Ch. 30: Go! Occult Research Club!
"Now things are getting interesting! Yes, what you've got there is a Devil's power to the highest degree! You've been blessed with strength on par with that of your big, bad brother, little girl! Show me what your combined might is capable of!" Kokabiel dared as he stretched out his arms to paint a target on himself.
Rias summoned several magic circles and formed two energy orbs channeling her Power of Destruction. "In that case… BEGONE!" She combined the two orbs into one giant ball of destructive energy and fired it at Kokabiel, the energy blast taking on the shape of a dragon as it soared toward its target.
Kokabiel held out his hands to block the blast, and even though he actually had to put effort into stopping it, he still had that same grin on his face. He was clearly enjoying the challenge, not a hint of worry on his face. "So much better and far more interesting. Almost as good as Sirzechs!"
Rias kept on the pressure and launched a second volley of destruction energy at Kokabiel, but even that didn't seem to affect him as he laughed in amusement.
And then, Rias collapsed in exhaustion after using up the last of power in that last attack while Kokabiel remained unharmed.
"President! No!" Izuku shouted as he went to help her up.
"Go! Akeno!" Rias called out.
"Now ring out… THUNDER!" Akeno fired a thunderbolt at Kokabiel, who simply enveloped himself with his raven wings to block. "Here's more!" Akeno then used her Quirk to materialize ironsand which she then shaped into long spikes with electromagnetism before launching them at Kokabiel.
"Could it be she who possesses the power of Baraqiel is trying to fight?" Kokabiel commented.
Akeno's eyes opened wide in rage at the mention of that name. "Don't speak his name. I am nothing like that creature!"
"Baraqiel?" Izuku asked.
"One of the Fallen Angel leaders. He can use lightning and thunder," Xenovia explained.
"Just like Akeno…" Izuku noted. It seemed too similar to be a coincidence.
Back up in the air, Akeno's lightning fizzled out as she used up all her magic power, and her iron constructs dissolved back into ironsand grains.
"Oh dear, say it isn't so," Kokabiel mocked as he uncovered himself. "Why choose to fall so far as to be a Devil?" He then turned to Rias on the ground. "What an amusing house, Rias. The Red Dragon Emperor. A ruined Holy Sword Project subject. And Baraqiel's daughter!"
"It can't be!" Asia exclaimed.
"Huh?!" Ravel shouted.
"For real?!" Eijiro gasped.
"Say what?!" Mina asked.
"No way!" Itsuka yelled.
"Akeno…" Izuku muttered. "You're the daughter of a Fallen Angel?"
"How terribly amusing," Kokabiel sneered. "A propensity for inferior products must run in the family."
Rias gritted her teeth at the insult and stood up. "Your insulting comments about my brother will not be tolerated! But for insulting my servants, you will pay the ultimate price, and die!" She declared with anger and determination in her voice.
Kokabiel only seemed amused by Rias's outburst as he descended to the ground. "By all means, go ahead and try. Possessor of the Welsh Dragon, Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin, and the Devil King Lucifer's baby sister! Please tell me you realize you're confronting the archenemy of Devils. Might as well take advantage of this opportunity. You may never get it again."
"In that case, we'd be happy to oblige!" Xenovia said as she charged at Kokabiel with Yumi and Irina by her side.
Kokabiel smirked and formed two light swords in his hands, using them to block strikes from the latter two, hardly having to put in the effort to do so. Then, Xenovia came down from the air with Durandal raised high, but Kokabiel raised his foot to block the blade before it could cut him.
"Oh! What's more fun than Holy Swords and Holy Demonic Sword attacks at the same time?" Kokabiel remarked, not at all concerned that he had three blades pointed at him, aiming to slice him to pieces.
"This…" Koneko emotionlessly said as she appeared above Kokabiel, ready to pounce with her fist ready.
But then, without even looking up, Kokabiel spread out his black wings and in quick succession, Koneko was sent flying back, her uniform torn and several cuts covering her body, as well as Yumi, Irina, and Xenovia who were sent flying to the floor a few feet away from Kokabiel.
"Koneko!" Izuku shouted in concern as he, Chacha, and Asia hurried to the Rook's side.
As Yumi, Irina, and Xenovia began getting back on their feet, Kokabiel chuckled darkly before swinging his swords in an X-shape, sending out two slashes of light energy at Yumi and the Exorcists and Izuku's group.
The three swordswomen were able to block Kokabiel's attack with their blades, even if they were knocked back by the force. Chacha summoned her Bird Shield to project an energy barrier that managed to withstand the attack.
"I hate this jerk," Chacha said.
"Me too," Izuku said. "Is everyone okay?"
"I'm fine," Asia replied before glancing towards Xenovia, Irina, and Yumi. "But what about those three?"
Xenovia, Irina, and Yumi were catching their breaths as they got up once again. "We're not done yet!"
"Still wanting more, huh? Well, hop to it already!" Kokabiel demanded.
Yumi was the first to make her move as she glared at Kokabiel.
"SWORD BIRTH!" Ten magic circles appeared surrounding Kokabiel, and from each of them, a sword emerged before they all shot forward to impale him. However, that did not happen as Kokabiel used his wings to defend himself.
"Cute, but is that all you've got?" Kokabiel taunted as he flapped his wings to shatter all the swords.
Then, Yumi appeared right in front of him with her Sword of Betrayer held out ready to stab him. However, Kokabiel stopped the blade right in front of his face with just two fingers. That did not deter her as she summoned another sword in her left hand and swung it at Kokabiel, but he caught that one as well.
"Give up yet?" Kokabiel asked mockingly.
"Never!" Yumi then formed a sword in her mouth and with a sharp turn of her head, slashed Kokabiel across his pale face, drawing blood.
Kokabiel backed away in pain, holding the side of his face where blood was trickling down. "You cut me!" He grunted in fury.
Kokabiel then formed a large ball of light and fired it at Yumi, who was a bit low on stamina to dodge. Luckily, she was saved by Xenovia and Irina, who used their swords to block the attack. After a brief struggle, they managed to push onward and slice up the ball of light.
The Exorcists then charged at Kokabiel again, but he threw out a light spear forward to separate them.
He then went after Irina first, lashing out at her with his wings, forcing her to defend herself with Hauteclere before a wing attack from Kokabiel struck her with great force, knocking her back into a tree with the Hauteclere landing a distance away.
"Seems you're just a novice with that blade," Kokabiel spat. "A shame, I was hoping to see what a wielder of Hauteclere can do."
"How about this?!" Xenovia ran toward Kokabiel with Durandal pointed straight at him, intending to run him through with her blade.
Kokabiel scoffed as he blocked Xenovia with a light sword. "Even with Durandal, it seems you are no match for me." He then shoved his leg forward, kicking Xenovia in the stomach. Xenovia hacked as she was knocked backward.
As Kokabiel held up his light sword to bring it down on Xenovia, Tomoe, in ball-mode, came rolling toward him, forcing Kokabiel to dodge and allowing Xenovia to get back safely.
Momo then threw a sack at Kokabiel, who got ready to counterattack, only for the sack to open up and several matryoshka dolls in Momo's likeness scattered across the ground, to Kokabiel's confusion, leaving him open to Itsuka, who used her whip to restrain him.
Then Eijiro, charged at Kokabiel with his body hardened, ready to strike, along with Ball-Tomoe. However, Kokabiel broke free of the whip, and with a spread of his wings, managed to strike down Itsuka, Eijiro, and Tomoe all at once, knocking them back.
"A cute distraction, but futile," Kokabiel said, paying no mind to the Momo dolls scattered around him.
However, Momo had a hidden grin as Kokabiel didn't suspect a thing. Inside each doll, there was a bomb, and she held a detonator behind her back. She then proceeded to trigger the bombs to explode. Kokabiel only had a second to react as the dolls began flashing.
*BOOM!*
As the smoke began to clear, there was no sign of Kokabiel. As Momo looked around for the Fallen Angel leader, she heard his chilling voice behind her.
"I admit. I didn't see that coming. How creative."
Right behind her, there was Kokabiel, smirking, and he had not a single scratch on him. He either managed to avoid the explosion in time or protected himself. Kokabiel then swung his arm to backhand Momo, but before he could hit, Hilda rushed over and swept Momo off her feet before getting her to safety.
