UPDATE TIIIME. So some important things to be announced but they can wait until the chapter is ended. Not much else to say but READ ON.
Busy clubs with pounding EDM music were replaced by dive bars, stairs descending into basement clubs, and love hotels with barely dressed women standing out front. Those women had desperate eyes and sallow skin. The men who approached them had the air of loneliness, guilt, and wobbled with intoxication.
Ibara had to be convinced not to go and spread the good word to them. They were on a mission, after all.
Men in suits stumbled out of these clubs, laughing, and hanging off one another. Once or twice, however, they'd been forced to move around a block to avoid a sudden fight breaking out before them.
The night air was chilled and cold. Above the skies were heavy and Hitoshi had already felt the first droplets of rain hit his face. He should have been shivering and pulling his collar up, instead, he felt tight and on edge.
He couldn't explain it, but… there was a tension in the air. Even here. They were approaching their destination with every step they took, and yet with every step, his sense of dread increased. Even the others had stopped chitchatting a while back.
He felt as though he was walking into a trap, even though he knew that there was no possible way the Heralds could have seen them coming. Their attention would be focused on Lucifer's reprisal, not a bunch of mortals sneaking in the back door.
Dark Shadow had emerged and had hidden under Fumikage's top. It was a risk they'd been forced to take. He and Ibara could see the unborn, but Dark Shadow was the only one knowledgeable enough to spot any demonic traps or spies. It was also funny, seeing the occasional black-shadow beak popping up from under Fumikage's overly baggy clothes.
"Do you feel it too?"
Hitoshi snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Ibara had fallen in by his side.
"Feel what?" He answered in a low voice.
"The closer we get to the den of evil, the more the world revolts against it. The taste in the air, the darkness in the shadows." She glanced around, her eyes shining, watchful and ready. "This is it. It has to be." She turned to look at him. "I mistook you, Hitoshi. I thought your soul had been despoiled by the Prince."
He frowned at her, though he kept his tone low. "Obviously, you thought wrong."
"Indeed. You're more… noble than I thought you'd be. It's admirable."
He raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm flattered, but you know I'm super gay, right?"
She frowned. "First of all, not what I meant. And second of all, I don't care what you do in the context of your own… preferences. God's love is not dependent entirely on who you copulate with. I personally think that things like adultery and congress outside of marriage are far more sinful."
Hitoshi felt like arguing that point but decided that was probably about as good as he was going to get out of the templar. It wasn't great, but it wasn't screaming and throwing the Quran at him either… which he supposed she wouldn't do anyway.
It'd be a Bible, after all.
"So, what is it then?"
She paused for a moment as the group turned another corner and passed two drunken men hitting on a gang of women. The women were trying to avoid them, and Hitoshi had to suppress his natural urge to go and help them.
They were supposed to be a gang, after all, not undercover heroes. Still, it ate at him a little bit that he couldn't walk over and send the drunks packing.
"You rescued that young boy. That's what everyone said at the hospital."
Hitoshi blinked. "People talked about that?"
"Of course." A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "And word is that All Might has taken a shine to you. He's a blessed man, God smiles upon his actions. So… I suppose God must be smiling upon you too."
Hitoshi felt a little nervous at how close she had come to the truth of things. Maybe, in some small way, she suspected he had become All Might's successor. Great, another person who might have stumbled upon the world's worst kept secret.
He went to open his mouth, though what he was going to say was snatched from him by a sudden cry from Dark Shadow, causing the entire group to come to a quick halt.
"What is it?" Fumikage hissed as the shadow-beast moved out from under his clothes.
Hitoshi could see they were straining to keep themselves small. The shadows stretched long here, even under the buzzing, dull glow of the overhead light. Perhaps more so because of it.
"Look. There."
And before them stood the church. Unlike the smooth, cared-for brick and polished wood of Fumikage's temple home, this was crumbling and ancient. Vines and moss grew upon grey stone, and shadows hung long and deep across it like a cloak over rotting bones.
And yet looking at the building sent a horrible dread stabbing into Hitoshi's soul. For a moment he wondered if it were just fear of battle, fear of what might lay within its dark depths, but then he heard Shoto take in a sharp breath beside him, followed by a barely suppressed cough.
"Did you all feel that?" Katsuki hissed, causing Hitoshi to turn again. A small circle formed as they moved back behind an alleyway wall and out of sight of the church. It felt as though he was hiding from terrible, watching eyes.
"That place is cursed," Ibara whispered in a low tone. "I've never felt anything like it."
