Chapter 26

Sir Nighteye had his head in his hands, pondering the weight of his past decisions. That was a recurrent image for everyone in the hospital since Mirio's hospitalization. He was brought out of his mood by a can being pressed to the side of his head.

"Drink something Mirai… wait have you eaten anything today?" Toshinori asked

"I… I don't think I have" Mirai said while sighing and grabbing the can "Thank you Yagi" Toshinori looked at his ex-sidekick in sadness

"Young Togata will surpass this, he's a fighter Mirai" Sir Nighteye sighed loudly

"I know he is Yagi but he shouldn't be in this predicament" he shook his head "It's my fault, I didn't outright force him but he knew I was disappointed when he asked for time… I know that affected his decision. I should have told him that it wasn't necessary to take the mantle; he was going to be a great hero regardless!"

Sir Nighteye was drowning in guilt. After they checked every possible scenario for Mirio's state, they had no shadow of doubt that OFA was hurting him. No matter how you looked at it, the quirk was killing Mirio.

"He IS going to be a great hero Mirai. I told you, don't give up on him" Toshinori put a hand on his shoulder and smiled softly "And even if your Foresight didn't work on him, I'm sure he'll surpass this"

That was another nail in the coffin of Sir Nighteye's confidence. The limitation of his quirk, requiring eye contact, prevented him from painting a future for his protégée. Apparently, unconscious eyes didn't do the trick.

The only comforting aspect was that in his previous vision of Mirio, he saw him using OFA and becoming the next number-one hero. Now he knows that this future is not possible, which means that All Might future was left uncertain.

"We're running out of options, Yagi, after you were unable to take OFA back, we don't have anything to go by, and I'm terrified at the thought that we're running out of time," his voice was full of concern

"Yeah, it was a surprise for me too. I felt OFA willing to go back, but apparently, once you passed it on, it's forever" Toshinori sighed "We still have options, Torino, Nezu and I are still looking for any instances of this happening to previous holders."

"I'm afraid that's another dead end, Yagi. There's almost no information on the fifth holder, Daigoro Banjo, if a clue exists before him, is practically an impossible task" Toshinori chuckled wryly

"I don't remember you being this negative Mirai" Toshinori said

"After everything that has happened and is still happening, forgive me for my lack of a positive attitude" Sir Nighteye replied sarcastically before shaking his head to change the topic "Shouldn't you be in U.A.? You're a teacher now, Yagi"

"Your mind is really elsewhere right now, I told you yesterday and the day before that my students are on a school trip, training in the forest"

"Ah, you're right" was the only answer Toshinori got. Both fell into silence for a couple of hours until something flew through the window. Toshinori instantly buffed up while Nighteye took a chess piece from his pocket

"Relax you idiots, it's me" Torino chastised

"And also, me!" Nezu chirped

"Torino, Nezu!" All Might exclaimed before deflating

"Please I'm begging you, give us some good news" Sir Nighteye pleaded

"We have a clue and a possible solution" Both hero and ex-sidekick perked up

"What is it?!" both exclaimed

"We will have to tell you in the car. Let's go" Torino said already making his way out of the room.

"Wait I won't leave Mirio alone!" Nighteye objected

"I'm sure Shuzenji will take good care of him. Let's go!" Torino barked, Nezu walking outside with him

"Where exactly are we going?" Yagi asked

"To Mustafu, towards Izuku's house," Nezu chirped


Izuku had to admit that the training camp wasn't exactly how he imagined it, especially due to Aizawa's approach to training him. The first day ended quickly after their trek through the forest, and then Aizawa told him that he'll assist all his classmates, by giving them advice while sparring with them.

"You're already at the level of a pro, Izuku. What you need is more experience. I'm sorry but you won't get that here, I want you to help your classmates and class B, give them a little more battle training. You mentioned that your shadow clones grant you experience, so this won't be a waste of time for you either"

That meant that for the entirety of the second day of camp, Izuku had to create thirty-nine clones over and over again to spar with all the heroes in training. He really wanted to complain but it was a good exercise for him and his chakra control. Moreover, he found immense satisfaction in being able to help and learn more about his classmates during the process.

