KingVessel: Please be warned that foreknowledge of Nine for All is needed to comprehend this Fanfic.
Chapter 01: One for All - The Zeroth
"[SMASH!]"
"Nope."
The Zeroth silently blinked as the First took over the Ninth's body, preventing him from crippling himself with her power. As the other Champions of One for All reviewed their new and unforeseen situation, she thought back to years back.
300 Years ago... I think
"You have been charged with colluding with a Meta being. This is an act of treason against Humanity."
"NOOO!"
It was more of an execution than an assassination, with a disheveled man as the unfortunate victim as the prosecuted.
"I just gave them medicine to heal their wounds!" The man screamed as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. "Not all Meta beings want to hate humans!"
"As such." The Executioner continued with an empty tone, ignoring the man's pleas. "I sentence you to death."
"No, please! No! NO! NO! NO! N-!" The man's cries cut off as a bullet pierced his neck, leaving him to choke to death from his own blood. 'So this is an Executioner of Xeno... That group of Meta haters... How can someone so young look so cold...?'
The Executioner lowered her gun, not the tiniest change in expression or acknowledgement of her act. Only steel-cold responses were needed for the young blonde 10 year old girl.
Such was the creed taught upon an Executioner of Xeno.
Codename: August 5th
To August 5th, the world was full of absolutes.
The rules were absolute.
The organization that created the rules was absolute.
The prosperity of Humanity against the rapidly appearing Meta beings and their Abilities was absolute.
Xeno was absolute.
She had been taken from an orphanage and put into training when she was 5 years old. Every time she met a Meta being or a Meta supporter, she was met with vile cursing, desperate pleas for their lives and eyes full of despair. But they were Meta beings and there was no room for doubt over what she had to do.
The teachings of Xeno were absolute.
Xeno was absolute.
'It's all pointless, anyway.' August 5th thought as she headed back to report to her master. 'It's all pointless because they tried to fight against the absolute. Truly, it's better not to feel anything at all...'
"Master, It's August 5th." August 5th knocked on the door to her master's office. "I have come upon your summons."
"Come in."
August 5th went in, acknowledging the Master as he held up a new target profile. "This is the next person to be condemned."
"Understood." August 5th replied tonelessly as she received the profile to examine.
"Their punishment is death, and the execution will proceed as planned." The Master explained as he adjusted his seat. "But, before it happens, I want you to ask them something."
"What would that be?"
"Though she is a Meta supporter, there's a chance she's not working alone. She was captured and interrogated (read: tortured) but nothing was learnt. That's why even though execution has been decided, there's still some doubt."
"How do you want me to ask her?"
"Like you were a child. She is a woman, after all."
"You have been charged with Heresy."
August 5th stood on a cliff with two guards and the accused, where she would be killed and tossed over into the valley. The woman was still heavily injured and was currently on her knees with her face on the ground, having spoken nothing since her capture.
"Your crimes include denouncing the doctrine of Xeno, as well as violence against a high member." August 5th emotionlessly spoke as she read out her 'crimes'. "This is an act of Treason against Humanity. As such, you are sentenced to death."
'So they think I might be able to get her to talk if it's someone young like me who does the questioning...' August 5th cast a look at the guards who looked already eager to kill the woman violently. Or worse. "You two are dismissed. I will handle the rest."
The guards exchanged confused looks but nodded in subservience.
As soon as they were gone, August 5th looked down on the kneeling woman. "Excuse me... Can I ask you something?"
"What?" The woman replied instantly, startling her a bit.
"Why did you attack that man?" August 5th asked in subdued curiosity. "Sure, you knew this was going to happen."
The woman was silent for a bit before scoffing. "This is pretty awful."
"Hm? Well, yes and you did something awful. But if you knew that, then why-"
"I can't believe a girl your age is making a face like that." The woman cut her off.
"...what?"
"You wanna know why? Well, that easy..." The woman said, sitting up to show her face for the first time. She had long, shaggy white hair and strong green eyes. "It's exactly because you're making a face like that, Ojou-chan."
August 5th's face darkened as a gun slipped down her sleeve to her hand. She raised it to aim, already done with this farce-
"What good is a world where children, especially mine, can't smile freely?"
Those words were enough to stop her cold, impacting her as if she'd been shot by her own weapon.
"Sorry, but I'm not gonna hand you the answers you want from me." The woman said, walking over to the edge of the cliff before facing her again. "But I believe that one day... People can live again by their own free will, without any judgement."
August 5th was riveted, as she had never heard those words uttered in front of her. "Free... will?"
"Hey, Ojou-chan, don't you want to live a life with a smile on your face? Because if you do, you better not stay here."
With that, she smiled widely and threw herself off the cliff. It would be a while before a shaken August 5th looked down to search for the accuser's name, wanting to forever burn it in her memory.
Shigaraki, Sakura
August 5th would later remember that the woman had mentioned having children. That tidbit of information would never leave her lips.
