Chapter XII: The Approaching Festivities
"As you all know, the Sports Festival is your chance to be recognized by professional heroes around the country," Aizawa continued after giving the class the deathly glare that sent them into silence. "You have exactly three tries while you're studying here in UA. However, the sooner you perform well, the better your chances will be; so, start strong. Until the Sports Festival begins, every other day will include physical training, quirk training, tactics, and so on. And another thing, you are encouraged to train outside of school premises. That said, it should only be limited to non-quirk training. We wouldn't want to break the law now, would we?"
Everyone collectively shook their heads.
"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say." Aizawa stood up and went to the corner, got inside his yellow sleeping bag, and eyed his students one last time. "If you got unfinished homework, then I suggest you finished it; otherwise, you've got the rest of the class to yourselves."
When Aizawa finally fell asleep, the students began discussing with each other regarding the upcoming competition. They either huddled together or dragged their chairs closer, forming little groups, while they started their conversation.
"What do you think will the events be this year, ribbit?" Asui tapped her chin while thinking. "Do you think it'll be the same as last year?"
Being the more knowledgeable one, Izuku answered. "Well, only the first two events seem to change every year. However, the formats have always been the same – a free-for-all, team events, and bracketed fights."
"There's not much to train for other than the fights," Kaminari said nervously. "Even then, we can't be certain if we'll even make it to the third round."
"That is why we must train vigorously!" Īda said with gusto. "If we are to gain the attention of the nation's top heroes, then we must put in the work to show that we are worthy of their mentorship."
"Talk about dedicated," commented Satō with a chuckle.
While the others were immersed in the upcoming festival, Kazui was in deep contemplation. Compared to the other students in his class (and year level for that matter), he wasn't all that interested in the Sports Festival. If he participated in the events, he'd win the whole thing, hands down.
That was before he met Momo and Izuku, though.
Now that other spiritually aware individuals exist aside from him, the prospect of participating in the upcoming competition seemed interesting. The only thing he needed to do was ensure Momo and Izuku reached the third round.
A smirk formed on his face as he began concocting many plans so he could make the festival more interesting for him. "Let's see if I can put Hat n' Clogs' teachings to good use."
"By the way, Kurosaki…"
Strewn from his thoughts, Kazui looked to the front to see Aizawa standing while still inside his yellow sleeping bag.
"Since you got the highest score in the entrance exams, that makes you the Freshman Representative. You'll have to give a speech before the Sports Festival officially starts."
When the sleep-deprived teacher fell back to his much-needed slumber, the rest of Class 1-A who were listening now had their attention on Kazui.
"What?" questioned Kazui.
"Some of us expected you'd be nervous," Kirishima explained, albeit hesitantly. "Having that responsibility dropped on you should at least be a little intimidating. I know I am."
"Believe it or not, speaking in front of the entire freshman body isn't the worst thing I've encountered."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Tōru asked. Her floating clothes were just beside Jirō who was also listening.
"Trust me… you don't want to know." After that cryptic answer, the reaper leaned back on his chair and began dozing off. He didn't have any homework to worry about since he finished it all; so, he decided a quick nap would be best while the others continued with their discussing their prospects for the approaching competition.
"I AM PUMPED FOR THESE GAMES!" Kirishima shouted at the top of his lungs.
"I know, right?" Sero approached the eager redhead. With him were Tokoyami and Satō. "If we manage to perform well, then we're one step closer to becoming pros."
"That's the whole reason I wanted to get in the Hero Course," Satō admitted. "I can't wait to intern with the best heroes."
"We only get three chances; so, we should make the most of it," Tokoyami advised.
Meanwhile, Hagakure was having a dilemma. "Ojiro, I'm getting kind of nervous about the festival. I need to find a way to get noticed!"
The tailed martial artist just deadpanned at his invisible friend. "Maybe trying a shinier outfit would work?"
"Then I won't have that much of a problem!" Aoyama exclaimed while striking a pose. "With my shining brilliance, I'll be easily noticed by the best heroes out there!" He suddenly leaned closer to the shy Kōji. "Am I right?"
Poor Kōji could only nod.
On the other hand, Kaminari was complimenting Shōji for his easily-distinguishable quirk.
"Honestly, Shōji, I feel envious of you. People are going to quickly notice your unique quirk."
"It's not just about noticed, it's also about being useful," the multi-armed mutant argued.
Jirō just funny had a funny thought. "I imagine Kaminari shorting his brain like usual because he used his quirk too much."
This made the electric kid grumble.
"Everyone sure is excited," Gojo said in Midoriya's mind. "Kind of like the Tokyo-Kyoto Annual Goodwill Event."
"What's that?" Izuku asked his mentor.
"It's the annual competition between Tokyo and Kyoto's premier jujutsu high schools. Most of its events were focused heavily on combat; although, the last event we had was a baseball game."
"Well, that's completely random."
"Yeah, it wasn't. I rigged the third event to be a baseball match just to piss off the organizers."
