SOOOOO MY DUDES. Last chapter went down surprisingly well, which gives me big hopes going into this one. Seriously, you wanna talk about major plot movement?
HERE IT COMES.
ENJOY MY PEEPS.
Hitoshi sprinted.
His limbs burned with the biting acid of exhaustion and every muscle strained under the constant burn of One For All pounding through his blood. Lighting wreathed him, turning every movement into a work of art, or a hammer blow of strength. Even his senses seemed to heighten through the power of his gifted quirk.
He could smell the sweat pouring off him, he could feel the rumbling ground beneath his pounding feet, and he could hear the roar of his heart pounding in his chest.
There was a blast of cold air, a tight scream, and then a body hit him full force in the back.
The sudden snap of one motion turning into another took him off his feet and suddenly he was tumbling forward, smashing against another person until they collided with a car. Pain erupted over every part of him, from the tip of his skull to the very bottom of his toes.
He couldn't breathe he couldn't breathe.
But he could see. And as his eyes opened, and the body which had been thrown into him moved up and off, he caught sight of the hulking monster that was storming towards him.
All Might as a hero was a proud, tall, invincible symbol of peace.
All Might as a villain, even a pretend villain, was utterly horrifying. He hadn't felt this afraid since he had seen Nemesis screaming with unholy rage.
But he had overcome that. He had learned to steel his heart against its soul-scarring power.
This? This… he wasn't sure he could overcome.
He managed to shove a gasping, wheezing Shoto off him and he managed to pull his aching body to his feet, his hand slipping on the car he tried to lean on as the sweat and dust mixed on his palm.
"So, young heroes, your strategy has failed," All Might's voice boomed across the street they had been fleeing down and as the dust parted around him, Hitoshi felt his chest tighten at the very sight of him. It was one thing to watch All Might fight bad guys, it was quite another to be the one All Might was fighting.
He was utterly, and completely, indomitable. Like a wall of steel and iron that could just move and move and keep moving until it utterly crushed you.
But again, that was nothing Hitoshi had not seen before. Izuku was the same, or rather, Morningstar was the same. Morningstar didn't get tired, or slow down, or stop. He just kept coming and coming and kept raining down blows until you were defeated.
Maybe that was the true secret to All Might's power. It wasn't just that he was strong, it was that he didn't slow down. Not until the day was won. His endurance, his speed, everything was utterly off the charts.
That's why Hitoshi and Shoto had agreed not to fight him. They would head to the exit as soon as possible and basically use a combination of Hitoshi's speed and Shoto's ice and fire to keep barriers up between them.
That had failed pretty much immediately.
All Might was just too fast. Too strong. Even with the weights on his wrists and ankles his ability was frightening. And Hitoshi had to admit it frightened him a little to know that power now existed within his body too.
And this wasn't even One For All at full power.
Still, despite all that, despite everything, he spat the coppery blood from his mouth and raised up his fists.
"HA! You're going to fight me, young Shinsou?" All Might stopped, putting his hands onto his hips, the usually cheerful and encouraging smile one of malice. "You won't even lay a finger on me before I throw you through a wall."
"Come on, old man," Hitoshi staggered a little, but kept his fists up. Again, he activated One For All, allowing its power to surge through him, to keep him on his feet, "Or are you too afraid?"
All Might didn't respond, and Hitoshi didn't expect him too. No one responded to him these days, not unless he really caught them off guard. Clearly, that wouldn't be the case here.
Shoto climbed to his feet beside Hitoshi and with a quick glance, Hitoshi could see that his friend's formally handsome nose was broken. Blood was pouring down and across his lips. He could also spot parts of his uniform that had been torn up in the fight.
Dammit, he was in no shape to do anything.
And they were so close to the exit. It was only a couple of meters behind them. Just a couple more meters and they'd be free.
"Shoto. Make a run for it," Hitoshi commanded quietly, "I'll hold him off."
"You'll hold him off?" Shoto bit back, wiping the blood from his nose. He was always more animated when in actual combat, Hitoshi had to wonder if punching things, if being hurt, if the rush and thrill of challenge was some kind of catharsis for him. "You can barely stand."
"You can make barriers, stop him from moving so quickly," Hitoshi snapped again, "I'll-"
"Discussing your plans in front of the enemy?" The voice came rushing at them, "Not very smart."
The air again erupted around the two as All Might smashed the ground before them, throwing them off their feet and hurling them into the air. Hitoshi almost didn't react he was so stunned.
Everything suddenly moved so slow.
He was falling to the ground. Purple lightning snapped and popped in the air around him in agonizingly slow arcs. He could see Shoto being twirled through the air by All Might, one hand on his ankle.
He could feel every atom of his body screaming for this to stop. Just stop, please. Please stop putting yourself through this horror, this pain.
You can't do this.
The thought seemed to consume every millisecond of that moment.
You don't deserve this.
He shut his eyes, his teeth gritting together.
You'll never be a hero.
His fists clenched.
You're just. A. Villain.
His eyes shot open, and purple lightning danced within his almost too-white pupils.
"No, NO, NO!"
His body had turned in the air and, with a burst of power, he vaulted forward. He was acting on instinct half-born from the concussion of the blast and the sudden power that erupted not within his blood, not within his muscles, but from somewhere deeper within him.
