(A/N): criticism and reviews are appreciated!
Chapter 7: Underwater
Yami's P.O.V
After the captain meeting, Yami came back to base with Asta and the two new kids. Standing outside, he declared "Welcome, to the Black Bulls Headquarters". They stood in awe of the weird feeling, before following him inside. Izuku, who was sitting inside in the lounge, noticed them, and his face lit up immediately.
"Todoroki! Yaoyorozu!" he called out as he ran to them, greeting them. The others sitting around the lounge gave them looks.
"Everyone, over here" Yami called out, and not before long, everyone but Bakugo was before him. "These two are our newest recruits, starting today" he said "introduce yourselves"
"I'm Shoto Todoroki, I hope we can get along." The dual-haired kid said.
"I'm Momo Yaoyorozu, nice to meet you all." She gave a small bow.
After Finral introduced everyone to them, Magna spoke up "If you're new recruits, we'll have to initiate you rookies." He said, putting on his delinquent act.
"Mr. Magna, Is it really necessary?" Midoriya asked.
"Of course!" Both Magna and Luck said at the same time.
"Hey," Luck said "Wanna fight to the death?"
"Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, don't worry, they just wanna test you-" Midoriya said, and was cut off as both Luck and Magna were covered in ice up to their necks in an instant.
"Brrrrr…" They shivered. "you pass…" Magna said, his teeth chattering.
"Wow! That's awesome, Shoto! You're so strong!" Asta said with a starry-eyed look.
Shoto went on to unfreeze them using his heat. "Wow! You can use fire too?! That's so unfair!" Asta exclaimed. As a drunk Vanessa brought out two robes for the newbies, she asked "What about you, Momo? What can you do?"
"I can create anything as long as I know what it is made off." She said, and as an example, she created a Katana with a red handle out of her chest. 'What?! If she can do that, I won't need to pay for new Katanas! If only I could've recruited her sooner.' Yami thought, and then said "Can I have it?"
"Of course" she said, handing it too him.
"Wow! Deku, you have some amazing friends." Asta said.
"On another note" Yami said, seeing Vanessa put the robes on both of the new recruits' shoulders "We have a mission in a very specific location. We're going to the beach."
"All right!" Everyone exclaimed. Yami expected it to happen, but still, he hoped they would quite down.
"The beach!" Magna exclaimed "Men bring to mind the beach! The beach brings to mind men! I'm getting all excited for no good reason!"
"Yeah! Come to think of it, I've never seen the ocean before!" Asta said.
"I haven't either, Shrimpsta!" Magna replied. They then both started to chant together.
"There's nothing better than enjoying a cold one under the blazing sun!" Vanessa said, taking a swig of wine.
"Shake, shake, let's shake!" Finral said, shaking around a cocktail shaker "I'll make some original drinks and flirt with some hotties in swimsuits on the beach!"
"S-Swimsuits…Does that mean…If I go to the beach, I-I-I-I'll have to wear a swimsuits, too?!" Noelle mumbled to herself as the chanting continued.
"Mr. Shrimp, Mr. Crab, and all the many other varieties of seafood, I can't wait to grill you all up on the beach…" Charmy fantasized, drooling all over the table. 'I hope she's cleaning that up, too'.
Gordon mumbled something unintelligible to himself, and Grey inflated a floatie. 'Maybe telling them wasn't a good idea.'
Only Midoriya and his friends were quiet, talking in the corner, and Bakugo was nowhere to be found.
"Captain, what should I get for Marie?" Gauche asked him, bleeding from his nose.
"Hey, sharks are strong, right?" Luck said, throwing mock punches in the air, electricity buzzing around him.
"I hope the sharks eat you both" Yami answered. Meanwhile, both luck and Finral joined the chanting. 'Fuck my life.' Yami reached his limit, breaking the wall behind him "Shut up!".
"Is it normal around here, Midoriya?" the new girl asked the shrimp, and he nodded back.
"We're not going for leisure! We're going for work!" Yami said with his dark face.
"Yes, sir…" everyone said, kneeling in front of him, and he told them what their job was.
"The Underwater Temple, huh?" Asta said "I wonder what it's like…"
After that, Magna and Izuku took the dual-haired kid to a room, and Vanessa took the girl to the girls' rooms. 'Finally some peace and quiet' Yami thought to himself, exhaling some smoke. He headed outside to enjoy the cool evening air, after about half an hour, he saw Vanessa, Noelle and the new girl head somewhere together on Vanessa's broom. 'I wonder where they're going. Actually, no, I don't give a damn right now.' Yami headed back inside, ready to take a shit, and go to bed.
Next morning
Bakugo's P.O.V
Bakugo was notified of their new mission only at breakfast, he was pissed, but then again, he was sleeping when Yami announced it, so he wasn't as angry.
"Are you ready, you bastards?!" Magna yelled. It was early in the morning, and just after breakfast. So everyone was tired.
"My goddess Marie…I wanted to take you to the beach." Gauche said.
"I wonder if whales are stronger than sharks." Luck said, a cheery smile on his face, while Gordon mumbled something unintelligible behind him.
"Ummm…Mr. Magna…" Deku said, rubbing the back of his head "we have six people who can't fly on brooms here…So, what do we do?"
"Don't lump me in with you, Deku! I can fly!" Bakugo said. After practicing a lot, he had gotten more used to long-distance flying "I surpassed you again, moron!"
"So what, are you all expecting a ride from me?!" Magna said "Not happening! There's no way I can do that."
"Well… Deku is right, Mr. Magna" Asta said, also rubbing the back of his head "I can't fly on a broom, so…" then a look on realization appeared on his face "Did you say six?! Wait, you two can't fly on broom either?!" he asked Icy hot and Rich girl.
"Then…We'll have to split the burden, everyone one that can fly on a broom will take someone who can't" Vanessa said, yawning.
"Thanks, Vanessa." Yaoyorozu said.
"Is Captain Yami still asleep?" Asta asked.
"He said he wanted to check something out and left earlier." Finral answered.
"Really? It's pretty unusual for him to actually do some work." Vanessa said. After that, Yaoyorozu went to ride with Vanessa, Todoroki went with Finral and Deku went with Luck. And finally, Bakugo reluctantly went with Gauche.
"All right! Let's go!" Magna said, and they all took off.
Mid-flight, Asta suddenly realized something. "Why didn't you just use your spatial magic to get there, Finral?"
"I've never been to Raquey before. I can't use my spatial magic to go to places I haven't been to before" Finral answered.
"Tch. You're so useless!" Gauche said "Now we have to fly over."
"I'm surprise you've never been there before, Finral." Vanessa said "I figured you were flirting with all the girls on the beach there."
"It's always better to save the best things for last. That's why I haven't gone yet" Finral explained "I'm so excited to go to Raquey! Wait for me, girls!"
"Hey, wait. The guy who's always awkwardly exhaling steam isn't here." Noelle said
"I'm right here!" he called back, now in the form of Gordon, before transforming back to his big, dark form.
"So wait, that was Grey?" Asta asked, seeing Grey transform into Gordon. "Then where's the real Gordon?!"
After some time passed, Magna announced "We should be able to see it soon."
"See what?" Asta asked
"The ocean" Magna said "I can't wait! I've never seen it before!"
"But I still don't see any sign of it. Is Raquey still pretty far away?" Asta said, confused.
"That's the big, blue thing in front of you, you dumbasses!" Bakugo yelled.
"Don't tell me…" Asta said, suddenly realizing what he was looking at.
"Seriously?" Magna asked
"It's so huge I couldn't even tell!"
"It's beyond my wildest dreams!"
"So this is the ocean?!" they both exclaimed together.
After a few minutes, they reached the beach, and it was lively, full of people.
Bakugo was currently sitting in the shade with Icy hot, as Rich girl and Deku went with the others to the water.
"Hey, Shoto!" Luck said, coming towards them "I can't find any sharks, wanna have a battle to the death?" he threw some mock punches his way.
"No"
"Oh, come o-" he said, getting cut of when Todoroki froze him up to the shoulder, encasing him in ice. "I win" Todoroki announced as Luck shivered beside him. Vanessa came back with Rich girl to sit beside them on in the shade. "What happened to him?" she asked.