"Wow… You really are a menace."
"I aim to please myself."
"Hey, Izuku!"
Hearing Ochako call his name, the successor to Limitless turned to face her only to stumble over.
Ochako was glaring daggers at everyone all the while giving them the most menacing smile. A dark aura loomed over her that made her presence more frightening.
"Let's do our best!" the brunette yelled. The way she said it made everybody back up.
"Ochako, what's gotten into you!?" Izuku asked with genuine concern.
"Wow… She's pumped." Gojo remarked.
Uraraka turned to the others, startling them before saying again, "LET'S DO OUT BEST! LET'S DO OUR BEST EVERY– GYAHHH!"
The girl shrieked as droplets of water flew at her. The others turned to the perpetrator and found a wide-awake Kazui using his slightly-open water bottle and flicking it at Ochako.
"Sei weg, böser Geist!" Kazui chanted while continuing to fling some water at the gravity girl. "Verlasse dieses Kind und kehre in die Schatten zurück, in die du geboren wurdest. Ich befehle dies im Namen Gottes!"
Some chuckled while others were confused. Those in the latter couldn't help but be curious about the language their class representative was using.
"Uh, Momo?" Mina approached the Yaoyorozu/Zen'in heiress. "What's Kazui saying and in what language is it?"
"If I'm correct, it's German," Momo replied. "And he's basically chanting a prayer to drive out some evil spirit that possessed Uraraka."
"You understand him?"
"A little bit."
"Kazui, stop!" Uraraka pleaded, shielding herself with a plastic-covered notebook. "You're getting me all wet!"
"¡Nunca, espíritu vil! ¡Deja a este niño y nunca regreses!"
Momo deadpanned. "Now, he's speaking Spanish."
"How many languages do you think he's fluent in?" Aoyama approached the heiress and asked.
"Don't know. His father was a translator; so, I think he'd at least know a few."
Kazui finally stopped his exorcism and gave his attention to the blonde Japanese-French. "Je connais au moins sept langues. Je parle plus couramment l'anglais, le japonais, l'espagnol, l'allemand, le latin et le mandarin."
Aoyama gasped. "Vous pouvez parler françai!?"
"Vous avez tendance à ramasser quelques choses si vous êtes amené à travers le monde."
"J'imagine que c'était excitant!"
"Il est." Kazui suddenly shivered, recalling a fond yet disturbing memory. "Cela n'a pas empêché ma mère de rassembler diverses recettes lors de notre visite."
"Pourquoi?" The Japanese-French asked, his head tilting. "Votre mère est-elle une terrible cuisinière?"
Kazui shook his head. "Loin de là. C'est juste sa cuisine qui semble provenir du pot d'une sorcière. Croyez-moi, cela peut ressembler à une creation impie, c'est en fait très délicieux."
"Wow," Kirishima expressed while he watched the two have a conversation. "They're really going at it with the whole French… at least, I think it's French."
"I know," Tsuyu agreed, not that her face shows it. "It's kind of weird but fascinating in a way."
However, a commotion from outside caught the attention of the entire class. Tenya marched up to the entrance and opened the door, revealing a hoard of students wrestling each other to get a look at them.
"What the…?" the speedster exclaimed. "What are all these people doing here?"
"Don't know," Kaminari replied, equally confused as Īda.
However, a certain explosive blonde knew exactly what was happening. He stood up and made his way toward the gathered crowd. "Isn't it obvious? These losers are here to scout out the competition."
"Hate to say it, but he's right," Kazui reluctantly agreed. "We're basically the talk of the town since we survived a villain attack."
"Heh, if these extras came to get a good look at us, then they're getting a front-row seat of a future hero getting the top spot during the festival."
The arrogant claim from Bakugō plunged the students outside into an uproar. That said, it didn't deter the ash blonde to boast his superiority.
"So, this is Class 1-A." A voice from the back of the crowd was heard. The person who said that made his way to the front of the mob. The student had purple hair, baggy eyes, and a face that shows a lack of sleep. "I heard you guys were impressive but you just sound like an ass. Is everyone in the Hero Course delusional?"
Bakugō's face scrunched up in annoyance.
"Nope," Kazui answered, earning a glare from the explosive boy. "If anyone's delusional, it's only the ass you identified."
"The fuck you say, Baby Face!?"
The stranger didn't listen and just continued talking. "It's sad that the Hero Course is full of egomaniacs." He sighed and eyed the class of heroes judgingly. "I wanted to be in the Hero Course but, like many others here, I didn't cut it the first time, so I was forced to choose a different track. Such is life. However, the Sports Festival offers another chance to anyone who does well during its events. The teachers can decide to transfer us to the Hero Course. That means they need to transfer people out to make room."
Gojo whistled. "This kid's got balls of steel coming in here."
"I know," Izuku agreed.
That revelation put the class of first-year hero students on edge. That said, a certain class representative had some choice words to say.
