AN: There's been quite a bit of art drawn for this story. If you're curious, check out the version of this story up on Ao3 (which has all the art embedded in the appropriate locations) or hop over to my twitter, thealooffrog, where I post (mine) or retweet (other's). Cheers.
CW: Violence, whump, threat of death.
XX
The speed at which Izuku moved caused the world to blur around them, and the black magic wrapped around them both added a barrier from the winds that would otherwise cut into their skin. He came to an abrupt stop, magic absorbing the impact as he landed, his black tendrils releasing Ochako moments later.
He'd chosen the closest open space that seemed low-risk, an uncultivated field that met the river. There were a few trees, but no signs of houses or farms, and most importantly, no people.
Green eyes met brown, and he could see the worry in Ochako's eyes. The fear. He felt it, too, crawling at the back of his head, screaming to get out, and as his gaze lifted up towards the large form closing in on them, that fear grew.
Just as they both suspected, the giant Nomu altered course, aiming for the two now just outside the city's walls. It had great leathery wings that trailed smoke in its wake, and as it grew closer, he could see the white teeth and rows of spikes along its body. Bulging eyes glowed red from a distance, pinpricks of light in the darkness caused by the black skies.
However, Izuku's attention was drawn to the rapidly growing divide between the massive beast in the air and the massive army in its shadow. With growing alarm, he realized the Nomu army had not changed course, still aiming straight for Ultra's gates. "They're not–they're not coming this way?"
Ochako looked between the city and the approaching army, color draining from her face. "It's a diversion. If they attack the city, then it preoccupies the guard. We're not getting their aid."
Izuku felt a tremor in his hands as the reality of the situation settled as quickly as the enemy approached.
Izuku. The situation is dire, but it is not hopeless. The time is near. Do what you must to survive, and ensure the Echo does the same.
Before he could even ponder the Requiem's words, the giant Nomu swooped down from above, sending both him and Ochako diving out of the way as it landed with a thunderous boom.
XX
The wave of Nomu charged forward towards the city's walls, bounding like pack animals and using the dark skies to their advantage. They were not alone. Rushing forward along with them were shadowy creatures that ran on all fours, bodies made of darkness themselves. Together, their numbers were massive and terrifying, a wave of corruption ready to lay siege on the city they approached.
Just as the army of black mist and twisted effigies reached the walls, streaks of silver fog shot out across the city, zigzagging along through the buildings with precise movements and incredible speed. They reformed just past the city's walls, erupting in a barrier of dense fog that spread across the entire eastern wall. The army of monsters plowed into the wall, shrieking and howling as they crashed into the solid fog that seemed impassable.
High above it in the air, silver tendrils of fog rose up and condensed into the form of the Queen's Rabbit, her cloak whipping around her as she floated above her barricade. Her form underneath the heavy drapery was somewhat feminine, with thick muscle and pale fur. However, her open hands were clawed, white talons curved and sharp, and her feet were that of a rabbit's. Glowing yellow eyes glared menacingly underneath her cowl, framed by threads of silvery white hair that fluttered in the wind.
Despite the swarm of monsters clawing and ramming against the fog, it did not yield, swirling in an impenetrable wall of silver that cushioned the city's front from the invasion.
However, that resilience was only one-sided.
With a roar, the Dragon of Yuuei burst through the mist, trails of it fluttering behind him as he blasted himself over the mass of shadow and monstrosity with his explosive fire magic. Kyouka followed in his wake, throwing her hands out as she moved past the fog, sending a shockwave that knocked the enemy back in a semi-circle around her.
Katsuki twisted in the air, drawing his newly magic-bound blades, feeling energy thrumming from the hilt to the point. Crimson eyes narrowed on the enemy below as he spoke, his voice almost inaudible over the screeches and whoops of the monsters below.
"Dunno if you cores can hear me, 'cause I'm not Deku, but if you can, I could really fuckin' use your help."
As if responding to his words, one blade hissed to life, wrapping in iridescent flame while the other erupted into a screeching spiral of lightning. With a wild grin, the captain tightened his grip and blasted himself down into the swarm, leaving behind a trail of streaking light and rainbow smoke as he made impact, fire exploding around him in a large dome.
Kyouka rolled her eyes at the theatrical display of magic, knocking back another group of monsters in her way with another sound blast. With the momentary reprieve, she lifted her gaze to the towering beast in the distance, watching it thrash around at something on the ground below.
She didn't need to see them to know who was there.
