Authors note:
Speaking: "…"
Thinking: '…'
Ps: to everyone reading this, this chapter has 4000 words
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The next day – U.A. Teachers' Meeting
Because of the incident involving the League of Villains and the still publicly unknown organization known as the Eight Rings, the students of Class 1-A have been excused for the next two days. Furthermore, the three unconscious students were brought to Recovery Girl's personal clinic where they are currently being treated and recovering, still no signs of regaining consciousness.
Right now, it's finally time for the conference concerning the attack to commence. Since this was an attack directly targeting U.A., it is classified as an internal affair. However, due to the involvement of both Endeavor and the Eight Rings, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi and Endeavor are also attending as representatives of the task force handling matters concerning the Eight Rings and the Endeavor Hero Agency.
Most of the participants have already arrived. The only ones missing are the two star attendees of this meeting.
'Where the hell are those two? The meeting was supposed to start five minutes ago,' Aizawa mentally complained, looking tired as usual. Normally he'd just sleep through most school meetings, but this one was something he actually wanted to know more about.
As soon as he finished that thought, the large double doors leading to the meeting room opened and three individuals walked in. The first two were the invited professors of the non-hero combat classes, but the last one was unexpected.
"How peculiar. I don't remember the class representative of Class 1-B being on the list of participants. Midoriya, would you mind explaining why you would bring a student along for this confidential meeting?" the principal asked, sitting on Eraser's lap on top of a pillow.
Continuing toward their seats, the two professors sat down, while Satoru remained standing behind Midoriya with both hands behind his back and his eyes closed.
"Of course, Principal Nedzu. You see, regarding the topics that we'll be discussing today, I thought it best for him to attend for demonstration purposes. Also, he is my self-proclaimed butler, so he tends to come along to all of my meetings. However, you may rest assured he will not be spilling the details of anything discussed in this room," the teacher in question explained.
"I see. In that case, he may stay here. Though I am quite interested to see what kind of demonstration he will be of use for," the principal said enthusiastically.
"Thank you for having me, Principal," the butler in school uniform answered, bowing with one hand behind his back.
"Yes, well, in any case, I believe it's about time we start this meeting." Nedzu began before gesturing toward the detective. "Tsukauchi, if you would, please start with the report of the events that occurred during the USJ incident."
Following that, the black-haired detective stood up and started recounting all events of the previous day in precise detail.
After that was done, the atmosphere in the room shifted as the detective started talking about the Eight Rings organization. 'Finally, now we're getting to the interesting part,' Aizawa thought.
"Now, the next topic will be one of the country's most guarded secrets, and even in this room only a few individuals know of its contents. So I ask all of you for confidentiality." The detective looked around the room, and seeing the approval of all present, he began to explain.
"In this incident, an organization of extremely dangerous vigilantes was involved. This group's name is the Eight Rings. They have been active for almost two years now. However, every single member we know of thus far has shown strength surpassing almost all heroes. Furthermore, their two leaders possess strength far above even the Number One Hero, as well as a portal quirk. As such, none of them have been caught as of yet." He paused, looking over toward Endeavor.
"I know it's hard to believe, and I hate to admit it, but last time we crossed paths I wasn't even able to put up a decent fight," the Flame Hero admitted with shame in his voice, causing some of the teachers present to gasp.
"Currently, we know of five of the presumed eight members of this organization. They all go by codenames and obscure their faces, so we haven't found anything regarding their identities. However, for clarification, I will briefly explain the known members and what we know about their quirks." After that, he explained the details they knew about Dragon, Panther, Shadow, and Light.
"And lastly, we have the newest discovered member of the organization who was involved in yesterday's incident. He goes by the codename 'Odin,' and all his abilities are connected to Norse mythology in some way. These include Odin's spear Gungnir, two spectral crows with the ability to manipulate golden ice and fire, an eight-legged spectral horse wielding lightning, a special movement ability known as the Bifröst, an unknown ability to etch runes into the skin of a human (the effects of which we still have no clue), and lastly the pressure shockwave all members seem to have," Tsukauchi explained while everyone listened quietly.
