The Heroic God Slayer

Chapter 18

Now you'll find out who it is threatening Japan and the world. And what and how Izuku will face this unusual threat. He'll of course not be alone for this fight as you see in the earlier stages of the chapter. So on with the show.

(No POV)

After Izuku had retreated far enough from the volcano, he could let out a frustrated groan. "I'd ask if everything was alright your highness. But that sigh all but tells me everything." Izuku gives their driver a halfhearted glare before asking for the man's phone.

"I'm gonna give that asshole a piece of my mind!" Izuku says while punching in the number for Jonathan's home. It wasn't quite noon in Japan so the time was almost eight in the evening.

When Jonathan answers his phone with a cheery hello, Izuku is more incised. "WHAT THE HELL ANIKI!? You sent me to fight a freaking lava or volcano goddess!? One that almost killed me and injured Yanagi!?" Jonathan of course winces as he pulls his head away and lets out a sigh.

"Yeah, I'd normally apologize more, but I knew you two would survive it. And before you ask; yes, I did know that Reiko would get dragged along on this adventure. No, I didn't feel the need to warn you because that would have been pointless. And finally: yes, this is going to take you all of the day to deal with. Though you might want to hurry up. Its gonna get worse soon."

Izuku can't even rage at his brother right away as they had reached the mage clinic and were taking Reiko inside to be treated. Once she is stable and her injured side is being repaired by the mages, Izuku takes a moment to ask about the details.

"Can't you tell me anything? Please!? There are a lot of lives on the line." Izuku can practically see Jonathan wincing as he explains the complications of the authority that showed him what would happen.

"Yeah, I know. Thing is I can't. The authority was from a rogue version of The Oracle of Delphi. Meaning I can't give straight answers. Though I will give you one warning. This is happening today. You can't postpone it beyond today or hope that you could stave off the calamity for long. It will happen today no matter what. I'd say you've got… eh two maybe three hours before the endgame."

Izuku leans back in one of the side rooms to the clinic. Asking if there was anyone who could do what they needed. "Why the Hell are you asking me? I'm not in charge of Japan anymore. You are. Anyway, good luck. You should be fine."

And with that Jonathan hangs up on Izuku before watching one of his shows. Izuku meanwhile sighs again before asking a passing mage how Reiko was doing. "She's alright. There should be minimal scaring thanks to the spells we used. You can see her."

Izuku thanks the mage before checking in on Reiko. Only to blush a bit when she sits up and isn't wearing anything. Reiko's pale features do a rapid change as well and she looks like a Christmas ornament.

"Sorry about that! I was just coming in to see how you were doing!" Izuku says after slamming the door. Reiko tells him it was fine before putting on a patient's gown.

"Miyafuji-san was able to heal me rather quickly. Though I can still feel the heat." Reiko says while looking down at her once charred and scarred right arm. Her hair was shorter than before. Now resembling a pixie cut due to what was burned and then restored

Izuku said that was good before bringing in a bit of tea from the head of the clinic. As well as the agent to ask what they knew about foresight mages in Japan. "Ah…. about that. The previous kind of Japan did father a few heirs before he died. One of them was with Yuri Mariya, and she possessed the strongest spirit vision. However…"

As the mage trailed off, Izuku could suspect the rest. While there were descendants from Yuri, none of them possessed her spirit vision. They had other capabilities, but not the ones to see who it was that Izuku was facing.

So while they still had some time he ordered the mage to bring any data they had on volcano goddesses and entities. His first thoughts were about Kagutsuchi, but he ruled that out based on the gender of the being that almost killed him.

"From what little I could tell she was a goddess of not just fire and volcanoes but weapons too. That could give me some idea or a path to follow. Maybe she's Hachimon's mother Empress Jingu? But that doesn't quite equate to the fire…. Mumble grumble..."

As Izuku starts in on his mutter pattern while walking out of Reiko's room. Reiko herself laid back in her futon to recover a bit more. While also questioning if she could even be of help in this situation. 'It's not like I'm a mage or something. And I'm better with ghost stories and urban legend types of monsters.'

Reiko goes over it a few more times in her head while resting in her room. This time of sitting around doesn't last thirty minutes, as she can't stay still and let things stand. She gets up to stretch her legs and something to eat before happening upon Izuku.

