IT IS. TIIIIIIME. For an update.
I have something semi-important to say at the end so... stay tuned? I guess?
But for now, just know that the awesomeness of HeCallsMeHisChild helped me through this chapter. A gigantic thank you to them, and also, they do editing and commissions and editing commissions so GO TALK TO THEM ABOUT GETTING THEM TO HELP YOU! Just look em up on please and thankee.
As for now, READ ON MY DUDES!
Hitoshi was sure he'd never moved so quickly. His control over One For All was good, but he could already feel the ache in his bones as he bounced from tree to tree. His breath was caught tight in his throat and every second he pictured more and more gruesome ways in which that boy was being torn apart by some horrific hell-conjured monster.
Already he could hear fighting behind him. The forest was erupting into violence, into flame and blood and war. He could taste it in the air, a mixture of ash and acrid, horrific, distant poison which he had already seen creeping slowly through the trees.
The villains were not just attacking, they were attacking in force. Whoever was leading this was smart. They were cutting off exits, corning the heroes, and splitting them apart at the same time.
Was this Tomura's work?
No, somehow this seemed too… subtle, too cunning. But if not him, then who?
The thought vanished as he sighted the cliff-face where he was sure Kota would be. His secret base, far from where anyone could get him. Any other time it'd be safe, but with villains, fire, and gas prowling the forest, it would be better served as a grave.
Focus dipshit.
He landed with a thud, his feet skidding on the rock before he began darting forward again. He was jumping up the long path, taking several steps at a time in his mad dash to reach the top.
A cry rang out in the night. The cry of a young child terrified beyond all thought and hope.
A cry which tore at the very core of Hitoshi.
A cry which boosted the power in his blood even higher.
He rounded the corner.
His heart stopped.
And then he acted.
Hitoshi dived forward, flying like a bullet through the air and past the giant hulking thing before colliding into the small, shaking, petrified figure of Kota.
The air wooshed behind him and the earth under him shook as a fist hit the ground like a dropped bomb. Dust and rock flew through the air, though thankfully Hitoshi managed to protect the young boy by falling into a roll.
A moment later he pulled himself up to his feet.
When he looked back at the monster, he had to fight not to place a hand over his mouth. Still, his breaths came in quick, short shudders.
The thing that stood before him, slowly turning, was like something from a H.R. Giger nightmare. Sinewy, exposed muscle rippled as it moved, stretching around the protruding bones that stabbed up painfully from bloody joints. It was huge and strong, human only in shape and form, and it seemed branded with strange, dark symbols across its body.
Massive block feet, like those of an elephant, stamped onto the cold rock as it readjusted its stance. Its arms were as big as his entire torso, and its hands were huge and shovel-like.
One of them had been about to smash down onto a terrified Kota. The metal image of what would have been left of the boy caused Hitoshi's stomach to twist violently.
But the thing that horrified Hitoshi most was that it had no head. Where one should be was just… a huge open maw filled with long, jagged, broken teeth revealing an exposed brain that pulsated rhythmically.
It smelled like death and blood and shadow.
Kota smelled like urine and fear and seemed to be a sobbing, paralyzed mess behind him.
"Kota. KOTA!" Hitoshi snapped as his training kicked in, overriding his own sense of horror.
He caught a glance as the boy looked at him.
"Stay back," He demanded in the most heroic tone he could muster. "I'm going to save you."
The boy's crying seemed to fade, if only a little.
Hitoshi fixed his eyes back onto the beast. The only real exit off the cliff face was between himself and the demon, trapping them with it unless Kota had some flying quirk. Which he doubted.
Besides, he had the impression that this monster wasn't about to let them leave here alive even if he did try to run.
"You're a big ugly thing, aren't you?" Hitoshi snarked as the purple lightning again arched around his body. He was pushing it to five, no, ten percent of what he could handle. Already his body was crying out, but he gritted his teeth.
He could do this. He could rescue Kota.
The demon didn't reply. It didn't stare at Hitoshi, even though he had the distinct feeling it was somehow watching him, but simply stood, twitching, and making the odd, wet gurgling sound.
In a moment of desperation, he attempted to latch onto the response with his quirk. He found nothing, the lasso-rope of his mental power falling into the aether. Well, it was worth a try.
"Doesn't matter," He added, a bizarre grin crossing his lips. "I've fought bigger than you."
He didn't know who he was smiling at, or why, it just seemed appropriate.
After all, didn't the greatest heroes smile in the face of death?
"Kota. The moment you can, run, do you understand?"
He didn't wait for the boy to reply. It wasn't a question. It was a command.
The demon chose that moment to attack, and holy fuck could this thing move. One second it was there, ugly, terrible, and monstrous, the next it was suddenly before him with a huge fist the size of a small child, bearing down with frightening speed.
He couldn't dodge. He had to take the blow.
Hitoshi threw his arms up in defense, but the punch still sent stars dancing through his vision. He felt as though he'd been hit by a truck. He smashed into the rock and pain danced merrily through his entire body before, on instinct, he bounced away.
