OLD FRIEND OF MINE

Time Skip to Three days before the competition starts ...

Location: Herbal Forest

After practicing for almost a full month, Izuku began to feel something different. His muscles may not have formed so much, but this is better when compared to his previous emaciated self. Izuku's sense of sight and hearing was sharper usually. Izuku can focus his eyesight so that he can see birds in the tree and sharpen his hearing so that he can listen to the movement of fish in the river.

"I don't think my training has been in vain...maybe my strength is still not much, but at least my sense of sight and hearing are better. I also can use the sword well. I have also made several sword swings that can be used as a technique...even though the sword I use is still a wooden sword...I think when I use a real sword it might feel a little different." Izuku murmured.

Aside from practicing for almost a month, Izuku didn't just focus on training. During that time Izuku saved money to buy a real sword at the weapons shop. The money he collected was the result of his efforts in helping his mother farm and also doing other work such as collecting medicinal plants for sale, helping to send newspapers, and picking up goods in the market. The money he collected reached 3 gold coins, enough to buy a sword with medium quality down. Izuku also packed her things and planned to buy a sword today.

Location: North Kingdom Trading Center - Avia Market

"During this time the money I collected might be enough to buy a sword. Even though the price is low and the quality isn't that good, at least the sword that I bought later is a real sword. But...is there a sword that costs no more than 3 gold coins? Maybe there is, but the quality must be very low...can the sword help me participate in the contest later? But if you think back...it's better to use a low-quality sword compared to a wooden sword...however the quality of the sword is still the sword the most important thing is how the user uses the sword...I guess my hand is used to swinging the sword...but it's still there I have three days left to master the sword that I will buy today and...uuh-" Izuku's mumbling stopped because he accidentally hit someone in front of him.

Feeling ashamed of hitting someone in front of him, Izuku apologized to that person while bowing his head.

"Aaah...sorry sir, I accidentally hit you from behind," Izuku said apologetically.

"Huh? Deku?" Said the person who looked annoyed at Izuku.

"Eh? That voice...Kacchan?!" Izuku said, staring directly at the person.

That person was Katsuki Bakugou. He used to be Izuku's childhood friend, but since he moved with his family to another part of the city, they rarely see each other.

"What are you doing here, HUH?" Katsuki asked while snapping at Izuku.

"Ah...that is...I came here wanting...um...to buy...a sword...hehe" Izuku replied scared.

"Huh? Sword? EH...Don't tell me you want to participate in the contest?" Katsuki asked as he was teasing Izuku. Izuku also just answered with a nod of her head.

"AHAHAHAHAHAH...Do you want to join the contest? Are you dreaming or what HUH?" Katsuki asked while laughing.

"No..." Izuku answered, getting annoyed at Katsuki. "I didn't dream of Kacchan...I was going to take part in the contest."

Hearing that, Katsuki's expression changed drastically. "Tsk" Katsuki turned around and walked away from Izuku.

After that incident, Izuku thought that Katsuki would also participate in the contest and come to the trading center to prepare himself as well. Izuku began to worry about the people who would become his opponents, especially Katsuki. Izuku and Katsuki used to be very close until one day for reasons that Izuku didn't understand, Katsuki began to change and hate Izuku.

"Huh...I haven't seen him for a long time...he still doesn't like me. The proof is he still calls me"Deku" which means useless...even after a long time we don't meet and once we meet, we don't even say hello or even ask each other's news. He has indeed changed from Kacchan that I used to know. I think he also participates in the contest. But that doesn't mean I'm afraid, I just have to keep practicing for the last three days." Izuku muttered, feeling guilty after meeting Katsuki

Izuku who kept walking while thinking about his childhood friend did not realize that he had arrived in front of the weapons shop. Izuku felt a little nervous before entering the weapon shop. After gathering enough courage, Izuku finally entered the weapons shop.

Location: Northern Kingdom Weapon Shop - Gran Weapons

*Ring*

The sound of the shop doorbell rang as a customer entered the store.

"Ahh...sorry if you came here looking for a sword of good quality and expensive, you are already very late. It was sold out a week ago." Said the shopkeeper who was tidying up his shop.

"Well...sorry to interrupt...but…I came here to buy an ordinary sword...maybe less than three gold coins..." Izuku said in a low voice in shame.

