Rays of light peeked from the blinds of the Midoriya apartment. The motes mixed with the soft hue of the sun, the fireball having halfway sunken into the horizon, forming an orange miasma to linger in the open hallway.
It was a sight that spurred a feeling of tranquillity, of faint memories of those sweets you used to love as a child.
Within the apartment itself, the air hung heavily with the weight of something completely opposite to that. A crucible of agitation and restlessness, a cauldron where worries for the future brew.
That was the sense Inko felt as she watched the news.
"As viewers might already be aware, the construction of Zukunft, a new section of Musutafu that is meant to emulate the distant future, has always been littered with rumours regarding the safety of its constructions. Today, those rumours are proven true."
"Blueprints of Zukunft has been leaked, revealing shocking secrets. Due to the construction of an unstable underground area beneath the planned site for Zukunft, around 40 meters deep, the government has cancelled all future construction plans. In response to the backlash, the figures who planned the construction have been taken away for criminal charges, though they vehemently denied involvement in any phase of the construction."
"Jeez." Inko sighed as she turned off the news, plunging the room into a pregnant silence. 'What's going on in this city...?'
As the days went by, there seemed to be an exponential rise in these sorts of news. Government officials would plan projects with layers of secrets within, and when it was found out, they always denied any recollection of ever agreeing to such a decision.
The first time that happened, she chalked it up to their unwillingness to receive the consequences of their actions.
Now, though, after a litany of the same thing happening over and over and over again... she grew worried. She sighed as she massaged her forehead, trying her best to brush away those dark thoughts.
'It feels like I've been getting more and more older by the day.' She thought ruefully.
With that thought continuing to linger in her mind, her gaze darted over from the door and then back to the clock. Her fingers, shaky and unsure, fiddled with the hem of her shirt.
'What are you really doing now, Izuku...?'
"Pwah!"
Izuku let out a satisfied pop of his lips as he rid the water bottle of all of it's contents. Truly, there was nothing better than a cold drink after hours of school. Simultaneously as he threw the bottle into a nearby trash can, he made sure to keep a keen ear to the conversation echoing among his friends.
"School was so~ boring..." Rikika murmured a complaint, her arms splayed across the steel table.
Izuku chuckled. "Today, yeah. It was a struggle to concentrate." —on meditating, of course. He didn't exactly mind long, boring hours of lessons.
As long as the materials aren't being repeated.
For once, they weren't frequenting outside of the usual LAWSON store. They gathered along the bottom of the sloped walls of Takoba Beach, on a stone platform consisting of only tables and seats. The formerly desolate place was now bustling with people ever since the trash there had started to mysteriously and rapidly vanish over the course of a few months. To ensure that the new vista of the city would never be tarnished again, various volunteers posted additional informational boards and signs to discourage such behaviour.
So far at least, the beach remained clean. There were the occasional pieces of trash here and there, but other people would pick up the slack and clean up the remains on their own accord.
"When you're in school, you're experiencing the prime of your life." Touma said with a wise air, though that was rather easily offset by the Doraemon costume he wore. "Oh, sure." He murmured as he posed alongside a child, receiving a small bundle of cash in return.
"Hm... I guess..." Rikika murmured as she stared at him, her gaze scrutinizing. The girl looked away when Touma turned.
"That applies to you as well, Izuku." The aforementioned mustered up a smile alongside a firm nod. A chuckle came out of the older man. "You kids are amazing, you know. I was nowhere near as dedicated as you two are when I was your age; heck, even now that's the case."
The colleagues in age sported small blushes at his words. Rikika shyly pursed her lips. "I... I'm only doing part-time so I can get something I want."
Touma smiled softly before he switched his attention to the only other adult between them four... or five, if you include the dog currently being patted on Frieren's lap. "How was your youthful days, Frieren-san?" He inquired curiously.
"It was fine." Was her curt answer as she continued to absent-mindedly run her fingers through the dog's soft fur. Yosuke slept soundly under her touch.
"Ah, I see," Touma said, sensing her unwillingness to divulge on her past. Sparing her an understanding gaze, he looked back at Izuku. "When will the Entrance Exams start, again?"
"A month from now," Izuku replied with a sour look. He stared at his teacher pointedly. "I think I need to step up my... studies."
