35

Chapter 35: Gym Time – Part VIISummary:

Quirk Analysis of:

Reiko Yanagi - [Poltergeist]

Pony Tsunotori - [Horn Cannon]

Kinoko Komori - [Mushroom]

Hiryu Rin - [Scales]

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"If numbers were the only measure of success, Midoriya, I'd say that this training session will be unparalleled," Tenya commented as they reached Gym Beta.

"I think it's great! It means that no one wants to be slacking off!" Ochaco said, chipperly walking on his other side.

"Ahah, yes, it sure looks like it."

Izuku smiled, turning his head halfway back to the crowd of students following him. Thirty-five of the forty-one Hero Course first years. With him, they were thirty-six. A handful away from a full house. 

It was safe to say that they were gathering quite some looks from the rest of the student body, as seeing that many in their gym uniforms outside of scheduled hours would be a first for anyone watching. Many onlookers were curiously looking for the teacher guiding the herd, but ended up with weirdly shocked expressions as they saw none.

Izuku wondered what had brought these numbers so early. A bit too early even. 

He knew he had done well, as usual. Making a nice early start was vital to get people interested, but he was used to having at least some absentees at this point between those he'd already roped in. It was understandable for someone to miss a training session or two because of homework, prior engagements, tiredness, or simple slacking... but this felt like a first to him. 

Ah! Could he still have some of those? Amazing. 

Make no mistake, he liked how things were going. How could he not when so many were occupying their precious free time for extra training after they had just finished a strenuous day of lessons? Thumbs all the way up, if you asked him. 

But Izuku didn't feel like not knowing why something happened was fine. Maybe it was the analysis specialist in him, maybe it was his perfectionism, who knows. Nonetheless, it didn't sit right with him. 

He had practically done everything the same way... so what had caused the change? 

Had it been the unscheduled training caused by Kamakiri's insistence? Had the others in Class B shown something and given him the credit? Had his classmates spoken or challenged each other to improve out of the blue? Had it been this specific combination of events and matches in the Sports Festival? 

Had something escaped his notice? And if the answer was yes... then how? 

"I wouldn't worry much about it, Kid," Daigoro yawned. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  

"It's not about fixing, it's about repeatability," Third tsked. 

"Being prepared for the worst may improve our chances," En muttered, shaking his head. 

"I can never understand how someone as... 'easygoing' as you managed to pass One For All to someone like Sixth," Nana said, the rolling of her eyes apparent in her tone. 

"Dumb luck," Second deadpanned. 

Izuku tuned them out before it could turn into a verbal dispute. He didn't need the distraction. 

He thanked Mr. Ectoplasm as he entered the building, feeling satisfied as the teacher was the perfect security measure for what they were going to do. It was too early to take care of everything by himself still, so a Hero with multiple bodies could keep an eye on his classmates much better than Izuku himself could. 

"So," he clapped to capture everyone's attention, "since there are so many of us today, I think it would be best to split into smaller groups. I'll start with the ones who have never been with us before, so please step to the side." The eight students moved as he kept going. "As for the others, I suggest you either spar or train with your Quirk." 

"Hell yeah, finally something I'm good at!" Eijiro grinned, catching a fist with his other hand. 

"I couldn't agree more, Rocky," Togaru joined in as Ibara sighed at the impropriety. 

"Yes, yes, you want to beat each other dumb. Let him finish," Kyoka interjected before anyone else could speak up. 

"Thanks. A couple of pointers: Those who spar shouldn't rely too heavily on their Quirks, as most of us are severely lacking in the fundamentals of fighting. Get over reliant on your power and you'll become a one trick pony." 

As most responded that they would try, Izuku helped them split further into groups. 

"Kendo and Ojiro may be the best to ask about your fighting techniques, so follow their suggestions and get your asses kicked if you want to improve." 

"We'll make them work hard," the redhead assured with a grin, her co-captain nodding as his tail stretched dangerously. 

"Good," he approved, knowing that they would keep their word. "Try to go for the most unfavorable match ups whenever possible, it'll push you harder. Just try not to break anything important. It's a spar, not a deathmatch." 

A few chuckled, saying how it probably wouldn't get that bad. If only he could be as confident on the matter... 

