"Attack!" - Regular Speech

'It isn't working!' - Thoughts

{My Noble Master} – Sword Spirit Communication

"Bankai!" - Spiritual Technique Usage

Beta'd by BigCC

Chapter 6: Aizawa Shōta's Shikai Test

Later

Lounge, 1-A Dorm, United Alliance Dorms, U.A. Campus

Izuku was currently recovering from taking his second ball-induced blow to the head by sitting on the sofa with Itsuka, Ochako, Asui Tsuyu, and Ashido Mina all around him. Over the course of the next hour or so, the rest of Class 1-A trickled in; Jirō Kyōka was glaring at a thoroughly chastised Kaminari Denki a few seats away after tearing a royal strip off him and having confiscated every ball toy in the boy's possession, much to his chagrin, storing them all in a locked cupboard until he 'learned to be fucking careful with them.'

As his classmates slowly started to gather, Izuku's (possible) slight concussion caused him to come to a very important realization.

'W-Wow…there's a lot of girls in this class…a lot of very pretty girls…" he thought with a nervous gulp.

It certainly seemed that way to him; in addition to the four girls that were currently sharing a couch with him and Jirō, who was in the seat next to Kaminari's, there was a tall girl with pouty lips and fawn-coloured hair that was chatting excitedly with another girl with platinum blonde hair and shimmering crystal blue eyes. There was another blonde girl, though her hair was a darker shade and her eyes were a far darker blue, who was talking with a tall, black-haired girl with a long ponytail in what Izuku thought was English.

Almost a full half of their class, nine out of twenty, were girls and Izuku wasn't sure how he'd survive sharing the same dorm with them for the next three years. Sure, he'd managed to make friends with Ochako and Itsuka easily enough, Asui ('Call me Tsu') and Ashido both certainly seemed friendly, and Jirō was nice enough (albeit really strict with Kaminari, he wondered if the two of them knew each other before U.A.)…but he had never been around so many females that he didn't share a blood relation to, and in such close proximity to boot, since preschool!

The rest of his classmates were…odd. That was the only word that Izuku could think of right now. Aside from Kaminari (who was fiddling nervously with his hands), there was also the redheaded Kirishima Eijirō from earlier along with the guy he'd given a running wedgie to, who'd finally introduced himself as Sero Hanta. There was a flashy and rather flamboyant blonde guy by the name of Aoyama, who was talking to (or simply at) the seemingly emotionless, white-haired boy named Todoroki Shōto The hawk-eyed and formally spoken boy from earlier, Tokoyami, had returned as well, and he was currently talking to an extremely tall, grey-haired boy wearing a facemask, an extremely tired-looking purple-haired boy, and an extremely stiff-seeming boy with glasses who moved almost like a robot. That was everyone who'd already arrived, so they were only missing a single person from having all of Class 1-A assembled here and Izuku couldn't help but wonder who their final member would be.

(Later he would curse himself for inviting the universe to deliver a painful kick to his good mood.)

The outside door slammed open and a very familiar boy with ash blonde hair swaggered in. Bakugō Katsuki, with a sneer on his face, glared contemptuously around at the entirety of the class. When his eyes finally landed on Izuku, they noticeably burned with rage and he took a half-step forward, a snarl forming on his lips, before he visibly forced himself to stop and turn away, taking his key and stomping his way up the stairs.

"Jeez, what was with that guy?" Mina huffed. "Hey Midoriya, you and Mr. Surly over there have some kind of history? 'Cause he looked half-ready to attack you just then."

"Bakugō Katsuki. Yeah, he and I…we were friends once upon a time." Izuku answered, visibly uncomfortable as everyone seemed to focus on him. "Obviously, he doesn't care that much for me these days."

"You mean he's an asshole; he literally went out of his way to knock you over before the start of the Entrance Exams." Itsuka corrected him, scowling at the stairs. She had a nose for bullies and that blonde asshat stank to high heavens to her.

"He's a jerk!" Ochako agreed with a huff.

"He's an A-Rank Swordmaster, Ochako." the green-haired boy cautioned her. "He has never taken people contradicting him very well and he's very good at manipulating his Reiatsu for intimidation. Back in Middle School, he managed to cow everyone on the staff, the principal included, with just a spiritually-empowered glare whenever they tried to tell him off."

"Ugh, so he's like totes rotten then? Shame, he's not ugly but that attitude is totally not hot." the fawn-haired girl muttered in obvious distaste.

"So not cute." her conversation partner agreed with a short, rapid nod.

"That kind of behaviour is completely reprehensible for someone who is attempting to become a Guild-Sanctioned Swordmaster!" the stiff boy declared loudly, chopping a hand through the air. "Why did no one ever report it, surely the local Swordmaster Guild would step in to correct his behaviour?"

"Bakugō is a born A-rank Swordmaster and an incredibly talented one to boot. No one wanted to damage his reputation since he was supposedly the school's best shot at getting a graduate to attend a famous school like U.A., so…" Izuku answered with a shrug.

"Wait, but didn't you say that you were an A-rank as well?" Kaminari asked bluntly. "So, what made Mr. Attitude seem like such a better horse to bet on than you?"

Izuku smiled wanly. "Because I've only had access to my Spirit Sword for just under a year. I am what is commonly called a Battle Awoken, a Swordmaster whose Spirit Sword was awoken due to a direct threat against my life."

Several people, including the tall, black-haired girl, audibly gasped in horror at the admission, while the rest simply stared at him dumbstruck

"Dude!" Kirishima was the one who broke the following silence. "What the hell happened?"

