Izuku has found his place among new friends, but he was not the only one to be transported to Elibe. Having been out of the fight against the League of Villains, Bakugo has no clue what's going on when he awakes in Apocalypse, the Silencing Darkness. What will the hotheaded youth do now?
A/N;
Had a lot of fun writing this chapter. If you liked what you read, please leave a comment/review!
Chapter has been re-edited as of March 14, 2023. There are no major changes, but the grammar has been edited to better reflect my current writing style.
I think it might be wiser to answer the reviews at the beginning of the chapter, so here we go! Let me know if you prefer it this way!
Dcraus - Eliwood Hector x Farina
¯\ (ツ) /¯
MasterBlade47 - Just so you know Izuku would be turning 16 in a month in the story because from the Provisional License arc onwards he's 16. But cool chap nonetheless, Izuku being seen as a second child to Madelyn also kinda hope Izuku gets either a cool sword or magic in someway so he grow a bit further also cant wait to read the next chap
Minor miscalculation but it will work in terms of the story I'm trying to write. When the timeskip between Lyn's Story and Eliwood/Hector's story rolls around, Mark will still be a year older than Izuku. We'll just have to see ;)
Onto the story!
"Fuck." Katsuki eloquently stated to the void as he rubbed his face. He was lying on his back as he tried to remember what happened to him. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by suffocating darkness. On reflex, he used his Explosion quirk to launch himself off the floor onto his feet, secretly relieved that it still worked. He continued to set off little popping blasts, giving off enough light to see if he was hurt anywhere.
"So, you're awake." A voice called from the darkness, which Katsuki handily responded to with a Stun Grenade blast.
"How rude. You don't even know if I'm a villain." The voice Katsuki now recognized as his own scoffed from somewhere behind him.
"Fine, tell me straight before I blast you to the stratosphere. Who the fuck are… you?" Katsuki threatened as he turned to face… himself. It was almost as if the explosive blond was looking in a mirror. Whoever it was in front of him shared his face, hair, characteristic scowl and even his physique; clear under the dark green robes that clothed the person in front of him.
"I am Bramimond, the Enigma. Better remember it. You want to be a hero right?" 'Bramimond' said in the same tone Katsuki typically spoke to Deku with.
"Hah?! You wanna go?!" Katsuki shouted back, quickly winding up an arm to throw another blast before he was bopped on the head by a gold staff that appeared in Bramimond's hand. The design was unfamiliar to Katsuki. The part that hit him held a sapphire orb, faintly glowing the color of stardust.
"Sit the fuck down. Anyone ever told you about fixing that rudeness of yours?" Bramimond reprimanded, satisfied by the small red bump that appeared in the middle of Katsuki's forehead. He shook his head, as if he was trying to focus on something else.
"I hate communicating with these rude types. That Izuku boy was much easier..." Bramimond grumbled out of earshot, rubbing his brow in mild annoyance. This was the deal he made to master Apocalypse. He made his bed, now he had to lie in it. Katsuki zeroed in on 'Izuku' and instantly threw a blast at Bramimond.
"So this is about that shitter Deku, isn't it? Did he set me up making that stupid plan?" Katsuki raged, throwing blast after blast after each statement, finishing with an explosion worthy of his sports festival performance against Roundface. His arms started to throb, but if it did a thing to Bramimond, the blond would be satisfied.
"Your quirk is annoying. It's satisfying to know that you'll lose it." Bramimond's voice spoke through the explosion, the clearing smoke revealing a black book that floated in front of the hooded figure. The open page contained a void that seemed to have swallowed Katsuki's entire attack.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Katsuki yelled, lunging forward to tear the book out of the way to throw another explosion at Bramimond.
"For someone like you, a barbarian would fit best." Bramimond scoffed as he bonked Katsuki in the head once more with his staff, the small red bump growing with the strike and interrupting him from using his quirk. The book moved aside to compensate for the robed one's attack, giving Katsuki another opportunity to strike.
"I'll show you barbaric!" The blond shouted as he leapt forward, prepared to blow Bramimond to smithereens. Instead of a massive explosion, Katsuki got… nothing.
"About damn time… but I can't just leave you with only your fists, can I?" Bramimond sighed as he turned away from Katsuki to ponder.
"What did you do to me?!" Katsuki tried to threaten as he attempted to activate his quirk, to no avail. He couldn't even get a whiff of smoke.
"Where you're headed; there are no quirks. I'm helping you learn a substitute here. This should fit a barbarian like you." Bramimond explained, an iron axe dropping out of his tome. It was of simple make; a single bit head attached to an arm-length wooden handle. He threw it at Katsuki, aiming to hit the boy's head with the blunt side of the axe's head.
"The hell does that mea-huh?!" Katsuki roared as he caught the axe before it could hit him, surprised by how comfortably it sat in his hand.
"That, exactly. Your potential is quite impressive. Come, I will test your skills until you leave this place. You'll need it if you are to save the world." Bramimond taunted, brandishing his staff while his tome floated at his side.
"Tch, this has to be some terrible joke." Katsuki replied as he spun the axe in his hand. It felt as natural as his quirk did. He could even see himself doing the simplified aerial movements with it. Before he could leap at Bramimond, the robed man held up a hand, purple runes encircling the blond before dissipating.
"If you're going to be a barbarian, you might as well look the part." Bramimond said with a smug smile, leading Katsuki to look down at himself. Gone were his clothes from the training camp, replaced by black trousers and red-orange elbow braces. He was bare chested; his sneakers were replaced by white leather boots.
"You gotta be kidding me! The hell is this?! I look like some low level boss in a video game!" Katsuki raged, pulling at his trousers in mild disgust. He hated how well it fit his image.
"No no no, you look like a h-hero." Bramimond denied, holding his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. The robed man greatly enjoyed what the boy's own personality had wrought upon him. While the boy's collection of traits did not seem heroic in the slightest, Bramimond could sense his latent potential; should he grow past his bad habits. "Come, now is the time to fight."
"Prepare to eat your words!" Katsuki roared, his anger renewed as he leapt in the air, bringing his axe down hard on Bramimond's staff. While the robed man was easily wielding it in one hand before, now he had to use both to brace against Katsuki's attack. Pushing the blond back, Bramimond attempted a horizontal sweep, blocked by Katsuki's axe.
"Without that book, you're nothing!" Katsuki shouted as he brought his axe around and chopped at Bramimond's head.
"You're more correct than you realize…" Bramimond responded somberly, poofing into purple smoke.
"Your time here has come to an end. Best of luck, Katsuki." Bramimond's disembodied voice called as a circle of purple runes lit up around Katsuki, lifting the boy into the air.
"So this is it? I'll make sure I come back and beat you properly after I'm done with this saving the world business!" Katsuki yelled with a scowl into the void.
"Hmph. I almost look forward to it." The voice scoffed, replacing Katsuki's field of view with the void once more.
"Would you look at what the cat dragged in. You must be part of the fresh meat that was coming in. The hell are you doing out here?" A rough voice roused Katuski into consciousness, the blond opening his eyes and staring at a grizzled bald man in a tank top looking down at him.
"Who the fuck are you?" Katsuki growled, sitting up against a nearby wall. He was in some sort of alleyway, the people passing by looking like foreigners but sharing his hair colour.
