Welcome. This is a Deku Isekai into the KNYverse. This story is mainly about Deku making friends with the Demon Slayers and making Muzan's life a living hell. I hope you enjoy.

In his wake, a gentle breeze ruffles the crown of the forest, rustling through verdant leaves on quiet trees. Squirrels and deer raise their eyes to the sunset sky, unblinking at the emerald star streaking through it. They've seen stranger things here.

Deku flies in silence, eyes lidded and empty and yet still scanning the horizon for threats. He's not really 'streaking' through the sky, more floating forwards at a moderate speed. He'd felt several eyes on him in the last city, and this moment is an alluring opening for a fast enough assassin to catch up to him. Such a threat should be dealt with now rather than later.

That's why he's meandering through the air, waiting patiently for an attack. The next city in his path, Andor, reportedly has had run-ins with some of All For One's more experienced agents. It's unlikely he'll get any more information than he already has there, but he's got to deal with them anyway. No point in mixing his problems by having his assassins and targets team up. There's also no point in sitting and waiting when he can make some headway.

Deku's roving gaze pauses for a moment as he catches something - not long enough to give anything away to any watcher. There's a glint of metal on the forest floor, and he allows himself a moment to consider it. Weaponry? A stray piece of armour, reflecting the dying sun? A Quirk?

Surprisingly, it's none of those. There's an old railroad snaking beneath him. Rusted and dilapidated to be sure, and nearly overgrown by the forest, but still there. He wonders where it goes, or rather, where it went. Railways like these aren't seen anymore; it's all high-speed bullet trains nowadays.

Deku kind of likes them, though. The old steam engines. He's been to a couple museums with Iida. His friend… Iida really loves ancient trains. Could talk for hours about them. Deku knows more than he really should about the variety of engine models used centuries ago.

Danger Sense isn't pinging at all, beyond the dull constant throb of knowing that Shigaraki and All For One are out there somewhere, so Deku pivots and lets go of Float. His landing is soft on the mossy forest floor, and without any change in the Fourth's Quirk, he stares at the nearby railway and the scene it paints. There's faint disapproval from Second, but First seems happy.

Not long after, Deku finds himself sitting down against a gnarled old tree and simply watching the view beneath him. His worries begin leaving him, one by one.

It's unimaginably picturesque. An old and reclaimed railway, surrounded by tall overhanging trees and illuminated by the violet sunset. The colours are vivid, incredible, indescribable. The leaves are mottled in every colour, the air is warm with spring, and the flowers are just beginning to bloom. A pair of deer are munching on grass some distance away, watching him carefully.

He doesn't really know what to say at the sight. He can feel the scene being written into his brain as if it's being etched into stone, and he knows that this is a memory he'll remember forever.

…He should probably take a photo. Make sure that he does remember.

Slowly, his eyes droop down. Deku tries to force them open again, but he yawns. 'Not good,' one of the Wielders murmurs. He thinks it's Third. 'This isn't a place to fall asleep, kid.' Unwilling and unhearing, Deku's thoughts wander back to his friends.

…They would like to see this. If they could. Maybe… after. He could come back here. If he lives.

He wonders when he'll see them again.

Danger Sense flares pitifully, like a dying flame, and Deku closes his eyes for the shortest of instants. A strange itch wracks his body in that moment, like fire roaring through his veins. A flash of white bursts against his shut eyes, and he flinches and wrenches them open.

But when he opens them again, the sun is gone and night has fallen fully. A canopy of stars is twinkling above him. The gentle light of dawn is on the horizon, and for all the time that he must've somehow slept, Deku doesn't feel the slightest more awake. In fact, he feels more tired.

"Crap." He jumps up, dusting off his shoulders. No change in Danger Sense after that weird experience. He bites the inside of his cheek. Should've known better than to sit down for even a second. " Fuck."

It's not that bad of an outcome, all things considered. Andor isn't an urgent problem, and considering that he's still alive, his worries about pursuing assassins was just a healthy paranoia. But still, he really shouldn't make a habit of falling asleep in the middle of the woods. How the hell is he supposed to do what he needs to do, if he lets a small thing like sleep get the better of him?