The day prior with Kaminari

"Okay, Kaminari, there is something that has been bothering me since day one," Izuku said while throwing a jab toward the blonde who barely dodged it

"I know you use lightning better than me Midoribro! Please don't rub more salt in the wound" Kaminari replied, frustration evident in his voice. He then sent an AOE attack which Izuku avoided by jumping back

"That's not it! Why do you keep relying on area attacks?" Kaminari raised an eyebrow

"Why- that's how my quirk works?" Kaminari asked uncertainly, Izuku looked weirdly at him

"You can also channel your electricity all over your body, right?" Kaminari nodded slowly "Then why are you not like… focusing on close-quarter combat? One good hit charged with enough electricity could knock out someone easily, come on throw a punch at me!" the blonde obeyed and threw a punch at Izuku who effortlessly evaded it "Erm"

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIGHT, OKAY?!" Kaminari proceeded to sit on the floor hugging his legs "The moment I discovered I could just throw lightning around me, I decided to focus on that. It works most of the time! I just have to be cautious to not short circuit myself"

"That's another thing… how is it that you short-circuit yourself?"

"Well, I don't really know. I guess a lot of electricity travels through my brain and I just fried for a bit" Kaminari explained, a little self-conscious about his quirk's limitations.

"That just can't be healthy, Kaminari" Izuku said worried "Show me how you do it"

"You want me to short-circuit myself right now?" Izuku nodded quickly, Kaminari sighed but complied "Okay, you better take care of me!" Izuku saw how the energy traveled along Kaminari's body for a few seconds

"Stop!" Kaminari quickly stopped his quirk and raised an eyebrow

"I'm a little woozy, but I'm not short-circuited yet, Midoribro"

"Kaminari… you're not grounded" Izuku stated simply

"What? I mean I'm not exactly humble but I don't consider myself-" Izuku interrupted him

"No, not like that! Your electricity is moving around your body over and over again, of course, it would mess up with your circuits!"

"I don't get it" Izuku groaned

"Take your shoes off and your socks" Kaminari was confused, but Izuku looked him straight in the eyes "Trust me"

Kaminari nodded slowly and complied again. He was now barefoot on the ground

"Now short circuit yourself" Kaminari scratched the back of his head and nodded, he took a deep breath and started to channel his high voltage, preparing himself for the dumbness. After a couple of minutes, he fell to the ground exhausted

"There it is, are you happy?" Kaminari asked while gasping for air, he then turned to Izuku who was smiling "What is so… funny?" Kaminari's mind grasped the situation … he was talking while short-circuited… but he wasn't really "How?"

"The excess of electricity left your body instead of keeping circling around you until your internal circuits put you in time out!" Izuku saw Kaminari's eyes widened in surprise and a smile blooming on his face

"I'm never using shoes again!" Kaminari said excited

"You can always use shoes that conduct electricity or something?"

"NEVER USING SHOES AGAIN, I SAID!" Kaminari jumped and Izuku had to admit that his happy energy was contagious "I'm really pumped up Midoribro! Let's try that close-quarter combat you mentioned!"

Fifteen seconds later Kaminari was knocked out by Izuku who was apologizing profusely to the unconscious boy. When he finally regained consciousness, he quickly forgave Izuku and later that night he threw his shoes into the fire pit

Same day with Shoji

"So, Shoji… you can create anything you want with your arms?" Izuku asked while taking a breath after his spar with the gentle giant

"Mmm, what do you have in mind Midoriya?"

"Well, I've seen you create eyes and ears… for them to be functional they have to be connected to your brain, right?" Shoji nodded "Have you ever tried to create something simpler like muscle?"

"Muscle?"

