Chapter 7
"Ready, Tsuyu-chan?" I asked, glancing back at her.
"Yup," she nodded, crouched and ready to spring.
I turned back and looked at my target. A trio of crude, concentric, chalk circles, drawn on the flattest tree we could find.
I took the first tennis ball from the bag I had slung over my chest. I wound up. I threw it, about half as hard as I could. It hit just outside the middle ring. And then, thanks to the uneven bark, ricocheted high and to my right. Tsuyu tracked it. Her tongue shot out, reeling the ball in. She slipped it into a second bag, even as I launched again.
At first I had been worried about this exercise. Sure, throwing was good for my Strength and Agility. And snagging the balls after they flew off in a random direction was good for Tsuyu's tongue control and aim and tracking in general. But she was also grabbing tennis balls with her tongue. After they had hit a tree, and possibly the chalk target. Then I remembered I had first met her when she was playing Tarzan by swinging from branches with that same tongue. So I had proposed it. Tsuyu had immediately agreed, saying it was a good idea. So here we were, playing one of the stranger games of catch I could think of.
"Izuku-kun."
We were switching bags to start again, and Tsuyu had just swished her mouth out.
"Yes?" I stopped at her prompting.
"Your birthday is next Saturday, right?" she asked, "One week away. Is there something you want?"
I had to blink back tears.
"You're the first person to ask me that, besides my mom," I told her at her concerned expression, "And just you and your siblings coming over for dinner will be more than enough."
"We already do that once a week," she pointed out. Then paused to consider.
"What if I didn't bring them?" she asked, "What if they stayed with our aunt, and it was just the three of us?"
"That would be nice, too," I said. I liked her siblings well enough, but it would be good not to have to talk about the latest episode of Ducky Momo. Or play Heroes Musou on the lowest difficulty.
"Then maybe you could stay over," I suggested, "and we could watch Infinity War through Endgame in a marathon."
Mom and Tsuyu both agreed that the MCU was a bit too much for the younger Asui siblings. So we could only watch the movies when the kids had something else to do. And since Tsuyu had never seen any of them before, I was determine she see at least the first forty movies before the UA exam. Besides just being good movies, they were an interesting look into how people had viewed powers before Quirks existed. And there were some interesting ideas you could take away from them.
"That would be fun," she said, but there was bit of a hitch in her voice, "I'll check with my aunt."
"And I'll ask my mom," I agreed.
"Are you sure you don't want anything?" she pressed.
"If you really want to give me something," I deflected, "You might want to talk to my mom. She always makes me give her a list, and I wouldn't want to risk you two doubling up. Though this year it is mostly study materials."
If I had written it down, the kanji for 'study materials' would have read 'skill books'.
"Maybe I'll do that," she said thoughtfully.
"Okay, back to work?" I said quickly, hoping she would forget it. I would have rather Tsuyu spent the money to buy something she wanted, knowing how hard her parents worked and that she spent most of her allowance on her brother and sister. But I also knew she wouldn't be happy if I told her that.
"Ribbit," she nodded.
The next morning, Sunday July 9th, we played catch again, only this time a more brutal version. We took turns throwing the tennis balls at each other as hard as we could. Tsuyu never failed to catch one, and I... I gained a few levels in Physical Resistance.
We did this on the beach, barefoot in the sand. We had brought out lunches with us, but left our shoes in the lockers. When it was time for a break, a bit earlier than normal, we sat down with our feet in the water.
"I talked to my mom," I told her, "and she is fine with it, though she said you'll have to bunk with her."
"That's fine," she said, "My aunt agreed to watch Samidare and Satsuki next weekend, both Saturday and Sunday."
"Great," I smiled happily at her, and she grinned back. Then something cold and wet smacked the side of my face. Tsuyu blinked, but when I touched it, it was just water. It was a raindrop, but one almost the size of a grape.
Sploosh. Another giant drop hit the lake audibly, created two centimeter tall ripples. We both looked up as more started to fall. Thick clouds had rolled in, and a cold gust of wind hit us.
"I didn't see anything about storms on the news this morning," she noted as the rain began to fall in earnest.
"We should probably head back," I said, "at least to the cave."
"Yes," she agreed. We collected the tennis balls and I packed them in my bento box. Even moving as quickly as we could, the rain was starting to get heavy and we were moderately soaked by the time we got back into the forest. The ground was wet and slippery, so we couldn't move to fast.
KRA-KOW! The air around us shook as lightning hit somewhere north of us. We exchanged looks. We both knew in a thunderstorm, you were supposed to seek shelter, stay low, but not stand next to trees. The outcropping was still our best option, so we picked up the pace.
Through the dark and rain it was hard to see, but I knew the forest around there well enough to know we were getting close. Tsuyu got a bit ahead of me, more sure footed in the rain. We had maybe another fifty to one hundred meters to go, when it happened.
KRAK-BOOOM! The lightning strike was close. So close I was blinded even though I wasn't looking at it. So close my ears were ringing. I shook my head, trying to clear it, when I heard a rumbling, and then...
"IZUKU!" Tsuyu screamed with far more emotion than I had ever heard in her voice before. I looked towards her, my vision starting to clear. Her tongue shot out. Wrapped around my waist. Pulled me back towards her.
Except the ground was slick. And I weighed at least as much as she did. So even I was yanked towards her, she stumbled towards me. We bumped. She let go with her tongue. I slipped and fell to the ground. The forest shook, and a shockwave washed over me.
[-11 Health]
I raised my head up, and saw Tsuyu lying on the ground. Surrounded by a halo of slowly spreading red.
"TSU!" I shouted, scrambling over to her. There was a large gash in her head, deep enough I could see the white of bone through it. Even worse, a broken branch had skewered her, entering near or through her right kidney, and exiting near her navel. I felt tears forming in my eyes, and panic in my stomach. Then a spike of ice shot down my spine, vanishing the fear and filling me with focus.
"Analyze," I snapped.
[Name: Tsuyu Asui
Race: Human (Quirk metagene positive)
Age: 14
Level: 5
Active Title: Frog Girl
Health: -24/246
Stamina: 122/132
Condition: Dying]
She was still alive. But she was dying. And I didn't know how long she had. She had almost 250 HP, at level five, so her physical abilities had to be high. Her Endurance should be at least 35, probably over 40. But that meant she had somewhere between twenty minutes and an hour left.
And the rain wasn't helping, chilling her and hindering clotting. Tsuyu had told me she wasn't good with cold. Okay, first thing was to get her out of the downpour.
I had to be careful. I wrapped Tsuyu and part of the branch in a shell of telekinesis. My psychic power wasn't enough to lift her, yet. What I could do was hold her steady. Then I activated Ki Reinforcement, boosting my Strength. With a single chop, I shattered the branch just outside the barrier. Neither Tsuyu nor the embedded stick moved.
I lifted her gently and ordered, "Activate Jet Set Run!"
She felt so much lighter than that first day she crashed into me. I hoped it was just my increased Strength and new and improved skills.
I set Tsuyu down as far back in the outcropping as I could, using my body to shield her. Another Analyze showed she had lost another point of Health.
"Okay, what now?" I mused. I took my phone out of my Inventory. But as I expected, nothing. The coverage in Endoru was spotty at best. In the midst of a thunderstorm, I had no signal.
"I could go to the road and try to flag someone down, or wait for the bus. But I don't want to leave Tsuyu alone."
"Izuzuzu," she groaned, her eyes flickering. I took her hand.
"If I had the next Ki talent, I could heal her," I mumbled, "Or if I had first-aid as a Skill, I could at least try to stabilize her. Mom might be able to do it. If I try a Reflective Dungeon, Mom would be pulled in too. But I don't know if she would exit with me or go back where she started."
I hadn't experimented with that power, since Mom was always in my party, and I didn't know the risks.
