AN: Before we get into the story, I wish to dedicate this chapter to Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, who tragically died recently after a 4 year long battle with colon cancer. May he rest in peace. Goodbye our wonderful King, you will be missed! Wakanda Forever!
All Might explained that, in order for him to inherit One for All, Izuku needed to ingest the current bearer's DNA. After a few minutes, Izuku managed to keep the hair down and swallowed it, gagging in disgust. "I managed to get it down, but I don't feel any different," Izuku said as he covered his mouth to avoid accidentally gagging it up.
"Well, you gotta wait a few hours for the hair to digest. That is how metabolism works," All Might stated.
[I sure hope this is worth it.] Ddraig groaned.
"So what now?" Izuku asked.
"In the meantime…" All Might reverted his transformation, taking up his normal form once more as he coughed up some blood. "I need you to tell me everything you know about your Quirk, so we can determine how One for All might interact with it."
Izuku nodded and began to explain what he currently knew about the Boosted Gear as well as his natural dragon abilities, wording everything as carefully as he could. All Might was rather surprised by both the doubling power and transferring that power aspects, but looked a little relieved upon learning that it was only temporary.
After several minutes, All Might concluded that the likeliest possibility was that, depending on the percentage used, One for All's power would skyrocket. Given the danger involved in such a massive increase in such a short time, All Might suggested using the two powers separately until he could get precise control over both.
"All right, since we have already done the passing down of One for All and we know what might work and what might not, it may be best to call it a day," All Might suggested. "The sports festival will be in five days. That should be enough time for you to get a handle on One for All."
"Yeah…" Izuku gulped. He had honestly forgotten about the sports festival, given everything that happened over the last few days.
"You might also run into some foreign hero students during the festival," All Might added. "They'll be here for the International Heroic Students Competition."
"Wait, already? Doesn't that take place from September to October?"
"Some students who have already been accepted go to the host country several months early to get used to the climate, stay and train with certain hero schools as foreign exchange students, and scout out the local competition," All Might explained before he fixed his gaze onto Izuku. "…Both events will be the perfect time for you to show the world who you are."
"Show the world… who I am?" Izuku repeated.
"That's right. I want you to stand up in front of the world and tell them 'I am here.' Your goal is to become the next number-one hero right?"
"Y-yes! Yes, it is!"
"To be the next great hero, you have to stand out. This event is the perfect chance for you to do just that. For you Young Midoriya, this is your first great chance to show the world just who you are, and what you are capable of. To show the world who is going to be the next number one."
Izuku nodded. "I won't let you down All Might. I'll go out there and make sure to make you proud."
All Might smiled, glad to see the determination and fire in Izuku's eyes. "Excellent, Young Midoriya. I know you'll do great. Now then, I suggest you return home," All Might instructed. "We'll begin Quirk training tomorrow. If something happens before then, be sure to inform me or Principle Nezu."
Izuku nodded then realized that he still needed to ask All Might something.
"Before you go, there's something I want to ask," Izuku took a couple of shaky breaths, trying to figure out how to ask his question. "See, the club I'm in, they're some of the greatest friends I've ever had. They've helped me get this far. So, I want to…"
"Tell your devil friends about One for All?" All Might finished.
Izuku did a double-take.
"Wait, YOU KNOW?!"
"Kid, I've been visited by so many devils during my career I can spot one a mile away," All Might chuckled. "They always ask the same thing and I always give the same answer."
"Oh…" Izuku recalled that Rias mentioned how devils often tried to recruit heroes from around the world, All Might being one of them. Apparently, those devils who tried to recruit All Might weren't that subtle.
"Also, Principle Nezu showed me footage of your fight against that fallen angel." Izuku became so pale he looked like a corpse. "Truthfully, the principal and I had a feeling about both you and the other students for a while. The footage just confirmed it. In fact, I believe Nezu will be speaking to them about it soon."
[Huh. That rat principle is far more clever than I expected.] Ddraig sounded rather amused by these turn of events.
"…So, can I?" Izuku asked hopefully. "I don't want any secrets between us. They've all done so much for me… ever since I first met Rias. She at least deserves to know… So please sir…can I tell at least her?" Izuku asked, no, pleaded desperately, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he stared at the man.
All Might did not answer right away, instead letting off a soft sigh as he processed his young successor's words. Truthfully, he had nothing against devils, and he was not blind as to how much the boy cared about his friends. He had seen his interactions with them, Rias especially.
But as much as he was ok with the three clubs run by devils, he still needed Izuku to be aware of the dangers of letting others know about the truth. If even one of them slipped One for All's existence, chances are that the wrong people will learn about it rather quickly. If that were to happen, neither U.A.'s name nor the Gremory name could protect both Izuku and those closest to him. Still, they can be trusted with a secret such as this.
"I can understand why you would want to tell them, your girlfriend especially."