"I mean is there a reason you couldn't" Shoji shook his head after thinking of it a little "Think about it if you can create extra limbs with tight packet muscle fiber and remove the nervous endings… you have a useful if a little brutal, shield and mace. All power no pain"

"Mmm skin is also an organ do you think I could make it thicker… mostly to avoid the brutal part" Izuku nodded slowly with a hand on his chin and a notebook on another

"Technically, you had full control of what you create on your limbs… if the brutal part is the problem… perhaps arms without blood along with really thick skin, maybe thicker bones… I need to talk to Recovery girl about this she should be able to tell us-"

Shoji smiled at his classmate when he started rambling, creating another three ears to hear exactly was he was saying. It was a good way to exercise his perception. Still with all his enhanced senses Shoji had one question bothering him "Where did that notebook come from?"

The same day with Kirishima

"Come on Midoribro use the Rasengan against my hardening!"

"Kirishima last time we tried that you ended with three broken ribs," Izuku said trying to reason with his best friend

"It wasn't that bad; my mom didn't get angry or anything!"

"She said that it was okay and that she forgives me… I would have preferred it if she yelled at me! I felt awful! Your mom is a saint I don't want to worry her again!"

"It's going to be alright! I've been practicing come on!" Kirishima pleaded with his red puppy eyes that knew could win his friend any time

"Agh don't look at me like that! I won't… come on stop it!" Izuku sighed in defeat "I swear to god if anything happens, I'm taking you straight to Sakura, she'll give you a toad medicine and you know is awful!"

"Hell yeah, let's do it!" Izuku straighten himself and nodded

"Ready when you're Kirishima" The redhead took a deep breath

"Unbreakable!" Izuku's eyes widened at the sight of his friend, every part of his body looked rugged, even his eyes looked like sharps rocks, a thumbs up brought Izuku out of his awe

"Okay here goes nothing. Rasengan!" Izuku teleported in front of Kirishima who was smiling wildly, then pushed his attack toward the redhead's chest. The ground shook after the impact but Kirishima held strong, conceding just a couple of meters. After a few seconds, Izuku stopped his attack and smiled surprised

"You really held amazingly Kirishima!" Izuku praised his friend, the redhead took a deep breath, and lose his unbreakable form

"Of course, I did… still hurt a lot and had to harden three more times after the impact, I can use that form for almost a minute, you depleted my energy in less than ten seconds" Kirishima took a big lump of air "I need to keep training if I want to be an impenetrable wall"

Izuku smiled softly at his friend, realizing that Kirishima didn't fully grasp the significance of what he had just achieved. That attack is one of Izuku's triumph cards. It had enough power to send the symbol of peace crashing through a bunch of buildings and it just made Kirishima move a few meters back

"Kirishima you're already an impenetrable wall, you only need to get accustomed to that technique! Let's practice together. We're going to spar but I'm not using the Rasengan this time instead I'll be using chakra mode!" Kirishima's eyes widened

"Wait Midoribro I need to take a breath" Izuku's chakra mode activated "I CAN'T USE MY HARDENING AFTER UNBREAKABLE THAT QUICKLY!" Izuku jumped towards him "MIDORI BRO WAIT!"

Back to the present

Izuku smiled to himself, content with the fact that he had been able to offer assistance and spar with his classmates. Now, on the third day of the training camp, he had a chance to relax as the Pussy Cats team offered to share their knowledge. Enjoying the fresh air, Izuku lay on the ground in a clearing, taking a moment to unwind.

As he lay there, he sensed someone approaching, interrupting his peaceful moment.

There you are, being a lazy butt, huh?" Ochako chimed in with a cheerful tone.

Izuku chuckled lightly. "Aizawa-sensei told me that I could take a rest. He said I've earned it."

"I'm pretty sure he said that you had to meditate or something" Izuku huffed

"Semantics," Izuku said and Ochako chuckled

"Thank you for sparring with me yesterday… even if it was just a clone" Ochako sounded grateful and a little annoyed. Only she could manage that

"I had to keep creating clones after clones because most of you were so rough with little old me. Yaoyorozu attacked me with a bazooka, Ochako… a bazooka! I swear that behind that prim and proper exterior, there might just be a secret serial killer... or a terrorist!" Ochako laughed

"We're not that bad"

"You used your quirk in one of my clones and then glued a small rocket to send him flying… where did you even get a rocket!?"

