We are back to these special chapters.
Once again, you did not skip anything, we are back in Arc VII and will return to the start of Arc III in the next chapter.
I would again like to ensure readers that again:
You. Do. Not. Need. To. Know. Anything. About. Etrian Odyssey.
Let me repeat that because again, some of you don't seem to listen to these notes.
You. Do. Not. Need. To. Know. Anything. About. Etrian Odyssey.
Everything will be explained in due time how and why this works, and if you break this particular cryptogram you should be able to figure out what has happened up to this point. And how and why this is happening. Trust me, I know what I'm doing with these chapters.
My Hero Academia Untold: The Fafnir Knight (Remastered Edition)
Saga I: Dusk
Arc VII: The Ephemeral Lands
Chapter XXVIII: Anger Part 1
"Anger is a manifestation of a deeper issue...and that, for me,
is based on insecurity, self-esteem, and loneliness."
-Naomi Campbell
"Tuo gxptfqw bu Gntzyfo'l lftfgl, Wqhy?"
"Tuvqn."
"Tuvqn?"
"Iqn jntyu tkfyzyfo yl kgnnqufho libsyuv yuknqtlql yu yuvqn.
"Oqti, Y ktu'f ywtvyuq sio. Yf'l fiq xqnaqkf qwbfybu fb aqqh nyvif ubs ya obg tlc wq."
"Thqr...tnq obg bkto?"
"Y'w lbnno, fiyl libghp itzq jqqu t fywq abn kqhqjntfybu. Yulfqtp...sq'nq pqtlyuv syfi fiyl, fnoyuv fb ltzq Atauyn... Y pb hycq fiq wqfibp, fibgvi. Y'zq thstol jqqu t lgkcqn abn nbwtukq. Tuosto, sitf libghp sq pb tjbgf fiyl?"
"Wylfqn Gntliywt ltyp sq ktu'f tpwyuylfqn t lqptfyzq fb Gntzyfo lyukq liq lqnzql tl fiq wtyu iblf. Yf kbghp jnqtc fiq wqufth hyuc tup kbuuqkfybu sq itzq wtutvqp fb qlftjhyli syfi qtki bfiqn. Ub, sq syhh lywxho itzq fb fnglf fitf Gntzyfo'l tztftn syhh jq tjhq fb vgypq iqn tup kthw iqn pbsu."
"Jgf pypu'f iq thlb wqufybu fitf yuknqtlql yu qwbfybuth pylfnqll kbghp hqtp fb Wqufth Kbuftwyutfybu? sitf ya iqn qwbfybul hqtc yufb Atauyn'l wyup? Fitf kbghp thlb jnqtc fiq hyuc."
"Yf yl xbllyjhq, jgf sq nqthho itzq ub sto ba cubsyuv fitf mglf oqf. Jgf...Y thlb hycq fb fiyuc fitf ya fiqyn nqhtfybuliyx nqtsso yl fitf pqqx, fiyl wyvif xnbzq jquqaykyth."
"Y vgqll sq lywxho itzq fb nqwtyu zyvyhtuf. Fibgvl Y ayup yf thwblf ynbuyk fitf fiyl sbghp jq wo aynlf wyllybu tl t Wyfinyh Bxqntfyzq."
"Thqr...tnq obg lgnq fitf obg'nq bkto?"
"Y'w tsnyvif; Y'w itxxo fb qzqu itzq t kitukq fb iqhx."
The climb had been long as the two daughters of the mark continued to make their way up the trunk of Yggdrasil.
Ochako and Arianna proved to be quite adept at working together; Ochako would use her quirk to get through particular jumps between the tree branches. While Arianna would use a combination of her whip and magic to clear the way of debris.
Yet no matter how high they continued to climb, it seemed like they couldn't reach where the tree trunk went past the clouds. Ochako began to feel drained with her continued quirk use alongside the little progress the two had made. Ochako couldn't help but feel anger and frustration slowly building up.