"I'm a fightmonger. Call me Dietrich. Your first fight starts in a couple minutes. Get your ass off the floor and get into the ring." Dietrich answered, unfazed by Katsuki's foul language as he grabbed the boy's arm and lifted him onto his feet.
"What? Where am I?" Katsuki tried to resist, surprised by the fightmonger's vice grip on his arm. He started to reach for his axe that was strapped to his belt.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you. I'm not a fightmonger for nothing. This is the arena. Now get in there." Dietrich's glare made Katsuki hesitate for long enough for the fightmonger to throw the blond down a hallway, an iron gate separating them.
"The hell's this?" Katsuki asked as he banged on the grate, trying to get the attention of the fightmonger who had started to walk away.
"Try not to die!" Dietrich responded, not looking back as he took a turn, disappearing from Katsuki's sight.
Now that the blond had the chance to observe his surroundings, he noticed the racks of generic weaponry lining the walls of the hallway. They had a variety of designs; swords, greatswords, lances, axes and bows arranged by quality. They ranged from silver weapons with blue handles kept secure by a series of sturdy locks, to mid-grade steel weapons with red handles, and finally, mediocre iron weapons that seemed to be of similar make to the axe on his hip.
Next to the weapon rack was a bookcase with three shelves; each shelf giving off a different vibe. One reminded him of a church he accidentally stumbled into as a child. Grabbing a leather book off the shelf, Katsuki looked at the cover and found a dotted yellow cross, with the title 'Lightning', emblazoned at the top.
It looked like a religious text of some sort, its impetus being to teach its user the 'Lightning' spell. Looking back at the bookshelf, Katsuki saw a tome he was immediately more interested in. Placing the 'Lightning' tome back where he found it, he grabbed a red tome and was greeted by an image of a fireball on the front cover.
'Fire'. It was no Explosion, but if he could learn this spell, wouldn't he basically have his quirk? Flipping the book open, he was instantly slammed with a wall of illegible text, incomprehensible to the blond.
"Fuck!" He swore as he closed the book and put it back on the shelf. He'd get back to it later. It was then that he noticed the last shelf containing black tomes. They all seemed to have the same title, 'Flux'. It reminded Katsuki of Bramimond's aura, albeit severely toned down.
Stepping back from the bookcase, Katsuki heard the din of a crowd beyond the hallway. He supposed it was as good a time as any to figure out what Dietrich had been talking about.
Walking toward the light at the end of the hallway, Katsuki was blinded by the sun blazing overhead of the 'arena', as Dietrich had called it. The design aesthetic was reminiscent of the roman colosseum they had gone over in ancient history.
"A young veteran hailing from the arenas of Etruria! A warrior who has fought both man and beast tooth and nail and won! Bored of the fodder in Aquleia, he's come to Bern for our entertainment! The grizzled gladiator, Dieck!" An announcer shouted from a podium far out of Katsuki's reach. On the other side of the arena, a gate opened to reveal a lion with golden fur and bulging, almost unnatural muscles.
"His opponent, everyone's favourite lion, Arthur!" At the sound of his own name, the lion roared, causing the audience's cheers to get louder.
"Kill him, Arthur! Etruria's gladiators can suck it! Give us a good show!" The audience jeered as the lion prowled around the arena, staring at Katsuki. With seemingly no other choice, Katsuki slid his axe off his belt and held it between himself and the lion, stalking closer to the beast. If he could beat it down well enough and establish dominance, he was pretty sure it'd back off. He only had a couple chances if he didn't want to get mauled.
Not even a day and he was in a deathmatch. The boy wondered if Bramimond had shafted him, given their animosity. Focusing back on his fight, he and the lion were getting dangerously close to each other, the distance between them only about five meters.
With barely two meters away from each other, the beast lunged for Katsuki's throat; the blond dodging to the side and clipping the lion's neck with his axe. Unfortunately for Katsuki, the lion's paw had managed to scratch his chest; drawing blood. While the lion had bled too, it only served to enrage the beast further.
With a deafening roar, the lion lunged once more; not giving the blond enough time to dodge. In a desperate effort, Katsuki placed the handle of his axe into the beast's maw to stop it; the lion's jaws easily broke the axe in two.
Taking the end of the handle in one hand and the head of the axe in the other, Katsuki shoved the fractured handle under the lion's jaw, holding it in place as he brought the blunt end of the axe down on its head with a shout. With a baleful roar laced with pain, the lion swiped at Katsuki, forcing the blond to let go of the handle as the lion's claws shredded his abs.
Leaping back, Katsuki placed a hand to his bloodied stomach while the other held the head of his axe. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He didn't even have his weapon anymore!
The lion pawed at the handle in its jaw, the glorified splinter clattering onto the arena floor. Having enough of playing with its food, the lion charged at Katsuki; intent on ending the fight now.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Katsuki swore as he tried to think of a way of dealing with the lion other than killing it. With only an axe head, what were his options?
"I'm going to put that bastard Bramimond through the fucking wringer for this!" He grunted as he braced himself for the encounter. He just hoped that this world had some version of Recovery Girl for what he was about to do next.
As the lion leapt at Katsuki with its jaws wide open, the blond shoved his left arm into its mouth, the force of the lion's bite breaking his arm with a nasty crunch. With a scream of rage, Katsuki buried the axe head in the lion's skull, killing the beast as its momentum bowled him over.
The crowd was dead silent, on the edge of their seats to see who won. Moments later, Katsuki managed to pry his arm out of the lion's maw, sliding out from under it and standing up, his arm limp at his side.
"Take that fuckers!" Katsuki roared victoriously as he held his other fist up, the crowd cheering wildly. It seemed his dissenters had turned a new leaf. His adrenaline ran out moments later; the blond hitting the ground with a thud.
"Hey, you're finally awake. You're one hell of a fighter; I'll give you that. You got the crowd riled up too." Katsuki heard from Dietrich as the blond slowly woke and gathered his wits. He was on a simple bed inside a stone room with a single wooden window and door lit by some wall-mounted torches. A small table acted as a nightstand next to his bed. It seemed like he was still inside the arena.
"What the fuck happened?" Katsuki asked, realizing that both his chest and left arm were sore. Looking down, he noticed that his body was wrapped in bloodied bandages, and the blond wasn't sure he wanted to see what lied underneath.
"You killed the lion and passed out. Some bishop passing by decided to heal you up. Something about your potential to grow. Didn't stick around to see you wake up though. He mentioned that your arm would just be sore for a bit." Dietrich explained, polishing an iron axe he had on hand. Its glint in the torchlight spoke to Dietrich's experience with the weapon type.
"So why're you here?" Katsuki followed up, undoing the bandage on his arm. He was relieved to see that the only lasting damage was the bite mark on it. The arm itself felt like he had just overused his quirk, rather than having it been bitten in half during his battle.
"I'm the one who has to manage you. You fight for me, and I'll take care of the rest. I used your winnings to get you this room and a new axe. Here's the rest." Dietrich explained flatly, tossing a coin pouch at Katsuki, the blond catching it with his right hand before it could hit his chest. It felt rather full. Placing the axe on a table, the fightmonger stood. "You're free for the rest of the evening. I'll come for you in the morning. The crowd wants another round."
Before Katsuki could ask what Dietrich meant, the fightmonger shut the door behind him as he left; going off to who knows where.
