SO HERE WE ARE. We finally get an answer to what happened to Himiko! Which was a painfully obvious question but it's still fun to reveal it. Also, I'm hoping that you guys stick with me for this cos this is really gonna be a part of the next large arc that Izuku is going on. So... hopefully, it really works out and everything comes together nicely.

But yeah, THE TALK IS HERE.

Read on my dudes!

Why had he lied to Ochaco?

As the class gathered within the vast hall, the question continued to linger on Izuku's mind. They had already gotten changed into their hero outfits, though he'd done so mostly in silence. He'd hoped people had passed it off as nerves, though he could feel the occasional stares of Hitoshi on his back.

His best friend knew him better than anyone, save perhaps his mother, and he knew that Ochaco would have mentioned he was being jumpy.

It was a trait of the old Izuku, not the new one. The new Izuku was not jumpy. The new Izuku was almost impossibly confident with himself, being that he was slowly mastering his Celestial powers bit by bit.

He knew that while he might be able to fool the others into thinking he was just tense about the physical, Hitoshi would be able to see right through him to his core.

Yet it seemed the young man was preoccupied with his own concerns and had not outright asked him about it.

Though, in all fairness, they'd not had a lot of time to talk. The changing rooms were huge, but the exam itself seemed to feature hundreds of people. Hundreds who all needed to also get into their costumes. They'd been rushed through, and Izuku had walked out of the rooms still tying the straps onto his gauntlets.

Heck, Tenya had come out hopping, still pulling his boots on.

Then they had been pushed out into processing where they'd been handed a bunch of non-disclosure and injury waiver forms. All standard stuff by now.

They were only just getting into the main hall, which was sweaty and humid from the sheer number of people within it.

The class kept huddled together, becoming a small island of UA students in the sea of potential heroes.

And all the while, the question had haunted Izuku's thoughts.

"We can't cause a panic." Nemesis had reasoned. "If we alerted people to Himiko's presence, they would shut the exam down."

But wouldn't that be a good thing? She was a wanted criminal, and they could capture her here and now.

Nemesis had no answer to that.

Because, in reality, they both knew the real answer.

He had lied because he wanted to confront Himiko himself. He wanted to confirm it was her, that she was alive, and if what he felt had been true, that perhaps, just perhaps, he was no longer so alone in this world.

If it really had been her, then the era of him being the only child of a Celestial and a human was finally over.

Another existed.

And he had to know.

He had to talk to her, to understand what she felt, to compare his own experiences to hers.

If she really was here, then she was… she had become family. And he would at least hear her out before making his next move.

Part of him was already convinced that she'd thought the same thing. That was why she was here, right? She knew he'd be here. He was a member of U.A., and today was the day of the provisional license exams.

It was one of the only times Izuku would be off campus, and one of the only opportunities they could meet in private.

The fact that no one seemed to be raising any alarm about missing students or bloody bodies being discovered only reinforced this idea in Izuku's mind. He looked around or at least tried to through the sea of bodies that surrounded him, trying to pick her out of the crowd.

He saw nothing. He felt nothing.

No, that wasn't quite correct. With the sharpening of his senses and the darkening of his eyes, he could see every soul around him. Some blazed like fires, others were much smaller, timid, yet all seemed hopeful. However, the pure raw mass of souls meant that any unique ones were truly blotted out. He doubted even Azrael could pick him out of this crowd without a bird's eye view.

"Attention students."

The exhausted voice of a man rang out over the loudspeakers and Izuku looked forward. Someone was slumping over the podium on the small stage set out at the very front of the hall. Someone with a mess of shaggy, dirty blonde hair and eyes so exhausted-looking that they put Hitoshi's to shame. He was a thin man, though not thin through sickness but thin through fatigue. He wore an all-black suit and a white shirt with no tie.

"My name is Mera. I'm with the Heroes Public Safety Commission. I really… really want to take a nap."

Izuku blinked then raised an eyebrow. Okay, this was off to a great start. The room broke out into murmurs at this rather bizarre introduction, but it was quickly cut off when the man continued.

"Alright so, okay. You're here to get your provisional licenses, right? Okay, great. Well, because of All Might's retirement, public trust in heroes is in a very delicate place right now. So, we're changing things up a little this year. Firstly, there's about a thousand five hundred of you here today." Glancing around Izuku could believe it. "And in reality, only about a hundred of you will pass this exam."

