System chapter 7

Hello and welcome to Chapter 7 of System Synthesis entitled, How Many Skills Do You Want? Yes, by the time Shirota reached the mall, the villains were already being taken to police cars, quick-cancelling handcuffs on their wrists. There were also a bunch of paramedics present, and Shirota hoped he didn't have to see his Isugu in any one of them. But then he saw the Bakugou Kid sitting inside of one of the ambulances, and something invisible twisted around his heart. He quickly walked over, ignoring the paramedics asking him to stop. Shirota wordlessly showed them his hero license, although he didn't bother to wait for them to read it. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted Sansa amongst the other officers. Sansa backed up his identity despite looking thoroughly confused about his presence. Shirota mentally made a note to buy him donuts when he went to the police station during his patrols. Kid, Shirota called. Bakugou swiftly looked up when he heard his voice. The guard's expression shifted as his eyes flickered to another ambulance. So that's where he is. The nerd passed out, Bakugou informed. Sure, he was a hot-headed kid, but his quirk was somewhat responsible for it. But still, he knew when to beat around the bush and when not to, and Shirota was glad for it. But then when I was fighting Aegis... You were what? Shirota snapped without meaning to. Bakugou glared back. It's not like I had a fucking choice, okay? I'm not dumb enough to fight someone like him by myself. But he was going to use kids as hostages. The disgusting bitch had the audacity to gloat about it. He clicked his tongue and looked away. Anyways, I wasn't fighting him to win. I was stalling because some extras had enough brain cells to call the police. But then Suku came, and I don't know how he noticed it, but Aegis was carrying some of the lemon grenades with him, and he threw it at us. Shirota sucked in a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. This is going downhill so fast. I passed out, Bakugou hissed, glaring at his hands like some loser. Hey, Shirota cut in. Those grenades are powerful, and I'm speaking from experience. Passing out momentarily is the least bad thing that could have happened. Bakugou glared and clenched his jaw. Then he exhaled sharply and wiped his palms on his tattered pants. I don't know what happened next, but when I woke up, Suku was using himself as a shield. His voice wavered to protect me. He spat out the words as if it were poison and continued. He was injured by then, bleeding. There were cuts all over him, probably from the blast shards and shrapnel. Then All Might came to him. He looked up in the direction of where the hero currently was. Shirota honestly hadn't even noticed the huge hero talking to the police at first. Too focused on looking for his kid and Bakugou, that fucker, didn't even have the decency to remember Suku after. He stopped and tore his gaze away from the hero and looked at Shirota. He grabbed Suku's hand to pull him up, but something happened and he passed out. And I know for a fact he did not pass out from exhaustion. Shirota had so many questions related to the last part of Bakugou's story. Didn't even remember? What was that supposed to mean? Is Suku's met All Might before? But when? How come he didn't tell anyone about it? How does Bakugou- No, doesn't matter right now. I'm going to check on Suku. Tried not to get in trouble until then. Shirota warned. Bakugou, smartly enough, did not do anything apart from his signature scowl and glare and huffed before looking away. Shirota hated how Suku looked exactly like the day he had met him. Battered and beaten. Only now he bled from several lacerations all over his body. There was a deep wound on his thigh as if someone had stabbed him. It took Shirota a few seconds to realize. Adachi's quick paralyzed his opponents with fear. No matter how hard you try, you can't fight that fear. The more you try to fight it, the stronger the fear becomes. You can only distract yourself from the fear. And he knew about it because he had used a similar trick to beat out the paralysis. Shirota felt his stomach churn. Young Aizawa, a familiar voice called, he pushed down the burning inside of him as he turned, keeping his quirk on the birds being activated under wraps. He knew All Might's form wasn't the true one, and his quirk would work on him. The last thing he needed was for the man's secret to be out in the public. What happened? Shirota asked, jumping straight to the point. His gray eyes darkened like a tampered steel as they bore into All Might's blue ones. The number one hero looked startled at his sudden hostility, but he didn't really care at the moment. He wanted to know why two 13-year-old kids had to take care of villains. The villains were safely apprehended, All Might answered, probably confused as to why he was asking that question. He was an underground hero, and crimes in the daylight were particularly his business. These two brave young children were of much help, he