Izuku POV

Thursday. Evoker Class. Also, early morning. I ready for class, admittedly a little excited at the prospect of gaining more knowledge as an Evoker. On top of that, I have a promise with Ochaco to start teaching me the way of the sword after that.

'I should've went to the Daily Grind before going to class,' I thought but my pride didn't let me considering I have yet to find a perfect black rose.

The way to the school is how it's always been. At least the way it's always been the past week. There are still no regular classes since the faculty are still very skeptical of what happened to USJ.

On the way to class, I bumped into Nana, who was wearing a rather casual jumpsuit. I'd comment more on it, but considering I didn't bother putting on more effort than a black shirt and dark pants, I kept it to myself.

"Heya, Izuku," she called out to me while waving, her tone was very lively. You wouldn't believe it's 7 am.

"Yo, Nana. Let's head together?" I told her. I'm tempted to ask her what happened to the Ceremonial Magic homework with Mina, but considering how the latter came back to the dorms really pissed off and locked herself inside her room, I'd rather not open that can of worms now. There will be time for that later.

"Yeah, let's head," she said.

On the way to the class, we run into Eindridi who called out to us.

"Nana. Izuku. Good to see the two of you. My office is...a bit of a mess at the moment, and this Lecture Theatre is free. So let's just do the lecture here," Eindridi said to both of us as he guided us inside.

Unlike the Ceremonial Magic's DGN1, this place is well-lit, no ominous magic circle that summons disgusting creatures, nor is it surrounded by booze. Overall, I wouldn't blame anyone thinking it's just an ordinary lecture hall.

"Do I want to know what made the mess?" I asked while finding a spot to sit, curious what the Evoker teacher's up to.

"Well, whatever it was, it's not doing that again. How goes your studies?" He asked, avoiding the question.

"Pretty okay. I feel I'm getting stronger," I answered. I feel like I'm getting more and more powerful, especially after USJ. It...doesnt' seem to be because of OFA or anything, apparently. My physical abilities, from running speed to lifting strength, have grown to almost double because of the quirk, but it didn't affect my magical side. At the very least, none that I could tell.

"Yes. Indeed. And it's an interesting growth curve," he said this in a way that made me a little uncomfortable. Particularly how he looks at me's creeping me out.

"In what way?" I asked, trying to shake off the feeling.

"Look at Nana here," he said, gesturing at her.

"Gladly," I answered, eyeing the attractive older Evoker as if to commit all her curves to my memory.

"He didnae mean ogle me tits, ya perv. Watch my aura," Nana said. Though both her tone and her wide smile makes me think she's liking it way more than she lets on.

"We all want some happiness in life."

"Notice the power of her aura?" Eindridi said, his tone serious.

"No, sorry. I'm totally blind to this stuff," I answered truthfully. My powers have grown, but for some reason, in exchange, my senses are getting duller.

"Strange. No matter. Nana is about where you'd expect an Evoker of her bloodline to be; her strength has grown steadily since the Spark awoke at 13 or 14, and will keep growing for decades still," he said.

"Okay, and mine?"

"Not as strong. Yet. But from last week to now, I'm already seeing significant growth. And it's neither linear nor normal."

"Okay, so...in time I'll probably catch up. Seems fair, I haven't been using my magic as often nor as long as her. Never mind having the guidance she has growing up," I said. But it seemed that he's not yet convinced.

"Which shouldn't be possible," he started. "For many reasons. Nana's bloodline is extremely potent. You shouldn't be able to catch up with her. Certainly not in weeks."

"So, what's causing it?"

"Not sure. It's what I was looking into earlier. Possibly, it's connected to you and your abnormal growth. Or something else," he paused before dropping the subject.

"Now, I'm supposed to teach you a thing or two about fighting. Let me tell you a story from the past, focused on how shock troops, like Evokers, can be used as the speak of a combined force," he continued.

"Cool."

Eindridi is a surprisingly good teacher. His voice has an almost hypnotic quality, making the battles he describes come alive like something out of an ancient Saga. Both Nana and I are sucked into the tale. On top of that, I felt something inside me respond. A half-forgotten fragment or memory, burning brightly into my soul. I feel myself growing.

"...it was seen that as the fighting lessened he stood, still alive. But with Erik went to the stern of the ship in search of the king, a light disappeared, the king himself was gone."

