So this idea started as slightly cracky, then got serious because that's how I roll, and then I went "wait, don't people with multiple souls of different aspects get multiple Grimoires?" And then it slid deep into "crack taken seriously". So yeah.
- X Izuku X-
Izuku rushed over the rocky crags, his grimoire above them as he dodged another blast of fire. Dense muscles bulged below his skin before he finally reached his target, cranking One for All up to thirty percent. Merleona grinned up at him, flames gathering around her frame as Izuku activated his own magic.
"Calidos Brachium!" Merleona declared, punching at him with an explosion of flames. Izuku felt his skin blister and char below the leaping flames, but didn't slow himself for a second as he drew his foot back.
"Body Binding Magic!" Izuku swung his changing arm at Merleona, the muscles splitting into half a dozen sinewy lines as he did, "Sinew Coils!"
Each whip lashed out at Merleona, who weaved around them with as little footwork as possible. Izuku landed, his arm remerging into an actual, well, an arm. The Lord of Bone and Sinew rushed towards the Uncrowned, Undefeated Lioness as his burned skin began to slowly but surely regenerate from the burns inflicted on him. Another Calidos Brachium launched at him, and he dodged around it with OfA at fifty percent for a moment. Kicking off, Izuku's bones rearranged into a spike that tore through his own hand. Merleona caught the pile bunker with her offhand in a spray of blood, punching Izuku in the face with a burning fist.
Izuku kicked Merleona's leg out from under her, sending them both tumbling across the ground of the volcano and next to a stream of lava. Just the proximity caused Izuku's Mana Skin to begin to fight while he cranked OFA up and flipped them so he was pinning the red headed Lioness to the rock with his knees. Her unkempt hair splayed out behind her as she stares up at the short man above her with a wild grin, one Izuku couldn't help but share, "I win."
"Really?" Merleona said, and Izuku locked up as the mana in the atmosphere spiked. Oh, crap on a crack- "Calidos Brachium Barrage."
Izuku threw himself off her, his lithe body rippling as dozens of fists of fire came from every direction. One for All merged with his mana into a crackling sheet of green fire and lightning as Izuku whipped around the blasts of fire as quickly as he could. Below him, the rock cracked and released gouts of lava while Merleona stood and cracked her neck with a wild grin on her face.
"This isn't over yet, Izuku!" She roared, launching herself towards him. Izuku's muscles and bones shifted as he pulled back and unleashed a OfA enhanced Smash.
Time stopped for a second as fire met pure strength.
Then the ground below them gave way to the tunnels below the volcano.
- X Julius X-
Julius Novachrono, captain of the Grey Deer, walked through the forest. In the distance, he could hear the noise of the man he had been tracking for the last week fighting something. Oh, this was gonna be great!
Sliding behind a tree, he watched the shirtless, green haired man with bulging muscles staring at the boar the size of a house in the Forsaken… no, that wasn't true. Even commoner houses in the Noble realm were small enough to equal this creature. Green lightning crackled around the man as he cracked his neck. But what really caught Julius's attention was the spear-like bone sprouting from his left arm, while his right was a whip-like mass of sinnew with jagged bones poking out of it.
The boar charged, and as fast as Julius could keep up with, the man was in the air and in the midst of a flip. The whip hand lashed down and gouged into the hide of the boar before he reeled himself in and landed spear first. An ear splitting squeal split the air as the boar whipped around and tried to throw the man off with each squelching stab of the spear, using the whip to spin himself to different parts of the boar.
Finally, the man landed at the skull and pulled back his spear hand. The bone retracted into it before punching out and through the boar's hide and bone. It fell, thrashing as it went, and the man's arms returned to a state of normalcy as he rested his head on the boar's.
"I'm sorry," he said, voice soft, hand running through the blood soaked fur as the thrashing stopped, "rest now. It's alright."
The boar's eyes flickered shut as the thrashing got weaker, and the man finally stepped back. Julius stepped out from behind the tree, "that was a weird thing to do…"
The man locked up, turning towards Julius with a nonplussed look in his green eyes.
