WARNING: Blood, Gore, Violence, Sexual Themes, and etc! You have been warned!
In the first age, in the first battle, when the shadows first lengthened...one stood.
The Baron bellowed in pain as the chainsaw tore into its back, blood and gore splattering across the temple walls as the towering creature fell to its knees, quietly moaning out before an armored hand had reached down and grabbed its remaining horn. It was forced to look into the golden visor belonging to the individual responsible for the deaths of millions of demons for the past few thousand years. Even when facing certain death, the powerful demon refused to show fear but its bravado was short-lived as the man shoved a double-barreled shotgun into its mouth and, without any hesitation, pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The once-mighty demon, a member of the higher circles of Hell, had been reduced to a headless corpse. Every other remaining demon watched as the armored individual jerked the chainsaw from the Baron's body, just showing how easily the monster standing before them could kill anything they threw at him.
He chose the path of perpetual torment...
A Hell Knight, one of the last remaining demons, snarled at the armored individual, its anger towards him growing by the minute, and, using said anger, charged at the warrior standing over the Baron's corpse. The warrior didn't seem frightened by the demon, given how he calmly reloaded the double-barreled shotgun. He aimed the powerful weapon at the Hell Knight quickly approaching and, like many others before it, unleashed the deadly firepower associated with the famous 'super' shotgun.
BANG!
In his ravenous hatred he found no peace…
The Hell Knight staggered behind the force of the weapon, causing chunks of flesh to be blown off. In the brief moment between firing the weapon and the demon being forced to stop, the Slayer loaded new shells into the shotgun and took aim once more at the Hell Knight.
BANG!
Suddenly, the creature's head blew up in a spectacular, and morbid, display of blood and gore. The last few remaining demons, a few Imps, turned to look at the armored warrior with fear in their hearts. It wasn't just the Hell Knight or the Baron because the battlefield was littered with the corpses belonging to various other demons. No matter what they threat at him; Mancubus, Arachnotrons, Dread Knights, none stood against the incarnation of death itself.
And with boiling blood he scoured the Umbral Plains seeking vengeance against the dark lords who had wronged him...
When the Imps got over their fear, slowly being replaced by anger towards the armored warrior, and started snarling and hissing at the man. The warrior's response was quite simple; he proceeded to walk towards the remaining demons while reloading his weapon, showing his intent to finish them off.
And those that tasted the bite of his sword named him…
The last remaining Imps charged forward, hissing and snarling at the armored warrior. As they got closer to the warrior, he fired another blast into one of the Imps and turning them into a mist of blood and flesh. One of them manage to charge up a fireball and flung it at him. The armored demon-killer immediately dashed out of the way, allowing the fireball to hit the other remaining Imp, who tried to come from behind.
Using this brief moment of confusion to his advantage, the warrior rushed towards the Imp who had been bit by the fireball and proceeded to grab its head. As the demon attempted to slash at the man, its effort would go to waste as he proceeded to rip the Imp's head from its body allowing a fountain of blood to spill into the air, bathing his green armor in crimson. The armored warrior would look at the Imp's head for a brief moment before throwing it away as if it was trash.
The man turned his attention to the last remaining Imp, who seemed to be hissing and snarling at the demon-killer, knowing full well what was about to happen to it…
...The Doom Slayer…
In a desperate attempt to save itself, the demon created another fireball and flung it at the infamous demon-killer. To its surprise, the Doom Slayer didn't seem to care as he rushed forward and took the hit from the fireball and still kept moving forward. The demon was about to create another fireball when it felt something pierce its body.
Before it could even look down at its chest, the Imp was suddenly dragged towards the Doom Slayer by whatever was lodged in its chest.
Once it was within reach of the Slayer, the man reached out and grabbed the Imp by the throat. He threw his double-barreled shotgun to the side and, instead of clattering against the ground, disappeared in a bright red flash. As the demon kept trying to escape the man's grip, it didn't notice the large blade that was attached to the Slayer's left arm.