"He wanted to fight to the death" Todoroki answered, starting to unfreeze Luck with his fire.
"Todoroki, Bakugo, why don't you go and enjoy the beach for yourself?" Rich girl asked them.
"No" Bakugo answered "Aren't we supposed to be on a mission?! I was promised a mission, I don't want some leisure time on the beach right now"
"Are you a workaholic?" Todoroki asked.
"No"
"I have an Idea then, Bakugo" Yaoyorozu said "Why won't you just practice your meditation?"
"How can I concentrate in a place like this?" he replied.
"How would you concentrate on a battlefield, then?" she asked. 'Shit, she's right.' A sulking Bakugo went on to start meditating, and not a second later, he heard the Drunk Witch "Nothing beats having drinks on the beach! Charmy, you need to move more to the right!"
Katsuki then sensed someone else come and sit beside Rich girl and the drunk witch on the sunbathing loungers. "Huh? Weren't you helping Finral pick up some girls?" Vanessa asked.
"Yeah, but I got bored, so I left him behind." Vanessa answered her own question "A little more to the left!"
"I told you, to the right!"
"The left!"
After a couple minutes of silence, Bakugo sensed the Ki of several people approaching, some faster than others. And they were making a lot of noise. 'Those fuckers can't be quite for five fucking minutes?!' Kastsuki got up silently. "DIE YOU SHITHEADS!" he threw an explosion their way, it wasn't as hot but the concussive force launched them all away.
"You overdid it, don't you think" he heard Captain Yami say, seeing half of his squad sprawled on the sand.
"C-Captain Yami" Asta mumbled from the ground.
He then proceeded to bury them all in the sand "All right, gather round, you morons. I picked up some info while you were messing around. Apparently the Underwater Temple really is at the bottom of the ocean."
"Of course it is, you dense muscle-head" Bakugo said, and this prompted Yami to yank him out of the sand and hold him by the head.
"Anyway, The mana kicks up the ocean currents so much that, ordinarily, even a first-class mage can't get near it. But on the night of the full moon, the mana becomes weaker. We might be able to get in then." Yami said, Bakugo still straggling in his grip.
Yami's sudden interest in his job as magic knight shocked everyone, and seeing this, Yami stepped on Asta's face. "I'm seriously going to murder all of you." Yami said.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow" Yami stepped of off Asta, leaving his nose bleeding.
"Like the name suggests, the Underwater Temple is on the ocean floor." Yami continued his explanation. "We can't just walk to it. So Noelle…Take us there with you water magic."
"Huh?"
"Give us a ride there." Yami reiterated his point.
"B-But I'd need incredible magic control in order to do that. I can't! you should ask someone else." Noelle said "I-I mean, if I fail…"
"you're right, if you fail, the fierce currents will take us all under, and we'll drown." Yami said bluntly "This is a top-secret mission entrusted to only the Black Bulls. No one else can do it. You do it. The next full moon is a week away. Learn to control it by then. Surpass your limits."
One day before the full moon
Yami, for some reason, collected all of them, and took them to where Noelle and Asta were training. "Hey, muscle head, I wanna sleep, why are you taking me too?!" Katsuki asked, Yami holding him by the head as they all walked.
"To help Noelle surpass her limits" he answered bluntly. As the approached the training grounds, they saw Noelle, trapped inside a huge sphere made of her own magic, with tendril-like vortexes coming out of it.
Seeing this, everyone called out her name, standing on the beach and watching "You can do it!"
"you're always thinking big, so what the hell is that? And you call yourself a Black Bull?!" Magna asked
"All that awesome magic is going to waste. Hurry and learn how to control it so you can fight me!" Luck said.
"It'll be fine! Even if you mess up, you won't die or anything! Just take it easy!" Vanessa called out to her.
"You must be hungry! Hurry up and finish so you can eat this!" Charmy said, she and her sheep cooks lifting up huge trays of food above their heads.
"Even if you fall, I'll catch you just gently!" Finral said, giving her a thumbs up.
"If you fall, I'm kicking you back up there, so make this work." Gauche said with a blank face.
"It's ok, Noelle, just come down, and control it!" Deku said.
"If you die, I'll kill you!" Bakugo announced from Yami's grip.
"Just get it done, damn it!" Grey yelled.
"Noelle! You can do this!" Asta said.
They all continued to shout stuff out to her, but it got all mixed up, so Bakugo had no Idea what they were saying. Not long after, a wave of light was emitted from the sphere, and it became docile and more refined, no raging vortexes any more, like a huge bubble. And after that, the bubble burst, spraying them with water, and Noelle fell down, being caught by Asta.
"Thank goodness everything ended well." Vanessa said, taking a swig of wine as Noelle slapped Asta. "Now, let's drink up."
"All right! Time to celebrate!" Magna announced, Luck agreeing with him. They both sent attacks into the air, creating pseudo fireworks.
"You did it, Noelle. You surpassed your limits." Yami announced "Well, guess we should get going to the Underwater Temple."
The next night
"Tonight's finally the night of the full moon. The mana deep within these waters will weaken, so it's the only day we'll be able to reach the Underwater Temple. You guys better be ready." Yami announced.
"Just you wait, Underwater Temple!" Asta exclaimed with excitement.
"Just you wait, magic stone!" Magna joined him.
"Just you wait, unidentified seafood!" Charmy chimed in.
"I wonder if they'll have something rare that I haven't tried yet" Vanessa said, rubbing two wine bottles on her cheeks.
"I wonder who I'll be able to fight. I can't wait!" Luck said, electricity crackling around his hands "Let's hurry up and go!"
"The sooner we go, the sooner we can go home, and the sooner I can see Marie." Gauche said, his nose bleeding.
"And I can go back to flirting!" Finral announced.
"Looks like you're all set." Yami said
"We're counting on you, Noelle" Deku said.
"R-Right" Noelle replied.
"Are you nervous?"
"H-Huh? I-I-I'm not nervous at all! Everything went great yesterday."
"You're so stiff. Wanna drink this so you can relax?" Vanessa offered her some wine.
"Don't go around offering alcohol to minors, you drunk witch!" Bakugo said, crossing his arms "If you're not nervous, do it pigtails." His expression changed to a dark one "If you fuck this up, I'll kill you" he said.
"K-Kacchan!" Deku blurted out.
"Bakugo, don't pressure her!" Rich girl told him.
"Well, if she's feeling pressured, it might not work out, no matter how good she is." Yami said "Noelle, take it easy" his face suddenly changed like Bakugo's "But if you mess it up, I'll kill you."
"Again!?" Everyone exclaimed.
"Okay, here we go." She brought out her grimoire, and it glowed brightly as she activated her spell, Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Cradle! Water appeared beneath her fit, expanding until they formed a sphere around everyone, and then, it floated, before launching itself to the water.
There was one major problem, grey took out all the space inside with his large body. "Get off or I'll blow you away!" Bakugo shouted.
"Don't! you'll burst the bubble, you hothead!" Magna cried out. As a response, Grey transformed into Charmy, getting off of everyone.
"Well done, Noelle. I'm counting on you to get us to the Underwater Temple." Yami said, putting his hand on her head.
"O-Of course. Here we go." Noelle said, slightly blushing. She then made the sphere dive underwater, and then it started heading towards the Temple.
"This is awesome!" Asta said with a starry-eyed look, he and Vanessa looking at the fish swimming next to the sphere.
"We're actually moving through the ocean!"
"So many yummy-looking fish!"
"Look, Marie! This is what it looks like inside the ocean." Gauche said, pointing his magic mirror at the sea. "Hey, get closer to the fish! Marie wants to see!"
"I don't have time for this!" Noelle replied, and Gauche ignored it as his mirror stopped working. Not long after that, they reached twin vortexes, viciously spiraling and threatening to drown anything that got to close.
"What the hell is that!?"
"Looks like the entrance to the strong magic region." Yami answered.