"Now that everyone is caught up, we'll move on to the next section of this meeting. In the recent incident, we were informed that Professor Midoriya was not only able to evenly match Dragon in a fight, but has also shown the ability to emit the previously mentioned pressure shockwave. Professor, if you would, even if it's just a small bit of information, it may be useful to us in the future." The detective gestured toward the space user.
Leaning forward in his chair and resting his elbows on the table, the man began to speak. "Before we get into the details, I want to say it is extremely regrettable that we are only learning of this organization's existence now, since the information I'm about to share would have undoubtedly been useful. However, it is also our fault for hiding our true strength for so long. In that regard, I do apologize." He then bowed his head.
"Well, it's not entirely your fault. After all, I did know you and Bakugo were extraordinarily powerful. I just didn't want to involve your power and risk having the world know about its potential. But the fact that you kept this information from me does make it difficult," Tsukauchi explained, sighing.
"Well, I can assure you that it was in everyone's best interest that this particular information was kept a secret, even from you. However, that was only the case as long as no one else was utilizing it. Now, with the appearance of this organization, keeping the secret would only prove fatal for us."
"Now then, before I start explaining, I think it's best if everyone first understands the true nature of my own quirk."
"Are you talking about the video game interface that gives you access to physical stat enhancements and 'magic'? Because I fail to see where that comes into play," Aizawa questioned.
"Yes, exactly. However, as both the principal and the detective know by now, that is only scratching the surface of my quirk's potential. In truth, its main ability is to transport myself and the people in physical contact with me to another world called Aincrad, which is a floating castle with 100 floors to climb. I won't go into detail about everything, because that would take far too long, but the most important part is that in Aincrad, quirks are removed. You inhabit a different body known as an avatar, and by raising your stats there, you affect the real world. If you die, you are forcibly removed and receive a penalty of six months without access to Aincrad," he explained, briefly pausing to let everything sink in.
"As you may have guessed, that is a very good environment to train and grow stronger. Which is why, in order to not threaten the balance of the world, the detective decided to hide that part of the quirk. Everyone with me so far?" he asked around the room.
When no questions came, he was about to continue, but Tsukauchi briefly took over. "I decided this was the best course of action because the increase in strength was extremely drastic, to the point where the whole world would be fighting over him. If you don't believe me, then let me show you something I received while training there." Holding up his gloved hand, he removed the glove to show a tattoo of a burning snake coiling around his hand.
"Summon: Torchfang." When he said that, the tattoo began glowing orange and burning, the flame forming into a 1.5-meter-long crimson-red snake with flames at the corners of its mouth, coiled around the detective's arm.
The participants, except for the three who had already been to Aincrad, looked at the demonstration in awe. "This is my familiar, a sort of pet monster with special abilities. Anyone reaching the 25th floor can get their own personal familiar, and with the right training that can be done in about two years. Though I suspect that with the help of Midoriya or Bakugo, it can be even faster," the detective explained, showing everyone the hissing snake burning on his arm.
"Thank you, Tsukauchi. With this, everyone should understand why this was necessary to keep from spreading. Now we come to the actual information everyone here is interested to know."
"In all of your reports about the organization members' 'quirks,' you mentioned they had beyond-human physical strength, that pressure shockwave, and some had a spectral construct. Am I right?" he asked, getting a nod from Tsukauchi.
"Well, what if I told you that in fact none of them are actually using a quirk to get those abilities?"
"That's preposterous. Are you saying they have that kind of strength while being quirkless?" Endeavor commented, annoyed as if stating an irrefutable fact.
"I never said anything about being quirkless, but this specific pattern of abilities is something else. Satoru, if you could show the others your presence, please," Midoriya instructed the butler.
"Of course, sir." He bowed respectfully before a wave of silver pressure shot out from him, immediately making most of the participants lose their strength to sit upright. Tsukauchi even had to take a knee.
'What the, this is almost exactly the same as what I felt when Odin did it, just way less prominent. So is this some kind of learnable skill?' Aizawa wondered, struggling to remain seated.
"That should be enough, you can stop now, Satoru," the teacher commanded. The butler stopped releasing the pressure, giving the other teachers a chance to catch their breath.
"What you just felt was a skill called Presence. It's one of the many applications of an internal energy called Aura."
