ROLL CALL!!!
YOU KNOW THE DRILL, EVERY 250 PS = 1 EXTRA CHAPTER!
I DONT HAVE A PATREON SO IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT READ MY OTHER STORY: MY SCUMBAG SYSTEM
***
Isaiah's heartbeat thundered in his ears as Tsukauchi's hand remained extended across the table, patient and unavoidable. The detective's rectangular eyes held his gaze with professional politeness, but Isaiah recognized the look of a man who never took no for an answer.
"It's just a formality," Tsukauchi added, his voice reassuring. "My Quirk allows me to verify truthful statements."
A lie detector. A touch-based lie detector.
I'm cooked.
He glanced at Kaori, whose red eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction. Her wolf ears perked forward attentively, and her tail gave an almost imperceptible swish behind her. The message was clear: she knew she had him cornered.
"Go on, sweetie," Inko encouraged from the kitchen, smiling warmly. "Then these nice officers can see you've done nothing wrong."
Each word from his mother tightened the noose. Isaiah's options collapsed around him with terrifying speed.
ARCAN! he screamed internally. SOLUTION! NOW!
『There is no solution,』 Arcan replied, her tone unusually grim. 『His Quirk produces absolute results. You are, in technical terms, completely screwed.』
BULLSHIT! Isaiah's mind screamed back. There's always an angle. What about my abilities? What do they do?
While maintaining an outward appearance of polite confusion, Isaiah desperately scrolled through his mental interface. Firebreath—useless against a lie detector. Silent Steps—equally worthless. His gaze landed on Mysticism, and he frantically scanned its upgrade path.
Level 2: Arcanum Interface—useless. But Level 3: Vestige Resonance caught his attention. Grants resistance to mental and soul-based Quirks. Upon physical contact, the user can "jolt" the target's Quirk Factor, causing a momentary [Silence] effect (2 seconds, 5 minute cooldown).
Can that work on him?
『Theoretically?』 Arcan sounded hesitant. 『It might create interference—like static on a phone line. But the AP cost is astronomical. You can't afford a Level 3 upgrade right now!』
DO IT! Isaiah commanded instantly. LEVEL UP MYSTICISM TO LEVEL THREE. ALL OF IT. NOW.
His finger mentally slammed the confirm button. The interface flashed:
[1500 AP DEDUCTED]
A rush of cold energy poured through Isaiah's body, not the triumphant surge of power he expected but a psychic exsanguination. It felt as if someone had jammed an icicle into his spine and was draining his very essence. He nearly gasped aloud, biting his tongue hard enough to taste blood.
But then his perception expanded. Suddenly, he could see it—the gentle, pulsing green aura of his mother's minor telekinesis Quirk, the predatory crimson hum surrounding Kaori, and the steady, unwavering golden thrum emanating from Tsukauchi's hands. This new sense overwhelmed him momentarily before settling into clarity.
Isaiah reached out, his hand now steady, and took Tsukauchi's. "Of course, Detective. I have nothing to hide."
Their hands clasped, and faint red-yellow sparks crackled around the connection.
Tsukauchi smiled professionally. "Let's start simple. Is your name Izuku Midoriya?"
"Yes."
"Are these pancakes your mother made delicious?" Tsukauchi continued.
Isaiah took another bite, genuinely appreciating the fluffy texture. "They're the best."
Tsukauchi's eyes sharpened slightly. "Midoriya-kun, do you have a fire-breathing ability?"
"Yes. I do." Isaiah answered plainly.
Inko's fork clattered onto her plate. "Izuku?! What are you talking about?"
Isaiah turned to his mother, face transforming into a perfect blend of apology and excitement. "It... it happened after the sludge villain incident, Mom. I wanted to be sure it wasn't just temporary before telling you."
The reaction was instant. Inko's eyes welled with tears, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh, my baby! My baby has a Quirk!" She rushed around the table to throw her arms around him, sobbing with joy against his shoulder.
Tsukauchi waited patiently for the emotional moment to subside, his grip on Isaiah's hand never wavering. "One last question, son," he said when Inko finally returned to her seat, still sniffling happily. "Have you, at any point in the last month, gone out at night and assaulted criminals with a baseball bat?"
This was it. The moment of truth—or rather, the moment to subvert truth. As he prepared to speak, he focused on the golden thread of energy he could now perceive flowing through Tsukauchi's hand.
There.
With a mental push, Isaiah plucked at the detective's Quirk Factor, sending a tiny jolt of disruption through the connection. The red-yellow sparks around their hands flickered violently, turning staticky for a split second.
