Chapter Ten
Heart to Heart
"Well done, everyone!" Toshinori Yagi congratulated, speaking to the class in front of the Training Ground Beta exit. "We had only a few scrapes and bruises, but no serious injuries, apart from young Midoriya's. You all had great teamwork, though! Considering this was your first training exercise, you all did splendidly!"
"After the trial by fire that was Mr. Aizawa, such a straight forward class is almost a letdown," young Tokoyami admitted.
"We teachers are free to hold no-nonsense classes if we choose!" All Might explained, turning towards the exit. "Now, I'm off to give young Midoriya his evaluation. You still have some time before class has finished, so change out of those costumes of yours and head back to the classroom! You can all chat and relax while you wait for the period to end!"
Tensing his legs, Toshinori dashed forward with a burst of energy through the exit. As he ran to Chiyo Shuzenji's office, who was known within the school as the school nurse, Recovery Girl, he looked over his shoulder, his gaze landing on young Bakugo.
'Young Bakugo,' Toshinori sighed within his mind. 'All of that conceit bundled up in his heart, it's said that the most inflated egos are often the most fragile. As his teacher, I'll have to give him some counselling, see if we can't get to the bottom of his issues. While I might have some idea from what young Midoriya has said, I can't be certain that I haven't received a biased view of it. I'll need to get Hound Dog to make some room in his schedule for young Bakugo. But that's later, now I need to check up on young Midoriya.'
Spying a door that read, 'Teachers Only', Toshinori slipped inside, letting out a deep sigh as his muscle form disappeared into a puff of steam, his muscular form deflating into what he affectionately called, 'Small Might'. The costume that was a form fitting spandex only seconds earlier was now eight sizes too small,
"I only barely have enough time to get through a single class," he muttered, coughing into a hand, revealing slight amounts of blood. "Damn this injury for making me so pathetic."
Pushing himself off the wall he was leaning against, Toshinori made his way through the hidden corridors within U.A. that the teachers and staff used to travel through the campus without being seen by their students. Toshinori always preferred this option. His fellow staff members all knew about his condition, even if they were still in the dark about how he got his injury or the nature of his quirk. Well, former quirk now.
That was also something that Toshinori was still getting used to. Aside from the surrealness of being a teacher and all of the responsibilities that came with it, he could keenly feel his power waning with each day. When he still had One For All, it was like there was a small hole in a water tank. With the sheer volume of water within the container, Toshinori hadn't ever needed to worry about it too much, such was the amount of his power. But now that he had passed on One For All to young Midoriya, having chosen him as his protege, it was like the tap had been opened. There was still plenty of water in the tank, but it was pouring out, and the water level was dropping, slowly but surely.
'Oh well,' Toshinori thought, nodding and waving to some of the awestruck staff members who passed him by. 'I've already made up my mind, young Midoriya is the right choice as the ninth holder of One For All. I've spent long enough in the spotlight as it is. All I need to do is keep it together long enough for the boy to take my place, to tell the world, "I am here!"'
Arriving outside a door that was marked, 'Nurse's Office', Toshinori stilled, before taking in a deep breath.
"Well, time to face the music, Toshinori," he muttered to himself, reaching out and opening the sliding door.
"The year's only just started, and this is his third time here!" came the loud, irritated voice of an elderly woman. "Why didn't you prevent this, All Might?!"
"My apologies, Recovery Girl-" Toshinori began, only for the voice to interrupt.
"It's not me you need to apologise to!" she yelled, the office chair she sat on spinning around, revealing a short, elderly woman with gray hair styled into a netted bun, with a large syringe poking diagonally out of it to the left. Her face had a small button nose and deep wrinkles along her mouth. She wore a doctor's lab coat over a dress with a yellow and red vest-like design, as well as a belt with a pink 'R'-shaped buckle. Both her boots and helmet were a pastel pink, with the helmet wrapping around the sides of her head, with a purple-tinted visor joining it over her eyes. Leaning against her desk was what looked like an oversized syringe, but Toshinori knew it was simply her cane.
She glared at him from her desk, her brow creased into a deep frown. "Yesterday and today, he's come to me completely fatigued! This isn't so easily healed!"
She took a deep breath, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "I've given him emergency first aid and an I.V. drip, but now all we can do is wait for him to recover on his own. I know you gave him your power, but whether he's your favourite or not, you have to stop indulging him!"
"No, you're absolutely right," Toshinori admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in shame. "I was sympathising with him too much, so I hesitated. I understand all too well the desire to prove yourself, even at the cost of your own health. That's why I hesitated to end the match."
"But, um," Toshinori murmured, glancing to the door, before looking at Recovery Girl with a finger over his mouth, "can you keep it down? At least when discussing One For All?"
"Oh right," Recovery Girl huffed, spinning her chair to once more face the monitor on her desk, getting back to her work. "Sure thing, Mr. Natural Born Hero, Mr. Symbol of Peace."
"This true form of mine and my injury are common knowledge to the staff here at U.A.," Toshinori argued, choosing to ignore her sarcasm. "However, only you, the Principle, young Midoriya, and three others know about my quirk. It's a secret to all others, it has to be."
"I don't suppose that's just you resting on your laurels, then?" Recovery Girl asked, her gaze still focused on her computer as she tapped away at the keyboard. "It's that important, huh? That you be a 'natural born hero' and the 'Symbol of Peace'?"
"Without me, this superhuman society would fall to evil," Toshinori said, his voice full of foreboding promise, the voice of a man who felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Recovery Girl opened her mouth and took a breath, but held it, as if pondering what to say.
"You know that you don't have to carry all of the weight, All Might," she said, turning her chair to look Toshinori in the eyes. "There are others who can pick up the slack."
"You don't understand, Recovery Girl, I'm the only one who can," Toshinori sighed, taking a seat in a chair that sat along the wall opposite to Recovery Girl's desk. "Without me there, villains are going to become bolder, more dangerous. They often say that it's lonely at the top; people don't realise just how right they are."
"Endeavor could take your place," Recovery Girl offered. "If we go purely off numbers of incidents resolved rather than popularity, he ranks above you. In fact, you rank somewhere in the bottom ten off numbers alone."
"I agree," Toshinori said, "but what the people need is a symbol, not a leader. They need someone to look up to. Endeavor can't be that person, he won't be that person. He leads from the front, but expects everyone to be at the front with him. The people can't live up to his demands, and he knows it, not with the way Japan's laws are now."
"Don't I know it," Recovery Girl scoffed. "Kids these days won't remember, but it was only eleven years ago that those with heteromorphic quirks gained the right to defend themselves. Before that, any use of their quirks, even though it couldn't be turned off, could have them face court action for Quirk Misuse."
"Exactly," Toshinori nodded. "That's why people need someone to look up to, someone who's a symbol. I'm the only one who can do that."
"Sure, let's say there isn't anyone else who can be the Symbol of Peace that you are," Recovery Girl proposed, "but there are those who are able to pick up the slack. Endeavor isn't a symbol, not yet at least, but he's still a very competent fighter."
"I'd say the same about all of the top ten," Toshinori argued, only for Recovery Girl to silence him with a glare.
