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My Hero Academia: Aura Farming

Reader mode
The Synonym said:
'I'M NOT GONNA LOSE AURAAA!'

The aura farmer within him roared to life as he teetered on the edge of aura loss. His thoughts accelerated.

In an instant, he forced the fall into a roll across the gym floor—using the momentum to kick Kirishima away once he gained the upper position.
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This is- the vaunted Aura Recovery technique?! I thought only Mr. Terrific had access to the sheer computational prowess to even contemplate performing it!

The Synonym said:
"Doesn't that count as an extra skill?"

<That is merely an additional feature you have discovered. It is not sufficient to become an independent skill.>
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I'm glad not every little action or exploit becomes at new skill. Hate it when gamer fics have new additions for every little action. One of them even had separate skill levels for sword fighting using the right or left hands!
 
GOD DAMNIT NOOOOO!

The cockblock ending into the arc we've been waiting for.
 
The Synonym said:
If he hadn't possessed such strong self-control, he might've turned around and sent Yaoyorozu a smug smile.
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My dude, she's not even competing lmao

USJ!
Hm. I wonder if he's going to half ass the fighting to show off. It feels like he's the type to, but idk.
 
Chapter 47 New
Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

patreon.com/TheSynonym

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[USJ]
────────────────────────

…

After Aizawa announced today's class dynamic, everyone left the classroom and headed to the parking lot, where they waited for the bus to arrive. Since the USJ was located outside the school facilities, transport was necessary.

Students naturally formed small groups as they waited, chatting idly to pass the time. Taka was no exception.

Sato, Jiro, Kaminari, and Mina stood together, talking as usual, with Taka contributing his signature stoic silence.

They talked about whatever came to mind. The training sessions and better strategies to beat Taka, everyone's favorite foods, everyone's favorite Rockinesis' songs—something Taka smoothly ignored—, which teacher was their favourite, with Kaminari's choice being of course the Modern Hero History teacher, among many other topics Taka just half-heartedly nodded to, or answered curtly.

His mind was simply not on their conversation.

Noticing it, Kirishima turned toward him, raising an eyebrow as he came up with an idea of why that might be.

"Don't you get hot in that, bro?" he asked, eyeing Taka's full hero suit as the aura farmer stood with his arms crossed.

The others glanced over, curiosity sparked.

After a faint snort, as if he had heard something funny, Taka shook his head calmly. "Temperature is meaningless to me."

Kirishima laughed. "Man, you really are all-rounded, huh?"

Taka nodded in agreement.

Though—

'Shit, I'm fucking dying in here…'

Inwardly, he was suffering. Who would've thought that his suit's greatest weakness would be a sunny day?

'This suit is gonna need some modifications after this. Seriously, the moment summer hits, I'm gonna be soaked, and I'm pretty sure that's not very auratic… except for those who got some weird kink for it, I guess.'

Standing under the sun in black clothing, with a bandana covering his mouth and nose, made the heat almost unbearable. The hat helped a little by shading his face, but it also absorbed warmth like a sponge. With it pressing down on his head and trapping the heat there, it wasn't doing him any favors.

Such was the reality of hero suits. Cool on the outside. Absolute hell on the inside.

'I could fix this with that,' he mused, 'but if I mess with that now, I'll lose possible aura gains later when I reveal it—and that's a no-no.'

Taka's eyes drifted toward Todoroki, who stood off to the side, waiting patiently and not speaking to anyone. A devious glint crossed Taka's gaze.

'Should I ragebait him into blasting me with some ice?' he hummed inwardly, already imagining the conversation.

"Yo, Todoroki. Remember how I beat you last time? bet I could do it again, and while at it, not get hit even once by your ice."

Surely those words would make the emo teenager angry enough.

Thankfully—for both Todoroki and Taka—before the aura farmer could try anything, the bus finally arrived, pulling around the corner before parking nearby.

With the wait finally over, Yaoyorozu and Taka quickly took charge, organizing everyone into a line to avoid clustering.

Soon enough, everyone boarded the bus, Aizawa included.

Minutes later, the vehicle was already on its way to the USJ, with everyone joyfully eyeing the landscape and chatting with their seat neighbors.

Taka, for his part, sat at the back of the bus by the window, his edgy persona clearly not allowing him to coexist with the rest of the mortals—or engage in something as mundane as social interaction.

In summary, he was being asocial.

Still, even in solitude, one could find company.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Albeit a very quiet kind. One that matched him almost perfectly.

Somehow, he had ended up sitting next to Tokoyami, their deep and thunderous conversation filling the entire bus for the duration of the ride.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Truly, very serious matters were being discussed here.

Eventually, though, someone had to break the silence, and Tokoyami was the one to do so—mostly because he'd noticed the rather heavy and hugeweapon resting beside Taka's feet.

"I see you brought the accursed blade along."

Taka, who had been staring out the window with stoic intensity, shifted his gaze toward the bird-headed student without changing his relaxed posture.

"Yes."

"For what purpose, if I may inquire?" Tokoyami continued. "This is rescue training. A weapon does not seem especially useful in such a scenario."

Taka exhaled slowly, as though the answer should have been obvious.

But still, he took a few seconds to respond.

Obviously not because he hadn't come up with an excuse yet. Of course not.

After a few seconds, though, it seemed he was finally ready to reveal the answer.

"Evil lurks constantly, and peace is but a fragile illusion upheld for too long. To leave myself unarmed because of such a lie would be a fool's errand."

Tokoyami blinked, then nodded solemnly.

"I see. Even under the brightest sun, darkness yet dwells unseen, and we remain ignorant of it. As you say, preparedness is the mark of the wise. I apologize."

