Izuku Midoriya, the Hero Devil - Pleiades1754 - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia (2024)

Chapter 1: Izuku Midoriya

Chapter Text

Ch. 1: Izuku Midoriya

At a playground, a toddler with green and black unkempt hair was trembling with tears in his eyes. Behind him was another toddler, who had chestnut hair, currently crying and curled up into a ball. "Why are you being so mean, Kacchan?" the green-haired boy asked, trembling as he got into a fighting pose. "If you keep on hurting him… Uh, I'll, uh… I'll stop you myself!"

Facing him were three boys, one with ash-blond hair, Kacchan, who seemed to be the leader; another one who was chubby; and the last one who had brown hair and a purple cap.

Kacchan simply scoffed at this as the chubby kid grew red, bat-like wings while the cap kid grew his fingers to abnormal lengths.

"You wanna pretend to be a Hero?" Kacchan asked as he slammed his fist into his palm, setting off a small explosion. "You don't stand a chance without a Quirk,Deku." Kacchan and his two lackeys then ganged up on the green-haired boy.

Later, the boy looked up at the sky while lying beaten and battered on the ground. The kid that he tried to defend earlier tried to help him out, reaching out a hand, with violet eyes full of tears. "Are you okay?"

The boy, Izuku Midoriya, simply nodded, taking the hand.

"Here's the sad truth:All men are not created equal. When I was four years old, I learned that some kids have more powers than others."

Ten Years Later

Izuku, now 14 years old and a third-year at Aldera Junior High, sat in History class as he listened to the teacher go on and on about the Meiji Period, although he admittedly would prefer it if he was discussing the Era of Quirks, the debut of All Might in particular.

All Might, the No. 1 Hero of Japan and the world's Symbol of Peace. Every time he arrived to save the day, he always had a big smile on his face and let out a big laugh that announced his presence. The smile and laughter served to show citizens he was not afraid no matter what kind of danger he was getting into and to reassure them that everything was alright with him there.

No job was too big or small for All Might as he saved people, rescued kittens from trees, and fought dangerous criminals, with a smile the entire time.

Izuku then recalled the time when All Might was in Musutafu a few months ago, where he saved two teenagers from a Sludge Villain. What he wouldn't give to see All Might in person, the man that Izuku has looked up to his entire life. He wished he could have been there when he had the chance.

Then, as the bell rang, Izuku began packing his stuff. "All Might's so amazing, no matter what kind of opposition he goes up against, he always has that big smile on his face. I wonder if someday, I can become as amazing as he is an-"

"Hey, Deku!"

Izuku winced at the voice, recognizing it as the voice of his childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugo, sporting a scary scowl on his face as he crept toward Izuku.

"You know how bad that mumbling habit of yours is? I could hear you all the way from my desk, that's how bad! You need to learn to shut your mouth before I shut it for you!"

"Sorry, Kacchan! I'm not doing it on purpose, I swear!" Izuku apologized while trying to shield himself with his arms. He always had that mumbling habit since he was young, which many people have complained about or found creepy.

"And are you seriously obsessing over All Might like that'll do you any good?!" Katsuki asked, with a hint of contempt.

Izuku could hear their classmates talking to themselves.

"What is it, like the hundredth time?"

"I know Katsuki has an awesome Quirk, but he's got such a huge ego."

"At least he only takes it out on Midoriya…"

"Heh. True that. At least I've got a Quirk."

"Honestly, I just feel sorry for Midoriya…"

Izuku's heart began to sink as he overheard everything. "W-Well, what's wrong with wanting to gather information?"

"Puh-lease." Katsuki flicked Izuku on the forehead, knocking him to the floor. "You could know everything you want, but your results from Gym class speak for themselves. With those pathetic scores, what makes you think your scrawny ass stands a chance of passing the Entrance Exam, even when compared to any of these other losers?!"

Izuku wanted to argue, but he couldn't come up with a proper counterargument. Kacchan was right. He wasn't exactly the most athletic.

"So stop muttering or lying to yourself. It's better for you to realize this now than too late," Katsuki said before heading out with his two friends. Then, most of the other students began leaving, all except one.

"Are you okay, Midoriya?" A soft voice asked from behind.

Izuku turned to face the speaker. She was named Chacha Akaninjin, one of the few girls, or anyone else for that matter, who didn't think of him in a negative way, and the only girl at school who actually interacted with him. Because of that, she was the only girl he knew he could talk to without getting nervous. She was very cute too, having waist-length blonde hair and brown eyes along with thick long black eyelashes. Her figure was slim and petite and she had a bust size that made most of the girls jealous. Due to her Quirk, she had a rabbit-like appearance, having white fur, along with rabbit ears and tail, which often earned her comparisons with the Rabbit Hero: Mirko.

"I-I'm fine, Akaninjin. Don't worry about me," Izuku reassured while getting up from the floor.

"Okay. But listen. Don't listen to what Bakugo says," Chacha said, passing Izuku his bag. "I'm sure that if an opportunity arises, you'll be an amazing Hero like All Might, I know it."

"Thanks, Akaninjin," Izuku took hold of his bag, and the two left the classroom.

'She's right. What Kacchan says doesn't matter. I'm sure there's a chance even someone like me can be a Hero!'

As Izuku walked home through the streets of Musutafu after school, Izuku thought back to what Katsuki said in the classroom.

'So what if I'm not athletic? Some Heroes rely more on their Support Items. I mean, rather than speed or brute strength, Snipe relies more on his marksmanship! Yeah! If I just study enough, maybe I can find a way I can put my other skills to use…'

Izuku stopped and noticed his reflection in a puddle on the sidewalk. 'But will it really work though?'

His entire life, Izuku had been told that for a Quirkless kid like him, his dream to be a Hero would be impossible. Even so, he refused to believe it and did anything he could that might help him reach his dreams.

'I still refuse to believe it!'

However, if he wanted any hope of making it past U.A.'s entrance exam, he would need training. But the exam was only in six months, and what could he do in that time to prove that his dream was possible?

'First, I need to get into U.A.,' Izuku sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. 'Though Kacchan might blow a gasket when he finds out…'

"Look, it's All Might!"

That announcement broke Izuku out of his long pondering, and in haste, he ran ahead, along with several other people, as they all tried to catch a glimpse of the Symbol of Peace.

"Th-There he is!" Izuku pointed out.

In the air, there was All Might, the Symbol of Peace. He wore his classic blue and red spandex that fit well his impressive muscles. In his arms, he carried a large man with mutant features, most likely a Villain, beaten unconscious. The Number One Hero let out boisterous laughter that bellowed through the air.

Izuku's green eyes glittered; one could almost see twinkling stars around him, as his admiration for the Pro Hero was evident. "A-Awesome. All Might… in the flesh… He's so much cooler in person…"

"Careful now. You might start drooling," someone, a girl based on the voice, pointed out with a small chuckle, glancing at Izuku from the side. "You're a fan of his, aren't you?"

"Of course! All Might is amazing in every sense of the word!" Izuku declared without hesitation, still looking to the sky to watch as the Hero continued to jump from building to building, his figure slowly shrinking in the distance. "Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to be a Hero just like… just like…" Izuku's grin finally began to disappear, his shoulders and pupils falling as he spoke. Harsh reality quickly evaporated what was left of his energetic stupor.

"Is something wrong?"

Izuku turned toward the person talking to him… and immediately froze upon realizing it was a girl. She was a young woman with cyan eyes and very long, flaming red hair with a cowlick, not to mention a voluptuous figure, which included breasts that a lot of girls would kill to have. She also wore the standard U.A. uniform.

Izuku's face began to turn the same shade of red as the girl's hair. "Uh,I'mfine!Sorrygottago!BYE!" Izuku then ran off, the redhead continued to watch him with interest.

"Izuku Midoriya, Class 3-C."

Within a small club building at U.A.'s more public school grounds, there was one room that had a very gothic atmosphere. There were some couches surrounding a small table that held a chess set in the middle and a desk table sitting at the end of the room. The redhead from earlier sat at the desk, looking through Izuku's profile in a folder.

"That's right," a blonde girl with blue eyes said, standing in front of her. "I got all the info I could. It probably helps I'm in a neighboring class."

"Says here he's Quirkless," she said, closing the folder and setting it down.

"There isn't anyone at the school who doesn't know. His classmates, Katsuki Bakugo in particular, bully and belittle him because of that, the only exception being Akaninjin. And Bakugo used to be his friend from what I heard."

The redhead, for a brief moment, looked angry before calming down. "Even if he's Quirkless, I can feel that there's something oddly special about him. I just can't put my finger on it."

"You mean he has a Sacred Gear?" A petite girl sitting on a couch, eating ice cream, asked. She was rather short, with white hair and hazel eyes. At the front, her hair had two long bangs going past her shoulders and several loose bangs hanging over her forehead, while the back had a short bob cut. She also wore a black cat-shaped hair clip on both sides of her hair.

"Possibly," the redhead answered, folding her arms, "For now we should keep a close eye on him. We don't want to miss our opportunity."

Then, another girl came into the room. She had purple eyes and long black hair tied into a ponytail with an orange ribbon, two hair strands that resembled antennae and drooped backward, wore a U.A. uniform like the redhead, and an athletic and shapely body with breasts even bigger than the redhead's. "Buchou, we have another notice for a Stray."

Hearing this, the redhead put the folder aside to deal with more pressing matters. "Alright. Everyone, we're moving out."

Meanwhile, Izuku's mind was still on the encounter with the red-haired U.A. student as he approached an overpass.

'I talked with a girl that's not Akaninjin! I talked with a girl that's not Akaninjin! I talked with a girl that's not Akaninjin! I talked with a girl that's not Akaninjin! I talked with a girl that's not Akaninjin!'

These eight words seemed to be the only thought in his mind as he robotically marched forward before finally calming down enough to think properly.

With a sigh, Izuku looked up into the sky with the setting sun. After seeing All Might, he lost track of time. 'Akaninjin is the only person I know who believes in me, but without a Quirk… No, I have to believe in myself. And I'll keep smiling, just like him!'

Izuku then laughed like All Might's as he made his way below the overpass. However, as he walked he didn't notice the presence of another soul.

"Finally… sustenance… Bit scrawny… but plenty…"

Izuku froze upon hearing the ominous voice. He looked around his surrounding, but he didn't see anything.

However, just when he thought that he was hearing things, he was snatched right out of the air by a claw.

The attacker had the upper body of a young woman, but she also had many inhuman features such as compound eyes on bugs such as flies, a sharp, needle-like proboscis of a mosquito's, four long segmented legs, and a scorpion tail.

"A villain?" Helpless and trapped in the monster's grasp, Izuku could only say those two words, not only that, something about this Villain didn't seem human. Sure it might be her Quirk giving her such a monstrous appearance, but still, Izuku felt like he was staring at some monster that would fit right in a Stephen King novel rather than a human.

"Haven't eaten… long time…" The creature muttered as it stabbed Izuku's stomach with its proboscis.

Izuku felt unimaginable pain, nothing like he ever felt before as the creature began injecting him with venom, adding to the pain. 'My body… getting weak… I-I-I think I'm dying… No way, this can't be the end… Somebody, help…'

"Don't worry… be over… soon enough…" The monster raised its claw to tear Izuku apart, but before it could, in a flash of red light, the red-haired girl and her companions appeared on the scene.

The monster was startled by the new arrivals as it dropped Izuku to the side to confront the new guests.

"Don't interrupt… Unless you… would rather… eaten by me…!"

The white-haired girl was the first to charge at the creature, who tried to impale her with its long scorpion tail, but the white-haired girl managed to catch it barehanded before tugging it hard, throwing the abomination off-balance. Then, the blonde girl revealed a longsword and sliced off the stinger from the tail, causing the beast to cry out in pain.

"Well, this Stray was weaker than expected," the black-haired girl commented.

"Yeah, but at least it makes our job easier," the redhead charged up a ball of dark and red energy in her hands before firing it at the monster, obliterating it completely.

Then, the blonde glanced aside, and she blanched when she spotted the injured Izuku. "Buchou, over here!"

Everyone looked over, and they were too horrified by the sight of Izuku's body. In his stomach, was the hole made by the beast stabbing him, blood flowing out through the wound and also from his mouth.

"Oh no!" The redhead covered her mouth as she checked the boy's condition. "He won't make it at this rate. Even so, I won't let him die!" She then took out a red chess piece.

"Morning is here! Morning is here! Morning is here! Morning is-!"

Izuku groaned as he reached out from under his bed to turn off his All Might alarm clock. He groaned some more before sitting straight up in bed causing his blanket to fall off.

"Ugh, what a nightmare," Izuku groaned as he felt his head. He then looked down at his torso and lifted his undershirt seeing there was no hole in his abdomen, "But… why did it feel so real?" He got out of bed, still feeling drowsy, and he also realized he didn't remember coming home last night. "And how and when did I get home?"

However, he didn't really have much time to think it over as he had to get ready for school.

On his way to school, Izuku could feel something was different about himself, the main difference being that the sunlight seemed to drain the energy right out of him. When he got to class, he took his seat and prepared his school notebook.

"So tired…" he groaned. 'I don't know why, but it's like the sun's draining the life outta me. Is this someone's Quirk at work? Also, that dream… I still remember it so vividly…'

Then, the teacher came in, causing everyone to head to their seats.

'Maybe class will help me clear my head…'

While the classes and lectures did help him focus on other things, Izuku was still left with plenty of questions, but not enough answers. And the entire ordeal with the sunlight sapping him of strength did not do him any favors as he sat by himself under the shade of a tree as he dug in to the lunch prepared by his mom.

"I'm starting to think that wasn't a dream," Izuku stated, then he realized something else. "But then what happened?! I remember that Villain stabbing me, and while I'm not one to judge people by appearances, even with the most bizarre Mutant Quirks, something about her didn't really seem human… As a matter of fact, how am I still alive right now? And I think I saw a red light and heard some voices before I lost consciousness…" He mumbled on and on about his situation.

Later, after school was over, Izuku walked back home, still feeling lethargic under the sun. "The sun's still making me feel weird. Should I consider going to a hospital?" Izuku asked himself.

The sky was already dark with the sun setting on the horizon by the time Izuku made it back to his neighborhood. However, now in the darkness, his body seemed to have the opposite reaction as not only did he feel his strength coming back, his senses also seemed sharper than ever. He could see clearly in the dark, better than in daytime even. In addition, even from a block away, he could accurately hear people's conversations. "It's like the reverse of what's been happening to me today. Light makes me weak, but darkness rejuvenates me. What's happening?"

Before Izuku could go off on another mumble storm, he felt a chill up his spine. "Is someone there?"

Izuku cautiously turned around, and in the direction of the setting sun, he noticed a shapely figure approaching him. It was a woman, apparently a young adult. She was dressed in some sort of leather dominatrix suit, consisting of nothing more than a black bra and panties. She had broad shoulder pads with three spikes and black gloves covering her arms, matching with black boots which went up her knees and black straps around her thighs. She was a very attractive woman with flawless pink skin, large breasts, long and smooth black hair that went past her firm butt, and pinkish eyes.

"Well, lookie here. I take my eyes off you for one day, and during that time you just had to go get yourself reincarnated as a Devil," she said.

'Who is this lady?!' With his guts warning him of danger, Izuku slowly took a step back, or at least, that's what he intended. Instead, he ended up making a leap. 'I meant to back up a little, not jump!'

"Looking for a way out?" the woman asked. "Tell me, who is your master?"

Izuku turned around and ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back. As he ran, he suddenly noticed black feathers falling from the sky and looked up to see the woman flying, supported by a pair of black bird-like wings. 'She has wings?! Are they from her Quirk? She looks like a demon with those wings!'

Then, the woman came down to the ground, right in front of Izuku.

"So let's see, it appears as though your friends and master are nowhere to be found. You show no signs of disappearing, nor any magic circles being deployed. Therefore I will assume you are nothing but a Stray, is that correct?"

Then, red light flashed from her hand, forming into a spear. "How convenient, since I was planning on killing you anyway. Just makes things a whole lot easier!"

Izuku, realizing what was going to happen, tried to run-

*SHINK!*

Only to collapse to the ground, with a light spear impaling his torso. "It burns… this is the worst pain I've ever felt!" Izuku gagged in pain. When he touched the spear, his hand felt like it was on fire.

"Hurts, doesn't it? Light is a deadly poison to your kind, it burns you from within," the woman taunted. "I thought I finished you off, but it seems you're quite the tough one." The spear of light was then yanked out of Izuku's body and back into the woman's hand. "Don't worry. I'll put you out of your misery shortly."

'I'm done for! Someone, help me please!'

Then, a wave of dark energy was fired at the spear, destroying it.

"What did you just do, you little sh*t?!" The woman questioned. Then she noticed a red light. "And what the hell is that?"

On a red glowing circle, there stood the red-haired U.A. student whom Izuku recognized.

"Keep your hands off of him," the girl warned.

"That hair… You're from the House of Gremory!" the woman said.

"My name's Rias Gremory," the girl introduced herself. "And who are you, other than a Fallen Angel?"

"Rias… Gremory…? Did she come to save me?" Izuku groaned, looking behind him.

"So then he's a part of your household, I take it?" the woman asked.

"If you bring any harm to him, you'll get no mercy from me," Rias warned.

"Sure, fine. My bad," the woman apologized as she unfurled her wings. "But it's unwise to let your servants run loose like this. Next time he's out for a stroll, he might run into someone who'd prefer to hunt him down."

"I appreciate the friendly advice. Bear in mind, if anything like this happens again, I'll make you regret the day you crossed paths with the House of Gremory, my friend," Rias said as she smiled like a fox.

"No offense to your noble household, but you should bear in mind that the same thing can be said to you," the woman then flew off into the night sky. "My name is Raynare. Remember it."

After getting some distance away, Raynare scowled in frustration.

'Dammit! Not only did I fail to keep an eye on that brat, but now he's been recruited by those filthy Devils! If word gets out of this… No, wait! There's still a way I can redeem myself!'

Back with Izuku, he could barely register the events happening around him thanks to the burning hole in his stomach. The woman was apparently a Fallen Angel and somehow, this Rias person managed to drive her off. What was happening? He couldn't think anymore as he fell on his face and darkness enveloped his vision.

"Morning is here! Morning is here!"

Izuku was aroused from his rest once again by his All Might alarm clock. As his eyes adjusted to the morning sun, he sat up and turned the alarm off.

Snorting in irritation, he rubbed his eyes as his sight adjusted to the morning sun. He slowly sat up and slammed his alarm shut. "Huh? I'm still alive?" Izuku muttered to himself groggily. "I thought that woman with the black wings was trying to kill me, then that red-haired girl saved my life." He gave out a tired yawn. "I guess it really was just a bad dream…"

Izuku flipped the sheets off his body, only to look down to realize something very, very wrong. "Hold on, what happened to all my clothes? Why am I naked?!"

Then he noticed something else. There was something else in bed with him, covered by the sheets. Izuku cautiously grabbed the covers and pulled them up. Underneath the blanket, was Rias Gremory, sleeping peacefully in the nude.

Chapter 2: I'm a Devil Now?!

Chapter Text

Ch. 2: I'm a Devil Now?!

"Morning is here! Morning is here!"

Izuku was aroused from his rest once again by his All Might alarm clock. As his eyes adjusted to the morning sun, he sat up and turned the alarm off.

Snorting in irritation, he rubbed his eyes as his sight adjusted to the morning sun. He slowly sat up and slammed his alarm shut. "Huh? I'm still alive?" Izuku muttered to himself groggily. "I thought that woman with the black wings was trying to kill me, then that red-haired girl saved my life." He gave out a tired yawn. "I guess it really was just a bad dream…"

Izuku flipped the sheets off his body, only to look down to realize something very, very wrong. "Hold on, what happened to all my clothes? Why am I naked?!"

Then he noticed something else. There was something else in bed with him, covered by the sheets. Izuku cautiously grabbed the covers and pulled them up. Underneath the blanket, was Rias Gremory, sleeping peacefully in the nude.

Izuku fell off the bed at the sight, and his mind started running a million thoughts as he tried to rationalize why a girl, a very pretty and naked girl, would be in his bed with him. "Ah… ah… ah…" Izuku whispered, blood slowly dripping from his nose and 'junior' standing in attention. 'There's a naked girl next to me! Oh my God, what do I-' "AGH!" He felt a sudden sharp pain, akin to a bullet piercing through his head, causing him to clutch his eyes and temple. The sudden shriek of pain also roused the girl from her slumber.

"Hey." Rias moaned softly as her eyes fluttered open. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and, with a yawn, stretched her arms, bearing all her naked glory to Izuku.

"I-I-I-I c-can s-s-see your b-b-b-b-b-" Izuku stuttered, struggling to finish.

As she finished yawning. "Oh, good morning Izuku."

"Wha-wha-wha… What's going on?! What are you doing in my bed?! How did we get here?! How did you fight off that lady with the wings?! And how do you know my name?!"

"One question at a time," Rias laughed. "That woman was a Fallen Angel, and they are our natural enemies. And I brought you here through a magic circle."

"Magic?" Izuku asked in disbelief.

"That's right," Rias replied. "My name is Rias Gremory. And I'm a Devil. Not only that, but I'm your master too. A pleasure to meet you, Izuku Midoriya. And please, call me Rias."

"R-Rias? Y-You're a… Devil?!" Izuku asked while doing his best to avoid staring at the older girl's hourglass figure too much. "Like with the fire and brimstone, horns, and pitchforks? Beings of evil?"

"Oh no. Not those kinds. Those are just stereotypical images that humans thought up, and we aren't all evil. In reality, Devils are much more than that." Rias waved it off. Then she sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for him to take a seat right next to her. "Come here. When getting to know your companions, it's best to sit side-by-side rather than across each other. That's Dating 101."

Izuku nervously did as she asked and sat right beside her. As Rias looked around the room, she could see that the room was filled with All Might merchandise of all kinds, even the bed was All Might-themed. "I could already tell you liked All Might a lot the first time we met, but this is something else," Rias chuckled, causing Izuku's face to become bright red.

"W-Well, I admire him…"

'It's really fun to tease him like this.' She then decided to take it one step further and pressed her breasts into his arms.

Izuku's blush turned even redder, swirly lines appeared in his eyes, and steam started coming out of his head as he could feel her perky nipple poking at his skin. Rias then leaned her lips close to his ear and blew a gentle breeze. Shuddering, Izuku backed up to the other side of his bed.

"Izuku! It's not like you to oversleep. Are you alright?" Izuku heard the voice of his mother, Inko, coming towards his door.

Izuku reacted with abject horror as he jumped from his bed. "Crap! It's Mom! How am I gonna explain this?! Oh God- ARG!" He was suddenly stricken with the same pain as before. And like the first time, it was only for a brief moment before it went away like a bad memory. "That's the second time! What's causing it?"

"It's the norm for us Devils," Rias explained, not looking the least bit worried about possibly being seen naked together by Izuku's mother. "Just thinking about God or praying to Him can cause headaches."

"Never mind! We have to get decent- no, I have to get decent and I need you to hide before Mom sees you! At least put on a shirt!" Izuku shouted, trying to hide Rias with the blanket. Unfortunately, he didn't get far enough as Inko had already opened the door.

"Izuku, breakfast is almost ready! So get out… of… bed…" She lost track of her words upon seeing the crimson-haired girl in her son's bed, butt naked with the blanket only covering below her breasts, while Izuku was above her, with hands on the covers, also in his birthday suit.

Inko's face was the definition of shock, her eyes bulged and her mouth opened so wide you could lay eggs in it. Izuku didn't fare any better. He couldn't do anything else but smile nervously at the sight of his mother with sweat pouring from his face. Rias, on the other hand, was the only one who didn't look remotely disturbed as she gave a winning smile. "Good morning. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Um… I'll let you carry on while I finish breakfast." She slowly closed the door.

"Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly away…" He then winced as he felt another headache.

Rias simply giggled before she stood up. She soon began to get dressed, starting with her panties. "How's your tummy feel? Where you were stabbed."

Izuku then remembered the events of last night. "How did…"

"Your body is amazing. I didn't expect that," Rias said as she started putting on her bra. "You took quite a lethal blow and somehow were able to recover in just one night."

"Recover from what?"

"It left you weak. But all you needed was a little magic touch to bring you back," Rias answered. "I held you close while I used my magic. It only works if we are undressed." Izuku went lava red once again with steam flowing out. A haughty, almost lustful smirk appeared on Rias's face. "And you don't have to worry. We didn't do it; we're still virgins."

"Wh-why are you doing this?!"

"Because teasing you is so much fun."

The walk to Aldera today was different from his usual walk, in a way that was particularly embarrassing for Izuku. The closer he got to school, he could see some of his classmates and students from other classes, all with their own reactions. The boys glared daggers at him while their faces were twisted with envy. The girls were whispering at each other and possibly spreading gossip among themselves. And why was this happening? The answer was Rias, walking next to Izuku with her arms wrapped around his. Due to the close distance, he could smell strawberry perfume coming off her, its scent intoxicating.

"Um, R-Rias? W-Why are you w-walking so c-c-close to me?" Izuku asked, stuttering as he did.

"Just a precaution after what happened last night," Rias smiled, not giving much attention to the stares. "Besides, most guys would kill to be where you are now."

"Yeah… I can see that." Izuku muttered nervously, if looks could kill, he'd already be dead from the murderous glares from the male half of the crowd.

Rias couldn't help but giggle at the color of his face. It was in such a deep crimson that nearly matched her crimson hair, "You haven't been this close to a girl before, have you?"

"N-not recently," Izuku admitted shyly. "O-Other than my mom, a-and sometimes Akaninjin, I-I c-can't say I have much e-experience with girls. I tend to freeze up whenever any girl gets close to me, let alone a pretty one."

"Oh really," Rias teased cheerfully, "So you think I'm pretty?"

"W-well, don't a lot of people do?" Izuku stuttered. He was still red in the face and Rias was getting amusem*nt from every second of it.

"Well, your mother seemed to think so. She's a rather sweet woman," Rias replied.

Izuku didn't give a response as his face became somewhat uncertain. Instead, his mind wandered back to how breakfast went.

**********Flashback**********

"IZUKU! I'M SO HAPPY! YOU FINALLY BROUGHT A FRIEND OVER! AND IT'S A GIRL!" Inko cried as she hugged her son, squeezing him tight, tears of happiness flying from her eyes like fountains. "I can't believe this is happening! My baby boy brought over a girl to visit! And a very cute one too! Oh Izuku, I'm so happy for you! You're growing up so fast!"

"Mom! Please!" Izuku pleaded, trying to escape from the smothering of his mother. "Not in front of Rias!"

"Oh, you," Inko smiled, letting go of her son and wiping away her tears. "Don't be so shy. It's natural for boys your age to do this and that with a girl like her. Me and Hisashi didn't do it until we were in high school but you get my drift." She giggled as her face became flushed, "It was fun to have him underneath me in the sack…"

"MOM! TMI!" Izuku protested, his face red.

"So, Rias was it?" Inko asked, turning to the other woman at the table. "Sorry for being like that. It's just… It's been so long since my son brought anyone home and I got a little emotional… Please, don't mind me."

"It's fine, Mrs. Midoriya," Rias assured, having enjoyed the emotional woman's show.

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, dear. You can call me Inko if you want," Inko insisted. "And pardon me for asking, but are you a U.A. student?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rias confirmed, "I'm currently a first-year in the General Studies Course."

"Oh, that's nice," Inko said. "So Rias, how did you and my son meet?"

Rias then explained how she had met him while watching All Might carry off some Villain and how Izuku looked excited and started talking about how amazing All Might was and how he wanted to be a Hero too until he got a look at who he was talking to and then ran off in a hurry. And as for why she was there, it was because they met and stayed a little later than anticipated, so they just came home together.

Izuku had to admit, that was a nice save. He wasn't sure how he would explain the events of yesterday to his mother.

"So that's the case," Inko nodded, "Just promise that you'll keep my son safe."

"I'll do what I can, Ms. Inko," Rias promised her.

**********End Flashback**********

"Thanks for stopping Mom from making a fuss about… ya know…" Izuku said. He was grateful that Rias changed Inko's memories of seeing them naked, but he wasn't sure he liked Rias messing with his mom's memories.

Rias giggled at that as they arrived at Izuku's school, where the stares intensified, and gossip had already begun spreading.

"OMG! Who is that with Midoriya?"

"No way! Is that a U.A. Student?!"

"Are they dating? Really? Are they dating?"

"Why would a U.A. student date a Quirkless loser like him?"

"But they do look pretty cute together. Like a big sister and little brother combo."

"Waa! So cute!"

"Damn you, Midoriya! Gah!"

"Let the gossip games begin," Izuku groaned.

"C'mon, don't be so down. At least one thing's true…" Rias grinned at him with a glint in her eyes. Izuku could swear he noticed a mischievous fang in her smile, though he still couldn't help himself from being enchanted. Maybe it was just part of her charm. "We do look pretty cute together~."

"P-please s-stop t-teasing m-me," Izuku stammered as he looked away in shyness.

"You're adorable," she said playfully, poking him on the cheek. "Anyway, I'm heading over to U.A. I'll send you someone to fetch you later."

"Fetch me? Okay, where should I wait?" Izuku asked.

"Just wait in your class. See you later." She gave a lady-like wave and a wink before turning around to walk away from Aldera Junior High, making sure to put an extra swing in her steps.

As Izuku watched her leave, he couldn't help but be tranced by her swaying backside until he realized she was doing it intentionally and snapped himself out of it.

When he turned, he noticed the glares coming from the boys. This won't end well.

At his desk, did his best to avoid the wandering eyes of his classmates, not helped by the fact that his desk was pretty much in the middle of the room. It had been like that all day. Even Katsuki was glaring daggers, though not out of envy, but rather suspicion at how the hell Deku was able to get a pretty U.A. student to walk with him to school, assuming that Rias was a Hero Course student just because she went to U.A.

"Looks like I'm the center of attention now, literally," Izuku resigned himself to the unwanted attention. With all the classes now over, all he had to do was to wait for the person Rias had mentioned.

"Hey, Midoriya?" The sweet voice of Chacha spoke up.

Izuku turned his head to her. "Oh, hey Akaninjin. What's up?" Izuku asked, happy that there was still someone he could have normal conversations with.

"Is it true?" Chacha asked, "Did you really arrive at school with Gremory today?"

Izuku was not expecting her to say that. "You know her?"

"Uh, yeah…" Chacha replied. "I know someone who knows her. That's how."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah, she did come with me."

"Oh. That's… interesting," Chacha replied. "You know, I'm not sure I've ever seen Gremory interested in a boy. If she has her eyes set on you, she must find you very special."

"R-really?" Izuku muttered. "W-What's so s-special about me?"

"For one, you're incredibly kind, but whatever her reason, I wouldn't blame her for choosing you," Chacha smiled, a light blush visible even through the white fur.

Izuku felt a chill go up his spine from the way Chacha looked at him. 'When was it that girls started getting so weird?' he thought to himself, looking away nervously while blushing.

Katsuki scowled at the two, annoyed at Deku's obliviousness to Chacha's obvious crush on him. "Idiot…" he growled to himself.

Izuku's waiting seemed to finally come to an end when the door opened, causing the majority of the boys to fawn over. The girls' reactions were mixed as most sulked in envy while few sighed dreamily, almost like the boys. Even though he already knew the cause without even looking, he did so anyway.

It was a girl the same age as him, Yumi Kiba of Class 3-B. She had long flowing blonde hair and blue eyes, along with a bust that, while not as big as Rias's, was still pretty buxom. With a kind and courteous personality that made everyone around her feel welcome, combined with her beautiful appearance, she had the well-earned nickname, "Princess of Aldera."

Izuku had seen her a couple of times, but he never actually talked to her, believing that she was way out of his league. And now here she was, making her way to the center of the room, where Izuku's desk was.

"Hi," Yumi smiled. "Izuku Midoriya?"

"Uh, yeah," Izuku replied.

"Rias asked me to come get you," Yumi told him. "Would you mind coming with me?"

"Uh, sure," Izuku nodded, standing up with his bag.

With this interaction, the gossip games among both boys and girls went into another round.

"Rias… does she mean that redheaded girl? Then what happened this morning… was real?!"

"Did our Princess just take off with Midoriya?"

"Why would she go with that guy?!"

"Is it me… or do they look like they make a good couple?!"

"KYA! Kiba x Midoriya!"

"That's so cute…!"

Meanwhile, Katsuki watched the two leave. Unlike the other boys, he didn't have any hots for Yumi. He was too focused on getting into U.A., along with a general lack of interest in romance. Even so, he still found it bizarre that the prettiest girl in school would talk with a nerd like Deku.

After some walking with a train ride in-between, the two started to approach the U.A. campus.

"Wait, we're heading to U.A.?" Izuku asked.

"Our destination is one of the more public buildings, to be specific," Yumi explained.

Izuku had heard that most of U.A.'s campus was not open to the public, but there were some areas open to the public, like the clubs hosted by the General Studies Course.

Izuku naturally started getting nervous at his sudden-notice first trip to U.A. When they eventually reached their destination, a two-story building that looked like it was straight out of a horror movie, he began to sweat a little.

There was a sign above the front door that read "Occult Research Club."

"Rias will explain everything. C'mon," Yumi opened the door and held it open for Izuku. "We mustn't keep her waiting." Yumi urged him. Izuku nodded and followed Yumi inside. The inside, unlike the outside, was rather nice. Old gothic-style furniture and marble floors gave it a rather nice touch. But still, the room could use better lighting as the inside was practically a horror movie set.

"And here we are," Yumi said, opening the last door in the hall. Izuku stepped inside and looked around the room. Looking around, he could see the furniture set up together orderly. There was even a pentagram in a corner, and a few paintings hanging on the wall. Sitting on one of the sofas was the young white-haired girl, likely a year younger than Izuku at least, quietly munching on a pastry.

"Koneko," Yumi said, grabbing the shorter girl's attention, "I'm sure you already know about Midoriya." Koneko turned her eyes to Izuku and studied him silently.

"Uh… hi?" Izuku greeted quietly. Koneko simply gave a curt nod before going back to eating her sweets.

"You'll get used to it," Yumi told him, "Koneko doesn't really get along with new people much till she knows them better."

"Sure. Whatever you say," Izuku nodded.

"At the moment, we're not officially recognized as a club yet. But when we start U.A., then we can be registered as a proper club."

Izuku was surprised by what Yumi said. "Wait, you're applying for U.A. too?"

"Just for General Studies. I have no plans to be a Hero."

"I see," Izuku nodded. He heard that not everyone applying for U.A. was aiming for the Hero Course, though he never expected to meet anyone like that. Then the sound of running water was heard and he looked to the corner to see another room.

"A shower? Inside the club…?" Izuku asked.

"That would be Rias," Yumi told him, "She's a stickler for cleanliness."

"But right in the clubroom…? That's not even hers yet…?"

"Well, Buchou wouldn't settle for anything less," The black-haired girl walked out of the bathroom. "You're the new guy, huh? I'm Akeno Himejima. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you too."

Soon, the shower sound turned off, and a minute later, Rias stepped out dressed in her uniform while drying her hair with a towel. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Glad you could make it, Izuku. I'm sure you would like some answers now, correct?"

Izuku nodded, and Rias then sat down at the desk.

"I'll be frank with you. I'm not the only Devil here, Izuku."

Izuku gasped upon hearing that. "Wait, are you saying that's what all of you are?"

"Why yes, including you." With a snap of her fingers, jet-black wings stretched out from her, Akeno, Yumi, and Koneko's backs, without seeming to tear through their clothing. Izuku then felt a strange sensation in his back before an identical pair of wings shot out as well, much to his disturbance.

"Huh? What?!" Izuku gasped, as he stared at the black appendages that sprouted from behind him. "Is this real?! I'm a Devil?!"

"I assure you, Midoriya, this is very real," said Yumi. "It's a lot to take in, believe me."

"I'll continue," Rias said, folding her arms. "The truth is, it's not just humans… Devils, along with Angels and Fallen Angels, and even other supernatural beings, call this world their home. There are the benevolent and the others that are not. We Devils grant power to humans for a price we both agree on and then seal with a pact. The Fallen Angels use humans as tools to wipe us Devils out. And of course, there are the pure Angels who are sent down by God to defeat both us and the Fallen Angels. So we're constantly defending ourselves from both sides."

Izuku blinked a few more times. "You're right Kiba. This is a lot to take in."

Angels? Fallen Angels? Devils? They were all real? And now he was a Devil too? What… did this all mean? How did he get roped all into this? Questions went through Izuku's head as he sat on one of the sofas in the ORC room. "What… does this have to do with me?"

"Let's backtrack. Remember that monster you encountered?" Rias asked, to his surprise. He remembered that monstrous Villain that stabbed him and caused him great pain. "That wasn't some random Villain, it was a Stray Devil."

"'Stray Devil?' I remember that winged woman calling me a 'Stray' and trying to kill me because of it! What does that mean?" Izuku asked.

"Stray Devils start out as Reincarnated Devil servants," Yumi started. "Once in a while, a servant rebels and kills their master to gain freedom."

'Considering she turned me into a Devil without my say in it, I can see one reason why.' Izuku thought to himself.

"Those monsters are pure evil. Consumed by their own selfish desires, they wantonly devour any human unfortunate enough to wander into their turf. You were one of the unfortunate victims," Rias said the last part with a bit of remorse in her eyes. "You were beyond saving by normal means, and the only way was to turn you into a Devil. I was planning on approaching you normally and offering you a choice, but I ended up taking that right away from you. I'm sorry for that."

"I-It's okay. It's not your fault… I mean, it's not like any of us knew there would be a Stray, right…?" Izuku tried to rationalize.

"Thank you," Rias thanked. "Anyway, it's not just Stray Devils, there are also Fallen Angels, Stray priests, and demon slayers. They kill humans who come into contact with us, believing them to be tainted. They are especially dangerous to us because their powers are supported by the prayer of God. This city has been put under my protection, and it's my job to keep any more tragedies from happening."

"So then… you're like Musutafu's secret warriors?" Izuku asked.

"You could say that," Yumi nodded.

"Continuing the story, Raynare, the Fallen Angel from yesterday…" Rias continued.

"Yeah, how she tried to kill me and all, but I also heard her saying that it was convenient, and something about taking her eyes off me. Do you have any idea what she could mean by that?" Izuku asked.

"My guess is that she was sent over to observe you. Perhaps you have a Sacred Gear that the Fallens might've considered to be a threat?" Rias guessed.

"Sacred Gear? What is that?"

"Also known as God's Artifacts, Sacred Gears are basically items with very intense and unique powers that are found in a rare few," Akeno answered. "You could say they're like very special Quirks. In fact, the only people I know of who have possessed it are historical figures."

"Like for example, King Arthur Pendragon, Joan of Arc, Hercules, Beowulf, Sinbad the Sailor, Guan Yu, etc.," Rias added.

"Those are all legendary heroes from various stories all over the world," Izuku realized.

"Exactly," Rias smiled. "Every religion and Pantheon ever known are or were real. And within each legend, there are at least a few heroes who possess Sacred Gears. However, only humans or those with human ancestry are born with Sacred Gears. And so, they attract quite the attention from all three Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels.

Izuku then looked to where the hole should be in his stomach. "Is that why you turned me into a Devil?"

"Right," Rias said with a nod.

"So, I'm a Devil now, and also your servant?"

Rias nodded again.

"High-Class Devils like Buchou need a Peerage, or a team of servants, to rise up in the ranks of the Devils. Plus, it helps to be recognized if their servants are quite interesting as well," Akeno explained.

"Wow…" Izuku's head leaned towards the floor, his feet shuffling. His whole worldview had been turned upside down. "Can… Can I get some air and time to process this?"

"Understandable, take all the time you need," Rias nodded.

"Thanks…" Izuku bowed and turned to the door, but he ended up getting caught at the door, thanks to his wings which he forgot about.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Rias snapped her fingers, causing Izuku's wings to vanish. Unfortunately, he was still pulling to get free, so he ended up kissing the floor with a thud because of the momentum. After recovering, he got up and walked out while grumbling in slight pain.

"Well, I think he took it better than I thought he would," Akeno commented.

"He still seems unsure though," Koneko said.

"I don't blame him, but there was no other way. I'm sure he'll come around once he gets to clear his head," Rias said.

Chapter 3: New Life as a Devil

Chapter Text

Ch. 3: New Life as a Devil

With a bruise on his head and a lot of questions in his mind, Izuku exited the building. He was now a Devil; his life as a normal human was over. What did it mean for his life from now on? Would he never be able to be a Hero? Not helping him was the sunlight sapping his strength.

"My head's a mess…" he groaned. Near the ORC building, he spotted a bench so he decided to sit down and think. "Sacred Gear… apparently, I have one that's powerful enough that a Fallen Angel thought I might be a threat 'cause of it… Wait, could it be as powerful as All Might's Quirk, if not, greater? Then does that mean there are some Heroes who use Sacred Gears instead of Quirks or Support Items? Then if I can master my Sacred Gear, I can be a Hero? Though Kacchan might throw a fit if he found out…"

"I have to agree…"

"Gah!" Izuku looked up and saw Rias standing nearby, a slight look of amusem*nt on her face. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," she replied. "Was that one of your famous mumble sessions?"

"Uh… yeah… Where did you hear-"

"From Yumi." Rias then sat down next to him. "I take it your head's still fuzzy?"

"Yeah," Izuku admitted. "I'm grateful that you saved me, there's no denying that. But… becoming a Devil isn't really something I asked for."

"Yes, I know. Sorry," Rias sighed. "I'm guessing you're worried about your humanity now that you're a Devil?"

"Well, shouldn't I be?" Izuku asked.

"Well, rather than species, I personally think humanity is tied more to one's own morality," Rias stated. "I'm sure you've heard about plenty of evil Villains out there such as Toxic Chainsaw, right? Most of those humans are heinous and evil to the point that even some of the worst Devils would rather stay away from them. My point is, you don't have to stop being who you are just because you're a Devil."

"In other words, I'm not any different from any other human, just the wings on my back and aversion to light," Izuku questioned.

"You'll get used to sunlight eventually. Devils aren't all that different from humans aside from a few things such as cultural differences and that we don't usually have Quirks, along with few others. But that just makes contracts between both races that much simpler. Whether it's sinful or not, both sides have something they want."

Hearing this, Izuku felt somewhat relieved. Then, a question that he had asked himself all throughout his life came to mind. Even though he was afraid of how Rias might respond, he decided to take the gamble. "Rias… Do you think… I can be a Hero… even as a Devil?"

Rias smiled and said, "Yes. I believe that you can be a Hero."

After a moment for the words to sink in, Izuku began tearing up, this time in joy. As he wept, Rias reached over and placed his head into her ample bosom as she gave him a hug.

The next day after school, Rias and Izuku met at a small park to begin his training. Izuku needed to both learn about his Sacred Gear's abilities and bulk up if he was going to be ready for the U.A. Entrance Exam, which was just four and a half months away. Dressed in a mint green tracksuit, Izuku was currently running laps around the park. To make him work harder, not only was there a large tire tied to his waist with rope, but Rias, dressed in the standard U.A. gym uniform, sitting on that same tire. The combined weight caused Izuku to sweat bullets, making a drop-stained path in the dirt as he ran

"No slacking. It's another ten laps if you slow down!" Rias warned.

"Sorry…" Izuku panted tiredly, "Gonna… try… harder…!"

"Good answer," Rias said. "Strength means a lot in the world of Devils. After all, the strong are the ones who rise quickly in rank. Meaning I can't have my servants going soft on me. That's why I have a daily training regimen. Not to mention, this is to prepare you for the U.A. Entrance Exam, so step on it."

"O-Okay…" Izuku groaned.

After jogging, the next exercise was push-ups. Even with his sore muscles, it wouldn't have been too problematic, but having to do 100, along with Rias sitting on his back really added to the pressure. She wasn't heavy of course, but having someone sit on top of you while you were doing push-ups just made things harder.

"64…! Remind me again… 65…! Why you're… 66…! On my back…?" Izuku asked; his voice wheezing in the midst of his pushups.

"You need to increase your stamina," Rias explained plainly. "If you can't even handle your own power, then it practically means nothing. If your base physical stamina is stronger, you can make your abilities more powerful. Otherwise, magic and demonic power could wear down an unfit body."

"Right… stamina… 69…! Fit body… 70…! Understood… 71!"

"I'm guessing you've improved if you can talk while doing push-ups," Rias said, a sly look appearing on her face, "Maybe we can go another hundred?"

"Please, no!" Izuku quickly shouted.

"Then come on! Go faster!"

"R-right! 75…!" 'She's enjoying this a little too much.'

Izuku's muscles were pulsing and aching by the time he finally reached 100. He could only silently groan, wishing he could crawl back into his bed as he lay face-first on the ground in exhaustion.

"Good job!" Rias congratulated. "You finished within the time limit. Impressive." She took out a water bottle from her bag and handed it to Izuku.

"Th-thank you," Izuku greedily took the bottle and began to chug the liquid.

"Now then, let's uncover some facts about your Sacred Gear," Rias suggested as Izuku finished half the bottle.

"Yeah," Izuku agreed as he put away the half-finished bottle. "How do I use it?"

"First things first, let's find out what it is," Rias said, grabbing his left hand, which caused the younger boy to blush. "I believe it is hidden in your left hand. Try concentrating power there."

"Sure," Izuku closed his eyes to do as Rias told. Suddenly, an armored bracer emerged from his hand. It was red with yellow accents and a green jewel on top of the palm area. "Holy whoa! I did it! …But what is it?"

Rias took a moment to really study Izuku's Sacred Gear. "Hmm… It might be dormant right now, I can't really specify it." Then, it disappeared without warning.

"Wha-What happened?!"

Rias sighed. "It's okay, you're still learning," she then smirked. "But if you can keep training, I'm sure you'll be able to get it up and keep it up for a long time."

This caused Izuku's face to once again turn lava red. "Wh-Why d-did y-y-you s-say it l-like t-that?!"

"Because you make it too easy."

Soon, a week passed by ever since Izuku became a Devil, and he had learned a lot about what Devils do and was surprised that it was actually quite simple and straightforward. The previous night, he had been sent to deliver pamphlets that could be used to summon a Devil.

He learned from Rias that rising in rank and gaining recognition was an important part of Devil society, and there were three ways to achieve that. The fastest was through military achievements, but with the dangers and the ceasefire between the Three Factions, it was also a difficult path. The most common route, but also the longest and most tedious, was making contracts with humans. Lastly, there was also the Rating Games, but he didn't get much info, with Rias stating that it wasn't important right now.

He spent the daytime delivering fliers to people, and the time to respond to clients came at night. The go-to method of reaching their clients quickly was teleporting through magic circles which correspond to the fliers.

Unfortunately for Izuku, he was not able to teleport to his clients due to low Demonic Power, so he was forced to ride a bike to them. Izuku wasn't able to get many jobs due to scheduling issues with schoolwork and training.

His first client was Mr. Morisawa, one of Koneko's regulars, and despite the not-so-impressive first impression due to not coming from the flier like she did, they ended up getting along when it was revealed that he was also a Hero otaku like Izuku, and they ended up talking hours about Heroes and Izuku actually ended up getting a pact along with a limited edition All Might merchandise he missed out as payment. There was another client who was quite memorable but for the wrong reasons. The image of Mil-tan in a magical girl cosplay would've been cute if Mil-tan wasn't a giant of a muscle man.

He could at least summon his Sacred Gear more easily by now, but they still couldn't figure out what it was. So for now, he focused on training, hoping that they'll be able to learn more about it soon.

As he jogged through a park, he heard a girl screaming.

"Ooof!"

"Hmm?" Izuku looked toward the source and saw a girl lying face-down on the ground with her butt raised in the air. Her hair was long and blonde, flowing down to her back, with a cowlick on top. Her attire consisted of a dark teal nun dress and white veil with light blue accents, and a brown satchel hanging from her left shoulder. Lastly, instead of legs, her lower body below the waist consisted of a long, yellow snake tail.

In front of her was an opened suitcase, bits of clothes spewed about, along with a silver cross necklace. "Oh no, it looks like I fell down again," she groaned. "I'm such a klutz."

Izuku, without hesitation, ran over to her, offering his hand. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, really," she said as she took Izuku's hand. Then, a sudden gust of wind blew her veil away, but Izuku quickly got it back for her.

"That was very sweet of you," the girl said as she put her veil back on.

"D-Don't worry, i-it was n-nothing," Izuku said.

"Umm… I'm sorry but… I'm a little bit lost, do you think you can help me out?" the girl asked with a smile.

"So, are you a tourist?" Izuku asked.

"Oh no, not at all…" the girl replied. "As a matter of fact, I was just assigned to serve the church in this city."

"Right, you're a nun. That explains the uniform." 'Is the church she's referring to the abandoned one near the Korusanto ward?' "I think I know where it is. Would you like me to lead you?"

The girl's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled. "Really? I'm so glad I ran into someone kind like you! It must be an act of God's divine grace!" She said, making a sign of the cross with her hand.

A sharp pain rocketed through Izuku's head, causing him to gag.

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing!" Izuku said; the pain was now gone. "Just a little migraine! I'm fine now! Let's go!"

With that, Izuku led the way, with the confused girl not far behind. As she slithered beside him, Izuku couldn't help but notice the silver cross necklace around her neck and got chills.

"Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah. It's all good."

Before they could get far, the sound of a young boy crying caught their attention. Without hesitating, the girl slithered over to him. "Hey, wait a minute!"

The boy kept crying as his mother tried to get her son to stop. A cut on his knee was the cause of the boy's distress.

"A big boy like you shouldn't cry over a scrape. Don't worry, you're gonna be fine," The girl reassured as she placed her hands over the boy's knee, and two small, silver rings with a light green gem appeared on her middle fingers. Then, a light green glow appeared over the boy's knee. Izuku's arm suddenly began to ache.

Izuku, the boy, and the mother's eyes widened as the cut disappeared along with the glow.

"Ya see… There's no reason for you to cry at all. You're just fine." said the girl. Indeed, the boy's knee was completely healed.

"Oh, wow. Thanks, Miss!" The boy said as he got back up.

"Yes, thank you. That's an amazing Quirk you've got, young lady," the boy's mother said.

"All done now, sorry!" The girl said to Izuku.

Then, the boy and his mother left, waving goodbye and thanking her while doing so.

"So that's your Quirk?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, no. That wasn't a Quirk," she replied. "It's actually a miraculous power to heal granted to me by God. Truly, it's wonderful."

Izuku realized the only thing that light could've been: a Sacred Gear. 'She has a Sacred Gear, too? Is that why my hand ached like that?' He looked at his left hand, which held his own Sacred Gear. 'She's able to both freely summon it and use its power. Right now, I can only summon mine for about ten minutes, and even then I still don't know what it can do.' Then he noticed that she seemed a little down when she said the last part.

Clenching his fist, Izuku and the girl continued on their way to the church.

After about twenty minutes, the two reached the edge of the Korusanto ward, the church in plain view atop a hill. "Hey! There it is!" the girl exclaimed. "Thank goodness I found it. That's a relief."

Izuku, however, felt a harsh chill throughout his body. 'My body won't stop shaking…' "Well, I should be going now…"

"No, wait!" She grabbed hold of Izuku's arm. "Let me thank you properly. Would it be a problem for you to come inside with me?"

"I can't," Izuku did his best to stop his body from shaking. "Thing is, I need to get home soon."

"Oh, that's okay…" the girl said, "Guess I should go too. It was sweet of you to help me find my way. My name is Asia Argento."

"And my name is Izuku Midoriya." Izuku introduced himself. "You're welcome."

"Izuku, huh? Well uh, so… Meeting you here was a blessing, and I know for sure it's one I won't forget. I hope we see each other again…" Asia said.

"Yeah, me too."

"If you're ever bored or in the neighborhood, come by and visit me at the church. That's where I'll be."

"Sounds good. I'll see you soon… have a good one," Izuku said as he turned to leave.

"Thanks, you have a good one, too!" Asia said as she waved goodbye.

"You must never go near the church again, Izuku," Rias warned.

"Why?" Izuku asked.

"For Devils like us, the church is enemy territory. Simply setting foot inside would create major problems for both Angels and Devils. Surely you could sense that something was telling you to be careful?"

"Oh. That's what it was…" Izuku said. "When I went near the church, I thought I felt a chill, and my left hand tensed up."

"That was your Devil instinct telling you danger was near," Rias elaborated. "Being in close proximity to someone from the church is a very risky proposition. Also… what's even more dangerous is that some of the exorcists affiliated with the church use Sacred Gears. They could really hurt you. Izuku…"

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"Just know that if a Devil receives a Devil-purge, it's utterly annihilated. Nil… The end of the line. They can feel nothing… They're gone forever. You can never come back from that. Do you understand?"

"I got it," Izuku responded.

"I'm sorry. I've gotten too worked up. I want you to be more careful, that's all."

"Of course," Izuku said as he watched her walk out. "I guess I made her worry." He then thought back to Asia. 'Sorry, Argento. Looks like I'm not gonna be able to keep my promise…'

The next day, Izuku continued his training, doing some more jogging around the city. And then he tripped.

'Oh, great…'

Izuku closed his eyes as he took a nosedive, bracing himself for the impact with the hard ground that never came. Opening his eyes, Izuku saw that his fall had been broken by a giant hand, which belonged to a girl with orange hair.

"You okay?" The girl asked as she helped Izuku steady himself before shrinking her hand to normal size.

She was about the same height as him with teal eyes and her hair tied into a left-side ponytail. She was wearing a light yellow shirt and white shorts.

"T-T-Thanks F-For that." Izuku stuttered.

"What happened to make you suddenly trip like that?" the girl asked.

"Oh, you know. J-Just my luck, I g-guess…" Izuku said. "So uh, what are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking…?"

"Training for the U.A. Entrance Exam," the girl replied.

"You too?!" Izuku said. "I never expected to randomly meet someone applying for U.A. on my jog."

"Well, neither did I. Oh, I'm Itsuka Kendo."

"I-I-Izuku M-Midoriya," Izuku introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Midoriya. Maybe we'll see each other again at the Exams, you never know. Anyway, I'm heading off now, see ya!" Kendo said before heading off in the distance.

Izuku watched her go before resuming his own workout.

Not long after, Izuku returned to the ORC building where Rias was present.

"I'm back," Izuku said.

"Good. It looks like your training is coming along smoothly. Keep it up and you'll ace the Entrance Exam, no problem," Rias said.

"Thank you…" Izuku said.

Then, Akeno came into the room.

"You're still here… I thought you had gone home for the day," Rias said.

"We just received a message from the archduke," Akeno explained.

"The archduke?"

"It was urgent… A Stray Devil has been causing trouble nearby," Akeno reported, causing Rias's face to become serious.

"A Stray Devil? You mean like the one that nearly killed me?!" Izuku asked, frightened.

Hearing this, Rias turned to her newest servant in concern. "While itissomething you'll have to do eventually, I'll let you sit this one out, Izuku. I'm sure you must still have some trauma from the first encounter."

Izuku was actually relieved that Rias wasn't forcing him to go, but a part of him still felt obligated to go, even if it was just to observe. The Stray Devils were like serial killers, and in a sense, Villains. As an aspiring Hero, he would have to face murderous Villains like that, even though the ones he would be fighting were likely to be humans. "Thanks for the offer, but I decline. If I'm gonna be a Hero, I'll have to face dangers and scary situations, I can't let fear get the better of me."

Rias was surprised that Izuku was actually willing to face his fears, and became impressed by the boy. "Alright. You can come along. But since you're still new to this, I only want you to observe, see how your seniors handle it."

"That's fine by me," Izuku responded.

On the outskirts of the city, the red light of the Gremory magic circle flashed as the whole peerage arrived on the scene, right in front of an abandoned manor that was visibly worn down. The walls were wrapped in mold, the windows were broken, and the paint was peeling off.

"According to the reports, this Stray has been tricking people into that abandoned house and eating them…" Akeno gave some context.

Izuku flinched at the mention of the Stray eating people and recalled his own near-death experience as Stray Devil chow.

"Tonight's job shouldn't be too hard; just find the beast and kill it," Akeno finished.

Then, the group entered the mansion, looking all over for the Stray.

"Izuku…" Rias said. "Are you familiar with the game of chess?"

"Yeah, sort of…" Izuku replied. He never played chess before, but he knew all the pieces at least, though for their roles, only the part that the King was the most important piece, and when it was taken, that was the end.

"As the master, I'm the King… My empress is the Queen… My cavalier, the Knight… My tank, the Rook… My clergymen, the Bishop… And my foot soldier, the Pawn." Rias started explaining. "Devils with titles of nobility grant the characteristics of these pieces to each of their servants."

"That sounds pretty cool," Izuku said.

"We have a special name for them… We call them our 'Evil Pieces,'" Rias finished.

"'EvilPieces?!' Why does it have the word 'Evil' in the name?" Izuku asked.

"Don't worry, the 'Evil' is just in-name-only, I assure you," Rias clarified.

"Oh, that's good…" Izuku sighed in relief.

"Anyway, pay close attention to my Devils as they do battle here tonight."

"Right."

"It's here," Koneko said.

A soft, yet deranged voice then spoke up. "Now what could that foul, fecal smell be? Mmmm, and something smells quite delicious as well…! I wonder if it tastes sweet? Or bitter!" The owner of the voice then stepped out into the light, and it could clearly be seen that she was a naked woman.

"WHY IS SHE NAKED?!" Izuku cried out as he covered his eyes, trying not to stare too much, his face a deep crimson.

"Viser, you wretch… You betrayed your master and ran away to fulfill the lustful wants and desires that have consumed you," Rias declared. "Your sins are worthy of a thousand hells. In the name of the great Marquis of Gremory… Be gone! Or meet your death!"

"Oh, just give it a rest, you little slu*t! You always have had it in for me! You're just jealous 'cause your breasts will never be as luscious as these!" Viser said as she began fondling her own breasts.

"This is your final warning: Go back to your master now!" Rias warned.

"This one's quite different from the one I ran into," Izuku said, finally having mustered the willpower to look.

"Let me show you what I'm made of then!" Viser then revealed the rest of her body, but it was nowhere near as beautiful. Her lower body was like a centaur's, except her front legs instead had the appearance of human arms with red claws, and at her rear, she had a snake for a tail. Her upper beautiful and lustful body was obviously bait to hide the hideous monster that she really was.

"I take it back! That is very much like the Stray I ran into!" Izuku said, horrified.

"That's the way with Stray Devils," Yumi said, sword in hand. "Their bodies and minds become twisted and ugly."

Then, magic circles appeared on Viser's nipples, and without warning, beams shot out from the nipples.

Everyone ran for cover to avoid being hit by the beams, and it was a good thing they did, too, because the parts of the wall that the beams hit started melting as if they were splashed with acid.

"Did she just shoot acid from her nipples?" Izuku asked.

"Please be careful," Rias advised before turning toward Yumi. "Yumi!"

Yumi got her sword ready and vanished from sight.

"She just vanished!"

"No she didn't, she's just moving fast," Rias corrected. "In this game, she's my Knight. Her attribute is speed. And her ultimate attack weapon is her sword."

Reappearing in a flash, Yumi sliced off Viser's front legs before the corrupted She-Devil could even react.

Viser screamed in pain as blood spewed from her wounds.

Then, Koneko stepped up to face Viser next.

"Koneko! Watch out!" Izuku shouted.

Viser's face started to become monstrous as the rest of her body, her eyes became pitch black, her teeth became sharp fangs, and a fanged mouth opened up on her lower body. Without warning, Viser lunged at Koneko and closed her lower jaws around the small girl.

Izuku watched in horror, but Rias seemed unfazed.

"It's alright…" she said, to his surprise. Then Viser's stomach mouth was forced open from the inside as Koneko emerged unharmed. "In the game, she's my Rook. Her attribute is simple… She has unparalleled strength. That won't even put a dent in her."

"See you on the flip side," Koneko muttered as she slammed her fist into Viser, breaking all the teeth on her lower jaws and sending her crashing into a pillar.

'Mental note to self. Do not make her mad.' Izuku thought.

"Akeno?" Rias turned to the last member.

"Oh, is it my turn?" Akeno smiled. "How exciting. I so love this game."

Then, one of Viser's severed front legs started moving and tried to grab Rias, but fortunately, Izuku noticed it and, summoning his Sacred Gear, punched the leg away.

"Thanks for that, Izuku," Rias said.

"No problem, my body did that on its own."

"Akeno, finish her off please," Rias ordered.

"I've got news for you: You're not the only one who likes to play rough here… So, let's have some fun!" Akeno said as lightning started crackling in her hands.

"Akeno is my Queen. Her attributes are a perfect combo of all the other pieces. She's simply unbeatable."

"Tough girl… Not ready to give up yet? Goody! I get to play some more!" Akeno then unleashed a lightning bolt on Viser, causing the Stray to scream in pain as her body was scorched by the lightning.

"Her weapon is a dark, magical power… And that's not all…" Rias continued explaining.

Akeno's face now had a faint blush to it as she licked her lips. "This violence… It's making me so hot."

"She's really into S&M."

"Is this as good for you as it is for me?!" Akeno continued to torture Viser.

"You mean she gets off on this?" He sounded a little disturbed.

"Akeno… I think she's had enough," Rias said.

Akeno stopped her attack, and Viser collapsed to the ground. "Aww, over already? I was just starting to enjoy myself."

Rias then approached the defeated Stray. "Any last words before we finish this?"

"Go to hell," Viser cursed.

"Alright. How about we get it over with then?" Rias summoned a magic circle. "Game over." Then, the same dark energy that Rias had used to eliminate the Stray Devil that attacked Izuku was unleashed on Viser, annihilating every trace of her. "We're done here. Come on. Let's go home."

"Sounds good to me," Yumi, Koneko, and Akeno responded.

"But wait a second," Izuku said.

"What's wrong?" Rias asked.

"What am I? What chess piece? I'd just like to know how I fit in. Tell me: Am I a Knight or something like that?"

"You're a Pawn," Rias replied before turning to leave.

"A Pawn? A foot soldier? Oh," Izuku said, almost like he was in some sort of resignation.

Chapter 4: Psycho Priest Freed Sellzen

Chapter Text

Ch. 4: Psycho Priest Freed Sellzen

Under the night sky, Izuku was riding his bike to a client's house. It was normally one of Koneko's clients, but because she was too booked with other summons, he had been asked to take it instead.

Eventually, Izuku arrived at the client's house which was a relatively simple one. He set his bike to the side and rang the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer. When he got no answer for a few minutes, he tried the doorknob, and to his surprise, it wasn't locked.

"It's unlocked. That doesn't seem very safe," he muttered as he decided to look inside. "Hello! I'm the Devil sent here by Lady Gremory! Is anybody home?!"

When he took a few steps inside, he suddenly felt the very same chill he had when he showed Asia to the church. 'Uh-oh. I had those chills again.' "If you're home, please say something!" He noticed a light in one of the rooms, but he still got no response at all.

Then, against his better judgment, Izuku decided to enter the house, closing the door behind him. "Pardon the intrusion. I'm coming inside!"

As Izuku made his way to the room, he tried looking for someone, only to step onto something wet. "Floor's wet," he commented as he tried to wipe his feet dry with his hands. However, the liquid that soaked his feet wasn't thin clear water, but rather, thick red blood. 'Is this blood?'

Izuku looked down to see a puddle of blood on the floor, coming from a mutilated corpse of a man. Or at least he thought it was a man. It was kinda hard to make out their gender with all the skin stripped off.

Izuku quickly brought his hand to his mouth to prevent himself from vomiting. Written above on the wall in red was a message: "DIVINE PUNISHMENT FOR sh*tTY SINNERS WHO HAVE GIVEN UP ON HUMANITY!"

"What the hell?!" Izuku blurted out in shock.

"'Punish the wicked.' Words to live by." Another man in the room, who was not a corpse, said. "Wise advice to heed from a holy man." Despite his preachings, the maniacal look with his tongue sticking out made it clear that he was anything but a holy man. He had short white hair, red eyes, and was dressed in the coat and outfit of a priest. "Well, well. You just walked into the wrong house, my friend… Freed Sellzen here, at your service." He introduced himself with a bow. "And you must be the scared little puss* whose Devil ass this holy priest is gonna exorcise!"

"A priest?!" Izuku gasped.

"Yep. I work for a certain Devil-purging organization you may have heard of," Freed confirmed.

"So you're the one who did this?!" Izuku asked, pointing to the dead person.

"Summoning you was proof that he's done being human," Freed said before turning toward the corpse. "End of the line, sinner!" Then he turned back to Izuku. "So I had to chop him up into little bitty pieces! Putting down degenerate Devils, and the lost souls that would cry out to them is my job. And no one is better at it than me!" Freed then took out a silver gun. "With my righteous gun, I'm gonna blow a hole in your wicked demon face. How does that sound, Devil?!"

"You would kill a man just because he was talking to Devils?!" Izuku shouted in anger. "Aren't you a servant of God, how could you just take a man's life so easily?!"

"Oh, what's this? Does the rotten-ass Devil want to be a lecturer now? Like I'm just gonna stay put and let some scummy sh*t Devil tell me what to do! I say 'f*ck that!'" Freed said. "Let me remind you. Devils feed on human desire. The humans who give you substances can't be considered human anymore. That's why I killed him, to save his soul from being tainted further. Harsh, but that's God's mercy for ya! Amen~!" He kicked the head into the wall, causing it to splatter and cause more gore.

"Don't give me that crap! You're just using God as an excuse to commit heinous murder!" Izuku growled.

"Y'know, I don't know why we're even still talking here instead of me making Swiss cheese out of ya. So let's get my priorities straight!" Freed then laughed as he aimed his pistol at Izuku, but luckily, he managed to race to the side, dodging the shot.

However, he was not as lucky the second time as Freed's next shot went through his leg, making him collapse in pain.

"These bullets have been blessed by an exorcist… Hope they taste good, scumbag?!"

Izuku let out a cry of pain before summoning his Sacred Gear. "Damn you!"

"Ooh… is the Devil angry?" Freed mocked. "Maybe it's time for Freed Sellzen to send you back to the abyss from whence you came!"

Izuku fought with the pain to try and hit Freed, but he didn't have to make too much effort as he casually dodged Izuku. "Too slow!" Freed then put another hole in Izuku through his stomach. "Get a guy worked up and leave him half-co*cked? That's no way for a lady to treat a gentleman like myself!"

Freed was about to put another hole in Izuku when he was interrupted by a girl screaming. It was Asia.

"What the hell? Asia, what are you doing here? Are you done creating the barrier already?" Freed asked.

Izuku recognized the name and turned to see the familiar blonde snake girl, who stared horrified at the mangled corpse.

"Don't… don't do this…" Asia begged.

"Right, a newbie! Well then, I guess it's time you learned! This is what the job is, my dear… We dispose of unfortunate people who have been bewitched by the evil Devils," Freed said in a sad*stic tone.

Asia then turned to see Izuku on the ground. "No. It can't be."

"Argento, I-"

"What's going on? Do you two know each other?" Freed asked.

"Izuku, why are you here?"

Izuku, unable to keep the truth from her, decided to confess. "I'm here… because… I'm a Devil, Argento."

"No… That can't be true," Asia said in denial.

"I didn't want to lie to you… I swear that I didn't… That's why I decided it was best not to see you again… Please forgive me."

"Oh heavens," Asia said with her hand over her mouth.

"Not that this isn't heartwarming…" Freed suddenly barged into the conversation. "But you and your friend here have no business being together. The Fallen Angels have expressly forbidden all forms of contact between our kind and theirs. Have you forgotten that already?

'Fallen Angels?' Izuku thought.

"Now then, shall we go ahead and do what we came here to do?!" Freed pointed his pistol at Izuku with a sinister grin. "Not that it matters much, but I hope you said your prayers!"

But then, Asia slithered in front of Izuku, spreading her arms to defend him.

"Argento?"

"You've got to be kidding me with this," Freed said in annoyance.

"Please don't, I beg you for mercy… Forgive this man for his sins, Father…! Couldn't we just let him go?" Asia pleaded with tears in her eyes.

"That thing isn't a man. It's a Devil. You made a pledge to our enemies!" Freed reminded.

"It doesn't matter to me what he is. There's goodness in him, I know it!" Asia declared. "You can't just kill him, how can you actually believe the Father would approve?!"

"Enough of this bullsh*t!"

The next thing that happened caused Izuku's blood to boil.

That asshole backhanded Asia in the face!

"BASTARD!" Izuku shouted, his vision turning red. He didn't get far as his wounds forced him back down, "Ah! Damn it!" Unbeknown to Izuku, the green jewel on his Sacred Gear began to glow green.

"You've lost your f*cking mind! What? Are there maggots growing inside that stupid head of yours?!" Freed pinned Asia down by the throat as he reached down and tore open her dress, leaving only her bra left.

"Let her go!" Izuku demanded.

"Our Fallen Angel friend says I'm not supposed to hurt you, but I don't give a damn about that now… You know what happens to naughty girls, don't you?!" Freed smirked, squeezing Asia's breasts. The poor girl flinched and gasped from the squeezing, "Why shouldn't an upstanding priest do what he wants with a filthy tramp like you? That's not so wrong, is it?!"

"Don't hurt me!" Asia begged.

"Stop it! SACRED GEAR!"

"Nani?" Freed turned to see Izuku charging up a green ball of energy in his left hand. Then the shot fired and hit Freed in the chest, knocking him through the wall and away from Asia.

Izuku panted heavily as the gem in his Sacred Gear stopped glowing, "Looks like I'm finally getting the hang of this thing," he said, tiredly.

Asia quickly got up and turned toward Izuku. "You're hurt…" she said softly, observing his wounds.

"Pain's… nothing new for me," Izuku joked despite the pain. "Ow…"

"Here, let me…" Asia then put her hands over Izuku's wounds and when they were basked in the green light of healing, they started to fade, along with the pain.

"Holy whoa… I feel better!" Izuku said, tapping the area for good measure. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Asia smiled. "It's the least I can do to repay you from before."

Izuku then noticed the large bruise on Asia's cheek, where Freed had struck her. "Does it hurt?"

"It's okay," she said. "You had it worse."

The two had a quick laugh, but the heartwarming moment was suddenly interrupted by a noise coming from the wall. It was Freed, who had recovered from Izuku's attack. "Oh, right. Forgot to kill ya," he huffed.

Asia then placed herself in front of Izuku again. "I won't let you hurt him anymore."

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about i-" Freed said, but then, without any warning, Asia's blonde hair rose up and turned into green, thorny vines that shot out toward Freed, ensnaring him. "DAFUQ?!"

"Forgive me, Father Freed, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing while you commit such horrible sins," Asia said.

[Asia Argento. Her Quirk: Hair Vines. She can transform her hair into green vines that she can grow and control at will. Plus, they're detachable. As long as she gets plenty of water and sunlight, they can grow instantly.]

Seeing this, Izuku was amazed by Asia's Quirk, from how quickly she was able to turn her hair into vines to how she quickly managed to catch Freed.

"Think these weeds can hold me? Think again!" Freed shouted as he revealed a sword of light and cut through Asia's vines with it, to her surprise. "Lucky for me, I had my trusty lightsaber! Never leave home without one!"

Izuku stood up and got in front of Asia to defend her if needed.

"I'll admit. I'm impressed…" Freed said. "Whaddaya say we go for a new world record, Devil scum?! Let's see how many pieces of meat I can chop you into!"

Then, Freed jumped into the air, ready to lunge at Izuku, but before Freed could do any harm to Izuku, the red magic circle of the Gremory appeared, and Yumi leaped out, blocking Freed's blade with her own.

"Kiba!"

"Hey, Izuku. Thought you could use a hand," Yumi said.

Then, Akeno peeked in through the portal. "Oh, this is gross. Talk about a nasty mess."

"An exorcist," Koneko growled as she came through.

"You guys came…" Izuku said in relief.

"Hell yeah! Now we've got ourselves a good ole' fashioned gang bang!" Freed cheered, wielding both his sword and gun.

"You're done here. Sorry to disappoint you, but he's one of us," Yumi said.

"Oh, I'm far from disappointed, trust me!" Freed retorted. "Ooh, and aren't you a lovely one, Gorgeous? Tell me, mind if I f*ck you up, too?!"

Yumi sweat-dropped. "For a priest, that's quite a mouth you've got there…" she said in a cold tone that was out of character.

"What are you, the impiety police? Get off your high horse, Princess! Hunting your kind is my only concern!" Freed said. "So stop preaching and let's get to it!"

"My my, this guy certainly is a piece of work," Akeno commented.

"And you, my dear, are a hot piece of ass!" Freed said while holding the sword's hilt near his crotch for some reason. "Oh, those eyes are killing me. Blondie might be a real cutie, but the one I really like to lust after is a sexy Devil bitch!"

"If you want it, then come and get some…" Rias's voice said, to Freed's surprise at the arrival of the new voice. He then had to leap to the side to avoid a destructive energy blast from Rias. "But I really don't think you could handle it. Nobody hurts one of my servants."

"Rias!" Izuku said.

"Well… look who finally showed their tit*?" Freed said, realizing Rias was the leader. "Don't get ahead of yourself though, 'cause I'm pretty sure I just hurt him."

"It's alright… I'm here," Rias reassured him.

"Thanks a lot. I'm sorry you had to come to bail me out again," Izuku apologized.

"No. I'm the one who's sorry, Izuku," Rias stroked Izuku's cheek. "I sent you into the hands of an exorcist, and I had no idea. There was a barrier here until a moment ago, so we didn't even realize."

"You little bitch! You didn't do a proper job with the barrier and now it's gone!" Freed shouted at Asia. He then blazed across the room with his sword swinging. Eyes narrowing, Yumi bent her legs before she suddenly blurred out of sight.

"She disappeared?!" Asia gasped.

Yumi reappeared before Freed, this time armed with a sword cloaked in darkness. The two blades clashed against each other as both young sword users tried to overpower the other. "Attacking just like that out of the blue," Yumi mocked. "You have no class."