Seven years later, the cracks left by Sakura Shigaraki seemed to have nearly fixed themselves. Then suddenly, August 5th sat in her room when her Master arrived with a boy her age.
He was a relatively short guy for a person who matched her age, his round face being framed by a short mess of fluffy red hair which stuck up at odd angles around his head, casting noticeably dark shadows onto itself. His eyes were large and somewhat circular, their irises the same red color as his hair.
"From today onward, I will be your Personal Assistant." The boy bowed, speaking Japanese-accented English. "My name is Mikumo Akatani. It is a pleasure to serve you, High Executioner."
"...?"
"You've already acquired the knowledge and skills to declare yourself a High Executioner of Xeno." The Master explained. "That is why I am assigning you an assistant. He will obey your every command as you wish him to."
Despite him not being raised into Xeno's ideals and being from a far away country, Mikumo Akatani was truly the ideal assistant, always at her beck and call whenever August 5th demanded it and never failing to accomplish his tasks efficiently.
At times, something felt off about the way his eyes followed August 5th... but she dismissed it her assistant's duty to always be aware of her every need. Then after a month of them being together...
"Oh? Welcome back, 5th-chan!" Mikumo claimed loudly, while eating her cake that she'd left for later. "You sure are a passionate worker for such a repressed girl!"
'5th-chan?!' August 5th thought in shock. 'Damn Japanese.'
"Oh? Oh my! What's the matter, 5th-chan?" Mikumo teased, rapidly circling her while making weird faces. "It looks like you don't know how to handle it when your prim and proper PA suddenly acts like this."
'I am a High Executioner! For this blatant disrespect, how... how do I deal with this?' August 5th ruminated before making a cross between a stoic and awkward face. "Do... Do you want to die?"
"Well, you're no fun." Mikumo backed off in disappointment. "Your short temper doesn't match those large boobs of yours."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" August 5th yelled with a huge blush.
"Oh, she got pissed!" Mikumo cheered. "5th-chan looks so adorable!"
August 5th raised a hand to her forehead to stave away the incoming headache. "Is this what you're really like?"
"Yup! This is the real me!" Mikumo replied smugly.
'Just put up with it!' August 5th struggled to keep her composure. "I don't know what your intentions are, but do you really think this rudeness will go unpunished?"
"You bet I do!" Mikumo replied with even more smugness than before.
He was promptly kneed in the stomach before being pushed to the ground and having his face stomped to the fine carpet.
After seeing how he was actually enjoying his face rubbing against the soft carpet, August 5th let up, standing above him. "What were you thinking?"
Mikumo stopped the rubbing and rolled over to face her. "I was thinking that I wanted to be friends with you, 5th. After all, when I was watching you throughout the past month, I noticed you never smiled at anything. I mean, you give me the impression that you've never smiled in your entire life. And that's terrible."
"What good is a world where children, especially mine, can't smile freely?"
The seven year old crack in August 5th's soul reopened a bit, causing her to startle at Mikumo's words.
"Just come down here a bit, 5th." Mikumo patted next to him. "C'mon, it's feels pretty great."
'I was never taught... how to handle a situation like this...' The girl pondered before slowly walking over.
"Hehe! Glad you could make it, 5th-chan."
"Stop calling me that." August 5th blushed. She then hesitantly laid down next to him. She was suddenly assaulted by the unexpected softness that she had been walking over for years.
"What do you think?" Mikumo suddenly asked, his close face startling her. "Pretty comfy, right?"
August 5th turned her head in blushing defiance. 'Though I hate to admit it... lying down sprawled out on the floor... actually feels pretty good...'
August 5th stretched her toes a bit as she felt tingles all over. Her breath quickened, and her face started to flush...
"Hmm."
"Eh?" The High Executioner snapped out of her daze, only to realize that her body was still very much tingling all over, especially her chest.
Her chest?
Her chest, more importantly, her breast that was currently being fondled by Mikumo with his arm reaching across the carpet. His face had practically melted into putty, with a lazy yet satisfied smile donned as if enjoying a hot bath.
"World class."
She twisted her body to kick his face.
Despite the way Mikumo acted, August 5th couldn't bring herself to report him. And so, August 5th and Mikumo ' odd relationship continued.
As the Master continued to wax on about something, August 5th and Mikumo stood by stoically, until he grew bored and started making random faces at him or groping August 5th's chest in secret.
'What are you doing?!' August mentally screamed.
August 5th could never keep much of her composure around him.
"Stealing my food again, I see..." August 5th stared dully at the piece of meat in Mikumo's hand before promptly knocking him down and taking the meat back.
All the feelings she had kept locked away would break loose when she was with him.
"What's that?" August 5th queried about Mikumo's book. It had the words {Make Out Paradise} inscribed on it.
"This is a super popular series written by Jiraiya-sama. Wanna join me in reading it?"
Exposed to the world of Erotica, the virginal August 5th would soon be an avid fan of it.
Not that she stayed a virgin for long with Mikumo's perversity slowly rubbing off on the emotionally deprived August 5th.
