[You have killed the physical body of one of the Nine Monarchs, the Monarch of Giants, Legia.]

[Calculating Total Experience Earned.]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

Legia's head fell to the floor with a heavy thump, like an elephant crashing down. At the same time, a golden essence began leaking from the stump in his neck. It reminded Izuku all too much of the Seraph, Lucifer's death. The glowing golden dust brushed past Izuku's body filling him with a sense of calm as Legia began dissolving.

Izuku hopped down, going back to Yaoyorozu, taking comfort in her presence as they both watched the dust, Legia's Spiritual form, spiral around the room, as if stretching his "legs."

The Shadow Soldiers knelt, or lowered their heads to the floor in respect of another Monarch's peaceful wishes.

Izuku could've sworn he heard the words, "Thank you," Drift through the air… right before everything went wrong. They were the size of bugs, or rather, they were bugs. Their Mana was so small that Izuku didn't even notice them flying into the cloud of dust.

A deafening sound, like that of electronics shorting out, blasted throughout the entire cavern and the Spiritual form was speckled with patches of green and purple light.

"W-What?!" Izuku looked around frantically, "What's happening?!" He was certain this wasn't supposed to happen. Maybe it was because of instincts, or maybe it was because… he could feel the presence of another Monarch.

"Thank you Ashborn!" A voice cried out as a swarms of thousands of winged insects converged in one place, forming a young girl with pink hair and matching eyes. Her makeup and sadistic smile made her look far older, however. "I've been waiting to get my hands on this fool's Spiritual Body. With him corrupted once more, the Monarchs can finally-"

"NOO!"

Izuku shot off the ground, swinging his black sword with abandon, creating dozens of energy attacks. But the Monarch simply separated her body into the bugs once more, avoiding the strikes.

"Saphira! Shruikan!"

[Skill: Draconic Fusion has been activated, Dragon God of Darkness, Shruikan and Dragon God of Water, Saphira have fused to create the Dragon God of Ice, Skadi.]

The Dragon made of pure ice looked to where the bugs were forming once more and let loose a blast of pure ice. It created a zone of absolute-zero around the swarm, freezing them solid. It almost immediately began vibrating with movement as the ice began to crack.

"Dammit!" Izuku roared, looking back at Legia's body, "We need Thorn for this!" He had correctly deduced that the only way to completely nullify the Monarch, he would need to burn every last bit of her being. "Igris!"

The Knight leapt forwards, swinging the Genesis Blade at the golden dust, intending to incinerate the bugs corrupting Legia. But it was useless. The fire stopped just before it reached the Spiritual form.

"Haha!" The Monarch laughed, causing Izuku to look over at the block of ice, still frozen on the ground. He spun around, seeing that she had reformed in a different location. Freezing her did absolutely nothing. "It's too late for Legia now, Ashborn. Your pitiful Shadows can't break the Spiritual barrier and my babies continue to eat away at him."

Skadi, in a desperate attempt, shot her frost breath out at the cloud, aiming for the spots of purple and green infection. Even the merged Dragon couldn't penetrate it. Seeing this, Izuku jumped at the cloud himself, leading with the scythe and sword, pushing as hard as he could to break the barrier, pouring in as much Mana to the blades as possible.

But just as he was about to break through, the Monarch slammed into his side, knocking him into the wall to his left. Simultaneously, every single ranged Shadow in the army let loose their attacks at the Monarch, only a few hit, most notably, Tusk. His increased Fire power was this Monarch's kryptonite and the Soldiers had led her right into the spot where Tusk would strike. Her body solidified into the form of her human host as she roared in pain, Tusk's Hymn of the Fire Dragon washing over her.

It stunned her just long enough for Izuku to recover from being slammed against a wall and bring down the Corrupted Blade with both hands, cleaving the Monarch right down the middle.

"Two down in one day!" Izuku thought estactically as he landed on the ground, his back to the halves that should've been falling back to the ground, but he could still feel her presence.

