99 Chapter 98

As it had been some time since he shared a room with a bunch of guys, Izuku found himself unable to sleep. Sato snored like a diesel engine, and thanks to his Keen Senses, Izuku could hear Mineta muttering a curse-like chant for the better part of an hour.

Fortunately, thanks to his exceptional Vitality and rapid recovery, Izuku didn't really 'need' to sleep. He did so because he was accustomed to it, but so long as he didn't overexert himself, he could stay awake for days on end thanks to Healthy Body.

Exhaling a faint sigh, Izuku sat up before climbing to his feet and exiting the overcrowded room. A curfew required them to stay in their rooms between 10 PM and 5 AM, but Izuku needed some fresh air, and he doubted any of the teachers would seriously chastize him so long as he didn't cause any trouble.

Dropping down from the rafters shortly after Izuku exited the boys' room, Aizawa flatly remarked, "The bathroom is in the other direction. Where do you think you're going?"

Turning to meet Aizawa's somewhat accusatory gaze, Izuku calmly replied, "This is a good opportunity. Care to join me for a few minutes? We can patrol the area while we talk."

"Patrolling is the responsibility of the teacher on duty," replied Aizawa. "Unless it's an emergency, we can talk tomorrow. You should get some rest."

Shaking his head, Izuku shifted the conversation in his favor by stating, "I can't sleep. My senses are too sharp, and my Intuition has been going off since this afternoon."

As they had been advised to take Izuku's Intuition seriously, Aizawa's expression hardened as he asked, "Is it the enemy?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku replied, "That's one of the problems with the Intuition Perk. All it does is give me a lingering sense that 'something' may or may not happen. It could be good or bad, but regardless, it makes it impossible for me to rest peacefully."

"Hmmm...sounds like a pain in the ass..." remarked Aizawa. However, instead of sending Izuku back to the boys' room, he added, "We'll do a few laps of the perimeter, but if I catch you slacking off tomorrow, don't expect similar concessions in the future."

"No problem," replied Izuku. Then, alongside Aizawa, he made his way outside, seriously patrolling the area for nearly two hours before stating, "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you, Toshinori, and the Principal about. I just didn't know how to broach the subject, as it's too absurd, even by my ridiculous standards..."

Staring at Izuku from the corner of his eye, Aizawa said, "Out with it, kid. At this point, you could inform us the sky is going to turn purple, and we'd take it seriously..."

Nodding his head, Izuku pretended to hesitate for a few seconds before revealing, "I had a vision about a little girl with white hair and a tiny horn. I'm not entirely sure, but her power may be the key to stopping the Meta World Transversal phenomenon. Even if it isn't...she should be able to use it on that 'Kurogiri' fellow, returning him to his original form..."

Though he was initially only moderately curious about what Izuku had to say, Aizawa's body tensed when the former mentioned reverting Kurogiri to his original form. At this point, they were absolutely certain he was the reanimated corpse of Oboro Shirakumo, one of Aizawa's closest friends in High School. If Izuku's words were to be believed, and they usually were, this tiny-horned little girl might very well be the most important person on the planet...

Before Aizawa could ask, Izuku revealed, "Her name is Eri, and I believe she is being held and experimented on by a Yakuza group called the Shie Hassaikai, one of the organizations being investigated by Sir Nighteye. If I'm right, then, even now..."

Balling his right hand into a fist, enough to create a loud crackling sound, Izuku muttered, "Then the potential Savior of our world, a little girl no older than six or seven, is currently being tortured to create bullets with the ability to negate Quirks or heal virtually any injury..."

Though he was usually a coolheaded, fairly rational person, the capture bandages around Aizawa's neck and shoulders began to levitate around his head as if influenced by telekinesis. At the same time, his usually black eyes became an eerie shade of red as he asked, "You said the group was called the Shie Hassaikai?"

Nodding in affirmation, Izuku answered, "Yes, but that isn't the only information I managed to extrapolate from the vision. I also know the codename and Quirk of their leader, Overhaul, as well as several of his Cadres..."

"All that form a single vision...?" asked Aizawa, calming down a bit as his curiosity peaked.

Shaking his head, Izuku revealed, "I've been having these visions for a while now, but they only became clear recently. I think I'm supposed to save and protect that girl. At the very least, we can't allow you-know-who to get his hands on her..."

Though he felt it was a little ridiculous, especially due to his knowledge of the Harry Potter series, Izuku had been asked to avoid mentioning All-for-One by name. Fortunately, most of the teachers had been apprised of the infamous Villain's return, so Aizawa knew exactly who he was referencing.

Becoming even more serious, Aizawa replied, "I'll inform the Principal and have him contact the Nighteye Agency. You'll probably be brought in to divulge everything you know about this Eri girl and the Shie Hassaikai. But, so long as the information you provide is even remotely accurate, we should be able to secure a warrant quickly..."

Stopping Aizawa before he could dial the Principal's private line, Izuku advised, "Just one second, Aizawa-sensei...because of the nature of Eri's power, we can't afford to let others, especially those in positions of power and authority, know about her. That black skull-faced bastard could have connections as high as the Prime Minister. If they learn about Eri's power, they could force us to hand her over with the excuse of 'protecting' her. If that happens, You-know-who could steal her power or utilize it to treat his injuries...we can't allow either of those things to happen..."