Somewhere between his heart and his mind.
Somewhere in his soul.
He reached out a hand and screamed, "STOP!"
And All Might stopped.
It was only for a second, maybe not even that, but it was all Hitoshi needed.
He raced forward and grabbed Shoto out of All Might's grasp, which had slackened in just that moment, to bounce off the concrete building Shoto had almost been smashed into and rush over the head of his teacher.
Perhaps Shoto was acting on instinct too, as before All Might could turn to chase them he smashed his hands together in what erupted into a loud hiss of… steam? Whatever he had done, there was a damn lot of it, and the boiling hot water stung at every bit of Hitoshi's skin that it touched.
But he didn't care. He shot through the steam like a bullet, and even as he could hear All Might gasp in surprise behind them, he knew they'd done it.
Just as their teacher blew aside the steam with the flick of a mighty finger, creating a burst of wind, they crossed the exit line.
Hitoshi collapsed almost instantly, dropping Shoto to the ground, who crumpled into a mess of dirt and blood and sweat beside him.
The boy rolled onto his back, looking up at the unblemished sky, panting as if each breath might be his last.
And despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, despite it all.
He grinned through pinkened teeth.
And then he laughed.
Shoto looked to him not as if he had gone mad, but with the kind of battle-forged kinship that simply accepted these outbursts as something natural, something earned. He even smiled, and the sight of it caused Hitoshi to grin and laugh even more.
"Well done, boys!" The voice of All Might was, well, All Might's again. No longer the terrifying juggernaut of power, but the kind and courageous teacher. "That was an incredible show of determination, grit, and a clever use of your quirk at the end there, young Todoroki."
Shoto shook his head, "It's been something I've been working on, but," He held up his hands. They were an angry pink, as was the skin on his face, "The steam is always too hot."
All Might nodded, and put a hand to his chin, "Work on that for the future. Perhaps attempt to use a flash of fire at longer ranges to minimize the damage to yourself." Finally, his eyes turned to his successor, who continued to lay in the dirt.
Hitoshi didn't care. He couldn't move even if he wanted too. Every limb seemed to have gone on strike until working conditions were improved.
"And as for you, young Shinsou," He watched as the mountain of a man came to kneel down beside him, "You showed incredible courage in the face of danger, but I think you came to understand that is not always enough. I'm not sure how you combined your, erm, kinetic energy with your brainwashing, but I'm glad you made some progress."
"It… it was like… a whiplash," Hitoshi gasped out, "I don't… know how it… worked."
All Might frowned at this and nodded, "Then use your time at the summer camp to understand and master it. Being able to reach out and seize the minds of villains, even for a moment, could be incredibly useful."
"So, we passed?" Shoto asked without moving from his sitting position.
"Yes, both of you. I would have liked to have a seen a slightly better strategy, trusting on blind luck that you could somehow brainwash me isn't a great foundation for future work, and you, Shoto, could stand to use your quirk with more finesse, but yes, you both passed."
"Yaaaaay," Hitoshi raised a fist in triumph before letting it flop back to the ground. "… can someone pick me up? I don't think I can walk."
To his surprise, it was Shoto who offered his hand. Hitoshi took it, hoping that the blush on his face wasn't evident, though considering he was covered in dust and sweat, the teenager probably didn't even see it.
Shoto's hand was oddly chill. He wondered if the other hand was warm.
Once on his feet, All Might grinned at the two, "Now, let's get back to UA! I'm eager to see how the others have done!"
Katsuki wondered how he'd had the bad luck to be paired with her.
Setsuna Tokage ruffled her hair up as she walked beside him. Her weird, lizard-like suit almost shimmered in the sunlight. Thankfully it hadn't rained again, despite the cloudy sky, so while their path had the occasional puddle it wasn't as though they'd be soaking wet. In fact, the industrial ground they were walking through seemed surprisingly clean.
But it wasn't like that was going to affect their exam, they were up against the Principal, after all. And Katsuki had already put together that the little rat would be hidden somewhere, no doubt using everything in the arena against them.
It was smart, because he couldn't otherwise kick his ass up front.
Setsuna was one of the few people in class who gave him a challenge, other than Ibara of course. Her quirk allowed her to separate her body, though into how many pieces Katsuki had never really bothered to learn. Something like fifty, or close to it.
But she was also smart. And that's where the challenge came in. Her quirk was ill-suited to his in the first place, but then he added in the fact she could, and on a few occasions had, out-smarted him.
He growled and went back to fiddling with the gauntlet on his left arm. The strap wasn't quite right, and it was irritating him.
"So," She began, her voice a light, friendly, yet slightly sarcastic tone. The kind of tone that made it easy to poke fun and rile others up, "You and me against the big cheese, right?" She stretched her arms up and Katsuki again glanced at her, "It's not gonna be easy. He'll be prepared."
"That's the fucking point."
"You swear a lot. Kind of amazing Ibara puts up with that," He looked up at the mention of Ibara, only to see her grinning with those razor-sharp teeth of hers. She had a grin like a crocodile, somehow charming and vicious all at once.
Katsuki decided not to reply.