"Oh please," she remarked, "those Hero Billboard charts are a sham. They rate heroes on popularity more than anything. It's why Wash is able to maintain his position in the top twenty thanks to his laundry commercials. Best Jeanist has good intentions, but he gets hung up over the slightest details. Need I remind you of the time he and Street Sweeper teamed up?"
Toshinori groaned into his hand at the P.R. nightmare that was the team up between the Fibre Hero and the Urban Combat Hero.
"Don't remind me," Toshinori grumbled. "The two of them were barely able to beat the villain with all of the arguing they and their sidekicks were having over any and all topics. I mean really, who argues about your ally's hairstyle in the middle of a battle?"
"Best Jeanist, apparently," Recovery Girl chuckled, though it was a short lived moment. "Hawkes is way too wet behind the ears, and arrogant to a fault, Mirko is a hero because she's an adrenaline junkie who loves getting into fights, and Edgeshot is a stealth specialist."
"Which just leaves Crust, who specialises in team ups, Yoroi Musha, who probably only has a few years of active duty, Ryukyu, as well as Gang Orca and his sidekicks," Toshinori summarised. "Too many heroes are relying on the heavy hitters to take on the real threats; actual villains, rather than petty criminals with quirks. There just aren't enough Pros who are able to handle the kind of dangers that society needs them to face."
Recovery Girl hesitated, tapping a finger against her knee, a contemplative expression on her face.
"There are those who have retired," she suggested. "I know for a fact that there are some of us old-timers who would be willing to don our capes once more."
"Gran Torino might be willing," Toshinori began, his chin resting in his hand as he thought. "Crimson Riot could possibly be called back into action, as could SP/dr. Last I heard, her suit is still located in her garage."
"I wasn't talking about Pros, All Might," Recovery Girl said. "We both know two people who could easily be called back into service within Japan."
"What do you…" Toshinori began, only to trail off as he realised who Recovery Girl was referring to, his eyes widening in horror. "No, you couldn't mean-"
"I do," Recovery Girl nodded. "I know you don't like to admit it, but Salamander and Undine would be glad to come back to the public. It's not as if it'd be hard to contact them; after all, they have relatives in your class. Why, people would be ecstatic to see them in action."
"No, absolutely not!" Toshinori declared, his voice raising. He knew he should calm himself, control his emotions, but this topic was one that he and Recovery Girl were never able to see eye to eye on. "I refuse to let those murders and killers, or any of the other Sentinels, corrupt this society."
"Oh grow up," Recovery Girl said in a scolding tone. "They're effective heroes, that's why they were chosen by the World Heroes Association."
"Salamander has killed thousands of people, while Undine was responsible for the Great Flooding of Macau!"
"Salamander has a confirmed count of hundreds, not thousands, and they were villains, not civilians," Recovery Girl argued. "As for Macau, the entire region was infested with Triads. Not a single business operated on that island without some interference from them. The crimes against humanity that were uncovered there more than warranted Undine's wrath."
"What about their sisters-in-arms, Sylph and Gnome?" Toshinori challenged. "Sylph is responsible for multiple wind storms that have ravaged both coastal and landlocked areas, while Gnome designed, created, and fielded an army of killer robots!"
"Sylph only ever did that in areas that had been evacuated, and only for strategically drawing out or forcing out villains," Recovery Girl countered. "As for Gnome, Poland was facing off against a LITERAL zombie infestation! It was her machines that culled the undead, allowing for the strike team to neutralise the one controlling the hive mind. Without her machines, those people would have remained slaves, rather than what they are now, a new heteromorph race. And immediately after, Gnome deactivated and dismantled each and every one of her machines. No blueprints were ever put to paper, only ever being within her mind. And you forget, All Might, that it was those killer robots that were the basis for the robots we have here at U.A. It's to be expected, after all, young Maijima was Gnome's one and only apprentice before she secluded herself. And I'd say Gnome has more than made up for the weapons she's created after creating I-Island and the yearly inventions she debuts there."
"They have blood on their hands!" Toshinori yelled.
"SO DO I!"
Toshinori's anger fizzled out at the pain in Recovery Girl's voice. The old woman sagged into her chair, clutching the armrests.
"People love to hold heroes up as faultless individuals, but the truth is, we're just like them," Recovery Girl muttered, her voice only just above a whisper. "We get scared, jealous, doubtful, angry. Sometimes, so angry we do things that we regret."
"No one blames you for what you did, Recovery Girl," Toshinori comforted, resting a hand on top of hers.
"They should," Recovery Girl admitted. "Revenge doesn't take away the pain; it only changes it, makes it harder to deal with."
"You aren't alone in that," Toshinori said. "I know what it's like to take a life."
"You did it to protect people," Recovery Girl said, shaking her head. "You were fighting him, and sometimes the rush of battle makes you do things you normally wouldn't. You didn't track them down to their house, shoot them, heal them, drain them of energy, and then repeat the cycle until their hearts gave out. You did it because All For One took many lives; I did it because those men took only one."
She glanced at a photo on her desk, one that Toshinori had seen many times. In it stood five figures; the first was a much younger Recovery Girl, her hair turquoise rather than gray, styled in her signature bun, and standing much taller with a similar outfit to the present, bar the doctor's coat.
Standing to her left was a muscular, black-haired woman, with fair skin and a mole below her lower lip. Her hair was dark and straight, kept shoulder-length, with the exception of a clump of short bangs hanging above her forehead, and was styled in a half-up-half-down bun. She wore a hero costume, consisting of a dark, sleeveless bodysuit with a high collar, yellow gauntlets, and white knee-high boots. Covering her back was a long, flowing white cape, fastned to the shoulders of her costume and reaching down to the woman's knees.
In front of her, Toshinori saw a younger version of himself. The light amount of muscles, the mop of blond hair, and the drooping bangs that framed his face reminded Toshinori of what he looked like in his teen years. But the proud, happy smile that he had and the hand that was resting on his shoulder only made Toshinori wish for those early days even more.
Standing to the right of the young Recovery Girl was a tall man, around 2 m (6'7") tall, with short gray hair. His hero costume consisted of a full-body monochrome white suit along with a yellow cape, a belt with the letter "G" on it, very thick yellow gloves and boots, and a black domino mask. He wore a small smile and had an arm around the young Recovery Girl, who was leaning into his side.
Standing in between Recovery Girl and the tall man was a young child, not even a teenager. She wore a simple white shirt with the word 'Super' on it, denim shorts, and black sneakers. Her hair was a boyish cut and was a pale green, and though she had a band-aid over her nose, knees and elbows, her dazzling smile showed her joy.
"People these days don't know what it was like before you came along, All Might," Recovery Girl said, picking up the photo frame and gazing at it. "Kids these days view heroes fighting villains with excitement, like it's part of their Saturday morning programs. The villain causes trouble, the heroes arrive, they fight, and the heroes usually win. Even if the hero loses, the villain will often just use it as an opportunity to get away. No one gets seriously hurt in those fights.
