A/N: Here it is! The fight you've all been waiting for! Thank you all for waiting so patiently! I hope it lives up to your expectations!
Also, I've recently been re-watching Demon Slayer now that the first season has finished, and I highly recommend the series to anyone who has even a remote interest in it. Seriously, there's a reason that it trended on Twitter twice; it's just that good!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies. Please support the official releases.
I do not own the cover image.
Chapter 60: To Be A Hunter
Izuku honestly didn't want to have to say goodbye. It had been peaceful here, for the most part. Sure, there had been the occasional minor Grimm, maybe even a Creep if it was feeling particularly negative, but otherwise, there was no fighting to be seen.
He knew it couldn't last forever, though. As nice as it was, they simply couldn't stay. They had a job to do.
The green-haired inheritor felt Yang's firm but gentle grip on his shoulder, a sad smile on her face when he turned to face her. It wasn't easy for her to leave either, after everything that these people had done for them. She'd gotten along really well with Shino, and Beth was starting to act a lot more relaxed with them around. Oscar had been like a similar, but still different, version of a younger Izuku, the two constantly geeking out over various books and hunters.
The only one of the family who hadn't really gotten along with them very well was Kota, and he mostly kept to himself when he wasn't doing his chores. Shino hadn't told them very much about him, but his parents had apparently been hunters themselves, and had died when Kota was extremely young.
She wouldn't say more than that, but it was all Izuku needed. He remembered the Water Hose incident. It was nearly as infamous as Stain's first killings. A pair of married heroes, who died in the line of duty to protect others instead of themselves. Noble deaths, everyone had said. At the time, Izuku had thought the same. It was how he justified his father's death, after all. It wasn't in vain. People were alive because of his sacrifice. That was why... why they'd never met. That was why he had to leave.
But he couldn't help but relate to Kota's pain. He wished he could help the boy, but he could never find the words. Not quickly enough, at least.
Izuku took a moment to place his hand atop Yang's and give a gentle squeeze as they resumed packing the last of their things. It would be about a week to Mistral on foot, and the others were probably there already. All they'd have to do was find them.
Then, before Izuku could think much else, they were ready to leave. A melancholic optimism seemed to hang in the air, an odd yet still appropriate mix of emotions.
Shino shook both of their hands with her good one, saying, "It's been nice having you around. I hope we'll see you again, sometime."
"I'd like that. It's been... peaceful," Yang said wistfully.
"Well, you just wait a week. Then things start to get properly chaotic around here," Beth said as she tucked auburn locks behind her ear, a wry smile across her face.
"I'd imagine so," Izuku said. He'd noticed that Yuri and Sharpe both had gone on a hunt of some kind, to bring back some major game for a summer celebration.
Kota gave them a harsh glare and said nothing, stomping back to his room before Shino could tell him off. The slamming of his door not five seconds later confirmed this. Oscar, by contrast, looked as though he was struggling to find words to say, instead shaking his head and settling on, "Stay safe out there. You're tough, but you're still human."
Izuku felt his own smile widen a bit as he and Yang turned to leave, saying, "Of course! We'll keep doing our best!"
The waving between them was carried for several seconds, until he and Yang had reached the end of the dirt road that lead to the homestead. Then, they carried on, with the wind at their back and their path laid clear in front of them.
(meanwhile, the outskirts of Malt, Muscular's POV)
It was nearly time for the plan to begin. As soon as those brats entered the furthest edges of town, they'd have the perfect opportunity to enact their plan. First, they'd be swarmed with Grimm, from Beowolves to Ursa Major. Even if it wouldn't kill them, it would distract them long enough for him to enact the second part of the plan. He would be going around back with a minor escort of Beowolves to place them in a pincer situation. Hopefully, he'd be able to grab a hostage or two along the way.
At least, that was the way he needed to act whenever his boss was around. He didn't like these tactics. They went against everything he stood for as a fighter. He wanted to have a proper challenge. And he really wanted to face that green-haired kid again. Something told him that the kid was still holding back, even if it was unintentional.
Still, he'd go along with the plan, for now. He had to. And if the hostages caused Izuku to quit holding back... well, in that case, everyone got what they wanted.
(a few minutes later, the Pine homestead, Oscar's POV)
The audible sigh that came from the second presence in his mind was unmistakable, and definitely disappointed in something. So, Oscar quickly thought, What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, I've got the spirit of your deceased headmaster inside my head, and also I've recently been getting access to his memories and might know a certain secret you're not allowed to talk about in public?' I think he'd either laugh in my face or just ask me how the hell I know so much. It'd be really awkward.
"... I mean, he would if you took that approach. Then he'd most certainly think you were rather mad. And I already told you he likely knew of our predicament. At least, the surface level of it."
