The finale of the battle against the vampires! New friends! The return of an old friend! And the party can finally consider their mission accomplished...ish.
"...what…what have you done?!" The lead vampire shrieked, stumbling to his feet as he stared at the pale-skinned blonde woman slowly climbing out of the tomb, her arms still wrapped about the tiny white-haired girl in her arms.
"Let out a couple people you had captive? Oh, I'm ever so fucking sorry!" Izuku snarled, his eyes glaring hatefully at the vampiric leader.
The vampire snarled back, taking quick steps back and away from the blonde woman, her amber eyes flickering slowly as if she was still waking up. "You have no idea what you have unleashed! That traitor saved that, that…that monster! You must slay them both, or else everything will be for naught! Forget our petty squabbles, help us stop them!"
Izuku blinked rapidly at the vampire, his jaw dropped at the sheer audacity. He shook his head to clear it, glancing down to check on his allies. Tsuyu was gritting her teeth, one leg bleeding profusely, but was focusing magic into Ochako's arm instead of her own leg. She glanced up at Izuku and shook her head silently, telling him not to worry. For her part, Ochako had managed to grip her hammer in one hand, her gaze quickly hopping back and forth between the various combatants in the room and back to Izuku, worry visible.
Tenya stepped up next to Izuku, his shield arm held against his side, blood visibly dripping from his mouth, but still standing tall. Shoto was wincing, leaning against his staff, but the sparkles of ice around the top of it made it clear to Izuku that he was still able to fight, at least for the moment.
Izuku nodded, turning back to the vampire and pointing his blade at him, staring balefully at the now gathered vampires. "Like we'd ever trust you. You are a monster, not because of what you are, but because of what you choose to be, and we are adventurers! We kill monsters…and you are no exception!"
"Then you can die along with the traitor and the aberration!" He shrieked, raising both hands in the air. Purple smoke swirled about them, Shoto shoving past Izuku with a wordless shout, one hand pressed to his chest as he pushed himself before them both. He slammed his staff into the ground, the temperature in the room dropping instantly as a massive wall of ice screamed into existence, separating the group from the vampires as the lead vampire dropped to his knees, pressing his hands into the ground.
While Shoto's wall blocked the spell from reaching the party directly, it did not stop the effect it had on the surrounding structure itself. There was a brief second of silence, before a loud rumbling noise became audible. Creaks and cracks were heard, the ground beginning to quake beneath them as the walls shivered, dust falling from above. Shoto began to fall, his body shivering more than the walls were, his face pale and drawn, eyes half-lidded. Izuku caught him quickly, barely grunting under the weight as his eyes went wide, seeing the ground beginning to crack beneath them.
"Move!" Izuku screamed, reaching down to grab Tsuyu only to be beaten by Tenya, the tall knight hoisting the small druid over his shoulder as he began to hobble towards the doorway. Izuku began to drag Shoto along, his magic flickering into existence, but he was so drained from the prior encounter it was still a struggle. Ochako was gamely jogging alongside him, her jaw clenched in pain…when a small fearful whimper made Izuku freeze, eyes wide. His gaze turned back, seeing the blonde woman looking around wide-eyed and worried, and in her arms the small, white-haired child finally awake, whimpering in fear.
The cracks in the ground became ever more pronounced, a loud snap from above clueing him in to see a piece of the ceiling come falling down, smashing into Shoto's ice wall and taking out a chunk of it. Through it, Izuku could see the vampires disappearing down a tunnel, cursing internally as he realized they were escaping. He quickly ran through it in his mind and realized, at the rate they were going, they'd never make it out, much less the two in the back. He begged himself for an idea, before it clicked.
"Ochako! Make everyone but me weightless and hold onto me!" He ordered, reaching into himself for that strange dark magic he'd called upon earlier. He realized by now it had to be his Destruction spec magic, and though it hurt and left him drained, he needed to call just enough to help.
She didn't hesitate, trust evident in her gaze as she reached out and began tapping everyone quickly, the other three starting to float with a startled look. Izuku hissed in pain as the black tendrils ripped from his back, but directed them to wrap about his friends gently, pulling them close enough they were just behind him. With what he hoped was a reassuring smile, he extended two of them towards the duo in the back. The blonde took a step backward, arms wrapped about the child as she narrowed her eyes at him, but almost lost her footing and began to look panicked as the ground cracked beneath her. She stumbled forward, looking around and biting her lip.
