A/N- Hey guys, I wrote another chapter, and since my spring break is over, I decided to release this chapter. I hope you enjoy the read and stay tuned for the next installment.
Also is anyone here familiar with: Advanced Strength of Materials, Material Fatigue Failure Sn-curve goodman line situations? Becuase that work is confusing as hell!
Anyway, read the chapter and tell me your thoughts. See you next time.
Calm and warm light shone through an open window and illuminated the entire room. The room was filled with all sorts of books, plants, soil, and many kinds of furniture, like tables and chairs. But right under the window was an occupied bed with a resting figure underneath the covers.
Light came in through the window and shone on white hair, making the hair look like it was glowing. Eventually, the sunlight traveled down and shone on closed eyes. The closed eyes began to twitch as discomfort grew in them.
Fluttering open, the eyes slowly opened and revealed wide, open slits that immediately narrowed in the presence of the light. The eyes immediately closed again to adjust to the light, and soon they fully opened with narrowed slits, one on a green eye and the other on an amber-orange eye.
Izuku groaned as his eyes fully adjusted to the sunlight. Once his eyes adjusted, Izuku blinked his amber and green eyes to get the sleep out of them. As Izuku woke up, he sniffed the air and detected many floral scents around him, which confused him and made him think he was in a flower shop. Leaning up, Izuku felt the bed covers on himself fall down, which puzzled him even more.
But as Izuku leaned up, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, which made him gasp as he fell back into the bed. Izuku groaned as the pain stuck around; eventually, the pain went away, and Izuku wracked his brain to remember how he got here and how he got so hurt. Out of curiosity, Izuku lifted the bed covers and saw many layers of bandages and gauze on his chest and stomach. Izuku also noticed the vast number of bandages on his arms.
Interest in this strange scenario made its way into Izuku's head. He had no idea how he got here or what had happened to him. Wondering in his head, Izuku scanned his memories. With his focus on his thoughts, Izuku remembered waking up early in his apartment, leaving the house, getting on the train, and going to the mountain where he trained.
Closing his eyes in concentration, Izuku remembered the brutal murder scene, then went to the cave and found a skeleton. All at once, vivid memories of the monster shot straight into Izuku's head. Izuku clutched his head and ran his bandaged hand through his white hair as he remembered fighting that monster.
All the pain and blood from the fight entered Izuku's head, and he winced, which made his face hurt. Izuku gasped as a stinging pain appeared on his face. Izuku was confused, but then he remembered getting scratched across his face on the right side. Bringing his hand up to his right eye, Izuku felt stitches on his face and wondered if this injury would scar.
But the situation still begs the question. "Where the hell am I?" Just as Izuku said that he heard a door open, turning his head over to the sound, Izuku heard it from somewhere else in the building. Trying to get up, Izuku fought against the pain and managed to sit up on the bed. Swinging his legs across to stand, Izuku placed his feet on the floor and prepared to get up.
Then the sound of a doorknob turning entered his ears, and Izuku looked up to see the door to this room open. Izuku watched as a tall and slender woman with long, straight black hair and pale, clear skin walked through the door holding flower pots and soil. The woman walked in and froze as she saw Izuku sitting on the bed. Izuku and the woman locked eyes, and both were curious about the other.
Breaking their stare, the woman walked over to a table and set down the pots and soil. She turned to look at Izuku, who was still staring at her. With a sigh, the woman grabbed something long that was sitting next to the table and tossed it to Izuku.
Izuku caught it and noticed that it was the sword and sheath he picked up in the cave. And attached to the sheath was his knife in its sheath. Izuku wondered who this woman was since not only did she save him, but she knew where that monster was. Looking back up, Izuku saw the woman pull out a glass of alcohol and sit down in the chair next to the table.
The chair squeaked as the woman sat down and poured herself a glass, then she poured another glass and put her hand out to offer it to Izuku. Izuku silently stared at the glass, and then at the woman; she rolled her eyes and reached out to offer it. "It's not going to kill you." She spoke in a tired and inquisitive tone.
Izuku hesitated but took the glass anyway and took a small sip, then he spoke, "My name is Izuku Midorya." The woman just nodded as Izuku took another sip. He felt the alcohol sting as it went down, but it wasn't bad. Izuku looked back up at the woman and saw that she had a sympathetic and pitying look on her face. "What? What's with that look?" The woman shook her head and poured herself another glass.
"I thought all witchers were extinct, and then one shows up in this day and age." She downed the rest of her glass, and Izuku was encouraged to do the same. Izuku looked at his glass and drank the rest of it, then set the empty glass down. Looking back at the woman, Izuku developed a serious expression, and the woman picked up on his change of mood.
Izuku hesitated a bit but stared at her. 'She said witcher; that's the same word the doctor used when he mutated us; I'll never forget that word. But she knows it; she must know something about it.'
Overcoming his hesitation, Izuku spoke up. "… What is a witcher?" The woman stopped pouring herself more alcohol and stared at Izuku with intrigued and shocked eyes.
"It's what you are… Don't tell me… You have no idea what you are." She gave Izuku an even more sympathetic look as she stared. Izuku took a deep breath and locked eyes with her.