"They're there." Dark Shadow mused as they peeked out from under Fumikage's baggy clothes. "I can feel it." To Hitoshi's quiet terror, he could hear the shaking in Dark Shadow's voice. Dark Shadow hadn't been afraid of anything, they'd even attacked the very Prince of Hell.
And yet whatever was waiting in that forgotten, forbidding church, was awful even to them.
"So, what now?" Fumikage asked, his crimson eyes dark and shadowed.
"What now?" Katsuki grumbled, his teeth flashing with a snarl. "We go in. We get the idiot, and we get out."
"I meant how. Such a wall of darkness must take great skill to overcome, and they will surely have posted guards upon their fortress of wickedness."
"There's got to be a back way."
"And you don't think they'll be watching that?"
"What other choice do we have?"
The group fell silent for a moment before Dark Shadow suddenly spoke up. "There could be… another way."
The others looked to the demon and Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Well?"
"We could… smash and grab."
"… smash and grab?" Katsuki frowned deeply. "Are you fucking serious?"
"Listen for a moment, you angry blonde gremlin." Dark Shadow snapped back, causing Katsuki to almost shout before Ibara clapped a hand over his mouth. "We know that King Lucifer is planning to strike the location. They have to before the ritual is complete, right? So, when the attack starts, we move in. With any luck we can snatch the Prince and be gone while the Fallen fight."
"If we wait for the others, won't there be too many people here to rescue him?"
Dark Shadow waved a claw. "They're going to die. You could throw every policeman in the city at Lord Satani and they wouldn't scratch them. King Lucifer will be here, possibly with that embarrassment of an Archangel too. It's the only way to tie Lord Satani down. Our chance to save the Prince will be slim, but that'll be it. We can outrun the others."
They had spoken so casually, but the very fact that people were going to die hit the group like a hammer. For a moment, the sky above seemed even lower, heavier, and more claustrophobic than ever before. Hitoshi gulped and found it hard to swallow. He curled a hand to hide the tremble he felt there.
This was going to be a massacre, no matter what they did.
"Think of it this way." Dark Shadow added as if sensing the mood that had settled on the group. "If we get to the Prince first, perhaps King Lucifer will withdraw. They may even provide us protection on our escape." They grinned and added. "Maybe even a reward."
"… this sounds risky. Too risky." Shoto frowned then suddenly coughed again, though he clearly made an effort to suppress it. "Surely, there's a better way?"
"If you have any ideas on how to outrun a Fallen Archangel I'd like to hear it." Dark Shadow folded their arms. "And don't call me Shirley."
"… Goddamnit." Hitoshi cursed, though he was suddenly punched in the arm by Ibara. "Ow! Right, sorry, yeah. I guess we kinda need God's favor on this one."
"Can we at least scout the place first? Maybe we can find an opening somewhere. We need to get as close as we can before the strike happens." Shoto mused quietly.
"Agreed." Ibara gave a sharp nod. "We find a weak spot, strike when the battle starts or before the ritual can be completed, and we escape. No engagements, no distractions."
"This is going to be tight." Katsuki huffed before shaking his head. "Fucking… fuck."
"God works in mysterious ways, right?" Hitoshi shrugged and offered a smile. Inside he knew he had to do something to bolster their confidence. This was an almost impossible job, something that could very well get them all killed.
But he wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. He was the Inheritor of One For All. He had the power of eight other heroes swimming in his soul, in his blood, and that meant that he could not back down from the impossible.
He would fight with every inch of his strength, until the very last breath left his lips and until the very spark of his spirit faded from his eyes.
"We can do this, guys." Hitoshi put a confident grin on his lips and hard steel into his gaze. "We can rescue Izuku. We can stop the ritual. We can save the world."
His words seemed to have some effect, as he saw a smile ghost Fumikage's break, a huff of acceptance from Katsuki, a small nod from Shoto and even Ibara seemed to straighten her back.
And yet, before they turned to leave, Ibara put her hand out. "Wait, before we go, one last thing. I would like to give an Oath of Moment."
"… what's an Oath of Moment?" Shoto asked, sharing a confused look with Hitoshi.
Both Fumikage and Katsuki, however, understood the words. Katsuki's eyes hardened and he nodded. "I can read one if you want."
"No, I… I want to make one of my own. For all of us." Ibara offered, her eyes blazing in the dark.
"Even for me?" Fumikage's voice was low, dark. "For one of a cursed soul?"
"Yes. Even for you. Even for Dark Shadow, if they wish. They may be a demon, but they have proven themselves capable of nobility. And here, and now, I am willing to honor that."
