Twice Inheritor
By: Bubbajack
Beta: Grammarly, Self-proofread
Disclaimer: I do not own MHA, FSN, DxD, or Rick and Morty. Nor anything else in this fic.
Ch. 12: Of Gods and Men.
A tunnel of blending and swirling light of all different colors combined with a vacuum-like pull. That is the only way Izuku could describe the sensation of being dragged through dimensions on Thor's chariot felt like. He honestly preferred travel by the Second Magic or Ricks Portal Gun if he were honest with himself. The group quickly approached a void of white light. Passing through it, the beheld a beautiful sight that took their breath away.
A velvet-blue star-strewn sky greeted them, with ribbons of aurora lights bending to and fro in the atmosphere. The air was chilly enough for them to see the fog of their breath. In front of them was group a mountain range, their peaks connected by bridges made of solidified rainbow light. The group soon came upon a vast longhouse, its roof consisting of golden shields placed atop each other, its exterior lit by sconces in the shape of dragons making it appear as if the beasts were breathing flames.
Pulling around behind the building, the group beheld another sight. Hundreds upon hundreds of chariots drawn by goats. All parked out in a field where they proceed to graze at a massive trough. Pulling up to an open space, he tethered his steeds and took up the ticket handing it to Izuku and saying, "Remember where we parked."
"Lot 137," Izuku muttered to himself.
He hopped down from the chart and offered a hand to all the ladies present. They all accepted sans Tsuyu who ignored him and silently made her way towards the building. Izuku frowned at this apparent snub. He supposed he could've been a bit more tactful in telling her about his 'extracurricular activities,' but he was so nervous it all came out in a rush. He'd hoped that by telling her, it would be like ripping off a Band-Aid, it would hurt at first, but the pain would soon pass. As he watched her walk away without once looking back, Izuku was beginning to fear that wasn't the case.
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Shiori smiling at him saying, "Give her time to process," She paused before waving her hand through the air, "All of this. Even I need a moment."
"I find thinking is best done with a drink in hand! Come, friends, Valhalla awaits! Thor boomed, in his ever boisterous fashion before bounding ahead and beating Tsuyu to the doors.
The rest moved at a more sedate pace marveling at the beauty of the world around them. A hand reached out and grabbed Izuku's own. Looking over, he found Sophie Cuckoo giving him a warm smile.
"So, cutie," Sophie began.
"Or perhaps," Esme continued.
"We should," Celeste carried on.
"Call you," Mindee picked up where her sister left off.
"Handsome now?" Phoebe finished while the others along with herself gave a suggestive eye wiggle, causing him to blush and them to giggle.
"But seriously though, how've you been?" Sophie asked after a moment.
"And what's the toad's deal? Illyana added not liking the way she snubbed his kind gesture.
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Izuku replied, "I've been ok."
Laura, who was walking on his opposite side quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Just ok? That house looked pretty nice, and if I recall correctly, you told us you lived in an apartment with your mom."
Rubbing the back of his head, Izuku tried again, "Yeah that's my Aunt Tatsumaki's place. We moved in with her after we got back. I've been living there for almost five years now."
"That's great little dude! We're all like super stoked for you." Kitty said, speaking up for the group, before adding, "But what is up with your friend? Like, what's her deal?"
Sighing, Izuku explained, "Back home, she's my best friend. Right before you showed up, I kinda dropped a bomb on her."
"What kinda bomb?" Illyana inquired.
Refusing to look any of them in the eye, Izuku replied with, "I kinda admitted to being a vigilante hero. Several vigilante heroes, actually."
A moment of tense silence followed and finally Laura filled it by asking, "And?"
"I might've killed some people due to a severe case of PTSD caused by a prior adventure caused by hunting Aliens." He muttered feeling ashamed of his prior behavior.
Kitty asked for clarification, "Aliens?"
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, like the ones from the movies? The very same ones from the movies? Those."
Both Laura and Sophie gripped his hands, stopped him dead.
"Xenomorphs, you fought actual honest to goodness Xenomorphs?" Laura asked, her eyebrow raised.
Sighing Izuku replied, "Yes and it was one of the worst times of my life. Killed over a hundred of the damn things, along with a Praetorian and a Queen-Mother."
Looking to Laura Kitty asked, "Laura is he like?"
The Second Best At What She Does shakes her head, "No, he's not lying. Not like this should be too surprising anyway. I mean, dimensional invasions happen like, once a month back home."
"True," Illyana conceded, "But its different hearing a movie monster is actually well, real."
To which Phoebe Cuckoo retorted with, "Says the Queen of Limbo."
"Point." Illyana replied, before asking her fellow mage, "So you went on a little killing spree after a traumatic event. Sounds pretty normal honestly."
"Normal?!" He looked around to see all the girls nodding, even Shiori. Izuku had to take a moment to remind himself that most of them were from a different universe and their idea of 'normal' might be a bit off. Not that he had much room to talk, he knew.
"I still didn't get to tell her everything though." He said, dragging his feet as he moped a little.
You mean-"Esme began,
"There's more-"Phoebe continued.
"Than you," Celeste picked up.
"Being a vigilante?" Mindee finished the question.
"On top of a multiversal traveler?" Sophie finished.
Izuku replied, "Yes," Turning to Soujūrou and Shiori he asked, "Can you two keep a secret? Even when drunk?"
The two friends looked at each other and nodded before Soujūrou said, "Say what you need to say. Our lips are sealed."
"Fine then. Shortly after coming home from meeting you guys. I founded a company named Vajra Industries."
"EHH?! Your Mr.-" Shiori's mouth was covered by Soujūrou, who himself was looking at him surprised.
"Shiori-san!"
"Swrry." She shoved the swordsman's hand away saying again, "Sorry, but of all the things I expected you to say, that wasn't it."
Turning to the now white-haired boy, Illyana asked, "I'm assuming that's a big deal?"
Nodding meekly Izuku replied, "I guess we do alright. I managed to reproduce the formula for Adamantium, on top of that, took the tech I got from Starks armor and other places I went and reverse engineered them under my company's brand."
Laura caught something Izuku was hoping to gloss over, "Other places?"
Instead of saying anything, he merely materialized a lightsaber hilt in one hand and let it do the talking for him.
"No way. No frigging way. You went to the Star Wars universe? Did you fight Jedi? Sith? What era was it when you got there, and who did you meet? How many lightsabers do you-hmmm!"
Once again, Soujūrou had his hand placed over Shiori's mouth and this time, he had it clamped tight. "Sorry about that," He apologized, "But I can only take so much of her fangirling over laser swords. Those movies went to hell in a handbasket after Lucas sold the company to Disney anyway."
Jerking his hand away, Shiori retorted, "Just because the new movies had a strong female lead doesn't make them bad!"
To which Soujūrou calmly retorted, "No, but making every male in those movies seem like an incompetent mook if there isn't a woman present to tell him what to do, does."
The martial artist muttered something that sounded like 'mansplainer' under her breath but said nothing more on the topic. Instead, as the approached the solid oak doors, Izuku implored, "I trust this stays between us?"
"We won't say a thing…but do you think you can give me like, a small loan?" Kitty asked, as innocent as a child caught with their hand inside the cookie jar.
"How small?" Izuku wondered aloud giving her a sideways glance.
Giving him a coy smile the Intangible mutant requested, "One Million Dollars?"
"I-I-uh, how soon would you need it? I could get it, but it would take me like three days to get in contact with my bank and get the money transferred and…what?" He asked upon seeing the look Kitty and the others were giving him.
The brunette couldn't help but ask, "You'd seriously just give me a million bucks without asking what I was gonna use it for?"
Izuku shrugged, "Your Kitty, you're a good person. Regardless of what you'd do with it, I know it wouldn't get anyone hurt. Same goes for the rest of you. Besides what's the point of being rich if you can't spend money stupidly and frivolously at times?"
Frowning Shiori said just before they reached the waiting Thor and Tsuyu, "You shouldn't be so trusting, Izuku."
The Frog Form Heroine and the God of Thunder waited as the others slowly made their approach. Thor broke the ice in his usual blunt fashion, "Why so glum friend?"
Sighing Tsuyu asked, "Have you ever thought you knew someone, only to find out later how wrong you were?"
Thor thought back to his brother Loki, then the time he spent as the human Siegfried forced to fall in love with Brynhildr due to his own Father's machinations, lastly his on again off again love for Lady Sif… "Aye, I believe I do."
"It's like that with Midoriya and me right now, Gero. I-I was planning on confessing to him today, but then I find out he's been a vigilante, something I strongly disagree with, on top of…" Tsuyu waved a hand at the group of girls trailing behind him, "All that."