"I have no idea what I am, but you do, so tell me, what am I?" The woman stared at Izuku and finished pouring her drink; then she took the glass and downed it in one gulp. She wiped the corners of her mouth and sighed.
"… First, tell me what happened to you. How did you end up like this? Who did this to you?" Izuku thought about it but figured it was okay to tell her. After all, she saved him and somehow knew about the mutations he underwent.
"…When I was four, I was diagnosed as quirkless, and I believe that because of that, when I was five, I was kidnapped under the orders of this doctor. Twenty kids were gathered for an experiment, and I was branded as number nine." Izuku showed the woman the number nine brand on his neck, and she got even paler. "I went through two years of hellish 'training' alongside several other kids my age who were also quirkless." The woman stared at Izuku with shocked eyes that said she couldn't believe someone would do this to young kids. But Izuku continued as he remembered the painful experiences.
"After all the 'training' was done, only twelve out of twenty kids survived. And all the remaining kids were taken to a chamber, where we were then pumped full of chemicals that literally tore our bodies apart from the inside out. I don't remember how long it happened, but the pain was indescribable, and only myself and three others made it out alive. After the process was done, our mutations were complete, and out of the four of us, I was the only one not disabled."
The woman developed a sad look as she clenched her hands in anger and disappointment. "Only four kids survived that torment, and you're the only one not disabled. Who would do such a thing to children?" The woman asked as she stared at Izuku's stoic face.
"The doctor did this; I never got his name, but it doesn't matter anymore since he's no longer walking among us." The woman nodded in satisfaction and was relieved to hear that the man who did this was dead.
"Good, no one will ever have to suffer like that again. For what it's worth, I'm sorry something like that happened to you; you never should have been forced to go through such a thing."
"It's not worth much, but thank you. Now, you tell me what you know, since you're clearly familiar with what happened to me." Izuku studied the woman's face and saw her contemplate the answer.
"…Alright, but first my name. My name in this era is Komi Ketsuki." Izuku looked at her weirdly and interrupted her.
"This era? What does that mean?" Komi grew annoyed but let it go since Izuku was just confused.
"You'll learn after I tell you some things that will make this all clearer to you. Let's start with what you are. You are a witcher, a person made to hunt and kill monsters, someone who has gone through mutations that change your very body. All your senses are enhanced beyond regular human abilities; your strength and speed are also greater than normal, and those attributes can climb even higher. Your stamina is also off the charts, along with your metabolism." Izuku rolled his eyes since Komi was spewing facts he already knew.
"I already know all that, but since you know about it, then what's your point?" Komi shook her head.
"My point is, I know what you are and how you're made; I know all about you and your abilities. I've had plenty of time to study and learn about all your abilities and how you're made. That's why I'm perplexed by your existence." Izuku tilted his head, trying to understand what she was saying.
"So if you know all about my abilities, then why are you confused?" Komi stared at Izuku to try and gauge his reaction to what she was about to tell him.
"... Magic is real." Izuku heard her and was about to laugh at that, but Komi's dead seriousness dissuaded Izuku. Instead, Izuku tried to wrap his head around that statement.
"Wait, magic is real? How do you know? In this world of quirks, you don't need magic to do anything." Izuku tried to argue against the existence of magic, he knew it couldn't be real, but Komi was dead set on her belief.
"Listen, magic is real, although it's not technically magic that you've come to understand. Its true form is chaos, an amalgamation of all kinds of invisible energies and forces that exist everywhere. But beings like myself can channel it to do things, and then when people see it, they call it magic." Izuku shook his head and didn't know what to think of Komi's response to defending magic, but he rolled with it to get more information.
"Okay, let's say magic exists; why does that matter when we're talking about me?" Komi studied Izuku's face again.
"It matters because every witcher I've ever met, aside from you, was made with magic. You were made with a completely different method, one that didn't require the use of magic. And making a witcher without magic is unheard of." Izuku stared at Komi and grew confused since she said every witcher she ever met.
"…Komi, you're making no sense. You say you've met other witchers besides me. Where are all of them?"
"They're all dead. So as far as I'm concerned, you're the last witcher left alive." Izuku stayed silent, trying to wrap his head around all the information Komi was giving him. It made no sense to him, and Izuku didn't know how to piece it all together.
"So I'm a witcher, but I wasn't made with magic; I was made with different methods. And you know this because you've met other witchers before. If that's true, then where are all of them? But this doesn't answer anything." Komi could see she was just confusing Izuku and sighed as she tried to think of a way to make Izuku understand what he was. Then she remembered the cave and the monster he killed. 'I guess I can start with that and explain what he is that way.'
"Let's rewind a bit. Back in the cave, do you know what you killed?" Izuku stared at Komi to see her genuine interest in her question.
"I don't know what I killed. I do know that it wasn't natural at all. But that's about it." Komi gave a satisfied nod and stood up, then walked over to Izuku to carry him. Izuku held his hand out to stop her and then began moving; he ached as he got up, and Komi grew concerned and came over to help him.
"Don't strain yourself; despite having a good healing factor, you still take damage. Besides, I'm not even sure you should be standing with the amount of damage you took." Izuku grinned at her concern and reassured her.