"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" The blond said aloud as he sat, stunned. Shaking himself from his reverie, Katsuki supposed that some exploration to find out where Bramimond dropped him would be the wisest decision.
Getting off the bed, Katsuki unwrapped the rest of the bandages and opened the window and looked out to see a rather nice view of a mountainside in the sunset. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that there were any people around in that direction that he could get information out of. After securing his axe and money to his belt, Katsuki cracked the door open and looked around to see if someone would come and toss him back into his room for leaving.
Not immediately punished for his curiosity, Katsuki closed the door behind him and started wandering around. There were other fighters around, but none seemed apt for conversation; drawing mutual scowls whenever he met one. There was a draft in the hallway, and without his quirk to naturally keep him warm; Katsuki shivered. He'd need to get something to cover up.
Eventually, Katsuki came upon a staircase heading down. His expression had been set in a permanent scowl after his interactions, or lack thereof. He hadn't been able to get any info from anyone he met on the floor. They looked to have all been fighters in the arena and equally brusque to everyone around them.
The stark difference between floors nearly gave the blond whiplash. The floor was full of people; vendors and buyers alike milling about. While he never had a fear of people, the fact that he was in a completely different world gave him pause before he could take the first step into the crowd.
"Hey, you. Come here." A man in a tank top called Katsuki from behind a stall next to the staircase. "You're the gladiator that killed Arthur, aren't you? I got something for you."
"Who're you?" Katsuki scowled at the man, not having lowered his guard yet as he made his way to the front of the stall.
"I'm just a vendor. Any stuff from the beasts that the fighters kill are sold by me. I give the fighters who killed a beast a discount on those goods." The man explained, gesturing to the apparel behind him. It was mostly tooth necklaces and sets of armour accented by animal parts.
"So… how do you like these? They're Arthur's. I stand by the opinion that the best wear capes. All the Eight Legends did." The vendor said as he brought out a large cape with a golden mane-like collar. The back was a duller sheen of gold while the inside was a crimson red. While it looked gaudy, it also looked really warm.
"If you tell me how money works here, I'll take it." Katsuki offered, crossing his arms as he waited for the vendor's response. His interest had been piqued by these 'Eight Legends', but he'd save it for another time. Basics of how to get by came first.
"Ah, right. Etruria. Those artisans have odd perceptions of coin. Most standard gold coins are worth 100 gold each. A cape like this would typically cost 8,000 gold, but with the discount I offer, it's only 4,000! It's almost as good as the exalted silver card rates!" The vendor nodded in false understanding, before taking out a coin of his own and placing it on the counter in front of Katsuki. Even without doing the math, Katsuki could tell that something didn't add up.
"How are you making a profit like that?" Katsuki asked, surprised by the discount. He almost had enough to buy the cape at full price. "Actually, I don't care. Just give me the cape."
"This rate's only for the fighters who killed the beast, you know? Arthur had a pretty high bounty on his head until you came along. He killed plenty of gladiators who thought they could get some easy money." The man explained, before taking a quartet of tooth necklaces off a stand and placing them on the counter next to the cape. "I also get a small cut of the winnings of some gladiator bets. Here, these would add to your image immensely."
"What are these?" Katsuki picked up one of the necklaces to examine it, noticing that the teeth had a crimson hue.
"Necklaces made from Arthur's teeth and claws. It's pretty badass to wear the cause of your battle scars, don't you think? I'll add it in for an extra 1,000!" The vendor bargained, fueling Katsuki's machismo.
"You have a point. I'll take it!" Katsuki agreed, taking his pouch and dumping three quarters of its contents on the counter in front of him. "5,000 gold, right?"
"You certainly learn fast! Pleasure doing business…" The vendor complimented before faltering, forgetting Katsuki's name.
"Call me Dieck. Thanks for the stuff." Katsuki answered, giving the vendor the name the announcer used in the arena as he put the necklaces on first. If he was going to have to fight again, he didn't want the difference in names to cause suspicion. As he fastened the cape around his shoulders, his stomach grumbled. "You know where I could get a bite to eat?"
"The taverns are further down that way. Good luck with your fights, Dieck!" The vendor answered as he pointed Katsuki in the direction opposite to the stairs.
"Thanks. See you around." Katsuki waved as he walked off, a little more confident in himself.
It only took him a couple minutes of walking to smell the food from the stalls. What stood out to him most was the smell of bread. It lacked the sugary scent that the bakeries in Japan would give off. The way things seemed, the part of the world Katsuki was located in was medieval. It was a rather late revelation, but hey, the guy had to fight for his life literally hours ago. Discerning the different scents in the air, he made his way to the establishment that smelt the meatiest.
"I'll take your best meal if you tell me what's in it." Katsuki ordered from the burly barkeep behind the counter.
"I recommend the roast boar, bread and cabbage soup. Take a seat at the counter and I'll bring it out when it's ready." The man responded, gesturing to a seat at the bar that he had just finished cleaning.
"And for how much?" Katsuki asked as he took a seat. He still had about seventeen coins left after buying the cape.
"500 gold and I'll top your drinking cup when it's empty." The barkeep answered, an acceptable price for the blond.
"600 if you give me some info." Katsuki bargained, leaving six gold coins on the counter.
"Sure, let me get your order to the cook." The barkeep nodded as he peeked into the kitchen and barked the order at the cook inside. Satisfied that the cook understood what he said, he turned back to Katsuki. "So, what do you want to know?"
"Where am I? I know this is an arena, but that doesn't explain where I am." Katsuki asked first. Dietrich had given him the smartass answer, and he wasn't about to get it again.
"You mean the country? We're on the Bernese side of the Bern-Lycia border." The barkeep answered. That didn't mean much to Katsuki, but it was a start. What other relevant information did the blond need now?
"How do people become heroes around here?" Katsuki remembered what Bramimond had said in that void. It was a long shot to ask some random person, but if they knew by chance, it would make things much easier.
"Hero? I'm pretty sure those guys are promoted from experienced sword fighters. Some of the Eight Legends were heroes too." The barkeep pondered for a moment before giving his answer, not catching Katsuki's eyes going wide for a second before he schooled his expression. After all, he had an axe, not a sword. Was he supposed to go by his definition of a hero then?
"I heard one of the vendors mention something about the Eight Legends earlier. Who are they?" Katsuki asked, curious by another mention of 'the Eight Legends'. He figured now would be a good time to ask who they were.
"They were the ones who fought the dragons about a thousand years ago during The Scouring. After they won, they spread across the continent. Three of them just settled in the territories they went to, while the other five founded the countries of Elibe. Our nation was founded by Hartmut, the Hero. He was the leader of the Eight." The barkeep answered with pride.
"That's pretty cool. Run me through the others." Katsuki nodded. It would be like him living in a country founded by All Might. Who wouldn't be proud of that?
"I'm not as well versed, but I'm pretty sure it's Roland who founded Lycia, St. Elimine and Etruria, Hanon and Sacae and Barigan and Ilia." The barkeep had to count on his fingers to make sure.
"What about the other three? Where'd they go?" Katsuki questioned, keeping the countries in mind. He would ask later how one would travel between the countries.
"There's the Berserker, Durban, who went to settle in the Western Isles, Archsage Athos disappeared into the Nabata desert and one more…" The barkeep trailed off as he tried to remember the name of the last legend. "Ah, yes. Bramimond, the Enigma. Elimine knows where he fucked off to."