He spun around, gazing in shock as the Monarch pulled herself back together, leaving no indication that she had ever been hurt in the first place. "She didn't die?! Legia died to a simple slash himself?! Was that because the chains were draining his Mana or because he let it happen?!" Izuku discarded his sword and activated Quicksilver, launching forwards with a roar, disregarding elegance to his attacks. "If I can't kill her with a fatal strike, then I'll just have to destroy every last bit of her body!"

Still somewhat stunned, the Monarch turned around just in time to see Izuku's fists moving like blurs, dozens of them appearing as afterimages.

[Gauntlet Skill: Dragon Fire has activated. All Gauntlet attacks will be boosted by 50%]

Izuku's fists began glowing white with heat.

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

The notifications went on for ages as Izuku continued to burn through his Mana, throwing punch after punch with abandon. The Monarch's body was rocked with hundreds of impacts within seconds, decimating entire chunks of her body, but Izuku still felt like he wasn't destroying it fast enough. She was regenerating just enough to keep up with his attacks.

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

"Faster!"

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

"FASTER!"

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[New Skill: Gauntlet Barrage has been learned.]

[Skill: Gauntlet Barrage Lv. 1]

Weapon-Specific Skill

800 Mana cost

In activating this Skill, the user will throw ten punches like they are one. Can be combined with Skill: Infinite Strength for devastating effect.

"This is… impossible!" The Monarch cried, "You're not Ashborn! You can't be fully utilizing his powers!"

Gasping heavily from such sudden exertion, both Izuku and the Monarch of Insects, Quaresha took a moment to catch their breath. "I'm not…" Izuku responded, "But from what I've heard… even you Monarchs fear the God of Death."

Quaresha balked and went to run. It had been so long, so long since any of the Monarchs felt the fear of Ashborn instilled inside of them. Only Antares could match him. Otherwise, it took six Monarchs and Rulers teaming up on him to even make headway. And this human, as he fought, he only grew stronger, Ashborn's power manifesting more and more.

Izuku's form blurred, appearing before her as she attempted to disperse into a cloud of insects, but Izuku activated Dominator's Touch, holding her body together. "Stop whatever you're doing to Legia, or I kill you."

"D-Do your worst. You may be strong enough to kill my physical body, but even you cannot destroy Spiritual forms yet. I'll simply be released from this body, off to find another host."

Izuku scowled, "You still feel pain, I can make you miserable inside that body."

Quaresha shook her head, "You can't stop it. Those aren't just my bugs corrupting him. It's the power of Antares and Yogumunt afflicting his Spiritual form. No matter what you do, it's too late for him!"

[Gauntlet Barrage has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Gauntlet Barrage has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

[Gauntlet Barrage has activated.]

[Infinite Strength has activated.]

Like shotgun blasts, Izuku blew the Monarch's body away with several impacts at a time, repeating the process until only her head was left. She smirked sadistically, "You've lost again Ashborn." With that, Izuku punched away the last of her flesh.

[You have killed the physical body of one of the Nine Monarchs, the Monarch of Insects, Quaresha.]

[Calculating Total Experience Earned.]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

[You have Leveled-Up!]

Like with Legia, a cloud of glowing golden dust erupted from where she had perished. Izuku took a swing at his with his fists, but was repelled by an invisible force. He couldn't even reach out with Dominator's Touch to grab it.

"COWARD!" Izuku shouted as it retreated back out the way they had all come from, exiting the Gate. Turning his attention back to Legia's Spiritual form, his veins filled with dread, ninety percent of the cloud had been corrupted by the ugly virus already, and the last ten percent was giving up even quicker.

"COME ON!" He yelled at the Monarch, "FIGHT IT!" Izuku felt genuine heartbreak fill his body as he watched the Monarch being taken over. He just wanted to repent for his mistakes and give his children a better life… he didn't deserve this. It was no longer about having to fight another Monarch, it was about the respect that had been forged between them. Maybe it was the fact that Ashborn had bonded close to Legia, maybe it was just that the Giant had left such an impactful impression on Izuku, but he felt too close to the Monarch to let this happen. And yet… there was nothing he could do.