"Hello?" The man said.
"Hi," Julius smiled, and then launched into a hurricane of questions, "What type of magic do you use? Transformation? No, Bone, skin? I mean, you're called the Lord of-"
"Please don't call me that," the man said, "I hate that nickname."
"Well, you never give your name, so they had to call you something," Julius laughed. The man gave a quiet laugh himself, nodding.
"You know a lot about me," the man said, a grimoire similar to, though far smaller than, Julius's came down and snapped shut with the sudden appearance of a cover. The man stored it in a knapsack next to a set of books, "Which means you have the advantage over me. Body, by the way."
"Hu- oh, you use Body Magic," Julius said, watching the grimoire like a hawk, "That makes sense. I'm Julius Novachrono, by the way."
"Izuku Midoriya," the man said, "What can I help you with, Julius? I can't think we just both happened to be here."
"It happens more often than you think with me," Julius said with a laugh, "though I was actually looking for you, Izuku. We had heard about some sort of Knight Errant going around and doing jobs for towns, and I wanted to meet you and ask you something."
"Go ahead," Izuku said, fishing a large knife from the knapsack as he went, "you don't mind if I do this while we talk, do you? A man has to eat, and it'd be a shame to let this much meat go to waste. I'm sure the village will eat the rst, but-"
"Sure, go ahead," Julius said, "and as for my question… would you like to official?"
"Make what official?" The man said, beginning to carefully butcher the giant boar.
"The knight thing," Julius said, "You're pretty good and I'm the captain of the Grey Deer Magic Knight squad, all I have to do is say the word, and I can have you added to our roster. Not much would change, but you'd get a salary for doing what you do."
"And the fact that it makes the Clover Kingdom look good to not have problems solved by a third party?"
"That too, if I'm honest," Julius said.
Izuku was quiet for a minute, humming to himself. Then, he quickly shrank until he was half the size he had been before, gaining baby fat on his face while his body went from bulging muscles to a lithe swimmer's physique.
"I'm a complicated person, Julius," the teen said, his voice now matching his frame, "I'm from a land far away from here… but if you'll have me, I'd be happy to join.
-X Izuku X-
Izuku hovered in mid-air with One for All running through his body while Merleona stood on the lava below like it wasn't there. Mana Zone clashed with Mana Zone as husband and wife stared at each other.
"Mana Zone," they said as one.
"Calidos Brachium-"
"Clay Bone Spike-" Bones began to form in the air around Izuku, marrow and white enamel forming from pure mana.
"BARRAGE!"
"Hailstorm Devastator."
Against anyone else who wasn't an enemy, Izuku would have hesitated to use the move. But if there was anyone in this world who could experience it and survive, it was Merleona (and Julius).
The bones flew forwards while Izuku flew backwards, dodging fist after fist of fire before they appeared as the mana of his zone burned away, occasionally sending a vacuum flying their way from a 50% kick if they were getting too close for comfort. With no mana in it, they cleaved through the Calidos Brachium.
The bones, the ones that didn't hit a Calidos Brachium and turn to ash on the spot, blackened and cracked as they approached Merleona. Finally, the boiling marrow forced itself out and the bones exploded like a rudimentary frag grenade, the fragments flying at the Lioness at even greater speeds. Merleona, if anything, accelerated her punches as the shards tore into her skin, a wild grin on her face.
Izuku's fists blurred as he amped up One for All as far as he could safely go, vacuums of air smashing against Merleona's attacks. Hollow spheres of air and flame formed where punch met punch, vacuums in their core.
And then a distant chirp went off in the distance, and they both paused. The last flames died against his punches, and they sighed.
"I swear," Izuku muttered, "If that's your dad wanting you to stop our-"
"Father learned his lesson after I sent the last suitor back to the capital in a cast," she said.
"Well, we're not expected back in the capital to report to Julius for another month, " Izuku said as they used Mana Zone to fly towards their base camp where they had left Izuku's old, slightly ragged haori with the Grey Deer logo on it and their knapsacks. Merleona grabbed the communication device from it, holding out the magical equivalent to a phone… quite literally, as Izuku had it commissioned to look like a flip phone.
