"Because there is a lack of both enemies and bodies to be 'cleaned' as of now. I want you two to focus on training and grooming Deku to become a proper Cleaner. Are you both up to the task?" En asked.

"Yeah, we can do that." Shin answered, Noi nodding as well.

"Good." En then turned to Deku, "Shin and Noi will both be your mentors for the time being. They may not be curse type users like yourself, but they will teach you everything there is to know about fighting."

Deku nodded, "U-Understood."

En turned away, back to reading a magazine. "Alright, you may go."

"So hows the training going?"

Deku flinched, almost dropping the juice-box in his hands as Small Might fell off, clothes and mask cleaned of blood. Shou had, unsurprisingly, given the man's magic, startled him.

"I thought that block you did to defend yourself was pretty cool."

"T-Thanks." Deku said as he looked down, picking up Small Might from the ground. He then turned to Shou, the invisibility caster sitting next to him. "How did you know?"

"I was in the room. I saw the whole thing go down." Shou explained.

"So you were invisible?" Deku asked.

"Er... No..." Shou then scratched the back of his wrappings, "I was standing by the door..."

"Oh-" Deku paused, "I-I'm really sorry that I didn't notice, Shou-san."

"Nah, it's alright. People tend to not notice me even when I'm visible." That struck a chord with Deku for some reason, "I think the only person who actually ever noticed my presence at all times was my Partner back in the day."

"Partner?" Deku asked.

"Oh, right. You wouldn't know about that either." Shou then began the exposition. "Basically, you know how we have devil tumors inside our heads, right?"

Deku nodded, Shou continuing.

"Well, we also have another special organ that sets us apart from humans." Shou then patted his chest. "We also have Contracts inside our bodies."

The boy looked down at his own chest, "Like, a paper contract?"

"Yeah, kinda. But it's made out of flesh." Shou continued, "Every four years, we have a festival called the Blue Night Festival in which the Black House appears. If you bring another sorcerer and yourself into the black house, you can get devils to sign each other's Contracts and thus enabling a partnership."

"So what does a partnership do? What are the benefits?" Deku asked.

"Uh, a few things. One is that it gives censorial powers between two sorcerers, where they are, they're wellbeing, etc. The other is that if the partner is unwilling, they become docile and follow the will of the other."

Deku was shocked, "Wait, are you saying the other sorcerer gets mind control if it's not consensual?!"

"Yep."

Deku paused, looking up in thought as he began to mutter. "So in that case, an ideal partner would be someone whose magic compliments each other and that you hold a strong relationship wi-"

"You're thinking way too hard about this Deku." Shou interrupted, "A partner can be anybody. A friend, a mentor, a hostage, it all just works."

"Okay." Deku responded, nodding in understanding. "So what was your partner like Shou-san?"

"Funny you ask." Shou seemed to think hard, cupping his chin. "He was a... pretty weird guy, and that's coming from me. I don't even think I figured out what his magic even was." Shou then paused, "But then he died. A freak Smoke accident while we were raiding a Crosseye hideout. But he and I were some of the founding members, there on day one after En freed us."

"Freed you? From what?" Deku asked, head tilted.

"Smoke harvesting factory." Shou answered, "I was kidnapped and harvested for my rare invisibility Smoke." Shou then tapped his wraps, "That's why my body is pretty scarred. They were taking all the Smoke I had..."

"That sounds terrible..." Deku spoke in a horrified tone.

"Yeah, it was." Shou admitted, "But then En came along. He too had been imprisoned inside that dreaded factory since he was a baby, but they tossed him out to die once he was drained of his Smoke. Despite that, he survived and returned one day, using his mushroom magic to kill the owners and destroy the factory, freeing all of us."

"Wow... what En-sama did was..." Deku blinked, "Heroic."

"Well, since I've known En the longest, I'll admit it. He is a bit of a narcissist..." Shou looked down, "But he really does care about the people under him, even if it doesn't look like it."

Shou simply responded before perking up, "Oh look, Shin and Noi are back."

Sure enough, the duo had returned, Noi waving. "Hey, Deku!"

Shin came up to Deku, looking down at the boy. "You ready to start training again?"

He nodded, "Yep!" He then turned to Shou. "Thank you for explaining that all to me, Shou-san." Deku then paused, "But one last thing, what was your partner's name?"

Shou paused for a moment, "I think his name was...-"

The magic-user seemed to struggle for a moment.

"Lemme think... Ah! I remember now!"

He turned to Deku.

"His name was Hizashi!"

Shou shrugged.

"Could be surprisingly talkative, and funny, but you could tell he was hiding something."

"Huh." Deku nodded, "That's good to know." He then waved, "Well, I'll try and see you later, Shou-san!"

"Good luck to that." Shou simply replied, Deku and Small Might walking off with Shin and Noi.

"All right, so...-" Chota patted the first stacked pile of books atop the table where Deku sat, "These are all the books I found on bone structure and anatomy. And this-" The sorcerer tapped the top of a more minuscule and smaller stack. "-is all I could find regarding curse type magics. It's... not much, but that's because curse type magic is just so rare."

