Chapter 46 – Heroes’ Names II
Fifteen minutes can pass quickly or slowly, yet many classmates still needed time to find the name they would use at the start of, or throughout, their hero careers.
Many were still bent over the board, unsure of which name to use; others were confident in their choice and ready to present it to Midnight.
«Well, time's up» Midnight said «It's time for you to present your nicknames to the class.»
«What… do we also have to present them?» asked Eijiro perplexedly
«What a hassle…!» Hanta stated annoyed
Although a slight, amused smile appeared on Izuku's lips at his classmates' comments, the first to come forward was Yuga Aoyama, a slim young man with a feminine face. He had long blond hair, flattened on most of his head, pointed and protruding at the sides at the bottom, with a side fringe that curved slightly upwards. He had remarkably long eyelashes and light blue eyes.
No matter how many times I see him, Aoyama-san reminds me too much of the scions of imperial noble houses.
«Here is my name.» he said with a rather theatrical gesture «I will be the Shining Hero: I cannot stop twinkling.»
«««««BUT IT'S A SENTENCE!»»»»» the whole class exclaimed
«Pfft- kukuku» Izuku chuckled, managing to hide his mouth.
Luckily, he had managed to keep the tone of his laughter low, so as not to be discovered, but Izuku really didn't know how to react.
«If you remove the "I" and shorten "cannot" to "can't," it becomes easier to pronounce.»
«Great suggestion, mademoiselle.»
Midnight's correction left the class confused and unsure of their choices. Even so, Mina did not back down and stepped forward to introduce her own hero name.
«I'm next!» she exclaimed enthusiastically «Call me 'Alien Queen'!»
«Do you want to look like that thing with superacid blood?! Change it while you can!» exclaimed worriedly, Midnight
Even after Mina returned to her seat with a click of her tongue, the class only grew more sceptical about how normal their names might be. Izuku was amused by how everyone hoped someone would break that strange, comical, ridiculous atmosphere.
Apparently, Tsuyu, presumably unaware of that atmosphere, stepped forward.
«Ever since elementary school, I knew I would use this name: "The Rain Season Heroine: Froppy"!»
«Oh, this is adorable! That's a cute and friendly name!!» approved Midnight «Use her name as an example to choose yours, okay?»
All the students cheered, clearly much happier that Tsuyu had saved that awkward situation without realising it.
«It's my turn!» announced, hyped, Eijiro «The Extremely Manly Hero: Red Riot!»
«Red Riot?» asked Midnight with an affectionate expression «Did you choose it in honour of the Chivalrous Hero: 'Crimson Riot'?»
«That’s right!» Eijiro replied, slightly flushed «Maybe it's an old-fashioned reason, but what I'm aiming for is to be a hero like him!»
«Fufu. A name that pays homage to someone also carries the burden of living up to them.»
«You can say that loud, sensei! I'm ready for anything!!»
Oh, the boy's determination is not lacking.
From there, the class kept introducing their names: Kyoka chose Earphone Jack; Mezo opted for Tentacle; Hanta introduced himself as Cellophane; Mashirao, embarrassed, decided on Tail Man, prompting Rikido's opposition because he chose Sweet Man; Mina finally settled on Pinky, though not entirely happily; Denki chose Chargebolt; and Toru chose the simpler Invisible Girl.
«Great, guys! Excellent! Keep it up, let's not stop!» Midnight exclaimed excitedly, while Shota, behind her, slept blissfully.
More students stepped forward after that: Momo chose Creative to symbolise her quirk of creation; the shy Koji introduced Anima; Minoru opted for Grape Juice, funny yet oddly fitting for him; Fumikage borrowed the name of the Shinto god of the moon and night, Tsukuyomi; Katsuki's King of Explodo-kills was too menacing, so Midnight wisely advised him to change it; and Uraraka kept it classic by combining her name with her quirk's ability: Uravity.
