A Hero in a Demon School!!!!

A restless and chaotic first day of the festival was now behind us, and it was time for Party Day—the second day and the most important day of the festival.

Based on the performance of students during yesterday's Party Eve and today's Party Day, both students and teachers can vote for the battler, excluding their own. However, the most important aspect is that parents can also visit the festival today.

******

"All done," Izuku said as he tied the final balloon to the nearby stump. Right now, their little piece of allotted land looked much better than it had yesterday. To enhance its appearance, Izuku and the rest of the battler members had placed various kinds of plants, toys, and a board at the front, informing people about their project and its scheduled start time. "Now we just have to launch fireworks on the schedule."

"Hopefully nothing goes wrong like last night," Alice said as he stood next to Izuku.

"It won't, because I am going to sit here and guard these fireworks until it's time to launch," Daki said as she sat in front of the launch pads.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked. "What about your family? Aren't they coming for the festival as well?"

"No, they are not," Daki frowned, but she didn't provide any further explanation. Izuku and Alice exchanged a glance but decided not to pry into her personal life any further.

"Well, in that case, Alice, why don't we go and check out the other battlers while we wait?" Izuku suggested.

"Sounds good, but..." Alice's eyes shifted to Izuku's arm, which was completely wrapped up in bandages. "Is your arm really okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about that," Izuku waved his arm. "Suzy-sensei's healing magic was really effective. These bandages are just an extra precaution."

"Wait a minute! How badly was your arm injured that you're taking precautions despite using healing magic?" Alice asked.

"Trust me, it wasn't that serious..." Izuku said, dismissing the disappointed look from Nana and the pointed stare from Daki. "Anyway, we should be going. Clara, do you want to... come?" When he turned around, he saw Clara standing there with two little girls who bore a striking resemblance to her, clutching onto her legs.

"Their numbers have increased...!?" Izuku, Alice, and Daki thought simultaneously as they observed Clara and the children accompanying her.

"The Valack Family is here!" Clara announced, and one by one, the Valack family members, including Clara the eldest daughter, her two brothers, two younger twin sisters, and their mother, introduced themselves. Surprisingly, all of them bore a striking resemblance to one another. They had prepared a dance performance for their introduction, leaving the three students watching the entire spectacle with dumbfounded eyes.

'That was... something,' Nana said, her voice laced with amusement as she reflected on the Valac family's performance.

"Wow... they all look alike," Izuku said with a strained smile, trying to hide his surprise. Meanwhile, Alice's eye twitched, sensing the same chaotic energy from the entire family that Clara seemed to surround herself with.

Suddenly, Izuku noticed two little twin sisters climbing on him, repeatedly saying, "Bro, bro, bro..." At the same time, Clara's younger brother began punching Alice in the stomach, challenging him to a fight.

"I am Clara's mother. Thank you for taking care of her," the woman, who looked like an older version of Clara, said while pulling back her son. Meanwhile, the twins continued playing with Izuku's hair.

'We're certainly taking care of her, alright,' Alice thought to himself.

Suddenly, Clara's mom swiftly gathered all her children in her arms. "We're off!" she exclaimed, and the entire Clara family dashed away to enjoy the festival. Before leaving, they handed out candy to Izuku and Alice, leaving them with a sweet parting gift.

'I like this woman,' Nana said. 'I'm sure we would have been the best of friends if I could manifest outside.'

'Of course, you do,' Izuku replied, rolling his eyes at Nana's comment.

"What a chaotic family," Alice said with a tired sigh. "I could really use some quiet-"

"Found you, Alice-chan!" a cheerful, sweet voice interrupted, sending shivers down Alice's spine. When Izuku and Alice turned towards the voice, they saw Alice's mom, Amaryllis, running towards them with two little girls in tow.

"Alice is that..." Izuku glanced at Alice and noticed a terrified expression on his face, with sweat dripping down. And before Izuku could ask anything else, Amaryllis lunged at Alice and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Sheesh, Alice-chan. How mean of you to leave me behind," Amaryllis said, rubbing her cheek against Alice's. "I had to drop all my work to rush here!" She said cheerfully, while Alice looked like he had given up on life.

