A child should be born into this world in an equal state with everyone else. To be able to pursue their greatest ambitions, to be able to live a truly fulfilling life, to be able to leave your legacy behind for all to remember; in his mind, that is an ideal world.

But the world can never be ideal.

Some will always be born better than others. Some would be born into wealth, others would be born into the slums; some would be born into a life of peace, others would be born into a wasteland of war.

And as Izuku stared up at the neverending blue sky, his eyes empty and tearful...

Many would be born with powerful Quirks. He was born with none.

Within his turbulent emotions, raging like an endless rain, he could hear a collage of voices ringing in his ears. It all belonged to one person... a person he once admired with all his heart.

"Of course, Nakamura-san! For any of my young listeners out there, I want to say this: you can be a Hero!"

"Liar..." He choked as he retreated into himself, his back pressing against the wall.

"Even if you think you are weak, even if you feel hopeless, push forward! Try your hardest!"

"Liar, liar..."

"And if you don't trust my words through the screen of your phone, or your television, you can come to me anytime! My answer will always be the same. Why?"

"No, no... Shut up..."

"Because I believe in you can be a Hero."

"You can't be a Hero without a Quirk."

Those two sentences persisted like a tumor in his mind. Despite the two voices sharing the exact same tune, their effects on his mind could not be any more of a contrast; a sentiment that proved to be true as a lone, frustrated yell echoed from the rooftop of a building. "You're just a damn liar!" He screamed even as the roaring storm in his heart came to life, the sky having darkened in seemingly an instant as a wave of rain gushed down onto the earth. He could not care less about the pouring weather.

Besides... the door that led off of this blasted roof was locked shut.

Green eyes stared up at the darkening clouds, Frieren pursed her lips in annoyance.

Through mundane means, she could not possibly reach her home without first being pelted by the rain. She held an umbrella to the side, enough to defend herself from the onslaught if she only had to deal with one grocery bag... but the problem therein situation is that she had two.

'Should I risk using magic?' She thought, an idea was quickly rejected. There was a high chance that patrolling Heroes would notice her and, fueled by the law, those straight-laced kids would try to apprehend her. She could escape but that would mean they will follow her back to her home, something she does not want to deal with.

Flying would have a lower risk of detection but it wasn't like flying Heroes did not exist...

Besides, her encounter with that red-winged Hero a short three years ago already made her tag a mental ban on flying openly. Well, a half-hearted ban, at least.

However, as the first raindrop among many to come landed on her forehead, she realized she needed to make a decision quick. Deciding to take the risk, she quickly snuck into a drab-looking alley and, a moment later, blue rays gathered to materialize a staff in her hand. Feeling the familiar warmth of mana bursting within, she willed it forward and was soon hovering over the concrete floor.

She needed to quickly protect her food, she thought in reaction to the increasingly rapid drizzle echoing around her.

Muttering a silent spell that caused a protective sphere to take shape around her, she levitated the grocery bags with her as well as she flew into the turbulent clouds. The rain raged in a torrent and claps of thunder tore the sky asunder, a truly terrifying sight... if the noises were more than faint echoes, at least. The barrier around her warded off more than just the elements, after all.

Now left to her own devices, she glanced down at the sight of Musutafu. The wafer-thin lights, the swarms of people rushing for shelter, the faint mist that covered the far distance... it was a beautiful vista, she thought through the blurry surface of her shield.

She was in the process of taking her eyes off of the city when she noticed a peculiar sight. There seemed to be a lone dot on a random roof, completely and utterly exposed to the elements. Driven by curiosity, she drifted lower as her eyes narrowed.

It was... a boy? An evidently depressed one, if the sad sight of him in a fetal position amidst the downpour was anything to go by. Stopping in her tracks — or her flight, she should say — Frieren stayed still as she continued to observe the boy.

He wasn't about to go and move, was he?

She wasn't about to go and leave the boy behind now that she's seen him. As a sigh escaped her lips, she hovered towards the boy.

The rain provided a soothing wave to wash over his mind.

He often heard that cold water could make you think clearer. Spurred by those internet rumours, Izuku remembered seeing himself as a child standing in front of the shower's switch, trying to gather the confidence and allow the water to pelt him. He remembered regretting that decision the instant his body jolted from the chill.

