Chapter 5: Chapter 4: Trials and Tribulations
"Come on…come on!" Izuku mutters to himself, the young boy taking deep breaths to steady himself, channeling the red mana to form a spell, launching a stream of fire towards three targets that split mid-flight and incinerating them all to ashes.
"Yes!" he cheers in celebration, "Finally!"
"So that's the source of the ruckus."
Izuku nearly leaps in surprise, as an old woman chuckles at his antics behind him,
"Jaya-! I mean, Mother Luti!" he bows immediately, ''I'm so sorry for my disturbance. I didn't mean to wake you."
She waves away his apologies, "It's not a problem, I woke up long before that. How's your practice?"
"I think I'm doing well." Izuku says as he looks back at his handiwork proud, "I can feel it. Thanks to your teachings, I'm definitely getting stronger."
"Really? In that case… why couldn't you save them?"
The scene suddenly shifts as Izuku blinks. Suddenly, he was no longer in the Keral Keep, surrounded by corpses of Coalition soldiers.
"W-what the hell?!" he shouts in confusion and fear before realising. He quickly turns around and just in time to see a compleated Ajani snap Jaya's neck before throwing her off the Mana Rig.
"No…No!" He shouts and attempts to move but once again he feels a metal blade pierce his chest once, then twice, then a third time, falling onto the floor with the other corpses.
"Please…not again…" he could only whisper as phantom pains fill his body. The nightmare didn't stop there, as he tried to stand but the arms of the corpses latched on to him with vicious grips, pulling him down.
"Why couldn't you save us?" a disembodied voice echoes, "Why?!"
***
He wakes up screaming, cold and drenched in sweat, gasping for breath as he clutches his chest as phantom pain flares across his body. His physical wounds may have healed, but there were some problems that not even magic couldn't help with.
The nightmares started a while after he returned, now they were getting more frequent. He was fortunate enough to prepare and placed an enchantment around his room to silence any noise after the first nightmare.
He glances at the clock, roughly six in the morning. Of all days it had to be on the day of the Entrance Exam.
His father had done a wonderful job catching him up with the education standard of Earth. Honestly he had little issue with subjects regarding language, science and mathematics. The first was a byproduct of his Planeswalker nature, learning language is as easy as learning to ride a bicycle. For mathematics, it was a multiversal language that all knew, for all civilisations at one point figured out 1+1=2, it was just the symbols and units that needed translating to Earth's standard, but it was only a minor issue. Science was a headache, basic biology and physics he had handled, but chemistry was quite a mess as there were different elements all across the multiverse and he struggled since chemical formulas or even entire elements he was familiar with did not exist at all. That leads to a confusing chat with his father that they collectively decide to ignore and move on.
History was basically binge watching multiple documentaries that may or may not be historically accurate.
Still his father was impressed with his progress, claiming his grasp on language and mathematics were near college level. That was good, at least he has the written portion of the exam handled. The practical on the other hand…
What would the practical exam for becoming a Professional Hero involve? Combat ability? Rescue? An obstacle course? He supposes that he'll have to wait and see.
He has done all he can to prepare, but there was still plenty of time even if he ate breakfast and caught a train to UA's campus.
He supposed that he'll spare some time to visit them, in any case.
***
It was not as grand as he would have liked. He would have created a grand statue, or a beautiful plaque, something eye-catching to let the world know about her but it would have gathered attention and people would ask questions.
Instead a simple mark on a tree, in a park near his house. Their names etched into the barks and flowers placed at the base. He didn't know what kind they'd like, to his regret, so he settled with white chrysanthemums, a local breed of flowers. According to this 'Internet' thing, they symbolise mourning.
The writing on the bark reads, Jaya Ballard and Ajani Goldmane.
"Hey Jaya…Ajani…it's me again." he says after a moment, sitting down in front of it. The park was empty meaning he was free to talk without looking like a crazy person.
"Today's the day." he mutters as he forces a smile, "Feels a bit like I'm back at Strixhaven, trying to get in. They'll be testing us today, shouldn't be worse than what you and the rest of Gatewatch put me through."
There was awkward silence again as Izuku sighs, "I realise also, that technically my oath is fulfilled. Both of you weren't really there for that I guess, neither of you met us yet. But after the defence of Sea Gate, I swore with the rest to protect the Multiverse. I swore that until I found my way home, I would keep watch."
He raises his right hand, glowing with a swirl of white, red and blue mana as he did so.
"So I'm swearing a new one. I'm not going to just stop because I'm safe at home. Our friends are still in danger, Dominaria is still in danger, and until I find my way back I'll keep getting stronger, and if this plane finds itself in danger I won't sit idly by either." he says determinedly with a shaky voice as he swore his new oath, "I swear, that until the last star burns out, until my body breathes its last breath, that I will keep watch until the end of my days. I'll never stop fighting, for you, for my family, for all lives across the multiverse."
The display of mana fades away. Having said what he wanted to say he bids farewell. Even though the afterlife for them may be literal universes away, he still found that his small act brought some form of comfort. Not completely, but still made things easier.
"Goodbye, my friends." he whispers to the tree as he places a hand against it, "And again…I'm sorry."
***
Izuku hates taking the train, something he realises soon. Too cramped like the Mana Rig, full of people soldiers chatting, eager to return once the battle was over, and smelt of sweat, blood and fire.
He smacks himself in the head, hoping it would jolt the thoughts away. It was even spreading to his waking moments now, memories of the battle. Using a handkerchief he wipes the sweat from his forehead, wishing that the ride will end soon so he could get out.
Thankfully it did so, and he was the first off, hoping that fresh air and open space would clear his mind. According to the directions he received, it was a short walk to UA campus now, enough to get his head straight.
Or so he thought.
The sound of familiar flapping of wings nearly trips him as he spun around frantically searching for the source, belonging to birds standing on power lines above.
Habits, he supposed. Birds were often compleated during the Phyrexian invasion, used as spies. Any feathered creature in the distance could be an enemy spy reporting your location and activities, and there were very many of them in Dominaria.
He barely restrains the urge to shoot lightning at them, just in case. Reminding himself that the Phyrexians weren't here, they were not on Earth, before continuing his walk.
He was not being watched by a Phyrexian spy.
He was not being followed, stalked by an assassin.
The fact that the bird hasn't stopped staring at him was just a coincidence, Not!.
He was nearly at the campus but as if the Multiverse was conspiring against him, he finds a large crowd at the entrance as dozens of students pass through the entrance for their test, making quite a ruckus.
He just needs to get this over with, just need to finish the exam. He walks and weaves through the crowd, their chattering not helping his nerves at all. He just needs focus, he just needs to breathe.
"Excuse me." a student bumps into him sending him stumbling forward where he was bumped into again.
"Hey, watch it!"
"Coming through."
"Move it."
It was a large crowd and he couldn't stop bumping into someone, it was like being trampled and swarmed by Phyrexians.
