Author's Note 1:
At the beginning of this part, there is an interesting (for some) but somewhat tedious chunk of information about medicine and Japanese culture. If you're not into such "educational pages" and have no desire to read scientific popularization, feel free to skip a few paragraphs about "blood types" – they don't affect the plot but might help you understand the mentality of the Land of the Rising Anime and the symbolism of the chapter.
They took my case, measured Toga, borrowed Tokage's costume as a prototype, and asked her about the method of collecting, cultivating, and processing epidermal cells. Not wanting to waste time and taking a risk – leaving the not-so-happy girls to wait for the results together – I headed to the nurse's office.
"Setsuna will keep an eye on her, right?" I thought, not with much hope. Then I reassured myself: "Anyway, if any place is to blow up, this is the most appropriate."
Speaking of the nurse: after digging a bit more online, I found a fact I had previously overlooked – she's friends with Gran Torino. Who, in turn, was a former comrade of Shi, the Swift Heroine of the past who had powers of flight and great strength. A sort of ersatz version of Superman. This woman, who was reportedly an incredible beauty based on photos, disappeared under unknown circumstances, presumably in an explosion of unknown origin.
Why do I bring this up? Considering that Gran Torino is an ancient man himself and appeared in the anime to teach none other than Midoriya, I think my suspicions about Recovery Girl can be safely filed away and forgotten.
But why did I go to Recovery Girl? For many reasons!
I needed new syringes. It wouldn't hurt to treat a few scrapes and bruises from yesterday's fight with Kirishima. And I wanted to ensure that Toga wouldn't give me anemia.
Plus, I wanted to know the situation at the school regarding blood donation. Such volunteering was quite common in my previous life, especially among students, but how this works in a world full of Quirks and superpowers was unclear to me.
Meanwhile, blood types in Japan are quite a significant and peculiar topic.
The blood types in this Japan were the same: four based on antigens A and B, meaning O, A, B, and AB, and divided by the Rh factor, meaning the D antigen.
As far as I, a non-professional, understood, the blood group is determined by the presence of certain molecules, "antigens," on the surface of red blood cells, designated A and B. A person's blood can belong to one of four groups: if there are no antigens, it is group O, the first group; if there are only A molecules – group A, the second; if there are only B molecules – group B, the third; and if both A and B antigens are present – group AB, or the fourth.
These antigens don't affect much – until they come into contact with another person's serum. For example, if group A is transfused into someone with B, whose plasma contains antibodies against A, something horrible called "agglutination" happens. The donor's red blood cells begin to clump, bound by the alpha antibody. This leads to their destruction, releasing contents into the plasma – hemolysis. The recipient suffers from rising toxicity, jaundice, black urine, liver failure...
At some point in my preparation for a hero career, I thought this topic was important, so I studied it – to the best of my understanding.
But why is this important?
First, the obvious: in emergencies, such as disasters or battles with villains, where there is no access to purified red cell mass, direct blood transfusion from donor to recipient of the same group is still practiced. Or from the first group, whose plasma contains both antibodies, but the red blood cells lack antigens – the concentration of antibodies is usually too low to cause problems during a transfusion.
I have the first group, by the way – the ideal donor, whose blood can be transfused to any other group. Symbolic…
And secondly, in Japan, there is still a popular belief that a person's temperament is determined by their blood type. I always found this strange – in my previous life, I didn't even remember my own blood type.
However, here, everyone knows theirs, and it's impossible to avoid it – it's like zodiac signs in my past youth. For some unknown reason, many Japanese people, especially women, believe that the ABO system is a reliable way to predict personality traits, work performance, and even romantic compatibility.
Thank the kami-sama, most of my circle rarely brought this up – Yui, like me, found the topic silly and absurd, Setsuna had been around long enough to know our stance, Midoriya didn't believe in it either, and Toga's interest was purely gastronomic.
Mashirao, though, believed – which is why he ended up in Class B. Just kidding.
But my mom was a devoted believer in this notion and completely ignored my arguments. Although presenting serious arguments against the idea that a few molecules in a person's blood, which have no hormonal activity and aren't neurotransmitters, could influence temperament seemed funny in itself...
In the end, according to my mom's "horoscope," I came out confident, punctual, serious, goal-oriented, emotionless, and an annoying bore.
Well, there's a grain of truth in that, I guess.
***
The second half of Sunday in the entire building, except for the lair of tech fanatics, was quiet and empty. My footsteps echoed softly down the empty hallway. There was no one near the nurse's office either, the location of which I was familiar with from the entrance exams.
Approaching the door, I paused, raising my hand to knock, when I caught a snippet of conversation:
"...why didn't you stop him, All Might?"
I froze in place. The Number One Hero is here? Now?
This could only be about Midoriya.
Which meant... it involved me too...
I quickly glanced around. The office was in a secluded part of the building, and now, no one was around at all.
If they caught me eavesdropping, it wouldn't earn me any points, of course, but it would only bring embarrassment.
However, if I missed vital information due to such ethical concerns...
