OKAY SO FIRSTLY. What a month it's been since the last update. I mean, damn, seriously, it's been bonkers. I posted a bunch of cool links on AO3, so if you wanna see some coolness, go over there to see.

As for the fic, I guess it's time to read. GET TO READIN.


"The night is dark and full of terrors," Azrael whispered into the air as eyes sharper than any human watched the streets far below. His blonde hair whipped in the wind, rustling his great wings, the color of old, sorrowfully shed blood. His thick coat flapped about him, though his body didn't move an inch. Only his eyes narrowed, causing them to sparkle even more, "Only by the light of justice, of those truly good, may we survive until the next."

Another second passed.

"… okay so I just press this top bit to upload it to your insta?" Izuku moved back from beside his mentor and began looking to the phone he had been delicately holding in his hands.

"What- yes- yes like I showed you," Azrael instantly snapped out of his brooding and frowned to his nephew.

"O-okay, erm- okay- I think I got it, yep, here," Izuku quickly handed the phone back to the Archangel, "It's up."

"Awesome!" Azrael grinned widely, "Thanks, nephew!" He turned his sparkling eyes from his phone to Izuku, "You know we should get one of you."

"Nooo, no that's a bad idea, I mean- I don't even-" He put his hands up in a weak defense as the wind again whipped around them, causing Izuku's hair to blanket his eyes. He quickly brushed it back, adding, "I'm really bad with electronics."

"Oh, come on, that's just an excuse," Azrael moved like the air itself and wrapped an arm around his nephew in a half-hug, "You're a handsome kid! You gotta start getting your face out there if you wanna be a popular hero."

They had been heading out towards Kazo but had taken a momentary stop on a building in Hosu for 'media purposes'. Which meant Izuku was to take pictures of Azrael posing, then they'd get some coffee before continuing on.

It had taken a lot less time than Izuku had thought to fly to Hosu, though having Azrael beside him to give him tips and keep him steady helped. Sure, he had the distinct feeling it would have taken his Archangel uncle even less time than if Izuku hadn't been tagging along behind him, but still.

Flying was amazing, there was absolutely no doubt about that. Though, it turned out there was a lot more to it than just beating his wings and looking forward. There was an insane amount of delicate balance involved, from his hand placements, body direction and even down to how he used his tail.

And landings sucked. Landings sucked hard.

But Izuku and Nemesis were both in tune when it came to wanting to improve. They were in tune with a lot of stuff lately. They had trained until the mid-afternoon once they had finished screaming their name from Azrael's agency building. In that short time, he had managed to pull off every move Aizawa-sensei had been trying to teach him for all the months he'd been at U.A.

Then he'd even started learning more from Azrael. He wanted to master the way Azrael moved as though the wind itself guided his body. Azrael had denied him, however, as he insisted that the boy sleep.

"You're finally starting to balance out spiritually, but remember you have to balance your emotional and physical needs too. You're half-human, and humans need sleep."

He had only been convinced to nod off once Azrael had promised to take him on patrol later that night.

To his surprise he had hit the bed like a ton of bricks and had slept until the evening, nightmare free. It turned out that while letting Nemesis run in the background like an open phone app felt amazing, it also drained his human-self battery, so to speak.

Though he had reasoned that, with enough time and practice, he could increase his endurance. Especially as they worked to better their new, albeit untested, union.

Right now, he could feel Nemesis through him again, a flame softer than the one he had been using earlier that day but one, nonetheless. His scars, rather than glow, seemed only to shine in the occasional light with his corrupt inner flame.

Izuku had, of course, promised to let the flames grow higher if needed, though again, he had been assured by Azrael this was just a patrol, nothing more.

Izuku brought a hand up to his face and lifted up the spare visor Azrael had given him. His uncle had called it a gift, assuring him by saying, "You ever get a bug in your eye while diving at a fleeing criminal? Not cool, dude."

It totally clashed with his costume of course but that didn't matter. Izuku was just happy to receive something, anything, from his new favorite uncle.

Azrael was, after all, way cooler and nicer than Nirgali had been, and he still rated both above his own father.

He looked to his uncle for a moment as he watched the Archangel fiddle with his phone. Then he suddenly raised it, pointed it at Izuku and before the boy could raise his hands up to stop him, the camera flashed.

"Hawks!"

"Heh, you're right, you don't take good pictures," He grinned and tapped some more on his phone, "Doesn't matter, your dad loves it."

Despite his newly formed balance his heart suddenly spiked and flames bit at his scars. He could feel the anger of his Fallen-half, though rather than fear it, he allowed it to join hands with his own.

"Our father?" His voice echoed just lightly, "Why are you sending him pictures of us?"

It had been a bit odd to allow Nemesis to speak through his lips, at least at first, yet he found allowing Nemesis to speak vented many of the feelings Izuku might have otherwise shoved down. And besides, Nemesis appreciated finally being given a voice, a voice that they both shared.

"'Cos they asked how you were doing and you weren't replying to their texts," Azrael replied with a casual shrug.

Izuku had received at least one text a day from his father since arriving at Azrael's agency. He had ignored all of them. If he wanted to talk to his father he would do so on his own terms, not because the bastard pestered him for attention.

Looking up from his phone to Izuku, Azrael rolled his eyes and an exasperated look crossed his face, "Oh come on. I know you don't like them-"

"We hate him."

"-But they actually care about you, and I," he waved his phone expectantly, "Want to actively encourage them caring about you because that's a good thing."

"It's good he wants to interfere in my life after being out of it for fourteen years?" Izuku snapped back, "Yeah, no thanks."

"It's good they're caring about anything. As in anything at all other than their own selfish interests for once." Azrael huffed and frowned at his nephew as the wind again rushed past them rustling his wings and hair, "It shows they're changing. They're changing because of you, and that means they might be savable."

"Savable? He's the devil."

"And you're their son," Azrael shot back, "But does that make you unsavable?"

The boy hesitated, then looked away.