Lucky, as the rock he had hit simply imploded on impact as the demon attacked again.
It let out a meaty roar from whatever it had for a throat before coming at him again, all fury and mindless bloodlust.
Hitoshi ignored the wet feeling running down his face and managed to pivot suddenly, arching back to throw a superpowered fist into its chest.
To his shock, it didn't dodge. It took the blow fully, absorbing it into itself. And indeed, it absorbed the blow. His fist sank into its horribly hot, wet flesh as all the momentum of his attack was utterly halted. He felt his skin burning at the very touch of this thing, but he couldn't get free.
The monster slapped him aside. His body hit the rock hard, knocking his vision into stars and he felt something snap within him.
Somewhere in his brain, he knew this was bad. Really bad.
The monster continued to advance on him, its footsteps thudding like the beating of a war drum.
Hitoshi, however, was stupid enough to start climbing back onto his feet.
He was bleeding somewhere from his head and something felt wrong within his body but fuck it.
He'd die to save Kota. He'd die to stop this monster.
And that simply wasn't a discussion. It was who he was.
"Alright… you hit pretty hard I'll give you that."
His mouth tasted of spit and copper and he was somewhat aware his words were slurred. That was probably bad, but fuck that too.
He wobbled as the monster loomed over him, then grinned through pinkened teeth, "But you can't hurt what you can't hit."
The beast smashed down on Hitoshi, but Hitoshi wasn't there. One For All was lighting in his blood, heightening his senses, pushing his body to its limits while simultaneously suppressing the pain of his wounds.
He ducked around the beast, again pivoting as he darted behind it, this time aiming a sharp kick into the back of its knee.
It landed, and he pulled back before his foot could sink into the flesh. The monster buckled for just a moment, clearly not expecting the attack, then it swiftly turned, swiping with the back of its hand.
Again, Hitoshi wasn't there, he was in the air above it, bringing down a fist to smash into the exposed brain.
A wave of flesh sprang up from its shoulders and, before Hitoshi could land the blow, it covered the brain in a protective shield of viscus meat and twisted bone.
The punch landed, hard, but the demon simply took it. Before it could absorb his fist, Hitoshi kicked off the monster and landed back. Kota had moved, backing himself as far up against the cliff wall as he could.
Hitoshi could feel his teeth grinding together as he again raised his fists. It was protecting its brain? Fuck. Fuck.
The beast turned back to him before charging once more, not giving the boy any time to think or breathe. It swung at him, and it was all Hitoshi could do to dodge back and away again and again.
But this thing wasn't going to get tired. It wasn't even damaged, and already Hitoshi felt as though he was back in the exam with All Might bearing down on him.
All Might.
The thought of his predecessor sent a wave of guilt running through him. All Might would have won this by now. He would have beaten this demon and rescued the child. And what was he doing?
He was losing. Badly.
NO. He couldn't think like that! Not when-
He didn't see the blow coming. It was too fast, too sudden. The palm of the beast's hand smashed into his side and hit the ground with such force that it cracked under him. Now he was sure things were broken within his body.
For a second, his vision doubled before swimming back into focus as the beast straighten up before him.
It made a sound that was almost a giggle as it advanced on him.
Hitoshi again tried to pick himself up, but his body wasn't responding. Why weren't his arms moving? He needed to move. He needed to-
Giant trunk-like fingers grabbed and lifted him, and slowly, as he was raised to what would be eye-level with the thing, they began to crush him.
He cried out in pain as his bones crunched against one another. The demon was simply going to squeeze him to death, and even as One For All burst through him, it wasn't enough. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe.
He coughed and blood came from his lips.
"So, this is it?" The thoughts came unbidden and unwanted as time seemed to slow to a crawl, "This is how I die? Squeezed to death by a video game reject. I'm sorry Mum, Dad, All Might, Kota… I'm sorry…"
His eyes closed.
Then there was a splash of water.
And the squeezing stopped.
He forced his eyes open and stared as the demon turned its body to face… Kota.
Kota with his hands up, dripping with water, tears, and snot running down his face and his pants dark with piss.
Kota who had stood up anyway.
"STOP! STOP! PLEASE STOP!" He shouted even as his voice shook with terror. "I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM!"
The demon seemed… almost shocked. Amazed that some human child would even do something so stupid before it dropped Hitoshi from its hand.
The teenager hit the floor in a crumpled heap. He could barely feel his body, it was all just a worrying unresponsive numbness.
The demon began marching toward Kota, and the boy simply shrank away.
Yet, as the demon raised a mighty curled fist to rid itself of the mortal, Hitoshi cried out, "HEY!"
Again, it stopped and turned, as if annoyed that it'd twice been interrupted.
It and Kota both watched, both with absolute shock, as Hitoshi climbed back onto his feet.
He was staggering, his shirt torn and covered in dirt and blood. When he looked up, his eyes seemed unfocused and hazy with one barely opening at all.
And yet still he raised his fists up, and with a deathly quiet tone that was as defiant as a lion's roar he said, "I'm not done with you, yet."