''Mm!'' August 5th's emerald eyes went wide as his cock speared into her virgin pussy, stretching her inner walls apart in a single thrust and hitting her cervix, stuffing her full. ''Ah...''
The young man gripped her hips, moaning in bliss as her vaginal walls clamped like a searing vice around his cock, the quivering flesh clenching tight. A confused moan tumbled out of August 5th's own lips as a barrage of sensations hit her a second later, some slight discomfort mixing with buzzing pleasure; her pussy tingling in ways that she hadn't felt before. Just having something inside her felt foreign and novel, tempting the blonde to lift and drop her hips on instinct alone, gently riding his dick.
Mikumo encouraged the movement, flashing her a smirk and groping her ass murmuring for her to move. The usually dominant blonde obeyed wholeheartedly, moaning softly as she felt his cock scrape against her insides and ignite her nerves, encouraging her to push herself right back down, impaling herself upon his cock. It felt so good she couldn't help but do it again, and then again and again.
''Ah, ah...'' August 5th moaned at the motions.
''Mm, that's feels great, 5th-chan.'' The young man commented, squeezing her ass and giving it a light slap, which elicited a confused moan from August 5th. ''Hah, guess it wasn't just your breasts that's world class.''
The breathy comment reminded August 5th of why she was doing this, and with a renewed vigor, she moved, focusing on her pleasure as much as Mikumo's.
To his surprise, August 5th had suggested it, wanting her first sexual experience to be with someone she could enjoy it with. And (un)luckily, Mikumo was the closest match.
Her thighs began to slap down against his and her breasts squished against the young man's chest, her moans of pleasure tickling his ear as she bounced upon his cock, taking him into her pussy eagerly. It felt so good she got wet from it, her inner walls becoming slick around his twitching cock.
He took notice, groaning lustfully and bucking his hips up. August 5th moaned back and slapped herself down, their lower parts smacking together louder as they both worked their hips. Mikumo himself soon put his lips to work, extracting a cute moan from August 5th as he leaned in and took her right nipple into his mouth, sucking on it even as she kept shoving herself onto his cock, the double stimulation melting her mind.
''Ah, ahh... it feels so good~'' August 5th whined, unfamiliar feelings burning up her curvy body.
The young man grabbed her sides. ''Mm... lean back a bit, I wanna get a better look.''
Mewling in hazy agreement, August 5th leaned back a bit, still riding his cock as she lifted her still worn skirt up, showing him her pussy as his cock plunged into it, the repeated smacks of flesh sending ripples of pleasure through her thighs. His cock glistened with her arousal in the moments it slid out of her pussy, her insides swift to embrace his cock a moment later as she dropped back down, moaning when she felt it hit a special spot inside of her, igniting all of her nerves wonderfully.
''Shit, fuck...'' Mikumo cursed. ''Gonna cum...''
''Mm...'' August 5th didn't quite care. "It's fine... It's a safe day..."
Mikumo briefly sighed in some relief before a string of breathless grunts and groans arose from his throat as he yanked her down his cock, slapping his cock into her quivering pussy and hitting her deepest parts each time, the throbbing tip of his dick pressing against her cervix when with a grunt and groan, he pulled her down and held her, moaning as he blew his load.
Thick splatters of molten warmth spurted inside of her, short at first but escalating into long, thick spurts that pumped into her womb; the sensation eliciting a moan of surprise from August 5th, her curvy body shuddering as she felt his cum pump into her.
However, there were times when utterly strange words would pass his lips with complete seriousness.
"Hey, 5th-chan. How would I look with green hair instead red?" Mikumo asked while fiddling with a lock of his red hair in front of a mirror.
"Green hair would be so abnormal." August 5th replied. "You're already strange in personality. Don't go changing your appearance to match it.
"I'm serious! What if I had green hair, green eyes, tended to cry and mumble a lot and had super strength?"
As those days continued, August 5th felt a strange emotion often. A weird mix of joy, contentment and peace to just be with him.
"Ah. There it is!" Mikumo suddenly pointed at her face in triumph.
August 5th tilted her head adorably.
"You just smiled! It was great so do it again!"
"I don't know what you mean." August 5th turned around to hide her hot face, hiding a second smile that forced it's manifestation against her will.
This... relationship wasn't an absolute. But August 5th didn't mind believing in it a little.
But all things considered, there was a reason for the saying 'Good things don't last long'.
Mikumo was suddenly separated from August 5th, with the Master claiming that he had been a spy for a group of Meta beings and supporters. To her shock, Mikumo never even attempted to deny it, merely saying his goodbyes to her.
Later on, August 5th used her training against Xeno for the first time, infiltrating their prison to meet Mikumo.
"Oh?" Mikumo rasped, his extremely wounded and chained form shaking in pain and cold. "5th-chan... You came to see me? Damn, now I feel all warm and horny, and it's causing my dick to hurt while I'm like this so..."
"Now's not the time to be perverted, Mikumo! I promise I'll do something about this!" August 5th pleaded in desperation. "Just tell them everything! Do whatever Xeno wants you to do! I'll save you, I promise!"
