Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Everything was made of energy, from the beetle crawling through the dirt below to the grand trees that scraped the clouds above. They all existed in little pinpricks of light in Izuku’s awareness, as he meditated in the glade. Because of the sword in his hands, he was encompassed in the soft glow of golden energy, which connected his mind to all the living creatures surrounding him. 

Izuku’s mouth pulled into a slight grimace. “Yeah… it’s not really working.”

Though he couldn’t see it, only sense it, Keigo flapped down from the tree branch above him. Even six months after dismantling the League, time that had been full of quests and experiences, they still met up regularly for Izuku’s training in phoenix magic.

“Really? It’s still the same thing?” the griffin hybrid asked. 

“I can only sense the energies of the living things around me, none of the other stuff you say I should be able to feel,” Izuku explained, beginning to crack an eye open to look at his mentor. 

“No! Keep your eyes closed!” Keigo’s hand planted itself on Izuku’s face, forcing his eyes closed again. “It keeps you focused. Anyway, you should be able to sense more than just basic energy. Phoenix magic is pure and whole, the opposite of dark magic, which gives you the ability to feel shifts between the two.”

“You keep saying that…” 

Keigo hummed in contemplation, and he began pacing back and forth in front of Izuku, his lion paws leaving prints in the grass. 

“If you’re only sensing energies, maybe it’s because you don’t know how to sense a deprivation of energies.” Keigo stopped in front of Izuku. “Here, try thinking back to a time where you were surrounded by dark magic. Remember what that felt like - the sickly stench and decaying life, everything shadowed and cold.”

“Those aren’t exactly pleasant memories,” Izuku mumbled, his thoughts straying to his imprisonment in Overhaul’s dungeon.

“You’re right, they aren’t. But the sensation might help you connect how to feel those imbalances between good, whole magic and cursed, stolen magic.”

After several more minutes of struggling to grasp the concept, Izuku shook his head. Disappointment laced his tone as he said, “I still don’t feel anything. Sorry, I don’t think I’m getting this today.”

He opened his eyes to find Keigo grinning at him, his sharp yellow eyes shining with encouragement. 

“You already figured out how to sense basic energy way quicker than I thought you would!” he exclaimed. “I’ve no doubt you’ll get it. There’s nothing wrong with needing more time to understand something, especially something as rare and complex as phoenix magic.”

His cheer was contagious, and soon Izuku was smiling too. “Thanks, I’ll be sure to keep it up!”

“I’m sure you will! For now though,” he extended his wing in the direction of town, “you should be heading to the questboard.”

Izuku nodded as he clambered to his feet. “A new quest already, huh? Isn’t it a little early for that? Ochako and I just got back from a different one yesterday.”

“You two were just hoping to have tomorrow all to yourselves, weren’t you?”

The teen laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, maybe…”

Keigo grinned and motioned to leave the glade, so that they could walk back to town together. Izuku smiled at the idea, but the second he took a step in his mentor’s direction, a strong twinge nagged at the corner of his mind. 

He stopped, frowning. The tug didn’t feel right; it gave the sensation of crawling spiders all scrambling for one bit of prey. He turned his head in the tug’s direction - east - and the sensation moved to the front of his mind. 

But by the time Keigo turned around to notice Izuku wasn’t following, the nagging was gone. 

“You okay?” Keigo questioned, brows pulling into a frown.

“Er… yeah. Thought I felt something.”

Ochako heard the whistle of an arrow cutting through the air behind her, and a rock sprung up from the ground beside her feet, before rising in a pink glow to intercept the projectile. The force of the arrow split the rock into several pieces, which Ochako let thump to the ground. 

She kept her head whipping around, trying to spot the arrows before hearing them. She caught sight of two more, zipping forward with trailing purple streaks. Two more rocks jutted from the ground and flew up to block the arrows, leaving more pebbles raining to the grass. 

Then it was one arrow again. Her heart pounded in her ears. This was too easy. 

Her suspicion was proven correct when four arrows appeared at once, all zooming towards her from different directions, all bound to hit her at the same time. Gritting her teeth in concentration, she swept her staff across the ground, sending out a wave of pink magic. All the discarded stones from her shattered boulders floated up from the ground. 

With the wave of her staff, they formed a stream of rocks, which raced through the air to the first arrow. They whizzed around her, hitting the second, then third arrow. With a final swing of her staff, the final arrow was knocked to the ground, just before it hit her. 

Ochako sighed in relief. The moment of triumph was short-lived. 

She heard the arrow zip up behind her too late. The shining point stopped just short of her head. 

“If I was a real enemy, you’d be dead right now,” Kaina said, perched in a tree above her student, her bow angled in front of her. 

“You were hiding that close!?” Ochako exclaimed as her mentor dropped down. “I was so focused on stopping your arrows, I didn’t even look for you!”

Kaina gave her a small smirk. “Lessons that develop more than one skill are the best ones. Your defense was great - you were able to spot my arrows before it was too late, and your magic was precise and quick enough to stop them too.”

Ochako glowed from the praise, a smile spreading across her face.

“But you can’t let your other senses become dimmed in that concentration,” Kaina continued, and her student deflated a little. “If you’d known my location, not only would that last surprise arrow have been impossible, but you also could’ve counterattacked. Don’t get so wrapped up in defense you forget your surroundings.”

Ochako nodded, looking down and gripping her staff. “I understand. I’ll make sure I never place all my focus on one single thing.”

“Good,” Kaina replied, satisfied. “Now that our lesson’s over, I have this for you.”

Ochako peered at the little scroll of paper in her mentor’s hands. When she took it and opened it, she gasped in delight, eyes snapping wide in disbelief.

“I’m promoted to level three!” 

She looked up to Kaina for confirmation, and her mentor nodded with a grin. Ochako sprang forward and wrapped her arms around Kaina in a hug, smiling wide. 

“Thank you for everything you’ve taught me. Never could’ve gotten here without you.”

“Hey, it’s not all me,” Kaina said softly. “You’re an amazing student too. My favorite, in fact.”

Ochako drew away, snickering. “I’m your only student.”

“Which means you’re just that much more special to me,” Kaina shot back, making Ochako glow with gratitude all over again. “You’ve also been improving a lot quicker these last few months, since you’ve been going on quests with Izuku. You’re happier, too. Everything you’ve endured doesn’t affect you as much. You two are good for each other.”

Ochako’s gaze drifted to the grass, a fond smile warming her expression. “I really do love being with him. Oh right! I need to tell him I’m a level three mage now!”

Kaina let out a puff of laughter. “Well, you shouldn’t have to wait too long. You’ve got a new quest, so he should be heading to the quest board soon too.”

The teen grinned at the thought of meeting up with him, but then a hint of confusion tainted her expression. “A new quest already?”

Her mentor shrugged. “It’s most likely something more urgent. It’d be good to get going.”

“Right,” Ochako nodded and headed towards the path back to town. “See you later!”

Izuku perked up when the doors to the meeting room opened, and a smile spread across his face when he saw it was Ochako. As usual, their greeting was a hug. 

“I’ve got something exciting to share with you,” she said, still in his arms, grinning wide.

“Oh yeah?” He tilted his head, perfectly content with keeping her close to him for longer. 

She nodded enthusiastically. “I’m a level three mage now!”

His eyes widened, before his smile somehow became bigger. He tightened their hug and exclaimed, “wow! That’s amazing - you’re amazing.”

A blush tinted her cheeks. “I partially have you to thank for that too, you know. I’ve been a lot happier, having you in my life, and that reflects in my magic. So, thank you for-”

He kissed her before she could finish, her lips meeting his with a surprised but happy sound. It communicated all the gratitude the pair felt for each other better than words. 

“If you could restrain yourselves for two minutes.”

They quickly separated upon Shota’s arrival, having forgotten they were in a public area, even if no apologies stumbled out of their mouths. The quest-master sighed, before placing a scroll on the table for the pair to read. 

“You have an urgent quest from the Flamelight Kingdom,” he continued, always jumping straight to the point of the meeting. 

Izuku and Ochako exchanged glances. The past six months had been an excellent means of growing closer to Shoto, who had since revealed to them his connection to that particular kingdom. 

“There was a disturbance at midnight last night close to the palace, from dark magic usage. No one saw the caster, but the remnants of an extremely potent spell were left behind, and the Flamelight mages still cannot figure out how to remove them.”

“Huh, and Flamelight mages are some of the best,” Ochako murmured. 

“So you understand the severity of the situation, if someone that powerful was so close to the palace,” Shota replied. “You need to investigate the meaning of the spell, and hopefully capture who cast it.”

The two nodded in understanding, but Izuku asked, “why are we being assigned this? Not only does it seem a little above our level, but it’s pretty early too for a new quest.”

Shota tapped a particular part of the scroll on the table. “They specifically requested both of you. We tried, but they refused to have anyone else.”

Ochako frowned. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Shota answered honestly. “You two are definitely making a name for yourselves, with all the quests you’ve completed relating to dark magic, but there are still others with better reputations. Such as your mentors.”

The pair looked at each other, worry and confusion outlining their expressions. There was something eerie about this quest that made it feel different from the others they’d accepted.

“Well, I guess we’ll find out when we get there,” Izuku said. “We’ll get going right away.”

“But you just got back,” Eri said with big eyes, and it was almost enough for Izuku to march back to Shota and refuse the new quest. 

He’d only be marching a few feet, though. 

“No, you cannot deny a quest to make Eri happy,” Shota sighed from across the room, where he was preparing that day’s lunch. Eri sat at the kitchen table, the dolls she’d been playing with now discarded. 

