Welcome to another chapter! We now see the continuation of what happened to Izuku last time, though note that this chapter is a bit exposition heavy. Especially at the end.
But that's mostly because I'm laying down some world building, this fic would be heavily AU and some of the hints I laid down is very fucking obvious on who some people actually are.
Anyways, on to the chapter!
[-]
Chapter 3
The sound of humming could be heard in a kitchen, the kitchen itself looks rather big and vast. Modern and impressive-looking kitchen appliances could be seen all around but despite it all, all of them merely add to the homey aura around the kitchen.
Inko dried her hands after finally drying the last plate. She had just finished breakfast with Karla and her family, right beside her was Karla herself. Helping her with all the cleaning.
"I have to say, the breakfast was rather delicious. No offense but I didn't pick you as someone that can cook Karla." Inko spoke up, an impressed tone could be heard in her voice.
Karla merely chuckled and waved it away, "Oh it's ok really. In all honesty, I never really cared about cooking. The only reason I did was that I thought I could finally convince Ohma to marry me if I did so." She revealed with a closed eyes smile.
Inko looked at her with a little surprise in her gaze, "Oh? You had trouble convincing him to marry you back then?"
The woman nodded, "Yes, it took a while but I finally managed to convince him when I showed him how serious I was when it comes to our relationship."
"What did you do?" Inko asked.
Kalra's smile turned Cheshire at that, "That's a secret of course. Unless you want me to teach it to you so that he notices you more~?"
"Karla! Don't say such things so suddenly!" Inko blushed in mortification.
"I didn't hear a no~"
Inko whined at that before shyly glancing at her, "If you don't mind."
Karla laughed at that while patting her shoulder, "That's more like it! I'll prepare some more time for us then!"
Inko smiled gratefully at that, despite the rough start both of them had gotten along well once they got over it. The woman was rather cheerful and upbeat, it was rather hard to stay mad or hostile at her when she was so cheery all the time.
Inko then looked out the window, her features turning into a worried look as she watched the forest at the edge of the village.
Karla noticed her change of mood, "Worried about them?"
Inko nodded, "It's been a week already, how long is this trial?"
Karla gave her a sad smile, "Even I'm not sure, Ohma said it took a month for him to finish the trial. It varies from person to person."
The woman sighed, "I wanted to spend time with my son throughout the holiday but I guess that's out the window."
"Hey don't be so pessimistic!" Karla smiled at her, "Ohma said Izuku is a pretty quick learner. I'm sure things will be fine and you'll see him again soon enough."
Inko hummed at that, she always knew that her son was smart. But she's not sure if it would translate to martial arts.
"I'll take your words on it."
"Now come on! I still got a few things to show you around the village!"
"Of course," Inko chuckled before following the woman. Before she left, she spared a final glance at the forest.
She wonders how her son is doing at the moment. She hopes he's doing fine right now.
[-]
Everything is not fine.
Izuku huffed heavily as he lay face down on the ground, his body racked with pain as he struggled to even get up from the dirt.
"Is that all you got?" Ohma asked, still standing and unphased.
Izuku shakily glanced up at him, his emerald eyes defiant as he pushed his body to stand up.
His body and mind had gone through hell throughout the week, Ohma had done nothing but beat the shit out of him. Every time he tries to fight back or counter him, it all met with failure and his face back to the dirt beneath. This will keep up until the dead of night, then Ohma will finally let him rest.
With no rations in the bag, he had to rely on whatever was around as a source of food. There's already a nearby river he could use as a source of water but for food, he had to eat the bugs on the ground. His body was too tired and in pain to search for any animals that might be nearby. There are also no fruits from the trees around them that he could eat.
But even if his body wasn't in pain, Ohma would make sure it was. His so-called rest was just that, letting him eat and drink a little until he could at least stand properly. It doesn't matter if he was still tired, the training would continue the moment he can stand.
He shakily got back up on his feet, his body shook with clear fatigue. Eye bags could be seen beneath his eyes, his shirt and pants already lost somewhere after getting torn and leaving him shirtless and in his boxers. His whole body is also covered in leaves, grass, dirt, and his hair is a damn mess. The weights around his limbs make it harder to move. Cuts and bruises could also be seen surrounding his body, showing how much pain he was in.
But even with all of that, he still stood tall and kept his defiant gaze. His mind focused on one thing only.
'I can't lose.'
He only needs to perform Majinken successfully, then all of this would stop. He just needs to find a way.
Ohma hummed as he looked down at his student, "You're holding out longer than yesterday. Let's see how long I can push you."
The moment he finished, Izuku could see a fist in front of his face. His tiredness only allowed him to grit his teeth and relaxed his body, using the Water kata to mitigate the damage.
His body folded backward from the punch, his usage of Water kata became slightly more effective due to the fatigue. With Redirection kata, he redirected the force from the punch to his leg and sent an upward kick straight towards his master's chin.
Ohma merely tilted his body slightly to the right, letting the kick pass his head harmlessly. He watches as his student uses the momentum of the kick to twist his body in the air and lands back on his feet.
Ohma immediately rushed toward him, sending a combo of punches and kicks toward his student. Izuku is doing his best to adapt and push through the fatigue and pain. Using minimal movements to dodge and redirect the attacks by a hair's width, his movement feels sluggish yet it has a certain amount of precision. Enough to at least keep up.
However, against his more well-rested master, he can't last long.
Izuku grunted in pain as a kick to his midsection forced his breath out of his lungs, making him cough harshly before a right hook sent him sprawling to the ground.
"You're using Redirection minimally to conserve energy, smart. You're going to need it." Ohma praised, though his bland look made it hard to discern whether it was genuine or not.
Izuku panted as he tried to crawl his way back up, his body moving rather sluggishly as it did so. Feeling like it tries to wade through a swamp with how heavy it felt.