Dark Shadow blinked at this, and then they did something rather unexpected. They moved closer to Ibara, cocking their head. "… no demon has ever been given an Oath of Moment. I am not sure what it would mean for such a thing to happen."
"The world is changing." Hitoshi suddenly cut in. "So why not? Why can't a demon be given an Oath of Moment? All those stupid rules about what can and can't happen have led to all this bullshit. It's about time things changed."
Ibara nodded. "I… I agree. Izuku has shown that those of Hell can be honorable, and I have learned from personal experience that those claiming to be acting in the name of God can be evil and cruel. I have also learned that forgiveness is something that must be given, to oneself or to one's enemies." She looked to Katsuki. "Or it can lead down terrible paths."
"I still don't know what an Oath of Moment is, but I'll take it." Shoto announced in his flat tone. "What do we have to do?"
"Well, let's place our hands together. That seems like a good start."
And so, they did. Together they formed a circle, and their hands were placed over the other, even Dark Shadow's, with Ibara's on top.
The heavens finally opened up. Rain was starting to fall, and it began soaking, warm and wet, into their clothes and hair.
A baptism before the fire.
"Hitoshi Shinsou. Shoto Todoroki. Katsuki Bakugo. Fumikage Tokoyami. Dark Shadow. You stand on the eve of battle before the Great Enemy. Speak your oaths and be heard."
Hitoshi had no idea what to say, so he was glad when Katsuki spoke first. "My soul is cleansed. My heart is pure. My oath shall be sworn as thus. I promise to rescue Izuku-Nemesis-idiot moron who got themselves captured and stop the end of the world from happening." There was a second's pause. "I swear it, before God Almighty, King and Savior."
Shoto came next, repeating the first few sentences, though pausing to give a rough, grating cough, before adding his own promise in a raspy tone. "I promise to do my best, to save my friend, to save the world, to not stop trying until we're all safe again."
Fumikage spoke different words. "Despite my cursed soul and my troubled heart, I will swear my oath as thus. I promise to do all I can to save the Prince of Hell, to save the world, and use the darkness within to fight the darkness without."
Dark Shadow looked up to the rain as they spoke, water flowing over their unlight form. "I have no soul to clean, no heart to purify, so I will swear this oath to myself. The Prince offered me a place within their court. A chance to become something more. I… I owe them my fealty. I swear it, I will save them for I wish to serve them. A rightful Prince, for an age of redemption."
Hitoshi was last. His eyes were focused on the circle of hands and droplets of rain fell from his hair and ran down his cheeks. "My soul is… strengthen by the powers of others. My heart is… beating for the love of others. My oath cannot be mine, because I can't swear it for myself. I swear it for my friends, my family, for the people I love. I'll never stop fighting until they are safe. Until everyone is safe. I will do all I can and more for them, not for me."
He looked up and met Ibara's gaze. She seemed pleased.
"I swear it to everyone here."
"As I also swear my Oath of Moment." Ibara looked up to the sky. "God, Lord, please. Hear us. Help us. Guide us. Give us the strength to rescue Izuku Midoriya. Give us the strength to resist evil. Please just… be there for us. We need you."
She looked back to the others, steel and fire were in her eyes. "And so, we swear."
And as one the boys raised their hands, their eyes now shining with courage, and as one, they spoke the words.
"We swear it!"
Izuku's body ached. Whatever constituted as his supernatural ability to heal wasn't doing its job very well. Or maybe it was the complete lack of any real food or water for twenty-four hours.
Sure, they'd fed him. One time the tall, bulky-looking woman had shown up and tossed some cold rice at him. She'd not undone his shackles, however, and so he'd had to eat it almost laying down. It was… humiliating.
Izuku didn't like to lean on the 'I'm a Prince' thing, but sometimes even his human half reached a breaking point.
They were doing this to push his face into the dirt. To have him eat pieces of rice off the floor like a dog. They were doing this, simply because it amused his Aunt-Uncle. That alone was the worst of it. He'd had his moment of weakness, of course. When after several hours in the dark, with no light, no warmth, nothing but the inner workings of his own mind had finally become too much to bear.
No one had appeared to save the day.
Not even his father.
He had scowled at that as he had desperately fought the tears back. His own father, the one who had claimed to do anything for him. Even the very King of Hell couldn't be bothered to come find his own son.
Those thoughts had come from Nemesis, bitter and angry and spiteful. The ache in his spirit had become physical. A great yawning stiffness that had washed across his limbs, rendering him almost unable to move.
But his human half had soothed those aches.
He knew his father was coming. If anything else, his father had been spited. He'd had something of his stolen from his grasp.