After her recovery in the infirmary, Shota had been the only questmaster brave enough to take in and raise Eri, knowing her unique time magic would make her a target for dark magic users. 

“I’m sorry,” Ochako responded to her. “There are people who need our help! And sometimes that means we don’t get as much free time as we’d like.”

When Eri didn’t seem satisfied with that answer, Izuku continued with, “but we were still able to meet up with you in between quests like we promised, right?”

That lightened her expression a little, and she gave a firm nod. “Right. I just wanna know you guys are okay.”

If Shota had been facing them, the brightness from their twin smiles would’ve been enough to knock him out. 

“And we like knowing you’re okay too,” Izuku added, which was enough to get her to spring up and hug both of them, even if her arms could only wrap halfway around their waists. 

Ochako giggled. “You’re so sweet. Oh! Speaking of sweet…”

Eri gasped, realizing what was coming. Shota groaned when Ochako drew a candy apple out of her bag. “You don’t have to bring her one of those every time. You’re spoiling her.”

“We absolutely do and she absolutely deserves it,” Izuku responded without a hint of hesitancy, watching Eri’s face melt with pure bliss the moment she bit into the treat. Still no smile though. 

“Just before a meal too,” Shota muttered, though there was no real heat behind it. 

“Can they stay?” Eri asked, turning towards him with big, hopeful eyes. 

Sparing Shota from the pain of admitting he’d only made enough food for one and a half, Izuku said, “no, it’s okay. We have to be leaving soon anyway if we want to make it to the Flamelight Kingdom by nightfall.”

Eri nodded in understanding, even if she looked a little sad again. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back before you know it!” Ochako exclaimed, and Izuku nodded along with her. 

“Stay safe out there,” Shota said as they left, while Eri gave them a small, shy wave goodbye. 

Ochako responded with a little wave of her own, and Izuku replied, “we will!”

Izuku yawned in front of the throne room doors, hoping his weariness wouldn’t be obvious when he and Ochako were called in. He spared a glance out one of the large windows that almost spanned the entire hall’s height, from the stone floor to the arching ceiling. Yup, it was completely dark out now. 

“I hope he meets with us soon,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll even be able to pay attention if I have to stay up for much longer.”

Ochako snickered. “Ah, the morning person finally meets their match: late nights.”

Amusement still managed to break through the cloud of tiredness in Izuku’s mind. “While you, the night owl, have to meet your match every morning.”

She grumbled something about “darn training regimes.”

They didn’t have to wait much longer before the doors swung open, revealing a grand, impressive room. Spirals of golden fire patterns trailed up the columns supporting the ceiling, where ornate chandeliers hung down. Each one held hundreds of little flickering flames, which burned with the shades of the palest yellow to the deepest red. 

The throne itself was carved from volcanic rock in the shape of a blazing inferno, dotted with sapphires at the base and rubies at the tips. 

“Even the air vibrates with fire magic,” Ochako murmured. 

The serious demeanor of the man sitting on it did not match the grandeur of his surroundings. Though Izuku and Ochako bowed out of respect, they were feeling something very different, Shoto’s story replaying in their heads. 

“Thank you for coming out here on such short notice,” Enji began, much more somber than the pair had been expecting. “While I’m sure you’re ready to retire for the night, I felt it was essential to introduce you to your task.”

You couldn’t have done this tomorrow? Izuku bit back the thought from spilling into words. 

“As you know, we need your assistance in resolving the aftermath of the casting of a dark spell.”

The king of the Flamelight kingdom went on to give the details of the spell’s location, the time of night when it was cast, the surrounding population’s response, its lingering effects, and their inability to find the casters. 

Ochako’s grip on her staff was tight by the end of it. “If the spell was potent enough that just its casting disturbed the sleep of all the surrounding population, it requires a very strong caster. That level of dark magic is unsettling.”

“At least they’re able to control the after effects,” Izuku said. 

“Our mages are quite skilled,” Enji replied, “but that makes me even more concerned about the source of this spell, if even they aren’t able to trace it back to its caster.”

“Could it have been cast from a long distance?” Izuku asked. 

“Unlikely,” Ochako answered. “It’d take the strongest dark mage of all time to be able to cast that strong of a spell from a distance far off enough to neutralize the magic-sensing capabilities of a strong mage.”

The grave attitude of the meeting solidified. 

“There still are two things you haven’t clarified,” Izuku said, and Enji tilted his head. “First, why we specifically were called for this quest, and second, what exactly this spell even was.”

Enji released a long sigh. “It left a message behind on the wall. Once you read it, you’ll understand.”

Izuku and Ochako exchanged glances. This quest was becoming more unnerving by the moment. 

“Do you want to go check it out now, before finding a place to stay for the night?” Ochako asked. 

Izuku nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We can then start the real investigation tomorrow after-”

“Wait, before you go.”

The odd change in the king’s tone made the pair look back to him curiously. A strange strain of longing and grief made his voice sound just a little different. It began to shatter the formal air that had dominated the meeting. 

“You’re friends with Shoto, right? How… how is he?”

Their eyes widened. His real purpose for wanting to meet with them so soon was revealed, and that formal atmosphere was reduced to splinters. 

“He’s okay,” Ochako replied, purposefully vague. 

Enji nodded, noting their avoidant response. “He’s told you what happened in this family, has he?”

The way they clenched their jaws was answer enough, and the king’s eyes fell to the ground. The guilt of a thousand wrongdoings simmered behind his eyes. 

“Is he… happier, away from here.”

“Yes,” Izuku answered immediately. 

That guilt burned brighter from how confident the response was, but after a moment, he simply nodded again. 

“You’re not trying to get us to convince him to come back, are you?” Ochako asked, eyes narrowed. 

Enji shook his head. “No, I hope he spends as much time away as he needs. I do also hope that time won’t be his entire life, but if it is, I’m in no place to blame him.”

The pair’s eyes went big with surprise. That response was in direct conflict with their perception of him, and they couldn’t connect the king they’d heard about from Shoto and the king sitting in front of them. 

“I apologize,” Enji continued, his initial tone of serious formality returning. “That is not a side I should let anyone outside my family see. Please excuse my indecency. You’re free to go.”

As Izuku and Ochako left to investigate the site of the spell, they couldn’t shake the feeling that the king had become a man Shoto didn’t know at all. 

Izuku’s first thought upon reading the message left behind on the palace wall was that they should have waited until the sun had risen. Just the words were enough to make a cold dread creep over his skin, and he didn’t need the shadows of the night adding to that feeling. 

“You know what this means, right?” Ochako asked, her voice hushed with a tight unease. Izuku gulped and nodded, his eyes rereading the message for the twentieth time. 

“Not even the souls of duality and phoenix know who I am.”

“Whoever cast this spell wants us specifically,” he answered, his grip tight on his sword’s hilt. Ochako let out a shaky breath. 

They both flinched horribly when footsteps started approaching from down the path. They squinted, trying to make out who the sound was coming from, while holding their magics at a thought’s distance. 

From the shadows emerged a tall, spindly man with strands of blond and gray hair framing his wrinkled face. Despite the nighttime darkness and his sunken eyes, his blue irises were still visible. 

Even though the pair knew they were supposed to be on guard around strangers, something about this man gave them the opposite effect. Especially for Izuku, whose sword began to glow with a friendly warmth. 

“Huh, I thought I felt something odd pulling me in this direction,” the man said, his eyes sweeping over the wall’s message, before landing on the pair of questers in front of him. 

“Who are you?” Ochako asked, somehow not sounding as wary as she meant it to be. 

The man offered her a smile, and he gave them a slight bow. “My name is Yagi, though the more useful information about me will probably be about that.”

Izuku’s eyebrows raised when he realized Yagi was pointing to the sword at his hip. 

“Before you, I was the last person to wield that blade.”

Chapter Text

“You’re dead.”

Yagi looked down at himself, patting his midsection and wiggling his fingers. “No, I’m fairly certain I’m alive.”

“No-” Izuku tried rubbing some of his tiredness out of his eyes. “You died in your last battle with the Original dark mage over seventy years ago.”

“Again, I very much feel-”

“How,” Ochako interjected. “How are you alive, is what he’s asking.”

“Ah, right.” Yagi offered them a gentle smile. “I did come very close to death in that final battle, yes. In fact, I thought I had died. By the time I woke up, though I found my enemy dead, my blade was stolen as well.”

Izuku frowned, his eyebags accentuating his confusion. “So that’s it. You just almost died instead of dying. Why didn’t you come back to society?”

“And uh…” Ochako tilted her head. “Even if you survived that, how are you not dead now from old age?”

Yagi puffed out a small breath of laughter. “Well, the answer to both of those is, the sword.” He gestured towards it, and Izuku’s grip on the hilt tightened. “For yours,” he looked to Ochako, “the power of the sword does intriguing things to its user’s body. I’m just over a hundred, but I don’t feel older than seventy.”

Izuku’s eyes widened a little. That was a thought to pack away for later, and his attention was quickly drawn away when Yagi turned his gaze to him. 

“As for your question, I had been carrying the burden of the sword for so long. My ultimate quest had been completed, so there was no more reason for me to continue shouldering such a heavy weight. I decided to disappear and rest.”

“How are we supposed to believe any of that is true?” Izuku asked, eyes narrowing a little. “You could be a dark magic user trying to steal the sword.”

“I don’t sense any dark magic from him,” Ochako murmured. 

Despite her reassurance, Yagi nodded and said, “that’s an understandable conclusion, though I do have a way to prove myself to you. Have you noticed the way your sword has been warmer and brighter during our conversation?”

