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Chapter 175 - Todoroki's Insanity — Help me?!

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Luke sat opposite Todoroki at the cafeteria during lunchtime, a touch of nervousness speeding his heartbeat.

It was like experiencing a déjà vu.

The way Todoroki had approached Luke made him remember the time when Toru had confronted him after the USJ incident.

So, as they began eating, he couldn't help but wonder if Todoroki had realized or chanced upon something as well.

No, it couldn't be… Luke thought, chewing the food. First, I never faced him. Second, my voice was different as well because of the frost. There is no way or reason for him to compare Dr. Blessed to Luke, other than some similarities in the speech pattern.

That similarity between Dr. Blessed and Luke's speech patterns was something he had deliberately added upon Miss Justice's recommendation.

It was related to psychology, she had said.

By hinting at the truth, it would make them willingly ignore it, instead.

Luke hadn't truly understood the concept, but he trusted Miss Justice enough to go ahead with it.

Miss Justice, he asked within, did you sense something odd on the Tower's roof?

[No.] The System flatly replied. [… Let's wait for him to say something. Perhaps, it's not even about you.]

Reasonable, Luke nodded, resuming the lunch with a slightly relieved heart.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Class 1-A students eyed them from another table with weird gazes.

Luke and Todoroki sat next to each other in the class, but they weren't the closest of friends, to begin with.

Ironically, that was true for everyone else when it came to Shoto Todoroki.

So, it puzzled them, especially Midoriya, seeing Luke and Todoroki seated alone in a corner.

That day, on the plane, Midoriya had unlocked the greatest secret of One For All — something even All Might hadn't known before.

He could use the Quirks of One For All's past users!!!

It had lasted only for a moment, but Midoriya had levitated, using One For All's last user, Nana Shimura's Quirk — Float.

Unlike Luke, though, Midoriya hadn't truly interacted with All Might's mentor, yet.

All he had seen was blackness, with a touch of Luke's face at the end of it, before coming out of it and losing the temporary Quirk.

Ever since then, he and Luke had been repeating the process vainly.

Still, he had never seen All Might so excited about something, making him not give up on it as well.

Even Luke had said that it would take Midoriya time to grasp the timing.

If it wasn't for the Final Exams, All Might had even suggested taking Luke and Midoriya on exclusive trips to give them ample time.

Soon, the matter of group study erupted again between the low rankers and Momo, making Midoriya take his eyes off the two.

On the table, when they had eaten half the food, Todoroki finally looked up at Luke.

"I hope it's not a date," Luke lampooned first. "I don't have money, you know."

Todoroki's lips twitched.

He put the chopsticks down and sighed.

"I got my Ice Quirk from my mother's side," Todoroki began. "Fire from, well, you know about that."

Luke raised his brows at the sudden confession.

Through Nyx, he knew about Todoroki's parents' Quirk Marriage and how the boy hated his father, blaming him for his mother's ill condition.

But he had never thought himself close enough with the boy for Todoroki to say these words to him.

Something's off about Todoroki's behavior, Luke observed, and stopped eating as well.

"If I use ice from my right side continuously, at the same or high output, it gives me frostbite," Todoroki continued. "And if I use fire from my left side, it burns me. I can mitigate the effect of the prolong usage of both halves of my Quirk by switching between them alternatively. But…"

"… but it limits your output," Luke finished.

Todoroki nodded.

"Did you see ice on the tower's roof?" he asked, his eyes losing focus, remembering that deep, frozen color. "The one Dr. Blessed used to freeze the plasma…"

Luke shook his head. Where's this going…

"They still haven't succeeded in melting it," Todoroki said. "I knew there was something wrong about the ice the moment I saw it. Yesterday, I asked my father if he could find something about it."

This time, Luke didn't hide his shock.

For Todoroki to ask Endeavor's help meant that the boy was truly serious.

"… It is ice — at Absolute Zero…" Todoroki said. "Something theoretical and considered impossible. Before Dr. Blessed had arrived at the roof, I was trying to freeze the incoming attack as well. But no matter how much ice I poured out, it evaporated instantly. Now I know why. Only ice at Absolute Zerocould have worked…"

"Have you gone insane?" Luke asked, losing all humor.

Todoroki was taken aback. "… what…"

"You are trying to create that ice, aren't you?" Luke scoffed. "First, you will never reach that temperature instantly. Second, you will never be able to continuously use your Ice Half to reach Absolute Zero before succumbing to frostbite. Third, if you are hoping to live, then you must use your Fire Half. But that would ruin all your progress. So, are you sure that you haven't gone insane?!"

Under the table, Todoroki's knuckle went white.

He knew coming to Luke was the best decision.

Despite his humorous attitude, there was something about Luke that made Todoroki see him as reliable. He exuded a feeling of a nonchalant teacher who was secretly just too learned to care about it anymore.

And Todoroki had no choice.

For the last few days, he had been waking up in the middle of the night, feeling utterly helpless.

Never again did he want to experience those moments. Never again did he want to get praises for something he couldn't do — going against all his beliefs.

"… That's why I am here," Todoroki said, his eyes gleaming with determination. "I need you to… hold me back."

Suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, Luke realized what Todoroki wanted.

"Delay," Todoroki said, bowing. "Lend me your Quirk for training… Luke."

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