Chapter 7: The Black Knights Part I
Midoriya and Zelda impatiently waited as Merlin opened a portal in the demon prison where Eveline was being held. Mael and Gowther were on their way to a special altar that was within the druid's land which was to be their escape route from the prison. Camelot would be targeted soon enough; it was in their best interest to begin their escape before Guinevere or her Black Knights could stop them. Bartra, Flora, and Drystan were sent away to ready the portal so that they could go to Midoriya's world, hopefully erasing their trail. Merlin admitted that she doubted the plan's success now that Kasdeya was suspicious but they might still have a chance.
"Of the four Black Knights, Kasdeya isn't the brightest," Merlin explained as she summoned the small portal, "We might be lucky and they won't heed anything she says."
"Wishing big there," Zelda admitted with a long sigh as she tied her sword to her hip. She turned to Midoriya, who only armed himself with a sword for Eveline, having insisted that he could fight without a weapon. "Alright, we both know the plan?"
"I'm going for Eveline, and you the boys," He nodded with an assuring smile, while in his head, he kept Eveline updated on what had happened. It was, in his mind, a better idea than just showing up and having her ask a million questions. "Your brothers need to get out no matter what, so don't wait up for us. Eveline and I will get out one way or another."
Zelda wasn't okay with his ease toward the situation but she didn't have a moment to comment on it as Merlin had the portal open for them.
"You have, maybe, ten minutes to find them and get them out," Merlin turned away from the portal and smiled sadly at them, "from then on, it's straight to Midoriya's world. I bid you goodbye for now."
Zelda opened her mouth to say something, but she promptly closed it and just nodded with a hardened expression. Midoriya didn't judge; he hadn't a clue what Zelda was feeling and he knew from experience that in moments like this, pestering her would be detrimental to their goal. He could ask later if he wanted to; for now, they had people to save.
The two of them hurried through the portal; Merlin wasted no time closing it once they were through, leaving them to do their mission as they pleased. Zelda thrust a small piece of paper into his hand and urged him to follow it before abandoning him. He quickly opened up the crumpled paper and then stuffed it into his pocket.
Eveline, guide me to your cell.
Eveline's response was swift but he noticed that her voice was faint. Was she hurt? Did something happen to her? He didn't ask but the fear of the worst slowly crept into his thoughts as he followed both Eveline's direction and the vague map he had received.
Zelda hurried down a spiral staircase, searching through every cell she came across for Tristan and Percival. So far, all the guards were missing which didn't strike her as strange since guards weren't typically needed in the prison. Escape was nearly impossible. Besides with Eveline being the only prized prisoner, it made sense that if there were any guards on duty, they would be watching her.
But then again, she had no idea why the twins were imprisoned, to begin with.
Eveline, when they had seen her, theorized that Guinevere had wanted to make an example out of her so that the two boys would learn their place in her new government, but Zelda wasn't too sure. The boys weren't the strongest of their families; Tristan's magic was unpredictable and Percival had all the vulnerabilities of a vampire, but none of the strengths. What use could she have for them and what threat could they pose?
They were the most troublesome princes in all of Britannia! Who would rally behind them? And what could they do even if they could amass followers? Not only that, but they were just ten years old; nothing more than children.
What purpose could they serve to a corrupt ruler? That was the question that unsettled the vampire princess the most because it was the only one she couldn't answer. She couldn't see them rebelling against Guinevere, but as pawns, there were possibilities that they could fulfill depending on how twisted the second Liones princess was. It was the unknown that made Zelda frantic; she couldn't let anything happen to her little brother and cousin.
She stopped her search, only to take a break and think over what she knew about the prison's layout and what Eveline had told her. Eveline's cell was located in the lowest pits, and she could hear the twins crying at night which meant they had to be near Eveline or were somewhere above her. She figured above since they weren't capable of escaping on their own and those cells were perfect for scaring them when the guards watching Eveline would switch shifts. But what floor could they be on?