He pondered if he should let them know about the dangers posed by Momo and Tsu, but he decided not to spoil the surprise. Anyone underestimating them was in for a rough awakening anyway. 

- Or being caught in the middle of a fight against Itsuka and Ochaco, - he pondered, hoping that no one would be so unlucky. 

"Moving on, those who are going to practice with their Quirks should try to compare notes in pairs or trios. Others may give you new insights on things you're just repeating out of habit. You should examine each other and experiment. Is there anything you might have missed? Applications no one's ever thought of? Some surprising, combined attacks? Be creative and go crazy." 

It was becoming increasingly harder for Izuku to be surprised by new ideas, but that didn't mean that they didn't exist. Anything was worth looking into, and he'd seen his classmates do some scary things... Hitoshi suggesting that Denki could determine lies by picking up the terribly faint electrical energy in brain waves fell into that category, for example. Or how Kyoka had capsized Tsuburaba's training schedule with a small suggestion that he would introduce whenever the guy stopped holding himself back over petty rivalries... In a week or so, perhaps. 

The small groups settled around the gym with copies of their teacher close enough to avert the risk of improper Quirk usage or excessive "zeal" in bouts. 

Izuku turned to his current objectives, three girls and five boys in dire need of a push forward. 

"Well then, who would like to start?" 

"I would like to try, if everybody else finds the idea acceptable," Reiko suggested. 

"Fine with me," Juzo voiced the group's consent, making her step forward with a grateful nod. 

"Thank you all," the girl said as she advanced, turning to look at Izuku. "So, I understand that we may start off by giving you a synopsis of our Quirk's capabilities?" 

"Yes," he nodded, "that's a good place to start. I have seen some of your Quirks more than others, and I'll admit that I do have some ideas already, but anything coming from the interested party may be a great help." 

"Understood. I shall try my best. My Quirk is named [Poltergeist], and it falls under the Emitter Type. It allows me to interact telekinetically with any object in my line of sight, up to a weight limit of 62 kilograms. As long as I stay under those boundaries, I can control any number of items." 

"Mm, quite direct, thank you. Alright, let's start with a few tests."

Izuku produced a small bag, pouring the content into his open palm: small marbles. 

"Is she going to do the same thing Shiozaki did?" Manga, who had been paying attention to Ibara's attempts in the common room, asked. 

"Not quite. Yanagi, for now I just want you to levitate these marbles and follow my instructions." 

The grey-haired girl nodded, raising her right hand and making a small gesture with her fingers, letting the small objects leave the boy's palm. 

Izuku faked an interested look, moving his eyes between the levitating masses and her gestures. "Yanagi, do you always need to do that?" 

She tilted her head slightly to the side. "I'm sorry?" 

"Are those hand movements another requirement of your Quirk?" he asked. "Would your telekinesis work without them?" 

"She always does them," Juzo offered, arms crossed. 

"Yes, I do," she admitted. "Is it a problem?" 

"It depends. There are telekinetic Quirks which require precise gestures, but those are usually only limited to repeating those exact same movements onto object. And we all know that's not the case for [Poltergeist]," he explained, catching the balls and lowering them to their initial position. "Can you try again, without the gesture?" 

She nodded, fixing her eyes on the marbles as he let them go, keeping both of her arms stuck to her side. Surely enough, after a few seconds the objects were flying again. 

"Oooh," Kinoko rejoiced, followed by a "That's new" from Pony. 

"Huh. Does that change things?" Hiryu asked, unsure. 

"Not by much, but it's an important difference," he replied. "Not being bound to your hands is a good step forward. It means she can trick enemies into thinking she's going to strike from one direction, when instead she's controlling objects elsewhere. And you can't forget the importance of having your hands free. How does it feel? Can you continue?" 

"Not dissimilarly from what I am accustomed to," she said, her expression calm. "We may proceed." 

"Very well," Izuku nodded, starting to give further directions to test her and bringing out a couple of instruments. "Bring them closer to you, at eye level. Make them spin on themselves. Faster. Faster. Faster. Okay, you can stop. Now try to make them rotate in a circle, with you as its center. It doesn't have to be fast, just constant. Alright, now keep it up and close your eyes." 

She showed a small frown before relaxing and complying. Reiko stood perfectly still, resembling a statue, as a dozen marbles moved in a perfect circle around her. 