Izuku's face went red and his hands flew up, waving around frantically, "Wait! It's not like that at all!"
"Relax, young man. U.A. doesn't have the same rules as some other hero schools. You are more than welcome to go on dates with pretty girls if you want, whether they're your classmates or not."
With his hands now covering his face, Izuku replied. "All Might, please! Rias being beautiful has nothing to do with why we spend time together! We're friends! Please don't make it seem so weird and scandalous!"
'I never mentioned young Gremory. And beautiful? Oh boy, he's totally head over heels for her and he doesn't even know it.' All Might laughed as he waved Izuku's worries away, "Come on, my boy. I was just teasing you. And for the record, if you think something like that sounds scandalous, you are not ready for what tabloids can say. Anyway, I will allow your friends to know about it. Young Jirou and young Yaoyorozu may know already, but the details that we will share with only the others in your club and no one else. Make sure they know this when it comes time to tell them everything." All Might stated, smiling slightly at the look of surprise and utter gratefulness of his successor.
"I… Thank you, All Might. And you don't need to worry about Rias or the others saying anything. They can keep a secret. I swear," Izuku assured, his earnest words getting a slight laugh out of All Might. Despite some mild reservations, he was also sure that they would not reveal anything to anyone.
Izuku's phone then rang, singling he got a text. It said that he needed to get to the clubroom "I better get going. See you, All Might."
"Take care, young Midoriya," All Might called as Izuku ran off.
The only question that remained now was when to tell the ORC…
A little bit later, Izuku arrived back at the ORC clubroom. "Sorry I'm late," Izuku apologized as he opened the door. "I needed to…" Once he looked inside the clubroom, Izuku saw someone he wasn't expecting. "Huh? Kido-san?"
"Hey, Midoriya," Hyde greeted.
"Why are you here?"
"We wanted to talk to him about the fight with Kokabiel, as well as his Sacred Gear," Rias explained. "It's called 'Void Red', correct?"
"I already told you, but yeah," Hyde confirmed.
Rias lowered her head in thought. "I've never heard of that Sacred Gear before. The closest one I could think of would be the Void."
"The Blade of Indulgence?" Ravel asked. "I can see the similarities, but Kido's Void Red might be a subspecies."
"Subspecies?" Ibara repeated.
"Sacred Gears are affected by the thoughts and feelings of the wielder. A subspecies is basically a Sacred Gear with a unique characteristic because of these thoughts and feelings," Rias explained.
"Back on topic, I've been curious about something," Ravel eyed Hyde suspiciously. "You didn't seem all that fazed by the Cerberus pack, or by Kokabiel and any of us. How come?"
"Well, that's because I stumbled into all this," Hyde answered.
"How and where?"
"It happened a few months before the Entrance Exam. I was walking home when some monster jumped me," Hyde explained. "I was so scared I didn't know what to do. I think that's when my Scared Gear awakened because my arm started moving on its own. I drew my Insulator for the first time and I took it down with one swipe."
"What was this monster?" Rias asked. "Was it a stray devil?"
"Uh, maybe? I didn't get a good look at it and I kinda ran home after."
Before anything else was said, a small magic circle appeared next to Rias' ear. "Yes?" Rias' eyes slowly widened at what was said by whoever spoke to her. "What?! What do you mean he's dead? …I see." The magic circle then disappeared.
"What was that about?" Momo asked.
Rias took a deep sigh. "It's Kokabiel. He's been killed."
"What?!" Everyone present exclaimed.
"When did that happen?" Xenovia asked.
"From what Azazel told my brother, the person responsible was able to get in, kill Kokabiel, and get out, all without being seen," Rias sighed and rubbed the back of her head.
"And all that happened when he was imprisoned," said Ravel. "You don't think it was whoever leaked the Excaliburs' locations, do you?"
"It's possible," Rias nodded.
"From the way you all talk about this holy sword theft, it does sound like an inside job," Hyde said.
"But who? And why?" Yuuto wondered.
An uneasy silence fell upon the clubroom. Eventually, it was broken by Rias. "I suppose it doesn't matter now."
"If we're done here, then can I go home?" Hyde asked. "I've got a ton of homework I need to finish."
"Yes, I say this is enough for tonight." Rias agreed.
Soon everyone got up and went home for the night, saying goodbyes to each other and their newest club member Hyde.
Still, Ravel felt that Hyde was hiding something.
Walking into his apartment, Hyde put his backpack on the coat hanger and turned the lights on. Yawning, he walked over to the kitchen area and started making dinner.
"How was your meeting?"
Hyde nearly jumped out of his skin. "Gh! You-!" Shaking off his surprise, Hyde scowled at the intruder sitting in a chair. "I hate it when you do that!" Taking a deep breath, Hyde answered the question. "It went pretty well. They didn't ask too much, though that Ravel girl seemed a bit suspicious of me."