Who was surrounded by books and a computer to look up any details on myths that might give him a clue. Though still getting nowhere. He kept muttering about what the connection could be and who the goddess of fire was.

"Can't be Pele, she was using traditional Japanese weapons. Though some of them seemed to be of varying types. Then there was that shell or whatever it was that I broke her out of. What the heck was that about? Maybe it has something to do with the stones or maybe she's some other form of earth goddess?" Izuku mutters out while reading through websites and paper books alike.

"Yanagi-san? Are you alright?" The mage who healed her was the healing specialist Miyafuji Hachiko. After the operation the mage excused herself to tend to her medicinal plants. And when that was done, she checked in on her patient to see if she was hungry.

But seeing Reiko moving around had Miyafuji both happy and worried for her charge. Though seeing who she was watching and how he was struggling, the older woman understood. She then quietly took Reiko's hand and asked if she wanted to help the young king.

"I do. But I don't know what I could do. I know a few spirit spells that Xeimei loaned me the books for. But I never tried any of them. And I don't really know enough about the gods to be of help to him now." Reiko says while looking down at her hands.

The ghost girl even admitted to still being uneasy and a bit scared of the goddess who burned her. "That doesn't mean you are useless. Or that you can't help him in some way. I was planning to bring you each a little something to eat. But given you are up now; you can probably handle a normal meal rather than a lighter fare."

Miyafuji then escorts Reiko to her kitchen and the two work to make a pair of meals for the younger people in the building. A pair of katsudon with some extra meat on the top and miso soup to give them some strength. "And lead you to victory. Your majesty."

Izuku looks up at the older woman with a blush before thanking her. Until she notes that Reiko helped as well. "And she'd like to do more." Miyafuji says while gently pushing Reiko toward Izuku.

Reiko nods before saying she wanted to help with the research. "You're struggling through the data and can't find what you're looking for. Two sets of eyes could get more done." Reiko says with determination burning in her eyes.

Izuku isn't too surprised and he's happy for the help. "Aniki couldn't give me any details thanks to his Delphi authority. And I keep running in circles on what or who it could be that is linked to Japan and volcanoes."

The ghost girl smiles before promising to help him as best she can. "Well, we can start by enjoying this meal you helped make Yanagi. Itadakimasu." Izuku says with a quick closing of his hands. Reiko chuckles a little before following suit.

After they finish their meal, both students get to work on trying to find a link between the volcanoes and a female deity of any kind. But to their mutual frustration, they can find no link. "There are a few goddesses in myths that are represented by or embodiment of volcanoes. But none with the ability to make the weapons she used against you Midoriya."

"I'm finding the same thing. None of the ones I'm finding come back as women. Especially once you add in the weapon making or blacksmithing. We're getting nowhere like this." Izuku says after searching for an hour.

The mage he had called in to give them a ride, Takenashi En, brings up that there are some gods who have mixed together myths. "Such as when King Kusanagi faced Perseus. The god in question also had the power of Mithras. And thus, he could seal up the authorities of Verethragna."

Izuku shook his head as he had thought of that as well. "But I'm still not finding the connection. Especially with the weapons she made to fight me and the armor she wore. Even the various fire or smithing gods from China don't link up properly."

All three grumble with Izuku feeling especially frustrated that he can't see a connection of any kind to what gods he knows or had researched for the past hour. Wondering if he'll just have to go in and try to fight or finish the battle before whoever the god was could set off the volcanoes.

"Lets just stop and go back to the beginning for a moment. We've been focused on finding a volcano or smithing god connection by assuming that is all she is. Maybe we need to focus on a different attribute that we've been overlooking." Reiko postulates.

Izuku is tempted to argue, given it could waste what time they had. But he holds back because arguing could waste even more time. So, with a sigh he agrees. Noting that they should start when the disturbances began.

Takanashi nods before giving the reports of magical energy moving through the volcanoes. "At the time it seemed insignificant. Even when the energy grew it quickly faded or dissipated. We assumed it was just moving through all the volcanoes of the world and might come out somewhere else."

Reiko then remembers what the god thanked Izuku for. "She thanked you for removing the stones. Like they were sealing her power or something. Maybe that is part of her origin as well?"