"Doesn't that look like the solar system?" Hiryu pondered. 

"I-I think it's move like S-Saturn's rings," Kojiro mumbled. 

Having shown that she could keep up the interaction for more than a minute, Izuku called it quits, having Reiko return the objects into his hands. 

"Well then, there are a few things I've seen that tell me that your previous outline was rather incomplete-" 

"Wow, already?!" Tetsutetsu cried out, startling the ones closer to him. 

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I hope that will be the case for everybody here, so you don't have to sound so surprised every time." 

"Got it!" The man of steel gave a thumbs up, making the others hope he'd be quieter. 

"... As I was saying, you had some particulars wrong. The need for gestures was one thing, but these are limits you've been imposed by a faulty analysis, so we'll get rid of them."

He took a moment to breathe before starting to raise his fingers. 

"One: Even though there might be a weight limit to your Quirk, it doesn't impact on the force you can push on objects as much as you would think." He raised the special tachometer he'd asked for and which Nezu had happily provided. "Keeping object floating minimizes friction, so you can keep pouring force on the spin with a risible loss of energy. The rotation speed you imposed on those marbles was comparable to Kaibara's [Gyrate] at the start, but by the end of it they were moving at much greater speeds." 

"How high are talking? Kaibara said he can keep up eighty-one rotations per second for a little while now," Juzo said, curious and doubtful. 

"Exactly what I expect for a fourth stacked rotation, good for him. I'm sure he will only continue to grow, and two hundred and forty-three will be the next step for him, but Yanagi here managed to reach around five hundred." He kept going as their eyes widened. "Five hundred Hertz, or thirty thousand revolutions per minute, seems to be her current limit. Just to give you an idea of how fast that is, a bullet fired from a rifled barrel can spin at around ten times that speed. So, trust me, it's a lot." 

Pony whistled, impressed, before answering the worried looks sent her ways with a "What? I know my stuff on guns." 

"Does that mean that she could hit as hard as Kaibara does?" Kojiro asked, gulping at the potential danger. 

"Probably harder," Hiryu commented, being met with a few nods. 

"Not as directly as he does, but yes. The spin helps with accuracy actually, but there will surely be more damage done on impact too. You already know how that feels, so I won't go into it," he turned back to Yanagi. "Just know that it may be a good thing to start carrying marbles into your costume. Or a variety of objects really, bindings and small weapons above all. Something like Eraser Head's capture weapon might be the best option, as it's light but durable. You can make anything into a weapon, even if it's very small, and size wouldn't be a con for you." 

"Understood, I will consider making some changes then," she said with a hum. 

"Let me know if you need some help with that. Moving on to number two: You've said, 'any object in my line of sight,' but we've seen that's not the case, or at least not completely. You could still move things when they were behind you, and then when you had your eyes closed." 

She seemed to become more thoughtful for a second. "That may be because I was already controlling them before." 

He hummed. "It could be, but that would still mean that you've got some kind of automatic control for your blind spots. But let's try something. Rin, catch." He threw a handful of spheres into the other's hands, the teen catching them dexterously, but keeping one for himself. 

"Now, I want you to control this marble. Close your eyes, and make it float in a straight line. Rin, please catch that as well." He made a sign to take it with the same hand to keep the fact unknown from the girl. The two followed his instructions, letting him continue after all the pieces got in the same spot. "Yanagi, what do you feel around the marble you're controlling?" 

"Not much," she admitted, "my perception is limited to the object under my control." 

"Alright. Then try to expand your control horizontally, and raise whatever you can control by a few feet. Let's see what happens." 

Under the group's questioning gazes, a number of spheres began to float around the first one. 

Izuku smiled, content, and made the girl open her eyes again. "And that proves that you can gain control of objects in your blind spots. You only have to know where they are positioned. It may be useful only circumstantially, but it's progress." 

"I think it's cool!" Kinoko quipped, clapping a bit. 

"Interesting, I may have to revise my Quirk's description. Thank you, Midoriya." 

"You're welcome, Yanagi." He nodded, then made an expression as if he'd just thought of something. "Oh, right, one last thing. Why's your Quirk named [Poltergeist]? Why not something like [Telekinesis]?" 