"Thanks for that," Momo said.
"No problem," Hilda replied.
"Here. This might help," Momo then created an iron hammer for Hilda.
"Oh, yeah. This looks awesome," Hilda said as she hefted the hammer over her shoulder.
Then, Mina slid toward Kokabiel by spraying acid from her feet and threw a glob of acid at him, making him flinch from the acid burn. Kokabiel then used a light sword to slash at Mina, but Ethel came to her defense with her own sword.
Kokabiel then grunted in pain as two arrows struck him in the back. It was from Chacha using her bow. Kokabiel scoffed and aimed a light beam at her, but she leaped to dodge before summoning her spear and throwing it at Kokabiel. At the same time, Hilda threw her hammer at Kokabiel and Ethel summoned a tomahawk to do the same, but he summoned protective magic circles to block the attacks.
As Kokabiel was about to attack again, Ravel took to the air and fired a big fireball at Kokabiel, who knocked it aside with a palm swipe before aiming a spear of light at Ravel, but before he could throw the spear, a green fiery slash came flying toward him, forcing Kokabiel to block, and Hisashi, with the Homurasaki blazing in green flames, traded blows with Kokabiel.
"Hmm, not bad. Just what I'd expect from one of the best the Mystic Keepers has to offer," Kokabiel remarked as he backed up. "Though I must ask, why fight so hard for a group of losers who don't even know they've lost their master?"
Nearly everyone looked hesitantly curious at his words.
"What?" Xenovia asked.
"Mind clarifying?" Rias asked.
"Kokabiel, tell us what 'lost their master' is supposed to mean!" Irina demanded.
"Whoops. That just slipped right out," Kokabiel said nonchalantly.
"Answer the question now!" Xenovia demanded.
Kokabiel chuckled darkly before breaking out into full-blown maniacal laughter. "I guess I am trying to start a war. There's no point in hiding it any longer, I might as well tell you the brutal truth," he hummed in amusement, placing a hand on his face as he regained his composure. "In the previous three-way war, God was actually killed along with the four great Devil Kings!"
The group stood in dead silence at the news, especially the ones who were connected to the Church.
"No way. God's dead…?" Xenovia whispered, nearly dropping her sword in shock.
"He's what? God has been dead? How is that possible?" Rias muttered in shock.
"That can't be true… No… you're lying! There's no way He's dead!" Irina screamed.
"Back then, the Devils lost all their kings and most of their High-Class Devils. The Angels and Fallen Angels lost almost everyone except for their leaders. Pure Angels could not increase their numbers, and purebred Devils are just as rare, aren't they?"
"It's not true. It can't be…" Asia whispered.
"All sides have been ruined to the point where they have to rely on humans to survive. Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils. The leaders of the Three Factions had to seal away this information. That way, the God-fearing humans would keep on fearing and praying."
Xenovia's legs gave in from the shock of Kokabiel's revelation. "Lies. They're lies. It's not true."
"He's not lying," Hisashi hesitantly confirmed, all shocked eyes turning toward him. "Once we reach a certain rank within the Mystic Keepers, we are told this secret, kind of like a rite of passage."
"Now, try to remember I couldn't care less about any of that. What drives me crazy is the fact that after God and those Devil Kings died… It was decided to stop the War! Why would they do something like that in the middle of winning?! How dare they try to keep me from squashing my enemies just when it was getting fun! We would have won! Even that bastard Azazel declared that there would never be another war! WHAT THE FUCK!?"
"God doesn't exist anymore?" Asia whispered meekly. "Then where is the love that has been given to us coming from?"
"Heh! Michael has been holding his own so far. He's the one who's been keeping the Angels and humans together in God's stead."
Irina's eyes widened. "The Archangel Michael is acting as God's agent? That means… all our prayers?"
"As long as the system works, prayers and exorcisms will endure to a certain extent. I'm sure someone has been listening," Kokabiel explained.
The revelation of it all seemed too much for Asia to handle. She fainted right there on the spot.
"Asia!" Izuku called.
Xenovia watched as Izuku tried to shake Asia back to her senses, a pitiful look entering her eyes. "It's a natural– a natural reaction. I'm surprised I can still think right now." She said to herself bitterly. 'It's ironic. Just the other day I tried to take her head because I believed a Devil who followed God's teachings was blasphemous, but after everything I've learned, I now understand and even sympathize with her.'
"Well, I suppose knowing the number of believers in God has drastically dropped probably doesn't help anything, does it?" Kokabiel continued. "But without anyone to manage the balance between Good and Evil, it's no wonder that something contradictory like the Holy Devil sword would appear. Which means the war must continue! And I'll keep it going by taking your heads if I have to!"
Rias was trembling and struggling to keep herself together.
"Are you okay?" Akeno asked.
"Again. I let my pride get in the way. It's my fault," Rias muttered.
"THAT WON'T HAPPEN!" Izuku shouted, getting everyone's attention. As he turned to face Kokabiel, he also used his Sacred Gear to store up Boosts. "I'm not gonna let you destroy this city or my friends! Even if God is dead, it doesn't matter. What does is what we do now! The world moved on even without Him, and we can continue doing so!"
"So the infamous Red Dragon Emperor believes the world can move on without God?" Kokabiel chuckled.
"We can! We've all made it this far," Izuku replied. "But that's not the reason you're mad. It doesn't even have anything to do with God or the Devil Kings. You're just a petty Villain who's too busy throwing a fit about not getting what he wanted!"
"Is that so?" Kokabiel sneered. "Tell me, would you really preserve the lives of Angels and Fallen Angels, the enemies of Devils just to keep the world in this pathetic state of peace?"
"I don't give a damn about that! I'd save anyone in need, Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, I'd save all of them! Because… THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HERO!" Izuku replied with full determination and zero hesitation.
Izuku's last declaration really spoke to the Exorcists.
'He'd save all of them? Even Angels and Fallen Angels…?' Xenovia questioned mentally.
'Because that's what it means to be a Hero?' Irina continued the thought.
"Very well then, 'Hero,'" Kokabiel mockingly said. "Show me this conviction of yours so that I may shatter it!"
[Explosion!]
"You're going down, Kokabiel!" Izuku shouted as he spread his wings, ready to take off.
Kokabiel formed a light spear and threw it at Izuku, but the Devil boy didn't flinch as he smashed the light weapon into pieces with a single blow as he flew right toward Kokabiel.
"DRAGON SMASH!" He landed a left hook on Kokabiel's face.
"Nice one, champ!" Hisashi cheered.
"I expected nothing less from a Hero," Ravel smiled.
"Get that bastard, Izuku!" Chacha cheered.
Kokabiel screeched from Izuku's attack as he clutched his nose, which was now broken. "So this is the Red Dragon Emperor's conviction? Unbelievable. What in the world are you?"
"My name is Izuku Midoriya! I possess the Boosted Gear powered by my drive to protect everyone I care about! I'm also Rias Gremory's Pawn!" Izuku declared.
"You tell him, Midoriya!" Eijiro cheered.
"Words of a true Hero!" Hilda shouted.
"It's times like this where he's at his coolest," Yumi added.
"Word," Koneko said.
"I suppose that's Izuku for ya, right?" Akeno nodded with a light blush. 'I'm sorry Rias… I'm starting to like him, too.'
"He's right," Rias said with confidence. "What's important now is we haven't lost yet. You can only lose when you give up. Let's take Izuku's lead, guys!"
"Right!"
Kokabiel got back to his feet, his nose having already been pushed back into position, though blood still streaked down his face. He glanced at Izuku and released a dark chuckle, spreading out his wings. "For such a low-ranking Devil to reach my face is damn near impossible! This is interesting, boy! I find it very interesting!" He chuckled darkly.
"Haha. So do I," a new voice called out from above the field.
Hearing this new voice, Kokabiel looked up to the sky. "Who's there?"
Then, a crack appeared on the roof of the protective dome, and soon, the entire barrier shattered into nothingness, while also forcing Sona, Latia, and their peerages to defend themselves from the resulting shockwave.
Up in the sky, there was a figure in white armor with dragon-like traits and blue jewels across their arms, chest, and legs. In addition, there were two glowing blue wings on their back and a long tail.
The moment Izuku laid eyes on the armored person, an unknown fear and nervousness suddenly ran throughout his body.
