Izuku took a deep, steadying breath as he stood outside the door to one of the larger training halls in the school. He'd finally gotten an opening in his schedule where he felt like there was just enough time to go and visit with Juu Atama, The Battle Huntsman. He hadn't wanted to try to visit him during the past several weeks because, well, as Toshinori had said the guy was a teacher. He'd either be in the middle of class or he'd be fresh off a day of classes, when he'd likely be tired or exhausted... which probably wouldn't help Izuku in convincing him to give the younger man some extra training to help with his martial arts. The weekend seemed like the opportune time, however, it seemed like Juu Atama was quite dedicated to his job as a teacher: when he'd asked around for where he was, the answer given was a bit of a surprise. Turned out he had been teaching a group of third and fourth years in some weekend lessons to help them brush up on their combat skills, something that apparently hadn't been uncommon for Juu to do with the older years.
So while that fact had made him nervous, stepping into the man's arena while others were present, Izuku knew that he needed help with his martial arts sooner rather than later. If Izuku could get Juu to train him then Izuku'd have another way forward for becoming a better Huntsman. To becoming worthy of the title of Symbol of Peace. With that determination filling his heart Izuku took a deep breath as he pushed the door open and walked inside...
Only to be immediately flummoxed when he could practically 'feel' the energy in the air. Izuku watched in some amazement as a whole group of students readily went about various training exercises and spars, with the spars themselves being what primarily drew Izuku's attention; high energy and high impact duels between students of the older years, all of whom crashing against each other with a force that he was fairly certain would knock him on his ass and, perhaps, even halfway across the room. At the center of it all stood a very tall, very muscular man wearing dark grey shoulder pads that also protected his neck, a black vest, brown pants and combat boots. A swept back mane of grey hair topped his head and... well, even if he was not wearing his signature helmet or bracers, it would be easy enough to tell who, in that room at least, was Juu Atama.
"Very good everyone Now, remember, don't just go through the motions, make sure you're focusing on each individual move and really putting your all into it. Aura will empower you in any given circumstance, of course, but your basic physical strength is even more important than it." While Juu Atama started off with a rather ordinary stance and pose as he spoke, as he went on... well... it's kind of weird. He started posing like an excited young girl which was... out of place for a guy who, otherwise, looked so macho. Izuku saw that most of the other guys in the room seemed to share his own bizarre sense for this guy's sudden shift in attitude, though most just ignored it and continued with their spars. The girls, on the other hand, all seemed to blush for a moment before continuing on with their workouts. Izuku himself was pretty much frozen in place as he watched though, eventually, a girl with blue hair and blue eyes seemed to take notice of him.
"Professor Atama, sir, someone's here!" She shouted out over the din of the arena as Juu Atama took a quick moment to turn his head to look over his shoulder, meeting Izuku's gaze as they young man just continued to stare at him in that pose.
"Well would you look at that, so there is!" With that Juu clapped his hands and, quite miraculously for how loud the sounds of the various training in the room is, it seemed to catch most everyone's attention. "Alright everyone, take five. It seems I might just have some business to attend to... or someone else. Hmmm..." The man cutely posed again, bringing up a finger to delicately tap against his cheek in thought. Izuku blanched slightly as he tilted his head. "Are you here to speak with me, or is there someone else you're looking for, young man?"
"U-Uh, I'm here to talk to you, Professor Atama!" Izuku quickly answered, as Atama nodded with some vigor.
"Very good! In that case, yes, five minute break everyone!" With that Atama turned away from his students and walked on over, most of the rest of the room gasping for breath as they all slid to various seated positions. Only a handful of students remained standing, doing various stretches and small exercises to keep them warmed up. "Now then young man, what can I do for you? Are you here on behalf of another professor?" Juu Atama asked, hands on his hips, as he looked down at Izuku, his entire demeanor screaming 'friendly' despite his macho appearance.
"Uh, no sir, I'm actually here to speak to you myself." Izuku said with a firm nod as Juu Atama gave a short 'oh'. "You see sir, my name's Izuku Midoriya, and I'm actually-"
"A junior student, right? First or second year?" Juu asked, tilting his head to the side as Izuku just blinked in surprise.
"Errr... yeah, actually, I am. First year at that. How did you know?" Juu dramatically raised finger into the air as he readied his explanation.
"Well, if you were a third or fourth year student here at Beacon, I would've seen you on the register and, no offense, but the name 'Izuku Midoriya' doesn't precisely ring a bell. I could've guessed first year off of your height or demeanor but, well, students here at Beacon come in all shapes, sizes and behaviors, I've found, so that makes it quite difficult to use any of those as a good means of guessing." Izuku nodded; it seemed reasonable enough. "So, how can I help you Mr. Midoriya?"
"Well sir, you couldn't have picked a better question; what I'm looking for 'is' help from you." Atama gave a small 'ah' as he continued. "You see sir, I'm a close combat specialist when it comes to fighting. My weapon revolves around it, my practice up until this point revolves around it and even my Semblance pretty well works best with a close combat expertise... but I'm not exactly a natural talent. I've been looking for someone who could teach me how to be better... and I heard that you were the best in the school." Izuku saw Atama's face light up, the man's hands placed on his hips as he nodded.