XX
When the Nomu landed, Ochako had dove to one side, magic enhancing her speed. Izuku had done the same in the opposite direction, both coming to the same conclusion that the creature would only be able to focus on one at a time, and they both knew which one it would focus on. Like clockwork, the monster whirled on Ochako, oozing jowls open and bulging eyes focused intently on her as she sprinted across the open fields in a wide berth. Light popped around her as she gathered energy in small, condensed balls, ready to strike when the opportunity arose.
An explosive blast of magic from the other side informed her Izuku had launched his first offensive attack, barreling into the flank of the beast, his augmentation magic enhancing his strength and speed. The creature screeched and flipped around, forcing Ochako to leap over its tail. Her eyes fell to the dent in its hide caused by Izuku's attack, and she flicked her fingers, sending the condensed balls of light magic flying at the same location. They popped against the reinforced hide, causing smoke to billow up but no perforation. She pursed her lips, preparing for it to turn back to attack her.
It didn't.
She furrowed her brow, watching as it lashed at Izuku, who twisted and dodged around the deadly talons, using his black extensions to pull himself along. The creature continued to attack him, and Ochako had to wonder why it switched targets like that. It was after her, that much was clear. So why had it started attacking Izu–
She sucked in a breath as an arc of purple lightning shot down from above, forcing her to bring up a shield of energy to let it ricochet off. As the magic fell away, her eyes rose to see six people jump off the back of the creature, and she now understood why the Nomu switched targets.
The first to land was an unsightly person, greenish scales covering his body and his face twisted to resemble some type of lizard. Messy lavender hair framed his face, frayed and unkempt. Beside him, a man with a shaved head stared at her with a look that was certainly not sane, lips pulled into a twisted grin. Several silvery knives floated around him, ready to strike.
The woman who struck at her landed just afterward, and she immediately began to pace, her right arm glowing purple, with dark smoke rising from her fingertips. Beside her, a man in robes took off towards the trees, muttering to himself, his head twitching with each word that passed from his lips. He seemed uninterested in everything in the immediate area, attention focused on the army in the distance.
The last two were a man in a top hat and full-face mask holding a cane, and a magus in black robes wrapped in shadow, his entire form hidden by his magic.
Ochako pursed her lips, able to see Izuku in her peripheral vision, entirely caught up by the full force of the monster focused on him. He was keeping abreast of its attacks, but not enough to lend her any aid.
"Greetings, Echo," The man made of shadow said, his words like dark whispers that crawled across her skin. "I would be much obliged if you made this easy for us. We would even call off the Nomu from attacking the Requiem's holder."
Ochako spread out her arms in response, a pink glow coming to life in her eyes. "Five on one seems quite unfair doesn't it?"
"Given the stories we've heard about you, I would say it's actually an even match-up," The shadow magus replied, and although she couldn't see his face, he sounded… amused. "But do not worry, we're not here to kill you."
"I rather wish you were," Ochako said as her feet lifted up off the ground and frost crawled across the grass, spiraling out around her. "It would make me feel far better about what I'm about to do."
"Shuichi," The shadow magus said, snapping his head towards Ochako. The man with the reptilian skin responded in an instant, a plume of purple gas erupting forward from his hands, racing towards her. Ochako narrowed her eyes as she called upon the wind to throw it back, but the wind reacted before she could even make her request known.
A powerful gale blast rushed past her, rolling the poisonous cloud right back to its creator. The magus responded swiftly, diffusing the gas into harmless particles just before it washed over his party.
"You leave my shiny friends alone!"
The voice came in all directions, carried by the very winds themselves as Toru manifested beside Ochako, forming the base of a twister that rose up into the skies. Her blurred form carried a frightening anger that coiled into her magic, and the cyclone grew with it, pulling in everything loose around them.
Two silver knives shot out at her, flying harmlessly through her non-corporeal form, and she responded with a blast of wind that made the party stumble back. However, before she could ready her next attack, shadows erupted from within her cyclone, forcing it apart. The shadow magus lifted a hand and started walking forward, allowing his magic to tear into the wind under Toru's command. "I'll handle the sprite, get the Echo."
However, as the words left his lips, roots exploded from the ground, twisting angrily and wrapping around his arms and neck. They yanked the shadow magus back down, forcing him onto his back as they wove around over and over again, binding him against the earth. The magus struggled, shadows slicing away at the brambles biting into him, but with each cut, more appeared.
"Humans who align with the one who wants to destroy this world are ugly." Mina's voice had a strange, somber tone to it as she appeared, roots and vines twisting out from her hands and feet. Her tiny form expanded, growing from the little pink sprite made of growth and petals into an ambling form of wooden limbs and sharp thorns. "When you die, I'll make sure not even grass will grow where your remains are buried!"
