Chapter Four:
Izuku moaned. His temples beat out a familiar rhythm, telling him that he had a hangover. At least he'd stopped feeling so confused about the softness of his silk sheets—he'd grown accustomed to waking up in the palace. What a depressing thought.
From a chair by his bed, Hisashi cleared his throat. "How are you feeling?"
Izuku sat up in a flash, reaching for a sword that wasn't by his bed. "You were watching me sleep?"
"Of course. I'm your father."
"That's not as normal for parents as you seem to think." Izuku took deep breaths. He reminded himself of his plan. Don't fight with the demon lord, it will only provoke him. Don't be a challenge. Don't be interesting. With a fake smile, Izuku said, "I suppose you can go anywhere in your palace that you'd like, my lord."
Hisashi's eye twitched. Izuku wasn't sure if that was a good sign. Clearly his father was annoyed, but he didn't want to provoke the demon lord. He wanted to bore his unwanted father instead.
"This is your home as well," Hisashi said. "You're the heir to these lands."
"I'd have to murder your immortal ass to get them," Izuku muttered.
Unfortunately, he'd failed to take into account the sensitivity of demonic hearing. Hisashi said, "Such has been the traditional method of demonic inheritance. Demons used to treat their children like disposable pawns and cull them when they started to grow strong enough to be a threat. I always swore that I would have a better relationship with my child than that. I never want you to feel threatened by me, youngling."
Izuku raised his hands. "You have nothing to fear. Despite the misunderstanding when we first met, I have no plans to kill you, and I definitely don't want to inherit the Noble House of Greed." In fact, Izuku didn't even want to be here at all. He wanted to be with the Present Mercenaries, headed back to human lands. He did not admit that part out loud.
Hisashi beamed as if they'd bonded. "Like the excellent father that I am, I brought you a hangover cure." He held up a glowing green bottle.
Izuku's eyes lit up. Those cost a small fortune, but he'd heard them to be extremely effective. Another stab of pain between his eyes made him unusually grateful. "Thank you," he said, reaching out.
Hisashi held the bottle away. "First, have we learned a special lesson about not drinking?"
Izuku growled. "Kill me or heal me, just stop patronizing me. This isn't my first hangover."
"I found you on the verge of collapse and rescued you from near-certain death at the hands of that brute—"
Izuku rolled his eyes. "It was just a friendly brawl. Besides, I totally had him on the ropes before you interfered. That one didn't even make my top ten bar fights."
Hisashi's eye twitched. "Ten? You've gotten in ten such fights?"
Significantly more than that, but Izuku didn't think revealing this would help his case. "I can take care of myself."
"But you don't have to!" Hisashi cried passionately. "I'm going to make up for the ruin of your childhood. I promise."
Izuku's head hurt enough for him to break his façade and be honest. "My childhood is over. Making me play games won't change that. Honestly, I prefer it when you talk to me like a normal person."
Hisashi only looked more distressed. "No, that can't be possible. I can't have been too late."
Izuku took advantage of his father's shock to grab the bottle and drink it. The pain relief was immediate. "Ah, that feels better. Thank you."
Hisashi returned to fussing mode. "Is your throat dry? I brought a glass of water. Do you need another pillow?"
Izuku groaned. "I wish you would go baby Neito instead. Apparently he wants to be a demon lord's son."
"Neito?" Hisashi blinked. "Is that one of your friends who thinks bathing will kill them?"
"Never mind." Izuku sighed. "Neito would be offended if he could hear you. Not only does he love baths, he douses himself in perfume afterward. I bet he's grumbling about being ousted from the inn."
"Your mercenary troop has already left my lands, safe and unharmed." Hisashi watched his son intently. In a softer voice, he said, "I am trying. Please give me credit for that."
Izuku wondered how much credit he was supposed to give someone for not murdering his friends. But maybe that did count as a concession by demonic standards. "Thank you for letting them go."
Hisashi beamed as if Izuku had given him a priceless gift. "If your senses have returned to you, then it's time to discuss your adoption."
Izuku shuddered. Stalling for time, he asked, "Why would you need to adopt me? You seem convinced that I'm your son."
"There's absolutely no doubt about it."
Unfortunately, Izuku believed his father by now. No demon lord would hand-feed a random stranger.
