Alright! The start of the next arc has come! Let's get this moving!
Inko walked over to her son's room, knocking on the door. "Izuku, it's time to get up. You should take your shower before breakfast!" she shouted to the boy. He didn't respond right away. Guess it wasn't too surprising, he had a big day with the ranking exams, and spent an entire week training with Opera-san and Clara. She was glad her little talk with Asmodeus seemed to nudge things in the direction as well, if what Izuku said about yesterday was true.
"Izuku, you should be up by now.." She walked into his room, and he was sitting by his room's desk for note taking, staring at the little gold badge he had earned yesterday.
"Let's see, the Execution Cannonball is done for the year, that leaves the Division Party, First Term Finals, Harvest Festival, and the Music Festival. I'll go to Opera-san for the information. Grandpa said it's very different from when he went there and it's better to have someone with hands-on experience, but that still left a lot of holes other than the basics. 'Division Party will reveal itself soon, 'Just study for exams', 'the Harvest Festival we'll train for after summer', and they said the music festival is 'a class group exercise'. I feel confident enough for the exams, but I doubt I can pull my weight in the music festival …"
The boy stopped muttering and raised his badge high. "Still though … I made it to Bet (2)!"
"Izuku." Inko's voice was enough to get him out of his own head for a second. "I see everything's been paying off so far, all your hard work has proven itself!" She started to tear up, doing her best not to cry. She didn't want to burden Opera-san with another flood.
"Y-yeah! It has. I was able to put all my effort into something, and for the first time, I was able to achieve something! I actually moved up! Literally!" He showed off the tiny badge. "This is actual proof that I've grown. I'm, I'm not sure in what way exactly, but I can still keep pushing forward towards an actual goal! I'm not Deku anymore, I'm.." He paused, covering his mouth. "I'm.."
"Izuku. When Asmodeus and Clara came up to me the other day, he mentioned you had scars from burns, the kind made from explosions." She sat across from him on his bed. "Why didn't you tell me it was Bakugo?"
The boy paled. "No no, it wasn't Bakugo. There was just a lab accident back in Aldera. I didn't want to worry you, you looked stressed from your job so I just kinda treated it myself." He was such a bad liar.
"Izuku..." She should've known. Katsuki was the only other kid she had seen her son around, and the blonde's brash personality was a red flag she chose to ignore. Maybe at first, she assumed that he was just like his mother, expressing protective feelings through explosive outburst at others. The fury she felt for the brat knowing now all that anger was geared towards her baby. "You shouldn't feel the need to defend him anymore. He's gone from our lives now. They all are."
"No! I...I can't just forget about him!" he shouted defensively. "He was the closest to All Might I ever had growing up. Chasing after him was the only thing I had aside from my notebooks. He was the symbol of winning, of power, of victory, and he'll make a great hero and..."
A symbol of power and victory … "Does that mean you imagine beating people up as a source of getting ahead?" she asked tentatively.
The boy froze. "... Well I did lob a flaming dodgeball with rocket propulsion," he offhandedly muttered. He did what!? How were demons a better influence than a childhood friend!?
"...okay, I'm going to have to talk to Papa about how he runs his school, but for now, I'm going to assume you had a good reason for it."
"Y-yeah. The exam was basically demon dodgeball. We were divided into two teams, and Asmodeus and I were on opposite teams, so when we were the last ones standing...we just...just kinda spilled our guts at each other. He didn't understand why I wanted to help others, probably still doesn't fully get it, but he wants to be friends now, so there's been progress made."
Well it was progress, and the smile on her baby's face melted her heart. "As long as he doesn't give you a hard time anymore, I suppose I forgive him...for now." Izuku tilted his head, probably unaware of the lengths she'll go through to protect him. She already made plans for a funeral. Maybe netherworld culture was rubbing off of her a bit too much. "I'm just glad you actually have a supportive friend in Clara."
"Yeah, Clara's a great friend. Pretty clingy though, not that I mind, she's just really attached due to a lot of bad things, and I've never had anyone act this nice to me before, let alone find me fun to be around..."
Now as a mother, she had a certain responsibility to fulfill. One that she hadn't been able to indulge into due to constantly needing to keep her baby on top emotionally. But now that he WAS on top, with plenty of friends, she could finally let herself run wild with it. "So when can I expect grandbabies myself?" The aim was just to embarrass her child; given he went unconscious, maybe it was just a tad too indulgent.