"Now that I think about it, Yaomomo may be a little rocket/missile maniac" Izuku snorted at that "By the way did you have anything to do with Kaminari trying to burn everyone's shoes? Aizawa sensei caught him with his boots and he was not happy"

"Nope, I have no idea what are you talking about" Izuku denied quickly, Ochako chuckled at his bad lie. They fell into a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other company. Izuku suddenly sat up and took a deep breath. He then turned towards Ochako with a determined gaze "Ochako when we get back home… do you want to go out with me?" Ochako's eyes widen, and a deep blush spread across her face.

"Like… when we go out with everyone?" she asked softly

"No, like a real date, just you and me" Izuku clarified, his face turning even redder. After a few seconds of silence, he began to ramble nervously. "Of course, if you don't want to, that's totally okay. I don't want to pressure you or anything, I just thought..."

"I want to!" Ochako said on a high note "I want to go on a date with you" Ochako would cherish the image of the smile on Izuku's face

"Really? You do?" Izuku asked, his voice filled with delight.

Ochako nodded eagerly, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. "Yes, Izuku. I've been hoping for this. Just the two of us... it sounds perfect." Izuku's brain stopped working for a few seconds, maybe he just fried his circuits too.

"Yes, let's plan it as soon as we get back!" Ochako exclaimed with enthusiasm. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a distant whistle, signaling the end of their break. Ochako hurriedly made her way back to join Tiger, "I'll see you at dinner!" she said before leaving

As Izuku stood there, grinning in excitement, he suddenly felt a strange sensation on his body. In a puff of smoke, he vanished, leaving behind only empty air. Ochako came back a few seconds later

"Ah, I forgot about it! Ragdoll mentioned that we have a courage test later today," Ochako exclaimed as she made her way back to the clearing. However, when she arrived, Izuku was nowhere to be found.


Izuku appeared in the middle of his house, gripping a kunai tightly in his hand and a hardened expression, prepared to fight

"Gamabu, what happened? Why did you summon me?" Izuku said hurriedly, eyes darting around. As he took in the scene, he noticed All Might in his deflated form was seated beside his mom. On the smaller sofa was Nezu sensei who wore a serious expression. Standing on the other side of his mom was Sir Nighteye who looked as if he hadn't slept in years. There was another voice, unfamiliar to Izuku, speaking softly. When he turned towards the small kitchen, he saw a small, elderly man cutting an apple and engaging in conversation with the white-haired girl, who seemed excited about the fruit.

"What is going on?" Izuku asked confused, All Might stood up and looked at Izuku's eyes

"Young Midoriya, we need your help" Izuku looked at his idol and nodded slowly, All Might sighed and sat back down "I want you to inherit my quirk" Izuku's eyes widened, and looked towards his mom "We told her Young Midoriya"

"I... I don't get it. You already have a successor, and I've already explained my reasoning. Why come here and involve my mom in this?" Seeing Izuku's confusion, Nezu decided to chip in.

"Izuku, let me explain. Togata Mirio, the ninth holder, is dying" Izuku felt like a punch in the gut, All Might's successor was dying? "He wasn't attacked nor had an accident. OFA is killing him"

"What?" Izuku asked. Then Nezu started to explain what had happened to Mirio and their investigations. How they reached the conclusion that OFA was the reason for Mirio's deteriorating health, how All Might couldn't get the quirk back, finally they reached the part of the previous holders the fourth holder specifically "He died of old age at 40?"

"Yes, the human body is not designed to handle two quirks. The toll of that killed Hikage Shinomori after eighteen years of powering OFA" Nezu took a sip of tea "The next holders didn't have enough time for OFA to hurt them, they lost their life before it could happen"

"But All Might had the quirk for more than thirty years! That blows your theory away!" Izuku countered

"Young Midoriya… when I received the torch… I was quirkless" Izuku's eyes widened again after that revelation "I didn't suffer any of the possible repercussions because my body had a free spot for the quirk, a blank canvas you may say" Izuku's mind raced as he processed this information, and suddenly everything clicked into place.