Hisashi continued, "It's more of a formality. Traditionally, a demon signs a contract with a human or half-breed before transforming them. This will be evidence of the bond between us. We could celebrate it as your second birthday. I'll even get you presents." He beamed as if he imagined a cheap bribe would be enough for Izuku to hand over his personhood.
Izuku did not know very much about demonic society, but he knew that the children of noble demons were legally considered the property of their parents. For most of history, noble demons had treated their children like tools. And rather dangerous tools at that, prone to attempting murder on their owners at the first opportunity. The current generation of demonic lords, most of whom had overthrown and murdered their parents, had shifted in the other direction, coddling their children and extending their childhood. It still amounted to being treated like a pet.
For all intents and purposes, Izuku knew that his father already controlled him, but it still stuck in his craw to sign a document proclaiming this willingly. The mention of "transformation" upset him even more. Here, he could not afford to give a single inch. He sat up straight and locked eyes with his father. "I don't want to be transformed into a full demon. Then I would be required to eat souls, which is against my ethical principles."
Hisashi laughed. "Are you playing the part of the fool again? What an adorable joke."
"I'm not joking. I'm serious." Izuku enunciated each word. "I refuse to eat souls. If you transform me against my will, then I'll starve myself."
Hisashi's smile faded. "Youngling, it's completely natural for demons to eat souls. It's the cycle of life. We're the apex predator."
"I'm not a full demon, so I can't consume souls. If you force me to become one against my will, then I'll never accept you as my father." Izuku stared straight into Hisashi's eyes.
Hisashi flinched first. "You can take your time to decide. There's no rush. You'll need training before your formal introduction into society. I don't want you to embarrass yourself—not that there's anything wrong with you, but my rivals will leap on any excuse to judge you. We'll keep your existence secret until you're ready. I'll guide you and teach you about demonic culture. That way, it will be even more meaningful when you agree voluntarily."
Izuku would die first. But having won this battle, he did not force the war to start early. He smiled. His fake smiles were starting to hurt his lips. "Thank you. I truly mean it. I appreciate you respecting my will in this." His hand eased away from his neck. He'd nearly grabbed the token that Captain Yamada had given him in his distress. He couldn't afford to give away the importance of that simple-appearing good luck charm. Fortunately, he'd been able the postpone the day when he would have no choice but to run. He would have time to look for other ways to escape.
Hisashi smiled back, not as broadly as before. "Let us discuss your education in preparation for your debut as the heir to Greed."
As it turned out, Hisashi had a very busy day planned. The demon lord shuffled Izuku between tutors and ordered them to assess his son's current knowledge. It was grueling and largely futile. What was the point in handing Izuku a test in a language he didn't even speak or throwing advanced mathematical calculations at him?
When he'd finished, Izuku sat behind a desk while his father in front of him. Hisashi looked through the papers with a frown. "Izuku, I thought you'd agreed to stop pretending to be a dumb peasant. I'll make you retake the tests until you show your true skills."
Izuku ground his teeth. "I did show you my true skills. I'm oh-so-sorry if they're not up to what a demon lord expects of an heir, or even a cute pet to show off to his peers." In his anger, he made no attempt to hide his sarcasm. "I grew up in a mercenary camp, my lord. I received no formal schooling after age nine years old. I don't know what you expect from me." Izuku had never been ashamed of his lack of education, because he'd been proud of his martial and tactical skills. He knew he was smart. But somehow, in the space of a morning, his father had managed to make him feel painfully small and stupid.
"Oh." Hisashi sagged. "I see. I…apologize, youngling. I confess to little knowledge of what humans teach their offspring. I thought I'd made the tests easy…" His voice trailed off as it dawned on him that he was digging himself in deeper.
Izuku scowled. "The average commoner doesn't obtain very much schooling, and I learned even less than that. You're lucky Mom even taught me to read." Before she died. He wished he hadn't thought that.
"We'll fix this." Hisashi put his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "I'm going to give you everything that you should have had as a child. I promise."
Izuku only nodded wearily. Under other circumstances, he might have been interested in obtaining more knowledge. But he was half-tempted to ignore his tutors out of spite.