"Hah? I'm supposed to give sh*ts about that?" Freed laughed.

But then, the dark aura coming from Yumi's sword spread out, enveloping Freed's sword of light and making the blade start to flicker. Freed quickly realized that his blade was losing power, so he took the smart route and jumped back from Yumi's oncoming slash. "The f*ck?!"

"Sorry, but this sword is special," Yumi told him, gripping the hilt with two hands. "It can devour the light."

"So you're another Sacred Gear wielder huh? Should've guessed," Freed sighed.

"That's right. And it's called Sword Birth," Yumi said.

[Yumi Kiba. Her Sacred Gear: Sword Birth. She can create any Demonic Sword she can imagine and imbue them with all sorts of different attributes.]

"Kiba has a Sacred Gear, too?!" Izuku asked.

Then he was suddenly struck with pain in his leg.

"Try not to move too much, Izuku," said Asia. "Your leg hasn't fully healed yet."

"'Hasn't fully healed yet?'" Rias repeated. "What did that madman do to you, Izuku?"

"Freed shot me in the leg and stomach, but Argento healed me," Izuku replied.

Slowly, Rias turned toward the vulgar priest. "Is that right?"

"Yep!" Freed giggled. "Truth is, I was planning to carve up every inch of his body after I filled him with holes, but then that sh*tty nun had to screw everything up-!"

*BOOM!*

"Huh?" Freed was suddenly cut off from his rant when a gigantic hole appeared in the wall just centimeters from his head. He took a peek at the hole before turning back to Rias, whose entire body was now glowing a crimson red.

"I never forgive people who try to do harm to one of my servants… And I especially don't tolerate insidious wretches like you…" Rias growled, her voice both calm yet dripping with rage at the same time.

Both Izuku and Asia trembled at the display. 'She's scary!'

"Your terrible evil has no place in this world. That's why I'm here: to purge it!"

"Well, sh*t. Big Red over there could be a problem… I may need some backup," Freed said as he pulled something out of his robes. "I'm getting the f*ck out of Dodge before they arrive to reinforce the ambush."

"'They'?" Rias questioned.

Koneko then sniffed the air. "Fallen Angels are coming."

"Just in the nick of time too! Hope you're hungry; 'cause light spears are on the menu for you!" Freed then smashed the thing on the ground, releasing an intense flash of light that blinded the youths, allowing him to make a smooth getaway.

"Agh!" Izuku rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the spots coloring his vision before it returned to normal. Freed was gone. "A flashbang?!"

"So what's the plan?" Akeno asked.

"Right now, we just need to get Izuku out of here," Rias said. "Akeno, prepare to jump."

"Right," Akeno started preparing a portal.

"Rias, wait! What about Argento?!" Izuku asked. "We should take her with us!"

"I'm afraid only members of my household can jump with this magic circle. Sorry, but it wouldn't work," Rias apologized.

"I'm not gonna leave her behind!"

"But there's no way she'll survive the magic."

"Then I'll just bring her on my bike!"

"But she's aligned with the church," Yumi said. "By default, that makes us enemies."

"Even so, she still healed me without prejudice. I'm not abandoning her for petty reasons like that!" Izuku declared. He then grabbed Asia's hand and led her toward the front entrance. "See you back at the club room!"

"I hope you know what you're doing," Rias prayed as she, Akeno, Koneko, and Yumi vanished into the portal.

It didn't take long for the news of the murder to spread. Not long after Izuku had left with Asia, the police arrived, but by then, the only person left was the corpse. From the messy way it had been chopped up, it would be difficult to identify who the body originally was. One piece of evidence that had been left behind was the message written in blood, making out to be the work of some religious fanatic. But that also meant the murderer had fled the scene and was still at large.

Izuku called his mom to let her know that he was safe and unharmed and that he was currently planning on staying with Rias until the heat dies down. Right now, he was in the clubroom, using bleach to clean out the blood from his shoes while sitting on a couch. Meanwhile, Asia was using the shower room, washing off the sweat and blood from her body, especially her tail which had been in direct contact with the gore. Honestly, Izuku couldn't help but feel sorry for her considering what she had to go through.

"You shouldn't have brought her here," Rias said, handing Izuku a bucket of water.

"Why? Was it really that wrong of me for wanting to help someone affiliated with the church?" Izuku asked, taking the water bucket to wash the bleach off his sneakers. "Are you being resistant because the ones who are on the side of God are dangerous to us?"

"There's more to it than that," Rias sighed. "That girl… is a heretic. In other words, she's in cahoots with the Fallen Angels."

"She's a heretic?" Izuku repeated, confused.

"For several reasons, there are often times when the servants of God who were once faithful end up going rogue. As they can no longer rely on God for protection, they tend to lend their services to Fallen Angels, who were cast out from Heaven." Rias explained. "That girl must have some reasons for why she is working with the Fallen Angels."

"Oh…" Izuku sighed, looking down.

"Izuku, I get how you feel and I want to help her too, really…" Rias said. "But we could cause an unwanted incident if we continue to involve ourselves in the affairs of the Fallen Angels. I'm afraid all I can do is give her a place to stay for the night. After that, she's on her own."

"I understand…" Izuku and Rias turned and saw Asia slithering out of the shower room. She had a towel wrapped around her hair and wore some spare clothes that were lent to her by Rias. Her original torn clothing was on a tray table, folded neatly. "I appreciate you letting me clean myself in the shower," Asia bowed. "It was gracious of you."

"Argento, please tell me…" Izuku began, "Why were you around that nutjob?"

"Father Freed?" Asia questioned.

"Yeah, that's what I want to know," Izuku replied. "You're the complete opposite of that bloodthirsty psychopath, and I feel like there's more to the story."

"You're right. I didn't have much choice…" Asia admitted with a sad look in her eyes. "It all happened when I was excommunicated from the church three weeks ago for healing a Devil out of my own free will, and I had nowhere else I could turn to."

"You actually healed a Devil even though you were still with the church?" Rias blinked, surprise evident on her face. "Why?"

"I couldn't just ignore someone who was injured very badly, even if he was a Devil," Asia replied. "Then I was caught by a local priest while I was in the midst of healing him. Because of this, I was labeled as a witch and cast out."

"That healing power you have, it comes from a Sacred Gear, right?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, it does," Asia nodded, sitting down on the sofa across from Izuku. "It's called Twilight Healing. You see, I was abandoned by my real parents. They left me in front of a church in a small town in Europe. I was told when they found me, I wouldn't stop crying. The sweet nuns there brought me up. One day, when I was about eight, a sad little puppy who was hurt real bad found its way into the church where I lived. I prayed as hard as I could that God would spare him… And when I did, a miracle happened. Because of my power, I was immediately taken to a larger church. Men and women from all over the world would visit when they were injured and I was told to heal all of them. The idea that I possessed this thing that could actually help other people made me so happy. I finally felt like I had a purpose. Soon after, the church regarded me as a Saint and I was given the title of Holy Maiden. Ever since then, I've heard that many people were able to live longer thanks to my healing and I'm grateful to the Lord for giving me this power."

Her face suddenly took on a somber look. "But because of my status and Sacred Gear, I was guarded heavily and treated well, and was seen as a higher being. No children would play with me and I became lonely. After healing that Devil, my Holy Maiden title was revoked and I was called a witch by those who once worshiped me.…"

She could still remember the hate-filled words of the people who were formerly her worshippers.

"This girl has the power to heal Devils!"

"Demon!"

"She's a witch!"

"Burn her!"

"They said that anyone who had my kind of power was a heretic, so I had no choice but to run away." Asia finished her story.

"So you came to Japan to start over," Izuku said, frowning sadly. Her life, in a way, reminded him of his own. "And that is when you decided to join with the Fallen Ones?"

"Yes…" Asia replied.

"I see," Rias nodded slowly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

The door opened and the rest of Rias's Peerage stepped in, "I managed to finish the search as soon as the police arrived. It seems that the Fallen Angels have retreated for now," Yumi reported.

"Good," Rias nodded. "Seems our troubles are over for the time being."

Nothing more was said that night.

Chapter 5: Asia's Day

Chapter Text

Ch. 5: Asia's Day

Morning had arrived since the night Izuku brought Asia back to the ORC building, and taking advantage of the fact that it was a Sunday, Izuku decided to show Asia around the city, while he tried to ponder how he could help Asia get out of the Fallen Angels' clutches. Even so, he couldn't help but be amazed at Asia's childlike sense of wonder as she took in the sights around her. Perhaps due to her position in the church, she never really got to explore outside her hometown that much, if at all.

Their first stop was a McDonald's, where both Izuku and Asia each got a Big Mac and a drink. While Izuku was unwrapping his burger, he noticed that Asia was looking at hers weirdly.

"Is something wrong, Argento?" He asked.

"I'm confused. Where are the forks and knives?" Asia asked.

"Oh, we don't really need utensils to eat a hamburger," Izuku explained.

"Really? Are you sure?!" Asia asked, almost as if it was some world-changing news.

"Yeah, trust me. This is how you're supposed to eat a hamburger," Izuku then took his hamburger into his hands and bit into it, taking a chunk into his mouth before chewing thoroughly to savor the taste.

"Well, if that's the way you're supposed to do it, here goes!" Asia unwrapped her own Big Mac and after taking one more glance at Izuku, took a small bite. "Oh my! It's so yummy!"

"Good. I knew you would enjoy it," Izuku said. "Hey, after this, why don't we go somewhere fun?!"

Asia liked the idea of spending more time with Izuku and her face lit up. "Yeah, sure!"

The duo's next stop was an arcade. From all the fancy lights to the fun-looking games such as racing games, 1v1 fighting consoles, dance-off platforms, shooting stations, etc.; it was an endless source of amazement for Asia.

The first game Asia tried was a racing game. Despite her lack of legs, Asia simply solved the problem by letting most of her tail hang outside the seat while using the tip like a foot to press the pedals. She did fairly well for most of the race, only to crash during the last lap.

They then tried other games such as a 1v1 Hero game, where Asia managed to beat Izuku, a photo booth where Izuku and Asia took a picture together, and many more. At a claw machine, Asia was entranced by the cute plushies inside, particularly the Pikachu plushie, and Izuku managed to win it for her.

"Thanks for winning this little guy for me! From now on, every time I look at it, how much of a blessing it's been to get to know you!" Asia said, hugging the Pikachu tightly.

Izuku turned red at this, though he tried to hide it. "C-Come on, t-there's plenty of stuff left to see."

After leaving the arcade, Izuku stopped by a nearby vending machine to get drinks for both Asia and himself as he contemplated where their next destination should be.

"You know what? I can't remember the last time I had this much fun!" Asia said as she received a drink from Izuku.

"Yeah? Good, I'm glad. I had a pretty good time, too," Izuku said as he opened his can and took a sip.

Soon, Izuku and Asia continued their tour of the city, with this particular route taking them near the Takoba Municipal Beach Park.

As they walked, Izuku decided to share some of his own life story with Asia, starting from how he always wanted to be a Hero ever since he was a kid, only to be met with harsh reality when he was diagnosed as Quirkless. But despite nearly everyone's attempts to tell him to give up on his dream, he stubbornly refused to give up. Then he was nearly killed by a Stray Devil, only to be saved by Rias, who turned him into a Devil to do so, his encounter with the Fallen Angel Raynare, with the mention of Raynare making Asia uncomfortable, though he didn't notice. Then he finished by telling how Rias believed he could be a Hero and has since been training him for the U.A. Entrance Exam.

Hearing Izuku's life story brought Asia to tears, both for how hard his life had been and admiration for his determination. "No matter how hard life tried to put you down, you never gave up, and you're still working toward your dream. I believe… no! I know you'll be an amazing Hero! In fact, I already consider you to be a Hero. You saved me when Father Freed tried to do awful things to me."

Hearing this, Izuku started to tear up as well. "Thank you, Argento."

Soon, their travels took them near the beach, where they could see that it was littered with tons of garbage, enough to form mini-mountains.

"Why is there so much trash here?" Asia asked, taking note of the mountains of garbage that ruined the image of a possibly beautiful beach.

"I've heard that because of the ocean currents, things dumped into the water wash up here. People use that so they can illegally dump their trash," Izuku replied.

"That sounds awful. How could they ruin a possibly beautiful landscape like that?" Asia said.

"I guess if they think they can get away with it, then they'll do it. Too bad there's no one around who's willing to clean it," Izuku said.

But then, the two heard some grunting and looked towards another part of the trash heap to see a boy and a girl, both of whom appeared to be around their age, moving some old appliances.

The boy had neck-length black hair with shorter bangs between his eyes, which were red and slanted inward. He also had sharp teeth and a pretty muscular physique. He wore a dark red shirt and beige shorts.

The girl had a pretty athletic figure with an ample bust, pink skin, and matching hair which was short and unruly, and her eyes were somewhat square-shaped with black sclerae and yellow irises. She wore a purple tank top with light blue short shorts.

"How are ya keeping up on your end, Ashido?" the boy asked.

"Keeping up just fine. Thanks for asking, Kirishima," the girl, Ashido said. However, the next moment, she tripped and fell on the sand. The impact of the fall caused some vibrations that disturbed a nearby stack of debris, causing it to lean toward Ashido.

The pink-skinned girl noticed this and braced for it, but the mini-landslide of debris never happened as something had stopped it, which happened to be Asia's hair vines.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked as he went over to lend a hand, with Asia slithering behind him.

"Yeah, thanks," Ashido replied as she took Izuku's hand.

Then, Asia retracted her vines, allowing the garbage to fall harmlessly.

"That was close, thanks for coming to her rescue, you guys," Kirishima said as he joined the three.

"It was no trouble," Asia reassured him.

"By the way… what exactly are you two doing here?" Izuku asked.

"Cleaning up the beach," Ashido replied.

"This beach?" Izuku pointed at the giant piles of trash that littered the beach. "That sounds like a lot of work."

"And that's why it's perfect for a workout. Though we actually started doing it because someone else recommended it, saying that we can be like the pre-Quirk era Heroes, who gave back to the community by doing stuff like this," Kirishima replied. "Something to make us feel proud about when we're applying to U.A., I guess."

"You're applying to U.A. too?" Izuku asked.

"Yep. But let's just hope something likethatdoesn't happen again," Ashido joked, which Izuku couldn't help but chuckle at. "By the way, the name's Mina Ashido."

"Eijiro Kirishima," Kirishima introduced himself. "What about you?"

"My name is Asia Argento," Asia introduced herself.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya," Izuku introduced himself. "Hold on, don't I… Wait, you're from the Sludge Villain incident from a few months back, right?! Where All Might stepped in to save the day?!"

"Yeah, that's us. Took a while for the heat to die down and we could feel like just normal teens again," Ashido replied.

"So, what was All Might like up close? Did just being in his presence make it feel like you were in good hands? Did you get his autograph? Ah, I wish I could get an autograph, though maybe without the villain attack, but still… that would be amazing- mumblemumblemumble." Izuku burst out into another mumbling moment.

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down man, chill!" Kirishima interrupted.

"Ah! Sorry! It's just that I look up to All Might a lot, and well…" Izuku said sheepishly.

"Does he do this often?" Mina asked Asia.

"Well, it's actually my first time seeing him like this…" Asia admitted.

"Ah, don't worry, bro! And to answer your question, All Might was amazing as you'd think," Kirishima said.

"Thanks," Izuku said before looking at the trash-covered beach, wondering why he or Rias didn't think of it. "So, for how long have you been trying to clean up the beach?"

"Since May, so it's around five months now," Ashido answered.

"Do you really think you can finish this by the Entrance Exams?" Izuku asked.

"Maybe, maybe not? But it's not like we're in a time crunch here," Kirishima said.

"Oh," Izuku muttered. "Well, maybe we'll stop by and help sometimes?"

"Really, then I guess we'll hold you to it," Ashido said.

Izuku smiled at them. They were just as serious about getting into U.A. as him.

"What about you, Argento? Are you applying to U.A. as well?" Kirishima asked.

"Oh, you see, the thing is… I only recently arrived in Japan, so I, well…" Asia said, looking depressed.

"Is something the matter?" Ashido asked.

Seeing this, Izuku decided that maybe they could give them a little background about Asia, leaving out the supernatural stuff, of course.

"You see, the thing about Argento…" Izuku began.

"Oh hey! I thought I recognized that curly hair!" A voice that Izuku recognized shouted. It was Itsuka Kendo, who came jogging in his direction.

"Kendo! It's you!" Izuku said.

"You know Kendo?" Kirishima asked.

"Wait, you know her too?!"

"She goes to Mustafa Private Middle School like me and Kirishima," Ashido replied.

"And I know you too. Mina Ashido, right?" Kendo said. "I've heard how you stopped some bullies from ganging on another student by breakdancing and somehow, they ended up as friends."

"Yep. That was me!" Ashido confirmed.

"Oh, but I haven't seen you before," Kendo said, looking at Asia.

Asia proceeded to introduce herself to Kendo, and Kendo did the same to Asia.

Then, she got to know how Kirishima and Ashido were doing some cleaning at the beach.

"Wow, cleaning all this up is gonna be hardcore," she commented.

"That's what I said," Izuku added.

Then, Asia's stomach made a small growl, to her embarrassment. "Oh dear, I guess I'm already hungry again after all the fun I've been having."

"Then why don't we all go grab a bite to eat? I know a good place where we can go!" Kirishima said.

Soon, the five teens were at a typical Japanese restaurant. Asia wasn't sure what to order because she was still unfamiliar with all the Japanese food, so Izuku recommended her katsudon, his favorite.

Asia found the katsudon to be delicious, to Izuku's relief.

After leaving the restaurant, the teens made their way to a park to hang out.

"Today's been really enjoyable for me. Thank you, everyone," Asia said.

"It's no big deal. You make it sound like you've never been allowed to have fun in your life before!" Ashido said.

"The truth is… You're right. I never got to do stuff like this before…" Asia admitted.

"Oh…" Ashido said, realizing that she may have been a bit insensitive.

"Let me explain…" Izuku said. He told the others about Asia's previous role as a Holy Maiden and her banishment, though he left out anything supernatural and claimed that the person Asia healed that resulted in her excommunication was someone blacklisted by the church.

"Wow, that's messed up," Kirishima said.

"So she's been healing people for them and they just kick her out just because she healed someone she wasn't supposed to?! Those ingrates!" Ashido shouted.

"So now you're here in Japan to start over?" Kendo asked.

"Yes, I…" Asia replied, but before she could elaborate further, a black feather rained from the sky.

"Whoa, is that a crow feather?" Ashido questioned.

"Weird, I don't really see any crows in the sky," Kirishima said.

Izuku and Asia could immediately tell it was not a crow feather and became worried.

Kendo picked up the feather and inspected it. 'This feather… Don't tell me…'

However, before Kendo could think further about it, a large blast of light erupted behind her and exploded. The shock wave sent her crashing into a tree, knocking her out cold.

"KENDO!" Izuku shouted.

Then, more black feathers fell to the ground, with no birds in sight, it was clear they were from something else.

"Okay, what is going on?!" Ashido asked.

"I finally found you, little girl. Sure had me looking everywhere."

The teens looked up to see a middle-aged-looking man in a pale gray trench coat over a white dress shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, a pair of black gloves, and a black fedora, descending from the sky. On his back, there were a pair of black feathered wings, the marking signs of a Fallen Angel.

"Sir Dohnaseek…" Asia whispered.

"I hope you enjoyed a nice day of freedom, Asia. 'Cause it's time for you to come back," Dohnaseek said. "Don't even try to run."

"…Begone," Asia frowned, "I want no part in the evil you and the other Angels are up to. You're killing people, all because they made pacts with Devils. I know for a fact that God would not allow that to happen! I can't trust you!"

"I don't think you understand. That wasn't a request, that was an order!"

"She already said she doesn't want to be with you!" Izuku growled, standing in front of Asia protectively.

"So you must be the Gremory newbie I've heard about," Dohnaseek said. "I have no business with you. Just hand over Asia and we can pretend that nothing happened between us, simple as that!"

"Okay, I don't know who you think you are, but if Argento says you're suspicious, then you must be some sort of Villain!" Kirishima said, willing to defend Asia if needed.

"Besides, you sir, are giving off some major Creep Alert!" Ashido said. "Just one look at you and it says 'I'm a bad guy!'"

"You human children should learn to mind your own business," Dohnaseek hissed as he formed a blue spear of light in his hands. "She belongs to us, and I will take her back, by force if necessary."

"Not gonna happen!" Izuku summoned his Sacred Gear, to the shock of Kirishima, Ashido, and especially Dohnaseek.

"Whoa! Midoriya, what is that?!" Kirishima asked.

"I'll explain later."

"Right!" Then Kirishima's body took on a rock-like texture as he balled his hands into fists. Ashido followed suit by secreting some white liquid from her palms, ready to throw it at a moment's notice.

Dohnaseek tsked, annoyed. While he believed he could take on some newly-reborn Devil and a couple of human teenagers with Quirks, they were still going to give him some unnecessary workload.

Holding up his left arm, Izuku said, "Don't worry, Argento! I won't let-"

*SHINK!*

Izuku gagged, a yellow spear of light piercing through his torso, and collapsed on his knees.

"Izuku!/Midoriya!" Asia, Kirishima, and Ashido all gasped.

"How weak. That was so easy, it's almost disappointing," Looking up, the group saw a tall and buxom woman with long, navy blue hair and brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a violet, trench coat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black-heeled shoes. The trench coat top was open at her breasts, giving all a good view of her cleavage. Around her neck was a golden necklace. Just like Dohnaseek, she too had a pair of black wings, identifying her as a Fallen Angel. "Then again, what did I expect from a mere Low-Class Devil?"

"Ah, perfect timing, Kalawarner," Dohnaseek said.

"Hang on, Izuku!" Asia began to heal Izuku's wound, and both Fallen Angels observed with interest.

"So that's Twilight Healing…" Kalawarner said, seeing the injury she dealt to Izuku be healed like it was never there.

"Yeah, I can see why Lady Raynare wants that power so badly. The power to heal any being, even Devils, is a rare gift indeed…" Dohnaseek noted. "Alright, listen up, Asia. You can either be a good girl and come with us willingly, or we'll forcibly drag you back with usaftermurdering your new friends."

"Hey! Don't we get a say in this!?" Mina yelled. A yellow light spear stabbing the ground next to her was her answer.

"Be quiet." Kalawarner threatened.

"You heard the lady," Dohnaseek said. "Well?"

Once Asia finished healing Izuku, she got up. "…All right. I'll go with you."

"Huh?!"

"Izuku…" Asia smiled. "I had fun today. Thank you… for being my friend."

"Wait, Argento!" Izuku called out as Asia slithered toward Dohnaseek and Kalawarner.

"Good girl," Kalawarner said with a sneer. "No need to fret. After the big ritual tonight, all your worries and troubles tonight will be gone forever."

'Ritual…? What're they planning…?' "Argento, wait!"

Two silver magic circles appeared underneath the Fallen Angels as they both vanished inside. "Goodbye, friends. I'll miss you." Asia smiled sadly as she vanished into the portal.

"STOP, ASIA!" Izuku yelled as he ran toward the vanishing portal. But it was too late. The portals vanished before he could reach them, leaving behind the Pikachu that Izuku had won for Asia earlier. Izuku began to cry as he punched the ground. "No… why couldn't I save her? How can I be a Hero… if I can't protect my friends?! Dammit!"

"Midoriya, what the heck was all that about?!" Kirishima asked.

"Who were those people, and what did they want with Argento?" Ashido asked.

Then, Kendo began getting up. "Ugh. What happened?" She then noticed Asia was not among them. "Where's Argento?" She was then filled in about what happened. "I see, I thought I recognized a Fallen Angel feather."

"You know about Fallen Angels?!" Izuku asked, silently wondering if she knew about Devils as well.

"Questions for later. Right now, we have to focus on how we're going to help Argento," Kendo reminded. "They might still be in the city. We need to stay calm and think."

Izuku nodded and had a thought. "We'll need help."

As fast as his legs could carry him, Izuku ran back to the ORC room. The Fallen Angels were planning something with Asia; he could only guess that it was anything but good, and the clock was ticking. He needed help. The police and Heroes probably won't believe him, which only meant…

"Let me try one more time: if I say 'don't,' you don't! I've already told you that we can't help Asia any more than we have already."

He already had a feeling that she was going to say something like that, but hey, it was worth a shot. However, there's no one else he can ask for help. He needed to do something if he was going to save Asia, and he needed to do it now. Sadly, getting help seemed to be proving more difficult than he anticipated.

"Rias, please. The Fallen Angels also mentioned something about a ritual," Izuku pressed on. "What could they have meant by that?"

"Ritual? Hmm… It may be a ritual to take Asia's Twilight Healing. If that were to happen, then Asia won't survive," Rias said. Izuku's eyes widened, realizing that Asia's life was at stake for sure. "Still, I can't permit you to go after them. If you're killed by a Fallen Angel or even a priest for that matter, it means the end of your existence. There is no way you can come back from that. Game over."

"But… can we just leave her like that?"

Then, Akeno went up to Rias and whispered something in her ear. From the way her eyes slowly rose, it appeared to be urgent. She reached around her chair to grab her jacket. "Something has come up. Akeno and I have to step out for a moment."

"But we haven't finished!" Izuku said. Rias quickly silenced him by pressing her finger on his lips.

"Do you remember when I told you my Evil Pieces have the same attributes as their chess characters?" Rias asked.

"Yeah, does the Pawn have some special powers?"

"In this chess game, quite a bit," Rias answered, slipping on her jacket, "You have an ability all other pieces do not: Promotion."

"What does that mean?" Izuku asked, unfamiliar with the chess term.

"If a Pawn advances deep enough into the enemy's territory, it can be promoted to any other piece besides the King," Rias explained.

"So does that mean eventually I can have all the same powers as everyone else?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, but only if the master declares the place enemy territory. Say, for example, the Fallen One's church," Rias said, with Izuku noticing that she gave a rather specific example for enemy territory. "Another thing I should inform you about the Queen, since it combines the abilities of all three Rook, Knight, and Bishop, it can be severely taxing on those who haven't built up their stamina enough, making it a double-edged sword, you following me?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Izuku nodded.

"Just remember that a Devil's greatest strength depends on their desire." Rias and Akeno stepped onto the room's magic circle, causing it to light up in red light, "Yumi, you're in charge while I'm out."

"Understood," Yumi nodded as the U.A. first-years teleported out of the room.

Looking to her side, she turned to see Izuku as he was walking out of the room.

"You going?" Yumi asked. "Those Fallen Angels won't be alone. You could be walking into a trap."

"An innocent girl is going to die. I'm not the type of person to simply stand idly by when someone's in danger. Sorry, but there's no point in trying to stop me," Izuku said sternly, turning back to look at her.

"Who said I was?" Yumi smiled as she grabbed her sword. "I'm coming with you."

"Wait, what?" Izuku gasped.

"Weren't you listening? Buchou basically said, you get in that church and you're Promoted," Yumi explained. "Plus, you're my friend now and if I didn't lend you a hand, I wouldn't be setting a good example."

"Ah…" Izuku said. "They must be at the church in the Korusanto ward. You really want to come?"

"We both do, right Koneko?"

"There's nothing else goin' on," Koneko said as Izuku's gaze reached her.

Izuku slowly smiled, "Then we'd better head on out. Can't keep the others waiting."

"'Others?'"

Izuku led Yumi and Koneko to the park, where Kendo, Ashido, and Kirishima were waiting.

"So Kirishima and Ashido told me that those Fallen Angels called you a Devil. So I'm guessing you are one?" Kendo asked.

"Yeah," Izuku replied.

"And are they from the Peerage you belong to?"

"Koneko Toujou, Rias Gremory's Rook."

Yumi gave a polite bow. "Yumi Kiba, Knight of Rias Gremory. A pleasure to meet you all."

"If you know about Fallen Angels and Devils, does that mean-" Izuku was about to ask.

"No, I'm human. I just happen to be privy about the supernatural, that's all," Kendo replied, not needing him to finish.

"Okay. So then let me ask: Are you sure you want to come?" Izuku looked at the three non-Devils.

"Hey, if an innocent person's in trouble and I can do something to help, then I'm coming!" Kirishima said.

"Yeah! I can't stand those who abuse those who can't help themselves!" Ashido added.

"We're Argento's friends too, y'know. We're not abandoning her!" Kendo declared.

Izuku was touched by their willingness to help him save Asia, he could cry. "Right. Let's get to it."

Chapter 6: Skirmish in the Church

Chapter Text

Ch. 6: Skirmish in the Church

Night had arrived over the old abandoned church in Korusanto, making the ruined church appear even more ominous as the team of Izuku, Eijiro, Mina, Itsuka, Yumi, and Koneko stood across the street, looking out for any guards on standby.

Izuku himself was feeling on edge, both due to the typical Devil reaction to churches and the general creepy atmosphere. "Can you feel that?"

"No kidding, there must be a ton of priests inside," Yumi said.

"I think this is one of those situations where youcanjudge a book by its covers. I mean, that place practically screams 'Bad Guy Lair,'" Mina observed.

"Yeah," Eijiro said in agreement.

"Honestly, I'm glad you guys are here," Izuku said.

"Well, hey, you and I are friends, right?" Yumi smiled. But then, in a 180 turn, her expression turned to that of anger, "And besides, Fallen Angels and priests aren't exactly my favorite things in the world. The truth is, I hate them."

"Oh yeah?" Izuku blinked. It was unusual to see such a hate-filled expression on her face, contrasting her usual refreshing smile.

Yumi then returned to her usual expression as she addressed the group. "Asia is probably at the sanctuary, and we could get there in one go by cutting through the entrance. But…"

"It's probably heavily guarded," Koneko finished.

"Meaning once we go inside, we can't afford to slip up. Are you ready?" Yumi asked.

"I am," Izuku replied, taking a deep breath.

"I'll do what I can!" Eijiro said.

"You know it!" Itsuka said.

"Still can't believe this is all real, but y'know…" Mina said.

"Try to relax," Yumi advised. "It won't do you good to go in there all tense."

Izuku then summoned his Sacred Gear. "Better get ready."

"Guess it's time for me to show my own tricks," Itsuka revealed a golden key with the Capricorn symbol on it. "Dress Form: Capricorn!" She then brought the key to her chest, releasing a bright light.

When the light cleared, Itsuka's attire had completely changed. She now wore a black and purple dress slit at both sides with long detached sleeves and white boots; her hair was now tied into two braids at the back; there were two goat horns on top of her head, and lastly, she gained dark-colored shades.

"Whoa, Kendo! You have a Sacred Gear too?!" Izuku questioned.

"Celestia Regalia, and this is just one of its many forms," Itsuka replied. "The ideal form to stop the ritual."

"You have the same kind of thing that Midoriya does? Jealous!" Mina said.

"Okay, it's time to move!" Yumi said.

"Right!" Everyone nodded.

The group quickly rushed toward the dilapidated church and made their way up the steps.

"They already know we're here, so no need to be sneaky," Koneko said.

"Allow me!" Mina strode to the front door and secreted white liquid from her palms which she threw at the door's hinges, causing them to start corroding.

"So cool!" Izuku said with stars in his eyes.

"Thanks!" Mina flashed a thumbs-up.

[Mina Ashido. Her Quirk: Acid. She can secrete a corrosive liquid that melts its targets. She can also control the viscosity and pH levels.]

Koneko then stepped up and, without much effort, knocked the heavy metal door down with one kick.

"Whoa! Holy cow, she's strong!" Eijiro commented.

"No kidding," Izuku nodded. "Rias wasn't kidding about the unparalleled strength thing."

The group entered the church and stepped inside the sanctuary. While the altar and pews were still in good condition, the religious icons, such as the statues and the cross, were not. The way they were ruined did not seem to be the result of natural processes, but rather, deliberate acts of desecration.

"This place is creepy," Eijiro said.

"No wonder people aren't going to church anymore," Mina added, looking around.

Then, the sound of clapping was heard, and Freed stepped out from behind a ruined statue. "So, we meet again, Devils~!" Freed greeted, having a normal expression on his face for once. "Glad you could make it! I bet I'm a sight for sore eyes, huh? And what's this? More friends? This'll be fun~!"

"Freed…" Izuku scowled.

"Here's the thing. I pride myself on the fact that I never have to battle any devil more than once! And yet, here you are. Just rubbing it in! If there's one thing I won't abide, it's being mocked by maggot Devils in the house of God! So whaddya say?" Freed pulled out his light sword and gun. "Let's finish this! The thought of tearing away your flesh and eating it piece by piece makes my mouth water!" Freed's expression then turned to his more typical maniacal one as he licked his gun to show his bloodlust.

"Tell us where Argento is!" Izuku demanded.

"Oh right… You mean that dirty Devil-loving whor* of a Sister. All you have to do is go down to the basem*nt, she's right beneath the altar we're currently standing on."

"Downstairs…" Yumi said.

"Right," Freed confirmed. "But first, you have to go through me!"

"Here." Koneko picked a pew and threw it at Freed, who easily sliced it in half with one swing of his blade.

"You're pretty strong for a runt, aren't you?!"

Koneko's eyes narrowed at being called a runt. "Suck it."

Freed was then forced to step aside as Koneko threw more pews. He then took his chances and began firing at Koneko once she threw all the pews in one row. However, the bullets all bounced off her harmlessly rather than piercing her body full of holes.

"That won't work on me," Koneko said boredly.

Seeing this, Izuku had an idea and charged right for Freed. "Time for a Promotion!" Then, the image of a red Rook piece entered Izuku's body. 'The Rook is a tank! Its power is an unparalleled defensive strength!'

Freed began firing at Izuku, but all the bullets bounced harmlessly off of Izuku now that he had the defense of a Rook.

"Yeah. I'm f*cked," Freed deadpanned.

"SMAAASH!" Izuku smashed his fist into Freed's face, sending him flying backward. "That's for Argento! For what you did to her! Hey, that felt pretty good actually."

"Okay, let's keep moving!" Yumi said.

"Here!" Koneko said as she smashed a podium, revealing a hidden stairwell leading to a basem*nt.

But right before the teens could head down, Freed recovered. "Don't think you lowlife Devil scum will get away from me!"

Koneko and Yumi took their fighting stances and stepped up. "Izuku, you and your friends go on ahead."

"But what about you two?" Izuku asked.

"We'll be fine. Have a little faith," Yumi told him.

"Save the nun," Koneko said.

"Okay, good luck!" Izuku said, heading down the stairs with Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina right behind him.

"Hey! We're still fighting here!" Freed shouted, but Yumi quickly engaged him.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Yumi asked as she gripped her sword tight. "If you wanna fight, then try us on for size!"

Down below, the four teens heard the sound of Freed engaging Yumi and Koneko.

"Think they'll be okay?" Mina asked.

"Kiba said to trust her and Koneko, so we shouldn't worry," Izuku said.

"Right now, we have to focus on saving Argento!" Itsuka reminded.

At the bottom of the stairs was a large chamber; Rayanre stood at the end of the room and with her was Asia, dressed in a very thin white dress and chained to a large cross. Standing between them and the teens was a mob of masked priests, who were all armed with light swords.

"Ah, so you showed up. Welcome to the party," Raynare greeted. "Though I'm afraid you're too late. The ritual's almost over."

"Argento!" Izuku called out.

"Izuku… Everyone…" Asia whispered as she looked to see him and the others.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna save you!" Izuku held up his left hand with the Sacred Gear.

Raynare, after taking one look at Izuku, started laughing after a moment of shock. "Please, do you think you can beat me with that lame-ass Sacred Gear?"

"What?" Izuku asked, surprised by what she said.

"Don't tell me you don't even know what kind of Sacred Gear you have?!" Raynare asked. "That Sacred Gear is called Twice Critical, also known as the 'Dragon's Hand.' That thing only doubles your power temporarily. You might as well be fighting me with sticks and stones."

'That's all it does? But what about that energy shot against Freed… No, don't overthink things!' "Double my power! Come on, show me what you're made of, Gear!" With some concentration, Izuku managed to activate the Sacred Gear.

[Boost!]

"It's working! I feel the power!" Izuku said as he felt his strength increasing.

"Ridiculous. Deal with him and his friends," Raynare ordered the Stray priests before turning her attention back to Asia.

Asia screamed in agonizing pain as her body glowed in bright green light, with a small green orb of light, containing Twilight Healing, slowly emerging from her chest.

"Do not interfere, trespassers!" A priest shouted, holding up a light sword.

"Your head is mine, Devil!" Another shouted as more of them zerg-rushed the teens.

"Give me some cover! I can get to that Fallen Angel the quickest!" Itsuka said.

"Sure!" Izuku, with his Rook promotion still active and his strength doubled, easily punched a priest with enough force to send him flying through a wall. Another priest brought his sword down on him, but it was no match for his doubled Rook durability, allowing Izuku to grab the priest and flip him over his head.

Another priest tried to slash Eijiro, but he hardened his body like a rock, causing the light blade to shatter upon impact. As the priest looked on in shock, Eijiro punched them in the gut with his hardened fist, knocking him out cold.

Mina dodged a sword slash from a priest and threw a glob of acid at his weapon to melt it, then kicked the priest away. Another priest tried to charge at her, but she hit him with some weaker acid that merely stung a little, causing him to back off while screaming in pain.

"Yes! YES!" Raynare exclaimed as the light orb fully pulled itself out of Asia's chest and began to approach Raynare's waiting hands. "The power I've been lusting after for years, it's now mine!"

"Sorry, but you're gonna be waiting longer than that!"

"What?!" Raynare gasped as Itsuka patted her back.

"Tag, you're it!"

Immediately, Raynare felt the magic circle on her chest disappear. With its destination gone, the orb froze in midair. "NO!"

Itsuka then threw a fist forward, enlarging it right before impact with the Fallen Angel, sending her flying across the room and out of the doorway, crashing loudly. With Raynare down, Itsuka took the chance to claim the orb.

"Kendo!" Izuku called out as he, Eijiro, and Mina ran up to her. "Is Argento okay?"

"She won't be if we don't return this to her!" Itsuka answered, holding Twilight Healing in her hands.

Eijiro then slammed his fist into the cross, smashing it and freeing Asia. Izuku caught her, and he could already tell that she didn't have much time. Her face was pale and her eyes looked soulless.

Itsuka handed the orb to Izuku. "It was just removed from her, so she still has time."

"Okay!" Izuku said, then he pressed the orb back into Asia's chest. With a bright glow, the Sacred Gear reentered Asia's body, and soon, life started returning to her.

"Izuku…" Asia smiled.

"We're gonna get you outta here," Izuku smiled back. Asia then hugged him tightly.

"You came for me…" Asia whispered, tears welling in her eyes, "You all did."

"Of course we did," Izuku replied, hugging her back, while Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka smiled.

"So, how'd you stop the ritual anyway, Kendo?" Mina asked.

"The Capricorn form of Celestia Regalia has the power to nullify any magic with a simple touch," Itsuka replied.

[Itsuka Kendo. Her Sacred Gear: Celestia Regalia. It grants her access to twelve different battle outfits based on the zodiac, each granting her a unique set of powers.]

Meanwhile, the not-so-holy man Freed traded blow after blow with Yumi while Koneko continued to throw whatever she could get her hands on. Freed then took out his gun and began shooting, then Yumi used her speed to disappear from sight before reappearing above Freed, her sword ready as the two sword users clashed.

"Come on! Is that all you've got?!" Freed asked as he continuously parried Yumi's blows and made her dodge his bullet. "Show me something interesting!"

"You're quick," Yumi acknowledged.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself…" Freed acknowledged back. "Of course, that only makes me wanna kill you even more." He then brought his gun up to Yumi's face, but she managed to move her head out of the way in time, the shot only getting a few hair strands.

"Alright. If you wanna get serious about this, I can too," Yumi said, her sword turning dark once more.

Then, as their blades clashed, Freed's light blade was once again consumed by Yumi's sword of darkness like the last time.

"f*ck! Not this sh*t again!" Freed shouted.

"It's called the Holy Eraser," Yumi said. "As I said before, it devours light."

Hearing this, Freed looked like he was about to have a temper tantrum. "You bitch! GRAAAAH!" Fred discarded the drained sword and jumped into the air with two guns. However, this just made him an easy target for Koneko to hit with a pew. "OUCHIE!" Freed cried out like a little kid.

He then barely recovered in time to dodge a sword slash from Yumi and retreated to higher ground. "I'll be damned if a bunch of Devils are gonna get the best of Freed Sellzen! You won the battle, but not the war, scum! HA!" Freed threw a flashbang to provide cover for his escape.

"He got away," Yumi lamented.

"RAGH! How dare you disrupt our plans!" One of the priests had recovered quickly and tried to strike Itsuka. However, he only ended up giving himself away by yelling, and Itsuka held out a hand. When the blade made contact, it shattered, and the priest was sent flying back by a giant fist. Around the room, the other priests started recovering, all of them showing rage in their eyes at having their plans ruined.

"Izuku...?" Asia squeaked, clinging onto him fearfully.

"Don't worry. We're gonna get out of this!" Izuku promised, getting in front of Asia.

"Mind if we crash the party?" Koneko asked as she and Yumi teleported into the room.

"Koneko! Kiba!" Izuku said.

"Go. We'll handle this," Yumi said.

"Are you sure? There's way more of them compared to Freed!"

"They're just mooks compared to that guy," Koneko said.

"Okay. Thanks again, you guys," Izuku said, then he, Asia, Mina, Itsuka, and Eijiro headed out of the chamber, eventually making it back up to the sanctuary.

"How are you feeling?" Izuku asked.

"A lot better now. It really hurt when my Sacred Gear got taken out, but I'm okay thanks to all of you," Asia replied. "No one ever really stood up to me before, not even when I was banished from the church. Is this what it's like to have friends?"

"You never had friends before?" Mina asked.

"No. That's why I'm happy to have met you all."

"Just wait. After we get outta here, we can do so many other fun stuff together, you'll be sick of it!" Eijiro grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Sure. I'm looking forward to it!" Asia said.

"Yes, that does sound nice… assuming you even live to see tomorrow!"

Raynare's voice instantly had everyone on guard again. Eijiro hardened his body once more; Mina prepared globs of acid; Itsuka clamped her hands into fists; Izuku raised his left arm with the Sacred Gear, getting ready to fire another energy shot.

Asia stood in the center of the four, helping to keep an eye out for the Fallen. Even with all five of them looking, it was no use as they couldn't spot Raynare, as she held the element of surprise. But then, Asia caught a faint glimpse of red light coming, and as the light slowly grew brighter, she realized what it was.

"Izuku! NO!" Her body just moving on its own, Asia pushed Izuku aside as the light spear came down toward him.

*SHINK!*

For a moment, things seemed to move in slow motion as the sound of flesh being pierced was heard. Izuku, Mina, Eijiro, and Itsuka all watched in horror as Asia was impaled by the spear of light, blood gushing from the wound. As Asia collapsed onto the ground, the light spear fizzled out of existence and a pool of blood formed below her.

"ASIA!"

"Oh, darn. I wasn't planning on killing Asia. But I guess if I can't have Twilight Healing, then I'd rather make it so no one can," Raynare, with her position compromised, decided to reveal herself, mocking Asia's sacrifice as she did.

"RAYNARE!" Izuku, filled with righteous fury, fired an energy shot at Raynare, but she took to the air to dodge. "Asia! Hold on! Stay with me!" Izuku desperately screamed.

"Izuku…" Asia gasped softly, tears in her eyes.

"Don't talk! Save your strength!" Eijiro said, kneeling next to her.

"Can't you use that Twilight Healing thingy to heal yourself?!" Mina pleaded.

"I… can't…" With the amount of blood she lost, she was in no condition to use her Sacred Gear on herself.

"Then just stay still. We'll try and save you!" Itsuka said. "Dress Form: Aries!"

Itsuka's outfit changed into a two-toned pink, short woolen hoop dress that left her shoulders and arms bare. She had pink woolen arm warmers and a woolen scarf wrapped around her arms and neck, she wore pink and black striped leggings; her hair was now styled into twintails at the side, and on her head were two ram horns.

"This is inferior to Twilight Healing, but beggars can't be choosers!" Itsuka said as she formed a puff of pink wool in her hands and covered Asia's wound.

"Hah! Good luck with that!" Raynare laughed. "By the looks of it, she's already lost a lot of blood. But don't think I'm just gonna stand by idle and watch!"

Raynare then threw another light spear, aiming at Itsuka. Luckily, Izuku got in front to intercept the spear, causing it to shatter, though it did leave him with a slight gash.

"I'll handle her. Keep Asia safe."

"Wait, alone?!" Mina asked. "What if she kills you!?"

"If you guys can help Asia, then that's okay." Saying nothing else, Izuku began walking towards Raynare.

"Okay. Be careful, and good luck," Itsuka said, turning her attention back to Asia.

"You really wanna die so quickly? Well, that's fine by me!" Raynare created another spear and threw it at Izuku.

[Boost!]

"Promotion: Knight!" Immediately, Izuku felt a change in his Evil Piece as he felt his body becoming lighter. He vanished from sight, dodging the spear, and appeared right in front of Raynare, who had to move to the side to avoid a punch.

"Trading strength for speed? Like that matters when you can't even hit me!" Raynare taunted.

[Boost!]

"So what? I'll just keep trying until I do… I'm not going to let you hurt me, Asia, or anyone else ever again!" Izuku declared, unfazed.

Then, Izuku's Sacred Gear changed, with the bracer transforming into a clawed gauntlet with 2 golden spikes.

[Explosion!]

Raynare began to tremble. "That's… impossible! His Sacred Gear should be nowhere this strong! It's just a Twice Critical!"

Intimidated, Raynare threw another light spear at Izuku, who rather than dodging it, knocked it aside with the gauntlet on his arm, showing more strength than what should be capable for a Knight.

As she saw the wrathful expression on Izuku's face, fear overtook her, and she tried to flee, but Izuku caught up to her with his speed and grabbed her by the arm. "No! Stay back!"

Izuku reared his fist back as it glowed with green energy, and then rammed it straight through her stomach. "This one's for Asia! SMAAASH!" A burst of energy exploded around them as his fist made contact.

Raynare screamed as she was sent flying through the window, shattering the glass.

Izuku followed her outside where she lay unconscious on the ground. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. He won.

"Look at you handling that on your own. It sure was impressive."

Izuku turned around at the sound of the voice, finding Yumi and Koneko. "Guys! You okay?"

"No biggie," Koneko shrugged, stuffing herself with a pack of gummies she had brought with her.

"You guys saw that? Why didn't you come help?"

"We were instructed to stay back. Rias's orders, sorry," Yumi answered.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Rias repeated, having arrived with Akeno. "I believed in you. I knew you would defeat her."

"You did?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, your Sacred Gear…" Akeno said, noting the change.

"Huh?" Izuku looked at his newly changed Sacred Gear. "Oh, I guess I didn't notice in the heat of the moment."

"Red Dragon…" Rias muttered. "That explains a lot."

Then Izuku remembered, "Asia!"

Izuku headed back inside where the others were with Asia. When he got there, his worst fears were confirmed. Asia was in Kendo's arms, her eyes dull and lifeless. "Izu…ku…" she gasped for breath.

"I… I'm sorry…" Itsuka said. "I'm doing all I can, but it's not enough."

Asia's wound had shrunken quite a bit, but the blood loss she had already suffered would make it meaningless.

Mina was on the verge of tears; Eijiro closed his eyes in lamentation.

Izuku went wide-eyed. "No… I won't let you die! You saved me, so I'll save you!" He looked desperately at Rias. "Is there a way to save her?"

"There is," Rias nodded quickly. She held up a small white piece in her fingers. "Do you know what this is?"

"A Bishop piece?"

"Yes, and my last one. The Bishop's position of power is to protect and heal the other Devils in the household," Rias explained. "Asia, for saving my servant I will reward you with a second life. However, it means you will be reborn as my Devil servant, meaning you can no longer serve God. Do you accept?"

Asia looked up at her and nodded weakly, "I want… to stay with… Izuku…"

Rias smiled. "Everyone, back up, please. I need space." Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka stepped back to allow Rias to work her magic. Rias placed the Bishop piece below Asia's breasts, and a crimson magic circle appeared underneath Asia. "In the name of Rias Gremory, I call to Asia Argento. Hear my command. Rise once more as my demon servant. Rejoice! For you have been given new life!" Under Rias's command, the magic circle flashed brightly and the Bishop piece glowed bright crimson before sinking into Asia's body, causing it to glow as well.

With the ritual completed, the magic circle vanished. Asia's eyes slowly blinked as she looked at her chest to see no hole, nor was there any pain,

"Izuku!" Asia smiled, grabbing the Devil boy in a hug. Izuku happily returned the hug tightly as a small tear of joy rolled down his cheek.

"Asia…" he whispered, "Glad to have you back."

Eijiro and Mina were shocked at how Asia was on the verge of death a moment ago, but now, she was fine. Itsuka heard about the Devils' Evil Pieces, but this was her first time seeing them in use.

"Awesome…" Mina said, happy to see Asia well. "So like, what else can that do?"

"They can go as far as to bring back the recently deceased," Rias answered.

"Wow, that sounds so unreal. Then again, nothing surprises me at this point," Eijiro said.

Then, Koneko entered the room, dragging Raynare along. "Did someone order this?" She then tossed Raynare forward, causing her to regain consciousness. When Raynare looked up, she saw Asia, alive and well, as she stuck to Izuku.

"Impossible?! How are you still alive?!" Raynare asked.

"We meet again, Raynare," Rias said, getting her attention.

"Gremory… Don't tell me you reincarnated Asia into a Devil, too?! How the f*ck was I beaten by a sh*tty Twice Critical?!"

"Izuku doesn't have a Twice Critical."

Raynare visibly flinched at what Rias said. "What?"

"The one Izuku uses automatically doubles its owner's power every ten seconds, allowing him to transcend both God and Satan at will. It's one of the thirteen varieties of Longinus, the Boosted Gear!"

Izuku, flabbergasted, stared at his Boosted Gear. As did Raynare.

'So this sacred tool with the ability to destroy God is in the hands of a child?' She took several steps back. "S-So what? This fight's just begun! My comrades-"

"Dohnaseek and Kalawarner, I believe? They're gone," Rias interrupted bluntly before taking out two black feathers from her pocket. "These should suffice as proof, yes?"

Raynare began to tremble. "You… you…"

"You killed them?!" Izuku gasped.

"Rias's fuse is long, but when pushed, she lives up to her title as 'Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin,' all thanks to her Power of Destruction, the magic ability she inherited from her mother. It has the power to destroy anything it touches," Yumi explained.

'Sounds scary!' Izuku, Itsuka, Asia, Mina, and Eijiro all thought.

"After Dohnaseek and Kalawarner attacked Izuku and Asia, I discovered multiple renegade Fallen Angels had plans to attack this city. So, I went to have a chat with your two colleagues. But they were rather rude to me…" Red and black energy enveloped the two feathers, vaporizing them. "Now then. What to do about you?"

Raynare shook in fear as the Power of Destruction lit up in Rias's hand. "I should purge you right here and now, but I think that would be the easy way out." Rias then turned to Izuku and Asia. "You two suffered the worst at her hands. So I think you two should be the ones to decide her fate."

"I… I don't want to be the cause of anyone's suffering." Asia squeaked. "Could… you let her go this one time?"

"Well, I think that Raynare should be punished for her crimes. But if she is a rogue as you said, then I believe her former superiors should be the ones to punish her." Izuku gave his answer.

Rias smiled. "Well Raynare, it looks like mercy is on your side. Though try not to mistake kindness for pity."

Rayanare hesitated, thinking that it was a trick, but when Rias made a motion to go, she spread her wings and flew off as fast as she could with the intention of getting as far away as she could.

Rias then created a magic circle next to her. "Izu, Asia, Koneko, Yumi, let's go. Akeno, can you help our other friends get back safely?"

"Of course," Akeno replied. "Now then, right this way."

"So, meet up tomorrow?" Eijiro asked Izuku.

"Sure."

The next morning, Izuku arrived at the ORC room where Rias was drinking tea by herself. "Hi! How you feeling?" Rias greeted.

"Great! Thanks to Asia's power, it's like it never happened."

"Fantastic. She's already proving how useful she can be. It's no wonder all those Fallen Angels were so threatened by her power," Rias nodded.

"So, question. If you don't mind," Izuku began. "Since there are eight Pawns on a chessboard, does that mean you have or can have, like, seven more of me on your board?"

"You're the only Pawn I'll need, Izuku," Rias told him.

"Huh?" Izuku blinked.

Rias set down her teacup and stood up. "When a human becomes a Devil, the number of Evil Pieces they consume varies. It just depends on what special abilities that person has to contribute. For you, the pieces I had remaining were one Knight, one Rook, one Bishop, and eight pawns. So that's what I had to choose from. When I was reviving you, you took up all eight of my Pawns."

"So I'm worth eight Pawns?!" Izuku gasped.

"That's right, though I didn't understand why until last night. Humans with that potential are hard to find, which makes it even more impressive coming from a Quirkless one." She leaned in and stroked his cheek gently, his face instantly reacting as it turned red, "Now that we know you possess the Boosted Gear of Longinus, you can become a Hero like no one's ever seen before, the Mightiest Pawn." Her smile widened at the blush on his face. "The Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin and the user of the Red Dragon… We make a good match, huh? I'll be rooting for you, got it?"

"Y-Yeah…" Izuku nodded slowly. Rias smiled before she kissed him on the forehead, "R-Rias?!" Izuku gasped, his face turning into a bright shade of red from the unexpected display of affection.

Rias removed her lips from his forehead and stuck out her tongue playfully. "Consider it a good luck charm for the Entrance Exam. Train hard, it's a little over five months away. Oh, and call me 'Buchou' from now on. I need to stop coddling you or else our new member will be jealous…" she giggled as she turned her gaze at the door. Izuku followed her gaze and found a familiar blonde standing there.

"Asia?" Izuku saw the newly-turned Devil's face was red as she fidgeted with her fingers nervously.

"It's okay, I know she's prettier than me, so it makes sense you like her more… Oh! I shouldn't say things like that! Dear Lord, please forgive my sins of lust and envy- OW!" Asia prayed before feeling a throbbing pain in her head.

"Yeah, I felt your pain, literally," Izuku chuckled. "How are you adapting?"

"He's probably angry that I became a Devil, but I don't have any regrets at all," Asia replied. "The best part is that you and I can be together, and that's all I really need."

"I-I'm happy to hear that," Izuku blushed.

"Asia's applying for the Hero Course as well, so she'll be training with us for the next few months," Rias added.

"So you want to be a Hero too?"

"Yes. Seeing you and everyone risk yourselves to save me inspired me. I can't continue helping people as a Holy Maiden, but there's still another way I can: as a Hero!"

Izuku smiled at her reasons. "Okay, let's train and get into the Hero Course together, Asia."

"Aw, isn't that cute?"

Looking at the door, Izuku saw Mina, Eijiro, and Itsuka standing there. "Oh, you guys made it."

"Thanks for inviting us," Itsuka said. She then looked over to Rias. "We never really introduced ourselves. I'm Itsuka Kendo."

"I'm Mina Ashido."

"Eijiro Kirishima."

"I'm Rias Gremory," Rias said as the three teens sat down. "I take it you're here to check on Asia?"

"Yeah. We wanted to see if she and Midoriya were okay," Mina told her.

"Plus, we had something of hers," Eijiro said as he took out the Pikachu plushie Asia had dropped.

"Oh, that's right! Thank you so much!" Asia shouted as she gleefully took the stuffed Pokémon back.

"Also, we're not gonna go around telling anyone about last night. I mean, who's gonna believe us?" Mina added.

Rias giggled. "I appreciate it. Since Izuku put his trust in you, I'll put mine in as well. Also, you arrived just in time for the party."

"Party?"

Then, a door to an adjacent room opened, and Akeno came in, wheeling in a trolley holding a cake and various other sweets, along with Yumi and Koneko right behind her. "I brought cake so we could officially welcome our new member," She then noticed the familiar faces on the sofa. "And I see we have other guests, too."

Rias took a glass of soda and held it over her head, "Alright! It's time to celebrate! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" the others cheered.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by everyone, there was an exotic red bird outside the clubroom, peeking inside through the window, its gaze particularly focused on one Rias Gremory.

Raynare flew as far and as fast as she could. She tried returning to the Underworld, only to find out that Mittelt made it there first. Furthermore, she learned that the brat was really a spy for Azazel, sent to keep tabs on her and the others. If she returned to Grigori now, she would only end up labeled as a traitor. Hell, she might even end up executed for daring to show her face again. She was on her own now.

Fate worse than death… that's what Rias intended for her, and it was working.

A couple of days past her humiliating defeat, she eventually arrived at Kamino ward, where she found an alleyway to rest. "Damn you…" Raynare hissed as she sat down and put away her wings, thinking back to the ones responsible for her current situation. "All of you… I swear to make you pay, no matter the cost!"

"My, what have we here?"

Instinctively, Raynare created a spear of light and aimed it at the voice's source. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

"Very well…" A man stepped out of the shadows. He was fairly tall and had a well-built physique. He was wearing a dark suit over a white shirt. Lastly, his face was hidden by a navy-blue skull-like mask with pipes protruding from it.

"Who are you?" Raynare demanded.

"Just someone with an eye out for talent," he said. "I happened to see you land and thought you might need some help."

"Help? Please, I know where this is going!" Raynare snapped. "Don't even try it, you wannabe rapist!"

"Please, don't lump me in with lowlifes like them. I merely wish to lend a helping hand to a damsel in distress. Won't you give me a chance?"

Raynare was starting to get irritated by this man. "On second thought, maybe you can help. See, I've had a bad past couple of days, so I could use something to take out my frustrations… LIKE YOU!"

The man simply smiled under his mask and said, "You can try."

Raynare suddenly began shaking uncontrollably. 'Wh-What?!'She dropped the spear, which shattered upon hitting the ground. Raynare then fell back on her butt, frozen in fear. 'My body won't move. This murderous aura, it rivals Kokabiel's! No, it's even greater! What's going on?!' "Wh-Who are you!?"

"As I said, someone with an eye out for talent," He began to walk closer to her. "And I believe you meet my standards, Fallen Angel Raynare."

The irises in Raynare's fear-stricken eyes shrunk. "How-"

"Having informants in the Underworld helps to get news fast," He was now standing directly over her. "You may be a low-class Fallen Angel, but I see potential to grow. And imprisonment would be quite a waste for you. So I'm offering a deal. Work for me, or I could just turn you over to the Fallen Angels, without guarantee you'll be in one piece. What do you say?"

Raynare could only nod her head, her self-preservation instincts on high alert.

"Excellent. I'm glad you accepted," the killing intent subsided. He then lent out his hand, which Raynare took.

Chapter 7: Forest of Familiars

Chapter Text

Ch. 7: Forest of Familiars

It had been several days since the skirmish in the church, and Asia seemed to be adjusting well to her new life as a Devil. She started off by handing out flyers, same as Izuku did, with the two going out together to do so. It wasn't long before she had her first contract. Plus it helped that as a Bishop, her magic abilities were on par with Rias and Akeno.

And in Izuku's case, he could now use his Boosted Gear properly, much to his joy. He could still remember the look of joy on his mother's face when he finally told her about his newly awakened "power," which led to a whole day spent in his mother's arms as she hugged him while crying a flood of happy tears, much to Rias's amusem*nt.

Another matter that needed to be addressed was Asia's living arrangements. She had been sleeping at the ORC room this whole time, and that was in no way, a suitable residence. She needed somewhere else to stay. However, the last thing he expected was for there to be stacks of boxes in front of his apartment, with both Rias and Asia standing right next to them. When Izuku asked what that was about, Asia revealed that they were hers, and Rias revealed that Asia would be living with him, to his surprise. It didn't take long for Asia to meet up with the matriarch of the Midoriya household.

"Sorry, what was your name again, was it Asia (AY-sha)?" Inko asked, across the table from her were Izuku, Rias, and Asia.

"Close, it's Asia (AH-zyah)," Asia corrected.

"Right, so let me get this straight… You want to move in with us?" Inko asked for confirmation. She still couldn't believe her ears that a pretty girl wanted to stay with her teenage son, the kind of situations that other boys around his age dreamed of. Izuku himself was still shocked by this. He did want for Asia to find a good place to stay, but he never anticipated this. And something told him that this wasn't the only surprise awaiting him.

"The thing is, I owe your son and I need to pay him back," Asia said.

"Owe him?" Inko asked.

"Yeah… I came to this town all by myself, and I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for Izuku. He took care of me, and now, if it's okay, I'd like the chance to take care of him."

Asia's explanation caused Izuku to blush a little.

"But if it puts you out in any way, I can go somewhere else."

Rias then decided to play mediator. "And because of what he did for Asia, she mostly feels at ease when she is around him. It would only make sense to be around someone who makes you feel at ease, don't you think so?"

"That makes sense…" Inko nodded. "And I can say with confidence that Izuku is the last boy who'd do anything shameful to a girl. Still, this is a lot for me to think about."

Rias then decided to present Argument #2. "In addition to room and board, there's something else she can get out of living here with you… She can learn to be a good wife."

"She can learn WHAT?!" The Midoriya mother-and-son duo shouted.

"It's like this. By interacting with Asia as much as possible, Izuku can learn to come out of his anxiety shell. Not to mention, help him to interact with girls his age."

"Well… that does sound nice…" Inko responded, calming down from her shock. "I guess with Hisashi working so much now, some extra company would be appreciated. Also…" she trailed off as she looked at Asia. "I wouldn't mind if she gave me grandchildren."

Izuku stared at Inko with wide eyes as her words sank in. "WHAAA?!"

Rias simply couldn't help but giggle at Inko's statement.

"MOM, YOU'RE KILLING ME!" Izuku exclaimed, his head steaming.

"I'm sure you know this…" Asia bowed shyly. "But I wanted to say that your son is a great guy."

"Well, aren't you cute as a button? Rias, I would love to take in Asia and let her live with my son!" Inko said.

"Thank you very much for your kindness, Ms. Inko," Rias smiled as she watched Inko rub Asia's head, gushing about how cute and adorable she was while Izuku facepalmed over his mother's antics. Turning to the side, her smile dropped as a weary look appeared in her eyes.

It didn't take long until Asia was enrolled into Aldera Junior High, and the next day, they headed to school together. Izuku couldn't help but think how good the girls' uniform looked on Asia.

Once they got close to the school where a crowd of other students could be seen, faces turned in Izuku's direction again, most of them focused on the snake girl slithering right next to him, and she was a pretty blonde too. Izuku did the best he could to ignore all the odd and suspicious glares, settling for the company Asia gave him.

"My name is Asia Argento. I'm feeling a bit like a fish out of water, but I'm excited to be here." Asia introduced herself to the class.

Most of the class were amazed at the new transfer student, especially the male half, who were excited how pretty she was.

Meanwhile, Izuku sat at his desk, relieved at how welcome Asia's reception had been. 'She's gonna be in my class, huh?'

"Being in a new school in a strange city can be overwhelming, but luckily I'm staying with Izuku!"

This caused all the boys' heads, even Katsuki's, to turn toward Izuku.

'Asia… WHY?!' Izuku thought as he ducked down, trying to make himself as small as possible. Despite this, he couldn't help but smile as he noticed Asia getting friendly with the other girls.

After school, Izuku and Asia met up with Yumi and headed over to U.A., specifically to the ORC room, where they lounged around with Rias, Akeno, and Koneko before later being joined by Mina, Eijiro, and Itsuka. There was no immediate work that needed to be done, so they were free to do whatever. Each of them chatted among themselves, having fun. And then the mention of Asia's residence came up.

"So you're bunking together now?" Mina asked, a sly smile on her face. "When are you handing out the wedding invitations?"

"A-A-A-Ashido!" Izuku stuttered, his whole head glowing red from embarrassment.

Asia, though equally as embarrassed, silently liked the idea.

Eijiro and Itsuka nearly choked from holding in their laughter.

Not long after, Mina, Eijiro, and Itsuka left.

"Okay, I think it's about time we discuss our next objective," Rias got up from her desk and pointed at Izuku and Asia. "We need to find you two familiars."

"Familiars?" Izuku asked.

"What are they?" Asia asked.

"Familiars are a major part of being a Devil, kinda like Hero sidekicks. When you're in need, they're always there to back you up." Rias snapped her fingers. In a puff of smoke, a small cartoonish bat with black ears and wings appeared next to her. "This is my familiar, Moka. I use her occasionally to pass out flyers." Then, Moka changed into a young woman wearing a vampire-themed outfit.

"And I've got one too, of course." Akeno made a green and yellow magic square and a green imp appeared.

"Whoa, is that an imp?" Izuku asked.

"This is Shiro," Koneko said, showing a small white kitten in her arms.

"Mine's badass," Izuku looked over at Yumi, showing a small bird on her forearm.

"Wow!" Izuku said, admiring the bird. "So, Asia and I are gonna get familiars now?"

"That's the next step…" Rias was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"Yeah?" Akeno responded.

The door opened up, and the first to step into the room was a girl about the same age as Rias and Akeno, followed by another. Both of them wore the U.A. school uniform.

The first girl was slim and a little shorter than Rias. She had short, bob-cut styled hair being held together by a single clip. Her eyes were violet and were behind a set of red glasses with oval frames that gave her a cute and professional look.

To her left was the second girl, a slender woman with long black hair that had split bangs and freely fell to her knees, and heterochromatic eyes, the left being violet and the other one brown, behind blue rectangular glasses.

Then, six more teens entered the room— five girls and one boy— but unlike the first two, they were dressed in middle school uniforms.

"Sorry to interrupt," the bob-cut greeted the group with a small smile.

"Who are these people?" Asia whispered.

"The one in front is Sona Sitri, a.k.a. Souna sh*tori, to the people at U.A. Like Rias, she's a High-Class Devil. And the next head of the House of Sitri, a big Devil family," Akeno answered. "And that's her Peerage."

"Wait, really?!" Izuku asked.

Rias then smiled at Sona. "Hello, Sona. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you on increasing the number of your servants," Sona replied.

"She was also recently elected as Student Council President of U.A.," Yumi added. "The one to her left is Tsubaki Shinra, Student Council Vice President."

"What about the others?" Izuku asked.

"They're all middle school third-years like us, applying for U.A. too. They're also planning on running for Student Council from what I heard," Yumi replied.

"So there are other Devils at U.A. too?" Izuku asked.

"Rias, I'm hurt to find out you didn't tell your little boyfriend about us," the sole male of the Sitri group said. He was somewhat average looking with gray eyes and shaggy sandy blond hair. "But I suppose if you can't trust him with inside info, then he must not be worth much to you huh?"

"It's considered bad form to get involved in the affairs of other households, Saji…" Sona reprimanded, causing the boy to look at her in surprise. "It's only natural that Rias held this back." Sona then turned to the others. "This is Genshirou Saji, my Pawn," Sona introduced, smiling.

"This is my Pawn, Izuku Midoriya. And my Bishop, Asia Argento," Rias smiled, gesturing at the two of them.

"Um, I'm pleased to meet you," Asia said, holding out her hand.

"Hey! You sure you're not an Angel, cause I'm pretty sure you just fell down from Heaven!" Saji greeted back with a friendly tone as he shook her hand. Izuku was slightly surprised by Saji's forwardness. He simply let it slide as he introduced himself next.

"Nice to meet you, Saji. I'm happy to meet another Pawn," Izuku smiled, extending his hand.

Saji, on the other hand, snorted as he cooly smirked at Izuku. "Yeah, sure Bro," he scoffed arrogantly. "You might be nice and all, but you're nowhere on my level. I took up four Pawn pieces!" the braggart said, holding up four fingers for emphasis.

"He took up eight pieces. It's always better to check your facts before you make a complete fool of yourself," Sona deadpanned.

Saji's eyes widened at Izuku's Evil Piece worth. "Wait… What? You're kidding me, right?! How did this plain-looking guy manage that?!"

"My apologies. He's young… I hope you'll forgive him, his youthful naiveté," Sona told them. "Newbies don't always appreciate the finer points of civility. Do they?"

"Oh right," Saji frowned apologetically as he rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Izuku said.

"That reminds me, you're planning on getting your two recruits familiars soon, right?" Sona asked Rias.

"Yes, I was thinking of going next week actually," Rias confirmed.

"Well, that's a problem for us as he only takes people once a month, and I was planning on getting a familiar for Saji," Sona frowned worriedly.

"In that case…" Rias smiled. "Why don't we have a friendly little contest to sort this whole thing out?"

"A contest?" Sona repeated, looking surprised.

"Whoever wins earns the right to make their request first," Rias challenged.

Sona arched an eyebrow, "Surely you're not talking about a Rating Game."

Rias chuckled humorously, "Oh, no. We'd never get permission to do something like that."

"Yes, you're right." Sona smiled. "Besides, this isn't the time to call attention to yourself, now is it?"

"Don't go there." Rias's face suddenly turned serious. Izuku noticed Rias's sudden change in mood and looked worried. His worries were eased somewhat as she gave a smile. "I know! We should settle this the good ole' fashioned high school way: With sports!"

The next day, both Devil groups met up at a tennis court in the city. On one side of the court, there were Rias and Akeno, the former dressed in a pink dress while the latter wore a yellow sleeveless shirt with a matching miniskirt. On the other side, there were Sona and Tsubaki, dressed in white sleeveless shirts with matching miniskirts, pink for Sona and green for Tsubaki.

The rest of the groups stood at opposite ends outside the caged court as they watched while one of Sona's Bishops, Reya Kusaka, served as referee.

Reya was a slim girl with long brown hair that ended in two short braids with matching eyes. She also had blue flowers growing from her head, arranged like a headband.

"Akeno, we're in it to win it," Rias declared.

"Got it, no mercy!" Akeno responded.

"Everyone ready, good," Rias said, with the ball in her hand, ready to serve.

"May the best Devil win," Sona challenged.

Rias then served the ball, sending it towards Sona, who served the ball back with a swing of her racket. The ball was then intercepted by Akeno before being received by Tsubaki. With how intensely the four young women were defending their sides and the winds blowing, there were a few moments where their bright white panties flashed for all to see. But they paid it no mind as they continued to play.

"Whoa, that tennis ball is bouncing like crazy!" Izuku commented.

"Hey, we're here!" Eijiro's voice called out as he, Itsuka, and Mina arrived. Izuku had sent them a text on their group chat to inform them about the match.

"So that's Rias's friend?" Mina asked, looking over at the Sitri side.

"Y'know, it makes me wonder, are there more Devils at U.A.?" Itsuka pondered, but they quickly brushed it aside in favor of watching the match.

"Wow, they're really getting into it, aren't they?" Yumi commented.

"Is it just me, or is this getting a little out of control?" Koneko asked rhetorically.

Then, as if answering her question, Sona held up the ball with a smirk. "Let's see how you like a magic attack! SONA SITRI STYLE!" She then threw the ball upward and with her racket glowing in blue energy, served the ball, causing it to glow blue as well as it shot forward.

"Oh really? Let's see how you handle the Gremory Counter-Strike!" Rias challenged, but as she attempted to return the ball, it suddenly changed trajectory and swerved past her, causing her to miss it completely.

"One point, to Sitri!" Reya announced.

"Was that magic just now?!" Izuku gasped.

"Haha! Suck on that, Izuku!" Genshirou laughed as he waved a flag that read "Team Sona."

"Hey, we did agree to no magic, didn't we?" Asia asked.

"Yeah, but that doesn't seem to be stopping them," Koneko noted nonchalantly.

"Well, I guess we can pretty much kiss the rulebook goodbye, huh?" Yumi resigned.

"It's cool. Rias is about to lay the smackdown," Koneko said.

"Look Sitri. You can cheat all you want to, but in the end, it's not going to make a bit of difference in this game," Rias declared. "You want a magic show? Well, I've got a few tricks."

"Do your worst, Gremory. You think I'm afraid of you? Bring it on!" Sona dared.

And with that, the fiery match between the two teams resumed.

The game went on until evening, but unfortunately, the intensity of the match caused the rackets to be destroyed before a winner could be decided, leaving the tennis match a draw.

"Too bad it was a draw. Since nobody won, they're suggesting we all compete in a team match," Koneko said as she held the ruined rackets.

"Are you serious?" Izuku asked.

"Serious as a heart attack, my friend. They're all out there right now, deciding what we play," Yumi said. Then, as if on cue, the door opened and Rias and Akeno stepped in.

"We've chosen dodgeball as the game to play," Rias said. "We meet the Sitris tomorrow night. We also got permission from the principal to use one of the gyms. So, let's win this!"

"Right!" Rias's Peerage all responded.

"Thanks for playing for us, guys," Asia said.

"Yeah, for real," Izuku added.

Later, at his apartment, Izuku was lying on his bed, pondering, when he suddenly got up. He then went over to Asia's room and knocked on the door. "Hey Asia, are you still awake?"

"Izuku! Hi, come on in!" Asia greeted.

Izuku tried his best to ignore how good Asia looked in her pajamas. "Oh, I… can't. It's really late. I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have needle and thread I can borrow?"

"Yeah…?" Asia replied, perplexed by his request.

The night of the team match arrived, and the Gremory Peerage were in the gym, doing warm-ups. Rias and Akeno wore their U.A. gym uniforms; Izuku was in his mint green tracksuit; Yumi, Koneko, and Asia had on white gym shirts and blue, mid-thigh gym shorts, with Asia's being custom-made to accommodate her lower body.

Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka were there as well. They had offered to help, but Rias told them that Sona preferred to keep it Peerage-exclusive only, in addition, she warned them that it could get "a little out of hand." However, they were free to stay and watch.

"They outnumber us by two people, so we've asked the extras to be referees."

"I'm like the worst at sports. I don't even know if I remember how to play," Izuku said.

"Oh, you'll be fine," Rias reassured. "Just grab a ball, aim it at the Sitri team, and hit 'em right in the face!"

