3 Months Later:
Humanity was rebuilding nicely. Even New York city was making progress thanks to the Seraph Makers. Many claimed it to be a shame that Izuku had not extracted the Shadows of all the Monarch's servants before his passing, but they couldn't have known that those servants provided him the energy to save everyone he loved.
The entire history of the Monarchs and Rulers was revealed to the world via a news broadcast that Yaoyorozu made to inform the world of the supernatural events that had held their world captive for the past thirteen years.
Plenty claimed it to be liberating. To know that they were free from the influence of gods and monsters. There were those who wept at the death of the gods, claiming it to be a tragedy as they formed a religion around the concept of the Absolute Being and his Monarchs and Rulers. Yaoyorozu wasn't certain how something like that would develop, but she wasn't a fan. Of course, she decided not to inform them that other gods, such as the Primordials, still existed. But makeshift religions based on gods of chaos and order were not at all a concern.
In the aftermath of the Monarch War, as it came to be known, Gates had completely vanished and no Chaos World Inhabitant had shown itself, but other Villains, humans, had taken the opportunity to spread mayhem with their Awakened abilities and Quirks. As always, there would be criminals.
Because the world had been so deeply imbued with Mana by the Rulers and the Monarch War, people continued to undergo Awakenings. Heroes swiftly transitioned from monster hunters to a policing force, ensuring the safety of the public regarding Awakenings and Quirks. The Thanatos Agency was one of those forces.
Yaoyorozu was still a powerful fighter, further enhanced by the power Correnic had left with her, but she didn't actually fight much any more. In fact, all the previous hosts, even Dabi, had kept some form of the Higher Beings' power. Yaoyorozu, Mirio, Tsukauchi, Ryukyu, Nejire, Endeavor, and Dabi, who went by Touya exclusively now, were all examples of this and as such, had become powerful National-Ranks. Hiashi got the same treatment. Even though he was only a host for eight minutes, the sheer power of three Rulers augmented him further.
While the former five were treated as Heroes, alongside Hisashi, Endeavor and Touya were not given the same treatment. Having been under the subjugation of a Higher power, Endeavor seemingly had a change of heart and aimed to repent for his transgressions, though it was unlikely anyone would ever see him as a Hero again.
Touya, on the other hand, didn't give a shit. Ryukyu tried time and time again to explain that Touya had been held captive and been fighting against his will. But humans would be humans. Many of them had lost family members to Baran and… well, Izuku couldn't save everyone.
As such, to escape the public eye Touya and Ryukyu left two weeks after the end of the War. But they didn't do something as simple as escape into the wilds of nature. No, with the help of Nemesis, they found a peaceful planet, inhabited entirely by paradise tropical islands and no other fauna. The Primordial opened a Gate for them and a few thousand Shadows went with in order to help them build a home and serve under them. They promised that if they were ever needed again, they would be ready to fight. But for the time being, they would rest on a distant planet.
Speaking of the Shadows, a good portion had completely disappeared. Not because someone had attacked them, defeating them while they possessed no regeneration features, but because they could not stand existence without their Liege. With no master to lead them, they chose to snuff out their own souls, disappearing into the void. Adding that number to the ones that had perished during the War and replenishing it with the Shadows Izuku had managed to extract before his sacrifice, a good three million Shadows remained in the world.
Bellion and Igris took up the positions of Grand Commanders in place of their Liege, organizing the Shadows in order to best serve the world.
Many of the named Shadows, who had more autonomy, chose to go into a deep slumber inside the Bastion at the South Pole. They were warriors and no longer had a purpose like their brethren. But unlike their brethren, they refused the thought of being selfish. Their Liege had not been able to give the order before his death, but they could still feel his will. His last command. His wish for them to eternally serve the world and protect his family. They would wake at a moment's notice.
Hyo, Tusk, and Azrael opened an actual school for magic users, teaching them new skills and imparting the teachings their Liege had left with them. While there were a few questionable teaching methods, they held the safety of the world in utmost regard, so all would work out well enough.
Lucifer, aiming to one day surpass Igris, opened a school of his own… or rather a dojo, to train the more physical Awakened fighters in hand-to-hand and armed combat. In his pursuit, he was a little harsh on his students, so only the strongest stayed with the program.
Aside from them, there was only one other Shadow with a unique path. Two months ago, after he had finished grieving his Liege properly and ensuring that the earth was in good hands, Kamish sought out the hosts.
All of them, aside from Ryukyu and Touya, gathered to hear what the Dragon had to say.
"I was a servant of Antares for far too long. As such, I know that it would be unwise to think that the forces we defeated on this planet were the only forces the Monarchs had accrued throughout the universe. As such, I request permission to leave Earth and begin my hunt. I shall scour the universe, seeking out any remaining followers of the Monarchs and claim their lives if they refuse to give up on their mission of destruction."
Tsukauchi was the first to answer, "We have more than enough protection here. You're free to leave, but… is this really what you want? To search for even more fighting?"
"I… know nothing else. Many of my brethren share this sentiment, but I cannot stand doing nothing, so I shall chase the stars and seek out my enemies. That way, Earth can sleep soundly knowing that the Monarchs' influence, no matter how remote, will never reach her again."
They hadn't heard from him since and it was unlikely they'd ever hear from him again. He was apparently so deep in the universe that not even Nemesis's mental reach could find him.
As for the humans… life was just as difficult following Izuku's death. While a massive worldwide funeral was held for Izuku and many Heroes and civilians lost during the battle just a week after the war, his family held a far more private affair a week after that.