"There's no need," Taka replied calmly. "The illusion of peace is often the most dangerous trap."

"Indeed," Tokoyami agreed. "As one who walks the path of darkness, I shall remain vigilant against the evil hiding in the shadows."

'This guy is way too into it…' Taka sweatdropped inwardly.

Still—much to his annoyance—he was having a bit of fun.

Not that he would ever admit it, though.

If anyone ever asked, he was being edgy out of obligation to farm aura. Nothing more and nothing else.

Unfortunately, their exchange was cut short when another conversation rose above the murmur of the bus, drawing everyone's attention.

"Your Quirk is kind of like All Might's."

From the front rows, where the seats faced each other, Tsuyu glanced at Midoriya as she spoke.

The green-haired boy instantly panicked.

"H-huh?! Y-you really think so?!"

To be fair, he was already skittish by nature, so his reaction didn't raise too many alarms, even if slightly suspicious.

Except for Taka, whose eyes narrowed at the greenhead's reaction.

'Man, this guy sucks at keeping secrets. If we even become friends, I'm never telling him shit.'

Though "suspicious " wasn't quite the right word. He already knew everything.

Luckily for Midoriya, though, before he could continue screwing up, Kirishima jumped in.

"Hold on, Tsu. All Might doesn't get hurt when he uses his Quirk. They're just similar, that's all."

Midoriya let out a quiet sigh of relief as Kirishima unintentionally saved his ass.

Kirishima continued, scratching his head. "Still, it's pretty cool to have a simple enhancement-type Quirk. You can do lots of flashy stuff… kinda like Taka over there."

All eyes turned toward Taka, who blinked at the sudden attention.

"Yes," Tsuyu said thoughtfully, studying him. "He is kind of flashy."

"Too flashy," Jiro added flatly from her spot.

Sato scratched the back of his head. "Is he? I didn't really notice."

Kaminari shot him a look. "Dude, you didn't see him fight Todoroki. If that wasn't flashy, I don't know what is. He put quite the spectacle back then."

A faint frown appeared on Todoroki's face, but no one paid it much attention.

Mina chimed in to defend him. "Who knows? Maybe it was just unconscious showmanship. He knows how to dance, after all—maybe the instincts are still kicking."

"Dance?" Tsuyu tilted her head.

Mina threw a playful punch into the air. "Oh yeah! He's got some crazy moves when he fights. They kinda look like if breakdancing and martial arts had a baby. And they're super effective, we get our asses kicked every time we fight, and we can barely follow his movements when he pulls them out!"

Iida pushed up his glasses, looking intensely inquisitive. "As far as I am aware, we have not held any combat exercises since Tuesday of last week. What exactly do you mean by 'kicking your asses'?"

Kirishima answered this time, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, before pointing at their group. "Ah, that… well, one thing led to another, and we ended up training together at the school gym after classes."

"I'd say it's more like Taka training us, though," Sato added dejectedly. "Even after several sessions, we haven't landed a proper hit on him."

"You've engaged in unauthorized Quirk usage?!" Iida gasped. "Not only that, but you fought amongst yourselves?!"

Kaminari grinned and jerked a thumb toward Taka at the back of the bus. "Relax. Class rep over there handled everything. He even got permission from the principal and all. And it's all hand-to-hand combat with no Quirks involved."

"I-is that so?" Iida froze, clearly caught off guard.

It seemed nothing truly illegal was going down here.

"So you know how to dance?" Tsuyu suddenly asked, turning toward Taka—apparently that being the most important detail she'd taken from the entire conversation.

Taka stared at her for a moment, his silence heavy and ominous.

"A bit," he finally said.

-Snort-

A certain blond snorted, a mocking smirk forming on his face.

Almost immediately after, the bus jolted over a bump that the driver for some reason wasn't able to see in time, and somehow Bakugo slammed his head a bit too hard against the window.

It ended with him clutching his head while everyone else promptly ignored him.

"Didn't take you for someone who could dance, Taka," Tsuyu said, blunt as ever.

Taka took a slow breath.

'Consequences, consequences… always catching up to me. When will I be the one to catch up to them instead?'

Still, this wasn't an unsalvageable situation.

"It gave me an edge in hand-to-hand combat when I needed it," he said with an enigmatic tone—only making everyone more curious.

Even so, the way he worded it, and with him being vague about it, it felt too personal for anyone to pry. So they moved on.

If only they knew it was to beat up a monkey.

"So you guys are training together?" Ojiro, the incredibly memorable classmate, asked.

"And why didn't you invite me?!" Toru added from beside him, her sleeve waving furiously.

"Well, we've only met up three times so far," Jiro replied, scratching her cheek. "And to be honest, the only thing we do there is get beaten up while Takahashi dodges everything we throw at him. So yeah, you're not missing much."

"We've become crazy strong, though!" Kirishima added, pumping a fist. "I'd say our coordination's practically pro-level now!"

"Alright, let's not get that crazy," Kaminari cut in with a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, trying to rein him in.

From his seat, Iida slumped forward, his body trembling as his clenched fists rested on his knees. "I see… all of you engaging in additional training, on top of our already demanding Hero Basic Training classes… How admirable!"

"C-chill, man, it's not that intense," Kaminari said quickly. "It's honestly kinda fun. Like karaoke… but more U.A.-ish... And with way more punches and kicks."

From the front of the bus, Aizawa observed the conversation quietly, a faint snort escaping his nose.

"Still, I never took Taka for someone who'd agree to something like that," Toru said, earning several nods from nearby seats.

