AAAAAND WE'RE BACK, FOLKS.

And I may not have gotten to everything I wanted to, BUT, I did get a lot of work on the fic done. Enough that I now feel confident to start posting again.

So, without further adieu, let's get this party started!


Izuku remembered the last time he'd been in the principal's office. Back when he and Nemesis were fighting each other in a constant daily grind over control of their mind, body, and spirit.

Was it wrong to look back on those times with disdain? He had been such a pitiful creature. Crying and sobbing and all but begging for the opportunity to stay in the hero course. It was his dream to become someone others could look up to, someone who saved others without a second thought.

Now he wasn't so sure.

From that sniveling wreck of a person had come the Morningstar Reborn. A Redeemer Prince, the Fallen child who refused to fall. A harbinger who would look up to the heavens, not with hate but acceptance.

But the idea of being a hero of men was no longer such a sticking point in his mind. So much had changed, about himself, about his friends, about his family. He still wished to do what he could to do good in the world, to carve a path that others may follow, but the idea of standing where All Might once stood seemed… limiting.

Especially when placed next to the world of the supernatural, which he knew, deep inside, was where his heart now lay.

Those thoughts drifted through his mind as he approached the door with 'Principal Nedzu' written on a smart plaque upon it. And yet even now he felt an odd stab of trepidation in his guts, even when he knew he hadn't done anything wrong. Not enough to be called to the Principal's office, anyway.

"Perhaps he wishes to discuss his deal with father." Nemesis whispered softly through his thoughts. "It is possible he would want to renegotiate with the inheritor of that deal."

Izuku was startled at the thought. Did every deal and debt that Lucifer had held automatically go to him? Well, Lucifer wasn't dead. He was just… indisposed. And yet it was entirely obvious to anyone that the devil himself had no way of collecting on those debts.

Would it become his job to do the bidding of his father?

Izuku frowned and Nemesis flared at the very conception. No. This was his life, he would not become his father's surrogate now that he was unable to make people's lives miserable in person.

As he approached the door, he steadied himself.

He also paused.

Through the door, he could hear people talking. His pointed ears twitched as he tried to pick out exactly what was being said, but the words were oddly muffled as if the principal had long ago realized that people may try and spy into his office and had guarded against it.

But there was definitely more than one person in there…

He gulped down his nerves and let Nemesis flow into his blood. He was shadow and flame. He could do this.

And so, with a hand that wasn't shaking too much, he knocked three times.

Barely half a second passed before Nedzu's voice came through loud and clear, beckoning him in.

Izuku opened the door and was greeted by four figures.

One was the principal.

The other three were demons.

He knew they were demons because of two immediate factors. The first was that, within a second's glance, Izuku had gotten a half-decent look at their souls. Each was a horrible, poisonous black that was wrapped tightly around whatever human soul they had managed to consume and enslave.

The second was that Kuroiro was there, dressed in an oversized UA school uniform and looking like he'd rather be absolutely anywhere else.

The other two demons turned and looked directly at him, and their expressions were like night and day.

The first resembled a tall, slim man with pallid skin and narrow, jet-black eyes, which matched his thin nose and pointed chin, which ended in a curled goatee. He was dressed like some kind of Camden leisure pirate with an all-white suit-and-shorts combo and red striped stockings with knee-high brown boots. He even had a top hat and a cane. His bluish-black hair fell around his face, and his wide, cunning grin gave Izuku the creeps.

The shorter one beside him was dressed in what was probably once a nice dark blue striped suit and a brown overcoat, but it looked ragged and torn as if the owner had just come out of a fight. Their dark blue tie was hanging low around their neck. Their head was a messy fuzz of dirty blonde, their face square and set with an obvious five o'clock shadow. Though their body seemed neither thin nor fat, but simply out of shape. It was the body of a middle-aged bank manager, set in their ways.

Their eyes however, unlike his companions, were completely black, like those of a shark, and when he gave Izuku a small snarl, his teeth were similarly shark-like, jagged, and large. Teeth that were meant for tearing meat apart into bloody chunks.

Kuroiro immediately bowed. "Greetings, Prince Nemesis. It's an-"

"THERE HE IS!" The taller demon strode forward, shoving Kuroiro to one side. "The man of the hour! Our dearest, darling Prince!" He stopped just before Izuku and bent his knee in an elaborate bow of supplication. "It is an honor to meet you at last and let me be the second to pledge my immediate and utter loyalty to you, my young Lord."

"Err."

"So, you're him, huh?" The blonde demon took a step closer and shoved his hands into his dirty overcoat's pockets. "… you look a bit like him, what with the armor. Didya steal that from our King?"

"He gave it to us." Nemesis snarled as his eyes narrowed at the demon. "As a gift."

The blonde snorted and smirked. "Whatever."