"Asia picked it up in no time. I'm sure you can do it too," Yumi said.

Meanwhile, Asia was stretching her lower body, helped by Akeno. "Aah! My tail is on fire!"

"Stretch it a little farther. C'mon, you can do it!" Akeno encouraged.

"I'll try!" Asia said.

Hearing this, Izuku, who was being helped by Koneko, decided he needed to step up his game too. "Koneko, I think I can go lower!"

Koneko obliged and pushed him down lower, but accidentally went more than he could handle, causing a cracking sound and a pained scream from Izuku.

Then, once all the warm-ups were taken care of, Izuku presented to the team what he had made with the needle and thread he borrowed from Asia: team headbands that read Occult Research Club.

"Team headbands?" Rias said, amazed.

"Nice!" Yumi said.

"Yeah! We're gonna look totally badass!" Akeno said.

"Thanks. I stayed up all night making them," Izuku said.

"You didn't sleep?" Rias asked in concern.

"I just wanted to make something cool as a way of saying thank you for everything you guys are doing for us. I'm lucky to have friends as amazing as you. Plus, I suck at sports, so I'll remember not to throw at my own team." Izuku replied. "What's wrong? Are they lame? Maybe I should have gone with t-shirts instead?"

"Oh no, I think they're perfect, Izuku," Rias said. "It was nice of you to do that."

"I don't know, it's not a big deal or anything."

"You're pretty sweet, you know that?" Koneko smiled.

"Let's put these on, go out there, and do our best to kick some Sitri butt!" Rias said.

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered.

"Ready to rock and roll?"

Sona and her Peerage had arrived. Sona and Tsubaki wore U.A.'s gym uniform; Saji had on a gray tracksuit; the remaining girls were dressed in white gym shirts and black, mid-thigh gym shorts.

The two chosen to referee were Sona's other Bishop, Momo Hanakai, and other Pawn, Ruruko Nimura. Momo was a pretty young girl with silver wavy hair going past her shoulders with straight bangs and teal eyes. Ruruko had long brown hair tied into twintails at the side and green eyes. She had a pair of green clips in her hair and wore striped green stockings.

On the Gremory team, there were Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Izuku as the main players while Asia and Yumi were the rear attackers. On the Sitri team, there were Sona; Tsubaki; Sona's Knight, Tomoe Meguri; and Saji as the main players while Reya and Sona's Rook, Tsubasa Yura, were the rear attackers.

Tomoe had hazel eyes and shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair tied into twintails, while also having swept bangs and a cowlick. Tsubasa was a tall girl with blue, shoulder-length hair and matching eyes. She had a typical tomboyish appearance with a bishounen face. Notably, she had four arms, most likely the result of a Mutant Quirk.

The first to get the ball was Tsubasa, who threw the ball at Koneko. She tried to bend over to dodge, but the ball barely managed to nick her, shredding part of her shirt in the process.

"That's an out!" Momo declared, holding up a flag.

"Aw, right from the start," Izuku lamented.

"I need a drink anyway," Koneko said as she calmly walked out of bounds.

"Ready or not, HERE I COME!" Tsubaki's body glowed blue as she enhanced herself and the ball. Then she sent the magic-charged ball straight at Rias, who managed to catch it while only being pushed back a little and taking a few bits of tears in her uniform as damage.

"Well, catching Tsubaki's spike head-on is pretty impressive," Sona complimented.

"Don't forget, Sona. I'm a Gremory, that's just how we roll!" Rias threw the ball and then her eyes glowed red as she powered the ball with her own magic, increasing its strength and sending it straight forward.

Tomoe, the unlucky target, tried to block the ball, but its power was too great, knocking her back and burning up her clothes minus her underwear, making her cry out in embarrassment.

All the boys present averted their eyes as Tomoe quickly left to find new clothes, but that didn't stop Reya from taking a shot at Izuku while he had his eyes covered.

"Behind you!" Akeno called out as she leapfrogged over Izuku to catch the ball. "Got it! You need to keep your head in the game, sweetie."

"R-right, sorry…" Izuku apologized as he uncovered his eyes, only to blush as he tried not to stare at her butt.

Then, the match got more intense, with both sides using magic to throw the ball around, and a few explosions here and there. The ball even flew out the window at some point, shattering the glass in the process. There were also a few more times when some players ended up getting their uniforms shredded and had to replace them. By this point, the gym had become a war zone.

"I had no idea that dodgeball was so terrifying!" Asia exclaimed, terrified by the chaos.

"This isn't dodgeball anymore! It's like a fight to the death!" Izuku said, also terrified.

"This is what Rias calls 'a little out of hand?!'" Itsuka asked.

"More like 'downright insane!'" Eijiro added.

"Y'know, maybe it's a good thing we're only watching," Mina said, slightly scared.

Soon, the ball was in Sona's hands.

"Want me to go ahead and take out that sissy-ass Pawn?" Saji offered.

"No, I got it," Sona said. "Here comes the PAIN!" Sona enchanted the ball, then threw it with all her might. The ball glowed blue as it zoomed towards its mark.

"CRAP!" Izuku shouted as he realized he was the target. "Whoa, whoa, hey! What's up with this thing?!" Izuku managed to dodge the ball a few times, but the ball eventually managed to hit him… right in the balls, making him collapse in pain while clutching between his legs.

Eijiro cringed, feeling Izuku's pain.

"I-It's all over…"

"I can use my Twilight Healing to make you better, but first you have to show me where it hurts, Izuku," Asia said as she summoned her Sacred Gear.

"Oh no. I'm fine, thanks," Izuku said as he sat up.

"You're in pain. I think it'd be best if I took a quick look," Asia insisted.

"It's my private parts! I can't force you to look there!" Izuku argued.

"If it'll make you more comfortable, I can just do it over the pants," Asia said, and with that, Izuku relented to getting healed, not that he wasn't any less embarrassed.

"Tell me, how do you feel?" Asia asked.

"Embarrassed," Izuku replied.

"Hard to comment," Koneko deadpanned.

"I can't really disagree," Izuku said.

"Take good care of him Asia. We've got a game to finish," Rias said.

"Will do."

"C'mon, you guys! Let's win this one for Izuku!" Rias said.

"Izuku's death…" Akeno said.

"Will not be in vain!" Yumi finished.

"For sure," Koneko said.

"Uh, guys? I'm still alive…" Izuku awkwardly reminded as he was being healed by Asia, who was absentmindedly shaking her butt.

Then, the game resumed with Sona and Saji remaining on the Sitri team and Rias and Akeno on the Gremory team; the ball was in Koneko's hands.

"Bring it!" Saji challenged, only for the ball to nail him right in the groin, causing him to whimper in pain before he collapsed.

"C'mon, let's end this thing, Sitri! Right here, right now!" Rias said.

"Oh, I'm just getting warmed up, Rias," Sona said, but suddenly…

"Game over!" Momo announced, blowing the whistle.

Izuku and Asia celebrated winning the match as Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka came over to congratulate them. The Sitri team was the first to take their leave, with Tsubasa carrying the still-in-pain Saji.

"A deal's a deal, Sona. Since we beat you, we get first pick at the familiars," Rias said.

"As much as I hate to lose, I have to admit. That was still a whole lot of fun," Sona said. "Although if this had been a Rating Game and not just us fooling around, there's no way you could have beaten me."

"You really think so? Well, I guess we won't know for sure until we actually play the game. But… it'll be a while until we have to worry about that."

"Don't be so sure, Rias. You never know what's coming up," Sona advised before exiting the gym.

Back in the clubroom, the ORC celebrated their win with a toast. "Victory!"

"I want you to know, I'm thankful to each and every one of you for doing what needed to be done to beat those Devils. I hope you feel very proud," Rias said.

"All I did was get hit in the nuts," Izuku lamented.

"Not true. You also made these headbands, they're pretty rad, man," Yumi complimented.

"Totes!" Akeno joined in.

"Yeah! They really brought our team together!" Asia added.

Koneko also nodded with a smile.

"Thanks, everyone," Izuku smiled.

"I hate to break up the celebration, but I think it's time we go get these two a couple of familiars," Rias interrupted, and a red magic circle appeared in the center of the room.

"Wait! You mean we're getting them right now?!" Asia asked.

"Full moon tonight. This is our best time to see him," Rias replied.

"See who?" Izuku asked.

"The Familiar Master," Rias answered.

"Good luck, guys," Eijiro said.

"If you get a cute familiar, remember to show me!" Mina said.

One teleportation magic circle later, the Gremory Devils were now in a dark creepy-looking forest.

"Uh, where are we?" Izuku asked.

"Duh, a magical forest where familiars live," Akeno replied.

"Don't be scared. This is where we came to get ours, too," Yumi reassured.

"This place is really creepy," Izuku said.

"Yeah, it's really freaky!" Asia said, sticking close to Izuku.

"Who wants me?!" A gruff male voice asked.

"Who's there?!" Izuku asked.

"The master of the familiar, a.k.a. Zatouji!" A brown-haired man wearing a sleeveless white shirt, blue shorts, a yellow backpack, and a blue cap spoke, standing high on a tree. "If your goal is to find familiars galore, you've come at the right time, that's for sure! The full moon is out to help you decide, and I'll be the one to act as your guide!" He said as he made a G-shape with his hands.

"If you can't tell, Zatouji is way obsessed with making things rhyme," Akeno gave some context.

"Uh-huh," Izuku responded.

"Now, how can I help you? Tell me all your heart desires? A strong one? A fast one? A one that likes to set fires?"

"I'd like one that's cute and fun to be around," Asia said.

"Fun? Done and done!" Zatouji said with a smile.

"Oh! Thank you so much!" Asia said.

Throughout the forest, Zatouji showed a variety of familiars, a lot of which could be too dangerous even for their masters to command. It was pretty uneventful otherwise.

And then the group came upon something. "Oh my! Look high!" Zatouji pointed at the top of a tree, where a small blue dragon was perched.

"What is that?" Izuku asked

"Aw, it's really cute!" Asia cooed.

"A Sprite Dragon. Cute, but dangerous too. When made angry, they have the power to shoot a lightning that's blue," Zatouji informed.

"Hey, that type of dragon is pretty rare, isn't it?" Yumi asked.

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen one," Rias said.

"Do it now, if you want this one claimed. Once these dragons grow up, they can no longer be tamed," Zatouji advised.

"Izuku, since you possess the power of the Red Dragon Emperor, that sprite might turn out to be a pretty good fit," Akeno suggested.

"That makes sense. Okay, I want…" But before Izuku could finish, he heard the sound of Asia screaming.

The cause of this was the rain of green slimes that had descended upon her. And she wasn't the only one as Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Yumi found themselves showered with the slimes as well.

"Oh my!" Rias shouted as Akeno awkwardly chuckled.

"It's green slime!" Yumi shouted.

Then, the girls' clothes began dissolving.

"Oh, how naughty!" Akeno said as she was covered head to toe in the green ooze that ate away at her clothing. "I'm so slimy and wet!"

"Ah! No!" Rias screamed.

"Oh! My skirt!" Asia tried to cover herself.

"It's so grody. Vomit town," Koneko groaned.

Yumi let out an uncharacteristic loud shrill as she was stripped down to her bra and panties.

Meanwhile, Izuku, with his face as red as Rias's hair, had his eyes covered with his hands and looked away from the girls.

"My hands are tied, I can't use my magic like this!" Rias said, even her undergarments were melting now.

"Me neither! How are we gonna get out of this mess!" Akeno said, blushing.

"Damn! Get off!" Yumi tried to get the slimes off, by this point, her bra had completely disappeared and her panties were just a few bits of fabric.

"I'll save you!" Izuku instinctively turned towards the girls, only to remember that they were being nudified. "But… how do I do that?" He asked as he covered his eyes again.

"Eating up clothes is the random power of this weird slime. Fun for a while, but in the end, they're complete and utter waste of time," Zatouji said with a slime over his eyes and a nosebleed.

"Ah! The pain hurts so good, I might just have to fight you for it!" Akeno said.

Meanwhile, with Rias, the slime started getting handsy as it reached down below. However, this was the last straw as Rias managed to get her hands free and sent a wave of dark fire to scorch the slimes.

"Sorry slimes! We coulda had some fun!" Akeno also freed herself and electrocuted a group of slimes.

Koneko and Yumi also managed to get free and started killing the other slimes as well.

The only one left was Asia, who despite her efforts to get the slimes off with her vines, still had some on her.

"Hold still, Asia. I'll burn them off right now," Rias said as she readied a magic circle.

But before Rias could do anything, the slimes were zapped by blue lightning while Asia was unharmed. It was the blue dragon, who perched itself on Asia's shoulder.

"Sprite Dragons don't attack, unless they believe their loved ones are in trouble. Which, in the familiar world, means that dragon and lovely lady should be together on the double," Zatouji noted.

"You mean Asia and that thing are bonded now?" Yumi asked.

"He's so cute!" Asia said as she petted the juvenile dragon who played in her arms.

"Well, isn't that sweet? Now I gotta take a sh*t, so you guys need to beat feet," Zatouji said.

"In the name of Asia Argento and Devils everywhere, I command you to accept this pact and be my familiar forever."

The Sprite Dragon sat in the middle of a green magic square as the familiar contract was forged.

"Well, looks to me like you've got a friend. I think you two will be very happy together," Akeno said.

With the ceremony completed, the dragon flew back into Asia's arms.

"Hey, that tickles! Razuku, stop it!" Asia said, already having given her familiar a name.

"'Razuku?'" Izuku asked.

"It's a combination of 'Raigeki' which means 'lightning strike,' and your name," Asia explained. "Is that fine?"

"Sure, it is," Izuku said. "I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Razuku."

*BUZZ! SHOCK!*

"Agaaaaaaaaaaah! Gggggggggga!" Izuku was left charred and smoking thanks to an electric attack from Razuku before he collapsed to the ground.

"Oh, something you should know about these creatures. They hate other males, that's just one of their features," Zatouji explained.

"What a naughty boy, Razuku is," Rias chuckled.

In the end, Izuku was unfortunately unable to get himself a familiar as they were all out of time, so all they could do was to wait until next time.

Next day in the evening, they were in the clubroom again.

"They say Sprite Dragons only give themselves to the most worthy and pure-hearted of masters. And normally, they would never choose to serve a Devil." Rias said.

"Asia used to be a Holy Sister, so who knows? Maybe that had some sway over the little guy?" Akeno guessed.

Mina and Itsuka were smitten with Razuku and took turns petting him, while Eijiro observed from a distance, having heard the whole "hate other males" thing.

"I know I should be happy for her, but now that Asia has a leg on me, I guess I'm kinda jealous. Even so, I'm gonna work harder until I get a familiar of my own!" Izuku declared.

"I can't wait, man," Yumi said. "Well, see you tomorrow, everyone."

Everyone also said their goodbyes and headed home, leaving just Rias and Akeno.

Rias sighed and said, "Izuku's got a long way to go."

"He's a newbie, give him some time," Akeno pointed out.

"You're right," Rias agreed as she looked at the team headband Izuku made and smiled.

Meanwhile, a few thousand kilometers from Japan, a lone figure assessed the damage done to the room he was in. In the room, there were a few signs that a fight had taken place, considering the debris and scorch marks left behind. There was also a vault that was raided. However, the most disconcerting damage was to a containment cell, and right beside the busted cell door was a dead watchman with a knife stabbed in his abdomen.

"Can't believe this mess. Oh Jacques, you were taken from us too soon," he lamented as he took a moment to mourn the loss of life. Among the wreckage of the room, he found something: a few strands of blond hair and dark red hair. "Okay, now let's see what you can tell me…"

Taking the hair strands, he walked over to a globe of the Earth. Then he held the hair over the globe and they began glowing in green light. The globe started spinning and after a minute, it stopped and a beam of light shot from the hair strands towards a certain location: Japan.

"Japan, huh? Well, I never thought I'd be going back so soon." He said as a green dragon-like armor formed over his body.

Chapter 8: Unexpected Surprise

Chapter Text

Ch. 8: Unexpected Surprise

As more days passed toward the U.A. Entrance Exam, Izuku continued his training. He usually did the general workouts with Rias, with Asia now joining him as well. And sometimes, they mixed it up, such as by helping Eijiro and Mina in cleaning up the beach, with Itsuka occasionally joining them as well.

On this particular day, Rias decided to help Izuku get used to flying with his wings. Even though he couldn't exactly go around showing off his Devil wings, that didn't mean he wouldn't have any need for them, and so, that was the purpose of the training. Rias got them permission to use one of U.A.'s training fields and had him leap from the roof of a building there, managing to convince him after she promised to catch him if he fell. He actually managed to get the hang of flying rather quickly, almost like it was second nature to him. He then gave in to excitement as he continued to soar across the sky over the faux city, soon joined by Rias, with the two flying together for a while. However, his landing definitely needed work as even though Rias landed back on the rooftop gracefully, Izuku ended up falling face-first the moment he made touchdown.

Soon, Izuku was being guided toward the nurse's office by Rias. "I definitely need to work on my landing…"

"Even so, that was impressive for a first real flight," Rias complimented.

The two then arrived at the nurse's office.

"Excuse me, is anyone here?" Izuku asked as he looked inside.

"Yes dear, and who might you be?" A sweet old female voice asked.

"OHMYGOSH! You're the Youthful Hero: Recovery Girl!" Izuku shouted, his fanboy side popping out. He then started to list details about Recovery Girl and her Quirk, going into another tirade.

"Yes, yes. You know your stuff well," Recovery Girl said. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing much, just a little something for his face. He fell," Rias said.

"I understand. And I hope you're on your best behavior, young lady," Recovery Girl said, her tone being stricter on the last part.

"Yes, ma'am, I know," Rias said resignedly.

After Izuku got a Band-Aid for his face and some gummies, the two left.

"Um, Buchou, what was that about?" Izuku asked.

"Well, it's about this one time I decided to take a nap in the nurse's office," Rias began.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Izuku said.

"Well, you know how I prefer to sleep, don't you?" Rias asked.

Izuku thought about it and when things clicked in his head, he turned bright red. "WAITWAITWAIT! YOU ACTUALLY SLEPTNAKEDAT SCHOOL?!"

"Yeah, then I got caught by Recovery Girl, who gave me a few whacks on the head with her syringe-cane thing, forced me to sit through a long lecture, and refused to heal the bump she left on my head to make the lesson sink in."

Izuku prayed that he doesn't get on Recovery Girl's bad side when he started attending U.A.

It was a Sunday, and Izuku, along with Asia and Itsuka, was at Takoba Beach again, cleaning up the garbage with Eijiro and Mina. By this point, the beach was nearly cleaned up, with only a single mound of garbage to go. With one final effort from the five teens, the last of the trash was hauled away, leaving the beach spotless and beautiful.

"We did it!" Mina said as she let herself fall back on the sand.

"Yeah, wow," Izuku said, amazed by their efforts.

"I'm happy the beach is beautiful again," Asia said.

"I'll say, you all did a good job," Rias said as she arrived.

"Thanks. I'd say it was quite rewarding," Eijiro said as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

"You know, I'd say it'd be a waste to have this wonderful beach and not make good use of it, don't you think?" Rias suggested. "How 'bout a beach party? The weather's surprisingly warm today, so we might be able to swim."

"Beach party? I'm game!" Itsuka said.

"That sounds fun, I'm in," Izuku added.

"Heck yeah! I think this calls for a celebration!" Mina said.

"Alright, I'll let the others know. Let's meet back here in about an hour and have some fun!" Rias said.

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered.

Izuku and Asia were the first ones to arrive back at the beach. Izuku wore a light yellow t-shirt and dark green swim trunks while Asia wore the Aldera school swimsuit, a modified blue one-piece.

"Are we the first ones here?" Looking behind them, Asia and Izuku saw Itsuka, who had on a teal one-piece with some yellow on the sides.

"Uh, yeah. Looks like it," Izuku said.

"Hey, we're here!" Eijiro called out as he arrived with Mina. He had on a white t-shirt and dark red swim trunks, and Mina's outfit consisted of a white triangle bikini with a frill skirt bottom.

"Kept you waiting?" Mina asked.

"No, we just got here," Asia replied.

"Hey, guys!" The friendly voice of Yumi called. She was wearing a bandeau bikini that was split between white on the left side and blue on the right.

"Kiba, hi," Izuku greeted.

"Nice of you to make it," Eijiro said.

"Where's everyone else?" Itsuka asked.

"Koneko's not really into things that involve water. As for Rias and Akeno…" Yumi looked around awkwardly before giving the boys a concerned look. "Just… brace yourselves."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, confused by Yumi's statement.

"Sorry for being late."

Izuku, Eijiro, and the girls heard the familiar voice of Rias and turned… where Izuku went lava red. Heading towards them was Rias, wearing a very… revealing bikini. Both pieces were hot pink with darker highlights. She also had a small bag over her right shoulder and wore sunglasses. Behind her was Akeno, dragging a cooler and wearing a green micro bikini with blue highlights, which highlighted her rather mature body.

Rias, upon seeing Izuku's reactions, smirked and struck a bit of a pose, and Akeno did the same. "Like what you see?" Rias said, causing Izuku to release steam through his whole body.

"Buchou! Akeno! Stop!" Asia yelled, placing her hands over Izuku's eyes.

Rias giggled at Asia's protectiveness. "Oh, Asia. We were just teasing. Izuku's reaction is so cute that I can't help myself."

"I can't believe this is that same garbage-filled beach," Akeno said, looking over the clean beach.

Yumi looked impressed too. "I'll say."

"Okay, guys. We have a great beach, so let's not waste any more time and have fun!" Rias declared.

"YEAH!"

And so, the majority of the day was spent playing at the beach. The water was too cold to swim for long, but they still found plenty of other things to do.

That night, Rias decided to follow Izuku and Asia home, wanting to come over for dinner. She gave Inko a call for her permission, and Inko was more than happy to have her over.

Once the three Devils got home, they started helping Inko, who was already preparing what seemed to be a delectable feast, considering the wonderful aroma coming from the stove.

"My, that smells delicious," Rias said as she inhaled the fragrance. "I'm glad I decided to stop by."

"Why thank you. I especially went all-out today to make it extra divine," Inko said.

Then, Izuku went to the counter to get the plates, grabbing four.

"Actually Izuku, get one more. Rias isn't the only other company we'll be having today," Inko informed.

"Really, who?" Izuku asked as he took out a fifth plate.

Inko's face lit up in excitement. "Oh, just wait. And I'm particularly excited for Asia and Rias to meet him too!"

Said girls' faces turned at Inko's statement, and they couldn't help but wonder who their mystery guest was.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"Ah, he's here!" Inko's face lit up before grinning at her son. "Izuku, would you be a dear and get the door?"

"Sure, I'm on it."

Izuku went over to the door while his mother had a cheery smile plastered to her face, looking over at Rias and Asia.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"I'm coming!" Izuku called before he threw the door open. Outside the door, there was a tall and slender man with a lean face, his chin covered in stubble, and his cheeks lined with freckles, while a mop of messy dark hair lay atop his head. He wore a maroon button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves, dark pants, and worn leather shoes. Izuku quickly recognized the man.

"Hey, champ! How's it going?"

"DAD?! I didn't expect you to visit again so soon!"

"Dad?" Asia and Rias shouted as they saw the newcomer. They had heard from Izuku how his father worked as part of JSDF overseas, and that he often came back for the holidays.

"Believe me, I wasn't either," Izuku's father joked.

"HISASHI!" Inko came out from the kitchen to greet her husband. The two spouses then embraced each other in a warm hug as they kissed.

"Inko, my dear. I take it you've been well," Hisashi said with a smile. Then he noticed Rias and Asia. "And you two must be the lovely young ladies who are part of our son's life now, right?"

"Asia Argento. I hope you don't mind that I'm currently living here with your family."

"Rias Gremory. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Soon, everyone went back into the kitchen for dinner, with Inko and Hisashi on one side, and Izuku, Asia, and Rias on the other.

"I missed you.~"

"I missed you too. My sweet spark.~"

Izuku felt really awkward as he watched his parents act all lovey-dovey from across the dinner table. They did this every time his dad came home, but he could never get used to it. The girls also watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

"So, Izuku." Izuku then heard his father call out to him. "I heard you finally awakened your Quirk after so long. Quite late even for late bloomers, but better late than never, as they say!"

"Uh, yeah! I was surprised when I learned that I wasn't powerless after all, but Rias has been a good coach in helping me train and learn more about it!" Izuku replied.

"So, what can you do with your new power, care to tell your old man?"

Izuku proceeded to explain his "Quirk," how he could double his strength every ten seconds until it resets when he hits his limit, leaving out any supernatural bits.

"Wow, looks like that power picked the right time to bloom. With something as awesome as that, you'll no doubt be an equally awesome Hero!" Hisashi said, showing his faith in Izuku's dream.

"Wow. Thanks, Dad," Izuku said, happy. Asia and Rias smiled at this.

"So Hisashi, what brings you back here so quickly?" Inko asked.

"Yes, about that, I'm actually on business," Hisashi said, his tone suddenly becoming professional. "Y'see, there's a criminal who escaped to Japan, and I'm here to track him down."

"Really, who?!" Inko asked.

"A leader of a three-person group. They're not well-known Villains, but still dangerous nonetheless, as one of our guards can attest. Poor guy," Hisashi explained.

"Sounds scary. You're going to be okay, right, Hisashi?" Inko asked.

"Inko, please. They don't let just anyone into the JSDF," Hisashi reassured her.

With that, everyone got on enjoying the nice dinner before them.

The next night, Rias received a report for yet another Stray Devil in her territory, so she had her Peerage mobilize for another Stray hunt. It was said to have been last spotted at an old building.

"Okay, everyone. We're going in. Are you ready?" Rias asked.

"Yeah!" Her Peerage responded.

Koneko pounded the door in, and the whole Peerage entered. However, what they saw was not what they had expected. There was the burnt carcass of a beastly creature, which was presumably the Stray Devil they had been assigned to exterminate. Next to the charred corpse was a figure dressed in green dragon-like armor, with a helmet that obscured his face, in his hand was a katana-like sword, its blade blazing in green flames.

"I apologize, children. But as you can see… I got here first." The figure spoke in a distorted voice that masked his real one. "And I see you're with the House of Gremory, a big name in the Devil community."

The young Devils raised their guard in case this man planned on targeting them next.

"Who is he? Some sort of exorcist?" Izuku asked.

"I don't think so. I don't feel any Holy vibes coming from him," Yumi said, her sword drawn.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Rias asked.

"Not what, who I want," The man said, pointing toward Izuku.

"Me?" Izuku pointed at himself.

"If you want my servant, you'll have to go through me first!" Rias declared as her hands lit up with magic. The rest of the group also prepared themselves for a fight.

"Is that so?" The draconic warrior asked. The tension started to build as the masked man and the Devils stared each other down. "Ahahahahaha!" The warrior started laughing, the tension suddenly dropping. His laugh was not an evil maniacal one, but rather, more like that of a prankster laughing at his own joke. "Okay. Okay. I think that's enough of the whole brooding mysterious warrior bit." He put his sword away, and his helmet faded away to reveal the face of none other than Hisashi Midoriya.

"DAD?! IT'S YOU?!" Izuku shouted. Rias and Asia were also shocked that the masked man before them was none other than Izuku's father.

"Dad?!" Akeno, Yumi, and Koneko asked. They weren't present that day, but they did hear about his father returning on business.

"Yep. It's me, champ," Hisashi replied.

Izuku finally snapped out of his shock. "I-I have so many questions!"

"Sure. Let 'em rip."

Almost immediately, Izuku began muttering away at full speed. "How? Why? I don't get it?! You-You're involved with the supernatural? Why didn't you say anything before? Wait, does Mom know? Hold on, do you know about my power? Hang on, I thought you worked for the Self-Defense Force, what's this all about?!"

Rias frowned. "Izuku, there's no way he got all that."

"Yes, I do work with the supernatural," Hisashi replied calmly and without a hint of hesitation.

Rias gasped. "You understood him?!"

Hisashi then continued. "And I couldn't tell you due to the policies in place. Gotta keep the supernatural a secret and all that, though that's out the window by this point. No, your mother isn't aware of all this, which I think you'll agree is for the best. Her little heart may not be able to take it." He gestured to Izuku's left arm. "And yes, I know about you and your Boosted Gear."

Izuku's friends all internally gasped. 'He really is Izuku's Dad!' Not only did he understand everything Izuku said, but he also answered just as freakily!

"As for the Self-Defense Force, that was really more of a cover-up for my true affiliation. You see, I'm from the Mystic Keepers, a group of supernatural peacekeepers."

"I've heard about them. They're known for having resolved many supernatural incidents over the years," Rias said. "And you're one of them, Mr. Hisashi?"

"That I am," Hisashi replied, then he turned to Izuku. "And to be honest, I never expected to see that you've been reincarnated as a Devil, son."

Izuku realized that his father knew about him being a Devil now. "Yes… I'm a Devil… But Dad, listen, I…" Izuku tried to explain.

"Don't worry. Unlike some people, I don't think that becoming a Devil is such a black-and-white matter. If you had a good reason for it, then I understand that," Hisashi said.

"Oh," Izuku said in relief. "Wait, if you're part of some supernatural organization, does that mean…."

"Yes. It's not your average Quirked criminal. It's someone from the supernatural side," Hisashi replied. "Rias, can you gather all the other Devils in this city? I figure it would be a good idea to let them know about the situation as well."

"Yes, I understand," Rias replied. "It might be short notice, but I'll try to get them together tomorrow after school."

"Good," Hisashi said. "In the meantime, you kids should get home. The Stray has been dealt with, after all. See you at home, son. I'll head back after a bit more patrolling. Feel free to ask more questions back home."

"Sure, Dad," Izuku responded, then he and the rest of Rias's Peerage teleported away.

The next day, Izuku and Asia headed to the clubroom after school like normal. Usually, it was to either train or do jobs, but today was slightly different. After yesterday's meeting with Hisashi, Rias was getting all the Devils together. Izuku was still surprised that his dad was a fighter of the supernatural.

Speaking of his dad, Hisashi was currently being served tea by Akeno. Across from them were Yumi, Koneko, Izuku, and Asia, while Rias sat at the desk. Night had fallen, and Izuku expected the Sitri group to arrive shortly. Soon, there was a knock on the door, followed by "We're here."

It was a voice unfamiliar to Izuku. Then, a girl about a year older than him entered the room. She wore the standard U.A. uniform with silver diamond earrings, white thigh-high socks, and black loafers. She had almond eyes with long blonde hair that ended in blue tips, her body was rather voluptuous with proportions similar to Rias, especially her large breasts. Her nails were painted blue and she also held an elegant folding fan. She was then followed by a group consisting almost entirely of girls.

"Latia, so good of you to come on such short notice," Rias greeted.

"No problem. Did we make it here before Sona?" Latia asked.

"Wait, Buchou, are they Devils too? Hang on, are there more Devils at U.A.?!" Izuku asked.

"Yes, we are. However, Rias, Sona, and I are the only High-Class Devils at U.A." Latia answered. "I'm Latia Astaroth, first-year General Studies student and president of the Calligraphy Club, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Oh… hello," Izuku greeted.

"I see you've upped your numbers. It's been a while," Latia said, referring to Izuku and Asia.

"Izuku Midoriya, my Pawn of eight pieces. Asia Argento, my new Bishop," Rias introduced.

"Nice to meet you. Actually, I believe you're already acquainted with someone from my Peerage." As she said this, another step forward. Izuku quickly stood up in surprise, already recognizing her.

"Akaninjin?" Izuku blinked. It was Chacha Akaninjin, his classmate from Aldera.

"Hi," the rabbit-like blonde smiled back at him. "Small world, huh?"

"Yeah, guess so," Izuku replied.

"So, what's the reason for having us?" Latia asked, then she noticed Hisashi. "Who's that? Actually, he resembles Midoriya."

"I'll explain more once Sona and her team arrive. Meanwhile, why not introduce your team to my new members?" Rias suggested.

"Sure thing." Latia then turned to the rest of her Peerage. "Okay, go ahead everyone, introduce yourselves."

Chacha was the first to step forward. "Hi! Chacha Akaninjin, Lady Latia's Queen. Thanks for having us!" She said cheerfully.

The sole male of Latia's Peerage then stepped forward. "Yo! I'm Kongo Hisui, Miss Latia's Knight, if you want to be formal! But that's a mouthful. Just call me Kongo." His hair was blue and blond with few streaks of green, he had brown eyes, and he had athletic tape wrapped around his right arm and left hand. He was dressed in a U.A. uniform and wore black shoes. Then he pointed to one of the girls. "Hey, Sis. Why don't you go next?"

The girl complied and stepped up. "I'm Shinju Hisui, Miss Latia's other Knight. Caution and foresight are my watchwords." She had short blonde hair and blue eyes with a slim figure, and she wore the U.A. uniform. She had on a red headband, blue bracelets on her wrists, and red shoes.

The next to introduce herself was a girl with blonde hair tied into twintails that turned aqua green halfway down and then blue at the tips. Her eyes were heterochromatic: left eye blue and right eye orange, her bust size was also pretty impressive, and a pair of red horns sprouted from the top of her head. "The name's Orihime Yamasaki, Lady Latia's Rook. A pleasure."

"'Sup?! Name's Katsuragi Kazekiri! The Boss Lady's other Rook!" The next girl to introduce herself had long blonde hair with a blue headband that had a ribbon on both sides of her head, and green eyes. She also had big breasts, almost on par with her master's.

Then the next girl proceeded to introduce herself. "Hello, I'm Hermione Greena, Lady Latia's Bishop." She spoke in an English accent. Hermione had shoulder-length bushy brown hair and matching eyes. She wore a white dress shirt with a red and yellow striped tie and a gray skirt.

"Reina Kumono. Master Latia's Pawn of two pieces. How do you do?" The next girl who spoke had black hair in a neck-length bob cut with a red headband that had a bloom knot, and yellow eyes. She also wore a red choker with spider web patterns.

"My name is Nymphi Jin. Lady Latia's Pawn, also worth two." The next girl had white skin except for her hands which were pink, matching long hair and long ears, and light blue eyes. She also had ribbon-like feelers around her shoulders and a pink mammalian tail.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Elina Vanadine, a Pawn worth two pieces as well. I hope we get along." The last girl in the group, who was also the tallest among them, introduced herself quietly. She had dark skin, long white hair that faded to bluish-gray near the bottom, long and pointy ears, and light blue eyes. She was rather busty as well.

Then just as Latia's Peerage finished introducing themselves, another knock came on the door and the Sitri Peerage entered. Even though it was a large room, having three Devil Peerages inside made it into a full house, but luckily, there were enough extra chairs so everyone could sit.

Once everyone got settled, Rias spoke up. "Thanks for arriving on such short notice everyone. I know it might've been inconvenient, but it was at our guest's request." She gestured toward Hisashi. "This is Hisashi Midoriya, father of my Pawn, Izuku, and a member of the Mystic Keepers."

The majority of the Sitri and Astaroth groups were surprised at hearing the last part, but some were confused. "Okay… Can anyone explain who the Mystic Keepers are?" Saji asked.

"We're a group of warriors who act as peacekeepers in the supernatural realm. Some of us even operate as Heroes in the mundane world," Hisashi explained.

"Whoa, that sounds like a big deal," Saji said.

"I've heard their roster includes many gifted Magicians, Quirk users, Sacred Gear wielders, supernatural beings, etc. Do you perhaps have any business with us Devils, sir?" Latia asked.

"Let me start from the beginning. I'm here to track down a fugitive who escaped from one of our strongholds. His name is Vector Bellios, a rather unscrupulous individual with a lot under his name," Hisashi replied, showing the image of Vector, a thuggish-looking bald man with tattoos and brawny arms. "I believe his escape was assisted. By his crew known as the Bellios Gang. They're a three-sibling team including Vector. The other two are Veronica and Vince Bellios." Hisashi then revealed images of a woman with red hair in a bob cut and a blond man with a mohawk. "They've brought harm to many supernatural beings in the past, and I'm sure Devils are no exception. From a contact here in Japan, I got sort of a lead that some black market deals will be happening in this city tomorrow night. Guess who might be among the customers?"

"The Bellios Gang," Sona guessed.

"Exactly. However, it's split between at most eight different sites, meaning I won't be able to check them all in time," Hisashi explained.

"And that's why you want our help," Rias concluded. The three Kings turned to each other in discussion, and the Bellios Gang's potential threat quickly influenced their decision. "This city is under my watch, so if those guys want to come here to do something bad, then they'll have to answer to me. Plus, you're my servant's father, so I can think of this as doing a favor for him."

"My group and I will lend you our support," Sona said.

"Us too," Latia added.

"Great. Now that everyone's onboard, let's get planning!" Hisashi said.

And so, the three Peerages and Hisashi started planning how to split the group to cover all sites and find the Bellios Gang.

Chapter 9: Bellios Gang Showdown

Chapter Text

Ch. 9: Bellios Gang Showdown

The night of the stakeout arrived, and the three Peerages were split into teams to stake out the locations.

Izuku was grouped together with Asia, Chacha, and Momo. They were currently stationed at a loading dock in a harbor, waiting from the top of some stacked trailers.

As Izuku waited, he couldn't help but think back to when his father explained a bit about his supernatural background.

**********Flashback**********

Hisashi had returned back from patrolling, and Izuku and Asia were there to greet him. Luckily, Inko was already asleep, so they could talk with Hisashi more freely.

"How did you become a member of the Mystic Keepers? Actually, before that, how did you become aware of the supernatural?" Izuku asked.

"Well, to be honest, supernatural background has always been a part of the Midoriya family, going back four generations from you," Hisashi explained. "As for the Mystic Keepers, a friend of my father who was a member brought me in after some consideration if I was worthy."

"Is your dragon armor a Sacred Gear?" Asia asked.

"Ah, that, the Dragon Veil armor. No, that's just something I received some time during my career in the Keepers," Hisashi replied. "And the sword, that was actually the first item I got upon joining. The sword of flames, Homurasaki." Hisashi then unsheathed the Homurasaki for Izuku and Asia to see. It was a sleek, katana-like sword with the image of a dragon etched onto the blade.

"So cool," Izuku said as he marveled at the blade.

"I could show you more about it, but we don't wanna set off the fire alarms now, do we?" Hisashi joked as he sheathed the Homurasaki.

**********End Flashback**********

At another stakeout spot, there were Yumi, Tsubaki, Katsuragi, Koneko, and Hisashi.

"Nothing so far," Yumi said.

"Man, this is boring," Katsuragi complained, then she noticed Yumi, specifically her breasts, and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "I just found a good way to pass the time." Then without warning, she started groping Yumi to her shock. "Oh wow, just look at these sweater puppies! I bet these combined with that pretty face draw all the boys right towards ya, don't they?!"

"H-Hey, come on, stop!" Yumi begged through the moans from having her breasts groped.

Tsubaki noticed this and got a weird look on her face. Koneko, however, made an obvious frown.

"Sexual harassment is not allowed, hentai-senpai," Koneko said.

"Aw, why you gotta be such a killjoy?" Katsuragi said as she let go of Yumi. "I know, maybe yours can grow a bit bigger too with a little massage?"

"No thank you," Koneko firmly declined.

Meanwhile, Hisashi turned away from the girls, knowing it was best to stay uninvolved in their antics. 'Teenagers…'

"How much longer do you think until someone shows up?" Chacha asked.

"Hopefully not that much longer," Izuku said.

"I feel so nervous. Hopefully, it won't be like back then with Raynare," Asia said.

"Think of it as fighting Villains. It could be like a warm-up for when we'll have to fight actual Villains," Momo advised.

"Yeah, you're right," Izuku said, then he backtracked. "'Fight actual villains?' Wait! Does that mean you're applying for the Hero Course too, Hanakai?"

"I am, actually. As a matter of fact, I–" But before she could finish, something happened that caught everyone's attention.

On the ground below, a cloaked figure teleported in from a magic circle, and then another figure arrived by teleporting, who was bigger than the first.

The second figure then removed his hood to show his face; it was the face of Vector Bellios.

"There's our mark!" Chacha whispered.

Vector dug his hand into his pocket before turning to the other figure.

"I'm surprised you're already back to your old tricks since it hasn't been long since you escaped prison," the figure said. "If it were me, I'd lay low for about two months."

"Well, I'm not you. Gotta get back in the game ASAP," Vector said. "Now show me the goods!"

The broker then showed a few items in a briefcase. "These babies can change into magic weapons at the drop of a hat. Try them out and tell me which one you like."

"Looks like it's getting underway!" Chacha said.

"We better contact our Kings!" Momo said and she put a magic circle to her ear to try and call Sona, but she was unable to establish a connection. "Something's wrong. I can't call Kaichou!"

"Me neither with Lady Latia!" Chacha added.

"Buchou won't respond!" Asia said.

Back on the ground, Vector noticed the young Devils above him, though he didn't make it obvious. "Well, looks like we have some spies."

"Seriously? Well, I ain't sticking around to get caught. Next time!" The seller then teleported away, leaving Vector by himself, annoyed.

"Pesky kids. I'll teach them for sticking their noses where they don't belong!" Vector suddenly turned around and fired a magic blast at the Devils, causing them to fall from their watchpoint.

Fortunately, they managed to spread their wings to slow their descent and land safely.

"Well, I never expected to be visited by Devils tonight, much less a bunch of kids," Vector said. "It's no use trying to call for backup. I secretly cast a communication-blocking spell."

"So that's what happened!" Chacha realized.

"Might be better to run, little Devils. You can't take me on by yourselves, and your communication spells are useless!" Vector said.

"That may be, but there's more than one way to call for help!" Momo declared, and then, she created a flare gun in her hand. She then fired straight up, sending out a signal flare.

[Momo Hanakai. Her Quirk: Creation. She can create any non-living object she wants. But she's only able to do this if she understands the molecular structure of the item she's making.]

"Whoa! That's awesome!" Izuku said as he looked up at the bright flare in the sky.

Vector let out an annoyed growl at the girl's insolence.

Back with Hisashi's group, they noticed the signal.

"Isn't that from Izuku's group?" Yumi wondered.

"But why a signal flare?" Katsuragi asked.

"Maybe they were trying to call for help, but normal communication spells didn't work, so they improvised," Hisashi rationalized.

"You should go check, Mr. Midoriya," Koneko said.

"He's your son, after all. Besides, we can handle ourselves," Yumi said.

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that. Good luck, girls," Hisashi said, then after equipping himself with his armor, wings sprouted from his back, allowing him to fly towards Izuku's location.

Not long after Hisashi left, the girls received company. It was Vincent Bellios and then to greet him was a black market dealer.

"Finally, took them long enough!" Katsuragi said, eager for a fight. "Let's go! Sacred Gear: Dragon Rebellion!" Then, a pair of black metal boots with a gold trim appeared on her feet.

The others then followed her lead: Yumi created a sword, Koneko cracked her knuckles, and Tsubaki drew a naginata.

Then, the Devil girls all went down to confront the bad guy, taking him by surprise.

Meanwhile, at a third spot, there were Rias, Sona, and Latia, and then they were joined by Akeno, Saji, and Orihime.

"Our location just turned up some normal crooks, so there was nothing else for us to do there," Saji informed.

"Though we did tip off the police before coming here," Orihime added.

Then, everyone noticed Momo's signal flare.

"That came from Chacha's location!" Latia noted.

"Are they calling for help? Why didn't they just call us normally?" Akeno wondered.

"Something must've made it so they can't do that," Sona deduced.

"Izuku! Asia!" Rias shouted in worry for her servants.

"If you're that worried, then you should go to them," Latia suggested.

"We can watch out for ourselves, but our juniors might need some help," Akeno added.

"Alright. If you say so," Rias said before teleporting away.

And right as Rias teleported away, Veronica Bellios arrived on the scene, with the remaining Devils ready to fight her.

Back with Izuku's group, they were doing all they could against Vector.

Izuku already summoned his Boosted Gear and began boosting his power.

[Boost!]

"Dragon Shot!" Izuku fired a green energy shot at Vector, who dodged it.

Vector enhanced his fist with magic and tried to punch Izuku, but Asia managed to snare her vines around Vector's arms to hold him back. However, Vector shrugged it off and used his other arm to grab the vines and pull at Asia, forcing her to detach the vines.

"Cardinal Heroes: Beauty Serene Arrow!" Chacha summoned a bow and arrow in her hands and drew the bow back to fire the arrow. Momo followed up with a fireball, and the girls both shot their attacks at Vector.

Vector formed a defensive spell in front of himself that managed to block both attacks. But then, Izuku came charging in from his side.

Vector noticed and tried to hit Izuku before he could reach him, but Asia wrapped her vines around Vector's arm again to distract him.

"Dragon Smash!" With his power doubled, Izuku threw an energy-enhanced punch at Vector's side, sending him crashing into a crate.

"Is he down?" Asia asked. Her question was soon answered as negative when Vector got back on his feet.

"Not bad for a bunch of kids. I can tell you've been trained well. I suppose it's time for me to bring out my Quirk." Then, Vector's body underwent a drastic change as green reptilian scales started forming over his skin; his eyes turned solid yellow; his jaws extended with his teeth becoming fangs; his hands and feet became clawed; a crocodilian tail sprouted from his back. Now bearing the appearance of an anthropomorphic crocodile thanks to his Quirk, Vector let out a loud roar.

"Things are not looking good," Momo said, and that was an understatement.

"Now then, shall we continue?" Vector said in a guttural voice.

But then, Rias arrived through a teleportation circle.

"Pardon the intrusion, but I'm here to lend my juniors a helping hand," Rias said.

"Another girl? Fine by me, let's have some fun together."

Katsuragi spun on one leg to generate a mini vortex around herself, then she kicked to send a blast of wind at Vincent. He crossed his arms to block it, and he was pushed back a bit.

[Katsuragi Kazekiri. Her Sacred Gear: Dragon Rebellion. A Dragon-type Sacred Gear. It allows her to harness the power of wind to add power and speed to her kicks.]

Koneko then followed up with a hard left slug, making the man take a few steps back. Then, Vincent was quick to retaliate with his own punch, sending Koneko flying back.

Tsubaki and Yumi both held their bladed weapons out and charged at Vincent, who took out a pair of tonfas that he enhanced with magic, using them to block the attacks.

"He's pretty good," Yumi noted.

"Yes. Even so, we must fight on!" Tsubaki said.

"Not bad for teenage girls," Vincent said. "But this isn't even my best, I assure you." Then, Vincent activated his Quirk, and a turtle shell appeared over his body. "Now that my defense has been increased, let's try that again."

Meanwhile, Akeno, Sona, Saji, Latia, and Orihime were currently facing off against Veronica who had taken on a serpentine appearance via her Quirk: white scales over her skin, forked tongue, and her legs were merged into a snake tail.

Orihime swung a studded kanabō at Veronica, who was able to dodge it thanks to her enhanced agility. Veronica then fired a magic blast at Orihime, who reinforced her kanabō with magic to bat the attack away.

Akeno fired a lightning bolt at Veronica who put up a magic shield to try and block it, but Akeno's attack was too strong, breaking through her defense and electrocuting her.

"Absorption Line!" Saji manifested a black chameleon-like bracer with a deformed face on his wrist, and it shot a blue "tongue" at Veronica, latching onto her, and she felt the energy getting drained out of her.

"Neat trick. Now let me show you mine." Then, Veronica started shedding her skin, with the Absorption Line staying connected to the discarded husk rather than Veronica's main body.

"What?! No way!" Saji shouted in surprise as he reeled the line back.

"Keep your cool, Saji! This fight's not over!" Sona advised her Pawn as she fired volleys of water orbs at Veronica.

"Plant Manipulation!" Latia cast a spell, causing green magic circles to appear around Veronica as multiple brown vines shot out of them and wrapped around her, but she was able to slip out of her ensnarement thanks to her snake-like form.

Back with Rias and the others, they continued their fight against Vector.

Asia's vines sprouted from under Vector's feet and started binding him, then Momo froze him in place by summoning a gust of blizzard. However, Vector managed to break free rather thanks to his crocodile strength.

"Phoenix Sword!" Chacha summoned a sword and with a slashing motion, sent a bird-shaped red energy flash at Vector. She was then followed by Rias firing dark energy bolts at Vector, who was pushed back. Vector swiftly spun around to try and whip Rias with his tail, but she managed to dodge by taking to the air.

"Promotion: Rook!" Izuku charged right at Vector and landed a strength-enhanced right hook on his face.

However, Vector wasn't finished as he grabbed onto Izuku's right arm and slammed him into the ground.

"Izuku!/Midoriya!" The girls all shouted.

"Let's try that again." But right before Vector could try to slam Izuku into the ground again, he was suddenly hit in the face by a green fireball, causing him to release Izuku as he scrambled in pain. Asia took the chance to grab Izuku with her vines and bring him over to her.

"Not so fast, Killer Croc!" The voice of Hisashi shouted as the man arrived on the scene, with the Homurasaki in his hand.

"Mr. Midoriya!" Momo called out.

"Hey, kids. I didn't arrive too late, did I?" Hisashi asked.

"No. I'd say your timing was just right," Izuku said as he was getting healed by Asia.

Then, Vector managed to get the fire put out to see the new arrival, and recognized him from the armor. "It's you. One of the Mystic Keepers' top agents. The one they call Cinder."

"That's right. And you, not-my-friend, it's time for you to go back to prison," Hisashi said.

"You and your army of children?! If you had your fellow Keepers by your side, I might be worried, but all you've got are some meddling kids!" Vector laughed.

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss them, after all, some of them will be future Heroes," Hisashi retorted.

"Ridiculous." Vector then roared and charged at Hisashi, baring his fangs. Hisashi used Homurasaki to block Vector's teeth, and no matter how hard the crocodile man bit down, he could not snap the Homurasaki to pieces, so he relented and backed off.

"Kids. Let's take him down!" Hisashi rallied, and the teen Devils all nodded.

Meanwhile, Vincent stood tall and proud in his turtle form as Yumi, Tsubaki, Koneko, and Katsuragi came from all directions, hitting him with a barrage of sword slashes, naginata thrusts, punches, and kicks. However, Vincent used his shell to its full advantage, relying on defense as well as occasionally retracting into it.

"It's no use. You can come at me from any direction, but my shell is tough like a turtle, with a little extra!" Vincent boasted.

Then, he started firing magic bolts at the girls, who either dodged or deflected the blasts.

"Damn! We keep hitting this guy with everything, but he's tanking them like nothing!" Katsuragi noted.

"Even with all of us attacking at the same time, it's not working," Tsubaki added.

"If there was a weak spot, this would be a lot easier," Koneko commented.

Hearing this, Yumi had an idea. "That's it. If there's no weak spot, then we'll just make one ourselves!" Yumi declared. "Rather than attacking him from all directions, we should try focusing on one spot."

"I see. That's an excellent idea," Tsubaki said, holding up her naginata.

"What are you girls talking about over there? It's useless. You'll never get past my defenses!" Vincent called out.

"Let's test that theory, shall we?" Yumi challenged as she held a sword in each hand. she and Tsubaki charged forward.

Vincent fired lightning blasts from his hands, but the girls dodged them as they got closer. First, Yumi slashed her swords in an X-formation on Vincent's chest. Then, Tsubaki thrust repeatedly at the center of the spot Yumi had slashed.

The repeated thrusts at the same area actually managed to push Vincent back a few steps. "I'm impressed you managed to move me. But my shell is still impenetrable!"

"There's more where that came from!" Katsuragi said as she got on her hands and started spinning, forming a small whirlwind around herself. Once she had spun enough, the wind was absorbed into Dragon Rebellion, and she charged straight at Vincent, landing a few kicks where Yumi and Tsubaki had struck.

Koneko was the last to step up as she blocked or dodged the magic-enhanced punches by Vincent before repeatedly pummeling the spot on Vincent's torso. Eventually, Koneko ceased her attack and stepped back, but Vincent's shell was seemingly undamaged.

"Hahaha! What did I tell ya?! You can't break my shell!" Vincent bragged, but then, a small crack appeared on his plastron, right at the spot that the girls singled out. "What?! Impossible!"

"It worked! Let's end it!" Yumi said.

The girls once again hit the same spot, and then Koneko, with everything she had, delivered the final blow, breaking through the shell.

Vincent collapsed on his knees and fell on his back as he was knocked out cold, his Quirk deactivating.

"He's down. Now we better make sure he can't escape," Tsubaki cast a spell to bind Vincent with magic circles.

"I must say, it was an honor to work with you, Shinra," Yumi said.

"Oh, thank you. I enjoyed teaming up as well," Tsubaki said, her eyes not actually focused on Yumi.

"What's this? Some girl-to-girl bonding time? Mind if I join in?" Katsuragi entered the conversation as she groped Tsubaki from behind, causing her to let out a yelp. "Ooh, wow. These jugs are amazing too!"

"Enough! Stop!" Tsubaki demanded as she tried to get Katsuragi off her. Yumi let out an awkward chuckle, having been a victim as well.

Back with Sona, Latia, Saji, Orihime, and Akeno, they were still dealing with the slippery snake that was Veronica.

"Well, she's quite the slick one," Akeno commented.

"That snake form of hers is troublesome. She managed to slip out of the grasp of my demonic plants," Latia added.

"Not to mention my Absorption Line. When I attach it to a target it shouldn't be able to be removed so easily, but all she had to do was shed her skin and the line stayed with the husk!" Saji added.

"Don't get distracted, Devils!" Veronica suddenly came slithering and lunged her head forward with her mouth wide open ready to bite, but the Devils all managed to dodge. Veronica didn't let that stop her and charged again, but this time Orihime got her kanabō ready and swung at Veronica, sending the snake woman flying back.

"That's it. I'm getting serious," Orihime said, and her body started changing: white fur grew from her body, her ears became wolf-like, her hands became clawed, and she gained a wolf tail. A breeze of cold air formed as Orihime breathed.

[Orihime Yamasaki. Her Quirk: Okuchi no Makami. She can take on the form of an Okuchi no Makami, the guardian wolf deity. Not only does she gain wolf-like traits, but also some power over ice.]

Orihime then took a deep breath and breathed out a blast of cold air at Veronica, which she barely managed to dodge, and again when Orihime released another ice breath.

"I think I have an idea to slow her down," Sona spoke up. "Saji, use your Sacred Gear again. You don't need to hold her, just keep her stalled."

"Yeah, okay," Saji responded.

"Latia, can you help him with your plants?" Sona requested.

"Of course," Latia answered.

"Akeno, please wait on standby."

"You got it."

Then, as Veronica slithered back to make space between herself and the Devils, Latia's plants once again emerged from the ground to ensnare her, followed by Saji's Absorption Line.

"This again?" Veronica asked as she began maneuvering her way out of the vines and shed her skin to shake off Saji's line, but as soon as she got free, the two repeated their attacks.

"Let's see how you like some sticky nectar!" Latia said, and her vines sprouted flowers that sprayed nectar all over Veronica.

"Ugh, what is this gooey stuff?!" Veronica said as she was covered all over in the sticky fluid, preventing her from slipping out of the vines. She then tried shedding her skin, but there was too much nectar, still leaving her in the literal sticky situation.

"Now then… Water Prison!" Sona trapped Veronica in a sphere of water, and when Veronica tried to swim out, the bubble prevented her from doing so.

"Oh good. Now it's my turn, let's hear you scream!" Akeno summoned a bolt of lightning that struck the aquatic confinement, also hitting Veronica inside, who screamed in pain, to Akeno's enjoyment.

When Akeno's attack ceased, Veronica was left charred as she collapsed, returning to her normal form as her Quirk stopped working when she fell unconscious.

Orihime then used her Quirk to form ice restraints around Veronica's body, securing the Villainess.

"There, we're done here," Orihime said.

Then, a magic circle appeared in Sona's ear and she listened. "I just got word from Tsubaki. They've captured their target as well."

"So that only leaves the boss. Hope the others are doing fine," Latia said.

Rias fired a magic blast at Vector which he tried to block with his own, but Rias's turned out to be stronger, hitting its mark.

Vector then fired magic bolts at Hisashi, who used Homurasaki to deflect the shots. When that failed, Vector lunged at Hisashi, but then he was caught in a net fired by a net gun held by Momo. The net only served to annoy Vector as he quickly tore through the net with his teeth and claws.

However, the net was merely a distraction to give Hisashi a moment to strike.

Hisashi used his sword to send a wave of flames that Vector, dealing damage.

Vector then charged at Chacha to try and pummel her.

"Bird Shield!" Chacha summoned a small shield on her wrist and it projected a force field that blocked Vector's hits.

Then, Izuku was all healed up and charged right at Vector, gearing his fist back, before hitting Vector in the abdomen.

"Had enough?" Izuku asked.

"Never." Vector panted and glared at Izuku, then he turned his gaze toward Asia and remembered her healing Izuku. Vector decided to take out the opposing healer and fired a magic shot right at Asia.

"Asia!" Izuku shouted as he got right in front of Asia to block the shot.

"Izuku!" Asia shouted as Izuku took the shot for her, luckily, he wasn't hurt too bad.

Izuku turned at Vector with a glare full of righteous fury. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Really? I'd like to see you try, boy!" Vector mocked.

Izuku kept his glare up as he stood firm, his resolve not faltering.

[Haha. I can feel that determination of yours. Let a dormant aspect of yourself awaken!]

'Huh? Who said that?' Izuku wondered. He couldn't help but think it sounded a lot like All Might, only gruffer.

And then, the Boosted Gear started flashing green, and something started to happen to Izuku's body.

[Boosted Dragon!]

Red scales started to envelop Izuku's right arm and the sides of his face, while from his back, a pair of red dragon wings emerged rather than his Devil wings.

While the girls were surprised by Izuku's sudden dragon-like look, Hisashi seemed intrigued by his son's transformation.

"Whoa? What happened to me?!" Izuku was surprised by the changes to his body, but he set it aside before flying straight at Vector, landing a stomach punch on the crocodilian crook, causing him to let out a pained cough.

"Impossible…" Vector grunted.

"Alright, I think he's almost done. One more time, kids!" Hisashi said.

"Right!"

"Meteor Spear!" Chacha summoned a spear in her hands.

Rias fired another dark energy blast, Momo shot out a lightning bolt, Chacha thrust her spear multiple times to send out energy projectiles, and Hisashi swung Homurasaki to send out another flaming slash.

Then, Izuku focused all the power he had built up as he rushed at Vector.

"DRAGON… SMAAASH!" Izuku landed a powerful punch right in Vector's face.

[Explosion!]

The force of the punch sent Vector flying backward, right into a crate with enough force to leave a dent. Then, Vector collapsed to the ground, knocked out, and his Quirk deactivated.

"We did it!" Chacha celebrated.

Not long after, Vector was restrained, and Hisashi soon called for other members of the Mystic Keepers to take Vector and his siblings into custody.

"I'm proud of what you did here, champ. Especially that dragon mode of yours." Hisashi praised.

"Oh, well, the thing is that's the first time that's happened. Actually, I wonder how that even happened. I mean I heard the Boosted Gear shout 'Boosted Dragon!' and it is supposed to be a Dragon-type Sacred Gear, though I never knew it could actually give me dragon-like traits. I wonder if I unlocked something new–" Izuku started to mumble.

"Okay. You might wanna stop before you overload your brain," Hisashi said with a chuckle.

"Oh, right," Izuku said as he stopped.

"Anyway, I have to go now. I wish I could help you learn more about that new dragon mode, but I can't. Until next time, champ," Hisashi said before joining his fellow Keepers, then they all teleported away.

Later, all three Devil Peerages regrouped back in the ORC room.

Izuku was resting after the night he had when he noticed Chacha approaching him.

"Hey," she greeted with an awkward smile while rubbing the back of her head, "So, um… you wanna hang out sometime Midoriya? I mean, we've got nothing to hide since we're both Devils."

"Uh… yeah, sure," Izuku nodded. "Hey, those weapons you used, are they part of a Sacred Gear?"

"Yeah, Cardinal Heroes," Chacha answered. "I've got access to four different weapons, Beauty Serene Arrow, Phoenix Sword, Bird Shield, and Meteor Spear, though yours is way more impressive. And you going dragon was amazing too."

"Uh yeah, but don't sell yourself out short. If you can use four different weapons, then it means you've got a lot in your arsenal, that's something mine can't do," Izuku pointed out.

"Thanks. Also, mind if I call you Izuku? We've been friends for some time, and if you want, you can call me Chacha."

"Sure, I don't mind, Aka– I-I mean, Chacha," Izuku said, to Chacha's delight. Asia sent a jealous look in their direction, and she wasn't the only one.

"Huh?" Rias blinked, looking over at Chacha. "Hey, Latia. What's up with your Queen?"

"Who, Chacha?" Latia asked. "She's been crushing on Midoriya for a while now." Then she noticed Rias with a raised eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're jealous of my Queen, Rias."

"Wha–?! As if!" Rias countered, but the flustered look on her face told a different story.

"Whatever you say," Latia smirked, to Rias's annoyance.

The next day, after all the club activities were completed, Izuku and Asia headed home. However, when they got there, they were hit with a big surprise.

"Hey there, champ, Asia," Hisashi greeted.

"Dad?! I thought you were heading back?!" Izuku said.

"Believe me, I was surprised too," Hisashi said.

"Isn't it wonderful, kids?" Inko asked as she stepped out of the kitchen. "Hisashi's been reassigned to here in Japan."

"That's right. I'm here to stay."

"What? Really?" Izuku and Asia asked.

"Really," Hisashi confirmed. Then as Inko went back into the kitchen, Hisashi leaned in to whisper into Izuku and Asia's ears. "Not only am I here to stay, but I can also help out in any supernatural matters, including that new dragon mode of yours, champ. It should come in handy in the future, especially for the U.A. Entrance Exam."

"Yeah, I'd very much like that," Izuku said with a smile as he hugged his dad. Asia stood by with a smile until Hisashi pulled her into the hug as well.

Chapter 10: Return to the Familiar Forest

Chapter Text

Ch. 10: Return to the Familiar Forest

It was early December, and nearly two months had passed since Hisashi moved back into the apartment with his family, and things were going smoothly. Hisashi and Inko were as close as ever, and the former very much enjoyed the thought of Asia being their foster daughter.

Occasionally, Hisashi took part in watching over Izuku and Asia's training, throwing in the training regimes that he went through when he joined the Mystic Keepers. One aspect of his son's training that Hisashi was heavily involved in was the dragon mode, which Izuku named Boosted Dragon mode, based on what the Sacred Gear called out.

"So, how's your training treating you guys?" Chacha asked Izuku and Asia. Class had ended a few minutes earlier and most of their classmates had already gone home.

"I've been mostly doing training with my Quirk: growing vines, controlling them, and other things," Asia replied.

"I'm working on increasing my maximum limit on my Boosted Gear," Izuku said, then his thoughts turned to a different matter. "Even so, I barely know much about it. Like the voice I heard while fighting Vector, and the Boosted Dragon mode which gives me dragon traits. And, according to Buchou, there's a Transfer ability that can let me pass the stored-up power to someone or something else. That would be useful, sure. For example, if I Transferred the power to Asia here, maybe her Twilight Healing's healing ability would be amplified, I wanna try that, but I should get the hang of it before I put it into practice. And Buchou has advised me not to try too many things at once so I don't overwork myself…"

"There he goes again…" Chacha and Asia sighed in amusem*nt as they watched Izuku mumble. "By the way, how is it like now that your father's back?"

"Oh, yeah, it's been great. He came up with a pretty solid training plan, and he even suggested more nutritious meals for my mom to cook up," Izuku replied, and then he asked her the same question back. "How about you, Chacha? How's your training coming along?"

"Pretty well. I'd say," Chacha replied. Like Izuku and Asia, Chacha had her own goal to be a Hero. Izuku had already heard about it back when they became friends, and Asia found out when it came up in a conversation not long after the Bellios Gang incident.

Then, Asia had her own question. "So, Chacha, how'd you adjust when you became a Devil? I imagine you didn't cause yourself nearly asmany headaches as I did due to forgetting not to pray to God."

"Actually, I wouldn't know what to tell you because I was born a Devil."

Izuku and Asia did a double-take. "You were a Devil to begin with?!"

"Well, Half-Devil, to be precise. See my mother's human, that's how I have a Quirk, and my father is a Devil. He took her last name when they married, so that's why I have a Japanese-sounding family name."

"Oh, I see, that's interesting," Izuku said. The three continued to walk toward the school gate where Yumi was waiting. "That's our cue," Izuku said to Chacha. "See you tomorrow, Chacha."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Chacha watched as Izuku and Asia met up with Yumi. Seeing Asia so close to Izuku sparked a bit of envy in her, but it also gave her resolve. 'I won't lose,' she internally declared. She would make it into U.A. as well. Initially, she never thought too much about which Hero School she planned on attending, though she did think about U.A. because Latia went there. However, she now had a bigger motivation to aim specifically for U.A. 'If she's going to U.A. with Izuku, then I'll do the same!'

At the ORC room, Rias revealed some upcoming plans in the next few days. "It's almost the night of the full moon again, and I checked to make sure there are no other Devil Peerages with the same plans, so you know what this means."

"Uh, what does it mean?" Izuku asked, clueless.

"We're going to the Forest of Familiars again, silly," Akeno informed. "To hopefully find you a familiar."

Izuku then recalled their last visit to the Forest of Familiars two months ago, and how only Asia was able to get a familiar, the Sprite Dragon Razuku. Last month, they didn't go because it was Sona's group's turn to get a familiar for Saji, and he got an awesome one, according to what he heard. "Oh yeah, that's right. I didn't get one last time."

"Maybe this time, you can get one that suits you, Izuku," Yumi said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I hope I do. I really wouldn't want to have to go there a third time," Izuku said.

"If you do, that would be embarrassing," Koneko commented.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll find one that's a perfect fit," Eijiro reassured. Izuku noticed the rhyme and couldn't help but compare it to Zatouji.

"In my opinion, I don't think you should be in such a hurry to make the first thing you find your familiar. Get to know many of them, then you're bound to find the right one," Itsuka advised.

"Yeah. I don't really know much, but it sounds to me like it's almost like choosing a pet. You can't always expect to find the one you want at first glance," Mina added.

That night after Inko had gone to sleep, Izuku and Asia were in the living room, doing their homework while thinking about their second trip to the Forest of Familiars.

Then, Hisashi came into the room. "Hey, kids. Doing homework, I see?"

"Hey Dad, how was it on your walk?" Izuku asked.

"Just fine. No supernatural shenanigans or much crime," Hisashi replied. "A nice casual walk around the city under the almost full moon night."

"Yeah, a full moon… this time I'm gonna get a familiar!" Izuku declared.

"Oh, so you're getting a familiar, huh? Asia too?" Hisashi asked.

"Actually, I already have one," Asia replied.

"Wait, Asia has one but you don't? How come, Izuku?"

"The last time we went, we ran into a few troubles, including slimes, and by then, only Asia was able to get one," Izuku replied.

"Ah, that's unfortunate. So, can I see?"

"Sure. But you better get back, because he doesn't like other males," Asia warned.

"Oh, is it a Sprite Dragon or something?" Hisashi asked.

"Yeah," Izuku replied, getting some distance from Asia.

"Ah," Hisashi noted as he also put some space between himself and Asia.

Asia then used the summoning magic to call upon Razuku. Upon appearing, Razuku cuddled up to his master. "Oh, Razuku. I'm happy to see you too."

"I've heard how rare Sprite Dragons are. To think that you managed to find one to make it your familiar is quite an accomplishment," Hisashi said as he observed Razuku from a distance. "I don't know if you'll be able to find a familiar as rare as that, Izuku, but I'm sure you'll find one that suits you."

"Thanks, Dad," Izuku said.

Then, the night of the full moon arrived again, and the whole Peerage met up in the clubroom to make their departure.

"Okay, Izuku. We're heading back. Are you ready?" Rias asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready," he replied.

"Alright, here we go," Akeno called out.

"This time, I'm going to make sure I find a familiar," Izuku repeated to himself as the Peerage warped away.

"The forest where the familiars dwell. It looks the same as it's ever been," Izuku commented on the forest's appearance again.

Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Yumi, and Asia summoned their familiars to let them roam around in their old habitat.

Then, the familiar gruff voice of the Familiar Master Zatouji greeted their ears. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the team of Gremorys? This sure brings back memories." Zatouji then hopped down from the treetop he was on to greet the returning guests. "A strong one, one that soars, or one with an excellent kick? Tell me, boy, which one will you pick?"

"Uh, well, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure what kind of familiar I want," Izuku sheepishly admitted.

Hearing Izuku's indecisiveness, Zatouji waved his index finger at him in disapproval. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. This is why amateurs always annoy. If you want yourself a familiar, you better make up your mind, my boy."

Izuku took the criticism to heart and thought of one that might suit him. "Well, what do you have in mind for a strong one?"

"Strong one, you say? I know where plenty of them dwell, so this might be your lucky day." Zatouji looked on with approval at Izuku coming to a decision. "I've already got something in mind for ya. Try your luck with this one, why dontcha?"

"What is it?" Izuku asked.

"The Chaos Dragon King Tiamat, the only female among them, no Devil has been able to tame this one yet. However, if you can succeed, no doubt she'll serve you well, I'll bet!"

For some unknown reason, Izuku felt the chills as his senses told him to pick anything but her. "Uh, maybe something else?"

"Then what about a hydra, a mighty nine-headed snake that carries a deadly venom that no Devils can endure? Not only is it immortal, but it can even kill its master; the worst creature for sure!"

"Um, how about we skip all the ones that could potentially kill their users? Because I do not feel like getting killed by the creature that's supposed to help me!" Izuku said.

"Yet another request, though it's only fair, you know yourself the best," Zatouji said. "What about an Undine? They pack quite a power, and they like to dwell at a lake so serene."

"An Undine, huh? You should try it, Izuku. Undines are female sprites, and if you had a feminine familiar, maybe it can help you with your shyness around unfamiliar girls," Rias suggested.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try… Sure, why not?" Izuku agreed.

Zatouji soon brought the group to a calm lake in the middle of the forest. "This lake is awesome. Righteous and right. At the bottom, you'll find a magical sprite."

Then a spot on the water began to glow.

"Whoa! Check out the lake!" Yumi said.

"Here we go. Looks like a sprite is about to show!" Zatouji said.

Then, a feminine humanoid figure emerged from the lake. She had some muscles andbandages wrapped around her ankles and she wore a pink dress that accentuated her figure, her hair was blonde, styled into curls at the bottom. However, her face was anything but girly as it looked more like that of a male bodybuilder, complete with her eyes being obscured by a shadow to add more to the masculine image. The Undine let out a battle cry as she turned around to face the Devils.

"Take a look. That's off the hook!" Zatouji commented. "Undine are rare water sprites with megawatt power! A familiar like that would make your enemies cower!"

"I think I'll have to decline. She looks like she could pick me up and break me in half!" Izuku said. "Plus, I don't think she can really help me become less shy around girls, and not for the reason you might be thinking."

"If she doesn't fit your groove, then I suppose onward we should move," Zatouji said.

With that, the group left the lake behind to look for familiars elsewhere.

"Well, this isn't going that well," Izuku lamented.

"Cheer up. We've only just begun," Akeno said.

"Yes, we might have hit a few bumps, but that's no reason to be down in the dumps!" Zatouji added.

Then, Asia felt something slimy on her body, and so did the other girls. It was something they remembered all too well, a shower of slimes.

"Why are there slimes here?! I thought we're far away from the spot we saw them last time!" Yumi yelled in a panicked tone as she got pelted with the green gelatinous globs.

"Ah, something I should've mentioned but forgot. The slimes, they've temporarily migrated to this very spot," Zatouji explained.

The girls started having their clothes dissolved again, but this time, they knew what to expect and reacted much quicker to get the slimes off and eliminate them. In the end, the damage to their clothes wasn't anything too significant, to their (and Izuku's) reliefs. Zatouji then got a gut punch from Koneko for failing to warn them.

Then, they all heard the sound of something being kicked and hitting another object.

"What was that?" Asia asked.

"Let's go find out," Rias said.

When the group followed the noise to its source, they found an anthropomorphic rabbit-like creature. It was mostly white with some green on its ears, neck, and toes, its eyes were black with green highlights, and it had lighter green pads on the bottom of its feet with a yellow band shape resembling a bandage across its face. The rabbit kicked several rocks at a tree hitting one particular spot with excellent precision.

"The Ace Striker, a familiar of the uncommon variety known for their amazing kicks. Once they mature, their feet can easily shatter bricks," Zatouji informed.

"Aw, it's cute!" Asia said.

"What do you think, Izuku? Think that'll make a good familiar for you?" Yumi asked.

"Yeah, it just might," Izuku said, then he began to approach the Ace Striker. The Ace Striker stopped its kicking session to notice Izuku. "Uh, hi?"

The Ace Striker narrowed its eyes before scurrying off.

"Looks like it was not meant to be," Koneko commented.

"My, that Ace Striker is quite a fickle being, but there's plenty more, so let's get back to sightseeing," Zatouji said.

After a few more minutes of walking, the howling and snarling of wolves were heard.

"What was that?" Izuku asked.

"Ooh, that sounds like Dire Wolves, always traveling in a pack. And for them, an Ace Striker might as well be an afternoon snack."

Izuku then remembered the Ace Striker from earlier, and despite it rejecting him, he still wanted to make sure it was okay. "I'm going after them. I'm worried about that Ace Striker."

"Even though it didn't seem to like you?" Koneko asked.

"Yeah, I still can't ignore it if it might be in trouble!" Izuku said as he summoned his Boosted Gear and ran toward the direction that the sounds came from.

[Boost!]

"Dire Wolves are among the familiars that can kill their masters. Careful my boy, or else in your future, there will be plenty of disasters," Zatouji said as he followed after Izuku, followed by the other young Devils.

The Ace Striker looked worn out, it had visible wounds on its body and a few scrapes. It panted as it looked at the Dire Wolves that had it surrounded. Although it managed to fend off one or two, ultimately, it couldn't handle the entire pack.

