Chapter 1: Prelude to the Academia Epic
Chapter 1: Prelude to the Academia Epic
A man dreamt of the world's salvation.
A man chose the survival of his species.
I wished for a single person's happiness.
Shirou Emiya's life had been one long, cold hell. Found in the wreckage of Shinjuku, he was adopted by his savior, Kiritsugu Emiya. Shirou became the Mage Killer's son, and traveled by his side, helping Kiritsugu find a way to accomplish his dream. His dream to save the world.
France, Rome, Greece, London, Denver, Jerusalem, and Iraq. All of these places Shirou and Kiritsugu traveled, looking for the Holy Grail that would save the dying world. They failed in every location until their last one, Fuyuki. There, in a storm of darkness, Shirou found Miyu Sakatsuki. The Child of God that could grant wishes. Kiritsugu adopted her immediately, intending to sacrifice her to save the world.
However, Shirou grew close to the young girl. So when Kiritsugu passed away without fulfilling his dream, Shirou chose a new dream; to protect this young girl as his own sister. He raised her and cared for her, and with her own godlike power, she chose to be his sister. That oath, made under the starlit snow, was one of the most important days of Shirou's life.
However, that dream came crashing down. When Shirou took Miyu back to her ancestral home, they were discovered by Julian Ainsworth and his own sister, Angelica. Julian had once been Shirou's friend, but no longer. Now that Julian knew where the Child of God was, he kidnapped Miyu, bringing her away to serve as the cornerstone for his ritual to save the world. Shirou tried to stop this, and Angelica stopped him with the power of the King of Heroes.
Shirou almost fell into despair. He tried everything, everything he could to get into the Ainsworth stronghold. Nothing worked, and Shirou had to return home. Again, and again, trying to grasp the warmth of his life with Miyu.
Then, the path was open. Sakura Matou, Shirou's junior at the Archery Club, was one of the few normal pieces of Shirou's life. Yet, she knew of the Ainsworths' true self. She knew of the Holy Grail War, the ritual that those Ainsworths were going to use Miyu as a sacrifice for. She knew all of this.
She also knew how to save Miyu.
She thought that she had the Archer Card containing Gilgamesh's power. She planned to give it to Shirou, and allow him to fight and win the Holy Grail War with the overwhelming strength of that card. Sakura may have wanted Shirou to abandon that idea, and simply run away with her, but she knew in her heart the kind of man Shirou Emiya was.
Shirou Emiya chose to take the path to save his sister, and it cost Sakura her life. Her brother, an unknown Matou scion, attacked the Emiya household. Sakura tried to hold him off, but to no avail. She died, taking a hit meant for Shirou.
Not willing to lose everything, Shirou took hold of Sakura's last gift: a Class Card that was meant to be empty. A trash card, meant to distract the young magus girl. However, it was bonded to a counter-guardian. Shirou's own future self. By installing, Shirou gained the powers he needed to save Miyu.
Assassin, Caster, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, all these Players for the Holy Grail War were cut down by the power of that False Archer card. Even Saber, wielding the might of the King of Knights, was struck down by the might of a Broken Phantasm. Once that final piece fell, Shirou Emiya headed to Mount Enzo. There, resting in an underground cavern, rested the Holy Grail System.
Bypassing Julian Ainsworth with the strength of his "evil" convictions, Shirou Emiya arrived at the Altar of the Holy Grail. He presented the seven Class Cards to the Grail, all to make a simple wish. A wish from an older brother to protect his younger sister.
"I wish upon the Holy Grail. I pray you find a world where you won't have to suffer any longer. I pray that you meet kind people. I pray you find friends you can laugh with. I pray you find a warm, small share of happiness."
With these words, the Holy Grail took Miyu into itself, and prepared a journey to a Parallel World. Meanwhile, Shirou Emiya engaged in battle with the true wielder of the Archer Class Card. Angelica Ainsworth, who wielded the power of the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. Their battle would be taken into the Reality Marble of Shirou Emiya, Unlimited Blade Works.
And this is where our story branches. For one timeline, the Holy Grail would eventually take Miyu to a world with happiness. A normal world, where she could for a short time, become friends with Illyasviel Von Einzbern. A short time of normalcy, before the world of Magecraft would drag her back in. A small share of happiness.
But that is not this story. This story will go another path.