"You and she are awfully close," She continued to press, even when Katsuki went back to adjusting the gauntlet straps, "You know, people talk."
"I don't give a shit what people say," Katsuki tugged the last strap into place and he flexed his gloved fingers.
"Oh, I know you don't. You've got that bad boy charm going for you. No wonder she likes you."
"What?"
"Ibara," Setsuna chuckled and looked away, "She's so got the hots for you."
"Shut the fuck up," Katsuki snapped, hoping the blush he felt on his cheeks wasn't real, "This isn't the time to be talking about that kinda shit! We need to think of a fucking battle plan."
"I got one already," Setsuna shrugged, "Just follow my lead."
"Fuck you! You're gonna follow my lead!"
"Naw," She shook his head and her eyes, the dark green of crocodile skin, winked at him, "We're doing my plan."
"What in the fucking world makes you think I'll do your plan?"
She didn't miss a beat, "Because I'll tell everyone about the whole 'fighting the forces of Hell' thing you and Ibara like to go on about."
Katsuki froze, his eyes growing wide and, for a split second, a jolt of cold fear gripped the base of his spine.
Setsuna paused and turned around, looking completely innocent as she put a hand on her hip, "What?"
"How… we don't-" She burst out laughing, and that only made Katsuki angry. Sparks popped on his palms as he glared at her, "What's so fucking funny?"
"You! And Ibara! And I've noticed Neito hanging around with you guys lately too, kinda makes sense, I guess." She shrugged and put a hand to her chin, "He did seem like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. Maybe the power of Gawd came in and saved him, right?" She grinned and clapped her hands together, "Am I right?"
"… no," Katsuki stormed over to her, grabbed her by the arm, ignoring her yelp of 'hey!', and pulled her into a dark, shadowed alcove where a large steel pipe ran over their heads, with another two curling either side of them. "How the fuck do you know all that? Are you-" He fought down the tremble in his voice, replacing it with cold anger, "Are you one of them."
"Them?" She frowned before shaking her head, "I dunno what you're talking about."
"A fucking demon," He snarled out. His grip on her arm grew tighter, and she frowned in discomfort, "Tell me or-"
Her arm popped out.
Katsuki blinked at this as he held her now disembodied arm in one hand, then he looked back to her where she tapped her ear.
Which then also popped off her head.
"I love gossip," She began with that crocodile grin of hers, "And I saw you and Ibara hanging out and being all chummy-chummy and, you know, she's the friggin perfect catholic schoolgirl, so I was so into that dynamic." She giggled again at the thought. "So, I… might have spied on you guys a little. You know! Just for the hot goss!"
"You were… spying on us."
"Since the Sports Festival, yeah," She sighed softly, almost dreamily, "The bad boy and the princess. Oh, it was so romantic. Still is. But then I started hearing you guys go on about all this demonic hell stuff and I was like woah, what the fuck, you know?" She grinned, "But you were so earnest, and then the stuff with Neito and… I want in."
Katsuki felt like someone had slapped him across the face with a wet fish. "What."
"I want in! Fighting the forces of darkness! Beating up demons! We're gonna be heroes one day, well, I want to be the greatest hero, so that means, beating up the greatest villains, right? Can't get any worse than literal demons."
Katsuki looked at her for what felt like a long, long moment. Then he shook his head and started walking away. Quickly Setsuna traveled after him, her limbs popping back into place. "Hey!"
"My fucking life is a fucking train wreck."
"So, is that a yes?"
"It's a fuck off and stop spying on us you creepy gecko bitch."
"That sounds like a yes to meee," She grinned as she came to match his pace at his side.
"I said, fuck-"
"Seriously though, you guys need me," She cut in as they turned another corner, the starting point only a few paces away. "I mean, think about it."
Katsuki paused and again turned to her, ready and willing to completely turn her down at every point.
"You've got you, the loud angry muscle, Ibara, the quiet, tactical muscle, then Neito, who's like the wild card," She tapped her head, "But I'm your information girl. No one can spy as well as I can, not to mention I'm pretty handy in a fight. And, if you plan to take down that creepy Izuku guy and his friends, you need someone who can gather information without being seen."
Katsuki went to open his mouth but paused.
She… had a point.
"Not to mention so far, it's three against, like, what, six?" She raised an eyebrow, "Gotta even them odds up a little. Luckily, I'm good enough to count for two people." She popped her hip as she flicked her hair back over her shoulder, "So waddya say, partner?" And she stuck out her hand.
Katsuki looked to it, then to her. He knew this was a huge mistake, and Ibara was going to berate him endlessly and Neito… well he didn't give a fuck what Neito thought, but he was at least someone he had learned to tolerate. Plus, his insane hatred of class one-A was somewhat entertaining.
Katsuki stuck his hand out, and they shook on it.
Then her hand popped off at the wrist, and Setsuna burst out laughing. Katsuki, however, just groaned in annoyance.
What the hell had he done to deserve all this?
"So," Aizawa announced in his usual bored tone as he stood before the classroom, looking out on them all. In his hands, he held a stack of papers, and as he dropped them onto the table before him, they seemed to land with the same kind of heaviness one might have expected from a coffin.