"T-That's fine." Deku said, bowing his head as Small Might picked up one of the books, idly flipping through its pages. "Thank you so much for finding these, Chota-san."

"Don't mention it Deku-kun." Chota replied, "I gotta admit, I'm kinda surprised at how much diligence and time you're devoting to learning about your own magic. You must have been quite the analyst before you lost your memory."

"Maybe..." Deku thought for a moment before shrugging, "But you're pretty good at analyzing too Chota-san. You know so much about magic!"

"Oh, why thank you. What a nice thing to say." Chota seemed to swell with pride, teeth shining behind his bird beaked mask. "Truthfully though, it's kind of a necessity in my case. My magic is all about dispelling after all."

Deku blinked, "Dispelling? So you can remove the effects of other sorcerer's magic?"

Chota nodded, "Yep! Precisely that! It's not as quick or effective as Noi's healing magic, but it's definitely needed when En needs a more subtle touch, like uncovering illusions to name an example!"

"So let's see what we've learned here."

Noi held out three fingers.

"One is that Small Might is really, really, tough when being held in your hands."

Deku nodded, peering around at the broken wooden planks in the gigantic training room, a testimony of how he had smashed the action figure against them. Small Might was as hard as a steel mace when held in his hands but weak as plastic when on his lonesome.

"Two is that you've gotten pretty used to pain already."

The boy blinked at that before looking down, realizing that his wrist was fractured, his hand twisted at an odd angle after Shin had hit it too hard during one of their spars. "... Is that normal?"

Shin shrugged, "More or less. Noi and I are the same. You get pretty used to pain under this lifestyle."

Noi counted the third finger, "And third is... what was the third again?"

"We've yet to find that out, if there even is any more we can learn." Shin answered before turning to Deku, "By the way, you might wanna get Noi to fix that wrist before we start again."

"I'm already on it." Noi was already opening her mouthpiece before Deku spoke.

"W-Wait, sorry Noi-san but-" He paused for a moment, moving his arm as his hand slumped. "I kind of want to try something out..."

"Huh? You mean you wanna continue fighting?" Noi asked.

"Ho?" Shin raised an eye, "You sure Deku? I don't really like fighting someone when they're under a handicap."

"Well... depending on how this goes..." Deku's tone was soft, but for some reason, oddly menacing. "I might not be."

Shin seemed to smile behind his mask, toothy grin just visible beneath the zipper of his backward mask. "Is that so?" Shin then readied his hammer, "Alright then Deku. Whenever you're ready."

Deku charged without warning, Shin raising his hammer to parry his blow. Deku had gotten quick with using Small Might, as the training he did with Shin began to show. He swung again, Shin blocking it before grabbing Deku by the wrist. He yelped before Shin kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs.

"We talked about this Deku! If you get hit-!" Shin then smashed his hammer against Deku's arm, breaking it. "-Make sure to return the favor!"

Deku's eyes widened as he clenched his teeth, arm broken now broken alongside his wrist. Just because he was used to pain, didn't mean he did not feel it. He slumped, kneeling down as Shin raised his hammer, intent on bringing it down upon Deku.

Only for the boy to raise his broken arm, Smoke enveloping them.

He flew upward, his curse going into effect and dragging the fractured limb as Shin's eyes widened. "You used your magic on yourself-!?"

"YES!" Deku both confirmed and yelled, smashing Small Might into Shin's shoulder. "I DID!" The upper left side of Shin's body literally deformed as Shin grunted out, clutching his now ruined limb, Deku was about to use his magic on Shin.

But the sorcerer was quicker.

Shin gyrated his body, swinging his ruined arm, hand still clutching his hammer as the clawed part breached the side of Deku's head. Deku blinked, realizing that tears had developed in his eyes. "Oh wait..." He felt unsteady, dropping Small Might as he collapsed, "That's blood..."

Deku collapsed, Shin looking down with his ruined shoulder. "Can you continue Deku?"

He was just able to shake his head, Noi using her Smoke on the both of them as Deku felt control return to his body, his wounds closing. Within an instant, he was good as new, slowly standing back up.

Shin lifted his mask, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Whew, you almost got me there Deku..." He then slipped the mask back down. "I guess this means we found out the third thing about you. You can use your magic on yourself."

Noi quivered with excitement. "Does this mean you can fly and stuff!?"

Deku paused before nodding, "I-I guess, as long as a piece of my body is broken... but to tell you the truth." Deku strained his arm, "That was really, really, painful. I don't know if I can do it for too long."

Shin shrugged, "Well if the pain is the only limiting factor then pretty soon you should be able to do it for far longer."

"Y-You really think so?" Deku asked.

"Deku, I know so. Your progress this past week has been... well, to put it nicely, fucking terrifying."

"So you can use your magic on yourself?" Fujita asked, Deku nodding.

"Yeah, I can pull myself upward using my Smoke on my own fractured bones." Deku then dislocated a few of his fingers on his left hand, raising the hand as Smoke enveloped it. He was then lifted through the air, held aloft by the gas-like substance as Small Might held on tightly to his shoulder. "S-See?"