The demon took one last look at the Slayer, continuing to fight and claw for its survival against the monster who hunted them across Hell. The last thing it would ever see was the burning hatred hidden behind those green eyes belonging to the Slayer.
Much like the Baron's fate, the Slayer slashed the Imp's head off its body. Once the final demon was killed, the Slayer looked around and saw the dozens upon dozens of corpses across the large and open room. He had been attacked by a rather large group of demons, which had been lead by a few Barons of Hell until they were whittled down and killed during the battle.
"VEGA," the Slayer called out, summoning his famous 'super' shotgun once more.
He was met with a voice inside his armored, green helmet, [After scanning the vicinity, the demonic threat has been dealt with. I suggest we continue heading to the UAC facility in the east. There is still a possibility to return to our original dimension if the facility is salvageable.]
As he rested the double-barreled shotgun against his shoulder, the Doom Slayer felt the temptation to roll his eyes at the suggestion by VEGA. It was only a matter of time until the demons regroup and decide to launch a bigger assault against him. Although, the Slayer hardly cared about how many demons are sent to kill him as the armored warrior was going to slaughter every single one he came across in his mission to exterminate them all.
Do you still wanna be a hero, Izuku?
The armored warrior could hear the question in the back of his mind, one that's been haunting him ever since beginning his eternal crusade against the Dark Lord and the demonic horde under its command. A question he had been asked during his early childhood by one of his closest friends, a time when his dream was to become a great hero and save others with a smile…
'God knows what they would think of me...' the Slayer thought, observing the carnage he inflicted upon the demons. The bodies were in various states, from being blown to pieces or ripped to shreds with his blade or hands, showing how relentless the Slayer was in his quest to bring extinction to their kind.
Even if thousands of years have passed since the fall of Argent D'Nur, the Slayer never forgot his real home, the dreams he possessed as a child, and the people he cared about deeply. He doubts they're still alive as Hell has no concept of time, making it feel like each day was an entire year. If there was a chance they're still alive, the armored warrior doubted his friends and family would want to even see him if they knew about what he had done with his life.
He tightened his grip on the double-barreled shotgun, 'There's no reason to give yourself hope. No one wants to love a monster.'
In his attempt to forget about his past, the armored warrior remembered the biggest reason why he fights to save not only his dimension, but others well. A beautiful young girl with long, blue hair and blue eyes filled with a sense of curiosity towards everything in the world. No matter how much he lost himself in his war to bring Hell to its knees, the armored warrior always remembered the kind and curious girl who seem to always bring him back from the abyss.
'...Not even she could love a monster.'
[Doom Slayer, are you alright?] VEGA's question had brought the armored warrior back to the present, making him realize he must have gotten lost in his thoughts. This had been happening more and more since the bastard Samuel Hayden threw him back into Hell after recovering the crucible from what remained of Argent D'Nur after Hell had taken over.
The warrior gently shook his head, "I'm fine."
[Are you certain?]
"Yes," the armored warrior responded, not wanting to speak about his personal thoughts with the A.I. "What about the facility? How far are we from it?" he asked, hoping to steer the conversation to the more important matter at hand.
It remained quiet for a few moments before speaking, [Upon accessing the UAC database, it seems we are still approximately 58 kilometers from the facility. From what I can gather, there hasn't been any activity in quite some time.]
As the Slayer began walking past the corpses, either torn apart or blown to pieces, he could only think about getting his hands on Samuel Hayden and tearing the bastard apart. There was no telling what the man planned on doing with the crucible containing the combined powers of the Wraiths, who had been corrupted by the demons and used to fuel their rapid expansion across other dimensions. Still, the first thing was to find the UAC facility and use its equipment to send him back.
Of course, I still wanna be a hero, Nejire!