"I see."
As Hyde got back to making his dinner, he couldn't help but give his 'guest' a distrustful glare. "Why have me join the club? I get I'm supposed to look for 'potential recruits', and they're all really strong people, but why?"
"I would've had you join the Gremory's club eventually, but your interference in Kokabiel's war forced my hand to act earlier than I intended," he replied. "That reminds me, this black hooded figure you encountered. Are you positive it's the same one described by Iida Tenya?"
"Yeah. They matched his description dead on."
"Hmm…" the figure rested his head on his hands. "Did you notice any other details? Even something as minor as their skin color could help."
"Sorry, but no… Actually, there is something. When I ran into the guy, something about him just felt… off," Hyde fidgeted slightly. "Unnatural… It felt like… they shouldn't be here."
"I see. Where was this?"
"I think it was about a block from here, near the stoplights. Anything else, Knight?"
Hyde's 'guest' walked into the light. It was a man wearing armor that resembled the armor worn by medieval European knights. It looked to be some kind of carbon fiber titanium mix with yellow glowing lines and a dark raspberry-colored cape. It was the same Knight that Yuuto, Koneko, Saji, and Alexandra from Kudelia's peerage encountered months ago.
"No, I have all the info I need. Continue as you normally would," Black Knight answered. "I'll investigate this cloaked figure."
Izuku gave a big yawn as he walked into his room. The last few days have been hectic, to say the least.
Just as he sat down, Izuku felt his body change. Shooting up, Izuku infected his hands. Something about him felt different. It wasn't by much, but he was able to tell.
"Ddraig, I think I just finished absorbing One for All!" He excitedly exclaimed.
But Ddraig didn't respond.
Blinking in surprise, Izuku looked at his left hand where the Boosted Gear dwelled. "Ddraig? Ddraig, you're not asleep again, are you?"
Still no response.
"Ddraig, you're starting to scare me! Ddraig!?"
[Calm down, brat! I'm fine.] Ddraig suddenly answered, to Izuku's relief. [Sorry. I was busy handling something. Anyway, looks like you finally have a Quirk now.]
Izuku excitedly nodded his head. "Yeah!" Then he released something. "How… do I make it work?"
[That's a good question. He'll probably explain tomorrow, so get some rest. I have a feeling it's going to be a busy day.]
The next day Izuku eagerly waited for classes to be over so he could start training. All Might had told him to meet at one of the battlegrounds so they could start training. The prospect was so exciting that he had almost not paid attention in class.
[You better be careful or else you'll start drooling.] Ddraig had warned.
'Sorry,' Izuku chuckled as he walked to the cafeteria for lunch. 'I'm just really excited.'
[Oh really? I haven't been able to tell.]
Izuku was about to retort, but the moment he arrived at the cafeteria…
"MIDORIYA, YOU BASTARD!" Mineta and Kaminari suddenly tackled and began to throttle Izuku. And it wasn't just them. Tsuburaba from 1-B was there as well.
"What's the meaning of this, you broccoli-headed asshole?!"
"How!? How are you so damn lucky?!"
"You can't keep every hot chick in school to yourself!" Mineta, Tsuburaba, and Kaminari all said.
Izuku desperately tried to defend himself from the three. "Guys! Cool it! What's this about?!"
"That! That over there!" Mineta pointed toward one of the tables. There, Xenovia sat with Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, and some girls presumably from her class. "We overheard that foreign, Italian bombshell say she was in the Occult Research Club, same as you!"
"Just how Plus Ultra do you plan to go with your harem?!" Kaminari demanded.
"I don't have a harem!" Izuku denied.
"Don't try to deny it!" Mineta wailed. "Quarta-chan is your latest acquisition!"
"'Quarta-chan'? You mean Xenovia-san?" Izuku asked.
"You're that close to her?!" Kaminari exclaimed.
"Gremory-chan, Yura-chan, Uraraka-chan, Shiozaki-chan, even Yaoyorozu-chan and Kozuki-chan! And now Quarta-chan! Who else is in your harem!?" Mineta demanded.
"We're tired of not getting anywhere with the notes we've taken!" Kaminari growled. "Tell us your secret already!"
"The minute these two told me about you, I knew I had to know too!" Tsuburaba said.
"Shut the fuck up, bastards!" All four jumpers as Bakugo pushed them aside. "Leave the fake alone!"
"Fake?" Izuku repeated. He then flinched as Bakugo shot him a murderous glare.
"Bastard, I know," he growled before leaving.
Izuku's eyes widened at Bakugo's words. What did he mean by that?
"What does he mean 'he knows'?!" Mineta demanded. "Does that mean he knows Midoriya's harem secrets!"
"But there aren't any chicks hanging around him," Kaminari pointed out.
"Not now, but what about after classes?"