Fujita's eyes widened, Ebisu watching as well. "Woah! That's incredible!"

"Heehee..." Ebisu giggled, "Looks kinda funny!"

Deku quickly lowered himself back down, panting in labored gasps. "O-Only problem is that i-it's really painful because I'm tugging the bones beneath my flesh... which gives me an idea of what being on the receiving end of it is like... but Shin said I'd get used to it." Deku shrugged, grasping onto his hand and readjusting his fingers. "I think for better results and control, I'd have to find a way to break my own arm and be able to refix it without having to rely on Noi's magic... maybe I can try dislocating from the elbow if that's possible? It'll probably be the least painful method while giving me the most control to-"

Ebisu called out, "You're muttering again, Stupid Name!"

"Ah, Sorry!"

"Eh, it's alright." Fujita then sighed, Ebisu and Deku turning their heads to him. "I just wish I could do things like that with my magic..."

Deku paused before shrugging, "Well, I-I'm sure you can." Deku then paused, a long awkward silence. "Er, if you don't mind me asking Fujita-san, what can you do with your magic?"

"Not much really. As the name of my magic implies, all I can really do is shoot my Smoke out really fast, like a bullet. The only problem is that my Smoke has little mass on its own, so most of the time, I have to use a lot of power to make it remotely effective. That's why I usually use it in conjunction with a gun." Fujita sighed, "But En doesn't allow that, not that I can blame him. Any sorcerer worth his or her salt shouldn't have to rely on technology." Fujita hung his head, "If only my magic was stronger..."

"How fast does your magic make things?" Deku asked.

"Oh, uh, pretty fast I guess. My smoke can send a baseball flying at 160 kilometers per hour."

Deku blinked, his eyes wide. "Seriously?!"

Fujita rubbed his arm, "I know, it's kinda lame but-"

"That's incredible, Fujita-san!" Deku went on a spree, "Just imagine all the things you can do with your Smoke! You could make any small object a deadly projectile by using a bit of your Smoke and throwing it! O-Or maybe you can take something bigger and shoot it like a cannonball!" Deku seemed to think faster then he could talk, "Knives! Imagine sending a knife at 160 kilometers instead of a baseball, that would cut through anything! What else can you do with it?! Can you also delay it and then reactivate it again to turn it into some sort of trap?"

The young man simply stood there, dumbstruck with realization. "... I... I don't know. I-..."

Ebisu spoke up, holding her head up and crossing her arms. "Fujita's stupid. Never thinking outside of the box."

"Knock it off Ebisu!" Fujita then paused, hanging his head down. "But I guess I kinda am. I never thought of all of that before..."

Deku shrugged, "I mean, I-I didn't know my magic could control my own broken bones until I tested it. But from what I understand...-" Deku looked away, eyes distant behind his mask. "Magic itself shouldn't be what makes you special, the way you use it is what matters."

Fujita seemed to take in Deku's words, silently picking up a rock from the ground. The two other sorcerers silently watched, confused. He then threw it, bits of Smoke teetering around the stone's surface. It shot forward, whistling as it smashed into a tree, sinking into its tough bark and coming at the other side. Deku and Ebisu staring with awe as Fujita turned to them.

Fujita then smiled. "You really know how to bring out the best in people Deku."

"Shin, Noi. How is Deku's training proceeding?" En asked.

Deku looked up from reading his book on Osteology as held a cup of mushroom tea. The entire En family sat in the dining room, having an afternoon tea as Shin and Noi sitting beside him, the latter speaking up. "Pretty good! Deku's learning really fast! He almost got the jump on Senpai the other day!"

Shin nodded, "Yep. He's creative with his magic."

Deku embarrassingly hung his head down at the praises, staring at the table as En spoke again. "And what do you think, Deku? Are you satisfied with the training."

"M-Me?" Deku asked, "O-Of course! Shin-san and Noi-san are great teachers!" He held his hand in front of him before balling it into a tight fist, "And I've learned so much about my magic this past month that... it's..." He couldn't find the word for it.

"Astounding?" Turkey added, somehow eating with their mask on as Deku agreed.

"A-Astounding. I-I didn't think I'd progress so fast."

Chota shrugged, "My, I guess the saying is true. Time does indeed fly when you're having fun."

"Yeah..." Deku paused, turning to Small Might on his shoulder, the action figure staring back at him as he realized. "I guess it really has been a lot of fun." And for a moment he thought back to when he had first arrived, the sense of displacement and confusion he had felt... even fear. But now, after settling in, Deku was sure of it.

He was home. This was where he belonged.

Deku smiled at that thought, reaching out to the cup of tea and bringing it close.

A small being was floating inside the cup, arms resting on the side of the rim as it stared up at him. Deku blinked, his smile still maintained as his emotions were unsure how to react to such a thing.

Fujita seemed to notice Deku's look, speaking up. "Er, Deku? What's wro-"

The cup then exploded, sending shards everywhere as Deku reacted, putting an arm in front of his face as a few stray pieces of sharp ceramic dug into them. He then lowered it, two hooves in front of his vision. It was only until he looked up that he realized that the hooves belonged to a Devil, who was currently standing on top of the table, wearing a pope like attire and a cone-shaped hood, smoke mask wrapped around his mouth.