This is gonna be so fun! First day with new students! A teacher's best learning experience, and he would not let them down! Robin spent so much time studying to be the best teacher he could be; he completely missed orientation! A real shame too, everyone kept saying it was unforgettable!
As the students came he felt a certain unease, like a victim unaware he was about to be mugged. Strange, it's not like the misfit class was untrustworthy, they just had a bit too much energy. "Welcome students, today we're going to be bonding with our familiars." He got a rainbow of reactions at that. Some happy, some sad, one so excited that he trembled and smiled. Such a lively bunch!
"Now then, let's start by summoning familiars. First up is … Clara Valac?" Robin asked, looking at a list. The little green haired girl jumped up.
"That's me, me me me!" she shouted, getting her seal ready from her pocket. "Summon familiar!"
In a heartbeat, the smoke formed. Once it vanished, it showed a lizard-like creature that looked a bit like a child's drawing come to life. This girl must be super cheery and up beat! A great attitude to have for summoning! "Incredible, it's a Falfal! They're known for being ultra intelligent, rare, and mysterious beasts."
"Interesting, so they're a rare beast?" the excited kid muttered.
"I'm surprised the Valac idiot could summon one, much less tame it," the pink haired student retorted.
"Asmod-Azz, don't be mean. She still summoned hers without trouble," the excited kid responded to the pink-haired guy, and he looked a bit ashamed.
The Falfal then picked up a stick, tossing it as the Valac in question chased it. When she returned she dropped it down in front of the familiar in question, who began patting her while speaking it's own name.
"... Alright, you may have had a point about the taming part," the boy relented, the pink haired student now looking smug. "And why does it speak like a pokemon?"
"The hell is a pokemon?" the blond with stripes asked.
The excited kid looked at him, specifically the little device the blonde had. "Probably something you'd like to know about but probably shouldn't."
"Aw man, now I really want to know."
"Okay, next up is … Alice Asmodeus." The pink haired boy stepped up, pulling out the seal and setting it ablaze, in a flash a freaking gorgon appeared into the world! "Wow! A real live Gorgon Snake! I didn't expect anything this rare today. You must be really strong with magic in order to summon one."
Asmodeus looked pretty pleased with himself. "It is the very least I could do, after all, I am a Dalet (4). The very top of the class!"
"Oh, but didn't you lose to Izuku yesterday and become his servant," a tall student with rings around his fingers shouted out. "He threw your own fire back and completely trashed you?"
"I am not his servant, I am his friend," he shouted, infuriated.
"Oh right, never expected Asmodeus of all people to join the chaos spreading gang," a bird kid said. This caused Asmodeus to flinch, looking at a tree guiltily.
Robin should probably move this along. "Alright then, next up, Izuku Midoriya!"
All eyes were then turned to the excited kid, who kept that excited shaking. Great, there was one student here that shared his passion! "Uh, me?"
"Oh, we're finally going to see your ultra powerful summoning abilities in action now, right?" the blonde called him out. "Trust us, Sensei, this is one you have to see for yourself!"
"Only my rival could summon something so incredible as to rival I, not like anyone else could hope to match." The buff student gave a cocky grin full of teeth, and a grinding noise could be heard from Asmodeus.
"Would you miscreants knock it off? You're putting a lot of pressure on him right now!" Asmodeus defended.
"Come on, Izuku-kins! It's been forever since I've seen Operko's kitty form! I need to see it again! Please! Please! Please!" Clara chanted over and over again. Aw man, this was too much! He had to see this familiar right away or he'll explode from excitement!
"I, uggh, fine." Izuku grabbed his seal and placed it on his hands. "Just, don't freak out too much, sensei. It can be a little startling to see for the first time." He clapped his hands, and in a quick puff of smoke, a small red cat creature with wings appeared. "H-hey Opera-san, I-sorry for summoning you out of nowhere."
"No need to apologize, young master. It is what the contract states after all."
"A TALKING FAMILIAR?! I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE!"
"Excuse me teacher, one second!" the boy with rings shouted, before everyone barring Izuku himself went into a huddle. Only various instances of 'bet' and 'find out' were heard before they broke up, Midoriya only let out a sigh.
"What did you guys bet on this time?" Midoriya asked like he was expecting it.
"Whether or not that demon-familiar of yours will end up causing trouble later," the bird student replied with a shrug.
"I can assure you I am properly trained and well mannered, otherwise I would be able to fulfill my duties." The cat-familiar flew up to the group. "And I can assure you, when trouble arises, I'll be there to end it, by any means necessary."
Such an intimidating aura, this was the best day ever! "Okay then, who's up next!"