Mikumo simply gave a sad smile at that. "No, thanks."
"Huh?" August couldn't believe her ears.
"Let me tell you something right now. The truth is I... have a Meta Ability. It allows me to see random bits of the future."
"You can see the future?" August 5th slumped against the bars between them.
"I can tell you've realized how twisted this world has become just I have. The thing is... I saw a far away future. A future far over 300 years to come. And no, that was definitely not usual, in case you're asking."
"300 years?"
"In that future, there were people of all shapes, sizes and Meta Abilities living in harmony despite their differences, with even actual superheroes flying about. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen... After the vision ended, I instantly realized that I would do anything to bring about that happy future."
Mikumo coughed a bit before continuing.
"The whole reason I infiltrated Xeno was to save my imprisoned comrades and recruit anyone worthwhile to join our increasing organization. I never thought I'd fall for one of it's High Executioners."
"Mikumo!"
"I'm going to keep fighting, 5th." Mikumo grinned, his injuries making the normally cocky expression almost menacing. "For the sake of the future in 300 years, I'll never give up who I am. Even if the Shinigami arrived for my neck, I'll be laughing all the way! So, just go back... and find... a reason to smile everyday, okay?"
August 5th snuck back out of the prison, hoping to see the Master and convince him of sheer usefulness of {Future Vison}. Hopefully, Mikumo would be saved.
However, when she knocked on the door to the Master's study, there was no response.
"What's wrong, August 5th?" August 5th turned sharply to regard another Executioner like her.
"November 11th, do you know where the Master is?"
"You weren't aware?" The fellow Executioner replied in a doll-like tone, disturbing August 5th who had once been exactly like that. "He is currently attending to the execution of Mikumo Akatani..."
August 5th burst into a run, her worry blinding her to the red lines of energy beneath her leg muscles.
After running 9 miles to the execution grounds, August 5th panted heavily in front of the Master. "Mikumo... Where's Mikumo?!"
The Master coldly regarded her before answering. "The execution is over."
For a second, August 5th stared blankly, not comprehending the words, before she swiftly jumped down the cliff's edge.
Ignoring the cries of shock from behind, August swiftly fell down into the dark valley before touching down with a mighty crack, the impact kicking up a plume of dust and dirt.
In her worry, she didn't notice her heavily bruised legs glow with red tendril of energy as they slowly healed.
'He's not here...' August 5th's eyes rapidly adjusted to the dark as she frantically searched for Mikumo when suddenly-
*GAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOO!*
August 5th ran towards the roar until she found a mauled but still alive Mikumo surrounded by several wild tigers. "MIKUMO!"
"Hmm...? 5th...?"
The wild tigers growled at the sight of their new prey, their maws already stained with bits of Mikumo's bloody flesh.
August 5th had no weapons on her. She didn't need them.
Kicking off the ground hard enough to crack it, she rushed at the first tiger and kicked in it's face. As the first tiger's face caved inwards, she was already rushing towards a second one, using it as a springboard to smash her palm into the third tiger's ribs.
When it went down, she rushed back to the second tiger, smashing upwards and destroying it's jaw with a red tendril-energized upward kick as it tried to jump over her.
Finally, for the fourth one, she slammed her hand against it's face as it tried to pounce on her. This time, she was able to marvel at the energy coursing through her veins, gazing at the red glowing tendrils in her arm muscles.
'This... is a Meta Ability. I've become a Meta being.' In any other situation, she would have been at a complete loss for what to do. But now, there was a perfect reason to use her new power.
With a guttural roar, she squeezed down on the tiger's face until it collapsed with a satisfying crunch.
"Aha... Haha... You're amazing... 5th..." Mikumo coughed, with blood dribbling down his chin.
"Mikumo! Hang on!" August 5th knelt at his side and started to rip off her own clothes to try and staunch the bleeding. Mikumo smiled at her before raising a hand to place on her cheek.
"Hey... 5th... Is joining hands together with a Meta being a sin?" Mikumo coughed again. "What about opening your heart them? Or smiling together? Or telling them that you love them?"
"No." August 5th replied resolutely. "There's no way any of those are sins!"
"Wow. What a strong answer."
"Hey Mikumo." August 5th took her hands off his wounds and clasped them around his. "Do you... want to marry me?"
Mikumo just smiled a bit further.
"I don't really know how to be a good wife. Or a good person, really. But you could teach me, like you taught me a lot of things! Like how to smile. How to deal with people teasing you. How to relax once in a while. How to be perverted. Even that weird but somewhat enjoyable cosplay thing you Japanese have... Hey, please say something, Mikumo."
Mikumo couldn't say anything. Even if his smile had never faded, his red eyes had lost their inner glow.
Mikumo Akatani had died, holding hands and smiling at the woman he loved.
"...Mikumo?" August 5th choked. "Something... feels wrong... with my chest... Like... there's something... squeezing my lungs... my heart... I can't... breathe well..."