'Izuku,' Seventh whispers, her voice worried and urgent and confused. 'Izuku, look.' He feels a pull on his gaze and quickly follows it to the overgrown railroad.

The railroad… is no longer covered in moss and trees. Further, the surrounding trees seem younger; the one at his back is barely a sapling. And there's not a single tree within twenty metres of the railway's path. It shines brightly in the moonlight, as if it's brand new, and beyond that, what draws his eye the most is the fact that there's a wrecked train in front of him.

He… stares.

Multiple carriages turned over, some flaming. People helping each other up and staggering away from the crash. Blood in the air. Loud crashes in the distance, screams and shouts. There are powerful fighters clashing nearby.

Danger Sense, like a slowly rousing beast, starts roaring in his ears.

'What… in the world?' he thinks, his body already moving. He allows anger to come to the front of his mind, and Blackwhip snakes out from his knuckles with a vengeance, screeching forward to wrap itself around each person stumbling away from the wreck. It's hell to multitask, but he has to, jumping just a bit above the overturned carriages with the screaming civilians in tow. He spies a safe spot in the distance, far enough away from the train and in the opposite direction from the earth shaking fight that's going on nearby. There's already a med station there, he notes, staffed by black garbed paramedics. Good. He throws his arm in that direction, a bit gentler with the injured ones, but still practically flinging the poor civilians towards the spot. He'd feel more sorry, but speed is of the essence in such an unstable situation.

He doesn't think about why or how or what. He acts. The Vestiges will have theories for him to consider once he's done.

Thicker strands of Blackwhip spurt from his left hand, wrapping all around the overturned carriages. Smaller tendrils explore the insides, searching for unconscious victims. None inside the first one. Absently, another whip inches closer to help pick it up and move it to the side.

It's attacked. Fifth makes a noise of anger in the back of his head, and Deku frowns.

He doesn't pause his rescue efforts, more whips branching out and more carriages being searched and emptied. After another instant - two more carriages emptied of civilians and belongings, making it three out of the eight he sees - he moves his gaze down to the no longer assailed strand. It's embedded into the ground by a golden katana, and he feels irritation spiking through the strand before he shoves it down. Blackwhip is annoying like that, sometimes.

There's a blond teenager, watching the whips with lidded eyes and a considering aura. A black-haired girl next to him, also watching silently. He's stopped attacking; probably realized that Blackwhip is moving the civilians to a safe space. His gaze sharpens as Danger Sense pulses softly. He's dangerous. Definitely a Hero Student or a Vigilante. Hopefully not a Villain.

The blond raises his face to the sky, eyes following Blackwhip's path. When he reaches Deku's form, floating above the wreck, he startles, but just barely. After a moment, Deku just nods at him. After a much longer moment, he wrenches the katana out from the strand.

Alright. The teenager shouldn't interfere anymore, so that's that dealt with. Deku turns his attention back to the train; five out of eight carriages already searched, three moved out of the way with burgeoning flames smothered, the belongings dumped in a corner, and most of the walking civilians transported to the med station. Larger strands are directed to remove the two empty carriages off the track as he considers the last three carriages.

They're completely empty, likely having been vacated by the blond and his partner already.

Distant booms are audible from beyond them, strange flashes of esoteric flames and bone chilling ice visible. Not Todoroki, he can tell that much immediately. If he focuses in their direction, he can note the fighters and their speed - one a long-haired blond with another katana, and the other a white-skinned redhead using his fists.

They're both incredibly fast and strong, and Deku doesn't know either of them, which makes very little sense. A new Villain and a new Hero? Something else? They're almost certainly the reason the train derailed.

Wait- fuck. The blond just cut off one of the mutant's hands before he could blink, and they regrew in an instant. Another Noumu? This soon? As Kacchan would say, he thinks quietly, this is a shitty fucking situation. At least the white ones aren't as strong, but that regeneration speed is worrying on a lower tier and All For One likes to break patterns.