As Izuku was enjoying the antics of the mother and son, he suddenly felt a tug on his uniform. When he looked down, he saw two girls who had arrived with Amaryllis, likely Alice's sisters, standing there and looking up at him. One interesting thing he noticed was that one of the girls was confidently standing in front of him, while the other was timidly hiding behind the first one.

Izuku squatted down so he was at their eye level and asked with a friendly smile, "Do you need something?"

"Are you perhaps Izuku-sama?" the timid girl asked.

"Yep, that's me!" Izuku replied with a smile.

The two girls nodded at each other and accusatorily pointed their fingers at Izuku. "Izuku-sama, you're a dummy!" Izuku was taken aback by this sudden accusation, while Nana cooed at the two adorable girls. "Ever since you became Alice-sama's rival, he spends more time training and doesn't play with us like he used to before."

"Hmm... that is indeed a serious problem," Izuku said, managing to suppress his amused smile. "But before we find a solution for that, why don't you two introduce yourselves?"

"My name is Viole Asmodeus," the confident girl proudly announced, gesturing towards her younger sister. "And this is my younger sister."

"Hello, I'm Lily Asmodeus," the shy girl said, offering a light bow.

"Those are really beautiful names," Izuku said with a smile. "And now, as for your problem, I have a solution."

"You do?" they asked, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"Yep!" Izuku replied, taking out an extra roll of ribbon from the leftover decoration material. "This is a promise ribbon. All you have to do is tie it to Alice's wrist while asking him to promise you that he will make time to play with you."

The girls looked at the ribbon and immediately shook their heads. "We don't want this. We don't want to trick Alice-sama into playing with us against his wishes," Viole said, while Lily nodded in agreement.

'They really are good girls,' Nana remarked with a warm smile. Izuku couldn't help but agree with her assessment, as he couldn't hold back his own smile upon hearing the two girls' response.

"You really love your brother, don't you?" Izuku asked.

Immediately, their faces bloomed with delight. "Yep, we're his number one fans," they said with cheerful smiles.

"In that case, I have good news for you," Izuku said. "This ribbon doesn't force people to keep their promises; it simply serves as a reminder."

"Really?" the girls asked, sounding surprised.

"Yep!" he confirmed, handing the roll of ribbon to Viole. "Just be careful, okay? Don't cover your brother's entire arm with these ribbons."

"We won't," the girls said with big, happy smiles on their faces, and then they ran toward Alice.

"So, you're Izuku-kun?" Amaryllis said as she looked at Izuku through the heart she made with her fingers. "I'm Alice's mother and the 'Head of Lust' of Thirteen Crowns, Asmodeus Amaryllis."

"Hello, ma'am. I'm Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you," Izuku replied with a light bow.

"Oh my! So polite," Amaryllis exclaimed, patting Izuku's head and causing him to blush slightly. "Alice has told me a lot about you, you know?" A mischievous grin spread across Amaryllis' face.

"I... I hope all good things, ma'am," Izuku replied with a slight stutter in his voice. He wasn't particularly skilled at handling women who exuded an 'ara~ara' vibe.

"Oh, definitely good things," Amaryllis leaned forward, giving Izuku a very distinct view of something he was trying his best not to focus on.

'Izuku~, be careful, okay? Don't let your eyes wander around, okay?' Nana chimed in, wearing a shit-eating grin on her face.

'I know,' Izuku screamed internally, trying his best to maintain his composure.

"By the way," Amaryllis said in a low, seductive voice. "I heard that you made something called fireworks. So, what exactly is it?" She leaned in even closer, her breath tickling his ear, as she continued with a sly grin, "Is it some kind of erotic tool?"

Izuku's face turned beet red, and he quickly took a step back, trying to compose himself.

Amaryllis burst into laughter, causing Izuku to feel even more flustered. "Oh, my apologies, Izuku-kun," she said, still chuckling. "I was just teasing you."

"Mother, stop that!" Alice quickly ran towards them and positioned himself between Izuku and his mother. "Why don't you go and say hello to Raim-sensei? She was your student, right?"

