Izuku, unknowing of what was going through Sona's mind at the moment, kept staring at her defiantly before he felt a tug on his sleeve, finally breaking eye contact to stare down into the wide and impressed hazel eyes of Koneko, the shorter girl emitting a small sense of admiration for him, just as much as he felt from Ochako and Asia.
"That was really cool, Izuku."
The fire that once blazed in his eyes moved itself down to his cheeks. He had certainly not expected to hear Koneko address him by his first name at all. He didn't even know how to respond to that, though he didn't have much of a chance to try, as Koneko gave a very light tap to his arm with the back of her hand. Not enough to hurt, thankfully, but definitely enough to get his attention.
"But please try and think more before jumping in like that. I don't want to lose my friend."
His eyes began to widen as his mouth gaped open, completely taken aback at her words as she walked back over to Yumi, who was giving the smaller girl a gentle smile, one he saw her return.
"I…well..I'll t-try Toujou."
"Koneko."
Yeah. Apparently this was his life now. Cool, sometimes intimidating, and incredibly cute girls being fine with him addressing them by their given names.
Still, he couldn't help himself from smiling back at her, watching as she began to blush in return.
"I'll try. Thank you, Tou…Koneko."
Rias continued to watch as Izuku interacted more and more with his fellow Devils with a smile of her own. He was becoming closer to the group, and judging by how he stood up for himself against Sona's question, he was becoming more sure of himself as well, even if he could occasionally drift back into being rather shy.
Strangely enough though, she found herself happy that he could still be that way. It felt like he simply wouldn't be Izuku without that. It was part of what made him who he was, and it was just one of the parts of her Izu that she cherished.
Hang on. Her Izu?
She struck the thought away. She cared for him a lot, she knew this already, but he wasn't hers. Their relationship was strictly platonic, a servant to his master who would fight beside her. It didn't matter how much she liked the feeling of his fluffy hair whenever she would rub her fingers through it, or those cute little freckles on his cheeks, or how adorable she found his enthusiasm for heroes to be, or the way he smiled making her heart feel like it could skip a beat at times, or even his drive to be a hero no matter who told him it was impossible.
Really. Strictly platonic.
"After that," Toshinori interrupted, a small grin on his skeletal face as he watched his student look like he was growing closer to his comrades. They were here for a reason beyond them all admiring him for his feats after all. "When I saw Young Midoriya rush in on that day, his body moving on its own to save someone in peril, it inspired me. Before it happened, I could only watch as a spectator, a pathetic man who felt like there was nothing he could do to help," he explained as he thought back to that day. Looking back, it had been a day full of mistakes, each of them having the chance of ruining many lives. But still, there was one choice he knew he would not regret. "The actions of one quirkless child, one who's courage outshined even the pro heroes already on the scene, was enough to remind of something truly important. What it truly means to be a hero. It was enough to spur me into action in that very moment, and it all spiraled into all of us meeting here today." He could feel his grin grow as he thought about that day. The day he made an important decision of his own. One he knew would come. Someone who could…no, who would be a worthy successor. One who could even outshine him.
"Pardon me Mr Yagi," Akeno interrupted, echoing a question many of them held. "But what do you mean by you being spurred into action? I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but what could you have even done in such a situation?"
This was it, he knew it. Toshinori sent a questioning glance at Rias, who gave a near microscopic nod, letting him know that now was the time.
He also noticed her discreetly pulling her phone out of her pocket, all with a miniscule grin she tried her hardest to hide. He was glad he was grinning already as he began to stand, or he'd have a hard time hiding his own.
"I understand your confusion Young Himejima, and don't worry, you weren't rude at all. And, as for being spurred into action…"
As he finished speaking, steam began billowing forth from his body, shocking all but Izuku and Rias, who readied themselves for what was to come. Before everyone's eyes, muscles began to expand as the once skeletal man grew larger, two tufts of hair that once hung down spring up into a 'v' shape recognizable across the world.
"HAHAHA! I appeared to save those two from what surely would have been a grisly fate!"
All Might stood before then all, flexing his muscles as he gave his iconic laugh.
Rias could barely hold back chuckling from seeing everyone's reactions, her phone's camera snapping a picture for her own amusement.
Akeno had abandoned all of her decorum as she stared at the brawny man, her mouth open in shock as her eyes bulged out. She wondered if it was possible for them to actually pop out. Asia had her hands to her cheeks as she stated equally as wide-eyed as her Queen, a wordless squeak of surprise emanating from her open mouth. Yumi had covered her mouth with a large gasp as she stared at the man with wide eyes, keeping at least some dignity in her surprise.
Ochako had…she did not know that someone's eyes could bulge outward like that. Didn't she only have a gravity quirk? Still, it was rather nice of Izuku to try and poke them back in for her.
She nearly lost it at Sona's reaction, the girl staring at the man as she tried forming words to say, sputtering all the while in a way she had never seen before. She swore that she could hear the gears struggling to turn in her head as she processed the sight before her.
Out of all of them though, Koneko's may have been her favorite. She may not have audibly gasped like Yumi, nor had her eyes as wide as either Ochako or Akeno, but the way her short hair stood completely on end made it look like she had stuck her finger in an electrical outlet.
Amako…had just yawned before lying down on the sand.
She didn't know what to really expect there.
"I understand that this would be quite the surprise to you all. But this is the answer that you have been seeking! For I am here to help give an explanation!" All Might finished his words with a hearty laugh, every bit as amused from their reactions as Rias was. He was reminded of when Young Midoriya had first seen him shrink down into his true form.
Good times.
"You're…you're All Might! Deku, you know All Might!?" Ochako's words echoed throughout their small area of Takoba Beach, thankfully contained by the soundproof barriers placed by Akeno earlier. The others simply stood speechless as the Symbol Of Peace stood before then.
"Yes! And I'm sure you're all curious as to just what I have to do with Young Midoriya's trainin…'cough'!"
