59 Chapter 58
In the wake of afternoon Heroics training, Izuku caught up to Toshinori as he attempted his usual hasty exit, calling out, "Please wait a moment, All-Might-sensei."
Since they were already out of view of the other students, Toshinori allowed his muscle form to dissipate, forcing a smile as he asked, "What is it, Midoriya, my boy? This isn't the best for a chat."
"I'm well aware of that," replied Izuku. "I just felt compelled to call out to you since I've made a very important discovery. If Principal Nezu isn't too busy, we should head to his office immediately."
Nodding his head, Toshinori pulled out his cell phone, ringing up Nezu's private line as he asked, "Mind telling me what this is about? You appear pretty excited."
Smiling broadly, Izuku unhesitantly revealed, "I think my power might be able to heal you."
Spitting up a concerning amount of blood, Toshinori's eyes widened as he nearly shouted, "Are you serious!? Just how many more surprises are you going to give me...!?"
Rubbing the back of his head, Izuku replied, "I'll explain in greater detail once we meet with the Principal, but I'd say the odds are pretty favorable. Once you hear what I have to say, you'll understand."
Nodding a second time, Toshinori waited for the phone to connect before simply stating, "We need to meet. It's important."
Considering how quickly Toshinori hung up, it was safe to assume Nezu had agreed to meet them. This was confirmed when the formed adopted a broad smile and said, "Thank you for this, Midoriya. Even if it turns out your power can't treat my condition, you've given me a ray of hope for the first time in six years. If it turns out you 'are' able to treat me, I promise to dedicate the remainder of my life to training and ensuring your success as the next Symbol of Peace."
Exhaling a light chuckle, Izuku asked, "Weren't you already doing that? I would much rather you worry about yourself more. You keep pushing me to live life to the fullest, but it's not all that convincing since you treat your own life with such disregard. If this works out, be a proper mentor and set an example for me, will you?"
"Midoriya..."
Feeling equal parts pride and choked up, Toshinori had to wipe his eyes with the back of his forearm. He was secretly concerned that Izuku was becoming a bit of a deviant, but now he knew for certain he had chosen the right person to succeed One-for-All. Izuku was far from perfect, but his concern for others never failed to shine through...
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Though he had to walk out of an important meeting midway, Nezu was all smiles when he heard Izuku's explanation and learned of the possibility of treating Toshinori's injuries.
Exhibiting his excitement, Nezu's voice was much higher than usual as he said, "This is fantastic news, Midoriya-kun! Truly, indisputably amazing...!"
"I know, right?" replied Izuku, unable to keep a proud smile from his face. This applied to Toshinori as well, so the atmosphere within the Principal's office was exceptionally warm, borderline festive as the three beamed like idiots.
Forcing himself to settle down, though still smiling, Nezu said, "Then, if possible, please proceed. I don't want to get too excited before we can confirm your hypothesis."
Nodding his head, Izuku replied, "Alright," before turning his attention to Toshinori and asking, "Toshinori Yagi, would you like to join my Party...?"
Before the notification window could even pop up, Toshinori replied, "Of course!" with such vigor that he transformed into his muscular form. As a result, the window never appeared. Instead, his status screen popped up, prompting his brows to rise as he remarked, "Oh? So this is what you see when you utilize your Quirk? It really is like a game."
Spurred by Toshinori's remark, Nezu mused, "How enviable. I am beyond curious about Midoriya-kun's abilities, but I don't believe our Bond is very strong due to my skeptical nature..."
With Nezu looking toward him, Izuku knew the diminutive cat-bear-mouse was asking him to confirm his assertion. Unfortunately, that was precisely what he did, as Nezu's Bond Level could best be described as 'neutral'...
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Name: [Subject 301]
Quirk: High Spec
Bond Level: 53
Current Level: 8
Effective Level: 82
[Attributes]
Strength: 2
Agility: 17
Vitality: 33
Intelligence: 551
Dexterity: 41
Luck: 183
Free Attributes: 40
[Perks]
Party Invitation Required
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"That's a real shame," remarked Nezu. "Fortunately, it shouldn't take too long for me to trust you implicitly. You've been very forthright thus far, and if this matter with Toshinori-kun is settled properly, I will feel very grateful toward you."