"Pope Devil!" Ebisu yelled out.

Deku stared on with shock, the Devil yelling in a booming voice. "Ta-da~! I made myself super small inside your cup! What'd you think of that prank, Nya~?"

Noi looked up, a smile on her face. "Duston! It's good to see you again!"

"And you too, Noi-chan! Nya~!" The Devil responded. Deku looked around, noticing the varying reactions. He definitely knew that Noi was somehow familiar with the immortal being, Shin as well judging by the fact that he too was smiling. Everyone else, however, was just as shocked as he was, with En's being the most surprising to Deku. The boss was leaning at the end of his seat, eyes wide.

"Ah, Duston. What a pleasant surprise...!" En announced, yet his tone sounded strained, or perhaps, worried. "What brings you here?"

"Nothing really. I just wanted to play a prank on your newest cleaner." The Devil then seemed to remember something, "Oh! And to also give him my business card, Nya~!"

"B-Business card?" Deku finally asked, Duston looking down at him.

"Yep!" Duston reached into his robe, producing a piece of bloodstained paper and handing it to Deku, the boy taking it as if in trance. "They're for great sorcerers. Keep onto it." Deku wasn't sure to feel flattered or terrified that he was in notice of such a being.

Shou spoke up, turning to En. "Wait, isn't Chidamura the one who gives out business cards?"

"Oh yeah, about that." Duston scratched the back of his hood. "We turned him into a baby."

"What?!" En exclaimed.

"Yeah. Remember that whole 'Hole' incident, Nya~? Well, he lost a bet, the bet being whether you guys would win or not against Hole. He's gonna be a human for the next 50,000 years." Duston shrugged, "Since he's gonna be gone for a while, the rest of the Devils can mess around and stuff, Nya~!"

Shin spoke up, "By the way, do you guys have any idea who Deku might be?"

Deku's eyes lit up, "O-Or where I came from?!" Shou had told him that Devil's were immortal and all-powerful, surely a talkative one like Duston would know about his past life?

Duston shook his head.

"Nope!"

Well, that possibly went out of the window as Deku hung his head down.

"And that's why it's so exciting!" Deku perked up at Duston's words, realizing that the Devil was gesturing to him. "Deku's a complete anomaly! And the fact that his memories are gone makes it so much more mysterious, Nya~!" Duston finished the last part with an ominous tone, "So the rest of the Devil's are watching..."

"T-Then is it possible to get my memories back?" Deku hopefully asked.

"Well..." Duston seemed to consider, "I cooouuuld use my powers to restore your memories but, where would be the fun in that, Nya~?"

"B-But-!"

"Are you arguing with me, Deku? I could literally throw you into hell right now." Duston cheerfully threatened, Deku realizing that everyone was giving him the look of worry. "But, since I'm a pretty chill Devil, I won't say such a thing and leave you empty-handed!" Duston then pointed a finger at Deku, green flames engulfing his upper torso for a split second before extinguishing.

He now wore a tanned bomber jacket over his t-shirt, Deku looking down at the new clothing article.

"I made it myself! How does it feel?"

"G-Good." Deku quickly surmised. Like his Devil mask, the jacket felt as if it had been made for him, form-fitting and not too hot for some odd reason.

"Perfect! I knew tortured souls and the skin of the damned was fine material, Nya~!"

"Wha-?" Noi put a hand over Deku's mouth before he could even speak.

"That's great! I'm sure Deku-kun appreciate it a lot, Duston!"

"Of course he does." Duston then gave a short wave. "Alright, I think I better head off now, gotta go back to mentoring two new trainees. Goodbye, Nya~!"

Everyone waved, Noi saying goodbye. "See ya, Duston!"

With that, the Devil disappeared into a thin black void, leaving not a single trace of his existence behind as Noi relinquished his hand from Deku's mouth. "Sorry about that Deku-kun, but I just had a feeling it was for your own good."

"T-That's alright." He then paused, "Would Duston really throw me into hell?"

Noi nodded, "Totally! I mean, he's a Devil. It's kind of hard to be moralistic when you're... immortal." Noi then seemed to recall, "But Duston and I are pretty close. He was my mentor when I was doing the Devil Exam, and he's helped me and Shin in the past."

"Yeah. I pretty much owe him my life." Shin agreed. "But anyhow, I guess you hit another milestone. Getting the attention of Devils is no easy feat. And it's a big deal that you got a business card from one."

Deku nodded, looking down at the blood-stained paper as Fujita spoke up. "Damn! Now I'm really jealous! Not only did you get your mask made by a Devil, but you got a business card and jacket too!"

Ebisu turned her head to him, "Ha ha! Git gud Fujita!"

Chota looked at Deku. "Speaking of which, aren't you going to take off that jacket, Deku-kun? I mean, from the sounds of Duston's words, it's probably cursed..."

Deku paused, him and Small Might looking down at the bomber jacket before looking back up. "U-Um... I-I was but..." Deku gently patted it, taking note of the smooth textures.