Thor nodded, he had some experience in that particular arena the young lass now found herself in. Patting her shoulder gently with one massive hand, lest he breaks her, Thor replied, "Worry not lass, the boy, he's a good one. He'll notice your heart, even as he captures and captivates others."
Turning and looking up at the Thunderer, Tsuyu said, "You make it sound as if he's fated to have a harem or something, Gero!"
"Aye that he is. You see, upon making him my blood brother, I visited the Norns, the weavers, and seers of fate. I asked for his destiny." Thor grimaced, saying, "I now wish I hadn't."
This caught the Frog Form girl's attention, "Why what did you see?"
"His is a path paved with good intentions and cemented in blood. Without someone with a strong moral compass, he could become a heartless killer." Thor gave the girl beside him a pointed look as he said that.
Tsuyu huffed. She didn't even know how she felt about her childhood friend at the moment and here she was more or less being told she had to be his moral compass lest he meets a 'bad end?' Life just isn't fair sometimes.
"Isn't he already a heartless killer?" she muttered to herself.
Thor heard her, however, and replied, "Nay, he only killed criminals during his brief stint with the Warriors Madness."
Seeing he seemed to know something about this Tsuyu questioned, "Warriors' Madness?"
Thor nodded briskly, his tone grave, "The highest crime of Asgard leading to either exile or death. To slip into a berserker rage, and kill all who stand between ye, and your goal. For reasons unknown even to the All-Father, Izuku never harmed a civilian during his six-month rampage. Such action is highly irregular."
"Why wasn't Izuku," Tsuyu paused trying to form the word.
She tried again, "Why wasn't he?" For the second time, she failed to say that one word, but it wouldn't come. Regardless of how angry she might've been with him, she didn't want that to happen to him.
"Killed?" Thor supplied, causing the frog girl to swallow hard and nod.
"For two reasons," Thor began, "One, he is not a true Asgardian and thus, is not beholden to our laws. Secondly, he didn't harm the innocent something unprecedented to one lost to the Warriors Madness. So the All-Father, my Father Odin, decided to wait, and watch."
Tsuyu frowned at that, "He chose to wait and watch as people died? That sounds wrong."
"By your standards perhaps, but he was old before even the first human civilization. He has seen so many of your kind live and die that, over the eons, he's become desensitized to it."
Tsuyu couldn't even imagine becoming utterly unfazed by death, but then again, she hadn't been alive as long as Thor, nor as long as he claimed Odin around. She wanted to ask more questions, for she had many, but the others were in earshot by now, so she held her tongue.
As the rest of their group approached, Thor spoke his tone serious for once, "I feel I must warn you now friends. The Odin who hosts this millennia's Odinsmoot is known as Odin the Lecherous, and for a good reason. He will take any opportunity he can to flip skirts, cop feels, and make a general enemy of the fairer sex of himself any chance he gets."
The girls glowered at that and Izuku, and Soujūrou instinctively moved in front of them to protect them from any would-be perverts. Draping her hands around his neck, Illyana cooed, "Awe, is Izuku going to protect us from the big bad pervert god?"
"If I-I f-feel the n-need to yes." He affirmed while doing his best to fight down a blush, all the while cursing his stutter.
"Our hero," Illyana whispered seductively into his ear before giving him a peck on the cheek, turning him crimson.
"Can we just go inside already?" Tsuyu groused, sick of watching this play out in front of her.
Nodding Thor gripped the iron ring door handles and pulled the doors open wide saying, "Welcome friends, to Odinsmoot!"
The first thing that hit them was the smell of cooking meat. The source was quickly found a mammoth sized boar was cooking over a spit, with giant chunks of its flesh boiling away in a cauldron nearby, which was being tended to by a portly looking rosy-cheeked chef. Their collective gazes were quickly taken in by the sheer number of people present. Hundreds if not thousands of people were milling about. Some were sitting at long log table sipping from gold and jewel-encrusted drinking horns, while others were wrestling in rings of sand, and some were up on stage singing drunken ballads of battles long past.
Izuku walked in, mesmerized by everything in sight. He took the liberty of learning all he could about Norse Mythology in the three years he spent at home. The giant bore cooking over the spit he knew was called Sæhrímnir. He was killed by the chef of the gods, Andhrímnir, each day to provide food for the Einherjar and the Gods themselves, only to be revived the next day to face slaughter once again. The cooking pot the god was currently stirring was the Eldhrímnir, the pot it was cooked in every night. As he made his way forward, he was stopped by a woman that was no less than stunning.
She stood at 5'8/173cm and had long mercury colored hair that flowed down to her knees, silvery-blue eyes, and a figure supermodels in television ads would kill for. She was wearing form-fitting silver and blue armor that both covered and showed off her figure and bust, it had with golden accents as well as a steel and gold trimmed battle dress and matching boots. She wore a winged tiara in her hair.
"So pretty," Izuku muttered to himself.
"E-Excuse me?" The woman asked blushing slightly.
Doing his best to force down an embarrassed blush, Izuku lied, "Eh, I asked if I could help you somehow miss?"
Giving the young boy a warm smile, the ephemeral beauty introduced herself, "I'm Rossweisse, what's your name?"
"Midoriya Izuku. N-Nice to meet you." He gave a polite bow.
Rossweisse gave a little giggle. She found his stutter cute and endearing, "Nice to meet you, Midoriya-san. Are you here as someone's guest?"
Nodding he pointed to his Thor who was already two horns into his mead. "He's my blood brother. Sort of."
This caused the Valkyrie to widen her eyes and ask in a tone akin to awe, "A Thor made you his Shield Brother?!"
Taken aback by her tone, Izuku squeaked out, "Y-Yes? I-Is that a big deal or something?"
Glaring at Thor with such intensity he stopped drinking and looked her way, the Valkyrie took Izuku by the hand and pulling him over to the blonde hammer chucker she said, "You made him your Shield Brother and didn't tell him what that entails?"
Rubbing the back of his head ruefully Thor replied, "I was going to get around to it. What business is it of yours anyway woman?"
"Thor-nii, don't be rude!" Izuku chastised, before adding, "What is Rossweisse-san talking about?"
"Apologies. I'm two drinks in. As for what this Rossweisse speaks of my young friend, while not enough to make you a demigod or anything else of the sort, becoming my Shield Brother has likely drastically extended your mortal lifespan."
Izuku's eyes widened upon hearing that, "By how much?"
Thor rubbed his chin, "You mortals live at best a century yes? Double that."
Izuku paled at the thought of outliving everyone he knew and loved. Hell, he could outlast any children he had and possibly his grandchildren! His knees suddenly felt wobbly, "I-I think I need to s-sit down."
Rossweisse gently set him down on the bench next to Thor, "Easy now, just breathe." she said.
"Oi, why's the boy look so shaky? You ask him out Virgin Valkyrie?"
Rossweisse's face looked pained moments before she stood and stiffly stated, "No sir."
The man in question was elderly, tall, and thin, with a long snow-white beard that made him give off the air of a wizard. He had gold-trimmed monocle over his left eye and was wearing a long white robe that was trimmed in blue and gold at the cuffs and with a matching half-cape around his shoulders. He walked with a wooden cane, but Izuku knew precisely who he was on sight.
"Well hello, there young man! I-"He paused for dramatic effect, "Am Odin!"
"Aren't half the people in this building also Odin?" Izuku replied, wanting to deflate the perverse god's ego a little.
Odin twitched as if he'd been stabbed by an invisible spear, "Well yes that's true, but I am your host for this Odinsmoot."
Izuku nodded, "I see, thanks for having me, old-timer."
"O-Old?"
"Uh-huh. What else would you call someone who needs to walk with a cane and is a god of a religion no one really cares about anymore? Old, washed up, irrelevant."
With each word Izuku spoke, Odin twitched and spasmed until finally, he collapsed on the ground in a heap muttering, "Not washed up, or irrelevant, I'm awesome dammit!"
An older looking woman in a blue gown with blonde hair and blue eyes came forward and gave Odin a sharp kick, "Oh, get up off the floor, ill you? You're making a scene. We all know damn well our heyday came and went a few hundred years back, there's no point in balling about it now."
"B-But Göndul, h-he called old!"
The now named Göndul threw up her hands and said, "You are old! You look like a damn wizard from a mortal novel for goodness sake."
Hauling him up off the floor Göndul said, "C'mon you big baby, let's leave my Granddaughter alone with her friends so she can actually have fun at this event."
Göndul looked at Rossweisse and said, "Have fun Rose," She then looked at Izuku and back to her adding, "Nice catch."
"G-Granny!" Rossweisse stuttered out, blushing like mad as she and her boss toddled off.
Before anyone could say anything else, a robust voice said, "That was most impressive."