Pearls of clear liquid dripped down her nose onto Mikumo's cooling hand.
"Ah... I see... If tears... come out... in this scenario... it means that... I'm sad... right?"
Up at the surface, there were a few more condemned to be executed when suddenly August 5th leapt upwards from the valley. Her hands and feet were stained with blood and dirt and she carried Mikumo's corpse on her back.
"Do you understand what you're doing?" The Master threatened at the sight. "Throw that trash back where you found it."
"...Trash?"
"This is your final warning. Fulfill your role as a High Executioner of Xeno." The Master continued while the prisoners behind him warily shifted away, being much more wary of August 5th's rising Killing Intent. "Pass Judgement on the comrades of that filth. This is your only worth. Your only purpose! Xeno is always absolu-"
"Stop talking."
Without waiting for the Master to recover from this blatant disrespect, August 5th continued. "I am August 5th. I am my own person. The only one who decides my worth and purpose... is me!"
"It is a shame to lose an Executioner with immense skill like yours. However, a rotten branch must be pruned off before the whole tree is infected." The Master cast his Judgement as the other Executioners readied their weapons. "Die."
'Mikumo... I don't know if I have what it takes to carry your will... But even so, I want the future of 300 years later to come as you saw it.'
"You think you can kill me?" August 5th gently placed Mikumo's body down before turning to grin widely at the Master which disturbed him immensely. The familiar red lines of energy coursed through her entire body, startling both the Xeno members and the prisoners into loud gasps. "That's rich. I'd like to see you try!"
{Stockpile}. A Quirk that allowed the user to slowly build up raw energy over their lifetime, allowing them to tap into it and use it to significantly enhance their physical abilities. In this time, it is nowhere near strong enough to clash against {All for One}.
August 5th blurred, getting into the Master's space instantly as she embedded her fist into the man's face.
However, in a world just discovering Quirks, {Stockpile} still stood leagues above others in power, versatility and convenience.
With a roar, August 5th smashed the Master's head downwards into the ground, pushing her fist deep enough to crush his brain and crack the ground.
"Rejoice, fellow Executioners." August 5th spread out her bloodied arms to the stunned Executioners. "I am about to kill you all today. Whether you run away or fight, I don't care. Xeno will die before the year ends."
August 5th used to believe in absolutes.
Absolutes could go fuck themselves.
From that night, August 5th went on a one woman crusade against Xeno, sparking myths and urban legends in her wake as she destroyed Xeno's bases.
While Xeno was already used to fighting Meta beings, they were totally unprepared for a High Executioner with knowledge of their secrets and locations and was armed with a Meta Ability which only amplified her dangerous skills rather than impede them.
In time, August 5th made good on her promise, coincidentally annihilating the final base in Mikumo's homeland.
In the land of the Rising Sun, the girl ran through the dark alley, unheeding of the heavy rain that pelted her that night. Her only focus was escaping the burning building several city blocks away.
'I've done it.' August 5th stumbled against the wall, her run slowly changing to an exhausted walk as her wounds caught up. 'I've killed them all. The organization which raised me. The organization who caused his death.'
The girl's walk slowed down to a stumble before she finally fell, her blood staining the puddle beneath her.
'However, I don't feel a sense of accomplishment like I thought I would... Just this endless sense of emptiness...'
Thunder cracked the sky as the rain started to intensify, showering the girl and surrounding her in a small puddle of her blood as it started to spread.
'It's cold... I'm probably... going to... die here... That's fine... Dying by myself in this dark and dirty alleyway... is fitting for someone like me who never lived in the light... Mikumo, I wonder if I'll see you in the afterlife. Unlike a hero like you, I spent most of my life killing after all...'
As August 5th started to slip off, a pair of knees fell down next to her, unminding of the blood staining them as a gentle voice called out. "Are you all right?"
August 5th was unable to respond, prompting a pair of feminine hands to cradle her hand, who softly marveled at the warmth, both figuratively and literally.
August 5th woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. 'Where am I?'
'I thought I was in an alleyway...' As August 5th sat up, she felt a sharp pain all over her body. She then noticed the numerous bandages all over her. 'My wounds have been treated... Who did this?'
The door to the bedroom opened, revealing a girl in a barista uniform. She had green hair that she kept tied with a small knot in a ponytail style. Her eyes were the same color as her hair and she had a light peachy colored smooth skin. "Good, you've woken up!"
"You're..."
"You shouldn't strain yourself." The girl warned, placing a bunch of medical supplies on a table. "Your wounds were so severe that you've been sleeping for 3 days."
'I ended up surviving...' August 5th thought depressingly.
"Oh." The girl suddenly whirled about in embarrassment. "My name is Ichika Midoriya. Where we are right now is the annex of the pub I work at. I found you in an alleyway and brought you-"
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why did you save me?" August 5th asked with an empty look in her eyes. 'With Xeno gone, I lost both the good and bad things in my life... Forgive me, Mikumo. The future of 300 years to come, it was so hard to get emotionally invested in it like you did...'