Adopting a somewhat self-deprecating smile, Izuku replied, "Don't worry about it, Nezu-sensei. I truthfully don't even trust myself all that much, especially given 'recent developments, so I can't blame you for having suspicions. I just keep doing my best and hoping everything works out."
Offering a slight, approving nod, Nezu hummed, "I suppose that's all any of us can do in the grand scheme of things. Now, please proceed with the 'experiment.' I imagine we're all quite eager to see the outcome."
Returning a nod of his own, Izuku shifted his gaze to Toshinori, drawing the latter's attention as he said, "You should revert to your original form. The available Perks depend on your base stats, and we'll want to observe any effects immediately."
"Okay," replied Toshinori, immediately reverting back to his skeletal form. As he did so, Izuku was forced to inhale a sharp breath as it was his first time seeing the man's base stats...
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Name: [Toshinori Yagi]
Quirk: Transfer(Vestige), Stockpiling(Vestige), Singularity(Vestige)
Bond Level: 100
Current Level: 20,108
Effective Level: 68
[Attributes]
Strength: 9
Agility: 5
Vitality: 480
Intelligence: 69
Dexterity: 11
Luck: 108
Free Attributes: 100,540
[Perks]
Party Invitation Required
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Though Toshinori's Vitality was surprisingly high, all things considered, this was Izuku's first time seeing someone whose Effective Level was 'a lot' lower than their base...
"So, how is it...?" asked Toshinori. "Do you think you'll be able to heal me?"
Blinking back to awareness, Izuku explained, "We'll first need to distribute your Free Attributes to increase your base stats. We'll be looking for Perks pertaining to your physical condition and constitution, so your best option is to invest everything in Vitality or evenly distribute your attributes across Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Dexterity. A few points in Intelligence would also benefit you tremendously, regardless of the outcome."
Deciding to go with Izuku's suggestion, Toshinori allocated 25,000 AP to each of his physical attributes, boosted his Intelligence to 100, and put the remainder in Luck. He wasn't interested in being a peerless genius or anything, and he had long since decided to entrust the torch to the next generation. If he could have just a few good years without pain, he would be more than happy.
If Izuku had been aware of Toshinori's thoughts, he would have been tempted to remind the man that AFO was likely still around. Passing on the torch to the next generation was a noble sentiment, but when there was a 150-year-old superpowered grandpa running around, his influence spanning multiple generations, the old guard had little choice but to stay in the game...
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"This is incredible...!" bellowed Toshinori, wide-eyed and with a massive, awe-filled smile on his face. It had taken hours due to the sheer number that was present, but there was a Perk among the 10,000 Vitality options called Regression that stood out among the rest. At the cost of 2,470 of his Levels, he had been able to 'reverse' the flow of time for his body. He hadn't regained the powers of One-for-All, but his physical condition had effectively reverted to what it was before his climactic battle with All-for-One. The only downside was that the experience required to reach the next Level remained the same, meaning he couldn't just use the Perk to extend his life indefinitely.
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Name: [Toshinori Yagi]
Quirk: Transfer(Vestige), Stockpiling(Vestige), Singularity(Vestige)
Bond Level: 100
Current Level: 17,638
Effective Level: 105,525
[Attributes]
Strength: 338,491
Agility: 101,004
Vitality: 511,417
Intelligence: 100
Dexterity: 103,668
Luck: 579
Free Attributes: 0
[Perks]
[Pinnacle Body], [Slipstream], [Kinetic Energy Conversion], [Perfect Condition], [Regression], [Crisis Awareness]
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Seeing what Toshinori's stats had become, largely thanks to the boosts provided by Pinnacle Body and Perfect Condition, Izuku couldn't help thinking he had created a monster more ridiculous than 'All Might.' With Slipstream and Kinetic Energy Conversion, Toshinori could accumulate power by simply moving around, releasing it in the form of shockwaves that were not different from One-for-All. And with Crisis Awareness, he basically had a sixth sense for when a major incident was about to occur, allowing him to react even before it happened.