'A hero, huh?' the Slayer found it strange to think about his dreams as a child. The teachers on Argent D'Nur taught him heroes were those who stepped onto the battlefield and protected his home against those seeking to destroy it. To never give an inch to those with evil intentions, which was a big reason why his fighting style had become so brutal over the years.
The enemy was always on the offensive, never giving their opponent a moment to think or breathe.
He continued walking through the decrepit temple, noticing the remains of massive statues and strange symbols. The temple must have been from another dimension taken over by the demons, either from before he started his unholy crusade against them or during the time he had been put to sleep inside a sarcophagus.
'Looks like they kept busy while I was forced into the damn thing,' the Slayer thought, finding his anger growing by the second. 'More lives were ruined by Hell...and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it!'
If there was one thing he still admits never left him, despite the harsh and unforgiving training he went through to become a member of the Night Sentinels, it was his desire to save others from those with ill-intentions. The infamous Doom Slayer would rather fight Hell for the rest of his unnatural life than allow for the demonic horde to invade another dimension.
The Slayer recalled a line he heard during his childhood, 'Self-sacrifice is the essence of being a hero...'
Truthfully, Izuku didn't care if his fate was to be stuck in Hell for the rest of his unnatural life and continue his war against the Dark Lord and its demonic forces. If this was his way of being a hero for others, then he would gladly carry out his crusade to bring the demons to their knees. Even if it means he might never see his friends or family again…
He glanced over his shoulder, looking at the temple one last time. 'I hope you guys can forgive me...especially you, Nejire.'
…
EARTH
"...In what continues to be the biggest story in the past two weeks has been the reported disappearance of pro-hero and Pussycat member; Mandalay. The last known sighting of Mandalay was during the investigation into claims about people being kidnapped in the nearby countryside. Local pro-heroes such as Lemillion, Suneater, and many others have joined the search for the missing hero..."
Kota was getting sick and tired of hearing every single news network, blogger, and radio station in the country, constantly talk about his aunt going missing. He didn't need to be reminded of the situation on such a regular basis, especially considering this wasn't the first time he's had to deal with such personal tragic news being spread across Japan. The death of his parents was enough to make him despise Quirks, blaming these abilities as the reason why villains and heroes even existed in the first place.
He leaned back against the couch, feeling utterly exhausted by the last few days at school. While most people knew Mandalay was his aunt, there weren't too many people familiar with the story surrounding his parents as the incident had happened nearly eight years ago. Only a few people truly know about the story, and one of them happened to be leaning against his shoulder like it was a pillow…
Despite the storm brewing in his mind and heart, Kota couldn't stop blushing at the sight of his girlfriend and feeling relieved to know he has someone like Eri with him. It was bad enough he had to deal with other kids pitying him or teachers acting like he was made of glass. His only reason for still going to school during such a tumultuous time is because him and Eri attend the same school.
The young boy sighed softly, 'I just hope Mirio and the others can find aunty Shino. Am I...am I really going to lose what little family I have left in this world?'
In about a few months from now, he and Eri are supposed to be taking the entrance exams for high schools such as U.A. Now, the young boy wondered if he was even going to have a home anymore if the pro-heroes couldn't find his aunt. From what Mirio told him, they hadn't found a single clue as to her current whereabouts after searching the countryside for the past two weeks. The chances of finding his aunt grew slimmer and slimmer with each passing day, making Kota grow more and more restless.
The only reason why he wasn't sitting alone in the apartment was because Mirio and his fiance, Melissa, wanted him to stay with them during the search for Mandalay.
Kota suspected his girlfriend was the main catalyst behind the idea. He knew how much she worried about others, especially since her foster-father, Mirio, was the number one hero in Japan. It was bad enough she had to worry about villains coming after her father on a regular basis, making her wonder if today was going to be the last time she saw him. The young boy refused to add any more stress onto the girl's shoulder.