Save me the drama. Urgh. Man, how did I not pick up on his hints? I mean, he was literally referring to a series where two people share a body!
"Everything is obvious in hindsight, young Oscar. Now-"
The silence that followed was sudden and abrupt, as though something had happened that the man did not expect. It was terrifyingly quick.
Oz? … hey, Oz, what's-
"We need to leave this place, now."
Oscar nearly stood from his seat when he heard that. What the hell could make Ozpin, one of the greatest headmasters in the world, and one of the prodigies nearly as famous as All Might himself, afraid? But more importantly...
What's happening? And why the hell would you up and-
"I wish I didn't have to, but we don't have enough time to argue this point properly! The short version is, if you die, then my soul could travel to literally any male body in the entire world! I could end up in Atlas or Vacuo, or I could end up back at Vale. I'm sorry, but I can only do the most good if I'm in Mistral, and I cannot risk you dying and having to start from scratch!"
"I'm not leaving," Oscar said, keeping his voice low even in an argument this heated. "If you're not gonna help, then maybe those two will."
"Oscar-"
"We don't have time for this. Either get on board, or get out of the way. I'm still bringing them back no matter what you decide."
"..."
"..."
"... you know of a shorter path to the town proper through the forest. If you want to reach them quickly, cut straight through it and run as fast as you can."
Their course of action finally decided, Oscar nodded as he sped out of the house, determined to find Izuku and Yang before they left, with the confused shouts of his aunts at his back.
(meanwhile, in Malt, Yang's POV)
The fresh, forest-town air was one of the things that the blonde brawler was actually going to miss when they finally got to Mistral. Being out in the open, sleeping under the stars, the occasional spat with a Grimm or two. It was the life she used to dream of as a young teen. Hell, she used to dream about it when she was at Beacon. A life on the road, with all the time in the world.
But that was a dream for another day, when they didn't have a city to save from some rather terrifying people. Still, she had everyone else from Team RNJRSIY at her back, and Izuku at her side. It was comforting to have people to rely on, even if her old dream often said otherwise.
She had drifted a bit closer to Izuku when she first heard the whispers. Off to her left, as they passed, she heard an older couple whisper, "... Grimm're only getting more frequent. And now there're bandits getting closer too? With our luck, it'll be the Branwens."
"Keep your voice down," the other said as Izuku and Yang passed out of earshot.
Unfortunately, that was all that Yang needed to hear. The Branwen Bandit Tribe, sometimes referred to as The Black Birds. They weren't spoken of in public, but there was a reason that they were so infamous. They were the only group, off record, who had both fought and slain hunters. High-profile hunters. It was from this tribe that Qrow, and her mother, Raven, hailed. The former grew distant from the tribe and left, causing them to lose a big chunk of their foothold in Anima for almost ten years.
Then, according to various rumors and tellings, Raven had ascended her mother as the matriarch and leader of the tribe. They got more aggressive, even greedier, at one point threatening to disrupt a major trade route between Vale and Mistral before Qrow stepped in and put them in their place, causing them to go into hiding once again.
And they might be nearby? She... she couldn't be thinking about this. She shouldn't be thinking about this. It would distract from the mission at hand.
But if you don't resolve this now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
That sentence ended her train of thought. Yang had more important things to worry about than this.
"-ang? … Yang, are you okay?"
It was then that the blonde brawler finally noticed that she had stopped in her tracks as she had gone through that train of thought. She turned her violet orbs up to meet Izuku's green ones, finding them both concerned but understanding. He was close, but not so close as the make her feel suffocated. Just enough to make her feel that she wasn't alone.
Still, she shook her head and gave him a warm smile. "I'm alright, Greenie. C'mon, let's hit the road while we still have some daylight left."
Yang could tell that Izuku almost instantly knew something was wrong, even if she hadn't said what it was. He didn't say anything, though, and she was all too thankful for that. She was going to tell him once they made camp for the night, when she was sure it was just them.
As they made their way towards the main exit towards Mistral, something in the air felt... off. Like the last calm before a raging storm.
If only she'd known how accurate that metaphor was at the time.
(Izuku's POV)
A sudden burst of speed in front of them brought with it a heaving Oscar, panting as though he had run the fastest marathon in the history of Remnant. Izuku was the first at his side with Yang close behind him, a hand on the boy's shoulder to store him as he breathed. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"... they're... they're here... something's here..."
At that, a sudden howl rang out throughout the town Malt. It started small, giving off the impression of a lone wolf. Then, there came others, an entire chorus of wolfish cries built up and spread throughout, building a sense of pure dread and looming doom even as he and Yang drew their respective weapons. Beowolves. Only they would travel in such large packs at once.