"Merleona? Izuku?" An image of Merleona's mother appeared above it, and it was obvious the woman with red and gray hair had been crying. That alone set Izuku on guard, because in his experience even the most softhearted members of the Vermilion family didn't cry easily.
"Mother," Merleona said, "What's wrong?"
"It's… It's Fuegoleon," she said, "There was an attack on the capital and… and…"
"And what," Merleona demanded, heat radiating off of her like a blast furnace. Izuku's skin shifted as he quietly began to pack up their things, ears straining to focus on the call behind him.
"He's… he's in a coma," Izuku's pulse quickened and he activated One for All, rushing around the camp and packing even quicker, "Owen is taking care of him, but we don't know when he'll wake up or if he'll be suited to return to captaincy of the Crimson Lion Kings. They… they tore off his arm off-"
"Who," Merleona's voice had become deathly calm, as Izuku stopped next to a rock and shattered it with a heavy punch for both of them, "is "They", Mother?"
"A cult called the Eye of the Midnight Sun," she said.
"I'm going to kill them."
There was no boasting in Merleona's words, no bravado. It was a simple statement of fact. The Eye of the Midnight Sun would die.
"We need you to come back to the capital," Merleona's mother repeated, "Leopold isn't old enough to lead, and-
"Get Kirsch to do it. I have a cult to-"
"We'll be there within a week," Izuku said.
"I… Thank you, Izuku."
"Family is important during times like this, Lady Vermilion. Even if you don't see me as part of it, Merleona is. We'll be there."
"I do-"
"Izuku," Merleona growled.
"We don't know where to begin," Izuku said as the call ended, "I'll pick Julius's brain for information while we're there, but we both know Kirsch would make a terrible Squad Leader for the Lion Kings. Plus, it would deprive the Peacocks of their acting leader. And let's be honest, if they managed to cripple Fuegoleon, we're not gonna be able to run a two person crusade on this cult."
"...I know. But I'm gonna kill them when the chance comes, you won't stop me, Izu."
"I wouldn't want to," Izuku said, "Fuegoleon's always been good to me, Leona, even if he didn't get our relationship. We'll get the person who did this, together if we have to."
- X Morgen X-
Morgen stepped into the den of his new workplace and home, looking around. The first thing he noticed, perhaps inevitably, was the green and black haired man a couple years older than him sitting on a couch with eight books floating around him.
"Hello," The man said, the books shifting as he stood up so they didn't hit him. He brushed out his strange coat, adjusted the scarf he wore over it and held out a hand, "I'm Izuku Midoriya. You must be the new member of the Deer, right?"
"Yes," Morgen took the hand, noticing the strong grip, "Morgen Faust, of the Faust family. Why do you have those books around you?"
"Right now, or in general?" Izuku asked, eyes turning towards them, "because I still couldn't tell you for the life of me why eight Grimoire showed up. But right now, I'm getting ready for a duel I'm probably gonna lose."
"Come on, Izuku," the Captain said, grabbing the second thickest grimoire from the air and flicking through it, "You can do this! You have to!"
"I'm going to try, Julius," Izuku said with a tired sigh, sitting back in the chair and reopening the heaviest grimoire. Eight… something about that seemed specific, even with the strangeness of having more than one grimoire to begin with, "but Fuegoleon is better than me. We both know that."
"Then fight smarter," Captain Novachrono said, landing a hand on Izuku's shoulder and letting go of the grimoire, "I wouldn't have told you to do this if I didn't think you could win, you know that, right?"
"Right," Izuku said.
"And you're Midoriya 'of the eight grimoires'. All of them except Body magic might be weak on their own, but you can pull out some crazy tricks if you have to by combining them."
"And Fuegoleon knows that and expects it," Izuku sighed, "I can't afford to lose this, Julius."
"Then don't," Novachrono said, before coughing, "Sorry, Morgen. Let me show you around and where you'll be staying. Izuku, I'll leave the brainstorming to you."
