117 Chapter 116

With only five days until his departure to the states, Izuku had little time to get his affairs in order. Thus, shortly after separating from Toshinori, he pulled out his cell phone, asking the girls if they could meet him back at the dorms so he could explain things in person.

Fortunately for Izuku, even Toga had moved into the dorms the previous afternoon, so all seven girls were waiting in his living room, having made themselves comfortable by the time he arrived.

Similar to the previous day, Toga charged at Izuku the moment he arrived, pouncing on him excitedly as she exclaimed, "Congratulations on passing your exams~!"

Though he hadn't had much time to familiarize himself with Toga, Izuku wrapped his arms around her, reciprocating her embrace and responding, "Thanks, Himiko..."

Blinking in surprise, Toga looked up at Izuku with a hint of conflict in her carmine eyes. She wasn't particularly fond of her given name as it made her sound like a princess, but she had misgivings about 'correcting' Izuku since it was a form of endearment.

Seeing through Toga's thoughts, Izuku raised his brows and asked, "Should I keep calling you Toga...?"

Adopting a somewhat scary smile, Toga linked her arms around Izuku's shoulders as she licked her lips and replied, "If it's you, you can call me anything you like...so long as I get to call you mine..."

Undaunted by Toga's fangs, Izuku bent forward to reward her with a kiss, this time holding it much longer than their previous exchanges. Then, with his hand on her waist, he guided her back to the others, taking a seat and allowing her to snuggle up next to him as he recounted everything he had discussed with Nezu.

Unsurprisingly, none of the girls were enthused by the notion he would be away for upwards of three months. Toga, in particular, had a borderline murderous look on her face as she softly griped, "That damned mascot..."

Patting the golden-haired girl's hand, resting on his inner thigh, Izuku passed his gaze over everyone, his expression and tone soft yet assured as he said, "The Meta World Transveral phenomenon threatens to engulf the entire world. If I can help uncover the truth of its origin and find a way to stop it, millions, if not billions, of lives would be saved..."

Getting straight to the heart of the matter, Ochaco asked, "Can't we come with you?"

Instead of refusing outright, Izuku asked, "Are you prepared to leave your family and friends, travel to another country, and put your life on the line?"

Catching Izuku a little off guard, Ochaco held her hands up, balling them into fists as she replied, "You said it yourself. The entire world is in peril. If I can help, even just a little, I want to give it my all!"

"Right on, Ochaco-chan~!" exclaimed Mina, throwing her right fist into the air as she appended, "Europe, here we come~!"

Recovering from his momentary stupor, an affectionate smile developed across Izuku's face as he met the resolute gazes of Tsuyu, Kyoka, Mina, and Momo, asking, "I'm guessing you all feel the same way...?"

Returning one of her characteristically luminous smiles, Momo replied, "We promised to stay together. Besides, everyone here aspires to be a great Hero someday. We can't simply remain idle while the man we love travels abroad to fight the common enemy of humanity."

Before any of the other girls could respond, Toga issued a loud groan, her expression and tone suffused with lamentation as she whined, "This isn't fair...there's no way my parents will let me go to Europe to fight a bunch of monsters..."

With Toga's words reminding them of the reality of the situation, the looks on everyone's faces, sans Momo, visibly cramped. There was no way they could leave the country of their own accord, so if their parents refused to let them go, their hands were tied...

Exhaling a faint sigh through his nose, Izuku's expression softened as he said, "I'll be returning the moment the breaches start to appear in Japan. For now, it's probably for the best that you all remain here, focusing on your training and Work Studies. I'll have All Might watching over me, so I'll be fine..."

Hanging her head, Ochaco adopted a particularly somber expression as she muttered, "Everyone should fight together..."

"And we will..." replied Izuku, adding, "But, at least for now, we still have duties and obligations as students. My situation makes me an exception, but without the backing of the Principal and Toshinori, even I wouldn't be able to enter the breaches of another country. As dangerous as they are, the resources found within make them a goldmine..."

Raising her face, Ochaco muttered, "I get that...but still...the thought of you fighting alone makes me uncomfortable..."

Chiming into the conversation, Toru casually remarked, "Eh, I doubt he'll be alone. I'm more concerned about other women sinking their teeth into him while he's away."

Staring at Izuku, Toru suggested, "You should take Melissa or Momo with you. I'm fine with sharing you with everyone here, but things will become complicated if we start including girls from other countries."

Humoring the idea, Izuku looked to Momo, asking, "How about it? Think your parents would allow it?"

"Certainly," replied Momo, adopting a charming smile as she appended, "The two of us are affianced, so our fates are already tied as one. The only issue is the timing. I won't be able to accompany you to New York, but I should be able to meet you in London."

Adopting a smile of his own, Izuku looked around, asking, "Is that okay with everyone here?"

"I don't see any issues with it," said Tsuyu.

"Same here," replied Mina.

With Izuku setting his gaze on her, Ochaco forced a smile as she replied, "I'd prefer it if I were the one to go with you, but this is better than you going alone..."

"Just try not to bring back any British girls," teased Toru. "It's fine if you get frisky with a few, but try not to let things get serious."

