Izuku felt tired.
He didn't get a good night's sleep due to obvious reasons, and his mother was worried sick. When he had awoken, his mother said that he was thoroughly convinced that he had a 'son' and that his 'son' was in danger. It took him the entire morning just to convince her that all he had was a bad dream... Even if it felt so very real.
Regardless, he had decided to go outside after eating, get some fresh air by the riverside that was close to the residential district.
He threw a rock onto the water, attempting to skip it. However every time he tried, it would simply fall flat and sink to the bottom.
Izuku remembered when he and Katsuki would go here with the other kids, how they would watch the delinquent skip it at least 7 times before it stopped. Izuku on the other hand, much to his chagrin, would admit to being able to skip none.
He sighed, throwing another stone, this time with less effort being put in as he watched it sink to the bottom. Apparently, being in junior high didn't change that fact either, he was still the useless Deku everyone had come to know him as. Izuku slowly stood up, letting out a low yawn.
What was he even doing? This was absolutely pointless. Turning around, he walked back up the hill, back facing the water as he didn't notice...
The rocks he had thrown began to float to the surface, their bottoms glowing with a teal power.
"-Luckily, All Might had shown up, just in time to put a stop to the sludge Quirked villain."
Izuku passed a tv store, a few bystanders watching the various screens. Izuku paid them it no heed, he was there after all, he would know what it was like.
Walking up to a traffic light, he placed a hand against the pole, waiting for the light to change. He was around the outskirts of the shopping district now, now office buildings and the like seemed more prevalent.
He turned his head, a few businessmen walked down the street, as well as a tour group from a foreign country. Izuku peered on before noticing another detail in his surroundings.
A Torii gate.
Izuku paused, pushing off the metal post as he looked more closely. It seemed strange for a traditional thing to be situated between two office buildings, but nonetheless it was there, standing as if defiant to the rush of progress. He walked up to the front of the gate, noticing that a small temple was built behind it.
Needless to say, his curiosity piqued. Izuku walked beneath the gate. The temple looked devoid of life, yet it consisted of the traditional wood and paper. Admittedly, Izuku had little to no experience with religion. He had remembered his grandparents were practicing Shintoists, but that was about it.
He stepped up to the open shutter, remembering to take off his shoes as he peered inside.
The place was both traditional and simplistic on the inside, bare minimum even, as an alter could be seen at the other side. A delicate Honzon could be seen atop the altar, with various offerings of incense, flowers, candles, water, and food. He was about to step in before a voice spoke out.
"Can I help you young man?"
Izuku flinched, turning his head to notice a monk sitting in the corner, kneeling atop a cushion. He seemed aged, a light grey stubble beneath his chin and a bald head. He wore a Kimono and a Jubon beneath it, giving him an aura of grace. The monk was currently facing away from the wall, Izuku realizing he had disturbed the man's meditation.
"O-Oh, uh, sorry! I- uh... was just wondering..." He then scratched the back of his head, remembering a fact his grandfather told him when he was young. "There's a Torii gate outside, but this a buddhist temple?"
The monk smiled, "My, a perceptive youngster you are." He then rose up from his kneeling position, turning around to face Izuku. "Indeed. This temple was once a Shinto shrine, but it was burnt down decades ago by protesters for offering sanctuary for those with Quirks."
Izuku blinked, the monk must have been referring to the early years of Quirks, when the first generation faced discrimination for their powers. Izuku counted himself fortunate for not being born in that time.
"So, a few donors from the Soto Zen association had put in funds to rebuild the temple while leaving some of its historical roots intact. In fact, I can give you a flyer if you're interested in the histor-"
Izuku embarrassingly put his hands in front, "T-That's okay! I-I just wanted to see the temple. Sorry."
The monk seemed to understand, "Very well then." He then turned around, "I'll be meditating in the meanwhile, but do not be afraid to call if you need my aid." The old man said, sitting down atop a cushion as he faced the wall before closing his eyes.
Izuku scratched his hair, an awkward expression painted on his face as he looked around the place. He admittedly found the place to be... tranquil, the silence making him forget about what had transpired. But as quick as the feeling loomed, it was gone with the burden of reality. He needed to get back soon, it was almost lunch and he had some school work he had to finish.