Izuku quickly called out to her to get her attention. "You have no reason to trust us, but we don't have time to get to know each other. Can I take you out of here?" Izuku asked, the tendrils waiting before them.
He watched as the blonde woman seemed to have an internal debate, but another piece of rubble from the ceiling slamming into the ground, scant meters from her, made up her mind. She nodded, stepping forward as the tendrils wrapped about her and her charge and dragged her closer. Ochako did not hesitate, reaching out her hand towards the duo, pink shimmering in her fingertips. The blonde woman took her hand fearfully, directing it a moment later to the child in her arms, the two of them beginning to float as well as Izuku turned back around.
He grit his teeth, calling upon every last trace of his magic he could to strengthen his legs, hearing the cracks around him growing for every second that passed. The ground began to crumble, to break, as he moved, bolting forward as fast as he could. He had to start leaping as pieces began to fall further down, jumping from falling piece to falling piece, almost losing his balance as he felt his body screaming at him, his magic draining from him faster than he could keep it going.
He heard Ochako gulp, barely able to hold her concentration on keeping the others afloat, unable to interfere as pieces of rubble began to fall towards them. She kept one arm wrapped about the almost unconscious Shoto to keep him close and protect him from getting struck by falling debris, the split-haired man having nearly passed out from overuse of his magic to create the wall of ice that kept them from being hit directly by whatever spell that vampire was going to use.
Tsuyu pressed her hand onto Izuku's shoulder, a cool pulse coming from her as he realized she was sharing some of her magic with him so he could keep running. He wanted to nod his thanks, but he couldn't concentrate beyond running as fast as he could, the group managing to barely clear the doorway before it crumbled behind them.
The collapse seemed to trigger something much, much bigger than it had seemed, the tunnel they were in rumbling and cracking and shattering, the floor moving almost like a wave. Izuku leapt up, digging his heel into a crack in the wall and shoved off as quickly as he could, using the walls to bounce between rapidly, his friends tethered behind him like a bunch of kites. The walls were cracking as well, the ceiling breaking above them, Izuku desperately trying to outpace the destruction.
Left, right, right, left, left, right, left, up, up, down, left, he practically flew down the tunnels, his mind trying to remember the path they'd taken as they fled desperately. Even with Tsuyu's help, he could feel himself faltering, feeling everyone's weight starting to return as Ochako started to lose her grip on her magic. He felt Tsuyu's hand fall away, the druidess falling silent (whether from blood loss, the cold, or her magic draining he wasn't sure). He was gasping for air, his lungs screaming, eyes open and bloodshot, his muscles aching. His heart felt like it was going to burst, the magic that was ripping from his skin and carrying his friends beginning t o feel like it was going to rebel against him at any second.
But…there! Right there, the tunnel collapsing around them, he could see it, a safe haven if any there was. He dug deep and found the tiniest ounce of strength left, a scream echoing from his chest as he pushed himself as hard as he could towards a familiar door. He felt everyone's weight return at the last second, Ochako finally losing her grip and falling unconscious, nearly dragging him off his feet but he grit his teeth and tried to run forward just a bit more. Feeling the ground beneath his feet start to give way, the loud rumble of rubble behind him about to catch them all, he channeled every last bit of strength he had, praying desperately as he took one final leap forward.
The doorway opened as he approached, light spilling out as he fell into the room, his legs collapsing immediately as the black tendrils yanked every last one of them into the room, the group collapsing in a heap on the ground. Izuku skid across the ground painfully, the skin on his bare arms ripping further as he managed to glance back, seeing the tunnel collapsing behind them just as the door slammed shut. The loud echo of falling rubble and crashing fortress walls faded a second later, Izuku feeling his magic snap back beneath his skin and leave him breathless and shaking.
A pair of golden boots stopped before his vision as he lay on the floor. Gentle hands reached down and gripped onto him, lifting him as if he weighed nothing, helping Izuku 'stand' as he blinked bleary eyes at the golden visage of Edgar, Li's personal construct. A second later, Li's blue-flame eyes and bleached skull popped out from behind Edgar, looking at Izuku curiously. Li gave a friendly little wave at the green-haired man, Izuku very tiredly returning it.
