Chapter 11: Enter Greed and Pride
Izuku POV
Taking a deep breath, I walked through the door to find exactly who I was expecting on the roof of the school. Kacchan, looking as annoyed as ever, was leaning against what looked like an air conditioning unit. Ocha was standing a few feet away from him, seemingly upset if her frown was anything to go by. Going by how they were standing, it was evident that they'd been talking while waiting for me to arrive.
"There you are, Lizard. Sure kept me waiting up here." Bakugo said in a huff.
"It's like I said, Mr. Aizawa probably just kept him after to talk about some class rep things. Right Kai?" Ocha said, still looking glum.
"Something like that. Anyway, sorry about keeping you both waiting." I said, trying to bite back my nerves.
"Still bullshit that you tricked people into voting for you." Bakugo replied. Despite her apparent mood, Ocha looked like she was about to say something before I held my hand up to silence her.
"Normally I'd say something in response to that, but right now I have better things to talk about. Namely, why I asked you both up here." I said.
"Yeah, what's so important about this damn proposal that you had to drag me up here anyway?" Bakugo asked.
"I was wondering about that too. We were talking before you came up and he said you wanted to ask him about some kind of deal, but you told me this morning that we'd talk about … you know, your past." Ocha said, lowering her voice on the last part.
"So which one is it, Lizard?" He asked roughly.
"Well, it's both, really. I have a proposal for both of you, as well as an explanation." I said. Alright, now it's really showtime. I hope Wrath and the others are ready. "About eleven years ago, I awakened my quirk. I had been waiting for it for so long so I could be a hero and save people, but when it finally happened only disaster followed. I was sent into foster care, where I bounced from home to home for the next two years, usually not lasting more than a month at each house. I didn't know much at the time, just that my quirk did something bad and that it was tied to my emotions, so I closed them off entirely. So much that by the third foster home I barely felt anything when I got kicked out and sent to the next one." I said, doing my best to remain composed.
"Alright, sad story. But what's it got to do with me?" Bakugo asked with his usual scowl.
"Quiet. This is really hard for him to talk about, so he's got a good reason." Ocha said sternly. She was looking at me with mixed emotions, and I couldn't really blame her. I hadn't said anything that she hadn't heard before, but I don't exactly talk about my past much, so when I do she tends to listen.
"Thanks Ocha. Anyway, as I was saying, I was almost emotionless for nearly two years, until I was finally adopted. I had started opening up a little before, but it was a slow process. Even after I finally had a real home, it took two more years and a really bad day for the wall that I had built to finally come down all the way. You know what day I'm talking about, Ocha." I said, my hand shaking as I held it together from remembering. I glanced up at Ocha, her eyes confirming she knew what I was talking about.
"That day, the wall I had built in me crumbled, and I learned exactly the exact nature of my quirk. I had passed out, and when I woke up I knew much more about my power than I had learned in the previous five years. To say that my quirk is unique in nature is an understatement. But before we can continue, I need to get something out." I said as I dropped down to my bag. I carefully opened it up and rummaged through the bottom until I found a certain velvet bag. I pulled the bag out and opened it up, dumping the crystals of Pride and Greed into my hand, both glowly lightly with their own respective colors corresponding to their sins.
"I need you both to hold these while I tell you the rest." I said while holding out the gems to their potential new owners. Please just take it without asking questions, I silently prayed. Unfortunately, I couldn't get that lucky.
"What the hell is that, lizard?" Bakugo asked.
"You won't believe me if I tell you." I said, which was probably true.
"Try me." He replied, narrowing his eyes at me. Well, there goes that hope.
"What I'm about to tell you is a huge secret, so this is a sort of failsafe. They're the product of a quirk, and once you hold them, whatever you remember after gets a little flexible. Should you refuse my proposition, you won't remember anything about what I told you." I said. Technically nothing I said was a lie, and it didn't sound too crazy when I worded it like that.
"Why the hell would I agree to something like that? And you still haven't said what the fuck any of this has to do with me!" Bakugo yelled. He started to walk away, but I grabbed his shoulder and pulled my trump card, hoping it would work.
"Because, Kacchan, I'm just trying to keep a promise I made to you many years ago." I said as I locked eyes with my former best friend. At first I could only see anger on his face, but then I saw a hint of something else cross his mind.
"What the hell did you just call me?" He asked.
"Kacchan. I would imagine you haven't heard that name in a really long time. You'd only ever let one person use it." I said, not breaking eye contact, though I was silently cheering that he remembered the name.
"Urgh, why can't I remember why that sounds so damn familiar? And how did you know it?" He half-growled.
"I'll tell you, but first you have to take the crystal, Kacchan." I said firmly while holding it out on my palm. After a moment of internal debate, he finally broke the stare down and snatched the gem out of my hand.
"Fine, but cut to the chase and stop wasting my time. And you'd better explain where you learned that name!" He said as he walked back to his original place. With him settled, I turned to Ocha. Before I could say anything, she quietly took the yellow gem I had in my other hand.
"Are you sure about this Ocha? You've been quiet this whole time." I asked her. I wasn't exactly upset that she took the crystal, but I wanted to make sure she didn't feel forced.
"I'm sure. I know you wouldn't go do something like this without a good reason, and I trust you." She said with a small smile. What did I do to deserve a friend like her?
"Alright, well since you both have your crystals, I'll continue. Be warned, this might sound a little crazy, but I swear to you both that everything I tell you is 100 percent true." I said, mentally preparing myself for the real explanation to begin. "What I found out that day was that my quirk wasn't just tied to my emotions, but rather to my wrath. In fact, it was tied to all wrath." I said before taking another deep breath.
"My quirk is actually a power that's been going from person to person for the last two thousand years." I said solemnly. I looked at the pair to gauge their reactions. Doubt was apparent on both of their faces, but neither said a word. Taking this as my cue, I continued on.
"My quirk, Wrath, has been used by many people over the years, both heroes and villains. It's drawn to those who hold a lot of anger, focusing that emotion into pure power. In my case, it let's me transform into a dragon." I said, still trying to get a read on them. Finally, Bakugo broke the silence.
"Bah, you really expect me to believe that a quirk that's somehow tied to the wrath of all humanity gives you such a wimpy transformation? Even Ryukyu has a bigger dragon form than your puny quirk." He said.
"H-he can get bigger. A lot bigger." Ocha said timidly, her eyes meeting mine as she said something that was supposed to be a secret. If not for the crystals, I doubt she would've said anything.
"What you've seen of my quirk is only what I can control safely, Bakugo. If I get any bigger, I'll turn into a real dragon with no real control over what I do and who I hurt. But that's beside the point, and not at all why I brought you up here." I said.
"Then why the hell did you?" Kacchan asked.
"Yeah, Kai. I'm kind of wondering about that too. You're not making much sense here." Ocha chimed in.
"I brought you here because I've seen how much you're both struggling with your inner demons, and I want to help." I said as I transformed up to about 50%, just enough for my gem to pop out. "I told you that my quirk has been passed down for the last two millenia; what I didn't say is that it's one of seven. This gem in my chest is connected to the sin of Wrath, the two that you hold in your hands are connected to Pride and Greed." I said. At this, Kacchan seemed to get angry while Ocha jumped a little. I guess I did kind of out them both for their sins, and I know Ocha's still very embarrassed about hers.