"I'm going to go now." Izuku said before bowing his head, "Thank you, Sir."
The monk turned his head, smiling. "Think nothing of it."
Izuku nodded before walking outside the temple, passing beneath the Torii gate as he was back on the sidewalk again. That was a... interesting experience to say the least, enlightening even. He hadn't even known why he visited, perhaps he had just wanted a change in pace for once.
He reached the street from before, noticing that he was allowed to cross. Izuku stepped onto the street, reaching midway before he heard it.
The screech of a tire.
He turned his head, a car was driving straight towards him, already in the process of stopping. Even with the brakes, it would be too late. Izuku panicked, wrapping his hands around him in a meager attempt to protect himself.
And then silence.
The car passed straight through him.
Izuku opened his eyes, freezing up as he turned his head. Sure enough, the car was busily stopping, the driver getting out with a look of terror on his face. Yet he didn't walk up to Izuku, instead going to the front of his car to check on something.
It was then that Izuku realized another fact as he looked down at his hands. He could see through them, his skin now a teal color of pure energy as his digits shook. The world around him sounding like a rushing river.
Was this death?
And then it stopped, Izuku letting out a breath as the sounds of the real world returned to him. A few bystanders jumped in shock as if he had appeared from nowhere, as did the driver.
"Oh thank God!" The driver said, "I'm so sorry, Kid! I thought I ran you over!"
Izuku attempted to say something, "M-Mmwhaba?"
What just happened?
A few bystanders spoke in hushed voices, Izuku hearing them. "Did you see that? The light just turned green even though the pedestrian crossing was still on." A man said to a girl next to him.
"Yeah. Thank goodness that boy used his Quirk in time. Though, I don't think I ever seen one that makes someone disappear like that."
Quirk? Last time Izuku had checked, he was diagnosed to be Quirkless. He had no Quirk, nil, none. Yet the words of the people around him spoke otherwise, as well as the fact that he somehow PHASED out of existence.
He was about to regain his thoughts before someone pointed at the traffic light above him.
"Hey! Watch out!"
Izuku blinked before noticing a shadow grow over him. He immediately reacted, faster then he was akin to as he grabbed the driver and pulled him out of the way. The traffic light crashed to the ground, sparks shooting out of the signal heads before dying out. Izuku and the driver momentarily recovered, Izuku looking up to stare at the pole the traffic light was on.
It looked as if veins of energy had been pumped into the metal, circulating around before slowly dying out, the same teal colored energy that Izuku had used before. He drew his gaze to the side before his heart stopped. A glowing hand print could be seen, the veins originating from the exact location where he leaned on before. As if on cue, he felt something drip out of his nose and onto his lip.
Blood.
This... He...
The driver looked at him, a relieved smile on his face. "Holy crap, Kid! You just saved my life! You should become a hero or somethi-"
Izuku bolted, looking down as he escaped the crowd of bystanders.
He didn't hear them, he didn't hear anything.
Inko was busy checking the steamer to see if the rice was ready before putting the lid back on. She sighed, looking to the side as her hand held up her chin. She didn't know what she could do for her son. Inko knew Izuku's dream was to get into U.A. and become a hero, but as far as she knew, that was going to be borderline impossible for him without a Quirk.
And it gave her no end of trouble, knowing that the other kids at school made fun of him because of it.
She opened the stove, looking down to check on the fish.
Regardless of what happened, Inko had made a promise when he was discovered to be Quirkless. That she would support any decision that he made. Which was why she immediately stopped what she was doing when she heard him call out to her outside the front door.
"M-Mom...?"
She froze up, calculating the distress in his voice as she prayed to whatever was out there to not be reminiscent of last night.
Her prayers went unanswered.
She went to the doorway, opening it quickly as she spotted her son, holding his arms close together. He seemed incredibly nervous, as if he had done something wrong. "Izuku?" She asked, "What's wrong?"
He looked up, stuttering slightly. "I-I can't really explain... Just,..." He paused, "Can I come in?"
Inko blinked, "Of course you can come in Izuku. This is our house." She watch him pass her, arms still holding his arms together in a tight hold. "D-Did something happen, Izu?"