Izuku, Yaoyorozu, and the Shadow Army watched in horror as the rest of the golden dust turned an ugly green and purple and the odd thrashing of the cloud ceased. It became still and calm, freezing for just a moment before it too directed itself out of the Gate, back into the world, where the corrupted Monarch would search for another host and become exactly what he was trying to pay his dues for.

Izuku felt like chasing after it, but there was no point, the cloud was too fast. So instead, Izuku collapsed to his knees. "All that effort… wasted." Izuku had finally overcome a Monarch, destroyed their physical body before they could escape with a Gate, all of that, for what? He had the power of Death itself on his side and it was still useless. The realization was finally setting in, these were not physical obstacles he could overcome with sheer force, these were literal Gods, the primordial essence of the universe itself and he thought he could punch them away? "I couldn't be any stupider!" Izuku berated himself.

"My Liege…" Igris interrupted his self-loathing, voice gentle, "The Gate will close soon, we must leave…"

Skadi's body separated, breaking back down into Shruikan and Saphira, each going to bow before him, "Please my Liege, do not lose to despair yet."

"Izuku…" Yaoyorozu was about to join them in convincing her boyfriend, who continued to stare blank-faced at the ground, but something caught her eye. A glint of light, a silver broadsword stuck into the ground. It rested just behind where Legia had been chained up. His body had hid it from view. It was too small for a Giant, so it must've been left there on purpose for a human to find, right? At least, that was the rationale running through her mind as she turned to Igris, "Can you move him onto Shruikan or Saphira? I'm going to take the sword, it's probably some part of the System." Igris nodded.

"How…?" Izuku asked feebly, "How am I meant to stop them? No matter what I do… they manage to escape. Gate or Spirits… they always escape."

"My Liege, they lose their bodies and grow weaker, you only continue to fill the empty shoes of Ashborn. Now… at least we know that you are more than capable of destroying a Monarch's body. How to permanently eliminate them… well, something will come of our effort." Igris didn't mention the fact that even though Izuku handily dealt with Quaresha, it didn't mean he would be able to beat the other Monarchs as easily. Quaresha was one of, if not the weakest Monarchs they had encountered so far, possibly claiming the title from Baran. "Perhaps if we can locate the Rulers," He pulled Izuku to his feet and led him over to Saphira, "Maybe then we can learn of a permanent killing method."

Just as some light returned to Izuku's eyes, having felt the warmth of Saphira, Yaoyorozu's hand wrapped around the grip of the sword. And like that, she was somewhere else. It was a pure white space, no end in sight, no ceiling, no floor, just her, and someone else.

She was incredibly beautiful, in fact, some might've even called her perfect. Long, flowing silver hair, molten gold irises framed with oval glasses, and a figure to rival even Yaoyorozu herself.

"W-Who are you? Where am I?" She tried to use her Quirk to conjure up a weapon, but nothing came.

The lady put her slender fingers up to her chin as she looked Yaoyorozu up and down, causing the girl to realize that neither her, nor the woman had any clothes on. And yet, she somehow couldn't make out any defining features on her body.

"You feel useless," The woman mused, "You watch as your lover handles threats to the planet and you do nothing, because you can do nothing. Even the Rabbit can hope to try fighting. You simply have no choice but to give up." She smiled, "Are you worried about her stealing away the strongest man on earth?"

"Y-You're talking about Miruko?"

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"What?"

"The fact that your accomplishments mean nothing." The woman adjusted her glasses, an odd gesture considering neither had clothes on, "You studied your whole life to live up to your Quirk, to be able to create anything with your mind and yet, nothing has come of it. You're merely piggybacking on the success of the man in front of you. That hurts." It wasn't a question.

"Who. Are. You."

"I am the Smartest Fragment of Brilliant Light, Correnic… and judging by the tone of your response, I am also correct."