"Oh, it's silly," she shook her head. "It just so happened that during my visit I was reading a children's book on ghosts, as I always loved the paranormal. The doctor found the occurrence curious enough and decided on that name." 

"I see," he spoke in a low voice, "strange though..." 

"What're you mumbling about, Midoriya?" Tetsutetsu asked. "Speak louder!" 

"Ah, sorry. It's just that... You see, my Quirk gives me enhanced senses as well, and I can feel something weird around you." 

"Is it bad?" Pony joined her hands, worried. 

"No, I don't think so," he quickly recovered, "It's just very similar to Tokoyami's Quirk..." 

"[Dark Shadow]?" "The sentient shadow?" Manga and Kojiro questioned. 

"Yeah." He nodded, going for the important part. "I can't be sure, but we can't discard the possibility. Yanagi, have you ever seen objects move around randomly... or have you ever sleepwalked?" 

The girl seemed to perk up with interest at the question. "Yes, multiple times even. Moving object have always been a sad contingency of my Quirk, especially when I had little control over it. And I do sleepwalk, from time to time." 

"Spooky," Hiryu grinned, making Kinoko and Pony shiver. 

Izuku looked like he'd connected some dots. "Alright, then I suggest you leave some material to write near your bed. Or better, some wooden letters or something. We can ask Momo later." 

"You really think she has a ghost on her?" Juzo asked, skeptical. 

"Not a ghost," he denied, "a sentient Quirk which doesn't have the luck of having a voice. Trying costs nothing, doesn't it?" 

"Indeed... The prospect seems very interesting. I shall follow your idea, Midoriya. Thank you." 

"Anytime," he laughed, "I just hope it works out fine." 

- And that Emily gets to be free as well. Poor thing's been alone and unable to speak for fifteen years... - 

"Imagine that," Hikage spoke with more than a hint of sarcasm. 

"Yours was a choice, Fourth," Third rolled his eyes. 

"It gets quite lonely, I assure you," Yoichi tried to joke. 

"Who's next?" he asked. 

"The girls can go first. Pony, you're up," Juzo spoke, making the girl rejoice and jump forward with glee. 

Izuku cleared his throat and switched to English. "Alright, Tsunotori. I've already seen your Quirk in action for quite a bit during the festival, so I think we can go directly to the analysis."  

"Nice!" She nodded cheerfully. "But please, just call me Pony. All this surnames stuff feels so restrictive to me."  

"If you're fine with it, sure," he chuckled. "I'll just start with the strangest news. Your Quirk's name is slightly wrong."  

Pony's eyes became as wide as saucers. "What?"  

"Yeah. You see, I think that what you've got there is a mix: part horns, part antlers."  

"What's the difference? Aren't they the same thing?" Juzo asked, being one of the few able to keep up. 

"The terms are often used interchangeably but, in reality, they refer to quite different structures. Antlers are pairs of bony and branched formations that protrude from the frontals of the skull and are shed annually. Horns are also paired, but bovine horns can develop from or over the frontals. Furthermore, they are permanent, unbranched, and made up of a bony core and a keratinized sheath. Neither the sheath nor the core are ever shed, they are not attached to the skull, and in many species the horns never stop growing." He pointed a finger over Pony's head. "Whenever you use your Quirk, we can see that the protrusions are completely detached from your head, and they seem to just regrow after an instant. Yesterday I heard Tetsutetsu say that yours are made out of keratin, which means that the structure is closer to that of horns. Still, they somewhat work like antlers." 

"Uh, so... Half horn, half antler?" She tilted her head, thinking about the name. "I dunno, it doesn't sound as cool."

He laughed heartily. "Don't worry, it's not like you've got to change it. I just like to be meticulous. On that note, your horns aren't really close to those of a bovine. The closest shape I've found are from the Aepyceros melampus, a species of antelope. If that's your mutation, it would explain why you're so quick on your feet."  

"Hooves," she corrected, clacking on the ground. 

"Ah, yeah, sorry. Anyway, you already know part of what I wanted to reveal: you can use your Quirk to fly, much like Hawks does. Your horns are pretty strong... can you try and raise Tetsutetsu?" he asked as they both turned towards the boy. 

"What's up?" the boy asked, having lost the thread of the conversation long ago but recognizing his own name.

"Pony's going to make you fly," Reiko explained, making the teen grin wider. 