He still didn't understand why his master is pushing him this far, but he did warn him he could die in this trial and he still chose to go through with it. He had gone through with it thinking he could handle it, but throughout the week his master had shown just how arrogant he was thinking that way.
The constant training, the lack of food and sleep, the discomfort from his injuries, and his own mental and physical state were being pushed to the brink of breaking.
Izuku shakily looks back up towards his master, his vision growing hazy as he tries to get back up. He was sure his master was saying something but he couldn't be sure, everything was becoming dizzy. He had said something about his kick earlier could have been his chance to perform the secret technique but the rest is becoming a blur.
He can't pass out now! He still needs to fight! He needs to get back up and past this trial!
Suddenly, a shot of energy could be felt within his body. He could feel his body being re-energized as his senses sharpen, it didn't put him back into shape like before but it was enough to get him back to his feet and focus.
Ohma looked at him with an analytical gaze, he then nodded. "It seems like you finally achieved it."
Izuku looked confused at that, something that he caught.
"You feel a shot of energy going through you right? That's called autophagy, your housekeeping proteins are breaking down and being allocated to your basic life necessities. Think of it like a spare battery that you can use when you are out of energy." He explained. "It seems like we won't be needing these anymore then."
Izuku watched on as Ohma removed the weights around his own limbs and even the one around his body, he idly realized that his master was holding back the whole time. His mind could see those weights cracking the ground beneath the moment he threw it all away.
'He's a monster' He realized with clear awe and fear, just how powerful is his master?
"Get your weights off, the trials will properly start now."
Izuku looked up in shock at that, "You mean this whole time, we haven't even started?!"
Ohma hummed, "No, we have not. Unless of course, you want to stop? You haven't piped up much about it throughout the week, but we can stop and get back to the village right this instant." Ohma told him, his face still blank but his eyes clearly expressing his intentions.
This would be the final chance to back out, to get out of this hell, and finally go back home.
Izuku looked down at the ground, he could go back. Either forget about the trials or just take it at another time when he's fully ready. He already has a taste of it and he was pretty sure it would only get worse afterward.
But part of him can't, he doesn't want to go. His drive would not allow him to back out now.
If he plans to be a hero, then he needs to go through this. He could always go through it another time, but he knew his fear would stop him. It would be a mental block that would stop him from improving.
He's going to be a quirkless hero for god's sake! If he can't stare death in the face then he won't be able to be a good hero! He has an inherent disadvantage that he needs to make up for and this is the only path he knows on how to do so!
"We'll continue," Izuku breathed out, getting the weights around his limbs off his body. Letting them smash into the ground uselessly before he refocuses on his master, his gaze determined.
Ohma narrowed his eyes before he schooled his features, returning back to the blank and emotionless state that he was in throughout the week. His usual kind and laidback master turns into an unfeeling monster.
"This time I won't hold back, even if you asked me to stop I won't," Ohma spoke, making him nod.
The moment he did, his master disappeared into the forest. Making him blink in confusion, where did he go?
Izuku slowly looked around, his eyes trailing through the dark forest. Izuku clicked his tongue in annoyance when he realized just how thick the forest is. The thick branches and leaves cover the whole area, making even sunlight have a hard time shining through the foliage.
"Right behind you."
Izuku turned around in a panic before the air was forced out of his lungs, holding his stomach in pain before Ohma kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground again.
Izuku pushed himself up slowly, looking over towards his master. The man himself blankly stares at his student before he disappears into the forest again.
Izuku quickly gets back up on his feet, he couldn't even sense him. Not even hear him enter his range.
But even without sensing his presence, there was one thing he could feel. The ever-encompassing killing intent that his master was emitting, and the sheer pressure from it were making him sweat excessively. His expression turned nervous and panicky as he looked around frantically.
He was wrong, he wouldn't have died before the trials started. But the feeling he was getting from his surroundings at the moment made it all too clear. If he doesn't adapt and get better quickly, he's going to die.
The admission only made him warier.
[-]
The sounds of birds chirping could be heard, Mina observing the avians flying through the courtyard beside the mansion with a bored gaze.
She looked around the courtyard, observing the small stream inside. A nice-looking tree was planted near it for decoration. The bushes around the courtyard were neatly trimmed and were grown to perfect form.
But all the beautiful and calming scenery only made her more bored.
She had thought things might get exciting with Midoriya around, but her old man immediately took him to train somewhere in the woods. Oh well, Miss Midoriya made good company anyways and her cooking was absolutely the best!
But still, she had actually thought she might be able to spend more time with Midoriya. She was still curious about what else her old man had found in him to be willing to train him. Especially this hard, she had heard from her mother that her father had taken Midoriya to the forest near the village. And there's the only one reason she could think of why her father would bring him there.
It's a bit of an open secret among the people in the village but there was something off about the forest. It was quiet and had a strange off-putting feeling to it. The animals inside are strangely much more aggressive than normal and even with the normally enhanced physique that they have cultivated through generations of meticulous selective breeding, a lot of their own clansmen had died in the forest.
It was weird, it was off putting and it is a perfect training ground for anyone that wants to have a taste of what death feels like.
There's a section that exists deep inside the forest, that the moment you enter you would have a strange oppressive feeling that surrounds you. The animals inside the forest specifically avoid that section and life doesn't seem to thrive there. Making it hard to even survive inside that section of the forest. Such an environment is perfect for what her old man is planning to teach to him.
After all, it's how she had learned under her mother as well.
She then sighed as she lay down on the wooden floorboards, she wondered how strong Midoriya would become if he survived this. She never really managed to get a more in-depth feel of him.
She really hopes he survives this, if not for her then for his mother. Inko Midoriya is a really sweet woman and it would be a shame for her to lose her son.
[-]
The forest was quiet, there was no sound at all that could be heard from it. Night has already fallen and it made the usually gloomy forest look even darker. It was pure pitch black, there was nothing that could be seen. It was a barren void where not even a speck of light could be seen. It was an absolute silence where nothing could be sensed.