Even as they drew their weapons, Tempest giving a low hum as he shifted into his stance, something just felt... off, to Izuku. This many Beowolves couldn't have gathered so quickly, especially after he and Yang had done so much damage to their local population. Malt was never especially negative, and often seemed downright optimistic compared to some of the places they'd come across.
So why were so many of them gathering just outside the village, and towards the main entrance no less? Some Grimm were moderately intelligent, but not nearly enough to gather this many this quickly without being at least centuries old. The chances of such a Grimm being near them were slim to none.
Someone had to be controlling them. Giving them orders. The first person who sprang to mind was Tyrian, but it seemed as though he and his partner would've likely split up to keep tabs on both the groups after they'd been forced apart.
That left Muscular as the only option. Despite the fact that his stature and fighting style suggested otherwise, it was entirely likely that he, or someone above him, had suggested this kind of strategy. Izuku was familiar with the battle tactics; he'd been Team STIK's primary strategist after all. A simple pincer setup, to box them in on both sides to fight an impossible battle on two fronts instead of one.
The question was: where was the other half the pincer, if there even was one?
"What's the plan here, Izuku?" Yang said as she ushered Oscar away from the soon-to-be battleground, quickly reassuming her stance afterwards.
"A simple defense. Nothing gets into the village. If even one of them gets through, everything's going to start falling apart," Izuku quickly answered, though there was just a hint of doubt that seeped into his tone.
Yang caught on to this, and further questioned, "Anything else?"
"... this might be the first half of a pincer attack. I don't know if that's even remotely true, but I just can't shake the feeling that it's way too likely," the green-haired inheritor admitted.
As Grimm continued to gather on the road that led to Malt, Yang slowly opened and closed her fists as she refocused on the enemy in front of her. With surprising determination, she told Izuku, "Then you've gotta make sure you stop it if it's there. I can hold this horde off for a good while."
"You're sure?" Izuku asked, knowing what she'd have to face. The Grimm within the gathering horde were quite numerous, and some looked to be quite strong as well.
"You betcha, Greenie," she said with all the confidence she could muster, slamming one fist into the other as she walked slowly towards the gathered Grimm, cracking her knuckles along the way. He knew that it was to reassure him, and any of the panicked villagers who might've been watching. He knew that it was mostly fake. He knew that she was terrified. None of them had ever faced that many Grimm before, especially not alone.
But in that same fear, Izuku also saw a familiar determination. It was the same one that had urged him to save Bakugo in the first place. The same one that constantly pushed him to save people. And it was in that moment that Izuku knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Yang would not let herself lose here. Not easily.
With a nod, Izuku turned and ran towards the other end of the village, with Tempest still drawn as he made his way to the only place that would make for a suitable pincer attack. The other end of the village. The Pine family homestead.
(Yang's POV)
The blonde brawler's confident façade stayed on her face as she turned to the Grimm. Quickly, she absentmindedly checked the ammunition for Ember Celica, confirming that they were locked, loaded, and ready to blow the heads off of some bone-bearing monsters.
She knew that Izuku had to stop the other half of the pincer attack. Whenever he predicted a strategic possibility, it was usually either exploited by their team or came to fruition. Yang had long ago learned to trust Izuku's strategic instincts.
What she hadn't expected was the complete and total confidence that he seemed to have in her as he turned to leave. Yang wasn't confident. Far from it. She honestly wasn't sure how many Grimm she'd be able to kill before she would be overwhelmed. She was their best line of defense, it was why she'd so readily stayed, but she knew that she couldn't-
"If you think like that, you're never going to survive a proper fight," the words of her father repeated, echoing through her mind as she instinctively took her stance again. "There's a time for doubting your abilities, and the middle of a fight should never be one of them. So, grit your teeth, plant your feet, and fight smart and hard. You'll need both."
Back when they'd had that conversation, she'd been thirteen. And quite the hothead, being just a bit too eager to fight and do nothing else. Now, she was eighteen, humbled, but still burning as bright as she could. She finally got it. She finally understood why her dad had told her that all those years ago.
So, she let her fake smile become real as she bellowed out to the Grimm, arms spread wide, "Alright, you bone-faced shits! You want to get in here?! You're gonna have to get through me!"
For just a moment, the entire horde hesitated to move forward. Yang didn't know what she had done, but it gave her just enough confidence to really reassure herself. She wouldn't try to survive. She was going to survive. And she was going to make damn sure that not a single person in Malt suffered so much as a scratch.
The Grimm began to trickle in, one by one, starting with the more mindless Creeps and the younger Beowolves, which she quickly scattered to the winds with a few quick hits and fistfuls of buckshot. One of the more naturally clever Beowolves used one of its brethren as cover while it tried to get around behind her, but she quickly grabbed it by the ankle, and slammed it like a club into the line of approaching Creeps before crushing its head into that of another Beowolf, killing both of them instantly.
