for violence. 

He grinned, his sharp canines gleaming. 

"Let's go again."

Renji grinned at his son's eagerness, his sharp gaze filled with approval. 

"That's the spirit." 

Soren didn't wait. He kicked off the shattered remains of the asteroid, shooting forward like a living bullet. This time, he didn't aim straight for his father—he twisted his body mid-flight, appearing behind him in a fraction of a second. 

Renji's eyes barely flickered before Soren's elbow drove into his spine. 

CRACK! 

The force sent shockwaves rippling through space, the sheer impact splitting another nearby asteroid in half. 

Renji grunted, but instead of stumbling, he grabbed Soren's arm mid-motion and yanked him forward—driving his knee into his ribs. 

BOOM! 

Soren's body folded, spit and blood flying from his mouth as the force bent the space around them. He felt his ribs shatter, even his Viltrumite durability struggling against the sheer power. 

But instead of falling back, Soren retaliated. 

His eyes glowed like miniature stars. 

Twin beams of energy shot from his eyes, far more intense than before. 

Renji didn't dodge. 

He let the beams hit him point-blank. 

For a moment, his entire face disappeared within the searing light, a blinding explosion of energy spreading across the battlefield. 

Soren kept pushing, his heat vision growing hotter, brighter, deadlier. 

But then—through the flames, Renji's arm burst forward, grabbing Soren by the throat. 

Soren barely had time to react before Renji's grip tightened. 

He felt his windpipe crush. 

Renji smirked, his face only slightly burned, the damage already healing. 

"Not bad. You're getting stronger." 

Soren growled, even as his breath was cut off. His body healed instantly, his bones realigning themselves. 

Then—he clenched his fists and drove them both into Renji's face. 

CRACK! 

For the first time, Renji actually stumbled. 

Soren didn't waste the opening. 

He slammed his head forward. 

A brutal headbutt collided against his father's skull. 

The impact sent ripples through the void, a massive dent forming in Renji's forehead before his Viltrumite durability healed it. 

The two floated there for a moment, locked in combat. 

Then, Renji grinned. 

"That's enough for today." 

Soren blinked, breathing heavily.

"Tch. Stopping already?" 

Renji chuckled. 

"You've improved, but you're still not strong enough to beat me. Yet." He released Soren's throat, patting him on the shoulder. 

"Come on, let's head back. Your mother's making lunch." 

Soren sighed, rolling his shoulders. His body was still healing, bruises fading almost instantly. 

"Fine. But next time, I'm breaking something permanent." 

Renji smirked. 

"We'll see." 

With that, they turned and shot toward Earth, leaving behind the wreckage of their battle—destroyed moons, shattered asteroids, and the lingering heat of Soren's energy blasts. 

It was just another day of training.