Chapter 186

(A/N: This chapter is brought to you by TheKilller4444, rapidly moving up the ranks in his organization.)

...

..

.

While continuing to hold Toga until she became as docile as a domestic cat, Izuku adopted an apologetic smile and said, "I'm sorry you all had to see that. Is everyone okay?"

"Why are 'you' the one apologizing? Monoma-kun should be the one to tell everyone he's sorry..." argued Toru, arms crossed and looking nearly as peeved as Toga.

Shaking his head, Izuku's expression and tone softened as he said, "So long as they're directed at me, don't take Monoma's or any of the other boys' words and actions to heart. I'd probably feel the same way if I were in their position. I mean, he wasn't wrong when he said any guy would be lucky to have even a single one of you. I essentially won the mega jackpot fourteen times, and that's just counting the people here..."

"Be that as it may..." said Itsuka, drawing Izuku's gaze as she affirmed, "It was our decision to enter into a relationship with you. Forcing his anger on you is no different from disregarding our agency. Just because we were in the same Class, that doesn't mean he or anyone else in 1-B had a claim to us. He's acting like you 'stole' us away..."

"That's pubescence for you," muttered Izuku, kissing Toga's head. Then, as she had largely calmed down, he loosened his hold but didn't release her as he met the gazes of the many girls gathered around him, smiling as he added, "We all still have a lot growing to do, so don't judge Monoma too harshly for anything he says or does in the interim. Our top priority should be increasing our power as much as possible to protect humanity and the planet as a whole from the MWT Phenomenon. If Monoma wants to focus or obsess over me, it's only a matter of time before someone more serious is brought in to replace him..."

"Oh, hey, looks like things are about to kick off," said Mina, gesturing with her chin toward the observation tower as Aizawa, Kan, Nemuri, Rumi, and, somewhat surprisingly, Nezu emerged. In response, the students of both Classes gathered, waiting to hear what they had to say.

After Kan, aka Vlad King, picked him up and placed him on his shoulder, Nezu raised his right, paw-like hand in a gesture of greeting, smiling as he said, "I'm happy to see that everyone showed up. This particular training exercise isn't compulsory, but if you intend to venture into the breaches and help combat the Meta World Transversal Phenomenon, it's important each of you gains real, practical experience."

Piggybacking off Nezu's words, Nemuri stated, "After yesterday's review, you should all be knowledgeable of the five types of breaches and the importance of Blessings and Artefacts. Those of you who are members of Midoriya-kun's Party will now be split into groups based on your aptitudes and proficiencies. Your goal over the next several days will be to acquire Blessings for each member of your group as well as familiarize yourselves with the personalized Artefacts said Blessings should provide."

Following Nemuri, Aizawa stated, "Those of you who aren't in Midoriya's Party will attend a 'retreat' in one of the breaches we've secured over the past two days. You'll have the opportunity to train and gain experience by fighting monsters, but as tedious as it sounds, your primary goal will be to foster a positive relationship with one another. True Heroes don't let their personal feelings get in the way of their commitment, so do what you can to put your feelings aside or settle your differences directly."

"For those of you who can't read between the lines, that means fighting!" exclaimed Rumi, a broad smile adorning her face as she held up her right fist. She originally wasn't scheduled to participate in the improvised joint training exercise, but when she learned that Izuku might be preoccupied for several days, potentially even weeks, she 'volunteered' to lend a hand.

Nodding in affirmation, Nezu's beady black eyes glistened slightly as he revealed, "So long as you do not seriously injure or try to kill one another, you will be free to settle your differences in the arena we've prepared. If you need more of a reason to duke it out, you will each be allotted points based on your contributions within the breaches. You can steal up to half the points of another person by besting them in the arena or some other form of contest, but only if both sides agree to the terms."

Raising his hand, Ida waited to be acknowledged before asking, "Would I be correct in assuming these points have a bearing on our grade and rank within the Class?"

Nodding in affirmation, Nezu revealed, "That is correct. Though there is more to being a Hero than being proficient in combat, the breaches are lawless zones and battlefields. At some point in the future, it is believed that similar breaches will serve as gateways by which forces from other worlds invade our own, so if you intend to remain in the Hero Course, you will need to become much, much stronger and demonstrate the capacity to function as a pseudo-military unit."

Though Nezu's words unnerved some students, Bakugo punched his right fist into the palm of his left hand and exclaimed, "Now you're speaking my language! If we're being graded on our combat potential, securing the No. 1 position will be a cinch!"

Snorting loud enough to draw Bakugo's attention, Toga flatly retorted, "If you 'do' end up as No. 1, it's only because Izuku isn't in the rankings..."

"What did you say, you copycat bi—rat!?"

As he had been making an earnest effort to swear less, Bakugo quickly transitioned from calling Toga a bitch to a brat. Ordinarily, this wouldn't have made much of a difference, but since Izuku still had his arms around Toga. As such, while she trembled with fury, she didn't lash out as he put a bit of strength into his arms, holding her snugly. Had he not, Toga might have transformed into Bakugo to taunt him with his own face. Instead, as Nezu pretended to cough to draw everyone's attention back to him, she began to discreetly squeeze and flex her butt cheeks as being held for so long was making her hornier than usual...

...

..

.

