Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia/Boku No Hero Academia, Overlord, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
The Sorcerer Hero: Deku
Chapter two: Field studies and building things up
Ainz, figuring that Izuku's mom Inko would fret if she saw that (who she thought was still) her son had been up until the wee hours of the morning if not all night, got into the bed in the room he had inherited from Izuku and laid still. The Sorcerer King had written out all of what he had learned since coming to this second New World, at least what all that he thought was necessary pertaining to the powers that the people of this second New World clamor about so much for.
Quirks, they are called. Random powers that started appearing in the human race of this world a couple of generations ago, blurring the lines of comic fantasy and reality here. They were rare in the beginning, but over time they became more and more common. It's to the point that eighty percent of this world's population has quirks. Society in this world revolved around quirks; if you didn't have one, then as far as society was concerned, you had less value than the dirt.
Unfortunately for Izuku (but fortunately for Ainz), Izuku was one of the twenty percent of this world's population who didn't have a quirk. Izuku's quirkless diagnosis had ultimately led to his suicide in the afternoon yesterday. But whereas Izuku's being fled his body upon death, Ainz's being swooped right in and claimed the then lifeless body for himself, giving the Sorcerer King a corporeal form in this second New World when he needed it. For that, Ainz was truly grateful to Izuku.
As well as pissed off to near beyond reason on Izuku's behalf. The treatment that the poor boy had endured, due solely to accident of birth, over the course of his tragically short life reminded Ainz of the incompetent nobles of the kingdom that Gazef gave his life for in PVP (that was how Ainz called it when he dueled Gazef) against Ainz himself. Incompetent nobles who care not for those born to the lesser levels of their now long defunct kingdom's hierarchy of society.
Who is to say that one can't do hero work, can't become a hero, without first having some manner of fantastical power? Ainz remembered reading some comics that one of his guild mates had snuck into the library in Nazarick, and there were a few stand out comic book superheroes that had no sort of powers at all, they were mere normal human beings. And yet through training, working out, and sheer skill, mere human beings were able to stand shoulder to shoulder with literal gods even.
And this also translates well enough to the heroes of the first New World, at least if one were to ask Ainz. Take a look at Gazef, one of the few (if not the only one) humans in the first New World who Ainz had never hated. He wasn't born to nobility or royalty, he had no talent for magic (at least as far as Ainz was aware), yet through sheer training that any human in theory can do, he became one of the finest humans in the first New World that Ainz ever had the pleasure to know.
The Sorcerer King theorized that Gazef and Izuku were alike, two sides of the same coin. Both were born into their respective worlds' bottom rungs, both were of good hearts and wanted to do good. The only difference is that whereas Gazef was lucky enough to have been given the chance to achieve his dreams of being a hero to the people, Izuku wasn't as lucky because everything around him was determined to keep him down before he ever got a chance to stand up.
Well, one person fully intended to let Izuku stand up, was fully intending to help the green haired boy achieve his dream of becoming a pro hero. And that one person is Ainz Ooal Gown, leader of the forty-one Supreme Beings of The Great Tomb of Nazarick. Having taken over Izuku's life and what all the boy left behind, Ainz had a cover to let him operate in this second New World as he set things up to let him add another New World to his impressive list of conquests.
This second New World had no idea what was coming.
Later that morning, as Ainz was walking to Izuku's school, Aldera Junior High, he contemplated how he would go about his second world conquest. First, he realized that he would have to build up both a loyal following and pool of funds here. Given that this second New World had a more modern theme to it than the medieval level theme of the first New World, he'd look into seedy elements in the underbelly of the Japan of this second New World then go from there.
He also still needs to test his Portal to Nazarick spell to see if people in this second New World can be brought to Nazarick and vice versa. Ainz truly hoped it would work, as not only would he be able to dispose of people in the second New World that he kills by simply chucking their dead deceased remains into a portal, but he would be able to use the vast resources he had in Nazarick to help him with his goals of conquest here. It was like a new game plus to the Sorcerer King.