It was getting hard to breathe, the noise was almost nauseating as he was shoved around. The urge to unleash a massive spell to silence everyone was almost overwhelming, damn the consequences. He stops walking for a moment, trying to breathe but the suffocating feeling would not leave him. Was he starting to hyperventilate? It certainly felt like it.
Then something touches him on the shoulder, an enemy prepared to strike him, a hand. He jumps and would have fallen over if the same hand did not grab his arm, stopping him from falling.
"Hey, you alright?" a familiar purple haired girl exclaims, "Wait, Midoriya?!"
"Jirou?" Izuku wheezes out mid gasp for air. It was a surprise to see the girl, after their encounter at the mall they've only communicated through brief text over the past three weeks. He had not expect to meet her again like this.
"Jeez, you look pale as a ghost." she remarks before her Quirk picks up his ragged breathing and accelerated heart rate, "What's going on?"
"I…can't breathe…" he gasps out clutching his chest. His breaths were getting shorter and his head was getting lighter. Recognising the seriousness of the situation, Jirou pulls Izuku's arm over her shoulder and leads him out of the campus. Only when there was some distance between them and the crowd at the main gate did she set him down against the walls.
"Hey, is this better? Do you need a bag to breathe into or something?" she asks in concern as Izuku's breathing becomes slower as he gasps down large gulps of air.
"Better…", the noise was still present but not as overwhelming as it was, and there was more room. More manageable than before. He nods before turning to her in confusion, "I did not expect to meet you at the entrance."
"Neither did I. It's one helluva coincidence." she admits before looking serious, "What happened back there, it looked like you were having a panic attack?"
"A panic attack?" Izuku mutters thinking back to his struggle breathing, "...I suppose I was."
He slowly exhales as he returns his breathing to normal. As he does this, Jirou looks at him with concern.
"What do you think triggered it?" she asks, and Izuku thinks for a second.
"The crowd, I think, was like that in the train as well. Too… loud, cramped, everyone kept bumping into me." he sighs, "I'm sorry, it's a stupid reason to freak out."
Jirou pauses for a moment, staring at him in disbelief, before stabbing her earjacks at his head.
"Ow!" he exclaims in shock and pain at the sudden attack as he looks up at her in annoyance, "What the hell was that for?!"
"You're an idiot for thinking that." she says ignoring his earlier question as she kneels down and sits next to him against the wall, "So if something like that is stupid, that must mean I'm stupid?"
"What?" Izuku exclaims in surprise, wondering how she suddenly decided that he insulted her, when he realises, "You mean…"
She taps her ear jacks, "Being born with these doesn't mean I was automatically used to it. It was pretty normal until I was four, then the enhanced hearing kicked in. Suddenly I could hear the heartbeat of everyone in my class, the cars honking from miles away, the electricity running through the building, and everything else. I had my fair share of similar experiences."
"Oh." Izuku says dumbly as he connects the dots, "I didn't mean to offend. This is all new. I've never felt this way before."
He is confused. He was no stranger to violence, blood or death. So why was he suddenly feeling like this? Why the nightmares and terror?
"Well, I'm not an expert or anything but I think you should go see someone." she suggests, "Just someone to talk about all this."
Someone to talk to? Someone to talk about the horrors he's seen in the Second Phyrexian Invasion? About how he nearly died to a biomechanical monstrosity part of an interplanar expanding empire that is looking to compleat the entire multiverse and forcibly turn them into their own image of perfection?
"I'll take that under consideration." he mutters half-heartedly.
Jirou only nods as they both sit against the wall in silence. Then they both remember the reason they were here in the first place.
"The exam." he facepalms in frustration, "I almost-! We're not going to be late are we?"
A brief look at her phone and Jirou shook her head, "Nope, we still got some time. We can head to the exam halls on time if we go now."
"Again, I'm sorry for the-" Izuku apologies but was interrupted by Jirou stabbing her earjacks again. This time he sees it coming and catches it annoyed, "What now?"
"Don't apologise for needing help." she says as Izuku releases his grip and she retracts her earjacks, "You're only human Midoriya."
"Nevertheless, we have an exam to pass." he reminds as he stands up, glancing at the giant structure that was the UA main building.
Now that he was fully registering it with a clear mind he was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps it was unfair to compare it with Strixhaven, but he was honestly expecting bigger. Maybe a few floating spires and giant towers. Instead of a structure of marble, elegantly constructed, it was a building made in the shape of a bulky letter H, made almost entirely of glass. Simple but not truly impressive. Still he feels something of a chill down his spine, like some sort of strong presence was within the building? Perhaps it was just that the place was a strong source of mana? Something to investigate later, he supposes.
"You sure you're up for this?" Jirou asks as she stood up with him, "I hear the practical exam is all about fighting. You're not worried about having an attack in the middle of that?"
"Quite the contrary. If it is fighting then I look forward to it." he assures with a hint of a smile, "A good fight can be therapeutic, a cathartic release even. Help me take my mind off things."
"If you're sure." Jirou shrugs, "Which Exam Hall you're heading to? Mine's B."
"A for me. Why?" Izuku asks.
"Eh, I was thinking I'd walk you to the Exam Hall. Don't want you collapsing all of a sudden." she says half jokingly, lightly bumping into his shoulder, "I don't mind. It'll be cutting it close but I got time."
"I'll be fine. Truly." he says genuinely touched by her offer, "You focus on your exam, and when we pass I'll look forward to studying with you."
"If we pass." Jirou reminds and Izuku scoffs.
"If someone like you fails to get in, maybe this school's not as it's cracked up to be."
This got a reaction from her as she glanced away embarrassed, a slight reddish hue on her cheeks, "Come on, what for?"
He looks at her incredulous, "You were the only one who helped me out of the who knows how many at the entrance. I'd say that speaks a lot about your character and theirs."
She blushes, "If they weren't distracted I'm sure a lot more would've helped. Or someone would've come along if I wasn't there."
"Perhaps. But it was you." he points out as he leaves, "Best of luck."
***
The Exam Halls for the written test weren't so bad. The tables were spaced out to prevent students from copying others and it was all conducted in silence. The exam itself was not challenging per se, but it did cover a wide range of topics. Answering the questions felt like a joke, and he had been tempted to ask the exam's invigilator if he had received the wrong sheet if he did not see the other students had similar sheets. Apparently they gave you five potential answers for each question, and you have to highlight the respective circle for each question.
None of the questions had been related to heroism as he expected. No complex questions about morality, tactics one would use in a combat scenario, or such. It all felt…standardised or something.
The only thing that did surprise him was an essay portion at the back. It had no marks for it and was completely optional, with the question being, 'Why do you wish to become a Pro Hero?'. It didn't hinder him much, writing a short essay before finishing up the paper and double checking his answer.