"Wait. That can't be how the story ends. The heroic King dies, then magically disappears?" I said, confused by such a tale. If you're going to recite an epic, give me a happy ending. Otherwise, it's such a waste.

"Yes? Not every story has a happy ending. Few enough Evoker stories do, truth be told. And yet his deeds echo down through the ages," he rationalizes.

"Like Nana's dad, you mean?"

"A good man. Too good to be wasted on Erec's broken castle and strayed sheep," he says with a little melancholic tone, "But to each is given the power to finish his own story, and I don't think he would have wanted it differently, in the end."

"I guess," I muttered, still a little unconvinced at the back of my mind.

"How you choose your end shows the things you valued through your life, Izuku. Da' taught me that. And in the end, standing between civilians and a dragon was how he would have wanted to go," she said with a smile. It seems she's not kidding when she says she's over it.

"Well, let's try to avoid that happening to us anytime soon," I said.

"Aye. I ain't fighting no dragons for a good decade or two," she replied with a laugh.

"Is that all for the class, Eindridi?"

"Indeed. I've got some stuff to do off-campus. I'll see you next week. Oh, before I forget. Here's some courseware for you two," he said, as he handed out a few pages of paper before walking out of the room. That guy moves at his own pace, huh?

"Some o' me cousins are in town; I'm meeting them up to get drunk with 'em. Wanna join us?" Nana invited me. I'd like to join, but I already have prior arrangements.

"Not today. I still have some stuff to do," I said. Her brow raised at that.

"Yer loss. See you at the gym!"

After saying goodbyes to Nana, I went straight back to the dorms to change clothes. I donned my "Hero" costume, the militaristic camo uniform. In truth, I've been using this design since I started training in Elsewhere when I'm 12 so it's still awkward for me to call this my "Hero" costume. Should I ask for a replacement?

After concluding that I won't because it's too much of a pain, I made my way to the grounds for the sword lessons with Ochaco.

"Welcome back, My Knight," she started but immediately reeled when she saw me. "Ugh. I'm not sure which outfit I like less on you. The tacky black shirt and pants you wore earlier today or this one," she said while shaking her head, her right hand across her face before letting out a loud sigh. "Oh well. I take it you're ready for your sword lessons?" Ochaco asked.

'Did she just casually roast my sense of fashion and dropped it like nothing?!'

"Y-Yeah. It may come in handy," I answered to her, my hand rubbing the back of my head.

"And so this time, I'll be the teacher and you the student," she said with a giddy smile. Looks like she loves the idea.

"How proficient are you with it, Ochaco?" I asked her. It'll be a good idea to know what I'm measuring against.

"Very," she said without hesitation, which made me gulp unconsciously. "I was trained by Matthew Burke, the Swordmaster of the Court. Among Gods and mortals he had few equals and no superiors," she said.

That guy must be very impressive. Must be nice being taught by someone that skilled. Wait.

"'Had'?"

"He left the Court, a few months ago. To where, I do not know, though I sometimes hear he's been spotted on the Paths, living in the chaos as one of the Solitary Fae," she said with a sad expression.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why does he travel the Paths? I assume he is looking for something. Perhaps a worthy challenger. Or perhaps a death with purpose," she explained while grabbing a few wooden swords on the ground, "Or are you asking why he left?" she asked.

"Yeah. That."

"Matthew, once a loyal vassal to my Mother, faithfully accompanied her when she departed the Seelie Court for the Court in Exile. However, after her passing, a palpable shift occurred within him. He grew increasingly withdrawn, harbouring a deep disdain for the political machinations and perceived moral decay festering within the Court's corridors. On the day of my 18th birthday, he solemnly presented me with his second-best sword, symbolizing his decision to depart from the Court, bidding farewell to its tumultuous world of intrigue and power struggles," she recounted, her voice tinged with melancholy.

"You sound like you missed him?"

"He was a Fae noble, Izuku. Not a Power, but a noble born, and with their standoffish nature. But after Mom died, he...he was likely more of a parent to me than my own Father," she confided.

"Sounds like he was important to you."

"I admired him, sought to emulate him. It must have been hilarious to watch, a gangling nine-year-old girl, trying to emulate the lazy grace of a Fae master swordsman," she continued, her voice bathed in nostalgia and looking at the field, as if imagining her younger self, practicing the sword.

"I can see what that grace gew into."