It was as Ainz was walking to Aldera when an explosion suddenly struck him along his left side, doing no damage to him. In fact, he was so immersed in thought that he didn't even notice things at first until an angry teen boy grabbed him by the front of his school uniform and turned him forcefully to face him. "The hell you think you're doing ignoring me, Deku?!" the angry blonde teen spat into the face of someone he had no idea had died and their body taken over afterwards.
"Ah, this is Katsuki Bakugo, one of Izuku's... peers... at school," Ainz thought as he recognized the explosive angry teen. Ainz was just about to refer to Bakugo as Izuku's friend, but due to inheriting all of Izuku's memories, Ainz while looking through all of the memories of Bakugo that Izuku had was able to tell full well that Bakugo not only wasn't Izuku's friend, but his bully, the lead bully who on the regular tormented the poor boy over at Aldera Junior High over Izuku's quirkless nature.
Ainz also recalled that Izuku, despite what all logic would dictate on the subject, actually had a good degree of respect for Bakugo, even referring to Bakugo by the nickname of Kacchan. This stems a lot from Bakugo's powerful and combat-oriented quirk, Explosion. With such a quirk at the tips of his fingers since preschool, combined with how the society of this second New World clamor around quirks, everyone always thought Bakugo to be destined for greatness, that he'll be a hero for sure.
"The late Gazef had more heroism in one strand of hair on his head than Katsuki Bakugo has ever had in the whole of his life," Ainz thought; whereas Izuku despite all logic saying otherwise respected the explosive teen, Ainz had nothing but bitter contempt for Bakugo. The Sorcerer King felt an urge to kill Bakugo, but a sudden thought compelled him to not act on that urge. A sudden thought that made him take pause as he considered how to go about working it out to full, terrible effect.
That thought wasn't of being afraid of getting into trouble with this world's law (he's pretty sure that he would get in trouble in this world if he killed someone), nor was it of refraining for the sake of Izuku who had oddly respected his bully. No, the sole reason that Ainz didn't act on his urge to kill the explosive teen before him was because he wanted to have Bakugo do something he felt that Bakugo had never done in his life; eat a big ol' serving of humble pie.
The Sorcerer King fully intended on having fun doing this.
"Ah, Bakugo, my apologies," Ainz said, "It's just that I was so immersed in thought that I failed to pay attention to my surroundings." Ainz also took a mental note of how Bakugo's attack on him had done zero damage whatsoever, telling him that his immunity to attacks from people at or below a certain level was still in effect.
To Ainz's curiosity, Bakugo looked surprised, as if he had heard something that he wasn't expecting to hear. Ainz was able to get out of Bakugo's hold due to the surprise Bakugo felt. Before Bakugo was able to say anything, Ainz cast Time Stop to freeze time. "Now to teach Mr. Bakugo here his first sorely needed lesson in humility," Ainz said, "As well as gather some new information maybe." Holding a hand in front of the frozen in time Bakugo, Ainz said, "Detect Quirk."
The same menu that Ainz saw when he experimented around with Kakuzu Shimura yesterday popped up, but this menu instead detailed info for Katsuki Bakugo instead. To Ainz's mild surprise, Bakugo's level was at eight; Kakuzu yesterday was level eleven and he looked to have been much older than Bakugo. Despite technically being a higher level at the time, Kakuzu didn't have much of a lead against Bakugo. Perhaps the bully's boasts if becoming a hero aren't all talk.
Ainz also saw the numbers labled as Quirks and Quirk Capacity again. Ainz wanted to have a clear idea what they meant, so he tried to see if the info would pop up if he moved his right index finger over the words next to the numbers. To his surprise, the info did come up; the number next to Quirks simply showed how many quirks the person had, while Quirk Capacity showed how many quirks the person can safely hold before they start to suffer Quirk Overload Sickness.