"Yeah, exactly." For a moment the cold chill on the night air seemed to deepen, becoming almost biting before Azrael sighed and put his phone away. He reached forward and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder, causing the young man to look back to his uncle. Azrael smiled softly and again his eyes sparkled. "If Lucy was the same as before, I wouldn't even consider letting you go anywhere near them. But, and I'm not just saying this because I'm an optimist, I truly believe they've changed. In fact, I'm certain of it. I don't know why or how, but I know it's at least partly because of you. Because they care about you, like, they really care about you, kid. I know it's hard to believe, and trust me I've known the bastard for thousands upon thousands of years so I know what they're like, but I think once you get back to U.A. you might want to consider answering one of Lucy's texts once in a while."

"And say what?" Izuku replied, his voice again whispering with the many-voiced tones of his Fallen-self, "We don't even know him- them- whatever."

"Then maybe try getting to know them." Hawks encouraged with a squeeze of Izuku's shoulder. "Just… just consider it, okay? That way maybe they'll quit bugging me so much."

Azrael laughed as he took his hand away, but Izuku didn't find the humor. He didn't like the idea that Lucifer was possibly texting everyone he knew to try and get information on him. Sometimes he even wondered if he was being watched in some way. He remembered the King of Hell mentioning how he knew Katsuki had been the aggressor in their fight, which seemed a million years ago now, and Izuku had wondered at the time how he could have possibly known that when it was his word against Katsuki's.

Did he have his own army of demons keeping an eye on Izuku? Following his every move? Spying on him at all times?

He glanced around, for a moment boosting Nemesis's control and allowing his eyes to sharpen.

Nothing. Just dirt and grime and a few insects on the empty, flat building roof. Well, there was one unborn, the size of a rat with sharp bone-like protrusions for legs that was scuttling through a darkened shadow, but he was sure that even Lucifer couldn't use them to spy.

Or could he?

He bit his lip and Nemesis moved back, causing a moment where his vision seemed to be muddied before he blinked it away.

Turning his senses up and down like that, even without overloading everything once, was still a little disorientating. Not nearly as bad as before, of course, but even so. It was like taking off a blindfold to look around, only to put it back on a few seconds later and expecting his vision to be the same.

"One day we'll always see so clearly, hear the slightest movements and pick up scents a mile away," Nemesis whispered swiftly through his mind, "We just need practice."

Izuku nodded, and quietly looked forward to it all.

He pushed down his complex anxieties on his father and moved to join Azrael at the edge of the building. He shivered a little as the wind bit and clawed at him like a petulant animal, and he wondered if he should boost his fire to cover his exposed arms and legs.

Actually, since his training with Azrael, he had begun wondering a lot of things about his costume. He really needed to take some time and redesign it so that, at the very least, he had an easier time getting his wings out. Right now, some ripped holes in his back served as openings, but they looked… kinda crappy at the very least.

"Alright kid, next stop is the Anteiku coffee shop. Ever been there?"

Izuku shook his head.

"Ah, dude, their coffee is the best," He grinned, "Run by some old guy, some girl and a kid with an eyepatch. Complete weirdos, possibly cannibals, I dunno, didn't investigate that far, doesn't matter, coffee too good to have them arrested anyway."

Izuku just raised an eyebrow, "… o-okay?"

"Anyway, it's just over there."

He pointed over a few buildings. And then, in what seemed to be the equivalent of a really awful cosmic joke, the very direction he was pointing at was suddenly on fire.

An explosion shook the air, one that rocked the very ground they were standing on causing both teenager and adult to stumble. The air was split a breath later with the sound of human screaming.

Terror, utter and undiluted terror hit the night and mingled with the rising smoke. It rushed into the lungs and seized at the heart, and with terror came panic, came fear, came running and more screaming and crying and pain and blood.

And all of this happened within two of Izuku's heartbeats.

Both nephew and uncle looked to one another, and a second later, they were airborne. The night air was acrid with the scent of smoke and burning and it caught at the back of Izuku's throat. Yet, despite the fear he felt, he also felt his heart pick up an extra beat and the flame already dance higher in his blood. They arrived over the scene before Izuku even realized they were there, and the second he looked down, his felt horror rush down his spine.

There was fire. There was blood. There were bodies laying still on the ground and others running for their lives and amongst them all was a demon.

He didn't need Nemesis to confirm it for him, simply looking upon the thing told him all he needed to know. Their screaming, many-toothed mouths, their impossible, monstrous shape of something that should have never belonged upon the mortal realm.

He needed no cue from Azrael to begin his dive, and besides, his mentor was already at his side. A vision of a bloodied angel and a youngling devil, rushing through the night air as though from Heaven and Hell sent.

There was a hero, standing, shaking, shivering in fear, dressed in a blue outfit protecting two women huddled behind him. His hand was out, but what approached him was clearly beyond his skill.

It was nothing more than an amorphous blob of pale fatty flesh webbed with impossible blood clotted veins, human hands, feet, eyes and mouths that screamed and screamed and screamed for help, for mercy, for blood, for bones, for flesh, for anyone all the while its hands grasped and clawed at the world around it. Even above the flames Izuku and Nemesis combined could pick up the scent of bloated, corpus flesh and it caused his stomach to try and exit out his mouth.

He fought it back with the help of his bloodlust.

Izuku dove for it, knowing instantly what his prey was.

But Azrael was faster because of course he was faster.

The Archangel hit it like a lightning bolt sent from above. The sound of his feet colliding with the monster was an almost sonic boom, that shook the world from the sheer force of the impact. For a single breath, time slowed, and all Izuku could see was the battle-grimaced face of his holy mentor as his two katana blades dove deep into the bloated flesh of the demon, setting it instantly alight in a flame that was almost golden in color.

For that split second, he could see the Archangel behind the mask.

And it was terrifying.

It was terrifying in the same way that seeing Lucifer was terrifying, that Nemesis unleashed was terrifying, and yet it did not fill him with the same terror that the unholy had done. It was… light. Azrael was glowing with an inner light that was both wrath and glory given form. An instrument of divine, holy will given righteous purpose upon the Earth.