"Izuku?" Chacha asked as she glanced over to Izuku.
"My body is starting to shake… Don't tell me that's…" Izuku muttered.
"Why is the Vanishing Dragon here?" Kokabiel demanded.
"The Vanishing Dragon? What's going on here?" Izuku asked.
"Come on. Surely the White Dragon must be captivated by the Red as well–" Before Kokabiel could finish his sentence, the Vanishing Dragon dove down at the Fallen Angel and ripped off two of his black wings, causing Kokabiel to howl in pain as it happened.
"What are they doing to him?" Izuku asked.
"I don't know. I couldn't see," Yumi said in shock.
"Your wings remind me of a filthy crow," a male voice called out from underneath the helmet. "Azazel's wings are deeper… like everlasting darkness."
"You bastard!" Kokabiel seethed as he felt the stumps where two of his wings used to be. "What are you trying to do?"
"Someone who's fallen lower than the ground hardly needs wings, don't you agree?" the Vanishing Dragon sneered as he stared down at the Fallen Angel.
Kokabiel flew into the air with his remaining wings and created the largest light spear yet, measuring several times bigger than Kokabiel himself.
But before Kokabiel could even throw the gigantic spear, the armored figure brought his hand up, causing the air in front of him to begin shimmering.
(Divide!)
Then, the light spear instantly began to halve in size repeatedly as Kokabiel felt his strength leaving his body.
"What have you done!?" Kokabiel demanded as his spear shrunk to nothing.
"His name is Albion. One of the powers of my Sacred Gear is 'Divine Dividing.' Every ten seconds, it cuts in half the power of whatever it's touching, sustaining me with that power instead."
"Cuts power in half?" Izuku questioned. It was the opposite of his own Sacred Gear.
"Better hurry, or you won't even be able to defeat a Quirkless human," the Vanishing Dragon taunted.
"The Red Dragon Emperor multiplies its owner's power and transfers it to something. While the White Dragon Emperor halves the enemy's power, using that gain for its owner," Rias compared. "So the legends were right."
"Are you still bored? Here, let me make this a little more fun for you…" The Vanishing Dragon disappeared from sight and went towards Kokabiel, his fist going deep into Kokabiel's stomach, causing him to vomit blood.
"I've been told you're getting out of hand. Azazel asked me to bring you back, even if it took all my power." The Vanishing Dragon then took Kokabiel and rocketed upwards before falling back down at great speeds, pushing the Fallen Angel in front of him.
"AZAZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL!" Kokabiel bellowed out to the heavens as he went down.
*BOOM!*
The collision with the ground caused a crater to form and sent out a shock wave. Then, the giant magic circle that Kokabiel created to destroy the city rose into the air before disappearing. When the dust cleared, the Vanishing Dragon was standing in the center of the crater with the great Fallen Angel Kokabiel, on his shoulders, defeated.
"Oh good. There are a few things I need to ask our Stray priest as well. We'll take care of the rest afterwards," The Vanishing Dragon flew out of the hole and picked up Freed.
[Are you going to ignore me, White One?] Ddraig said, allowing everyone present to hear him.
"Did Midoriya's hand just talk?!" Ethel asked; Hilda also had the same reaction as her.
The Vanishing Dragon turned towards the boy who got his attention.
(You're still alive, Red One?) A disembodied voice spoke from the Vanishing Dragon's wings.
[I've been wondering when we would finally meet again.]
(As have I. We're still fated to fight. It is inevitable.)
"I can't imagine a battle between those two," Rias said.
(Let's meet again, soon, Ddraig.)
[Yes, let's. Albion.]
Both of them gave their farewell, and the White Dragon Emperor prepared to leave.
"Hey, wait!" Izuku shouted, catching his attention. "Who are you?!"
The Vanishing Dragon just stared at him in silence for a few seconds before answering. "Before you can understand, you will need more power. Become stronger, my archrival. We will fight someday."
As he said that, a bright white light slowly engulfed him and his "passengers" as he took off into the air. Asia regained consciousness in time to see the White One departing.
Everyone present stared at where the Vanishing Dragon stood, as well as the destroyed school field in silence until it was broken by the arrival of Sona, Latia, and their peerages.
"Rias," Latia called out as she and Sona came to a stop near her fellow King.
"Latia, Sona!" Rias called back as she looked around to see the group of Devils beside her.
"Are you okay?" Latia asked.
"Still alive, if a bit shaken," Rias replied.
Sona looked past Rias, at the spot where the Vanishing Dragon had just disappeared, with her arms crossed under her chest. "I wonder why the White Dragon Emperor suddenly showed up out of the blue like that."
"I wonder if he realized he just saved our city," Rias replied with a small smile on her face.
"Oh, I certainly doubt it," Sona dismissed.
Soon, Rias got to explaining to Sona and Latia about what transpired during the fight, including Hilda and Ethel's presence here, and in turn, explained to the two girls about their true nature. As the Kings were discussing the fight, Tsubaki couldn't help but turn her head toward Yumi. Then, something inside Tsubaki compelled her to go to the Knight's side as she saw how deep in thought she was.
"Kiba?" Upon hearing Tsubaki's voice, Yumi snapped out of her thoughts and turned in her direction. "How are you feeling?" Tsubaki asked, retaining her stoic look.
Yumi said nothing, gazing at her Holy Demonic Sword before speaking. "Even if the city is safe… There are people who took over Valper's research. My fight is not finished yet. I don't really know what to think…" Yumi confessed.
And then, Tsubaki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, to Yumi's surprise. Not only that, the stoic Tsubaki had a rare expression on her face: a smile. Smile meant to comfort her. "Well, it's over now, isn't that good enough? There's no use in worrying over every complicated details," Tsubaki advised. "Besides, I'm sure your friends will be there with you when the time comes for your next battle." Tsubaki then turned and went to rejoin her group.
Yumi couldn't help but stare as Tsubaki left. She never mentioned it to anyone, but she always found herself staring at Sona's Queen. She was also happy to have gotten a chance to fight alongside her back in the fight against Vincent Bellios. And the rare smile from the Queen brought a smile back to her face as well.
Nearby, Irina was curled up into a ball on the ground. The news of God's death really hit her hard. Not only that, she learned of some dark secrets kept hidden by the Church, especially about the blessing she was granted to become a Holy Sword wielder. She just wanted to sit there and sulk.
"Icchan?"
Looking up, Irina saw Izuku standing next to her, a concerned look on his face. "Ikkun."
"Are you… okay?" He asked.
Irina shook her head. "No. I'm not," she said. "God is dead, Ikkun. I spent my whole life devoted to him. And now, was it all for nothing? What do I do now?" Tears started to well in her eyes.
Izuku couldn't stand to see the look on his childhood friend's face. He had to comfort her. Gently, he placed his free hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear, getting her attention.
"Um… this is just a guess but, if God was still here, He probably wouldn't want to see you cry," he said. "I think you should live on. For His sake."
"Live… on… for Him…?" She muttered.
Izuku nodded with a soft smile. It reminded Irina of back when they were kids. Just like the smile they saw on All Might on the news.
Irina couldn't help but smile back with a slight blush. "You're right," she said. "Despite all the bad things we've done in His name, we can't forget the good that we did too. We're God's legacy on this Earth, so we have to live on for Him." Irina wiped her tears and smiled. "You may be a Devil now, Ikkun, but you are and always will be my Hero!"
Izuku reflexively blushed. "T-Thanks,' he chuckled nervously. "Oh, and I picked this up for you," Izuku handed out the Hauteclere to Irina.
"Thanks, Ikkun. It completely slipped-" Irina then realized something. Izuku was holding onto the Hauteclere, a Holy Sword that can only be touched by those with a pure heart. And Izuku was actually touching the blade without problems. That meant Izuku, a Devil now, possessed a pure heart!
"Uh, Icchan, is everything okay?" Izuku asked, worried by the sudden blank look on her face.
"Huh, oh, I'm fine!" Irina replied. She took hold of Hauteclere. "But… you're okay, right?"
"Hm. Yeah. Why?"
"…It's nothing," Irina said.
"Okay," Izuku nodded. "I should go check with everyone else."
Meanwhile, Xenovia watched this exchange with amazement. 'To him, it doesn't matter what the other person is. He will save them because he's a good man.' Any doubts she had about Izuku's words about saving even Angels and Fallen Angels were completely gone. 'Izuku Midoriya… You really are something else.'