A group of seven approached. The first Izuku easily recognized Odin, Thor's father with his golden triangular eyepatch, armor and broad stature. Striding next to him was a woman with her hair in golden ringlets, a necklace of many precious gems adorning her throat, silken blue gown and cloak that looked as if it were made of goose feathers.
The woman trailing behind them had a mane wavy black hair held back by a winged tiara, porcelain skin which accented her bright grey eyes. She was adorned in full silver battle garb, sword on her hip and shield on her back.
Behind this stunning beauty were three men. One was short and had a full blood red beard and matching mane of hair, the next was thin, had messy blonde hair and a curling mustache, while the last had his dark hair tied back and a full beard.
Giving a polite node he said, "Odin, Ladies Freyja and Sif, and the Warriors Three, Volstagg the Valiant, Fandral the Dashing, and Hogun the Grim."
Sif gave him a slap on the back in greeting as did the Warrior Three, "Well met lad. Midoriya Izuku was it?"
"Y-Yes ma'am."
"Yes ma'am he says." The Blonde Fandral joked only to pale and fall silent when Sif shot him a glare, and said, "Nothing wrong with a few courtesies. Yggdrasil knows, you three fools could learn a thing or two from him eh?"
Sif slapped the smirking Thor upside the head, "Make that four fools."
Freyja praised, "My he's ofly well-mannered. Perhaps you should spend more time with him son, you might learn a thing or two."
"Aye, mam," Thor said while sending his Shield Brother a glare.
Odin chuckled at his son's predicament, only to wilt under his wife's glare as she said, "And you too husband."
"Aye dear," Odin grumbled not wanting to upset his wife.
Freyja then addressed Izuku directly, "So dear care to tell us about yourself? Thor has done nothing but recount your battle over and over for weeks on end, yet has spoken nothing of you as a person. So I find myself curious."
"I-uh what would you like to know Ma'am uh, Miss Freyja-uh…" Izuku was becoming a stuttering mess, as he often did around the fairer sex.
"Izuku," Rossweisse gently gripped his shoulder, "Relax. Breathe."
While Freyja found it cute, unless her eyes and station as a Goddess of Love was deceiving her, she believed there was 'chemistry' between the Valkyrie and her son's Shield Brother, "Just call me Freyja dear no need to be so formal."
"Aye, and call me Sif." The Raven haired goddess spoke up pointing a thumb at Thor, "Anyone who can give him a walloping is good in my book."
Feeling more at ease now, Izuku began to open up, speaking of his home life and dimension. He never noticed when more people joined the table and quietly sat down. As he was in the midst of retelling his flight from the alien ship explosion.
"Then I finally managed to pull myself out of that damn hole."
"Damn kid, you're nuts, and that's coming from [Burp] me."
"I don't wanna hear that from you, Rick." Izuku did a double take, "Rick, Morty, what are you two doing here?"
Izuku noticed the others had joined the table as well, but he was mostly concerned with Rick and Morty at the moment.
Rick scoffed, "Pff, are you kidding me? Free booze and hot women whose inhabitations have likely been lowered by said booze? It would take an army to keep me away. Even Morty here is hoping to get in on the action, right kiddo?"
"Oh Jeez Rick I-if I were you, I wouldn't say such things to a table full of women most of whom can probably bend you in half, know what I mean?" Morty replied nervously as every woman present gave the drunken scientist a dirty look.
Said scientist scoffed, "They can all blow me. Please form a line, no pushing, and no biting down." Rick replied uncaringly as he took a sip of mead.
*Thwack* Rick was sent flying out of his seat by Tsuyu's literal tongue lashing. "Pervert old man."
Wiping some saliva off his face, Rick asked, "Did she just bitch slap me with her tongue?" Turning to Izuku, he said, "Kid, please tell me she's your girl, I mean just imagine what she can do with that thing."
"RICK!" Izuku had stood up and was glaring bloody murder at the scientist, a trio of blades floating in the air behind him as he said, "NOT. ANOTHER. WORD!"
Cracking his neck, Rick stood up and said, "You know, I was afraid spending all that time at home, those women might've neutered you. I mean you take the fangs out of a snake and whatdaya got you [Burp] you gotta a belt. Nice to see you still got your bark and your bite kid."
Pulling a small box out from his coat he tossed it to the young boy saying, "For a minute there, I was afraid you'd been drowned in estrogen, Happy Birthday."
Deciding not to question how Rick knew it was his birthday, Izuku instead chose to open his impromptu gift. Inside the small box, he found a red iPhone the same color as his cloak. Giving Rick a look he asked, "What's it do?"
Rick replied flatly, "It makes and receives phone calls, it's a cellphone, duh."
"Oh," Izuku was surprised to receive something so…normal from Rick. "That's kind of you Rick, thank you."
"Oh did I forget to mention it receives coverage across the entire Omniverse!"
This caused Izuku to raise his eyebrows and ask, "That's impressive. What about the bill, how should I pay it?"
Rick shook his head, waving his hand and replying, "Don't worry about it, I got it covered."
Izuku gave the mad scientist a flat look and replied, "You're making Jerry unknowingly foot the bill aren't you?"
Rick whistled innocently causing Izuku to sigh, he would need to get this fixed as soon as possible.
"Can I see that phone for a minute?" A curious voice asked.
Izuku turned to see a girl with long dark hair and blue marks on both of her cheeks and forehead that wasn't entirely filled in. She was wearing a white robe with red accents.
Coming up behind her were two older women, one dusky skinned and silver-haired with purple eyes she was wearing a severely low-cut blue dress that displayed her womanly assets, matching colored opera gloves, and bangles on her wrists. She too had blue marks on her face and forehead in the shape of triangles.
The last was a pale-skinned brunette with light green eyes who was wearing a layered white toga with a blue and gold embroidered sash. She had a trio of bangles on her wrists, and sandals on her feet. Like the other two before her possessed blue markings. Hers was in the shape of fine lines. She gently chastised the young girl, "It's impolite to ask a favor without introducing yourself first."
"Right," The youngest of the Trio spoke, before bowing to Izuku and saying, "I'm Skuld, Norn of the Future. Could I see your phone, please? I'm curious to see how it works."
Izuku smiled at her curiosity and passed it to her saying, "Sure, but don't break it, please. I just got it."
"Sure, sure," Skuld replied as she proceeded to analyze the device with her magic. "Hmm not bad. You're using the microverse battery to boost the reception range beyond natural borders…pretty good…for an amateur."
Rick who was in the process of downing a horn of mead abruptly spat it out and glared at the girl saying, "Eh, what'd you say you little half-pint piece of shit?"
"You heard me, I mean you did ok, but I could totally top this."
"Listen I'm sure lighting up a light bulb with a potato is very impressive, but this is delicate hardware. So why don't you hand it back to the kid."
Skuld rolled her eyes, "Pff, you could've increased the range even more if you'd utilized a universal expansion feedback loop. Like I said, amateurish."
"Amateurish huh? Well then genius, smart your way outta this." Quick-drawing his portal gun, Rick shot it at the girl's feet. From the green portal came a mass of purple spiked tentacles.
"Ew, ew, gross! There all slimy and-get your tentacle out of there!" Skuld screeched as one tendril made its way under her robe.
The chirping of a cricket echoed throughout the hall seconds before the tentacles were blasted apart. Morty caught Skuld before she could fall into the portal and fired a few extra shots from his noisy cricket down into void between worlds for good measure before the gap closed. Looking to the girl he had in his arms Morty asked quickly, "You ok?"
"I'm fine thanks…you can put me down now," Skuld replied with a light blush.
"R-Right, sorry." Rubbing the back of his head after placing her on the ground Morty said, "Sorry about my Grandpa, he's…he's kinda an ass if I'm honest."
The Norn of the future looked to the mortal in question who was now drunkenly dancing on top of one of the nearby tables, to the amusement of all watching, which included her eldest sister Urd. "You have my sympathies."
"Thanks… That your sister?" Morty asks seeing the dark skinned goddess join his drunken elder in dancing on the table.
Covering her face in shame, Skuld replied, "Unfortunately, yes."
"I'm Morty by the way, Morty Smith." He replied offering his hand.
"Skuld." She replied giving it a shake before noting his weapon of choice, "Cool gun."
Morty gave an awkward smile, "Thanks, my grandpa either made it or stole it, one of the two. So you're good at science and stuff too huh?"
Skuld beamed at the boy; she found his awkwardness, endearing. For despite his clearly shy nature, he had a hero's heart and was willing to help her in her time of need. "Yep, I can build anything I set my mind to."
"That's cool. I wish I were smart and stuff like you and Rick, it sure would make my life a lot easier." Morty gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"While not everyone can be a genius, I'm sure you're smart in your own way. C'mon lets get something to eat and go talk."