"I was attacked by a borderline Class Two Mask Spirit." the green-haired teen stated, again becoming visibly uncomfortable. "It could…urgh…it could turn its entire body into this slime-like glop. That's what allowed it to initially lose the Swordmasters pursuing it. It suddenly erupted from a manhole when I was walking through an underpass before it suddenly enveloping me and tried to…" he stopped and shivered, the memory of those massive, tombstone-like teeth looming ever closer coming back far too clearly. It took a moment for him to gather himself again. "Even after I managed to awaken my Spirit Sword, I could barely keep it off of me. If it wasn't for the Swordmaster that had initially found it managing to catch up a minute or two later, I likely wouldn't be here right now."

"Brr." Several of the gathered students were visibly shivering at the story's end. None of them had ever been so close to a Mask Spirit before. They wouldn't be expected to actually enter combat against even the weakest Class One Mask Spirits until the end of their first year at the very earliest. To have been face-to-face with one close to being a far stronger and more dangerous Class Two Mask Spirit without even a Spirit Sword was something out of a living nightmare.

"Well, I think we can all be thankful for that." the black-haired girl offered, visibly trying to change the topic to something lighter. "Now, seeing as most of us are already here, how about we all try and get to know each other a bit better. Nothing about our Shikai of course, but maybe stuff like our hobbies, likes and dislikes? Maybe our favourite foods as well?"

"That sounds dope!" the fawn-haired girl immediately agreed, swiftly followed by most of the rest of the class.

"And how should we determine who shall be the first to reveal themselves, might I ask?" Tokoyami questioned.

"Spin the bottle?" Ashido offered, holding up an empty soft drink bottle in between two of her fingers. "Completely fair and unbiased."

"Sounds good enough to me." the tall, masked boy offered with a nod. The rest of the class seemed to agree and everyone gathered in a rough circle around the central table and chairs.

Placing the bottle in the middle of the table, Ashido gave it a quick spin. After a few seconds, it came to a stop pointing directly at Asui.

"Oh, I'm first?" the girl blinked in surprise before shrugging. "I'm Asui Tsuyu, B-Class Swordmaster, and I guess my biggest hobby would be swimming. I enjoy rainy days, and I really don't like hot days. Oh, and my favourite food is jelly of any sort."

"So should we start going clockwise or spin the bottle again?" Ochako asked curiously.

"Let's keep spinning. It adds a bit of fun to the process. Asui, why don't you do the honours this time?" the dark-haired girl offered. Tsuyu merely nodded before reaching forward and spinning the bottle. It spun for a moment before stopping pointed directly at the ponytailed girl. "Oh, ahem. My name is Yaoyorozu Momo, and I suppose my hobbies would be primarily reading and drawing. I enjoy making tea and wagashi as well. Something I dislike…messes, I suppose. I guess my favourite food would be wagashi, though I'm not particularly picky when it comes to sweets in general.

Momo then spun the bottle, with it landing on the fawn-haired girl. The girl instantly brightened, a bright smile appearing on her pouty lips. "Heyas all! The name's Utsushimi Camie, A-ranked Swordmaster! My hobbies are stage magic and other sleight-of-hand tricks. I also like watching online vids and dancing. Don't like trolls, haters, and just jerkwads in general. My favourite food has gotta be tonkatsu."

When Camie spun the bottle, it landed on Izuku himself, much to his surprise. "O-Oh…I'm Midoriya Izuku, a Battle Awoken A-Rank Swordmaster." he managed to get out without a stutter. "My hobbies…uh, I like to study and research Swordmasters and I've recently gotten really into meditation. I like reading and training with my Spirit Sword. I dislike…I've never had a stomach for horror films, I guess. My favourite food is katsudon, particularly my mother's own recipe."

Kirishima was the next person to be selected. "Right on! The name is Kirishima Eijirō! My hobbies are working out and watching tokusatsu shows! I like training and manliness in general. I dislike unmanly things like hit and runs! My favourite food…anything with plenty of meat, really!"

His introduction earned Kirishima more than a few odd looks before Mina butted in, eyes rolling at her friend's oddities. "My old buddy here means that he likes anything that's brave, gallant, or noble, irrespective of the gender involved. Just a warning, 'manly' is his catch-all compliment for anything that fits that description. Don't get irked at him using it towards you all, girls."

With that cleared up, the bottle was spun once more, this time landing on the flamboyant blonde boy. "Ah, the limelight finally shines on moi!" he offered with a sparkly smile. "Je m'appelle Aoyama Yūga, B-Class Swordmaster! I am half-Japanese and half-French! My hobbies are creating my home-made parfum and Les huiles essentielles. I like to present myself perfectly, and I dislike rushing my perfection! My favourite food, I suppose, would be galette des rois!"

After Momo, who apparently spoke a bit of French herself, managed to translate a bit for the rest of them, Aoyama then spun the bottle with a flair.

"Oh, my turn I guess?" the tall brunette who'd managed to annoy Kirishima offered with a grin. "The name is Sero Hanta, B-Class Swordmaster, though I'm almost up to A-Class! My hobbies are reading and collecting old American comic and memorabilia. Spiderman is my favourite, by the way. I like anything fun and am always up for trying something new. I'm not a big fan of manga and tokusatsu, particularly the old Japanese try at Spiderman. My favourite food…not sure, I like eating healthy so anything like oranges, soy, or tofu I guess."

A moment later it was the blonde girl that had been speaking with Momo's turn.

"I Pony Tsunotori. Am Half-American, Half-Japanese. Still not so good with language but am working on." she offered in slightly broken Japanese. "Am A-Class Swordmaster. Hobbies are learning Japanese, watching anime, and horse riding. Like anything Japanese. Not like speaking like this. Favourite food is apples, very much Red Delicious or Gala."

Yaoyorozu said something to her in English that Izuku was barely able to make out as an offer to help her improve her Japanese, which Tsunotori excitedly accepted.