"Either way, if she is here she could help, and if she goes back she could call an ambulance... But that's assuming we don't get immediately attacked in the dungeon and get hurt or delayed. And I still don't want to leave Tsu."
Time was the enemy, but lack of information was a close second. But then I remembered a book I had read, and way it said villains had cheated.
"Party Invite, Asui Tsuyu!"
The window appeared. I gently lifted Tsuyu's hand, and used her finger to hit 'Accept'. Thank you, Kawahara-sensei.
[Nice workaround. Wit +1]
"Disable notices for Midoriya Izuku until further notice," I barked, "Party."
I immediately clicked on Tsuyu's panel in the tab, showing her full Status page. I ignored her Skills and Talents. I saw something that would give me time.
"Tsuyu," I called out to her gently, "Please, if you can hear me, say 'Status'. Tsu, just say 'Status'."
"Status," she complied, barely coherently. But the screen appeared.
[Name: Tsuyu Asui
Race: Human (Quirk metagene positive)
Age: 14
Level: 5
Active Title: Frog Girl
Health: -26/246
Stamina: 122/132
Condition: Dying
Attributes:
(S)trength: 26
(A)gility: 45
(E)ndurance: 44
(Q)uickness: 43
(W)it: 12
(I)ntuition: 18
(C)harisma: 10
(D)etermination: 10
(L)uck: 5
Unused Points:
Attribute: 7
Skill: 6
Talent: 1]
Seven unused attributes points. That would get her 23 more health, putting her at -3 compared to 51 Endurance. That would give her three to four hours.
"Sorry, Tsuyu," I told her, and lifted her finger again. I began tapping the button next to her Endurance, increasing it and relaxing slightly as her Health increased with each point. Before I could assign the last point, another pop up stopped me.
[Congratulations!
Endurance has reached 'Peak Human' tier. Please select a bonus Talent.
Tempered Breathing
Reduced Stamina usage.
Tough as Nails
Reduced physical damage taken.
Efficient Sleeper
Decreases sleep requirement.]
I frowned. That was less information than I received about my Talents. I couldn't help but wonder if one of them had a hidden Attribute bonus that would help Tsuyu. Again, I needed more information. More information...
"Analyze!" I ordered, staring at the first Talent panel.
[Tempered Breathing
Reduce Stamina cost for activated Skills by 20%.
Increase iteration timer for continuous Stamina Skills by 20%.
Prerequisites:
Endurance 50+
50+ levels of Stamina based skills]
Useful, but not in this situation.
"Analyze!"
[Tough as Nails
Unlock Skill 'Physical Resistance' at lvl 10, or increase current Physical Resistance Skill by 10 levels.
Limit Break Physical Resistance Skill (new max level 140).
Prerequisites:
Health 250+
Must have been reduced to negative Health at least once]
Again, nice to have, but not what I was hoping for.
"Analyze," I said less hopefully.
[Efficient Sleeper
Reduces time for a full night's sleep from 8 hours to 5 hours.
+5 Endurance
Prerequisites:
Endurance 50+]
There it was. Five more Endurance would put her above zero. I almost hit the button for it. Then I paused.
I retrieve my stored first-aid kit. I got out the tweezers, and filled the pipette bottle with one of the two pouches of distilled water. I dropped the Reinforcement of my Strength, switching it to Agility. Then holding Tsuyu still, holding her insides in place, with my Telekinesis, I pulled the wooden stump out. Looking inside her, I almost vomited. Gamer's Mind kept me steady. Barely. I used the little prongs to remove any splinters or other fragments, then washed the wound out. She lost two more health, but as soon as her injury was as clean as I could get it, I lifted her finger. Hit the panel for 'Efficient Sleeper'.
It was interesting, and more than a little disturbing. Watching her organs regrow before my eyes. In a matter of moments, Tsu was left with two large, round gashes, one on each side of her abdomen. And the one on her head had shrunken down to the point I could no longer see her skull. They were three bad injuries, enough to send her to the hospital. But they were no longer life threatening.
But it was still better not to move her, not during the rain. Not when her Health was still in the single digits. And there was a good chance I could slip. Besides, the wet and cold would still be bad for her injuries.
I took out a tube of ointment. The kind that would supposedly ease pain, prevent infection, speed healing, and limit scarring. I rubbed it gently on the wounds on her front and back, and then wrapped the gauze around them. I dabbed it on her head, and the wrapped that one, too. I took the adhesive bandages, which already had the same compound already applied. I put them over all the smaller cuts. Then I crushed an ibuprofen, mixed it in the remain water in the bottle, and piped it into her mouth. I rubbed her throat gently to encourage her to swallow.
Tsuyu was no longer openly bleeding, but she shivered. I took out my towel, and carefully, respectfully dried her as best I could. Then I traded that for my other two track suits, and draped them over her. Finally, I settled down next to her, my arm pressed against her back. I pulled the suits partially over me, so she could share my body heat.
I felt suddenly exhausted. I checked, and found my Energy was 0. Between all the TK, and having both Ki Reinforcement and Jet Set Run! active, I had drained my tank dry. I shut off the two continuous Skills. I edged up closer to Tsu, just in case. I tried to keep my eyes...
I woke up to feel something warm and soft pressed against my chest and legs. The side I was laying on felt uncomfortable, I was on a surface a lot harder than my bed. It was quiet, and golden sunlight was hitting my back, warming it slightly.
The my brain slipped into gear. My memories reasserted themselves. My eyes popped open.
In my sleep, I had rolled onto my side, which wasn't that unusual for me. Except I had rolled towards Tsuyu. Against her. We were spooning, my arm pulling her closer.
And she wasn't asleep. She had twisted slightly, and was studying me. I wanted to believe there was a light blush across her cheeks, but the late afternoon sun made it hard to tell.
Embarrassment would have to wait. There was something much more important here.
"Tsu," I gasped in relief, "You're awake. How are you?"
Rather than speaking, she lifted her hand and pointed.
I hadn't noticed the yellow box floating a dozen or so centimeters away from her face.
[Party plus proximity power propagation provoked:
You have had a decent lunch and an extended afternoon nap. Health and Stamina fully restored.]
"Analyze," I said blatantly, "Status."
[Name: Tsuyu Asui
Race: Human (Quirk metagene positive)
Age: 14
Level: 5
Active Title: Frog Girl
Health: 281/281
Stamina: 163/163]
And my window told me it had been not quite six hours since the last time I checked.
"Thank godness," I stumbled over the words slightly, as I hugged her, "I was so worried."
I separated from her, pulling my spare workout clothing back into my Inventory. Then I dropped the rest of the way down into a full dogeza kneel.
"I am so sorry for wasting your precious Attribute points and bonus Talent," I cried, "I swear I will find a way to make it up to you."
Tsuyu frowned at me in confusion.
I told her everything about The Gamer. And how I used it to save her. Asui-san listened closely, only asking a handful of questions.
"... so I will help you gain more levels," I told her quickly, "Maybe see if there is some way you can get quests. Or something, to make up for using your points against your will."
"Izuku," she said gently, "It's fine. You used something I didn't even know I had to save my life. And you trusted me with this."
"Only after I hid it from you," I countered.
"And I can understand why," she shot back, with a bit of heat, "You have a power that isn't a Quirk. There is no telling how the government would react. Or what Villains would do to get their hands on it."
"I know," I admitted, "But that doesn't mean I have to feel good about it. And besides, you saved my life first."
"Actually," she tilted her head, "You saved my life first, I saved your life second, and you saved my life third."
"You said that fall wouldn't have hurt you," I reminded her, shocked, "That you had fallen from higher than that."
"I might have been exaggerating," Tsuyu told me, "I have fallen from higher, but it was more of a controlled fall, and into water."
"Still, I shouldn't have," I continued to protest my guilt.