"No, I-" He seemed even more nervous now. "I-I g-guess it w-would be better to show you."
Izuku slowly walked up to a lamp that sat on one of the tables, picking it up with both his hands before setting it down. Inko tilted her head, walking forward, "What is i-"
And then the lamp began to shake, the delicate porcelain vibrated with a strange intensity before a pop was heard. Within an instant, a teal colored energy enveloped the lamp.
Inko's eyes widened.
"I-Izuku... Y-You-" She turned her head before noticing something. Her son was crying, but they were not tears of joy, they were tears that spoke of fear and terror as he gently shivered.
"Mom,-" He turned his head, "I-I don't know if I want to be a hero anymore..."
She blinked, looking back at the lamp before noticing that it had twisted in shape, the porcelain now seemingly imbued by the strange energy as it slowly began to dissipate.
And then it was gone, leaving nothing behind.
Izuku sat in his bedroom, hearing his mother frantically talk on the phone as she tried to look for a Quirk analyst. He didn't have the heart to tell her that what she was doing wasn't going to help.
He didn't know if this was a Quirk, and he had no idea how to control it anyways.
He stared at an All Might action figure that he held in his hands, the plastic beginning to surge with the energy. It felt like anything that he touched at this point would dissipate. Or not exactly that but...
Corrupt.
He didn't know how to explain it. His body had become a conduit of some strange power, a power that was mysterious but deadly, and if not used properly, could hurt a lot of people. It terrified him to no end.
Izuku put his head in his hands, trying to lessen the headache that was forming in his head.
An early rest sounded very, very tempting at this point.
He stepped outside of his room, walking out into the hallway to see his mother going through both the laptop and a stack of phonebooks to find someone to call. She looked up, her face filled with concealed worry that was played off with a smile.
"Izuku... Do you need something?"
Izuku paused, shaking his head. "I'm fine mom... I just wanted to tell you that I'm thinking of taking a nap."
She nodded, "O-Okay." He was about to turn around before he heard her speak out, "A-And don't worry, Izuku. We'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."
He gave her a smile before walking back into his bedroom, stepping inside to lie down on his bed. He didn't even bother slipping on something more comfortable, instead opting to just lie down with his wool jacket.
However, he had forgotten what awaited for him in the world of dreams.
Izuku was fighting someone, the spark of blades bringing him into high alert as he was forced to block a blow aimed straight at his head. His opponent was a man in strange looking armor, an alloy cuirass and a futuristic Takuhatsugasa. He couldn't see the man's features, as a glowing lined visor covered his face.
He was forced to block another blow, the man weilding a... Dakra?
The memories came back, flooding into his head. He was fighting this man because of a disagreement between the man and his masters. So he enacted their will, as was his nature.
They parried blows, jumping back to give space to each other.
"You and your masters are not welcomed here, Dax!" The man called out, the lines on his visor lighting up with every word he spoke. "The Quills forbade it!"
He merely put a hand on the hilt of his Nikana, rushing forward to renew the fight once more. They were fighting atop a bridge, the rushing water of a river below them. A giant tower that stretched out to the sky could be seen ahead.
The man reflected a swipe, delivering a kick into the his shin. He grunted, kneeling for a moment as the man raised his blade to finish the fight.
Yet the man had underestimated the precise nature of such a duel, as well as the risks involved.
He grabbed the hilt of his Nikana before thrusting it forward, stabbing directly into the man's abdomen. He heard the man gasp, kneeling down slowly as he withdrew the blade out.
This fight was finished.
He was about to walk past the man before he felt a hand grasp at his forearm. He turned his head, the man taking off his visor to reveal a wise face, staring perceptively at his eyes.
"I can tell you are confused... Izuku... These moments are not yours." He scrunched his eyes, confused at what this man meant. Who was Izuku? Yet the man continued, "When you wake up... Find the temple again. It is the only way."
He had enough of this crazed fools blabbering.
Wrenching his arm from the man's grasp, he walked towards the large doors of the tower, leaving the man to bleed out.
Izuku let out a gasp as he sat up from his bed, panting heavily. His forehead beeded with sweat... Because...