… and somewhere deep in his heart, Izuku did not hope but knew that part of his father cared for him. Maybe even loved him. It was a far thought, distant and dreamlike, but it was there. And it was something he could look to in this, his darkest moment.
He had tried to form his own warmth after the air had become so cold, he could almost see his own breath. At first, he had tried to heat himself up, to use his own, natural flame to at least take the edge off.
The shackles hadn't like that. The soft, biting ache they gave him had intensified and he'd felt more of his strength fade.
He'd tried to use his tail to pick the lock.
That had failed miserably.
Then he'd tried to break them. He'd pulled them apart slowly, trying to avoid the view of the camera.
The shackles really hadn't liked that.
Again, that nauseating wave of pinprick weakness had hit him and he felt ashamed of his own inability to fight back. If it was this easy to subdue him, why hadn't any of the other Fallen ever died?
Though he knew the answer. They were stronger, faster, better. They wouldn't have been caught.
And now he was here, at the mercy of something that was utterly inhuman, utterly unholy.
Utterly terrifying.
He sat, his head against the cold stone wall, his lips feeling chapped and dry from the lack of any hydration. It'd been some time since the strange demon with the swirling face had come to pour water into his mouth.
He'd been an odd one. He'd been the only person who had come the cell who had treated him with any modicum of respect. He'd waited for Izuku to swallow instead of forcing the water past his lips. He'd also bowed when he'd entered and had addressed him as 'Prince Nemesis'.
Izuku had briefly looked into his spirit with a focus of his eyes when the demon had turned to leave and had been surprised at what he'd seen. The demon was old. Very old. Ancient, even. And strong. Strong enough that Izuku had wondered just what he'd have to gain from shackling himself to a bunch of amateurs being run by a megalomaniacal Fallen.
But there was something else there too. Something he'd not gotten a good look at, or perhaps it had been guarded somehow.
The swirling-face demon was hiding something, of that he was sure. Not that it was doing him much good, of course, he'd made no signs of actually wanting to set him free.
They'd already started killing people, after all.
Izuku had heard the echoing cries of a death scream not too long ago, and even at the lower-than-basement depth he was in, he'd smelled, just faintly, blood in the air.
Sacrifices.
They were preparing the ritual.
And he was going to be the linchpin. The final death that would give Shigaraki all the power he could ever need to become like the Fallen.
… though somehow, Izuku still didn't buy that. Even when Satani had dived into his mind, trying to corrupt him from within, Izuku hadn't bought the idea that Satani was doing all of this to make some new Fallen under his own control.
If that was the case, why didn't he focus on Himiko? She was clearly in a more advanced stage of evolution than the all-too-human Shigaraki.
He frowned.
Himiko.
They'd had two real interactions. The first was their battle that was cut too short in his opinion, and that wasn't just Nemesis talking. Izuku had wanted to keep going, to reveal who she was through her battle spirit. He felt he had seen a glimpse of the real girl under the blanket of blasphemous power. A girl hungering for acceptance, for love, for freedom to be herself.
The second, of course, was the short conversation they'd had when Himiko had thrown him in the prison he sat in now.
And it was in that moment that he was sure he had seen something else within her. Her soul, to his eyes, was blazing bright with corruption. A terrible, awful sadism lived inside her spirit, and something ugly and gilded and poisonous had reached in and swirled its finger within her very being.
But there had been something else. Past the sadism, past the corruption, and past the blood of the Fallen she had taken into her being.
There had been that tiny, tiny spark.
Her humanity. Her self. Her soul.
It still lived. Blanketed, strangled, in pain and torment, but it was still there.
Izuku had been honest when he'd told her he thought they were meant to be free. He was not his father, even if he had allowed his influence into his life. He was his own person, his own being with his own choices and thoughts. He had chosen to become a redeemer, the Morningstar Reborn, the Morningstar as they were originally meant to be.
He would not repeat his father's foolish mistakes, corrupting himself in some prideful self-aggrandization. His arrogant ambition would not turn him from his path.
And he didn't want that for Himiko either. She still had a chance to get out from under Satani's cruel hand. She was dying, both spiritually and physically under their uncaring love. But he was sure, so sure, that she could rise above.
Though perhaps, deep inside, he just wished for someone who could understand him. Another family member who he could talk, someone who wasn't some ancient super-powered Celestial, but another half-breed like himself.
Someone who would maybe make him feel a little less alone in the world.
He heard the footsteps tapping softly down the hall, and Izuku moved to sit himself up. His wounds pulled at him, causing him to grimace in pain. The cursed shackles were still sapping his energy, draining him of his true strength.
Still, he felt he had enough strength yet to try and make a break for it if he only had half a chance.