"Get on that weight scale, please. Let's make some calculations." Izuku pointed to the side. 

Some tries later, after the American girl had shown enough power to lift both the man of steel and different kinds of heavy objects, he showed the resulting data. 

"So, Tetsutetsu in his steel form weights a good 573 kilograms and, with everything he was carrying, we can be sure that Pony's horns are capable of lifting at least 700 kilograms when they work as a pair, and 350 by themselves." 

"Yeah, those things pack a punch," Hiryu said, knowing how an impact from Pony's Quirk could feel. 

"So, you could probably lift multiple people just with one horn, if you got a stable-enough base to do it."  

"Like a platform or something?" she mimicked a circular shape with her palms. 

"Yeah. Of course, the more weight you carry, the slower you'll be able to go, but it's already an incredible feat."  

"Thanks!" Pony clapped her hands in glee. "I'm trying to move up to control four horns at a time, so it'll be way easier in the future."  

"I'm sure it will be, and I doubt that four will be your limit either. But I've got one last thing to check. Could I have a pair of those, please?"  

The blonde nodded, sending her current horns towards his hands. With a quick application of [One For All] in his fingers, he broke the first horn in two. 

"Now, I want you to try and move the separated parts."  

"Wait, can she even do that?" Manga asked, followed by questioning looks all around. 

"She usually leaves the broken parts and uses new ones," Juzo explained to Izuku. 

"Y-Yeah, they just regenerate immed- very quickly," Pony agreed. 

"Yes, I've seen that, but that's not the point," he said before focusing back on her. "Your Quirk lets you control 'your horns.' But, since you can move them when they're already apart from you, when do they stop being 'your horns'? Where do we draw the line between 'controllable horn' and 'dead object'? What's the limit? Time? Distance? Integrity?"  

"I... I don't know," she admitted. 

"That's why we're here," he smiled kindly. "Please, try with these. Let's find the limits you'll have to break. I know you can do it."  

After a moment Pony nodded, reinvigorated. "Okay!"  

Surely enough, the split pieces of the keratin structure started floating, inches apart from each other. After a few suggestions from Izuku, the things were flying with completely different patterns, as if they had never been one to begin with. And, after several tries, Pony was effectively moving around twelve pieces of the same horn, along a second undamaged one. 

"That's amazing," Kinoko commented, her eyes shining at the spectacle. 

"T-Truly," Kojiro mumbled, admiration evident in his tone. 

"That's enough Pony, you can rest. How does it feel?" Izuku asked, knowing that the process wasn't as easy as it looked. 

"Hella tiring," the blonde lamented. When the objects fell, making smalls thuds on impact, she let herself slide to the ground. "I can feel every piece, and it's not as hard as trying with more horns, but it's still worse than a single one."  

"I'm sure you'll be able to improve quicker now," he reassured as he helped her up. "It's an amazing ability. You seem to have complete control over every piece, and it lasted well over five minutes. We could check for a time limit another time though, you seem pretty spent."  

"Yeah," she sighed, showing a wobbly smile, "let's try later."  

"That was great, Pony!" Tetsutetsu cried out, raising his arms to highlight the statement. 

"Indeed, it was magnificent," Reiko added, catching the smaller girl and helping her sit. 

"Thanks guys," the American took in the praise. "Your turn, Kinoko." 

"Y-Yes," the mushroom girl wabbled forward, the previous amazement suddenly turned into anxiety. As much as the girl wished to become and Idol Hero, she could get some stage fright at the most inopportune moments. 

"Don't worry, Komori, it's not a test," he chuckled, hoping to calm her down. "Could you tell me a bit more about your Quirk? It's one of those I haven't seen as much." 

Kinoko nodded before speaking, her eyes mostly hidden behind the fringe. "Uh, my Quirk's name's [Mushroom]. It lets me generate and spread fungus spores from my pores." She giggled a little at the little rime. "The spores can grow on any surface, quickly growing to full-size mushrooms. The spreading is easier when it's humid." 

Izuku blinked twice, faking some concern. "Huh. Tell me, do you have any control over the spores' movement? Do you decide where they end up?" 

She lowered her head a bit, dejected. "N-No. It's a bit of a problem, since they might target anything indiscriminately." 

"Do ethanol and other fungicides still work?" 

