Chapter 23_Last Stand with the Demon King
Chapter Summary: Despite all hope seeming to be gone, Shouta still goes to save Hizashi and confront the Demon King for one last battle.
Shouta left the room after All Might's tale. He didn't talk to anyone, or look at them, even as tiny hands reached out to offer comfort. Having nowhere to go, he went to the room he had awakened in. There he stood at the window and gazed over the golden land at the towering woods. It was unsettling watching the trees move as they pushed against the barrier.
'Hizashi's in there.' And there was nothing he could do. So many people had been hurt because of him, because of this journey. He didn't see anyone die, but just because he didn't see them didn't mean they didn't happen. The trolls lost their home, and those who didn't escape were probably buried alive. And now the imps were at the mercy of demons. Shouta didn't even know what was going to happen to them.
And it was all for nothing. Shouta came all this way for nothing. All Might couldn't help, and the elfs weren't powerful enough to do anything against the army.
And Hizashi...
Shouta clenched his fists at his side, then made his way to the door. He wasn't going to abandon Hizashi a third time. Besides, maybe if he surrendered himself, Shouta could save the imps (if they weren't dead already). If nothing else, he could give the elfs time to escape or prepare, and he was sure they'd take care of the dwarfs.
Shouta's heart broke at the thought of leaving them. They may not have known each other long, but he loved them all dearly. But if anything, that was even more of a reason to go. He had placed them in enough danger already, why place them in more? No. It was better to go and try to save Hizashi himself like he should have done in the first place.
Jaw and mind set, Shouta made his way to fulfill his last deed and end his journey.
777
In another room given to them by Nemuri, the dwarfs sat and talked. Shoto and Mina went with Nezu to discuss how they were going to try and help the imps if they could. Despite Endeavor's actions, Nezu couldn't find the malice to leave the imps in demon hands. Chiyo and Cementoss had gone with Emi to help prepare the armies to fight. It was terrifying to all the dwarfs that so much was happening now, and they felt very helpless that they couldn't do anything to help.
"Poor Mr. Aizawa," Ochaco said after a time of silence. "We came all this way to save Hizashi, but… and now the imps…" Izuku groaned, rubbing at his head. He hated that there were so many people in trouble and they couldn't do anything! There was an added guilt that it was their woods coming to kill them all.
"If only we didn't lose our gems!" Izuku began to agonize, biting his lower lip as he tried to think of something, anything. "If we still had them, then All Might could be All Might again and fight the demons back."
In his own corner of the room, Tenya paced back and forth, making nervous movements with his arms.
"Tenya, please stop the arm thing!" Toru grumbled from the bed as she hugged a pillow. "It's annoying."
"Sorry." Tenya shoved his hands in his pocket. Then he screamed. "AHH!" The others jumped about five feet into the air in startled fright.
"What now?!" Denki cried. He was thrown off by Tenya's oddly gleeful look and bright expression.
"Hope isn't lost after all!" the boy proclaimed. "I forgot I had it, but-" Tenya pulled his hand from his pocket, and with it was a jewel that sparkled brightly. The dwarfs all began to cry with glee.
"Wait, you had one?!" Denki exclaimed.
"That's great!" Izuku exclaimed. "We can give it to All Might, and he can use One For All to save everybody!" Toru and Ochaco jumped to hug Tenya.
"Tenya, you saved the day!" they cried.
"Come on! Let's go show it to Mr. Aizawa!" Tsuyu said.
All the dwarfs raced through the halls to Mr. Aizawa's room, elated to tell the man the good news. Once they reached it, they threw the door opened.
"Mr. Aizawa! We—Mr Aizawa?"
But he was gone.
777
Everyone was too busy to notice Shouta walking out. They were loading some people onto boats in hopes they would get to safety. Shouta hoped he could give them the time they needed to getaway. It was the least he could do after leading hell to their door.