"Izuku, it's okay," she reassured me, "I might have even bought that sleeping thing myself. Three extra hours every day."
She adopted a mildly blissful expression, reminding me how busy she was.
"I'm just happy to come out of it unhurt," Tsuyu said.
"Speaking of that," I began, "Can I check?"
I pointed to the many and various bandages crudely applied. She nodded.
I started with the one on her head. Though the gauze was still caked in blood, underneath there was nothing. Not the original gash, not a scab, not even a scar. Like my fingers, Tsuyu's forehead healed like the injury had never happened. I removed the band-aids on her face, neck, and arms. To the same result. Finally, I unwound the large bandage around her abdomen. This time there was some blood stuck to her skin. But I brushed it away to reveal the same smooth, unblemished skin she had shown off with her bikini.
"You are really okay," I sighed. She looked down at her stomach in amazement.
"I don't remember a lot of what happened," she admitted, "But I did see the branch sticking out of me. For it to heal that quickly and fully... That's a pretty impressive power, ribbit."
We sat regarding her uninjured self for a moment.
"Well, it is after five," I broke the silence, "I don't think we are going to practice anymore today. And the rain stopped. So should we start heading back?"
She didn't react immediately. Then her expression told me she had come to a decision.
"Hold on, Izuku," she said. She reached down to the bottom of her bloody and ventilated shirt, already partially raised. She began to take it off, so I turned around.
"Good idea, you should probably change first," I said, "Or Samidare and Satsuki might get scared."
It didn't occur to me in that moment, that she didn't have anything to change into.
"Don't look away," she told me softly.
I thought she must have had her swimsuit on underneath. I hadn't really paid attention during the storm. If I had...
Tsuyu had fully removed her shirt and was covered on top only by a bra. Not a sports bra, or a simple one, either. It wasn't terribly fancy. Nor was it tawdry. But it had just the right mix of lace and cotton, and highlighted her figure well.
I should have looked away. Or at least blinked. But I couldn't. She told me not to. And I was young, lonely, teenage, and entranced.
Then she reached around behind and... Unbuttoned? Unsnapped? I wasn't sure how girl's underwear worked, but Tsuyu unfastened something. The cups started to loosen.
My hands shot up, grabbing her shoulders. Not incidentally locking the straps in place, preventing anything more from showing.
"Tsu, what are you... you... doing?" I stammered, my voice jumping up at least an octave.
"This."
She leaned in, pushing my arms back without knocking my hands off. She pressed her lips to mine.
The kiss was tender, affectionate, and more than a little awkward. Her lips had the faint taste of chicken and berries from her salad. And she smelled like a clean brook, bubbling past on a warm spring day. The move, probably not accidentally, left my fingers on her shoulders while compressing her chest against my forearms.
"I like you, Izuku," she said, using one of the more loaded and ambiguous Japanese versions of 'like', "And I really want to..."
She blushed and rolled one hand.
"Don't you?" she asked shyly.
"I don't," I said, far more quickly than I would have thought possible. Tsu's eyes widened, and she started to pull back. But I was still holding on.
"Don't misunderstand," I continued, "You are cute and sexy. You are my best friend. And I like you a lot. Part of me would like nothing more than to take the lead here and keep going. But even more I don't want to.. I can't have sex with you Tsuyu."
Her eyes stayed on me, gently begging me to explain.
"A big part is this situation," I said, "Our emotions are both running high, we just saved each other, and it seems like you feel obligated to me. Maybe that doesn't have anything to do with this, but on the off chance it does, I can't take advantage of you like that."
She frowned, but didn't protest.
"Plus, I don't want to do it on hard, damp dirt," I looked around, "It's just not right, right?"
She chuckled.
"My mom is trusting us out here. Alone. Together. And I don't want to betray that trust."
She nodded sadly.
"But the real reason is all me," I explained, "Let me show you? Quests."
Tsu reconnected her bra, and made a very deliberate show of adjusting her breasts in it, Then she scooted around, pressing herself against my arm. The next instant her eyes widened.
"I get one chance to make it into UA," I said, "As a Hero. If I don't, I lose The Gamer. And I don't know what that means. At the very least, I lose the windows, the control and information. And at the worst, I might lose everything I have gained since that day. Go back to being that person. I don't know if I could handle it. And I wouldn't feel worthy of you if I were the old me."
She started to object and I held up my hand.
"I know you aren't like that. Like I said, it's about me. My past, my insecurities. And also my goals and promises. I can't afford distractions."
"any more than I already have," I mumbled under my breath, acutely aware of her body with more than one of my senses.
"If we were to make love right now, I wouldn't want it to be a one time thing. And if it were, it might even be worse. But if we started skipping training to go on dates... to make out... It would be such an easy trap to fall into. And I was so far behind to start, I can't afford to..."
I looked at her, feeling tears in my eyes again, "I'm sorry if I'm not being clear. And I understand if I sound pathetic. But I'm not rejecting you, Tsu-chan. I'm just saying not today. Or tomorrow. But if it is okay with you, maybe we can talk about this again after we both make it into UA."
She smiled slightly, and kissed me on the cheek, saying, "I'll hold you to that."
"Great," I smiled again. Though I quickly dialed it back, "You can borrow one of my tracksuits for now. We can say that your clothing got soaked, which is true, so I lent it to you..."
We caught the next bus, and got back early. We blamed the rain. Tsuyu's sibling accepted that at face value. But I could tell Mom did not.
After dinner, and saying our goodbyes to the Asuis, Mom faced me directly.
"How is Tsuyu-chan?" she asked softly but firmly.
"Fine," I told her, "A bit shaken, but otherwise, fine."
I told her. Not the part where Tsu tried to seduce me. But about the morning, the sudden storm. The tree, how Tsuyu saved me. And how I saved her. The fact that Tsuyu now knew about The Gamer.
"And how are you doing?" she asked, once I trailed off.
"Actually," I considered it, "I think I am good. Better, even. Like some weights I didn't know I was carrying are lighter."
Hiding my power. Guilt and doubt that I might have been able to do something for Kacchan. Those pressures weren't gone. But they were definitely less.
Then I looked over at her cautiously, and asked, "Is this the part where you say we can't train anymore?"
"No," Mom smiled, "This is the part where I tell you how very proud of you I am."
"Mom?"
"Izuku," she said, "It was an accident. Not much different than if a truck's brakes failed. You can't predict these things..."
"Sir Knighteye could," I could not help but note. She ignored me.
"Just locking you away isn't the answer," Mom kept going, "You handled the situation calmly, and rationally. And you saved Tsuyu's life. You didn't hesitate to give up your secret... though maybe you could have hesitated a little... if it meant you could help."
"So no, I'm not going to forbid you two from going to Endoru to train. I'm not going to yell at you. I'm just going to say again how proud I am of you. Of both of you. And ask to have the first-aid kit, so I can refill it. And maybe I will show you a few mistakes you made, based on your description."
I felt like I was seeing my mom for the first time in a while. She looked taller and thinner. At least a little. Or maybe it was just my mixed up emotions.
"You've gotten stronger, Mom," I told her.
"Thank you, Izuku," she said, "And I'm guessing today probably made you stronger, too."
"Oh, right," I remember, "Enable alerts."
My vision was flooded. Charisma bonus for smooth talking; I wasn't sure when that happened... Maybe when I was apologizing for using her points. Lots of Skill increases, most of my attributes went up at least one. But best of all...
"I made it to level four," I told Mom, working to close all the screens. And spending my one point on Luck.
"That's great, honey. Now, first-aid kit. And then you definitely need a bath. It is a good thing Samidare and Satsuki didn't notice the blood on you..."
I pulled the box out of Inventory and set it on the table. Then I hurried to the bathroom. My nap hadn't been long enough, so I was still tired, injured, and looking forward to a good soak.
"I'm not strong enough yet," Inko let herself relax, the hidden worry seeping back into her face.