"He's surprisingly friendly once you get to know him!" Kirishima added. "So if any of you wanna join us, feel free to ask. Honestly, we could use all the help we can get. He's just too strong!"

A few eager nods followed from those interested.

'Why the hell are you nodding?!' Taka deadpanned internally as he saw Tokoyami nodding as well from his peripheral vision.

Eventually, he sighed, turning his gaze back toward the window, his poker face barely concealing his irritation.

'It seems the unseen wounds from my poor aura farming are starting to show. At this rate, my aura might actually be in danger.'

If the class kept going down the path of realizing he wasn't as edgy as he appeared, there was a real risk that his future aura-farming moments would get dismissed as meaningless boasting.

Which was just another way of saying aura loss.

He was losing respect in exchange for friendship power.

Unacceptable.

Friendship power was for boring bums—like Midoriya.

A true aura farmer relied solely on the power he cultivated himself.

—And the system, but that part didn't count.

Either way, the problem was clear: he needed to regain the respect he'd lost. Something easier said than done. It was easier to lose than to gain respect.

Yet, for the briefest moment, a faint smirk tugged at his lips.

'Fortunately, we're heading exactly where I need to be.'

After today, there would be no doubt left in this place—

That he was just naturally cool.

Nothing artificial about it.

…

°

°

°

| Minutes later… |

…

After a while of incessant chatter, the bus finally came to a stop.

The students disembarked, and their eyes were immediately drawn to the massive structure before them.

A circular edification the size of a stadium, if not even bigger, and with a giant cupule working as a ceiling.

USJ.

And all of it was property of U.A.

'Seriously… And I remember they had even more places like this in the show… Just how rich are these guys?' Taka sweatdropped.

This… this was a different kind of aura.

The aura of pure, crushing economic power.

'Heh. Not bad, rat.'

Snorting at the mental image of Nezu surrounded by a swirling aura of floating bills, Taka walked alongside his classmates toward the entrance, Aizawa leading the group.

As they drew closer, a figure was already waiting for them in front of the massive doors.

"Everyone, I've been expecting you!"

Instantly, recognition spread through the class.

"It's the hero Thirteen! The Space Hero who's rescued tons of people from disaster zones!" Midoriya exclaimed, launching into one of his ever-convenient hero explanations, because of course he did.

Uraraka, beside him, looked just as thrilled—clearly a fan.

Taka, however, was not.

He remembered her Quirk being impressive, at least on paper.

But her role in the show had been minimal. Even Ojiro—the most influential and famous guy in 1-A—had more screen time than her, and that said a lot.

"Achoo!"

Someone sneezed from within the group.

Ignoring it, Thirteen turned toward the entrance and waved them forward. "Come, let's head inside without delay."

The class followed obediently, soon passing through the doors and marveling at the sight within.

The place almost looked like a theme park, given the sheer variety and scale of the structures inside. Some students even pointed out its resemblance to a certain famous amusement park franchise.

The difference, however, lay in what those structures were meant for.

That being—rescue work.

A landslide zone.

A shipwreck.

A fire-ravaged cityscape.

A violent windstorm area.

Disasters of all kinds, recreated in massive detail.

All of it designed for training.

That was the Unforeseen Simulation Joint.

As the students nodded along to Thirteen's explanation, Aizawa stepped closer, his eyes sweeping the area with visible displeasure.

"Thirteen. Where's All Might? He was supposed to meet us here."

The astronaut-like hero shook her head. "About that… it seems he did too much hero work on his way here and ran out of his daily time. He's resting in the lounge for now. He said he should be able to join us later, once he recovers a bit."

Aizawa clicked his tongue. "That man is the very peak of irrationality."

From his spot, Taka narrowed his eyes.

He didn't need to hear the conversation to know exactly what it was about.

And because he knew that—

He knew what was coming next.

Immediately, his gaze swept across the environment, sharp and alert.

He wasn't afraid—but the idea of dozens of villains attacking at once was hardly calming.

Aura flowed quietly toward his back, where the saw cleaver rested in its scabbard, secured to the belt Power Loader had given him. Ready to be drawn the moment things went south.

Aizawa had given him a weird look earlier when he tried to bring it along, saying it wouldn't be necessary given the nature of today's class.

Taka had simply shrugged it off, stating it was his hero equipment, and that learning rescue work while carrying it should be a given.

While not the best of arguments, fortunately, Aizawa's care for the matter wasn't big enough to bother trying to come up with a comeback. So he just let Taka go after that. Thus, allowing Taka to continue with his plans for his new weapon, and bringing us back to the present.

"..."

Patiently, he let the time pass as Thirteen explained the contents of the class, and how the dynamic would be going.

Which Taka, of course, didn't even bother to listen.

Minutes passed. Questions flew, and answers returned.

And eventually, his heightened alertness began to itch.

'The timeline didn't get screwed up or something… right?' he thought, sweatdropping internally at the very noticeable lack of villains.

As more time passed, his vigilance wavered, replaced by mild bafflement.

There was no way the USJ incident just… wouldn't happen, right?

Not to him.

Not after all his preparations.

Only a bum would miss something like that.

Unfortunately for him, he had no way to know... That the USJ incident would never happen.

—Bzzzz—

—Nevermind, my bad.

A portal suddenly tore open at the very center of the USJ.

Taka's fading calm reignited instantly.

'Finally.'

A smirk spread beneath his mask.

The first grand aura-farming event—

Had begun.

…

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-To Be Continued...-

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(A/N: I'm gonna have to fire that narrator, misleading you guys like that. It's not cool.

Damn that narrator, who may he be?

Anyway, next chapter we are starting right away with the action, so look forward to that. It's an order.)
 
