NOVEL WEB Chapter 60: On I-Island
SKY ABOVE JAPAN — DAY
A sleek, high-tech U.A.-chartered private jet cuts through the clouds on a direct route to I-Island. Inside, the cabin hums quietly, luxurious yet practical, designed for top heroes and their guests.
PRIVATE JET – CABIN
All Might, dressed casually but with his iconic gravity still present, sits across from Izuka Midoriya, who's nervously fiddling with her notebook, occasionally glancing to her right.
Beside her, occupying nearly half the cabin due to his sheer size, is Nyxia monstrous, silent, and unreadable. His gorilla-like arms are curled in, claws tapping rhythmically. His antlered head stays tilted slightly toward the window, golden eyes blinking in eerie sync.
Despite the silence, the air isn't tense just... uncertain.
All Might (smiling gently): "I know it's been a strange few days for you both. But I really appreciate you agreeing to come. David's not just a scientist... he's someone who's helped push the boundary between quirks and technology for decades."
Izuka (nodding quickly): "Y-Yes! I remember reading about David Shield in one of your old journals! He developed your support gear and theorized early quirk-compensation devices, right?"
All Might: "Exactly. And when I told him about Nyxia… Well, let's just say he booked a whole lab in I-Island within the hour."
Nyxia's tail the strange, corrupted whip of glitched UI data twitched across the seat, making soft whispers of broken code trail briefly through the air. Izuka glanced at him again.
Izuka (softly): "…I wonder what he'll find."
All Might looked toward Nyxia, expression gentler than usual.
All Might: "Hopefully... answers. Or at least understanding."
Izuka (worried): "He still hasn't spoken… at all."
All Might shook his head.
All Might: "In this world, he can't. Whatever's anchoring him to that form it's suppressing more than his voice. And if it's anything like quirks... then we're dealing with laws this world doesn't fully grasp."
Izuka shifted in her seat, looking at Nyxia.
Izuka (quiet): "…He looks terrifying. But I don't think he's ever wanted to hurt anyone. Even during the test…"
Nyxia turned slightly. One of his golden eyes blinked at her slowly like a nod. Not warm, not aggressive. Just... acknowledgment.
Then, he reached out one clawed hand and slowly, delicately despite the heat radiating from his fingers tapped the edge of Izuka's notebook. The page flipped open to a sketch she'd done of the battle tests.
He pointed at a doodle of himself next to All Might and Izuka.
A soft click came from his throat. Not a voice. But maybe just maybe a laugh.
All Might (smiling): "See? He may not speak... but he listens."
Suddenly, the pilot's voice crackled over the intercom.
Pilot: "We're making our descent to I-Island. Please secure yourselves for landing."
Izuka buckled in. All Might stood, steady despite the tilt of descent.
Nyxia simply lowered his body, limbs folded, tail curling inward like a beast at rest.
Outside, the shining towers of I-Island came into view, gleaming in the sun a sanctuary of science and heroism.
I-ISLAND – MAIN ENTRANCE – DAY
The private jet touched down on I-Island's sleek runway, its engines humming to a gentle stop. As the hatch opened, a wave of excitement surged from the gathered crowd. All Might, ever the symbol of hope, stepped out first, his presence commanding attention. Behind him, Izuka Midoriya followed, her demeanor a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Trailing them was Nyxia, his massive form casting a long shadow, drawing both awe and fear from onlookers.
Despite the crowd's enthusiasm for All Might, many hesitated to approach Nyxia. His monstrous appearance, with glowing golden eyes and a form reminiscent of a mythical beast, unsettled some. Yet, others had grown accustomed to his presence, recognizing him as a being of complexity rather than mere terror.
I-ISLAND EXPO RECEPTION – LATER
The trio made their way through the bustling halls of the I-Expo, a showcase of cutting-edge technology and hero support gear. Stalls displayed holographic gadgets, advanced combat suits, and AI-driven tools. The air buzzed with innovation and collaboration.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
MELISSA SHIELD: "Uncle Might!"
Melissa Shield, David's daughter and a brilliant inventor in her own right, rushed forward. She embraced All Might warmly, her enthusiasm infectious.
ALL MIGHT: "Melissa! It's been too long!"
She then turned to Izuka, extending a hand with a bright smile.
MELISSA SHIELD: "And you must be Izuka Midoriya! It's an honor to meet you."
IZUKA: "The honor's mine, Miss Shield."
As they conversed, All Might excused himself, heading towards a nearby corridor to meet with his old friend, David. However, in his eagerness to reunite, he momentarily forgot about Nyxia.
DAVID SHIELD'S LAB – MOMENTS LATER
David Shield, a tall man with sharp features and a keen intellect, stood by a console, reviewing data on a holographic display. He looked up as All Might entered, a wide grin spreading across his face.
DAVID SHIELD: "Toshinori! It's been ages! Come, sit. I've got so much to show you."
They exchanged pleasantries before David's eyes narrowed slightly.
DAVID SHIELD: "Wait... where's Nyxia? I thought you'd bring him along."
All Might's face fell as he realized his oversight.
ALL MIGHT: "Ah, I... I left him with Melissa and Izuka. I got so caught up in the excitement of seeing you again that I forgot."
David chuckled softly, shaking his head.
DAVID SHIELD: "Always the hero, even when you're not in costume."