"Alright, that's enough of this shit. You sound insane, Lizard. So either you show us some proof for this batshit story of yours or I'm out of here!" Kacchan exclaimed. Well, now's as good a time as any.
"Fine, you want proof?" I replied as I put my hand on my gem and thought of the throne room. Before I knew it, my vision was going dark as my consciousness faded.
…
"Well, well. It seems you've finally arrived, Sin Bearer." I heard from a deep voice.
I opened my eyes once I felt that familiar feeling of emptiness that came with the throne room. Wrath was standing in front of me as he usually is while Pride and Greed were sitting on their thrones to the left and right, respectively.
"I had to explain a little bit of our situation before I could bring them." I replied to Pride.
"Yes yes, I know. We can't have them coming in completely unprepared, unless we want your friends to faint from the shock of my powerful aura when they get here." He said in his usual smug voice.
"Yeah, something like that." I said under my breath before turning to my own sin. "Speaking of, where are Ocha and Kacchan? I thought you said they'd come with me as long as they were holding their gems." I asked.
"They'll be here momentarily. The first trip here always takes a little longer, since they don't really know where we are. They just had to follow you for today, if that makes any sense." Wrath said, cheery as always.
"Alright, then I guess I should go ahead and tell you what I've told them." I said. Before I could begin my explanation, Greed piped up.
"Oh, there's no need darling! We've been following along from in here. Hope you don't mind too much, but I just couldn't wait to see my brand new host!" The yellow knight said in the same voice that he used when we spoke before. Is he always going to talk like that? I wondered.
"Unfortunately, yes. But that's not important at the moment. Right now, I can sense your friends are nearly here. Oh and you might want to be ready to catch them, the first time can be a little ..." He was interrupted by the sound of my two bodies appearing behind me and promptly hitting the ground before I could even react.
"... rough. Oops, guess I was a little off on my timing. Oh well, as they say, no harm no foul." Wrath concluded. Meanwhile, I was helping Ocha get up while Kacchan jumped to his feet.
"I, wait, what are ..." Ocha started before she was also interrupted.
"Where the hell are we? How did we get here? Lizard?!" Bakugo yelled.
"This, Kacchan, is that proof I mentioned. You wanted me to prove what I was saying about the sins, well look in front of you. You'll see three of them." I said sternly, before turning my attention back to Ocha. "Are you okay?" I asked her.
"I-I'm fine, Kai. So, you weren't lying about your quirk. N-not that I thought you w-were lying but, uh, it did sound a l-little, you know ..." She said before trailing off.
"Yeah, I know it's a little out there, but I'm not crazy. Now, let me introduce you two." I said as I motioned back to the sins. "Meet the embodiments of Pride, Wrath, and Greed." Both of their eyes widened at this, Ocha's more than Kacchan's. Before either of them could say anything, Wrath took his cue to begin.
"Hello, Ochako Uraraka and Katsuki Bakugo, it's so nice to meet you both in the flesh, well in a manner of speaking. As Izuku said, for all intents and purposes we are three of the seven deadly sins. Izuku here has been our ..."
"What the hell are you even talking about?! And what does this have to do with me?!" Bakugo interrupted. For a second I was worried that Wrath's would get angry at him, but thankfully his usual smile never faded.
"Ah, I see Izuku wasn't wasn't kidding when he told us about your temper. You certainly are direct. But very well, I'll go ahead and explain what you and Miss Uraraka are doing here." He replied calmly.
"Why the hell should I even believe you?! Do you really expect me to believe that someone like you is the embodiment of Wra-!" Kacchan started before a large purple patch of what looked like tape appeared over his mouth. "HMMMM! UGGGHH! LIHHHH!" He tried to get the tape off, but I could see he wasn't having any luck. Before I could question it much further, Pride spoke up.
"Ah, that's better. Now quiet down while your superiors explain. If you behave, I might let you speak again." Pride said in his deep, regal voice. It was clear from his face and reaction that Kacchan was definitely not happy, but eventually he gave up on getting the tape off. However, just as he settled down, he launched himself forward towards Pride with his explosions.
You idiot! I thought, as my old friend rocketed towards his best chance of helping himself. I tried to run forward and stop him, but it was no use. All I could really do was watch as he flew up to Pride.
Before he could reach the sin in question, Pride just raised his hand and stopped Kacchan a few inches away from his face. I was expecting him to swat Kacchan away or grab him from the air and crush him, or maybe just snap him out of existence for challenging him. Fortunately, nothing that predictable happened. Instead, Pride began laughing.
"Haha! You are a fiery one, aren't you?!" He exclaimed before turning to me. "Tell me Sin-Bearer, are all of your friends this much fun?" After taking a moment to get both my mix of shock and relief, I replied.
"Uh, not really. Kacchan's pretty much one of a kind." I said nervously.
"Pity. Ah well, at least you brought him to me." He said, before turning his look back to Bakugo. "While I admire the courage it took to try and attack me, this conversation will go nowhere if you keep this up. Let's tone down some of that bluster, shall we?" He said before reaching out his hand and pulling it back towards himself. As he did, I could see a thin purple line come from Kacchan and lead back to Pride. As it did, I could see my old friend's face go from one of pure rage to an emotion I had never seen him show. Fear.
With his eyes now very wide and his struggling much more subdued, he floated back to his original position and fell into a chair that materialized below him before he could land.
"Now, shall we continue? Tell me girl, do you need any more convincing that we're the real thing?" The purple sin asked, of course following it with, "I'd be glad to show some more of my amazing power."
"Uhm, no thank you, I believe you already. I've not known him long, but I know that anyone who can do that to Bakugo has to be the real deal." Ocha said.
"Haha, I suppose you have a point. And going by the look on his face, I believe this whelp has come to the same conclusion as you, Miss Uraraka." Wrath piped back up.
"You might wanna give him some of that back, Pride. Poor thing looks like he's about to wet himself." Greed said.
"Not yet Greed, let's get through the explanation first. Whimpering is much quieter than yelling." Pride replied.
"True true. And I told you to call me George." The sin said back.
"And I told you if you brought out that ridiculous persona again that I'd pulverize you, yet you're not marveling at my restraint or begging for mercy." Pride said.
"Oh please, you're just mad that all of your personas are as stuffy as your default."
"That's it, for that insult you'll feel my full power!"
"Bring it, Barney!" Greed said as Pride began to rise from his throne
"That's enough!" Wrath finally interjected. He held up his hand and forced Pride back onto his throne. Apparently this wasn't an uncommon occurrence, because the sin didn't even struggle.
"Know that if it wasn't your turn in the cycle, I would crush you for making me leave that insult unpunished." Pride spat toward Wrath.
"Yes yes, I'm aware." Wrath said as he rolled his eyes. After a moment, his demeanor turned back to his usual cheery one as he looked back at us. "Now then, let's finally get on with our story!" He said.
With no more interruptions, Wrath began briefly explaining the origin of the sins and how they cycled through leaders and hosts every few years. Occasionally Pride and Greed would chime in parts of the story, but eventually their explanation was done and both of my friends looked thoroughly overloaded. Geez, is that what I looked like when they told me this story?