"I doubt he'd get even one girl," said Tsuburaba. "His personality will be an instant turnoff to anyone, let alone a chick. He won't be a great hero with that personality, either."
Realizing that the three would likely attract Bakugo's ire, Izuku discreetly moved away. Just in time too as that part of the cafeteria was engulfed in a fireball.
Later after classes ended, Rias received a notice to report to Nezu's office. Feeling that this might take a while she notified everyone that club activities would be canceled today, citing how Izuku and the others needed to train for the sports festival. What she wasn't expecting to see was her best friend meeting her there.
"Sona, you're here too?" Sure enough, Sona was just about to knock on the principal's door when Rias called.
"I'm just as surprised as you, Rias," a surprised Sona replied.
"Guess that makes three of us," the two devil heirs turned and saw Kudelia walking two them. "You two got called by Principle Nezu, too?"
"Yes," Rias answered while Sona nodded.
"It's strange for him to suddenly call upon students like this," Sona said.
"You don't think he's onto us, do you?" Kudelia asked.
"Don't be ridiculous," Sona chided. "I'm sure it's something involving the clubs."
"Then why request us, specifically?" Rias countered.
"I suppose we'll find out," Sona mussed as she knocked on the door.
"You may enter," Nezu's voice called.
Opening the door, Rias and Kudelia followed Sona as they stood before Nezu's desk. From the sound of things, he was watching a video of some sort on his computer.
"You wanted to see us, Principal Nezu?" Sona politely asked.
"Ah, yes, I wish to speak with you regarding your extracurricular activities," Nezu turned the monitor around, showing the three devils the footage of the fight with Kokabiel.
"'Something involving the clubs,'" Kudelia mockingly said as Sona's eyes widened in shock while Rias made an audible gulp.
Meanwhile, Izuku, wearing his gym uniform, arrived at one of the battle centers. Rias had been called away by the principal, likely to discuss the fight with Kokabiel, so club activities were canceled for the day.
"Apologies for being late, young Midoriya," All Might greeted as he arrived in his true form. "You ready to start training?"
"I am!" Izuku excitedly replied as he followed his idol into the battle center.
After about 5 minutes of walking the two made their way to the center of the battle center. It was a city type, a very damaged one at that. The buildings and streets were all torn up with many cracks all around the street and buildings with many chunks missing from each as well.
"Uh, is it really okay to test out One for All here, All Might?" Izuku asked. "This place looks pretty expensive despite being banged up."
"Do not worry, this battle center is scheduled to be rebuilt and remade soon," All Might replied. "Now let's get started," All Might looked around before pointing towards an adjacent street and said. "How about there? Just punch with One for All at full strength towards the street."
Izuku nodded before he stood before the open street. "So how does this work?" He asked. "How can I activate One for All?"
All Might took a step back and said, "All right, first you got to focus and concentrate on the power coursing inside of you. Just because your body is a proper vessel doesn't mean that you will be able to handle the full backlash of One for All." All Might buffed out once again. "So concentrate."
Izuku nodded and turned to the empty street before him. He dug his heels into the ground.
"And clench your butt cheeks!"
"I what?" Izuku asked.
[What kind of messed up advice is that?] Izuku could feel Ddraig's sweat drop.
"Well, it's how I've always used One for All."
Izuku could only stare blankly at All Might.
[Just… ignore that part.]
Nodding, Izuku brought his fists up. He brought his right arm back, fist clenched tightly, concentrating. Red veins started to appear on his skin, with green lightning sparking all over his arm.
"SMASH!"
Izuku struck his fist out into the air and not a millisecond later a powerful gust of wind blasted out into the street! The blast forced All Might to step back a bit.
The powerful winds stopped and he looked up from his shielding arms. What he saw astounded him. In front of him, the street and a couple of buildings were destroyed, cars mangled and torn as they were blasted back from the power of Izuku's punch. Multiple glass windows shattered, glass falling everywhere.
All Might was astounded at the level of power in Izuku's punch. While he was able to use all 100% of One for All's strength when he first got the Quirk, it took a few years of growing and training for him to reach the godly levels of strength from his prime and his first few punches from when he first started were weaker.
But the strength that Izuku showed from his first punch put his own first punch to shame!
'Even though he only just got One for All, this level of power is way stronger than when I first received it!' All Might thought. 'Just as I thought. One for All is growing in power and has grown since my time. Though he will need lots of training and experience, Young Midoriya will grow to become stronger than me.'
Izuku's loud screams of pain knocked him out of his thoughts.
"AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHH!"
Several minutes after Izuku first used One for All and a frantic run later, Izuku was now resting in a hospital bed at Recovery Girl's office. Said heroine was currently berating and smacking a debuffed All Might in the head with her cane/giant syringe thing.