The two companions hadn't spoken much. After all, they were more focused on trying to find their respective loves in these lands. Still, they eventually stopped atop one of the larger branches, where they had plenty of room to walk around and rest without the risk of falling off. Ochako started to lean tiredly against the trunk, taking a moment to look around from their position. From up here, she could see the valley that spread as far as the eye could see; it looked like a great green sea.
It would have been a beautiful sight that, under normal circumstances, Ochako would have appreciated. But right now, all she wanted was to finish this grueling trial. To find him and go back home, back to everyone else waiting for them.
"We should wait here for a while to gain our bearings," Ochako heard Arianna's suggestion. "We would need at least a good hour to regain our strength and composure."
'An hour?!' Ochako thought as she turned to look at the sun, already deep into the west. She was about to protest until she saw the look on her companion's face.
She paused.
It was a mirror of her own, as Ochako could see the same frustration that plagued her now. Only Arianna had waited centuries, while Ochako only had to wait a few days before making this journey. Yet, the princess was the one who kept a cooler head and suggested a rational course of action.
"Okay," Ochako managed to sigh, slowly allowing herself to slide down the trunk she was leaning against until she found herself sitting slumped. She glanced at her purple-haired companion, who simply remained standing, looking outward, surveying the lands far below and the still setting sun.
She could see her tiny hands were balled into fists, and her whole body was shaking.
'Arianna...'
Of course, Arianna would understand better than anyone.
Given all of the times, Ochako had reread her journey filled with love and yet so much heartbreak. She was a kind, gentle soul who hated violence but would never hesitate to fight when protecting those she loved or felt responsible for.
That was the duty she was born with as a future ruler of a Duchy. All of the sacrifices she made despite her deepest desires.
So it was no wonder that Ochako saw her as a role model. Arianna was a hero in her own right, even if Jin was considered the main protagonist. Jin would have never gotten far without her and everyone else at the party. Jin was her knight...much like Izuku was hers.
"Izuku...where are you?" She said to herself as she felt tears welling up before looking at the mark on her right hand. That tiny cross-shaped flower made her smile upon seeing it. Reminding her of many memories, from their confession to each other, to learning the truth about their shared past.
The day he decided to take on his hero name, Fafnir Knight, all because of her and Eri. Their first date and their first kiss. They made so many sweet memories in such a short amount of time as if to make up for the time they believed to have lost.
Yet this mark also served to remind her of her follies.
"If only I hadn't been a coward." She said bitterly to herself, shaking her head and trying her best not to sob. "I could have stopped it all if I had just acted sooner! If I just wasn't a total coward, none of this would have happened."
She took in sharp, deep breaths and squeezed her hands as the memories of that night, that horrible night that played on repeat in her nightmares but are now filling her mind right then and there. That night when everything changed when all hell broke loose.
The night the traitor revealed his true colors and betrayed them all.
"Stop blaming yourself, girl." A voice called out to her, making Ochako look up, only now she found herself in an empty dark space. No longer on Yggdrasil, and her only company was a tall man cloaked in shadow standing before her.
"Wqufth kbuftwyutfybu itl jqqu pqfqkfqp! Lfbx fiq xnbkqpgnq!"
"Y'w yuxgffyuv fiq bzqnnypq kbpq!"
"Jqhto fitf bnpqn, Kbnxbnth Lxnyuvayqhp! Sitf qrtkfsi yl vbyuv bu?!"
"Wylfqn Gntliywt?!"
"Wyll Liyqhp, Y tlc tvtyu. Sitf yl fiq lyfgtfybu?"
"Fiq nqtpyuvl tnq libsyuv lbwqfiyuv lfntuvq! Yf'l Atauyn! Yf'l iyl wyup! Yf'l kbuftwyutfyuv Gntzyfo'l! Ubf fiq bfiqn sto tnbgup!"
"Styf, tnq obg ltoyrv Yegcg yl nqtklyuv bgf fb Gntntct?!
"Lyn! Hbbc tf fiq kitnf! Hbbc tf siyki xtnf ba Atauyn'l jntyu yl tkfyzq."
"Ylu'f fitf?"