Izuku thinks back on it and realizes she has a point. "I just assumed it was like a solidified form of her body. Like a….. like the natural state her body takes outside of a volcano." Takanashi agreed. Noting that a few other gods of volcanoes had appeared much the same when other Campione met them.

"Hmmmm… hang on a second. That stuff you broke off of her? What was it like? Maybe that could give us an idea of where to link or go." Reiko says after thinking for a moment. Izuku shrugs before trying to remember what the material was like when he cut it.

He'd initially just thought it was just hardened magma that he cut through. But as he thought about it, he realized something. "It was easy to cut through. I didn't even need my strength from Momotaro and Herakles. It was really easy to cut and break."

"Did she say anything else about why she was covered in stone or whatever that was?" En asks next. Izuku thinks back and ignoring how he literally got stabbed in the back notes what she said about the stones being placed on her by her father.

As he was saying that Izuku and Reiko start to see an unusual connection. "Hold on a second…. Is it possible for various gods to be different from the myths we may know?" Izuku asks Takanashi. Reiko looks to Izuku and Takanashi before questioning the same in her mind.

En mentions that it does happen from time to time. Some deities having different appearances from what most would assume. Sometimes being completely different genders or even animals. "It is rare though. In fact, the only one I can think of is Lancelot. While most myths paint him as a man, a few centuries back Lancelot appeared as a woman."

Izuku thinks on the matter for a bit. Especially mulling over the point about an angry father. "There are a few gods that have been impacted by their deity fathers mistrusting or being angry at them….. The stones though… and her father surrounded her in them. Maybe….."

Izuku mutters for a moment before going to check the materials Miyafuji and Takanashi had provided. Namely the gods associated with the volcanoes of Japan and a set of gods that were birthed from the remains of one god in particular.

The source of the gods Watatsumi, Kuraokami, Takemikazuchi, Futsunushi, Amatsumikaboshi, and Ōyamatsumi. It comes out to one conclusion and connection.

"Kagutsuchi. Kagutsuchi isn't a man as the myth say. At least not here. Instead Kagutsuchi is a woman condemned for the death of her mother by Izanagi. Yet still a patron of smiths and pottery makers." Izuku says piecing the data together.

Reiko is a bit surprised, despite having seen it herself. Until she thinks about another matter. "Like you said her corpse birthed six gods. Maybe they were parts from her womb as she was tossed to the earth."

En comments that was a little dark on the interpretation. "But I wouldn't rule it out. Do you think that has something to do with that charred form you cut apart?" Izuku nods before noting what else Reiko saw. "Ceramic vessels to contain her power. What if all of the pieces of her were sealed in ceramics and buried in the volcanoes."

"That might explain the moving magic energies. Kagutsuchi could have been searching each of the volcanoes for parts of her body. To rebuild herself stronger until she was ready." Reiko notes. Though she does question why the last piece wasn't in the volcano they saw her in.

While they had been discussing and trying to find out who it was they were dealing with, said deity was searching for the final pieces to complete herself. "Damn you father. Condemning me and destroying my body wasn't enough. You had to seal me into the depths to make sure I wouldn't be able to fight you."

Kagutsuchi was diving through the volcanic channels under Japan to find the final part to her body. While the eight major pieces (head, arms, legs, chest, stomach, pelvis) had formed the volcanoes of the nation, other smaller pieces were sent to other volcanoes.

As she dove deeper through the lava, she could picture the rage in her father's face. And could smell the charred body of her mother. Though just an infant deity, her father cut her to pieces while blaming her for the death of his wife.

"I didn't choose what my power was of you bastard. And like you are in any place to judge. Even when you went to Yomi to try and get her back; you were so terrified of her decayed appearance that you ran and sealed her in a cave. Speaking of sealed."

Kagutsuchi rants to herself before finding another piece of her body. She continues to search and through the lava while imagining the devastation she'll level on the descendants of Izanagi. Setting off all of the volcanoes and burying them all in ash, fire, and lava. Then starting anew. Perhaps even her mother would aid her when Izanagi's influence was destroyed.

"Too bad about that god slayer and the one who was with him. Not only was he impressive he was somewhat attractive. As was that brave silver haired girl. Oh well." Kagutsuchi says before finding another ceramic piece of herself.