He realized that he couldn't remember what his dream was even about this time. All he could make out was someone telling him something important, something about 'Finding a temple'.
Izuku shook his head, noticing that the sun outside was already orange.
What time was it?
He turned on the screen of his phone, checking the time. It was 7...
7 in the morning.
Izuku's eyes widened, uttering his confusion. "Eh!?"
He had somehow slept for 17 hours, making him feel grateful for eating lunch that his mother had given before napping. He pushed himself off his bed, opening the door to the hallway outside his room. Izuku was surprised to see his mother, sitting on a chair adjacent to his room as she slept quietly in a sitting position.
She must have been worried sick for him.
Izuku couldn't help but give a light smile, a warm feeling emanating under his skin. He had felt a new purpose begin to fill his thoughts. The purpose of making his mother not worry for him, even if he had to move a mountain to do so.
He adjusted his jacket, walking to the front door before opening it, a look of determination on his face.
A temple called for him.
Izuku reached the entrance familiar Torii gate from yesterday, taking care to not touch anything on the way there. It had admittedly given him cold feet, especially when he saw a repair crew put up a new traffic sign to replace the one he destroyed yesterday.
Oops.
Regardless, he felt a weight hold him down, locking his legs in place. Whether it was uneasiness or fear, it was something he needed to conquer.
"Hold your head up high..." Izuku mumbled to himself, "And don't let anyone-"
A face peeked from behind one of the walls, revealing the monk from yesterday. "Oh, hello again."
Izuku immediately flinched in surprise, letting out an involuntary yelp. "I- Temple!" Izuku attempted to say, the monk tilting his head in confusion.
"Excuse me?"
He steadied himself, putting his hands together as he bowed his head in embarrassment. "I-I wish to enter your temple again, Sir!"
The monk seemed to blink, "... Very well, just head right in. Though, do mind the grass, I just finished cutting it."
Izuku nodded, "I-I will."
He walked in, passing the monk to reach the steps of the small temple, taking off his shoes once more and leaving them at the side. He entered, looking around to see if there was anything of interest.
"Maybe I'm supposed to find something here, but then again, all I vaguely remember was to 'Find the Temple', what if that meant something else entirely, in fact-" Izuku paused, realizing that he was mumbling. Now wasn't the time for that,he needed to think clearly.
Having trouble, Deku?
He shut his eyes, shaking his head. There it was, that eerie voice that taunted him with Katsuki's nickname. Yet instead of being disheartened, he found himself to be inquisitive.
"Who are you?"
The presence did not respond.
Izuku let out a strained sigh, he was getting nowhere with this, and he needed to get back before his mother awoke to find him gone. What did one even do in a temple anyways? His eyes widened in realization.
Meditate of course.
He looked around, the monk now sweeping the sidewalk outside. Izuku was sure that the man wouldn't mind if he sat down to close his eyes, right?
So he did just that, sitting down in a cross legged position in the middle of the room. It was awkward to adjust for him, Izuku had never even done anything like this before, yet it didn't mean he wasn't going to try.
Closing his eyes he let out a deep breath.
And out.
And in.
Peaceful.
That's what Izuku felt when he opened his eyes, noticing that his surroundings had changed drastically. Instead of the wooden floor of a temple, he was now sat upon tiny white pebbles of a dry garden.
Izuku blinked, slowly standing up to look around. The walls were similar to the interior of the dream he had two nights ago, yet they seemed remarkably faded with age.
A singular figure stood, facing him. His head covered with a familiar looking Takuhatsugasa that Izuku could have sworn he had seen before.
He paused, "U-Um, hello?" This time he was extra cautious, not wanting a repeat of what happened in the woods. He straightened his back, balling his fists. "L-Listen! If you're not-"
The man then spoke, in what Izuku had heard as fluent Japanese. "Apologies... I...-" The man seemed to struggle with words for a moment, "-did not mean to scare you. It is just that-... That this singular moment has been a long time in the making."
Izuku scrunched up his face in confusion as the visored man continued.
"My name is, was, or will be... Onkko... But my full epithet is Quill Onkko Septenary." He then turned around, "Come. Most will be explained in time."