Their looks of shock gave way to worry and horror as they saw him begin to cough up blood before shrinking back down to his previous state. Steam once more flowed out of his body as he continued to cough, more specks of blood escaping his throat. Asia had been quick to recover from her shock, her Sacred Gear at the ready to try and help him before he held out a hand to stop her. "Worry not Young Argento. This has become rather normal for me."
"But how?" Sona's voice cried out questioningly, completely dumbfounded by the transformation she had just seen before her. All Might was just a human wasn't he? Sure, he was an extraordinarily powerful human with a quirk, but to alter one's own muscles in such a way just seemed impossible.
"Well, you know how some people suck in their guts whenever they go to a pool or a beach to try and look buff?" Toshinori began his explanation as he wiped away the blood from his mouth. "I'm like that."
"But…what? That just raises more questions!"
What kind of body did he even have!?
"All Might?" Koneko spoke up, sounding, for the first time ever since Izuku had met her, every bit as small and innocent as she looked, concern clear on her face as she gazed at the number one hero. "What happened to you?"
Toshinori sat back down as he explained the same explanation he had once given Young Midoriya as well as Miss Gremory. How he had gotten into battle with a truly mighty foe, and was able to emerge victorious, but not without paying a price. When he lifted his shirt to show them the scar, Asia had broken out into tears at the sight, the kind hearted girl heartbroken at seeing such a grievous injury on anyone, let alone the man her dearest friend looked up to so much. The others were horrified at such a wound, wondering just what kind of monster could inflict such a thing on someone as powerful as All Might. Even Rias and Izuku, who had both already known of his affliction, looked away as the injury was shown, the sight being too much for them to bear even after all this time.
He continued to explain how he and Young Midoriya had first met each other, many of them having a good chuckle at the idea of their friend hanging onto the hero's leg as he jumped away from the sight where he had saved him. Then of course, he told them the question Young Midoriya had asked of him that day, and the answer he had given.
Naturally, many of them were upset with him, with Young Uraraka being the most fervent in condemning him for his comment. He heard Young Midoriya try to defend him again, much like he had done when Rias had learned of it, but once again he had told him to stop.
He could never forget that day on the rooftop, the words he had said to Young Midoriya, and how they were one of his biggest regrets. That young scrawny boy who needed to know if he could be a hero without a quirk. He had spent many years battling against truly terrible foes, as well as facing off against disasters of all kinds, many of which would give even other veteran heroes pause. He had seen other heroes put their lives on the line, even if their own quirks may not have been the best for dealing with the situation at hand.
So the idea of this child, this young boy with no power of his own, wanting to be a hero, and not just any kind of hero, but one like him, terrified him to his core.
Being a hero was not an easy life, no matter how much the media tended to glamorize it. Villains, natural disasters, and accidents that could potentially spread out into chaos hunted them at every turn. There were many who knew of the dangers of their field, and were ready to put their lives in the line for it, but this boy? This small, scrawny child? He would be dead within a day if he tried to be someone like All Might with no quirk of his own.
It was why he tried to tell him no, to seek more realistic goals for himself. There were many occupations out there that were still good ways to help others, and many of which being places where quirkless individuals did their part with every bit of fervor as most heroes, but his words were callous. Much as he tried to let him dream something within reach, the words he left him were full of bitter regret, having seen many lose their lives in pursuit of heroics. He did not want the same to happen to someone so young.
And then, he had simply left him there on that rooftop.
That, out of everything that had happened that day, may have been his biggest regret. And while he knew that the boy was fine now, in the deepest recesses of his kind, and in several nightmares he'd had since, the worst case scenario had played out, where he had led that young boy to death by despair.
But none of that happened. As he continues to explain, Izuku's act of courage had inspired him into action, even though he had already spent all the time he could in his powered form. It was all thanks to him that no lives were lost that day.
"After that, I told him that I was wrong," Toshinori continued. "That he had more than what it took to be a hero. And I decided then and there to help prepare him for U.A. He already had the guts to get in, all he needed was the power," he finished, smiling fondly at the memory of Young Midoriya falling to the ground, tears of relief falling from his face as a huge weight seemed to be pulled from his shoulders.
"So that's how it all happened then," Akeno said, fully enraptured by the tale. "You just continue to impress me more and more Deku," she said with a flirty wink, making the young man blush once more, much to the deflated hero's amusement.
"Um, All Might…sir?" The pro turned his attention to Ochako, the girl looking apologetic as she tried to meet his eye. "I'm…I'm sorry for what I said before," she said, bowing her head in shame as she finished speaking.
"There's no need for apologies Young Uraraka," he replied to her, catching her by surprise. "What's done is already done, and I'm a big enough man to know that I've made a mistake."
"Still this is rather remarkable Izuku," Yumi said, smiling proudly at him. "To catch the eye of someone like All Might is quite the feat," she said, making him rub the back of his head sheepishly.
"It's a bit more complicated than just that, Young Kiba," Toshinori interrupted, grabbing everyone's attention once more.
This was it. He could see Young Midoriya begin to sweat more and more even as Miss Gremory put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He couldn't blame his student for being nervous, he was as well.
"There was one more reason I decided to take Young Midoriya under my wing," he told them, their full attention now on him. "Because of his actions that day, I decided that he was worthy to inherit my quirk."
Silence. Nothing more than complete quiet as the rest of the group stared at him, what they had just heard stewing in their minds as they tried comprehending it. The sheer quiet in that moment was one of the most deafening things he had ever heard.
Followed closely by the shocked cries he was met with seconds later.
"WHAT!?"
"That's…how? How is that even possible?" Sona looked to have as much trouble comprehending this as she did Toshinori's odd body. "The mere idea of a quirk being able to be handed down from one to another goes against everything we currently know about quirks!" Her mind seemed to be going into overdrive as she spoke, sounding a lot like Izuku did whenever he was on one of his muttering sprees.