"Do not be so rude, Be'lakor!" The tall demon announced, standing up and frowning at Be'lakor. They then turned back to Izuku and placed a hand over his heart, grinning. "Oh, my apologies, my Prince. I am Mephistopheles, Lord of Knowledge, Master of Eyes and Ears, Keeper of Tomes, and Second Baron of the Privy Council." Mephistopheles motioned towards Be'lakor. "This happy chappy is Be'lakor, Lord of the Punished, Master of Torments, Keeper of Keys, and Fifth Baron of the Privy Council."

Be'lakor only huffed as Izuku frowned at them.

"And of course, you already know Kuroiro, our fresh-faced, young Sixth Baron?"

Izuku only gave Kuroiro a small nod and a smile. The dour-faced Kuroiro simply sighed and rolled their eyes.

"Gentleman?" Izuku looked past Mephistopheles to see a somewhat exacerbated Nedzu sitting at his desk. He looked uncomfortable and on edge, though he was doing a damn good job of not showing it. If Izuku hadn't been able to pick up on the tiny mannerisms of his hands, tightly clutched as they rested on his desk, and the slightly-too stiff posture of his back, he might not have known he was bothered at all. "Would you please sit down?"

"Why?" Be'lakor turned on the animal. "We have who we came for. We'll drop him off later."

"You cannot simply take him out of class." Nedzu's chin dipped a little. "As his Principal I-"

"Your opinion doesn't matter, mortal." Be'lakor took a step towards the desk and placed his hands down upon it. Izuku noticed that his fingernails were as black as his soulless eyes. "We do not bow to the likes of you."

"Now, now." Mephistopheles had moved closer to their companion and placed a hand onto his shoulder. Be'lakor allowed themselves to be pulled away as the taller demon smiled diplomatically. "We can resolve this without bloodshed. We're in the human world, after all, and a touch of finesse would go a long way, Belly."

"Do not call me that." Be'lakor snarled at Mephistopheles before snorting, shoving the hand off and storming towards the window where they leaned against it, arms crossed like a pouting child.

"My apologizes, Principal Nedzu." Mephistopheles turned to the animalistic Principal. "Be'lakor does not visit here often. His mannerisms are a little… curt."

"That's quite alright. However, my opinion stands."

"What opinion?" Izuku asked as he moved further into the room. "What's going on?"

Nedzu had mentioned something about him leaving class. He guessed that the three demons were all here on behalf of his father's court, that was obvious, but where did they think they could take him?

The sudden worry that they were going to drag him into some trap to murder him and claim ownership of the throne hit him, even if he was sure if they had wanted to do that, inviting him to an office wouldn't have been his choice of ambush.

They could have waited until he was off school grounds at the very least.

"We are here on the business of your father, the King," Kuroiro announced dryly. "It is the business of Oblivion, of Hell."

"Indeed, young Prince!" Mephistopheles turned to grin at the boy. Every time Izuku saw his fanged smile, he was increasingly reminded of a fox. The demon pointed his cane directly at him. "We require your immediate presence within the Mourning Palace."

Izuku thought for a moment, then simply replied, "no thanks."

The demons looked as though someone had just come in and pulled down their collective trousers.

"… what do you mean, 'no thanks'?" Be'lakor growled. "You're the Prince, and Lucifer is…" They seemed uncomfortable even saying the words. "… not here."

"Our glorious King has been robbed from us by the vile machinations of that accursed realm of light," Mephistopheles said with no small amount of dramatical posing, he even removed his hat, showing neatly parted hair. "You, as our crowned and rightful Prince, must come to our aid!"

"Yeah, okay, here's the thing." Izuku straightened his back and let his inner Fallen take over a little more. When he spoke again, it was with Nemesis's echoing tone and increasingly shadowed eyes. "We are not Lucifer. Whatever business they were conducting before they were taken to Heaven is their business. It is not up to us to go cleaning up their messes."

Be'lakor smirked and looked away. "Of course. The child is a coward, no doubt that's the mortal filth in their soul."

Many things happened all at once. Izuku moved, the fire in his blood spiking hot as Nemesis's rage quickly overtook him. He had already leaped halfway across the room to smash a fist into the irritating demon's face before two strong arms caught him.

Mephistopheles and Kuroiro had acted with a swiftness that would impress even the best of heroes. Kuroiro grabbed onto Izuku's arm, stopping his sudden and furious advance. Mephistopheles had instead moved between the prince and his target, a gloved hand held against his shoulder to stop the teenager.

Nedzu reacted last, standing up onto his chair and shouting suddenly. "STOP! I will not have fighting in my office!" And despite the fact that he had to know that Izuku could throw him out the window without effort, he locked his eyes on the boy. "Izuku. If you do that again you will be sentenced to a week's worth of detention. Do I make myself clear?"

Izuku took a quick breath but nodded at the principal. Nemesis knew, by the laughing smirk on Be'lakor's face that they had fallen for the bait. Their anger was something they had been working on, but every now and then it still slipped through.

They were proud of their mixed heritage. They were proud to be who they were. Any insult to either side of their soul was an insult they couldn't let stand.

"Sire! Please!"