With the ring of a bell, he placed his pencil down and waited for his paper to be collected. His confusion on his face must have been mistaken for being dismayed because the invigilator, a man with slender limbs and mouth that seemed to split across his face wearing a large pair of glasses with blank eyes behind them, offered words of comfort,
"Chin up kid, you'll have plenty of opportunity to make up for your scores in the practical." he says as he continues to collect the other papers, his legs making metal clicking noises with every step. To Izuku's surprise he sees him exit the Exam Hall and joins what appears to be multiple exact duplicates of himself carrying similar stacks of papers from other Exam Halls. Some sort of cloning?
He shrugs it off, having seen stranger things after all, and moves to the hall he had been instructed to. He walks quickly so as to avoid getting caught in a crowd again, managing to make it and find a seat. As he did so he scanned the area around him, no signs of Jirou, unfortunately, but he did spot Kacchan a couple dozen seats away from him. Wonderful.
He keeps his head low to avoid getting noticed. Now wasn't the time for confrontation with him. As he does so, a blonde haired man who appears to have used an obscene amount of gel to get his hair to how it is, steps up to the stage wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket and what appears to be a speaker around his neck,
"WELCOME TO TODAY'S LIVE PERFORMANCE!" he shouts in a deafeningly loud tone, "EVERYONE SAY 'HEY'!"
An awkward silence fills the room. Izuku on the other hand focused on the man's speaker-artefact around his neck, it obviously meant to amplify his voice but was it because of his Quirk? Did it help control and direct it? If so, how? He wonders if a similar device could be made for Jirou? She mentioned she could transmit her heartbeat through her earjacks so-
"WELL THAT'S COOL, MY EXAMINEE LISTENERS!" he shouts undaunted by the silence he received, "NAME'S PRESENT MIC AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE GUIDELINES TO YOUR PRACTICAL! ARE YOU READY?!!"
Present Mic? He's heard that name before, over the radio his father listens to. He admits some of the topics discussed over said radio show were intriguing, such as daily lives of Pro Heroes and struggles they experience in the industry, and he had many inspirational sayings in each broadcast.
"THIS IS HOW THE TEST WILL GO, LISTENERS!" he says as he clicks a button on a remote and a stream of light displays an image on the blank screen, "IT'S A TEN MINUTE SCUFFLE IN A MOCK CITY. YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BRING WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST BE AT YOUR ASSIGNED LOCATION WHEN IT STARTS, 'KAY?"
So it'll be urban warfare then? Not his first choice in combat arenas but he'll have to improvise he supposes. Sometimes you don't get to choose where fights begin after all.
"EACH SITE'S FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH THREE TYPES OF FAUX VILLAINS!" Present Mic shouts as the image on the screen changes to the outline of three strange creatures each with numbers on them from 1 to 3, "USE WHATEVER TRICK YOU GOT UP YOUR SLEEVES TO TAKE AS MANY OF THEM DOWN TO EARN POINTS, LISTENERS. OF COURSE PLAYING THE ANTI-HERO AND FIGHTING OTHER EXAMINEES FOR POINTS IS ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN!"
That made sense, so they were fighting artefact creatures of a sort? Good for him that besides being good at fixing and putting together artefacts, he was skilled in their dismantling as well. Izuku refers to the handout he had picked up on the way here. Sure enough there were a list of four artefact creatures matching the description of Present Mic.
Wait, four?
Before he could ask, someone did so for him.
"May I ask a question?" a voice speaks out clearly from the crowd of applicants. Izuku turns his head to see a tall, bespectacled boy with blue hair standing up and raising his hand, "There appear to be no fewer than four varieties of faux villains on this handout! Such a blatant error, if it is one, is highly unbecoming of Japan's top hero institution! And you, with the curly hair!"
Izuku nearly jumps at the boy suddenly shouting at him, "You've been muttering this whole time, and distracting all of us! Is this some sort of game to you? Then if so please leave immediately."
…Okay he's starting to understand why Chandra's always trying to stop his mutterings. But still, was it really that much of a distraction?
And to make it even worse, Kacchan turned his head to his direction and his eyes widened in shock and then anger. Wonderful, simply wonderful.
Luckily for him Present Mic decided to deescalate the situation,
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, EXAMINEE 7111, NICE CATCH." he says as he clicks the remote again displaying the outline of a robot that looks like a brick, "THIS LITTLE GUY'S CALLED THE ZERO-POINTER. YOU GUESSED IT, IT GIVES YOU A WHOPPING NUMBER OF ZERO POINTS FOR ITS DESTRUCTION. THERE'S ONLY ONE ON EACH SITE, IT'S WHOLE DEAL IS TO CAUSE TROUBLE AND SLOW YOU DOWN. I RECOMMEND MY LISTENERS TO JUST CARRY ON AND IGNORE IT IF YOU CAN."
That…seemed suspicious. Having an obstacle such as that made sense but only one of it in each site? It felt like a strange call, unless it was stronger than expected. He'll have to be wary if he comes across such an artefact creature. He hopes he can study their construction afterwards, the collector instinct in him would very much enjoy adding them to his arsenal if possible.
"NOW THAT'S ALL FROM ME, FOLKS." Present Mic declares, "WITH THAT SAID, LET'S END IT WITH A FAVOURITE QUOTE OF MINE, FROM GOOD OL' NAPOLEON BONAPARTE; 'TRUE HEROISM IS BEING SUPERIOR TO THE ILLS OF LIFE'. PLUS ULTRA EVERYONE, BREAK A LEG."
***
Perhaps he had underestimated UA, that was the first thought Izuku had when he saw the test site. Pretty impressive, being able to construct and maintain entire city-sized areas, that must take a lot of funding. Still not as impressive as Strixhaven, but he'll give them points for that at least.
The bus drops them off after a mercifully short ride, it was quite cramped and noisy. Thankfully another attack didn't occur like in the entrance, thank the multiverse for small mercies.
All around him aspirants of all manners assembled, most with no more equipment than the clothes on their backs, with some carrying one or two devices likely Support Items for their Quirks. As for him, he wore a light green tracksuit his father bought for him, but he was far from unprepared.
Like all places in the Multiverse there was mana flowing through the area. He can feel the fiery passion and power of red mana with a dash of white flowing through the testing ground. It would be more than enough to suffice for his needs.
But then he recoils, his concentration snapping for a moment. The mana in the air…it was stronger than he anticipated? Like that feeling from back in the gate. It was like comparing a match to a flaming brazier, not a steady stream of mana but more intense.
He assumed it was just strong background mana but now with his senses reaching out, it simply wasn't that. It was more concentrated like that, like it was inhabiting something, like how he saw Quirks as. Sources of mana contained within a body, but this one was bloated with mana, leaking it like a broken faucet and barely contained.