"Inherit? Quirk? You can give your quirk to him?" Akeno sounded every bit as baffled as Sona, her usual decorum once more as forgotten as it had been before as she stared open mouthed at the deflated hero. Yumi's mind seemed to be racing at near lightspeed as she tried comprehending what she had just heard, staring at the emaciated hero in complete shock.
Koneko's hair was once more standing on end, but now with her eyes wide as her mouth gung open in pure shock, this newest information drop shocking her out of her usual stoicism.
Ochako's eyes were once more bulging out from their sockets, but this time she wasn't alone, as Asia had somehow found a way to join her in her action, Izuku panicking as he tried pushing them back in.
Amako…had decided to roll around in the sand, enjoying the feeling on her fur.
It was enough for Rias to finally double over in hysterics, Toshinori quick to join her with his own bellowing laugh, even as more blood escaped his lips. "Don't worry," Rias told them all, wiping a tear from her eye as she held back more chuckles. "I was every but as surprised as the rest of you when I first heard of this. And while it may sound absurd, It's the truth. All Might's quirk can indeed be passed on to Izuku, just as it was to him."
"It's as she said," Toshinori continued, having recovered from his own laughing fit as he wiped more blood away. "This power has been passed down for generations. Many years of one hero passing it along to another, increasing the strength and power it holds. A sacred torch that has been passed down." He could see it in his mind as he explained it all, a line that spread from one light to another, glowing brighter as it hit every point for each user, all before it hit an eighth, glowing a spectacular gold as a gloved hand reached to hold it in its grasp. "It's this cultivated power that's allowed me to save those in need of help. The ultimate truth behind my strength."
He thought back to all the questions he had gotten over his many years at being a hero, and how many times he had been asked about his quirk. For so long, he had always found a way to tell some kind of joke, or find some sort of distraction to get away from the question. And now, here he was, explaining it all to a group of teenagers.
"And the name of this quirk? One For All."
"One…For…All," they each repeated his words, the name engraved into their memories.
"I was looking for someone who'd be a worthwhile successor, I never thought I would find one so quickly. A quirkless fan boy Young Midoriya may be, but he acted like a hero when others like myself stood by idly. I'm absolutely certain that I've made the right choice."
There was an ironclad certainty in his words, one that seemed to strike a chord with the group, a clear look of understanding lighting up their faces as his words finished sinking in. It didn't take long at all for them all to gather around Izuku as they exclaimed their excitement for him, each of them voicing words of encouragement as the young man stood there and took it all in. Even Amako had jumped up while slobbering on his face, seeming to be every bit as impressed as the rest. Every word he heard from them began to overwhelm him, tears of happiness welling in his eyes as he stared at them all.
He never had anything to worry about at all. None of them were upset for him keeping this a secret. None of them thought less of him for working hard to earn such a grand ability. Ochako was right. His friends really would support him 100%.
All the while, both Rias and Toshinori watched it all with soft smiles, happy that everyone had taken everything they had learned today in stride. "There's still a way to go, and I know it won't be an easy road to travel, but I know that Izu has what it takes to see it through. And now? He has more people in his corner, ready to help him reach his peak. I just know it." Every word she uttered had been spoken with pure pride, her heart warming as she watched her servant bask in the adulations of his fellow Devils.
"I have no doubt about that," Toshinori replied, his own sense of pride growing as his protégé took in everyone's reactions. He then turned to Rias, a small smirk on his face. "Still, they certainly had quite a different reaction than you did when you first learned of this Young Gremory." He had made certain to speak loudly enough to be heard by the others nearby, holding back more chuckles as he watched her face begin losing color.
"Is that so?" Akeno had suddenly appeared on her right, the tiniest of smirks on her face as Rias began to shiver.
"Do tell, just how did you react when you first learned of this Rias?" Sona had come in on her left, a questioning look on her face as she fought to hold back her own smirk.
"Tell us Madame President," Koneko spoke as she popped in from beneath her, her face blank but her eyes filled with questions.
This was their retribution for recording their reactions wasn't it? The sweet and questioning tones she could hear from them made her more nervous than she had been in quite a while, and for the first time, she felt fearful of not only members of her peerage, but her best friend.
"H-hang on now!" Izuku began to speak up in her defense. "We-we don't really need to bring that up right now do we? Can't we just move on from this?"
She could kiss him at that moment.
"Oho, so you know what happened, don't you Deku?" Akeno had suddenly gotten up to his face, a sultry look taking over as she brought him close to her, his arm beginning to be buried right in her chest as she sent a wink his way. Naturally, his face had started burning red. "Why don't you just tell us? I'll make it worth your while!"
Somehow, even through all his blushing and stammering, he was able to wrest his arm away, backing away from her before he felt himself backing into something solid. His head turning back ever so slowly, he saw Koneko, the smaller girl having made her way behind him, all while giving him a pleading glance.
"Tell us Izuku. Please?"
He had nearly broken then and there. Her voice had changed from her normal stoic into a much softer and cuter tone as she begged him to tell her what happened, something he had never expected to hear from her. Her tone of voice and pleading look was too cute for him to even turn away from.
All the while, Rias felt her face begin to turn the same shade of red as her hair, trying her hardest to sputter out denials as Sona continued badgering her. Her attempts at words weren't only aimed at her oldest friend, but also to her peerage. Whether to stop them from asking questions, or to stop trying to charm Izuku with their wiles, even she wasn't fully sure. Both Ochako and Asia had also turned red as they watched Akeno and Koneko, sputtering in a similar manner as Yumi simply looked scandalized at what she was witnessing.
"If you all really want to know," Toshinori spoke aloud, grabbing everyone's attention as a smirk broke out on his skeletal face. "She fangirled out right after she saw me buff up. Even asked for an autograph before letting out a squeal."
'ALL MIGHT YOU TRAITOR!'
