February 29th, 2406 — Durand Family Estate — Musutafu, Japan
The warm morning sunlight cascaded through snow-covered branches, casting dappled patterns on the frost-covered ground below. Carved into the earth, trampled snow formed a long, straight track leading back to the main compound.
Sage lay sprawled on the snow-covered ground, huffing heavily. Her breath escaped in thick clouds of mist that lingered just above her before slowly dissipating into the crisp air. Faint trails of sweat evaporated from her flushed face despite the cold, her body radiating heat from obvious exhaustion.
Sitting up slowly, she absently played with the snow around her while looking up at the little robot hovering silently nearby.
"What was my time, Hela?"
The small robot descended, stopping in front of her as its screen flickered to display a stopwatch.
"Well done, mistress. You completed the one hundred meter sprint in 9.57 seconds."
A wide smile spread across Sage's face as she jumped to her feet in excitement.
"Yes!" She pumped her fist in the air. "It took longer than I thought, but I finally beat the pre-quirk world record!"
Hopping around in the snow with childlike innocence, Sage summoned her quest menu and scrolled to one entry in particular.
[Side Quest — The Need for Speed
Goal: Beat the pre-quirk era 100 meter world record. — Completed
Reward: 200xp, Quirk — Speed Enhancement]
[Quirk — Speed Enhancement
Passively augments the user to increase their speed, stamina, acceleration, and more. This quirk grows with training.]
{Accept Y/N}
Mentally accepting the new power, Sage waited expectantly for something to change. As the seconds ticked by, her excitement slowly faded as she focused inward, searching for any difference.
A sudden sharp beep rang from her system, and a new deep red panel opened automatically.
{Warning
Due to the effect of the curse 'Two Body Problem,' the user must determine which form receives the reward. Both forms cannot have the reward as there is only one quirk.}
Sage cocked her head to the side, studying the panel with mild confusion as she contemplated the implications.
'That kind of sucks. I have two forms but only one reward, and it can't be split.'
She began pacing in the snow, mentally weighing the pros and cons of assigning the quirk to either of her forms. Groaning in frustration, she rubbed her brow as too many thoughts crowded her mind.
Needing to cool off, she glanced around until she spotted a large mound of snow piled beneath an ancient oak tree. Smiling, she hopped over to the pile and dove headfirst into it, burrowing completely into the fluffy snow before spinning around and poking her head out at the edge of the hole.
Something she'd begun to notice over the past months was the growing affect her quirks had on her mind. In her male form, she tended to enjoy walking and exploring more, while in her female form, she found herself far more battle-hungry and energetic.
Sighing, she rested her chin in the pile of clean snow, enjoying the cool sensation against her skin.
That was another quirk she'd noticed—she'd begun exhibiting animalistic tendencies like her mother. This desire to burrow into snow was fairly common in arctic foxes, something her mum had taught her about during their many sparring sessions.
Shaking her head, she tried to refocus on her original dilemma.
'Let's consider the pros and cons. If I take the quirk in my male form, it would effectively invalidate my natural quirk since I wouldn't be able to trigger teleportation while moving fast. On the other hand, there's a small chance the two quirks might fuse into something better.
Then again if I assign it to my female form, then with my more lithe build, the quirk would boost my already good speed—I am faster in this form than my male one anyway. Plus, I could focus my male form on being a strength-type build and my female form on speed-type.'
She continued pondering for several more minutes until steam suddenly erupted around her. The once-comforting snow began piercing his skin with icy coldness, and he scrambled from the mound, shaking off the majority of the snow while shivering.
A soft laugh echoed from nearby. Turning his gaze to the little robot, he feigned annoyance with exaggerated movements.
"Stop laughing. It wasn't that funny."
The sentient robot's laughter tapered off as she hovered closer, somehow managing to hook a coat over one of her small arms.
"Okay, young master. Here, put on your coat so you don't catch a cold."
Gratefully accepting the offered garment, he swung it over his shoulders while giving her a gracious smile.
Checking his watch, he started walking back toward the house, still thinking. Halfway to the door, he finally reached a decision.
I'll bind the quirk to my female form. That way, I can claim it's just a slight mutation to my physical abilities.
Nodding to himself, Sage mentally responded to the system's alert. The red panel slowly dissolved as it accepted his answer.
I guess I'll have to wait until I switch again to try that new quirk.
Sighing with mild disappointment, he pushed open the front door and stepped inside. After removing his shoes and jacket and placing them properly, he moved to the kitchen. A quick cheese and ham toastie satisfied his hunger before he headed to the library to study.
The expansive library within his home welcomed him with the familiar scent of aged paper and leather bindings. He strolled casually along the aisles until he reached the back, where a well-lit desk waited with two books stacked in one corner and a blank notebook in the center.
Settling at the desk, he grabbed a sharpened pencil and opened the book on static equilibrium. His mind immediately engaged, breaking down the complex content with methodical precision.