"Prince Nemesis do not rise to Be'lakor's insults. Be'lakor!" Mephistopheles turned and frowned at the demon. "Stop taunting the boy! We won't get anywhere by fighting! And considering the events of the recent past, I would think fighting should be the last thing any of us want to do!"

"Why?" Izuku grumbled out as he felt an irritable calm settle over him. "What's happened?"

Mephistopheles and Kuroiro shared a look, then the tall demon turned towards Nedzu. "Sir, if you wouldn't mind, could you afford to give us a few moments with the prince?"

"I can't trust you won't take him from here," Nedzu replied as he calmly settled back into his chair. "I cannot let him be alone with any of you."

"We are to discuss matters of Hell itself," Mephistopheles answered as he took a step closer to the tiny principal. "These things are not for mortal ears."

Nedzu paused for a moment, his jaw working as he considered it.

"… fine. But only one of you may be allowed to leave the room with him. Two of you must stay here."

"Kuroiro," Izuku suddenly butted in. "Kuroiro can explain it to me."

Mephistopheles looked hurt, though Izuku was starting to see through their act. He was dramatic and flashy, but one look into those fox-like eyes told him everything he needed to know about the demon.

He was just as cruel, just as heartless, and just as cunning as Be'lakor was. The only difference was their temperaments.

"I don't know either of you, but I know Kuroiro. So, let them fill me in on what's going on. Besides, you were Lucifer's messenger, right?"

"Equerry," the demon grumbled.

"Equerry," Izuku corrected himself. "Well, isn't part of your duties is to deliver news? So, you can deliver it."

"… fine," Mephistopheles rolled his eyes. "Let the Sixth Baron do their job."

Be'lakor only huffed and shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

With a sigh and a nod from Nedzu, Izuku gave a quick look to Kuroiro before gesturing with quick head movement to the door. Soon they were outside, and after a quick walk down the corridor where the shining sun couldn't quite reach them, Izuku stopped and turned to look at the teenage-looking demon.

"Alright, what's going on? Why do you guys want me to go to Hell?"

Kuroiro gulped slowly and looked from side to side as if someone might hear them. Then they looked back, though their eyes drifted downwards as if they were ashamed of the news they were delivering.

"King Lucifer's… absence has not gone unnoticed, sire. The fight between Satani and our King shook the underworld and has caused chaos in the realm of chaos. Legions and warbands of the other realms have sensed weakness and war has been raged. Some just small skirmishes, others great battles. We have been holding fast so far but… officers and generals in the Oblivion Legion have been questioning their loyalty if Lucifer is no longer there to rule them. We've each been battling for our lives, but tensions are rising. We need a leader. Demons cannot follow other demons for long."

"Why not?" Izuku asked even though he felt he already knew the answer.

Kuroiro only smirked. "Have you met other demons? It doesn't take long until we begin tearing into one another in our grabs for power."

"Well, what about you?"

"I am satisfied with my position, but I cut the throats of many to get where I am today." Kuroiro's smile turned vicious for just a moment. "And I would cut many more to rise through the court."

Izuku frowned at this, though he soon looked away in thought. His life was here, on Earth, amongst the living. Not in that nightmare realm he still felt uneasy about. The last time he was there he was almost destroyed by his own aunt-uncle.

And yet… and yet he wouldn't deny a part of him was curious about returning. He would not approach those horrific gates as a lost soul, but a Prince of the Realm.

Again, he thought about the whisper in his heart, the one he heard whenever he was alone at night. The whisper of the realm of shadows.

He told himself it wasn't just that. He couldn't just let everything his father had built fall to ruin. He didn't like Lucifer, but he had started to respect him in some strange, twisted way. He respected, at the very least, his vision, and his love of defiant freedom in the face of fate itself.

Izuku looked to his wrists, where the braces of the Armor of the Morningstar reflected no light in their odd, brass-like metal. He was literally wearing the armor his father had given him. And that armor was more than just a fancy costume.

It was a mark of his respect, his admiration, his pride.

Maybe even his love, if Izuku could sometimes kid himself into thinking Lucifer could love anyone.

But with it came responsibility. His mother had told him it wasn't enough to call himself a Redeemer. He also had to lead.

"… if I did go to Hell, what would you want me to do? I can't just… abandon my life here to go rule over Oblivion."

"We understand that, sire." Kuroiro bowed their head. "Lucifer is not dead, and therefore you are not our King. Yet he cannot contact us, he cannot rule us. You are our prince by right and by blood, and while most demons still do not yet know of you, by openly declaring yourself, it could be enough to keep the Legion unified, even if you were to say," Kuroiro looked away casually. Or at least they tried to seem casual, but Izuku caught the tone and air of cunning hopefulness immediately, "delegate more power and responsibility onto us, the loyal court of the King of Hell. That way you wouldn't have so much on your plate, and we wouldn't have to come to you as often."

Izuku didn't look very impressed. "You're not very subtle, aren't you?"

"I don't know what-"

"Look it's fine. I get it. Lucifer is gone and you think you can get a slice more of the horrible, burning pie that is his whole thing." He sighed rubbed at his temples. This was getting a bit much, but he had figured something like this would happen sooner or later.