Maybe his father hadn't come rushing in with his legion of devils, but he could still save himself.
As the footsteps grew closer, he began to recognize the stride. The unsteadiness of the footfalls, and, as they came to the door, even the haggard breathing and the soft, almost undetectable scent, of blood on their breath.
Even as the door was opening, Izuku was greeting her. "Hey, Himiko."
His would-be cousin stood there, dressed in her ornate robes, her hood hiding most of her face in shadow. All except for her eyes. Eyes which still burned bright gold from under her hood. Strands of blonde hair hung limply around her face and her skin, from what he could see of it, was even paler than before. The blush from her cheeks had vanished, and he could almost see the faint blue lines of her veins.
He couldn't help it. Even with Nemesis's disdain and anger towards the girl swimming in his heart, he felt a swell of pity for her. "How are you feeling?"
She didn't answer, instead choosing to state, "it's time."
Izuku felt his stomach flip. He was supposed to be unable to feel fear, and yet he couldn't stop it. His heart picked up an extra beat and a tremor entered his muscles, one which he fought to contain but found he didn't have the unholy strength to stop.
Damn the chains on his wrists.
However, as she hauled him to his feet, he noticed something. Before, during their long walk to the cell, there had been a deep worry about her. Something she was clearly trying to hide but was written all over her face.
He had already learned that Himiko wasn't that great at hiding her emotions.
Now, however, as they came out into the coldness of the corridor, he could see that there was something clearly… different about her.
She was worse than before, he could tell that easily. He could smell the blood on her breath and wondered if he'd be able to do so even without his enhanced senses. Her skin was so pale as to almost border on sickly and translucent.
It was taking more than effort for her to keep going. It was taking a punishing amount of will for her to keep pushing her body onwards.
And yet… and yet her eyes were bright. The gold of her irises seemed to shine in a way they hadn't before. Before they had been almost dull as the rejection of her father had hit her full force.
Now it seemed something new had been set in her heart. Something that was pushing her onwards.
Perhaps something that wasn't the gilded lies of a Fallen Archangel.
"Seriously, Himiko, you don't look so good." Izuku braved after a few seconds. "You should lie down."
"I'm fine." She replied sharply. "I've got everything under control."
"… so, you still plan to go through with it?" Izuku mused. "You still plan to take out Tomura?"
She hissed at him suddenly and looked around as if she fully expected the walls to have ears. "Shut up! Do you want everyone in the church to know?"
They were in a church? Could have fooled him. The place felt more like an abandoned ruin, let to fill with muddy ditchwater and mold. Though, he supposed if he was an egomaniacal maniac who got off on the pain and suffering of others, he'd probably go this extra too.
After all, what weird cult leader didn't have a creepy church to operate out of?
"Perhaps it's the symbolism?" Nemesis mused in the meat of his brain. "I'm sure Father mentioned something about that at some point."
Perhaps it was. Izuku had learned a few things about the world of the supernatural and he knew for sure that symbolism played a big part in things.
Somewhere beyond them, the world shook to the sound of rolling thunder. Izuku glanced up.
"A storm? Is that part of the ritual?"
"Maybe. I don't know." Himiko replied with a casual shrug, her robes shaking about her as she did so. "It doesn't matter though, does it? As long as it goes off smoothly, I'll get my wish."
Izuku frowned at this and looked to his would-be cousin. "What wish?"
"It's just like you said." She shot him a small, but genuine smile. "We're meant to be free. And I've come to realize something about us."
"Us?"
"We children of the Fallen." She added. "We're not really bound by their rules, are we?"
Izuku blinked at this. He wasn't expecting this from her. She had been screaming about being so devoted to her Father only a day ago. This was… a development. Something that hadn't come from Satani, but from within herself.
"We're meant to be free. But I don't think we'll get their playing by their rules." Her voice lowered to a whisper, but it was a whisper that Izuku heard clearly. "We're meant to make our own rules, and that's what I'm going to do."
"Father be damned?"
She didn't answer, but the shine of her eyes told him everything.
"So, she's committed to it, even at the risk of everything." Nemesis mused as the sounds of voices above grew louder. "There is something to admire in that kind of tenacity. She's an idiot who'll die, of course, but it's still admirable."
Izuku decided not to voice those thoughts. A worry was creeping into his limbs. It wasn't a fear. He had moved past feeling fear. This was a deep-set worry that crawled into his gut and sat there, making him question his own thoughts and actions. It was the kind of worry that was at best, annoying and at worst, distracting.
