Past A/N: Heyo, if this gets posted, I may he back! I lost interest in My Hero along time ago now, because I believe the writing is just abysmal, but this story is unique enough that I feel a resonance with it still… So we'll see.
Future A/N (07/26/2024): You know, I realize this story is totally just a Sukuna-Itadori knockoff, as well as a Solo Levelling knockoff. It's kinda crazy that I never really understood that connection before, I just kinda went with it. Also, my god the ending of My Hero is just terrible.. So maybe we can do better here?
Also, my love for LitRPG books (like Defiance of the Fall, The Ripple System [By the way, Musabori is totally Frank from this series], Necrotic Apocalypse and more) has only grown, so I'm super interested in perhaps taking this one places. No promises though!
I'd also suggest a re-read perhaps before reading this new chapter. I know I had to read it through again!
I'm thinking of re-writing the earlier chapters to improve them, while maintaining the material, so if you see any strange shifts in quality from early to mid to new chapters, that may be why soon.
About half of this chapter was written like 3 years ago also, the rest I recently wrote.
Make sure to drop a Review to let me know what you think!
Chapter Ten
Clarity
"Five minutes remain!" The voice of All Might echoed around the city block. "Now, the villain team may start their escape to safety! Heroes— Don't let them leave!"
This news was another surprise, but most were a bit too focused to truly take it in.. Except for two: Todoroki and Momo. Showing initiative, these two began to make a roundabout escape, planning on helping their fellow classmates along the way if they could.
Meanwhile, near the edge of the practice grounds, Dark Shadow began to punch Izuku rapidly, the boy gasping and trying his best to block the attacks as he was knocked farther and farther upwards. Eventually they came up out of the alleyway, and Dark Shadow seemed to hesitate as it entered the light.
Wincing, Izuku opened his eyes after a second of closing them from the blinding light, seeing that the Quirk was seemingly growing a bit smaller.
Darkness.. Is its power, then?
Izuku checked his points, noting he had plenty if he wanted to escape like All Might had said. However, fulfilling his role in the Class Council meant that he should be helping everyone by gathering knowledge right?
Dark Shadow suddenly shot upwards, despite its smaller size in the sunlight. Izuku held a hand down towards it, a bit hesitant after what had happened earlier.
"Create Item!" Thinking about Mina's acidic slime, he shot out a large glob of it forward. Unfortunately, since he didn't seem to quite have a firm visualization of the substance, it faltered and allowed Dark Shadow to zig-zag past with ease, punching Izuku right in the stomach.
Izuku gasped, but the hit was noticeably weaker than earlier. His body was aching from the previous strikes, but now, he figured he might stand a chance head-to-head and clenched his teeth and fists to prep himself.
"Breath of the Void!" Izuku twisted in mid-air as his blood began to pump hard in his veins, bringing his leg around in a sweep through the air, colliding with Dark Shadow's head and sending it down to the ground, with such power that it looked like a streaking black bolt of lighting.
It let out a sort of gasp as it cracked the rooftop. The boy who was controlling him finally came up onto the roof, looking distraught.
"What.. did you do.. to us," the boy questioned through clenched teeth.
As Izuku landed, he waved his hands in front of himself, wincing a bit at the gesture.
"I-I didn't mean to! I… um…" He fumbled to explain. "Sorry…"
Dark Shadow slowly rose up, and Izuku could clearly see the strand of shadows that connected him to the birdlike boy.
Pretty creepy. Imagine if I did that!
You were.. literally an eyeball and mouth on my body before, Izuku pointed out. I think it's better for everyone if you never get a chance to be out like that!
Musabori scoffed. I just took that eyeball form because I'd seen it in a manga somewhere. Seemed cool, isn't that fair enough?
Ignoring that, Izuku offered a hand. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya.. I know we're competing right now, but I um.. What's your name?"
The boy seemed to be calming down a bit, almost as if he grew more tame as Dark Shadow did in the light of the Sun above.
