Chapter 179
(A/N: This chapter is brought to you by Y. B. A. I'm not entirely sure what it means, but I presume it's EPIC (U w U)...)
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Contrasting Izuku's expectations, the giant fox stared at him for several seconds before laughing as it did in response to Mirio. When it was done, it noticed Izuku staring at it with an unamused deadpan, compelling it to exhale a soft chuckle and remark, "You must be fairly influential to speak to a God with such 'cheek.' As for your threats, they are meaningless. Our time ended long ago. If our return mandates that we bow our head to our lessers or lend our power freely, we shall return to oblivion to await more favorable conditions in the future..."
Raising his brows, Izuku asked, "You're not at least a little curious to see how the world outside has changed? I'm sure we can reach an agreement that doesn't involve you having to disappear or anyone to be sacrificed. If you believe otherwise, you're just being obstinate."
Snorting through its nose, the giant fox gave the impression that it would refuse Izuku's suggestion, but instead, it responded, "We doubt much has changed, but it would be a lie to say we are not curious. Very well, Child of Nihon. Beneath where we are summoned, you will find three of our kin. Provide them with a suitable offering, and they will become your guardian spirits. Through them, we shall experience your world and lend our power as we see fit..."
Without waiting for Izuku's response, the massive, illusory fox became increasingly transparent until its form vanished into the backdrop of the blue, cloud-filled sky. The last thing to disappear were its glowing gold eyes, the red markings on its face, and its mouth, the latter forming into a distinctly 'human' grin before it disappeared completely.
'There must be some truth behind the stereotype that foxes are crafty animals if their patron God is like this...' thought Izuku. It was obvious to him that Inari wasn't content with simply disappearing, but since it was a mostly innocuous deity, all things considered, he didn't see any reason to prevent its return. Rather, as the Convergence was likely to derail large-scale agriculture, having a God of Fertility, Rice, Tea, Sake, Industry, and general prosperity on their side could prove very useful...
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With the Inarizou no longer accosting them, Izuku, Nejire, Mirio, and Tamaki had no issues reaching the shrine referenced by the illusory fox. There, they found a trio of maned foxes with off-white, slightly golden fur and distinctive red markings on their face. Their ears, feet, and all nine of their respective tails had the same red hue, but rather than red bibs, they wore talisman-adorned tsuna fashioned from thick brown twine, forming two loops on their backs and ending with large golden bells.
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Name: Keiko
Race: Zenko
Title: Three-Tailed(Vitality+300%)
Bond Level: 50
Current Level: 109
Effective Level: 196
[Attributes]
Strength: 41
Agility: 208
Vitality: 1,308
Intelligence: 65
Dexterity: 126
Luck: 214
Free Attributes: 0
[Perks]
[Three-Tails], [Telepathy], [Ethereal Form], [Stone Change], [Petrifying Saliva]
[Skills]
[Lesser Illusion], [Illusion], [Sensory Deprivation], [Obsfucating Mist], [Petrifying Bite], [Bewitching Stare]
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"Oh, wow, they're super cute~!" exclaimed Nejire, her blue eyes sparkling like a child in a pet store. After all, if everything went as planned, one of the three foxes would become her Shikigami. To her, that was no different from a pet.
Catching everyone but Izuku by surprise and causing Nejire's eyes to sparkle with greater intensity, the kitsune at the center, possessing the highest Level, stated, 'Present your offerings...' in a telepathic, distinctly female voice.
"Tamaki-kun...!" exclaimed Nejire, causing the spiky-haired youth to shrink away from her but dutifully pull out three bundles of Inarizushi. Izuku had prepared his own, but he didn't say anything and just stood watch with his arms crossed, his Blackwhip ready to spring the moment the kitsune tried something. Fortunately, they stayed largely motionless, only moving their heads and observing as Nejire, Mirio, and Tamaki set the unfurled bundles in front of them.
'What is this...?' asked the central fox, its brows furrowed in displeasure as it expected a far more 'substantial' offering.