Instantly the room erupted into gasps, shouts, cries of fear, irritation, and shock. Only a hundred from fifteen thousand? That wasn't even ten percent of the participants!

Izuku only gave a shrug. He wasn't worried about not passing, whatever the requirements were. He was the Morningstar, and while he had tempered his confidence since his fight with Dark Shadow and the War of Tokyo, he still believed in himself.

He would not lose.

"That being said, we understand that you all wish to prove yourselves as heroes, for whatever reasons you have. Maybe you want to save lives, prove your worth, do good in the world." He smirked. "Or maybe you just want the steady paycheck." There were a few small chuckles in the audience, Izuku frowned.

Heroes were selfless and asked for nothing in return. Money should be the least of their worries.

Though his mind moved to Ochaco, and he found himself looking down. He shouldn't be so quick to judge. People had their reasons for everything, he supposed.

"Therefore, the theme of this year's exam will be… speed."

He spoke the word with a wolfish smile, which only grew into an exhausted, but still vicious grin as the room erupted into chatter once more.

Beside him, Izuku felt Tenya straighten. Some would clearly have more of an advantage in this fight than others.

Again, Izuku felt no real concern for the topic. Tenya could outmatch him for speed, sure, but Tenya's whole thing was speed. Izuku was still unbelievably fast when he needed to be, though it was all contained within combat speed, rather than long-distance sprinting.

There was a tremendous creaking that erupted all around them, and every would-be hero in the room reacted at once, tensing for a possible attack.

It wasn't an attack.

The room was being pulled apart.

Above him, the ceiling curled away, as did each of the four walls, and suddenly Izuku understood just why the building was as gigantic as it was.

The room they had been briefed in was simply one small square in the center of a vast arena. It reminded him of the USJ, but almost three times as large and with several times the environments. There was a lake, a huge multi-story mountain, what seemed to be part of a highway that ran towards what had to be a city borrowed from U.A. itself.

There was a forested area, an industrial area, an area entirely on fire, and more.

Suddenly the very impact and importance of the exam hit Izuku like a hammer.

Would he really have time to find Himiko in this madness? A thousand five hundred people stretched out with their schools, like roaming packs of hunters slowly whittling one another down until only a hundred remained.

This wasn't an exam. It was controlled warfare.

Izuku felt fire run through his blood at the thought. That ever treacherous, yet ever desirable rush of potential combat. Of seeing blood spilled, of curling his fist and throwing himself into the melee with all abandon.

Of testing himself to his absolute limit.

Nemesis was already gearing up. His hands shifted to unlight clad claws, as did his feet up to his knees. He would have unleashed his wings, but the crowds were still too packed tight to do so comfortably.

"So, back in the changing rooms we gave you all three of these things and told you to attach them in visible locations on your body." Mera continued, holding up a small disk-like object in his hand. Izuku looked to his thigh, then to his chest. He had attached a disc on each, with the third resting on his right forearm.

He glanced to his friends, each of whom had done something similar. Shoulders, stomachs, and legs had been the most popular choices, which made sense. Izuku supposed that if they were going to get hit anywhere, it would most likely be in those locations.

Mera then held up an orange ball, the size of a piece of fruit. "We're going to be giving you each six balls. The object is simple." The screen behind him lit up with examples as he talked. "If one of these hits one of your disks, you take a hit. Take three hits and you're done. Each of you must eliminate two other contestants to pass. Once you're defeated, you must leave the arena as soon as possible. Once you pass, you also must leave the arena as soon as possible. Quirks are, of course, allowed for use. Do not aim for the face or the head, and if you cause anyone any serious injuries, you'll be immediately disqualified. If you're caught cheating, you'll be immediately disqualified. Any questions?"

There was an immediate buzz of questions, but it seemed Mera had no interest in answering them because he had almost collapsed onto the podium, his eyes closed tight and his hands curling over his head.

Izuku watched as men in black suits began moving through the crowd carrying large boxes, handing out small bundles of orange balls to people.

Soon enough, he had his own, as did each person in the UA class.

"Alright, no questions, great," Mera grumbled as he lifted his head back up. "You've all got two minutes to separate out and prepare. Get going, and good luck. God, I need some sleep." And with that, the man turned away from the podium.

Instantly, the students and hero-hopefuls began rushing away from one another, darting to wherever they could use their quirks the best.