"Fumikage… Tokoyami…"
Izuku nodded. "Tokoyami.. D-Do you feel.. Different?" He wasn't sure how exactly to ask, but the boy didn't seem to be confused.
Tokoyami looked down at his hands, which were shaking a bit. "I feel… Like I've melded closer to Dark Shadow."
Great… What do we do, Musabori?
Hell if I know! Spirits are a tricky thing, ya know, Musabori exclaimed. Perhaps you've noticed?
Izuku shook his head. "I um.. Also, have a sentient Quirk," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head.
Tokoyami eyed him now. "Sentient Quirk..?"
"T-That's just the term I've been told, I—"
Suddenly, Dark Shadow shot forward. Izuku moved aside, easily avoiding its lunge. Tokoyami seemed surprised, so Izuku didn't retaliate.
Ah.. Great…
What now?
Tokoyami let out a grunt, and Izuku looked at him, seeing that he had a hand on his head. From the looks of it, the shadowy connection between him and Dark Shadow began to grow.
Losing control, it seems. It's tough handling two consciousnesses in one body, after all.
Izuku thought about the first months he and Musabori had together. It was rough mainly due to them being out of sync, both fighting for control of the body. Since that night they melded together, there had been a sort of tranquility inside of him— Even if they still had their disagreeing moments.
What do we do? Izuku thought, dodging an oncoming punch, then ducking under another, before retreating away from Dark Shadow.
Knock some sense into em, of course. Musabori laughed.
That's— Izuku jumped over a leap from Dark Shadow, which seemed surprisingly faster. —not helpful!
Tokoyami reached down and grasped the connection between him and Dark Shadow. The Quirk hesitated before continuing more, turning back and looking at him.
"It's okay.. Dark Shadow.. We'll… Be fine," he said through gritted teeth.
Izuku watched, hoping for a moment that reason would break through and solve their crisis— But of course, it didn't.
Dark Shadow suddenly attacked its owner, tackling him down into the nearby Alleyway.
"Tokoyami!"
Izuku's eyes widened, and he ran forward, jumping down after them, adrenaline fueling him as he used his Vision and Breath of the Void skills. Down in the dark alley, Dark Shadow seemed to be growing more and more as it slammed Tokoyami against the wall, dragging him down towards the ground below..
"No…!" Tokoyami struggled to try and speak, as Dark Shadow reared back a fist. Darkness was starting to spread over Tokoyami's body.
As Izuku descended to attack, Dark Shadow seemed to be aware of this, creating a shadowy arm that flew back at him without looking. Izuku, knowing he needed to act quickly, brought his hand forward in a swiping motion.
"Tear!"
In the path of his hand, a tear in the dimensions opened up. As the shadowy fist collided with the tear, the dimensional rip vanished, severing the shadowy arm and leaving it in the other dimension.
As Dark Shadow howled, Izuku landed and rolled, stumbling a bit as he ran towards Tokoyami.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out—"
"No!" Tokoyami's exclamation surprised Izuku. "Don't… hurt him…!"
Izuku jumped back as Dark Shadow threw a punch at him that crushed the nearby building wall. Another came too quickly for Izuku to dodge properly.
"Dimensional Shift..!"
He vanished right on time. Acting quick, he ran over to the other side of Dark Shadow, who seemed to be looking around for him. Reappearing beside Tokoyami, he leaned in close to him.
"I-If you lose consciousness… Will he stop?" It was an odd question to ask, and came with implications that Izuku didn't like, but he figured he needed to ask.
Tokoyami winced, as if a pain had gone through his head. "I… Don't…" He trailed off, groaning as Dark Shadow turned, finding Izuku there.
Gulping, Izuku focused, activating his Breath of the Void and Vision of the Void skills again. His points were dwindling quickly, but with only five minutes remaining, it would have to do. In the end, this entire exercise was less important than helping Tokoyami out, he figured, and if something bad did happen, surely the teachers watching would intervene.
Shouldn't they have intervened already..? His eyes glanced upwards for a moment, looking towards where he could sense they were watching the entire training session.