'Useless...that's all I am...useless!' he thought, trying his best to not wake Eri. 'My aunt is missing and I can't do anything to help her. I-I can't lose aunty Shino...please, I can't lose her.'
As he let his thoughts run wild, Kota felt his eyes beginning to blur up.
"H-Huh..." he slowly moved his other hand to his face, feeling the familiar sensation of tears welling up in his eyes. Kota tried to hold back his tears and, yet, was unable to as he could slowly feel the dam start to crack under the immense pressure from the last few days.
Why did his aunt have to be the one to go missing? She didn't deserve such a cruel fate. All she ever wanted was to do her best as a pro-hero and to make sure he did something with his life. How could someone be so cruel to take that away from the only family he had left.
Before he could continue tormenting himself with his thoughts, Kota felt something soft press up against the side of his face. The young boy turned to see Eri, who was fully awake, and looked very concerned right now.
"Didn't mean to wake you up..."
The first thing Eri wanted to do was reassure Kota everything would be okay, saying her dad was going to find his aunt and bring her back to him. Or, rather those are the words she wanted to say to him. She knows Kota struggles with his emotions, probably a direct result of losing his parents when he was much younger.
Ever since his aunt had disappeared, Eri had noticed just how difficult things had become for Kota. He was struggling to sleep through the night, not eating properly, or being able to focus at school. No one could blame him for acting in such a way, including Eri. If Melissa or Mirio went missing, she would have been utterly devastated to hear such news.
She smiled at him and shook her head, "Don't be sorry, Kota. You're just worried about your aunt. No one blames you, okay?"
The boy tried his best to smile, only for the dam to finally crack open…
"I-I...just want them to f-find her," he immediately lurched towards Eri, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his head against her shoulder. The tears started flowing without much resistance from him.
Eri simply remained quiet, letting him vent everything he's been feeling for the past couple weeks. She knew most people at school thought Kota was just a grumpy, sarcastic guy who didn't like anyone. In reality, there were few people who truly knew how much he cared about others, willing to lend a helping hand, and even had a soft spot for animals. It's why she likes him so much…
It's why she was more than willing to comfort him in such a dire time for him. While she may not have ever known her real mother and father growing up, Eri eventually found a real family in those years after being rescued from Overhaul and his organization. Mirio and Melissa filled the void left in her heart after everything she went through as a child, feeling what it's like to be loved by others.
'No one deserves to have their family ripped away from them,' Eri wanted the boy in her arms to know she was here for him in his greatest time of need. Nothing was going to convince her otherwise.
She gently started running her hand through his hair, "I'm here for you, Kota. I'll always be here if you need me..."
As the two were lost in their brief moment, neither had noticed an older woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes standing at the threshold of her bedroom door, looking at the scene with a bright smile on her face.
'Those two were made for each other,' Melissa always knew those two were going to get together at some point in their lives from their interactions throughout the past few years. All she could was watch the scene from a distance, not having the heart to break up such an intimate moment between them, even if they are just children.
She looked at the clock, noticing it was well past one o'clock in the morning. 'Where are you, Mirio? You're starting to worry me, dear...'
…
"Any luck on your end, Lemillion?"
When Mirio heard the voice of Kamui Woods speak into his earpiece, the young pro-hero had just landed on top of an apartment building in the middle of town. He needed a minute to catch his breath, a result of him constantly hopping across rooftops for the past few hours since beginning a search into town for any leads into Mandalay's disappearance. The young man was trying his best to stay positive about the whole situation, despite how everything was becoming bleaker and bleaker by the minute.
He didn't bother masking his frustration, "Nothing, Kamui Woods. Not a single clue. Even the local criminals aren't sure who would want to kidnap a pro-hero like her."
"We should stop for the night, Lemillion. I'm sure your family is worried about you," Kamui said, hoping the number one hero would listen to his suggestion. "You've been pulling a lot of all-nighters recently."