The man known as 'Onkko' turned around, walking towards the wall. Izuku expected him to bump right into it, only to be shocked as the wall slowly began to break away, revealing a bright yellow dimension of swirling energy and a worn out pathway. He was frozen in place for a second, unsure of what to do as the Onkko turned his head.
"Oh, don't worry about that. The Void is a very serene place as long as your thoughts are kept in a state of balance."
Izuku had no idea who this man even was. But... Deep down, he had a gut feeling that he could trust Onkko.
So he began to follow, cautiously stepping into the swirling vortex as the wall reformed behind him.
"W-What is this place?" Izuku asked, following closely behind Onkko. The junior high schooler had made efforts to stay far away from the random rivets of energy that would strike the beaten path from time to time.
"The Void." Onkko simple answered.
Izuku frowned, "You said that before, but what does it mean?"
Onkko turned his head, his face unreadable. "A realm that no one understands. Where the laws of physics holds no sway. It is the both the beginning and end of everything. And you have been...-" He seemed to choose the word carefully. "-...exposed."
"E-Exposed? To what?" Izuku asked.
"The Void."
Izuku felt like face palming.
It was almost impossible to even get a clear answer from this man, harder so to even understand in the first place. However, before he could voice his displeasure, the man simply turned, walking forward and jumping straight off the path. Izuku ran forward, looking down in shock as he watched Onkko disappear behind the bright yellow lights below.
He would have stayed like that, if he wasn't pushed from behind. Izuku let out a scream as he fell, flailing his arms in panic.
And then he landed softly, sitting atop a bed.
He was back in his room, All Might figurines and posters strewn around. Yet he knew something wasn't right, because Onkko was standing near the doorway, holding an All Might action figure, the very same one that Izuku had held in his hands yesterday.
"Ai yo... Although the power you have displayed so far seems commendable, there is no restraint." Onkko looked up, showing Izuku's teal energy print around the figurine, "You need to learn control."
"Control, I-" Izuku paused, a realization coming to him. "I-I can control it?"
Onkko tilted his head, "Indeed. Did you not save yourself today?"
Izuku slowly nodded, "Y-Yeah, but-" He then paused, "You just seem to know so much about this Quirk."
"Quirk? Quirk!?" Onkko then let out a small laugh, "I know what you refer to. I admit, your dimension absolutely fascinates me. Just imagine, being born you are gifted a singular power that is unique to you and you only... Amazing..." Onkko then shook his head, "But alas, usage of the Void is not a Quirk. It is an exposure, a... hazard if not used correctly."
Izuku blinked, "Then..." He looked down, "C-Can you teach me?"
"Teach you?" Onkko paused before he shook his head. "That I cannot do." Izuku felt his heart drop, only for Onkko to speak again.
"But I can guide you."
And then the surroundings changed, his room falling away as metallic walls formed around him. He was in an arena of some sort, round and circular as Izuku felt soft sand beneath his shoes.
Onkko was sat on a platform above, tampering with a holographic council. Izuku stared with confusion before another presence revealed itself. It looked like a man wearing combat armor, drenched with a golden energy as a strange mask covered his face.
A cleaver could be seen in his hand.
"You will fight, and win." Onkko said from above, Izuku shrivelling.
"W-W-What!? What do you mean fight!?"
Onkko simply ignored him, "Begin."
The strange golden warrior rushed forward, bringing his cleaver upwards to strike down at Izuku. Izuku gaped in surprise before jumping to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade as he tumbled against the sand.
He tried to recount what a hero would do in this situation. Disarmament? The being was twice his size, so that was out of the question. Takedown? Maybe, but he highly doubted he could-
"Stop it."
Izuku paused, looking up to see Onkko leaning against the platform. "You are thinking about what you are capable of, not what you could be capable of. Go further." Onkko then leaned further. "Or dare I say it, go beyond..."
Plus Ultra.
Trying to save Katsuki and jabbing a villains eye, something he had thought he wasn't capable of. Using a power to save himself from being run over, another thing he had thought wasn't capable of.
No longer.
Izuku turned his head to his opponent, bending his knees and steadying his breath. And for a second, he knew just what to do. He put his hands close together, pushing forward as he let out a restrained shout.