"But I remember what it was like, All Might. I remember the Age of Chaos, when might made right, and the strong ruled over the weak. Very few remember what it was like. Not even you truly know what it was like. You were born into it, yes, but you didn't grow up through it, mature during it. But I remember. I remember the fear I felt as a child when I heard that my favourite heroes had gotten into a fight with a villain. Things were different back then, after all. Villains were much more brutal, and heroes responded in kind. Prisons like Tartaros didn't exist; if a villain couldn't be contained in a normal prison, they were often killed. We knew it, the heroes knew it, and the villains knew it. That was why they fought so hard, why they killed then they did; they were simply prioritising their life and greed over everyone else. In turn, this made heroes more violent, and it only created a cycle.
"It was people like Salamander, Undine, Sylph, Gnome, and many other Sentinels that helped minimise the damage. They were the ones keeping villains within their home country, and to do that, they had to be even more terrifying than the villains. They're the reason All For One was content to stay as the Demon Lord of Japan, rather than try and be the Demon Lord of the World. Even now, the Sentinels patrol the borders, even if there are much fewer of them than there were in the past. Heroes like Punisher from the United States, Guillotine from France, even Lady Nagant from here in Japan; they're the ones keeping the villains within their borders."
"Except each of them are trained killers," Toshinori protested, even though the fire in his voice was much more subdued. "It was Lady Nagant who killed the former President of the Hero Public Safety Commission."
"Do you seriously blame the girl for that?" Recovery Girl asked, glancing up at Toshinori. He was silent, unable to deny her words. "I can't. Not after what that bastard did to her. They killed Kaina Tsutsumi, killed everything that was special and unique about the girl. They stripped her of everything they could, until she was nothing more than a walking, talking rifle. And yet they wanted her to maintain the facade of a hero, of a human. It's no wonder she snapped. If Sylph hadn't intervened when she did, that poor girl would be rotting away in Tartaros by now."
"She only intervened to recruit her as a Sentinel and to make Lady Nagant indebted to her, to revere her as an angel," Toshinori protested.
"Oh I agree," Recover Girl said, "but not even you can deny the importance that the Sentinels play on the world stage."
Toshinori sighed, slumping into his chair. "Even still, I don't want people like the Four Cardinals, or any other Sentinel team, to take centre stage within Japan. They'd destroy it."
"They'd change it," Recovery Girl corrected. "Society would still remain, but it would change, there's no mistaking that. Who knows, the change might be for the better. More lax quirk laws, most likely, and more emphasis on civilians defending themselves with their quirks."
"Even so, I can't accept it," Toshinori said with finality.
"Even though the Four Cardinals saved your life?"
"Even then."
A groaning noise caused the conversation to end, alerting Recovery Girl and Toshinori to young Midoriya's awakening.
"Uh, where am I?" the young man groaned, the rustling of sheets behind the curtained off area making it clear that he was moving.
"Stay right where you are, young man," Recovery Girl ordered, walking over to the bed. "Honestly, what is it with you muscleheads and always breaking things?"
Toshinori settled into his chair, listening to Recovery Girl treating young Midoriya while simultaneously scolding him with a fond smile. Memories flowed through his mind of being in the same situation, with Recovery Girl, albeit much younger, scolding him after pushing his body too far during training with Gran Torino. After healing him, she'd turn her wrath onto her husband, which often devolved into the two of them bickering like the married couple they were.
"All Might?"
Toshinori was yanked out of his memories by the voice of his protege. Opening his eyes, Toshinori saw young Midoriya's freckled face looking at him with both excitement and nervousness.
"Um, I was wondering how I did in the Battle Trial," his student asked. "Oh, and can I view the recording of the Battle Trial as well? Wait, are there even recordings? I mean, if not, then could I get a rundown-"
"Calm down, young Midoriya," Toshinori interrupted, putting a stop to the boy's rambling. "Yes, there are recordings of the Battle Trials, and yes, you can view them. That's why they're recorded, after all, for students to learn from them."
"Okay," the vertet nodded. "So, um, how did I do?"
"Well, young Ida was the V.I.P. for the match," Toshinori admitted. "Even though your team won, it was Ida who made the least amount of mistakes."
"Not Uraraka?" young Midoriya asked.
"Uraraka didn't take it seriously enough," Toshinori explained, "while you and young Bakugo allowed your personal feelings to get in the way."
"Oh," the boy muttered, hanging his head.
"There is also the matter of your final punch," Toshinori added, causing young Midoriya to look up. "What you did was very risky, young man. Not only did you severely injure yourself, but it could have also harmed your teammate had she been in the way."
"R-Right," young Midoriya stammered. "I'm sorry, All Might."
"That being said," Toshinori added, giving his protege an honest grin, "I'm very proud of the effort you put into the fight, especially since it was your first time using your quirk in a combat situation against another person. You knew not to use it against him, and even though you used it in a reckless manner, you used it in a way that was smart."
"Don't go giving him any bad ideas, All Might!" Recovery Girl scolded, tapping Toshinori's knee with her cane. "I don't want to see this boy in my office so regularly."
The old lady then turned to the young man, leveling him with a glare. "This had better not become a daily occurrence, or there will be consequences. Am I understood?"
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Young Midoriya stammered, bringing his arm up into a salute, only to wince at the pain.
"And no sudden movements with that arm, you hear?" Recovery Girl instructed. "Come in tomorrow morning before school and I'll give you another dose of my quirk. Then come in straight after your Hero Basic Training course with Aizawa. That should be enough to finish the healing process."
"Yes ma'am, tomorrow morning and evening, understood!" the boy repeated.
"Very good, now off you go to class," Recovery Girl ordered, herding the young man out of her office with her cane. "Go on now, get going!"
Toshinori's protege practically scampered out of the nurse's office, closing the door behind him as he did.
"I should probably go as well," Toshinori said, getting up from his chair with a groan. He moved to the door only to pause at it, turning his face to speak over his shoulder.
"Torino doesn't blame you for her death, Shuzenji, nor for what you did."
"I know," Recovery Girl sighed, looking back at the framed photo. "It was just too hard to be together. Too many painful memories, too many 'what ifs'. What if she hadn't died? What if we had gotten to her in time? What if we never found out who it was? We both felt it was best for us to go our own separate ways, especially after Nana died."
Toshinori hummed his agreement, reaching for the door handle.
"She loved you, you know," Recovery Girl said, causing Toshinori's hand to stop. "She always talked about you to Sorahiko and I. She viewed you as a son, especially since she had to give her own up due to the danger he was in."
Toshinori hesitated for a moment, only speaking as he walked out of her office. "Then I'm glad the feeling was mutual."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
As Izuku ran through the glass corridors of U.A.'s main building, one thought was circling through his mind.
'Mr. Aizawa's really gonna let me have it,' he groaned, already dreading the confirmation with his homeroom teacher over his performance. He was also anxious about how his classmates would feel after the match. Would Uraraka, Ida, and Kurusu not want to be his friends anymore after his performance?
Such thoughts were banished as he slid open Class 1-A's, quickly being sighted by a cheerful Kirishima.
"Oh, Midoriya's here!" the red-haired student announced, grinning at Izuku. "Welcome back, man!"