"...sorry for crashing in on you like this," he managed to gasp out, still not really standing so much as being held up.
"Oh please, I'm just glad you are all okay! Most of the ruins appear to have collapsed! We're quite safe here but still, I am rather confused. Can you enlighten me? And who are your new friends?"
Izuku managed to lift up one finger to begin explaining, but his vision swam and black began to creep into the side. He swayed for a moment, before gulping and managing to get out "I'll explain after a short nap…" and with those words, Izuku felt his mind fall and falter, his body slumping as he lost his grip on the waking world.
Ochako felt herself waking up and fought against it, feeling far more comfortable than she'd felt in a long time. A small hand was poking her cheek, making her scrunch her nose in annoyance as she managed to get one hand up to wave vaguely in the direction of the hand poking her. She let out a deep, happy sign once it stopped…only to find it poking her again, making her let out a low sound, a mix of a growl and a whine as she begrudgingly opened one slitted eye.
She could see before her…white hair? She blinked a couple times to clear the bleariness, and saw red eyes and a childlike curiosity before her, a little girl with white hair? And a horn? Her brain, slow to catch on upon waking, managed to put the pieces together…the girl in the tomb!
Ochako snapped awake as memories flooded back into her; the vampires, the broken arm, the red glow and black tendrils from Izuku, the collapse of the ruins…she sat up swiftly…or trying to, but her arms nearly gave out beneath her as she tried to push herself up. With a start, she realized her arm, while covered in a soft bandage, did not feel broken anymore, just a dull ache reminiscent of the times she overworked herself at the forge. She gawked at it for a moment, clenching her fist tightly as she pressed on her upper arm with her left hand, searching for the break, before a tap on her knee brought her attention back around.
She glanced down to see the white-haired child looking up at her, her red eyes locked onto Ochako's brown ones. Ochako opened her mouth to speak but winced at how dry her throat felt. She rubbed at her throat for a moment, trying to look around to gain her balance when she noticed the little girl run off across the room. Now that she looked up, she realized they were in Li's laboratory, the lich over in the corner currently mixing up some concoction of some sort. She could see Shoto sitting in a chair, eyes closed, one hand holding an iced cloth up to his head, as Tsuyu was in a chair next to him, her leg bandaged and the rest of her curled up under a blanket.
Edgar was bent over, checking on Tenya's shield and speaking to the knight in a low tone, as she looked down and realized she was laid on a very soft cot, a second one next to her upon which lay Izuku, the green-haired man looking pale and drawn, sweat coating his face. Her eyes went wide with worry, her memory of their desperate flight through the tunnels and how she'd lost concentration in the last step filling her with guilt as she saw the condition he was in. Blood speckled his clothing, the material ripped and torn (although her armor had held up for him, she noted with pride), and disturbing scars were visible across his arms.
Before she could get up to go look at him, the little girl returned, skidding to a stop in front of her. Ochako blinked down at her, only now noticing the child was holding a cup in her hands filled with what looked like fresh water, holding it up to her insistently. Ochako couldn't help the tired smile at how helpful she was, taking the cup gladly and draining it, the clean, crisp taste of cold water soothing her parched throat.
"Thank you," she said to the child, the little girl beaming up at her. As she went to place the cup down, the girl reached up and gestured rapidly, making little grabby motions towards the cup. Bemused, Ochako gave it to her, watching as she ran off across the room once more. This time, Ochako followed her movement, watching as she bolted towards the back of the room where what looked like a fountain was, where the blonde woman who was in the tomb was currently seated. The blonde woman appeared to be focused on the water, her gaze unfocused and confused as she stared blankly at it.
"Oh good, you're awake!" Ochako started, her head whipping about to see Li now approaching her, a 'grin' spread across their skull face. Li nodded towards her. "Any lingering pain? It's been a while since I needed to create healing draughts, and while your friend assured me hers were up to the task you were also drained of your magic so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, as it were."
"O-oh, oh no. I um…I feel mostly fine."
"Mostly?"
Ochako shrugged. "A little sore but nothing worse than what I've done in my shop."
Li hummed contemplatively. "Hmm, yes, yes, I suppose that is to be expected. Well, at least you're feeling a bit better!"