"Alright," I decided, carefully approaching the door, making sure not to creak any floorboards... Wait, what floorboards? The floor here is concrete, what am I even talking about? I pressed my ear to the door, keeping most of the hallway in my sight.
And listened closely.
"Forgive me, Recovery Girl," Toshinori rumbled apologetically.
"What are you apologizing for?!" the nurse snapped in her squeaky voice. Definitely a tsundere. "On top of his... exhaustion, he's already... here this week. I can't... heal... completely. I provided... immediate aid, but... it… insufficient. He spent the night here... and still... fully recovered, even with..."
Damn it, I can barely hear anything! And it's not even that important of a conversation.
I was already thinking about stepping back and knocking like a normal person when...
"... I know... he's your favorite, and... you passed your power to him... but that doesn't mean you... spoil him!"
Wait a second. She knows about that?
A cold chill ran down my spine.
I thought the Symbol of Peace's power was a state secret, known to maybe five people at most...
At least now it's clear that my suspicions about her are completely baseless. If they trust her with something like that...
"I can't answer that," said All Might. For some reason, I could hear him much more clearly. After all, he is younger. The voice of someone trained professionally, with lots of experience. "Because I wanted to take his feelings into account, I hesitated with ending the training match. But even so... Could you lower your voice when talking about One-For-All?!"
"Yes, yes, Mister… 'born hero.' Yes, yes, Mister 'Sym… Piece,'" the nurse shot back sarcastically, her voice more muffled, as if she had turned away.
All Might lowered his voice. It became harder to hear, but I pressed my ear even harder against the door, ignoring any precautions:
"This injury and my current form are known to many... the UA faculty and a select group of pro-heroes, but the secret... of One-For-All is known only to you, the principal... a friend, and young Midoriya."
Despite the tension and overall discomfort of the situation, I wasn't feeling guilt but rather excitement. I had finally... finally touched upon the central mystery of this world!
"I know you don't int… rest on your laurels... top the peak. But is it really… important to be a 'born hero' or the 'Symbol… Peace'?" asked the nurse, a hint of pain in her voice.
I was lost in thought for a moment, but All Might's answer snapped me back to reality:
"If I am not, society will be overtaken by evil," All Might said sharply. "It is the responsibility of those of us with this power. And if..."
He stopped.
Something quietly clicked.
Then I heard approaching heavy footsteps.
"Oh no, it's All Might coming to kill my ass!"
":)"
"I'm so dead!"
I did the only thing I could.
I knocked.
***
At the same time.
Medical office for students, first floor of the hero course department, main building of U.A. Academy.
Toshinori Yagi
When Toshinori realized someone was standing behind the door, it was already too late.
His heart clenched.
The most important secret was under threat — not just his own, but that of his successor, his teacher, and all his predecessors!
Shit.
"Relaxed too much, you old fool!" he mentally cursed himself, swiftly shifting into his hero form.
How could he have had a conversation like that without checking the surroundings first? It would have taken just a couple of seconds to listen, especially when in his hero form — as with any other characteristic of his healthy, previous body, Toshinori's hearing had been much sharper and would have immediately revealed if anyone was around. But no...
Scolding himself was pointless.
He stepped towards the door...
And then came the knock.
"Has he figured out he's been discovered?" The thought flashed through Toshinori's mind. He was never great at suspicion, after all, he'd always wanted to see the best in people from childhood.
Although, his professional career had somewhat beaten that teenage idealism out of him; Toshinori was no fool. In part, that's why he'd so desperately held onto the image of the Symbol of Peace. An image that, with every passing day, was becoming less of a reality and more of an illusion.
"Who will it be? One of the older students? Or maybe someone from Midoriya's year, checking him out? Uraraka? Bakugo? Or maybe…"
Behind the door was a tall, blue-haired boy from Izuku's class.
Niren Shoda.
Just like Mirio Togata, young Shoda reminded Toshinori of himself back when he studied at U.A. Tall, resilient, physically strong, confident, determined... and always eager to help others.
Watching Shoda during the entrance exam, when the boy threw away his own test to save his classmate, Toshinori thought he had found another potential successor for his power… Another "born hero," as Recovery Girl would say.
Just like himself, Izuku, and Mirio. Just like Nana...
A person like that wouldn't betray the secret.
It would have been easy to relax, but something still didn't sit right... Not in the same way it did with Kiyotaka, no. But there was still an unsettling feeling.
"Um… sorry if I'm interrupting," the boy glanced up at him, looking confused. "I came to see Shuzenji-san, I… uh… need syringes for blood, and also the blood itself, yeah."
"Was he eavesdropping? Or not?" All Might couldn't tell for sure. He focused on the boy's heartbeat. "It's faster than usual... But maybe that's just because he's surprised to see me. I… do tend to make quite an impression."
Especially looming over people like this. All Might stepped back, allowing the student to pass.
"It's nothing, young Shoda!" his mouth said, "We were just finishing our conversation, ha-ha! May I ask, what do you need syringes for?... And the blood?"
"Hello, Shuzenji-san… Oh, Midoriya's still here? Man, he really got messed up…" Niren shook his head, entering the room. "And it's from his own Quirk… It's like his body just can't handle it, I've never seen anything like it… Is it okay if I make some noise in here?"
