Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Izumi POV – October 7, 2xxx.
"Alright, Miyamura, let's start from the beginning," Aizawa said seriously. I nodded and looked at Mai; she nodded too. Maki was still beside us; she had come mainly to bring Derf, as he was the one who knew the most about soul resonance.
"We have a lot to review," I said with a sigh. Finally, the internships were over, and now we had free time once again, both us and Aizawa. So we finally had some time to practice the latest development together.
So now we were in one of the fake cities to talk about everything. Our soul resonance, the ability to pass my Totality to Mai, and Mai's shapeshifting. This place was really becoming my default training and experimentation ground.
Although I couldn't blame Aizawa, with my strength, it would be dangerous to be near the main buildings of UA, or even if I did nothing unusual, experimenting in one of the multiple gyms of UA, even as resistant as they are, would be in danger of being destroyed.
So it was better to be outdoors and completely away from everyone.
"From what I've been told, the soul resonance was perfect," Derf said, in his naginata form stuck in the ground near us. "They maintained the resonance throughout the entire fight, and there was no rejection—they would have felt it—so it was perfect. But there's a reason why attempting resonance for the first time in the middle of a fight isn't recommended."
"Souls, normally, cannot bear the burden of resonance. Resonance pushes and forces them to grow and combine with another soul, generating a tension in their aura strong enough to render anyone unconscious after a few minutes."
"Souls, auras are... quite adaptable, in fact, very adaptable. Both auras will get used to the resonance between you and will be able to maintain it for hours, maybe days if you're really capable. But the first time? Yeah, you were lucky you didn't get knocked unconscious in the middle of the fight."
"Or... stubbornness. You're one of the most stubborn people I know, Izumi. I wouldn't be surprised if you stayed awake through sheer willpower alone, and since your aura was linked to Mai's, you pushed it to keep her conscious through it all, especially since she took the brunt of the strain from the two of you."
"Between you two, Mai's aura is the weakest, so she's the one who had to adapt the most. To stay conscious and even use her quirk to create a new sword? Yes, it was incredible, and you were very lucky," Derf said seriously. Mai and I grimaced.
"Are you sure they'll do it again?" Aizawa asked, frowning.
"Oh yes, definitely," Derf said easily. "In fact, it's recommended that you constantly train with soul resonance. As I said, auras are malleable and adaptable; the more you resonate, the more comfortable and easy it will become." Aizawa nodded.
"Alright, Miyamura, Zenin, you're allowed to use Soul Resonance as long as a teacher is present, at least the first few times," Aizawa said. We both nodded. "Now, next, though I don't think we have much to add about your ability to transmit your Quirk to Zenin, do we? " Aizawa asked curiously. I shook my head.
"Not really," I said easily. "My quirk... behaved as usual. I'm able to move it and place it wherever I want, in myself or in my summons. It's like... it flows through my body, or my aura, or whatever it is."
"So it felt the same as always, the only thing that changed was that, thanks to soul resonance, Mai was a part of me, so I was able to push everything toward her," I said simply, shrugging. "So I'm going to treat it like Totality normally until I discover something new, so there's no questions about it," I said simply before wrinkling my nose. "Actually, I do have one."
"If the soul resonance worked with Mai to transmit my Totality, it's possible it could work with other people if I'm able to resonate with them," I said with a hum. That stopped the people in front of me.
"Would you be able to transmit quirks?" Aizawa asked curiously.
"Temporarily, I suppose." I corrected. "My Totality returned to me when our soul resonance was severed, so as long as I'm resonating with someone, I should be able to push my summons' quirks on them."
"I mean, I can't resonate with anyone else, and it would be difficult to do so with the other girls, at least. We'd need more training, but I guess the option exists." I said, shrugging. Aizawa hummed and nodded.
"Alright, we'll leave that aside for now, but if you manage to resonate with any of the others, let me know before you try." Aizawa glared at me, and I nodded. "Okay, then, one last thing. Are you able to shapeshift that new sword? " Aizawa asked, looking at Mai. Mai frowned.
"I... I think so. I can feel it. Normally I'm aware of my normal body and my sword form, but now I'm also able to feel this new form that wasn't there before." Mai said thoughtfully.
"That's normal, being able to sense both bodies and differentiate them. The ability to sense your other forms is also normal. There are some people with multi-weapon quirks who can naturally transform into different types of weapons; you shouldn't have any problem switching between forms, " Derf said immediately. Mai stopped and looked at Aizawa, who nodded.