"So your saying…" Kazui approached the purple-haired student and stood in front of him, face to face, "...that the entrance exam was unfair because you didn't make the cut?" The reaper saw the student frown at him, but he continued still. "Tell me… do you see that floating set of school uniforms over there?"
"Me!?" Tōru questioned, clearly being pointed at by her class rep.
"Her quirk is invisibility and it's a passive one at that." Kazui returned his stare at the baggy-eyed student and asked, "So, how the hell did she manage to pass?"
"Are you saying that I'm not good enough?" questioned the student, a hidden growl in his voice.
"No," Kazui quickly answered. "What I'm saying is you didn't do enough. I'm going to guess that your quirk isn't as flashy or powerful, but so is hers. You both have the same chances of passing the entrance exam yet here you are playing the victim while Hagakure is with us. Just goes to show that she deserved her spot in the Hero Course just like the rest of Class 1-A."
After Kazui's speech, the mysterious student's threat seemed to vanish. In its place was the feeling of pride at having made it to the track of their choice. Their class representative just pointed out to the instigator and the rest of the students outside that one must go beyond to become a hero.
As for the purple-headed boy, he clicked his teeth knowing that his intimidation went up in smoke. However, he still had a message to deliver.
"Hm… whatever. I'm not here to scout the competition. Maybe some of my peers are, but I'm here to let you know that if you don't bring your A-game then I'm going to steal your spot right from under you." His eyes focused on Kazui, glaring at the hybrid. "Consider this a declaration of war."
"Where did this guy even come from!?" Tenya, Ochako, and Izuku all mentally screamed.
A tense silence followed the claim. Kazui and the boy stared each other down, not one giving an inch for the other. It remained that way for what felt like an eternity when another voice suddenly interjected.
"Hey, you!" a boy with silver hair and thick silver eyelashes came stomping towards them. "I came from Class 1-B next door. We heard you fought some villains, and we came to see if that was true but your just a bunch of brats who think you're better than us!"
"Crap! Everybody hates us." Most of Class 1-A thought. Others who were more sensible like Momo just sighed while once like Shoto and Bakugō just didn't care.
"Wait, 'us'?" Kazui questioned and, sure enough, got an answer when a familiar ginger-haired girl came running from next door.
"Tetsu!" Itsuka called, clearly annoyed at her classmate. "Don't just go barging in and pissing people off!" She then saw her fellow gingerhead and class rep. "Oh, hey, Kazui."
"Hey, Ginger Sis."
"Huh?" At first, the girl was confused, but she remembered they were both gingerheads which made her smirk. "Oh! I see what you did there, Ginger Bro. I'm just making sure this metalhead doesn't get into any trouble."
"Why are you interacting with the enemy, class rep?" the boy, now identified as Tetsu, questioned.
"I see nothing wrong with it," the carrot top girl reasoned. "Besides, Kazui and Class 1-A are cool to hang out with."
"Ahem," the student from earlier interrupted. "Not that I don't enjoy friendly meet-ups, but my declaration of war also extends to Class 1-B."
"Say what?" Itsuka and Tetsu were both surprised.
"I get it," Kazui interjected. "You want to take our spot in the Hero Course because you feel cheated." The hybrid didn't care about the growing irritation on the purple-headed boy's face. "That's why you're declaring war on us Hero Course students." He turned around, facing his fellow Class 1-A students. "Are we just gonna let him threaten us like that?"
There was only one answer to that. "No," they unanimously answered.
Kazui then turned to Tetsu and Itsuka. "How about you two? Are you just gonna let them take away your spot?"
"Hell no!" the metal-themed student replied.
"No chance in Hell," answered Kendo.
Finally, the hybrid returned his gaze to the one who started this feud. "You hear that? No one from the Hero Course is gonna give up the spot they earned. So, prepare for war because we're not backing down."
"Is that so? Then we'll see what happens during the Sports Festival." The purple-haired boy began walking away having delivered his message and getting an answer in return. However, his talk with the hero students wasn't finished yet.
"By the way," Kazui called out, gaining his attention again, "you have no idea what it means to be in a war."
In that instant, everyone was gripped by something inexplicable – a pressure that wrapped around them like an invisible vice. It was as if the air itself had grown heavy, suffused with otherworldly power that threatened to crush their spirits.
The students who bore witness to this sudden weight gasped, their eyes widening with a mix of awe and fear. The bones in their bodies felt like jelly as they succumb to the power, making them falter to their hands and knees. Others clutched their chests, ragged gasps as they fought the unseen force with what shallow breaths they can take.
What's more, none were spared from this. Everyone, even Kazui's own classmates, was feeling the overwhelming effects of the reaper's spiritual power. The only ones who were able to fight it off were Izuku due to his curse energy, and Momo with her Heavenly Restriction.
"You think you can waltz in here and declare war?" Kazui's voice was now cold and menacing. It only made the pressure he was exuding more ominous and frightening. "You're gravely mistaken." A chilling smile slowly morphed onto the reaper's face, sending shivers down everyone's spine. "War involves casualties. It's not just a game or some petty competition. It's about survival. It's either you win, or you become a statistic."
