Disclaimer: The intellectual property rights to Hellsing belong to Kouta Hirano, as does the My Hero Academia series with Kohei Horikoshi.
Author's Notes: Welcome to the second half of the Finale! I'm sorry this took two months to finish! Nothing can excuse this chapter being so delayed. But still, I've been suffering from a drought of motivation and a flood of testing. It turns out that looking for a job is far more difficult than was let on. Reality aside, it turns out that the Meta Liberation Army's headquarters are located in Deika City, as was so kindly pointed out to me. It's too late to change this now, so expect it to be edited in at a later date. Anyways, please enjoy the concluding chapter to this story!
0.0
Hours Before The First Engagement:
Crimson slits gazed longingly towards the ticking clock on the opposite side of the room. Its thin, metal hands moving so achingly slowly towards the mark. The final hours before Tokyo, and Japan as a whole, would see its end.
And its rebirth.
Alucard had envisioned the line of events that would guide them to his rhythm. The League of Villains. The Meta Liberation Army. The Hero Association. All of Japan's greatest warriors were now on their way to the city of Tokyo, every single one of them following his scheme. He knew what he had to do in order to see the scheme reach its intended finish.
However, that was not sufficient for the insatiable vampire.
He wanted more. He needed more.
"So..." Integra, a puzzled undertone in her voice as she mused silently over the phone. "That is what you have in mind?"
Alucard had decided that it was time to give his dear master another call.
Though he gave her no answer, she knew Alucard was not one to go back on his word. Though they had spoken already and discussed the details of his plan, with Integra giving him permission to carry out this plot, this phone call carried an entirely separate level of significance. One which entailed the sacrifice of thousands of people, innocent and guilty, heroic and villainous, good and evil, all for the sake of his enjoyment.
Because despite success being a guarantee, that was not enough to satisfy the First Vampire's unquenchable thirst for blood.
On this occasion, Alucard had contacted his master in order to make a request of her. A request he rarely ever made, for an asset only utilized a handful of times in the past. Integra had only witnessed it herself once, and that'd been under the most dire of circumstances. But now, her treasured servant was asking her to let him use it not because it was necessary, but because it would bring him great pleasure.
"Hardly original, though that's never been a concern for you." She chuckled condescendingly at the "creative" revisions Alucard had made to his plan.
Were a sane man presented with Alucard's suggestion with full awareness of its consequences, they surely would have called for his beheading and the subsequent annihilation of the entire Hellsing corporation. The idea alone was already absurd, and would lead to countless dead littered all across Tokyo's alleyways and streets. There would be no end to the body count. The cries of the damned would be heard for miles, echoing throughout all of Japan as a reminder of the horror.
But to the Prince of Darkness, their tears and suffering would be music to his ears.
"Their guts shall be splayed across the city, and the streets will run red with their blood." The vampire sneered.
A sane man would have denied his request from the moment Alucard uttered his first syllable. Any sane man would have cut off the call and stormed out the room in a fit of rage. But as Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing sat in her armchair, smoking a thick cigar with an upturned grin on her lips, one couldn't help but marvel at both the confidence as well as the insane glee with which she granted his request.
"And that is all you've ever needed." She smirked.
Alucard would keep his word. While his actions would undoubtedly result in the loss of many lives, both friend and foe alike, it would ultimately lead to a future which would benefit the citizens of Japan. No Hellsing operatives would be permitted to enter the country for a few decades, that was certain. But such petty restrictions had proven inconsequential for Hellsing in the past, and the same held true now.
The plan would go as he desired. Alucard would see to it that it did, as swiftly and macabrely as possible.
"Do not forget, Alucard, that Hellsing did not accept this contract with intent to conquer." Integra took a sip from her wine glass.
The irony was not lost on the vampire.
"I am aware, my master."
"Good." She nodded her approval. "Then, by my decree, you shall lay waste to all those who oppose us. Lay bare their corpses across the streets of Japan. Announce to them your arrival, and unleash your full power unto them. You have my full authorization, vampire. When the time comes, you may release Control Art Restriction Zero." She spoke these words with a level of composure that can only come from repetition. Neither excited nor panicked, her tone remaining calm throughout invocation.
Leaning back into her armchair, Integra had a flashback to that moment during the Millennium Organization's invasion. That crucial moment when she made the heavy decision to unlock Alucard's greatest weapon and unchain him, granting him full access to his entire arsenal. The bodies buried that day had lain the foundation for Britain as it was now, leaving scars in the country which would never fade. And now here she was, repeating that same act once more.
Were there any doubts? Any last minute feelings of hesitation? If there were, they dared not reveal themselves. She knew full well what would come of her decision. History would tell whether or not she had made the right one. But for now...
"You have my thanks, my master." Alucard purred, a hint of that same bravado he'd once used to poke at her youthful morality.
Oh, to return to those halcyon days. Back when she'd had the strength to restrain her vampiric servant with her own strength. And while her strength had diminished with age, Alucard's had certainly developed. There were still times when Alucard dared to test her, to see if his master was still the woman he'd essentially nurtured.
"See to it that I do not come to regret this, vampire." Her emotions pierced through the phone line, defiant and zealous.
Alucard chuckled.
"We have known each other far too long for you to harbor such doubts, my master." He giggled sadistically. "From the very moment you first met eyes with Nezu, Japan's fate was set."
Her heartbeat quickened as Alucard's powers seeped through the phone line, triggering her reflexes and driving her to reach for her blade. But this was a sensation she'd long grown accustomed to. Alucard's provocations, while still capable of influencing weaker minds, no longer held such sway over her as they had when she was still a little schoolgirl. Giving him one final stern reprimand, Integra sighed before cutting the phone call.
*CLICK*
Placing his phone down onto the desk, Alucard stared out the window. He stared out at the clean, empty city of Tokyo. Its streets completely spotless. Sewers running smoothly. Its property as of yet undamaged.
Envisioning the rows of bodies, rivers of blood, and cries of the weak that would soon crowd the city.
Alucard licked his lips in anticipation.
0.0
Present Day, Tokyo:
Chaos reigned supreme as the scenic city of Tokyo was wrought with despair and suffering. The Meta Liberation Army's guerilla tactics were proving effective in catching their enemies off guard, constantly appearing in their most vulnerable locations and disrupting their communication networks. Cutting off whole groups before surrounding and decimating them. They were doing a fairly good job of utilizing their equipment to make up for the Quirk differential, demonstrating that they were not to be trifled with.
... In some segments of the battlefield.
As the League of Villains main force advanced into the center of Tokyo, the bulwark of Gigantomachia carved a gruesome path through the swarm of opponents charging at him. Like flies, they dodged and flew around him in circles, always trying to bring him down so they could cut him off from the League's main force. However, Gigantomachia's skin was far too rough for their weapons to pierce. Mountains care little about the deeds of insects, after all.
All across the battlefield, numerous engagements played out as the three factions clashed for supremacy. Each of them struggling to gain control of the momentum, but each failing to maintain it. One side would seize it for a brief moment but would soon find themselves beset by the two opposing factions, swiftly being forced onto the backfoot once again.
The Hero Association, in the midst of all this chaos, were often the ones on the retreat. Naturally so, since they were the ones most despised by the Meta Liberation Army and the League of Villains. The only thing keeping morale as high as it was, however, was the one shining light of the Hero Association. The man who'd taken over All Might's spot as the #1 ranked Hero in Japan.
As well as the man who was consistently breaking off from the main body, all for the sake of his mad pursuit for redemption.
*FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHH*
"WHERE IS HE?!" Endeavor shouted, yelling at the top of his lungs. His cries could be heard from across the city, all the way to the backlines of the League of Villains. "SHOW YOURSELF, YOU WORTHLESS COWARD!"
Right from the start, the Hero Association's fiery mascot had been rampaging all over Tokyo, destroying enemy lines and diving straight past their strongest units. And in all that time, he paid no heed to the tidal wave of demands from Nezu and other leaders for him to pull back and regroup with the heroes who were struggling to keep up with his breakneck pace.
He ignored them, of course. He didn't care about their foolish "strategies" and "plans". He only cared for one thing.
Vindication.
Despite his reckless behavior, he was easily the single shining light for the Hero Association. Like Gigantomachia, his thoughtless and borderline selfish actions helped drive a fork through enemy lines. With his blisteringly hot flames, Endeavor left massive burn marks in every nearby building district. Singes which still glowed even now, despite efforts to extinguish them.
Amidst the madness, the Meta Liberation Army soon found themselves consumed by the turmoil. Lacking a trailblazer like Gigantomacia or Endeavor, the organized guerilla tactics which'd been their greatest strength now began to turn its back on them. Soon, they were falling back into the subways and slinking into the shadows so they could regroup and plan a second attack. Their enemies were not so foolish as to let them off so easily, however.
"AFTER THEM!" Several squad leaders blurted, leading their hero teams straight into the brink.
Almost every line of command had been lost, making it nigh impossible to reliably message one another without being noticed by a hostile. Gradually, the battlefield devolved into a mass riot.
The Hero Association created small defensive towers from which they could pull back the wounded with relative ease, in large part thanks to the efforts of Endeavor, who by now had become such a nuisance that both the Meta Liberation Army and the League of Villains devoted a significant portion of their resources to offing him. It was beginning to feel as though the #1 Ranked Hero might be enough.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" Endeavor shouted out, blasting a hole through a Nomu as it dived at him. Meta Liberation Army operatives tried capturing him in a deceptively innocent bubble, but his flames quickly popped that idea.
*BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM*
"DRAA~AACULAAAAAA!" Surveyors heard Endeavor scream once again as he ignited a wildfire in the middle of the League of Villains main force.
Off in the Hero Association's central camp, Nezu watched with bated breath as the Hero Association's strongest Hero went on the most destructive temper tantrum he'd ever witnessed.
"Uugghh..." He sighed, taking a shaky sip from his teacup.
To think Endeavor would still be so obsessed with fighting Alucard. The bastard sincerely believed that he was doing this in the name of reclaiming what he felt was rightfully his. But he failed to stop and think that maybe he could surpass All Might by helping the Hero Association make it through this conflict. Had that thought never occurred to him?! Not even once?!
*BBZZTTT*
Nezu pressed some buttons and tried to contact outposts near the conflict. The scouts who'd been deployed further within the battlefield were either unresponsive, or... deceased...
"Report." Nezu spoke determinedly into his microphone.
For a moment, there was no response. Just the empty buzzing of dead static.
He began to worry that maybe he'd be forced to head out and look at the war with his own eyes. And while he wasn't exactly opposed to it, they needed someone here to keep things in check. Even if their plans were hard to carry out and all communication was practically cut off, there still needed to be some form of leadership if they were to emerge victorious.
*BBZZTTT*
"... This is Lock 3, reporting in." At last, Nezu got a reply.
"How are things on the ground?" He asked.
"Our front lines are holding, but only because Endeavor's pulled away the brunt of the enemy's strength." They responded, a hint of anxiety in their voice. "I don't know how much longer we can last without something big happening, because there's no knowing how much Endeavor's got left in him."
So the lion's share of their defensive rested on the broad shoulder's of their most uncontrollable agent...
Well, U.A.'s little principal had seen worse circumstances before. So he could make this work, right?!
Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing what happened next.
Back on the battlefield, things were growing hectic as Endeavor dove straight through a building, causing it to collapse on top of a big group of villains. Panicking, explosive Quirk users and other powerful villains reacted by blowing the whole structure into pieces. The rubble crashed on top of them, crushing quite a few underneath gigantic chunks of steel and brick walls.
But as Endeavor was flying away to continue his endless pursuit of the Prince of Darkness, a massive beam of flame crashed into him, sending him careening through several business districts. A great conflagration sprung up into the air, devouring the air and engulfing the surrounding area in a torrent of fire.
For a single instant, Endeavor's light was snuffed out. The radiance that'd shone a path for his companions appeared to have been swallowed by a greater luster. Only it did not die, but rather was put to shame by a wholly unique, superior blaze. The fire burned so brightly that onlookers had to look away from its blazing glory. Those closest to it could not partake in such pleasures, as they were too busy fleeing from its scorching heat.
Those villains close enough to get a good look but far away enough to avoid being barbequed saw who was behind this. A familiar mat of rough, leathery skin was there floating in front of their vision. The kid who'd driven their leader up the wall with his recent acts of insubordination. The same teenager whose current actions may have just rescued the League of Villains from collapsing.
*FWOOOOOOSH*
Dabi had arrived. And unbeknownst to his allies, his appearance had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict. Gazing solemnly in the direction he'd just launched Endeavor in, a frightening grin stretched his lips outward and threatened to tear his knitted skin apart. But that didn't matter to him. The overuse of his Quirk had effectively numbed his body. Even as chunks of skin and flesh were physically melting off of his body, he grinned menacingly.
Spotting a sign of movement from within the chasm, Dabi sent another surge of fire through his palms and barreled inside. With such ferocity did he make this pursuit that Endeavor, still recovering from the impact, was caught off guard. At first, he wasn't sure who exactly it was that'd knocked him down and put him into such a vulnerable position.
But his opponent had no intentions of letting him die an ignorant death.
Propelling himself forward with massive jets of fire, Dabi crashed directly into Endeavor, lodging both of them deeper into the cement wall. Dabi broke out first, holding the stronger Endeavor down through sheer force of will. The young boy smiled at his foe. A wide grin that carried enough menace to rend steel.
He'd experienced maniacs like this before, so Endeavor wasn't bothered by the boy's mad grin. Instead, for some reason he hesitated to blow him away like he usually did. There was just something about his face that made Endeavor pause...
Leering at him intimidatingly, Dabi sneered. He knew why Endeavor was so reluctant. Relishing in this, he leaned in close so the #1 Ranked Hero could get a better look at his face.
"I would've liked a bit more subtlety." He hissed, malice oozing out of his frayed lips. "A bit more theater. Maybe some cameras, panache, and fireworks so I could build up to the big reveal. But whatever, I'll take what I can get."
Endeavor looked puzzled, now growing legitimately upset by the villainous teenager's expression. It was as if something just... disturbed him about this angsty child standing in front of him. It felt like it was right there on his tongue, hanging freely in the air for his grasp, and yet something was stopping him from grabbing it.
Dabi's smile grew.
"Hey, Dad." After that, Endeavor's eyes widened. Memories from a bygone time suddenly began pouring into his brain, flashbacks playing before him like he was sitting in a movie theater. "Long time no see."