Then, Xenovia noticed Irina coming over.
"How are you feeling?" The blue-haired exorcist asked her partner.
"Much better now," Irina answered.
"That's a relief," Xenovia smiled. "Your faith is stronger than mine, so I was worried about you."
"Well, good thing you don't have anything to worry about!" Irina smiled back.
Meanwhile, Izuku was conversing with his father.
"So that was the White Dragon Emperor," Izuku said.
"Yeah, to think he was able to go toe-to-toe with a Cadre of the Fallen Angels in his Balance Breaker. The legends don't do it justice," Hisashi replied. "And to think he is your rival. But I have a feeling that you'll figure out something to even the scale a bit. You always do."
Izuku nodded as he looked at his hand, 'The White Dragon Emperor… He's already achieved Balance Breaker, while I haven't. We're destined to fight someday, and until then I need to get stronger.' All Might's offer once again came into his head. 'Maybe…'
Then, the ORC joined up around Yumi.
"Um, Yumi? We can do club activities together again, right?" Asia asked.
"Hey there, Asia," Yumi greeted.
'I can't imagine how she must be feeling after learning the truth. But still, what's important is everyone is safe. The city is safe. That's enough for now,' Izuku thought.
"Yumi," Rias said as she joined her servants after sorting out what to do next with Hisashi, Latia, and Sona. "I'm glad you decided to come back to us. And for you to reach your Balance Breaker, as your master, I can't tell you how proud of you that makes me."
Yumi then kneeled down on one knee, with her head low. "Still though. I betrayed the club members. And more importantly, I betrayed the one person who saved my life such a long time ago. I can't make up for what I've done…"
"But you came back. That's enough for me, Yumi. That's enough for all of us," Rias reassured, to Yumi's surprise. "Next time, don't let everyone's feelings go to waste."
"President… I'll make my vow to you once more. I, Yumi Kiba, promise to protect you and my companions as a Knight of the House of Gremory for the rest of my life."
Rias went to her and kneeled down, gently cupping Yumi's cheeks with her hands before bringing her head into her chest for a warm, comforting embrace. "Thank you. And welcome home."
The embrace lasted a few more seconds before they broke apart and stood back.
"Now then, Yumi…" Rias said.
"Yes?" Yumi responded.
A red magic circle formed on Rias' hand, and Izuku had a good guess of what was about to happen. "It's time to accept your punishment. Here's 1000 spankings."
"What…?" Yumi asked, fear evident in her voice.
"Um… My condolences," Izuku said, trying to show sympathy.
Soon, Yumi was bent over on the ground, getting spanked by Rias. Izuku, Koneko, Saji, Momo, Tomoe, and Chacha couldn't help but give sympathetic looks to her, remembering their own spankings from before. Tsubaki, on the other hand, sported a faint blush at the sight.
Despite the painful sensations on her butt, Yumi managed to keep a smile on, albeit a pained one. All in all, Yumi was just happy to be alive and back with her friends and everyone she cared about.
By the time morning arrived, the entire school grounds were repaired looking as good as new thanks to the work of the Student Council. Everything, including the destroyed gymnasium, had been fully restored with no evidence that a battle had taken place hours ago remaining.
That evening, after all the classes were over, Rias received a call to Nezu's office. Because of this, she suspended club activities for the day, feeling it might take a while and reasoning that Izuku and the others needed to prepare for the Sports Festival anyway. However, she was caught off-guard when she saw her two friends there.
"Sona, Latia, you're here too?" Sure enough, Sona and Latia were just about to knock on the principal's door when Rias called.
"We're just as surprised as you, Rias," Sona replied.
"Yes, I thought it was just me, but guess not," Latia added.
"It's weird how the three of us were called in at the same time," Rias said.
"Do you think he knows? Or suspects us?" Latia asked.
"It can't be," Sona argued. "We covered our tracks thoroughly."
"Then why the three of us, specifically?" Rias countered.
"I'm sure we'll find out inside. It's probably nothing big," Sona insisted.
"Well, then let's hope you're right," Latia said skeptically as she knocked on the door.
"Come in," Nezu's voice called.
Latia, Rias, and Sona entered the office and stood before Nezu's desk. From the sound of things, he was watching a video of some sort on his computer.
"You wanted to see us, Principal Nezu?" Sona politely asked.
"Ah, yes, I wish to speak with you regarding your extracurricular activities," Nezu began.
"Extracurricular activities?" Rias asked.
Nezu turned the monitor around, showing the three Devils the footage of the fight with Kokabiel. There were even scenes of the Student Council and the Calligraphy Club holding up the barrier around the school.
"W-Wha? B-Bu… How?!" Sona stuttered, her mouth hanging wide open; Rias and Latia also had the same expression.
"You're truly an intelligent young woman, however, you made the fatal flaw of underestimating mine, Ms. Sitri," Nezu spoke, referring to Sona by her real family name, causing her jaws to drop further. "I commend you on the idea to loop all security footage for an entire night, but you see, what you didn't know, or anyone else for that matter, was that after the USJ incident, I secretly installed a new independent security that works separately from U.A.'s main system. And as you can see, that investment was very much worth it! MWAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
As Nezu continued to laugh maniacally, the Devils were left utterly dumbfounded and frozen in place as they made loud gulps.
The next day after school, Izuku and his friends were in the club room when they received an unexpected visitor.
"Hey, Red Dragon Emperor," a familiar blue-haired, golden-eyed figure greeted casually. Not only that, but she was also wearing a U.A. female uniform.
"Xenovia? Why are you here?" Izuku asked. "And why are you wearing our school uniform?"
"Oh good, you found us," Rias greeted, not at all surprised to see Xenovia.
"President? Why is she here?"
"She's the newly-made Knight of the House of Gremory," Rias answered. "Welcome home, Xenovia."
"Now, it's important you get along with her, Izuku," Akeno added.
"She's your new Knight? But that means…" Izuku's question was answered when Xenovia sprouted a pair of Devil wings from her back before quickly retracting them.
"You've been transformed into a Devil?" Asia said.
"Well, that's a rather unexpected development to say the very least," Yumi commented as she took a sip of tea.
"After I found out that God had actually died, I was desperate. So I begged her to take me in," Xenovia revealed.
"Wait, you begged for this, seriously?" Eijiro asked.
"It'll be nice to have the Durandal user added to our ranks. With this, you and Yumi will be the swordswomen covering our right and left flanks," Rias said, glancing at Yumi who smiled proudly.
"And I transferred to this school earlier today. Starting tomorrow, I'll be a first-year Hero Course student," Xenovia added.
"Wait! Hero Course?" Izuku asked.
"But aren't all the 48 Hero Course spots filled?" Mina asked.
"Well, let's just say it wasn't hard convincing the principal to let Xenovia try out as the 49th student," Rias muttered. After the meeting with Nezu yesterday, she let everyone in the club know how he had found them out, and while they weren't in trouble, the rat would most likely be keeping a closer eye on them in the future.
"So, you know which class you're gonna be in?" Izuku asked.
"They said I would know tomorrow morning," Xenovia answered. "It looks like we get to work together, Ikkun," she said, clearly trying to sound cute on the last part. However, the effect was ruined by her poker face.
"Um… Were you trying to act like Icchan?" Izuku sweat-dropped. "No offense, but that serious-looking face doesn't match the cute voice at all."
"That was my goal, but I guess I just didn't quite get it right," Xenovia murmured in thought as she rubbed her chin.
"So, are you sure this is what you wanted?" Itsuka asked.
"Without God, I have no meaning," Xenovia stated, with a hand on her chin to show she was thinking. "I honestly don't know if becoming my old enemy is the best thing. But for the little sister of the Devil King, she's been shockingly kind. Oh, I hope I made the right choice." Straining her thoughts, she placed her face in her hand. "I feel like I have, but there's so much doubt," Xenovia then puts her hands together to pray. "Please, help me, O Lord! AGH!" She received some damage because of that, holding her head down while mumbling something.
"Anyone else getting déjà vu?" Koneko quipped.
"Hey, if you're joining the Hero Course, I think we gotta know, what's your Quirk?" Mina asked.
