BNHA: Singularity 133 (Patreon)

Returning to Izuku with Dae-Jung in tow, Historia happily mused, "Sir Dae-Jung has agreed to join us~!"

"I can see that," replied Izuku, meeting the timid-looking Korean's gaze, smiling as he added, "Glad to have you with us, Sir Dae-Jung."

"You can drop the Sir part..." muttered Dae-Jung. Then, with slightly furrowed brows, he asked, "Also, why did you invite me to your group? I'm fine on my own..."

Answering instead of Izuku, Historia pointed out, "But my father—I mean, the Headmaster required that we form groups of three to five. Even if Sir Dae-Jung is confident in his capabilities, there are situations such as this where you'll have no choice but to cooperate with others."

"I know that..." responded Dae-Jung, a bead of sweat forming on his right cheek as he lowered his gaze. However, while he looked timid, there was a hint of frustration and mild resentment in his eyes as he muttered, "But I don't need pity...not from someone normie bastard..." in Korean.

Though he wasn't fluent in Korean, Izuku knew enough to understand what Dae-Jung had said. He knew the 'normie bastard' Dae-Jung was referring to was him, but instead of getting annoyed, he joked, "Hey, we might not be close, but I know who my father is. More importantly, we're not pitying you. I suggested that Historia invite you to our group because you're strong. Stronger than most of these pampered pricks, at least."

"You say that as if you're not one of them..." rebutted Dae-Jung, raising his gaze slightly but not to look at Izuku. Instead, he focused on Momo or, more accurately, her breasts. She was wearing a mantle to cover up, but if you looked closely, there was a glimmer of exposed flesh in the gap between the fabric.

"Hmm..."

Doing his best not to get annoyed, Izuku thought about what he could say in his defense, but it was unnecessary as Historia calmly stated, "You are mistaken, Sir Dae-Jung. Sir Midoriya wasn't born to an affluent family. All he has acquired has been wrought through hard work, circumstance, and a touch of fate. He isn't without his flaws, but to ere is human. Continuing to work hard, despite your mistakes and setbacks, is what allows a person to rise above and become a true, noble soul."

Though her words were spoken plainly, there was a particular...certitude to Historia's words that made all who heard them feel varying degrees of awe and inspiration. This was 100% the result of her [Authority], but Dae-Jung had no way of knowing that as, despite possessing the rare ability to [Read] others' Statuses, Izuku's, Historia's, and Momo's barely provided more than their names.

Feeling slightly guilty after hearing Historia's speech, Dae-Jung exhaled a sigh before raising his gaze to meet Izuku's, his expression uncomfortable but exuding a trace of sincerity as he said, "Sorry...I'm not really 'good' with people, and you...your appearance and the way you carry yourself. It made me think you've never had to work for anything..."

"It's fine," replied Izku, adopting a friendly smile and extending his hand for a second handshake as he joked, "I've definitely received more than my fair share of good fortune. One look at my fiancee is enough to make a case for me being one of the luckiest men in the world."

Not expecting to be dragged into the discussion, Momo's cheeks glowed a bright shade of pink, her eyes watering slightly as she fought to repress a somewhat goofy smile. She had always been weak to praise, so hearing Izuku claim to be one of the luckiest people in the world because he was affianced to her was gratifying but exceptionally embarrassing.

Failing in her efforts, Momo turned away from the group to massage the color from her cheeks and calm herself. The fact everyone was looking at her made the task more difficult. Fortunately, received a 'lifeline' in the form of Arcturus, approaching the group with a cordial smile, his emerald-green eyes fixed on Izuku as he asked, "Mind lending this old man a bit of your time?"

"It would be my honor, Sir Pendragon," replied Izuku, placing his hand over his chest and giving a slight bow before rising and accompanying Arcturus a few meters away from the group, out of easy earshot. He had a few ideas about what the man wished to discuss, but he couldn't know for certain until Arcturus actually spoke.

Turning to face Izkuku, Arcturus's smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he broached the second-most probable subject the former had in mind, his voice low and steady as he remarked, "I've never seen my daughter take to someone so quickly. Did something happen while the two of you were in America?"

"Other than being introduced to one another, we never even spoke until the day of our departure," replied Izuku, undaunted by the faint pressure exuding from Arcturus. The man was a powerhouse in his own right, but if they were to come to blows, Izuku had a near-insurmountable advantage. The most Arcturus could do was teleport him away, but such abilities had a lot of restrictions.

Sensing no deceit in Izuku's words, only a firm, unwavering confidence, Arcturus closed his eyes and exhaled a faint sigh through his nose. He, of course, had done his homework on Izuku, but you could never truly grasp a person's character without meeting and interacting with them in person. Izuku possessed clear eyes without a trace of arrogance or incertitude. It was the gaze of someone who wasn't simply confident in themselves but possessed the willingness to do whatever it took to achieve his goals.

Opening his eyes, the smile on Arcturus's face faded, replaced by a serious look as he placed his hand on Izuku's shoulder and said, "Even if you become the most powerful and influential person in this world, if you hurt my daughter, I will find a way to make you pay..."