The skin of the damned felt surprisingly comfy on the skin.

"It actually feels really comfortable."

"You might wanna clean yourself up." Shin threw Deku a towel, the boy wiping the blood off his face with it as he sat on a bench. Small Might grabbed the rims of the cloth, reserving a bit of it to clean himself off as well. "We're going somewhere."

Deku's eyes lit up, "Where to?"

"Hole." Shin answered, "A good friend of ours is having his birthday at his house."

"Oh, wow." Deku tilted his head, "Is he a human?"

Shin nodded, "He is. But I've known him for a long time. In fact, he's pretty much the reason I'm probably alive and a sorcerer today."

Deku opened his mouth behind his mask to ask before Noi came back, bringing two water bottles. "By the way, Deku. Are you going to clean that jacket? It looks really dirty."

He shook his head, a little too fast. "U-Um, I can't do that."

"Noi's right. It smells. Go clean it." Shin agreed.

"No!" Deku yelled, clinging onto his jacket. "I-I can't do that! It's mine! It's my...-" Deku paused, his tone turning into a disturbing raspiness. "-Precciousss..."

Shin and Noi looked at each other before looking back at Deku, even Small Might stared from where he sat. "Okay. That jacket is definitely cursed." Shin quickly summarized before putting his hand out. "Give it here, Deku. We'll get Chota to dispel it and then throw it in the washer."

"No... NO, NO-" The eyes behind his mask grew crazed, body twitching. "-YOU WILL GET CLEANED!"

He lunged forward, not even bothering to grab Small Might. Noi simply raised her arm before bringing her fist down on Deku's head, smashing him downward as Deku's face became one with the floor. A few seconds passed, Shin tapping his sneaker against the side of Deku's head. "You still alive, Deku?"

There was a small twitch of confirmation, Noi kneeling down as to pull the jacket off. "Sheesh, it really does smell a lot."

"Sorry, I don't know what got into me." Deku spoke, scratching the back of his mask, Small Might sitting back on his shoulder. "It was like I couldn't bear the thought of separating with that jacket..."

"That's alright. Just be glad that Duston didn't curse that jacket with something worse..." Shin replied. "On a side note, you'll be able to wear it again when you get back. Cleaned and uncursed by Chota, obviously."

Noi giggled, patting Deku on the back. "My, my... at least now you know how much of a prankster Duston can be."

Deku nodded, "Y-Yeah."

Shin created a Door using his Smoke, the Door depicting a bloody heart. The magical feat still astounded Deku to no end, and there were times before when he had attempted reopen his own Door, but to no avail. Shin opened it, walking through as Deku and Noi followed, their surroundings changing entirely from that of an ornate hallway, to a wooden interior.

"So this is Hole? Or at least, a building in Hole." Deku thought, looking around to notice the paper walls and sliding doors. "But this design... why does it look so familiar...?"

"Doc!" Shin called, "You home?"

A muffled voice called out in the next room, "Shin? Is that you?"

"Yeah. I hear you, are you-" Shin slid open the door, only to be met with an empty and dilapidated room, not a single soul in sight. "Huh..."

"I'm in the next room!" The voice called out, Shin closing the sliding door as Deku and Noi looked around.

"What next room?"

The same exact sliding door opened again, revealing a tan-skinned young man, the room behind him no longer dilapidated but clean and fully furnished. "Right here."

Deku had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, even Shin look surprised and confused. "Wha- How-?"

"Haha! Sorry, it must be all the Smoke distortions in my mansion. I'm still doing a bit of spring cleaning." The young man then shrugged, "Anyhow, long time no see you two! How's it been?"

"Good." Shin simply answered, the young man looking past the Cleaner and noticing Deku.

"Oh, and who's this?"

Noi spoke up, pointing down whilst leaning over Deku. "Deku, he's a new Cleaner that my cousin hired!"

"Ah, I see." The doctor extended a tattooed hand, "Nice to meet you, Deku. Name's Kasukabe."

Deku took it, "I-It's nice to meet you too, Kasukabe-san." He greeted, Kasukabe smiling before turning around.

"Here, come inside. Everyone else is in the dining room." The first thing Deku had noticed was the other figure in the room.

Or more precisely, the gigantic overgrown cockroach wearing a pair of ripped sneakers.

Deku blinked behind his mask, staring at the creatures as it stared back with its big blackhead. It then tilted said head, showing off a pair of exposed human teeth.

"Squee?"

"That's, Jonson." Kasukabe spoke out, already answering Deku's unasked question. "He looks intimidating, but he's really friendly. Right, Jonson?"

As if to emphasize that point, Jonson nodded, flaring his insectile pincers in the air. "Squee!"

Shin gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"Long time no see Jonson."

Kasukabe patted a nearby desk. "Just leave your shoes next to the doorway and masks on the table." The trio obliged, Deku taking off his shoes and then his mask, placing them on a nearby medical table. Once they were done, they continued following the doctor, past rooms and rooms of scientific experiments as Jonson trailed behind them.