In the middle of it all was Izuku himself, his own visage could not be seen by anyone. Only he alone knew that he was there, still standing with injuries marring his body.
He stood there with his arms held up in front of him vertically, both arms covering both of his sides but he knew it would not be enough. Injuries could be seen marring his whole body, open and untreated wounds, bruises, specks of dirt, and even leaves covering his whole body. His own usually fluffy hair is now more unkempt than usual. He looked far more terrible than he was before.
Faintly, he ignored the crack-like feeling inside him.
Three weeks had passed since the trials had properly started, and the usually grueling conditions he had been put into had become worse. His resting time has become shorter and shorter, food is becoming more scarce. He couldn't even find a damn insect to eat and the trees around him didn't grow any fruit at all. The only thing he can rely on was the small stream nearby for water but even that is starting to be difficult. His injuries had made it difficult for him to move.
The fracture continues to widen.
The injuries around his body had caused him to focus on just recovering when he was allowed to rest. So here he was, hungry and dehydrated. His whole body is now completely numb due to the pain, the lack of food, water and rest had also affected his mind, causing him to visually and auditorily hallucinate.
The fracture widens, slowly and surely turning into a crack.
But even with all of that, his mind had never been more active. His senses are completely at the peak of their performance. He would not move, could not move, he wouldn't even blink just so he conserved as much energy as possible so he could let his senses do their work. The complete pitch-black area around him made it even more necessary.
The walls slowly break, letting a faint pressure flood into his body. But he continues to ignore it.
Slowly, his breathing starts to even out. His internal breathing became quieter and quieter until nothing could be heard from him. He had reached a state that is similar to ancient animist practices.
His techniques? Forgotten. His body? Abandoned. Even his own thoughts were left behind. Slowly but surely, the border between 'Self' and 'Other' was diminished until there was nothing left between them. He has connected to 'Everything' and 'Everything' became 'Himself'.
This is the peak that Izuku could attain at his current level. The peak of sensory ability that he has arrived at. The peak called a state of Oneness.
And so Izuku Midoriya becomes one with the void.
…
…
…
FWOOSH
Izuku immediately turns around, despite the hallucinations and pitch-black area, he could sense it clearly. There Ohma had rushed towards him from among the trees, his hand primed into and aimed towards his head.
As he did so, he ignored the sensation of pressure erupting around his body.
His senses primed, he detected the fist heading towards him. He raised his arm, blocking the fist but not without consequences.
He could feel the muscles on his arms tore, the bones cracking and breaking under the pressure. But he continued to ignore it. He softened his body with the Water Kata, allowing the full force of the attack to flow inside his body.
He then flowed the power with Redirection Kata, using Fire Kata to solidify his positioning before twisting his arm as he hardened his fist with Adamantine Kata.
This was it, the redirected force was enhanced with his own twisting piercing power, this was his only chance.
Unknown to him, the pressure follows the force into his fist.
MAJINKEN
Ohma raised his arm to intercept it, the attack still landed but the piercing force was still there. Causing him to be blown back slightly. He could feel his arm twist slightly, the pressure causing him to lean back slightly. If anyone was able to see, it was as if the attack had done almost nothing to Ohma.
But to the two, the results were all the more clear.
There on his arm was a small bruise. The only indication that the attack even causes anything.
Izuku couldn't help but widen his eyes in despair, he was sure he had absorbed and directed all of the force from his master's attack. Even if his own added power was weak, the piercing power he added to it should have done more than that.
'He's a monster…' Izuku concluded.
Ohma paused, making Izuku look at him in confusion. Why didn't he finish it? He was spent. He had used all of his energy into that attack, even if he forced it he was unsure if he could even move and continue the trial.
In all sense and purpose, he was dead.
Ohma hummed as he relaxed, looking down at his arm with a thoughtful look.
"Hmm, you passed."
"...What?" He croaked, his throat sore and in pain.
"You passed," He repeated, "The trial is over. You finally managed to use it."
Izuku breathed a sigh of disbelief, it's over? This hell is finally over?
"Rest, you need it." He ordered.
Before Ohma even finished, Izuku had already fallen back to the ground. His exhaustion and injuries finally caught up with him as he fell into the sweet realm of Morpheus.
Ohma swiftly caught the verdette, his blank face finally breaking into a relieved smile. Slowly he lifted the boy onto his back and started making his way out of the clearing.
The pitch-black area was of no concern to him, he swiftly moved past any obstacles that he had detected without worry and finally arrived at another clearing. Unlike the previous one, this place seemed a bit more alive so to speak. Birds chirping could be heard, the sound of a river could be heard nearby, and there were even glimpses of small animals scurrying around at the edge of Ohma's vision.
This clearing was in another section of the forest, out of the range of the zone of death that section seems to emanate.
The clearing itself seemed more peaceful and open, the clearing leads to a cliff nearby but it also allows Ohma to see the beautiful night sky above. The grass covered every inch of the field but it looked soft and inviting. The sound of crackling fire could be heard, a fireplace could be seen in the middle of the clearing. Logs could be seen surrounding it, acting as a seat. On one of those logs was Mikumo Kushinada herself.
The woman silently watches as Ohma lays down Izuku on the grass, making sure that he lays down near the fire for warmth.
"You're much softer on him than I realized," The woman noted offhandedly.
Ohma scoffed as he sat right beside her, making sure that he could see Izuku right in the corner of his vision.
"I don't think sending my student to the edge of death is being soft," Ohma remarked.
"Maybe so," Mikumo hummed, "But you still let him get used to it before increasing the intensity. You even gave him multiple chances to back out. If it was any other master, they would not even give him such a chance."
Ohma nodded at that, "If you say so."
Seeing that her husband is not willing to continue the topic, she decided to change it.
"Your student is much stronger than I gave him credit for, to be able to go three weeks straight while dangling over the edge. It's impressive. Any lesser student and they would break and beg you to end it."