But now, as he sat there amidst the pouring clouds... he was starting to see its benefits. Wide and awake from the rain, Izuku has had much time to contemplate.

And he found that his distaste for All-Might only grew.

'In the end, all of your speeches are for those who have Quirks, those who actually have a chance of becoming Heroes. The Quirkless are just there for the ride, braving the storm at the top of the deck only to still yield no reward in the end.' He stewed the crucible of emotions, palms searing as his nails dug into skin and tissue. 'Just a thing of the past, something to thro—'

Suddenly, he could feel the world around him shift. It wasn't just about how the rain no longer pelted him though that was obviously the most noticeable detail. It was also about how the rain now seemed to echo in the distance, as if he was in a room... but that shouldn't be possible, right?

"Hey."

A voice dragged his eyes towards the sky, widening as he saw a woman with fair skin and white hair stylized in twin ponytails hovering above. Held in her fist was a staff as long as the wielder herself while, appearance-wise, it looked straight out of a fantasy book: the long shaft was dark red and, to the top, it jutted out into a crescent shape the colour of weathered gold and, in the middle, was a red orb. The wielder herself was draped in a simple and rather old-school dress that reached the knees, complemented by blue flowers embroidered into the fabric. Under it, he could see navy-coloured jeans— Not that he was trying to peek! Twisting his gaze to the side, he tried to regain his composure.

"U-Uh- H-Hi..." He murmured awkwardly.

The woman above, hovering soundlessly, tilted her head as she lowered herself until her shoes clicked against the roof.

"You shouldn't be out in the rain like this. I've placed a protective barrier overhead, but it's a bit annoying, so could you go and find some shelter?" She said, pointing up.

"The... protective barrier?" Confounded by her words, he looked up only to be greeted with a conjoined formation of blue, translucent hexagons looming above him. The raindrops were rippling against the barrier, jumping and swimming along the smooth surface.

"Indeed." Frieren nodded as she looked down at him. The first thing she noticed, past the green locks that ran across his face, was his blank, seemingly lifeless eyes. There was a spark of interest within, however. It was likely spurred by her 'Quirk'. "Why were you up here?" She asked all the while her eyes drifted to the door beside him. Her hand twisted the handle and pushed to no avail. "Let me rephrase my question. How did you get up here?"

He paused for a moment, but pressured by her cold gaze, his hesitation crumbled. "I... I was talking with All-Might, my... i-idol. He left and I decided to stay here, but by the time the rain came down, I realized I couldn't get the door to budge. An employee probably thought no one was here and decided to lock it." He explained.

'Is that really the case?' She thought with a distinct lack of belief in the story. 'I don't live under a rock. Would the No. 1 Hero truly forget to mention to the employees that there's a kid up here? But maybe it's one of those situations where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.'

As her mind lingered on those thoughts, she pointed her staff towards the door. With the boy's gaze following her, she blasted open the door in an explosion of heat and bright lights. Izuku jumped backwards, startled by the show of power. He could also feel envy swelling inside of him.

He forced those sentiments away, however, when the woman gestured to the now open doorframe. "There. Go back home." She hurriedly said, as if she couldn't wait to get this over with. Her attitude seemed unflatteringly cold. She turned away, the rain beginning to trickle down onto the whole of the roof; at least, with her being the exception.

Just as she began to float, groceries to her side, his voice stopped her. "W-Wait! I-I can't go down there!" Seeing her raise an eyebrow, he elaborated. "I-I kn-know th-this place. I-It's a-a large store s-so—"

"Speak slower." She suddenly interrupted. "Take your time with your words."

"A-Ah... sorry." He took a deep breath before continuing. "...This building belongs to a huge jewelry store. I've been here with my mother only once, so I'm not too sure, but a place like this would definitely have security cameras all around. If they see me coming down from the roof... they might think I'm a thief."

Contemplating his words, Frieren could admit that he had a point. The next step seemed clear to her. "Okay. Where's your house?"

"Huh? F-For what?" He asked, a blush forming on his face. The thought of a woman other than his mother coming to his house felt bewildering.