"But I will be."
She began repacking the kit, using Gravity Pull as much as she could.
Chapter 8
[Quirk: Frog Girl
Does whatever a frog can*
Frog Body: +20% attribute growth for Agility, Endurance, Quickness. Hairless below the neck.
Frog Face: Face and voice features are hard to read for most people.
Frog Legs: Bonus to skills Jumping and Kicking; increased general leg strength.
Frog Oil: Can secrete poisonous or paralytic oil from skin. Unlocks Skill 'Frog Oil Secretion'.
Frog Tongue: 20 meter long tongue with strength roughly analogous to arm strength. Unlocks Skill 'Tongue Control'.
Stomach Inversion: Can eject and clean stomach.
Wall Cling: Can adhere to vertical surfaces, may be able to move depending on surface angle and texture. Unlocks Skill 'Wall Cling'.
Cold Weakness: Will feel sluggish below 10° C, will go into hibernation below 3° C. Take additional damage from cold based attacks.]
Tsuyu and I were on the bus, going back to my place. It was the next Saturday. July 15th. My 15th birthday.
For the moment were looking at the Analysis of her primary Quirk Talent. She also had Talent called 'Quirk: Stamina Body', which improved the growth rate of all her physical Attributes by 25%, but did not increase Skill growth rate like Free Runner or Studious.
Tsuyu was actually a bit anxious to spend her Unused Talent point, so we were looking at her Quirk to figure out which available Talent would go best with it.
"I don't think you need 'Free Runner'," I told her, "You already have doubled up bonuses to Agility and Quickness growth."
"But they don't work on Skills," she argued, "And the immediate increases would get me over 50 in Quickness, so I would get a bonus Talent, too. And I'd be close for Agility."
"But the bonus Talents are randomized and tied to that attribute," I paraphrased the newest entry in the manual for her, "There's no guarantee you will get something useful. Besides, you can get there on you own."
"Okay, take it off the list, ribbit," she relented.
"Then that just leaves 'Tough as Nails' and 'Quirk: Frog Girl II'," I said as I scratched off 'Free Runner'.
"Hmm," Tsuyu mused, "Having damage resistance would be nice."
"In that case though," I said, "I would still say you wait until we figure out how to unlock a cold resistance related Talent or Skill. And wouldn't it be better to focus on your Quirk?"
The second level of her Quirk would have given her a longer tongue and upgrade Tongue Control to Prehensile Tongue. Wall Cling would also be changed to Wall Climb, meaning she could climb any wall or even hang from ceilings, or at least ones that would support her weight. She would also gain stronger oils with a new hallucinogen oil, and also the ability to match her skin to her surroundings. Even though it was better known as a chameleon ability, some frogs could do it too.
Still, I could understand why she wanted Physical Resistance after last Sunday. Taking five percent less damage from the tree would have spared me the need to use her bonus Talent to save her. But that was also a circular argument.
"The one other thing I would say," I continued, "Is that you are fifth level. You get another Talent next level. But since we don't know how long that will take, if you upgrade your Quirk first, you will have more time to work on it and adjust to it."
"You talked me into it, Izuku-kun," she finally said.
"I didn't want to do that," I said quickly and a bit nervously, "It's your life, your body, your Talents. You should grow them however you want."
"And I will," she nodded, "but that doesn't mean I can't get advice from my smarter and more knowledgeable best friend, right?"
"I'm not sure if that is true," I deflected, "But I'll be happy to let you borrow Analyze or just talk things through with you whenever you want. Just let me know if I am getting pushy or anything."
She nodded. And then hit the panel.
The bus entered the city proper, and more people boarded at the next stop. So we closed the windows, and just quietly enjoyed the rest of the trip in each others' company.
Mom had dinner waiting. The main dish was my favorite, her special triple pork katsudon. In addition to the normal pork cutlet, it also had strips of both ham and bacon. She had also made a fresh loaf of bread, and bought grape jelly. Not the cheap, overly sweet purple stuff. Instead, a champagne colored jelly with a pleasant tartness. We both knew Tsuyu had a fondness for jams and jellies, so Mom got the good stuff.
Mom also made a cherry cake with chocolate icing, and after eating dinner, we both received a large piece. I notice the one Mom took was smaller. It was all very good, and I maybe ate a bit too much.
"Okay, presents," Mom announced after she and Tsu cleaned up, both of them refusing my help. They walked into the living room, my mom carrying a stack of four wrapped boxes, and two separate cards.
"Go ahead," Mom urged me. Tsuyu nodded enthusiastically.
The first card was from the Bakugou family. It had a humorous caption. Mitsuki-oba-san wished me happy birthday, and said she hoped my training was going well. I passed the card to the two of them to read.
"I told her that you have been working out," Mom told me, "She seemed to appreciate it."
The second card was from my dad. There was nothing written, but it contained a two thousand yen online gaming card.
"That is nice," Mom said with a strained smile. Tsuyu pursed her lips slightly.
"Okay, open the big one first," Mom relaxed and encouraged me.
I did. It contained three books, Transitioning to Calculus, Ancient Japanese History, an International View, and Writing Guideposts. All three were skills books I had found at the bookstore. This was confirmed by the windows that popped up when I handled these copies.
"This will help me in school. Thanks, Mom."
She looked happy, and said, "Keep going."
The second package was only a bit smaller, but was heavier. I peeled back the paper, revealing an unfamiliar book. Really more like a tome, it was an older book with a leather cover.
"Tao of Kung Fu," I read.
"I wasn't sure if it would qualify as a Skill Book," she told me, "But when I saw it at the used bookstore, I thought it looked like it should be one. And if not, at least it may be an interesting read."
I removed the rest of the paper, and tapped the cover.
[This book contains the skills Kung Fu Fundamentals, Meditation, Wing Chun Quan, and Tai Chi Quan. You do not qualify to learn Wing Chun Quan or Tai Chi Quan. Learning the remaining skills will consume the book. Proceed with learning Kung Fu Fundamentals and Meditation skills?
(Accept) (Decline)]
"You didn't mention that," Tsuyu noted, as we all looked at the message.
"I haven't seen a Skill book like this before," I said as I hit 'Decline', "There have been Skill books I couldn't use at all. But I've never seen a book with more than two Skills. Like that one has both Mathematics, Basic and Mathematics, Advanced. And I also haven't seen one with some Skills I could learn and some I couldn't. I guess I should figure out what I need to do, to be able to get all four Skills. But thanks, Mom. This is really cool."
"You're welcome," she said, "now, last one from me, and then Tsuyu's present."
"Don't be too hopeful about mine," Tsuyu added.
"I'm sure it will be great," I reassured her.
My mom's last gift was smaller. Inside was something I had wanted for a while now.
"Final Fantasy VI - CR," I said reverently.
"They couldn't all be skill books," Mom gave me a light smirk.
"What is it?" Tsuyu asked.
"The definitive version of the best game from the old Square Enix company," I said, winding up, "It's a 3D, fully voiced remake that merges both the original game, and the continuation. Plus they added some new items and side quests. Some people claim that Final Fantasy VII is best, and other prefer number 18. But for my time, VI has both the best story and gamepl..."
I forced myself to stop, as the two of them exchanged glances.
"Right," I coughed with a bit of a blush, "Now, from Tsu-chan."
My mom gave us an aside glance at the even more familiar name.
I unwrapped the smallest package. It was a long, plastic clamshell box. Inside was a mechanical pencil. But not a simple or cheap one. It was made of military grade aluminum. It was inlaid with blue stained and polished oak. And that was emblazoned with the UA logo. The box contained extra graphite and a replacement eraser.
"Wow, this is really nice," I smiled at Tsuyu, "In fact, it might be perfect."
"That might be overstating it a bit," my friend countered flatly, "But I thought it would be good for the exam."