Morty had a nervous smile on his face as the Norn led him away by the hand towards food and drink. Izuku who sat back and watched the entire scene couldn't help but be happy for his friend. 'Would that my love life could be so easily sorted.'
"Is everything alright?" Izuku turned to the last of the three women, the one whose name he had yet to learn. She was sitting next to him smiling gently as the others were busying themselves with food and drink of the gods.
"I-I'm fine," Izuku replied after a moment's deliberation. "Just happy Morty found someone to spend his time with is all."
"Oh yes, he and Skuld seem to have become fast friends. I'm both surprised and happy for her. She doesn't usually take to people so quickly."
"Saving a girls life will do that," Izuku noted.
Tsuyu looked up from her meal and said, "You would know wouldn't you Midoriya?"
Izuku opened his mouth to retort only to close it and fall silent.
"Are you sure everything is alright?" The Norn asked again.
"It's…complicated, miss," Izuku said as he slammed back a horn of mead, but not before Reinforcing his liver. He had no intentions of getting drunk.
Looking around the table, he could see Illyana with her cheeks now rosy. The Stepford Cuckoo's were collectively swaying from side to side in sync even while drunk. Souichirou was displaying his swordsmanship skills nearby in one of the pits, and a sandy blonde haired Valkyrie was cheering him on quite enthusiastically.
'Where did Mithra get off to?' he wondered.
He looked around for her but couldn't find her. What he did see, made his eyes bulge nearly out of their sockets. Shiori had removed the topmost layer of her clothing which apparently included breast bindings as she was…quite well endowed. Shiori and Laura were in the middle of a drinking challenge when the martial artist caught him staring. The two were stabbing a knife between their splayed fingers, if one of them cut themselves, they took a drink making it harder next time.
Seeing Izuku gawking she winked at him and asked, "See something you like?"
Swallowing his nerves with a bit of mead he replied with, "Yeah I do but Mithra's disappeared, so I'll have to take a raincheck."
Izuku hurriedly made his way across the room, looking for the wayward girl.
Elsewhere in the mead-hall, a group of women was having a discussion.
"Out with it girl, what's wrong?" Sif asked, not one to beat around the bush.
Freyja gently chastised, "Sif, patience. I believe what Lady Sif is trying to ask is why you are so glum? It is as if a cloud hangs over you.
Mithra was spirited away from the table once the others were distracted and brought her to a table in a far corner in which a lone warrior woman with flaxen, golden hair sat. They introduced her as Brynhildr, and once she was settled Sif all but pounce on her wanting to know why she was so downtrodden. What was she supposed to say? Sorry for ruining the atmosphere, but my family was killed right before my eyes a couple of hours ago?
Mithra shook her head, not thinking it would go over well. "What's wrong child?"
Taking a deep calming breath, Mithra told them everything in a cold, detached tone. "Then, he sent me to Izuku." she finished. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "I don't know what to do now. Father is gone, Mother is gone. I'm not a warrior, not like any of you! But I can't I won't forgive them for what they've done!"
"It'll be ok Mithra." A strong voice said as a hand landed on her shoulder. The young girl turned to see Izuku staring at her, determined.
"I-Izuku what are you doing here?" She hiccupped.
"Looking for you, I was afraid you got lost or something. I was worried about you. Like I said though, it'll be ok. I promise."
As if reading his mind, she implored, "I-I don't want you putting yourself in danger for my sake! Please don't do it."
Shaking his head, he replied, "I have no intention of doing any such thing right now or in the foreseeable future. As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm not ready, and I can't help you yet. But I will someday." He looked her in the eyes then, his own filled with fierce determination as he finished, "And that's a promise I intend to keep."
Mithra looked down so Izuku wouldn't see how red her face was at his words. She smiled as she recalled her past, "You know, I always wanted to contribute more to the war effort against the Gohma. Not just as the Priestess, but as a warrior. Like my Father. When I was seven, I asked him to teach me how to fight. He put me in a corner and told me the battlefield was no place for me. A few years later, at ten, I asked for a sword for my birthday from my Mother. She made me go pray. Just a year ago, I asked to join the Shinsoku military academy, but they both quickly changed the topic…I guess what I'm trying to say is, though they've always wanted me to have a peaceful life, it's time I accepted the fact that I am my Father's daughter. I'm tired of crying, hiding, and waiting for people to save me. I'm tired of people getting hurt trying to help me…Izuku?" Fire entered her eyes as she looked at him.
"Yes?" he asked wondering what she could want.
Mithra continued with fervor, "Will you, will you help me become strong like you? I know I'm asking a lot, and we just met, but I need help. Someone to show me, what it means to be strong."
"How do you know I'm strong? You haven't seen me do anything yet." Izuku noted.
"You have to be because he said you were," Mithra said more to herself than him.
Zarathustra. It all came back to that enigmatic man if he even was a man. Izuku still couldn't figure out what such an ominous figure would want with him or why. But he had more pressing concerns at the moment. His gaze turned until it found Tsuyu. He really needed to find some way to tell her, to convey to her that, despite everything, he didn't tell her he does care.
"The troubles of your heart cloud your thoughts do they not?" Freyja commented following his gaze.
"You could say that. How do I convince my best friend that I really do care about her?" He asked himself aloud and not the table full of women.
"Serenade her," Freyja responded, with Sif and even Mithra nodding along.
"Serenade? You mean sing her a song?"
The Goddess of love and fertility nodded, "Aye, works every time."
Izuku looked to the stage with all the singers, "I-I don't know if I'm brave enough for that."
Shoving a drinking horn into his hands, Sif replied, "That's what mead is for lad. Liquid courage of the Gods it is. Here, drink up!"
He looked at the contents of the horn thinking, 'What have I got to lose?'
"Screw it!" He downed the entire horn before making his way towards the stage.
As Izuku was preparing to do something stupid, back home, Bakugo was walking down the street, his clenched fists in his pockets, and his rage mounting with every step he took. Why? Deku. It always came back to him these days. No matter what he did, it felt like he couldn't catch up to him. He'd been taking extra classes at the gym, as annoying as sensei was, always talking about 'the power of tank tops.' Yet no matter what he did, the boy he formerly mocked for being Quirkless seemed to keep growing in power.
'He knows a kami for goodness sake!' Bakugo didn't know how he pulled off meeting and befriending a foreign kami, but damn if he didn't do it. The boy punched a nearby wall in rage, scorching it with his Quirk as he cursed, "Damn it!"
"Fufufu, why so angry, hmm?" A far too sweet feminine voice asked.
"Kid's probably pissed cause he feels weak compared to his friend. Unable to catch up." This voice was male and mocking in tone.
Spinning on his heel, Bakugo glared at the two behind him trying to get them to burst into flames with his gaze alone. The woman of the duo had vibrant blood red hair with a pale complexion and light red eyes much like his own. She wore three bead necklaces around her neck, one of which had a magatama at the center. She was wearing a sleeveless white and red trimmed kimono, and red hakama pants. Her feet were bare, but her toes were painted black, same with her pointed fingernails. She had a red tribal tattoo on her right arm
The man next to her gave off the air of a high school delinquent. He was grinning like a maniac and was wearing an off-yellow kimono, letting him hang off one shoulder, his wild straw-colored hair was forced out of his face by the cloth that kept the oni mask he had clinging to the side of his head. He too had crimson eyes and nails sharp like claws. He had red tribal tattoos on his cheeks like an old manga character. Kiba or something.
"The fuck you two just say?" Bakugo rudely asked when they both just kept staring at him.
The man spoke, "He's a yappy little mutt eh? Too bad he's all bark and no bite."
Miniature explosions went off in Bakugo's hands as he seethed, "What'd you just say asshole?! Choke on this!"
Bakugo threw a fist at the man, which resulted in a directional explosion. When the smoke cleared, the man stood there, unscathed, grinning even wider than before. Bakugo's eyes widened in shock before he suddenly bent over in pain, and spittle flying from his mouth as his body turned over the man's fist.
'I didn't-I didn't even see him move!' the hotheaded boy thought to himself as he hung there limply on the man's clenched knuckles.
"Oi, you sure this is the kid he wanted us to help out? He seems kinda weak."
Getting a firm grip on the man's Kimono, Bakugo hauled himself towards the man's face and said, "Don't call me weak! I am going to be the greatest! The best! The Next Number One Hero!"
The man just smirked at his proclamation, "Hero eh? Well, you've got guts I'll give you that mutt."
"My, my, perhaps we should introduce ourselves before you two kill each other?" The woman asked with sadistic glee in her tone.
Casually flipping Bakugo in the air and grabbing him by the scruff of his neck with the same had he used to punch him with the man asked, "Eh, didn't we already to that?"