"It's Inarizushi, deep-fried tofu made from bean curd. It's said to be the favorite snack of kitsune and is often offered to shrines of Inari Okami-sama," answered Nejire, smiling broadly as she sat before the skeptical kitsune in a proper seiza. It wasn't particularly fond of the idea of eating a food named after its God, but after batting it a few times with its forepaw, it eventually bent down and gave it a try.
'Su-subarashii...!' exclaimed the kitsune, its eyes widening in shock as it scarfed down the remaining Inarizushi with reckless abandon. Its actions prompted the other two kitsune to try their offerings, and when they did, they had very identical reactions. They had never tried Inarizashi before, but perhaps due to the widely held belief that kitsune loved the taste of deep-fried treats, it 'actualized' itself in reality. At least, that's what Izuku suspected Nezu had wanted to confirm when he dispatched them to this particular breach...
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"And that about sums up what happened," said Izuku, wrapping up his account of the events that had transpired in the B-Rank breach, Inari's Shrine. It had disappeared when they removed the core, but the kitsune that had become Nejjire's, Mirio's, and Tamaki's Familiars remained, albeit in the form of three-tailed fox kits to conserve their Mana.
"I see..." muttered Nezu, staring off into the distance with his chair turned sideways. He had called Izuku to his office the moment they returned, all but confirming the former's suspicions, so he wasn't surprised when Nezu subsequently asked, "Would you like to assist me in an experiment?"
"Let me guess...you want to see if a shift in public perception can affect how a God's power manifests...?" asked Izuku, causing the faint smile on Nezu's face to broaden.
"That's right," replied Nezu, elucidating, "I've thought this for some time, but Toshinori-kun's Level simply doesn't make sense. Thus, when you told me about Endeavor's puzzling increase in Level, a certain thought came to mind. What if public perception influenced a person's Level or the rate at which their Level increased?"
"It's not impossible..." conceded Izuku. "But there are some fairly notable issues with that hypothesis..."
"You mean, like how my Level was stuck at a single digit despite my age and repute...?" asked Nezu, exhaling a soft chuckle as Izuku smiled wryly and rubbed the back of his head.
"That's where the 'perception' aspect comes in," explained Nezu. "While it's true that I'm famous and almost universally feared by those who know what I'm capable of, I can all but assure you that those same people view me as a weak animal they could stomp on if they simply had the chance."
"So if enough people believe you're weak, you either need to convince them otherwise, or it becomes a reality..." muttered Izuku, crossing his arms as the image of Endeavor appeared in his mind. The man became the No. 2 Hero at the almost record-breaking age of 20, but not even he could see himself surpassing Toshinori. As such, no matter how hard he tried, he forever remained in second place. If Nezu was correct, there was even a possibility that his overall Level and power had decreased after he gave up trying to surpass Toshinori and shifted the burden to his kids...
Seeing through Izuku's surface thoughts as if they were projected from his forehead like a teleprompter, Nezu nodded in affirmation and stated, "The experiment I have in mind involves Endeavor. His Level prohibits him from entering low-ranked breaches, but he has personally cleared several A-Ranks in the name of the SBCTF. I plan to disseminate a rumor stating he gained a specific ability or Artefact during his rampant conquests. If it becomes true, we'll have all the proof we need that 'belief' either directly influences Quirks or their purported energy source, Mana."
"But what about Endeavor?" asked Izuku. "If he doesn't believe the rumor and dismisses it as nonsense, it might not take root."
"That's where you come in," revealed Nezu, his smile gaining a somewhat 'menacing' undertone as he explained, "We already suspect that your and other Actualization Quirks function along the same principle. There is also the point of your 'precognative recollection.' If you can convince Endeavor that he will obtain the power mentioned in the rumors and that spreading the news of its acquisition is what allows him to acquire it, he will be more receptive to the possibility."
"You want me to lie to him...?" asked Izuku, furrowing his brows in slight consternation.