Miyu opened her eyes to see a bright, blue sky. She blinked, wondering where she was. As she sat up, she glanced around to find herself in a grassy field dotted with a variety of flowers. All shades of blues, reds, and yellows dotted the landscape. The ground itself was soft, and if one were to tell her that this was Heaven, she would believe it.
Standing up, Miyu could tell she stood out, with her black as night dress, given to her by the Ainsworths, contrasting against the summer day vibe of the scenery. Still, she didn't let it bother her, as she continued to look around, seeking any sign of intelligent life.
Miyu found it a bit to her left, as there was another young girl here. Dressed in a mint green dress with blonde hair, this stranger was hunched over what seemed to be a series of ponds, watching them intently. Before Miyu could say anything, the stranger perked up, and turned to face her. Her eyes were a pale blue and they greatly unnerved Miyu, causing her to step back.
"Oh, you are awake? That's curious, that doesn't always happen here," the girl smiled at something that amused only her, "Well then, perhaps things will be more interesting." She fully stood up, and brushed off the grass that had accumulated on her dress. Once satisfied with her appearance, she faced Miyu and gave her a small curtsy, "Hello, Miyu Sakatsuki. I am Manaka Sajyou, and I am the operator of the Holy Grail System."
"Operator? I thought that's why the Ainsworths wanted me? I was their Holy Grail, the tool they searched for five years," Miyu started off cool-headed, but as the confusion set in, she struggled to hold back her anger, "Why would they kidnap me if they had you?"
Manaka cocked her head to the side, "It's simple. You are the Vessel for the Holy Grail, but without a control system, your will would override any wishes that the Ainsworths would be able to use. As such, the Ainsworths allied themselves with my family, the Sajyous, and with the Makiri, to create the Holy Grail War. The Makiri had the means to bind both Heroic Spirits to the Class Cards and any Vessels to the system, while my family was strong in this land, so we could create the forge needed. I was used as a sacrifice by my father to guide all the Vessels to answer the Ainsworth wish."
Miyu was obviously aghast, "And how many of these... Vessels," she spat out the world, hating how dehumanizing it was, "did you lead to sacrifice themselves like you?"
"None." Manaka's simple answer stopped Miyu's tirade in her tracks. "You are the first Vessel to make it this far. Every other Vessel died in the previous battles, and even caused exceptional damage like the last Holy Grail War five years ago. It's why Darius wanted to reduce the combatants to his dolls and claim victory for himself." Manaka glanced back down at one of the ponds at her feet, "You have to admit, your brother did well. Ruining the plans of a man who lived thousands of years is quite the impressive feat. And he did it with his own power, well, sort of," Manaka laughed at another joke that was amusing to herself, it was getting irritating, "Regardless, you should be proud of him. While a fake hero, he does possess genuine heroic instincts. He reminds me of a gallant knight, seeking to save his princess."
Miyu's face blushed at Manaka's expression, before shaking it off and asking, "So, you're supposed to get me to grant the Ainsworth wish, right? How are you planning on doing that?" Miyu glanced aside, remembering Darius's words about her true nature as a Child of God, that she was a wish granter of immense power, but that power would decrease as she grew older. "I don't even know how to use the power everyone thinks I have."
"Well, you are wrong on two counts," Manaka stated, swaying side to side, "First, I'm not going to get you to follow what the Ainsworths want out of you. I allowed myself to be a sacrifice for my own goals, and at this point, my objectives and theirs are too different. I much rather have your brother's wish granted, so I was actually looking for a worldline that would fulfill his requirements." She turned back to the ponds, causing Miyu to finally step forward and look into them.
They weren't ponds. They seemed that way physically, but the surface didn't reflect the two young girls' faces, but rather, of images of other worlds. Miyu blinked, stunned at the large variety of images and scenery she was seeing. "These... are alternate Worlds?"
"Yup. Since that old coot Zelretch helped found the Holy Grail War here in this worldline, it has partial access to the Second Magic. I can use the mana reservoir your brother earned from the Class Cards to observe and pick out the worldline you'd be happiest in. Pretty neat, right?"
Miyu slowly nodded, "And the second thing?"
"Right, the second thing. You do know how to use the power you were given. It's native to your family, it's instinctual. You've even already used it." Manaka looked right into Miyu's eyes, "I have to say, that shade suits you."
That night... Miyu recalled that starry night, when she wished to become Shirou's actual biological sister. The next day, in the mirror, her ruby red eyes had changed to become more of an amber color, the same as her brother. "I still don't know how I did that."