"Yeah!" Kinoko replied instantly, eager. "I always keep some on hand and a lot on my costume, as a safeguard." 

"Good," he smiled back. "Are you limited to some kind of fungi, or to a few at a time?" 

"Not really," she shrugged, "I can replicate any spore I already know, anytime. It just takes some effort and some energy, so if I make too many too quickly, I get tired." 

He whistled in amazement. "And how do you get to 'know' those spores? Do you need to see, touch, or eat them?" 

- Thank God she doesn't have to study the chemical composition of each one, that would have been a nightmare. - 

"Uh, I usually just touch them. I think my body can absorb and replicate the spores, just like that. Though I eat a lot of mushrooms anyway," she giggled, content with her staple diet. 

"Have you ever suffered a stomachache after eating mushrooms, or have you ever been poisoned by them?" 

"Not that I remember," she denied. "If you're asking about poisonous mushrooms, then don't worry, they never worked on me. The doctor said my body can ignore the toxins or something. I'd be in deep trouble otherwise!" 

"Understood, that simplifies things," he nodded before changing expression and letting out a sigh. "Komori, I'm gonna be honest with you. Your Quirk may be one of the scariest I've ever seen." 

The girl took the words like a blow. It wasn't courteous, but in this case the sooner he ripped off the band aid, the better. 

"Come on, Midoriya, it's not that bad," Hiryu tried to laugh it off. 

"I mean, we're in class with Kamakiri," Manga added, a few nodding at the statement. 

"You say that because you don't see how much [Mushroom] could do," Izuku clicked his tongue. "Even kids know that mushroom can be deadly. Do you have any idea of how many species exist, and how diverse their properties can be?" 

"A lot?" Tetsutetsu asked, not having a clue. 

"More." He turned toward the girl, adding fuel to his argument. "Komori, you said that you can produce 'fungus spores', but fungi aren't limited to mushrooms. Have you ever tried to produce mold?" 

She showed a bit of a disgusted expression. "N-No... Should I have?" 

"I think you could, if your Quirk's description is true. Fungi are an entire kingdom of organisms, which also includes yeasts and molds, so we'll have to investigate that too. We have catalogued around one hundred and fifty thousand species, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Scientists estimate the real number to be between two and four million. It's possible that you may be able to replicate all of them, if you get the spores in your system. Which isn't that hard with U.A.'s resources at our disposal." 

"Those are a lot of shrooms," Pony thought aloud after taking a moment to understand the numbers. 

"But most of those are edible or harmless, I think," Juzo commented. 

"Of those species we know of, eight thousand are detrimental to plants and three hundred are pathological to humans. That seems enough to me," Izuku reiterated, crossing his arms. 

"Don't you have to eat them to be poisoned though?" Hiryu asked. 

"If the spores are poisonous too, breathing may suffice," Izuku explained, "and it's not like it would be a problem for Komori. Say, you usually make fungi grow on enemies, right?" 

"Yes," she answered, picking herself up from the momentary shock, "it hinders them, and since my mushrooms need energy to grow, they take it directly from my enemies. Two shrooms with one spore." 

- Not how the saying goes, but fine, - he mentally chuckled at the terrible pun. 

"Why not grow them inside those enemies then? If the spores get inhaled, it would be easy enough." 

Most of the group's faces became as pale as Reiko's. 

"W-Wouldn't that suffocate people?" Kojiro muttered, surprise and fear mixed in his tone. 

"If they clog their throat, it's highly likely," he admitted, knowing how hard the idea could be at first. But they had to understand that dangerous didn't mean anything in front of certain opponents who didn't put lives on the same scale of values as Heroes did. 

He locked eyes with them as he talked, one by one. "You had a lesson with Thirteen, didn't you? All Quirks may present dangerous aspects, but it's just another reason to learn how to control them, not to put them aside. Villains won't show you the same courtesy, so you'd better think twice before discarding a valuable skill because it seems harsher than usual." 

Izuku turned to Kinoko, who had the most curious expression on her face, her stuffed-shiitake-like eyes fully focused on him. He went directly for her usual counter argument. "It may not be 'cute,' and it might not be 'classy,' but sometimes you have to put appearances aside and get your hands dirty. I'm not saying it should be your go-to move, but it would be an incredible ace up your sleeve." 