He was bleeding, possibly internally, definitely externally. He could barely see straight, and he felt as though he had been plunged underwater. He was most certainly running on less than fumes, the fumes of fumes, and he knew he was probably one finger-flick away from being killed.
But he wasn't giving up. Not now. Not to this thing.
It stormed towards him, a huge fist curling to its shoulder. It was done playing games. It was going to pummel his body into red paste. Hitoshi knew that. He knew there was no running, no dodging, there was nothing he could do to escape this fate.
Nothing except attack head-on.
And so, from deep within himself, from deep within his very soul, he gathered himself. He gathered himself and more.
The energy within his body began rising exponentially as his mouth opened into a furious battle cry that shook with the air around him. The lighting grew brighter, greater, it crackled and snapped and broke the ground beneath his feet with its potency.
He could feel it. The power of One For All rising and rising and rising within him. Greater and ever greater. Brighter and ever brighter.
The demon swung its fist down, Hitoshi swung his fist up to greet it.
They smashed together with a sound akin to a thunderclap. The very air shook and cried out at the pure raw power of the two warriors. The greater demon of hell and the young hero of mankind, evil vs good, darkness vs light, death vs hope.
Hitoshi's fist became absorbed within the beast's flesh and it quickly began bearing down on him, forcing Hitoshi to bend back ever more with each passing second. Yet still, the young hero refused to bow, refused to break.
Instead, his eyes became brighter in the dark. His sclera glowing a shining white and his iris's shining purple as One For All stormed over every atom in his body, flooding him with its lighting and strength.
Yet still, further, he was forced back, yet not an inch Hitoshi would surrender.
The words came to him from somewhere deep within. A voice that called from his soul.
A voice that was outside his own yet spoke with his tongue.
"No… pity," He snarled out through teeth threatening to break within his jaw.
Something was bubbling within him. Something bright and shining and electric. Something… holy.
"No… remorse."
The air erupted around him as this new thing, this new feeling, this new power that was both One For All and something more than One For All rushed through his blood. What was this? What was this new energy coursing through his soul?
No… he knew what this was. He had never felt it before, but he knew what this was.
The demonic flesh that was trying to swallow him whole was burning, but not with the same hellish heat as before. This was a new fire, a true fire, a cleansing fire. The demon gurgled desperate and shocked, but it didn't matter. Its fate was sealed. It tried to pull back, but it couldn't.
It couldn't because Hitoshi wouldn't let it escape.
And with a mighty bellow that shook the ground under him, he finally unleashed his gifted quirk in full, with every last inch of his strength.
"NO FEAR!"
The demon's flesh erupted as the true faith of One For All exploded out of Hitoshi. Flame bright and golden as the dawn rushed over its skin. It screamed in pain as it was utterly consumed by the fire, its unholy body withering and burning and dying and its demonic spirits leaping from it, freed and defeated and fading almost instantly into the air as they vanished from the physical world.
The wave washed across the entire cliff, downing everything within its golden flame. Kota, who had been utterly dumbstruck, cried out and shielded his face, sure he too would be consumed.
But it passed over him as gentle as a loving hand.
He looked back just in time to see the smoking remains of the demon collapse to the floor. Destroyed. Defeated.
Dead.
He watched as Hitoshi fell to his knees. His arms were purple and raw, his skin torn and bloody, the side of his face was covered in red streaks mixed with sweat and dirt. His shirt was simply gone, leaving his battered and bruised body exposed.
Yet still the teenager, no, the hero screamed to the sky, the last exhalation of a victorious warrior.
Hitoshi panted deep, harsh breaths. He had never used One For All like that before. Never had he reached so deep and done so much. Yet the revelation refused to fade.
True faith. Within One For All was true faith.
Yet his mind drifted off that subject and onto something more important. Kota. He had to make sure Kota was safe. Despite feeling like he wanted to lie down and simply go to sleep, he looked over to the boy.
Kota was already rushing over to him, his cheeks wet with tears and snot, "H-Hitoshi?"
"Hey… kid…" He panted softly, glancing at him, and finding that he had a smile on his face. "Are you alright?"
"You're hurt!" Kota said in a childish panic. "You need to get back to the HQ, you- you need help!"
"Probably," He admitted, knowing that was the understatement of the century.
"Why… why did you do that?" Kota sniffled as he simply stared at Hitoshi.
Hitoshi blinked at this as if it were the silliest thing anyone had ever asked him. Then he coughed a laugh, and gave a pained, but honest, smile, "Because it was the right thing to do."
He slowly began standing back up. His body didn't ache as much as he thought it did. It felt oddly cold, actually.
Again, probably not a great sign.
Yet as he stood on the cliff face, he couldn't help but look out at the rest of the valley. He could see the blue fire was already devouring a huge part of the forest, and a sickly yellow mist continued to crawl through the other parts.
He could hear the screams of fighting and pain and war.
And then, cutting through the night, he heard it. An unmistakable cry that shook the air, humbling it with its own terror and magnificence. A cry that spoke of a blasphemous power, of a rising Prince clad in the cloak of fire and darkness.
