For a while, the cart was quite, after leaving the town behind and starting to head toward the capital once more. As far as Izuku could tell, the others were thinking about what Izo had said earlier, though he did notice each of them had a different expression. Itsumi seemed deep in thought, frowning and tapping her fingers on the wood. Ojiro was trying his best to look lively, but ultimately always trailed back into silently looking at the countryside.
And Todoroki… Todoroki was hard to read for Izuku, given his almost constant scowl. 'He dragged Itsumi into this.' He thought 'Well, she would have tried anyway, at least judging from what she said, but I can't just pretend she didn't tell me. But what am I even supposed to say?'
He could have confronted Todoroki on the issue, but that would have probably just started an argument. Itsumi wasn't angry with him, or at least hadn't showed signs of that, and while pressuring her into running away was wrong, in the end their escape was the result of his… their failure at using Teleport and Guide, either because they lacked some sort of knowledge or because something they had done was incorrect. He tried to think back, but she couldn't come up with anything. He had Teleported, and he was sure Itsumi was using guide.
He tried to think back. The first time he had jumped universe had been for trying to go all the way to I-Island from Japan. So a distance issue possibly. But then, when he had tried to Teleport while running from All for Deku, he was within a distance he had already reached before. And finally, the third time, he couldn't think of any particular difference, aside from fainting after landing. Maybe that he wasn't watching any sort of video, but that seemed farfetched, considering that hadn't stopped him from jumping the first two times.
Trying again was out of the question. They had no idea how many universes were out there, and there was the potential of just jumping infinitely from a world to another without ever finding a way home. Izuku looked at Itsumi with a sigh. 'She'll probably hate me if once we reach the capital it turns out they have no way to help us and I suggest it. Still, we should probably wait for Isaac.'
He had thought about it for a while, but ultimately it all came down to that. Isaac could help them go back home, and he was their safest bet. Certainly better than just try to randomly jump. Of course, the problem was that they had no idea of when he would come around. Would Itsumi accept to wait until he was back? Would the others?
He turned from her to Ojiro and Todoroki. Surprisingly, Ojiro winked his way. Izuku stared at him, trying to figure out why, but the older man just chuckled at something he was finding funny. Surprisingly, Todoroki joined him.
"Why are you two laughing?" Izo asked. Ojiro leaned closer and murmured something Izuku did not catch, but Izo immediately coughed "Well, if that's so, it's his business, don't you think?"
"Sure is." The blonde man just replied, chuckling again.
Izuku was about to ask what they were talking about, when Itsumi turned to him first. "Wait, where did One for All go?!" She asked out loud. Everyone stared at her.
"Uh, right here?" Izo asked pointing at his belt, where the sword was buckled.
"I have it." Izuku said, getting a glare from the ash blonde girl.
"No, no, that's not what I meant! I mean, where di the Quirk Nana Shimura – this world's Nana Shimura… or I suppose the one that landed in this world… Aaaaagh, why do they all have the same name!"
"Do you want to take a breath?" Ojiro asked.
"No, no, it's fine, it's just… The Nana Shimura that arrived here. She had to have One for All right?"
"Right." Todoroki replied.
"And that One for All had Teleport at least."
"Yeah it… Wait."
"Right?! That's another way! If it also has Guide, that's another way home!" She smiled "It's worth a shot at least."
"True. How far is that island, Izo?"
Izo paused, before shaking his head "You should forget about it."
"What, why?"
Izo looked uncertain now, like he didn't know how to explain it, before finally sighing "Colfire and Nion, the island we mentioned before, aren't in the best terms. Nominally they are part of the Kingdom of Colfire, but really they are an independent entity that really dislikes the Kingdom as a whole."
"Why though? You did say that Nana was their first Duke, the wielder of One for All – your One for All I mine – and someone you greatly respected. What changed?"
"Well, first it was her death fighting for Colfire in a battle she had clearly been opposed to, arguing it was probably a trap. It was, but the King didn't listen to her and she couldn't just let a whole army march to its death. That already made the people of Nion angry. But what really made them mad enough to divide themselves from the Kingdom was what we did with the body."
"What did you do with the body then?"
"We buried it in the Chapel of Heroes in the capital. There was a great ceremony, people cried and showed great respect, she really was beloved by everyone." Izo explained "But the inhabitants of Nion didn't agree. To them Nana was their Hero and they wanted her to rest in their capital city. The King of the time answered with a categorical no and that fracture never healed."