"And you've honed OFA for thirty-plus years, it's too powerful now. The effects that took eighteen years to manifest for the fourth user were almost immediate for the ninth" Izuku said in a whisper "Also means that anyone who takes the quirk, if they're not quirkless, will suffer the same fate"

"Precisely Izuku" Nezu affirmed

"Midoriya" Izuku looked up at Sir Nighteye who spoke for the first time "I know we discussed your reasons for initially declining All Might's offer, and let me assure you that I have immense respect for your convictions and your unwavering desire to become a pillar of society." he then proceeded to kneel down and bowed his head to the ground "You don't owe me anything but please, please take OFA from Mirio" Everyone's eyes widened, nobody expected that

"I know it's a selfish request, and you have every right to say no, but Mirio is the closest thing I have to a son, I can't lose him. Please I beg you, save my son" Izuku was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. At that moment, Inko approached and crouched beside Sir Nighteye, pulling him up gently.

"Can I talk to my son in private for a few minutes, please" Everyone nodded silently still stunned by Sir Nighteye's actions. Inko guided Izuku towards his room, with Eri following closely behind. As they entered the room, Inko observed her son's conflicted expression and understood the turmoil raging within him.

"Izuku baby, snap out of it" Inko caressed his cheek, Izuku looked up at her slowly "What's going through your mind, sweetheart?" Inko asked, her tone soft and comforting.

"I… I don't know Mom. There is a lot to consider right now" Izuku replied. Inko hummed softly

"Want me to tell you what I think?" Izuku nodded quickly "I think that you are the best son I could've ever asked for, Izuku. You've grown into an amazing hero, a dedicated and hardworking student. But what truly sets you apart is your kindness and compassion. You have a heart that's always looking out for others, and that's a rare and beautiful quality"

"Baby, I'm proud of you, and I understand your reasoning for refusing All Might's offer. I'm a little ruffled that you didn't tell me about that but I'll let it slide this time" Inko expressed with a gentle smile. Izuku could only chuckle "And I also can see that you want to save this kid with all your heart, and the only thing stopping you is that you've fought so hard against life's challenges that you feel taking this quirk would be like staining all your hard work"

Izuku's eyes welled up with tears as he nodded his Mom had always been perceptive and supportive, and now she was showing him that she truly comprehended the significance of his struggles.

"I know it sounds stupid Mom, but I'm proud of what I've achieved by myself. It feels wrong to receive this without earning it" Inko didn't say anything she just walked towards his bookcase, took one book, and gave it to Izuku "Book to understand chakra better and perform better ninjutsu volume #1" Izuku looked at the book fondly

"Baby, you accomplished something that only a few in this age could have achieved. I'm pretty sure not even All Might would have been able to. You mastered and learned to control an ancient and lost power just to achieve your dream!" Inko smiled "Izuku… this One for All thing, from what All Might explained, it's not just something that was offered to you without reason. You earned it in your own way, not through the same hard work and training as with chakra, but through the heart of a true hero. You were chosen by All Might because he saw something special in you, and I'd like to believe that the symbol of peace knows what he's doing."

Izuku let out a wet chuckle before taking a deep breath.

"I hope not much in me changes after this" Izuku whispered

"Are you going to change?" Eri asked innocently, and Izuku snorted.

"I may become stronger than I am right now," Izuku declared, causing Eri's eyes to widen

"That means you're going to save even more people?!" Izuku's mind stopped working for a second

"That's… that's right" a smile formed on his face "That's all that matters, I'm a hero after all aren't I?" Eri nodded quickly and Izuku picked her up and hugged the little girl, then he hugged his mom too.

Izuku walked to the small living room everyone watched him expectantly, he nodded firmly at them

"Let's go"

The tension evaporated from the room. All Might grinned at him, as did the old man who gave Eri an apple. Nezu sent him a knowing smile, and Izuku saw Sir Nighteye's eyes water a little before he covered them and whispered a bunch of thanks.