He forced his eyes away and refocused on the astounded people before him.

Within a blink, Izuku was hitting the ground in a running sprint that he knew wasn't a great landing but didn't really matter. He rushed past the now crying, screaming thing that begged for mercy and blood in human voices that tore at his heart and soul. He rushed past it knowing there was nothing he could do to save it, and that death was its only release.

Instead, he came to a running halt before the hero, whom a second later, he recognized as Manual.

"Are you alright?" His voice echoed just slightly with the tone of the thousand damned, but it was practically all but lost over the sound of the chaos around them.

"I-I," The hero stammered out before turning back. It seemed he had finally remembered he was supposed to be saving people. He refocused and shouted to the two women, "Go! Get out of here!"

The two women behind him looked from him to the small demon-like boy, then to the figure of the bloodied angel ripping swords out of a quickly flaming corpse of… of something dragged from their nightmares, before suddenly fleeing down the street.

"T-Thank you! Hawks and-"

"Izuku," Izuku breathed out. Dammit, the fire and the blood was getting to him, and he could feel his natural desire to go out and fight, to take his battle directly to the enemy. He breathed deep, and willed Nemesis to get the message. It reluctantly obeyed and he felt his inner fire fall, though not all of it.

"I-Izuku," Manual nodded, then turned his gaze as Azrael stormed over to him. They were practically the same height and yet in that moment Azrael seemed to dominate the man in size, stature, and most certainly in power.

Manual looked over his shoulder to the body that was already starting to dissolve into greasy flesh and charred bone, "W-what the fuck are these things?"'

"Things?"

"There were more of them, but I- they ran off and I- oh Gods above what are those things?"

"Monsters," Azrael replied sternly, "And they'll kill every single person in this city if we don't stop them."

"What can I do?" Izuku suddenly barked, his hands with his nails already long and sharp and curled into fists, "I mean, I've fought one before and-"

"You can watch my back and help people who are hurt," Azrael suddenly demanded, fixing his practically glowing gaze on the young man.

Almost instantly Izuku felt a snarl forming on his lips. He made no effort to stop it, "Let us fight! We can stop them with you! We can-"

"You are not cleared to fight," Azrael's voice shook like distant thunder, "And besides, people are hurt and need help. You can help them here and now, like a hero."

"But those demons will-"

"This is not up for discussion!"

"Wait, I- I might have something you can do." The two turned suddenly to meet the eyes of Manual, who more and more seemed to be collecting his courage. He fixed his gaze on Izuku, "You're from U.A., right?"

"Yes?"

"In the Sports Festival, you fought my intern, Ibara Shiozaki, didn't you?"

Izuku suddenly felt his stomach drop, "Y-Yes?"

"She's gone missing," Manual quickly spoke, "The moment- the moment the fires started and- she just ran off. I don't know where she's gone but- but I know this was where her brother was last seen, the Heretic Killer."

"We'll find her," Izuku nodded suddenly, though almost immediately Azrael protested.

"You need to stick by my side!"

"Hawks, please!" Izuku turned back to his uncle, "Other heroes will be here in a minute, but they might not be able to move like I can. Let me hunt for her, I'll try and get her to come back, okay? No fighting the de- the monsters."

Azrael frowned at this as if weighing the two thoughts before looking around. They clearly had no time to debate and more screaming was already erupting from other areas of the city. "For God's sake… fine, but listen," He pointed a sharp finger to the boy, "You're not to engage, do you hear me? You don't have a license, you don't even have a provisional license, which means if you use your power in combat you can get into serious trouble."

"I'll do everything I can to avoid it," Izuku gave a sharp smile.

An expression passed over Azrael's face that basically said it all, but he sighed and patted his intern on the shoulder.

"Find her. Come back to me the moment you do."

Izuku nodded, "Right."

And with that, he was gone. His wings spread from his back in a bite of pain that was quickly blanketed under the rush of fire and power that soared through him. The air was hot and filled with ash and sparks, and yet Izuku found himself not bothered by it in the slightest. This was a war-zone, and yet he and his damned power moved through it like he was born to it. Yes, his human side was worried, fearful even. He knew this was a bloody night already, and by the screams and shouts and explosions, he could tell half the city was in combat.

But he was born for this. He was born to throw himself into the chaos and thrive from it.

Nemesis moved through his blood, heightening his senses as his eyes scanned every alleyway, his sharp ears twitching for any sound of the young woman's voice.

"Why are we doing this?" Nemesis whispered through his blood, "We have no reason to find the Evangelist."

"Because we're a hero, or trying to be," Izuku growled back, "And Azrael said we can't fight, but maybe we can still save people. If she's going after the Heretic Killer, she'll need saving."

"What about self-defense? What if the Evangelist fights us?"

Izuku paused, "Well, I-"

He never got to answer his own question. A scream tore through the night, one that mixed with the others his over-sensitive ears could pick out, but this was a scream he had heard before. That mix of pain and anger and unbridled determination. The scream of a young woman with a heart of iron and the will of a fanatic.

And then he smelled the blood. Fresh blood, blood to which the scent he knew so well from his own battle in which so much was spilled.

Ibara's scream.

Ibara's blood.

Instantly his whole body twisted through the hot, ash-laden wind towards the sound, and he really hoped he wasn't too late.

While demons ran rampant through the city, a scene was unfolding, hidden and shadowed from the rest of the world. A scene which, perhaps, the world had not seen for hundreds of years.

Within a darkened ally, deep in the terrorized city of Hosu, were three knights.

One stood, tall and strong, his chainmail chipped and torn, his once white surcoat filthy with stains of old gore. On his face was his dirty white eye mask with its long, ripped ends drifting in the hot breeze and in his hand was a great sword, lined with dripping blood.

One knelt, still though panting, her weapons gone from her hands, her long green vine-hair dead and heavy upon her head. Her armour was the mirror of his, but bright and undamaged where his was worn. Blood was blooming at her shoulder, her forearm and from other marks across her body, darkening the once pure white with the color of war.