"You're right, Alice-chan," Amaryllis said with a playful smile, reaching out to grab Alice's hand. "I should definitely catch up with that girl. So why don't you be a gentleman and take me to her?" Alice tried to protest, but Amaryllis simply ignored him. "And Izuku-kun, let's talk again some other time." She winked at Izuku before walking away, effortlessly pulling Alice along with her as her two daughters trailed closely behind, their laughter filling the air.

Meanwhile, Izuku stood there with a slight blush but still wore a happy smile as he saw the Asmodeus family smiling together.

******

After Clara and Alice left with their families, Izuku decided to explore and see what other battlers had to offer on his own. Of course, he wanted to ask Daki if she wanted to join him, but she was currently busy protecting their fireworks like a protective mama bear, so he decided against it.

As he strolled through the festival grounds, Izuku took in the vibrant sights and sounds surrounding him. The various battlers had set up their stalls, offering a wide array of performances, foods, and goodies for visitors to indulge in.

Then he came across a booth where the members of Catering Battler were showcasing their culinary skills. The aroma of delicious Yakisoba filled the air, making his stomach growl in anticipation.

"Ah, if it isn't the honor student," the president of the Catering Battler approached him and patted him on the back. "Wanna take on the challenge and try finishing the 'Devil's Serving' here?" he said, pointing towards a massive pile of Yakisoba displayed at the booth.

"I will pass on that offer for now, maybe another time," Izuku politely declined. "But I would like to try a regular serving of it."

"Suit yourself, little guy," the president said and handed him a plate of Yakisoba.

After finishing his Yakisoba, Izuku continued his stroll when suddenly his danger sense went off. Acting on instinct, his body swiftly moved, and he grabbed the hand that was about to snatch his wallet from his pocket.

Izuku then looked at the man who was attempting to pickpocket him and noticed a black-haired man with red eyes, his face filled with shock. 'He looks familiar,' Izuku thought to himself, but he didn't dwell on it any further as he was preoccupied with giving the man a stern glare.

"You shouldn't take other people's property without their permission," Izuku remarked in a stern voice.

The man reeled back in shock and shot a nasty glare at Izuku. "Tsk, whatever," he said, jerking his hand out of Izuku's grasp before walking away.

Izuku knew that he shouldn't let a potential pickpocketer escape, but at the moment, he honestly didn't want to get involved in anything troublesome. After all, he had something far more interesting to look forward to later that evening.

As he continued his stroll, Izuku eventually found himself in the center of the festival grounds. One by one, he started noticing his classmates and their families, all joyfully enjoying the festival together.

On one side, he saw Clara's family causing mayhem at the game stalls. However, they weren't winning anything; Clara's younger siblings were determined to keep trying their luck, much to the annoyance of the battler leader.

On the other side, he saw Amaryllis engaged in a conversation with Raim-sensei, all the while dragging Alice along. His two sisters followed behind them, happily munching on sweet candies.

Then there was Kerori, who was busy looking through the masks with her grandmother.

Lastly, he noticed some of his other acquaintances laughing and enjoying the festival with their loved ones.

And there, standing in the middle of the festival grounds, was Izuku, watching them all with a longing expression in his eyes. "It's really nice..." he mumbled to himself, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness.

'Oh, kid...' Nana said in a gentle voice, projecting a simulated feeling of hugging him.

'It's okay. At least I have you stuck with me, right?' Izuku said with a chuckle, attempting to divert his attention from the dark emotions welling up in his heart.

'That's true, but I'm not the only one you've got kiddo,' Nana said. Before Izuku could ask her what she meant by that, he suddenly felt two hands under his arms, lifting him up.

"Which candy do you want?" Sullivan asked with a smile, while Opera stood next to him, holding a large red box in his hands. "The red one? Let's buy it."

"Grandpa!?" Izuku looked at the older man with surprise in his eyes. "Is it really okay for you to be here? What about your work? Don't you have to deal with that matter?"

"You don't have to worry about that, Izuku-kun. I've finished all my work," Sullivan said. "More importantly, I promised you that we would go around the festival together, didn't I?" He smiled at Izuku and continued, "Come, let's enjoy the festival together."

******

"That play was really cool, Sabnock," Izuku complimented Sabnock. Currently, he, Sullivan, and Opera were standing backstage at the play produced by the Demon King Battler. "You really embodied the role of the Demon King on stage."