Two more knives zipped by, one cutting through one of her newly grown arms, and the other grazing her thigh. She twisted back as the limb fell, already working to create another, green light erupting as she reformed the appendage. The man with the ethereal knives grinned and summoned more of his magic blades, but as they took shape, a column of water came from the side, slapping into him and making him stumble. It didn't stop there, circling up and wrapping around his head and neck, condensing to form a globe. Suddenly trapped in a bubble with no air supply, the man began to thrash, clawing desperately at the water trying to kill him.
The source of the attack stood off to the side, her long, dark hair draped over her in a stark contrast to her ghastly white skin, and her expression was cold and haunted. Her hand pointed forward as she commanded her very essence to her will, while a large wave of water from the river surged up behind her, suspended in the air and ready to strike.
Without a change in her expression, Tsuyu twisted her hand, forcing the water around the man's head to pressurize, becoming heavier and more suffocating. "I have been told that taking a life causes humans to feel intense emotion. I am curious what I shall feel as I take yours for daring to harm my friends."
With the emergence of the three spirits, Ochako turned her attention back to the two remaining mages as she summoned leaves from the branches of the nearby trees, hardening them into razor sharp blades. The woman bounced from foot to foot, eyes narrowed as she held up her glowing arm, finger pointed. Behind her, the masked man in the top hat took several steps back, cane in a defensive hold.
"Right," Ochako said softly, the wave of bladed leaves floating behind her. "So where were we?"
XX
As guards rushed to the city's borders to engage the monsters, Momo walked amongst them, weaving between the archers and battle mages firing from the top of the wall, aiming for the army past the fog barricade. An open spell book in hand, she moved between each unit, enchanting quivers and enhancing battle staves. Core-binding in battle was a poor idea, as the outcome was unpredictable. Enchantments, while far less powerful, were far easier to control the results, and it was something she could easily do.
It also allowed her to assist without putting herself at risk.
Her Queen's words echoed in her mind as she moved around the archers firing their arrows, ducking under the buildup of arcane blasts and small fireballs that were being hurled at the enemy. As a Creator, she was a target. Not like the Echo, but still enough that the risk was not worth it to take. So she was ordered to support behind the lines, keeping herself near the troops and out of the sight of the enemy.
Besides, indirection action was better to avoid a political fallout later. Anything more direct than what had been done would put Enji in a weak position. Dragoir could not be the one to save Yuuei, not without the king losing face. The defensive maneuver from the Queen's Rabbit was bad enough, but at least that was both an act to protect Queen Ryuko and a bid for time until the royal forces could arrive.
Her eyes lifted to the eldritch spirit in the sky above, mist still oozing out of her form. It was a difficult feat to look upon her, but Momo managed, watching her for several seconds before she looked away to give her mind a reprieve. Turning her back, she directed her attention to the guards rushing down the city streets, pouring in from the barracks. A flash of two-toned hair stood out among them as Shouto rushed forward, shouting commands she couldn't hear. He had taken only long enough to trade out his royal adornments for armor while Captain Bakugou and Kyouka had hitched a ride with the Queen's Rabbit, sending them straight to the front lines in mere seconds.
Beside the prince, the lieutenant captain was echoing those orders, waving his men forward. She had to wonder, as she watched the crown prince march forward, fire in his eyes and ready to defend his people, what King Enji would do. The game was well underway, and the move was his. The Rabbit would not do more unless Ryuko was in danger, but his people still needed saving.
The people of Yuuei needed their king, but how would their king respond? Would pride carve his actions? Would fear? Would the knowledge of what had been dropped in his lap mere seconds before this attack affect what he did? She wondered just what kind of king would emerge from all of this, once the battle was over.
And as her eyes moved back to Shouto once more, following him as he crossed through the gate, and then the fog, she marveled how little like his father the young prince was. Without hesitation, he burst through the wall of fog, whips of fire spreading out around him, lashing out and smacking away Nomu that threatened to overwhelm the foot soldiers on the ground. With an angry cry, he rallied the men he brought, encouraging them to dive in with the same conviction, and seeing their prince fearlessly defend the city with fire in his hands invigorated them. Battle cries sounded from those nearby, and that carried across the men, from one end of the battlefield to the other.
Eijiro appeared moments later, charging forward with his shield, and the impact sent a shockwave that parted the sea of Nomu in front of him, forming a path for more guards to rush in. Some distance away, Captain Bakugou spun in place, a swath of rainbow fire erupting around him and sending inhuman limbs and black blood flying.