Izuku waved absentmindedly, pouring over his Grimoires as they walked away from him. Novachrono gave a tired sigh.
"Sorry about that, Morgen. We shouldn't have taken away from your big day of joining us," he said, "but that's been hovering around Izuku's head for a while now, it's a big thing for him."
"It's fine," Morgen smiled, "really. Izuku looked like he needed help. He said Fuegoleon, right? Does that mean he's going to be dueling the "King of Flames"?"
"Yeah," Novachrono said, "you can see why it's hanging over him. A commoner, even one as strange as Izuku, going up against a royal isn't an easy fight."
"Yes," and they said Fuegoleon was one of the strongest mages in the kingdom, even stronger than his father, "Thank you for inviting me to join the Deer."
"And thank you for joining us," Novachrono said, stopping in front of a door, "This is where you'll be staying. Izuku's room is to the left, while the one to the right is currently empty, with my room at the end of the hall. If you need anything, Morgen, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask one of the servants, Izuku or me. We're all willing to help out. We're the first three members of the Grey Deer after all."
- X Julius X-
Julius looked up as Izuku strode into the office, oversized, worn haori and scarf flowing in the breeze as he went, "You heard the news, then?"
"What happened," Izuku demanded, pulling down the scarf to expose a roughly healed patch of skin that spread from his lower jaw and down his neck, "and please don't dance around it, Julius. Merleona is about ready to go on a rampage and-"
"So are you," Julius said, simply. Izuku reached up to scratch the old injury.
"I still owe Fuegoleon," he said simply, "and him losing an arm while I'm out eating wild boar isn't a good way to repay him. What happened? They mentioned a cult?"
"I'll give you a quick summary," Julius said, "Because the Captains are coming soon. We have a traitor among them, and I want to find out who."
"We can cross out Yami, William and Morgan," Izuku said, immediately dropping the subject, "and Fuegoleon, obviously. Are there any new captains I should know about?"
"Yes," Julius said, "Purple Orcas, Gueldre Poizot."
"Don't know him," Izuku said, pacing back and forth, "and I don't want to immediately point the finger at the guy I don't know, but…"
"You're gonna point the finger," Julius finished.
"I can't see it being Nozel or Captain Roselei," Izuku said, "If it was Nozel, he'd want a fair fight with Fuegoleon and me, not something crippling him during a surprise attack."
"That's the conclusion I have drawn too," Julius said. Ah, the wonders of competent retainers, "Dorothy and Jack?"
"I trust Captain Unsworth," Izuku said simply, "Lady Acier trusted her, and so I will too. Jack… I can't see him doing something like this. He's a psychopath but he's not one for stabbing us in the back. I'd put Yol on it being the Orcas' captain. They've always been corrupt and should have been purged of traitorous elements after Zara."
"Offering yourself for that?"
"I'll do research if it's him," Izuku said, "root out the traitors."
"And the fact that that also keeps Morgan from conceding control of the Grey Deer to you?"
"I plead guilty, your majesty," Izuku laughed, before growing serious, "We're only here until Fuegoleon wakes back up. I know you and Morgan wanted me to take charge of the Deer but I'm just not ready for it permanently, and shaking it up significantly for no reason would just cause unnecessary havoc. I'll act as an Internal Inquisition officer. I still hold that rank, don't I?"
"Until the day you die," Julius said, pulling out a worn badge with his seal on it and pushing it to towards Izuku, who slid it on and stepped into the shadows of the door with a quiet nod.
- X Asta X-
Asta walked into the room behind Yami, looking around at each of the captains and trying to hold the shiver that ran through him despite himself. He could push past his limits, he could never give up… but everyone here was strong enough to beat him, if he was honest.
Well, he was pretty sure of that. Captain Yami could beat the crap out of him, so why couldn't the other Captains?
The first he noticed was Noelle's brother, Nozel Silva, Captain of the Silver Eagles standing close to a patch of shadow and looking into it. A braid of silver hair dipped down between his eyes and over his nose.
Then there was Dorothy Unsworth sleeping in a chair, Captain of the Coral Peacocks. She was dressed like a pink witch, with a long pointed hat over her purple hair and a bubble of snot.