Ainz, curious, moved his right index finger over Quirk Overload Sickness to see what the window for it will say if it pops up, which it did. Quirk Overload Sickness is some manner of status ailment that a person can acquire if the number of quirks they have exceeds their Quirk Capacity. Quirk Overload Sickness also apparently varies from case to case, ranging from a decrease in base intelligence and cognitive ability to even the victim's life span being burnt up at a quickened rate.
"I'll need to make notes of this info so I can study it later," Ainz said, "As well as look into seeing if I can set up a case of Quirk Overload Sickness to study." Ainz then looked to where Bakugo's quirks were listed, but saw only one info blurb detailing his Explosion quirk. After exiting the menu that detailed Bakugo, Ainz aimed a hand at the frozen in time teen and said, "Harvest Quirk." A small dark swirling portal appeared on the person of Bakugo as a Quirk Jewel fell out of it.
Seeing in the lower left corner of his vision a message telling him that a Quirk Jewel containing the Explosion quirk was added to his inventory, Ainz said to the still frozen in time Bakugo, "Let's see how spending the day in the shoes of my good friend Izuku Midoriya makes you feel, Katsuki Bakugo. Perhaps if you were to learn how it feels to be one of the people you pick on, you'll think twice before trying to pick on anyone again."
Ainz then allowed time to resume by ending Time Stop. When time resumed, Bakugo said to who he thought was still Izuku, "So you're finally dropping the use of that damn stupid nickname that you tried pinning to me, huh?"
The Sorcerer King realized right away that it was out of character for Izuku to refer to Bakugo by his actual name, that he always referred to Bakugo as Kacchan due to seeing him as a friend. Ainz had reason to believe it may cause undue attention to be drawn to him if he while going about as Izuku acted out of character as to what people would expect out of Izuku. Well, Ainz won't act wholly like the boy he owes a great debt to, but he will keep up enough to avoid too much undue attention.
"Apologies, Kacchan," Ainz said, "I had a rather troubling run in yesterday with a villain yesterday and it still has me a bit shaken. The pro hero who saved me got a few details about my run in from me after he defeated the villain, then asked me to hurry on home."
Bakugo scoffed in annoyance. "Why would any pro hero waste any time at all talking to a worthless, quirkless nerd like you?" It didn't surprise Ainz in the least, based on Izuku's memories of Bakugo, that the explosive teen wasn't even going to ask for details about the incident that Izuku had.
"I figure that it's procedure," Ainz replied. Bakugo scoffed in annoyance again before turning slightly to walk off, deliberately shoving Ainz to the side as he moved. Yeah, the Sorcerer King was totally going to enjoy watching Bakugo go through a day where he, same as Izuku, is quirkless. Perhaps a little bit of empathy will help mould Katsuki Bakugo into a better person.
...A nagging feeling told Ainz that today alone may not be enough.
Later at school, Ainz was sitting in class, doing his school work as Izuku. This was part of what the Sorcerer King was looking forward to about his plans to ultimately take over the second New World, the experience of being a student at school. Granted, due to Izuku's quirkless nature, virtually none of the students at school liked him or would be willing to be friends with him. He also noticed how a fair number of the school's staff members hold similar disdain for the quirkless.
That part actually concerned Ainz, given that the second New World's setting has less of a social class divide than the world he came from before arriving in the first New World. It was something that Ainz was going to take note of for later. At least the teachers tolerated (who they still thought was) Izuku due to how he was one of the best students in terms of academics. A fact that Ainz was fully intending to maintain, and not just because he doesn't want to draw too much bad attention.
It was during the lunch period of that day where Ainz was met up by a concerned looking teacher. Due to his undead nature, Ainz in addition to no longer requiring rest also no longer required food and drink, so he was going to find the library and study there until the next period. Ainz had guessed it that the teacher was simply going to ask 'Izuku' about why he was clearly going to skip lunch, or perhaps about why he looked much paler than he did this time yesterday.