Why did he have to seal her fate like that!?
Her entire body had gone red, visible on every bit of visible skin as everyone, sans Izuku and a laughing Toshinori, turned to face her. The smirks on Akeno's, Koneko's, and Sona's faces swore vengeance, unwilling to let the chance to have some fun at her expense go. She wished desperately to flee from all of this.
So she did.
In the blink of an eye, she had deployed her wings before taking to the sky, her three traitorous comrades chasing after her mere moments later, leaving behind a confused and slightly sorrowful Izuku, a slightly amused Yumi, a very amused Ochako, a confused Asia, and a still chuckling Toshinori.
"Are they going to be alright?"
"I wouldn't worry about it Izuku," Yumi told him, holding back a light giggle. "It's not often Rias does something embarrassing, and those three simply relished the opportunity to have some fun at her expense. I'm sure they'll get it all out of their systems soon enough," she explained as she looked in the direction they had flown off in, looking like she was debating on whether or not to follow them.
"Izuku."
He turned to face a smiling Asia, her face having a warmth that made his heart flutter. "You truly are a remarkable man. It's almost as if you were placed here by God himself." She winced from the headache that came with speaking His name before speaking again. "Thank you for trusting us all with this secret. I'll be sure to never tell a soul."
"Same here!" Ochako's voice chimed in from his left, the girl grinning with a fire in her eyes that he could feel resonate with his own spirit. "Hearing about all this has got me all pumped up! I need to get stronger now! You ain't the only one who wants to get stronger ya know!" Her attitude was infectious, a grin spreading to Izuku's face as he felt his heart grow ever warmer as he heard her speak. He felt just as pumped up as she was. "Hey Asia! Wanna join me? We can help Deku clean this beach!"
"Yes! Let's do this!" Asia's arm had pumped up into the air at the same time as Ochako's, a grin on her face as a new enthusiastic feeling spread through her.
"Um, actually…"
They both turned to face Izuku, who was once more rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I…I want to finish this all up on my own, if that's okay. I…I really feel like I should see it all through to the end on my own after working on it for so long. Does that make any sense?"
Asia blinked in confusion while Ochako had a look of realization. "I think I getcha Deku. This is one of those macho 'I started it so I should finish it things', isn't it?" She received a slightly hesitant nod in return, her smile never wavering. "Fine with me! We can still do something though," she said before turning back to face Asia. "I've got some ideas for workouts if you wanna join me Asia! No way we're getting left in the dust right?"
She received another nod, this one more certain in conviction before the two began discussing plans, a ferver between them as they talked amongst themselves.
Toshinori watched with a grin. It was good to see Young Midoriya's friends not only willing to stick by him, but also work harder so that they could stay by his side. He found his gaze moving over to Yumi, the girl looking as though she had begun contemplating something important. "And what if you, Young Kiba? Have you any plans?"
She seemed slightly startled when he called on her, her gaze moving from him back to Asia and Ochako, the two coming to some sort of agreement as Amako began circling playfully around them, and then back to Izuku, who watched them all with a small smile. The entire time, she began to look troubled, like she was trying to make an important decision without ongoing what to do.
"Do…do you mind if I just sit here and watch Izuku train?" Her question surprised him, her gaze having locked on his student as he began to warm up by doing stretches. "I…I have some things I need to think about."
He knew not what could have been troubling the girl, but he knew not to pry. If this was something serious, then he knew she could speak with the rest of her peerage.
Though, he did notice that as she gazed at Young Midoriya, there was a slight flush to her cheeks that hadn't been there before. He was pretty sure that she wasn't even aware of it.
Well, that was also something she would have to figure out on her own.
"I see no issue with that, and I'm certain that Young Midoriya wouldn't either," he told her, a ghost of a smile on her face as she sat down upon the sand. "Speaking of which, we should begin shouldn't we? You may have an audience today, Young Midoriya, so you'd best be sure to do your best!" Buffing up into his muscles form once again, All Might urged Izuku to move forward, a new day ready to begin!
"Um, excuse me. Mr All Might?"
Smile still ever present, All Might looked down to face Asia, who was looking up into his eyes with concern written all over her face. "I…it's about your wound," she began, her voice trembling as she once more summoned her Sacred Gear, its healthy glow bathing the sand directly below it even in daylight. "May I try to heal it? My Sacred Gear has allowed me to heal every injury I've ever seen. It should be able to help you sir."
All Might looked down at her, the smile on his face fading as he shrunk back down to his normal state, his expression unreadable as he continued staring directly at the kind girl. It wasn't hard to notice that she had also gotten the attention of the others, who had begun to gather around the two. "Young Argento, I know that you want to help, but I should warn you," Toshinori began, being sure to keep his voice as gentle as possible. "I've had medical professionals from all over do everything they can to help me with this. I've had to go through surgery after surgery just to live as normal a life as I can with this injury. I'm not even sure if this can be fixed." He knew his words were blunt, but he did not want her to get her hopes up. He knew that her Sacred Gear was a powerful one, but there was no true guarantee that it would work.
"I can fix it. I know I can," she said, her eyes fixed on him, a fire that reminded him of Young Midoriya burning in her gaze as her Twilight Healing continued to glow. Hesitantly, he began to lift his shirt, exposing his terrible wound to everyone once more.
It did little to deter Asia as she placed her hands over it, its warm glow bathing the wound in a soothing green light. Everyone kept silent as they watched, glimmers of hope in their eyes.
As time passed however, no progress seemed to be made on healing Toshinori's wound. Not once did the damage heal over as it usually did when she healed someone, the scar retaining its shape no matter how long she held her hands over it. Asia's distress began to grow as Twilight Healing's light began to fade, her eyes widening as Toshinori's wound remained the same.
"I don't…I don't understand," she said, confusion and pain in her voice as tears began to gather in her eyes. "This…this has never happened before. My Twilight Healing has always worked! No matter how bad someone's been hurt, I've always been able to help them! What's happening!?"
