Alrighty, Author Notes Time is now airing. First up, I'm intending to release a chapter every 1-3 days depending on the circumstances. Second, I'd like to thank my friend SushuiTemitsu for him mentioning me in his author notes, it's appreciated. Third, I'm currently lurking in his discord, where I'll be releasing chapters and bit earlier for anyone interested. If you're interested then...
Discord link is /Sjxgk2Bfrf
I'll shut up and let you guy read like you came here for. Bread out.
Staring at the letter, an odd sense of comfort overcomes me. He never hated me for being quirkless. He may have left, but at least I know that he never hated me. That alone leaves me feeling like I am floating, as if a crushing weight I had grown so accustomed to carrying I no longer noticed it had vanished. I guess I should keep reading his letter.
"In this world everyone has been entranced by quirks, the powers from the ancient comics made have been made real and all the complications that come with it. They have forgotten the legends that came before, the stories of dragons, demons and monsters. The lost secret of a hidden history, of magic and the wrath of the great laws.
Long ago, back in the days where people would fight with sword, spear, bow and lance, there were those capable of tapping into and manipulating the laws of reality. Those few became known as 'Mages' who were capable of performing impossible deeds and miracles. They fought back the incursion of the Celestial and Infernal planes, refusing to allow the world to become their personal battleground to settle their undying grudge and host their unending war. The resulting three-way war, lead to the deaths of millions with marks still visible to those who know what to look for. The Black Death had been the result of a demonic ritual to try and eradicate mages from the war, forcing the intervention of the great laws.
The great laws cursed the Celestials and Infernals to never again walk our world in their own bodies and effectively crippled much of their power even if they could ever manifest here. The mages petitioned the great laws to allow them to continue their legacy, stating their services to preventing much of the destruction that would have occurred. In order to preserve the balance of the world and honour their service, the great laws created the hidden world, a plane of existence separate and yet connected to ours, where they could live and continue their legacy so long as they never interfered in the matters of our world using power outside the reach of those who couldn't use magic. Under those conditions, they lived in the hidden world and passed on their legacy.
With the fairly recent emergence of quirks, the power within the reach of those who live in this world is drastically increasing. The limits on mages are swiftly being raised and no one has any idea what might be coming.
There's an old friend that runs a Dojo near the industrial district of Musutafu. Go to him, tell him and him alone "Hisashi Midoriya sent me here" and He'll ask who you are. The response will be 'A humble visitor seeks the lost Arcanum'. He will know what it means for you to say that and will help you as best he can.
Go forth and become the great hero I know you can be, my son. I will always be proud of you"
Reaching the end of the letter, my head start to pound like a drum. This lost history, these secrets couldn't be spread. Putting it back in the envelope, I swiftly seal it up and dash into my bedroom, pulling out a draw and hiding the letter with tape on the back of it, before putting it back in. It'll work as a hiding spot for now. Tomorrow, I'll find this old friend of father and talk to him. If it meant I could be a hero, I'd deal with the devil, let alone and old friend of father.
The next day
Waking up on a fresh Saturday morning I devour the massive breakfast with the greatest speed I can muster and bail out the door with my keys. Calling back that I'll be back in time for dinner, I move towards the address that was left in the letter. After an hour of walking, I find myself at the address, Standing in front of a modest, but clean dojo with traditional Japanese architecture. Knowing that it's already hit ten in the morning, I proceed to knock on the door as loudly as I could. Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching the door, I tense up in anticipation. This is a friend of the father I haven't seen in five years. What would he be like as a person, how would he look?
What I wasn't expecting was a dignified old man with steel grey hair, a white martial artist's uniform tied together by a black belt with three bands of gold on one of its ends and a thick bandage tightly wrapped around his head, completely covering his eyes. Aside from being slightly more muscular and in better shape, he looked like one the elderly people in the neighbourhood trying to retain some of their youth by wearing their old sports clothes.