"Worse", I heard back in my head. I glanced up at Wrath, "Wait, you can talk to me in my head even when we're here?" I asked mentally.
"Yeah, I just haven't needed to before. But later, we have to finish talking to your friends." He replied.
"Well, you both look like you have questions, but unfortunately we're running short on time. I'll give you both one before we separate into pairs, any others can be asked then." Wrath said as he waved his hand, undoing the tape on Kacchan's face.
"W-why us?" He asked in a shaky voice. So this is what happens when he loses his Pride. Hopefully being a host won't leave him this shaken, I thought.
"Why you? Well, I chose Izuku as my host because I could sense the heroic heart that he possesses, as well as the surprisingly strong wrath that he has directed at villains. As for you and Miss Uraraka, you have Izuku to thank for your selection. Thanks to a recent development in our abilities, becoming a host should lessen how much of your respective sins that you feel in your everyday lives. Once we told him about this, his first thought was to help you two defeat your inner demons, so as the primary sin-bearer he selected you as candidates." He replied. It was clear that Kacchan still had questions, but Wrath turned his attention to Ocha.
"Well, Bakugo kinda took my question. Oh wait, I've got one. You guys just show up every couple of years and become heroes?" She asked, making his face darken just slightly.
"Well, yes and no. We don't really reincarnate on a set schedule, we usually just wait until we can't think of a reason not to anymore. And while it seems that we'll all be using heroes as hosts for this cycle, we've been used by villains as well. Much like our creator we tend to be good, but have been less than that in the past. In truth, we've been used by many people, heroes and villains alike. Our real moral alignment comes from our primary host, which in this case is Izuku, so you don't have to worry about us corrupting you or anything." He said. Unlike Kacchan, she looked at me to confirm this. I just gave her a reassuring nod, hoping it would suffice.
"Alright, well it looks like we finally got through introductions. Now, like I said you'll be split off to talk to Pride and Greed 1-on-1. Do your best to convince them to make you their hosts!" He said, raising his hands before hands and moving them apart and then pointing them up. As he did, the three of us split apart as well as the thrones and the room expanded. Once he put his hands up, a light barrier (one purple and one green) appeared on either side of me, separating me from my friends and their sins.
"What's going on here, Wrath? Am I not allowed to help them?" I asked the sin.
"Temper temper, Izuku. You'll be able to talk to them, the other sins just wanted a moment to speak to them directly. They'll be fine, I promise. You can even see them." He replied. He was right, I looked at the barriers on either side and found I could see through them enough to see what was going on. My friends were currently just talking to the sins. Pride had apparently undone what he did to Kacchan, because he was back to his usual self going by his movements. Ocha looked pretty meek as she talked to Greed, though I couldn't really blame her. Meeting some like the sins is difficult, especially since Greed knows her deepest secret.
"I see. But I'll be able to help convince them in a minute?" I clarified.
"Of course, though personally I doubt you'll have to convince the sins. Greed already told you he wants Uraraka as a host, and the fact that Pride didn't destroy Bakugo for attacking him means he's growing on him. If anything, you'll have to convince your friends to accept the offer." Wrath said. "In the meantime, do you have any questions from all this?"
I thought for a moment, but strangely I could only really think of one thing.
"What did the others mean when they were talking about personas? Is that what this whole "George" thing is about?" I asked. Wrath just laughed in response.
"Of all the things, that's what you want to know? Very well. As we sins have picked up hosts over the years, we've gotten attached to a few of our favorites. Occasionally even after we've moved onto the next set of hosts, some of the personalities of our past users have stayed with us. Should we choose to, we can take on one of these personalities in the form of a persona, though most of us choose to stay as our natural selves. Greed's chosen to take on the persona of a host he had many years ago, George. It's by far his most annoying and talkative persona, one that he promised we'd have at least another fifty years before he brought him back out, but here we are. While I don't change that often, Greed and most of the others like to change their faces and personalities every few decades, so they'll pull out an old favorite to 'spice things up' as he'd put it." He said. "Going by how things are looking, you should be able to help your friends out now. I'd recommend going to Bakugo first."
I looked over at the purple wall, and unsurprisingly it looked like their conversation had gotten heated, going from Kacchan's face. I'd better step in before Pride decides to fight back. He may like Kacchan but I doubt he'll take that for very long. I thought before walking up to the barrier. The moment I passed through it, I heard an all-too familiar voice yelling.
"I told you not to look down on me, you purple freak!" Kacchan yelled at Pride.
"It's only natural for someone on a peak as high as mine to look down on everyone else. Now learn your place before I make you." Pride replied.
Just as Kacchan looked as if he was going to attack the sin again, Pride waved his hand and the chair and tape from before reappeared and held the teen. While my friend struggled in his chair, Pride looked back towards me.
"Is he always this insolent?" He asked.
"Pretty much. That's part of why I brought him to you, so you can help each other." I said.
"Yes, I can certainly see why. While I find a bit of fire to be refreshing, being attacked twice is just annoying." He said before looking back at Kacchan, who was still struggling against his captor. "I'll be much less merciful should you attempt a third."
"Maybe you should take some of his pride again? Just enough to keep him calm?" I suggested.
"Hmph. If I require your input, I'll demand it, Sin Bearer. However, I was thinking the same thing. It seems you're smarter than you look." The sin retorted.
It'd probably be best to just take that one lying down, I thought. I could almost hear Pride echo his agreement in my head before repeating the same hand motion from earlier. The purple line showed up and once again started to drain Kacchan of his pride, though it cut off sooner than it did before. Kacchan slowly seemed to settle down and stop screaming into his gag, though he retained his usual scowl in his eyes.
"I'll be leaving the tape on for a while longer as punishment for having me restrain you twice in our very short meeting." He said before looking at me. "It's customary to display a potential host's greatest sins. While you're here, you might as well bear witness to your friend's most prideful moments. And I must say, he's certainly had quite a few. Some of these may even make you consider taking back your offer." Pride said. That last sentence almost sounded like he was smirking under that helmet.
"I doubt that. I know what Bakugo has done, and I'm still determined to help him." I replied.
With nothing else to say, Pride waved his hand and an old school projector screen appeared next to him. Even in his deflated state, Kacchan looked like he wanted to argue but still had the tape over his mouth. With a snap of his fingers, Pride began the "movie".
...
It started off just like I expected, with the day that Kacchan received his quirk. There were so many people praising him even on day one, with both classmates and teachers alike telling him how amazing his quirk is and how one day he'll be the best hero ever. Much like in my Sin Sight visions, I could tell what Young Kacchan was thinking throughout all of this. At first he just felt lucky that he'd gotten a good quirk, but little by little all the compliments he was receiving were corrupting those innocent thoughts into something darker.
There were so many kids that tried to get his attention so he'd be friends with them. I was a bit surprised to find I wasn't in the crowd, though it made sense given that I never tried to inflate his ego. Eventually he settled on two of the stronger kids in class to be his "sidekicks" during recess. He was still feeling more grateful than arrogant at the time, and he genuinely wanted to help his new friends get stronger. Then the scene shifted to one that I actually recognized.