Taking that moment to strike, Dark Shadow came in, one of its hands turning clawlike for a jab. Izuku took a step forward, ducking down and under the oncoming quick attack. He grabbed hold of the arm, holding him there, before pushing his other hand towards Dark Shadow's front.
Hope I've got enough left… Energy Release!
Thinking of the blonde boy's lightning from earlier, he felt the familiar feeling of his hair rising a bit before bolts of lightning exploded from his hand. It only lasted a few moments before the bright jolts vanished, but it was enough for what he needed, watching as Dark Shadow fell back, its shadowy body convulsing as electricity flowed through it.
The light produced from the electricity had seemed to shrink the Quirk a bit, but it was slowly starting to regrow in the darkness of the alley. Thus, Izuku had to act fast.
You're crazy kid, but maybe it is worth a shot, Musabori said, realizing what Izuku's plan was as he smirked.
Izuku jumped up onto a nearby garbage can before leaping up onto Dark Shadow, straddling its neck from behind. The Quirk wildly swiped at him, which he leaned side to side to avoid, one of its claws managing to catch his arm. Gritting his teeth to fight the pain, Izuku put his hands on Dark Shadow's head.
Focus… Gotta focus…
SLASH! Another slice on his leg this time. He gasped, losing his focus, but luckily Musabori picked up the slack, and with both of their minds working, their plan succeeded.
Dimensional Power was an innate trait that they had gained by taking the Dimensional skill path - This allowed them to absorb points from energy sources, which they had only really tested using electrical devices to drain their charge. It stood to reason that other sources of energy would work, and now seemed like a good time to try it.
Focusing hard on the feeling he remembered from absorbing power from electrical devices, Izuku thought about the shadows flowing into his hands. Soon enough, it began, and Dark Shadow froze up, trembling, Tokoyami looking over worriedly.
"I've.. got this.. just.. calm down..!"
Izuku felt a sharp pain from the shadows he was absorbing, like his hands were being sliced up, even though no physical damage could be seen. He winced but persevered, going until Dark Shadow had been reduced by nearly three quarters.
Then, something broke… But not within Dark Shadow. Instead, Izuku could hear a crack resonate from Musabori's soul within himself. It was like the sound of an earthquake exploding in Izuku's mind, and he could feel Musabori's eyes widen and his breathing shudder.
Right now…? Damn it…
Confused, Izuku couldn't dodge as the weakened Dark Shadow smacked him aside. It wasn't as powerful now, but still sent him tumbling away.
"Enough…!" Tokoyami began to wrestle with his Quirk, grunting and attempting to stumble towards the exit of the alleyway where the sunlight could quell it.
"No… Light…!"
Tokoyami gasped and stumbled at that declaration, a clear voice from his Quirk. Izuku got up to his hands and knees, feeling a weird writhing sensation inside of himself, gasping.
Musabori… What.. What's.. H-Happening…?
Something about absorbing those damned shadows, Musabori spoke through gritted teeth. It's stirring the Remnants… I… I don't think I can stop them…!
With Izuku struggling and Tokoyami momentarily amazed, Dark Shadow drank in the surrounding shadows, coalescing it into a set of large, sharp claws of darkness. The boy couldn't stop his Quirk from raking through the ground in an upward sweep that would easily slice Izuku in two, the concrete below slashed like paper.
We.. gotta move…! Musabori!
Suddenly, Izuku was tossed to the side, gasping as he felt his Hero costume restrict around him like bindings. Wincing at the feeling inside himself still, he gazed over to see Tokoyami in a similar struggle, his clothes seeming to wrap around and contain him and his Quirk.
It was obvious who had stopped them, but even so, Izuku felt a little bit peeved when he saw Best Jeanist standing on a nearby fire escape in th alleyway, an unreadable expression on his face.
"That is enough from you both. You are both removed from the last part of this contest—"
Izuku felt the rumbling inside himself turn to a searing hot pain, and lifted his head to the sky, letting out a scream. Jeanist turned to him, raising a hand, then he gasped.