The mention of the name made Katsuki's eyes go wide in recognition. Bramimond was nearly a thousand years old? If his fight was already over, why would he send Katsuki here?
"That's all I need to know, thanks." Katsuki grumbled, deep in thought. The barkeep nodded and left, coming back with the blond's food. It was tasty, but Katsuki was too preoccupied with his thoughts to take note of it. Giving the barkeep a sign of thanks for the food, he retreated back to his room. His sleep was plagued with thoughts of his purpose here and what he was supposed to do now.
"Rise and shine fresh meat! Get something to fill your guts before you spill your guts!" Was the rude awakening Katsuki received as he was dunked with a bucket of cold water. The soaked blond grabbed the axe on his bedside and swung it at his attacker.
"Good, looks like you're awake now." Dietrich smirked as he simply blocked the axe with the wooden bucket.
"Have you ever heard of knocking?" Katsuki snarled as he unlodged his axe from the bucket and got out of bed. He had used his cape as a blanket and was planning on wearing it during his fight. Hanging it by his window, he hoped it'd be dry when he got back from breakfast.
"Where's the fun in that?" Dietrich laughed as he tucked the bucket under his arm. "I'll come back in an hour to take you to your match. Don't make me find you."
"Yeah, yeah." Katsuki waved the fightmonger off, shaking the excess water out of his hair before he put his necklaces on. He wasn't used to wearing these sorts of things back in Japan, so he had taken them off before he slept.
The two left the room, Katsuki heading to the tavern for some food while the fightmonger went off to deal with other business. With a clearer path in mind, Katsuki wasted no time in getting to the tavern and called for the barkeep as soon as he took his seat.
"I'll take whatever you got for breakfast." Katsuki offered, dropping three gold coins on the table. He trusted the barkeep to give him a decent meal, but a little extra incentive never hurt.
"I just made this quiche, wanna try some?" The barkeep offered, holding a large plate with the golden tart, still steaming hot.
"Will it kill me?" Katsuki asked sarcastically, already prepared to eat the dish either way.
"Of course not! Professionals have standards!" The barkeep retorted, offended by the thought of serving poisoned food.
"I joke, give me a slice. I have another fight to get ready for in an hour." Katsuki scoffed, waving off the barkeep's concern.
"Here, good luck with your fight." The barkeep served up a generous slice of the quiche and went about tending to the tavern's other guests. It had a refreshing blend of herbs to lighten the eggs that Katsuki didn't recognize. He'd ask the barkeep after his fight. Cleaning his plate, he went back to his room to prepare for his battle.
He donned his cape, the vestment having dried in the morning breeze and took out his axe and practiced using the weapon. Just as he was getting comfortable with his routine, Dietrich kicked the door open.
"You better be in here or Elimine help me!" The fightmonger yelled as Katsuki chucked his axe through the door, missing Dietrich and embedding itself in the hallway. "Good, you're already here."
"KNOCK YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Katsuki roared at the fightmonger, unfazed that an axe had just flown next to his head.
"Whatever, your fight starts soon. Let's go." Dietrich shrugged nonchalantly. At a loss for words, Katsuki just followed Dietrich after freeing his axe from the wall.
"Returning for another thrilling match, Dieck!" The announcer shouted to the crowd, the audience roaring the name as Katsuki walked into the open, his cape billowing behind him as he raised his fist in the air.
"His opponent for today! Our national treasures! The beasts only our military can claim right to! The stubborn, the proud, the vicious! The mighty wyvern!" The announcer bellowed as a gate rose and freed a large red winged beast, one any child could easily recognize.
"I have to fight a FUCKING DRAGON?!" Katsuki shouted incredulously at the beast that nearly doubled him in height. Granted, Ryukyu was a hero who could transform into a dragon, but he never thought he'd ever fight her, nevermind an actual dragon.
With a roar, the dragon took to the air, hovering high enough above the ground that Katsuki wouldn't easily be able to reach it. He would need to ground it before he could even think of winning the fight.
As Katsuki took out his axe, the dragon's eyes narrowed, as if ascertaining its prey. Rearing back and flaring its wings mid-air, the dragon dove at Katsuki, teeth and claws ready to tear him apart.
Far too quick for him to counter, Katsuki just dove out of the way, his cape fluttering behind him as the dragon flew over him.
"Holy shit, that's fast!" Katsuki thought as he tried to follow the dragon with his eyes. It twisted and dove again; the edge of the blond's cape taking the brunt of the blow. Seeing how the cape moved in the wind had given him an idea. Unfastening his cape, he held it in his free hand, letting it billow in front of him.
"Come on then! Come at me!" He yelled at the dragon, taunting it to dive at him again. It took the bait, and with a mighty flap of its wings, the dragon dove at the cape that hid Katsuki. It met no resistance as it passed through. So surprised was the dragon by Katsuki's ploy that it hadn't noticed the blond leaping over the cape until he had landed on the dragon's back.
"Sorry, but I need to win." Katsuki apologized to the dragon as he used the blunt side of his axe to break one of its wings. For such a truly magnificent beast to be alive in the flesh, Katsuki couldn't bring himself to kill it outright. As his axe strike crumpled the appendage, both man and dragon began to fall to the ground.
Grabbing the dragon's head with one of its horns, Katsuki drove the falling beast to the ground, slamming its skull into the arena floor to disorient it. The dragon thrashed on the floor, throwing Katsuki off its back and hissing at the blond. It was stuck on its four legs, its snake-like body barely held off the ground. Seeing the dragon out of its natural element made Katsuki cringe in guilt.
Picking up his fallen cape, Katsuki noticed that the ends had ragged tears, likely from the dragon's claws. A shame, but it had given him an edge in the fight. Putting it on, he dashed at the dragon, going for a quick knockout blow to end the match.
Just as he was about to close the distance, he was blindsided by the dragon's tail, throwing him away from the beast. Getting up, Katsuki took a more careful approach, not wanting to be swatted a second time.
As the dragon whipped its tail around to hit Katsuki again, the blond caught the appendage, digging his heels into the arena floor to keep him from flying. Unable to push Katsuki further, the dragon swung its tail in the opposite direction, the boy letting go lest he be flung as well.
With the dragon's tail out of the way, Katsuki lunged at the beast. The blond blocked a claw swipe with his axe as he punched the dragon with his free hand, disorienting it. Kicking the dragon's front leg out from below, Katsuki slammed the blunt head of his axe on the dragon's head; finally knocking the beast unconscious.
With a shout of victory, Katsuki raised his axe to the audience, cheering at the teen's second victory. He watched as some men from the arena hoisted the dragon on a cart and took it away, before leaving the arena himself. He wanted to find Dietrich.
It took a surprising amount of wandering for Katsuki to find the fightmonger. Well, he had too much pride to ask anyone if they had seen the fightmonger, so the fault lay with the blond. Katsuki found him overlooking the final fight of the day in the middle layers of the crowd. The time for lunch had long passed. Katsuki had bought a small meat pastry to abate his hunger until dinner.
"Ah, Dieck. That was a good fight. Are you here for your cut?" Dietrich turned away from the battle for a moment and spotted the fighter staring him down apprehensively.