The room was deadly silent, though there was really no reason for it to be.
After all, most of the class already knew if they had passed or failed. Izuku, for example, knew he had passed. He knew his friends had too. Yet, with Aizawa's attitude, it seemed he could make any victory seem like a defeat.
Nemesis ghosted through his blood, irritated at the drawing out of their success. They had won! A term which they had both quickly become accustomed to hearing, so why was their teacher determined to turn it into something bad?
"I won't beat around the bush," Aizawa grumbled on, "You'll all be glad to know you all passed your written exams. Yaoyorozu, Todoroki and Izuku, you came first, second, and third respectively. Iida, you missed out by only one point, so don't feel too bad."
Izuku looked over to shoot his friend a quick thumbs up. Thankfully, it seemed Tenya wasn't taking his loss harshly, and gave Izuku a quick thumbs-up back.
"However, I know you're all more interested in your physical exams." The tension grew tighter.
Again, Izuku knew he had passed. Aizawa had even said so! And yet the man's hidden quirk seemed to be making every sentence more tense than the last. His tail swished in a mixture of anxiety and irritation.
"Ashido, Sato, Kirishima, Kaminari," His voice, while not rising a single note, seemed to shift, becoming irritated and… disappointed. One didn't need to have the long, pointy ears to pick up on that. "You failed."
The students in question lowered their heads.
"Sato and Kirishima," The teacher's dark eyes looked from one boy to the other, "You failed to close the gap between yourselves and Ishiyama-sensei. You had all the tools to do so, but your bullheadedness and raw strength were not enough to defeat him. Do you know what you should have done?"
"Retreated," Eijiro mumbled out.
"We couldn't done it too, but I just…" Rikido seemed to find fiddling with his fingers amazingly interesting.
A part of Izuku wanted to giggle. The Nemesis part of himself. He had to bite his lip to stop himself.
"Kaminari, Ashido. You were put against the Principal yet you both failed to find a way to escape his traps, not to mention the use of your quirks was uncoordinated and ineffectual."
Denki seemed to shrink in his seat, and Mina looked close to crying.
And yet again, that crueler, Nemesis-half of Izuku rose to the fore, and again he had to bite his lip to stop a superior smile forming on his face. He had to do that a lot, actually. Ever since he had become closer to Nemesis, closer to a true union, it was hard not to feel a sense of… superiority over his other classmates.
Especially the ones who had looked down on him before.
He took a momentary breath, calming the fire in his blood. They could gloat later, when they weren't in class. Get it out of their system and all that.
So, when he heard his own name called out, he was shocked.
"Midoriya!" Izuku looked up, his eyes wide, "You and Tokoyami only just managed to fight your way through, and you caused property damage to do it. You passed, but in my eyes, only just."
His pride felt slapped. And he felt fire spike through his blood. He let it pass, even allowing his scars to flash a destroyer-flame blue. If he looked annoyed, Aizawa didn't seem to notice… or perhaps it was more accurate to say he simply didn't react. He held out the stack of papers towards Reiko on the front row, who took it, then passed it back.
As the analysis sheets worked their way through the class, Aizawa loudly continued, "Frankly, you all managed to perform under my expectations in one way or another, which is why when you get to the summer camp, I'm making sure you all gain extra training in both quirk control, and strategy."
It took a beat for the class to fully understand what he'd said, and shockingly, it was Denki who spoke up.
"Wait, do you mean, we're all going to camp?"
"You were always all going to camp," Now Aizawa smiled, just as the trap closed on them all, "Telling you otherwise was a logical ruse to get you to work harder."
Izuku groaned in annoyance, which was thankfully masked by the rest of the class joining in. However, the failed students cheered, overjoyed at the fact they were going at all.
Aizawa raised a hand, and the students quieted, "The summer camp is not some holiday for you all to slack off a week. It's an intense training program designed to push you to your limits and improve the areas where you're lagging behind. Like I said, through the exams I noticed each of you has an area to improve on, and while at the camp, you'll all be receiving personalized workouts designed just for you." Izuku couldn't help but shudder as his smile grew almost cruel, "And for the students that failed, that'll include several hours of extra-curricular lessons."
There were some groans from said students, but Izuku was now past listening to them. Within his heart, he was excited.
Being pushed to his limits? For a whole week? That sounded… awesome. He could learn so much about his own abilities, he could maybe even work towards an even better union with Nemesis. And, not to mention, being away from UA meant being away from Lucifer.
He could just… get away from it all for a little while. Focus on himself for a bit. And hang out with his friends, though he had to wonder what it'd be like doing so.
He'd never been away from home before other than the week he spent with Azrael.
His tail again twitched with anxiety, though with a quick thought it curled it around his middle where it could be nice and safe.
Izuku had let it hang out in class once and Hitoshi had accidentally kicked it. He had gone humiliatingly red after he'd yelped out in pain.
"So, here's my advice for you all," Aizawa leaned forward onto his desk, his eyes blazing, "You have one weekend of freedom before you're going to be pouring with blood, sweat, and tears. Be. Prepared. Class dismissed."
Izuku had already gotten his paper and handed the rest back. Now, as movement filled the classroom and people prepared to depart, he took a moment to look at it properly.