She did not seem as flattered as Izuku. "To bring you to your house." She answered, monotone.

"O-Oh! Ye-Yeah, sorry." He shook his head before quickly getting back on his feet. "I-I want to grab my backpack first." Making his way over to his bag, he witnessed its sad state: the body was wet, the color now a darker shade of green than before, and the fabrics crumpling in on itself. Unzipping it, he gently took out a notebook that read, 'Hero Analysis For the Future #13'. It was in an even worse state than his bag, largely due to the black singe that covered a decent part of the bottom.

"You plan to become a Hero?" Frieren asked, popping up beside him. He jolted to the side in surprise.

"N-No..." He looked down. A bitter smile formed on his lips. "I-I can't."

"Did you fail the exam or whatever Heroes need these days?"

Whilst he did feel something was odd about her questions, particularly how it made her seem older than her appearance belied — which suggested she was a fit 30-year-old — he did not mind answering. Perhaps it was because he wanted to let out his lingering frustrations. "Y-Yeah, I did. I failed the first test needed to be a Hero."

'Hm... Is it hard? I wonder if it's anything like the First Stage of the Mage Exams way back when.' She thought, her curiosity spurred her to continue. "What's the exam like?"

"I didn't have a Quirk. That's the first test." He spat, his tone becoming more aggressive. "Now can you please take me home?"

After a short pause, she nodded. "Very well."

The flight towards his home was spent in silence.

Even as they hovered right in front of his apartment door and he jumped over the railing onto the walkway, he only gave her a short 'thanks' before he was already knocking on the door. By the time Inko opened the door with tears in her eyes, having feared the worst when her son hadn't shown up an hour after school, Frieren was already gone.

She could be seen bursting through the air, her face contemplative. There were a few things that kept tugging on her mind, all of which revolved around the boy she just met.

Now, she was aware of the status quo in the modern age. With the percentage of those with Quirks rising every day, while the mundane continued to plummet, she felt no surprise that the latter was considered by many as remnants of a bygone era. She couldn't blame them either. The incoming future was both clear and inexorable, a future where Quirks would only become more abundant and more powerful by the generation.

'A future destined to kill itself.' She thought darkly.

However, that was a future farther than herself. It's better to dwell on the present... mainly, the boy. She wasn't entirely unsympathetic to his plight, not at all helped by the fact that she could easily bring life to his dream. But that would mean the sharing of her knowledge in magic — or, more accurately, the mana that powers it.

"Never." She murmured to the cold air, her mind flickering to the far away past. "Humanity must never again learn magic."

Inko was a perceptive woman.

The fact that something bad had happened to her Izuku was clear as day, even since the time he came home under that stormy night. Now, what exactly happened was not as clear... but she would always tell her fellow mothers to pay attention to the little things: how he would always leave the living room when Heroes came up on TV, how his eyes have seemingly dimmed, how he no longer seemed excited or even nervous about U.A.'s upcoming Entrance Exam; all of that made her realize that his dream had been irrevocably shattered.

A recent conversation with her son did not help in that regard.

"So, Izuku... Are you still going to that Entrance Exam?"

"No, mom. No. I... I'm not going to U.A."

It saddened her greatly to see Izuku so downtrodden. Yet, much to her guilt, she also breathed a sigh of relief. He may appear like that for now but she was sure he would return to his chirpy state, sooner rather than later. At least this way she could rest assured that her son wouldn't put himself in any danger.

Ignorant to his mother's thoughts, Izuku once again found himself wandering through the concrete jungle that is Musutafu. He was there for no other reason but to bask in the presence of the one thing he knew he would never get.

To be an equal.

As much as there are those who scream for the suffering of the Quirkless, they are few and far between. Even they knew what the reality was—no matter what, the Quirkless would always belong to the bottom of the barrel. Japan is all about efficiency, after all, and the Quirkless were seen as a waste of resource.

Why hire a Quirkless employee when you could get others who could do the job but better? Logically, arithmetically, and statistically, no sane man would pick someone Quirkless over anyone with a Quirk that suits their needs.