As they got closer, the bubble started rocking around wildly, trying to resist the vortexes. "I-Is the mana here really weaker?" Rich girl asked, Todoroki staying stoic next to her.
"The strong magic region is insane!" Asta yelled.
"Lady Noe, you'd better be able to handle this!" Magna said, fear creeping into his voice.
"You're probably super scared, Magna, since you use fire." Luck said next to him, his cheerful smile still intact.
"Wh-Wh-Who are you calling scared, you jerk?!"
They all cheered Noelle as they Passed through multiple vortexes, the bubble resisting with all its might.
"SHUT. THE FUCK. UP!" Katsuki yelled at them.
"We can do this." Noelle said.
"Crap. I feel sick. I'm gonna throw up." Vanessa said, covering her mouth.
"If you throw up here, I'll kill you, you perverted witch!" Katsuki yelled at here, as Rich girl went over to her, stabilizing her so she won't throw up.
"The intensity is decreasing." Noelle told them. They reached a calm part of the sea, with colorful corals lining the bottom of the ocean, and wildlife everywhere. "Whoa! This is awesome!" Deku said "Don't you think so, Todoroki?"
"Yeah" Todoroki answered.
"It's so pretty!" Vanessa, not feeling sick anymore, said.
"There are so many creatures I've never seen before!" Asta said.
"Whoa, that fish is super shiny!" Finral said.
"Isn't that glow…magic? So badass." Magna said. ´Magical fish? Seriously?'.
"Looks like some of the creatures evolved a bit further because of the mana." Yami said.
"I wonder if it's yummy." One Charmy said
"I wonder if its taste evolved a bit further, too." The other one added.
"We're gonna go catch it real quick!" they said simultaneously.
"You idiots!" Magna said, holding them by the collar "Do you two want to drown?! And Grey, you don't need to mimic her glutton side, too!"
"Those whirlpools…They're magic barriers! And they're extremely powerful. We won't be able to get through like this." Noelle said.
"Why would there be magic barriers down here?" Todoroki asked.
"All right, you're up, kid." Yami said, avoiding the question. "Go slice through it with your anti-magic sword."
"Captain Yami…" Asta said "You see…coming to the ocean for my first time made me realize something crazy. I can't swim. Man, doesn't that suck?"
"Who said you need to swim, asshat?" Bakugo said, suddenly grabbing him by the collar. "Dieee!" he yelled, throwing him with an explosion through the bubble, and right into the barriers.
"Moron, you covered the bubble in smoke" Yami said. Asta reached the barriers, slashing through them with his sword. And then they landed the bubble on top of him, Noelle undoing the magic.
"Good work." Yami said, starting to walk forward, Bakugo following in tow. After scouting a bit, Charmy made them a cotton platform, transporting them to the Temple.
"How boring. No one's attacking us." Luck said.
"True, there don't even seem to be any trap spells" Noelle said as they reached what looked to be an underwater city. "That's a bit disappointing."
"Aw, how boring." The drunk witch said.
"Don't you dare let your guard down, you bastards!" Magna yelled "This is the strong magic region! Be ready for anything!"
"This is awesome!"Asta exclaimed when the landed inside the city "Are these houses?"
"Does that mean there are underwater people?" Luck asked, electricity buzzing around his hands "Are they strong? Are they violent? Aren't you guys excited to fight them?!".
As a response, Bakugo smacked him lightly on the head "What's wrong with you? We haven't seen anybody yet." And Luck just smile him as a response.
"Hey! There are people over there!" Asta said, pointing in the direction of two people.
"Seriously? Underwater people?" Magna asked "They won't suddenly attack, will they?!"
"Shh! They'll hear us."
"I think they heard us" Vanessa said, waving her hand at them "Yeah, they definitely heard us" she said as they were swarmed by curious people.
"How rare"
"Guys! We have visitors for once!"
"Wait, that robe…Are you a Magic Knight?"
´How annoying' Bakugo thought to himself, trying to keep his cool as they were bombarded with questions.
"Wait! I was picturing a dangerous dungeon!" Asta said with a starry-eyed look.
"Thankfully, most of the time, what you expect isn't what you get." Yami replied.
"Why? Were you scared of a dungeon, muscle head?" Bakugo asked Yami in a mocking tone, prompting Yami to grab him by the head.
"Well, hurry up and bring out the boss of this temple. Capisce?" Yami said, putting on his menacing face, Bakugo's head still in his grip.
"Captain Yami! You sound like some gangster!" Asta said behind him.
"Got it! That'd probably be the high priest! Capisce?" a man replied.
"You can find the high priest right up those stairs. Capisce?" Another man said.
"I can take you there. Capisce?" a woman offered.
They proceeded to go up the stairs as they were instructed, Yami still holding on to Bakugo and now holding Charmy as well, to prevent her from going to eat. When they reached the entrance, the heavy stone doors opened before them, revealing a dark room.
As they walked inside, they were told "Tell the high priest hi for us!"
"Let's chat some more when you come back. If you do…actually return, that is." And with that ominous message, the doors closed shut behind them. As they walked through the dark temple, they encountered an elderly man, with a weird mustache and haircut.
"Hey!" Asta waved at the man, and Bakugo sensed something behind them. Looking back, they all saw a fish-looking monster hanging above them.
"Finally!" Bakugo blasted at the monster, blowing it to pieces swiftly.
"He didn't even hesitate!" Asta exclaimed.
The old man laughed behind them, as he walked towards them. "Well, well! Looks like we've got some interesting guests! Welcome to the Underwater Temple! I'm the high priest here!" he struck a pose.
"What's with the hyper geezer?" Magna asked.
"Hey. That was some welcome, you old fart." Yami said
"I just love surprising people!" the old geezer replied. "Those youn'uns over there had some delightful reactions. That's my magic" he said as Charmy tried to eat the fish monster, but it disappeared. "You guys are after the magic stone, aren't you? If you want it, why don't we play a little game?"
"Play a game with you?" Asta asked.
"I call this game…The boob-squeezing game!" he said, approaching the girls, and Rich girl smacked him over the head with a Bō staff she produced from her arm, and after that Noelle proceeded to stomp on his back. "Nobody's going to be playing that." She said.
"Hey! Don't beat on the high priest!" Asta said "I think he's really important!"
"And I'm royalty!"
"Oh, I'm just kidding!" the old geezer said.
"I think you need to know there are people in this world that you shouldn't joke with." Noelle told him, preparing a water ball in her hand.
"Stop! Let's respect our elders!" Asta yelled.
"Hey, old man. We don't have time to play with you. How do you know about the magic stone, anyway?" Magna asked.
"I have pretty good eyes, you see." The geezer answered "What'll it be? You want the magic stone for your kingdom, don't you?"
Hearing this, Gauche, Luck, and Magna started conspiring together. "Hey! I'm hearing a lot of dangerous talk over there!" Asta said "Magic Knights aren't allowed to do that!" Asta then looked over at Vanessa, Charmy, and Finral "And you people don't intend to work at all!"
"Haven't you made up your minds yet? If you win the game, in addition to the magic stone, I'll gather the temple's most beautiful girls and hold an exquisite banquet with the very best food and drink." The old geezer announced.
"Let's do this!" all three of them said at the same time.
"Is that more important than the mission?!" Asta asked "I'll do anything from games to working out!" he then got kicked in the back by Yami, "Okay, dial it back a bit." Yami exhaled some smoke "All right, old man. We'll do it. This gaming expert will take you on."
"What kind of game are we talking about, you old geezer?" Katsuki asked.
The geezer smiled at the question "A white-hot…Temple battle royale!" he exclaimed, suddenly pumped for the coming game. "Temple mages, come on out!" he said, his grimoire floating beside him. Game Magic: Temple Shuffle! This spell created new passages inside the walls, and out came fourteen mages, all dressed in similar robes, and wearing different masks of underwater animals.
"You called, high priest?" they all asked simultaneously.
"finally! Mages from the outside who made it to the underwater temple!"
"I'm so excited!"
"Still…They don't look that touch."
"Huh? What was that, punk? Look at your lame-ass masks!" Magna said.