"Then let's see." Mai said before glowing and transforming into a sword, and I gently grasped it between my fingers.
The form Mai had taken was her normal form, the unpretentious and rather generic katana into which she normally transformed, and then... she remained in the same form.
"Huh?" Mai blurted out awkwardly.
"Can't you?" I asked curiously.
"No... I don't? " Mai said, confused. "I can sense it, but I can't access it. It's the same feeling I get when I try to create something and my aura isn't strong enough," Mai said dryly. I blinked.
"Do you need aura? Like, my aura to be able to change? Or at least, do you need more aura than you have available?" I said, confused. Mai remained silent.
"It would seem so," she murmured, confused. I looked at Aizawa, who frowned as he thought.
"Try resonating and then see if Zenin can shapeshift," Aizawa said simply. We nodded. I glanced at Mai before taking a deep breath. I could feel Mai calming down and her aura aligning with mine before we both pushed our souls toward each other.
The soul resonance was much easier and faster than the first time, but I could still feel the power and growth of my aura just as easily. We both let out a sigh as the sensation of the resonance washed over us.
"Very well, try it now." I said to Mai gently. She didn't say anything, but then she glowed slightly and transformed into Yamato. The sword was still beautiful, and I moved it slightly. Even Maki came closer to admire Mai's new form.
"Oh?" I said, confused, while blinking.
"Oh?" Aizawa asked cautiously. I frowned and took out my scroll before measuring my Aura levels.
"Yes, just as I had sensed, Mai's shapeshifting cost us about 5% of our combined aura." I said with a grimace.
"Just to change form?" Aizawa asked before looking at Derf. "Is that possible?" he asked.
"Maybe," Derf said with a shrug. "Her transformations aren't, let's say, natural; she's creating them, so it's possible that switching from one sword to another will cost her. At least it's not the same as creating it from scratch." Derf hummed, and Aizawa nodded while I grimaced.
"That means Mai won't be able to shapeshift so we can abuse the swords she creates in the middle of a fight," I said with a grimace. Aizawa nodded.
"It's good to know your limits now and not during real combat," Aizawa said easily. "Keep your Scroll out; we'll continue measuring your aura levels," he said simply, and I simply nodded. Then Aizawa looked at Mai. "You used this to split Chisaki. What does it do? Split? " Aizawa asked curiously.
"I haven't the slightest idea, I was just following Izumi's lead," Mai said matter-of-factly. I hummed.
"It turns out, as Derf told us, we can communicate telepathically, but we can also send each other... thoughts and more things more instantaneously." I said before looking at the Yamato. "This... sword, I saw it in a vision. I don't know if it exists, if it will ever exist, or not, but I saw it there, but... it's much weaker than I saw." I said honestly.
"Weakened?" Maki asked curiously, I nodded.
"I chose it primarily for its ability to divide. I saw the original wielder able to divide and cut absolutely everything. And when I say everything, I mean things that normally can't be cut, like feelings, memories, and power." I said honestly, their eyes widening slightly. "And that's just one of its 'weaker' uses. I've seen Yamato able to cut through space and create portals to other places." I added quickly.
"That... a sword like that exists?" Maki asked incredulously, I shrugged.
"Who knows, I'm almost certain not," I said honestly. "Yamato should be able to do that and more, but my aura and Mai's were too weak to create something like that, so this Yamato is... a pale imitation."
"It still retains its ability to divide things, but it only focuses on dividing monsters into people, nothing else. I'm almost certain it's not even capable of cutting a person normally, so it would be almost completely useless in normal situations," I said ruefully.
" Are you capable of creating more swords with other abilities? Creating other weapons besides swords? Are you able to discard the forms you created? Do you have any limits? " Aizawa asked quickly.
"Um... now with Izumi's aura, I should be able to continue creating other forms without any problem. I'd just need to think of a sword to create, I suppose," Mai said, confused. "And I... I think I can create other forms besides katanas? I think I can transform into any weapon? " Mai said uncertainly. "And I have no idea if there's a limit to the number of forms I can create, and I wouldn't know how to 'discard' them," Mai added finally.
"Break them." Derf said without hesitation. "If you want to lose some form and you can't, breaking them should do the trick." He said simply, and we all grimaced. Yeah, that'll be a last resort.