When the bottle was spun again, it pointed at Ochako.

"Umm…the name's Uraraka Ochako, A-Class Swordmaster." she offered nervously, blushing slightly. "My hobbies are stargazing and amateur astrology. I like making homemade wagashi and making new friends. I can't stand bullies! My favourite food…eh I like nearly any Japanese food but mochi is my absolute most favourite.

Yaoyorozu face quickly brightened as she listened to Ochako's introduction, apparently quite happy to find someone that shared her love of sweets.

"My turn, huh? Alright, whatevs." Jirō sighed with a shrug as the bottle came to a stop pointing at her. "The name is Jirō Kyōka, an A-Class Swordmaster. My hobbies are learning and playing various instruments, mostly the guitar and drums, and listening to music, particularly punk but I like some rock too. I like original songs and new bands, and I can't stand musicians who only just copy songs that other people wrote. Favourite food….karaage, I guess."

"I suppose it's my turn? Very well." the stiff, bespectacled boy nodded as the bottle came to a stop on him. "I am Iida Ten'ya, an A-Class Swordmaster. My hobbies include studying and honing my kendo. I like to keep things organized and structured and I cannot abide those that disrespect the rules. My favourite food would have beef stew."

"Guess I should have known my turn was coming up." Itsuka grumbled as the bottle stopped spinning. "The name is Kendō Itsuka, an A-Class Swordmaster. My hobbies are learning and practising martial arts, and working on and riding motorcycles. I like people who are willing to work for what they want and I can't stand spoilt brats or bullies. Can't say that I have a favourite food…though I do enjoy black coffee if that counts."

"And so the shadow falls on me." Tokoyami offered ominously as the bottle pointed towards him. "I am Tokoyami Fumikage, an A-Class Swordmaster. My hobby is visited haunted building and similarly atmospheric locales, as well as watching horror films. I enjoy quiet places. I cannot stand those who are needlessly loud or intolerant. As for my most favoured respite…I suppose I am like Tsunotori-san in that I enjoy apples, although I personal prefer Fuji or Akane Apples."

"Ugh." The purple-haired boy merely groaned when he was chosen. "Hey, the name is Hitoshi Shinsō, I'm a B-class Swordmaster. Hobbies are cycling and feeding stray cats. I like napping and peace and quiet. Can't stand anyone who make noise at odd hours of the night or anyone who's cruel to animals. My favourite food is okonomiyaki…I think."

The expressionless boy merely blinked when the bottle pointed at him, but his face was unchanging as he spoke. "I am Todoroki Shōto, an A-Class Swordmaster. Hobbies…I enjoy compiling lists of various conspiracy theories and then researching them to see if they are correct, I like…training. I dislike…things that keep me from training. My favourite food is Zaru Soba.

"Hmm." the masked boy merely nodded slightly when it was his turn. "I am Shōji Mezō, and I'm a B-Class Swordmaster. My hobbies are rock climbing and weightlifting. I enjoy pushing myself and I dislike anyone who tries to make others hold themselves back. My favourite foods…I really enjoy any seafood, but I am particularly fond of anything with squid or octopus, like takoyaki and squid ink pasta.

"Alright, finally my turn!" Kaminari looked thrilled. "The name is Kaminari Denki, B-Class Swordmaster! My hobbies are following the current popular trends in fashion and music and reading manga. I like relaxing and I can't take it when people try and force others to work when they're supposed to be relaxing. My favourite food has gotta be hamburgers!"

As there were only two people left, Ashido and the platinum-haired girl did a quick game of Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who goes next.

"Dangit, lost." Ashido pouted before instantly cheering up. "Hiya! Ashido Mina here, an A-Class Swordmaster! My hobbies are dancing of all kinds and acrobatics! I like having fun with my friends and I can't stand bullies or discrimination of any kind! My favourite foods are okra and nattō!"

"My turn! My turn! I'm Hagakure Tōru, a B-Class Swordmaster!" the platinum-haired girl smiled. "My hobbies are watching dokkiri shows and collecting cute plushies! I like cute things, and I hate perverts and sour things! My favourite food is caramel, especially caramel chocolates!"

"What about that angry dude?" Kaminari jerked his finger toward the staircase.

"Bakugō Katsuki, A-Class Swordmaster." Izuku recited from memory. "His hobbies are mountain climbing, exercise, and cooking. He likes it when people 'know their place' and can't stand it whenever someone gets 'uppity' or 'looks down on him.' His favourite food is anything with a lot of spice, the hotter the better."

When everyone just looked at him in surprise, the verdette blushed before shrugging. "We have been in the same class since preschool." he offered by way of explanation. "Dunno why; I think the world just hates me like that."

"The world can be like that sometimes son, you just have to soldier on." a familiar voice offered from the entrance. Izuku instantly jerked his head up and around to see his father leaning against the doorway, a smirk on his face.

"DAD!?" he yelped in shock, much to everyone's surprise. "What are you doing here?!"

"Nezu offered me a second job and reduced my hours with my first one." Midoriya Hisashi replied with a laugh. "I'm now the dorm manager here during the day; from six in the morning all the way to six in the afternoon on weekdays. Someone else takes over at the weekends. Gives me a chance to keep an eye on my son, and I get a pay raise, so no reason to refuse it."

"Did you at least talk to Mum about it first?" Izuku groaned.

"Nezu let me use his phone to call her before I accepted." he reassured his son before reaching down and grabbing a plastic bag at his feet before handing it to Izuku. "Alright kids. The name's Midoriya Hisashi, and as you might have surmised, I'm Izuku's father. I am also the day dorm manager, as you just heard. Take one book from this bag; it's the rules of the dorm, so don't throw it out."