It was like a ripple effect. As more leaders joined the battle, the rest of the soldiers pressed forward, confident and inspired, willing to face the army of twisted magic and monstrous creatures threatening to demolish the city they swore to protect.
With a faint smile, Momo nodded her head, turning on heel to walk to the other side of the city wall and continue her assistance. However, her eyes fell to a distant crowd past the fog, hovering near the edges of the fields. It took her a moment to absorb what she was seeing, but her eyes widened as she recognized the lack of armor and royal colors.
They were civilians. Foolish people who had not run for safety, who had ventured past the city walls to see just what was happening. Their attention was drawn towards the giant behemoth raging deep within the fields near the river, and the distance between them tricked them into believing they were safe from any attacks.
She pursed her lips, wondering just who she should signal to let them know, but amongst the shouting, Shouto's voice rang out.
"There are civilians by the fields! Get them to safety, now! Eijiro!"
"You heard the prince! Platoon Six, disengage from the enemy and move to get all stragglers behind the city walls!"
Momo smiled, watching as the prince switched smoothly from shouting orders to striking down the monsters closing in on him, fire whirling in a great tempest around his body. Prince Shouto had the makings of a fine king. His father could stand to learn a thing or two from him.
XX
Down by the castle's base, many of the city's residents had gathered, pouring into the streets carved into the city's hills and taking refuge in the shelter of towers and tunnels woven around the Todoroki castle. Tense chatter and hushed voices were overlapped with crying and panicked shouts, negative energy mixed with the thrum of various magics in the area.
Inko stood among them, eyes on her own hands to avoid being overwhelmed by the emotions of those around her. Over and over again, her mind replayed her last interaction with her son. He looked so afraid, and yet, he had taken off towards the danger to face it head on.
She fidgeted with the sleeves of her shirt, focusing on the image of his magic wrapping around him. The way the ominous black erupted like thick oil to coat over him, hiding his beautiful face behind shadow and emerald flame. She had only ever heard stories about the Monster of Yuuei, having never seen it in person. It was said to be a black beast with glowing green eyes that left smoke in its wake. It had tendrils that it used like extra limbs, and could bring forth storms that boasted green lightning and black clouds.
She always wondered if those stories were exaggerations. Embellishments to make the survivors feel their encounters were even more impressive feats.
However, as she watched an inky black armor wrap around her son, as she saw those same ominous tendrils whipped out and pulled Ochako close, and as he took to the air like he weighed nothing, she knew those rumors were now true.
Her son was the Monster of Yuuei, and somehow it was related to the magic he had inherited. She didn't know why Ochako had withheld that bit of information when explaining what had happened to her son through all these years, but somehow she suspected this was just part of a much larger thing going on that her son was somehow wrapped up in.
But even still, ignoring that, she kept focusing back on what it meant that he was the Monster of Yuuei. All those years he was missing, living alone, he did so without any support. He was hated. Hunted. Feared. He was thought a monster, and tears slid down her cheeks at realizing how much worse things had been for her son. So many times she heard of people scaring the monster off with fire and pitchforks. Archers would fire arrows at him, even after he killed the very Nomu attacking them. People spoke of him with vitriol, wanting him dead just like the Nomu, despite him never bringing harm.
She wiped at her eyes, lips quivering as she realized that with the last large Nomu attack, the one that had destroyed the statue of the king in the plaza, her son had been there. The rumors that came from the guard said that the monster had been terribly injured, running off to the haunted woods after killing the Nomu.
All those scars suddenly made sense. The silver lines on his skin. The dark blotches and healed punctures. The way he used less strength in his right arm than his left when he hugged her.
The reality of the world he lived in started to crystalize in her mind, and she could only cling to the weak hope that he would come out of this safe. Alive. Unharmed.
A rise in voices to her left had her chancing a look in the direction, doing her best to keep her eyes unfocused as she took in what was happening. Someone had climbed up atop one of the towers, standing with a bronze telescope in his hands. She could tell by the way it shimmered it was enchanted, or perhaps, what was it Ochako described? Core-bound? Maybe that. Either way, it had some sort of special effect, probably allowing him to see what was happening beyond the city's walls.
Her eyes were drawn down to a display below, where someone else was holding a small box of a similar finish to the telescope, and it was projecting an image up on the wall. With wide eyes, she realized the box was relaying what the telescope picked up, and she stared in horror at the monstrous Nomu whirling around in the fields, targeting a small figure zipping around in black magic.