Though it hadn't even been a day since they secured the breach, the combined powers of Ryuko and Ishiyama(Cementoss) allowed them to establish a livable, fortress-like compound on par with a nuclear bunker but with amenities that included communal dorms, a gym, a bathhouse, and a stone arena on par with the one used during the Sports Festival. Then, with the help of Momo's Armory, they were able to bring in a ton of furniture and other supplies, making it a relatively cozy abode so long as you didn't mind living in barracks conditions.

Unfortunately, though he technically wasn't a part of either Class, Izuku was made to stay in the communal room assigned to the boys, a stone chamber roughly the size of a gymnasium with a total of thirty beds, four of which were occupied by Aizawa, Kan, Ishiyama, and Yamada(Present Mic)-sensei.

"Alright, gather around!" shouted Kan, taking the lead as most of the boys present were, unsurprisingly, students from his Class. They had spent the better part of two months watching as the girls in their Class 'conspired' with those of 1-A to join Izuku's harem, so while only Monoma had a Bond Level below 50, only the bear-like, tusk-mouthed, bespectacled Shishida met the requirements to join his Party outright. The latter was the type to revere the strong, so after Izuku defeated him during the First Term Final Exam, Shishida became one of a small but growing number of males in his fan club. Thus, when he received his Perks and became more powerful as a result of Izuku's Quirk, his Bond Level increased from 83 to 88...

Once the twelve students from his Class had gathered around, Kan began passing out laminated pocket schedules, explaining, "This is a schedule of group training activities and communal events like a barbeque that will be held later this afternoon. You are not required to attend any, but since the objective of this camp is to foster camaraderie, you will be unable to gain points by isolating yourself or acting independently."

Preempting any questions, Aizawa appended, "Anyone with fewer than a thousand points before the training camp comes to an end will be kicked out of the Hero Course."

"But don't worry~!" exclaimed Yamada, holding up the index finger of his right hand and grinning as he added, "Any points you lose during contests or friendly matches will not be counted against you! Inversely, any points you gain from such methods will not count toward your 'sociability' rating, so be good to each other, and Let's↘All↗Get↘Aloooong↗!"

"Now, buzz off..." said Aizawa, zipping up his sleeping bag and promptly laying down on his futon. He had been a part of the team investigating the disappearance of Shigaraki and Shirakumo, aka Kurogiri, so this camp was an opportunity for him to take a break while passively benefitting from the effects of Experience Sharing...

Following an awkward silence, Ishiyama(Cementoss) brought his hands together and offered a slight bow as he said, "If anyone would like to join me for a guided meditation session, I'll be conducting it on the parapet on the northern side of the compound. The air within this breach is incredibly pure, and you've likely noticed it is much warmer than the outside, so you need not be concerned with donning additional layers."

Though only the half-Chinese, martial-arts-focused Rin was really into meditation, Tsuburaba, Kaibara, and Honenuki decided to accompany him as the four were fairly good friends. Several other friend groups formed in their wake, while Izuku and Monoma, the former an 'outsider' and the latter on the verge of becoming a pariah, observed them with impassive expressions.

Noticing the duo and feeling slightly annoyed, Tetsutetsu, having formed a group with Kamakiri and Awase, abruptly pointed to them and shouted, "Hey! The three of us are gonna check out the gym! If you've got nothing better to do, you should come with us...!"

Exchanging glances with Monoma, the two waiting to see what the other would decide, Izuku eventually shrugged, adopted a smile, and replied, "Sure, I'm always down for a good workout." He half-expected Monoma to use his participation as an excuse to refuse and join a different group, but since Tetsutetsu was the closest thing he had to a friend among the other students of Class 1-B, he ultimately shook his head and made a 'what can you do?' gesture before responding, "I'm more interested in exploring the breach, but since I don't want to be expelled, I suppose I have no choice but to play nice..."

"Then let's pump some iron...!" exclaimed Tetsutesu, throwing his right fist into the air with an expression that made it look like he was pissed off but was intended to be a smile. He had a remarkably honest personality, even more so than Kirishima, so while he was frequently annoyed by Monoma's antics and felt discomfited by the fact Izuku was in a relationship with the girl he liked, he felt compelled to try and get along with them. In his mind, ostracizing or simply ignoring them was wrong and, more importantly, not something an aspiring Hero should do...

...

..

.

"This...humble servant...bows before the Great Avatar of Destruction..." groaned a spear-wielding man with predominately green skin and features resembling a mix between a barracuda and an alligator snapping turtle. In place of hair, he had a dark green stripe running from the tip of his beaked snout to his long, alligator-like tail. White, fin-like protrusions covered the length of his back to between his shoulders, but his most distinguishing feature was the pink, cloud-like flames that decorated his face and the tip of his tail, the former forming a wispy mustache.

"And to think, it wasn't that long ago that you were calling yourself a God..." said a muscular, white-haired man with notably cracked skin and a crazed smile. Both he and the green-skinned figure were severely injured, but while his body was covered in still-smoking burns and nearly black bruises, the white-haired madman, 'Tomura Shigaraki,' had never felt more alive. Fortunately for his opponent, the now one-armed, one-legged, and half-blinded manifestation of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, his Master, All-for-One, had insisted the 'former' God be brought back alive...

...

..

.

(A/N: O_O...)