"This is gonna be nuts," Eijiro muttered as the class jogged together towards some rocky ground. "It's nothing like the entrance exam."

"The key here is to stick together," Tenya announced sharply, causing the others to nod. "The honor of our class, of U.A., is at stake! If we're going to pass, we have to pass together."

There was a ripple of agreement, and even Izuku nodded. He had his own private mission, but he hoped that each person would get through. It would really suck if someone failed and had to retake it later.

Well, he assumed they'd be retaking it later. Aizawa hadn't pulled his usual 'you'll be expelled' trick on them, so he took that as a sign that a failure here was one they could recover from.

"So, what's our plan?" Hitoshi asked as he looked at the others.

"We should take out as many as we can as fast as we can," Hanta said, his voice slightly muffled by his helmet. "That way more of us can leave the field, right?"

"I don't think so," Momo replied, panting softly. "I know they said speed is the key, but I think sticking together and being methodical would work better. I noticed they didn't give a time limit, it's possible they'll just wait until the number of passes is filled."

"People won't be fighting their classmates, ribbit," Tsuyu added, hopping alongside them. "So, sticking together is the wisest choice."

Izuku kept his mouth closed for just a moment, listening to the others agree before politely coughing. "I… I'm going to go off on my own."

"What? Why?" Ochaco turned on him, frowning.

"My quirk affects everyone equally. The fear part, I mean. I don't want to put you guys at a disadvantage, so I think it'd be best if I move away from you."

"That's stupid." Hitoshi frowned and came to a slow stop. The group also halted, finding themselves surrounded by the high walls of rock and dirt. It was a defensible position at the very least.

Hitoshi turned on Izuku properly, and as usual, Izuku felt as though the boy was cutting right through him with his amethyst gaze. "We're all used to it by now, and you're not going to unleash Nemesis any time soon. Stick with us."

"What about my fire? It could get in the way of other quirks."

"We know how you work, dude," Denki chuckled as he adjusted his wrists. "If you're that worried, just keep above us with your wings, or charge right at the front. I mean, you are good at brute force attacks."

There was a small ripple of agreement and Izuku cursed the fact that Denki was right. Izuku always threw himself into the thick of the action, where his strength, speed, fire, and natural love of fighting could be utilized most effectively.

Izuku felt his hand curl into a fist, and not just out of the need to find Himiko. It was there again, even if it was coming from a good place.

Being told what to do.

He knew his path. He knew what he wanted to do, and how to do it. He knew how to care for himself to the point he shouldn't have to rely on others to defend him. Not anymore. Why couldn't they just let him move and operate independently?

"Alright." Mera voice echoed around the arena. "Everyone be ready in ten."

"Seriously, don't run off." Hitoshi warned as the countdown rang through the air.

"Nine."

"Well, I mean-"

"Eight."

"Everyone get ready!"

"Seven."

"Dude, we need you here."

"Six."

"But I-"

"Five."

"For fuck's sake Izuku."

"Four."

"Just stay with us!"

"Three."

"I can't."

"Two."

"What the fuck are you-"

"ONE!"

And less than a heartbeat later, the world erupted into chaos.

The sound that shook the air was one that Izuku was familiar with. It was the sound of war cries, the sound of running feet and beating chests. The sound of rending earth and rushing water, of burning fire and howling wind.

It was the sound of battle.

The sound was nectar to him. An ambrosia that gave his body an energy he had once felt so guilty over feeling, but now embraced fully. It was a dangerous high, one that could very well land him in a bloody mess, with his limbs useless and his body burning to heal itself.

But at the same time, he knew that it was a sound his very soul was conditioned to respond to. A sound that pulled at his every sense to participate in.

The thrill of the test. The fight, the rush, the panting breath, and pounding heartbeat.

He was in the air before he realized his wings had spread, and within a second his eyes were scanning the area.

There were over two hundred would-be heroes.

And they were descending onto class one-A.

He could hear the shocked cries of his classmates. They would be in for the fight of their lives, fending off waves after waves of schools who were trying to take them down. Izuku wondered, briefly, if they had all coordinated this. Had the other schools planned on this rush? Knock the number one school out of the game early, then deal with what was left.

No, such a thing would take too much planning, and he doubted one school would so easily trust another.

This had to be their individual class strategies. They knew U.A. was the top dog, the greatest school in the west.

