Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Izumi POV – September 13, 2xxx.
Today was Wednesday, and my week had been pretty, not boring, but nothing interesting had happened, at least not on the level of fighting Lung like Taylor had done on the first day of the week.
I almost wanted to snort at that, really, it seemed like Taylor Hebert's curse around the multiverse, fighting Lung on her first night on patrol in Brockton Bay, it was truly ridiculous.
Even so, I was happy for her for being able to take down Lung. This Lung was far more dangerous; using Armament Haki to further increase her strength and defense would definitely be a ridiculous level of power if she grew that much.
I was almost annoyed that I hadn't been able to face her myself, but it was okay; Taylor had gotten me those claws of hers, so I was satisfied with the gift. A pair of Lung's fingers, or rather, claws, were pretty good as a collectible.
Taylor aside, the other girls also had relatively uneventful internships. Azula was still training with Endeavor and they patrolled frequently. Endeavor was just as demanding as Mirko, and now that Azula and Todoroki were practically contracted hero-in-trainings, and not just visiting students, their training had intensified, so Azula was also being pushed to her limits.
Ruby was with Penny in the Idaten agency. They had formed a group with Ilda Tenya, and they seemed to be having a good time. Ruby was enjoying her time as a heroine in a huge professional group.
Darkness was also enjoying her time with Fatgum, so I didn't really have to worry about anything. Except for one thing: we were in Nagoya, relatively speaking, not far from Osaka, where the Shie Hassaikai operated, so I'd started noticing an increase in certain things among the villains Mirko and I were arresting.
The increase in villains with quirks enhanced by Trigger, and people armed with Quirk-erasing bullets, was truly worrying. Luckily, it wasn't the final formula yet, it was only temporary, but they existed and were in circulation, and in ever-increasing numbers, which was annoying.
Especially since Trigger was created and distributed by All For One and Garaki, the increase in villains using that drug meant that someone had been able to replicate it, or the League of Villains was in Japan, and both options were equally bad.
Should I mention it to Mirko? I needed to find an excuse for us to move to Osaka before everything with Overhaul happened; I really couldn't shake the bad feeling I had.
Take a deep breath and put that aside and focus on your current training.
Just like the previous days, Mirko was a demanding and very tough boss and teacher—too tough, in fact. Training with Mirko was definitely nothing like what I'd been doing at UA; it didn't even come close to how demanding she could be. She definitely didn't hold back in the slightest, and she had so much energy and stamina to keep going for hours.
She definitely beat me physically, so I really had to work hard to keep up with her most of the time.
It was… truly refreshing.
"I can't help you with your rabbit transformation," Mirko finally said. I stopped mid-leg press; the several tons I was lifting stopped and creaked as if complaining. I grunted as I extended my feet and put on the cleats, then turned and sat back on the machine to look at her.
"What do you mean?" I asked curiously. Mirko wrinkled her nose.
"Don't your legs feel different when you're transformed?" Mirko asked while pointing at my thighs, I just nodded without hesitation.
"I don't need to feel them, I can see them: different muscles, stronger bones, more elastic tendons, and several other variations. That's exactly why I asked for your help." I said easily. Mirko nodded and snapped her fingers.
"Exactly, you get it!" Mirko said as if it were obvious. I just looked at her. "Well, look, when I started training, I trained like a normal person, which definitely didn't help me. Different muscles, different ways to strengthen them and all that."
"So I went to a doctor, they did x-rays, studies and all that, my body is closer to the physiology of a rabbit, obviously, but that translates to my bones being longer and more robust, especially my feet, everything is calibrated to have a greater mechanical advantage when extending my legs, like an extremely efficient biomechanical lever system, more speed, strength and reach."
"My ankle joints are reinforced and my knees are practically made of steel, but it doesn't end there. My muscle fibers are also different, designed for explosive movements and quick escapes, for immediate acceleration. My tendons are extremely elastic and thick, capable of storing energy by flexing the leg and then releasing it suddenly."