At a guess, I would say they are two floors above me. But I cannot be sure.
That was all Eveline could say and it didn't help as Zelda had searched through every cell she came across and nothing was there. She had to be on the right floor because Merlin knew roughly where Eveline was and sent them as close to her as she could.
What am I missing? Zelda thought as she carefully observed the cells around her. They should be here unless they were moved and…
Zelda froze; what if they were moved? No, not moved; they were still there, they had to be. But where?
"Well, well, well," A slight yelp escaped Zelda as she heard a deep, growling voice come from behind her. "I guess that dimwit wasn't fibbing at all."
Zelda wanted to curse aloud but refrained. The person behind her was unmistakably Azazel, the fourth of the Black Knights and certainly not someone she wanted to get tangled up with. While all four Knights were powerful, Azazel had a special advantage in the form of his missing right arm which he had replaced with a black slithering limb of pure demonic energy. This tentacle-like limb was quick and its reach extended further than most long-range attacks; in a tight corridor like this, she had no room to escape it.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
Before Zelda could do anything, she felt his armored hand wrap itself around her neck, squeezing her throat just enough to let her know that the wrong move will end her life. His right limb extended outward to one of the cells, opening it so that a pair of guards could bring out the boys.
"Ah!" Zelda moved toward them but was restrained by the neon blue-haired Knight.
"Remember what predicament you're in before charging off like that," he teasingly whispered into her ear. "If you make another wrong move, I'll have them killed and we don't want that, right?"
Unsure if she should speak, Zelda nodded but kept her eyes fixed on the boys. If Azazel says her cooperation will keep the boys alive, she'll believe him but she didn't trust that he or those guards might try something.
"Good, let's discuss the situation as it stands; Kasedya told us you were planning something dirty at Camelot, possibly trying to get Eveline out of prison. As you might expect, Geunievere and Layla are on their way to Camelot as we speak. So that leaves me and the dimwit to watch out for you. So, what do you make of this?"
Zelda gritted her teeth, she didn't know what to say. "I don't know, what do you want me to say?"
"Are you breaking Eveline out?"
"Are you asking if I am breaking her out or if there was a plan to get her?"
"Both."
"I am getting the boys." She answered, knowing that the truth would confuse the half-demon.
The smile that she could see from her peripheral faded into a frown. "Was there a plan to get Eveline?"
"Of course."
"You say you're here for the boys…"
"I am."
Azazel did not speak for a minute, Zelda could only assume he was thinking over what she had said, only to then begin chuckling to himself.
"Clever, Merlin. Send someone else after the big game," he frowned again, "In that case, I have a proposition for you, Lady Zelda."
By the time Midoriya found Eveline's cell, he felt something was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew something or someone was waiting for him. He kept himself vigilant as he broke off the cell's door while Eveline weakly looked up at him; she was quick to tell him that she wasn't injured but merely exhausted which confused him.
"Can you walk?" he asked, extending out his hand for her to take. "Let me help you."
Just as Eveline took his hand, Midoriya forcefully lifted her and punched her in through the gut, exposing that her body was composed of a strange grey substance. The body quickly melted around his arm and in front of him was Kasdeya with an unconscious Eveline pinned against the wall by something that resembled a snake. He quickly noted that Kasdeya's right leg had a huge gash that oozed out a mixture of blood and a black substance.
"I don't understand how you saw through my toy," Kasdeya pouted as if she were a disgruntled child before adding with a stiff shake of her head. "but it doesn't matter, I'm not letting you take this one away from here. No sir."
Midoriya took a step back, knowing that he shouldn't be so close to the enemy while Eveline was under her custody. He needed to analyze the situation and come up with a way to deal with Kasdeya and rescue Eveline without too much commotion.
"I didn't get the chance to properly introduce myself earlier," Kasdeya lazily leaned back, curling herself into a relaxed position as she floated before him. "My name's Kasdeya, the Femme Fatale of the Black Knights. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Broccoli Head."