"It's true; while there are teachers here in Beacon who're passable at various fighting styles, most of them like to focus on some kind of weapon or gun in order to get their point across. Aside from the Symbol of Peace himself, you'd be hard pressed to find someone in Beacon who'd be able to teach you the martial arts quite like I could... and even then, between you and me, most of what Professor Yagi knows is boxing..." There was a cute conspiratorial whisper at the end of his statement as Juu Atama, dramatically, leaned in close to Izuku, his hand cupping his mouth so that only Izuku could hear him, as he gave the young man a quick wink. "So, you want me to teach you martial arts? Alright then, allow me to ask you a few questions; what Combat School did you go too? It'd be nice to know what I'm working with."
...
Izuku paled a bit as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Err... Birch Academy, sir."
"The one in Mountain Glenn?"
"The same."
"Ouch." Izuku nodded as Juu stroked his chin slightly; it was no surprise that a Huntsman of such caliber in so many fighting styles and ways of combat would know about Birch Academy and its failings when it came to close combat. "Great school for survival and engineering Birch, but not such a great Combat School. I can see why you'd look for some outside expertise. Alright, have you taken lessons before? Has anyone taught you any martial arts before you've come here to Beacon?" He placed a hand on his hip and wagged a finger as he asked this and, again, Izuku couldn't help but sweat a bit. Toshinori had been teaching Izuku Judo but it was probably best to not go blabbing about that.
"I'm... actually pretty much entirely self-taught sir. I haven't had much in the way of lessons." Izuku saw Juu Atama frown slightly as he nodded, bringing his hand up to cup his cheek.
"I see, so your current level is quite... basic, I guess?"
"... Karate for dummies basic, yeah..."
"Yeesh." Izuku frowned a bit as he look up at Atama.
"I've trained really hard though. I know the various texts and books on how to use the fighting style inside and out. I've taken notes on a lot of Huntsmen who use martial arts, like you, and I've tried to integrate that into my own fighting as best I could! I know that I don't have a lot of the skill right now, but that's what I'm here for! To try and 'get' the skill." Juu nodded as he took that in.
"I appreciate your energy young man, but do recognize that it's a very difficult position you put me into. I take my job as a teacher of older students quite seriously; at any given moment, any of my pupils' lives could be in danger during a mission or an assignment. They come to me in order to help train and get stronger so that they might be prepared for what may come to them. My training could end up being the difference between then surviving and them not surviving... and young man, don't think I'm doubting your hard work, but if your skill level is as you've described it, then you might not be ready to train 'with' them. I'd have to take time out of my schedule in order to train you personally, which takes time away from them. Time, as we've established, is precious."
Izuku bowed his head slightly as he nodded. "I understand sir... but, please, it'd mean the world to me if you just gave me a chance, if you could-"
"Now hold on there young man, I didn't say I wouldn't give you a chance." Izuku blinked slightly as Juu Atama spoke up, the man giving a slight chuckle that edged on being a cute giggle. "I am a bit of a sucker for someone with such determination to get better... but as a Huntsman, and a Teacher, I have to take my duties 'very' seriously. I can't afford to spend time training up a first year with only basic capabilities. If I'm going to train you, you'll have to be ready to endure what my other students endure... which means..."
"Mr. Togata, a moment of your time, my dear boy?" Juu called out over his shoulder and Izuku watched as one of the students who had been stretching and jogging around suddenly took full notice of what was going on. Soon enough the student ran up and... wow okay. The student who ran up was not only quite a bit taller than Izuku but also quite muscular in his own right. He was wearing a training outfit at the moment, drenched with sweat and, although Izuku'd think someone who'd done so much work would look exhausted or put out, the guy just had a big old smile on his face as he turned his black eyes on both Izuku and Juu Atama.
"Yes Professor Atama, what do you need?" The upbeat and overall pleasant tone of the young man's voice put Izuku at ease as Juu just turned back to look at Izuku.
"So here's the deal Mr. Midoriya: you will fight in a spar against Mr. Togata. You will only use your more advanced forms and styles so that I can see how skilled you are with them and I will measure out your performance. If it seems like your hard work has readied you for training under me with these other older students then I'll gladly welcome you aboard. If not... well, I think it would be a good learning experience either way, wouldn't you agree?" Both Izuku and Togata end up blanching just a little bit, though Togata didn't lose his smile, as Juu Atama once again cutely posed. Izuku, on the other hand, immediately felt nervous.
Spar against someone two, or potentially three, years his senior with just his karate? That... that sounded like a tall order.
Izuku swallowed as he considered it but, finally, he ended up just giving Togata a polite smile as he offered a bow. "If that's what it'll take, then I'll give it my best! Pleasure to meet you, Togata! I'll be glad to be your opponent." Izuku saw the young man smile nice and wide, the older pupil himself returning the gesture.
"Ah, my pleasure as well! I'm sorry for what you're about to go through, but I'm glad you have such high spirits about it!" Izuku blanched a bit; it was clear he didn't mean anything about it, it just seemed like he's the decidedly honest and frank type.