In that moment, there was no way for Izuku to notice… But a shadowy figure could be seen materializing before him, hand pushed into Izuku's chest. A burly man, eyes full of fury…
That is… one of them, Jeanist realized, hesitating for a moment, wondering why he could see one of Musabori's Remnants. Is it my connection to fibers? No matter. I must do my duty.
Calling forth to the fibers of his own costume, Best Jeanist formed them into fine, needle-like points that slammed towards the apparition. He fully expected it to merely pass through and perhaps dispel the illusory figure for now…
But instead, it caught his fibers in mid air with its large hand. Best Jeanist's eyes widened, and the shadowy figure turned its dark gaze towards him.
The chaotic scene of the practice field ended a few minutes later with an announcement from All Might, every conscious student falling to the floor to catch their breath… Except for two.
Itsuka Kendo stood not far from Katsuki Bakugo, the two staring each other down. After All Might had given the Villain team the ability to escape, Kendo tried to make sure Monoma wouldn't be able get away— After all, he was her target for reaching Class S.
Luckily the boy was still down for the count. So she had sat down, too tired to do much more, til the explosive Bakugo had ended up before her, showing no intention of running away.
Thus, she stood to meet his challenging gaze… Only for time to be called.
"Lucked out I guess," Itsuka said cockily, not letting her wariness show too much. "You don't look like you can stand for much longer."
Bakugo scoffed and wiped sweat from his brow, also stubbornly showing barely any signs of fatigue on purpose.
"Shut up… You can… barely keep those freakishly big hands up," he spat. Itsuka had shrunk her hands down by now, but it didn't seem like Bakugo's thoughts were clear enough to come up with something better.
"Hmph… Well, I made my point today," the redhead said with a grin, gazing around at their destroyed surroundings. "I think I'm a shoe-in for Class S."
Bakugo turned away from her, seeing Yoarashi resting nearby with several horn-like objects stuck in his tattered cape. The small girl named Pony was slumped over nearby as well, still dazed from when Bakugo had snagged her out of the air.
"Whatever makes ya feel better," he sneered. "We crushed you all, two classes worth. If there was any doubt I'm the damned best, I proved that."
The boy took a step… And then unceremoniously collapsed to the floor.
"So humble," Itsuka grumbled, finally letting her wobbly legs get the better of her as she fell back onto her bottom and sighed, breathing heavily. "I wonder…where Midoriya ran off to… Well, with Musabori, I assume he did alright…" She spoke the last part a bit softer due to its secrecy.
Soon, All Might, accompanied by both homeroom teachers of Class A and B, as well as the school's nurse, Recovery Girl, entered the area to assess everybody and gather them all together again. It wasn't as bad as the chaos had made it seem, with everyone suffering from minor bruises and painful aches at worse, though most people's Hero costumes were heavily ruined at this point.
"It seems two students were injured, and have been taken to the nurse's station," the #1 Hero stated, the gravity of that statement lost in his seemingly permanent grin. "But we have already decided on the results of this exercise, and would like to let you know!"
Most of the present students looked anxious, and some looked downcast and distraught. All Might grinned and let out a boisterous laugh that made everyone look up at him, a shining beacon of hope.
"That feeling you have right now? That uncertainty is a key aspect of any Hero," All Might told them, holding up a hand and curling it into a powerful fist. "It's the ability to push through that dark haze of doubt within your heart that will make you great. Be proud of what you have accomplished here today, no matter the end results!"
"...That being said," Best Jeanist interjected as he stepped up nearby, touching a pad in his hand that made a holographic screen appear in the air behind him for all to see. "This is how you have all faired in this brief training."
The screen seemed to show a ranking from 1 through 18, accommodating the entirety of Class 1-S as well as the small teams from 1-A and 1-B and the backups that had arrived to assist.
Two people let out defeated gasps as they saw their rankings. It was Mina and Kaminari, user of the electric Quirk, 18th and 17th respectively, with Mina's stating that she was 'indecisive' and 'outmatched' while Kaminari 'should be expected to do more than one attack' but also 'Quirk proved useful to others.'