Noticing the girl begin to panic, Izuku, Ochako, and Yumi immediately rushed to her side, doing whatever they could to keep her calm.
"I was afraid that would happen," Toshinori stated, lowering his shirt back down as he stated at the confused faces of four teens. "It's as I said. People from all over have tried their best to help me, many of them having powerful healing abilities like yours. None of them have been able to do anything," he said as he sat down, the teens doing the same as they comforted the now crying girl. "The damage is incredibly extensive, and I'm missing a few organs. I didn't want you to get your hopes up Young Argento," he said, keeping his voice as even and gentle as possible so as to not make the girl feel worse.
"But…but why? Why didn't it work? Ever since I first awakened this power, I've always been able to heal people," she sobbed, the presence of her friends only doing so much to soothe her. "So why? Why didn't…why couldn't I…?"
As she continued to sob, she suddenly felt a pressure on her shoulder, one she knew wasn't from her friends. When she opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with the towering form of All Might once more, his large hand having been gently placed on her shoulder to grab her attention. As she looked upon his smiling face, she noticed it looking different from how she'd seen it before. Looking more understanding than grandiose.
"I understand your frustrations, Young Argento, believe me. I would love to rid myself of this wound just as much as you do. But I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?" He kneeled before her, looking her dead in the eye as the others watched curiously.
"Your ability did not work this time, and it may not be the last. There may come more times when you find it may not be able to help. But, even if you should fail, you should never let that stop you from trying. You've found yourself up against a wall, one that will do whatever it can to impede you, so now, you need to find a way to overcome it."
His gaze moved to the tower teens that surrounded her, their wide eyes looking at him as he spoke. "And never forget, you have amazing allies who will stand by your side no matter what wall you may run into. Don't look at this as an ending at all Young Argento, but instead as a new beginning!" He stood back up, tall and proud as he began a hearty laugh, hopeful that his words were what she needed to hear. "You wish to join Young Midoriya and the others in the hero course do you not? Then let me tell you a valuable lesson all heroes must learn. There will always be times when you find something that seems impossible, but you should never let such a thing deter you from doing whatever you can regardless. To find a way to achieve the impossible no matter what odds lie before you, this is how heroes shine! That is what it means to go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!"
He thought back to his mentor, the one who passed One For All to him so long ago, and how she said similar words to him. If he could pass down such wisdom to a new generation of heroes, then that was worth more to him than anything.
"You may feel down for now, but I'm certain that you will find a way. Never forget that Young Argento."
As he finished speaking, steam once again emitted from his body, shrinking him back down to normal size once more, his smile just as true as it was before.
"And then, if you can find a way, we can try this again," he said, much to her surprise. She felt her eyes watering up again at his words, but this time, they held no sorrow. Only relief. "You have a truly wonderful power, Young Argento, as well as a kind heart. With those, I'm certain that you can be a fine hero," he told her, his hand gently laying on her head as he encouraged her. "Never forget that."
Teats freely falling, but now with a smile on her face, Asia suddenly embraced the hero, who had been quick to return it
"Thank you All Might."
"Don't worry about it at all Young Argento," he told her as the two released each other from their embrace. "I'm confident that you'll not only find a way to meet the expectations you've set for yourself, but to exceed them beyond your imagination." As he spoke, he found himself buffing up once again, a hearty grin on his face. The constant shifting from one form to the next may eat away at his time, but right now, that didn't matter to him. "And when you make it to U.A., I want you to always remember its motto, and to live by it as you continue forward! Go beyond! PLUS ULTRA!"
She grinned back at him as she raised her arm into the air. "PLUS ULTRA!"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
Asia saw both Izuku and Ochako, their own hands raised up high as they smiled brightly at her, supporting her now just as much as All Might was. Even Yumi, whose fist may not have been raised as high, had a smile every bit as bright.
"We're back!"
The sound of Akeno's voice cut through the air as she touched back down to the ground, a smugly satisfied grin on her face as Rias touched down next to her, her own face completely red and pouting petulant as steam escaped her ears. Sona was quick to touch down afterward, her smirk less prominent, but no less as smug as Akeno's.
"Did we miss anything?" Koneko's voice was heard as she touched down last, the smirk on her face making her very much look like a satisfied cat.
At least until Amako had bound up to her excitedly, happy to see her land back on solid ground. Koneko, very much not afraid of the mutt she simply wanted to get away from her, climbed the tallest object nearby to try and escape from Amako's greetings.
Said tallest object just happened to be Akeno. How she was able to still look somewhat dignified even with the smaller girl wrapped around her shoulders mystified Izuku.
A quick explanation had them worry for Asia, but she was thankfully able to put them at ease. It seemed All Might's words had helped to calm her, and had even cheered her up.
"You should take his words to heart then Asia," Rias told her, her face having lost its previous red hue. "All Might has been a hero for longer than all of us have been alive, and his advice is rather sound."
"I will."
"You should be able to get some practice in on our little Deku at least," Akeno joked, Koneko having climbed down from her. "I think we know him well by now, he's bound to throw himself into another situation like the sludge villain sooner or later."
"Please don't put that thought in my mind."
"I should be fine Asia. I would just deliberately put myself in danger like that."
The stares Izuku got from everyone at his words, including from All Might, were enough to get him to start shrinking into himself. Even Amako seemed to be staring at him like that. Or was she just looking at that crab that just scuttled by?
He knew what they were staring at him for, his running in to face the sludge villain. He couldn't exactly defend himself there. "I…well…"
All Might held back a snicker as he watched his student get eyed by his friends. "Well now, I believe it's time we got started, wouldn't you agree, Young Midoriya?" His question seemed to finally end the judgemental stares he had been receiving before the hero turned to face the girls. "And if any of you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer. Nothing wrong with an old pro passing along some wisdom right?"