In that same concerned voice, Hisashi said, "You can take your time and learn at your own pace. There's no rush. I want you to have fun with your lessons. I'd never punish you for your test scores, not like my parents—like some noble demonic houses."
Barely listening, Izuku nodded again. In his current bad temper, he took this reassurance as more patronization. His father thought he was stupid.
It riled up Izuku's competitive spirit. He threw himself into an afternoon of basic lessons with far more enthusiasm then he'd originally intended. He'd always enjoyed other languages (even if most of his foreign vocabulary focused on curse words) and he found magical theory to be fascinating. He'd even started to have a little fun by dinnertime.
Standing at the head of a long oak table full of food, Hisashi gestured. "Izuku, we have a very special guest. Your cousin, Tomura Shigaraki."
A man with cracked lips and white hair stepped forward and bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
"You have other relatives?" Izuku asked, surprised. He'd heard the stories about how the Demon Lord of Greed had slaughtered his entire family to earn his title as All for One. He took a closer look at Tomura.
Tomura had no sign of fangs, claws, or horns. But why would a demon lord possibly claim a human as family?
A wistfulness crossed Hisashi's face. "No, not since my younger brother's death. Tomura is your cousin on your mother's side."
"My mother?" Izuku's head jerked around, looking at Tomura with new intensity. He saw Inko in the shape of the other man's face and nose.
Tomura said, "I was once a prince of the Shimura Kingdom…although my lack of magic meant I was considered a disgrace." A shadow passed over his face. "I was even abandoned by my own father during the fall of the Shimura Kingdom. Lord Hisashi saved my life, because of my relation to his former consort. I'll always be grateful to him for that."
"Wait. My mother was royalty?" Izuku shook his head, finding this hard to believe. "I mean, I'm so sorry for your loss."
Hisashi said, "Inko was a Shimura princess, though I didn't know that when we met. She went on a journey to explore the world during her youth and visited my domain. In retrospect, that was the reason that she refused to stay with me after knowing my true identity. Our lands were old enemies. If I'd known, I could have done so much differently. I hoped to repair my old mistakes by protecting Tomura."
"You did, my lord," Tomura said, casting Hisashi a genuinely fond look.
Izuku had a bad feeling that he knew what his father was up to. Hisashi hoped that by offering Izuku a new cousin, he would be persuaded to stay in the territory of Greed permanently. It wouldn't work. But in truth, Izuku did long to know his only surviving family member on his mother's side. Since Izuku appeared stuck in these lands for the foreseeable future, he might as well reach out to Tomura. He had confidence that his resolve to leave would never be swayed.
Stepping forward, Izuku held out his arms. "It's a pleasure to meet you, cousin. Handshake or hug?"
Tomura's eyes welled up. He rubbed them. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. It's just, you resemble my dead sister, Hana."
"I'm sorry. I wish I could have met her. Please, call me Izuku. We're family."
"Thank you." Abruptly, Tomura swept Izuku into a hug.
Beaming, Hisashi put his arms around them both. "It's a family reunion."
Hisashi hadn't been invited to the hug, but Izuku saw no good way to get rid of the demon.
They sat down and started eating. Uneasily, Izuku wondered if Hisashi's food contained souls. Demons could grind them down and store them for later eating.
Hisashi said, "I've been working on the fence that you requested, Izuku. I've also been thinking about the education of humans in my territory. If they've fallen prey to ridiculous superstitions about baths being unhealthy, then clearly I need to provide more schooling. I've decided to open new schools across my territory."
"That's wonderful," Izuku said, but he couldn't help a slight twinge of suspicion. What's the catch?
Hisashi said, "I'd like you to help me design the new schools tomorrow. I set up time for us to spend the afternoon together."
Ah, so Hisashi intended to hold improving the living conditions of local humans over Izuku's head both as an incentive to stay and to force Izuku to spend time with his father. This was far better than Izuku had feared. He was willing to accept those terms. "I'd be happy to."
From the smile on his face, Hisashi seemed to have achieved his greatest heart's desire. It almost made Izuku feel guilty about holding his father at arm's length. Then he remembered the looming threat of demonic transformation and the likelihood of dead people being baked into his father's meal.
Hisashi said, "I need to keep a careful eye on you, or else you might hurt yourself in another tavern brawl."