Hours later, after a delicious dinner lovingly prepared by his mother, Sage made his way to the dojo. He selected an arming sword from the extensive collection mounted on the walls, the familiar weight settling comfortably in his grip.
Settling into his stance, he began with basic slashes to warm up. After a few minutes, he progressed to more complex techniques, his mind razor-focused as he monitored each muscle movement with surgical precision.
As he neared the end of his kata, the bamboo sliding door whispered open. His mother stepped inside, waiting respectfully by the side as she watched him smoothly finish the sequence and sheath his blade.
"You've certainly improved," Inari observed, moving around the room to select her own weapon. "I'd say you've almost reached an advanced level of mastery with that blade. Something I've noticed, though—you haven't been making many changes to the style."
Sage sighed and shook out his stiff hands before responding. "I've been focusing on the movements first. Don't forget, despite having all the knowledge I need, I still have to train muscle memory separately for both forms."
Inari nodded thoughtfully, then began slowly circling Sage as she drew her sword. Pivoting carefully to keep his mother in sight, Sage paid close attention to his footwork to avoid getting tangled up.
Suddenly, a burst of steam engulfed him. As her body shifted slightly, Sage noticed a new sensation that hadn't been there before—like a new limb, similar to her quirk but with subtle differences.
Mentally probing the new feeling, her perception seemed to speed up a fraction, and her limbs felt as though tiny arcs of energy coursed beneath her skin.
Sensing nothing harmful, she decided to test the new power in the only way she knew how. Mentally activating her new quirk, she drew her blade in a blur of motion before dashing forward.
Inari's eyes widened slightly in confusion for a few seconds before she easily parried Sage's thrust. Overestimating her control, Sage tumbled forward as she tried to stop. Seeing this, Inari grinned and gently kicked Sage behind the knees.
Eyes widening, Sage pitched face-first onto the floor as her mother cackled like a hyena behind her. Getting up with her cheeks flushed red, she leveled her sword defensively.
Inari began walking in a circle around her, analyzing her like a predator sizing up prey. As she moved, she spoke.
"You're faster than yesterday. What happened?"
Sage shrugged and mumbled a half-hearted, "I don't know," before dashing forward again. Coming down with a slash, her blade was blocked by the flat of Inari's sword, which sent Sage's weapon sliding toward the floor.
Moving with the momentum, Sage crouched down and pulled her sword toward Inari's ankles as her mother stepped back. Sidestepping the attack, Inari thrust her blade while gazing directly into Sage's eyes.
"I think I know you well enough to tell when you're lying. You obviously know something, so spill."
Sighing, Sage parried the blade aside before stepping into Inari's guard and attempting to jam the hilt of her sword into her mother's chest.
"I think it's just a mutation of my quirk that awakened while I was practicing earlier."
Inari nodded, seeming to accept the answer despite the doubt lingering in her eyes. Stepping back, she knocked Sage's attack off course before following up with her own strike.
Settling into a rhythm, the mother-daughter duo continued to escalate their spar as the hours passed around them. The familiar dance of blade against blade felt natural despite its seeming oddity.
Eventually, despite her improved physique, Sage succumbed to exhaustion and admitted defeat. Smiling, Inari sheathed her sword before ruffling Sage's long ebony hair.
Pouting half-heartedly, Sage attempted to brush off the offending hand, but her movements were sluggish and easily dodged.
After hanging up her sword, Sage trudged back to her room and stepped into the shower. Under the warm spray, she finally decided to check the panel that had appeared mid-way through her spar.
[New Side Quest — A Broken Blade
Goal: During your spar, your weapon chipped and shattered in parts due to your growing strength. In the future, weapons may not be able to withstand your full power. Chip, shatter, or destroy 1/20 blades in combat.
Reward: 300xp, Skill — Reinforcement]
Closing the panel, she began reviewing the fight in her head. Despite her initial stumble, she'd quickly adapted to the improved speed her new quirk granted—something that made her eager to see it develop further.
At the moment, when she pushed herself, Sage could achieve roughly ten percent more speed compared to her base velocity. Despite the increased stamina cost, she'd been able to fight for nearly as long as usual tonight.
Stepping out of the shower, Sage dried off her hair and tail before slipping into her pajamas. Making her way to bed, she crawled under the covers as steam erupted around them.
Lying in the darkness, Sage began thinking back over the past few months. Since his memories had first awakened almost two years ago, he had slowly changed, his mind becoming more childish as he adapted to this new life.
Despite the change, though, he found himself genuinely liking the outcome. He was far happier now, constantly pushing his own limits each day.
Thinking about his family, a genuine smile crossed his face. The love he felt from them was the most wonderful feeling he had ever experienced—even compared to what little he could remember from his fractured past.
As his thoughts drifted, he began thinking of his first quest and his first friend.
Hmm, I wonder how Izuku is doing. I haven't seen him in a while—maybe I should visit soon. I could probably introduce him to Momo too.
Smiling, Sage continued to ponder until sleep eventually claimed him.