They would target those most talented and tear them down.

His head told him to move. To start strafing the other classes from above. The many trenches and high stone ridges of the barren battle-area they had chosen would give the enemy many chances to avoid his fire and wrath.

But not enough. Not nearly enough.

Nothing could escape Nemesis. Nothing could resist the Morningstar.

And yet he didn't join the others.

He turned, curling in mid-air to dodge a sudden dozen rubbery projectiles that had been thrown at him from some unseen assailant. He had heard the sound of the objects buzzing through the air and avoiding them had been child's play.

His heart won over his head.

And he turned away, his mighty wings beating hard and thrusting him through the sky of the arena, his sharp eyes scanning and searching for the one he truly desired to confront.

Himiko.

Eyes as black as the void, burning with the green of pagan Gods, scanned the arena. He saw a hundred fights breaking out everywhere, and a dazzling array of bizarre quirks working their unique magic against other quirks, against other people.

He dodged and rolled as graceful as a flitting bird, always moving, and avoiding the intended, or unintended attacks of others.

And yet, as he scanned the world around him, still he could not find the spark he was searching for.

For a second, his eyes ran over the stands.

He almost stopped.

He sensed many observers, but only two stood out.

Demons. Two of them.

Another half second and he suddenly recognized them.

"Kuroiro and Mephistopheles are here?" Nemesis barked through his brain, just as his eyes picked out the two demons.

They were seated close to Aizawa, and a woman with green hair he recalled Aizawa speaking to as they were herded into the building by the organizers.

Then a sudden explosion beside him threw him off, causing the young half-Fallen Prince to turn in mid-air and dive suddenly to avoid more explosions, which seemed to follow him closely.

He was getting distracted, dammit! He had to focus, he had to-

THERE.

The bolt shocked through his system as though he'd been struck by lightning. Nemesis ran through his blood and his scars lit azure with the flame of hell itself.

His eyes locked onto the source.

The tallest mountain of the arena. One that arched so high that it almost brushed the tips of the vast dome that covered the gigantic building. He could tell that if it were to go any higher, it may well start gathering clouds, and indeed, the mountain top had some, though how they were produced Izuku wasn't sure.

And yet he knew she was there. Waiting for him. On the top of the preverbal world, as it were.

A fitting place for demi-Gods to meet.

He moved towards the mountain with a trail of boosting fire behind him, his hair slicked back against his head, his eyes narrowed as he scanned for any further sign of Himiko. He couldn't feel her, and how she was masking his presence from him he wasn't sure.

He knew that it was possible of course, and yet as far as he knew nothing had remained of the Heralds that could have helped her do so.

The mountain top was cold. The air itself was not thin, not like a true mountain, but the clouds that were produced created a semi-fog that would give anyone using a stealth a true advantage.

And yet it was quiet.

As he landed upon its top, which was conveniently a plateau of open rock and small, green plants, he wondered if anyone else had gotten up here. Were there others mad enough to climb the mountain to try and gain some minor advantage?

He supposed there had to be some heroes whose training, and quirks were geared towards just that kind of work.

The sounds of madness echoed from below. Shouts, screams, explosions, and yet in the relative silence of the mountain top, it seemed a world away.

The Morningstar Reborn stood tall. His wings out and displayed proudly, his back straight, his chin up. He brushed back his hair with a clawed hand and called out to the translucent fog, "Himiko! I know you're here. I want to talk."

For a long second, there were only the echoes of a battle being fought far below them.

Then, he heard a song filtering through the mist.

"And I, I could have died last night."

The voice, strangely soft and lyrical, bounced through the mist and seemed to circle him. Izuku remained resolute. Perhaps if he was more human, the voice could have tempted him to wander in search of its source, it could have whispered dark things to his mind and soul.

But he was the son of the King of Hell.

And the voice could not corrupt that which was born into darkness.

"But I heard the voice of a smaller God."

This was followed by a burst of strange laughter that made his long ears twitch and his tail curl slightly. There was something… wrong about the laughter.

It seemed half-forced.

He turned, hearing footfall on soft earth, and from the faux mist of the mountaintop, came a figure. A figure he had longed to confront ever since the chaos of Tokyo.

"Hello, cousin."

"Himiko!"

And in that second Izuku knew for certain that he was no longer alone.

Himiko beheld the young prince of darkness.

