Chapter 5

Izuku woke up, groggy and irritated. He hadn't gotten even a wink of sleep. He furiously rubbed the rheum from his eyes and groaned. School…

He yawned.

Don't wanna go…

Sadly, he had to. There was to be an accelerated quirk training and he couldn't afford not to go – All Might would be there.

All Might would be there!

His eyes sprung open. Quickly snapping out of his slothfulness, Izuku rushed to the bathroom to wash up and get ready. Maybe a chat with All Might might get me to cheer up.

He nodded to himself. That would do the job.

Also a good workout. He hadn't been exercising as much after their small break. And after he had found Berserk– he had to get back at it again. He wouldn't be able to master One For All if he slacked off. Izuku needed better grades too, he could do better in all his classes.

Sounds good.

Has All Might ever heard of Berserk?

No way. It's older than him! And he doesn't seem like the guy to read things so gruesome.

Satisfied, Izuku shoved his feet into his favorite red shoes and made for Gym Gamma.

.

.

"U-umm…" He pointed at the locked door, its see-through glass presenting him a myriad of explosions and colors, along with the thunderous sounds of cement being crushed, and the sounds of his classmate's grunts and cries of exertion. "Wha– w–why's it locked?" He pulled at the handles of the door, but they remained shut.

From the corner of the glass, a dark silhouette edged in closer, and closer.

He sagged in relief, someone would come open the door for him.

my

Then he saw Aizawa-sensei.

Well, he'll open the door right? Of course he will.

Finally, Aizawa-sensei was made clearly visible.

"Good morning, sensei." He bowed. "W-would you mind opening the door?"

"No."

"Eh?"

"You're late."

He blinked rapidly. "But–" I'm never late.

"But?" Aizawa drawled the syllable. "It's ten-am. You've missed three hours."

"That– that can't be right!"

Aizawa glared at him, and slammed his phone against the glass.

Ten?... But how?

"Care to explain yourself?"

"I– I thought–" He stammered through his words, not sure what he himself was trying to say.

"Clearly not."

"S-sorry." He averted his gaze. "I don't know what happened."

Aizawa sighed, "Listen kid. We're nearing the provincial license exam and it'll only get harder from here on out. You can't afford to miss any session. This is your future on the line."

"I'll let you off with a warning just this once." The doors were opened. "Come in. We're almost done."

"Yes." He didn't look up from the ground.

The second he entered he tried to ignore the light mutterings of his friends in favor of his shoes meeting the floor.

I've never been late before… Just how long did I stay up reading? I know it wasn't too long…

DId he just not sleep afterwards?

Soon he found himself clapped on the shoulders by All Might. Where usually he would have been bumbling like a fool, this time he just looked up in silence.

"Midoriya!" All Might's brows were scrunched together. "Are you sick? Are you feeling well?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine."

"You sure?"

He nodded in response.

"Yeah…" All Might let go of him. "It's quite unlike you to miss… well, anything."

That doesn't help. Izuku fiddled with his gloves.

"I'm sure Aizawa had already told you how serious this is for your career but," All Might adopted a tight-lipped smile. "Just… Just try not to stay up so late. The eyebags are very visible."

"Eh?" His fingers pressed against the bottom of his eyes. "Really?"

"If there's anything going on you can tell me you know." All Might hmed. "We can work it out."

"Thank you." And he meant it. "But I'm fine."

Nothing to worked up about.

"Go on then. Your friends were worried."

He looked around to see Uraraka waving at him, Iida and Ashida next to her.

Plastering a smile on his face, he walked towards them. "Deku!"

"Uraraka-san."

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, "Wanna see a cool new move I came up with?"

Finally!

"Yeah!"

.

.

Sadly, there wasn't enough time for Izuku train. The second he'd finished watching Uraraka's Ultimate Move, Aizawa had called their session off. For him it was over in the blink of an eye.

For the others,

"Ugh… I'm beat." Kaminari sunk deeper into the cushions of the couch. "Aizawa-sensei's a sadist I'm telling you."