One can hear the trembling of bones from the sheer oppressive power or the quick beating hearts out of fear.
"Remember this," Kazui spoke while looking down on the boy who declared war on them, "I won't hold back. If you insist on facing us… facing me, then I will show you the true meaning of power."
With his point sent across, Kazui lifted the pressure he was unleashing, giving levity to the students who suffered under its effects. Without a second thought, those who gathered in front of Class 1-A's classroom quickly left the area. None of them would want to face the student who literally brought the weight of the world on their shoulders. As for the one who declared his intentions, he, too, left the vicinity. However, there was no doubt that this would be the last time they'd see him.
"That kid has literally no chill," Gojo remarked, giving his two cents on Kazui's little display of power earlier. "Still, it was fun watching that sleep-deprived punk get his just desserts, hehehe."
"Gojo-sensei, that's not nice," chastised Izuku.
"I'm just saying! Besides, with the coming Sports Festival, you can finally show your chops to the rest of the world. I'd bet my whole life savings that you'd enter the top three, no contest!"
"I'm surprised that you didn't say I'd reach the top spot."
"Yeah, and that's because while you're the strongest kid in school, maybe even the most powerful human in the world, you're going to face a literal death god eventually."
"Oh… Yeah, Kazui. I forgot that he's a Shinigami."
"Yup. Hard to believe someone who looks like he couldn't hurt a fly would be a fricking deity. I didn't even know gods existed."
"We're in the same boat, Gojo-sensei. That said, I wonder what it's like having experienced what he did."
"You worried about him?"
"I am. I mean, he's all alone. He saw everyone he loved die while his entire universe got upended by a multiversal warlord. That's why I'm not surprised that he'd resort to killing if it meant he'd protect all of us. However, that doesn't mean we're not willing to help him."
"…And I'm certain that he's opening up, even if it's a work in progress."
"Momo also wants to help him. In fact, she seems to have a better chance at that than I do."
"Oh, I know what you mean." Gojo's grin was so wide, Izuku could see it even if he didn't close his eyes. "The Zen'in princess clearly has an effect on our Shinigami friend; one that seems to be leading into something more. They knew each other ten months before the classes began, right? I wouldn't be surprised if they became a thing after the Sports Festival."
Izuku thought about it and shrugged. Recalling that tender moment between the two at the Yaoyorozu Estate seemed to solidify that notion. "Well, I can definitely see it."
"Yo, Midoriya!"
"Huh?" Snapping back to reality, Izuku found himself in the cafeteria with Ochako, Tenya, Momo, Kaminari, Jirō, Ashido, and Kirishima. They were all staring at him. "Is there something on my face?"
"You were just staring at your food for like… five minutes," Jirō said.
"Yeah! You were spaced out," Kaminari added.
"Hey, Izuku?" This time, it was the brunette gravity girl who called. She was genuinely concerned about her friend's mental state. "Are you sure you're okay?" The next question had some hesitation. "Is it… Satoru Gojo?"
The mere mention of that name sent shivers down those who didn't know the truth. Only Momo and Kazui were privy to the existence of the Honored One living inside Izuku while the others think its some violent split personality with a murderous streak.
"No." While technically true, the greenette was simply discussing with his mentor the prospect of facing Kazui, who happens to be the strongest being on Earth, during the Sports Festival. "I was just thinking about the Sports festival."
"Oh!" The concern on Uraraka's face, as well as the others, vanished and was replaced by shared excitement. "Well, I'm just as pumped as I was earlier."
"Me too!" Kirishima exclaimed. "I can't wait to show my chops and wow some pros!"
"Heh, you said it," Kaminari said rather smugly. "Not to brag, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be in the finals."
"Not unless you short your brain out," Jirō joked, causing the lightning boy to grumble.
"Though we did face unspeakable odds during the USJ Incident and survived, we shouldn't let that make us overconfident that the Sports Festival would be easier," Tenya reminded, all the while doing his involuntary chopping motion.
"Indeed," agreed Momo with a nod.
"Say," Mina stood up, moved over to the other side of the table, and sat beside Uraraka, "I know I want to become a hero because it's rewarding, but what are all of your reasons for coming to UA? How about you, Uraraka?"
The brunette suddenly found herself at the center of everyone's scrutiny. While her reason to help people in need is completely genuine, that's not the main reason why she chose this profession.
"It's…ummm…" stuttering out a bit, Ochako gathered some courage and pleaded, "My reasons… aren't as noble as you think. So, please, don't make fun of me."
"Yeah, sure!" Izuku assured. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you have your reasons."
A little confident now thanks to her best friend, Uraraka revealed her honest reason.
"I want to become a hero… for the money."
Right then and there, Gojo began cackling like a madman inside his vessel. The poor boy had to wince at the intensity of his mentor's laughter while trying and failing to chastise the ancient spirit.
"Sensei! She just told us to not laugh at her!"