"Can we try to create something? Something like a firearm? I'm sure Mai knows all about the gun she usually used, so she could easily recreate it." I said simply, and Aizawa nodded.
"Very well, do it." Aizawa said easily.
"I'll create my Colt Python.357 Magnum," Mai said without hesitation. I nodded and let my aura flow into her. Mai grabbed it and used it with ease. I could feel it draining quickly, but unlike when I created Yamato, I barely used a fraction of it. Almost like... 0.5%. We could feel each other's auras properly. I glanced around quickly for confirmation, and yes, we had lost that.
I could see the gun forming in front of Mai in mid-air before it hit the ground, but I caught it before it fell. I twisted it between my fingers. Mai still retained her Yamato form.
"I guess I don't work." Aizawa said, looking at both Mai and the weapon.
"No, it didn't work." Mai sighed. "At least I didn't feel anything with the revolver; it just created normally." She said easily.
"Can you create something else?" Aizawa asked. "Something small, a dagger? Without any abilities? " I added easily. Mai simply grabbed the aura before continuing to push it. To my surprise, this time it glowed slightly before shrinking and transforming into a military knife, using up another 5% of our aura.
I took Mai in her new form and turned her between my fingers.
"Do you feel anything different?" I asked quickly as I continued to spin Mai around.
"I... not really, even this form feels comfortable," Mai said without hesitation.
"Can you switch between your normal form and the knife?" I asked curiously. Mai did exactly that, glowing slightly before shifting into her normal form and then back into her knife form.
"Huh? There was no cost to our aura? " I asked, confused, as I looked at the aura meters.
"Is it because of the weapon's power? Or because of the abilities the weapon possesses? " Aizawa asked quickly. "The normal form and the knife are ordinary weapons, while the Yamato has an ability, however weak and specific it may be," Aizawa said, and I nodded.
"It's... the only explanation, I guess," I said, frowning. "I mean, that could increase our arsenal if Mai can transform into different basic weapons at no cost, but that also means that if the weapon is stronger, it'll cost more just to switch to it," I said with a grimace.
"It really is weird, and it's my quirk we're talking about," Mai said dryly.
"So you can only turn into bladed weapons? Whether or not they have any abilities? " Maki asked curiously. I could feel Mai shrug even though no one could see it.
"No idea, there are too many bladed weapons to know," Mai said. I nodded.
"I mean, the term 'bladed weapon' is really broad." I wrinkled my nose. "It can range from knives to something like a battle axe, and it would also include blunt and throwing weapons, or huge weapons like the Nodachi." I gestured easily. Everyone frowned.
"We'll really have to experiment, won't we? " Mai sighed, and I nodded.
"Yes, we do want to see the limits, yes, or we could stick with the katanas, really. I have a lot of ideas for different katanas." I said honestly, Mai snorted.
"Don't worry, I'll keep creating things," Mai said easily. I nodded.
"Not now. Until you get used to soul resonance, you won't create too many weapons in quick succession," Aizawa interrupted. "You'll wait until you've both fully recovered," he warned. I simply nodded; I wasn't really going to argue with Aizawa.
"So, we know what's going on? The fact that Mai can shapeshift into other bladed weapons, but not into a firearm even though she created both, is really strange," Maki said as she leaned against some rubble on the ground.
"No, I have no idea," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
"Me neither, and that's my quirk," Mai said dryly. "All I know is that I was trying to create a sword, and then I became the sword. It was... weird, but not that weird. It was slightly disconcerting simply because I changed shape, but that same shape still felt... fine, like it was the same shape it always had," Mai said, frowning.
"So we still don't know anything, huh? " Aizawa asked in frustration. I shrugged.
"The only thing I can think of is that it works like Derf's quirk." I hummed thoughtfully. "Derf can transfer his consciousness to other nearby weapons if his current body is destroyed. Is it possible that Mai can do the same, but with her own creations? " I asked uncertainly.
"That doesn't explain anything, neither why it changes shape and the sword wasn't created separately, nor why it only works on swords," Mai said, wrinkling her nose.
I sighed. "I don't really have anything. I'm just throwing things against the wall and seeing if anything sticks," I said honestly with a tired sigh. "Or maybe it's about affinity or specialization? Like Tinkers, there are people whose Quirks allow them to create things with certain specializations, but that doesn't mean they can't create other things, just that it won't be as good as their specializations, or something like that? " I said again with a grimace. We all remained silent, thinking.