Next were Monoma and Tsuyu at 16th and 15th. Monoma had a big smile on his face but looked dead inside as he looked upon it, the note stating that he was 'Irresponsibly cocky' and 'Requires further training with stolen abilities'. Meanwhile, Tsuyu's simply said 'Easily exploited weakness', which earned a nod and a ribbit of reluctant agreement from the girl.
14th and 13th went to Tsuburaba and Iida Tenya of Class 1-B and Class 1-A respectively. The solid-wind creation of Tsuburaba was praised, but he was taken out of the fight too early. Meanwhile, Iida showed level-headedness, but found himself losing out despite his speed advantage.
12th and 11th were Tokoyami and Tetsutetsu. Tokoyami was noted as being a force to be reckoned with, but his Quirk needs a lot of control work. Tetsutetsu meanwhile showed prowess with his durability and power, but needed to work on his tactics.
Then the 10th and 9th spots had Pony and Juroda of Class 1-B. Both were noted to have done well against overwhelming matchups and used their Quirks and natural abilities well, but overall weren't able to make enough of a difference in the flow of the battles.
Finally, the top 8 were put in golden text, as if reflecting their spots at the top. While the order was unique, there was one name that stood out amongst the rest, because it was new and replaced Monoma:
01 - Yaoyorozu Momo
02 - Izuku Midoriya
03 - Setsuna Tokage
04 - Inasa Yoarashi
05 - Shoto Todoroki
06 - Juzo Honenuki
07 - Itsuka Kendo
08 - Katsuki Bakugo
Simeultaenously, Itsuka let out a gasp and smiled brightly while Bakugo scowled, gritting his teeth at the sight.
All Might and Best Jeanist went over everyones placements and gave notes on what could have been improved, though they made sure to note that this was only the second day of classes, so their room for improvement was practically infinite all-around.
"Itsuka Kendo. You showed prowess as a leader while also having the power to stand on your own against an overwhelming threat," Best Jeanist spoke, glancing at the redhead. He then looked towards Bakugo beside her. "Meanwhile… Bakugo. Your power may have been great, but your recklessness was almost vindictive, it seemed."
With another tap, the screen changed to show some scenes that had unfolded, including Bakugo and Itsuka's battle, and how they destroyed the building they were in and caused a lot of damage overall.
The screen then changed to show some other highlights, including Juzo successfully trapping two opponents (Tsuburaba and Juroda) with his Quirk, Yoarashi's constant powerful assaults on the enemy that kept them in a chaos, Todoroki's overwhelming ice, Setsuna's constant pressure with her body parts that required multiple opponents to be contained–
Then, of course, Izuku. It was something to behold for everyone, seeing just what Izuku had done during the fight, watching as he warped and moved, assisting everybody in the fights like an angel of the battlefield.
"While it was close, we agreed that Yaoyozoru had the most integral hand in the battles, though mostly unseen," Best Jeanist concluded, as he showed scenes that rivalled even Izuku, despite not being able to warp like he could. She could be seen producing items that assisted Izuku, Todoroki, Juzo, and Yoarashi, as well as planning things the entire time with a level head, though it seemed to have left her very exhausted at this point. "All of your strengths and weaknesses do not end here with today's exercise. There is more that you must find out about yourselves, so you may overcome and exceed your limits."
All Might nodded and laughed. "That is, of course, what it means to go Plus Ultra!"
Everyone seemed a bit more upbeat and happy after the explanations, and the air of defeat had mostly subsided as everyone began to chatter. All Might and Best Jeanist exchanged a nod, glad that the air had been cleared, but Itsuka approached them with as formal as a gate as she could manage in front of two legends.
"Um… Is Midoriya okay? And the other guy?"
Best Jeanist nodded. "They are being informed of the findings as well. They just went a little too hard and need some forced rest for now."