Ohma chuckled, "The kid got a fire in him, he's serious about his dream. He knows the consequences and risks of being a hero, he's just making sure that he will be able to deal with it."
Mikumo shook her head at that, "Being prepared to die and being actually close to death are two different things my dear, that boy shows potential to be able to come to that realization and still managed to function logically."
"That he does," Ohma smiled as he glanced at his student. "He'll go far one day, I'm sure of it."
He then idly noticed Mikumo getting closer to him, "You know, the boy would be asleep for a while. It's just us two here and it has been a while…"
Ohma looked back at her, seeing her normally stoic features morphing into seductive ones.
Well, it seems like it would be a long and pleasurable night for him.
[-]
Izuku slowly stirred, his eyes fluttering open before he groaned. He could feel his whole body protest just by him trying to wake up. The trial had caused him much more damage than he realized.
He slowly looked around, he noticed that he was lying down on a very strangely comfortable patch of grass. A blanket was seen on top of him, keeping the cold away from him. He also idly noticed that his whole body was covered in bandages.
"You're awake, good."
He glanced to the side and saw Ohma, in his hand is a cup of water. He slowly walked over to him and sat beside him.
Izuku glanced right behind Ohma and saw a figure of a woman beneath a blanket from where he had come from. Seeing that the only thing covering the woman was the blanket, he quickly averted his eyes and focused back on his master. Best he ignores that.
"..." Izuku tried speaking, but his throat felt dry and hoarse. Making him grimace in slight pain.
"Easy there," Ohma knelt beside him, softly grasping the back of Izuku's head before letting him drink the water slowly.
The verdette greedily gulps down the water, letting the refreshing liquid flow into his dry throat before he finally stops. Breathing out a sigh of relief as he did so.
"Thanks…"
"No problem." Ohma smiled before he settled Izuku back down and sat beside him.
Izuku looked back towards the front and realized the sun was rising. The cliff overlooking the edge allows the two to see the sun rising from the horizon, the golden light slowly filling the dark sky and turning it blue.
Both watched on in silence, enjoying the scenery with an air of contentment around them.
"You must really hate me right now," Ohma broke the silence, his gaze never moving away from the view as he spoke.
Izuku glanced at his master in confusion before understanding dawned on him, looking back at the horizon with a neutral gaze.
"I won't lie, I was a bit mad with the whole thing. I seriously thought I was going to die…" He trailed off. Ohma stayed silent as he waited for his student to continue.
"But then again, I willingly jumped into it despite all your warnings. I'd say that I deserved it by that point." He chuckled morbidly to himself before glancing at his master. "But to answer your question, no I'm not mad. I don't blame you all that much even."
The silence continued, making Izuku fidget a bit uncomfortably. Did he say the wrong thing?
However, a chuckle caught his attention, making him glance at his master in confusion.
"You really are a weird kid, you know that," He smirked at Izuku, making the verdette tilt his head in confusion.
"Thanks, I guess?"
His words only caused his master to laugh even more.
Izuku seemed a bit put off by it but decided to ignore his master, the man can be weird sometimes after all.
The whole trial has been exhausting but part of him was just glad to be alive after all of that. Some part of him wants to believe that his master would not leave him to die but another part that had experienced all the shit he had gone through called bullshit on that.
It was a very conflicting feeling.
He looked down at himself, detachedly analyzing the injuries that covered his body. Recovering from this would be a pain to deal with. Especially his left arm due to the fact that he had used it to block and redirect the blow from his master's last attack. It might even leave a scar and make moving things around a bit more difficult. The recovery time would just have him resting without doing anything which is annoying. He'd rather keep himself busy and keep training under his master.
A part of him can't help but scoff in amusement at that line of thought, if anyone heard that they probably would have been weirded out at least or horrified at worst. The fact that he is brushing off such debilitating injuries was rather concerning after all. But the months spent training his master had changed him a lot. His definition of debilitating injury that should be concerned about has changed a lot.
He then narrowed his eyes when he remembered that there will be other people that will notice his injury, especially his mother.
Damn, explaining this to her would be pretty difficult now that he thought about it. He just wished she doesn't kill Ohma and then him for doing something so risky.
Ohma then looked back down at his student after he finally stopped laughing, "Can you feel it?"
Izuku blinks at that, "Feel what?"
"You still haven't figured it out huh?"
"Figured what out?" Izuku asked, starting to get a bit irritated by the guessing game.
Ohma smirked a bit at the response before schooling his features and facing Izuku properly.
"Tell me, what do you think this trial is for?"
Izuku looked confused at that, "It's for me to learn the secret technique of The Niko Style right?"
Ohma shook his head at that, "No, if it was just that I have a simpler way to teach it to you. But no, it is not."
Izuku widened his eyes at that, there was more to it?
"Then what? You said I passed so it means I did something right. But what is it?"
"Try to remember at the end there, when you used Majinken. There should be something that stood out to you right?"
Izuku looked down at that, all he remembered was blocking and absorbing the attack that his master had sent toward him. He then just redirects the force of the blow before performing Majinken. But what was different? What had happened that caused Ohma to see that he had passed the trial?
The crack burst open, filling his body with a feeling of pressure.
The stray memory made him widen his eyes, there was that feeling. The feeling of pressure filling his body was burned into his memory.
"Seems like you're remembering, try to find that feeling again," Ohma ordered.
Izuku nodded before calming himself down, he closed his eyes and turned inwards.
He searched and tried to reach out for that feeling again. But as he did, something replied to his call.
The cracks burst open
He gasped, his eyes widening in shock as he suddenly sat up. His body protested at such an action but he ignored it for now.
He could feel it, the pressure coursing through his body as naturally as it flows. As if it has been there the whole time but he never knew it.