It was the cry of Nemesis unleashed.
And Hitoshi knew, instantly, that while he had defeated one demon, the greater fight was still out there.
He had to stop Nemesis.
Izuku could hear Tiger shouting at him, but he didn't care.
His blood was up. His battle lust was rushing through him. He was excited. He knew he shouldn't be. He should be scared and panicked and anxious. He should be staying with his friends and doing the safe thing, the right thing.
But he wasn't.
Because the part of him within his heart and soul that was increasingly muddled and mixed knew that they didn't need him. They didn't need to be babysat, and he didn't want to be told what to do by a couple of heroes dressed in cat costumes.
He wanted to be out here, in the forest, hunting his enemy.
Besides, he had a good reason. He had to stop Dark Shadow. He had no idea where Katsuki or Shoto where, therefore, he couldn't rely on them to get the job done with their bright fire. And besides, what kind of warrior would he be if he simply sat back and let others do his work?
No. This had to be his job.
That's what he kept telling himself as he bounced from tree to tree, moving like a living shadow through the forest. His feet and hands were already taken over by his Fallen-self and his eyes were half dimmed. Their shared soul burned with their blasphemous energy. The night was his, and he was its first-born master.
Dark Shadow would be put in their place once and for all.
Oh, and some people would be saved, he guessed.
It didn't take long to hunt them down. Even through the forest, he could pick up on the scent of Fumikage. He smelled like soft burning candles and old temple wood. Dark Shadow had a scent too, one of bitter, crushing dark and grey battlefields fresh with corpses. Not that Izuku knew what a battlefield smelled like of course.
He had the distinct impression he might after this night was done.
It also helped that he could smell blood. It was fresh on the air and like a wolf he could pick it out from within the many scents of the forest.
There was a deep, rumbling growl that shook the shadowed earth before him, bouncing off the trees and causing Izuku's ears to twitch.
Whatever had made that noise had been big.
Dark Shadow had always boasted about being greater at night, when the shadows were dark and long. Izuku had also noticed, in the few times he had seen Dark Shadow in the evenings, that the beast was bigger.
But unleashed, well, just how large did the demon grow?
There was another cry through the air, deep and male, and the smell of blood, human blood, got sharper and stronger.
Izuku's pace quickened, his blood spiking ever higher with fire and power and excitement.
He burst onto a scene that took him only a second to take in.
Cowed against a tree, was Mezo. He was missing a hand and an eye, though thankfully they were from his mutable arms, and they were scattered on the ground, bloody from their severed stumps.
He darted forward, smashing into a gigantic, descending shadowed claw that had been only a heartbeat away from utterly crushing the teenager.
The owner of the claw cried out in rage and turned its vast bulk as Izuku skidded to a halt, turning, and locking his dark gaze to the demon.
He was grinning and his teeth were sharp.
"Princeling."
Dark Shadow was… huge. There was no other way of putting it. The demonic crow had always boasted about their might under the shadows of night, but now Izuku could see they were no boasts. Dark Shadow towered over all of them. Their gigantic bulk was a void against the night air, flickering with power and strength. Two vast arms, bigger than tree trunks, dragged the body around to face their new opponent.
Izuku could see no trace of Fumikage within the shadow, though he knew his friend must be alive somewhere within Dark Shadow's body.
Vast eyes the color of false, mocking gold narrowed, and a giant maw filled with shadow-teeth, large enough to bite through a car, grinned.
"So, you've come to join my fun," Their voice was no longer a jackdawish caw but a deep, demonic baritone, yet no less mocking for it. "Why don't we feast together, you and I?" They held out a vast hand towards Mezo. "I offer you the mortal's heart and I will devour their soul. We can toast together with their blood," Their grin grew wider and more insulting. "To cement our good friendship."
"Let them go, Dark Shadow," Izuku's voice was already echoing. "We command you to back down."
"You command me?!" The faux friendliness dropped within a heartbeat and was replaced by a hateful, rumbling snarl. "How dare you, Princeling! You think I would obey you, just because of your blood?"
"No, we think you'll obey us because if you don't, we'll force you to obey us," Izuku flicked out a hand and with it came a burst of azure fire that barely illuminated the air around it.
The devourer flame was not something that brought light to the dark. It was of the dark, born of the most unhallowed depths of hell. Its only purpose was to destroy.
Yet here and now Izuku was determined to use it to save. Mezo's life, Fumikage's life, and potentially the lives of everyone in the forest.
"HA!" Dark Shadow's laughter was a cannon boom that shook the trees. "This has been a long time coming, Princeling. Fine," The demon waved a hand towards Mezo. "Flee, mortal. For this is a fight of powers greater than you."
Mezo, surprisingly, stood his ground. He glanced at Izuku, his eyes wide and unsure. Izuku met his gaze and simply gave him a determined nod, "Get back to the HQ, but be careful, there are villains in the forest. We'll deal with Dark Shadow here."
"But… you can't-"
"Malleable One," Nemesis snapped. "You're bleeding. You need help. Go. Now."