Chaos erupted. With Endeavor now absent on the battlefield and Dabi very openly being the one to have taken him off it, the League of Villains ranks experienced a surge of morale. And with the Meta Liberation Army already hanging by a thread, they could focus more onto the main target of their ire. Blood ran freely down the streets, flowing into the sewer drains, as more bodies were added to the ever-expanding pile.
The Hero Association found itself bombarded by villains, slowly driving them back towards their central base camp. Their front outposts held, but everyone outside them now struggled to maintain control. Back at the Hero Association's base camp, Nezu frantically gave out orders, trying to bring order to the hero squads who were now grappling with the reinvigorated League of Villains.
They still had fall back plans so the collapse wasn't absolute, but victory had gone from a surefire guarantee to being far out of reach. Recovery Girl had healed Mt. Lady's wounds well enough for her to reenter the field, and her fight against Gigantomachia was now easier thanks to the fact that the behemoth was finally running out of steam. Eraser Head had teamed up with other heroes in bringing it down with a combination of restraints, hypnosis, tranquilizers, and pretty much anything imaginable that could knock someone out.
Through sheer effort and hard work, the Hero Association was barely holding on. Nezu was trying to contact All Might and his group, but couldn't get any idea of their whereabouts. Either they weren't answering, or...
And in between it all, as the Hero Association's #1 Ranked Hero realized just who it was he now faced, Endeavor's expression turned from determined rage to abject horror.
0.0
Not Too Far Away:
"Come on! No time to waste!" Mirko yelled, launching herself over multiple rooftops with ease.
For perhaps the first time in a while, Mirko was not smiling. Gazing at the far off battle, she felt disquieted by the pandemonium. Even several blocks away from the center of the fighting, offshoots of the Meta Liberation Army and League of Villains still wormed their way into their path. It was to be expected since there were bound to be plenty of cowards running away, or people who'd just gotten disoriented and lost their way. But still, her instincts had her on edge.
Taking a narrow glance behind her back, Mirko took count of the people running near her. There were the young students of U.A.'s Class 1-A, along with All Might, Gran Torino, Gang Orca, Snipe, and Cementoss. They looked like a pretty silly group given the massive discrepancy between the kids and the Pro Heroes. But all bets were off now that they were on the battlefield, so who cared about ranking?
Some of 1-A were still a bit unsure as to how they were meant to treat All Might. Heck, even All Might seemed confused at times. As Mirko continued bouncing and leaping over buildings, the sound of an engine running echoed on the street. Because not everyone could move as quickly as her in their motley little assembly, they'd split up to find more suitable transportation. And in a city as big as Tokyo, it didn't take long for them to find a fitting ride. Soon, All Might had boarded a discarded van alongside Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and other members of their shoddy group who couldn't keep pace with the likes of Todoroki, Deku, Bakugo, and Mirko.
*PPOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW*
Explosions rocked the block as they drew closer to the escalating conflict. A huge, lumbering mass of stone and flesh drove through buildings and flattened the city around him. Dozens of heroes maneuvered around the beast, all the while peppering him with projectiles. They must have been doing this for a while when even the aerial Pros looked exhausted beyond belief. It looked like the monstrosity had finally been taken down after causing huge amounts of damage. With her sharp eyesight, Mirko could make out Eraser Head and other heroes doing their best to tie up the gargantuan bastard.
*BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~ooooooooommmmm*
"What was that?!" Deku exclaimed, hardly able to believe his own eyes.
"Probably one of All For One's hand-me-downs." All Might poked his head through the van's open window. "It'd be just like him to keep something like that hidden, just in case anything ever went wrong."
He sighed, putting a hand on his forehead. Despite being locked in an impenetrable cell far below the surface, All For One was still complicating things. His schemes truly knew no end. But in all honesty, he found himself kind of missing his hated rival. Why?
Because it was starting to feel like Alucard was an even greater threat, the likes of which Japan had never seen before. All For One had stolen thousands of Quirks and utilized them in creative ways, but none of those combinations ever reached the level that Alucard's abilities had. With the kinds of powers at his disposal, many of which they likely hadn't even seen yet, there was no knowing what kind of schemes Alucard had left in store.
"So it's with the League of Villains, then?" Boosting with his jet boots, Iida wondered aloud just how much the League had left in them.
"Gotta be." Mirko sneered. "Nobody else is as insane as them."
She'd faced common thugs in Hiroshima long enough to understand the lengths to which villains were willing to travel to overcome the Hero Association. Committing cruel acts of human experimentation was absolutely within their capabilities. That gigantic creature that'd just been brought down by Eraser Head and numerous hero squads was undoubtedly just another product of those inhumane experiments. The Nomu were one thing, but there was bound to be far more and far worse experiments lurking in their basements.
"Nothing about this makes sense!"
Suddenly, a shrill shriek of terror came from behind her. Peeking over her shoulder in midair, Mirko followed everybody else's lingering gazes, eventually landing on Mineta and his sweaty underpants. The boy had been listening to their conversation and had seemingly gotten lost in it. Perhaps he had some sort of image of Alexander Anderson that was irreconcilable with his image of Dracula.
"Hmm?"
"Is Alex really behind all this?! Are we seriously considering that he dragged the most powerful people in Japan all the way out here to Tokyo, all so he could get rid of them and take over the country?!" His grape-shaped orbs swiveling across his scalp, Mineta was shivering anxiously, his eyes swinging from left to right in search of a comforting answer.
A brief silence followed, filled only by the hum of the van. And then, their group's two adrenaline junkies chimed in.
"Yup."
"Meh, maybe."
Bakugo and Mirko spoke simultaneously, both glancing at each other afterwards, with Bakugo genuinely offended. Was there really any doubt that he was doing this for nefarious reasons?
"Fuck that douchebag. He's out for blood, and I'm gonna make him pay for it."
"You're just saying that because you've got a chip on your shoulder." Mirko calmly replied, highlighting the veins on Bakugo's forehead.
Her refusal to cooperate only made those veins grow more pronounced.
"Not like you're any different!" Raising his voice while still avoiding yelling to avoid detection, 1-A's most aggressive student was raring for a fight. Having been denied that opportunity at Detnerat's HQ, he was more than willing to duke it out with the experienced veteran.
An intense stare down followed, seeing Mirko laughing off the young boy's incensed behavior and his lack of self-control. The reality was that the two shared more traits than Bakugo was willing to admit. Both were prone to combative behavior. Both preferred speaking with their fists. And both of them were more than capable of carrying out whatever came out of their mouths. The difference was that Mirko was a seasoned Pro, whereas Bakugo was not.
"I don't let it get to me though, unlike someone." Mirko spoke, coughing humorously with that last phrase. She played it off as innocently as she could whilst simultaneously making her mockery as blatant as possible.
Thankfully, her efforts did not go unnoticed.
"Shut the F-!"
"Kacchan!" Deku blurted out, going so far as activating his Full Cowling to loop around and cover Bakugo's mouth.
His "friend" resisted, of course, but by now Deku had developed his abs and legs enough to withstand the flurry of elbows and heels he received. Meanwhile, Iida zoomed past them and speedily made his way to where he could comfortably speak with the rabbit eared veteran.
"Mirko-sensei, what makes you think Alex might not really be doing what we think he's doing?" 1-A's president inquired.
She cupped her chin while still skillfully leaping and twirling in the air.
"Hmmm..."
Having grown familiar with Alexander Anderson, and then Alucard, Mirko had gained a sense of his motivation's. The reasons that pushed the vampire forward. Alucard preferred to do things in such a manner that would 1. Provide him with a decent bit of fun, and 2. Benefit those he felt deserved it.
And all things considered, ruling over a whole nation just didn't feel like something he cared about doing. Sure, he could monopolize everything and make himself extremely wealthy, but who needs wealth and power when you're an immortal, godlike being?! Alucard was a vampire. The First Vampire, for that matter. There was nothing in Japan that would make him want to stick around.
They all grew silent in anticipation, waiting for any insight she could give them. She knew him better than anybody else there, save perhaps for Deku. Surely she could provide them with something.
"Nah, nothing much. It's just a hunch, really." She shrugged.
Deku nearly tripped over himself, he was so taken aback.
*HUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH?*
"A HUNCH?!" Deku shouted. Everyone else joined in, checking their legs so they didn't trip. Every single person there chiming out in dismay at Mirko's complete and total lack of common sense. This was an end of the world scenario they were in, and she was basing her theory off her gut?!
"Yep."
Still chuckling, she blew past a couple more chimneys and roofs before skidding to a stop, allowing them time to catch up.
"You must be joking..." Iida sighed exasperatedly.
While no one there would have doubted Mirko's instincts, save maybe Bakugo, this was going too far. They needed more than small reassurances that there was something valuable in her words. Something beyond just "Trust me." But it didn't seem like they were going to get that as Mirko once again just shrugged her shoulders, further enhancing their frustration.
"It's just a feeling, kids." She admitted, knowing full well the effect she was having on the general mood.
"That doesn't help at all..."
The normally taciturn Todoroki had to pinch the bridge of his nose in an effort to process the absurdity. Right in the middle of marching into a warzone, Mirko had to come out with this ridiculous claim that the perpetrator and culprit behind this incident, Alexander Anderson, might've had a good reason for doing this. He, along with everybody else, was perplexed and flabbergasted at how far-fetched the idea was.
Peeking through the van window, Gran Torino shook his head, vexed by Mirko's seeming arrogance. In the seat behind him, All Might poked his head out to get a closer read on the atmosphere.
The frail man wore a serious look on his face while he staring at Mirko. He had also met Alucard, and so was trying to figure out what part of that monster might have convinced her that he had good intentions. Because while yes, it wasn't his style... He struggled to come up with a way for any of this to come out positive for the people of Japan.
"While I do not share your skepticism, Mirko..." All Might gestured at her, earning him a brief glance. "I can empathize."
1-A were left in an unscrupulous state of confusion.
"All Might?!"
"What're you saying?!"
Now their teacher and #1 idol was agreeing with her?! What the hell was going on?!
"Having met Alucard myself and endured his presence, I can say that a plan like this is absolutely something he'd come up with." Nodding sullenly, All Might recalled the off-putting and upsetting ways in which Alucard had addressed him. Always the center of attention. Always sucking the air out of his lungs, and never giving him space to get comfortable.
Anyone with that sort of countenance was bound to be smart enough to devise and conduct a plan of this magnitude. Superhuman speed, strength, aim, cognition skills. The ability to shapeshift into whatever he desired, summon familiars of all manner of shapes and sizes, stare right into the deepest depths of your soul, and more. With all these powers at his disposal, it was a wonder why Alucard hadn't already taken over the world, let alone Japan.
"He's more than capable of conquering Japan. If the tales are to be believed, he's already done something similar in the past." But if that really was the case, then that begged the question... What had taken him so long?!
Toshinori wasn't an arrogant person, he'd left that to All For One. But had Alucard and Toshinori met back in his youth, his prime as Japan's Symbol of Peace, then he liked to think he would've put up a good fight. Of course, chances were that the vampiric mastermind would have just come up with some underhanded, creative tactic to beat him with little to no effort. And then he likely would have dealt with All For One in a similar manner.
In other words, there'd been plenty of past opportunities for the Prince of Darkness to conquer Japan. So why wait until now? There were plenty of faster and more efficient ways for Alucard to remove all of Japan's heroes and villains. That was the biggest problem in their theory. And that was precisely why All Might couldn't bring himself to totally dismiss Mirko's little hunch.
"However..." Taking a deep breath, he let out a depressed sigh. "I can't say I don't relate, Mirko. He didn't seem like the type to wield such ambitions. Alucard is more like a derisive spectator, one who takes great pleasure in partaking in the spoils himself sometimes."
Dracula, Alucard, Alexander Anderson, that weird schoolgirl with a tommy gun, whatever. The soul behind all those varied identities was not particularly interested in world domination. At least not in the conventional sense. Instead, all Alucard wanted was... something else.
For a man as diligent and straight-laced as All Might, it was difficult for him to fully comprehend what made the vampire tick. Whether it was a sick, twisted desire to see humanity writhe in pain, or a deceptively heroic wish to do good, ruling a nation was certainly not one of them.
"But you still don't agree with me?" Mirko cocked her head, pondering All Might's answer.
Nearby, Deku was watching All Might with perked up, shiny eyes. Like always, Deku was doing his best to learn from his mentor. But that only put more pressure onto All Might's already exhausted shoulders. He didn't want to come off as fully on Mirko's side, for risk of angering those less familiar with the real Alexander Anderson. Nor did he want to completely dismiss her, since there was certainly some merit in her madness.
"Not exactly." Resting his forehead on the palm of his hand in embarrassment, All Might stuttered a bit as the van's tires passed over some rubble. "I'm not jumping to any conclusions. Because no matter why he's doing all this, the streets of Tokyo now run red with innocent blood. Does the why really matter right now?!"
Bakugo and Deku, along with everybody else who was close enough to hear him, turned their gazes away so they could contemplate. He'd made a fairly good point. Whether it was for nefarious reasons or not, that didn't change what they had to do. While they were all yelling at each other, arguing about some murderer's plans and intentions, thousands of people were currently tearing each other's throats out in a battle for the ages.
Off in the distance, more shouts echoed throughout Tokyo. It sounded like the pits of Hell had opened, swallowing the main district and gradually consuming the rest of the city. If they wanted to alter the course of this battle, they needed to speed up. Otherwise, there would be nothing left for them to save.
"Toshinori, we need to go." Said Gran Torino, urging him to sit back down and for Snipe to hit the gas pedal.
*KRAKOOOM*
Just then, the gargantuan monster crashed through another building, now engaged in a Kaiju-sized duel with Mt. Lady. The beast was practically encased in wires, but it still had enough strength to resist the gallons of tranquilizer that'd been injected into its bloodstream. Its dedication was genuinely impressive and admirable, but at this point it just felt ridiculous how much effort it was taking to bring down.
Wave upon wave of heroes and villains clashed underneath the two titans. The villains outnumbered the heroes at least two to one, but the Hero Association's coordination and tactics more than made up the difference. Cries could be heard coming from the battlefield. Men and women standing amongst the conflict, barking out orders while doing their utmost to keep morale high. The Meta Liberation Army was nowhere to be found at this point, maybe wiped out since both sides wanted nothing more than to get rid of those nuisances.