Izuku blinked. Now that he thought about it, “yeah, I have.”

Yagi outstretched his hand towards the sword, tentatively, so Izuku wouldn’t recoil. “If you allow me, it should react to my touch in a way that confirms what I’ve said.”

The boy glanced between his hand and the sword, before landing on Yagi’s face, where it remained for a moment in close examination. Then, keeping his hand on the bridge, he took a step forward so the hilt was within reach. 

“Alright.” He nodded in confirmation. 

The moment Yagi’s hand made contact, a stream of golden energy flowed from the sword and enlaced itself around the man’s wrist. It emanated the warmth of a long-awaited reunion between friends. 

Then Izuku felt it - a thread of connection between himself and Yagi, like a sense of comfortable familiarity. Like if souls were made of material, theirs would be the same. It made his eyes snap up to Yagi’s face, and above his smile, he saw the same pinpricks of gold that shone in his own eyes when he used phoenix magic. 

When Yagi withdrew his hand, the strand of energy reluctantly separated, before spiraling back into the sword. 

“Well, I guess that proves that,” Ochako said. 

“I have so many questions.” Izuku’s words started gushing out at an imperceptible speed. “You were alive so long ago and faced one of the most harmful forces in history, so you must have so much knowledge and experience, especially pertaining to how to use my sword and hopefully even this one concept my mentor has been trying to teach me but I can’t understand-”

Yagi chuckled. “You’ll have time to ask all of them, I promise.”

“Right, I don’t have to ask them all now, especially since we probably should be finding a place to rest for the night,” Izuku said with a glance up at the dark sky, before lowering them back to Yagi’s eyes with a serious concern. “But there is one I want to ask right away. Why did you just come out of hiding now?” 

The man’s smile diminished as a shadow fell over his face. “I’ve felt something familiar shifting in the interconnection of magics in the world, and this,” he gestured to the wall, “has been the largest indicator. It’s so familiar it’s uncomfortable, and I’m worried someone has continued my enemy’s work.”

While Izuku was somewhat uplifted by the fact Yagi knew how to perform the magic sensing he’d been failing at, he was more disheartened with news of new dark powers on the rise. 

The feeling of cold dread had returned. 

“You still need to try to sleep tonight,” Ochako implored, though that didn’t manage to slow Izuku’s pacing down. 

“There’s so much he can teach me!” he exclaimed. “He understands the concepts I’ve been struggling with, which means my understanding can improve so much if he teaches me!”

“Izuku.”

“Though I still want to keep Keigo as my mentor…” Izuku hummed. “I can still keep learning from both of them, it’s okay.”

Ochako sighed and stood up from her bed to walk over to her boyfriend. 

“I wonder if there’ll be any major differences between how different people use the sword,” he rambled on, “‘cause all the past users couldn’t have been the exact same-”

His sentence came to a stop when Uraraka looped her arms around his neck, her sudden proximity making him freeze. She grinned at his surprise and said, “these are all important things to think about, yes, but sleep is still more important. Please consider going to bed.”

His racing thoughts began to slow, and he relaxed into her touch, wrapping his arms around her waist with a smile. “Sorry, you’re right. I can think about this all more tomorrow, after getting some rest.”

“That’s better.” Her smile turned a little smug at how quickly her touch could get him to listen. 

They leaned closer together to share one more kiss, one last reminder of the comfort of each other’s warmth, before pulling apart to settle into their beds. 

“Though, there is one thing I want to ask,” Ochako began after Izuku had turned his lamp off, hers still burning. “What are we going to do about Yagi?”

Izuku tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Like, are we going to keep his return a secret between us? Or are we telling people about him - should we bring him back to the quest masters?”

His brow furrowed with thought. “Well, thinking about it long-term, people are going to find out he’s back sooner or later. It might be better to just introduce him to the quest masters now and get it all out of the way, so he won’t be whisked away for questioning at an inconvenient time.”

“You’ll have to wait to ask all your questions then,” Ochako said with a small smile, and Izuku chuckled. 

“If we take him back tomorrow, I can still ask a lot of them during the walk! So it’s alright.”

She nodded. “Sounds good then, we can let Yagi know tomorrow.”

With that, she turned her lamp off, and they were both asleep within minutes. 

“I can’t say I’m looking forward to this,” Yagi admitted. Every step during their return journey seemed to weigh a little heavier on him, and not even the sky glowing with the light of the sunrise or the gentle rustle of grasses and flowers around them could calm him. 

“They’re going to find out sooner or later,” Izuku replied, sliding his map away after confirming they were headed in the right direction. “Might as well get all the questions over with now.”

“I suppose that’s true,” the older man said with a sigh, before tilting his head towards Izuku. “Speaking of questions though, if you don’t mind, I have a few for you.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s fair, considering how many I’m gonna be asking you.”

“I’m pretty sure you were muttering them in your sleep all night,” Ochako groaned, which then turned into a yawn. She still hadn’t quite woken up all the way. 

Yagi smiled at how her comment made Izuku grin sheepishly, before starting with his questions. “The phoenix sword, how did you find it?”

Izuku let out a short breath, before going over his time as a prisoner in the Shie Hassaikai, including Ochako’s rescue of him, and their rescue of Kota, Eri and the sword. 

“I’m not surprised it fell to the hands of dark magic users,” Yagi lamented. “They were always the most desperate for its power, even though it’s impossible for anyone the sword hasn’t chosen to access it. Although I am surprised about the girl you mentioned, Eri? She has time magic?”

“She’s the sweetest thing ever,” Ochako said with a big grin. 

Izuku nodded along with her. “Yeah, she has time magic, as a descendent of the unicorns. She had to go through a lot of terrible treatment because of it, but she’s been doing a lot better lately.”

“I can only imagine.” Yagi looked down with a shake of his head. “Time magic has been extinct even long before I was born, so the deeds people would commit to obtain it are horrendous to consider.”

The weight of the nature of humanity hung over their heads for a moment, though Yagi decided to move the conversation on to lighter topics soon enough. 

“It is uplifting to hear you’re magicless, however.”

Izuku blinked and tilted his head. “Uplifting?”

Yagi gave him a confident nod. “Yes, because I’m magicless too.”

The boy’s eyes went big, thoughts racing as he tried to connect the important man in front of him with the condition that left him alone for so many years, before a beaming smile spread across his face. “Really?! So you had to figure out how to use magic way later than everyone else too? Did you also do lots of studying on all the other magic types to make up for not having any of them? Did- did…” his voice fell, smile slipping. “Did they say you couldn’t be a quester because you were magicless too?”

Yagi rested a hand on his shoulder, and he offered a saddened smile full of understanding. The way he squeezed his shoulder told Izuku everything he needed to know. 

“Yes, I did many things to try to make up for my lack of magic, and to somehow prove myself capable of being a quester. I understand the pain of wanting to achieve something with everything you have, but everything you have not being good enough.”

It was just a couple sentences, but they summed up so many of Izuku’s experiences, and it was enough for his eyes to gloss over. He smiled, raw and sad. “Thank you.”

As Yagi gave his shoulder another comforting squeeze, a soft smile came across Ochako’s face. She knew Izuku had never found another person who’d gone through the same struggles he had, and though she was always supportive and encouraging, she knew there were some breaks she couldn’t mend. 

But it looked like this connection to another magicless person might start to fill some of those cracks. 

“Ochako has made it better though,” Izuku said, and she blinked at the sudden mention. “She didn’t immediately look down on me or pity me after learning I was magicless, like a lot of people have done. She only encouraged me - she believed in me even before I did.”

Izuku turned towards her with a thankful smile that was bright enough to make Ochako’s heart skip a couple beats, stopping her from coming up with a reply. 

Yagi gave her a grateful smile too. “It’s a truly admirable quality, to be compassionate and understanding to people who could be easily disregarded.”

Ochako ducked her head at the praise, and her words took a moment to form. “Ah- thank you! Though,” she lifted her eyes to Izuku, “he’s not mentioning everything he’s done for me either. He’s cared for me in a way no one else has.”

Yagi saw their faces, bright with happiness, around one another, and he smiled. “You two are good for each other.”

Something about the way he smiled, content but sad and longing at the same time, made Izuku think he’d never had anyone like that himself. 

“One more important question,” Yagi moved the conversation onward, though Izuku stored his observation for later, “I assume someone has been teaching you how to utilize the sword, right?”

Izuku’s expression lit up right away. “Yeah, Keigo has! He was assigned the quest of finding the sword, so he knows a lot about it. He’s helped me a ton, and I don’t think I could ask for a better mentor.”

Yagi nodded, satisfied. “That was all I needed to know - that you’ve had a good mentor who’s been teaching you well. Though then I have to ask, would you be interested in lessons from me too? I have no intention of replacing your current mentor, but I still believe I could help in your training.”

“I think I’m interested in learning from both of you,” Izuku answered. “You both have your own experiences to offer, and besides, I can use all the help I can get with mastering this magic.”

“Just don’t overwork yourself,” Ochako warned. “I’ve been in that ‘train as much as you can, as hard as you can’ mentality, and it’s not pleasant.”

“I know.” Izuku took a hold of her hand, squeezing it to show he’d listened. “I won’t let my training go too far.”

“Well, I look forward to our first lesson then,” Yagi said. “Though… I’m going to have to survive this reunion with the questmasters first.”

“Thank you for alerting us to Toshinori Yagi’s return. We’ll be sure to let you know when our meetings with him are completed.”

With that, the doors to the questmasters’ meeting hall slammed closed, and Izuku and Ochako gave each other worried glances. 

