2: Soul/Aura
For Izuku, the journey back home was strange.
His mind and body felt numb, even as he arrived, showered, put on his uniform, and prepared to head to U.A.
It wasn't until he was sitting on the train that he snapped out of his trance.
Blinking, he watched the landscape blur by with a hint of boredom.
"What was all that?" To say he was at a loss for words would be an understatement, to say he wasn't surprised would be a lie.
To say he expected to talk to his mentor again and demand answers would be unnecessary.
Izuku clenched his fist, a faint emerald aura briefly glowing.
Even now, he felt unreal, like a dream he feared waking up from.
Setting aside all his confusion, Izuku took out the notebook and the watch that Dan had left before departing.
"Aura and semblance, a guide for Izuku by Dan, 'The best master in the world!' "
The title in the notebook brought a small smile to Izuku's face.
Opening the first page, he read the first paragraph.
"If you're reading this, it means I'm dead!"
"Wait, what!?" His voice unintentionally raised, and somehow, he had the feeling that he was being watched. When he looked up, he saw the other passengers giving him strange looks.
If he were the Izuku from a year ago, he would have shrunk in his seat, lowering his head in embarrassment.
The Izuku of today just blushed a bit and nothing more.
He turned his gaze back to the page.
"Just kidding!"
Of course, it would be something like that. Sighing, Izuku relaxed and continued reading.
"My dearest (and only) student, if you're reading this, it means my time has come to an end, and I had to leave (not in that way!). There were many things I wanted to discuss with you, but time didn't give me any other option but to put my thoughts in this little notebook... What do you say?! Why didn't I just talk to you directly instead of writing this? Nonsense! That would have been a waste of valuable training time!"
Izuku stopped reading and had to rub his eyes in irritation. Only he, only he could have the least communicative mentor ever!
"Anyway, here you will find everything you need to know about your Quirk. How do I know this? Of course, it's because my Quirk allows me to analyze the Quirks of others! Since you awakened it so late in your life, this will probably help you a lot on your upcoming journey. I wish you the best of luck, my disciple."
That didn't sit right. Frowning, Izuku read it again, this time using a method his mentor had taught him to find hidden messages.
"Here you will find everything you need to know about the new and incredible power I've awakened in you! (You're welcome, by the way). You must not disclose how you obtained this power, Izuku! The world you live in is darker than you think, and even telling those you trust is not safe! Remember, this is your Quirk! One that you awakened recently."
A feeling, a bad premonition! Somehow, Izuku felt that his mentor's words carried great weight.
"Darker than I think?" That warning was etched into his mind.
The following pages were a mix of hidden codes and real paragraphs that Izuku had to work hard to align in his mind to understand properly.
"Aura, the power that arises from our soul, all living beings possess it, but very few can use it at will. Its capabilities are astonishing and will be of great help on your journey. I will now explain everything you need to know about it and how to use it properly, so pay attention!"
And Izuku did. Throughout the train journey, he carefully read every paragraph, absorbing every ounce of information possible, and the more he read, the more intense the look of astonishment in his eyes became.
"This is the best part! I truly envy your luck, kid! Because you didn't just get one, but two superpowers! That's right, I'm talking about semblances! If Aura is the foundation and shield that protects your body, a semblance is the embodiment of your persona! A fundamental aspect of your being shaped, something unique and solely yours. You can compare it to a Quirk if you want, but Resemblances are much more personal than that. I really wish I could tell you what yours is, but that's impossible."
Izuku blinked, impossible?
"Because by being linked to such a fundamental aspect of yourself, the only one who can figure out what your semblance is, is you! In truth, a semblance is quite mysterious and unique. Sometimes, it awakens simultaneously with your Aura, while other times, it requires a 'push' or 'impetus,' a trigger to make it manifest, and this can happen when you least expect it. So be careful and pay attention! Your semblance could be anything, so you must make sure to grasp it when it comes to you."
Izuku couldn't help but think about it, and almost instinctively, his mouth began to mumble unintelligibly, but before he could start, his hand shot to the back of his head as a reflex.
He blinked in confusion when he didn't feel the hit and remembered that his mentor was gone.
In truth, this series of actions was a conditioned reflex that his mentor had ingrained in him when he heard him mutter incessantly for the first time. Since then, every time he did it or gave any indication that he might, his mentor would lightly slap the back of his head with his palm.
You would think that a lifetime of incessant muttering would be hard to overcome, but a whole year of head slaps developed the habit of stopping before he began and covering his head with his hand as a reflex.
Indeed, one habit can overcome another with the right effort.
Shaking his head, he continued reading.