"That's no way to speak of your–"

"Though, thinking up the Ultimate Moves was pretty cool."

"Honestly. I feel like I've shed tons and tons of hardened skin." Kirishima interrupted.

"I think I disintegrated some of my brain cells…" Kaminari added.

"You never had much to begin with."

"I resent that–"

"Midoriya." Todoroki called out. "You didn't show up."

Not again.

His jaw clenched. "Well, no one tried waking me up."

The room seemed to flinch at his words, and he immediately wished he hadn't said them. "You're usually the first one up. I thought you would be there early…" Todoroki trailed off, his eyes downcast.

"I– I'm sorry. I'm not saying it's anyone's fault."

The common's room turned silent. It never turned silent.

Izuku tapped his foot against the floor. "H–how was your guys' training?"

"I'm fairly certain my skin got manlier!" Kirishima flexed his arm, hardened skin forming.

"You mean harder?"

"Yeah!"

Thankfully, the common room had erupted in light conversation between everyone. Sparing Izuku from the tense silence.

"Tokoyami, that thing you were doing with Dark Shadow looks real cool." Kaminari brought up, bringing Izuku's attention to their conversation. "All black and scary. Almost makes you like a villain."

"All that is dark is not evil." Tokoyami huffed. "Villains simply use it for their own ends."

"Uhh… Deep?"

Izuku frowned for a moment – memory of a certain swordsman intruding into his thoughts.

"Brighter colors might be better for the public opinion, though." He interjected – All Might was a prime example. So were most other high-ranked heroes. "Unless you plan on being an underground hero. Like Aizawa-sensei."

Tokoyami raised a finger to his chin. "I have given it thought before…"

It would be fitting. Working in the shadows and all.

"But perhaps having a hero shrouded in darkness – or one with a villainous quirk," He nodded at Kaminari who seemed at the brink of an apology. "Would be better for the public. Gang Orca, for example, his debut as a hero shows the world that appearances can be deceiving. Mutant quirks like us often face discrimination… It would be good to have another like him."

Kaminari blinked rapidly, "You really put a lot of thought into that, didn't ya?"

"Hm."

"Yeah. I– I guess you're right."

Bile doesn't make a hero.

.

.

Izuku once again found Kentaro Miura's work of art in his hands. After a rough training session by himself – he'd lost track of time, but the sun had set – he decided he was ready to give Berserk a go.

Once again, it opened up to dark and gloomy scene.

The gallows were surrounded by a mass of commoners, all watching silently and with blank faces. To them it was not their first time witnessing an execution, but Izuku had long learned they were illegal, and immoral. Even the worst villains were sent to Tartarus.

And so it was his first,

Men wearing black hoods held down a woman.

'Verdict!' An old preacher man addressed the crowd. 'The Inquisition hereby finds the accursed guilty of making a pact with the devil and engaging in heresy most foul!'

The Inquisition? The devil? Did people believe in devils?

'The accused is therefore sentence to immediate execution'

"Execution?!"

'It's a lie!' Her face was stained with tears and snot, her despair rung through his bones. 'You've got to believe me! 'I'm not a heretic! I swear!'

The hooded men raised their axes, and Izuku couldn't help but wonder why did people always have to die? Points could be proven without their deaths. There was no reason…

It was just mindless violence.

Closing his eyes, Izuku prepared himself for the next panel.

Her head was cut clean from her shoulders.

Izuku's face contorted into a grimace, just as the commoners. Many had turned away, he wouldn't. That much respect to her he had to give.

Another life gone for nothing.

The priest – if he could ever called such a thing – turned to a fat noble dressed in fine silk, casually sipping his wine as heads were lopped before him.

Already, Izuku had known the fat noble was a disgusting and evil man.

'I don't care.' He sipped. 'Arrest anyone who looks like a spy or drifter. As heretics…'

Heroes were born to stop this corruption.

The panel displayed the man's overindulgence. Fat and relaxed, claiming all he does was for the good and peace of his subjects, that it was his utmost pleasure. Who could ever feel pleasure from the death of others?

Only villains.