Sitting next to her was a man with heavy scars across most of his body that Asta could see, wearing a blue coat marked with the symbol of the Grey Deer. Black hair was pulled into a high ponytail. He stood up as they stepped in, giving a friendly smile, "Yami. It's good to see you."
"Nice to see ya too, Morgen," Yami said walking over to the other man, "though I wish we weren't here for such a shitty reason."
"Yes," Morgen said, "to steal a phrase for our friend, it sucks that all the founding members of the Grey Deer have reunited for such a terrible reason."
"Hell, I'll take it a step beyond," Yami snorted, lighting his cigarette and sitting in a chair so he could rest his hand on the back, "if Fuegoleon, Nacht and Sisgoleon were here, we'd have all the big names from the Decade of Destruction here."
"The decade of…?"
"It's a nickname for our generation of Magic Knights," Morgen said, "We had many high power Knights within our ranks, so we are known as "the Decade of Destruction". Yami, "the God of Destruction", Izuku "of the Eight Grimoires", Nacht "Shadows-Binder" and Morgen "Lightbringer", Fuegoleon "the King of Flames", Nozel "of the Liquid Blade" and many others."
"I'm surprised you haven't heard of us at all, kid," Yami said, "There was that time Fuegoleon and Izuku went at it in the arena. People say there hasn't been a brawl like that in there since then. I think I have a recording of it back at the hideout. That fight was "Plus Ultra"."
"I grew up in the sticks," Asta said.
"Still a legendary fight," Yami said, "it was, what, four days before I joined the Deer, Morgan?"
"Three," Morgen corrected, ths smile not letting up. And then the Wizard King coughed into his hand.
"As nice as it is to reminisce, I need everyone's attention," he said, before giving a tried sigh and looking at them all, looking older than his age.
"We have a traitor in our midst, and today we root them out."
- X Izuku X-
Izuku stared at Fuegoleon in the arena, listening to the cheers and boos all around them. He held out his hand, and the red headed man grabbed it, "For what it's worth, Izuku, I can't hold back… but I want you to win. Merleona will cause hell if you don't."
"I have every intention to win, Leon," Izuku said, letting go of the hand. His Grimoires flew into the sky, while Fuegoleon's, thicker than any but Izuku's body magic one, took off too. Numbers flashed in sparkling lights in the air.
3.
2.
1.
"Flame Magic," Fuegoleon shifted while Izuku clenched his fist.
"One for All," Izuku said, crackling with energy, "Smoke Magic!"
"Leo Rugiens!" The flames around Fuegoleon formed into a giant lion's head while the air around Izuku exploded into a cloud of green smoke before sweeping towards Fuegoleon.
Izuku dodged to the left as a torrent of fire flew from the Lion's mouth. Skidding to a halt, he pulled back his left foot.
"Storm's leg!" Izuku swung his leg, another cloud of smoke exploding out of it and towards Fuegoleon. A sphere of flames formed around the King of Flames and burned away the smoke. Then the flames gathered into a ball that launched at Izuku, forcing him to dash away again.
He couldn't let Fuegoleon dictate the range of battle. Izuku didn't have the range he did.
So…
Body Reinforcement Magic: Samehada: Hidari.
Grey, tooth-like scales grew along Izuku's left arm as he appeared in front of Fuegoleon and landed a punch flush across his face.
It was testimony to why Fuegoleon was considered as good as he was that his Mana Skin was already roaring full force as the hit landed, burning against Izuku's own even as he was sent skidding away from the punch that had cracked against him. He touched the scratches across his face, basic restoration magic sealing them shut instantly, "Father owes me yol. He didn't think you'd land a single blow."
"And you did?" Izuku said.
"My sister wouldn't settle for a man who wasn't capable of fighting," Fuegoleon yelled, flames launching at Izuku, "but you're still holding back, I can tell! You've only used two Grimoires! Stop holding back!"
… He had to do this...
"Fine," Izuku said, more sandpaper like spines sprouting along his body as he did, "but don't say I didn't try… Samehada, full body. Shadow Magic-!"