Did anyone else see him the same way she saw him? Did anyone else see the way his eyes glowed like lanterns of green fire in the darkness of his eyes? Did anyone else see the way he held himself, tall and strong and confident? Did anyone else see how the armor he wore, ancient beyond reckoning, was that only worn by the Lords of the Underworld?

Did anyone else see the soft, smoke-like shadow of the halo that circled him from shoulder to shoulder?

She had never seen those things when she had looked at him before. She had imagined she had seen something like it, a shadow of a shadow, but now she could see him clearly. She could see everything clearly. The truth of the world was forever exposed to her, in all its beautiful, and ugly, detail.

She watched as he reacted. He wasn't too good at hiding his emotions, and she could see the shock, the caution, and to her surprise, the relief and joy cross his face.

"You're alive!" He breathed out, a smile breaking over his lips.

She hadn't expected that, either.

"You're actually alive! You survived the War!"

"Oh well, that's not strictly true. Not really." She replied, angling her walk so she could slowly circle him. "Himiko Toga died in the War of Tokyo. I, however, was born there."

He frowned in confusion. "I don't…" Then he changed. It was so tiny, so subtle that one without the true sight might have missed it.

But she didn't

"Who are you, then?" Nemesis asked cautiously.

"I'm Himiko. Just Himiko." She grinned again, her hands coming behind her back. Her clothes were ragged and worn, stolen from a man who had tried to assault her in an alleyway after she had woken up. Nothing more than an oversized t-shirt and jacket, and a pair of plain jeans she had robbed from a clothing line. Her shoes she'd had to steal from a sportswear shop.

"Just Himiko?" Nemesis replied, their eyes still narrow. "… Himiko, Satani's Daughter?"

Her grin exploded over her face, and sharp, needle fangs flashed. "That's me!"

Nemesis seemed to look her up and down, and she felt a perverse little shiver run along her spine.

"Here." She stopped and turned to him fully. "Let's both be ourselves for a minute, shall we?"

And then she revealed herself to him. There was a wince of pain as her wings extended from her back. Huge and great and shadow-dark they uncurled, stretching to either side of her. From under her clothes, formally wrapped around her stomach, came her pointed tail.

Her hands twitched as they morphed into great talons, though those were ones she had felt before.

Now, however, it no longer burned her from the inside to use them. They were hers, a part of her true self.

But she still felt fire from within her. From the tops of her feet, along her legs, stomach, to her chest, and down her arms. From her very heart to up her neck and past her jaw to the tips of her eyes.

From under her skin lines formed, lines that glowed with the azure blue fired of the forever cursed.

From her head, two horns grew from her mop of messy, unwashed blond hair. She shivered, feeling the pushing of the immense dark power within her, like one might strain against chains.

And she felt… she felt it, stir within her. She pressed that down hard.

"You're… like us."

"I know, isn't it amazing!" The excitement she had felt, the longing for this meeting was too much to contain, as cool as she had tried to play it. It came bubbling up and out of her, and she wouldn't stop it. She twirled on the spot, her tail whipping out in an arc as she threw her arms up. "My dream! Izuku! My dream has come true! I'm like you now!"

She moved forward and took his hand. She was again surprised when he didn't stop her.

"You can feel it, right? I'm like you?"

His hand curled around hers, and his eyes met her own.

"… yes. Yes, I can feel it." His voice was distant, far more Izuku than Nemesis, but that wonder was there. "How… how did you- Himiko, how did you survive? I mean, what happened to you?"

"I don't know." She admitted with a casual shrug. She let go of his hands and began moving again. She was always moving these days. She had too much energy inside her, too much power that had to find some way to come out. It buzzed in the base of her brain and down her spine and rattled in her heart.

She felt a constant need to do something.

"When I finish the ritual, I know I, the old Himiko I mean, died. I know I did. But all I saw was this… whiteness." She curled her hands up. "And it was so cold, Izuku. I was so, so cold. But I wasn't alone. I think… I think I took a part of Satani with me. Into the void I mean. And as I was transforming I think we… fused. No, that's not right." She frowned, slowing down her frantic pacing for just a moment as she tried to remember.

She remembered everything these days. Her memory was perfect in every way. Absolute recall of every fact, every sight, every sound, and every smell. It'd been a lot to get over at first.

She'd spent many nights in cold, dark places, trying to master the overwhelming sensual overload of a world that was filled with so much she had once filtered out, or been unable to comprehend.