The woman shook her head, "No, you both went right for the name-calling and the hitting."
Turning Bakugo to face him the older man said, "Oi, listen up! I'm Tenma Sukuna, and that's my sadistic older sister Tenma Numahime. Our boss has been scouting you for a while and decided it's time to offer you training so that you aren't a pathetic weak little shitstain the moment you enter UA."
"Pass." Bakugo spat out.
"Oh? Baku-kun thinks he can get as strong as Izu-kun without help does he?" Numahime mocked.
Glaring at her Bakugo seethed "What the hell do you know about Deku, you bimbo."
A swift smack landed on the back of Bakugo's head, and Sukuna snapped, "Oi, watch your damn language ya brat! You kiss your mother with that mouth?"
"Pff, why would I ever kiss that old hag?" Bakugo's response earned him another slap, and for Sukuna to remark under his breath, "We've got a lot of work to do."
"So let's get to it." Numahime cheered yet the look on her face was anything but kind.
Upon seeing that look, Bakugo had a flashback to that redheaded witch from years ago. 'Oh, shit.'
It was then that he noticed it. The woman, Numahime, her shadow was stretching and elongating, growing larger. It was no longer a two-dimensional absence of light, but a three-dimensional wave of pure darkness. It swept over him and swallowed him whole. He didn't know how long he spent in that place forced to use his Quirk to avoid all manner of lethal torture devices, and tentacles made of pure darkness. Finally, he was caught in a web of shadows, and Numahime appeared out of the dark, smiling like the demoness she was.
"You have potential. But you can still go further." She stepped into his personal space and spoke into his ear, "You just need…a little push."
She pressed her lips to his then. Bakugo couldn't resist and didn't know if he would've even if he could've. He felt something hot burning in his chest, welling up like a fire that was swelling up into an uncontrollable inferno. As Numahime pulled away, she said, "I awaken your Origin of Fiend, and grant you the Rune of Sowilo. May you burn as bright as the sun and reduce your foes to ashes, my little Baku-kun. Fufufufu."
Izuku politely waited for the brunette haired woman on stage to finish her war hymn. Once she was done, she bowed and walked off stage saying, "It's all yours sweetie, go get the girl eh?"
"H-How did you-"
The woman just laughed replying, "I can think of only two reasons a man would approach the stage looking so nervous. You haven't hit on me yet, so it must be the other reason. Good luck."
"T-Thank you, ma'am."
"Peorth." She replied, "My name is Peorth."
"Right, thank you Peorth-san."
She ruffled his hair as she walked past. Izuku nervously took the stage and made his way towards the band. He greeted them nervously saying, "Hi."
One of them, who looked like half woman half seal, a Selkie if he recalled correctly sighed asking, "Ok, how drunk are you and how bad is this love ballad going to be?"
Izuku blinked before defending himself, "I'm not that drunk ma'am…I did have to down a horn of mead to get the courage to come up here though."
The band looked at him oddly before the woman's demeanor did a one-eighty. "Well, how 'bout that? A little bit of respect for a change. Usually, we only get half-drunken louts up here." Leaning on her Bass Guitar for support she asked, almost eagerly, "Ok kiddo, what'll it be?"
Smiling Izuku replied, "Ok, here's the plan…uh…"
The Selkie introduced herself, "Gulla. That's Inga, Hlíf, and Signý." She pointed to a fairy on a violin, a dark-skinned dwarf on a set of drums, and lastly to a fair-skinned elf with blonde hair on a keyboard.
Izuku was surprised to see a Dökkálfr and Ljósálfr or Dark and Light elf working together. From all he'd read, their kind was usually at each other's throats. Putting that aside, he said, "Right Gulla-san, here's the plan...do you happen to know contemporary Midgard music?"
The Selkie gained a mischievous smile, "Kid, I like you already. What did you have in mind?"
He huddled together with the band for a moment. When they parted, they had a plan.
Izuku nervously approached the mic. He had a small announcement to make before he began his song. Steeling his nerves, he spoke, "I'm going to sing a song a little out of the ordinary for you all. Instead of a battle hymn, I'm going to be singing a l-love song."
Grumbles and even boos came from the crowd upon hearing this, but Izuku in a rare display of his anger silenced them by shouting into the mic, "SHUT UP! This isn't about any of you or what you want!"
The mead hall fell silent, and Izuku continued, "This is about a girl and me. You all just get to spectate and listen."
Seeing he had cowed them into submission, Izuku continued, "Now this song is dedicated to Tsuyu Asui."
He saw the Frog Girls' head shoot up once her name was mentioned and continued, "I-I hope this makes everything clear."
He then traced an acoustic guitar nodded to the band behind him, and they started to play. He proceeded to sing "Like the Rain" by Clint Black. The fairy's violin strumming combined with the Selkies to simulate rainfall while the Dökkálfr and Ljósálfr combined their instruments to create a thunderous background noise to accompany the two.
As he looked out at the many gods and goddesses in attendance, his eyes immediately locked on to dozens of copies of Mjölnir and Gungnir amidst the crowd. Most shared the same abilities, but others had a few unique tricks. One Mjölnir he spotted even had an artificial intelligence built into it and was connected to its mostly cybernetic master.
As he and the band finished their piece, Izuku looked around for his childhood friend. He couldn't find her, not even after reinforcing his eyes.
'Did that just blow up in my face?' he wondered. Nerves and embarrassment overcoming him, he gave the room at large a bow, before walking woodenly off the stage, no longer wanting to be the center of attention.
Tsuyu was waiting just behind the curtain for him, her eyes covered by her bangs as she stared at the golden wood that made up the stage. The two just stood there awkwardly, until finally, Tsuyu asked, "Did you really mean it?"
"I yeah, I did. I really like you A-Tsu. I do. My life especially my love life seems dead set on being hectic though. So I can understand if you don't want to be apart of-"
Izuku was silenced by Tsuyu pressing her lips to his. It wasn't a frog kiss like she usually gave him, but an actual kiss. He froze in surprise for just a moment, before he gently wrapped his arms around her not wanting to startle her and ruin the moment. Finally, she pulled away and looked into his eyes, her face cherry red, as she said, "Idiot. You think I'm going to let you get away just because things are going to be difficult? If all Heroes did that, we wouldn't have very many now would we, Gero?"
"No I guess not, but Tsu, are you sure-"
She pecked him on the lips again, mostly to shut him up. "It's obvious to me now looking back on it. You are an idiot."
"Hey!"
"A well-meaning idiot who does what he does to see as many people around him happy as possible." She paused and gave him a hard look, "But Izuku, what do you want? I mean what do you really want?"
"I…" Izuku paused to give her question some serious thought. His mind kept going back to the very first video of All Might. "All I've ever really wanted Tsu is to be a Hero. I wanted to be a Hero, so I could protect people's smiles. If that means I need to kill to protect those smiles I'll do so without regrets."
Tsuyu sighed, in all honesty, she expected an answer like that. She'd been mulling over everything she'd been told by her friend and the Thunder God since she arrived and this is the only conclusion she could reach that didn't make Izuku seem like a complete psychopath. Yet, it stung to actually hear him admit it. Asui Tsuyu nodded to herself. If he were willing to sacrifice himself to keep people smiling, then she too, would make a similar sacrifice. "I've decided."
"Decided what?" Her tone and demeanor were unusually serious as she stared at him with half-lidded eyes.
"I've decided since you seem to lack any sort of a moral compass, I'm going to be it for you. You obviously need all the guidance you can get."
"I-I do too have morals." Izuku defended.
"You kill people and have a harem. Tsuyu pointed out.
"I only killed people who deserved it, not indiscriminately…and it's not a harem!" Izuku said louder than he intended, his face flushing scarlet.
Giving him a flat look Tsuyu replied, "Izu-kun, I love you, yes you heard me right." She said upon seeing his stunned expression, "But if this is going to work, you need to at least acknowledge it exists."
Tsuyu shrugged, "Besides, it's not like harems are illegal back home anyway."
The magus was thrown for a loop, "There not?"
Tsuyu shook her head, "No due to the decreased birthrate due to pressure to succeed in life and rising death rate of people dying and retiring before the Age of Quirks, Japan was facing a population crisis. Then, Quirks happened, and things got even worse for like the next fifty or so years before Quirks started to become the norm. By the time that happened, "
Slowly Izuku nodded, "I see…and you know all of this because?"
"I did a history report on Japan before the Age of Quirks once."
Izuku's head felt like it was spinning even though he was standing still, "Ah, I see."
Tsuyu grabbed his wrist and asked, "Are you ok Izu?"
"Yeah, that's just a lot to take in all at once."