"Is this– What is this? Is this…a quirk?!" He asked with a faint tone of hope that could be heard in his voice. Despite years of training, the idea of suddenly gaining a quirk sounds very bittersweet yet tempting.
Ohma shook his head, "No. But it is connected to quirks. You could say it was directly linked to the origin of quirks some would say."
Izuku looked at his master in shock. This feeling, it's connected to the origin of quirks?! The thought that the knowledge that had plagued scientists for generations is being bared before him is making him a bit dizzy.
"What? Wait a minute! One at a time! That still doesn't answer my question, what is this thing?" He frantically asked.
Ohma calmly looks over at him. "It has many names, some called it the breath of life, some called it Mana, but it is more commonly called Ki. The energy that courses through everything in this world. And you finally managed to unlock it."
Izuku looked down at his hands, still feeling the energy coursing through his body.
He has a feeling that things will get even more difficult from now on.
[-]
He was right, it was difficult.
After returning back to the village, he was greeted by a very excited mother who turned very worried and angry the moment she laid eyes on him.
It was even more difficult trying to explain to her that the training was a bit more intense than normal. Both master and pupil chose to opt-out of the fact that Izuku very nearly died. Arguably some might call them both crazy with the things they do on a daily basis but they aren't suicidal.
Probably, that last part is still debatable.
Other than his mother, there was also the matter of explaining to Katsumi why he hadn't answered her calls for a month. At first, she was really mad which was understandable, but after explaining how he had been put to a really gruesome training schedule out in the woods she had immediately turned 180 and started to fret over him.
He had to make a video call with her to make sure that she was convinced that he was alright. It was a bit embarrassing to have her seeing him shirtless, but the bandages covering him allowed him to bear with it. It was embarrassing but he was happy to see his childhood friend showing such a caring side. It made him feel happy.
After everything was said and done, he had been confined to his guest room. Resting all on his own while having Kaede heal him occasionally to speed up the process. It was a bit boring though, just laying on the bed doing almost nothing.
Though the main thing that surprised him was Mina visiting his room pretty frequently. At first, he was a bit nervous thinking she was gonna attack him out of nowhere again but she was surprisingly pretty cool.
They had started out awkwardly at first, well on his end anyways. Mina just flows over awkward tension between them as naturally as breathing. It took a bit of time, but Mina finally managed to coax out some conversation from him.
It was pretty casual and normal all things considered. Mina was really talkative and pretty open. From the looks of it, she seems to be the social type of person. She probably has a lot of friends back in high school which does bring up the question of how she gets to school from this village. The place is rather far off after all.
From what he had gathered, she actually lives away from the village and in a special apartment when outside of holidays. Despite how carefree she acts, she could live pretty independently all on her lonesome. Some part of him was surprised by it, something that she actually caught. But it's actually pretty normal for the Kure Clan as it serves as a way to teach the teenagers of the clan to learn how to live independently. They would be given a set budget and a place to stay with the bills covered, but other than that they are on their own.
There's also the fact that she was apparently aiming for UA, making it even easier for them to bond over. She was aiming for the Hero course, making it even more important for her to learn how to take care of herself. Apparently, being a hero is a bit of a rare profession for the Kure Clan which was a bit surprising. But for those that do take the job, they ended up becoming pretty big names themselves. Making it even more important for Mina to succeed because she didn't want to make them feel embarrassed or worse pity her.
It was rather interesting to hear albeit a bit fitting. The Kure Clan seems to be a family that really takes the importance of status seriously. Usually, this would bring up a bit of a red flag but the close-knit bond between them all that he managed to pick up did offset it somewhat. Even if the clan was as bad as he was thinking, the family he was currently staying with was rather welcoming and sweet.
Karla Kure was a rather nice woman and she seems to get along really well with his mother, just that is enough for him to consider her a good person.
Speaking of family, there was also his master Ohma. The man had come to frequently check in on him to see if he was doing alright. He did avoid talking about Ki though, even when he specifically asked about it. Though he did promise to teach it to him once he had fully recovered from his injuries. He reasoned that he needs some time to process and recover from the recent trial, best to let him rest and get back to his full strength before they can continue. Which was fair all things considered. Rest is also part of training after all.
And wasn't that a surprise, to know that he now has access to something that is supposedly responsible for Quirks. It was rather fascinating and groundbreaking, to say the least. He had a lot of questions that were running around his mind, his own fascination and fixation with quirks trying to piece how this feeling of pressure coursing through his body is responsible for the phenomena that changed their whole society. And even if it was responsible for it, how come the scientific community had never discovered this? There should have at least been whispers or hints about it but he had found none at all. And believe him he did search around, both before and after he had unlocked Ki.
The only thing stopping him from making his own speculations and wild theories was his master promising him to reveal everything about it to him after he recovered. So while he waits, he would just need to be content with what he has, which isn't all that much, and try to mess around with the energy coursing through his body.
He didn't really know what to do with it really, but he did figure out how to move it around. It took him a while but after a few testing, it slowly started to become natural to him. Mostly because it feels really familiar to him, like using Redirection and Water Kata. Just relax your body and direct the energy with some minimal movement. As he did so, he can't help but feel himself revitalizing. Slowly getting healthier so to speak.
His breath comes out easier, his body feels more active, and even his own usually sharp senses feel a bit clearer now. His senses always feel sharp, especially after the trials. But after coursing the energy through his whole body it feels like they are slowly approaching another level entirely.
It should have felt uncomfortable, the sudden rush of new info should have overwhelmed him. But it didn't, the info that his senses had picked up was picked up and processed easily. It feels liberating and new in a way. It will take a bit of time to get used to that's for sure.
Just from what little he had gathered, the energy must be enhancive in nature. Or at least was one of its main features. If it was responsible for Quirks like his master had claimed it was, then there must be more to it than that. And he has access to it now!