He shook those thoughts away as he finally found himself in front of the grocery store. The billboard on top was coloured blue and white with the word 'LAWSON' blinking lights. Stepping past the automatically sliding doors, Izuku offered a simple greeting to the female cashier — that wasn't even returned — and headed straight for the fruit aisle. He glanced over his surroundings, only taking note of the figure donning a white hoodie and jeans in the distance, the basket that held the fruits his mom requested, and the store employee who would weigh and tag a price onto it.

The next few moments were spent in silence. Taking out the last of the apples he needed, he walked over to the store employee... but before he could, he felt a finger pressing into his shoulder.

"Hey." A feminine voice called out to him. It was the hooded figure he noted briefly.

Jumping slightly in surprise, he stuttered with a visible blush when he realized it was a girl. "Y-Yeah? Wha-What can I help yu-you with?" He said. 'Though why does her voice sound so familiar?'

She pointed to the fruits basket that he had just taken the last of the needed apples from. "You already took all you want?" She elaborated. He nodded hesitantly, his mind going over a million guesses as to what she intended... but no matter how many he thought of, he certainly didn't expect what she did next.

In a burst of speed, she one-by-one hefted up baskets of apples, watermelons, mangoes, grapes, and all sorts of other fruits that she piled up for the pale-faced cashier. "I want to buy all of these." And she said it so nonchalantly too, Izuku thought.

Both cashier and student felt their jaws crash onto the ground, their heads slowly panning to the emptied-out aisle. The former rubbed his eyes, then did it again when the sight in front of him did not disappear...

"Here." The cashier's face instantly turned bright when he saw the woman slide him 5,000 Yen in cash. "A tip for your troubles." With newfound motivation, he quickly went to work—

BANG!

"Kyaaa-!"

In an instant, their attention was attracted elsewhere as a high-pitched scream broke the relative silence. Near the entrance, they saw the female cashier stationed there being threatened by a man with a rock-like exterior, silencing her as he slammed his hand against the desk.

"Shut up!" He said with bated breath. His eyes kept darting back outside nervously, as if afraid that something — or someone — would come barreling through the glass. Miraculously, there weren't any onlookers... for now. "Quick, give me all your money if you don't want to die!"

The three had varying responses to this. The cashier they were with ducked under his counter in a panic and pressed the emergency button; the hooded woman remained rooted at her spot, her eyes peeking warily at the robber; lastly, Izuku remained there as well, but whether that was because of bravery or just because he was frozen in fear, only he would know.

And Izuku knew it was the latter.

'I... I have to get away. I'm sure a Hero will come here eventually.' He thought. 'Yes, I... I'm Quirkless. I can't do anything. It'll only get me killed and that will make mom sad...'

But what if the cashier had someone waiting for her as well? Seeing the look of sheer fright on her face, Izuku's heart wished to leap at the chance to save her, to erase that expression; a desire that was fought by his survival instincts, knowing that he stood no chance against the Villain.

So what should he do...?

The woman beside him let out a low sigh. Just because she didn't trust humans didn't mean she was going to let one die, not on her watch. As her staff began to materialize in her hand, ready to neutralize the rookie Villain... her eyes widened when she saw the boy rush in before she could.

"Stop that...!" Yelled a cracked voice.

"Huh?" The criminal grunted in surprise, not expecting a civilian to interfere. "Wh-What are you doing? You better not do any dumb shit or else I'll kill you!" He threatened.

Fortunately, there was a distinct lack of commitment to the man's words, Frieren noticed as she sighed in relief. This was clearly the boy's first attempt at crime. Her eyes then glanced over to the green-haired teen. 'Still... that kid couldn't have known that and yet... He's either brave or stupid. ...Hm?' Her eyes blinked, lighting up in recognition. 'Ah. This was the boy from yesterday.'

Izuku opened his arms in a placating gesture. "Your Quirk... wh-what's it called?"

"What's it to you, dipshit?" The criminal growled, heaving a threatening step forward.

"I-I'm just curious! I swear!"

Not sensing any malice or ill intentions, the man huffed. "Stoneskin. Just like it's name, it makes my skin tough as a rock. Now get the fuck away from me."