Within only a few moments, Izuku was quickly surrounded by his classmates, but rather than being afraid or disappointed of his power like he feared, they were all excited.
"I don't know what you were saying back there, but that was a wild battle!" Kirishima beamed.
"And you have some incredible dodging skills!" the pink-skinned Ashido complimented, her fist pumping up and down in front of her in excitement. "With a few dance lessons from me, I bet you'd be as slippery as an oiled up eel!"
"We were all super pumped after that crazy first round!" A floating girl's uniform, Hagakure, cheered, the sleeves of her blazer flung up in the air. "After seeing it, we all felt we had to give our best too!"
"I'm Eijiro Kirishima!" the red-hair introduced, sticking out his hand to Izuku. "We were all just discussing the battle training!"
"I'm Mina Ashido," Ashido greeted. "Nice to meet ya!"
"I'm Tsuyu Asui," the frog-like girl said, leaning out from behind Ashido. "Just call me Tsuyu."
"And I'm Toru Hagakure," the invisible girl said, before pointing behind her to their blond, tailed classmate. "And over there is Mashirao Ojiro!"
"Hi," he waved, one that Izuku returned.
"Oh, Deku, your arm!" Uraraka's voice cut through the chatter, the brunette quickly moving over to him, her expression filled with worry. "Was Recovery Girl unable to heal it?"
"No, she did, but I'm pretty worn out, so she told me to come back tomorrow and heal it the rest of the way," Izuku explained, looking around the classroom. Various groups had formed, such as Kaminari and Mineta sitting together, whispering about some topic, or Sarah Kurusu trying to calm down Ida, who was in turn trying to get Tokoyami to stop sitting on the tables. Others had gone off on their own, like Todoroki, staring out the window, or Yaoyorozu, smiling at the antics of Ida, or even Kyoka, who sat at her desk, listening to something on her phone with her earphone jacks plugged in. But despite how hard he looked, Izuku always came up two students short.
"Um, Uraraka," Izuku began, turning back to face his friend, "where are Kacchan and Kurusu?"
"You mean Kórinis, right?" she asked, with Izuku answering with a nod. "After we all got changed out of our costumes and made it back to class, Bakugo was already gone, Kirishima saw him leave. After hearing that, Kórinis went off after him. She left just before you got back, Deku."
"Okay, maybe I have time then," Izuku muttered to himself, turning around and running off down the hall. "Thanks, Uraraka, I owe you!"
Racing down the corridors and stairwells as fast as his battered and bruised body would allow, Izuku made it to the courtyard in front of the first years' building, only to instinctually hide around a pillar when a voice carried out through the late afternoon air.
"Bakugo!"
Izuku peered around the pillar, spying Kacchan, his bag slung over one shoulder, paused midstep. Standing behind him was Kurusu, who didn't appear to be carrying any bags, and her hands were clenched at her sides.
"What the hell happened today?!" she asked, causing Kacchan to turn around, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Izuku tensed, fearing that his childhood friend would see him, but no reaction could be seen from the ash-blond.
"Why were you targeting Midoriya?!" Kurusu continued, her voice raw with emotion. "Why did you have it out for him so much?!"
"Tired of the nicknames, Silks?" Kacchan asked, his voice expressionless.
"This isn't a joking matter!" Kurusu argued. "The way you acted during the Entrance Exam and how you've been acting yesterday and today have been like complete opposites, like night and day. What's going on?"
"It's none of your business," Kacchan scoffed, turning around to walk away, only to be stopped as Kurusu gripped his shoulder with one hand, spinning him back around to face her.
"Like hell it isn't!" she yelled. "You're acting strange, Bakugo, and I want to know what's wrong with my friend."
"What the hell gave you the impression we're friends?" he snarled, causing Kurusu to flinch in response.
"I…" she trailed off, her hands falling to her sides, her shoulders slumping. "Growing up, I didn't have many people I could call a genuine friend. For whatever reason, be it fear, jealousy, disgust, or anything else under the sun, people acted differently when they were around me. When they were around their other friends they acted one way, but whenever I entered the picture, they'd behave in a completely different manner. I couldn't even avoid it with my fellow heteromorphs."
"Seriously?" Kacchan wondered, raising an eyebrow. "Ain't heteromorphs meant to stick together?"
"Yeah, you'd think that," Kurusu chuckled, even though it was devoid of any and all joy. "There's this social theory that goes around, given how most heteromorphs have animal features. The theory goes that there are prey heteromorphs and predator heteromorphs, and that prey heteromorphs will feel threatened or more uneased around predators."
"Sounds like a bunch of crap to me," Kacchan scoffed. "Sure, quirks can influence your emotions, but to make you afraid of someone simply because of their features? Yeah right."
"Except it's real," Kurusu argued, causing Kacchan's eyes to widen. "Maybe the theory of prey and predator quirks isn't real, but people do treat me differently because of how I look. The whispers behind my back, parents pulling their children closer on the subway, people crossing the street when they see me coming their way; so many people see the sharp teeth, the exoskeleton, the spider body, and the first thought they have is 'Monster'."
Izuku clamped a hand over his mouth, stifling the gasp that left his lips at the sound of the slur. Kacchan's reaction was less restrained.
"Hold on a goddamn second," he growled, sparks bursting from his hands, a clear sign of his agitation. "Have people called you that?"
Kurusu was silent, looking away from his searching gaze.
"Kurusu," Kacchan demanded, using her family name for the first time, "has some called you that word?"
Kurusu was silent for a moment, before quietly replying. "Once or twice-"
"Sons of-"
"-this year."
Kacchan was silent, his eyes widening even further.
"What?" he murmured, Izuku barely hearing him.
"It's not that bad," Kurusu argued, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "I've gotten used to it over the years."
"Gotten used…Kurusu, it's fucking April, the year's barely started!" he yelled. "We're only four months into the damn year, and people have already called you, that word, twice?!"
Kurusu shrugged her shoulders once more. "It was kind of why I wanted to be your friend. I watched you during the Entrance Exam, from afar, you know? I saw how you interacted around other people; the brashness, the loud personality. Over the years, I've grown used to people changing their tune around me, almost as if that's what's normal. Heh, how sad is that? I anticipate people acting differently."
"Anyway," she continued with a huff, "I decided to see how you'd change, so I went and found you, standing on a pile of scrap. Except, you didn't react differently. Your eyes didn't flicker to my lower half, you didn't have some brief flash of disgust on your face that you didn't think I'd see, like so many people have. Instead, you stayed the same. You were abrasive, sure, but, well, Mum always says, 'I prefer harsh truths to sweet lies.' I thought you were someone, outside of my family, that I could be friends with."
"What about Glasses?" Kacchan asked. "You both seemed pretty comfortable around each other."
"Tenya's family," Kurusu explained. "His older brother was the sidekick to Sarah's mum for a few years, and Tenya is Sarah's godbrother, the godson of her mum."
"And Invisible Girl?" Kacchan suggested. "I overheard your conversation; she seemed keen to be your friend."