Well, at least he knows who the Hero is. The man seems to be doing well enough for now; Deku'll finish up with the rescue before he joins in the fight. Shouldn't take more than a couple seconds.

But at once, Danger Sense pings, and Deku throws himself backwards with nary a thought, only narrowly dodging the katana aimed at his neck. It zips past his face, nearly scratching a line into his jagged mask. This close, he can see the golden sheen comes from the lightning pattern etched into the blade.

He hums consideringly, mind buzzing; that was fast. Almost as good as the other blond, but while the other moves so fast he's literally burning air, this one moves like he's dancing with lightning. And while Deku's not well versed in this stuff, the teen's swordsmanship also seems masterful in its perfect grace, and well suited for his speed Quirk, if a bit too lethal. Quick reaction time, as well, as he begins turning for another swipe.

Are they some sort of legacies? He feels like he'd have heard of a family of sword Heroes with speed Quirks, if only from Iida, but, well, he doesn't know everything. If they're out here, they're probably rural Heroes anyways.

Float deactivates, and with a flick of his wrist as gravity retakes hold, Deku throws the final stray civilians - not even one of them have stopped screaming, and his ears are beginning to protest - back into the medical station and lets the last few carriages thump back to the ground to the side of the tracks. All empty, all clear. Not a second wasted.

All that's left is dealing with the student, finishing that fight with the Noumu, and then he can get to Andor. And take a real nap afterwards. Maybe. This is a weird situation, and he's only just now beginning to process it. What, was it a teleportation Quirk that brought him here? No, it's one-to-one the spot on the tracks where he was, only no longer covered in grass and flowers. It's not an illusion either, Danger Sense works wonderfully against those. He swears this was all overgrowth just seconds ago, and now he's in the middle of a genuine trainwreck.

One For All flares strongly, and Deku remembers to grab onto the blond boy. Questions for later - people are still in danger. The teen's attack was much like a bull rush; straight, sacrificing turning ability for speed. It's remarkably easy to grapple him now.

Deku grasps the arm tightly, considering him. Should he break the boy's katana? No, it's his weapon and fighting style. It's far too hard to get replacements nowadays, what with the closed borders. The teen likely just made a split second decision, and it's hardly the first time Deku's had Heroes fire upon him. Sometimes, they've done more damage to him than the Villains, not that he doesn't understand.

He pulls down on his arm, trying to instead break his grip on the white-and-gold hilt so he can take it from him. Instead, the teenager somehow manages to not only hold on, but to manoeuvre the blade to swipe at his neck again. Much slower, but more difficult to dodge this time.

The blade impacts the gloves of the Mid Gauntlet instead, his fingers pressing against the sides of the burnished steel and slowing it. It's beautifully made, he has to admit. The katana draws the eye even as it's sliding towards his neck.

The impact stings, but thankfully the blade doesn't do much more than score a thin scratch on the gauntlet. Which, admittedly, is more than many VIllains have been able to do in weeks. The kid's strong.

The two start falling, and Deku tightens his grip on both the blade and his fellow teenager. Not painfully so, perhaps fifteen or so percent. Slowly, he pulls the blond to face him and pulls gently on Float to slow their descent.

"Relax, I'm trying to help," he tries, going for a soothing voice as they fall. The rough crack of his voice and the flinch of the teen makes him think he didn't quite manage it. "Sorry if I scared you."

He grits his teeth, breathing out sharply. "Let go, demon," he growls in a surprisingly suave voice, struggling to pull his katana out from Deku's grasp. He doesn't let him even as he processes the words.

Deku blinks. Not exactly the response he was expecting. One of All For One's henchmen? Sure, a logical reaction. A Villain? He can understand it, even if it hurts. A demon? An honest-to-gods Demon?

…Sadly not that new.