"Here," Xenovia set her left hand on the wooden table and picked up a metal spoon with her right hand. Then, her left arm took on the texture of the wood while her right arm took on a metallic appearance. "It's called Absorption. I can absorb and take on the properties of whatever I touch."
"Whoa! That's awesome!" Izuku said, already having his notebook out to take notes. And then, another thought entered his mind. "So what happened to Icchan?"
"She'll be returning to our headquarters tonight, taking my Excalibur Destruction and all four of the destroyed Excaliburs' cores. Our alchemists should have no problem re-forging those cores into Holy Swords. We've accomplished our mission, and I still have Durandal, so I'm fine with it."
"I'm surprised the Church was okay with you just ditching them like this," Itsuka commented.
"Actually…" Xenovia continued, turning downcast. "It was all over for me when I told them I knew God was gone. I'm now a dangerous person who found out the truth about something I shouldn't have, so the Church has declared me a heretic."
"They kicked you out. That's why you became a Devil," Asia realized.
"Irina's faith is deeper than mine, but she didn't mention God's absence, and I don't think they suspect that Irina is aware of the truth. It also probably helped that she found out that the Holy Sword blessing she was granted was the non-blasphemous version of the crystalized genes of those deceased children. I was afraid what she might do after all the forbidden truths she learned…" Xenovia continued, closing her eyes in sorrow. "But thanks to what you said, it kept her faith from waning," Xenovia said, opening her eyes and giving a grateful smile to Izuku. "What you said to her truly helped. Thank you."
"Oh, it was no problem…" Izuku blushed.
"And it had an effect on me as well," Xenovia continued. "What you said about saving anyone in need, even Angels and Fallen Angels despite being a Devil. Because that's what it meant to be a Hero. I was truly in awe. That's why I decided I want to follow your example and be a Hero too."
"Oh, really? Wow," Izuku blushed harder.
"Back on topic, the Church has reached out to our side about this incident. To the Devil Kings specifically," Rias cut in. "They said, 'This is highly regrettable, but we'd like to discuss with your people exactly what happened in light of the Fallen Angels' treachery.'"
"They've also taken responsibility and apologized for overlooking Valper's actions in the past." Hearing Sona's voice, everyone looked toward the doorway where there were Sona, Saji, Tomoe, Momo, and Tsubaki from the Student Council, in addition, Latia and Chacha from the Calligraphy Club, were present as well. "According to the Fallen Angels' Governor General, Azazel, the whole plot to steal the Excaliburs was just Kokabiel acting on his own. The others had no idea what he was doing."
"This school is a frightening place. To think that the relatives of three of the four Devil Kings attend here," Xenovia commented.
Almost in response to what she said, Sona pressed her glasses slightly. The adjustment made them gleam menacingly in the light.
"What happened to Kokabiel anyway?" Ravel asked.
"In light of Kokabiel's scheming to rock the balance between the Three Factions and start another war, he's been frozen in eternal ice down in the lowest level of Hell, Cocytus," Momo answered.
"That Vanishing Dragon who put a stop to Kokabiel's rampage is actually on the side of the Fallen Angels. Seeing as they took care of the problem, they got to decide what to do with him," Saji added.
"I've heard that the leaders of the Three Factions are going to convene soon," Rias said. "Apparently, Azazel is going to make some kind of proposal. We've also been invited so that we can report on exactly what happened out there."
"What about the White Dragon Emperor? Will he be there, too?" Izuku asked.
"He's with the Fallen Angels and he did stop Kokabiel, so I see no reason why he won't be in attendance," Rias answered.
"That's right," Xenovia confirmed with a nod. "Azazel is gathering strong Quirks and Sacred Gear users, specifically Longinus. The Vanishing Dragon is among the best of the best. They say he's the fourth or fifth strongest in of all in Grigori. Even though you're technically his rival, him showing up in his Balance Breaker means he's far stronger than you at the moment."
"The fourth strongest!?" Izuku gulped.
"It explains how he took care of Kokabiel so easily," Latia noted.
Then, Xenovia turned to Asia with a remorseful look. "Asia, I owe you an apology. The things I said to you were wrong and hurtful. You may hit me if it will make you feel better."
"Um, no thank you," Asia declined.
"For a Holy Sword user who should be respected to be cast out for knowing the truth. It's changed the way I look at everything. I can't get their treatment of me out of my head. I must have made you feel the same way."
"Xenovia," Asia began as she placed her hand over her heart. "Don't feel bad. In case you couldn't tell, I'm incredibly satisfied here. Even though I'm technically a Devil now, I've never felt more blessed. I've met so many people who mean so much to me. I've never been this happy before in my life."
"I see," Xenovia said with a small smile on her lips before she remembered something. "Oh, and I had a favor I wanted to ask of you."
"What do you want?" Asia asked.
"I would really appreciate it if you would show me around the school sometime," the azure-haired Knight said with a warm smile.
"I'd love to!" Asia smiled.
Xenovia then turned towards Yumi who was sitting down on one of the sofas in the clubroom. "Also, if it isn't too big of a deal, I think it would be fun to try out my Holy Sword Durandal against your Holy Demonic sword."
"I was thinking the same thing," Yumi replied with a smile. "And next time, I'm going to win."
"We'll see about that," Xenovia smirked.
Rias stood up from her seat and attracted everyone's attention. "Now, we've got a new member, so let's go ahead and get the Occult Research Club back open for business!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
At Haneda Airport, Irina purchased her tickets and was making other preparations to board. With the Excalibur fragments retrieved, now she just had to bring them back safely. 'If only Xenovia could come too,' she thought sadly, thinking of Xenovia. Unlike Xenovia, she made no mention of God's death, and so was not excommunicated.
Irina was about to head to the security check-in, when suddenly…
"Irina! Wait!"
Gasping, Irina turned around and saw Xenovia, accompanied by the ORC, running up to them. "Xenovia! Ikkun! Everyone!" She happily exclaimed. "Why are you here?"
"We came to see you off," Izuku answered.
"And to make sure Xenovia gets to say goodbye," Mina added, earning her a glare from said girl.
"Really?" Irina looked to Xenovia.
"Uh, yes," Xenovia scratched her head while turning away slightly. "I wanted to say goodbye, and I'm sorry that I have to stay."
"It's okay, I understand," Irina smiled. "Just be sure to keep in touch. We may be on different sides now, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends."
Irina then hugged Xenovia, causing the latter to wince in pain and back away. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Xenovia pointed to where her cross necklace used to be.
"Oh, right! I forgot about that."
"Before you go, I've been meaning to ask," Rias spoke up, her expression quickly darkening as she addressed Irina. "Back during the duel between you and Izuku, when you said you kissed him when you were kids, is that true?"
"Uh…" Irina gave a nervous chuckle as she received glares from not just Rias but also Asia, Ravel, and even Akeno gave a sadistic smile. Glancing over at Izuku, who looked to be on the verge of blushing madly and wondering how to calm everyone down, she felt her cheeks heat up.
'You know what, screw it!' Smiling, Irina walked over to where Izuku stood.
"Uh, Icchan, what are you-"
Without warning, Irina pressed her lips against his, his eyes bulging out, and his face becoming as red as Rias's hair.
Everyone stood in absolute shock at what they saw. Rias, Asia, Ravel, and Akeno had the color drained from their bodies, horrified at what they were seeing. Koneko, Yumi, Eijiro, Itsuka, and Xenovia merely had blank expressions. Mina squealed cheerfully.
About a minute had passed before Irina pulled away, leaving a blushing, shocked, and embarrassed Izuku standing before her as she smiled widely.
"My goodbye gift to you, Ikkun, our second kiss together. Like a promise to see each other again," Irina gave him and the others a playful wink. "Bye, Xenovia! Bye, Ikkun!" Irina said before departing.
"Goodbye," Xenovia returned.
"Oh dear," Yumi chuckled as Rias, Asia, Ravel, and Akeno all turned a dark expression toward Izuku in jealousy, who seemed to be malfunctioning given how his eyes were white orbs at the moment.
An hour later, Izuku finally recovered from Irina's sudden kiss, finding himself back in his bed; Rias explained that Koneko carried him to his room.
However, the embarrassment had to wait as he had made his decision on a certain offer. Getting his phone, he quickly texted All Might and they arranged to meet at Takoba Municipal Beach.
And now here he was, waiting for his idol to arrive.