grinned. What happened to Midoriya? Aizawa asked, pointing to his kid laying unconscious on the stretcher behind him. Even if Aegis had used the Lemon Grenade, even if Rasuku had stabbed himself to break off Aegis's paralysis, it still wouldn't have been enough to make him pass out. He knew all of the skills Rasuku had, and he shouldn't be unconscious. Sure, regeneration was still at a low level, but he had seen first-hand how quickly it would heal cuts and bruises. All Might's eyes flickered behind him, his pupils dilating slightly as the corner of his lips slightly twitched downward. Shirota knew whatever was about to come out of the man's mouth would be a lie. I am not quite sure myself. I believe it was the over-exhaustion that caused him to pass out. Bullshit, Shirota spat, and when All Might's eyes widened in shock, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sucked in a deep breath. Getting mad at the number one hero won't solve anything at the moment. He needed to call Inko and let her know about the situation. He needed those four villains locked up in TARDIS. He needed his kid to open his eyes. Oi! Bakugo's voice came, and he stared at him with burning eyes. Stop panicking, dumbass. Rasuku's going to be fine. Shirota let out a breath and slumped his shoulders. I know, kid. I know. Hey. Hey, kid. Kid, you good there? Hey, kid. An unfamiliar voice called to him. Rasuku had no idea what was happening, but his body felt so light like he was floating in water. Maybe he was. He didn't remember what happened last. Oh, no. He did. Something entered his body forcefully. Something strong and powerful. Pure power. And... Is he dead? Another, much younger voice asked. Are you dumb? Another voice asked in return. If he was here, we would know. How can you be sure? Okay, I'm sorry. Stop glaring at me, the previous voice muttered. I'm surrounded by people I don't know. Was I kidnapped? Am I feeling white-lightweight because of a concussion? What is going on? Rasuku, a gentle female voice called to him. A voice that sounded awfully similar to his mother's. Snipes, are you okay? At that moment, Rasuku realized that maybe he wasn't in danger because none of his passive skills were blaring around in his head. In fact, he felt safe. So slowly, he opened his eyes and found himself staring at a black void. Oh, man. Did I die again? Was the first thought that came to his mind. Black endless void, similar to the first time he had woken up to his system, stretched around him. Died? Again? Ayo, what? Rasuku turned his head to find four figures around him. Three men of varying ages, and a kind-looking woman with a beauty mark under the left side of her lips. Rasuku blinked. Okay, so not dead. Probably. Hello, ninth. The woman smiled. Her big grin and eye smile reminded Rasuku of all might. Hey, kiddo. A bald man greeted loudly, giving me two-finger salutes. Next to him was a man crouching down with short and cropped black hair. He wore a large jacket with numerous straps covering the bottom half of his face. The man noticed him staring at him and tilted his head to the side. Rasuku assumed he was smiling at him, given the way his cheeks bunched up and eyes crinkled into crescents. On his other side was a man with messy white hair, falling above bright green eyes. The man grinned at him brightly and waved his hand. Um, where am I? Rasuku asked hesitantly as he sat up. Inside my quirk, the white-haired guy replied. It's somewhat like a subspace in your mind. A quirk? Rasuku stopped, his eyes fluttering to the space above him. Oh. He looked back at the people in front of him and asked, And, um, you guys are? Yuichi Shigaraki, the white-haired kid. The first user. Second and third are being petulant, but don't worry. You'll meet them eventually, the loud man said. Don't know where fourth is, though. Anyways, I'm the fifth user. He pointed his thumb towards himself and grinned. Banjo-Daigoro. Call me Banjo, or you can call me Lark. That's my hero name. Shigaraki's eyes widened as he gasped. You're a hero? We all are, buddy, the man answered with a proud grin. But then the grin changed from proud to teasing as he pointed towards Shigaraki with his thumb and said, Except for him, that is. Shigaraki looked at the man unamused and flipped him off, while the crouching guy rolled his eyes at them and introduced himself. I'm the sixth user. N. Nice to meet you. It took a blink, surprised by his voice. It was low and gentle, but not deep, sounding like a gentle stream, and it was very pleasant to his ears. You have a nice voice, he blurted. The man, N, looked surprised. His eyes went wide, and he buried his face further into the collar of his jacket. Thank you. The woman chuckled. Her laugh was loud and cheerful, but also warm. And I'm the seventh. Nana. Simera. Wait, first, fifth, sixth, and seventh? And you called me ninth? Ninth user of what? They looked confused at his question at first, and then Banjo asked, You don't know. It's like he shivered away, embarrassed. Is it something related to system? Did