Shota had been the first questmaster they’d encountered, and he’d been skeptical of their claims at first. But after the same show with the sword that Yagi had used to prove himself to Izuku, he was calling all the other questmasters for a meeting. They’d all scrambled to Musutafu with an impressive speed. 

“I really hope this was the right choice,” Izuku said, and Ochako grimaced. 

“They looked like they were gonna eat him alive.”

They stood at the doors for a moment more, wondering what type of questions they’d be firing at Yagi. 

“Well,” Ochako sighed, “I guess we have to walk all the way back to the Flamelight kingdom now.”

Izuku saw how discouraged she was with the idea and offered an uneasy smile. “C’mon, we still have time to make it there before the end of the day!”

Ochako groaned, letting her head fall back. “I just hate all this walking without actually accomplishing anything.”

“Hey, we discovered the last user of the phoenix sword, I’d call that an accomplishment. Besides,” he stepped closer to her side and laced his fingers with hers, “the walking gives us more time to talk with each other, right?”

Her mouth pulled into a smile, and she squeezed his hand. “Yeah, you’re right. Thank you for that.”

Their chatter had already begun as they walked towards the town gates, but they didn’t make it all the way there before the sound of someone calling their names stopped them. 

“Phew! I caught you two before you left!”

The pair turned around and smiled at the sight of a man with fluffy, sky blue hair, who was giving them an enthusiastic wave. 

“Oboro!” Ochako greeted the teleportation mage, responding with a wave of her own. “It’s great to see you!”

“We haven’t seen you since you started going on quests again,” Izuku said as Oboro slowed to a stop in front of them. “It’s good to know you’re okay.”

“Yeah, I’ve been doing well!” Oboro exclaimed, and he tapped his temple. “All the memories from being Kurogiri barely affect me anymore, and I feel almost caught up with missing ten years of my life. So it was awesome to finally help out on some quests again. Which is why I’m here! To help you guys with your quest!”

Ochako tilted her head. “Are you sure you don’t want the time to relax after helping with other quests? Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to not have to walk all the way back to the Flamelight kingdom, but…”

“Oh don’t worry, I’m sure!” Oboro waved her concerns off. “If your quest was combat-oriented my answer might be different, but it’s more investigation, right?”

Izuku nodded in confirmation. “Your teleportation magic would be really useful. Only if you’re sure, though.”

“I assure you, I’d love to help,” Oboro promised with a wide grin. “This also feels like my way of making up for lost time. I won’t push myself too far - Shota and Hizashi are making sure of that - but I will take every opportunity I can to help out!”

“Well, in that case, we’d also love to have your help!” Ochako said, and Oboro cheered. 

She and Izuku smiled at his sheer enthusiasm and dedication, and Izuku leaned over and whispered, “I sometimes forget how different he is from Aizawa, with how upbeat and energetic he is.”

“I know right,” Ochako laughed. 

“Oh, before we leave though,” Oboro began, drawing the teens’ attention back to himself, “there’s someone you have to see. Shoto heard about your quest and has been wanting to speak to you about it.”

The pair glanced at each other. Shoto was interested in a quest located in the kingdom he ran away from? 

“Do you know where he is?” Ochako asked. 

With a wave of his hand, wisps of blue cloud emerged from thin air, circulating around and forming a portal. “Right through here.”

“Are you sure you want to help us?” Ochako asked, frowning at Shoto. 

The runaway prince stared down into his drink at the tavern bar, which was fairly quiet, due to it being midday. 

“I mean, you ran away from that kingdom for a reason,” Izuku said. “You have no obligation to return to it.”

“I know,” Shoto said softly. “But I ran away because of my father, not because of the kingdom itself. I still care for the people there, and… and I do feel a responsibility towards them. Even as a prince who’s run away.”

The pair’s eyes widened a little, and Ochako said, “so you want to help in order to protect your kingdom.”

“Yes, I believe that’s it. Though, I’d appreciate it if my presence there was kept a secret from my father. A conversation with him is not something I wish for anytime soon.”

“Got it,” Izuku nodded. “We’ll make sure Oboro knows too.”

“Thank you.”

After a few seconds of quiet, Ochako decided to take a small risk. “You know, we did speak with him. Your father, I mean.”

She swore the temperature dropped a couple degrees when she said that. 

“Did you now?”

Izuku gave her a slightly alarmed, but curious glance, and she took a bigger risk. “Yeah, we did. He seemed… different.”

Okay, the temperature was definitely dropping. The glass of Shoto’s drink began to frost over where his hand was touching it. 

“You never knew him. You don’t get to say he’s different.” Shoto didn’t even try to hold back the biting growl in his tone. 

Ochako made the wise choice of not taking any more risks.

Chapter Text

“Still nothing,” Ochako shook her head as she walked up to Izuku and Shoto at the city square - their designated meeting place. 

Izuku sighed, trying to release some of his disappointment. “Really?”

“Yeah, no one in any of the taverns or popular gathering places knew anything. Or at least, no one was willing to share, though I didn’t feel like anyone was lying.” She rubbed a hand down her face. “Even I’m a little peopled-out after all that talking. 

Izuku gave her an understanding smile and put a hand on her shoulder, and it soon dropped to link up with her hand. 

“What about you both?” she asked. 

“None of the palace staff or guards were able to offer anything of use,” Shoto said. “Although, I wouldn’t say it was a complete waste of time. Many were happy to see I’m well, and they said they wouldn’t inform the king of my presence here.”

“That’s good,” Izuku said, before his smile fell a little. “But in terms of information gathering, I wish I could say I had a different experience. None of the people at the different supplies shops knew anything either. The city is definitely more on edge because of it, though.”

“I noticed that too,” Ochako murmured, pursing her lips. 

“Some of the guards nearly attacked me, because I was too quiet in my approach,” Shoto added. 

There were notably fewer people out in the city square than normal, and the ones who were out walked at a quick pace to accomplish their errands as soon as possible. The quiet and tense atmosphere didn’t ease anyone’s minds. 

“Well,” Ochako sighed, “I hope Oboro had a better time than we did.”

“Where is he?” Izuku gave their surroundings a quick glance. “You’d think he’d always be on time, with his type of magic.”

“Maybe he found something?” she said, hopeful. 

Izuku didn’t have the chance to reply, because a swirl of blue clouds appeared next to them. They formed a more solid shape, before whisking away to reveal an apologetic Oboro. 

“Sorry I’m late!” he exclaimed. “There is a reason for my delay, but before you ask, no - I didn’t get any helpful information from the city’s mages.”

Shoto let out a small sigh, and the other two deflated a little, shoulders slumping. The feel of each other’s hands made the disappointment a little more bearable though. 

“...I’m guessing none of you found anything either?” Oboro said. 

Izuku shook his head, and Ochako said, “but it’s okay! Today was just our day to ask everyone questions! We’ll start looking for clues ourselves tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah, about that,” Oboro began, and the teens frowned a little. “The reason I was late is because the quest masters called me back to talk with them. They’ve gotten what they want out of Yagi, and they said his top priority should be training you. Yagi himself would really like to talk with you and train you too,” he explained, looking to Izuku. 

He could feel the heat of his sword hilt, but in his other hand, he could feel the warmth of Ochako’s grasp. Even though he was eager to train with Yagi, he didn’t want to dump more work onto her and the others by leaving, and this uncertainty was evident on his face. 

Ochako gave him a kind smile and squeezed his hand. “It’s okay if you wanna go. We’ll be fine a day or two without your help, so you don’t have to think of it like a choice between Yagi and us.”

Shoto nodded along with her. “From what you told me about this man, his guidance could be extremely helpful. I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to leave and train with him.”

Izuku released a small breath of relief. “Alright, that helps a lot. Thanks guys.” He turned towards Oboro. “You can tell Yagi I’ll be there in a couple hours.”

“Sure thing!” he replied, even as wisps of cloud overtook the edges of his form. 

In the glade he and Keigo usually trained in, Izuku released a long breath as the phoenix magic faded from his system, the golden glow dying down to nothing. He turned around to find Yagi smiling, eyebrows raised and impressed. 

“You said you’ve been training with the sword for six months, yes?” 

The teen nodded and wiped some sweat off his brow. 

“You already have an outstanding grasp on how to use the sword’s magic actively,” Yagi commended. “You’ve implemented it well into your fighting style, and you call upon it with ease. It looks like you’ve had phoenix magic all your life.”

“Well,” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, “that might also be because I learned how to fight better while learning how to use the magic. So both skills just kinda… grew together?”

“I suppose that’s one way being refused proper training until later benefitted you - your magic use and fighting style are entwined.”

“Yeah,” Izuku said with a small smile. “I guess so. You said I’m good at using it actively, though? Is there a way to use it that’s not active?”

“Yes,” Yagi nodded and lifted a hand to his temple. “There’s also passive usage. This is a skill that’s difficult to hone, because thinking about it defeats the purpose.”

Izuku tilted his head with a frown. “How am I supposed to develop a skill without thinking about it?”

“Meditation, mostly. Passive usage is about building a stronger mental connection with the sword, and therefore a stronger connection to its magic. Once mastered, the thought needed to call upon phoenix magic will be so little, you’ll always be using a small portion of it. And that opens up many avenues for you.”

The teen hummed. Always using phoenix magic? He couldn’t imagine being so closely tied to his sword…

Yagi read this on his face. “Tell me, how do you perceive the sword and its relation to you?”

“Well… it’s what gives me the power to do all that I do. It has the magic, and I just draw upon it.”