"I know, right? Nii-sama is an amazing actor," a girl with spiky blonde hair exclaimed, a wide grin on her face.

"Is that your sister?" Izuku asked, glancing at the girl who was sitting on Sabnock's shoulder.

"Yes! I'm his sister, Silvia Sabnock!" the girl replied, giving a salute. "Since Nii-sama won't come home, I'm always happy when I get to see him."

"Good for you, Silvia," Izuku said with a smile. "By the way, did you come alone?"

"No, I came with our older brother, but we got separated in just two seconds," Silvia replied.

"What!" Sabnock exclaimed. He was still standing in front of them, dressed as the Demon King. "You should have told me earlier!" He swiftly picked up Silvia and rushed outside, saying, "Let's go find him!"

'As energetic as always,' Izuku thought to himself as he and his family continued their stroll and came across the Dodgeball Battler.

"Hey, Midoriya! That fireworks show yesterday was truly amazing. I've never seen anything like it before," a member of the Dodgeball Battler exclaimed. "Anyway, my juniors were saying that you pack quite a punch. So, wanna try your luck here?" he asked, offering Izuku a ball to throw at the targets of various durability showcased behind the booth.

"Thanks for the offer, but..." Izuku showed him his bandaged arm.

"Oh... that's a shame," the member nodded in understanding. "Well, I really wanted you to try your luck at the iron--" but before he could complete his sentence, Opera swiftly threw the ball and completely annihilated the iron target.

"What!?" the entire Dodgeball Battler screamed in shock, and then they gloomily handed a large Teddy Bear—the top prize for the activity—to Izuku.

And that was just the start of Opera's conquering spree as they continued to claim top prizes from the games arranged by other battlers. Whether it was catching the leader fish in the fishing game, achieving a perfect strike in obstacle bowling, flawlessly scooping all the fish in Kingyo Sukui, or hitting rapid bullseyes in the game of archery, Opera continued to dominate in all of them.

While this impressive display was going on, Sullivan happily tagged along, enjoying the festivities. Meanwhile, Izuku had to apologize to the stall owners who gloomily watched their top prizes being snatched away by Opera. Oh, and Nana was crackling in his mind that whole time.

Some parents were so fed up that they went and called Kalego to deal with the situation. However, as soon as he spotted Opera and Sullivan, he immediately turned back, not wanting to deal with either of the two individuals.

Meanwhile, Izuku and his family continued their walk, now with a handcart full of prizes dragging behind them. "It's like we've conquered all the battlers," Izuku said with a strained smile as he glanced at the cart trailing behind them.

"Opera, you showed no mercy to those battlers," Sullivan teased with a grin.

"Didn't you accept several gifts from students as well?" Opera retorted.

"Well, I am a popular man," Sullivan replied with a hearty laugh. Then he looked at Izuku with a kind smile. "And it was my first time participating, so I wanted to show my best expression in front of my grandson."

A warm feeling erupted from Izuku's heart upon seeing Sullivan's smile. 'You know, now I feel bad for calling All for One a demon because who knew demons were this kind all this time,' Nana remarked.

Suddenly, an alarm on Izuku's phone rang. "Oh, it's time already," Izuku said, taking the basket out of Opera's hand. "Opera, Grandpa, I have to go now. I'll see you later. Bye."

"Izuku-kun? Where is he going?" Sullivan asked.

"Don't worry, sir. It's nothing we should be concerned about," Opera said with a stoic face, though a faint smile lingered on their lips.

As Izuku was running towards his destination, he dialed another number. "Hello, Daki-senpai. Yeah, it's me. Listen, I won't be there at the time of the launch, so please don't mess things up, alright? No, I'm not doubting you... okay, sorry. Yeah, I'll trust you. Okay, bye."

'Okay, can't mess this up now,' Izuku thought to himself.

'Someone is excited,' Nana said with a teasing grin.

'You know what, Nana? I definitely am,' Izuku thought with an excited grin.

******

'Where did Izuku go?' Ameri thought, perplexed, as she and the rest of the Student Council members stood in front of the plot allocated to The Magical Tools Research Battler. There, Daki was sitting, eating one of the foods served at the festival.

