AN1: Thanks everyone for your patience, I'll have more details about the delay at the bottom of the chapter. To UnlawfulGentleman: yes, more Street Fighter characters will appear later in the story, but keep in mind that the setting in this story is hundreds of years after the first World Battle Tournament, and yes, Izuku will be very powerful after his training, though it won't be a complete stomp of the MHA universe.
Disclaimer: I do not own neither My Hero Academia nor Street Fighter, obviously.
Chapter Summary
WARNING: there is body horror in this chapter.
Something weird is going on inside Izuku's mind, Akuma gives him a wake-up call and he tries to use the Hado for the first time. Pain ensues.
滅 METSU! 滅
Chapter 3: Learning the Meaning of Pain, Part Two
"Don't worry, I am just hijacking your body! Calm down, it will only hurt for about… 45 seconds, tops! Then it will be all over!"
"NGGH UGH—!"
A man made out of dark green and brown goo held Izuku in a gut-wrenching embrace. The villain had come out of a nearby manhole and assaulted Izuku from behind, his body still carried residue from the black waters of the sewers. With a hideous expression, twisted beyond one would normally consider human by the effects of his own quirk, the villain forced himself down Izuku's throat through the mouth and nostrils.
"MMPHF! NHG MMF?!
"Such moving words… you are my hero, you know? Thanks to your sacrifice I'll be able to get away from him! So, from now on I'll be your number one fan! Please continue to— HEY STOP IT!"
Izuku was fighting tooth and claw against his capturer, digging through the villain's repugnant body with both hands as the desire for self-preservation strained his underdeveloped musculature beyond its limits. An admirable effort, but ultimately futile.
"Stupid brat, it seems you are as dumb as you are plain! There is no point in trying, I am literally fluid! It's useless, stop squirming so much damn it!"
The villain protested, but mostly out of annoyance. The boy's struggle was pointless, he was going to die sooner or later, might as well just do it quickly so his death was not in vain. In his frustration the villain increased the pressure on Izuku, forcibly holding the boy's limbs down in an unnatural way. A muffled cry of pain bubbled within the disgusting sludge, an opportunity the sadistic monster would certainly take as he began pushing his liquid body inside Izuku with renovated lethality.
A banquet of foul flavors and putrid smells was taking place inside Izuku's mouth, throat and stomach. The poor boy could do nothing but watch in horror as the liquid waltz permanently ruined his insides. He was powerless, the villain's viscous body would effortlessly flow in between his fingers, preventing him from getting a firm grip on his attacker to shake him off. However, It was a flawed plan to begin with, one born from fear and despair, as even if Izuku had managed to keep a grab on the villain, he lacked the physical strength to pull him away. His almost dislocated arms had been the final nail in the coffin of Izuku's flimsy fighting spirit, which now laid six feet under.
I can't breathe! My body… my mind… is getting... weak… am I… am I dying? I'm dying! Someone… please… I… can't...
But despite Izuku's desperate pleas, nobody came.
Where were all the heroes he admired, those shields of justice that swore to protect the weak like him? Why was there no one to stop this villain even though there was a surplus of heroes due to the decreasing crime rate? What about the police or even a civilian with a Quirk? At this point, Izuku would gladly take any kind of help available. What the hell was everyone doing? A villain was going to kill him! And in broad daylight, for goodness sake! Was he really so plain, so unremarkable, so unimportant that nobody would notice him even when he was about to be murdered?
"Yeah, easy there, kid. See? I told you it was gonna be painless after a while!"
The sludge villain snickered, most of his body was already hiding inside Izuku, causing the boy's torso to bloat a bit due to the invading fluid. After a few dreadful seconds, only the villain's jagged maw and yellowy eyes remained outside, covering Izuku's face like a mask. The gruesome process was almost done, but the final step was by far the most macabre.
"Now, you don't mind if I get rid of those useless eyeballs, right? After all they are only taking up space and I can't see when I am hiding inside some—"
The villain froze after his eyes spun around to begin the unspeakable deed. The boy's eyes were glowing like twin emerald suns, and what was once a look of anguish and despair had been replaced by a soul-piercing glare that burned with palpable hatred. Such a drastic change of attitude caused the seeds of doubt and fear to sprout inside the villain, but with a smirk he regained his smug demeanor, deluding himself with a false sense of dominance.
"H-Hey, hey! Don't go around giving me them nasty looks, kid! Y-You are gonna end up making your number one fan hate you!"
A forceful whirlwind began swirling inside Izuku. The villain was trying to knock him out with excruciating pain by twisting and twirling his entrails, a tactic that had proved to be highly effective in the past. However, instead of pacifying his soon-to-be new puppet, it only served to fan the flames of the terrible power that lay dormant deep within Izuku.
Izuku suddenly shoved his head forward with a bite, taking into his mouth as much as he could of what remained of the villain. A yelp escaped from the shocked villain, still dumbfounded that his fatal attack had been ineffective.
"W-What the hell do you think you are doing?!"
Did the kid have some kind of digestive Quirk? Had the previous struggle, cries and tears all been just an act to make him drop his guard and lure him into a deadly trap? Whatever it was, he had to get the hell out of this brat.
The temperature hiked, and the villain's sludge body began to simmer and bubble. Realization struck. Somehow, like a kettle made of flesh, the boy was going to boil him alive. The tables had turned, and the villain began to flail wildly inside the burning hell, using all his strength to force his way out of the boy's throat.
"WHAT THE FUCK KID?! YOU ARE SICK, LET ME GO!"
With muffled cries, the slime began to leak through the small gaps between Izuku's teeth, but before he could raise his hands and seal his mouth, a torrent of slime came pouring out with great force, busting out several of Izuku's front teeth in the process.
The villain cursed as he attempted to stabilize his boiling form. His viscous body simmered all over, emanating brown and green smoke of fetid smell. He had been ridiculed by a wimpy teen, his pride as a D rank villain had been shattered. He would not be able to face his partners in crime if they found out that a teenager had made a fool out of him.
Fueled by vengeful wrath, the sludge villain turned around to charge against the boy like a bloodthirsty beast, but what he saw was not the frightened child he had initially attacked.
What stood there was not human. That wrathful grimace, that piercing emerald glare, that blood-dripping jaw bearing broken teeth, that killing intent that presaged imminent doom and destruction; none of that could possibly belong to a mere human, let alone a child.
A hunter green aura flared above the creature's shoulders, scorching the concrete ceiling of the tunnel. The creature brought both hands close together to its side, forming a small cage with his fingers. A small dot, about the same size as a marble made of white-emerald energy, bounced and ricocheted within the hand cage, inflicting multiple burns on its palms and revealing the unstable nature of the creature's power.
The green demon gave a twisted smile, impaling the sludge villain in place with pure killing intent. The villain's body wobbled and trembled, his previous arrogance had been banished by a far more terrifying presence. A pair of thoughts wrestled for control inside his mind: to drop down and beg for forgiveness or to make a mad sprint away from certain death. Unfortunately for him, both options seemed equally hopeless, and his mind wasted the few invaluable seconds without being able to decide.
"Die!" Roared the demon, spewing blood that stained the pavement as it thrusted its palms forward, shooting the marble of destruction towards the paralyzed villain.
But before the orb could obliterate its target, a boisterous voice echoed from within the nearby manhole.
"FEAR NOT, KID! FOR I AM HERE!"
A blond giant sporting a confident smile came rushing out of the sewer, his sky-blue eyes beamed against the backdrop of the shadows cast down upon his face. The man pulled his mighty arm back and, with a battle cry, produced a powerful gust that could rival a wind tunnel through the sheer force of his punch.