"Just focus on that feeling, and imagine the world that you want to live in. Once I find a world that mostly overlaps with that image, I can send you there, and you will live a small, happy life there. No need to worry about anything here." Manaka smirked, "You are given the opportunity of a lifetime, so don't waste it."
Miyu looked at Manaka, the strange girl's words rubbing the Child of God the wrong way, "What about my brother? What will happen to him?"
Manaka bit her lip, then pulled Miyu over to a different pond. In it, the image was that of a snow covered field, with countless swords scattered about. Miyu gasped as she saw her older brother, Shirou Emiya, race at Angelica, with their swords being blasted at each other.
"Just like how we aren't in the same reality as the normal world anymore, so too are Shirou Emiya and Angelica Ainsworth. He's fighting to buy you time to escape to your new world. Your brother isn't coming with you."
The waning moon shone over the snow covered field as salvo after salvo of swords were countered immediately by their counterfeits. Shirou Emiya raced towards Angelica Ainsworth, pressing his advantage within the Unlimited Blade Works. Wielding Dyrnwyn, the sword of White-Hilt, Shirou counted every step as a small victory. Buying seconds upon seconds so that Miyu could escape this accursed worldline.
Blocking two swords that were aimed at his thigh and shoulder respectively, Shirou counter-fired seventeen more swords, right before they could exit the Gate of Babylon. The resulting explosion rocked the ground upon Angelica Ainsworth's feet, causing her next barrage to go wild. "He's a step ahead?" Angelica panicked, then summoned a bunker's worth of shields to protect herself, lining the outside with further portals from the Gate. The resultant volley wasn't accurate, but still dangerous.
"TOO SLOW!" Shirou cast aside Dyrnwyn and grabbed Naegling, one of the two swords wielded by Beowulf. A large slash ripped the golden treasures, sending them off errant directions. Continuing to follow the momentum, Shirou jerked his body with the slash, guiding around and over his shoulder to throw the mighty blade as a Broken Phantasm.
"With those treasures, that Heroic Spirit is no doubt a king. Someone who could thoughtlessly look down on someone like me, practicing a single technique. Someone with a duty to fulfill!" With the roar of metal, Shirou launched the Broken Naegling into the Ainsworth's bunker, shattering all of the treasures involved into golden dust. The shockwave caused Angelica Ainsworth to stumble further back, implanted rage from the Heroic Spirit marring her face.
Shirou didn't pay it any mind. As the two combatants shot another volley of Noble Phantasms at each other, he grabbed a bow with his left and the other sword of Beowulf with his right, Altering it to become an arrow. "At this range, with this arrow, I HAVE HER!" Shirou drew back the bow, and the second the explosion cleared, Angelica saw the Hound of the Red Plains being set against her.
"HRUNTING!"
The missile shot forward, seeking its prey with murderous rage. Angelica's eyes widened as she changed the Gates she had opened from an offensive formation to a defensive one, forming a bladed wall that resembled snarled teeth. That wall did little, as once the blade impacted the wall, the Hound diverted along the wall's side, seeking entry. It slipped past the edge, ready to pierce right into the Ainsworth!
Only to be Displaced thirty meters into the air. Shirou's eyes went wide as the bladed wall rearranged itself, so that the majority of the Babylonian treasures were fired upon him while a handful of others were fired upon the Broken Phantasm. Hrunting was shattered in the air, and Shirou only managed to barely leap back and counter with Moralltach and Beagalltach.
" Spatial Displacement, the magecraft that they used to protect their mansion... of course they can use it as a personal shield! " Shirou berated himself silently as he prepared to counter Angelica's next volley of Noble Phantasms. " That's fine, I'm sure I can find some Anti-Magecraft Noble Phantasms here. I'll only have one shot, so it'll need to be a sure thing. "
Firing off another volley, Angelica bellowed "DO NOT MAKE LIGHT OF THE AINSWORTHS!" Shirou returned fired and countered with twin Celtic swords until they shattered. Angelica snarled out another demand, "SURRENDER NOW, AND LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS!"
In response, Shirou smirked, twirled around another golden projectile shot at him, and called forth a spear to his right hand and shield in his left. Forged in ancient Greece, they served the Spartan King who refused to back down against the face of overwhelming odds against his people.
"Come and get them." Shirou charged, his swords flying alongside him. Angelica snarled as she brought a golden ax to bear against his shield. The resulting clash of metal signaled that the fight was far from done...