"I'm pretty sure she's just excited that someone can see her," Kurusu sighed. "I can't blame her, honestly. To go your whole life, feeling as if no one actually sees you, literally? I can't imagine what that's done to her self-esteem."
The courtyard was silent, neither person speaking for a moment.
"It's complicated," Kacchan abruptly said, causing Kurusu to tilt her head.
"In regards to you and Midoryia?" she asked, causing Kacchan to respond with a nod.
"Complicated how?"
"It just is," was his reply.
"Damn it, Bakugo, complicated is when you have a crush on your friend, or a crush on their sibling. Complicated doesn't mean running at him when he uses his quirk, or trying to kill him with an explosion!"
"I wasn't going to kill him," Kacchan argued. "Even if he hadn't dodged, which he did, the blast wouldn't have killed him; I hadn't built up enough sweat for that."
"Oh, so you admit that you were trying to attack him after his ball throw?!"
"Like I said, it's complicated!"
"Bullshit!" Kurusu swore. "When he used his quirk, you freaked out, like the world had flipped on its head. Why do you have it out for Midoriya? Why are you so antagonistic towards him? Why is his quirk such an issue to you?"
"BECAUSE HE DOESN'T FUCKING DESERVE IT!"
Nothing moved within the courtyard; even the wind was stilled, as if so stunned that it wouldn't move even the smallest leaf.
Kurusu had taken a step back, physically recoiling out of shock at Kacchan's outburst.
"What?" she whispered, surprise and shock filling her tone.
Kacchan huffed, looking to the side as he spoke. "Deku and I grew up together. Our mums were close friends in high school, so it made sense that we'd grow up knowing each other. Apparently, Deku and Aunt Inko spent a lot of time at our place as well, since Deku's piece of shit dad ran out on them soon after he was born. Since we grew up together, we quickly became close friends, always exploring forests and parks, pretending to fight villains, and being the next All Might. But once I discovered my quirk, things changed. Call it people around me praising me for every little thing I did, or pushing their anti-quirkless ideals on me from a young age, or simply younger me being a little shithead. Regardless, once I discovered my quirk, I let power get to my head. I started picking fights whenever I could. First it was against those who looked down on me. Then it was those I THOUGHT were looking down on me. Then, it was simply because I could, because I was strong, and they were weak. Unfortunately, it was right around that time that Deku found out he was quirkless."
"But, that's not possible," Kurusu challenged with a confused voice. "If Midoriya's quirkless, how does he have superstrength?"
"I'm getting to that," Kacchan stalled. "After I found out that Deku was quirkless, our friendship started to crack. I started choosing my other friends over him, playing a bit too rough with him, even calling him names. I was the one to call him Deku, after all. But the real breaking point was when we were six. The four of us, me, Deku, and two friends, were exploring the nearby forest. We were marching over this waterpipe when I slipped. While the other guys were sure I was fine, and I was, Deku quickly came down to make sure I wasn't hurt. But rather than be grateful for his concern, it only angered me. Here was someone so far beneath me, acting as if I needed his help. Suffice to say, our friendship got worse and worse, until Deku was often my target, simply because he couldn't fight back.
"I hated him because he was weak, because he was quirkless. I had this stupid belief in my head that those with a stronger quirk were inherently better than those with a weaker one. Add in the fact that my idea of the best was All Might, a Pro who never lost, and I started challenging anyone I could to a fight, simply to try and prove myself the best. And the worst part was, I was winning. Every fight I had, I won. It didn't matter if they were years older than me, or if there were multiple opponents, or if they got the drop on me. I kept winning, and it only cemented my beliefs."
"So what changed?" Kurusu asked, a question that Izuku had been wondering himself. Almost all of what Kacchan had said, Izuku already knew, just from the other side. He hadn't realised that what he had done that day was seen in such a negative light by Kacchan.
"You sound as if you regret your actions," the Arachne continued, "so what forced you to pull your head out of your ass?"
"How else can you get it through a brawler's head?" Kacchan remarked, a light smirk on his face. "I lost."
Izuku's eyes widened in shock.
'Kacchan lost?' he wondered, a possibility he never thought could happen until U.A. Kacchan never lost, be it academically, athletically, or physically. He had always remained at the top, no matter the field.
"I was nine when it happened," Kacchan explained. "I heard about this one kid, Agito or something, final year of elementary school, who had a weak quirk. I decided I wanted to test a new move out on him, just to make sure it'd work against a stronger opponent. Suffice to say, I lost, badly. He put my head in the dirt, and even though I got a few good licks in, I lost, to someone my worldview said should have been easy prey."
Kacchan pulled at the neck of his shirt, revealing two scars along his collarbone. The edges had faded with time, but the body of the scars were black, rather than white.
"I couldn't understand how he'd won," Kacchan continued. "He only had a fingernail hardening quirk, while I was able to create explosions from my hands. He shouldn't have won, but he did. After I came to, my worldview broke. None of it made any sense to me. I went back home, but I didn't tell my folks about it. I was so ashamed, even though they never knew about some of the more meanspirited fights I was getting into. I sat at my computer, simply watching All Might clips to occupy my mind, hoping that something would tell me why I lost. Then a story played about All Might's one and only sidekick."
"All Might had a sidekick?" Kurusu wondered, and Izuku could understand why she was confused. It was only because of Izuku's admittedly dedicated knowledge of All Might trivia that had led him to stumble on that relatively unknown fact.
"Yeah, the only sidekick he ever took," Kacchan nodded. "I'd never heard about him, so you can imagine my confusion. And when I looked him up, I was confused even more. Why would All Might, the greatest hero in Japan, and probably the greatest in the world, take on someone who's quirk, Foresight, can only be used once a day? Why take on someone so, weak? Well, after watching him fight, I realised that he wasn't weak. I'd been looking at it all wrong. It wasn't the quirk that someone had that made them strong, but the effort they put in instead. After I learnt that, I snuck out that night, got some dirt from our garden, and rubbed it into the wound. That way, whenever I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror, I'll remember that lesson."
"And that made you change your opinion on Midoriya?" Kurusu asked. "It seems to me you haven't changed much with your relationship with him."
"Oh, it changed alright," Kacchan growled. "After I had my epiphany, my hatred for the little nerd only grew."
Kacchan paused, holding his hand palm up, letting off a sizable explosion.
"My quirk allows me to sweat nitroglycerine from my palms, and ignite it on command," Kacchan explained. "You know what makes this quirk go from a good to a great one? Hard work. Each time I let off an explosion, it sends shockwaves through my body. That means I need to strengthen my arms to handle it. My quirk also requires me to sweat, which means I need my body to need to cool down, which usually means physical exercise. However, I also needed to increase my fitness so I could keep fighting at my best, even when I'm already sweating. So for me to be the best, to beat All Might, I have to put in the effort. I don't have a quirk like your cousin, that Icy Bastard. I have to work for mine! And yet, even though I put in all of this effort into my training, into my studies, all to be the best of the best, Deku, that useless nerd, dared think he could compete against me.