Her hands came to her mouth, recognizing her son as the telescope zoomed in, allowing her to see the way he ducked under swinging limbs and evaded gnashing teeth, using his magic to keep him just barely out of harm's way.
A terrified sob escaped her, knowing all she could do was watch.
XX
Despite the arrival of the spirits, Ochako still found a capable opponent in the woman before her. She was built for agility, dressed in light leathers and clothes that didn't hinder her movement, but the real threat was her magic.
With a quick snap of her wrist, Ochako met the bolt of purple fire with a splash of water, letting it fizzle away in front of her. An attack of violet lightning followed in its wake, and the witch twisted, letting it sail past her and into the trees.
Without slowing down, the woman continued to form magic of various elements with her arm and fling them with deadly accuracy and impressive speed, forcing Ochako to repeatedly counter or risk taking a hit. The attacks came in all directions, curving to force her to look away, twisting to keep her on her toes. It was a deadly dance, and it made Ochako momentarily forget that there were more than two dancers.
As she brought her arm up to shatter the blast of ice that came from above, the masked man made his move. The attack was instantaneous, signaled only by a soft pop as magic sprung up around her like a large maw of a hungry creature.
In an instant, Ochako found herself trapped inside a tinted bubble that floated up off the ground, taking her with it. She pressed her hands against the shell of the dome she was encased in, trying to identify what kind of magic it was.
However, when she reached out to the ecosystem, it didn't respond.
Her eyes widened, and she felt the accumulation of magic in her body start to fade, the pink glow around her eyes dying with it. With growing horror, she realized whatever this man's magic was, it had effectively disconnected her from the magical plane.
She was powerless.
She looked back behind her, towards Izuku, but he couldn't see her, too focused on keeping himself out of the Nomu's attacks. The spirits were all preoccupied with those they were fighting, none aware of what had happened to her. Fear started to build, and with it came a heavy weight, dragging her down to her knees. Her brow furrowed at the sensation, foreign though it was. It felt like her body was losing something it desperately needed. Like air, or water, or–
You are an extension of us.
Eyes wide, she felt the world slow down around her as she slid to the bottom of the bubble, her limbs now refusing to cooperate. Her breathing slowed as she stared through the bubble at the two who seemed oblivious to her distress, hurriedly carrying her away from the battlefield.
As her vision blurred and colors faded to monochrome, she realized that the Blackened Core would not be able to steal her Echo.
Because she was dying.
XX
Izuku gritted his teeth as he dove under another swipe, twisting to lash his foot out in response to the attack. He made contact with the massive limb, the impact momentarily staggering the beast and sending him flying back onto the ground. He landed in a rough crouch before diving off to the side to avoid an angry lunge, feeling the wet heat of the creature's mouth miss him by mere centimeters.
He shot up over its head, tendrils wrapping around its thick neck as he yanked up with all of his augmented strength. The creature jerked back, before it roared and twisted, rolling onto its back and taking Izuku with it. He gasped, eyes wide as he dispelled the tendrils to prevent being caught up in the roll. The momentum still sent him careening through the air, and he thrust his hands out, using telekinesis to halt his fall.
His feet touched the ground, and he braced himself to move forward when Requiem sounded in his head.
Izuku! The Echo is dying!
Icy fear gripped him at those words, and Izuku whirled, eyes searching for Ochako. His gaze landed on the reddish bubble floating away from the field, and at the crumpled form within, unmoving. Without even blinking, his vision switched, and his heart stopped in his chest as he saw the Echo core rapidly fading in brilliance, all of its threads severed from the world, hanging limply from her form.
With a scream, he charged forward, only to see blurred movement out of the corner of his eye. He twisted to avoid the attack, but with his focus shattered, it was a fraction too late. Wide-spread claws grazed across him, two scoring along his chest and shoulder, and the last talon dragging across his face. He fell, rolling across the ground as pain bloomed across his chest and fire erupted in his skull, but the pounding mantra in his head numbed it all.
'Get to Ochako. You have to save Ochako.'
His magic surged around him, erupting in emerald flame and black mist as thick ribbons wrapped over his wounds, staunching the blood flow. With a roar, Izuku threw himself to his feet only to be knocked back down to the ground as the Nomu pounced on him. Green lightning crackled around him as he caught the paw in his hands, his augmentation magic the only thing preventing the force from crushing him.
His bones creaked at the intense pressure of the monster bearing down on him, and it hurt to breathe, but none of that mattered.
He had to save Ochako.