"Well, can't the court come here? To earth?"

Kuroiro chuckled darkly. "To even bring three of us here was difficult enough. We were lucky that Mephistopheles and myself had host bodies already. Be'lakor took all the time after the battle with Lord Satani to two days ago to summon forth. To bring us all here together would take months. And that would leave the Legion utterly leaderless, something we couldn't dream of doing."

Izuku had to admit, that made sense, as much as any of this insanity made sense.

"Okay, so, how would I even get to Hell? Last time I was there it was because I…" He trailed off. The memory was still somewhat traumatic, even if he had learned to accept the events. "I died."

He felt fire flicker through his blood. Nemesis always seemed so guilty when he thought about the fight in the USJ, and they'd had many long, silent conversations late into the night about the morality of it. If Nemesis hadn't taken over, Fumikage surely would have died.

But by taking over, they had died.

Nemesis, however, always claimed at least one thing for sure.

If they had just been more unified, they could have beaten All Might.

"Opening connections between this world and the next is difficult, but not impossible. However, for one such as yourself, it should be quite easy." Kuroiro raised an eyebrow. "You are half-Celestial, sire. One of their gifts is the ability to bridge the gap between their worlds and this one. It is, in some ways, what they were made to do."

"Are you saying that I have the power to literally go to Hell?"

"With the right rituals, yes."

"I'm not killing anyone."

"You don't need to do that," Kuroiro replied. "All you need is an appropriate gateway and the correct sigils. I can show you if you wish." They paused then added. "Do you really believe you have to kill people to do rituals?"

"Every ritual I've seen so far involves someone getting sacrificed. Usually me."

Kuroiro gave a darkly humored grin. "Fair enough."

At that, Izuku rolled his eyes and began walking back to Nedzu's office. Upon reentering with Kuroiro in tow, he found that Be'lakor had not moved from their position by the wall, but Mephistopheles had perched themselves upon Nedzu's desk and seemed to be assaulting him with conversation.

"-and in season three, well, let me tell you they really rachet up the tension! Izumi-chan has to fight the evil sorcerer on top of this huge tower made of the hopes and dreams of her friends! How amazing is that?"

Nedzu had all the look of a man who wished he could find an excuse to go hang himself in the bathroom but couldn't escape because it might make the boss mad. "Oh, yes, how very interesting- Ah! Young Midoriya! You're back."

"My Prince! I was just telling your lovely Principal Nedzu here all about this fascinating show I've been hooked on recently. Truly the world of humanity is just so wonderfully creative!" Mephistopheles hopped off the desk and walked towards the boy with his arms wide. "So, now you've been briefed on our dire situation, will you please agree to our request?"

"I… I'll come to Hell." He announced with a somewhat regretful tone, even though a little part of his heart was excited at returning to the underworld.

Still, the largest part of him simply felt cautious. Hell was clearly dangerous, even if he was considered royalty there. It was a risky, hazardous trip to make… and wasn't that just exciting. The escape from the normal world was something he burned to take. Not to run away forever but just... to get away from the rules and regulations he felt increasingly weighed on him. Nemesis whispered through his blood, boosting their confidence. They were the Prince of Hell. They were powerful and strong. They could survive a few hours in that abyss, especially since it was their birthright.

They could do this.

"Izuku, I cannot authorize you to leave," Nedzu announced from his desk. "You've already lost too much class time already and-"

"I know, sir," Izuku cut in suddenly. "But… maybe I can go later tonight? When I'm not in class, I mean."

"Young Midoriya, it is not that simple. To put it bluntly, I cannot let you leave the school grounds with what amounts to a group of strangers. Especially dangerous strangers."

Be'lakor went to open their mouth, but again Izuku cut in.

"Sir, with all due respect, while they may be strangers, I wouldn't say I couldn't trust them. These are," He paused for just a moment before pressing on, "these are my father's court. Lucifer trusted them more than any others. That has to count for something. And as their Prince, I believe I can trust them to at least return me to Earth when we're done." His eyes scanned the others, lingering on Be'lakor. "Because if something were to happen to me, I doubt that father would take it lightly."

"Lucifer isn't here. What could they do?" Be'lakor hissed.

"They're not here now, but they are not dead," Nemesis replied darkly. "And do you truly believe our father will not find a way to return? And when they return to find their court had become nothing but a bunch of backstabbing oath breakers, well…"

The other demons went oddly still, and inside Izuku grinned. He had them. Maybe he could do this whole demon-politicking thing after all.

Nedzu paused on this, a paw moving over his mouth. For a long moment, his gaze lingered on the young man before him, and it didn't take the enhanced eyes of a celestial to see the hundreds of calculated thoughts running through his incredible mind.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"No."

"What."

"But- But sir!"

"Izuku, I am sorry, but you are my responsibility for as long as you remain at this school. I have made too many mistakes with you in the past to simply allow you to leave with people I simply can't trust."