Everyone went silent for a moment, before Todoroki recovered himself. "I'm sorry, was the King a fucking idiot?"
"He didn't expect them to close themselves off. Some of their own decide to travel our country, but most just stay in that walled island of theirs, only selling goods to the outside world to make money. We barely know what Nion even looks like at this point." He shook his head "I have thought about travelling there and trying to sort this out, since as the wielder of One for All I'd like to see what my predecessor lived for, but the island isn't really involved in the fight with the Demon King and they can protect themselves, so I never had a reason to."
"Good. Nice. Fantastic." Todoroki grumbled with the most sarcastic tone Izuku had heard of him so far. "Of course this couldn't be easy."
"That's why I insist Mei is your best bet." The Knight calmly replied. "Either she knows how Isaac's power works and can give you tips, or Isaac will eventually come to the Capital and is assured to visit her."
"Wait, assured?"
"Yes, assured. He goes every single time." Izo suddenly blushed "N-not for the reason you are thinking. Isaac is somewhat of a mechanics enthusiast because he is married with some inventor called Melissa back home…" Izuku's face suddenly turned to a bright red at the thought. "So when he met Mei the two started working together. Something about harnessing the power of steam and something called a train." He frowned "I don't know why but he refuses to tell us about his world's weapons though."
"Trust me, he has his reasons." Todoroki replied. "I guess introducing you to the concept of trains is a decent idea."
Izo nodded, but said nothing more, and the journey continued, everyone mulling over what he had explained them. By the time the sun disappeared behind the hills, they were starting to get hungry.
"How long before we stop?" Ojiro asked.
"Not much. There is a good place up ahead to make camp for the night." He stopped, and they all saw the same thing: smoke from the forest, a single trail in the night sky.
"Please tell me it's not a forest fire…" Todoroki muttered.
"No, it seems to be a large campfire." Izo's eyes focused on it "But who would set up such a large fire in the middle of the woods, rather than…" His eyes went visibly wide, before he coughed "On second thought, why don't we push ahead for the next town? Travelling at night would not be so dangerous."
"Weren't you the one that said we shouldn't? Think it's dangerous?"
"No, I just think I'm not quite ready to deal with them." Izo admitted with a sigh "Well, follow my lead and get ready. We are probably going to fight."
"What do you…" Todoroki asked as the cart entered a narrow passage through the trees in direction of the fire. As he did so, the ice and fire user perked up "They are watching us."
"That they are. Stay calm and wait for them to approach." Izo replied. Izuku looked around, but he could not see anyone. However, he soon noticed movement in the bushes near the path. He couldn't see who was moving behind them, but he knew there was someone. He clenched his fist, ready to fight.
As they continued, they started to hear laughter and what seemed to be music from the depth of the forest, where the supposed resting spot was. Izo muttered something, but Izuku didn't understand why he didn't seem to like it. The song was accompanied by the rhythmic sound of drums, and even with his limited interest in music he could feel the adrenaline rising at the rhythm of the music. He wondered what Jiro would have said.
"Halt. Who goes there?!" The voice suddenly distracted him, and he returned his attention to the front of the cart, were a man wielding a spear emerged from the bushes. In the shadow and darkness, Izuku could not make out any facial traits.
"Ser Izo of Greenvalley, Knight of Colfire." The man responded without a hint of worry.
"Who's the most loyal of friends?" The man suddenly asked.
"The Outriders."
"Who's the bravest of warriors?"
"The Outriders." Izo replied, gritting his teeth visibly.
"Who's the manliest regiment of the kingdom's army?" The man continued, and Izuku saw Todoroki cover Ojiro's mouth just before the man could start to laugh at the question.
"… The Outriders." Izo mumbled.
"Welcome, friends of the Outriders. You are free to rest at our fire. I'll go inform Captain Kirsh."
"Please don't…" Izuku made to say, just before the man disappeared in the bushes. The Knight sighed loudly and turned "We can still turn around."
"No, no." Ojiro replied with a grin "I really want to see this now."
The cart entered a large opening in the forest, where what could only be called a bonfire was lighting the night like a lighthouse. Tens of horses were tied near the edge of the woods, and Izo didn't wait to move forward and stop the cart next to them, tying his own horses as well. He looked around, and as Izuku did the same, he realized a few things.