On the other side of the battlefield, a massive pillar of flame erupted from the ground as Endeavor engaged with an unknown adversary. Endeavor's face was charred and frayed, but Deku couldn't recall anything about Endeavor's own flames leaving marks on him. That could only mean the person fighting him was somehow stronger. They must've been using a Quirk like Endeavor's, only it was somehow creating flames even hotter than his own. Was that even possible?!
They weren't far now. With each passing second, their odds of remaining conspicuous dwindled. Recognizing this, Gran Torino gathered everyone's attention before spreading his arms out.
"We're getting pretty close, so we should split up if we want to avoid getting swarmed by any of the Meta Liberation Army's lackeys, or All For One's cronies."
"Shouldn't we stick together?" Mineta sniffled, frightened at the prospect of splitting their already tiny group. "I just think it'll be safer that way..."
Numbers wouldn't do them any good in this situation. They'd be facing overwhelming odds regardless if they stuck together or not, so they might as well split up now. Not only would they be able to move covertly, but they could cover more ground quickly and hopefully catch enemies off guard. That was all up to luck, but still! And besides, certain members of their little fellowship had different priorities than others.
Mirko wanted to join up with the Hero Association and get in on the fighting, the students of 1-A wanted to find Alucard and prevent him from doing whatever it was he had in mind, Gran Torino wanted to check on Endeavor's status, and so on. Their priorities were all over the place, hence why they simply could not stay as one without problems cropping up.
As Gran Torino laid this out on the table, he noticed Toshinori eyeing the battlefield. Throughout their entire drive, he'd seen his former pupil gazing urgently off at the mire of bloodshed. Gran Torino wasn't sure why, but being in closer proximity to that malicious warzone let the old man better guess just where All Might was looking. And as he drew a straight line between Toshinori's pupils and the League of Villains front lines, he quickly got his answer.
"Toshinori!" Gran Torino grunted curtly as he gestured in Endeavor's direction.
"Tch..." All Might grit his teeth.
The reason he'd been glaring at the League's side of things was due to his lingering feelings of obligation. Ever since that day in Kamino, where All For One had revealed to him that Tomura Shigaraki was really Nana Shimura's grandson, he'd wanted nothing more than to venture off and bring that boy back to the side of good. As the successor to her legacy, he felt it was his duty to redeem Shigaraki. To help him find his way back onto the right path.
But in that time, Gran Torino, Eraser Head, Nezu, and basically everyone close to him had strongly advised against this. He had other duties now, they said. He could leave that job up to someone else. After all, not only was he no longer able to summon One For All, but he also had to remember where he stood symbolically. Though retired, he was still important to many.
So right now, what he needed to do more than anything was regroup with the Hero Association, shore up morale, and help them retake control of the battlefield. Because in its current state, the city of Tokyo absolutely was not in their favor. A veritable ocean of blood was pooling in the middle of the city as men and women duked it out over their wounded and beaten comrades.
Eventually, Toshinori acquiesced to his old mentor's advice. Despite being so achingly close to the one person he owed more than anyone else, his duty as the Symbol of Peace, retired or not, still mattered. That long extinguished fire and passion still burned, no matter how small it'd become in Alucard's wake.
"So, here's the plan." Gran Torino gathered them all up into three teams, each one given a unique task that would take them to separate corners of the battlefield.
"Group One will help Endeavor. We can't have him out of the fight for too long, otherwise things will only get worse."
After hashing that out, they eventually settled on Gran Torino as the leader, accompanied by Snipe, Gang Orca, Hagakure, Tsuyu, Jiro and Todoroki. Todoroki had protested this decision, but they knew they would need his expertise and his Quirk so they could better handle the hellfire currently blazing over where Endeavor was. It was that line of thinking that reminded them how helpful Kirishima would be, so they decided to take him too.
"Group Two will take All Might back to camp. Things are bound to be disorderly over there, so we'll need people who've got the brains and skills to help out."
It didn't take them long to figure out who was going to be in that team. All Might, of course, followed by Cementoss, Iida, Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, Shoji, and pretty much everyone whose Quirk wasn't specialized for combat. The reason being that everyone good at that had already been absorbed into Group Three.
"FINALLY!" Bakugo threw his head upward as he wrung his knuckles together. "We can start getting serious."
In a short scene of relaxing familiarity, Deku placed his hand onto Bakugo's shoulder right as the battle-crazy boy was about to leap into action. And with practiced ease, the young wielder of One For All dodged and ducked under his fists as he fired off a barrage of insults back for daring to touch him.
"Kacchan, please stay close by this time! I don't want you getting kidnapped like last time!" Said Deku while still deftly sidestepping most of Bakugo's attacks and blocking the rest.
"SHUT UP!"
But just as it looked like Bakugo's fist was about to connect with Deku's nose, ...
*POOOMFFF*
A gloved hand had blocked Bakugo's fist, taking firm grip of his clenched hand and tossing it aside with ease. Mirko, along with Tokoyami, Ashido, and Kaminari, had all jumped in to help put a stop to the rather one-sided fight. Her expression sterner than usual, Mirko eyed up Bakugo, her hardened gaze warning him to back off for fear of fearsome consequences.
Still acting defiant, Bakugo scoffed as he pulled back, cupping his wrist fearfully. With that settled, the Rabbit Hero turned and smiled at Deku, who was currently standing in shock at the speed with which she'd managed to pull that off.
"Don't worry about losing track of your friends, kid. Leave that to me." She laughed, putting a hand on her hip and giving them an enthralling thumbs up.
Group Three, while few in numbers, consisted of arguably the most firepower in their entire party. While the likes of Gang Orca and Snipe obviously held significant abilities, they couldn't have this group getting sucked into the fighting. After all, they'd been given the task of navigating the battlefield and trying to figure out the specifics of Alucard's whereabouts. They would be covertly making their way through that warzone, helping wherever they could, but largely devoting themselves to investigating every nearby building for signs of the vampire.
The other groups, assuming they completed their assigned tasks, would be able to join them if need be. Yaoyorozu had generated a flare gun for them which, in the event they were successful, they would fire into the sky to notify everybody else. While Gran Torino didn't approve of 1-A accompanying them, his experience teaching people like Toshinori and Izuku had taught him not to bother trying to dissuade youngsters. No matter what he said, they would disobey him in one way or another, so he might as well accept it and pray they knew how to take care of themselves.
"Everyone knows what they're doing?!" Gran Torino asked once more, his gaze swinging across their ranks one last time.
"LET'S GO!"
0.0
Deep In The Midst Of Battle:
*POW*KABOOOOMMM*FFFSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH*SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUSSHHH~BAAAKKOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW*
By now, the battle had descended into complete and utter chaos. The Meta Liberation Army had effectively been neutralized, though offshoots of their forces still cropped up and caught nascent groups like the Shie Hassaikai off guard. Driven by lethal rage, Shigaraki had gathered some willing peons to go and deal with them while they were vulnerable. This resulted in a climactic confrontation between the leader of the League of Villains and Overhaul. Their battle quickly turned into a duel as both combatants turned their opponent's minions into dust.
Neither of them said much going into it, nor during their duel. Little needed to be said, since both knew how much they hated one another. Their mutual distaste manifested itself in the form of a faint cloud floating around them. The thin, gray mist decorated the scene with an enchanting, melancholic atmosphere. Adorning their fight in a beautifully subtle headdress.
In reality, that mystifying cloud was simply the ashes of their fallen comrades. Dust particles kicked up by their violent fury, locked intently in their one-on-one engagement. While things seemed to be in a stalemate, it was Shigaraki who carried the advantage. Because while both combatants were capable, it was Shigaraki whose style was built to outlast his opponents.
While his tutelage under All For One had awarded him with some practical fighting techniques, the danger in facing Shigaraki came from his desperation. His nonstop aggression. His ferocity. And the fact that no matter how exhausted he looked, nothing could stop the teenage leader of the League of Villains from raising one arm over the other.
In another sector, Seras Victoria sighed discontentedly as she watched the ongoing duel through her Third Eye. While played off as a sigh of relief, the truth was that she found the situation oppressively tedious. Being given the task of playing Himiko Toga by her master, she committed to the role with vigor. But now, with war at hand and thousands of morsels, it was growing increasingly difficult to restrain herself. She wanted nothing more than to tear through the enemy lines, consuming their flesh and sapping them of their life force. But sadly, she still had to maintain the veneer of Himiko Toga.
Her blood had begun to boil in the presence of so much violence. Using Toga's "Quirk" in favor of her natural vampiric abilities was akin to sipping an ocean through a straw. As though reality itself was teasing her with a banquet whilst feeding her scraps. No longer did she view Twice as an entertaining sideshow. His silly antics and naïve personality had grown into a nuisance as her patience ran thin.
She could only subject herself to this theater for so long before her façade would crumble under her unstoppable thirst. Be it Tomura Shigaraki's life force, the League of Villains forces, the Hero Association, the Shie Hassaikai, or anyone else on this battlefield, it mattered little. All Seras cared about was appeasing that bottomless pit.
But at last, she felt her master's presence entering the fray. The sky greyed and the wind chilled as an ominous atmosphere blanketed the tumultuous city of Tokyo. Although still engrossed in their battle, some amidst the battle ranks grew weary of the wintry sensation traveling down their spines. Of the profound weight which had settled across the battlefield, encompassing friend and foe alike. As though their following actions were of little import in the face of what was to come. Seras pitied the poor souls. Like sniveling toddlers, squirming in vain to escape the grasp of their unknowable captors.
"The time has come." Her master's sensuous voice echoed in her mind, goading her to finally free herself of her shackles.
"Thank you." She replied.
Commencing the process, a thick, oily mist materialized around her legs. Slowly making its way up her body, Himiko Toga was gradually consumed by the black smoke. This change did not go unnoticed by her comrades, of course. Twice, who was the one closest in her proximity, assumed it was simply his friend's usual antics and so did not show any signs of panic. But like the good friend he was, he still inquired purely for his own self-assurance.
"Toga?" Twice asked, cocking his head in curious fervor. "Is something wrong? You don't look so good..."
He leaned in for a closer look.
"Actually, now that I think about it..." Tilting his neck at an odd angle, Twice stood back up. For this man who spent nearly all his time with Toga normally, seeing a hazy mist folding across her ankles really didn't seem that odd. She had a tendency of adopting whatever forms she pleased if it meant teasing her opponents. Now wasn't any different, right? And the massive smile on her face, while menacing to most, looked like her usual smile in his eyes. And yet...
"You look... WAY too good. Like you've just had a super good massage. Did you meet someone special while I wasn't looking?"
"Oh yes..." She whispered.
Twice began skipping and hopping in delight. Nothing made him happier than seeing the people around him feeling happy, so any time Toga or Shigaraki smiled, that was good news for him. Even though it normally meant somebody else's day was getting ruined, but hey... That wasn't his concern.
"THAT'S GREAT! Where are they? I wanna get a closer look at them!"
His head whipped back and forth, scanning the packed horizon for any sign of someone fitting Toga's general preferences. Since she usually liked attractive, upbeat people who were around her age, most of the crowd was basically out of the question. She'd shown signs of interest in U.A. students like Ochaco Uraraka, Tsuyu Asui and Izuku Midoriya, so he tried to find people like them. And well... Despite his best efforts, he didn't spot anyone like that. Which made sense, given everybody there was either a middle-aged hero, a middle-aged villain, or a middle-aged member of the Yakuza. Pretty much no one was under the age of twenty.
"Um... Could I have a hint?" Scratching his head, he humorously rested his elbow on her shoulder.
"Even better." Her tongue slithered delicately along her lips as he voice miraculously began deepening. "Let me show you."
Twice could hear something almost... crushing them. It started off faint, like a rusty squeezebox. But quickly, it increased exponentially into a force far too great for himself or anyone else to withstand. It wasn't long before all nearby fighters had ceased, and were instead staring at the one person still on her feet.
Like plastic, her skin and flesh peeled off her body, vanishing in the black mist that now spread from her soles. Her uniform melted away, revealing a burgundy red military vest. Deep, crimson eyes complemented a head of light, platinum blonde hair. As more of her form was revealed, the pressure only grew as some began passing out, unable to withstand the unbearable duress.
Those still conscious bore witness to Himiko Toga, that sadistic schoolgirl, morphing into a menacing woman barely in her twenties. As the shadows fell, a long tube fell onto the ground with an audible *CLUNK*. Was that.. an anti-tank rifle?! And she was wielding it with just one arm! Her other arm, if you could even call it that, was nothing more than a whip-like set of tendrils. Dark red boots, white gloves, a dark red miniskirt, and long stockings completed an outfit most would've considered both provocative and intimidating.
Twice, barely able to keep himself in one piece under the intense pressure, could only peek at her, anxious concern and worry in his eyes. Who was this strange woman? Was this just Himiko Toga adopting another form and impressing upon them her power? Or was this someone else entirely?
As Seras Victoria completed her transformation, she glanced at the sky.
"Finally..." She took a deep breath.
Discarding that worthless costume and unveiling her true form had never felt so liberating. Maybe because she'd never had to do it for so long while in the presence of so much blood before. Well, none of that mattered anymore. Having unleashed the brunt of her powers, there was nothing holding her back from enjoying this meal.
One fold of hair covering part of her face, Seras Victoria's scarlet, shining pupil cast a dark shadow upon her waiting victims. Lying at her feet, Twice coughed up a mouthful of blood. This morsel was swiftly consumed as Seras absorbed it through the heels of her boots.
*KACHUNK*
Loading her rifle, she swung her mass of tendrils across the fray and let out a maniacal, sadistic chuckle.
"Let's get to it then."
Soon, the battle cries and rallying calls vanished into thin air. Only the wails of the dead and dying were left, echoing throughout the district like a spectral chorus.
0.0
Eastern Side of Tokyo:
Where the fuck had Dabi gone?
That was the question currently swirling in Shigaraki's brain as he, along with Kurogiri and a few subordinates, made their way towards the raging battlefield. Toga and Twice were dealing with some Meta Army forces, so he knew where they were. The issue was that Dabi had just disappeared without even saying where the hell he was going! And even though Shigaraki's fight with Overhaul had temporarily distracted him from that issue, he was immediately drawn back to it when he felt a sudden change in the atmosphere.
Right in the middle of his fight, just as he felt like he was about to win, something on the other side of the battle changed. It wasn't clear what the source of this was, but what mattered was that there was a feeling in the air that something was about to happen. Knocking everyone out of their drunken stupor and forcing them to actually read the situation. Both he and Overhaul stopped fighting to glare at the disturbance.