As his son took one and passed it over to Itsuka, Hisashi continued. "The basics are what you'd expect from any high school dorm; no vandalizing the rooms or furniture. You break or seriously damage anything that isn't your own stuff and you will be charged a suitable amount to replace it, though special circumstances can see that penalty being reduced. You're free to take your meals either here or in the cafeteria, whichever you prefer; though if you intend to eat here often, let me know so I can speak to the Principal about increasing our food budget. A Swordmaster-specific rule is that under no circumstances, barring for self defence during an invasion of Mask Spirits or an attack by rogues, are any of you to invoke your Shikai or Bankai within the building. Doing so without a very good reason will see you automatically suspended for at least three months. Doing it a second time will result in a Parent-Teacher Conference and another suspension. Three strikes will get you expelled."

Looking around to be sure he had everyone's attention, Hisashi nodded. "Since you are all counted as probationary members of the U.A. Guild while studying here, as well as high school students, there is a strict ten o'clock curfew. All girls need to be on their side by then, same goes for the boys. Whether or not you actually go to bed then is entirely your own decision, but unless you're ill, don't expect the teachers here to show you any mercy if you show up ragged and exhausted. Particularly if you were up all-night playing Mario Party 10: Ultimate Compilation Part 3."

"Dad, I did that exactly once! When I was eight!" Izuku protested, face burning. Ochako and Itsuka were both snickering at his side, Ashido was also smirking and even Asui looked amused.

Hisashi just chuckled before moving on. "That being said, there are a number of advantages to the dorms as well. The Student Gym is a five-minute walk away and there is a sparring room in the basement, though it is limited to hand-to-hand combat training only. If you want to train your kenjutsu, there are facilities and plenty of sparring partners available at the Student Sparring Arena. Again, Shikai use is strictly prohibited in any spars outside of strictly monitored circumstances and emergency situations until you reach your third year. Both the Sparring Arena and the Student Gym are open and free to use until ten minutes before curfew."

"Now, I trust that everyone has already gotten their keys from the cork board?" he asked the room. When he got nods from all around, he continued. "Good, I've got a copy of the master key in case of emergencies, but it will be a thousand yen fine to replace your copy if it is ever lost or broken."

"So little?" Yaoyorozu asked, a cute tilt of her head indicating her confusion.

"We can't really charge high-school students full price for getting a new key cut." the former black company salaryman offered with a laugh. "Though if someone makes a habit of losing it, the fine is going to increase."

"Geh…" Kaminari blanched.

"Well, I've said my piece, so I'll leave you kids to your socializing. I will be here for the next hour or so, so if you have any questions about anything I'll be in the front office by the entrance." Hisashi offered with a smile. "Welcome one and all to U.A. High and congratulations on passing the entrance exams. Just to warn you, the toughest trials are yet to come."

As his father turned on his heels to depart, waving his hand over his shoulder, Izuku couldn't hold in a sigh. "Great, he's falling into his bad habits again. Dammit…"

"Bad habits?" Itsuka asked.

"Dad has always liked to…mess with people." The green-haired boy sighed tiredly as he absently adjusted his Sword Case. "That little cryptic statement he added at the end there? That was his way of saying 'I know something that you don't know!' and flaunting it. He's going to laugh himself silly whenever what he was taunting us about happens before smirking knowingly for days afterwards."

"That is…some kind of bad habit he's got there." Asui offered dully.

"Given that he's been too exhausted to actually indulge in it until recently, I'm honestly half-glad he's back to his old tricks again. Still annoying, but…" Izuku trailed off. He was then forced to explain the whole 'Intetsu Industries' debacle to his curious classmates.

"A black company, in this day and age…" Yaoyorozu shook her head, lips pursed in distaste.

"That is so not manly." Kirishima offered with a shake of his head.

"It's bloody fucked up is what it is," Jirō offered, scowling angrily. "There's a reason those kinds of places were outlawed after Spirit Swords started showing up. They're fucking breeding grounds for Mask Spirits."

"That's something the Musutafu Warriors Guild is looking into, alongside the police investigation." Izuku offered with a shrug.

While everyone quickly drifted back into their socializing, Izuku grabbed the last book from the bag his dad had left and, after depositing the bag with the non-burnable trash, headed up toward Bakugō's room to have a…chat…with his former friend. Unbeknownst to him, both Ochako and Iruka were following a bit behind him out of concern after they recognized where he was heading.

Bakugō's room was, thankfully, on a different floor from Izuku's, as well as being on the opposite end of the corridor of his. His door was easy to find, being the only one left wide open and with music blaring out of it. When Izuku knocked on the door to draw his attention, the blonde teen had just finished pinning a poster (some metal band that Izuku had never heard of) to the wall.

"The fuck do you want, Deku?" he growled out, stalking toward the door.

"First off, remember our deal, Kacchan. You don't call me by that nickname, I don't use your old one either." Izuku scowled right back before absently tossing the handbook onto the nearby bed. "Second off, this is a copy of the dorm rulebook. The dorm supervisor passed them out a few minutes ago downstairs." He knowingly did not tell Bakugō just who the supervisor was just yet.

"Tch. Is that all?" Bakugō huffed, baring his teeth at the boy who had once been his friend.

"No. It's not." the verdette stated simply as he stepped into the room and right into his former friend personal space. "I honestly don't know how you turned into such an arrogant and twisted jackass, but I decided you deserve this one warning; we aren't at Aldera anymore. Every teacher here is an active duty Swordmaster of the top Guild in Japan, meaning that each and every one of them can and will slap you down hard if you try the same shit you liked to pull back at Aldera. Back there, you were the big fish in a little pond. Now we're in a much bigger pond and there are some real big fish swimming about."

