Recovery Girl's statement literally sent shivers down everyone's spine. Such a statement is not something that can be taken as only… bad news. It is the conscience that, if that information were to come out of her infirmary, it could have very serious consequences.
Silence dominated the room as Nezu read and reread those documents with a seriousness never before seen in the principal, to the point that his unchanging, marble-shaped eyes had frowned for the first time. When he lowered the papers, he looked at everyone present.
«Everyone get close enough to me to hear me whisper.»
At the statement, Recovery Girl took a deep sigh and walked out the door, making sure no one eavesdropped. When everyone approached, they were as incredulous as they were frightened by what lay ahead.
«First of all, and that's not a problem if it gets out of here...» Nezu began, speaking normally «the fact that Izuku Midoriya is Quirkless is confirmed.»
«What?» Yagi asked, paling «But if he doesn't own any Quirk, then how-»
«Now, what follows it is imperative that stays in this room.» Nezu pointed gravely and lowered his voice «Are we clear?»
Everyone swallowed, knowing that what Nezu was about to say was intended only for people he trusted: news so serious it could trigger an apocalypse. At the same time, everyone was eager to know what he would reveal.
«Izuku Midoriya...» he began with a tone closer to a sigh «has been bioengineered at the molecular level. No. You could say that the same chromosomes were reconstructed from scratch.»
The room froze. The weight of this statement immediately made many regret being there.
«Rebuilt from scratch?» asked Midnight in fear «You're kidding, right?»
«I can't understand how much these changes affected the young man, but based on the data, his cells are practically the result of forced evolution. The chromosomes inherited from the parents, except for a few related to facial aesthetics, have been completely rewritten or refined. Such a process is impossible for our age, and more seriously, its existence poses a danger not only to the heroic society but also to all humanity.» Nezu stated with obvious concern in his eyes «A single cell or fragment of his DNA could enable the creation of medicines capable of extinguishing today's incurable diseases, but also the development of weapons of mass destruction.»
«Bloody-! Wait, if what you say is true, that would explain his abilities far beyond human capabilities. Was he forced to undergo the procedure?» Vlad King asked, pale.
«Forced or not, it cannot be reversed, and I highly doubt he would agree to return to what he was.» Nezu said «Also, because what he is now, he has accepted it, and has lived with it until now. Given his intelligence, I'm sure he also knows these dangers his body poses to our society. For this, he immediately accepted- no, he planned to gain my "protection" and that of the school, becoming a student.» In my opinion, once he completes his education, he would not hesitate to accept a teaching position if I asked him. Nezu thought in his head.
«For a sixteen-year-old...» Snipe began behind the mask «it must be a huge burden on his conscience.»
«That boy is not 16 years old.» Tsukakuchi said, attracting the attention of everyone except Yagi and Nezu «He… claims to be 2548 years old and when he said that, there was no falsehood in his words.»
«««Huh?!»»» exclaimed the three heroes in unison
«And these analyses confirm it.» Nezu added a link to the newly shared information. «They don't confirm the specific age, but DNA results confirm that he is over two millennia old. But the scariest thing is that his cells age at such a slow rate that he could be called immortal.»
Suddenly, Izuku's presentation at the USJ, his bearing, his authoritative aura, his fine military knowledge, and those eyes that had clearly seen things that would drive normal people crazy made sense.
«…...Does the data say when he underwent the procedure?» asked Yagi, taking up Izuku's report.
«…...6 years old.» Nezu said, referring to the results of the analyses «And even though it doesn't say so, I'm sure that operation was highly lethal given the outcome.»
After that statement, Nezu called Recovery Girl back and asked her to remove all traces of the tests, as the nurse had determined, to ensure their confidentiality. The others returned to their seats; the copy of that venerable man's report now had a different weight for them. No one can imagine what he has seen in over two millennia, but everyone respects him and admires his determination.
Yagi remained silent. He wanted to talk, but at the same time, he couldn't say anything, and, drawing attention back to Izuku's report, he came to better understand what was written there.
He gave us this report because it is probably natural for him to write something so detailed. He thought, reading carefully. If his job was as a "Guardian," then such precision is the standard in that place where he lived for two and a half millennia. Precision was needed to better defend the fortress.
With a strange, but renewed ardour, he reread the report more carefully, making sure not to miss a single comma. Finally, he spoke so that everyone could hear him.
«A reconnaissance in force.» Yagi stated worriedly «According to Midoriya-san, this assault was only a reconnaissance to test the capabilities and timing of intervention of students and teachers, the actual state of the force and in case there was an opportunity to kill me using the Nomu...»
He didn't do that summary to change the subject. It was a kind of tribute to the work of a man who dedicated his life to recognising and neutralising threats that, in comparison, could make the Villains more evil in the world, such as children throwing tantrums.
Everyone present noticed that admiration, not wanting to waste the opportunity offered by such an experienced man. They read, listened, discussed, and came to better understand Izuku Midoriya.
That wasn't a report written by a Hero describing how he defeated a Villain. This account is clearly written by a person who thinks as if he were constantly at war and who knows it in every facet. The proposed security upgrade recommendations demonstrate centuries of experience protecting and patrolling places so fortified that the Tartarus prison might, by comparison, look like a sandcastle.
In his tragic creation, four heroes, a detective and a chimaera, found in Izuku an example of dedication and unwavering determination to improve his surroundings.
Meanwhile, in the head of the principal, who could be a dog, a bear, or a mouse, Nezu also thought about how to welcome the HPSC agent who would arrive shortly.
Needless to say, the agent will leave the UA red with anger and blue with fear.