"On the contrary..." replied Nezu, staring directly into Izuku's eyes as he asserted, "I'm certain you know at least one or two things regarding Enji's past and possible future. If not, you wouldn't have confronted him with nearly as much spirit as you showed during the Sports Festival. That sort of resentment, bordering on petulance, doesn't stem from simply hearing about someone's mistreatment second-hand..."
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Closing his eyes, Izuku took a moment to steady himself by breathing in through his nose and exhaling from his mouth. He knew Nezu was 'very' perceptive and had cameras all over the campus, but it never occurred to him that his ever-reliable Sensei had carefully reviewed the footage of his confrontation with Endeavor. It was definitely something Nezu would do, but Izuku felt uncomfortable knowing everything he said or did within the view of a camera was likely being hyperanalyzed to ascertain his motives and what drove them...
"Do you suddenly view me as a monster...?" asked Nezu, still smiling but without his usual 'pep.'
Shaking his head, Izuku regained his smile and replied, "I've known from the beginning that Sensei is a beast. And I mean that in the best possible way. I also believe that as long as I remain on the path of a Hero, you will never betray or use the information you've acquired against me."
"That's right," affirmed Nezu, nodding appreciatively. He could tell that Izuku was still uncomfortable, but his words weren't lacking in sincerity. That was more than he could ask for, considering he monitored virtually every aspect of Izuku's life. If someone did the same to him, Nezu knew from experience that he would be significantly less 'understanding' than his young protege. Did that make him a hypocrite? Surely. But at least he had Izuku's best interests at heart. The same, unfortunately, couldn't be said for the scientists who experimented on him...
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After leaving Nezu's office, Izuku intended to make his way home after RSVPing a few imminent breaches, but there was a matter he needed to attend before that.
"That took way longer than expected. Is everything okay...?" asked Nejire, waiting for Izuku in the corridor leading to Nezu's office, still in costume and leaning against a wall using her hands as a cushion for her butt. He had told her in advance that he might be a while, but she decided to stick around regardless.
"As well as they can be with monster-filled portals opening up all over the country and world..." replied Izuku, smiling as he appended, "Speaking of which, where is your kitsune, Keiko?"
"Hmmm~? I asked Tamaki-kun to take her back to the dorms so we could speak in private..." said Nejire, gradually approaching with straight-legged steps, her upper body inclined forward with a broad smile and her hands behind her back. Eventually, this brought her face just below Izuku's, the near-twenty-centimeter gap in their height allowing her to step deep into his personal space as she asked, "So, when are you going to invite me to your Party? There's no way my Bond Level should be lower than 80 since I'm one of your biggest fans."
"Sure," replied Izuku, holding his ground as he asked, "Nejire Hado, would you like to join my Party?"
"Of course~!" replied Nejire, closing her eyes and smiling brightly even before the notification window could pop up. Then, stepping away from him, she turned around and began walking away as she chimed, "See you around~" in a sing-song tone.
Raising his brows, Izuku asked, "Don't you want me to help you distribute your AP and choose your Perks...?"
"Hmmm...that 'would' be a good idea..." admitted Nejire, spinning on her heel and walking backward as she added, "But I promised Mirio-kun and Tamaki-kun we'd enter at least one more breach today. I don't want them getting strange thoughts or becoming all depressed if my power abruptly increases. Instead, why don't you drop by the Ryukyu Agency tomorrow for a team-up? I'm not an official member of the SBCTF just yet, so I'll be taking over some of Ryukyu's responsibilities."
"Sure. Sounds good," replied Izuku, smiling as Nejire giggled playfully and said, "Then it's a date~" before spinning around and rapidly departing. Her words and behavior gave Izuku mixed signals, but as everything would be made clear the following day, he pulled out his cell phone and spent a few minutes checking his messages. It would have been fairly awkward if he and Nejire departed in the same direction, so he gave her a few minutes to open the distance before following nearly the exact same path to the 1-A dorms. He was unsurprised to find Momo and Tsuyu waiting for him when he arrived, but their somewhat matching green outfits brought an appreciative smile to his face...
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(A/N: Nezu is as scary as he is reliable xD...)