His eyes wander around to identify the source and it lands on a bespectacled girl with flowing blonde hair tied into a ponytail, like many others she wore a simple tracksuit and was busying herself with preparations. Tinkering with some sort of gauntlet that adorns both her hands, and a matching mechanical boots on her feet.
Should he approach her? The logical side of him insists that he focuses on his own preparations, but his burning curiosity got the better of him. His hunger for knowledge needs to be sated. Why was she so different? Where did that amount of mana come from? Questions and questions flood his mind as he takes steps towards her before feeling a hand grasp his shoulders from behind.
"Why are you here? Hoping to interf-?!" the boy was halfway through his accusations when Izuku instinctively launched his elbow backwards at a presumed threat. Thankfully it was not as strong as it could be, and not even infused with mana, so it wouldn't even leave a bruise but it'll still hurt.
"You-?! What was that for, you brute?" the boy exclaims in pain as he rubs his face.
Izuku was immediately apologetic, "I'm sorry, I really am. But you shouldn't surprise people like that."
"Or perhaps it was intentional." The boy scoffs, "I wonder if you're truly serious about coming to UA. Everyone here is preparing to do their best and I see you are about to interrupt one of the examinees. Are you planning to sabotage our efforts perhaps?"
That got a negative reaction from Izuku, who clenches his fist as the crowd starts whispering to each other about him. But still he can't bring himself to retort for it was an accusation with reason behind it, after all was he not about to interrupt someone else's preparations to satiate his curiosity?
He sighs, his curiosity would have to wait. Until after the exam perhaps, or maybe when they meet again in school. Glancing back at the girl, who's attention has shifted to him along with many others, he has a feeling that someone with that power in her would most definitely earn a spot in the academy.
"AND…BEGIN!"
A familiar deafening voice rings across the area as everyone glances up to a watchtower where Present Mic stood,
"WHAT'RE YOU STANDING THERE GAPING AROUND FOR, THERE ARE NO COUNTDOWNS IN REAL LIFE! THE DIE IS CAST!"
It was simultaneous, everyone began moving at once, dashing forward as fast as their bodies or Quirks would allow. He sees the blue haired boy immediately grow pipes from his calves that propel him forward, he sees that blonde girl from earlier charge her legs up with energy and take a giant leap forward. Truly it was a shame there was no time to fully analyse them.
He channels the red mana from the area into his legs before dashing forward, thunder and red lightning following in his wake as he weaves between the numerous examinees to get ahead of them.
He passes by the same blonde girl he saw who appeared to be charging up for another leap as he runs by, surprising her as he overtakes her. The spell only lasted for an instant but it was enough to get him a head start. Now where could he find some faux villains?
AS if on cue, an artefact creature rolls out in front of him from an alley. It seemed to operate on wheels, making it fast and agile but the armour looks thin meaning it sacrifices armour for speed. It swings its arm towards him, pointing a strange multi-barreled device at him. Probably a projectile launcher of some sorts, in which case he won't give it an opportunity to open fire.
With a flick of his hand, a helix of lightning shoots out, twin streaks of red and white swirling together and striking the One-Pointer. It immediately explodes from the spell, turning to a pile of molten slag.
"Dang it." the blonde girl curses at the sight of lost points before leaping in another direction to search for more points. Shame, he'd love to see her in action but this was no time for that. It was a combat trial, he has to put his all into it.
He dashes forward with another spell to expedite his movement. Sure he could use a number of spells to scry the area but they cost blue mana, which this area lacks in abundance. Best to save it for when he really needs it, he'll have to search for his opponents the old fashioned way.
Speak of the devil, and he's already run into three more. Three One-Pointers, two Two-Pointers and a single Three-Pointer. The bigger of the three artefact creatures detected him first and fired a cluster of projectiles that streak towards him.
He smiles as he guides the white mana to form a shield in front of him. At the very least the next ten minutes will be anything but boring.
***
Far away in the main campus, the faculty members gather around dozens of screens, each displaying every exam site where the practical tests were taking place. A skeletal looking man in a stripped yellow suit and blue tie walks up with a pant,
"You're late." grumbles a man in dark clothes and a white scarf bundled around his neck, "Tardiness is unbecoming of you, Mr Symbol of Peace."
"I apologise for that, but duty calls you know." he chuckles nervously, "Nevertheless, I am here now. Has the test already started?"
"Do not fear, Yagi." a bipedal creature says from his seat as he sips a cup of tea, "The trials have just begun. You barely missed anything. Come, take a seat, would you be requiring any refreshments?"
"No thank you, Principal Nedzu." Toshinor Yagi declined as his eyes turned to the screens. It was strange seeing it from this angle, back when he was younger and attended UA he was down in the sites smashing robots with his bare hands, now he was going to be one of the faculty members judging who gets to attend UA.
His eyes travelled across the number of screens looking through the potential students one by one, but mostly he was searching for one particular examinee.
His successor was out there somewhere, Melissa Shield. He spots her in midst of battle and smiles proudly at the sight of her destroying a robot with a low-yield smash. Normally even with the training he had given her to build up her muscles, the backlash from One for All beyond 5% would strain muscles and bone, even shatter it if she went beyond her limit.
Fortunately she was able to find a way to circumvent that, designing gauntlets and boots that allow her to safely handle One for All's backlash beyond her limits. Support Item technology has definitely come a long way from his days. It was definitely a crutch, but a necessary one until she learns to control larger amounts of One for All.
"We never told them how many villains there are, or where they are placed. Such a wide battlefield and limited amount of time." Nedzu muses out loud as he takes another sip, "Truly, it brings out the best in them."
He gestures to a number of examinees across the screens, "There are those who can assess information in an instant, intelligence gatherers. Those who'll never be late for a party, mobility experts. Those who can cope with any situation, decision makers. And there are natural born warriors."
The last screen displayed a blonde boy with explosions detonating across his arms.
"Impressive, he uses his explosions to draw the faux villains towards him and wipe them out. Simple and efficient." one of the teachers comments, Toshinori recognises him as Snipe, "But his attitude towards collateral damage seems to be lacking."
"Well, it'll be our duty to drill that habit into him if he gets in." a woman with a whip in her hand points out, the R-Rated Hero: Midnight also known as Nemuri Kayama, "That is our job after all, to shape them into heroes."
"Any of our examinees catch your eye so far, All Might?" Nedzu asks. Toshinori searches the screens once more, it wouldn't be fair to have Melissa be his focus for the entire test. His job would revolve around teaching an entire class after all, it was best to find others as well. His eyes land on a screen displaying a boy with green hair, eyes widening slightly at the sight.
He threw twin streaks of lightning that curl into a helix, destroying robots with a single shot each, even the Three-Pointers which were made to be tankier than the rest. One Three-Pointer fired from the roof of a nearby building, a cluster of missiles that would create concussive blasts strong enough to knock your average person off their feet without much harm.