The Dire Wolves eventually cornered their prey and were ready to attack when suddenly, Izuku arrived on the scene in his Boosted Dragon mode.

[Boost!]

With another Boost to add to his current strength, Izuku punched a Dire Wolf away with his Boosted Gear arm.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked the Ace Striker, who was surprised to see the boy it had rejected earlier coming to its rescue.

Then, another Dire Wolf lunged at Izuku, but a lightning bolt stopped it in midair.

"Look at you, already saving the day like a real Hero," Akeno said.

Then, Koneko slammed her fists into a Dire Wolf's side, and Yumi cut down another with a few swings of her sword.

"Don't let that be the death of you," Koneko said.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Izuku. I think it's admirable of you," Yumi said.

Then, Asia grew out her hair into vines to ensnare some of the Dire Wolves and Rias blasted them with magic energy.

As the Peerage started beating the Dire Wolves, they began to retreat.

"My, taking on Dire Wolves is no easy feat. Congrats on not getting turned into mincemeat," Zatouji commented.

However, there was still one left, lurking in the shadows undetected. As the Devils were getting ready to go, the Dire Wolf leaped out from its hiding place right at the Ace Striker.

"Watch out!" Izuku leaped at the Ace Striker to get it away from the Dire Wolf, and when he made contact with the rabbit familiar, he instinctively tried something with his Boosted Gear.

[Transfer!]

The Boosted power stored in Izuku's Sacred Gear then moved to the Ace Striker, making it stronger. The Ace Striker then ran up to the Dire Wolf and landed an empowered kick on its face, sending it flying back.

"Hey, it worked!" Izuku said.

Then, the Ace Striker took a small rock from the ground and kicked it into the air before hitting it with another kick to shoot it at the Dire Wolf, striking its abdomen. This caused the Dire Wolf to flee like the rest of its pack.

"Wow. I'm impressed. Even though you haven't had much practice with Transfer, you managed to use it to give the bunny the power it needed to beat that wolf," Rias complimented.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?" Izuku said, then he turned to the bunny in question. "Well, we'll be off now, take care of yourself." Izuku barely took a few steps forward when the rabbit familiar clung to his leg. "Wait. Do you want to come with me?"

"Well, you did save its life. I think you've made a friend," Rias said.

"I think it's wonderful, Izuku!" Asia said.

"Good job," Koneko gave him a thumbs-up.

"Nothing less for an aspiring Hero," Yumi added.

Hearing this, Izuku turned to the Ace Striker. "So, how about it? Do you wanna be my familiar?"

The Ace Striker grinned and hopped happily.

"Well, I think we have a winner. Now, let's hurry along, 'cause I gotta make dinner," Zatouji said.

Then, one familiar contract ceremony later, the Ace Striker had become bonded to Izuku as his familiar.

"Now then, I guess I should give you a name," Izuku said as he kneeled down to face his familiar at face level. "What do I call you? Nothing comes to mind. Ah, shoot!"

The Ace Striker's ears rose upon hearing the word "shoot."

"Did you see that?" Akeno asked.

"Yeah, I did. 'Shoot!'" Izuku repeated, and the Ace Striker hopped excitedly. "Hmm, okay. I think I'm getting somewhere… Shoot. Shoot. How about 'Shooter?'"

The familiar jumped up and did a flip before smiling at its master.

"Okay then, from now on, your name is Shooter!" Izuku said.

Shooter smiled and held up a paw. Izuku recognized the gesture and held up his hand, but rather than the paw it held up, Shooter instead used its foot for the high-five. Regardless, Izuku recognized the gesture and smiled.

"Aw, look. They already have their own special high five," Akeno said.

As Shooter climbed onto his shoulder, Izuku smiled at his new companion. He was another step closer to climbing the ranks of Devils.

"The next time you get new members, come back anytime. And I'll try to keep you away from the nasty slime," Zatouji bid farewell to the Gremory group as they left the forest.

The next day in the club room, Izuku summoned Shooter for Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina to see.

"Aw, it's a rabbit! It's so cute!" Mina gushed at how cute Shooter was as she petted its chin.

"So its species is called Ace Striker for their specialty in kicking, huh?" Itsuka asked. "I'd like to see it in action."

Upon hearing this, Shooter picked up an empty water bottle from the sofa table, and after juggling the bottle with its feet, kicked the bottle into a trash can that was halfway across the room.

"Whoa! Now that's a kick! So manly!" Eijiro said.

Akeno then picked up Shooter and looked over it. "Yep. I'd say that's quite manly, alright. As this little bunny is in fact, a male."

Shooter then leaped down from Akeno's arms and headed over to his master. Izuku held out his hand, and they did their signature high-five.

"Wow, you guys already have your own high-five? That's adorable," Mina commented.

"Well, technically, he came up with it," Izuku said.

"All that aside, the most important thing is, I'm proud of you. Keep it up, okay?" Rias said, stroking Izuku's chin.

"Y-Yeah, o-of course!" Izuku stammered. Asia sent a jealous look his way, and Mina grinned excitedly at the potential romantic drama.

In a large mansion in Devil territory, a young girl was preparing tea and sweets on a round table. Her blonde hair was tied in twintails with large, drill-like curls, and blue ribbons keeping them in place. The front of her hair had several bangs hanging over her forehead, with a V-shaped fringe hanging over the bridge of her nose. She wore a long, pink dress with white frills and a magenta bow in the front. She wore matching pink shoes and light pink stockings. In layman's terms, she looked like a teenage princess. "Riser, the tea is ready," she said to the other occupant in the room, an older man in a sharp suit who also had blond hair. He was sitting on a chair by a wall, looking at a photo of a 14-year-old Rias Gremory wearing a white dress.

"Is that you, Ravel?" Riser asked without taking his eyes off the picture. Raveldecided to let him be as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"How are the wedding preparations coming along?" Ravel asked as she blew at the tea to cool it down.

"…Aah," he smirked, "As if anything could possibly go wrong."

Chapter 11: U.A. Entrance Exam (Part 1)

Chapter Text

Ch. 11: U.A. Entrance Exam (Part 1)

The months passed by until it became late February. At last, the U.A. Entrance Exam was only a day away. After a day of some final training, Izuku and Asia were heading to get a good night's rest in order to be in ideal condition for the Exam.

"Tomorrow's the big day. I'm so nervous!" Asia said.

"Yeah, me too. We've trained hard for this, but it still feels like it might not be enough," Izuku said. "But it won't do us good to worry, so let's get some proper rest."

And with that, the two entered their rooms.

"Damn it! Say it ain't so!"

"This has to be some kind of mistake!"

Izuku heard the voices of Katsuki's two friends as he noticed that they were crying. Katsuki was also there with his parents, dressed formally, but he seemed uninterested in what was happening and just wanted to go home.

Then Izuku realized he was in a white tuxedo. "Wha– Why am I wearing this?!"

"It's not fair! How's that guy getting married before us?!" Katsuki's buddies once again complained.

"M-m-married?!" Izuku paled. "I'm getting married!?" How?! He was only fifteen and not even in high school yet! Not to mention, he had no idea who he was marrying!

Then, he saw his parents. Inko was dressed in a red gown, and Hisashi wore light blue dress clothes, standing behind her.

"I hope our first grandchild is a girl!" Inko said while miraculously keeping the tears to only a few drops and not a flood like usual.

"Izuku, as your father, I'm proud to say that you're now a real man!" Hisashi praised with a smile.

"There's no need to look so restless, Izuku."

Izuku then heard the lovely voice of Rias. There she was by his side, dressed in a pure white wedding dress that reached her feet. The dress was strapless, allowing her impressive bosom to be seen. A bouquet of white flowers was held in her gloved hands, a veil was lifted over her head, and her beauty was enhanced with makeup. "Just bask in the moment."

'Is this for real?!' Izuku screamed internally. 'I'm marrying Buchou?!'

As the pastor recited the prayer, Izuku tried not to look nervous, but inside his mind, he was a total wreck. He never imagined that he'd be getting married to such a beautiful girl like Rias.

"We're here," At the sound of Rias's voice, Izuku was brought back to reality, only to find themselves in front of a love hotel. He then remembered that newlywed couples often start their honeymoon with all-night-long passionate sex.

"Shall we?" Rias asked with a smile.

"Uh… yeah," Izuku nodded slowly, his face still bright red.

The room that they checked into had a typical design with colors mostly red and pink to stimulate passion. The rug was so soft that guests could make love on the floor right then and there. There was one round bed, and on its side was a nightstand with a control panel. Rias washed herself off in the shower while Izuku twitched his thumbs like crazy while sitting nervously on the bed.

Izuku looked around the room and there were bottles of wine, lit scented candles, and massage oils on a nearby table. As his timid nature surfaced, he gulped loudly. He was about to enter uncharted territory. Other than the times he played house with Icchan, he had never been with a girl at all, but this was no children's game, it was adult reality. He did find her attractive like any other heterosexual male, though he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he had caught her interest. And now here he was, on their first night together, ready to seal their relationship with a night of passion.

"Oh, Izuku~."

Izuku quickly turned his head at the sound of Rias's voice. There was Rias, out of the bathroom with her sexy body enveloped by a towel, which didn't stay on for long, allowing the goods underneath to be revealed. The elegant young lady was in a very smoking lingerie, a white floral lace bustier with a lace-up front, boning, garter straps, underwire cups, adjustable shoulder straps, matching fingerless gloves, and G-string with matching sheer stockings.

"Uh… you look… wow…" That was all he could say.

Rias giggled as she sauntered over to him. She pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top, straddling his waist.

"S…sorry, I'm n-not really used to this yet," Izuku stuttered, his voice beginning to crack.

"There's no need to apologize, my dear Izuku," Rias smiled, her eyes half-lidded as she cupped both her hands to his face. Izuku could feel his heart throbbing. It was so loud, it practically thundered in his eardrums. "If you want, I can lead."

Rias leaned down and puckered her lips, wanting to seal the moment with a kiss. Izuku didn't know what else to do but breathe deeply and close his eyes. His arms reacted on their own and wrapped around her waist, bringing her in closer, the lips just inches-

[Sorry to interrupt this moment you're having, but it's time you and I meet face-to-face, boy.]

Izuku's eyes shot open as he quickly sat up. The scene changed as Rias suddenly disappeared, leaving Izuku alone in a black void. "Hey, I've heard that voice before!" It was back when he went Boosted Dragon for the first time.

[You have. After all, I am inside you.]

"You, what?!" Izuku asked.

[Why ask a question when you know the answer?]

Izuku then turned to find himself surrounded by a sea of flames, and amid the inferno was a gigantic red… "D-D-D-Dr-Dragon?!"

[I've been speaking to you for a long time. Perhaps my voice never reached you because you've been too weak to hear me.]

"Wh-What do you want?" Izuku asked.

[I merely wanted to say hello to my partner, the one I shall be fighting alongside from this moment forward.]

"Partner? I still don't know who you are!"

[Quit being dramatic. You know exactly who I am.]

"Wait! I still have-" Izuku tried to call out for the voice, only to see the Boosted Gear appear on his left arm as it glowed green.

Izuku opened his eyes to find himself back in bed. As he set up, he looked at his left arm which housed the Boosted Gear. 'What a dream… But what was with that big dragon?'

However, he didn't have time to ponder on that as he saw the clock read nearly 5:30 a.m., time for his morning exercise. However, that wasn't what was most important today. "The entrance exam!"

After some jogging, he returned to the apartment to see Asia preparing breakfast. "Good morning, Izuku," she greeted.

"Good morning," Izuku greeted back. "Are Mom and Dad still asleep?"

"Yeah, they are."

As the two ate breakfast, they talked about what the Exam might be like. Once they were done, the two had their training clothes packed and were ready to head out.

"Okay. We're heading out," Izuku said to his parents, who were now awake to see them off.

"Good luck, kids. No matter what happens, I'll be proud of you both," Inko assured.

"Don't let the pressure get to you, and no doubt, you'll ace it," Hisashi said.

It was now 8:40 a.m., and Izuku and Asia arrived at U.A., right on time for the Entrance Exam. The two were right outside the school, staring up at the rather huge entrance that they'd seen plenty of times before, but right now, it put them under a lot of pressure.

"Wow, even though we've been here many times before, it sure feels different today," Asia said.

"Yeah. This is it, do-or-die. Today's the day that will determine whether or not we are actually going to attend here," Izuku said, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Even so, it can't be that bad as facing against Raynare or Vector." That last part gave Asia some reassurance. And then…

"Stupid Deku…"

Izuku immediately paused. "Kacchan!"

"Get out of my way now before I set you on fire," Katsuki threatened.

"WHA! Oh! Hey, good morning! Um, let's all do our best out there, okay?" Izuku said as he complied with Katsuki's demand.

As Izuku stammered, Katsuki walked past Izuku, not paying much attention to Asia.

"Why is he always so angry with you?" Asia asked. She had seen plenty of times in class when Katsuki flipped out at Izuku.

"Oh, that's just Kacchan. That's how he's pretty much always been," Izuku replied. Then he shook that thought aside to remind himself why he was there. 'I have to remember all the work I put in.' He thought as he put one foot forward, taking one small step towards his future. 'Thanks to Rias, I'm actually going to be a Hero!' Then it was followed by one embarrassing fall for his self-worth as he tripped over his own feet. 'Or I'll just die… Again?'

However, the contact with the hard ground never occurred as he suddenly found himself floating a few inches above the ground. Next to him was a girl with brunette hair styled in a bob cut with two bangs going along the side of her face on each side. She had brown eyes and a perma-blush on her face. "Heh. Are you okay?"

As Izuku flailed midair in confusion, the brunette helped him back down on solid ground. "I stopped you with my Quirk. I'm sorry I didn't ask first. But I figured you wouldn't mind me catching you."

"O-Oh y-yeah, thanks. You saved me from eating pavement," Izuku said.

"Isn't this like, way nerve-racking?"

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Well, I guess I'll see you inside. Bye!" The girl said before entering the campus building. 'He's a bit plain-looking, but still kinda cute! Wait! Why did I just think that?! But still… I wouldn't mind if we got to be in the same class together.'

'She was pretty nice,' Izuku thought as Asia caught up to him. When she noticed him smiling at the brunette, she pouted in envy and tugged at his arm to get his attention.

"Hey! Been waiting long?!" The voice of Mina suddenly got their attention as she, Itsuka, and Eijiro ran up to them.

"I'm so pumped for this! Who else is ready?!" Eijiro asked.

"I'd like to say yes, but I'd be lying," Asia admitted.

"Yeah, pre-exam jitters," Itsuka said. "Even so, let's get in there and take care of the written exam."

"Yeah!" With that, the five headed inside.

"So, how'd you do on the exam?" Izuku asked Asia as they headed into a lecture hall.

"It wasn't too hard. All thanks to you helping me study," Asia replied. "What about you?"

"Great, I believe," Izuku answered. The exam questions were mostly a breeze for him.

Inside, they found their seats, which happened to be right next to Katsuki, causing Izuku to have a small panic attack. Luckily for him, Katsuki only gave them a simple annoyed look before ignoring them.

Izuku was relieved by the minimal interaction as he and Asia took their seats, with Asia sitting between Izuku and Katsuki.

"How do you think Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka did on the test?" Asia asked.

"I'm sure they passed, now we just need to worry about the practical," Izuku said, confident that their friends passed the first part of the Entrance Exam.

Suddenly, the lights lit up over the center of the stage in the room, drawing everyone's attention forward as the large screen lit up and showed a golden logo of U.A.

"Whassup, U.A. candidates? Thanks for tuning in to me, your school DJ!" The speaker was a tall skinny man standing in the center of the stage with long blond hair spiked upwards and a small mustache. He wore sunglasses and a pair of headphones with the word 'HAGE' on the headband. He also had a black jacket that was studded on the collar, which was upturned, and had shoulder pads and a red studded belt with black pants, boots, and fingerless gloves. He also seemed to have a directional speaker around his neck. "C'mon, and lemme hear ya!" He turned around and put a hand over his ears to hear the response, but all he got was dead silence. 'And here I thought Shouta was a sourpuss.' "Keepin' it mellow, huh? That's fine. I'll skip straight to the main show. Let's talk about how this Practical Exam's gonna go down! ARE YOU READAY?! Che!" He once again got only silence.

"Oh my goodness, it's the Voice Hero: Present Mic! So cool!" Izuku said, excited to see a Pro Hero in person. "I listen to his radio show every day of the week. It's so crazy nuts that U.A. has Pro Heroes as teachers!"

"Will you shut up?" Katsuki grumbled, annoyed by Izuku's fanboying.

"Like your application said, today you rockin' boys and girls will be out there conducting ten-minute mock battles in super-hip urban settings! Gird your loins, my friends. After I drop the mic here, you'll head to your specified battle centers. Sound good?" There was once again silence as the examinees checked their applicant cards. "OKAAAAAY!?"

"I see. They're splitting us up, so we can't work with any of our friends," Katsuki noted as he took a peek at Asia and Izuku's cards.

"Yeah, you're right," Izuku said as he and Asia checked each other's cards. "Our examinee numbers are one after the other, but we're assigned to different Battle Centers." He was in Center B while Asia was assigned to E.

"Damn," Katsuki muttered under his breath. "I was really looking forward to crushing you."

Izuku let out a nervous laugh while Asia shot Katsuki a dirty look.

Then, the screen showed a display of the Battle Center as Present Mic moved on to the next part of the explanation. "Okay, okay. Let's check out your targets. There are three types of faux-Villains in every Battle Center. You'll earn points based on their level of difficulty, so better choose wisely. Your goal in this trial is to use your Quirk to raise your score by shredding these faux-villains like a mid-song guitar solo. But check it! Make sure you're keeping things heroic. Attacking other examinees is a U.A. no-no, ya dig?"

"Excuse me, sir. But I have a question!" A tall boy with blue hair and glasses stood straight up with his hand raised high.

"Hit me!" Present Mic pointed at the boy, and the spotlight shined on him.

"On the printout, you listed four types of villains, not three." He stated. "With all due respect, if this is an error on official U.A. materials, it's shameful. We are exemplary students. We expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this won't do." Then he pointed toward Izuku. "Additionally, you, with the unkempt hair!" His eyes showed clear disdain and criticism. "You've been muttering this entire time! Stop that. If you can't bother to take this seriously, leave. You're distracting the rest of us!"

"Sorry," Izuku said, covering his mouth and lowering his head as the other examinees began laughing at him.

Asia did not like the boy's attitude towards Izuku and was about to speak up in his defense, but someone beat her to it.

"Was that really necessary?" A girl asked.

"I beg your pardon?" The boy said, surprised that someone disagreed with his lecturing.

The attention was now on the girl. She was an American with long black hair, a blue headband over her bangs, blue eyes, fair skin, and red lipstick. She wore a midriff-baring white shirt with a red collar, red sleeves, and a red oval on her chest, along with blue skinny jeans and red-white sneakers.

"Like I said, was that really necessary?" The girl repeated. "Can you really blame him for getting a little excited over seeing Present Mic and probably being nervous about the exam? And I think the last thing he needs is some snob making him feel worse."

"But that muttering! It's distracting!" The boy countered. "Such behavior is inappropriate in a prestigious institute like this!"

"I'm way closer to him than you are and you don't hear me or anyone else around me complaining, do you?" The girl asked rhetorically. "You know what's more distracting than some small muttering? A guy standing up and demanding his questions be answered. If you have a question, why not just raise your hand like a normal person instead of shooting up and trying to be the center of attention?"

The tables were turned on the glasses boy, and now he was the target of everyone's laughter as he struggled to come up with a proper response.

Luckily for him, Present Mic stepped in to diffuse the situation. "Alright, alright calm down, Examinee numbers 7111 and 4304. To answer your request 7111, the fourth Villain type is worth zero points. That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. There's one in every Battle Center. Think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid. It's not that it can't be beaten, but there's… kinda no point. I recommend, my listeners, try to ignore it and focus on the ones toppin' the chart!"

"Thank you very much. Please continue," The blue-haired boy thanked as he did a perfect 90° bow before sitting back down.

"Oh, I get it. So they're kinda like traps you have to get by in games."

"This whole thing's like a video game, huh?"

Some random examinees discussed the zero-pointer.

Izuku turned toward the girl who defended him. She noticed him from the corner of her eyes as he mouthed a 'Thank you.' She understood and gave Izuku a small smile and a nod.

"That's all I've got for you today. I'll sign off with a little present, a sample of our school motto. As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, 'A true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes.' Mm-hmm, now that's a tasty sound byte. Ya ready to Go Beyond? Let's hear a Plus Ultra! Good luck! Hope you've practiced hitting more than just books!"

"That was encouraging," Asia said as she sat up.

"Yeah, now we better get to our Battle Centers. Good luck," Izuku said as he held out his hand.

"You too," Asia said as she shook Izuku's hand.

One bus ride later, everyone had arrived at their respective Battle Centers, each housing a fake city that the mock battle would be held in.

In Center E, Asia looked up at the huge entrance to the battle site, and it made her feel a bit intimidated. She was hoping Izuku could have been by her side for some reassurance, but that idea fell through when it was revealed that they were making sure that students from the same school would be separated.

"Hey, looks like we're in the same group!"

"Itsuka!" Seeing a familiar face made Asia's nervousness dissipate a bit.

"I don't blame ya if you're nervous. This is honestly, quite a lot, in my opinion," Itsuka said. "Makes me feel that this might be a little too biased against people with Quirks that won't work well against robots."

Meanwhile, Chacha was at another battle center, staring up at the gates to the battleground with anticipation. She did have butterflies in her stomach, sure, but she wasn't about to let that drag her down. She wasn't the Queen of Latia Astaroth for nothing! She would make it into U.A.! Both for her own goals to be a Hero, and to be with Izuku.

Speaking of Izuku, she first met him when she started attending Aldera Junior High, not long after she joined Latia's Peerage, whom she got acquainted with thanks to a connection from her Devil father. She came to learn that Izuku was Quirkless, and honestly, he didn't stand out to her all that much other than that he muttered a lot. However, she did notice that he seemed to be the frequent target of wrath from the explosive boy Katsuki Bakugo. Other than that, her middle school experience was nothing out of the ordinary, she made some friends and hung out with them from time to time.

Then, that life-changing incident occurred. A family friend of hers on her mother's side, someone who was like an older brother to her in her childhood, died in a Villain attack. He was the Jaguar Hero: Nox, and the one who inspired Chacha to be a Hero. Though the whole family mourned Nox's sacrifice to stop the Villain, Chacha was the one most affected, even doubting her aspirations of being a Hero. Her social life also took a hit as in her grief, she stopped seeing her friends and they soon became distant from her. Latia and the rest of her Peerage tried all they could to make Chacha feel like her old self again, but nothing worked.

Then one day at the beginning of the first semester of her third year, she saw a pair of siblings walk by outside the school gate: an older brother caring for his younger sister as the two laughed cheerfully. The sight caused Chacha to fall to her knees and break down in tears. Despite a lot of students bearing witness to the scene, no one reached out to her because she had grown socially distant. All except one. When she felt a comforting hand around her shoulder, she looked up to see the concerned face of Izuku.

She was honestly surprised that someone showed concern for her, asking if she was okay, to which she gave a shaky nod. Afterward, he took her to a nearby cafe where she got to know him better. She heard he had trouble talking with girls, but at that moment when he was trying to make her feel better, all that shyness seemed to have disappeared, almost like she was talking with someone else, though it did come back a little when her mood started to pick up and she began conversing back.

Izuku told her about his dream to be a Hero, one who selflessly saves everyone in need with a smile on his face, just like All Might. Hearing Izuku's motivation reminded Chacha of her own reasons for wanting to be a Hero. Growing up, Nox would tell her his experiences working as a Pro Hero, and his words of wisdom for doing what he did was to ensure that normal people could continue to live their peaceful lives so that they had a tomorrow they could look forward to.

It was at this moment that a friendship started to form that eventually developed into a crush. They talked more and more often, and soon, Izuku started being able to talk to her without any bits of shyness, and Chacha started returning to her old self, to the relief of everyone else in the Peerage, especially Latia.

And now, after months of training, here she was. Standing with other hopeful U.A. applicants, determined to make it into U.A. She wasn't the only one from her group applying for the Hero Course, as Orihime was too. Despite this, the butterflies in her stomach were quite feisty.

"Hold up… Akaninjin?"

Chacha turned in the direction her name was called from. It took a moment to recognize the voice, as Chacha only briefly met her once when she tagged along with Izuku for training. "Um, it's Ashido, right?"

Mina smiled as she walked up to Chacha. "Cool. We're in the same group," she said.

"Yeah, I guess…" Chacha said. "You ready for this?"

"I'd say I am."

"You're not nervous?" Chacha asked, surprised.

"Girl, there's no point lettin' your nerves get to ya. If you wanna pass, then you gotta have confidence!" Mia said. "Try this, gather all the feeling into your gut, then let out a hearty laugh, like this. Ahahahahaha!"

Chacha did as instructed. "Ahahahahaha!" Then, just as Mina said, she started feeling more at ease. "Huh, it works."

"Told ya."

Izuku and a small group of examinees arrived at Battle Center B. His entire body shook like a leaf, and there was a wobbly smile on his face. He looked back on everything that led to this moment, from the years of belittling, how he would never be a Hero or amount to anything, to being reincarnated as a Devil by Rias and making new friends along the way. It was thanks to them that he was given a chance, now it was his moment to shine, to prove all the naysayers wrong. He would be a Hero. A Hero who saves everyone with a smile on his face, just like All Might.

Then, while gazing at the other examinees, he spotted the brunette from earlier. 'Hey, it's her! The nice girl I met at the school gates! The one who kept me from falling!' Izuku thought about going up to her to talk to her, but then Izuku noticed the glasses kid nearby. 'He's here too?!'

Then, the girl noticed Izuku. "Hey, it's you. Falling Boy!"

"Uh, y-yeah. That's me…" Izuku said, recognizing that he already had a label for himself.

"Looks like we got assigned to the same Battle Center!" She smiled.

"Yeah, how coincidental," Izuku replied.

Meanwhile, the bespectacled teen was scanning his surroundings. He had come prepared for the exam with a special tracksuit that would reduce friction and cling tight to his body without chafing it. When he saw the other examinees, however, he could see that most of them seemed to not care or be more concerned about looking flashy than wearing something practical at least. Tracksuits, sweat pants, old t-shirts that looked far too big for those wearing them, and the occasional scarf that helped to create the image of a Hero costume. He had no idea what some of them were even thinking by wearing their school uniforms.

Then he noticed Izuku as the brunette noticed him and started a conversation. 'The nerve! Do they not realize they could cause a distraction for the other examinees?!' He was about to step in and demand that they cease what they were doing, but then he recalled how the black-haired girl called him out on his criticizing attitude and he just ended up looking like a fool. Thinking back, he actually thought she had a point. Maybe he was a little too judgmental of someone he just met that day. He thought about talking to the green-haired boy to apologize for earlier when…

"Right, let's start! GET MOVING!" The voice of Present Mic announced. "Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles! Run! Run! Run, listeners! You're wasting air time here!"

Everyone stood in shock for a few seconds before they all snapped out of it and rushed into the Battle Center all at once.

Chapter 12: U.A. Entrance Exam (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Ch. 12: U.A. Entrance Exam (Part 2)

Izuku raced into the Battle Center, hoping to run into some Villain Bots to smash. He didn't have to look for too long when a One-Pointer and a Two-Pointer set their sights on him.

["Target acquired! Commencing attack!"] The robots said as they moved to attack their targets. However, the Devil boy's reflexes were too quick for the fake Villains. In addition, Rias had enabled him to use Promotion for the exam and he was going to make the most of it.

'Promotion: Rook!'

[Boost!]

Izuku quickly activated Boosted Dragon, summoning his wings that carried him over the Villain Bots. Then he fired a Dragon Shot at the One-Pointer, smashing it to bits. Afterward, he tore off the Two-Pointer's tails and used one to impale it through the face, disabling it.

"Three points. Not a bad start," Izuku noted. Then, he noticed some more robots in the distance and flapped his wings to fly after them.

Meanwhile, Eijiro was up against two Two-Pointers. Both mechanical menaces aimed their stinger tails at Eijiro, but he hardened his body for defense, and the robots were unable to put a dent in Eijiro's rock-hard body.

Then, Eijiro took his turn on the offensive by first punching into one of the bots, tearing a hole through its chassis, and then he sidestepped a blow from the other one before taking out its optics with a few punches.

"That's four points!" Eijiro celebrated before noticing a One-Pointer. "Make that five!" Eijiro rushed at the easy-level enemy and reared back his fist.

However, the moment his fist connected and smashed the robot to bits, he noticed that another teen had also smashed the robot, leaving it difficult to determine who actually dealt the final blow. His body had a gray metallic appearance to it, and then he deactivated his Quirk. His messy hair was still gray, his eyes were surrounded by a thick and jagged tan-colored substance which were seemingly his eyelashes, he seemed to have no eyebrows, and sharp teeth lined the inside of his mouth.

"HUH?! WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?!" Eijiro and the steel-Quirked teen asked in unison.

"I ASKED YOU FIRST!"

"NO, I DID!"

"STOP COPYING ME!"

"ME?! YOU'RE THE ONE COPYINGME!"

"STOP IT!"

"YOU STOP IT!"

As the two continued to argue, shouting more exact lines as they did, they failed to notice a Three-Pointer heading their way, but it was quickly frozen in place before getting flipped over by Orihime, who was in her Okuchi no Makami form. This got the two to stop arguing and notice what had just happened.

"If you two wanna keep arguing, it's fine by me… But that just means more points for the rest of us," Orihime advised before heading off to find more enemies.

"OH CRAP! SHE'S RIGHT!" The boys once again synchronized, which they noticed, but they chose to ignore it and went off in opposite directions.

Chacha sped off into the make-believe city, looking for robots to smash. Her rabbit-like attributes, plus the Knight aspect that came with her Queen Piece allowed her to gain a headstart on the others.

Then, a Two-Pointer reared its mechanical mug to rush at her. ["Meatbag annihilate."]

Chacha quickly came to a stop and jumped over the technological terror as it tried to lunge at her. Then, Chacha's hair turned white and grew longer, along with her tail and ears, the fur around her neckline became thicker, her fingernails grew into claws, and her irises and sclerae turned light and dark red respectively.

Before the robot could try to attack again, it was instantly smashed into scrap by a single kick from Chacha.

[Chacha Akaninjin. Her Quirk: Wererabbit. Not only does she have rabbit traits, but she can also take on a more ferocious-looking form that grants her extra power and speed.]

"Not a bad warm-up," Chacha smiled at her handiwork before noticing more robots in the distance and sped off.

Meanwhile, Mina had borne witness to Chacha's handiwork. "Man, she looks like she's got this in the bag!" Then she was confronted by three One-Pointers. "Then again, I've got a pretty neat trick myself!" Mina grinned as she turned to face the robots and sprayed them with her acid, causing them to start dissolving.

["Elimina-"]

["Target acq-"]

["Prepare for-"]

The robots tried to finish as they melted down into metallic sludge.

"Aw yeah! Three points, baby!"

"Double Jumbo Fist!" Itsuka struck a Three-Pointer with two enlarged fists, dealing a severe blow to it and rendering its systems offline.

Nearby, Asia was up against a One-Pointer and a Three-Pointer.

["Commencing attack!"] The bots announced as they lifted their arms to pummel Asia.

However, Asia transformed her hair into vines and entangled the Villain Bots before lifting them into the air and dropping them.

"That's four more points," Asia said.

"How are you holding up, Asia?" Itsuka asked.

"Just fine. I was a bit worried when they said we'd have to fight, but I'm relieved it's only against robots," Asia said.

"Good. Now we just gotta keep up the good work and we'll be in the Hero Course in no time," Itsuka said.

Then, the girls heard a pained groan nearby. It came from another examinee whose foot was stuck underneath some rubble. Itsuka and Asia went over to help him out; Itsuka and Asia used their enlarged hands and vines respectively to lift the rubble.

"You okay?" Itsuka asked. Then, Asia used Twilight Healing to heal the boy's ankle.

"Whew, thanks. You're both lifesavers," the boy thanked before heading off.

"DIIIIE!"

Katsuki Bakugo unleashed an explosion that blew apart a Two-Pointer. Then without much delay, he unleashed another explosion to launch himself toward more robots leaving the gathering of extras behind to eat his dust. The physical exertion, combined with the heat from the explosions, worked in his favor as that allowed him to produce more of his nitroglycerin-like sweat for more explosions. Then as the mob of six One-Pointers all blindly rushed at him, he made a maniacal grin.

"Burn, ya bucket of bolts!" Katsuki swung his arm downward to cause the ground below to erupt. However, there was a reason he aimed for the ground rather than the robots directly: the smoke from the explosion not only served to block their vision but also to leave the other examinees in a coughing and wheezing fit, allowing Katsuki to deal with the One-Pointers without interruptions.

With the defeat of all those One-Pointers, that was another six to his score, not that he was keeping track, nor that it mattered. After all, he would undoubtedly beat the highest number of robots and have enough points to pass the exam at least twice.

Then, Katsuki flew up into the air with his explosion, getting a leg up on all the extras, as he roamed the model city in search of other robots to send to robot hell.

Then, he noticed a Three-Pointer in the corner of his vision, but before he could even react and go after it, someone else beat him to it.

*Zap!*

A bright green energy beam shot out and blasted the robot right through the optic and the head, disabling it.

Katsuki looked up to see the girl from the lecture hall who came to Deku's defense against Four Eyes' criticism. Not only was she floating in midair, but her jet-black hair had turned snow-white and her icy blue eyes were now glowing green. Her skin was slightly tanned and a thin white glow enveloped her body. Her blue headband was swapped with a black one, and she wore a black jumpsuit with white elbow-length gloves, collar, belt, and thigh-high boots.

"Guess you didn't see that coming, did ya?" The girl made a witty banter at the wreckage of the Three-Pointer. "'Kay, that makes it 29." Then her legs morphed into a ghost-like tail as she flew off to look for other robots.

Katsuki was annoyed that a kill had been stolen from him right under his nose. However, that just made him determined to be quicker to kill those bot bastards on sight. With that, he detonated another explosion to blast off and go find other robots that he could take out his frustrations on.

Back with Izuku, he had defeated quite a number of robots by this point. However, he hadn't really been keeping score as he figured it might slow him down. As he looked up from the pile of scrap metal that was once a robot that he just scrapped, he noticed the brunette passing by. 'Her again!'

She pressed her fingertips against several downed robots, with the fingertips giving off a pink glow as she did so. Then, the robots started floating up into the air. "Now, release!" She brought her fingertips together, then the robots immediately crashed to the ground. The girl showed signs of exhaustion, evident by her heavy breathing as she turned around to look at her handiwork. "That should be at least 28 points."

Meanwhile, the glasses kid sped forward, using the engines in his calves to boost himself towards a Two-Pointer, which barely had time to look up before it got wrecked by a dropkick from the boy. "That puts me at 45!"

There were more shouts of examinees declaring their total score, along with arguments about kill-stealing.

Currently, U.A.'s Hero staff were in a surveillance room, monitoring the progress of the examinees.

"Clearly, the examinees have no idea how many Villains are present or their locations. They have limited time, must cover a vast area, and hunt down and hunt down every last target. Some use information-gathering abilities to plan out strategies. While others rely on speed to pull ahead of their peers. Of course, remaining calm under pressure can be a huge advantage, as can pure power and combat ability." Principal Nezu commented as he observed various examinees such as a young man with six arms attached to each other by a webbing of skin, the glasses-wearing engine boy, a flamboyant blond who shot blue lasers from his navel, and Katsuki. "The most successful students use a combination of all these tactics. They're the ones who rack up the highest scores,"

"Hmm. I'd say this year's group looks promising," the R-Rated Hero Midnight commented.

"Yeah. Both unique and strong," Toshinori Yagi, a near-skeletal blond man added.

"There's still plenty of time before it's over. The real test has yet to come," the cowboy-themed Hero, Snipe said as he pressed a button labeled "YARUKI SWITCH." "Let's see how they react."

Throughout the Battle Centers, a rumbling was felt in each area as the ground shook.

"Whoa! What's happening?!" Asia asked.

"I'm guessing it's something big," Itsuka said, then she noticed a big shadow behind them. "And that's an understatement!"

The white-haired girl had currently turned intangible to fly through the buildings to save time going around them when she noticed everything around her shake.

"What was that?" She stuck her head out through the wall to see, and what she saw surprised her. "Whoa. Now that's an obstacle."

"Is that even allowed?" Mina asked as she stared up in the distance.

"U.A. really doesn't pull its punches, does it?" Chacha commented.

Dust kicked up into the air and windows started cracking as a giant shadow loomed over the examinees.

Izuku and the other examinees looked upward to see the Zero-Pointer, also known as the Executor, a massive robot that stood even taller than the buildings. It looked down upon the frightened teens with its eight red optics as it grabbed the rooftops for some extra intimidation factor.

**********Flashback**********

"Think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid. I recommend, my listeners, try to ignore it and focus on the ones toppin' the chart!" Present Mic advised.

**********End Flashback**********

Izuku's jaw dropped. 'U.A.'s definitely not messing around! Plus Ultra, I guess?'

The Zero-Pointer brought its enormous fist down on the road, causing a thick dust cloud that enveloped the unfortunate examinees, forcing them to shield their eyes and mouths. The examinees all began tailing it out of there, including the engine kid as he passed by Izuku.

"Less than two minutes remaining!" Present Mic announced.

Hearing this, Izuku turned to run. 'That big one is worth 0 points! I should just get as far away from it as possible and find other smaller Villains!' He was about to spread his wings to take off when…

"OW!"

Izuku turns back to see the brunette with her leg pinned by some fallen debris. She tried to get up and run but failed to do so as the rubble was too heavy, and to make matters worse, she was right in the path of the Zero-Pointer, which would no doubt crush her if it continued on without stopping. He then remembered how she had saved him earlier when he tripped.

**********Flashback**********

"I'm sorry I didn't ask first. But I figured you wouldn't mind me catching you," the brunette said.

**********End Flashback**********

Izuku raced towards the girl, fully intent on saving her from the giant robot. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to lift the weight off the girl and get her to safety before the massive machine flattened them, Izuku decided to go for the machine.

Spreading his wings, Izuku flew up to the robot's face. With the Boosted Gear equipped on his left arm and plenty of energy gathered, he got ready for a punch. "DRAGON SMASH!"

[Explosion!]

With one swift punch, he unleashed all the energy built up inside the Boosted Gear at once, obliterating the Zero-Pointer's head. The rest of its body soon followed as it started breaking apart before the whole thing exploded. The brunette, the glasses kid, the other examinees, and the U.A. staff all stared in awe as Izuku pulled off such an unbelievable feat.

"I did it," Izuku slightly winced at the small pain in his left arm. He likely overdid it a little for his current limit, but right now, he was just happy that he was able to save the girl.

He then descended to the ground as the girl used her Quirk on the boulder pinning her down to get free. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks. I guess we're even now," the brunette replied.

"And that's set. TIME'S UP!" Present Mic announced, bringing the mock battle to an end. An alarm rang throughout the faux city as the remaining robots stopped functioning.

The glasses kid then noticed everyone muttering about Izuku's attack, basically about how they were surprised he had that kind of strength. However, he, on the other hand, was thinking something else. 'They're all missing the point. Don't they see what he did? He did it to save that girl. He must have known how little time was left, how many points he needed to pass. But despite those concerns, he didn't hesitate.' He then clenched his fist as he remembered how he just ran like everyone else, not even bothering to try and help. And how he belittled Izuku during the lecture hall. 'If this hadn't been an exam… Then, of course, I would have done the same thing!' Then, he realized something. 'Wait! The exam! The judges! They saw that!'

"Very nice! Good work, all around!" The friendly voice of Recovery Girl got everyone's attention. "You're Heroes in my eyes. All of you!" She then handed some gummies to an examinee. "Here, reward yourselves. Have some gummies!"

"Oh. Thanks."

"Yes, yes. Don't eat them all at once. Okay?"

Recovery Girl then made her way over to the brunette who was being helped by Izuku.

"Give me some sugar," Recovery Girl puckered her lips and kissed a bruise on the brunette's leg, to her surprise.

"Um, what's she doing?" An examinee asked.

"You're watching a school nurse in action," the navel laser boy replied. "The Youthful Heroine: Recovery Girl." Then, the bruise on the girl started healing. "Her Quirk is a très awesome boost of healing power. She's the only reason U.A. can hold these reckless exams."

Soon, the bruise was completely gone, almost like it was never there, though the brunette couldn't help but feel kind of tired.

"Alright. You'll be fine now. Anyone else injured?"

Meanwhile, the glasses boy continued his pondering. 'I wonder… What if the exam has other parameters I didn't take into account?' Then, he turned to Izuku. 'It's possible!'

After the exams were done, everyone met back up in the ORC room.

"So, how did it go?" Akeno asked.

"Pretty well, I'd say," Itsuka replied.

"It was only against robots, though I still felt bad about using violence against them," Asia admitted.

"It was a cinch for me to just melt them with my acid," Mina added.

"I ran into this dude who kinda copied my lines, but I didn't let it distract me," Eijiro claimed.

"The Zero-Pointer was a shock, but I'm just happy I was able to beat it to save that girl," Izuku said.

"A girl, you say?" Mina asked, her interest piqued. "Tell me, what was she like? Was she your type? Did she thank you with a kiss?" The interrogation/teasing began.

"A-A-Ashido, please stop!" Izuku's face turned bright red. Asia pouted in envy, and Rias couldn't help but send a weird look their way, though she didn't know why.

"Anyway, I believe they should have your results ready in about a week. But still, I'm sure you guys all passed," Rias said.

"Yeah. No need to worry. I'm sure the results will be here before you know it," Yumi said.

She was wrong.

It was a long, stressful week as the Hero Course applicants anxiously waited for their exam results to arrive. Some combat training with Yumi, and occasionally Koneko, did take their mind off things for a little while, but still, it was a long amount of waiting. Izuku had noticed that there wasn't much news about All Might, nothing much about fighting off Villains, rescuing civilians, or even just the small jobs. That was weird.

And eventually, the moment of truth arrived.

"The letters! Izuku, Asia, they came! Izuku, Asia, look! You've got letters! They're here! Your test results! From U.A.!" Inko fumbled as she showed Izuku and Asia the acceptance letters which were both sealed with a red U.A. emblem, confirming where they came from.

Izuku and Asia took the letters to the former's room and closed the door while Inko and Hisashi waited from outside. Izuku sat at his desk and lit his lamp with Asia right beside him. They were going to view Izuku's letter first, which sat in the middle of the desk as the teens mentally prepared themselves.

"Well, here we go…" Izuku gripped the envelope and tore it in half, then a small disc-like device popped out. After the disc landed on the desk, it started projecting a holographic screen, and Izuku and Asia heard a booming voice they were not expecting to hear.

"BOOYAH! I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION NOW!" All Might was on the camera, dressed in a yellow business suit that somehow managed to contain his burly physique.

"Wait, All Might?!" Asia asked. Naturally, she had gotten to know a lot about Japan's No. 1 Hero from Izuku, and she had become a big fan of his as well, though she never expected to see him in this scenario.

"ALL MIGHT?! OHMYGOSH! IT'S HIM!" Izuku's fanboy side took over before his rational thought took back control. "But wait! This is from U.A., isn't it?!" Izuku double-checked the seal on the envelope to make sure he had the right letter.

"I know I've been reclusive this past week, but with great power comes a great amount of paperwork!" All Might then paused to clear his throat. "My apologies, young man. The truth is, I didn't come to this city just to fight Villains. You're looking at the newest U.A. faculty member!"

The two couldn't believe their ears. All Might, working at U.A.?! "He's seriously going to be working at U.A.?!" Asia asked.

All Might nodded as if he was answering Asia's question. Then, a hand tapped him on the elbow, getting his attention. "Huh? Yes, what's the matter? Who's showboating? Oh, sorry, I'll wrap it up. Wait! I have to do how many of these things?!" All Might then sighed as he turned his attention back to the camera. "So… moving on! You've done quite well in the written test, which would qualify you for General Studies. But that's not what you wanna hear, is it? Now, moving on to the practical exam…"

Izuku and Asia tensed up as they waited with bated breaths.

"With combat points of 33 Points, you've earned yourself plenty of points to pass the exam!"

"YES!" Izuku celebrated. Asia joined in his joy by hugging him.

"But wait, there's more! The good news doesn't end there, so stay tuned!"

"Huh?" Izuku and Asia stopped celebrating to listen to All Might.

"But before we get to that… Here, look! A short clip for your viewing pleasure!" All Might turned to a screen bearing the U.A. logo and pressed on a remote, causing the screen to change to a video recording of the brunette girl trapped under the rubble, and Izuku destroying the Zero-Pointer to save her. "You have great power, but it's your actions that inspire others."

Izuku felt a bit of pride hearing those words from All Might.

"And that's why I am here… Y'see, the practical exam was not graded on combat alone," All Might explained. "How could a Hero Course reject someone who is committed to saving others no matter the consequences to himself? After all, thatiswhat makes a Hero. And that's what my alma mater is all about. Training those who would risk their lives for the greater good. So we have Rescue Points! A panel of judges watches, and they award points for heroic acts beyond just fighting Villains! IZUKU MIDORIYA, 60 RESCUE POINTS!"

Then, in addition to Izuku's 33 Villain Points, 60 Rescue Points were added to his score, bringing the total to 93 overall.

"Congratulations. With your total points, you've surpassed all the other examinees into first place!" All Might said.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Izuku asked, hardly able to believe what he just heard. He scored first place on the practical! That means he got more points than Kacchan!

"Welcome, Izuku…" All Might reached out a welcoming hand to Izuku. "You're now part of the Hero Academia."

With All Might's final words for him, Izuku started crying tears of joy before quickly wiping them.

Next, it was Asia's turn to view her letter. Her envelope contained the same holodisc as Izuku's, and it was generally the same message: All Might greeting her and telling her she did well on the written exam and then giving her score on the practical which came down to 30 Villain Points and 42 Rescue Points for a total of 72 points overall, which was more than enough to pass, earning her a place in the Hero Course as well.

Izuku and Asia looked at each other with proud smiles as they hugged each other in celebration of their accomplishments.

Outside the room, Inko nervously paced back and forth while Hisashi stood calm, confident that his son and adopted daughter both made it.

Then, the door opened, and said boy and girl stepped out, both flashing a bright and worry-free smile.

The smile got the message across all too clearly. Inko got tears of joy forming in her eyes while Hisashi gave a warm, proud, fatherly smile.

"I knew you'd make it. I couldn't be prouder of you kids," Hisashi said, his feelings clear.

Ink's reaction, however, was more visibly emotional. "MY BABIES MADE IT INTO U.A.!" Inko shouted as she grabbed Izuku and Asia into a hug before letting the waterworks run, sending out sprays of tears from her eyes.

"Mom! You're gonna flood the apartment at this rate!" Izuku tried and failed to calm down his mother.

"Please, mother! There's no need to cry!" Asia said.

"I'M SORRY, I KNOW! BUT I JUST… I'M… I'M SO PROUD OF YOU BOTH!" Inko said.

Izuku and Asia gave in and returned the hug as Hisashi joined in.

"Mom, Dad. Thanks for all your support," Izuku said.

"Yes. We love you and we always will," Asia said.

"And we'll always be here to support you and love you as well," Hisashi said.

"Yes… And nothing… will ever change… that," Inko managed to say between her sniffles.

Chapter 13: Picking a Fight

Chapter Text

Ch. 13: Picking a Fight

It was the day after the Entrance Exam results came in. At school, Izuku, Asia, Chacha, and Katsuki, were called in by their teacher to discuss their exam results.

"I can't believe we have not one, but four students from our school heading off to U.A.'s Hero Course!" the teacher congratulated. "And to think you're one of them, Midoriya. It's a miracle."

Izuku was surprised by the praise and became bashful. Asia smiled at him. Chacha also smiled, but internally, she knew the teacher only spoke those praises because more students from Aldera entering U.A. would benefit the school's reputation. She knew this because generally, Izuku got apathetic treatment before, and she experienced a similar thing during her lower moments.

Katsuki scowled, still unable to wrap his head around the fact that Deku,QuirklessDeku, not only passed the Entrance Exam but also stole first place from him! It had to be some kind of mistake! Or that loser must've cheated somehow! Either way, he was gonna make the damn nerd fess up!

Once school was over, Izuku stood alone by the school gates while he waited for Yumi and Asia. He couldn't wait to head over to the clubroom and tell Rias and everyone else the good news. It's all thanks to her and his new friends that he'd be attending his dream school. He was on cloud nine right now, and not even a furious Kacchan could ruin his good mood!

"Deku…"

OR…maybe he could…

Izuku turned to see Kacchan, who looked like he was ready to blow him up. Then he was dragged into a nearby alleyway.

"What did you do to pass the exam?" Katsuki interrogated as he held Izuku by the collar. "You must have cheated somehow, right?! There's no way some Quirkless wannabe like you could have made it in. Not only that, you just had to steal first place from me! So tell me! HOW DID SOMEONE LIKE YOU MAKE IT INTO U.A.?!"

But then, to his surprise, Izuku proceeded to grab him back by the wrist and put up resistance.

"Kacchan…! I have friends who believed in me, supported me, and told me that I can become a Hero… that's why I applied. That's why I'm going," Izuku declared defiantly, even as his eyes looked close to tearing up. "LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"

Katsuki was actually surprised by that outburst from Izuku. "So, you really think you have what it takes to play with the big boys? Fine, be that way. Come to U.A. if you dare, I'll put you in your place!" He then shoved Izuku and let go of him before leaving the alleyway.

As Izuku got out of the alleyway, he noticed Yumi and Asia coming in his direction. "Oh, hey guys."

"Is everything okay?" Yumi asked, she had noticed Bakugo walking away with his hands in his pocket while grumbling and figured something happened between him and Izuku. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Don't worry about it. He was just mad that he didn't get first place on the exam," Izuku explained, giving an abridged recollection of the events that just transpired.

"Well, if you say so," Asia said, deciding to just let it go, despite her concerns.

"Anyway, we better get going, I want to go see Buchou to tell her the good news, even though we already texted her about it," Izuku said, trying to change the subject.

And with that, Izuku, Asia, and Yumi headed for the clubroom as fast as their legs (or tail, in Asia's case) could carry them.

Along the way to U.A., the three met up with Koneko, Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka, and eventually with Akeno as they arrived at the ORC building. Inside, Rias was already present, however, she hardly seemed to acknowledge their arrival as she just sat at her desk, staring out the open window with a blank expression.

"Is something wrong, Buchou?" Izuku asked as he noticed that she didn't seem to notice them. Rias did not respond, her expression unchanging.

"Buchou?" Asia asked, looking concerned. Still no answer.

Itsuka then got up close to Rias. "Rias. Rias?" She waved a hand in front of Rias's face, but still got no reaction. Finally, Itsuka took hold of Rias's shoulder and began to shake her. "RIAS!"

"Huh? Wha-!?" Rias shouted as she snapped out of her trance to notice everyone. "Oh, when did you guys get here?"

"Buchou, are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine Izuku," Rias answered, "I guess I spaced out a little. I read all your texts. Congrats. You're taking your first steps to being Heroes."

"Thanks."

"I still can't believe All Might's gonna be a teacher at U.A.," Itsuka said.

"Well, considering he's been working in Musutafu lately, it makes sense," Izuku noted. "How lucky are we to get a chance to learn from the Number One Hero? I wonder if I can ask for an autograph. I wonder what he'll be teaching? Will he share stories about his accomplishments? Ah, I wonder if he'll demonstrate his moves for us?! Oh, thank you, whatever universal force out there, for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Izuku went on another tangent about what it might be like to learn lessons in heroics under the tutelage of his lifelong idol.

'Should've seen that one coming…' Everyone else thought.

"Hey, speaking of classes… I wonder what the teachers will be like?" Mina wondered.

"Another big question is, will we all get the same homeroom?" Itsuka stated.

"Hey, do you think sh*tori-Kaichou can get us all in the same class?" Eijiro wondered.

"She probably wouldn't mind arranging that as a favor, but the thing is, the principal is incredibly intelligent, and if she makes that kind of request, he might figure out something's up, so maybe you shouldn't get your hopes up," Rias said, bringing down the mood for the soon-to-be Hero Course students.

"Don't look so down. Even if we're not all in the same class or department, that doesn't change the fact that we'll be attending U.A. The #1 Hero School in Japan!" Yumi said, trying to lift their moods.

"She has a point. Besides, you can still see each other outside of classes. And, according to what I heard, the two Hero Classes occasionally train together," Akeno added. "So enough of all this moping, why don't we head out somewhere nice and celebrate?"

That got the Hero Course applicants perked as the thought of a celebratory party caught their attention.

"I know where we can go. Who's in the mood for some buffet?" Yumi suggested.

The ORC walked a few blocks from U.A. to a nearby Chinese restaurant. It didn't take them long for them to grab their seats and bring back plates of food.

As Izuku got ready to dig in, he looked around to see the others, chatting with each other, laughing together, and recommending certain foods to others. Even though it's already been months, he still couldn't get over having friends like the ones he had now, to have fun and laugh with.

Then his eyes wandered over to Rias, and despite her taking part in the joy, he could sense that there was a bit of worry in her eyes, as if there was something she was keeping bottled to herself. Rias then noticed him looking at her and gave a smile, but that didn't fool him. She looked like she needed help, and he wanted to help her, somehow.

Later that night, Izuku laid down on his All Might-themed bed. Currently, he was the only one in the apartment. His mom and Asia were doing some grocery shopping, and his dad was out on the streets for his nightly patrol. His mind was still on Rias, wondering what exactly was on her mind. 'Buchou clearly has something on her mind, but what? I wish I understood her more.'

Then, he noticed a crimson light emanating from the floor and sat up. On the spot where the light came from, there was the magic circle of the Gremory family. "A magic circle?" Then in a blinding flash of light, Rias appeared in the room. "Rias? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Then he noticed the troubled look on her face, confirming in his mind that she was looking for help with something, which he was more than willing to provide.

"Izuku…" Rias let out as she walked up to him and leaned on him, making him lie back down on the bed. "You have to take me."

"Pardon?" Izuku requested. He needed to make sure he heard that right.

"I need you to take my virginity. And I need you to do it now," Rias restated.

Okay, he did hear her correctly, Rias wanted him to take her virgin… Wait,WHAT?!

And before he could say anything, she had backed up and already removed her jacket, then she unzipped her skirt before she started unbuttoning her shirt.

Izuku's face lit up red as his eyes stayed glued to the sight of Rias undressing. 'She really wants her first time to be with me…? But wait! How do I even respond?!'

"Am I not good enough? Do you not want to?" Rias asked as she got her shirt off, the only clothes on her body now were a matching white bra and panties.

"No, you're- I mean… yes- I mean… but you're- I mean… what are you doing?" Izuku stumbled through his words. He couldn't help but note how the white lingerie suited her nicely, but other than that, he just couldn't find a way to form a proper response.

"I've given this a lot of thought, and there's just no other way," Rias said as she walked back closer to Izuku.

"What do you mean no other way?" Izuku asked. "And why me?"

"Once it becomes known that I'm ruined, I'll finally be free. There's really only one other boy I know personally, but he won't have any of it. That only leaves you," Rias replied. "You're seriously lacking in most areas, so I'm trusting in your potential. Besides, what I want won't take a lot of skill anyway."

As Izuku was about to question Rias's logic, she got on the bed and right on top of him. 'Is this for real?!' Izuku questioned in his head.

"You're a virgin, right?" Rias asked as she started undoing her bra.

"Uh-huh…" Izuku replied.

"Neither of us may have experience with it, but I'm sure we'll figure out something that works." She then got the bra unhooked, exposing her large white breasts and pink puffy nipples. "It's okay. All you have to do is put yours into mine, right there."

Izuku looked down to where she was pointing, his most important part being caressed by her thighs and butt.

Then Rias took his right hand and cupped it over her left breast. "Let's start here… I'm a little nervous about it myself."

Izuku's hand acted on its own, slightly squeezing into the breast, which felt soft to the touch with a hint of firmness. He could also feel the nipple becoming erect against his palm. It felt nice… "Take as much time as you want. They're all yours."

Izuku felt his eyes becoming swirly as he nearly lost himself in the naked beauty of Rias. However, when he saw her face, he once again saw the troubled expression on her face, and his rational thinking process returned. That wasn't the face of someone longing to have passionate sex, it was of desperation and resignation. "I'm not sure this is a good idea…"

"Does that mean you're choosing to deny me?" Rias asked.

Izuku pulled his hand away from Rias and pushed her back by the shoulder so he could sit up. "Before we do anything, let me ask you… Is this what you really want?"

"What do you mean? I already told you, I want this!" Rias said.

"Then why do you have such a sad look on your face?" Izuku asked, hitting a nerve in Rias. "You're not acting like yourself. I feel like you think you have no choice, that youneedto lose your virginity, not because youwantto lose it!"

"I… I…" Rias tried to respond, but she couldn't fool herself for much longer. "No, you're right… I guess I really was desperate."

Then, a white flash appeared in the room, catching the two's attention. It was another Gremory magic circle, and from it appeared an attractive-looking woman.

She had silver hair that flowed down her back, tied into twin braids, each with a blue bow at the ends, her side bangs were also braided in the same way. Her eyes were red and her lips were painted in a similar shade. She wore a blue and white French maid uniform, complete with a maid's headdress on her head.

"Really, Rias, you're here with this lowborn? You realize Sirzechs is going to be terribly disappointed in you," she said with a disapproving look in her eyes.

"Um, who's Sirzechs?" Izuku asked.

"She means my older brother," Rias replied.

"You have an older brother?"

"My virtue is mine to do with as I please. How is it wrong for me to give it to whomever I want?" Rias said to the newcomer. "And another thing! I will not allow anyone to call one of my honored servants a lowborn. I don't care if you're my brother's Queen or not."

"Noted," the maid said as she bent down to pick up Rias's clothes. "But think. Youarethe next Head of Gremory. Have some respect for yourself." She then put Rias's shirt on her before turning to Izuku. "Pardon the interruption. My name is Grayfia and I am also in the service of the Gremory family. We'll get out of your way. Now."

"Uh, okay…" Izuku replied.

"I'm so sorry, Izuku, for bothering you this fine night. Let's just forget about this?" Rias said as she turned to Izuku.

"Sure thing."

"Izuku?" Grayfia asked. "You mean this is him?"

"Yes; he is my Pawn," Rias answered.

"The one who's bearing the Boosted Gear and is possessed by the Red Dragon Emperor… is this small boy?"

"Yeah, that's me I guess…" Izuku replied.

"I will listen to what you have to say at my headquarters. You won't mind if Akeno joins us?" Rias asked as she faced Grayfia.

"The Priestess of Thunder? Of course I don't mind," Grayfia replied. "In fact, it's only proper for a noble Devil to have her Queen by her side in times like these."

Rias then turned toward Izuku one final time. "Forgive me for putting you out… please."

"Yeah, no problem. Don't worry," Izuku reassured.

Rias then gave Izuku a small kiss on the cheek, making him blush hard. "Then I suppose I should excuse myself." She then turned to leave with Grayfia.

The following morning, as Izuku walked with Asia to school, he couldn't help but think back to the events of last night. 'I still can't get over last night with Buchou and that Grayfia lady… I wonder what that was all about.' He told his dad about the events (minus the part where Rias tried to have sex with him) and something apparently going on with her family. When he mentioned "Grayfia," Hisashi's expression turned serious, and told Izuku that he would stop by the Occult Research Club room tomorrow.

After school, Izuku, Asia, and Yumi headed for the clubroom, meeting Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka along the way. As they got close, Izuku voiced his concerns for Rias.

"You're right; I think somethingisbugging her. If I had to guess, I'd say it's House of Gremory drama," Yumi guessed.

"You think Akeno might know what's going on there?" Izuku asked.

"She is her right-hand lady, so if anyone would, it's her," Yumi told him.

The six soon-to-be high school first-years entered the building, and en route to the main room, they came across a very large door. For some odd reason, it had police tape with the words "KEEP OUT" all over it.

"Hey, what's that?" Eijiro asked.

"I don't remember seeing that door before," Izuku said.

"Oh…" Yumi frowned slightly. "That's where Buchou's first Bishop currently resides."

"Her first Bishop?" Itsuka asked, turning towards her.

"Oh yeah, I remember Buchou mentioning that she had one Bishop piece which she used on Asia," Izuku said.

"They're one of Buchou's original servants, but for reasons, Buchou was ordered to keep them here," Yumi explained. "They're actually a sweet kid. Only problem is… They're… rather shy, and would rather stay indoors all the time. So, that's pretty much what they do, which they have zero issues with."

"So, in other words, a hikikomori," Mina stated.

"Sounds like someone needs to man up," Eijiro added.

"To be fair…" Yumi began before her kind smile changed into a more serious expression. "Look alive. We have company." She then headed for the main room with Izuku, Asia, Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka close behind. Rias, Akeno, and Koneko were already there, and so was Hisashi, leaning against a wall near the entrance. However, there was someone else whom no one expected: Grayfia. While Rias sat at her desk with her hands clasped and a grim expression on her face, Akeno stood elegantly beside her while Grayfia stood from across Rias.

"Miss Grayfia…" Izuku noted.

"Well, everyone's here. Good…" Rias said as she stood up.

"Milady, if you don't mind, may I have permission to speak openly?" Grayfia offered, but Rias held out a hand in a stopping motion.

"Everyone, to tell you the truth…"

But before either could utter a word, a glowing magic circle appeared in the center of the room. It was different from the Gremory circles as it was orange and had a sigil of a bird in the middle. A sound like the cry of a bird of prey was heard as flames burst out from the circle.

Rias's expression turned serious as she noticed a man appear from the inferno.

"Phenex…" Izuku heard Yumi whisper under her breath.

"Ah… And Riser has arrived in the human realm. I've come all this way to see you… my beloved Rias," the man said as he turned to Rias, who did not look happy to see him.

From the way he looked, he fit the image of a typical playboy. He seemed to be in his early 20s and had a tall and handsome appearance with short blond hair and dark blue eyes. One look at his clothes and it was easy to guess that he was loaded. His clothes consisted of a red burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right, matching pants, and black dress shoes. Underneath the open blazer was a white dress shirt that partially exposed his chest.

He then walked over to Rias and put a hand around her shoulder. Rias's face quickly gave way to disgust and displeasure as she slapped the hand away.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Riser," Rias rebuked the man. "What I wouldn't give to slap you in your smug-prick face…" Izuku, Asia, Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina were shocked by the venom in her voice.

Riser didn't seem too phased by this. As a matter of fact, her reaction seemed to amuse him as he laughed nonchalantly. "Hahaha… Harsh as ever, my dear. But I know you will come around soon."

Izuku, Asia, Mina, Itsuka, and Eijiro all frowned at Riser's treatment of Rias and understood why she rejected him harshly. Izuku, in particular, internally wanted to give Riser a piece of his mind for the way he treated Rias. Luckily, there was someone among them who had no qualms about speaking their mind freely.

"Who invited this gigolo?"

Various reactions swept through the clubroom. Rias had a large smirk on her face, seeing Riser's stunned face. Akeno, Eijiro, Itsuka, and Yumi snickered quietly while Asia gave a short yelp. Mina tried her best not to laugh out loud. Izuku went wide-eyed, not expecting his father to say something like that. Koneko gave a small grin as she snorted. Grayfia didn't seem to react much at all. As for Riser, he glared at Hisashi.

"How dare you, knave!" He hissed. "Do you have any idea who Riser is?!"

"And what if I do, Mr. Riser Phenex?" Hisashi calmly challenged.

"This gentleman is Riser Phenex," Grayfia interjected, gesturing at Riser. "He is a pureblooded Devil of noble birth, third heir in line to the House of Phenex… He is also fiancé to the next head of the House of Gremory. Lady Rias has been engaged to Lord Riser for quite some time now."

"They're getting married?!" A majority of the group shouted.

"Lovely… the tea prepared by my Rias's Queen is most delicious," Riser smiled as he sat on one of the couches while taking a sip from a teacup. At the same time, he had Rias around his arms, who seemed to be looking for any excuse to get away from there.

"Thank you for the compliment, sir," Akeno said, though she didn't actually seem happy. However, when she passed by Mina, she gave her a small wink.

Izuku looked at Riser with silent disdain as he started messing around with Rias's crimson hair with his right hand, which only grew when Riser reached for her thigh with his left.

"That's enough, Riser," Rias said as she stood up. "Let it go. Why don't you understand? I have no intention of ever marrying you."

"But my darling… Riser believes your family's circ*mstances are still such that you cannot afford to be so selfish," Riser countered.

"I will not bring my family to ruin. I have no intention of denying you your right to our name…" Rias said. "However, let me be clear, my husband will be my choice!"

"Remember, it's imperative for Devils to remain pureblood. We're still recovering our numbers from the last war. Your family decided on this arrangement with the future of Devils in mind," Riser argued.

"My clan made this decision because they are in too great a rush," Rias argued back. "For the final time… Riser! I will not marry you!"

The Gremory servants, along with Itsuka, Eijiro, Mina, and Hisashi, smiled at Rias's unyielding determination.

Too bad Riser was rather adamant as well as he took Rias's chin into his hand. "For the final time, Rias… Riser bears the reputation of the house of Phenex. Besmirching our good name is unacceptable."

"Hey!" Izuku shouted at Riser. He and everyone else were ready to step in to defend Rias's honor if necessary.

"Riser doesn't care if he has to incinerate everyone in this room… You will return to the Underworld with me!" Riser declared as his eyes glowed orange and gave off a fiery demonic aura.

Rias responded to this with her own eyes glowing in a crimson demonic aura.

"There is no need for incineration," Grayfia promptly stepped in, causing Riser and Rias's auras to die down. "My lady Rias, Lord Riser… As you know, I am here by order of Sirzechs… Which means there will be no disruption of peace."

Izuku was surprised by how Grayfia easily calmed the tension between Rias and Riser. Even though she was a maid, she seemed like she could defeat both of them even if they teamed up against her. Now he knew why his father became serious last night at the mention of her name.

"When told such an ominous thing by one who is known as the Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation, even Riser can become somewhat fearful," Riser shrugged, trying to save face.

'Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation?!' Izuku thought in surprise, looking at Grayfia. 'Idefinitelydon't want her mad at me.'

"My master anticipated that there would be a conflict of some sort," Grayfia continued. "As such, he has assigned me a last resort should communication break down."

"Yes, of course he did…" Rias deadpanned. "Would you care to be more specific?"

"If my lady insists on putting her personal preferences above those of her family… She is to settle this via a Rating Game with Lord Riser."

"Rating Game?" Izuku recalled Rias mentioning something like that, and Sona also said the same thing before.

"It's a game noble Devils play with each other. Long story short, they and their servants compete in battle to determine who wins," Yumi explained.

Like chess?" Izuku said.

"Exactly, it's the reason we have individual powers that are inspired by what we call Evil Pieces, in order to play the Rating Game," Akeno elaborated.

"Riser has played through numerous Rating Games, and has scored several wins for himself," Riser boasted. "Unfortunately, my inexperienced bride has never even qualified for an official game."

"He knows only mature Devils are allowed to participate, so it's not as if she's had much opportunity," Akeno explained.

"So… you're saying we're at a disadvantage?" Izuku asked.

"We've got more to worry about than that," Koneko pointed out.

"So this is the only way I can earn my freedom, huh?" Rias said before turning to Grayfia. "Grayfia, tell my brother I agree to the Rating Game."

"I will inform him immediately," Grayfia responded.

"Rias, I have to ask… is this adorable group the extent of your servants?" Riser asked in a mocking tone.

"Some are. What about it?" Rias asked.

"Hahaha!" Riser laughed, and with a snap of his fingers, a much larger orange circle appeared in the room. In a burst of flame like Riser, fifteen young women appeared from the circle, each dressed in exotic clothes or some other outfits that looked fit for cosplay such as gym uniforms, maid outfits, kimono, qipao, etc. "Riser has fifteen Pieces, in other words… I have a complete set."

"Fifteen… so that means 1 Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Knights, 2 Bishops, and 8 Pawns!" Izuku observed. Then he noticed a girl who looked similar to Riser, having the same blue eyes and blonde hair as him, and the elegant light purple dress she wore gave the aura of a princess rather than a servant. It seemed safe to guess that she was related to Riser, maybe his younger sister.

Riser cast a smirk at Rias. "See this, my dear? You and your servants would stand no chance against Riser and his lovely team."

Rias cast a hateful glare at Riser. "Are you insinuating my Peerage is weak?"

"I'm simply being logical. You know very well that Riser has never lost a Rating Game aside from the ones I allowed for the other team to win," Riser replied. "Aside from your Queen, all I see is a flat-chested loli, two pretty blondes, and a plain-looking Pawn. None of them can compare to my servants."

"Do not disrespect my family, Riser. You'll regret it!" Rias declared.

"Family? Riser has heard that the Gremorys treat their servants like one of their own. Then that means they'll be part of Riser's family as well after we are married. Despite his unassuming appearance, I believe your boy can handle manual labor. And your girls… Well, I'm sure I can find the right outfits that would draw out their full sex appeal."

That last part caught Izuku's attention. Not only was this prick insistent on getting Rias to marry him even though she didn't like him, but he also planned on forcing her female servants to essentially be his lust objects. Riser's lustful vision he had in mind for Akeno, Yumi, Asia, and Koneko really pissed him off. More than anything in his life.

"Has Riser somehow offended you, boy? In that case, I would be happy to hear out your grievances during the Rating Game… right before I burn you to ash."

"ENOUGH RISER!" Rias screamed. "TOUCH HIM AND YOU'LL DIE!"

"Have I struck a nerve?" Riser taunted. "Very well, Riser will give you a handicap. You will be allotted ten days to train to prepare for the Rating Game, where I will break your pitiful toys."

Rias was unfazed by his taunts and turned to him with a defiant look. "Riser? Believe me when I say we will annihilate you!"

"I look forward to it, my dear. Riser will see you at the game." With that, Riser raised both his arms as if already celebrating his triumph. "When we next meet, we shall truly be man and wife!"

*Growl!*

Riser suddenly blushed. "Oh, dear…" That growl from his stomach did not sound good. As another growl emanated from him, the entire opposing Peerage disappeared via orange transport glyphs in the floor. Once they were gone, Akeno and Mina both began to snicker.

"What did you do?" Rias asked, an amused look on her face.

"Okay, so, when Akeno was preparing tea for that Riser creep, I passed her some laxatives…" Mina started explaining.

"And guess where I put 'em," Akeno finished.

"How long will it last?" Rias snickered.

"If I had to guess, maybe a couple of days."

The reactions were mixed. Rias, Asia, and Yumi chuckled in amusem*nt, Konekosmirked, Hisashi slapped his knee while laughing, and Eijiro, Itsuka, and Izuku snickered.

Once everyone calmed down, Itsuka thought of something. "Does that mean your other Bishop's taking part too?"

"What? How did you know-?" Rias asked.

"We noticed the room with the 'KEEP OUT' tapes all over the door," Eijiro replied.

"It is unlikely unless Sirzechs gives Lady Rias permission to unseal the Bishop," Grayfia spoke up, answering Itsuka's question. "The Bishop was sealed away for their own good as their power is uncontrollable."

Rias, Akeno, Yumi, and Koneko's faces all became depressed, which the others noticed.

"However, I believe that the problem of Lady Rias being short a member can be solved with a Substitute Piece," Grayfia spoke up again, getting everyone's attention.

"Substitute Piece?" Rias asked.

"It is a special Piece typically used in cases where a member of a Peerage in a Rating Game is unavailable to participate, in which case, a reserve member can be brought in to fulfill that role," Hisashi explained.

"Unlike the normal Evil Pieces, the Substitute Pieces only grant temporary membership in a Peerage during a Rating Game, and while they do grant the benefits associated with the specific Piece, the recipient will not become a Devil, meaning no Demonic Power or wings. On a positive note, the user will not gain weakness to Holy aura and objects," Grayfia added. "I will have a Substitute Bishop ready soon, my lady. But no need to hurry, you have ten days to decide."

And with that, Grayfia gave a small bow before taking her leave on her magic circle.

"A Substitute Piece… that would help, but the question is, who do I recruit as a substitute member of my Peerage?" Rias wondered. Then her eyes wandered over to Itsuka. "Itsuka, I have a request: Be my Substitute Bishop."

"Wait, you want me?" Itsuka asked.

"From the way I've watched you when you occasionally trained with my Peerage, you've got a great handle on both your Quirk and your Sacred Gear," Rias said. "Celestia Regalia might not be Longinus-class, but I'd say it's still in good hands."

"Well… I'd hate for that Riser douche to get his way, and if you think I'm good enough… Eh, alright, I'm in. I'll be your Substitute Bishop," Itsuka replied.

Rias nodded. "Okay, now then… We have ten days. We all need to train hard to beat Riser."

"Any way we can help?" Eijiro asked.

"Well, I don't think I have any strings left I can pull to get more members for my team, so how about helping us train, is that good enough?" Rias asked.

"That we can do!" Mina said.

"If you want, I can help as well," Hisashi offered. "Speaking as a father, I'm not about to let my son and foster daughter end up as his servants. Also, because I can't stand him either. I can also give you pointers for a training regimen if you want."

"Thank you, sir," Rias smiled before turning to her servants, "Alright, Akeno and I will prepare our training venue for the next ten days. So everyone go home, get rested, and get ready. We cannot afford to lose this fight!"

"Yes ma'am!" Rias's servants all nodded.

Chapter 14: Ten Days of Training

Chapter Text

Ch. 14: Ten Days of Training

As Izuku lay on his bed that night, the events from the clubroom were still fresh in his mind, and it still infuriated him how Riser only thought of Rias as some prize to be won. Mina and Akeno's prank did alleviate the mood a bit, but it didn't do much to change the overall situation.