"C'mon, let's go sit back down."
She led him in a daze back to the table. He, Midoriya Izuku on the day of his thirteenth birthday he now had a girlfriend. Wait was Tsuyu, his girlfriend? Sure, they'd both confessed to liking the other, but he never formally asked her out. That was something a guy was supposed to do right? He was pretty sure he was obligated in some form to do that, after meeting with her father and getting permission. He was reasonably sure that's how it was supposed to go.
Well anyway, he had a 'girlfriend' and according to her, a harem? Ugh, the very word made his skin crawl. Not that he didn't like the idea of all the girls he knew being happy of course, it's just the word harem brought to mind so many negative connotations. Images of the women he knew, tossing away their pride like used gum wrappers to unabashedly throwing themselves at him, fighting over him like a piece of meat, and bickering like children over who gets to spend time with him. Or even worse, himself becoming some deranged sex-crazed pervert. He shivered at the thought of any of that coming to pass.
"Then, I bound the God Tempest in a hunk of Uru metal. That metal became what would be known as Mjölnir." Izuku was brought out of his dark thoughts by the voice of Odin who was just finishing up the tale of Mjölnir's creation.
Izuku knew all about it of course. Its very history was escribed onto the weapon. Odin's fight with the sentient storm the size of a galaxy, the God Tempest. When it came to Asgard, he used the Odinforce, and leading his troops into battle, beat the storm into submission and after binding it into a hunk of Uru metal had Mjölnir forged from it. The God Tempest lived on in the hammer for centuries, impossible for any, even Odin himself to wield. So it was left in the armory with a worthiness enchantment placed upon it. Only one strong enough to control the God Tempest could use Mjölnir. Centuries later, Thor became that one, and the power of the God Tempest became synonymous with the Power of Thor.
"That reminds me of the time I fought Apocalypse, with nothing but Jarnbjorn at my side and half drunk on Midgardian mead. He struck me when my back was turned, intent on taking my skull with a single strike. Thankfully, my inebriation on Midgardian mead kept me limber enough to keep mine head. He proceeded to blather about something or other, before headbutting me. That hurt."
"Then you stupidly enchanted Jarnbjorn with the ability to cut Celestial Armor. Something I told you not to do and went on to kill the Servant of the Celestials." Odin groused.
As the two proceeded to argue, Izuku felt a nudge in his side. Looking over, he found the Sophie smiling at him while giving him a hopeful look along with the rest of her sisters. "Hey Izuku~ we were…hic…we were wondering if, maybe you'd let us inside your mind?"
"Let you inside?" he questioned.
Mindee nodded saying, "Y-Yeah, we can't read your thoughts or…hehe…anything."
"Whenever we tried last time, we got the feeling of being cut by scalding hot razor blades," Esme added.
"It was bizarre. That's never happened before." Celeste finished.
He had no idea this had happened, he felt terrible for unknowingly causing them pain. Just as he was about to say yes Tsuyu interrupted saying, "The only way he's going to let you in his head is if you take someone else with you to watch you, so you don't do anything to him."
"Tsu." Izuku began only to be cut off when she interrupted, "This is what I mean, you don't think before you act. Sometimes that's a good thing. Other times…not so much."
The Cuckoos smiled at their back and forth before Sophie spoke for the group, "We would never hurt or mess with Izuku in any way, but we understand you being cautious. As his girlfriend and all."
Sophie sighed, "I guess we'll just have to settle for being the mistresses eh sisters?"
"Yeah sure looks that way." The others replied in sync with a sigh.
Tsuyu gave them her patented flat look, "If you're trying to get a rise out of me, you'll need to try a lot harder than that."
The Cuckoo's laughed as one being. Sophie said at the end, "You're going to be so much fun to tease."
The leader of the Quartet then called out to the Sorceress Supreme of Limbo, "Hey Illyana, wanna come with us on a head trip?"
"Please don't call it that," Izuku asked.
Making her way over, the platinum blonde asked, "Sure, who?"
The Cuckoo's eyes all turned to Izuku. Illyana's eyes lit up in turn. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
She then grew concerned asking, "You sure you're ok with this? It's kinda a big show of trust letting people inside your head."
Izuku smiled, "It's just you six right?" Seeing them nod he replied, "Then its fine. I trust you all implicitly." The girl's hearts and cheeks were warmed by that statement.
"O-Ok, as long as you're sure." Illyana stammered out.
"Ok Izuku, just try your best to relax, ok?" Sophie told him. Seeing him nod she asked the others, "Is everybody ready?"
Seeing them nod, Sophie said, "Then let's go!"
The group of six felt their consciousness' get pulled forward by the collective power of the Stepford sisters. The world around them blurred.
When their vision finally returned, the girls gasped. For they found themselves in a courtyard of a golden palace. Everywhere they looked, everything was gilded in gold, and precious gemstones. The precious stones were used to create murals that depicted various battles. The girls recognized the fight with Thor, but also displayed in agate, was a war against a dragon, and his rider. On full display in glittering Onyx was a battle against numerous alien creatures their split blood the color of emeralds as he fought back the hoard. Right behind them the sound of a fountain gently gurgling was heard.
All around them were blooming flowers of unknown origin, which gave off a calming scent, and blades were impaled on the cobblestone floor. The sky was stuck in a perpetual caramel sunset, the sun descending in the west, while the moon rose in the east.
"Where, where are we?" Sophie asked looking around and upon seeing the flower bent down and gave it a sniff. If smelt real enough, as did the earth beneath her feet.
"Izuku's mind. This all of this is his mindscape." Illyana said in wonder.
"He has a world inside of his head? That's not normal is it?" Mindee stated more than asked.
"Illyana shook her head. No, it isn't. There is something seriously off with our darling Izuku. Let's look around."
The girls set off heading towards the stairs, the cobblestone ground was unusually uneven. They soon discovered why. It wasn't cobblestone at all, but skulls. Hundreds upon thousands of skulls of all shape and type most of them human but some looked to belong to the alien creatures.
"Why does Izuku mindscape have golden skull carpeting?" Celeste wondered.
Illyana wondered the same and put a hand to one of the skulls. As she feared, it was thrumming with the lifeforce of the creature. "No, this doesn't make any sense."
"What is it?" Esme asked.
"These skulls are all phylacteries that bare the captured essence of their mortal coils…the souls of the people." Illyana explained.
"So what, you think Izuku of all people, is a necromancer or something? Sophie laughed, while the other Cuckoo's followed suit, amused by the thought.
Frowning Illyana replied, "This is serious!" silencing them immediately before she continued in a calmer tone, "But no, I don't think he's a necromancer. We met him when he was six. He was innocent then, and I feel he's just as innocent now. I'd feel it if he was a Necromancer."
"So what do we do?" Mindee asked.
"Keep looking, there has to be a reason for all of this."
So they did finally going into the palace proper, stopping only briefly when they made it atop the steps to the battlements. For the view there was breathtaking. Thick cloud cover as far as the eye could see. The only thing any of them could think was that they were on top of a massive mountain, it's peak poking through the clouds.
What are those?" Mindee pointed to the hill sized golden spoked wheels that slowly spun in the sky all around them, clicking against each other like gears.
"Dharmachakra. They are a Buddhist concept that symbolizes the concept of walking the path to Nirvana. They also have connections with the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths."
The Cuckoo's nodded, "Ok, we'll pretend to know what that means."
"It means something is up here. Let's see if this place has a throne room. The group made their way to the interior passing Ironman armors placed into crevices along the way until they finally made it to the main throne room.
It was simply ginormous. Golden pillars lined the way to the throne, which itself was made of half melted swords bent in the shape of a seat. Hanging from each pillar was a red flag trimmed in gold, Izuku's white and black swords spinning around each other. In between the two etched in golden thread was a rune.
To the Cuckoos, it looked like a Tuplet like one would find on a music sheet. Yet Illyana knew it for what it really was. The Elder Futhark Rune of Uruz. It symbolized many things. Esoterically it stood for Endurance, Formation, and Manifestation. In modern circles, it represented Life Force, Physical Health, Courage, Organic Structure, Healing, and Vigor among many other things.
The Russian mutant's gaze was drawn to the ceiling as she gasped, as there above them on the domed ceiling was painted a perfect rendition of The Assumption of the Virgin by Francesco Botticini. The circular hierarchy of angels was in ideal array.
She tore her eyes away from the beautiful scenery, knowing her fractured soul was damned for hell for all eternity that's if she doesn't end up becoming just another denizen of Limbo by the time all is said and done and lose herself to Darkchilde.