Almost daring them to try again, Yang retook her stance and gave them a 'c'mere' gesture with her forward hand, fully aware that her hair was trying to set itself ablaze. Not yet. She had to wait for the precise time to let her anger out. Now was not quite it.
An Ursa and its pack took the stage next, followed by several more Beowolves and Creeps. This was fine. She'd dealt with such odds before. The big, bone-covered bear lead the charge, obviously believing that it was enough to beat her, until she quickly gave it an uppercut and blew its skull off of its massive shoulder, quickly moving to the next.
Her golden Aura shimmered and throbbed as she continued to take hits from the building waves. Apparently, the rest were starting to remember why they were there and started to act accordingly. Yang wasn't giving up though, and quickly disposed of the ones who'd gotten hits on her in a flurry of fists, feet, and shells, instantly killing them and moving on to the others. There would be no stragglers. There would be no innocent deaths. Not today.
She continued to defend her line in a dance of fire and footwork, at some points almost looking like Izuku, a few of the techniques she'd helped him develop for his unarmed combat surfacing like second nature as her boot caved in a Grimm skull in a roundhouse that put several more of the monsters flat on their asses when the corpse was launched straight towards them. It was definitely her favorite of his unarmed moves.
And still, her hair tried to blaze. She struggled to not let it, to keep her composure. The blonde brawler saw the Grimm grow more numerous, felt them getting harder to kill with every punch. The temptation to use her semblance was getting gradually harder to ignore every passing second. She was going to use it. But not yet. Not yet, damnit. Just a bit longer. If she could hold it off just a bit longer-
And then, from the corner of her eye, she saw an Ursa Major take its chance, leaping towards her with its jaw outstretched as she dangled in mid-air, her fist still embedded in a weaker variant of its ilk. A blow like that would severely hinder her Aura, which had already taken several hits during the massive melee. It could give her a bit of an advantage when it came time to unleash her semblance, but the cons outweighed the pros. Still, she had no way to react fast enough to dodge it, so she braced herself for the bit.
Then a pitchfork jammed itself into the thing's eye before someone stomped on its long handle, pressing it further in as the slightly altered momentum caused the Ursa Major to dive into its brethren, giving Yang ample opportunity to tuck and roll backwards as she landed none the worse for wear.
When she turned to thank the person who'd saved her from a rather difficult situation, she was surprised to see that it was Oscar at her side, with a thin, double-edged blade in his right hand in a stance that reminded her distinctly of Ozpin. One hand behind his back, his sword placed in front of him, ready with a poise that could strike at a Grimm in a moment's notice.
"Apologies for the interference, Ms. Xiao Long, but it seemed as though you required a bit of assistance. I do hope it wasn't unwelcome," the boy said in a tone that was distinctly not his own. His eyes, once a mixed shade of hazel, were now an emerald green. That only raised further questions that didn't have time to be asked.
So, instead, she turned back to the horde and loaded new shells into Ember Celica, the satisfying cock of her gauntlets punctuating her response, "Not at all. But I'm gonna have a lot of questions for you when this is over."
And so, they ran into the fray, the blonde brawler at the left, and the blade-wielding boy at the right, taking on their fair share of the horde. The fight was nowhere near over.
(a bit earlier, Pine family homestead, Kota's POV)
Kota didn't really get why Oscar had run after those two. They were gone, and good riddance. So what if they'd forgotten something? It was their own fault. And they were downright annoying. And whatever the hell was going on between the idiot and the blonde had been only further emphasizing the annoyance. Thankfully, they'd managed to resolve that a few days ago, though he did notice that the seemed way closer than they had before.
It felt... weird. He definitely wasn't upset that they were gone, but still... the house felt a bit emptier.
Kota quickly shook his head of those thoughts, and was currently staying in his room with a bored demeanor. It was how it went most days. He'd never really been passionate about anything since... the incident. He just wandered his room, occasionally picked one of the few books he could read at his age, and waited until one of his aunts gave him some chores to do to pass the time.
What happened instead was entirely unexpected.
A loud, cavernous boom came from the lower floor, and instantly, Kota could feel that something was wrong. He didn't just feel it in his bones, he felt it in every fiber of his body. Something was here. And it was dangerous.
Yet, all the same, Kota ever so slightly emerged from his room, creeping along the hallway as louder noises kept coming from the lower floor. The sound of a fist far too large to be normal smashing through the dense wooden supports. The echoing blast of Beth's shotgun firing off two shots before suddenly growing silent as the sound of a body hitting the wall echoed up as well.