Shoto, on the other hand, pleasantly surprised Izuku. His hero name was his given name, and that gave Izuku a shred of pride. Satisfied with his classmate's growth, Izuku realised the choice came from a desire to accept who he is: Shoto, not "the son of Endevour."
A way to remember who he is and, at the same time, spit in his father's eye. He thought, smiling.
«I have to admit, it took less than I thought.» Midnight said, satisfied «Aside from Bakugou-san, who needs to think better about which name to use, Ida-san, Shield-san, and Midoriya-san are missing.»
Ugh, do I really have to? Izuku thought disinterested
Shifting his attention to Tenya and Melissa, Izuku noticed that both of them still had no idea which name to use, though Tenya's indecision was quite different, as if writing that name was a heavier burden than an important decision.
Finally, Tenya stood up and went to the cathedra, showing what he had written on the board. His expression reflected his doubts.
«Will you use your given name too?» asked Midnight, reading the name "Tenya" on the whiteboard
Tenya responded with a positive, strangely decisive nod, though indecision still swirled in his mind. Izuku sighed.
Melissa followed him and, once in front of everyone, took a deep breath before revealing her Heroine Name.
"I-I've decided on the Heroine of Courage: Athena."
You have chosen an attribute you desire, borrowing the name of the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. You still have a long way to go before you can live up to such a heavy name, my student. Izuku thought, amused but proud.
Now only Izuku remained. He stood up with the whiteboard and marker he had been given, and when he reached the cathedra, he set the board down, showing what he had written: nothing.
«Huh? Why did you come forward even though you didn't decide your Hero name?»
«Sensei...» Izuku called, amused «for a Custodian, a name is not something chosen or received on a whim or for the good of society. It must be earned through acts of valour, promotions, military conquests, or by passing incredibly arduous physical and spiritual tests. They are the equivalent of a medal of military valour.»
«B-but Midoriya-san, Aizawa-sensei introduced you with five names, no?» timidly asked Koji, drawing everyone's attention to himself.
«Then it must be really hard to earn a name where you've been...» Eijiro said incredulously but at the same time admiringly
«That it's hard is hard.» Izuku chuckled «But originally 'Izuku Midoriya,' which is my original first and last name, should have been replaced by 'Valorian.'»
«Why? Ribbit.» Tsuyu asked with her typical curiosity
«The ascension is a long, painful, lethal process, and different for every aspiring Custodian. Surviving it means being reborn with a new name and abandoning the one given at birth. Mine is an exception by the will of my lord, the Emperor of Mankind.»
«Uwa, that seems extreme to me.» Denki stated palely.
«But then, how did you earn the other four names?» asked Mina curiously
«I have many more. Have you forgotten?» Izuku chuckled, amused by the question «I introduced myself at USJ before I became a classmate of yours.»
«Now that you point it out…» Momo said thoughtfully «wait, how many were there? I don't remember...»
«1258 names, including my first and last name.» he said, amusedly «All of them earned in the two and a half millennia of service to the Lord of mankind.»
At the affirmation, the entire class fell into absolute silence, their eyes seemingly falling out of their sockets.
A Custodian’s full name is a living timeline of his career. Each additional name marks a specific undertaking or achievement, and its length denotes seniority and status among the Ten-thousand. The names also serve a defensive purpose.
Knowing the "True Name" of a warp entity or a man carries enormous risk, because it allows the victim to bend to the will of those who know it. For this reason, new names continue to accumulate, becoming long and convoluted. This prevents anyone, even the Pernicious Powers, from learning the "True Name" of a Custodian.
However, they don't need to know.
«Anyway, if I have to choose a hero's name, then I think I'll go with the one everyone referred to me by during my service outside the Imperial Palace. So, I think I can say I earned it at the behest of the masses.»
His hand was so quick that his chosen name seemed to appear on the board, which had been white until now. The first part, representing his nature, was written in Japanese, while the name was written in High Gothic.
«The Sternguard Hero: Custos.»