Mirio wanted to protest against the older hero's words, preferring to keep looking for anything to help them find Mandalay. He reached into a tactical pouch on his belt and taking out his phone. As the screen lit up, Mirio saw he had a dozen missed calls and a few text messages from Melissa. It wasn't just her as there were a few missed calls from his father and about a dozen texts from his two best friends.
'M-Maybe I should listen to Shinji...I'm already making Melissa worry about me,' Mirio knew he was going to have to stop at some point unless he wanted to pass out from exhaustion.
The last few weeks have been nothing short of frustrating for Mirio and other pro-heroes. When the news broke out about Mandalay, Kota's aunt, going missing during an investigation into people being kidnapped in the local countryside, Mirio immediately signed himself up to help. Many others joined the search, including his two closest friends, giving him hope they would be able to quickly find her and ease Kota's mind.
Looking out into the distance, Mirio knew Mandalay was somewhere out there, waiting for her team to rescue her from those responsible. The Pussycats are already down a member after All for One decided to take Ragdoll's Quirk. To lose yet another member would be a devastating blow to their morale and, unfortunately, bringing up the question about if they should even remain as a team anymore. Beyond the loss of an experienced team of heroes, Mirio knew there were far more personal reasons for wanting to rescue her...
When he unlocked his phone screen, Mirio was met with an image of the two most important women in his life. Melissa, the love of his life, and Eri, the little girl he rescued during his last year at U.A. It acted as a subtle reminder about there was more to his life than being a hero. He was going to become a husband in the coming weeks and was already a father for the last few years since graduating from high school.
"Guess I have been running myself into the ground..." Mirio said into the earpiece, earning a chuckle from the pro-hero. "...Besides, I'm sure Mount Lady wouldn't mind having her husband back, Shinji."
"Mirio, why do you feel the need to add to my misery," Shinji replied, feeling the sudden urge to cut the line of communication between him and his fellow hero.
The number one hero smirked, "Shinji, you guys were the last two people anyone thought would be interested in each other romantically...let alone getting married and having a kid."
"Says the guy about to get married in a few weeks," Shinji fired back, deciding to play along with Mirio's game. "Are you two gonna give Eri a younger sibling anytime soon or is that a surprise for the wedding?"
What most people didn't realize about pro-heroes is they were no different than the very people they save on a daily basis. In the public's eyes, Mirio was the number one hero in Japan and the person who took on the mantle of responsibility once held up by the legendary All Might. While he may have the ability to level an entire building, Mirio was just a simple man who came home to the woman he loves and the little girl he calls his daughter.
These brief moments between pro-heroes were something the public hardly ever noticed. Yet, these moments helped ease the minds of many people working in such a deadly profession.
"Before I go home, I'm going to check with someone I know. See if they haven't heard anything," the young man said, already imaging the irritated expression hidden underneath Shinji's wooden mask.
Shinji sighed in exasperation, "Fine. Just promise me, you'll go home and get some sleep. Hell, I don't think anyone would blame you for taking tomorrow off and making up for lost time with your fiance and daughter."
"I can't do that, Shinji..." Mirio replied, rubbing his eyes as he could feel the exhaustion getting to him. "...Kota already lost his parents, and he nearly fell apart then. None of us want to imagine what would happen if he lost Shino too."
"Don't you think I know that," Shinji scowled, silently agreeing with Mirio's feelings about the situation facing them. "There doesn't go a day when I don't worry about Yu or our child. To imagine a child being left alone in this world...those monsters deserve to be punished."
In the years since getting to know Shinji, the number one hero learned how protective the man was of his family, even if was wife was more than capable of holding her own in a fight. Still, it was nice to know he wasn't the only one who felt so angry towards the people behind Mandalay's disappearance. He just hopes they aren't too late…
"Alright, I'm going to start heading over to my contact, Shinji," Mirio informed him. "You just head home and take it easy. I'll be doing the same tonight."