Meanwhile, back at the reception, Melissa and Izuka noticed Nyxia standing quietly in a corner, observing the various exhibits. His presence was both imposing and serene. A few brave souls approached, offering tentative greetings, which Nyxia acknowledged with a nod.
MELISSA SHIELD: "He's quite the enigma, isn't he?"
IZUKA: "Yes, but there's more to him than meets the eye."
I-ISLAND – HERO TRAINING GROUNDS – DAY
The sun shines brightly over I-Island's sprawling training complex, buzzing with students and instructors moving between various training zones. Nyxia walks alongside Izuka Midoriya and Melissa Shield, marveling at the advanced facilities and vibrant energy.
IZUKA(excitedly)"This place really is something else. You won't find training like this anywhere else."
MELISSA(grinning)"And wait until you see the challenges they've set up like the Villain Attack simulation."
As they stroll, a sudden commotion catches their attention. A crowd has gathered near an arena with a massive glass railing overlooking the action inside.
IZUKA: "Looks like some of the students are doing the robot elimination challenge."
They approach the viewing area and see several familiar faces preparing inside.
VILLAIN ATTACK ARENA – CONTINUOUS
The arena is a high-tech battleground filled with dozens of sleek, humanoid villain robots, designed for combat training. The timer is set for 3 minutes whoever destroys the most robots wins.
The participants line up:
Katsumi Bakugo (genderbent Bakugo), fiery red hair tied in a high ponytail, stands confidently, fingers twitching with explosive energy.
Shoto Todoroki, calm and focused, ice and fire powers at the ready.
Tenya Iida, poised, ready to dash at super speed.
Eijiro Kirishima, muscles flexing, ready to harden and smash.
Izuka Midoriya, wearing the Full Gauntlet device on her fists, prepared to use tactical combos.
Momo Yaoyorozu, calculating, creating weapons on the fly.
Kyoka Jiro, positioning herself to use sound waves.
Denki Kaminari, charged up with electric energy.
Ochaco Uraraka, floating slightly, ready to manipulate gravity.
The timer counts down to zero, and the battle begins.
Katsumi Bakugo ignites tiny explosions at her fingertips, unleashing precise blasts that obliterate clusters of robots in rapid succession. Her fiery determination is evident as she moves with controlled ferocity.
Todoroki freezes incoming robots in place with a sweeping wave of ice, then melts them with bursts of fire.
Iida blurs around the arena, striking robots with pinpoint accuracy before dashing away.
Kirishima smashes through metal with hardened fists, shattering robots left and right.
Izuka dodges and counters, enhanced by her Full Gauntlet's power boosts, demonstrating clever combinations.
Yaoyorozu's creations assist in her quick eliminations, making her a versatile threat.
Jiro uses powerful sound waves to stun and knock down robots.
Kaminari's electric shocks overload robot circuits.
Uraraka floats, sending robots flying by manipulating gravity.
AT THE VIEWING PLATFORM
Nyxia, silent but attentive, watches the chaos with glowing golden eyes. Then, with a quiet nod, he steps into the arena.
The timer resets.
VILLAIN ATTACK ARENA – NYXIA'S TURN
Nyxia's massive, tentacle-like arms unfurl rapidly. Each tentacle strikes with incredible speed and precision, smashing, grabbing, and flinging robots aside.
Nyxia's tentacles work like a whirlwind, dispatching robot after robot with fluid, effortless motions.
TIMER: 30 milliseconds.
The entire robot squad lies in ruins within half a second.
[Audio Recording – Transcript: Recording No. 1]
Speaker: Dr. Dietrich Wagner
Context: Private log – Emotional therapy method initiated by Zalthorion
Begin recording…
"Ach... Recording No. 1. So, Zalthorion has told me that... ja, recording my thoughts might be helping with the stress levels. Which I am doubting. But fine. Whatever."
"Today, I must speak about the absurdity that is… Vidarath."
"I am genuinely confused. His cold personality? Efficient. Methodical. Actually… tolerable. Dare I say, at times enjoyable company. But when he is switching into this 'goofy' mode… it is like being punched in the head by a sentient fever dream."
"Today, he says he is doing 'research.' Of course. And then ja, of course he begins ranting about something called gacha games. I know what they are digital gambling wrapped in very colorful dopamine boxes but then he says that gacha games have two pillars: gambling… and… gooning." [brief pause]
"Was zur Hölle ist gooning?!" [voice raises slightly]
"Is that a new data compression protocol? A Void euphemism? Some sort of… psychosexual ritual? I don't know. And I'm not Googling it. The last time I searched for something Vidarath mentioned, my browser screamed at me. In binary."
"And then he starts talking about 'cracking' someone named Jane Doe. Cracking her. Like… what does he mean? Is she some sentient rock species? Some new kind of consciousness core he dug out from the Divide?"
"…Wait. Isn't 'Jane Doe' the name for unidentified females in police records? Warum is he trying to crack her?!"
"I may need to access the Evolto Registry later. Just to be sure. In case she is real. Or worse a threat."
[a pause then a voice interjects]
Zalthorion (off-mic, calm): "Are you sure it's a she, Dietrich? What if it's a guy? Or something else? You do know we've encountered at least seven new genders this cycle."
[brief silence]
"…Zalthorion. Bitte. You are not helping."
Recording ends.