He had no way of knowing what'd happened, but it wouldn't have surprised him if Dabi was involved.
"That idiot...!" Shigaraki snarled.
"Young master, there is no guarantee he has not left to perform some covert activities." Kurogiri cautioned from the sidelines. "Perhaps Dabi has ventured into the battle because he saw an opportunity, and wanted to turn the tide in our favor? Perhaps this is the result of his efforts?"
Shigaraki shook his head.
"Yeah right." He was too angry to accept even the possibility that Dabi knew something he didn't. "The dumbass just got careless and ran off for no reason. Or maybe he just got cold feet. Either way, I don't care."
Even if Dabi had done something good for them, Shigaraki was still going to punish him severely for disobeying him. Why couldn't these idiots just learn to sit still and listen to him? Sure, he hated having to plan and tell it to them, but that didn't make it any less frustrating for the League's juvenile leader. At least Gigantomachia was doing well. Endeavor seemed to have gotten preoccupied with someone but Shigaraki didn't know who.
"SHIGARAKI!"
A random messenger dashed over to them, shirking away from Overhaul and standing where the bird-nosed hillbilly couldn't touch him. Panting slightly, the low-level crook bowed low.
"What?" He spoke roughly, heavily winded after his extended duel with Overhaul.
"Dabi is fighting Endeavor!" The brat shouted, unaware the fight had begun a while ago.
But in his mind, that fight was inconsequential. Because they hadn't come here to wipe out the Hero Association. No, they'd come here for one man and one man only. The one man who was behind all this madness, and the same man who'd stolen his spotlight.
So, where was he? Where was Dracula now?
*pat*
"Hmm?" Shigaraki glanced to his shoulder where someone had just poked him.
"Young master, it would seem Dabi has a vendetta against Endeavor. Otherwise, why would he have left so abruptly?" Bowing apologetically for bothering his master, Kurogiri continued by pointing out the similarities between their Quirks, and noticing that perhaps there was some emotional baggage between the two.
It wasn't unthinkable that there was some history which Dabi had simply never bothered mentioning before. They were villains, after all. They all had secrets they didn't care to bring up, for fear of looking weak or vulnerable. So if Dabi really did have some sort of blood relation to Endeavor, that honestly made a lot of sense in explaining his obsession with fire. Given Endeavor's intense fixation on surpassing All Might, he'd probably forced that philosophy onto his family, which would have lead to a whole lot of abuse.
If any of that was true, that would make Dabi some child of Endeavor's who got cast out for either being too weak, or who ran away because of Endeavor's insanely abusive treatment of him. Quite a revenge story, but nothing next to Shigaraki's own, of course. His deep-seated hatred for everything made him apathetic towards whatever resentment rested in Dabi's heart.
"Hmmph." Shigaraki scoffed dismissively. "Whatever. He's doing us a favor, but that doesn't change the fact that he disobeyed my orders."
It didn't matter to him anymore. He'd been in the mood while fighting Overhaul, but now the atmosphere was gone. All because of something in the air... Something had happened on the battlefield, and he hadn't been the reason for it. That was the most frustrating part, the fact that once again something significant had happened and it wasn't by his own hand.
"Tch..." He grit his teeth, enraged because once again somebody who wasn't him was the center of attention.
Raising his wrist, Shigaraki ordered all his subordinates nearby to follow him. Kurogiri did most of the work, relaying this to those less experienced and familiar with their leader's signals, but soon enough there was a sizeable force behind him.
"We're heading in! I'm sick and tired of letting those motherfuckers steal the spotlight!" Snarling, Shigaraki's bloodshot eyes glared excessively at his cronies. Many of whom immediately looked away, following close behind him so as not to earn his ire.
The Shie Hassaikai could wait. That one moment of clarity had reminded him why he'd wasted all that time on gathering a bunch of weak cannon fodder. Why he'd forced himself to sit back and actually come up with a plan. Why he'd spent so much time taming Gigantomachia. And why he'd bothered ever coming to this damned city. Overhaul didn't even bother trying to stop them. He was in far worse condition and honestly had no real reason to beyond a personal grudge.
On their way to there, the group that'd gathered around Shigaraki slowly upgraded its pieces. Weaker villains would lose their cool and get sucked into the fighting, resulting in them either getting captured, knocked out, or killed by another villain hopped up on adrenaline. But in exchange, capable and wary villains recognized them and, seeking some reprieve from the never-ending slog, ended up joining. Soon enough, he and Kurogiri had an entire escort of strong soldiers. A balanced mixture of proper villains and the few Nomu left free from the clutches of the Hero Association.
"Where're Toga and Twice?" Shigaraki asked.
"I've made attempts at contacting them, yet have received no reply whatsoever." Kurogiri replied.
That was weird. Normally, Twice was always the first to respond. That eager man-child always rushed to give him an answer, no matter how nonsensical that answer ended up being. And Toga wasn't too far behind in that category. Had something gone wrong? He'd explicitly told them to watch their backs and save their energy for the climax. There could only be one explanation.
Dracula, that sneaky son of a bitch, was roaming on the battlefield. He must've caught them by surprise. That was the only explanation that made sense now.
"Ugh..." Shigaraki wiped sweat off his forehead. "That bastard...!"
"Young master?"
"Kurogiri!" Pointing a finger at his servant's face, almost penetrating the musky brine, Shigaraki grinded his teeth together in rage. "Start scouting out this place! We need to find him right now!"
Catching on quickly, Kurogiri bowed before disappearing in an inky portal. The villains surrounding him, those not preoccupied with fending off heroes and members of other groups, waited for orders. The only issue was that... He didn't exactly have any. Having lost two of his strongest allies, and with Gigantomachia currently being...
*SMASH*
"GRAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The massive beast struggled against the weight of two building districts as gigantic blocks of cement molded together with acid, glue, and a strange mixture of every corrosive and sticky fluid known to man. That mountainous monstrosity, and Shigaraki's strongest asset by a longshot, appeared to have been defeated by the combined efforts of Eraser Head, Cementoss, and a whole bunch of other heroes.
"WATCH HIS ARMS!"
"ERASER HEAD, KEEP YOUR EYES ON HIM!"
"WE COULD USE SOME MORE BLOCKS OVER HERE!"
There were tens of wounded pros scattered across the surrounding area, most of them being carried away on stretchers while those trapped by huge chunks of concrete were being watched over by allies. The tremors and shockwaves generated by Gigantomachia's desperate resistance drove cracks through the ground and might've created some valleys were he allowed to jump. But with his legs bound and nailed to the floor, there wasn't much he could do besides shake wildly.
Under any other circumstances, Shigaraki's first thought would have been to attack them and free Gigantomachia. But for all he knew, that was just a trap devised by Alex. He was just that paranoid over the possibility that at any moment, no matter where he was, the sly bastard was watching. Hiding in wait for an opportunity to take Shigaraki and shove him into the dirt. So, with an angry sigh of regret, he had no choice but to abandon his ace.
He still wasn't certain where exactly he wanted to go now. Maybe Dracula wasn't the one behind Twice and Toga's silence? Maybe it'd been the Hero Association, and Shigaraki could rush over there to retrieve his two lieutenants?!
But... No.
The paranoia had crept into his brain and infected his mind. If it meant avoiding following Alex's whims like a lowly mutt, Shigaraki was more than willing to abandon his strongest allies.
But then... he spotted a familiar blonde head of hair that sent a raging fire down his spine. He'd been running across the battlefield, sending out his escort so he could have the space to unleash his anger upon any hero unlucky enough to encounter him, up until the second he spotted... HIM! Those cocky eyes, cheeky grin, and stupid hair instantly put him into a murderous mood. Shigaraki had memorized that face after what happened in the events leading up to All For One's fight against All Might and Dracula.
While his hatred was honed on Alexander Anderson, that didn't lead to any diminishment when it came to the deep resentment he felt for the rest on his list. All Might and heroes like him still had targets on their backs, and Shigaraki had no intention of ever letting them forget that. If Alexander Anderson wasn't going to come to him, he might as well occupy himself with the one All Might had put so much effort into rescuing.
His troops immediately dispersed, fanning out and engaging a different hero so that their leader could have enough space to work with. Glad to see them doing the bare minimum, Shigaraki dashed right past and lunged straight at Katsuki Bakugo, who was too busy detonating his grenade gloves onto another villain to notice. But just as the palm of his hand was about to connect with his face, a blur came from the edge of his vision.
"KACCHAN!" A shrill, panicked voice cried out.
*POOOMMFFFF*
Miraculously, Shigaraki found himself hurtling away from his intended target, a fist-shaped bruise now decorating his cheek. Twirling in the air, he quickly reoriented himself and landed on his feet without a hitch. The difference was that now, he'd been whipped into a fury. Because right as he was on the verge of erasing that worthless dumbass and relieving himself of any and all memory of that day, the one idiot he hated more than anyone else, second only to Alexander Anderson and on the same level as All Might, had barged in and stopped him.
A messy bed of green hair on top of a dotted face and silly green costume immediately riled him up into a murderous mood. Of course, it was the one kid who always got in his way and on his nerves... Izuku Midoriya!
How did this guy always manage to appear wherever he was, and with that whiny bitch voice of his, distract and stop him from achieving what he wanted?! It'd happened in USJ, Hosu, and now here! He'd even been present at U.A.'s training camp and at Kamino! How the hell did he keep doing this?!
A few seconds later, his friends started showing up in droves. The pink girl with horns, the one with a shadowy crow thing on his shoulder, the others Shigaraki hadn't bothered remembering but still hated anyway, and then to top it all off... the Rabbit Gyaru Bitch, Mirko. He remembered how she'd handled multiple Nomu during the attack at Hosu, where she attacked them all by herself with reckless abandon. Her presence there had proven to be a massive annoyance, since it meant fewer innocent people ended up dying.
But right now, she was the least of his worries. He was far more invested in killing either Izuku Midoriya or Bakugo. The brat who'd refused to listen when he was supposed to, as well as being the guy whom All For One had wanted to try converting into a villain for some insane reason. Shigaraki still didn't understand what had driven his master to act like that, but all that mattered now was that a bunch of U.A.'s strongest nuisances had done him the favor of coming straight to him. Now he could get rid of them all at once.
"I DIDN'T NEED YOUR HELP, DEKU!" An ungrateful Bakugo, ashamed at being saved once again by Izuku Midoriya, lashed out.
"Now's not exactly the time for this, Bakugo..." Said the pink one whose name Shigaraki hadn't bothered remembering.
"Yeah, we've got bigger fish to fry." Summoning his familiar, the one with the crow-like head lunged forth to block an incoming attack from Shigaraki, who'd tried to catch them off guard while they were busy conversing.
"Shigaraki!" Deku yelled frantically, the sound of that brat's voice driving him up a wall.
Deku opened his mouth like he had something important to say, but nothing came out. He grit his teeth, his eyes looming over the floor while he puzzled over how he could properly express the ceaseless turmoil within him. But in Shigaraki's furious eyes, this just made the puny brat look afraid.
"Once I've dealt with all your friends..." Shigaraki hissed before pointing at him. "You're next."
If he couldn't satisfy his want to eviscerate Alex, he could at least occupy himself with the satisfaction of killing All Might's shitty apprentice. But things weren't going to be that easy seeing as how the Rabbit Hero was still around.
"That's not going to happen, I'm afraid." Mirko replied, standing next to Deku protectively. The smile she wore looked like it'd been designed to set off her foes, and in this situation it did just that.
"You sure about that?" Chuckling madly, Shigaraki raised his hand into the air.
Villains and Nomu began gathering behind their leader, all of them eyeing up the students of 1-A. By now, much of the battlefield had calmed down once they realized who exactly now stood in their midst. The heroes, thoroughly exhausted after hours spent fighting, fell back defensively for fear that League reinforcements weren't far behind Shigaraki. And while that was not the case, their wounded desperately needed this moment to escape.
0.0
Hero Association Base Camp:
On the other side of Tokyo, All Might and the others had already returned to the Hero Association's base camp. Convening with Nezu, they were given a quick rundown of everything that'd happened so far.
"How're things on the ground?" All Might, eyes looming with concern over the bloody horizon, wondered aloud.
Nezu sighed exasperatedly. The body count was high. Too high. They'd managed to avoid incurring any fatalities thanks largely to the efforts of Recovery Girl and the medical staff sent by the Japanese government. However, their rudimentary field hospitals were filled to the brim. There was so little space left inside the tents that many now had to be taken outside and lain on blankets.
They had equipment sent by David Shield. Mechanical suitcases which, when activated, expanded into sizeable hospital rooms. It was an incredible feat of engineering that helped them extensively. But the technology was still new, so those contributions quickly ran out. A symbolic representation of just how many brave heroes were now no longer able to fight. When All Might asked to see them, Nezu tried to dissuade him.
"Toshinori, calm down! That isn't necessary!" The white mammalian creature insisted, holding him back with all the strength his furry little arms could manage.
"IT IS TO ME!" All Might demanded.
Once upon a time, Nezu's feeble arms would not have been able to stop him. But now, in his nearly skeletal form, they actually proved to be quite a challenge for the former Symbol of Peace. The scene of the pitifully tiny U.A. principal pushing against the frail old man's skinny legs with all his might would have looked comical under other circumstances, but served now as a tragic reminder of the horrific situation they were in.
In spite of his best efforts, Nezu could do nothing to halt the advance of All Might's escort. Iida, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and even Cementoss chipped in by leisurely strolling past their diminutive commander. Not willing to call in any guards, Nezu relented.
And what a sight it was to behold.
"Huu~uhh..." All Might groaned, shakily wiping his forehead.
Row upon row of hospital beds and blankets lay flat on the grass. Column after column of injured and wounded heroes. Long, serrated gashes and claw marks across their chests. Blood-soaked bandages covering their faces and arms. Gooey pink medical tools had been dispensed all over the place, used to keep the more severe wounds stable while nurses handled the others.
Words could barely describe the feelings they were experiencing. Of seeing many of Japan's best laid so low, while knowing that there would inevitably be many more joining them. A shocking realization that not only had they already suffered so much, but also that this was likely only the beginning.
All Might tried to deliver some words of encouragement to the masses while the students did their best to look upbeat and confident in an attempt to raise morale, but they could only do so much. Eventually, he and the others had to leave so the workers could focus on doing their jobs.
"This is beyond belief..." Toshinori sighed.
"Indeed." Walking in front, Nezu lead them back to the main building where they'd set up all of their communication devices.