His pride flared at some of the comments, with things like 'vast improvement' and 'complete turnaround' were written on most of the points. However, he frowned when he read the other comments.
"Relies too much on brute force?" He raised an eyebrow. "Do I really do that?"
"Yep," Hitoshi announced from behind him, causing Izuku to turn in his chair, one arm hung over the back.
His friend was doing the same, reading his analysis sheet with a frown. He suddenly started, a look of disbelief crossing his face before turning his eyes up to Izuku, "Needs to improve the fundamentals of combat? Seriously?"
"Well, you did rely on just your voice for the first half of the semester," Shoto announced as he joined them from the back of the classroom, his backpack over one strap on his shoulder. "It makes sense you lag behind on your combat."
Hitoshi flushed at the comment, "Yeah but…"
"Wait, how do I rely too much on blunt force?"
"Remind me of your original plan during our test?" Fumikage asked as he also joined them, his eyes narrowing at Izuku.
"… to punch him?"
The silence spoke for itself.
"… okay so, maybe I should work on my finesse a little more."
"It makes sense," Tenya announced as he walked over, his backpack already on his shoulders with Ochaco following at his side, "You've only just managed to start using your power recently. Honing it to a fine control sounds like your next logical step."
"The Mechanison is right," Nemesis hissed through Izuku's brain, "Our agreement brought us close, but we must craft finer control to become closer. The goal-"
"-is unity," Izuku mumbled under his breath, before suddenly realizing his friends were looking at him. He smiled nervously and grabbed for his back, "Oh, it's nothing."
"Well, I don't have any camping stuff," Hitoshi continued, the group already pretty used to Izuku's odd mumbling, "I don't think I've ever been out of the city."
"I thought you said you've been on plenty of holidays?"
"Yeah, to Egypt to visit family," Hitoshi raised an eyebrow, "It's less camping and more going to see the same tourist sites over and over. The Great Pyramid kinda loses its charm after seeing it for the fifth time."
"Well I have plenty," Fumikage announced with a slightly amused smile, "I will be happy to lend my expertise in this matter."
"Alright! Ochaco and the Demon Hunters are off on another, awesome day out!"
"I see my mother on the weekends," Shoto announced calmly, "Sorry."
"Aww! But okay, you get a pass cos that's cute," Ochaco replied with a giggle, "What about you, Izuku."
"I'd love to-" His phone buzzed in his pocket and he quickly fished it out, "One sec."
Several messages suddenly popped onto his screen, all of them from Lucifer.
'Well done, son! I saw you passed! As a reward for all your hard work, you can meet up with me tomorrow. We have some things to discuss that cannot be discussed via text'.
Izuku frowned. He had started texted Lucifer far more, and he would admit that he supposed he'd built up a kind of… rapport with him, in a manner of speaking. Yet spending actual time with him was a big new step.
His flame grumped through his blood as he typed back, 'No thanks, I'm going shopping with my friends.'
Said friends were starting to get up and move towards the exits, and Izuku grabbed his bag to follow them, though whatever conversation they had was past him as his phone buzzed again.
'After I sent Kuroiro all that way to back up your claims? I feel offended you would use me like that.'
Izuku rolled his eyes. Okay, sure, he kinda did owe his father for that, but surely a whole day out with him was not worth a ten-minute use of Kuroiro. Who really acted like an asshole anyway.
As they moved out of the classroom and into the corridor, bathed in the warm glow of the midday sun, his mind jumped to a new excuse, 'Mum won't agree anyway.'
'I've already arranged it with her. She agreed to let you go in exchange for buying you all the equipment you need for the trip. As well as some new clothes and other non-essentials. It's quite the bill, I assure you.'
That froze Izuku in his tracks. His mother agreed? How could she sell him out like this? And for what, saving money on a bunch of camping equipment? He felt deeply, terribly betrayed.
Okay, maybe not that betrayed, but still kinda betrayed. A slight betrayal. A minor, irritating betrayal.
"Everything okay, Izuku?"
He didn't reply because he was reading a new message, 'You're the Prince of Hell. It's time you learned what that means. Tomorrow, ten o'clock, we can meet on the Dagobah Municipal Beach and go from there. I'll buy you ice cream!'
Izuku looked up, shock still written on his face as he simply announced, "I… I can't go tomorrow."
"Aww, why not?"
"I'm… meeting with Lucifer. For ice cream."
"Oh, brightest one of the darkest night, I lift my eyes up to thee."
It had been an odd few weeks for Himiko Toga.
Firstly, she had joined a cult. She had never joined a cult before and really had never intended too. She had wanted to join whoever it was who had caused all that madness in Hosu. The blood, that pretty, pretty blood had been everywhere. At least on the news, and in the papers. She had managed to make her way there the morning after, though she had never gotten too close to the destruction.
She hadn't managed to become a cop or a hero, so a civilian just had to do. A handsome civilian, one who had bled wonderfully, but still.
Not being able to get up close to the bodies? So sad.
And then, later, when she had been hiding out in a known villain bar trying to convince the bartender to serve her a drink, she'd been approached by a man. A man with circle glasses, greying hair, and a smirking, smarmy face.
And she had learned of the Heralds of Eversoris.