"Relax, I'm doing much better since my healing factor is decent." Surprise flashed across Komi's face as she saw Izuku stand up with little help. She could have sworn that Izuku would need more time to rest, but he was already feeling good enough to get out of bed. Keeping an eye on Izuku, Komi signaled for him to follow.
Izuku followed Komi through the budling and noticed he was in a flower shop that had all kinds of flowers on display. Continuing to follow Komi, Izuku followed her into a living room. Then Izuku watched with astonishment as Komi effortlessly picked up the massive leather couch she had in her living room.
Komi signaled for Izuku to go down the newly revealed secret entrance she had under her couch. Izuku took a long walk and noticed stairs leading deeper underground. Going down the stairs, Izuku was followed by Komi, who put the couch back down to hide the entrance.
Once at the bottom, Izuku saw what he assumed to be an herbalist's laboratory, lighted by several tall candles that never seemed to go out. There were plants he didn't recognize growing in pots, and a bookshelf was full of vials that contained substances Izuku had never seen before. And one wall was covered in books that looked old and ready to fall apart. Komi walked past Izuku and headed over to the wall of books; Izuku followed out of curiosity. And as Izuku followed, Komi began to explain some things to Izuku.
"What you killed in that cave was a genuine monster. A beast that is part of a species that has killed many people. But there is something unique about the monster you killed." Izuku stared at Komi with interest as she picked out a book from the wall and handed it to Izuku. Izuku grabbed the book and opened it, only to grow confused since the writing wasn't a language he could understand. But Izuku's eyes widened when he realized that this writing was the same one he saw on the documents that the cave skeleton had.
Izuku looked at Komi, and she had a grin on her face that told him this mystery was about to be solved. "Listen, what I'm about to tell you may sound unreal and fictional, but I assure you, it is all real, and it's the truth that has long since been forgotten."
"At this point, I just need to figure out the truth and understand my place in the world." Komi grinned and sat down in a chair that was next to a desk with several notes splayed across it. Izuku sat down on a stool that was next to the wall of books.
"Listen up, because you won't want to miss this. That monster you killed is called a Fogler. It's a terrifying monster that preys on humans and feasts on their corpses. It hides in fog and uses magic to create illusions to then attack its prey." Komi brought her hand up and waved it around. Izuku saw a distortion of space, and then a white light invaded his eyes. Izuku blinked in succession and assumed that what Komi did was magic, but it could also be a quirk, then Komi continued. "You should be able to read and understand the language of the book now."
Izuku immediately looked at the book and saw that he understood the language. The book was called The Bestiary, and Izuku opened it up to the index. There he found the Fogler page and opened the book to that page. Once Izuku turned the page, he was greeted with several sketches that looked exactly like the monster he killed in the cave. Izuku was amazed, and he even read some of the passages to learn about what he killed.
"Jesus, I killed something like this without even knowing any of the tactics. Damn, I guess I got lucky. And what are witcher signs? This book says I should use aard to blow the fog away. What's aard?" Izuku eagerly read, but he was interrupted by Komi so she could answer his question.
"Witcher signs are magic spells that witchers use." Izuku got excited as he listened to Komi, but his stoic nature prevented him from displaying it.
"Are you saying I can use magic?" Komi grinned a little but also had an apologetic face.
"Sorry, but I don't think you can use magic. After all, you weren't made with magic." Izuku deflated a bit, but Komi began racking her brain to figure out how Izuku was made. "Although, when we take into consideration the fact that whoever made you into a witcher knew about witchers, they must have known about witcher signs. So they must have found a way to give you signs without actually using magic." Izuku thought about his situation too, and he remembered something the doctors told him about when he was sent to the hospital after being saved.
"Now that you mention it, I do remember having doctors tell me I have an exceptionally high quirk factor now. Do you think that instead of signs I have quirks to mimic witcher spells?" Komi thought about it and somewhat agreed.
"Considering you weren't made with magic, it would make sense if you were made with quirks. However, you could argue that you were given mutation quirks that increased your quirk factor, so you may not have signs. Plus, by now you should have unlocked those sign substitution quirks. Unles there's something stopping you from accessing those abilities." Izuku still held out hope that he would have signs; it would be a great addition to his abilities. Komi noticed and sought to change the subject back to the Fogler. "Did you finish reading the Fogler entry in the Bestiary?"
"I did, and I must say, the Fogler I killed doesn't sound as scary as the one in the Bestiary. Do you think there is a lack of information?" Komi shook her head and grinned since she knew more than she let on, which Izuku caught onto. "What aren't you telling me?"
"The Fogler you killed was fairly young and inexperienced; it wasn't an elder Fogler." Izuku listened and grew puzzled, since it made no sense for a young Fogler to exist.
"Does that mean more Foglers are out there somewhere? For a young Fogler to exist, there has to be more." Komi shook her head again, which confused Izuku even more.
"Quite the opposite, actually; that was the last Fogler I've ever seen, and it probably came to this world recently and by accident. And it's the same case for every monster listed in the Bestiary. I haven't seen any monsters walk the earth in about seventy years. And the last monster I saw was an ancient Giant Centipede." Izuku stared at Komi with wonder, but he quickly became suspicious of her since all her words were puzzling. Izuku sneakily reached for his silver sword and began questioning her.