Every man around the bonfire was shirtless. Most of them were drunk. Some of them were passed out. Some others were punching each other in the face and laughing while doing so. And every man that was conscious and not busy fighting was staring at them.
He was about to ask Izo what was going on, when a man that he estimated to be in his late twenties marched forward with a large smile. His red hair descended down his back, and his jagged teeth were showing the biggest smile Izuku had ever seen.
"Izo!" He shouted, charging forward like a bull and hugging the man. Izuku could swear he could hear Izo's bones crack lightly, before the man let him go, only to then pat him on the back "You finally decided to join us? And with more recruits!"
"No, Captain, I'm…"
"Hey, none of that 'Captain' business. Call me Eimor." The man answered instantly, cutting his response before patting him on the back again. Izuku was pretty sure he hadn't seen Izo so angry when he faced the Flind. How did this man not notice?
"Sure, Cap… Eimor. Anyway, no, I was just travelling to the capital and I had decided to stop here to rest."
"Good choice. We are after a warband that attacked Renford." He explained "Seems they have a Flind in the lead.
"I know. I killed it." The Knight answered, and Eimor started to laugh.
"Oh my gods, for real?! That's phenomenal. What happened to the other Gnolls?"
"We killed many, the rest have long fled, we believe they are now hiding in the Greywoods. I actually contacted the Knight Commander this morning, he said he was going to send some men." Izo summarized.
"Good, makes it more of a challenge to fight them off." Despite his words, the Captain seemed upset. However, he then turned his attention to Izuku. He looked at him, then back at Izo "Your nephew? Little brother?"
"Cousin." Izo quickly replied "His name is… Izu."
"Ah, good to meet you sonny." The man clutched his hands and Izuku thanked the heavens for One for All, otherwise he was fairly sure the other would have crushed his. It was like putting his hand between two rocks "Your cousin is a great man that showed me what I should have been doing with my men." The red maned man explained. Izuku glanced at Izo, who just sighed. "Yes, I'm sure you'll be a great hero like him one day." The man quickly turned to Itsumi "Your girlfriend?" He asked Izuku, who quickly shook his head, red like a tomato.
"M-my… Sister, yes."
"A pleasure to meet you too miss…"
Itsumi desperately looked at Izo, who tried to spell something with his mouth. "Isu. My name is Isu."
"My, your parents are certainly not the most inventive people. Well, can't blame them. I called my daughter Eri after all." Izuku almost choked earing that. The man didn't notice and just took Itsumi's hand – though Izuku noticed he didn't clutch nearly as much as he had done to him – and quickly moved to politely introduce himself to Oron – Ojiro – and Torid – Todoroki.
"Is he always this… extroverted?" Izuku heard Itsumi ask to the Knight, who just chuckled sadly.
"No, I think the Captain is a bit upset because he found out the Flind is already dead. Otherwise he would have probably hugged Izuku too." Izo commented.
"Right. Captain Eimor Kirsh… Wait. Is that…" She gasped "That's Red Jewel!"
"What's that?" Eimor asked, turning around. As he did, Izuku, Todoroki and Ojiro seemed to come to the same realization in an instant.
"Eijiro?!" The two men shouted.
"Kirishima?" The boy asked.
Eimor looked at them in confusion, but Izo just coughed "Don't mind them, it's just some dialect down in the Greywoods. Weird place with weird habits."
"True that, I suppose." The Captain asked after a moment "Well, it's a pleasure to see you, old friend. What brings you back north though. Are you going back to the front perhaps?"
"That too, but first I'm accompanying them to the Capital. There is some stuff they need to do, and anyway I intend to use the Black Mist."
"That bad, uh?" Captain Kirsch flinched, for the first time reducing his smile to a sympathetic expression "Hey, if things go bad you can always count on the Outriders, you know that right?"
"I… Thank you Eimor. I'll keep that in mind." Izo smiled back. "Speaking of that, I actually wanted a favor since you are already here."
"Tell me all about it in front of some booze, we have to party tonight!" The red-haired man replied, basically dragging him away by the shoulder "You four do the same. Drink, party and have fun in a manly way!"
"Is that a manly way?" Ojiro asked pointing to two men, one of which fell to the ground in that very moment.
"The manliest." The man smiled back with a grin, before dragging away the Knight.
"Oh, I like this place already..." Ojiro commented, and he started walking to the bonfire.