Izuku knew it wasn't heroic to feel so angered and repulsed…

Then, the familiar figure of the Black Swordsman appeared. Guts grabbed the head of the decapitated woman – how do you even do that? – and stared at it.

'UWAAAHH! SISTER!"

His heart clenched instantly. A young child had to witness their own sibling die. How could they do such a cruel thing? And say it was for the good of the people?

The knight slammed the butt of his spear against the boy.

'Anyone caught sympathizing with a heretic will not go unpunished, even children! You'll be thrown into the dungeon!'

Guts was right there. Do something. He could and with ease.

Was it heroic to feel like he wanted to bloody the man's face?

Guts smirked, and neared the knight. 'Hand that over to me will ya?'

Guts seemed to spit in the knight's face. Good.

But then he threw the head at the fat noble.

Even more unexpected was that the fat noble caught it – with one hand no less and with no reaction apparent on his face.

'You… Bastard!' The knight was poised to swing at Guts.

Guts raised his metallic hand nonchalantly, breaking teeth and the man's nose with ease.

Izuku could feel the screeching pain on his own teeth.

Guts was a little too gruesome for his tastes… Even if the man he hurt deserved it.

The fat noble examined the head, undeterred by gore. 'Wha– what is this?! This mark is!'

The Brand? Why would Guts… Izuku came to the realization as Guts' own brand began to bleed.

That… thing is one of those apostles. No wonder it's so cruel and monstrous.

Guts flicked the unhealthy amount of blood off his throat, and Izuku wondered how much it hurt just for him to be near the creatures. Just how much besides battle wounds did Guts endure? And how had he gotten the Brand anyways?

A sacrifice…

'The Black Swordsman… How amusing. A declaration of war perhaps?'

The slug showed its cruelty, crushing and skull in a gruesome fashion Izuku never thought possible. The eyes of the woman's skull bulged, she bled from every orifice and the top of her skull.

Izuku gagged.

And her brother was there…

'Hehhehheh… Hahahahaha!'

Guts'll get him. I know he will.

Izuku flinched at his own thoughts. Had he really just wanted Guts to… kill the monster?

I mean… that's what he always does… Why wouldn't he do it again now?

He shook his head, wanting the train of thought to end. Izuku would focus first. Think later.

Izuku didn't understand what the next panel with the hooded man was about, but he knew it would probably be important. He watched as Guts ran through alleys and tunnels until he ended up surrounded by several knights.

He wasn't worried about Guts.

'By decree of the Inquisition, you are hereby placed under arrest for conspiring with heretics! If you resist your life will be forfeit.'

He was worried about the knights.

In a single swing, Guts cleaved through two knights who wore full-bodied steel armor. Their blood and guts were strewn across the panels, and Izuku almost felt as if they splattered onto his own face.

Once again, Izuku was caught himself admiring the beauty of Guts' sword.

He's killed so many with it! He's even killed a child! Why do you find it cool?!

'It was much too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy and far too rough. Indeed, it was like a heap of raw iron.'

'Wha– what kind of sword is that?!'

'Don't just stand there! Charge!'

Like a hot knife to butter, the next knight was in two pieces before Izuku even had the chance to react.

A weapon for murder.

It didn't matter if they blocked with their swords, Guts' was just too big and he was too strong. Izuku was sure Guts could take on at least fifty with it. Maybe even more.

'Guts! Above you!'

Puck?

Crossbowmen were blinded as Guts cut apart the foundation of their platforms, sending them falling to their deaths.

'I saved your life! I did, didn't I?!'

And you got two men killed!

'You… you're still here?'

I'm surprised too.

'Looks like you owe me one.' Hands appeared from the shadows. 'Hm?'

'Guh!' They clenched tight on Puck. 'KYAAA!'

But were quickly cut off.

'Now we're even.' The knight stared at the outpour of blood from his hands and Izuku could imagine the pain he felt.

He knew how it felt to almost lose an arm… but to have the chopped off as if they were nothing more than pieces of celery…

How does Guts commit such gruesome acts without looking back even once?