"Wait, you said you knew many witchers, and your name in this 'era' is Komi Ketsuki. Plus, you said the Fogler came to this 'world' by accident. And you are over seventy years old… What are you?" Izuku sneakily grabbed his silver sword and prepared to pull it out of its sheath. Komi stared at Izuku and saw his slitted eyes narrow slightly in suspicion, and Komi grinned in response.
"You want to know what I am?" Komi grinned even wider at Izuku. All of a sudden, Komi blasted forward and moved faster than Izuku could even react. Almost immediately, Komi was in front of Izuku with her nails sharpened and pointed at his throat.
Izuku froze, and a blast of wind struck him, proving that Komi moved fast enough to make the air lag behind her. Izuku looked down at her sharp nails and saw that her fingers were still pale, but black veins covered her hands. Shifting his gaze to her face, Izuku was taken aback as he saw that her eyes were pitch black and black veins popped up across her pale face.
Komi leaned in close as she reverted to her normal form and grinned at Izuku. Izuku knew instantly from her gaze that she was telling him it was pointless to try and draw his sword. With annoyance on his face, Izuku dropped his sword, and Komi responded by slowly taking her nails away from his neck. She spoke softly but had plenty of meaning in her words.
"I will say this: I am not human; I am a monster." Izuku's eyes widened, but then he grew baffled. Komi stepped back, and Izuku got a good view of her slender form. She walked back over to her chair and sat back down while Izuku watched her with a gaze that said he was trying to figure out what she was.
"Let me ask you this one thing, and then I'll tell you what I am. Does the Bestiary tell you where the Fogler came from?" Izuku's gaze lingered on Komi, but he knew she was fast enough to kill him if she wanted. So he looked back at the Bestiary and read it, but he didn't find anything that told him where the Fogler came from.
"There's nothing in here that tells me where a Fogler comes from. It only talks about where they reside." Izuku looked back up at Komi, who gave him a knowing nod.
"That's because Foglers didn't originate from this world." Izuku froze as he heard Komi speak; he was even more baffled than before.
"Are you saying that monsters come from other worlds? So other worlds exist?" Komi nodded and continued to explain.
"Witchers were created in response to the appearance of monsters; in fact, humans came from another world, but you lot dominated this world and made it your own. The only naturally occurring monsters on Earth were the Relicts and Cursed Ones. I myself came from another world, and technically I am a monster. We all came here through a cataclysm called the Conjunction of Spheres, a massive event that destabilized the multiverse and brought monsters, foliage, and other species to this world." Izuku froze and leaned forward on his stool as he processed this information.
"... That's a lot to take in, so you were brought here during this event? That makes you several millennia old. What are you?" Izuku was curious as to what Komi could be since she was talking about an event that she personally experienced. Komi smiled in response.
"Technically, I am classified as a High Vampire." Izuku froze at the mention of vampires and didn't know what to think. Komi saw this and went on to explain. "I'm not like the idiotic depictions of vampires you're thinking of, and you didn't let me finish. I'm 'classified' as a High Vampire, but really I am an Elder Vampire, one of the oldest and most powerful vampires to exist."
"Does this mean there are more vampires out there?" Izuku asked since he had no idea, and Komi grew a bit sad at the question.
"As far as I know, I'm the only vampire left on the planet. I have yet to meet any other person who comes from my world; it's been several millennia since I've seen another vampire." Izuku caught on to her loneliness and felt sorry for asking, but he was curious about their disappearance.
"If you haven't seen any, then were they all killed by witchers?" Komi shook her head and answered.
"Only the idiotic lower species of vampires were killed by witchers. The vampires with intelligence, like Higher Vampires and Elders, waited for the portals to our world to open back up, and once those portals opened, they all went back home."
"Then why are you still here? Did you miss your window to leave?"
"No, I chose to stay willingly. I quite enjoy spending time with humanity; even though the sun doesn't bother me, I can't do a lot of things during the day since I don't have a shadow and a reflection, but there's plenty for me to do at night." Izuku smirked a bit since, at first, he assumed Komi was just a vampire who chose to stay for access to humans, but it turns out she likes humanity.
"Well, I guess you're not really a monster then, are you?" Komi looked at Izuku with a surprised look and questioned him.
"What's that supposed to mean? I am a vampire, someone who preys on humanity." Izuku grinned a bit and shook his head.
"True, you are a vampire, but to me, a monster is someone or something that kills because it wants to. Beasts and animals kill to survive, which is acceptable to some degree before they have to be hunted. But monsters know killing is bad and do it anyway. You know killing is bad and try to refrain from it. I'm sure you still need some blood, but you're not mercilessly killing for it. So even though you may be a vampire, you are no monster."
Komi smiled as she looked at Izuku. She was glad to hear Izuku say that. "You know what, Izuku? You really are a witcher." Izuku looked at Komi with a puzzled look.
"I guess it's my turn to ask what that means." Komi stood up and walked over to a chest she had stashed away in the corner of the subterranean room. Kneeling and opening the chest, Komi reached in and pulled out a flat silver medallion.
