Chapter 5 – Six Months of Shadows and Light
Scene 1 – Foundations Forged
Six months had passed since the day two hopeful heroes began training beside the quiet waves of Dagobah Beach. What had once been a wasteland of rusted appliances and bleached plastic now looked almost new, the sand was clean and devoid of trash. Each dawn and dusk had been claimed by the rhythm of movement and determination — two young people testing their limits until exhaustion gave way to laughter.
Izuku Midoriya was not the same boy who had once flinched at the sight of his own shadow. His control had matured through sweat and instinct. The darkness now bent to his will in graceful arcs rather than chaotic bursts — blades, tendrils, and shields that flickered in and out of being with thought alone. The fear that his power might consume him had dulled, replaced by respect for his new found strength. The shadows were still restless, but now it felt less like a storm and more like a heartbeat echoing beneath his own.
Nerissa's progress was no less striking. The girl who was once hesitant and unrefined in the use of her light in combat had learned to weave its brilliance into precision. Her energy could now solidify into bands that deflected debris and deal pierceIng strikes, or shimmer into a healing glow that mended cuts in seconds. She had also toughened physically — her strikes were faster, her confidence steadier — yet she still carried that warmth that made each failure feel like part of the process.
Their training had become a ritual: mornings spent refining technique, afternoons practicing coordination, and evenings walking home side by side, sand clinging to their shoes and conversation flowing between laughter and comfortable silence. It was in those small, unguarded moments that something subtler than power had begun to grow.
Izuku often found his eyes lingering when Nerissa smiled after landing a perfect strike, and though she teased him for spacing out, a faint blush always crept across her cheeks when he praised her in return. Neither of them named what it was, it hung between them, unspoken but undeniable.
Yet beneath the gentle rhythm of their friendship, the future loomed close. UA's entrance date was only three months away, and All Might's words echoed in both their minds: "Control the flow before it controls you." The next stage would demand more than strength — it would test the training and power they'd both built under sun and shadow alike.
—Takoba Beach after 6 months —
The wind off the sea was warm that morning, carrying the faint scent of salt and a lack of machine oil or trashy smell. Izuku and Nerissa stood side by side at the edge of the beach, the horizon blurring into soft gold. What had once been a dumping ground was now spotless, a testament to their half year of work and growth. The sand was smooth, the waves calmer, as though even the ocean approved of their effort.
All Might stood behind them, his shadow stretching long across the sand. Though his smile was as radiant as ever, there was pride behind it now not just for Izuku, but for both of them.
"You've done well," he said, voice deep and confident. "Six months of discipline, sweat, and a ridiculous amount of broken equipment." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think it's time we gave you two a change of scenery."
Nerissa turned, eyes bright with curiosity. "A change of scenery?" she echoed, brushing a loose strand of dark-blue hair from her face. The morning light caught her eyes, that faint pink shimmer always made her seem to glow from within. "You mean—"
"Yes," All Might cut in with his usual dramatic flair, "U.A. itself! Principal Nezu and I agreed it was time you trained with proper tools, and under safer conditions."
Izuku's heart skipped. "We're really—?"
"—Going to U.A.," All Might finished with a grin, clapping a massive hand on his shoulder. "You've earned it, Young Midoriya. Both of you have."
The world seemed to tilt for a second. Izuku had dreamed of walking through those gates his entire life, but now… it wasn't just a dream. He could feel the faint hum of power beneath his skin, like the shadows themselves were whispering in excitement.
— U.A. University —
By the time they reached U.A., the morning had risen fully, sunlight gleaming off the training structures and metallic towers. The campus was even more massive in person — sprawling fields, towering dorm buildings, and reinforced test zones that shimmered with barrier tech.
Nerissa's mouth fell open as they stepped onto the main training field, the polished concrete gleaming with a shine. "This place… it's incredible," she murmured. "It's like a whole city built for heroes."
Izuku nodded, overwhelmed by the sight of it all, the weight of history, the promise of what could be.