Deku peered at a few transparent tubes, each filled with a dead body, little sticky notes placed on the glass detailing the victim. "U-Um, excuse me, Kasukabe. But do you research magic?"

"Yep! Glad you noticed." Kasukabe replied with a hint of enthusiasm. The doctor then turned his head, "Speaking of which, what's your magic Deku?"

"I-It's a curse type." Deku explained, "I can control broken bones."

"Ah, a curse type! Those are really rare. So you probably don't produce Smoke naturally, right?"

Deku nodded, a little surprised at the man's understanding nature as he gestured to Small Might who was still sitting on his shoulder. "Yeah. And in order to use my ability, Small Might needs to be on my person."

"Huh, that explains the living action figure." Kasukabe inspected, hand resting on his chin. "Interesting. What about your death ability?"

He shook his head, "N-Not sure yet. I haven't really died yet."

"Probably for the best." Kasukabe said with a shrug.

"But even so!" Deku held onto his wrist as he balled his hand into a fist. "I-I'm still trying to learn all I can about what I can do with my current magic."

Kasukabe paused before he nodded, smiling. "You'll get far with that mindset, and that's a fact.

"Thank you, Kasukabe-san." Deku said with a smile. Kasukabe wasn't a sorcerer at all... yet his study and commitment on the subject of magic were incredible, judging by all the research strewn around. It almost felt nostalgic in someway, Deku unsure why.

Noi commented, "My, you two seem to be getting along."

"Shocking!" Jonson screeched, startling Deku. Apparently, the cockroach could speak a word as well... who knew?

They finally arrived at a set of sliding doors, Jonson walking up front to open them. As they walked inside, Deku giving a short bow to the cockroach. "Thank you, Jonson."

"Squee!"

Deku turned away from the cockroach, entering the nice room. The windows to the outside showed a shadowy garden, the interior a traditional-

He briefly clutched his head, a brief pain surfacing before ebbing away. This design looked super familiar, but how so? Perhaps some form of cultural significance he was used to? He shook his head before looking around, now noticing the next cast of strange characters.

The most notable one being a lizard-headed man eating a mouthful of Gyoza.

"Delicious!" The man yelled in an almost overexaggerated manner.

"Kaiman! Those are for the other guests! You can't just eat all of them!" A blonde-haired girl scolded, sitting on the floor next to him.

The lizard headed man named Kaiman turned his maw, crosses around his eyes. "I couldn't help it! I felt like I was going to starve to death!"

"Jeez. And it's only been 15 minutes since we got here." A bald man commented, grid marks on his face as he sat next to the both of them, a cigarette nestled in his hand. "You really should see someone about this."

The last person sitting on the table noticed their entrance, sunken eyes widening as he turned to the sitting group. "Uh, guys?"

"What is it 13-?" The bald man asked before noticing as well, "Oh! Shin, Noi! You actually came!"

"Yo, Vaux." Shin simply greeted, "How's the hospital coming along?"

"Great, no thanks to you two." Vaux responded, "Fully repaired. Just that we've had to shift from magic victims to... well, normal victims." He then shrugged, "But I've adapted."

"What about you Lizard man? No evil thoughts resurfacing?"

"Nope." Kaiman simply responded, Deku tilting his head at that question before the girl next to Kaiman noticed the young magic-user.

"Hey, I don't think I've seen you before? What's your name?"

Suddenly, all eyes in the room were on Deku. There was a short pause before he finally mustered the nerve, speaking up for himself. "H-Hi. My name is Deku. I'm En's new Cleaner." He then bowed his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

The girl smiled, bowing from where she sat. "Likewise to you, Deku. I'm Nikaido, and the one who's stealing all the food is Kaiman."

"What?! I'm not stealing! I'm...-" Kaiman then shoved the plate of Gyoza's away, "-I was just testing them to make sure they were good to eat."

"Really...?" Nikaido sarcastically asked, one of her eyebrows raised. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

Shin and Noi wordlessly sat down, Deku following suit. Admittedly, he felt completely out of place, like a newcomer sitting at a table of veterans. There was a distinct possibility that these were the 'friends' Shin had mentioned that helped or at least played a role in taking down Hole.

But at least he knew he was welcome among them.

"I've been meaning to ask, how is everything in the magic-user world?" Kasukabe asked as he sat.

"A little deserted, but otherwise everything's fine." Shin answered.

Noi pointed at a bottle on the table, "Ooh, is that Sake?"

Sake. Deku blinked, recalling that was an alcoholic drink that adults drank... how did he know that again? He pressed a hand against his forehead, Kasukabe laughing. "Help yourself! It's my 66th birthday after all!"

Deku briefly ignored his head pain, almost stuttering. By all means, Kasukabe was definitely not 66, if anything, he didn't even appear to be much older than Deku. "Wha-!? You're 66?!"

Kasukabe smiled, "Yep. Magic accident while I was doing some testing. So I guess you can say I'm a magic victim." He then chuckled, "An extremely lucky magic victim at that."

"Shocking!" Jonson emphasized, already voicing Deku's thoughts.

"By the way,-" 13 asked, pointing at Small Might as the action figure, "What the hell's up with the doll? I think I saw it move just now."