Frieren nodded. "Yes. It would do you well to study more on science." Her eyes darted around the beach. "...We should also think about relocating for our studies. I am afraid tutoring you here will be least optimal for your..." She stopped for a moment, letting a smile grace her lips as the dog cutely wiggled like a caterpillar on her lap. "...concentration."
"Ah, you're leaving?" Rikika asked with a disappointed tone.
"Yeah, probably." The greenette nodded with an apologetic smile. "Sorry."
"Nah, it's fine." Rika waved her hands in a placating gesture though there was a hint of disappointment still lingering within.
"You have to study well." Touma chuckled. He reached out and patted the youngster's shoulder. "It'll be difficult, but if you do succeed getting into U.A.'s General Studies Course, you can get into any college you want. The whole world would basically be open to you by then."
Spurred by his words, Rikika nodded as she quickly followed to give her friend some encouragement. She grabbed a fistful of air and punched up. "You can do it!"
Izuku felt an odd, warm feeling when faced with their encouragement. He nodded and pumped his fist as well, his lips quirked in a genuine grin. "I won't disappoint you guys."
Frieren watched the scene in front of her, of Touma and Rikika cheering in response, with a face so clearly filled with mixed turmoil. On one hand, she was happy for her student; of course, why wouldn't she?
On the other hand... she felt herself grow closer to them as well.
A complex wealth of emotions decorated her face.
She let out a breath that she didn't even realize she had been holding. Frieren carefully set the dog onto the table as she shook away those intruding thoughts and quickly stood up. "We should go, Izuku. I... We don't want you to get home late, do we?"
While a bit confused by her haste, Izuku nodded. "Let's go then, sensei." He agreed as he turned back to the other two. "Sorry, guys. I gotta go."
"Study well, kiddo."
"You better make it to U.A.!"
He waved his hand smilingly. Guided by the elf, they treked up the winding stairs along the sloped stone, heading for Frieren knows where.
Stepping up onto the warm road, Frieren quickly took him to a desolate alley. "I'll be flying you to my home." She explained.
Sporting a blush, Izuku stuttered for the first time in a while. "Wha-What do you mean by that? I-Isn't that a bit... inappropriate?"
She snickered at his embarassment. "Calm down. You won't go into my home; we'll be training outside."
"A-Ah, I see..." His nervousness escaped alongside his deep exhale. "Good, that's good." The white-haired woman watched his relief with deep-seated amusement.
Frieren reached out her hand to grasp what was seemingly thin air, before suddenly, motes of light gathered and solidified to form her staff. Izuku watched the show with glimmering eyes, like a child witnessing an acrobat with all the shining beams of a circus.
"How do you do that?" Izuku asked, his mind running with the potential uses that could have.
"Storage magic. As the name implies, it stores a limited amount of objects that I can then bring out at will." She patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll teach you this soon."
As she said so, the winds began to pick up around them. Not even a second later the duo soared high into the orange sky, the winds rapidly blowing past their faces. Izuku felt a thrill go through him, culminating in an exhilirated yell that resounded through the air.
Frieren leaned down ever so slightly, her lips next to his ear. "Want to see something fun?"
"Like... Like what?" Izuku asked curiously, still breathless from the sudden rise, both in elevation and speed.
"It'll be fun. Trust me." With eyes wide from her words, he gave an eager nod.
No sooner after he's done that, he felt the world around him suddenly spin as he rose ever more. His scream seemed to fluctuate in his ears; clear and resounding at one moment, then muffled at the next.
"HOOH—!" Izuku laughed as the spinning stopped. Despite the lingering dizziness, he featured a smile that went ear to ear.
"How was it?" Frieren asked as her speed slowed into a relaxing pace. They lazily flew through the clouds, the feeling cool and moist, while the sea below glimmered like brilliant gems.
"It was amazing." He said breathlessly. "I... I want to be able to fly too, one day."
"You can. It'll take time, sure, but many people have paved the way so that flight is more accessible."
Izuku nodded, his eyes stuck on the glimmering sea. They stayed like that, in comfortable silence, as they simply took in the vistas below them, all the while the warm heat of the sinking sun and the moist freshness of the clouds mixed to create truly surreal strokes against their skin.