"No, no, no no no!" Miyu cried out, stunned at the words Manaka had just uttered. At the very concept she was trying to imply, "I'm not going to leave my brother behind here!"
"Why not?" Manaka tilted her head to the side. "It is his wish, after all. To save you now, he has stepped all over his ideals of justice. The Law of Equivalent Exchange is central to mages. To save you, he cannot save himself." Manaka shook her head, "It's the prerogative of the older sibling to protect the younger." Manaka then stared right into Miyu's eyes, pale blue meeting ember brown in their intensity. "Now, you must pick the worldline. If you don't, this whole effort will be wasted."
Miyu broke eye contact and took a deep breath. It wasn't with Manaka she was upset with. It was the situation. She looked at the various ponds again. None of them called out to her. Even as the surface water showed her in some sort of happy situation, even surrounded by friends, Miyu could tell in her own eyes. She missed her big brother. He hadn't fulfilled his promise to bring her to the beach...
"No, I'm not giving up on him. You want equivalent exchange? I'll give you equivalent exchange. I'd give up a happy world without my big brother for any world that has him in it." Miyu stood firm, gazing back at the Holy Grail's operator. Manaka simply gazed back, an endless abyss hiding behind the facade of a small girl.
"Are you sure you want to take this gamble? There is less than a ten percent chance this deal works out for you. The most likely scenario is that your brother fails to defeat Angelica Ainsworth, and then everything is lost. Your brother will be executed, and you will be sacrificed for a cause you know nothing about." Manaka's words were firm, the voice of the judge handing down a dire sentence, "I will not help you beyond the outcome of this fight."
"That's fine. I will have no regrets. This is the only path for me." Miyu stated with certainty, causing Manaka's smirk to reappear. That was getting annoying. Setting that feeling aside, Miyu took a deep breath, focusing on the feeling Manaka had talked about earlier. The power of her lineage, the Wishcraft granted to the Child of God, surged through her body. "What do I need to do to save my brother?"
"The single path that can get you both out of this is simple." Manaka stated simply, "Remind your brother you need him. If your connection is strong enough, he'll find the path to victory. If not, this will all be for naught."
Miyu nodded, then focused on that thread. That connection she made that night, when she made her wish upon the stars. That thread that had poured the energy needed for Shirou to fight this Holy Grail War. The power that continued to fuel the elder Emiya sibling in his fight against the elder Ainsworth sibling.
Big Brother! Please, please come back to me, big brother. Please, I need you...
Axe against shield. Spear against gauntlet. Swords against swords. Each blow was a cacophony of metal and thunder. As Shirou and his foe kicked back to gain space, he began a fast analysis.
Why didn't she use Displacement to block those strikes just now? Does she have a cooldown before she can use it or... Shirou narrowed his eyes at Angelica's sneer. Another barrage was fired from the Gates of Babylon, which Shirou countered and took off running around the Ainsworth. No, it's the ego of the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh is forcing her to use the treasures within the Gate to beat my fakes. The only attacks that she'll Displace are the ones that are sure to hit, like Hrunting. I need to find a way to force her to use Displacement, then beat that!
Battering aside a few projectiles, and ignoring the wounds two of them caused on his legs, Shirou started to go through the mental list the Counter-Guardian EMIYA had of every weapon within this steel factory. But, the second he did...
Big Brother!
"Miyu!?" Shirou gasped, wondering where her voice came from. Was she safe? She should be within the Grail, and Shirou had deployed his Reality Marble to fight Angelica... could Julian have slipped by him? What happens when someone enters the area where a Reality Marble was deployed? Shirou tried to remember Kiritsugu's lessons, but the answer wasn't coming to him. He was too caught up in the hypotheticals of why Miyu had called out to him...
"PLAYTIME'S OVER!" Angelica roared, immediately Displacing the ex-Ally of Justice into the air, just as she had done with Hrunting. Then, she reached out to the sides, and used two golden portals to unsheathe giant blades beyond the size of what mortals could use. "COME, IG-ALIMA, SUL-SAGANA!" The Cleaving Mountain Sword roared as it slashed at its foe, matched in fury by the Cleaving Ocean Sword.
Damn! I lost focus. There was no time to be distracted by whatever he heard. Shirou needed to defeat Angelica here and now, then find out why his sister was calling out to him. Pushing his circuits beyond his capability, Shirou roared out as he Traced the two Divine Constructs.