Ochako turned around a bit to glance back at Izuku, worry creasing her brow. "Is…is he okay?" she asked quietly.
"He will be, don't you worry," Li reassured her. "He's simply overexerted himself. To be frank, you all did, but it appears he utilized a new magical power without properly validating its capabilities, so he may have stretched himself a little too thin. But with some rest, he'll be right as rain! I think. I don't quite remember why that's a phrase…is rain right, anymore? The Storms certainly turned rain wrong I think…" Li began muttering to themself, Ochako opening her mouth to interrupt but deciding against it as the lich began to wander off, one boney finger pressed to their chin as they continued to mutter.
Ochako took a deep breath to steady herself, and with one last glance back at Izuku, she decided to go speak to the blonde girl they'd freed from the tomb. She wished she could help Izuku…him laying there, clearly in pain even while asleep, caused a pang in her chest she didn't know what to do with…but she really didn't have a way to help. She knew nothing about healing magics, and if Tsuyu wasn't over there using her magic, she had to assume Li knew what they were talking about. So for now, since Izuku wasn't up to doing it, she'd go talk to the blonde woman and see if they could figure out why she was entombed to begin with.
As she approached, she saw the little girl start pointing at her rapidly, tugging on the sleeve of the blonde woman. The blonde's gaze snapped to attention, amber eyes that Ochako now noticed were slitted like a cat now locked onto her brown eyes, looking her up and down appraisingly. Ochako felt uncomfortable, like she was being sized up, and from the way the blonde's hands flexed, her nails extending slightly into visible claws she realized she was being sized up for her threat level.
Ochako raised up her hands and gave a wary smile, trying to be non-threatening. "I jus' wanted ta chat is all," she said, her accent slipping a bit.
The blonde stared at her for a moment, before her arms relaxed slightly and her claws retracted. "...then talk," she whispered, her voice raspy, as if she hadn't used it for a long time.
"Um…can ya tell me ya name? My name's Ochako, I'ma blacksmith!" she said, pointing at herself with her thumb and grinning.
"Himiko. I'm…I don't know what I am anymore," she murmured, looking down at her hands and clenching them tightly.
Ochako tilted her head to the side. "What do ya mean?"
"...I used to be part of the coven. Well, 'part' of it, but they never really accepted me, since I'm not a real vampire, as they said."
Ochako was a little taken aback by this knowledge. Instinctively, she tensed at the thought of the blonde woman being one of those monsters, but…the way she'd protected that child, the fear the other vampires had shown, the way she'd been locked up…Ochako didn't want to judge her just off her ancestry. That would make her no better than the people who used to mock her dreams and her family's financial situation. Plus…Li kind of threw her when it came to assumptions. But she was very curious about what Himiko meant about not being a real vampire, as it were…so she asked.
"What do you mean, not being a real vamp?" she asked softly.
Himiko shrugged. "I'm a dhampir, a half vampire…my mom got bit when she was pregnant with me, and well…yeah. I don't have issues with the sun like they do, and I can eat normal food too, and I age and stuff…but I still need blood, and silver still hurts me. I'm not undead like they are, I just…react to some of the same stuff they do. I-I didn't really want to be with them, but no one else would take me in. Everyone thought me a monster and wouldn't even let me show them I didn't want to hurt anyone."
Ochako…wasn't sure how she felt right now. She'd willingly admitted to staying with the monsters, which likely meant she partook in some of their terrible actions, but she also didn't sound like she'd had much of a choice or place to go. She decided to reserve judgment and find out why exactly she got trapped to begin with. "So…why'd they lock you in the rock thing?"
Himiko sighed, a sad smile crossing her face as she gestured to the white-haired girl currently looking at Tsuyu's staff with wide, fascinated eyes, the druidess just watching her with a bemused look on her face. "Eri. When Kai brought her in…she has a magic that is unique. I still don't get what it does exactly, but Kai was convinced he could use it to blight most of the world, and allow him to take control. He's got some god complex or something, always ranting about ruling the world…honestly, I just tuned him out. But when he spoke about how he'd do it, what he'd have to do to her…I…" Himiko paused, struggling to speak, her shoulders quaking as she looked down and away from Ochako.