"Didn't you see anything else in your visions?" Aizawa asked seriously. I shook my head.
"No, I saw Mai create things, mostly bullets, and that was it. The only time she created a weapon was when she died." I said solemnly. "Her mother, Ougi, had stabbed her, she was dying, and Maki was in danger, so she decided to use the rest of her energy to create a weapon for her."
"But since she didn't have the necessary aura to create something like that, she used the rest of her life energy to fill the gap. She committed suicide to create a weapon for Maki. I saw her body and the sword at the same time; she didn't transform. Even so, she was able to create a perfect replica of the Split Soul Katana, her mother's sword."
"She was able to replicate its skill perfectly, ignoring physical defense and attacking the soul directly. Maki wielded that sword for the rest of her life, and I even saw her grandson wield that katana."
"But I never saw Mai transform into a weapon," I said solemnly. Everyone grimaced at my words. Even though I had already told them most of those things, yes, it was still horrible to hear, especially since the one who caused Mai's death was her own mother. But to my surprise, Mai only snorted mockingly.
"Wow, keeping something of mine as a family heirloom?" Mai teased Maki. Maki just snorted and looked away without replying. Mai just grunted, but said nothing.
"So we're really going in blind," Aizawa said with a grimace before sighing. "Then let's get to the important point. Try creating a sword with some ability, weak enough so that it doesn't consume all of your aura." Aizawa said, and we nodded.
"I'll leave it to you," Mai said easily, and I nodded.
I didn't even have to think much. I grabbed the first 'weak' sword that came to mind and passed it to Mai. Mai took it and began using her quirk.
This time, I could truly feel my Aura being consumed in large quantities, dropping by almost 35% just to create that one sword. But Mai was able to create it. She shone brightly before changing shape and growing.
A broadsword appeared in my hands, one I easily recognized. A two - and-a-half-meter sword shaped like a butcher's knife with two notches on its blade, one circular at the top in the middle of the blade, and another semicircular on the edge near the hilt.
I blinked as I looked at Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō in my hands. Okay, maybe this wasn't the best idea to create.
"Oh? And that weapon? " Mai asked, genuinely interested, as she approached.
"Kubikiribōchō, his ability is supposed to allow the sword to regenerate with blood," I said with a grimace.
"Couldn't you have created a more normal sword? A fire sword would have done the trick," Mai said dryly. I sighed.
"Do you sense anything different? Besides the enormous aura cost? " Aizawa asked seriously. I shook my head and looked at Mai.
"I... maybe? I can sense... Kubikiribōchō along with Yamato and my normal form and the knife, but... I also felt like the space where they're stored... shrank? " Mai said, confused.
"A limit on the number of weapons created?" I asked quickly.
"Probably." Aizawa murmured, and I grimaced.
"Should we test its ability?" I asked with a grimace. Aizawa stopped and frowned.
"As long as it's not dangerous." Aizawa said, and I looked at Mai.
"Do it." She said. I nodded, grabbed Mai in her Kubikiribōchō form, placed my fingers on the blade, imbued them with Haki, and pressed lightly. I heard a hiss from Mai as the blade cracked slightly. Then I released my Haki and pressed my finger down on the edge, making a small cut.
My blood flowed through the crack in the sword before being absorbed by the sword and regenerating immediately.
"Oh wow, it really does work," Mai murmured.
"So... you created a vampire sword?" Maki asked dryly. I snorted at that. It was a killer sword, but they didn't really need to know the origin of Kubikiribōchō.
"Alright, we'll leave the tests here," Aizawa finally said. "It seems everything is safe. Try to keep creating weapons, but remember your limits. For swords with abilities you create, don't exceed 70% of your spent aura. Try to find your limit without it being dangerous, understood? " Aizawa asked seriously, and we nodded immediately. "Good. And I also expect an explanation of all the weapons you create, especially if you use them in training fights. We don't want a situation with a bad interaction between Quirks. And don't use Yamato on other people; we don't know if its 'dividing' ability would affect a normal person," he said quickly. I continued nodding.
"Understood, Sensei," I said honestly with a sigh. "We'll be careful," I added honestly, and Aizawa nodded.
"Now let's go back," Aizawa said before turning around. I sighed. It was a really short training session, but we'd discovered some pretty important things, and besides… I was quite excited. The number of weapons that came to mind… I'd have to start making a list of weapons and then analyze them with Mai and see what we could create.