Kacchan and his sidekicks were walking along an old path in the woods near the old park where our parents would take us to play after school. From Kacchan's point of view all I could see were him, the boy with wings, and the boy with the stretchy fingers, though from my own memories I knew I wasn't far behind them. While they were running and pretending to be heroes, Kacchan hit a loose piece of dirt and fell into the stream shortly below. The other boys stood there and looked down, probably just expecting him to be fine, but suddenly I finally saw myself come into view as the young me ran down to help him up.
"Are you okay Kacchan?" Young me asked with my hand held out. In the present, Kacchan looked at me from his chair. His mouth was still bound but his eyes were wide with recognition. I gave him a reassuring nod before mouthing "We'll take later" and pointing back at the screen.
"I'm fine Izuchan, I don't need your help. What kind of hero would I be if I needed help from someone that doesn't even have his quirk yet?" Young Kacchan replied.
"But Kacchan, even All Might needs help sometimes. That's why he has his friend, Nighteye. You may have a cool quirk, but we're still just kids." Young me said, hand still held out. I could tell Kacchan was debating internally before eventually taking it.
"Thanks Izuchan, you're right. Sorry I was mean." He said as he stood up.
"You're welcome. You know you can count on me to keep you humble. I think that's what Mommy called it anyway." Young me said.
"Yeah, I think I heard All Might say being humble was a good thing, so you'd better help me do it. That'll be your job as my sidekick, alright?" Young Kacchan said, to which my young self just nodded along. "Good, now hurry up and get your quirk already!" He yelled.
...
As the scene shifted, I couldn't help but get a little emotional. I'm trying to make up for it now, but I still hate that I couldn't keep my promise to you, Kacchan. He looked over again, obviously having questions for me. I looked to Pride before the video could continue.
"Would you mind if I Kacchan and I spoke for a moment before continuing?" I asked the sin.
"Hmph, I suppose. Just bear in mind that you are wasting my time." Pride said before waving his hand and undoing Kacchan's tape. "I've got to speak to Wrath about something anyway." He remarked before walking back through the wall to Wrath's section of the room.
Meanwhile, Kacchan was looking at me without saying a word. Deciding to break the ice, I stepped closer to him.
"So I guess you found out about the name, Kacchan." I said lightly. He didn't look amused. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.
"Midoriya." Kacchan said robotically, which I figure was his way of dealing with some of his pride being taken. I winced reflexively at hearing my birth name, but I still had to hold my ground.
"Hehe, glad to see you didn't forget me after all, old friend." I replied.
"I remember, the old hag and your mom were friends. You were my quirkless sidekick." He said, still not showing much emotion.
"Yeah, I was the last in our class to get my quirk, but that didn't stop me from trying to keep up with you anyway. Remember how we used to do 'Hero Training' on the playground at the park?" I said, hoping to spark some old memories and get some emotion out of him.
"I remember." Was all he said.
"We used to run as hard as our lungs would let us back then. You would always do better than me. Even back then you were so serious about being a hero." I said fondly. Too bad that scene became such a nightmare for me later on.
"Why?" He asked suddenly.
"Why what?"
"Why did you disappear?" He asked. My face fell at this; I knew I'd have to explain it but it still hurts to think about.
"It's like I said before, once I finally got my quirk, disaster followed." I said solemnly.
"What the hell is that, oh..." He said as he trailed off. "The fire. They always said it was your dad who started it, but it was you, wasn't it?" I didn't respond, but I made it clear from my face that he was right. "That explains a lot. We had to move when our house burned, and once it was over the police were saying that you and your parents were at the center. They told us that you and your mom weren't found, but it was assumed that you'd been burnt alive. But after all this time, here you are as a member of some weird ancient bullshit sin cult." He said. I was about to clarify some of the details, but Kacchan suddenly punched me on the shoulder, sending me to the ground. "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?!"
"I tried to, but you were so self-absorbed that not only did you not recognize me, but you actively ignored me when I started to say it in the bathroom yesterday!" I half-yelled back as I got up. I could see the gears turning as he realized I was right.
"What about before that? Why not before then?" He asked.
"After everything that happened with my quirk awakening and the trauma that followed over the next few years, I just wanted to start my life over and move on. I guess in that time, I forgot about you, my oldest friend. I'm sorry." I said, looking down.
"And what about the slime bastard? It's obvious you remembered me then, why didn't you try to find me?!" He yelled.
"I wanted to, but with your old house being gone I didn't even know where to start. And if we're being honest, I was hesitant to see you again. Of course I wanted to get my old friend back, but I knew talking to you would mean bringing up my past. So I settled for hopefully seeing you at UA, or as a fellow hero one day." I finished. For the next several moments, we remained silent, neither of us knowing how to even begin now that we were all caught up. Just as I was about to rebreak that silence, Pride walked back in.
"My business with Wrath has concluded. Now, back to the show." The sin said as he motioned for the screen.
"We're not done talking!" Kacchan growled. "Give us -HURGHH!" He was cut off as the tape returned to his mouth once again and he was placed back in the chair.
"Don't care, it's my interview. Besides, you know exactly what we're going to see, whelp." He said before turning to me. "You'll want to pay attention to this part."
Without another word, Pride snapped his fingers and the projector began playing again.
...
The scene changed from the park back to our old school. The events that followed spanned years, but most were fairly repetitive, someone trying to talk to Kacchan and him responding by asserting his superiority. At first, he would try talking back to them as a person, but over the years he became more and more degrading towards others, calling them "extras" or "pebbles". He was especially cruel towards people that he thought were weak, as if talking to him was their way of saying they were on the same level.
The scenes changed one after another, each time with Bakugo becoming more and more prideful as his teachers and peers showered him with praise. His outright bullying was overlooked by the school staff, and his grades were always in the highest percentile of his class. In the handful of actual fights he had gotten into, the other student was always the one found responsible as he was let off the hook, which only served to fuel his growing pride.
Eventually people had stopped trying to get in his way altogether, as it was obvious that he was incredibly strong and that the school was going to do nothing about his behavior. With this in mind, he was able to walk around the school like a king, freely picking on other students with little to no consequence. At this point, he had made it to middle school and his ego was already a roaring inferno from the years of constant fuel. The minute Kacchan felt that anyone was looking down on him in any way, he would bully the person until they stopped. Several students were left with bad burn marks from his quirk, though there was one student in particular that got it the worst.
Jin Tamaki, a kid in our grade that was in Kacchan's homeroom that I vaguely remember being in kindergarten with. From what I could tell, he at least admired Bakugo's strength because even when Kacchan was putting him down, he still kept making comments about his quirk and how good he was gonna be with it. There were just two problems: One, he wanted to be a hero just like All Might. And two, he was quirkless.
In Kacchan's eyes, that made him even worse than the others; at least some of them maybe had a chance of being D list heroes, but Tamaki? His dream to be the next number one hero even though he had no power at all was a personal offense to Kacchan. And despite how much he was berated and abused, his dream wouldn't diminish at all, he still held to the belief that he could and would be a hero someday. I could hear Kacchan's thoughts about Tamaki, spewing things like "That useless extra thinks he can be as good as me?" and "He'd get killed in a day as a hero." without any hint of kindness. So every day, he'd make sure Tamaki knew exactly how lowly he thought of him, and leave him with more and more burn marks to cement the message.