"What business brings a young boy like yourself to this small dojo of mine? I'm not near anywhere that children your age would find interesting last time I checked, but that was a while ago..." he spoke, his voice trailing off as if his memories were no longer as accommodating as they once were. To all intents and purposes, he seemed like he was slightly senile. Deciding to bite the bullet I said "Hisashi Midoriya sent me here"
In an instant, the senile old man seemed to have been replaced by a cold, unyielding warrior casually releasing an aura that seemed to contain the screams of thousands dying cruel, bloody deaths and this man was standing atop their broken bodies. My body froze up, terrified of the threat of death he exuded, yet even more so of the unspoken promise of that if I tried to flee, he would act with all of his brutal power. In a voice so soft, yet filled with lethal intention it felt like the reaper was breathing down my neck he spoke, word by word "Who. Are. You?".
On the brink of panic, clinging to the words my father left me, I managed to stutter "A-a hum-mble visitor s-seeks the lo-lost A-A-Arcanum". Those words obviously shocked him, the dreadful aura vanishing like smoke in the wind. Gasping for air now that the suffocating pressure had lifted, I see the man facing me with an odd expression on his face before seeming to realize that I was watching him. Smiling slightly, he spoke more to himself than to me "So you finally found someone, huh" and faced me with a slightly awkward grin on his face.
"Sorry about that kid, I promised to keep a hold of some things for Hisashi until someone came to collect them and I've had more than a few people try to trick their way into getting them. Guess you're his son, you both have a similar air to you, so vibrant and full of life, willing to face anything for your dreams. I'm Gin, but you can call me Old Man Gin if it's a friendly visit or sensei if you are here to train. Anyway, come on in, have a seat and I'll grab the items he left for you"
Taking a seat at a low table in the corner of the Dojo, I sit and wait for the strange old man to reappear. He's a bit odd and seriously scary when he felt like it, but he looked after the stuff father left for me to come and collect for years. It would seem he treats his promised as something that has to be kept at the least. A sudden shiver runs down my spine as a few small details make themselves known to me once more. He had his eyes covered, but knew I was a boy and my rough age instantly. If he had judged it afterwards by my voice then I'd be less worried, but I hadn't said a word up until that point. Whenever he talked to me, he would always manage to be perfectly facing me. What the hell is going on?
Hearing the door creak open as Gin hauled in a hefty wooden chest on his shoulder, I sprang out of my seat and rolled onto my feet, hopefully ready to fight if things went wrong. "Uhm...Hello there? Is something wrong kid?". Not taking my eyes off him for a second I tensely respond "How did you know I was a boy and roughly what age I was? Your eyes are completely covered in bandages, I hadn't spoken a word before that point for you to make a judgement off. What's the deal Gin?"
Pausing for a moment, Gin bursts into laughter and chuckles "Dear me, your expression is something else right now. Yes, my eyes are covered in bandages. I got injured a while ago, losing my eyes in the process and leaving me with some nasty scars I don't feel like parading about. No, I can't 'see' you in the traditional sense of the word, it's just an application of what I would teach you here if you are willing. Might be nice to have such a perceptive student for once. Just to make things clear, I already know all about the hidden history that Hisashi would have left for you to read and I'm one of the few mages that hang around on this plane of existence. Why do you think Hisashi would leave such important stuff with me if I couldn't keep it safe?"
Relaxing my stance slightly I query in slight suspicion "So he asked you to look after what's in the chest and teach me if I ever came to pick up these items?". Gin lets out an undignified snort, completely destroying his air as a wise old man cackling "I did promise to keep this stuff safe for him, but I never said anything about teaching you. Only reason I'm willing to teach you is that you might be worth me finally taking another student after my retirement. If you were an idiot and never managed to notice the inconsistences with my 'sight' or too weak-willed and fainted from my pressure, I wouldn't teach you for all the gold on the planet. That said, do you feel like learning some magic kid?"
Quietly shifting through the turn of events, I notice that there seems to be nothing in it for him to gain by teaching me. As if he was reading my mind he spoke "If you're wondering what I get out of this, a teacher is judged by the accomplishments of their students. I think you'll make a good mage with the right training and I also feel like shutting up the slimy bastards that are complaining at me to mentor their snot-nosed gremlins. I have high standards for those I accept as students". With a light cough to mask what I could just about make out to be "Unlike their tastes in woman...urgh".