The man gave Izuku a pointed look. “And that mental barrier is one of the things keeping you from using it passively. It’s not the sword, and then you - it’s you and the sword together. You’re connected. Once you’re a single unit, phoenix magic will reside in you just as much as it does in the sword.”

Izuku let out a small breath. Alright. Him and the sword were one - or at least, they were supposed to be. “How will all this help me?”

“With a constant usage of phoenix magic, which is the magic of life and energy, you’ll be able to sense the life and energy of all things around you, as well as its balance in the world.” Izuku raised his eyebrows. That was what he’d been struggling with. “And not only that… you’ll no longer be reliant on contact with the sword to use phoenix magic.”

He couldn’t contain his gasp. “I’ll be able to use magic on my own? That’s possible?!”

Yagi chuckled. “Yes, that’s possible. It’s quite useful if your weapon gets taken.”

At first, the information of what he could be capable of made his heart leap with excitement and eagerness, but the more he thought about it, the more thoughts of doubt and uncertainty clouded his head. 

“Yeah, being so reliant on the sword is a pretty big weakness,” he mumbled, before looking up at Yagi. “All the stuff you just mentioned, you’d already figured out how to do it all when you had the sword, right?”

The man tilted his head. “Yes, I had.”

“Then… are you sure it wouldn’t be better if- well, I don’t know… if I gave you the sword?” 

When Yagi’s eyes widened, Izuku rambled on. 

“I-I mean it’d make sense! If there really is some great evil tied to the Original dark mage unleashed, then it’d be better for someone more experienced with phoenix magic to be fighting him, instead of-”

“Izuku, no.”

The boy’s mouth snapped shut, and his eyes fell to the ground. The sword felt cold against his side. Yagi walking up to him and placing his hands on his shoulders made him look up again. 

“My time with the sword has passed, and it’s chosen you as its next holder. The only use of my previous experience is to help you master its magic. Which, from what I’ve seen of you, will take no time at all. I trust the sword’s decision, and more than that, I trust you.”

Izuku’s eyes were big when he finished, and that beat of enthusiasm and hope returned to his chest. He bowed his head in thanks before he could start crying.

“Thank you. I’ll try my best to remember that.”

Yagi gave his shoulders one last squeeze before letting them go. “I’ll be here if you forget.”

The sound of someone whooshing down from the treetops called both of their attention. 

“That was a good response, Yagi. Or else I would’ve had to assassinate you before you could accept his offer.”

Keigo landed on the ground beside them, with the tips of his wings curled slightly in front of him in a way Izuku knew was defensive. He didn’t trust Yagi. 

Izuku broke through that barrier with ease though to give his mentor a hug. 

“Keigo! You’re here! Wait…” he drew back, narrowing his eyes, “have you been listening this whole time?”

Keigo gave his student a grin. “Since you finished your demonstration and Yagi started talking about active and passive usage, yeah!”

“...you wouldn’t actually kill him if he’d accepted the sword, would you?”

“Oh Izuku.” Keigo placed one hand on his shoulder, while the other crossed fingers behind his back - at an angle only Yagi could see. “Of course not!”

Yagi’s laughter only had a hint of nervousness. “Well, it’s an honor to meet the one who’s been giving Izuku such great guidance.”

“Please, the honor’s all mine,” Keigo said with a dip of his head. “The one who defeated the Original, wow! With the very sword Izuku is now learning to use. I’m sure any guidance you give will far outweigh the value of mine.”

“That’s not true!” Izuku interjected right away. “You both know a lot about the sword, and you both have helpful things to teach me! There’s a lot I can take away from lessons with the two of you.”

“I agree with Izuku,” Yagi said. “I’m not here to replace anyone’s mentorship - I only wish to give advice where I can. With teachings from both of us, I’m sure Izuku will flourish.”

That alleviated a small portion of Keigo’s tension, though his smile still didn’t quite reach his eyes. “In that case, let’s get back to Izuku’s lesson. We still have some time before the sun sets.” He looked towards his student. “You understood what Yagi was saying about passive usage, right? And how it relates to what we’ve been trying to do with your energy sensing?”

Izuku nodded vigorously. “Yeah, I still don’t know how much meditation will help though…”

“Tell me this,” Yagi began, “have you ever felt some small nudge, or twinge, or prickle, just out of the corner of your mind? It would’ve been enough to distract you for a moment, but not enough for you to think much of it.”

The boy’s eyes went big, and he made excited gestures towards Keigo. “Our last training session! When we were leaving!”

Keigo snapped and pointed at him. “I knew it was odd that you paused for a second! And look, that means our efforts were working!”

“Huh, I guess they were,” Izuku said, a little amazed, before giving Keigo a grateful grin. 

“The closer you grow to the sword, the more of those feelings you’ll get,” Yagi explained. “The fact you’ve already experienced one is a good sign.”

Izuku clenched his fists in front of him, determination shining through in his face. “I’m ready to do my best!”

The second Ochako stepped in front of the alleyway, she froze. Oboro nearly bumped into her from behind, and Shoto took a moment to realize she wasn’t behind him anymore. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Oboro asked, taking a step to go around her, but the moment he was in front of the alleyway, he went stiff too. 

“You feel that too?” she asked, and Shoto blinked at them. 

“Yeah, this creepy, icky presence,” Oboro said, taking a hesitant step into the alleyway. 

Shoto looked into the alley’s shadows and placed his hand on his sword hilt. “Oh right, mages. You can sense magics.”

Ochako took a deep breath, before striding past Oboro into the alley. She had her staff raised at the ready, the pink gem at its tip glowing. There was a lump of something at the end, and the closer she got to it, the stronger the creeping feeling grew. She heard Oboro and Shoto following behind her, which helped her tamp her nerves down. 

When they reached the lump, her stomach twisted when she saw it was a cloth covering with feet and hands sticking out from under it at each end. 

Oboro grimaced, and his voice was strained. “Well, who wants to do the honors?”

Without any further prompting, Shoto bent down and whipped the cloth off its contents. 

It was as Ochako feared. A corpse. 

“This is a knight,” Shoto remarked, frowning at the Flamelight emblems on the body’s armor. 

Though there was something odd about the corpse. All of its veins had turned a shade of black so dark, they popped out like a sun in a night sky against its skin. Some of the veins had even burst out of the skin, creating dribbling trails of dark, clotted blood down to the ground. 

Ochako had to clamp down on her feelings to keep from reacting. Oboro covered his mouth to suppress a gag. 

“It almost looks like the blood is curdled,” she said, voice detached. 

She spotted a splattering of something else on the corpse’s forearm, which she delicately lifted with her magic. Her eyes narrowed at a smeared liquid that was clearly not blood. After tearing a piece of fabric from the cloth, she wiped some of it up to observe it. 

It looked like a potion, deep red with a metallic, black sheen. There was a jagged cut on the body’s forearm where it had been applied. 

“Have you ever seen a potion like this before?” she asked the other two, who shook their heads. “Well, I’m no alchemist, but it must be pretty potent for Oboro and me to sense it.”

“Do you think it’s tied to the message left on the wall?” Oboro asked. 

“Maybe. It might be a coincidence, but two incidents involving strong dark magic in such a short time frame? It’s at least worth investigating. This might be a taunt from the person who left the message, or something like that.”

“How are we going to investigate a murder, when we don’t even know what type of potion did it?” Shoto questioned. 

Ochako lifted the arm again to collect the rest of the potion. “I know someone who can help.”

Izuku’s two mentors stood to the side of the glade as he practiced his meditation, which he’d been attempting since his training started in the morning. It was now afternoon. 

“I heard you’ve studied the phoenix sword quite a lot.”

Keigo glanced at Yagi out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah, I was assigned with finding it after you apparently lost it after your last battle.”

Yagi let out a short, nervous laugh. “It ended up in Young Izuku’s hands because of that, right? And then your knowledge meant you were able to be his mentor.”

Keigo was quiet for a moment, before puffing a breath out his nose. “I guess that’s true.”

“He seems very fond of you. It’s heartwarming to watch your interactions.”

Keigo’s eyes rested on Izuku’s face. “Kid hasn’t had the kindest life. Guess I’m trying to make up for that.”

Yagi looked back to Izuku too. “The struggles of being magicless in a magical world. You have a heart wholler than most to want to combat that.”

“Whole, huh?” Keigo’s gaze fell to the ground, dark memories resurfacing. “I’m not sure about that.”

Yagi tilted his head at him, before daring to place a hand on his shoulder. “Having a broken past doesn’t mean you have a broken soul too.”

Keigo didn’t reply, but he didn’t shrug his hand off either. He instead nodded towards Izuku and said, “notice how he’s doing a lot better with sensing energies here and there, now that he knows he’s done it before.”

Yagi put his hand back down. “It’s all about confidence, huh?”

Keigo nodded. “If he believes in himself, he learns a lot faster. It’s too bad that belief doesn’t come easily. Just something to keep in mind when teaching him.”

The older man hummed in understanding. “Thank you.”

Their conversation stopped when Izuku’s eyes flew open, and he whipped around to look behind him. A second later, cloudy blue wisps swirled around, and Oboro appeared right where Izuku was staring. 

He looked back to Keigo and beamed. “Did you see that?! I knew he was gonna appear! I did it!”

With a single flap of his wings, Keigo was in front of Izuku, ruffling his hair. “You did! Knew you could all along.”

“It seems your training is going well,” Oboro grinned, though his smile was a little more squeamish than usual. 

“It is,” Izuku said, standing up from the grass to face the teleportation mage. “But that’s not as important as the quest in the Flamelight kingdom. How’s it going?”