"TEXAS SMASH!"
The white-emerald orb was swallowed by the enraged winds, dissipating into nothingness just centimeters away from the sludge villain's eyes. Succinct relief washed over the villain, until he got hit by the air blast that burst his body into countless pieces.
Izuku admired in awe, his overwhelming rage had turned into deep respect and admiration so quickly his mind did not manage to process the fact that he had almost committed a crime. His greatest idol had effortlessly neutralized the villain he had battled with for his dear life. Izuku's eyes returned to their normal green color, focusing on burning the shining image of All Might's confident visage into his memory. His murderous intent and aura had vanished, leaving only the blackened ceiling of the tunnel as the only proof of their past existence.
Contrary to his current appearance, Izuku was not feeling any pain, despite the fact he was probably suffering from severe internal damage. Whatever the reason was, he would worry about it later, right now All Might was in front of him and Izuku's heart had a question that had to be answered.
"NEVER FEAR, CITIZEN! FOR I AM HERE!"
All Might gave him a thumbs up and Izuku could swear he saw All Might's smile gleam as he did so. This man was the perfect hero, a paragon among mere mortals that embodied righteousness, self-sacrifice and hope. Surely he would give the much needed encouragement Izuku's dream craved.
Izuku gathered his courage with a deep breath, he had to psych himself up in order to push away his inner fanboy or else the conversation would be doomed to be awkward. The number one hero's time was invaluable, and Izuku would not be able to forgive himself if he wasted the opportunity.
Yet, even after such a deep breath, his lungs still hungered for air.
"HAHAHA! NEVER FEAR, KID! FOR I AM HERE! HAHAHA!"
The air became heavy, crushing Izuku like the tide and choking the words in his throat. Panic surged within Izuku, who brought his hands towards his chest and throat. He could still breathe, but no matter how much air he inhaled, the burning ache in his lungs kept its irrepressible growth, unaffected.
Izuku raised his sight towards All Might, hoping his saviour would notice that something was amiss with him and figure out the solution. But what Izuku saw shook him to his very core.
With a lifted chin and a narrow glare, All Might stood tall in front of Izuku, darkening the gasping boy with his broad shadow. His visage, twisted by a mocking smile, was fighting a losing battle to contain a snicker that exposed the sadistic glee swelling within him.
"HAHAHA! F-FEAR— HA! NOT, KID! HAHAHA! FOR I— HAHAHAHA!"
Izuku's face and lips had turned a faint shade of blue when his legs wobbled and dropped him onto the pavement, causing All Might's derisive laughter to turn hysterical. It was as if all the oxygen in the surrounding air had disappeared in an instant. Izuku began crawling towards All Might's feet as his mind strived in vain to make sense of the baffling scene.
"All… Mi… ple… hel…"
Izuku reached out for All Might who suddenly went silent. Perhaps the Symbol of Peace had finally understood the situation?
All Might kicked Izuku's extended hand to the side, causing the teen to fall flat on his face. But before Izuku could recuperate from the shock, All Might's giant hand grabbed his green hair and pulled him up to his eye level. The unusual feeling of being weightless was soon surpassed by the searing pain on Izuku's scalp, but the boy's lungs had shriveled to the point he could not let out even the slightest of complaints.
"Look at me, boy." All Might demanded in an uncharacteristic serious tone, bringing Izuku closer to his face. Frowning blue eyes met glassy green ones.
"There is nothing you have to worry about. For as long as I am here there is nothing you have to fear. Just accept it already."
And with that, All Might's grip loosened and Izuku came crashing down towards the concrete floor. But instead of feeling the pain of the impact, a cold, refreshing feeling spread across Izuku's body. For a brief instant, Izuku's lungs cheered with joy as they were filled with the life-giving oxygen, but then a stabbing pain hit his throat and chest.
In mere seconds his mind had arrived at the right conclusion, mostly thanks to one of humanity's primal survival instincts that had developed through millennia rather than a feat of his analytical mind.
He was underwater.
The coldness, the viscosity and the weightlessness all resembled the feeling of being underwater, like when diving in a pool. Izuku squirmed around as he instinctively tried to locate the surface. In a couple of seconds he noticed a bright light wavering in the distance, and after understanding its nature, he swam towards it.
"Ghuaaah!" Gasped Izuku as he finally reached the surface, bathing his face in the warm daylight of spring. Izuku took a moment to cough and steady his breathing, and once calmed down he inspected his surroundings. He was floating in the middle of a peaceful river of about 10 meters wide that seemed to split the forest in half. The riverbank was composed mostly of tiny pebbles and a few large boulders with some plants growing between them.
"J-Just what the he— just what was that? A dream?"
While Izuku tried to make sense of both his dream and his current situation, he remembered his past interaction with that scary old man, and as if on cue he felt a murderous glare piercing the back of his head. The phantom pain set off all the alarms of his sense of self-preservation, halting his train of thought instantaneously. Izuku's body broke into a cold sweat and time slowed down, turning seconds into minutes. Yet his subconsciousness understood that even if he had all the time in the world to come up with a plan to escape, his fate would ultimately be decided by the whims of the overwhelming presence.
With an annoyed grunt, Izuku's sense of self was brought back as he noticed the familiarity of the crushing feeling. He slowly turned around and his eyes met Akuma's. There stood his self-proclaimed new master on the riverbank with his arms crossed. Their previous interaction, still fresh within Izuku's mind, caused him to flinch in fear at the sight of the scowling man.
"Wash yourself Worm, you are filthy… and meet me down the river once you are finished."
Akuma paused for a few seconds, letting Izuku's mind attempt to piece together whatever hidden meaning the simple order could have had.
"Oh, also don't you dare do something as foolish as trying to run away."
And after saying that, Akuma throwed a stained piece of cloth — a makeshift towel towards Izuku. He then turned around and left into the thick forest, leaving behind a spare change of clothes on top of a flat boulder.
Izuku was still mortally afraid of the man, but he decided to follow his instructions for the time being as he still lacked too much information. There were far too many things he did not understand: the dreams, the shadows, this Hado thing, where he was and how long had he been there. He needed answers, but unfortunately the only person that seemed capable of providing them was a complete sociopath.
Did he not say something about a transformation? What was he even talking about when he told him that there was power dormant within him? Was he perhaps some kind of con artist? No, if he wanted money, he could have just taken anything he wanted after knocking him out.
This Akuma was a total mystery to Izuku, but if anything, he could tell that he was not a hero or villain, at least not a notorious or well-known one within Japan.
Izuku's mumbles were interrupted by the sudden thought of angering Akuma if he took too long, so he began cleaning himself in a hurry with the almost crystalline water of the river, scrubbing away the leaves and goo off of his skin. After tearing apart the improvised splint encasing his hand, Izuku could not help but wonder what kind of injury that required it would heal so quickly… unless he had been sleeping for months without realizing?
Izuku shook his head, scrapping the ridiculous idea and deciding to focus on the task at hand. As he cleaned his body, he mused about that oddly familiar dream and everything he remembered so far. He remembered the storm, walking through the beach and the massive wave crashing down on him. But he could not remember the reason. Why had he done all that? He had dealt with harmful thoughts in the past, but he had never tried to end it all before. What happened? What had been so bad that pushed him into even trying?
A faint headache began aching at the back of Izuku's skull, there was something his mind had blocked, something important, something that would allow him to make sense of everything, something locked deep within his subconsciousness that yearned to be set free and wreak havoc. Izuku grabbed his head, the headache was now throbbing, turning even the slightest thought into a grueling experience.
What, what the hell is happening to me? My head… it's going to explode!