He still can't get over the fact that he now has something that can be counted as a Quirk. Well, maybe not exactly a Quirk since if it does cause Quirks to appear doesn't mean it is a Quirk. A Quirk is a biological ability that was born from the Quirk Factors inside the body. And no matter what, he doesn't have Quirk Factors. They had run many tests, he was 100% Quirkless. There's nothing that can change that fact.
But quirkless doesn't equal useless as shown by his own master. At first, he had thought it would be just the enhanced peak human capabilities that had become common paired with The Niko Style but now with Ki at his disposal, his dream to become a hero is also becoming more and more possible in his eyes.
He won't lie, there's still some part of him that doubts how The Niko Style could help him overcome opponents that have quirks like Endeavor. A powerful quirk that focuses on raw power that he couldn't even touch.
But to know that he has something like Ki at his disposal? It lifted a huge worry and burden off his back. Now all that's left is for him to learn how to use it. And he can't wait for when Ohma would finally teach it to him.
Fortunately for him, the awaited day came rather fast.
After two weeks, due to Kaede's own quirk and him using Ki to enhance his body's recovery, his recovery process took a lot shorter time than normal.
And so here he was in the courtyard, clad in a white shirt that says 'shirt' on it with black shorts. Right beside him was Mina, who was only wearing a tight black shirt that really hugged her body along with pink sweat pants that looks painted on her. He was having a really hard time trying to avoid staring at her thanks to those outfits. Something that she clearly noticed.
"Like what you see Midori?" She looked over at him, a cheshire smile could be seen on her face. The nickname was something that she had settled on after both of them had gotten close enough.
"I'd rather not have Ohma kill me Mina, so I'll avoid answering that." Izuku purposely looked away from her, making her grin in amusement.
"Damn right I would, student or no you don't have that right yet," Ohma spoke, making them glance toward him. The man was making his way towards him while clad in shorts and a white shirt that fits him snugly.
"I don't think you need to do the whole 'You hurt her, I hurt you' shtick dad, he seems pretty cowed already." Mina pointed out.
"And that's supposed to stop me?" Ohma asked rhetorically.
"I'm right here," Izuku speaks up in slight irritation.
"Sweetie the fact that you think you have a say in this is cute," Mina smirked at him, making him twitch in annoyance.
"Mina I can't allow anyone to date you, not unless they're actually capable." Ohma continued.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Izuku gave an offended look at his master, "You're telling me I'm not capable?!"
Apparently, his words were the wrong ones as Ohma starts to look at him in a really dangerous way while the teasing glint in Mina's eyes became even more pronounced.
"Hey, hey! Does that mean you are interested in little old me?" Mina smiled teasingly at him.
"Choose your next words carefully," Ohma on the other hand, had a completely different reaction.
Both of their words caused him to sweat, making him hurry to sputter nervously.
"I–! You–! Let's just get back on why we're here!" Izuku turned away from them both, trying to somehow hide his fear and nervousness from the father-daughter duo.
Thankfully, both seemed to relax and decided to follow his suggestion. Ohma cleared his throat, making Izuku turn back around to face them properly.
"So as promised, I will start teaching you everything there is to know about Ki." Ohma began before looking at Mina curiously, "You're staying around?"
The pink woman nodded, "Yeah, might as well stick around. Would be a pretty good way to brush up on my own knowledge."
Izuku looked surprised at that, "You also know how to use Ki Mina?"
Mina nodded enthusiastically, "Yep! Was a pain in the ass to get it though!" She grumbled, making him nod in sympathy. Already understand what she meant by that.
Ohma chuckled at that, "Well suit yourself then, so to begin. As I told you, it has many names but it is more commonly referred to as Ki. A form of metaphysical energy that courses through every living thing in the world."
Izuku slowly starts to focus on his master's words, pulling out his notebook to start taking notes.
"But that comes the question, where does Ki come from? To know that let me tell you a story." Ohma stopped, taking a deep breath as his eyes looked like he was reminiscing on something distant. "Centuries ago, there was a mighty battle. A battle between a demigod that represents the wrath of the world and its people and a God that was responsible for its sufferings."
"You see this god has brought a gift to the world, a gift called Mantra. But in return, both the world and its people suffered, all because the god wanted a successor. If he has a successor, he can finally leave the world. The demigod was chosen as the god's newest successor but he rejected it. Causing a mighty battle between the two."
Izuku hummed at that, "Why didn't the demigod accept? I mean if he became god then he can just change the world on his own."
Ohma shrugged at that, "Who knows, this story was passed down orally and there were multiple accounts on why. Some say the god never really cared, some say the demigod just wanted to save his daughter who was caught up in it due to her gift to enhance Mantra and some even say that the demigod found the god annoying and wanted humanity to be free."
Izuku nodded at that, "I see, I guess that should be expected. Continue then."
"So, both fought, and after a harrowing battle, the demigod triumphed and successfully killed the God. However, not without a cost. You see the demigod's very existence had all come from Mantra. And with the god creating it dying, Mantra also became lost. And with it, the demigod died. And from the multiple accounts, release humanity from constant suffering and also saved his daughter. It's either or really." He shrugged, though there was an odd look in his eyes
"Well as fascinating as that was, I still can't see how this correlates to Ki," Izuku speaks up in confusion, making Ohma chuckle in amusement.
"I'm getting there alright? Give me a sec. So, as said before Mantra was a gift that was given to the world. But just because it's gone, doesn't mean it didn't leave any effects on the world. See, it was said that Mantra was a form of power that was able to make Heaven tremble and the earth shake. And it left quite a deep impression on the human soul. It left it so deep, that it affected the body and caused it to start producing Ki. All in an attempt for humanity to regain the glory of Mantra without its downsides." Ohma revealed.
"So, you're saying that Ki is something that was created to imitate Mantra? Does that mean the story you had told us is real?" Izuku asked curiously, however, Ohma shook his head.
"Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. As I said, the story was rather old and it is the only thing that was connected to Ki by the time it was discovered. So that's the only explanation we ever managed to gain." Ohma shrugged as he informed them. Though part of him does wonder why there was a constant feeling of something whenever he retells or hears the story.