Asia and Ochako had been the first to ask him for some advice, with him gladly letting them know just what they needed as the others began talking amongst themselves. Akeno had already walked over to Rias, her fun at her King's expense over as she seemed to suggest something to her, and whatever it was, she seemed to agree with it. Sona had approached Ochako after the other girl had finished receiving whatever advice she had sought from All Might, likely talking about ways to better herself. Koneko had begun speaking with Yumi, the two discussing amongst themselves new ideas they could use. All Might had heard from Young Midoriya that Yumi seemed to not wish to be part of the hero course, but he didn't know about Koneko. For all he knew, the smaller girl was just as focused as making it there as his protégé.
It wasn't long before the group broke out into smaller ones, Sona and Ochako beginning a jog to warm themselves up, Amako chasing them for her own amusement, as Akeno and Rias approached Asia with ideas of their own, the golden haired girl looking to agree with whatever they had in mind. Koneko and Yumi meanwhile seemed to stall as their eyes moved to Izuku, the boy having already begun lifting some of the heavier pieces of garbage after finishing his warm-ups. All Might would never say that he noticed, but he did get a good chuckle when he saw the two's faces go slightly red when Izuku removed his shirt after it became too heavy with sweat.
'Teenagers,' he thought to himself as he rolled his eyes lightheartedly. 'Kind of surprising though. Never thought Young Midoriya would be such a ladies man.'
He could not hide his grin as he watched everyone work. Rias, Akeno, and Asia had already begun with some physical training as Ochako and Sona returned, with both Koneko and Yumi finally starting their own workouts, as the two decided to lightly spar with each other.
He was also fairly certain he had seen Sona hand over ¥100,000 to a grinning Rias, though he had no idea why.
Seeing them all, each and every one of these aspiring heroes work to ready themselves for whatever it was that would come their way made himself more and more certain that letting them learn about One For All was the right choice. It wouldn't be much longer now either, he could tell as the beach became ever cleaner with Izuku's efforts.
Soon, very soon, that young man would be ready to grab that sacred torch from him. Then, he would be ready to show the world exactly who he was.
With the full knowledge of Izuku's training now under their belts, the members of the ORC had decided on their own to assist Izuku in every way they could, so long as they didn't actually help him to clean the beach.
Both Yumi and Koneko expressed interest in helping him learn how to fight, though knew he had to put more focus on attaining One For All at the moment. In the meantime, the two had decided to accompany Rias whenever she had the day to train him, being sure to work out alongside the two, as well as Asia whenever she was there.
Speaking of Asia, she had told him some rather interesting news. Both Rias and Akeno had decided to teach her the art of Devil magic. She didn't go into much detail, as she was still learning just what that all entailed, but she was incredibly enthusiastic to learn everything they could teach her.
And, much to his surprise, he had found himself running into Ochako during several of his jogs. She had told him that she wanted to start working extra hard now that she knew what he was working toward. There had even been times when she, with Sona's permission, had been allowed to join him and the others on several of their training sessions, where each of them worked hard to get stronger.
He knew better by this point, but it still at times felt like he was in a dream. He had more friends now than ever before, with each of them encouraging him to follow his dreams, even helping him to reach them as they strived toward their own goals. It sent a feeling through his chest that he hadn't felt since both Kacchan and RinRin had moved away. It was a feeling he truly cherished.
A feeling he could do without though was the sensation he kept feeling whenever he was reminded that all of his friends were girls, and incredibly pretty ones. He wished his eyes would stop wandering whenever they all worked out together, watching as their chests jiggled even through the movement of restrictive equipment, or even as their backsides tended to move rhythmically with their hips whenever he had fallen behind them while jogging. Even whenever they stopped to stretch, he found himself fixated on their curves as their bodies flexed, his cheeks heating up at the sight.
It had gotten worse after Akeno had noticed, meeting his eyes with her own as her movements became more exaggerated, pushing her chest out more whenever she caught him looking. Thankfully, she hadn't told anyone else.
Unknown to him however, the girls faced a similar problem. They couldn't stop themselves from staring at him anymore than he could stop staring at them. The way his chest had clung to his workout clothes, watching him stretch and seeing his muscles fit more and more snugly, and of course, catching a view of his ass whenever they fell behind him in their jogs, watching it swivel back and forth in an almost hypnotic fashion at times. It was quite the dilemma for many of them, Asia and Ochako most of all. Akeno, naturally, was the one most eager to see the sights.
As the days continued to pass by and November began to come to a close, the beach had become more and more clear, but that hadn't been the only thing Izuku had noticed. Rias seemed to be becoming more and more distant, like there had been something weighing heavily on her mind. Whenever he would bring it up, she seemed to just brush it off without much thought, though he would always catch her looking downcast again soon enough. He hoped that she would be willing to tell him what was going on so he could help her.
She had a rather restless night, tossing and turning the entire time in a futile effort to get any sleep. That dream, that nightmare had come up again, and she simply couldn't get her mind off of it. It had been plaguing her mind for months now, ever since she had seen that particular bird at Asia's party.
Why? Why now? Didn't she have more time? She thought she would have another year at least before they began to bother her, but it seems like fate had other plans. Her days were numbered now, and she knew it. Every single thing she had tried to use to get out of this had failed her, leaving her backed into a corner with nothing else for her to use. Save maybe for one.
She shook her head in frustration. She couldn't do that. She couldn't betray his trust like that, but more and more it seemed like the only option. She hoped that she could find another way. She knew that he had taken appreciative looks at her body before, and she had felt herself doing the same, so she knew there was at least some form of physical attraction, and it only made her final option seem more and more enticing.
It frustrated her to no end.
Rias Gremory screamed into her pillow, all the stress and anguish being let out quietly enough to not wake either Koneko or Yumi.
"What am I going to do?"
She had no one who could give her an answer.
She was alone in her torment.