Geez Kacchan, I knew your ego went to your head but this is a lot. You're actively bullying the guy just because he wants to be a hero despite his circumstances. He's not even challenging you or looking down on you, he just wants to be strong like you someday. If anything, he's looking up to you and wants to be someone to push you even further, just like I did. If I had never developed a quirk, would you have turned on me like that? I thought as I watched the years of Kacchan's middle school reign pass by. He made sure to keep everyone "in their place", but Tamaki was definitely getting the worst of it. I didn't think his abuse could get much worse without Kacchan actively beating him, but as we neared end of the video I saw present Kacchan look away. I nearly asked why before we made it to the final scene.
…
The scene looked normal enough, with Kacchan and his class sitting in what looked like their end of the day homeroom meeting. Their teacher was holding up a stack of papers at the front of the room.
"Alright class, I have your career aptitude tests back, which should give you all some insight into possible jobs. Oh, but who am I kidding, it's obvious that you all want to be heroes!" He said as he threw all the papers in the air, followed by the entire class agreeing with him. The only two who didn't stand up were Kacchan and Tamaki.
"Don't lump me in with the rest of these losers, Teach! There's only one person in here that's gonna make it past sidekick, and you're lookin' at him." Bakugo said while leaning back in his seat.
"Ah right, Bakugo, it says here that you're applying to UA. It'll come as no surprise to any of us when you get accepted." The teacher responded, to which many students nodded in agreement. I could tell that Kacchan was basking in that praise, but before he could say anything else his teacher piped up one more time.
"It says here that Tamaki is also applying to UA, is that right?" He asked Tamaki, who was sitting in the back of the room. The poor guy nearly fell out of his chair as his application was mentioned; he tried to mumble out an answer but Kacchan was at his desk in less than a second.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Pebble?!" He yelled at Tamaki.
"Uh, well, I was just gonna try my best to get in. It's not required to have a quirk to apply, plus even All Might has said that a hero's quirk isn't everything. Besides, I might still get my quirk before then, and it'll be amazing just like ..." He said quietly as he trailed off. Kacchan responded by putting his hand on the desk and making a small explosion.
"Listen here you little pebble, I'm gonna be the only one from this shitty school that's getting into UA, you got it? A quirkless runt like you wouldn't make it past the first minute of the entrance exam before getting squashed like a bug. Now accept your place at the bottom of the food chain and give up on getting a quirk already. Do yourself a favor and don't bother applying, got it?" He hissed out that last part while Tamaki clearly looked terrified.
"Bakugo, please return to your seat so we can finish going over everyone else's choices." The teacher said, not even commenting on how Tamaki was being treated. Without another word Kacchan stomped back to his desk.
The rest of the school day went pretty quickly, with Kacchan now being out of the center of attention. His thoughts remained consistent, with pretty much everyone else being nothing but ghosts to him. All except Tamaki, he was a pebble stuck in Kacchan's shoe, and he was finally gonna get him out.
As class ended, Tamaki tried to slip out in the crowd, but a certain explosive teen's hand grabbed onto his shoulder before he could.
"Going somewhere, Pebble? I just wanted to say sorry for what I said earlier." Kacchan said with a smirk. Tamaki didn't seem to notice anything off about that though.
"R-r-really, Katsuki? You think I can do it after all?" He stuttered out.
"What? Oh, definitely not. Like I said earlier, there's not a chance you'll even survive the entrance exam. I meant I was sorry about what I said about your whole 'quirk' situation. I should've said before that there wasn't a chance in hell of you getting a quirk, especially not a good one." He said, causing Kamaki's face to fall. "Though come to think of it, I might just have an idea of how you could get one." Kacchan, please don't tell me you're about to do what I think you are.
"Really, what's that?" He asked
"Go up to the roof, grab your stupid hero notebooks, and take a swan dive into traffic while praying that you get a quirk half as good as mine in your next life!" My former friend shouted. He then pushed his poor classmate out of the way while him and his 'sidekicks' walked away laughing as Tamaki was left shellshocked. But the worst part was Kacchan's emotions at that time.
There's not even a hint of remorse or caring in his head. He told Tamaki to kill himself without even thinking of how that'd affect him. No, he knew it'd crush Tamaki, he just did it anyway to feed his own ego and snuff out another 'pebble' that he thought was looking down on him. In his own twisted way, he felt good about putting down another nuisance. Kacchan, you acted just like a Villain right then by telling him that he should just give up on his dream and end his own life!
…
The video ended as Pride snapped his fingers and made the screen vanish.
"So Sin Bearer, do you still insist that I was wrong? Are his sins still forgivable to you?" Pride said, clearly gloating at me as I still got over the shock of Kacchan's worst sin. I looked over to my former friend half expecting to see him still smirking just like he did in the video, but instead I found something else entirely. Are those tears?
"Kacchan?" I asked.
"What do you want, Lizard? Are you gonna tell me that I messed up, that I should've apologized, or even bothered to give a damn about him? You gonna tell me that I'm a terrible person that can't even see past his ego enough to think about the people I'm hurting?!" He said, tears now freely running down his face. "How could I even say that to Pe… no, to Kamaki. Anyone watching that video could see he wasn't looking down on me, he just wanted to be a hero. And I told him to kill himself for it." He said through his small cries. I'm almost afraid to ask this, but I need to know.
"And, what happened next?" I hesitantly asked. He didn't say anything for a moment, but his eyes shifted down.
"You wanna know what happened next? He fucking jumped! Kamaki did exactly what I said 5 minutes later and went up to the roof to take a swan five." He said. I could only stand there while looking horrified. Kacchan … you really…?
"A-and did he, you know…" I tried to ask.
"He lived. Thankfully, he's alive. Last I saw of Kamaki, he was back to school from the hospital. But, he didn't walk away from it." He nearly whispered that last part. "His attempt put him in a wheelchair, maybe permanently, I don't know. I heard him say that the doctors weren't sure if he'd ever walk again. I didn't ask him though. Do you know what my arrogant ass did instead? I gloated! After he left to go on medical leave for the year, I turned to my stupid sidekicks and gloated about how I had won! How I had one less pebble in my way! I'm such a shit person, I didn't even have the decency to check on the guy after he almost killed himself because of me. Yet here I am at U fucking A while Kamaki's probably still recovering." He said solemnly, tears still flowing.
I paused for a bit, still not sure what to say. Noticing this, Kacchan looked at me and took the initiative.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Tell me that I'm trash, that I'll never be a real hero, that I don't deserve to live after that. Hell, punch me in the face. I can see now that I've earned that and so much more." He said glumly. I still couldn't bring myself to move.
This is such a bizarre change. No, not a change, a reversion. This Kacchan feels more like my old friend, he's actually admitting that he was wrong. And more importantly, it's obvious that he regrets it now that his eyes are open.
"C'mon, beat the shit out of me already! I'm sure you don't want me to join your little group. If anything, you probably think I'm some kind of villain that needs to be taken down, so hurry up and hit me!" He yelled. I closed the distance between us, but rather than do as he said I held my hand out to him.