From there, he glanced at several screens, each displaying a different sector of Tokyo that the Hero Association was currently taking. Naturally, most of the action was in the center screen. Cameras flying over the battlefield let them get a good view of what was going on, and things seemed to be calming down. Not because either side was giving up, but because by now the fight had been going on for so long that they were just running out of steam. Even with fresh squads filing into the fray, there was simply too much going on for any one person to turn the tide.
"How about Endeavor? Have you figured out what happened to him?" Asked Iida. He'd searched the display screens for any signs of Endeavor, or at least Todoroki, Gran Torino, and the others who'd gone to help him.
"We did send in some drones to check on his status." Nezu then pointed at a smaller computer sitting on his desk. They moved closer to get a better look, but unfortunately fate wasn't doing them any favors as the computer screen was totally blank.
"The drones we sent in were shot down by what I can only assume were villains patrolling the area."
The League must've really wanted to keep him out of the picture. It made sense, but that didn't make it any less irritating. Without him, there was little hope of ending the fight quickly. And if they couldn't get this over with now, that just meant more time for Alucard to do his thing. And if Alucard was allowed to do his thing...
Nezu and All Might felt a simultaneous chill run down their spines. U.A.'s principal knew the vampire was beyond his control now. The best he could hope for was that the city would still be standing once it was all over, and even that wasn't guaranteed. Keeping a close eye on the ongoing fight, Nezu began flipping through phone calls to gather as much info as he could. He was still the commander, after all. While All Might's presence did give a bit of a morale boost to their ailing forces, it was like a drop in a rapidly leaking bucket.
"If we can't do anything here, then..." Yaoyorozu leaned down pensively. Her friends and classmates all began glancing at one another hesitantly, all of them considering their options.
"Maybe..."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! THERE IS NO WAY WE...!" Iida cut her off before stopping and cupping his chin.
The diligent and strict president of Class 1-A had always played the role of the disciplinarian of 1-A, but recent events had forced him to reconsider. Seriously, they'd just waltzed past an entire city's worth of injured heroes who'd just given their all to this cause! Did he really have it in him to look at their sacrifices and say "We should just stay out of this"?
Right now, whether they were students or professional heroes didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were present, they were capable, and there was something worth fighting for. So, as much as it pained him to admit, he ultimately didn't have it in him to just stay safe and leave it to the professionals. There were no professionals this time around, after all.
"Ugh... Fine." Scowling, he resisted the urge to yell at her. Yaoyorozu wasn't an idiot. She knew how risky and dangerous her idea was, so she wouldn't have suggested it without some valuable insight.
On the other end of the conversation, Nezu was quite averse to letting the children frolic back into the line of fire. Sure, they had seen far more combat than the average U.A. student had, though that wasn't a statistic he considered worth bragging about. The worst part was that he knew what their discussion would result in. Subtly shoving All Might out the other side of the tent, his efforts proved futile as his friend heard every last bit of the conversation. And that age old, self-sacrificial inclination of his resurfaced once more.
"No." Nezu hopped onto the table and poked All Might in the cheek. "Absolutely not. This is where I draw the line, All Might."
"Tch!" Toshinori pulled back, seriously considering heading back inside. Even if it resulted in his death, at least he'd die alongside them rather than sagging back here in the sidelines.
*BOOOM*BOOOM*BOOOM*BOOOM*BOOOM*BOOOM*
Through the aerial surveillance drones, the group heard multiple explosions rock Tokyo. A thunderous roar burst onto the asphalt as cement rained down upon the battlefield. As the drones moved in closer, a long line of deranged troops charged out into the fray. The Meta Liberation Army, now down to the last of its reserves and hopelessly outclassed by their enemies, had bet everything onto one final attack. A mad charge into the battlefield, hoping to catch everyone by surprise.
The smoke generated by the massive detonation blanketed the warzone in a thick, dense smog which rendered differentiating friend from foe almost impossible. Previously, the battle had started to slow down from exhaustion. But now, the sudden arrival of new combatants reinvigorated the bloodshed and restored it to its initial, gruesome apex.
"They need me out there!" All Might shouted, shoving Nezu away.
Yaoyorozu and Iida also began leading their friends outside. Stepping out, Yaoyorozu was taken aback once she saw the battle with her own eyes. With the fight between the heroes and villains undergoing a second wind, an entire building had just crumbled and smashed into the ground with excessive force. The resulting shockwave even being felt from the base camp as a faint breeze blew her long hair back.
"Everyone..." She whispered, trying to imagine the kind of things her friends and classmates were currently experiencing in that warzone.
From the corner of her vision, a white arm raised itself up towards a distant rooftop. Peeking at them, she saw Cementoss staring at the tallest building near the battlefield. Turning her gaze towards that building, she could just barely make out a tiny, red dot standing atop the skyscraper. An insignificant speck. So small that it was practically imperceptible. It was a wonder how Cementoss saw it in the first place.
However, it soon dawned on them, the significance of that otherwise insignificant deformity. The meaning behind that odd speck in the distance. Suddenly, they all sensed an ominous presence looming over the ruins of Tokyo. Any hope they'd had of altering the outcome and potentially avoiding the inevitable vanished in that one moment. Brushed away by the almighty hands of fate.
0.0
Gloating From The Rooftops:
It had taken far longer than he'd intended. So much time had passed since Nezu first contacted Hellsing. Since that adorable little teddy bear had spoken with his master and begged for Hellsing's assistance. In that time, he had seen much of what Japan's society had to offer and concluded that a change was needed. At long last, he could bring the operation to a close.
Hands tucked snugly behind him, Alucard smiled menacingly. Chuckling softly, he recalled the "classmates" he'd grown familiar with during his tenure here. He wondered what they were thinking in that very moment. Surely they'd already detected his presence. Or at least his aura, which emanated across the entire city. Expanding its influence and driving weaker minds to make irrational and psychotic decisions. Men now became even more entranced in the bloodshed than before, further indulging in their base desires.
He enjoyed spectating the carnage. Alucard wished to memorize every last detail of this magnificently visceral battle, since he knew it would be some time beforehe saw such a scene again. To think Japan's most capable minds and muscles would have marched so perfectly to his tune, that now they'd begun dancing a lovely waltz without even needing his instruction. Disappointing, really. Knowing it may be decades before he would have the privilege of viewing anything resembling this again.
"*fwoooooooooo*" He breathed, a thin line of steam perspiring through his lips.
The city rumbled as if it sensed the oncoming slaughter.
"I am... The Bird of Hermes..."
Upon uttering those words, the battle lines trembled. The throngs of heroes and villains hesitated, pausing their mindless aggression to scrutinize the sinking feeling in their stomachs. The ever-growing sensation of dread residing deep within them.
The sky darkened, and the fighting halted. The air itself began vibrating under the pressure now being unleashed upon the unsuspecting crowd below. Deep in the confines of Detnerat's Headquarters, thick scarlet veins sprouted out of Alucard's coffin. Gradually, the coffin lid began sliding off the casket, revealing a seemingly infinite mass of wriggling tentacles and shadowy spirits coiled up inside.
Both villain and hero questioned why the fighting had stopped. Why were they no longer attacking their enemies despite standing right in front of them?! But then, as a thunderous roar pierced the heavens, those doubts were erased from memory.
"Here standeth The Bird of Hermes! Eating my own wings!"
The now quaking city of Tokyo pierced the eardrums of its combatants, forcing many down onto the dirt.
Long, disgusting tendrils grew from Alucard's casket, sticking to the walls and swallowing the floor beneath it. A dark abyss, once contained within his coffin, now released itself upon the dismal patrons of Alucard's bloody festival.
"To keep... myself tame..."
Moment by moment, little appeared to change. The men and women crawling on the battlegrounds started to believe that maybe the worst had passed, and their lives might yet be spared. Had Dracula, that bloodthirsty menace to society, chosen this instant to be merciful?!
*mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm~mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm*
But then, as the gates of hell opened and the anguished cries of the dead emerged, everyone understood that death itself now loomed. Like a tidal wave, thousands of zombified men, women and children all swept down the streets of Tokyo in a torrential flood of corpses. The exhausted members of the Hero Association and the League of Villains could do little to resist as Dracula, the No Life King, smirked menacingly from overhead.
0.0
Within The Raging Chaos:
A wave of reanimated corpses came crashing down upon them. None could offer a response. Many retreated into the abandoned buildings, hoping they could find some solace in those vacant halls. Sadly, they found naught but heartbreak as the army of the undead swelled, breaking themselves upon the concrete walls in mindless self-sacrifice. Concrete and wood crumbled like paper as grey flesh, admirable in its persistence, shattered them.
Tokyo wept as all manner of fighters found themselves being stabbed, shot, crucified, beheaded, crippled, broken, crushed, and absorbed by the growing mass of zombified cadavers. Lightning struck down from the heavens as if God himself had decided to put an end to this conflict, only his favor was not on their side. The scarred corpses of their comrades decorating the streets, members of all parties fled in terror.
Some found discarded vehicles and tried to outrun the horde, only to find themselves overwhelmed from all sides and summarily eviscerated. Others tried to find solace in the subways, the same subways the Meta Liberation Army had used. But while it did bring them a brief respite, it could only last so long. While effective for bottlenecking the opponent, it was little use when their opponent was an unstoppable flood of malleable skin and bones.
The Hero Association found themselves set upon by multiple forces. There were many who had no notion of what was happening, and hence could do nothing but listen to their instincts and defend themselves. Coordinating their efforts, they swiftly crafted barriers and rudimentary defenses to fend off the wave of corpses. Their efforts worked in the short term, allowing many the opportunity to flee and make sense of what'd just happened. But that didn't stop a number of crazed villains and Meta forces from attacking them, further hindering their efforts to retreat.
The Meta Liberation Army's guerilla tactics had come back to bite them as now with their forces being so splintered, they could hardly mount a defense against the oncoming wave of zombified cadavers. As a result, many of their men became fodder for the army of undead, quickly being added to its bloody ranks. Screams echoed all across the city as they tried desperately to survive, but to no avail. There was nothing they could do. All of their tactics and equipment were meant to be used against Quirk users. At the least, they were meant to be used against SANE people! Under SANE circumstances! People who actually cared about their health and wellbeing!
But this was something else entirely. Something they'd never trained for, nor ever considered! All their years of training... All of the protocols devised and taught to them by Redestro and his lieutenants... Years of planning and preparation went up in smoke in the face of this endless, malformed wall of flesh. In the end, this group who'd devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their cause for so long could do nothing.
The League of Villains managed to maintain some semblance of sensibility solely because of Gigantomachia's presence, who'd been woken up by the chaos and escaped his chains after the heroes retreated. He was a blessing now, as he alone was capable of beating back the tide. Using his massive arms to blow back the horde of reanimated corpses, Gigantomachia served as a mobile wall for his allies to cower behind. His hard, rock-like exterior made him a difficult target for the zombies to penetrate.
However, even that did not last as Himiko Toga, who turned out to be someone else entirely, had begun decimating their already disorderly ranks. Like a mad Valkyrie, Himiko Toga's impersonator drowned out their cries of terror with her own, gleeful screeches. Her short, blonde hair standing out from the scarlet background like a shining sun presiding over a field of scarlet roses. Crowds of seasoned villains melted before her murderous aura, unable to comprehend where such strength could possibly come from before finding themselves decapitated.
In the face of such impossible odds, there was little they could do but fall back. Yet in the end, they were denied even that. In the chaos, whatever command structure there'd been before no longer existed. Replaced by the innate, human desire to preserve their own wellbeing. But those who made the mad dash to safety only found greater suffering awaiting them.
The Meta Liberation Army was effectively no more, their commanders now dead or dying. The Hero Association had been driven off the battlefield, those still there now cowering in the few defensible outposts that remained. And the League of Villains had been utterly decimated, which made sense given that Tomura Shigaraki had hired them for cannon fodder. Unbeknownst to them, death had already encircled the city. There was no escape for any one still within its confines.
In the midst of this hopelessness, those who stood and fought back against the madness shone ever brighter.
"DEKU!"
His classmates screamed at him, begging him to stop, but he instead activated Full Cowling. Even with lightning bolts, thunderstorms, and a lethal hail of sharpened icicles, he still knew where he needed to go. As steel building supports were torn from their frameworks and used as giant pitchforks to stab people and parade them throughout the city, Izuku made his way deeper into the horde.
"WE NEED TO FIND ALEX-KUN!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, darting past poisoned frogs and energy blasts.
This whole fight had gone from a catastrophically gruesome affair that'd at least remained in the realm of reality, to whatever this was. Something so vast and unimaginably chaotic that even Bakugo, who'd spurred them on to find Alex and kick both his literal and metaphoric butt, was legitimately unsettled.
"WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE, IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO!" Came an offhand comment from an unknown listener, most likely some Pro Hero currently peeing their pants. Deku doubted they even knew the full context of his statement, but he didn't let that bother him.
There were bigger things they needed to be dealing with. Mirko thought the same, but advised that they should find a different route. Even she had her reservations with straight up charging into that mass of flesh, since doing so might not even net any results. She'd spent the last twenty minutes just beating up people at random in the war between the League and the Hero Association, so a good bit of her bloodlust had already been sated. This left her calm enough to really consider the situation, and recognize the fact that-
"This is getting kinda ridiculous." She nodded, acknowledging how crazy and yet insanely fun this whole affair was becoming.
As they chased after Deku, they were fortunate enough to bump into the group that'd left to help Endeavor. According to their testimony, they'd had a tough time dealing with Dabi and had been forced to simply try and ward him away while they helped Endeavor. But for some reason, Endeavor just didn't seem to be into it like he normally was. For some reason, he kept telling them to leave and let him deal with Dabi by himself.
None of them understood what insane reason he had to make such a request. Sure, they were in an insane scenario, but that didn't mean they had to be insane themselves! As the minutes passed by however, they soon realized why he was behaving so differently. Because in truth, Dabi was actually Endeavor's first-born son who'd long been presumed dead.
That bombshell of a revelation led to a massive dispute, with Dabi ignoring all their pleas and cries for him to stop. Hyper-focused on "reconnecting with his Father", as he put it, the amount of stress he ended up putting his body through overexertion of his Quirk forced some of 1-A to fall back. This led to the group deciding to split up, with Gran Torino and others staying behind to help Endeavor while the rest departed to regroup with Mirko's team.
And, coincidentally, this was also about the time that Iida, Yaoyorozu and the others appeared in a military vehicle. Apparently they'd been driving across the battlefield, extracting pro heroes and taking them to safer locations where they could recover.