Itsuka let worry slip onto her face. After all, nothing was really that simple with Izuku, it seemed, especially after learning about Musabori and the strange person known as 'All For One' that hunted him.
All Might placed a hand gently on her shoulder and offered a big smile that twinkled in the sunlight.
"Not to worry, young Kendo. Focus on this current victory. After all, you've made it– for now!"
"Huh..?" Itsuka looked over a the screen listing the placements again, and her eyes widened, before she looked back at the two teachers. "Does that mean–"
"Yes," Jeanist confirmed. "As the starting members of Class 1-S were made aware.. Their space at the top is up for grabs at any time. This is no exception–"
"Monoma is out, and you are to take his place."
While the ramifications of that sunk in and Itsuka celebrated her victory, All Might glanced down to Best Jeanist, the tall blonde man squeezing at his left arm.
"You should also go get checked out," the #1 Hero whispered.
"...I'll survive."
The screen flickered off, and Izuku sighed, looking down at his lap and clutching at the blanket laying over him.
He was sitting up in a bed in the nurse's office, having been checked up on and deemed to just be banged up a lot, not in any serious harm. Tokoyami on the other hand, had seemed to be taken elsewhere, and he couldn't help but worry about him.
It's not your fault, kid, Musabori chimed in his mind. They knew the risk of putting you in a mock battle. How the hell were we supposed to know what not to do with another sentient Quirk?
"I know, but still… Also, what happened at the end there?" Izuku rubbed at his head, trying to remember. "After we were strung up… I kind of.. Blacked out."
Same here… Probably not a good thing, but doesn't seem like anything super bad happened anyways. More importantly… That redhead gal huh? She's really something!
Izuku managed a small smile at that, but when he felt Musabori nudging him in their minds, he blushed and shook his head rapidly.
"I-I should start replenishing my points soon either way, so I'm ready for whatever comes."
It's alright to take it easy sometimes, ya' know?
Ignoring that, Izuku swung his legs around and got out of the bed. His body ached, but with the nurse's Quirk working its magic on him, he felt an incredible need to eat, and he also felt like he needed to return to class as soon as he could.
Removing his tattered costume, he sighed as he noticed just how beat up it really was.
Just a prototype after all, he reminded himself as he draped it over the chair. As he grabbed his school uniform, Izuku looked at himself in the room's tall mirror, and was surprised by what he saw.
His body was becoming almost unrecognizable to how he was before fully utlizing his Quirk. The scrawny, weak boy was gone, and now Izuku was quite toned and his muscles were becoming well defined, despite still being of a more slender build.
You think you'll reach the All Might build kid? That'd be a sight, haha–!
It almost sounded like Musabori choked on his laughter, and Izuku could feel that he was seemingly looking at something in the mirror. Izuku looked from himself to where a shadow seemed to be looming over his shoulder.
It was the woman– the one who appeared as a Remnant within Musabori's soul. She was staring right at Izuku, the mask on her face hardly concealing an incredible malice behind it.
Izuku spun around quickly, his eyes wide, fists raised– But he realized then that Itsuka had just entered the room, and was looking at him in surprise.
"Oh, uh… Are you…"
"Kendo…" Izuku let out a sigh of relief and unclenched his fists, letting himself relax a bit as he offered her a smile. "I-Is everything alright?"
"That's my line, you know," the redhead said, her eyes staring right at Izuku's muscles and nearly gawking. It took him a minute before he realized and he turned away shyly, making her giggle. "Talk about a 'sleeper build'..."
Itsuka gave Izuku some privacy to finish changing into his uniform, and he stepped out into the hallway soon after. When he did, she stepped out in front of him instantly, a bit too close for his own comfort.
"You saw, right? The results?" She beamed.
"Y-Yeah… Does that mean you made it into Class S?"
Itsuka nodded and gave a thumbs up. "Yup… Though, I know it's only the beginning. Plus, seems like all of us are on the chopping block at all times." She sighed, chopping into her open palm for emphasis.