He rolls out of the way, raising a white energy shield as he does so to protect himself against the shockwaves, but Toshinori realises he rolled in front of a One-Pointer that was bringing an arm down on him.
He winces in anticipation of an injury, but the boy points a hand at the robot without looking, covering it with a blue aura before flinging it at a cluster of faux villains, before shooting a red bolt at the thrown robot, exploding it and turning it into an improvised shrapnel bomb, destroying them all in one go. As for the Three-Pointer on the roof it prepares for another salvo, but then the boy disappears in a blur of red lightning, suddenly covering the distance in a near instant and appearing behind the robot, delivering a blow with a fist covered in white energy.
It all happened so fast, no hesitation in his movements, and the speed he displayed at the end was so fast that if they weren't veteran Pro Heroes, they may not have kept track of it.
It was an excellent display of a combination of skill, speed, decision making and power. It was impressive. And to Toshinori Yagi, it was unnerving.
He thought at first that the kid had some sort of lightning-based Quirk. Not uncommon, and quite a high demand Quirk as they had functions for them outside of Pro Hero work. But then he displayed the ability to create some sort of energy shield, telekinesis, an explosive projectile, super-speed and some sort of strength enhancement.
It couldn't be…could it?
"Well I'll be damned. Those were some neat moves weren't they?" Snipe comments, "15 Points in five seconds. He lured all those robots in one spot, and used that One-Pointer as a grenade to wipe them out."
"Thinking on the fly like that, does the kid have some experience or something?" Vlad King asked, astonished as the boy continued dashing, leaving a streak of lightning, "And he's still going. Very nice."
"The boy…" Toshinori says as he keeps the shudder hidden, "What's his Quirk?"
"Let's bring his file up." Nedzu says as he clicks on a remote, displaying the boy's information on a screen, "Ah here we are, Izuku Midoirya, age 15, his Quirk is called 'Three Colours'. According to the description it allows him to use different abilities depending on their colour. Red is offensive focused and allows him to use elements such as fire, lightning and ice to deal damage, as well as enhance his physical abilities. Blue allows for telekinesis and according to the file it grants him the ability to 'scry for information'. Curious on what that means. As for white, it grants defensive abilities as well as enhancements and healing. Quite a variable Quirk he has there."
His voice was neutral as he says that, recognising the implications as he shared a glance towards Toshinori. Having all that power from one Quirk? It was very rare for people to be born with multiple abilities in one Quirk.
Then they hear Snipe snap his fingers, "Hang on a minute, I heard that name before. Wasn't there a kid with that name, who went missing ten years ago or something. Was all over the news, a kid with a teleporting Quirk almost hit by a truck and went missing."
"The files make no note of a teleporting Quirk." Nedzu notices with a frown, "And he displayed no such ability yet."
"Maybe they just share the same name then?" Snipe suggests with a shrug, "Or maybe his teleportation is one of his skills, and he just hasn't used it yet."
"Possibly. What do you think, All Might?" Nedzu asks as he looks towards the Symbol of Peace, whose mind was going a hundred miles per hour as he grasps his weak spot as phantom pains flare across it.
"Disappearing for ten years….then coming back with new abilities?" he thinks to himself in worry, "It's a coincidence. Has to be. It can't be… I killed him, watched his body get cremated myself."
"It's likely just that." Toshinori says more to himself, "Born with a particularly variable Quirk. And skilled in using it, it appears."
As he says this a boy with spiky red hair gets blasted directly by a concussive missile, fortunately he appears to have a hardening Quirk of sorts that absorbed most of the damage but was still sent flying and dazed by the attack.
Izuku Midoriya notices this, and dashes toward once more throwing up another shield to block the following missile, before firing another twin bolt of lightning at the Three-Pointer, destroying it.
"And a heroic spirit as well." Midnight notes approvingly, "That's at least 5 Rescue Points."
"Agreed." Nedzu says as he adds the respective score, "And speaking of which, it seems to be about time for that. "
The other teacher nods as a button is pressed, but Toshinori's eyes never left the screen. His gaze focused on the green haired boy.
***
"Up you get." Izuku says as he offers a hand to the fallen boy, "The fight's not yet over."
"Thanks." the redhead grunts as he accepts and pulls himself up, "Damn, there goes my Three-Points."
Normally complaining about a rescue would say a lot about someone, but this was a test after all, and he did steal his points technically. But after his time spent in real combat, he doesn't pause to consider when saving someone in need of help. Still he feels guilty enough to provide some recompense.
"Here then, my apologies for stealing your points." Izuku says as he casts a red spell on him, sending adrenaline coursing through his body. The effect was immediate as the boy's eyes sharpened.
"Holy hell, now that's a rush." he says excitedly before charging at the nearest robots he can see, "Thanks for the assist!"
"Goodluck.'' His reply fell on deaf ears as the boy turned to stone and started smashing into robots like a rockslide. Shrugging he decides to carry on to look for more points before the earth starts shaking.
"What now?" he mutters to himself before searching for the source, his eyes widening as he finds it.
A titanic artefact creature that was the size of a large building, crawls from below the ground as it smashes any building that was nearby. It had a blocky head and sat on gigantic tracks the size of a house each, with four-fingered hands that crush buildings like cardboard.
"Oh." he mutters, "So that's the Zero-Pointer."
So this was why Present Mic recommended them to avoid this one. It was gigantic and while it wasn't invincible (he thinks), it would take considerable effort and time to do so for your average person while awarding zero points.
He has no reason to go after it and shrugs, prepared to move on, before he hears something.
"Oww…"
A barely audible moan of pain, that he almost never picked up. He spun around and found a girl with brown hair near the Zero-Pointer, a piece of rubble crushing her leg.
This was just a test correct? There was no possible way she would be seriously hurt. It was an accidental injury and surely the exam would halt, or at least an invigilator would be sent to the area to resolve the issue and rescue the girl. That was what the logical side of his mind told him
The Zero Pointer doesn't stop or notice, slowly rolling forward oblivious to the soul trapped in front of its threads.
And then he blinks, and for a short moment he wasn't at the testing site. He wasn't even in UA, Musutafu, or Japan. He was back in Dominaria, on the continent of Shiv on the Mana Rig. Sheoldred was approaching an incapacitated Karn, taking him forcefully and vanishing through a Planar Gate.
He blinks twice and he was back in the testing site. He did not see Sheoldred, he saw the Zero Pointer. He did not see Karn, battered and beaten, but the brown haired girl with rubble crushing her leg as she desperately tried to move.
The logical side of his brain told him there was no danger, that if he went on his way to continue scraping up points there would be nothing wrong with that. And as usual, he ignores his logical side and goes the opposite direction it suggested.
***
"Hold on, Snipe." Nedzu orders as the hero was about to slam the emergency shut down for the Zero Pointer, his eyes on two particular individuals charging towards it, "Let's see how this goes."