"I'm not a demon." He's not exactly able to pull off his mask, but, still… this close, the boy should be able to tell it's ripped fabric and not anything more sinister. The blond doesn't seem to hear or even see, his eyes squeezed shut as he grapples with Deku. He shifts his grasp, surprised by the boy's strength. It's not as if he's able to stand up to One For All, but the boy'll shatter his own katana at this rate.

What should he do now? All the civilians are out of the way, and while some of the paramedics are staring up at the two of them, the rest seem to be treating them quickly. Everyone's staying away from the fight as well, but Deku spies two more figures - one vaguely green, the other a shirtless grey-haired man, at the edge of the Noumu fight.

He notes that he can't actually see the two fighters anymore; they've moved deeper into the forest. Damnit, he needs to go assist.

But suddenly, a loud blast rocks the forest, throwing up dust and dirt everywhere. Danger Sense spikes, the sharpest one yet, and as the blond man rockets out from the trees and slams into the last carriage, Deku knows in his heart that someone is going to die if he doesn't intervene.

"Dammit," he mutters, quickly placing a knee in between him and his - wait, is he actually sleeping? - assailant. Prying the blond off is much less of a hassle than grabbing him was, and as they separate Deku can only hope he'll land on the ground safely. He doesn't stay to watch, turning and kicking off air with Fa Jin in the direction of the fight.

The weariness is getting to him. He's fucking tired, that weird half-second multiple-hour nap didn't help, and honestly? Yeah, he does want to fight that damn Noumu and get this shit over with already.

Third is beaming with genuine warmth, and Second rolls his eyes hard enough that Deku feels it. 'That man's a damn bad influence,' Seventh decides, muttering lowly. Deku ignores all of them, focusing on using Float and not getting in either fighter's vision.

You'd be surprised how little people look up, especially when they're focused on one other. Even experienced fighters can be taken down by a sudden aerial attack.

He peers down, hoping to get a little more info on the situation before he jumps into the fray.

The blond man - now that he's gotten closer, the man's hair isn't a mere blond but fire brought to life - steps out from the crumpled train carriage without a scratch on him or his clothes. His katana, a brilliant red blade that seemed strangely dull, is held low in front of him, and he glares at the still misty forest.

Seventh whistles in his ear. 'Now there's a man.' Sixth glares half-heartedly at her, and this time, Deku is the one to roll his eyes. The Vestiges always complain whenever he does, and now is no different. …It's weird.

Then the Noumu walks out from the dust, unharried by the loss of a limb, and worry begins to fester in him.

It doesn't look like a normal Noumu. The white skin is marked with thick black bands, faintly reminiscent of something he might've heard Jirou or someone or other talking about. Criminal tattoos? It's wearing a purple pomegranate vest, unbuttoned, over a bare chest. Baggy white pants secured by a green belt, a pink pearl bracelet around each ankle. Red hair cut short, yellow eyes with bluish sclera.

It… might not be a Noumu. He. Deku means he. He's probably just a mutant Villain.

…he feels bad now. Fifth laughing uproariously at him doesn't help, and Seventh's disapproving motherly glare is even worse. The man has fast regeneration and crazy strength, it was a logical deduction!

"Turn into a demon, Kyojuro," he says suddenly, voice low and playful. It makes his spine tingle. His yellow eyes are only for his opponent, that's good. But there's that word again; demon!

Is this one of those revolutionary groups he's been hearing are popping up? There have been some responses to the rise of mutant discriminatory groups all over the country. Those in such groups are taking the chance to murder mutants in all this chaos, and mutants are beginning to retaliate. Some of them have taken up the insults as their name - there's one calling themselves The Monster Pack up north, and he's heard of a Demon Clan or two. Is this one of them?

But why would he ask Kyojuro - wait, that's his given name - to become a demon? That doesn't really compute.

Kyojuro - this feels weird - doesn't seem to be a mutant, unless his features are small or invisible. Could this be a situation where they're trying to get him on their side?

Wait, does that mean the blond he fought earlier was racist? That sucks.