Like a collapsing dam, the memories of that day flooded Izuku's mind: his classmates laughing at his dream, the teachers turning a blind eye, Katsuki telling him to jump off the roof, the sludge villain trying to hijack his body, All Might saving him and the dream crushing conversation they had after.
He remembered everything, and all the shame, all the anger and all the despair collected over ten years began to take over his mind, body and soul.
Veins began to bulge on Izuku's forehead, and his visage turned into a teeth-bearing scowl. His increasing grip on his hair caused Izuku to accidentally tear away small chunks of green hair that were carried away by the river's weak current.
Why… just why? Why can't I be a hero? I just… I just want to save… to help others… is that such a bad thing?!
Why was everyone so against this poor boy's dream? Just because he had been unlucky in the life lottery? Izuku had spent so much time researching ways to overcome his nature that one could say he had thrown away his entire childhood in order to follow a selfless dream, and what had the world given him in return? An insult, a smack on the head and a spit on the face. A kind boy whose only desire in life was to instill in others the same hope he had once felt so long ago while rewatching those heroic videos, had been shunned and ridiculed by the same people he once wished to protect.
A faint hunter green aura began to flicker around Izuku's body.
All Might… Katsuki… you… you think you are better than everyone else? Just because you have a good quirk?! JUST BECAUSE YOU GOT LUCKY?!
Shame, a complete and total embarrassment. Izuku felt like a fool for ever asking All Might such a question. That stupid dream, that childish naivety of his, he despised all of it. He hated himself for his own powerlessness, and cursed every deity he could think of for this fate. Even if he had gotten a weak Quirk, he would have spent countless hours trying to come up with the most creative applications. He would have been content as long as he could help others, as a Quirkless boy he had already given up on the idea of ever becoming someone as grand as All Might, he would be perfectly fine on being an unorthodox hero, as long as it meant he could pursue his dreams.
But nobody believed in him, not even the people that should have supported him the most: his parents.
The dark aura blazed over the tree line, causing the water surrounding Izuku to begin seething. Rage and resentment were corrupting every single one of Izuku's memories and thoughts, he would soon turn into a mindless berserker with only hatred and destruction in mind, an unrecognizable shell of the former meek boy.
But then the corruption reached a particular memory.
A long-forgotten recollection of him, probably as a 3 or 4-years-old, from before learning of his Quirkless status. He was wearing a onesie modeled after that smiling buffoon's hero suit, storming around the house, looking for his mother, and cheerfully announcing his "heroic" arrival whenever he opened a door. They were playing an innocent game of hero make-believe. The look on Izuku's mother, that warm smile and eyes full of care she gave him whenever he came rushing to her rescue, told Izuku that there was a time that his mother truly believed in his dream.
I am sorry Izuku! I am sorry! I am sorry!
The warm image was shattered by the mournful cries of his mother after receiving the news that sorrowful day. She was apologizing with eyes full of tears, as if begging for forgiveness after committing the most atrocious of sins.
Izuku's aura gradually diminished until it was extinguished, calming him down while the river's weak current cooled down the water surrounding him. He would never blame his mother for his Quirkless condition, she was possibly the only person in the entire world that loved him for who he was. Despite all the trouble and stress he caused her, Izuku knew she still loved him unconditionally.
"She must be worried sick… sorry mom, I promise I'll bring back that hope you had in me."
Izuku's hands dropped into the water, causing weak ripples to expand through the calm river. He shifted his sight downwards, looking at his swollen face barely reflected on the almost crystalline waters. He had a bruise in the shape of a foot sole over his left eye. The words of that brutish man who had restored his hope just moments ago echoed in his head.
You got power.
That man, Akuma, believed he had the potential, that his dream might not be in vain as long as he dedicated himself to master this power. Who was this monster of a man, why was he so interested in helping him, why this power had manifested within him and where it came from was irrelevant to Izuku, for as long as he managed to control it and make it truly his, he would be able to carve a path towards his dream and help others.
After finishing cleaning and drying himself with the coarse fabric, Izuku inspected the set of clothes left behind by Akuma. There was a sleeveless brown gi with matching trousers, both of much bigger size than what Izuku usually wore. They came with a rope which Izuku assumed was to be used as an improvised belt. Finally there was a pair of wood sole sandals that surprisingly fit his feet perfectly. Needless to say, Izuku had discarded his boxers, as they were far too torn and dirty to wear anymore, plus looking at the initials A.M. reminded him of that bitter conversation.
With a slight headache, Izuku followed Akuma's directions and began walking along the riverside. He now somewhat understood all those weird dreams, it must have been his subconsciousness' way of coping with such a shitty series of events. However, he could not understand what was that power he had used against the sludge villain during that nightmare. Izuku had a hunch that Akuma knew the answer, so he made a mental note to ask him about it later… after he gathered the courage to do so, that is.
As Izuku made his way, a feeling of shame and anger began crawling up his back. How could he have gone and tried to kill himself? What would have happened to his mother if he was truly dead? She would have certainly blamed herself for everything, just like she had done in the past.
After his father left for that "job" overseas so many years ago, Izuku adopted the role of the man of the house, supporting his mother whenever she was feeling down. Although Izuku always tried his best, there were days where nothing could cheer his mother up, resulting in her swallowing her grief with junk food, and in rare cases with alcohol. Though Izuku's hope had been reinvigorated thanks to Akuma, for him it was trivial when compared to his mother's well-being. His mom must be worried sick and even though he was as curious as he was scared about all this Hado stuff, Izuku had to make sure his mother was fine first.
His musings were interrupted when he spotted Akuma meditating on top of a rock near the shore. The bruise on Izuku's face began to swell, and his instinct raised every danger alarm possible, preventing him from taking even a single step back or forward. Izuku gritted his teeth slightly, no matter how many times he experienced this crushing aura, his body was not able to manage the overwhelming pressure and he would paralyze on the spot. His knees began to weaken as shivers travelled through his flesh, but before Izuku's legs could fail him, Akuma spoke.
Just how long is this brat going to take? All he has to do is wipe his damn—
Akuma's inner complaints were interrupted by the almost inaudible sound of steps coming his way far in the distance, followed by the appearance of a very weak Hado presence.
"Hmph." With a grunt, Akuma decided to keep meditating while he waited for Izuku to arrive. Wasting one's own time was a sign of a lack of discipline, and even though succumbing to old age was no longer something he had to worry about, Akuma would never rest in his laurens. He would always use every chance he could get to improve himself, to the point one could say his dedication had turned into obsession.
It took Izuku around 20 minutes to finally arrive. Just why was this brat so slow? He clearly did not understand his current situation, otherwise he would have rushed at the opportunity to be trained by him.
Whatever, I suppose I'll have to motivate him a bit.
Akuma felt Izuku's presence barely standing 10 meters behind him. Despite not looking at him directly, he was fully capable of sensing Izuku's fear and could even make out the involuntary reactions it had on the boy's body.
There was a long road ahead of them.
"Sit properly Worm." Akuma instructed, and as if breaking off of a trance, Izuku followed suit.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Akuma continued:
"So, does it hurt?"
"... Huh?"
"Your face Worm."
"O-Oh! I… u-uhm… maybe, j-just a bit?"
"Then get used to it, after we are done that black eye will feel like a mosquito bite in comparison." Akuma paused, giving Izuku time to come up with his own conclusions. "Never interrupt your Master when he is imparting you his wisdom. Understood?"
"Y-Yes…"
"'Yes' what?"
"Yes Master…"
Hmph... Acceptable, but his utter lack of guts is going to be a problem.
"Now, tell me what you remember from our conversation."