All Might led them inside one of the primary training facilities, where sensors blinked in rhythm across the walls. "Welcome to Ground Gamma," he said proudly. "Here, your quirks can be tested, measured, and pushed — without fear of blowing up half the city."
Nerissa laughed softly. "You say that like it's happened before."
"Oh, more times than I'd like to admit," All Might replied with a grin.
Izuku took a deep breath, feeling the faint stir of darkness around his feet — his shadows responding to the energy in the air. He still wasn't used to how reactive they were, always listening, waiting for his command.
The first week of training at U.A. was grueling. Gone were the long, lazy afternoons at the beach; this was precision, pressure, and structure meant to build them into heroes. They ran obstacle courses while sensors tracked their quirks' output, studied energy levels readings under Nezu's sharp gaze, and sparred against combat drones equipped with dozens of attack patterns.
Izuku adapted quickly — his body became stronger, his mind sharper. He could now conjure shadows without needing darkness nearby, forming short-lived constructs that mimicked weapons or shields. They faded after a few minutes, but the fact that they obeyed his thoughts so perfectly filled him with pride.
Nerissa's light had become both art and armor. She'd learned to compress it, channeling her energy into dense spheres that could heal or explode and melt targets in a controlled flash. She'd grown in confidence too — her laughter brighter, her presence steadier.
All Might watched the two often from the sidelines, arms crossed and expression thoughtful. He saw more than potential — he saw echoes of the past. Nerissa's persistence reminded him of Nana Shimura, her optimism refusing to be dimmed even by failure. Izuku's intensity — that unrelenting need to improve — mirrored his own early days, back when he'd been little more than muscle and willpower.
Sometimes he caught them working together late after hours, silhouettes moving in sync across the simulation floor. Their quirks clashed and danced — shadow and light, devouring and illuminating one another, neither overwhelming the other. It was raw, imperfect, but beautiful.
They're finding their rhythm, he thought one evening, as they collapsed side by side after an especially long session. Not just as fighters, but as people.
Three months slipped by like a dream.
Each day brought a new level of mastery — Izuku's shadows stretching further, Nerissa's radiance growing purer. But power came with surprises.
During a combat test involving training drones, Izuku's strike shattered one clean in half — and the moment its wreckage hit the ground, the light around him shifted. The drone's broken form cast a shadow, but it didn't stay still. From the shadow rose slowly but shakily echo of its previous form but made purely of shadow.
Nerissa gasped. "Izuku… wh-what is that?"
He stared in stunned silence. The shadow didn't move like the drone, it was quieter, more fluid. Its edges pulsed faintly with the same energy that lived in his own darkness.
"I… I don't know," he breathed. "It's like it's alive…"
The construct turned its head toward him, then knelt. A silent gesture. Ÿalmost reverent.
All Might stepped closer, his voice low and calm despite the wonder in his eyes. "A new evolution, perhaps. A manifestation of dominance, of ownership over what you've defeated." He rested a massive hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Whatever it is, you must learn control. This could be the key to understanding your quirk's core abilities."
Nerissa crouched beside the shadow, studying it closely but not daring to touch. "It looks like…it's pledging loyalty," she murmured. "Like it recognizes you as…. Its king or something."
Izuku nodded, heart pounding. He could feel it — a link, faint but real. When he willed it, the creature dissolved back into shadow and merged with the ground again.
That night, he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt the quiet pull of the darkness beneath his bed — not menacing, but expectant. The shadows waited for Something.
— 3 Months Later U.A. training facility —
The air inside U.A.'s training facility pulsed with energy. The walls gleamed silver beneath the soft white under the fluorescent lights, reflecting the flashes of quirk-light that burst like fireworks from the floor. The sound of clashing metal echoed through the cavernous space, rhythmic and deliberate — each strike a test, each dodge a step toward mastery.