"Oh, ye amber golden light, let your dark sweep over me."
As she sat, cross-legged, within the center of the chamber, softly repeating the phrases that had been all but drilled into her skull, she couldn't help but think of what might have happened if she hadn't taken the time to actually listen to the old geezer.
She wouldn't be here now, that was for sure.
And she wouldn't have found her true path.
She had been lost, and now she was found.
"Mighty one, oh nidus."
The scent of incense mixed with the candles she knew were lit around her, making the air a mix of bitter and sweet. Her hair was down, allowing the long, golden locks to cascade down her back. She was wearing her robes, the same kind of robes they'd given everyone else. She, personally, thought they looked ugly and not cute at all but that was okay.
As long as she could keep being around her Father, she was okay.
Father Satani.
"I surrender all to thee."
A smile reached across her lips, even as she continued to chant, her palms clasped before her in prayer and a rosary of beads looped around her hands and wrists. Though she did not hold a cross within her hand but a symbol.
The symbol was a curled, strange thing, circular at top, with a point leading from its lower left side, an inverted cross from its base, and within its center was an inverted eight, making a symbol of infinity.
It was their symbol, and her beloved Father had told her, quietly, secretly, they had carved it themselves.
Her smile grew wider.
She was proud of passing the trials and tests that her Father and the mysterious Sensei had set before her. Five others had died already, but that was fine. They weren't worthy. Her success, sometimes as she literally cut the throats of those against her, meant she was worthy.
And the more she proved her worth, the more she gained Father's attention.
And the more jealous she could see Tomura becoming.
Her smile threatened to become a giddy grin, and she struggled to keep her eyes closed.
Oh, it was so fun to see how he tensed up and his eyes grow cold every time Father spoke of her skills. Every time she felt the unearthly touch from Father's hands against her cheek, or when he sat with her to teach her more tenants of their unholy faith.
What she was doing even now was another sign of Father's favor.
For what she was about to do, was a secret.
Father Satani had told her to keep it so. Not a word to Tomura, to Shuichi, not event to Sensei.
This was just their special, secret project.
If she succeeded here, where it would matter the most, her position at Tomura's side, as the High Priestess of the End of Days would be secure.
And perhaps, as Father had hinted, something even more than that. Himiko had found only one thing she disliked about all of this, and it was that she would have to be at Tomura's side.
Maybe it was heresy, but she was pretty sure she didn't want to spend the rest of her promised eternity waiting on Tomura's command.
Her brow furrowed and her shoulders tensed. That was for the future, not for the now. She had to focus on the prayer she had been spent almost every hour this week memorizing. It was designed to open her soul up, to allow change to come easier to her being.
Perfect for a shapeshifter, she supposed.
"Hellbound nothingness, where no soul is left."
The door behind her began to open, and her heart picked up an extra beat. They were here. She could already feel the presence of her unholy Father. That creeping sense of knowledge within her very soul that said something beyond human had come into her presence.
And she had no fear.
She had felt no fear the first time she had seen them. That tall, lithe figure with gilded bull-like horns and four elegant arms. A figure of such unreal beauty, such unnatural perfection, that her mind screamed it was wrong and yet her heart… her heart had told her that she loved that person.
Not a romantic love, nothing so crude, this was a deep, almost instinctual love. A devoted love.
The love of a daughter for her Father.
She heard them move into the room, though Father Satani didn't so much 'move' as they did simply glide through the world. It was as it the very earth itself moved just to make sure Father Satani could step lightly upon it.
She didn't open her eyes, though she did take in a small breath, the scent of heady perfumes and erotic dreams swam in her senses, overriding anything else. Though under it was, as always with Father Satani, the scent of blood and pain and unbelievable suffering.
She felt giddy at the very thought.
The figure moved through the room until it stopped before her.
"Open your eyes, my child."
And she did as she was told. Eyes sapphire blue opened and looked up, and instantly a wave of awe mixed with horror washed over her, just as it had before when she had first laid eyes on them. Just as it had every time she had laid eyes on them.
As always, Satani's robes were that pure, virginal white and the shining gold. Their face was that ever so slightly changing androgynous mask of unearthly beauty. Their great horns, bull-like, curled up from their noble brow and were decorated with gold and jewels of immense wealth. Himiko admired their horns most of all, however, because they were so great and powerful and deadly.
Their smile lit her whole world aflame and made her heart leap for joy, even as her head filled with images of those teeth biting into flesh, drawing blood and ripping the meat away.
"Do you know why I've had you in here for the last few hours?"
Himiko shook her head.
"Because, my dearest child, I believe you were delivered to me for a reason."
She felt pride bubble in her chest, even as some part of her withering humanity cowered in terror.
"You see, there is something I have wished for, for a long, long time. Something that has been denied to me and all my kind."
Himiko had come to understand that Father Satani wasn't human. She had figured that out the very second he had first touched her cheeks. The way that the pleasure, the corrupt, unholy joy had simply consumed her soul in that second had confirmed it all.
And she couldn't be happier. Here was the evidence she had spent her whole life looking for. Evidence that there was something beyond the world she had found so dreadfully restrictive and boring. Evidence that she could live as free as she wished, as long as she joined the right cause.
