Chapter 7: The Symbol Arrives
POV: Nova Asahi
Five months of Dagobah Beach had carved Nova and Izuku from soft clay into something resembling functional human beings. The mountain of garbage that had once seemed insurmountable now showed actual progress—cleared patches of sand gleaming like scattered coins beneath the afternoon sun, dumpsters overflowing with the detritus of civilization they'd hauled by hand and sheer stubborn will.
Nova's reflection in the murky tide pools showed the transformation: shoulders broadened by hauling washing machines, arms corded with muscle from wrestling refrigerators, core strengthened by the endless repetition of lifting, carrying, dragging. His stats had climbed steadily through the physical torture.
[NOVA ASAHI - LEVEL 8] [STR: 25 | AGI: 24 | END: 18 | INT: 12 | WIS: 11 | LUK: 10] [Hero Points: 1,847]
But the real change was in Izuku. The green-haired boy who'd once struggled with a microwave now hefted car engines with determined grunts, his analysis notebooks filled with increasingly sophisticated theories about strength training, muscle development, and the biomechanics of heroic action. His frame had filled out beneath the baggy clothes, soft flesh replaced by lean muscle that spoke of countless hours spent in honest labor.
"He's ready. As ready as anyone can be for what's coming."
They were wrestling a waterlogged sofa toward the nearest dumpster when the voice boomed across the beach like divine thunder.
"I AM HERE!"
Nova's blood turned to ice water in his veins. The sofa slipped from his suddenly nerveless fingers, landing on Izuku's foot with a meaty thunk that would have sent the old Izuku to the ground screaming. New Izuku just grunted and kept staring at the impossible figure striding across the sand toward them.
All Might. In person. In his muscular form, cape billowing dramatically in the ocean breeze, smile blazing like a lighthouse beacon. He looked exactly like his animated counterpart but somehow more—presence filling the entire beach, gravity itself seeming to bend around his approach.
"This is it. This is the moment everything changes."
Nova's meta-knowledge crashed over him like a tidal wave. Every detail of this encounter blazed in his memory—All Might's recognition of Izuku's heroic spirit, the offer of One For All, the beginning of the true story. This wasn't just another day at the beach; this was the pivotal moment that would determine the fate of hero society.
And he had to act like he'd never seen it coming.
"Oh my god," Nova breathed, letting genuine awe color his voice as he stared at the approaching Symbol of Peace. "That's... that's actually All Might. Here. On our beach."
Izuku made a noise like a tea kettle reaching critical pressure—high-pitched wheezing that might have been an attempt at speech. His green eyes were wide enough to fall into, tears already streaming down cheeks flushed pink with shock and desperate hope.
"Young men!" All Might called as he approached, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority tempered with genuine warmth. "I've been watching your progress here with considerable interest. Five months of dedicated labor, transforming this wasteland into something resembling its former beauty."
"He's been watching. Of course he's been watching. This is exactly how it happened in canon."
Nova felt the urge to step forward, to insert himself into this legendary moment, but forced his feet to stay planted. This belonged to Izuku. Had always belonged to Izuku. Nova's role was to facilitate, not interfere.
"A-A-All Might!" Izuku finally managed to stammer, his notebook tumbling from suddenly nerveless fingers to land in the sand. "I'm... we're... this is..."
"Indeed it is!" All Might's laugh boomed across the water like cannon fire. "Tell me, young man, what drives someone to undertake such backbreaking labor without reward or recognition? What motivates this dedication to environmental restoration?"
Izuku's mouth opened and closed like a landed fish, overwhelmed by direct attention from his lifelong idol. Nova watched the moment stretch, saw his friend drowning in the spotlight, and decided some gentle nudging wouldn't violate the canon timeline.
"Strength training," Nova said quietly, just loud enough for All Might to hear. "We're... we're trying to build the kind of strength that heroes need. Not just physical, but..."
"But the discipline to persist through difficulty," Izuku finished, finding his voice as passion overrode paralysis. "The willingness to help people even when no one's watching. The... the heroic spirit that makes someone run toward danger instead of away from it."
All Might's smile softened, though it lost none of its brilliance. Nova saw recognition flicker in those impossible blue eyes—the look of someone seeing their own deepest beliefs reflected in an unexpected mirror.
"And why," All Might asked gently, "does this particular form of training appeal to you?"
Izuku's hands clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles white with the force of his grip. "Because I'm Quirkless. Because everyone says people like me can't be heroes. Because I need to prove that heroism isn't about the power you're born with—it's about the choices you make with whatever strength you have."
The words hung in the salt air like a challenge thrown at the universe itself. Nova felt his chest tighten with emotion he hadn't expected—pride, hope, and a fierce protective instinct that had nothing to do with meta-knowledge and everything to do with genuine friendship.
"There it is. The answer All Might's been waiting his whole career to hear."
All Might studied Izuku for a long moment, weathered features cycling through expressions Nova couldn't quite read. When he spoke again, his voice carried the weight of absolute certainty.
"Young man, that may be the most heroic thing anyone has ever said to me."
Nova watched Izuku's face crumple with overwhelmed emotion, tears flowing freely as the validation he'd craved his entire life poured over him like warm rain. This was the moment. The exact instant when destiny reached down and tapped a Quirkless boy on the shoulder, telling him that impossible dreams sometimes came true for those brave enough to chase them.