Thankfully, Shouta made it to the barrier without any difficulty. The fire of the barrier was thinning, and Shouta knew that it would soon vanish. He tried not to think of what would occur when that happened.
To create an opening, Shouta used his erasure again. He noted that it was easier than before but wasn't sure this was a good thing. He didn't have time to think about this, though. For as soon as Shouta stepped through, he was immediately grabbed by the trees.
They yanked and pulled at him so hard, Shouta was terrified that he was going to be torn apart. Then they all stilled. Shouta didn't dare to struggle or even flinch. The only thing that moved was his chest as he breathed harder than he intended.
Suddenly he was tossed in the air, passed from tree to tree, like a monkey. As they did so, Shouta caught glimpses of the imps, who were asleep among the roots. If he wasn't being thrown like a rag doll, he would have thought on it more.
This went on for miles until he was finally dropped. Shouta fell with a started noise and hit the snow with a grunt as pain shot through his body. He shivered in the cursed snow.
"Well, well; Look who's back."
777
All Might sat, slumped on the steps in the room where he had shared his tale. One for All was in his hand as he recalled his failures and those who suffered because of them. All Might knew he needed to stop this and get up and do something. Perhaps he could offer a trade? Himself for the imps and elfs? Endeavor hadn't believed him when he revealed he was All Might years ago, but the Demon King, who had been his enemy for years, would recognize him right away. He knew that even if he did offer himself up though, it wouldn't help. The demon king didn't work that way. If anything, he'd capture All Might and make him watch as he killed everyone. Even so, he should still get himself together and help the elfs to evacuate.
Just as he was about to stand up, the door at the far end opened, and the seven dwarfs all rushed in, their faces twisted in worry.
"What-"
"All Might! You have to save Mr. Aizawa!" They cried before he could even ask the question. "He went back to fight, but if he does, he'll die!" As he realized the situation, All Might's face dropped.
"…I'm sorry, but I can't," he said. His voice cracked from grief as he spoke. "Without One for All, I'm not a hero. I couldn't save the dwarfs back then, and now I can't save the elfs, the imps, or Aizawa. I can't save anyone anymore." The dwarfs shared a look before Tenya stepped forward.
"Mr. All Might?" he said, his voice pleading. "I… I know you lost a lot, we did too. We lost everything. Our families, our home, our mines… and someday our memories will go away too," he bit his lip at this realization. "We just—keep losing things. But! We don't want to lose anymore. So please!" He held out the gem which shone like a lone star of hope in the darkness, full of wishes and dreams. All Might gasped, his expression finally changing from sorrow to something else.
Tenya continued his plea, "Please! Save Mr. Aizawa!"
777
Shouta started to stand but was ensnared by a bramble that twisted around him like a rope.
"Is this it? No backup? Or even a weapon? You must be suicidal or stupid. Of course, both are an option as well."
Shouta glared, not even struggling anymore. What was the point? He wasn't going to get loose, and even if he did, what then?
The Demon king stood a few feet away, a green emerald on his chest just as it had been on Endeavor's. Shouta could guess what that meant. The jewel's glimmer illuminated the King's face, which was looking less and less like Shigaraki's and more like something else. Shouta swallowed, throat dry as his heart slammed against his rib cage in fear.
"Where's Hizashi?" he demanded of the King instead, his tone low. The Demon King gave a dramatic sigh and shake of his—well, Shigaraki's-head.
"'Hizashi, Hizashi…' You sure do have a one-tracked mind, don't you?" The King snapped his fingers, and something dropped from the leaves of one of the surrounding trees.
A cage of bramble dangled from a vine or a branch. The prison had jagged thorns like knives and daggers inside and out. Trapped within was Hizashi. Still cursed in the form of a giant bird, he thrashed back and forth in his prison, poking and scratching himself with every movement.
"He's a bit...wild and confused right now, but after you're gone, I don't think he'll have any questions about who his master is." The Demon King said, amused by Hizashi's struggle, mental and otherwise. Shouta watched Hizashi cut himself on one of the thorns before turning to their captor.