Oboro let his smile fall, his discomfort now showing clearly. “We found a dead body, one that might be related to the message on the wall. They were killed by an extremely potent potion - made with dark magic.”

Izuku paled and took on a crestfallen expression. “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you need me to come back?”

“That’d be for the best, yes. I’ve been called on another quest, so I won’t be able to transport you guys around after tonight. And if investigating this murder leads to something dangerous, they could use your help.”

Izuku gave him a firm nod. “I’ll head back and pack up my things right away.” He turned back to his mentors, apologies written all over his face. “I-”

“You don’t have to apologize, kid,” Keigo interrupted with an easy grin. “We’ll be here, ready to help you, whenever you’re free. Your quests are more important, and we understand.”

Yagi nodded along with him. “Go help your friends, so when you’re back, you’ll be able to learn without something hovering over your head.”

Izuku smiled wide. “Thank you both, for the reassurances and for all your help!”

Two teens walked through the gates into the Flamelight kingdom, one sighing and the other bouncing. 

“Why am I coming with you again?”

“Because you like me!”

“You’re a person. And I automatically dislike people.”

“If that was true, you wouldn’t have friends.”

“Friends, as in, people who have kidnapped me into their social group.”

“Yes, friends!”

Hitoshi rolled his eyes. “Pretty sure friendship is supposed to be consensual.”

“Oh c’mon.” Mina snickered. “You did nothing to resist that kidnapping. Admit you like some people.” 

“...fine, some people are tolerable.”

“And in isolative moody teen language, tolerable means you like us!”

Mina beamed through Hitoshi’s annoyed glare. Before he could he could respond, she let out a dramatic gasp. 

“Look, there are our friends!” She pointed ahead, to the side of the road where three more teens were gathered. She skipped a few paces in front of Hitoshi, waving at them, before turning around and walking backwards to tell Hitoshi, “notice how I said our friends? Because you like-”

“Yes yes, I get it.” Hitoshi ran his hands down his face, and Mina giggled. 

“It’s good to see you both enjoying each other’s company,” Ochako said. “Or, well, at least one of you is enjoying it.”

“That would definitely be Hitoshi,” Mina said with a nod. “He’s having a blast listening to me talk constantly, but he’s just too quiet for me to really enjoy being around.”

Izuku and Ochako laughed, while Hitoshi could only sigh. Shoto just blinked at the interaction. 

“It’s good to see you both,” Izuku said. 

Mina nudged Hitoshi’s side until he said it: “Yeah, it’s good to see you too.”

“You’re the one who will identify the potion for us?” Shoto asked. 

“Right! Yes! That’s why I’m here, almost forgot,” Mina laughed, before patting the bag on her back. “I brought everything I need. Just need a place with counter space.”

At the inn the questers were staying at, Mina set up her equipment on the table. She looked to Ochako. “You have the potion?”

She nodded and pulled out a thick, glass vial that had the potion in it. Mina accepted it and spun the bottle around a little. 

“Definitely something you apply on a surface level. Way too gloopy to drink or spray,” she said, before pouring it into a funnel that shifted into a filtration device. 

“It was applied to an open cut,” Shoto said. 

Red liquid dripped down from the filtration device into a glass bowl at the bottom of the contraption. “The potion probably activates through contact with something under the skin, usually blood. That narrows down the possibilities. What were the effects?”

“The body’s blood was completely black, also thick, almost looked curdled. It burst from the veins in some areas,” Ochako answered. 

Mina shivered. “Ick, most likely contact with blood, then.”

“Is that not enough information to identify the potion?” Shoto asked. 

“If this was a normal potion, it would be. But this was made with dark magic, which means it’s an altered version of a normal potion. That makes it a lot harder to identify.”

The red liquid stopped dripping, and she took out the bowl. After a couple seconds of examination, she grimaced. 

“This was made with blood. Which normally wouldn’t be a big deal, except it’s human blood.”

The whole group tensed up, while Mina took a pinch of some powder and sprinkled it over the bowl. The liquid separated into over twenty drops of liquid, and Mina raised her eyebrows. 

“Wow, it was made with a lot of different people’s blood.”

“Always a good sign,” Hitoshi muttered.

While they tried not to be too depressed over the implications, Mina began flipping through a book. “I think I know the normal version of this potion. It uses animal blood, and the more types of blood you use, the longer it lasts. Yeah, here it is!”

She lifted the page of the book up to them, and they all leaned in. 

“Once applied to a cut, the subject’s blood flow slows down, so they can’t move.” She tapped one area of the page with a frown. “It’s harmless though. Wears off after one to three hours, depending on the strength. Worst aftereffect is a headache.”

“And that’s where the dark magic comes in,” Izuku concluded. 

“Whatever spell they used on the potion to change it must’ve required human blood instead, and that change made it curdle blood in place of slowing it. Nasty stuff.” Mina shook her head. 

“And if there’s lots of people’s blood in there, the body we found probably isn’t the only one,” Ochako mumbled. 

“Oh! Something that might help!” Mina took a stir rod and dipped it in some liquid, before going to the top of the funnel and stirring the non-liquid part of the potion. When she withdrew it, a silver powder was stuck to it. “This ingredient is what’s needed to make something activate after contact with blood. It’s specially curated from leviathan scales, and is only sold in a few specific shops. One of which… is right here in the Flamelight kingdom! Funny coincidence, huh?” she said with a waggle of her eyebrows. 

“So we can go to that shop and ask them who bought that ingredient,” Shoto said, and the group’s faces brightened. 

“Yup! That’s a good place to start, right?”

“It’s a fantastic place to start!” Ochako exclaimed, and Izuku nodded in agreement. “Thank you, this is a huge help!”

Mina grinned, happy to be helpful. “Here, I can take you there right now!”

“The last owner of this shop wasn’t particularly friendly, but now there’s someone new who will want to help for sure!” Mina said as she opened the door to the shop. “So just ask nicely with a smile, and-”

“Tell us everyone who bought this, now.”

Mina froze in the doorway, eyes wide at the sight of two people threatening the store owner. One was a girl in a dark red and pink dress, with blonde hair pulled up into messy buns. She was the one with a knife to the store owner’s throat. The other was a man in tight black clothes, though the bandana tied around his head and eyes was pink. 

“Please, if you don’t mind sharing the information, that is,” the man corrected in a much softer voice than before. 

Mina’s heart started pumping fast when she spotted a container in the girl’s other hand, containing the same silver powder she and her friends were there to ask about.

Chapter Text

The party behind Mina went still when she abruptly froze. The two people inside hadn’t noticed her entrance, and the girl’s knife continued creeping closer to the store owner’s neck. 

Sensing Mina’s distress, Hitoshi decided to search for the cause and used his magic to probe inside the shop. His eyes, glowing with a soft purple, narrowed a second later. 

‘There are two dark magic users inside there. I can’t dig deeper into their minds because of all the other thoughts and memories they’ve absorbed from other creatures. The store owner is in immediate danger.’

That last sentence put Izuku’s hand on his sword hilt without any further questioning. 

‘We immobilize them,’ Izuku thought, and Hitoshi broadcasted his thoughts into the minds of their entire party. ‘As fast as possible.’

‘My ice is good for this,’ Shoto thought, forcing Izuku to pause before barging in. 

‘And so is my magic,’ Ochako added. She placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, having heard the urgency in his thoughts that he always got when someone’s life was in peril right in front of him. He looked over his shoulder at her. ‘You’re best suited to wait outside the door and surprise them with an attack if they slip past us.’

After a second, Izuku sighed and nodded. She squeezed his shoulder, before twirling her staff and gathering a plethora of sharp stones scattered along the side of the town path. 

‘I’ll open the door and you both charge in,’ Mina thought, getting nods in response. ‘Okay. Three… two… one…”

The door flew open with a sudden slam, and Shoto was through the second there was enough space for him to fit through. He identified the girl with the knife as the more dangerous one, and a trail of ice sprung out from his feet, which soon wrapped around her shoes and crawled upwards. She gasped, automatically drawing her hand away from the store owner’s neck, trying and failing to move her feet. 

The man with the pink bandana tried leaping forward to help her, but he was soon leaping back with two edged pebbles threatening to bury themselves in his eyes. He yelped when these rocks surrounded him, making jolted, jabbing motions towards him to keep him in place. 

The girl with frizzy buns growled and tried throwing her knife at Shoto instead, but he knocked it aside with his sword. Ochako caught it with a pink glow, and it soon joined the rocks threatening to stab the man. 

Shoto swung his sword at the girl, and she leaned backwards to dodge, but with her feet stuck, she lost her balance and had to grab onto the counter to keep from falling. With a whisk of his hand, Shoto’s ice enveloped her hand too, so that ice was overtaking her from both her feet and her hand. In a few seconds, she was almost frozen in place. 

“I can tell you have telekinesis magic,” Ochako said, and the man she was talking to flinched. “I’ll be able to tell if you use it, which will be a very painful experience for you.”

“Leave him alone!” the girl shouted, trying to yank her limbs from Shoto’s ice.

The former prince tilted his head at her. “Do I have to worry about her magic?” he asked Ochako. 

“No, it’s just weak agility magic,” she answered, just as Izuku, Hitoshi and Mina entered behind them. 

The girl made a sound that almost sounded like hissing. “Oh I’ll show you how weak I am.”

“Right,” Hitoshi rolled his eyes. “With magic that isn’t even yours.”

“We’re not like other dark magic users!” the girl snapped. 

“Of course you aren’t,” Hitoshi drawled, moving past them to find the store owner, who had run into the storage closet in the back when all the commotion started. 