Remembering something she used to share with Fern, the elf felt those words escaping her lips before she could stop them.
"Do... Do you love magic?"
His response was instant, his face twisting to face her with a gleeful look. "'Course I do! More than a lot of things in the world."
She felt her heart clench at those simple words.
She turned her head away, not daring to look at him... fearful yet yearning for the strokes of purple she knew she would see.
The pair eventually closed in on their destination, the faraway mountain range growing larger with each passing second. Izuku blinked, noticing what seemed like a faint image of a translucent dome surrounding the foot of a particular rise. "What's that?" He inquired curiously.
"That's Trieben. It's a barrier spell meant to ward off people via influencing their minds to make them change course, away from the center of the spell."
"That sounds strong," Izuku said with a hint of surprise.
"No, it really isn't." She rejected. Sensing the boy's confusion, she patted his head. "I'll continue the explanation later when we're on foot. Staying airborne like this can be a bit taxing at a long enough period."
With enough said, Frieren landed in the grassy field, her hand reaching out against the wall of mana. She caressed it gently as she glanced at Izuku. "You know how to control mana to an extent, right?"
Izuku nodded, a bit unsure. "I think so. You already taught me how to use the basic attacking and defensive spells these past two weeks."
"Then, as a test, you need to make it through this barrier." She said as her hand, once soft, turned into a firm push. A visibly thin layer of her own mana surrounded her. "Like this. Coat yourself in your mana, then push through. It's a long way so this will be good to train up your concentration and endurance."
He looked down at his hands, then back up at the translucent barrier... and let out a long breath. At first, there didn't seem to be an immediate change to his ever-fluctuating mana. As the seconds ticked by, however, he was beginning to show results: the mana, ever so slowly, described a constant line — a wall — that surrounded his body. There was still a hint of instability here and there, but for a relatively new magic user, it was impressive control.
'He must have spent a many long hours familiarizing with his mana to already be able to control it to this extent.' Frieren thought with an expression of mixed pride and reminiscence.
A few more aeconds later, Frieren spoke up.
"That's enough." She said, snapping him out of his mana-addled stupor. "Maintain that level of mana and follow me."
Izuku merely gave a small nod, fearing that opening his mouth would break his concentration. He felt a pang of nervousness as he watched the looming dome of translucence, but when he saw his teacher boldly stepping into it, he decided to follow along albeit with an unsure gait.
"Actually... wait." Frieren suddenly said, still within the reaches of the spell. She turned to him. "You were attacked by the Sludge Villain almost a dozen months ago, correct?"
Izuku's expression quickly darkened. "Yeah... It was traumatizing. Not only was I close to dying, it was my first time actually facing a Villain. All other times, I was always well within safe distance."
"I see." Her gaze turned soft. "Fair warning, then. When you enter the barrier's influence, even guarded by mana — especially by mana, actually — it will feel like you're surrounded by slime."
"I see..."
"Will that be fine with you? I can take this down for a bit, if you wish."
"No, no." Izuku quickly shook his head as he gave a reassuring smile. "It's not like I have nightmares about that moment everyday. Maybe it'll feel uncomfortable, sure, but I can handle it. I'm sure."
Frieren smiled back. "That is good to hear." She then nudged her head, deeper into the spell. "Let's go, then."
Izuku nodded as he gathered his bearings. He stared at the translucent wall intently before he stepped forward, his breath slightly hitching.
Her words rang true.
The spell felt like slime, sticking to every inch of his body. In a way, the feeling was actually enhanced by his own mana.
'Well... that makes sense.' He mused. 'After all, mana is always in a state of perception... though, right now, I'm still quite flawed in that aspect. I momentarily lose that ability to sense whenever I actively use spells.'
He let out a sigh. Still, just because it made sense doesn't mean he's very happy with that limitation.
...Even now, he felt a shiver ever so slightly run down his spine. When he walked in, he was somewhat confident that he would no longer be bothered by the memories of that fateful day, but it turns out he was severely overestimating himself.
But he knew the struggles ahead, when he got into U.A., would be far greater than the Sludge Villain ever was.
Further sharpening his focus... he trudged on.