Despite his words having a clear effect on further eliminating Izuku's courage, the boy held on. "It... It sounds like an amazing Quirk."

Behind him, Frieren had her eyes widened out of pure disbelief. She was starting to catch on as to what he was doing. 'Is he... trying to talk to him?' Suddenly, her memories flashed with echoes of a far-distant past. Of a man with a blue mop of hair, his smile as charming as an early sunrise.

They were in a forest, the leaves dancing softly to the breeze. In front of them was a young teenage girl, her eyes wide and full of fear... but not for herself. No, it was for them. She screamed at them to stay away—she had an uncontrollable magic, after all, one that already laid waste to her village.

As the tenseness prolonged, eventually, one of the party members stepped forward. His party thought he would rush in to knock the girl out; likewise, the girl thought the same. But no... much to all their surprise, he dropped his sword and wore a calming smile.

"Your magic is beautiful." He said, taking the girl aback. "Despite all the destruction... not a living soul was injured. You never wanted to harm anyone and that reflects in your magic. It's a truly beautiful thing."

"D-Despite your actions, you never wanted any of this, right? I-I can tell. I... I was attacked by a Villain once. He didn't wait for anything, didn't even want to engage in a conversation like you are now, there was just... so much malice emanating from him. You don't have any of that." Word by word, his voice began to gain traction. Slowly, the would-be criminal's body slackened.

"So don't waste your life. You have so much untapped potential, lurking within... You could use it to be a great mage one day, I know. The destruction you caused now isn't permanent, but I can't assure you it will stay that way if you continue to walk down this path. So before something unforgivable happens..." His hand reached out to the girl. "...let's return to the village. To your parents. And make the best of your beauty."

"You could use your Quirk to do so many better things. Maybe you can join martial arts, appear in media, or... with enough effort... I'm sure you can be a Hero. A great Hero. So before you do something you might regret," A shaky yet reassuring smile wormed its way to his face. "go back to your home before a Hero or any cops come here. And make the best of your Quirk."

The silence that followed was almost suffocating. Though he may appear — somewhat — confident, inwardly, he was anything but; his mind was a wreck of self-admonishing. 'Did you really just do that, Izuku?! Oh, no wonder no one thought you could be a Hero- Must be because of this kind of thing!'

"You..." The man suddenly said, breaking Izuku out of his musing. He sighed, shaking his head... but his eyes no longer held that same panic from earlier. "What's your name?"

"I-Izuku Midoriya."

"You don't even hesitate to tell me your name. Unbelievable." He mocked, though it clearly wasn't out of ill will. In fact, there was a strange sense of gratefulness. He looked straight at Izuku's eyes and flashed a small smile. "Yeah. You got a point, Izuku Midoriya. I'll be sure to remember that name." He said simply, not uttering another word as he turned to step out of the store. Soon he already assimilated into the massive crowd, disappearing from their sight.

With his departure, so did the anxiety that hung over the store. The cashier, the one that was being threatened earlier, even let out an audible sigh. "Finally..." She murmured as her gaze went to the green-haired boy. "Hey, Midoriya-san, right?"

"A-Ah! Y-Yeah, I-I am..." He stuttered, surprised. She giggled at the stark dichotomy compared to when he confronted the would-be criminal. Still, she could tell he had a good heart.

One that might just need a little dash of confidence.

"You were awesome, earlier. I know you're probably just a student but, for a moment, you looked like a Hero there." Her praise came from the bottom of her heart and it showed in her tone.

Instantly, Izuku felt his throat choke up with something. Was it gratefulness? Disbelief? Bitterness? Or perhaps a crucible of all three? Whatever it may be, her words aroused nothing but silence from him. Before she could question it, however, a loud voice boomed from behind.

"Hey. Hey!" The hooded girl yelled at the still-hiding cashier.

"I-Is he out yet?" He said, peeking out from beneath his counter. When he saw no one, he just stood up and grinned. "Ha! Must have been scared off. Can't say it's much of a surprise; Villains aren't exactly known for their bravery."

'And what a spectacular show of bravery you are.' The other cashier deadpanned.

While the hooded girl shared her sentiments, it was also worsened by her impatience. "Chop chop then. Tag my bags already." She huffed.