He learned from Rias that out of the nine Rating Games that Riser took part in, he only lost twice, and even then, it was because Riser allowed the other teams to win out of respect for the households his family was close to. It wouldn't be easy, and it was a fight that would decide Rias and everyone's future, meaning losing was not an option. According to Devil laws, Rias and Riser would gain authority over the other's Peerage should they marry. While Rias had no interest in gaining authority over Riser's servants, Riser, on the other hand, would take advantage of that law to add the girls of Rias's Peerage to his dress-up harem.

Izuku gritted his teeth at that thought. He absolutely refused to let that happen! 'Buchou saved me. Now I have to save her!'

He and Hisashi had told Inko that they, Asia, and the others were going on a 10-day last-minute pre-U.A. training trip out of town. Luckily, she approved of this and went ahead to prepare food and proper clothes for them.

Then, deciding to put his mind at ease with a quick bath, Izuku headed to the bathroom. Once he got all his clothes off, he entered the bathroom… only to find that Asia was already in there.

Izuku's mind went blank upon seeing her nude form. He could see how Asia's snake tail started right below her supple round butt cheeks. He soon snapped out of it when he realized that Asia could see his privates.

"EEEP!" Izuku let out a girly scream as redness overtook his face before covering his groin and turning away. "Excuse me. Sorry for the intrusion."

But before he could leave, Asia grabbed his wrist with the tip of her tail.

"Um… I'm so sorry…" Asia said. "I've… never seen… a man's, um… you know… thing before… I'm all aflutter now… I'm sorry!"

"No, it's my fault… I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing and I didn't know you were in here. I'm the one who's sorry."

"Well, should we make the most of it?" Asia asked as she tightened her hold on Izuku a little.

"Huh?! What do you mean by that? You want me to stay?!" Izuku asked, still keeping his back to her.

"We've been living here for months now, and I'm sure you've heard it before… They say taking a bath together can bring people a lot closer."

"Say what?!" Izuku asked.

"By interacting during a bath, you're supposed to like, understand each other or something."

'What does she want to understand?' Izuku wondered as he desperately kept his eyes closed.

"I just want… to understand you on a deeper level!" Asia said as she pressed her chest onto Izuku's back.

As Izuku felt two pillows of flesh along with erect nipples on his back, he was more than just tomato red in the face, now, steam was starting to come out from his ears as well.

"Also, I'm scared…" Asia admitted, causing Izuku to calm down a bit at the sudden change of subject. "If we lose, then Rias, us, and everyone…"

But before Asia could finish, Izuku turned around to face her. "We won't lose, I swear!" He promised. "I won't let Riser have his way with you, Rias, or any of our friends!"

"Oh, Izuku…" Asia said, feeling better after hearing Izuku's reassuring words.

Then, Izuku remembered where he was, and he realized that he had a full frontal view of Asia's nude form.

Izuku's face once again lit up bright red, steam burst out his eardrums, and his eyes became swirly as the stimulation became too much for him and he fainted on the bathroom floor.

"Izuku? IZUKUUUUU!" Asia shouted in concern.

Despite the incident in the bathroom, Izuku still managed to sleep that night somehow. The next morning after breakfast, Izuku and Asia, along with Hisashi, met up with their friends at the clubroom.

Hisashi revealed that he had some business to take care of, but he didn't say much about it other than that it was a surprise and reassured that it was for the good of Rias and her Peerage.

And so, the ORC started making their way to their destination first. It was on a mountain outside of Musutafu, where a private villa owned by the Gremory family stood.

The group was currently hiking there, opting to use the trek up the mountain for strength and stamina exercise. Rias, Akeno, Mina, and Asia held light luggage that didn't give them much trouble. The ones carrying the heavier loads were Izuku, Yumi, Itsuka, Eijiro, and Koneko.

Izuku trudged as he panted, beads of sweat rolling down his face.

"You're almost there! Just a few more feet!" Rias encouraged as she turned back to wave at Izuku.

"Visualize, Izuku!" Akeno added.

"Coming!" Izuku responded.

"Rias. Should I go get some of those bags for him?" Asia asked in concern.

"He'll be okay. He needs to learn to carry that much on his own," Rias said.

"On your right," Yumi said as she passed by Izuku. Her luggage was slightly smaller than his. Plus, being a Knight gave her strong legs.

Then, Eijiro caught up to Izuku as well. "C'mon! Pick up the pace, bro." The black-haired boy said.

"If you think this is bad, then don't look behind you," Itsuka warned before leaving him behind.

"Move it," Koneko said, walking past him with her share of the cargo. She showed no signs of struggling even with her petite stature as she carried a bag that seemed as big as a car.

Izuku nearly fell on his back, but he managed to get his balance back as he worked harder to not fall too much behind.

Soon, the group arrived at their destination. It was a two-story complex with white and beige walls with blue floor tiles, balconies on all sides, and trimmed bushes, with white-steel window frames for each window frame. There was a tunnel-like driveway on the left-hand side that led around the back where there was likely a garage. It oversaw a wide field that was perfect for training purposes. There was even a lake nearby with a dome-roofed gazebo.

"Wow! How beautiful!" Asia gushed at the sight of the villa.

"We get to bunk here while we train?" Mina asked, looking at the place in awe. "Man, your family must be loaded!"

"Well, let me say this is nothing compared to home. Wait until you see it," Rias said, almost boasting. "Alright, you guys. Let's head inside and get going on this training!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Everyone obeyed.

After everyone got changed into training clothes, they met up at the field outside.

First up, it was Izuku against Yumi in sword training. The two stood a few meters apart, each holding up a bokken against the other. Izuku raised his wooden sword and charged at Yumi, intending to strike her with a downward blow, however, she managed to parry that strike and his next blows as well.

"You're a little off," Yumi informed. "Don't limit your focus to just the sword. Keep an eye on your opponent!"

"Right!" Izuku then tried to predict how Yumi might dodge or counter his attack, and he managed to get closer to striking her.

Meanwhile, Eijiro was chosen as Koneko's sparring partner.

"Remember, despite Koneko's size, her Rook Piece gives her unparalleled strength and defense. Even with your Hardening Quirk, you might wanna watch out," Rias informed.

"Yeah, I've already seen what she can do," Eijiro said, remembering the fight from the church as he activated his Quirk to make his body rock-hard.

Koneko then took a fighting stance, pulling her right fist back before landing a solid punch on Eijiro, who was forced to take a step back from the force of the blow.

"Ooh, yeah, she definitely hits like a powerhouse," Eijiro commented. Regardless, he could keep going. "C'mon, Koneko! I can still take it! Bring it!"

Koneko nodded and resumed landing punches and kicks on him.

This training actually served to benefit both parties involved as while Koneko worked to improve her combat abilities, each blow she dealt to Eijiro would increase his hardened form's durability.

Meanwhile, Akeno was tutoring Asia in using magic.

"The very first step is to become aware of the aura and magic surrounding you and try to stream it to a focal point," Akeno explained. "Let the image of light flow through you and be released as magical power."

Asia brought her hands together to focus, and rather quickly, she managed to form a small orb of green light. "I think I did it!"

"Awesome! Look at you go with your little green light!" Akeno praised. "I think you have a lot of natural talent for this, Asia!"

Lastly, Rias had Mina and Itsuka as her training partners.

"Okay, girls. For this exercise, I want you to help me with defensive training. And feel free to move around while going on the offensive, that'll just make me work harder."

"You got it," Mina and Itsuka responded.

Itsuka activated her Sacred Gear and changed into Aries form. "Other than healing, my wool has another ability: it can lull its targets into a relaxed state, causing them to lower their guards."

"Great. Now without further ado…" Rias said, ready to begin.

Mina and Itsuka then got a few feet away from Rias and fired a weak acid and clumps of wool at her. Rias, with a swipe of her hand, formed a wave of destructive energy to obliterate the acid spray, and then with her other hand, formed a single big sphere of Power of Destruction to disintegrate the wool attack.

Both Mina and Itsuka were surprised by how Rias was able to defend against both of their attacks at the same time.

"C'mon, keep up the pressure! There's still plenty to improve, so let's get to it!" Rias shouted.

"Right!" Both girls shouted as they resumed their offense against the older girl.

Eventually, afternoon rolled around and currently, Izuku was sparring against Koneko, though it was mostly in her favor. Koneko knew how to fight better than Izuku did, so she managed to hit and get him into a lock more than a few times. However, that didn't mean Izuku was doing poorly, and as a matter of fact, he managed to land a few hits on her every now and then, which Koneko commended him for.

"I see you've been training hard." Izuku turned at the sound of his father's voice, and sure enough, Hisashi had arrived.

"Dad, you're here," Izuku said. "So, what exactly did you leave for?"

"No spoilers," Hisashi replied, to his son's frustration. "Anyway, Rias asked me to fetch you two. She and Akeno are getting dinner ready."

With that, Izuku and Koneko followed Hisashi back to the villa, where there was a grand meal waiting for them.

After dinner, it was bathtime, and all the hard-working teens were eager to soak in the hot, mineral-rich water and let all their fatigues wash away.

A large wall separated the baths between genders; Izuku, Eijiro, and Hisashi were on one side of the wall while the girls occupied the other.

"This was such a good idea. We haven't done this in forever!" Akeno said with a content smile as she sat in the water.

"This is paradise~!" Mina moaned in bliss.

"I hope it melts away some of the fatigue of training at least. You've all been working so hard," Rias said.

"Well, I'm certainly feeling it," Itsuka said as she stretched her arms.

"Nothing like a hot bath to do the trick!" Yumi added as she cupped her large breasts in her hands.

Meanwhile, at the shower stalls, Asia eyed all the big-breasted girls and looked down at her more modest-sized pair before letting out a sigh.

"Sad you're not on the Double D team?" Koneko asked while scrubbing herself. Asia noticed that Koneko's breasts were also on the smaller side, smaller than hers actually.

"Yeah, I guess, a little," Asia replied.

"Y'know, the way you used your Quirks today was impressive," Yumi said to Itsuka and Mina.

"Thanks, and speaking of Quirks, what's yours anyway, Yumi?" Mina asked.

Yumi smiled as she stood up. "Here. I'll show you." Then, Yumi's body blew up like a balloon, becoming almost completely spherical and twice her normal height. Even her breasts expanded, growing bigger than Rias and Akeno's. Yumi was now a human balloon with a head, breasts, hands, and feet. "As you can see, it's called Balloon Body."

"It's certainly fascinating," Itsuka said, having to look up just to see Yumi's face.

Mina pressed at Yumi's body with her hand, and when she lifted it, Yumi's inflated belly sprung right back into shape, causing Yumi to let out a giggle from how it tickled a little. "Wow. So springy."

"It also lets me bounce back blunt attacks, though sharp ones still hurt me. And conveniently, it makes my clothes expand as well, so I don't have to worry about ripping them." Yumi then shrunk back to her normal size.

"If you want to know my Quirk, it's Ironsand," Akeno added. "I can make ironsand, but that's about it. I can't manipulate it or anything like that."

"What about you, Koneko?" Itsuka asked.

"Don't have one. I was never human before," Koneko admitted. "I still get around fine regardless."

"You're not human? I never would've noticed," Asia commented.

The next morning, everyone was back out in the field for training. Hisashi called up Izuku first, and they stood a distance from each other, each holding onto a bokken.

"Before we get started, champ, let me say that you're more versatile than anyone here, which means you have more to master to reach your full potential as a Pawn, so your training will be the most intense one here," Hisashi began. "In a fight, what you Promote into could mean either victory or defeat. Ready?"

"Yes!" Izuku nodded.

"Good. But before that… Ddraig, can you hear us?"

[Yes, I can.]

The majority of the group jumped in shock.

"Did Izuku's hand just talk?!" Asia asked.

"It did!" Yumi confirmed.

"Wait?! You could've talked to me like that this whole time?!" Izuku asked his hand, or rather, the glowing green gem that appeared on it.

[Just recently, as I explained when we first met.]

"Everyone, meet Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon," Hisashi said. "Specifically, his spirit that dwells within the Boosted Gear."

"The Red Dragon Emperor," Rias muttered in awe.

"I never imagined we'd get the chance to speak with someone like that," Akeno said.

"For this exercise, Ddraig, could you do me a solid and prevent my son from using his Boosted Gear?" Hisashi requested.

[Ah, I see what you're planning.]Ddraig replied.[Very well.]

"Wait, what? What are you planning?" Izuku nervously asked his dad.

"You'll see. Now, try going Boosted Dragon," Hisashi instructed.

"Without my Boosted Gear?"

"You won't need it," Hisashi said as he got his bokken ready. "By the way, this is trial by fire!" In the blink of an eye, Hisashi dashed to his son's side ready to attack. Izuku managed to block it with his own training sword, but Hisashi's attack didn't end there as he continued with relentless barrages of his bokken. Everyone watched in worry as Hisashi wasn't pulling any punches, even with his own son.

'I can't keep this up! How do I go Boosted Dragon without my Sacred Gear?! Come on, think!' Izuku thought as he struggled to block his father's attacks, and then, he had an epiphany. 'Wait… when it first happened, I didn't really will for it to appear. It just came out naturally…'

After blocking another one of Hisashi's attacks, Izuku relaxed his body and mind. Then, as Hisashi attempted to strike again, Izuku leaped into the air to dodge… and stayed there. Everyone was surprised and impressed as Izuku managed to clear Hisashi's trial.

However, unlike before, Izuku's scales were now emerald green instead of red and covered his left arm as well. As Izuku looked over himself, he felt rather proud. "I did it!"

"Good, now we can move on to the next phase of your training, but before that…" Hisashi said. Then, he did what no one else expected: on Hisashi's arms and the sides of his face, green dragon scales appeared, a pair of green dragon wings grew from his back, and lastly, he grew a pair of black dragon horns on top of his head.

"Wh-what?! Dad?!" Izuku was shocked at seeing his father's transformation, even more than his own. He saw his dad have wings while in his Dragon Veil armor, but now he had a dragon-like appearance outside the armor.

The ORC was also shocked speechless, not only seeing Izuku, who at least had a dragon-type Sacred Gear, but Hisashi, who said he didn't have any Sacred Gear, assume a dragon mode as well.

"Remember what I said about supernatural background being part of the Midoriya family?" Hisashi asked.

"Yeah… Wait!" Izuku began. "Are you saying…?"

"Yep. We're part-dragon," Hisashi confirmed, to the surprise of everyone.

"Izuku's a dragon?!" Rias's eyes widened in shock.

"No way…!" Yumi exclaimed.

"I can't believe we didn't notice!" Akeno said.

"I did not see that coming," Itsuka said, speaking for pretty much everyone.

"FOR REAL?!" Eijiro shouted.

"Is it true?!" Asia asked.

"My mind is blown…" Mina said.

Even Koneko had a look of surprise.

"Ddraig, did you know about…?"

[I did, Gremory.]The dragon within Izuku's Sacred Gear answered.

"Izuku's dragon heritage is 1/16th dragon, but it laid dormant for a long time until it awakened, the Boosted Gear probably helped with that," Hisashi explained. "As for me, I kept my dragon side suppressed for the time, saving it for a big reveal, which was just now."

[Hah! And the looks on their faces were great. You really know how to blow the minds of young adolescents!]Ddraig said.

"Then why did you wait until now to tell us?" Yumi asked.

"There was noimmediateneed to explain before, but now with the Rating Game, things changed," Hisashi replied. "Anyway, we'll talk more about our dragon heritage later, right now, it's training time!"

"Yes, sir!"

Throughout the morning, Izuku focused on improving his skills using Promotion. He did leg exercises with Yumi to strengthen his leg muscles which were important to a Knight's speed, some more combat training with Koneko to learn how to use a Rook's strengths effectively, and learned a bit about using magic from Akeno, though that wasn't really his strong point. In addition, he did some Sacred Gear training with his dad.

Then, once noon rolled around, everyone took a break for lunch. After that, Hisashi summoned Izuku and everyone back to the training field.

"Okay, now that we've had lunch and a good rest, let's resume training," Hisashi said. "But for you champ, I've arranged a special trainer who should be arriving soon."

"Really, who?" Izuku asked though he didn't have to wait long for his answer.

The sound of heavy flapping was heard in the air as everyone looked up to see a large shadow partially blocking out the sun before the figure descended upon them with a dull thud.

The figure was a dragon who stood at a towering fifty feet with huge wings behind his back. His scales were dark purple around most of his body save for his belly, inner portions of the legs, and his long tail, where they were colored beige. A pair of large yellow horns grew from his head as the dragon glared down at everyone below with his red eyes. Long sharp yellow nails formed his claws, and he wore a loincloth and black pauldrons that extended down to his elbows.

"A dragon?!" Izuku screeched.

"'Sup, Old Man Tannin?" Hisashi casually greeted the dragon.

"Tannin!?" Rias gasped. "You actually got the Blaze Meteor Dragon to come here?!"

"Tannin and my family go way back, up to our dragon ancestor," Hisashi said. "I was actually introduced to Tannin when I was Izuku's age, thanks to my old man."

"Oh wow…" Yumi muttered.

"I haven't visited the human world in a long time…" Tannin spoke, his powerful voice echoing. "But it's been even longer since we last spoke, Ddraig."

[I agree.]Ddraig said, a little eager to speak with a fellow dragon.[Good to see you, Tannin.]

"Before he was reincarnated into a Devil, Tannin used to be a Dragon King," Hisashi said.

"Not only that, he's also ranked Ultimate-Class. A rare feat for Reincarnated Devils," Rias added.

"A Devil and a dragon…" Itsuka muttered. "That's… quite a combination…"

Tannin bent down and sniffed the air around Izuku, making the boy flinch. "So you're Hisashi's progeny… Yes, I smell the dragon blood inside you,"Tannin noted.

"Alright, son. Here's the plan: You'll train with Tannin in a special training area for the next hour," Hisashi then took out a white cube and tossed it on the ground, forming a giant rift that could fit even Tannin. "The handy part? Time moves way faster, to the point one month there will only be one hour here."

"So basically, I can get a month's worth of training in just an hour in the real world?" Izuku asked for clarification.

"Precisely!" Hisashi said.

"Hold on, why just those two? Shouldn't we all go?!" Rias asked.

"Occupation limits, sorry," Hisashi said. "Not to mention, I've only got one use of that pocket dimension. Otherwise, we would all be training there already."

Then Hisashi turned to his son. "Before you go, let me be blunt. Training with Tannin's gonna be training from Hell. I know this because I was trained by Tannin myself thanks to your grandfather. I won't say this is for any of that 'building character' nonsense, this is to ensure you're prepared for the Rating Game. So, are you up for it?"

Izuku then turned to Tannin, and then to Rias. He vowed that he'd do everything he could to save her from the arranged marriage. He had to get stronger! Not just for himself, but for her!

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go!" Izuku declared.

"Good,"Tannin then picked up Izuku by his shirt.

"Make sure you train my son's body and mind, along with his Sacred Gear. Oh, and his dragon traits too," Hisashi requested.

"Right. Leave it to me,"Tannin said before stepping through the rift, which closed afterward.

"Okay, while we wait for them to come back, let's focus on our own training!" Hisashi declared. "Asia, you're with me. We'll work on your Quirk."

"Right!" Asia slithered forward as Hisashi equipped his armor.

"Whenever you're ready, begin," Hisashi instructed.

Asia brought her hands together and her hair rose before changing into vines. She then shot a few vines forward to catch Hisashi, but he sidestepped to dodge, not only that, he actually grabbed onto the vines and then dashed toward Asia before circling around her; Asia was unable to react in time as she was wrapped up in her own vines.

"I can't move…" Asia muttered.

"Not bad, but there's still plenty of room for improvement: for example, we could work on your reaction time so that if an enemy gets a hold of your vines, you can detach them faster and resume the attack, also increasing the vines' strength would also prevent an enemy from taking control of them like I just did," Hisashi recommended.

"Okay," Asia said as she managed to untangle herself.

"Next up, Akeno. Now, I know that magic is your specialty, but keep in mind, you still have Rook and Knight traits that come with being a Queen," Hisashi began. "Now imagine, in battle, your opponents expect you to use some kind of magic attack, but instead, you fake them with a physical attack like a punch or a kick."

"Oh, that's very clever, thank you, Mr. Hisashi," Akeno said.

"Of course, we're not discounting your magic, either. Also, about your lightning. You're not using it to its full potential."

Akeno's eyes widened slightly, and then she suddenly frowned. "What do you mean by that?" She asked with a dark tone in her voice, to the surprise of Asia, Itsuka, Mina, and Eijiro.

Hisashi also noticed it but didn't say anything. "For one, there's more you can do than just electrocuting and tormenting opponents. Some lightning users I've met can give shape to their attacks or use electricity to manipulate their environments. And for variety, try combining it with other elemental spells you know."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind also," Akeno said, suddenly intrigued.

"I wonder how Izuku's doing," Asia wondered.

BOOOOOOOOOMMM!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Izuku bellowed as he was sent flying through the air, right into the face of a rock, thanks to a large explosion. As he got to his hands and knees, he groaned in pain.

"Ow… Dad wasn't kidding about… Training from Hell…" Izuku grumbled as he wiped the ash and sweat from his face as he looked back on the day's training. It involved lots of running.Lots and lotsof running.

[You've improved somewhat today.]Ddraig chuckled slightly.

"Now that you've mastered more of your dragon heritage. Let's work on your Sacred Gear,"Tannin said."Our time is nearly halfway up, so how about I raise the difficulty?"

"Huh?" Izuku realized Tannin was preparing another attack and spread his wings to get away as far and fast as he could. "CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!"

Forty minutes have passed since Izuku and Tannin departed, and in that time, Yumi and Koneko each had their turns sparring with Hisashi, and he had a few things to say about their fighting style. For Yumi, he noted that she tended to rely too much on outspeeding her opponents, which left her predictable to opponents that could outspeed her. He also advised her to think more about her defenses. And for Koneko, he advised her to avoid tanking every attack thrown at her, as a Rook's defense was formidable but not limitless. In addition, he gave tips on how to move faster despite being a Rook.

Now, Hisashi was training Itsuka, whose current outfit consisted of a yellow bikini top with teal zigzag stripes, a frilled teal miniskirt with a gold ribbon, frilled teal detached sleeves around her upper arm secured by a white ribbon, teal sandals; lastly, her hair was tied into twintails with green ribbons.

"Nice. Aquarius Form, huh?" Hisashi said.

"Yeah, in this form, I have powers over water. I can attack with water or use it to form barriers and other constructs."

"Good. Now, let's begin," Hisashi said, equipping his armor, the Homurasaki, and a bokken.

Itsuka followed through by taking a combative stance.

Itsuka made the first move, forming an orb of water and throwing it at Hisashi, who made the Homurasaki blaze with green flames as he sliced the water sphere, causing the halves to evaporate.

Hisashi then swung his bokken, but Itsuka formed a water barrier to stop him.

Itsuka then formed another ball of water, but this time, she slammed it into the ground, causing geysers to erupt in Hisashi's direction, forcing him to back off from the chain of geysers before using his Dragon's Breath Quirk to breathe out a stream of fire that collided with a geyser, causing a cloud of steam.

As Itsuka tried to see through the fog to find Hisashi, she suddenly flinched as the tip of a bokken was pointed at her face. It was Hisashi, who had found Itsuka first.

"Nice job. You showed plenty of skills with this form. We'll continue to work on it, along with your other forms."

"Yes, sir," Itsuka replied.

It was the last night in the pocket dimension, and Izuku was currently taking a drink from a stream near his camp. After a long day of hauling ass running from Tannin's attacks, the cold water gave him some much-needed relief. One look at his reflection in the water, and Izuku could tell the intense training left its mark on his body.

He was currently bare-chested while his torn-up shirt and tracksuit jacket lay beside him; he could see how his chest looked sturdier and more muscular thanks to burning off the small bits of fat. His arms had similarly become more muscular as well thanks to the training. He also started growing horns as well, though they were hardly noticeable right now.

"Wow, I can't believe my body's changed so much after training with a former Dragon King," Izuku observed as he inspected his new body.

[Be proud, partner.]Ddraig stated, his gem glowing on Izuku's left hand as he spoke.[Not many can say they've survived against Tannin's method of training.]

"Thanks," Izuku replied as he grabbed his shirt and returned to his camp. "It's my last night here. Hard to believe it's only been about an hour outside, while I spent almost a month here."

[It is hard to believe.]Ddraig commented.[The Mystic Keepers sure have access to some incredible resources.]

Izuku made himself a nice warm campfire to unwind and relax. "My body's gonna ache for months, I know it." He added with a groan.

[If you think that's bad, you probably don't want to think about what Rias Gremory likely has in mind for you.]Ddraig said with a chuckle, causing Izuku to sweatdrop.

Back at the villa, Rias was receiving suggestions from Hisashi on how to make better use of her Power of Destruction such as compressing the energy into fast-shooting bullets or other forms. Then, everyone noticed the large shadow of Tannin in the air.

On Tannin's back, Izuku was very relieved to see the Gremory villa again after the time he spent training with Tannin. As Tannin descended, everyone watched in awe as Izuku jumped from Tannin's back before slowing his fall using his green dragon wings.

"Izuku, I can hardly recognize you!" Asia said, admiring Izuku's new muscular physique.

"I'll say," Itsuka said, also looking over Izuku.

"You look so manly now, Midoriya!" Eijiro said.

"You could grate cheese on those abs," Mina said.

"I take it that the training with Tannin went well?" Rias asked, though she too was secretly admiring Izuku's new muscles.

"Well, I survived," Izuku said, scratching the back of his head. All the stares he got from the girls made him a little nervous.

"Thanks for the help, Old Man," Hisashi thanked Tannin.

"You're welcome, Hisashi," Tannin said. "I'm leaving now. I look forward to the Rating Game." Then, Tannin flapped his massive wings and soared into the sky, flying straight through a magic circle.

"Now then," Rias called. "Let's get back to training."

The next eight days came and went rather quickly, and everyone had improved significantly. Izuku had learned more about swordplay, combat styles, and using his demonic power. Asia managed to get better at handling her vines and reacting more quickly to detach them to prevent enemies from using them against her. Yumi managed to become faster and less predictable in her movements with fewer openings, also doing some defensive training in her inflated state with a little help from Koneko. Speaking of Koneko, she managed to become more agile despite being a Rook, and she learned to incorporate a few martial arts techniques into her attacks. Itsuka trained with a few more of her Celestia Regalia forms, especially the ones that would complement her Big Fist Quirk. Akeno experimented with her lightning more, particularly using electromagnetism; she also took part in physical training once every often. Rias managed to develop more efficient and creative ways to use her Power of Destruction. Even Eijiro and Mina managed to strengthen their Quirks somewhat. With everyone having improved their abilities, the time to put it to the test against Riser and his battle harem drew closer.

That night, Izuku was still awake in the living room reviewing his notes, trying to formulate the plan for the Rating Game. He also checked the Hero News. There was no mention of All Might teaching at U.A. yet. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice when someone came down the stairs.

"Izuku?" The voice of Rias snapped him out of his concentration.

"Oh, hey Buchou," Izuku said. "I was just checking the Hero News and studying my notes."

She was wearing a pink nightgown and a pair of glasses on her face, and she held a book under her arms. "I see. Anything interesting going on?"

"Well, there was talk about Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and Edgeshot possibly forming a Hero team together. Oh, I also tried looking up any mention of All Might teaching at U.A., but there's nothing yet."

"I see," Rias responded. "I was also shocked to hear that he'd be teaching at U.A., though I probably won't really get to see him since I'm not in the Hero Course."

"You're a fan of All Might too?" Izuku asked.

"Who doesn't like All Might?" Rias asked rhetorically. "Well, Villains, maybe. But yeah, I admire him too. Though probably not to the same extent that you do."

Izuku blushed at being reminded of his almost child-like admiration of the Number One Hero.

"Anyway, I need to chat with you about something, so will you follow me outside?"

Out on the veranda, Rias looked over Izuku's notes. "I see. This is pretty amazing. Certainly better than anything I could come up with."

"Oh, really? Thanks," Izuku said.

"That being said, we're up against Phenex. A Devil, but he is also a marquis counting among the 72 Pillars. We've got our work cut out for us. His ability is the same as the beast his family is named after. Immortality," Rias revealed. "He's indestructible. He regenerates immediately following an attack. That's why his win-lose ratio is so flawless excluding the ones he lost on purpose out of respect for the other teams' families. Ever since the rating game was put into effect, The house of Phenex has dominated the playing field."

"Oh wow…" Izuku muttered. "Changing the subject, are you really against marriage, or is it Riser?"

"Riser…" Rias answered. "Not to sound stereotypical or cliché, but like any other girl, I dream of getting married one day, but I want it to be with someone I choose. The proposal was made to the Heiress of Gremory. Because of my title, I am not ever recognized as Rias. The House of Gremory will always come before me…" Rias got up and walked across the railing of the veranda as she turned to gaze at the moonlit sky. "I've learned to adjust to it and make my decisions accordingly. Make no mistake, my title is something I will always take pride in. But I want to find someone who loves me as Rias, not for how my status can improve their life. Otherwise, they may as well marry the House. I understand that history is not in my favor, and the idea of love may just remain a dream. But it's one I'd like to keep."

"Well, I think you shouldn't give it up. You have the right to love whoever you want!" Izuku said. "The Gremory name doesn't define you. It's just an empty title and anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't know you."

"Thank you," Rias smiled. Then she noticed a notebook titled, "Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13." It was slightly charred, but she thought not much of it as she picked it up with curiosity in her eyes. "Hmm, what's this?"

Izuku winced. "Wait, that's-"

"Wow, you wrote all this?" Rias asked, skimming through the pages. "It's practically a guidebook about Heroes."

Izuku turned red in embarrassment, looking down as he rubbed his head. "W-Well, that's…"

"Oh~ What's this? Mt. Lady is 'sexy', is she? You naughty boy," Rias said, her tone hiding none of her amusem*nt.

"No! That's not what it means!" Izuku waved his arms sporadically. "When Mt. Lady made her debut appearance, she sorta stole the thunder from Kamui Woods and other Heroes and well… she, uh… showed off her assets for extra attention…" He said, trying not to sound demeaning. "I heard that Heroes, both men and women, often use their looks for publicity, and that's pretty much what she did."

"I'm only half-convinced because I'm hearing it from you. You better pray that Koneko doesn't see this."

Izuku let his head hang, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response, though he couldn't help but think that Rias in her "teasing" voice kinda sounded somewhat like Mt. Lady.

"But don't get me wrong, your notes are very impressive," Rias continued. "I mean, it's probably natural for a fanboy to take notes about his idol, but this is a few bits short of a total Hero encyclopedia. I get the feeling there's a reason it's so detailed."

"Well, I just thought that maybe if I studied different Heroes, learn how they made it… How they work with their pros and cons… Then maybe I can figure out a way to become a Hero myself…" Izuku smiled nostalgically, taking the notebook from Rias and looking through some pages. "Considering there's plenty that rely more on Support Items or other gear rather than their Quirks, I figured that maybe as a Quirkless kid, I can do it too… Though in hindsight, it's probably easier said than done." Putting the crispy notebook down, he turned his gaze back to Rias. "And then things changed when I met you, Akeno, Yumi, Koneko, and everyone else. Learning about my Boosted Gear… I have the chance now, thanks to you. I'm happy to have met you."

He then reached for his bag, searching for another notebook. "Here's something I've started working on recently…" He took a notebook out from a bundle of them and handed it to Rias with a bashful look. "I admit, I was kinda embarrassed, also, after Master Tannin's training, it sort of slipped my mind. But hey, better late than never, right?"

"'Supernatural Analysis for the Present No. 1'…" Rias read aloud, slowly pulling the cover back to read through the pages.

The notebook contained a list of all of Rias's Peerage abilities, along with their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, there were also notes on their other friends such as Itsuka and her Sacred Gear, along with some members of Sona and Latia's Peerages. It even listed the enemies they fought such as Stray Devils, Raynare, and the Bellios Gang.

"Impressive. This is so detailed; you've pretty much recorded all the important details!" Rias said in amazement.

"Yeah, I just wanted to do my best to make sure we're prepared to our fullest," Izuku said. "And it's not just me. Akeno, Asia, Yumi, Koneko, and also Kendo. We all don't want you marrying Riser either. We all plan on giving it our best in the Rating Game."

Rias smiled wider. "Izuku… come'er," she reached her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, resting her head against her pillow-like chest.

"Erm… Buchou… what are you-?" Izuku whispered, blushing.

"Shh… let's stay like this for a while," Rias whispered, nuzzling her face against his hair. Izuku slowly nodded as he relaxed in his master's grip, feeling a little more comfort in her arms. "Hey… Izuku?"

"Yeah?"

"I… I'm happy we met, too."

Chapter 15: Gremory vs. Phenex

Chapter Text

Ch. 15: Gremory vs. Phenex

The day for the Rating Game had arrived, however, it wasn't due to start until midnight, so Rias ordered everyone to use the time to rest and prepare.

Upon arriving back home, Izuku, Asia, and Hisashi were greeted by a (literally) tearful welcome from Inko. Luckily, Izuku's newly developed muscles were deceptively hidden well by his clothes, so he didn't have to worry about his mother asking how he buffed up so much in just ten (longer for Izuku) days. It also turned out that Inko had special surprises for Izuku and Asia. Inko had a Hero costume for Izuku, admitting that she accidentally got a peek at his notes before and made it as an apology for not being more supportive before, promising to cheer him on all the way from thereon. For Asia, she got her a green flower pendant, which she decided to make part of her own costume.

Izuku spent the day watching recordings of Riser's past Rating Game matches provided by Rias to formulate their attack plan against him. Out of Riser's servants, his Queen, Yubelluna, seemed to be the most dangerous opponent with her specialty in explosive magic that earned her the nickname "Bomb Queen," a well-earned title considering her explosions could even KO Rooks with just one shot. "Her explosions are different from Kacchan's. Akeno might be our best shot at facing her, and maybe me and Buchou as well. The others might have trouble taking hits from her."

As for Riser himself, he had two major advantages over Rias's team: First, his immortality, which healed any damage he took, making it easy for him to wear down the enemy combatants before taking them down; second, his numbers, he had a full team of servants who were certainly no slouches in battle.

'From what I see, the most important step to victory might be taking down the Queen. Of course, beating the others is important too, that way Riser won't have any backup. But even if Riser's left all alone, it won't be easy.' Izuku noted. 'Even so, we've all trained hard for this. Failure is not an option!'

Later that night, Inko was currently sleeping while Izuku, Asia, and Hisashi were still awake. There was only one more hour before the Rating Game.

Izuku was currently in his room, waiting. 'I've been training for this like my life depended on it.' He reminisced on the last ten days. "There's no way in Hell I'll let them win!"

*Knock! Knock!*

"Izuku, are you there?" Asia's voice came from behind the door. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"No, please do."

Asia then entered the room, wearing her church clothes, along with the pendant Inko had gotten for her.

"Wow, uh… Haven't seen you wear that in a while," Izuku said, noting Asia's choice of clothes.

" I thought my habit might make me feel more confident. Rias said she was okay with it as long as I felt comfortable. Plus, I was planning on using this as my Hero costume," Asia said. "So I just wanted to know what you thought."

"I think you look pretty good, actually," Izuku replied.

"You're sweet. I'd like to stay here with you, do you mind?"

Izuku nervously nodded. "No, not at all." Asia then went over to take a seat on Izuku's left side, pressing her body against his. 'SHE'S SO CLOSE!' Izuku started flustering as he tried to stay calm. Then he noticed that Asia had a worried look on her face.

"I'm a little bit nervous about the battle," Asia admitted. "Still, as long as I have you here next to me, I know everything will be fine. Is it alright with you, Izuku? If I just stay here like this for a while?"

Izuku nodded with a smile, and Asia took what time she had left to enjoy the warmth. 'This… isn't so bad.'

Then, Hisashi came into the room. "You kids ready for the game?"

"To be honest, I feel like there's still a lot more that could be done," Izuku replied. "Though it could be due to what's at stake."

"Not surprising," Hisashi said. "However, there's a reason why I had you go through sword training. So that you'd have enough experience to wield this." He then handed Izuku the Homuraski.

"You're letting me use your sword?!" Izuku asked.

"Yep. The Homurasaki isn't just a sword of fire. It can also cut and devour flames. A perfect weapon to use against the fire-wielding Phenex, wouldn't you agree? You can store it in your Boosted Gear until needed."

At the clubroom, everyone had already arrived by the time Izuku, Asia, and Hisashi entered. Everybody was doing their own thing as they waited for the game to start. Yumi was inspecting one of her swords. Koneko snacked on some sweets while slipping on combat gloves with cat paws on them. Akeno and Rias were sipping tea, the former sitting on a couch while the latter was at her desk, maintaining an appearance of complete calmness. Itsuka, dressed in a teal gi, was practicing some combat stances. Eijiro and Mina were also there, though, like Hisashi, they would only be spectators.

"Everyone's here, good," Rias said, setting her teacup down.

Then, the club door opened as Sona, Tsubaki, Latia, and Chacha entered.

"Sorry if we're interrupting," Sona said.

"No, please, come on in, Sona, Latia," Rias said.

"I'm glad you could make it," Akeno greeted.

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you all here," Izuku said.

"It's our Rias's first Rating Game. We wouldn't miss an event like this for anything," Latia said.

"Well, I promise to do everything in my power to make it interesting for you," Rias said.

Then, a white magic circle appeared, and Grayfia emerged from it. "It's almost time. I hope you're ready for this, my lady."

"Yes. We're ready whenever you are," Rias replied.

Grayfia nodded and took out a clear crystal case containing a Bishop Piece inside. "Here is your Substitute Piece. All you have to do is charge it with a small amount of your power, then give it to the person of your choice."

"I understand," Rias then sent a bit of her magic into the Bishop and it started glowing red. "Itsuka…"

Itsuka then received the Piece before pressing it into her chest, causing it to be absorbed into her body.

"It's done. Lady Itsuka is now your Substitute Bishop for the duration of the Rating Game," Grayfia informed.

"Yeah, but I don't feel any different," Itsuka said while feeling herself.

"In time, you will feel its effect," Grayfia assured before turning back to Rias. "In a few moments, we'll use this magic circle to transport you and the rest of your team to the battlefield."

"And where exactly is the battlefield?" Izuku asked.

"In a neutral alternate space created just for the game. Because it's not real, we have full license to do some damage, even burn it to the ground if we want," Akeno replied with a sad*stic chuckle.

'Great, that doesn't sound scary at all,' Izuku thought sarcastically. 'Glad she's not a Villain…'

"We'll be in the Student Council room," Sona said.

"We'll be cheering you on. Good luck," Latia added.

"Thanks a lot," Rias smiled.

"If I was a betting girl, I'd say you're going to beat that scumbag seven ways from Sunday," Sona added before taking her leave.

"I'm rooting for you and everyone, Izuku. I know you'll win!" Chacha said.

"Yeah, thanks for your support, Chacha," Izuku thanked, and Chacha smiled before heading out with her master.

"There's something I forgot to tell you," Grayfia said. "I thought you'd like to know, the Great Devil Lucifer will be watching the game."

Rias responded with a sigh. "Oh, Brother Dearest…"

"Wait, Buchou's big brother istheDevil Lucifer?!" Izuku asked.

"That's right. Lord Sirzechs Lucifer, also known as the Crimson Satan, is her brother," Yumi chimed in. "He's also one of the Four Great Satans who became the current rulers of the Underworld after the original Satans died in the Great War. He and the other Satans led us through a dark time, saving the Devil race from ruin. But by receiving the title of Lucifer, he forfeited his Gremory name."

"Well, that explains why Rias is the next heir to the House of Gremory," Asia noted.

Izuku couldn't help but be shocked by this, he already knew Rias's family held prestigious status, but it was overwhelming, to say the least, that her older brother was one of the rulers of the Underworld alongside three others.

"It's time, everyone," the group all turned to the maid as she gestured to the magic circle.

"Then let's go," Rias announced

"Good luck, kids," Hisashi said.

"Give Riser what he deserves!" Eijiro added

"Kick his ass!" Mina cheered.

The Gremory group nodded and, with resolves of steel, they walked into the magic circle. Once inside, they were bathed in the crimson light of the magic circle as they vanished one after another.

When the light cleared from Izuku's vision, he looked around only to see that they were seemingly still in the clubroom.

"I think our magic circle's broken," Asia said, thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, we're still here…" Itsuka added.

Then, an announcement came from the school speakers. ["Your attention, please. Welcome everyone, my name is Grayfia. I am a servant of the House of Gremory. I will be your referee during today's match. To create the battlefield you'll be competing in, I took suggestions from both Lady Rias and Lord Riser. This place is an exact replica of U.A. High, an educational institution in the human world."]

"What does that mean?" Izuku asked.

"Just take a look outside," Rias replied.

When Izuku opened the window, he could see that the sky was no longer black as night, but rather a mystical green with auroras.

"The sky!" Asia said.

"This is an alternate space," Yumi informed.

"It might look like it, but trust me, we're not at U.A. anymore," Akeno added.

["Each team has been given an area that will serve as its home base. Lady Rias, your crew will be in the Occult Research Club headquarters at the club buildings."]

Meanwhile, at Riser's home base, he was making himself comfortable, snuggling with some of his girls.

["Lord Riser's home base will be located in the principal's office in the main building. Pawns will be promoted if they can make their way to the home base of the opposing team. Good luck to all."]

With Grayfia's announcement concluded, Team Gremory started discussing their plans. Rias was the first to contribute, stating how Riser's regeneration played a big part in his strategies. And if they could keep some of their best cards well hidden, Riser would be unlikely to change his MO.

Then, it was Izuku's turn to speak. He explained that it would be best to take out Riser's servants first before going after the King, it would be hard enough to deal with Riser's immortality, and the last thing they needed was the enemy catching them off-guard. The Pawns especially would need to be dealt with to prevent them from reaching their base and Promoting to Queens. Once all of Riser's team has been dealt with, they could face off against Riser unimpeded, though getting past his regeneration would be the tricky part.

As for their defense, Yumi and Koneko would head to the surrounding woods to lay traps while Akeno set up illusions around their home base. Then there was the issue of Gym Gamma, the building closest to the clubhouse, which could serve as an easy access route to home base. So, Izuku and Itsuka would meet up with Koneko there after she was done with her current task.

Rias opted to remain at the base and act as commander to relay instructions and provide updates, and since Asia was their healer, her staying safe was crucial, so she was to stay by Rias.

Rias then handed everyone a red energy marble. "These'll help us communicate during the battle." Everyone then put their marbles in their ears.

["Alright, Devils…Let the game begin!"]

Upon hearing Grayfia's announcement, Team Gremory steeled themselves for the fight.

"Those failures don't deserve to stand on the same field as us. Show no mercy! Break their spirits, shatter their pride, and force them into submission! If I don't crush her, this is meaningless." Riser ordered.

"Let's get started on those traps and barriers," Akeno said.

"Right!" Koneko and Yumi nodded, and the Queen, Rook, and Knight left the room, leaving Rias, Itsuka, Asia, and Izuku in relative silence.

The gentle Bishop was sitting across from Izuku, hands in her lap as she continued nervously fidgeting in anticipation of the fight. "All this talk of fighting is starting to scare me."

"Try to relax, trust in Rias and Midoriya's plan," Itsuka advised.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Asia nodded. "Oh, I just remembered. I brought these," she reached into her robe and pulled out a cross and a bottle.

"You still have that?!" Rias exclaimed, the skin of every Devil in the room crawling. "And is that holy water!?"

Asia fidgeted her fingers nervously. "I never actually got rid of them, and I figured they could be useful."

As much as Rias wanted to scold Asia for keeping a cross and holy water, she decided against it. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"A bit numb, but I'm okay."

Rias sighed, before staring at the church items on the table. She hated to admit it, but these would definitely be useful.

"I'll hold onto them," Itsuka, the only non-Devil in the room, offered.

"Thanks," Asia said, handing over the cross and holy water.

Then, Rias went over to the sofa and sat down. "Izuku, come here."

"For what?" Izuku asked.

Rias put a hand on her thigh. "I want you to put your head on my lap.

"E-eh?!" Izuku gasped, his eyes widening as he flinched.

"Just get over here already," Rias ordered.

Izuku took a deep breath to calm himself down before slowly laying his head on Rias's lap, while Asia stared at the scene with a pout, unable to hide her jealousy.

"Izuku, I cast a little spell on you. It's time to unlock it."

Izuku's expression changed from flustered to curious at Rias's words.

She then placed a hand on his head.

*Thu-thump!*

'What is this? What's happening to me?' Izuku felt a sudden rush of power flowing into his body. It felt like something inside him had just been set free.

"When you became a Devil, I told you it used eight of my Pawn pieces," she told him. "But what I didn't tell you was how much power you'd received."

"Wait, what?" Izuku asked.

"If I had unleashed everything all at once, your body wouldn't have been able to take it. So I cast a spell to keep your powers at bay. Because of the spell, your abilities come to you in small, manageable stages. What I just did was release another portion of your power. This is just the beginning of what you can do, Izuku. But in order for your body to be able to handle your Boosted Gear, on top of the full extent of your power, we had to get you in shape and make sure you were strong enough. There's a good portion in there that you're just not ready for yet."

Asia turned her body sideways with her hands together to pray. "There I was being jealous when all along Rias was just trying to help him… Dear God, please forgive me for being so stupid and letting my awful jealousy get the best of me." And then the headache came. "OW!"

"Do your best out there. Take those Pawns out," Rias instructed.

"I won't let you down!" Izuku vowed.

"Good. Now let's get moving," Rias said as she stood up. "Izuku, Itsuka, go help Koneko. She should be at Gym Gamma. Some of Riser's servants are likely already there."

"Right!" Itsuka and Izuku nodded.

"But before we go, one more thing," Itsuka suddenly said.

"What is it?" Rias asked.

"We already know that Riser has two major advantages in number and immortality, but I think he also has another advantage, over you specifically," Itsuka said. "He knows you."

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

"He knows that you don't want to marry him, so I bet he's gonna use that to get inside your head and set you up for defeat," Itsuka explained.

"Yeah, that does sound like a Riser move. Threatening the opponent's pride and causing them to act recklessly," Izuku added in agreement.

Rias hated to admit it, but that did sound like something she would fall for. "So what do you suggest I do?"

"Try to keep your pride in check and ignore his temptations. But if you must fight him, have someone else by your side, other than Asia. She might be an amazing healer, but she can't keep healing you indefinitely, while Riser can regenerate as much as he wants. So you're gonna want another fighter as backup," Itsuka said. "Can you promise that?"

"Alright. I swear I won't act recklessly," Rias promised. "If that's all, then get out there. Show them what you can do."

"Right!" Izuku and Itsuka quickly ran outside.

"Good luck, guys. I'll be praying for each and every one of you," Asia said.

Izuku and Itsuka soon caught up to Koneko right outside Gym Gamma. They snuck in through the backdoor to try and be stealthy, but the gym was practically empty with no hiding spots. It was also dark inside, but that quickly changed as the lights turned on. In the center of the gym were four of Riser's servants. "Smells like Gremory filth…" One of them taunted. "Look what we have here. She sent us a Pawn, a Rook, and a Bishop."

Izuku remembered them from the first time he saw them as well as the footage Rias had given him.

"I'm Mira. And I'm a Phenex Pawn," the first to introduce herself was a girl with blue hair and light brown eyes. Her hair was styled with four short pigtails, two of them pointing up and the other two pointing down. The front of her hair had split bangs going across her forehead, with side bangs framing her face. Her outfit consisted of a white haori with a red obi, worn under a red happi coat. She had bandages on her forearms and shins and backguards over her hands. She wore a pair of zori under her feet. In her hands, she held a wooden staff.

"I'm Xuelan, a Phenex Rook!" The next was a well-endowed girl who appeared to be Chinese, with shoulder-length black hair and blue-green eyes. Her hair has two Chinese-style buns on both sides of her head, while the front features bangs that form a slight V-shape across her forehead. Her outfit consists of a navy blue qipao with gold accents, a sash around her stomach, black arm guards on her forearms, and black, low-heeled shoes. The qipao was open at the chest area, giving a view of her breasts and cleavage, as well as a split down the left side to show off her long leg.

Lastly, there were the twins, both of whom looked like middle schoolers. They both had turquoise hair with yellow ribbons tied to one side of their hair opposite to one another, likely to tell them apart. They were dressed in gym uniforms; white t-shirts with blue accents, black leggings, and blue sneakers over knee-high socks. They also wore orange wristbands on their right wrists. They also had red and blue gym bags on their back. "I'm Ile and I'm a Pawn! My name is Nel, and I'm also a Pawn!"

"The Rook chick. She could be a big problem for us," Koneko said.

"Really?" Itsuka asked.

"Based on her power level, she's got the skills of a Queen."

"That's no good."

"Still, we can't give up!" Izuku said as he summoned his Boosted Gear.

[Boost!]

"I'll try my luck with the Rook," Koneko said as she took up a fighting stance.

"I'll fight the twins," Itsuka said, holding up her Aquarius Key. "Dress Form: Aquarius!"

"Guess that leaves me with Mira," Izuku said.

Elsewhere, three of Riser's Pawns were attempting to navigate through a thick fog in search of the ORC building. The first of the young women, Shuriya, had long, pale blue hair, amber eyes with purple eyeshadows around them, and tanned skin. She wore a bikini made up of a metallic underwire brassiere and a silk loincloth that exposed her sides, a silver-colored tiara, and neck rings with a ruby and blue gem respectively. Other accessories include ruby orb earrings, a snake-themed bracelet on her upper arm, and a transparent pink veil across both her arms.

The other two, Marion and Burent, were dressed as French maids. Marion had shoulder-length light brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her French maid uniform was a buttoned, sleeveless one with a white laced design, along with a standard maid headpiece, cuffs, and a white half-apron to go with the set. She also wore light gray tights.

Burent, on the other hand, had shoulder-length brown hair and had a maid's uniform that was also sleeveless but exposed her cleavage with a white lace design on the edges, a maid headpiece, half-apron, and forearm-length fingerless gloves.

"Damn, this fog is so thick, we won't be able to see anything," Burent said.

Then, a red magic circle appeared a few meters away. In the blink of an eye, glowing spears shot out of the circle, but the Pawns were as quick to dodge them as well.

"A trap? Did they really think that something that lame would work?" Shuriya wondered in amusem*nt as she flew through the air.

"The Gremorys are dumber than I thought," Burent mocked as she and Marion were in the air together.

"A cute trick from a Rating Game virgin," Marion said as she landed. Then she cast a spell that disabled a trap on the path ahead. "Do you think the Gremorys really believe these stupid traps are going to slow us down at all?"

Eventually, they made their way to what seemed to be the ORC building.

"That's their home base isn't it?" Burent asked as they all got closer. However, what they didn't realize was that there was a near-invisible tripwire in their path until it was too late.

The moment the wire broke, a boulder pendulum was set loose, swinging toward the women, who were able to easily avoid it. However, that was only the first part of the trap as then, a dozen swords rained down on them from above. The maids and showgirl barely managed to avoid them, though their clothes weren't as lucky.

"Okay, that was better, but still not-" Burent said, only for all the swords to suddenly start glowing.

BOOM! KA-BOOM! BOOM!

The swords exploded, and the Pawns were sent flying by the shock waves, crashing into the nearby trees, though it was not enough to take them out.

"At least we can-" Shuriya turned toward the club building, only for it to fade away into mist, revealing it was just an illusion. "An illusion?!"

"They caught us off-guard with those weak traps from before!" Marion shouted in realization.

Then, the three Pawns saw Yumi Kiba walking out of the woods. "I really should thank Izuku and his dad. Their ideas for exploding Demonic Swords was ingenious."

"…f*ck."

"Hah!" Xuelan's feet were lit with flames as she threw a spinning kick at Koneko, who ducked to dodge. However, Xuelan was not done yet as she unleashed some more kicks and threw in a couple of palm strikes as well. Then when Koneko was about to strike from behind, she kicked upwards, striking Koneko and ripping a bit of her uniform. Koneko wasn't too damaged by the attack and continued to hold her ground as Xuelan resumed her barrage of kicks, before managing to grab her leg on the last kick. She then pulled on the leg to drag Xuelan closer before landing a right hook on her left cheek.

Xuelan stumbled back a few feet from the blow, rubbing her sore face. "Nice one." But then, Koneko came charging in, ramming into her, and knocking her down on her back. "Who the hell are you? Tell me!" Xuelan demanded as she began getting up.

"I'm Koneko. Suck it."

Itsuka shot two water orbs at the twins, who sliced through the attacks with… chainsaws of all things.

"Slice her up! Slice her up! Slice her up!" Ile and Nel chanted with rather disturbingly cheery grins as they charged to try and cut up Itsuka, who managed to sidestep the chainsaw blades as the twins took turns swinging at her. As they tried swinging at the same time, Itsuka changed her form into water to slip behind the twins and fired a jet of water from each hand at the twins, causing them to stumble back a bit.

Izuku faced off against Mira, dodging a staff thrust from her. Mira took a step back, spun her staff, and swung it in an arc right at Izuku's head. He leaned backward to cause the attack miss, before throwing his fist forward at Mira, who used her staff as a shield to block.

"You're not that much of a beginner as I thought," Mira commended. "Perhaps I can let loose more." The ends of her staff then became lit with flames.

"I appreciate it," Izuku replied.

[Boost!]

[Blade!]

After activating another Boost, Izuku withdrew the Homurasaki from the Boosted Gear.

Izuku and Mira then charged at each other with their respective weapons. Izuku went for a downward slash, but Mira blocked it with her staff before throwing a kick at Izuku. Izuku recoiled a bit from the kick but managed to recover in time to block another staff strike from Mira.

'She's good…' Izuku thought as he backed up. 'I suppose this is a good time as any to try out that new move I've been working on…' Izuku then reengaged Mira, dodging a thrust of her staff, before swinging the Homurasaki down full-strength to cleave her staff into two.

As Mira was in shock over her staff being broken, he hit her with a palm strike on the shoulder, knocking her down. Unbeknownst to her, a magic circle briefly appeared over the spot Izuku struck.

"Kendo! SWITCH!" Izuku called out.

Itsuka understood and backed up from the twins before tagging out with Izuku so that he would face the twins while she faced Mira.

"It doesn't matter who we're facing!" Ile said.

"We're still gonna slice you!" Nel declared.

Both twins then jumped into the air with their chainsaws raised high. However, Izuku was prepared.

[Explosion!]

With all his Boosts unleashed, Izuku unfurled his wings and took off toward the twins. Flying at a rapid speed that their eyes couldn't keep up with, he tagged Ile on the shoulder and Nel on the back, a magic circle appearing on the areas they were hit. The twins were hurt by the blow and fell to the ground, but they were still in the game.

"We can't lose to this dweeb!" Ile said.

"If we do, Lord Riser's gonna be pissed off!" Nel added.

Mira, deciding to take out Izuku first, left Itsuka behind while lighting the broken halves of her staff in flames. At the same time, the twins revved up their chainsaws and ignited them as well.

"It's time to die!" Mira shouted.

"Let's slice off his balls!" Ile and Nel shouted.

Izuku, despite being ganged up by three opponents, was not worried. "Bring it on! Here's my special move!"

Itsuka was surprised at what Izuku just said. Xuelan, who was currently being held in a lock by Koneko, was also shocked, letting out a gasp. Koneko herself showed a somewhat shocked face.

"Now… RUPTURE!" Izuku snapped his fingers, and the magic circles reappeared on Mira, Ile, and Nel's bodies. When Izuku had tagged the girls earlier, he also sent a small portion of his demonic power into their bodies. And the finger snap just now was a trigger. The bits of Izuku's power inside the Pawns reacted and pressure started building up before they exploded, causing damage from within. Mira, Ile, and Nel screamed as they all collapsed.

While Mira seemed able to continue, albeit injured, Ile and Nel seemed to be down for the count and vanished in glimmering light.

["Two of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."] Grayfia announced.

"No! Ile! Nel!" Mira shouted as she barely managed to stand.

"Hey! Remember me?"

Mira turned to see Itsuka's enlarged fist coming her way. In her injured state, she was unable to dodge, and the giant punch sent her flying through the air and into a wall, leaving spider cracks behind her. She barely let out a cough before collapsing and disappearing in blue light like her teammates.

["One of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."]

Xuelan gave out a growl. Her teammates had already been taken out in such a short time. "Damn-!"

["Three of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."]

Xuelan's eyes widened in shock at the announcement. For Izuku, Itsuka, and Koneko, on the other hand, that was good news.

"Nice!" Itsuka grinned.

"Looks like one of our traps worked!" Izuku guessed.

Koneko simply smiled at this. The three then noticed Xuelan staring at one of the windows. Koneko then twisted the lock even harder, causing the enemy Rook to regain her focus as she struggled to break free. She eventually found her opportunity as a well-aimed kick caused Koneko's hold to weaken and she slipped out.

The Chinese Devil then started throwing out palm strikes at the Gremory Rook, who ducked underneath and swept her leg under Xuelan, knocking her off her feet.

Xuelan quickly got up, only for a geyser, courtesy of Itsuka, to erupt beneath her, sending her into the air. Xuelan barely had time to look ahead as Koneko, who had jumped high into the air, pulled both her fists back before bringing them down on her, sending them both crashing down to the floor.

SMASH!

The floor was utterly wrecked by this, and when the dust cleared, Koneko was still standing while Xuelan vanished in blue light.

["One of Lord Riser's Rooks… Retired."]

"Great job, Koneko!" Izuku grinned as he ran up to his teammate, only to turn red and swiftly turn 180°. Koneko was confused by his sudden behavior and looked down to see bits of her bra and panties showing, causing her to slightly blush.

"Smart choice," Koneko muttered.

"R-Right!" Izuku said, still looking away. As Koneko started fixing her clothes with magic, Izuku and Itsuka started looking out the same window Xuelan was focused on earlier.

"Hey, you noticed Xuelan was looking at something, right?" Izuku asked.

"Yep, though I have no idea what," Itsuka replied.

"Okay, I'm done," Koneko said, and Izuku turned to face her. "So what was that new move anyway?"

"Oh, it's something I've been secretly developing since camp. I was partly inspired when Akeno caused the water in a bottle to suddenly freeze and burst. Also from Kacchan. That was also the first time I used it on living targets, and I wasn't sure how that would work compared to inanimate objects. I'm just glad I didn't hurt them too badly, even if they were our enemies…" Izuku began another mumbling storm.

"Okay, you can stop now," Koneko interrupted.

"Right! Sorry…"

Meanwhile, Itsuka spotted something outside. It was a woman flying on wings and judging by the glow on her staff, she was apparently aiming an attack at them.

"Guys! Look out!" Itsuka screamed, running towards them.

Koneko and Izuku were alerted by her panicked tone. As Itsuka ran up toward them, she formed a water dome around them. Izuku barely had time to look outside and notice the woman that Itsuka spotted, someone he recognized all too well, right before a blinding light enveloped the building.

KA-BOOM!

Yumi looked up in shock from the sound of the explosion. She could see a thick layer of smoke rising into the sky and wisps of embers from where she stood. She could tell where the explosion had occurred thanks to having visited U.A. many times before, but more importantly, who were there at the site of the explosion. "Everyone!"

"Don't worry, Yumi," Rias said through the com-link. "Grayfia didn't announce anything about them being retired, so they should still be in the game. Still, I better send Akeno to check. The only one who could have done that is Riser's Queen."

"Right, understood," Yumi nodded.

"Good, now you have your own job to do. Be careful," Rias ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Yumi obeyed. 'Please, everyone. Be safe!'

Among the burning wreckage of Gym Gamma, there were Itsuka, Izuku, and Koneko, lying on the ground. Fortunately, they didn't seem to be hurt that badly. Itsuka was the first to get up. "Everyone okay?"

"I'm fine," Izuku said, lifting his head. "Koneko?"

"Peachy," Koneko said. Looking up, she suddenly frowned. "We have company."

Itsuka and Izuku followed her gaze and narrowed their eyes. Up above them levitating with wings, was a busty figure holding a staff, slowly descending before them. "Is that…?"

"That's right," Koneko confirmed. "Riser's Queen, Yubelluna."

Yubelluna gave a condescending smirk. "I'm surprised you three managed to survive my signature attack. I figured it would be easier to finish you all off after our comrades sacrificed themselves to tire you out. The enemy is most vulnerable during a celebration after all," she said, then her smirk turned into a frown. "The user of Celestia Regalia. You managed to protect yourself and your teammates with a barrier. However, I guarantee that you'll not be so fortunate a second time." Then, she turned to Izuku. "As for you, boy. I also wasn't expecting for you to be a dragon." She brandished her staff around and pointed it at the Gremory members. "Care to see how long you three will last against me?"

Izuku frowned as he looked up at Yubelluna before turning to his friends. "Koneko, Kendo, go and help Yumi."

Koneko looked at him, aghast, realizing what he was planning. "Are you stupid?! She's a Queen! You won't last a minute!"

"I'll be fine," Izuku reassured them with a small smile. "Thanks to Master Tannin and Kacchan, I have plenty of experience dealing with explosions."

"Is that a challenge?" The opposing Queen hissed. "And you're telling me you've faced the Blaze Meteor Dragon himself? Ridiculous!"

Izuku turned to Yubelluna with a determined glare. "Believe what you want."

Koneko grimaced but reluctantly nodded.

Itsuka, however, didn't seem to be budging. "Sorry, but you're not getting rid of me that easily. Like it or not, you're not facing her alone."

Izuku sighed and relented. "Okay. Thank you for offering to help, Kendo," he said, causing her to grin.

Koneko then ejected her wings and flew off. Yubelluna paid her no mind.

"Allowing your comrade to escape while you two stay to fight me," Yubelluna said. "Very admirable… Foolish, but admirable. Still, the two of you can never hope to defeat me!"

Izuku said nothing, instead clenching his fist.

Itsuka brought her hands together and fired a big jet of water at Yubelluna. Then Izuku followed by leaping into the air with a punch ready, but the Phenex Queen blocked both attacks with a barrier. "Nice try," she mocked before sending Izuku crashing down with an explosion. Luckily, he was saved by a big water sphere from Itsuka. "I told you: You can't win."

As Izuku and Itsuka glared at Yubelluna, Akeno suddenly flew down from the sky. "Well, this is exciting," she said.

"Akeno!" Itsuka shouted.

"Izuku, Itsuka, I can take care of this trash. You two go on ahead, okay?" Akeno said.

"Is that so? How exciting!" Yubelluna said.

"I'll be fine, guys, just go!" Akeno said.

"Whatever you say, just get her!" Izuku said as he and Itsuka ran off.

"I've been wanting to fight you for what seems like ages, Priestess of Thunder," Yubelluna said.

"Oh, have you? That's sweet, but the pleasure is truly mine, Bomb Queen," Akeno replied.

Both Queens' aura flared to life as they prepared to battle one another.

BOOM!

As sounds of thunder and explosions rang behind them, Izuku and Itsuka ran through the woods. Eventually, they spotted Koneko and Yumi hiding behind some bushes, spying on the enemy players. Taking extra precautions not to be seen, they quietly made it to their friends' side.

"How're you guys doing?" Izuku asked in a whisper, almost startling Yumi and Koneko.

"I managed to take out three enemy Pawns with a trap. That exploding swords trick was brilliant, it made my job almost too easy. Although, now our enemies are more cautious because of it," Yumi whispered.

"What about Riser's Queen?" Koneko asked.

"Akeno decided to take her on so we could flee. Hopefully, we can get back there to help her," Izuku said.

"Doesn't look like our traps will work anymore," Koneko said, looking on in concern. "At this rate, we're gonna have to fight."

Then suddenly, a voice demanded their attention. "We know you're out there, Servants of Rias Gremory. I am Karlamine, a Knight in the service of Lord Riser! I challenge you, Knight of Gremory, to a duel!"

Yumi's eyes narrowed as she stood up.

"Where are you going?!" Itsuka hissed.

Yumi gave them a calm smile. "A Knight just challenged me to a duel. As a fellow Knight, I must respond."

"Guess we better go with you," Koneko closed her eyes and sighed.

"Thanks. And also, sorry," Yumi said.

"It's fine. Here, this might come in handy," Izuku said as he once again withdrew the Homurasaki from the Boosted Gear and handed it to Yumi.

As Yumi held the green fiery sword in her hands, she could feel the power within even while sheathed. "I appreciate it, Izuku."

Then, the four headed out of their hiding spot. Out in the clearing, there was the Knight who challenged Yumi, along with six others.

"I am Yumi Kiba, a Knight in the service of Lady Rias Gremory," Yumi announced as she pulled out the Homurasaki, "I sure hope you're ready! I've been looking forward to battling another Knight. Can't wait to get started!"

"Very well said!" The Phenex Knight, Karlamine, nodded. "En garde, Knight of Rias Gremory!" The female Knight then set her swords ablaze in flames. She had light brown hair, green eyes, and quite an endowed body. She wore a headband that wrapped multiple times around her forehead, and her outfit was a full silver armor that seemed to be a cross between a European knight and a Japanese samurai; with a chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, hip plates, and shoulder guards. She was equipped with a broadsword and a dagger, both of which were held with brown belts slung across her hip, with the sword slung on her left hip and the dagger located behind her hips.

The two female Knights then rushed at each other with their swords as they dueled in a fierce clash that one could not keep track of with the naked eye.

"Awesome…" Izuku muttered as he watched them fight. "Guess it'd be rude to get in the middle of it."

"Plus, you'll be busy," Izuku turned to see a woman with short, light brown hair with three red highlights across and gray eyes. The feature that stood out the most with a plain white mask that covered the right side of her face. Her outfit consists of a black jacket and matching jeans. The jacket has wide shoulders and a wide collar and features three leather straps on both her arms. It's also slightly open, revealing her rather large breasts and cleavage, and cuts off at her midriff. Her jeans have a section, on her right pant leg, that's cut off to reveal some of her thighs and rear end, and also features three leather straps on her calves, just below the ankles, and two extra straps on her right pant leg to keep it in place, while also sporting black fighting gloves and boots.

"Oh, that Karlamine…" Izuku now turned toward the princess-like girl who resembled Riser. "Her head is filled with nothing but swords, swords, swords, it's freaking ridiculous. She was way too bothered by those other Pieces we sacrificed, too. You ask me, she needs to get it together. Anyway, I'm Ravel Phenex. A Bishop in service of Riser Phenex, my older brother."

"My name is Isabela, and I am a Rook in service of the honorable Lord Riser Phenex," the masked woman introduced herself.

"Siris, Knight of Lord Riser," said a tall young woman. Her hair was long and black with a tint of blue, and she had brown eyes. Her hair looked like it had five thin ponytails spiraling out around her head, which were held up by a golden hair accessory on top of her head. Her outfit consisted of a white top with black accents that was modeled after a Chinese cheongsam, red shorts, and armored, knee-high boots with matching gauntlets. In the center of her top was a diamond-shaped hole that gave everyone a clear view of her breasts and cleavage. She was carrying a giant, two-handed zweihänder.

"I am Mihae, Bishop of Riser Phenex," the girl had long black hair, blue eyes, and an angelic face. She was dressed in a black and blue kimono that went all the way to the ground, a red sash around her waist, and a white tabi-socks on her feet. Her shoes were traditional slippers

"We are Ni and Li! Lord Riser Phenex's Pawns!" The two cat girls spoke in unison. The catgirl on the right had pinkish hair, and the one on the left had light bluish hair. Their cat ears stuck out of their hairs and their tails were swaying from side to side behind them. They both wore boxing gloves that were similar shades as their hair, and rather provocative sailor uniforms that revealed their abdomen, shoulders, and underboobs, along with yellow ascots and short black skirts and shoes that matched their hair color.

"Again with the twins, huh?" Itsuka noted. It was becoming even more clear that Riser was trying to include as many stereotypes as he could in his harem.

"Think we can take 'em?" Koneko asked as she cracked her fingers.

"You bet!" Itsuka nodded. She then revealed another golden key, this one bearing the symbol of Leo. "Dress Form: Leo!" Itsuka's outfit changed into an elegant, frilled, black ball gown bearing the image of a golden lion's head, it was also slit up to her left leg and tied with a gold sash that sat around her hips. A golden trim decorated the bodice as it curved inward toward her bust. She also wore a black, frilled choker around her neck, black detached sleeves around her arms, and black heels with matching gray tights. Additionally, her hair was tied up in a quaint bun, decorated with a black flower.

Seeing as how their opponents introduced themselves, it seemed right for the Gremory team to do the same.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya, Lady Rias's Pawn!"

"Koneko Toujou, Lady Rias's Rook."

"I'm Itsuka Kendo, a Substitute Bishop fighting in the name of Lady Rias Gremory."

"Let's make this quick. Isabela, take the Pawn. Li, Ni, you handle the Bishop. Siris, Mihae, you have the Rook." Ravel ordered.

"Yes, milady," the women stepped forward.

Meanwhile, Riser sat comfortably at his base, confident that soon enough, Rias would come to challenge him herself. She would futilely try to cause him some damage only for it to heal immediately afterward, and after she exhausted herself, he would finish off Rias and whatever backup she brings with her.

Maybe if Yubelluna defeats the Priestess of Thunder quickly, she can join him to bring even more pressure on Rias, to crush her spirit even more. Yes, nothing would stop him from making Rias his own.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Akeno screamed as she was sent tumbling across the ground, getting knocked around by several fireballs. Her Miko outfit was all torn and burnt thanks to the heat and fire.

On the other hand, Yubelluna looked to be in perfect condition, having healed herself with Phoenix Tears. "I admit, I never expected the Priestess of Thunder to be that strong, but you were bound to run low on magic eventually. Lucky I happened to have this on me." She held the now-empty bottle of Phoenix Tears before discarding it. "With that, your only chance to defeat me is lost."

"Ara ara," Akeno said with a forced smile, "You think you've already won?"

"Just look at yourself," Yubelluna gestured arrogantly, "You can barely stand and your magic must be almost depleted. You don't even have enough power to defend yourself."

"I won't need power for what I'm about to do," Akeno said defiantly. "Y'see, during the past 10 days, I realized my lightning abilities weren't exactly at their full potential because I was missing something. Care to take a guess?"

"Pray tell, what would that be?" The Bomb Queen asked.

Akeno grinned, "Creativity!" Then, lightning gathered in Akeno's hands. But rather than shooting it at Yubelluna, Akeno made the electricity spread all around the area, then she created tons of ironsand, which got picked up by the electricity and began floating in the air like a swarm of flies.

"What?! What the hell is this?!" Yubelluna shouted, baffled by the scene around her.

"It's electromagnetism. Let's see how you handle my lightning plus the ironsand created by my Quirk!"

[Akeno Himejima. Her Quirk: Ironsand. She can generate ironsand. As long as she has plenty of iron in her diet, she can make lots of them.]

Then at Akeno's command, the ironsand gathered up to form into long, sharp spikes, all pointing towards Yubelluna. Yubelluna quickly formed a shield around herself to block the iron spikes, but they just kept relentlessly jabbing and stabbing at the shield until cracks started to form, before long, Yubelluna's shield was destroyed, forcing her to take to the air to dodge. However, she couldn't keep avoiding the sharp projectiles and soon, a few grazed her body, drawing a bit of blood and shredding her clothes. Yubelluna then started countering by blowing up several with her explosions, but that mattered very little as Akeno's electromagnetism quickly reformed the spikes before they were sent after Yubelluna all over again.

"Oh yes! I'm loving that sound! Scream for me more, Bomb Queen! Hahahahahaha!" Akeno laughed as she made arm gestures to control her iron swarm.

"Psycho bitch!" Yubelluna screamed as she aimed an explosion at Akeno, only for a metallic dome to form around Akeno to protect her from the explosion. Then, Yubelluna was knocked down by another iron spike. By this point, Yubelluna was even worse off before she used the Phoenix Tear to heal herself the first time. The sharp barrage had left its mark not just on her body, but her clothes as well. The chest portion of her dress was reduced to strands of fabric barely holding onto each other, and her dress barely covered her legs.

"Well, it's been fun, but I can't afford to waste any more magic power," Akeno said as she stopped her lightning, causing all the ironsand to fall to the ground.

Yubelluna, barely mustering the strength to stand, aimed an explosion at Akeno, but Akeno used the Knight speed that came with her Queen Piece to zip away from the explosion before reappearing right in front of Yubelluna, to her shock. She then clenched her hand into a fist and delivered a left hook to her opponent's gut. Normally, a simple gut punch wouldn't even come close to KO'ing Yubelluna, but all the damage she had sustained beforehand ensured that that last blow would be the coup de grâce.

"You… you beat me with… a punch?!" Those were her final words before she fell into unconsciousness, disappearing soon after in a white light.

["Lord Riser's Queen… Retired."]

Akeno then dropped on her butt as exhaustion kicked in. "I really owe Mr. Hisashi for his advice. I'm not sure I could've won otherwise."

"Akeno, are you alright?" Rias's voice came through the comms.

"Never fear. All I need is a little rest, and I'll recover just fine," Akeno replied.

"Good. Because I want you back at home base so Asia can heal you."

"Really? But what about the others?"

"They can handle themselves. Besides, now might be a good chance for us to go on the offensive."

Back at his base, Riser heard the announcement of his Queen's retirement. He couldn't believe it. His Queen was defeated by Rias's Queen! Sure, he didn't expect Yubelluna to come out unscathed, but she also had a Phoenix Tear with her! Once she recovered, she should've been able to take down the Priestess of Thunder without much trouble!

But then, he quickly regained his composure. Sure, he no longer had his all-powerful Queen by his side, but that still wouldn't stop him from humiliating Rias with his immortality. And even if Rias brought backup, they would all find themselves outmatched as they fail to leave any sort of damage long enough to take him down. 'Enjoy it while you can, Rias. Soon, you and your group of children will fall before Riser. And after that, we will finally be together as man and wife.'