"Just let him go," he begged. "You have me. You don't need him anymore, so just change him back and let him go." Even as he pleaded though, Shouta knew that wouldn't happen. Why would he when there was no point? The vile villain laughed.
"Now, now. Don't worry so much! I assure you he'll be just fine with us," he said. He stepped forward. "If I were you, I'd spend the time left to worry about myself."
He flicked his head to look at his army of demon trees.
"These used to be elfs, you know?" he mused. "Elfs were known to be such tree huggers and nature enthusiasts I thought it fit." Shouta did know, and looking at the trees with that knowledge stirred all sorts of feelings in him. The placement of what remained of their elfin bodies was twisted and mutilated, ensuring Shouta that the transformation was painful and horrid. He wondered what damaged it did to their minds to make them into such monsters. He hated the trees and forest, but now he felt a deep well of pity for them.
The Demon King stepped forward, a monstrous grin cross his face. "It's not as poetic for you, but as you can see, I have a theme going. Don't worry; once the transformation is finished, you won't need your heart to live. Who knows? Maybe your Hizashi will nest in your branches, and you can be together that way forever."
Shouta's eyes grew with horror when he realized what the King was going to do to him. Shouta struggled to pull away from the approaching threat, trying desperately to break the brambles holding him as Hizashi thrashed and screamed in his birdcage. But it was no use for either of them. The King laughed at their helplessness.
"It's over, Snow White!"
The Demon King yanked his right hand back to thrust it into Shouta's chest and yank out his heart. Shouta could only watch as the world fell into slow motion.
This was it. Everything Hizashi had done to keep him safe, everything Shouta had done to save him, everything the dwarfs had done to help both—all of it was for naught. He failed. It was over.
However, the Demon King never touched him. For in less than it took to take a breath, his arm was sliced clear off. At the same time, the demon brambles holding Shouta captive were cut to ribbons.
Shouta blinked in confusion when he realized that he was being held by someone.
"'Over?'" A deep voice said from above. "No. It's only begun. For at last, once again, I AM HERE!"
A gasp caught in Shouta's throat as he stared. 'All Might?!' The hero that was said to be a legend, who Shouta had thought was gone, was here!
In one arm, he held Shouta, in the other, he held a great weapon inscribed with runes. Shouta recognized this to be the revered and legendary sword, One For All.
"My apologies for being late," he said, blue eyes shining as the sky should.
"But...how?" Shouta breathed, gawking at the sight.
All Might set Shouta down. "It seems your seven dwarfs had a little surprise for us all." Then he raised the blade and stared down the enemy before them. His gaze had darkened, holding a righteous fury. "Demon King…"
The villain sneered. Though his eyes had been blank and emotionless this whole time, they now held an emotion darker than any hatred that could possibly exist.
"Ah, All Might; I was just coming to see you and your friends," he said. The tone seemed friendly enough, but one look at his face revealed it was a lie. The arm that had been cut off grew back, then bulged into something that resembled the limb of a beast rather than a man. "A century ago, you imprisoned me in hopes of stopping me, but it was for naught. 'I'm am here.' And I always will be!"
All Might narrowed his blazing blue eyes.
"No. You won't. I failed to stop you last time, but this time your power WILL end! I'll make sure of it."
The demon scoffed. The trees collected around the King, and those who had eyes glared at Shouta and All Might while skeletons crawled with sharpened wood.
"Bold words. But nothing you haven't said before."
The demon thrust his hands into the air, and roots from the trees ripped through the ice and snow, making black snow fall. He tapped the jewel on his chest, its glimmer becoming blackened.