"Do you want to know what he was like in middle school, when I was training my ass off in preparation for U.A.? He had his nose stuck in that damn journal of his, always writing down those damn notes on heroes. Whenever we had the physicals, Deku would always place near the bottom. The only thing keeping him from being rock bottom is sheer genetic luck, the fact that he's a guy, and that he's not a slob like some people. So rather than getting an F grade, he got a C-, a barely passing grade. And that barely passing grade was supposed to be able to compete with me, who was trying to achieve an A?! Do you know how infuriating that is, for someone to belittle your efforts?! And for the little nerd to not even realise he was doing it, to naturally be that irritating?!"
Kacchan stood in front of a stunned Kurusu, panting from the anger he had put into his words.
"And the worst part," he whispered, his voice laced with malice and venom, "is that his wish for a quirk, that life would hand him all of his answers on a silver platter, was fucking answered."
"But, that's not possible," Kurusu argued. "Quirks usually manifest around four years old, unless you're born with a mutant type quirk of course. Even then, a late blooming quirk happens around the start of puberty. And given what he's shown, it's not as if he has a Vampire, Zombie, or Werefolk heteromorphic quirk."
"My point exactly," Kacchan snarled. "He wished so hard for a quirk that he got the mother of all late bloomings. The little bastard started putting some damn effort into his life near the start of last year, so to unlock your quirk at fourteen? It's total bullshit!"
"Why him?!" Kacchan yelled to the sky. "Of all people in Japan, in the world, why Deku?! There are millions of quirkless people in Japan, two fucking billion quirkless people in the world, so why Deku, who never put in any effort! Deku, who never worked for anything! Deku, who rested on his laurels, prayed for a miracle, and never strove to improve himself! WHY?! How many quirkless kids have pushed themselves to the absolute limit, who ignored the mocking and abuse of shithead idiots who viewed them as lesser, shitheads like me, simply because they didn't have an advantage?! How many have prayed, but more than that, how many have worked for it, struggled for it, only for it all to be in vain?! Who did Deku take the place of to get into the Hero Course?! Whose dream of being a hero did he steal, simply because of his greed, his pride, his envy?!"
Kacchan was panting, his voice weak from exhaustion. "Why did he beat me? Is luck and chance really better than hard work and talent? Am I doomed to lose to that damn cousin of yours simply because he won the genetic lottery? Is that why All Might's the best, not because of effort, but because of chance?"
The courtyard was once again silent, disturbed only by the sounds of breathing. Behind the pillar, Izuku's eyes were wide with shock, stunned by Kacchan's act of pouring out his heart.
'Is that how he's viewed me?' he wondered. 'Someone who got here simply by chance? Is that why he's always hated my dream of becoming the Number One, because he viewed it as a challenge?'
"Don't be silly, Dynamite," Kurusu said, a teasing tone creeping into her voice. "Of course hard work and talent can give you the edge. What, do you think stumbling once means you've lost the ability to run?"
"How can you be so confident?" Kacchan asked, his voice hollow as he stared at the ground. "How can you know you're right?"
"It's simple," Kurusu answered, resting a hand on Kacchan's shoulder, causing him to look up at her. "If hard work means nothing in the grand scheme of things, then I've already peaked. So has my sister, and my aunts, and pretty much anyone who's a heteromorph. Our classmates, Ojiro and Asui, they've all reached the limit of their quirks, or at least are very close to it. If the luck of getting a powerful, ever expanding quirk was the be-all and end-all, there wouldn't be heroes with heteromorphic quirks. So I refuse to believe it."
"So what if Ryokutō is a walking powerhouse, or Shoto has a powerful quirk?" Kurusu continued, holding out a closed fist in front of her. "We'll just have to show them what hard work and determination can do. And don't sell yourself short, Dynamite; you have a pretty kick-ass quirk yourself."
Kacchan looked at her with wide eyes, eyes that quickly looked to the side as he scoffed, even though there wasn't any heat behind it.
"Shut up," he said, tapping her fist with his own, giving her a confident grin. "Don't think I'll slow down for you though, Silks. I plan to reach the top, and I ain't slowing down for anyone."
"I'd hope not," Kurusu teased. "After all, if you slow down, you'll see me pass you."
Kacchan simply scoffed, but Izuku couldn't help but notice the warm grin he wore on his face. Kacchan turned around, giving a wave to Kurusu behind him as he walked off. A warm, hopeful feeling filled the courtyard, a scene that would feel right at home in the battle manga that Izuku loved to read, two rivals and friends declaring their intentions to each other. That is, until a loud voice interjected into it.
"YOUNG BAKUGO!" All Might loudly greeted, zooming past both Izuku and Kurusu, stopping Kacchan in his tracks with a large hand grabbing the teen's shoulder.
"I'm glad I managed to catch you before you left school grounds!" The Symbol of Peace said with a beam. "Without a doubt, young man, you have the makings of a Pro! So you've had a small setback, big deal, we all have those at some point! What matters is that from now on, you keep-"
"Get off me, All Might," Kacchan said. "I can't walk."
All Might stiffened as Kacchan's head turned, and from behind his pillar, Izuku could spot the glare his childhood friend was leveling on their shared idol.
"Needless to say," Kacchan declared, "I'll be a hero who surpasses even you! After all, I'm already one step closer by beating your Entrance Exam score! So just watch me, I'll crush all of your records, and show everyone I'm the new best!"
"Ah…sure," All Might awkwardly answered, looking on as Kacchan walked off. "Well, I look forward to seeing it!"
"All Might?" Kurusu asked, causing their teacher to turn around to face her.
"Ah, young Kurusu, how can I help?" All Might asked with a grin. "While normally I wouldn't condone students leaving class before the period is over, given your lack of a bag, I'd say you were simply trying to catch up to young Bakugo!"
"That's correct, sir," she nodded, pausing as she spoke. "I just want to say…thanks. I think what you said to Dynamite was exactly what he needed to hear from you."
"It's no problem, young lady," All Might chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "My job is a teacher now, so what kind of teacher would I be if I didn't try my very best for my students to do THEIR very best! It would be hypocritical of me, no?"
"Mhm, understood," the Arachne nodded.
"Very good, now back to class with you, young Kurusu," All Might said, patting her shoulder. "You still have five minutes before school's out! I might have given young Bakugo a pass this time, especially with all of the feelings that he must be dealing with, but you did splendidly in your Battle Trial, so you have no excuse, young lady!"
"Understood, sir!" Kurusu grinned, turning around and walking back to class. However, before Izuku was able to slip away, Kurusu turned her head towards him, one of her side eyes catching sight of him.
"Ryokutō?" she asked, showing her improved mood by reverting back to the nicknames that she used. "Were you listening in just now?"
"Oh, uh, no, I just got here," Izuku stammered, his eyes looking around for something other than his inquisitive class to look at, quickly settling on All Might. "I was, uh, following All Might! Yeah, that's it! You know me, I just wanted to ask him some questions, since I'm a big fan of him and everything!"
Kurusu looked confused, though that confusion quickly turned into a scowl, all six of her red eyes narrowing, and her slight smile falling.
"Sure," she said, walking past Izuku and bumping his shoulder, causing him to stumble to the side. "Well, see you tomorrow, I guess, Midoriya."