"Hello, young man, hello, please have a candy..." Recovery Girl tried to distract the first-year student. She was a woman whose history Toshinori didn't fully know, but for whom he had endless respect. Not only had she been the main reason why the Symbol of Peace was still walking this earth, but the principal himself vouched for her… "Don't worry about the boy, even a cannon wouldn't wake him up. But are you really going to share your blood with that girl, Toga? You're not taking care of yourself…"
"And always eager to help others..." All Might unconsciously quoted himself, though only in his thoughts, as he continued to scrutinize the guest.
"Yes, you're right," the boy laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "She has a Quirk like that, there's nothing we can do! But it's temporary. I've already reached out to Principal Nezu, and I wanted to discuss a couple of options with you too…"
"Well, I'll be going then," Toshinori said quietly. Few people understood this, but when he wanted to, All Might could be very stealthy.
He turned toward the door and…
But Niren heard him — he flinched, as if about to run or shout something. The boy glanced at Midoriya, then at Recovery Girl, opened his mouth...
But then he changed his mind.
"It's fine, All Might-san," Niren Shoda — or someone who called himself that, a fifteen-year-old first-year student at U.A. — turned his head and calmly looked him straight in the eyes. "Everything will be fine. I'll take care of everything."
And Toshinori met a look he hadn't expected at all.
Not the look of someone like Izuku Midoriya — open, sincere, a little naïve, an idealist in some ways. A true hero, if only he could gain more confidence in his powers.
No. Toshinori saw the cold gaze of someone heading to war. And ready to kill.
It wasn't the gaze of a boy his age, nor that of a professional hero.
He had seen this look before, in his younger days, when he was sent to assist the pro-heroes in the Middle East to suppress the remnants of radical Islamist militants — those whose god had not accepted the world or the emergence of Quirks.
That's the look he'd seen in the eyes of soldiers who were about to kill.
For their homeland, for freedom, for the future, for humanity… it didn't matter.
It was the gaze of a killer.
And the gaze of a man who had already accepted death.
The gaze of someone who was going to die.
The same gaze his Teacher had given him in the end...
"Young Niren, what happened to you?" thought her student.
"And what did you mean?" thought Yagi.
"And what should I ask?" though All Might.
Toshinori Yagi had no answers to any of these questions, and with a heavy heart, he realized that once again, he was hesitating, unsure of what to do next.
And then he made his choice...
***
Niren.
I don't know what possessed me to say what I said.
Maybe I was just caught up in the moment — having a near one-on-one conversation with the greatest hero on the planet. After all, All Might had been my idol throughout my second life. The most successful. The most effective. The strongest.
Or maybe it was just because I knew that in a little while — I'd go all-in. All-in for him, All Might. For him, and for his successor. I would sacrifice myself on the altar of the future because I couldn't see a better chance for the heroes, a better, more effective way to play my cards.
Because this is my limit. Eventually, they will leave me behind. I can't imagine keeping up with them in the coming events, where humanoid monsters will roam, where there will be flights across cities, massive explosions, where everything will happen at superhuman speeds, and they will survive life-threatening injuries.
God, I can't even see myself competing on their level at the sports festival that's happening in less than a month! That's where Todoroki unleashed an explosion that destroyed the entire stadium, and Midoriya not only survived but forced him to give it his all!
I'll probably just die in a couple of weeks, trying to stop what he mentioned in that conversation I overheard. Or, at best, delay it.
And in that moment, f*ck, I was really, really scared.
Watching the massive, muscular back of All Might — who hesitated before leaving, who was clearly torn about whether to ask me something, and who, unfortunately, is not at all "All-Mighty" — I had an overwhelming urge to shout, "I don't want to die! I'll tell you everything! They're going to attack us! As soon as we head to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, they'll attack! And it'll be a trap! An unforeseen trap for YOU!"
He would have understood. He wouldn't let them experiment on me. He would have figured something out. He would have...
The door closed.
I didn't say a word.
Because, damn it, I had just accidentally overheard one of the most important secrets on the planet. Simply because someone successful, effective, and powerful hadn't taken enough precautions.
And now I'm supposed to rely on him completely?
Or on that fragile boy lying unconscious over there, after a mere training match with other students?
Moreover, if I revealed this, if I told him everything — what's the guarantee that my confession about another major secret wouldn't be overheard by the enemy?
Just like that, by chance?
No, there's only one way to be sure no one learns anything. Don't tell anyone.
I turned to Recovery Girl and smiled.
I'm the perfect donor. Everything's going to be fine.
Author's Note 2:
In the anime, this conversation between Toshinori Yagi and Chiyo Shuzenji happened right after the heroic... practice, as Midoriya lay unconscious and, surprisingly, was the only one injured. As a result, the entire office was at their disposal.
However, in this fanfic, things are different. Four people were injured — Midoriya, Iida, Todoroki, and Kirishima — so I figured this important conversation could only happen on Sunday, the next day, after the less injured were discharged.