"Aura?" Endeavor asked, sweat forming on his forehead.
"Yes, Aura. It's an energy primarily used to strengthen both the body and weapons. However, when it's pushed outside the body, one of two things happens. If you let it out freely, it takes the shape of those spectral constructs you mentioned, which are called Manifestations. Every person only has one manifestation, though in some cases that manifestation can split into multiple constructs. Manifestations are tied to your very core, and their shape and abilities are determined at birth. Satoru, show them yours, please."
"Certainly," he responded. Silver energy exited his body, forming a perfect copy of himself in the middle of the room. The others gasped in astonishment, especially the detective.
"Now, my manifestation is somewhat unusual, as it can change its shape depending on my current appearance. But the rule is: it always forms a perfect copy of how I look in that moment."
"As for abilities, it's not all that flashy, but it's very handy in a fight." The butler's body was suddenly engulfed in silver flame, and he and his manifestation swapped positions. They moved around the room, swapping repeatedly before dismissing the manifestation and returning to his original spot.
"As you can see, manifestations are physical constructs capable of using different abilities, controlled through your mind," Midoriya summarized, tapping his temple with a finger.
"Now, as for what happens when you deny your aura its predetermined shape, you should already be able to guess."
"That shockwave attack, right? Or what did you call it, Presence?" Eraser concluded.
"Exactly. Presence releases your aura outward in all directions, and anyone with inferior aura hit by it will most likely fall unconscious. This can be resisted with strong mental fortitude, but it still severely hinders fighting ability."
"Of course, like any ability, it can be trained and honed. Masters can not only control the amount released, but also target specific individuals," the space user explained further, making the room fall silent.
The detective sighed before speaking. "This makes things a lot harder. Heroes outside the top ten won't even be able to withstand it once without passing out. And physical reinforcement beyond human limits... that's also a problem."
"Midoriya, you're the only one who has fought one of their leaders and managed to hold your own. How do you and Bakugo fare against them, and is there a way to find them?"
"Well, the two of us have fought in countless battles, trained under some of Aincrad's best aura users, and fought in more wars than this planet has ever seen. In that regard, I'm certain the two of us are the strongest aura users in Aincrad as of now. That said, whoever their leaders are, we must assume that one-on-one, it would be a draw, judging from our brief skirmish yesterday. And even then, the scale of such a battle would most likely destroy the entire country."
The atmosphere in the room dropped even further. Endeavor was the first to speak. "Are you certain that you and these vigilantes really possess that much power?"
"Quite so, yes. If you don't believe me, then let me show you something," Midoriya said before chanting a spell: "System Call: Recall Memory Fragment, Adhere." Touching the table, the surroundings began to change, transforming into a beautiful meadow with shining flowers, rivers, forests, and ancient ruins.
"Interesting. And what might this be?" the principal inquired, looking around.
"I used a spell to show you my memories. This is Floor 73 of Aincrad." He paused.
"Or at least, it was, before Kaachan and I decided to have a fight there. Now, take a look at what remains after our battle, which lasted ten days straight."
The scene shifted. The flower fields and forests were gone. What remained couldn't even be called a wasteland, nothing but a barren field of jagged rocks stretched as far as the eye could see. No fire. No dead trees. Nothing.
"And that's not even the worst of it."
"There's more?" the detective whispered, dread in his voice.
The landscape shifted once again. Massive cracks split the air, as if reality itself was tearing apart. And in the center of it all, a giant black hole ripped through space and time, devouring what little remained.
"What on earth even is that?" Endeavor asked, still in disbelief as he stared at the black void.
"It's a distortion in space-time. That's what happens when Kaachan and I clash with our opposing divine objects, Time and Space. Naturally, this specific outcome won't happen with the Eight Rings, since they don't own the divine weapons of time and space. However, the first scene you saw, that could very well be Japan, if it ever comes to an all-out battle between us," Midoriya explained.
Aizawa glanced at Tsukauchi and saw him just as worried as everyone else. That meant Midoriya was telling the truth. If they really pursue these vigilantes... this could happen.
'I guess we're lucky they're working against crime, even if illegally. Better than them being our enemies.'