Oddly enough, that seemed to have further cleared up whatever tenseness still lingered in the air. For a certain boy, it was a much-needed — albeit temporary — reprieve as most of the attention went to the other customer.

"That's gonna take a while." The female cashier said, fishing up his attention. "Follow me. There's another weighing counter near the back. It's unused due to the lack of employees, but it functions." Even though he did feel embarrassed, Izuku didn't intend to prolong his stay there, so he followed her steps.

Soon enough, they stood at opposite sides of the weighing counter. As the girl took his groceries, weighed them, and subsequently tagged them with the price tags, she introduced herself. "By the way, my name's Rikika Makino, but you can just call me Rika."

His face once again set alight, something that continued to amuse her. "I-I'm I-Izuku Mi-Midoriya." After a short silence, he decided to add, "Bu-But you can call me- Mi-Midori."

"I'm still stuck on last names, eh?" She chuckled.

"A-Ah! N-No, no offence, it's just that-that... I-I'm not u-used to strangers calling m-my first name." He murmured, wisely deciding not to add his last thoughts. 'Especially not by a girl besides my mom...'

"Anyway," Pulled out of his embarrassed rumination, he was greeted by a sunny smile. The sheer sense of gratefulness oozing out of her was blinding... "I just wanted to say thank you. I never felt as afraid as I did it that moment, yet you charged forward despite being clearly as afraid as I was, maybe even more so. You must have a really awesome Quirk to be that confident!" She praised, ignorant of his darkening thoughts.

"I-I..." He clenched his fists. "I'm not that brave. I don't..." Sucking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes. He shouldn't make her believe he was more than he actually is... "I don't have one."

There was a brief silence as Izuku continued to shake like a leaf. The girl's eyebrows furrowed before they eventually softened, and her smile turned into a grin.

"Then all the more praise to you." Izuku glanced up with widened eyes. "You still fought back against injustice, after all. If anything, I think it only makes you all the braver."

His lips trembled the longer she went on. Filled with conflicting thoughts he simply did not wish to deal with at the moment, Izuku grew silent. Sensing that she had likely said something distasteful — though she was none the wiser as to what it was — she went silent as well, simply going through the motions as she scanned his purchases.

Even to a distant eye, the tension between them was palpable.

Even to Frieren, their mood was clear as day.

'They're so sappy.' She thought to herself, keeping the pair in her periphery. A sudden recollection penetrated her mind.

The girl, convinced to return to her village, now followed the party on the way back. What was meant to be a short journey even at a walking pace, not even half an hour, was significantly prolonged by the girl obsessing over Himmel.

To be honest, it was partly Himmel's fault for using such charming words.

"H-Hero Himmel! D-Do you think I'm cute?"

"Of course, Lady Liebe." He said simply out of courtesy.

Well... at least he didn't go along with her proclaimed love to him. But being rejected didn't seem to oust the girl's obsession for Himmel; it actually brought it to greater heights, if her creating the Himmel Fanclub was any indication.

'A shame Himmel belongs to me.' Frieren presently snarked.

She was snapped out of her smug thoughts by the male cashier's voice. "Everything's tagged now. You can bring it to my colleague over there." Breathing out a small thanks, Frieren glanced over at Rikika waiting near the door before she looked around the room in search of someone.

"If you're looking for Midori-san, he already left," Rika said, correctly guessing her thoughts.

"Ah... okay."

A moment later, the glass doors slid open, letting a breeze gush into the store. Waves of chatter walked past her, peaceful smiles plastered onto their faces; she could not deny the tranquillity of the sight in front of her. 'Without a doubt, Musutafu remains my favourite among the many I have visited — though Yogyakarta is a close second back when I lived there.'

She then noticed a familiar mop of green hair among the crowd, walking far in the distance. It did not take long for him to diverge from the main path, cutting through an alley for what is supposedly a shortcut to his home. Her eyes veered off to the girl, Rikika, singing a chirp tune as her fingers tapped across the counter.

It did not seem so long ago that her face was full of fear. Even if the danger has already passed, it wasn't common to appear so cheerful right after. Of course, she had an inkling why that was the case.