The teenager hesitated a moment longer before nodding, turning, and running back into the forest, calling out, "Good luck!"
Dark Shadow moved, fully facing Izuku now. Their vast claws embedded into the earth. A low, guttural chuckle rose out of them. "I wonder how your soul will taste once I devour it, Prince of Dirt and Nothing."
"Careful now," Nemesis replied, his eyes flicking back to Dark Shadow, "you're talking to the Morningstar Reborn. You should show respect to your betters."
Izuku had no illusions that this was not going to be an easy fight. Yet his heart was reveling at the thought. His talons twitched and curled tighter. Every part of his body was burning with the azure fire in his blood.
He was ready for this fight.
He wanted this fight.
He burned to be tested.
But even now he knew he had to save. Fumikage was in there, somewhere, and he couldn't let his friend fall to the darkness.
For a moment, for an eternal moment, there was only the stillness of the air as the two stared one another down.
And then everything exploded.
It was a joint action, the demon and the Prince of Demons moving in a singular moment. One gigantic claw smashing down onto the space Izuku had been only a breath ago, the ground being torn up behind him in a shower of dirt and ruin.
Izuku was in the air, vast wings having spread from his back as he naturally attempted to gain the higher ground. However, he had assumed, given the demon's new bulk, he could outmaneuver Dark Shadow.
His momentary foolishness cost him.
Dark Shadow hit him like a hammer and Izuku was smashed into the ground. He felt the pain, which itself was shocking enough. He wasn't used to being hurt, not by anyone, not anymore. His body bounced up from the impact and the air was torn from his lungs.
But he was no mere human, and even now his body was recovering at lightning speed.
The next blow that came for him was met with an explosion of blue fire which spun him over the great claws of Dark Shadow's giant hand.
He landed on his feet, then darted again as the ground was torn up from under him, the sound of the impact shaking even the thick trees around them.
He ducked under one of Dark Shadow's vast hands and rushed towards the beast with a fist full of azure flame. He smashed into them, the devourer fire lashing at the huge, shadowed monster.
The beast roared in anger and pain.
Yet for a second, their chest opened.
For a second, Izuku caught a glimpse of his friend's yellow beak and white shirt. But the shadow was devouring him, covering his eyes, and holding his mouth shut.
He tried to reach out, but it was too late, even for his incredible speed.
The shadow slammed around Fumikage and Izuku barely had time to dodge as Dark Shadow simply flattened the space before them.
Izuku shot out more fire, hoping to damage the creature. He knew he couldn't use his fire like a true flame, there was no light for the monster to retreat against. However, he knew that the flame could hurt Dark Shadow.
This would not be a fight to control the demon, but to punish it until it surrendered.
Yet the thought whispered in the back of his mind, what if Dark Shadow refused to surrender? What if this was a fight to the death?
How far were they willing to go?
He managed to gain some space and placed both his hands together, his palms facing towards the suddenly charging Dark Shadow.
He unleashed a wave of terrible fire that blanketed the world before him, uncaring if he set branch and tree alight. Yet Dark Shadow simply barreled through it like an oncoming tidal wave, their shadow extinguishing the fire as it roared with the sound of a thousand cursed crows.
Izuku tried to dodge, but it was a heartbeat too late.
Again, Dark Shadow hit him.
He had managed to put an arm up in defense, but it wasn't enough. The claw smashed into him, knocking him off his feet and throwing him into a great tree, which made a teeth-clenching crack under the impact. Again, the air was utterly stolen from Izuku's lungs.
Blood spurted from his mouth and he could taste copper across his tongue.
He was grabbed suddenly and thrown, his body hurled through the fire-hot air. He hit another tree, bouncing off it with a hefty thud. Only through Nemesis's sudden control did his wings open and he avoided falling flat onto the floor.
Another blow came down as the beast moved again to attack. They were so fast, not as fast as his Father and Uncle, but still with fighting purpose and precision. Izuku rolled, even as his mind tried to gather itself back together.
And it did so with the speed and clarity that only a Fallen could possess. He registered the pain and bloody wounds like one might notice a tap left running. Worrying, but not enough to induce panic.
No, that was not what was dividing Izuku's mind.
It was the dawning realization that he was realizing he was losing this fight. Every attack he made on the demon seemed to do little to no damage, and, unlike himself, they were healing their wounds, drawing from the very night around them.
He also had no space. Dark Shadow moved through the shadow, as part of it, while Izuku was very much a being of flesh and bone.
He needed space. So long as he was trapped in this forest with the beast, he couldn't maneuver, not with Dark Shadow's bulk and power.
All too late he was realizing the cost of his eagerness. He had charged in, full of self-appointed pride. A belief that he was the Son of Darkness and nothing could overcome him. That victory was a right, not a reward.
All too late was he realizing that Dark Shadow had been wanting this fight too and had planned it far better than he had.