"A long time ago, when monsters and witchers were abundant, I came across a witcher who valued life and didn't want to kill needlessly. There were times when the witcher spared the lives of monsters that didn't want to hurt people. I was one of those monsters. He was stoic and just; he had many names, but the one I remember him by is The White Wolf. You remind me of him, Izuku. You have white hair just like him, and one of your slit eyes is the same amber-orange as his. Plus, your attitude toward monster hunting is just like his."
Komi walked over and held out the silver medallion, then she used some magic to distort space again, and Izuku watched as the silver medallion levitated in the air, then shook as if it were being filled with something. Soon the space ripples stopped, and Komi pushed the floating medallion over to Izuku.
Izuku grabbed the medallion and looked at it with a curious gaze. Izuku saw the silver lining on the medallion, and he noticed the design was in the shape of a wolf growling with its fangs out. Taking a liking to the medallion, Izuku grabbed the small chain hanging from the medallion and put it around his neck. He looked up to see Komi grinning at him.
"You're a full-fledged witcher now, Izuku. You successfully passed the trials and hunted a monster. So I've given you this School of the Wolf Witcher Medallion and filled it with magic. Congratulations! You can now say with confidence that you're the last witcher." Komi clapped her hands, and Izuku had a grimace on. "What's wrong? You doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine; it's just that I've always wanted to be a monster hunter, and now that I am. I don't know what to do. You said it yourself: monsters are extinct, and witchers aren't needed. Furthermore, all of this knowledge and history has been lost. I don't even know what the School of the Wolf is. But all this history has been forgotten." Komi grew a gloomy look and sat back down in her chair.
"You and I are relics of the past now; we're unneeded. But we're still here, and since you're a witcher, you might live for quite a while. I knew a witcher who lived to be 200; he probably would have gone on to live longer since he retired, but the humans at the time didn't trust witchers, so they killed him."
"Harsh way to go, but what do I do now? I'm a witcher in a time when there are no monsters to hunt." Komi chuckled a bit, and Izuku looked at her with a questioning gaze.
"I wouldn't say there are no monsters left to hunt; you said it yourself: a monster is someone or something that kills because it wants to. Do you really think humanity is so virtuous?" Izuku chuckled a bit and grinned at what Komi was suggesting.
"You have a point, and I guess I should have seen the obvious answer... I suppose I should just continue to do things my way."
"That doesn't sound too bad; I've been living life for a while now; it's not so bad." Komi said as she leaned back in her chair. Izuku rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"You've been alive for several millennia; I'd expect you to have a life." Komi chuckled at Izuku's response, and the two sat in silence. Then Izuku looked at the wall of books and saw a book that had the title, Wolf Sword. Izuku took the book and opened it up. He saw it was a book of sword techniques for his silver longsword. "Hey Komi, do you mind if I take this book?"
Komi looked at the book and shook her head. "I don't mind, but since these books can no longer be made and they're the last of their kind, I expect that book back in perfect condition. All these books were given to me, and I've kept them all in pristine condition. You may be a witcher, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."
"I get it. I just want to practice my sword swings and learn a bit." Izuku closed the book and put it next to his sword and knife.
"Then take the book and bring it back. And since it looks like you're healing just fine, you can leave, but I'd suggest resting a bit more. Although you are an oddball compared to other witchers," Izuku stopped preparing to get up and questioned Komi on her last statement.
"Am I really that different when compared to other witchers?"
"Yes, you are. Usually, witchers who suffered injuries like yours require longer periods of rest, but you're already up and moving in such a short amount of time, and you seem to have enhanced senses and abilities for a witcher. It's almost like you're better than a regular witcher."
"Interesting. I'll do some experimenting then." Izuku grabbed the book and wrapped his sword and knife sheath straps around his waist. As Izuku got up, he noticed the pain was almost entirely gone, and he thought that maybe Komi was right about his enhanced abilities. Izuku was about to walk off, but then he noticed that he was still in his bandages with no shirt on; he hadn't had a shirt on the entire time, and a small amount of embarrassment made its way into Izuku, making him face Komi.
"Do you have a shirt I can borrow, and can I get your phone number?" Komi looked at Izuku and grinned.
"You really are a witcher, trying to flatter me and get my number."
"I didn't mean it like that." Komi laughed a little at Izuku.
"I'll give you my number so we can stay in close contact. I have a shirt that should fit you sitting next to the bed you woke up in; everything you had on you is also there. I was wondering when you'd put a shirt on. I know witchers like flirting, but you're a bit too young for me."
Izuku rolled his eyes and walked over to the steps that would let him leave the subterranean lair. "I'll see you around Komi; I think I'll come around when I have some free time. Stay in good health." Izuku began ascending the stairs, and Komi shook her head once Izuku was out of the room.
"I'm a fucking Elder Vampire; what the hell is capable of killing me?" But Izuku managed to hear her with his senses, and he responded.
"You know what I meant." Komi sighed and decided to get to work.
Izuku just put the couch back down, hiding the secret entrance. With a satisfied grin, Izuku walked back to the bed he woke up in, where he saw his things on the table next to the bed. Grabbing his things and putting the shirt on, Izuku looked around the room and saw a photo of Komi.
Picking the photo up, Izuku saw it was a picture of her and an older man. Izuku wondered what the story was, but he assumed that because Komi was an Elder Vampire, this photo was taken a long time ago.