"And it's not just my legs that are adapted, my hips are extremely strong and powerful, my spine is more flexible, my overall bone density is more resistant to impacts, literally my entire body is designed in a specific way to be able to harness the strength of my legs."
"But different muscles mean I have to train differently to take advantage of and improve my whole body. Training incorrectly, especially training like someone with a more human body type, means I'm neglecting something else, losing power."
"So I have a special way of training, something that won't work for you." Mirko said after ranting, and I frowned and hummed.
"I understand, and at the risk of repeating myself, that's why I asked you for training. I said I can see my muscles, but that also means I can see yours; our builds are extremely similar." I said without hesitation, and Mirko nodded.
"And I don't doubt it," Mirko said, shaking her head. "You're capable of exerting a high level of strength. I know you must have spent years training to reach that level, and that's the problem. Strengthening my body also took years and a lot of effort."
"Your problem is that your transformation is temporary. It changes your musculature and physiology temporarily. Yes, you have certain advantages, but the fact that it's temporary means you can't train and cultivate it over time. All the gains you have vanish when you detransform," Mirko said mercilessly. I grimaced.
"I had already thought of that," I admitted with a grimace. "It's... difficult to see my own growth, especially day by day, so I'm definitely not able to see if I'm making progress or not." I sighed wearily.
"You're not doing it," she said mercilessly.
"Ouch." I said dryly, Mirko scoffed.
"So no, I can't help you train. I'd say it's a total waste of time," Mirko said dryly. I pouted, and I could hear Mai laughing from the side. "I'd just recommend you focus on other things."
"Your sword styles and quirks are versatile and powerful enough that you shouldn't waste too much time trying to maximize something you probably can't do. It's better to focus on something more useful," Mirko said, crossing her arms. I grimaced as I nodded.
"Yes, I suppose so, it's a shame." I sighed with a pout, Mirko just snorted.
"You may not be able to push some parts to their full potential, but you can definitely improve. I can help you move like a rabbit. Your movements are very sophisticated for a normal person and body, but you're moving incorrectly with your rabbit parts."
"In fact, I've seen your other fusions, and you move better as a snake than as a rabbit," Mirko said without hesitation. I nodded before pausing to think.
"Oh, it should have been obvious," I said, blinking stupidly. "I have a sword style that developed from observing snakes. I use it to move in my snake form; I just need to create a version for other animals." I said it as if it were obvious. Mirko just nodded.
"Do what you want, now come on, let's train," Mirko said with a wild grin. I just nodded, raised my hand, and Mai transformed into a sword. I didn't even look at Mirko, or rather, I did look at her, but not with complete focus. A sword style was easily forming in my head.
That… was a feeling I could easily recognize. Yoriichi's genius was unparalleled when it came to swordsmanship. Simply… sitting and observing was more than enough for him to create an entire sword style based on his observations.
It was something I could do, it was something I had done. Yoriichi was definitely not aware of the sword styles derived from the originals, but I had been able to recreate them with extreme ease by remembering the movements that were shown and by studying the origin of said styles to have the same inspiration.
I had achieved it, and I realized that I could continue creating more styles, but… it was something I had disconnected from, something I had tried not to do. I had mastered 14 sword styles that utilized Total Concentration Breathing; Zoro knew 4 or 5 more, so I had mastered almost 20 styles.
And it was too much. Knowing so many was almost redundant. Sun Breathing was more than enough to overshadow almost all the other styles, so creating more was a complete waste, even though it was definitely something I could do.
Therefore, I had avoided doing it, to the point that I had simply dismissed it as an option.
But now… Mirko was right, I couldn't improve the base of my Totality with my shikigami, but I could learn to use the base I had efficiently. Serpent Breathing was a start.
Now I could see it, Mirko was the closest thing to a rabbit I'd ever seen, and her movements made my mind race. Quickly born, as a derivative, no less, of Moon Breathing.
I moved around Mirko, Mirko's movements recorded in my mind, replicated with my body as I moved, I appeared above her, Rabbit Breathing: Luna Fall, I tensed my entire body, and with an explosive movement, I used my legs as a lever to rotate my entire body in the air, and Mai went from being still above my head, to descending vertically at a terrifying speed and force breaking the speed of sound, Mirko opened her eyes and jumped back.