"Fucker…!" the blonde boy's Reiatsu started to rise, a red-brown aura starting to crackle over his body. Izuku merely raised his own Reiatsu to match, a green-white aura swirling to life around him. "There is nothing fucking AVERAGE about me, Deku! Not like you, not like the rest of those scrubs downstairs. I am meant to be the best, and I am going to prove it to everyone here!"

Izuku actually laughed, not the least bit intimidated by his former friend's display. "See, that's the part that is confusing me." he offered with a shake of his head. "What makes you think that you're so special? You had what, a month of training from some random Swordmaster? Even if they praised you endlessly back when you just got your Spirit Sword, that still wouldn't explain your train-wreck of a personality. No, it was Aldera that turned you into this asshole by not having anyone in authority with the spine to stand up to you and everyone else being far too eager to sing your praises."

"The fuck are you talking about?!" Katsuki hissed, neither boy noticing a brunette and orangette listening in at the door.

"Oh come off it, Bakugō. I know that you're actually smart once you get past that damned mountain you call an ego. You can guess exactly what I mean." Izuku shot back, sounding…lighter. As if he was shedding some unseen burden with every word he spoke. "You know just as well as I do…that those idiots at Aldera didn't know the first thing about what makes a Swordmaster. You could describe everything to them, give them every detail, but in the end they're all civilians who haven't got a clue on what it really takes to be a true Swordmaster. They don't know a thing about hunting down Mask Spirits without knowing just what kind of monster you will be facing. At best they know the absolute basics of how Swordmasters work. Now do you get what I'm saying?"

"You little…!" the blonde boy growled out.

"Let me put this as plainly as I can then, Bakugō. All that praise, all those compliments, and all that other crap that our teachers and classmates used to shovel into your head? It was all utterly worthless. They don't know the first thing about Swordmasters, so how could they know anything about your worth as one. All that crap was, in the end, the worthless chattering of a bunch of brown nosers eager to latch onto someone else's coattails." the former bully target stated coldly, slowly enunciating every word to make sure that there was no way he could be misheard. "Are you good at kenjutsu. Yes. Do you have a crap-load of Reiryoku? Also yes. Do you have a talent for manipulating your Reiryoku and turning it into Reiatsu? Sure. Does all of that automatically make you a great Swordmaster? Hell no! Even rogues and dropouts can pull that kind of crap."

"…!" Bakugō's eyes were narrowed down to slits and his fists were clenched as he waited for the annoying little shit in front of him to run out of breath.

"Luckily for you, we are now officially at the best place to learn how to actually be great Swordmasters." Izuku offered, a sharp, angry grin on his lips. "Think of this as a brand new starting line, Bakugō. We're both at the exact same place right now, so you want to prove that you're better than me? Go ahead and try to prove it in class. Which is better, my way of being a Swordmaster or yours? We'll let the school rankings decide for us. So, if you think you're the best. Prove. It."

Bakugō was silent for a moment, hands white-knuckled at his sides. When he locked eyes with Izuku a moment later, his eyes were practically deranged and his voice was a harsh whisper of barely contained rage. "I am going to utterly destroy you, Deku! I am going to make you fucking regret ever being born by the time I am fucking done with you."

"Whatever you say, Kacchan. Whatever you say." Izuku shook his head as he turned and started to leave the room, letting his Reiatsu die down as he left. "By the way, my Dad is the Dorm Supervisor during the day. I wouldn't try your luck with him either if I were you."

Bakugō balked at that, momentarily thrown from his rage spiral. "How the…?"

"Blame Nezu." Izuku offered simply as he continued to walk away, not noticing Itsuka and Ochako sneaking down the stairs on the opposite side of the corridor. "Later, Kacchan."

Katsuki had never been so angry in his entire life as he stalked over to the door seconds after THAT LITTLE BASTARD left and slammed it shut with enough force to shake the walls. He wanted to break something, to smash something, to utterly destroy something so badly just to vent his rage, but there was nothing to be done. He wouldn't ruin his own stuff because of that worthless shit, and he wasn't about to lower himself to ask one of the extras downstairs about the place.

'That little shit doesn't know what he's fucking talking about.' Bakugō Katsuki raged silently to himself. 'He thinks he fucking knows better than ME!? So what if all those background characters had all just been talking shit!? I already knew they didn't know anything worth a crap! I know that I'm the best! No one, especially not that worthless little pissant bastard Deku, gets to talk down to me like that!'

That fucking weakling had just gone and declared a goddamned war on him, and Bakugō Katsuki was going to utterly blitzkrieg his pathetic ass into the fucking dust, right where it belonged. No one got away with talking down to him like that. No fucking one.

"Your days are fucking numbered, Deku!" he snarled out. "You'd better have fun while it lasts, because I'm going to blow you to pieces first chance I get!"

The Next Day

Auditorium, U.A. High School

'I swear, that fucking rodent had better not try and get me involved with this waste of time like he did last year.' Aizawa Shōta scowled, his face mostly concealed by his long and frazzled fringe of hair and the long scarf that was a part of his own customizations to his official U.A. Swordmaster uniform. Once someone has confirmed at least 500 Mask Spirit kills or Rogue take downs, United Alliance protocol allowed them to modify their Swordmaster uniform to a certain degree. Unlike most, Shōta had merely added his scarf and some additional light pieces of armour to his arms and legs.

Looking out at the gathered first, second, and third years; the perpetually sleep-deprived man continued to scowl. He had never seen the use in all of the useless pomp and ceremony that Nezu insisted upon, seeing it as a waste of time that could be better spent trying to ensure that the gathered brats had a better chance of surviving in the field, but, as usual, his illogical co-workers had refused to see reason.

So here he was. With the ease of long practice, he had tuned out the various minutiae that Nezu was informing the new students about (and reminding the old students of) and was instead scanning the new students to see if there were any potential troubles already brewing.