Time seemingly melded into the sludge as his thoughts came to a single-minded focus. The uncomfortable chill, once filling his psyche, began to shrink to the back of his mind as he walked. The only semblance of time passing that remained was Frieren, who appeared truly unbothered by the barrier: Trieben, he fixed internally.
Frieren glanced back occasionally, making sure Izuku kept his pace. She felt herself give a small laugh as she watched, his face contorted with such focus.
And for something she sees as trivial, at that.
Her lips slowly straightened as a thought struck her. How long has it been since she's seen an apprentice mage? How long since she last taught someone? Her last encounter with a mage — Serie — was already centuries ago, and even then, the fellow elf was anything but a beginner. In fact, she had already long reached what many thought to be the pinnacle of mages.
Of course, she knew the expansive world of magic stretched far beyond Serie. Like science, like technology, it would only grow with time.
After a moment of rumination, she shook her head. Trivial as passing through Trieben was for her, she was not infallible. She still needed to hold a modicum level of focus.
Eventually, they broke through the barrier into an expanse, a soft breeze blowing past them. A decently large farm stretched across the field, surrounded by steel gates. Beyond the lush fruits and vegetables was a wooden cabin adorned by vines with sprouting flowers as an orange hue glowed from the windows.
"Is... Is this where you live, Frieren-sensei?" Izuku asked with awe, having just joined her within the dome. He blinked, having just realized something else. "What, I don't think I saw this when we were flying. Is... Does Trieben hide the appearance of this place?"
Frieren shook her head. "No. It's another spell."
"Whoa..." He breathed out. "How many spells are there?"
The elf smiled as she turned her head to the translucent air behind her. Izuku's gaze followed hers. "Good question. Actually, Trieben is the progenitor of the more practical barrier spells as well as spells that influence the mind. By taking in the composition that makes up Trieben, mages have managed to isolate the specifics and turn them into an entirely new branch of spells. It also relates to why I said this spell isn't actually that impressive; not only is it easy to pass through, but you can notice that you keep losing your memories after journeying into a specific area. That's why it's an old spell that has largely grown out of use."
Izuku's awe seemed to sprout further at her words. While he had an idea, he didn't realize that spells were capable of so many uses. In fact, he was reminded of something else.
"It... It sort of sounds like science." Izuku stated.
Frieren nodded smilingly. She then pointed to her cabin. "Let's go, then. There's a training area just behind my place."
The pair walked around the garden and soon came upon what seemed like an arena. The rocks described a large circle with various pillars rising into the air, like the fingers of a colossal stone giant. Faint plumes of blue fire hovered above the pillars.
"What's this?" Izuku inquired with both curiosity and a hint of intimidation.
"You'll know when you enter the circle." Just as simply as her words, Frieren stepped past the pillars and into the circular formation. She looked at him, waiting for Izuku to do the same.
After a moment of thought, Izuku stepped in. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he gazed at his hands, a familiar blanket surrounding his body.
"My... mana? It's overflowing..." He then went silent, not knowing how to describe the rippling sensations.
Frieren nodded as she explained. "It's called Riese der Heilung. It's summoning magic that, among various uses, allows for the creation of many pillars that, together, accelerate the natural regeneration of one's mana. Unfortunately, there is still no spell that allows me to quickly regenerate mana while moving across vast distances."
Izuku barely paid attention to her words as he was still stuck on the otherworldly feeling. It felt like a throve of limitless energy filled him; as if he could do almost anything in the world.
Frieren smiled, amused, but she'd rather not take any further distractions.
"We should quickly start training." She reached out her hand into thin air, but unlike how it usually went, she did not summon her own staff. She summoned a simple wooden one and threw it over at him. "Here."
He snatched it out of the air, gazing at it with a smile. It was the staff he'd been using these past two weeks, starting from when he first began training spells. Even now, he still felt proud holding the wooden rod.
Spurred by the surging mana within, he pointed his staff towards the expansive pasture. A moment later, beams of light erupted from his staff and flew past the grass, causing them to sway against the wind ever so slightly.
Frieren watched with amusement as he played around, firing light beams and summoning shields made up of hexagonal shapes, relishing his temporary surge of power.