Kaiman seemed to notice too, "Yeah,-" Small Might then twisted his head, now staring at the lizard headed man. "-EEK! It's a possessed doll!" Kaiman hid behind Nikaidou, both hands resting on her shoulder as he peered over her, an annoyed look on the girl's face. "I told you ghosts are real!"

"He's not a doll... He's an action figure..." Deku murmured under his breath before speaking up. "And he's not possessed." Deku then paused, "Or at least I don't think Small Might is. I-It's apart of my magic. I'm a curse user, you see."

Nikaido seemed to understand, brushing away Kaiman's hands. "Oh, just like Risu then."

"Wait, wasn't he training with Asu to become a Devil or somethin'?" Kaiman asked, turning to her.

Deku wasn't sure who Risu was, but the mention of him training to become a Devil... didn't Duston mention mentoring two new trainees? It probably wasn't a coincidence, knowing how small the world of magic users had become...

Jonson briefly left the room before coming back, hauling a tray full of food before placing bowls of delicacies on the table. Kasukabe smiled, putting his hands together as Jonson sat down next to him, "Alright everyone! We have chicken curry with rice, a good assortment of sushi-" He then pointed at the last bowl, "-and some pork katsudon."

"Ooooh! That looks super good! Right, Senpai?" Noi asked.

"Hm." Shin simply nodded, picking up a pair of chopsticks.

"Let's eat!" Everyone clapped their hands together before digging in. Deku looked down at his bowl, his hunger reminding him that he had not eaten after today's training. Yet Deku took pause at the pork katsudon. He stared at it, blankly holding his chopsticks as a brief thought crossed his mind.

"Pork katsudon was my favorite."

Deku put down the chopsticks, his head now throbbing as he gritted his teeth. Shin immediately took notice, looking up from his bowl of rice. "You okay there, Deku?"

Vaux looked up as well, "Uh, you need an aspirin or something?"

"I-I'm fine." He lied before standing up, turning to Kasukabe. "I-Is it okay if I go use the bathroom."

The young man had a concerned look on his face. "Go ahead. It's right outside the door to the left.

Deku followed the instructions, quickly exiting the room.

*SPLASH*

Deku put some water on his face as he panted, looking up at the mirror. By this point, in order to fit his mask on better, he had shaved the mess of his fluffy green hair into a comfy undercut, the top still sporting the original messy look. He splashed another wave of water before sighing, looking down at the sink and watching the liquid drain out. "What is happening to me?" He thought.

He heard a knock on the bathroom door, instantly recognizing the muffled voice. "Deku? Are you in here?"

"Noi?" He then opened the door, realizing that Shin and Noi were waiting outside.

Shin stepped forward, "We're going back to En's mansion. You ready?"

"Wha- already?" Deku asked, "Weren't we going to eat dinner here?"

Noi held up a big bag, "No need! Kasukabe-kun let us pack some of the food for later."

Deku blinked, slowly beginning to realize as he hung his head down. Shin and Noi were leaving because of his own apparent discomfort. "I'm sorry... about having you guys cut things short with your friends..."

A sympathetic look grew on Shin's face, the man straightening his glasses. "It's alright. We really weren't planning to stay for dinner anyway." He then gestured behind him, "Anyhow, these two wanted to talk to you before we left."

"Who-?" Deku asked before noticing Nikaido and Kaiman appear from behind Shin.

"Shin and Noi told us a bit about your situation." The girl spoke, "And we figured that your case is-"

"Just like mine!" Kaiman finished as he stepped forward, pointing a gloved finger directly into Deku's chest. "You woke up not remembering anything about your past life, right?"

Deku slowly nodded.

"Well, er, that's kinda how I started out too... just that-" Kaiman then pointed at his own head, "-my head was turned into a lizard."

"Oh." Deku responded, unsure of what to gleam from that as Kaiman continued.

"But take it from me, I've found out the truth about myself, and it'll probably be no different for you." Kaiman closed his eyes, maw contorted into a cheerful smile. "And most importantly, you got friends who have your back!"

He took in Kaiman's words, thinking for a moment and realizing how lucky he was. Not only was the En family responsible for saving his life, but they were there for him too... every step of the way. He looked back up at the lizard headed man, wanting to ask something out of curiosity. "And what was your truth, Kaiman-san?"

Kaiman seemed to think for a moment, scratching the back of his spiky head. "Errr, it was kinda complicated, but basically, as it turns out,-"

The lizard headed man finished.

"-I was the boss of the Crosseyes."

Deku's eyes widened, his mouth opening in shock. "W-W-WHAT!?"

All those discarded heads... the post-apocalyptic population of the magic-user world... that was from the lizard headed man standing right in front of him? How was this even possible? Kaiman noticed Deku's reaction, the lizard man opening his maw. "Hold on! Lemme explain! I was also a bunch of other people as well!"

Shin nodded to confirm, "Yeah. And as of now, Lizard man here is no longer the boss. That man is dead, in fact-" Shin turned his head to Kaiman, "-I gave you an opening to finish him with the Kitchen knife, right?"