Furrowing his brows, Izuku felt compelled to defend himself, but as it was much too late to change everyone's perception with words, he ultimately remained silent. Actions spoke louder than words, so the best thing he could do for himself was 'not' have any casual relationships while abroad. Fortunately, as long as Momo received permission to accompany him, that shouldn't be an issue...

Inserting herself into the dialogue, utterly derailing things, Toga had a 'serious' look on her face as she said, "Let's do it. Right here, right now."

Before Izuku could respond, Toru raised her hand and said, "Oh, oh, count me in! If we only have five days left, we should put them to use...!"

Adopting a chiding tone, Momo expressed, "While I understand your urgency, it wouldn't be wise to exert ourselves before the Provisional Licensing Exam. If we fail to obtain our licenses, we may not be able to enter the breaches, even when they reach Japan."

"I don't care...!" asserted Toga. "Everyone else has had the chance to be with Izuku! It's my turn...!"

Exhaling a faint sigh, Momo's tone softened as she said, "I'm not saying you can't, only that you shouldn't. At the very least, you should wait until the exam is finished. After that, you can do as you please."

Understanding that Momo's position was higher than hers, Toga clenched her teeth but didn't argue. Instead, she looked up at Izuku, pleading with her eyes for him to speak in her defense.

Returning a smile, Izuku planted a kiss atop Toga's head before saying, "There's more to being in a relationship than having sex. You're welcome to stay here the rest of the day and even spend the night..."

Though she would have preferred it if Izuku had instructed her to lie down and spread her legs, Toga regained a smile as she snuggled up to him and replied, "Then that's what I'll do! Ehehehehe~."

("This girl definitely has a few screws loose...") thought Izuku. However, as he had already decided to accept Toga into his harem, he just shook his head in mock exasperation before extending the same invitation to everyone else. Momo briefly excused herself to contact her parents and Grandfather, but she eventually returned to join everyone amid a game of strip twister...

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With the girls convincing him to let them test the results of their training without his oversight, Izuku ultimately decided against participating in the Provisional Licensing Exam. Instead, he spent much of the day with Inko, accompanying her to a day spa and visiting a local shrine.

Unsurprisingly, Inko wasn't very happy to learn of Izuku's forthcoming departure, but she didn't attempt to talk him out of going. She knew how important he was, so throughout their impromptu 'date,' she wore a bright smile and didn't broach the subject even a single time. She did, however, offer up a prayer for him at the shrine, petitioning the gods to watch over him and ensure he returned safely. After that, the two of them returned home, eating dinner together before Izuku returned to his dorm to spend time with the girls, including Melissa and Mei...

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Thousands of kilometers from Japan, a young woman with a slender physique, fair skin, green eyes, and pale blonde hair fastened into a modified crown braid stared listlessly at a circular blue portal framed by crackling energy. Next to her, a petite, almost dwarf-like girl with a large backpack, cerulean-blue eyes, and inordinately long, pale-brown pigtails remarked, "Based on these Mana readings, this appears to be a B-Rank breach. The average Level of the monsters within should be around 72, but the Boss could be as high as 99."

"I see..." replied the blonde-haired girl, extending her right hand to sink her fingertips into the cold surface of the portal as she added, "Then I shall return within the hour."

Furrowing her brows, the pigtailed, bespectacled girl asked, "Shouldn't we inform your father, Sir Pendragon? He'll draw and quarter me if he learns I let you enter a breach on your own..."

Adopting a faint smile, the blonde-haired girl softly replied, "Father isn't such a cruel man, Bedivere. So long as we return triumphantly, he will not admonish us."

With the blonde-haired girl utilizing her codename, Bedivere knew she couldn't be talked out of entering the breach. The former was the type who, once they had made up their mind, followed through to the end, no matter the consequences.

Exhaling a tired sigh, Bedivere pressed two tiny buttons on the palms of her gloves, causing large mechanical arms to emerge from the top of her backpack. Since she couldn't stop her friend from doing as she pleased, all she could do was support her, groaning, "I hope it's not Hogoblins or Changelings..."

Looking back at her diminutive companion, the blonde-haired girl mused, "You need not accompany me, Bedi. I am more than capable of clearing a breach of this magnitude on my own."

Narrowing her eyes, Bedivere replied, "Can it, Arthur. I'm coming with you, and that's final. Besides, I want to increase my Level a bit before we go to New York. I don't trust those Yanks as far as I can throw them."

"With your Silver Arms, that's quite far," mused the blonde-haired girl, codenamed Arthur. She was the top-ranking student at Britain's Royal Academy of Heroics, and her father was the Headmaster. As such, even though the 'Knights of the Round Table' had yet to be implemented, she had taken to calling herself Arthur, borrowing the name of her legendary forebear.

Wasting no more time, a bluish-white light enveloped Arthur's body from the neck down, culminating in the appearance of silvery-white armor and a royal blue battle dress. At the same time, she manifested a broadsword with a cross-shaped guard in her right hand, its handle more than a meter in length and its blade exceeding three. Yet, despite this, she wielded it as if it weighed no more than a feather...

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(A/N: That's a very familiar description...)