Ever so slowly, the man came into view. Short blonde hair waving wildly about the place, and a crimson tank top adorning his upper half. A single beady eye and a harrowing smile that sent shivers down his spine. And to his left, a massive scar that covered a good eighth of his face, stretching to half an inch into his hairline, a fake eye with a wide, dark pupil and dark crimson sclera taking the place of the real one that had been taken with that scar.
The news reports of that day came flooding back. The battle that had taken place between this man and both of his parents. The news had said they'd saved people, but died defending them. But they'd wounded their assailant. Badly. So much that it left a horrible scar where his left eye should be.
And that same man was standing in front of him, right now. He froze in pure fright, the sheer presence enough to remind him of exactly what he'd done to his parents. His legs began to buckle and shake, as did the rest of his body.
Mama... Papa...
Muscular, turned to him, as though he'd suddenly heard the boy's thoughts, and his disturbing smile widened even further. "Well, I suppose you'll do nicely," he said as he began to walk towards the boy with a slow gait, only stopping when he looked to the apparel on the boy's head.
"I've gotta say, kid, that's a fine looking hat. Wanna trade it for this?" The scarred man reached behind him to pull out an admittedly rather bland mask. "They were making me wear this whenever I had to go somewhere public, but-"
Kota didn't let him respond as he ran back, towards the window at the end of the hall. He knew Beth and Shino were still down there. He... he just... no, it was too scary. He couldn't-
Then, suddenly below him, Muscular burst through the hardwood flooring of the second floor, an amused, wolfish smile across his lips. "Not so fast, kid. We weren't done talking!"
Kota couldn't slow down fast enough. Even if he could, he didn't think he'd be able to run away fast enough, if he could even do that much. The terror had frozen most of his movements again. He was-
CRASH!
CRACK!
Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, a familiar green-haired figure came bursting through the very same place Kota had tried to escape to, his cloak billowing behind him as the few pieces of armor he wore and the blade he wielded gave a soft glint in the sunlight. With an outstretched foot, Izuku kicked the massive man across the back of the head, snapping his head forward from the suddenness, and scooped Kota into his arms before launching off what parts of the floor remained intact, rushing downstairs to where his aunts lay injured.
(Izuku's POV)
He almost hadn't made it in time. If Izuku had been just a second later, he might not have had people to save. With Kota still in his arms, he managed to grab Beth and Shino and get them away from the sight of the now ramshackle homestead. It was something of a heavy burden, but he needed to get them as far away from there as he could. He couldn't risk any of them getting hurt.
"Kota?" Izuku asked the boy, who was as still as he had been back in the homestead. When he didn't answer, Izuku knew why he looked so terrified, so different from the boy he'd known during his time in Malt. Muscular was the main perpetrator in the Water Hose incident. To see the man who murdered his parents, right in front of him, with a look of glee on his face... if Izuku was his age, and put in a similar situation, he'd have likely reacted exactly the same way.
So, without another word, the green-haired inheritor unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around the boy, seemingly shocking him even further. Izuku gave him a small but still noticeable smile, saying, "Everything's gonna be okay, Kota. Don't worry..."
Izuku rose as he continued, facing his opponent who'd just exited the splintered and battered homestead with clenched fists and bolts of energy trailing up and down his frame. "I'm going to protect you all, no matter what!"
Muscular, seeming to hear what he'd just said, smile even wider as he turned toward Izuku, beginning his approach. A slow, meandering walk as they began to size each other up, Tempest still drawn by his side as the scarred man's muscles began to billow out from his skin to form an even mightier defense.
Then, he spoke. "Do you really believe that? You can't possibly fight against me and keep them safe. You wannabes are always going on about-"
Izuku didn't let him finish, rocketing forwards with all the momentum of a speeding train, slamming Tempest's forward edge into the man's hulking arm. A grunt of effort escaped his lips, not expecting to be cut off mid-sentence, before pushing back against it, the tougher ground cracking beneath their feet in a contest of power.
"Tch! It's interruption after interruption with you! Fine then! Let's see if you've gotten any better!"
Izuku shifted the weight of his blade, causing Muscular to overextend as the green-haired inheritor then made a play for his feet, sweeping his blade low as the scarred man forced more muscles to suddenly grow there as well. Izuku quickly hopped back when that attack didn't work, his blade in front of them as the combat slowed to a bit of a lull.
He couldn't shift Tempest into scythe form like he had last time. Pure offense wasn't going to work, and at least with Tempest's sword form he could alternate between offense and defense fairly evenly. He'd need to. Muscular had come here with his serious eye already adorning his socket. He couldn't take any chances. In fact, he'd been surprised that he hadn't been blown back from their clash straight away.
No matter why he hadn't lost his footing, he had no time to dwell on it. Muscular raised his fists and slammed them into the ground causing a minor shockwave before Izuku tried to move to a more advantageous position, slinging wind slash after wind slash at the scarred man as he went. He took them as though they were nothing more than toothpicks, digging his hands into the earth and lifting a massive chunk of it over his head.