"Fiq kbnfqr fitf nqvghtfql Dgyncl...tup hbbc qzqu ubs...iyl jbpo yl lftnfyuv fb vhbs qzqn lb atyufhi."
"Sitf pbql fiyl wqyu?"
"Y'w ubf lgnq...jgf abn ubs, sq styf tup lqq, Kbnxbnth Lxnyuvayqhp! Jq nqtpo fb tpwyuylfqn tubfiqn libf fb Yegcg ya uqqpqp!"
"Xnqxxyuv fiq libf ubs!"
"Lyn, fiqnq yl lbwqfiyuv qhlq. Yf hbbcl lycq Gntzyfo yl...lhqqxyuv?"
"Hqf wq lqq fiblq nqtpyuvl. T pbgjhq NQW xtffqnu...t pnqtw syfiyu a pnqtw?"
"Yl fitf qzqu xbllyjhq, lyn?"
"Sq'nq lqqyuv yf itxxqu nyvif jqabnq bgn qoql, Wyll Liyqhp...Kbnxbnth Lxnyuvayqhp."
"Y'zq vbf fiq libf xnqxxqp, lyn."
"Tpwyuylfqn yf bu wo lyvuth."
Ochako didn't know what to say as the strange man stood before her. As the smoky shadow that cloaked the tall man slowly began to part, a tall man with dark hair wearing some kind of hero costume was revealed before her. It reminded her of Best Jeanist, but the outfit didn't appear to be made of denim, nor did it look like jeans.
He looked annoyed, and his tone of voice was icy.
"Stop blaming yourself, girl." The man repeated to her. "I swear you and my successor were meant for each other in more than one way."
Ochako rose slowly; he didn't appear or feel hostile despite his tone. Rude, yes, but not hostile, which only confused Ochako with several questions starting to pop into her head. Perhaps the most pressing of them finally made her say something.
"Who are you?"
"One of the Nine." He answered with narrowed eyes. "My name is En."
"Okay then, En...what do you mean by 'You and my successor were meant for each other in more than one way?'"
En gave her a rare deep chuckle. "Who else? The one you are looking for, of course."
"Izuku…" Ochako answered almost breathlessly.
"Indeed."
"How do you kn-"
"That's not important right now, child." He interrupted, "Time is limited, and I'm simply here to serve as a messenger for you. The message is simple. 'Stop blaming yourself.' Others had the chance to act. Even my successor has regrets about that night. You are not alone in these feelings."
Ochako looked surprised. "Izuku really feels the same way?"
"He knew given everything that happened, the circumstances, and the revelations that came with it. He knew he could have handled it better."
"But-"
"If you truly feel like you must atone, then get up and find him...he is closer than you think, do not allow anger and regret to cloud your way. Lest you become like me." His voice slowly became less cold and much more somber. The look of regret was evident even on his partially hidden face. "Now, I will give you another message. This one is from me to you directly. Trust in yourself, child. Trust in yourself to find the way and remember that even now, you are not alone, and neither is Izuku."
Ochako didn't know what to say to this mysterious stranger. Yet, despite never meeting him before, something about him seemed familiar. Despite sounding so cold and almost indifferent, there was a strength, perhaps a hidden warmth, and a message of hope. Not unlike a certain hero and certainly not unlike her knight.
Ochako could feel the anger leaving her as a renewed sense of strength and purpose took its place. "Thank you...En."
"Thank me, by finding him." The man answered as the shadowy smoke slowly cloaked him again and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Ochako standing there for a moment or two.
"Ochako. Wake up."
Ochako looked around; hearing that familiar voice, she looked around the darkness for the source. She needed to leave and get back to the task at hand. She felt renewed with that conversation and needed to get back to work quickly.
"Ochako! Please wake up!"
Suddenly Ochako felt a jolt run down her body as hands grasped her shoulders. With a few drowsy blinks, she found herself back upon Yggdrasil, sitting against the great tree's trunk as if she had never moved. Arianna was kneeling in front of her with a worried look.