Breaking Izuku from his daze, Toshinori, appearing like a slightly younger version of his muscled self, even in his base form, gave the former a tight hug, shouting, "Thank you, young Midoriya...!" with tears streaming down his face. He hadn't felt this grateful since his Master took him in as a child, so Toshinori was beside himself with sentiment as he smothered Izuku in his powerful embrace.
"You're crushing me..." croaked Izuku, even though Toshinori was properly controlling his strength. He just didn't enjoy being hugged by men, much less one with a physique that could shame bodybuilders. He could endure a bit for Toshinori's sake, as he was also feeling fairly sentimental, but he would prefer it if someone like Midnight or Mirko embraced him...
Though he didn't release Izuku immediately, Toshinori eventually heeded the former's protests, keeping his hands on the younger boy's shoulders as he looked him directly in the eyes and said, "I mean it, kid...thank you, from the bottom of my heart..."
Rolling his visibly-watery eyes, Izuku replied, "You're such a sap..." in a somewhat subdued tone. Then, before Toshinori could say anything else, he met the man's gaze and reiterated, "Don't mess this up trying to play Hero. You've all but retired at this point, so at least pretend to take it easy these next few years. If anyone has earned a break, it's you..."
"Midoriya..."
Feeling more choked up than ever, Toshinori's face scrunched up in a vain attempt to hold back his tears. Izuku had basically given him his life back, so while he originally planned to increase his patrol time from 3 to 8 hours a day, he decided to limit it to five. He wouldn't be able to ignore those in need, but he wouldn't push himself nearly as hard as he used to. After all, he was supposed to be making way for the future generation, not barring the course...
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With Nezu asking him to stay back for a bit, Izuku saw Toshinori off before returning to the Principal's Office to hear what the diminutive cat-bear-mouse had to say. To his immense surprise, Nezu revealed, "Before today's revelations, I had asked Kayama–ah, I mean Midnight-sensei, if she were willing to give you 'personal instruction' to ensure you did not inadvertently harm those who would receive your power. Your situation is very...peculiar, so I believed it was necessary. Tell me, Izuku-kun, how do you feel about such an arrangement?"
Adopting a wry smile, Izuku replied, "I would be lying if I said I wasn't very tempted, Nezu-sensei. However, I promised everyone I wouldn't 'sneak around' behind their backs, no matter what. It's also not strictly necessary to confirm my powers, so I will have to politely refuse..."
Nodding his head in approval, Nezu remarked, "I thought you might say that. However, there appears to have been a slight misunderstanding. While the instruction would be centered around you, your classmates, specifically your female classmates, would also be in attendance. It was intended to be a practical demonstration of what to do and what 'not' to do as you deepen your relationships with one another..."
("This is definitely a world based on an eroge...") thought Izuku, remaining completely silent in response to Nezu's words.
Seeing the blank expression on Izuku's face, Nezu's own became slightly apologetic as he revealed, "Truth be told, I thought you had already been made aware of this. I'm surprised none of the girls in your Class informed you about it, as it was one of the things they discussed during yesterday's lesson. It seems they are quite good at keeping secrets."
Raising his brows, Izuku asked, "You're saying the girls know...and have agreed to participate?"
Responding with a nod, Nezu clarified, "It was an arrangement made under the assumption that you 'had' to sleep with the person who would receive your boons. Your power was set to become an important asset in the ongoing war against All-for-One and his faithful, so I believed it was necessary to make certain...arrangements. I apologize if I've made things more difficult for you..."
Shaking his head, Izuku was serious as he replied, "It's fine. I'm the type to take things in stride, so I'll just go with the flow and give it my all, just as I always have. Besides, I'm not exactly 'disenchanted' by the notion of receiving lessons from Midnight-sensei. So long as the girls are okay with it, I see no reason to refuse."
Breathing a faint sigh of relief, Nezu regained his usual, business-like smile as he said, "Then that's all I have for you today. The demonstration will take place this Sunday at 9 AM. I hope you and your classmates learn a lot."
Rising to his feet, Izuku gave his usual bow before raising his head and replying, "I'm certain we will..." with an awkward but expectant smile on his face...
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(A/N: The prophecy...)