Opera sat down, thinking of the pros and cons of the situation. Pro, they could look after Master Izuku, they could still use their full powers in a smaller form, and they could finally lick their skin without people complaining or finding it weird.
Con, people weirdly found him scary, well, scarier, in this form for some reason, just because he could knock someone out cold in one pounce, and agreeing to the contract met he could be taken away at any time without warning. It was a shame too, they were having such a delightful talk with Inko about Izuku's potential children with Miss Valac this morning. The imagination of a happy mother was truly a sight to behold.
Then again, they agreed to this particular position only because of Inko's worry for her son, so there was very little they could complain about, not that they were complaining at all. They've enjoyed the time training for the ranking exam, so this wouldn't be so different.
Although now this current task seems a bit, how was a good way to put it? "Come on, play some frisbee!" Demeaning, that's the word.
"W-we don't have to go through with this, you know," Izuku whispered in his ear, making sure the cheerful teacher couldn't hear them. "I can handle a bad grade for one day. There's no need to embarrass us both."
They responded with a small but firm 'bap' across the cheek.
"We won't deter your education just for a little dignity. I can assure you, I'm fine with this. Now throw the frisbee so your sensei can move on from us." Izuku nodded, looking nervous with a faint blush as he threw the disk. Opera began walking towards the thing, picking it up with his paws, and dragging it back over. "Nothing to it."
"Wow, you two are bonding great! It's like you're sharing the same mindset!" They did, they both wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. "Now then, I believe it's Clara's turn." He turned, Falfal saying something before Clara left and ran away.
"... I don't think that's how it work-" Clara soon came back with a meat bun, handing it to the familiar, which patted the girl's head. "I'm really concerned with this relationship."
"Same. A tamed Clara is something I don't think the world can handle." Not how they'd word it, but sure. "Isn't this form a little uncomfortable for you? You're one of the strongest demons I know, and being the size of my forearm doesn't look like a picnic."
"It...has its advantages at times. I can practically fall asleep anywhere now and no one can complain about it." Izuku looked at Opera skeptical.
"Are you sure you're not in any way related to an actual cat?" That actually was a good question. Demon ancestry wasn't really a big topic around here, something they attributed to the ranking system. No one would care about who you're related to, it was either rank up or be forgotten. It was a bit depressing when he thought about it.
"Maybe, but since we're on the topic about being comfortable, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Izuku nodded, letting them continue. "You've lived here for a while, and have gone above and beyond to live among your peers. Your mother is quite safe at the mansion, but how are you adjusting?"
Izuku froze for a second. "I-I know it might sound a bit strange, but I'm actually used to everything now. Sure, I'm a little scared of the others, but that's mostly out of identity discovery at this point. Hell with demons is honestly better than my life with humans on earth."
Once again, that was more depressing when they thought about it. Put it all on paper, and one wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the human world and the netherworld from how Izuku described it. "So, I take it you have no desire to return to the human world?"
Izuku paused again, taking a good look around him. Jazz was hiding in the corner, eyes darting back and forth. Lied was playing games with his monkey. Kamui was fawning over Elizabetta and her Floral Papillon. Clara was rolling over for Falfal while Asmodeus and Sabnock were throwing daggers at one another.
"Yeah, my life here is really great. I have people here I care for, and those that care for me." Opera smiled, glad their duty could be fulfilled. "Hey, you might need to step in, the fight needs to be stopped." He pointed to the Gorgan hissing at the Kelpie, which neighed in return.
"Understood sir," Opera spoke, rolling up nonexistent sleeves and ready to knock sense into these hooligans.
Kalego tapped his finger against the desk, staring daggers at the manchild in front of him. He let the silence hang out, waiting for the other to try and speak first. "Um, how's it-?"
"Silence," he interrupted the newbie. Just one look at him made him mentally slap himself. How was it that most of the annoying people in his life were smiling green haired idiots? It was like a virus trying to spread. He swore if he ever met a green haired smiler he liked it would be a day to celebrate and memorialize forever. "Now tell me, what's the most important lesson of dealing with familiars?"
"We-well sir, it's to build trust and bond.."
"WRONG!" Kalego threw him across the room after grabbing ahold of his face. "Familiars aren't toys to be played with, they aren't pets to feed and gallop on. They're magical beasts, wild animals that are barely held back by a contract," he growled at the man.
"But, they can't hurt the owner due to the contract- OW!" The annoying man screamed as his face was squeezed like a balloon.