'That one is gonna be a problem.' Shōta thought in annoyance as he spotted Bakugō Katsuki glaring murderously at the back of one Midoriya Izuku. The blonde boy had shown an…impressive display of raw power during his Practical Exam, overwhelming his opponent with a savage and brutal fighting style. However, unfortunately he had not been gracious in victory and had left the testing area without even bothering to watch anyone else fight. The kid's attitude and aggressiveness were already painting a bad picture of the type of Swordmaster he could become with time.

The fact that he had apparently gone to the same Junior High as Midoriya, Yagi's Apprentice, was also vaguely interesting.

It was quite obvious that the ash blonde had some kind of grudge against Midoriya; it was equally as obvious that the green-haired boy was also well aware of Bakugō's ire and was studiously ignoring the other teen's glare with the apparent ease of painfully long practice. The rest of the class were also aware of the venom between the two and none seemed to be on the more aggressive teen's side, with Kendō, Uraraka and Ashido being the most obvious in their glares aimed back at Bakugō. He vaguely noted that all three girls and Midoriya seemed half-ready to act if Bakugō lost the tenuous grip he had on his temper, for whatever reason, and tried to attack Midoriya in the middle of the auditorium.

That the red-eyed child had somehow already managed to alienate himself from most of his classmates in a single night was another mark against him. Teenagers might be fickle at times, but this kind of reaction was very far from the norm.

Shōta said and did nothing, merely making a mental note to pair the two up for their first kenjutsu spar. Letting this thing fester would do no one any good, so it would be best to try and detonate it in a controlled and relatively safe environment. It would also show just how far Bakugō was willing to go when given the opportunity, and would show how Midoriya would react when forced to confront a clearly hostile and aggressive enemy. Everything that he had seen or read from the green-haired child's file pointed to someone who was far too passive, reactive, and unwilling to directly confront a problem. That needed to fixed, or at the very least curtailed and diminished as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Sekijirō would no doubt kick up a fuss about it, the larger man was far too soft on their students, unwilling to push them hard and fast enough. Shōta was well aware that Nezu had paired the two men together so that they could dilute, mitigate and balance out each other's worse traits. Shōta knew that he was extremely harsh and demanding of his students, that he came off as cold and more than a bit cruel, and he could admit (even if only to himself) that he could push things a bit too far at times. Sekijirō Kan on the other hand was too soft, too willing to let his students advance and grow at a 'comfortable' rate, and cared a bit too much for his kids.

In the end, despite his grumblings he could admit that Nezu's little balancing act actually worked fairly well. Shōta pushed the kids to excel and Kan kept him from trying for too much, too fast. Kan cared for and nurtured their growth while Shōta kept them from being coddled or growing lazy.

After far too long, the purgatory known as Nezu's Yearly Lecture (deserving those capital letters due to how mind-numbingly boring it was) came to an end, Aizawa nodded towards Kan, who sighed in resignation but didn't argue. It was time to put this year's fresh crop through the Shikai Test.

'What I wouldn't give to be curled up in my sleeping bag right now, damned rat.' Shōta thought bitterly as he made his was toward the homeroom assigned to Class 1-A. ''Unprofessional conduct' my ass.'

Technically speaking, the various Swordmaster Guilds of Japan were considered a branch of the JSDF collectively referred to as the 'Militant Anti-Spiritual Being Force' and were thus held to a higher standard of behaviour and appearance than if they had, say, been grandfathered in as a form of pseudo-civil servants like the police. The Generals of the JSDF had no actual authority or ability to command the Swordmaster Guilds outside the declaration of a national emergency like a Class Four Mask Spirit suddenly appearing, and even then their authority was extremely limited. That had been the case since a particular pointed cock-up on the JSDF's part some hundred and fifty years ago.

This ultimately meant that Nezu constantly confiscated Shōta's sleeping bags, citing it as being unprofessional conduct by a member of the Swordmaster Guilds in general, and the United Alliance Guild in particular.

Shōta knew better. It was just an excuse for the fucking rat to mess with him.

When he slid open the door and entered, he noticed all conversation in the room had come to a sudden stop. Most of his new 'students' were scattered around the room, seated but not in any particular order. Shōta didn't really care about that; they could sit wherever they wanted as long as long as they got their work done. If anyone proved to be too disruptive where they were, he'd move them somewhere else, simple as that.

He quickly noticed that Midoriya and Bakugō had taken seats as far apart as physically possible while still being in the same classroom; Bakugō was in the front row and closest to the door, while Midoriya had taken the back row seat closest to the window. At the very least, both boys were sensible enough to keep some distance from each other so things wouldn't escalate in the classroom, that was something at least.

Midoriya was also already surrounded by a small coterie of friends, mostly girls. Kendō Itsuka, Uraraka Ochako, Ashido Mina and even the Yaoyorozu Heiress were all there and the boy was obviously uncomfortable with the attention but was soldiering on adroitly. Aizawa also noticed that Iida Ten'ya was seated nearby and also occasionally joining in on the conversation, though he was in no way surprised by how rigidly the kid was sitting. His elder brother, Iida Tensei, had been Shōta's classmate back in the day and was currently in charge of the United Alliance Guild's Branch Office in Hosu City. Tensei had more than once mentioned how overly formal and mentally inflexible his kid brother could be at times. It was something that Aizawa knew they were going to need to work on.