[Made up your mind, huh?]
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "I wasn't much help in the fight back then, and even though I did break Kokabiel's nose, that was nothing compared to what the Vanishing Dragon did."
[Yes. And now that you have met each other, a battle between you two is inevitable. And when that time comes, anything that can balance out the power gap would be beneficial, if not outright necessary.]
Izuku nodded. It was most likely that he would face other more powerful foes than Kokabiel in the future, Villains or not. And he would certainly need the power to face them when the time comes.
"All Might should be here soon," Izuku then hummed in thought. "Hey, don't you think that you and All Might sound a lot alike?"
[Yes, I actually considered it as well. Funny thing, coincidence is.]
Izuku chuckled a little. "Yeah…"
"Young Midoriya!"
Looking up, Izuku saw Toshinori Yagi walking toward him. It was still bizarre that he was looking at this skeleton of a man and was still seeing All Might. "All M-"
"Shhh!" Toshinori hissed, placing a finger over his lips to emphasize.
"R-Right, sorry, uh…"
"Toshinori Yagi."
"S-Sorry, Mr. Yagi!" Izuku corrected.
"It's fine," Toshinori said. "So, you've made your decision?"
Izuku nodded. "After some… recent events, it got me thinking… I need to get stronger if I'm going to become a Hero. It might sound selfish, but that's what I believe. Even with my current power, there are still drawbacks I need to watch out for, and mumblemumblemumble…"
Toshinori sweat-dropped as Izuku began to mumble… again. "Yeah, I get your point, kid," he interrupted.
"Yeah, sorry," Izuku smiled awkwardly. "So, put it simply, I've decided to accept One For All."
Toshinori let out a deep sigh of relief. "Whew. I was almost worried you were gonna say no. I don't know what else I would've done."
"Huh?"
"Uh, I mean, uh, excellent decision, Young Midoriya."
[Real smooth.]
Izuku sweat-dropped.
"Before I pass on the sacred torch," Toshinori continued. "I need to check if your body is ready, so let me see your muscles." Izuku removed his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers, allowing the Number One Hero to inspect his body. "Hmm, good muscles. These are definitely the muscles built for combat rather than just for showing off." Toshinori observed. "Normally, I would've suggested some bodybuilding to strengthen yourself into an ideal vessel, but it looks like you already took care of that. This way, your limbs won't shoot off if you try to use One For All."
"Seriously!?" Izuku shivered at the thought of his limbs blasting off his body. 'Guess I have another reason to be grateful to Master Tannin.'
"But, one warning I must give you. You have to learn how to handle at least one percent of One for All's output soon before the Quirk begins to stockpile power," Toshinori said before changing to his Muscle Form. "Let us not make any more delays! It is time for you to inherit One for All, a power that has been passed down for generations, young man!" He then plucked a strand of hair from one of his bangs.
And so, Izuku held out his Quirkless (but not weak) hands to grab the future. "I'm ready, All Might! I won't let you down!" Izuku said, ready to take the mantle as the next holder of One for All, imagining All Might taking out One For All from his body in the form of an orb of light or a fireball burning with heroic spirit.
However, reality was not so kind.
"Eat this!" All Might presented him with the hair strand.
"…Huh?"
"To inherit my power, you've got to swallow some of my DNA! That's how it works!" All Might explained.
"This isn't exactly how I imagined it…" Izuku admitted. And that was still an understatement.
[All that buildup for this?] Ddraig asked in disappointment.
"Look, I know it sounds weird… and gross. I get it! But trust me, this is how I got it too!"
With no other options, Izuku sucked it up and took the hair.
Ch. 31: Taking the Mantle
After a while of mental preparation and struggling not to gag, Izuku managed to swallow the hair strand and keep it down.
"Good. You swallowed it, yes?" All Might asked.
"Yeah, but I don't feel like anything's different yet," Izuku said.
"Well, of course not. Your body has to process the hair first," All Might explained. "It should kick in after two, maybe three hours."
[I'm starting to wonder if this is all a big sham.]
Izuku chose to ignore Ddraig's thoughts.
"And once it does, that will mean you have officially taken the mantle of becoming my successor," All Might said. "One more thing… I would prefer that you do not use One For All until tomorrow after school. You just received this power. It would be irresponsible of me to let you take it for a test drive without my supervision, after all."
"Makes sense," Izuku nodded.
"Anyways…" All Might then shrunk back to his skinny form. "We'll discuss more of this later. If you have any questions or need help before then, you can talk to me or the Principal."
"Okay, thanks. See you, All Might."
"Take care, young Midoriya," Toshinori called as Izuku ran off.
The next day in the Class 1-A homeroom, the majority of the class had a few questions. Normally, there were 24 desks in the room for the 24 students, but today, there was an extra, 25th desk right behind Tomoe's. This, of course, had pretty much everyone making comments and questions about it.
'So it's our class, huh?' Izuku had a good idea of what the new desk meant.
And then, Aizawa entered the classroom, bringing everyone's chatter to a halt. "Alright, first things first. I'm sure you're all wondering what the new desk is about," Aizawa began with his usual amount of energy. "Put it simply, Class 1-A is getting a new student."
"WHAAAT?!" The majority of the class shouted in surprise, with the supernatural-privy students being somewhat less surprised than the others.
Ignoring the expected outburst from his students, Aizawa turned to the door. "She should be here by now."
The reveal of the new student's gender caught some of the boys' attention, especially Mineta's. The door then opened and a beautiful Italian girl with blue hair that had a green fringe entered the room.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Xenovia Quarta. I'm new to this class, please take good care of me."
The class had varying reactions from amazement to excitement.
'Quarta? Oh yeah, she never mentioned her last name back then.' Izuku thought.
"Our new classmate is a foreign bombshell!" Mineta shouted in excitement. "Must record! Three sizes!"
"Man, we've got another hottie in our class, are we lucky or what?" Denki commented.
"I look forward to getting to know you all, like I already know a few people here: Izuku, Eijiro, Mina, to name a few," Xenovia added, causing nearly everyone else, including Aizawa, to look in surprise.
"How come you get an early preview to a gorgeous gaijin like her? You greedy bastard!" Mineta growled as he put the squeeze on Izuku's shoulder. His cursing came to an end when Tomoe smacked him from behind with a notebook.
"C'mon, man, give us some deets. How'd you and the others get to be friends with her?" Denki asked Eijiro, and without any hostilities, unlike Mineta.
"Wow, Mina. I'm amazed you and the others already knew her before," Tsuyu said, holding a finger to her chin.
"Enough!" Even with the bandages covering his face, Aizawa managed to flash his Quirk toward his students, causing them all to straighten up and go silent. Even the ever-stoic Xenovia, backed up a step, intimidated by her new homeroom teacher.
'I just froze up by instinct. It felt like I was face-to-face with her right then…' Xenovia mentally noted, thinking of the one person back at the Vatican who could put the fear of God in her.
"Now that introductions are done, Quarta, your seat is all the way in the back, behind Meguri," Aizawa said, pointing at the empty seat behind Tomoe.
As Xenovia walked toward her desk, she gave a small smile to Izuku as she passed him by. "Looks like we do get to work together."
While Izuku let Xenovia's words sink in, Mineta, from behind him, gritted his teeth in envious rage.
Later at lunchtime, Izuku and his friends all gathered to eat lunch together.
"So, Xenovia, how's your first day?" Yumi asked.
"Pretty uneventful, pretty ordinary, I'd say. Not what I expected from a class for Heroes," Xenovia answered.
"Oh yeah, first we gotta get our normal studies outta the way," Mina said. "But when they're done, that's when we get to training in some actual Heroing."
"Even though it's Hero School, we're still high school students. Our normal studies are just as important," Itsuka added.
"I see, makes sense. I look forward to it," Xenovia said.
"Seeing as you are new to our class, Quarta, as Class Rep, I can assist you with anything you need," Tenya offered. "Of course, you could also speak with any of our other classmates as well."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
"So what made you decide to enroll in U.A.? It kinda seems out-of-the-blue that you transferred to our class pretty close to the Sports Festival," Ochaco said.
"Oh, it's because of Izuku," Xenovia replied, getting Ochaco and Tenya's attention. "Back in Italy, I had a sheltered lifestyle of sorts. And last week, when I visited Japan with a friend of mine, I heard Izuku give a heroic inspirational speech that really spoke to me, and I guess I figured out what I wanted to do with my life." Xenovia explained while censoring out the supernatural bits as best as she could.