"But- Oblivion burns!" Be'lakor stepped forward, their hands in tight fists. "Our home burns! And you would simply allow it to further descend into absolute anarchy?"

"Mr. Nedzu," Mephistopheles stepped forward, a cool smile on their lips. "I implore you to-"

"I said no, and that is my final answer."

"Sir," and Izuku suddenly found himself at Mephistopheles's side, "you can't just-"

"I said no." Nedzu's voice was high-pitched, but he suddenly carried all the weight of a man five times his size. His paws came down onto the desk as solidly as a mountain falling to earth. "Or at least no until I consult Azrael on this matter. I cannot allow you to go off on your own, Izuku. As for the realm, I'm sure you will be able to deal with it until at least some escort is arranged for Izuku's sake."

Izuku couldn't help it. His scars flared with a flash of azure and his eyes narrowed. Instantly he heard the voice of Nemesis through his mind, and he had to bite his lip to stop from yelling them allowed.

"How dare this rat tell us what we can and cannot do? We're the Prince of Hell! He has no control over us!"

Even his human-self felt somewhat insulted at the thought that he was apparently such a trouble-magnet he could no longer be trusted to go somewhere on his own. Even though, understandably, Hell wasn't the safest place in the world.

… but it was also his other home. This was a world he was not only a part of but was considered nobility in. He commanded respect by his lineage alone, and he felt as though he and Nemesis had developed a strong enough bond that they could face any challenge that came at them.

He felt indignant and slighted.

But he held his tongue.

"What's stopping us from just taking him?" Be'lakor growled coldly, their eyes narrowing at the tiny Principal.

"Perhaps you do have a point, Belly."

Now Nedzu simply smiled and relaxed back into his chair. "If you try it, I will activate the Soloman's Cage that surrounds this entire building."

The demons froze, and Izuku's eyes widened.

"… you're bluffing," said Mephistopheles.

"After what happened in Tokyo? And now that Lucifer is no longer here to protect the school? No, gentleman. I am not bluffing. I am simply well prepared."

Izuku knew the dorms had been proofed against most demonic entities, but a Soloman's Cage around UA itself? He almost wondered if such a thing was even possible before deciding that, yes, Nedzu would do something like that.

After all, it wasn't just something to keep possible demonic entities in line.

It was insurance against Nemesis.

And that only made Izuku's blood boil even more.

"It's fine," Izuku said in a low tone. "Just… go. I'll talk with Azrael, maybe I can figure something out."

"… as you wish, sire," Mephistopheles replied with a respectful nod towards the young prince, and an evil look towards Nedzu. "We shall remain close by, off-grounds of course, should you need us. Simply call our names, and we will answer."

And with that, the demons exited the room, and with them went the coldness that all demons seemed to exude.

Warmth returned to the room, at least, in terms of temperature it did.

Between the student and the Principal, however, the icy chill remained.

"… Understand, young Midoriya, I am doing this to protect you." Nedzu's tone was conciliatory, and yet laced with a teacher's authority. "After everything that's happened, I must put the protection of my students first. Think of your friends, your teacher, your mother. I've already put them through enough by not watching over you better. This is for your safety."

"Yeah, I get it, sir," Izuku replied with a shadow across his gaze before he too turned to leave. "I… I need to return to class."

"You're dismissed," Nedzu responded to the back of Izuku's head.

The boy had been moving anyway, not waiting for permission. But the tiny act of rebellion wouldn't help lift his mood.

Once again, he felt the tug of two worlds on his very spirit. The human world he had vowed to defend, and the world of the spiritual, which ever more seemed to require his attention.

He felt as though he was being forced to pick one other the other, and more and more he was resenting anyone who would force a choice onto him.


"You can't be fucking serious."

The wind blew through the air, warm and inviting, but cool enough to relax in. At least, within the shade.

The gang had gathered in their usual lunchtime spot, the small balcony that was high upon UA's leftmost tower. They had been halfway through their usual meal-come-study session when Izuku had announced what he was going to try and do.

"You're really going to try and return to Hell?" Ochaco raised both eyebrows in absolute shock. "… Izuku, have you gone completely crazy?"

"Look, I know how it sounds-"

"It sounds like a very fucking stupid idea!" Hitoshi snapped. "What if they don't let you leave!"

"The Principal gave you an order!" Tenya chopped an arm at him. "And besides that, he's absolutely right!"

Izuku frowned. "So, you don't think I can handle it either?"

"It's not that," Hitoshi sighed, clearly seeing where this was going. "No one thinks you can't handle it, dude."

"It's just that, I mean, you'd be in a room. Full of demons."

"I wouldn't walk into a room full of strangers who I can't trust and expect them to listen to me." Shoto mused with his usual level of quiet solidness. "I know you feel insulted, but Nedzu is only looking out for you."

Izuku frowned at them all. He was still hot after his meeting with Nedzu, his blood bubbling in a way it hadn't done in a very, very long time. Why was he so upset over this? He wasn't usually the type to let anything bug him this deeply, even with Nemesis running through his soul.