'What was that about?' Izuku wondered, unsure why she had such a moodswing. But such thoughts quickly left his mind, focusing more on what Kacchan had said. 'There was so much I wanted to tell you, Kacchan. I know how lucky I am to have this power, that I got a chance so many people don't get. That's why I didn't want to use it; not because I was looking down on you, but because I was looking up. Because I wanted to do my best with my own abilities. But I know now that's not what you'd want to hear.'
Izuku looked back to the entrance to U.A., seeing the spiky hair of Kacchan slipping over past the lip of the hill.
'Don't worry, Kacchan,' Izuku promised in his mind 'I won't make the same mistakes I did in the past. Even though I can't use it right just yet, I'm going to make this borrowed power my own, someday. And when I do, I'll overcome you with MY power, and show you the fruits of my own hard work. I've always been chasing you, and I hope that one day, you'll see I'm worth having as a rival too!'
"Ah, young Midoriya!" All Might called out, snapping Izuku out of his thoughts. "What are you doing here?"
'Ah crap.'
Author appears
"Hello again, everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable New Years!"
Glances to the side. Notices a crowd forming around a very anxious Koji.
Author runs over, waving a stick at the crowd
"Back off, you vultures! None of you deserve him!"
Author sees Sarah Kurusu sneaking forward. Throws stick, nailing her on the forehead.
"You as well, Sarah! I don't care if you're one of the main characters, this precious boi is too pure for even someone as kind as you! And don't be greedy, you already have a polyship planned in the future! Just wait your turn, and leave our Disney Princess wannabe alone!"
…
Yeah, so all jokes aside, I didn't expect that reaction for the battle trial. Not in a bad way mind you, I love seeing the reactions from my fans and viewers, but sorry-not-sorry to burst your bubble, but the Sarah and Koji ship is going to stay strictly platonic. Again, sorry-not-sorry. What I can do to make up for it is try and make the actual ship as good as possible. Again, it's a ways off in the future, but it's coming. So we can all read the writing on the wall that Momo is going to be one of the people in Sarah's polyship, but for the other character? Spoiler, he hasn't actually appeared just yet, and yes, it is a guy (lucky bastard, Sarah AND Momo?). I have the entire scene for that 'aha' moment where things start to click together in terms of feelings, and boy, that one's going to be impactful. So yeah, that's the shipping situation sorted, now onto fun trivia information about the Swiss.
Fun fact, when doing some research for this chapter, I found out that the liminal creatures of Sylph, Gnome, Salamander and Undine were all created/popularised by Paraclesus, born Theophrastus von Hohenheim, a 16th Century Swiss philosopher and "doctor" (I put doctor in quotation marks because Hohenheim believed that lead and mercury were able to be used in medicine, but he also believed in observation in medicine, so kind of a mixed basket). He's also the inspiration for Hohenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist, one of the best manga/anime series in my opinion. I still plan to have each of the Four Cardinals originating from different areas of the world, but I found it to be an interesting fact that I wanted to share. All of the information was from a book he wrote, though published posthumously, called A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits. The more you know…
Anyhoo, this chapter was fun to write. It was also surprisingly easy as well. Well, I say surprisingly, which isn't really true. I've had these conversations rolling around in my head for months now, so getting it out onto paper (or I guess screen is more accurate) was satisfying.
Okay, so the chapter: we got some lore drops, not only for characters, but also for places, events, and organisations. Some history is elaborated upon, perspectives are shown, all that good stuff. I hope that I didn't make Katsuki too O.O.C, I wanted to explain his reasoning in this story. By no means is he right in his worldview, but it certainly explains why he only ever seemed to pick on Izuku, rather than anyone else within his class who had weak quirks (I mean come on, one guy had an inflatable chin!)
Also, a trend I've noticed in Shonen is the false idea of effort = success. Black Clover, My Hero, Naruto, all had characters with the core ideal of hard work allowing you to succeed. They also all happened to not need any of that, and relied on a plot macguffin to get far in life. Anti-Magic for Asta, One For All for Izuku, and a literal sentient mass of chakra for Naruto. I kind of wish for a real effort = success character, but that probably wouldn't sell very well, or for very long.
I also had in mind for that ending, it would seem like a typical shonen ending, you know, the lighting, the music, everything, then All Might shows up and breaks the mood. Then it'd seem like we're getting the real shonen ending with Izuku's dialogue, music and such, then All Might again. Credits roll, then after credits scene of the League of Villains in their bar hideout. No idea why, but the idea came to me, so I decided to roll with it.
Again, quite a few of the words that Katsuki was saying came from the heart. Let's look at it objectively: we know Izuku has always wanted to be a Pro, yet before meeting All Might, he's skinny, unfit, doesn't work out, and only records hero notes. He only starts working out once All Might promises to give him his quirk, and only so his body is actually able to handle it. Compare this to Katsuki, who we know works out, is near the top of the class in terms of grades, and his quirk actually relies on him being and staying fit. By no means do I support Katsuki's actions towards Izuku, but I can partly understand where he's coming from.
Not only that, but because this is a different world (it is implied that MHA takes place over a hundred, possibly two hundred years in the future), we get to have fantasy slurs, yay! Yes, 'Monster' is considered a slur in the modern day, specifically the English word Monster, which is the exact same word in Japanese. This is probably because traditionally, Japan wouldn't have the term 'monster', instead they used the term 'spirit', which in Japanese is yōkai (and apparently it translates into English as monster, but you can't translate monster into yōkai. Weird…)
Not much else to say at this point, so let's get onto the reviews:
Sakumon16, thanks for the reviews as usual. Now first off, (sprays water) bad, down, no one deserves Koji, he's too precious! In all seriousness, I'm glad you liked the friendship I'm trying to develop between Koji and Sarah. It's hinted at, but it'll be much more shown in the next chapter, but Sarah (along with a few other class members) is really skilled when it comes to combat. Koji is a sweet boy who, as far as I can see, doesn't like to hurt people, even though he's built like a tank. And don't worry, you're not the only one who Toga scares. What's scarier than someone who doesn't just make you suffer, but gets off on seeing you in agony? Canon Toga is honestly a little sick in the head.
