Chapter 165
(A/N: This chapter is brought to you by Prod, the alternative to Treading on sneks.)
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With the eighth wave ending much the same way as the seventh, Izuku gave Momo a break to do some carb-loading before giving Mei the signal to begin the ninth and final wave.
*Doooooooong~!*
*rumble* *rumble* *rumble*
Following the sound of the bell's resonant toll, a noticeable tremor began to shake the castle's foundation before the eastern face of the plateau in the distance abruptly burst open. From within, a Zaraffa much larger than its kin charged out and made a beeline for the castle, its substantial size allowing it to flatten every tree in its path as it issued a bone-chilling 'hu-hu-hu-hu-hwa-hwa-hwa-hwa-hwa-hwa-hwa-hwa' type cackle.
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Name: Elusine
Species: Zaraffa
Title: Questing Beast(Strength and Vitality boosted by 1500%)
Class: None
Bond Level: 0
Current Level: 243
Effective Level: 3,958
[Attributes]
Strength: 8,835
Agility: 323
Vitality: 29,745
Intelligence: 58
Dexterity: 406
Luck: 219
Free Attributes: 0
[Perks]
[Neck Cannon], [Carbide Coating], [Venom Glands], [Thermal Vision], [Sloughing Veil], [Regeneration]
[Skills]
[Stampede], [Crunch], [Devour], [Venom Haze], [Petrifying Stare], [Earthquake]
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'It's not quite at the level of Yu's gigantified form, but it's a lot stronger than the average monster...' noted Izuku, outwardly remarking, "It has a shit ton of Strength and Vitality, hide as hard as diamonds, and seems to be resistant to ranged and magic attacks. It also has Skills called Venom Haze and Petrifying Stare, so be mindful of its mouth and line of sight."
"Shall I send it for a dip in the lake...?" asked Historia, wearing her usual smile as if there wasn't a twenty-meter tall, thirty-five-meter-long giraffe reject rapidly approaching them.
"Can your Quirk relocate something that massive...?" asked Izuku, eliciting an affirming nod from Historia as she confidently asserted, "So long as it's within my demesne, its size shouldn't matter."
Stepping forward and floating gracefully onto one of the merlons lining the battlement, Historia stood with the tip of her sword on the stone and her hands resting on its pommel, completely calm as the Questing Beast, Elusine, reached the perimeter of her demesne, crossing into her territory. Then, without any suspense whatsoever, its enormous figure disappeared with an audible clap and an effect similar to the closing of a breach before it reappeared roughly 300m in the air, flailing wildly as it plummeted from the sky like a meteor...
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Though it took nearly a half-hour for the Questing Beast to succumb, it was only ever a matter of time with Historia as its opponent. There was quite literally nothing it could do against her Displacement, but that was just how it was with high-end Quirks. Had Anan been present, she could have defeated the monstrous creature even faster, so Izuku did his best not to let the fact he had done nothing consequential after the first wave bother him.
Fortunately, while he wasn't particularly fond of being sidelined like a supporting character, Izuku was more than satisfied with the rewards they obtained from clearing the breach. Not only did everyone acquire a monstrous 2,294,000,000 Experience, but the rewards they received in their gold and silver chests were tremendous. Historia's, originating from the gold chest, was a red crystalline seed that Rebecca recognized as an exceptionally rare consumable known as a [Seed of Might]. Its flavor text purportedly stated that it could grant the consumer the power of ten men. In reality, it was a single-use item that vested whoever ate it 100 Strength and 200 Vitality, but as that was effectively thirty Levels, Rebecca wasn't wrong to say it was a treasure.
Marginally less impressive than the [Seed of Might], but still interesting, was the reward Momo received from her silver chest. It was a capped-off goat's horn/cornucopia that, when opened, released an endless stream of what appeared to be warm, slightly sweet milk/cream. When consumed, a comforting warmth would permeate the body, causing whoever drank it to feel peaceful, content, and full. More importantly, when Rebecca gave it a try, the lingering feeling of pain and discomfort in her crotch disappeared nigh-instantaneously, forecasting that the liquid had healing properties on par with the [Lesser Regeneration] Perk.
For someone who required a constant intake of calories, Momo's reward, anointed [Almathea's Horn] by Historia, was a boon bordering on a cheat. Unfortunately, the reward Izuku gained from his bronze chest was...less impressive. It was a seemingly ordinary stack of tarot cards, but when the dealer and the person getting a reading inserted their Mana into them, the face of the card would change, assumably to more accurately depict their future and desires. The girls, notably Nemuri, found this interesting, but as nearly every card he drew was either The Fool, The Lovers, or The Tower, Izuku grew weary of them pretty quickly...
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[October 1st, 2149]
Though he would have liked to meet in person, Izuku celebrated Melissa's birthday over a video conference. More accurately, he spent around three hours watching and listening to her explain the various inventions she had been working on since her return to UA. The most significant among these was a device that conferred cell towers the ability to detect Mana and the spatial oscillations that occurred before a breach's emergence, serving as an early-warning system that was hurriedly being implemented across the globe.
"You're really amazing..." remarked Izuku, his expression and tone serious. A faint red hue colored Melissa's cheeks when she heard him, but as she had already been exalted to the heavens for her invention, she took the compliment in stride and asked, "So, how are things on your end? I heard from the others that you've already reached Level 75."