Izuku's small amount of guilt completely vanished. "I was winning that fight!"
Hisashi raised an eyebrow. "Before you passed out and fell on your face?"
Izuku scowled. "The other guy fainted first."
"Some ruffian attacked Izuku?" Tomura demanded. "Is he dead?"
Izuku rolled his eyes. "Certainly not. He was one of my comrades from my former mercenary troop, and we were having a friendly fight." It stung, to call them his former troop.
"You used to be a mercenary?" Tomura's eyes lit up. "I serve as a general under your father. Do you have an interest in tactics?"
"I do. Captain Yamada consulted me regularly. I had several plans for Greed's war against Pride, before…before our contract was terminated." Izuku faltered, then rallied. "Would you like to hear my ideas?" It would be good if all his hard work didn't go to waste.
Tomura nodded vigorously. "I would be honored."
They spend the rest of the dinner discussing battle tactics. Tomura had a keen mind. It was enjoyable to talk with him. Unlike Hisashi, Tomura didn't patronize Izuku. Having Tomura at the table also made Hisashi less patronizing than usual. Instead, Hisashi joined their discussion. It was honestly the most fun Izuku had since coming to the castle.
Afterward, Izuku said, "I see that we're both swordmen. I'd love to spar with you sometime." He glanced at his father, assuming this request would be denied again.
Instead, Hisashi said, "That sounds like a fine idea. I would trust Tomura to ensure your safety."
Tomura smiled, a slightly crooked but sincere expression. His cheeks pinked. "I would love to."
Izuku could barely believe his good luck.
In fact, a nagging voice in his mind wondered what the catch might be.
Hisashi considered the family dinner a flawless success. As he'd hoped, Izuku had immediately bonded with Tomura. Hisashi had guessed from Izuku's strong protectiveness toward his mother's memory that he'd immediately latch onto any relative of hers.
Since Izuku had insisted that Hisashi let the mercenaries leave, Tomura would be a far more appropriate attachment for his son than crude, smelly soldiers. Tomura would make an excellent weakness.
In the human kingdoms, where royalty valued their offspring far more than demons traditionally did, it would be considered a crime to lay a hand on a princess or princess. Instead, the monarch would introduce a peasant child as a companion to their own offspring. If the royal child was disobedient, then the peasant would be beaten in their place. The humans called them "whipping boys." Now that Hisashi had also been faced with the dilemma of a beloved child he couldn't bear to harm, he considered this tradition worth importing to the demonic lands. With a more subtle touch, of course. Humans were always too crude.
As Izuku had already known, the plans for a local school were bait for more family bonding. Hisashi already had the building blueprints. He didn't require help from Izuku, someone who knew nothing about architecture. After going over the document, Hisashi set it aside and asked, "Would you like to play another game of marbles?"
Mildly, Izuku said, "Anything you'd like, my lord." He was determined that Hisashi get no fun from his forced playtime, which meant acting dull and boring. The demon lord would probably enjoy an argument. He'd certainly liked needling Izuku endlessly about the tavern brawl.
As before, Hisashi cleared the floor and drew a circle. At least he'd gotten a new set of non-gemstone marbles, perhaps remembering their argument from last time. But Izuku still had no interest in childish games. Izuku let his marble slip from his fingers and roll uselessly, his passive-aggressive way of refusing to play.
Hisashi frowned. He stood up and told the servant at the door, "Fetch Tomura."
Izuku squirmed, trying to figure out what was going on.
Tomura appeared sweaty and worried. "My lord?"
Hisashi scowled. "I clearly instructed you to purchase new marbles, since Izuku couldn't use the ones from last time. But they still don't seem to be shooting properly. Did you find defective marbles?"
Tomura looked confused. "I purchased them from the locals. They looked normal?" He shook his head. "I should have tested them in advance. I'm sorry, my lord."
It infuriated Izuku to see Tomura bowing and scraping to this ridiculous accusation. He snapped, "There's nothing wrong with the marbles." This time, he shot properly, hitting one in the center and knocking it out of the room. "See? My hand just slipped the first time."
The smile returned to Hisashi's face. "Ah, I see. It was just a misunderstanding. Never mind, Tomura."
"Of course, my lord." With a puzzled frown and a bow, Tomura departed.