"Principal, that girl's about to be crushed!" Snipe protests but his respect for the principal being the only reason he has not slammed the button yet
"Those two are intervening already." Nedzu explains, "This is the reason for the Zero Pointer after all. Let us see how these two plan to act."
Meanwhile Toshinori watches his successor with anticipation, thinking to himself,
"That's it Melissa! When there is nothing to be gained, rising to the challenge anyways is the mark of a true hero!"
***
Time magic was something Izuku was familiar with. Being a teammate and student with one of the Multiverse's greatest users of time magic allows one to pick up a few tricks. There was a time that Teferi Akosa slowed the sunset of an entire plane, and you don't need to be a mage or scientist to realise how much power and skill that took. If he was here he could likely have held the Zero Pointer indefinitely while having time to chat over tea and maybe play a round or two of Clans & Legions.
He was not Teferi Akosa.
"Fuck!" an uncharacteristic swear was emitted from Izuku's mouth as he felt the strain of impeding the momentum of the Zero Pointer, slowing down the time relative to the area around the robot.
He had thought about calling the number of spells he has in his arsenal to destroy it. But they either caused too much collateral damage to destroy instantly or would take too long to destroy before the girl is crushed. Thus his only option was to stall it.
"What?" the girl exclaims in surprise as she looks back, stunned that someone came to save her.
"Hello!" Izuku grunts out as he struggles to maintain the spell over such a large target. The other times he did use the spell were on humanoid sized or some pieces of falling rubble, not an entire artefact creature the size of a skyscraper, "I recommend you remove yourself from the area for your own safety, don't you agree?"
He asks, trying to sound polite through gritted teeth, and maybe letting a bit of sarcasm slip in. The girl looks in stunned silence at the display of power before he urges her again,
"Now, please?!" he says as his focus momentarily slips and the Zero Pointer's arm that had been swinging down moved by an inch. The girl, recognising the urgency of his tone, snaps out of it and presses her finger against the rubble on her feet, causing it to float enough to pull her leg out. She tries to stand but then falls again with a cry of pain.
Of course. Her leg was broken. Stupid him for not considering that. But now she was free it meant he doesn't have to hold this thing in place anymore. With a grunt he releases the spell, there should be a short delay before the Zero Pointer resumes its normal speed.
With a flick of his hand he casts two spells, one to immediately heal her leg. He couldn't gauge how much damage had been done so he basically eyeballed the spell to heal a basic fracture, he'd have to check later if it healed wrongly, the second spell targeted the road underneath her, causing it to roll backwards like a treadmill and send her flying backwards.
"Run!" he orders as he turns back to the Zero Pointer just as the spell dissipates and it returns to its normal time, with Izuku now taking the brown haired girl's place in front of it. But now there was no one to be caught in the crossfire, he can destroy it without fear.
A small orb of fire forms in his hand, drawing in the red mana in the background and slowly but steadily growing in size.
But then he fell to his knees, gasping for breath.
"Damn it." he curses in exhaustion. He hadn't been monitoring his stamina, casting spells was not an effortless activity, and he had been doing so non-stop for the entire exam. He had been so busy venting his frustration into the robots that he failed to notice his own exhaustion until too late.
He tries to push himself up as the Zero Pointer crawls ever closer. What a terrible display, how careless of him. He can feel that somewhere in their respective afterlives, Gideon and Jaya were facepalming at his reckless tactic. He deserves it.
And then he felt it. That same overwhelming power from before. Turning back he only catches a glimpse of the blonde girl before she launches herself upwards, towards the head of the giant artefact creature.
"What…" he mutters in surprise as he felt the shock from such a feat. Waves of air and excess mana rushed past him nearly knocking him down as his gaze follows her as she becomes a speck in the sky, reaching to the face of the giant Zero Pointer and reeling her fist back for a blow. The shockwave from the punch was so strong he could feel it even when he was on the ground, the wind blowing his hair back.
It was a monumental display of power. It was intimidating. It was overkill. It was terrifyingly beautiful, like an exploding star for the lack of better words. It was also the most improper handling of mana he has ever seen in his life. He could feel mana leaking and wasting off her as she performed the feat. Instead of a faucet opening like normal to release a controlled amount of water, it was as if it suddenly snapped off and released an uncontrollable stream of high pressure water.
"...the hell." he finishes in shock as he sees the girl float in the air for a moment, carried by the momentum of her jump. Then she stalls and gravity takes over as she plunges down. He immediately recognises that something was wrong, her body was limp and he swore her arm was bent in an unnatural angle.
His first instinct was to cast a similar spell to slow her down, but the mana required was too much, he doesn't have enough blue mana gathered to slow her down. Perhaps grab her but it won't be enough to stop her from plummeting.
"Hey! You, with the curly hair!"
He snaps his head back to the girl running towards him, evidently she did not heed his demand for her to run.
"My Quirk can save her! I need to touch her first!"
She says, holding out her hand. He instantly recalls the sight of her lifting the rubble off her legs with just a touch. He couldn't hesitate as he knows it will waste valuable time so he instead calculates the trajectory needed, the angle to throw the brown haired girl. He may not have enough mana to stop her fall at near terminal velocity, but he can launch the girl to intercept the other.
Using his telekinesis, he grabs the girl and flings her, taking her by surprise but his aim was true and she hits her dead on, her hand slapping across the blonde's face as the brown haired girl uses her own Quirk on herself as well.
They both fell but their momentum was slowed to a halt just a few feet above the rough concrete road. Izuku breathes a sigh of relief, that had been a close call.
"AND…TIME'S UP EVERYBODY!"
Present Mic announced through the mock city as remaining robots halted and deactivated on the spot, and examinees looked around in both relief and panic at the news. Izuku meanwhile steadies himself to make his way towards the girls.
"Are you al-?" he asks the brown haired girl first but then recoils when she nearly vomits on his shoes. After she gives a shaky thumbs up and continues emptying her stomach he focuses on the blonde girl instead.
Worse than he thought, the left gauntlet she had was missing, probably broken from the force of her blows. Her arm was a mess of bruises, an ugly shade of purple and red, bent in unnatural angles. Not the worst wound he has seen but still unpleasant.
"Just…one more point…" he hears her whisper. Even in her state she was still concerned with the exam? Talk about improper priorities.
"The exam is over." he explains calmly as he kneels over her, "Your arm, can you still feel it? Are there any other wounds on your body?"
"It's…over? Damn…" she grunts as she tries to sit up only to cry in pain before lying back down, "My legs…"
Izuku looks down and sees the mechanical boots she was wearing sparking from damage received. Not completely blown off but definitely not functional. Not wasting time he casts a small spell, with barely any blue mana, to remove them. There was no visible injury so it may be a small fracture. This only adds to the headache he was getting, but he preserves.