"What is this exactly?" Quichelight, the blonde-haired boy from the student council, asked. In response, Daki gave him an unimpressed look and pointed at the board in front of their plot with her chopsticks.

As soon as Ameri read the board, her worries intensified. There was only one hour remaining before the fireworks show, and Izuku still hadn't messaged her about where they were going to meet to watch the fireworks. Part of her thought that Izuku might bail on her, but another part was sure that he would never do that. 'But if that's the case, why hasn't he told me anything yet?' she bit her lip in frustration. Then, she sighed and shook her head. 'I still need to perform my duties until he contacts me.'

"Okay, everyone!" Ameri said, and the members of the student council stood at attention. "It's time for another patrol. Go around and see if anyone is causing trouble or not."

"Yes, ma'am," the members replied and dispersed throughout the festival grounds.

Then, as Ameri was about to leave, Daki's remark caught her attention. "Hey, redhead, you owe me, you know," Daki said, causing Ameri to turn around.

"What do you mean?" Ameri questioned, confused by Daki's statement.

Daki simply shrugged and gave Ameri a knowing smile. "Just saying," she replied. "You owe me one, Miss President~,"

Immediately the gears in Ameri's head turned and a faint blush tinted her cheeks. "You know something about Izuku's plan, don't you?" Ameri accused, pointing at Daki.

Daki nonchalantly shrugged, maintaining a smug grin on her face. "Who knows?" she replied.

Before Ameri could press further, her words were interrupted by another individual. "Lady Ameri, I have brought the items you requested," Ameri turned to her side and saw Moana, her family's blue-haired maid and security demon, standing there with a smile and a bag in her hand.

"Oh, hey Moana, thank you for coming on such short notice," Ameri said, walking towards her. "By the way, where are Mom and Dad? Weren't they going to come along with you?"

"Actually, they might not make it to the festival due to some last-minute work," Moana explained, handing the bag over to Ameri. "But they said they will try their best to join us before the end of the festival."

Ameri frowned at the news, but she understood that her parents' work took priority over a school festival.

"By the way, Lady Ameri, I still don't understand why you asked for this particular item," Moana said, a playful grin on her face.

"I have my reasons," Ameri replied, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm sure you do," Moana responded, maintaining her teasing grin.

'Why am I surrounded by people like her?' Ameri thought to herself, letting out an exasperated sigh. However, her mood instantly brightened as her phone beeped, indicating a new message. She eagerly checked her phone and discovered that it was from the person she had been waiting for.

[Izuku: Terrace of the Botany Tower. See you there in 15.]

"Moana, I have to go. Don't follow me, and if Mom arrives, tell her that I will meet her later. Bye," Ameri said and quickly ran off with the bag that Moana had brought.

"This girl..." Moana sighed, but a fond smile adorned her face for a girl whom she considered her younger sister. However, her expression quickly turned sinister as she thought, 'at least I have some good teasing material.'

Meanwhile, Daki, who was listening to all of this, simply kept eating her food without a care in the world.

******

*Terrace of the Botany Tower*

"Okay, all set," Izuku said as he finished all the preparations. "Fuck, I'm nervous," he muttered, pacing around.

'What happened? Where did that confidence from earlier go?' Nana asked, chuckling to herself.

Izuku rolled his eyes and replied, "You know I've never been on a date before. In my previous life, my first positive female interaction was with Ochako, aside from my mom. And in this life, I've been stuck with an idiot ghost in my head while having questionable interactions with questionable women, courtesy of my parents. So yeah, I'm nervous."

'Izuku, calm down, will you,' Nana said, choosing to ignore the fact that he had just called her an idiot... for now. 'Trust me, everything will be alright.'

"How can you be sure about that?" Izuku asked skeptically.

'Women's intuition,' Nana winked at him. Before he could ask anything further, his date arrived.

"Hey, Izuku," Izuku turned towards the voice, and as soon as he saw her, he forgot how to breathe for a moment. There stood Ameri Azazel in a black one-piece, looking like a literal angel, which he found ironic considering they were in literal hell right now.

'You know... getting to see her like this more or less already makes this whole endeavor well worth it,' Izuku thought to himself.