Izuku glared. "You didn't have to do that."
"Do what?" All smiles, Hisashi returned to the circle and sat down. "It appears to be my turn. Perhaps we should add some stakes to the game? If you win, I'll double funding to the school. Oh, don't worry, nothing bad happens if you lose! It's just a fun wager."
Growling, Izuku attacked the game with new enthusiasm.
Inwardly, he was reeling. His strategy had failed. Refusing to respond to Hisashi had worked decently before. But now that Hisashi knew what Izuku was doing, he had too many levers he could use to get a rise out of his son: Tomura or the well-being of his people.
Izuku had lost this round badly, and he didn't yet have a new strategy.
Izuku was relieved that his spar with Tomura was still planned for the afternoon. He could stand to work off some steam.
Tomura showed up with heavily padded wooden swords. Izuku would have normally found the padding to be offensive, but he'd realized Tomura would probably get in trouble if he bruised the precious royal heir, so he made no complaint. Not even when Tomura wrapped them both up in an awkward layer of armor made of padded straw.
The two circled each other. Izuku lunged first, his temper making him reckless. Tomura parried and stepped sideways. He nearly got behind Izuku, but Izuku swung fast enough to block.
With a chuckle, Izuku said, "You're good. You would have gotten a hit, if you hadn't been slowed down by all this armor. I know I have to wear it, but you don't."
Tomura said, "I know, but it wouldn't be fair to make you wear something so bulky if I don't accept the same handicap."
"Such a sense of honor! I appreciate it." Izuku tugged at his collar. "Ugh, I'm sweating in this—" While Tomura was still paying attention to his words, Izuku attacked, poking Tomura's shoulder with the end of the padded stick.
Tomura leapt backward. "You're good, too! And you fight dirty. I like it." He grinned. "This will be fun."
In the end, they were both sweaty and exhausted, and they'd lost track of number of hits. Collapsing onto his back, Izuku said, "Thank you for sparring with me. I really needed to work off some aggression. My father was difficult today." He stopped, wondering if Tomura would object to a criticism of his lord.
Tomura only laughed. "He gets in moods. You saw him today."
Izuku squirmed, still feeling guilty that Tomura had gotten criticized because of him. "You don't have to put up with him treating you like that. Someone as skilled as you would be snatched up by any mercenary troop."
Tomura said, "I could never leave Lord Hisashi. I'm grateful to him. My own father treated me like I was worthless, but Lord Hisashi saw potential in me. He saved my life. He raised me up from nothing." Tomura's voice filled with worship. "He even promised to turn me into a demon after I've passed his requirements. I hope the upcoming war with Pride will bring me the military glory to be deemed worthy."
Izuku didn't understand why Tomura would want to become a demon. He supposed immortality would be tempting for a lot of people. But Izuku himself would never want to outlive all his friends. Nor could he bring himself to live forever at the cost of perpetually killing other people. He made a neutral noise in the back of his throat. "You're a strong warrior and a skilled tactician. I'm sure you'll succeed."
Tomura grinned. "I wasn't sure what it would be like, meeting Lord Hisashi's long-lost son. I was afraid you'd resent me for being his student or try to push me out." He punched Izuku lightly in the shoulder. "I'm glad it turned out to be someone like you, cousin."
Izuku wondered why he felt such a strange mixture of heartwarming feelings and worry.
That evening, after dinner, Hisashi cornered Izuku in his bedroom. "I've decided that you can sign your adoption papers without starting the transformation. I'll let you take your time to decide when you want to become a full demon. In the meantime, we'll hold a giant party to celebrate your homecoming. I've already been talking to the chef. Do you have any favorite foods?"
Izuku held up his hand. "Wait. I'm grateful that you aren't rushing the transformation." Even though he didn't like acting grateful for a choice that should have rightfully belonged to him. Even though he didn't like the way Hisashi sounded certain that Izuku would change his mind. "But I still don't feel ready to sign the adoption papers."
Hisashi shrugged. "It's entirely your choice, youngling. I'd never force you. I'll call Tomura and let him know that he should return to his post on the border. I only brought him back to the castle for your adoption party, and now that doesn't seem to be happening."
Izuku's stomach twisted. He narrowed his eyes. "I know what you're doing."