'Kid, just wait.' Second grouches. He's always grouching. 'Stop hypothesizing and watch for a moment.'

The redhead steps fully into view, and there's a smile full of teeth on his face. "Fight me forever, and get stronger together with me." His arm regrows in an instant, and he raises it beckoningly.

And another terrible scene drops fully-formed into Deku's mind.

Could it be… willing Noumu. Successors to the High-Ends, fully cognizant with all their faculties intact. Given synergizing Quirks and training. They'd be like literal demons sprung free from storybooks. Even one could wreak havoc on an untold scale, distracting him away from Shigaraki and All For One.

No, no, he's catastrophizing. They can't do anything like that without the Doctor, they're fairly sure, and that bastard's not getting out of his hole anytime soon.

Still, he's heard enough. No point in letting this farce continue, be it a Noumu or just a regular Villain. And perhaps the man'll have something on All For One? A bit of a reach, but he's strong enough to have heard something.

As he rockets towards the ground, Deku tenses a little. Hopefully, this won't take too long.

Kyojuro tenses, opening his mouth to shout… something. He's not really sure. Probably, "I won't become a demon!" That sounds good. Simple and to the point. Yep.

Instead of his mighty declaration followed by a dead demon, he's interrupted by something crashing into the ground in between him and his foe.

It's glowing green and crackling all over with emerald lightning, which is generally… not a good sign. Kyojuro jumps back, nearly into the train. His katana comes up to a more defensive stance, and surprisingly, Akaza does the same across from him.

He has to keep the possibility of this being a trick in mind. Could be another demon. Hells, it could be another Kizuki. That would be… not good. Very not good.

It stands straighter. Definitely a demon. It's wearing strange clothes; a bright yellow cape is quite the fashion statement, despite the thin layer of grime on it. Two horns or ears on its head - wait, no, that seems more like a hood. Moves too much in the wind. It kind of looks like a demented bunny from here.

He can't see its face, or much else of it, as it's got its back to him, but he can see the raggedy but sturdy boots it's wearing, and the red wrapping around its arms. A peculiar demon.

Lightning rages across every inch of its body. Its Blood Demon Art, he presumes. Close-range, probably, and impossible to block. Nichirin's conductive. Can he even touch the demon with the sword?

That's a hellish Art. Worthy of being one of the Twelve, he'd wager, if not for the irritated look Akaza is giving it.

Kyojuro takes a step, then another. The energy broiling off it is powerful, but no matter. He can move.

He's not foolish enough to go for a strike right now. The demon jumped there hoping he'd exploit that weakness. Kyojuro is only getting in between the two demons and his new students.

He can protect them until dawn comes. He can. He has to. No matter how bad the odds might get.

"You shouldn't interrupt one of the Kizuki, you know." The irritation in Akaza's voice is clear, as is the lack of respect. Not a Kizuki, then. Which is worse. Better the enemy you know.

"Kizuki?" The demon's voice is nothing like what he expected. Low, cracked from disuse. Detached. It's empty, almost apathetic. "Don't know what those are. Are you the reason this train crashed?"

What?

Akaza snorts, not confused for even a second. "No. Technically, it's his fault." It juts a thumb back at Tanjirou, and Kyojuro's heart jumps.

The green demon doesn't move his eyes from Akaza. It's still just standing there, not in any stance at all. "Why are you fighting them?" There's a certain softness to his voice, hidden beneath the harsh exterior. It almost reminds him of Tanjirou.

It's a strange one.

Akaza squints at its fellow demon, those disgusting yellow eyes narrowing. "Your scent's off, weakling. Are you even a real demon?"

"Why are you fighting Kyojuro-san?" Nothing to indicate he heard Akaza, or even cared. Despite himself, Kyojuro snorts. The kid demon's got balls. It must be new, to not know about the Kizuki. Also polite. He likes it. If only it wasn't a demon.

He tightens his grip on his katana, gritting his teeth as he waits for Akaza's reaction.