And yet so much of that night was dreamlike and vague. Sometimes she remembered it one way, sometimes another.

But there were some things she remembered and could never forget.

"I was… pulled apart. Atom by atom. I felt it, Izuku. I felt my soul being dissolved." Her voice lowered and her tail curled behind her. "That's when Himiko Toga died. And I felt when it came back together, with that piece of Satani that I had stolen from them." She looked back to Izuku, her eyes flashing. "That's when Himiko was reborn."

She felt it again. That subtle movement of the thing inside her. It slithered through her system, through her blood, and began crawling into her brain. It was hot like fire and smooth as water and it was horrible.

She felt it move to speak through her, and she shoved it away, turning as she did so.

She wondered if Izuku had noticed. No, he couldn't know about that. That was a weakness, something that wasn't her, something that was trying to take her freedom away. That was the new anchor living within her that she had to find a way to expel.

And if Izuku-Who-Was-Nemesis found out…

"So!" She turned back to Izuku, a fixed smile on her face. "The next thing I knew I woke up in an ally. Totally naked by the way," Izuku blushed, and it was adorable, even on the Prince of Hell, "and kinda just went into hiding, you know? I mean people seem to think I'm dead-dead and that helped but still, it's not like I can just go walking about the streets all normally and stuff."

She chuckled and twirled a strand of hair. "So, I stole some clothes and I've been getting by on robbing people."

"You've been stealing?"

"Well, it's pretty easy when you can seduce just about anyone." She sighed softly and looked away, wistfully. "My old quirk is gone. I think it died with the old me. But that's okay. I have a whole bunch of new quirks, and it seems I've got a bit of whatever made Satani so… alluring to everyone they looked at. People can't say no to me. How do you think I got into this place without being noticed?"

Izuku opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again, simply nodding in understanding.

She paused again and looked to Izuku sharply. "I thought about going to U.A. you know. Sneaking in. Trying to see you."

"I don't think you would have gotten in, even if you can, erm, convince people now." Izuku looked away, his eyes scanning the battlefield far, far below them. "U.A.'s been turned into a fortress. I can't even leave to go shopping without getting three different signatures." He gave a sardonic note of laughter. "Not that any of the teachers will let me out of their sights."

"Hm." Himiko felt that thing rise within her again, and before she could push it away, she heard it.

The voice of her tormenter.

"He too wishes to fly."

The voice was serpentine and low, a soft kiss of venom lips, a warm blade pushed slowly between ribs. It was too much like that of Satani, a voice that loved you and wanted the best for you if only you gave yourself to it.

She hated it. She hated that it now lived inside her.

She hated that she could feel it constantly trying to sliver into the meat of her brain and spreading its controlling venom into her limbs.

She hated how much effort it constantly took to push it away.

"Shssh." She hissed to herself, though when Izuku turned to look at her, she had already put on a cheerful expression. "Sounds boring. I on the other hand have been free this whole time. It's wonderful, you know. Finally getting to do whatever you want."

"You just said you've been robbing people to survive," Izuku said with a frown. "That doesn't sound very freeing to me."

"Yes, it is. I don't have to work. Or take orders from anyone," she huffed and frowned right back, though as before his words seemed to stab deeper into her soul than she thought they would. "Satani is gone. The Heralds are gone. I'm on my own, sure, but I'm free to live life my way. Though, I will admit it's not all sunshine and rainbows. That's… actually why I wanted to talk to you, you know. Part of why, anyway." She paused, then reached out and took his hand. "Come here."

Once more to her surprise, he let her guide him. His grip was strong and warm, a grip that promised strength but kindness too. It was comforting, and Himiko quietly realized in the back of her mind, that this was the first truly gentle touch she'd had in a long, long time.

She led him to an outcrop that overlooked the vast madness of the exam. They were shielded on either side by some trees, and as such seemed unnoticed by the other students.

"Look at them, Prince Nemesis." She cast a clawed hand before her. "Look at all their petty little efforts, to their petty little goals."

"Becoming a hero isn't a petty goal, it's a noble one," Izuku rebuffed.

She shook her head. "That's not what I mean, silly." She took a short breath and looked at him. He matched her gaze once more. She realized, quietly, that despite the fact they were practically the same height she always felt just a little shorter than him. Something in the way he held himself, in the aura he projected, in the armor he wore and the glorious darkness that surrounded him made Izuku seem… bigger than he truly was.