"Rule… If another Ruler has found a host, why aren't you helping us?!"

Correnic smiled kindly, "I have not found a host. What you see before you is what you would imagine a female Ruler to appear as."

"Imagine-"

"That's correct. This is your subconscious."

"So then… this is your test… for a human host…"

"That's correct."

Yaoyorozu crossed her arms, "Then I choose whatever option ends in failure."

"Hmm?"

"I don't want to be a host, to any of you."

"That would be the smart choice… wouldn't it?" Correnic asked, confusing Yaoyorozu, "But that would betray your true feelings."

Yaoyorozu shook her head, "I don't care what you have to say, you're all out for yourselves!"

Correnic scoffed, "Comparing me to genocidal forces of darkness? Very cute."

"Legia wasn't genocidal."

"No, he was just tricked into being a tool for genocide. Which still makes him guilty."

"And what about you Rulers?! You locked a man up for ten years just as a science experiment!"

Correnic rolled her eyes, "Ever heard that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?" Before Yaoyorozu could say anything more, she raised her index finger, "Look, we didn't come here to mess with you humans. We followed the Monarchs here in order to protect you. If you'd rather be wiped out entirely, then by all means, refuse our help, refuse our attempts to save this planet. But no matter how powerfully you reject me based on your morals, deep down, you see what Ashborn has done for that boy and you want something, anything, to even come close to what he can do." Correnic gave a sly smile, "You want to be able to no longer want to be on the backburner, you want to fight on the front lines alongside him."

Yaoyorozu narrowed her eyes, "That's the only requirement for your test? Be willing to accept a God as a parasite latching onto your body?"

"Parasites can live a mutually beneficial life with their host."

"Don't avoid the question, why do you seem so ready to take me as a host?"

Correnic nodded, she was satisfied that she had gained Yaoyorozu's interest. Now, there was a chance she would accept the offer. "Rulers take hosts through different means or different conditions and along those same lines, we grant our powers through different outlets. Aeic grants supreme strength through a test of worthiness. Pulra grants the ability to see any and all weaknesses through an evaluation of her host's own weaknesses. Razar-"

"Get to the point."

"Right… well, I grant my host no direct strength. Aside from my inherited intelligence, being my host has only one upside." Correnic conjured a sword in front of her. It looked like nothing special, just a simple silver broadsword, but when she wrapped her hand around its grip, it changed. White lines of energy chased their way up the sword, morphing it into a futuristic and powerful blade. "I can enhance any non-living material to unlock its deepest potential. You can create any non-living material. The math is simple, you are my perfect host. Perhaps it was fate that brought you here today. With my immense Mana stores and enhancement abilities, you will never feel helpless again."

"I… I still don't like the idea of letting any of you take me as a host."

Correnic sighed heavily, "Rulers do not take over a host's mind or body like a Monarch does. If you're worrying about control, then stop. Besides, don't you need my help?"

"Why would I need your help?"

"You care for the one Ashborn has chosen, so you feel horrible as he bemoans his most recent loss. If he had the knowledge regarding how to destroy a Monarch's Spiritual being, Legia and Quaresha would both be permanently silenced and there would only be six Monarchs left in existence. Instead, Quaresha took back the mind of the Monarch I had been watching over for millenia, turning him back to the side of destruction." She held out her hand for Yaoyorozu to take.

Yaoyorozu looked down at the offered hand with conflicting emotions, then back up at Correnic's genuine expression. The Ruler gave a soft laugh, "So that's where the desire originates. You don't want power simply because you don't want to feel helpless, you want the power so that he doesn't feel helpless." She shook her head, "I suppose us Rulers don't know everything." With that, she gave her final pitch, "With our powers combined, he won't ever have to feel this helpless again."

Yaoyorozu recalled that haunted expression on Izuku's face and that was all she needed to steel her nerves and take the Ruler's hand. As she did, an incredible warmth filled her body, and her vision was eclipsed by light.