"...I couldn't leave you out there to be battered and drowned by the rain." Ichika replied genially.
"Don't you find it suspicious that I was lying there and bleeding out in the alleyway?" August 5th continued, thoroughly unconvinced. "The world right now is in a dangerous flux of change."
Ichika stared silently before entering a seiza position before her bed. "Miss, what's your name?"
"Why do you care?" August 5th was troubled by this girl's personality.
"I want to say your name." Ichika's bright smile seemed to strike at August 5th's mental defenses.
"August... August 5th." She replied, blushing a bit.
"Isn't that your date of birth?"
"It's my true name."
"...for real? Then I'll call you 'Daisy' then." Ichika clapped her hands in excitement. "Calling you a date would be weird. I'll just call you after my favorite flower. Plus, it's composed of 5 letters, which corresponds to the '5th'."
'Daisy' August 5th couldn't respond to the nickname, being blinded by the spiritually light Ichika's smile produced. She wondered if that ability was hereditary or just an aspect of hers.
Two hundred and eighty two years later, Izuku Midoriya and Inko Midoriya simultaneously sneezed, worrying Hisashi until they both replied that they were okay and gave blinding smiles to the patriarch.
The door suddenly banged open, revealing a tall, heavyset woman. "Did she wake up?"
"Yes, Mari-sama." Ichika stood up to answer her boss. "Her name is Daisy August V."
Daisy... honestly couldn't reject the iteration of her new name. Back in Xeno, that might as well have translated to her former placing and rank in the {Executioner: August Series}.
"She's the proprietress of the pub I work at. Her name is Mari Kin'niku."
"Why did you have to cause more trouble when we already have a shortage of workers?" Mari Kin'niku sighed. "She's not a stray animal, so don't go bringing home a troublesome girl."
'Stray animal? Well, it's not like she's wrong...' Daisy mentally deadpanned while Ichika replied. "You allowed it though."
Mari rolled her eyes before looking down on Daisy with a firm glare. "I looked through your clothes and belongings. You're a Meta being, aren't you?"
The change was instant as Daisy's calm demeanor was switched for the Killing Intent of the High Executioner's. "What about it? Are you gonna hand me over to the government?"
"Oh, so you speak Japanese. Good, I don't have to go through the trouble of finding a translator for this." Mari smirked before frowning at Daisy's question. "Why do I have to do something bothersome like that, idiot?"
"What?!" Daisy was stumped by the reply. 'She's letting me go?'
"You're free to do whatever you like if you're able to move." Mari sighed. "However, you've stayed here for 3 days so I expect you to pay up."
"Daisy-san. If it's okay with you, why don't you stay here for a while longer?" Ichika leaned down to Daisy's stunned face. "You'd be safe if you stayed here until things settle down."
'What is this girl saying?' Daisy stared in shock. 'Normally, people would either be afraid of me or try to sell me out for money...'
As Ichika kept talking, she snapped. "I-I don't have anything left! No companions or a place to go home! All that's left is a dream I couldn't get attached to! I should have died back then for my foolishness-"
*GROWL!*
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Sounds like your body wants to live." Mari smirked. Daisy flinched in embarrassment while Ichika chuckled next to her.
"I guess it can't be helped. It'd be disgraceful if we ignored a starving and injured person." Mari beckoned with her arm. "Come on, I'll give you something to eat."
"W-Wait! I never said I wanted to be fed-"
Daisy's tirade was cut off as Mari's large hand suddenly pressed down on her head. "Stop going on and on and just listen to what other people have to say to you, you stubborn brat."
'What... power...' Daisy struggled against the grip, with {Stockpile} even powering her up as much as her injured body would allow, but she wasn't able to budge a bit. 'I can't move at all.'
"Hurry up and get dressed." Mari released her suddenly, causing Daisy to lurch back.
As Mari left the room, Ichika leaned down to whisper in Daisy's ear quietly. "Mari-sama's really scary when she gets angry. I recommend obeying whatever she says."
Daisy stared at her in disbelief. 'Was I brought... to a terrifying place?'
After being sat and fed, Daisy almost let her guard down, waiting for something bad to happen as usual. And it did.
"Well then, you ate it all." Mari smirked, instantly gaining Daisy's wary attention." It was worth the effort to make it. I used a lot of precious ingredients too."
"What are you saying?" Daisy interjected with a 'Get on with it' vibe.
"The total price of the meal you just ate is 50, 000, 000 Yen."
"THAT'S ABSURD!" Daisy jumped as she slammed her hands on the table, nearly cracking it.
"Looks like you can't pay it." Mari smirked evilly. "I guess it can't be helped. I'll have you work off your tab here at my pub."
"WHAT?!"
"This works out just fine. We needed more workers anyway."
"FUCK THAT! THIS IS EXTORTION! NO, IT'S FRAUD!"
"Welcome to Japan, Miss August." Mari's evil smirk grew larger. "The art of deceit was planted here much sooner than it was in America."