Putting the photo back down, Izuku went to the front area of the shop and saw Komi waiting for him by the door. Walking over to her, Komi held out a strip of paper; Izuku took it and saw it was a phone number. Then Komi began talking about sending Izuku on his way.
"It was nice meeting you and saving you, Izuku. I hope you follow the witcher's code and use your power for the benefit of others."
"Well, I don't know anything about a witcher's code, but I will do my best. Also, thank you for telling me about all that stuff; it's nice to know what I am and that I served my purpose." Komi rolled her eyes and opened the door for Izuku.
"Get going; I'm sure you have somewhere you need to be."
"I do. Thank you for all you've done, Komi. I'll come by again." Izuku walked out the door and made sure his sword didn't hit the door frame. Nodding to Komi, Izuku began walking down the street while his white hair blew in the wind. Komi watched Izuku leave and felt sorry for him.
"No one should have to be a witcher, although I guess it was his fate to be one." Closing the door to her flower shop, Komi went back in and began preparing to plant more flowers.
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Izuku was hiking back up the mountain he had been on before. He left his stuff there and wanted to get it before he went back to his apartment. It was midday, and the sun was right above him. The wind softly blew, and Izuku's white hair blew with it, revealing the dark green hair roots that would eventually fade into white.
Stepping over loose gravel on the path, Izuku found the path he took to get to his campsite and began walking up it while wondering what would happen to the murder scene he found before. While walking and thinking, Izuku came across his campsite and saw that nothing was out of place.
Walking over to his lean tent, Izuku picked up his blanket and then put on his jacket. With his clothes on, Izuku took off his sword sheath and put it on his back to make it easier to carry. With the silver sword on his back, Izuku turned to leave but stopped.
His curiosity got the better of him, and Izuku turned around and began walking back up the mountain to where the bloody campsite was. Pushing tree branches aside and putting his feet on even ground, Izuku walked through the trees, trying to get to where he remembered the campsite being set up.
Eventually, after some more walking through the woods on an unpaved path, Izuku broke through the tree line and came to the clearing he remembered. Continuing on, Izuku saw the hole in the center of the clearing that led down into the underground cave where the Fogler lived. Bitter memories of the fight flooded Izuku's mind, and he couldn't believe he managed to beat the Fogler without any skill or witcher signs.
Staring at the hole, Izuku zoned out, but his sharp senses heard a branch snap, and Izuku immediately turned around and pulled out his knife. Izuku fiercely stared at the treeline, trying to determine what made that noise. Scanning the trees, Izuku saw branches shift and focused on that spot while getting into a comfortable stance for combat.
But as Izuku watched, he saw an old man with few wrinkles walk out of the trees, which confused him. The old man had long grey hair, a flame-like red birthmark over his left eye, and hanafuda earrings that had a rising sun hat that was maroon, the same color as his eyes. He wore a black hakama with a cream-colored kimono over that, and covering the whole outfit was a maroon hayori. Izuku then looked down and saw the old man wearing straw sandals with white socks. The old man's outfit was on point, and the one word Izuku could use to describe him was elegant.
However, Izuku noticed something: the old man's arms weren't swinging. 'He's carrying something.' Izuku was on guard as he watched the old man calmly walk over to him. Once the old man got close, he stopped three meters away from Izuku and stared at him. The old man's facial expression didn't change, but Izuku could tell that the old man was sizing him up and analyzing him. Then the old man spoke up after watching Izuku make small adjustments to his stance.
"Have you seen a teenage boy with brown hair and maroon eyes around these parts? I was told, someone looking like him came up on this mountain, and I haven't seen him come down." Izuku stared at the old man and didn't know what to think about him. But it seemed like answering his question would be harmless.
"I haven't seen anyone matching that description. But more importantly, why is an old man like you all the way up here? This spot isn't exactly easy to reach, and I don't think you should stay around here for very long." Izuku relaxed a bit, but the old man continued to stare at Izuku, then he asked another question.
"I was told he came up here with two others. Are you sure you haven't seen anyone up here?" Izuku momentarily froze at the old man's question since he knew something, and the old man seemed to catch onto Izuku's small hesitation. "You know something, don't you?" Izuku watched as the old man reached into his hayori, and Izuku saw the tiniest sign that he had grabbed a katana. Izuku gulped as he understood that the old man was threatening him.
'But I can't read him at all; it's like he's almost eternally tranquil. I need to de-escalate this.' Izuku slowly pulled his hand away from his knife and raised it. "I do know something, but before I tell you, what is your relationship with him?" The old man stared at Izuku, and it felt like he was staring through Izuku.
"He's like my son, although he has a few bad habits." Izuku began to feel bad, but his stoic face didn't move much.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, but... He's probably dead." For the first time in their interaction, the old man froze, and Izuku swore he saw the old man's eyes become wet. The old man looked down and grew sad, but he had one final thing to ask.
"Are you sure? Do you know for a fact that he's dead?" Izuku fully lowered his knife and sheathed it as he fully faced the old man.
"Follow me; let me show you." Izuku signaled for the old man to follow, then started walking to where the campsite was. The old man's face returned to normal, and he followed Izuku. The two came to the bloody campsite, and the old man was shocked, but his face didn't show it. The old man saw the massive bloodbath in the tent, and he saw the blood trails leading to the center of the field. "Does anything here look familiar to you?"