"You won't stay here for long." She explained, contributing greatly as his face fell. "This place is optimal for practicing mana control and your refinement over some variety of spells, but for actual spars — which is what we will mostly be doing together — the area is simply far too small. It's better to practice in the pasture."
Izuku appeared downtrodden by her words but he quickly accepted it. Satisfied by his rapid understanding, Frieren opened her lips. "Explain to me what dictates the effectiveness of a spell."
His answer came instantly. "The mana with which you fire it, the control you have over it, and the power at which it is fired."
She gave a thumbs-up. "Ding. Correct." As he proudly smiled, she continued. "I'll elaborate on the second point. To gain better control over your spells, you must be able to vividly imagine what will happen and believe it to be true. The more you do so, the more effective the spell will be."
He appeared lost. Although he faintly remembered her touching on that topic in the past, he hadn't yet truly understood the meaning behind it.
Fortunately, she was not done with her explanation...
"Magic is the world of imagination. Although much of its principles are rooted in science, applying it still requires vivid imagination and belief. I knew of someone in the past who was able to cut through powerful people, not because she was stronger than them in the most straightforward way, but because she believed she could cut them. Or should I say, the fabrics on them."
"It is a realm where, what you can imagine, you can similarly achieve."
His mind reeled from her explanation. The logical part of his mind knew her words made very little sense... it was the complete opposite, in fact.
Yet nevertheless, he felt her words resonating within him.
'Where I can achieve what I can imagine...' He smiled. 'I like the sound of that.'
Whilst his thoughts sang with a satisfied tune, Frieren continued with her explanation. "Of course, utter belief in something is nigh impossible. As long as we humans remain logical creatures, we will always be one step away from achieving what is on our minds."
Izuku hummed upon hearing her words. Instantly, he tried to imagine himself facing against All-Might and his mighty strength...
And, even now when his mana was seemingly lifted by the pillars around him, he could not imagine himself standing against the Symbol of Peace.
"So... I should practice my imagination, then?"
"No. I mean..." She shrugged. "Belief is inherent to oneself. I'm not capable of improving it. I usually strengthen my spells the same way humans deepen their understanding of science: research."
"In that same regard," She continued. "you should know that spells either materialize things out of pure mana or influence one's surroundings. While you have gone a long way practising your mana... it is merely passable for an apprentice mage. Thus, I recommend you to choose the latter path, which is more cost-efficient."
Izuku appeared determined as he voiced his agreement. She nodded, once again impressed with his quick decisions.
'I'm pretty sure it took me a year to decide which path I wanted to choose myself...' She forcibly shook those thoughts away as she spoke, "Very well. You'll have to choose between these elements, then." The elf tilted her staff, having just materialized out of motes of light.
Nearly instantly, various elemental spheres rose from the ground and hovered beside Frieren in a neat row. There was a plume of red flames, a water ball, a crackling form of purple thunder, and so on.
Izuku gazed at the collection with awe. This was a much larger variety than most single Quirks could offer! "Do I have to choose one?"
"Personally, I'm able to use all of these, but that's only because I'm an elf. For a human, I recommend being a master of one to set up a strong foundation before exploring other means of attack."
"Wouldn't being a Jack of all trades be better? Since it could allow me to respond to a larger variety of emergencies."
"Except for the fact that you wouldn't even be a Jack. You would instead be... a five of all trades." She awkwardly waved her hands, a bit embarrassed by his blank expression. "I mean. You know... in cards, there are the numericals, then the royals, then Ace, yeah? I think I remember it like that. Uh, anyway, I meant the numericals. Five. As in five spades... or hearts..."
He chuckled at her reaction. He gestured placatingly as he nodded, causing her to breathe out in relief.
Izuku then gazed back at the litany of different elements, focusing back on the matter at hand. In all honesty, each were appealing to him in some way so having to only choose one was quite the struggle. After a period of pensive silence, however, he finally opened his lips.
"...If I choose water... can I, say, modify saltwater or dirty water into a version safer to drink?"
Frieren felt the edges of her lips inexplicably tug upwards. "Yes, you can."
"Then I choose that."
At this point, her smile appeared serene... as if his answer had validated the choices she'd made until now.