Himiko gulped. "He was going to torture her for decades to get what he wanted. I-I couldn't allow that. I'd let a lot of bad things go, but not that, I just…I couldn't stand by and watch it happen. So I tried fighting back. I'm…I'm pretty good, but not good enough to fight them all off. But I guess it made something in Eri snap, cause her magic turned on, and Kai freaked. He was so scared, he…well, he tossed me and Eri in there and sealed us I guess. Um…" as she spoke, she glanced back up at Ochako with a worried glance. "How uh…how long were we in there?"
Ochako scratched the back of her neck and shrugged. "Honestly, dunno for sure? Um…it's been a little over three hundred years since the Storms, if that helps?"
Himiko's eyes went wide, tears shimmering in them before she shook her head rapidly, wiping at her eyes. She let out a wet, sad chuckle. "...so we've missed over two centuries…everyone we knew is gone. That's just great."
Ochako bit her lip. She wasn't really sure how to help Himiko here, but…the city took in all kinds. She didn't think they'd turn her away just for being a…dhampir, she said? Half-vampire or whatever. Elysium was home to all. Ochako nodded to herself, squaring her shoulders. They'd rescued the two of them, they had a responsibility and she'd take it on even if the rest of the party took issue with it. "Why don't you come back with us? Elysium, that's the city we're from, is massive, and it happily accepts anyone. I'm sure we can find something for you to do, and I know the city has some blood drinkers in it! Do you have any skills or maybe a hobby you're good at?"
Himiko blinked up at her, still reeling from the knowledge of how long she'd been trapped, but managed to stutter out a response. "I, um, I'm pretty good at sneaking around and picking locks. Um. I can use knives really well, and uh…I'm good at disguise? I uh, have magic that lets me shapeshift how I look. But I'm also a really good actor, I guess? Or so everyone used to say…"
Ochako's eyes brightened and she clapped her hands happily with a smile on her face. "You could be an adventurer like us if you want! It pays really well and it's actually been fun…um…mostly. The vampire fight was scary but I kinda like the thrill, you know? I still got my blacksmith shop I work from, but I do this with them now too!" Ochako gestured back to her party as she spoke, the awake ones all looking up at her when they heard her voice, but choosing not to respond further.
Himiko thought about it for a moment, nodding slowly. "I'd…probably be good at it, I guess. I did a lot of stuff for Kai and his folk before I got sealed. But…what about Eri? I can't leave her alone…"
"Maybe we can work out someone to watch her while you go on missions? We can help babysit! Or um, I know there are sitters in the city…or even find her some parents, you know, if you don't wanna keep taking care of her?" Ochako winced as she said it, feeling it was a bit cruel to say but wanting to lay out the option in case that's what Himiko wanted to do.
Himiko instantly shook her head no, her fangs visible as she snarled her response. "No! No way am I abandoning her, not after what we went through. I'll keep her safe no matter what!"
Ochako smiled, relaxing her shoulders. "Well…then we'll just figure it out as we go? Maybe the others would have an idea? If you're willing to tell them your story too?"
Himiko sighed, looking about the room, seeming to appraise each of the other adventurers one by one. She bit her lip absently as she contemplated, before nodding, seemingly uncaring about the drop of blood dripping from her punctured lip. "...yeah. Okay. I'll um…tell them."
"Cool! Let's go!" Ochako reached down and grabbed Himiko's hand, the blonde's eyes going wide as she felt herself yanked to her feet and pulled along by the surprisingly strong brunette before her. Himiko couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, but she decided she'd trust Ochako on this…not like she had many more options.
"My family owns a large estate within the city! I am certain they would be more than happy to allow you to get back upon your feet there! And if you need someone to watch the young child, my mother and father would be more than happy to! I know they have both been rather bored since retirement!" Tenya said, chopping his hand in the air as he spoke enthusiastically.
"We could ask the guild as well. If her magic can go out of control, the Vice Guildmaster would likely be best to watch her as his magic negates other magics," Shoto added quietly.
"I could probably create some potion to deal with your blood needs. Or you can buy from the same supplier I do, some potions need blood to work anyways," Tsuyu added.