Artorigus, thanks for the comment. I'm glad that you enjoyed my versions of Yuga and Koji. I really wanted to give some depth to his character, other than him being French, flashy, and flamboyant (alliteration makes my brain go brrr). Because of this, I wanted to give him some motivation, that way everyone in the class has a good reason to be a hero, other than Minoru, because oh my gosh is that midget one horny teen. Legitimately, other than Minoru, who I already mentioned, as well as Rikido and Hanta, because they were punted out of this timeline, I think the only people I haven't fully fleshed out why they want to be a hero is Mashirao, while Toru, Shoto, Denki, and Momo haven't said their reasons, but trust me, it's coming. And I agree, Koji's quirk could be really powerful. If anyone has seen Juuni Taisen, you'll know what I'm talking about (I actually have an idea for that series crossing over with MHA, and I was finding it funny how similar Niwatori and Koji's powers are). Now, in regards to Sarah absolutely sweeping the competition, I'd like to note that she SHOULDN'T have won the fastest out of everyone. As mentioned in chapter 6, Shoto should have won a lot faster than he did, even though he was limiting himself due to how painful his ice is in this timeline. Kórinis even points this out in the evaluation, that instead of deactivating the bomb, like he should, Shoto was trying to go for a total sweep, even if it was risky. If Mashirao had been able to overcome Shoto, the villains would have likely won the match. So yes, Team F won the fastest, but it's worrying that they did. As for her going on the offensive, you're absolutely right. Again, you'll see it next chapter, but Sarah is one of the most trained individuals in the class. Not necessarily the strongest, Shoto and Momo exist after all, but a damn good fighter and leader. Funny you should mention the artillery thing, I genuinely had an idea for a Centaur called Artillery, and they'd have a modified artillery weapon strapped to their back. As you saw in this chapter, there are factions of heroes that are much more brutal than mainstream heroes, the Sentinels, whose job is to keep villains within their nations borders, rather than allowing them to go international. Artillery would be one of these, perching on a clifftop and bombarding an area down below. As for Sarah's politeness, what can I say, she's a refined, classy lady. No wonder Momo is having a bi panic (the reasons for which will be revealed, I promise. And yet again, it'll be the Sports Festival. A whole lot of secrets and motivations will be coming out then, sheesh). As for Sarah's fighting style, my belief is that the Centaur culture, at least for the main "species" would have their children specialise in almost every form of martial combat, with some also having their children learn riflery and gunmanship. Centorea's fighting style seems to be more oriented towards using a claymore, a weapon wielded with both hands. Hell, in her room in Monster Musume, she has four of them. Add in her suit of full plate armour, and Centorea is geared towards being a tank fighter. Now, while Sarah has a shield, she's less of a tanker and more of a blocker. She's also not as powerful as her mother (yet) simply due to how heteromorphs in this canon function; more of a slow power creep after the burst of strength simply from being born the way you are. Their strength and stats increases as they age, similar to people in real life, just dialed up to ten in many cases. As for her weapons, I do plan for some changes to her mace after a certain arc, but next chapter you'll see why she fights the way she does. All I'll spoil is that tradition is VERY important to Centaur culture, just as it is in Monster Musume. I do like the idea of collapsible shields/weapons, however, kind of similar to RWBY, so I might incorporate that in the future. While I can't spoil the results for the Sports Festival, I can say with full confidence that there is no way Sarah would lose in the Provisional Licensing Exam. For the first half, she has a shield, she's literally using it the way it's intended to. As for the second half, her strength, politeness, kindness, and positive outlook (as well as a future spoiler) would make it a cinch for her to pass. However, as in canon, not everyone is going to pass, and this time, it's for a much darker reason. When writing, I like to do worldbuilding. As seen in this chapter, not everything is great for heteromorphs. That might have been too much of a spoiler, but oh well, let's see if anyone pieces together the puzzle. As for Jorōgumo, I love the idea, I might actually do that. Will need to plot out some points, but it might be doable. As for Ascella, I already have some ideas for the Hero Work Studies and Internship arcs.
Siarles, my goodness, that's by far the longest comment I've had in anything, so cheers for the new record. For your breakdown on Denki's quirk, I was doing some of my own research into it as well. Fun fact, there is a U.S. hero called Elecplant, and I only realised it, but he's OLD! As in, he was a Pro Hero when All Might was studying in the States. So he's at least as old as All Might, which is around fifty five, but he's likely older. Not only that, but he also appears in modern day My Hero, both in the international raids, as well as watching the Final Battle in the States. He's later part of the aid relief team of American Pro Heroes sent to Japan. Then again, Gran Torino is taking names and kicking ass, and he's probably in his seventies or eighties. Old men in anime are simply built different. Now, aside from that tangent, I had a point. Elecplant has a quirk called Electricity Generation. Now, while it might seem the same as Denki's, it's different in the sense that it creates bolts of electricity that can be fired off, hence the Generation part of the quirk name. Denki's quirk is Electrification. His quirk specifically allows him to generate and store electricity, and as a defense mechanism, electrify himself. Denki's indiscriminate shock moves are simply him releasing so much energy that it arcs through the air, striking anything nearby with a lower resistance, which is basically anything that isn't air. That's why I agree with your second opinion as to why Denki goes stupid afterwards; he's simply gone into low battery mode. A potential work around might be a defibrillator that he has set to shock himself after he uses his indiscriminate shocks to bring him back into the fight, filling his "tank" of electricity enough to take him out of stupid mode, or for him to simply get a charge from an exposed power source, like damaged wires or power outlets. For the power needed to arc through the air, I got a different number, needing 10,000 volts per centimetre, meaning he needs 1 MV for a meter worth of travel. Of course, this can't be right, as that would be PER BOLT OF LIGHTNING ARCING OFF HIM! Thus, I came up with a solution. Similar to how someone might misinterpret their quirk as water creation, but really it's gathering water molecules in the air, I think Denki is under an assumption that he's producing 1.3 MV, but in reality it's 1.3 MV PER BOLT. While that sounds lethal, natural lightning can go to 100 MV, and people are known to survive that, so I wouldn't say it's unreasonable. As for your ideas of drawing in the electricity, I unfortunately don't think that would be possible. His quirk does state that he can act as a lightning rod, absorbing electricity, but beyond that is unlikely (even if the negative pressure idea you suggested sounds cool as ice). As for charging electricity in his muscles, I agree, it would take a lot of work. I'd say that Mirio's quirk, which is already stupidly complicated to make useful, would be a cakewalk compared to Denki's. Mirio simply needs to control what parts of his body are intangible, while Denki would need to control which MUSCLES to channel electricity into. It's simply a whole different beast. Maybe in the future, after the eight year timeskip, but not now. Which is why I've come up with a work around. Fortunately for me, we don't know who Denki had his work study with, unlike some of his classmates, which means I can give him some post-Sports Festival training. I already have a few ideas, both in terms of who he's under and what they're training him in, so look forward to seeing that.
Okay, time to show off more fanart. Once again, big thanks to Lisa-Katagiri for her amazing artwork. Once again, unfortunately, Fanfic still doesn't allow images on chapters, but the images will be on my Ao3 page, so check it out there. And once more, go check out Lisa-Katagiri on Twitter at LisaKatagiri. Once again, she's open for commissions, so go check her out, her fees are reasonable, especially for the quality, and the terms were negotiable for me, so she has my seal of approval and recommendation. We have one final art piece from her to show off, that being Shoto, so stay tuned for that.
On more fanart news, thank you Ansky for your amazing work. She recently completed a commissioned art piece of mine, but you'll have to wait for me to display it. Got to drip feed them to you lot, builds the tension, excitement, and ultimately, the reward. All I'll say is that Sakumon16 gave me the idea, but that's all you get as a hint.
Anyhoo, that's all from me. Next chapter is a bit of a rest chapter, just the characters interacting with each other. The chapter for next week is called, 'Who will be President?!' Yep, we're getting to the class elections, and it's going to be fun.
See y'all next time…
- Jevm