"I'm not gonna hit you Kacchan, and I absolutely still want you to join me as a host. I'm more sure now than I was before that you're still the same person I knew back then." I said to my old friend.
"W-what? How the hell can you say that after seeing what I've done? After seeing what I said to K-Kamaki?!" He asked.
"Because, that version of you was given nothing but praise and worship since the age of four, so how were you supposed to know when someone was trying to be a good friend to you? The only person that ever tried to do the same left you alone with that crowd." I said with a small smile. "And besides, just look at you now that all that extra pride has been stripped away. You're standing here crying and saying how terrible your actions have been. So no, I'm not gonna hit you, I'm gonna help you get past your sins now and forever. Now take my hand and let me. Even if you don't become a host, I won't give up on you!" I said, moving my still outstretched hand.
Kacchan looked at me for a moment, thinking about what I had just said, before sighing and grabbing my hand and getting up from his seat.
"Heh, and you're the Host of Wrath? He must not have left you with much if you can forgive me that quickly." He said.
"Oh, trust me Kacchan. I've still got plenty of anger, but only for people who deserve it." I replied.
"I guess I'll have to see that for myself. If it means that I never have to go back to being that egomaniac, then I'll take you up on your offer, Izucchan." He said with a smirk as he used my old nickname.
"That's great! I'm sure you'll be an amazing host now that you're seeing clearly." I said, beaming at him.
"Yeah yeah, I get it. So how do we do this?" He asked. Before I could say anything, Pride intervened.
"Now, I will speak to you directly once again about the details of our arrangement. And for the record, I never agreed to have him as my host, Sin Bearer." He said the last part glaring heavily at me. "However, given that you'll probably just bring me someone even weaker, I suppose this one will do." I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding in as he said that.
"Now, while I explain the details to little Kacchan here, I would suggest you help your other runt friend before Greed talks her to death." Pride remarked. As I looked over to Ocha, I could see that she seemed flustered over something. I should probably go over and help her. But before that …
"Hey! Kacchan is my nickname for him." I said to the sin.
"Don't care. I'll call anyone whatever I want to. Now be grateful I haven't decided to call you anything more demeaning, Sin Bearer. Now, leave us." He said with a flick of his hand. Before I could even think of a retort, I was sent flying out of Pride's section of the room, straight through Wrath's (who was just sitting on his throne giving me a thumbs up and a smile for some reason), and into Greed's.
"... flying in right now." I heard Greed say as I landed surprisingly softly. Must be a mental room thing, I guess.
"Kai!" Ocha said as she ran over to help me up.
"Oh, wonderful timing Sin Bearer! We were just about ready for you anyway! And don't worry about him Ochako dear. Though he can be very grumpy, Pride wouldn't dare to actually hurt another sin's host. Well, unless they insulted him somehow, but since he's still in one piece he should be fine." Greed said.
"He's right, I'm fine Ocha." I said as I stood up. "So, what have I missed?" I asked her. Before she could respond, Greed piped up.
"Well, we did the whole meet and greet thing and I put on the video of her greatest hits. On a side note, if you run into this 'King' guy, you have my full support in killing him for manipulating our girl here. But other than that, I was just chatting with her and getting a better feel for the kind of person she is. And for the record, my mind has not changed at all, the offer is absolutely still open. I'll even add a please on it if that'll help." He said excitedly.
"And what do you think?" I asked her.
"Well, it's a lot to take in. You know, the fact that the seven deadly sins have a physical form, and that my best friend, who is one of the calmest and nicest people ever, is the host of Wrath. How does that even work anyway?" She asked. Before I could say anything, Greed butted in again.
"Simple, Izuku is a lot like you. While he certainly has a lot of wrath, he only lets it out at certain moments. Unlike your other friend over there with Pride, you two have a more directed approach to your sins. Which, while I can't say I share that with you, I would definitely say adds to your appeal. I've had so many hosts that just wanted to take everything they saw and make it their own, you know? And though I can certainly respect that, it gets really boring after a while. But you, you only take what you think is going to waste, and then you use that money to support your poor parents like a modern day Robin Hood! Since it looks like we're going with heroes this time around, someone like you is almost too hard to resist." He said.
"So, the reason you can be the host of wrath is because you just bottle your rage up? That's not healthy, you know. You should've come and talked to me." Ocha said, seemingly ignoring that last part of Greed's spiel. He must've been laying it on pretty thick already, normally she would've been more flustered at that kind of praise, I thought.
"Guilty. Like I said, she's perfect. Now convince her that I'm right!" I mentally heard from the sin. If I can get a word in, I thought.
"Well, you're sort of right. I haven't really been bottling it, it's more like I only direct my wrath at one thing. Everyone has an object of their wrath if they have enough of it. The same goes for the other sins as well. But since mine is focused, I only get really angry at that. Anything else isn't worth feeling my wrath." I said.
"Oh, I think I get it. So what is yours then?" She asked innocently.
"Villains. Ever since I was young, I've hated it when villains go out and do whatever they want, regardless of the innocent people around them. And especially the ones who don't even have a goal, they just go out and hurt whoever they want just because they can. Some people just want to harm the people around them because they're angry about their own life, and I can't stand it. These are the kinds of people that my wrath is aimed at." I said. I didn't mean to give a small monologue, it just kind of happened.
"Wow, Kai. Even your wrath is heroic. Meanwhile I just want to help myself and my family. I know you've told me not to worry about that before, but I can't help it. I'll never be a hero like you. I'll just be helping myself, and probably looting villain treasure rooms. I know you didn't say it, but the fact that you brought me here tells me that even you think I'm too greedy." Ocha said dejectedly.
"Ocha, why do you think I brought you and Bakugo here?" I asked her.
"Because you think we would be good hosts for the sins, right?" She said.
"You're only half right. Do you remember what Wrath said when we first got here? Becoming a host will help you manage your greed so you can overcome your sin and be an even more amazing hero than you were already gonna be. I chose you two both because I knew you'd be good hosts and because I knew being a host would be good for you." I said with a smile for my friend.
"Wait, so you're telling me that becoming Greed's host will cure my kleptomania?!" She asked. Greed decided to interject here.
"Well, I wouldn't say cure it, but stockpiling most of that greed away will certainly make it a lot more manageable. You'll probably still feel the urge, but saying no will definitely be easier. Though if you ask me, there's nothing wrong with taking what you want, but for the sake of the whole 'hero' thing I'll go with it. Not that it really matters. Trust me Darling, with my power plus your natural charm, once you're a hero you'll be making more money than you and your parents could ever spend anyway." Greed said. When I turned to look at Ocha, I was surprised to see a tear coming from her smiling face.
"You've only known about my problem for a day and you're already offering me the solution I've wanted for so long. How can I ever thank you Kai?" She said.
"There's no need to thank me Ocha, you've been beating yourself up over this for so long without me even knowing something was wrong, all while being an amazing friend to me and helping me through my own burdens. It's only right that I help you with this one." I said, now also smiling.
"In that case, I'll gladly accept your offer!" Ocha said. I couldn't even say anything before the moment was cut off by a certain sin.