"That doesn't stop them from trying to main or kill anyone else. You're also assuming that the summoner doesn't wish to let them run rampant." So naive, how this man ever became a teacher here he'll never know. "Thus, the first rule of having a familiar is to fear it. That is the only rule it understands. It was fortunate that one single student already learned that lesson long before you." It practically killed him on the inside knowing that said student was Midoriya.
The newbie, Robin something, looked down at the ground. Seriously, who hired this moron? Couldn't have been Dalton, which meant the only one high enough to hire him..of course. "Sullivan."
"You spoke my master's name?" Kalego suddenly felt the need to jump out the window and fall down the deepest, darkest cliff he could find and hide there for ten years. "Hello again, kohai, I see you've enjoyed today's familiar training."
"What the hell are you doing here?! Again!?" He shouted, preparing to use the pen as a makeshift javelin. It likely wouldn't scratch the bastard but it would sure as hell distract him for a real attack.
"I'm a familiar, I was summoned," the cat explained, staring with impish delight in their eyes, moments away from pouncing on prey.
"The class is over, you should have been sent back to that accursed castle," Kalego growled in frustration.
"Yes, but then I couldn't have fun with my kohai now could I?" The insane bastard carried on, not even trying to give an excuse. Their eyes now narrowing. "I take it you've been enjoying teaching my young master so far?"
"Believe me, if I could, I would throw you two and Sullivan down to the deepest depths of hell and personally spend a thousand year making sure you don't escape if it meant I could go one day without thinking about any of you!"
"If you made sure we didn't escape every day wouldn't that mean you'll think of us?" Opera responded in a teasing way that made the headache grow even more.
"I feel I'm missing context here. You have a grudge with a familiar?" asked the newbie.
"No, we're just really old friends catching up with one another," the red haired devil falsely clarified.
"What's a friend?"
"Nothing important, especially when it's not true!" It was hard enough knowing Midoriya was causing so much trouble expanding his social circle, the last thing he needed was this lunatic spreading more misinformation about him like in his years as a student.
"Aww, but remember all the fun we used to have? Such as that time we had to sneak into the succubus battler and made you-" The demon never got to finish his sentence, Cerberus pouncing on the bastard. "And here I thought I would consider Master Izuku's advice and ask Sullivan to give you a raise. Guess you aren't as good a teacher as he thinks."
Wait, what? "You were going to..?"
"I can see when I'm not wanted. I'd best be on my way now." They fled out a window, most likely to cause some poor demon out there another headache, which he would be all for if it wasn't for that last tidbit of information.
"Wow, seems like a fun guy. How were you involved with a familiar? Was it a past summon, did you have fun? Did you guys fight over a girl or some-"
"CURSE YOU OPERAAAAAAAAAA!" Kalego shouted to the heavens. Though considering where he lived, it was doubtful anyone above would be willing to grant him mercy.
Kiriwo coughed some more, cleaning off soot from his clothes. Seems the last invention went awry, not enough of a protective current. Oh well, it wouldn't hold him back too much. He had time to finish his final project before the battler festival, at least he hoped he did.
Maybe he could borrow some parts from the new magic battler, they were nice enough as long as you offered them something. Sure his barriers weren't that impressive, but it was worth a try. He could withstand almost anything, surely that was valuable in some way?
He mentally laughed. Not only did he have little magic to offer, his rank was laughable despite being a third year. A measly Bet (2) when most in the same grade were either one rank higher or above? Who'd want someone as useless as that?
The burnt metal finally gave out, falling down on an obviously silent room. So empty despite the amazing things he had in there, no little kohai interested in working with objects when their own magic could do almost anything, made one wonder what's the point if you're strong.
He's heard some amazing stories about the recent first years, thrill seekers filled to the brim with magic. He was a bit envious, even if they were high in magical power, not many others would attempt half the stunts these guys pulled. Fighting teachers, taming demons, rocket launchers. Truly astounding work if he says so himself.
Those were the kind of demons that would get remembered, the kind that students learned about years in the future when they were long gone and dead. Not like him, the sickly low magic third year.
Kiriwo looked down at the parchment on his desk, next to the schematics. If he had no new members join up by the end of the trial period, he would lose the rights to the clubroom. All the hard work down the drain, it made his heart squeeze.
If he just had enough time, just had enough help, he'd be so much closer to bridging the gap between demons like him and everyone else.
And finally, maybe his true ambition could be realized. His bro would be so proud too, it would be incredible to see the world he makes.
Too bad there was no one insane enough to join a group for the powerless.