However, the Honored One just continued laughing. "Hahahahahaha… I just can't help it. To be perfectly honest, she might just be the one truest to herself."
"Say what?"
"I mean, helping people is all well and good, but wanting to be a hero to gain some money is something any person in this day and age would want. If anything, that's about as genuine as it gets!"
"For the money?" Tenya repeated the gravity girl's words, this time as a question.
"Yeah…" Uraraka answered barely audibly. "But it's not for selfish reasons, mind you."
"Okay? Go on."
"Well, my family owns a construction company," Uraraka began explaining. "We don't get that much work though because of too much competition, so we're basically flat-out broke."
"Oh my. I hope you're not struggling with finances," Momo expressed.
"We manage to get by, but it's not easy." Ochako instinctively rubbed her left arm. "Truth be told, I wasn't initially planning on attending UA, but this school gives me the best chance of becoming a hero and earning my license."
"Oh, I get it!" Izuku suddenly exclaimed. "Your quirk lets you control the gravity of any object you touch, right? If so, when you get your license then…"
"You could help your parent's business without breaking any laws, effectively cutting labor costs!" Ashido finished.
"That's very noble of you, Ochako," Tsuyu said. "Even if you're in it for the money, it's for your family and not just yourself."
"Way to be blunt, Tsuyu," Ochako deadpanned at the frog girl's bluntness. "Anyway, once I become a fully-licensed hero, I'm gonna give my Mom and Dad the best all-expense paid vacation to Hawaii!"
"That's so sweet of you, Uraraka," Jirō commented, admiring her gravity-controlling classmate's selflessness.
"Now I kind of feel bad," Kaminari interjected. "I wanted to be a hero because of all the cool stuff I could do, but never really thought about helping people."
"I feel the same as Kaminari," Kirishima added. "Being a hero always sounded manly, but helping people never really crossed my mind. I always pictured myself helping random people, but having a connection to the people I've helped sounds manlier!"
"Amen to that, Kirishima!" the lightning boy cheered with the hardening redhead.
Feeling all warm inside from all the praise, Ochako beamed at her classmates. She initially thought that they'd judge her for having such a petty reason for being a hero, but instead, they admired her for it.
"Thanks, guys," the brunette said sincerely.
"Don't mention it." Tenya turned his attention to Momo. "How about you, Momo? What's your reason for becoming a hero?"
There wasn't any difference in her reasons for being a hero from theirs. However, there is one thing that she wanted to do with the opportunity presented to her.
"While my reasons are the same as yours, there is another thing that pushed me to aspire to become a hero," Momo revealed. "You see, while the Yaoyorozu family is very well known, it's not the only family from which I come."
Izuku and Gojo knew where this was going.
"Really?" Intrigued, Tsuyu inquired further. "What family are you referring to?"
"I'm also a member, maybe even the last member along with my mother, of the ancient Zen'in Clan,"
There was a chorus of "oohs" from those not in the know. Izuku listened intently to what his friend would say.
"How ancient is this Zen'in Clan?" Tenya questioned. Being the other intellectual among the group, he was curious about this family Momo claimed herself to be part of.
"Well, there aren't many of us left, but the Zen'in clan was at its most active during the late Heian period and around four hundred years ago."
Everyone's eyes, save Izuku, bugged out of their sockets.
"T-The HEIAN PERIOD!?" Tenya shouted; utter surprise written all over his face.
"…AND FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO!?" Kaminari added, earning him a smack to the head by the Earphone Jack girl. "Hey! Why'd you do that?"
"You were making a scene," Replied Kyōka. She brought her attention back to Momo and said, "That's very ancient Momo. You're really part of a clan that's at least twelve hundred years old? Damn, that's some family history."
"I'll say," Ashido remarked. "It must be very awesome to be part of something that's basically part of our country's history."
"You have no idea," thought Momo, referring to her clan's prominence in the Jujutsu world. "It is. However, it's not all glory and prestige when it comes to the Zen'in clan, especially around four hundred years ago."
"What do you mean?" Uraraka asked.
"You see, the Zen'in Clan prioritized power above anything else," Momo revealed. "They were very discriminatory among its members if they didn't fit the definition of power the clan had stood for centuries. It was so bad that they disowned two of its most powerful members just because they didn't fit their ideal view of power."
"That's awful!" Uraraka gasped.
"Such unacceptable behavior!" Tenya added.
"I know, and apparently, that's also the reason why it faced near extinction around that same period."
Again, a round of gasps followed.
"How did that happen?" Jirō questioned.
"It was a massacre done by none other than Maki Zen'in, one of the clan's members it abused. She butchered the entire clan except for her nephew and my direct ancestor, Megumi Fushiguro. After that ordeal, Maki and Megumi restored the clan but without the prejudices that plagued it for centuries.
"I know that the history lesson might seem unrelated to my goals, but it's the very root cause of them. I want to become a hero to bring back the honor of the Zen'in Clan that was tarnished by more than a millennium of bigotry and hypocrisy. I want to show everyone that I'm not bound by the sins of my forefathers – that I am above them and be better."