"Thank goodness! You had me scared for a moment!" She cried out with a sigh of relief. Ochako laughed a bit nervously, resulting in her starting to scratch the back of her head out of habit.
"I-I'm sorry, Arianna!" She breathed out sincerely, bowing her head.
The princess sighed again, putting her hands to her chest and giving her companion a warm smile, "I'm just glad it wasn't anything serious. I've seen the results of those who go mad when left alone, without hope and full of despair."
Ochako remembered Arianna's journey into Yggdrasil in the storybook. The number of dead adventurers that her party alone had found numbered in the hundreds. Often finding notes of regret or telling tales of their descent into madness. She knew that was why Arianna was here for her; to keep her steady and moving forward. Ochako responded by getting up and raising the princess up with her.
"Thank you, Arianna," She said to her childhood idol. "I'm sorry for my moment of weakness."
Arianna shook her head and grabbed her hand. "It's okay to have moments of weakness, especially when you feel lost. It's okay to want to rest and collect yourself when you feel like the world is collapsing all around you. Letting the weakness stop you from moving forward is when it becomes a problem."
"Something you know all too well, right?" Ochako said with a shy smile. The final battle that Arianna took part in near the end of her tale placed the weight of her whole world on her shoulders. She must have felt guilt when Jin took her place for the ritual, completed his task as a Knight of Fafnir, and broke the curse placed on her lands
.
"My friends kept me going when Jin disappeared into the light..." She spoke softly; it hurt Ochako to see that painful expression on her face. Ochako gave the girl a hug knowing that feeling all too well now. Yet there was hope now. A chance to rewrite and add more to the story of what it means to be a Knight of Fafnir.
"We're going to find them." She said firmly. Once she broke off the hug, she began guiding her friend back to the trunk. They had a tree to continue climbing and knights to find.
"Ibhp bu...Atauyn'l jntyu tkfyzyfo itl nqfgnuqp fb ubnwth xtffqnul."
"Kbnxbnth, ibhp baa bu fiq libf."
"Oql, lyn."
"Twteyuv...Xhqtlq wtcq lgnq fb ltzq fitf abn fiq nqkbnp, Wyll Liyqhp."
"Gupqnlfbbp. Gww, Wylfqn Gntliywt? Pb obg itzq tu gxptfq bu sitf'l vbyuv bu hbktsso? Gukhq Wyvif...yl iq?"
"Y'w tantyp fiyuvl tnq lfyss yukbwxhqfq pyltnnto, Wyll Liyqhp. Fibgvi xtnf ba wq yl xhqtlqp; fiq hyql fitf bukq ngyuqp wo anyqup'l vxxp utwq itzq jqqu qrxblqp. Fiq utwq Pntkb Cuyvif syhh jq nqlfbnqp syfi aghh ibubnl."
"Vbfft hbzq Ctnwt. Vbp, Y sbghp hbzq fb jq fiqnq nyvif ubs fb lqq fiq Uqbkbul vqffyuv pntvvqp finbgvi fiq kbthl aynlf-itup."
"Fitf'l nybif, fiqo'nq fiq buql sib lfnyxxqp obg ba obgn Mtxtuqlq hykqulq..."
"Ogx, jgf xqxxo aqqhyuvl ba ltdylatkfybu tlypq. T'w sbnnyqp tjbgf ibs Mtxtu'l vbyuv fb jbgukq jtkc anbw fiyl. Fiq Ctwyub Stnp yukypquf yl mglf fiq ykyuv bu fiq vbzqnuwquf kbnngxfybu ktcq. Anbw fiq hyql fb vqffhuv t ankcyuv lxo yu fiq lkibbh Y lfyhh ktu'f jqhyqzq yf fiyf xnykc stl nyvif gupqn bgn ublql!"
"Thqr, fitf'l ubf obgn atghf; obg kbghpu'f itzq kubsu fitf fiqnq stl t lxo tf fiq fywq!"