"Mr. Togata will be holding himself back at first; I need to see your forms after all and it wouldn't do anyone any good to see you just randomly tossed about the arena floor with no chance to show your stuff. However, I did mean what I said; you'll need to show that you have the skill and grit necessary to work at the levels my students currently do. I will be allowing Mr. Togata off the leash after a period of time where I'm satisfied that I've seen your baseline skill..." Juu Atama posed as he turned to look at Togata. "That being said, Mr. Togata, 'please' don't seriously injure our friend here? It wouldn't do if he were injured during what's supposed to be a friendly spar." Togata just nodded as he offered a quick salute.
"I'll be sure not to go all out when you call for me to go in, sir!" It seemed like that might not be a terribly uncommon occurrence, judging not only by how in stride Togata was taking things but also the reactions of the other First Years as they all gather around. Juu Atama quickly offered Izuku some tape to wrap around his hands, to ensure that he wouldn't injure himself with his punches, while Izuku listened to the other students speak.
"Another one trying to jump years for Professor Atama's training huh? Well... I mean, it isn't unheard of, I guess." Izuku heard a voice whisper in the crowd as another just tiredly sighed.
"Didn't you hear? This one's from Birch Academy. Don't expect too much out of his performance." Izuku swallowed a nervous breath as he and Togata squared off, taking steps away from each other before they turned to look each other in the eye. Izuku took a long, deep breath as Togata just seemed very... calm and even, that smile of his not even flinching for a moment. The two of set themselves into stances and, even from Izuku's relatively inexperienced gaze, he could tell that Togata had put a lot of training and effort into his forms; they were pretty solid and, though his body language remained relaxed, it was pretty clear that he was not taking things lightly; his body was still ready to spring into motion at any given time. He was not overly worried about the match... in fact, considering what Juu Atama asked of him, it might even be the opposite. It might be that he was worried he'd hurt Izuku if he took the younger student too seriously and so was trying to keep himself as relaxed as possible.
Judging by how precise his stance still was, though, it's clear he couldn't quite shake off years of practice and habit.
"Alright, Mr. Midoriya, whenever you're ready, go ahead and feel free to go on the attack." Juu Atama called out, momentarily snapping Izuku from his thoughts.
Izuku shook his head as he looked back at Togata; he was not sure what his deal was quite yet. It was obviously some form of martial art, clearly he was being taught by Juu Atama so he was 'learning' something but the way he got his stance out right then it just looked... generic. Not aggressive, not defensive, just a regular old stance. There wasn't much Izuku could gleam from that so he look at his physique... and it was an athlete's physique if he'd ever seen one. He was very much muscled, it was clear he was not just 'Aura Strong' but physically powerful as well, his body's limits having been pushed well beyond a normal person's thanks to his Aura. But it wasn't like he's bulky or bulging from every fiber of muscle; it was also quite lean and sleek, it being clear that he was not just some slow lumbering hulk of a beast... he also looked pretty fast. The guy looked hearty too; there was a healthy glow to his skin and he seemed to be 'full' of energy. The guy looked like he could tank a hit from a truck and keep moving which, Izuku honestly wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. Still, if he was told to take it easy on Izuku then surely he wouldn't be bringing 'all' that force to the table...
'Question is, how much was he bringing forward if Juu Atama still wanted to see if I'm worth admitting to his program?'
Izuku surprised when no one interrupted his thoughts to holler for Izuku to move on; everyone's watching he and Togata, sure, but it was clear that they weren't bored. They were perfectly willing to wait for Izuku to finish... did they know what Izuku was doing? Togata seemed to, at least, as there was an amused look to his eyes. Professor Atama also gave a nod as he watched Izuku watch his opponent. Still... it was not like he could just sit there forever. Juu Atama wanted to see what he could do and, well, he had try and land a hit.
Izuku took a deep breath and, with his self-taught forms, he rushed right on at Togata. His first attempt was a running punch but, for a moment, it felt like he was off-balance. It was not just that he felt like it, he could see it happening before him; as it stood, Togata would have to barely dodge in order to avoid his fist. Izuku bit his lip; he really didn't want to have to pull out One For All so early, but he really do need to show Juu Atama what he could do... and missing the first punch he'd thrown wouldn't exactly be helpful. So he took a deep breath as he focused in on the power that dwelled deep within his soul, pulling on that little sliver of One For All he could control. There was a slight hum of surprise, and even a slight glint in Togata's eyes, as Izuku's skin began to glow radiantly; Izuku pushed One For All throughout his torso and his legs, using it to help right his body and to push him on even faster.
Izuku threw his punch and it looked like it was on the mark... however, like Izuku thought, Togata's relaxed body language had been hiding a guy tense and ready to fight. In the end, it was easily slapped away by Togata, the blow flying off to the side as he kept his eyes on Izuku, making sure not to let the younger man out of his sight even as Izuku doubled back. For a moment Izuku was expecting an immediate counter attack, but he was quickly brought back to reality by the nature of the exercise; Juu Atama wanted to see what Izuku could do and he asked Togata to hold back while he showed off. Izuku ground his teeth as he pushed his feet into the ground, centering himself. Alright so maybe that hadn't been an amazing start, but he was far from out yet. Taking a long breath he slackened his left arm while tensing his right, he body positioned just so that it looked like he was getting ready for a mean right swing of his arm.