The old man kneeled and touched one of the blood trails, then he looked at the tent and saw what was inside. "…Yes, that tent was his; I recognize it." Izuku approached the old man and offered his hand to help him up. The old man looked at the hand and then grabbed it, which let Izuku pull him up, surprising the old man with his strength. As the old man stood up, he asked Izuku another question.
"How do you know that he's dead? I know you didn't kill him because you don't seem like the type." Izuku looked down but answered.
"I killed the thing that took his and two others' lives."
"... Thank you for avenging his death. You killed a 'thing?' What did you kill?" The old man asked as he followed the blood trails with his eyes.
"I killed a monster, plain and simple, although it nearly killed me."
"So that's where you got those injuries from." Izuku stared at the old man with a puzzled gaze.
"How'd you know I was injured? I didn't tell you, and you couldn't have seen it. Who are you?" The old man turned to Izuku with an indifferent look.
"I know you're injured because of the way you carry yourself and the way your body moves. I can see it clearly, and I can see that your injuries are from inexperience based on where they are." Izuku stared at the old man with a stoic face that held astonishment.
"Who are you, old man?" The old man smiled sweetly, and his face shone with warmth, surprising Izuku with his display of emotion.
"My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni; I am a regular swordsman." Izuku chuckled at that, since Yoriichi didn't have the presence of a regular swordsman.
"My name is Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you, Mr. Tsugikuni." Yoriichi's face shifted back to its solemn look, and he asked another question of Izuku.
"Please call me Yoriichi; being reminded that I'm old hurts the soul. You said you killed a monster; are you certain that it was truly a monster?" Izuku nodded and crossed his arms since he knew the answer.
"I confirmed that it wasn't an animal that did it; no animal would be confident enough to kill three people. Once I knew that it wasn't an animal, I pursued it, fearing it would strike again. I tracked it to a cave, where I found it and three victims. I proceeded to fight it, and I ended up killing it. At the time, I didn't know what I killed, and I was too hurt to think about it. But after I was saved and had a few things explained to me, I learned that what I killed was called a Fogler, an actual monster."
"That sounds scary, and no doubt it was even worse considering you lack skill with a sword." Izuku turned to Yoriichi and wondered how he knew about his lack of skill.
"How'd you know I wasn't skilled with a sword?" Yoriichi's face remained still like a stone, but he gave off a goofy aura.
"The first tell was when you grabbed your knife instead of your sword; you're more comfortable with small blades. Your injuries also gave it away; most of them are cuts along areas of the body that can be protected with a sword, which means you lack experience with a sword." Izuku laughed a little since Yoriichi was spot on.
"You're correct in assuming I don't know how to use a sword. I was actually going to see if I could find someone to teach me, but then I was curious and came up here."
"If you're looking for a teacher, I can teach you, although I'm afraid I don't use longswords." Yoriichi motioned to his katana, and Izuku assumed as much.
"The basics are still the basics. But don't you want to hold off on giving me the offer to learn under you? You lost someone important to you. Don't you want to grieve?" Yoriichi stared at the ground and grew a somewhat sad look on his stone face. Izuku could tell he had felt this pain before and knew that Yoriichi could only take so much sorrow.
"… It does hurt to know that I'll never see him again, and he was a good kid, despite his flaws. I took him in and tried my best to take care of him and show him the way of the sword, but my teachings never stuck with him. He was skilled with a blade, but he neglected his training. I just wish our parting could have been on better terms. But if I get hung up on something like that, I won't be able to live the life my late wife would have wanted for me."
"My condolences for your loss. What was his name? And if you don't mind me asking, what happened between you two?" Izuku asked, and Yoriichi looked up with a stone face.
"His name was Miyake Tsugikuni. And what happened was that we fought. I asked him to take care of himself since he wanted to quit his sword training. I didn't mind him leaving; he had his own goals and life; who was I to force him onto a path he didn't want? But I knew that he wanted me to fight for him; he didn't want to let me go. So he insulted me and called me a quirkless old man, then ran off, and I followed. And as I tailed him, I came upon this site and met you." Izuku looked down at the ground and felt sorry for Yoriichi.
"So you're quirkless? You didn't strike me as quirkless."
"Well, I am; most of the elderly are; I just happen to have great skill with a sword, that's all. Then there are people like you, who have quirks and can do more than others like me. And because of that, my skills with a sword aren't needed since quirks make up the difference." Izuku shook his head at Yoriichi's statement.
"I wouldn't call what I have a quirk. But I guess it can be called one. And coming from someone with no sword experience, I think sword skills are essential for some people. Look at me, I want to learn how to wield a sword. So your talents can help me make up the difference and make me a better person." Yoriichi had a faint smile on his face as Izuku told him he wanted to learn how to use a sword.
"It makes me happy knowing that my honed techniques won't be forgotten so easily. I'm also glad that my faith in a bright future was not wasted. Izuku, if you want to learn about the sword, then I'll teach you, but first I need to gauge your strength. Draw your sword and attack any tree you want." Izuku grinned at Yoriichi as he extended his offer to teach Izuku.