"Alright." he called out as he walked up to the lectern. "The name is Aizawa Shōta, though during Guild operations I go by the codename Eraser Head, and I am an A-Class Swordmaster. I am also your Homeroom Teacher for the time being. Today, we have a special lesson for the Swordmaster Course. Inside your desks you'll each find a unisex U.A. kendogi uniform. Some of you might need to play pass the parcel since you didn't follow the seating chart posted on the teacher's lectern, but I really couldn't care less about that. With few exceptions, they should be unisex and one-size-fits-all. Go to the locker rooms, get changed, and then head to the First Year Sparring Hall and be sure to bring you Spirit Swords with you. Each set of kendogi should also have a map showing the route you'll need to follow tucked inside of it. You have ten minutes to change and arrive at the hall."

His piece said, Shōta turned and quickly left the room, not giving any of the gathered students a chance to either offer a word of protest or question, a grim smile on his face. He still woke up in cold sweats some nights, remembering the sights and sounds of Shirakumo Oboro, codenamed Loud Cloud, as he was devoured by a Mask Spirit. That was the reason he pushed his students so hard, he refused to watch a student or comrade fall to those monsters again. He still kept a weather eye open for any reports of the Masked Spirit that had devoured his friend, the beast having managed to escape through one of those strange black tears in reality that those creatures seemed to instinctively learn how to create when they advanced to Class Two.

The kendogi for the teachers was pretty much identical to the ones that were issued to the students, with the only exception being that the staff's kendogi had a thin strip of red around the edge of their sleeves. It symbolized that they had shed blood, both that of Rogue Swordmasters and Mask Spirits. It was both a badge of pride and grim reminder of the necessities their job demanded.

Shōta waited patiently in one of the three main kendo dojos assigned to each year's Swordmaster Course. The dojo itself was massive, easily half-again as large as it would have needed to be to have all forty of their students simultaneously compete in one-on-one sparring matches. Just another of Nezu's incomprehensibly expansive preparations for 'just in case we need to increase the size of the Swordmaster Course in the years to come!'

Yeah, and if anyone actually bought that excuse then Shōta had some prime seafront property in Fiji to offer them as well.

Just at the nine-minute mark, his class, as well as Sekijirō's, started to pour into the room. The large, white-haired and heavily muscled man that was Sekijirō Kan, codename Vlad King, followed in after them, already giving him a disapproving look before crossing his arms as he moved to stand against one of the nearby walls.

'You'd think that he'd just accept the necessity of this test already, we've been doing it every year since we started working together.' Shōta thought with a roll of his eyes. He just couldn't understand how illogical his co-workers could be at times.

"Alright, all of you settle down and pay attention!" Aizawa barked out, eyes sweeping across the gathered Swordmaster Course First Years. Once he was sure they were all paying attention, he continued, "First, we need to break a few preconceptions some of you might be under. The fact that you exist as two separate classes is only to ensure that your mundane subjects like English, Classical Japanese, Mathematics, and the like can be kept at a reasonable class size, and to keep the dorms at a manageable size. Outside of those classes, 1-A and 1-B do not exist, you are all part of the Swordmaster Course and probationary members of United Alliance Swordmaster Guild. You need to internalise that ideal because silly ideas like class rivalries will only interfere with your training moving forward."

Shōta narrowed his eyes when he noted the particularly dumbfounded and disbelieving features of one student. Best nip that in the bud right quick. "Yes, Monoma Neito, I am being completely serious. This not some 'fad' or 'gimmick' or whatever excuse you want to conjure up to try and dismiss this. You are all comrades now, accept it and work together to grow."

The dark-haired Swordmaster began to slowly pace back and forth in front of the gathered students, ignoring the flushed and embarrassed face of the blonde boy near the front.

"We Swordmasters are the only ones that have the ability to protect innocent people from the constant threat of Mask Spirits. Guns and other conventional weaponry are next to worthless against them. Even a Class One Mask Spirit is normally capable of completely destroying a main battle tank with little effort. They are exceedingly dangerous, endlessly ravenous and without any shred of mercy or remorse; if given the slightest opportunity, they will not hesitate to devour any human soul they come across, normal and Swordmaster alike." he stated firmly. "The United Alliance Guild does not have the time or the effort to waste on the kind of petty rivalries that sometimes appear in other guilds. We cannot let petty internal divisions and squabbling divide us into factions. That is utterly illogical and a waste of time, resources and even lives. Anyone foolish enough to try and encourage that kind of behaviour within our Guild will not remain a part of it for long. You have been warned."

As he allowed his warning to sink in, Shōta absently drew his Spirit Sword from his waist. His blade appeared to be a normal-looking katana at first glance, with a plain circular tsuba and a black leather tsuka-ito, even the sheath was scuffed and worn from years of ready use. Most would not even instantly recognize it as a Spirit Sword at all.

"Ubae, Chidama Sango! (Deprive, Blood Coral Crystal!)" he intoned simply, closing his eyes as he did so. The blade erupted in blazing red light that blinded all who looked at it. When the light faded, and the students blinked the spots from their vision, they gasped at the change that Shōta's Spirit Sword had undergone.

There was no longer a sword resting in his hand. Instead, his hand was wrapped around the shaft of a long, fighting staff made from deep orange coral (that was stronger than steel) and stretched longer than Shōta was tall. Mounted on the top of the staff was a single perfectly spherical, grapefruit-sized orb of red crystal that had a spiky formation of darker red coral captured within it, with the entire mass radiating a soft inner light.

"Hakudatsu no Hikari! (Light of Deprivation!)" Shōta commanded as he opened his eyes once more, his black eyes glowing a vibrant red. The orb at the tip of his Shikai responded immediately and erupted in a blinding wave of crimson radiance that covered the entirety of the hall in a single instant. As it did, nearly every one of the gathered students gasped again, this time in shock and horror as they felt the connection to their Sword Spirit, that passive, subtle link that they had felt ever since they first manifested their blades, suddenly begin to fade before vanishing into almost nothing.