Himiko stared at the four adventurers before her, gaping. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, her shoulders shaking as she hunched over, the pressure in her chest nearly overwhelming her. She heard Ochako panic, the brunette's hands gently pressing onto her shoulders as Tsuyu asked if she was okay. She shook her head rapidly, trying to straighten up as she gave them all a watery smile. "N-no, I-I'm happy!" she stuttered out. "I, I…why are you being so nice to me? I'm…I'm a monster, like them!"
"You're not! You had to make some bad choices and did some bad things, but when given the chance, you made the right choice and saved a little girl from being tortured. That's a good thing, Himiko!" Ochako protested, her grip on the blonde's shoulders tightening as she shook her gently for emphasis.
"Your lineage does not determine whether you are a monster or not. Plenty of 'normal' people are quite monstrous," Shoto added softly, something hard glinting in his eyes as he spoke.
"But-" Himiko began, but found herself cut off by Tenya's raised hand.
"Lady Himiko, you were forced into an unenviable situation by virtue of your birth and your circumstances. Yet when given the chance to save someone, you took it. I see only someone who struggled and yet persevered through it all, and that is admirable if nothing else. Please, do not protest that we do you too much of a kindness…for we are all happy to help."
Himiko couldn't help it, she found herself crying once more, the kindness and concern they were showing her something she just could not process. She found herself being guided into a comfortable chair, almost falling back into it as she felt a mug being pressed into her hand, the warmth from the liquid within it nearly scalding her cold hands. She'd…forgetting what it felt like to feel warm. Living down in the ruins with the vampires, everything was cold all the time. The aura of undeath, the corruptive magic, the fact they stayed in the dark depths of the ruins…it was always cold. For the first time in her memory, she could feel warmth…and it burned.
But she didn't let go, she didn't give any indication of discomfort, because for all the pain it brought…it also brought a feeling to her chest she couldn't name, she could only pray she'd keep feeling. She felt like something in her that had been missing, an aching gap, was finally being found, finally being filled…and she didn't want to let it go. With shaking hands, she brought the mug up to her lips and took a sip, the unfamiliar taste giving her taste buds tingles…but she liked it. Maybe…she could trust them. Maybe she had a chance at having a real life, in this new day and age.
Her gaze lifted enough to see little Eri, the white-haired girl currently gently patting the golden construct she'd been told was called Edgar. Himiko felt a small smile cross her lips. Maybe Eri could finally have a real life too. Yeah. This was okay. She could go with this.
Izuku woke to a lot of pain and sore muscles, wincing as he did. He opened his eyes, hissing at the sudden flood of bright light that seared his eyes and vision. His thoughts were muddled and fuzzy, confused…for a moment, before it all snapped into place, his memories rushing back in on deluge. With a gasp, he sat up and snapped his eyes open, immediately regretting it as he felt his stomach lurch and a sudden sense of vertigo took hold of him. He found himself in too much pain to concentrate fully, clutching at his stomach as he bent over and tried to catch his suddenly too short breath.
He caught what sounded like his name being called, and managed to lift his eyes just a bit, his vision finally clearing enough for him to recognize Li's laboratory. His memories seemed to finally settle, telling him he was safe in the lich's room as he let out his first easy breath. He glanced over to where he heard his voice called, almost jolting back in surprise at the chocolate brown eyes looking at him worriedly. Ochako let out a sound that sounded an awful lot like 'eep!' as she also realized how close she was hovering over him, taking a full step back and almost tripping, her arms flailing as Izuku reached out to grab her hand and steady her.
The two paused for a moment to catch their breath from the moment of clumsiness, sheepishly meeting each other's gaze for a moment before breathy chuckles escaped them both, the duo seeing the humor in it fairly swiftly. Izuku's giggles were cut off by another wave of pain, wincing as he felt it roar through his body like a flame. Ochako noticed and took a quick seat next to him on the cot. Hand still clasped in his, she ignored the heat rising in her cheek as she gently rubbed his back, the green-haired man relaxing ever so slightly into her touch.
"You okay, Izuku?" she asked quietly.
He grunted. "Felt better…everyone else good? We make it out?"
She rolled her eyes. Trust him to want to check on everyone else while he was in pain. "Yes, Izuku, we all got here safely and Li helped patch us up. Even Himiko and Eri are safe."
He blinked in confusion, turning to look at her quizzically. "Who?"