"I believe the imp stole this off you years ago, hm? No wonder he managed to remain strong for so long—not that that's the case any longer." he continued. "Perhaps I was a bit too hasty all those years ago. If I knew the true power of these gems, I would have enslaved the dwarfs and took the jewels for my army instead of killing them all. However, it may not be too late for that. I believe there are seven still around after all." Shouta's rage flared at those words, but before he could do anything, the roots shot at All Might like spears. The warrior charged them, then with a single swipe of his weapon, he slashed through all of them. He then summoned a blue flame in his palm and smashed it into the ground, incinerating the roots below the ground as they circled him.
One demon tree uprooted a piece of the ground and tried to smash the hero, but the hero blasted it with a spell. Another demon tree sent a wave of razor leaves at him, but using a force of a swing, All Might created a blast of wind that sent the leaves flying back.
One of the razor leaves hit the branch holding Hizashi's cage in the air, severing it. The bird and his prison fell to the ground where it broke. Shouta made to run to him, but a skeleton blocked his way, jaw clicking as it appeared to laugh at him. Shouta dodged an attack as it stabbed at him, then lashed out his arm with a punch that knocked its head from its body. As it stumbled around, Shouta dashed towards Hizashi but was impeded once more when something gripped his ankle. Shouta felt his jaw slam into the snow moments before he was yanked into the air. He turned and saw that the Demon King had manifested tentacles and was now holding him.
"Not so fast!" he snarled. Shouta glared then used his erasure to erase the spell. He fell to the ground, almost dislocating his shoulder. Despite the pain, he did his best to slide back as the King advanced towards him.
"That magic of yours really is something. Such a shame it's wasted on you."
Suddenly from behind him, Hizashi lunged at the King and tore at his shoulder. He then landed between Shouta and the demon, his wings spread out, blocking Shouta from view.
The demon king let out an inhuman snarl that sent shivers down the human's spine.
"I've had enough of you!" The demon king aimed his hand up towards Hizashi.
"No!" Shouta tried to use his erasure, but because Hizashi was between them, he couldn't.
A blast of red light emitted from The Demon King's hand and hit Hizashi's chest. Hizashi curled in the air and let out a cry of pain before light shot from his eyes and mouth. Then the cursed bird fell to the earth in a clump. He didn't move.
Shouta stared in heartbreaking horror and despair.
"No…" His breath had been stolen from him along with all the sound and color from the world. For what seemed like forever, all he could see was Hizashi lying dead on the black snow. No… No, this couldn't be real. None of this could be real. Hizashi couldn't be gone, he couldn't-
A mirthless laugh broke through the silence and brought Shouta back to reality.
"How ironic; all this trouble to save your lover, and all you can do is watch him die." The Demon king mocked. As he spoke, his body started to shift and change shape, bubbling into something grotesque. "But I think it's time to end all this, don't you?"
Shouta growled, rage filling every part of his body. "You!" He raced forward to attack him, common and primal senses ignored as he did so. All he could think of was tearing the bastard apart with his bare hands.
"Shouta!" All Might tackled Shouta back as the Demon King contorted into shapes and creatures Shouta couldn't even imagine existing. He started to grow until he stood twenty feet above them. Shouta managed to gather himself enough to use his erasure. He wasn't sure why or how, but the magic managed to freeze the demon king mid-form in an amalgamation that would haunt Shouta's nightmares for years to come. All Might wasted no time.
He lifted One For All above his head and leaped into the air, shouting, "KINGDOM SLASH!"
The warrior slashed the monstrosity in half before it exploded into flames.
Blood rained but All Might once again held up his sword and stabbed it in the ground. "FLAMES OF PURIFICATION!" A white flame billowed out and filled the whole area. The demon trees let out their unholy cries before they were swallowed by it.
Shouta was forced to close his eyes due to the intensity of the light as everything became white.
When Shouta felt it was safe, he opened his eyes. All the trees of the Daemonium forest, the demon blood, the Demon King- they were was all gone.
Shouta let out a choked breath of relief and disbelief. It was over. It was over, and he was alive—Wait.