Nodding affirmingly, Izuku maintained his smile as he replied, "Yeah, and I'm planning to hit at least 90 before the Knight Course reconvenes on the 20th. After that, things will slow down considerably unless we're allowed to begin entering S-Rank breaches."
"That may be difficult outside of Japan, but once you return, you'll have free rein as the de facto leader of the Special Task Force," said Melissa, closing her eyes, tilting her head, and smiling supportively as she added, "Try not to feel too anxious, okay?"
Resisting the urge to point out he had 'many' reasons to be apprehensive, both about his stay in Europe and his return to Japan, Izuku nodded and replied, "I'll be fine so long as you and the others take care of yourselves. I know Healthy Body allows you to stay awake for prolonged periods, but don't push yourself too hard."
"I'm taking care of myself," Melissa assured, combing aside her bangs as she revealed, "I've been doing calisthenics and core training with Kurose-san and yoga with your mother. The next time you see me, my butt will be even more irresistible to you~"
"That's dangerous," mused Izuku, grinning wolfishly. Unfortunately, as they had been chatting for quite some time, Melissa followed her usual mouth-covered giggle by stating, "On the subject of getting plenty of rest, I should let you go. If I'm not mistaken, it should be around 3 AM for you. Thank you for staying up to wish me a happy birthday."
"It's literally the least I could do..." replied Izuku, his smile gaining a hint of wryness. Melissa's expression softened in response, but she retained her usual positivity as she said, "We're both doing what we can to prepare for what's to come. But if you feel so inclined, then the next time we meet in person, we can 'celebrate' belatedly..."
"Look forward to it," said Izuku, causing Melissa to cover her mouth and giggle one final time before they exchanged several instances of parting words and ended the call. Afterward, Izuku pulled the lever to recline the comfy leather desk chair, placed his hands on his stomach, and closed his eyes in contemplative reflection. Fortunately, Melissa was the last among his harem members to have a birthday before December, so he could rest easy and prepare for Eri's on the 21st and Ochaco's on the 27th.
'Come to think of it, Bakugo's mom's birthday should be December 1st...' recalled Izuku, opening his eyes to stare half-lidded at the ceiling as he very briefly contemplated testing his hypothesis by imagining a situation where Inko or Bakugo himself, feeling worried about his mother's safety, convinced her to follow the example of some of the female Pros. It would likely end with a 'deep tissue' massage or a one-night stand, but Izuku could effortlessly envision himself plowing Mitsuku if not for the fact she was married. That was a bit much, even if he were in a world that ran on hentai and eroge logic...
With such thoughts in his mind, Izuku loitered for around an hour to see if his imagination could prompt Momo or Nemuri to come and check on him. Neither did, but as he 'knew' they were sleeping, it was difficult to imagine a situation where they suddenly woke up and felt compelled to check on him when neither had an overly prying personality. If anything, they were far more likely to wait up for him than intrude on a private conversation he was having with someone else. He could far more easily imagine Mitsuki becoming addicted to his cock and Bakugo trying to murder him for it, so Izuku decided to stop allowing his mind to wander as he reactivated the conference room's computer terminal and began searching for information on recent outbreaks and breaches appearing in other countries...
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[October 11th, 2149]
As it was Saturday and everyone had agreed to take the weekends off, Izuku was enjoying a rare morning with Rebecca alone. Historia felt the latter had less interest in him than she did in their developing 'sisterhood,' so after spending the previous evening together, the golden-haired knight insisted they spend some time together without her as a distraction.
"So, what do you want to do...?" asked Rebecca, her expression lacking vigor even though she had enjoyed sleeping together and waking up next to Izuku. She didn't dislike spending time with him, especially when they worked together in the seventh floor's production facility, but as Historia was the underlying reason they were together, Rebecca felt uneasy being intimate with Izuku when it was just the two of them.
"I'm down for hanging out or taking it easy in the bath if you're not really 'feeling' it," replied Izuku, causing Rebecca to exhale an uninhibited sigh. She would also like to unwind, but since Historia was the one who placed them in this situation, she felt 'obligated' to make an effort.
Before Izuku could make a second proposition, Rebecca laid down with her arms spread before pulling her feet up to her butt and spreading her legs wide. Then, jiggling her butt to make her hips and breasts sway, she stated, "You should just manhandle me like you used to. It no longer hurts when you put it inside me, so I also wouldn't mind if you pinned me to the bed and squished me like you did Historia."
Instead of asking if she was sure, Izuku grabbed Rebecca's foot and pulled her toward him, causing her nightgown to ride up her body. Her body was markedly denser than a normal person's, but she may as well have been a throw pillow as Izuku effortlessly grabbed her wrist, pulled her onto her knees, and initiated a deep kiss. Rebecca was more prideful than Momo, but she had a lot of potential as a masochist. She offered a cursory amount of resistance when their relationship began, but now she 'preferred' having her diminutive stature being taken advantage of. Thus, as Izuku treated her body like an object for sexual gratification, Rebecca quickly forgot her discomfort and completely immersed herself in her role as his Historia-appointed 'cocksleeve.'
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(A/N: Gonna speed things up a bit.)