"You overgrown thickheaded numskull!" Recovery Girl yelled out, her voice like a berating angry grandma. "The first thing that you make your new successor do with his Quirk is to take it for a whirl?! You're lucky that the boy's arm didn't fly off his body!"
"I'm sorry!" All Might said as he attempted to block the strikes from her cane. "We needed to see how strong he was and how much of One for All he could use!"
"Yet you told him to fire a punch at 100%?!" Recovery Girl shrieked. "Your arm was bruised the first time you used it, what did you expect would happen to the boy after the Quirk grew stronger inside your idiotic body?!"
"Um, All Might, she knows about One for All?" Izuku asked cautiously, worried that he would become the recipient of her ire likewise.
"Yes, dearie, I know about One for All," Recovery Girl said, her tone shifting to that of a caring grandma speaking to a child. "This knucklehead and I were close back in the day and saw fit to trust me with its secret. I was even there when he needed surgery for that horrible wound of his that left the nimrod in this sad state," she emphasized her point by poking All Might's side with her syringe.
"It's ok, young Midoriya, you can trust her with this secret," the Symbol of Peace said as he rubbed his side. "Recovery Girl may be a bit snappish, especially with me, but she is a loyal friend and the best healer and doctor that I know."
"So dearie, how are you feeling?" Recovery Girl asked as she inspected Izuku's now bandaged arm. "Feeling any tingles or aches?"
"No, I'm ok, a little tired maybe," Izuku said with a yawn.
Recovery Girl let out a chuckle at Izuku's reaction. "Well, that's how my Quirk works. It speeds up the healing process of the body. However, healing takes energy and stamina so if used too much you'll end up getting drained of all your energy so you'll die instead of heal."
"THIS COULD KILL ME!" Izuku yelled despite still feeling drained.
"Yep, so it's important you get the hang of this power soon. You can't rely on someone else's help all the time."
Izuku broke out of his freaking out state when she said those words. She was right. Although he had friends in the Occult Research Club, he couldn't count on them and others for help whenever he needs it. There are some things that he will eventually need to do on his own. "Right!" he nodded seriously.
Recovery Girl gave the boy a proud smile in response.
"So any advice on how not to break my bones again, All Might?" Izuku asked.
"I was hoping you'd ask," All Might said with a big smile. "Think of One for All as water and your body as the glass holding it. Or an egg in a microwave. As you've recently received One for All, right now you are overflowing with power, leaving the glass or egg to crack. All you need to do is learn to control it. Then you'll be able to steadily have the power flow through your body without risk of cracking."
Izuku nodded. "So until I can learn to control it, I'm either at all or nothing?" Izuku asked making sure he didn't miss a single thing in All Might's explanation.
"Precisely," Recovery Girl stepped in. "And we've seen what happens when you go all out."
"So, what now?" Izuku asked.
"For now you should head home," Recovery Girl said, surprising the boy a bit. "Remember, I just used my Quirk on you, so you don't have much stamina right now. Doing more work right now would only hurt you, so you should go and rest up."
"Yeah, you're right," Izuku said after hearing Recovery Girl's reasoning. As much as he wanted to keep on working today, he was already told the risk of using Recovery Girl's Quirk too much. Plus he already experienced the feeling of overworking himself.
With only a couple of days left before the sports festival, everyone in the school was doing everything they could to prepare. Many of the students, especially those in the heroics classes made sure to take advantage of the numerous gyms that were on campus after their normal classes were finished.
Izuku, however, was currently training off-campus at Dagoba Beach, still trying to get a handle on One for All. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Based on how he was shouting at the top of his lungs, he still was having some trouble. "GAH!"
Izuku fell to his back, breathing heavily.
[Well, at least you haven't broken anything yet.] Ddraig tried to reassure his host. It didn't work.
Sitting back up, Izuku looked out over the ocean in front of him. 'What am I doing wrong?'
[A different mental image may help.] Ddraig suggested.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
[You've been using that egg in a microwave analogy every time you've used One for All. While it is better than All Might's butt-cheek thing, it wasn't very good advice.] Izuku chuckled, agreeing with the dragon spirit on that. [A big problem with that is that One for All's power is within you, not around you like in a microwave.]
'So all I need is a new mental image?' Izuku mentally asked. 'But what kind of image will I use?'
[I might be able to walk you through it.] Ddraig suggested.
'Really?!'
[Yes. This technique can even help you unlock other abilities in the Boosted Gear. First, sit down, close your eyes, and meditate.] Ddraig instructed.
Doing as he was told, Izuku sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
[Take deep breaths and relax. Focus only on my voice.]
His body visibly relaxed. He started taking slow deep breaths. Soon everything seemed to fade as he focused in on Ddraig's voice.
[Now find the source of your Quirk, look at it, and tell me what you see.]