And one sat, slouching against the far wall of the alleyway. His armor was different from the others, a foreign entity to the personal battle before him. His was streamlined for speed and agility, with ports at his elbows to allow his own quirk to boost his power. Yet his was no less knightly, with thick plate across his chest and legs and arms. His face was clear however, his helmet cast and forgotten to one side, revealing a handsome man with a square jaw. He was utterly unconscious.

Dripping down the wall, from where he had impacted it, was a long trail of blood.

The air stank of cinders from the distant fires and the violence before them. Long shadows were cast by the still bright streetlamps, yet somehow their light faded and died as it struggled against the imposing dark of the alleyway. Minor unborn and insects and other hidden things of the night scurried through those shadows, fleeing from the warriors of faith standing upon the cold asphalt.

"You never could beat me," The bloodied knight spoke, his voice the scrape of boots of gravel, "And you can't now."

The female knight didn't reply. Her teeth clenched in anger, her eyes wide and almost manic with the intense rage she felt. And yet there was fear there too. Fear that cause sweat to bead and drop from her brow to her chin.

She had failed.

And now she was going to die.

Her once-brother stepped forward, the slightly chipped blade raising up by his side. He moved his other hand to it, gripping the hilt tightly.

Despite her situation, despite even now as she knelt at the feet of a victorious warrior, part of her still refused to give in. Still refused to acknowledge that this was it, that she was dead.

She tried to move her arms, her quirk, anything. But there was nothing she could do. No part of her body would respond to the power of her brother's quirk. He had done this so many times to her over the years, and yet she had never learned.

After all, what better way was there to stop a quirk like hers, than by disabling it completely? He could cut through her vines without effort, close the gap in an instant, and with one blade the job was done.

She was disabled and brought to her knees.

"Why… why did you do this?" She spat out, forcing, though almost herculean effort, to tilt her head upwards to face him, "Why?"

"You know why," The man before her announced coldly, though his eyes sparkled with violent joy. He raised the sword to point over to the fallen hero, "Because of men like him, like all the so-called heroes in this world. All of them false idols, all of them heretics." The hatred, the pure hatred of his words was almost poetic, almost beautiful in its zeal. No finer hatred could ever be understood by one who was not of the faithful.

No greater will than those raised to do this task, and only this task. To fight, and fight, and fight until they were dead.

"Raion went down hard, you should know that. The old man fought longer than I thought he would. I can see why he was once considered so mighty, but he fell into apathy and laziness, and he was spreading that heresy to our Church. Even allowing you to enter that Temple of Vainglory they call U.A.," Chizome practically spat to one side, "You're just as corrupted as the rest of them. Bathing in self-adulation while the demons run rampant through the streets. The End approaches faster than ever, but all you ever wanted was to be like them, to raise yourself higher than our Lord."

"You're- you're wrong," Ibara managed to stammer out, her body practically refusing to obey her commands to get up, to attack, to defend herself, to kill him. She wasn't like the others, she wasn't in it for herself, she was in it- she was in it so the demons could pay, so that she could enact the vengeance her parents deserved, so the world could be saved.

"You didn't even try and save this man," Chizome chided as he moved closer, "This Ingenium. All you wanted was revenge, that's all you've ever wanted. A true solider of God would put all other needs below the one true goal, to destroy the darkness wherever it presents itself." His eyes narrowed, "You are no Templar, little sister. Just a lost little girl, crying for her parents."

"I'll never forgive you."

"Forgiveness was never one of our more important virtues," Chizome replied as he came to stand beside her. She could see the blade of the Ecclesiarch before her and her eyes traced over the words 'Psalm 144:1'.

As if following her eyes, Chizome coldly announced, "Praise be to the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war," He began raising the sword until it hung over his head, "And my fingers to fight." He paused, "Out of love for you, little sister, I will make your death quick."

She was shaking. Her body was shaking. Unmoving and shaking. Her stomach wanted to exit out of her mouth and the rancid smell of fear hit her like a wave.

She was going to die. She was going to die. She was going to die.

And she didn't want to die.

The sword swung down, and despite a lifetime of cold, brutal training to never fear death, she screamed.

And then something happened. Something she didn't expect, because only the grace of the Almighty could ever save her at that point.

But what did save her, was far, far from the light of heaven.

Something clad in black and green smashed into Chizome like a wrecking ball, and with it came bright blue hellfire that exploded around its fist. Her brother was sent flying back, and the blade strike whipped over her head in a wide, miss-thrown arc that cut only air.

Heat radiated from the figure as it came to stand before her, her brother quickly moving back, twisting in mid-air and landing onto his feet. Blood now dripped from his lip and a large, red mark blotched his face as he looked on, his eyes narrowing from behind his mask.

Ibara managed to raise her head again, and her eyes went wide.

Izuku glanced back at the girl, "I-Ibara!" His voice echoed just-so with the voices of the damned. Nemesis was already in his blood, in his heart and soul, but it was not swarming over him. It was propping them up, shoring his defenses, rushing to his fists and legs and senses, instantly prepping their body for the fight to come.

Already his arms were coated in unlight, his legs were wolfish and his feet clawed. His tail whipped behind him and his wings vanished from his back in a shower of ash. He turned his head, the whites of his eyes already dimmed, though not yet black, "We've come to save you!"

Ibara was clearly speechless, her eyes were so wide they could be dinnerplates. Izuku decided to ignore that. Instead he moved a hand to his back and quickly pressed down on his phone before shoving it into his back pocket and hoped that the God he was sure hated him would give him just this one, tiny boon and let the message go through before his power shut the phone down. His eyes flickered to the other man in the alleyway, and for a second his stomach lurched as he thought it was Tenya.

However, without the leg-pipes it couldn't be him, so… it was his brother. Ingenium.

Izuku's blood ran cold before it was flooded with fire by Nemesis.

"We must focus! They'll both die if we don't keep focused!"