Izuku took a few seconds to connect his thoughts, mumbling in a way not even Akuma with his incredible sense of hearing could comprehend. After about thirty seconds, which was as much time Akuma could possibly give him before running out of patience and smack him on the head, Izuku gave him an answer:
"Uhm… that I have power, something about the Hado, and that it is… sleeping… within me… I think? And something about a transformation? Master, m-may I ask what was that… all… about?"
A vein popped on Akuma's forehead as he remembered the scene from a while ago. Considering he knocked the brat out cold with a kick to the head, to expect him to remember everything would be foolish. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to explain everything about the Hado again.
Whatever, it can't be helped. If this brat is to become my new apprentice then his lack of discipline has to be corrected… plus the sooner he understands his place the better.
After repressing his anger, Akuma turned around towards Izuku and began his explanation about the unholy power that lay within them. He explained that the Satsui No Hado was also known as the Surge of Murderous Intent or simply Dark Hado, and that it was an ancient form of ki that represented a person's desire to survive, surpass and impose over those who oppose them. He also explained that the Hado manifested only on people that have been consumed by their desire for victory and perfection, were close to death, or that possessed so much anger and hatred that were willing to push every other emotion aside except for their desire for violence.
Akuma noticed that the expression in Izuku's face was slowly showing traces of curiosity and concern instead of just pure fear. Though he was not the most sociable person by any stretch of the word, Akuma was very skilled at figuring out other people's thoughts and emotions based on their body language, tone of their voice and even their way of breathing and blinking. It was a very practical skill for a fighter, though it had the disadvantage that it could trivialize what otherwise would be hard fought battles.
Sensing that the boy was about to ask something irrelevant, Akuma decided to make a question of his own.
"So, which one are you?"
"E-Eh? P-Pardon Master?" Izuku was caught off guard by the sudden question.
"Which type of person are you? Do you strive for victory and perfection? Or perhaps you have finally had enough and wish to enact revenge on someone?"
"E-Eh, uhm, well… no, I-I think I am the second type, Master… I-I mean, I was swallowed by the sea during a storm when I wasn't really right emotionally speaking. Though I must admit I have dealt with nasty thoughts in the past, I have always been able to keep going just fine and without any incidents like this one. In fact, that was the first time I acted so strangely, but I think it must have been a consequence of receiving such a big shock from… that aside, I don't exactly know how I got out of the ocean, but considering I had so many patches over my body, and if my memories of that day are correct, that storm must have took quite a toll on me. I am also unsure how long I was unconscious or how long I spent inside the sea, but I think my survival instinct must have pushed my body to the limit. Perhaps it also unlocked the Hado? I have never been in such a life or death situation before… Wait, never mind, that encounter with the sludge villain happened that very same day if I remember correctly. Why the Hado didn't unlock back then? Maybe…"
Akuma's eye began to twitch as Izuku continued his never endless mumbling. Unfortunately for Izuku, he was so focused on his train of thought he did not notice the scowl that was forming on his Master's face. After a whole minute of unintelligible muttering, Akuma stood up, and with a blood-red glare that could kill he yelled:
"SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU ARE DAMN ANNOYING!"
"HIIII! Y-Y-Y-ES! I-I-I-I— !"
"Shut. Up."
A panicking Izuku shut his mouth so quickly he accidentally bit his tongue, causing him to quietly groan in pain.
Akuma rubbed his temples with his hand, trying to calm the monster within him that demanded he crushed the boy right there and then. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Akuma spoke once again:
"When I ask you something, keep it to thirty— no, keep it to twenty words or less. In fact that's going to be the first rule. If you ever waste my time again with such unintelligible nonsense I swear upon Hell, Heaven and Earth that you will wish you had died inside that storm! Understood?!"
"..." Izuku just sat there, his whole body trembling as every fiber of his being told him to make a run for it. The crushing aura of Akuma prevented him from mustering even a simple response.
"WELL?!"
For a succinct instant an emerald light gleamed in Izuku's eyes, causing Akuma to raise an eyebrow, then he got an answer:
"Yes… Master."
This brat was certainly interesting. He was weak and pathetic both inside and outside, yet Akuma could sense a bottomless pit of untapped potential within him. He would turn into a great adversary in the future as long as he was properly guided.
Akuma smirked. He did not really care how or why this brat had such a huge amount of Hado at his disposal, and he could not care less about what Izuku thought of it. All that mattered to him was that Izuku did not waste his potential, unlike that other disappointing youngling from so many decades ago.
After acknowledging Izuku's answer, Akuma continued his lecture. He told Izuku that the Satsui no Hado could only be wielded safely by those who were willing to push themselves beyond their limits in order to achieve nothing short of pure perfection, no matter the cost.
"Once the Satsui no Hado manifests within a person, their fate is sealed. The process can't be stopped by any means," this was a bluff, Akuma was perfectly knowledgeable about the Dark Hado's counterpart but he highly doubted that Izuku knew anything about it, "and your body, soul and will will be put to the ultimate test until your final day."
Izuku gulped audibly, nervous of the eerie implications of what Akuma had just told him, but his Master cared little about it.
"From this point onwards you'll have to develop an iron will if you wish to retain any semblance of sanity. Those of weak spirit and feeble mind are doomed to be overwhelmed by the Hado, turning themselves into creatures of aimless destruction and meaningless violence. I have seen the process take place many times in my life, and it always starts with weird dreams and hallucinations. There is also the random shifts of emotions and finally the manifestation of shadows, demons from your own past that seek to destroy you."
Izuku raised his hand, pleasing Akuma for a brief moment. It appeared that the boy was learning proper manners, if ever so slowly.
"Speak Worm."
"Master, " began Izuku, much more composed than earlier, though he still could not masquerade the soft quaking on his voice, "was that fight with Katsu— that fight with Kacchan, was that one of those 'shadow' encounters?"
"Hmph, at least you catch up quickly. Yes, that was indeed your first fight with a shadow, and I have to say you did a rather awful job defending yourself."
Akuma crossed his arms and he glared down upon Izuku, but the boy simply lowered his sight. Disappointment, and a tinge of anger, were clear in his expression. To most people, the sight of such a pitiful boy would have sprung emotions of protection and care within them, but to Akuma it had the complete opposite effect.
"Raise your head Worm!" Spat Akuma with vivid anger. "There is no use in lamenting about the past, for as long as you are alive you must push forward! You now understand just how weak you are, but at the same time you have been given a choice! You can either stay down and cry until the dirt turns into mud, or you can raise your head and train until your fists are red with your blood!"
Izuku flinched at the sudden outburst of his Master, his unpredictability still put him on the edge. His Master's words were hard, but at the same time full of encouragement. How come the only person that believed in him was a sociopath? The world sure was a strange place.
"Worm, you have a tremendous amount of Hado within you, despite your young age and lack of experience in combat. It's impressive, to say the least, which is why I wish to train you, so that one day you can reach your true potential."
"Master, d-do you really think so? Do you really think I can one day become strong?"
Heh, you might even have the potential to surpass me, but that remains to be seen.
"Perhaps, but the road to true strength is a treacherous one. You will experience both pain and fear beyond your comprehension. Every minute of every day will be a test to withstand Hell itself, but if you succeed then you'll acquire more power than you could ever dream for."
Izuku seemed hesitant, doubt and suspicion were present in his expression. Could he truly trust the words of this man? There was something dubious about the whole ordeal. All this did not go unseen by Akuma, who was about to push his case until an emerald gleam flared within Izuku's eyes for a brief second, causing him to clench his fists and frown. Then something happened that caught even Akuma off guard: Izuku bowed, or more precisely, he prostrated.