Izuku gave a quick shout as he rushed forward, fist primed as he got ready to swing in... but Togata didn't bite the bait. Quite the contrary, it seemed like he already knew what Izuku was doing and his eyes and his body moved accordingly. Izuku gritted his teeth as he pushed on forward desperately and, by some miracle, it seemed like his lack of hesitation surprised Togata. Surprised him just long enough for Izuku to slip a hit in between his guard, right into his stomach! Izuku smiled to himself, exuberant that he'd landed a hit... up until Togata just blinked and looks him right in the eye, that even smile still on his face.
"Hey, nice punch! I wasn't sure if you'd land that hit, so that was pretty good!"
He hadn't felt it at all. Izuku realized that as he pulled his fist back and forced One For All into his shoulders and upper body. His Aura had tanked the entirety of the hit, Izuku hadn't even left a mark on him, he bet. With a quick shout he used One For All to speed up the movements of his upper body, sending a flurry of punches Togata's way in an attempt to just completely overwhelm him. The effort, it seemed, was all for naught as Togata easily batted away each hit, his gaze still locked on Izuku's body's movements as it followed them rather easily. Izuku eventually switched One For All's focused into his legs as he immediately turned to trying to hit him with one of two kicks though, again, he just batted them away with a practiced ease that seemed to come second nature to him.
With another yell Izuku switched again, throwing another flurry of punches only to, again, come up short as he batted each hit away.
"Mr. Togata!" Izuku heard Juu Atama shout as the man placed his left hand onto his hip. "Go ahead and give it a slow start. See how his defenses are. Try not to slip right in, I want to see how well he can defend." Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat as he realized Togata was about to go on the offense.
The entire rhythm of the fight changed once Togata began attacking. What was Izuku just throwing himself at him, constantly, as a means of trying to get him to fold or for his guard to be 'legitimately' broken so that he could land a hit turned into a back and forth between the two of them... though the back and forth is clearly more heavily stacked in Togata's favor. Especially with how nonplussed he was in his assault. He wasn't trying anything fancy, or trying to fool Izuku, he's just throwing punches at the younger man and testing his defenses. The sad thing was that, even that was enough to slip through the holes in Izuku's defenses; amid the first two punches, one caught Izuku solidly in the chest as he failed to turn his arms fast enough to catch the punch in his grip. It caught him in the chest 'hard' nearly knocking the wind out of Izuku for the force that it was bringing. One punch hurt about as much as one of Kacchan's explosions or a shotgun blast from Ember Celica.
And he was supposed to be holding back.
Upperclassmen really were just on another level.
Izuku winced slightly as he nearly stumbled back, but managed to keep his footing. Izuku went back in for an assault himself, doing his best to just try and land a hit on him... two of the punches went wide and missed wildly and the one that was aimed straight for him was just tossed to the side like it was nothing. Following that was another couple blows from him and, he was proud to say, neither ended up hitting Izuku. Sure, Izuku ended up having to summon forth his Aura in order to force himself out of the way of one of Togata's blows but it sure as heck beat actually taking the hit to the chest. What was more important is the fact that, thanks to his successful parry, Izuku had a grip on him, a grip he'd do his best to try to turn into a firm toss.
One that he broke quickly just by slamming a fist into Izuku's hand, forcing him to let go, while slapping Izuku's other hand way. Izuku grit his teeth; he didn't figure it'd be that easy, but he had to try. With that out of the way he readied his next two punches. For a moment, Izuku's eyes went wide in panic as he realized that one of his blows had managed to find a slip up in Izuku's defenses, an opening he hadn't even been aware of. Even as Izuku successfully slap one blow away, Izuku was certain this next one is going to hit him...
But he hesitated, just long enough for Izuku to gain his bearings. There was no mistaking the smile on his face as still deeply kind as he dodged out of the way of his punch; he wasn't trying to insult Izuku. His instructions were to let Izuku show his stuff and, well, if he took an advantage of an opening like that... it could've very well ended the match.
On the one hand Izuku was grateful... but on the other, he was also deeply frustrated. In the end he went for an arm lock following yet another successful grab with his Judo and for a moment, for a 'brief' moment he thought he'd got it. Izuku's grip was firm, he held is solidifying and Izuku thought he had him right where Izuku wanted him... up until Izuku felt the side of a fist slam right into his armpit. The blow, while not heavy enough to actually hurt Izuku, was enough to loosen his grip up enough so that he could slip out of Izuku's hold and even as Izuku attempted to put him in another he just slapped Izuku's hands away.
All of which ended up leaving Izuku more than a little wide open. In fairness to Izuku, he was on point with his Judo as he grabbed at his hand again and pulled it away from his torso, getting ready for another attempt at tossing him or taking him for a ride. Still, that was somewhat dampened as, so focused he was on his next move, Izuku failed to notice his second punch as it crashed into his gut, driving the air from his lungs again.