"Izuku, why are you staring at me? Could you not help but be fascinated by my charm?" Ameri asked with a teasing grin, attempting to fluster him.

"Oh... yeah... totally," Izuku said, his cheeks turning red. "You're looking incredibly beautiful, Ameri."

"Eh!? Uhm..." Ameri started to panic, as she hadn't anticipated Izuku being so direct. She suddenly flushed a deep shade of red and stuttered as she tried to figure out a reply. "T-Thanks."

"A-Anyway, please come," Izuku said, attempting to steer the conversation in a new direction. "I have prepared something for us." He extended his hand towards her.

"P...please lead the way," she replied, her voice slightly trembling, as she took his hand.

Now that Ameri had calmed down a little, she noticed that the place where Izuku was leading her was a table and two chairs placed in the center of the terrace. A candle was positioned in the middle of the table, and on top of that, the white-flowered tree that Izuku had previously bloomed created a beautiful canopy, not obstructing their view of the clear sky in front of them.

Then, Izuku walked her to one of the chairs and pulled it back for her, gesturing for her to take a seat. Once she was comfortably seated, Izuku took the seat in front of her.

Then, he opened a large red box, which she recognized as a Stasis box sitting next to his feet. Izuku took out two lunch boxes from the box and placed them in front of them. The warmth emanating from the boxes indicated that the Stasis box was working perfectly fine.

******

Stasis Box:

The Stasis Box is a magical tool used to preserve the freshness of items for extended periods. The price of this device is exceptionally high due to the difficulty of the enchantment and the rarity of demons possessing the ability to cast such spells.

******

"Izuku... what is all of this?" Ameri asked, genuinely surprised by the elaborate preparations he had made for their date.

"Which part exactly?" Izuku replied with a hint of smugness in his voice.

"All of this," Ameri said, gesturing towards everything laid out in front of her, though she still wore an amused smile on her face.

"Okay, so first I asked Suzy-sensei to lend me this place for an hour, and she agreed on the condition that I help her in the garden for the next two weeks," Izuku explained. "Then I borrowed these tables and chairs from Grandpa's office, and this candle is from my room that I brought with me this morning."

"Izuku... you're truly insane," Ameri said, unable to contain her smile any longer. 

"Thanks, I've heard that before," Izuku winked at her and pushed the lunchbox towards her. "Please dig in before it gets cold."

"Well, if you insist," she said and opened the lunchbox. As soon as she did, a delightful aroma of various flavors assaulted her nose. When she looked inside the box, she saw that it was filled with rice, meat, and various types of vegetables. Just by looking at it, she could tell it was going to be delicious.

Then, as she took a bite, she couldn't help but think, "Wow, it's actually really good." She looked at Izuku and said, "Please give my compliments to the chef."

But then Izuku's reply shocked her when he said, "I will gladly take those."

Suddenly, she stopped eating and stared at Izuku with wide eyes. "No way... don't tell me..." Then she noticed a smug grin on Izuku's face. "Izuku, you made these lunch boxes."

Izuku's smile grew wider as he replied, "Well, Opera did help me with... figuring out what I was working with, but I did most of the cooking."

"Izuku... how did you come up with all of this?" Ameri asked, feeling overwhelmed by everything Izuku had done for their little date so far.

"Well... I wanted to do something personal, so the idea of lunchboxes was my own. And as for the candlelight and such, it was an idea from an old friend," Izuku explained.

'Oye! I'm not that old, brat!' Nana yelled in his head.

'Yeah, sorry, my bad. You're not old... actually, you're ancient,' Izuku retorted, then chose to shut Nana off for now.

Then their conversation stopped and both of them ate their food in comfortable silence, savoring the night's cool breeze and the distant sounds emanating from nearby festival grounds.

"Hey, Ameri..." Izuku said gently, breaking the silence.

"Yes? What is it?" Ameri looked directly at Izuku as she responded.

"Thank you," Izuku said, his face expressing genuine gratitude.