She wondered, did she seem the same to others? Now she was like him, could she truly stand by his side and be seen in a similar light?

A mighty young Lord of Hell. A leader amongst leaders.

"All those people down there are going to fight today. And tomorrow they'll be getting married. The day after, having kids. The day after, they'll be dead. And the day after that? Their grandchildren will be putting flowers on their graves. And we'll still be here, looking down on them."

Izuku frowned slowly at her.

"Their goals are petty because their lives are petty," she insisted with a cautious smile, her eyes searching his face for any reaction, "but us, me and you, we're different. We're important." Her smile grew a touch wider. "We're immortal."

"We're not immortal," Izuku responded suddenly. "I mean- I'm still growing, there's no way we-"

"Seriously?" Himiko stepped back, and she felt the slither of her inner thing move through her blood. She let go of his hand, and quietly, she felt the coldness return to her skin. "You don't think we're immortal?"

"We can't be," Izuku protested. "We just- I mean-"

"That was one of the things Satani promised." Himiko's smile fell. "And I know my father was a lying sack of shit on most things, but I don't think they were lying about that. But that's not the point," she insisted suddenly. "Look, we don't have to bother ourselves with them! The mortals don't mean anything to us! Don't you get it?"

The smile returned to her face, a little more desperate now, as she saw Izuku's eyes widen at her words.

"We can leave them behind! We can leave them all behind! Me and you, we can just… go. We can be free! Like we're supposed to be!"

"I'm not- I can't do that, Himiko. I have friends, family-"

"And they'll all die," Himiko persisted, feeling the fire in her blood rise along the glowing lines on her skin, "and I don't mean, like, violently or something. I just mean it's inevitable. Give it just a couple of years and they'll be dead, Izuku. Why bother putting yourself through that?"

"Maybe- maybe some of them will be," Izuku admitted with a deep breath. "But Uncle Azrael, he'll-"

Himiko suddenly snarled and curled back. "Another fucking Fallen? Fuck them."

"He's an Archangel!" Izuku snapped as she turned and stormed away.

"He's just another fucking celestial." Himiko snarled, spinning on her heel, her tail whipping behind her and her wings flexing. Her eyes blazed with the sudden anger that boiled in her blood. "My father, your father, all of them want to do nothing but control us, control our lives. All they want is to tell us what to do! To make us like them. They want to turn us into their slaves." And she jabbed a finger out into the air, not pointing at anything in particular but simply to make her point. "Well, I refuse! I won't do it! I won't be told what to do by anyone!"

"No one's telling you what to do, Himiko!" Izuku moved towards her as she began pacing again. That energy was back, that boiling, bubbling power she felt inside her blood. God, it was so hot, like biting, ripping fire in her heart.

Did he feel it too? How did he control himself so easily? How did any of them control themselves when they felt the fire rising in their souls?

"Give in to us," the thing in her heart whispered darkly. "We know how to use our anger. We'll slaughter them all, it'll be so fun."

She gave it half a thought but shoved it aside. No, she would decide who she would murder and only when she wanted to.

"If you didn't want to be free, why didn't you tell the others I was here?" She retorted. "I'm a wanted criminal, and yet you've come to meet me anyway." He paused, clearly unable, or unwilling, to answer the question. She smirked and took a step towards him. "It's because you want to be free, just like I am! You want to throw off the chains they keep throwing on you. Izuku, cousin, you can be free! We can be free together!"

Izuku seemed to think on her words, a thousand thoughts passing behind his eyes. "… it's not that simple, Himiko."

"Why isn't it?"

"Because even if I walked away from them, I can't walk away from this," and he put his hand onto his chest. His voice echoed as he spoke. "This armor, the title we've taken on. We're not just Izuku, or Nemesis. We are the Morningstar reborn. We cannot abandon our responsibilities, no matter how heavy they are, not to the mortals, not to our family. And Himiko, now you are part of that family. Sooner or later, the titles you've inherited will come to claim you too."

"No!" She spat on the floor before him. "Never. I'll never be chained down. I don't care about the rest of our family."

"Listen, why don't you talk to Lord Azrael, he can-"

"I said NO!" She screamed, and the very ground seemed to shudder. "I won't be tricked by another one of them! Not again!" She scowled deeply. "This was a mistake. I should have known you'd pick their side over mine."