Neither Rumi, Momo, or Nejire cried. They had already done that enough. No more tears would flow. So instead, they comforted Eri and Izuku's direct blood.
Rumi quickly returned to the Thanatos Agency. Like the Shadows, without any goal, she'd go crazy, so she threw herself into work.
Nejire similarly spent her time working to distract herself, using the healing powers that Arturk had left behind to become a healthcare worker. But in her more private moments, she'd admitted to the other girls that she wished she would've been brought back with the scars Baran had given her still covering her body. To her, they were the last remnant of Izuku's comforting touch and upon resurrection, they were snatched away.
Yaoyorozu… Yaoyorozu had nothing. She had no desires at all. The one time she had gone to find Beru, he had told her something. Filled with grief, he had returned to Jeju Island, hiding out in the hollowed mountain as he did his best to cope.
"Our Liege was our conduit to life. Without him… we shouldn't exist at all. But we do… so we live in his memory. Even still…" He had shaken his head, "When we are extracted, our core is made of the Mana he took from our cold corpse. That core, it was so warm. Now… it is cold again. If there is no world-ending danger I'd prefer to be alone and allow that core to rekindle some of its heat."
It took her a while to process her feelings, but now… she realized she felt the exact same way. Sure, there was always something that would need fixing, but if the world wasn't in danger, and she wasn't needed, she'd prefer to leave the world.
Of course, she couldn't do that. Instead, she put on a brave face, everyday, for Eri. All the while, trying to find a way to fill the hole left in her heart. During the day, with the help of Sakura, Inko, and Hisashi, the penthouse returned to a bit of its former energy, but at night… at night, the girls gathered together in the bed they had shared with him and laid in silent solitude.
She tried to find a hobby, or a line of work that grasped her attention, but nothing fit. One Shadow, a human who had been extracted during the Monarch War and a writer before becoming Awakened, encouraged her to write as he was doing, constructing a biography for his Liege. He had planned to leave it anonymous, but Yaoyorozu encouraged him to write his human name down. Within a month, The Shadow Monarch Hero by Brandon Burnett was in the public eye.
Unfortunately for Yaoyorozu, she found the hobby of writing, or any hobby for that matter, completely useless.
The others were doing their best to move forwards and live on as he had asked, but Yaoyorozu was stuck. Her desire had been to become a Hero and help people, but something about that… just felt empty now.
Shigaraki was still out there, they had never recovered his body from Canada. There was likely some power left over from Antares after the God of Destruction had cast aside his host, so Yaoyorozu would inevitably return to Hero work being one of the few who could still handle him.
But she'd be around for plenty of time, so she'd be there to help deal with him. After a doctor examined her, she learned that her lifespan had been extended dramatically. She'd be around to witness several generations rise and fall and she'd have to live through it all… with a piece of herself missing.
"Then again," She thought to herself, "Three hundred years of life is a long time… maybe enough to rekindle that heat Beru was talking about." She smiled as she gazed out at the dinner table.
Hisashi and Rumi were exchanging banter, Inko doted on Eri, and Sakura teased her boyfriend goodnaturedly, getting some help from Nejire. Bakugo grumbled, an uncharacteristic smile on his face as Shadows handed out food.
"My lady," Nakir, Correnic's Grand-Marshal, laid her plate before her. Even with Correnic gone, the Angel continued to treat Yaoyorozu like the Ruler, "Please enjoy the food."
Igris, who was visiting for the night at the behest of Hisashi, noticed the bittersweet melancholy coming off of Yaoyorozu. He was standing at the head of the table, behind the girl, acting as the family's guard. Esil accompanied him, having become infatuated with the Knight. He rarely showed it, but everyone could tell he held some fondness for her as well.
Igris leaned forwards, placing his armored hand on Yaoyorozu's shoulder, saying nothing at first. He didn't need to. His hand… to Yaoyorozu, it carried the same energy that Izuku had just before his body turned to nothing. Shadows were meant to be undead echoes of their previous selves. But Yaoyorozu wasn't so sure. After all, how could something dead, feel so warm.
Instead of speaking out loud and ruining the mood, Igris set up a mental link between himself and Yaoyorozu, "I too wish he could be here with us, celebrating the universe's freedom. However… though this will not replace the part of our lives he filled, you should know… If there is an afterlife and he is looking down on us from it, he could not be happier knowing that his family is safe and sound thanks to his efforts."
Then to himself, Igris thought, "And my Liege… Ashborn… he could not be happier knowing that his powers of death… finally birthed true life."
5 Earth Years Later (67 Years inside the Gap Between Dimensions):
Without any Monarchs or Rulers hiding in this void, the Gap was completely empty. No gods, no monsters waited in its depths. The only things that passed through were mortal souls as they moved their way towards Mania's maw.
And yet, somehow, even in that perfect darkness, there was a shadow of something. A shadow that surpassed darkness, embodying the void itself. 67 years it had spent here, maybe even longer, passively absorbing the null energy around it. Eventually, on its 68th birthday there, a change happened. The energy reached a critical mass and an evolution took place to better handle it. Only one being bore witness to it.
Mania, in her human form, drifted through the void, watching smugly as the shadow continued to expand and take shape, building on the power it already held with the power it took from the darkness around it. Mania cupped the small clump of Shadows in her hand, feeding it a command, "Awaken and become new. Become… The Primordial Monarch of the Void."
From that shadow, an emerald green eye snapped open, illuminating the darkness.
Death is not the End
Read onto the next chapters for a Q&A and a final Author's Note.