"How does a regiment even function when people hit each other in the face every n…" He stopped as he watched one of the men standing nearby open a bottle of some kind and put the red liquid inside in the fallen comrade's mouth. A second later, he stood up, noticeably with his nose back in a straight position. "That is so unfair."
-x-
Izuku was seating on a log far from the bonfire. He had politely refused a couple of requests to fight from some of the Outriders. He wasn't against training, but fighting them without One for All was probably not going to cut it and fighting them with One for All was probably unfair.
Ojiro, on the other hand, was at his third victory in a row, and people were already lining up to take their chance against him. Todoroki was standing nearby, probably waiting to see his friend drop. Izuku chuckled, wondering if Ojiro and Todoroki from his universe would have had that kind of friendship in the future. 'Though I can't really see Ojiro acting like that…'
He pondered that. How different were they? He was very different from All for Deku in behavior, that was for sure, but they were at least similar, although changed by the decade of life they had over his friends. Were they identical in high school? Or were they already different back then? 'Both Todoroki have the scar, and both Ojiro have their same training. But did they grow up exactly the same? And what changed once there? Would Todoroki and Ojiro be the same if I was All for Deku in my universe?'
"Still thinking about One for All?" A voice asked behind him. He turned to see Izo sit down next to him.
Izuku stared up at him "Not really. Or well… I guess in a sense I am, but I was really thinking at how different the other worlds are from mine."
"I see. Where is Itsumi?"
"She is sleeping in the cart."
"Good idea." Izo yawned "Especially since it's the last night we can."
"Why?"
"I made an agreement with Captain Kirsh. I gave them the information I gathered from the village on the attack, and he gives us five Outrider Horses and takes the cart back to Sorak."
Izuku stared at him "I don't really know how to ride a horse though…"
"Ah, it's easy. Master Sorak thought me. Just hold on for dear life until it becomes boring." He sighed "I still can't believe we ran in the Outriders here of all places."
"Right, I wanted to ask you that. Why are you so worried about this? Captain Kirsh seems like a good person."
"He does." Izo huffed "But that's the point: he is now, he wasn't just two years ago when I first met him."
"Oh. What did he do?"
"The Outriders used to be the worst. Their members were once thieves and murderers. Colfire offered the chance to any man that wanted to do so to be pardoned if they joined the Outriders for two times the years they would spend in a prison. It was efficient, if a bit cruel."
"Is it still true? What about the Captain?"
"I captured the Captain, and that turned the Outriders around." Izuku stared at him "I guess you want the full story?"
"Please."
"Fine. But let me tell you first that I truly believe he turned a new leaf since I beat him. You have seen how he treats me, and I do believe he is genuine. He is just that kind of person."
"Right."
"So, I was still new with One for All. I had just left my village after finding it in the woods, travelling to the capital to get the training I needed. That's when on the road I met two men apparently trying to fix a cart. One was a tall man with more muscles I had ever seen, the other a red-haired individual a few years older than me. They simply asked me to help by holding the cart up so they could fix the wheel."
"Then they dropped the…"
"They dropped the cart on me, yes, I never said I was the smartest kid in Greenvalley. They stole my bag, my money, and almost everything else, but they couldn't steal One for All, while I couldn't reach it since my arm was bent awkwardly. So they just shrugged and left. Eventually I managed to free myself by desperately wiggling my fingers until I brushed the sword, and I somehow activated my predecessor's power so I could lift the cart." He chuckled "I guess Nana had something to say about her successor dying by being stuck under a piece of wood on his first day of travel."
"Then you hunted them down?"
"No." He blushed "I high tailed it up the road until I hit the first village, thanked the gods for the fact I hadn't just been killed and tried to think up a way to continue my journey without money and supplies. That's a longer story, and I do want to sleep tonight. To make it a very short story, I made some friends, fought some monsters to get the money I needed, and then travelled to the capital."
"So where does the Captain come back into this?"
"Well, about a month later I was training in the capital when a thief broke in the castle and stole the royal crown. No, this was not the Captain either. But I used One for All to help in the investigation and… I kinda ended up befriending the thief and convincing the King to not execute him, and in return he became my contact with the Thief Guild."
"Uh-uh." Izuku nodded politely. The number of questions was rising by the second.
"And then this thief one day tells me there is a bounty on my head. Probably a set up from the Demon King to get some people to hunt me down without using his own forces. That's how eventually, while travelling home, I ran into the Captain and his old master, Parr. They tried the same trick again."