Mirko pressed on and slammed her fist into the ground, shaking the building. Even without Haki, my movement left a huge crack in the ground that stretched for several meters long and dozens of centimeters deep. Mirko stared at me in surprise before grinning wildly.
"HAHAHAHA! That's what I mean, Ryuma's grandson!! Keep going! " Mirko said with a deranged smile as he lunged towards me, my smile grew in the same way and I moved.
--------------
Once we finished our assigned patrol, Mirko finally let me go. My body was slightly sore, but I felt very satisfied. My new fighting style was only halfway there; some adjustments were needed, but I was on the right track.
"Alright, it's time to go back to UA." Mai said, stretching lazily.
"Actually, I'd like to make another stop in the opposite direction," I told Mai. She just looked at me, confused. "We have to go to Kyoto," I said easily, taking out my scroll and showing her the direction. Mai grimaced.
"To Kyoto? Why on earth do we have to go to Kyoto? " Mai asked incredulously.
"My grandfather's house is over there; we have to find something he left there," I said easily. There was no point in hiding anything from her. Mai's eyes widened.
"Ryuma-sama's house?" Mai asked in surprise, and I nodded.
"Yes, after his retirement from public life, he settled in Kyoto, he had a gun shop, his appearance had changed enough for normal people to recognize him, but well, since his current appearance was on television, he was forced to close said shop."
"Now... I don't really know what he's doing now besides avoiding the public, but he left all his things at his house. There's something I need there." I explained easily, and Mai just nodded, almost dazed. "It's... 8:07 PM. The trip to Kyoto should be half an hour on the Shinkansen. It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to get what I need from my grandfather's house. Hopefully, we'll arrive in time to catch the last direct train; otherwise, I'll have to make several trips." I said with a grimace. Mai did the same.
"Then we'd better hurry, according to this, the train from Nagoya to Kyoto is leaving in 7 minutes," Mai said, handing me back the scroll. I nodded, grabbed Mai, who was already used to it, and ran towards the train station.
The trip to Kyoto was pretty quick. Once we got off the train, I picked Mai up again and we started running across the rooftops while she led the way. I was grateful it was nighttime and that I was moving fast enough that the heroes wouldn't see me and try to stop me, even though I wasn't really using any Quirks to move. I didn't really want to explain why I was running at full speed through the night.
Once we arrived at Grandpa's house, I stopped to look at it. It was a house I had been to quite a few times. It was a fairly traditional and slightly large house, not so large as to be ostentatious, but six people could easily live there comfortably with room to spare.
I used the keys to enter the house and turned on the interior lights while taking off my slippers in the entryway.
"Do you know where you're going?" Mai asked while imitating me, and I nodded.
"Yes, I'm using Haki to sense where he is," I said easily, starting to walk. The house was crammed with things: weapons, armor, materials, Dust, monster corpses everywhere. Grandpa was definitely using this place as a storage area, not a residence. Mai blinked as she followed me, looking around.
"…are we looking for… something or someone?" Mai asked cautiously. I hummed.
"A little of both?" I said, shrugging. I could see Mai about to ask just as I opened the door. "Here you are," I said with a smile as I entered the room and turned on the light.
"Kid?" growled Derflinger's voice from inside a barrel.
"A talking sword?!" Mai squealed in surprise. I huffed loudly.
"YOU can turn into a talking sword, and Derf surprises you?" I asked playfully, Mai blushed.
"The last thing I expected was to find a person transformed into a weapon right here!" Mai replied, embarrassed.
"Oi ! I am A sword!" Derf growled, Mai frowned in confusion at that distinction.
"Derf has been a sword for over 100 years. He IS a sword more than he was a person," I said gently, Mai's eyes widening.
"So much?!" Mai asked, almost incredulous. Derf laughed.
