Chapter Text
“Aloy?...” Midoriya inquired as he inspected the girl from head to toe. While Midoriya was fixated on her, Aloy was more concerned with the attackers in front of them. When Midoriya turned his back, a whelp tried to attack his blind spot.
"T-There is going to assault once again! Focus!” Aloy yelled as she sought to shove Midoriya aside and grabbed her bow. There, she fires four successive rounds, but the adversary manages to avoid all of them! "Is my aim degrading as a result of my wounds?... Tsk, I have not hit them with a shot!"
"D-Don't overdo it! "I know you've eaten, but your wounds may reopen!" yelled Midoriya.
“Hmph… You're so concerned about a total stranger... What if I shot an arrow at you while you weren't looking?" Aloy questioned.
“Agh… You certainly are not one to allow people in easily..." Midoriya stated as he sighed. Before he could speak another word, Aloy hurls a frozen bomb at the whelp, which bounces several feet in front of the incoming whelp. Unaware, the whelp flies too close to where this explosive bursts, shocking Midoriya with its chilly force! “W-Woah! So... does she use Cryo? "...But... where is her Vision?" he murmurs, as he attempts to locate one on her- but fails.
"Got 'em,!" Aloy said with a delighted smile, "My Frozen Wilds erupted on contact... nonetheless, that is not all... There, as a result of the bomb's wake, tiny bomblets litter the surrounding land. This should provide us some time to formulate an exit strategy..."
“Oh, so you're not really suspicious of me? asked Midoriya.
“Heh… Anyone who is courageous enough to remain with me in the face of monsters is at least worth battling with. But make no mistake… If you do not comprehend my armament, you may fall victim to it like these weird beasts will!" Aloy stated while directing a stern glance at Midoriya.
“A-Ah! ...Well, I guess we can discuss this at a later time..." Midoriya remarked as he took a long breath to regain his composure, "...Why are they pursuing you?"
"...I must have stumbled onto their lair and hunting grounds by chance... I discovered a gigantic, dangerous beast whose ice-based strength and abilities I had never seen in such a manner before! Ever since I fled, these lesser wolves have been on my trail." Aloy explains.
"Hmm... I'm experiencing an uncanny sense of déjà vu," Midoriya mused, surveying the surroundings. He shifted his focus toward Springvale, where a familiar figure hurried through the foliage. In a heartbeat, Midoriya identified the individual. "Ah! R-Razor! Is that you?" he exclaimed, as his comrade hastened toward them, an enigmatic expression etched on his face.
“Midoriya?... And…!!!” Razor exclaimed as he gazed at the girl next to him and audibly exhaled. “There is no doubt… the scent of one who attacked lupical ends here… but, friend is there again!?...”
"Huh?" Midoriya inquired, momentarily puzzled by Razor's statement. Abruptly, the pieces fell into place; Razor had previously mentioned a girl wielding a bow who attacked his pack. It must have been Aloy! "C-Could it truly be you?" he queried, casting an incredulous glance in Aloy's direction.
“Huh?... Is he associated with the beast I fought or something?...” Aloy asks confusingly.
“Midoriya… you lie!!!” shouted Razor as he brought out his claymore, and pointed it at Midoriya and Aloy.
“R-Razor?!” Midoriya yelled in horror as he saw Razor draw his sword in a manner that indicated it was for him.
“...Lupical say girl harmed leader… I follow her scent ever since… Scent similar to yours… the smell of foreign rock …” Razor said angrily, his words confusing both Midoriya and Aloy, “Only one who smells like foreign rock that lupical deems friendly is blonde-haired friend ; the one with floating friend … Leader deemed her a threat as a result; that is why lupical attack girl”
“Sooo…” Aloy said perplexedly, "...I was attacked because I smelled like rocks?"
“Wait… You're referring to Aether and Paimon , correct? So, they even meet your lupical? ... And-... ' foreign rock '? ... Hold up…” Midoriya glanced at Aloy and thought, " Razor claimed we smelt like meteorites, which was his signal that we were not from this world... so, is she? ... But… She is not a hero, at least not that I am aware of... What's happening?... ”
“Midoriya… I was unsure if reason you smelled like her was due to similar origin… or collusion … Tell me now… Are you trying to hurt lupical as well?!” asked Razor, as his Electro powers flared up.
“R-Razor! Please, listen!"Midoriya cried, flailing his hands to indicate he meant no harm to Razor, "This is an enormous mistake!!! I-I don't even KNOW her! I just witnessed her in pain! I am not attempting to deceive you or harm your lupical!... Well, I suppose except for right now… B-But they attacked me!"
“I’m still not getting this… I get why he might think we are working together, but he’s implying we are from the same place… But… I am not from Teyvat, I’m from Earth… are you???” asked Aloy.
“W-WHAT?!” screamed Midoriya, shocked at what she revealed, “I-I’m from Earth too! Are you a hero that I don’t know about that was sucked through the black holes?!”