"Br-Br-Broccoli Head?" Of all the insults he had ever heard in his life, that certainly was a new and unwelcome one.
"I mean look at that hair," Kasdeya giggled as she forced herself into his personal space, playfully toying with the curls of his hair. "it's all curly and green, who even has this kind of hair! You look like a baby!"
Midoriya couldn't help but get flustered by that comment; did he look like a baby?! Had everyone thought that about him? Even Eveline? Wait, why was he thinking about that and not about the situation?
"Don't try to fight it, okay?" Midoriya looked up at the demon, who smiled down at him with a strange vacant expression. "The more you fight, the more I have cut up that cute face."
Midoriya reprimanded himself for the slip and forcibly shoved Kasdeya from himself. Stay focused, I don't know if that was a quirk like power or just some stupid tactic I fell for but I'm not letting it get me this time!
"Hmph!" Kasedya huffed as she pulled herself back toward Eveline, "What a shame, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do this."
Kasdeya reached out and grabbed a fist full of Eveline's hair, yanking the goddess's head upward. Midoriya could hear her neck make a cracking sound as her eyes weakly fluttered open. At first, she didn't seem to register what pain she felt or what was happening around her until her eyes focused on him. After that, Kasdeya yanked her head again and yelp escaped the blonde.
"Wakey, Wakey, sweetie," the demoness squealed as she shook Eveline's head, "it's time to play!"
Eveline tried to jerk her head away and out of the demon's grip, but failed. Midoriya wanted to help, but he realized that the strange thing wrapped around Eveline would move each time Kasdeya did something. He figured it was controlled by her but he hadn't thought of how she controlled it.
Is it like a puppet?
It's her familiar! Midoriya blinked a couple of times, before realizing that Eveline had spoken to him through their link. It came from her leg, the tattoo! Aim there!
Midoriya didn't have to be told twice. Without a moment of hesitation, Midoriya kicked the large gash on the demon's leg, earning a loud screech and the beast uncoiled itself from Eveline. The creature (now revealing itself to truly be a large snake) threw itself into the gash and the bleeding ceased. However, Kasdeya withered on the ground in agonizing pain, screaming in a language that he didn't know.
"It was actually a part of her!?" Midoriya yelped as he took the exhausted Eveline into his arms.
"It's a special kind of bond; she lets it live as a piece of her," Eveline groaned as she leaned against him. "Hurry, we can lock her in."
"Right," Midoriya pushed Eveline out of the cell and quickly locked the door before Kasdeya could get up. She tried to stop them, but her leg prevented her from doing anything beyond a weak crawl. "Let's go!"
"You brats! I'll kill you both!" The cry of the disgraced demoness echoed throughout the jail, alerting the other guards who were posted outside the prison.
The duo could hear the commotion from above them and it took all of Midoriya's willpower to not panic as he pulled Eveline to where he and Zelda were supposed to meet. However, from the sounds of the stomping feet above them, both of them were worried that they'd be caught before then, so they took refuge with a cell that was tucked away from sight. The guards ran right past them, never bothering to look to the side to see if anyone was there.
"Sorry," Midoriya whispered as he pressed Eveline and himself into the cold wall. "You're not hurt right?"
Evelien weakly smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm not hurt. Kasdeya's familiar can drain its victim's energy when it wraps around their body. It's a good thing she's not skilled or neither of us would have made it out."
Midoriya merely smiled and nodded. If Eveline said she was okay, he'd believe her. For now, they needed to find Zelda and get out of this place.
Zelda and the boys found Eveline and Midoriya stumbling down the hall; Eveline was too exhausted to walk at this point but she refused to let Midoriya carry her on his back.
"What the hell happened?" Zelda asked as she tried to take Eveline from Midoriya though the blonde rejected her aid.
"Kasdeya roughed up Eveline before I showed up." Midoriya explained, "Let's leave this place before we get caught."