Izuku searched for it, One for All. Deep inside him, he felt it, the power of eight people now in one. It was like a raging inferno of eight colors crackling with bolts of lighting. Just witnessing the power induced a sense of awe and wonder in Izuku. All this he described to Ddraig.
[I see… now reach out your hand and take only a little just enough to ignite your fingers.]
Izuku did so. In his mindscape, he slowly stretched his hand forward. Right as his finger touch the flames he felt power surge within his arm as the flames traveled up the length of his arms. It didn't burn, the flames being pleasant instead, emitting a soothing warmth.
At that moment he felt several hands lay gentle on his own. While confused, he didn't let it bother him, he opened his eyes slowly, pulled his fist back, and punched forward. A small gust of wind burst forward, nothing major but more than a normal punch would generate. Izuku looked at his arm with a smile. It was undamaged and perfectly fine. Sparks of green lightning bounced around it as it gave off a faint glow.
"It worked." Izuku breathed out.
"That was impressive."
"Yeah, I just need to do that again and- wait!" Eyes widening, Izuku turned around and saw a familiar redhead. "Buchou!? When did you get here?!"
"A few minutes ago," Rias answered. "I've noticed that something about you seemed different lately, and looks like I was right," her expression quickly turned to one of concern. "Izuku, that blast wasn't a result of your Boosted Gear. And it wasn't magic either. Do you… have a Quirk now?"
"I… Yeah…" Izuku admitted.
"How did you get a Quirk?"
"…It's… kinda hard to explain," Izuku did his best to explain, though. He explained everything he knew about One for All to Rias, from how All might made the offer to how Momo and Kyoka already knew. The more that was explained to Rias, the more she grew surprised. It was evident in her eyes.
"That's… a lot to take in," Rias muttered, seemingly in a daze as she tried to process everything that was said.
"Yeah…" Izuku nodded. "I was planning to tell you and the others eventually, but I wasn't sure when. Or even how."
"I understand why this has to be kept secret," Rias replied. "A Quirk that's been passed down for decades, possibly centuries, growing more powerful during that time. And you have it now?"
Izuku nodded again. "What I did just now was the first time I managed to use it without breaking any bones."
"So that's why you've been coming from Recovery Girl's office lately," Rias said before she gave a light laugh. "You truly are amazing, Izuku. First, you have the Boosted Gear, now you have the Quirk of your idol," she walked forward and hugged the green-haired devil, making sure his head was in her boobs. "You truly are the greatest. I couldn't be more proud."
Izuku smiled, trying desperately not to pass out from the warm embrace of Rias' breasts.
It was finally the morning of the sports festival. Hordes of media outlets and reports are swarming U.A.'s main gate as fireworks go off above and stalls of food, games, and shops line U.A.'s campus.
One young woman, a reporter, couldn't stand waiting around until she was allowed to enter. "This security line is huge. What's the deal?"
"A bunch of villains did just break in," her cameraman pointed out. "Of course, the school's being stricter this year. Some people think they shouldn't be holding the festival, considering what happened."
The reporter just gained. "Perfect! Nothing brings ratings up like a little controversy! Plus, everybody will tune in to see Classes 1-A and 1-B!" She declared.
She's right on the nose about that fact. Most of the spectators here today are going to attend the first-year competition. Usually, they'd all be lining up for the third-years because they have the most experience with their Quirks, and thus it's usually a better show. But the draw of witnessing the very students that fought off real villains without any proper experience is too difficult of a notion to pass up.
As for the controversy, U.A., or rather Nezu, has a plan for that. Part of it was to call upon a number of pro heroes to help patrol the school grounds as the competition plays out.
Speaking of which, one pro, Mt. Lady, was eyeing a takoyaki stand greedily. "I'll take one order to go please."
The vendor blushed at the sight of her. "Whoa! Mt. Lady, is it really you?" He asked, ignoring that Kamui Woods and Death Arms were standing behind her, all of which are wearing security passes to help establish their roles here today.
"And hold the salt, will you?" Mt. Lady added, drooling slightly.
"Of course!" He immediately begins prepping her order. "That's gonna be 1574 yen."
Mt. Lady gaped, not expecting the takoyaki to be so much. She was still paying off the unintentional damage she causes and thus didn't have any money on hand. So instead, she wiggled her hips and presses her arm against her chest, emanating as much of her alluring charm as she can. "Um…Oh, no, my money is in another costume."
It somehow worked.
"So hot!" The vendor handed over the takoyaki. "Here's a free box!"
"You're such a doll!" She shouted in response before taking the free meal.
"Have you no sense of shame?" Kamui muttered in disapproval.
After she snags her takoyaki, the three continue with their patrol.
"Man, I wanted to do some scouting," Kamui Woods grumbled as he walked around the stalls with Mt. Lady and Death Arms.
"We don't really have a choice," Death Arms replied. "We're needed for security."