“A-... black hole?... I came through a portal when I ventured into the legends of the Old Ones…” Aloy answered. Then she hummed. “So, others met my same fate?... And… I guess I’m a hero?... But, following my ‘own’ kind of heroism… More like a hunter?...”
"The-... Old Ones? Are you referring to really old heroes? ... Quirks have not existed for a very long time in history..." Midoriya said, "And unless you were doing hero work within the government's guidelines and also a Pro-Hero, you were actually just a vigilante..."
“Huh? Are you attempting to offend me?!" As she approached Midoriya, Aloy said, "You must be from an enemy tribe that doesn't know when to keep its mouth shut! WHAT tribe do you belong to?" he inquired.
“T-Tribe?... Unless you are indigenous or something, you don’t really belong to tribes… I’m just a hero from Musutafu, Japan!!!” Midoriya shouted back.
“Um…” Razor said, as he and the whelps exchanged confused glances… Even though Razor and the wolves were their foes, they had somehow turned on each other.
“Musutafu?...” Aloy said, her face becoming even more confused, “I’m sorry, but I have never heard of such a place in Japan in all of recorded history… and I’m from the 31st century”
“Wait- hold on… So… You are from the future?!” Midoriya questioned loudly.
“Y-You’re from the past!?...” Aloy asked back, matching his tone.
“E-Excuse me?! I still have bone to pick with girl who attacked lupical!!!” shouted Razor, bringing the focus back on him.
Midoriya and Aloy then exchanged a glance without speaking; in that instant, they recapped all that each other had spoken... Ultimately, although they both maintained they were from Earth… it was evident that whatever Earth’s they came from were not the same… Aloy's home planet lacked Musutafu, and she had no idea what 'Quirks' were... Midoriya, on the other hand, behaved as though tribes were obsolete... However, they were certain that neither of them was from Teyvat.
"Razor, this must have been an accident caused by the coincidence of 'similar odor'... She looks to be as lost as I am in this world; she would not have attacked your lupical if she didn't know better!" pleaded Midoriya.
“Well... I do love a good challenge~...” Aloy muttered to herself.
“Hm?...” Razor murmured, contemplating Midoriya’s words.
“I spent enough time with her to comprehend her intent… she has a noble heart; I know it…” Midoriya continued, surprising Aloy with his statements. "Please, if my words mean anything… call off the wolves”
“Hm… So, friend not colluding with people wanting to hurt lupical, and-... I should trust friend that she is not enemy?...” Razor asked.
“Yes!” shouted Midoriya. Razor looked at Aloy… then back at Midoriya… then back at Aloy.
“But I can tell she want to fight leader once more…” Razor stated, looking deep into Aloy’s soul where her true intent cannot hide.
“Hehe…” Aloy laughed nervously; clearly he was right.
“Tsk… I mean, if your 'leader' was a supernatural beast with a fantastic demeanor, I can understand why someone like her would want to pursue it! ... However, she is not a villain! And if she turns out to be-... just in the event... then you may do anything you want to me to pay the price," Midoriya added as he stared Razor in the eyes.
“... That sounds sus!...” Aloy said as she looked at Midoriya weird.
“Hm…” Razor said as he looked at the whelps, “...Okay, I believe you” he continued. Here, he nodded his head, and the wolves vanished instantaneously into thin air!
“Good!...” Midoriya said with a hearty sigh.
“Then I will return to lupical and let them know outcome… Midoriya, I wish I could speak more, but I must go” Razor said as he quickly turned around and ran back into the forest. Once he was out of sight, Aloy turned to Midoriya with a slight smirk.
“Well… thanks for saving my ass there- uh… Miordiya ?...” Aloy said unsuringly.
“Mi- doriya … And… It's fine... I believed what I said about you..." answered Midoriya.
"I suppose I was fast to expose to you that I was not from here... I assume you are not someone about whom I should be very worried... I mean…" Aloy stated as she surveyed Midoriya, "I'm certain I could eliminate you if you turned out to be an enemy..."
“Hey!...” said Midoriya as he looked at her with a shocked look. Despite that, he chose to forget about the remark, and say, "So... We are not of this world... Do you have a strategy for getting home? ... he then inquired.
“Hm… It’s not wise to speak of your manifesto out in the open… perhaps in the forests where it is less public?” she suggested, pointing to some trees nearby Springvale.
“...Sure,” Midoriya said. “ If I can learn anything that might help us get home… I need to learn now!!! ”.
In that instant, the Wind Gliding test seemed to fade from Midoriya's consciousness, the apparatus still strapped to his back forgotten. Compelled by curiosity and the prospect of an intriguing conversation, he followed Aloy into the sunlit clearing. There, amidst rustling leaves and the gentle sway of trees, they engaged in a lively exchange, leaving the test to wait for the revelations to come...
-CHAPTER END-