"The magic's just rolling off these guys!" Finral told them "Are they warriors from the Underwater Temple?"
"Well, then. Why don't we get started?" the geezer said "All right, then. Let the games…begin!" walls of water erupted around both groups, splitting and taking everyone elsewhere in the temple, scattering them.
Katsuki ended up on a grassy plateau surrounded by water. "So, you're my opponent" Bakugo said, sensing someone behind him, and then, and attack. Katsuki whipped around, throwing an explosion in the attack's way, obliterating it.
"Very good!" his opponent said, his grimoire floating beside him. Coral Magic: Unyielding Swarm! A huge swarm of sharp, colorful fish appeared, flying at him. Katsuki dodged into the air before unleashing another explosion downwards, blowing the fish away. Bakugo then charged the enemy, before being suddenly halted. 'So quick!' Coral Creation Magic: Seabed entrapment. Bakugo was trapped by some corals that erupted from the ground. Bakugo used his explosions to free himself, and then launched an attack at the mage's way. Coral Creation Magic: Colorful protector. A colorful Barrier was erected in front of the mage, blocking the attack and getting shattered.
"Seems like it'll be a battle of attrition!" the mage said "Unfortunately for you, I have more than enough mana."
"I'll kick your ass!" Bakugo declared "We will achieve a perfect victory, because that's the only victory that befits the strongest.". He again charged the mage 'He has a mask, so I can't tell how effective the stun grenade will be…so I'll take it off of him and take him by surprise!'. Katsuki launched another explosion his way, baiting him to create another wall, obscuring his vision. AP Shot! Katsuki's attack pierced the wall, and Katsuki could see the man barely dodging, half of his mask getting destroyed in the process.
As he removed it, Bakugo could see that under the mask was a bald man with a rich, brown beard. "you're good! And they thought you people looked weak!" he exclaimed. He again launched his swarm attack, and just after that, launched another magic Coral Creation Magic: Pillar of Life! A giant pillar erupted out of the ground beside the mage, gunning for Bakugo. 'Shit! He was leading me by the nose. But that won't work' Katsuki spun around, releasing several large explosions at both the swarm and the pillar. He then blasted off in the mage's direction 'I'll finish it now! There may be more opponents to fight later.'
"Again? This tactic doesn't work for you" the man said.
Katsuki didn't listen, using both his hands to blow up a hole in the wall the mage erected, before blasting into close range. The mage tried to retaliate by created a coral mace in his hands, but Katsuki swiftly grabbed him by the Collar Explode-A-pult! Katsuki used an explosion-powered throw to slam the man into his own wall, breaking through it, the man landed on the grass, unconscious.
After that, Bakugo turned away, before hearing a loud rumbling noise, as the temple shook. 'What was that?! I don't think we have anyone but Yami that can do something like that.'.
"Testing, testing…" he heard Yami's voice "Hey, you dumbasses, listen up. Someone really dangerous just crashed the game. He's one of the leaders of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, and a beast of a man strong enough to go head-to-head with a Magic Knight Captain. Also, seven of his underlings are over there, too. Here's the problem…Due to reasons, I can't go over there. Meaning you guys gotta do something about him. Listen up. All of you, surpass your limits, right here, right now. If you die, I'll kill you. That's all."
"The game rules have changed" the geezer said, his voice now replacing Yami's "No time limit. To clear the game, defeat the Eye if the Midnight Sun's team. Those who contribute to clearing the game will get any wish that's within my power to grant!"
'Good. More extras to beat. They really don't know when to not butt in' Bakugo thought as he headed off. After walking for some time, Bakugo started hearing familiar sounds, the sounds of fighting, and he began running to the source of the sound. Arriving at the battle, he was in a big cavern, stalactites and stalagmites all around the cave, and in it middle, he saw the damn nerd fight two people. ´Seriously?' "Hey, Damn Deku!" Bakugo called out to him "are you really still playing with them? Come on, the strongest one here still awaits!" Bakugo yelled, blasting off to stand near Deku, "K-Kacchan! You're ok, thank goodness!".
"Why wouldn't I be, you damn nerd!" Bakugo shouted back.
"Well anyway, this one has steel magic, and the other one there has some other magic, I think its wind but I'm not sure." Deku told him.
"It doesn't matter, we'll wipe them out right now!" Katsuki announced.
"So sure of yourself, you brats!" One mage said "you really think you can beat us, Lord Vetto's handpicked men?!". He then proceeded to launch some air bullets their way, and Bakugo and Midoriya and Bakugo got out of the way, preparing to go on the offensive. Bakugo launched himself at the two mages, but the steel magic-user erected a barrier, preventing him from attacking successfully. ´Shit, those shitheads have both offense and defense. But me and Deku have only offensive abilities, so we'll just have to hammer them with enough power to break through!'.
Bakugo's train of thought was cut short when the barrier grew some spikes out of it, and they were fired his way. Steel Creation Magic: Pursuing Fangs! Katsuki prepared to blow them to bits, but before he could, Midoriya broke through them with his kicks. "Are you ok, Kacchan?" he asked, before landing on the cavern wall and jumping away to land next to Bakugo.
"With your weak powers you'll never beat us!" the second mage said.
"Who are you calling weak?!" Katsuki yelled back, a murderous look on his face "Deku, we're gonna kill them!" he said before blasting off again. Shockwave Magic: Roaring Column! A column of wind shot in Bakugo's way, but he swiftly evaded, redirecting himself with an explosion. "How do you like that? Dipshit!" Bkaugo yelled, before sensing something to his right. Aftershock! The area in which the column was exploded with a shock wave, flinging Bakugo away and forcing him to stabilize himself in mid-air.
"We'll finish it quickly" the first mage said. Steel Trap Magic: Sharp Ravine! Suddenly the bottom of the cave erupted with blades, forcing Midoriya to the walls. ´They know they can't outmatch us in a battle of strength, so they are trying to wear us out. Maybe it's time I show them what I learned.'.
"Deku! Keep up and prepare yourself!" he called out to his friend, and the latter nodded back, running along the walls to avoid the traps.
Bakugo threw his arms back Mana Enhance: Explosion – Archer Impact! A bright explosion exploded from his hands, propelling his quickly forward. The mages gasped at the speed as they barely had time to react. Bakugo prepared for impact, his palms glowing bright "DIEEE!" he yelled releasing an explosion on impact that destroyed the barrier. "Now, Deku!".
Midoriya charged forward Smash! He brought his leg down on the mages, but he never his them, as the shockwave one flung them backward with an attack, evading Midoriya's attack. ´Shit!'. "Press them!" Katsuki yelled, ready to unleash another explosion, but he was met with another Shockwave column, forcing both young heroes to retreat. "Kacchan, I have an idea!" Deku said, as he started jumping all around the cave, never staying in one place.
And then, he jumped at the airborne Katsuki ´I see now' Bakugo thought to himself, smiling. He caught him in mid-air, spinning around he shouted "DIEEE!" and he threw Deku with explosions. He braced for impact, shattering a newly erected barrier with a dropkick, landing with a roll, he called out his Blackwhip, binding both mages quickly "Now, Kacchan!" he called out, as Katsuki launched himself at the enemies, throwing an explosion at the two hapless mages. As the smoke cleared, they could see both of them were unconscious, and the sharp blades on the ground disappeared.
"Come on, Kacchan, let's hurry. The others will need our help…since that beast is here." Midoriya said, and they started running, heading for the exit. They then heard more loud rumbling noises. 'Is it them fighting?'.
When they reached the cavern where the battle was probably going on, all they could hear was Asta's screams of agony, and some man yelling "Despair! Despair! Despair!". When they reached an opening to enter the cavern, the scene that unfolded before them made his blood boil, on the side, Pigtails stood beside some of their downed comrades, and some other mages he didn't know, on another side Dome-head, Sis-con and some blue-haired girl stood, horrified of what they saw, and before them they could see Finral, and the drunk witch, their bodies frozen with fear. And in the middle, a beast of a man stood, covered in a dark aura, and holding a screaming Asta by the forearms, probably breaking them. Seeing this, Deku moved from beside him, a green blur, snatching Asta away as the man let go.