It reminds him of something that he was sure didn't exist. Doesn't help that he had dreamt of something that was pretty close to the story. Only bits and pieces, but it was something.
A dream of golden spiders, traitorous friends, and a little girl. Those three things seemed to be the main theme but he can't really be sure.
"Ohma-sensei? You there?" Izuku's words snapped him out of his reverie.
"Right, sorry, was lost in thought for a bit." Ohma apologized before schooling himself. "So where was I? Right, as far as we know Ki is probably something that the human body produced in an attempt to imitate Mantra. But of course, we have no way to confirm that so take it with a grain of salt."
"So what do we know about Ki?" Izuku asked a bit exasperatedly.
"Well, we do know quite a lot. The first thing you should know, it isn't just the body that produces it. You see, the mind, body, and soul are very different yet functionally the same. All three are the main components that make you, you. The mind makes up the personality, the body is the physical representation of you and the soul is very the proof that you are you in a metaphysical sense. Think of it like a blueprint that functionally gives detail about the core aspects that make up you as a person." Ohma explained in detail, but judging by Izuku's pace in writing it seems like he was catching on just fine. Mina on the other hand was content to just remain quiet since she had heard it all before.
"So In that sense, all three are just the same thing that exists in different planes of existence. However, there is something that ties all three together. These ties are called Ki Nodes. Small little threads connect all three aspects together and cause the production of Ki. However, people are rarely able to even open their Ki Nodes and the only way to do so is to be in a very stressful situation. And I'm not talking just simply stress on a test grade paper or anything like that. Stressed as in you are in a life and death situation. And even then it's not a guarantee you could open it."
Izuku nodded at that, remembering the trial he had gone through to unlock Ki. It was more than stressful alright.
"So Ki Nodes? You mean those little cracks I keep envisioning?" Izuku asked in curiosity, envisioning was a bit of a wrong word to use but it was the only thing he could think of that is similar to what had happened. Whenever he used Ki, his mind mentally imagined a crack bursting forth and filling his body with energy.
Ohma nodded at that, "Cracks huh? Well, it is different from person to person on how they envisioned it but yeah that sounds about right. With enough training, you could see other people's Ki Nodes but usually, those that use Ki constantly let Ki flow inside their body and in turn hide their Ki Nodes."
"Really? Is it important for you to hide your Ki Nodes?"
"Usually yes, a good enough master in Ki could use it to close your Ki nodes and shut you off from using Ki entirely. Some can even shut it off to kill you thanks to it being connected to your life force." Ohma states, making Izuku gulp in slight fear. "However there are multiple Ki Nodes in everyone and the placement is usually random. Doesn't help that anyone with proper mastery over Ki could easily hide their Ki Nodes so it's far easier said than done."
Izuku breathed a sigh of relief at that, "Oh thank god, I'd rather not fear for my life just from someone poking me with Ki thank you very much." His words caused both father and daughter to laugh slightly. "So that's how Ki is produced. Anything else?"
"Well, the bare basics is that Ki is connected to your physical body and mentality. Your physical body just allows you to produce and control Ki if you manage to train it enough but Ki also reflects your mentality. If you are someone that constantly feels positive emotions, your Ki would be smoother. If you feel negative emotions, on the other hand, your Ki would be more explosive in nature. These two types of Ki are called Sei and Dou respectively."
"Sei…and Dou," Izuku wrote that down, "But what if someone uses both sides of Ki?"
Ohma smiled as he heard that, "Well that leads to another level of Ki mastery. Once you master both sides of Ki, you would be able to attain something called Elemental Conversion. Your Ki would take on properties that truly reflect you as a person. Usually, they would turn into elements but something esoteric could also be possible."
"Elements? You mean multiple?" Izuku asked.
Ohma nodded, "Yes it is possible for you to gain multiple elements. The human mind can be complex after all, it wouldn't be surprising or rare at all for you to have multiple elements."
Izuku nodded at that, "I see, what kind of elements do you two have?"
Ohma smirked before he lifted one of his hands, slowly a red baleful aura started to emit from his arm. It felt hot yet solid at the same time. It also feels boiling, angry, and dangerous. This is the Ki that reflects his teacher? The man has always been so calm and casual so it was a bit jarring to see.
"My elements are Magma and Wrath."
"Wrath?" Izuku asked in confusion.
"Yes, Wrath. I did tell you esoteric properties are also possible. Mine just so happen to correlate to the feeling of anger."
"Huh, I see. What about you Mina?"
Mina shook her head at that, "Yeah that's a bit more complicated when it comes to me, don't worry dad will explain that soon."
Izuku seemed confused at that but decided to comply. "Ok then, so continue?"
Ohma nodded at that, "Right, that is the very bare basics of Ki anyways. Other than the fact that its most basic use is enhancing your body and prolonging your lifespan, it has many ways to be used but that's far more advanced material. I can always explain that later." Ohma shrugged, "So any questions?"
Izuku checked down at his notes, looking down at them with an analytical gaze before looking back up at Ohma. "Yeah, you said that Ki is also connected to Quirks. How is that possible?"
"So about Quirks, as said before the human body was forced to create Ki Nodes so they can produce Ki in an attempt to imitate Mantra. But this isn't without consequences. Over the centuries, the body starts to evolve and try to let humans have access to Ki more easily." Ohma explained.
"So in order to do that, the human body created something we now call Quirk Factors. Specialized organs or cells that allow the human body to open its Ki Nodes and use Ki. And that's not even all, the way it uses Ki is very similar to Elemental Conversion. Meaning the quirks they gained are very similar to their nature as a person."
Izuku widened his eyes at that, "Wait, doesn't that mean Quirks are cheat devices to master Ki? I mean you said it before, Elemental conversion is another level of mastery altogether."