The power that was flowing through the walls was now palpable. He could feel it crawling on his skin, insect-like. He could feel his heart responding to it, picking up an extra half-second beat. It was almost a heat-wash over his body, something that was pushing back the dreaded icy cold of the dungeons below.
He wasn't descending into hell, he felt as though he was about to rise up into it.
"Something is going to change tonight," Himiko added as they approached the final corridor. "And I will be a part of it. I swear it. I won't ever be confused, or scared, or hurt again." Her hand gripped his shoulder so tight that it hurt, though Izuku refused to cry out and instead simply clenched his jaw. "I'll be free to be myself."
The doors opened. They emerged out into a huge, wide-open space that no doubt was once a holy place but was now clearly desecrated beyond repair. Blood and death swam freely in the air, and not just from the recent torments but past torments too. He could feel it as strongly as he could feel the love and devotion and ancient power of the Temple of the Yatagarasu.
This was a church defiled in every way that a church could be defiled, and if the very feeling wasn't enough, the evidence lay, splattered on the floor before him.
Four bodies lay, decapitated, their heads all facing open-mouthed and screaming towards the center of the room where, in a circle of intricate and accursed symbols, sat Tomura. He was naked, the scars and tattoos on his body clearly visible in the pale, flickering light of the azure scones.
Both Nemesis and Izuku had to take in a sharp breath.
Power hummed in the air like the tension of an oncoming storm. He felt as though if he simply struck a match the entire place would go up in flames.
Nemesis stirred within his blood, a wash of flame that seemed to blanket every inch of his body. He could sense Hell here, and the blood and violence were bringing his darker urges to the fore. He could almost taste battle, and it called to him to try and strike back.
'Patience.' He repeated inside his mind like a mantra. 'Patience. We'll have our moment.'
His darker self agreed, though their hair was now raised like the wolf sensing danger on the arctic wind.
And indeed, he could see the others in the room. The hulking form of the woman who had originally held him down, the strange demon with the ever-changing mask, Legion who constantly struggled against the human host they inhabited, and a new face. A black-clothed man with brilliant azure eyes... and skin that was rotting off his body.
His eyes narrowed for a moment on the man. Something about his soul seemed… weirdly familiar.
"And here comes our guest of honor!" Satani's voice sang out, gleeful and terrifying.
Izuku turned his head and blinked weakly as his Aunt-Uncle glided towards him with the demon Kurogiri following, ghost-like in their wake.
Their veil of pleasure and death was strong now. It was clear that all of this was the culmination of all their plans, the pinnacle moment of their plots and devices.
They were in their element, and it showed.
Beside him, he felt Himiko stiffen, as if nervous.
She really was rebelling against her Father, wasn't she? He wondered if he should out here, and now. Reveal her little treachery and see what might happen. It was a dark thought, a Nemesis thought, but he pushed it down.
He couldn't trust her to aid him in any way, she wanted his spirit after all, but something also told him that he would need her. If anything, just for the distraction she may provide.
Best to let one's enemies fight one another if one can.
"Are you excited, son of Lucifer? You're going to be part of something amazing." Satani practically gasped the words as they loomed over Izuku, all four of their hands clasping together. "You're going to be part of the end of the world!"
"You know, if you end the world, you'll die too." Izuku stated simply. He'd thought about it while sitting, miserable and cold, in the cell.
"Nonsense." Satani waved a dismissive hand. "Hell is not part of the world. It is linked to it, yes, but it is not part of it. And besides, once the combined forces of Hell and Earth take over Heaven, there will be no one to stop my revelry. All will be pain and pleasure, and endless suffering, forever. A universe screaming in joy and agony." They shivered. "It is a dream, is it not?"
"More like a nightmare," Nemesis responded with a low hiss.
"That too." Satani agreed with a soft, elated chuckle. "For why not have both?"
Izuku kept his mouth shut on that one.
"You know, I'm not going to just stand there and let you kill me." He added, trying to sound tough and confident. "I'm going to resist."
"Oh, don't worry, you'll be nice and safe inside a Soloman's Cage," Satani replied softly. "Even we Fallen struggle to get out of those. Though, we're also smart enough to not be caught in them." They reached out and patted Izuku patronizingly on the head.
Each touch of their hand was revolting and compelling, like the addictive pull of nicotine. Murderous and tempting all at once. Nemesis flared in his blood and his scars gave a sudden flash of azure blue as he forced himself to resist.
That, and the sudden rush of hope that dived headlong into his heart.
His Aunt-Uncle really hadn't done their research, had they?
Now all he needed was to wait for the right time, the right second, he could make his escape. When Himiko unleashed hell and threw everything into confusion, that was when he would make his move.