"Last but not least, my final gift to you! The watch! In truth, in every sense, it's not very different from an ordinary watch except for one thing, the Aura sensor! Aura is not infinite, and although it can regenerate over time, that's no guarantee! So you must be careful with the amount of Aura you use. This watch has special technology that accurately reads the amount of Aura in your body. Remember, if it turns red, run! Red means danger! A good hit, and your Aura can shatter, which means it's game over! You lose the shield and all the benefits that Aura brings, in addition to suffering from severe exhaustion!"
Izuku looked at the watch with a new sense of wonder, tentatively placing it around his right wrist and pressing the clearly marked power button.
Suddenly, a light began to illuminate around the watch's circle, and it soon started to fill from red to yellow, ending in green in a perfect circle.
In the center was the local time, and below that was an indicator reading 100%.
He could only assume that it indicated the exact amount of Aura in his body.
After that, the light in the circle dimmed but was still clearly visible.
He wondered how it worked.
"If you're wondering how it works, then you're in luck! In the last pages of this notebook, I've left the blueprints and schematics for building another one in case you break the one I've given you. I recommend taking photos of them and storing them. With your luck, you might end up losing or destroying this notebook." Izuku wanted to object but thought better of it and, instead, took out his phone and began taking photos of the schematics, uploading them to the cloud. Better safe than sorry.
He soon continued reading.
"Having foreseen the future, I took the liberty of changing your paperwork! Again, don't thank me yet, although if you want to, make sure to shout it out loud! From now on, for anyone looking at your newly awakened Quirk [Telekinetic Barrier!], it can be taken as a mutation or a variation of your mother's Quirk, so don't hesitate to use it if necessary for your exam!"
Izuku blinked. He hadn't thought about that. How do you explain suddenly gaining a Quirk? It seemed his mentor was more cunning than he expected.
"I think that should be it. I hope this proves useful to you, and I wish you a bright future. Good luck! P.S.: The rent and services for the small private gym I built should be covered for another year. Use the place as you wish, and when you need to clear everything out of there, you can keep the equipment or simply sell it if you have no place to put it."
After that, there was nothing more.
In some way, Izuku felt disheartened.
Izuku really wanted to talk more with his mentor; the year they spent together passed too quickly in his opinion. There was so much to say and so much to be thankful for. With a sigh, Izuku could only wish him good luck wherever he was.
[Next stop: Musutafu]
The sound of the train's electronic voice pulled him out of his thoughts; it seemed that the time for dwelling on the past had come to an end. It was time to take that exam and become a hero!
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He was here! U.A.! Izuku could hardly believe it; seeing it in all its splendor made things seem more real.
It was truly amazing how his life had changed so drastically, but if he had to choose, he wouldn't change it for anything.
About to take a step, his foot suddenly stopped. He looked down and noticed a slightly displaced brick on the ground, not too much, but enough to trip someone.
"It would be too embarrassing if something like this happened to someone else."
With care, he pressed his foot on the brick, making it sink properly into the ground, thus saving some unfortunate soul from future embarrassment.
Nodding with joy, he continued his path through the grand gates of U.A., ready to start his journey!
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The written exam was easier than he expected. For one of the most prestigious schools, U.A.'s written exam wasn't as difficult as people had said.
Izuku briefly wondered if it was somehow because he was a genius, but he quickly dismissed that notion. If that were the case, he would have created some kind of super robot or super armor to compensate for his lack of a Quirk... Huh? Why hadn't he thought of that before? Blinking, Izuku had to metaphorically slap himself on the head instead of his mentor for getting distracted during an exam.
After the written exam, he joined the others in a large hall. U.A. was truly amazing; the hall was probably half the size of his entire previous school!
"WELCOME EVERYONE TO THIS LIVE SHOW! EVERYONE SAY 'HEY!'"
"HEY!"
Izuku blinked as he realized he was the only one who shouted. That would have been too embarrassing if his embarrassment hadn't already been shattered by his mentor... mostly.
With a bit of red on his cheeks, he sat up straight, wishing the strange eyes would avert from him.
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!"
"All right, let me explain how this works!"
Then came a practical explanation of the type of exam they were going to take. Izuku was genuinely surprised to learn that U.A. had an entire fake city at their disposal for this exam.
He was even more surprised to find out that there were robots, literally robots, that they would be fighting in this fake city.
And they only had ten minutes!
"Excuse me, can I ask a question?"
The strangely firm voice snapped him out of his thoughts. When he turned to look, he saw a tall boy with glasses standing up and holding one of the brochures.