"Yes, that too," I said, "But I had another idea."
They both looked at me expectantly.
"So, I know we were going to watch movies tonight," I began, "But I was thinking about something. Last week, when Tsuyu got hurt, I thought about going into the Reflective Dungeon, so I could meet with you, Mom. I thought you might come back with me, or would be able to call for help when you were sent back here. Except I wasn't sure, and I didn't know what we would find. I haven't experimented with it yet, because you would worry about me, Mom. And if you came in with me, I would worry about you."
"Now there are three of us. Still two short of a full party. But we might still be enough to go into a Reflective Dungeon, and see what it is like. And watch out for each other, if it is too dangerous and we need to run. If you two are okay with it, I was thinking we could use Tsu's present. Its quality is above average, but its rank is still low, so it should be safe."
"What does that last bit mean, Izuku honey?" Mom asked.
"Once Analyze hit level fifteen," I explained, "it started showing two new stats on inanimate items. Quality and rank. Quality is how well it is made, how expensive the materials are, and things like that. While rank seems to be like the item's level. Quality is set when the item is made, but rank improves as the Reflective Dungeon it cleared. Both of them combined determine how dangerous the dungeon is."
"I was thinking we could also test where we come back out when we leave," I kept going, "if we aren't all together to start. See what the dungeon looks like, what the monsters look like. Maybe test all these fighting skills we been trying to learn."
"I'm up for it if you both are," Tsuyu said, but there was a hint I now recognized as anticipation in her voice.
My mom studied us both. Then she appeared to make up her mind.
"Alright," she said, "We really should know how the Dungeon thing works. So we can do this on one condition. If I say we leave, we leave. However it is we get out, as quickly as possible. Okay?"
"Yes," I said immediately.
"Of course," Tsuyu agreed.
"Then let's watch the first movie," Mom suggested, "to give our food time to digest. And then we will try this."
"That makes sense," Tsu said as I bobbed my head happily.
Two hours and forty minutes later, give or take, we changed into workout gear. And then gathered around the pencil.
"So, Mom," I suggested, "Why don't you go into your room and shut the door. And Tsu-chan can sit on the couch. That will be a good first test of where we are on exit."
"Sounds good," Tsuyu noted, and my mom nodded thoughtfully.
"First things first," Mom said, "You have your first-aid kit, right?"
"I keep it in my Inventory all the time," I confirmed, "except that once..."
Tsuyu shuddered slightly, and we each rested a hand on one of her shoulders.
"Next," Mom walked over to the fridge and pantry, "Granola, jerky, and sports drinks. Store them, too. If we are going to be working out, we need to keep out energy up."
"I wonder if this stuff will help your actual Energy?" Tsuyu mused.
"So far it hasn't," I told her, "but maybe things will work differently in the Dungeon. Anything else, Mom?"
She shook her head. Then both women left me to assume their suggested starting locations.
"Analyze," I stated.
[UA branded mechanical pencil
A thoughtful gift and a really nice pencil.
Durability: 30/30
Quality: 3/7
Rank: ]
I wasn't sure why quality was on a scale of seven, but decided it didn't matter. It was a bit subjective anyway, most cars I had scanned had Durability in the three or four digit range and probably cost a thousand times as much, but still only had a quality of one or two. And I wasn't surprised by the lack of rank, either. Most items didn't have anything. Only a few had one or rarely two stars.
I touched the pencil, and ordered, "Create Reflective Dungeon."
It was an odd sensation. It looked like a movie wipe, and felt like what I would imagine said scene transition would feel like from the inside.
Mom was standing beside me. Tsuyu was 'sitting' next to me, but without the couch under her, she had to adjust quickly to keep from falling.
We were on a plain, like what you would see in the American midwest. The grasses were amber, and came up about to my waist. In the direction I felt was north, there were greyish mountains. To the west, there was a forest. But the trees were yellow and topped with pink.
"Are those old style #2 pencils?" Mom asked, staring at them.
"Ribbit," Tsu croaked in surprise.
There was nothing special to the south or east, just plains as far as I could see.
[Dungeon Entry - UA Mechanical Pencil
Mooks: 39/39
Boss: 1/1 (unspawned)]
We all looked at the message, before I dismissed it.
"It's good to know what to expect, I guess," Tsuyu commented, "What does 'unspawned' mean?"
"It means the boss isn't here yet," I told her, "We probably have to do something, to make it show up."
"Let's start with the normal enemies first," Mom sounded nervous. Her wish was granted as the grasses parted with a gentle swishing.
It was about half a meter shorter than me. It had a basically humanoid form, but was covered in brown, matted fur. It had a dog-like face. It was wearing rough, burlap tunic and breeches. It was carrying a modern commando knife, but it was about the size of a short sword to the creature. The blade was poorly cared for, visibly chipped and flecked with rust. It was also carrying a round shield.
"It's a kobold," my mom exclaimed softly.
I was so proud of her in that moment.
"What's a kobold?" Tsuyu asked.
"A fantasy race," I explained, "They are usually enemies, and low tier ones. They show up in all kinds of books and game."
"Analyze."
[Pencil Kobold
Trash mob from a low-level dungeon.
Level: 1
Health: 20/20
Stamina 5/5]
At that point, it finally seemed to notice us. Its nose twitched, and only then did it see us.
"But is it hostile?" Mom asked, "In most stories, they are sentient. Maybe we can talk..."
As if in answer, the kobold threw back its head and howled. Then it charged us, knife first.
"That answers that," I said.
Tsuyu and I both dropped into combat stances. We were ready to dodge its initial stab and counter. Only Mom moved first. She pointed at the kobold's hand. The knife was torn free, and an instant later, the handle slapped into Mom's palm. The monster blinked, looking at its empty hand in confusion. Tsuyu didn't squander the chance. She jumped forward and kicked the side of the monster's head. Rather than blood, pencil shavings were thrown off it.
Tsuyu's attack didn't kill it. It lunged, fangs spread to bite her. I focused my Energy, and thrust my hands towards it. A ball of silvery energy exited my palms. The Ki Projection hit the kobold in the chest, knocking it away from my friend. The monster whimpered. And then dissolved into a mass of graphite shards. All that was left behind was a tooth and...
"5000 yen?" Mom asked no-one, and pulled the two items to her suddenly empty hand; the knife having crumbled too.
"Really?" I looked at the bill in her hands.
"Is it real?" Tsuyu added.
"It looks like it," Mom studied the note, "But I'm going to hang on to this for now. And what do you make of this?"
"Analyze."
[Kobold Fang]
That was odd, and I told them, "I've never seen such a short description before."
We all looked at the message, and then I dismissed it. Mom handed the tooth to Tsuyu, who studied it briefly. Then she offered it to me. But when I touched it, it vanished.
"Huh?" Tsu voiced her surprise, "Where did it go?"
"I don't know," I said, "Inventory."
There was nothing new in my box.
"It may be tied to your power in some way," Mom decided.
"In games, something like that would usually be a quest item," I mused, "Like 'Collect 20 Kobold Fangs'. Maybe it is a hidden quest, or The Gamer is collecting them for when I do get the right quest?"
"That makes sense," Tsuyu agreed, finger on her lips.
"We should just give them to you, then, Izuku," Mom suggested, "There isn't much point to carrying around random monster parts."
"Yeah," Tsuyu nodded.
"Okay," I agreed, "Mom will take the money, and I will take the monster bits. I wonder if anything else will drop..."
"That was easy enough," Tsuyu said, "We should keep going."
Mom looked dubious for a moment, and then nodded.
Six or seven howls tore out all around us.
"Maybe I spoke too soon, ribbit."
"Ki Detection," I said.
"You might want to name your moves," Tsuyu noted.
"Two to the north, closing fast," I told them, "Two to the east, but they are further out. Three, no four now, to the south, right at the edge of my range."