I miss a notification? What? Um, well, in the memories, eight only met him twice, and they didn't really have a good conversation either time, N pointed out. Shigaraki looked at Simera. No offense, Nana, but what the fuck is up with your successor? Nana looked slightly offended, but also embarrassed at the same time. I didn't think it would turn out to be like this. He was a good boy when I knew him. Did we see different possibilities? Because from what I saw, he sounded like an asshole. Shigaraki deadpanned. Why would he just leave him there and like that? Banjo asked incredulously and pointed at him. I mean, look at him. He's a baby. Ichigo frowned. I'm 13? Banjo nodded and made an expression as if to say, exactly, and said, see? Nana sighed and sat down. That was really, I know, he shouldn't have done that. She turned to him apologetically and said, I'm sorry about the way my successor treated you. It was highly, highly hypocritical of him. Um, okay, apart from the fact that I have no idea what they are talking about, can someone tell me what I'm the user of? One for all, and said, looking at him, you're the ninth user of one for all. Ichigo blinked. What? It's a transferable and stockpiling quirk, Nana explained. Passed down from generations and generations of heroes. There's a quirk like that? Ichigo asked, surprised. Yep, my original quirk was to pass down my quirk to someone else, which is kind of useless, unlike mine, Banjo added. Shigaraki threw an annoyed look at him and continued, but then I got a stockpiling quirk, which, along with my original quirk, gave birth to one for all. And now it's been passed down to me? Ichigo asked, confused. But how? Who passed it to me? Yagi Toshinori, Nana answered. Or, as you better know him, All Might. Ichigo froze. All Might chose him as a successor after he left him on a rooftop, telling him to be realistic because he can't be a hero. That All Might chose him to be his successor. What kind of bullshit? No, Ichigo shook his head. It can't be. There has to be some kind of mistake. One for all can't be passed down like that, kid, Shigaraki answered, sitting down. It can only be transferred if the predecessor wants to pass it on. My brother tried to take it forcefully six times and failed. Trust me, eight chose you, or you wouldn't have gotten it. Ichigo felt his heart beat thunder in his chest. An invisible rope wrapped around his neck, preventing him from breathing. What kind of joke is this? First he told me I can't be a hero because I'm quirkless, and now he wants me to be his successor? He doesn't even remember me. Nada churned in his stomach, bile rising up his throat. The resistance is in effect. Ichigo felt all the anxiety and nervousness slowly dissipate from his body, until the last drop of jittery nervousness had left him, leaving behind a calm nothing. Kid, Banzo started. We know what happened that day on the rooftop, and let me tell you, everything he said was a bucket load of bullcrap. You stole my memories, Ichigo asked, frowning slightly. There were a lot of things he didn't want to share with people he didn't know. Banzo shrugged. It happened with all of us. One for all is now yours. We are now a part of you, inside your mind. It's disturbing no matter how many times I hear it, and muttered quietly. Ichigo echoed that comment mentally. He sighed and decided to ask something else. If you guys are the previous users, then that would mean you guys are all dead? Shigaraki asked and then nodded with a comical serious face. Yeah, Ichigo nodded hesitantly. So you guys are ghosts? A pause, and then he gasped. Oh my god, I'm possessed by ghosts. Shigaraki burst out laughing, along with Banzo, while N snorted softly and scrunched his nose as if amused. Nana smiled behind her hand and shook her head. Ichigo felt his cheeks burn from embarrassment. Not really, kid, Shigaraki chuckled, wiping away tears. Though that would've been pretty cool. We're inside your dumbass cell, Banzo Deadpant. It would not have been cool. Shut up. Ichigo looked away from them as the two started bickering and looked at Nana and N helplessly. We aren't ghosts, Ichigo. Nana explained gently. We are vestiges, remaining essence of our quirks and souls that merge with one for all. That's cool, Ichigo mumbled. Then suddenly, a smoky humanoid figure appeared, tinted purple. And as the smoke disappeared, the white haired man, with scars on his face and probably much older than the rest, stepped out of it. Fourth, Shigaraki happily called. The man, the fourth user, only gave him a curt nod before walking straight to Ichigo. If it weren't for a few resistance, Ichigo would have him scrambled away in panic. The man was intimidating. He can't have one for all, he declared. Ichigo froze. An ache bloomed in his chest. Of course, why did I think I could be worthy enough for a quirk that once belonged to all mites? He didn't notice the way the others glared at the man. Fourth, what? It'll kill him, fourth continued. It's the reason I died. I failed to pass that