“Why do you gotta be so judgy!” the man whined, before his demeanor flipped to aggressive. “She’s right, you know! We are different!”

“Have you ever heard of only stealing magic from people who abuse their power, or from creatures who pose a threat to others? Huh?!” the girl demanded. Shoto sent another wave of magic through the ice surrounding her, solidifying it afresh to keep her in place. 

Izuku sent Ochako a glance. Though he wouldn’t admit it to her, he had never heard of dark magic users giving their magic theft moral bounds. 

“What are you even doing here, asking about that ingredient?” Izuku asked, pointing to the spilled silver powder on the floor. 

“We’re being paid to track down Stain,” she answered, her sneering growl never leaving her tone. Upon seeing their confused expressions, the sneering aspect heightened. “You know Stain, the dark magic user who specializes in blood-based potions? Loves his knives.” When their faces yielded no recognition, she let out a sharp laugh. “You don’t even know who you’re searching for, do you!”

Before anyone could succumb to giving her an irritated reaction, Ochako suggested, “why don’t we go question the store owner in the back? Shoto, do you think you can freeze this guy and keep them both here while we’re with her?”

Shoto nodded, and a moment later, four of the five teens had joined the store owner in the spacious supply closet. 

The store owner was a young woman with frizzy, pale purple hair in a bun, and a nervous tick that consisted of running her fingers along the cuffs of her sleeves - which she was doing a lot. 

What the girl’s claim had offset the group’s confidence ever so slightly, so their questions contained a hint of hesitance. 

“You want to know the same thing those other two did?” the store owner confirmed. 

“That’s right,” Mina nodded. “Powdered leviathan scales - who’s bought them from you?”

The store owner sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Like I was about to tell the other two, I don’t keep a sales record. I wouldn’t be able to give you a confident list.”

“We don’t need confident,” Ochako said, voice soft. “Anyone who looked suspicious, or who made you uncomfortable?”

The store owner gave her a small, uneasy smile. “Most of the people who want the effect powdered leviathan scales produce aren’t exactly the most trustworthy characters. And I get uncomfortable pretty easily- even if I did remember someone specific, I doubt I’d be able to give many details, much less useful ones.”

A burdened disappointment spread across the group’s expressions, and the store owner hunched her shoulders. 

“I’m so sorry I can’t be of more help, I just don’t have an eye-”

“No no!” Mina jumped in, waving her hands. “I totally get it. You see so many individual buyers in a day, when it comes to remembering specific people over months, it’s not easy. Don’t worry about it!”

While the store owner muttered a few more apologies, the group turned to each other with questioning glances. 

“This isn’t enough information to track down the dark magic user who killed that knight,” Ochako said. 

Hitoshi clenched his jaw. “Those people out there know more than we do. If they’re even telling the truth, that is.”

“Do you think we can trust them?” Izuku asked, and doubt flickered through their faces. “Their information could be incredibly valuable, and since we have nothing else to work off, do we really have much of a choice?”

The dilemma forced a weighty silence onto them, and after a moment, Ochako shook her head in defeat. 

“We can at least try asking them questions about what they know,” she proposed. Izuku’s eyes flew open, and his head whipped to face the wall between the supply closet and the rest of the shop. “We’ll just have to be careful when-”

The sound of Shoto shouting caused a swift end to the conversation, and Izuku was the first out the door. Remnants of Shoto’s ice still clung to the floor and walls, but most of it had been reduced to splinters on the floor, where Shoto now lay. He groaned and clutched his head. 

“Are you okay?” Izuku asked, at his side in an instant. 

“Yeah, I just have this horrible headache all of a sudden.” Shoto shook his head in an attempt to dispel the pain. 

“What happened?” Mina asked, frowning at all the broken containers and spilled ingredients.

“They’re both already long gone,” Hitoshi said, the purple glow of his eyes fading. “Don’t sense them anywhere near here. Even weak agility magic is agility magic, I guess.”

“What got them out of here definitely wasn’t agility magic though,” Shoto said, clambering to his feet. 

Izuku held his hands out in case he fell. “What do you mean?”

Shoto let out another groan, but more in frustration than pain this time. “When I turned back around to the girl, I saw what looked like the store owner stuck in my ice instead. And then I heard the sound of ice breaking behind me, and I saw three more copies of the man with the bandana, all rushing at me. Two of them shoved me to the ground, and the third tried freeing what looked like the store owner, who was using agility magic to try and force herself free.”

“Cloning,” Ochako muttered, hand to her chin. “That’s not a common usage of dark magic at all.”

Shoto frowned with a shake of his head. “I don’t think it was that either. When I tried attacking the two clones on me, my sword just went right through them.”

“Illusions,” Hitoshi realized with a snap of his gloved fingers. “They’re a pretty advanced form of telepathy magic, actually. Still haven’t figured them out. It sounds like the girl manipulated her appearance to look like the store owner, and the man created several illusions of himself.”

“And used his telekinesis magic to make it seem like they had real touch,” Ochako added, understanding striking each of them. 

“Can stolen magic be used to sort of replicate that type of telepathy?” Mina asked. 

Hitoshi gave her a grim nod. “Would explain Shoto’s sudden headache too.”

Izuku faced the shop’s exit, brow furrowed. “What should we do now? They were our best shot at finding Stain, or whoever killed that knight.”

“Oh yeah,” Shoto said, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “They did say where to find them… and that they wanted to talk.”

Izuku had barely sat on the edge of his bed for a second, before he flopped backwards onto the bed, arms splaying up above his head. Ochako let out a small laugh at his half-groan, half-sigh. 

“I’m pretty sure I can guess what’s bothering you,” she said. 

“You definitely can. Do we trust them and meet them at the abandoned brewery? It could easily be a trap, but at the same time, when the party you’re meeting with has three more people than you, I can understand wanting to meet in a place that gives you an advantage.”

“We did overpower them pretty quickly,” Ochako agreed, sitting next to him on the bed. “The fact they still want to meet up with us is either a testament to how much they genuinely want to capture Stain, or evidence towards it being a trap.”

Izuku buried his hands in his face. “See what I mean? There’s no clear answer. Everything points to both sides.”

Ochako laid down on her side, facing Izuku. “Then try to find a middle ground. What compromise can you make that puts people in minimal danger but still reaches out for information?”

He hummed, frowning with thought. “We definitely shouldn’t plan on attacking them - only talk.”

She nodded with a smile. “Good to go in with a peace-keeping mindset, yes.”

“I guess… we could only send a couple of us in? Which puts less people in danger?”

“But the rest of us close by as back up,” Ochako suggested.

“Yes,” Izuku nodded. “That way we’re being safe, but still making progress on information gathering.”

Ochako’s smile widened. “Sounds like a solid plan. See? I knew you could work through it.”

He let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, guess I was letting the stress get to me. Thank you for talking me through it.”

“Of course,” she said, reaching out and running a thumb across his freckles. His smile softened into something more warm, and he took her hand and kissed it at the base of the palm. It was only a couple seconds before a small frown made a dent in his grin. “What’s wrong?”

“Just… what those two were saying about their dark magic usage. I still don’t know how to feel about it.”

Ochako’s expression darkened too, and she flopped back onto the bed with a huff. “My immediate reaction is to dismiss any possibility of dark magic being done morally. The very act of dark magic is immoral - I don’t think it’s ever right to steal the living essence of something’s existence for the sake of having more power.”

“That’s my first thought too,” Izuku said, still holding Ochako’s hand. “But if they’re stealing magic from people who’ve murdered and abused, or from dangerous animals that we ourselves would have to kill to protect people, isn’t that different in some way?”

She grumbled. “Just because something technically isn’t as bad as the most atrocious deed one can perform doesn’t mean it’s okay.”

Izuku shifted to lay on his side, giving her hand another kiss. “Sorry, wasn’t trying to make it sound like I thought any of it was okay. I know you’ve seen a lot more of the world’s darkness than I have and how much it’s hurt people.”

Her face crumpled, and she buried her nose in the crook of his arm. “You don’t have to apologize. I get what you’re trying to say, and it is something important to consider. Maybe these people, because they operate on different moral grounds than most dark magic users, are safer to work with.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Izuku said, and he added with a tired half-smile, “assuming any of what they’ve said is the truth, that is.”

“Ugh,” Ochako’s head fell back onto the bed. “I know.”

Izuku glanced outside to see the deep shadows that had enveloped the town. “It’s pretty late now, should probably be getting to bed.”

“You’re right…” Ochako replied, and at the trace of hesitation wavering under her tone, Izuku turned back to her with raised eyebrows. “I was- I was just wondering… could we sleep in the same bed tonight? Not to do anything! But just- to cuddle?”

His eyebrows lifted further, a dusting of red now accompanying his freckles. “I- I… yes! Yes that sounds nice! I-I didn’t know that was something you wanted but now that you mention it I would be happy to-”

Her mouth pressing against his cut his sentence short, and he let out a surprised, pleased squeak. Next it was his head falling against the bed, pushing into its cushions. 

Izuku and Ochako stood at the entrance to the abandoned brewery, tight with nerves. 

They were both the party’s strongest fighters, and neither of them would let their partner go in without them, so there they were. Hitoshi and the others were a safe distance away, as the telepathy mage used his magic to channel what was happening into their minds, so they were ready to step in if needed. 

Ochako let out a breath. “Okay, here we go.”

She stepped forward to knock on the door, while Izuku placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. 

“Come in!” a cheery voice called, the one that belonged to the girl they’d fought. 

With a final glance at each other, they stepped inside. 