Shouta whipped his head towards Hizashi and yelped when he saw the flames covering him. As Shouta ran over, he noted that with each feather that burned away, Hizashi was slowly returning back to normal. Within seconds Shouta could see his familiar golden hair. Shouta's eyes were shining as he watched, his heart gripping his breath tightly in his chest until finally, the huntsman was no longer a demon bird but the human man Snow White loved.
"Hizashi!" Snow White slid to his knees beside him. Gently, he pulled Hizashi into his lap. The hunter was pale, his body naked. The scars Snow had seen in his vision so long ago were gone as if they never happened.
Snow White cupped his cheek, tracing under Hizashi's eyes with his thumb. Even though the man had literally been on fire moments before and all the snow was gone, Hizashi felt cold to the touch.
"Hizashi?" he whispered, his throat tight. Hizashi didn't stir. He just laid there, still as death. Snow felt his heart stop.
'No…' He grabbed the blond's hand, pulling it to his heart, which broke into pieces.
"Hizashi, please! Please, come back to me don't..." His breath came sharp, quick, and heavy between his words as he begged his lover to awaken. "Don't leave me. Not again. Please. Please, come back… Come back..." If Snow had clutched Hizashi's hand any tighter, he would have shattered it. Even so, the other didn't respond. Snow White slumped forward, tears falling. He pressed his palm to his face.
'After all this… after all this...!' It wasn't fair. It was beyond cruel and unjust. He couldn't believe it. He failed. And now he lost Hizashi forever.
As Snow White sunk deeper into a pool of despair, he felt something reach up and touch his face.
Snow opened his eyes and saw that Hizashi was staring at him weakly through heavy-lidded eyes.
"H-hey… It's alright. It's okay, Snow… D-Don't… cry… I-I'm..." Snow White cried out as he gripped Hizashi's hand, his own trembling. After so long Snow was scared that he'd never hear Hizashi's voice again. He smiled, letting out a choked sob.
"I can't believe it..." he said. "All this time it was you. You were that dumb bird. And you were protecting me this whole time…"
Hizashi smiled weakly through his exhaustion. "I didn't remember anything. Who I was, who you were, and what you meant to me... Shigaraki cast a spell using the heart I used to trick him and ordered me to hunt you. But the moment I saw you… Even though I had no idea why, I knew… I knew I had to protect you."
Snow White didn't know how to respond, not that he could as he was sobbing so hard. Instead, he pulled the man closer to him and buried his face in his hair. Even when he was cursed, all Hizashi thought about was protecting him, the damned fool.
"Idiot…!" he muttered. There was a soft chuckle in his ear.
Suddenly he felt Hizashi's body go limp and the relief he felt turned to horror. Shouta pulled back, his blood going cold. Hizashi's eyes had closed again and his body had gone limp.
"Hizashi?! HIZASHI!" Shouta shook him slightly to try and wake him, not caring how irrational it was.
A hand lightly touched his shoulder and brought him out of his hysterics. All Might stood behind him. He was no longer in his muscular form but was instead back to being as thin as a skeleton. Despite the exhaustion that showed on his face and in his movements, he forced a comforting smile for Shouta's sake.
"It's okay," he said softly. In his hand, he held One for All, which was a normal blade once more. "He's just exhausted. We'll get him the elfs. They have magic that'll heal him, good as new." Shouta's mind was in such a frenzy that he just nodded numbly.
At long last, he had Hizashi again. That's all that mattered. Everything was okay now.
777
Shouta tried to carry Hizashi alone, however, now that the adrenaline was gone, he was as weak as a baby deer. It was the same with All Might but between the two they managed to drag the hunter along. Hizashi was wrapped in All Might's cloak to give him a little dignity, as well as keep him warm, something Shouta was envious of. At least the snow was mostly gone, and what remained was quickly melting away. All Might explained that his last spell managed to clear away most of the demon energy, although the elfs would have to come in to purify the land before it could return to normal.