"Right."
The boys hurried over to Eveline, asking why she was hurt and what happened to her, but Zelda quickly shushed them and pulled everyone into an empty cell. She pulled out a small marble and tossed it up into the air so that it hit the roof of the cell before hitting the floor. The portal opened, Mael and Gowther smiled at them from the other side while they quickly made their escape.
Once they closed it again, Mael took Eveline into his arms and healed her enough for her to walk on her own.
"Thank you, Mael," Eveline smiled as she leaned against him for a second longer. "I owe you for this."
"Don't think of it that way," he smiled as he hugged her tightly, almost afraid to let her go. "You mean the world to us and we can't let them get you again."
Eveline lowered her head but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess so."
Mael didn't seem to take her response as something positive, as he worriedly glanced down at her, but he couldn't dwell on it. There was more to be done for they were not out of the fire yet.
"Take a break for now," he said as he pulled away from Eveline to address the others in the room. "We will work on getting you to where the rest of the group is."
"Where are we going?" Young Tristan asked, anxiously glancing between his sister and cousin.
Percival nodded along with Tristan's question, before asking their other pressing question.
"Who's this guy?"
"Is he a pervert?"
"Why was he with Evie?"
"Hey, hey, Zelda! What's up with him?"
"He better not do anything dirty to Evie!"
"He's not a Holy Knight, right? He doesn't look older than us!"
"He's short, just like dad! I bet he's as irresponsible too!"
Midoriya was, rightfully, horrified by the boys' remarks and Zelda and Eveline were no less outraged by their brothers' tactless questions. Eveline tried to explain to them that Midoriya was her friend and that he was a gentleman while Zelda took to smacking them upside the head.
"He saved Eveline! Is this how you treat someone who saves your family?!"
Percival ceased his remarks but Tristan, stubborn as ever, declared that he would not be fooled. His father was one of the Seven Deadly Sins and he was the most irresponsible drunkard in the whole world. By that standard, Midoriya couldn't be any different.
Both Eveline and Zelda were mortified and began to scold the young prince, to avail. Tristan was convinced that Midoriya was nothing but trouble. He vowed to make sure that Midoriya never got the chance to do anything perverted to his sister or cousin.
Unable to mentally handle the chaos that was Tristan, Midoriya excused himself from the room for a second; now that it was getting closer to the end of the plan as he knew it, he needed to think of what he could do to help his new friends once they got to his world. He doubted that he could convince UA to let them stay, but where else could they go? 1-A's dorms still had some vacant rooms, but that still depended on whether or not the school would let these people stay.
"I'll have to convince them," he said softly to himself, "I just don't know how I'm gonna do that."
"Do what?" Midoriya jumped as Eveline's soft voice whispered into his ear.
"Ah…!" Midoriya turned sharply, his face pale as Eveline giggled. "E-Eveline…"
"Sorry about that," She smiled apologetically as she twirled some of her blonde hair with her finger. "I didn't think I'd scare you."
"Surprised is more like it," he mumbled as he turned away, "what are you doing out here? I thought you'd be with your brother."
Eveline shrugged, "He's fine. Zelda's got a handle on them. Besides, I want to talk about going to your world."
Midoriya's body stiffened, "H-Huh..!?"
"Don't huh me, I knew from the second you told me you were brought to this world that Merlin wanted to send me with you. Why else would she bring you here?"
Midoriya lowered his head in minor embarrassment. He should have considered who he was talking to before playing dumb. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"
The two of them fell into momentary silence before he confessed to what was on his mind. Eveline, without needing to hear much of the circumstances, understood the issue and assured him that they would be fine.
"But I can't promise that you'll have somewhere to live and, plus, for me to help you guys, it would be better if you stayed at UA."
"Don't worry about it," Eveline smiled, "I'm sure we can figure something out. Besides, your school isn't under any obligation to help us so harm is being done if they refuse to take us in."