"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Iida screeched. His voice sounded shriller than usual, perhaps because he'd been screaming so much for so long now.
The others agreed, but Deku was relentless. Mirko was as well, but they at least held some modicum of trust in her abilities. Sure, Deku had experienced substantial growth over the past few months, but this was something the likes of which they'd never seen before. Iida grew ever angrier and more frustrated with Deku, truly losing his voice as the veins in his forehead looked like they were on the verge of bursting.
On the other end of the fray, Tomura Shigaraki was similarly enraged.
"THAT MOTHERFUCKER!"
That scummy bitch had gotten in his way again! Right as he was about to wrap his hands around the neck of All Might's precious apprentice, Dracula chose then... THEN to finally show himself! It was like everything from kicking him in the face at USJ, to acting like Bakugo at U.A.'s training camp, to defeating his mentor before he could, all to up now, was all part of some sinister ploy to explicitly steal his spotlight!
Every single time Shigaraki felt like he was going to prove to the world that not only the League of Villains, but he as well, was a threat worth taking seriously, Alexander Anderson swooped in to steal it all away.
When that first tidal wave of corpses rolled across the city and subsequently the people inside of that city, U.A.'s puppets quickly scattered and ran off like the cowards they were. Shigaraki had wanted to chase after them and finish them off, but the sheer insanity of the situation forced him to acquiesce when his men begged him to get somewhere safe.
Luckily for him, he still had Kurogiri, who'd acted quickly and successfully rescued both his master and a few other League members by teleporting them to a nearby rooftop. His portals were as convenient as ever.
The boy leader of the League of Villains took a moment to examine the state he was in. He was covered from head to toe in blood and ash, remnants of all the Pro's he'd killed. His hair was soggy and dripping red, in fact he was starting to look a bit like that Todoroki brat with all the red added to his white hair. The mere image of one of those 1-A dumbasses immediately set him off, so he began angrily rubbing the blood out of his hair.
"Young master, I advise against heading back into battle. This is no longer an advantageous position for us." Kurogiri's comment prompted a stern glare from Shigaraki, but he'd expected that sort of reaction. "There is no point, Shigaraki. Our forces are decimated. Even if Gigantomachia is still alive, there is little we can do against this new foe."
He scoffed frustratedly, turning around to get a look at the lumbering mountain. Gigantomachia, having freed himself from the Hero Association's restraints, was now doing his best to keep the ocean of zombies at bay. As bolts of lightning struck chunks of stone off his shoulders, the gigantic villain was bound to run out of steam soon enough. Even now, there were hundreds of those undead freaks latching onto Gigantomachia's legs and scaling the mountain. It wouldn't take long for them to reach his head and probably kill him.
Shigaraki considered going in to help him, but something stopped him from doing so. It was a feeling. A shaky feeling, but a feeling nonetheless. The fear that, behind all this madness, behind this huge chaotic mess conjured up out of nowhere, the true monster was currently sitting in his throne and smiling.
"Bet that bitch is watching..." He flexed his knuckles. "Sitting and laughing at me. He's up there chuckling his ass off, and you want me to run away?!"
Seething with rage, he genuinely considered killing Kurogiri, which would likely seal his fate and leave him with no options of actually escaping Tokyo. But then he remembered the fact that Kurogiri was shrouded in fog and was more than capable of avoiding whatever he tried. That was the main reason why Kurogiri had lasted so long, since he was one of the few able to survive his angry bursts.
"Though it may sound unappealing, I nevertheless-"
Case in point, as Shigaraki brusquely held his open palm up to Kurogiri's face. Despite being known as an outrageously sinister individual, his rage was just as likely to be expressed silently. Frustration leaking from every orifice, he threatened his loyal servant to utter another word. Daring him to call running away a "good idea".
But that was precisely what Kurogiri had been designed to do, so what else could he possibly say?
"Young master-"
"Shut up!" Shigaraki brushed him off, but not in a way that came off as threatening.
Usually, the tone of his voice was standoffish and cruel. Always treating those around him like subordinates. Chess pieces to be sacrificed for his own gain, making his attitude arrogant and narcissistic. He was rarely ever caught off guard, or at least tried to avoid letting it show. But this time, there was a noxious sensation in the air that they all picked up on.
Gesturing that they shut up and remain silent, Shigaraki rotated and gazed at a shadowy corner of the rooftop. It was oddly dark there. Despite the sky being clouded over by the raging thunderstorm, and the sea of corpses reaching high enough to blot out the sun at times, there was something strangely off-putting about that smattering of darkness in that odd corner.
But then, an inky film began bubbling in the shadowy recesses. Like a demented magician, a cloaked form rose out of the oily brine. From the sharply angled shoulder blades to the wicked smile, the figure of the being they'd all come to despise slowly emerged from the darkness. Stepping out of the viscous liquid, the mastermind of that evening's inhuman disaster revealed himself to his audience.
Sheepishly, Shigaraki's underlings instinctively backed away. Despite most of them never seeing him before, they all immediately knew who he was. They were quickly subsumed in an intimidating aura, leading some feeling the urge to vomit from the pressure now bearing upon them. For his part, Shigaraki managed to maintain his composure. An admirable feat, which Alucard noted thoughtfully.
"I admire your resolve, little lamb." He chuckled amicably, nodding in approval.
"You...!"
Infuriated, Shigaraki would have leapt into battle were it not for the endless murderous intent exuding from his opponent's very being.
"Even when faced with a foe leagues above your ability, your fists are up. Undaunted by the gruesome fate that awaits you."
Gesturing cleanly with his hands, Alucard's familiars quickly restrained all of Shigaraki's peons, including Kurogiri. While it wasn't like Shigaraki held any nascent thoughts of running away, being cut off from his most loyal servant certainly wasn't helping him. And on top of that, Gigantomachia was too busy fending off the horde of undead to come help.
This was their fight. No one else was allowed to interfere, was the message he interpreted. No insignificant worms were going to get in the way of their fight now, not like all those other times. In a way, Shigaraki was actually grateful to Alucard. Grateful to be given this opportunity to properly exorcise his demons, and rid himself of this bulbous, pox-ridden blemish on his self-esteem.
Stretching his tingly fingers, Shigaraki quickly scanned the area for signs of Dracula's familiars, tendrils, shadowy servants, and whatever other hacks he had in wait. As Shigaraki surged forward at the one he loathed so deeply, a black mist suddenly formed around him. He lashed at it instinctively, batting it away while trying to dissolve it with his Quirk. Rather than dissipate like he'd expected, the haze contorted itself around him before reforming itself into a thick mass in front of his face. Out of nowhere, Alucard teleported right in front of him and grabbed him by the throat.
*PLUCK*
"-KUGH-!" Shigaraki coughed.
"Charge not into your own demise, child." Smirking smugly, Alucard's grip on the boy's throat was as strong as an iron vice, literally wringing the life out of Shigaraki. "Nothing will change regardless."
Shigaraki wasn't done just yet, however. He brought his hands up to Alucard's own, wrapping his wrists around his captor's and turning the flesh into ashen powder. Or at least... that was its intended effect. In reality, it wasn't quite so simple. True, Shigaraki had undergone substantial training to improve the strength of his Quirk in preparation for a second confrontation with Alucard. But it turned out that killing an immortal being wasn't easy.
Rather than turning to dust, Alucard's wrists simply gave away. Neither dissolving nor remaining solid as they had in their first encounter at USJ. Instead, it felt more like the vampire let go of his prey. And no one was more keenly aware of this than the victim themselves. The white-haired boy dropping onto the ground, clutching his throbbing throat cautiously. Stunned fury ebbed within his pupils as he wondered why Dracula had chosen to release him right when he had him in his grasp. Was he just mocking him like he had so many times before?! Just another attempt to shame him for his pitiful, prideful ambitions?!
But the reality was... Alucard did not need the child's demise. For the rest of the crowd had only just arrived, and they deserved a show as well.
*BAM*
"ALEX-KUN!"
"And there..." Alucard smiled, clapping his hands together softly.
"We..." Sighing wistfully, he stepped away from the dumbstruck Shigaraki and welcomed his guests.
"... Are."
The entirety of Class 1-A, accompanied by Mirko, Gran Torino and All Might now stumbled onto the rooftop. A humorous mish-mash of U.A.'s finest were now making their way onto the final stage of Alucard's play, all according to plan. Deku, in particular, was the most frantic out of them all, breaking into a cold sweat the moment he spotted his vampiric friend. He could see it on the boy's face, the hesitation over their relationship. The reluctance to accept there was no going back to what it once had been.
But unfortunately for the poor lad, that was not Alucard's concern.
"My friends." He stretched his arms agape, as any competent showman would for their audience. "You have, each and every single one of you, truly outdone yourselves."
He tilted his neck teasingly, donning a charitable smile in doing so. Stupefied by Alucard's abject indifference to the suffering currently taking place all around them, the new arrivals stopped in their tracks. While they'd previously wanted nothing more than to charge at the Prince of Darkness and hopefully put a stop to his scheme, they'd expected a different reception than this. Even Shigaraki, despite lacking subtlety, cocked his head curiously. Honestly, the vampire was acting more like a villain than even him.
And that thought only reignited his malice.
"To think you have managed to succeed where your peers failed. Engulfed in a sea of torment and terror, you alone have kept your heads above the surface. And even still, I find you have preserved that fire."
With neat, practiced ease, Alucard summoned a pair of ghostly hands to halt Shigaraki's attempted attack. Clinging to his ankles, the immature vagrant could do nothing but watch as his foe smirked gloatingly at him. There was a hint of admiration in Alucard's eyes. He sincerely commended the young leader of the League of Villains for possessing such unflinching tenacity and confidence.
"The fire that drives you still burns, even when all else has faded." He grinned, revealing his razor sharp canines.
"ALEX-KUN!" Deku cried out. "YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS!"
He'd shaken himself out of his stupor. Alucard's hypnotic voice had dragged him into its clutches for a second, getting drawn in by the heaps of praise and the allure of those sensuous tones. However, he knew better. He'd trained with Alexander Anderson long enough to be able to resist the unconscious suggestion, at least to a degree. Now marching forth, Deku demanded his former friend put an end to... whatever it was he was doing.
"Y-YOU... BITCH!" Shigaraki seethed, struggling as hard as he could to escape the ethereal hands.
Tipping his hat graciously, Alucard mockingly smirked in Bakugo's direction, instantly reminding the child of the reason why he'd come all this way. Not because Izuku had told him to, not because he wanted to save the lives of anyone else, or because he wanted the glory of putting down Tomura Shigaraki. He'd come all this way for one thing, and one thing alone.
"Shut up and let me punch you, asshole!" Bakugo snarled, cracking his knuckles.
Listening politely to them, Alucard smiled. Nothing could stop them now. Circumstances would no longer allow any form of negotiation. Their only option was to embrace the madness and plunge deeper into his realm. This cavalcade of heroes and villains would make for a fine audience for what would be the dawn of a new era in Japan.
With Seras Victoria tearing through the last vestiges of the Meta Liberation Army, and Alucard's Release Level Zero currently consuming the weakest and most cowardly members of the Hero Association and League of Villains, all that remained now was handing the center of the stage to All Might's precious "successor". Now, how effective the boy would prove in the role... Alucard was moderately confident, but ultimately it was not his concern.
As the students of Class 1-A charged forth, Alucard smirked as memories of a bygone era reappeared before his eyes.
"Humans are such fascinating creatures." He sighed as he raised the Jackal.
0.0
Deku:
He tried to stop them. He really did.
Grabbing hold of Bakugo, he barely got his fingertips around the hem of his shirt before having it ripped away from him. Seeing this, and knowing that Alexander Anderson was responsible for all of this chaos, the rest of Class 1-A soon followed. Only Deku hesitated. Why?
Because even though everything pointed to Alex being behind all this mayhem for reasons otherwise unimportant, there still festered that faint hope inside him. Hoping for the sake of it that perhaps there really was, just like Mirko-sensei and All Might had said, a decent chance that Alex was doing this for a good reason.
But none of that mattered to his classmates. It was like they'd been stirred up into a frenzy by the sudden chaos and turmoil. Which made sense in all fairness, given their circumstances.
A wave of animated corpses launched itself onto the rooftop right as his friends were about to collide with Dracula, pushing them back instantly. They were saved by Gran Torino and Mirko, who dove in to save them. But it didn't stop there. More of Alex's mindless minions followed close behind. It was truly jarring, gazing into that undead army. Full of faces Deku actually recognized. Infamous villains he'd read about, heroes he'd looked up to, even some foes he'd fought not all that long ago. Even that one villain with the weird muscle Quirk from the training camp was in there.
The most frightening aspect was that they didn't even look dead. Many wore glimmering smiles and demented grins, as if they enjoyed being handled liked string puppets by Dracula. To think Alex-kun had been hiding this level of power all this time, and he'd managed to be so successful without releasing it for so long. On one hand, Deku sincerely admired him for that. On the other hand, it accentuated the depth of Dracula's experience, and just how much knowledge and strength he had to draw from, and how much more he likely had yet to unveil.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!" Bakugo cried out in a fury as he blew tunnels through the undead army, only for those holes to quickly be filled in by new assailants. It irritated him to no end, witnessing all his efforts go to waste. "DON'T EVEN THINK OF RUNNING, BASTARD!"
But while everyone else did their best to survive and keep All Might out of the fight, it dawned on Deku that there was an oddly comfortable amount of space surrounding himself and Alucard. An open path lay between Deku and the brotherly figure he'd looked up to, almost like the red carpet had been lain. All he needed to do was take those few steps and he'd soon find himself standing face to face with the monster himself.
...
He wanted to talk to him. To ask him if everything that'd happened, everything they'd gone through ever since the day they'd met in 1-A's classroom, had all just been for show. Deku wished to find comfort in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the answer would be "No". That all those fun but tiresome training sessions, long walks to school, and playful puns had been genuine.
But he didn't know if he could, or in fact should, ask that question. Would it change anything? Would Alex recall his unstoppable army if Deku got down on his elbows and knees and begged him to do so?
No.
If anything, that was the last thing Alex wanted to happen. Deku had learnt that much, at least.
Sensing his hesitation, Alucard giggled. Pursing his lips, Deku watched as mist gathered around Alucard's ankles. Slowly devouring his body until he couldn't see even a sliver of that imposing, red trench coat. A thick, yet oddly cylindrical, pocket of smoke swirled where the vampire had once stood. He watched on with wide, expectant eyes, anticipating another of Alexander Anderson's tricks. And in the end, his hunch proved correct.
