This is Yuuei. Situated in the middle of storming seas, the big piece of rock withstands wave after rough wave. And in one protected outcropping sits my village. In a word, sturdy. It's been around for seven generations but every single building is new. We have hunting, fishing, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problem are the pests. You see, while most places have mice or mosquitos, we have…
"Dragons!" shouts the man to my left as I stumble through the burning village, swimming like a salmon upstream toward the blacksmith shop.
Now you may be wondering why we don't just leave. Well, we're a clan of warriors, bred to fight and on a noble mission to save all of mankind… or something.
"Get back inside!"
"Someone get that deku off the field!"
Yes, those people are shouting at me. My names Izuku, or Deku to some. Around here, deku means useless, which is why tonight I am going to prove them wrong. Tonight I am going to kill a dragon.
The crowd has thinned out by this point as folks rush around fighting. Once upon a time I suggested we get a fire department, but everything will always just get burned down anyway. Next, I designed stone houses for the village since we have no shortage of rock and who doesn't want to protect the environment by not killing trees? However, we are nothing is not a tradition oriented people, or at least the chief is, so that idea didn't go over too well.
I push my way through the blacksmith shop and look toward the man sharpening a blade. Toshinori Yagi: the infamous All Might and master of my apprenticeship. These days he is a scrawny skelton with the burning eyes of a warrior, but legend says he used to rip dragons apart with his bare fists. Do I believe it? Yes. Yes I do.
"Ah, young Midoriya. You made it just in time," he looked over at me with that signature smile while tossing a shield onto the counter.
"You hear anything about the dragons out tonight?" I ask while fooling around with one of the contraptions. I may not have the best aim in the village, but the machine before me should work to take something down.
"Some Ugajins, a few Tajimamori-" Toshinori speaks before a slap of thunder sounds outside "- and it seems like a Raijin or two showed up."
Fumbling about trying to catch the sword my master just tossed to me, I attempt to peak over to counter to the outside. "Any Kagutsuchis?" My green eyes nervously scan the fire outside.
"Not yet, thankfully. Let's just hope for the best."
I nod and toss on my leather apron, watching how it still hangs around me. I've had the article for a while now and still don't fill it out, but Toshinor's been training with me in the woods. One day I'll look like a proper warrior. One day my father will be proud.
"Oh, Deku, you're here. I was worried you might have been lifted off already," calls a snarky voice from across the counter. Neito Monoma: a kid my age and all around bully. I try to stay away from the people my age as much as possible; all they do is talk about dragon training while I'm not aloud in. My father says I would disgrace the family.
I shoot my best smile toward the other boy and try not to cringe. I really don't want to get beaten up more than once this week.
Quickly, Toshinori hands a flail out the window and looks up. The torches are being lit and far off near the high cliffs I can make out the silhouettes of catapults beings readied.
"That's my cue Midoriya, man the station while I'm gone." He reached for a sword of his own but I suddenly reach out to place a hand on his arm.
"Please, let me go instead. I need to make my mark."
In response, my master gives me a small, pitying smile. "My boy, you're no ready with weapons yet."
I frown and walk over to the contraption to my left, which fires bola. "I don't need to be able to. I have this. Please, Toshi! Just two minutes and I'll kill a dragon. Just one and the village will finally see me as more that a deku!" To prove my point I slap down on the machine, prematurely firing the weapon and hitting a warrior smack in the face.
I cringe and duck my head down while my master sighs. "See, Izuku. You are not ready." He hands me a sword to sharpen and rushes out of the shop.
One day I'll get out there, because killing a dragon around here is everything.
Omegas like Ugajins and Tajimamori, with their small wings and rounder bodies, will at least get me noticed.
Then, depending on the beta, I'll definitely be put on the map. Raijins, which can shoot sparks and electrocute near objects are pretty easy to take down long range, but would definitely get me a date. Hachimen are tough, covered in almost impenetrable rock, but that feat might even make my father smile. And Susanoos, well, only the toughest of warriors can kills those.
A man pauses at the shop and I luge a shield onto the countertop. Just then, I hear it, the thunderous sound of an explosion. The man growls and yanks the shield away, charges away from battle.
Why? Because that sound came from the ultimate prize. An Alpha - the only type of dragon it seems the other kinds will follow. Furthermore, that Alpha isn't just any Alpha. No, it's one that has been ravaging the island with its pack for the whole fall. And a species that no one has ever seen.
The frenzy grows outside. "Kagutsuchi! Get down!" Someone shouts right before a wave a fire rolls over the town.
The thing never steals food, never shows itself, and never misses. How can it when one blast radiates out for alarming distances.
I don't have time to wait around any longer. I can't be in this stall for the rest of my life. Turning around I lift the heavy bola thrower and drop it in a wheelbarrow.
No one has ever killed a Kagutsuchi. I'm going to be the first.
With the cart in front of me, I push through the doors and start scrambling toward a high vantage point. People shout from behind me, telling me to get back inside, but I won't listen, I can't. I need to kill a dragon.