Karlamine swung her flaming sword with all her might, cleaving right through Yumi's sword.

"My Holy Eraser!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Unfortunately for you, that attack doesn't work against someone like me!" Karlamine boasted.

"Oh really, what about this one? Freeze!" Yumi created Flame Delete, a sword of ice. "And this!" She then unsheathed the Homurasaki.

"You've gotta be kidding, there's no way you have two Sacred Gears! And that other sword, I can already tell it's a unique one. Where'd you get it?" Karlamine asked.

"It was lent to us with your team in mind," Yumi answered.

"Is that so? Then bring it!"

*CLASH!*

Yumi blocked Karlamine's attack with Flame Delete. Suddenly, the flaming blade froze and turned to ice, the flames included, before it shattered, falling apart like glass.

Karlamine quickly discarded the broken blade before taking out a tanto. "No matter, I still control flame! And wind, and life!" She then ignited the dagger like a torch. "As do all from the House of Phenex!"

Karlamine's attack smashed Yumi's Flame Delete, but Yumi was hardly fazed as she simply discarded the broken sword and held the Homurasaki forward, which glowed green before sucking up all of Karlamine's fire.

"No way! How is this possible?!" Karlamine questioned.

Then, the Homurasaki lit up with flames of greater heat and intensity as Yumi swung it upward, slashing Karlamine and causing her to scream in pain.

Then, a vertical cut appeared on her chest as she fell to her knees.

"Hehe… guess I've lost…" Karlamine chuckled bitterly. "I sincerely hope we can duel again, perhaps under different circ*mstances."

"I would like that, too," Yumi nodded.

Then, Karlamine was taken away in silver light.

["One of Lord Riser's Knights… Retired."]

"WOAHHHH!" The sound of Izuku's scream caused Yumi's head to turn to see Izuku being sent flying backward.

Yumi quickly moved to intercept Izuku and ballooned up, managing to cushion his impact with her inflated navel, allowing Izuku to bounce off safely.

"Whew. Nice save, Yumi," Izuku thanked.

"No problem," Yumi replied as she deflated. "You heard it right? Seems Akeno managed to beat Yubelluna."

"Yeah, and that means I've gotta do my part too," Izuku said.

[Boost!]

With another Boost adding to his strength, Izuku activated Boosted Dragon and charged at Isabela.

"You managed to bounce back quickly. You're a lot better than I expected," Isabela commended. "Though I'm curious: Are you an actual dragon or do you have some dragon-like Quirk?"

"Part-dragon, to be precise," Izuku replied.

"Well, it seems our Lord made a miscalculation. But no matter, let's battle, Red Dragon!" Isabela challenged.

Izuku aimed a punch at Isabela's face, but she sidestepped to dodge and countered with her own punch, which Izuku dodged as well. Isabela then threw an uppercut which he avoided by taking to the air with his wings. Then, when she jumped to strike from above, he crossed his arms to brace himself as the hit sent him back to the ground, though he managed to land on his feet.

'This lady's a Rook. Meaning she hits harder than the Pawns. I gotta beat her fast!'

As Isabela rushed in for another punch, Izuku dodged her fist and tagged her on the shoulder.

"Oh, was that supposed to hurt?" Isabela asked.

"Not that. This!" Izuku withdrew his hand and prepared to snap his fingers. "RUPTURE!"

The instant Izuku snapped his finger, the bits of his energy inside Isabela's body detonated, dealing internal damage and causing her to collapse on one knee.

"And now… Dragon Shot!" Izuku formed a ball of green energy in his left hand and fired a green beam from it, sending Isabela flying back before she disappeared.

["One of Lord Riser's Rooks… Retired."]

"Isabela!" Ravel said in worry. Truthfully, that wasn't the first time in the game that had her anxious about their chance of victory. It all started when she heard the announcement of Yubelluna's defeat. The opposing team had yet to lose even a single member, yet, their team had already lost their ace in the hole, and it wasn't stopping there.

Ni and Li lunged at Itsuka, readying their kicks. However, Itsuka enlarged her hands to block their attacks before grabbing them by the feet and slamming them on the ground. The catgirls quickly got up and surrounded Itsuka from the sides as they started assaulting her with punches, forcing her on the defensive, blocking and dodging. But then, Itsuka quickly regained control over the fight by unleashing a flash of light, blinding the cat twins.

"My eyes!" Li shouted as she covered her eyes.

"So bright!" Ni exclaimed as she did the same.

"Regulus… Double Jumbo Fist!" Itsuka shouted as she shot out both her fists, enhanced with a lion-like aura made of light, and right at the last moment before contact, enlarged her fists to do more damage.

Ni and Li were sent flying by the force of Itsuka's giant punches and right as they landed, they were enveloped by blue light and disappeared.

["Two of Lord Riser's Pawns… Retired."]

In the meantime, Koneko was in a deadlock against Siris, while Mihae buffed her with support magic. The enemy Knight tried to pin Koneko down with her zweihänder, but the white-haired girl's resistance was strong as well. "I don't plan on failing Riser!" The Knight said.

"Same," Koneko retorted. "I don't want to disappoint Rias either."

Siris grinned as she used her sword to create strong winds to push her back. Koneko, however, moved faster than Siris had anticipated, and when Siris swung the sword again several times, Koneko dodged them all with agile movements.

As Siris tried and failed repeatedly to strike Koneko, Koneko eventually grabbed hold of the blade and with a display of strength, snapped the blade in two.

"My sword!" Siris exclaimed, but that left her open for Koneko to get behind her and put her in a lock before throwing her at Mihae.

As the Phenex Knight and Bishop were trying to get up, Koneko leaped into the air, did a flip, and came crashing down on top of them, sending out a dust cloud. When the gathering of debris particles died down, Siris and Mihae were shown to be knocked out on the ground before disappearing.

["One of Lord Riser's Knights… One of Lord Riser's Bishops… Retired."]

Ravel stood flabbergasted. She bore witness to the last few retirements, but she still was in shock over how their opponents took down the entire team minus herself and her brother that easily. She now realized just how severely they underestimated the players under Rias's command and their win streak was in jeopardy. Then she noticed Izuku looking at her and nervously took a few steps back.

"Um, so you're Riser's sister?" Izuku awkwardly asked.

"Yeah, so what about it?" Ravel asked. "I joined my brother's Peerage partly because I had nothing to do, and also because Riser wanted a 'little-sister type' in his Peerage.

Izuku blinked once. That explained all the… unusual fashion choices of Riser's servants. "Your… brother has issues."

"You don't know the half of it," Ravel sighed. She bit her lip nervously as she looked at him, "You're… not going to fight me?"

"Well, honestly, you don't really seem eager to fight," Izuku replied. "And I'm guessing you want to fight even less after what our team just did."

Ravel tried intimidating him with a staredown, but when it failed, she relented. "Yeah. I know I can't beat you, Red Dragon. The only person you're gonna need luck against is my brother." Ravel then turned toward the main school building, several yards away.

KA-BOOM!

"What was that?!" Izuku shouted. That came from the school building; it sounded like an explosion. There was even thick smoke rising into the air.

Izuku then tried calling Rias and Asia through the comlink. "Buchou! Asia! Come in! What happened?!"

"Izuku!" Asia's voice came from the comlink. "I'm with Buchou and Akeno! They're fighting Riser! But we need help!… Oh no! Aah!" Then, the connection was severed, right as another explosion rang at the school.

"Asia! ASIA!" Izuku called into the comlink. He didn't hear Grayfia announcing Asia's defeat, so he at least knew she was still in the game, not that stopped him from worrying.

"Sorry to say, but it seems my brother has Lady Rias right where he wants her," Ravel said, grabbing everyone's attention. "Granted, we did underestimate your abilities, but if your King loses, so do you."

Izuku gritted his teeth. She was right. Even though Rias went to challenge Riser with backup, it seemed that wasn't enough based on what he heard from Asia's end. Should Rias lose, then that meant the whole team would as well and her Peerage would be forced to submit to Riser's authority. There was no way in heaven or hell he was letting that happen! "Everyone, Rias, Akeno, and Asia need us! Let's go!"

"Way ahead of you!" Yumi said, forging another Flame Delete. "And I think you might want this back." She then returned Homurasaki to him.

"Let's cook his goose," Koneko said, bringing her fists together.

"Agreed. Let's win this thing!" Itsuka nodded.

Izuku took another glance at Ravel, who seemed surprised that they still had that amount of determination despite the bad situation their leader appeared to be in.

"You're not worried?" Ravel asked.

"We're fighting for Buchou so losing's not an option. That's why, fried chicken," Koneko said.

"Buchou, Akeno, Asia! We're coming!"

And with that, the four ran for the duplicate U.A., leaving Ravel behind, who just realized something. "Wait! Did she just call me fried chicken?!"

BOOM!

Up on the school roof, Rias shot several volleys of her destructive power while Akeno supported her with bolts of lightning and ironsand constructs. Riser countered most of their attacks, though he got stabbed with a few spikes and some parts of his body disintegrated. However, it ultimately did not matter as all damage done to him was quickly healed by his regeneration.

He then attempted to go on the offensive, but then, Asia's vines burst from below the roof to ensnare him. Riser quickly burnt off the vines and resumed his attack, sending a large fireball in the girls' way, but Asia formed a thick wall of vines to shield everyone, and she used the remaining intact vines to trap Riser again, and Akeno quickly took the moment to form the ironsand into spears to impale Riser from all sides before following up with a lightning attack to electrocute Riser.

Riser once again healed from the damage as he scorched the vine snare, but even so, he was starting to get frustrated by how long his opponents managed to last against him. "That meddlesome Bishop!"

"Oh, what's this? Are you getting tired? Maybe you should just give up?" Rias taunted. Even so, she was trying to hide the fact that she and Akeno were running low on mana.

"Aren't we getting co*cky, darling?" Riser responded. "Riser must admit, he thought your pride would cause you to come face me without any backup, yet you proved me wrong. However, I presume the rest of your servants are on their way? Since your team took their sweet time defeating my servants, Riser thinks it's only fitting that he does the same to yours, one inparticular!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Rias told him in defiance. "You'll have to go through me before you get to them!" She then shot a beam of her destructive powers at him and disintegrated Riser's right arm.

Riser chuckled as fire ignited from the stump of his right arm before it reformed into said arm. "Resign; you're about to be mated. I can't help but anticipate your moves. Riser knows you better than you think he does. Checkmate, my love."

"f*ck off, Riser!" Rias shouted with a glare as she stepped forward. "You know nothing if you think I'll give up! Try as you might, you will not intimidate me! I am a King, I am ready for war!"

"You leave me no choice, then…" Riser unfolded his flaming wings and took off into the air, forming a large magic circle of the Phenex Family in his hand.

*ROAR!*

Riser sent a large stream of fire in the form of a bird at Rias, Akeno, and Asia, bigger than anything he's thrown out so far. The girls all raised a magical barrier, with Akeno even gathering all her ironsand to form an iron wall, but Riser's attack was unlike anything before.

Luckily, their defense held strong and no one was harmed, but it severely drained their stamina and magic. The iron wall was reduced to a partially molten slab of metal, still glowing red from the intense heat.

Asia seemed to have lost consciousness as Akeno held her in her arms.

"She's alright. She most likely collapsed from the shock of Riser's attack," Rias observed, unfortunately, even though Asia was unharmed, she was still out of commission. "Akeno, send her back to the base."

"Right," Akeno cast a magic circle to warp Asia away from the battlefield. She then tried using electromagnetism to manipulate the remainder of her iron wall, but the heat had caused the iron to become insulated against electricity. She then tried making more ironsand, but she only managed to make only a few grams. "Darn, I should've gotten more iron in my diet."

"So much for that annoying Bishop. Riser will put her in her place soon enough…" Riser grinned smugly. "Oh, Rias. Riser has stopped your Bishop's Twilight Healing. You and your Queen barely have any magical power left yourselves… Why not admit defeat? Riser won't think any less of you."

Rias's response was a scream of rage and frustration, pouring everything she had into one destructive blast that she shot at Riser, vaporizing everything above his midsection. However, it didn't take long for Riser's body to regenerate as good as new, with a smug grin across his face.

Rias gritted her teeth as she struggled to stand, her stamina drained from using so much of her power. Her clothes were charred and torn from Riser's attacks, with one breast being exposed, and sweat poured down her face. Even so, Rias refused to show weakness to Riser. "I've said this once… and I will say it again. The man I want to marry… is not you." She grinned proudly.

Riser's face twitched and twisted into a scowl. "Is that so? Then Riser has no choice but to put you down once and for all. Behold, the purifying flame of the almighty phoenix!" Riser created one single giant fireball over his head, the heat of which Rias and Akeno could still feel despite being a good distance away. With a shout, Riser threw the fireball full force at Rias and Akeno.

Akeno tried putting up a barrier, but Rias knew there was no way they could stop or dodge that attack in their current state. As the inferno came closer, Rias and Akeno closed their eyes to brace for impact.

However, the scorching blaze never hit them. As they opened their eyes, they saw the back of Izuku, with his red dragon wings out. On his left arm was the Boosted Gear, its green gem glowing brightly. His right arm held Homurasaki toward the flames, which also glowed green as it swallowed up all the fire, heat, and embers.

Rias blinked slowly, "…Izuku?" She muttered in disbelief.

The boy turned to meet her with a kind smile. "Sorry, we're late, Buchou. But it's okay. we're here now." Izuku had arrived to save Rias Gremory.

Rias stared in silence, taking in the sight before her. Right now, he seemed completely different. In some way, it reminded her of All Might's debut video.

Then, Yumi and Koneko, the latter carrying Itsuka in her arms, came flying in.

"We're here, at your service, milady," Yumi greeted.

"Here to serve fried chicken," Koneko said.

"Is Asia okay?" Itsuka asked.

"Don't worry, she's resting back at the base," Akeno reassured.

"Buchou, Akeno! Are you okay?" Izuku asked.

"Fine mostly, other than the fact that we used too much of our magic, and are severely drained as a result," Akeno said.

"We were a bit careless. If I had only brought Asia with me like I originally planned, I believe I might've been retired already or worse. Sorry, guys," Rias apologized.

"It's fine," Itsuka said, changing into her Aries form. She then covered Akeno and Rias in a blanket of pink wool, helping them regain their stamina and heal minor wounds.

Izuku smiled. "We're here now. Just relax and hang back," he then glared up at Riser. "We'll deal with him."

Izuku, Yumi, Koneko, and Itsuka stood on the roof as Riser continued to hover in the air.

Riser looked bewildered that the Pawn managed to stop his fire so easily, but he regained his composure as he folded his arms. "Riser must admit, I'm impressed that you managed to blow away his flame like that. Though I feel the compliment should be directed towards that sword you wield," Riser said.

The way he looked at the Team Gremory members made it clear he saw them as no threat, like insects. He then turned to Rias. "Your servants seem keen on fighting me, dear. Which is fine since Riser did consider paying them back for what they did to his servants. So feel free to watch, Rias… as Riser burns them all to ashes!"

"Go ahead and try!" Izuku challenged as he held Homurasaki tight.

[Boost!]

"Dress Form: Sagittarius!" Itsuka's outfit changed into a light green tailcoat that left her shoulders, upper back, and cleavage bare with detached sleeves, worn over a white leotard. On her legs were a pair of green thigh-high boots with a golden trim. Her hair was styled into a normal ponytail contrasting her typical side ponytail. Lastly, she held a golden ornate bow in her hand.

"Riser will enjoy this!" Riser then sent out a wave of flames at Team Gremory. Yumi stepped forward, and with a swing of Flame Delete, the fire was frozen in ice.

"That was just a warm-up, pun not intended," Riser followed up by sending another wave of flames at Yumi, she tried to freeze this attack as well, but it was hotter than the first one, preventing her from freezing it. Luckily, she managed to dodge with only her uniform being slightly charred.

"If you like that one, then here! Have some more!" Riser sent out another strong wave of flames, but this time, Izuku stepped up, with the Homurasaki drawn. Even at a distance away, the heat was somewhat intense but Izuku didn't stop as he raised the Homurasaki, and sliced right through the inferno. He pressed onward, flapping his wings as he flew up toward Riser.

As Izuku rushed towards him, Riser only spread his arms in victory. "Come on, trash. Nothing you do can hurt me."

*SLICE!*

Blood flew in the air. Rias and Akeno watched wide-eyed in shock.

Izuku had diagonally slashed Riser from his right hip up to his left shoulder.

"GAH!" Riser cried out in pain, as he stubbed backward a bit. He held his bleeding wound, gritting his teeth in both anger and pain. "You filthy low-life," Riser growled with a snarl, still feeling the pain of the slash. "What did you do to me?!"

"Nothing," Izuku answered. "It's just that this sword also has the power to cancel out flames, including the ones you use to regenerate. That's one injury you won't be healing from."

As Riser continued to snarl in anger, he was left blinded to two arrows fired at him by Itsuka, however, they missed him completely.

"Your aim must be poor if you couldn't hit Riser while he was distracted!" Riser taunted.

"Oh, but what if I wasn't trying to hit you?" Itsuka retorted. "Chain Arrows!"

Then, the arrows doubled back, expanding into a pair of energy chains that wrapped themselves around Riser. Then, Koneko pulled on one end of the chains to drag Riser down, causing him to crash onto the roof.

As Riser looked up, he saw Koneko crashing down upon him with her fist ready. She landed a solid blow on his gut, which while he could heal from, still made him cough blood.

The thought of these mere Low-Class Devils and one human pushing him to the edge like this really infuriated Riser as he let out a massive conflagration, sending out a shockwave that knocked all his enemies back.

Riser flew back into the air with his entire body ablaze. "Enough…" He growled. "Riser is done. Playing. Games!" Riser then shaped his flames into a massive phoenix and aimed it at Koneko and Itsuka.

Itsuka fired three arrows at Riser, but he sent forward his firebird, burning up the arrows as it continued toward Koneko and Itsuka.

Koneko put up a shield, but the firebird broke through the shield without much difficulty. Fortunately, both girls barely managed to dodge with a few burns as a result.

He then aimed the same attack at Yumi, who created two Flame Delete swords to counter the attack, but even then, it wasn't enough as some of the infernos persisted to singe Yumi, also leaving her with a few burns and struggling to stand, forcing her to use her swords for support.

Last was Izuku, for whom Riser sicced a bigger firebird. Izuku held the Homurasaki to devour the flames, but while he was doing so, Riser made his move, suddenly appearing before Izuku and grabbing him by the neck in a chokehold, making him drop the Homurasaki. "I've had enough of you! Time to die!"

Swinging his arm out, he threw Izuku over the edge of the top of the roof.

However, Izuku grabbed his arm when he let go so that he could bring him down with him, shocking Riser, and making him also fall over.

But before he and Izuku could hit the side of the roof, Riser opened his flaming wings and stopped himself from falling. He then moved outwards and away from the roof, hovering towards an open court. Izuku tried his best to keep a grip on his right arm but could feel his hand slipping.

Riser took the opportunity to wrench his arm free and blasted Izuku with a fireball. Izuku screamed from the agony of the searing heat as he was sent crashing down to the ground. As Izuku was recovering from the impact with the ground, Riser came swooping down and headbutted him before continuing to beat him.

"Stop it!" Rias begged Riser, tears streaming down her face, but to no response. She wasn't just worried for her Pawn, She was scared.

"Rias! You have to stay strong!" Akeno said.

"But… Izuku! He…!"

Riser grabbed Izuku by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "Now I'm pissed! You're just a pathetic, lowly servant! You and your friends don't even have the right to challenge Riser Phenex!" Despite the arrogant smirk on his face, his eyes carried a serious look to them. His body and clothes looked worn down and his wings had slightly reduced in size. "I will now send you to hell where you belong! And Riser will make it hurt! Any deaths that occur during a Rating Game are considered accidents anyway!"

"Riser, please stop! Let him go!" Rias begged.

The Phenex looked to Rias. "You know there's only one way to change Riser's mind, my dear! Surrender, and this can all be over. Well, my beloved? What's it going to be?"

Before she could answer, Izuku, with gritted teeth, yelled out. "Don't listen to him, Rias!" He struggled to speak with his windpipe being tightly crushed, though he continued to glare at Riser.

"Ha! Do you have a death wish, Pawn? Face it, it's over!"

Rias looked worried for Izuku, but then a hand patted her from the back. Itsuka, who was starting to get up along with Koneko and Yumi, gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's okay. After all, Midoriya has a plan."

"Riser believes it's time to end this pathetic charade!" Riser declared as he prepared to finish off Izuku.

"I'm not done… If you're gonna put out a fire… Well, you're gonna need water." Izuku dug into a bag at his side and pulled out an object. Riser wasn't able to see what it was, but Rias did. It was the bottle of holy water! Back before they arrived at the school building, Izuku had asked Itsuka to pass the holy items to him, and with the bag, he could carry them without being adversely affected. "I won't stop… Until I save Rias from you!"

[Transfer!]

As Izuku brought his arm back, the Boosted Gear glowed green as the water in the bottle glowed bright gold.

*SMASH!*

Swinging his arm in an outwards arch, Izuku's hand smacked into the right side of Riser's head, smashing the bottle of holy water all over his head and face. The impact caused it to shatter on impact, and the water to disperse everywhere.

"UGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Riser screamed out in agony. His grip on Izuku's neck was released to give himself some distance, as the blond man grabbed his face with both his hands. He howled under the painful effects of the holy water, as parts of his face had major burns and had steam coming off it.

"Look at Riser!" Yumi said.

"The holy water is draining his mental and physical strength!" Akeno observed.

"Not even the Marquis of the House of Phenex can rise from the ashes when his mind's under this kind of attack," Rias noted. She then realized Izuku's plan: To get Riser as close as possible in order to use the holy water on him. Her eyes began watering again, except this time, it was in happiness. "Izuku, you little suicidal genius!"

The steam stopped, leaving Riser's body in a weakened and worn-out state. He tried throwing a fireball at Izuku, but he flew to dodge it. "No… Stop it…! Don't! This engagement's important to the future of all Devils! YOU FOOL! A MERE SERVANT LIKE YOU HAS NO BUSINESS GETTING INVOLVED IN THE AFFAIRS OF YOUR BETTERS!" He ranted. It was a miracle he was even still standing.

"Don't you understand?! I don't care!" Izuku fired back.

Riser tried throwing a fist at Izuku, but he caught it in his hands before grabbing onto Riser's arm to flip him over. If it wasn't obvious from the beginning, then it was now: thanks to the holy water, Riser was losing.

"Rias… She's the only thing that matters to me right now! And the fact that you'd force her to be with you… when she obviously hates you… Well, that's reason enough for me to take you out!" Izuku then took hold of Asia's old cross, wrapping it around his Boosted Gear. "I'll only say this once, so listen good, Riser…!" Izuku glared, readying another punch as green energy surrounded his body. "Never make Rias cry again! DRAGON SMASH!"

Izuku landed a strong punch on Riser's abdomen, causing him to cough up blood before he was sent flying back into a wall, shattering it upon impact. As Izuku followed Riser to where he crashed, he could see Riser struggling to stand.

"Bastard…" That was all Riser could say before he lost consciousness and collapsed, disappearing in a flash of light.

["Lord Riser Phenex, the King… Retired. Lady Rias Gremory is the winner of the Game."]

"AAAAAAAAH!" No longer needing the cross, Izuku dropped it with a painful scream. He wasn't sure if it was exhaustion or something to do with the cross, but his head was getting fuzzy and he felt weak in the legs.

*Boing!*

Rather than the hard ground, his head landed on two soft pillows, which belonged to one Rias Gremory as she wrapped him into a hug. "Izuku… My adorable little Izuku… You just saved my life…Thank you…" she said, tears of joy welling down her face.

Despite blushing hard from his head being pressed into Rias's bosom, he smiled and returned the hug as he heard his teammates, including Asia, cheering as they came closer.

Meanwhile, Ravel Phenex watched from nearby as she flew on her own fiery wings. "No way…" she whispered to herself. She couldn't believe that her brother lost! Well, she thought it might happen sooner or later, possibly against one of the Rating Game champions, but to a team of rookies in their first Rating Game was the furthest from her expectations.

Then her eyes focused on Izuku, the one who defeated Riser. She hated to admit it, but his strategy was impressive. She couldn't believe that the Pawn, rather than Rias herself, was their main strategist. She then recalled something: Rias was attending U.A. the most prestigious Hero School in Japan. 'Does that mean the Welsh Dragon is going to be a Hero someday?'

Suddenly, many stories of her childhood, bedtime stories and fairy tales, that featured brave heroes, came back to her mind at once. She could see the image of Izuku as the hero in all those stories. Fighting the blush that she had, Ravel tried to push those thoughts aside. She had some business to take care of: Check on her brother, and then speak with her mother.

Soon, the ORC was back in their real clubroom. On the sofa, Rias sat as close to Izuku as she could. Eijrio, Mina, and Hisashi were waiting for them, congratulating them on their victory.

"Good thing that gambit paid off. Well done, Izuku," Yumi smiled, holding the Homurasaki which she retrieved on her way.

"Yeah, just happy it turned out nicely," Izuku admitted, looking up at Yumi.

"In any case, looks like our Rating Game's gathered up quite a view count. The highest one since the first," Rias smiled. "There's already a whole lot of feedback from the noble families who were amazed by our performance."

"You even got a nickname…" Koneko said with a smile, contrasting the usual stoic look she had, which was quite… cute, to be honest. "Red Hero Dragon. You've earned it." She then gave him a thumbs up.

"Red Hero…?" Izuku chuckled sheepishly.

"Sounds real manly, Midoriya! Way to go!" Eijiro cheered.

"Well done, Izuku. You've not only defended the honor of your master but have also made your father real proud," Hisashi said, holding the Homurasaki which he got back from Yumi in one hand while having his other hand on his son's shoulder.

"Izuku?" Izuku turned over to Asia, who was also smiling. "You were amazing out there."

"Hey it was a team effort, Asia," Itsuka smiled. "We all had a hand in beating Riser and his team. Besides, you helped Rias and Akeno last long against Riser. That was a major contribution if you ask me."

"Kendo's right. We're all proud of you, Asia." Izuku nodded, causing Asia to smile back.

"Right!" Asia nodded.

Then, the door to the clubroom opened up, and two separate groups walked inside. It was the Sitri Peerage, followed by the Astaroth Peerage. "Sona, Latia. I take it you were pleased by the outcome?" Rias smiled.

"Yes. You all pulled off quite a show… especially your Pawn, Midoriya," Sona said, smiling back.

"Imagine, a Devil who would willingly touch Holy objects just to gain an advantage over his opponents? That was incredibly risky, yet amazing," Latia also smiled.

"Izuku," Izuku looked up to see Chacha smiling at him while blushing. "You were awesome."

"Yeah! You should see what they're saying about you in the Undernet forums," Saji added.

"Undernet?" Izuku asked.

"The Underworld's Internet," Rias clarified.

"The Underworld has internet?"

"Earth has progressed far," Sona replied. "The humans have their internet so why shouldn't we?"

"We have my uncle, Lord Beelzebub, to thank for that. He's very interested in things humans are creating nowadays," Latia added. "Anyway, I think Rias's first victory in a Rating Game is a special occasion. How about a movie night to celebrate?"

"Sounds good!" A new voice suddenly said. "It's been a long time since I saw a movie that was made in the human world."

Latia's eyes widened in surprise at the sound of the adult male voice. It wasn't just her; everyone's eyes were drawn to the voice.

Standing in the open space of the room under a dimming magic circle was a handsome man in his early 20s with short shoulder-length crimson hair and cyan eyes, making him strongly resemble Rias. He was dressed in an elaborate silver and gray robe with large and elaborate gold spaulders that stretched out like a set of eight wings. Standing at his side was Grayfia, who stood by impassively as ever.

"Sirzechs!" Rias gasped. "W-what are you doing here?" She stuttered, a look of embarrassment appearing on her face.

"Hey, Rias," the man, Rias's brother, winked.

The other Devils in the vicinity quickly remembered themselves and got down on one knee and bowed their heads in respect, Hisashi doing the same. Izuku, Asia, Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina, on the other hand, looked around confused before realizing they should do the same, quickly following through.

"There is no need for that. I did not come as the Devil King tonight," the man smiled kindly, raising his hand. Everyone stood up at his words.

'This is Buchou's brother?' Izuku thought to himself, looking at the man as his face paled slightly.

'This is the Devil King?' Asia thought to herself as she stared at the man.

"I didn't expect Lord Lucifer to grace us with his presence. To what do we owe such pleasure too?" Hisashi asked.

"Ah, Cinder. It's been a while," Lord Lucifer smiled as he shook hands with Hisashi. "As for my reason, it's simple, really. I'm here as a big brother who's come to support his younger sister." He then turned to Rias. "Oh, Ria. How cold you've become~!"

"But that's… you can't just… gah!" Rias groaned as she held her head.

'She's all flustered…' Izuku thought.

"So, this is the Red Dragon Emperor I've heard so much about," Rias's brother smiled at Izuku, who visibly flinched.

"Y-Y-Yessir! M-My n-n-name's I-Izuku M-Midoriya!" He stuttered.

"Please, don't be scared." Rias's brother extended a hand in friendship. "Nice to meet you. Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly known as Sirzechs Gremory. One of the Four Satans of the Underworld and Rias's older brother, at your service."

"R-Right! P-Pleasure t-t-to m-meet you." Izuku shook Sirzechs's hand. 'He's a lot friendlier than I was expecting.'

"The pleasure is all mine," Sirzechs said, retracting his hand. "I can see the resemblance. I was surprised when Grayfia told me that Cinder was present during that meeting with Rias and Riser. But now I see why."

"I hope you don't mind that I gave Rias and her team some additional help," Hisashi said.

"Not at all. I think it's thanks to your help that the Game turned out to be as interesting as it was," Sirzechs assured.

"Marquis and Lady Phenex were very displeased with the results of the Rating Game. But due to the arrangement of the wager, they had no other choice but to call off the engagement," Grayfia said. "You're a free woman now, milady."

"Give my sincerest apologies to them," Rias nodded, giving a relaxed sigh, "I know they meant well, but their third son just wasn't the man I was looking for."

"On that note, Marquis Phenex actually wanted to thank you, Red Hero Dragon," Sirzechs informed.

"Huh?"

"In his exact words, 'He had a bad habit of overestimating the abilities of our family, so I'm sure he learned quite the lesson from the Rating Game. If he has learned that the Phoenix is not absolute, that would be enough.' So I'm sure he'd be satisfied with his son learning some humility."

"Um, is Riser okay?" Even though Riser was a huge prick, Izuku would've felt guilty if he ended up leaving the guy crippled.

"No need to worry about Riser," Sirzechs replied. "It'll take more than enhanced holy water to take down a Phenex."

Izuku sighed in relief, relieved to hear that.

"Very good. Now then," Grayfia bowed before turning to Sirzechs. "Milord, it's time for us to depart."

"But Grayfia, can't we stay at least for a little bit?" Sirzechs practically whined, a display unbecoming of a Devil King. The maid frowned as she reached up and pinched his cheek, pulling it hard. "Owowowow! Dat hurts!"

"Now, Milord," Grayfia demanded. And Sirzechs had no other choice but to comply as the magic circle glowed again and teleported both Sirzechs and Grayfia away.

"Uh, did the Devil King just get told what to do by his maid?" Mina asked, earning a few laughs.

And thus, the night of celebration began. Hisashi had to leave early, so it was just the teens who stayed. Latia had brought movies in many genres. During one of the horror movies, Asia got scared and clung to Izuku, much to his surprise when she did so. Even so, everyone enjoyed a good time.

Eventually, it became time for everyone to go home. Izuku volunteered for clean-up duty, and Rias did the same. As they were almost done cleaning, Izuku and Rias ended up reaching for the same piece of trash which made things a bit awkward as the room turned silent. The two looked away from each other, not knowing what to say next before they spoke up.

"Izuku/Buchou…!"

They were both caught off guard by how they called out to each other at the same time and fidgeted a bit in embarrassment. "Y-You first," Izuku stuttered.

"Um… I just wanted to thank you… again…" Rias said after taking a big breath. As she continued talking, she gazed out the window. "For a long time, I've been burdened by my engagement to Riser. I thought I was never gonna have free reign over my life. Always a prisoner of my heritage." She then let out joyful tears as she turned a beautiful smile toward Izuku. "Now things changed. All thanks to you. No longer engaged to Riser, I'm free to live the way I want. You saved me."

"I'll always save you…" Izuku replied, smiling. "I'm your Pawn, after all. It's my job, right? Of course, even if I was still a normal human, I would-"

He was about to continue when Rias suddenly planted her lips onto his. His eyes widened into big white circles and his whole head became burning red as he felt her delicate lips against his. As Rias brought her body closer to his, Izuku gradually got used to the feeling of kissing Rias and he began returning the kiss. "Bu-Buchou…" He muttered as they broke away.

"That was my first kiss. It's a bit of a monumental moment for a young woman, isn't it?" Rias said.

"I guess it kinda is, huh?" Izuku said. "Wait! That was your first kiss?! I hope I didn't mess it up."

"Well, since it is my first, I guess I have no way of knowing, do I?" Rias replied in a coy manner. "I liked it, though."

"Oh, good to know," Izuku said.

Then, the door opened to reveal Sona and Latia.

"Sona, Latia. What are you two doing here?" Rias asked.

"Nothing much, just wanted to say a few words of thanks to Midoriya," Sona said.

"Me?" Izuku pointed at himself.

"Yes, you helped Rias out of that engagement, which we've personally been wanting to help her out of as well, but couldn't find a way to do so," Sona replied.

"And I have another reason: for helping Chacha out of her depression," Latia added. "None of us in my Peerage could bring her back to her normal self after her brother figure passed away. Yet, you managed it just by being yourself. As her master, I am grateful."

"Oh, it was no trouble. I just did what any decent person would do," Izuku responded.

"You truly are a kind soul, no wonder Chacha's crushing on you," Latia teased.

"Huh? Chacha?!" Izuku asked. Rias couldn't help but get twitchy-eyed at that.

"Well, that's all. We'll be going now," Sona said, then she and Latia left the clubroom.

After picking up the last bits of trash, Izuku was ready to head home when Rias had something to say.

"One more thing before we go. I've decided I'm going to live at your place," Rias said with a smile.

"What?!" Izuku asked.

"That's right. I'll see you tomorrow at your place, 'kay?" Rias as she left, leaving Izuku behind, dumbfounded.

[Kid, you doing okay?]

…

[Izuku?]

Ddraig grew concerned for his partner as he just stood there, petrified. Right after Rias said she was going to move in with him, another thought hit him in realization. He just had his first kiss with a girl! And it seemed to be a lot for his brain to handle.

"I-KISSED-A-GIRL!I-KISSED-RIAS!I-mean-I-really-like-her-too-but-I-wasn't-mentally-prepared-for-all-that!What-should-I-say?Is-it-too-early-to-tell-her-I-lo-lo-like-her-too?Is-that-going-to-make-things-weird?I-have-to-say-something!"

Ddraig sweat-dropped at his partner's mumbling. It seemed an error occurred within IzukuMidoriya.EXE.

[This is going to be a thing for a while, isn't it?] He groaned.

Izuku didn't hear the dragon as his thoughts ran a million miles an hour trying to process it all. And it only got worse when the thought of her moving in also sunk in.

First Asia, then he found out about Chacha, and now Rias too! Girls have been falling for him one after the other ever since he became a Devil. Chacha would occasionally blush when near him, Asia was slightly protective towards him, and that kiss with Rias was proof enough for her. What should he do? Even though he did like them, an actual romantic relationship was on a whole new level!

[Just go home and rest, kid. You'll need it.]

Izuku finally heard Ddraig and took his advice to go home and rest. That would be something he would deal with in the morning.

In the morning, as Rias said, she had arrived at the Midoriya apartment with a lot of moving boxes. She quickly headed inside to meet up with Izuku's parents to convince them to let her stay there. Hisashi seemed okay with Rias staying, considering he knew Rias's true relationship with his son, and Inko, despite her shock at the news, was happy to host Rias after hearing how Izuku had helped her and gotten close to him over time since they met. As Izuku was amazed by how easily Rias had won his parents over, he turned to Asia, whose cheeks were puffed up with tears in her eyes.

Izuku could see just how different his life was going to be now, some part of him dreaded what's to come, but there was a bigger part of him that wouldn't change a single bit of it. After all, he would be going to U.A. with friends he never would have imagined having. 'As they say… C'est la vie. Well, it'll never be dull, at the very least.' He then turned to see his master smiling at him, and he awkwardly smiled back in return.

Chapter 16: First Day of Hero School

Chapter Text

Ch. 16: First Day of Hero School

At last, the time had arrived. It was the night before the first day of the school year, and Izuku was going to U.A. with his friends! Speaking of U.A., it was recently announced that the school would be adopting an elevator system, meaning that it would now include elementary, middle school, and college levels as well, though the high school would still be the main school. Rias admitted it was partially thanks to her father, who was on the administrative staff. This also meant that Koneko, who was currently a middle school third-year, would be able to attend U.A. as well, albeit in a different building. After all the stuff that's happened to him over the last few months, Izuku was sure that Hero Course at U.A. would be a nice change of pace.

Soon, it was morning and as the morning rays beamed on his face, Izuku was slightly jolted from his slumber, though not enough to fully awaken him and he groaned as he turned away from the light, his face meeting a different kind of pillow.

"Hahn…"

The sound of the soft moan caught Izuku's attention and right in front of his wide-awake eyes were two pink circles connected to milk-colored balls. "Huh? What is…?" Izuku whispered before he was pulled closer to the soft mounds by a pair of slender arms. It didn't take long to figure out what those "pillows" were as his face took on the usual shade of red.

'BOOOOOOOBSSSSS~!'

Lifting his head, he saw the still-sleeping face of Rias, her enchanting nude form in full display as lay with him together in bed. Her eyes then opened to meet Izuku's and smiled.

"Izuku. Good morning."

"G-G-G-Good m-m-morning…" Izuku greeted shyly, not moving due to shock. "W-Why are you in bed with me? N-Naked? Again?"

"I'm sorry. You had gone to sleep by the time I arrived, so I decided to let myself in," Rias answered. "Don't you like having a cute girl sleeping in bed with you?" She then squeezed her breasts with her hands to make them look bigger.

"T-T-That's n-not the m-m-main i-i-i-i-issue…" Izuku argued.

Rias grinned. "Oh, I couldn't help myself. I felt like sleeping with you as a hug pillow."

'Hug pillow?' Izuku felt his shoulders being pressed down onto the bed. Rias pinned him down on the shoulders as she climbed onto his waist. "H-Huh?! W-What are you-?!"

"Izuku, we've still got some time," Rias said, her breasts hanging over his chest, while her face was close to his. "Do you think something sexy would help deepen communication with my servant?" To seal the deal, she planted a small kiss on his forehead.

"I-I-I-I…" Izuku's mind could barely keep up with what was happening.

"Do you want to come at me?" Rias suggested seductively, causing Izuku to gasp loudly. "Don't worry. I'm willing to do anything for you as long as it makes you happy."

Then, instincts took over as Izuku brought his blushing face closer to Rias's to lock lips together… Only for a sudden knock on the door to quickly kill the mood.

"Are you up yet, Izuku? It's almost time for you to start your morning training~!" Asia called through the door in a sing-song voice. "And we have orientation today. We can't be late."

"Asia!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Oh, well shoot. I completely forgot about that," Rias realized, bopping herself on the head.

"Izuku, can you hear me? Are you awake?"

Izuku's eyes went wide as he had to answer, or else Asia would open the door to check on him to find a naked Rias in bed with him. He had to prevent that from happening! "Oh, yeah! I'm up! Just gimme a sec!"

However, Rias seemed to have a different thought in mind. "Asia, do you mind waiting another moment? Izuku and I need to get ready; we're both still in bed."

Izuku froze as he turned to Rias with a comical look of betrayal, who just smiled mischievously. 'That was on purpose!' When the door swung open, there was Asia, standing there with her face blushing and teary eyes.

"I hope you're doing well today," Rias greeted happily.

"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" Izuku exclaimed.

Asia simply looked on, still stunned at the sight of both of them in the bed, with the president in her birthday suit. Then, she began to pull her shirt over her head. "Whatever! I'm taking off my clothes too!" She declared as she stripped off her shirt and removed her bra, leaving her breasts bare. "I swear, I'm not gonna be left out anymore!"

'Why is this happening?!'Izuku mentally screamed.

At the breakfast table, everyone enjoyed a well-prepared meal, courtesy of Rias.

"So good!" Hisashi remarked as he took a sip of miso soup. "I know you're technically foreign, but this tastes like the real deal!"

"Well, I've been living here for a while now," Rias reminded.

"Either way, I've never had anything this good. Yum!" Izuku added as he drank from his own bowl of miso. He was pretty surprised to learn that Rias was an expert in cooking all sorts of different foods, ranging from Japanese, Western, Chinese, etc.

"Thank you. That was sweet," Rias smiled, and Izuku blushed a bit.

However, while he did that, he failed to notice Asia at his side, pouting in jealousy over the attention he was giving to Rias and not her. She closed her eyes and wiped her head away, before pinching Izuku's right arm and twisting, causing him to cringe in pain.

"I have to admit, Rias, I was surprised when I found out you wanted to board here like Asia is doing," Inko admitted. "But, I can't help but love that you help out with cooking!"

"Helping you is only natural, Mother," Rias waved it aside.

Then, Inko turned to Asia. "Let's not forget about how much Asia has been doing with the cooking and laundry, too." Indeed, Asia was a great cook herself, and she was able to handle laundry pretty well. "You are both so appreciated!"

"Like Rias said, you're taking care of us, so it's only natural," Asia said with a blush while taking a bite of rice with some fish.

Not long after breakfast, the teens got changed into their school uniforms and prepared to depart. Rias already had her shoes on, Asia didn't need any considering her lower body, and Izuku was just putting on his. Both Inko and Hisashi stood behind them to see them off.

"Izuku? You're all set?" His mother asked.

"Yeah," he responded.

"Are you sure? You didn't just pack action figures, right?" Inko asked further, to Rias's amusem*nt.

"I have everything!" Izuku insisted before finally getting his shoes on and picking up his backpack. "Now we gotta go! I don't wanna be late!"

"Izuku," Hisashi called out.

"What?" Izuku asked impatiently. Turning around, he saw the smiling faces of both his father and his mother.

"We're really proud of you, son," Hisashi said, which Izuku felt touched by as Asia and Rias smiled.

After a quick train ride, the three had arrived on the platform to U.A., where they met up with Akeno, Koneko, and Yumi. They weren't the only ones there as other U.A. students got off with them.

It was just a short walk up the road to the U.A. campus, and as they got closer, the teens met up with Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka. However, Eijiro's appearance had changed greatly. His hair was now dyed crimson red, a similar shade to Rias's hair, and it was raised in a spiky style.

"Eijiro! Is that you?!" Asia asked.

"Yeah, it's me. I decided that I wanted to start a new school year with a new me," Eijiro replied.

"Oh, and are you copying me with that red hair?" Rias asked jokingly.

Eijiro responded with a light chuckle. "Very funny. But this is actually homage to the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot."

"I've heard of him. He's kinda old school, but yeah, I think he's amazing," Akeno said.

"Crimson's speech helped me through dark times when I was filled with doubts. So I decided to reinvent myself to be more like him."

"In that case, I wish you luck in being a great Hero like Crimson," Yumi said.

"Go for it," Koneko encouraged, giving a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, you guys."

Soon, Koneko split from the group to head over to the newly constructed middle school, the high schoolers wishing their kouhai a good first day before heading inside.

"Do you think sh*tori got us in the same homeroom?" Itsuka asked.

"One way to find out," Rias walked to the bulletin board, where lists for all of the classes for the different departments were posted.

"Let's see… which class am I?" Eijiro wondered as he looked for his name. "Aha! 1-A."

"Nice! Same here!" Mina said.

"I also got into 1-A," Izuku said. "What about you, Asia?" He asked, only to frown when he saw the sad look on Asia's face. Following her eyes, Izuku saw Asia's name not in 1-A, but 1-B.

"1… 1-B…" She sulked.

"She's not the only one," Itsuka said, pointing out her name which was also listed under 1-B.

"You guys aren't gonna be in the same class as us?" Mina asked, disappointed that all five of them couldn't get into the same class.

"It's okay, we can still have lunch together," Izuku placated. "And our assignments should be similar to each other so we can study together."

"Right," Rias added. "And from what I heard, there'll be plenty of times when both Hero Course classes will train together."

"Besides, don't you spend plenty of time with him at home?" Akeno added.

Asia brightened up a bit upon hearing that. She was sad that she wouldn't be in the same class as Izuku, but it wasn't the end of the world. And at least she had Itsuka for a familiar face.

"We should get to our respective classrooms now," Yumi said. "Wouldn't do us well to be late on the first day of class."

The others agreed and quickly went into the school building. The first to split from the group were Rias and Akeno, followed by Yumi. Then the First-Year Hero Course students eventually went their separate ways to their respective classes.

Along the way, Izuku, Eijiro, and Mina met up with some familiar faces: Sona Sitri's Bishop, Momo Hanakai; and Knight, Tomoe Meguri.

"Oh hey, it's you guys!" Tomoe called out.

"Are you headed for Class 1-A?" Momo asked.

"Yeah, us too!" Eijiro said.

"What about your friends?" Mina asked. "Are they in the Hero Course as well?"

"Nah. Me and Momo were the only two who applied for the Hero Course, everyone else is General Studies," Tomoe replied. "Also, Momo here is a recommendation student."

"Recommendation? That's amazing!" Izuku said. He had heard that a select few were admitted through recommendations. "So, what kind of exams did you take?"

"It was rather simple, really. We all had to race each other," Momo replied.

Soon, the 1-A students arrived at their classroom. And the first thing they saw was the giant door that was nearly quadruple their height with 1-A printed on it in red.

"Man, this thing is huge!" Mina said.

"Are there giants here?" Eijiro wondered.

"U.A. likes to go big, doesn't it?" Tomoe commented.

"The most promising students in the country are waiting behind this door…" Momo noted.

Izuku braced himself for what may lie ahead, only to think of Katsuki and the glasses kid, but he quickly brushed those fearful thoughts aside. 'Maybe we're in different classes. Maybe everyone in here is nice!' With that, Izuku opened the door to see…

"Take your feet off of that desk now!"

"Huh?!"

"It's the first day and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing school property, you cretin!"

"You're kidding me, right? Your old school put a stick up your ass, or were you born with it?"

The sight that greeted the newly-arrived 1-A students was an argument between their classmates, the glasses boy and Katsuki Bakugo, over the latter leaning his feet on the desk.

Izuku, with a resigned smile, thought, 'Just my luck…'

"Let's start over. I'm Tenya Iida from the Somei Private Academy," the glasses boy introduced himself.

"Somei, huh?! You must think you're better than me! I'll have fun tearing you a new one!" Katsui challenged.

"You would threaten me, your own classmate?! Are you sure you're in the right place?!"

Then the pair suddenly noticed the five standing right outside the classroom, especially the green-haired boy watching with a nervous expression.

"It's him…" Tenya muttered, making Izuku flinch. "Good morning! My name is Tenya Iida!" He greeted as he made his way toward the group.

"Eijiro Kirishima."

"Mina Ashido."

"Tomoe Meguri."

"Momo Hanakai."

"I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's super nice to meet you."

"Midoriya. You realized that there was something more to the practical exam, didn't you?" Tenya asked, to everyone's confusion. "You must be very perceptive. And I completely misjudged you. I admit that as a student, you're far superior to me!" He said while he made robot arm gestures, chopping the air several times.

"Careful with those robot arms, dude. You might hit somebody," another voice spoke. Turning around, Izuku saw the black-haired American girl from the lecture hall. She wore a standard female U.A. uniform that suited her nicely. "Nice to see you again. I'm Dani. Dani Fenton."

Then, there came yet another new voice. "Hey, I recognize that messed-up hair! Falling Boy!"

Izuku looked past Dani to see the brunette from the Entrance Exam. 'Ohmygosh! It's that nice girl from the Exam! She looks good in that uniform.'

"Falling Boy? How'd you earn yourself a nickname like that?" Mina asked teasingly.

Izuku blushed a little and turned to the brunette. "Yeah, and I remember you too, and the way you helped me out then."

"Think nothing of it. Oh, and I'm Ochaco Uraraka."

As the group outside started getting familiar with each other, Katsuki scowled as he remembered how Deku stood up to him when he tried to interrogate the nerd on how he got into U.A. 'I'm gonna ruin that little bastard. Right after I figure out how he got in.'

"What do you think we're doing today besides orientation? I wonder what our teachers are like. I can't wait to meet everybody!" Ochaco said.

"If you're just here to make friends, then you can pack up your stuff now."

At the sound of the voice, the group froze when they turned to see… a human-sized larva with a human face lying on the floor of the hallway. Or, rather, it was an adult male in a bright yellow sleeping bag. Possibly their teacher, or at least some authority figure. How they didn't notice him earlier is anyone's guess.

"Welcome to U.A.'s Hero Course," the man lazily said as he took out a juice pouch from which he quickly slurped up.

'What is THAT thing?!' The students all internally screamed.

Then, the larva man stood up as he opened up his sleeping bag. "It took eight seconds before you all shut up. That's not gonna work. Time is precious. Rational students would understand that."

'Who is this guy? If he's here, he must be some kind of Pro…' Izuku wondered. His vast knowledge of Pro Heroes allowed him to recognize most of them at first glance, but his mind drew a blank for this person. 'But he looks so worn out. What's his deal?'

"Hello. I'm Shota Aizawa. Your teacher," the man introduced himself to the class, much to their shock.

"Right, let's get to it. Put these on and head outside," Aizawa reached into his bag and pulled out a U.A. gym uniform.

Meanwhile, Asia and Itsuka noticed a sign that read 1-B and knew they found their class. As they got closer, they encountered a couple of familiar faces as well: Latia Astaroth's Queen, Chacha Akaninjin; and Rook, Orihime Yamasaki.

"Oh hey, you're Argento and Kendo," Orihime said.

"That's us. Didn't expect we'd all be in the same class," Itsuka asked.

"Yeah, I'll say," Chacha replied.

The four girls then walked up to the tall door which gave off quite an imposing presence.

"That's… a big door…" Asia gulped.

"I highly doubt there's anyone inside actually tall enough to need such a big door," Orihime reassured as she opened the door.

The classroom looked like a normal classroom with 24 desks in total, and a few students present, the rest having yet to arrive.

"Hey, what's up?" A girl with wavy, dark moss-green hair that reached down to her shoulders and dark green eyes, greeted the newcomers, her grin showing off her pointy teeth. "Name's Setsuna Tokage."

The next to introduce herself was a black-haired girl with a shoulder-length bob cut hairstyle side-swept to her right with some shorter strands hanging above her eyes. She has fair skin, an athletic build, and cerulean eyes, and her most notable feature was her completely neutral poker face. "Yui Kodai."

"Chacha Akaninjin, let's all get along," Chacha introduced herself.

"Orihime Yamasaki, a pleasure," Orihime greeted.

"Itsuka Kendo, nice to meet you," Itsuka said.

"I hope we can be great friends. I'm Asia Argento," Asia greeted back with a smile.

Meanwhile, a light brown-haired boy with oval-shaped eyes with black pupils couldn't help but notice how cute Asia was when she smiled and decided to introduce himself. "Hey, what's up? Kosei Tsuburaba. Nice to meet ya."

"Likewise, I hope we can get along in class." Asia smiled.

"So, uh… wanna hang out somewhere after school?" Kosei said, pretty much asking her out.

"Sorry dude, but she's already crushing on someone else," Itsuka informed.

"Oh. Darn it…" Kosei muttered in disappointment.

"Funny thing is, Chacha here also likes the same guy," Orihime pointed toward Chacha.

Chacha pouted at Orihime just revealing her crushso casually, the latter sending her a mischievous grin.

"Is that so? Tell me, who's the lucky guy?" Setsuna suddenly entered the chat, having overheard the conversation.

'Lucky is a good way to describe that guy…' Kosei thought as he became a bit envious.

As Setsuna tried to grill Asia and Chacha more about their love interest, another boy in the room decided to introduce himself next. He was a young man with spiky black hair held up by a white bandanna with blue stripes, and his eyes were gray. "Hey, since we're all introducing ourselves, you can call me Yosetsu Awase," he quickly greeted sitting back down.

Then, another student came into the room, and he was quite bizarre-looking. He was a tall and slender adolescent with yellow-green skin and his hair was a bright, fluffy green mohawk, his eyes were slanted downward with small green pupils. His head resembled that of a praying mantis with mandibles and no visible nose. "I'm Togaru Kamakiri. Are any of you good at fighting? 'Cause I love a good brawl." He chuckled almost menacingly before taking his seat.

Asia couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by his "greeting." Chacha couldn't help but see some similarities to Katuski Bakugo, though this guy seemed nicer at least.

"Whoa. What's his deal?" Setsuna asked.

"Don't mind him. He might be eager to get into fights, but deep down, he's still a nice guy," another male's voice suddenly said. It belonged to a boy with pale skin and ash-blond hair. His face lacked visible lips with teeth showing and his eyes were angular, almost making it look like his entire face was just a skull. "Name's Juzo Honenuki."

Another new face came in and this time, it was a girl. She had gray hair and blue eyes with bags underneath, and the left one was covered by her bangs. She had her hands raised to her elbows and held out forward like a ghost or a zombie. "Reiko Yanagi," she introduced herself emotionlessly.

Then, another girl came running in, trying to catch her breath once she came to a stop. She was a short girl who had a round face with big blue eyes, and there were two big horns on top of her head. Her blonde hair was long and wavy. She also had a short horse-like tail and her calves also resembled that of a horse's and brown hooves for feet. "Forgive me if I'm tardy. Mah doggone alarm got busted and I got a wee bit lost because I had to skedaddle here. I hope I arrived in the nick of time!" She said.

"…" A lot of the class was left baffled; the way she spoke, not to mention how fast it was, left them wondering what she just said. Juzo, on the other hand, smiled and turned to the girl. "Easy there, hold your horses. I don't think everyone managed to catch onto that." He said in the same speed and manner as the horse-like girl, leaving everyone baffled he was able to keep up with her.

The girl blushed in embarrassment before smiling sheepishly. "Oops, sorry. I have a habit of reverting to my native speech when I panic. Anyway, the name's Pony Tsunotori."

"HELLO EVERYBODY!" A loud masculine voice announced, to everyone's surprise.

Everyone's eyes then turned to the newcomer. He was the same Steel-Quirked teen who got into a shouting match with Eijiro during the Entrance Exam. "My hope for this class is for each and every one of us to be the manliest Heroes we all can be! I'm Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! It's so manly, you say it twice! AW YEAH!"

As Tetsutetsu marched to his seat, the other students couldn't help but think about his name. 'Sure, if he likes it…' Still, they had to wonder what exactly his parents were thinking when they named him.

The next to enter was a tall young man. His shaggy brown hair covered most of his body and his jaws were lined with sharp teeth and stuck out a bit, with two lower canines poking upwards between his lips. Lately, he had small, rectangular glasses with thick lenses that contrasted his beastly appearance. "Greetings. My name is Jurota Shishida. It's a pleasure to meet you and I hope we can all get along. Thank you." He spoke in a polite, formal tone, again defying his beastly image.

Another student soon came in, it was a half-Spanish girl with long pink hair in a braided ponytail with a white ribbon tied to it along with additional twin braids at her temples, and brown eyes. "¡Hola! I'm Rebecca Riku. Happy to be here!"

The next student was another girl; she had straight, thigh-length brown hair in a hime cut and blue eyes. She also wore black long gloves and tights that covered her arms and legs. "Hey, everyone! I'm Asuka Koukawa! Fufu, let's all have a great time together."

Soon, more students started coming in such as the strange-looking Manga f*ckidashi, Shihai Kuroiro, and Kojiro Bondo; the friendly Hiryu Rin and Nirengeki Shoda; the eccentric Kinoko Komori; and the average-looking Sen Kaibara.

By now, 23 students were present, and the opening of the door signaled the appearance of the 24th and final member of Class 1-B. It was another male with blond hair and blue eyes. On his face, a confident grin was on full display as he faced his classmates. "Good morning. And here I vow, with my brains and strength, I'll be sure to lead everyone here to greatness. Everyone in Japan will know us as the greatest Hero Class in the country!"

"The greatest, huh? I do like the sound of that," Togaru smirked.

"Hell yeah! We'll be the greatest Heroes the world has ever seen!" Tetsutetsu cheered.

"Oh, and the name's Neito Monoma," the blond introduced himself. "Remember it, because that will be the name of the next Number One Hero."

"EVERYONE! IN YOUR SEATS!"

The powerful voice made everyone flinch and those that weren't already in their seats quickly did so, looking straight up front. Then, one more person entered, except he was the teacher and a Pro Hero.

The teacher was tall and muscular with spiky light-gray hair and a yellow visor over his eyes. Even with his mouth closed, his prominent canines were still visible. He had some scars on his left cheek and neck. His costume was a red skintight suit with a low U-shaped collar lined with a thick black Y-shaped trim, with his shoulder trims having the same color. Around his waist, he had a three-piece metallic belt that dipped downwards in the center. Lastly, he wore white over-the-knee boots and thick vambraces over his lower arms, a thin wire snaking from one of the two small protrusions on the left one to the back of his neck, and red gloves.

The teacher walked up to the desk and stared down all the students before speaking. "Alright. My name is Sekijiro Kan, your homeroom teacher, but you all can call me Vlad King." Most of the students nodded while Tetsutetsu saluted.

"My hope for this class is that all of you will become proud Heroes worthy of representing the next generation. You may ask what being a Hero means, and everyone will have different answers, but here's mine: someone who is willing to step up to the risks for the sake of someone else and put an end to injustice whenever they see it." Vlad King continued. "All of you have potentials waiting to be brought forth, and U.A. will make damn sure we bring out every last bit of it. We're not running some average, run-of-the-mill Hero Course here at U.A.! We don't settle down when it seems we've hit our limit! WE GO BEYOND THAT! There will be many hardships on the road ahead, but remember that all the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears are another stepping stone on the path to being amazing Heroes. Now… LET ME HEAR A 'PLUS ULTRA!'"

"PLUS ULTRA!" All the students shouted with all their might. Vlad King's speech motivated them to work hard to be the best Heroes they could be. Tetsutetsu, in particular, was gushing manly tears.

"Good. Now then," Vlad King began. "Everyone line up and head to the auditorium where orientation will take place."

"Yes, sir!" Everyone said at once as they began to head out as Vlad King instructed.

Meanwhile, all 24 members of Class 1-A were outside in one of U.A.'s training fields, wearing matching gym uniforms, as they stood together in one big group.

"Before we begin, a quick roll call so I know everyone is here. I'll go in order of student seating," Aizawa stated before taking out a course book.

The students all stood at attention as their teacher called on each of them.

"Yuga Aoyama."

"Here, bonjour~!" The blond navel laser boy from the Entrance Exam responded.

"Mina Ashido."

"Here!"

"Tsuyu Asui."

"Here, ribbit!" A girl with long black-green hair and a frog-like face said.

"Tenya Iida."

"Here!" Tenya called out, hand raised.

"Ochaco Uraraka."

"Here!"

"Mashirao Ojiro."

"Here!" A blond boy with a long, muscular tail called out.

"Denki Kaminari."

"Here!" Another blond young man called out. He had a black lightning bolt streak on the left fridge in his hair.

"Eijiro Kirishima."

"Here!"

"Koji Koda."

A peach-skinned boy whose head had a rocky appearance shyly raised his hand to respond to his name rather than by speaking.

"Ethel Ginzan."

"Here." A girl with long, straight silver hair going down her back with blunt bangs and blue eyes replied affirmatively.

"Rikido Sato."

"Here!" A large young man with spiky brown hair and thick lips responded.

"Mezo Shoji."

"Here." Calmly called a young gray-haired man wearing a face mask, speaking through a mouth spawned from one of the shape-shifting arms that spread from his normal ones.

"Hilda Shirakabe."

"Here!" A girl with brown hair in a ponytail and blue eyes called out. Her most notable feature was how fat she was. Her belly was enormous and round. Her enviably massive breasts were undeniably the biggest in the whole class. Her arms and thighs had a layer of fat around them but were also firm enough to suggest some muscles underneath. Her butt was also huge, to the point it could be used like a pillow. Her face and cheeks were round and chubby, which helped her look cute and soft. And her uniform was tailor-made to fit her wide girth.

"Kyoka Jiro."

"Here," a girl with violet hair replied. She had sound wave patterns in her hair and her earlobes had extensions resembling earphone jacks.

"Hanta Sero."

"Here!" Called out a black-haired boy with tape dispensers on his elbow.

"Fumikage Tokoyami."

"Here," a young man with a black birdlike head calmly replied. Despite his head, the rest of him resembled that of an average human and he wore a red choker around his neck.

"Shoto Todoroki."

"Here," another young man coldly responded. His hair was dual-colored, being split down the middle with his right side being white while his left was red. Similarly, his eyes were heterochromatic with the right one being gray and the left one blue. Another thing to note was the burn scar around his left eye.

"Toru Hagakure."

"Here!" Called a cheerful girl who was completely invisible from head to toe, the only thing marking her presence was her gym uniform.

"Momo Hanakai."

"Here."

"Dani Fenton."

"Here!"

"Katsuki Bakugo."

"Here!"

"Izuku Midoriya."

"Here."

"Minoru Mineta."

"Here!" A really short kid with black eyes answered. Instead of hair, he had purple spheres growing out of his scalp.

"Tomoe Meguri."

"Here!"

"Good, that's everyone. Now then… we'll be doing a Quirk Assessment Test," Aizawa said.

"A Quirk Assessment Test?" All the teens asked.

"But orientation… We're gonna miss it!" Ochaco voiced her concerns.

"If you really wanna make the Big Leagues, then you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies," Aizawa said, to everyone's surprise. "Here at U.A., we're not tethered to traditions. That means that I get to run my class however I see fit." A few students felt intimidated by what that could mean.

"You've been taking standardized tests most of your lives. But you never got to use your Quirks in physical exams before," Aizawa held out his phone which displayed a list of eight fitness tests. "The country's still trying to pretend we're all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It's not rational. One day, the Ministry of Education will learn." He then turned toward Katsuki. "Bakugo. What was your farthest distance throw with a softball when you were in junior high?"

"67 meters, I think," Katsuki replied.

"Right. Try doing it with your Quirk."

Soon, Katsuki was in a pitching circle with a ball in hand.

"Anything goes, just stay in the circle," Aizawa instructed. "Go on, you're wasting your time."

"Alright man, you asked for it," Katsuki said while stretching his arms. The explosion Quirk user then got in a throwing stance. 'I'll add a little heat to my pitch and drop their jaws.'

Then, with a maniacal grin, Katsuki roared, "DIE!" Right before he threw, he set off an explosion that sent the ball rocketing through the air, way beyond 67 meters.

"Oh, whoa…" Izuku muttered.

"All of you need to know your maximum capabilities," Aizawa stated as he watched the ball drop to the ground. "It's the most rational way of figuring out your potential as Pro Heroes." He then turned back to the students and showed them Katsuki's score on his phone which read 705.2 meters.

The students were amazed by how far Katsuki was able to throw the ball by using his Quirk.

"Whoa! Seven hundred and five meters, you kidding me?!" Denki said.

"I wanna go! That looks like fun!" Mina said.

"This is what I'm talking about! Using our Quirks as much as we want!" Hanta grinned excitedly, and so did Eijiro.

However, Aizawa seemed ready to send some bad news their way. "So this looks fun, huh? You have three years here to become a Hero. You think it's all gonna be games and playtime?" He asked in a serious tone, to his students' surprise. "Idiots. Today you'll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever fails to show their potential will be expelled immediately."

This caught the students off-guard. It's only their first day and they're already facing threats of expulsion?!

"Like I said, I get to decide how this class runs. Understand?" Aizawa grinned, his twisted smile looking like a demented version of Totoro. "If that's a problem, you can head home right now."

The students' reactions were quite mixed. Some students reacted with horror and/or nervousness. Some were confident in their abilities to pass Aizawa's test.

Izuku was among the former group, but even so, he was determined to succeed. 'A huge test of the first day of school… But I can't get discouraged. I worked hard to get into U.A. and I won't let Rias and everyone else who helped me down!'

Chapter 17: Quirk Assessment Test

Chapter Text

Ch. 17: Quirk Assessment Test

Inside the assembly hall, the 24 students from Class 1-B were in the stands along with the other first-year students, chatting amongst themselves. Asia looked toward the empty seats, where Class 1-A was supposed to be.

'It shouldn't take them this long. So where are they?' Asia asked herself, looking around for Class 1-A. "Do you see 1-A, Itsuka?" She asked the orange-haired girl sitting next to her.

Itsuka shook her head. "No."

"Is something wrong? You look like you're looking for someone." Setsuna spoke from behind them.

"I'm just wondering where's Class 1-A? I can't find Izuku and our other friends from that class," Asia answered, looking around for the other class.

"Maybe they're running late," Yui suggested. "First-day delays and that stuff."

"Back up! 'Izuku?'" Setsuna asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're that close with the guy, huh?" She said with a sly smile, causing Asia to blush.

Meanwhile, over at the area for Class 1-D, there were the other first-year members of Sona's Peerage: Saji, Ruruko, Reya, and Tsubasa.

"Hey, you see Momo and Tomoe's class anywhere?" Ruruko asked.

"Nope. Just empty seats," Tsubasa replied, eyeing the vacant seats meant for 1-A.

Meanwhile, Rias and Sona were having a similar conversation over at 2-C.

"Sona, you don't think…" Rias said.

"It's already this late, there's no point in questioning it. It's just the first day and our servants have their work cut out for them," Sona replied, adjusting her glasses.

"You can't send one of us home!" Ochaco protested. "I mean, we just got here! Even if it wasn't the first day, that isn't fair!"

"Oh, and you think natural disasters are? Or power-hungry Villains, hmm? Or catastrophic accidents that wipe out whole cities?" Aizawa questioned back. "No! The world is full of unfairness. It's a Hero's job to try to combat that unfairness. If you wanna be a Pro, you're gonna have to push yourself to the brink!"

"He can't be serious. He's probably bluffing," Momo said under her breath.

"I hope you're right about that," Tomoe whispered back.

"For the next three years, U.A. will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So go beyond. Plus Ultra style," Aizawa continued as he made a "come on" gesture with his fingers, daring those brave enough to step up to the plate. "Show me it's no mistake that you're here!"

'I don't approve of this kind of hazing, but U.A.'s the top Hero program. I have no choice.' Tenya took a sip of orange juice to properly fuel up his Quirk.

'Time to blow these nerds away!' Katsuki stretched his arms.

"Now then, we're just wasting time by talking. Let the games begin."

Test 1: 50-meter Dash

The students were led to a pair of 50-meter-long tracks with a camera bot at the finish to track their time.

The first ones to step up for the test were Tenya and Tsuyu, taking their positions at the starting line.

Using the engines in his calves to increase his speed, Tenya sprinted his way to the finish line in 3.04 seconds. Tsuyu hopped like a frog the whole way, managing to reach the finish line in 5.58 seconds.

'At 50 meters, I can only get up to third gear…' Tenya noted as he came to a stop.

[Tenya Iida. His Quirk: Engine. As you can see, his legs are pretty dang fast!]

"Well, he's definitely in his element. But speed won't help him in every test," Aizawa observed.

The next pair were Ochaco and Ojiro.

"I'll lighten up my clothes. Oh, and my shoes too!" Ochaco tagged her clothes and shoes, her fingertips glowing pink as she did so.

[Ochaco Uraraka. Her Quirk: Zero Gravity. She can nullify the gravitational pull of anything she touches. But if she uses her power too much, she totally hurls!]

Ojiro, using his tail to spring himself forward, managed to reach the end by 5.49 seconds, while Ochaco came after him at 7.15 seconds.

'Well, at least that's faster than junior high!' Ochaco thought in relief as she brought both sets of her fingertips together.

The third pair consisted of Mina and Yuga, the latter having a confident grin on his face.

"Nice attempts, mon ami. But you're just not showing enough panache," Yuga boasted while having his back facing the track with his arms wrapped around his head while Mina got into position. The moment the camera bot announced to start, Yuga jumped into the air and fired a laser from his navel to shoot himself forward ahead of Mina. "Look at how I shine!"

[Yuga Aoyama. His Quirk: Navel Laser. That's right! A belly button laser! But he can't shoot it forever.]

After a second of firing his laser, Yuga stopped, and he fell to the ground, giving Mina, who was barefoot to use her acid to skate her way to the finish, a chance to get ahead of him. Yuga quickly got up and fired another beam to fly backward to the finish, making it at 5.51 seconds, though Mina already finished before him.

"Shooting my beautiful beam for more than a second hurts my tummy," Yuga said as if it was something to brag about, with stars flashing around him.

'What a tool…' A few of the other students thought.

The fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh pairs to go consisted of Koji and Ethel, Rikido and Mezo, Eijiro and Denki, and Hanta and Fumikage, whose times were all within ranges of 5.19-7.22 seconds.

The eighth pair of Hilda and Kyoka then got in position. Despite what one might expect of someone of Hilda's frame, she was quick on her thick legs as she reached the goal within 4.21 seconds, while Kyoka made it at 6.28 seconds.

"Damn, how are you so quick on your feet?" Kyoka asked.

"Never underestimate Fat Power!" Hilda said while putting her arms to her sides, proudly emphasizing her ginormous gut.

[Hilda Shirakabe. Her Quirk: Fat Power. She gains more power the more body fat she has. The bigger she is, the stronger, faster, and more resilient she gets!]

'Testing the upper limits of their powers helps me assess their room for growth. It becomes clear what they can and can't do. Their true potential…' Aizawa noted as he observed more students take part in the test before turning to the eleventh and second-to-last pair: Katsuki and Izuku. The former sent a quick glare at the latter, who refused to be intimidated by it. 'Sometimes, Pros have to be creative in order to succeed…'

"Burst Speed!" Katsuki set off his explosions behind him to give himself speed boosts. He smirked, confident he would beat Deku… until he saw that Deku was already in front of him.

["3.25 seconds!"] The camera bot announced Izuku's time. ["3.95 seconds!"] It then declared Katsuki's time.

Katsuki's jaw dropped in disbelief, though it was less about Deku beating him, rather, it was Deku himself. Izuku had a pair of green, leathery wings with scales, which were also visible on his arms and sides of his face. 'What the hell was THAT?! If he had a Quirk, he would've gotten it when we were kids! This is impossible! He's up to something! I'm getting to the bottom of this!'

Aizawa also took notice of Izuku's appearance, though he was merely wondering about the color change of Izuku's scales compared to the Entrance Exam where they were red. Then he noticed that Bakugo seemed ready to blow a gasket.

"HEY! DEKU, YOU BASTARD! TELL ME HOW YOU DID THAT OR YOU'RE DEAD!" Katsuki shouted, startling everyone as he stomped his way toward the demidrake. But before he could get his hands on Izuku, Aizawa's scarf flew out to grab Katsuki and hold him back. He tried to move, but the scarf was too strong, and when he tried to use his Quirk, nothing happened. "What?! Why the hell is your scarf… So damn strong?!" Katsuki turned to Aizawa and asked.

"Because it's a Capture Weapon made out of carbon fiber and a special metal alloy," Aizawa explained; his hair was standing up and his eyes glowed piercing red.

"Stand down. What exactly were you hoping to achieve trying to attack him like that? Attacking a fellow student outside of training calls for serious consequences. Understand?" Aizawa's voice was low, yet deliberate. As Katsuki reluctantly eased up, Aizawa retracted his scarf and blinked.

As the cloth returned to Aizawa, Izuku noticed a pair of yellow goggles around Aizawa's neck, and the way Kacchan seemed to be unable to use his Quirk started connecting dots in his head.

"Those goggles… I know you!" Izuku said in realization. "You can look at someone and cancel out their powers. The Erasure Hero: Eraserhead!"

[Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa. His Quirk: Erasure. He can erase the Quirk of anyone he looks at. But the effects end when he blinks.]

"Eraser? Who's that?" Hanta asked.

Oh, I've heard of him. I think he works on the down-low," Tsuyu said.

"I've heard he's the type who dislikes the media," Ethel added.

"It would be wise to avoid making me use my Quirk so much. It gives me serious dry eyes," Aizawa said. "Enough wasting time. Mineta, Meguri, you're up."

The twelfth and last pair of Mineta and Tomoe took their positions. The grape-headed midget had a perverted grin on his face as he focused on Tomoe's butt before a sharp glare from the Devil girl caused him to get scared and stop.

As soon as the robot called start, Tomoe curled up into a ball before turning into an actual, blue ball about 1.2 meters big with small spikes, rolling with great speed to reach the finish line in 3.19 seconds, changing back right after crossing.

[Tomoe Meguri. Her Quirk: Rollout. She can transform into an armored, spiked ball that can roll around with great momentum and maneuverability. Not only that, she's super tough as well.]

As for Mineta, he plucked several spheres from his head and threw them on the path in front before bouncing off them like mini-trampolines to get to the other side. Unfortunately for him, it took up to 7.55 seconds to reach the end, the longest out of everyone, his short stature certainly did him no favors either.

Test 2: Grip Strength

In a gym, the students were given handheld devices to grasp and squeeze as hard as they could to measure their grip strength.

Izuku, with his Boosted Gear equipped, squeezed his grip tester and got 475.6 kilograms. Pretty good, if he said so himself.

"Wow!" Hanta's voice shouted in awe. "You hit 540 kilograms?! You're such a beast!"

"Yeah, like a muscly octopus!" Mineta added.

Izuku smiled, his score wasn't the top, but at least he wasn't doing badly.