As the mist began to disperse, the man emerged as a boy. A familiar boy, with skin as pale and fair as newly settled snow. Silky black hair immaculately draped down his forehead. Enchanting, scarlet red eyes. A teenager who carried himself in the manner of a seasoned noble. Possessing a certain effeminate quality in his complexion that made it easy to mistake him for a girl.
"Would you prefer if I spoke to you like this, Deku dearest?" Asked Alexander Anderson, gesturing elegantly.
"I guess so..." Deku rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
A moment of silence followed, punctuated by Kacchan shouting out more expletives in the background. As his friends and teachers fought their hearts out, with Mirko taking the lead in ripping the horde to shreds and Gran Torino using his Quirk to block the worst waves from colliding into them, Deku and Alex could not help but giggle in unison at Bakugo's continued verbal rampage.
It felt nice, almost like things had gone back to normal. Sadly, that brief moment of comfort and warmth was short-lived.
"We both know how this has to end." Alucard charmingly grinned at him.
Deku nodded dejectedly in response. Glancing at his friends, he could see that things weren't going well. Sure, Yaoyorozu and Iida had organized a hefty defensive perimeter, with Yaoyorozu constantly generating medical kits as Iida patched up their friends. Uraraka was putting her Quirk to good use, lifting up scores of zombies into the sky for Todoroki to impale and Kacchan to detonate. Tokoyami was flourishing thanks to the clouds blocking out the sun, with his Quirk now swelling to a much greater volume and managing to absolutely eviscerate columns of the enemy.
Kaminari electrocuted whole groups while Jiro, Tsuyu and Hagakure helped get him to safety when he shorted himself out. Mineta stuck individual zombies down with his Quirk, making it easier for the others to wipe them out.
Mirko wore her iconic grin as she and the other Pro Heroes fended off a vast chunk of the undead tidal wave, with Cementoss constructing huge pillars to obstruct the attack and open up paths for his allies. Snipe strategically attacked stronger minions like Muscular and was now focusing his attention onto Nine, trying to remove the source of all the lightning currently bombarding Tokyo. Other Pro Heroes being lead by Aizawa-sensei were slowly making their way towards them in an effort to help, but were making slow progress.
Despite their combined efforts, there was a lingering feeling in the air that it still wouldn't be enough. That no matter what they did, there really was only one way to put a stop to this madness.
"Does it really have to be this way?" Deku muttered.
"Indeed." Alex replied thoughtfully, tapping his foot lightly on the floor.
He wanted to delay the inevitable for a bit longer. Maybe get a nice conversation going so he could appeal to his emotions. He remembered the three aspects Alex had taught him to always make sure he had under control.
"Fear, surprise, and intimidation..." Whispering to himself, Deku went over these repeatedly in his head.
Alex wasn't afraid of him, that was for sure. Was there even anything he could do to actually frighten his steadfast opponent? Nothing came to him in the moment, and odds were they never would. So, how about the element of surprise?
Well, with Alex-kun's supernatural field of awareness, that would be extremely difficult. But not impossible. A handful of possibilities popped into Deku's brain, and he began considering them while also examining the third and final factor.
Intimidation.
That, much like fear, was hopelessly out of his reach. For a being as ancient as Alex, the same being who'd terrorized Europe for centuries, there was very little Deku had in his arsenal that could compare to the countless foes Dracula had faced in his lifetime.
As he toiled endlessly over his available options, the thought process eventually guided Deku to perhaps the most effective lesson Alex had taught him. The notion that, when the chips were down and time was running out, it was better that he rush in and get something done rather than stand around plotting out the ideal path, only for it all to end up pointless as the situation resolved itself.
Alex had demonstrated this himself on multiple occasions, and Deku had used this philosophy a couple of times already. So he knew it could be helpful when executed properly. The question was, could it help him now?!
"Uuummmm..." Deep in thought, Deku rubbed his forehead. Mere seconds had passed since their intense stare down began, yet those seconds felt more like weeks.
Alucard smiled, the two sharing one final look before Deku finally found his resolve.
*CRACK*
*SSSHHHHTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM*
Activating Full Cowling, Deku plunged his foot straight into the concrete rooftop. The resulting shockwave breached the tough material, leading to the entire floor collapsing. In the second that followed, the young One For All user pounced. Streaks of electricity trailing behind him, Deku flew across the empty space, building up momentum by bouncing off falling chunks of cement. This was his big "surprise".
Closing in on his target, Deku sent a wave of One For All into his arm, readying a powerful right hook. In milliseconds, the air around him adopted a bright blue hue as electricity began coursing and pulsing around his wrist. It stung a little, pushing the immeasurable potential of One For All into his wrist. That'd been the main reason why he'd developed Full Cowling. But now, he knew he had to do this. How else was he going to intimidate Alex? It was supposed to deal a boatload of damage, of course. But another aspect to it was the "intimidation" factor. Such a massive amount of energy being loaded into this one attack would make anyone sweat.
Gaining both speed and power, Deku caught a glimpse of Alex's irises right as he was lunging for the assault. Was there any sign of fear? Even the slightest hint of trepidation, there within the depths of the immortal vampire?
*BOOOOMMM*
A bullet shell detonated right in front of his face. Thankfully, Deku had designed Full Cowling so it'd deflect tiny projectiles, meaning the shrapnel was blown aside and the explosion itself dealt little damage. But the smoke still created a screen, temporarily obscuring Deku's line of vision.
"Well done." A deceptively soothing voice crooned into his ear. He swung left, anticipating an attack, but his fist was immediately intercepted by Alex's own.
A pair of crimson, dark red pupils gazed directly into his soul. His slitted, almost reptilian irises narrowed like a sadistic clown overseeing his prey. Beneath that menacing glare sat an equally threatening grin. Cocky, yet oddly flattering. As if Alex knew exactly what he was going to do, but had nonetheless found his expectations exceeded.
"Creative." His former classmate nodded, praising him for setting the pace. "But-..."
Taking a strong hold of Deku's hand, Alucard pulled him close and rotated his body until it was Deku whose back was above the floor. As the two fell towards the building's bottom floor, Deku squirmed in an attempt to escape Alex's firm grip. Unfortunately, that was proving difficult. He raised his free hand and tried beating Alex's arm into a pulp. Unleashing a flurry of blows onto his opponent's arm, it refused to break.
Sailing downwards, Deku realized he'd have to do something different if he wanted to avoid getting turned into a wet patch on the cement. Running through scenarios as quickly as he could, it dawned on him that there were many more options he had at his disposal which he'd failed to consider. For one thing, he'd taken bigger falls than this and made it out just fine. He was more than confident in his knees after all the running he did on a daily basis.
So, now was a good time for him to put those legs to use.
With all his focus on Deku's arms, Alex had left his legs completely unrestrained. With that freedom, Deku lowered his legs towards the floor and activated Full Cowling, this time sending a burst of Full Cowling straight down to his feet. Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued to see what he had in store.
*CRASH*
The sound of the impact scattered across the rapidly collapsing building as the concrete was crushed by its force. His feet being driven several inches deep into the rubble, Deku immediately took advantage of the recoil to launch Alex away from him, his former friend's grip loosening before he was sent flying into the wall.
*CRUNCH*
"Don't expect everything to go your way, Alex." Deku groaned as he took a moment to catch his breath.
Despite getting embedded a solid foot into the wall, a position in which most others would be made vulnerable, Alucard easily broke free. The process involved little "breaking", however, as he simply slid out of it like a liquid.
"On the contrary." Stretching his neck, a visceral *SNAP* shook all those who heard it. Glancing back at his foe, Alex was positively beaming with joy and whimsy. Anyone else would have been disturbed by the sight, but Deku honestly found it kind of soothing. However, seeing Alucard lift his twin pistols had the opposite effect. "This is precisely what I had hoped for."
His beaming smile morphing between the menacing grin of the towering red trench coat, the lovable smirk of the young schoolgirl, and the endearing leer of Deku's treasured classmate, Alucard raised the Casull and the Jackal in preparation for their upcoming duel.
Deku was still hesitant. He wasn't sure if he was capable of actually beating his old friend in a fight, even if he managed to have complete control of the situation by some miracle. There was absolutely no way for him to manipulate this now. All of his friends were busy fighting for their lives, so to honor their efforts, all he could do now was focus on beating his friend until he agreed to put a stop to this madness. Whether or not such a scenario was even possible...
He was about to find out. Raising his own fists and firing up Full Cowling once again, Deku leaned forward in anticipation of the initial flurry of bullets to be fired.
As the entirety of Tokyo was consumed by Alucard's Level Zero, two friends prepared to duel over the fate of Japan.
0.0
Hovering Overhead:
Nezu's long, cone shaped head was wrinkled with worry and anxiety. So, this was what Alucard had kept in his pocket for all this time. Whatever monstrosity was currently ransacking Tokyo, devouring the League of Villains, massacring the Hero Association, and humiliating Japan's most powerful organizations, Alucard was the one who'd unleashed it.
"This is Principal Nezu of U.A. High School! To any and all survivors hearing this, make your way to a rooftop and signal for evac!" With the help of a sensory Quirk Hero and a Telepathic Quirk Hero's abilities, Nezu was able to broadcast his voice across the city so that even those who'd lost access to their communication devices could hear him, at least in theory.
Tokyo was gone. It would be a miracle if they'd ever be able to rebuild it into what it once was, even with the ingenious development kits and construction Quirks like Cementoss's powers. No matter how hard they tried to recreate the city as it used to be, there wasn't enough bleach in the world to wash away the smell of blood which now permeated through the air. A thick, pungent musk had settled throughout the streets. Corpses lined the alleyways and adorned the streetlamps as hordes of undead chased the few unfortunate enough to yet live.
It pained the little, white mammal to no end having to abandon them to their fates, but what else could he do?! A few lucky groups had managed to escape the violence by climbing to the top of skyscrapers and signaling for assistance, where they were swiftly rescued and escorted to a safe location. That safe location being anywhere in Japan that was over fifty miles from this hellscape.
"This is Principal Nezu of U.A. High School! To any and all survivors who can hear this, make your way to someplace secure and signal for evac!"
The one drawback to this telepathic broadcast was that, occasionally, they'd respond. And nearly every single time, it was horrifying... The sounds they made, the panic in their voices, the desperation, the terror... It all came together to form a truly frightening image of what it was like to be on the ground with that fleshy mass of bodies. Nowhere was safe. All they could do was hope for the solace of death, yet even that appeared to elude them. Scores of Pros and League members who'd been killed had been absorbed into the ranks of the horde, making the situation even worse for those yet to die.
"PRINCIPAL NEZU!" The sensory Quirk user cried out.
As Nezu turned to look at her, she pointed down at a strangely empty pocket of the city. This circular space currently housed the-
"GET US DOWN THERE! NOW!" Nezu screeched, stomping his paw on the iron floor to get the pilot's attention.
The moment he saw that tiny group fighting off the undead army, Nezu's instincts kicked in. Was it dangerous? Yes, absolutely. But it was more than necessary enough to make up for that fact. He couldn't just leave All Might, Mirko, and the students of 1-A all by themselves. In fact, Iida and All Might had already noticed the presence of the helicopter and had begun waving them over. Nezu was particularly impressed by Iida. The boy's sharp eyes and awareness made him a good candidate for a future leader, if only there was one for them to live in.
Now was the time to focus on the survival of the Hero Association, so that they may witness that far-off future.
*FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT*
There wasn't enough space for them to safely land, but thankfully the heroes quickly recognized that. Doubling their efforts, they managed to somehow clear an adequate area for the helicopter to at least hover over. There also were the remnants of the League of Villains, including Tomura Shigaraki. A mixture of rage and perplexion sat within the boy's gaze. He wasn't sure what exactly to do, whether to run away or fight the undead army and inadvertently help the people he so despised. There really wasn't a good choice for the kid, since escape was nigh unthinkable and sticking around would just lead to his capture.
His indecision led to his followers acting on their own, some choosing to run and inevitably being eaten alive by the horde of undead. Others saying "Screw it" and siding with the heroes. Kurogiri, Shigaraki's loyal Nomu butler, was too busy fending off zombified heroes and villains to create a portal for them to escape through. So, really, all their glorious teenage leader could do was rely on his instincts. And that was, of course, to fight.
Everyone.
Which, naturally, led to him facing the ever experienced Gran Torino, who had no problem dealing with the rash child. And so, with the... "lesser" threats dealt with... Nezu ordered the pilot to lower the helicopter towards the area.
However, as the helicopter flew closer, a familiar sensation crawled up Nezu's spine.
After experiencing so much throughout this whole "partnership" with the Hellsing Organization, Nezu had developed something of a "sixth sense" regarding Alucard's activities. A nagging feeling that would surface any time his mischievous associate was about to enter the ring with something wholly unprecedented. That goosebumps he'd felt at Kamino Ward and at U.A.'s Sports Festival was now traveling up his spinal cord.
"PRINCIPAL!" Gran Torino screamed, already signaling for the students to gather around the landing zone. His tiny form contrasted with the sheer force of his presence, Gran Torino's years of experience the only thing keeping him calm and collected in the midst of so much despair.
As the helicopter lowered, inching closer and closer towards the exhausted students of Class 1-A, many of whom were covered from head to toe in scratches and light wounds, Nezu shook himself free from his anxiety-induced stupor to help the weakest onboard. First, Mineta. The poor child had always been looked down upon for his perversion, and he had received many complaints during the boy's tenure regarding his "explicit" behavior. But he nevertheless believed the boy would show up when it mattered. After all, it is the coward who is capable of the highest heroism... as it is they who face the greatest obstacles of all.
And luckily, Mineta did just that. His arm hanging flaccid with a sticky ball in hand and his eyes slightly murky, the boy was in no shape to continue fighting. From above, Nezu had seen the youthful prospect giving his all to helping his friends by sticking scores of zombies with his Quirk and enabling his friends to counterattack. The boy had suffered countless injuries as a result though, but now he could at least leave with his head held high.
Others followed close behind. Denki Kaminari, Fumikage Tokoyami, Eijiro Kirishima, and other hard-hitters had to be dragged onboard. They'd been the ones dealing most of the damage while simultaneously receiving the brunt of it in return. They protested, citing that they needed to keep up the fight so their friends could get on safely. But Nezu knew that letting them do so would only make things worse, since they'd eventually lack the energy to save themselves.
