April 20, 2404 — Musutafu Public Park, Japan
"So... what's the deal with you and that other kid?"
Sage turned her head to look down at the smaller boy walking beside her. After healing the other kid back at the tree, the two had wandered away from the clearing toward the edge of the park. Now they stood atop an old wooden bridge, its weathered planks creaking softly beneath their feet.
Izuku looked away sheepishly, focusing on his feet as a blush crept up his face. Suddenly, a burst of steam washed around him. Worry bloomed like a heavy weight in his stomach as he spun around quickly, imagining a potential villain attack.
He backed up against the edge of the bridge, wooden railing pressing into his spine as he peered anxiously into the steam cloud.
"Sorry about that, Izuku. That happens occasionally," came a male voice from within the mist.
Izuku tensed further. A hand cut through the cloud and swished it away, revealing a boy about his age with black hair and purple eyes.
"W-w-w-who are you?" Izuku trembled as he raised his guard.
The boy looked confused for a few seconds before understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, don't worry about it, Izuku. It's still me—Sage."
Frowning, Izuku began mumbling to himself, arguing against the impossibility of the situation, his words tumbling over each other in an incomprehensible stream.
"Izuku, you're mumbling," Sage said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You should have seen me in this form when I confronted Explodey. Speaking of the guy with the attitude, you still didn't answer my question."
Izuku closed his mouth, his gaze drifting to the river flowing beneath the bridge. He sighed, gathering his thoughts before speaking.
"The kid—Katsuki Bakugo—is one of my oldest friends. We just had a small disagreement. He didn't mean it."
Sage frowned, studying the skinny boy beside him. "I hate to break it to you, Izuku, but that isn't how you treat a friend. After that last explosion, you would have been scarred for life if I hadn't healed you."
Izuku's face twisted, looking like he wanted to object, but after a moment's thought, his shoulders slumped and he broke eye contact. "It's fine. I'm quirkless, so he's allowed to act like that."
Annoyance flashed across Sage's face as he grabbed hold of Izuku's shoulders, turning the boy to face him directly.
"That isn't a healthy mentality, Broccoli. Just because you lack a quirk doesn't mean others can physically abuse you."
Izuku's eyes welled with tears as he shied away. "B-b-b-but all the adults and teachers say Kacchan's in the right, that I should keep my mouth shut because I'm quirkless."
Tears spilled down his cheeks as he trembled slightly. Sage gazed at him with a complex mix of emotions.
'I knew the bullying was bad in canon, but this is really bad. It shouldn't have even been a few months since he was diagnosed.'
"Izuku, those adults are wrong," Sage said firmly. "A quirk doesn't define a person. You still deserve friends and some basic decency. If you ask me, what those adults are doing is illegal—there are laws against discrimination."
Izuku sniffled and wiped his eyes, a small glimmer of hope appearing within his emerald pupils. "Really? You're not lying, right?"
"Yeah, I've got no reason to lie to you," Sage said, patting him on the shoulder. "I already consider you a friend, and it would be cruel to lie to you."
Izuku's eyes gleamed as his mouth hung slightly open. "You... consider me a friend?"
"Yup." Sage nodded, maintaining firm eye contact. "Do you want to be my friend?"
Pouncing on the opportunity, Izuku instantly responded, "Yes! Um... I mean, I would like it if you were my friend."
"Great! Then from now on, you're my first friend." Sage smiled widely and turned to continue walking down the bridge. A soft electronic ding rang through his head as he called over his shoulder, "Come on, Broccoli. I've got to find a phone to contact my mom."
Izuku smiled sheepishly and hurried to catch up, staying just a little behind him.
Sage mentally called up the quest menu to check the notification:
[Side Quest: Make a Friend
Goal: Make a single friend within a week, bonus points for making multiple. 1/1
Optional: Protect and defend your friend 1/1
Reward: Skill — Appraisal, 10xp, A Friend, Skill — The Power of Friendship]
[Skill - Appraisal
This skill analyses the properties of whatever the host targets, creating a clean, easy-to-read description. Works on quirks, objects, skills, and more.]
Ooh, I should use this skill on my other skill. I also have to see what the level up does.
"Analysis"
[Skill — The Power of Friendship
For every person that verbally agrees to be your friend, you get +1% stronger. This effect is exponential.
Current Friends: 1]
I'll check the rest of the stuff later. For now, I should get home.
Snapping back to reality, Sage continued along the cobblestone path, casually chatting with Izuku. In the distance, he noticed a woman entering the park while pushing a stroller.
"Wait here a second, Izuku. I'm going to see if I can borrow that woman's phone."
Shifting forms in a burst of steam, Sage transformed back into a fox-girl before approaching the woman. She gently tapped her on the hip.
"Excuse me, miss, could I borrow your phone for a moment? I've gotten lost and need to call my mom."
The woman looked down at the small fox-girl with concern. "Oh dear, are you okay? Here, you can borrow it." She crouched down to eye level and handed Sage her phone.
Sage gratefully took the device and quickly tapped in her mom's private number. The phone rang for a few seconds before being answered.
"Hello, who is this?" Her mom's worried voice came through the speaker.
"It's me, Mom. I'm at Musutafu Public Park on the far side of the city. Could you send someone to pick me up?" Sage fidgeted slightly as she explained her location.
For a few seconds, the only response was the sound of a relieved breath from the other end. Then Inari spoke. "I'm not even going to ask how you got there at the moment. Just hang tight for a few more minutes, and one of the drivers will come pick you up."