But something about not being allowed to step into his father's realm and at least try to help made him feel as though a collar was strapped around his throat.

"The Court of King Lucifer is legendary," Dark Shadow mused as they chomped on an apple beside their master. "They are the most powerful in all the seven realms of Hell. Who did you meet in the rat's office?"

Izuku looked at his can of coke as he answered. "Mephistopheles and Be'lekor."

"You met the Second and Fifth Barons?" Dark Shadow's eyes widened, clearly impressed.

"I know something about Mephistopheles," Tenya mused as he cupped his chin in thought. "I read about them in a grimoire. They're supposedly called the left hand of Lucifer, and act as their information gatherer, the Lord of Eyes and Ears."

"I have also heard this," Fumikage nodded. "They're very powerful and very old. I've heard they were even there for the War in Heaven."

"And what about the other guy? Be'lekor?"

"Be'lekor is the Master of Torments." Dark Shadow grinned wickedly. "I've heard they can make even the most powerful of demons scream in eternal pain for insulting King Lucifer." They chuckled darkly before going back to their apple. "But if three of the Privy Council came to talk to you, well, things must be getting desperate down there. Makes me glad to be up here that's for sure."

"Which is all the more reason I need to go down there. I mean, I can help them, I can-"

"You need to be careful, Izuku." Fumikage frowned at his friend. "I understand you wish to prove yourself as the Redeeming Prince, but this is Hell, and the politics of that accused realm are not to go wading into without assistance."

"But-"

"Dude, listen to what we're saying." Hitoshi finished his own drink and set the can to one side. "We're not telling you to not go help, but Nedzu does have a point. Wait until you can get someone to go with you."

"Like Hawks." Ochaco nodded.

"But-"

"Izuku, please listen to us," Tenya added with a smile. "We understand. Really, we do. But as your friends, we're telling you not to go running into danger. Think of what happened last time you let that happen."

Izuku paused for a long moment, his lips in a tight line. He knew exactly what they were talking about. His darting off to fight Himiko, so eager to throw himself into another battle with his blood rushing and fire at his fingertips… it had led to disaster.

He couldn't afford to make that kind of mistake again. He couldn't afford to have another War of Tokyo erupt because of his rashness. But on the other hand, the demons had seemed genuinely concerned for the state of their realm, of his father's realm.

And his mother's words kept ringing in his head. He had to show he could lead. That he could do the right thing, as the Morningstar Reborn.

He had to show that not every fight would result in an absolute catastrophe.

Izuku slumped down onto the ground, crossing his legs, and leaning back against the railing. Behind him was a several-story drop to a very hard ground, and anyone else might get a little nervous, but not Izuku.

If anything, he longed to simply jump from the railing and let his wings spread. A good, long flight might help calm his nerves and clear his mind.

But, of course, the dorm system had put an end to that. He was permitted to circle the UA buildings, and nothing else, as were the other students who had the gift of flight.

Izuku hadn't bothered. He enjoyed his flights alone.

"… alright, fine. I'll… wait."

He supposed it wouldn't be that hard to call Azrael and see if he could free up some time to come and help. Of course, he had also noticed that since the war, his Uncle had become increasingly difficult to get a hold of.

Something was eating up his time and attention, and Izuku had, for the most part, not asked about it.

Losing Lucifer had clearly hit him hard.

It had hit everyone who knew him hard. Harder than Izuku had thought it would.

"It'll work out, don't worry." Ochaco leaned over and gave Izuku a light punch on the arm. "Besides, you should be focusing on the provision license exam. It's coming up soon, you know."

Izuku simply nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

But inside that nervous rock that had settled into his stomach when his mother had been in hospital only seemed to grow a little in size.

And it continued to weigh heavily within him.


The days passed without note. Izuku's time had become divided into neatly organized blocks.

If he slept at all, he would wake up. Then he would meditate. Then do Tai-Chi with Fumikage. Then he'd get ready for the day, eat breakfast, go to class, come back to dorms, work out, study, then if he felt sleepy, he would sleep.

Most of the time he didn't. Most of the time he stayed up all night. In that time he would either do some more studying, more working out, or simply sitting on his balcony looking out to the night sky and thinking.

Sometimes Hitoshi would join him, and he could at least enjoy a little bit of company.

Most nights, however, he found himself alone. And on those nights, more and more, he felt like a bird trapped in a well-designed cage. A bird that wanted to fly, but without any direction in mind.

Yet soon enough the time had arrived.

Their exams.

The written exam was easy enough. He had memorized just about every page in his study guides and knew he'd pass.

But the written, of course, was only one part of the exam.

And Izuku couldn't help but feel a little excited at getting to take part in the second part.

He was practically bouncing in his seat as the coach rumbled its way towards the Takoba National Stadium. The place itself needed no introduction. It was famous for being one of two things. Firstly, it was where all potential heroes had to go to get their provisional license. No other testing ground in the country was authorized to give out official licenses.

The stadium was truly the mecca of all potential heroes.

The second, of course, was that it was gigantic.