Looking back towards the small alley covered in shade, she let herself be dragged along by the current.

'There he is.' She thought as her gaze landed on Izuku's figure. He was sitting atop a stone barrier that divided the asphalt she was standing on and the descending stairs towards a trash-filled beach. The closer she sauntered to him, the clearer as well his expression was; the boy seemed morose, his fingers twiddling nervously while he stared dispassionately at the sinking sun.

"If anything, I think it makes you all the braver." Those words continue to echo within the depths of his mind. His heart would have otherwise soared at her words... and yet... whenever he did, a faint burn would sting his skin, his hopes forever grounded.

Suddenly, he felt a presence slip to his side. The hooded girl from before sat beside him. Before he could say anything, she peeled back her hood, causing Izuku's eyes to light up in recognition.

"Ah, you... you were the woman from yesterday." His face turned red when those words began to sink in. 'A woman is sitting this close to me!' As quick as his embarrassment appeared, so did a forlorn realization. 'She could have easily handled that Villain from before. I... I wasn't even needed there.'

Oblivious to his thoughts, Frieren patted him on the shoulder. "You were good earlier. Not everyone can be that brave, so I commend you—"

"N-No." Despite stuttering, his voice nevertheless held a sense of firmness as he gritted his teeth. "I'm not brave, just stupid. You were there anyway, so... there wasn't a need for me to step in. There never was." He spat venomously though none of it was directed at her. No... it was aimed at himself.

Now, she may not be the most perceptive to other individuals, but she wasn't completely oblivious; when compared to the faraway past, back before she had even embarked on the journey to slay the Demon King, she's made leaps and bounds of personal growth. So as Izuku went into a frowning silence, she knew not to say anything, simply letting him stew in his thoughts.

Eventually, after seemingly calming down, he sighed. "I-I'm sorry..."

"It's alright."

Realizing all of a sudden that they'd never actually exchanged names, Izuku started. "By the way, I-I'm Izuku Midoriya. Wha-What a-about y-yours?" He gulped nervously.

"Names Frieren. No last names." Seeing his guilty expression, she smirked. Did he think she was an orphan? "It's a custom back where I came from. Last names were seen as unnecessary so there was never an incentive to do so."

He felt his interest spark to life as he listened attentively to her culture. "Where did you come from?" He asked, his stuttering momentarily halted.

"Ah..." Now, this was a problem. Nervously looking away, she spat out the first thing that came to mind. "F-From... Indonesia...?"

"Oh, I've heard that there's still a lot of tribes still living there. I'm assuming you come from one of them?"

Seeing him fall for her bait, she pushed for that narrative. "Y-Yeah! Totally." Before he could ask any other questions, she very hurriedly asked, "A-Anyway, your mom must be worried by now. Aren't you going home?"

Reminded of that fact, his eyes widened. He nodded gratefully to her. "Thanks, I almost forgot. I gotta head home now." The grocery bag beside him was hefted upwards as he swung his feet off of the stone partition and back onto the asphalt. As he walked away, Frieren stared contemplatively at his retreating back. Out of a whim, she decided to follow him.

"Hey." She said, once again slipping to his side. "Can I walk you home?"

He jolted in surprise as his face once again was a bright red. Nervous but not exactly abhorring the idea, he nodded wordlessly. They both remained that way as Izuku led her through the maze-like alleys that make up the complex.

Their journey was halted for a brief moment as an old voice called out to them. "Hey, Izuku!"

The boy appeared positively happy as an ageing man, dressed in what was clearly an old set of clothes stylized in a way that nevertheless made it seem tidy and well-kept. "Touma-san! How are you doing these days?"

"I'm doing great, all thanks to you, lad. If it weren't for you, I'd be six feet under by now!" Izuku scratched his head sheepishly at the man's flattering words.

"Who's this?" Frieren asked curiously, peeking from above Izuku.

"Is this your mother, Izuku?" Touma inquired regarding the mature-looking woman. "She doesn't resemble you much, though."

"Ah, no, no." He shook his head before introducing them to each other. "Touma-san, this is Frieren-san. Frieren-san, this is Touma-san, a friend of mine." He explained without even a single stutter. It seemed that being around his friends had that effect on him.