Most likely, Akaza'll get annoyed and kill it. Hopefully that'll make an opening. But in all honesty, all it'll do is just buy him some time. It might be enough, though. Dawn is mere minutes away.

Akaza shrugs, settling into one of his techniques. "The Demon King sent me out here, and I found a fun opponent to play with. That's all there is to it. So, weakling, be a good little demon and get out of my way. I'll deal with you afterwards."

Something changes in the air itself. It's not the chill of Akaza's Art. It's not the heat of his Flame Breathing. It's something much worse.

"The Demon King?"

Kyojuro pauses, his eyes flicking towards the green demon for a moment. The lightning has gone from a thin sheen to practically engulfing the demon, from a gentle crackle to a barely constrained storm.

"You are going to tell me everything."

When he arrived, the other demon's - is he even truly a demon? - his Battle Spirit was weak. It was like he was treading water, moving only because he had to. Fighting because he had to get the ordeal over with, not because he wanted to fight. Not because he was alive.

FIghting for nothing. He spat on the thought.

He was a weakling. Not able to kill a damn thing. An ant in a world of giants. He needed to be weeded out, if only so Akaza could wipe the disgust from his tongue.

If he'd just stepped aside, Akaza would have killed him after dealing with Kyojuro. That Blood Demon Art; weak or not, the boy would have given him an interesting enough fight.

But now.

But now.

After uttering the words 'Demon King,' it was roused. A monster. It could barely be real, that intent pushing down upon him. It was like an ancient bonfire next to Kyojuro's paltry flame. And not even fully awake! Not even brought to battle! Only searching!

Could one person hold that much in their heart?

"I am Akaza, Upper Moon Three! Tell me your name!"

Such a spirit… needs must be destroyed.

Oh, he's far too happy right now. First Kyojuro, and now this?

But there is a smile on his face, he finds. It's a genuine smile. Real. No teeth, no jokes, nothing. This brat might be strong, but still… he is Akaza.

Let's not waste any time. It's been so long since he fought someone good. He's about to lose himself in the euphoria.

He knows he should be fighting Kyojuro. Should be killing the brats and the Hashira, not wasting his precious time before dawn on this fool of a demon.

"Technique Development: Annihilation Type!" But it doesn't matter.

He's not starting the fight off easy, and the boy dodges before it even lands. "It's Deku."

He raises an eyebrow and laughs at the name, as the Annihilation Type technique shifts and flows into Air Type without warning.

Oh, yes. This is going to be fun, Deku.

Akaza, Deku thinks, is annoying. He stole Air Force! And he doesn't even need support gear to pull it off. The bastard.

The force of the man's blows have thrown his hood off, and Deku's mask is lying somewhere on the cracked and cratered dirt.

Annoying. He hopes it isn't broken. He'll have to find it before he leaves.

If he leaves anytime soon.

Akaza isn't not just good at fighting, he's a master. Deku hasn't - hell, none of the Wielders have ever fought a martial artist even half as good as he is. The moves, the grace and fluidity, and power! It's incredible. Hell, if he wasn't a Villain, Deku would be on the floor begging him to train him. And to top it off, the man's hellishly fast, easily on or even above the level of a High-End Noumu. It's been less than half a minute, and Deku knows that in terms of experience and tactics, he's hopelessly outmatched.

Danger Sense won't stop spiking to the point that it's less helpful and more painful.

There's no time to think, no pause for breath. Which is good. He doesn't need it. He needs to learn to fight without such things. Shigaraki and All For One won't offer him this either.

This man, Deku thinks, is good practice for Shigaraki. And hopefully a path to Shigaraki.

He hasn't forgotten. The man confirmed that he's being ordered by the Demon King himself. The reminder of that had set the Sixth into giggles once more, laughing about chuunis under his breath.

Deku dodges underneath an extended fist, the powerful blow ruffling his hair, and it is only because of Danger Sense that the next kick barely grazes him. For not the first nor the last time, he praises the Fourth for having the world's best Quirk. HIkage accepts the praise with grace, despite Fifth's words to the contrary.