She kept looking at him as he kept going. 

"And your power has so many uses! You can procure food in a secure and easy way, and many fungi have medical uses, so the Rescue applications are many. You can sap the enemy's energy, hinder them, maybe even block them completely. Get enough dangerous species, and you may produce mycotoxins and psychotropic compounds. Then there's the whole can of worms of pathogenic fungi..." He shook his head, showing an amazed smirk. "You may fear it now, but I'm sure you will be able to get everything under control, given enough time and practice." 

"But what if I get it wrong?" she asked, still unsure despite having appreciated his words. 

"You already keep a safeguard at all times, so I know you're not the type to use your Quirk carelessly," he smiled genuinely. "I could even act as a guinea pig, if you want to try it out. I trust you." 

"T-Thanks," she said, rubbing her eyes a bit before going back to a smile. She was surprised by the offer, of course, but being shown so much conviction in her abilities was something new. "What should I try then?" 

"I think we should get permission for you to try as many species as you can. Maybe we can start with edible ones... Say, have you ever tried truffles?" 

"Nope," she shook her head as her classmates added to the exchange. 

"They are a costly delicacy," Reiko sighed. 

"Even I know those things ain't cheap," Tetsutetsu cackled. 

"But they are fungi too..." Juzo widened his eyes, looking between the greenette and the brunette. 

Izuku smirked. "Let's just say that, if Lunch Rush has any, we may never go without." 

As the group broke down in amused theorizing about their next meals, he was glad that Momo wasn't listening at the moment. They would have their discussion over "breaking the economy" soon enough... 

Kinoko thanked him once again, leaving her spot for the next brave soul: Class B's second foreigner student. 

"Rin! Finally, I've been wanting to ask about [Scales] since the Sports Festival. Shishida may have gotten to the third event, but the way you defended your headband was great," Izuku welcomed him friendly, surprising the other with unexpected praise. 

"Ah, thank you," Hiryu bowed. "I'm happy you think so highly of what I did. Shishida deserved to move on though, since he was the one to get the points in time." 

"It was nice of you," Pony commented, remembering the exchange. 

"It was a sound choice," Izuku nodded, then going for his second surprise. "Before we start, I have to ask, would you prefer Hiryu Rin or Lin Fei-Long? " 

"You know Chinese?" Hiryu widened his eyes as Tetsutetsu cried out a "Dude! What was that?!" 

"Midoriya, how do you also know Chinese?" Juzo asked, perplexed. 

"I had a lot of free time in the past, and I took studying as a hobby," he responded, shrugging. 

- Years of "free" time actually. And Hiryu was a decent teacher. -

"I hope I'm fluent enough. It's been a while since I last practiced. What do you say?"  

"Ah! I haven't had a long conversation since I last spoke to my nǎinai, but sure! You may call me Fei-Long too, it's nice to hear that said correctly," the Chinese student laughed at the sudden proposition, clearly enjoying the change of pace. "Do you need a quick explanation of my Quirk?"  

"I'd rather start directly with questions," Izuku said, happy to see the other so eager to talk. Hiryu was diligent and level-headed, but he also liked to let loose whenever he felt comfortable to. "Let's see... Can you cover your whole body or only certain areas?"  

"Anywhere I want to," the teen made the green shiny plates appear on his hands, before moving them up his arm, reaching his neck, and down to his stomach, which he showed by raising his shirt. 

"What's your limit?" he pressed on. 

"I can cover my whole body if I want to, but I'm limited to how much I can make in a day. Each scale needs collagen and calcium, so I must be careful not to run out," the black-haired teen explained. 

He hummed, pointing a finger to the last bit of skin that still showed scales. "Those you just made were just one kind. Are you limited to a certain size or something similar?"  

"Not really. I can make them bigger or move them around like this even," Hiryu grew some scales that protruded outward instead on inward, so that their sharp ends resembled spikes on his skin. 

"Nice trick. I imagine they might be durable, but not as much as Tetsutetsu's steel..."  

"Yes," Hiryu admitted. "They can't compare, but it's still good armor."  

"Of course..." Izuku nodded, moving the conversation to the interesting part. "Say, what kinds of scales can you produce?"  

"What... kinds?" the teen asked, unsure if he had understood correctly. 