"Please Master, teach me what it means to be strong." said Izuku with his forehead touching the ground.
Interesting… Truly most interesting…
Akuma narrowed his eyes at the pathetic sight. He could not help but feel a bit of anger but it was nothing compared to the strange feeling of satisfaction he felt ever so rarely.
"Raise your head Worm." Commanded Akuma in a dignified tone. "Don't you remember? I already told you I would take you as my apprentice. I hate to repeat myself, so make sure you commit my words to memory from now on. Understood?"
"Yes, Master."
"Now tell me about your life before coming here, there is something I wish to confirm."
"M-My life?"
"Yes… is it too much to ask?"
"O-Of course not! W-well, where to begin…"
Akuma raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of attitude. It seemed like this brat was not fully aware of it yet, but the Hado was slowly overriding his meek personality.
Well, there is no real reason to let him know such an irrelevant detail. It's not like he could stop it even if he wanted to anyways.
Akuma smiled in his mind, pleased that the Satsui no Hado seemed to be working with him and would facilitate the brat's awakening.
Izuku explained that ever since he had memory he dreamed of being a hero, to be someone who could inspire, save and protect everyone who was in need of it. Unfortunately for him, he was diagnosed as Quirkless at the age of four, shattering his dream to pieces. Izuku admitted he cried his eyes out for weeks after receiving the news, but in the end decided to pursue his dream even if it was nearly impossible to accomplish. However, this dream caused him a great deal of trouble over the years, as many of his classmates made it their personal hobby to bully, belittle and scorn him for it.
"No one believes I can achieve my dream, not even my mother or All Might… b-but I'll prove them wrong Master! I-I'll become strong and help many— M-M-MASTER?!"
Akuma could not help but feel his rage rise after hearing the name of the number one hero of Japan being mentioned.
"That damn, carefree bastard… that coward… THAT FRAUD!" Akuma yelled with bloodshot eyes, unable to contain his blood-red aura from flaring above his shoulder. After a few seconds of impending doom, Akuma managed to rein back his wrath and looked down upon a prostrating Izuku. A small pool of blood had formed around the brat's head, he had slammed his head against the ground in a hurry to apologize.
Akuma pinched the bridge of his nose and grunted in annoyance.
This brat is still far too foolish and naive. How can't he see the irony behind it? How is he so blind to the truth of this world? His wish is a complete oxymoron… but at least it can still prove to be useful as a source of motivation…
Akuma let out a deep sight, wishing that the Hado hurried up and finished spreading its roots so that the boy's mind finally came to the ultimate truth and accepted the nature of the world. So what if it came at the price of one's humanity? Turning into a demon? A cheap price that one must be ready to pay tenth-fold if one sought to reach the pinnacle of one's own potential.
"Stop doing that already, have some pride Worm…" Akuma ordered the still prostrating Izuku who slowly complied. The rocky riverside had caused multiple lacerations over his forehead, tinting the boy's face with thin strays of red.
"I hate wasting time so I'll be straightforward. I think your dream is foolish, and that your way of thinking is naive. I also share the same sentiment as that… All Might." Akuma almost spat the name of the Symbol of Peace. "You lack strength, even a blind man can see that, yet from what I can see you have known that for many years now. I ask you then, what the hell have you been doing?"
"Eh? W-Wha— ?"
"I said, what the hell have you been doing all these years? You lack strength. I know it, you know it, even your own mother knows it. So why are you still so weak? If you wanted to become a 'hero,' why do you still act like a newborn? If you wanted to 'protect' others, why do you still curl up in pain at the first hit? If you wanted to 'inspire' others, why do you still cower down in fear?"
Izuku was mortified, he could not think of a comeback to Akuma's unrelenting words, not just because of the fear he had towards the man, but because he knew that Akuma was telling the truth. All he could do was lower his sight and hold back the tears that threatened to leak from the corners of his eyes. At the boy's pitiful sight, Akuma dropped down from the flat boulder he had been standing on and began walking towards the trembling Izuku.
"Shall I tell you what I think? I think you were hoping that if you prayed hard enough, someday, somehow, fate would take pity on you and a Quirk would miraculously land on your lap. You knew you were at a disadvantage, but instead of overcoming your weakness by pushing your body to its absolute limit like a 'hero' should, you decided to fill your brain with pointless knowledge and trivia, thinking that you could close the gap with pure theory."
Izuku clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"Here is another piece of knowledge to add into your books Worm, though it's mostly common sense: you can be the smartest person between Heaven and Hell, you can know every strength and weakness of everyone you might face, you can plan the best solution to any problem you might encounter, but with such a weak body a single blow will still turn your brain into a bloody pulp. With such weakness you will always depend on the whims of the strong, no matter how smart you think you are."
Izuku began grinding his teeth and veins began to pop on his forehead.
"And the only person you can blame for your pathetic life is yourself." Akuma pointed at Izuku. "You and you alone are responsible for your lack of strength. So what if you weren't blessed with power at birth? The moment you learnt about your weakness was the moment you should have strived for improvement, working yourself to the limit until you were no longer weak and then surpass that limit even further."
Akuma crouched until he was just a few centimeters above Izuku's eye level.
"Everything you have suffered so far, is your own damn fault, and the sooner you—"
Akuma was interrupted by a sudden explosion of hunter green Hado suring from Izuku like a pillar of flames, but the demon simply smiled widely and continued:
"... the sooner you realize it, the sooner you can work to prevent a similar future from ever happening. I said it already," Akuma stood up and raised his arms wide, tinted by the green light of Izuku's raging aura, "If you are weak, then seek strength! Strength is the ultimate truth! Those who are strong can make not only their own destiny, but shape the destiny of others too! Once you are powerful you can not only decide how you wish to live, but also crush those who seek to destroy your way of living."
Izuku's Hado began to recede, it appeared that Akuma's words had reached deep within him.
"The power to decide, the power to bring hell to those who oppose you, the power to surpass even the fate designated to you by the Gods themselves. That is the power that the Satsui no Hado promises to those who follow its path, and that is the power that I shall help cultivate within you, that is if you are up to the challenge."
Izuku's aura had extinguished, but the faint emerald glow in his eyes showed that he was still under the dark influence of the Hado. After a few seconds, he lowered his head until his forehead touched the ground.
"Oh great master, I seek your wisdom. Please teach this weakling your ways, so that I can achieve true strength."
Excellent, truly excellent.
"Hmph, fine, I accept your pitiful request. However, I have a few rules you must absolutely follow. If you dare break any of them, even accidentally, I'll break your bones as punishment. Do you understand?"
"Yes Master." replied Izuku in a neutral tone, his forehead still touching the ground.
"Good. You already know the first rule, I hate wasting my time so make sure to keep your answers short. The second rule: never question my methods, you will obey my instructions to the letter and never complain. Third rule: you will always show the utmost respect to your master, and will never speak unless addressed to. Fourth rule: you will continue to show progress and never settle with achieving the bare minimum. If I tell you to cut down a tree, I expect you to be able to cut an entire forest by the end. Fifth rule: you will never EVER interrupt my training. After giving you instructions I'll depart to focus on my own training, and you will never seek me out even if your life depends on it. If you break this rule, I won't just break your bones, instead I'll murder you on the spot. Understand?"
"Yes Master."
"Good, then the final and arguably the most important rule: you will cease being a crybaby from this point onward, a warrior has no use for tears and self-pity. If I ever see or hear you cry again, then I swear upon Hell, Heaven and Earth that I'll gouge out your eyes and cut off your tongue."
"I understand, Master."