So, finally, he looked back to the man he had just punched in the face.

And for a moment, his heart froze.

He could almost see the aura of hatred pouring off him. It practically stained the air with a terrifying crimson red. His eyes were like those of a shark, utterly pitiless and without remorse. Instantly Izuku was reminded of the look Ibara had during their fight, that of a true fanatic without pity.

Even worse was his faith. If Ibara's faith was a storm waiting to break, this was a typhoon. It practically crackled around him like too much pent-up energy, waiting to explode and ravage anything that got too close.

And it was so angry. Angry in a way that Ibara's hadn't even come close to matching. This was… this was a deep, deep-seated anger directed at the world channeled through a belief so great and unquestioning that it became a merciless blade to match the one in his hand.

"… that is no man," Nemesis whispered through his blood, causing Izuku to almost mumble its words, "But a monster. This fight… will be glorious."

He had broken his promise to Azrael the second he had seen the sword rising. He had to save Ibara, and if that meant shedding blood here and now, he would do it. He didn't like Ibara, in fact like was pretty far removed from what he felt about Ibara, but he wasn't about to let her die.

He wasn't about to let anyone die.

Izuku clenched his jaw and locked his eyes on the blood-coated knight.

"A demon?" Chizome announced with the slight cock of his head.

Izuku raised his fists up, clenched them tightly, and in an echoing voice announced, "We are not a demon."

The knight narrowed his eyes, "You're that demon from the festival. The one my sister failed to exorcise."

"NEMESIS!" Ibara screamed from behind him as she remained in her kneeling position on the ground, the reason which Izuku was still desperately trying to figure out, "LEAVE US! THIS IS MY FIGHT! MINE! DON'T TAINT IT WITH YOUR VILE HERESY!"

"SHUT UP!" Izuku snapped back with flashing fangs, "Shut your stupid face, you psychotic bitch! We're trying to save your life!"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR-"

Chizome moved like a thrown dagger, straight and true with the sharp end pointed right at Izuku's heart. The sword blade rushed into the space were Izuku had been only a second before, and possibly only missed because of the blasphemous power pounding through his blood. The knight turned the stab into a swift swing that almost defied the weight of the weapon in his hand.

Izuku had dodged to one side, trying to lead the blade away from Ibara and quickly danced up, bouncing from a wall as more swipes came his way. He threw a handful of fire at the man, though he simply charged through it, ignoring the burns to his surcoat and again stabbing at Izuku.

He was so fast, so fast that even Nemesis seemed shocked at his ability to keep up. Ibara had never been this fast, she had been a warrior of stone, with an utterly unbreakable defense and attack. This, however, was speed manifest.

The knight came at him again, swinging the sword so close that he almost shaved a few hairs from Izuku's head. The boy bounced off a wall to slash at him with flaming claws, but the knight deflected him and Izuku bit back a growl as faith clamped down at their contact.

Chizome had no openings. He had no obvious weaknesses. He had total command of the battlefield and Izuku knew it. He didn't care about who got caught in the crossfire while Izuku had to avoid both the worryingly still body of Ingenium and the helpless form of Ibara and why wouldn't she get the fuck up already?!

The teenager landed heavily and immediately went to pivot and turn to attack him again.

But then he froze.

Something seized at his muscles and every part of him seemed to be starved of oxygen. His muscles yawned and ached with the sudden inaction and he choked on the lack of air. Nemesis roared through his blood, but even that felt somehow strangled and stopped.

His body refused to react, refused to answer the rising panic Izuku felt in his heart. No, no, he couldn't lose! Not again! Not again! Not just when he and Nemesis had finally-

"Pathetic demon," Chizome announced coldly, straightening up before him. He still had the sword in one hand, but as he turned, Izuku's eyes widened as he saw him holding a knife in his other hand. A knife lined with drops of blood. When the hell had he- "As usual, I will have to clean up where my little sister has failed."

"Our arm!"

Izuku's eyes turned and, while he couldn't move his body, he could see the paper-thin cut that was slowly welling with bright red blood along his forearm.

Blood. Blood. Ibara was bleeding, wasn't she?

The pieces began falling into place as the man placed the knife away.

"It makes me sick to even allow a drop of your tainted blood on my tongue, but no matter," He began raising the sword once more, "I will do my penance later, after I exorcise you, and kill Ibara and that heretic."

He moved towards Izuku, whose scars were flashing with brighter and brighter hues of blue as Nemesis roared through his system, trying to find some way to escape. But just like Hitoshi's brainwashing, there was no escape. They were one body, one physical form, and their blood was the same.

They were trapped.

Chizome raised the blade and placed it onto Izuku's shoulder, as if in some mockery of a knighthood. The inherent faith of the blade shocked through Izuku's system, causing him to grit and hiss through his teeth, even as the edge bit into his shoulder, causing blood to well along the cut. It wasn't like its wielder, it was… strong, powerful, but stalwart.

"Strange, you don't burn on contact with the blessed blade," Chizome's eyes were emotionless for all but the disgust he felt for the apparent demon before him, "How do you do this, demon?"

"We are not a demon," Izuku insisted again.

"Then what are you?" Chizome chuckled darkly.

"We are… we are the child of Hell and Earth," His voice dropped to a hiss as he locked his gaze with Chizome, who, even with all his zealot's faith, paused at the words of this strange creature before him, "We are the Son of Lucifer, Lord of the Fallen, King of Hell. We are Izuku, and we are Nemesis, and we are the inevitable punishment of the sinful."

Chizome hesitated for only a second more before smirking, "Than your death will truly be the Lord's work."

He raised the sword back.

But the blow never came.

Suddenly the air turned cold, as cold as a winter night, and a millisecond later a gigantic block of ice rushed past Izuku, putting a wall between himself and where the dread-knight had been only a second before.

The relief that Izuku felt through him was almost palpable and even Nemesis seemed to take a moment to thank whatever hellish stars were looking out for them.