"But-"
Eveline gently pressed her finger against Midoriya's lips, shushing him while she merely smiled and promised him that they would find a way to help each when the time came. "For now, let's focus on leaving together, okay?"
Midoriya, his freckled cheeks flushed a bright red, nodded, and quickly looked away. He didn't understand why the gesture set his heart fluttering, but he couldn't deny that he liked it. It reminds me of when I met Uraraka on our first day….
It took Mael and Gowther longer than expected to get the escapees to the rest of the group which had agitated Zelda a bit, though Eveline kept her from starting a full-blown fit. During that time, Percival had attempted to acquaint himself with Midoriya, though Tristan prevented them from having any sort of meaningful conversation. The young blond feared that Midoriya might corrupt his cousin and would pull Percival away every time he thought the other got too close.
When the portal was done, the small group found the others all hunched over the device that would take them away from this world. They were all intently working on the contraption, not even realizing that the others were now joining them until Tristan spoke up.
"What are you guys even doing?" the young blond asked, sounding just like a bratty prince. The obnoxious question earned the young boy a hard knuckle grind atop of his head from Zelda while Eveline merely smiled sheepishly at her brother's poor manners.
Everyone, except for Drystan and Bryan, eagerly raced over to hug the arriving party, expressing how happy they were that everyone was alive and well. Mael and Gowther moved away so that they didn't get caught in the stampede. Flora, in particular, wept as she held onto the blonde goddess, crying about how she missed Eveline and hoped that they might never have to be forced apart again. Midoriya only smiled as this happened, having received multiple thanks and appreciative gestures for his help. Bartra was the only one who was the most vocal in his appreciation.
"If ever you need anything, I will do what I can to help."
Midoriya accepted the offer with a slightly embarrassed smile, "I appreciate it, but I'd hate to burden you with anything."
Bartra shook his head and assured the teenager that nothing could be a burden to him at this point in his life. The old king then turned to his grandchildren who were eager for his attention as they hadn't seen him in so long. Eveline remained with her friends and relatives for a moment before pulling away, joining Midoriya's side in a move that wasn't missed by Bryan.
"It took you long enough," Bryan grinned cheekily as Midoriya and Eveline drew closer to the machine he and Drystan were working on. "Here I thought we had been caught."
Midoriya only shrugged, "In a way, I guess you can say that."
"Hm?"
"Kasdeya told the other knights about your plans," Eveline sighed as she knelt to gently pat Drystan's back, "Before Izuku showed up, she told me that Layla and Guinevere were on their way to Camelot."
"Shit…" Drystan softly cursed before standing up, "Well, we're going to be far from her reach soon enough. The machine Merlin invented is ready, just needs to warm up."
Midoriya absentmindedly nodded along before carefully inspecting the machine. While he hadn't spent much time in the support department to understand the basics of engineering, he could figure out that this machine seemed exceptionally advanced for people who lived in a medieval world and thrived off of the use of magic. Still, he had to remember what Drystan just said; Merlin invented it and Midoriya, in the roughly four days he knew her, figured she was this world's equivalent of Mei Hatsume.
"So what's the plan?" Midoriya asked, "If our enemies are at Camelot, what's the likelihood that they might find us?"
Eveline nodded in agreement with Midoriya, "Where exactly are we? How far from Camelot?"
"Pretty far," Bryan answered, "We're near the mountains by Edinburgh. Merlin said that Guinevere wouldn't think of looking for us here."
Midoriya shook his head, "I don't know, that Kasdeya seemed convinced that they have the upper hand. By the way-"
Midoriya never got the chance to finish his sentence as the machine crackled to life and a whirlwind of electricity began to converge within the makeshift center of the wooden dome. The smell of burning wood was filling the air.
At first, the electricity was unstable, prompting the group of four to quickly step away from it. However, within minutes it began to stabilize, creating a spherical orb that began to expand. It looked like something straight out of a science-fiction movie.