That being said, Ainz was surprised to see not only that his guesses were wrong, but to what extent that they were wrong. "Midoriya," the teacher began, his tone suggesting he was expecting a decent answer, "Bakugo tells me that his quirk isn't working for some odd reason, and that the last time it did work was this morning and he claimed that you were there and saw it working. Would you know anything at all that could explain why Bakugo's quirk isn't working?"
"Sorry, but I have no idea about what's going on with him," Ainz lied, his tone and expression letting him bluff quite well, "As a matter of fact, this is my first time hearing that something is wrong with him. Is he alright?"
The teacher took on a bit more firm tone, made the air he gave off more firm. "Are you absolutely sure you have no idea about what's wrong with Bakugo's quirk?"
Nodding once, Ainz replied, "I am sure that I have no idea about the subject, aside from what little you've said just now." The teacher looked a tad annoyed to have gotten nothing, but was going to accept it anyway. Ainz was further pissed off by the attitude of the quirk-centric society of this second New World. This teacher cares more about a quirk not working than the well-being of a student who very obviously is paler than he was this time yesterday.
The teacher also seems to suspect that (who he still thinks is) Izuku somehow is responsible for Bakugo's quirk not working. Was it because Izuku is quirkless? This teacher is obviously biased, as he's fretting over a quirk. Ainz hadn't seen such indifference towards things deemed not valuable since the nobles of the kingdom that Gazef gave his life for (Ainz actually can't remember that now gone kingdom's name right now as it's that insignificant to him).
The accusatory attitude this teacher was showing also mildly alarmed Ainz, as it may end up seeing undue attention sicced on him. The Sorcerer King supposed that he was going to let the baby have his bottle and return the Explosion quirk to Bakugo earlier than anticipated. At least this experience gave Ainz a first hand account of how utterly obsessed with quirks the society of the second New World really is. He was interested in learning how far that obsession really went.
Ainz made a note to find this teacher later for... certain reasons of an unfriendly (at least towards the teacher himself) nature.
Ainz, as he walked through the door of the Midoriya apartment later that day after school was done, felt that he was going to be using Time Stop quite often, having used it to return the Explosion quirk to Bakugo earlier. It still annoyed Ainz that the explosive teen bragged about his quirk working once more, and even sought to blast 'that stupid nerd Deku' to celebrate. The Sorcerer King was going to have to find another way to make Bakugo eat that serving of humble pie that he's going to be having regardless of if he wants to or not.
Luckily for Ainz, he was able to avoid Bakugo trying to hold up his time by using magic to get back to the Midoriya apartment. There, after completing Izuku's homework, Ainz used Portal to Nazarick to return to his office in the Great Tomb. Upon his arrival, Ainz was greeted by Albedo, ever graceful and collected. When the portal closed behind Ainz, Albedo dropped her act for a moment to rush to her lord, her love, and throw her arms around him in a manner that saw his face shoved into her very ample breasts once again.
"I understand that you're happy to see me return again," Ainz remarked after Albedo let him go, "But there's no need to greet me in so intimate a manner."
"My apologies, Lord Ainz," Albedo replied, bowing her head respectfully to the Sorcerer King.
Nodding once, Ainz said, "Anyway, I have been contemplating who from Nazarick to bring with me to the second New World if and when I am able to confirm that I can bring folks with me from here to there and vice versa."
Albedo giggled cutely, like a schoolgirl being talked to by the boy she has a crush on. If it weren't for Albedo and Ainz being a succubus and an undead respectively, the assessment there would have had no issue going as is. "Oh Lord Ainz," Albedo said as she held her hands to the sides of her lovely face, "Of course I would love to go with you to-"
"Actually Albedo," Ainz interrupted, "I believe that Sebas would be the best choice. At least for the first time trip."
Albedo took pause when Ainz told her he was contemplating having Sebas be the first to come with him to the second New World if and when Ainz confirms he can do so. "...I would never doubt your infallible judgement, Lord Ainz," Albedo said, "But may I inquire, so as to satisfy my curiosity, as to why you believe Sebas to be your choice in this regard?"