"In the brochure, it's indicated that there are four types of villains, and this kind of error would be very-"
In the end, it turned out that the fourth type of villain was not a villain at all, just a significant obstacle.
The boy with glasses ended up apologizing for the interruption, and Izuku was glad it wasn't him. Embarrassing or not, being in such a situation would still be awkward.
"It's time to start the main event, Plus Ultra!" With those last words of encouragement, the professional hero Present Mic left the auditorium, and soon everyone else headed to their respective test sites.
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Having changed into his exercise clothes, Izuku regretted not being able to bring his hero costume. He really wanted to wear it, but the U.A. entrance exam only allowed for one support item, and his costume had many small support items of various uses.
He would have to wait to wear it once he was accepted.
Heading out to the testing field, he couldn't help but whistle, just as his mentor would have.
In reality, it was a fake city! Complete with lampposts, windows, and doors!
How much money did they spend on this?!
Though amazed, Izuku didn't forget his goal. Slowly, he stretched as his mentor had taught him and closed his eyes, thinking deeply about what he knew regarding Aura and how to use it.
"In a passive state, it's a shield that protects you from any harm and accelerates your body's natural regeneration while amplifying your senses. When you use it actively, it can greatly enhance your physical abilities, and if you channel it into an object, you can make it more resilient."
In truth, what he knew wasn't as much as he would have liked, but it would have to do, somehow.
"AND BEGIN!"
Izuku didn't even open his eyes. Before he knew it, his body shimmered with a faint emerald light, and his figure blurred, covering several meters in a single step, easily surpassing all the other participants.
By the time he realized it, he was entering the fake city.
Indeed, all that training with his mentor taught him many things, but the most important of all was not to hesitate in the middle of a battle.
This exam was the most crucial battle in Izuku's life, and his body responded accordingly, even as his mind continued to think about how to use Aura correctly.
Suddenly, a wall beside him exploded, and a robot emerged at high speed. The gatling gun in its hand spun, and suddenly hundreds of projectiles were fired towards Izuku.
An ordinary person without some kind of speed, agility, or protection Quirk would have been eliminated instantly.
To Izuku, the bullets seemed to be moving slower and slower. With inhuman ease, his body evaded the incoming projectiles, he clenched his fist and took a firm step forward, the ground beneath his foot sank, and his fist struck the robot's body, piercing the metal like wet cardboard and sending the robot back to where it had emerged in the first place.
All in less than a second.
When he snapped back to reality, he couldn't help but blink in bewilderment. He looked at his fist with fascination, and a slight chuckle escaped his lips.
Suddenly, a warning alarm blared in his head, and he quickly dodged to the side, a two-point robot striking the spot where he had been moments before.
"No more distractions!"
His body moved nimbly, and his knee struck the robot's head, ripping it from its structure and causing it to collapse to the ground.
"Three points." It was time to score more.
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"I see a lot of potential this year!" In a private room filled with monitors, U.A.'s teachers and top staff sat as they watched and examined each participant.
Judgmental and scrutinizing eyes.
U.A.'s principal, a peculiar animal-like being, cheered as he saw his future students demonstrate their worth.
"Some with more potential than others," Aizawa Shota, a middle-aged man with long, disheveled hair and a clear lack of sleep, commented as he saw a short-statured boy with grape-like hair, who had been sent flying after ogling another participant whose clothing had torn slightly.
Then his eyes turned to another screen, where a blurry figure shimmered in emerald, moving with speed, agility, and skill, effortlessly destroying robot after robot.
Some other teachers also noticed and exclaimed in amazement.
"What an incredible Quirk. What's that boy's name?"
The principal looked at the screen with interest before checking a stack of papers in his hands.
"Izuku Midoriya, it seems to be a late bloomer! His Quirk is a mutation derived from his mother's, it seems. Telekinetic Barrier, eh? The name certainly doesn't do justice to what it can actually do."
And, as if to prove his point, Midoriya jumped more than four meters in the air, kicking a piece of debris that was headed towards another participant.
His kick completely destroyed the piece of debris and used the impact as momentum to change his direction and strike a three-point robot from above.
"And quite heroic, too."
"I APPROVE!" Present Mic commented, recognizing the only boy he cheered for in his presentation.
"Huh?" Nemuri Kayama, also known as the hero Midnight, couldn't help but blink as she saw the boy on the screen.
"Isn't that...?" Recalling a humorous event that had happened a few months ago, she couldn't help but chuckle with amusement.
"How interesting~ What bad luck, kid! Hahaha, I definitely won't let you escape this time."
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For some reason, Izuku felt a chill run down his spine. Was the universe conspiring against him?