As I thought, this is too advanced for them, Midoriya wished he knew more about Merlin or had the opportunity to have a conversation with her but he remembered what Drystan had told him about her. I wonder…. If Eveline's been to my world before then Merlin has to have gone there at some point too. Then again….
"It's almost ready!" Bryan called out the others; the group cheered as the path to freedom was almost open to them.
Mael moved through the small crowd and approached both Eveline and Midoriya. Though he was smiling, both of them could sense that something was wrong and Midoriya wondered if it had to do with their interrupted conversation from earlier.
"Mael? Is something wrong?" Eveline softly whispered as he came within a foot of them.
"No," he said with a shake of his head, "I want to give you something before you leave."
"Huh?" Midoriya was confused and a bit bothered that he wasn't going to get to know about that link between himself and Eveline. He was about to demand answers when Mael, with a sad, but understanding smile, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, ornate bottle.
"There's not enough time for me to explain, so I had Gowther put everything I wanted to tell you within this."
Eveline gently took the bottle and inspected it, "A memory bottle?"
"That's right, with your link only one of you would need to drink it."
Eveline gave the bottle back to Midoriya, who was still perplexed by it. "Everything is in this?"
"Everything that I knew," Mael turned slightly to glance over his shoulder at the eager group. They were all oblivious to what the trio was discussing. "It should be enough for you to figure out the rest."
Midoriya wasn't sure why he felt robbed, but he put the bottle into his pocket nevertheless. It felt like a cheap way to explain something that seemed important, but Mael had to stay here and there might never be an opportunity for them to talk again. It was better than nothing.
"We'll be keeping Guinevere at bay until you can return," Mael gently patted their shoulders, a gesture that Midoriya wasn't sure he appreciated at the moment. It felt like this might be their final goodbye and he didn't like it. It also felt uncomfortably familiar. "Take care and try to not get into any trouble."
The two only nodded before Mael pulled away, returning to Gowther who had been watching the exchange the entire time. Neither Midoriya nor Eveline knew what to say to each other afterward, so they focused on what everyone else was doing while trapped in their own thoughts.
The group watched at the portal continued to take shape, growing larger and stabilizing further. It wasn't long before it was ready for them to use and they could see the All Might decor that filled Midoriya's dorm. Midoriya wanted to feel embarrassed as the others gazed upon his room, but instead, he felt a monumental relief at seeing something familiar.
"Is that where we'll be staying?" Drystan cried as Bryan began ordering everyone into a line. "It's small."
"Don't worry about it," Bryan laughed, "we'll figure something out, but first, let's get everyone out of here."
At first, it was suggested that Midoriya and Eveline go through first, but Eveline felt that the twins should go with Midoriya. Naturally, Tristan was against it. So Midoriya suggested that Zelda and the twins go first, followed by Eveline and Bartra. Midoriya, given that he saw this as no different from his hero training, believed he should help escort the other through before going back in himself. And so, that's what they went with.
"Be careful," Bryan said as he helped Zelda through, "looks like there's a small drop."
Zelda only nodded as she went through successfully. She did jump slightly, but past that, she was through.
"Boys, you're next." Bryan picked up Tristan, allowing Midoriya to pick up Percival, and they carefully handed the boys to Zelda one at a time.
From there, Eveline and Bartra made their way through with only a minor concern as the electricity faded for a second before resuming as it had before.
"We're moving too slow," Midoriya noted aloud, "Can't we let more through?"
Drystan shook his head, "Merlin said we could do two at a time at most, or else it will distort the machine."
"It's already losing power," Gothwer noted, "Hurry up and get the girls thro-"
"Kasdeya!" Eveline and Zelda cried from the other side.
The remaining group members turned quickly, just in time to Flora fall to the ground, covered in blood with a gaping hole through her stomach. Drystan immediately went to his sister's side, crying out her name in the hopes that she might respond. She didn't respond and, as he cradled the limp body, he knew that this wasn't some trick of Kasdeya's; Flora was dead.