Though he was tempted to say that Arcturus had misunderstood and that he had no intention of pursuing Historia, Izuku knew that wasn't what the man wanted to hear. Thus, without any real hesitation, he responded with a curt nod and replied, "I would expect no less."

Snorting in amusement, Arcturus regained his smile and retracted his hand from Izuku's shoulder. Under normal circumstances, he would never allow his daughter to get involved with someone as 'prolific' as Izuku was with his relationships with women. However, with the world's fate hanging in the balance, his top priorities were protecting his nation and keeping his family safe. In that regard, if Historia decided that Izuku was the one she wished to walk and fight alongside, Arcturus would have nothing to say so long as the green-haired youth made her happy and kept her safe...

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As Izuku rejoined their group, Historia couldn't help but ask, "What did you and the Headmaster discuss? Of course, if it was something private, you need not answer."

"We discussed a few things, some secret, some mundane," replied Izuku, smiling as he explained, "Among the latter were the circumstances of my and Momo's lodgings. Shield Industries has apparently prepared a bit of a surprise for us..."

"Oh? I had heard we would be receiving support from I-Island," revealed Historia, tilting her head slightly and holding her finger to her chin as she asked, "Is this unrelated? I do seem to recall hearing that you were close with Professor Shield and his daughter, Melissa."

Hearing Historia's remarks, an incredulous look adorned Dae-Jung's face. At the same time, though she was similarly aware of Izuku's collaboration with the Shields, Rebecca's eyes widened as she remarked, "You must be referring to the facility that was recently built on the west side of campus. I knew it had something to do with Shield Industries, but I assumed it to be a facility for processing materials and resources found in the breaches. If that's your residence..."

Furrowing her brows with a mix of envy and skepticism, Rebecca asked, "Just how big of a big shot are you? I mean, I knew you were important since you were traveling with All Might and the Principal of UA High, but to have an entire facility constructed in preparation for your arrival..."

"Well, if it 'does' turn out to be a production facility or workshop, you're free to use it," said Izuku. Then, before Rebecca could recover from the shock, he surprised her by asking, "Speaking of which...do you not need to retrieve any equipment or Support Items? I know your Level is higher than nearly everyone else present, but I assumed you were a Supporter."

Blinking in surprise before adopting a suspicious look, Rebecca asked, "What do you mean you 'know' my Level is higher than nearly everyone present? I don't recall mentioning it..."

"You didn't," affirmed Izuku. Rebecca was then about to ask him how he knew, but he beat her to the punch by pointing out, "But, if you'll recall, my Sensei mentioned that you and...Arthur here have been entering C and B-Rank breaches. The requirement for entering a B-Rank breach is said to be Level 50, so yours must be at least that high."

Though Rebecca was prepared to swallow Izuku's words hook, line, and sinker, Historia, standing with her hands behind her back, lost a bit of her smile as she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Why are you lying...?"

"What do you mean?" asked Rebecca, confused. She knew Izuku 'had' to be lying if Historia said so, but she clearly recalled that Nezu had, in fact, brought up that the two of them had been entering B-Rank breaches.

Preempting any potential accusations, Izuku met Historia's intense stare with a smile, his expression and tone calm as he said, "Everyone has their secrets, Arthur. But I can say this much. I have no ill will toward you, your friend, or anyone else who doesn't go out of their way to target me or the people I care about. That should be enough, no?"

Regaining her smile, Historia unhesitantly replied, "If everyone thought as such, there would certainly be less conflict in the world. I hope my words didn't offend you. Similar to Sir Dae-Jung, I, too, suffer from an inability to communicate with others. Please pardon any improprieties on my part, as it is rarely my intention to offend, denigrate, or slight."

"It's not a problem," assured Izuku, smiling as he added, "We all, quite literally, have our Quirks. And once we get to know each other, the truth will flow naturally. For now, however, we should focus on what's to come. How do you want to handle the second test?"

Impressed by Izuku's reason and 'compassion,' Historia's eyes glistened. But since he had asked for her opinion, she withheld her compliment and stated, "My proficiencies lie in close and medium-range combat. However, if Sir Midoriya desires it, I will relinquish the forward position and assume the role of a rear guard. You are undoubtedly the most capable among those present, so I will do my utmost to support and safeguard our allies, freeing you to act at your discretion."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," replied Izuku, and he was genuinely grateful. After inheriting One-for-All, he had become increasingly bad at sitting back and watching others fight in his stead. His sense of duty and responsibility had compounded after Eri's recovery, but the revelation that Rumi had a bun in the oven was the straw that broke the camel's back. He 'had' to become stronger before All-for-One or some other asshat fucked everything up, so if Historia was willing to let him take point and horde all the Experience, Izuku wasn't going to protest. Rather, since fate and even her father seemed to be setting them up, he was certain he would make it up to her later...in more ways than simply expressing his gratitude...

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(A/N: Damned normie bastard...)