Only shocked for a split second, Izuku quickly started running the other direction once the boulder-like mass started to make its way directly towards him. At the last possible moment, just when it was a few dozen feet from hitting him at high speeds, Izuku turned and swung Tempest like a bat, kicking up a massive gust of wind that sent the massive projectile back towards its sender.
Surprised by this sudden development, Muscular batted the mass aside with a single hand, letting it roll and crash off into the distance before it slowed and stopped in the midst of a barren field. He noted that Izuku was still going in the opposite direction as the homestead. He was trying to draw him away from those potential hostages, to get him to a place that he could fight him without restraint.
Only for a moment did Muscular hesitate. If he didn't get those hostages, the entire plan could be ruined. Salem wouldn't be very happy. And he really didn't want to disappoint her. But... that kid...
Orders be damned, he was going to get what he'd promised out of that kid!
A quick glance over his shoulder told Izuku that Muscular was following him post paste. Good. The plan was in motion. Now he just needed to disappear. With quick slashes, Tempest cleaved through tree after tree, creating an odd trail for the scarred man to follow if Izuku got too far ahead.
Then, abruptly, Izuku ended the trail and leapt up one of the tallest trees he could find, sheathing Tempest onto his back as he laid in wait, keeping his movements to a minimum so as to keep Muscular none the wiser. The aforementioned man came barreling through the woodwork, his head snapping about as he searched in vain for the green-haired inheritor, only to find nothing. He never so much as glanced at Izuku's hiding spot.
An angry roar emerged from his mouth, ripping through the quiet and causing birds to fly out and about. "DAMNIT! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! SHOW ME A GOOD FIGHT! I EVEN BROUGHT OUT MY SERIOUS EYE, YOU COWARD! WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THAT GRANDSTANDING EARLIER, HUH?! WHAT KIND OF HUNTER RUNS FROM A FIGHT?!"
It took every ounce of control in Izuku's body not to spring the trap early. Not yet. He couldn't do it yet. He needed to wait. Once his position was perfect, he could get the drop on him-
Suddenly, Muscular lifted his hands once again and slammed them into the ground, this time with even more force. The entire forest shook with the demonstration of his sheer strength. Bu still, Izuku remained rooted to his spot. Not yet. Just a little closer...
NOW!
Silent as a bat in the night, Izuku let himself drop from his perch without resistance, unsheathing Tempest as he began to flip forwards, over and over again, gaining even more and more momentum as energy began to gather within Tempest, causing the weapon to glow its iconic emerald color as he went straight for Muscular's head.
In a similar fashion to Izuku, however, Muscular glanced up and crossed his arms above his head at the last moment to block the blow, causing a dull sonic boom to echo through the forest and frighten off even more wildlife. Izuku hung like that, hands gripped tightly around Tempest, stunned. He wasn't as quiet as he should've been. Crap.
As soon as he'd recovered from the impact, Muscular spread his hands in a wide sweeping motion, sending Izuku spiraling into the forest once again. The green-haired inheritor eventually managed to slow himself enough to get a proper bead on his surroundings. He could hear the sounds of a different battle raging closer to them. The sounds of buckshot and a blade carving through flesh met his ears, as well as the ring of a cavalry rifle and the twang of a bowstring, all of which resulted in the death throes of Grimm. Were they back?
But Izuku, again, had no time to dwell, as he was suddenly beset upon by a group of roving Beowolves. Damn. They must've been stragglers. He made quick work of the minor beasts in the pack, taking little more than a kick or a slash to turn them to black ash, keeping his eye out for an Alpha. They were usually the smartest and oldest of every pack, and could be very slippery if one was not prepared.
Behind him, a growl ripped through the air as the monster set its sights on killing him itself, fangs bared and claws drawn. Izuku was more than prepared, aiming to strike clean through the Alpha's body and get back to his previous battle against the hulking blonde man.
However, before he could do anything of the sort, his opponent suddenly barreled into the scene, and, to Izuku's surprise, did not attack him right away. Instead, he took the Alpha by the head, slamming its maw shut with his massive hands and lifting it from the ground with no effort whatsoever. Bringing it closer, Muscular said to it, just loud enough for Izuku to hear, "That kid is mine. No one else's."
And with that, the Grimm's skull suddenly exploded from the sheer pressure that had been placed on it. He... this guy just effectively killed one of his own allies. Yes, it was a Grimm, and he didn't feel any sympathy for it, but the fact that he was willing to do something like that at all showed just how deeply disturbed this man truly was.