"The second New World has far lower tolerance for poor attitudes towards humans," Ainz said, "And there is no denying how most of Nazarick sees humans as mere insects. Until I can establish a sufficient following and base over in the second New World where it doesn't matter what attitude towards humans those serving me has, me and mine have to be friendly towards humans. Sebas has proven to be one of the best at getting along with and respecting humans, so I've chosen him as my first option to bring with me, assuming I'm able to."
Albedo looked very much unamused. "You actually have to be nice to humans, Lord Ainz?"
"Believe you me, I'm not entirely fond of it either," Ainz said, "Especially since I've met a few examples of humans that, under normal circumstances, I'd relish the chance to kill. But things here require that the long game be played." Settling down into the chair at his desk in his office, Ainz looked to Albedo and said, "Anyway, another reason why I've selected Sebas is because you and the others have duties here, to maintain the first New World which I've already taken over."
Albedo's angelic expression returned, her smile as lovely as she. "You need not worry about your holdings here, Lord Ainz. I won't let anything happen to what is your property." Albedo was still a bit upset that she wouldn't be the first of those devoted to the Sorcerer King to accompany him as he started his inter-dimensional conquests, but she was happy that he was placing so much stock in her maintaining what he had already claimed as his own.
The overseer of the NPCs of Nazarick was also happy that Ainz wasn't planning on taking that bloodsucker Shalltear with him first. Hell, the fact that Ainz didn't consider even Aura made Albedo happy, she had trouble trusting... pfft, any other girl really... with being alone with Ainz. Sebas Tian, a loyal and faithful butler, was a sufficient choice on Ainz's part to bring along first if the first choice wasn't going to be Albedo herself.
Although Albedo wondered how Demiurge would react to the news that Sebas was Ainz's first choice.
After handling a few topics of business in Nazarick, Ainz used Portal to Nazarick to get back to the second New World. There, after he reviewed Izuku's homework, he waited until Inko fell asleep for the night before he went out to scout some things. Using magic to keep his tracks covered, Ainz was looking for a place to establish a base here in the second New World. He was also hoping to find more persons to test his quirk-related spells on.
As he searched around an area far from Izuku's home, Ainz came across a pair of homeless persons fighting over a large box in an alleyway to use as shelter for the night. Both were also using their quirks to fight one another; Ainz had gotten it that open use of one's quirk without a license granted by the government is a legal offence, and if bad enough a case of unlicensed public usage of one's quirk can land the offender in holding at minimum.
Ainz theorized that these two homeless persons were considering that fact as they fought one another with their quirks; if they're arrested, then that means they both get free shelter. It struck the Sorcerer King as a bit sad on some level, that humans in this second New World would resort to law breaking to get shelter and maybe some food as well.
But it was of little consequence to Ainz as he used Time Stop to freeze time so that he could cast Harvest Quirk on both homeless persons without being noticed. He gained Quirk Jewels containing one Emitter-type quirk each, same as the Quirk Jewel he briefly had that contained Bakugo's much coveted Explosion quirk. Ainz made a note to learn more about different quirk types.
The first new quirk was called Stellar Blast which blasted the target with a sparkly and concussive burst of dust like stellar clouds in outer space, and the other was called Fey Fire which let the user conjure and manipulate flames that were a bright and brilliant vibrant shade of purple. After getting the two Quirk Jewels, Ainz dropped the Time Stop and killed both homeless persons before either could of been able to tell that anything at all was amiss.
Keeping an eye out for homeless persons while refreshing his invisibility when need be, Ainz was able to collect six more Quirk Jewels, bringing his total up to nine. Three were Emitter-type quirks that, respectively, let the user conjure and cast crescent shaped projectiles of shadow energy, let the user fire bright brilliant emerald green blasts of energy from their hands, and an ice element version of the Fey Fire quirk that Ainz had already obtained.