"Take out the close ones first, right?" Tsuyu suggested, "And then maybe head west, since none are over there?"
"Unless there is a reason they are avoiding the forest," Mom countered softly.
"If we do that, there is a chance they will converge on us," I said, "I would go north first, then east. Then reassess, see if we can find any more or what the southern group does."
"That sounds like a sound plan," Mom agreed.
"Yes," Tsuyu said.
We moved to intercept the first pair of monsters. As before, our height and seemingly better vision let us spot them first. One was wearing the same sort of ratty clothing and carrying an old, dented softball bat. The second kobold actually had on leather armor, in reasonably good shape, and had a bronze shortsword tucked into its belt.
"Analyze, Analyze," I mumbled softly
[Pencil Kobold
Trash mob from a low-level dungeon.
Level: 1
Health: 18/18
Stamina 4/4]
[Pencil Kobold
Recyclable mob from a low-level dungeon.
Level: 2
Health: 26/26
Stamina 10/10]
"Mom," I whispered, "Can you grab the sword, and hand it to me?"
Both women looked at me curiously. But Mom pointed her right hand at the tougher monster, and pulled its weapon to her. She passed it to me, even as she snagged the bat. The kobolds definitely noticed that, and began to charge.
I lifted the dagger, and threw it at its owner. But I was not counting on my mediocre Throwing Skill. Instead I activated Telekinetic Attack as it left my fingers. The blade flew straighter and faster than most pitchers could have dreamed. It plunged into the kobold's armor.
"Analyze," I said again, even as I started running.
[Pencil Kobold
Recyclable mob from a low-level dungeon.
Level: 2
Health: 11/26
Stamina 10/10]
I reached it a second later. My fist drove into its face. Which hurt much less than hitting a redwood. Then I hopped up, and kicked the pommel of the knife, forcing it deeper into the kobold's chest. That seemed to do the trick, as monster and weapon crumbled.
Tsuyu's tongue hit the second kobold in the neck, with force of a right hook. It whimpered, and grabbed for its throat. Tsu followed up with a pair of kicks to its knee and stomach. That was enough, the monster disintegrated.
The 2nd level monster dropped seven 1000 yen bills, while the weaker one only dropped two 500 yen coins, plus another tooth. Mom gathered them, and then gave me the fang.
"Let's keep going," Mom seemed to have relaxed, after how quickly we took care of them.
According to my Status window, we had been in the dungeon for almost three hours, though it felt like only half of that. We were currently resting up against one of the giant pencil trees.
"That was a little rough," Tsuyu admitted, biting into jerky.
"Yeah," I sighed, "Four of them, and all at least level 3."
"I don't really approve of you playing tank, Izuku," Mom said.
"But I am the one with Physical Resistance and Ki Regeneration," I reminded her, using the second Skill to convert my Energy into Health. And draining one of the bottles of energy drink. As Tsu suggested, in the Dungeon it did actually refill my Energy, and their Stamina, if only a bit.
"I'm curious about that wolf meat," Tsuyu deflected for me.
Besides the kobolds, we had also encountered some wolves. The wolves dropped less money than the kobolds, we were lucky to get one 50 yen coin off of them. But they also dropped wolf pelts, which I absorbed like the kobold fangs. And a few had also dropped wolf meat. That did not vanish at my touch, and Analyze gave a much more thorough description, claiming it was lean and delicious. I had stored the tenderloins in Inventory, so they wouldn't go bad and we didn't have to worry about the smell attracting other monsters.
"Maybe I will try cooking some of it tomorrow," Mom offered, then added, "I wonder how we are doing. I lost count of how many enemies we have defeated, after you two both leveled up."
Along the way, Tsuyu and I had both gained levels at the same time. She was now level 6, while I was level 5.
"Hmm," I considered that, "Dungeon Status? Analyze Dungeon? Quest?"
The first two did nothing, and there wasn't anything new under the Quest tab. Or any other tabs. Nor was the occasionally growing manual any help.
"Ki Detection."
My frequent use of the skill had increased its level and range.
"I feel one more monster," I said, "But I still can't cover the whole island."
It turned out the Dungeon was an island, smaller than Endoru is area. Oh, and the greyish mountains? They were made of graphite.
"Do we want to go for it?" I asked, "Or should we retreat and come back later?"
"I'm still fine," Tsuyu noted. On the Party screen, I was in the worst shape. Tsuyu had lost a bit of Health, and used up some of her Stamina, but she was still far ahead of me in both. Mom hadn't taken any damage yet, both of us being protective of her. But her Stamina and Psions were both low. I was at 70/120 Health and 50/149 Energy.
"I think we can continue," Mom said. Despite her complaint, she had grown more confident and comfortable with each victory. And she had been our MVP, disarming every kobold we had encountered. Except the one with the giant, two-handed axe. It had been too heavy for her. Fortunately, it was also too heavy for the kobold.
"But if the boss does appear, we need to leave," she said firmly. We both bobbed our heads in confirmation.
Even now, I sometimes tell her it was her fault for saying that. Especially given our average Luck score back then.
"Analyze."
[Pencil Kobold Ace
Mob from a low-level dungeon.
Level: 5
Health: 60/60
Stamina 30/30]
This was the highest level monster we had seen so far. It had leather armor, and a pair of commando knives. But the equipment was in much better shape. The armor was clean and fit the little monster perfectly, and the blades were sharp and unmarked.
Not that it got to keep them for long. Mom pulled them both into her hands. She offered me one, but I shook my head. I wanted to preserve my Energy for the moment.
Tsuyu, the monster, and I all charged. Unlike the others, it did not drop its guard after being disarmed. It managed to block my first punch, and leaned away from Tsuyu's kick. She still clipped it, but it didn't appear to be overly hurt. It pushed me back, and tried to bite Tsuyu. I grabbed its arm, and pulled it with me, before twisting into a hip throw. It slammed into the ground, though between the dirt and grass it was cushioned fall. Then Tsu's tongue smacked the side of its head.
"Analyze," I said again as I tried to stomp its stomach. I was only concerned about its Health, which was still 42/60. My stomp missed, and the kobold spun its legs out, forcing us back a bit as it regained its feet. Only for Tsu and I to sandwich its head in mirrored roundhouse kicks. It growled, but shut up when I delivered a rabbit punch to its kidney... Or at least where its kidney should have been.
Tsuyu's tongue snaked around its arm, locking it at extension. I grabbed the other limb, locking it in place. We started to kick it again, until we noticed Mom walking over. So instead we kept it trapped, while she stabbed it in the neck with both knives.
This time as the monster disintegrated, and the wind carried the graphite away, we were surprised. Two fangs, which was a first. A 10,000 yen bill amongst the cash, another first. And this time only one of the knives disappeared.
"Analyze."
[Ontario MK 6 Navy Knife
Standard issue weapon for the US Navy Elite Forces (formerly known as Navy Seals). An excellent, multi-function combat knife.
Durability: 248/250
Quality: 4/7
Rank: **]
"Izuku, Inko-oba-san," Tsuyu was not looking at the knife like we were. She was looking behind us. I immediately turned, positioning myself between them, and whatever had spooked Tsu.
The graphite from the monster we had just killed was swirling in a small tornado. It seemed to contain the remains of the other mooks, too. The shard gathered together, and solidified.
"Illfang," Mom gasped.
She was wrong. Copyright issues aside, its fur was the dark green, not red. It wasn't big enough. And it was carrying a war-sledge instead of an axe or sword. Still, it was easy enough to see how she made the mistake, since the boss towered over us and appeared to weigh more than the three of us, combined.
Like the ace, its weapon and armor were in perfect condition. Unlike the ace, the boss was wearing a vest of chainmail over its leather armor, and a steel skullcap.
"Analyze."