"Izuku, next time send a clearer message," Shoto Todoroki's voice came through the night, as solid and focused as the ice he controlled, "I almost didn't get here in time."

Izuku cracked a broken, sharp-toothed grin as he saw Shoto step further into the ally, ice and frost rising up from his right foot.

"Another child?" Chizome hissed from wherever he had darted too. Izuku managed to turn his head enough to see the man had bounced further back into the alleyway, away from the frozen blocks of ice Shoto had unleashed. His voice darkened, "You. You're Endeavor's son. Another false idol with another heretic child."

"… what's wrong with her?" Shoto asked, ignoring the intimidating knight for the one on the floor. It seemed at some point she had fallen onto her side.

"GET OUT OF HERE! BOTH OF YOU!" Ibara screamed in response, her eyes still fixated, wide and panicked and full of an almost manic hatred, "THIS IS MY FIGHT!"

"Shoto!" Izuku called out over to his new backup, "Don't let him get your blood, if he tastes it, you're paralyzed!"

"Right," Shoto stepped forward until he was in front of Ibara and kept his hands up and ready, "… is that hero alive?"

"We…" Izuku was going to reply he didn't know, but he remembered that his senses were now in a heightened state and he turned an ear towards the body. A heartbeat echoed from his chest. "… he's alive, but we don't know how long for."

Shoto raised a quick eyebrow at this before looking back to the knight, "All we need to do is hold him here, heroes are coming, as long as we stay alive, he'll be trapped."

"You think I'm afraid of being caught, heretic child?" Chizome raised his sword up in front of his face, the blade held fast before him, "I shall not fear them, for the Lord, my God, Himself fights for me."

"You- you twist His words!" Ibara spat suddenly, her voice shaking for just a moment, "YOUR FAITH IS NOT PURE!"

"It is purer than yours, little sister!" Chizome backed back, a snarl entering his tone, "Purer than the other, corrupted members of our church! Purer than the Ecclesiarch's! Only I hear the voice of God! Only I hear his call to arms! And I answered! With blood and steel, I answered!" Chizome readied his stance and snarled out, "A demon and a heretic come to your aid! Proof of your corruption! Now watch as I remove them from this world!"

And with that, once again Chizome charged.

For a split second, Izuku saw only the knight rushing towards Shoto.

And then he saw something else. Fire. Fire so bright and hot that it lit up the alleyway, illuminating the dark where his own blue flames had not. A bright fire that rushed forward and almost engulfed the knight, if not for a quick dodge out the way.

Yet despite it all, Izuku's eyes widened, and within his brain Nemesis gasped, "The corruption! We see it!"

It shone through as if someone had opened his soul up and then repaired it again. It was so delicate, so incredibly hairline thin and fine that if he were not so close, he never would have seen it. Or perhaps, if Shoto was no so liberal with his fire.

The bright flame rushed through the alleyway, forcing the knight to change tactics as he darted back, then bounced off a wall and, from somewhere in his surcoat, he rushed out three blades that darted forward. Shoto switched from left to right, and suddenly ice blocked the daggers.

Chizome grinned and, even over the chaos, Izuku's ears twitched as he heard the murderer hiss, "Well done, heretic."

Izuku burned to get back into the fight. His blood demanded it, his heart demanded it, his Fallen-half swimming with his human-half demanded it. The scent of battle was causing his wrath and bloodlust to rise, though still it was tempered and controlled. Yet the longer he stayed trapped, the more he wanted to break free, and the more frustrated he could feel his monstrous side becoming.

No, he had to keep a calm head, he had to keep to the agreement.

He gritted his sharpened teeth once more and began doing all he could to force his limbs to move.

He could almost feel it, the seizing of his limbs, the invisible chains that bound him were creaking, breaking open, he just needed a little more fire…

Chizome again darted back as ice rushed his way, though his great sword sliced through them like nothing. He charged forwards and Shoto raised his arm to bring back his fire, yet at the last moment the knight leapt up and out of Shoto's blast, throwing down knives that punctured into his skin.

The boy yelped in pain and looked up just in time to see the sword of the Ecclesiarch descending upon him.

But it never landed.

There was a sudden burst of fire, this time blue, and Izuku's foot connected with killer's stomach, smashing the man back. Yet he recovered and bounced off the nearest wall, swinging the sword at Izuku with deadly speed. The boy just dodged it, and his own blood demanded he again go on the attack. He wanted blood. He wanted Chizome's blood.

"No," He hissed to himself as the man bounced back, throwing a knife towards him which Izuku ducked and dodged, "Wait."

"WHY?" Nemesis roared into his ear, "We can attack again! We demand his blood! We agreed!"

"We know, but we have to be smart," Izuku hissed as he rose to stand beside Shoto, Ibara still laying on the floor behind him with the occasional grunt as she tried to move any part of her body.

"Who are you talking to?" Shoto asked suddenly, a slight caution in his voice.

"Nemesis," Izuku answered without shame before barreling on, "We need to stop him, here and now. If he runs, we won't catch him. The heroes are too tied up with the demons, it's up to us."

For a second, Izuku suddenly wondered if Shoto would question his use of the word 'demon', or the fact he was openly talking to his hellborn power. Yet, instead, the boy simply nodded, all the while clutching his arm as blood began to flow, "I'm hurt, you have to take the lead, I can only attack at range with ice."

"That's fine, my fire burns hotter anyway."

"How?" Chizome gasped as he backed up again, his sword held tightly in two hands, "How did you break out of my quirk?"

"We told you," Izuku grinned like a cocksure wolf, "We are the child of Hell and Earth. We are not wholly human, so it stands to reason your power won't work as well on us."

"So," Chizome growled out, his eyes becoming dark once more, "You're some manner of… half-breed, some filthy creature born from heresy against the natural order of the Lord. I will end you here and now, monster."

"You both need to go," Ibara's voice behind them almost broke, "You- you're not- you're heretics, you don't believe-"

"Ibara!" Izuku suddenly snapped as he glanced at her, his eyes blazing with the inner fire of his power, "Will you SHUT UP! We're not backing down, and despite what you think of us, we're not giving up! Not even on you! So, either get over it or give up now!"