"Perfect, then your training has officially started. I, Akuma, Supreme Master of the Fist, Master of both the Ansatsuken and the Satsui no Hado, shall teach you the true meaning of pain!" Akuma yelled with evident excitement, it had been years since the last time he looked forward to the future with unhinged glee. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment for him.
"I am deeply grateful, Master. I'll strive to live up to your expectations... a-a-and h-help every o-one in n-need…"
"... What?"
"..."
Time froze for what seemed like an entire minute until a howling wind gust broke the awkward silence. With bloodshot eyes, Akuma rushed towards the still prostrating Izuku and grabbed him by the hair, forcing the boy to look him into his eyes. The emerald gleam had vanished, and all that was left was the terrified look of an insecure wimp on the verge of tears.
GRRRUUURGHHH
And to make matters worse, Izuku's stomach decided that now was the best time to let the world know of his growing hunger.
Akuma let go of Izuku's hair who immediately began apologizing frantically, but Akuma simply turned around and began walking away from the river. Once he was about twenty meters away from the water, he turned towards the river as he assumed a fighting stance.
Izuku was lost for words, from the few encounters with Akuma he had already learnt that this man's wrath was boundless and that angering him would most likely lead to ultimate doom. Yet this monster was standing there with an almost neutral expression — no, upon further inspection Izuku noticed the faintest of furrows on his master's face, and he could not help but be more afraid than if his master had been openly furious.
"Pay attention Worm, I'll only do this once." Said Akuma in a cold and serene voice that sent chills down Izuku's spine.
Suddenly, a scowl appeared in Akuma's face, exposing sharp teeth, and a blood-red aura manifested around his body. The calm winds turned into dreadful howling, instilling fear upon the trees that now shook to their very roots. The earth quaked and trembled, causing the nearby critters to flee in desperation to survive. Even the lifeless pebbles that covered the riverside could not withstand the pressure, and they too began to rumble as the demon of a man channeled his terrible power.
Akuma brought his hands to his side, and a white-purple energy began materializing between his palms.
It did not matter how hard he tried, Izuku could not look away. The energy, the power was mesmerizing, like watching a natural catastrophe taking place just a few meters away. All he could do was to stay put and hope that the disaster somehow ignored his presence.
"Fuuuuuuu…" growled Akuma, pouring more power by the second into the purple orb of destruction. However, instead of growing in size the orb was instead gradually shrinking, until it became a tiny dot of light, so bright it could only be described as a miniature purple sun.
With a stomp, Akuma jumped high into the air, and for a brief moment his power eclipsed the sun. "URYAAAAAA!" yelled Akuma as he threw his technique towards the rippling waters, and almost at the same time a massive torrent of water and steam erupted from the once calm river, raining upon the area for several seconds.
Izuku could not believe his eyes, in an instant the river had turned into a bottomless crater that sucked the water in a vortex, the surrounding earth had cracked and ruptured due to the sheer force of the impact. And it all had been caused by a small dot, not bigger than a 1 yen coin, of his Master's power. Just how much power did this monster truly have? Izuku dared not ask.
Akuma landed gracefully a few meters away from the awestruck Izuku.
"That was your first lesson Worm. A warrior must have a sharp mind. During battle you will have only a few seconds to analyse your foe, their techniques, come up with countermeasures and set up your own attack. You'll have to get used to learning quickly by just looking." Akuma paused for a second and looked into the sky. "Ah, here they come."
Something fell from the sky, striking the ground with a meaty thud. Confused, Izuku looked at the strange object and let out a yelp as the piece of meat began to jump around. It was a half-burnt fish from the river.
Another piece of meat struck the ground, then a couple more, then hundreds. The entire area was littered with chunks of meat both raw and burnt in a matter of seconds.
"This is the first and last time I ever do this for you Worm. You better learn to do what I just did if you want to have any chance to survive on this island."
Izuku raised his hand with hesitation, and after Akuma gave him permission he spoke:
"M-Master, w-what was that? Was that part of your Quirk?! Wait, you said I had to learn how to do it too, so that means— GUH!"
Akuma grabbed Izuku by the throat, piercing into the boy's soul with his red glare.
"Never, ever suggest that the Satsui no Hado, a power that requires the utmost dedication and hellish training to properly control, can be compared to something as insignificant as a Quirk. Do you understand Worm?"
Izuku could not let out any sound due to being choked by Akuma's grip, so instead he made an effort to shake his head back and forth in agreement.
"Good." Akuma let go of Izuku, who dropped to the ground gasping for air while rubbing his throat. Akuma ignored the pathetic sight and turned around with his arms crossed. "What I just showed you is called a Gohadouken, which is a Hadouken infused with the power of the Satsui no Hado. It is the most basic form of energy projection and it can be used both defensively and offensively during combat. For most people it takes years of arduous training to be able to even manifest the energy, but I believe you might be able to pull it off sooner, Worm. After all, you already have a considerable amount of Hado you can tap into. All you have to do is learn how to materialize it, control its shape and shoot it."
Izuku looked up to Akuma from the ground.
"Master, is this the same power as in my dream? Does that mean I can also do something like that?"
"Foolish Worm, I have no way of knowing what the hell goes on in your dreams, nor do I care." Akuma shamelessly lied. In truth he could read Izuku like an open book, but that was not something the boy needed to know, and he had already wasted a considerable amount of time and his body ached to return to its eternal training. "You have the potential to do the same, so make sure you don't waste it. Now, I'll depart to the mountain and continue with my training. You have exactly one week to show me your progress. Remember the rules, I am not here to hold your hand."
Akuma crouched slightly, getting himself ready to depart from the scene, however he decided to give Izuku one last piece of advice before leaving.
"One last thing Worm. Focus on developing a strong will and never allow your emotions to overwhelm you. The Hado thrives on emotions," negative ones for the most part, but Akuma decided it was best he kept that to himself, "so make sure to never let them govern you. The Hado will try to take over your soul at every moment of weakness, so be prepared."
And with that, Akuma jumped towards the mountains, leaving the area faster than the untrained eye could process. In truth, he also wanted Izuku to experience the power of a weak Gohadouken first hand before leaving, but the boy's body was still far too weak. Even if he held back, Izuku would most likely die from the sheer force of the impact. That was something they would have to work on when he returned, the priority right now was to make sure Izuku could control the flow of his Hado and avoid becoming insane. Strength training and pain endurance would come later.
Let's see what you can manage to do on your own, Worm.
"Haaah… " Izuku exhaled deeply once he could no longer feel his Master's crushing presence. That old man scared him to death, so much so he did not dare ask even half the questions he originally wanted to.
Izuku mused about his predicament. If Akuma was telling the truth, then he had no other choice but to learn how to control his Hado, otherwise he would be driven insane. Judging by his recent nightmares, headaches and bursts of emotions, his master was most likely telling the truth, though Izuku could not help but feel he had been lied to somehow. Perhaps there were still some things Akuma had decided not to share with him.
Also why did I agree to all this? I don't understand… I just want to go home and make sure mom is OK, but for some reason I felt like I belonged here… What am I even thinking?!
Izuku was confused at his own thoughts, but in the end decides that his best course of action is to put up with Akuma's training until he can stop this Hado from destroying his mind and then search for a way to contact his mother. Izuku knew she must be desperately searching for him and that tore him apart, but he understood that if he left now he would just end up dead or insane thanks to this new "blessing."
GRRUUUUUURRGHH
Izuku's thoughts were interrupted by his grumbling stomach.
R-Right, I feel like I haven't eaten in forever. But to eat all these…
Izuku looked around the area littered with the half-raw, half-burnt fish corpses. If he had to give an honest answer, Izuku would rather look for something else to eat, but his growing hunger had caught up to him all of the sudden. He really needed to eat something.