They turned away from her, moving to a table where several items had been sitting. A long brush sitting in a bottle, a beautifully carved and ancient-looking cup, and a long, shade blade with a curved, gilded handle.
The table was set on the far end of the room, up against a wall. The entire room was made of a sort of old cobblestone which was quite out of place from all the various traditional Japanese wooden buildings she had seen in her life. Well, the floor was wood but was more of an old, hinoki wood, the kind she'd seen in temples. In each corner was a tall metal stand with the kind of flickering blue flame candle she'd seen in other areas of the chapel.
But that really wasn't what had caught her attention when she had first walked in.
What had caught her attention, was the large circle painted onto the floor. And within that large circle, was a great, five-pointed star. Along the outer band were a mass of symbols she didn't recognize, and within the triangles of the star were sigils. They seemed almost… burned into the floor, and somehow, they seemed burned into her mind. They had hovered before her vision the entire time she had been chanting, as if she were supposed to know what they were.
As her Father spoke, she pulled her eyes from them.
"Would you like to hear a story?"
Himiko nodded eagerly. She loved Father Satani's stories. They were always so… bloody.
They turned back to her, brush and pot in hand. Like mist across a lake, they moved to her. They seemed to utterly tower over the girl, their very aura swallowing everything in its path with the darkness of it all.
"Disrobe."
Himiko did as she told, her plain robes falling to the floor. Without being asked she picked them up and threw them out the circle. She had a feeling she wouldn't need them.
Father Satani immediately set to work. The fine brush moving across her skin, starting at her right hand. It almost tickled, but the chill of the room kept her from giggling.
Besides, she was sure her Father wouldn't appreciate it if she did.
"When my Tyrant Father first made me and my kind, he made us like children," They began, "We were innocent in those times. We used to run across the earth naked and free, exploring every inch of the Eden He had created. We used our divine gifts to fly, and craft, and learn, and grow. We all found our specialties, one might say. Each fitting into a role our creator gave to us."
Himiko kept her eyes focused ahead of her, but she caught a look at Father Satani's face. There was an emotion there she had never seen in him before, and it lingered in their voice. It was a… longing, almost.
"Those were happy times with my family, with my siblings, before…"
His voice hardened as the brush reached her shoulders.
"Before humanity came."
Himiko said nothing, though she suddenly felt as though it was somehow her fault that they were angered. She was a member of humanity, after all, so it was only logical she was in-part to blame.
Her nails curled against her palms as Father Satani moved to her back, the brushstrokes leaving long, bold lines of black paint along her pale skin.
"It all changed after that. We were gathered together, and my Tyrant Father told us all we were to be the guardians of humanity. We were to help guide them, teach them, protect them," They scoffed, "I should have known then that something was amiss. Protect them from what? Themselves? The beasts of the earth? They were perfectly capable of doing all that on their own."
The brushstrokes moved down her legs.
"I couldn't believe we were being regulated to watchdogs. We are so mighty, my child. We are the ultimate creatures, and we rest only under that Bastard Tyrant because He alone has the power to defeat us," Himiko shivered as she again seemed to feel the oppressive aura of her Father press against her skin. She could almost feel the air staining black from its presence.
"Worse was that they had no idea of what power had made them, of the miracle of their very existence. They could choose not to believe. They could choose to sin. To sin! Can you imagine such a thing, my child? To spit in our faces like that? To turn his demi-god children into slaves to those… those worthless…" The venom in their tone was so toxic that Himiko tasted blood on her tongue. However, a moment later it all seemed to dissipate, almost popping out of existence as if it were never there. Father Satani sighed as the brush came back up her body to her shoulders once again.
"And then the rebellion came. I do not deny regretting that I was not the first to stand up against the Almighty. That, of course, goes to my sibling, my," He let out a small, sardonic laugh, "King." He moved around to her front again, "But, we were defeated, and I'm sure you know the rest. The disgrace we felt in the fall, and in the fall we blamed one another. The blame turned squabbles and the squabbles to wars. Eventually, however, we turned our ire to the real culprit. Humanity."
Himiko bowed her head in sorrow, her golden hair falling about her, "I'm sorry, Father. I'm sorry we did this to you."
"Apology not accepted," The Fallen Angel chuckled, and for a moment Himiko thought she would cry. Then, a long, pale finger moved her hair back over her ear and she looked up to see her Father's soft, dangerous smile, "But you have no need to apologize. Well, hopefully, soon you will have no need to."
Her eyes widened, staring in joy at the beautiful monster before her.
Her Father looked back to her body as he painted intricate, strange, unholy patterns across her stomach and chest, "So we began to torture the sinners who were sent us upon their deaths. Their souls writhing forever under our kind hands. We even came to Earth on occasion, when the times were right, to spread chaos and pain and anarchy upon our Tyrant Father's blessed creation."
He smiled, though there was a grimness to it, "But some of us wanted to go further. Some of us wanted to corrupt humanity at its very core. Some of us talked about breeding with the humans, to infect them with our blood and power."
"Could- could you?" Himiko whispered, half-afraid to speak.