Their eyes met. Hers the green of stained glass, and in that moment, frustrated and helpless, desperately masking a deep inner fear. His, the color of the pagan Gods, full of fire and courage.

"We're fighting to save your life because that's what heroes do! We save those who can't save themselves! So, if you don't want to be saved, GET UP AND SAVE YOURSELF!"

Ibara went suddenly still, her eyes wide as she again focused on the monster before her.

His eyes were so dark, almost black, and yet the light that shone from within…

"I will not suffer the demon to live!" Chizome raised his blade up again, and as Izuku turned, he knew this would be for the last time. It was victory, or it was death.

Nemesis was roaring through his blood, sending fire to every part of his body. It was straining against the control he held over it, though he could feel it holding itself back at the same time. It desperately wanted to unleash the chains it had set upon itself, the chains they had both agreed to hold, yet he knew it wouldn't be enough. He needed to hand Nemesis more, or they would die.

Izuku's old fear was creeping back over his shoulder.

What if it's too much?

He had no time to debate. The Heretic Killer roared his hatred as he moved forward, as fast as an arrow from a bow. The blade swept down, slicing through the ice that darted forward to greet him, even as Izuku rushed forward and sliced up at the blade, his fire rushing through him, on the very verge of overflowing and crushing his will.

The knight swung and the blade cut across his skin once again, followed swiftly by a kick to the stomach from the ravenous touch of faith that followed. And yet, before he could again taste Izuku's blood, the boy flurried him with fire that burned on his blades and stopped them from reaching his unnatural tongue.

"WHY WON'T YOU BURN?" The killer screamed as he moved again, turning and throwing another few knives towards Shoto, who had to redirect a wall of ice to stop them hitting his chest, and then again to stop more knives hitting Ingenium even as Chizome continued to assault Izuku.

Nemesis demanded more blood, more fire and Izuku could feel the panic rising in his chest. He had to hold it back, he had to-

"Trust us."

The world slowed for just a moment. Chizome was before him, swinging down in a great arc, spit and blood flowing from his grimacing jaw, every muscle straining in his assault. He could see Ingenium, hear the faint beat of his failing heart, and he could hear Shoto gritting his teeth as he tried to fight through the pain and protect the helpless with ice as it formed at his side. He could even hear Ibara, her teeth grinding in her mouth and her fingers scraping against the asphalt.

"We are Izuku Midoriya, we are Nemesis, we are shadow and flame. We are one."

He took a sharp breath.

"Trust us."

He let the chain slip, and in that brief half-second, his eyes turned black.

Nemesis moved with a speed that he could see shocked the knight. Suddenly he wasn't bounding back but rushing forwards an elbow aimed towards his cheek. The knight only barely dodged but Nemesis was there again, claws slashing down and ripping through the emblem on his surcoat. Chizome swung back, greatsword in one hand and daggers in the other. The blade connected, but hit only the horns curling around Nemesis's head, causing metal to clang off bone.

Nemesis's vision dizzied and on instinct he dodged back as another dagger swung at his heart, then another was thrown which he dodged in a twirl in which his tail lashed out, slashing at the Heretic Killer's chest.

And then, less than a breath later, he was on the attack again. Rushing forward with claw and fire, screaming with the voices of eternal damned. But Chizome was a Templar Knight and would not let fear enter his heart. He attacked, throwing his blades in a great arc and again forcing Shoto to put up more ice to defend himself and Ingenium. The one towards Nemesis missed and the boy almost threw fire into Chizome's chest before he smashed Nemesis's side with an elbow that turned into a great swing.

The teenager darted back, his taloned feet spiking into a far wall before he charged again.

But this time, he wasn't alone.

As he screamed his war-cry, it was suddenly joined by another. A cry of pain and sorrow, but simultaneously, one that spoke of a fearlessness that only faith could bring.

Chizome's eyes went wide as he turned his head, only to see his little sister, the one who he had spurred alongside their entire church, not just rising to her feet but charging at him, bloodied vine-mace in hand and fire in her eyes.

And that was how the Heretic Killer was finally stopped.

Her mace collided with Chizome's middle, just as Nemesis's fist smashed into his jaw. Some of his teeth flew from his bloodied mouth, mixing with bile. And in a heartbeat, it was over, the two heroes practically flying off in either direction as a sudden wave of ice rushed to the spot they had occupied only a few seconds ago.

The wave smashed into the Heretic Killer and pinned him against the wall, causing him to slump forwards as he lost all consciousness.

Then, the only sound was the clattering of steel against asphalt.

The Heretic Killer was defeated.

Nemesis landed on taloned feet, scraping the floor as he did so. He was panting, heavily, and blood coated his arms and chest where the killer had got him with his mighty blade. Flames licked from the scars on his legs and arms and sharpened teeth lining his mouth. His uniform was in tatters, burned in places where his own flame had become too hot, exposing most of his torso.

"Izuku?"

He turned suddenly, his glowing pupils flashing within eyes of void-black. He saw Shoto standing, blood flowing from his arm and his skin turning pale. There was a strength to him as he stood, eyeing the boy who looked like the son of the devil.

Then he turned his gaze to Ibara, who was standing, panting, over the body of her former brother. Her eyes were fixed on him, and the mace in her hand covered in the blood that had dripped and flowed from her wounded arm. The red stood out so wonderfully against the green of her vines.

But… something had changed within her. Her faith. Her faith was gone. No longer could he feel that distant thunder of energy that surrounded her, no longer did his skin crawl at her nearness.

Her faith had broken.

"Izuku?" Shoto asked again, drawing Nemesis's gaze.

If he let his fire flow, he could kill them. He could kill them all.

… but that was not who they wanted to be. That was not what made a hero.

And they would be a hero.

Nemesis drew back and Izuku took in a great breath as he straightened up. The fire in his blood dampened but did not go. His body was hurt, and both sides of his soul knew if he let his power slide down completely, they'd on their ass in seconds.