Back at the Miyafuji clinic Izuku was wondering what Kagutsuchi could be seeking other than revenge. "Gods often don't have anything other than their base urges and impulses. Even those that rebel would want to follow their paths or patterns my lord. It could be that Kagutsuchi is following the same destructive pattern that killed her mother."

"I don't think so. I think she really… just wants revenge on her father and the nation he made. All of us. Humans. Animals. Everything. She wants to end what he made and maybe start anew. She wants revenge against the power that created her." Reiko thinks aloud.

Izuku looks down while thinking about why Kagutsuchi was angry. But everything he came to just reminded him of his own pain. How he was basically condemned, even by his own mother, for not being able to do something that everyone else could.

"He… or she… either way. Is angry because their father blamed them for something they couldn't control. Something of their birth they had no say in." Izuku says with a somber tone. Relating to wanting to prove others wrong about themselves.

"That doesn't give mean we can let her destroy Japan and possibly the world. Midoriya you and I both know her rage wouldn't just consume those connected to Izanagi. If what we assume could happen and what Jonathan saw is correct, she wants to consume everyone in her flames and rage." Reiko says while putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The mages agree, noting how plenty of rampaging gods have consumed many in their paths for vengeance. "It will not end unless they are stopped. This is part of why the Campione fight my lord."

Izuku looks down again before saying he needed some air. After waiting for a minute, Reiko followed after him. Finding him outside muttering to himself while scratching his head.

"Midoriya? What's wrong? And I mean really wrong." Izuku looks back to the porch where Reiko was standing. Izuku looks between her, the ground, and the sky before admitting that he understood why Kagutsuchi was enraged.

"I was born quirkless. And even if I didn't outright say it, I did harbor a resentment of the world for a time. Because…. Of how everyone treated me because I didn't happen to be born with a quirk. And Kagutsuchi didn't intend to kill her mother but was blamed and scorned anyway."

Reiko thought about the reasoning and how Izuku could understand that reasoning. But she also knew they couldn't stand aside and let her rage consume herself and others. "If she does go through with her plans it won't change what happened and what was lost. We have to stop her and protect people. I can't stand by and let this happen. Not again."

Izuku notices that and asks what she meant by not again. Reiko froze before rubbing her arm and looking to the side. She sat down before asking if Izuku would listen to her own tale.

"There was a classmate of mine in middle school…. She was quirkless too. I tried to help her away from others….. but it wasn't enough. The bullying got so bad, she also lashed out. She stole a spare pistol her father owned since he was a detective. And shot two of her tormentors. Before using it on herself."

Izuku's eyes were wide as he clenched his fist at what the girl had gone through. Reiko had received a letter from the girl after she died, thanking her for being there for her. "But I couldn't stop her from….. what happened. That was part of why I chose to become a hero. To try and help others like her. Even if it was in quieter ways."

Izuku and Reiko sniffed back a few tears before the latter said they couldn't let Kagutsuchi destroy everything as it wouldn't change the pain that she went through. "But we can save others from her rage and anger." Izuku says with a sad look.

Reiko nods before saying she was going with Izuku. Partially because she was a hero and Izuku might need some backup. "Not to mention I owe her a shot myself given how she hurt me. But I know I need to stop her as well. Maybe it's self-serving… but I can't help thinking that what she wants won't fix her pain and will just make others suffer."

Izuku looks down. He thinks a bit about the matter at hand and what it could mean if he goes into this fight. "No. You're not going into this fight Yanagi. I can agree that we have to stop her. But you are not able to fight the same way. And I don't want you to get hurt again."

He then asks Miyafuji for a phone to borrow and with a call he asks the mages with the CCTH to contact him when the magic coalesces. Reiko meanwhile feels insulted that Izuku is treating her like she's fragile. 'I'm a hero student too!' the ghost girl thinks before voicing her own opinion.

"And what makes you think I don't deserve a chance to stop her!?" Reiko says with indignation and a bit of fury. Izuku looks back to the girl and can see that her formerly injured arm is trembling.

Izuku shakes his head. Pointing out that she was still afraid of what could happen. "You can't handle this fight and you don't know enough of what we need. So, I'll handle this." Reiko looks indignant at his claim. And she tries to say she could handle what was to come.

But Izuku doesn't give her a chance to. As he forms his wings of vengeance and takes to the skies. Reiko shouts for Izuku but he doesn't turn around as she calls. 'I'm sorry Yanagi. But you can't do this. And I'm not going to put you in harms way. I'll keep you safe and try to save everyone.'