Daisy growled before lurching back, swiftly heading for the back door with {Stockpile}. She almost made it before she was suddenly slammed down. Looking back, she blanched at the sight of enlarged muscle fibers bursting out of Mari's arm. 'A Meta Ability?!'
"Are you trying to pull a runner on me, girl?" Mari's smirk could have given a Demon Lord's for a run, with {Muscle Augmentation} slowly powering down as she pulled Daisy to her feet. "Listen here, brat. I'm the law here. If I say I'm not guilty then I'm not guilty even if I am."
"I look forward to working with you, Daisy-san." Ichika, the traitorous but cute girl that she was, brazenly patted Daisy's back as she just stood there in shock.
'They tricked meeeeeeeeeeeee!'
A while later, Daisy stood in embarrassment after her fitted uniform was prepared. 'To think I'd have to wear something like this... What was I thinking? Not only is this Mikumo's homeland, this is the birthplace of cosplay! I should have put more effort in running away!'
"You look great! So cute!" Ichika complimented as she appraised her. Her bright smile mad it impossible to keep her anger for long.
Trapped between a super nice girl and an utterly terrifying boss, Daisy surrendered to learning about her new job.
Frankly, as she had spent most of her life as an assassin, her earlier moments went wrong in the manner that Mikumo would fall over laughing if he was there to see it.
First, there was the shopping.
"Listen Daisy, when buying ingredients, you should haggle by smiling in a cutesy manner." Ichika enlightened as they walked through the market.
"Cutesy... manner...?"
"That's right." Ichika nodded. "If you do that, they'll give you a discount. The shopkeepers are all kind so you don't need to worry."
As they approached the vendor, Daisy mentally went through the advice she'd gotten. 'Smile in a cute manner and haggle.'
"Ah, you must be from {Aphrodite's Den}. What would you like-" The vendor was cut off by the sight of Daisy smiling. Unfortunately, it was the same smile she wore when she had killed the Master.
"Discount those fruits."
"..."
"..."
"I'm telling you to discount them."
"Uh, hey Daisy..." Ichika raised a worried hand.
"Hurry up. Are you planning on embarrassing me even further?"
The vendor had enough, screaming for his life as he ran away while Daisy raised a distressed arm at his disappearing form.
"Daisy! You weren't haggling, you were threatening him!" Ichika yelled as she chased after him, hoping to not lose a valuable sucke- I mean, business partner.
Needless to say, she was banned.
Secondly, there was the serving of customers.
"Welcome."
"Come this way."
"Here's the menu."
Due to her not being able to fake a smile (especially as she valued her real smiles after spending a near lifetime without smiling at all), Daisy had simply put on an indifferent face for the customers. One customer had given a review of her to Mari, claiming her as beautiful and efficient but utterly unsociable.
These were just the first of the many blunders Daisy made starting out.
"You're far more useless than I thought."
The heavy weight of Mari's words hit Daisy like a boulder, never having the word 'Useless' be associated with the former High Executioner.
"At this rate, your debt's gonna increase, rather than get paid off." Mari's words this time, sent an imaginary bullet through her soul.
As she was sent out for another errand, she became aware of somebody following her. Even though his head was hidden in a hoodie, his white hair peeked out, casting a shade over ominous red eyes.
In a covert manner, she slowly led him to a hidden area far from human contact.
"So." Daisy turned to face her stalker. "Are you here to kill me?"
The stalker chuckled, revealing himself to be a boy of teenagerhood even younger than her. "No, no, no. I'm just here for your Meta Ability. I need it for someone close to me."
"You want my services?" Daisy asked in annoyance as she gestured to her work uniform. "As you can see, I'm not free to be hired by suspicious characters."
"Sorry, I should have been clearer." The boy bowed forward a bit. He was dressed in a black zipped hoodie, white button shirt and black pants. "I'm here to take your Meta Ability. You don't need to come along."
"...you have a Meta Ability that allows you to collect other Meta Abilities, don't you?" Daisy quickly surmised as she put her hands into her pocket in feigned annoyance. "You're someone Xeno would've been interested in, for all their anti-Meta shticks."
"Wow." The boy clapped sarcastically. "Most people don't figure it out that quickly. I'll be leaving with {Stockpile}. You won't-"
The boy's head reeled back as Daisy's bullet nailed him in the head, having been shot from the silenced gun in her pocket. Sighing as she felt the hole in her uniform, she walked past the boy, only for a shard of ice to nearly pierce through her feet from below.
"Urgh... " The boy got up again and groaned in pain, turning to reveal that his forehead been transformed to gold which had stopped the bullet.
"{Gold} sure is a useful Meta Ability, huh?" The boy mumbled as he stalked towards her. Daisy narrowed her eyes and then rushed forward. In an instant, she slammed a fist into the Thief's abdomen, hearing the satisfying sound of metal caving in as he flew a meters away.
"Well, that looks concerning." The Thief muttered as he noticed the fist shaped indent in his golden skin slowly buff out. He then dodged back as an axe kick that was aimed for his head cracked the ground.