"I'm fine," He replied, looking back to Shoto with newly whitened eyes and decided to ignore the look of relief that fell across Shoto's face, "How's your arm?"

"Bad, I can't move it."

The teenager nodded, then looked to Ibara, "Ibara, we need to use your hair to contain the Heretic Killer. Shoto, we'll have to carry Ingenium. He needs help, like, yesterday."

The Neophyte didn't respond. She was looking at the Heretic Killer, her mace hand twitching. He could see tears lining her eyes, threatening to fall.

"Ibara!"

She started and turned, looking to the two boys as if she had forgotten they were even there. Her eyes were wide but not panicked. Instead they seemed… distant, as if a whirlwind of emotions were trapped within them.

Her hand was shaking.

"Ibara," Izuku took a cautious step forward, "We need to go."

She looked to him, then to Shoto, and then, slowly, the mace-vine retreated from her hand. Without another word, she simply nodded.

A few moments later and the world's most motley crew managed to stumble out onto the street. Izuku and Shoto carrying Ingenium together, the wound on his back frosted over by Shoto's hand. Slightly behind them came Ibara, unceremoniously dragging Chizome behind her with the sword of the Ecclesiarch held in one of her spare vines. She had almost picked it up, but for one reason or another decided not to touch it with her bare hands.

It took a few seconds for the pros to finally arrive.

"Ingenium!" Shouts came as a small, battle-worn band of heroes came running down the street, and within moments they were surrounded. It was a mismatched team of various sidekicks and minor pros, and his stomach lurched as he didn't see Azrael or Tenya amongst them.

No, no, his uncle would be safe, of that he was sure and Tenya was with team Ingenium no doubt. They would both be fine.

… he hoped.

He shook the thought off as a new one crept over him.

He felt as though he was being watched. He glanced up, his eyes trying to focus through the smoke and ash in the air, and as he did so, he was so sure he saw something move on a far building…

"SHOTO!" The voice rang across the road and Izuku turned his head to see what he at first thought was a man on fire coming towards them. Endeavor, the number two hero. Well, at least they had brought out the big guns.

"We don't like him," Nemesis quickly hissed, "His soul is rotten."

"Shoto! Don't you ever run from me like that again!"

Shoto only glared at the man as the other minor heroes and sidekicks quickly took Ingenium from them and began doing whatever they could to stabilize him. "I had to do something more important."

"More important than fighting at my side?"

"Yes."

The mountain of a man scowled, "Like what?"

"Like doing your job for you." And he pointed over to Ibara, who had been staring off into the distance. Her vines still wrapped around the man she once called her brother, "That's the Heretic Killer."

The words seemed to seize the others and they only now seemed to notice the unconscious man. Endeavor seemed to freeze for just a second before he began moving towards him. "I'll have to-"

"AGH!"

The cry split the air as the group turned. In the same moment, there was a flurry of movement as the body of Chizome span from his cocoon of vines, two blades held in either hand. Before anyone could even blink, he had moved and grabbed his little sister, holding her up with one choking arm around her neck, the other pointed at the side of her temple.

Ibara immediately went to struggle and her vines rushed up around her, but Chizome's grip only tightened and they faltered. She made a horrific choking sound as her windpipe was slowly crushed, and her struggling stopped, with only her hands gripping against the chainmail of her brother's arm.

The heroes froze, and only Endeavor seemed to move, slowly, ever so slowly, stepping out into the street. His own flames seemed to dampen just a little as he looked to the scene. Izuku felt Nemesis rile again in his blood yet he knew it was pointless. One move, even with all the speed Nemesis could grant him, wouldn't be fast enough to stop Ibara's skull from being opened.

"All of you," Chizome began as he moved slowly into the road, "All of you heretics." He spat the word out like curse and the blade pressed tighter to Ibara's temple. A slim bead of blood formed and ran down her face, "Filthy sinful heretics. Look at you, poisoning this world with your corruption. You sin against God Almighty as you position yourself as golden idols to be worshipped by the masses below, leading them away from the light. You cavort with demons and let them into your homes, your lives, your souls while the righteous die needless deaths."

Endeavor's hand clenched slowly, and Izuku could spy the fire building in his fist.

Chizome continued, his voice like iron, rising with his rage, "But I, I will not fade so quietly into the night, I will not allow this corruption to continue! I AM CHIZOME AKAGURO, I AM A KNIGHT OF GOD! AND I WILL KILL YOU ALL IN THE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY! NO PITY, NO REMORSE, NO FEAR! DEUS VULT!"

All tensed for his attack… but none came.

Only the sound of metal hitting tarmac could be heard.

Chizome, the Heretic Killer, stood… and his eyes were blank. Open, staring, but utterly blank. With a mighty shove, Ibara pushed her would-be brother back from her and slipped from his grasp, falling onto the floor with a choking cough. The Knight Templar fell and collapsed onto his side.

It would later be determined that a rib, broken in the fight with the students, had finally punctured a lung and rendered him unconscious. Izuku would only learn that much later, once the fires in the city had been put out, and he and his friends rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment.

The Battle of Hosu, and Izuku's first true test of his union with Nemesis, had ended.


SO ABOUT DAT FIGHT HUH. Hopefully ya'll enjoyed it, and yes, there was no Hitoshi in this! Fate took him elsewhere I'm afraid, also, sorry there wasn't as much demon killing as maybe a few of you hoped. If I wanted to include ALL of that, this chapter might have gone on for another 3000 words and it's already almost 10,000.

SO ANYWAY. The union was tested, and it came out on top! Izuku is moving on up, while Ibara seems... to not be moving on up. Interesting parallel, huh? And how is that next morning in the hospital gonna roll on out? And CHIZOME, writing him as a crazy fanatic was super fun. And... SHOTO. Shoto is officially in the game now. Again, that next morning is gonna be fun to see.

Thank you all for reading, and remember, wash your hands and keep safe out there.