His thoughts were dividing, his soul splitting as his two sides tried and fought over the right action to take. Retreat? Keep fighting? What should he-
His division manifested as a hesitation, and it was all his enemy needed. He had moved to gain some height, to try and gain some space in the sky before Dark Shadow could grab him, but the beast had moved faster than he had expected.
And they caught him with their jaws.
Teeth made from darkness yet as sharp as a knight's blade sliced through his skin. He was lucky, another few inches and it might have cut his arm clean off.
This was a pain even his gifts couldn't ignore. He screamed in agony as Dark Shadow went to bite him again, and only when he filled Dark Shadow's mouth with burning azure flame did the monster relent. Even so, Izuku landed badly, falling into a bumpy roll.
His blood was flowing now, he could feel it wet and thick down his arm and soaking into his shirt.
He knew this was bad. Very bad.
"Your blood tastes strange, Princeling," Dark Shadow laughed in a booming tone as Izuku rose back to his taloned feet. "So rich, so much power. I'll have fun devouring you."
"If you keep going like this, you'll kill Fumikage," Izuku hissed out, his voice echoing. "You need to stop."
Time, time, he needed time, he needed to focus, he needed to-
"Attack! Take him now!"
No! They were bleeding they were-
"We're losing!"
We're losing!
"HA! Like I care," Dark Shadow moved with a twitching, birdlike gait, stalking their much smaller prey. "Do you really think my loyalty to Fumikage is so great that I would save him? I have killed and eaten the souls of ones much closer before now."
"What?" Izuku flecked the talons on his blood-soaked hand. He could still feel them, that at least was a good sign. "What do you-"
The strike was like lightning, and Izuku knew he was lucky to dodge it. The tree behind him exploded on impact with Dark Shadow's mighty paw. Yet they laughed uproariously.
A horrible tightening took over Izuku's chest as he realized Dark Shadow knew they were winning.
Izuku could not feel fear. Not like he was now.
But he could still feel the creeping tendrils of panic.
The demon only laughed as they seemed to recognize this within Izuku, and they attacked again. The air turned cold as the monstrous beast swung another vast claw down on Izuku, slicing through branch and bark and ground. Izuku dodged, but only barely. The war within his soul was blooming painfully within his chest, and he could feel the fire he thought he had conquered starting to burn at his skin.
Nemesis was screaming within him, demanding action, demanding they attack, they use their fire, they do something.
Their unity was being threatened with every passing second.
And that alone was enough to hand Dark Shadow the fight.
Izuku stumbled, stumbled, as he tried to dodge again, and the hand caught him. A smashing, flat palm of shadow black that hit him onto his back and pressed him painfully into the earth. His body sang with merry pain and for a moment, all he could hear was his blood rushing through his ears.
His vision, so sharp, so precise, flickered before his own eyes.
"Foolish Princeling," He made to get up, but Dark Shadow's claw descended and smashed him further into the earth. A crater of torn grass, branches, and earth piled over him.
He tried to move again, and again the hand came down.
"Do you know how I gained so much power?" Dark Shadow mocked as they moved over him, a vast looming shadow like the crows of ancient battlefields.
He felt paralyzed as Nemesis tried to struggle for control, the first time it had done so in months. His humanity tried to struggle back.
He hadn't been ready. He had thought he was finally past this, but pride had been nothing but a false balm to his internal disunity.
The claw came down again, and again Izuku's vision sparked in and out.
"In Hell, I am known as the Flock of One. The Devourer of my Feather-Kin."
The claw came down again.
"I consumed and ate my siblings for a chance to become one of the Corpse Jarls of Lord Lilithia's Court."
And again.
"My own siblings."
And again.
"That was who the Mirror-Child stole at the Sports Festival."
And again.
"The echo remnant of the last sibling I devoured."
The hand pressed him into the dirt. Blood was flowing from his lips and even as the fire burned hot and bright in his scars and blood, he found he couldn't move.
He couldn't fight back.
"They thought their connections, their family made them strong. They were fools and weaklings. Just like Fumikage is. Just like you are. Weak." The vast grin of the monster formed above him and something was going haywire within Izuku's concussed brain.
"Goodbye, Nemesis, Bastard of Lucifer," Dark Shadow's jaw opened wide, wide enough to swallow him whole, and it descended upon him.
The world slowed to a deathly crawl.
He could taste the blood and ash on this tongue, the weight of the packed soil stained red on his skin. He could feel the distant ache of his broken ribs within his chest and each breath struggled to enter his lungs. His head was… distant, fogged.
Was this it? Was this his ending? Here and now as this death-crow came for his spirit?
Izuku closed his eyes.
Izuku saw his mother, smiling with tears in her eyes, so proud of her son. He saw Azrael laughing and smiling as they trained together. He saw his friends, supporting his efforts, holding him up when he fell. He saw Hitoshi, walking his own mirror-path to Izuku, yet always side by side. He saw his father. The great King of Hell. He saw him smiling, nodding. The pride in his eyes for once not for himself, but for his son.
And then he saw Nemesis. Back in the strange other-place under Azrael's tower. They stood before one another on opposite sides of the mirror, suspended in the void of night.
"We cannot die here."