"Good choice." She said with an approving nod. "For now, you'll use that staff to practice. I have a few materials that could be combined to make a staff particularly efficient in casting water spells... but that will take quite a while. I can't assure you it will be done before U.A.'s Entrance Exams, either."
Izuku did not mind using the simple, wooden staff. He had actually grown quite fond of it. However, the mention of the increasingly short amount of time left before the entrance exams caused the boy to bite his lips anxiously.
"How long would it take before I can use this type of spell?"
She smirked, her soft hand reaching out to rustle his head. The greenette, at this point, simply allowed her to do so; he was too embarrassed to admit he actually liked the feeling.
"Don't worry. As I said before, magic is a world of imagination. Fortunately, the way you've been trained to gather mana is similar to how you will need imagine water spells, as they are both liquid in nature."
"Ah, I see," Izuku said with eyes set alight. "I guess I'm lucky that you taught me that method." He chuckled.
Frieren felt her voice buzz much of the same way, their joyful tones filling the air. She folded her arms over her chest in an almost smug manner. "Fufu, of course. Who do you think I am?"
"Frieren. That's your teacher's name, yes?"
The greenette blinked, his hand hovering above the door handle. "Ah... yeah." He turned to face Inko. "Why, mom?"
The woman pursed her lips. "She's been teaching you well, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, she has."
"For the General Course, yes? At U.A.?"
"...Yes. Of course. For... the G-General Course." He coughed, turning back his gaze to the door handle. "U.A., of course. I wouldn't want anything else."
"...You know, you can always pick another university. You don't have to go there just because he—"
"It's my decision, mom." He interrupted her, twisting his head to face her once again. His voice was firm.
"Okay." She sighed, her eyelids shuttering to a close. After a moment, she opened her eyes and gave him a wide smile. "I love you, Izuku. Be careful out there." Her curved lips straightened slightly. "...And good luck with your studies."
"I will, mom."
With that said, Izuku stepped out of the tense mood and into the burning heat of the sun. It felt oddly good to be out of his home... even if that way of thinking filled him with guilt.
He shook away those thoughts.
For now, he tried to think more positively. His dream, his desire to be a Hero is important. Even more so than the gnawing in his gut. And as his thoughts drifted there... he felt a surge of excitement within.
Today, he would take a step further into the study of magic.
Underneath the twinkling twilight sky, in a glistening sward surrounded by thick forestry, the sounds of conflict echoed throughout the otherwise silent clearing. Flashes of light occasionally beamed through the dimly lit expanse as what sounded like the splashing of water was heard.
Izuku grunted, swinging his staff to the side. At the same time, a path of water churned around his feet and shot to his right, carrying him with it.
And just in the nick of time as a glow streaked through where he just was. He was saved from much of the damage, his cheek merely being grazed by the incinerating beam.
"Urk..." He grunted, bringing his fingers to his cheek. He let out a deep breath as he noticed the crimson that now stained his skin. "Sensei really isn't pulling any punches..."
"This is what you wished for, no?" Her familiar voice suddenly echoed behind him. He felt a faint heat grow, the warmth bathing his back.
His eyes widened as he spun around. He pushed his mind and mana further, materializing the complex hexagonal shapes of a shield as Frieren's Zoltraak dissipated against the firm mana. Not a second later, he slid a great distance away as he reached out into the moisture on the blades of grass, his voice rising. "Wasserspitzen!"
In an instant, spikes of water rose from beneath Frieren and thrust at where she stood.
Of course, he was still many years too far from being able to surprise her.
The water spears dissipated weakly against her precisely positioned shields. Unlike Izuku, who still often threw up unnecessarily large shields against otherwise small attacks, Frieren was utterly efficient; every spike was held back by the exact same amount of hexagonal apparitions, not too much and not too little either.
As the moisture fell back into the soil, Frieren raised her staff simply and a moment later, a litany of beams cut through the air. Izuku reeled back in surprise that quickly morphed into panic.
He hastily manipulated the water beneath his feet, trying to get away from the incoming barrage with reckless abandon. He only realized his mistake when his body slammed against a stone wall that he was sure wasn't there before, the rocks protruding and wrapping around his limbs unflinchingly.
Izuku tried to struggle, his panic overwhelming him so much to the point that his staff clattered onto the ground. Witnessing the blinding light approaching, he closed his eyes...