"Will they help? I mean, the imps did trap them for several years, right?" Shouta asked, Hizashi's arm around his shoulder and the rest of him pressed to his side. All Might gave a small nod.
"It's against their nature to hold grudges. Their light magic makes it hard to," he said. "Besides, they know better than to give demon energy a chance to flourish." That was a good point. Even so...
"ALL MIGHT!" A familiar voice rang out. Shouta pulled Hizashi closer, nearly buckling under the weight as All Might released him to defend the men from the threat. But when Shouta saw what said threat was, he didn't feel it was necessary.
It appeared that the Imp Chief survived his battle with the Demon King, but he wasn't unscathed.
It took all of Endeavor's will to remain standing as he dragged himself towards them. His flames had all but vanished except for a small spark here and there. His body was battered, bruised, and broken in some places. Sweat dripped like rain to the ground as his tail remained limp. His breath was heavy and mixed with blood that dribbled from his mouth. None of it compared to the scar that slashed down the left side of his face. It was a deep burn, pulsing with dark magic.
All Might lowered his weapon. "Endeavor…" The pity in his voice seemed to be crueler to the imp than stabbing him.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" He hollered. He did his best to create a flame but was unable to. "I spent a century waiting for you to show your cowardly face, and now you show up just to swoop in to play hero-"
Before he could finish, someone attacked from behind and knocked him to the ground. Shouta recognized the impetta with the horns right away.
For a moment, he was worried that she would attack them for knocking her out the last time she saw them. However, they weren't her focus at all.
"Shut. Up! Just shut up!" Rumi snarled, fangs bared, and eyes lit with a violent flame. She had Endeavor pinned beneath her foot. The man tried to move away but as stubborn as he was, it was a feeble attempt. Without the emerald, Endeavor didn't seem to have any strength or power anymore.
More imps appeared around them, but the human's gaze was on Rumi. Shouta had seen her blood lust before, but it was different now. It wasn't the look of a warrior who was aching for a fight, but someone out for blood.
Rumi stood over the other imp, her face full of pure malice. "I've waited a long, long time for this." Her body blazed, and Shouta knew what was coming next. And so did the old warrior next to him. All Might moved forward, though Shouta didn't know what he hoped to do in his weakened state.
"H-hold on!" he cried. "You can't just-"
"The hell I can't!" the woman snapped. The force of her anger alone nearly threw the men back. "For years we had to watch as our people froze and starved to death! Everyone in the world turned against us, because of HIM! And why?! Because he was butt-hurt that he wasn't stronger than All Might!" She stomped in the small of Endeavor's back, not enough to kill him, but hard enough to make make a CRACK echo in the air. Shouta winced as the woman's rage flared. "Why should he get to live when so many others didn't!"
Despite her rage, there was also pain and anguish, which cracked her voice and made her eyes shine. Her body shook as she tried to hold her emotions in, but after so many years, it was damn near impossible.
Shouta didn't know how to respond, or even if he should. Putting aside the fact doing so may turn her ire towards them, was it his place to say anything?
True, Endeavor was weakened and couldn't defend himself. On the other hand, if Endeavor was Shigaraki and Shouta had the choice, would he let him live after what he did to Hizashi and to him after all these years? Could he let him live now that he realized he led the kingdom his mother once ruled into ruin? Shouta honestly had no idea.
But now, he had a different choice he had to make. He could do nothing and let Rumi have her revenge, or…
"Then take him prisoner. Make him stand trial." Rumi snapped her head towards him, and Shouta stepped back, shifting Hizashi so he could protect him if the need arose.
"Trial?!" The woman looked appalled at the very suggestion. Shouta decided to push further.
"If you kill him now, then it'll be murder. You can't even say it's death between warriors because he can't defend himself," he reasoned. "Besides, if you kill him this way, it's over. He doesn't have to pay for anything. If you take him to trial, everyone he's hurt will get to see how far he has fallen, and that will hurt him more than anything else you can do."