"What you've just shown seems to be similar in nature to lizard scales, but can you expand on that? Wait a second."

Izuku rummaged into his backpack before taking out a folder and approaching the other teen. Opening the binder, he showed several pictures of close-ups of different animal scales.

"So, yours look a lot like these ones," he said, pointing to a brightly colored gecko, "but scales are used by a variety of species outside of reptiles."  

"Pardon my interruption, but how did you have that file prepared?" Reiko questioned, her curiosity peaking. 

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I really like doing research... and I think it's obvious that I like looking into Quirks..." 

"A good hobby for heroics," Manga nodded, his head-bubble showing a large thumbs up. 

"Midoriya, do you think I could replicate these?" Hiryu interjected, moving back to the discussion. 

"If you can modify the dimensions and the thickness of each scale, you may," he nodded, already knowing that was the case. "It's also possible that you could start using different materials aside from collagen and calcium for your production, choosing different kinds of keratin, but that would require a lab for testing. What we could try now, instead, is copying what you see here."  

Pointing to the photos again, Izuku moved his finger from lizard to snakes, then to species outside of the Reptilia class. A few had come closer to observe the images as well. "Lizard scales, snake scales and scutes should be easier to replicate, since they're all in the same reptilian classification. What may be harder, but surely useful, is making scales from fishes, avians, mammalians and arthropods."  

"Is that a shark?!" Tetsutetsu grinned, his teeth resembling the animal's signature look. 

"Butterflies have scales?" Kinoko asked, trying to sneak a look. 

"I know that one! It's a pangolin!" Manga pointed at the main mammalian on the page. 

"Guys, let them work!" Juzo called them, grabbing the noise makers. 

"Thanks, Honenuki," Izuku chuckled, refocusing on Hiryu, who had barely spared a thought for the louder classmates. "As you can see, you would have quite a bit of choice. Fishes have four different types of scales: Cosmoid, more spongy and perhaps useful against blunt force; Ganoid, diamond-shaped, shiny, and hard; Placoid, also called denticles, are found in sharks and stingrays, and are similar in structure to teeth; Leptoid, which grow in concentric layers and reduce drag, are further divided into Cycloid, with a smooth edge, and Ctenoid, with a toothed edge."  

Izuku's finger moved to the next page. "Bird's scales are similar to those of reptiles, but the evolution path is believed to be different, so they are probably degenerated feathers. They may not be as useful, so I'd leave them for last. Moving on to mammals, there are some smaller ones who have scales on their feet or tails, but the one you may be interested in is the pangolin, as Manga recognized earlier. Their armor is surprisingly flexible, also showing good properties like anti-adhesion and resistance to wear and stabbing. The only problem is getting them wet, since they seem to suffer in that condition."  

"The exact opposite of fish scales then. I could just use one kind or the other depending on my current needs," Hiryu mused, getting the point he was trying to make. 

"Yes, that would be perfect!" he rejoiced, moving back to Japanese to answer a previous question. "The last kind is the strangest: arthropod scales. Since you asked, Komori: yes, butterflies have them too. The lepidoptera, butterflies and moths, have small, delicate, powdery scales which cover their wings. They aren't made for direct defense, but their colors and structure are incredibly useful for camouflage, mimicry and insulation. Get enough control of the color, and you get an incredible stealth ability. Make them thick enough, and you should be fine at low temperatures for a while." 

"He could change color at will! That's so cool!" Kinoko replied, enthusiastic about the idea. 

"This is incredible," Hiryu thought aloud, "may I keep it? I'd like to try it out, but I doubt I'll get to everything today."  

"Of course," Izuku smiled, offering the folder, which the teen took gratefully, "I made it to help you."  

"Thank you, Midoriya," the Chinese student bowed respectfully and winking. "This Fei-Long will make great use of this."  

"Rin is just gonna end up looking like a dragon," Manga commented, his bubbled showing a face crying of laughter. 

"It wouldn't be so bad. Dragons are cool," Pony shrugged. 

"Hell yeah," Tetsutetsu agreed vehemently. 

"You know it," Hiryu laughed it off, but appreciated the idea. After all, it was in his name.

"Come on, Dragon, soar back to us," Juzo chuckled, nodding to the spot next to his. "So, who's next?"