"What happens to the dragon? The one I fought." Katsuki asked bluntly.
"What dragon? Oh, the wyvern? We thought you killed it. Since you broke its wing, the higher-ups are thinking of getting rid of it in a week if it can't fight. Why do you ask?" Dietrich recalled how the wyvern had been roused as they were leaving the arena. He had been there to subdue it without much issue.
"I want to buy it, if you're going to get rid of it anyway." Katsuki offered, trying to maintain a stoic expression. He knew that Dietrich could easily turn the tables on him if he wore his emotions on his sleeve.
"Even injured, they have quite a steep cost. You'd have to fight and win quite a few matches to buy it, not to mention the money you need to take care of other essential needs. Why would you want a wyvern anyway?" Dietrich explained, curious as to why a gladiator would want a wyvern.
"Why do you keep calling it a wyvern? It's a dragon, clear as day." Katsuki argued. He had been enamored with the fire-breathing beasts and their ilk ever since he discovered his quirk. Dragons had 4 limbs and a pair of wings, while wyverns were categorized by having 2 limbs and a pair of wings.
"The hell are you on about? The only dragons on the continent were the ones that died out in the Scouring! The beast you just fought is a wyvern, native to Bern since before the Scouring!" Dietrich explained, which only served to confuse Katsuki further. The only explanation he could come up with was that wyverns were named so as to not conflict with the dragons which had existed during the Scouring.
"Anyway, I'll try and set up another fight for you tomorrow. Here's your cut for today." Dietrich held his hands up in surrender and pulled a pouch of gold, tossing it to Katsuki. "I'll come by tomorrow for your match."
"Thanks. Just fucking knock and I'll get up, ok?" Katsuki nodded as he caught the pouch, weighing it in his hand. It wasn't as heavy as his winnings from his battle with Arthur. Based on what the announcer had said and his own experience, he had to admit that Arthur was a more difficult opponent.
"No promises. See you tomorrow." Dietrich smirked and walked off. They had run out of high-risk animal opponents for the fighter. The fightmonger would have to come up with something else that would make the same profit to meet Katsuki's demands.
4800 gold. Apparently, he needed four times that amount to buy the wyvern. By his calculations, he would need to win three more matches, considering how he spent all of yesterday's winnings on clothing and information gathering. As he was ruminating, he entered the tavern and sat at the counter, waiting for the barkeep to take his order.
"Barkeep, I'll take what I had yesterday." Katsuki asked as he put five coins on the counter.
"Coming right up! Don't need any info today?" The barkeep pried, taking Katsuki's order to the kitchen like he did before.
"Nothing I can offer gold for." Katsuki said with a grimace. He had to prioritize buying that wyvern. Without its ability to fly, its chances of being able to win a fight were close to zero.
"Hmm… Alright, one question, free of charge. You seem like a decent fellow." The barkeep offered with a smile.
"Really? Then help me out with the geography around here. You talked about Lycia, Sacae and Ilia before. Where are those places relative to Bern?" Katsuki asked with mild surprise. He lacked a map, but the general direction should do just fine until he did find one.
"Sure? Lycia is to the west of us, Sacae to the northeast while Ilia is far north. Planning on travelling?" The barkeep nodded, taking out a simple map and circling each of the countries.
"Not anytime soon. Could I borrow this for the night?" Katsuki responded, examining the map closely. The regions were named in red ink, while major cities seemed to be marked with black ink.
"If you're coming back for breakfast tomorrow morning, I don't see why not. You could probably get one of the merchants to make a copy for you for a couple gold coins." The barkeep advised, putting a bowl of cabbage soup and some bread in front of the blond. Stashing the map in his back pocket, he started to dig into his meal.
The cabbage soup made him miss classic miso soup. If he could find the ingredients, he would need to recreate the recipe. The tavern bread, as he had discerned from his first whiff of the place, lacked the sugary scent of the bread he was used to.
As he finished the soup, the barkeep brought out his plate of roast boar. It had all the familiar spices of a pork roast back home. He enjoyed it greatly, along with a golden drink that the waitress had left for him. It smelt familiar, but he couldn't place the scent.
"Hey barkeep, what is this stuff?" Katsuki asked, his speech slurred as he held the half-full wooden mug out to the barkeeper. The blond had already gone through four cups of the stuff that the waitresses topped off for him.
"You've been drinking it without knowing? That's mead!" The barkeep chuckled at Katsuki's flushed face. It looks like he had too much.
"Why didn't you give it to me before! Another round!" Katsuki cheered, recalling how his meal yesterday lacked the beverage. The blond was surprised by the shake of the barkeep's head.
"You've had enough for tonight. Where's your room?" The barkeep frowned. He assumed the fighter could have held his liquor, considering the other things he had done during his time in the arena.
"What are you talking about? The night's just begun!" Katsuki argued, standing on his seat and raising his mug in the air. With a toast to the crowd, the blond downed the rest of the drink in one go, almost falling over in his stupor.
"You owe me for this." The barkeep sighed as he caught the blond, supporting the fighter's shoulder. "Take care of things for me. I'll be back in a bit."
With those words, he left the tavern to his waitresses and brought Katsuki to his room with difficulty. Luckily, the barkeep had run into Dietrich, who led them to Katsuki's room, not even hiding his laughter at the boy's state. Katsuki would have a peaceful night, and a terrible morning.
"Good morning, motherfucker! Time to go!" Dietrich shouted as he dunked Katsuki in another bucket of cold water. It only elicited a groan from the blond, suffering a terrible hangover.
"Didn't I tell you to knock?" Katsuki got up with effort, rubbing his head.
"Considering last night, I thought I'd make sure." Dietrich answered with a smirk.
"Urgh, give me that bucket!" Katsuki lunged at the fightmonger, grabbing the bucket just in time for him to throw up into it, preventing the boy from making a mess.
"Damn. I'm not taking that back. Clean yourself up by the time I get back." Dietrich raised an eyebrow, turning to leave and giving Katsuki a modicum of privacy. "Oh, and the barkeep wanted to see you when you got up."
After retching his guts for the next couple minutes, Katsuki turned to his nightstand, noticing a wooden mug. It was simply water, but Katsuki drank it without a second thought. Partially refreshed, Katsuki hung his cape to dry and stumbled his way to the tavern.
"So you're back, eh? Take a seat, I'll get you something for your headache." The barkeep waved the hungover blond, taking the boy's mug and filling it with water.
"Was that mead last night alcoholic?" Katsuki asked as he rehydrated himself. His headache got marginally better, but he was far from cured.
"Alcoholic? I don't know what you're talking about. Mead is made by fermenting honey and water with bread yeast." The barkeep answered, confirming Katsuki's suspicions.
"I doubt you were able to get a copy of the map, so I took it and got it done for you." The barkeep waved a rolled up parchment in his hand, putting it on the counter. "500 gold, for this and breakfast."
"Thanks." Katsuki nodded, realizing that the map that the barkeep had given him last night was no longer in his pocket.
"Here, eat up. The fightmonger told me you have another match today. This should help with your headache." The barkeep said as he dropped a bowl of soup and a plate of bread in front of Katsuki. Taking a sip, Katsuki immediately noticed the presence of ginger mixed into the soup, alleviating his headache further.