Rumi mulled this over in her head, teeth clenched as tight as her fists. Clearly, she still wanted to kill him, but instead of doing so she stepped back.
"Fine!" she growled. "We'll play this game and give him a 'trial.' But only because I want the rest of the world to see how far this 'great warrior' has fallen!" She motioned to some other imps. "Take him away and lock him up!" As they did so, her gaze snapped back to Shouta. "As for you; I suggest you leave while you still can." Shouta did not miss the underlying threat. Rumi then turned on her heel and stomped away.
"That was brave of you," All Might commented as he watched the other imps grab Endeavor to arrest him. "Though, I'm not sure it was kind or not."
"It wasn't," Shouta admitted. For a proud warrior like Endeavor what he was going to go through would be worse than death. "But he'll be punished for what he did. And who knows? Maybe they'll be merciful, and he'll get the chance to redeem himself." He didn't know if he fully believed that or not. All Shouta knew was that he couldn't watch the man die without saying anything.
One of the imps led them back to the border but didn't dare get too close as they knew relations were going to be iffy at best for a while with the elfs. Not to mention that because there were so few of them left, the imps needed every able body on hand.
As they crossed into the Golden Valley, Shouta saw that the barrier was completely gone now, leaving only a long black line of ash to show where it once was. He didn't know if All Might banished it on his way to save him, if it disappeared when All Might destroyed The Demon King, or if it faded naturally without Endeavor to power it, but whatever the reason, Shouta was relieved. That reminded him;
"….Thank you," he said suddenly.
"Hm?"
"For saving me," Shouta clarified. His grip tightened on Hizashi. "For saving us." Shouta didn't look at him as he spoke. His feelings got across though, and while All Might was caught off guard, he smiled.
"Of course!" he said. Then he looked ahead, a serene look falling over his features. "Actually, I should be thanking you. If it wasn't for you, I never would have known I wasn't the last of my kind. You have no idea what a relief that is." He was right. Shouta could imagine it, but whatever he felt could never compare to the real thing.
All Might continued, "If you hadn't brought the dwarfs, none of this would have happened. The elfs would still be trapped, and the Demon King would still be spreading his influence across the land. And I'm sure you helped many others along the way." Shouta shrugged and looked away, hoping that the heat on his face wasn't visible.
"I don't know about that. I just wanted to save Hizashi," he mumbled.
All Might chuckled at the human's shyness as he gently shifted the blond between them. "He must be an amazing person." Shouta smiled softly at Hizashi, whose head laid on his shoulder.
"He is," he said quietly, reaching up to brush a golden strand.
"I hope I can meet him properly when he awakens."
"Hm."
They walked in silence for a bit before they saw two familiar and welcoming faces.
"Looks like you did it again, All Might!" Nemuri's expression was bright and cheerful as she greeted them. Her eyes then drifted to the slumbering Hizashi. Her face changed to slightly mischievous as she winked at him. "So, this is your boyfriend, hm? I can see why you fought so hard. He's beautiful. Poor Emi never stood a chance." Shouta didn't bother to reply to this.
"He still needs help though," he said. "I need to get him to Chiyo."
"She's waiting. If I may…?" Shouta hesitated, not wanting to release Hizashi after just getting him back. In the end, he did give in to his rationality, even though he did watch them like a hawk as Cementoss picked up Hizashi, cradling him like a child.
"Are the demons gone?" Nemuri asked All Might, who nodded.
"Yes, it's finally over... they're all gone," he said, relieved. Then his face fell. "But so is One For All."
"Perhaps, but not forever," Cementoss said. His eyes twinkled with knowledge not privy to the others. "But let's not dwell on all of that. It's been a long day."
"Not to mention a long adventure for you," Nemuri said as she looked the human over. "You must be eager to get some rest after all this. Not to mention you have seven dwarfs who are very worried for you." At the mention of the kids, Shouta finally tore his eyes from Hizashi.