A blast of teal void energy shot out, knocking the warrior away. The being flew through the air, smashing against the walls of the arena before disintegrating into nothingness. Izuku let out a breath, slowly looking at his own hands in wonder.
"Ah, a wonderful display. Now, let us see what lies beyond the next path." Izuku heard Onkko say before he noticed a long metal box protrude from the ground, stretching upwards. Upon one of these towers, another entity spawned, this time seemingly robotic in nature. It almost looked like it held the legs of a metal bird, but the disk like head it held shot out a laser, breaking Izuku away from his observation as he was forced to move.
He began to piece together the nature of this fight, realizing that the void blast he had performed before wouldn't cut it, he needed something more precise, more ranged. Izuku looked at his hand, noticing the power emitting from them. Perhaps he could try concentrating it instead, rather then the powerful blast he did before. He grinded to a halt, skidding against the sand as his digits curled into a claw.
Izuku then thrusted his hand forward, a beam shooting out this time as his arm noticeably shook. It struck the robot, slicing through the machinery like a knife through silk. He let out a pant, a small smile forming on his lips. It took him a moment to hear clapping above, Onkko looking down at him.
"Well done! But I must warn you, this last challenge is not something that can be physically accomplished."
Izuku tilted his head, unsure of what he meant by that before the ground began to rumble. Within an instant, sand began to pour down as holes in the floor opened up. Izuku flinched in surprise, backing away as the holes grew bigger and bigger, showing off the nothingness below. The sand was soon drained out, all that remained being two floating platforms, one that Izuku stood on, and the other holding a strange rift of energy.
"N-No way... I have to get to that!?" Izuku thought with surprise, his knees shaking. That had to be 10 meters away, way too far to even jump. He tried to look up to see if he could spot Onkko, maybe receive more advice. Yet Onkko was gone, with no one behind the council to operate it.
"Come on, think!" Izuku said to himself, noticing that the platform he stood on was getting smaller and smaller. He tried recalling what Onkko had said about the challenge, how it couldn't be 'physically' accomplished.
Izuku froze up, realizing something, a moment of clarity taking hold as he closed his eyes. He then reopened him, his flesh and bone now void and energy, the familiar teal color making him incorporeal. He looked up to see his objective, the rift that laid on the other platform.
And then he jumped, his form dashing forward, just as his platform crumbled into the nothingness below. He landed effortlessly, turning back to watch the distance he had somehow traversed before deciding to move on, entering the rift.
Izuku landed upon a familiar bed of pebbles. He was back at the dry garden room, Onkko in the exact same spot he was in when they had met, a visor covering his face once more.
"It seems you have made it. Congratulations." Onkko then bowed his head. Izuku paused before doing the same, bowing his head with respect. Onkko then knelt down, kneeling atop the delicate pebbles. "Now, I imagine you have many questions. Yes?"
Izuku nodded, "First of all, what do you mean that I was exposed to the Void?"
Onkko seemed to pause before speaking, "Izuku Midoriya, you exist on the fold between two worlds now." Onkko held his hand horizontally in front of his visor, pointing at his palm. "The world of physics and reality...-" He then overturned his hand, pointing finger at the back of his glove. "And the world of dreams and impossibility, the Void." Onkko then looked up, "You... remember what happened in those woods on that fateful day?"
He paused before slowly nodding, "Y-Yes... I thought I was going to die. W-What was that thing, and what are these dreams that I'm having?"
Onkko sighed behind his visor. "There are somethings that should remain a mystery. All you need to know is that you will figure out on your own accord."
Izuku opened his mouth to protest only for Onkko to cut him off.
"And before you can say that I am withholding information from you. If I were to tell you everything, then all I would see is you being lead down a path of ruin." Onkko then seemed to shiver, "And it-... it is not pretty. Not pretty in the slightest."
Izuku gulped before steeling his nerves. "About what I did b-before... Does this mean I can be..." He paused at the words, "A hero?"
Onkko let out a small chuckle, "Of course. Anything is possible if you put your heart, mind, and soul into it. I have shown you potential. Now all you must do follow through with it within the world of logic."