Hisashi only laughed. "Of course you figured it out. You're a very smart child. Just like your father. Since we're no longer being subtle, I should also tell you that I can't transform Tomura into a demon until after you. I know I promised him it would be soon, and it means so much to him, but it would be extremely unfitting for your cousin to become a demon before the Heir to the House of Greed."
Izuku glared. This second attack wasn't going to work quite so well, because Izuku wasn't certain that it would be in Tomura's best interests to sign over his life to Hisashi permanently. Tomura might yet become disillusioned with his lord. But the first tactic had been quite effective.
With a small sigh, Izuku said, "I changed my mind. I'd like to sign the adoption papers. Under the condition that you won't immediately transform me."
"Of course! I'm so happy, son." Hisashi pulled him into a hug.
Izuku knew that nothing changed whether he signed or not. His father held him in a delicate yet all-powerful grip, figuratively and literally. But Izuku couldn't help feeling like he was signing away his soul.
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: Hisashi's Second Psychiatrist
Hisashi: My son thinks it's unethical to eat people's souls. Total nonsense, am I right?
Psychiatrist Who Saw the Body of the Last One: It sounds like he's been traumatized by his human upbringing and just needs more love and support from you, his wonderful father.
Hisashi: I agree. You can live another day.
#
Omake: Izuku's Psychiatrist
Izuku: My father is too much. Like, way too much.
Psychiatrist: To be fair, he's a demon. You have my greatest sympathies. Are you planning to run away?
Izuku: Of course, but I need to be careful about it. He's the incarnation of Greed after all—
Hisashi: Oh, are you talking about me? Nothing but good things, I hope?
Izuku: Actually I was complaining about you being overly stuck to my side ever since you found me. Have you ever heard of doctor-patient confidentiality?
Hisashi: No, but I've heard of protecting my son by making sure I know everything about him.
Izuku: Well, now I'm going to need a new psychiatrist because this one just died of a heart attack after you popped up behind him.
Author's Note: Inko was Nana's daughter in this AU, hence why she ran away from Hisashi. To summarize: Nana Shimura was a human queen who died by Hisashi's hand in battle. Years later, Princess Inko decided to hide her identity and travel around the world. It was the medieval equivalent of taking a gap year. She had a fling with Hisashi where neither of them knew each other's identities. After Inko became pregnant, Hisashi offered to turn her into a demon and marry her. He expected her to be thrilled at the chance to marry the Demon Lord of Greed. Even if he'd known her identity, he might not have understood why it was such a huge problem that he killed her mother. After all, Hisashi killed his own mother. It became one of his fondest memories.
But in this AU, Inko was raised by Nana and loved her mother very much. Coparenting with her mom's killer was never an option to her. She played nice, then fled for her homeland as soon as Hisashi's back was turned. Unfortunately, King Kotaro proved to be his usual asshole self and tried to murder Inko for getting knocked up by their mom's murderer. He didn't care that she hadn't known or that she was already devastated with guilt. Inko was forced to flee to an isolated village to hide from both Kotaro and Hisashi.
Hisashi later tracked Inko down to Kotaro's kingdom. For a while, Hisashi feared that Kotaro's assassins had killed Inko and his child because he couldn't find any trace of them, so he annihilated the kingdom for revenge and picked up Tomura from the ashes. Tomura does not know that Hisashi was responsible for the destruction of the Shimura Kingdom. Hisashi also killed Hana in front of Kotaro to make him suffer the pain of losing a child. Tomura definitely doesn't know about how his beloved sister died.
I've co-written a Hunger Games – Boku No Hero Academia crossover as a result of playing telephone with nine other writers on discord. It will not be posted on fanfiction dot net because there is no way to coauthor fics on this website. However, you can find the fic on Archive of Our Own, where I go by katydid.
Title: Snare
Summary: The moment his name had been called, Izuku had known he would die. For the last two decades a career tribute known as All for One has ruled as champion over the Games. Now a citizen of the Capitol, he was the star of the Games every year, slaughtering tributes without mercy or remorse.
So Izuku had known he would die.
Little did he know how wrong he was. This year, All for One had set his eyes on a new prize.
Delete the spaces to get the link:
archiveofourown.
org/
works/29931180/
chapters/73671960