"No, sir, I've never assaulted anyone. My only goal is to get into U.A. and become a hero, just like All Might."
Tsukauchi blinked. His brow furrowed slightly. His eyes searched Isaiah's face carefully.
"I see." Tsukauchi finally released Isaiah's hand. "It seems you're telling the truth."
The tension in the room instantly deflated. Inko beamed through her tears. Tsukauchi pulled out a small notebook and wrote something down. But Kaori stood rigid, her red eyes narrowed to slits, staring at Isaiah with unmistakable suspicion.
"Well, Midoriya-kun," Tsukauchi said, standing up and tucking away his notebook. "Congratulations on your Quirk manifestation. Be sure to get it registered at the municipal office as soon as possible."
"I'll take him Monday after school," Inko promised, practically glowing with happiness.
"Thank you for your time and the breakfast," Tsukauchi said, bowing slightly. "Sorry to have disturbed your morning."
Kaori remained silent throughout the exchange. As they prepared to leave, she finally spoke. "Thank you for the hospitality, Midoriya-san."
The door clicked shut behind them. Isaiah slumped back in his chair, letting out a long, controlled breath. A triumphant notification appeared in his vision:
[EMERGENCY QUEST: THE PREDATOR BECOMES THE PREY - COMPLETE!]
[REWARDS ISSUED: +1000 AP, TITLE: [ELUSIVE]]
"Izuku!" Inko grabbed his hands across the table, her eyes shining. "Why didn't you tell me? How long have you known? What can you do? Oh my goodness, we need to call Dr. Tsubasa right away!"
"Mom, Mom," Isaiah laughed weakly, the sound hollow to his own ears. "Can I finish my pancakes first? They're getting cold."
Inko returned, talking excitedly about appointment times and registration forms. Isaiah nodded along, his mind elsewhere.
"Can we see what it looks like?" Inko asked suddenly, her eyes bright with expectation. "Your fire breath?"
Isaiah set down his fork and smiled. "Sure, Mom." He cupped his hands in front of his mouth and focused on the heat building in his chest. A small jet of orange flame burst between his fingers, dancing for a few seconds before extinguishing.
Inko clapped her hands in delight, tears streaming down her face again. "It's just like your father's! Oh, Hisashi would be so proud!"
"I'm going to train hard," Isaiah promised, part of him oddly moved by her genuine joy. "I'll get stronger."
"U.A.," she whispered, covering her mouth. "You could really go to U.A. now!"
"That's the plan," Isaiah said.
After spending the rest of the day with Inko, Isaiah retreated to his room, locking the door behind him. He collapsed onto his bed and stared at his hands.
"Thankfully the quest gave good AP," he muttered, checking his interface. His AP count sat at 1020 points—all from the quest reward minus the 1500 for the upgrade, and his 20 leftover points from earlier.
『Plus, you got your Title: [Elusive]. That's not nothing.』
"What does it even do?" Isaiah asked, selecting the title in his interface.
[TITLE: ELUSIVE]
[EFFECT: +15% chance to avoid detection during stealth activities. +10% movement speed when being pursued. Cannot be detected by non-visual tracking methods for 5 seconds after breaking line of sight.]
Isaiah whistled low. "That last part could have been useful two weeks ago."
『It's useful now. 』
Isaiah nodded slowly, mind already calculating. "I need to rebuild my AP reserve. Fast. And I need to figure out how to deal with Detective Wolf permanently."
『What are you thinking?』 Arcan asked, her tone cautious.
Isaiah stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the clear blue sky. His reflection showed a green-haired boy with freckles and bright eyes—the perfect image of innocence.
"I'm thinking," he said softly, "that sometimes the best way to kill a hunt isn't to outrun the hunter. It's to make her think she caught the wrong prey."
He pulled up his quest log and smiled at the active entry:
["A Hero's Heart is a Janitor's Soul" - Progress: 6.2%/25%]
"Time to clean faster," Isaiah murmured. "We have a detective to fool and a U.A. entrance exam to prepare for."
He glanced at his remaining AP and made a decision. "Let's see what we can pull from the Gacha with 400 points."
『Are you insane?』 Arcan protested. 『After what just happened? You should be saving every point!』
"The best defense is a new offensive ability," Isaiah countered, opening the Gacha interface.
With a mental flick, he initiated a beginner 5-pull. The room darkened as a solitary blue star formed in the air before him, spinning slowly.
"Come on, Lady Luck," he whispered. "Show me you still care."