Izuku and Nerissa stood side by side, sweat dripping, hearts racing. The 3 months of constant training at U.A. had changed and reshaped them both again into something more refined. Their movements were sharper now — more measured, more confident. Izuku's control over the shadows had evolved from fleeting silhouettes to tangible extensions of his will, dark tendrils that could protect, attack, and manipulate their surroundings. Nerissa, on the other hand, had refined her energy manipulation into something more precise and fluid as well as more powerful.
Across the room, All Might watched quietly, arms crossed, his hair tufts flicking faintly from the hum of the air vents. His presence commanded the room. His sharp eyes flicked between the two, measuring every motion.
"You've both come a long way," he said at last, voice deep with pride. "But there's one more test before we move to advanced training. You'll face the Knight Drone."
The mechanical vault in the far wall opened with a grinding hiss, and out stepped something far more intimidating than the usual practice bots. The machine stood taller than All Might himself — nearly three meters of blackened steel. Its armor was sculpted to resemble an ancient knight, complete with a segmented visor and a large steel blade that mixed technology with energy and shimmered a ghostly blue.
Nerissa's eyes widened slightly. "That… doesn't look like a training drone."
All Might smiled faintly. "It isn't. It's a combat unit — used for professional hero testing. You'll be fine as long as you fight smart."
Izuku's heart hammered, not from fear but anticipation.
"All right," he said, glancing at Nerissa with a grin. "Let's see what we can do."
She nodded, smiling softly despite the sweat on her brow. "Don't get reckless."
"I'll try not to."
The fight began with an explosion of sound.
The Knight Drone lunged forward, its sword slicing through the air in a glowing arc. Izuku barely sidestepped, his shadow splitting into 4 tendrils that shot upward, wrapping around the blade. The drone wrenched free with mechanical force, spinning to strike again, but Nerissa's energy burst slammed into its chest, sending it staggering backward.
"Nice shot!" Izuku called.
"Focus, Izuku!" she shouted, though her grin betrayed her excitement.
Izuku thrust his hand forward, and a dark large spear erupted from his shadow, slamming into the drone's leg. The mechanical knight faltered, servos whining, but then its blade came crashing down again. Izuku threw up both arms instinctively, and the floor beneath him rippled like liquid darkness, forming a massive wall that took the brunt of the blow.
Sparks showered the room.
All Might's voice boomed from the observation deck. "That's it! Keep your rhythm! Control and adapt!"
Izuku gritted his teeth. Adapt, huh? Let's see how far I can push this…
He reached deeper into his quirk. The shadows at his feet grew denser, writhing like a living storm. For a brief second, the whole room dimmed — the lights seemed to flicker, the air heavier. The shadow walls he created snapped forward, constricting around the knight drone like the jaws of a beast.
But the machine countered — a shockwave of blue energy burst outward, blowing apart the shadows and hurling Izuku backward. He hit the ground hard, gasping.
"Izuku!" Nerissa sprinted over, kneeling beside him while applying some quick and light healing. "You okay?"
He coughed a little bit of blood, but smiled weakly. "Y-Yeah… just need a sec."
The knight drone turned toward them, mechanical eyes glowing crimson. Nerissa got up and stood in front of Izuku, hands glowing as she gathered her quirk energy. The heat shimmered around her, the faint scent of ozone in the air.
Izuku pushed himself up, breath steadying out. He watched her — the way her power flowed, how confident she'd become. It made something inside him tighten and warm at the same time. They weren't the nervous kids they'd been months ago. They were partners now — and maybe something more, though neither dared to say it out loud.
He stood beside her, cracking his neck and gave her a cocky smirk. "Let's finish this together."
"Right." She said as she looked at his face and had a light blush appear on hers as he joined her.
The two charged.
Their movements mirrored one another almost perfectly. Nerissa's energy lashed across the drone's chest, melting away chunks of armor, while Izuku's shadows surged in to exploit the openings, striking like a second heartbeat beside hers. Their quirks collided occasionally — not violently, but with a chaotic hum that sent faint ripples through the air, almost like static interference. It wasn't harmful… just unstable, as if the two powers hadn't yet learned how to exist fully side by side.