"So what you're saying is, it would be best not to go after them. Because even if we win, it won't be without sacrifice," Aizawa summarized, balling his fists in frustration.
Dispelling the memory, the room reverted back to normal. Midoriya spoke again. "That's not what I'm saying. I'm just stating that we shouldn't drive them into a corner where they have to abandon their morals. From what I see, they actively avoid hurting civilians and stay hidden from them. Besides, it won't be easy to pursue them anyway."
"What do you mean?" the detective asked.
"I mean I wasn't finished explaining everything about aura."
"There's more?!" Present Mic blurted out, already in disbelief.
"Yes. And it's quite significant. How many of you believe humans have souls?" he asked. A few hands went up.
"Well, what if I told you that using aura, we can actually make use of the human soul?"
The room fell silent in shock.
"You see, every living thing has two bodies: the physical body, your normal body, and the spiritual body, which is essentially your soul. Using aura, we can not only separate the two, creating an invisible ghost of your spiritual body that can only be sensed by aura users of the same level, but also transform into the spiritual body itself. Satoru, show them."
The butler stepped forward. His body was wrapped in silver aura, then dissipated. What stood there was a much older Satoru with a blue streak in his otherwise snow-white hair, black scleras with blue irises and slit pupils, and a traditional butler's uniform.
"As you can see, it can drastically change your body's appearance. The rule is: it still has to be human. But otherwise, gender, height, age, eyes, everything else can change. The drawback is that you first need to discover your spiritual body's true form before you can use it. With the skill the Eight Rings have displayed, I'm almost certain they're capable of this."
After a moment, Endeavor asked, "From what I understand, doesn't that mean they could have been listening in on all our secret conversations using their spiritual bodies, and there's no way we could have prevented it?"
"Possibly, yes. But only in conversations where Kaachan and I weren't present to sense them," Midoriya confirmed, much to Endeavor's dismay. The flame hero slammed his fist on the table.
"Then let's get to the last thing, and possibly the most interesting part. Since there hasn't been any mention of this in the reports, and given that the Eight Rings don't use quirks, we'll probably never have to face it. But you should know regardless. Now, I want you to think back to the primary function of aura."
"The primary function is to enhance the physical body and reinforce weapons, correct?" the principal answered, clearly interested to figure out where this was heading.
"Yes, that's right. Now think a bit deeper. What else can you enhance in the physical body, aside from your physical capabilities?"
For a few seconds, everyone was silent, watching the principal think. Then, it was clear a lightbulb had gone off in his head. "Surely you don't mean it can boost..."
"That's exactly what you're thinking, principal. Do you understand now why I kept this a secret?"
"Yes. If this information were to leak to the outside world, there's no telling what would happen."
"I'm sorry, am I the only one confused about what they're talking about?" Midnight asked.
"Quirk enhancement," Nedzu stated flatly. "And if it's on the same scale as everything else we've heard, this could be fatal." The room went dead silent.
"Then, I think I should ask the most important question. Which floor do you have to reach in order to obtain it? And how on earth did the Eight Rings get it?" Tsukauchi asked.
"That's the thing, detective, there isn't one. Even you currently have aura in your body. Just setting foot in Aincrad means your body now produces aura, even if you're not aware of it. As for how the Eight Rings have it, I can guarantee I did not bring the eight rings into Aincrad."
"However, looking around this room... some of you may know the answer to that."
"What are you talking about?" Endeavor asked.
Standing up, Midoriya began pacing. "It's been bothering me since I first met you. For a while I thought I was imagining things. But after yesterday's incident, I had a new idea."
"I still don't get it," Present Mic whispered to Aizawa.
"The fact is: five of you, who should not have aura, are radiating trace amounts of it. Eraser, Toshinori, Endeavor, Present Mic, and Midnight. Can you tell me why that is?"
"What are you going on about? We've never been inside your floating castle. Besides, I think at least one of us would have noticed if we truly had it," Eraser said, trying to make sense of it.
"You know, that was my first thought too. And since your aura was so small and virtually impossible to sense, if I hadn't been in close proximity to you for so long, I would've missed it as well.
"But yesterday, when you grabbed me by the collar, I definitely felt aura from you. So I started thinking. In the world library, I found something interesting I'd like to try."