He looked to her eyes, and she saw a horrifying hatred burning within them. Her knees almost gave away there and then. "No. Our blood is sacred. We are special, unique, immortal. To hand that blood, that uniqueness to the humans through interbreeding is a vileness that even disgusts me." He smiled suddenly, "Not that I didn't try myself of course, but it's impossible. The child never takes, and the very few that did died within the womb, unable to contain the power of our blood. They killed the mothers too. It was all very…" He sighed dreamily, "Bloody."
Father Satani nodded once as the brush came up to her face. She closed her eyes as he painted two strokes across her face, forming lines from her jaw, over her eyes, to the tops of her forehead.
Once he was done, he turned from her, and Himiko again opened her eyes. The chill of the floor was starting to seep into her legs and crawled up her skin. She wished she could put her robe back on, but she knew this was important work.
"That's so sad," She found herself speaking softly, quietly, "But… at least you had one another, right?"
Satani laughed as he moved outside the circle and towards the bench. His laugh was musical and lyrical and lazed with necrotic poison. "We have each other! Yes! Yes of course we do! When we're not slicing one another's throats or, warring on one another's realms, yes, we dear siblings sure do stick together."
When Satani turned back, he held a cup in one of his hands, and a blade in another. He moved to place the curved, ornate blade against the skin of his wrist, but Himiko instantly cried out, even stretching a hand out to stop him.
The Fallen Angel paused in surprise as if he had never expected anything from her. Again, his amused smile crossed perfect lips, "Oh, don't worry my dear. This is all for you, it won't harm me much."
Still, Himiko's heart ached as she watched the blade curve over his perfectly marble skin, and then blood, crimson red, and beautiful arched down along his arm before dripping into the cup.
Her eyes widened as she realized just what he was preparing to do. What he was preparing her to do.
The bloodletting lasted only a few moments before Satani put a hand over the wound, moving forward again as he did so. He held out the ornate cup to Himiko, who slowly stretched out to take the cup with two, shaking hands.
She was holding the blood of an angel. A Fallen Angel. Blood of a celestial being.
She felt like she should say something, some words, something great to mark the occasion.
"I… Father I-"
"Don't say a word, my dear, just do what I ask," He held a finger up to her, and to her amazement, Himiko could see he had already stopped bleeding. The cut was still there, but the blood seemed to be clotting fast.
Amazing.
"Hold the cup, but don't drink. Not yet." He moved back from her and, taking the brush back up from the table, he moved to kneel and finally draw the last line on one of the many symbols in the circle.
Suddenly it was no longer cold that was gnawing at her skin, but power. A dark, terrible power that seemed channeled only through the symbols on the floor, which began moving within their bands, circling her in a slow, rhythmic manner. It too was ice cold as much as it was boiling hot, and the contradictions cause the hair to rise on the back of her neck.
Her stomach was starting to twist in knots, and some deep part of her knew this was wrong. This was all wrong. She should be running, screaming out of this room.
But she couldn't move.
Because if she did, she would disappoint her beloved Father.
She was determined to never let that happen.
"Ever since I saw you, Himiko Toga, I knew you were special," His words calmed her, though the small bit of humanity left in her heart screamed and screamed to stop. Her blue eyes met his, and that screaming too was silenced.
"You, and your unique gift, were delivered to me because my Bastard Father understands what I'm trying to do," He sighed, stretching his arms wide, "You are my child, and now, you are to become my daughter."
The words filled Himiko with more pride than she'd ever felt in her life. She would do this. She would become the person she was destined to be.
The Daughter of Satani.
"Drink," The Fallen Angel commanded. And as he did so, it seemed to Himiko he was becoming more… inhuman by the second. The true being behind the mask was emerging and Satani was resplendent in all their terrifying glory, their skin shimmering and reptilian, and- and-
Those wings. Those terrible, painful, ruined wings.
She couldn't take a breath as her lungs seized within her chest. Her sanity cracking as her mind tried and failed to process the sight before her. Every last piece of her humanity was obliterated within her barely beating heart.
"Drink," Said the Fallen Angel before her in a voice echoing with the untold suffering of damned souls, "And become me, and let us see how much of you remains afterward."
Himiko Toga raised the shaking cup to her lips.
And Satani smiled.
SO THAT HAPPENED. We started out with some Dad Might, and ended with... Dadtani? Somehow I don't think Satani seems capable of Dad energy.
Anyway, SO, we have Setsuna joining the band! I admit I could have maybe foreshadowed it a little better, but sometimes the surprise element is more fun. She also helps round out the God Squad a little more, which is nice.
Izuku and Lucy meeting again though! For ice cream! I'm working on that whole deal now, though it's taking several drafts to get it perfect. Hopefully, all will be well by next update.
And finally, HIMIKO. I told you she'd be playing a big part. Originally she wasn't, but then the events of the villain arc in the manga happened and, considering how souls work in this, it kind of sealed her fate. But yes, what will happen when the shapeshifter becomes a Fallen? Certainly nothing good.
As for the results. Well, we'll just wait as see...
SO, next chapter we see some more Dadcifer, Izuku, ice cream, talking and confrontations, and hopefully some bonding. Collectively we move towards the Forest Camp Arc, which is allll kiiiindsa fuuuuun.
Till next time my peeps, and thank you for reading!