Mt. Lady sticks one of the takoyaki into her mouth. "Looks like they called in pro heroes from all over to guard this thing. Quite a show."
As they patrolled, they passed by four students wearing dark green jerseys with a large, golden B on the back. Death Arms looked them over for a moment before recognizing the jerseys. "Oh hey, those kids are from Beacon."
"Beacon?" Mt. Lady asked, having just finished her takoyaki. "Isn't that one of America's top hero schools?"
"If they're from Beacon then they're likely here because of the IHSC," Kamui deduced. "I wasn't expecting them to arrive so soon though."
"Lucky brats," Mt. Lady muttered. "I wasn't able to go to Brazil during the last IHSC."
"Guess that also explains why I've been seeing some UNIT agents, too," Death Arms added.
Meanwhile, in the resting area for class 1-A in the stadium for the first years, the students were all waiting and getting ready, both nervous and excited.
"Man… I really wanted to wear my costume," Mina complained, wearing her PE uniform along with the rest of 1-A.
"We have to keep things fair, Ashido-san," Liana replied, stretching her arms. "Most of the other classes don't have costumes, so PE uniforms give everyone a relatively fair chance, not counting Quirks and the few exceptions," she spared a glance at Aoyama, wearing the belt from his costume as he admired himself in a mirror he brought.
"What do you think they'll have us do first?" Tsubasa asked.
"Good question," said Hyde. "Don't they change the events every year?"
"The first event was dodgeball last year, followed by capture the flag, and then a racquetball match, kero," Tsuyu tapped her finger on her cheek. "It might be something similar."
"No matter what comes, we have no choice but to deal with it," Fumikage calmly replied.
Just then, the door opened, and Momo and Izuku walked into the room.
"Is everybody ready? We'll be entering the stadium soon," Momo asked.
As everyone started to get up and get ready, Izuku was not prepared when someone called his name.
"Midoriya."
Turning around, Izuku was shocked to find Todoroki standing in front of him. His cold eyes practically pierced into him. A few other students stopped to see what was happening. It was rare for Shouto to speak, period. Much less to someone else in the class.
"Todoroki-san? Do you need something?"
Izuku tried not to show how unnerved he was. The look in Todoroki's eyes was unsettling.
"You have a strong Quirk, and you've been trained very well. Realistically speaking, we're both the strongest in the class, about equal." Todoroki stated bluntly, not caring about the other eighteen people listening in on their conversation. While Bakugo bristled at the comment, he thankfully chose to keep quiet. "But you've also got the attention of All Might, don't you?"
Izuku went stiff, "I…wha…?"
"He clearly has some interest in you, but I'm not going to pry into that. What matters is that he is interested in you. That's why I'm going to beat you."
Everyone else in the room was quite shocked at the boldness of the statement, particularly when it came so suddenly from a guy who was quite aloof from the rest of the class most of the time.
"Holy crap, did Todoroki just make a declaration of war against the class rep?"
"Wow, Midoriya has got Todoroki as an enemy. Sucks to be him."
"Technically, aren't we all enemies?"
"Yeah, but he's gunning for Midoriya."
While most of the class was still shocked, a few frowned at Todoroki. Tsubasa moved over to put herself between Izuku and Todoroki, "Why are you picking a fight now when we're about to start?"
"Yeah man," Kirishima added. "That's not the right way to do it at all."
Todoroki shrugged them off and walked away. "I'm not here to make friends. So why does it matter if I don't do it the right way."
"Todoroki, wait," Izuku called out to the duel Quirk user, "I don't know why you think I have some connection to All Might, or why that makes you think you have to beat me, but don't forget that everyone here is aiming to win. And don't think for one-second that I'm not going to give it everything I have. You may have a powerful Quirk, but that doesn't guarantee that you'll win. You aren't the only one that's strong."
Soon the call came for the class to make their way to the arena. As they walked down the hall, Izuku couldn't help but wonder just why Todoroki had made the connection between himself and All Might.
On several giant monitors hanging above the stands, Present Mic popped onto the screen, ["HEY! Are you all ready!?"] A loud cheer from the crowd made the hero smile brightly. ["EXCELLENT! It's time for this year's high school festival you all know and love to get started! You excited for this too, Mummy Man?"]
["…How'd you talk me into this?"] Aizawa's tired voice questioned over the broadcasting system.
["The first-year students are about to take the stage! Give them all a loud welcome!"]
From the high box suite seat, the ORC, the Student Council, and the Newspaper Club all eagerly waited as the crowd cheered.
"This is… quite a crowd," Ravel muttered.
"Everyone loves to watch the sports festival," Koneko stated, eating a large amount of cotton candy.
"Remind me why I couldn't compete?" Xenovia asked.
"You just transferred in," Sona replied. "And you'll likely use Durandal the first chance you get."
Xenovia's only response was an annoyed groan. "Then why isn't Kiba competing?" She grumbled.