Holding out his hand, the space user began chanting: "System Call: Reveal Hidden Protocol." A wave of light spread through the room. When it hit the five pros, a translucent blue tag appeared, stuck to each of their foreheads.
"Bingo," Midoriya muttered.
"What is that?" Toshinori demanded, trying to rip it off.
"It's an aura repression seal. I don't know how or why you have it, but that's what's been keeping you from accessing your aura. System Call: Disable Seal, Parameter Room," he chanted, removing the tags.
Now, even they could clearly feel the energy flowing through them. Not only that, their aura was already moderately advanced, unlike the untrained detective.
"Well, there you have it. None of you ever entered Aincrad, yet all five of you still possess aura. And even more perplexing, it's trained. Until we figure out how you got it, and who put those seals on you, we won't understand how the Eight Rings have it."
'This is insane. Since when has this been on my body? How long have I had aura? Did I forget something?' Aizawa thought, looking at the others as they tested their new energy. Then it clicked. 'Wait. Only the five of us had seals... the five of us who attended U.A. while the professor was still active, about three decades ago. Could this be connected?'
"I see." The detective sighed before asking, "Is that everything we need to know"
"Yes."
"Then just one last question. Who else knows about aura, aside from the three of you?" he asked, sitting back, clearly drained.
"Aside from us three, it's only my girlfriend, Luna, and Shoto," Midoriya answered.
"Hold on a minute! Why is Shoto involved in this whole thing?!" Endeavor demanded, flames flaring hotter.
"Well—"
"Shut it, Izuku. I'm responsible for that explanation," Katsuki interrupted. "Short answer: we met, and I started training him because of your shitty parenting. Nothing more to it. He doesn't want you training him, so I stepped in. Mostly coincidence, though."
"You..." Endeavor growled.
"What? You gonna throw a hissy fit because you're a shitty father?" the ash-blond teacher shot back.
The flame hero clenched his fists, scowled, and slammed the table again, but forced himself to calm down. "God, I hate how right you are."
"So anyway, now that we know all this, how do we proceed?" Toshinori asked, raising a hand.
"Already one step ahead, old man. We've brought the third years in Aincrad to an excellent instructor who'll teach them the basics. As for quirk enhancement, just wait for the sports festival. I'm sure the final match between Shoto and Satoru will be interesting."
"Are you saying they're going to show their full power in front of the whole world? Isn't that risking others finding out about aura?" Eraser asked.
"Nah. As long as they only use it to boost their physical strength and quirks, we can pass it off as them being prodigies. Plus, it's gonna act as a deterrent, anyone thinking of attacking U.A. will think twice if they know students here have that kind of power," Bakugo explained.
"I also agree with Mr. Bakugo. This could be an excellent example," the principal added. "However, I cannot allow them to use excessive power unless necessary. So unless they're fighting one another, aura is off the table."
"That's fair, I guess," Bakugo replied.
"Well then, everyone, it's been a long meeting. Many of us need time to think on this situation. This meeting is over. You may go home and rest," Nedzu concluded, prompting everyone to stand and leave.
'Finally. I thought this was never gonna end. But now I'm even more confused... Did something happen back when the professor was still around? Something I forgot?' Aizawa thought, staring at his hand, now faintly wrapped in black aura.
"Before all of you leave, there's one last thing I'd like to say!" Midoriya's voice rang out. Before anyone could respond, he raised a finger and released a massive burst of concentrated green Presence across the room, hitting everyone.
The teachers and top heroes all collapsed, barely conscious, unable to move. Even Principal Nedzu wasn't spared.
"That is this: we will not be teaching anyone to wield aura for the sake of becoming more powerful as a hero! This power must remain a tool to protect society from threats greater than heroes and villains. Do I make myself clear?"
A whimpering "Yes" came from the principal. The Presence faded, and the room gasped for breath.
"Right. And just so you know, I already spoke to the third-years about this. Even before we stepped in, they were stronger than most pros. After the old man's finished with them, they'll be a force to reckon with, even for those Ring bastards. Though it'll take some more time," Katsuki explained.
‚God, I need some sleep,' Aizawa thought, watching the three aura users leave the room.