Izuku couldn't take another hit like that... and it seemed like everyone was deeply aware of that. The students all seem about ready to get up and walk away from the fight; he'd given it his best shot, in their eyes, but no one expected Izuku to win. Not many looked terribly impressed and others just shrugged, a vague whisper of 'well he tried, and it 'is' Mirio' hushed in the crowd. Even Juu Atama seemed about ready to call the fight, though he was being far more reserved in showing or voicing any opinion.
If he didn't do something now, then that really was it. The end of the fight. He wouldn't have proven anything, his only hit having been a lucky slip past Togata's guard that amounted to 'nothing' while just a couple of his punches ended up knocking the air out of Izuku both times. Was that really how he was going to go down? Was this going to be all of his attempts to show that he was ready for Professor Atama's training?
...
'No.'
'You clench your butt cheeks and grind your teeth as you reach deep down into yourself again, reaching for that little part of One For All that's within your power to control…'
'And you pull.'
Izuku's muscles ached... no, more than that, they were screaming at Izuku. As if they were being pulled to the very limits of their elasticity and then pulled even further beyond that. Izuku's bones groaned under the pressure he was putting them under, feeling like they were going to buckle at any second. His skin burned, Izuku felt like he was practically on fire despite all the sweat trickling down his skin as his body tried, in vain, to cool himself down. All the while he felt like his Soul itself was being overtaxed, as if in response to all this pain he was feeling that his Aura was spreading itself thin just so that he didn't end up breaking completely, just so that his body didn't fall completely apart.
Yet...
Yet Izuku felt strong.
Izuku felt strong whenever he'd pulled on One For All before, he'd felt its power coursing through him in its short bursts... but that time just 'felt' different. He couldn't put a finger on it, but the power running through him consistently, constantly, it felt so different from what he'd been used to. Izuku couldn't see himself in Togata's eyes... but as his arms reached out to try and grasp him firmly to pull him into a throw, Izuku could see his arms peeking out from his sleeves and his hands peeking out from underneath his bandages.
He was glowing gold. Not a trace of red to be found.
But Izuku couldn't focus on that right now; he literally could not. His mind right was dedicated to two things. Commanding his Aura to hold his body together as it cried out in pain... and trying to lay one good hit on Togata before Juu Atama called this fight.
Nothing else mattered.
Izuku ground his teeth again as Togata effectively forced himself out of the younger man's grip, ensuring that Izuku couldn't toss him around like a rag doll. Izuku's fists tightened as he got ready for his counter assault, Izuku's body already coiling into the practiced motions he practiced from books for so many years now. Izuku momentarily distracted his Aura as he pulled on it to boost his legs, allowing Izuku to duck out of the way of a punch even as he slapped another away. It was a close call, but Izuku managed it. With a roar he immediately went on the offensive, trying to just do 'SOMETHING' to Togata before the fight ended. Izuku brought his arm back into a clothesline like position, trying to strike him by his upper shoulders to send him head over ass and onto the ground. He ducked just underneath it, but Izuku didn't stop, he turned to face Togata as Izuku send a quick flurry of hits his way. Yet, again, he batted them away with a practiced ease before sending two more punches Izuku's way. Izuku dodged out of the way of one, it just barely grazing his cheek... but the other hit him, square in the gut...
But it wasn't as hard as the others. Not by a long shot. Izuku felt the impact, sure, and the pressure caused him to gasp, absolutely, but... it was not the same as the others. Looking at Togata... Izuku could see that although his smile was still beaming reassuringly at him, that there's a slight concern in his eyes...
What state must he had looked to be in?
"That's enough, spar's over."
Those four words... it's as if they let the air out of Izuku immediately. As soon as Juu Atama said those words and his battle trance broke, One For All left him... and he practically 'collapsed' onto the ground. His only saving grace from landing flat on his back was Togata as he reached up to catch him, keeping him on his feet as he took deep, gasping breaths.
'Holy woah...' everything 'hurt'. From his skin right down to his bones he 'hurt'. It wasn't as bad as when he used One For All at 100%, by any means, but still, it felt like he'd worked out literally every last inch of his body and now it was all screaming, crying out, as if asking, 'What the Hell was that? Why did you put us through that?'
"Easy there kid, just take some breaths, you're fine." Juu Atama spoke calmly to Izuku as the younger man took his breaths, the man turning to the rest of the class as he waved them off. "Nothing to see here boys and girls, time for you all to get back to your workouts. You've slacked off more than enough." The other students seemed to snap to attention as they all immediately stood up and made their way back to various areas of the training arena, many sporting a variety of sheepish expressions as they did so. "Same goes for you Mr. Togata, I'll be speaking to Mr. Midoriya here on his own." Togata just nodded in understanding as he left him to Juu's grip, the professor making sure that Izuku wasn't about to fall on the floor. The young man risked a glance back before walking off to somewhere in the arena, leaving him with just the professor.
"... Hmmm... let's start with the bad news, shall we?" Izuku looked over at him, taking a moment to try to gain his bearings before he just nodded. "... You're pretty new to all this, aren't you kid?" Izuku just winced slightly at his tone; up until now he had always been quite friendly and upbeat, but here and now, Izuku heard a bit more of the Huntsman in Juu Atama. He just nodded, figuring that he wasn't going to be able to disguise that face. "I figure. You're right about your skill level; you reflect the quality of someone who's mostly taught themselves over the past few years. You've got some basics but... well, they're sloppy. Books and videos and guides on the CCT don't have a thing on actual teaching, I think you'll find." Izuku figured as much but it was the best he could've done...