"Sol Linea!"
Izuku dodged the spike of white flames that came for him. Behind him, his shadow rose up in the shape of a giant, multi-eyed dog, "Baskerville Hunt!"
- X Fuegoleon X-
Fuegoleon couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips as the dog came crashing down towards him, Izuku rushing in alongside it. A decent attempt to place him between the devil's prongs, but… "Ignis Columna!"
A pillar of flames gathered around him, blocking both dog and-
Izuku punched through the barrier without slowing. Fuegoleon felt his eyes widen despite himself as the Vice-Captain of the Grey Deer laced his hand through his coat and pulled him into a headbutt. Mana Skin and scaled skin warred for a second before Fuegoleon was forced back. Izuku swung them around, throwing him at the shadow hound.
"Leo Epulum!" A lion of fire formed around Fuegoleon, the burning fangs crashing down and biting the shadow dog in two. Landing, he turned and launched it at Izuku. Or at least, where he had been.
"Looking for me?" Fuegoleon didn't have time to turn around before the Izuku's scale coated elbow smashed into his back. And he didn't waste any time.
"Leo Palma!" Arms of fire exploded around Izuku, binding him in place as Fuegoleon leapt back from them, more fire gathering around him, "Leo Rugiens!"
The hit smashed into Izuku dead on, flames scorching the ground around him. Fuegoleon breathed in-
And caught the fist that suddenly exploded from the flames on his wrist, feeling the bones groan in protest before-
*CRACK*
Stars flashed across Fuegoleon's vision, and he grunted in pain as his wrist broke. Dropping his arm, he met Izuku's eyes, covered in some form of filiment and said, "So this is how we're to do it then?"
"Looks like," Izuku said, shadows gathering. Fuegoleon nodded, breathing in.
"Then let's stop taking things by half measures," flames began to gather around Fuegoleon as the shadows gathered around Izuku, "Flame Reinforcement Magic."
"Shadow-Body Reinforcement Magic," Izuku said.
"Leo Regalia!" A lion's pelt of pure fire gathered around Fuegoleon's shoulder and swept into a cape, a crown of flames gathering around his brow. Meanwhile, Izuku's head shifted into that of a large snout, red eyes glowing at him as he lowered himself onto all fours.
"Scyllan Hunter," Izuku snarled through his snout. Digging his fingers into the dirt, he vanished.
And Fuegoleon dodged the attack, delivering a counter attack straight out of Merleona's book. Which was to say, he punched Izuku into the ground, a blast of flames blowing him up to the roar of the crowd.
"You're still holding back," Fuegoleon said, "You've only used three mag-"
"Kinetic," Izuku barked, the ground shattering further and left Fuegoleon dodging an attack by the breadth of a hair… only for a shockwave to strike him anyways, Leo Regalia sliding down to protect him on instinct, "Second Strike. Don't regret what you asked for, Leon."
"Never," Fuegoleon said, "a man must take responsibility for what he has brought upon himself. That is why we are here, and I will not regret you going all out against me when I push you-"
Leo Regalia shifted around, barely absorbing the elbow strike at his back that sent him flying into the air. Tendrils of black and green shadows wrapped around him…
Only to be blasted off as he released his power, flipping in place, "but the same should hold true for you! Leo Regalia Rugiens!"
A torrent of flames flew down, smashing into where Izuku was standing and engulfing him yet again. His mana skin wouldn't hold out forever.
And then the mana exploded. So this was how far they were going…
"Mana Zone," Izuku declared, the armor shifting off him and back to a snake-like hound, which duplicated until there were nearly twenty surrounding Fuegoleon on all sides, "Baskerville Scylla Devastator."
Well, two could take it that far.
"Mana Zone," Fuegoleon said, flames burning away half of the serpents as he took control of the mana in his immediate vicinity, before they gathered with an almighty roar, "Leo Regalia Rex: Inferno!"
- X Asta X-
Asta wanted to go for his swords when Gueldre Poizot, leader of the Purple Orcas, stepped back. The man barely looked like a Magic Knight, being out of shape. He was also, apparently, a traitor and responsible for part of the attack on the capital according to the captured Midnight Sun members.