Now that I think about it, I still don't know how long I slept in that shrine or how long I was inside that storm… Just how long have I been unconscious anyways?! How come I am not dehydrated? Based on his overall attitude, I highly doubt Akuma did any more than simple first aid when he found me…
Izuku quickly found himself lost in his musings and his muttering would have continued for several minutes if a sharp pain on his stomach and a sore throat had not stopped him.
"Ugh… what's this? I, I was fine just a minute ago… why do I feel so weak all of the sudden…"
Had Izuku been running on fumes all this time without realizing it? Just why had he not experienced any symptoms until now? What changed? This was bad, his body was losing strength at an alarming rate, and Izuku feared he might just really die from starvation if he did not do something about it soon. Izuku began shambling his way towards the river and once he reached the bank he dropped down to his knees and drank the refreshing water. It tasted particularly good as it flowed down his throat and reinvigorated his body, though Izuku's stomach still complained, demanding him to fill the void with something more nutritious.
Izuku grabbed a nearby fish, or to be precise, he grabbed what looked like a mangled piece of half-burnt meat. Had he not witnessed the earlier scene he would never have guessed it used to be a fish. Was he really that desperate that he would even eat something so clearly awful?
GRUUUURGHH
Yes, he was.
Izuku brought the piece of meat to his mouth and after a few seconds to prepare his taste buds for the nasty flavor that was to come, he took a big bite out of the fish. It was just as bad as he expected, the lack of basic seasoning together with the half burnt and half raw texture made the meal taste like dirt. But despite the disgusting flavor, Izuku continued chomping on the meat, using the river's water to wash down the taste. After he finished swallowing the first piece of fish, he took another and repeated the process.
In total, Izuku ate about ten medium size fish alone. His mouth and throat felt like puking but his stomach seemed to have been satisfied with the poor meal.
"That… that was disgusting." Said Izuku to himself, making a mental note of never neglecting his hunger in the future. He looked around the riverside and noticed that many birds and other small carnivorous animals were poaching the fish and getting into small fights over them. "I better gather a few for later before they eat them all."
Izuku was still weakened from the early starvation, but with fuel in his stomach he was slowly recuperating his strength. He walked along the riverside for a few minutes, picking up the least burnt fish he could find, collecting about twenty pieces that had not been heavily damaged by Akuma's Gohadouken. Izuku was not sure if that would be enough to last him for seven days. What would he do if he ran out of food again? Also, he could not really live out of fish alone, the human body required many different types of nutrients, would he have to resort to hunting and scavenging? Did his master do the same — wait, did Akuma have the need to eat to begin with?
Izuku shook his head, he only had seven days until Akuma's return to judge his progress. He could not waste time thinking about things he most likely will not be able to figure out on his own. The important thing right now was to cook the fish so they would last him a bit longer.
"Hmm, but how do I start a fire? Finding kindling and tinder shouldn't be a problem, considering we are in a forest, but where to get a spark?" Izuku tried to remember all those survival shows he had occasionally watched while having dinner. He wished he had paid more attention, for he could not remember the finer details.
"Wait… wasn't there steam after he used that technique? The Gohadouken? It did look like some sort of energy emitter Qui— energy projectile, does that mean it also contains heat? Or perhaps the energy could be converted into pure heat instead of just explosive force?"
According to Akuma, Izuku also had the same type of energy required to use the Gohadouken, and if he was to learn how to control his Hado then what better way than experimenting with different applications? Just how hard could it be anyways? Akuma was probably just trying to scare him… which to be fair he had succeeded at.
Izuku got excited about his possible discovery, however he would have to put it to test before celebrating. He still had no idea how to even begin manifesting the Satsui no Hado. From what he could remember, so far the Hado had manifested seemingly at random. Just what was that triggered it?
After feeling his body had recovered, Izuku gathered withered branches and grass from the surrounding forest while he mused on how to summon his Hado. After he was done gathering the fuel, he skewered the fish with some sticks around an improvised campfire. Now all he needed was a spark and he could begin his cooking.
"OK, so how did he do it again? I think it was like this…"
Izuku tried to copy the same stance as his master had taken back then. He knew he was probably doing it wrong, but there was no one he could ask for advice, so his pale imitation would have to suffice for now. Izuku adjusted his breathing in an attempt to replicate his master's breathing pattern and when he felt he had gotten the hang of it, he raised his index finger and pointed at the unlit campfire.
Five whole minutes go by and absolutely nothing happened.
"Ah what am I even doing?!" Izuku scratched his head in frustration. He felt like a fool and for the first time since his arrival he was glad that there was nobody around that could see his failure. That said, Izuku was not discouraged. He had to get this right, otherwise the Hado would kill him, and he was sure his mother was waiting for him to come back.
Don't worry mom, I'll finish with this quickly, I swear. Just wait for me a bit longer.
Izuku stood in front of the campfire for about an hour, unable to manifest his Hado and light up the campfire. Anger and frustration began crawling their way into his head. Perhaps his theory was wrong to begin with, and all he had achieved was to waste invaluable time. Then a mysterious voice echoed within Izuku's mind:
See? You are useless. You'll always be weak, useless Deku! Even if you had the strongest Quirk in the world, you would just waste it with your incompetence! The fact you can't even produce a tiny little flame while having all that 'untapped potential' is the living proof of it!
Izuku clenched his jaw, exposing his teeth. A faint, almost transparent green aura began to shift over his shoulders. A throbbing headache assaulted Izuku, forcing him to bring his hands to his forehead to try to alleviate the pain.
"This, this must be it… these are the symptoms of using the Hado, aren't they?! This feeling…"
With fear, anger and excitement, Izuku tried to gain control of the unholy power within him. He could feel it coursing through every fiber of his being, increasing his heart rate, tensing his muscles and accelerating his breathing. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Izuku tried to direct the Hado towards his hand, mentally pushing it to the tip of his index finger.
You are worthless.
Ew, you are so creepy!
This Quirkless idiot wants to be a hero!
So freaking lame!
Why are you so damn useless?
Stupid fucking Deku.
Izuku did his best to ignore the jeering and focused on materializing the Hado. As he visualized a tiny ball of fire flickering at the tip of his finger it began to feel warm... and a bit swollen.
He was going to do it! He was going to prove everyone that doubted him wrong! He would finally surpass the fate given to him by the spiteful Gods.
But suddenly, an unmistakable boisterous laughter echoed inside Izuku's mind, causing him to lose his concentration for a mere instant.
A popping sound is heard and Izuku opened his eyes wide like plates. His eyes shifted to the pile of wood and then to the red smoke that emanated from it.
"I-I DID IT! YES! I FINALLY DID IT! I KNEW IT COULDN'T BE SO— !" Izuku's celebration was interrupted when he noticed a brown-red liquid covering the fish and wood.
It was boiled blood.
His boiled blood.
Izuku directed his sight towards his raised hand after feeling a stabbing pain. His index phalanx was missing, and his finger resembled a torn sausage that had been microwaved for far too long.
Izuku screamed in agony as he clutched his ruined finger with eyes full of tears. The unbearable pain caused him to drop to the ground and squirm in pain. His bitter laments ran through the forest and drove away the nearby critters.
A hunter green aura, Izuku's own Hado had finally manifested again, enveloping his writhing body. However it was no cause for celebration. The uncontrollable amount of Hado his body exuded kept increasing alongside the intensity of Izuku's own wails. His body was not capable of handling such a sudden surge of dark energy, causing his muscles to tense and produce convulsing cramps all over it. It did not matter how much Izuku screamed, the pain wouldn't go away, in fact it seemed to have the complete opposite effect.