information to Banjo. But one for all isn't supposed to be passed on to people with quirks. It is the backlash of the quirk. It slowly eats away your life and kills you. Silence and then wait. So you don't think I'm not worthy? Ichigo asked, confused. Fourth blinked, taking a back before his eyes widened slightly. And he quickly nodded his head. Oh no, I am so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You are worthy, child. It's just... If it's a dying part, then it's fine, Ichigo replied. I have two lives left. Fourth fell quiet, and the others looked at him. Two lives. As in two more lives, Banjo axed, looking stunned. Which Ichigo thought was fair, yeah? Ichigo nodded. My quirk is like a game. And you know how in games, a player has three lives? I do too. So when you said you've already died once, you meant you actually died. And it wasn't just metaphorical exaggeration? Shigaraki axed, to which Ichigo nodded. Yeah, Ichigo nodded a little more flippantly than he should. But he assumed it was because of the fear resistance quirk. Logically, Ichigo knew that literally dying would have left some trauma in him. But either fear resistance was constantly blocking it, or it was yet to hit him. Because at the same time, he wasn't stupid enough to be reckless. Two lives might seem like a lot, but it will only take one movement of recklessness to lose them. But before that, I'm not going to pass one for all to anyone else, Ichigo declared. Before you say anything, please let me explain. You said one for all of these stockpiling quirks, right? That means each time it is passed down, their quirks, along with their power, adds up, right? If I'm the ninth user, then by now, a lot of power must have accumulated. No matter how strong a person is, even with a durability quirk, it's simply too much power. The next successor might get hurt, or worse, die, and I willingly cannot do that to someone. I won't be able to pass down the power knowing I'm essentially signing their death certificate. Just with a waiting period, he paused and took a breath. So I think even if I am worthy, as you say, I should return the quirk because I will not continue the legacy. Ichigo, not a cut in, looked at me. He looked, expecting disappointment on her face, but instead, she smiled at him kindly and said, Ichigo, one for all was created to defeat our common enemy, and that enemy has already been defeated. Now, one for all is nothing more than a legacy, even before you were chosen. We've already discussed the fate of one for all, and we decided to let it come to an end. It's okay if you don't want to pass it down. You don't have to apologize for it. One for all is now yours. It's your quirk, and you get to decide what you do with it. Ichigo blinked and looked at the rest. N, 4th, and Banjo, not disappointingly, with a smile. He looked at Shigaraki. One for all has served its purpose, kid, Shigaraki said. It's okay. Plus, you're right anyways. Any more successions and one for all would become lethal. He looked at the others and grinned. See, I told you he's a smart one, better than you lot. Die, Banjo snapped. I'm already dead. Try again, Shigaraki replied without missing a beat. The shit-eating grin on his face made it seem like he was waiting for that opportunity. N rolled his eyes at them and shook his head. Meanwhile, 4th looked at him curiously and said, Can you show us your quirk? Sure, um, Ichigo cheered away, realizing he didn't know the 4th user's name. Oh, I didn't introduce myself, sorry. The 4th user chuckled. I'm Hikage Sumire. Behind him, Banjo spun his finger in circles we find besides his forehead and mouth. He's a weirdo. Sure, Sumire-san. But, um, before that, I just need to check something. Ichigo continued. Open inbox. Right after he woke up, he had seen a notification hover above his head, alerting him of something new being added to his skill set. But he had been too preoccupied with the people around him to read it. Inbox. He heard Shigaraki mutter, Mona, confusedly. Congratulations, you have acquired a new skill! He heard the people around him gasp. Is this your quirk, Ichigo? 7th asked curiously, black eyes sparkling in wonder as she leaned forward. You guys can see it! Ichigo asked, shocked. It's blue, it's glowing, and it's floating in the air, 9th. Shigaraki said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, yeah, it was. But usually, others can't see it, he said. But I guess since you guys are in my mind, so I guess it makes sense. I've never seen a quirk like this before. Nana murmured. Can you show us more? Oh, sure. Ichigo agreed happily. But, um, is it okay if I check the new skill first? Nana smiled. Of course, kiddo, it's your quirk after all. Smiling, Ichigo turned back to the screen and clicked onto the message. Another screen popped up, and this time, oh. One for all. Level zero. A transferable stockpiling quirk that can be passed from one user to another at will. Created by Yuri T. Shigaraki, the first user of one for all. The quirk has been passed through eight heroes