"And you," All Might continued, turning those penetrating blue eyes toward Nova, "what role does your Quirk play in this admirable endeavor?"
Nova's rehearsed answer rolled off his tongue smooth as silk. "Adaptive Evolution, sir. It's still developing, so I'm focusing on building my baseline capabilities first. Can't adapt to challenges if your foundation isn't solid."
All Might nodded approvingly, but Nova could see the hero's attention already shifting back to Izuku. Good. Perfect. Exactly as it should be.
"Well then," All Might said, clapping his hands together with thunderclap force, "I believe this calls for a more detailed discussion. Young Midoriya, might I have a word in private?"
Nova's heart hammered against his ribs as he recognized his cue. "I should grab some more trash bags from the supply station anyway. Take your time—I'll be back in a bit."
He walked away with measured steps that wanted to become a sprint, forcing himself not to look back at the two figures silhouetted against the afternoon sky. Behind him, he heard the rumble of All Might's voice beginning what would surely be the most important conversation in Izuku's life.
"Thirty minutes. Give them thirty minutes for the full One For All explanation, the offer, the acceptance. Don't interfere. Don't eavesdrop. Just... trust that some things are bigger than your need to control every variable."
Nova spent the longest half-hour of his life sitting on a concrete barrier three blocks from the beach, staring at his hands and trying not to think about the magnitude of what was happening just out of sight. The future of hero society balanced on the edge of that conversation, and all he could do was wait and hope he hadn't somehow butterfly-effected the entire timeline into chaos.
When he finally returned, the scene that greeted him nearly stopped his heart.
Izuku sat on a piece of driftwood, face streaked with tears and glowing with the kind of joy that came from having your deepest dreams validated by the universe itself. All Might stood nearby in his skeletal true form, steam rising from his diminished frame like morning mist.
Both of them looked at Nova with expressions he couldn't quite parse—anticipation mixed with something that might have been calculation.
"Young Nova," All Might said, his deflated voice somehow carrying the same authority as his heroic form, "your friend here is going to need considerable support in the months to come. I've just offered him training that will push him far beyond anything he's experienced. Are you prepared to help him succeed?"
"He knows. Somehow, he knows I'm more than I appear. Maybe not the specifics, but... something."
"Of course," Nova said without hesitation, meaning every word. "Izuku's my friend. Whatever he needs, I'm there."
All Might's skeletal features arranged themselves into what might have been a smile. "Excellent. Because what's coming will test both of you in ways you cannot possibly imagine."
He outlined the training program with clinical precision—ten months of preparation for something he called "the ultimate test." Beach cleanup would continue, but supplemented with strength conditioning, endurance work, combat training, and mental preparation that sounded more like military bootcamp than hero education.
"Young Midoriya will be the primary focus," All Might continued, "but Young Nova, your role as training partner and support system is equally crucial. Heroes are not made in isolation."
[QUEST UNLOCKED: Support the Successor]
[Objective: Train alongside Izuku Midoriya for 10 months]
[Rewards: 2000 Hero Points, +10 to all stats, Rare Quirk Selector]
[Social Link: Izuku Midoriya - Rank 3 Achieved!]
[New Benefit: Shared training sessions provide enhanced stat growth for both participants]
The system notifications felt almost irreverent in the face of such a momentous occasion, but Nova couldn't deny their practical value. Training with the future wielder of One For All would accelerate his own development significantly.
"When do we start?" Izuku asked, voice barely above a whisper but carrying the weight of absolute commitment.
All Might's grin was sharp enough to cut diamonds. "Tomorrow, at dawn. I hope you've been getting adequate sleep, because that luxury is about to become a distant memory."
They walked home in companionable silence, both lost in contemplation of the impossible day. Izuku clutched a training schedule that looked more like a medieval torture manual, while Nova tried to process the reality that he'd just witnessed the most important moment in fictional history.
"He did it. He actually did it. One For All has found its successor, and I was here to see it happen."
But beneath the elation lurked a growing certainty that everything was about to become infinitely more complicated. All Might's training wasn't just physical conditioning—it was preparation for inheriting the greatest power in the world. And somehow, Nova had just been invited along for the ride.
"Nova," Izuku said suddenly, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to look at his friend with eyes that held depths of gratitude deeper than oceans. "Thank you. For suggesting the beach, for training with me, for... for being there when I needed someone to believe in impossible dreams."
Nova felt his throat tighten with emotion that had nothing to do with system mechanics or timeline management. "We're friends, Izuku. That's what friends do."
As they reached the train station, Nova caught Izuku stealing glances at the training schedule, expression cycling between terror and anticipation. Tomorrow would bring pain unlike anything either of them had experienced. But it would also bring them one step closer to becoming the heroes this world desperately needed.
"Ten months until UA. Ten months until Izuku inherits One For All. Ten months to become strong enough to stand beside the Symbol of Peace without getting everyone killed."
The mathematics felt impossible, but Nova had learned to trust in the power of consistent effort applied over time. They'd cleared half a beach with nothing but determination and mutual support. How much harder could it be to forge themselves into heroes?
All Might's laughter echoed in his memory like a promise and a threat combined: "What's coming will test both of you in ways you cannot possibly imagine."
Nova smiled and stepped onto the train, ready to find out exactly what the Symbol of Peace considered adequate preparation for changing the world.
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