"Wait, so w-what your saying is what I did before wasn't... Real?"
"I wouldn't say that. Here in the Void, it is significantly easier for you to use your powers. But out there, within the world of logic and reason, you will find it difficult, if not dangerous to use."
Izuku remembered his nose bleeding after using his 'Void Mode', perhaps indicating that it was putting stress on his body. Onkko then crossed his arms, "So train, train, and train. Build up this power. Master it. There is a long journey ahead of you."
Izuku balled his fists, nodding before another question came to mind.
"O-Okay, but... What I also wanted to know is... Who are you? Why are you helping me in the first place, Onkko?" Izuku asked.
Onkko seemed to pause before reaching up, cupping the sides of his visor before taking it off, showing a wise and elegant face. Izuku realized he had seen him, in a dream he had recently forgotten as a strange sense of deja vu took over.
"I am, was, or will be Onkko. And I am a Quill, an order that divinates the future serves the Unum in order to change things for the better. Whether it be through observations, or architecture of one's destiny." He then pointed, "You, Izuku Midoriya, are history in the making, and you are apart of my responsibility now."
Izuku blinked, "And what's the 'Unum'?"
Onkko paused, putting hand beneath his chin as he looked down with genuine confusion. "I don't know."
Izuku resisted the urge to fall over and scream, instead showing an awkward face. At least he knew that Onkko's order, the Quills, wanted to help him, and that was good enough at the moment.
"Okay. I-I think I've heard enough. Besides, it feels like anything else you'll say won't make any sense..."
Onkko nodded, "Very well then. But before you go, I must tell give you a warning." He stood up, walking close to him, looking around as if someone was listening. "Beware of The Man in The Wall."
"T-The Man in the-" He saw Onkko's face, his features in a complete state of seriousness.
"You've heard it before... His whispers uses words that are familiar to you. But in reality, he is a being beyond morality or reasoning for that matter."
Izuku processed Onkko's words, realizing that he knew what Onkko was talking about. The other voice besides Katsuki that would refer to him as 'Deku'. He shivered for a second, sweat beginning to form on his forehead.
"Whatever you do, close your heart to him. He is indifferent to your plight and merely seeks to further his own goal, whatever that goal may be. Embracing his ideals... His darkness... Will only serve to make you stray off your own path... And there are worse things than death when that happens."
Izuku froze up, eyes wide with fear as Onkko continued.
"Alright, you are free to go. You should be opening your eyes at any moment." Onkko said, Izuku's face of fear turning into a face of questioning.
"When?"
Onkko tapped his foot against the pebbles below. "Now."
And then Izuku was gone.
"Woah!" Izuku yelled out, falling back from his sitting position as he banged his head against the wooden floor. He groaned, hand clutching the hit spot as the monk came back in, broom in hand.
"Young man! Are you okay!?"
Izuku nodded, "Y-Yes. I uh,-" Izuku then paused, looking up at the monk. "H-How long was I in here?"
The monk seemed to frown in confusion. "What do you mean? You just entered seconds ago."
"O-Oh..." Izuku said, looking down before looking back up. "Uh..." He quickly realized he felt guilty for making a monk worry. Something like that was probably bad luck, or as Izuku's grandparents would say, some form of Kegare.
He then decided to make it up to the man.
"Is it okay if I take one of those flyers you mentioned?"
The monk seemed to blink, "Mm? Ah, of course." He then rifled walked outside for a moment, coming back with a plastic sheet. "Mind you, it's merely a historical synopsis and a timetable for meditation periods hosted here. If your interested that is."
Izuku looked down at the sheet. Meditation definitely sounded helpful. Onkko did mention that the Void was a serene place when his thoughts were kept in a state of balance, and it seemed as if his power was affected by his state of thinking. Perhaps meditating could actually help him control his power to some degree? He grabbed the paper, bowing his head.
"T-Thank you! I have to go home now."
The monk nodded, "Very well then. See you next time."
Inko slowly awoke, looking at the door of Izuku's bedroom. She quickly came to realize that the door was open, revealing that her sons bed was empty. She turned her head, facing the rest of the house.
"Izuku?"
No response.