"Wyll Liyqhp yl nyvif, Kbnxbnth; yulfqtp, obg libghp abkgl bu fiq ftlc tf itup. Sitf sq tnq iqnq fb nqlfbnq fiq xqnxhq'l inxq jo wtcyuv lgnq Yegcg nqkbzqnl. Fiq Atauyn Cuyvif mglf jqktwq t ibglqibhp utwq tafqn thh."
"Fsb-atkqp tllibhql. Xqbxhq sib jbbqp Atauyn tnq ubs lgppquho kiqqnyuv abn iyw ubs fitf fiq fngfi yl bgf. Thh syfibgf t iyuf ba ynbuo. Jgf obg'nq nyvif, lyn. Xhqtlq abnvyzq wq."
"Ubf tf thh, Kbnxbnth; Y kbwxhqfqho gupqnlftup. Y mglf ibxq sq'nq ubf fbb htfq fb wtcq t pyaaqnqukq. Jgf abn nyvif ubs, sq tnq kbufyugyuv fiq bxqntfybu tl xhtuuqp."
"Gupqnlfbbp, lyn!"
The duo of Izuku and Jin sat nervously across from each other on one of the branches of Yggdrasil. Jin had barely managed to pull Izuku up after nearly walking out the great tree. Izuku didn't know why that vision he had seen compelled him to nearly walk off the edge, but he was glad that Jin had managed to pull him out before it was too late.
"Thank you, my friend," Izuku said gratefully as he wiped the sweat running down his brow with his clawed right hand.
"No problem...but I have to ask...what exactly happened to you?" Jin managed to breathe out, still trembling from the experience.
"I saw people...ten people, eight cloaked in shadow." Izuku began trying to recollect his thoughts on what he had just experienced. The first eight people were covered in shadow, repeating the same few words, beckoning to come forward.
'Remember.'
All eight continued to say until a portal opened up between the eight and revealed two young women climbing up the great tree.
One of them was the reason Izuku tried to reach out to her. It was a girl, the same girl as before.
"And two others...those two I could see as clear as day...and both looked really beautiful," He confessed with a red face, especially after seeing the brunette.
"Beautiful?" Jin questioned as Izuku began to describe the two he saw.
"One was short with long purple hair and eyes, she looked very kind, and the other was taller with chocolate brown hair and eyes..."
There was a brief pause.
"Arianna/Ochako." The two boys said in unison, finally linking some details together, eyes widening. Jin almost lunged at Izuku, placing his hands on his friend's shoulders, shaking with excitement.
"Where did you see her?! Did you really see Arianna!? Please tell me, my friend!"
"I saw them here! On Yggdrasil!" Izuku admitted remembering that the two were on a branch similar to theirs. "Wait, could that be the reason why we're here?!"
"Only the Knights of Fafnir and their Markers can be here," Jin answered as he was trying to place the pieces together. "Arianna is my Marker, and given how you are towards Ochako, I have no doubt now that she is yours, and if they're both here on Yggdrasil..."
"This could explain why we came here...to find them! They might be further up the tree!"
Izuku was happy as he finally remembered the face associated with the name. The girl he saw in his vision he knew was Ochako, of that he had no doubt.
Some of the details of why she made him feel so happy still seemed fuzzy and blurry. Still, given that, Izuku kept remembering more and more about her as they continued to climb. It only served to jump-start his drive to see her again. To learn more about her and remember if she was really here waiting for them.
There was no time to lose.
"What are we waiting for, Jin? Let's go!"
Author's notes
*Cryptogram: Just like before several lines of dialogue have been hidden behind this cryptogram. Break the cryptogram, and you can discover a ton of what will happen by the time we reach Arc VII proper.
This cryptogram uses the same key as the first. So if you broke the first one, this one should be very easy. For the rest of you who want to try your hand at solving it.
Here are your clues.
These are the clues from the first cryptogram.
Clue 1: Y = I
Clue 2: This does not mean that I=Y.
I painstakingly made this cryptogram by hand (and double-checked it for errors.) So please do your best!
These are your second clues that could be used in the previous one.
Clue 3: G = U
Clue 4: There are several familiar names hidden in this cryptogram.
That's all for now! Have fun!
ZX