After saying her reasons, the Yaoyorozu/Zen'in heiress found herself being stared at by her friends.
"Was it something I said?"
Mina was the first to break the silence. "No. It's… um, very noble, actually."
"I agree wholeheartedly," Tenya nodded. "Your desire to become a hero is both noble and just!"
Both Kaminari and Kirishima agreed.
"I appreciate it, everyone," Momo beamed. "That said, there is one person who hasn't shared his reason for being a hero." Her attention shifted towards her fellow jujutsu sorcerer.
"Me!?" Izuku yelped.
"Yes… you!"
"You're not helping, Gojo-sensei!"
"That's right!" Uraraka jumped, now in front of the green-haired boy. "You never told us why you want to become a hero."
"She's right, dude," Jirō agreed with a nod. "We've yet to hear your reason, Midoriya."
"Well…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head, chuckling a bit as he thought of a way to properly explain himself. "Helping people is one of my primary reasons, but in all honesty? I actually don't know."
"You don't know?" Tsuyu asked with a slight tilt of her head.
"Before, I believed that my reason for being a hero was to save people with a smile," explained the greenhead. "However, a very close friend of mine, someone I consider a mentor, told me to rethink my motivations for becoming a hero."
Izuku was actually referring to the internal conversation he had with his master. After a bit of introspection and some guidance from the ancient spirit, it truly put into perspective what drove his desire to become a hero.
Or rather, what he still can't seem to come to understand.
"He asked me one question: 'What is it that Izuku Midoriya truly wants?' While I do not doubt in my mind that one of my desires is being a hero, it was the underlying reason behind that desire that he tried to emphasize and honestly, I still can't seem to find it."
"That's deep, man," Kirishima whistled at the profoundness of the simple question. "That mentor of yours must be pretty old if he can make you question your life choices."
"Old would be an understatement." Izuku adjusted pitch black glasses and said, "He said that my dream of becoming a hero was simply me following a trend. Although he never judged me on that, I was reminded to look within myself for the real reason why I chose this goal because he believed it's the key to unlocking the true potential of my Six Eyes and Limitless."
The others stared at the successor for a good while, curiosity, and intrigue etched in their faces. Though their desire to enter the world of professional heroism was clear-cut, their friend's reasoning was still lost even to him. However, that didn't escape the fact that knowing his real motivations for becoming a hero was tied intimately with his already impressive quirk, but him as a whole.
Uraraka scooted closer to the green-haired boy, now directly next to him. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "It's alright, Izuku. You'll find out eventually."
"We have faith that you will," Tenya declared with confidence.
The others show their agreement by giving him nods and sincere smiles. These gestures of both acceptance and companionship made the current user of Infinity feel like he belonged, a contrast to the life he had in middle school.
"Thank you, everyone."
"By the way," Tsuyu interrupted, "have any of you seen Kazui?"
"No," Mina answered.
"Me neither," Kirishima said.
"Same here," Tenya added. "How about you, Yaoyorozu? Have you seen Kurosaki?"
"I haven't," Momo replied. "Why do you ask?"
"It's because I feel bad for the way I looked at him this past week," Tsuyu answered with her head down in shame. "I know he killed all those villains during the USJ Incident, and it was wrong, but it wasn't really unavoidable."
Except for Momo and Izuku, the others shared the same sentiment as the frog mutant. Kazui was just protecting them. It was either them or the villains; so, their class representative chose the obvious option.
"I wouldn't worry so much about it," Momo assured the rest, making them look at her in surprise.
"Why?" Ochako questioned.
"That's because he was just doing what he's supposed to do," Izuku answered this time. "He doesn't need an apology because all of you have done nothing wrong."
"He's a protector," Momo expressed with admiration for the young death god. "Kazui is someone who is brave enough to take on the burden of protecting anyone. That's who he is… and that's why you don't need to worry about it."
Kazui sat silently on one of the rooftops of the facilities at UA. After the whole ordeal with that punk with the purple hair earlier, he needed some time for himself; away from the hustle of the school and much-needed silence.
The young reaper closed his eyes, letting his consciousness delve deeper into the chasms of his soul. The farther he went, the more the outside world became muted. It felt like he was sinking into the depths of an unending ocean with how he drew closer and closer to the very bottom of his being. And, when he felt that he had reached his destination, his eyes opened wide.
The sky above him was a dark night yet painted with many colors. Bands of red, orange, gold, and blue ran like rivers above. Small but bright speckles of light glimmered along with the colorful streams above. They were stars, adding to the majesty of the heavens.
Below him was an odd arrangement of buildings, all on their sides as the glass windows reflected the beautiful sky above. He stared at his reflection, admiring how his visage felt at home in this strange world…
…In his inner world.
"It's been a while since I've been here," he muttered.
"That you have, Kazui."
Kazui knew who that voice belonged. He turned around and met the person with a familial smile. "It's good to see you again, Mangetsu."