Then, a man larger than even Guts, decked in full plated armor and a warhammer he was sure was taller than him as well, sent relief amongst the knights.

I… have a feeling Guts won't have a problem with him.

Neither did Guts apparently, as not a single feature on his face wavered as he stared the behemoth of a man down.

'That's quite a sword you've got there, little man…'

Really?

'Let's see how that sword of yours fares… When I put it to test against this warhammer!'

Guts wasted no movements and fought with complete serenity. He dodged by barely an inch, deflected blows as if he were fighting a child – angering the giant, even causing him to become careless, killing his own man.

You're worse than a villain! Even they don't kill their own men!

Guts let the warhammer lodge itself into the wall where his head would have been, sending parts of the wall flying.

'Heh heh heh… What's wrong? There's nowhere left to run.' Guts seemed uninterested – like this was a daily occurrence. Which Izuku believed was true… 'See, it's not just a question of size. If you can't handle your weapon… it's nothing more than baggage!'

Guts' face set into focus, and Izuku felt a chill run across his entire body when he swung his gigantic sword. It bent and shattered both the helmet and the warhammer, sending pieces of it into the giant.

Guts shoved his boot into the back of the man's head, making him eat the ground, as well as bury the flakes of steel deeper into his flesh.

'Couldn't agree more.' He smirked.

Once again Izuku was reminded of how brutal Guts was… but this time he wasn't all too surprised. He had a feeling it would only get worse.

Guts finished him off with a kick straight to his face, sending him flying and spitting blood.

The knights surrounded him, and through Guts' thoughts, Izuku believed he actually felt in danger, for once.

Knights would fight better than skeletons. RIght?

Plop plop plop.

The tiny ball erupted into smoke, shrouding Guts away from the knights. From the drain came the man he recognized from the panel, the hooded one with a cane. 'You there! Over here, quickly!'

Guts seemed to think for just a moment, sparing a glance at the knights.

'What are you doing?! Hurry up!'

Guts moved with speed, hurrying to the drain before anyone could see him – and Puck.

Why is he helping? Is it… just because he's a good guy?

Izuku flipped the page to see Guts walking behind the oldman following him into a small underground dwelling. One filled with jars, books, bones, intestines and other scientific looking instruments. Even a jar with an… elf?

Guts too was curious, asking him if he was a heretic.

'Heh heh heh. Nothing of that sort. Just a has-been physician, that's all I am.'

Not the kind of physician, he imagined. He just defaulted to Recovery Girl.

'Who are you? Why did you help me?'

'Heh heh heh… You know, I saw you at the execution grounds today. Do you have some sort of grudge against that count? Is it… revenge?'

I knew it was just because he's good!

Guts replied by kicking the old man's cane, sending him falling to the ground.

"So!... Rude!" Even Kacchan wouldn't kick an old man's cane out!

'I couldn't afford to let them capture you back there… I want you to kill him.'

The old man's wrappings slid off his… deformed and horrific face.

An understanding washed over him… that monster, that apostle, tortured him.

'I want you to cut him into little pieces… that demon!'

That fat disgusting creature couldn't count as human. Not if they did such horrific things like execute the innocent, torture them… and even kill children! They were demons. Guts would kill him.

'He… that accursed count… He– he's not even human. He's a demon!' Izuku felt tears swell in his eyes at the sight of the man.

'Look at me… these legs… this face!' Something indescribable roiled in his gut. 'That fiend cut them up piece by piece… and ate them!'

Izuku shut his mouth before bile could escape. "Geh… Ugh…"

The taste remained at the back of his throat.

He quickly wiped away the tears. He couldn't take his eyes off the panels.

'Heh heh heh… You don't believe my story, do you?'

'I believe you. No… rather I know what he is.'

The old man grinned an ugly yet happy grin.

'There's something I want to show you.' He led them down into an even deeper room through a flight of stairs.

The old man led them down into a tiny room, a pedestal in the center. There was a pillow on top of it, and an… egg.

But when the panels got more detailed. 'This is… A behelit!'