"Thanks, this is good." Katsuki nodded to the barkeep, quickly consuming the rest of the soup and bread. Wiping his mouth, he was now revitalized. Taking out five coins, Katsuki placed them on the counter as he went back to his room.
"Good luck with your match." The barkeep collected the coins and bid farewell to Katsuki.
Back in his room, Katsuki donned his cape and began practicing with his axe again. He was still mildly affected by his exploits last night, but he worked to overcome the nausea with his training. Sensing the approach of Dietrich, Katsuki sheathed his axe and grabbed the bucket, opening the door before the fightmonger could perform another one of his dramatic entrances. He had emptied it before he began his routine, not letting it stink up his room.
"Take this." Dietrich said as he offered the axe that was on his back. It was a bearded axe with a red handle, denoting the weapon as a mid-grade steel axe. "It's a little unwieldy, but it'll put out a little more power if you need it."
"Thanks… I appreciate it." Katsuki replied with a look of mild surprise, taking the axe as the two left for Katsuki's match.
"I'll be watching. Don't let me down." Dietrich said as he left Katsuki at the battleground entrance. It struck the boy as odd. Was there something that Dietrich was concerned about? The fightmonger had gone out of his way to get the fighter another axe. Perhaps the opponent was just more difficult than before.
Not wasting any more time dwelling on his thoughts, he pulled out the iron axe off his belt. He tried to use both at the same time, but gave up when he realized he wouldn't be able to acclimate himself in time for the match. He decided that he would start with the iron axe and swap into the steel one if the situation called for it. Slipping the steel axe into his belt, he walked into the battleground.
"Returning for the third day in a row, the Etrurian gladiator, conqueror of lions and wyverns, Dieck!" The announcer hyped, the crowd cheering as Katsuki raised his fist. The title fed his ego nicely.
"And his opponent! Another fighter of notable skill! A lancer with a lust for battle, Setantii! Known for his incredible endurance, his spear was stained red with the blood of his foes!" At the mention of his name, Katsuki's blue-haired foe raised his fist in the air. From the cheers, it seemed the lancer was a crowd-favourite as well.
"Tell me boy. You lack the smell of death. How many men have you killed?" Setantii asked, resting his trademark spear casually on his shoulders. He was nearly bare chested like Katsuki, but he wore blue pieces of cloth on his upper arms; revealing red tattoos that snaked from his right torso to his right arm.
"I don't need to kill to kick your sorry ass!" Katsuki roared as he lunged at Setantii. What a stupid question to ask.
"So, you haven't. How disappointing." Setantii frowned as he lunged at Katsuki, slashing horizontally with his spear; the blond blocked it with his axe. Pulling the lance back, Setantii thrust it upwards before slashing downwards; drawing trails of blood on Katsuki's chest as he barely dodged the attacks.
"Thirty five." Setantii said as he performed three rapid thrusts with his spear, finishing his combo with an upward slash that threw the blond back.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Katsuki coughed, landing on the floor and rolling to get back on his feet. The blond had done his best to minimize the damage from the spearman's thrusts, but he was covered in cuts.
"The number of men I've killed!" Setantii yelled as he jumped and slammed his spear into the blond's head, reversing their positions as Katsuki brought up his axe to block the spear.
It was only in the short moment of respite as their weapons clashed that Katsuki realized what Setantii just admitted. This man had killed more than the infamous Hero Killer!
"How could you?!" Katsuki asked out of anger and disbelief. He wrenched Setantii's spear to the side as he planted a firm kick to the spearman's torso.
"For the thrill!" Setantii responded as he whirled his spear in a vertical arc mid-air, unaffected by the kick, forcing the blond to leap back. It gave the spearman enough time to spin his spear around himself with enough force to remain airborne long enough to get into position for another vertical slash.
Katsuki couldn't even retort the man's response; too occupied dodging the slash that easily cleaved the ground open and failing to evade the kick to the chest that sent him sprawling on the ground.
"Come on, boy. I can't get serious if you don't come at me seriously." Setantii had used his spear as a pole vault, the spearman now dislodging it from its place and slowly walking up to Katsuki's prone form. The boy's iron axe lay far enough away from him that Setantii knew he wouldn't be able to reach it in time. The lancer raised his spear over his head, intent on bringing it down on Katsuki.
"...on...lam...e...or...this…" The fighter on the floor mumbled, giving Setantii pause as he crouched down.
"What did you say, boy? Speak up." The lancer taunted, confident that he had defeated the blond.
"Don't blame me for this!" Katsuki growled as he lashed out with the blunt head of his steel axe, instantly breaking Setantii's left ankle. The weapon had been hidden under the boy's cape since the start of the fight, unbeknownst to the spearman.
"Son of a-!" Setantii swore as he hopped back before Katsuki could deal more damage to him, supporting himself with his spear. His ankle was bent at an awkward angle, making any movement with the leg painfully difficult; but not impossible.
"You're dead, boy!" The spearman snarled as he changed his stance, his spear pointed downward and his broken ankle in the lead. Grabbing his iron axe off the floor, Katsuki slipped the axe into his belt. He might have been desperate enough to use both axes at once if his left hand wasn't occupied with staunching the blood flowing from the cuts on his chest.
"Hate to break it to ya, but I'm not dying here!" Katsuki retorted, lunging at the spearman. The blond was depending on his increased mobility to see him through the match.
With a fierce shout, the spearman made the first strike, a deadly thrust to the heart. The feeling of spear hitting flesh was so familiar to Setantii that the spearman didn't even have to question if he had hit his target. It only served as more of a surprise when his left hand was crushed against the spear's shaft by Katsuki's axe.
The blond had let himself get stabbed, grabbing the shaft behind the spearhead with his left hand and lifting it to miss his heart by a slim margin and stopping it before it could pierce deeper into his flesh. With Setantii's forward arm vulnerable, Katsuki hooked his axe around the shaft of the spear, pinning and crushing the lancer's hand against it.
Using his position on Setantii's spear, Katsuki yanked the spear to the side, forcing the lancer's balance onto his weak ankle. Buckling from the pressure, Setantii crumpled to the ground, winded by the shaft slamming into his chest and subsequently letting it go. Dropping his axe, Katsuki removed the spear from his chest with a grunt of pain.
"Surrender, you've lost." Katsuki ordered as he flipped the spear around in his right arm, Katsuki leveled the tip at Setantii's neck.
"I won't surrender. Kill me, boy." Setantii snapped with an apathetic gaze. Now that Katsuki's battle rage had subsided, he could hear the crowd around them cheering for the lancer's death as well.
"I don't kill." Katsuki scowled, turning away from Setantii. He looked down at his wounds, cringing at the copious amounts of red leaking from them.
As he started shambling toward the exit, he looked up to see Dietrich aiming a bow at him from the entrance of the battleground, an arrow fully drawn. The fightmonger released the arrow, the blond throwing the spear away and barely ducking out of the way in time.
Getting off the ground and making sure he wasn't hit, Katsuki heard a gurgle behind him. Setantii's throat had been pierced by the arrow, the lancer struggling violently for moments before he died, his face twisted in rage. The spear that Katsuki threw away had coincidentally landed next to Setantii's head, giving the illusion that the spear had hit Setantii.