Perhaps it was that thought that ended up getting him ready for what Juu had to say next. "It's not just that you're lacking in any kind of formal training either. You're new in all kinds of ways... that was your Semblance, right? That glow that made your body go faster, act quicker?" Izuku nodded again as he finally managed to catch his breath.
"Y-Yeah... that's... that's my Semblance." Juu Atama nodded as he gave a small frown.
"Gave me a bit of a fright there kid. You looked like you were about ready to pop like a balloon with all that power you were pulling into you." He didn't know the half of it. "A good Semblance, mind, but still, one that it seems like you don't quite got a firm grasp on." Juu Atama scratched his cheek as he looked around. "Especially compared to these kids; while their Semblances will continue to grow and evolve, most of them have the art of using theirs down pat. Your display was impressive young man... but it was also pretty unnervin'." With that, Juu Atama sighed as he looked down at Izuku. "Gonna have to say no dice son. You're too green right now; too green with the martial arts, too green with your Semblance. My training regimen, heck, these kids, would break you in half. Even when you were threatenin' to pop yourself like a balloon you weren't a match for Togata... and I told him to take it easy on you." Izuku just nodded again as Juu Atama crossed his arms. "I'm sorry to say it like that, but I feel like I gotta be honest. You're not quite ready for this, young man."
"I-I understand..." Almost as if he'd flipped a switch, Juu Atama's expression and demeanor changed, going back to his more positive, more cutesy attitude.
"But young man that's just the negatives? The positives? Hoo-boy, you're brimmin' with potential! A green little bean sprout like yourself being able to pull that much power sends all the right kinds of signals for your future potential." Izuku couldn't help but blush at Juu Atama's praise, raising a hand to scratch his cheek as he was slapped on the back, which threatened to send him falling as he did so. "For someone whose self-taught, you're not too bad either. I've seen a lot worse 1st Years try to strut their stuff into my Arena and get me to train them because they thought that watching a few vids or reading a few books got them ready. You've got yourself a real mind for this if you've picked up what you have. You just need a little time to let that potential be polished. There's no shame in shooting for the stars kid, heck, I encourage it, but the fundamentals are called the fundamentals for a reason. You need a good foundation before you start trying to pick up the sorts of things I'd be teaching you. You're too rough right now but... with the right amount of polish, I'd say you'd take to this like a fish to water. Come by in your Second Year and I'm sure I'll have a spot open for you then." Juu Atama adopted the pose of an excited young school girl for a moment, again slightly disturbing Izuku and other guys out while girls mutter about it being 'cute'.
"Thanks sir... but, well, you said yourself that you were the best... so who do I..."
"Beacon's got a lot more resources than just me young man. It won't be as specialized, but it'll be good for your level. Just keep at it for now; no need to rush. Trust me, you've got most of a year before Beacon'll send you out on your first mission." Izuku nodded slightly, still feeling quite disappointed, as Juu Atama patted him on the shoulder. "Sorry about this young man; I know this isn't the sort of stuff people your age like to hear but, well, I have to be responsible for my students as well."
Izuku was disappointed but... well, he readily understood Juu's point. It wasn't like he was wrong... it was just a shame that Izuku hadn't managed to convince him.
"No, I get it. It's like you said, your time's precious and you can't exactly spend it polishing my fundamentals... I understand, sir."
"Very good young man. Don't fret; just keep at it and soon this'll just be another moment in your growth as a Huntsman you'll be able to look back on and smile about."
It really didn't feel like that was true but, for the moment, Izuku just nodded his head as he gathered his stuff up and exited Juu's arena.
Ah well, at least the fight was fun.
xXxXxXxXxXx
As Izuku walked down the halls of the school, he couldn't help but still feel a little put out. He tried his best and, for once, it hadn't been quite enough to get to where he wanted to be... to where he needed to be. Well... maybe 'needed' was a strong word but... well, training under Juu Atama would've helped immensely in pushing his progress along, he thought. He knew there was no use in dwelling on it but... well, it's hard not to be disappointed when being met with failure. It reminded Izuku of his first spar, the one against Owari. Even if he had learned from it, it didn't change the fact that he'd wasted an opportunity, or did something that sure as Heck felt like it. Izuku sighed as he scratched the back of his head... yeah, not much had come of all that.
"Shame about that. You did pretty well, if you ask me."
Izuku blinked slightly, unaware that someone had been so near him this entire time, as he turned to look behind him... only to find no one there. He blinked in confusion as he looked around, trying to find the source of the voice that had just spoken to him... it was very familiar too. After all, he'd just heard it minutes ago. It sounded just like-
"Over here!" Izuku flinched a bit as he turned his head to the source of the voice and...
Face.
Face in the wall.
"... Huh?"
"I said, it was a shame about Professor Atama's judgment. I thought you did well, considering the gap in our skills." The face in the wall, one belonging to that Togata guy, said to Izuku again.