"Heh? A sword with a price of less than three gold coins?" The shopkeeper asked, shocked as he turned to Izuku.

"I...yes...um...is there a sword that costs less than three pieces of gold?" Izuku asked again and felt even more embarrassed until his face became very red.

The shopkeeper did not answer it. He only watched Izuku from the top down. Then he asked, "Is a kid like you able to follow the contest with such a thin body and a low-quality sword that isn't even sharp enough to scratch a tree trunk?"

Izuku was silent because he felt ashamed to hear the words of the shopkeeper. After a while, Izuku started speaking "Umm...I guess-" Izuku's words were interrupted by the shopkeeper.

"You can't...a kid like you won't be able to survive even for a minute in that contest. All the young men who came to this shop bought swords of good quality. Some even bought fifty gold coins. The bodies of the young men are also quite sturdy compared to you. Some of them also came accompanied by swordsmen to choose the sword or weapon they would use. Do you still intend to continue following your intention to this contest after listen to that?" The shopkeeper asked.

Izuku just pondered silently after hearing that. Izuku's eyes began to glaze with tears. Compared to the young men told by the shopkeeper, Izuku was just a poor farmer's child who had the determination to become a royal knight and only had a sword with a price of less than three gold coins and a body that still looked thin even though he had practiced in the interior of the herbal forest.

"Maybe..." Izuku said while holding back his tears.

"Hum?" the shopkeeper was waiting for an answer from Izuku.

"Maybe...I don't have the body as strong as the young men you told me about. Maybe...I don't use expensive high-quality swords as weapons. Maybe...I'm not trained and mentored by a senate expert or a teacher. However, the determination in my heart that has continued to guide me so far!" Izuku exclaimed while sobbing.

"My heart...the determination in my heart that moved me to practice in the wilderness. The determination in my heart also made me continue to practice using the sword all this time even though later the sword that I used was only a sword with low quality. The determination in my heart also made me believe that no matter how low the quality of the sword I used while I practiced using it, it wouldn't be a problem. And because of the determination in my heart too...I still believe I can follow this contest and become a royal knight!" Exclaimed Izuku who was screaming while shedding tears.

The shopkeeper smiled proudly at Izuku's words. He walked toward Izuku and patted his shoulder and directed Izuku to sit near the shop window.

"Gran Torino," said the shopkeeper.

"Huh?" Izuku was confused by what the shopkeeper said while wiping away his tears.

"My name. Gran Torino is my name. You can call me that." Said the shopkeeper.

"Izuku Midoriya...nice to meet you, old man." Izuku introduced herself.

Feeling annoyed Gran Torino hit Izuku's head.

"Aww...why did you hit me?" Izuku asked in pain while holding his head.

"I'm not that old, I'm still young!" Gran Torino answered.

"Eh? But you look old." Izuku said while looking at Gran Torino.

Gran Torino hit Izuku's head a second time and said "I told you I'm still young enough boy! Besides that, I want to show you something. Wait here for a few moments. "

Gran Torino went into the room behind the counter for a few moments. Izuku who was waiting was astonished at what Gran Torino wanted to show. While waiting, Izuku decided to look at the contents of the Gran Torino weapons shop and not see a sword with a price of less than three gold coins. Finally, Gran Torino returned with something that looked like a sword but was covered with a cloth.

"Gran Torino-san, what is that?" Izuku asked.

"Izuku Midoriya, after hearing that determination, I believe that you are the successor of the legendary sword user All Might and have a destiny as a legendary knight. Therefore, I, Gran Torino, the person who was trusted to guard this legendary sword, gave this sword to the successor, you Izuku Midoriya, to assume the destiny of succeeding as the Legendary Knight." Gran Torino said as he handed the sword to Izuku.

Izuku who heard that was shocked and confusing because he had never heard about the Legendary Knight.

"EEEHHHH?! What does this mean?! EEHHH?! Legendary Knight?! Successor?! Legendary sword?! All Might?! EEEEHHH?! EEEHHH?!" Izuku shouted because he was very surprised about all the things about the Legendary Knight, the Legendary Sword of All Might, and himself as the successor to all of that.

"Don't worry, I will explain everything from the beginning. The story of the Legendary Knight and the Dark Kingdom. The Legendary Sword of All Might and King of Darkness All For One." Gran Torino said while calming Izuku.

To be Continued...