[Kobold Baron
Boss of UA Mechanical Pencil
Level: 8
Health: 150/150
Stamina: 90/90]
"Izuku," Mom called out.
"Dungeon Exit," I ordered. Only for a loud buzzing to fill the air.
[Exit disabled within Dungeon Boss's control zone. You must leave the zone or defeat the boss.]
"How big is this zone?" Tsuyu asked rhetorically.
"Fight or run?" I asked Mom, as the beast roared.
"I'm not sure how far I can run," she admitted, "And we don't know how big this control zone is... Just please, be careful."
I nodded, glaring intently at the boss.
"Do you want the knife?" Mom asked.
"No, you hold onto it for now," I told her, "I'll start with a... Kirin Blast!"
The sphere of Ki slammed right into the boss's face. It barely seemed to notice.
"That name could use work," Tsuyu commented as she jumped forward, diving past the boss. As she passed, she kicked out at the back of its knee. Given how fat it was, and how skinny its legs were, it was a good idea. But the baron didn't go down.
"I'm guessing that hammer is too heavy," Tsuyu shouted to my mom.
"Yes."
"Analyze."
[Kobold Baron
Boss of UA Mechanical Pencil
Level: 8
Health: 144/150
Stamina: 90/90]
[Your combat vigilance has paid off. Analyze skill improved (lvl 20). Battle Scan effect acquired.
Battle Scan:
After you Analyze an enemy, you can continue to see its basic status as long as you remain in combat.]
Sure enough, floating over the kobold's head was a smaller window showing (Kobold Baron HP: 142/150 SP: 90/90).
Tsuyu had smacked it with her tongue while I was reading the message. And I was a bit worried that the boss was taking noticeably less damage than the mooks.
"Mom, the helmet," I shouted. Her eyes widened.
"Kirin Blast," I aimed for its gut this time, trying to keep its attention on me. It worked, and I had to drop almost to the ground to avoid the giant hammer.
"Gravity Pull!"
I don't know if Tsuyu influenced her, too, or if Mom was just trying to focus. Instead of pulling the baron's helmet to her, she just gave it enough of a tug that it fell down over the monster's eyes. It grunted in anger, and swung wildly. Tsuyu was forced to hop back, but I rolled closer. I came up in a crouch right next to it, and threw three hard punches into the same knee Tsu had already hit.
(Kobold Baron HP: 127/150 SP: 90/90)
It let go of the hammer with one hand, and swatted me away. I got my arms up to block, but still...
[-8 Health]
That stung. And I was thrown back.
The baron did not regrip its hammer. Instead it reached up, wrenched off the skullcap, and threw it at Mom. She shocked me by catching it mid air with her power, pulling it safely into her hands. The kobold roared, and looked like it was going to charge her. Except Tsuyu's tongue plowed full bore into the wrist of the hand still handing the sledge. The angry shout turned into one of pain, and it dropped the weapon. The baron decided to ignore us for the moment and reached for the hammer.
'Jet Set Run!' I ordered, 'Ki Reinforcement: Quickness.'
At the time, I didn't realize I had done it without speaking. It might have saved me trouble later, if I had.
I darted forward and dove into the handle of the sledge. I wrapped my arms around it, and rolled away from the baron's grasping hands. I made it clear, but when I tried to lift it, the hammer felt heavier than Tsu.
"Ki Reinforcement: Strength," I hissed from the strain. The bonus moved, and I was able, barely, to pick up the weapon. The baron snarled at me, and thundered towards me.
Doing my best impersonation of an old Olympics' hammer throw, I spun completely around. I drove the hammer into the baron's side. The force knocked the boss down, but I stumbled, too.
[Heavy swing. Strength +1]
(Kobold Baron HP: 97/150 SP: 90/90)
"Can you do that again?" Tsu asked quickly, inching closer.
"Yeah," I agreed, "I think so."
The baron and I both climbed back to our feet. I lifted the hammer, and clumsily placed it over my shoulder. It looked at me and snarled cautiously. I stepped closer, preparing to swing. Its eyes lit up and it charged again. It thought it could get too close for me to hit it with the hammer's head. But off to the side, Tsu nodded.
I rotated again, hammer as far out as it could go. As I did, Tsuyu ran forward. When I reached to point where the sledge was the same distance as the baron, just not far enough around the circle, she jumped. Tucking under in mid-air, she slammed her feet into the haft of the sledge. Then she jumped off with all her prodigious leg strength.
[-3 Health]
The hammer accelerated, painfully wrenching my arms with it. The wood of the handle cracked. Tsuyu shot back, landing almost next to Mom. And sledge slammed into the baron's chest.
(Kobold Baron HP: 57/150 SP: 90/90)
The kobold braced itself, and stayed on its feet. It reached down and grabbed the handle, preparing to take it back from me. But I just let go. Instead, I stared at the handle. I forced myself to remember that branch, stabbing through my best friend.
"Utah SMASH!" I roared, karate chopping the point Tsu had damaged it. The haft broke cleanly in two.
The boss looked down at me, its eyes practically glowing. It dropped both halves of its weapon, and threw back its head. It howled. This howl was different. It shook my whole body.
[Status ailment resisted.]
I glanced back. And quickly said, "Analyze."
[Name: Inko Midoriya
Race: Human (Quirk metagene positive)
Age: 36
Level: 17 Active
Title: Hard-working Mother
Health: 187/187
Stamina: 13/126
Psions: 7/190
Condition: Stunned]
I hadn't realized she had gained a level in the last few months. But more important was her condition, and the fact that she seemed to be locked in place. Tsuyu wasn't moving either, so I knew she had been stunned, too. It was only thanks too Gamer's Mind that I was still moving. I needed to protect them, until the effect wore off.
Then the Baron howled again. But this one was different, and was immediately echoed. Graphite swirled, and formed into two wolves. The boss barked, and they started to moved towards Mom and Tsuyu. It grinned down at me sadistically.
(Kobold Baron HP: 57/150 SP: 30/90)
Those two powers had cost it most of its Stamina. I hadn't been paying enough attention to see what each cost. Whatever the case, it could use only one of the skills again.
It raised a fist to punch me. I ignored it, scrambling to where it dropped the hammer head. I picked it up, turned, and threw it at the first wolf. I imparted telekinetic force onto the metal lump. It crashed into the wolf's head, crushing it. The rest of its body vanished. Unfortunately, I was too far to keep the second wolf from reaching Tsuyu. And the baron was towering over me, swinging what was left of the sledge's handle like a crude club. I prepared to roll with the hit, hoping it wouldn't put me in the negative.
Then the pole popped out of its hands. It flew over to my mother, who was panting from effort. She caught it roughly. And then slammed it into the side of the wolf about to maul Tsu. The lupine monster tumbled away. Mom shook Tsuyu, which seemed to snap her out of it.
The baron recovered, and prepared to howl again.
"No you don't," I told it, "Shoryuken!"
I threw a jumping uppercut, straight into its jaw. It whimpered as its teeth snapped shut on its tongue.
(Kobold Baron HP: 48/150 SP: 10/90)
"No trademark infringement," Mom scolded me as she and Tsuyu finished the wolf, and turned back towards us.
"Sorry," I said sheepishly, "It was a spur of the moment impulse."
Disarmed, not enough stamina for its special moves, and only one third Health left, the baron looked at us nervously. Then it steeled itself, and tried to punch me in the face. I blocked and dodged together, and drove my other fist into its elbow. Then I slid in, and kicked its damaged knee again. This time there was a crack, and the beast's leg folded under it.
Tsuyu rejoined us with two-footed jump kick to the side of its head. Mom stayed back, but she had both the knife and club at the ready.
(Kobold Baron HP: 22/150 SP: 10/90)
"Last push," I told myself, tired due to my low Energy, "Disable Jet Set Run, Ki Reinforcement."