The person standing behind him was a beautiful woman with silky orange hair that stretched down to her waist, chestnut-colored irises, and a round face coupled with a motherly smile. However, these inviting features were contrasted by a shattered skull mask that covered her upper left face and an intimidating horn protruding from her left temple.
The woman's attire consisted of a fitting black and white tunic – the black turtle-necked robe that extended to a skirt fitting snugly around her rather… impressive features while the equally fitting white cloak was held together by a series of crisscrossing straps around her abdomen. Finally, she was wearing white high-heeled boots. That said, what truly stood out just like her horn and mask were the two pair of fairy-like wings behind her.
Without missing a beat, Kazui ran up to the woman and gave her a hug. Mangetsu returned the affectionate gesture with the same eagerness as her master. "I really missed our conversations together."
"I'm sorry if I don't get to visit you that much, Mangetsu," Kazui apologized. "It's just…"
"You finally found some friends to protect, right?" the fairy woman finished.
"How did you…? Oh, right. You're me."
"That you are. Still, I am overjoyed that you have people to call friends in this world. I feared that you'd become a recluse all your life." Mangetsu told that joke with a chuckle.
"Don't push it, Mangetsu," Kazui grumbled.
"What you mean to say was 'Don't push me,' since you are me and I am you."
"Don't you go Rush Hour 3 on me, lady!"
"Alright, alright, sheesh. I'd expect my own Soul Reaper would have the same sense of humor as me considering we're practically ONE AND THE SAME!"
"I still can't believe my zanpakūto spirit is a woman."
"I'm what you're supposed to look like had you been born a girl."
"Huh… You know, I have to admit, I really look drop-dead hot as a girl."
However, a mischievous little idea came into the mind of the sword spirit. "Not as pretty as our Zen'in princess."
"Don't. Go. There." Kazui's warning didn't have that same effect thanks in no small part to the blush on his cheeks.
"Hey, I'm just being honest." Mangetsu shrugged; not at all intimidated by her master. "I really do find her wonderful and, since we're basically the same being, you feel the same way too."
Kazui wanted to growl but instead, let out a defeated sigh. No point in arguing against such flawless logic.
"Fine… You got me. I have a crush on Momo. Are you happy now?" The hybrid didn't get an answer but instead, a knowing look with a wide grin from his spirit. "Okay! I have a huge crush on Momo!"
"That's better!" Mangetsu said victoriously. Having had her fun, the female spirit leaned over to her master and caressed his cheek. She gave the lonely hybrid a smile reminiscent of his late mother. "Kazui, I'm so happy that you found someone that could one day bring you happiness. I know that you've been all alone for the past two years here on this Earth, but knowing someone has touched your heart and can finally pull you out of the pain of loss brings me so much joy."
Kazui closed his eyes and covered Mangetsu's hand with his own. "Are you really my zanpakūto spirit?" he asked in a whisper. "I can never imagine myself being this motherly."
Mangetsu chuckled. "Maybe not to everyone. However, I think this side of you is only reserved for those you truly consider special." She slowly took her hand away and then sat down on the glass windowpane. She patted her lap, gesturing for Kazui to lay his head down on it.
The hybrid did just that and laid on the woman, lap. It was times like these that made him appreciate the calm tranquility of his inner world. This was also one of the places where he could confide his thoughts without anyone knowing. "I'm planning to get Izuku into the finals of the Sports Festival."
"Oh? How are you going to do that?"
"Well, the first two parts can be manipulated since it's a free-for-all and a team event. So, I just have to make sure that he gets to the singles battle."
"You sneaky little kid. But the third round? How are you certain that he'll reach the finals?"
"He's the strongest in school next to me. The only other person I'd see going toe-to-toe with him would be Momo."
"I bet you're excited just thinking about it!"
"I am… and I can't wait for the day of the festival to come."
"Speaking of Momo, here's something you should do if you happen to fight her during the singles combat."
Mangetsu leaned over and whispered into Kazui's ear. The reaper's eyes gradually grew wide while his face slowly turned beet red.
"WHAT!?"
Meanwhile, the descendant of the Zen'in Clan was inside the temple inspecting the many weapons stored within. While she wouldn't even think of using the arsenal in the old worship building, it all changed when the truth behind Izuku being the vessel for Satoru Gojo and Kazui Kurosaki being a death god was made known to her.
So far, Momo had already chosen which weapons she might use during the singles match if she ever came face-to-face with either of those two. In front of her were two bladed weapons – a two-handed Dao sword with a tuft of fur separating the blade and the handle while the other was a strange dagger with a jitte-shaped blade, a circular hand guard, and a black handle.
"This isn't enough," she murmured. Looking around, the girl spotted a three-sectioned staff of bright red coloring with intricate markings and symbols sitting idly on a pedestal. "That one's getting added to my inventory."
After taking the staff from its holding place, she wondered whether it'd be possible to combine it with the oddly shaped spearhead.