With a slightly evil grin on my face, I innocently called "Isn't it rude to comment on people behind their backs? Especially about their wives" to be rewarded by Gin spitting out his fresh tea in shock. Facing the dumbfounded expression as he stared at me, a radiant innocent smile adorned my face, with an aura of 'What do you mean I did it on purpose? I'm an innocent ten-year-old boy' emanating from me. I certainly never expected his response to be to crack up laughing and collapse on the floor. Wiping the tears from his eyes after he calmed down enough to actually speak without giggling like a schoolgirl he chortled "You know, I think I'm going to enjoy teaching you brat. Every Saturday you come here and I'll teach you as best I can. There will be extra work, but it'll be worth it in the long run"
Before leaving I remember Kazumi's struggle to remain in control of herself at time and ask "Gin-sensei, I have a friend who has been struggling to retain control of herself and she been trying really hard to cope, but she has no defined way to handle it. Do you have any suggestions?".
Somewhat intrigued by the question, I tell Gin about Kazumi and her effort to try and become a better person. About her struggles to lash out at whatever makes her angry like she has for years. About her almost obsessive desire to fight. Somewhat perturbed by the story he asks in a serious tone "Alright, ask her if she want to come tomorrow. I hope it's just some anger issue I could help by using martial arts to help her learn the value of control, but if it's what I think it might be she is going to need some help as soon as possible. See what you can do, I'll have a talk to your Mum about training. I'll keep the items here while you're not training, you don't want to catch the attention of some of these people kid"
As I walk home, the idea that Kazumi might be in danger filled my head. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to get here.
Kazumi
Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, that damn voice keeps going in the back of my mind. Taunting me, goading me to fight, trying to make me hate anything that would between me and battle. My mental battle is interrupted by Mum slamming on the door yelling "OI KAZUMI, IZUKU'S HERE!". Throwing on yesterday's clothes at top speed, I hurtle round the corner from my bedroom to see Izuku practically bouncing with joy in front of Mum. Seeing my approach, Izuku runs up to me and asks "Hey Kazumi, you know how you wanted help to control yourself? I found an old friend of father's that runs a Dojo and knows a few routines to help with physical and mental control. I thought it might be something you'd want to try".
Seeing those emerald puppy eyes staring at me with such a pure desire to help made it almost impossible to say no and I did need something a bit more effective than just trying to squash the voice out of my head. "Alright Izuku, I'll get some stuff ready. Don't suppose you're hungry?". The loud gurgling noise from his stomach answered for him, right before mine decided to join in and out do it.
The awkward atmosphere was instantly shattered by Mum laughing and calling "Yeah, yeah, go get changed and get back here for some food. You two sound like you could really do with some food to chow down on". After changing into some clean sports clothes and devouring some breakfast like there was no tomorrow, I followed Izuku out towards the industrial district, curious to meet this friend of his dad. Izuku's dad had vanished five years ago now and I could barely remember a thing about him, except for him being really tall and having grey eyes that seemed to have storms trapped within them.
What I hadn't expected was for this friend of Izuku's father to be a strange old man with bandages wrapped tight around his head. I also never expected him to face me directly the moment he opened the door and curse "Oh are you fucking kidding me right now. Alright little girl, are you having problems with that voice in our head? Come in and take a seat, this will take some explaining and a good amount of time". I never even mentioned that to Izuku, how the hell did this geezer know about it?