"Gueldre," the Wizard King said, walking around his desk with more calm than almost everyone in the room. All of the Captains had their hands on their Grimoires, while the Wizard King's wasn't anywhere Asta could see, "Do you have anything you can say in your defense?"
"T-the idea it was me is ridiculous!" He said, taking a step back.
"Oh, yeah," Yami was slowly rising from his chair, dropping his cigarette as he went. His Ki was… even during the fight with Licht, it hadn't been like this, "then shoot, you tub of lard, we're dyin' to hear who you think did it."
The masked eyes of Poizot jumped to where Yami's katana sat in it's sheath, and he swallowed, "The- the foreigner! Not you, Yami, the other one. Izuku Midoriya!"
The room was silent for a second, just long enough that you could hear a yol drop. Then there was the rasp of steel on steel as Yami drew his katana and began to walk forwards, magical energy exploding off him "I'm killin' him."
A wall of Light Magic appeared between him and Poizot, who had staggered back, "What, Morgen? We know it's bullshit!"
"We do," Morgen agreed, shining so bright it hurt to look at him, "but you can't just execute him without hearing out his "logic" towards this."
"I can," Yami muttered, "you just won't let me. Nozel, you want to do it for me?"
"I agree no logic he can give will make sense," Nozel said, the liquid metal he used spinning around him, "but I won't execute him unless the Wizard King gives the order. Tell us why you say it could be Izuku, Poizot, I could use the laugh."
"W-why are you all just dismissing this out of hand?" Poizot asked, sweat covering his face, "I-I feel it's a completely reasonable accusation! More reasonable than accusing m-"
"That's because you don't know Izuku," Nozel said, "him and me may have had a falling out, but he wouldn't have done so if not for my own actions. He would never betray the Wizard King and the Clover Kingdom without cause. And I know no cause."
"He… he probably wanted revenge for that duel!" Poizot said, "everyone knows it ended in a mutual defeat, he-"
Suddenly, a new source of Ki appeared from nowhere, and the door behind Poizot slammed shut. Asta grabbed his larger sword, "What the-?"
"Didn't notice, did ya kid?" Yami said, "He's been here the entire time. Put the sword down, you won't need it."
Out of the shadow, which became smoke, stepped a man as tall if not taller, as Yami. Green eyes stared out from under green and black curls, adjusting a green scarf to show a patch of skin that hadn't healed from a burn right, across his cheek and down his neck.
"Do you even know what that duel was about?" The man demanded softly.
"How did he… I didn't even notice him," Asta said.
"People can surpess their Ki," Yami said, "and expert can still notice them, you can't get rid of it entirely, but you're not an expert kiddo. You and Fatso over there were probably the only people who didn't realize Izuku was in the room the whole time."
"It was about whether or not I'd be allowed to keep up my relationship with Merleona despite the differences in our classes," Izuku continued, a large dog with dozens of green eyes walking from the shadows around him, "your flirting with this cult got my brother-in-law crippled and rendered comatose, and then you have the gaul to try and frame me?"
"Why did you do it, Gueldre?" The Wizard King asked, walking towards the man, "you got as high as you could go without being Wizard King yourself, and you betrayed us? Why? Did we not make you feel comfortable as a brother?"
"They promised to pay me," Poizot said, "with money and magical items."
"Pay you," Yami spat, "Your loyalty is bought!? That's how much of a worm-"
"Yami," the Wizard King said, before landing a tired look on Poirot, "I hoped you were better than this, Gueldre. When you reached this rank, I had hoped you would be like a brother to me and the others. That you didn't see us that way… it's personal. You'll stand trial for your part in this. I can only hope the parliament will forgive you for your role in rendering a royal as your employers did. Izuku, can you and Asta here take Gueldre to a holding cell? I want to talk to the captains alone for a second… no offense."
"I'm sure you'll inform me about it after," Izuku said, "and probably Asta too."
"Yes," the Wizard King said, "probably."