Izuku chuckled nervously and looked side to side, unsure what to say or do with a girl so close. He could hear Musabori snicker in his mind, but when he realized Izuku noticed, he scooted further back into their mind.. Though Izuku could tell that the old spirit was still lingering and watching.
"S-So… there's still a couple of classes left, right–"
"Actually, Jeanist-sensei decided that you and Tokoyami should be excused for the rest of the day," Itsuka said, her grin widening. "And I offered to take care of you while you rested up."
"Huh..? W-Why would you…!"
Izuku's face turned bright red and he covered his face with his hands, and Itsuka nearly peeled over laughing, wiping at a tear and shaking her head.
"Jeez… You're really so helpless. If you must know, I took Monoma's place completely, and since he was the appointed Support Head for Class S.. I was able to swing that this was part of my duties."
Peeking through his fingers, Izuku raised an eyebrow.
"I-Is this just to skip classes or…?"
Itsuka narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not an irresponsible student, I'll have you know. I have the work for us both. But… There was something I wanted to run by you."
Motioning with a hand, Itsuka began to walk, and Izuku reluctantly followed. In his mind, he reached out for Musabori in hopes to get some kind of support, but his resident partner-in-crime seemed content with just watching and judging.
You suck…!
The two headed towards a wing of U.A that Izuku didn't recognize, and one that seemed like it wasn't very prone to foot traffic compared ot the others.
Sliding a door open, they stepped into a room that seemed reminiscent of a room that would be used for martial arts clubs, or similar, with wooden walling, bright lighting, and a large white mat at its center.
"There's normal things like this at U.A?" Izuku looked around in surprise, while Itsuka grinned and nodded.
"Right? I said the same thing. It's not being used most of the time it seems, besides a few that still bother to practice martial arts like me," she said with a sigh, putting her bag down and walking out onto the raised mat that took up a lot of the center of the room. She then looked back at Izuku and grinned, "Can you guess why I asked if I could use it sometimes?"
"...To do just that?" Izuku followed her and tapped his shoe on the mat.
"Yup, though I'm working on creating an entire Martial Arts club.. I want us to start now!"
"Us–?"
Before Izuku knew it, Itsuka grabbed his left arm and her leg swept in and hooked over his right leg, and with a surprising lack of effort, managed to flip him over her shoulder to slam him down onto the mat with a loud THUD. Izuku gasped and closed his eyes for a split second in surprise, but it didn't really hurt besides making his aching body get jolted.
When his eyes opened, he saw Itsuka bending down over him, her orange locks tickling his face as she grinned at him.
"Think it'd be fun? I bet you need this sort of training anyways," Itsuka commented, offering him a hand. "Because you'd totally neglect it with that amazing Quirk of yours."
Izuku had to fight back correcting her that it wasn't his Quirk, but he grabbed her hand and smiled, letting her help him up before he released it and rubbed the back of his head.
"I-I get it… Then let's do it," he agreed with a nod.
"Great! Now unfortunately we need two more members to start a club, and a teacher sponsor.. But I've already got ideas there. I think with you being a part of it, people will flock to it for sure."
"Don't forget that you're at the top now, too."
Itsuka blushed a bit and grinned. "Oh yeah.. I forgot!"
The two shared a laugh, and Izuku felt a lot of his worries melting away from the day…
But unfortunately, Musabori wasn't the same way. He could feel something broiling inside of himself, and he was holding it back from interfering with Izuku for the time being.. But there was no way he could forever.
Principal Nezu's face was unreadable as he gazed at Best Jeanist, who was being given a skin graft over his left arm.
"This is pretty worrisome. Should we not take extra precautions," the animal-like Principal said.
"This is precisely why I am here and why I am involved directly with the class," Best Jeanist insisted, keeping a cool expression even as his arm was being fixed up. "Besides, neither of the boys were conscious to see what transpired, I believe."
Jeanist's arm had a large chunk missing out of it, and various bruises along his fair skin, all caused by the powerful Remnant that had leaked out of Musabori's soul.