It'd hurt like Hell until then, but all he had to do was hold out.
"Don't feel too bad, little nephew. You were a fun experiment while you lasted, but in the end, you're just going to be fodder for something much more important. Himiko, darling, take the prisoner to the circle. I'll close it. Once it's closed, prepare yourself."
Beside him, Himiko did as she was commanded. Though as he was dragged, he turned his eyes to her.
And she to him.
Their eyes met, and something passed between them.
It wasn't an apology. Nothing even close. But it was something. Izuku understood, at that moment, that perhaps if things could have been different, if she had another route she could have taken, maybe she would have taken it.
But this was it. There was only one option for her. Consume the blood and power of Nemesis and rise to be like them.
It was the only way for her to guarantee her freedom from everything she had suffered as a human.
It didn't make it good, or right, or fair, but it was just what it was.
Izuku was thrown suddenly to the floor. Immediately he moved to escape, to dart up, but the cuffs continued to drain his energy and Satani had moved faster.
Before Izuku could take in a breath, lighting filled his blood. The power of the circle seized him like a giant grabbing his throat and squeezing it tight. He felt claws of faith stab into his limbs and practically anchor him to the spot. He had never forgotten how terrible it had been to be within the circle, but to experience it fresh and anew was something else.
Perhaps because he had become so much closer to his other self, but this time the pain seemed to reach deeper within him, the lightning racing into his blood and head and heart far more intrusively than ever before.
He screamed, unashamed and without reservation. He screamed until his voice filled the entire hall. He felt his limbs shift and change as Nemesis tried to take over, though not to escape, but to mitigate the pain.
It didn't work. Nothing would work. His world was nothing but the jaw-clenching, muscle gripping pain of the cage.
He curled into a ball, forcing his limbs to contract as if in rictus.
And all he could hear was the joyous laughter of an unholy monster.
Himiko watched from the sidelines as Izuku screamed. Perhaps in any other moment, she would have been overjoyed to hear such a thing. She could picture him under her, blood pooling around them as he screamed his death-cry under her loving claws.
But the image was hollow, even in her own imagination. She barely had the strength to focus and concentrate on what she was supposed to be doing.
All that pushed her on, all that kept her on her own feet, was the prospect of what was to come. Power, true power, to reshape her life. To make herself free. To make others love her. To make the world better for her to live in.
No more pain. No more fear. No more rejection. No more hiding.
She could be herself without question, without hesitation, without fear.
She could be free.
And all she had to do was just hold on a few moments more.
The Heralds were taking their positions around the room. There were places on the floor for them. They all knew their words, the chants of unholy power that they were to speak. Already Magne was stepping into her circle, her arms held out to her sides as she began her chant.
The power in the room responded.
Himiko could see it if she focused hard enough. That strange, shimmering sensation that rose like heat from tarmac within the air around her. A sudden arch of black lightning ran through the air and it almost made her jump in shock.
It curved around something. Something large was forming as the ritual signs and sigils in the room began glowing an all-too-familiar cobalt blue. It was a dome that was growing with each passing moment.
First, it formed around Tomura, then it began to expand as Jin stepped onto his position, copying Magne's pose and chanting his own words.
The words melded together, melding, and swimming, and making new words in the air around her. Her head felt dizzy, her heart was starting to pound in her chest. She had to widen her stance as he legs felt wobbly and weak.
The lack of blood was really starting to get to her. Her vision even doubled for just a moment before she blinked hard, forcing them back to focus.
Another figure stepped forward. Dabi.
Though as he did, he caught her eye. It was only a second's glance and nothing more, but it was there.
I'm with you.
His voice joined the chorus, the chanting of the cursed and damned.
There were only two others left to join the chorus. Compress, and then herself.
And then the power would move into Tomura, Father would destroy the Soloman's Circle and, in the same second, cut off Izuku's head.
And Tomura would completely swallow Izuku's soul, blood, and body, and be remade. What that would look like Himiko had little idea, nor did she care. All she cared about was making sure that just at that moment, at the very last second, that Tomura would be the one without his head and that she would consume the power, the soul, everything.
And then? Then she would be reborn.
It was all so easy.
So why was she trembling? Why was, as Compress moved to step into his circle, her heart hammering within her chest? She could do this. She had killed men and women. She was a murderess, and she wasn't even in her twenties.
She was going to be free. She was going to-
Every hair stood on the back of her neck. Every sense in her body, every bone, every atom suddenly screamed in an absolute and terrified panic.
She barely had time to turn her head and see Father Satani from their position on the steps of the chancel.