The Synonym said:
Seriously, the moment summer hits, I'm gonna be soaked, and I'm pretty sure that's not very auratic… except for those who got some weird kink for it, I guess.'
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its-called-aura-bruh-meme-original.png

The Synonym said:
This… this was a different kind of aura.

The aura of pure, crushing economic power.

'Heh. Not bad, rat.'
Click to expand...
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The aura of having infinite bands is absolutely crushing to any aura farmer working a 9-5. Momo also has access to this power, but doesn't want to hurt Taka's feelings.

The Synonym said:
Even Ojiro—the most influential and famous guy in 1-A—had more screen time than her, and that said a lot.
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Dude be catching strays. What I want to know is "how did Taka remember this guy enough to insult him?"
 
I swear to god he better fight the fucking nomu like the alien dude fought mahoragha where MAHORAGHA WAS DANCING WITH HIM

IN THE FIGHT FOR JUJUSTU KAISEN MODOLU THEY FUCKING FOUGHT AND STARTED ROMANTICALLY DANCING

LIKE WHAT MF WAS SO POWERFUL MAHORAGHA WAS SEDUCED
 
He needs the Dramatic Save at the Most opportune moment.

So its likely that he will be at the tail end of the fight with the Nomu, and focus on rescuing the others.

This series of events maximizes Aura Gain, doubly so if he manages to steal the Hand Villains Js before he retreats.
 
Chapter 48 New
(A/N: Phonk went incredibly hard while writing this, dunno about reading with it, but I'd say it's pretty epic. In case anyone here wants to hear my recommendation, put on Slava Funk near the end, when something epic happens... Or read the whole chapter while listening to it on repeat. Both work, I think.)

────────────────────────
[USJ Incident 1]
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…

As the portal opened, Aizawa's until-then bored expression snapped into sharp alertness. His head turned toward the center of the facility, where swirling purple mist churned violently—and where several threatening figures began stepping out of it.

Without wasting a single second, he slipped on his goggles and prepared for action. There wasn't a shred of doubt in him about what was happening, nor was there hesitation.

"Everyone, don't move from where you are!" he barked. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

Both parties reacted instantly.

Thirteen moved in front of the class, ushering the students behind her as she stared at the steadily growing crowd of villains in the distance. The students, meanwhile, froze in place, confusion rippling through the group.

Who could even consider the possibility of villains attacking at the literal start of their second week of classes?

Who could even imagine villains daring to raid U.A.—a school crawling with Pro Heroes, and with All Might himself on staff?

At first, it was simply illogical.

"What's this?" Kirishima tilted his head, squinting to get a better look at the figures emerging from the mist. "Is it like the entrance exam? With robots or something?"

Midoriya and a few others instinctively stepped forward to see better.

"Do not move!"

However, Aizawa's sharp shout cut them and their carelessness off immediately. There was none of his usual laziness in it—no hint of casual detachment.

That alone was enough to instill in them the realization that something wasn't right.

And when he spoke again, that realization cemented even further.

"Those are real villains."

The word hit like a physical blow. Bodies stiffened as dread finally seeped in, ignorance no longer shielding them.

The people that most of them had always seen from afar, as something only heroes dealt with, were now here, in front of them.

And realer than ever.

"Villains?! What?!"

"There's no way they could get into the school!"

"Where's All Might?!"

Yaoyorozu, standing the closest to Thirteen, reached for her. "Sensei, what about the trespasser sensors?!"

"We have them…" Thirteen muttered, her tone grim. "But it appears they aren't working."

"... If the sensors are down, then they must have someone with a Quirk capable of blocking them," Todoroki said, eyes narrowed as he observed the enemy numbers. "And for them to appear now, during class, in a facility isolated from the main campus… This was carefully planned and with a specific goal in mind."

That realization sent a chill through the group.

The idea that this wasn't a random attack, that these weren't brutish villains—that there was intent behind their appearance here—only worsened their dread.

And when someone actually answered the remaining question, it only became worse.

The villains' goal was...

"To kill All Might, huh?"

Taka's voice cut cleanly through the group, making several students widen their eyes at the realization.

Todoroki spared him a brief glance before nodding slowly.

With numbers like those, no other objective made sense.

They were here to bring an end to the Symbol of Peace.

—However, unconcerned with the villains' motives, Aizawa refocused on immediate priorities.

"Thirteen, begin the evacuation and try to contact the school. If the sensors are blocked, they likely have a radio-wave interference Quirk."

His gaze flicked briefly to Kaminari, landing on the communication equipment built into his costume. "You too, Kaminari. Try reaching the school using your Quirk."

With that, Aizawa started walking forward.

His scarf—his capture weapon—rose into the air as he prepared to engage.

Midoriya, however, called out after him, panic slipping into his voice. "You're going to fight alone, sensei?! Eraser Head's fighting style relies on erasing Quirks and capturing opponents—there's no way you can win a frontal battle against that many villains!"

Aizawa waved the concern off without stopping.

"You can't become a hero with just one trick, kid."

Then he glanced back at Thirteen.

"I'm leaving them to you."

And with that, he leapt—skipping the stairs entirely as he descended straight toward the approaching army of villains.

-Bam!-

The ground cracked as he landed before the approaching army, but despite the harsh descent, Aizawa stood back up unbothered.

Then, tightening his grip on his capture weapon, he began walking toward the ground of villains—before, soon, his walk turned into a full-on sprint. Something the villains reciprocated, dashing at him too.

"Sensei!"

The students watched with dread as Aizawa dove straight into the swarm—alone.