Returning his phone to his pocket, Aizawa asked, "Are you worried that our communications are being monitored? Then I'll report to the Principal directly..."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Izuku adopted a faint smile as he replied, "That should be fine. Also, thanks for taking this seriously, Sensei...it feels like a tremendous weight has just been removed from my heart..."

Nodding his head, Aizawa replied, "You can thank me once the girl has been saved. Though, if the circumstances are as you described, we can't wait for you to obtain your Provisional Hero License. In other words, you won't be able to participate in the raid."

Shaking his head, Izuku's expression and tone were serious but sincere as he asserted, "I've already kept her waiting for far too long. If Toshi–if All Might and the other Heroes can rescue her even one second sooner, it's for the best. No child should have to experience what Eri has been forced to endure..."

Though he nodded a second time, Aizawa remarked, "Then, for now, you should return and at least pretend to sleep. The Principal will likely call for you first thing in the morning. If not, we'll have you record everything you know about the Shie Hassaikai in a document, specifically the information about the enemies' Quirks."

"I understand," replied Izuku. Then, after bowing respectfully, he added, "Thank you..." before rising to his full height and turning to leave. He was slightly annoyed that Aizawa's Bond Level had only increased to 79 after such a 'formative' discussion, but he was far more relieved to have finally broached the subject of saving Eri. Rescuing her had been at the back of his mind since the inaugural day of his transmigration, but he had been playing things 'safe' to ensure there were no mishaps. However, now that something like the Meta World Transversal phenomenon had come into play, he couldn't afford to wait around or play things by ear. The sooner Eri could be rescued, the better...

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Delaying his return to bed, Izuku came across Kirishima in the hallway, standing with his arms crossed, head lowered, and eyes closed as he leaned with his back against the wall.

Interrupting the spiky-haired redhead's thoughts, Izuku called out to him in a quiet tone, asking, "Kirishima? What's up, man? Why are you standing out here in the hallway...?"

Opening his eyes, Kirishima raised his face and looked over to meet Izuku's gaze, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face as he replied, "Hey, Midoriya...I know this is kind of sudden, but do you mind if I ask you something...?"

As he had been anticipating this encounter since the moment Kirishima boosted his Intelligence, Izuku maintained a relaxed countenance as he made his way over to the former's side, leaning with his back against the same wall as he replied, "Go for it..."

Resting the back of his head against the wall, Kirishima stared off into space, his voice faint and distant as he asked, "Are you and Ashido-san dating...?"

Anticipating Kirishima's follow-up questions, Izuku responded with a slow nod, admitting, "Not just her...I'm also in a relationship with Ochaco, Toru, Kyouka, Tsuyu, and, most recently, Melissa. Beyond that, I'm engaged to Momo and have several other complicated relationships..."

Instead of lashing out or getting upset, Kirishima exhaled a profoundly exasperated sigh before muttering, "I'm starting to see why I have the 'Incredibly Dense' Title...I really messed things up, didn't I?"

Exhaling a much fainter sigh through his nose, Izuku replied, "I'm sorry, man...but I can at least assure you she's happy. I also swear to take care of her...even if my relationships suggest I'm a bastard incapable of commitment..."

Shaking his head, Kirishima adopted a faint smile as he assured, "It's fine. Ashido isn't the type of girl to let others take advantage of her. If the two of you are in a relationship, it's because she wanted to be with you. That's something I'm absolutely sure of..."

Turning to meet Izuku's gaze, Kirishima's smile became wry as he added, "Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious. If I found out you hurt her in some way, even if it's several years from now, I don't think I'd be able to take it in stride. When that time comes, let me get off at least a few good hits before you kick my ass...sound good?"

Exhaling another, far more prominent sigh, Izuku replied, "You're a better man than me, Kirishima...but yeah, if a time like that does come, feel free to team up with the others to beat the shit out of me. With how blessed I am to have such amazing girls at my side, I would deserve that and more if I ever betrayed them..."

Nodding in affirmation, Kirishima adopted a sincere, toothy grin as he extended his fist and said, "Then it's a promise between men...!"

Returning a smile of his own, Izuku bumped fists with Kirishima, feeling a mixture of guilt and relief at the exceptionally considerate boy's words. He honestly wouldn't have blamed the latter if he had wanted to throw down right there in the hallway. Very few people had the strength of character to 'forgive' the person that had stolen their crush. Even fewer could smile and wish them well. Thus, more than anyone else in the Class, Izuku felt a genuine, heartfelt respect for the spiky-haired youth across from him. As a result, Kirishima's Title abruptly changed...

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Name: [Eijiro Kirishima]

Title: An Absolute, Indomitable Bro(Bond+20, Strength+50, Vitality+100)

Quirk: Hardening

Bond Level: 89->100

Current Level: 25

Effective Level: 53->66

[Attributes]

Strength: 100->150

Agility: 30

Vitality: 200->300

Intelligence: 100

Dexterity: 30

Luck: 75

Free Attributes: 0

[Perks]

[Rapid Hardening], [Healthy Body], [Mental Fortitude]

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(A/N: Nana Shimura, "Those who keep smiling, even when they're hurt, are the real Heroes.")