"YES! I knew you'd make the right choice here, you're not gonna regret this I promise! I know we'll do great things together, Ochako! Where do we start? The powers, the gem? Oh, I know. The helmet! You're gonna be my host so it's only right you get to see my face, just avoid the eyes cause that'll get a little fun otherwise. Alright, here we go!" Greed said, somehow all in one breath, before reaching for his helmet. I was curious myself since I had only ever seen Wrath with his helmet off. Must be another host thing, they only take their helmets off once they have a host.
As he removed his helmet, I finally got a look at the sin of Greed's face. He had short, messy ginger hair that matched his orange eyes, long and slightly pointed ears, a small and sharp looking nose, and a mouth to match his otherwise impish features. Honestly, he looked a lot like what you'd expect from a Leprechaun, just larger and ready to cause chaos while collecting his pot of gold.
Curiously, when I took a quick look at his eyes I couldn't feel the same intense effect that I feel when I look into Wrath's. Before I could really wonder about that, I noticed Ocha getting a little wobbly. I put my hand on her before she could fall. As Ocha steadied herself, Greed pulled out a pair of thin red glasses and put them on before continuing.
"I did warn you about the eyes. That's interesting though, it seems that you're not affected by them, Sin Bearer. You must not have enough greed in you for my eyes to call upon. Oh well, and here I was hoping I could coax some out of you. But anyway, I know we'll all get along great regardless! Now, before we get into the details of this whole 'host' business, let's get back to the others. It looks like Pride is done scolding your spiky friend over there." Greed said.
As soon as he said this, the light barriers on either side came down and the room returned to how it was when we first arrived. Once we came together, I saw that Pride had also taken his helmet off, revealing a face that looked much like a warrior from ancient times. His hair was jet black and cut short in an almost militaristic fashion, just like the neatly trimmed beard on his rugged jaw. His nose and mouth were fairly normal, albeit a bit larger than most, but his eyes were the most imposing thing about him. They, like the other sins, matched the color of his aura and shone a deep purple, but unlike the others his were glowing very brightly so it was hard to really meet his gaze.
Unlike with Greed, when I looked into Pride's eyes I did feel my own ego swell, like I could take on the world without even batting an eye, though the effect was much less pronounced than the one I felt when I looked into Wrath's.
"Ah, it appears the introductions are over with. And since you two have removed your helmets, it would seem that you two have both been accepted and have chosen to become hosts. Izuku, you've done well bringing us these two, though I hope you won't make the other four sins wait too much longer." Wrath said. "By the way, Pride, I noticed that you finally pulled out Julius again. It's been quite a while since we've seen that persona. Not that it changes your personality much, but that old Grecian king is certainly one of your nicer forms. It seems you really have taken a liking to this group of hosts already." He continued as his smile changed into a more playful one.
"It's nothing like that, I simply desired a change of pace after staying in my neutral form for the last three cycles. Don't you get bored with Meliodas after so many centuries?" Pride replied.
"Not really. He's the original sin of Wrath from the time of our creator, plus he's one of the few personas I have that has a decent temper, so I don't see a need to change. Well, other than aging him up a bit so people don't wonder why I have the face of a child. Though I must say, Izuku here is well on his way to leaving his own imprint. He's much more thoughtful than most of the other hosts I've had over the years." He said, which surprised me a bit. And here I thought he just wanted to keep the blond hair and red eyes so he'd look like a vampire, I thought.
I sorta forgot that I'm in a room full of beings that can read my mind, so when Greed started cackling I got a cold reminder. When I looked over, even Pride was grinning. I couldn't tell if Wrath was amused or not. His smile remained so I guess he wasn't too offended.
"What, did we do something funny?" Ocha asked at the sudden laughter.
"Mental thing, they can read my mind in here and I accidentally added a comment onto Wrath's appearance." I said sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I do think you look good, Wrath. I thought at the sin.
"Anyway, my apparently Transylvanian appearance aside, there are a few more matters we need to discuss with you and the new hosts, namely abilities. Over the years we have amassed a number of abilities that tie into our powers which we can then give to our hosts." Wrath said.
"So you're saying that you can somehow give us extra powers? How the hell does that work?" Kacchan said.
"Well, as I said before while explaining our origins, we were made from our creator's magic, and from her we inherited the drive and ability to amass power from our hosts. Though at the time, this meant that we would copy their own magical powers in some shape or form. However, since the magic from long ago was eventually absorbed by humanity and caused the 'Quirk Boom' as Izuku put it, we can now copy the quirks of our hosts. And because we're inside of your body, we can give these abilities to you. Though giving them to you directly causes immense strain on your body, so to lessen this we incorporate them into your own sins. Though most of the abilities are individual to the sins, the one power you will all share is the power to transform." Wrath explained. Once again, my friends both looked shocked.
"Wait, so we'll all be able to transform into dragons?" Ocha asked after a moment.
"Not quite, the ability to transform is linked to each sin, or more specifically to animals that are linked to the sins. Izuku is able to turn into a dragon because that's one of the animals most associated with Wrath, but also its role as a guardian and protector made it the most compatible for him. If you two will please step up to the thrones of your respective sins, your animal will be decided." He said.
Once he said this, Ocha and Kacchan stepped up to the thrones and what looked like a sort of pressure plate appeared on the ground before them.
"You'll see that the current symbols for the sins are on the thrones. Once you step on the plates, the symbol will change to reveal your animal transformation. Mr. Bakugo, if you would please go first." Wrath said
"Alright, let's see what kind of beast I'll get to become!" Kacchan yelled and stepped up to the plate. As he did, the lion symbol on the throne began to morph into a few other animals, presumably ones linked to Pride. After a moment, the symbol settled onto … a lion.
"Well, that was anticlimactic, but not unexpected. Given your mane and your habit to growl your words, I would've been surprised to see anything else. Though it would've been entertaining to see another Peacock, eh Pride?" Wrath said.
"We agreed to never speak of that one, Wrath. But if you insist, then I might be inclined to mention a certain Chihuahua you had a few cycles ago." Pride retorted.
"Fair enough, Pride. Fair enough." Wrath said.
"So I'll turn into a lion? How does that work?" Kacchan asked.
"Oh, that's simple. You'll just focus on the object of your Pride, which in your case I would imagine would be your own abilities, and then you'll start transforming. The process will have a progression, but once you hit a certain point there's no going back. Be wary, as when transformed you'll have very little control of your actions. You'll pretty much be running on your own sinful desires and instincts." He answered.
"So I'm gonna start turning into a damn lion anytime I even think about my quirk?" He asked.
"Well, traditionally yes. However, with our new stockpiling ability it should make things a bit more deliberate. You should be able to stockpile that triggering emotion away, ready to use when you deem necessary. Izuku can explain the specifics to you both later. Right now, we have more pressing matters. Ms. Uraraka, if you would please step up to the plate." Wrath said. Kacchan looked like he wanted to argue, but decided not to.
"Alright, let's see what I get." Ocha said before stepping onto the plate. The frog symbol on the throne shifted just like the other one, though the animals were different for this one. It morphed into animal after animal before finally landing on … a fox.