'He definitely pushed over 20% percent there, that damn nerd' Bakugo thought, seeing him come back to them, holding Asta in his hands. He was trembling, but Bakugo didn't know if it was pain, fear, or rage. Midoriya put on the best smile he could in the face of this situation. "It's fine now." He said quietly "Because we are here." He laid Asta down on the floor, turning to look at the beastly man with a dark expression, a rare sight on the usually shy Midoriya.
"Oh, more vermin arrive to be crushed?" The man, who Bakugo now noticed had three eyes asked.
Bakugo stepped forward, a murderous look on his face "Hey, mister Despair, what do you think you're doing to my favorite dumbass? I'll kill you! Let's go, Deku!"
They both didn't let the man the courtesy of another second of breathing room before charging. The man readied himself, going for Midoriya with an attack Bear Claw! But Bakugo covered for him with an explosion, letting him evade, kicking the man in the back. "I see…Now that I know what you can do, you're dead meat!" he declared, his legs wrapped in a dark aura as he tried chasing Midoriya.
"Hey, dipshits! What are you doing just standing around?! Are you preparing to join or are you just going to stare at us?" Bakugo called out to the rest of his squad, flying after the man and Midoriya. 'Shit! At that rate he'll catch up to him!'. But soon after that, a portal opened, and Midoriya dived into it, evading the beastly man. Bakugo landed behind him, and he whipped around to grab him, but Bakugo wouldn't let that happen. Stun Grenade! Unlike the zero distance one, this version packed a punch, and Katsuki released a big, bright explosion, forcing the man to cover his eyes and letting Bakugo make some distance between them. "Curse you!" he shouted, "You're not getting away!" He leaped straight at the airborne Bakugo, but he never reached him, as Midoriya came out of a portal next to him, punching him into the wall.
"You pack a real punch, you two little mice." The man said "but I'll still make you despair!" he charged them both, before getting hit by a purple beam. "How'd you like that, you despair freak?!" Gauche asked.
"That's the last of our magic!" the blue-haired girl Bakugo didn't recognize said. 'Wait, is she wearing a Black Bulls' robe?'.
"Not…Not done yet…" Bakugo heard a weak voice behind him. And the man's eyes opened wide, as he saw Asta get up. "Now I… can still fight!" Asta declared, charging forward and picking up his sword.
"Why? Why won't you despair?" the man asked.
"I told you! I don't have time for that! There's someone I can't lose to! You and despair… are in the way of our promise!" Asta answered, seeing this, Bakugo and Midoriya joined the charged, trying to pincer him.
"Silence! You insects can be swatted away! I've already seen through your movements-" The beastly man said, before he seemed to realize something. He then pulled out Asta's sword from his stomach "There is no way that I would lose… against you humans!"
"Shut up you fucker!" Bakugo yelled, closing in on him, before disappearing into a portal, the man's attack missing him "The only one who should despair… is you, you fucking monkey!"
"Shut your mouth!" He yelled back, his aura spreading as he hurled rocks at Asta's way, knocking him away and forgetting about Midoriya. Shoot Style – Manchester Smash! Midoriya flipped in the air, bringing an axe kick down on Mister Despair, hitting him on his arched back, and Bakugo swore he heard something crack. The beastly man cried out in pain. "How dare you…" Midoriya said, delivering a punch to his face "hurt my friends!" The man recovered quickly, reaching to grab Midoriya, but he was stopped as an Ice barrage froze half of his body solid, allowing Midoriya to evade. "What do you think you're doing?" Icy hot asked from the entrance. Bakugo smiled 'With enough heavy hitters here, we'll hammer this fucker until he can't move!'.
"Not yet…"Asta said, getting up from the ground "I'm not giving up yet!" Asta charged forward again. 'This kid is crazy…'. Finral and the drunk witch continued with their strategy, Icy hot joining them, shooting off occasional waves of Ice whenever the beastly man got to close to the ones currently fighting, and Rich girl went to check on the injured. They fought with all they had, Landing hits on the man every time they charged, and by now he was covered with cuts, bruises and burns. The beastly man tried to retaliate, but it was no use, Bakugo's maneuverability, Midoriya's brute strength and Asta's sword wore him down, and with their comrades support, they were untouchable. 'Even though he reads our Ki, he can't do shit!'. Then, Asta charged head-first into the man.
"Despair!" Asta yelled "You've lost!" he brought his sword down on top of The man, pulverizing the ground beneath him with sheer force. The man was lying on the ground, unconscious, his grimoire falling next to him.
"We won!" Noelle declared.
"How'd you like that, you fucking monkey?" Katsuki asked.
The drunk witch pulled Asta with her strings, and she and Finral embraced him. Todoroki went towards Deku and Katsuki "How are you?" he asked.
"What do you think, Icy hot? I feel great!" Katsuki replied, and Deku leaned on Todoroki for support "Fighting with 20% has been very disagreeable to my body, I hope it's not bothersome." Deku said, as they walked towards their squadmates.
"Guys…" Asta said "That hurts! I'm injured all over, remember?!", the two apologized to him, and he turned to face Deku and Icy hot "Thanks, Deku! If you hadn't come, I would have been toast.".
Yami's P.O.V
Yami was relieved, sitting with the old geezer, and watching a death match between his squad and the overwhelming enemy was very stressful, but after they defeated him, Yami let himself feel at ease. 'What as up with Midoriya? I never seen him move so fast' Yami exhaled some smoke 'Was he really restraining himself while fighting other opponents? So that's his real strength, huh. And Asta too, what was the power that came from him earlier?' Yami looked over at the body of the downed Vetto, and an ominous feeling appeared in his gut 'This can't be good.' He looked out of the room at the mage that was keeping him. "Hey! When I come out I'm gonna punch your face in, so you better prepare." He told the mage, but he ignored him. Looking back at Vetto, his eyes widened as he saw Vetto being coated in an ominous, red aura. He floated into the air, his aura growing stronger. 'Shit! After that fight, there's nothing they can do. I have to get out of here!' Yami's blood boiled, and he punched the table covered in food, breaking it in half "That bastard! Even they won't be able to stop that." he walked up to the opening in the wall "Let me the hell out of here!" he yelled at the enemy mage, and his grimoire started glowing, illuminating the entire room.
"It's no use." The enemy mage said, laughing to himself.
Yami smiled seeing his newly engraved spell, and decided to use it 'There's no time to waste.'. Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash! The spell cut right through the mage's bubble, breaking it.
"Wh-Wh-What!?" he said in surprise. But Yami didn't take long, he charged forward, knocking the man unconscious with one hit, and then the old man transported them both to the rest of the Black Bulls squad. Yami landed on the floor, breaking it "Right, consider it brought." He said "Hey, you dumbasses. You good?"
"Captain Yami!" they all cried out simultaneously.
"B-But I thought you were trapped…" Noelle said, confused.
"As you can see, I broke through the spatial magic and got out." Yami said calmly "Thought I might've been a bit forceful about it."
"F-Forceful?"
"Couldn't you have done that a bit sooner, you dumbass?" Bakugo asked.
"Shut it! I have my reasons!" Yami said "If I'm not wanted here, I can go home, you know."
"What?!"
"Kiato! Kahono!" the old man called out, running towards his injured grandchildren "All because I wanted to play this stupid game…" he cried, embracing them "Gio… I'm sorry to drag you into this old fool's mess, too."
"Looks like we don't have much time, so let's get this over with." Yami said, exhaling some smoke.
"All right! Now that Captain Yami's here, we've basically got a whole cavalry…no, a whole army!" Asta said with his starry-eyed look "Let's beat the snot outta that guy!". 'Is he absolutely nuts?' Yami grabbed him by the head "What? Who do you think you're talking to?" Yami asked.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…"
"Did you head swell because you thought you took the enemy down?" Yami asked, and Izuku came up to him, "Yami…Asta is pretty injured, so maybe you should let go of him?" He asked with a small smile, that smile changed fast enough as Yami let go of Asta and picked Midoriya up instead.