before reaching you. You can now wield all their quirks. Ichigo looked down at the others. The others looked back at him. Huh, Shigaraki huffed. Now that's interesting. And looked up at Forth and asked something too quietly to be heard by Ichigo, who was pointing towards the screen. Forth leaned down to hear him before shaking his head. Um, I'll show you guys my profile. Ichigo Mermaid. Open profile. Name, Midoriya Ichigo. Username, none applicable. Age, 13 years. Language, English, Japanese. Level, 17. Rank, D. Status, titles. Born to be hero, legendary. He who cheated death. Mythical, ninth user of one for all. S. HP, 28 out of 650. EP, 12 out of 800. Statistics, strength, 53. Dexterity, 60. Agility, 72. Speed, 74. Charisma, 45. Intelligence, 85. Shigaraki whistled, nice stats. Thanks, Ichigo mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up. It was the first time anyone had complimented him on his stat level, his hard work. But then again, it was also the first time anyone could see his profile screen. What's the L, M, and S next to the titles? Nana asked. Also, those are some really nice title, titles, kid. Even though the second one is a bit concerning. Oh, um, those are the ranks of the titles. It's basically, it basically tells how special and powerful the title is. The more powerful it is, the more benefits I get. It also gives me bonus points each time I level up. I start from F, it starts from F to A, then A plus and S. Beyond that is L and M. L means legendary and M is for mythical level. Onefall is the lowest level title he's got. N squinted his eyes. I don't know how I feel about that. Squirt just walked in and did a one-up on us without even trying to, Banjo mumbled. Ulysses snorted and muttered something that a speaker didn't quite catch, but was sure was directed to the fifth user. Banjo did hear it and scowled. My quirk also gives me passive and active skills, he continued, before they could start bickering once again and opened his skill window. Skills, passive skills, selective focus, level five, oil sense, level five, situational awareness, level six, analytic mind, level eight, concentration, level five, strategizing, level five, pattern recognition, level four, heat resistance, level three, cold resistance, level two, fear resistance, level three, active skills, sprint, level four, disassemble, level three, night vision, level three, stealth, level five, pull, level three, fire breathing, level one, insight, level two, hindsight, level one, assemble, level three, dominance, level two, one for all, level zero. Banjo made a choking noise and stumbled back and the rest looked at the screen with wide eyes and slack jaws. These are your skills? Shimmery asked. Yeah. Skills, these are all quirks! Yorichi exclaimed. Intelligence-based quirks, fire-based quirks, gravity-based quirks, and counted. Wow. This is incredible, Nana breathed out and turned to Banjo and grinned. Now you're no longer the one with the best quirk. Forget about my quirk! His quirk is better than one for all! Banjo cried out. That's weird. Ichigo mumbled, unaware of the way his quirk just snatched the ground from the feet of the previous users. I've never had a skill that started from level zero. Even fire breathing started from level one. He clicked onto one for all and a sub-menu popped up. At the top was one for all at one percent, then below it was five percent, and then at eight percent, another locked skill was attached to it. Black Whip. Then at fifteen percent, Float. At forty-five percent, Far Gin. Oh, right. It did say one for all has six skills combined with it. Two new notifications popped up. You have unlocked one for all, Perfect Aim. Perfect Aim belonged to the second user of one for all, allowing him to never miss a shot no matter the circumstances or weapon used. Shit. Banjo cursed. Shigaraki pushed his hair back, and Ichigo noticed that his eyes were a really bright shade of green. It was really pretty. Like two sets of Jadet, man. This is some manga protagonist level stuff. One for all allows us to use other's quirks? And asked. I had no idea. Sumire mumbled. Wait, you guys couldn't use the other quirks? Ichigo asked. Not even a little, Banjo Sugar said. Wait, am I the first one to have access to all the quirks? Ichigo asked incredulously. Is it because of my quirk? Suddenly, N sat up straighter and looked up. Oh, looks like our time is up. Huh? What do you mean? It means you're slowly gaining consciousness now, Nana explained. Wait, can I see you guys again? If he would gain access to their quirks in the future, then he would need their guidance. Guidance? Probably, Ichigo, Nana informed. Everything so far has happened for the first time. Wait, really? She nodded and waved her hand. The others doing the same behind him. But by night, Ichigo woke up to the faces of people he had not been expected to see. So it was obvious he screamed. Ah, what the fuck? He shot up and scrambled back. You guys! In front of him, standing in a circle around the hospital bed. Oh my god, I ended