"I left one of your kunai with Shuzenji," Nezu said

"Mom" Izuku started

"Go save the day dear; we'll be waiting for you" Izuku nodded and passed Eri to her, not before giving her another tight hug

"Everyone, gather up and hold your stomachs. The first time is always the worst" Izuku warned them

Nezu quickly jumped out of the couch and placed a paw on Izuku's leg, All Might did the same and put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, Torino and Nighteye followed their example. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Suddenly, Izuku spoke again

"Found it"


Shuzenji wanted to be surprised when everyone appeared, but after being visited by Izuku constantly in U.A. she had become desensitized to his popping out-of-nowhere scheme. The ones who weren't desensitized, however, were Nighteye and Torino who buckled down as soon they appeared. Toshinori knew what to expect so he just seemed a little wobbly. Nezu was fine, after all, he asked Izuku to teleport him a lot during training in U.A.

"Took your sweet time, sonny"

"Sorry, Recovery Girl, I'm pretty sure I took a wrong turn in Albuquerque," Izuku said smiling, Shuzenji chuckled and turned her attention to Nezu

"I used your private network to send a message to Aizawa, he knows that you requested Izuku"

"Thank you Shuzenji, come on we have no time to lose" Everyone walked towards Mirio's room, and when they entered Izuku couldn't help but wince at the cracks on his face. He needed to help his senpai as soon as possible

"So, what do I do?" Izuku asked

"Toshinori will serve as the intermediary between One for All and you, Izuku," Nezu explained. "The embers within him grant him a form of telepathic communication with Togata." Izuku's eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"You have to communicate with OFA?" Izuku asked All Might who nodded

"Transferring the quirk is not a simple process. The current holder must be willing to transfer it," All Might explained further. "When I am in close proximity to young Togata, I can sense his consciousness within the quirk, and to some extent, communicate with him. That's how we attempted to transfer the quirk back to me. He was willing to transfer it back, but it is a one-way ticket with One for All."

"We then attempted to transfer the quirk to Mirai here," All Might said like it was nothing. Izuku's wanted to be surprised, but it was obvious that Sir Nighteye would have tried to sacrifice himself for his protegee "But Mirio consciousness refused the transfer" Izuku nodded in understanding and walked closer to Mirio

"Hey senpai, I hope you're hearing me. I know a little about you, but what I know for certain is that you're a hero through and through," Izuku said with a smile. "I'm happy and honored to be your successor. And I hope you can teach me a lot once you wake up. So please, senpai, let me carry the torch now and come back." Izuku leaned closer to Mirio's ear. "Between you and me, Sir Nighteye is all moody and sad. You need to come back and cheer him up." Standing up, Izuku nodded at All Might, who took Mirio's hand in his own.

Minutes passed and everyone grew anxious until All Might opened his eyes and plucked a hair from Mirio's head

"He accepted your terms young Midoriya" All Might smiled "Now eat this!"

"I'm sorry what?"

"You need to consume DNA in order to transfer OFA!" Izuku looked at him with a deadpan expression. Thankfully recovery girl decided to intervene

"That it's going to take a lot of time, give me a few minutes" She walked towards Mirio, drew a small vial of blood, and walked out of the room, twenty minutes later with a syringe in her hands.

"Togata is a universal donor and in impeccable health, before OFA, of course." Izuku ignored the wince from Nighteye, Torino, and All Might "This contains a bit of his blood and saline solution, it should have enough DNA for the transfer" She explained

Izuku smiled gratefully at Recovery Girl who quickly put the DNA vaccine in Izuku's arm. He took a deep breath before asking "So how long is this going to take?"

"Not long, tenth" Izuku's eyes widened as he didn't recognize the voice. He turned around and was dumbfounded by the sight. A castle in ruins and nine occupied chairs gathered in a semicircle around him. "Welcome to One for All," the wispy voice came from a young white-haired man. "We should probably talk."


A/N Another one in the bucket baby! Hope you guys like this chapter, next one is going to be the starting point for the chaos! We finally reached the last Arc for this story people. Thank you as always for keep reading this. I love you guys all

See ya next time!