It was sloppy. The work done to imitate the twin swords of Zababa would have infuriated the ancient god. Nevertheless, the hollow swords did their work, and held off the assault of the originals as Shirou ran across their length, making sure to land safely amongst the wreckage of the clash, the flames from the two Sul-Saganas hiding him from view.
Please, come back to me, Big Brother!
"I will, Miyu, I will," Shirou swore an oath to himself, he will come out of here to see her. He felt Angelica channel her mana into something behind him, and when he turned he saw that his oath might have a slight complication.
To call that thing a sword would be a disgrace to it. It had a hilt, and a blade, made of three opposing cylinders. But the Sword that Split Star from Creation was far beyond mortal comprehension. Shirou had pulled a miracle tracing two Divine Constructs. He would not be repeating that feat with this thing.
"Though they may have been cheap imitations, you still managed to project those Divine Constructs and maintain this Reality Marble," Angelica intoned, her words carrying a begrudged respect, "Your existence is flawed. You may prove to be a hindrance to the Last Legend we have written and put into motion for Humanity. Your irksome abilities, your strange use of magecraft, and your abhorrent self-destructive conviction... THEY WILL BE TORN TO PIECES WITH YOUR WORLD!"
Abhorrent self-destructive tendencies, huh? Yeah, Shirou did not factor his own survival into this when he embarked on this war. This crusade, not of justice, but of love and salvation for his little sister. As long as she was safe and happy, he could die. But...
Please, I need you
Miyu did care if he lived. She would be sad if he died. So that meant he could not die here. He had stopped living for his own sake a long time ago. But when he made the promise to be Miyu's big brother, he had chosen to take a big responsibility.
"Wow, I'm honored you'd bring something like that out just for me." Shirou slowly said, as Angelica continued to charge up the ultimate Noble Phantasm. "There's no sword in this world that can stand equal to it." A plan came to mind, a reckless plan that only had a small chance to work...
Do it.
"So, it'd be rude of me to keep all of these fakes on stage. Let us grant that Sword the star of the show!" Shirou called out, and did the last thing Angelica Ainsworth expected him to do.
He released Unlimited Blade Works.
Angelica's field of view flashed white, and before she knew it, she was back in the dark cavern, the only light being that of the Holy Grail working to grant that Faker's wish. He was unable to hold out for any longer against me, huh. No matter, I will use Enuma Elish, destroy the Faker, and...
Angelica realized where they were. They were right back to where the fight started, with Shirou Emiya in between herself and the Holy Grail. She would destroy him if she used her trump card, but the vast energy contained wouldn't only destroy the faker, it would spread out and destroy the whole cavern. She glared at the Faker, who smirked, then took off running at her, hiding his arms behind his back.
" MONGREL! " the Ainsworth daughter snarled, as she went to stash away Ea. But the Sword was angry. It was drawn out by one who was not truly the King of Heroes. It was only by technicality that allowed it to be drawn at all. Now that it had been called forth, it WILL be used. It demanded it.
Angelica, for the first time since the Child of God had been found, was truly panicking. It surprised her to realize she could still feel this amount of emotion. But when one was holding the ultimate bomb, one's survival instincts would ensure these emotions were felt, she reckoned. She glared at the rushing villain who had ruined everything, then a plan formed.
Displacement. She'll wait until Shirou Emiya was right before her, then she would Displace him behind her and blast him there. The excess energy wouldn't be caught up in the cavern, it could escape down the tunnel. Mount Ryuudou would have its dragon once more.
Five meters away, Four meters, three meters, now! The second Shirou stepped within two meters of Angelica, she activated her Displacement field, ready to throw him behind her. But before she did, the Faker threw his left arm... and Angelica froze upon seeing his latest projection.
Rule Breaker. The Noble Phantasm of Medea of Colchis. The Heroic Spirit of the Caster Class Card that was given to the Doll of Atrum Gallasta to be disposed of in the Holy Grail War. He had fallen to Shirou Emiya, but clearly either he or that Heroic Spirit within him had seen that blade.
Angelica knew exactly what the Destroyer of All Talismans does. So when Rule Breaker made contact with the Displacement field, Angelica wasn't surprised to feel it shatter and rend itself. She was only mildly surprised when Shirou's left hand joined with his right, holding another copy of Rule Breaker. Before she could react, Shirou took both hands and stabbed Rule Breaker right below her golden necklace, and severed the Installation of the Archer Class Card.