The brewery was dusty, with several old crates of mead piled in the corners of the room, though it held an old sophistication. The hardwood floors had never rotted, and they could still see the floor’s polished sheen under the dust. The sheen on the bar was clearly visible, having been dusted, and this was where the girl sat with a wide grin. 

The pair quickly spotted the man with the bandana lounging in a rickety chair with torn cushions, quite uncharacteristic for a bar - probably moved in after the brewery had shut down. 

“Welcome!” the girl said, springing off her stool. “Please, sit down!”

“I think we’d prefer to stay standing,” Ochako replied. 

The girl’s grin shrank a little, before she shrugged. “Alright. How about some introductions, then? I’m Himiko.”

“And I’m Jin!” the man declared, jumping from his chair to stand next to Himiko. With every quick motion, Izuku and Ochako almost flinched. 

“Izuku,” Ochako said, pointing to her boyfriend with her thumb, then pointing to herself. “Ochako.”

“You don’t gotta be so short about it,” the man grumbled, before exclaiming, “it’s so awesome to meet you both!!”

“What do you know about Stain?” Ochako immediately asked. 

“Getting right to the point, huh,” Himiko said. “He’s a dark magic user, specializes in potions that use human blood. His favorite trick is a type of potion that activates upon contact with blood. It makes their blood go all black and thick, like curdled milk? It’s pretty fascinating.”

“Not the word I’d use,” Ochako muttered. “Why have you been pursuing him?”

“We were hired to. That’s how we operate. We’re given tasks to find places, animals, people, kill them sometimes, bring them back to the client other times. Any jobs we don’t like, we refuse, but finding Stain seemed fun,” Himiko explained, with Jin nodding vigorously along with her. 

Izuku tilted his head. “Like less legal questers.”

Himiko snickered and repeated, “like less legal questers.”

Ochako’s tone took on even more of an edge than she had before. “How do you expect us to believe you actually use moral discretion when choosing what jobs to take?”

Himiko’s smirk slipped a little. “You think about us like heartless criminals without even having a decent conversation with us. Just because we use dark magic, huh?”

Ochako gritted her teeth, and before she could snap back, Jin jumped in with, “yeah, it’s hardly fair! The fact we use dark magic doesn’t tell you anything about who we are!”

“Then explain,” Izuku cut in, his words holding Ochako back before she could attack them out of indignant rage. “Explain how you’re different from any of the other dark magic users we’ve faced.”

“We’re not that different from you,” Himiko began, and Ochako scoffed. Himiko sent her a quick glare. “We’re not! The only magical creatures we kill are ones that endanger other people - surely you’ve been given quests that request you to take out some big monster! Or you’ve had to defend yourselves from one, killing it in the process.”

Izuku and Ochako thought back to the troll they’d fought soon after meeting. There’d been several instances of defending themselves from magical creatures since then, but that was the first one they’d handled together. 

“See, you do get it!” Himiko exclaimed, noticing the recognition on their faces. “The only real difference between us is that with people who pose a threat, you guys lock them up. We sometimes kill them - and steal their magic - depending on what our client wants. And even then, we sometimes decide we don’t want to kill someone if we think our client is overreacting! Seriously, what else can I say to convince you we aren’t like other dark magic users?”

Ochako had her head bowed, her mage hat casting a shadow over her face. Even though her expression was obscured, Izuku could tell by the way she had a death grip on her staff, she hadn’t been convinced. His brow furrowed, trying to think through what to do. 

Jin must have caught Izuku’s unsure expression, because he burst out with, “you questers must’ve had such damn easy lives!” His voice switched to a low grumble. “Some people have to choose between bad and worse, and if learning dark magic can get you out of a situation that might kill you, then you learn dark magic.”

“He’s right,” Himiko muttered. “We both used dark magic to get away from something worse. If you still say learning dark magic was our choice after that, then you’re stretching the definition of ‘choice’ pretty far.”

Ochako still remained quiet, but her grip on her staff had loosened. Izuku released a sigh.

“And all you want is to work together with us to capture Stain?” he asked. 

“Yes!” Himiko said. “We don’t wanna die either. The more help the better.”

“Give us some time to discuss with our party members,” Ochako broke her silence. “Then we’ll decide if we want to help each other or not.”

“The fact is, I don’t know if we can trust them,” Hitoshi said in the forest, a safe distance away from the abandoned brewery. 

“But will we ever be able to know that?” Mina asked, rubbing her arm nervously. “I mean, really! The only real way to know if they’re safe to work with is to actually work with them.”

Ochako grumbled under her breath. “I really don’t like the idea of working with them.”

“I don’t either,” Shoto concurred, “but I’m not sure if we have much of another choice.”

“We could just not work with them,” Ochako said, and Hitoshi tilted his head towards her, indicating his agreement.

“But what if someone else dies while we’re working on our own?” Izuku shot back, which got his party members to go still. “We still have barely any idea what that message on the wall was about, if it’s connected to Stain, or even any leads on where Stain is. Working with these people might be unappealing, but if it stops more people from dying? Then I think it’s worth it.”

Hitoshi sighed, long and laborious. “Well, when you put it like that, it looks like we don’t have much of a choice.”

Shoto nodded in agreement, and Mina said, “okay then, guess we’re working with them.”

Ochako pursed her lips. “Let’s just hope we don’t get killed ourselves.”

The five questers met with Himiko and Jin in the brewery for the next several hours, exchanging the information they knew about Stain. Although, as much as the questers hated to admit it, most of the information was coming from the dark magic users. 

“And you’re sure this is where Stain’s hideout is?” Izuku asked, pointing at a map laid out on the bar. His finger rested on the location of an old, abandoned dungeon.

“Mostly sure!” Himiko replied. “Been multiple reports of suspicious activity, all the murders are within a fifteen minute run, and when we’ve chased Stain before, he was headed in that direction before we lost him.”

“Alright,” Shoto nodded, “so we plan our attack around that building.”

“Wait just a minute,” Hitoshi spoke up, eyeing Himiko and Jin. “Before we continue, there’s something I wanna know.”

“Ask away,” Himiko answered, her sweetness veiling the cautious edge to her voice. 

“How do you both use dark magic? You both create illusions, which is a form of telepathy magic, but you seem to use dark magic to emulate it. What exactly can you do?”

“What, jealous we can do a type of telepathy magic that the telepathy mage can’t?” Himiko giggled, and Hitoshi glared at her with a sharp tch. “Sorry, but unless you learn dark magic, you can’t do what we do. Though to be fair, we can’t emulate any other part of telepathy magic, just illusions. Many dark magic users have a variety of uses for the magic they steal, but because we limit who we steal from, we limit our usage to simple illusions.”

She shot Ochako a sharp look, still trying to prove her and Jin as worthy of trust and respect. 

“I can make illusions of many different people, but only over myself as a disguise. Jin can only make illusions of himself, but unlike me, he can make several away from his body.”

“It almost makes people think I can create lots of clones!” Jin added. “That is, unless they actually try attacking one of them-

“Does that answer your question?” Himiko asked. 

“Well enough,” Hitoshi muttered. Mina placed her hand on his wrist, and some of his frustrated tension released. 

They hashed out a plan of attack against the abandoned dungeon, which they would commence in two days. During that time, they got to see some glimpses of Himiko and Jin’s genuine personalities. The glimpses weren’t ugly - they were rather relatable, actually. 

Himiko was a lot like Mina, in the sense that she was highly energetic, especially when it came to subjects she was passionate about. And while Jin’s rapidly switching demeanor was somewhat off putting, it made him an engaging conversational partner. He seemed to trust the five questers immediately and without question, almost to the point of being naive. 

The most clear aspect of their personalities though was the deep and unwavering care they possessed for one another. It was obvious they would never leave their friend’s side. 

Overall, the questers felt more comfortable working with the two dark magic users by the end of their meeting. 

The next day, Hitoshi watched Izuku meditating out in the forest, surrounded by tall trees and sunlight sprinkling in through the canopy of leaves. 

“So whaddya think he’s doing?” Mina whispered in his ear. 

Hitoshi groaned out a sigh. “If you were hoping to suddenly surprise me, I could sense you coming a whole minute ago.”

“Darn,” Mina said at a normal volume now. 

“He said something about practicing his meditation,” Hitoshi answered her question. “Something with his sword and mastering its magic.”

Mina hummed. “He certainly looks concentrated. Or asleep. Hard to tell.”

“Yeah,” Hitoshi muttered, and Mina tilted her head. 

“Are you still upset about what Himiko said?” she asked, and he ducked his head instead of responding. “Hey, you’re an incredible mage, whether or not you’re able to make illusions. Just lookit how impossible it is for me to surprise you!”

A smile tugged at his mouth. “Thank you. That helps.” He risked glancing up at her. “You know, your mind always feels a little different from others. I try to avoid reading other people’s thoughts as much as I can, but there’s always that vague sensation that surrounds people’s consciousnesses.”

She took a step closer to him. “Oh yeah? Feels different how?”

He made firmer eye contact. “Other people seem to regard me in a friendly manner. Or- as a friend. Just a friend.”

“And I don’t?”

“No, not from what I can tell.”

Mina held her hands behind her back and laughed to herself. “Well, that’s fascinating!”

Their conversation distracted them from the frown slowly growing on Izuku’s face. In the grand landscape of the magic all around him, he kept getting foggy twinges, or dim thrums of wrongness. It was still hard to pinpoint exactly where they were coming from and why they were happening, but he couldn’t help but feel like their source was the brewery - or Himiko and Jin. 

He worried he’d made the wrong decision when choosing to trust them.