Then, without warning, he launched himself at Izuku, his flesh and sinew-covered arm leading his charge. It this blow hit him dead-on, it was going to break straight through his Aura, Process quickly informing him from the blood-red aura coming off of every pore of his opponent's body. He couldn't react in time. Tempest would dull the blow, but his Aura would still be broken, and he would be at a significant disadvantage.
Sorry, Peach. Just this once. Just this once, I have to use it!
With stunning speed, Izuku forced his left arm forwards, without a cap, without a limit. A fully powered, 100% Smash, something on the scale of All Might and All for One. The blow kicked up an unbelievable amount of wind, spreading dust about his vision as Izuku was pushed back even further than before.
He had felt his fist connect, and that every finger on his left hand was either strained or otherwise incapacitated, but otherwise forearm had not been as lucky, as it had snapped in two due to the sheer force of the blow, limply hanging from his side as he tried to keep it from moving. Izuku's shoulder had been dislocated as well, leaving his left limb entirely useless. He almost bit his lip as he strained not to scream out in pain. Sure, he'd broken plenty of bones before, and had far worse injuries, but without the adrenaline pumping through him as it usually did, this was one of the most excruciating things that the green-haired inheritor had ever felt in his entire life.
But as the dust settled and cleared, he found Muscular, slowly walking forward, a satisfied, sadistic smile on his face. Shit. He was up against a giant of a man, down an arm, with no real idea of how to beat him. This was going to be far tougher than he'd initially thought.
"I commend you, Izuku Midoriya," the blonde said, a disturbed shiver running through Izuku's back as he did so. His name sounded so... unnatural, coming from that man. "That attack was pretty bold. I didn't think you had quite that much power in you. I mean, I thought you were holding back last time, but this is-"
And then, through his monologue, a single, small rock, barely large enough to fit the hand of a child, was thrown at his head. It bounced off, harmlessly, clattering to the ground with a dull thud and roll.
The one responsible for throwing that same rock stood in front of them. Kota, still wrapped in Izuku's cloak, panted as his throwing arm remained outstretched. With a shaking voice, the boy asked, "You... you're the one... who killed Water Hose... aren't you?"
The look that soon adorned Muscular's face was one of pure shock. The ones who had taken his left eye... then again, he had felt a pang of familiarity when-
"You killed them. My mama and papa... why? Why?! They never hurt anyone and you... you..." Kota continued, his body shaking in tune with his voice, "PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS WHOLE ROTTEN WORLD!"
.
..
…
"... kid, you really don't get it, do you?" Muscular said, turning to face the boy, turning his back to Izuku. The green-haired inheritor immediately began searching for an opening, the perfect moment to strike the man down.
And then he kept talking.
"I wasn't the reason they died. They only kicked the bucket because I was better at my role than they were. What happened that day was simply the result of everyone doing their best. And in the end, it simply turned out that I was better. Nothing more, nothing less."
Process burned a blinding green into Izuku's eyes as he felt himself become even further angered. Without a sound, he charged the man's back, Tempest glowing a similarly bright color as Izuku brought his weapon above his head, recklessly pushing to hit the only spot that the man couldn't seem to protect with his muscle mass.
He needed his attention off of Kota. He wasn't going to let anything happen to that kid, no matter what!
Anticipating the attack, Muscular simply turned and batted Izuku aside by his weapon with his full strength, sending him all the way out of the forest and into a clearing that was remarkably close to where the entrance to Malt was.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a rematch to finish with the green bean over there!" he heard the scarred man say as a boom echoed from where Izuku was thrown, the muscled-over mass that was Muscular careening towards him just as quickly as he had flown away.
The green-haired inheritor rolled to the side, dodging the attack as he clutched his dislocated arm, now without his weapon due to the force of the blow spasming through his body and causing internal pain to the same arm he was clutching. He couldn't keep dodging. Eventually, Izuku was going to have to meet this guy head-on. Their fight would be a contest of power.
"Kota! Get back to the homestead!" Izuku yelled to the boy, using his good hand to refit his dislocated shoulder into its socket and letting the pure power of One for All begin to overwhelm him. If Peach could see him doing this, she'd probably try to knock him out.
He didn't have much choice, as much as he hated having to do this.
Muscular's grin widened ever so slightly as he began to rush Izuku once again. However, unlike the last few times, the green-haired inheritor rushed forward to meet the scarred man in a contest of pure strength. If nothing else, at least... at least Kota, Beth, and Shino could get away. If he fell, he knew Yang could take this guy in. It certainly wouldn't be easy, but he knew that she could.
But he wasn't going to give in without a fight, Oumdamnit!