Principal Nezu glanced over at the screen that was up beside them, showing footage of the battle, where nothing seemed to be able to injure the phantom-like, burly man that was attacking him. The only saving grace for the Pro Hero was that the Remnant only seemed to be able to manifest for a minute before reluctantly receding back into Izuku.
"We cannot allow him to have the Remnants, so we must find a way to destroy them
"What if only the boy can–"
"No, we will handle it," Jeanist interrupted firmly, pulling his hand away from the doctor and the machine, glancing down at his arm that was only half completed. He used his Quirk to send threads throughout it, finishing the touches on it, though leaving it a bit patchy, and stood confidently. "After all, the previous generation must pave the way for the elegant youth to not have to suffer as much as we."
Nezu sighed and nodded reluctantly.
"You are correct.. But I hope this is not beyond our capability at the moment. Don't forget that villain activity has also been increasing these past days."
Best Jeanist turned away but paused at the door to the room. He looked down at his hand, noticing a slight shake in it, and clenched his fist to quell it.
"That end of things is in the hands of the #1 and #2."
To Be Continued
Next Chapter: Fallen (Pt. I)
From now on, I'll post the most recent 'Character Sheet' for Izuku at the end of the chapter. When I post it mid-story, I'll probably put a condensed version showing just the relevant things for the scene, just to save on a giant wall of text. The point total will be ? for these ending sheets just to save the headache of calculation, but I'll be making sure it makes sense going forward anyways.
As a general reminder, since it's been a while, the 'Points' are the required points to do that skill, which Izuku gets from Devouring objects, energy, or even kinetic force.
Name: Musabori Midoriya
Path: Dimensional
Point Total: ?
Void:
5 Points - Summon Item - Allows the user to summon the original item that he Devoured.
10 Points - Create Item - Allows the user to create a copy of an item that he has Devoured before.
20 Points - Reconstruct Item - Allows the user to change the makeup of an Item that was Devoured to that of another Devoured item. Requires sufficient knowledge on both items.
100 Points - Deprivation - Targets an object or area and decays it, resulting in rotting or living matter, and weathering of non-organic matter.
200 Points - Restoration - Targets an object or area and reverses the effects of decay.
500 Points - (Permanent) Vision of the Void (UNLOCKED) - An activatable ability that grants the user enhanced perception until deactivated. Costs roughly 5 points per second of use after activation.
800 Points - Manipulation - The user sends out dark tendrils acting like extra appendages.
1000 Points - Force Absorption - The user absorbs oncoming non-physical attacks.
1000 Points - Energy Release - The user releases absorbed non-phsyical attacks from Force Absorption.
4000 Points - (Permanent) Breath of the Void (UNLOCKED) - The user's overall Physique and Stamina are increased until deactivated. Costs roughly 10 points per second of use after activation.
5000 Points - Execution - The user sends out a wave of absolute destruction that dissolves everything in its wake a molecular level, leaving no trace behind.
6000 Points - Class Up (UNLOCKED: Dimension) - Izuku chose to take the Dimension path over Destuction.
Dimension:
Innate Ability - Dimensional Power - Allows the user to absorb electricity and kinetic force.
50 Points - Scan - Sends out a pulse from the User's location up to a certain distance, allowing them to see living beings through all surfaces.
100+ Points - Warp - Allows the user to create a portal to any location they can fully think of. Point requirement depends on how far it is from the user.
1000 Points - Tear - User creates a space near them that rips away any matter that touches it.
5000 Points - (Permanent) Dimensional Shift (Unlocked) - An activateable ability that allows the user to move into a separate dimension where they cannot interact with anyone in the regular dimension, and vice-versa. Costs about 20 points per second of use after activation.
10,000 Points - Snatch - The user teleports an object they can think of within range to themselves in an instant.
50,000 Points - Expansion - The user sends an entire area around themselves into an alternate dimension, not allowing anybody in or out of it until it is deactivated. Cost per second of activation currently unknown.
Look forward to more soon, hopefully, as long as I stay interested in writing it!