But as the villains surged forward to meet him, the scene that unfolded was nothing like what they had imagined.

-Whack!-

-Bam!-

-Thud!-

The attackers were clearly inexperienced. Most relied entirely on the raw power of their Quirks, with little to no actual combat training to back it up. Against Aizawa—whose Quirk was the literal antithesis of theirs—they were nothing more than reckless children waiting to be beaten up.

Even when heteromorphic villains joined the fray—those whose Quirks couldn't be erased—Aizawa proved himself far more dangerous than he had first appeared. He fought physically enhanced opponents with nothing but sheer skill, speed, and ruthless efficiency. His capture weapon moved like an extension of his body, snapping, coiling, and tightening as he swung villains around like ragdolls, using them as blunt instruments to smash into others mid-charge.

No matter how many came—one, three, five—Aizawa's eyes snapped from target to target with frightening precision. He erased Quirks in perfect tandem with his movements, all while engaging three or four enemies at once. Villains were seized, kicked, punched, slammed, hurled, and discarded, their own numbers turned against them.

His control over the battlefield—its pacing, its numbers, and the constant prioritization of which Quirk to erase first—was immaculate.

'Badass…' Taka raised an eyebrow, quietly reassessing his earlier thoughts about All Might being the sole aura farmer at U.A. 'Not bad, Aizawa-sensei.'

His observation was cut short when Thirteen ordered the students to retreat toward the entrance and begin evacuation.

Taka didn't protest or comment. He simply followed along, calm and compliant.

Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.

The entrance was only seconds away—

When it happened.

A thick dark purple mist poured into existence directly in front of them, spilling from the air itself and blocking their escape. The group was forced to halt as the fog swirled violently.

Then, the mist began to take shape.

"Nice to meet you, students."

A towering body of black mist rose before them, two glowing yellow eyes forming within its mass.

"We are the League of Villains," the figure continued smoothly. "It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves into the home of heroes—U.A. High School—to make All Might, the Symbol of Peace, take his final breath."

Its gaze swept over the students, sharp and assessing.

"…Unfortunately, it seems he isn't here at the moment. Was there a change in the schedule?"

Silence was the only thing that he received. Not that the students or Thirteen were gonna answer him anyway.

He snorted. "No matter. My role here is another."

The misty body began to expand, tendrils of vapor creeping outward as if threatening to engulf them all.

Thirteen tensed, clearly preparing to unleash her Quirk, Black Hole, to absorb it all.

But before she could act, two figures burst forward.

Bakugo and Kirishima.

One was eager to prove himself, and probably held a grudge against villains after what had happened a year ago.

The other refused to remain frozen in fear while a villain did as he pleased, as he had done months ago.

They moved in a blur, fast enough to catch the villain off guard.

Then they struck.

—BOOOM!—

A thunderous explosion erupted from one side, while from the other came a forward thrust—palms straightened and hardened into spear-like points.

Against the villain's misty body, the explosion was clearly the more effective attack. Still, even the blunt, hardened strike forced the villain backward, colliding with something solid hidden within all that vapor.

The blast kicked up a thick cloud of dust, giving the two students just enough time to pull back after their opening strike.

"Didn't expect to get beaten by us first, did you?!" Kirishima shouted, a nervous smirk stretching across his face.

But as the dust thinned, restoring visibility—

"Oh dear. That was dangerous."

The villain's voice drifted through the settling haze, calm and almost amused.

"For a moment, I forgot that while you're students… you're still the golden eggs of this school. You must possess some talent to be here in the first place."

The mist reformed seamlessly, as if nothing had happened. Two glowing eyes narrowed within the dark mass.

"But now, it's time for me to fulfill my role."

The fog swelled violently.

"To separate and scatter you all… and send you to your deaths."

-Swooosh!-

Then, the mist exploded outward in every direction, a violent surge of black vapor that made everyone widen their eyes and cover themselves out of instinct.

Amidst the students, Thirteen's eyes widened as her suit's finger gloves shifted open, preparing to unleash her Black Hole to stop it.

—but that's when she noticed, Kirishima and Bakugo stood directly in front of her.

There was no clear line of fire.

"You two, move awa—!"

But by then, it was too late.

In the blink of an eye, the wave of darkness swallowed them.

First Kirishima and Bakugo.

Then Thirteen, and those close to her.

And then the rest of the class.

One by one, they were consumed, pulled into a storm of dark mist that curved inward, forming a sealed dome that encased them all. A space meant to trap them, teleport them, and scatter them across the facility to face the villains that had already taken their positions, waiting for them.

That was how it was supposed to go. It was a seamless plan, with none of the students' documented Quirks in the villain's intel being something that should have been able to deter their plans.

But then—

-Shiiiin!-

A single ray of crimson light pierced the darkness from within.

Thin. Focused. Like a laser cutting through the night.

But against all that darkness, it didn't do much.

—Until the next seconds.

-Shiiiin!-

Another followed.

-Shiiiin!-

And another.

Then many more.

Crimson rays tore through the mist from every direction, carving glowing seams into its domain.

Until—

—BAM!—

The darkness was blown apart.

Light burst outward like molten lava escaping a shattered shell, flooding the space and violently pushing the mist back. The cupule collapsed, torn open from the inside, and the mist receded to its origin.

"W-what is this?!" The villain staggered as he reformed, staring forward in disbelief.

In another timeline, most of them would have been warped away—scattered across the facility and forced to fight for their lives against villains.

But not in this timeline.

Not with him here.

"This red light…"

"T-this is…?"

"Whoa, what the hell?"

"…Hahaha. Should I say as expected?"