Izuku knew that Japan had a lot of space after the vast majority of rural towns had been either abandoned over time as people moved into the cities or simply taken over by automated, robotic workers.

But the stadium was less the size of a town, and more akin to the city-state-sized practice areas contained within UA's vast domain.

The place literally loomed over them as they got closer and closer to the entrance, and the entire coach took on an air of awed respect.

Hitoshi, leaning his head against the window, looked up at the giant building and whistled. "Would you look at that."

Beside him, Momo smiled politely. "You know my family actually helped build part of it."

"No kidding!" Hitoshi smiled back at the young woman. "No wonder you're richer than Bezos."

The girl, of course, immediately spluttered that she was nowhere near as rich as the mighty Bezos family, even if her parent's company did have ties to them as well. Behind them Izuku only smiled, listening with amused interest, even as he glanced back across the bus.

The class was still in a state of division over him, though it seemed as though the lines had softened after the whole kidnapping and War of Tokyo thing.

Denki, for example, had become much more approachable, as had Yuga and Rikido, who had even baked him a muffin in a form of silent apology. Hanta however still gave him evil looks, and Izuku was wondering if that was a bridge that would ever be crossed.

And yet even with the clear softening of attitudes, he still found that he received long, sideways glances from some of his classmates. He still found that sometimes voices dropped when he entered a room, or that there was the tell-tale pickup of a heartbeat as he was paired to train with people not in his immediate friend group.

Others in the class still feared him, though now it was a fear hidden behind smiles of polite respect, rather than smiles of pity.

He turned back to the window, deciding it was better to focus on what was approaching. Flame flowed through his blood, warming his body, and sending a shudder of excitement running through his heart.

He had no idea what the exam would entail, of course, but he had heard the rumors as much as anyone else in the class had.

It seemed they changed it up each year for the classes that took it, but two things seemed to be a constant. One, it involved a lot of people. And two, it would at least cover all the basics of what they had been learning, namely combat, proper procedural response, and rescue.

But the thrill of the challenge was what mattered most. It had been too long since he had found himself tested, as much as he dreaded to think back on the last time he had pushed his body to its limit.

This, however, promised to be the fun kind of test. The kind he could actually win, and that no one would end up dead in.

As they pulled closer, he could see that it was indeed a huge event. Several other coaches were lined up, disgorging their passages, with others pulling away to a packed parking lot.

As they too got into the long queue of coaches, Aizawa got up from his position at the front of the bus and stood within the isle, cool eyes looking over his assembled class.

"Alright, this is it. I expect every one of you to go out there and give one hundred percent today. You've been working hard, and I've run you ragged, but I know you've got what it takes to pass. Just remember what I've taught you, and don't be nervous." The coach came to a haltering stop, and the door opened. Aizawa stepped aside with his knee on his seat. "Good luck, everyone."

And with that, they began piling out the bus, with Tenya quickly jumping up to lead them out in an orderly fashion.

Izuku got off the bus clutching his costume suitcase to his chest and he gave it a quick glance as he tried to ignore the feeling of mild guilt at doing so.

The Armor of the Morningstar was beyond the age of every nation on the planet. It was handcrafted by myth and legend and was a relic of immeasurable power and prestige... and he had stuffed it into one of U.A.'s padded suitcases like it was a cheap Halloween costume.

He shook the thought off. He was sure that if Lucifer had ever been annoyed at the idea, he would have said something about it.

… or maybe not. They had never been close enough to chat so idly.

"Hey, you okay?" He turned, snapping out of his thoughts as Ochaco walked up beside him. "Not nervous, are you?"

"No. No. I'm fine." He spoke a little too quickly, and he knew he'd given the game away the second he'd opened his mouth.

"You know, even the great Prince Morningstar is allowed to be nervous every now and then." Ochaco chuckled and nudged him with an elbow. "It's okay to admit it."

But Izuku didn't feel nervous. He felt ready and tense and… okay, maybe he was a tiny bit nervous. After all, even with all his power, this was still a test. It wouldn't be easy for anyone, even for people as strong as he was.

He breathed a soft sigh and smiled. "Maybe. Thanks."

"No worries."

She turned to look over the other school students and Izuku followed her gaze. There had to be hundreds of people at the stadium, all of them clumped into their little school groups, talking excitedly among one another.

"I can't believe we're finally here." She spoke softly, in awe of the sight of so many students from so many schools.

"I know. I… never thought I'd get here, honestly."

And he never had. Izuku had never planned anything past 'get into U.A.' as part of his attempt to master Nemesis. But now, even the idea of mastering Nemesis seemed old hat. He and Nemesis were one being with one purpose, and one day in the far future, he hoped that the line between them would fade forever.

He hoped that only the Morningstar Reborn would remain, the true culmination of the union of his body and spirit.

"Everyone's older than us," Ochaco mumbled giving her lip a nervous chew. "I mean I know Aizawa-sensei said they would be but still…"

There was a sudden rumor through the crowd as more students began recognizing their uniforms, and Izuku felt eyes falling onto them.