"W-Wait, they tried again the exact same trick? What did you…"
"I lifted the cart. The whole thing." He grinned "And then I threw it at them. Turns out, they figured that if it had worked once it could again, and they would get their hands on the prize. Then yes, there was a fight, I beat them both, and after a while I carried them back to the Capital. Parr refused and was executed, saying he lost a fight and was supposed to die in it, but somehow Eimor decided that he wanted to turn a new leaf completely and after becoming a member, in just a few years transformed the Outriders from the filth of the realm, that underbelly that was only used to clean the field or as bait, into… this."
He pointed at the camp, where only a handful of people were still standing "They are still rough, but in the few years he was part of it, Eimor managed to turn it in a proper unit. No more pillaging, no more burning fields and stealing from farmers, no more… No more nasty stuff, I think I make myself clear. He personally brought in a discipline that was sorely lacking, by beating up every single man that dared to challenge his leadership. Apparently, that was all his master had thought him in those years. And ironically, that ended up turning the Outriders into a true company. Enough so that they are now allowed to undertake their own missions, instead of being constantly followed by another company. Some people grumble that now they don't really make sense anymore, but I think it's nice. They might be loud, and yes, they are still violent. But they are better. I think Eimor is doing something good with his life." He shivered "I'm just uncomfortable around him and his. Partly because of their history, but mostly because I remember our first meeting every time he hugs me. You might have noticed he has a strong grip, and I can't help but remember that damn cart."
Izuku nodded. The Outriders might have been weird, scary even, but he could see what Izo meant. If he was telling the truth, Eimor was doing something good. He yawned "Thank you for that story. You really are a Hero for those people."
The man seemed uncertain for a moment. He shuffled on the log, and Izuku looked at him. "So, here is a proposal. It's something I have been wanting to do since we met…"
"Yes?" Deku asked, surprised.
"Want to have a spar?" The Knight suddenly demanded. Izuku stared at him.
Izuku shifted his weight on his two feet, preparing his iron boots. Izo prepared as well, cracking his neck. He ignored the crowd around, composed of mostly the remaining Outriders, the ones that hadn't already fallen to the alcohol and fighting, and a curious Todoroki.
"Are you sure we can do this?" Deku asked, worried.
"I will only use Nana's abilities, so don't worry about hitting me hard and about my sword." The Knight simply said with a chuckle, "Just come at me."
Izuku nodded and activated One for All, watching as Izo tapped the blade buckled at his side. Red lightning started to crackle around the man, while the green surrounded him. The two charged at the same time.
Izuku struck with his right foot, a kick angled toward the side. The man of course realized this, simply parrying it with his arm. To Izuku's surprise, he absorbed the blow and then some, before launching a fist towards Izuku's gut. He reflexively jumped back, getting outside his range, and then rushed forward again, this time aiming a kick at his chin. Izo saw it coming and just blocked it with his right hand, catching it. "Seems I win in terms of raw strength."
Deku nodded. It made sense. If Izo was using the full power of Nana's One for All, he was of course far above his current twenty percent. Izuku nodded. 'I need to catch him by surprise then.' Izo rushed forward, throwing a fist towards him. Izuku dodged by inches, feeling the gust of air. It reminded him of his fight with Bakugo against All Might, but he stopped himself from getting nostalgic and instead focused on his opponent, dodging his second punch by moving his head close to the ground before jumping forward with another kick. The tip of his boot landed square in his opponent's gut, and Izo gasped before stepping backward. Izuku decided to rush forward… only to hear the sound of something flying towards him from the side.
Izuku instinctively dodged to the left, only to be met by Izo's fist. He gasped as the air left his lungs, but managed to land on his feet after a short flight and unleashed an attack with Air Force, flicking his fingers and using the gloves to aim at the charging Izo. The impact did stop him, grunting, and Izo charged forward again.
"Nice move." A voice said in his head. He missed a step, and Izo was on him with a fist. He hastily unleashed Blackwhip to stop it, and managed to absorb most of it and catch the man by the arm, lifting him up… and watching him just continue to fly, before starting to come down. Deku saw him coming and pulled reflexively Blackwhip, changing his trajectory. Izo rolled on the grass.
The Knight charged forward once more, this time with both hands open, only that this time he was way faster. Deku barely managed to react in time before four lights formed in front of him into a humanoid figure. He barely registered it before a punch burst through it and hit him straight in the chin.
Everything went dark.