The class remained where they stood, frozen in disbelief, their bodies bathed in radiant crimson light. Some laughed wryly, others glanced down at themselves, examining the glow that surrounded them—protected them—still dumbfounded.

Normally, such an ominous color inspired fear. It was the color of peerless power. Of dominance. Of inevitability.

But now, wrapped in that light—shielded from the villain's mist—everyone shared the same realization.

It was warm.

Like a thick mantle resting on their shoulders.

As one, they turned toward its source.

The villain did the same, following the crimson glow back to its origin.

And there, at the center of it all—

"Seems like you miscalculated."

—stood a single teenager.

The red light condensed around him, bubbling into a dense, roiling aura. His normally black eyes now shone with an imposing crimson glow, gazing at the villain as though he were nothing more than a minor inconvenience—not a real threat.

Then, the youth lifted an arm calmly, like a commander issuing an order.

The light surrounding the students responded instantly, surging outward and shooting toward the villain.

This time, not as a shield.

"Ugh—!" The villain grunted as invisible pressure crashed down on him, locking his movements in place, crushing in from every direction.

But as a captor.

"Now."

The youth rose a few centimeters off the ground, as though even walking was beneath him. In a blink, he stood directly before the villain, meeting his glowing eyes without a shred of fear.

"How about we talk," he said calmly, "about those plans of yours?"

...

────────────────────────

-To Be Continued...-

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(A/N: Reading it again, maybe the edge was a bit too much. Nothing I can do until Taka gains some development, though.

Anyway, it was a bit short, but I liked the way this chapter went.
 
Chapter 49 New
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[Maintain the attitude]
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…

'Well, that worked better than I hoped. He even gave me special effects and all.' Taka thought as he glared at the now-captured Kurogiri hovering before him, struggling under his aura's pressure.

He didn't quite remember every detail of how things had played out in the show, but he had to admit, using a cupule of darkness to teleport everyone away? It was the perfect setup for a "light that pierces the insurmountable darkness" moment.

He sure reaped quite a lot of aura with that move.

'About 200 in one go... and probably more later.' Taka thought, smirking behind his mask.

And aura wasn't the only thing he had managed to harvest there. He also got to try wrapping it around his classmates' bodies to prevent the mist from touching them.

Something he hadn't had the chance to do so far, since he acted alone most of the time.

Now he was more ready for similar situations in the future... and it had also sparked a new idea about his aura's still-untapped applications. A very interesting idea.

'But more on that later. I need to focus on the matter at hand.' Taka shook his head briefly.

Pushing the thought aside, Taka swept his gaze briefly over his classmates. They remained behind him, staring in stunned silence at how everything had unfolded, and how the terrifying villain and whatever his plans had been, were stopped in a matter of seconds.

But although they were clearly relieved, Taka didn't share much of the sentiment.

'Too bad they won't get to fight villains today, I'm fairly sure that was a good growing instance for them, even if a bit scary…' He sighed inwardly, recalling the fights and the clutch-ups his classmates pulled in the show to beat the villains waiting for them whethever Kurogi had warped them.

He had just taken away that chance to experience the real thing and grow as heroes from them.

For a moment, faint regret showed on Taka's face.

Only to disappear as a sneer escaped his nose.

'But I suppose I'll make it up to them with some extra training.'

Canon deviation resolved—at least to his satisfaction—Taka turned his attention back to Kurogiri.

"Now then," he said calmly, "how about we talk about those plans of yours?"

The villain's glowing eyes narrowed, his voice slipping through the crushing pressure around him.

"It seems U.A.'s golden eggs are more exceptional than we anticipated… To think I'd meet a Quirk that counters mine right here... How troublesome."

"Are you deaf?"

Taka's raised hand twitched.

In response, the aura constricting Kurogiri's metallic neck brace compressed further, the metal denting inward with a sharp groan.

"Under this thing," Taka continued coolly, "is your physical body, is it not?"

"Kgh—!"

Kurogiri's eyes widened slightly as a grunt escaped him, the pressure finally making itself known.

Taka's eyes burned brighter, his aura flaring with unmistakable menace.

"Start talking," he said, "if you don't want to become a flattened can."

"… U-unfortunately, I cannot," Kurogiri maintained his composure, even through the pain.

"Is that so?" Taka's eyes narrowed.

His grip on the metal increased.

Kurogiri's breath began to hasten, and the metal compressed further.

But even then, he remained silent.

Not only that, the villain clearly wasn't hiding his pain. The eye twitches, the groans, the hastened breath… he was suffering.

And yet, his eyes never left Taka's.

Even as the student's fingers slowly closed, and the metal around Kurogiri's neck screamed under the strain—buckling more with each passing second—the villain never broke eye contact.

Not even once showing hesitation in them, nor fear.

He wasn't going to talk, even if it meant his death.

So, in the end, Taka released his grip.

'Pretty auratic,' he admitted inwardly, nodding in quiet respect.

He descended back to the ground, boots touching the floor as his aura relaxed and the pressure dissipated. A huff slipped from his nose.

'Well, it's not like I expected a different outcome.'

Kurogiri was already thoroughly brainwashed. Beyond putting on a show, Taka hadn't truly expected him to reveal anything about the League's plans.

Not that he needed him to, he already knew mostly everything.

But the others didn't know that—so appearances had to be maintained.

As for why he wasn't killing Kurogiri—one of, if not the most, troublesome villain around—well, that was because Shigaraki needed this guy with how often he screwed up, otherwise, he'd be caught before he could even amount to anything.

So, leaving the foggy villain running around until Shigaraki and company became worth aura-harvesting was the smart move.