U.A. was the best of the best, after all, and they were famous for it. Their very presence at the exam was noteworthy, especially so considering what their class, what Izuku himself, had recently been involved with.

"Man, now they're making me kinda nervous." Izuku and Ochaco turned to see Denki standing not too far from them. Behind him the others were gathering, their eyes looking out onto the now whispering sea of older hero students. "I guess that's what comes with being from a famous school."

"Hey, don't worry about them." Eijiro's hand slapped down onto Denki's shoulder, and he gave his classmates a wide, sharp-toothed smile.

Izuku couldn't help but smile too. Eijiro was as solid as the earth and had always been in favor of Izuku no matter what. Even after he had smashed him into the earth when he'd come back from his revolutionary training with Azrael, Eijiro had continued to be friendly towards him.

Hell, he was even one of the few who would willingly spar with Izuku, especially so since Izuku could hit harder than most in the class and it helped trained Eijiro's hardening quirk. Even on a spiritual level, Izuku could see plainly that the boy had a soul that shone brightly with the eagerness of his drive to be a good hero, a good person even.

"We're U.A.! We're the best! And we should let them know it!" Aizawa quietly groaned and rolled his eyes as Eijiro raised a fist. "LET'S GIVE EM A PLUS ULTRA!"

There was a loud and enthusiastic "PLUS ULTRA!" from the class that even the usually stoic Hitoshi joined in on.

But they also had one more unexpected participant, one whose voice roared above all of them. One who had managed to sneak right up beside Eijiro without him noticing.

Izuku blinked in shock, as did the other members of the class, to see a giant standing a full head and shoulders above Eijiro, his fist in the air and an awkward grin on his face.

The bald-headed young man, wore a white shirt and a black pair of pants with smart shoes, though what grabbed Izuku's attention was the cap on his head and the instantly recognizable school logo on the front.

"Hey, you're from Shiketsu!"

"Inasa!" Izuku's head turned as he saw two people storming towards the towering young man, who continued to grin awkwardly. The one who had spoken, a narrowed-eyed blonde young man with pale skin, growled at his classmate. "It's rude to go joining in our rival's motto!"

"You're right! But they seemed so enthusiastic that I couldn't help myself!" The towering young man, Inasa, didn't so much as talk as constantly shout. He turned back to the U.A. students, slapped his hands to his sides, and then bowed so low his head almost touched the ground. "I AM SO VERY SORRY!"

When he rose, his other classmates were already berating him for bothering the U.A. students, and yet while his own classmates quietly discussed the overly enthusiastic young man, Izuku felt a subtle fire move through his limbs.

"He is strong." Nemesis whispered through his mind, guttural but no longer harsh. Nemesis's words were his own, echoed from his own mind. "We need to watch for him. He could be trouble. His spirit is full of fury, and we smell the cold air of the storm upon him."

Izuku's jaw set.

Inasa of Shiketsu high. He would be one to keep an eye on.

And yet, just as he was about to turn back to his friends, something else suddenly hit him.

And it did indeed seem to hit him.

"CELESTIAL!"

The call rang out through his brain, louder than anything else around him. A flash that sent every hair on his neck spiking, and goosebumps on his arms jumping to attention. It was an instinctual pressure in his mind that shocked his system to its core, yet one he knew intimately.

It was the instantaneous impression of a being of his blood.

He turned, unlight rushing across his hands and up his arms, his senses heightening instantly as they scanned the crowd for the source of this sudden spike of power.

And for just a second, just a split-second, he saw something.

Blonde hair.

A flash of fangs.

Golden eyes.

And then it was gone.

"Izuku?" He turned again only to see Ochaco looking at him with concern in her big, brown eyes. "What's wrong?"

Was his tension so obvious? He looked to his hands, only to find them unlight clad and taloned. His breath had caught in his throat and his heart had leaped in his chest.

He was so sure of what he had seen. Nothing more than a glimpse in the hundreds of faces that surrounded them, but he was so sure, even as his perfect recall memory played the milliseconds over and over, trying to analyze yet somehow failing to put the pieces together to a single moment of recognition.

He had seen her.

He had seen Himiko.

He opened his mouth.

"It's nothing, just… more nerves, I guess."


YEAH. YEEEEEAH. How's that for a return chapter, huh? We get two brand new demons, Be'lakor (another warhammer reference? from me? noooo) and the long hinted and long-awaited Mephistopheles. Now he's not a direct reference from Blue Exorcist, but obviously is heavily inspired and shaped around. Obvious changes had to be made, but either way, it's super fun he's finally here.

Originally Mephisto was gonna show up WAY earlier when Lucy and Izuku had their ice cream day, but I felt he took too much away from their personal bonding and he was removed. BUT HERE HE IS.

Oh and I guess Himiko might be at the exam. Maybe. Probably. And Izuku ain't letting people know because... reasons? Looks like the two might have a little meet up in the exam, wonder what they could talk about?

SO, in all, hope you guys enjoyed and I hope to see you all next time! Thank you for reading, and keep safe! PEACE!