up in the hospital again. Mom's gonna be so worried. Were the five messages he had been talking to just moments ago. Shigaraki grinned. That's funny. Ichigo freaked out even more when he heard the voice inside his head. He pointed towards them. How are you guys here? Pretty sure it's cause of your quirk, Ichigo, a familiar voice called. He froze abruptly. Eyes going wide like saucers as he slowly turned around. His mom and Syoto were sitting in a chair next to him. Both were awake. Though his mother looked like she just woke up. Syoto was, however, watching him with a mix of concern and curiosity. Ichigo realized he was still pointing out nothing for them and quickly dropped his hand. Then, he realized that the room was dark except for the lamp on the bedside table. He whipped his head towards the nearest clock and inhaled sharply. 11.58.01 p.m. Shit, he cursed. Ichigo? His mother called, sending even more alarms than before. Wait mom, he replied. I just need to open daily tasks. Daily tasks? Run 10 kilometers. Completed. 9 kilometers out of 10 kilometers. Do 50 push-ups. Completed. 40 out of 50. Do 100 sit-ups. Completed. 80 out of 100. Plank for a total of 15 minutes. Completed. 12 minutes out of 15 minutes. Do 100 squats. Completed. 80 out of 100. Ichigo wanted to cry. Of course it's incomplete. I couldn't go for my training in the evening. Ichigo? Nana called, sounding just as concerned as his mother. It warmed his heart, but he was really in a tight spot to express his emotions. He turned back to his parents. What's this? Tsumugi asked, squinting at the screen. But Ichigo didn't have the time to answer him at the moment. Mom, dad, I know it's a bit sudden, but I will be gone for the next five hours. I promise it's nothing too dangerous, and I swear I will explain it to you once I come back. Please don't freak out or worry about me, and you don't have to look for me either, because, well, you won't be able to find me. And he glanced at the clock. 11, 59, 55. I'm sorry about today, and I'll be fine. Bye, love you. The world around him went black. Ichigo grunted as he fell onto solid ground. Albeit from a small height, groaning and scrunching his eyes at the striped light. He looked up, only to find himself surrounded by tall grass. Oh, hell no. What the fuck was that? A familiar voice called. Ichigo stood up and found the other vestiges still in their translucent form around him. Apparently, they got transported with him. Ichigo would feel sorry about it, if it weren't for the realization that he was standing in the middle of a grassland. Where are we? Nana asked. At that moment, a notification popped up. Ichigo flinched at first, but then realized it wasn't the dreaded notification for a quest, but rather, congratulations, you have acquired a new skill. Telepathy Level 1. A combination of empathy and telepathy that allows you to have a telepathic conversation with people you are close to. Put in a three meter radius. A new skill? Banjo spluttered. This quirk is unfair on so many levels, Shigaraki complained. You won't think so in a moment, Ichigo grumbled. Where are we? Sumire asked. Looking around confused and worried and panicked for some reason. I get a set of daily tasks. It's meant to build up my body and make me stronger to level up more easily. I need to complete it before midnight, otherwise there's a penalty, and this, he pointed around frantically, is the penalty. Selective focus and oil sense flared alarms in his mind. Just as Sumire whipped his head around, soft sounds of grass rustling reached his ears. He caught the ever so slight shift in the grass a few meters behind. He was in grassland. There was something moving through the tall grass. Ninth, Fourth called, but Ichigo had already bolted. He had enough experience by now to know what was about to happen. Activate sprint, he yelled out just as a thundering roar tore through the silence of the grassland, and a lion jumped out of the grass. Why a lion? Why a fucking lion? Why can't it be something else? We're in the fucking grassland. Why couldn't it be anything else? Why not a gazelle? And as if to mock him, the dreaded message popped up in front of him. Penalty quest, survival. Welcome to the Serengeti Plains of East Africa, home to a diverse species of animals, including the Big Five. Goal, survive the savannah for the given time period. Time left, 4 hours, 59 minutes, and 50 seconds. This is a nightmare. Ichigo fell back onto the hospital bed with a thump. He panted hard, gulping in as much air as he could in one goal. Go. Around him, the vestiges seemed to finally register the change in scenario. He had been equally baffled the first time. Despite having him on the edge all the time, the quest was better than the one before. Probably because he wasn't entirely by himself. Even if the vestiges couldn't actually help him, it was still nice. Plus, it was hilarious when Shigaraki would scream in terror, only to realize that he is no longer a tangible being, and everything would pass right through him. Sumire, for