He lets out a burst of Smokescreen, given that it's been itching at the surface of his skin for so long, but Akaza's reflexes remain unhindered by something as small as a lack of vision. HIs fists hit him nonetheless, though Deku manages to get a good hit in on the ribs in exchange. Not an equal one, all things considered. It's like he's got echolocation or something. He wouldn't put it past him; All For One gives out weird Quirks sometimes.

At the very least, the man isn't overly powerful. He's wary of getting caught in a flurry of those Annihilation attacks, but he doesn't think it'd be too debilitating even if it happened. None of Akaza's attacks have truly injured him so far - something that he thinks is quickly getting on the man's nerves. Only the direct ones are leaving bruises, though they're going to smart like hell next morning. Annoyingly, Akaza keeps hitting the same spots. This Villain is insanely skilled; it's like his fists slide towards his vitals.

Blackwhip wrenches a fist off in the wrong direction, forcing an opening for a Fa JIn enhanced smash right to the jaw. Akaza takes it, stumbling back. Even without Danger Sense, Deku sees the incoming Crown Splitter attack, and dodges back. The reverse axe kick sends a wave of air directly into him, but all it really manages is to push him back a bit, though it opens him up to yet another flurry of attacks that he has no choice but to block and bear.

…He's so tired. They've been fighting for who knows how long, but it feels like hours. It's probably been mere minutes.

His eyes droop, and he forces them open again. What, was an all-night nap not enough for him? He draws on his limitless energy once more. 'Not. Happening.'

He grabs one of Akaza's thrown fists as he pulls back, using the momentum to throw a plain Detroit Smash right into his face. At a solid forty-five percent, such an attack would've put down ninety-nine percent of Villains.

Akaza's durability is nothing to scoff at, but against One For All? He really should not still be standing. He's taken twenty to the face in the past ten seconds, and while they bruise and bleed and something break, they fix in an instant. Damned regeneration.

The man just won't go down.

This regeneration issue is fine on Noumu, because… you can put them down by destroying them entirely. It's the right, the kind, thing to do. He's done it to a couple, though Endeavour's taken out the most of them.

Destroying the spinal cord is usually the easiest way to deal with them, and the method Deku goes for. Probably why Kyojuro kept going for the neck. Deku jumps up, using Float to evade some sort of shockwave attack. He lands behind Akaza, and in the split instant before the man turns, he could do it. Could reach out and rip out that part of him.

But… he's not a Noumu. He's speaking, taunting, talking, though Deku's ignoring most of his unimportant words. He has actual moves he's named himself. He's a master martial artist, not a brutish mass of muscles. He thinks, and he doesn't seem to be in pain from his existence. Deku can't just kill him, even if he is working for All For One.

More importantly, he needs Akaza alive. He needs information.

Information… and then what? Back into another fight? Andor, to deal with more Villains? Then All For One?

He needs a… no! What he needs is to stop worrying and stop failing! He doesn't need sleep! He needs experience, information, skill! All things Akaza is offering him right now!

It's true, this fight is wonderful training for high speed battles. Not something he gets very often, considering that most Villains are just flat out slower than him. A Villain who won't go down, can't put him down, and is nearly as fast? This is important. He can't waste this opportunity to mere drowsiness.

He tries to pull on Kacchan, tries to see this fight as fun. And it is, kind of. It's been quite a while - basically since Nagant - since he's been challenged so totally. There's a burgeoning excitement under his skin, a spirit of the fight that's rising to the fore. It is fun.

Apart from the maniac trying to murder all these people.

…Okay, no longer quite as fun. Thankfully, they've all gotten the hell out of dodge, and Akaza either hasn't noticed or doesn't care.

Their battle of fists continues, the forest turning to a desolate wasteland in their wake. Blackwhip wrenches up the Earth itself to throw distractions at him, Smokescreen does what it does best and gives him valuable instants to recover and redouble his efforts, Fa Jin makes his few hits hurt, Float keeps him moving, keeps him out of reach, and Danger Sense is a good eighty percent of the reason he isn't riddled in bruises and nursing a broken bone or two.