She made her way towards the throne of blades. As she neared, she noticed a giant gold statue of Indra his lightning bolt the Vajra raised to punish the wicked looming up behind the throne. Flanking the imposing piece was the skull of a giant alien and that of a dragon resting across from it, each hanging from chains on the wall. More than that though she also took note that her own Soul Sword rested within arm's reach of the throne, along with his twin blades. For some reason, that made her pause and smile, knowing her own soul rested so closely in his own. Once she was five feet away, she saw it, resting in the seat of the throne itself.
It was a sheath of gold with crisscrossing blue enamel on its face. It housed no blade but was as regal as any scepter regardless. Illyana knew with but a look that this sheath was part of the cause of whatever was happening here, the rune was also connected. Yet for the life of her, she couldn't figure out how. Whatever was going on, was beyond the scope of her expertise. She felt herself reaching out for the sheath. Hoping to examine it closer.
A feeling of dread suddenly washed over her.
'Not for you.' A voice in her head said, 'For the King, not for you.'
Suddenly they heard a booming echo. It was Izuku's voice, with steel in his tone saying, "I am the bone of my sword."
They suddenly found themselves ejected from his inner world.
While the others were taking a trip through his head, Izuku saw something that brought a frown to his face. A couple of tables over he saw both Rossweisse and the Norn Belldandy being sexually harassed. The harasser in question was easily 6'6 feet tall pale skinned with fiery red hair and a matching unruly beard. He was wearing the hide of a bear over his frame with its upper jaw resting on its head. His blue eyes gleaming out of the great beast's dead sockets, and the rest hanging over him like a cape. He also wore rough leathers over his body.
He reached out and with a drunken gaffe, groped the Valkyrie and the Norn. Izuku wanted nothing more than to rip the fools head off. But Tsuyu had already chastised him twice now for acting recklessly. Yet he couldn't sit by and do nothing while this was going on. So he stood, placing a foot on the long table to get a decent footing before saying, "Sorry Tsu, but I can't turn away when evil happens right in front of me."
He then spoke the two words that defined his magic. "Trace on."
His long black bow leaped to his hands. Now he just needed ammunition, "I am bone of my sword."
The songs the revelry the joy that echoed throughout the hall all evening slowly petered off as he spoke those words. For power lay within every syllable and utterance, and if there was one thing all Norse understood, it was that words held power. When the Fake Spiral Sword leaped into Izuku's hands, Tsuyu took one look at where he was aiming and said in her coldest tone, "Let 'em have it!"
"Understood. Thine core is twisted in madness, so twist all the way in Caladbolg II!" The Fake Spiral Sword thrummed with power, kicking up a gale as it became a barbed arrow. It was now something Dangerous. Fragile. Broken.
Izuku loosened the arrow, and it struck the deity in the chest twisting his innards just as easily as it did space and sending him flying backward and through the wall of Valhalla with a mighty crash before it finally exploded. The mead hall was soon filled with muttering and Odin the Lecherous was son on the scene asking "What was the meaning of attacking my grandson Magni?"
Izuku's response was swift and filled with steel, "I took offense to the fact he was drunkenly forcing himself on two women and took steps to rectify the problem, seeing as no one else was doing anything."
He promptly ignored the Sky Father and turned to the Valkyrie and the Norn of the Present asking, "You two ok?"
Rossweisse shrugged, "I've had worse. What of you Belldandy?"
"I-I'm fine." The goddess replied, but Izuku could tell the smile was forced. The woman was apparently forced and for their benefit.
Turning back to Odin he said, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go finish what I started."
Yet his own Odin placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke to his host. "Blood has been drawn at a place of peace, you know what this means?"
The more perverse of the two nodded, "Aye, I do."
Sighing Izuku asked, "Do I even wanna know what kind of ancient law I violated that I knew nothing of?"
Much to his surprise, it was Thor who answered, "Odinsmoot was originally founded as a peace treaty between the Norse Gods of the Multiverse. Before it existed, we all warred against each other for the title of 'Supreme Norse Pantheon'. In accordance with the old pact, no blood must be shed outside the fighting pits, lest the Norse Civil War begin anew."
Izuku sighed and slowly wiped a hand down his face, "Of course it's something crazy and stupid like that."
"Do not be so quick to dismiss our traditions. For there is only one way to settle this." Odin-616 said.
"No wait, don't tell me! Let me guess! Magi and I have to fight to the death, and winner gets the girls while the loser is banished from Odinsmoot for all time."
"Aye, thou are quite perceptive of our ways indeed for a mortal," Thor said slapping his shield brother on the back, completely missing his sarcasm thick tone.
Pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes Izuku said, "I don't think it would help any to say that those two are women, not trophies right?"
"What's the difference?" Thor and both Odin's echoed at the same time, only to wince when they were slapped upside the head by their significant other or in one Odin's case Göndul.
Sighing again he asked, "When do we do this?"
"At dawn." The Leacherous declared.
"Of course it is. Is there somewhere I can stay till then?"
Pointing his thumb behind him at a series of doors all but hidden in the shadows of the flames given off by the hearth, Odin replied, Pick a room and drop in it. We'll send someone to get you when it's time."
"Right." Izuku made his way to one such room stopping only to look back at the Valkyrie and Norn and say, "Don't worry I'm going to take care of this."
He looked over to Tsuyu and gave a sad smile before shrugging and saying, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."
Izuku awoke to a gentle but constant wrapping on his door. Judging by the pitch darkness outside his open window, it wasn't dawn yet, so who could be calling on him? Deciding to find out, he slipped out of the fur strewn bed and gently cracked the door open. To his surprise, he found Tsuyu, Rossweisse, and Belldandy wait for him on the other side of the solid oak door.
"What are you three doing here?"
Tsuyu spoke first, "I came to wish you good luck and tell you I'm not upset with you. You did the right thing. What a hero should do."
Izuku nodded, silently feeling relieved to hear that from her, "Thanks, I needed to hear that more than you know."
He then turned to the other two who stood there quietly and asked, "And what can I do for you two?"
The two shared a glance, and the brunette goddess nodded at the silver-haired Valkyrie to go first. Taking a breath, Rossweisse began, "We-I wanted to thank you for defending my honor. Not many would do that, especially at an Odinsmoot where such is just seen as 'all in good fun.' I-It means a lot for you to stand up for me like that. To say we aren't just trophies. That was very sweet of you."
Izuku yawned and shrugged, "I was just being honest Rossweisse. I don't view women as objects. I was raised solely by my mother, with my Aunt recently coming into the picture too. I have nothing but respect for women in general."
Belldandy spoke next, her tone wistful, "You remind of Morisato Keiichi."
Sensing an undercurrent of sadness in her tone, Izuku couldn't help but ask, "Some you knew?"
Belldandy nodded, "Yes, a couple hundred years ago, but it feels like yesterday. Your kind yet courageous, just like him."
Bowing he said, "Thank you, I'll do my best to live up to his example."
Belldandy smiled warmly, "You're doing great so far, and I agree with Rossweisse, you exemplify what a hero should stand for, by fighting for our honor and not to win us as Magni no doubt is."
"It's no trouble, I'm just not sure how to explain to my mother how I 'won' two women when I come back home. That's going to be an awkward conversation for sure."
"Plus you need to talk to my parents too Izu-kun. Please don't forget." Tsuyu added.
Sighing and feeling a headache coming on Izuku implored her, "Right, can we not mention the harem or the goddesses right off the bat? That would make things more difficult than they would need to be."
"Agreed, no need to put my parents in a coma from shock." Tsuyu noted.
Clearing her throat, Rossweisse said, "I'm sorry, but you're acting as if you've already won. You still need to fight him you know?"
"Oh, don't worry. I have no intention of losing your freedom to him. Izuku said with confidence.
He looked out the window and saw the first rays of dawn approaching.
"It's time." He said more to himself than them.
As the group left his room, they came upon a surprising scene. Rick and Urd were coming out of one place with Skuld and Morty coming out of another at the same time.
The Sisters proceeded to say at the same time, "Did you? So what if I did, it's none of your business!"
"Morty is very sweet and down to earth." Skuld defended while blushing slightly before adding, "And we didn't do anything inappropriate!"
"Oi Morty, hey, hey Morty, did you hit that?" Rick asked in a stage whisper.
Urd all but growled, "He better not've."
"I-I didn't! W-We didn't! We just talked and cuddled and slept together."
So you did hit that! Good on ya Morty! Up top! Rick said raising his hand for a high-five.
Morty vehemently denied this, however, "No. We fell asleep in the same bed, and that's it. Sleeping with her, without really getting to know her would be kinda empty and meaningless ya know?"
This earned him a peck on the cheek from the Norn of the Future, "See, sweet and down to earth."
"Ahem."
The two turned to see Belldandy standing there smiling at them. "While it's nice to see you two so lively in the morning if we don't hurry Izuku is going to be late for his honor duel."