"Fuck!" she cries out but this time in another language which he figures was called 'English' according to his father, "My arm…"
"Everything will be alright." he responds in the same language having learnt it between the three weeks he spent preparing for the entrance exam. He hopes that this will calm the girl down as he places a glowing white hand on her damaged arm, "All will be well."
She gasps in surprise as suddenly the pain was replaced by a warm feeling, like sitting next to a cosy campfire in a cold winter.
"I apologise but the most I can do is deal with the pain. I have no energy to spare to treat your wounds." he apologises. Just dulling the pain makes him want to faint but he has a duty to perform, so he keeps himself conscious, scolding himself for carelessly overtaxing himself so early in the exam.
"I'll take it from here, sonny." an elderly voice came from behind him. Looking back he sees a diminutive old woman in a white coat and a walking stick in the shape of a syringe, "You've all worked hard, have some candy."
She says as she hands some sweets to the other examinees as she approaches Izuku and the two girls. The blonde appeared to be close to fainting, and the brown haired girl was already fainted.
"What seems to be the problem?" she asks.
"Three fractured limbs from the blonde. Left arm and both legs. Suspected hairline fracture for the legs but as you can see her arm has the worst of it, every bone completely shattered." Izuku reports clearly, "As for the other patient, possibly just passed from exhaustion. I suggest a check on her right leg, it was fractured during the exam but I healed it, but the bone may have healed improperly in my rush."
"Goodness, that certainly is an issue." she muses, "I'll have to take a look at her later, but first this one."
She presses her lips against the blonde's broken arm, and a green aura encompasses her body. Izuku barely reacts as he has seen a number of healing magic in his life, instead kept applying the spell to dull the pain until the green glow fades.
"Do you still feel pain?" he asks the girl as he slowly lifts his hand away from her. The girl shakes her head tiredly as her eyes closed.
"Is something wrong?" Izuku asks the elderly woman urgently as she chuckles.
"No need to worry, dearie. My Quirk merely uses her own energy to repair her wounds." she explains, "Now, I'll have stretchers brought here soon to bring them to my office. They'll receive a proper check up there. Are you injured, perhaps?"
Izuku shook his head, "Just tired, doctor."
"Doctor? Most people call me Recovery Girl nowadays, not a lot call me doctor. They seem to forget the fact that I've gone through medical school." She chuckles, "Speaking of which. Do you happen to have medical training? You seemed to recognise the damage quickly."
"Yes, I had medic training." Izuku nods as he thinks back to the number of times he had to heal others in the War of the Spark and Second Phyrexian Invasion.
"It's good to see children like you taking hero business seriously." She compliments, "So many nowadays only think of saving people with brawn."
Before Izuku could answer the doctor, Recovery Girl she calls herself, waves some small robotic creatures over carrying stretchers.
"There they are. Help me carry them, dear." she asks and Izuku nods, carefully lifting up the blonde and placing her onto a stretcher.
"They'll be okay now?" Izuku asks as he does the same for the brown haired girl, laying her on the second stretcher.
"A good night's rest would do them wonders, but other than that I believe they'll be fine." Recover Girl answers as the drones carry their patients away, "Now, is there anyone else with injuries? Line up please, don't push."
Izuku glances towards the retreating drones and their patients, at the blonde girl. The power she displayed, it was as if her body could not control the power and it overloaded. But according to his research the bodies are usually strong enough to contain their respective Quirks. And the way she threw the attack, so much energy was released but there was also plenty wasted. Like she was wielding a brand new weapon she had no experience with.
Curiouser and curiouser.
***
"And she blew up her limbs?" Jirou asks in surprise over the phone.
"Yes, isn't that strange?" Izuku asks as he pulls himself up on a pull-up rack his father had constructed for him, the phone lying next to him on a desk and on speaker mode, "I thought bodies evolve to keep them safe from their own Quirks?"
"Well, that's how it usually goes. Usually when you get your Quirk it's rough the first couple years but then your body gets used to it. You know what mine was like, how was yours?"
"I almost got eaten by a wolf and froze to death." Izuku answers without hesitation as he performs another rep.
"...What, you were in Siberia or something?" Jirou asks befuddled, "What the hell happened?"
"A long series of unfortunate events." Izuku replies with an exhale, "45."
"Are you busy or something?" Jirou asks, "What are you doing?"
"Working out." Izuku grunts, "Helps clear my mind, especially after the exam."
"You're worried? What happened to you telling me not to worry, that it doesn't matter if you pass or not?"
"It's not the results." Izuku clarifies, "It's my performance. I was reckless, I got too absorbed into combat. Didn't care about anything else. 46"
"Well, it was pretty intense. Nobody can blame you for getting tunnel vision."
"I do. 47" Izuku grunts in annoyance with himself, "I should've been better. I overtaxed myself, tiring out too quickly. If that had been a real combat scenario I could have caused the death of two others and myself. 48."
"But you didn't, that's all that matters." Jirou assures, "Besides, we're all going to UA to train to be heroes. You'll get better."
But he should've been better, he thinks to himself. He wasn't some fresh meat sent to combat, he had seen literal wars and fought in them. He should be acting controlled, not lashing out like a berserker craving violence.
"Enough about me." he says, "How was your exam? Did all go well?"
"More or less. The written wasn't that bad, thank god. The practical went slightly better, got myself a couple dozen points when the Zero Pointer showed up. Luckily no one was hurt badly, everyone just ran away once it popped its head out. Not as exciting as your area."
"Boring can be good." Izuku says as he finishes his set with a sigh before dropping, "And 50. It was wonderful talking with you again. Goodnight, Jirou."
"Goodnight, Goggles. Take care of yourself."
The call ends and Izuku pockets his phone. It was a real convenience for a device such as that to exist, instant and cheap communication that can be mass produced. He wonders how Dominaria or Ravnica would change if he brought back devices like the phone?
That was something for the Izzet Guild to work out, he supposes. He checks the time first before walking out of his room, greeted by the sight of his parents in the living room watching some television.
"Oh Izuku. Are you hungry already?" Inko asks, "Dinner won't be ready in a while, but I'm sure I can whip up a snack."
"It's fine mom." he assures before remembering something, "Although, I do have a question. Has Kacchan showed up around the area? Possibly after I came back from the exams?"
"That punk?" Hisashi scoffs as he cracks open a can of soda, "Eh he did show up some time ago. While you were napping. Kept yapping and yapping about something I didn't care enough to interpret, but I chased him away."
***
"The fuck do you want now, you brat?!" Hisashi yells from the balcony where he was in the middle of watering the new plants that replace the ones that were damaged from Izuku's Quirk accident, "Bite off the leash your mom put on you? Looking to get your ass kicked?"
"Fuck off you shitty old man!" Katsuki yells from the streets, "I'd ask you to come down and say that to my face but I ain't here to kick some failure's ass, I'm here for Deku! Where is he?!"
