The first course the lord of the dead had Izuku learn was how to handle a sword, and the teenager attending a high school teaching him how to apprehend criminals alive and completely in tact saw immediately how hard it was going to be to use that knowledge practically. Not only in the field but also in a generally public setting attempting to learn how to handle a weapon skillfully and masterfully. To even bring the weapon on campus, he'd have to get permission from the staff and guidance from the support and tools staff of the school.

A task of which was a struggle in and of itself.

"Let me get this straight, Midoriya," Midnight began, leaning over her desk to prop up her arms and stare at the green-haired teen over her fingers. "You want to bring in and use a" — she looks over the document laid out before her — "longsword on campus and during training, and you wish to add it to your hero costume."

Izuku nodded. "Yes."

"Similar to the blunt katana Equipped Hero Yoroi Musha has with his costume," the heroine continued, brushing over the detailed layout sheet about the blunt sword Izuku was trying to pass through the school borders and the samurai-dressed hero in the top of the chart rankings in Japan in an accompanying photo for reference.

"Yes, just like that."

"And it is supposed to work in tandem with your new hero costume." Student and teacher stared at the rough drawing of a pair of pants accompanied by a few paragraphs of details and explanations. There was nothing else to the costume.

Izuku looked back up into his teacher's questioning eyes. "Kind of."

"You're going to have to explain it better than that if you want these permission, Midoriya," Midnight informed in, leaning back in her seat. "A practical tool to use in the field isn't unheard of or uncommon; you've seen my whip." He had four different pages of notes on that whip alone. "But Yoroi uses a sword because of his quirk. What would a sword be used for in your hands, Midoriya?"

The young teen sighed and leaned forward over his knees. "I am...trying to go for a blacksmith look. A style that can mesh with my fire and what I'm trying to test with it. Because my internal body heat is equal throughout my body, I've been testing and been successful lighting my full body on fire. And I don't want to copy Endeavor and just go with a suit that can handle his full body fire in the same way, and I thought I could go off my dad's interest in medieval culture and reinterpret my powers and look into something like a blacksmith." For as busy as the man could be, Izuku had to thank his dad for the help in outlining a believable change for his future.

"A blacksmith, huh?" Midnight looked over the boy's notes again. "With no hammer?"

"I was actually gonna ask Power Loader what would be the best model to get before petitioning for one," Izuku excused himself. "Wanted to at least get the harder part out of the way so it wouldn't seem like I'm trying to ask more and more of you guys. Might have to submit a new hero name too."

The pro-heroine gave the green boy a condescending look. "Midoriya, we are your teachers. You're supposed to ask more of us, because we should know your limits and any you're trying to reach. A lack of a shirt on the field isn't completely against costume guidelines, though you boys have it easier. Majima will definitely know a good tool that could pair with a sword design like this. If it's greenlit, he'll probably suggest an armory for your hero agency so you wouldn't have one style of weapon to rely on. You know how to fight with one?"

"My dad has been teaching me when I brought up the idea to him." Arthur and Cadmus were his real teachers while his dad oversaw the training, but that counted, right? "It's just been three weeks so far but I assumed this would take some time to be approved so I could keep practicing with him before I could try some in classes. And I just want to use them for self defense and terrain hazard countering. Reshape the field to help other heroes or civilians caught in the mix."

Midnight hummed with a slight frown lilting her lips. "You'll need more time to practice before you're officially field approved but if you're thinking about using this when the time comes?" Izuku nodded quietly. "Then they'll probably approve it in time for that if they think it'll help us."

It was a silent rule, not to speak about the planned raid on the League's hideout. They had months left to prepare themselves for the day they would coordinate their forces before the League could act, however long away that would be. But it was, in part, the reasoning behind Izuku's change in costume and purpose. Against what was said to be an army of criminals, civilians and corrupt heroes, the side of good would have to use as much as they could to take them down and apprehend them. A hammer and sword combination would work a lot better than just using his bare hands to fight them.

"Well I believe I can see some practical use with this, and I can see the concern this will bring up on you, same as Yoroi faces. However, before I can permit this, I have one more question I need to ask you." The heroine leaned over her desk, her eyes piercing into Izuku's with a dark glint. "Are you doing this because of Shiozaki?"

Izuku bit his tongue with a frown, closing his eyes and taking one long breath. He was asking for a costume change that was a pair of baggy and big pants that would be resistant to fire enough for him to test his flames against the material, and absolutely nothing else of cover for his body. He could heal his skin from most any wounds, something he would try to explain away with "searing the wound shut with his body heat and fire," so he wasn't too worried about not wearing protective gear like most heroes would recommend. He was lucky costume restrictions were harder on women than on men, due in part because of Midnight herself and her old hero costume, that he could request no shirt at all. But of course, bringing up those details to said hero to add believability to his weapons request was going to result in the 18+ woman bringing it around about impressing a girl.

"It's an added bonus," Izuku answered after a break of silence and staring.

His response was satisfying to the pro hero, sending Midnight back in her chair with a bright smile and a high-pitched squeal of excitement. "And here I was, worried I'd have to step in and get this matter resolved," she sighed, twirling her chair as she spoke aloud. "So I take it you plan on telling her soon?"

So they're talking about this now. Izuku should have seen that coming from a mile away, given who he approached. At least he could be completely honest with her about this without cutting corners left and right. "I'm not sure it's the right time to?" he argued weakly. "A bit of...cinematic irony? To confess my feelings to her right before we go into a giant battle. I'd rather not jinx it, if it's all the same to you."

"Do you really believe in that superstition, Midoriya?"

While, 'Ma'am, I am that superstition,' wouldn't work as a response, he could at least answer with, "Yes, I do. Also, knowing Shiozaki, I should probably do that with a shirt on. I don't think she'll care much about the costume."

"It wouldn't hurt," the hero reasoned. "She has her values and I know you respect them, but I don't see the harm in finding each other good to look at."

"And with that, I ask if I can leave." Izuku didn't wait for an answer as he stood from his seat and looked back down to the papers he had handed over. "Does any of that mean you approve of this?"

Midnight nodded as she stood to lead him out. "I'll make sure these are sent to the support department and I'll even throw in a little note so Majima can add a hammer to your arsenal without you needing to meet with him. He'll have no problem with your lack of a shirt request, though brace yourself for a belt that weighs thirty pounds."

Izuku shrugged as he followed his teacher to the door. "That's what I get for lugging around two tools. I'll get used to the weight eventually. Thank you for meeting with me, sensei." He bowed his way out of the room, earning a curt nod from his teacher.

"Thank you for thinking about your future. We'll have that costume at the very least ready for you before the next internship. Now run along and spend the rest of your weekend well." She threw a hand through his hair to ruffle it, and Izuku made sure to bow his head so she didn't brush against his still growing horns beneath the bush of green locks.

Izuku kept his breath as the door closed, and only exhaled as turned and walked away. Prepping for the fight against the League was stressful to even think about. They had an army to fight against, a man in a test tube about to become an ultimate weapon they had to prevent in time, a bunch of hero teenagers were going to fight alongside professional heroes, and Shiozaki was going to be there. But if he was lucky, he'd be able to slip through the battle and find the man he was looking for before any of his friends could see him. Getting his teacher's approval today was going to prove pivotal when that day comes.

He wasn't going to have another chance to kill Dabi.