Ochako pursed her lips to keep from commenting on how much like a puppy he looked, with his head tilted and that adorably confused expression on his face. After a moment, she managed to find her words. "The girls we rescued. Himiko's the blonde one and Eri's the kid," she pointed to the two as she spoke, Izuku spinning about to see Himiko talking to Tsuyu, Eri asleep on her lap.
"Oh, good. Do we know-" he began, only to be interrupted by Ochako's free hand placed over his mouth. He stared at her in consternation for a moment, looking mortally offended by her shushing him with that method.
Ochako giggled at how annoyed he looked, but managed to straighten her expression after a moment to stare him down sternly. "Izuku…you're still hurt. All that can wait. You need to focus on resting so we can go home."
Izuku stared at her for a moment, before his shoulders slumped. Recognizing his surrender, she removed her hand and let him speak again. "...what about the library? Did it…"
"Get buried? Yep, unfortunately it's gone!" Li's cheerful voice came from behind, making Izuku spin about to face the lich. "But, luckily for you guys, I was able to do a little bit of magic behind the scenes! I sent a couple of my familiars with you guys, just in case you needed a hand, and they snagged up most of the books and brought them back once the ground started to shake! So we got plenty of information about the swords now! I had Edgar categorize them for you," Li gestured to a table in the back, where a good fifty or so books were carefully stacked in neat piles, a small placard in front of them denoting their basic contents.
Izuku gaped at the lich for a moment, before letting out a rueful chuckle and shaking his head in disbelief. "Well…at least it wasn't a total loss."
"Oh it worked wonders! The vampires ran, but because they aren't here and the seal on her prison was broken, the corruptive magic is gone! The ruins can be cleansed!...eventually. I'll probably move along when that happens, since most of the undead are gone."
"Oh…oh, I'm sorry Li, we didn't mean to kick you out-" Izuku began.
Li waved him off. "No no, it was about time I moved on anyways. I need high concentrations of undead to consume after all, and my research is nearly complete anyways. Besides, it won't be difficult to move. I just have to move the door, after all!"
Izuku and Ochako both stared at them, confused, before Izuku asked slowly. "Move…the door?"
Li nodded rapidly. "Well of course! This is a demiplane after all, I just move where it connects to the material plane!"
Ochako's confused stare just continued, as Izuku slowly pieced it together and facepalmed as he caught on. Noticing Ochako's confusion, he elaborated. "A demiplane is an extradimensional space powerful casters can create. Like the space in my bag of holding! It's basically its own pocket dimension. I guess this whole lab is just…the dimension? Which makes sense why it didn't collapse with the rest of the ruins…"
"Precisely, Izuku! You're pretty smart, you should consider lichdom sometime!"
"I-I'll pass," Izuku replied nervously, a little bit creeped out by the idea.
Li shrugged. "Suit yourself. Anyways, I'm brewing up another potion for you which should fix you right up, and then I'll move the door to the surface so you guys can head home!"
Izuku smiled as he met the blue-flame gaze of the lich. "Li…I…we can't thank you enough for your help, you've been a great friend to us, and we really appreciate it."
"...a friend?" Li echoed, their voice the quietest it had been yet. A look of wonderment seemed to cross their skull face as they tilted their head up, looking at the ceiling contemplatively. "...I don't recall the last friends I had. I only really speak to my familiars and Edgar…Are we friends, then?"
Izuku gaped at Li for a moment, a soft smile crossing his face a scant second later as he nodded. "Yeah. You've helped us a ton and were incredibly kind to us when you didn't need to be. I just hope to someday be able to repay the favor. I can't speak for everyone, but I'll happily call you friend."
Li's lipless grin seemed to grow even larger, the blue-flames sparkling and twinkling in their eyes. "Oh, to have friends once more, I am so happy! You, you rest my friend, I'm just going to finish up your last potion and get everything together for you! A wonderful day this is, yes!" Li hopped up and glided over to their workbench, a dozen beakers and containers floating at their waved command as they began to furiously mix something together.
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle to himself at how happy Li was by that knowledge, but he found his attention drawn back to the quiet brunette seated next to him…still holding his hand, he just noticed. He let out a startled noise as he realized he'd been gripping to her hand the whole time as the pain would ebb and flow, but she didn't seem bothered by it (besides a slight flush to her cheeks), simply letting him keep his grip there. He felt his cheeks flushing, able to feel the calluses on her fingers from her work in the forge, the strength in her grip, the tenderness of her touch…and yep, he was blushing.