some reason, looked exasperated, and Ichigo could've sworn he heard him mutter, not this again. Banjo was enjoying himself a little too much, loudly cheering him and encouraging him, but Ichigo was trying real hard to keep quiet and be hidden. Enma and Nana were the only help he had. You're back, a familiar, gruff voice said. Ichigo sucked in a sharp breath and rolled his head to the other side to find Syota, still sitting on the chair next to his bed, an eyeball raised as he studied him. Hi, Ichigo said breathlessly. Where were you? Syota asked. Serengeti Plains, East Africa, Ichigo answered truthfully. Syota stared at him. What? Ichigo groaned and pushed himself upwards. He was parched. He made a grabby motion towards a jar of water next to his bed. Syota sighed and reached out to fill a glass with water before passing it to him. Here. Thanks, Ichigo murmured before gulping down all the water in one gulp. So, Serengeti Plains explained. Ichigo leaned back against the bed, placing his hand on over his forehead. Remember when I said the system gave me a list of daily tasks? Mm-hmm. So, um, if I fail to complete it before midnight, I get a penalty. And so far, the penalty has been dropping me in the Amazon and the Serengeti Plains and asking me to survive for five hours while being chased by awakened animals. Syota sucked in a short breath. That's the backlash and you didn't even tell me before? What if something had happened? Um, I didn't really think that there would be a repeat of the first time. Ichigo answered honestly, scratching his cheek. He hadn't told them because he knew they would worry, especially his mother. Syota was an underground hero. He was used to dealing with dangerous stuff, but his mother wasn't. She would freak out if she found out about the penalty. Don't tell mom, Ichigo added. Oh, yeah. How are you going to explain disappearing right in front of our eyes for five hours, Ichigo? Syota replied. Especially when you looked so panicked before you left. Ichigo whimpered. Not my problem. You're going to deal with it. Dad! Nuh-uh. Don't even think about using that trick. I'm mad, Ichigo, and I haven't even touched the incident from yesterday till now. Oh, come on! Ichigo was pretty sure his ears were damaged by the time his mom was done with him. Syota, the absolute traitor, snipped the moment his mother walked into the room and watched him getting scolded the entire time from the couch behind her. Even the rest of us looked amused. Shigaraki was straight up snickering in the corner. Banjo laughed hysterically, leaning against the other corner, and Ensign Marie looked sympathetic. Bonana chided him along with his mother every now and then. She even scolded him while he was eating his breakfast. And then some more. Then his mother had left to attend the call. Ichigo waited with his head bowed until her footsteps were completely faded before letting out a loud wha and slumping back against the bed. Who are you talking to? Syota asked, breaking the silence. Huh? Ichigo looked at him curiously. Before you left, Syota explained, you were talking to someone. Oh, Ichigo dragged his eyes to the rest of the kids in the room. Shigaraki and Banjo were roaming around checking everything. Bonana was sitting at the other end of the bed while En was perched up on the windowsill. Um. But before he could explain, the door to his room opened and a familiar figure walked in. Ichigo sucked in a sharp breath the moment he saw All Might, in his hero form, walk into the room. Why is he here? How is he here? Young boy, he started probably to greet him. But that's when he saw Syota in the room. Shock painted the man's face before he smiled. Young Aizawa, what are you doing here? I think I should be the one asking you that, Syota replied. Ichigo noticed him leaning towards him protectively. Some of the tension loosened inside of him. He wasn't alone with the hero. He didn't want to be alone with the hero. What brings you here? I, All Might, glanced his way and Ichigo resisted the urge to flinch. I was to talk to the young boy about something. Ichigo went rigid, then quickly asked, is it about One for All? He heard All Might inhale sharply. His eyes shifted towards Syota for a second before he said, I believe we should talk privately. Now, Ichigo interrupted. Inside, he was screaming at himself, but holy shit, he was talking to the number one hero like that. But he kept calm. He really didn't think he owed anything to the man. Pardon? If you want to talk about One for All, then my dad stays, Ichigo said. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Syota stared down at the number one hero. His gaze might seem lazy, but Ichigo knew better, and from the look of it, so did All Might. But he still tried. My boy, you don't understand. I do, Ichigo interrupted. Holy shit, where is this courage coming from? I understand the quirk perfectly fine, actually. Moreover, if it is about the succession of something powerful like this, I believe my guardians should be present. All Might stared at him for a few seconds before his smile returned to its full vigor. Very well. Also, you can go back to the small form, All Might. It won't end well if you use all your time right now, Ichigo said. You know about that? Syota asked. Ichigo sighed and shifted on the bed. Yeah, we've met before. All Might seemed to frown at that before his expression changed. Guess he finally remembered. You're that boy, he said out loud. Syota turned to him and gave him a look. We will be talking about this later, it said. Ichigo pouted and slumped further into the bed, fiddling with his fingers. Syota made a reprimanded noise before stuffing a small fidget toy into his hand. Where did he even get this from? Nobody talked. A tense silence filled the room. Awkward, Sugaki mumbled, owning a smack on his head from N. Ichigo sighed and started to speak up. One flaw is the quirk All Might uses. From then on, explaining everything the Vestiges had told him about the quirk, including Nana Simula being All Might's mentor. How do you know about her? All Might asked sharply. I met her. Ichigo answered. Not just her, all the previous ones for all users. Hold on, hold on. Syota interrupted, leaning forward. Uh-oh, Ichigo thought. He's pissed. Sugaki snorted. I believe eight will be joining us soon. N said. His calm and tranquil voice only added to the hilariousness. Nana sighed and shook her head. You thought. He said, empathizing each other with barely hidden veins. It was a good idea to give a quirk with the power of eight people to a child. With all due respect, All Might. What the fuck? Now there is. Now there. Let's not use crude language. You cursed like a sailor in English, kid. Nana raised her eyebrow. I wasn't planning on passing it to him just like that, of course. I would have trained him. No amount of training can prepare a teenage body to handle such power. Syota hissed. Should I? Should I stop him? Nah, let them be. Sugaki waved his hand dismissively in the air. Who do you think will win? Banjo said. I don't know. Sugaki looked at him. What's your dad's quirk? Erasure? Isshiku replied. Syota looked at him and Isshiku realized his mistake. Oh shit. What? Syota asked erasure and questioned. He can erase quirks? Um. Isshiku let his gaze flicker in his direction. Not permanently. Temporarily. Doesn't work on mutation quirks though. Oof. It's done. Sugaki muttered. Yeah. All for one is an emitter quirk. Wait. So if dad uses his quirk, all might will go poof? Sugaki laughed at his description but nodded. Yeah. Huh. He looked at Syota and saw him staring at him. Oh um. I was talking to the messages. The messages. As in the previous one for all users. Syota raised an eyebrow. You can talk to them. All might axed. You can't? Isshiku axed instead. Ooh. Shit. Sick burn. Sugaki snickered. Isshiku stared at his dad. Didn't I get a tele-empathetic quirk? Tele-empathy activated. Eligible subjects include. Aizawa Syota. Midoriya Inko. Bakugo Katsuki. Possible connections at a time. One. Subject found within range. One. I still can't get over how overpowered this quirk is. Bento muttered. If I can use this skill, will dad be able to see you guys as well? I mean you guys are inside of my mind. So a telepathic quirk should work. You won't know until you try. Nana shrugged encouraging me. Isshiku reached out and clicked on Syota's name. He immediately felt the connection. Presence of another person in his mind. It was weird. Like being able to hear another person breathe right behind him. Or feel the person. Or feel the heat radiating off another person's body. Dad? Syota went rigid by his side. He blinked. Did I just hear Isshiku? Yeah you did. It's my new skill. Telepathy. Lets me form a telepathic connection with people I'm close to. I- I'm not even surprised at this point. Syota looked at him. But as soon- But as soon as he sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes shifted to where the messages were standing. Is it them? The messages? Yeah. You said there were seven. Excluding All Might. Second and third are being petulant. Bento answered. Well, Syoka's telling the truth. Syota said, turning back to All Might. He just showed them to me. Oh. All Might slumped, looking dejected. Even the strands of his hair that always stood up were drooping like bunny ears. He felt only a tiny bit bad about it. At that moment, the door opened and his mother, bless her timing, walked in. Isshiku? Honey? Katsuki wants to talk to you. Oh, okay. He needed to get out of the room anyways. Jumping off his bed, he skipped out. The adults can half out the rest of the discussion. He was tired enough as is. Plus, he knew his dad wanted to have a talk with All Might. Could feel the bubbling anger and protectiveness through the empathetic connection. He'd rather talk to his friends. Instead of witnessing the number one hero get chewed out by his dad and his mother. But he was yet to know. Alrighty. That is the end of this chapter. I'm sorry for all the stumbling. I am too tired to go back and edit that out. I hope you enjoyed. Bye-bye.