Test 3: Standing Long Jump

Yuga fired his beam to shoot himself over the sandbox. Katsuki used his explosions to blast himself over as well. Ochaco managed to float herself over the sandbox, though she ended up having to fight the urge to vomit. Momo created a set of spring shoes for a jump boost, then a makeshift glider to glide over the sandbox. Dani, with her appearance like back in the Entrance Exam, flew over the sand pit. It was a cinch for Izuku to do the same by using his wings.

The lowest scorer was once again Mineta, his height once again working against him, combined with only being allowed to bounce off his ball on the initial platform, without much forward momentum.

Test 4: Repeated Side Steps

In this test, Mineta did much better, forming a clump of his balls on both his sides and using them to repeatedly bounce off them at a rapid pace, his short height actually made this easier as well.

Tomoe did quite well also, her Knight attribute making her quick on her feet. Tenya showed his skills by firing off his leg engines at the right times to get the optimal score as well. Hilda also showed her skills with her nimble leg movements, once again defying what one might expect from someone of her stature. Izuku managed to find a way to use his wings to help control his movements.

Test 5: Ball Throw

Because he had already done the ball throw, Katsuki was exempt from having to do it again.

Some students managed to get creative with their Quirks such as Momo creating a rocket launcher to fire the ball out of, Ojiro using his muscular tail to throw the ball, Dani enhancing the ball with green energy to make it fly farther, and Ethel equipping a big silver vambrace over her arm to enhance her throw.

Izuku once again equipped his Boosted Gear to give himself a few Boosts before throwing the ball, which was sent flying 704.1 meters.

"HA! You lose, Deku!" Katsuki bragged, considering his own score of 705.2 meters.

"Wha?!"

He sure did… by 1.1 meters. It's small, but it was enough for Katsuki to feel like he had reasserted his dominance. He still wanted to let Deku have it, but Eraserhead wasn't going to have any of that, so he would take whatever he could get, no matter how small.

Then, Ochaco took her turn, using her Quirk to make the ball weightless before throwing it high and allowing it to fly off in the air, where it kept going, and going, and going… until it just became a twinkle in the sky.

Aizawa simply held up his phone to show Ochaco's score, which displayed the infinity symbol.

"INFINITY?!" The class asked in disbelief.

"That's insane! How is that possible?!" Denki questioned.

Katsuki was irritated that right as he managed to assert his dominance over Deku, he quickly got upstaged by someone else.

Test 6: Distance Run

For this test, everyone ran laps all at once to see how long and far they could run. And of course, some used their powers to make things easier for themselves.

Izuku, thanks to his physical training and the Boosted Gear, was keeping up rather well. Katsuki used his explosions to boost himself forward. Tomoe was in her ball form as she rolled across the track. Tenya fired his engines to boost himself and decrease the strain of using his legs. Shoto made himself some ice to keep himself cool as he ran. Momo created a portable electric fan for the same purpose.

The first to give up was Mineta, followed by Toru. Eventually, the last ones to quit were Shoto, Momo, Tomoe, Hilda, Katsuki, Tenya, and lastly, Izuku.

Test 7: Seated Toe-Touch

Tsuyu easily performed best out of everyone, thanks to her frog-like biology making her more flexible.

"Almost got it," Momo huffed as she leaned forward, her large breasts pressing down on her legs.

"Ugh. Just my luck…" Hilda lamented. This time, being fat actually worked against her as one might assume, with her big tummy getting in her way as she tried reaching for her toes.

Meanwhile, Mineta's eyes were fixed on the two, specifically the way the former's boobs were squished against her legs, and how the latter's ass was standing out, hoping he could see a butt crack slip. "The Hero Course is the best…" Mineta said, drool starting to spill out of his mouth. However, his perverted fantasies came to an end when Aizawa slapped him over the head to make him pay attention.

Test 8: Sit-ups

There wasn't really much anyone could do with their Quirks in this exercise, so they mostly just relied on their physical abilities, except Shoto, who once again used his ice for cooling himself, and Mineta, who stuck a ball where his head would go down so that he could bounce off it.

During this, Katsuki sent a heated glare at Izuku while matching him going up and down.

[Have you noticed Bakugo giving you a death glare this whole time?]

'I noticed. Unfortunately…' Izuku replied mentally to Ddraig's question.

With all eight tests done, the students were finally able to catch a break, some were completely exhausted, while others were doing fairly well.

"Alright, time to give you your results," Aizawa said as he stepped in front of his class. "I've ranked all of you from best to worst, you should probably have a good idea of your standing already. I'll just pull up the whole list. It's not worth going over each individual score."

Aizawa then tapped his phone and a holographic screen with the results came up.

1. Momo Hanakai
2. Shoto Todoroki
3. Izuku Midoriya
4. Katsuki Bakugo
5. Hilda Shirakabe
6. Dani Fenton
7. Tenya Iida
8. Fumikage Tokoyami
9. Mezo Shoji
10. Tomoe Meguri
11. Eijiro Kirishima
12. Mina Ashido
13. Ethel Ginzan
14. Mashirao Ojiro
15. Ochaco Uraraka
16. Koji Koda
17. Rikido Sato
18. Tsuyu Asui
19. Yuga Aoyama
20. Hanta Sero
21. Denki Kaminari
22. Kyoka Jiro
23. Toru Hagakure
24. Minoru Mineta

'Third place, that's not bad…' Izuku thought in relief.

[You once again scored higher than Bakugo, though I'm not sure that's entirely a good thing…]

Indeed, Katsuki looked ready to explode seeing how he scored lower than Deku, causing some students to back away in fear. Izuku made a mental note to keep his distance from Kacchan for a while.

"WAAH!" Everyone turned back to Mineta, who was now openly sobbing. "I'M SO SCREWED! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO SEE ANY OF THE GIRLS IN THEIR COSTUMES!"

Most of the class, especially the girls, looked at him with a deadpan expression. Good to know he had his priorities straight.

"Quit your whining…" Everyone suddenly turned to Aizawa. "You're not getting expelled."

Mineta sniffled, daring himself to hope for salvation. "R-Really?"

"I'm surprised the rest of you didn't figure it out. Honestly, what kind of teacher would expel someone on their first day?" Momo sighed.

"Yeesh, couldn't you have mentioned that earlier?" Kyoka asked.

"Whew. I thought he was serious about expelling the one who came last place," Toru said in relief, considering she was so close to being last place herself.

"Seems you all need to work on your listening skills," Aizawa suddenly cut into the conversation.

The entire class went silent as they turned toward their teacher, who once again had his dreaded Totoro grin. "My exact words were, 'Whoever fails to show their potential will be expelled.' I never said anything about last place, did I?"

"Okay, but if you're not expelling anyone, then that means we all did well, right?" Ochaco asked, daring to sound hopeful.

"It's because you all worked hard to show me you're serious about being here that I'm not kicking anyone out. Otherwise, I would've expelled those who didn't take this seriously. Hell, even the entire class if I felt like it."

"Seriously!?" The class shouted together.

[HAHAHAHA! He may look like a hobo, but I'm gonna like your teacher!]

'Well, good for you then,' Izuku nervously replied.

Tomoe turned to Momo to whisper into her ear. "What was that about a bluff?"

"I've… been wrong before…" Momo sheepishly admitted while blushing and tapping her index fingers together.

"Many think all they need to get into U.A. is a powerful Quirk and good grades. But Quirks can only get you so far. They're useless on their own without the mindset to use them creatively… or the potential to grow. It's our job as teachers to teach you all to be Heroes. But what's not talked about often is the dangers of being Heroes. Heroes can get crippled, or worse, lose their lives on the job, that's a fact. If you think being a Hero with a strong Quirk is all you need for an easy life, I'm afraid you'll be only heading to an early grave." Aizawa lectured. "Remember this. Just because I don't kick you out today, that doesn't mean I can't do it later if I feel like you're not taking this seriously and taking it all for granted." He stared all of them down as they all trembled before him. "Am I understood?"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Good, that's it. We're done for the day. Pick up a syllabus in the classroom. Read it over before tomorrow morning," Aizawa then turned around and started heading back to campus. "Things are gonna be tougher tomorrow when your actual training begins. Make sure you're prepared."

A lot of the students' legs gave out and they collapsed on the ground, still reeling from the experience of figurative near-death. In the end, the group didn't have much to say as they all marched back to the classroom.

Once the 1-A students got back to class, they picked up their syllabuses, and soon, the first day came to an end and everyone started heading home. Izuku, Mina, and Eijiro were walking together out of the school building.

"Man, that was something for a first day, right?" Mina said.

"Yeah, if it was this intense the first day, I can't imagine how tomorrow will be," Izuku said.

"I'm down for a challenge. I say bring it," Eijiro said.

Then, Izuku suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder from behind and when he turned around, he saw Tenya. "Ah! Hey there, Iida!"

"Apologies if I scared you, I just wanted to congratulate you on scoring third place in the test," Tenya greeted.

"Eh, it's not that big of a deal," Izuku shrugged.

"You three seem close to each other. I take it you were already friends before U.A.?" Tenya asked.

"Well, Kirishima and I went to the same middle school. Then we met Midoriya a few months before the Entrance Exam and after this and that, we became fast friends," Mina replied.

"That's one way to put it."

The group looked behind them to see Rias, with Akeno and Yumi behind her, coming up to them. "Oh, Buchou!" Izuku, Mina, and Eijiro all greeted.

"Buchou?" Iida asked.

"Glad to see you made it through your first day in one piece," Akeno greeted.

"You all got lucky," Rias stated. "I heard that Mr. Aizawa expelled an entire class last year."

"That's… comforting," Mina muttered.

"Hello, you must be our friends' classmate," Yumi said to Tenya, greeting him with her warm smile.

"Oh, yes. Where are my manners? I am Tenya Iida. A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is ours. I'm Yumi Kiba, 1st-year General Studies, Class 1-C."

"Rias Gremory, 2nd-year General Studies. 2-D."

"From the same class, Akeno Himejima."

"Upperclassmen? An honor to meet you, Gremory and Himejima!" Tenya greeted, doing a perfect bow.

"Well, aren't you formal?" Rias said.

"My, what a gentleman," Akeno added.

"Izuku! Everyone!" They turned back to the building to see Asia heading their way while waving, and behind her were Itsuka and Chacha.

"Hey, Asia, Kendo, Chacha," Izuku greeted. He already figured Chacha was in 1-B when he didn't see her in 1-A.

"Oh, are these friends of yours as well?" Tenya asked.

"We are," Itsuka replied. "We're in Class 1-B."

"I see, so you're some of our fellow Hero Course students," Tenya said. "I'm amazed at such a big gathering of pre-U.A. acquaintances, especially the fact that two of them are our upperclassmen."

"Uh, well, you know, stuff happened," Izuku simplified.

"Oh, Izuku, there's no need to be shy. Tell him how close we are," Rias said as she gave him a hug, burying his head into her bosom.

Asia and Chacha stared slack-jawed at what they saw, jealousy swelling inside the Devil girls. Yumi, Akeno, and Mina chuckled in amusem*nt. Tenya, Eijiro, and Itsuka blushed at the sight. Other nearby students also saw the greenette's face being pressed into the redhead's bountiful assets, with many of the males and even a few females sporting envious glares.

"B-Buchou, stop! People are staring!" Asia begged.

Chuckling, Rias released Izuku from her embrace, who looked lost from reality with his face all red and his eyes swirling.

"Izuku, are you okay?" Chacha asked.

"Imma… okay…" Izuku replied while in a daze.

"Heeeeey!" Ochaco's voice called out as she raced toward the group. "Wait up! Are you going to the station? I'll join you guys!"

'It's her again!' Izuku noted.

"Someone else from Class A?" Itsuka guessed.

"You're the infinity girl, Ochaco Uraraka?" Tenya asked as Ochaco caught up to them.

"Yep. That's me!" Ochaco replied. "Let's see, you are Tenya Iida, Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido…" Ochaco started identifying her classmates by name as she finally turned to Izuku. "And your name is… Deku, right? Midoriya?"

"Deku?!" Izuku shouted in disbelief. Asia, Rias, and Chacha also couldn't help but be annoyed at Izuku being called that name which Bakugo used.

"Uh, yeah. Isn't that what Bakugo called you?" Ochaco asked innocently. "During the fitness test, he said…"

She then imagined a cartoonish image of an angry Katsuki shouting, "DEKU, YOU BASTARD!"

"Right?"

"Uh, well, my name's actually Izuku. Deku is what Kacchan calls me to make fun of me," Izuku explained.

"That's unsportsmanlike," Tenya commented.

"No kidding," Rias said.

"Oh, I didn't realize that. I'm sorry," Ochaco apologized. "But you know what? I like Deku. It could make a great Hero name! Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute," she said with a smile.

"DEKU, IT IS!" Izuku suddenly declared, his face all red.

This caught everyone by surprise that Izuku just suddenly accepted the nickname that was supposed to be degrading.

"Just like that? Weren't you saying that it was an insult?!" Tenya asked.

"Izuku? Is something wrong?" Rias asked.

"His face is all red," Akeno commented.

"Paradigm shift! My whole world is upside-down!" Izuku tried his best to explain as he covered his red blushing face with his hands.

"Wait, wha?" Ochaco asked, wondering what Izuku was going through.

Upon seeing the way Uraraka made Izuku blush, Rias, Asia, and Chacha were all thinking the same thing. 'Love rival…'

"Anyway, if you are heading to the station, I would like to join you as well," Tenya said.

"Sure thing, though we still have someone else we need to pick up," Rias said. "There are no clubs since it's the first day, so we're completely free for the evening."

"I actually know a good hangout place nearby," Chacha spoke up. "We can all go together."

"Great. Lead the way," Akeno said.

After meeting up with Koneko, the group departed from the campus, chatting about their eventful first day.

'I survived my first day at U.A. and made some new friends too. All in all, today was a good day,' Izuku thought as he walked.

Chapter 18: Battle Trials (Part 1)

Chapter Text

Ch. 18: Battle Trials (Part 1)

It was the second day of school and the school year had officially begun. And as for the Hero Course students, they were currently in English class with Present Mic. Just an average, normal high school class.

"Now, which of these four sentences contains a mistake?" Present Mic asked as he turned to the class.

1.{The man whom I respect most is my father.}

2.{That is the house in which he lived.}

3.{I well remember the day on which we both met.}

4.{Please tell me that all you know.}

'So boring…' Mina, Denki, and Kyoka thought with tired looks.

'This really sucks.' Katsuki thought, wanting to just hurry up and get to the only class that really mattered.

"Hey everybody! Look alive! Grammar rules!" Present Mic tried to get the class more motivated.

Momo then raised her hand to answer the question.

"Hanakai! Lay it on us!"

At lunchtime, the students were able to buy pretty tasty meals on the cheap, courtesy of the Cook Hero: Lunch Rush. Izuku, Eijiro, Mina, Ochaco, and Tenya sat at a table where they were visited by said Hero, leading to Izuku gushing at seeing him in person.

"White rice is the perfect comfort food, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm. This is super good," Ochaco nodded while eating some white rice.

Soon, Lunch Rush left, and they were joined by Asia, Itsuka, Rias, Akeno, Yumi, and Chacha.

"So, how is the Hero Course treating you so far?" Rias asked, occupying the seat next to Izuku.

"I-It's surprisingly like n-normal school so far," Izuku replied.

"Ditto for us," Itsuka added. "Except for the part where our teachers are Pro Heroes."

As the Hero Course students discussed what their afternoon might be like, Rias suddenly held up a fork with an octopus sausage at the end. "Oh, Izuku. Open up."

Izuku blushed slightly as he opened his mouth to allow Rias to feed him the sausage. As he chewed the sausage, he noticed a mischievous glint in Rias's eyes. Then it hit him. The fork she used to feed him. The one she made sure touched his lips. It was the fork she had been using! She just pulled an indirect kiss trick on him!

Izuku's eyes then wandered to Asia and Chacha, who had stopped eating to glare enviously at Rias before offering him some of their own food as well. Mina grinned giddily at seeing a love fight go down, while Tenya tried to calm the two jealous girls down. Ochaco, on the other hand, felt something weird. She didn't know why, but seeing Gremory give Deku an indirect kiss upset her for some reason.

In the afternoon, after all the normal classes were over, it was finally time for the class that the 1-A students were waiting for: Hero Basic Training. They sat in the classroom, waiting patiently for their instructor to arrive.

"I. AM. HERE!" A booming voice that the students all recognized got their attention, especially Izuku's. "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"

As the door swung open, All Might entered the room, his glorious titanic figure gazing down upon the future Heroes while his cape bellowed forward to add dramatics to his entrance.

"I can't believe it's really All Might!" Denki said in excitement.

"Japan's #1 Hero!" Dani shouted.

"To think, All Might would be teaching us. Such an honor!" Ethel said.

"Hey, look. Is he wearing his Silver Age costume?" Tsuyu noted.

All Might's Silver Age costume consisted of a skintight bodysuit that had a red upper half and a blue lower half with white markings on the chest and stripes that ran down his sides. He also wore yellow boots, belt, and braces, and flowing down his back was a majestic blue cape with a red inside.

As All Might marched heroically to the desk, the students continued to admire his awe-inspiring presence.

"I'm getting goosebumps. It's so retro," Ojiro stared in awe.

"Welcome to the most important class at U.A. High! Think of it as Heroing 101!Here you will learn the basics of being a Pro! And what it means to fight in the name of Good!" All Might said while striking heroic poses. "Let's get into it!" He then took out a card which had "BATTLE" written on it in big red letters. "Today's lesson… will pull no punches!"

"Fight training!" Katsuki said with a maniacal grin.

"Real combat?" Izuku asked.

"But one of the keys to being a Hero is… Looking good!" As All Might dramatically pointed to the left wall, four slots opened up to reveal suitcases labeled from 1 to 24. "These were designed for you based on your Quirk Registration forms, and the requests you sent in before school started."

The students became excited at the thought of being able to wear their costumes; they could hardly contain it, some even leaping out of their seats.

"Costumes…" Izuku muttered, recalling the one his mother made for him.

"Get yourselves suited up. Then meet me at Training Ground Beta!" All Might instructed.

"YES, SIR!"

Meanwhile, over at Class 1-B, the students were waiting with anticipation for their own instructor to arrive.

"I'm feeling so anxious waiting. What will we be doing today?" Asia fidgeted.

"Ah, no need to get your tail in a twist. I'm sure whatever we're doing won't be that intense," Setsuna reassured.

"I'm ready for whatever manly lesson coming our way today!" Tetsutetsu declared.

Then, the door opened and the instructor walked in. He was a muscular man with spiky, light brown hair, golden eyes, a thin beard, and a scar over his left eye. He wore a black coat with blue patterning over a gray compression shirt, black pants, and a belt. "Evening. The name's Rex Azurda, also known as Aegis Hero: gym teacher. And today, you'll be taking part in some good old sparring sessions!"

"Sparring, huh?" Togaru smirked excitedly.

"Sir, is the other class doing the same thing?" Monoma asked.

"They will tomorrow. Right now, they're having Battle Trials with All Might. And before you say anything, this was decided randomly through draws, so don't go accusing us of playing favorites, or blaming Class A," Blades said. "And of course, you'll get to have him as your teacher tomorrow while Class A will be with me."

"That seems fair. Understood, sir," Monoma responded somewhat hesitantly.

"Good. Now, get your gym uniforms and let's meet in the fields. I'll explain more when we're there."

After a few minutes, Class 1-B was out in the fields, right where Class 1-A had their Quirk Assessment Test.

"Okay, looks like everyone's here. Now let me explain how this will go," Blades then turned to the large ring behind him. "It'll be a one-on-one fight inside that ring. Immobilize your opponents, make them surrender, or throw them out, whichever you choose. But the most important thing is that Quirks are forbidden. The purpose of this training is to focus on your own natural physical abilities rather than what you can do with your Quirks. There may be a time when your Quirk becomes unreliable due to situations where using your Quirks can be detrimental or facing an opponent whose Quirk can counter yours. Plus, for those who fight melee style, you can figure out ways to improve your skills. So…" He then pulled out a small box. "Let's draw numbers to pair you guys up."

Meanwhile, at Training Ground Beta, All Might waited for the students to arrive. He didn't have to wait for much longer before the first few students walked in, followed by the rest, dressed in their brand-new costumes. Some were flashy and attention-grabbing; others leaned more to the practical and simple side. Before enrolling at U.A., the students submitted Quirk registration forms, along with physical measurements and desired costume designs, which were then designed into costumes by exclusive clothing companies designated by the school.

"They say that clothes make the Pros, young ladies and gentlemen. And behold, you are the proof! Take this to heart. From now on, YOU are all… Heroes-in-training!" All Might addressed the students. "This is getting me all ramped up; you all look so cool! Now, shall we get started? Ya bunch of newbies?"

All Might then noticed one student among them whose costume caught his attention; it was Izuku. His costume was a light green full-body jumpsuit with a red belt, black elbow and knee pads, white gloves, and his usual red shoes. He had a mask with two protrusions and a respirator that resembled smiling teeth.

All Might easily figured out that those two features were supposed to look like his signature bangs and smile. 'That kid's so obvious!' All Might turned his face away while covering his mouth to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

"Hey, Deku!" Ochaco called.

"Uraraka-" Izuku replied back, only to suddenly erupt into a faint blush.

"I love your costume. Not too flashy, y'know?" Ochaco's costume consisted of a mostly black bodysuit with a pale pink design down the middle of her torso with two black circles on her chest. She also wore a pale pink belt, spherical wrist guards that had a dark pink handle each, knee-high boots with magenta soles, and lastly, a helmet with a tinted visor. The skintight costume really emphasized her curves. "I should've been more specific about what I wanted. This bodysuit is skintight. Not really my style."

"Hey, Midoriya!" Mina's voice called out as she and Eijiro approached Izuku and Ochaco.

"Oh hey, Kirishima, Ashi-" Izuku's voice got cut short at seeing Mina's costume. It mainly consisted of a turquoise and purple camo bodysuit that went halfway above her breasts, showing some cleavage. Over this was an unbuttoned cropped, sleeveless tan-colored waistcoat with white fur along its collar. She wore a plain white mask over her eyes and plum violet and beige acid-proof boots with holes in the soles, allowing her to secrete acid from her feet to slide around.

"Whaddaya think? Screams 'me,' doesn't it?" Mina asked.

"U-Uh, yeah… It's something," Izuku awkwardly replied, trying to hide his growing blush.

"Well, what about mine? Isn't it manly?" Eijiro was shirtless and wore baggy black pants with a red half cape with a ripped hem, along with a belt that had an "R" set into its center. There was a jagged sash going from his left shoulder down to his right hip. He also wore two dark red gear-shaped shoulder pads and dark red boots with thick rings around his calves. Lastly, on his face, a black face guard reached from just above his hairline to below his jaw, an extra piece going over the bridge of his nose, and some spiked pieces around his mouth that resembled little fangs. Overall, he looked somewhat like an Oni.

"Oh yeah! It looks manly for sure!" Ochaco replied.

"Hey, great costumes, you guys!" Tomoe's voice caused the four to turn to see her and Momo walking up to them. Izuku's face went completely red at the sight, specifically Momo.

Tomoe wore a bodysuit that was pale blue in front and dark blue at the back, with elbow-length sleeves and short pant legs that went midway down her thighs. There were black markings on her chest and pelvis that resembled a bikini. She had on black gloves and boots, along with dark blue circular elbow guards.

Momo's costume was a sleeveless crimson leotard with a silver trim. It exposed a lot of skin at the front, from her neck area down to her belly button. She sported calf-length crimson boots with heels, which dipped sharply down in the center, and two gold utility belts around her waist, along with a smaller one wrapped below her shoulders.

"Wow, girl. That costume's a pretty bold one!" Mina said to Momo, checking out how much her costume showed off.

"Well, it wasn't exactly my first choice," Momo said, slightly embarrassed. "To make use of my Quirk, I need exposed skin…"

Nearby, Mineta turned around and made a thumbs-up. "I love this school."

"Now that you're ready, it's time for Combat Training!" All Might announced, getting everyone's attention.

"Sir!" Tenya raised his hand. "This is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean that we'll be conducting urban battles again?"

"Not quite!" All Might replied, holding up two fingers. "I'm going to move you two steps ahead. Most of the Villain fights you see on the news take place outside. However, statistically speaking, run-ins with the most dastardly evildoers take place indoors. Think about it: backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows. For this trainee exercise, you will be split into teams of good guys and bad guys, and fight two-on-two indoor battles!"

Tsuyu was quick to voice her thoughts. "Isn't this a little advanced?"

"The best training is what you get on the battlefield," All Might explained. "But remember, you can't just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people now!"

"Sir, will you be the one deciding who wins?" Momo questioned, getting right to the point.

"How much can we hurt the other teams?" Katsuki asked with a scowl.

"Do we need to worry about the losers getting expelled like earlier?" Ochaco asked nervously.

"Will you be splitting us up based on chance or comparative skill?" Tenya inquired, bringing up a good point.

"Isn't this cape très chic?" Yuga asked a completely irrelevant question.

"I wasn't finished talking…" All Might groaned. He then took out a pamphlet. "LISTEN UP!"

'A script!' Izuku noted.

[So he needs a cheat sheet?] Ddraig asked, amused, which Izuku chose to ignore.

"The situation is this! The Villains have hidden a nuclear missile somewhere in their hideout! The Heroes must try to foil their plans! To do that, the good guys either have to catch the evildoers, or recover the weapon! Likewise, the bad guys succeed if they protect their payload or capture the Heroes."

'Sounds like a classic action movie setup,' Izuku compared.

"Time's limited, and we'll choose teams by drawing lots!"

Tenya was skeptical about using this method. "Isn't there a better way?"

"Think about it. Pros often have to team up with Heroes from other agencies on the spot," Izuku spoke up. "So maybe that's the reason why we're seeing that here."

"Yes, I see. Life IS a random series of events," Tenya conceded before bowing to All Might. "Excuse my rudeness."

"No sweat. Let's draw!" All Might brushed it aside.

Soon, the class of twenty-four was split into twelve teams of two.

Team A: Izuku Midoriya & Ochaco Uraraka

Team B: Shoto Todoroki & Mezo Shoji

Team C: Momo Hanakai & Hilda Shirakabe

Team D: Katsuki Bakugo & Tenya Iida

Team E: Dani Fenton & Hanta Sero

Team F: Yuga Aoyama & Koji Koda

Team G: Mina Ashido & Denki Kaminari

Team H: Ethel Ginzan & Tsuyu Asui

Team I: Mashirao Ojiro & Toru Hagakure

Team J: Eijiro Kirishima & Minoru Mineta

Team K: Kyoka Jiro & Tomoe Meguri

Team L: Fumikage Tokoyami & Rikido Sato

"It's not fair! There's ten babes in this class and I didn't get paired with any of them!" Mineta hissed.

"Wow! What are the chances? We're a team!" Ochaco excitedly said to her partner.

"Uh, yeah! Hooray!" Izuku tried sounding excited while hiding his bashfulness.

"I declare that the first teams to fight will be…" All Might said as he reached into two boxes labeled "Hero" and "Villain." "THESE GUYS!" He pulled out balls labeled A and D respectively. "Team A will be the Heroes! Team D will be the Villains! Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch."

"Yes, sir!" The class minus Teams A and D responded before making their way to said room.

Izuku's eyes wandered over to Katsuki, who had a nasty scowl directed at him. Izuku, however, clenched his fist and returned a defiant frown, to Katsuki's surprise before he scowled harder.

All Might then led the two teams to a designated building where their battle would take place.

"Bad guys, you can go on in and get set up. In five minutes, the good guys will be let loose and the battle will start," All Might instructed Team D. "Young Iida, Young Bakugo, the key to being successful in this challenge is to embody Villainy. Think from the perspective of an evildoer."

"Got it!" Tenya responded as he started heading in.

Before entering the building, Katsuki turned to look at Izuku one last time, gritting his teeth.

"If things go too far, I'll step in."

"Understood," Tenya said.

"Even though this is training, it pains me to be aligned with criminal behavior," Tenya said as he inspected the bomb. "So this is the weapon we must protect." He then gave a few poundings, and the hollow thunks it made revealed it was empty inside. "Fake, of course."

"Hey…" Katsuki said, getting his teammate's attention. "Do you really think Deku has a Quirk?"

"You saw what he did during the Assessment Test. He even managed to get third place doing so," Tenya replied, making Katsuki angry. "Why is it that you seem to be especially angry when it comes to Midoriya?"

'Was he seriously just tricking me all these years?!' Rage started building up inside Katsuki. 'I'm gonna roast that damn nerd today!'

Outside, Izuku and Ochaco were looking over a pamphlet that had the building layouts.

"You think they expect us to memorize this building's floor plan? It's so big," Ochaco commented. "You know All Might's just as cool in person as he is on television. I'm glad he's not threatening us with some kind of punishment like Mr. Aizawa. We can relax."

However, Izuku was too focused on trying to formulate a plan to hear what she said. "I'm sorry. I kinda didn't catch that," Izuku admitted. "We're up against Kacchan. Plus, there's Iida too. We should be on our guard, who knows what they'll pull."

"Oh right, Bakugo. He's the one always making fun of you," Ochaco said somberly.

"And he's amazing…" Izuku began. "He can be a real pain, sure; but his strength, and confidence, and his ambition. Not to mention, his Quirk. But that just means I have to do better." He then put on his respirator with a determined look. "I refuse to lose today!"

Ochaco saw the fire in Izuku's eyes and smiled. "So it's a fated battle between rivals?"

"O-Oh, not that I'm trying to get you wrapped up in my fight or anything!" Izuku muttered.

"Are you kidding? We're a team, let's win this!" Ochaco said while raising a fist into the air. Seeing Ochaco's positive energy, Izuku smiled back.

["Alright! Let's begin the indoor combat training!"] All Might's voice came over the loudspeaker. ["Team A and Team D! Your time starts now!"]

In the monitoring room, All Might and the rest of the class had their eyes on the giant screen displaying various locations inside and outside the building.

"Pay attention, kids. Think about what you would do," All Might instructed. He then put on an earpiece to talk and listen to the current participants.

Izuku and Ochaco snuck into the building through a window.

"Just like that, we're in," Ochaco whispered.

"Careful. There are a lot of blind spots," Izuku warned.

The duo looked around, wandering the halls in search of the weapon. Then they eventually came across a corner before a dark hallway. When it seemed the coast was clear, they proceeded ahead, keeping their eyes wide open just in case.

Then, just when they passed another corner, Katsuki jumped out in an ambush, an explosion ready in his hand. Izuku quickly pulled Ochaco to the side as Katsuki set off the explosion.

"Uraraka, you okay?" He had lost half of his mask thanks to that explosion.

"I'm fine. Thanks," Ochaco replied, then she noticed Izuku's ruined mask. "Deku!"

"It's just my mask," he reassured.

Then, from the smoke, Katsuki wiped the smoke away, standing with a menacing frown. "What's the matter, Deku? Afraid to stand up to fight me?"

"I knew you'd come at me first. I figured you'd try to catch me by surprise," Izuku replied as he got back up on his feet.

"He almost got the jump on him!" Mineta commented.

"Sneak attack, Bakugo? What kinda man pulls cheap crap like that?!" Eijiro asked while punching the palm of his hand.

"It's a viable strategy," All Might countered. "He's playing the part, acting like a true villain would."

"It didn't work! Midoriya dodged it!" Mina pumped her fists in excitement.

"Look, there he goes!" Denki exclaimed, bringing everyone's attention back to the screen.

"I won't hurt ya so bad they'll have to stop the fight! JUST CLOSE!" Katsuki raised his fist back for a right hook as he rushed at Izuku.

However, Izuku managed to intercept it and grabbed Katsuki's arm. Then Izuku twisted his body to the side to flip Katsuki over his shoulder and slammed him onto the floor on his back.

"Kacchan… You always use a big right hook to start a fight," Izuku said. "I know because I've watched you for years. I analyzed every amazing Hero, even you. I wanted to learn everything I could about them. It was all in the notebook you burned and threw away." He's referring to Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13, which Kacchan had once gotten his hands on. "You can call me Deku, but I'm not the same helpless, defenseless kid anymore. You hear me?! I've changed!" Izuku then summoned his Boosted Gear. "From now on, DEKU IS THE NAME OF A HERO!"

Hearing this, Ochaco recalled the words she said to him yesterday.

"But you know what? I like Deku. It could make a great Hero name! Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute."

Katsuki then got up before lighting a few small explosions in his hands as he scowled at Izuku. "Deku…" The face he saw was different from back when they were children. Now the damn nerd's face was full of defiance! "You wanna fight? Then fine!I'LL DESTROY YOU, DEKUU!"

Then suddenly, Tenya's voice came through Katsuki's earpiece. ["Bakugo! Come in! Give me a status report! Where are you?!"]

"Just shut up and defend the weapon! I've got more important things to worry about!"

Tenya was not pleased with that response. "Are you forgetting what our mission is?" No response. "Hello? He hung up on me! This isn't the time for radio silence! We're supposed to be partners! Ugh!"

Back with the rest of the class, all they saw was Bakugo talking inaudibly as he stood facing Midoriya.

"Hey, who is Bakugo talking to?" Eijiro asked. "I'm not hearing anything. Can we get any sound with this video?"

"He's got a radio in his ear, so he can talk with his partner," All Might explained as he revealed his own. "I gave it to him before the match started, along with a map of the building. Also, this." He then pulled out a roll of white tape. "A roll of Capture Tape! Wrapping this around your opponent means that you've apprehended them, and they're out for the rest of the game."

"So there's a 15-minute time limit and the good guys have no idea what floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?" Mina pondered.

"Correct!" All Might confirmed.

"Then the Heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here! A big one!"

"Real pros have to outwit Villains on a daily basis. That's life!" All Might explained. "Even when the odds aren't in our favor, we fight!"

The students were filled with awe at All Might's inspirational words.

"All together…" All Might began. "LET'S HEAR A PLUS ULTRA!" All Might and the students all said at once.

"Monsieur!" Yuga spoke up. "He is on the move."

Hearing this, All Might turned his attention back to the screen.

Katsuki pulled his arm back to ready another explosion. Seeing this, Izuku called out to his partner. "Uraraka! Go!"

As Katsuki shot himself toward Izuku with an explosion, Ochaco ran off, leaving Izuku behind.

As Katsuki got in close, he threw a kick at the side of Izuku's head, who blocked it using his arms. "Ballsy move! Think you can take me alone?!" But then, Katsuki felt something around his leg as he noticed what Izuku was currently doing. 'He's using the Capture Tape!'

Izuku thought back to one of his previous Hero Notebooks which had an entry on Eraserhead, whose move Izuku was emulating thanks to having seen him in action the day before. 'What will Kacchan do now? Knowing him, he'll be impatient… and try another big punch!'

Then, Katsuki did exactly as Izuku anticipated, and the latter leaped to the side to dodge the explosive attack.

'I was right!'

[Boost!]

After powering himself up, Izuku then countered Katsuki with a punch of his own, striking him in the gut, and causing him to cringe in pain.

"The little guy's really good!" Rikido said in amazement.

"He almost got him out right then and there!" Hanta added.

'Not surprising. Considering how quickly he reacted during the Entrance Exam…' All Might thought back to when Izuku acted to save Ochaco from the Zero-Pointer.

Katsuki quickly recovered from that blow as Izuku held his guard up. 'He kicked first this time. He's switching things up so I can't predict his moves. Does that mean he's worried? No time to worry about that now!'

"Dragon Shot!" Izuku fired a bright green energy ball at Katsuki, who proceeded to retaliate with one of his explosions, causing a smokescreen.

As Katsuki swiped the smoke and dust away, he noticed Izuku flying above him on his wings, shooting him a glance before flying off, leaving Katsuki behind.

"Get back here, Deku!" Katsuki demanded as he ran after Izuku.

'It'll be harder to fight him at close range now. I need some time to come up with another plan…' Izuku mentally said.

Katsuki went all over the building looking for Izuku, and the more he looked without finding Deku, the angrier he got. "DAMMIT! YOU WERE TRICKING ME FOR YEARS BY ACTING WEAK! AND YOU'VE BEEN LAUGHING BEHIND MY BACK, HUH?!" He was so loud that Izuku could still audibly hear it as he ran. "SO WHERE'S THAT FLASHY POWER OF YOURS NOW!?"

This caused Izuku to cringe.

[Isthatwhat he thinks?] Ddraig questioned.

"Let's see how it compares to mine!" Katsuki started lighting mini-explosions in his hands. "QUIRK, OR NO QUIRK, YOU'LL NEVER BEAT ME, DEKU!"

"That guy has some real anger issues, it's kinda scary," Denki commented.

'I can tell Young Bakugo thinks highly of himself, but this level of pride is something else. It may end up being his demise.' All Might noted as he observed Katsuki's single-minded fixation to find Izuku.

Izuku, meanwhile, was looking out for Katsuki. His plan was working well so far as by making Kacchan focus on him, he probably forgot about Uraraka. He could trust her to find the weapon, now it was a matter of getting back to her so they could secure the weapon. However, the sounds of explosions reminded him that Kacchan was a major obstacle.

If Izuku went after the weapon now, Kacchan would follow him. And if he and Uraraka tried to take him on together, that would've wasted time. So the best course of action now was to capture Kacchan and then meet up with his partner so that they could team up for a two-on-one fight against Iida. He would be on his own, but he should be good as long as he didn't get too close to Kacchan's hands. No pressure!

Meanwhile, Ochaco found the weapon, and Tenya, who was keeping an eye on it. 'Found it! Now I just have to tell Deku, and try my best to stay out of sight until he gets up here.' She was about to radio him until she overheard Tenya talking to himself.

"Bakugo definitely has a villainous side, and that's exactly what we need to succeed in this mission," he stated. "Hmm. I need to temporarily devote myself to criminal intent. Yes. I won't fail this trial and risk bringing shame down on the Iida family name. That means, I must now embrace evil, to become a Hero." With that oxymoronic realization in mind, Tenya gave his best Villain impression. "Behold. I am the personification of Villainy."

Ochaco actually found this pretty funny and let out a small laugh. 'He's so serious!'

Unfortunately, it was still big enough to give herself away.

"Hmm? Uraraka, is that you?" Tenya questioned, making his voice sound like one of those criminal masterminds.

Realizing that she was busted, Ochaco sheepishly stepped out into the open.

"I knew you would come here alone, the instant that Bakugo ran off by himself and engaged with Midoriya," Tenya monologued. "Your Quirk allows you to float anything that you touch. But I've prepared for that. By hiding every object in this room, so you have nothing to use against me, Do-gooder!" He said, presenting the room which was completely devoid of all objects other than the weapon. "My dastardly tricks have rendered you helpless!" He continued monologuing to Ochaco, who was just frozen in place by pure confusion. "You've blundered, Hero! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"He really is… playing the part," Ochaco mumbled to herself.

In the monitoring room, the class was currently paying attention to Ochaco and Tenya. Without sound for context, it looked like Ochaco somehow gave herself away and Tenya was acting like a madman.

"Is Iida okay? He looks like he's gone crazy," Tomoe commented.

"Not to worry, Young Meguri. Young Iida's simply playing the part of a diabolical mastermind. And quite theatrically, at that," All Might reassured.

"Then what happened with Ochaco?" Dani asked.

"Well. It seems she found Iida's performance so hilarious that she couldn't help herself," All Might said.

Izuku was currently watching out for Katsuki when Ochaco radioed him.

["Um, Deku?"]

"I'm here. How's it going?" Izuku replied.

"Iida knows that I'm here. Sorry. Right now he's monologuing." As she said this, Tenya continued his evil laugh while praising himself for being a mastermind.

["Where are you?"] Izuku asked.

["Near the middle of the fifth floor."] Ochaco responded.

"Right above me." Izuku realized, looking up. 'We probably don't have much time left now. We have to finish this fast or they win.' Then, he held the Capture Tape tightly in his hands. 'I won't give up yet! I can capture Kacchan! I won't lose!'

Unfortunately, Katsuki had found him first. "I'm all loaded up." He said with one of his grenade gauntlets flashing red.

"What does that mean?" Izuku asked.

"Why aren't you using your fancy Quirk? Don't tell me you're underestimating me Deku," Katsuki goaded. The sinister smile on his face hinted that he had something planned. "Get over here and show me what you're really made of."

With the Capture Tape in hand, Izuku turned and faced his opponent, ready for round two. "Kacchan, I'm not scared of you anymore!"

Katsuki started getting angry, but he managed to calm himself down and his grimace changed into a grin. "Since you're such a stalker, by now you probably know how my Quirk, Explosion works. I secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from my hands and make it blow up. Imagine what I could do if I had a LOT of it." He continued speaking, as he pulled the giant pin on his gauntlet to reveal a smaller pin, gearing himself up for something big. "That's right. These gauntlets aren't just for show! They've been storing up my sweat inside for one monster blast!" He put his finger on the pin and aimed at Izuku with a look to kill.

'No! He's going too far!' All Might also realized what Katsuki was going to do. "Young Bakugo! Don't do it! YOU'LL KILL HIM!"

"He'll be fine as long as he dodges!" Katsuki shouted, making it sound like it was no big deal.

[He's lost it!]

Katsuki let it rip, causing a trail of explosions, almost as big as the entire hallway, to shoot toward Izuku, who could only brace himself for impact.

KA-BOOM!

The entire building shook from the explosion, catching the two upstairs by surprise. Even the rest of the class could feel the force of the blast all the way from the monitoring room.

"Woah! This is nuts!" Eijiro shouted.

"Hey! Midoriya's okay, right?" Mina asked.

"Come in!" All Might said into the mic. "Come in, Midoriya!"

"Bakugo, answer me!" Tenya was trying to contact Katsuki. "What is going on down there?! Did you cause that blast?!"

While Tenya was preoccupied, Ochaco saw her chance to go for the bomb.

However, Tenya noticed her running and ran to stop her. "Not so fast, Hero!"

Ochaco used her Quirk on herself and jumped over Tenya, floating straight towards the bomb. 'I just have to touch the weapon! In one move, this will all be over!' She then deactivated her Quirk to let herself fall toward the weapon.

However, Tenya activated his engines to speed toward the payload to grab and move it to another spot before Ochaco could lay her fingers on it, causing her to roll into a wall, losing her headgear in the process.

"Admirable attempt!" Tenya acknowledged. "But your Quirk is no threat if you can't touch anything. I can easily keep this weapon out of your reach until time runs out! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ochaco looked a bit sick, but she was still determined to continue the attempt, despite being at a complete disadvantage. 'It's not over. I won't let Deku down!'

From the smoke, Katsuki walked out chuckling like a madman. "These are awesome. The more nitro-sweat that's stored in these gauntlets, the stronger the explosion is." The other one then flashed red, meaning that it was charged up as well. "Where are you, Deku? Don't tell me you've given up already?" No response. He looked around for the green-haired boy to no avail. "WHERE ARE YOU, DEKU?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"I'm right here, Kacchan…" Izuku's voice came from above as he flew down to deliver a punch, sending Katsuki flying into a wall.

Izuku's mask had been completely burnt away and his right sleeve was reduced to elbow-length. In addition, his wings also had some burn marks on them.

[Smart move using your wings to shield yourself from that blast. His explosions could give Riser's Queen a run for her money.]

'My thoughts exactly…'

["Bakugo! Use that stored-up power again and I'll stop this fight! Your team will lose!"]

"HUH?!" Katsuki responded in indignation.

["To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That's a poor strategy! Whether you're a Hero or a Villain! The penalty will be a massive loss of points!"]

Katsuki, frustrated by this new restriction placed on him, decided to take it out on the nerd in front of him, who was ignoring him, infuriating him even further. "Fine then! WE'LL FIGHT HAND-TO-HAND!" He then used his explosions to launch himself at Izuku while pulling his arm back.

Izuku, who was communicating with Ochaco, was a little too slow to notice Katsuki and accidentally stepped on an unstable part of the floor, leaving him a sitting duck. 'It's no good! I can't dodge this!' However, he was far from defenseless as he clenched his fist tight. 'I'll have to counterattack!'

Katsuki noticed this, and right as Izuku swung his arm forward, he set off an explosion to fake out Izuku with a smokescreen and blast himself above him and then set off a second explosion to stop his momentum. He then primed a third explosion to hit Izuku, but the latter managed to react in time to avoid it.

Izuku then fired a Dragon Shot at Katsuki, who once again used his explosions to propel himself out of the attack's path.

"Nice one, Midoriya!" Mina cheered.

"Bakugo's pretty good too," Ojiro added.

"He doesn't come off as a guy with a strategy, but he's actually quite intelligent," Shoto observed.

"What are you talking about?" Eijiro asked.

"He changed his trajectory while in midair using a blast that doubled as a smokescreen. Very clever. Even if his opponent managed to dodge it."

"A feint attack like that requires an extreme amount of precision. He had to calculate the physics and demonstrate control over his Quirk," Momo added. "And as for Midoriya, the fact that he managed to dodge Bakugo's attack shows how sharp his reflexes are."

"Dang. That's impressive," Tomoe said.

"Ugh. They're both uber-talented, I hate it," Denki groaned in slight jealousy.

Katsuki aimed another right hook at Izuku, who managed to catch Katsuki's arm, but the explosive blond wasn't finished as he set off an explosion, slightly burning the green dragon boy. Katsuki then threw a kick at Izuku's side, but then the Boosted Gear glowed again.

[Boost!]

Izuku, with his power boosted, retaliated against Katsuki with a punch to the jaw. "I told you. I'm no longer defenseless. I'm the Deku who will be a Hero!"

Katsuki backed up a bit to regain his senses as that blow to the jaw had left his vision wobbly. 'How'd he suddenly get stronger?! Is it because of that red arm-thing of his? Dammit! That… That nerd! Was he seriously hiding that from me all these years?!' "You've been hiding your true power for years! What's the deal, Deku?! Did you think you think you were better than me this entire time?!"

"That's what you think?" Izuku asked as he recalled the moments during their childhood when Kacchan did amazing things. "You idiot. You've always been stronger, Kacchan! I know that you're better than me! Can't you see? THAT'S WHY I WANNA BEAT YOU! 'CAUSE YOU'RE AMAZING!"

Izuku's response did nothing to calm Katsuki's rage as he opened up his fist. "You're even more of an idiot than I realized. COME AT MEE!"

Ready to end the fight right then and there, both combatants rushed at each other; Katsuki blasting himself forward with his explosions, and Izuku flying with his wings.

Katsuki threw his left arm forward, primed for an explosive punch. "GO TO HELL!" Katsuki's punch was a direct hit, engulfing Izuku in an explosion.

However, Izuku used his wings and the Boosted Gear on his left arm to take the brunt of the heat, and while he still felt the searing heat of the blast, he was in position for his own attack.

[Explosion!]

"Dragon… SMASH!" Izuku threw a right hook forward, unleashing all the power he had charged up in one single blow, right into Katsuki's stomach. The force of the blow sent him flying into a pillar.

As he lay limp on the floor, Katsuki tried to get up, but the pain in his stomach caused his legs to give out before he could even fully stand. It didn't just end there as he felt the urge to hurl, doing so just a second later. He tried to get up again, but then he felt a familiar feeling of something being wrapped around him; it was Izuku with the Capture Tape. Unlike before, he was too incapacitated to try and get out of the snare as Izuku towered over him, casting a shadow over his form.

"I win, Kacchan. I beat you."

["BAKUGO IS CAPTURED. HE IS OUT FOR THE REST OF THE EXERCISE."] All Might announced.

Those twelve words struck a chord in Katsuki's mind. He lost! He lost to Deku! How is that possible?! Several questions and memories ran through his mind. From Deku having a Quirk that he's been hiding all this time. To what he said to him after they were both accepted into the Hero Course. And even the weak Deku he knew back when they were just children.

"It… doesn't make sense…" Katsuki whispered mostly to himself. "Is Deku… stronger than me? That can't… be possible."

And yet, here he was on the ground while Deku was still standing. He was just humiliated in front of the whole class by Deku.

Meanwhile, the class was amazed at Izuku's takedown of Katsuki.

"Man, those last blows were insane!" Hanta commented.

"Midoriya actually took Bakugo's attack head-on to get close enough for that big attack, ribbit," Tsuyu observed.

"A bold move, as there was a risk he would fall to the blast, but it seems fate was in his favor," Fumikage added.

"Yeah, but now there's barely any time left. So it might just end up being for nothing," Mineta pointed out.

Indeed, the timer just reached below the minute mark, counting down 59 seconds, and so on.

Meanwhile, Izuku left the defeated Katsuki behind as he still had to join up with Uraraka and retrieve the bomb from Iida. "I've gotta hurry. Who knows how much time's left!"

["You have 50 seconds remaining, Young Midoriya."] All Might informed him through the earpiece.

"50 seconds?!" Izuku shouted. He was still on the second floor, there was no way he would make it in time to the fifth floor where the bomb was, even if he flew!

But wait! He recalled Ochaco saying that she was in the middle of the fifth floor, and he was still close to the middle of his floor. He looked at the Boosted Gear on his left arm and had a plan, one that just might be crazy enough to work.

Ochaco received Izuku's instructions through their communicator and braced herself as she backed off from Tenya, and moved toward a pillar by the windows, holding onto it, to Tenya's confusion.

"Dragon Shot!" After charging up a Boost once, Izuku fired a Dragon Shot toward the ceiling. The green energy blast blew apart the ceiling, and it didn't stop there as it continued onto the next floor without signs of stopping, eventually coming out through the roof.

Tenya braced himself as he held onto the fake bomb to prevent himself from being blown away by the shockwave. Then he turned to see the center of the room completely destroyed with multiple debris lifted into the air. "What's happening?!"

Ochaco then used her Quirk on the pillar she was holding onto to make it weightless as she held it up. "This is it! Sorry, Iida! Improvised Special Move: The Comet Home-Run!" Ochaco swung the pillar like a baseball bat, sending the midair debris flying toward Tenya.

"In the name of Villainy, I demand that you stop this!" Tenya held his arms up to shield himself from the flying debris, but Ochaco was able to use that to fly past him.

"Release!" Ochaco canceled her Quirk. Tenya barely had time to look up before Ochaco made contact with the missile, securing the win for the Hero team. "I got it." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gah! NNNOOO! THE WEAPOOONNNN!" Tenya exclaimed in horror.

["The Hero Team… WIIIIIINNS!"] All Might declared.

Back with Izuku, he was relieved to hear that as his gambit paid off, looking down at his left arm.

As for Katsuki, his mind was still on his defeat against Deku. Truthfully, even if his team managed to win, he would never consider it a real victory, especially not when it meant relying on a technicality from time running out. Either way, his ego had been dealt quite a blow.

Chapter 19: Battle Trials (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Ch. 19: Battle Trials (Part 2)

Teams A and D were led to the monitoring room, where they lined up in front for evaluation of their performance. Izuku and Katsuki could still feel the injuries they got from the exercise, but they weren't anything that prompted an immediate visit to the nurse's office.

"Well, despite the results, the MVP of this exercise… is Young Iida!" All Might declared, to the surprise of most of the class, including Tenya himself.

"Shouldn't it be one of the Heroes instead since they're the winners?" Tsuyu asked.

"Hmm, valid question. Why didn't I choose one of those two? Who has a guess?" All Might urged.

"Sir! I can tell you why!" Momo raised her hand. "Iida embraced this challenge. He was the only one who truly adapted to his assigned role. I'll explain. Bakugo's judgment was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier, launching a large-scale attack indoors was a foolish move. It could've been disastrous. As for Midoriya, while he proved quite adaptive to the situation, it would've been easier for him to sneak out of the building and fly up to the top floor without Bakugo noticing, thus leaving him free to join his teammate against Iida while Bakugo wastes time searching for him on the lower floor. Not to mention, even if his final move did help secure a win for his team, it was done out of desperation rather than a real strategy, with high probability of failure. As for Uraraka, she let her guard down mid-battle and her final attack was far too reckless given the hypothetical stakes. If she treated the fake weapon as though it were real, she never would've risked using such an imprecise move. Iida was fully prepared for his opponent's arrival. He had a strategy and never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if he was foiled in the end."

Tenya blushed at the praise and put a hand over his heart.

"Technically, the Hero Team won, yes, but they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They didn't respect the spirit of the Trial." Momo finished her assessment.

Katsuki said nothing and just stayed silent; Izuku mentally kicked himself for not thinking of Momo's suggestion, in hindsight, that should've been obvious; Ochaco became ashamed of her own screw-up.

'This girl really has a good eye on her. She definitely earned that recommendation spot…' All Might was speechless at the white-haired girl's long and detailed explanation. "Yes, well, you overlooked a few things. Young Iida could have relaxed a little bit in the exercise. But, otherwise, you nailed it."

"One should always start with the basics and devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning. That's the only real way to become a Top Hero." Momo recited.

"Hehe! Now then, time to blow this joint. Let's move on to the next match! Think about everything we saw and discussed as you tackle this training for yourself!"

"Yessir!" The class responded, except for Katsuki, who was unresponsive as he pondered in his thoughts.

["Match Two! Team B will be our Heroes! Team I will be the Villains!"]

Ojiro was doing some warm-up exercises with his arms when Toru got his attention.

"Hey Ojiro. Let's get serious!" Toru started removing her gloves. "I'm gonna take off all my clothes and totally disappear!" It wasn't that hard considering her costume consisted of only light blue gloves and beige shoes.

"Yeah, cool…" Ojiro awkwardly nodded. 'Hagakure's using her Quirk to our advantage, but it's kinda weird to know there's a naked girl standing by me. What exactly am I supposed to do here?'

Toru suddenly got self-conscious, apparently covering herself even though Ojiro couldn't see her. "Uh. just don't look. Okay?"

"What's the difference?" Ojiro pointed out.

"LOOK ALIVE, KIDS! SHOW US YOU'RE THE EMBODIMENT OF GOOD! …Or evil. Let's go!" All Might shouted, and with that, the second match began.

Right at the building entrance, Mezo spread out his web of arms, ears sprouting from the tips of his tentacles, allowing him to listen from many different angles.

[Mezo Shoji. His Quirk: Dupli-Arms. He can replicate different body parts on the tips of his tentacles. Now that's super strange.]

Then, one of the ears morphed into a mouth which he used to speak to Shoto. "One's in the hall on the north side of the fourth floor. And I think the other's on the same level somewhere. Both are barefoot. I bet the invisible one plans to sneak up and surprise us."

"For your own safety, go outside," Shoto advised. His costume was a plain white suit with a gold-colored pack on his back. And covering his entire left body was some ice-resembling material with a red lens over his left eye. "I'm sure our opponents intend to fight a defensive battle…" Mist of cold air started gathering in his right hand before he touched the wall, causing ice to spread, followed by the same happening from his right foot. "But we've already won." Then, the ice spread rapidly, encasing the entire building in a layer of ice: the walls, stairs, hallways, windows, and even the outside were frozen solid.

Mezo, who stepped outside as Shoto instructed, was amazed by this display of power.

"Owowow! My feet are stuck!" Toru exclaimed, her presence being noted by her footprints in the ice.

"This Quirk is insane," Ojiro noted as he tried to get his feet free. Then he heard footsteps in the ice which were coming from none other than Shoto.

"Pry yourself off if you want. But it might be hard to fight me with no skin on the bottom of your feet," Shoto taunted with a grin as he walked past Ojiro.

The cold radiating from the frozen building could be felt even from the monitoring room, evidenced by All Might and most of the students shivering, the former even having a runny nose.

"H-He incapacitated them w-without compromising the weapon or his teammate. Take close note of his technique, students."

"S-So c-cool! H-He f-fr-froze the entire building i-in an instant! I wonder what's the f-f-full extent of his power?!" Izuku observed while shaking from the cold.

"Whoa, H-He's so strong!" Eijiro said while also shivering. The fact that he was shirtless certainly did him no favors.

Meanwhile, Katsuki watched from the back, his eyes wide in disbelief.

["The Hero Team… WIIIIIINNS!"] All Might announced as Shoto put his left hand on the weapon while Ojiro could only watch, begrudgingly accepting defeat due to being unable to move.

Then, hot air shot out of Shoto's left hand and spread throughout the building.

"Heat too?" Ojiro asked as all the ice started melting.

"Uhh! Owowow!" Toru whimpered in pain from the heat rapidly melting the ice.

"It's not your fault…" Shoto began. "We're just playing on different levels."

[Shoto Todoroki. Another of the four admitted to the Hero Course based on recommendations. Quirk: Half-Cold Half-Hot. He freezes with his right side and burns up the charts with his left. The range of his abilities is unknown.]

"Holy crap!" Rikido exclaimed.

"That guy is kind of intimidating," Denki admitted.

"He got in on a recommendation, so he must be good," Tsuyu said, with Ochaco and Mina looking scared and Kyoka looking dead inside.

"Moving on!" All Might announced. "Time to gather 'round for a review of the second match. After that, we'll jet on over to our next battle."

Meanwhile, Katsuki bit his lower lip in frustration.

For the third match, it starred Team G as the Heroes, and Team C was cast as the Villains.

Entering the building first, Momo and Hilda found the fake weapon pretty quickly.

"Wow, so realistic. Looking through a monitoring screen didn't do it justice!" Hilda said as she examined the payload while munching on a high-calorie snack bar. Her costume featured a white sports bra top with a black vest, proudly showing off her pudgy belly, and denim-colored biker shorts. She also wore black wristbands, white headgear with a pink visor, and black ankle boots with pink soles. "So, how're we gonna do this?"

"Well, we're the Villains in this combat simulation, I think we should adopt a deceptive mindset and act accordingly."

"So, kinda like what Iida was apparently doing? Sounds fun. I'm in!" Hilda said.

"Good. Now, I should have enough lipids for everything…" Momo said as she opened up her leotard to expose more skin in preparation to create something big.

"Lipids? So you use your own body fat to make stuff?" Hilda asked.

"Yes, basically."

"Cool. It's nice to team up with a fellow Fatty!" Hilda said.

"'Fatty?!'" Momo asked, sounding offended.

Hilda quickly realized the poor context. "Oh, sorry! What I meant by 'Fatty' was that your Quirk involves body fat, like how being fatter gives me more strength, speed, and stamina. It was actually coined by the BMI Hero: Fat Gum, whom I'm, unsurprisingly, a big fan of."

"Oh, I see," Momo said, accepting the explanation.

Meanwhile, Eijiro and Mineta just got done discussing each others' Quirks.

["Alright, Heroes and Villains… your time starts now!"]

With that, Eijiro and Mineta entered the building.

"So, how should we do this? You wanna fight Hanakai, or Shirakabe? I'm good with fighting either one," Mineta said before getting a perverted look on his face. 'Hanakai's got curves in all the right places! And while lean girls like her are my go-to type, it'd be criminal to ignore a BBW like Shirakabe!' He mentally added.

"Hey, we're supposed to retrieve the weapon, remember?" Eijiro reminded. "I'll keep the Villains busy while you do that."

"What? No fair! I wanna fight one of those babes too!" Mineta complained, causing Eijiro to shake his head.

They soon came upon a large room, and to the side were the stairs, and right in the middle was Hilda. "About time, Heroes. You ready to rumble?" She then raised one leg and stomped on the floor, taking a sumo wrestler stance. "Even if you make it upstairs, you'll never get the weapon in time."

Eijiro tilted his head, nonverbally telling Mineta to run for the stairs. Mineta understood his message; he also figured that if Hilda was alone down here, then he could go fight Momo, who was probably guarding the bomb. Two birds, one stone.

Eijiro hardened his arms and charged at Hilda, who blocked his incoming fist with her open palm. This gave Mineta the opening to run for the stairs, making his way to the next floor.

Hilda then retaliated with a sumo slap, but Eijiro managed to dodge it. He then aimed another punch at her face and managed to hit his mark.

"Ooh, I sure felt that one," Hilda said as she rubbed her chubby cheek.

"Hitting girls isn't really manly, but I can't worry about that now," Eijiro said.

"Good to know you can put chivalry aside when it matters," Hilda said, gearing up her fists.

As Eijiro charged again, Hilda sidestepped and grabbed Eijiro's arm before swinging him around, sending him crashing into a wall. As he was trying to recover, Hilda threw her weight forward into a body slam to sandwich Eijiro between herself and the wall, causing him to let out a pained groan.

Meanwhile, Momo was guarding the faux missile while watching a video feed of Mineta looking around the building through the cameras she set up beforehand.

Mineta soon came across something hidden by a tarp, and when he pulled on it, it only revealed a stack of crates; this was but one of many decoys Momo and Hilda set up to make it harder for the Heroes. Soon, Mineta started getting closer to where Momo was.

Seeing this, Momo armed herself with a shield and a bo staff.

"Take this, you villainous vixen!" Mineta shouted as he barged into the room before plucking a few balls from his scalp and throwing them at Momo.

However, she blocked the balls with her shield. "Nice try, Hero. But I already knew you were coming. Try as you might, you'll never get the weapon!"

"No way! I didn't come here just to leave empty-handed!" Mineta threw more of his balls, only this time, he threw them on the ground near Momo's feet. With Mineta's adhesive spheres spread across the floor, Momo now had to watch where she stepped lest she get stuck.

However, Momo simply made a big sheet which she used to cover up Mineta's balls, allowing her to get over them without getting stuck.

"What, no fair!" Mineta exclaimed.

Momo swung her staff at Mineta, knocking him back into a wall. She then created a net gun which she fired at Mineta, whose diminutive size actually helped him dodge the net.

Then, Mineta retaliated by throwing his spheres at her, one of which managed to get her foot, and while Momo was caught off-guard, Mineta managed to get her other foot, pinning her in place.

"Haha! Now you're stuck, Villain! I'll be taking the weapon off your hands if you don't mind!" Mineta gloated as he prepared to touch the dummy weapon. Despite this, Momo had a hidden smirk on her face.

Mineta then placed his hand on the dummy, waiting for All Might to announce his team's victory, but he didn't hear anything. "Huh? Hey, All Might! Why aren't you announcing we won?!"

Then, Momo ran up to him with the Capture Tape, having taken off her shoes to escape Mineta's trap, and wrapped the tape around him.

["Young Mineta has been captured. He is eliminated from the fight."]

"What gives?! All I had to do was just touch the weapon, and I did! Why am I suddenly out?!" Mineta complained.

"Because this isn't the actual payload," Momo replied.

"What?"

"That's just a decoy I created with my Quirk. The real one is hidden elsewhere."

"No way! Not fair!" Mineta complained as Momo left the room.

Eijiro and Hilda continued to fight to a standstill when they heard the announcement that Mineta had been eliminated.

"You're alone now, Hero. Whatcha gonna do?" Hilda taunted.

"Don't get co*cky, Villain. I'm hardly done!" Eijro responded back.

Then, Hilda heard Momo through her earpiece. ["Quick. Close your eyes."]

Hilda did as her partner instructed and not long after, a flashbang came rolling in before exploding.

"AGH! SO BRIGHT!" Eijiro recoiled from the bright light.

Then, Momo came in and swung her staff at Eijiro while he was blinded. It didn't hurt him much due to his Hardening still being active, but it left him open enough for Hilda to finish the job by wrapping him in the Capture Tape.

["The Villain Team… WINS!"]

To no one's surprise, Momo was declared the MVP once both teams made it back to the monitoring room.

"Momo made great use of her Quirk. The fake looked very much like the real deal, ribbit," Tsuyu commented.

"She also prepared a lot of decoys along the way, it's like she was prepared for an actual raid," Izuku added.

Eijiro had been briefed on what happened with Mineta. "So, where did you hide the actual weapon?"

"In another room past the one where I was," Hilda replied. "I also specifically mentioned 'upstairs' to lead you guys on."

"Seriously?!" Eijiro asked.

"Yes, through the use of some clever deceptions, the Villains were able to lead the Heroes away from their target and right into their trap," All Might said. "Plus, the extra dummies they set up were a nice touch as well."

Moving onto the fourth match, Teams K and G were chosen as the Heroes and Villains respectively.

Kyoka plugged one of her earphone jacks into the building wall and listened in on all the sounds in the building. "Both are on the first floor. They've split up. One's probably guarding the weapon, while the other one might be planning to ambush us."

"Anything else you can tell?" Tomoe asked.

"Not really. Just the general idea of what's going on. I can't tell the floor layouts and stuff like that," Kyoka replied. "But I can do more than just listen in on sounds. I can also channel my heartbeat through my jacks to shock targets with vibrations."

"Cool," Tomoe said. "Also, when I'm in ball form, I'm not just fast. I'm super tough as well. I think I should lead."

"Okay with me," Kyoka responded.

Then once All Might announced the start of the match, Team K entered the building.

"These corridors aren't all that big," Kyoka observed. "You might have some trouble using your Quirk."

"Don't worry. You'll see, I am very maneuverable as a ball," Tomoe replied.

Soon, the two came across one of their opponents: Denki.

"So it's you, Kaminari?" Kyoka asked.

"Hey, it might just be me, but you girls should be careful. You might get a real shock," Denki said as his hands started sparking with yellow electricity.

Seeing the sparks, Tomoe turned to her partner. "Quick, get back!" She then curled up and activated her Quirk to change into her ball form.

Kyoka, alerted by the urgency in Tomoe's tone and seeing the electricity in Denki's hands, put some distance between him and herself.

Then, Denki unleashed an electric attack to zap Ball-Tomoe, however, it seemed to not affect her, considering her lack of reaction, while Kyoka managed to get far enough to get out of the area of effect.

When the electricity died down, Kyoka rejoined her partner. "Whoa, you're fine after all that shock?"

"While I'm a ball, not many things can hurt me, including electric shocks," Ball-Tomoe replied as she changed back, she then noticed something off about their opponent. "What the?"

Kyoka then turned to see Denki… who had a dopey expression on his face while giving a double thumbs-up and saying, "Yaaaaaay~!"

Kyoka burst into a small laugh at the sight. "What the heck? He looks so dumb! I can't! PFFFFT!"

[Denki Kaminari. Quirk: Electrification. When he goes over his wattage limit, his brain short-circuits and he becomes a huge idiot for a while! Listen to him babbling!]

"What's wrong with him?" Tomoe wondered.

"He probably blew a fuse in his brain or something. Might as well take advantage of it," Kyoka said as she got out the Capture Tape and wrapped it around Denki, capturing him.

"'Kay, that just leaves one. Is Ashido in the same spot?" Tomoe asked.

Kyoka plugged her jacks into the wall again and listened. "Yep. The second left, first right, then straight ahead."

Tomoe nodded and transformed into a ball again before taking the lead toward Mina's location.

Soon, the Hero Team came across a closed door at the end of the hallway.

"Is that it?" Ball-Tomoe asked.

"Yeah, she's in there," Kyoka confirmed. "The door might be locked."

"On it," Ball-Tomoe then went on ahead, picking up speed as she did, and bust the door down as she rolled into the room, to Mina's surprise.

Ball-Tomoe then noticed the bomb right beside Mina and moved to get to it. However, Mina acted quickly and sent a spray of weak acid in her direction.

When the acid made contact with Ball-Tomoe, she felt a stinging sensation, causing her to recoil and roll backward. "Owowowow!" Unfortunately for Tomoe, her ball form was not immune to acid.

Seeing this, Mina sprayed more acid on the floor around the weapon, creating a big puddle of acid that blocked her opponent from reaching it. "Not so easy as you thought, huh, Hero?"

Ball-Tomoe changed back to normal as she faced Mina. "I guess, but aren't you forgetting something?"

"Huh? What do you-" Before Mina could finish, one of Kyoka's earphone jacks jammed into her ears, causing her to scream before she got knocked out.

"Nice one," Tomoe said.

"Thanks," Kyoka said before extending her earlobe jacks to touch the faux bomb.

["The Hero Team… WINS!"]

For Match Five, Team F was assigned to be the Heroes, and Team L received the role of Villains.

Team F was currently with the bomb as Fumikage activated his Quirk, Dark Shadow, releasing a shadowy entity of the same name from his body, and Rikido consumed a few grams of sugar, causing his muscles to buff up.

As Yuga walked into the building, he seemed to be seizing the moment to show off his fancy costume while Koji followed behind him nervously.

"Not to worry, mon ami. With my fabuleux Quirk and panache, I will guide us to victory!" Yuga declared.

As they turned around a corner, they were caught off-guard when a sugar-fueled, strength-enhanced Rikido charged right at them, tackling Yuga to the ground before he could fire his Navel Laser.

Koji attempted to use his Quirk to help out his teammate by calling out to any potential nearby animals for help, but before he could do that, he was ambushed by Dark Shadow.

"Not so fast!" Dark Shadow said as it started attacking.

The Villains' defense plan was to have Rikido be out in the front lines, supported by Dark Shadow, who could extend from Fumikage long enough to aid him, while Fumikage himself kept an eye on the bomb and could easily recall Dark Shadow if the situation called for it.

Yuga stood no chance of defending himself against the much stronger Rikido, and likewise, Koji was overpowered by Dark Shadow. Then the two Heroes were thrown toward each other, and Dark Shadow kept them pinned down, while Rikido used the Capture Tape on them.

["The winner is… the Villain Team!"]

Meanwhile, with Class 1-B, Asia was in the ring with Setsuna as her opponent.

Asia raised her arms defensively as Setsuna smirked and charged toward her to push her out of bounds. Asia, however, got out of the way at the last second and used her tail to trip up Setsuna before pushing her out of bounds herself.

"Um, does using my tail count against the rules?" Asia asked.

"Well, it's not part of your Quirk, so it's okay," Blades reassured.

"Man, I thought I'd have you for sure. Not bad," Setsuna said.

"Nice one, Asia!" Itsuka cheered.

Asia felt happy that she took Hisashi's suggestion to learn a few defensive techniques from Koneko.

"I hope this lesson has taught you to be prepared for situations where you won't be able to use your Quirks in battle," Blades spoke to the class. "Just because you didn't win, don't take it as a bad thing. Figure out what you need to improve on and work toward it, you might even be able to incorporate it into Quirked combat."

"Yes, sir!" The class responded.

"Good. Okay, we're done here!" Blades said. "Tomorrow, you'll get to use your Quirks all you want, so look forward to it!"

Back with 1-A, they were now on the sixth and final match, Team H was selected as the Heroes and Team E became the Villains.

Hanta shot rolls of tape from his tape dispenser-like elbows all over the room, forming a defensive perimeter of sorts around the dummy bomb.

Right beside him was Dani, whose costume consisted of a jumpsuit resembling the one she wore in the Entrance Exam, except the black and white were inverted so it was mostly white with black gloves, collar, boots, and belt; she also traded in her usual blue headband with a white one.

Soon, All Might gave the announcement to begin.

"Alright, Going Ghost!" White rings appeared on Dani's torso as they enveloped her body. The white and black of her costume became inverted. Her fair skin became more tanned, her black hair turned white while her headband turned black, and her bright blue eyes were now glowing green. Her entire body was also covered in a thin white glow. She now looked the same way she did in the Entrance Exam.

"Whoa, that was like a transformation scene from a show!" Hanta said in awe.

[Dani Fenton. Quirk: Phantom. She can channel "Ecto-Energy" that she uses to make herself intangible, fly, or fire it as a beam.]

"I'll go ahead and try to catch them by surprise," Dani said before turning intangible and phasing through a wall.

Meanwhile, the Hero Team had entered the building. Tsuyu used her frog-like abilities to crawl on the wall while Ethel remained on the ground.

Ethel's costume had a militaristic style to it; she wore a black top that showed a good amount of cleavage, matching black pants, armored silver trench coat. She also had black gloves and boots with silver armor, gray pauldrons, and faulds.

"Keep both eyes open. You never know from where they might strike," Ethel said to her partner, who nodded.

Both Heroes looked all around as they walked, however, one of their adversaries was hiding where they could not find or see them.

Dani, having hidden herself within the floor, decided to ambush Ethel first. She got the Capture Tape ready and brought out her arms to wrap it around Ethel's legs, however, Ethel had surprisingly good reflexes, as the moment she felt a tug on her leg, she quickly leaped out of the way before the Capture tape could be fully wrapped around her leg, thus avoiding elimination.

"The floor!" Ethel alerted Tsuyu as she brought out an iron club and pounded on the ground.

[Ethel Ginzan. Quirk: Requip. She has her own personal storage dimension where she can store armor and weapons for later use.]

"Nice try, guys," Dani said as she phased out the floor, floating in the air and returning to a tangible state. "And another thing, that's not all I can do. Ghost Ray!" Dani then fired a green energy beam from her hands at Team H, who leaped to the side to dodge.

Ethel then got out a bola and threw it at Dani, but she turned intangible to let it pass through her. Dani then fought back by firing another Ghost Ray at Ethel, knocking her down.

Then, Tsuyu lashed out her long tongue at Dani, who flew out of the way before turning her attack on the frog girl, who also dodged by hopping onto another wall.

Ethel then summoned twin fencing sabers and thrust them at Dani, who scrambled to barely dodge each attack.

Dani fired a Ghost Ray at Ethel again, but this time, the latter was ready as she summoned a shield to block the attack. Then, Tsuyu hopped in and kicked Dani back with both legs, sending her down to the ground.

Dani, seeing how her original ambush failed and the Hero Team putting up a good fight, decided to make a strategic withdrawal, and phased into the ceiling.

"Looks like we managed to drive her off, ribbit," Tsuyu observed.

"Yes. But it's not yet the time to celebrate. We have a mission to accomplish," Ethel added.

Dani regrouped with her partner, who was still guarding the weapon. "So, as it turns out, they were better than I thought."

"Then I guess a defensive game is what we're gonna have to stick with then," Hanta replied.

Then, the Villain Team heard footsteps coming in their direction.

"Sounds like they're getting close," Hanta said as he raised his arms with his elbow tape dispensers ready.

Dani charged up a ball of energy, ready to fire when the Hero Team made their appearance.

It didn't take long for Team H to arrive, with Ethel taking the lead wielding twin rapiers, cutting through Hanta's defensive layer of tape. Dani quickly seized the opportunity by firing a Ghost Ray to knock one of Ethel's rapiers out of her hand.