The quartet looked at each other before saying, "What did we miss?"
The two faced off in a wide open field stomped flat and filled with sand just outside of Valhalla proper. This was the training ground for the Einherjar. There, a mortal boy and nigh-immortal Asgardian faced off against one another. Magni loomed over his opponent, Mjölnir in hand, and scoffed as he looked at his foe. "Ha, ye aren't even old enough to grow yer first whiskers let alone know what to do with a woman once you take 'em to bed. Tell you what lad, admit defeat now, and you get to leave here with nothing wounded but your pride."
"I'll have to respectfully decline your generous offer Magni-san. For I intend to win today."
The Son of Thor laughed, "Do ya now lad? Well, how 'bout we sweeten the bet then? I win you give me the blade you shot me with."
Izuku nodded, he had no problem giving the Asgardian a replica of Caladbolg if it came down to it, which it wouldn't. "Sounds fair, yet if I win?"
Magni reached into his bearskin cloak and produced a small model boat, "If ye win, I shalt grant ye Skíðblaðnir."
"Deal!" Izuku agreed immediately, for he knew of Skíðblaðnir's legend and how it could be folded up like cloth when not in use, always find a fair wind, and supposedly fly to get wherever it needed to go.
Their wager now set the two circled around each other, Magni with his father's hammer raised above his head, held in both hands while Izuku was watching, studying his opponent. He watched as his leg muscles suddenly tensed giving him just milliseconds notice that he was going to leap at him with an overhead swing.
Milliseconds was all Izuku needed as he deftly stepped to the side, avoiding being crushed to a pulp by the barest of margins. A geyser of dirt was blasted into the air as Izuku exploded forward, calling Kanshou and Bakuya to his hands as he advanced. The yin-yang blades drew first blood as they were raked across the Norse Gods flesh, causing Magni to hiss in pain as rivulets of blood streamed down his chest from the shallow cuts.
Hopping back and flicking the divine blood off his weapons, Izuku said, "First blood."
Magni nodded something akin to respect entering his eyes, "Aye. To think, you would have a weapon that had reached the Realm of Gods forged by mortal hands. Ye can draw my blood tis true, but that is not guaranteed to win ye the day!"
With that said the fire-haired god charged swinging the massive hammer around his body as he approached. Izuku shunted prana into his blades causing them to lengthen and become jagged and winglike. The Overedge blades met Mjölnir in a clash of steel on steel with the force of a sonic boom. Izuku felt his knees beginning to buckle under the strain of holding back the might of a fully-fledged god.
It was as he suspected. He still wasn't strong enough to fight an Asgardian without relying on the Iron Legion. He knew part of him was being petty, but he saw his over-reliance on the Legion as a crutch of sorts. One he eventually wanted to move beyond if possible. Yet today was not that day, so he spoke, "Trace, on."
Lightning cascaded around his body, and when it dispersed, he was wearing the High-velocity armor once again.
[Hey kiddo, I was wondering when you were gonna call me out.]
"Hi, Helen," Izuku replied feeling a bit sullen.
[Ok, so you can't take on Godlike beings without me, big deal. Chin up buster! Aren't you doing this to protect some women in need?]
"Yeah, thanks I needed to hear that."
[Anytime. So, ready to kick this guy's ass?]
"Always." He replied, grin evident in his voice.
[Activating Accelware.]
It did him little good, as, by the time he got his head back in the fight, he was face to face with the mallet end of Mjölnir and was sent flying at Mach twelve speeds into a nearby mountainside. Pulling himself out of a human-shaped crater, Izuku said, "Ok, less talking more killing from now on."
[Rodger that. Ei Caramba I think he knocked my servos loose.]
"I see you've been watching the Simpsons again."
[Shut it, Bart is amazing! He's my spirit animal.]
Izuku didn't reply instead he traced to handfuls of Black Keys and decided to try something he wasn't sure would work, but if it did pay off, he could end this fight right now. He came in flying low and fast, flinging a single Key as he zipped past his foe, stabbing him in the thigh. Much to his pleasant surprise, he began to scream in agony as the Black Key emitted blue flames from his wound.
As Izuku suspected the Black Keys being weapons of Christianity were particularly powerful against religions they have dominated, since as they often did, the ancient pantheon was demonized by the rising religion. Making the tools of the exorcists particularly useful. Izuku proceeded to blitz Mangi at insane speeds, tracing more Black Keys when needed until finally, the God-son of Thor slumped down, the gigantic lump of iron that was his dimensions Mjölnir falling from his limp hands as his body continued to burn.
Doing a victory lap even as he was booed by a majority of the spectators, Izuku set down in front of the two waiting Odin's, Rossweisse and Belldandy waiting happily nearby.
The Lecher of the two spoke disapprovingly, "You fight dirty boy."
"That's like saying archers have no place on the battlefield old man. I used his lack of range to my advantage, nothing wrong with that."
Odin of 616 spoke up, "He speaks true. He fought with wisdom as well as courage. A cool head is just as necessary as a strong arm in battle."
The Lecher conceded the point, "Aye, I suppose that's true. Alright, lad, you win, take your prizes and get ye gone from my Valhalla."
Izuku found himself liking this rendition of Odin less and less the more time he spent around him, "The only prize I've won today old man is Skíðblaðnir as agreed upon by Magni and myself before the fight began."
"Then take it and go. I've tired of seeing your face already." The wizened God said making the folded up boat appear in a flash before its new owner before shooing him off.
He then turned to his bodyguard and said, "Rossweisse, your fired."
"Wah-why?!"
"For getting me into this mess in the first place. Get your crap and get lost!" Odin said coldly before he made his way towards his Valhalla.
Seeing tears gathering in the Valkyries eyes pissed Izuku off to no end, but he had no desire to start another war. So instead, he made his way over to the crying woman and said, "Hey Rossweisse, how would you like to come stay with me for a bit? Just until you get back on your feet."
"Y-You wouldn't mind? I-I'd hate to impose." The silver-haired Chooser of the Slain hiccupped.
Izuku shook his head, "It's no trouble. My mom loves company. So does my Aunt even though she'll never outright admit it."
"Then I'd love to come. Thank you for having me. I'll be in your care for a bit." Rossweisse said giving a bow.
"I too would like to come with you if that's acceptable," Belldandy asked.
Izuku shrugged, "Well you were both supposed to be my 'trophies,' so I guess its fine." He all but spat the word trophies.
Turning to Thor, he asked tiredly, "Can I go home now? I've had enough excitement for one day."
"Aye Shield Brother the cart is this way." Thor led the way back to the quickly emptying parking lot. He was so absorbed with how he was going to explain this to his family he never noticed all the Gods giving him a wide berth or the furtive looks being sent his way.
The Wizard Marshall was just finishing dealing with his mortal enemy, that of paperwork when of all things, a knock came at his door. This caused the Dead Apostle to grin in amusement for the only ones brave or foolish enough to come seek him out were the insane or the stupid. He was about to find out which it was this time. Shuffling his papers off to the side, he called, "Enter!"
A man and a woman entered his office at the Clocktower. Both were of Asian descent, the man wore a simple black kimono and matching hakama pants, his hair tied back in a warriors knot, while the woman was the epitome of Japanese feminine beauty.
Long dark hair tied in an elaborate bun, and held in place by two golden hairpins, her face pale and lips painted with red lipstick. She wore a purple kimono held closed with a golden silk sash.
It took the old vampire just a moment to figure out what was off about his guests. They were perfect. Too perfect to be human. He grinned at this, only two people could create such automata. Touko Aozaki was one, but she specialized in Dolls. Creations of Wood. These were of a higher caliber, of steel make. That left only one other clan of magi.
Steepling his fingers and grinning he asked, "What do two Automata of the Muramasa Clan want from me?"
Bowing the woman automata spoke, "We have it on good authority you know where to find the Thirteenth heir to our Clan."
He raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and who might that be?"
The male automata spoke, "The one known to you as Emiya Shirou."
The Wizard Marshall threw his head back and laughed. Things just got a whole lot more interesting.
Chapter Length: 14,050 words Number of Pages: 30 Date Completed: 4/24/18
AN: HOLY SHIT! It's finally done! Two days ahead of schedule I might add! That said, the next chapter might be a week or two later than usual as my sister and Dad could be coming down and visiting for a week or so. But its all up in the air at the moment as my sisters dog recently got kennel cough due to them taking her someplace cheap to get her shots. So if it takes me longer than usual to update, I'm spending time with the fam. If not, they couldn't make it. I just felt you all deserved to know in advance. I hope you all enjoyed and Till next chap, which is when Izuku FINALLY gains One For All, Bubbajack out!