He'd seen a lot of strange things in his time here at Beacon. Sure, some were weirder than others; seeing Ruby be able to instantly move locations as if she were teleporting was a sight to behold, Nora's beastly strength when augmented by lightning scared Izuku half to death and the sight of his own power destroying an Elder Grimm with 'one punch' had knocked him for a loop. Beacon had been a parade of surprises, one after the other, as Izuku got used to this brave new world of being a Huntsman, a Hero.
However, that before him right now, seeing Togata's head jutting out of the wall... that was a new level of weird that he 'definitely' hadn't been prepared for. So he, Izuku Midoriya, did the one thing that most immediately came to mind.
"AAAAAAH!"
He practically jumped a foot in the air in surprise as he finally took in the fact that, yes, that was Togata's face just randomly sticking out of a wall looking at him. Izuku immediately fell on his ass as he came back down to the ground, a small laugh escaping Togata's lips as he nodded from his position in the wall.
"Yeah, that tends to be people's first reaction. Sorry about that but I was just in such a rush to catch up with you that I decided to skip the wall entirely. One moment." Izuku saw Togata's face focus for a moment and, before he knew it, he phased straight through the wall and, toward the end, a small 'pop' was heard as he stepped out and got a firm footing on the floor. "Oh nice I put on the right clothes this time too, I'm on a roll today..." Izuku heard him whisper to himself before he turned to help him up off the floor, offering his hand to Izuku. "Nice to see you again. We didn't get the chance to fully introduce ourselves while in Professor Atama's arena so allow me to start us off; the name's Mirio Togata, Third Year here at Beacon, pleased to meet you!"
There was a momentary pause in Izuku's thoughts as he considered grabbing Mirio's offered hand. The fact that he just phased through a wall kind of made him worried for a second, as if his own hand might just phase straight through his in the middle of trying to get up on your feet. Still, Mirio hadn't seemed like a bad guy in the arena and he was being polite. So, shaking off his surprise, he grabbed Mirio's hand and pulled himself up to his feet.
"Yeah, it's good to meet you too Mirio... again." Izuku sheepishly scratched the back of his head as Mirio just nodded, a small smile growing on his face as Mirio's own beaming grin gave him some small comfort. "I guess you know my last name, but my name is-"
"Izuku Midoriya, right?" Izuku blinked in surprise as Mirio caught his name before he even say it, a numb nod of his head being the answer as Mirio just nodded and brought his hand to his chin in a rough pose. "I thought so! First year kid with the last name Midoriya, seemed like a bit of a coincidence for you to not be the same person! It's actually really nice to meet you, I appreciate what you've done!"
Oh woah, a Third Year was thanking Izuku for... for...
"What I've done...?" Izuku tilted his head as Mirio just laughed.
"Well, you're the guy who figured out who was blowing up the restrooms across school, right?"
Oh! That!
"Well I had some help but yeah, that was mostly my team that figured that out, yeah." Mirio just nodded as he gave Izuku a quick thumbs up.
"Yeah, I figured. Thanks for that! It was getting a little bothersome having to go out of our way to actually get to some of these places. I had considered trying to figure out what was going on myself... but, well..." Izuku actually saw a sheepish look appear on Mirio's face as the young man gave a slightly awkward laugh. "Let's just say that anything I could've done to figure out what was going on wouldn't have been very... 'fun'." Thinking about what he just did, Izuku could imagine. "But hey, thanks to you and your team I didn't have to do any of that, so thanks!" Izuku just nodded and returned his grin.
"Yeah sure no problem. A-" Friend, acquaintance, bully, "-guy I know was being set up for them so it just seemed like the right thing to do to look into it and try to figure out what was actually going on." Mirio's eyes took a brighter shine at that.
"I'd heard that some First Year was rumored to be behind it, but I didn't think too much of it. You'd be surprised what kind of gossip can pass through Beacon." Mirio offered an amused expression. "Still, going up to bat for someone to prove their innocence, that's some fine Huntsman-ing there Izuku!" Izuku wasn't entirely sure if 'Huntsman-ing' was actually a word but the compliment wasn't lost on him.
"T-Thanks! I really appreciate that!" Izuku looked off to the side before turning his gaze back to Mirio. "So you just wanted to say thanks or..."
"Well not just that. It came to mind when I remembered your last name but that was just kind of a cool coincidence." It was a cool coincidence for him to meet Izuku based off his last name. Was he dreaming? Was this a dream? "But like I started off with, I also wanted to apologize for your rough time with Professor Atama." Izuku nodded slightly as he looked down and off to the side, scratching at the back of his head.
"Yeah well... he wasn't wrong. I am pretty unskilled, and I really don't understand a lot about martial arts... his judgment wasn't wrong, I probably would've had a really rough time as part of his training."
"Oh yeah, it wasn't wrong, you're definitely really rough around the edges." It's weird. The way he said it with that upbeat tone and smile made it hard to feel too put out by it but, at the same time, it was a really blunt assessment of the situation when he might've otherwise expected someone to soft ball it. Mirio was an odd guy, he supposed.
"Y-Yeah, thanks for being honest..." Izuku muttered Mirio just nodded vigorously.