"Izuku, where is this coming from?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Don't worry, I just felt like it," Izuku shrugged, but then he noticed that Ameri's eyes were still on him. He sighed and decided to explain further. "Today, while I was making these lunch boxes for us, I came across an ingredient that I had no idea how to use. I pondered for a moment, and then my hand instinctively almost dialed your number until I remembered that this was supposed to be a surprise for you," Izuku said with a chuckle. "That's when I realized how important you've become in my life. Without even realizing it, I've become dependent on you since I came here. Whenever I face a problem, my first thought is always to seek your help. No matter how difficult the situation is, deep down, I always know that I can depend on you. So, Ameri, thank you for being who you are, and thank you for becoming my pillar in this foreign land," Izuku expressed sincerely, his words filled with gratitude and appreciation.

Ameri looked shocked and stared at Izuku in blank surprise, completely taken aback by his sudden expression of gratitude. But despite that, the words he said to her and the sincerity behind them filled her heart with a kind of warmth she had never experienced before. In that moment, she realized how much their bond had deepened without either one of them knowing it.

"Izuku, I...," Ameri continued, her voice filled with sincerity and vulnerability. "I have spent many years in solitude of my own making. Ever since I was a child, I have always strived to maintain the image of the perfect child, the perfect student, and the perfect leader in the eyes of everyone around me. But in doing so, I pushed many people away. My ambition and intensity made me intimidating and unapproachable. I worked tirelessly to become who I am today, and the respect and fear I command are a testament to that. But along the way, I found myself alone at the top."

She paused, her voice carrying a tinge of loneliness. "I don't know when or how it happened, but I became an idol to be admired or a challenge to be conquered. Then I became the head of the Student Council, responsible for maintaining order in the Babyls. And while I wouldn't trade that position for anything in the world because it brings me closer to my ambitions, there are times when it feels mundane and repetitive. I accepted it as the norm, resigning myself to a life of routine."

Izuku listened attentively, unable to find the right words to respond. Ameri's words revealed the loneliness that came with her achievements, the isolation brought about by her own success. It painted a picture of the memories she had accumulated during her time as a model student and as the Student Council president.

"That, however, is no longer true. My days began to change soon after a fateful encounter. I met an individual who infused my world with iridescence. He painted it with colors and shades I had never imagined."

Ameri smiled at Izuku as she reminisced about their first encounter when she had accidentally bumped into him. The smile she directed at him made his heart race in his chest.

"Izuku, ever since that day... ever since our conversation at your house, my life has been filled with excitement and experiences I had never imagined," Ameri confessed, her voice filled with gratitude and admiration. She reached out and placed her hand gently on top of his, feeling a comforting warmth between their palms. "Our battle, where you pushed me to use my bloodline magic, the discovery of these foreign and beautiful flowers, the fireworks, and now this wonderful date... and most importantly, our reading sessions. You have no idea, Izuku, the immense joy you have brought into my life."

She paused for a moment, her eyes locked with his. "That's why, Izuku, you are my hero," she declared with sincerity. Those words... those few simple words that Izuku had longed to hear in his previous life... and the words that still mean the world to him, were enough to bring tears to his eyes.

"Izuku?" Ameri asked, noticing tears in his eyes.

"Don't worry, it's nothing," Izuku dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand.

Before she could inquire further, Eiko's voice resonated through the speakers, booming with excitement. "All right, everyone, it's time for the special presentation from The Magical Tools Research Battler called Fireworks. I assure you that what you are about to witness is like nothing you have ever seen before."

"Wait! Special announcement! How did you manage that?" Ameri asked with a hint of amusement on her face.

"I asked another favor from a friend," Izuku winked at her, rising from his seat. He gestured for her to do the same and proceeded to pick up two chairs, placing them side by side, facing the expansive open sky. They both settled down, sitting next to each other. After a few minutes, the fireworks began to illuminate the sky, painting it with vibrant colors and dazzling displays.

"Beautiful... just as I remembered," Ameri said, a smile gracing her face. She leaned towards Izuku and placed her head on his shoulder, and spoke softly. "Hey, Izuku, can I ask something of you?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Izuku responded, his gaze still fixed on the fireworks.

"Please, continue bringing colors and excitement to my world," she said.

Izuku knew there were countless things he could have said in that moment, but he chose the simplest words of all. "Always," he replied, leaning his head against hers. They continued to watch the fireworks in comfortable silence together with smiles on their faces.

To be continued...