Two of the new Quirk Jewels that the Sorcerer King obtained contained Transformation-type quirks, similar to the Copper Palm Spikes quirk that he got from Kakuzu Shimura. The two new quirks of the Transformation-type that Ainz got, respectively, let the user make themselves super buff and muscular at will but still within reason for what normal humans can achieve, and let the user change the color of their hair and eyes at will.
The last new quirk that Ainz got surprised him as it was labeled as a Mutation-type quirk, a quirk type that until now Ainz hadn't obtained a Quirk Jewel of. The Mutation-type quirk merely made the holder's ears into cat ears the same size as normal human ears, as well as give the holder a cat tail correctly sized for a human to be proportionally correct. It provided no ability at all that the holder can use or activate, so it's not exactly flashy.
But it was the only Mutation-type quirk that Ainz had a Quirk Jewel of, so that afforded it additional value in the eyes of the Sorcerer King. Ainz also made sure to kill all of the homeless persons that he took quirks from, killing them before any of them ever had a chance to know what was going on. Ainz checked the time, and figured that he had at least another hour before he ought to think about using Gate to return to Izuku's bedroom before Inko woke up.
It was as Ainz was thinking about all of this that he heard the panicked, rushing footfall of someone running through the alleyways of this part of Japan. Judging by the sound, Ainz figured it that they were a barefoot child. After a few moments, Ainz heard the panicked breathing of a young child, a girl no older than eight years of age, sounding like she was trying to get away from someone who was currently in the middle of trying to get them back.
Within due time, Ainz while covered by an invisibility spell spotted a scared looking young girl coming his direction. She was fair skinned, had red eyes, long white hair, a little horn growing out of the side of her forehead, and she wore a tan short sleeved dress that looked like it had a patch job or two done to it. She also had medical tape wrapped around her arms and legs, and her mildly thin face suggested she didn't eat as much as a child her age should.
Ainz, despite how his emotions were suppressed due to his undead nature and mindset, felt his unbeating heart ache upon seeing this clearly suffering young girl. Ainz was about to move to see if he could help the young girl, but stopped short upon seeing that someone was pursuing her through the alleyways, their casual walking speed denoting a sense of smug superiority in themselves as well as what all they were capable of doing if need be.
Somewhat short brown hair, fair skinned, wore a beak-like mask for some odd reason, a green jacket with boa fur like trim around the collar, dark pants, and dark slip on shoes. Ainz could tell that this smug jackass was not only trying to get the little girl who was running away, but that he was so absurdly confident he'd succeed that he wasn't even putting in effort to get her back. Ainz hadn't seen such arrogance in the second New World since Katsuki Bakugo.
...No, this man was worse than Katsuki Bakugo, because this man's victim is a defenseless little girl. He was like the quote unquote knights who attacked Carne Village shortly after Ainz and his guild arrived in the first New World. Without even thinking about it, Ainz used Time Stop to freeze time and keep the man from pursuing the little girl. Aiming a hand at the frozen in time man, Ainz said before he got to work, "Well now, let's see what surprises those who pick on the weak in this second New World have in store, hmm?"
END, CHAPTER TWO
Author's notes;
This chapter sees Ainz get more used to how Izuku's world works. He tries to make Bakugo learn empathy, but is forced to cut Bakugo's lesson there short due to suspicion cast on Izuku due to the obsession that the society of the second New World has with quirks. Ainz feels that Bakugo hasn't been humbled enough, but he'll look into humbling Bakugo at a later time. For now, he wants to do some experimenting with his new spells.
After a quick stop back into Nazarick where he gives a brief rundown to Albedo, Ainz returns to Izuku's world and gathers more Quirk Jewels for study. During this, he encounters a certain little girl and certain smug jackass trying to get said certain little girl back. Ainz, feeling pissed off by this scene, freezes time to save the girl before he proceeds to check the man going after her. Things will continue from here in the next chapter. Take care.