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"What do you say, Toshi? Anyone catch your attention?" The director's question made a very thin and emaciated man look at him before returning his gaze to the screens.
"I don't know." In truth, what he was looking for was more than just ability or strength.
In a test like this, he didn't believe he would be able to find the person he was looking for.
"Well, you have the whole school year to decide; there's no rush," the director encouraged, his hand reaching for a large red button.
"For now, let's see how they fare against a real threat!"
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"And with that, it's 81!" Looking at the destroyed robot at his feet, Izuku took a breath, although he didn't feel tired.
"So many points, that should be enough, right?" He raised his hand and looked at the watch on his wrist. There was still a minute left, and his aura was at 97%. If he wanted to, he could keep going and aim for 90 points or even 100 if he pushed it, but was that necessary? There wasn't an unlimited number of villains, and the more he destroyed, the fewer opportunities the others would have.
81 should be enough.
While he was thinking, a vibration that traveled throughout the area alerted him and made his instincts scream at him.
Looking up, he saw the "obstacle" approaching, and it was huge, like ridiculously huge!
Izuku opened his mouth in astonishment before deciding that he didn't want to be in the path of that thing and preparing to leave.
But before he could take a step, he heard it.
"Oww!"
It was far away, many meters from him, and if it weren't for his Aura amplifying his senses, he might have missed it.
With his heart pounding, Izuku looked back and saw a girl on the ground.
And the giant robot was about to crush her.
For Izuku, it felt as if time stood still. His pupils dilated, and every hair on his body stood on end.
He was too far away!
Despite that, his body moved.
The ground beneath his feet exploded, his figure blurred at an incredible speed, and the aura in his body ignited like a furious flame. If Izuku had been paying attention, he would have noticed the percentage on his watch jump from 97% to 125% in an instant and keep increasing!
128%
134%
145%
150%!
Without time to think, Izuku's body impacted like an emerald meteorite against the giant robot's foot that was about to crush the girl, causing it to bend upon impact and destabilizing the giant, making its enormous body fall backward.
Izuku quickly retreated and took the girl into his arms before jumping several meters backward, ensuring that the fall wouldn't harm them.
"That was amazing!" The voice snapped him out of his trance, and when he looked to see where it came from, his face blushed slightly.
"Are you okay?" But even if he was going crazy because he was holding a girl in his arms, the lessons imparted by his master quickly reached him.
When you rescue someone, you must always make sure they're okay!
"Y-yup, I'm a bit banged up, but I'll be fine." In fact, she didn't look very injured, just tired. A sigh of relief escaped Izuku.
"Y-you can, uh, put me down now." The girl said with a flushed face. Izuku suddenly remembered that the danger had passed, and he was still carrying her!
"Yes!" Even with embarrassment, he made sure to set her down carefully.
"And the test is over!"
The announcement took them by surprise.
Izuku looked around, and the remaining robots deactivated one by one.
"So it's over now, huh?"
"Thank you for helping me," the girl's voice caught his attention. When he turned to look at her, he couldn't help but notice how cute she was.
"Don't mention it! Anyone would've done the same." For the first time, he was grateful that his master had forced him to ask out 100 girls! Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to say a word!
Unbeknownst to him, his words made a tall guy with glasses lower his head in embarrassment.
Izuku smiled with more confidence than he felt, and the girl returned the smile, but her body swayed slightly.
Noticing this, Izuku quickly supported her with his hand, looked around, and saw a little old lady helping the students.
"Let's go; they're tending to the injured over there."
"Okay."
They quickly approached the elderly woman.
"Uh? Are you coming for treatment?"
"Just her, she tripped earlier, so she might have some injuries." Izuku left the girl in the caring hands of the kind old lady.
"And you, young man, that last hit was quite strong. Are you okay?" Blinking, Izuku scratched the side of his head discreetly and glanced at his watch from the corner of his eye.
100%?
Had his aura already regenerated? That was quick!
"I'm fine! My Quirk protects my body from damage up to a certain point, so I have no problems."
"If you say so."
He watched as they treated the girl, and the old lady's lips stretched in a comical way. Izuku was relieved he wasn't injured.
Due to exhaustion, the girl seemed to lose consciousness.
"Don't worry; we'll take care of her until she wakes up."
Nodding, Izuku decided to leave. He had done everything he could, and now he could only wait.
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Note:
And another chapter of this new story! What did you think? Too much information and not enough action? I hope to change that soon.
What did Izuku do in that last strike? What do those crazy percentages mean? All of that and more will be answered in the upcoming chapters!