"Ow, ow, ow… What do you mean?!" Asta asked, rubbing his hurting head, he stopped complaining when Yami let go of Midoriya, and gave Asta a pat of the head. "I'm saying that I can take him on my own." Yami replied "You guys risked your lives fighting him. I'm the captain, so I've gotta go all-out."
"Finral…" he gave Finral a pat on the head
"Vanessa…"
"Noelle…"
"Gauche…"
"Charmy…"
"Who are you again?" he asked, patting the blue-haired girl on the head.
"I'm Grey!" she answered.
"Magna and Luck…" he passed by the downed fighters.
"And you four as well…" Yami said "You guys did good. I'll be nice and take care of the cleanup." He said, his grimoire floating next to him "Or rather, I'm taking all the glory.". 'Seriously…you guys did well. the reason I was able to surpass my limits…' Yami poured his magic into his Katana, coating it in a black aura that shot upwards well above him 'Is because of all of you, you dumbasses! Getting trapped and pushed against a wall was worth it. This spell reminds me a bit of a certain stretched-out weirdo, and that bothers me, but still…'.
"It's no use. You humans shall taste despair…Despair!" Vetto bellowed.
"Shut up with the despair this, despair that already, you three-eyed goon!" Yami said, readying his sword "It doesn't matter how strong your magic is! This spell cuts through dimensions!" Yami could feel his muscles bulge as he prepared to launch his attack, and then, he brought his sword down. Dark Magic: Dark Clocked Dimension Slash! At first, it looked as though nothing had happened, but then, all at once, everything in front of Yami was slashed apart, including Vetto and his aura.
"Consider that my thanks for looking after my squad." Yami said "See ya, Mister Despair. I dealt with you in the end. Hopefully, you can pass on now.". Vetto fell to the ground with a thud, lifeless. "Sorry, but I didn't despair at all, either." Yami sheathed his Katana.
"Captain Yami!" He heard Asta cry out behind him, as he rammed into his back head-first, and he pushed him away. Next came Noelle "I-I didn't ask for your help. But I guess you saved us. You should've shown up sooner." She said.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" he asked, and she was soon pushed away by Vanessa, who came up and hugged him "Oh, Captain! I've fallen for you all over again! You're invincible! Absolutely amazing!" she said, wine bottle in hand. 'Where did she keep that?'. "Now, drink up." She said, putting the bottle to his mouth.
"Maybe later." He replied.
"I thought I was going to die… I saw my life flash before my eyes…" Finral said, and Yami put his hand on his head, comforting him "You were surprisingly useful for once."
"Yes, surprisingly!" Finral said before being pushed out of the way by the blue-haired girl"Y-You were amazing, Captain!" she said, running off "I'm so embarrassed!"
"Who were you again?" Yami asked, confused.
"La! You were amazing!" Charmy said, jumping off of one of her sheep and clinging to him.
"Well, aren't you guys fluffy?" Yami said.
"Captain. We're done here, so can I go see Marie now?" Gauche asked.
"Take the hint. You're supposed to praise me right now." Yami replied, ignoring the question.
Next Katsuki and Izuku came up to him, and he saw the other new rookies tending to the injured. "You're good, muscle-head!" Bakugo announced, and Yami grabbed him by the head, but this time not crushing him, merely holding him up. "Y-Yeah, Captain Yami! I didn't know you were so strong!" Izuku said.
"You're so awesome! It only took one hit!" Asta said "You're just so…"
"You're annoying me!" Yami said, unsheathing his Katana with his right hand, holding Bakugo in the left one. And everyone besides Gauche quickly ran away. "Yeeesh…" Yami sheathed his Katana.
After that, they all gathered before the old geezer "Gramps." Yami said, and the old man started speaking "Sir Yami Sukehiro… And members of the Black Bulls. Congratulations on defeating the Eye of the Midnight Sun team and beating the game!" he fell to his knees, bowing down, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving our Underwater Temple! Thank you! Thank you!" He got up, looking at them, tears streaming down his face "Please allow me, as the high priest, to grant your wish!"
"Sure. So just as we promised, we'll be taking the magic stone that you have here at the Underwater Temple. Come on, hand it over." Yami said, extending his hand.
"What's the magic stone?" the old man asked.
"Hey, Gramps, I thought you knew about the magic stone." Yami said "That's what you said, remember?"
"Uh…I just heard you guys talking about how you were looking for something called a "magic stone"." The old man explained. "it's a "magic stone", so I assumed it's a stone…What kind of stone is it? What does it do?"
"You old bastard…" Yami said.
"Woah, woah, woah, calm down! Calm down!" The old man said, and suddenly, an anti-bird flew towards them, holding a blue crystal in its beak, and it started pecking Asta with it.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! It's been so long!" Asta said "I haven't felt this pain since Saussy Village! Hey, Nero. I wondered where you'd gone off to. I guess you were looking for the magic stone for us! Good job!"
"Ah, so that's the magic stone…" The old man said "If that's all you want, sure, go ahead and take it. No need to hold back."
"Why would we hold back?" Yami asked, and Nero placed the stone in his open palm. "All right, we'll be taking it. This concludes our mission. All of you…" Yami exhaled some smoke "Well done."
"Yes, sir!" everyone but the two new rookies saluted.
"The moment I relaxed, all my strength just…" Asta said, and soon after he collapsed.
"I'm all out of magic, too," Gauche said, falling to his knees.
"Me too," Vanessa said
"Same" Finral joined, and soon, everyone but Noelle, Katsuki, Izuki, Shoto, and Momo collapsed from exhaustion.
"Oh, this won't do!" the old man said "Let's tend to your wounds and help you recover your magic and stamina." The old man went to get some people to take Yami's squad and the other injured mages to the medical ward, everyone still standing helped carry them. While his squad was tended too, Yami went on to give Vetto a proper send-off, using his cigarette instead of incense. And he sensed Asta's kid behind him.
"What's up, kid?" Yami asked.
"Wow, you're amazing, Captain Yami!" Asta replied "You must've sensed my Ki."
"I asked you what's up, didn't I? Answer my question or I'll send you flying." Yami said.
"What?!" Asta said in surprise "W-Well…since we're leaving this place tomorrow, I wanted to go exploring a bit. So I was wandering here and there."
"Just full of energy, aren't you?" Yami asked "So did you find anything?"
"Yep! I found fossilized seashells, almost got swallowed by a giant sea anemone, and got attacked by this insane swarm of wharf roaches!"
"Gross!"
"And then…" Asta said "I happened to find these pretty flowers." He knelt down, placing the flowers next to Yami's cigarette. "I can't forgive these guys. I don't know what it is, but these guys must've had something they can't forgive, either. Something that makes them hate humans so much. I thought that maybe he was feeling more despair than anyone else."
Yami exhaled some smoke 'I didn't think I'd hear something like that from someone who's so dense most of the time…' "You're an idiot, aren't you?".
"Huh?"
"I asked if you were an idiot. Answer the question of I'll send you flying." Yami said.
"Huh?! Yes! I'm an idiot!" Asta replied.
"Idiots don't need to think so hard about stuff like that, you idiot." Yami said, patting him on the head. "You just need to keep chasing your dream."
"My dream?" Asta asked.
"At least for now." Yami said, pulling Asta's headband over his eyes.
"I can't see! And I can't push it back up!" Asta said, suddenly alarmed "Captain Yami! Both of my arms are broken! Hello? Captain Yami? huh? Captain Yami!" Asta called out to him as Yami started walking away, waving goodbye.
The next morning, they prepared to leave, and the people of the underwater city gathered for their send-off. "Well, see ya." Yami said.
"Thanks for everything." Asta said.
"Come back soon. We'll welcome you with open arms." The old geezer said.
"Come back, damn it! Capisce?" one man told them, imitating Yami.
"Charmy, how are the Eye of the Midnight Sun guys you caught doing?" Vanessa asked.
"They're yelling something." Charmy answered "They won't be able to escape, so we should be fine."
"Hey, isn't that a ridiculously powerful binding spell?" Magna asked.
"Is it?"