The light faded a moment later, leaving behind a thin red nimbus around each of the affected students and the crystal sphere glowing a brilliant red.

"This is the special ability of my Spirit Sword's Shikai, Chidama Sango." Aizawa stated without any inflection, even as his eyes continued to glow. "When I activate it, it interferes with the connection between a Swordmaster and their Spirit Sword and Sword Spirit, preventing them from releasing their Shikai. Your test is simple: find a way to either lessen the block or completely break the effects of Chidama Sango by any means necessary. I don't care if you find a weakness in the effect or overcome it through sheer force of willpower and stubbornness. You have precisely ten minutes to do so. Should not even a single one of you manage it, the entire Swordmaster Course will have to deal with double homework for all of their classes for the first week."

"NO WAY!" several of the less academically inclined students practically wailed in dismay.

Shōta simply stared impassively as the entire group of students drew out their swords to try and find a way break through his Shikai's special ability. Some dropped to the floor and began to try and use Jinzen to break through the block, while others were holding their swords in white-knuckled grips as they tried to focus their Reiryoku to force through the block. Neither of them would work. It would take an immensely strong link to their Sword Spirit, the type required to attain Bankai, to break through Hakudatsu no Hikari with Jinzen, and breaking through it with pure Reiryoku required both an incredible amount of power and precise control to use their energy to pierce the divide his Shikai created. Any of these newbies that might have the power to break through certainly didn't have the control needed to use it as precisely as they'd need to.

'They're all going immediately after the obvious solutions…not surprising but still a bit disappointing.' he though with a sigh. He knew this was likely the first time any of the kids had been affected by something that interfered with their connections to their Spirit Swords. The lack of that constant and familiar link was driving most of them into a bit of a panic as they desperately sought to reconnect with the other half of their souls.

Was it a bit cruel? Yes. Was it necessary? Also yes. There was a very important lesson that these kids needed to learn as soon possible and this was the best way to really drive it home. So far none of them…hmm…?

Midoriya, one of the ones who'd attempted Jinzen at first, had returned to his feet and was now looking between his Spirit Sword and Shōta with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. Had the kid noticed the easiest path to victory?

Seemingly coming to a decision with a determined nod, Midoriya re-sheathed his Spirit Sword and began to walk slowly and stoically toward Shōta, much to the confusion of the rest of the students. He stopped a few inches in front of the stoic teacher's form…before suddenly lashing out with a kick that sent their teacher's Released Spirit Sword flying from his unresisting hand, to clatter against the floor. The light of Chidama Sango's crystal instantly winked out as it left his grasp, before the staff reverted back to its sealed state a moment later.

The room was dead quiet, every other student staring at Midoriya with various gobsmacked, shocked, or outright disbelieving looks for what he'd just done. Shōta merely stared down at the green-haired first year for a moment before a slight smirk came to his lips as he nodded. "Full marks Midoriya, you pass."

"WHAT!?" the scream echoed from several throats at once.

"The Fuck!?" Bakugō Katsuki roared as he stormed his way to the front, rage burning in his eyes. "He fucking cheated!"

"Incorrect." Aizawa stated flatly as he turned and walked up to the fallen form of his Spirit Sword before sheathing it. "Did you forget that I said to use any means to attempt to break my Shikai's effect? Out of EVERY student gathered here, Midoriya was the only one that saw past the obvious solutions and found a way to win." he turned and met their collective stares with a deadpan glare. "None you had the slightest chance of being able to overcome Chidama Sango's ability; you lack either the power, the control, or both, to overcome it with pure Reiryoku, and your bonds are not yet strong enough to overcome it through Jinzen. There is only one other way for someone to forcefully deactivate Chidama Sango's effect, and that is to physically remove my Spirit Sword from my person so I can't maintain it. No one outside of the Guilds are aware of that specific weakness. Had any of you tried to attack me outright with your sealed swords then it would have granted you a partial pass. The fact that Midoriya used a sudden sneak attack to deliberately attempt to disarm me is why he gets full marks. He is also the only reason that you're all not going to be buried in homework for the next week, so be sure to thank him for that."

Waving Midoriya back to his classmates, Shōta allowed him a moment to rejoin them before continuing. "All of you have already awakened your Shikai, the true forms of your Spirit Swords. Each and every one is a representation of some aspect of your soul and is likely a dangerous weapon or ability. However, just because you have this ability does not mean that calling on it will always be the best choice or even a wise choice. That is the point of today's lesson. Depending on the circumstances you find yourself in, utilizing your Shikai would be akin to using your sword to kill a fly, wasteful and meaningless; in others it might even be a weakness if your Shikai is unsuited to the task or opponent. And in some cases, like if you were to face a foe with an ability like mine, it is simply not possible. That is why U.A. is so insistent on ensuring you have a firm grasp of all the abilities that a Swordmaster can wield, rather than teaching you to simply hone and harness your unique gifts."

Looking around, he saw several confused or thoughtful faces among the more powerful First Years (Yaoyorozu, Fumikage and Ten'ya in particular) and a couple looked perturbed or downright disgruntled at the idea (Bakugō in particularly was fuming, and Todoroki did not look all that pleased either). Midoriya and several of the other students seemed to at least be processing the lesson quite well, though.

"You will find your syllabi and class schedules in your assigned desks back at your respective classrooms." Shōta finished, smirking ever so slightly. "You're all dismissed for the day, use it to contemplate this lesson. Welcome to the U.A. Swordmaster Course. Buckle up kiddies, this is only the beginning."

With that, he left the room, Sekijirō following him in silent resignation. Another successful Shikai Test. That brought the total number of passes up to an even four…out of the dozen-odd years he'd been a teacher.

Dammit, now he owed Hizashi a coffee…

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Next Chapter: Sparring and Shikai

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