"Thanks, Mom." Smiling, Sage ended the call and returned the phone to the woman with a brief thank you before jogging back to where Izuku sat under a tree.
"I'm back. Someone should be here to pick me up in a few minutes," she said, the leaves casting dappled shadows over them both. "For future reference, do you have a phone number I can call?"
Izuku's brows scrunched in thought for a few seconds. Eventually, he seemed to remember something. "Um... you could probably call my mom's phone? Her number is **** *** ***."
Sage nodded, committing the number to memory. Just then, a black BMW rolled up outside the park. A well-groomed man in a neat black suit stepped out and moved around to the passenger side, scanning the area.
"Ah... that must be my driver," Sage said. "I'll see you around, Izuku. I'll remember to call you when I get home so you have my number. Bye!"
She waved goodbye and jogged toward the waiting car. Behind her, Izuku awkwardly returned the wave. As soon as she left his sight, he slumped slightly in relief, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"I talked to a girl..." he muttered to himself, then paused. "Wait—is Sage a girl or a boy?"
Unaware of her new friend's confusion, Sage climbed into the back seat of the car. The driver pulled away immediately, taking her home.
They crossed the city in a matter of minutes, reaching her family's extensive property. The driver stopped at the front door to let her out before departing.
As soon as Sage pushed open the door, she was ambushed by her mom. Inari swept her into a wide hug, lifting her clear off the ground.
"Oh, my sweet little Sage is back! I was so worried about you," Inari cried, tears pooling in her eyes as she spun Sage around in the air.
"M-u-m... ease up on the vice grip," Sage groaned, trying to wiggle free from her mother's monstrous embrace.
Inari gasped dramatically but only loosened her grip, refusing to put Sage down. Her gaze fell on the small fox girl in her arms, a menacing glint in her eyes.
"You worried me," she said, her voice deceptively sweet. "You're going to have to make up for all the stress you caused me, so we're off to the dojo."
Chuckling madly, Inari jogged off toward their home gym with Sage still in her arms. Looking over her mom's shoulder, Sage shot a desperate glance at the little robot silently floating behind them.
"'Scuse me, Hela, but could you add the number **** *** *** to your database and remind me to call it later?" she asked. "I made a new friend, and I promised to call them."
Helena nodded, displaying a green thumbs-up. "Sure thing, Sage! I'm glad you got home safe."
Sage smiled and looked back down at her mom's shoulder, a random thought occurring to her.
'Hmm, I wonder what'll happen if I... Analysis.'
Instantly, a small panel appeared to the side, covered in numbers and words:
[Analysis: Inari Durand
Gender: Female
Info: Inari is the CEO of Durand Industries, a multi-generational company that has been around since before the emergence of quirks. Inari is a doting mother who greatly cares for her family...
...She is extremely battle hungry.
Power Level:
Body: (C)
Mind: (C)
Soul: (C)
Quirk: Restoration
Inari's quirk is a mutation/emission type that gives her the physical appearance of a part fox woman. Her quirk allows her to channel her internal energy to heal herself or another; it can also restore stamina.
Evaluation — Inari is a capable fighter with great physical capabilities. Her fighting style is deadly, combining weapon mastery with physical prowess. In addition, she has a sharp mind hidden behind an energetic persona, her business acumen is among the top in the world.]
Wow, that is a lot of information. I'll make sure to look it over more closely next time. Still, I wonder how the power level scales?
Deep in thought, they finally reached the dojo where Inari set her down on the polished wooden floor. Sage absentmindedly walked over to the wall and grabbed a sword before moving to the centre of the room, her mind still processing the information she'd received.
Inari noticed the clear signs of distraction on her child's face. "Sage, what's on your mind?"
Sage turned her gaze to her mom with an analytical look. "Hey, Mom, how strong are you—physically, I mean?"
Inari's tail wagged sharply behind her as her face split into a wide grin, displaying her elongated canines. Suddenly, the air seemed to snap as she disappeared from her spot.
In an instant, she reappeared right next to Sage with her blade casually resting on her shoulder.
"Hmm, I think if I were to go all out, I could level a multi-story building in a single hit," she mused, "assuming I have enough room for a running start."
Sweating nervously, Sage's gaze trailed over to the blade on her shoulder, her mom's words barely registering.
With a burst of steam, Sage exploded into his male form. Inari's blade rose slightly due to the difference in their heights. Using his sword, Sage gently brushed off his mom's blade before stepping back.
"I couldn't even see you," he said, eyes wide with shock. "How did you get to be so fast?"
His gaze flitted between her current position and the spot where she had stood moments before.
Chuckling lightly, Inari stepped back and levelled her sword. Understanding she wouldn't respond until he engaged, Sage sighed and lowered into a fighting stance.
Inari dashed forward, her movements basic but faster than their usual sparring sessions. The sound of their blades meeting rang through the dojo.
"I'm fast because my quirk enhances my muscular structure," she explained between strikes. "Also, I've had years to train my speed. You could probably reach my level eventually."
Smirking, Sage parried her blow and turned first to the robot floating by the edge of the room, then back to Inari.
"Hela, can you record our fight for future review?" He glanced at his mother. "Mom, can you gradually increase the speed?"
HLN-A nodded, a small red dot appearing to indicate she was recording.
Inari, meanwhile, grinned like a fox as she dashed forward again, moving even faster than before. The gleam of her blade caught the light as she spoke.
"Sure. Let's go."