"Wow, inspiring others to become a Hero too, huh? You're that close to being a real Hero, Deku," Ochaco complimented, though she internally felt weird about him being so close with another girl, almost like she was being left out.
"Yes. I don't know what you said to her, but knowing you, Midoriya, it must've been truly inspirational!" Tenya joined in.
"Well, I guess so," Izuku bashfully said.
"Aw, look at him blush," Rias teased.
"Wouldn't be Izuku otherwise," Asia giggled.
Unbeknownst to them, they were being eavesdropped separately by Katsuki and Shoto.
All the former thought about was how she was another one of Deku's friends and another opponent he intended to take down in the Sports Festival. The latter, on the other hand, thought about Quarta revealing how Midoriya had inspired her to be a Hero, and then he thought back to when All Might invited him to eat lunch with him the prior week. 'Midoriya… First, All Might, and now the transfer student. You might be someone to watch out for…'
Eventually, the time for Heroics class had arrived, and some were looking forward to working with their newest member.
Speaking of 1-A's newest member, Xenovia's Hero costume mainly consisted of a blue version of her Exorcist outfit with the same black fingerless gloves and thigh-high boots; she also wore a green belt.
Mineta and Denki were particularly excited by how well the form-fitting outfit clung to her body, emphasizing her curves.
"So, what do we normally do during Hero class?" Xenovia asked.
"All sorts of stuff like combat training, rescue drills, physical exercises, and also problem-solving," Izuku replied.
Then, the students all heard a familiar boisterous laugh. "Ready for another lesson in the world of Heroes, ya newbies?" All Might announced as he made his entrance. "I… am… here!"
"So that's All Might…" Xenovia noted as she stared at the hulking figure of a man before them.
"Yeah, that's him," Tsuyu said.
"You sound like you don't know him," Hanta commented.
"That's because I don't. I'm only remotely familiar with him," Xenovia replied. "Honestly, back in Italy, I never had much interest in Heroes, so I don't even know most of the top Italian Heroes."
"Say what?" Izuku asked, bewildered. He was gonna have to give her a crash course on Pro Heroes later.
"Speaking of newbies…" All Might turned to Xenovia. "Welcome to the Hero Course, young Quarta. My hope for you and everyone here is that you all learn and grow to be the very best Heroes you can be."
"I look forward to it, sir!" Xenovia responded.
"Excellent! Without further ado, let's get started!"
The lesson for the day was an obstacle course, with the class split into groups. During the exercise, Xenovia fared well, owing to her natural athleticism. Plus, her Knight Piece certainly helped as well.
After school, Izuku headed to one of the battle centers as All Might had asked. Conveniently for him, Rias had given all the Hero Course members in the ORC the go-ahead to skip club activities to train for the Sports Festival.
"Ah, young Midoriya. Good to see you're here," Toshinori called out. "You ready to start training?"
"I am!" Izuku declared, more ready than he'd ever been in his life.
The two headed over to a more open area in the battle center where there weren't that many buildings in the way.
"Since this section has plenty of open space, it should be a good place for you to start practicing One For All," Toshinori said. "First off, I'd like to know how your Quirk works so we can figure out how it might sync with One For All."
"Well, my power, I call it Boosted Dragon. I can temporarily double my power every ten seconds and I can also take on a few dragon traits such as scales and wings. I can also transfer the Boosted power to something or someone else."
"Hmm, that's quite the combo platter of powers you've got, and now you've added One For All to the plate," Toshinori commented. "Still, that boosting effect, combined with One For All's already massive power stockpile, seems way unpredictable. Let's make sure you're used to handling One For All before we start having you use it and your power together."
"Yeah, I understand," Izuku said. "So, now, how do I use One For All?"
Toshinori buffed up to Muscle Form. "Feel the power coursing inside you, and concentrate."
"Uh-huh," Izuku nodded.
"Even though your body is already a proper vessel, the physical backlash of One For All can be intense. So don't lose focus!"
Izuku nodded and turned to the street before him. He dug his heels into the ground.
"Then, I want you to clench your buttcheeks and yell this from the depth of your heart!"
Izuku brought his right arm back, fist clenched tightly. He clenched his rear end, concentrating, and his arm started glowing with red energy veins.
"SMAAASH!!!"
Izuku struck his fist out forward, and not a millisecond later, a powerful gust of wind blasted out into the street. Even All Might, in his buff form, felt himself flinching from the force of the blast.
Then, when the winds died down, All Might looked to survey the result, and what he saw was truly astonishing. The street in front of him was utterly stripped of pavement and some nearby buildings had sustained quite the damage, if not totally demolished. Glass windows had been reduced to miniscule shards raining down everywhere. All from just one of Izuku's One For All punch.
All Might's mind was totally blown. He remembered how when he received the Quirk, he was already a prodigy who was able to handle the full power of One For All, but his first use of the Quirk could hardly measure up to what young Midoriya had just done.
'This was his first time using One For All, and yet, it makes my first time seem like nothing! This is the result of One For All growing in power over time! The torch I passed onto you is but a small flame right now, in time, it will be kindled until you wield a raging inferno! The more powerful you become, the more you'll outshine me. Eventually, I'll retire, my job complete. Whew, deep stuff, All Might…' All Might thought.
"AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHH!"
And then came a sudden shout of pain from Izuku to bring All Might out of his thoughts.
"YOU IRRESPONSIBLE, DUNDERHEADED FOOL!" Recovery Girl yelled out to Toshinori after he brought Izuku in after the boy's first test run of One For All. She then proceeded to smack the emaciated Symbol of Peace on the head with her syringe cane. "What were you thinking, All Might?! You're lucky the boy's arm is still attached to him!"
Izuku winced at the thought of the opposite scenario happening.
"I'm sorry!" Toshinori apologized.
"Well, it's no good apologizing to me!" Recovery Girl fumed. "Telling the boy to use 100% on his first try! Honestly, there are plenty of better ways to see what he could do with One For All at this stage, Mr. Natural-Born Hero! Look what it did to him after the years it's grown inside your idiotic body!"
"Um, All Might, she knows about One for All?" Izuku asked cautiously, worried that he would become the recipient of her ire likewise.
"Yes, sonny. I know," Recovery Girl said, her tone changing to that of a caring grandmother. "I'm one of the few people close enough to be trusted with that secret. I was also there when this nimrod got that terrible wound that left him in this sorry state."
"That's right. I have Recovery Girl to thank that I managed to make it this far," Toshinori added.
"Now, enough talk about the big oaf. How are you doing?" Recovery Girl asked as she inspected Izuku's bandaged arm. "No tingles or aches, I hope?"
"No, everything's good. Just a little tired, I might need a nap," Izuku said, his eyelids somewhat heavy.
"My Quirk stimulates your ability to heal, but healing takes energy. It's not my fault, that's just how the body works," Recovery Girl said. "Get too many big injuries, your stamina will be shot, and you'll die instead of healing, so be careful." She warned him as she dispensed a piece of candy for him.
"YOU MEAN THIS COULD KILL ME?!" Izuku yelled as he took the candy.
"Yes, and now that you know that, I hope you've realized you can't rely on others all the time and you must learn how to control that new Quirk of yours so that you don't destroy your own body."
Izuku broke out of his freaking out state when she said those words. "Yeah, you're right. I won't always have someone to heal me as good as new. I have to get it under control." He nodded seriously.
"Good boy," Recovery Girl smiled.
"So, any advice on how not to break my bones again, All Might?" Izuku asked.
"Well, right now, your Quirk is either all or nothing. All you need is to learn to control your output. Then you'll be able to adjust exactly how much power you're using," Toshinori explained.
"I just need control?" Izuku asked to confirm.
"You're overflowing with energy at the moment, like a glass overflowing with water, but with training and practice, your body will hold it better. Then it's yours to command!"
"Yes, but right now, you should go home. More work now would only hurt you, and I just healed you with my Quirk, so no more physical activities from you today," Recovery Girl said.
"Understood," Izuku nodded. Even if Recovery Girl didn't tell him, he knew that he did not have the strength in him to continue training with One For All for the day.