Finally I reach the top of an overlook, tilt the bola machine toward the sky, and place a shaky hand over the lever. Ignoring the shouts around me and the smoke screen trying to block my version, I squint up. Then I hear it, the throaty crackling that announces the Kagutsuchi is about to fire. A second later and a explosion goes off at a guard tower below me and I brace myaself as a wave of heat hits. Through the fire I see the outline of wings and yank the lever, heart beating widly. The shot goes off, recoil sending me to the ground. Then with wide eyes I watch the bola hit and hear a nerve shattering roar when the dragon plummets toward the forest across the island.
For a moment everything is quite as I try to process what just happened, and then everything around me goes up in flames. Literally. Many of the dragons start to make this pained howling sound and fly off into the night. Others down below begin stumbling around before growling and flying in the opposite direction.
"Don't let them escape!" shouts a voice from the distance and I excitedly turn around.
"Did anyone see that!" Expecting a human behind me, I freeze when coming face to with a Hachiman. Unlike the dragons that I usually see, cold and indifferent, this one looks enraged.
It stumbles forward, hovering a few feet off of the ground like its wings are moving without its permission. I stare in a mixture of fear and awe at it rock hard body with cracks like laving glowing beneath the scales.
And then it opens its mouth.
Reality snaps back to me and I roll out of the way of its blast just in time. It roars, messily lunging toward me while I scramble away. Of course, my foot just has to get caught on a rock and I stumble to the earth.
Panic begins to grow inside of me as I stare into the dragons reddish-brown eyes. I don't want to die. I really don't want to die. Not before I can be anything other than a deku. The dragon open its mouth again, razor sharp teeth glinting in the firelight, and I brace myself for an impact that never comes. I
Instead I hear a 'die you devil!' before looking up to see the town's chief swing a flaming sword in the dragon's direction. It reals back at blasts, tail swishing widely behind and wings beating more and more. Finally, it looks like its about to snap. Those angry eyes roll into the back of its head and the Hachiman flees into the night before chief can give the final blow.
"What just happened?" I whisper in astonishment under my breath.
A cold voice to my left replies, "That's what I'd like to know, Izuku. Why weren't you in the shop? Why are you never where you're supposed to be?"
I cringe in response and stare up at the chief. "Sorry… dad."
He just spits on the ground and starts walking away. Scrambling the my feet I run after him. "B-but listen dad. I-I mean chief. I shot down a Kagutsuchi! It crashed in the woods to the North. I-if we could just send a party out to look for it then-"
"IZUKU! I am sick of these… these fantasies of yours. You did not take down an Alpha. You could not take down ANYTHING! You are a disgrace of a son and I'm almost happy to know that you're mother never has to see what a terrible warrior you've turned into."
I pause in my tracks, tears building in my eyes without permission. Hisashi may hate me, but he has no right to say mom would too.
Once again, I struggle to catch up with my father. As we walk, he shouts order to round up the remaining sheep, get the fire out, lock up all the dragons for training battles, and for everyone to start rebuilding. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Toshi and give him a small wave before following my father up the hill to the chief hut.
We enter the home and Hishahi throws down his armour while I stand awkwardly to the side.
Staring at the floor, I mumble, "I really did shoot one down." This leads to my father growling and chucking his helmet against the wall.
"ENOUGH, Izuku! Why must you bring disaster everywhere you go!? Why do you insist on getting in the way!? Don't you understand that I have a village to feed? Winter's coming and those dragons are destroying the flocks!" The man walks forward and punches his fist against the wall. "When I was a boy my father, your grandfather, told me to hit my head against a rock, and I did it. It was crazy, but I did it. And you know what happened? That rock split it two."
"That experience showed my the true power of a warrior. He can crush mountains, level forests, tame seas. The only thing standing in out way are those dragons." My father looks up, eyes now burning with a fire that I really don't like. My fist trembles as I take a step back. "We finish them or they finish us, Izuku. They took my Inko, and I will avenge her. I will kill every last dragon, and I will not let a useless son like you hold me back."
Hisashi slowly stalks forward, backing me into a corner. Has this happened before? Yes. Does it make it any easier? I'll let you take a guess.
"Most of the clan is leaving tomorrow. We are going to find the nest. And we are going to destroy it. You need to learn to stop holding us back. You will never kill a dragon, Izuku. You're too weak." His anger then turns predatory and he smirks down at me. I shut my eyes tight as the light patting to my cheek turns into a slap the has me pitching left.
With that he sighs, mumbling about how I can't even take a hit, and walks off to prepare for the upcoming voyage.
After a few minutes of laying on the floor, I muster enough energy to move to my feet. There is no use in idling around. Stuck inside I can't prove myself to anyone, but out there with the dragons I can prove myself. By the time my father returns home, I'll have a Kagutsuchi head on a spike.
I brush my clothes off and grab a satchel. Knife at my side and sketchbook in hand, I exist the back door, hiking toward the woods.
Just you wait, dad. Just you wait.