"Alright, I can do that." Izuku walked in front of Yoriichi and drew his sword. Yoriichi noticed the odd complexion of the sword and saw just how shiny it was. To Yoriichi, the sword was beautiful in its own way, but he found it strange that the sword was coated with such a glossy metal.
As Yoriichi thought about Izuku's interesting sword, Izuku walked to a tree and got into a solid stance as he raised his hands up to strike the tree. 'Please don't break, sword.' Izuku was prepared to swing. He flexed his arms and took a deep breath.
Feeling confident, Izuku swung his sword as hard as he could and felt the edge land on the tree bark. But Izuku didn't stop there; he put more strength into the sword and forcibly cleaved it through the bark with all his might. With a yell, "YYYYAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Izuku forced his sword through the tree.
The silver sword edge broke out of the other side of the tree and blew wood and tree twigs all over the place. Yoriichi had a stone face, but he saw just how much power Izuku put into his swing and was surprised to see him cut the tree down in one brutal swing. After Izuku's swing, the tree fell over and collapsed with a sound that said the wood was twisting and snapping.
"Nice swing, but that was all strength and no technique. That would work for a brute, and you are no brute." Izuku looked at his sword and was glad that it took no damage, but he was a bit disappointed to not have any technique.
Without warning, Yoriichi appeared next to Izuku, startling him. Izuku stepped back, and he saw Yoriichi walk over to the thickest tree in the area. Yoriichi knocked on the wood and stepped back while pulling out his katana with a master's precision. Izuku was in awe at the beauty of the red-colored katana and golden tsuba and hilt; it was a glorious sword that didn't have a chip or blemish anywhere in the blade. Plus, Izuku was curious about why there was an engraving on the side of the blade that said "Slay."
"That's a beautiful sword; I hope the swing is just as pretty. But why does it have an engraving that says "Slay" on its side?" Yoriichi still had his stone face on, but he was glad that Izuku found his sword beautiful. He turned to Izuku to answer his question.
"You have fought and slain a monster. I have fought and slain many different kinds of monsters, but they were monsters nonetheless. I had this sword engraved to remind me of all the battles I've fought." Izuku could feel the regret coming from Yoiichi through his stone face. But Izuku also noticed just how kind Yoriichi was. And Izuku wondered what kind of battles he had fought that would make him call his enemies monsters. But if Yoriichi was here, then it was clear who the victor was.
"… Your skills must be sharp, and your war is clearly over. But don't worry, because now I'm here to help you forget about those battles. I still have my battles to fight, and your guidance would be appreciated." Yoriich faced Izuku and grinned at him.
"Then let me show you the guidance I can offer." Yoriichi took his red katana in both hands and held it to his side. Izuku set his sword down and carefully watched Yoriichi as he focused on the tree and held his katana to his side.
Then, as fast as a bullet, Yoriichi barely moved, but he swung his sword. Izuku, with his enhanced eyes, watched as Yoriichi's blade effortlessly cleaved through the thick tree, almost as if it weren't there to begin with. Yoriichi's blade exited out of the other side, and soon a gust of wind followed it and blew onto the tree, but the tree didn't move.
Izuku watched in stunned silence as Yoriichi stepped back, sheathed his katana like a well-oiled machine, and bowed to the tree. As Yoriichi stepped back, the tree fell over and crashed onto the mountain floor. Once Yoriichi was done, he walked over to Izuku, who was still frozen with shock. But Iuzku collected his thoughts and decided his mind had been blown enough times today.
"… That swing was perfect, and if anyone said you were quirkless, I'd call them a liar."
"Flattery won't improve your swordplay," Yoriichi said to bring Izuku back to earth.
"I know, and I can tell that I have a long way to go before I can do that." A small grin made its way onto Yoriichi's stone face.
"You have the speed and strength; you just lack the skill, that's all. And that's what I intend to teach you." Izuku smirked at Yoriichi and picked his sword back up; he had an eager face on, which Yoriichi noticed as well.
"Then let's get started, shall we?" Izuku spoke as he gripped his sword. But Yoriichi held his hand out to stop Izuku, and his stone face told Izuku to freeze as well.
"Let's go get food, then we can go to my home, where I can teach you, and you can help me pack Miyake's things." Izuku blushed in embarrassment as he jumped the gun.
"… I suppose that is the smart thing to do." Before Izuku knew it, Yoriichi was already walking away without a care in the world, and Izuku just sighed in response.
"He's certainly an interesting character. Stone-faced, yet he feels plenty of emotions. Kind of like me. Plus, his skill is unreal." Izuku looked back at the tree Yoriichi had cut down and noticed it was literally a perfect cut, the blade didn't lag behind and the surface of the stump looked like it had been sanded by the katana slash. Izuku looked down at his silver sword and wondered if he was ever going to get to that skill level.
"…What the hell did I get myself into?" After gathering his thoughts, Izuku rushed off to go join Yoriichi. All while thinking about the events that happened today.
'I met an elder vampire, learned about what I am and what I killed, and now I'm getting trained by a quirkless sword master whose skill I can't even comprehend.' Izuku ran through the forest to get onto Yoriichi's path, then Izuku found him and began walking alongside the reserved and humble old man.
'My gut is telling me things are about to get interesting.'
Review the chapter, please! Please?