"And I'll live even longer, kid, don't forget that!" Derf laughed, and I muttered under my breath. "So? Why are you here, kid? I thought Ryuma would keep me here until he opened another shop, or maybe until I died and someone else found me." Derf snorted. "I hope you didn't come here to show off your sword girl." Derf grunted, and I chuckled.
"No, I'm not here to brag, but by the way, this is Mai Zenin, my sword." I said gently as I introduced Mai.
"Greetings." Mai said, sounding a little confused. Derf only moved slightly as I continued.
"And I came for several things." I approached Derf. "As you know, UA... doesn't have instructors specializing in Meister and Weapons. I wanted your help in that area. Mai and I are mastering the basics, but there are nuances and things we won't be able to achieve without proper guidance. I also have a couple of friends in the same situation; they could get some help." I told her honestly. Mai's eyes widened as she looked at the sword.
"Ha! Teach you, kid? Why not? It's not like I have better things to do than stay here in this barrel!" Derf laughed, I nodded and sighed in relief.
"And the other one... I think I've found you a partner." I said with my eyes shining, Derf froze momentarily.
"Hoo?" Derf asked, sounding intrigued. "And... what's the name of this partner of mine?" Derf asked.
"Maki Zenin, Mai's sister." I said directly.
"Maki Zenin." Derf repeated as if trying to memorize her name.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Maki!? You want to give Maki a person/sword/whatever!?" Mai asked in surprise, and I nodded.
"Derf is... quite special, I'd say it's one of the strongest weapons in existence." I said softly.
"You'll make me blush, kid!" Derf laughed.
"Derf, for starters, is immortal." I said directly, and Mai's eyes widened. "Derf's quirk is quite special. He had an original weapon form, but it's changed several times since then. No matter how he's destroyed, Derf will transfer to the nearest weapon he finds. It doesn't matter what it is: sword, spear, firearm, tank, airplane—anything considered a 'weapon'—he can inhabit it."
"All his skills and consciousness are transferred to the new weapon; he should even be able to become human again if he wanted, but he prefers to remain a weapon, so that part doesn't matter."
"The important thing is Derf's other ability; he's able to absorb Aura and the Quirk Factor in the same way. Stabbing someone with Derf will cause him to passively absorb their Aura until it's depleted, and while it's used to block an Emitter-type Quirk, Derf will be able to absorb and nullify it, even if the Quirk is ridiculously strong like that of an S-Rank."
"As for other quirks, whether mutant or transformational, Derf can't do much against them, but Maki should be able to overcome those types of quirks with brute force. Derf will help her close the gap of her lack of quirk and aura." I said softly, Mai looked at me with wide eyes.
"Wait! You want to give Maki something so strong!? If you knew someone like that, why didn't you use him yourself?" Mai asked incredulously.
""We're not compatible."" Derf and I said at the same time, shrugging our shoulders—or rather, Derf mimicked the action as best he could, but the feeling was there. Mai just stared at me, her mouth opening and closing.
"Even so—" Mai tried to say, biting her lip before growling sharply. "Why are all the weapons I know stronger than me?!" Mai snarled almost dismissively before smiling bitterly. "That Eugeo too! He can use ice at the same level as Todoroki, or even surpass her, and now this immortal and powerful sword?! It's unfair!" Mai spat out, "I made a mess."
"Hey, you're not weak," I said immediately. "Yes, you can't use your quirk because it's completely neutered, but that doesn't make you weak. You're learning quickly how to work with your sword form; I can feel our teamwork growing rapidly."
"You're improving so fast, you're really amazing," I told Mai with a smile. She blushed slightly. "Besides, that way it'll be even more incredible when we're the best," I said playfully. Mai just huffed and rolled her eyes, though she smiled slightly.
"Okay, okay, okay, now shut up." Mai grumbled, embarrassed. I chuckled before looking at Derf one more time.
"So, what do you say, Derf, do you want to give it a try?" I asked with a smile, Derf just snorted.
"Alright, kid, grab me and take me to UA! I'll teach you everything I know, and I'll see if that Maki girl can be my partner! " Derf finally said, and I smiled slightly.