He thought about letting go but…she wasn't letting go of him, so…maybe he didn't need to? They did just almost die together (again), and the sound of her arm breaking and her screaming in pain still echoed in his ears. He felt that now familiar burn of anger and energy begin to build within his chest and tamped it down immediately, not needing to call upon what he now realized was his Destruction magic. Weird, that it somehow was able to break seals and call upon black tendrils of energy, but…he couldn't deny the effectiveness.
He shook his head to clear it. Now wasn't the time to focus on this. They had the information they were after, the corruption was clear, and now they'd…rescued someone? He still wanted to know the story but he couldn't deny that with how much pain he was in, he probably couldn't focus on it well. Luckily, it seemed that was not long for the world as he saw Li gliding back over to him, a softly glowing blue vial in hand.
"And here we go! This should fix you right up! You'll be pretty tired still, but you should be able to get home just fine!" Li said happily, handing the vial over to Izuku.
Izuku let out a tired cheer, holding the vial up half-heartedly before downing it, trusting Li knew what they were doing. The familiar taste of healing potions flooding his mouth (vanilla with a hint of cinnamon, healing potions tasting differently depending on who drank them), and the odd sensation of the pain receding to be replaced with exhaustion. He swayed for a moment, blinking bleary eyes, feeling Ochako's hand on his back keeping him steady once more.
He smiled over at her. "Always catching me, huh?"
She snorted, a smirk creeping across her face. "Someone has to, else you'd spend all yer time faceplanting."
He chuckled, happy to hear her amused giggle following along behind his, the two of them sharing that small inside joke for a moment. A second later, Li snatched the vial from Izuku's hand and nodded sharply at him. "Well, there you go! Let's get those books packed up in your bag, and I'll get the door moved! You'll want to get back as soon as possible…gotta warn about those vampires on the loose, after all."
Izuku sighed, his shoulders slumping as he remembered their escape. "Y-yeah…"
Ochako gave him a gentle punch in the shoulder, her stare sharp and stern. "Don't be like that! We accomplished the mission! We'll find them and bring them down, don't you worry none."
Izuku nodded with a rueful smile on his face. "Y-yeah. Yeah. We'll hunt them down and finish this soon as we get the chance!"
Ochako nodded along, her grip on Izuku's hand tightening. The two shared another glance, emerald meeting chocolate for a brief moment before Li's exclamation caught their attention.
"Aha! Perfect. Door's been moved, it'll take you up to the surface just outside the first gate! Which is good, most of the ground collapsed so it's just a big sinkhole now, unfortunately," Li said, nodding firmly towards the door.
Izuku swung his legs off the edge of the bed, slowly managing to clamber to his feet with Ochako's help. He reached to his side for his bag, but noticed it was missing, glancing up to see Tenya and Shoto methodically packing the books into his bag, only a couple left. He saw Tsuyu speaking quietly to Himiko and Eri, the two nodding along at her. With a grunt of exertion, he grabbed his sheathed sword from the side of the bed and strapped it on, giving Ochako one final nod.
The group gathered together, all of them giving Izuku a greeting as he approached (save Himiko and Eri, the blonde woman a bit leery while the small child staring at him with wide, guileless eyes), all standing before the doorway. Li stepped up them, in his hand a small onyx pendant, golden wires wrapped about it. It pulsed once with a violet energy as Li held it in front of the door, before gesturing to Izuku to take it.
"If you ever need me…just channel your magic into that, and I'll try to move my door to where you're at. I can't promise how fast I'll be, but I'll try to be there for you. Or you can just come visit too! You're welcome any time!" Li said, their voice full of cheer…and a desperate hope.
Izuku smiled at them, tucking the pendant into their tunic so it was right there with him. "We'll be back Li, I promise. Gotta visit our new friend, right?"
If liches could tear up, Izuku was pretty sure Li would be with how choked their voice seemed as they nodded. "Y-yeah. Yeah! My new friends! I'll see you soon! Good luck, and stay safe!" With that, the door slid open, sunlight spilling into the doorway as the party stepped forward, ready to finally head home.