But Akaza has no end to his repertoire of perfected moves, and just like Deku, he doesn't tire. This… is getting dangerous. Either Deku does something permanent to deal with the Villain's regeneration, or the winner of this bout is clear.

Suddenly, something catches Akaza's eye. A glint in the sky, perhaps. Maybe a bird. Maybe a particularly pretty cloud. Deku doesn't really care beyond that it's not dangerous to him and that it makes Akaza falter and slow.

Blackwhip wraps itself around an incoming fist, and a well wound kick snakes its way into Akaza's side. Deku winces a little at the sound of bones breaking and organs rupturing as his iron soles dig deeper into Akaza's flesh, and the man lets out a worried half-scream, but… the Villain needs to go down sooner or later.

The impact sends Akaza into the dirt, a massive crater appearing from the dust around him. Akaza isn't harried by the pain at all, standing back up near immediately. If not for Deku's foot on his back.

Blackwhip erupts from holes in his shoes, creating a makeshift cage around Akaza's torso and arms. He's not proven himself able to break out of an enraged Blackwhip just yet, given that that is something only Shigaraki has ever really managed. Hopefully that fact holds.

Will that be enough to keep him down?

The answer is a resounding no.

He kicks down hard enough to make a shockwave, shattering all the earth for dozens of metres around them, but Deku drops down to a crouch and refuses to be bucked off his back. He places his hands over Akaza's back and pushes down hard enough to shatter his ribcage and push him into the ground again.

The bones reform instantly, so he does it again, weariness settling in as he does. Can't this just be over already? Akaza does not stop struggling, despite having his arms slowly wrenched behind his back and his legs slowly being cocooned by Blackwhip in a manner that wouldn't be out of place in a horror movie.

"Please, calm down."

"Idiot! We need to get out of here!" He sounds panicked, more so than he'd been in their entire fight. He'd been having fun then. What's wrong now? What is he feeling? "Let go! Let go of me, you fool!"

Danger Sense stings. But not for Deku.

"Damnit! Let go of me! Let go of me!"

He's screaming now. Screaming.

The sun's almost up, he notes absently, feeling the warmth on his back. It'll be easier to fight him in the early light.

Should he let go? Something is going to seriously hurt Akaza if he keeps trapped here. Kyojuro? No, he's all the way over there. What could it be?

Should he let go? It'd be his fault, if his actions caused Akaza to die. He should let go. But, then… no, he can't. Can he?

The strain on Blackwhip keeps constantly increasing, until Deku can feel it tearing at his knuckles. He grits his teeth and tries to bear the pain, but the Villain seems to be pulling on some hitherto unseen pool of strength. Could it be-

Deku makes his decision. "Tell me about the Demon King and I'll let you go."

Akaza chokes on his tongue, but does not respond. Instead, he fights harder and harder, a second presence seeming to overflow into his very cells. Damnit, he's got another bomb in him! That's why Danger Sense was pinging- Deku releases his iron grip on Blackwhip, trying to pull away as fast as he can. With a mighty roar-scream of both fear and relief, Akaza breaks free of the weaker bindings before he can get off his back, and Deku is thrown right off, hands bloody and torn up and a fierce annoyance writ upon his face.

As the Hero falls to the ground far away, Akaza scrambles away on all fours, panting and grunting as he squirrels away into the undergrowth with a speed that seems all but impossible.

And Deku… well, his back hits an old tree for the second time today, and he stays there. The other Heroes don't approach him, though Kyojuro chases after Akaza with surprising speed.

'...So, he wasn't a bomb.'

'Eh, don't sweat it, kid.' Fifth waves a hand dismissively in his face. 'Mighta' been he blew up if you spent another second holding on. Who knows, really?'

Deku looks up at the sunrise, feeling the warmth on his face and the gentle colours dappling the landscape. And he decides for the second time today, knocking his head back against the wood, "Ah, might as well."

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