"Izuku here is my lifesaver!" The man laughed, pointing towards the aforementioned boy, who could be seen with a red tint on his face. "It's because he called that ambulance a few weeks ago that I'm still well and fit!"

"How is Yosuke?" Izuku suddenly said. To the side, Frieren stared at the green-haired boy with a reminiscing gaze.

'He's kind.'

"Oh, Yosuke is as dashing as ever! He's still in the vet, but I'm sure that stubborn pup will run away anytime soon."

"That means he's healthy, then. I'm glad." Izuku breathed out a sigh of relief.

'He's also a coward.' She recalled how his legs shook when he faced that would-be criminal. Yet, despite that, despite his fear... he never ran away. 'But he's brave when it really counts.'

She could feel her chest tighten the longer her gaze stayed on Izuku. The more she did, the more that green hair of his began to overlap with strokes of crimson. Her mind shook and trembled, surely quaked by her heart; a heart that began to slacken in resolve for a promise she once made.

In spite of the heart's wants, however, the brain's cold rationale is not so easily swayed: humans, by and large, could not be trusted with her knowledge.

But perhaps a single individual could.

'Is he the one, though?' Frieren thought, her eyes glancing up to Izuku. His warm, toothy smile slowly thawed her frozen resolve. Without ever even realizing it, she found herself smiling as well. 'This boy truly is like Stark.'

The sun was starting to wane on the horizon. It's been nearly half an hour since Izuku's conversation with the homeless man ended, and just like that, they already found themselves face-to-face with the looming figure of Izuku's apartment. The Quirkless boy turned to Frieren and bid his farewell. "I-I'll be going now, F-Frieren-san." He stuttered once again.

"Ah... Sure." She went into a thoughtful silence as she stared at Izuku's retreating form. Just before he went through the sliding doors of the lobby... "Wait."

"Y-Yes, Frieren-san? D-Do you ne-need something?"

There was a moment of silence as Izuku awaited her response. Frieren took a deep breath, internally assuring herself that this was the right move.

"Do you want to be a Hero?" She blurted out. The widening of his eyes and the shocked silence that followed only prompted her to continue. "I can help you with that. I know you may not believe me, but if you still wish to try, then meet me in Takoba Beach tomorrow at 3 P.M." With that said and done, she spun on her heels and disappeared into the forest's shade, all the while Izuku was rooted to the ground from her sudden, shocking declaration.

Wordlessly, he made his way past the lobby and into the elevator. Swiping his card on the pad and pressing the button that led to his apartment floor — the very top — he allowed her words to truly sink in his mind.

"Do you want to be a Hero?"

"Of course, I want to," Izuku muttered, clenching his fist in frustration. But without a Quirk, without power at your beck and call, how could he ever hope to be a Hero? It was just a wishful dream. Nothing could ever change that fact.

"I can help you with that."

Can she, truly? Or was she being idealistic with her words?

Those thoughts never left his mind even as he later found himself lying on his bed. He knew that there was a chance — not exactly a small one either — that the woman, Frieren, was lying. Disregarding the fact that she was still a stranger in his eyes, there was also the possibility that she had overheard his conversation with the cashier; thus, perhaps this was just a cruel joke she wished to inflict on him.

But what if her words rang true? The likely consequences would not be anything he's never experienced either way.

Besides... this could be the only chance left he has to be a Hero. No matter how unbelievable it may seem, no matter if he was deluding himself to an idealistic future... he wanted to risk it.

So with that thought in mind, he turned off the lights and allowed his growing drowsiness to consume him.

He did not realize the sheer gravity of his decision. Whilst he knew — somewhere deep within the reaches of his mind — that his decision could change the course of his future, he never knew that it would one day echo throughout the world. Like how the tiny flaps of a butterfly could alter the path of a tornado: Izuku, at that moment, became a catalyst for the dawn of a new age...

...and the end of the last living remnant of a bygone era.

If you are interested in the story, read below.

In regards to the release schedule: there will be one or more new chapter(s) every week in accordance to the timezone in West Java, Indonesia. The exact time and day may differ, however. Also, don't forget to leave behind constructive reviews!