Unwilling to lose, the Thief took initiative and slammed his golden fist against Daisy's crossed arms, causing her to humph at his utterly untrained form.
As the Thief kept pressing on, she moved pushed back his fists and began to evade. When the Thief threw another punch, Daisy countered by kicking him in the chest, forcing the Thief to fly backward from the strength of her attack. The whitehead planted his feet into the ground and shot forward again, with Daisy still blocking and evading his punches.
However, she suddenly flinched when his golden fist glowed red hot, suddenly burning her blocking arm. With an explosive blast of {Hot Hands}, Daisy was blown back, rolling some meters away until she adjusted herself.
With his golden and burning fists, the Thief rushed in, throwing a right punch which was promptly diverted by Daisy's right elbow, then a left punch which was also diverted before that same elbow crashed into his chin. In his brief stunned moment, Daisy backhanded him away.
"You're not bad." Daisy shook her hand, idly watching her burns as they healed at a pretty slow rate. "However, I don't think you know me very well if you believe that a few Meta Abilities are enough to deal with me."
The entire clearing was blanketed in Killing Intent, in the desire to maim and kill and leave naught but destruction and death in August 5th's wake. The Thief stumbled back, suddenly very aware of what he'd chosen to attack.
Indeed, the pressure of Daisy's presence was palpable. The Thief had felt it as soon as he seen her while other civilians blissfully remained ignorant, but now it was on another level. Everything seemed heavier. Even breathing felt somehow more difficult. Was this really just her getting serious in killing him rather than just defending? Filling the air with pure willpower?
It was a warning, he knew. His own body was telling him. This person standing before him was not someone he should fight. This was a person who specialized in killing people like him. This person was a hunter.
Daisy stepped forward towards him, every single footstep of hers seemed to bang right on the Thief's bones themselves. He'd forgotten that he had overclocking nerves, that his brain could think, that his heart should beat, that his lungs needed air, that his skin could produce cold sweat, that his knees could buckle, that his muscles could tremble, that his eyes could widen.
The Thief, in that moment, knew nothing but terror. The absolute assurance that death was standing right in front of him, and that she was going to gleefully make sure that his demise would be painful for his interruption of her day.
In an extremely slow manner, Daisy reached out a hand and dropped it onto her attacker's shoulder, allowing her Killing Intent to taper off.
The Thief gasped as he fell to his knees, allowing himself to draw in a wonderful touch of fresh air into his screaming lungs.
"Do you fear death?" Daisy- no, August 5th looked down on the future Symbol of Fear, who shivered under it. He was the one with more power. The one with the ultimate Meta Ability. Yet, it felt like none of that would impede her in the slightest if she felt like killing him in that moment.
The Thief felt humbled.
The Thief felt defeated.
The Thief felt... humiliated.
With a tear filled roar of frustration, he punched the ground, surprising the former assassin as the ground noticeably shook, instantly sprouting long and narrow stakes of ice, each several meters in length, from the ground that sprout up as if trying to reach the heavens. Daisy yelled in shock and pain as stakes pierced through her limbs, her left shoulder and stomach.
As Daisy coughed out blood and tried to use {Stockpile} to at least break free, the Thief came close and reached out to place his palm on her face. Daisy blinked as where there were usually palm lines was instead a small black hole. It was like a void, threatening to swallow her whole in it's silent majesty until suddenly, his palm left and Daisy felt so empty.
"Thank you for your contribution." The Thief growled as if despite her imminent death and her successfully stolen Meta Ability, he'd been the one to lose the battle and then jumped upwards, easily clearing several meters to land on the top of a thirty story building before jumping again.
"Tch. That girl sure is taking her damn time with that errand." Mari growled as Daisy hadn't returned.
"It's fine, Mari-sama!" Ichika placated. "I'm sure that she's on her way back right now."
The heavyset woman sighed heavily before moving to the kitchen, leaving Ichika to look at the door in worry.
'How long is she going to take? Did she get lost or something?'
In an abandoned clearing, the body of Daisy August V (a.k.a. August 5th) grew rapidly cold as the ice slowly melted away.
A bit of her soul followed her Meta Ability as it was stolen away. But the rest of her must have met Mikumo Akatani again.
Why?
She died smiling.
Daisy woke to a strange sensation especially as the Ninth reappeared into the {Hazy World}. She smiled back when the boy saw her and waved in greeting. For a brief moment she imagined if the concept of reincarnation was a real thing before rapidly putting the thought away. The boy seemed a bit lonely like her except with much less brainwashing, xenophobia and murders in his life.
'I guess I'll just be his Mikumo. Can't be too hard.'
"Good evening, Izuku. My name is Daisy August. I am the original wielder of {Stockpile}, the strength quirk you and Eighth use. Since I never actually wielded One for All, you may address me as Zeroth, if you wish."
Now, was {Make Out Paradise} still in circulation?
The Rebellious Executioner
KingVessel: This was completely experimental. And maybe unstable. I probably won't give this much attention if it's reception is poor.