'That, plus the fact that my edginess is just for show. I'm not quite that willing to kill someone just yet.' Taka thought grimly.

Maybe in the future he'd be willing to take that step with the most unreedemable bunch, but for now, he wasn't about to try his luck on finding out whether he would be a cold-blooded killer or vomit from guilt the instant someone got blasted by him.

Maybe he was inviting trouble onto himself by not ending this guy here… but wasn't that the way of the aura farmer?

Trouble = Aura.

And besides…

'These guys won't be able to beat me.' He thought, glaring at Kurogiri with a smug look.

Decision made, and letting out a sneer, Taka turned toward Thirteen, who had been watching the entire exchange in speechless disbelief.

"It seems he won't talk," Taka said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"You…" Thirteen hesitated, then exhaled softly. "I think Aizawa mentioned you. You really are as troublesome as he said, huh?"

'What's that supposed to mean?' Taka raised an eyebrow.

After a brief nod of thanks, Thirteen turned back to Kurogiri, uncertainty creeping into her voice.

"Can you keep him restrained?"

"So long as I want," Taka replied calmly, confidence filling his tone, "he won't be moving."

Nodding, Thirteen turned and swept her gaze across the main plaza, her eyes narrowing as she spotted Aizawa still locked in combat with the horde of villains below.

"We should evacuate immediately and call in the other heroes quickly. Everyone, let's get on the move." She turned to the students, gesturing firmly toward the exit.

They obeyed, nodding as they started moving.

Thirteen was about to follow—when she noticed someone hadn't moved.

"Takahashi?" She turned, tone filled with confusion.

Taka stood still, his eyes fixed on the main plaza where Aizawa carved through the villains.

Then he turned back to them, his voice calm.

"You guys go. I'll help the teacher."

"What?!" Multiple voices erupted at once.

"This is not the time to be reckless, Takahashi." Thirteen's tone hardened. "We need outside support. There are too many villains, this is far too dangerous for mere students to deal with."

"No." The single word landed heavily.

"Oi, Takahashi, don't be an idiot," Jiro stepped forward. "I know you're strong, but that's at least fifty villains down there. That's too much even for you."

Kirishima swallowed. "Y-yeah, man. This isn't the time to show off. We need to get All Might. He can handle this."

"You're strong, Taka, but this is too much, even for you," Tsuyu said, worry clear on her face.

Taka didn't blink.

"By the time All Might or anyone else gets here," he said evenly, "Aizawa-sensei will be dead."

A chill ran through the group.

"W-what are you talking about?!" Sato protested. "He's holding his ground. We're just slowing things down by staying here!"

"Yes, Takahashi-san!" Iida snapped. "This is not the moment to prove yourself!"

"Takahashi-san, please—!" Yaoyorozu stepped forward, too.

But Taka's next words pulled everyone into silence.

"You still don't get it?" Taka asked, his tone almost amused, shooting them a look. "They came here to kill All Might. Those villains down there are numerous, sure—but they're weaklings. Anyone capable of and with the influence to gather this many people should know that, regardless of numbers, weaklings wouldn't even be able to scratch All Might."

Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "So you're saying they have something else."

Taka nodded.

"And whatever that is," he continued, his tone turning ominous, "Aizawa-sensei won't be able to hold out against it."

He paused, turning his gaze toward Kurogiri.

"Isn't that right?"

The villain didn't answer—but he didn't need to. There was no fear in his glowing eyes.

Not even after being captured.

That alone was enough to unsettle the group. Even Thirteen hesitated.

"Still," Kaminari said shakily, "if they really have something to deal with All Might, we can't handle that ourselves! Only All Might and the others should—!"

"AAARGH!"

Before he could continue, however, Aizawa's scream tore through the air, reaching them even from the distance between the main plaza and here.

Every head snapped back toward the battlefield.

And this time, the scene had changed completely.

Where moments ago Aizawa had been overwhelming the crowd, now he was pinned to the ground—his body crushed beneath a towering, monstrous figure with obsidian skin and a beak-like maw.

Their teacher's arms bent at impossible angles under the monster's grip, pitiful screams coming from the Erasure Hero.

"Sensei!"

"Shit—!"

"What do we do?!"

That was enough to set the class in panic.

For once, Thirteen looked uncertain of what to do as well.

But before any of them could even attempt to think of something, Taka began moving.

"You all leave, and call for help," Taka said, already moving toward the stairs leading down to the plaza. "I'll stay."

Protests erupted behind him—from teacher and students alike.

But that hadn't been a suggestion.

It was a statement.

-Fwooosh!-

Taka's aura flared violently.

In the next instant, he leapt from the stairs, following the same path Aizawa had taken earlier, and skipping the stairs entirely.

—BOOOOM!—

His descent was like a falling comet of crimson. The ground detonated as his feet slammed into the plaza—

His arrival rang out like a gong, freezing the battlefield in an instant. The villains who had been rushing toward the now-restrained Aizawa paused, turning their heads in shock, their surging confidence vanishing in an instant the moment they laid their eyes on the figure standing there.

Through the pain of being pinned down, Aizawa's eyes widened.

"Takahashi…?!"

Shigaraki, on the other hand, squinted at the newcomer, his eyes scanning him for a moment before they looked at something else behind the newcomer's shoulder.

"Hoh?"

Floating behind him, a still-restrained Kurogiri struggled—

At least, until Taka casually waved a hand and hurled him across the plaza.

-Thud!-

"Urgh!"

A few seconds later, the villain slammed harshly into the ground near Shigaraki, skidding a meter or so, before he finally came to a stop.

Shigaraki's eyes swept over him briefly, irritation twisting his face.