Only for nothing to happen.
None of the incineration, or exploding rubble, or sheer heat he expected occurred.
In fact, the stone bindings quickly retracted, freeing him and setting him onto the wet soil. He snapped open his eyes alongside heaving breaths, staring widely at the blades of grass digging into his skin.
"You still have much to learn." His sensei's familiar voice came, soothing yet firm in her statement. His body shook with every second that passed so he hefted up himself so as to lean against the stone wall. His green orbs were filled with shock and awe as he gazed at Frieren's undisturbed form.
Her clothes had yet to even be dirtied, her hair still neatly combed and her skin dry, as if she had not just went through a battle.
"I... I do." He admitted as his head hung low, mulling over his various mistakes.
"What were your mistakes, exactly?"
"I panicked. I still haven't mastered efficiently using my shields. And... I was too passive."
"Correct." She nodded. After a moment, she spoke up. "There's also another mistake." She said whilst nudging his staff with her foot.
"Right..." Izuku sighed. He did not need to be told any more. When he was bound, he had still been holding his staff so by all rights, he should have still been able to use spells and potentially defend himself.
If only he had not panicked at the last second...
Seeing his disheartened expression, Frieren crouched down so that she could soothingly pat his shoulder. "Don't take it too hard on yourself. That was our first spar and we still have three weeks left before your entrance exams; I'm sure you'll grow stronger. More than enough to get into U.A."
He looked up at her, his expression unreadable. After a moment, though, he nodded.
"...Thank you, sensei. I will get into U.A. You can rest assured of that much."
The elf gave an encouraging thumbs-up at his words. Soon enough, her mood turned pensive as a thought entered her mind... an apprehensive one, though not for herself. Her gaze flickered over to her student.
"Your water magic has reached a satisfying enough level. You're ready to go to the Quirk Registry, Izuku."
"Ah." His face fell as he looked away with furrowed brows. "Can't we... wait until I'm more capable?"
"It would be even more suspicious if a late-bloomer is suddenly very skilled with his Quirk. It's better to do so now."
He pursed his lips as he nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. "...Yeah. I get it."
Sparing him a glance, at the anxiety that adorned his face, Frieren could not help but feel for the boy. Trying to show her support, she patted his head once more. "You can do it. You basically have a Quirk, now. Even better than one, actually."
"That's... true," Izuku murmured under his breath. "...But she'll continue to worry for me."
Her gaze softened at his words. Her hand, now resting on his shoulder, tightened. She looked away from his face as she said, "Mothers will always be worried for their children."
That got a small laugh out of the boy. "True, as well. I swear, even if I'm All-Might himself mom would still worry for me. It's like she can't handle the thought of not seeing me." At those words, Frieren's body tensed ever so slightly.
"Yeah." She said, hiding a wealth of emotions.
"...But I love my mom." His voice turned sincere, brimming with clear affection. "And I'd like to assuage her worries, even by a little. So... can I ask you to help me with something, sensei?"
Eager to move on to another topic, Frieren nodded. Urged by her approval, Izuku's earnest request rang through the cool atmosphere. The elf remained silent for a moment before her eyes slowly began to widen.
"Is... Is what you're asking for? Truly?"
"Yeah." Izuku gave a pleading smile. "Can you do it, sensei? If it's not too much of a bother..."
"No, it's not a bother." She chuckled. Her gaze, initially wide with surprise, now glinted with interest. "Sure. I just have to act like a Villain and then you'd send me flying away, right?"
"Y-Yeah." He nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed by her description. While her words did sing the same tune as the truth, the way she said it made him feel like he was taking advantage of her...
Though, in hindsight, perhaps that was on purpose on her part.
Shaking away those intruding thoughts, Izuku further elaborated. "Mom wants to go on a trip with me, some time soon... She'll probably leave the decisions up to me." He shifted in place, his breathing growing ever so slightly uneven as he nibbled on his thumb. "I-I'll... I'll ask for us to go camping or something that'll leave us alone. You can act out an attack then– t-though... I want to spend some time with her first. She likes malls and movies so, I'll invite her to Musutafu City Mall and, after, we'll go to some isolated area."