"Are they okay?" He left them in secret so that they wouldn't stop him, but it must have scared them when he suddenly vanished.
Nemuri hummed slightly. "Let's go see for yourself."
Nemuri and Cementoss helped the two men the rest of the way to the Elfin village. There was a bunch of bustle in the village. The elfin people were cheering, dancing in the street as they drank and feasted. They all ran up and crowded All Might, who soon found himself being carried on shoulders for being the hero of the day.
"Bit of a mood lash," Nemuri mused. "First, we were afraid that we would have to go to war again. Now not only are the demons gone, but we're finally free to explore the land again." That reminded Shouta of something. "I know the demon trees were once elfs-"
"And now they've finally gone to their final rest." And from her tone that was that. Shouta didn't dare say anymore.
They made their way to the palace, where they were greeted by seven bobbing heads immediately.
"Mr. Aizawa!" Shouta fell to the floor with a loud grunt as he was tackled by all seven children. They were all sobbing with relief as they embraced him. Shouta was glad to see them but didn't know how to properly emote this.
"Hey now, let's try to calm down," he said. He patted each of their heads, counting them out of a habit he was unaware he started.
"My! You had everyone worried, Prince Snow White," Shouta looked up and saw Nezu beaming at him. While he had more composure, it was clear that he was just as joyful as the people in the streets.
"Yeah. Sorry about that," he said to all the dwarfs. The imp children who hung in the background stepped forward.
"Are all the demons gone?" Shoto asked, the concern for his people and home clear on his face, as well as Mina's. Shoto nodded.
"They are. And so is the snow."
"What about the others?" Mina asked. Shouta guessed she was referring to the other imps. "Are they okay or…"
"We saw some on the way back. They seemed fine." He thought for a moment, then added, "They also captured Endeavor. He's going to stand trial for his crimes."
"Trial?" Mina said, clearly surprised by this outcome. Shoto had mixed feelings on his own face. Nezu spoke up.
"You can see for yourself," he said. "I'm going to send some scouts anyway to make sure the land is truly cleansed of demon energy." The imp prince seemed surprised and confused to hear this.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "After everything my father did…" Nezu's expression dropped only slightly.
"Well—the feelings won't go away, and I can't promise that everyone is going to be as forgiving. However, I believe that instead of dwelling on the past we should focus on the future. Besides, for now, it's more important to make sure that the demon energy is gone, lest it stirs up more trouble." He turned to Cementoss.
"There's a room prepared for him," he said, motioning to Hizashi. "Chiyo offered to handle his care."
Hearing this, Shouta untangled himself from the dwarfs. "Wait, I'm coming too!" After everything he went through Shouta didn't think he was ever going to let Hizashi out of his sight again.
Nezu laughed. "Of course! No one expected anything else. However, you should let her tend to you as well." he added as he motioned to Shouta's wounds. Momo perked up.
"Oh! We can help!" she said, already pulling the gauze from her arm. Shouta, remembering the last time she bandaged him, waved her off.
"I'll be fine!" he said quickly. And he truly believed that. For the first time in his life, Shouta believed that everything was finally going to be okay.
{To be Continued…}
A/N: Welp, the Demon King is dead, Endeavor's going to trail, and Shouta and Hizashi are finally reunited. Looks like all that's left is the happy ending.
It's not like there's anything that's been forgotten or over looked.
Right?
Next week I'll be posting the final chapters of the story, so stay tuned!
Elf Facts:
*Elfin magic is usually non-combative using spells such as sleep, be-spelling items, shape shifting, etc. However, that doesn't mean they're helpless, they're just creative in how they use their abilities. In fact, had they not been worn down with the war with the demons and had their numbers diminished then they would have never been trapped by the imps.
*Most tend to be playful and happy by nature due to their magical core being pure.