Ohma smiled but he shook his head at that, "Well at first it was thought so too but the downside of such a thing was very obvious as time went on. You see, in return for such a fast way to access and use Ki, it leads to Quirk users being very specialized. It means they can't use Ki in other ways. They are limited to their own quirks. They can still use Ki to enhance themselves but it would never reach the level of proper masters that had trained in Ki for years."
Izuku nodded at that understandingly, "Damn, quirks are pretty much the norm now and the quirkless are almost nonexistent these days. That means it must be pretty hard for proper Ki masters to exist."
"Not exactly, there are old monsters around but they are a few and far in between." Mina spoke up for the first time, "Though those with weak quirks that barely affect people or themselves do have a higher chance of being able to use the other aspects of Ki though."
"So it's a give and take situation. Quirks allow you to use Ki on a higher level immediately but it has become specialized. But those with weak quirks or no quirks at all need to train to master Ki but in return, they have a lot more options on how to use it. Make sense."
Ohma nodded before he faced Izuku properly, "Well then, that should cover all the basics. Now, we should get you to start training on it."
Izuku nodded as he put away his notebook, standing before his master with a focused look.
"Now then, try to draw out your Ki and have it circulate your body," Ohma ordered, gaining a shocked look from Mina.
"Circulate it? Isn't that a bit high level for him–" Mina was about to ask what her old man meant by that before she felt a sudden rise of Ki from her side. Making her look at Izuku in shock.
There Izuku stood with a calm look, it was faint but there seemed to be a faint white aura that was flowing around his body. Those that had never used or unlocked Ki could never see Ki no matter what they tried, but to Ohma and Mina who had trained in Ki? It was rather obvious that Izuku was circulating Ki throughout his body with ease.
"Like this?" Izuku asked, making Ohma nod in satisfaction.
"You got the hang of it quickly, good."
"Wait a damn minute!" Mina swung her arms around, looking at Izuku in shock. "How the hell did you do that so quickly?! It was only two weeks after you gained Ki, you shouldn't be able to even circulate it this effectively in such a short time!"
Izuku tilted his head in confusion, "Is it that hard?"
"Yes! This level of control can only be seen from someone at the Disciple level!" Mina exclaimed in shock, making him look even more confused.
"Disciple level?"
Mina facepalmed, "Right we haven't explained that yet. Ok quick crash course, basically there are three levels of Mastery. Beginner, Expert, and Master. Each of these three levels has its three sub-levels to ascertain your mastery. You're basically a beginner level. There are three sub-levels to it which are Beginner, Novice, and Disciple. You just skipped those two levels and went straight into Disciple level like it was nothing while it took me a whole month to even reach this level!"
Izuku gave a small 'huh' at that, was it really that impressive?
"Ah, that's because of The Niko Style." Ohma suddenly answered, causing both to look at him in shock.
"It is?!"
Ohma nodded, "Yep, the creator of The Niko Style specifically designed this martial art with two things in mind. One is to allow the user to fight at their best no matter what condition they are in. Two, to become a solid foundation for anyone that is interested in learning Ki."
Izuku smacks his palm at that, "Ah! So that's why it was so familiar! All I had to do was recall the Water Kata and Redirection Kata whenever I needed to properly use it." His words caused Ohma to nod.
"Yep, those two katas serve as a way for you to control Ki a bit more easily. Adamantine is for you to enhance your own body while Fire Kata focuses on using it more explosively. Pretty direct but it is rather ingenious."
Mina gaped as she heard, doing her best impression of a fish as she heard this. "Why didn't you tell me this?!" She demanded from her father.
"Well, you weren't interested in the style when I offered to teach it to you so I didn't bother." Was her father's nonchalant reply.
Mina felt like she wanted to pull her hair out from the answer, she can't even be that mad since she was the one that rejected it!
"Aggggh!"
Ohma swiftly ignored his frustrated daughter before focusing on Izuku. "Anyways, with Ki now at your disposal. We can finally start teaching you on the second path of the secret technique of The Niko Style." Ohma brought up, making Izuku stand more straight.
Unlike the first path which was just a series of techniques that can be used by mastering all four katas, the second path was created to support the style. So far all he had known about it was The Advance. An ability where the user overclocks their own heart to increase the user's physical performance.
"The Advance right?" Izuku asked.
"That and many more. There will be another technique that I will teach you other than the advance. Then you will need to learn how to combine both of said techniques. It would be then would you finally be a proper master of The Niko Style."
Izuku nodded at that, "Is this the method you mentioned? Will having Ki make it easier for me to use these techniques?" Izuku asked a bit worriedly, these techniques are rather deadly after all as they involved pushing rather important aspects of the body through the limits.
Ohma nodded, "To a certain point, yes, but this does not mean the technique would be something you can use whenever you wish. It is a trump card, it's for emergency use only. Even with Ki, it would still affect your body. In fact, it might even be worse with Ki."
Izuku widens his eyes in shock, "Really? How?"
"The Advance for example won't just increase your physical performance, but it would also explosively increase your Ki. This can be dangerous as it might even damage your Ki Nodes and overwhelm your body, leaving you crippled."
Izuku gulped before nodding, "I see, I understand. I'll only use them for emergency use only."
Ohma nodded in satisfaction, "Good, with that out of the way. I'll be teaching it to you now. It will be painful. Are you ready?"
Izuku took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as he looked at his master with determination.
"Yes sensei!"
What followed, can only be described as hell.
[-]
And done! Now at first this fic was actually just supposed to have Izuku using The Niko Style along with his bullshit peak human abilities. Then my beta reader Salante suggested Ki and I was immediately hooked XD
Though do note, that this would not be Dragon Ball Ki. Like yeah, those are cool but really I'm planning for Ki to just be an enhancer to the martial arts aspect. No ki beams clash or those shit. Just pure martial arts skill with Ki making it cooler XD
Anyways, comment and review! See ya!