"Good boy." She patted his head. "Sure, I can wait. But do you have to stage all of this? Can't you just come forward and say that you suddenly attained your Quirk?"
"Yeah, but a couple of weeks of just gaining my Quirk wouldn't be enough to convince her that I could have what it takes to go to U.A." He rambled. "...At least not without mom seeing it herself."
"I see." She nodded with quick acceptance. "Okay, then. How about tomorrow? Can you schedule that?"
"I can, sensei."
"Good."
With that said and done, Frieren flew Izuku back to his apartment. As the winds lashed against his face, Izuku stared at the darkening land, illuminated only by the innumerable glimmer of the city. The soft rays of the sun and moon, of warm copper and cold azure, mixing together in a crucible of prisms, was certainly a stunning sight.
Yet, even if he could admit that the vista did nothing to sway his heavy heart.
Call him overreacting, if you wish. But to face his mother, someone who has vehemently shown her disapproval for his dreams since the incident that occured when he was just a child, was easier said than done.
He glanced up at his teacher, her face calm and composed. Within it, he found reassurance; not from himself, not even truly from his teacher...
But from the sea and the mighty waves that glide across it.
[I'm near the abandoned park. I'll wait for you here.]
"What are you reading, Izuku?"
"A-Ah?" He was jolted out of his musing as a shaky smile adorned his face. He hastily buried his phone in his pocket. "I-It's nothing, mom. Just some messages from my c-class."
"I see." Inko nodded, quickly accepting his words as her lips very quickly curved up. She looked around the bustling mall. "What do you want to get, Izuku? Honestly, I think you've worn those red shoes for too long; what do you think about changing that?"
"No, it's fine." The boy answered with a vehement expression. "I like it very much."
Her eyes softened. "Figures. Well..." She tilted her head as she scanned the rest of his clothes. "If you won't change out of those shoes, then we can at least change the rest of your attire. Like, seriously," She giggled. "until when will you just wear t-shirts in public?"
The aforementioned boy visibly blushed. His hand scratched the back of his head, unable to retort. "O-Okay..."
With that said and planned, the pair headed straight for a clothing store. At this time, when offices and schools alike simultaneously offer weeks of vacation, a mogul like Musutafu City Mall was sure to be packed. Seeing his mom smile widely, not at all bothered by the tight spaces enforced by the however many people are around them, tugged at his lips as well.
When asked for the reason for her love for places like this, Inko would always say...
"Malls, I feel, are the centre of the human experience. People come here and they can find virtually every facet of our emotions. Some go to the theatre and have a good time; some are annoyed by the occasional fights that occur; some come alone, trying to find meaning in the thick crowd."
"Point is, you can come out of here feeling terrible or feeling like you've just gone through the best day of your life."
"I just want us, all three of us, to come here and watch it all unfold. As a family."
Izuku smiled softly at that memory... oblivious to the dangers that lay in wait.
Somewhere else within the jam-packed walls of the mall, a rotting stench wafted from behind closed shutters, prickling into the crowd. Among them, a man with a dog head grew increasingly bothered by the smell.
In some other timeline, he would have just ignored the stench and walked away. But in this world, the man was not in a particularly good mood. In fact, he was distinctly livid. Not only had his girlfriend left him but even his car, a heirloom with which he treasured very much, had been destroyed by a fallen tree.
And so, from a frustration born out of a culminatingly worse day, the man barked and opened the shutters.
"Hey! What the fuck is that sme—"
Only to meet a tsunami of rats, their red eyes glinting with madness.
Frieren leaned against a tree's trunk, her staff splayed on the grass below. She yawned as tears emerged from the corner of her eyes. She blinked, scrunching her lids as she tried to shake off her doziness.
Suddenly, they widened, her pupils filled with shock.
Far, far in the distance, within the heart of Musutafu...
A pillar of mana, rivalling her own, rose into the endless blue sky.
I am utterly ashamed of my lack of dedication to release one chapter a week. I apologize.
I am not sure when, but I want to achieve a point in time where I can finally release my plan of one chapter each week without rushing the story. Anyway, like usual leave behind reviews.
...Also, I am currently following drawing lessons so, hopefully, when my skills have reached a good enough level I want to make some cover art for all of my stories. That would include this and the other one-shots I have.