"You thought you could get away so easily?!" The blue-haired demon growled. "I'm already pissed off so don't try anything."
Midoriya quickly glanced around, Anna was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Anna?"
Kasdeya rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers, "That brat? With me now."
From behind the demoness, Anna appeared, appearing different than she had been before. Her eyes were glazed over, but tears fell from them. Her face looked deathly pale, her mouth was slightly ajar, and the way she moved was more like she was being controlled by strings than fluid movements. As the young woman suddenly lunged at her weeping cousin, Midoriya caught a glimpse of what looked like a snake's bite on Anna's neck. It looked like a new wound, perhaps only a few days old.
"Anna, Stop!" Bryan cried as he jumped to push her away from Drystan. "What's gotten into you?"
"She's my puppet now." The demoness moved and Anna's body copied her. "Sadly, I can only use her body, but that's good enough for me."
"You're sick!" Mael barked as he positioned himself in front of the portal which was beginning to fade. "Damn it! Midoriya, you have to leave."
"Ah!" Midoriya turned to go through the portal, despite his desire to stay and fight, but Anna was quicker. She blocked his path and with a solid kick to the chest, sent him flying away from the portal.
"You're not going anywhere! Unless you want Eveline to watch you die a slow death on her behalf, I suggest that you hand her over." Kasdeya manipulated Anna's body, forcing her to pin down Midoriya. "Come on, Eveline. Don't let your friends die for you."
"No!" Eveline tried to push herself through the portal but Zelda and Bartra forced her down. "Please, stop!"
"Hmph, you can try harder than that, Evie." Kasdeya summoned a stranger whip from somewhere and used it on Bryan and Mael, who tried to attack her. "Is that all? They must not really matter to you."
Eveline struggled against her cousin and grandfather, crying and clawing her way toward the men who were fighting for her. "Please, I don't want this! Just let me go!"
"Eveline, please." Zelda gripped the blonde tighter, so much so that she was certain that Eveline was bruising under her grip.
"It's not like you can come back!" Mael shouted back toward Eveline, "That portal only works one way!"
Eveline clawing ceased, Midoriya somehow sensed that she was beyond horrified to learn that she was now stuck in his world. And soon she was about to be stuck without him if he didn't get back over there; the portal was beginning to close!
"Deku!" Midoriya felt his body being pulled toward Bryan, who was sprinting full speed at the portal."We can make it."
Gowther and Mael covered for the duo; they already knew that there was no way they would be able to peel Drystan away from his sister's body. If Bryan's the only one of the fairy halfbreeds to make it through, then so be it.
Kasdeya didn't make any attempt to stop Bryan and Midoriya. She seemed rather pleased with herself. "I guess I lose, for now."
Bryan paused just as he shoved Midoriya through the portal. She was just gonna stop? Just like that? That wasn't like her at all.
"Don't get too full of yourselves," She laughed as she summoned Anna to her, "We'll get Eveline back and I'll be reserving a special punishment for you Broccoli Head."
The demoness disappeared into the night, leaving them confused. But Bryan didn't waste a second more as he passed through the portal alone. Though their acquaintance had been brief, Midoriya could see that Bryan was deeply angered by the abduction of his sister.
"We'll be destroying this machine," Mael said as the portal closed, "Take care. We hope to see you again."
A/N: I wholeheartedly apologize for the wait. I wanted this to be a long chapter but the longer I took writing it, the less I could focus so I had to force myself to end it here. I've also kinda got sucked into TikTok lately so that's been a thing. I really want this semester to be over. I don't mind online classes, for the most part, I'm just tired and I just want to sleep all day. I'm usually like this around the end of the semester so this isn't new to me. I'm just lazy.
Either way, I don't know when Chapter 8 will be out but I'm guessing it will take a while. Until then, see you next time.