Still, together they overwhelmed the knight.
The final blow came when Izuku's shadow snaked beneath the drone's feet, pulling it down just as Nerissa's energy blast exploded against its core. The impact sent the mechanical knight crashing into the floor, smoke rising from its cracked armor.
Silence filled the training dome.
Nerissa raised her hand for a high five. "We did it"!!
Izuku grinned and stepped closer. "Yeah. We—"
He stopped. His quirk was still active — he could feel it pulsing beneath the floor. The shadow under the fallen knight was… different. Deeper. Thicker. It moved without his direct command, swirling like dark water waiting for release.
All Might watched from above, his expression unreadable.
Izuku took a hesitant step forward. "That's new…"
The shadow rippled again. His heart pounded, a familiar voice echoing faintly in his mind — not words, just instinct. A call.
He swallowed hard and whispered, "You're… still here, aren't you?"
The shadow seemed to respond, coiling tighter around the drone's body. He didn't understand why, but it felt right. Like this was something his quirk had been waiting for.
He raised his hand slowly, voice low but sure.
"Come forth."
The world went still.
The shadow beneath the drone erupted, covering the broken machine whole. Black tendrils curled upward like smoke, reforming, reshaping. The air buzzed with pressure, and Nerissa stepped back instinctively, eyes wide.
From the darkness rose a towering figure — clad in ornate black armor with blue highlights, eyes burning faint bright blue beneath a horned helm that had a red hair ornament sticking out. Its red cape fluttered without wind. For a long moment, it stood motionless, head bowed as if in reverence.
Then it knelt and planted its sword into the ground.
A pulse of dark energy radiated outward — not malicious, but powerful. It felt… loyal. Devoted.
Izuku's breath caught. "It… worked."
The knight raised its head slowly. No words came, but the emotion was clear — unwavering fealty. The shadow of the fallen knight was reborn under a new master.
Nerissa's hand trembled slightly and lightly gripped the sleeve of his shirt. "Izuku… what is that?"
He took a slow breath, looking at the towering form before him. Despite the intensity of the moment, his expression softened — almost gentle.
"I… I think it's the next step," he said quietly. "My shadow… my knight he feels more permanent than the others i summoned."
All Might finally spoke, awe creeping into his usually calm tone.
"So… this is what you've been unknowingly working toward," he said, smiling faintly. "The embodiment of your resolve."
Izuku looked down at the kneeling knight.
"…Then I'll name him Igris."
The shadow lifted its head again, faint light flickering through its visor as though acknowledging the title.
Nerissa smiled — small, proud, and a little nervous. "Igris, huh? Kind of fits."
Izuku scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "Heh… yeah, I guess it does."
All Might's laughter rumbled through the room. "Ha! Not bad, young Midoriya. Not bad at all! But remember — strength and heart must grow together. Power without purpose leads only to ruin."
Izuku nodded, glancing at Nerissa beside him. Her soft smile steadied him more than any pep talk ever could.
"I know," he said. "And I'm not alone havent been for a while." glancing at Nerissa with a soft smile.
The only response he received was a bright blush on her cheeks that went all the way down her neck and her turning away with her hands on her cheeks.
The training dome fell quiet again — the hum of the containment fields fading to a low thrum as the shadows beneath Izuku's feet settled. Igris stood silently, waiting. Loyal. Eternal.
All Might turned away with a satisfied grin.
"Good. Because the next step… will test everything you've built so far."
Izuku glanced at Nerissa, their shoulders brushing lightly as they turned toward the exit. She looked away quickly, cheeks pink, and he found himself doing the same.
For a moment, the room felt too warm, too still. Then, without meaning to, they both laughed — quiet, awkward, but comfortable.
And behind them, the shadow knight remained kneeling in the dim light, silent sentinel of what was yet to come.
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I need your readers' opinion. Should izuku get one for all or not should I give it to Nerissa.
If no one responds I'm gonna do something stupid like give it to mineta just to mess with yall or something