"Oooooo, a fox. It's been a few cycles since I've had one of those! You'll look adorable as a fox, so much better than as a frog, Ochako dear. And I'm sure -" Greed started saying before Wrath cut him off.
"Greed, I know that you're excited to have a new host, but we do have other things to get to, and we're running short on time. You'll have plenty of time to ramble later." Wrath said. The other sin didn't look happy to be interrupted, but
"Fine, let's move on I guess." Greed replied.
"Good. Like I said before, there are a few other powers that you'll be getting. The next one is a fairly simple one called Sin Sight. It will allow you to view the object of someone's sin, as well as let you see how prideful or greedy they are, for your respective sins of course. As the primary sin bearer, Izuku has an upgraded version that lets him see more, but the fundamentals are the same so he should be able to help you with that. And finally, you'll all be receiving a more unique power from your respective sins." Wrath said.
"What powers will we be getting?" Ocha asked.
"Well, Ochako dear, it's like Wrath said. We've got several to choose from. Usually we start off with the natural abilities of our sins like Wrath did with Izuku's Aggression, so for you it would be Duplication. You'd be able to make an exact copy of whatever you have your hand on, though making big things will wear you down quickly. Does that sound good?" Greed said.
"Uhm, that would definitely be useful, especially since I would be able to make them float, but how would I explain that new power to everyone else? I can't just say that I got a new quirk that's completely different from my normal one." She asked.
"Good point, Ocha. Dad and I will have to think of some kind of excuse for new quirks popping up in people. We'll have to do it eventually for the transformations anyway, but for now though, it might be better if there's something you can just say is part of your quirk." I said.
"Agreed. Is there anything that I could do that with Greed? Or maybe something that isn't visible?" She asked the sin. He responded by holding his hand out and having a book appear in it, before opening it and flipping through it.
"Hmmmmm, going incognito then. Let's see what we have in here. Oh, I've got just the one! I had a host years ago that could use gravity magic to make things either lighter or heavier. Normally I'd have to tie this into the sin of greed somehow, but since you can already make things weightless I can cut the ability in half. That way you can just say your floaty quirk had another use you discovered. How does that sound dear?" Greed asked.
"That sounds great. I've always wanted to be able to use my quirk both ways. It'll be perfect. Thank you." She said with a bow.
"Oh, no thanks needed, and definitely no bowing. We're gonna be a great team, I can already tell! I'll work on the ability right away. You should be able to use it in the next day or two." He replied.
"And as for you, whelp, I could give you the ability Pride Flare. It's a very useful ability in my arsenal that would allow you to kill your enemy's confidence while adding to your own power." Pride said to his new host.
"That sounds sweet! Lay it on me, Barney." Kacchan said.
"Ah, ah. Firstly, you will only refer to me as either by name or by Sir. And Secondly, I said I could, not that I would. I have decided to give you a different ability. You will receive Strength Sight. It works similarly to your Sin Sight, but instead of their sin it will show you their power in relation to your own on a scale of 1 to 10, with 5 being roughly the same as you. It is a useful tool in measuring your opponent's power, though some numbers will change depending on the situation. Do you understand?" Pride said. Kacchan did not look happy.
"What the hell kind of bullshit plot device of a power is that?!" He asked.
"It's the kind of power you get when you dare to attack your superior twice within five minutes and then proceed to call them Barney. You should be grateful that I'm even taking you on as a host. Now, you will either get this power, or I can get a new host. The choice is yours." Pride said firmly. Kacchan looked like he was thinking it over for a minute.
"Fine, I'll accept the power. And … thank you, Pride." He said, though the last part sounded strained.
"That's better. And if you do well with this power, then I may let you choose the next one you get. Don't fail me, Whelp." Pride said. Even though he called Kacchan a whelp, his voice almost sounded lighter somehow.
"And now for you, Izuku." Wrath said.
"Wait, what?" I asked.
"Well I did say that you'll all be receiving a unique power. I know that you haven't had Aggression for very long, but since you'll be helping your friends adapt to their new powers anyway, I did some digging and remembered that I had a mage who could control fire ages ago. As a whole, the power has been too difficult for any of my previous hosts to handle, but if I alter it so you can control your fire, it'll put almost no strain on your body. So say the word and you'll be a pyromancer." Wrath said. I'll be able to control my fire? That's awesome! And it'll help me minimize collateral damage, so it'll be a great tool for hero work as well.
"I'll gratefully accept this gift. Thank you Wrath." I said, mirroring my benefactor's smile.
"Then it's done. Now, with all that settled, there's only one more thing to address. Mr. Bakugo, Ms. Uraraka, if you would please hold out a hand." Wrath said. Once they complied, a replica of the gems of Pride and Greed appeared in their hands. "Please place the gem on your body. Once you do, you will officially be hosts for the Seven Deadly Sins." He finished.
Both throwing a glance my way, they both took the gems and placed them right in the middle of their collarbones, exactly where mine is.
"Congrats, you two. Now there's no going back. Oh, and speaking of, it's time for you all to return. Time ran a bit long as is, so sorry in advance. I would imagine you all will have some explaining to do." Wrath said. I was about to question what he meant by that, but I felt myself leaving the throne room. Soon I could see nothing but light.
…
I opened my eyes to see the school rooftop, along with Ocha and Kacchan. There was just one major difference from when we went to the throne room: it was now dark outside.
"Ah, geez. What time is it?" I asked as we all groggily sat up.
"How the hell am I supposed to know, you're the one that's done this before, Lizard." Kacchan said.
"Hold on, I'll check my phone." Ocha chimed in. As she did, her face dropped. "Uh, you two may wanna check your phones too." She said as she frantically started typing something.
"What's the matter?" I asked, but as I pulled my phone out I saw what she meant. The time was 5am, and I had a combined 47 missed calls from dad and Mrs. Takahashi. And going by Kacchan's face, he had a similar screen showing on his phone.
"Oh." Was all I could say.
Author's Notes:
It's finally done! Oh yeah, I'm also not dead. I realized later when looking at my last chapter (we're not gonna mention how long ago it was posted), that a few of you may have thought I died or something. Well, I didn't. I've just had a very hectic life for the past little bit. I've been picking away at this chapter, but the longer I went without updating the worse my motivation to pick it back up became. That being said, I am on a much more steady schedule now, so hopefully you all won't have to wait too long before I update again.
As for the chapter itself, I finally managed to get two more of the sins in the story. It only took 100k+ words, but I'll take it! Plus, I'm finally setting up more than just groundwork for the sins. I've left a few things vague, most of which have good reason that I'll at least be hinting at in the next chapter.
For the next chapter, I'll probably be going straight into the USJ, something that I've been excited over for a while now. It'll be my first time writing an event this big, but I should be able to get it done. Hopefully. Possibly. Hehe. Don't kill me.
But yeah, all joking aside it is really good to be back writing again. Especially since we're done with most of the foundational stuff and are getting into the real story. I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner rather than later, but I can't really say when that'll be.
In the meantime, there's another project that I have been collaborating on with a few friends that you should be on the lookout for. As of now, it's not out yet, but with any luck it should be coming out soon.
That's all I have for you all. As always, I appreciate the support that this story gets with every update. I should be talking to you all again soon.
Drops through the floor in an attempt to make a cool exit.