Reiko looks to the ground in anger at what Izuku had said to her. "What makes him think I can't handle or do this?" "Maybe the fact that your once injured arm was trembling at points." En says after watching from the sidelines.

Reiko looks at him funny before looking down at said hand. Even now it was shaking, and Reiko was completely calm. She looks over her hand a few more times and wonders if it was some kind of residual nerve damage.

"I'm not trembling or shaking out of fear. If anything, I'm mad. Both at him leaving me behind and the thought of what Kagutsuchi could do. Saying I can't do anything, while he goes off to almost get himself killed again! This wasn't what I wanted to happen today! I just wanted….. I wanted to…"

Reiko's rage tempers slightly as she looks down again and then some tears well up in her eyes. Not ones of sadness or fear. But of frustration. "I wanted to get closer to him. I'd thought he was cool and heroic before. An inspiration. One I could use to get through my own reservations and fears."

Reiko glares up at the form of Izuku fading away. "But I don't want him protecting me all the time. I want to stand as a hero in my own right. I'm not just someone who needs to be kept safe or saved!"

Takanashi hums a moment before asking if this was just to prove Izuku wrong. "Or is this for something else?" Reiko looks between En, the ground, and back up to the soaring form of Izuku. She lets out a breath before stating her point.

"I've always been shy and the girl who was considered odd by others. That or a wallflower who stuck to the sidelines. When I failed to help my classmate, I felt I needed to step out of what was comfortable and try to save others or help without hiding."

She looks down to her hands again. Her right is trembling more than her left as she grips them into fists. "But I want to say 'I am here' like All Might for my own strength. And be more than the ghost girl who disappears into the wall."

Takanashi smiles slightly before explaining what Campione represent. "They are the beings who can face a god. The only ones who can stop their wrath and save millions of lives. That is why they deserve to be respected and their orders honored."

"But Izuku won against a god when he was human! He showed the strength of humans and their will! He did that without a quirk or anything to help him in the fight! Why does he assume you or I can't fight the same way!?" Reiko shouts with some frustrated tears running down her face.

En snorts before saying plenty of mages had thought they could defeat or displace a god that was rampaging. "There's barely a memory of those who tried. The gods are not to be underestimated, and the rare strength of a Campione is not something that can simply be trained."

"And plenty more with quirks that were associated with the magic world assumed they could do the same. There is even less of a record of those fools." Miyafuji says with a sigh. Noting the ego of those who possessed quirks thanks to a monster from long ago.

The male mage snorts before saying, "it of course got them nowhere. And all it did was led to more damage and devastation. With Jonathan of course being annoyed and enraged by the idiocy of those with quirks."

He finishes by noting the best most mages could hope for was to stall a god or divine beast. At least until a Campione could arrive and stop their devastation for themselves. While also acknowledging that was one of the nice things about Jonathan and his authority to teleport wherever he wanted.

Reiko looked to her hands again and thought about the truth that Jonathan had revealed. Where quirks began and what they could lead to in the generations to come. As well as what their role as heroes or more could be in the future. Let alone what Izuku was taking on by himself.

"You may be right. And Izuku may be the only one who can fight a god. But that isn't a reason to stand down, run away, or hide. Not only if I plan to be a hero….. but if I want to stand with Izuku and the others. As a hero…. And maybe something else" Reiko said while gripping her hands tight. Before blushing at admitting the last part.

Takanashi and Miyafuji smile at the girl and share a look to agree on what they'll do next. "Well then. We should get going to try and catch up to Lord Midoriya." En says with a nod of his head to the road and his car.

Before they leave, Miyafuji tells them she'll forward the messages of where the mages are finding the coalescing of magic. "Do what you need to do dear. And good luck." Reiko nods before thanking both of the mages. And the two head off to keep from letting Izuku get further away.

'I'm not doing this for Midoriya. And I'm not just doing this for myself. I'm going to help him and everyone who could get caught up in this chaos. Because that is what a hero is supposed to do.' Reiko thinks to herself and steeling her resolve to face off with a blazing god of volcanoes.

This is a bit shorter and a greatly modified version of a botched chapter I tried to release before. I'm going to work out the last few details on the battle chapter next and it will be released before too long.