"…You got captured, Kurogiri?"

Despite the pain and the tense look Shigaraki was shooting him, Kurogiri showed no fear; he simply reported the details of what had happened as he weakly pushed himself up.

"Shigaraki Tomura, the plan has failed. I was unable to teleport the students, and they are right now evacuating the facility… it won't be long before external help arrives."

For a moment, Shigaraki went utterly silent.

Then his fingers rose to his neck.

-Scratch-

-Scratch-

-Scratch-

The pacing and violence of the scratching increased as the seconds passed.

"…Of course," he muttered, voice trembling with rage. "Of course you failed at the only thing I asked you to do. One job. One fucking job." His scratching grew violent. "Damn it, Kurogiri—if your Quirk wasn't Gate, I'd have killed you already!"

Kurogiri remained unmoved, as if the threat meant nothing.

Eventually, Shigaraki forced himself to calm down.

"…Whatever. This mission is a failure."

His gaze shifted to Taka, who stood calmly at the foot of the stairs.

"And who might you be?"

"He's the one who prevented me from using my Quirk on the students," Kurogiri added, pushing himself upright, although with a little limp.

"Takahashi—get out of here—argh!" From the ground, Aizawa tried to shout, only for Nomu to slam his head back down.

"Takahashi, huh?" Shigaraki's lips curled upward, mockingly. "So, a student."

He laughed softly.

"He must think he's the chosen one to drop here, amidst dozens of villains without fear… Seriously, this society has everyone so thoroughly brainwashed."

Taking a deep breath, Shigaraki's red eyes landed directly on Taka's own.

"We've failed our objective, so we should be retreating soon before more annoying pests come to bother us… but since you came all the way down here, I suppose we can leave All Might a little souvenir to remember us and shatter that pride of his while at it."

His smile widened, his tone turning sadistic and manic.

"A dead teacher and a dead student. How does that sound?"

"You're misunderstanding something."

Taka's voice cut through the air, calm and absolute. His eyes shone as the aura around him thickened, growing heavier—more oppressive.

"Hah?" Shigaraki tilted his head.

Then—

—Swooooosh!—

A burst of crimson aura erupted from Taka and slammed into Nomu.

The creature was launched backward like a meteor, tearing through the plaza before crashing some meters past the fountain at the center, tearing it apart.

Shigaraki looked past his shoulder with a surprised gaze before looking back at their new foe.

Then, another surge of that bright crimson aura followed immediately.

"Kgh—! You damn troublesome brat, get out of here…!"

Aizawa cursed as his body was lifted gently, carried upward by the aura. Moments later, he was deposited safely above the stairs, where several of Class 1-A rushed forward, grabbing their injured teacher and pulling him back with them.

Shigaraki stared, disbelief etched across his face.

Then Taka spoke again, drawing the villain's attention back to him.

"From now on," he said, stepping forward, "you'll be fighting only me."

His aura exploded outward, flaring like a crimson inferno—dominant, overwhelming, unmistakable. The dark silhouette of his suit contrasted sharply against the raging red lights surrounding him.

"Hah…" Shigaraki let out a hollow laugh. "Well, aren't you cool?"

He waved a hand.

Immediately, the remaining villains regrouped, forming a defensive barrier between him and Taka.

Then, dark swirling portals opened.

Kurogiri's eyes narrowed as one gate after another flared to life. Villains who had been waiting across the facility—prepared to ambush scattered students—stepped through, swelling their numbers.

Soon, a small army stood against a single student.

"Let's see if you can maintain that attitude," Shigaraki snorted, then pointed straight at Taka.

With that simple command, every remaining villain surged forward—

—all of them charging straight at him.

Taka cracked his neck with calmness before the rushing numbers, a smirk forming beneath his mask.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

[STATUS PAGE]

â–¸ Strength: 14,000

â–¸ Defense: 14,316

â–¸ Aura Projection: 8000

─────────────

Total Aura: 36,815 → 35,815 (97,2%)

1st Clone's aura: 1000 (2,8%)

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Upping his physical stats, Taka stared down the rushing horde.

Sixty—maybe seventy villains.

A scene worthy of nightmares for many.

That many people rushing at you usually meant certain death.

—For someone lesser, that is.

Without an ounce of fear, Taka took a single step forward.

—Swooooosh!—

What followed was etched permanently into the memories of everyone watching.

Villains.

Classmates.

Teachers.

All of them stared with awe at what followed.

Taka's figure blurred. A trail of crimson light that zigzagged across the army like a ricocheting bullet. Too fast for any eye to properly follow him.

And then—

-Thud!!!-

In the very next instant, every villain collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

After that, a red trail of light lingered in the air, dissipating slowly—the only proof of what had just occurred.

Without it, no one could have followed what had transpired or known what Taka had done.

But one truth was unmistakable, no matter if they had caught Taka's movements or not.

In mere seconds, Taka had crushed an entire army.

And standing past the fallen villains, now without anything blocking his path to Shigaraki... Taka stood unbothered.

Shigaraki stared at the fallen bodies, disbelief freezing his expression.

Then Taka's voice snapped him out of it.

"Let's see if you can maintain yours."

...

────────────────────────

-To Be Continued...-

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(A/N: And now, the fodder is taken care of in one chapter. I considered dedicating a chapter to Taka fighting against the sheer numbers, like Aizawa, but I realized it wasn't that necessary and that'd just be me lengthening this for no reason, so let's get on to the good stuff right away.

Maybe I'll do an army vs one situation later on, but for this arc, it's prescindible.

Next time, in MHA Aura Farming, Taka vs Nomu.

Don't miss it.)
 
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