"No problem! Anyway, he wasn't wrong about his assessment but like I said, I still thought you did well given the circumstances. I'm two years ahead of you after all and you manages to push away a lot of my punches and even managed to slip one in! That isn't exactly an easy feat!" Izuku couldn't help but get tossed up in his excitement and cheer as he spoke. In a distant way it actually reminded Izuku of Toshinori and how his own smile and cheer made him feel whenever he was scared or nervous. "Yeah you probably would have had a really rough time in training but, hey, you have boat loads of potential if you ask me. Like with that Semblance of yours!" Izuku nodded slightly; he had used One For All quite a bit in that fight in order to try to do his best to impress, it hadn't been a surprise that he'd taken notice.
"What is it anyway? I've seen a lot of Semblances in my time here so if I had to guess it looks like some kind of power boosting Semblance? Like, makes you stronger and faster and all that good stuff... though I guess it looked like it did a little more for you than just that!" Hmm, no one really ever 'asked' Izuku about what One For All was before. Most of his friends seemed to accept it as just some kind of power boosting Semblance that got super ridiculous. It was really the first time he'd been directly asked about 'what' his Semblance did.
"Uuuh, yeah, it's a power... boosting Semblance." He nearly tripped up and said 'stacking', having gotten so used to referring to One For All in such a way in his head. It'd be more difficult to explain exactly 'how' his Semblance stacked power, and how Izuku knew it did, given his supposedly brief exposure to it, so it was probably better to just go with a standard power Semblance. "I get stronger, faster or hardier when I use it... but I'm not very good at controlling it yet..." That was an understatement Izuku was pretty sure, but still, it was the truth nonetheless.
"Oh yeah, I could tell that much. Not for nothing but you looked like you were fit to burst with all that power you were sending my way toward the end there. Pretty neat, don't get me wrong, but a bit spooky." Izuku nodded understandingly at Mirio's point and, despite the way he described Izuku's Semblance, the young man still had a rather carefree smile on his face. "Still, that's a pretty knock-out Semblance regardless. You get a little bit of control over it and I'm sure you'll go places! That's how it ended up working out for me." Izuku smiled slightly as he looked back to the wall.
"I assume you're talking about how you phased through the wall, right?" Mirio nodded enthusiastically as he placed his hands, proudly, on his hips.
"Sure am! That was my Semblance 'Permeation', and yeah, it allows me to 'phase' through material, though that's just a simplified version of it." Mirio laughed a little as he shook his head. "Trust me, if I had to sit down and explain the long version we'd be here all day. Suffice it to say... hmmm... I guess it's kind of like a video game where I can glitch through solid material and then 'glitch' myself back out when I turn off my Semblance... though if I'm halfway through something solid like that wall I can control what parts of my body I'm making able to phase through and... no, no, like I said, if I got into the long version, we'd be sitting here all day, and I have to assume that we've both got more to do with our times as students than sit around and listen to me ramble." The good natured way Mirio laughed himself off caused Izuku to chuckle as well.
"Well if it's any consolation, even with what little you've said, it sounds like a really awesome Semblance Mirio. Sounds like it has a lot more going for it than my own." Mirio shrugged slightly as he put his hands behind his head.
"Eh, maybe, but just cause it's more complicated doesn't make it more awesome. In fact, how complicated my Semblance was made me a bit of a poor student way back in the day. It was only when I got some help that I managed to get to where I am with it." Izuku nodded understandingly; if it hadn't been for Professor Goodwitch helping with his wounds while training with One For All, all the work that he got through thanks to Pyrrha helping him with training his Semblance and Toshinori's physical training that he managed to get as far as he had. Izuku could relate to needing help to improve. "So I have to imagine that you'll do well if you master yours. It might be a basic power boosting Semblance, but I could think of 'a lot' of things to do one that was that powerful." Izuku nodded; his own imagination had often gone off the rails when he considered what he could possibly do with One For All.
"Yeah... I just wish I didn't have so much to work on. Between my combat skills, studying, my Team, my Aura, my Semblance, my friends... it's a lot to take in." Izuku said with a slight bit of exhaustion tingeing his voice as Mirio just nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I feel ya. First Year is always the hardest in Beacon; you're still struggling to try to figure out exactly what you're doing and what you should be improving in." Mirio's smile stayed on his face as he brought his hand to his chin, rubbing it slightly as he smiled. "But that's why you've got the teachers here and the older years; we've all got a little experience coming in here and so we can share a bit of that." Izuku blinked a bit as Mirio said this, his jaw dropping slightly.
"Wait, does this mean-"
"Anyway!" Mirio made a big show of clapping his hands together, the young man trying his best to come off as nonchalant as possible as he just kept up that smile of his. "I should get back to Professor Atama's class; I just said I was taking a quick run across the school to get to one of the co-ed bathrooms, so he'd 'probably' expect me back pretty soon." Mirio slapped him on the back slightly, threatening to send Izuku toppling over head over heel as he nodded at his underclassman. "It was really nice meeting you Izuku Midoriya. I've got a mission coming up with my team but, hey, maybe sometime after that we can hang out." Izuku blinked confusedly as Mirio just nodded and, turning on his heels, and immediately phased through a nearby wall.
...
'Uh, did I just become acquaintances with a Third Year?'