"And the lancer has died! Dieck wins once again!" The announcer shouted, the crowd unaware of Dietrich's interference and cheering, believing that Katsuki had killed the lancer. Too tired to bother correcting the false assumption, Katsuki picked up his steel axe off the floor and slid it into his belt as he shambled to the exit. Katsuki didn't notice the embedded tip of the spear beginning to change color. Dietrich gave him a steely-eyed glare.
"Your cut has been reduced. You were supposed to fight a deathmatch." Dietrich explained apathetically, tossing a small bag of coins at the fighter's feet. It was clear that he was not pleased by Katsuki's actions. "Your next match is tomorrow. Get to the arena yourself."
"Fuck you, too." Katsuki spat as he picked up the bag and kept walking. His adrenaline had worn off, and he could feel himself growing paler with each step, but he had a destination in mind. The barkeep should help him recover from his wounds. At least, he hoped so.
"Are you sure we're going in the right direction, brother?" The younger asked his elder. He was tall, and had short cut golden brown hair and aggressive brown eyes. He wore an open dark brown leather coat over an open black tunic, baring his well-sculpted chest. He had a dark gray belt which secured his dark-brown trousers, ending in black knee-length boots. Secured by a strap that partially obscured his chest, was a large silver greatsword and on his bandaged right arm, was a shield that hid a hand axe.
"Yes, Kenneth did say the location was out of the way." The elder responded, leading his brother through the fog. He was the same height as his brother, but his modesty in clothing and slimmer build led to the misconception that he was shorter. He had pale blond hair and serene brown eyes. His entire ensemble; his open leather coat, his tunic, his pants and knee-length boots, were black. The only spots of color were the green belts accenting his coat and the red sash that secured his sheathed silver sword. He held a torch that broke through the fog.
"Fog like this, on top of being hidden somewhere in the mountains. They certainly don't make it easy to find." The younger complained, keeping an eye on his surroundings as his brother pushed forward. Bandit gangs were common in the area, not to mention those dastardly Taliver bandits were around as well.
"It certainly wouldn't be sought out if it was in plain sight, would it, brother?" The elder retorted, giving his brother a sidelong smile. He could certainly understand his brother's ire, but it was a request of their father. He would complete the task at any cost.
"I suppose so. Maybe we can find a souvenir for Nino for the trouble." The younger brother grumbled, wondering if he could find a nice flower for the young girl. It was only a month ago that the girl had made garlands for the brothers and Legault. The thief had found a method of preserving them, at the loss of their volume. It was actually rather convenient; the garlands now easily kept in the pockets of their coats.
"Heh. And it wasn't too long ago that the Mad Dog lived up to his name. Have you finally been tamed, brother?" The elder joked, poking fun at how the younger brother came to dote on the green-haired addition to their family.
"Shut up, brother. You're guilty of the same." The younger snapped, his expression warped in scorn. Even if it was true, he disliked it being pointed out.
"Guilty as charged. Now let's get back to business. I believe our target is only a day's march away." The elder held his hands up in surrender. Narrowing his eyes, he turned back to the fog, sensing something beyond it. "It seems we have guests, brother."
"Seems we do. Pray this ends quickly, scum." The younger agreed as he drew his greatsword; the fog rolled away to reveal a gang of bandits. With a drop of the elder's torch, the brothers charged into battle.
Katsuki lost track of time. One foot in front of the other, he thought to himself as he kept marching on. His left arm had lost feeling. Eventually, the blond made it to the tavern, collapsing against the doorframe.
"Oi! What the hell are you doing here looking like this?" The barkeep immediately came to the fighter's side, called over by one of his waitresses.
"I… wanted… to get… some info… You're… my best… source… I got… another match… tomorrow…" Katsuki responded weakly with a half-smirk.
"What about that fightmonger? Isn't he supposed to help you with something like this?" The barkeep questioned, referring to Dietrich.
"We had some… creative differences." Katsuki replied, groaning as the barkeep picked him up.
"Take care of the tavern for today. I'll be back later to check on things." After directing his workers, the barkeep took Katsuki to the fighter's room.
Katsuki awoke expecting to be rendered immobile with pain. Instead, he was in his room, wrapped in bandages that were the color of dry blood. His wounds still hurt, but it was better than how he was. It seemed there was no mystery bishop to heal him this time. There was only a drained barkeep who was resting on a stool he must have brought into the room. A bucket full of bloody water and bandages lay at the foot of the bed, and two flasks that Katsuki didn't recognize sat on the nightstand. His axes and cape rested against the opposite wall.
"It's morning already. Your match is probably going to start soon. Are you sure you're in any condition to fight?" The barkeep said, stretching his joints and getting off the stool.
"No, but I'm not enough of a bitch to back down." Katsuki growled, forcing himself out of bed and donning his cape.
"Ah, one last thing. You skipped dinner. I'm not letting you skip breakfast. For extra, of course." The barkeep took out some emergency rations, some hardy but carb-dense bread and some dried meat to add some flavour.
"You keep surprising me, barkeep. I'll take it. Keep this too. I won't need it back." Katsuki smirked and took the man's rations, leaving a bag of twelve gold coins in his hand.
"And thanks, barkeep. For saving my life." With that, Katsuki shoved the bread in his mouth and left the barkeep behind, heading to his fight.
Despite the energy that he drew from the rations, he was still far from peak performance. His left arm was still tingly at best, and all his cuts stung from reopening just by moving. At the threshold between the entrance and the battleground proper, he considered abandoning the fight. Slapping himself with his right hand, he refocused his thoughts. Backing down now would make his previous experiences mean nothing. Steeling himself, he marched onward to battle.
"The conqueror is on a roll! Thirsty for more blood, he certainly has an interesting challenger today!" The announcer started as Katsuki recognized his opponent, pausing as they rallied the crowd.
"The fightmonger himself, Dietrich! Bored of watching from the sidelines, the warrior has descended once more to grace us with a grisly performance! But he has one rule! Instead of relying on his renowned axe skills, he will only be using his bow!" The announcer hyped, the fightmonger taking the purple-accented bow off his back. As the announcer said, the warrior had no axe on his person.
"I should have suspected that it was you." Katsuki snarled as he walked toward the fightmonger.
"Business is business, Dieck. In deathmatches, killing is a must. Not being able to is the sign of a fighter who won't go far. Considering the gap, I've decided to only use this bow with paralyzing arrows. If you can't even touch me by the time I completely stun you, I will end you myself." Dietrich commanded, quickly drawing an arrow and letting it fly, nailing Katsuki's injured shoulder.
With a roar of pain, Katsuki's left arm was back to being fully numb as the arrow's poison took effect, even after Katsuki had yanked the arrow out of his shoulder. Seeing another flying his way, Katsuki quickly drew his iron axe and ducked under the projectile.
"You'll pay for this, Dietrich!" Katsuki shouted as he tried to close the distance between them, blocking an arrow with the flat of his axe before it could hit him.
"Oho? Make me!" Dietrich retorted as he drew three arrows at once. Katsuki chopped through two, but failed to stop the third from embedding itself in his right thigh. Not only were the shots disabling his limbs, they were excruciatingly painful; the force of each arrow amplified by the fightmonger's burly physique.
Falling to one knee, Katsuki was barely able to dodge in time as another arrow flew past him. In an act of desperation, Katsuki flung his iron axe at Dietrich, forcing himself onto his feet as the fightmonger had to deal with the projectile.