"Oh you want to know where he is? Tell you what, go to the nearest pharmacist, ask for something called viagra, and use it to go fuck yourself!" Hisashi yells back leaning against the balcony, "Now get your ass out here right now, don't make me come down there!"
"Fuck you, you wanna go you old shit?!" Katsuki retorts as he activates his Quirk, "I'll kick your ass!"
"Fuck you! You think I won't throw hands at a kid?" Hisashi challenges as he spits out some fire, "I don't give a fuck, I'll chop you to bits and use you as fertiliser for these plants!"
"I'll kill your first you-!"
"Oi!" a neighbour shouts from his own balcony, "Shut the fuck up!"
"Fuck off/We're in the middle of something here, dumbass!" Both of them shouted at the same time before they went back at each other's throats.
"Tell Deku that I'll be back and he better have the balls to come down and talk instead of letting his failure of a dad to do it for him."
"Eat shit you little turd!" Hisashi calls out as Katsuki leaves, "That's right, keep walking. Motherfucker!"
He ends it by tossing the watering can at the boy, missing its mark by a lot, and Katsuki flips off the older man as he leaves.
"Asshole." Hisashi mutters to himself before returning to water the plants as he realised what he just did, "Ah shit."
***
"...Dear, do I need to sign you up for anger management?" Inko asks after a pause and Hisashi shrugs.
"What? The kid needs a good kick in the ass if you ask me." Hisashi shrugs as he takes a sip from his soda.
"Is he always that angry?" Izuku asks, "I only remember bits of him, but he can't have always been this angry."
Hisashi scoffs, "Who knows? As far as I can remember the brat's always been like this. Tried talking Mitsuki into sending him into some shrink to get his issues sorted out but you can probably guess how that ended?"
"A copious amount of unneeded swearing from Kacchan?" Izuku guesses.
"You guessed it?" Hisashi snaps his fingers, "But you get the idea. Anyways, what did you want?"
"Just to let you know I'm going for a jog now." Izuku says, "I'll be gone for about thirty minutes."
"Alright, just remember to keep your phone with you." Inko says and Izuku nods.
"And the tracking devices." Hisashi reminds, "All five of them."
Izuku rolls his eyes a bit at that. After his return his father had insisted on keeping five tracking devices on him. Two on his shoes, two for each pocket and one that was his phone's cover.
"I have them all." he assures before leaving the house, "I'll be going now. Mom, make sure father doesn't get thrown in jail for assaulting Kacchan if he comes by again."
"Don't worry, I'll keep him on a short leash." Inko assures placing a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"Just like how I like it." Hisashi responds flirtatiously as Izuku hastily leaves before he witnesses any images that would scar him worse than any Eldrazi would.
***
A rapid beeping sound alerts him that thirty minutes were up. He stops on the sidewalk and performs some stretches. The workout wasn't as long as he'd like but it will suffice. He has to work on building up his stamina if he wants to get stronger.
His father's news worried him somewhat. It appeared that Kacchan was holding a grudge against him for some reason, and likely wanted to settle it with violence. At some point he'll have to meet with Kacchan and hope they can settle whatever dispute they had diplomatically. If not, then in his father's words: 'Give him a good kick in the ass'
As he prepares to head home he suddenly receives a text from his mother,
"Dear, I'm so sorry to bother but we've run out of cooking oil. Do you mind getting some from the local convenience store?"
There were locations attached and he noticed that it wasn't that far away. Shrugging, he sends an affirmative before jogging to the location. He made it to the location in a few minutes and paid for the item by using his phone. It was surprising how similar the method was to modern Kamigawan credit chips.
By the time he leaves the store the sun has begun to set and darkness would soon come, but he still decides to not hurry, take in the sights and familiarise himself with his hometown. At least that was what he had intended to do when he suddenly felt something crash into his leg.
He looks down in surprise at the sight of a young child knocked on her back after slamming into his leg. It appeared that she ran from a dark alley into him while he wasn't paying attention. Something he'll have to rectify in the future.
"I'm sorry for that, child." he bends down and offers a hand, "It's getting late out here, where are your-?"
"Please…help…" she mutters softly and Izuku pauses at the desperation in her voice. At that he takes a closer look and widens his eyes at her terrible state. Her clothes were torn and filthy as if unwashed for weeks, she looked malnourished and he could see fatigue and a bit of delirium in her teary red eyes.
"...Who did this to you?" he asks with all the calm he could muster as he inches a hand close to her but then was interrupted,
"Eri? There you are! I've been worried sick."
He looks up to find a man with black hair and a trimmed beard approaching, dressed in a jacket and long trousers. He appears to be a civilian but Izuku felt suspicious and readies himself,
"Who are you?" he asks, trying to keep his voice neutral.
"I'm her father." the man explains, sounding concerned, "I'm so sorry about my daughter, she always gets carried away playing."
"Those are bandages on her." Izuku notices. Filthy bandages that look like they haven't been changed in a while, "And she looks tired, like she's haven't eaten in weeks."
"Yeah, well, she got lost playing. I was so worried you have no idea." the man stumbles with his words as he hastily attempts to explain himself, "Come now Eri, you don't want to bother this nice boy anymore do you?"
He says the word 'bothered' through gritted teeth and Eri flinches before looking between the two. After a moment's pause she gets on her feet to slowly walk towards the man but is stopped when Izuku grabs her arm, his eyes never leaving the man.
"I don't mind being bothered, sir." he says again with a neutral tone, "The girl seems injured, why don't I call an ambulance?"
The man's friendly demeanour switches off and he sighs deeply before reaching into his jacket's pocket,
"Dumb kid." he mutters as he quickly drew out something but Izuku drew first and casted a spell. In a flash of blue light the knife drawn by the man went flying out of his hand but before he could do anything else, Izuku summoned a whip made of white mana to restrain the man.
"Damn it!" he says as Izuku forces him on his knees with a pull of the whip, "You have no idea who you're messing with boy."
"Then inform me." Izuku demands sparing a moment to glance at the girl who has backed to a wall in the alley looking at the situation in a panic. He hates that she looks at him terrified but he has to deal with this situation first.
He turns his attention back to his prisoner, "I sincerely doubt that you are her father so tell me everything. If I had to guess she's been on the run from you for quite some time. How many more are looking for her?"
The prisoner retorts by spitting at his shoes and laughing, "What you've seen in many spy movies, kid? Think I'll crack because you have me tied up? You won't even get my name. And when I get out of here I'll find you and your family, teach you a lesson myself."
"...Now why did you have to say that?" Izuku says softly but his voice has a coldness in it, this man just threatened his family and that removed most restraints he had. He steps closer to the man and places his free hand on the man's face, emitting a blue glow from his palm in the process.
"What the hell are you doing?!" he demands, a small part of him terrified of whatever Quirk the child in front of him had.
"If you will not answer willingly, I'll get what I want directly from the source." Izuku says as the effects of the mind reading spell took place, "Now let's start with your name."