"Preparing for the festivals, dear?"
Momo turned to find her mother, Tsumiki, standing at the entrance of the temple. "Yes, mother. Say, would it be possible to attach these weapons together?" she asked as she held up the staff and the oddly-shaped dagger.
Tsumiki moved closer to her daughter at took the two weapons, examining whether it was possible. After careful scrutiny, she smiled at Momo and nodded. "It is doable. Speaking of, why are you taking three of the Zen'in Clan's sacred weapons?"
"My quirk and Heavenly Restriction would've been enough for the other contestants, but this year's Sports Festival happens to have a user of Limitless and a literal Shinigami," the ravenette explained. "If I want to increase my chances of winning, then I need these weapons to level the playing field, especially against Kazui."
At the mention of the Soul Reaper, Tsumiki couldn't hide the smirk forming on her face. "Speaking of Kazui, I saw that little kiss on the cheek you gave him."
"Eep!" Momo practically jumped in embarrassment after being reminded of what she did. Her face instantly flushed red as she turned around and glared at Tsumiki. "Mother!"
"What are you so worked up about?" questioned the mother with a devious smile. She was enjoying the teasing she had going on. "Is there something more about that kiss that I should know about?"
"Um… no. It's… um… a spur of the moment. Yes! A spur of the moment, that's what." Momo's stuttering didn't help her case when her mother just continued looking at her knowingly.
"Momo," her mother spoke, this time without the hint of playfulness in her tone. "It's alright. There's no need to be shy in admitting that you like Kazui."
Momo looked away in an attempt to hide her blush while shuffling her feet. While it was true, it was still outright embarrassing.
"The way you look at him was how I looked at your father when I was younger," Tsumiki recounted. "And honestly? I find approve of him."
The inheritor of the Heavenly Restriction snapped her head towards her mother in surprise. "You do?"
"Oh, I do. However, I want to hear from you what you think of him as a person. What made you fall for him in the first place?"
Momo was about to argue when she paused and thought about the question. What made her see Kazui in such a way? All of it could be traced down to the day she first met him. The memory of their meeting was something she would never forget; one that would always be embedded in her mind and heart.
"He knew that I was someone from an upstanding family by my look alone," Momo began. "However, he never treated me differently compared to the other people I've met in the past." She was referring to the people who only saw her for the name she carried, the notoriety for being associated with her family, or her versatile quirk.
They weren't true friends. They were merely people who wanted to use her.
"He saw me as Momo and not the heiress of the Yaoyorozu and Zen'in family. Basically, he is my first real friend."
"But that's not all, is it?" her mother questioned.
"No," Momo quickly answered. "There's more to him than that. It's not just that he saw me for who I am, but also how he carries himself and the dedication he has to his beliefs. Kazui is a protector, one that will go to great lengths to uphold the virtue of protecting the innocent and uplifting those around him."
As Tsumiki listened to her daughter describes Kazui Kurosaki, she can't stop thinking of how Momo was so entranced and articulate in describing the young death god. There was so much emotion in her daughter's words that it was clear as day.
"Yup… Momo's head over heels for Kazui."
"Finally, during the USJ Incident when I was about to give my life and dignity…" Tsumiki listened intently to this part. "He vowed to become my protector."
The Yaoyorozu matriarch had to admit, Momo made a very compelling case. "So… should I call the wedding planner?"
"MOTHER!" Momo squeaked. "I pour my heart out and you make a joke out of it?"
"I kid, I kid. That said, I am surprised just how much you spoke highly of him, Momo. You truly are deeply smitten by him."
"Yeah. No use denying it now that I just fessed up." Momo's eyes now held fire and determination, raising a fist to about chest- height and said, "Still, I may have feelings for Kazui, but it doesn't change the fact that he is an obstacle right now. If I'm going to win the Sports Festival, then I'm gonna have to beat him and Midoriya."
"At least you know how to set your priorities straight," remarked the mother proudly.
"That's why, with permission, I would like to release our prized curse spirit."
"Oh?" Tsumiki lightly gasped.
"Mother," Momo looked at her mother in the eye, "I want to use Kuroinodo."
A/N: ModernRogue11 here and here is another chapter for this story. This chapter serves more as a filler than a proper segue to the Sports Festival. It simply ties up some ends caused by the USJ Incident and prepared the students of Class 1-A for the upcoming competition.
This chapter also introduces us to Hitoshi Shinsō. In all honesty, my view on Shinsō isn't all that good in the beginning. While his motivations are somewhat acceptable, it's the fact that he plays the victim and blames and treats Class 1-A like entitled kids that ticks me off. If Hagakure can get into the Hero Course with just her invisibility, then how couldn't he? They basically have the same chances of passing since their quirks aren't that flashy. This just goes to show that while he is entitled to believe that the system was unfavorable to him, Shinsō didn't do enough to succeed in getting into the Hero Course.
That's the end of my rant and like always, thanks for tuning in to this story and giving it the same support as Reapers Among Fairies.
Until next time.