"You are too kind, all I have is a faint echo," she said with a smile on her face. It seemed I at least was able to cheer her up, even a little bit. "But be that as it may, it will have to suffice to teach you the sword. Here, take this," she handed me a wooden training sword. "Try to swing it."

I try the best impression of a swordsman I can do. I expected it to be clumsy, yet I effortlessly shift. The sword carved a smooth line through the air as I slide into the first guard. I stand with my right feet forward, both knees bent with weight on the balls of my feet. The wooden sword gripped in a handshake grip as it's pointed to the front. 'Boar' something whispered.

"Where did you learn how to do that, My Knight?" Ochaco asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"I...don't know," I answered. My body simply moved on its own, as if reaching into a memory. Faint, but it's there.

"If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you have been training for months now based on how smooth you moved. Not at the level of an average noble of Camelot, sure, but certainly way better than I expected," she said, her brows furrowed as she evaluated me.

I'm not sure if I should be happy with that.

"No worries, Sir Knight. I'll make sure you shall be formidable with the sword before the Sport Festival," she said. She's unexpectedly fired up about this. Rather, I'm not sure if I'll be using a sword during the SportsFes. It feels unfair for my fellow students.

She started walking to my side and continued, "First off, let us fix the easy ones in your form. Start with not gripping the handle too much. The muscles will tighten and your hand will slow down. Not to mention, you will drain your stamina much faster. Hold the sword like a child's hand, soft enough that you do not hurt it, firm enough that it will not get away."

I tried what she said and find it makes sense. I guess it's the same for a punch. Nice and loose.

"Steer with the thumb and pointing finger of your topmost hand. Soft and easy."

"Yeah, makes sense. I can feel the balance better. By the way, how close to a normal sword is this in weight?" I asked Ochaco, but she seems distracted by something so I repeated my question after she didnt' answer. "Ochaco? Would a sword of steel be a lot heavier?"

"Oh...no. No, a good sword should be similar to this oaken wand. Swords are lighter than you would think, despite being steel," she finally answered after snapping out of it.

"Okay. I think I've gotten the hand of it. What's next?"

"We will start with the forms, the basic stances, and movements. Repeat the guard you did a moment ago, it's called the Boar stance," she started diving into the lesson.

Hours are spent practicing. Boar to Gate, Gate to Guard. Strokes and blocks, every time I settle into a new stance, her hands gently correct my center of gravity, tug at an arm, and correct foot placement.

"Drive the sword with your hips and shoulders. Just like with an unarmed strike, power comes from speed, and speed comes from large muscles moving a short way rather than small muscles being forcibly moved a long way."

Something half-forgotten stirred inside my soul, much more potent each minute. Every move I make becoming surer. I feel as if I've done this before. Countless times, even. As if I'm born for this.

"I think we are done. You are starting to waver, and I worry I am giving you too many things to remember," she said before smiling. "But still, you are fascinating, My Knight. You picked up the sword and became a novice in no time. In the span of few hours, you've grown to the level not unlike a fully-fledged swordsman," she gives a confused look. "It seems every time I see you, I find myself asking who you are," she said before shaking her head and turning around and saying, "Let us make this a regular thing, My Knight. It is intriguing how much you'll grow."

"Yeah, okay. Let's. By the way, Ochaco, would you like to go out tomorrow with me?" I asked. Our last date got postponed because of the damn USJ incident, so I'm inviting her to make sure we'll get to go together, this time.

At this question, she perked up. She slowly walked to me, her body's leaning in to my direction and she's looking at me with upturned eyes, "Sure, My Knight. Would you like to meet up somewhere, then?" she asked.

"Let's meet up at the train station. I have somewhere in mind that I'm sure you'll love," I told her.

"I am looking forward to that, Izuku," she said, her cheeks much redder than usual as she walked back to the dorms, her steps have a bubbly skip to them. I can't help but think how adorable she is.

As for me, I have a work at the Crowley's so I walked over to the direction of the gates.

Mainly an Izuocha chapter while setting up more things for the future. Also, I've been replaying the LOM trilogy and found out Ochaco's birthday matches Emily's, the female lead in LOM. It's meant to be. 😂 Though, Owyn's and Izuku's birthdays are ~2 months apart. Close enough so I'll take it.

Izuku's extremely talented with the sword and that will be explained later on. Actually, there's a Jupiter-sized hint here. 😅

Thanks again for reading this chapter! Let me know if you have questions, suggestions, or other feedback.

Next up: Planetarium Date