Tsu's tongue slapped its face twice. Unable to stand, it tried to force her away, but she was too nimble.
"Dragon Burst?" I called out tentatively. It was the same Ki Projection, and hit the kobold in the chest.
"Better," Tsuyu commented.
"Maybe we should forget the names," Mom commented.
"I don't know," Tsuyu countered, "I liked the All Might riff. Maybe more like that."
Even as she said it, she kicked the baron again. That claimed the last bit of its Health, and it crumbled.
[Level Up!
Level: 6
Attribute points: +7
Skill points: +3
Talent points: +1]
Mom and Tsuyu had similar windows, albeit with higher levels and fewer bonus points.
The haft also disintegrated out of Mom's hand. But the head portion of the hammer remained. Mom scooped up the cash the boss dropped without even looking at it.
"Analyze."
[Broken Weapon]
"Another short description," Tsuyu noted as she read my message box. Then she picked it up and handed it to me. As expected, this time it vanished as soon as I touched it.
"Let's go, before there are any more surprises," Mom said.
"Exit Dungeon."
[UA Mechanical Pencil Complete!
Defeated 20 enemies: Rank+
Defeated 40 enemies: Rank+
Defeated boss: Rank+
Level I cleared: Rank+]
The message appeared before our eyes, even as we returned to reality.
We were all standing in the kitchen. The pencil was still on the table. I immediately said, "Analyze."
[UA branded mechanical pencil
A thoughtful gift. It is exceptionally comfortable and the graphite never seems to break..
Durability: 50/50
Quality: 3/7
Rank: ****]
Mom was also still holding the knife. She set it on the table, and emptied the cash from her pockets. Without needing to speak, we began to sort and count it.
One million, four hundred sixty-seven thousand, five hundred yen. Almost three quarters of what my dad made each month. And we acquired it in just under four hours, most from the boss. It wasn't enough to buy a car, but it was still a decent amount of money. Especially to a pair of teenagers.
"What do we do, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked flatly. Mom got out a paper bag, and put the money in.
"I'm going to take it to the police tomorrow," she said firmly, "Turn it is as something we just found on the ground like it was trash. They will see if it is real, and if it is reported stolen or missing. And if none of those issues come up, they will return it to us."
"Okay," Tsu and I sighed in unison.
One million, one hundred four thousand, five hundred yen.
Two weeks later, the money was indeed returned to us, after taxes on it were taken out.
"Still, I wonder where it came from?" Mom wondered, the three of us gathered around the table again.
"Maybe it is lost money," I said, "You know, money that was blown away, dropped in the sewer, or burned in a fire. Maybe The Gamer can somehow pull it in and fix it."
"That might explain why sometimes they dropped odd amounts of bills and coins," Tsuyu added, "Instead of just the most efficient combination."
"Either way, it is ours now," Mom said, "And I would say we earned it."
She split it into four piles.
"300,000 for each of us," she said, "And I think the remaining two hundred and change should go to you, Izuku."
"Me?" I stammered, "Bu... but you two did as much as I did. Mom, it would have been a lot harder without you disarming them. And Tsuyu finished the boss."
"But it is your power," Tsu countered, "Without it, we wouldn't have any of this."
"Exactly," Mom agreed. I wanted to argue. But then I smiled.
"Okay. I'll take it. Then I'll give it to you, Mom, to pay back the advance on my allowance, and to pay you for babysitting."
"Ha," Tsuyu laughed.
"Fine," Mom chuckled, "But don't think this means you are getting an allowance any more. Not when you can just jump into a paperclip and come out with fifty thousand yen. And to think I was just joking about your The Gamer making money..."
We all laughed at that.
At least for the moment. But she really did stop giving me an allowance.
And in case you are wondering, Mom kept the knife. After giving it a thorough cleaning, she used it for cooking.
Later that afternoon, after Tsuyu left to pick up her siblings, I went shopping. I had to replace my tracksuits, as they were getting a little short and a lot ragged. Plus I grabbed three more sets of the weight expansions. After stowing them in Inventory, I went to the bookstore.
There wasn't much new, but I already had a list of over a dozen books I could currently use. I grabbed a basket, and started filling it up. I didn't want to spend all my new money, but if it could help me get into UA, I would spend most of it.
I rounded one of the shelves, and nearly ran into someone. Dodge and Karate seemed to kick in, and I danced effortlessly around her.
'Maybe I should look for dancing books,' flashed through my head.
"Sorry," I said, bowing.
"No, I was not looking either, Midoriya-kun."
It was the blue-haired girl. And she knew my name.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" I prompted regretfully, "I recognize you from school, and Kacchan... Bakugou's funeral. But I don't recall us being introduced."
[You accidentally made her day. Charisma +1]
"No, not officially," she confirmed tentatively, "But you are famous at Aldera for..."
"Being Quirkless," I filled in sadly.
"Yes," she nodded, "I am Mizuno Ami."
"You are? The top scorer? The rumored genius Quirk?"
"I don't have a genius Quirk," she said quickly, "Not intelligence, memory, or other informational Quirks."
"I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to imply anything. It's just no-one knows what your Quirk is, and your scores are perfect, so people just assume."
"No, I am sorry," she said, "I do hide my Quirk, and I know you have reasons not to deride others. It just makes me upset that most people think I get my grades through a power rather than hard work."
"Can I ask what your Quirk is?" I prompted carefully, "So I can correct anyone else I hear saying that?"
She smiled shyly, and nodded. She took a water bottle out of her bag. Mizuno-san held it up, and then released it. It dropped slightly, and then stopped in mid air. I looked at it closely, and realized what had happened. The water had not moved, but the container itself had dropped and the air was now at the bottom.
"Hydrokinesis," I said, "You are holding up the water, not the bottle."
"Yes," she seemed impressed, "I call it Ice Water, because I can control both water and ice, and it works better the closer they are to zero degrees."
"How much can you control?" I prompted, reaching for a Hero Note that wasn't there.
"I don't know," she admitted, "I've never tested it. When I first used it, another boy in my class was drowning, he had turned into metal in the pool and sank to the bottom. I lifted a square of water out of the pool, and held the rest back until he was rescued."
"Wow," I was amazed, "With a Quirk like that, you will be an amazing Hero."
"I'm not going to be a Hero," she denied, shaking her head. Then she looked down at the books in her arms. College level material.
"I am planning to be a doctor, like my mother," she added.
"Oh, that's too bad," I said, "I think you would make a great Hero. Plus, it would be nice to have another person from Aldera at UA with me.
"You are really going to try out for UA?" she blinked, "Even though..."
She blushed at bringing up my supposed infirmity. I just smiled.
"To that, I have two things to say," I told her confidently, "First, is that not all Heroes have great combat powers. Eraserhead... have you heard of him? He avoids the press and doesn't market himself, so he's not very well known. Anyway, his Quirk lets him shut off other people's Quirks. The exact limits haven't been published, but either way, that means that physically he is just a normal person, making Villains fight him on even terms. And Midnight, if her sleep pheromone doesn't work on a Villain, she also had to take them down with just tools and martial arts. So if someone works hard enough, they might be able to be a Hero, even if they have a weak Quirk or even none at all."
Her eyes flickered over to my arms, which were a little thicker and a lot more defined than they had been three months ago.
"And second..." I lowered my voice conspiratorially, "Just like everyone knows you have a genius Quirk, everyone knows I am Quirkless."
"Are you saying?" she gasped slightly.
"I am saying that things change, and just because the majority of people believe something, doesn't make it real. Like how everyone knew Jobs was Quirkless, because his father was allergic to apples..."
She studied me for a moment. Then looked at the books in my basket.
"Well, it was nice to formally meet you, Mizuno-san," I told her, "I will let you get back to your shopping."
Years later, Ami told me, that if I had looked back in that moment, I would have seen her take a Tae Kwon Do manual off the shelf.