"Kiato! Kahono!" Asta called out to his friends "Don't give up on your dreams! I'm sure there's a magic that can heal your leg and throat! I'll do my best to fix both of my arms, too."
"I'll be dancing on this leg again in no time!" The boy said, brandishing his artificial leg.
"Okay. Let's go." Yami told Finral.
"Got it" Finral replied, opening a white, shimmering portal.
"Good grief. I can finally go see Marie." Gauche said, going through the portal.
"Th-Thank you for everything!" Grey said, following Gauche.
"See you!"
"Bye-bye!"
"See ya!"
"Thank you for the yummy meals!"
And after that, Yami went through the portal, leaving the underwater city behind. 'Home sweet home.'.
"Great job, everyone!" Asta said, sitting on the couch next to Noelle.
"You're the most beat-up of all of us."
"Ah, Marie…I'm finally back on land where you are." Gauche said, bleeding from his nose "I'm breathing the same air as Marie now… "
Charmy got back to eating as soon as they returned.
"Nothing beats a drink, of a full bottle, after a hard day's work!" Vanessa said, a bottle of wine in her hand and two more beside her.
"The glory goes to all of us Black Bulls, doesn't it?" Luck asked with a starry-eyed look
"We'll get a little closer to positive stars again." An exhausted Finral said.
"Maybe we're not a lost cause after all!" Magna said, smacking Grey lightly on the back as she squeaked beside him, covering her face.
"I say we might be getting closer, but we're clearly still below every other Magic Knight squad." Finral said.
"Hey, look." Gauche said, looking at Gordon.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot he wasn't with us." Magna said.
"Gordon…I totally forgot about him."
Gordon, meanwhile, was mumbling something unintelligible in the corner.
"Isn't he always mumbling?" Luck asked
"No idea… I have no idea what he's thinking." Gauche replied.
"Well, I'm not looking forward to this, but I'm gonna go report to the Wizard King." Yami announced "Charmy, you're coming with me. Bring the prisoners."
"Will there be yummy food?!" she asked.
"Nope." Yami replied "Finral, transport us there."
"Will there be pretty girls?!"
"Nope."
"Marie's an angel!" Gauche said, chiming in for now reason.
"I-I wanna go, too! Please, sir, please!" Asta pleaded Yami with a starry-eyed look.
"You sure are full of energy." Yami said
"Hey, you need to get plenty of rest so you can heal up." Noelle said "N-Note that I'm worried about you! Don't get the wrong idea!" she turned away, blushing slightly, before smacking him in the face.
"What's the big idea, Noelle?!" Asta exclaimed.
"You are pretty hurt. Just stay put, kid." Yami said "Or so I'd like to say, but I guess you were with me when the Wizard King gave us this mission. Fine, come with."
"Yes, sir!"
"Everyone else, make sure you get some rest…" Yami said "Yeah, guess I don't need to tell you that." Yami gave his squadmates a look before leaving the building.
"You coming, too, Nero?" Asta asked as the anti-bird landed on his head "Come to think of it…Didn't that thing you found at Saussy Village sorta look like a magic stone?"
"Asta!"
"Coming!"
"We're going! Hurry it up." Yami said, grabbing him by the head "Quit wastin' time!"
"Sorry!"
They then walked through the portal, heading for the Magic Knight headquarters.
"Man, this place is as stupidly huge as ever!"
"Shut up."
"Good work, Finral." Yami said, dismissing him "You can go play until we come back."
"What?! No fair!" Finral said "I wanna meet the Wizard King, too! I really am nothing but your ride now!" he seemed to be in deep thought for a second, before waving goodbye "See ya, guys!" he said, running off.
Reaching the Wizard King's office, Yami proceeded to give his report, and the Wizard King looked in deep thought for a bit before speaking up "I see. He was a member of the Third Eye, the strongest of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, then?"
"His name was Vetto the Despair." Yami said.
"Despair, eh?" The Wizard King said, standing up from his chair "We'll send his corpse in for an autopsy and interrogate the other Eye of the Midnight Sun members."
"Got it."
"your binding spell is fantastic. That fluff is superb" The Wizard King told Charmy, picking her up "By the way, Yami, is this little one your child? When did you end up with a kid this big?"
"Gimme something yummy"
"She's not." Yami replied. "But anyway…" hearing this, the Wizard King dropped Charmy to the floor. "Here's the magic stone." Yami said, handing Julius the stone.
"Well done, indeed." Julius said "I'm sure you've heard, but many lost their lives fighting at Raquey. This should help them rest in peace. The Black Bulls accomplished this very important mission without losing a single member. Absolutely brilliant." The Wizard King seemed to reminisce for a second, before speaking up again "you've truly become a magnificent Magic Knight Captain, Yami."
"Cut it out. I'm 28 now, you know? You're embarrassing me." Yami said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, sorry about that." Julius said, smiling.
"If you want to say you're right, then prove it with the result you get from doing things your way." Yami quoted Julius "That's what you told me, Julius. I've said this before, buy all I did was prove that you were right. And these guys, my Magic Knights…" he put his hand on Asta's shoulders "…Proved that I was right."
"Yeah" Julius said, putting his hand on Asta's shoulder "Asta, you've earned another achievement. You're another step closer to becoming the Wizard King. I look forward to seeing what you do next."
"Yes, sir!" Asta replied "U-Um, Wizard King, sir, I have a r-request."
"What is it?"
"U-Um, well…" Asta said "C-Could I have your autograph?!"
"Sure, I'll write it right on your face." Yami said, picking up a quill. "you jerk. Get nervous around me, too!"
"Please, no!"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Wizard King." Marx said, appearing on a shimmering screen in mid-air behind them.
"Mushroom-head" Yami said.
"Who are you calling "Mushroom Head"?!" Marx asked "No, now's not the time for that!"
"What's the matter, Marx?" Julius asked.
"The border town of Kiten, which has a history of skirmishes with the Diamond Kingdom, is under attack by a Diamond Kingdom squad."
"They couldn't have chosen a worse time." Julius said, looking at Marx's projection of the incoming enemy forces "This is…"
"Wh-What's with that massive horde of people?!" Asta asked, seeing the projection.
"This looks like a bit more than their usual harassment." Julius said "Not to mention the ones leading this army…"
"Yes, sir. We believe they're Lagus, Brocks, and Yagos. Three of the eight shining generals." Marx said "They probably think that this is a good time to attack after the heavy blow we landed on them at the border town last week."
"What are the Eight Shining Generals?" Asta asked.
"The eight strongest from the Diamond Kingdom." Yami said "They're similar to the Magic Knights Captains of the Clover Kingdom."
"That's super bad news!"
"This isn't good. Kiten is the cornerstone of our border defense." Marx said "It'll be easier for the Diamond Kingdom to invade if they take it."
Yami saw the defense forces arrive to fight off the invasion and erect the magic barrier around the city. But even though they struggled, they were no match for the shining generals, who broke through the barrier easily.
"I-It's no use! They're just too powerful!"
"Well, that ain't good." Yami said.
"The Magic Knights charged with defending Kiten have mostly been wiped out." Marx said, before noticing something in the projection "That's-"
"What? What is it, Mushroom Head?" Yami asked.
"It's them." He replied. "The Clover Kingdom's most powerful Magic Knights squad. The Golden Dawn!"
'Even William's with them. Actually, if he's there, I might as well…' Yami thought.
"So that's the Wind Spirit? I want to see her in person!" Julius said with a starry-eyed look, watching the Golden-Dawn wind magic user fight. "Looks like you've gotten even stronger, Yuno."
"The Golden Dawn rushed to the scene, but they're up against three of the Eight Shining Generals and that many troops." Julius said "I'd like to send reinforcements, but the only ones who can head there immediately are…"
"The Crimson Lion Kings went to the Ioto Mountain range on another mission." Marx notified them "The Silver Eagles are tied up with the Spade Kingdom…"
"You want me to go, Julius?" Yami asked "I'm pretty sure Finral's been there before, so we can go immediately."
"Are you sure, Yami? You just returned from the Underwater Temple." Julius asked.
"Sure. I'm pretty invincible right now anyway, and…" the image of William flashed in his mind "There's a guy I'm a little concerned about."