"The sports festival isn't mandatory for General Studies," Yuuto answered. "And I'd rather let my classmates who failed the practical portion of the entrance exam shine."
Another loud roar from the crowd drew the group's attention as down below, long lines of students began to enter the arena.
Present Mic's voice echoed over everyone, ["First up, we have our hero course, 1-A and 1-B! These young warriors are the ones that overcame a villainous attack! If there was anyone to watch for, it would be this group of rising stars!"]
Cameras panned over the group, passing over Izuku, Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, Tsubasa, Milia, and Celica.
"Izuku looks to be on the verge of a heart attack," Yuuto tried to stifle a laugh.
"So does Milia," Kudelia commented.
Rias nodded. "Being in front of such a large crowd can be a little intimidating."
Down at the stage, the students looked around at the huge crowd. "W-wow, there are so many people!" Izuku remarked, intimidated by the large crowd.
"I-I wasn't expecting t-this many people," Milia stuttered.
"Don't be such worry worts, you two," said Setsuna. "This is awesome!"
"She's right. You don't have to be so nervous," Momo reassured.
"I hope we still give our best performances," Iida said. "Even though all these eyes are watching us. I suppose it's just another aspect of being a hero we all have to get used to."
"Present Mic sure likes to hype this up a lot. Kind of makes me nervous," Kirishima said, turning to Bakugo. "How are you feeling, man?"
"I'm not worried. It makes me want to win this thing even more," he said with a deadly glare.
["After them, those who shouldn't be underestimated, because they are but a victory close to joining their fellows! They are General Studies, Classes 1-C, 1-D, and 1-E! After them, the ones that make sure gears turn and wheels run, the Support Course, Classes 1-F, 1-G, and 1-H! And last, but not least, the ones who learn the ins and outs of our economy and how to help the Heroes, the Business Course, Classes 1-I, 1-J, and 1-K!"] Present Mic announced as the rest of the freshman classes came through their respective tunnels. While it was true that the reception was not as intense as the one that welcomed Hero Course, they nonetheless received the cheering they deserved as pupils of the foremost Hero Academy in Japan.
"Man, I feel like we're just here to make those guys look better," One of the students from General Studies said.
"I'm not really feeling it," another student replied.
As the first-years gathered in the middle of the stage, Izuku looked over the crowd that had gathered, but something caught his eye. Someone in a black cloak and hood was in the stands, watching at the edge of the railings, watching him in particular. He wasn't sure why he was drawn to them, but something about them seemed… familiar.
A loud whipping sound caught his, and the other first years, attention.
"Time for the Players' Pledge!" A feminine voice shouted. Pretty much every male in the stadium blushed as they saw the attractive woman on the stand, her whip in hand, and a sultry smile on her face.
["And this is this year's chief umpire for the First Year Tournament, the R-Rated Hero, Midnight!"] Present Mic presented her, while the people in the stands whispered.
"What about the principal?" Someone asked.
"He's always at the third-year stage, every year!"
"What is Midnight-sensei wearing? Isn't it a bit… revealing?" Kirishima asked, his face turning as red as his hair while he gazed.
"That's the R-Rated Hero for you!" Kaminari answered with a dopy grin.
"Is it really okay for her to conduct the events of this tournament, even though she is not wearing clothes appropriate for the scene?" Tokoyami wondered.
"YES!" Mineta exclaimed, shooting him a big thumbs up.
While everyone talked, Izuku looked back to where the cloaked figure was, but they were gone.
"QUIET, EVERYONE!" Midnight yelled. "Today, before the first round is selected, we will have the speech from the student representing the first years. He placed first in the entrance practical exam with a total score of 88!" She pointed her whip at Izuku. "Midoriya Izuku of Class 1-A! Come up and give your opening speech!"
Izuku blinked, not sure he had just heard right. 'Wait, WHAT!?'
"You didn't tell your class about the speech, didn't you?" Present Mic asked Aizawa, making sure not to be heard over the intercom.
Aizawa didn't respond. Instead, the bandaged-up man gave a shrug, which was all the answers Mic needed.
"Classic Shota," Mic muttered in amusement.
AN: And now here we are at the sports festival! Sorry, this chapter took so long, a few things… happened that delayed this. But now here we are!
Still, a couple of this to note is that Hyde is apparently working for that knight guy from all the way back in Chapter 10. What does this mean? And just who is he?
And Izuku gets to give a speech next chapter. Too bad no one told him beforehand. You can blame Aizawa for that.
Oh, by the way, the harem list last chapter? That wasn't the FULL list. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Also, if any of you are willing to either do or commission fan art for the story, I will appreciate it.
Anyway, next time we'll officially begin the first event of the sports festival, assuming Izuku doesn't die from giving a speech in front of such a big crowd. Until then stay safe and stay healthy. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!