Shinji wanted to tell his friend to go home and leave such a thing until tomorrow, or rather when the sun came up. He wanted to tell Mirio about the pit in his stomach like it was trying to warn him about something awful heading their way.
"Be careful, Mirio. I'm starting to get worried about everything going on..."
The young man could hear the concern in his friend's voice, "I know...I know, Shinji."
…
"P-Please...I-I'm begging you...n-n-no more..."
In a room dimly lit by a single, hanging light bulb, there can be seen three individuals standing in the room. Two of them were dressed in black robes, making it difficult for anyone to see their faces, and the other person was a woman with short, brown hair, completely naked, hanging just a few inches off the ground with chains. She appeared to be covered in dried blood, bruises, burns, and scars from previous sessions with these robbed individuals, who seemed intent on inflicting as much pain as possible on her.
The woman's begging seem to fall on deaf ears as one of the robbed individuals walked towards the woman and grabbed a knife from inside their robe.
Noticing the weapon in their hand, the woman's eyes widened in fear as she wondered if they were going to kill her. Unfortunately, these individuals had something far worse planned for Shino Sosaki, or better known as the pro-hero; Mandalay. The robbed individual grabbed one of her arms and, like an artist going to work, began carving at her skin, creating a symbol only those serving the Dark Lord would ever understand.
"S-Stop!" the woman yelled, feeling the blade tearing into her skin. "P-Please! S-Stop! God, it fucking hurts!"
Shino could barely speak anymore after screaming in pain for the past two weeks since she had been kidnapped by these vile people. The veteran pro-hero had seen a lot of horrific things throughout her career as a professional hero but they paled in comparison to the monsters she was dealing with right now. These people seemed undisturbed by her painful screams filling the room and, dare she might say, enjoying the pain they inflicted upon her body.
For what seemed like an eternity to her, the knife glided across her skin as if it was a paintbrush being used on a blank canvas.
"N-No more!" she continued to yell, hoping the individual carving away at her arm would stop with whatever it was they were doing to her.
Knock! Knock!
The three of them heard someone knocking on the cell door, causing the individual carving into her skin to stop.
As the pain came to an abrupt, but welcoming, end, Shino noticed the two robbed individuals walked towards the door. They immediately got on one knee, making the woman wonder if she was going to meet someone important to them. Although, she was having trouble staying conscious as the last few days have been especially brutal, making it difficult for her to focus on the door.
When the heavy door finally swung open, Shino thought she might have gone insane and was starting to experience hallucinations. The individual who entered the room stood about six feet tall with very pale skin, emphasizing their near-black pupil with the sclera being crimson. His outfit seemed to be a mix between a ceremonial robe and armor. The final pieces to the man's appearance was the crown on his head and the staff in his hand.
"Lord Nilox."
In the back of Shino's mind, she was starting to realize that something far bigger was happening. The first thing she thought about was her nephew, a young boy she had been raising since he was just six years old. All she could think about was wanting to live, hoping her team and other heroes were on their way to save her from a grizzly end…
The most unfortunate thing in the world is having hope when knowing the end was close. What she didn't realize is these people are seeking something much greater than money or power. No, they only exist to serve the Khan Maykr.
And for Deag Nilox and his fellow Hell priests...nothing was going to stand in their way. Not even the legendary Doom Slayer would be able to stop their forces…
Okay, I finished the actual prologue of the story! Like I said in the previous version, that was just a test since that was something I wrote in like two hours before going to work. So that's the reason why you're seeing a real chapter being uploaded.
As for the story itself, I know there are gonna be some questions about some of the stuff I decided to put in the prologue. First, this is like eight years or something past canon as I based it off the ages of the big three from U.A and that's why Eri and Kota are already about to go to high school in this story. Plus, you'll see the others from class 1-A and other heroes throughout this.
There is some other stuff to mention but I'm gonna save those for the story, mostly because I want people to actually read and enjoy the story!
So yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed the story!