Shirou Emiya had won the Holy Grail War. After a thousand years, the Ainsworths were left with nothing. Now in her sweater and skirt, Angelica could do nothing but fall to her knees. She idly watched as the Class Card flittered above her, before the Faker, no, the Victor grabbed the Class Card, turned to the Holy Grail, and threw the Class Card into the system, providing it with more power to grant Shirou's wish.
"How? How could you have won?" Angelica groaned out, "We have worked for a thousand years. Scraping together the plan for the Last Legend, to save the world..."
Shirou Emiya turned back to her, a gentle grimace on his face, "Because I had to protect my little sister. Don't you feel the same way towards Julian?"
"I am a Doll," Angelica responded, and continued when Shirou's eyes lit up in understanding, "I have lost almost all of my emotions. I only had my purpose to fulfill the Ainsworth's will."
Shirou looked down, his expression grim, "I see. That's why you lost. My singular focus was to protect Miyu. You did what you were told, even as your heart cried out to protect Julian."
Angelica didn't respond. Maybe he was right. Maybe he was projecting his own thoughts on the matter. Maybe he was just justifying to himself as to why his victory was moral and just, when it had in fact doomed the world. "What will you do now, Victor of the Holy Grail?"
Shirou sighed and glanced around, "I don't know. I thought for some reason that Miyu was calling out for help, but no one else is here. Did Julian return to your mansion?" Angelica nodded, and Shirou responded in kind, "Yeah, so there seems to be no threat. Unless she needs me in her new world, I guess I'll stay-"
Before Shirou could finish that thought, a golden chain shot out of the Holy Grail, wrapping around Shirou Emiya's wrist. A second later, another one wrapped around Angelica's. The two former rivals looked at each other, then yelped as they were pulled into the Holy Grail. The Grail then brought all of the light within the cavern into itself, winked, and vanished, taking its passengers off to a new world...
It was the dark hours of a Sunday Morning in mid January. A door on a specific apartment opened up, then closed, with keys being inserted to lock it back up. Those keys were being held by a young man, dressed in a light green jacket and matching sweatpants. He wore red shoes and had untamed green hair.
Here's the sad truth. All men are not created equal. When I was four years old I learned some kids had more powers than others. After all, this is a superhuman society, where 80% of the world had a meta-ability called a quirk.
The young man hurried down the staircase, quickly swiping on his phone to find what he wanted. He skipped over music tracks, self-help audio-books, and settled for Present Mic's show, a Pro-Hero who also ran a radio show. He was interviewing two Pro-Heroes that the young man wanted to hear more about. Hitting play on the show, the young man put in his earbuds and pocketed his phone. He got to the sidewalk outside his apartment, and started stretching while the musical ads played.
Chaos and confusion engulfed the world at the appearance of these powers, and a new profession emerged: Pro-Heroes. I had always grown up wanting to be one, but I was born without an ability, I was born Quirkless.
The young man got into starting position, stretched back, and the second Present Mic did his standard intro, "GOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOORRRRNNNNIIIINNNNGGG LISTENERS!" the young man took off like a speeding bullet. He made sure to focus his movements properly, just like his mentor taught him. He smiled at the various people he ran by, trying to make sure his smile was wide and reassuring.
But that won't hold me back. If anything, that pushes me to do better. Even with my luck in life, I got to meet the number 1 hero, All-Might! We had a tough conversation, but after an incident that was kinda my fault, he tracked me down. He told me that I inspired him to act, to save the day, even with his limitations. He even told me...
The young man slowed down for a second, having come to a red light at the crosswalk. Even while he waited for the light to go green, he kept moving, listening idly as Present Mics interviewed the Number 3 hero and his mentor. The light turned to match the young man's color scheme, and he took off running again, pushing to make sure his lungs were burning.
Nowadays, I'm working hard to train my body to enter U.A. Academy, the premiere school in Heroics. All-Might has me working on Takoba Beach, to make sure I'm doing service alongside my physical training. I like it! It's a good feeling, knowing that my training isn't only benefiting me, but the community around me.
As the young man kept running, he looked up to the early dawn sky. He noticed two shooting stars flashing overhead. Smiling, and making the same wish he had for over thirteen years, he lowered his head and pushed even harder.
Dreams can become reality. Oh by the way, my name is Izuku Midoriya, and this is the story of how I became the world's greatest hero!