"What can we do? We're too divided."
"No, that is simply the illusion of panic," The monster frowned. "We are still one."
"Then what can we do?"
There was a heartbeat that lasted for an eternity.
"Hand over control to us."
Fear ran through the human part of Izuku's soul. "No! We can't Not after last time, we can't-"
"This is not then. We are not that person." Nemesis's voice was… almost soft, and Izuku had the strange realization that this panic, this fear, this division that gripped him was not felt on their half, but only on his own.
This was a human fear, a human terror.
And he was not entirely human.
The monster stretched out a great claw, turning it palm up.
"We are Izuku-Who-Is-Nemesis, and Nemesis-Who-Is-Izuku. We are the Morningstar. We made an oath and will uphold that oath."
And Izuku understood, finally, what he needed to do to win this fight.
He reached out his hand and took the great, taloned claw before him.
And suddenly, he was on the other side of the mirror.
There was a sudden explosion of dirt and azure fire, and with it, a scream.
It was a scream that tore at the world around it, a rending battle-cry that spoke of a darkness unbound and a power unrestrained.
A scream that stabbed even into the core of Dark Shadow. The wave of fire hit their mighty beak and they cried aloud retreating suddenly back.
But the flame kept coming, washing against him in a continuous wave that smashed pain and fire at their shadowed form. The power was so great that even they had to pull back and away, drawing more from the shadows to desperately heal themselves.
The moment they could, they looked forward.
And suddenly, they knew everything had changed.
Rising from the crater they had pounded them into, was not Izuku Midoriya.
It was a Fallen.
Nemesis, Prince of Hell crawled himself up from the blood and dirt. He stretched out his vast wings and clenched a fist red with his own blood.
Shadow now coated their body up to their neck, and when their eyes opened, their sclera was completely void-black. But even more telling was the terrible halo, like the eclipsing of the sun, that touched from shoulder to shoulder, visible even in the dark. Even the ground under them seemed to darken at the touch of this blasphemous child of Hell and Earth.
The boy looked otherwise unchanged, and yet, everything was different.
Dark Shadow refused to be cowed and roared back into the attack.
And they missed.
The Fallen simply ducked under the blow and hit Dark Shadow with a blazing fist that shocked the demon with its unnatural strength, throwing them back. The beast hit several trees all at once and tried to recover only for another mighty blow to hammer into their chest.
No, not a hammer, but a knife, cutting through their unlight body, deep into their core. Their mouth opened in a wordless cry as claws suddenly tore into its body and began ripping their chest open.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Dark Shadow choked as they went to claw the young man off them.
The reply was spoken quietly, yet still, it echoed off every tree and branch around them. "Saving our friend."
The monstrous crow tried to claw at the Prince, but Nemesis moved even faster. With one hand under Dark Shadow's jaw, Nemesis grinned with sharp teeth. "Focus on the candle."
A lance of fire shot from his fingers, slicing cleanly through Dark Shadow's beak before he widened his fingers, and thus, the fire exploded around them. Dark Shadow very nearly lost their entire face, and their scream became a garbled mess of shock and pain.
The struggling only became worse as Nemesis, even using his bloody and wounded arm, tore open Dark Shadow's chest.
There was Fumikage. Trapped in the shadow, lost to the hell-beast that claimed his soul.
But Nemesis was the Morningstar Reborn. He was the bringer of hope to those lost in the dark. He was a warrior who was of Hell yet would save and redeem those trapped within it.
Fumikage was in Hell.
Nemesis would save him.
He reached forward and grabbed Fumikage by the shoulder, pulling him with all his might, as hard as he possibly could. He didn't care that his talons bit deep through Fumikage's shirt and into his flesh, causing blossoms of red to appear on the once clean white.
With one herculean pull and a mighty beat of Nemesis's great wings, he tore Fumikage out of Dark Shadow's mass. The two of them shot back, falling to the ground in a roll of dirt and fallen leaves, blood and sweat. Fumikage's eyes seemed blank, dazed, and lost, but that didn't matter. He was out, he was saved.
But Dark Shadow was not done yet.
"You think I'm beaten!" The beak was slowly forming back, enough at least for them to speak. Nemesis looked up from Fumikage to see the monstrous crow reforming still. Yet now they no longer had Fumikage within them, he could see that their form was shivering, shaking, all too aware of the separation from their host. "I WILL KILL YOU, NEMESIS!"
Nemesis made only one move. He summoned a ball of azure flame to his hand and then held it against the sliver of thin unlight that still connected Fumikage's chest to Dark Shadow.
The beast faltered.
"… you wouldn't."
"Try us."
His blood was still running down his arm and his body was battered and bruised. He was panting, and his scars glowed brightly from the terrifying furnace within him. His shirt was ruined, revealing a myriad of cuts and bloody marks.
But Dark Shadow was also a mess. The flame had eaten at much of it, though even now he could see it slowly healing.
Truly Dark Shadow was mighty, he would admit that.
Yet they did not approach.
"If you sever us, Fumikage will die. You won't sacrifice him to save yourself."