A few minutes later, Recovery Girl stepped out to let Izuku have some private moments with his mentor. And said mentor was trying to give Izuku tips on trying to control One For All. Emphasis on "trying."
"You can harness One For All. It's simple," Toshinori encouraged. "YOU HAVE TO FEEL IT!"
Izuku tried to feel it, but couldn't quite get it. "Can you be a little more specific?"
"You already know what it's like to fire on all cylinders," Toshinori said.
"Yeah, like a lot of broken bones," Izuku retorted.
"No! I'm talking about the rush inside! You must've felt it coursing through you! What was it like?"
"Um, a 'Bzzzzt!' Or, no, like, 'Whoosh!' Or maybe 'Ka-Pow!' Or, um…" Izuku guessed before coming to a definite answer. "Ooh, I know! An egg about to explode in a microwave!"
"Hahaha! That's pretty boring, but okay!" Toshinori responded. "If that's the metaphor you wanna go with, then lower the wattage, or decrease the cooking time. Whichever one works, keep focusing on that image and keeping the egg from exploding, alright?"
'I can do that…' Izuku thought.
"The more you concentrate, the faster you'll learn. Control over One For All isn't gonna happen overnight. But I know you'll nail it, soon. You just gotta keep trying!" Toshinori gave a few more words of encouragement.
Izuku nodded, then realized that he still needed to ask All Might something.
"Before I go, there's something I want to ask," Izuku took a couple of shaky breaths, trying to figure out how to ask his question. "Um, so, some of my friends, arguably the best ones I've had. They helped me get so far, and I feel bad keeping secrets from them, and…"
"You wanna tell your club friends about One For All?" Toshinori guessed. "Or should I say… Your Devil friends?"
Izuku did a double-take.
"Wait, you know?!"
"Well, truth be told, I happened to see your fight against that Fallen Angel thanks to the Principal," Toshinori admitted.
"Oh, I see…"
"And there was a part of me that did think you and your friends were special in some way, though I wasn't exactly thinking of being Devils."
"…So, can I?" Izuku asked hopefully. "After everything they've done for me… It feels wrong keeping something like this from them. At the very least, can I tell Rias? It's because I met her, otherwise I don't think I would be here right now. I feel like I owe her that much at least. Though I understand if you don't want me to."
Toshinori sighed softly as he processed his young successor's words. "Well, truth be told, I have nothing against Devils, and I've seen how much you appreciate them. And I'm not saying that you can't, but I still want you to know the risks. If the existence of One For All happens to leak to even just one wrong person, it could bring about trouble that U.A. won't be able to defend you or the others from. But still, if you can trust them with this, then I can too."
"Oh, thank you, All Might! I swear, my friends can be trusted!" Izuku said.
"I can understand why you would want to tell them, your girlfriend especially."
"W-W-Wait! It's not what you think!" Izuku shouted, his face going red.
"Hey, don't worry. There's no rule saying that U.A. students can't date. And if I may add, you're a lucky one to have her."
With his hands now covering his face, Izuku replied. "All Might, please! I know Rias is very beautiful, and we spend a lot of time together. But we're just friends! That's all!"
"Oh, but I never specifically said it was young Gremory," Toshinori teased, chuckling as he saw the clouds of steam coming out of Izuku's head.
He wasn't the only one as Ddraig was laughing his head off inside Izuku.
Then, Toshinori decided to give Izuku a break. "Hey, come on, kid. You know I was just teasing ya. Anyway, back to the original topic, young Kirishima and young Ashido also know this, and when you tell your other friends, make sure you tell them just how important this secret is."
"Yeah, I will. You can count on me and my friends," Izuku vowed, earning a smile from Toshinori.
A few days later, Izuku was doing some off-campus training at Takoba Beach. Despite what he asked of All Might, he found out that breaking the news to the others was easier said than done. So, in the meantime, here he was, trying to gain control over his new Quirk.
As he tried to release a portion of One For All's power, he tried to imagine the egg not exploding, but he could still feel too much power about to be released and was forced to stop to not injure himself.
"GAAAHHHH!" Izuku shouted in frustration as he fell on his back, staring up at the sky. "Why isn't this working?"
[Maybe you could use a new perspective. If what you're doing isn't working, then it's time for a new inspiration.] Ddraig said.
"Okay, anything you have in mind?"
[The way I see it, that egg in a microwave thing isn't the best example. I mean, One For All is inside you, but you're not the microwave in this sense, it's more like the egg.] Ddraig explained.
"Yeah, you've got a good point," Izuku concurred. "So then, what image should I use?"
[Rather than a new image, maybe I can be of some help.] Ddraig said.
"Really?"
[Yes. After all, I am inside you just like One For All is. Now, sit down, close your eyes, and meditate.]
Doing as he was told, Izuku sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
[Take deep breaths and relax. Search deep inside you, and find the source of your Quirk.]
Izuku allowed his body to relax, taking slow, deep breaths as he searched One For All inside himself. He eventually found it, and it started out as a ball of light which then changed into eight different colors before converging to form a fiery aura.
'I-I found it! It's like eight different colored lights merging into a single fiery aura!'
[I see. Good. Now reach toward that source, and let the power flow into you, but only a little.]
Izuku imagined himself reaching out a hand toward the light. The moment he touched the flames, he felt a soothing warmth as he felt the fiery aura travel up his arm, also causing it to surge with power.
It was then that he felt several hands overlapping over his own. He had no idea what that was about, but he didn't question it as they didn't feel aggressive and he felt a little bit more in control of One For All. He felt like he could split off a tiny portion of One For All's total power and use only the amount he was sure he could handle.
Settling on 5% of his total power, Izuku brought his fist back, looked forward toward the horizon, and sent out a small punch.
The result was a small gust bursting forward, nothing too big, but definitely more than what a normal punch would send out. But what satisfied Izuku the most was that his arm was unbroken, completely fine even after using One For All. Not only that, his arm seemed to have green sparks of electricity crackling around it.
"I did it," Izuku said in relief.
"That was impressive."
"Yeah, I just need to do that again and- wait!" Eyes widening, Izuku turned around and saw a familiar redhead and blonde. "President!? Asia!? When did you two get here!?"
"A few minutes ago," Rias answered. "I've had a hunch that there was something different about you recently, and judging by what you just did, it seems it was a good thing I listened to my gut." Then, her expression changed to intrigue and concern. "Izuku, that blast you just did now… You didn't have your Boosted Gear out, and I know for a fact that it wasn't by magic. Was that… from a Quirk?"
"Well… Yeah…" Izuku admitted. "I've been meaning to explain, but I just couldn't figure out how to break the news."
"How… How did you get a Quirk?" Asia asked.
"I'll… do my best to explain," Izuku said. He explained everything he knew about One For All to Rias and Asia, from how All Might made the offer to how Eijiro and Mina already knew.
The more that was explained to the girls, the more surprised they grew. It was evident in their eyes.
"That's… a lot to take in," Rias muttered, trying to process everything.
"We already knew that All Might took an interest in you, but him giving his Quirk to you… I don't know what to say…" Asia added, also trying to process what she had just heard.
"Yeah…" Izuku nodded.
"A Quirk that's been passed down for decades, possibly centuries, growing more powerful during that time. No wonder why this can't be common knowledge," Rias acknowledged. "Hard to believe something like that exists, and now you have it."
"You can count on us, we'll make sure it stays a secret!" Asia vowed.
"And right now, that was the first time I managed to reel in its power without breaking any bones," Izuku added.
"That explains why you were at Recovery Girl's office frequently these past few days," Rias said.
"Well, if you get injured again, you can come to me and I'll fix you up good as new," Asia offered.
"I'll keep that in mind, thanks," Izuku replied.
"Once again, you surprise me, Izuku. First, the Boosted Gear, then your dragon heritage, and now the Quirk of your idol and the Number One Hero," Rias said with a small laugh.
She then put her arms around Izuku's back and pulled him into an embrace, making sure his head was in her bosom. "You truly are the greatest. As a Devil master, I don't think anyone's ever had an amazing servant such as you."
Asia pouted in jealousy before hugging Izuku from behind, making sure to press her boobs into Izuku's back. Rias saw this and gave her Bishop a challenging smirk.
Meanwhile, Izuku smiled, trying desperately not to pass out from the warm embrace of Rias and Asia's breasts.