Izuku mustered the strength and courage to look at his ruined finger and what he observed caused his eyes to widen: his hand was turning swollen and red as the burning pain spread from his finger. Before he could think of anything, tiny blisters began bubbling under the skin of his palm, until they combined and formed one big swollen bubble which exploded like a balloon full of blood, opening a clean hole right through the bones of his palm.
Color disappeared from Izuku's face as he lost more and more blood. His tongue rolled back and threatened to choke him in his anguish, his eyes turned white and his veins turned a dark green color and bulged all over his body. They seemed like they were going to explode at any given moment.
After thirty agonizing seconds, Izuku could not scream anymore. His lungs could not overpower the pressure caused by his spasming muscles, and all he could hear was the eerie jeering in his mind, mocking that he could not even breathe properly.
Izuku was going to die in the most excruciating way possible. His whole body was slowly reaching its combustion point as his flesh threatened to turn itself inside out. He was going to die due to his own arrogance, he had taken the Hado lightly and now the Hado would punish him for it.
Boiled blood began leaking out of Izuku's eyes like tears, burning his skin as they went down his freckled cheeks.
A distant memory he had been hearing an awful lot recently echoed in his mind once again:
I am sorry Izuku! I am sorry! Please forgive me for not giving you a body with a Quirk!
Then Izuku managed to close his mouth and frowned, clenching his teeth almost to their breaking point. He knew he had to do something, he could not give up so easily. He had survived more close encounters with death this week alone than in his whole life. He could not surrender to fate now, not when he had finally found a way to overcome his weakness.
Izuku's mind kicked into overdrive as he tried to think of a possible solution, blocking away the pain and the constant taunts at the back of his head. If his body could not handle the power and if he had no idea how to seal it back inside wherever it came from, then the only remaining alternative he could think of was to shoot the excess out before it ripped him to shreds.
With his back still on the ground, looking at the sky, Izuku summoned all his remaining strength and will to extend his torn hand towards the sky. His forearm began glowing green, with emerald energy crackling around it like lightning. Small flames began to appear around the flesh, his body was combusting. Izuku's sight began to distort, the liquid inside his eyes was reaching its boiling point.
With a terrifying roar, Izuku shot an enormous amount of white-emerald energy through his arm, forming a pillar of flames that towered over the forest line, tinting the whole area in emerald green.
An explosive shockwave was heard, and Izuku stopped feeling the Hado trying to rip him apart. Unfortunately his serenity was short lived, crushed by a searing pain and the coughing of blood.
Izuku sat up and tried to look at his wounds, but his vision was scarred. It was as if he was looking at a photograph that had been burnt in multiple spots with a candle, and he could not feel his right hand. Then Izuku heard something hit the ground and his eyes shifted towards his charred arm. All the skin and flesh from the elbow and forward had been consumed by fire, leaving only burnt muscle tissue and bones. Izuku's now bony hand was missing a finger, which now lay on the floor with green smoke coming out of it.
For the most part, Izuku was a well-mannered kid who never used foul language, but nobody would scold him for what he was about to say.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! GAAAAAARRGH!"
Izuku's body trembled as he shook himself back and forth while holding on to his mutilated arm. The pain in his arm far surpassed that of the rest of his body. What the hell could he do now? His arm was clearly unsalvageable, it was about to fall off, in fact some of his fingers had done so already, and it hurt like hell.
Look at him! He's about to cry! What a baby!
No, look! He's crying already! Bwaaah! Hahahaha!
Poor baby, he can't handle losing an arm?
Heroes are always risking their lives! How come you can't deal with a little bit of pain?
Izuku frowned, his expression was twisted with both pain, hatred and resentment. His mouth was filling slowly with blood as he tried to hold back the sobs, choking on his coughs. Izuku did not want to try to use the Hado again. He feared the pain and he was frightened by the idea of his whole body exploding. Then Izuku remembered his master's advice:
Focus on developing a strong will and never allow your emotions to overwhelm you.
Izuku had failed, a single gap in his concentration and this had been the result. But it was still time to test his own will, to challenge his own determination and prove his conviction. He was weak, but for no much longer! He would train, he would work his body, he would develop this Hado power, and he would never let weakness dictate his future again!
Emerald determination flashed in Izuku's broken eyes. His master had healed his wounds twice before with the power of the Hado, meaning it was not impossible for him to do the same. He had to do it, his life and his dream depended on it.
Izuku tried to stand up but his legs were not responsive, so he began to drag himself with one arm towards the skewered fish. He was not sure how the healing properties of the Hado worked, but he remembered that some healing quirks drained the patient of their stamina. He was not willing to gamble, so he ate a couple of fish raw. The taste was awful, mixed with the iron flavor of his own burnt blood.
After finishing the disgusting snack, he took a tree branch from the campfire and stuck it in his mouth. Then Izuku lay himself on the floor, placing his missing fingers near his burnt hand, and began thinking about healing his arm. More derisive voices could be heard inside his head, mocking his pitiful situation, but the only thought in Izuku's head was the idea of fixing his arm.
A whole agonizing minute passed without any results, but before Izuku could pass out he heard the voice that had kept him going forward all this time.
My poor baby… my Izu-kun… I am so sorry...
Mom please stop crying… I'll show them— I'll show you that I can do this… and then... and then…
Then Izuku's hunter green aura manifested once more and enveloped his arm. He felt liquid glass flowing through his veins towards his ruined arm, but his screams were muffled by the branch in his mouth, crunching it almost to the point of snapping it in two.
AN2: That took forever! Now I look back and I feel like a fool for saying I would finish this chapter for January. Well, something came up: LIFE! and also I got an internship I had not planned for, so that ate away a third of my time, the other third I used for studying and other necessities and the final third I used for sleeping (always remember to keep a healthy sleeping schedule!). Another reason this took forever was that, in the beginning, I wrote a draft of like 9000 words and naively thought it would turn into a 10k chapter after finishing it. Boy I was wrong. So I cut the chapter a bit because I don't want chapters to be way too over 10k words (I'll strive for around 10k per chapter from now on), but on the bright side that means I got a bit of the next chapter ready already! So that means the next chapter will come sooner... hopefully.
I know I said that this chapter would focus on Izuku's physical training, but as I wrote it it felt more natural to deal with all the mental corruption first. I know the pacing may seem a bit slow but I promise to move the plot forward a bit faster on the following chapters (Izuku will hopefully leave Akuma Island by the end of chapter four or beginning of chapter five) also I felt that there were many things that had to be set up and said between Izuku and Akuma before Izuku began this life changing decision (plus Izuku doesn't really trust Akuma for good reasons).
If you are worried that Izuku won't end up being a villain because his whole speech of "wanting to help others" and stuff, then fear not. I have always been a fan of Villain AUs, and I don't mind when the writer makes Izuku jump straight into being a villain after getting his dreams crushed, but for this story I wanted an Izuku whose good intentions got twisted and corrupted by a dark power and a bad influence. Kinda like a "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" kind of Izuku, where he thinks he is doing a positive thing but does not mind having to break a few eggs to achieve it (though without going full on "the end justifies the means"). I hope I can pull it off in a way that is both satisfactory and somewhat believable for everyone.
Next chapter will briefly feature another SF character, so look forward to it! They will also play an important role later on in the story. Am not telling who it is though, sorry (not sorry)!
That's it for now. I'll be starting a new semester in the following days so I'll have a bit more time before exams consume all my time. Hope you liked this chapter.
Cheers! And remember…
滅METSU! 滅