Just as it seemed like she may scream again, her phone began to buzz on her nightstand. Izuku texted her? So early in the morning? And it wasn't even just her apparently. He had sent out a group text to everyone.
'Meet me at the beach. Got sumting 2 shw you all''
Could he have…?
She had to know.
She launched herself out of bed, streaking through her apartment before opening her door to see both Yumi and Koneko already up, their phones in their hands. Yumi being up so early didn't surprise her that much, she had always been an early riser regardless of whatever happened, but Koneko was simply not a morning person. Though the annoyed look on her face combined with her bedhead made her look rather adorable in Rias' eyes. The fact that she was currently holding onto her Familiar, Shiro, just added to it.
"Seems like you two got the message as well," she said, a soft smile hiding her excitement.
"This better be important," Konkeo said tiredly. Rias was sure that she was supposed to be scowling, it looked a lot more like a pout to her.
"I'm sure it is Koneko. Izuku wouldn't message us so early if it wasn't," Yumi said, her calm demeanor doing little to elevate Koneko's mood.
"She's right. Izu must have a good reason to have messaged us all," Rias said, hoping to put her frustrations behind her when she saw that beach. "We had best leave as soon as possible though. Are you two ready?"
"We should be in a minute Madame President, but…" Yumi said, looking Rias up and down. "You may want to ready yourself first."
Rias blinked in confusion before looking down. In her excitement, she had forgotten to dress herself before leaving her apartment, her nude form standing proudly before her servants.
'I thought I felt a draft.'
It didn't take long for the three to dress and ready themselves before hitting the beach, meeting a curious Akeno along the way. There had been several conversations as to what Izuku had summoned them all for, though they all arrived at what they felt was a rather logical conclusion. Not that it stopped Koneko from grumbling about being woken so early.
As they neared the beach, they had run into both Sona and Ochako, or at least Sona carrying a tired Ochako on her back. It seemed that she was even less of a morning person than Koneko was.
"Looks like we're all here for the same thing then," Rias said as she walked side by side with Sona.
"That does seem to be the case," Sona replied.
"Do ya think…'YAWN'...that means that Deku's got it all done?" Ochako's tired question got a resounding nod from the rest of the group, making her smile as she found her head diving back into Sona's shoulder as her eyelids grew heavy again.
"Was wondering if I'd run into all of you."
As if the group needed more proof of their suspicions, Yagi Toshinori walking toward them as they arrived at the beach settled it.
"Hello everyone."
Though seeing him arriving with Asia turned out to be a bit of a surprise.
When asked, Asia told them that she had come across Toshinori in his truck as she walked toward the beach, the hero offering her a ride. They were going the same way after all.
"Looks like we all got the same message then," Toshinori said as he held out his phone.
"Do you think that means he really did it?"
"I'm certain," Rias answered Asia's question with a wide smile. "In fact, I'm sure we'll see him real so…"
She had been cut off by the sound of a loud scream, one that tore through the morning air. She was instantly on alert, as were the others. They knew that voice.
Izuku was here. And he was screaming his lungs out.
Each of them rushed to the source, both Koneko and Ochako now wide awake as they too raced to the beachfront where they had learned the truth just a month prior. As they made it to their destination, each of them slower. Their eyes widened at the sight that lay before them.
They had found Izuku.
And a tower of rusted metal, thrown out tires, metal chassis, and broken vehicles lay beneath him as he stood shirtless while screaming triumphantly to the heavens.
And he had every reason to.
Takoba Beach had long since been covered in garbage over many years, all dumped haphazardly by people who couldn't be bothered to properly dispose of any of it. But now, for the first time in a long time, it was clean.
More than clean in fact, it was immaculate. Not a single speck of trash remained outside of what Izuku stood atop of this very moment, still howling in victory over his defeated foe.
And he was not alone.
Standing at the base of his tower, Amako had joined him, howling every bit as triumphantly as her Master, seeming to invigorate him as his own screams had drowned out the sounds of her howling.
The entire group stood there speechless. They had already been certain of his ability to finish his work, but to see just how completely he had done so? It was a truly breathtaking sight.
"Holy crap kid!" Toshinori was the first to break his silence, a fair amount of disbelief, as well as a hint of pride, in his voice as his sunken-in eyes took in the sight. The sun beginning to rise over the crisp autumn dawn made the entire beach sparkle in a way he hadn't thought possible. "You really did it. You even cleaned outside the area I told you to get."
The girls meanwhile, continued gazing at the boy in awe as they took in the sight before them. As their eyes scanned not only the clean beach, but at the triumphant Izuku, wide smiles began to creep along their faces.
"Holy…stonking…SUPER CRAP!" The excitement rushing through Toshinori's body made him burst into his muscular state, his smile beaming.
His smile began to falter though as Izuku finally finished screaming, before beginning to teeter off of the edge of his tower
The girl's eyes widened as they each began to rush in, hoping to catch him before he hit the ground, but All Might had already beaten them to it, cradling the boy in his arms like a proud parent.
"You did well, Young Midoriya."
Izuku began to smile, albeit weakly as he saw the proud grin on his hero's face.
"I…I did it. I really…did it," he panted out, exhaustion clear but one could hardly tell by the look of content on his face. "Do.. do you think I'm ready…All Might?"
"Of course you are!"
Izuku tiredly turned his head to face his friends, Ochako having spoken up excitedly as she began bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I mean, come on! How can you look at everything you've done and not think you're ready Deku!?"
"I have to agree," Sona said, gesturing to the clean beach surrounding them as her own grin grew. She was more certain now than ever, Rias had very much lucked out in getting someone like Izuku on her team.
"Everything you've accomplished is thanks to your hard work Deku," Akeno told him, an excitement matching Ochako's in her voice even as she tried to keep herself contained. "I believe that you are ready."
"And so do I," Yumi told him, her smile reaching up to her eyes as she looked at him with amazement.