"I'd feel better if you were to go. I'd like to go, but…"
"We need you here, Wizard King." Marx said "If this is a feint, their next target will be the royal capital."
"What he said. I can't just leave. Besides, the king is here."
"All right, then…" Yami said "Shit. I should've had Finral come up here with us. That useless bastard."
"Captain Yami!" Asta said "Take me with you!"
"With your arm like that?" Yami asked.
"There must be people who couldn't get away! I'm sure I can do something!" Asta replied.
'I'd like him to get experience on that kind of battlefield, but right now…'. "No" Yami said "Someone who's as beat up as you will just get in the way. Go home."
"But…"
"As his senior, I'll go along and protect him." Charmy said "That makes it all right, doesn't it?"
"You two! Especially you, Charmy…Oh, fine. Come with me, you dumbasses!" Yami said "Let's go get Finral!"
"Roger that, sir!"
"La, sir!"
And with that, they went towards the city to look for Finral. They found him flirting with some girls, and they approached from behind him. "What's the matter? You look like you just saw something really scary" Finral said, and the girls ran away.
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Finral asked.
"Shut up! Hurry up and get us to the town called Kiten!" Yami said.
"Huh? But I thought we were off today…"
"You don't get any time off" Yami said, giving Finral a murderous look "You can have all the time off you want once you're dead."
"What?!"
"Let's do this, Finral!" Asta encouraged his teammate.
"Hurry up with the portal already, you bastard." Yami said "C'mon, let's see how far you can jump."
"Are you mugging me now?!"
"We're counting on you, Finral!" Asta said with a starry-eyed look.
"Why're you so raring to go?!"
"Okay, fine! Here we go!" Finral said, opening a portal. When they exited the portal, they were greeted with the sight of a ginormous tree.
"Wait, woah! What the heck is this giant tree?!" Asta asked "Trees like that grow around here?"
"Do you think there's giant fruit up there?!" Charmy asked.
Yami karate chopped both of their heads as a response "Okay, that's enough out of you idiots. This is probably Captain Shiny's spell."
"Wait, What?! This is a spell?" Asta asked.
"Maybe they didn't need us after all." Yami said.
"Really? Let's go back, then! Please?" Finral pleaded.
"Nah, I'm gonna go check and see how the battle's going." Yami replied "I'm assuming Captain Shiny's up top. I'm gonna head up there. You three help the townspeople, and try not to die.". he then started leaping up the tree, leaving them behind. As he scaled the giant tree, Yami came across enemy mages trapped in its branches. 'William, your magic's as impressive as ever'.
He scoured the tree for William, until finding him, seeing him defeat an enemy mage. But Yami noticed something behind him, a man appeared, ready to strike at the unsuspecting captain, but Yami interrupted his attack with his Katana. " 'Scuse me…Shiny Oddball Masked Dude." Yami landed on a branch in front of William "Looks like you owe me one, Vangeance.".
"You saved me, Yami." The Golden Dawn Captain replied "Ki, was it? How astounding."
"Hey, old Diamond dude that I don't know. Wanna surrender?" Yami asked.
"Wait, really? You don't remember me?" the old dude asked, opening his shirt and showing Yami a big scar on his chest "Look. Right here."
"I've got no interest in your filthy-looking chest." Yami replied "Don't make me cut you down.". he jumped to stand behind the old dude. "So, what's it gonna be?"
"This is definitely bad news…" the old dude said "But now's the time to show you guys what a true Diamond looks like, and…" he jumped into a cart made of smoke "retreat!" he flew away.
"Didn't hesitate one bit. I like that." Yami exhaled smoke "Well, then…Now that we're alone in a spot with such a great view, why don't we have a little chat, Vangeance?"
"Man, your world tree magic is as impressive as ever." Yami said, taking in the sheer size of the tree.
"Please. It's possible thanks to the enemies' magic." Vangeance replied.
"Right…Your magic is world tree magic."
"It is. Exactly what are you trying to say, Yami?" Vangeance asked.
"I'm someone who believes his gut instincts." Yami said, exhaling some smoke "Vangeance…Could you take off that mask?"
"This isn't a face that most people would want to see." Vangeance replied.
"What? Are you, like, super ugly under there or something?" Yami asked "Don't worry. I promise I won't laugh."
"I know what this is, Yami." William said "You suspect that I may be the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, don't you?"
"Frankly, yeah." Yami said, exhaling some smoke. 'His light magic and your world tree magic are obviously different, but something's really bugging me. Their builds, their voices, and more than anything, their Ki feels the same. But…'. "I think it's been about ten years since I first met you."
"Indeed"
"We met on the battlefield, and after that, we fought together from time to time. Then we became captains at the same time." Yami said "Nozel's braid shook like crazy when that happened. It's not like we're best buds or anything, but we go back pretty far, don't we?". 'I feel something similar in you…'. "So just let me see your face, all right?"
"Very well" Vangeance replied, reaching for his helmet. When he removed it, Yami could see his true face. He had short, white hair, and a large scar the covered his upper face.
"That's one hell of a scar. Did you get it on the battlefield?" Yami asked.
"No, I was born with it." William answered "They called me a cursed child."
"A cursed child?"
"Even magic couldn't fix this scar." William continued "It creeped out the people around me, and they came to fear me. I was the illegitimate child of a certain noble. I lived in the Forsaken Realm until I was eight. But following the loss of that noble's heir, I was taken in as an aristocrat. Fortunately, I had great magical power, and my world tree magic was viewed with awe. But even there, they loathed my face. In addition, my foster mother brutally abused me. It was a hellish childhood."
"You sure had it rough, didn't you?" Yami asked.
"But in the midst of all that, I met Master Julius." Vangeance kept on with his story "He didn't care about my appearance. All he saw was my power. He gave me my mask, and I was happy. I wanted to pledge my grimoire to his service."
'That story sounds pretty familiar. The lines of his face also look like Licht's. But I can't sense the slightest trace of magic from his scar. He doesn't seem to be doing anything tricky with magic or showing me an illusion. And more than anything…his Ki tells me he's not lying. I guess this was just some odd coincidence.'. "Sorry about that." Yami said.
"No… I'm glad I was able to tell you and show you things as they really are." Vangeance replied "Thank you, Yami".
"I see."
"Captain Vangeance! Captain Vangeance! The Diamonds have begun to retreat." William's communication device spoke.
"Understood. There's no need to pursue those who are fleeing." Vangeance responded "Could you concentrate on helping the injured?"
"Understood, sir"
"Shall we go, too? There are plenty of captives." Vangeance asked Yami "It's going to be a pain transporting them all."
"Yeah. Oh, if we're transporting captives, I brought some useful guys along." Yami replied "Let's work 'em to the bone."
"Within reason, of course." William said.
And with that, they headed off to find Finral and the others.
Toshinori's P.O.V
Toshinori was sitting in his house. It was late at night, but Toshinori was wide awake. He's been told that the scientist team working on the case of the missing children will give him a call today, but It didn't come yet.
He was worried sick, with four of his students in an unknown place, and with no way to communicate with them. The days were stressful, and the air at the hero classes changed. The days seemed dull and silent. And what even annoyed Toshinori even more was the fact that due to being quirkless now, he won't even be able to go find the kids once the scientists establish a secure way to go wherever they went.
Toshinori's blood froze when his phone rang, and it took him a few seconds to pull himself together and pick up the phone.
"Hello-"
"Mr. Yagi? It's doctor Kairi" said the head-scientist.
"Yes, it's me. Did you make any progress?"
"Indeed, we did. We think it won't be too long before we can figure this whole thing out."
Toshinori's heart leaped with joy "T-Thank you, doctor."
"No problem, I hope you're doing okay."
"I cope, thank you"
"Good. I still have some work here, so I must go. Good night, Mr. Yagi"
"Good night" Toshinori replied, ending the call, he fell asleep on his desk chair. 'Not too long, huh? Wait for us, young heroes'.
I hope you enjoyed!
just to be clear, the move Bakugo used, Archer impact is named after the archer howitzer.