Tsuyu then retaliated with a double kick which Dani managed to dodge by flying out of the way. Then, Hanta managed to snag Tsuyu with his tape and swung her into a wall before shooting out more tape to bind her in place. However, Tsuyu had another trick up her sleeve and stretched out her long tongue toward the fake missile, making contact with it, much to Team E's surprise.

["The Heroes are… VICTORIOUS!"]

"Aw, man! I should've taped her mouth too!" Hanta lamented.

Dani slumped in disappointment, Ethel sighed in relief, and Tsuyu ribbited happily.

After Teams H and E returned to the monitoring room and received their evaluations, All Might called the class over to the exit of Ground Beta for final statements.

"THAT'S A WRAP! SUPER WORK! You really stepped up to the plate! And we didn't have any major injuries, save for a few minor ones. You should be proud. Excellent first day of training all-around!" All Might gave a thumbs-up.

"It's nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class," Tsuyu said, remembering Aizawa's manic Totoro smile. "Mr. Aizawa was kind of a buzzkill." Most of the class nodded, sharing her sentiments.

All Might put his hands out in a welcoming gesture as stood in front of a golden-colored UA emblem. "I'M HAPPY TO BRING SUCH STAGGERING POSITIVITY TO MY ALMA MATER! That's all for now, folks. Take what you've learned and keep on improving. Now, watch how a Pro exits. LIKE HE'S GOT SOMEWHERE TO BE!" The number one ran off in a burst of speed.

"Okay, you guys, that is a Hero!" Denki exclaimed in excitement.

"Aw, I'll never be able to run that fast," Mashirao complained.

"He's so cool!" Tomoe gushed.

"Super awesome!" Mineta muttered.

"Though why is he in such a rush?" Ethel asked.

Eijiro and Mina glanced at each other a look, otherwise staying silent.

'Young Bakugo really is overflowing with pride. His ego may be justified, but a school like U.A. is bound to shatter it. As his teacher, it's my sworn duty to counsel him well…' All Might thought as he quickly rushed into a Staff Only exit.

After a quick visit to Recovery Girl's office to get his burns treated, Izuku was now heading back to class. Personally, he was feeling relieved that he already got his first kiss from Rias, otherwise, it would've been with an old lady.

[Yeah, that would suck, for sure.] Ddraig interjected.

'Right. You can hear my thoughts…'

[Only when you think out loud.] Ddraig retorted.

Izuku chose to ignore Ddraig and slowly opened the door to 1-A's classroom. He didn't even get one foot in the room before he got swarmed by some of his classmates.

"Hey, it's Midoriya! Good to see you back, super!" Eijiro greeted. "Ha! Man, I don't know what you were saying during that match, but you were all fired up, huh?!"

"You and Bakugo are super-strong!" Hanta complimented.

"I think the crowner was when you managed to tank that big explosion and come out on top!" Dani said.

"You had us on the edge of our seats!" Hilda said while mimicking a few punches.

"You guys really turned up in the first match," Rikido said. "So none of us held back in our rounds, either!"

"Yes, just watching your match had me exhilarated," Ethel said.

"You were far from elegant, but I suppose-" Yuga tried to speak but was suddenly cut off by Mina.

"And that dodging was like, whoa!" She said while hopping up and down.

Izuku gasped again, looking around at them all with a bewildered smile. "Thanks, but it wasn't all that impressive."

"'Wasn't all that impressive?'" Hilda questioned in disbelief. "Buddy, you're giving yourself far too little credit." She then slung her arm around his shoulder, pulling him close to her pudgy frame.

'She's so close!' Izuku mentally squeaked. His face was starting to turn red as Hilda was unintentionally pressing him up against her plentiful bosom.

Nearby, Mineta watched the scene with envy and rage, especially since he failed to get any female contact during his match. 'What's with that shy guy act!? He's super-strong, but hogging the girls now too!?'

Asia felt a sharp chill run down her spine all the way to the tip of her tail. 'Why am I suddenly feeling jealous?'

Rias's cowlick stood straight up as she sensed a disturbance. 'What's this weird feeling?'

Izuku then tried to get out of Hilda's embrace, doing his best not to cop a feel. Hilda realized what she was doing to him and let him go. "Oh, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm Hilda Shirakabe. Let's get along, 'kay?"

"Hi. I'm Hanta Sero." Hanta introduced himself.

"Ethel Ginzan, a pleasure," Ethel was the next to step up.

"More importantly, I'm Yuga Ao-" Yuga tried to speak but was cut off by Mina once again.

"Again, I reiterate! Your dodging was awesome!" Mina pumped her arms up and down.

"Tsuyu Asui. But please, call me Tsu," Tsuyu stepped out from behind Mina.

"Hey, Sato!" Rikido greeted with a thumbs-up.

"So noisy," Fumikage commented from a distance as he sat on his desk.

"TOKOYAMI!" Tenya called out as he strode towards the bird-headed boy. "Stop using that desk as a chair!" Tenya reprimanded. "Get off of it this instant!"

"Dude, you need to chill," Kyoka advised.

"I mean, it's not like it's against school rules," Tomoe added.

This caused Tenya to jerk backward.

"You're carrying a lot of tension," Ojiro noted.

"No one understands," Tenya slumped. "I cannot condone actions that disrespect these desks! Not when great men and women, our upperclassmen, once used them!" Tenya declared, making his hand-chopping motions.

"Also noisy," Fumikage grumbled.

'Iida never relaxes, does he?' Izuku thought in amusem*nt at the scene.

Then, the other classroom door opened, and Denki and Ochaco entered carrying stacks of books.

"So, anyway, wanna grab a bite sometime?" Denki asked. "What kinda stuff you like?"

"Anything sweet…" Ochaco pondered, and then her eyes caught the sight of Izuku. "Hey, Deku!" Ochaco then dashed toward him, leaving Denki sighing and dejected.

"Oh, hey Uraraka," Izuku greeted back. His eyes then wandered over to Katsuki's desk which he noticed was empty. "Uh, where's Kacchan?"

"We tried to stop him from leaving. But he wouldn't listen. You just missed him," Ochaco answered.

Even though Izuku wanted to go try and talk to Katsuki, he got a text from Rias reminding him that he and the others needed to OFFICIALLY join the Occult Research Club. For the Hero Course students, there were a few extra things they had to take care of first, mostly signing certain agreements that said they understood Hero Course matters were top priority over club activities.

After finishing as quickly as he could, Izuku went on ahead. As he stepped outside, Izuku knew he probably wouldn't find Katsuki but felt like he still had to try.

"Deku…"

Izuku stopped, flinching nervously. There, waiting at the gate, was Katsuki, his usual angry scowl on full display. 'He's still here…'

"I don't know exactly where that crazy-ass Quirk of yours came from, but if I had to guess, did it have something to do with that red-haired upperclassman you've started hanging around?"

"'Red-haired upperclassman?' Rias had nothing to do with it!" Izuku denied.

"Don't play dumb! You haven't been the same ever since you met her, I can tell! Am I right, or wrong?!" Katsuki demanded.

"Alright, I'll tell you what I can. Maybe then you'll understand what's going on," Izuku began. "I wasn't hiding my power from you. It just manifested late. Really late. I-I always had it in me, but it took all this time to finally come out. Sounds crazy, I know. But I've still got a lot to learn about this new power. I know that. That's why I'm here. Sure it's not a Quirk, but-" Izuku suddenly stopped when he realized what he just let slip. "Uh, w-wait! What I meant to say was, uh…" He then noticed the annoyed look on Katsuki's face. 'I'm digging myself deeper, aren't I?'

"How dumb do you think I am?" Katsuki asked as he turned to face Izuku. "'Not a Quirk?' Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. You already made a fool outta me in that damn training exercise. I lost. And to make matters worse, it was to you." He then remembered back to when Shoto demonstrated his power by freezing the entire building. "When I was watching that ice guy, I realized I couldn't beat him in a head-to-head fight!"

He then remembered Momo criticizing his performance.

"Launching a large-scale attack indoors was a foolish move."

"CRAP! I even agreed with what that girl said. MY ATTACK WAS SO STUPID!" Katsuki shouted. "Not only that, she definitely would've got me completely outwitted if I went up against her! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He then clenched his fist. "Enjoy that win, Deku." He then lifted his head, revealing that he actually had tears in his eyes. "You won't get another! I'm just getting started! Got that!? I'm gonna end up the Number One Hero, no matter what!" Katsuki wiped his eyes with his sleeve as he walked away. "You'll never beat me again, you bastard. Don't even try."

As Izuku watched Katsuki leave, he felt the tension leaving his body.

[You okay, partner?] Ddraig asked.

"Yeah, that was nerve-wracking," Izuku replied.

He suddenly felt a hand placed on his shoulder.

Izuku turned around to see Rias smiling at him. Behind her were Akeno, Yumi, Asia, Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina. "B-Buchou? Guys? How long have…?"

"Just in time to see Bakugo start crying," Mina answered.

Asia ran up to him. "Are you okay? Did he do anything?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Izuku reassured. "Though I… kinda slipped out that my power isn't a Quirk. At least he didn't seem to believe me."

Rias frowned in disappointment. "Well, I guess it's safe since you didn't mention anything about the supernatural. So long as Bakugo keeps quiet."

"Kaccahn's not the type to go around spreading things like rumors or gossip, so we should be good," Izuku said.

Rias nodded before smiling, "I'm just glad you're okay. Mina and Eijiro told me what happened today. I'm proud that you stood up to Bakugo like that," She put her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Asia, while she was jealous for a second, quickly resolved to be bolder and joined in on the hug.

The boy began to turn red due to the hug. Or, more accurately, because of how the girls were hugging him. His head was on Rias's breasts. He could feel just how soft yet firm it was even through her jacket. He could also feel the breasts of Asia pressing softly against his back. He'd honestly wonder if he will ever get used to this. Calming down some, Izuku returned the hug. "Thanks."

Rias smiled before ruffling Izuku's hair. "Now come on. There's something we need to discuss with the others."

(Narration: Izuku POV)

"None of us were prepared for what's to come. All Might warned us about cunning Villains. And a few days later, we learned firsthand how terrifying they could actually be."

Chapter 20: Panic at Lunchtime

Chapter Text

Ch. 20: Panic at Lunchtime

"Riser's sister is transferring here?" Izuku asked. When Rias said she had something to say in the clubroom, he was not expecting that.

"That's right," Rias said. "Sona already informed the principal, so it should be all good when she arrives."

"This feels kinda sudden," Asia commented.

"But wait, since she's in her brother's Peerage, doesn't that mean she has obligations under him?" Izuku asked.

"True, that's how it normally works, but in her current status as a free Bishop, she has more independence."

"Free Bishop?" Asia asked.

"According to what I heard, Ravel requested to be traded to her mother's Peerage after the Rating Game, and because Lady Phenex doesn't participate in Rating Games, that allows Ravel a lot of free time on her hands. She was impressed with me, Sona, and Latia, so she decided to enroll in the same school as us. Though I also heard from Lady Phenex that Ravel seemed quite eager to see Izuku again."

Asia made a small scowl, while Izuku blushed slightly until he thought of something. "Wait, trade? You mean if you wanted, you could trade me or someone else with another Devil like a trading card?"

"Sort of, but it requires the consent of both parties, and the type and value of the traded Pieces must match. For example, in the extremely unlikely event that I want to trade away Izuku, then the recipient would have to hand over all eight of their Pawns in return."

"When is she arriving? And what year is she?" Yumi asked, getting everyone back on track.

"I received confirmation that Ravel arrived not long ago. She's staying at an apartment complex owned by the Gremory family that's close to school. Starting tomorrow, she'll be a third-year in U.A. Middle School, the same class as Koneko."

It was now Koneko's turn to scowl.

"Will we see her soon?" Izuku asked.

"En route to school tomorrow should do," Rias answered. "Best to let her settle in before she can expect visitors."

Tomorrow morning, the ORC stopped by Ravel's place, which was in a rather fancy apartment complex, to pick her up before walking to school together. Ravel wore the same uniform as Koneko and carried a dark green bag as she stepped out to meet the group.

"Just keep calm, be polite, and above all, remember that the humans around you are classmates on equal footing, not inferior." Rias reminded.

"I know that," Ravel huffed in annoyance. "I've already got the whole dos and don'ts from my parents, I don't need a reminder!"

"Just making sure. Since the school system is the main source of education in the human world, you have to respect it. One more thing, even if you see some bizarre-looking kids, you need to remember, they're just humans with Mutant Quirks or something like that."

Ravel fumed for a minute before nodding in understanding.

Rias then turned to Koneko. "Koneko, I have a favor to ask. Since Ravel will be in your class starting today, I'm hoping you can be her friend and explain how things work."

"Sure, whatevs," Koneko turned toward Ravel. "I can handle some fried chicken."

Ravel flinched. "Did you just call me a chicken?"

"Yeah. So?" Koneko bluntly answered.

Ravel gasped. "How dare you! I can't believe you have the audacity to insult a member of the Phenex Family!"

"You just came to the human world and you're already causing a bunch of problems for Buchou," Koneko retorted. "So all things considered, you're lucky I stopped at fried chicken."

"Well, better a fried chicken than a little puss*!" Ravel shot back.

"Wish granted."

As Ravel and Koneko glared at each other, the older teens nervously looked on. "This might have been a bad idea," Izuku muttered.

"Yes, I'm concerned too…" Rias said.

Izuku then managed to think of something to change the subject. "If you don't mind me asking, is your brother doing alright?"

"…Honestly, ever since the Rating Game, he's completely shut himself inside his room, doing nothing but moping around," Ravel answered. "His pride really took a dive after getting beaten by you and losing Rias as a result. Though all things considered, I guess something like that was bound to happen sooner or later, considering he relied far too much on his natural ability, he got what was coming."

"We heard that you're part of your mother's Peerage now," Itsuka said. "Any reason why you decided to leave your brother's Peerage?"

"N-No reason," Ravel began twiddling her thumbs as she blushed. "Well… maybe when the Red Dragon Emperor becomes a High-Class Devil one day… I was hoping…"

Izuku blinked in confusion, wondering what Ravel was talking about. Rias and Asia had a smidge of jealousy swell within.

"Uh, you don't have to call me that. I'd prefer if you used my name," Izuku said.

"Y-You want me to call you by name!?" Ravel's eyes widened in a mix of shock and wonder, her face gleaming. This made Izuku think of her as cuter than before. Quickly, Ravel recomposed herself. "Ahem. In that case, I appreciate it, Sir Izuku."

"Uh, you can drop the 'Sir' part, too."

Soon, the group arrived at U.A.'s front entrance, where they noticed a small mob of reporters and newscasters had gathered there. "Is this normal?" Ravel asked.

Suddenly, they were all surrounded by cameras and microphones.

"Hey, you! Can you tell us what it's like to work so closely with All Might?"

"U-Um…" Izuku, along with Asia, began to grow nervous.

Fortunately, Rias came to the rescue. "Sorry, but you won't have much luck asking a group of General Studies students…"

This caused the reporters to turn their attention toward some other arriving students.

"Thanks, Buchou," Asia said.

"No problem," Rias replied. She then looked back at the reporters, who were currently interviewing Tenya.

"His leadership and wisdom remind me on a daily basis that I attend the world's most prestigious educational institution. Of course, he's the personification of honor and integrity that one would expect. But he's also not afraid to show his students a more humorous side! It's truly a unique opportunity to be under the direct tutelage of the Pro we all admire!"

The reporters were starting to get bored as Tenya continued to monologue, going into unnecessary long details about All Might.

"Just two days into the new school year and it's already being hounded by the media. I guess that just goes to show how popular the Number One Hero is," Akeno observed.

"Is All Might really here?" Ravel asked.

"Yeah! Just like how he is on TV!" Eijiro confirmed.

"Plus some other sides of him that most people don't get to see," Mina added.

Ravel's eyes grew wide. "Uh, is it possible… for you to get me his autograph?"

"Oh, shoot! I should've asked him yesterday!" Izuku exclaimed. "Wait, you're an All Might fan too?"

"Of course I am!" Ravel exclaimed. "Nearly everyone in the Underworld knows about him."

"She's right," Rias said. "There are plenty of Heroes, all over the globe, who are famous in the Underworld. There are plenty of Devils who tried to recruit Heroes over the years, though the results are… mixed. Naturally, All Might is high on the wishlist for potential Hero recruits, except, none have been successful, considering his real name and Quirk are a mystery."

"So then… he knows about the supernatural?" Izuku asked.

"He probably knows Devils exist, at the least," Rias answered. "Though I doubt he knows that we, specifically, are Devils. But right now, we better get to class."

And so, the group split for their respective classes (or for Koneko and Ravel, schools).

Meanwhile, Aizawa stepped out to confront the reporters.

"Please, sir. Can you get All Might for us?" A female news reporter pleaded. "Also, you look like a mess. What's your deal?"

"All Might's not on campus right now. Now get out of here. You've disturbed my students enough already," Aizawa shooed the reporters before heading back through the front entrance.

"But my viewers want to know how he's adjusting to life as a teacher!"

"I feel like I've seen that guy somewhere before, but where?"

"I don't know, but he's a bit scruffy for a Hero!"

Aizawa ignored them as he kept walking. 'How does All Might ever get anything done with this media circus stepping on his cape?'

"Alright. If you won't bring All Might out, I'll get him myself!" She began walking toward the front entrance.

"No, hold on!" A man with a camera tried to warn her.

The moment she stepped into the front gate, red warning lights lit up as a buzzer went off, followed by multiple metal gates sealing off the entrance to the school.

"HEY, WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" The female reporter screamed as she fell onto her butt.

"Don't you know about the school's defenses? This gate is the U.A. Barrier."

"Defenses!? It practically killed me!" The female reporter complained.

"Yeah well, it's designed to stop anyone who doesn't have a Student ID or a special pass from entering the campus. Guess it works. Apparently, there are security sensors like this all over the place."

"Keeping the public out…" The female reporter growled in irritation. "This school thinks it's untouchable! The least they could do is grant me one interview."

"I know, right? We've been here for two days and I don't have a single comment on the record yet."

While the mob of reporters continued complaining about being denied any information about All Might, a mysterious figure observed from a distance, specifically, the U.A. gate…

In Class 1-A's homeroom, everyone was present as Aizawa addressed the class.

"Decent work on yesterday's Combat Training, you guys. I saw the video feed, and went over each of your Teams' results," he began. "Bakugo. You're talented, so don't sulk about your loss like a child, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever," Katsuki begrudgingly complied.

"And Midoriya…" Aizawa continued, causing said boy to straighten up. "You put up a good fight, but you still had to bet on that big gambit at the end to win. It may have worked that time, but you can't expect luck to bail you out always."

"Right!" Izuku responded, taking his teacher's words to heart.

Aizawa then went on to give his evaluations to the rest of the class. And once he was done… "Let's get down to business. Our first task will decide your future."

'IS IT ANOTHER QUIRK TEST?!' The whole class was overcome with dread.

"You all need to pick a Class Representative."

'Oh good, just normal school stuff.' Everyone sighed in relief before they began jumping out of their seats.

"Pick me, guys! I wanna be Class Rep!" Eijiro yelled out.

"I'll take it!" Denki followed suit.

"Yeah, you're gonna need me," Kyoka argued.

"Someone with style would be-"

"I would totally be the right pick!" Mina shouted, interrupting Yuga.

Izuku observed how everyone was arguing amongst each other to be named Class Rep. 'In a normal classroom, a Representative's duties would just be a bunch of extra work. But here in the Hero Course, there's more to it. It's a way to get noticed by Agencies and prove you can lead a team like a Pro.' He then shyly raised his own hand.

"SILENCE! EVERYONE, PLEASE!" Tenya suddenly yelled, getting everyone's attention. "The Class Representative's duty is to lead others. That's not something just anyone can do. You must first have the trust of every student in the classroom. Therefore, the most logical way to fill this position is democratically. We will hold an election to choose our leader."

However, the way he raised his arm high while shaking in anticipation made his intentions obvious.

"It's pretty obvious you want us to vote for you!"

"Is this really the best idea?" Denki asked.

"We've only known each other a few days. How do we know who we can trust?" Tsuyu added.

"Besides, everyone will just vote for themselves," Eijiro pointed out.

"Most people will," Tenya acknowledged. "But that means whoever DOES receive multiple votes must truly be the most suitable person for the job." He then turned to Aizawa, who was already in his sleeping bag. "It's the best way! Right, sir?"

"Do what you want. Just decide before my nap's over," the 1-A homeroom teacher said before going to sleep.

"Thank you for your trust," Tenya bowed.

It didn't take long for everyone to cast their votes, and the one who had the most was Izuku with a total of three votes, while the runner-up was Momo with two.

"How did I get three votes!?" Izuku asked in disbelief.

"Okay, you idiots! Who voted for him!?" Katsuki demanded to know.

"What? Did you honestly think anyone was gonna vote for you?" Hanta snarked.

As Katsuki started ranting at Hanta, Ochaco whistled inconspicuously from her seat. 'Maybe I'll just keep my vote to myself.'

Meanwhile, Tenya was lamenting his amount of votes, or rather, the lack thereof. "Zero votes… I feared this might happen, but I can't argue with the system I chose…"

"So you voted for someone else, huh?" Momo asked.

"But you knew it was best to vote for yourself, right? What were you trying to prove here, Iida?" Rikido asked.

Before anyone could say anything else, Aizawa awoke from his nap. "Alright, the Class Rep is Midoriya, and our Deputy is Hanakai," the teacher announced in a monotone voice as the two candidates stood in front of the class.

"Really? Uh, it's not a mistake…?" Izuku asked while fidgeting all over.

Momo sighed in disappointment. "How'd this happen?"

"This might not be so bad," Tsuyu commented.

"I agree," Ethel added.

"Hanakai was totally on top of it when it came to our training results," Denki added.

"I could get behind those two," Hilda said.

"Could've been worse," Dani said, thinking of Katsuki, who did not notice the stealth insult.

Lunchtime soon rolled around and most of Class 1-A left for the cafeteria while Izuku and Momo briefly stayed behind to be briefed on their classroom duties from Aizawa.

After getting their food, the two went their separate ways, with Izuku looking around for the table where his friends were. He soon came across Asia, who seemed to be talking with someone. As he got closer, his face paled as he recognized the person.

It was a slender, brown-haired girl wearing pink glasses. Her hair was done in pigtails on both sides of her head and bangs that covered most of her forehead, gold eyes, and thigh-high black socks. Her name was Aika Kiryuu.

And unfortunately, the glasses girl noticed him. "Hey Asia, look who it is. Your boyfriend."

Asia and Izuku both began to blush. "W-W-What do you mean b-b-boyfriend!?" Asia stuttered.

"Huh?" Aika adjusted her glasses. "Am I wrong? It's just that you two are always together, so I thought-"

"Move, stupid Deku!" Izuku nearly jumped as he turned to Katsuki, tray in hand, behind him. "What are you doing standing like-" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw who else was here.

"Surprised to see me, Explosion Boy?" Aika greeted, waving her hand.

Katsuki stood there for a moment, eyes wide in disbelief. "WHO LET YOU INTO THIS SCHOOL, HENTAI GLASSES?!"

While a lot of heads turned in their direction at the sudden outburst, Aika simply picked her ear mockingly, acting like she was deafened by the shout, with a bored and nonchalant look. "For your information, I attend the Business Course. Are you so simple-minded that you think everyone here comes to be a Hero, Explosion Bo- Huh? He's gone."

Izuku and Asia blinked, not having noticed him leave, either.

"Anyway, Asia, was the book I lent you any help?"

"Huh?" Izuku said.

"Well… I learned… a lot…" Asia replied with a blush, having some difficulty answering.

"I figured you would. '101 Saucy Ways To Get The Boy You Want' always delivers."

"Huh…?" Suddenly, the "bathtub interaction" right before the Rating Game with Riser came back to Izuku's mind. "They say taking a bath together can bring people a lot closer… By interacting during a bath, you're supposed to like, understand each other or something."

'Kiryuu! I should've known…' He realized. He had to intervene before she fed Asia any more weird ideas. "C-C'mon, Asia. The others are waiting."

"R-Right. It was good talking to you, Aika," Asia politely bowed as she took her tray.

"Likewise," Kiryuu replied. "Have fun, lovebirds~!" Izuku and Asia, both red and their heads steaming, left to join their friends. Kiryuu chuckled at their embarrassment when she noticed a familiar midget nearby. He was diligently writing in a notebook, a look of perversion on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Studying everything Midoriya does in order to learn the secret to getting a harem," Mineta answered shamelessly, pure lust evident on his face.

Aika took a peek at his notes and noticed it contained a list of all the girls in Class 1-A, and a few others including Aika, and right next to all their names were bust-waist-hip measurements. "And how will knowing the girls' three sizes help?"

"Amateur! You have to take all factors into account!" Mineta declared.

"Well, at least they're right on the dot. You even got my three sizes right, though you just met me," Aika said.

"I don't mean to brag but… I spent years learning how to determine a woman's three sizes just from looking," Mineta bragged, a rather smug look on his face. "That's right. It's not a Quirk. Just pure skill from training."

"That is impressive," Aika grinned, her glasses reflecting light, "But you're not the only one who can do that, and without using Quirks, too."

"What?!" Mineta exclaimed as he noticed that the strange girl was now staring at him… specifically at his crotch.

Normally, Mineta's lust meter would've skyrocketed about a girl being interested down there, but right now, he felt terrified and violated; the irony lost on him.

"Ah, I see." She finally said, "That's… not impressive, no offense. Bottom rank, F-Tier. Compensating for something, are you?"

Mineta was left sulking in despair as he felt himself falling down a large pit. Aika chuckled at the sight of Mineta's soul coming out of his head as she left the dismayed pervert behind.

"What kept you guys?" Mina asked. She was sitting in between Akeno and Yumi.

"Talking with a friend from middle school," Asia answered.

"I heard that you were voted Class Representative," Rias said as Izuku and Asia sat down. "I'm so proud of you, Izuku!"

"It's funny, 'cause I was voted as 1-B's Class Rep earlier too," Itsuka said. "And our Vice Rep is a guy named Nirengeki Shoda."

"Congrats, Izuku," Chacha said.

"U-Uh, thanks," Izuku stuttered.

"Don't look so glum, man," Eijiro said.

"Yeah, congrats!" Mina cheered.

"Sure, okay. But I don't think I'm qualified…"

"Don't say that," Rias put her arm around Izuku, causing the boy to blush. "We both know you can do it. I believe in you." As Rias said that, she couldn't help but smirk at the jealous looks from Asia and Chacha, and the flustered blush from Ochaco.

"She's correct," Tenya added. "Your courage and quick thinking under stress will help make you a worthy leader. Not to mention, the strength you've demonstrated. Those are the reasons I voted for you, at least."

"You were one of the three?" Izuku asked.

"I actually voted for you, too," Ochaco said.

"You too?"

"I wonder who your third vote is," Asia said.

"It's me," Izuku sheepishly admitted. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting this to happen, 'cause I never thought anyone, much less two, would vote for me."

"Well, good thing you did, because it paid off," Akeno said.

"Hey Iida, didn't you want to be Rep real badly?" Ochaco asked. "I mean you do look the part. Because of the glasses."

'That's not the point…' Everyone else thought.

"Wanting a job and being suited to it are quite different things," Tenya replied. "Observing the Iida family's Hero Agency has taught me that much."

"Agency?" The others asked.

"Hold on, what does your family do?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, uh… it's nothing."

"Y'know, I've been wondering something about you…" Ochaco began. "Admit it, Iida. You're filthy rich!"

"Come on, Iida. Tell us everything." Mina demanded.

"I was afraid people might treat me differently if they knew about my family…" Tenya sighed.

"Well, you're not alone there," Rias said. "I'm actually from a wealthy background myself, and I appreciate how I can just be a normal student here."

Hearing Rias open up about herself, Tenya decided to do the same. "You see, the Iidas have been Pro Heroes for generations. It runs in our blood."

"What?! That's awesome!" Izuku, Ochaco, Mina, and Eijiro all exclaimed.

"Are any of you familiar with the Turbo Hero: Ingenium?" Tenya asked.

"I know all about him!" Izuku's eyes lit up. "He's a super-popular Pro with sixty-five sidekicks working alongside him at his Tokyo agency! Don't tell me…"

"He's my elder brother!" Tenya answered.

"Your family's famous!" Ochako exclaimed.

"I can't believe it!" Izuku said.

"Holy crap! For real!?" Mina said.

"No freakin' way!" Eijiro exclaimed.

"That's amazing!" Yumi said.

"Ingenium has a brother?" Itsuka asked.

Tenya beamed with pride as he adjusted his glasses. "Ingenium is an unmatched commander who honors the Hero Code. As the second oldest Iida son, I strive to be just like him. However, I think it might be a bit soon for me to be in a real leadership role. You, for example. You figured out what the judges were looking for in the Practical Exam. A Rep needs that sort of insight." Tenya finished with a confident smile.

"That's the first time I've seen you smile, Tenya. You should do it more," Ochaco said.

"Yeah! Lighten up!" Mina added.

"What are you talking about? I smile all the time," Tenya argued.

'Iida wants to be like Ingenium in the same way I want to be like All Might. But he shouldn't be hard on himself. I was clueless in that test.' Izuku smiled in admiration at Tenya. "Hey, uh, so about that Practical Exam…"

*VREEEEEEE!*

"What is that?!" Izuku asked as he and everyone else looked up at the loudspeakers.

"Warning! Level 3 Security Breach. All students, please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion."

"What's a Level 3 Security Breach?!" Tenya asked.

"It means that someone's managed to get past the school's barriers!" An upperclassman answered. "This hasn't happened in my three years here, we should get going!"

All of the students began to head for the exit. However, it was in anything but an orderly fashion.

"Stop shoving so hard!"

"Wait, I'm getting trampled!"

"I said stop pushing me!"

A sea of students crowded the hallway, and Izuku and the others were unfortunately squeezed inside.

"Too cramped!" Mina complained.

"I can't breathe!" Chacha wheezed.

"This is quite a mess," Akeno breathed out.

"My tail!" Asia cried out. Her long snakelike lower body was making things hard for her in the chaos and panic.

"Ow! This is a total mob!" Ochaco cried out as her side got hit by an elbow.

"Everyone was quick to react! As I'd expect from U.A. students!" Tenya grunted.

"What? Panicking and causing chaos?" Itsuka snarked.

"I think they missed the 'orderly fashion' part!" Yumi stated.

"Izuku, where are you?!" Rias called out worryingly.

"I'm over-!" Izuku tried to call out, but some students pushed him further away, and he found himself being squished against the wall by Momo, and then Hilda.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry you guys!" Hilda apologized as her fat frame squished the two.

"It's fine," Momo reassured. "Though I'm not sure about Midoriya…"

Izuku was being crushed like a human pancake, not to mention, being so close to two pretty girls was making him blush madly.

Meanwhile, Tenya managed to navigate through the crowd to get to the windows to look outside. "Who in the world could have trespassed on the campus grounds?!" He then saw a familiar group; it was the press. "It's… the press that was outside!"

Outside, the press continued to demand for All Might while Aizawa and Present Mic tried to keep things under control.

"I was afraid it was some kind of attack on the school, but…" Tenya then turned back to the mob. "There's no need to worry, everyone-!" His attempts to pacify the crowd were drowned out by the shouts and screams. 'Where are the teachers? Why aren't they taking control?!'

"Everyone, stop freaking out!" Eijiro shouted as he and Denki struggled against the crowd.

"Kirishima! Kaminari!"

'Am I the only one here who realizes everything is fine?!' Tenya wondered. 'There's no reason for us to be panicking!' He then heard Ochaco screaming. "Uraraka!"

"Tenya, help me!"

Tenya then started making his way closer to her. 'What would Midoriya do? Or my brother? How would they handle this?' He then figured out what to do. "I have an idea!"

Tenya then reached his hand out to Ochaco, much to her confusion.

"Touch my hand! Make me float above everyone else!" He explained.

Ochaco then reached forward and managed to use her Quirk on Tenya, causing him to rise into the air. He lost his glasses, but that was the least of his worries as he needed to diffuse the situation. 'I need a place where I'll get everyone's attention!' He then noticed the exit sign right above the door and pulled up his pant legs to reveal the engines in his calves. "Engine Boost, GO!" He then fired his engines to boost himself forward… but because he was floating, he ended up spinning repeatedly as he flew, slamming right into the wall. The way he was holding onto a pipe while his other hand held onto the wall for support made him resemble the figure on an exit sign.

'This is it!' Tenya thought to himself. 'Be precise, clear, and confident. Make an impact!' He raised his voice as loud as he could and proclaimed, "LISTEN UP! EVERYTHING IS OKAY!" Immediately, all of the students stopped and set their gazes up to him in shock. "IT'S JUST THE MEDIA OUTSIDE! THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! EVERYTHING'S FINE! WE'RE U.A. STUDENTS! WE NEED TO REMAIN CALM AND PROVE THAT WE'RE THE BEST OF THE BEST!"

Fortunately, this managed to get everyone to calm down and sigh in relief. Outside, the police had arrived to remove the media from the school grounds.

Not long after, Sona assembled the student council to get everyone organized. "As you saw, it was merely the media having bypassed the barrier somehow. There is no need for further panic."

After the situation had been taken care of, Izuku, Rias, Akeno, Yumi, and Asia made use of the remainder of their free time to quickly check up on Koneko and Ravel at the middle school. While the middle schoolers did hear about the commotion that happened at the main building, they were lucky enough to not have been bombarded by overeager reporters.

Ravel admitted that she was having a bit of trouble adjusting to school life in the human world, as her new classmates were eager to learn a lot about her and they kept asking questions beyond what Ravel could keep up with. Other than that, Koneko was helping her out as she agreed, though it didn't stop them from getting into arguments every now and then.

Back in the classroom, Izuku and Momo stood in front of the class to address them.

"It's time, Class Rep. Let's begin," Momo said to the trembling Class Representative.

"Um… Okay! So we need to figure out who the other Class Officers will be!" Izuku began. "But first, there's something I wanna say…" It had been on his mind ever since the panic at lunchtime, and he actually discussed it with his friends earlier. Even though they thought he was passing up a great opportunity, they still respected his decision. "I thought a lot about this, and I think that Tenya Iida should be our Class Rep."

This earned a surprised look from the boy in question.

"He was able to capture everyone's attention and get us in line. So I believe, that he should be the one leading our class from now on."

Tenya was in disbelief to hear that the one he voted for the Class Rep was now vouching for him for the position instead.

"Yeah, you know what? If Midoriya vouches for him, I'm good. Plus, hewasa big help. He totally manned up and took charge, right?" Eijiro said.

"Yep," Denki agreed with the dyed redhead. "Oh, and did you notice he looked like the dude on the emergency exit signs when he was on the walls earlier?"

"Oh yeah, that was hilarious," Hilda said.

"This is a waste of time," Aizawa interjected, once again in his sleeping bag. "I don't care who the Rep is, just hurry up."

Tenya stood up from his seat to address the class. "If Midoriya is nominating me for this job… then I humbly accept! I pledge to carry out the duties of Class Rep to the best of my abilities!"

"Sounds good, Emergency Exit," Eijiro gave him a thumbs-up.

"Emergency Exit Iida. Don't let us down, man," Denki also voiced his support.

"We're counting on you, Emergency Exit Class Rep!" Tomoe cheered.

Meanwhile, Momo was dejected that everyone seemed to have forgotten about her in favor of Tenya. "Hello? I got two more votes than him…"

Outside, Principal Nezu, Midnight, Recovery Girl, and Blades were inspecting how the reporters were able to sneak past the barrier. And the answer was quite obvious as a section of the barrier had been destroyed. But it wasn't simply smashed to pieces. No. It was completely disintegrated.

"How were ordinary members of the press able to bypass our security systems?" Midnight asked.

"Someone else must have been behind this. Some Villain actually managed to attack our school," Nezu said.

"Any word from the police?" Blades asked.

"Nothing yet, I'm afraid," Nezu replied. "But why do this? Was this purely a show of power, or a declaration of war?"

"What do we do about the USJ lessons for the first-years?" Midnight asked.

"How about we merge them?" Blades suggested. "Should something happen, putting two of our most versatile fighters together, along with Thirteen and All Might, maybe more than enough to defend the students."

"Interesting idea," Nezu nodded. "We can allow the students to develop interclass relationships which will encourage better cooperation among peers. If this is a success, we could host more joint-class Hero lessons in the future."

Later, Class 1-A were outside in a familiar location: the same field where they did the Quirk Assessment Test. Their instructor for the day was Blades, who was already out to greet them.

"Everyone here? Great, let's begin." Blades said. "Today's lesson won't be as exciting as the Battle Trials with All Might yesterday, but it'll be just as relevant. We'll be doing some good old-fashioned sparring!"

"So we're just battling each other again?" Ojiro asked.

"This is almost the same as yesterday," Rikido noted.

"Ah, but here's the key difference. Today, it'll be a plain Quirkless fight, using only your natural strength and skills," Blades countered. "Even if you have a flashy Quirk, there might be times when using it might be detrimental to your goals. For example, Bakugo…"

"Huh?"

"Your Quirk is great for battling Villains or clearing blockades. But imagine you're inside a building, if you're not careful, you'll cause a lot of unwanted damage and even risk collapsing the whole building."

Katsuki grumbled as he did not need a reminder of what he did wrong in the Battle Trials.

"Of course, there's also the possibility that the Villain could be immune to heat or fire, or to explosions altogether," Blades continued. "The point is, there is always the possibility that you'll be forced to fight without using your Quirks and this lesson is to prepare you for that. Now then, step up and draw a number."

Blades then took out a box filled with numbered paper slips.

Everyone drew their number fairly quickly and then, the matchups were displayed on a holographic screen.

Match 1: Minoru Mineta vs. Katsuki Bakugo

Match 2: Kyoka Jiro vs. Momo Hanakai

Match 3: Eijiro Kirishima vs. Denki Kaminari

Match 4: Mezo Shoji vs. Koji Koda

Match 5: Mashirao Ojiro vs. Shoto Todoroki

Match 6: Ochaco Uraraka vs. Tsuyu Asui

Match 7: Hanta Sero vs. Tenya Iida

Match 8: Toru Hagakure vs. Yuga Aoyama

Match 9: Mina Ashido vs. Rikido Sato

Match 10: Hilda Shirakabe vs. Dani Fenton

Match 11: Tomoe Meguri vs. Fumikage Tokoyami

Match 12: Izuku Midoriya vs. Ethel Ginzan

"Why does the world hate me?!" Mineta began to cry, not only did he not get paired up with any of the girls again, but his opponent was THE WORST one he could have been matched with.

"Alright, Mineta, Bakugo, step into the ring." The two teens did as they were told, one confidently taking one end while the other shakily took the other. "All right, you two boys ready?" Blades asked.

Katsuki grinned a confident smile, this fight wouldn't last long, assuming one would be able to call it a fight. Mineta on the other hand, gulped loudly as he looked ready to pee his pants.

Despite already knowing he would lose, even against someone far closer to his level like Toru, Mineta was determined not to make it easy. He got into U.A., the top Hero School in the country! He was gonna get the ladies to love him! He WILL learn Izuku's secrets to building a harem!

"I'm rea-"

"Start!"

"-dy?" Mineta trailed off as Katsuki was already on top of him.

"DIE!"

Mineta was kicked right where it hurt most, sending him flying all the way into a nearby wall. All the boys (minus Katsuki) felt Mineta's pain. Even some girls felt a bit of pity for him.

"Okay, that was over faster than I anticipated," Blades said. "Bakugo is the winner. But for our remaining fights, let's try to avoid hitting that spot. Next up, it's Jiro and Hanakai. Also, someone take Mineta to Recovery Girl."

Kyoka and Momo stepped into the ring. Once Blades called for the match to begin, Kyoka charged at Momo, intending to push her out. However, Momo managed to hold on and push back. After a moment of struggling, Momo got the better of Kyoka and pulled toward the side, causing Kyoka to be dragged along.

Right as Kyoka tried to regain her balance, Momo landed a kick to her gut, knocking the wind out of her.

"And that's it. Hanakai wins," Blades declared. "Good job, both of you. Despite the rocky first match, we're off to a good start. Kirishima, Kaminari. Step up!"

Meanwhile, the 1-B students were currently doing their Battle Trials. Itsuka and Chacha were currently the Heroes facing off against the Villain Team of Monoma and Kosei.

"Anything?" Itsuka asked as she and Chacha continued to search the building they were in. Chacha was using her enhanced hearing to try and find their opponents. Her ears then stood up straight as she heard something in the distance.

"I found them! Right this way!" Chacha revealed as she took the lead.

Monoma and Kosei were waiting nearby, waiting for the Heroes to arrive. Kosei used his Solid Air Quirk to create walls of solid air constructs for defense, and Monoma used his Quirk to copy Kosei's Solid Air. They soon heard the sound of approaching footsteps and got ready to battle.

The first to arrive was Chacha, who had transformed into her Wererabbit form as she charged right at the Villains, only to run into a solid air wall. Kosei quickly took in a deep breath to ready the next air wall, only for Chacha to smash through the wall.

"What?! No way!" Kosei shouted in disbelief.

The rabbit-like Devil then charged right at Kosei and tackled him to the ground.

"Tsuburaba!" Monoma shouted, only to realize he had his own problem to worry about as Itsuka came charging toward him.

Monoma attempted to defend himself against Itsuka, but the barrier was no match for Itsuka's enlarged fist, her attack smashing through before she pinned the blond boy to the wall with her giant hand spread open.

"Sorry, Monoma, but you're done," Itsuka said as she wrapped the Capture Tape around Monoma, and so did Chacha to Kosei.

["Both Villains have been captured. The Hero Team… WINS!"]

Back with 1-A, they were now in the tenth match of Hilda against Dani.

Dani was keeping her distance, as she knew that she couldn't move the heavyset Hilda without using her Quirk, so she was looking for an opening that she could use for hit-and-run tactics.

Hilda simply kept a sumo stance and made a few harite thrusts to try and intimidate her opponent.

Dani then ran toward Hilda, aiming a kick at her legs. However, when Dani's foot hit Hilda's leg, the latter was unfazed by the attack, as the layer of fat around her legs helped to cushion against the blow.

Right before Dani could get back, Hilda wrapped her blubbery arms around the American girl, locking her into a hold. Dani struggled with everything she had to escape from Hilda's grasp but failed.

Blades realized that Dani was outmatched. "Okay, that's enough. I got what I needed." Hilda released Dani, and the two exited the ring. "Alright. Two more and we're done. Next, Meguri and Tokoyami."

Once Tomoe and Fumikage stood across from each other in the ring, Blades called out. "Ready? Fight!"

Tomoe immediately charged at Fumikage, even without using her Knight speed or transforming into a ball, she was fast, not giving Fumikage a chance to react before slugging him with an uppercut. He didn't even get a chance to recover before she struck him with a knee kick.

Fumikage then tried to go on the offensive, but Tomoe sidestepped and landed a punch to the face followed by a kick, which elicited a grunt of pain from him and forced him out of bounds.

"Oh man, that had to hurt," Hanta winced.

'He's great with his Quirk, but unfortunately, he might be a bit too reliant on it. We'll have to work on his physical capabilities.' Blades observed. "The winner is Meguri. Now our final matchup: Midoriya, Ginzan, you're up."

As soon as Blades called for them to start, Izuku rushed to close the distance between Ethel and himself.

However, Ethel dropped to the ground and swept her leg in a circle to kick Izuku's feet out from underneath him. As Izuku fell to the ground, Ethel jumped into the air to bring down an axe kick onto Izuku, who managed to block by raising his arms.

Ethel then threw her fist forward, which Izuku managed to catch before throwing out his own, which was also caught. The two then engaged in a brief struggle of strength before the two disengaged and backed off.

Izuku charged at Ethel again, but this time, he zigzagged to the side as he got close, much to her shock. He then threw a kick at her knee, causing her to cry out as her leg bent awkwardly, making her lose her footing. Izuku then took the chance to grab Ethel by the arms and threw the silver-haired girl out of the ring.

"Whoo! You're the man, Midoriya!" Eijiro cheered.

"Nice moves!" Mina also cheered.

"You completely bested me. Impressive," Ethel said as she took Izuku's hand to help her get up.

"One of the best performances yet," Blades said as he clapped. "That's it for today. Take what you saw here today and use that to improve. Whether you won or not doesn't matter, what does is what you learned from them."

"Yes, sir!" The class responded before heading back inside.

However, unbeknownst to anyone, they would soon be faced with an even greater challenge than they could anticipate: one where there would be real stakes involved.

Chapter 21: Heroes vs. Villains

Chapter Text

Ch. 21: Heroes vs. Villains

In the city, Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, and a third Hero were dealing with a hostage situation involving a family of three being held captive in the arms of a giant pink Villain.

"Don't move. One step closer and I'll kill this whole family. You don't want the blood of these damned yuppies on your hands. Now do ya, Heroes?" The Villain, Habit Headgear threatened.

The Heroes were catching their breaths as they tried to devise a plan to rescue the citizens from the pink menace.

"Never fear, dear citizens! MISSOURI SMASH!"

All Might came flying in, delivering a karate chop right on the back of Habit Headgear's head while simultaneously rescuing the family from his grip. "I am here to keep you safe… even on my morning commute."

"KYAAAAAH! A hit-and-run!" All Might's ears picked up a cry of distress in the distance.

"I shouldn't be late for school, but I can't ignore someone in need!" All Might launched himself into the air, only to notice something off about himself. 'I've clearly gotten slower. I'm pushing my Hero form too far past the limits. The time I can spend in this form has been getting shorter ever since I forced myself last year. Still… I have to last. I need to find a successor soon.' He then thought back to the individual that caught his eye. 'Even though he was given such a great opportunity, I'm impressed that Young Togata chose to turn it down so he could be his own Hero. Still, if that tip Tsukauchi received is true, if he IS still out there, I must be ready to face him if he comes back before I can find a successor!' All Might thought during the time it took him to reach the fleeing vehicle and smashed the engine so it would be unable to go any further.

"There's a hostage situation across town!" A person on the footpath yelled, getting All Might's attention.

All Might grunted in frustration, but still leaped off in the direction anyway, a Hero's duty to the civilians always came first.

Over at U.A., it was just after lunch period. In 1-A's homeroom, Aizawa discussed the day's lesson plans with the class.

"Today's training will be a little different. Originally, it was supposed to be just us, but after yesterday's incident, it was decided that we'll be joined by Class 1-B. You'll have four instructors: me, Vlad King, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you."

'1-B? That means with Asia, Chacha, and Kendo. Not only that, four Pros. All that because of the break-in?'

"Sir. What kind of training is this?" Hanta raised his hand to ask.

"Rescue." Aizawa held up a card that had the word "RESCUE" written on it. "You'll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, stuff like that."

"Disasters, huh? Sounds like we're in for a big workout," Denki commented.

"Totally!" Mina excitedly concurred.

"Real Hero stuff, this is what separates the men from the boys. I'm shaking with excitement!" Eijiro was pumped up.

"Finally, I'll get to show off how good I am in the water, ribbit," Tsuyu said.

"Guys, I'm not finished yet," Aizawa said annoyedly. "What you wear in this exercise is up to you. I know you're excited about costumes." He then pressed a remote to reveal the students' costumes. "But keep in mind that you haven't gotten used to them yet, and they might limit your abilities. This special training's at an off-campus facility. So we'll be taking a bus to get there. That's all, start getting ready." With that, he turned and walked out the door. The students got up from their chairs and began to prepare to head to rescue training.

Class 1-A all stood outside, waiting for the bus to arrive. Nearly everyone was in their costumes, all except one.

"Deku? Why are you wearing your PE clothes? Where's your costume at?" Ochaco asked. Izuku was dressed in his gym uniform with the accessories from his costume.

"You saw it after the Combat Training, it was kinda trashed," Izuku replied. "I'm still waiting on the Support company to fix it up."

"Izuku!" He heard Asia's voice calling out to him, and he turned to see said girl slithering up to him with Itsuka and Chacha beside her.

Asia wore her nun dress which was slightly modified to allow for less restricted movements, she also had her green flower pendant she received from Inko, and a lock of her hair was changed into vines to form a makeshift crown of thorns around her head.

Itsuka wore a blue knee-length qipao, with a black double-breasted corset that ended just below her bust, with short black spats underneath, a brown utility belt, a satchel attached to her back, a thin black domino mask around her eyes, and white-heeled navy blue boots.

Chacha's costume consisted of a blue dress with white ruffles and white short sleeves, a brown belt around her waist, and white shoes with red ankle cuffs. She also had on golden bracelets and a choker, a red headband with winglike extensions on the side, a red scarf around her neck, and a gold pauldron on her right shoulder.

"Do you like my costume? I was inspired by magical girl shows," Chacha said as she did a twirl to show all angles of her costume.

"Oh yeah, I think it suits you," Izuku said, to Chacha's joy.

"So you're this Izuku I've heard about."

Izuku turned around, only to see the floating head of a girl with wavy, dark moss-green hair, wearing a purple scaly mask over her dark green eyes, and a grin showing off her sharp teeth.

Izuku freaked out at the sight of the floating head and let out a loud yelp.

"Kehahaha! That was priceless!" Setsuna laughed as she floated back onto her body. Her costume was a purple bodysuit of the same design as her mask, along with black knee-high boots, black fingerless gloves with guards for the knuckle and wrist, and a belt around her waist decorated with a yellow jewel.

"Setsuna!" Chacha shouted.

"Oh, relax, Chacha. I'm not gonna steal your boyfriend or anything," Setsuna teased.

Izuku and Chacha's faces both turned red as they stuttered trying to deny Setsuna's claim. Ochaco stared wide-eyed; what Setsuna said upset her for some reason. Asia pouted as she sent a small glare at Setsuna and Chacha.

She wasn't alone as back inside the school, Rias silently glared in the direction of the gathered students in the halls at one of the upper levels. She couldn't hear what they were saying from that distance, but the green-haired girl was pushing her boundaries.

"Is something wrong, Rias?" Latia hesitantly approached the red-haired Devil.

"I've never seen her so worked up," Sona commented. "She must really like Midoriya."

"It makes sense since he was the one who beat Riser," Akeno added.

Rias, meanwhile, didn't notice her friends were behind her as she was too focused on the Hero Course students below.

"So nice to meet face-to-face, Class 1-A." Monoma strode up to the 1-A students. He wore a tuxedo with several clocks around his waist. "The question is, who will come out as the better in today's exercise."

"You've just met them today, Monoma. Don't go making enemies before you get to know them," Itsuka reprimanded.

"We're all striving to be the best of the best, Kendo. It's only fitting to consider the other class our rivals," Monoma interjected.

"Fine. Just don't let it become an obsession," Itsuka relented.

Meanwhile, Chacha could only watch in envy at the sight of Izuku talking with his fellow 1-A students, specifically the girls.

Then, a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Chacha," Orihime reassured. Her attire was a sleeveless white garment with a diamond-shaped design on both sides and an indigo, wisp-patterned bottom half. Her hair, which was normally tied into twintails at the side, was now a ponytail at the back bound between orange rods. She also wore a pair of red hakama pants and sandals, a large purple and white nio-dasuki on her back, and a hannya mask on the side of her head. "You'll have plenty of time to be with him soon."

Chacha looked at the Pawn, nodding and smiling. She was right. Her chance with Izuku will come soon. She just had to be patient.

Meanwhile, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu noticed each other, and both were thinking the same thing. 'He looks familiar, but from where?'

There were plenty of other students interacting with their contemporary class. Among those were Ethel and Hilda from Class A with Rebecca and Asuka from Class B respectively.

Rebecca's current attire was a yellow scale-armor patterned leotard with a white sports skirt over it. She also wore yellow boots, brown gloves, and a turquoise capelet.

Asuka's Hero costume was a pink, form-fitting bodysuit that clung tight to her body, emphasizing her curves. It was lighter in the stomach and chest area and had fishnet mesh around the sides of her thighs and waist. She had light pink metallic gear on her arms and legs which almost seemed mechanical.

"Ah, I know that cafe you're talking about. I love their rainbow cake, it's muy sabroso!" Rebecca chimed in.

"And I particularly cherish their strawberry cake, which is a perfect combination of the sweetness of the cream and the slight sourness from the strawberries!" Ethel said excitedly with sparkles in her eyes, contrasting her usual stoic nature.

"So wait, you really scored your first points in the Entrance Exam that way?" Asuka asked.

"Yep! Leaped into the air and crushed the bot under my big fat booty!" Hilda said as she turned around and slapped her butt for emphasis.

Aizawa and Vlad King looked over at their students. It pleased them to see that many had already introduced themselves to their sister classmates and several friendships were forming between them, due to sharing personal interests or having similar Quirks.

Tenya then blew a whistle, getting the attention of all the students. "Gather around, Class 1-A! Using your student numbers, form two neat lines so we can load the bus efficiently!"

Soon, everyone loaded onto the bus and they were on their way to the training facility. However, someone was not happy.

"The bus's open layout ruined my boarding strategy," Tenya muttered, depressed and annoyed. He was expecting the bus to have the standard seating arrangement, but now, his plan had been rendered moot.

"Iida, you really need to chill," Mina said.

"Yeah, this is hardly a reason to get bent out of shape over," Dani added.

"If we're pointing out the obvious, there's something I wanna say," Tsuyu stated before turning to Izuku. "About you, actually."

"About me? What is it, Asui?" Izuku nervously asked.

"I told you to call me Tsu," Tsuyu reminded.

"Oh, yeah, right."

"That power of yours… not only can you boost your strength, but you can also become a dragon like Ryukyu?" Tsuyu bluntly asked.

"Uh, well, yeah, I guess it kinda is like hers," Izuku muttered. "I can double my power, but only once every ten seconds. So there are limits."

"Even so, it's a lot flashier than my power," Eijiro entered the conversation. "My Hardening's super strong, but it doesn't look all that impressive, see." He then activated his Quirk for a quick demonstration.

"Oh, no way! It's really awesome! I've seen you in action with your Quirk, remember?" Izuku said. "Like on the day we met?"

Eijiro then remembered the rescue mission at the church where he managed to fight off plenty of rogue priests and exorcists, who all either went down easily to a few hardened punches or failed to damage him in any way due to his toughness. "Right, I remember! Thanks, bro."

Mina smiled at that, her friend had gained more confidence in himself and she couldn't be happier for him.

"Yeah, you're definitely Pro material with a Quirk like that!"

"My Navel Laser's got the perfect combination of panache and strength," Yuga bragged.

"But it's way lame if it gives you a stomachache, sweetie," Mina informed as she placed her hand on the glittering Hero-in-training's shoulder, to his embarrassment.

"Well, if any of our classmates have Pro Quirks besides Midoriya, it's Todoroki and Bakugo." Eijiro cast a glance to the back of the bus where the mentioned two were sitting. Katsuki gave a quick look towards his direction before going back to mind his own business.

"Sure, but Bakugo's always angry. So he'll never be that popular," Tsuyu bluntly stated.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!? I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" Katsuki slammed his hands down on the guard in front of him as he stood up and glared at Tsuyu, to the surprise of his seatmate, Kyoka.

"Y'see?" Tsuyu pointed at the volatile teen, her point proven.

"Y'know, we basically just met you, so it's kinda telling that we all know your personality is flaming crap mixed with garbage," Denki said with a shrug and a smirk.

"YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THE DAY YOU APPLIED TO THIS SCHOOL, YOU LOSER!" Katsuki roared at the blond.

As Tenya tried to diffuse the situation, Izuku watched the scene with surprise and awe.

[Surprised that Bakugo is the one getting teased in school, now?]

'Yeah,' Izuku nodded. 'Never thought I'd see the day,' Izuku chuckled to himself as the bus began to slow down.

"This is such a disgusting conversation," Momo said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Yeah, but it's kinda fun listening to them fight," Ochaco said with a cheerful grin.

"Yeah, lighten up," Hilda added.

"Hey, hey, we're here," Aizawa called out as the bus arrived at their destination. "Stop messing around."

When the students all got off the bus, they looked up to see a large domed building, along with someone in a large spacesuit.

"Hello everyone, I've been waiting for you!" The person in the spacesuit greeted them.

"It's the Space Hero: Thirteen! The chivalrous Pro who's rescued a ton of people from disasters across the world!" Izuku said.

"Woohoo!" Ochaco gushed. "Thirteen is one of my favorite Heroes!"

"I can't wait to show you what's inside," Thirteen motioned for everyone to come in.

'This is gonna be awesome!' Nearly all the 1-A and 1-B students thought.

Inside the domed building, there were many zones for rescue training, all created in the image of various potential disaster sites.

"It looks like some kind of amusem*nt park!" Eijiro and Tetsutetsu both yelled, before noticing that they both said the same thing.

"A Shipwreck, a Landslide, a Fire, a Windstorm, etc.!" Thirteen announced. "I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters, I call it… the 'Unforeseen Simulation Joint.' But you can call it 'USJ!'"

'…Just like Universal Studios Japan.' Pretty much all the students thought.

"Hey, shouldn't All Might be here already?" Vlad King asked.

"Let me guess, he booked an interview instead?" Aizawa remarked sarcastically.

"Actually, it's something else," Thirteen said in a quiet voice as she moved in closer toward the two. "Apparently, he did too much Hero work on the way to school this morning and used up all his power. He's resting in the Teachers' Lounge."

"That fool. He should know better than that." Vlad King said in a whisper tone.

"That man is the height of irresponsibility," Aizawa muttered. 'Well, we should be okay with just the three of us…' "The clock's ticking. We should get started."

"Excellent. Before we begin, let me just say one thing, well, maybe two things…" Thirteen held up two fingers, before raising two others. "Possibly three… four… or five…"

The students sweat-dropped. 'We get it.'

"Listen carefully. I am sure you are aware that I have a powerful Quirk. It's called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it to dust." Thirteen explained her Quirk.

"Yeah, you've used Black Hole to save people from all kinds of disasters before, haven't you?" Izuku asked, with Ochaco nodding along rapidly.

"That's true, but my Quirk could also very easily be used to kill," Thirteen replied in a serious tone. "Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous." The students stared in silence as they continued to listen. "In our superhuman society, all Quirks are certified and stringently regulated, so we often overlook how unsafe they can actually be. Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly. Even if you're trying to do something virtuous like rescue someone. Because of All Might's combat training, you likely experienced how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people. Carry those lessons over to this class. Today, you're going to learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives. You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a Hero is all about. Ensuring the safety of others. That's all I have to say. Thank you so much for listening." Thirteen finished her speech with a bow.

The students clapped and cheered at her speech.

It was now Aizawa's turn to speak. "Right. Now that that's over-"

But before he could finish his sentence, the various lights and electricity went off. Both classes and the teachers looked around in surprise.

"What's up with the lights?" Chacha asked.

Suddenly, at the USJ's Central Plaza, the space around the fountain became distorted as a dark purple misty vortex began forming. Both Aizawa and Vlad King instinctively felt a sense of dread as they turned to face the swirling vortex, which had now formed into a portal. The first to emerge was a face wearing a disembodied hand like a makeshift mask.

"Stay together and don't move!" Aizawa suddenly ordered, catching the students by surprise.

"Do as he says!" Vlad King roared as he readied his fists. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

Seeing their defensive nature, some students looked into the Central Plaza to see what had made them act this way.

"What is that?" Itsuka asked.

More figures exited the portal, flooding the area from the mist, each with unique Quirks that made them stand out in one or another way. However, there were two among them that stood out: the first was a giant humanoid whose brain was visible, and the second was a woman dressed in a black tank top and jeans with her face obscured by a hood, both standing next to the man with the hands.

"Wait, did the training start already?" Eijiro asked.

"I thought we were rescuing people?" Tetsutetsu added.

"DON'T MOVE!" Vlad King commanded as Aizawa put on his yellow goggles.

"This is real. Those are Villains…" Aizawa replied.

The students' eyes widened in shock.

"The only real Heroes I see are Thirteen, Vlad King, and Eraserhead. There are also twice the number of students we anticipated. Perplexing," A voice came from the portal, which had reformed into a somewhat humanoid shape. "According to the schedule we retrieved from U.A., All Might should be here as well. And Class 1-B is supposed to be back at the school."

"Makes sense considering the scare we gave them yesterday," the man with the hands said. "Must've decided to change things up a bit. Still, I went through the trouble of bringing so many friends who are eager to meet All Might, the great Symbol of Peace. Maybe if we kill a few kids, he'll come out to play."

The hooded woman smirked at the idea, already having five students in mind for her list, particularly the boy with the fluffy green hair.

"So those scumbags used the press from yesterday as a cover and sneaked onto campus," Vlad King said in realization.

Aizawa's capture scarf furiously unraveled as the last of the Villains stumbled through the black fog. Thirteen stepped in front of the shocked students, keeping vigilance over them as Aizawa and Vlad King prepared for battle.

"What, real Villains!?" Eijiro shouted.

"How could so many of them get into a U.A. facility this secure!?" Tetsutetsu added.

"Yeah, Thirteen!" Itsuka called out to Thirteen, making her way to the front of the two classes. "Why aren't the alarms going off?"

"Good question. I'm not sure…"

"Is the entire campus under attack? Or is this their only target?" Shoto questioned.

"If the alarm sensors aren't being triggered, then one of these Villains must have a Quirk that's masking their presence here," Ethel deduced. "They carefully chose this isolated facility as an entry point at a time when a class was being taught."

"They're fools for trespassing here, but they've thought this out," Monoma added. "Whatever their plan, they must have a concrete objective in mind. But what is it?"

"Thirteen! Get them out of here. And alert the main campus," Aizawa ordered. "Actually, if they've got the ability to block our sensors, they might be jamming our regular communications too. Kaminari, try using your Quirk to contact the school."

"Yes, sir!" Denki obeyed.

"Class Reps, organize your classes. Make sure you keep a headcount on everyone," Vlad King warned.

"What are you gonna do?! You can't fight them all by yourselves! There's too many of them!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Yeah, we can help out!" Hilda added.

"You can't be a Pro if you only have one trick," Aizawa smirked. "We'll leave it to you, Thirteen."

"Reminds me of our student days," Vlad King smirked. "What say we use this to settle an old draw from our sparring days?"

"Now's not the time, Vlad," Aizawa reprimanded. "…But just to refresh your memory, I'm ahead at 51." Aizawa jumped down the stairs.

"Why that-!" Vlad King quickly followed after his colleague.

"Shooting squad, take your aim!" A Villain with gun barrels for fingers grinned.

"Didn't our intel say it was just gonna be Thirteen and All Might out here? Why's Vlad King here? And who's that hobo?" A female Villain with long grey hair floating upwards stated as she and the rest of the observed Aizawa charging ahead of Vlad King.

"Don't recognize 'im. But if they think they can take us down easy, they're dead!" Another Villain stated.

"Let's gum them down!" The Villains prepared to attack.

Aizawa responded by activating his Quirk as his eyes turned blood red and stared at all the Villains in his line of sight. The Finger Gun Villain tried to shoot from his fingertips, but found his Quirk not working, "My Quirk!"

The other two found themselves having the same problem thanks to Aizawa erasing their Quirks. And before they knew what was happening, Aizawa's capture scarf wrapped around them. With a swift tug, all three were hoisted into the air before colliding with each other headfirst, getting knocked out in the process.

"Idiots! That's Eraserhead! A Pro!" A random Villain shouted. "He can cancel your Quirks just by looking at you!"

"Cancellation? Bet you can't erase the Quirk of a Heteromorphic-type like me, can ya?!" A large gray Villain with multiple arms around his body said as he charged at Aizawa.

"Yeah, you're right," Aizawa replied, easily dodging the attacker's first strike and punching him square in the face. "But a Villain like you is only dangerous if you can reach me…" Suddenly, the capture scarf shot out and wrapped itself around the Villain's leg as Eraserhead dodged a punch from another Villain before retaliating with a kick. Pulling from the cloth, the multi-armed Villain was sent flying against a crowd of goons, throwing the group to the ground and taking them out of combat. "Good thing I've taken measures to make sure that never happens."

A group of four Villains tried to attack him from the back, but Vlad King intercepted them and in two swings managed to knock them out, his punches so hard and fast that one's face was not enough to stop them. "Got you!" A burly-looking Villain shouted as he tried to punch Vlad King, only for him to easily catch the fist with one hand. Suddenly, blood came gushing out of his gauntlet, ensnaring the Villain's hand.

Sekijiro Kan AKA Vlad King. His Quirk: Blood Control. He can control his own blood once it leaves his body.

"Ugh, let me go!" The Villain struggled.

Vlad King's response was to roar and use the Villain as a bat, knocking several others before spinning and tossing him away. "Now which one of you gutter punks is next?"

"There they go, trying to intimidate us. Since Eraser's hiding behind those goggles, you can't tell whose Quirk he's erasing. And Vlad's no slouch either, he's pretty versatile in using his blood for all kinds of purposes. How annoying," the apparent leader observed. "The worst thing about dealing with Pros is when they live up to all their hype."

"Why not just let me deal with them? I can do a better job than those third-raters," The woman in black offered, wanting to speed things along so that she could have a chance to kill a certain group of students.

"Not yet. We need to see what these Pros can do first. That's what we have the fodder for," the leader countered. "Kurogiri, how are the children doing?"

The Mist Villain, Kurogiri, noticed Aizawa being distracted by the other Villains and sensed an opportunity.

The group of forty-eight students, led by Thirteen, were now running for the exit. "Whoa, they're holding them off. Guess I shouldn't have underestimated them," Izuku muttered as he watched in awe that Aizawa and Vlad King could hold their own against all those Villains.

"This is no time for analyzing! We have to go!" Tenya called out, prompting Izuku to join him and the others.

The students and Thirteen made it halfway to the door, only for a black and purple vortex to appear in front of them before reforming into Kurogiri. "There is no escape for you!"

'Damn! I blinked and the guy who seems like the most trouble got away!' Aizawa cursed in his head as he and Vlad continued to fight off the minor Villains.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. We are the League of Villains," Kurogiri introduced politely. "I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello. And besides, isn't this a fitting palace for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to take his last breath?" He locked eyes with a few of the students and Thirteen. "All Might was supposed to be here today, yet I see no sign of him. There must have been some sort of change in plans we could not have foreseen. Ah, well. I suppose in the end it does not matter. I still have a role to play."

As Kurogiri monologued, Thirteen flipped out one of her finger caps, preparing to use her Quirk. However, Katsuki, Eijiro, and Tetsutetsu all rushed Kurogiri. Eijiro hardened his fist, Tetsutetsu steeled his, and together the boys aimed for Kurogiri's head while Katsuki had both hands out and blasted the midsection.

"Did you think we were just gonna stand around and let you tear this place to shreds?" Eijiro taunted.

"Yeah, take that!" Tetsutetsu said, high-fiving Eijiro.

"You live up to your school's reputation…" Everyone gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing an unharmed Kurogiri. "But you should be more careful, children. Otherwise, someone might get hurt."

"You three, get out of the way right now!" Thirteen yelled, her finger pointed towards Kurogiri, but it was too late.

"I'll scatter you across this facility. To meet my comrades… AND YOUR DEATHS!" Kurogiri yelled, enveloping both classes with his dark mist.

"CRAP! What is this?!" Eijiro and Tetsutetsu yelled.

Tenya grabbed whoever was nearest to him and ran out of the mist, which were Ochaco and Rikido. Mezo grabbed Mina and Kosei, as they were closest to him, and managed to anchor himself into the ground to avoid being sucked in. Awase fused his feet into the ground while grabbing Hanta and Shihai, fusing his hands into their skin to avoid being pulled away. Jurota transformed, grabbing Itsuka and Juzo and anchoring himself down similar to Shoji. Kojiro sprayed fast-drying glue from the holes in his face at his own feet, along with Hilda and Hiryu's, securing all three to the ground.

But the fog managed to envelop everyone else, swallowing them whole.

Izuku suddenly felt himself being thrown out of the vortex, only to find himself staring right into a body of water which he fell into.

'Water? He must have a warping Quirk,' Izuku thought as he regained his senses and observed his surroundings. Suddenly, he noticed a soft sensation on the back of his head right before a pair of white, slender arms grabbed him, and he felt himself being dragged to the surface. It was none other than his rabbit-like friend, Chacha. 'We must've been warped here together.'

Suddenly, Chacha's eyes widened in horror and shock. Izuku looked where she was facing and he too got the same expression. A shark-like Villain was swimming straight towards them at high speeds.

"First catch of the day! Nothing personal, kids, but you gotta die!"

But before the fishy fiend could get his jaws on them, Tsuyu suddenly appeared and slammed her legs into his face.

"Hey Midoriya, Akaninjin," the frog girl shot out her long tongue and wrapped it around the two Devils before dragging them out of the water.

Up on the surface, there was a ship with Dani, Rebecca, and Monoma already on it.

"You guys okay?" Dani called out, to which the two Devils nodded.

"Hang on," Tsuyu stretched out her tongue to gently drop Izuku and Chacha on the boat deck.

As Izuku rubbed his head, he finally realized what the soft things against his head were: Chacha's boobs. His face turned red as he backed away. Chacha's face was just as red, her blush visible even through her white fur, though she silently thought to herself that it wasn't all that bad.

"I got two more coming on board!" Tsuyu had both Reiko and Mineta in her arms, using her tongue to bring the former onto the boat first.

"For a frog, you got some pretty big boobs, Tsu… Perfect floaties…" The perverted boy leaned his face toward her bosom, causing her to blush and croak in embarrassment.

In turn, the frog girl threw Mineta onto the boat rather violently, as opposed to placing him down gently, in retaliation. Once that was done, Tsuyu climbed onto the ship herself.

"You saved mine and Chacha's lives, Asui," Izuku thanked.

"I told you to call me Tsu," she said.

[Tsuyu Asui. Her Quirk: Frog. It's pretty self-explanatory. She can basically do anything a frog can.]

"O-O-Oh, s-sorry I didn't mean it," Izuku muttered, waving his hands around nervously.

"You okay, Reiko?" Chacha asked her classmate, who nodded.

"Is that everyone here?" Reiko asked.

"I didn't see anyone else, so yeah," Tsuyu confirmed. "This is turning out to be a terrible day of class."

"Sí. This is no bueno," Rebecca said.

"Hey, remember what that Mist Guy said?" Dani asked.

"All Might was supposed to be here today, yet I see no sign of him. There must have been some sort of change in plans."

"They knew our whole schedule and who would be here. They must have gotten into school files while we were all stuck In the cafeteria yesterday," Izuku deduced, reminiscing on the events of the previous day. "The teachers were busy trying to get the media off school grounds. That means they've been waiting for the perfect time to attack. Just like Todoroki said they were."

"Hey, hold on a second! It's not like these guys can really kill All Might!" Mineta said. "Once he shows up, he'll pound these villains until there's nothing left!"

"Think about it though," Tsuyu argued. "If the Villains spent so much time planning this attack, then they probably figured out a way to kill him."

Everyone else looked at Tsuyu with varying looks of horror.

"And didn't you hear what that smoke guy said? Maybe we should worry more about not getting tortured to death," Tsuyu continued.

"You mean even if we survive long enough for All Might to come… He might not make it out in one piece?" Chacha asked hesitantly.

"This may be our darkest hour…" Reiko said ominously.

Meanwhile, Mineta started looking more and more like he was about to wet his pants.

"No! The Pros are gonna save us, right?! Tell Frog-Boobs to shut up!" Mineta wailed, causing almost everyone to frown at his behavior.

Izuku stared into the distance, hoping that his other friends were doing okay.

Landslide Zone

Asia, Manga, Pony, and Shoto were confronted by a squad of Villains.

Asia looked a little nervous, but she was determined to be brave just like Izuku. Manga's speech bubble-like head displayed the text "Yikes!" Pony put her hands to her temples with the index fingers raised, almost like she was trying to aim. Shoto just kept an icy glare at the Villains.

Ruins Zone

Katsuki roared as he blasted a Villain with an explosion while Eijiro and Tetsutetsu had their Quirks activated to fight back against the enemies.

Mountain Zone

By random chance, all the students transported to the Mountain Zone were girls (Momo, Tomoe, Setsuna, Yui, Kyoka, Asuka, and Ethel), something which the all-male group of Villains was happy about.

Conflagration Zone

Ojiro and Shoda stood back-to-back as they faced a horde of Villains. Denki and Sen were nearby, with Denki looking scared while Sen kept up a glare at the Villains.

Downpour Zone

Fumikage, Koji, Kinoko, Togaru, and Orihime stood together as they were surrounded by bad guys from all sides.

Back at the entrance, Thirteen and the group of 15 students kept their eyes on Kurogiri in case he tried to warp them away again.

During this, Eraserhead and Vlad King continued to pummel the lesser Villains while the leader and his group continued to observe.

"Heads up! We've got company!" Dani suddenly noticed something in the water.

"You bastards!" the Shark Villain yelled, as he and a dozen more at least surrounded the boat. "I'll enjoy eating you!"

Mineta proceeded to scream like a little girl. "BAD GUUUYYYYYSSS!"

Izuku looked at the Villains swimming toward the boat before he looked at the others. Each of them was growing nervous, some more than others. 'Asui might be right. If they're here for All Might, they might have a way to defeat him. They wouldn't have planned this attack if they didn't. But why him out of all the Heroes? Because his very existence discourages Villains and evil? Because he's the one and only Symbol of Peace and Justice?' His demeanor turned to determination, clinching both his fist and teeth. 'Actually, it doesn't matter! I don't care what their reasons are!' Izuku then remembered when Rias told him he could be a Hero, when he was accepted into U.A. by All Might, and when he saw All Might's debut video. 'I have to focus! I have to face this evil head-on!' "If they can beat him, then we have to stop whatever these bad guys are planning. We have to work together and keep All Might safe. No one at U.A. knows what's happening. This is up to us! Let's be Heroes!"