Immediately she sat up from her seat, walking to the front of the house, her son still nowhere in sight. She began to panic, a sense of urgency rising in her chest.
And then the front door unlocked, Inko turning her head to see her son enter the house. His face unreadable as he looked up, staring her straight in the eye.
"Mom..." He then smiled, "I-I take back what I said yesterday. I'm still going to become a hero."
She blinked, her mouth kept open with emotions.
"I-Izu..." And then she cried, hugging him closely.
She did not notice the lamp from yesterday poof back into existence as Izuku held her tightly.
Naomasa kept a straight face as he made a right turn, his car traversing a dirt road. He had received a call in the morning that requested for his presence. All he knew was that the crime scene was bloody, so he had resolved to not eating as much for his breakfast.
He drove his car onward before arriving at his destination, a traditional house that was built at the edge of the woods. A few police cars we're already there, with Sansa waiting at the front door.
Naomasa got out of his car, walking up to the cat headed officer.
"So, what have we got here?"
The officer shook his head, "Nothing pretty. That's for sure."
They both entered, the interior of the house was silent as a few other officers and investigators walked to and fro. Sansa guided Naomasa to what he assumed was the living room, absolutely reeking of something horrible.
Naomasa soon saw why.
A body, or two halves of a man. One part of corpse laid strewn through the living room and the other had ended up near the doorway. A few photographers already taking pictures of the scene. Naomasa put a hand to his nose, "Dear god... That smell"
Sansa's cat face curled up, "I told you so."
Naomasa didn't say anything, instead kneeling down to inspect the upper half of the corpse. The man's eyes were glazed from death, yet even so, it didn't appear that he died in a peaceful manner as Naomasa could see that his dying face was curdled with fear.
He stood back up. "Do we know anything about this man?"
Sansa nodded, "Yes. We already traced his dna and ran his finger prints. Nagao Seiryo, an escaped death row convict from the Moonfish incident. Evidence suggested that he tried to break in and murder Ohno Kaoru, the house owner."
Naomasa turned his head, "Where's the owner?"
"She's back here." Sansa said, leading Naomasa as the two walked to the back of the house, now in the backyard of the house. A few officers sat next to an old lady, her form draped with a blanket over her shoulders.
Sansa and Naomasa looked at each other before the detective decide to approach first, taking off his hat.
"Excuse me miss." He took out his badge, "Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, are you Ohno Kaoru by any chance?"
The old lady nodded, yet it seemed delayed as she shivered slightly. "Y-Yes... That would be me."
Naomasa nodded before he put his badge back, taking out a notebook and pen. "I understand that you are still recovering at the moment... But anything that you could tell us would be a tremendous help."
She pause before nodding again. "I-I can't tell you much. A-All I remember was that I was sleeping upstairs until I heard one of my windows downstairs break." She breathed in, "I-I went downstairs to see what it was... I should have stayed up there and hid... T-That man was-" Her breathing began to hitch, "H-He said that I was sick, and that he was doctor here to cure me. After hearing that, I tried to run away only to get cornered in my living room... And then... A-And then..."
The old lady began to tear up.
"I-I watched something slice that man in half..." She opened the blanket a bit, showing that her clothes was stained with blood. "A-And his blood, I-It got all over me... I-It was too much. I don't know when I reawoke, only that I called 119 when I did." She looked up, looking Naomasa dead in the eye. "It was a Noppera-bō, I'm sure of it! It saw that man's evilness and condemned his soul to the underworld!"
Naomasa wrote in a few notes, trying to ignore her mad ramblings before standing up. "Thank you so much, miss. This info will be a great help to us."
She simply nodded, looking down at the ground as Naomasa walked away, Sansa rejoining him. "What did that lady say? Faceless Ghost?"
Tsukauchi nodded, "Yeah. And considering the fact that it wasn't a lie, she must have been spooked to the point of believing it." Naomasa walked back outside. "I'll send this info to Kenji. I think we might have a serious vigilante problem for the first time in ages. Though, the fact this guy knew where this convict was heading means we need to step up our game."
Sansa nodded, watching Naomasa drive away.
Yet, not one police officer noticed one of the trees stir. A figure walking back into the woods.
A shadow still lurked.