Plonking himself down at a low table the geezer introduces himself as Gin and after complaining under his beath for a moment decides to finally get to the point "First off, if it weren't for the fact that this situation might put my student at risk I wouldn't be interfering with this mess. Unfortunately, the kid is just like his father and will just charge into the mess face first to try and help you, which will probably get him killed. It would be by your hands no less"
I...I would kill him? There's no way I'd hurt him. Unbidden the memories of all my mistakes, all the times I beat him come forth to haunt me. Desperately seeking to clear my head to pay attention to the old man, I see him waiting patiently for me to collect myself before continuing his little talk "You know of quirks, but there are other paths to gain power. In some cases, the diagnosis of a quirk is related to an incomplete awakening of a different type of power, in your case child, the incomplete awakening of a divinity channelling art for a war goddess. Your anger, disdain and overwhelming thirst for battle are all caused by your divinity channelling art trying to push you to fight and allow it to fully awaken. If you wish to learn how to control yourself, the only option that has any chance of success is awakening that incomplete art and learning how to wield it for yourself. The training will be tough, hellish even, but by the time you complete it you'll be able to suppress the side effects of art and use it for your dreams. Before I even consider teaching you, I have one question. What is it you wish for, what is it you are willing to fight for with all you have to achieve?"
Remembering the days where I found myself drifting away from my dream, slowly letting my anger consume me, I think of Izuku. In spite of his weakness, he still did everything he could to try and save me from myself, to remind me of why I wanted to fight and win. At that moment I found an answer that had been buried for too long and without hesitation I let it see the light of day once more "To see a world where the people I care about can live their lives with smiles on their faces, a world where no villain can get past me and hurt them. That is my dream"
Feeling slightly embarrassed by the stare Izuku was giving me and the knowing grin that slowly spread across Gin's face, I flushed bright red while hiding my face behind my knees. At least I managed to not blurt of the last part. "To live my life alongside you in peace when I no longer need to fight...Izuku"
Gin
Seeing young love up close like this is truly a special experience. This girl is so obviously head over heels for Izuku and he doesn't even have a clue just how bad it is. He knows she likes him, the slight blush gives that away, but the emotions I am reading from her are far more than I would detect for a simple crush. I guess I can always save teaching him that particular usage for a lot later in the training, wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.
Opening the chest Hisashi asked me to look after I pull out five odd items: A jet black orb of metal the size of a marble that seemed to be expanding and contracting slightly like a heart, a small notebook with two burnished bronze clasps holding it shut, a small black crystal covered in silver markings, a three-sectioned staff and a beautifully crafted wand that looked like a small tree had naturally grown to partially envelope a rainbow opal at the top. In the corner is a letter addressed to me in Hisashi's handwriting.
"If you're alive to read this, it means you never opened the chest before Izuku arrived and have every intention of giving him the gifts I have left behind. Congratulations, the curse I left on the chest won't melt your internal organs! I did say that keeping promises was important, didn't I?
This means I can trust you to know some things about these items if you were never tempted to open the chest or take them for yourself for five years while being bored out of your mind. Each of them was collected and crafted specifically with Izuku's soul in mind, no one else can even begin to use their full potential. For the love of all that is good in the world, DO NOT give him the black orb, notebook or wand to use until he has a capable amount of understanding of his powers. That's YOUR definition of capable at that and we both know what you're like when it comes to judging your students. The crystal contains a gift to help get him started on the path of studying magic and the three-section staff was made knowing that if his personality is anything like mine, he'll appreciate the flexibility and unorthodox nature of the weapon.
I don't know if you'll accept his as a student because, as much as I hate the fact, I'm not going to be able to stick around long enough to get a good idea. If you do accept him as your student, DO NOT hold back when you're training him for my sake old friend. I want him to be strong enough to protect himself from whatever life throws at him, not for him to become arrogant and get himself killed.
I don't know how I can repay you for looking after these gifts and possibly even teaching Izuku when I cannot, but know that I, Hisashi Midoriya, owe you a favour for this. You should know full well what those words mean and the weight behind them.
Good luck dealing with the pretentious jackasses' old friend"
Chuckling slightly at the letter that oozed his usual irreverent humour and compassion, I look towards his son and the girl that came with him, joking with one another and their arm around each other's shoulders. I think I could handle some students, even if I'm retired now.
Oh yeah, we have some training coming up in the next chapter. Prepare for Gin's Hell Training to do its thing and ensure that things get awkward next time on Runic Legacy.