"We're not picking sides!" Nemesis growled, and indeed it was a growl. Deep and wolfish, and she could see the unlight crawling further up his form. So, he did feel it, that burning anger, that furious energy that demanded to be unleashed. "We're telling you eventually you will be called by your father's realm! Just as we've been called to ours! You can't escape the blood you've now inherited!"

Her anger bubbled over, and when she spoke, the words were not her own.

"Your goal is to shackle yourself to mortals and watch them die one by one, or be the slave of an Archangel who only wants to use you for whatever they can get out of you." Himiko hissed, and indeed it was a hiss. She could feel her own unlight crawling along her skin, her own, serpentine monster growing within her. "We chose to live and run and breathe and kill and be free."

Himiko slapped her hands over her mouth suddenly, her eyes wide with horror. Her claws dug into her cheeks, drawing blood in quick, hot lines down her face.

Izuku suddenly froze, and for a moment, there was only the maddening sound of the far-away war.

Then he spoke. Softly, carefully. "… you… you have a split soul too?"

"NO!" She snapped. "I'm fine! Nothing is wrong with me! I'm not broken! I'm powerful! I'm free! I'm not- I'm not-" She was backing up.

She was forcing herself away from him. The thing within her was demanding retribution, trying to claw and grab at her limbs and heart and mind. It wanted her body, to use it as they wanted. It wanted to launch themselves at the Prince, to bleed him for the sins of denying her offer, or refusing her and throwing her back to the emptiness of her life. But she curled a tight fist, fighting a desperate inner battle to stop its insidious spread. She wouldn't be forced into anything, she wouldn't be controlled.

She had to go. This was too much. The noises, the scents and sights, and the feel of the hot air on her skin and Prince Nemesis. It was all too much, too soon.

"I'm leaving." She turned, her wings stretching out. "This was a mistake. We're nothing alike."

"Himiko!" Izuku was already moving after her, even as she was sprinting to the edge of the cliff. "COME BACK! PLEASE WE CAN-"

She turned and screamed, and it was the scream of a creature not of the waking world. It was a scream that spoke of the darkest depths of human desire, of suffering and pain unimagined, of the tortures of the soulless and the pleasures of the mad.

Izuku clearly wasn't expecting it, and they stopped suddenly, grimacing, and raising their fists up to fight.

However, in the same movement, Himiko had thrown a hand to the earth and unleashed a mighty wave of flame that washed out around them. So great and so hot was it that even Izuku was forced back and away, throwing up a wave of his own fire to counter it.

But it was too late. Himiko had already forced herself away, throwing herself down from the top of the faux-mountain and into the cover of the clouds. She had no fear of falling, no fear of anything anymore.

Only of losing herself once again.

And with that, she vanished into the chaos of the exam, her soul lost and hidden amongst so many.

As she fled, darting, and effortlessly evading all who spotted her, or tried to attack her, she forced herself to believe that the wetness she felt on her cheeks was blood from her own claws, and not the bitter tears of disappointment.

It was fine.

She didn't need anyone.

She could be free on her own.

Forever.

HIMIKO NOOOOOO, QUIT RUNNING FROM YO NEW FAAAAM.

But as I mentioned in the intro, I really hope this all works for the story. Himiko has been betrayed by Satani, and that's soured her against celestials. She stole the power from Tomura, so she can't go back to the Heralds. She's on the hunt for a new crew to hang with, and that Overhaul arc is looming right up there...

Also, Izuku seeing the value in what she's saying about ditching humanity is also a thing. Hopefully, the last few chapters have built that up enough to seem a believable reaction from him, and future developments are gonna be building on it. Poor boy is clearly conflicted between a bunch of things right now. It's all drama, but no longer the super angsty kinda drama, hopefully now it's a little more complex and entertaining.

Also, one more thing. I've made a decision to reduce the word count on the next few chapters from the usual 8000 to about 6000 instead. Writing 8000 was becoming extremely draining, and my writing time has become somewhat sporadic so hopefully the lower word count should help speed up the chapter writing and editing process. Hopefully by the time the internship/overhaul arc starts we should be back to the usual word count again.

SO, next chapter we get to see what Hitoshi is doing! And Aizawa! And what were the demon boiz doing in the stands? It's all to play for! Thank you for reading and, as always, keep safe my dudes! Till next time!