"Perhaps not, or perhaps we will. There are other lives in this forest, and we will not permit you to take them," The flame moved closer to the thin string and Nemesis's curled his hand to a fist, with only his index and middle fingers, his nails long and sharp, held out. The flame suddenly became sharp and focused like a welding torch.
He held it closer still, and Dark Shadow almost leapt forward, one mighty claw held out, "NO!"
Behind him, Fumikage groaned, slowly coming back to himself, but Nemesis kept his eyes on the demon before him.
Nemesis did not grin in victory but kept his expression stony and serious. "Do you yield, Dark Shadow?"
The demonic crow's eyes flashed with an unbelievable pride even in their defeat. "How can I yield to a bastard?"
"We could destroy you, right now," Nemesis spoke with echoing tones. "But we don't want to. We don't want to hurt our friend. And you, despite everything, are part of him. You may not ever come to see us as an ally, but…" There was a pause, and his echo lessened as more of Izuku returned to him. "We would like you in our court."
Dark Shadow said nothing, their eyes simply growing wide.
"Forgo your vows to Lilithia," Nemesis stretched out a bloodied, taloned hand. "And rise as Dark Shadow of the Morningstar's Court."
"… are you serious?" Their eyes narrowed. "This is not like you, Nemesis."
"No, it is not. But… we are changing," Nemesis found a smile was forming on his lips. "We are the human with the Fallen soul, and the Fallen with the human soul. Do you think we have suppressed our human-self? No, because it gives us strength. You say family makes you weak, but it was our family who saved us from ruin. It was Fumikage's family who helped him control you. Family is not a weakness, Dark Shadow. Become part of our court and find a new family to make you stronger still."
The demon seemed to hesitate for a moment, their eyes glancing from the battle-worn Nemesis to the slowly recovering Fumikage and then to the fire-blade held to their cord. One slice and they would be cut from Fumikage forever.
"I… I…"
"DARK SHADOW! RETURN!" Fumikage's sudden scream from behind Nemesis caused the teen to turn his horned head.
Before the shadow-crow could truly respond, they screamed out loud as Fumikage's will forced the beast back into their soul. Fumikage cried out before collapsing to his knees, panting and shaking.
"… You pulled them back? Why?"
"Why do you think?!" Fumikage spat out in a furious tone before suddenly pulling his emotions back and breathing deeply. "My… my soul… it aches… I can feel it inside me…"
"They were about to bow to us."
"You don't know that," Fumikage hissed. "And I won't let them loose again. Not tonight. Not unless my life is truly dependent on it." The bird-headed teen tried to stand, but failed, wincing again, and wrapping both arms around his chest. "I can feel their rage. They want to be unleashed… I can't… I can't risk it."
Finally, however, the boy looked up, still panting deep as his body fought to contain the beast within him. He eyed Nemesis carefully before carefully asking. "… so, Nemesis, you control Izuku? Have you finally consumed him?"
"No, it isn't like that," Nemesis smiled. "We are still Izuku, though we are currently Nemesis. This is… necessary, at least tonight. Until we save the others and defeat the enemy, we shall rule our body."
"And am I one of your enemies?"
"We aren't going to hurt you, Seventh Son. We… no longer seek such a thing. However," His eyes narrowed dangerously, and the pagan green of his irises glowed in the dark. "There are others here who we do wish to hurt, so," suddenly, he offered his unlight-clad hand, "we must act quickly before they hurt those we care about."
Fumikage paused for a long moment as if deciding if he should take the hand or not. A distant cry seemed to break him from his thoughts, and both teenagers turned to look where it had come from.
A quick glance back, and Fumikage reached out, grabbing hold of Nemesis's wrist and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.
There was a grim tone to his voice as he simply announced, "Lead on, Prince of Hell."
WOO! So, how did ya'll like the double creature feature in this one? Two boys, alike in passion, though walking parallel paths take on two very different yet alike fights. It was a TON of fun to write this out, and I loved making little parallels between the two throughout. Hopefully, you guys can spot them. Also, I wonder how many of you thought that ending would happen? Izuku willingly handing over control was a twist I've been wanting to unleash for a while.
It'll pay off later. Trust me.
Also, I want to absolutely acknowledge and admit I did Mezo dirty here. If I could have dealt with him some other way, I would have done, but unfortunately, he just got a bit overwhelmed and kinda just... left. Sorry Mezo.
Though hopefully, you guys will forgive me with the next chapter. Which is also ANOTHER big double creature feature fight! Can yah guess who?
Now for the important news. Winter is not a season that agrees with me. December especially is stressful and lately I've been feeling very worn down and burned out. I still want to write this fic of course, so this isn't me quitting. I just need a break. A holiday break. So, after this update, there's not gonna be an update on the usual 3 week wait. Instead, we'll be coming back in January on the 15th. The next chapter is already written, but I do want to take a week for myself where I can just chillout and chillax for a bit.
So, with all that said, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, I hope you all have fantastic holidays and I hope you all keep safe. Cya in the new year my peeps!