A roar ripped past his mouth without resistance when their fists met with the echoing, dull boom of an empowered fist meeting exposed flesh, the energy and force cascading off of them as Izuku felt the ground crack beneath their feet. Unwilling to give even an inch of the grassed-over ground he stood upon, the green-haired inheritor felt his opponent push him back with almost child-like ease. That's what he would've assumed, if he hadn't also seen the smile of sheer bliss across Muscular's face, threatening to tear his lips at the seems. He was clearly giving this his all.
And that all was clearly greater than everything that Izuku had channeled into this final, desperate clash. He wanted, needed, to dig deeper, to ask the other inheritors for help. But he knew they would not answer. Not now. And maybe never again. All he had was his own power, his own body to channel as much of One for All as he could tolerate without literally exploding.
Finally, after several long seconds, Izuku gave ground. He began to bend unnaturally backwards, his strength being gradually overwhelmed. Inch by inch, bit by bit, he would give way. He had nothing left. This was all he could do. All he could do to protect a boy who he didn't know, who had hated his mere presence.
And he'd have done it again if it simply meant that Kota would live.
I'm sorry, Yang. I... I didn't... get to see Mistral... with you... and everyone...
I'm sorry, All Might. I'm sorry... I was such a weak successor...
I... I'm sorry mom.
He could feel the grass brushing against his back, only a few inches away from what would surely be his doom. He could hear Muscular screaming in a battle frenzy, saying something that he couldn't quite make out. With one final push, one final effort to gain some ground... for just a moment, Izuku felt content as the moment stretched on for an eternity.
…
A splash echoed from Muscular's side, causing water to trickle down to Izuku's own bruised right fist. He wondered where it had come from for a brief moment. As though the universe had heard his unvoiced question, his answer came in the demand of a young boy, barely five, trying to save someone.
"Stop... you stop it right now! LET! HIM! GOOOO!"
… Kota...
Then, there came more sounds, more cries. The thud of a thrown, thin sword piercing lightly into flesh. The dull twang of a bowstring, and the sharp thud of the launched arrow. The overwhelming noise of a cavalry rifle firing off a single, but still devastatingly effective, round.
And a distinct sound of buckshot being launched from a gauntlet, and the voice of the woman he loved tearing through the air like the dragon she was named for.
… get off of me.
Izuku knew that the thought was his. The power he used... was his... but it also wasn't. He felt something else giving him just enough strength to push Muscular's massive arms off of him, bit by bit, until, at last, Izuku stood on even footing once again.
Tempest...
The distant weapon began to glow, floating up into the air before flipping edge over handle towards his outstretched hand. Mid-flight, he said it. The words from Nana that he finally understood...
"Shatter."
As ordered, Tempest did just that, shattering into a myriad of shards before bonding to his arm in an instant, jagged glasswork encasing his arm in a new, powerful shell. And he knew its name. Tempest Form three: Shatter Shell.
Muscular seemed to sense the pure power from this weapon, and took the slightest step backwards. The first time Izuku could remember him even remotely retreating in the entire fight. That gave him all the opportunity he needed to launch forwards and, with speed that Muscular could not perceive or counter, he drove the emerald glass fist into the man's cheek, power building before Izuku shifted his body weight again and put even more of his back into it.
A cavernous boom escaped from the impact as Izuku fell to the ground in a roll, clutching his bad arm as he stood up once again, as Muscular slammed back-first into a very thick trunk of a nearby tree. For several, painfully long moments, Izuku waited. Izuku waited for him to move, for him to laugh, for him to do anything of the sort.
It was only his head limping suddenly forwards that let Izuku finally relaxed.
He could feel Tempest reforming even as his mind and body in tune, drifted off into the world of unconsciousness.
A/N: And that's a wrap for this one as well. Hey guys, I hope you're having a nice day when you're reading this, and I hope that you enjoyed reading the chapter.
On a more serious note though, my grandfather passed away earlier in the week. It was... a very hard process, writing the rest of this chapter and getting it out on time when that news just... dropped in. I only bring this up because I likely won't be writing for a while, and as a result, the next chapter will probably be a bit later than they usually are. I'm sorry in advance for that. And now:
Review Responses:
Kaiser Dragon: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.
Thunder Dragon: That was always one of the major naming conventions for most characters with weapons and familial connections to Shoto. I honestly just thought it was cool but would be more thematically relevant if his family shared it as well.
Midgardsormr Jr: Maybe take a raincheck on that. You never know what could happen.
DD Lore Nerd: Indeed, he did!
Mecha Manda: Yeah, I did kinda amp it up. The slap wasn't really meant to hurt Ren, it was mainly so she could get his attention off the Nuckelavee and talk some sense into him.
Gojifreak: Did I? I'll have to double-check that...
Phoenix Wizard: Good sir, that was an absolutely terrible pun, and you should feel immensely proud of yourself for making it!
Next Chapter: Nov. 22nd
See you all in the next one.