"You did well." She didn't need to say anymore. He could see that Koneko was every bit as proud of him as the rest were, a smile every bit as wide as Yumi's.
"Here, let me help you Izuku." Asia had made her way over while summoning her Sacred Gear. While it couldn't do anything for exhaustion, it did well to heal several of the little scratches he had obtained as he finished up. "You're amazing Izuku. We're all really proud of you."
"That we are," Rias finished, her own face blank as she took in the sights around her. She had always been certain of his ability to succeed, ever since she had first found out about his training to receive One For All, but he had found a way to go above and beyond what she had expected. She walked over to him, looking down at him as her grin began threatening to split her face. He could see it in him still. That drive, that intensity, all of it wrapped up in a look of contentment that made her heart begin to soar. In the span of a heartbeat, she reached down before pulling him close, holding him tightly in a gentle embrace. "You did it Izu."
Izuku had known that he was close to finishing up his work from the day before. He hadn't felt the greatest about it, but he had decided to sneak out last night in order to finish everything up, making sure to let everyone know just as he was putting in the final touches. The looks he could see on everyone's faces after All Might had caught him made everything worth it already as far as he was concerned. He saw each of their smiles, their looks of pride, their excitement, and he felt like he was on top of the world. At that moment, it didn't matter if he would be getting One For All or not. What he saw from them was enough to make his heart soar even as his face slightly flushed. It didn't even register to him that Rias had managed to nestle his head into her generous bust once more. and it had felt even better once the rest of the group joined in, Ochako declaring it a group hug as he felt the warmth and comfort of his friends surround him. Part of him didn't truly want to leave such an embrace.
Someone had plans of their own though, as Amako had barged her way into the group hug, peppering his face with enthusiastic slobbering all over his face. "W-wait! Wait! Pbbbt! Amako! HahahaHAHAHAHA! AMAKO STOP!"
"And we're not the only ones proud of you!" Ochako's catty smile was lost to him as Amako continued her messy assault, covering his face with enough moisture to make the ocean envious.
All Might merely stood back and watched, unable to hide his chuckles as he watched the group of teens celebrate his student's accomplishment. 'You're a lucky man Young Midoriya,' he thought to himself, no small amount of joy running through him as he watched as Amako begin turning her slobberous tongue to the other members of the group. 'You're in a position many would kill to be in right now. I wonder though. Will you settle down with only one of them? Or will you all somehow find a way to stay together?' He shook his head at the thought. 'Oh well. Something like that isn't any of my business after all. Besides, we have more pressing matters at the moment.'
"You'd better believe what they're saying my boy. And don't think that I'm not impressed either. You not only did all that I originally asked of you, you found a way to go beyond that." He watched the young man begin to stand, both Ochako and Asia helping him as he began to stagger. All Might pulled his phone from his pocket before selecting a specific photo, showing it off to the friend group before him. "Do you see this?"
Much as he didn't want to, Izuku couldn't help but cringe at the sight. It was him. Months ago. Long before he had even met Rias, crying in front of All Might shortly after he first started training. Each of the girls looked at the picture with no small amount of surprise, taken slightly aback that Izuku had once looked so…small. Though that didn't stop the light snickering from both Akeno and Koneko at the sight of a bawling Izuku. "This was you just six months ago. You may not like the sight, but take a look at yourself now! A marked improvement!"
It wasn't only Izuku who glanced down at his body, but the girls too. It was a welcome sight for all of them. They had gotten a good look months ago when they went to save Asia, but he had only gotten more fit since then. All traces of baby fat gone, Izuku was well built, though not overly muscled. Each part of his body looked like it was made for performance instead of show, like an Olympic track star over a bodybuilder. Sona found herself being the only one to look away, a light flush to her cheeks, while the rest were unable to tear their eyes away.
Izuku noticed none of this as he looked down to his hand, an uncertainty that he knew shouldn't be there making its way into his voice. "All Might, are you really sure? Do I really deserve this?"
"Izu."
The sharp voice cut through his words, Rias smiling at him gently even as her voice remained firm. "You do. Never forget that."
The sound of her encouragement brought fresh tears to his eyes. "You've all done so much for me." His vision began to cloud over as the tears continued to crawl down his face, elation racing through his body. "I…I never thought, that I could be so lucky."
He felt a pressure on his shoulder as he continued to cry, All Might continuing to smile at him. "It was your own hard work that led to this Young Midoriya. We all may have helped you, but never forget that you were able to make it this far." When he saw the girls nod along with his words, he felt like his smile would split his face. His pupil had found himself some wonderful friends. "And now," he began with a light clap to Izuku's shoulder before reaching up to his head. "Your reward for all your hard work."
Izuku stood up straight, wiping the tears from his eyes as he stared up at the Symbol Of Peace. "Yes sir!" He felt more hands gripping his shoulders, both Rias and Ochako giving him their own encouraging grins.
Standing proudly before his successor, All Might plucked a single strand of hair from his head. "Someone very important to me once gave me these words of wisdom: There's a difference between being lucky and deserving. One's an accident, the other, a reward. Never get the two confused." Moving his gaze to the rest of the group, he spoke again. "I want each of you to take that to heart." The excited nods he got was enough to let him know they understood. "This here is a gift, and one you've earned through your own valiant efforts my boy." He held out the strand of hair in his hand to the teen, the sacred torch of One For All ready to be passed down.
Izuku began to reach out, his look of awe being replaced with one of pure determination as he began taking his next step. He could feel the excitement of everyone around him as his hand moved ever closer to All Might, and he knew, no matter what, that they would stick by his side. Taking their own steps forward alongside him, but still being with him to help to reach his goals. With the lightest of gestures, Izuku moved his hand forward, ready to grasp his destiny.
"Now, EAT THIS!"
The silence following his words was the second loudest All Might had ever heard, even stilling the morning wind, before being broken by a single comment from Koneko.
"Gross."