Having dodged the flying axe, Dietrich brought his bow up to block Katsuki's steel axe. The blond had leapt, attempting to bring the sharp edge down to break the fightmonger's bow.
"It's not going to be that easy, Dieck. I'm no master of the bow, but I can defend myself at this range." Dietrich taunted as he spun his bow in his hands, turning Katsuki's momentum against the blond and sending Katsuki to the floor, taking an easy potshot at Katsuki's right shoulder. With a growling sort of shout, Katsuki grabbed the steel axe with his teeth and jumped to try and hit the fightmonger in a last ditch effort.
Surprised, Dietrich responded with an unrestrained rib-shattering gut punch, the blond dropping his axe as he was knocked unconscious before he could even register the pain. As the blond fell to the ground, Dietrich brought a hand to his cheek, tracing a small line of blood. Despite the sheer disadvantage in experience and skill, the blond had managed a single hit.
"'Dieck' certainly had potential. Now to see if he'll survive the poison." Dietrich thought as he picked up the boy and his steel axe and lugged him away.
"What the hell is a kid doing here? This wasn't part of our intel!" A gruff voice roused Katsuki into painful consciousness.
"He was probably one of the fighters here. His wounds are rather dire." A similar sounding voice, albeit a little smoother, responded followed by the sound of metal being broken.
"Hey, you. What are you doing here?" The gruff one asked, Katsuki opened his eyes as he took in his surroundings. He was in some kind of cell, his wounds from his last battle untreated and worsening as a result.
"I lost… a match… Am I.. dying?" Katsuki responded with a glazed look. He couldn't focus on who was in front of him.
"Curses. Brother, do you have that elixir we bought for Nino?" The gruff one swore, turning to his elder brother. The younger was a golden haired, muscular man with an open leather coat to prove it.
"I'm not the forgetful one, brother. You intend to use it on this boy?" The elder brother nodded, pointing his head at Katsuki. He was slimmer than his brother, his pale blond hair a similar shade to Katsuki's own.
"He has to be a similar age to Nino. I can't leave him like this." The younger responded with a firm tone.
"I'll come up with an explanation why it's down a use. You think he knows?" The elder sighed, kneeling next to Katsuki.
"Who the hell are you?" A new voice shouted aggressively into the cell before the younger could respond to the elder's question. Katsuki hazily recognized the voice as Dietrich's.
"Maybe, but I'm sure this guy would know. Say, would you know where Rex Hasta is hidden?" The younger brother said as he stood. At the mention, the fightmonger's gaze changed from intrigued to murderous.
"How do you know that name?!" The fightmonger shouted as he pulled out a large silver axe from his back, a weapon he seemed to be much more comfortable using than the bow.
"Ah, a fighter. Good! Brother, take care of the kid. I'll take care of business." The younger brother cheered, drawing the large silver greatsword he had on his back. Meanwhile, the elder took out a blue flask and held it to Katsuki's lips. A single drink healed all his wounds and revitalized him, just in time to see the greatsword user slam Dietrich into a wall.
"So… where's the Spear of Mad Kings?" The younger brother asked as his greatsword lay embedded in the wall, cleaving halfway through the fightmonger's shoulder as the brother's foot kept the greatsword in place.
"You'll never get to it. The men guarding it are stronger than me." Dietrich spat as he coughed up blood.
"Is that so? That's good news to me!" The younger brother said with a slasher smile.
"Bastard." Dietrich snarled as the brother drew an axe from the shield and beheaded the fightmonger before he could use a hidden dagger to attack him.
"Who… who are you?" Katsuki asked, surprised that anyone could take down Dietrich so easily after the fightmonger had wiped the floor with Katsuki with his secondary weapon.
"Ah, kid. Good to see you're better. I'm Linus, the Mad Dog of the Four Fangs. I've come to deliver the Fang's justice." Linus turned, wrenching his greatsword from the wall and sheathing the massive blade.
"As soon as we get what we came for, we're getting out of this place. Do you want to come along with us?" Linus offered, extending a hand to Katsuki on the floor.
"I don't see why not!" Katsuki agreed with a grin that barely concealed his excitement. Now this was something he could roll with.
"Linus, do you plan on adding him to your troupe too?" The elder brother asked, having capped the elixir he had used to revive Katsuki and crossing his arms with a frown.
"I was thinking he could interact with Nino, actually. We're almost double her age. She needs to be around people her age. She's abnormal enough as is." Linus argued, but the addition of the boy to his crew was certainly appealing. A quick glance revealed to the two brothers that the boy had a high potential for combat.
"I see. I have no qualms. Seeing as my brother already introduced himself, I suppose it's my turn. I'm Lloyd, the White Wolf of the Four Fangs. What's your name?" Lloyd nodded, accepting his brother's proposition.
"The name's Katsuki. I'm not sure what this 'Rex Hasta' looks like, but I did fight a strong spearman using an interesting spear." Katsuki introduced himself, recalling his duel with Setantii.
"It's a start. What happened to the lancer and his weapon?" Lloyd asked, crossing his arms.
"He died. They must have reclaimed his weapon. It would probably be on one of the lower floors." Katsuki answered, stripping himself of his bandages to check on his former wounds. They were completely healed, to his relief.
"Then let's go. Can you fight, kid?" Linus nodded, picking up a steel axe that Dietrich had on his person, offering it to Katsuki.
"I'll manage." Katsuki grinned and took the axe, slipping the familiar weapon back into his belt. He would've liked to be a help to the brothers, but it seemed their skill so vastly outstripped his that he would probably just get in the way.
Upon taking his axe, the trio delved into the arena depths. After barreling their way through any who stood in their way, they came upon a barrack holding the prized lance. Only now did Katsuki see that the formerly red spear had turned blue, with gold highlights. Lloyd and Linus seemed to recognize its power, the younger brother picking up the lance with some reverence.
"Time to clear out. More fights now would be meaningless." Lloyd commanded, the group beginning the process of sneaking out.
"Wait, I have an idea. If we release the animals and have them run wild, we'll be able to escape while the guards are busy rounding them up." Katsuki suggested, giving the brothers pause.
"If you know the way, lead on." Lloyd gestured, following Katsuki as he found the chamber holding all the animals.
As they entered, Linus took out his hand axe and began chopping the locks off the gates, freeing the animals inside. Seeing Linus' technique, Katsuki did the same with the gates on the opposite wall, stopping at the last gate when the occupant didn't immediately leave. Looking inside, Katsuki found his target. The red wyvern he had fought rested behind the gate Katsuki just opened, its wing still broken from his fight.
"Hey. I'm breaking out of here. You want to come along?" The fighter scrounged through his pockets, pulling out a piece of dried meat the barkeep had given him earlier. Approaching the boy with a snort, the wyvern carefully took the meat from Katsuki's hand and bowed its head to the fighter. Petting the beast's head, he showed it off to Lloyd and Linus; the brothers nodding in approval as they left the arena behind.
Special thanks to GoldenWitch for beta-ing the chapter! Don't forget to check out her fanfic, Ghosts of the Body.
Let me know if you like this kind of alternate perspective. Next chapter will be getting back to Izuku, but I'd love to go into the perspective of the other students that Bramimond dropped into Elibe if the demand is there. I feel like I should throw Fate somewhere in the tags with all the references I've been making. Look forward to the next chapter!