Kaiman nodded, "Yep!"

Noi cupped her chin, "Huh, kinda brings a new meaning to killing yourself."

"You said it." Nikaido agreed.

Deku watched the exchange, realizing that it would probably be best to leave it at that. Hearing the full story would probably mean that they'd be here all night. Shin created a Door, turning to Noi and Deku. "Alright, you ready?"

"Wait, before I go-!" Deku turned toward the sliding door of the party room. He opened it, pausing upon noticing that it lead to a dusty and abandoned room instead.

"Try closing and reopening. That usually works." Nikaido called out.

Deku did just that, finally met with the party room as the remaining occupants turned their heads to him. "Er-" He then straightened himself, bowing his head to Kasukabe. "Thank you, Kasukabe-san... for having me over."

"Ah, don't mention it. It's always a pleasure to talk with someone who has a great interest in magic." Kasukabe said with a smile, "Feel free to visit anytime. And if you do end up dying, tell me all about it."

In any other normal circumstance, that last quote would have come out wrong. But the way Kasukabe had said it... Deku couldn't help but simply smile back, giving a nod. "Will do." He then turned to the other three occupants, "And it was nice meeting you. Vaux, 13... and Jonson."

"Shocking!" The cockroach simply responded, probably his way of saying 'bye' as Vaux took the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Good luck on finding your memories, Kid."

13 nodded as well, his smile showing off sharp teeth. "Yeah. You're probably gonna need it."

"Thanks." Deku responded, giving one last wave before closing the sliding door. He then rejoined the group, now just about ready to leave.

Kaiman rushed forward as if he had just remembered something. "Wait! Before ya go!" Kaiman hesitantly lifted a box that he had been carrying, "I... wanted you to have these. It's full of Gyoza's I made. I was gonna eat them tonight but...-" Kaiman then held it out for Deku, "I-I wanted you to have them, since, y'know..." The lizard man appeared to be on the verge of crying, "Just promise me... you'll take good care of them. Okay?"

He blinked at the lunch box, wondering if he was being handed a puppy rather then a box of food, "Um-" He then bowed his head, "I-I will. I promise. Thank you, Kaiman-san."

"Kaiman..." Nikaido seemed both surprised yet happy, "Alright, you guys better get going before Kaiman changes his mind."

The Cleaners entered Shin's Door, turning around to face the two one last time. "Bye!" Noi waved, Deku as well, Shin standing with one hand in his pocket and the other on the Door frame.

"See ya!" Kaiman called back, waving his entire arm in an exaggerated manner, Nikaido smiling as she waved her own farewells. Shin finally closed the Door, the magic portal dissipating back into black Smoke.

"Fun party." Shin simply commented, the two other Cleaners nodding.

Noi turned to Deku, looking at the metal box. "Well, since we haven't eaten anything yet, why don't we try out some of those Gyozas! They looked pretty good before Lizardman ate them all."

Deku nodded, opening the metal lunchbox, a surge of trapped steam escaping. Shin handing the two of them chopsticks. "You two should probably eat quickly. En doesn't like it when people eat in the hallways."

"Eh, who cares." Noi responded, her mouth-watering as she picked up a piece. "These look too good!"

The green-haired boy did the same, picking up his own respective piece and biting into it. A few moments passed, Deku savoring the taste. And it really was delicious... the meat and vegetable fillings cooked to perfection.

"D-Delicious!" Noi yelled.

Deku nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it really is. It kind of reminds me of the ones they have at-" He then paused.

Reminded him of what?

Where was it?

So close, what was he reminded of?

If his head had hurt before, now it was threatening to explode, Deku letting out a meek groan as he grabbed his forehead and dropped his chopsticks. Shin immediately noticed, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

"Deku, is everything alright?"

"N-No-" He admitted through pained breaths, "M-My head, it feels like it's gonna-!"

And then he screamed, eyes almost bulging from their sockets as the fingers on his hand exploded, a gigantic torrent of uncontrolled Smoke being released from the broken tips as Noi yelled. "Deku!"

A single memory found it's way back.

Tatooin Station.

And as quickly as it had begun, the Smoke settled, slowly dissipating to reveal a familiar Door, with a scribbled out decorative tag in front of it.

Deku's Door.

He immediately passed out, a pool of blood growing from his destroyed hand as Noi and Shin rushed to his side.

What we learned from the third chapter:

1. Deku can fly! (Sorta)

2. Devils are pranksters, especially Duston.

3. Kasukabe's house is weird.

And what you will learn from the fourth chapter... That's still a mystery.

That is... Welcome to Chaos!

Unfortunately, I think I'll have to end it on a cliff hanger here and begin writing the next chapter. Sorry it took a while, with this whole pandemic going on. I actually had this sitting at around 5000 words for a while until I finally garnered the creativity to finish it.

Sir Knight : My potions are too strong for you traveler! (was waiting for someone to pick up on the reference.)

mezentsevmichael : Control of broken bones. Deku's 'curse magic' is that his Smoke develops on fractured bones, which in turn allows him to manipulate them. (Even allowing flight if a part of his body is broken... ouch)