Just in time to see an expression she'd never seen cross their face as they turned to look at the wall on the far end of the church.
A look of absolute shock.
Then the world exploded.
There was a sonic boom that picked her up and threw her like a rag doll. For a second her entire life was nothing but the blow that hit her, taking the wind from her lungs. Everything was upside down and tumbling and falling before she landed against something tough that, thankfully, fell apart with a loud crash.
Her body screamed in agony and dark spots danced across her eyes.
But that wasn't what stole her thoughts.
What stole her thoughts was the terror. She couldn't stop it. Like a woman trying to hold back the ocean with just her hands, it hit her like a tsunami and drowned her under its cold, depthless waves.
She had never been so scared of anything in her life, and she had no idea what she was even being scared of.
She'd been scared when she'd asked her Father for a reward and scared at the idea of their wrath, but this was… this was something else. This was the very depths of terror, the very source of fear in the human spirit.
This was power beyond her imaging.
Then it hit her. It was the presence of another Fallen. It had to be, for nothing else in her imagination could begin to match the feeling of oppressive power and fear that was wrapping itself around her throat as it forced her head under the icy water of dread.
Her suspicion was confirmed as she looked up from the remains of the wooden chancel rails she'd hit and, somehow, survived impact with.
The entire front end of the church was simply gone. Stone that took forklifts and cranes to construct had been tossed aside like flower petals.
Rain washed into the church in the wake of the dust and settling stones. Rain, and with it, the night air that was somehow hot and heavy.
The power that had been gathering suddenly fluctuated, washing around them and swirling, maddeningly upwards like the forming of a great tornado. Himiko could see, to her shock, that the others had been thrown clear of the blast and were laying about. Magne looked hurt, with blood running down her face.
Jin had already begun making copies of himself to meet the sudden rushing force of yelling policemen and charging heroes. She saw Compress helping Dabi to his feet, who was already bleeding from a nasty wound on his arm where something had torn some of his dead skin off.
Yet those within the now shimmering, lightning-arcing walls of the ritual were unhurt. She didn't even spot any rubble within it, as the unholy energies had deflected everything. It was obvious, however, that both were struggling. Izuku was looking up, his expression hidden. Tomura was still sitting, though the tattoos on his body, designed to help his flesh-change, were bleeding and raw.
And yet all of that was merely a distraction.
Because as she looked up, her gaze, as did the gaze of everyone in the ritual, had settled on one figure.
A form emerged from the dark of the night. A form mighty and terrible and God-forsaken. A form which the very earth seemed to hate and reject, yet suffered to exist, for what being other than the Great Creator could destroy such might?
A form like that of a man, yet greater than any man.
A form which radiated command and power, like a terrible dark King.
Like the King of Hell.
"Satani!" The voice of Lucifer shook the very earth, rolling like thunder over the screams of the erupting battle. "I have come to take back my son and give unto you your well-deserved punishment."
OKAY SO. Firstly, I know, this was a little more filler-y than I had hoped, especially off the back of the last chapter but the wait here is over. Kinda. Daddy Lucy has arrived to KICK SOME ASS, and as you might have noticed, he's not afraid of wrecking shit to get his son back.
That does leave what Hitoshi and the others are gonna do though, right? The barrier seems pretty sturdy... Hopefully, someone can break it. Also, hopefully, the GGG can get in there and rescue our boi before he's consumed by the Cage.
Also, Himiko needs to make her move soon, or she might miss her chance! Can she do that in the incoming carnage? Well, lets hope so. Or not. Depends on how badly you wanna see Izuku dead.
NOW, important news. For anyone on the discord (link is on the AO3 version of this fic, just search it up!) you've probably heard me complaining about my PC problems. Basically, my PC of 6 years has finally started biting the dust as my video card seems to be dying. Random crashes, black screens, etc. I've backed the story up in full, but honestly I dunno if the next chapter will arrive on time. I AM working on getting a new, fancier PC with a better card and whatnot, but I can't promise the next chapter will arrive on time as always. My ability to write and work has been severely hampered since, well, I never know if I'm going to just lose work or not.
So yeah. I'll try and do what I can, but next chapter might be late by a week or so, hopefully less. Sorry for the delay everyone, I know it's the worst possible timing for it since we're about to go into a war here but it can't be helped.
Again, I'll do my best to fix the problems and get my new PC in, but until then, peace out, be safe, wear a mask!
EXTRA NOTE: As of this update (4/30) it looks like it may be a full 8 to 10 weeks until I get a new PC. I'm really really sorry for the delay, and I'll try and do what I can to work on updates when I get the chance.