Besides, Mirko was more than enough to hold back the wave of undead corpses piling around the building, digging their bloody nails into its walls and dragging their ragged bodies upwards. The two rising stars of 1-A, Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo, were also aiding her and proving to be a massive boon. Both had largely avoided significant injury while also maintaining a consistent pace, but fatigue was starting to show on both their faces.
While securing Kirishima into his passenger seat, it occurred to Nezu that one was missing. The one who was arguably the most important of the bunch. Where was Izuku Midoriya?!
In fact, where was Alucard?! The entire reason why this group had come out here was because they wanted to find the man behind this mess, so where was he?! Had they simply failed, or was this just another of Alucard's pranks?!
*FWOOOOOOSH*BANG*BANG*KKKRRRAAAAKKKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM*
Suddenly, a massive explosion detonated in the building's bottom floor. One with enough shock and force to shake the very foundation. The shockwave alone nearly knocked Nezu out of the helicopter were it not for the help of Gran Torino, instantly bouncing inside and strapping him into his seatbelt. The detonation sent a wave of undead flying out into the open air, almost clearing a path for them to escape. And fortunately, the zombified Nine was no longer peppering them with nonstop lightning bolts and icicles.
That was one question answered. And luckily, so was another mere moments later.
*FWOOOOOOSH*
From the whirlwind of dust billowing out of the steadily collapsing building emerged two individuals locked in combat. The sound of gunfire rang throughout the wreckage of Tokyo as the two combatants zoomed past. It wasn't difficult for Nezu to figure out who those two were.
Alucard summoned familiars that attacked Midoriya wherever he wasn't defending, fired bullets that would ricochet off of young Midoriya's coat of electricity, and summoned undead warriors whenever the boy got too close. All the while, he chuckled like a madman as Izuku grew more and more weary, forced to expend his precious stamina on threats besides Alucard.
Midoriya kept on trying to close the distance between them, but each and every time found himself being blown back by an explosive round or some zombie jumping onto his back. These distractions were not enough to hurt him, but their continued interference was taking its toll. Visible signs of exhaustion appeared on his face. Nezu wanted nothing more than to tell the pilot to fly them over so they could help, but he had to consider the safety of the students and the heroes, now heavily wounded and in no shape to fight.
Well, save for a handful...
"GET YOUR BUTTS MOVIN'!" Mirko's voice pierced the skies, signaling the literal turn of the tide as the Rabbit Hero dragged a whole chunk of undead off the building. Having beaten them so badly that they were no longer physically able to retaliate, what with their arms having been torn off and their mouths punched into vacant sockets, Mirko was able to use them as a springboard with which to make her way to the center of the action.
Not to be outdone, Katsuki Bakugo spit a thick wad of saliva out onto the pavement before leaping into the air and following her into battle. Todoroki, meanwhile, chose to stay behind. His friends were still in danger, after all.
Gazing after them, Nezu prayed that they'd find a way to put an end to this madness.
0.0
Deku:
No room for error. That was the situation he'd put himself in after choosing to fight Alex. Every second that passed, he was having to come up with a new solution for an entirely new problem. A hand might emerge through a portal and stab his thigh, a bullet would whizz past his ear, or a flock of crows would fly straight towards him and embed themselves onto his costume like oil, slowing him down even more.
Full Cowling could only do so much against so many threats, and Deku was forced to rely on the Full Gauntlet and muscle memory to keep up with it all. Using Full Cowling to dodge incoming projectiles, the Full Gauntlet to obliterate hordes of enemies, and his base instincts to keep him out of the stickiest of situations. But behind all of this, Alex smirked gleefully.
*SPANG*KABOOOM*POW*
He blew past another flurry of bullets, flaming arrows, icicles, sharp rocks, and other projectiles sent by Alex's army of undead, before closing the distance. But there was simply too much for him to handle. Far more than he'd ever practiced with, and way more than even his wildest imagination. He was running out of stamina, and soon enough he wouldn't even have the strength to lift his arms.
"KEEP IT UP, BRAT!" A familiar voice cried out.
"DON'T EVEN THINK OF STEALING MY KILL, DEKU!" Another screeched with far more intensity than their predecessor.
Mirko and Kacchan weren't far. Deku could hear Kacchan's shouting from a mile away, which gave him a helpful morale boost. He just wasn't sure if there was enough time for them to help. Oddly, this continuous onslaught of all manner of weapons and Quirks felt... juvenile... by Alex's standards. It was just a feeling, but this constant barrage somehow seemed weak compared to the insanely creative ideas Alex had shown in the past.
Which could only mean...
Lost in thought and fighting solely off muscle memory for a few seconds, Deku was caught when Alex suddenly lunged at him. Before he even realized it, he'd been punched in the gut and had the wind completely blown out of his lungs. Not even Kacchan had ever dealt so much damage to him in a single shot before. His kidney must've just been ruptured.
Launched several meters into the air, Deku willed himself back to life and spun around, managing to dodge multiple spearheads by a hairsbreadth. But then, just as it looked like he'd gotten away, a biting pain appeared in his lower left ankle. Taking a glance at it, he soon realized what'd happened. One of Alex's bullets had struck his leg. Fortunately, his costume had absorbed the impact meaning the explosion hadn't blown his leg off, but it'd still left a pretty big hole.
Unable to control his trajectory, Deku descended onto the pavement and crashed into the hard floor with a resounding *SMACK*. The crowd of grotesque, mindless beasts circled all around him, just close enough to appear threatening while still giving him enough room to rest. The manner in which they moved seemed so robotic that there was no way someone wasn't controlling them.
His ears ringing, Deku could barely hear Kacchan screaming in rage. His vision blurry, Deku tried to pick himself up off the ground, but then...
*SPLAT*
He fell face first back onto the floor. The impact did help him regain his senses. However, this only led to the unfortunate realization that help was probably not going to be coming any time soon. Bakugo's yelling had not been out of bloodlust or excitement, but rather out of anxiety and trepidation. Despite making good progress, Alexander's mob had now turned their focus onto him and Mirko, effectively stalling any forward momentum they'd been carrying. In short, Deku was on his own.
He could barely lift his arms. His leg'd been shot, and his torso was on fire after receiving that devastating blow to the chest. His whole body stung after extended usage of Full Cowling and One For All, so he wasn't sure how much he had left in the tank. Could he even muster up any more strength in this state?!
The crowd dispersed, opening up a clear path between himself and Alex. Appearing now in his fully-realized form, wide fedora and red trench coat in all, the Prince of Darkness, Dracula, presented himself in all his dominating glory. Perched atop a pile of corpses like a king after a bloody battle, Alucard leered smugly at his wounded foe.
"What's the matter, HERO?! Your villain is waiting!" His voice, bouncing off the sea of flesh and echoing off Tokyo's vacant buildings, carried a degree of contempt and arrogance Deku had only ever heard from the likes of All For One.
An intimidating aura descended upon their battlefield, as Deku lay still and nursed his injuries. Incapable of answering Dracula's barbs, he mustered what little stamina he had left to at least stare defiantly at his former friend. In response, Alex simply leaned back and smiled, his crimson eyes glowing beneath the shadows of the clouds hanging above them.
"You're bruised and bleeding. Your leg has been rendered useless. What are you going to do? Will you die like a dog, or on your feet like a man?!" Sneering snidely, Alucard looked at him with an almost expectant expression on his face.
Once again, that familiar empathetic feeling ran through Deku's mind. Sure, that same mind was currently muddled and fuzzy after all the abuse he'd just gone through, but he still felt it. The theatricality. The playfulness. The mind-boggling showmanship. The fact that even with the massive advantage in numbers, none of Alex-kun's mindless zombies attacked him. It all screamed of facilitation. His opponent wanted him to get up. To show some semblance of resilience, and to push past his physical limitations.
He was pretty sure he was going insane if that was where his mind was taking him now...
"Enough... blood... has been spilled today, Alex-kun." He sputtered, gasping in between every word. "If the only way to put a stop to this is by fighting, then I won't hold back. Not even for you."
Blood seeping out of his gaping leg wound, Deku pushed himself to get back onto both feet and took a firm step forward. Every step he took drove more waves of pain through his system, yet he pushed forward. No guarantee of help, no way to catch his opponent off guard, no game-changing weapons or strategies left at his disposal, nor even the energy needed to pull off any such maneuver, Deku nevertheless willed his tired body forward.
Dying on his belly... Lying face down as enemies surrounded him, devouring his limbs and consuming his flesh... Depriving him the decency of a quick death, and then parading his corpse like a trophy afterwards... That was not the fate of One For All. Of a successor to All Might. Of a True Hero.
For all those who'd come before him, and for those who would come after, Deku refused to let himself go down in such a humiliating fashion. Whether it was because Alex wanted him to or not, Deku was going to go down fighting. As a shining example of heroism, like all those heroes he'd fantasized of in his childhood. Blood pooling around his foot, the emaciated schoolboy flung his torn leg forward and began charging what scraps of stamina he had left into one last attack.
On the other end, Alucard smirked contentedly. Everything had gone according to plan. All of the events leading up to this moment had been anticipated. Perhaps not in its entirety, but enough to account for most "unexpected" circumstances. Mirko and Bakugo had threatened to throw a wrench into his scheme, but Seras Victoria's arrival effectively walled them off and prevented them from making any further progress. Having isolated Deku, all that remained was to guide the boy to his podium. The time had come for Alucard to put an end to this stage play.
*FWOOOSH*
"PLUS..."
Raising his fist, Deku sent one final burst of One For All into this one last show of resistance. Scalding bursts of electricity ran along his costume as his eyes began to glow a faint blue. With one leg forward, the child loaded up his fist. And then...
"...ULTRAAAAAA!"
*PPPPSSSHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHHHH*
Speeding forward, Deku's initial leap sent out a shockwave powerful enough to fling scores of the undead mob high into the air and leave scorch marks deeply embedded into their malleable flesh. Bolts of lightning shot out of his back as Deku finally used Full Cowling to its highest potential, propelling himself forward like the bullets that'd pierced his body earlier.
His outwards confident appearance wavering, Alucard drew both of his pistols in an attempt to drive him away. As Deku rocketed towards him, the twin barrels of the Casull and the Jackal aligned, aiming at Deku's forehead. But not even his superhuman reflexes were quick enough to stop Deku's advance. Flipping in the air, Deku dodged the rain of projectiles that was being sent his way. While some did manage to penetrate his defences, it wasn't nearly enough to pierce his determination. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching his target.
Even as a shard of ice punctured his arm, Deku was quick to ignore it. Even as a massive, zombified Muscular threw himself between them, Deku blew straight through him without hesitation, using centrifugal force to raise the power of his spin kick and slicing the deceased Quirk user in half.
And just like that, there was nothing left to stand between Deku and Alucard. The two who, only a few weeks past, were chuckling over Bakugo's reaction to being knocked out once more by Alex-kun, were now in a do-or-die exchange. All the lives lost that day, and the fates of those left to mourn over them... The consequences of this day were about to be determined in this final duel.
For the both of them, time slowed down to a crawl. For a split second, they made eye contact. Scarlet red pupils met bright blue irises. A subtle feeling of understanding passed between them. And then, just like that, it was over.
*PPCCHHHHSSSSHLICK*
0.0
Afterwards:
Following the tragedy of the "Meta Incident", Japan's society underwent a period of reconstruction. With the decimation of all three major powers, those being the Hero Association, the League of Villains, and the Meta Liberation Army, there was no one in Japan strong enough to take advantage of this goldmine of an opportunity.
The fall of the League of Villains was fully realized following the capture of All For One's successor, Tomura Shigaraki. Incapacitated by Dracula's demonic horde of undead, the scattered remnants of Shigaraki's League were effectively trapped within Tokyo for the entirety of the disaster. And after its conclusion, they possessed neither the strength nor the numbers to escape when the Hero Association reentered the city.
Despite his best efforts, Shigaraki had failed to exorcise his demons. While still fighting back when under threat of capture, he lacked the fire and spirit that'd carried him up to that point. Not even Kurogiri, his ever dependable portal user, could muster up his Quirk. He knew what was to come, and that there was nothing they could do to stop the inevitable. So they might as well accept it when mercy was still an option.
The Meta Liberation Army had been utterly wiped out, their guerrilla tactics working against them. The tidal wave of zombified cadavers had devoured them alive, leaving a gigantic void where there'd once been an army. Whatever ambitions they'd once held, whatever "freedom" they'd dreamt of, now sat as silent and mournful as the echoes of the wind. The haunting howl playing throughout the now vacant city of Tokyo. A final requiem for the dead, and a reminder of the calamity.
The Hero Association, while perhaps the most intact of the three, was in no shape to undertake any ambitious endeavors, and would not be for some time. Having gone in numbering the fewest of the three, they'd managed to emerge with perhaps the fewest casualties. This came down to their coordination, as they were able to quickly plan efforts to rescue their stranded operatives and extract them from the horrendous affair.
Having lost a significant portion of their Pros, the Hero Association now found itself in a state of purgatory. While still having many big names like All Might and Endeavor, they'd lost many others whose absence would go on to complicate things further. Either the survivors would have to work double time to try and make up for their lost comrades, or the citizens of Japan would have to accept that things would be unpredictable for a while.
The Japanese government, having seen their influence grow lax in recent decades, now reentered the public sphere in order to make up for the Hero Association's present shortcomings. Working in tandem, they sought to reinstitute peace and order, predicting that crime would rise following the disillusionment of the League of Villains and groups like them. David and Melissa Shield proved essential as their company contributed much to not only bringing back order, but also in rebuilding Tokyo.
In the midst of this reconstruction period, the name "Izuku Midoriya" found its way into many a headline. Why?
Because everyone knew who it was that'd put an end to the madness.
"U.A.'s Young Prodigy, Izuku Midoriya, Takes Down Dracula!"
"The Next All Might?! Izuku Midoriya Stops World-Ending Threat!"
"Rising Star Izuku Midoriya Puts Pros To Shame!"
In this time of strife and uncertainty, the people of Japan needed a figure whom they could look up to and believe in. Someone they could entrust with the future of their country. And while he might have been disheveled, nervous, and even turned the accolades down on more than one occasion, Izuku Midoriya was steadily coming to terms with his newfound fame.
But it wasn't just him who acquired a new level of stardom. This popularity also applied to his classmates in 1-A, who'd leapt back into the fray without hesitation when they'd learnt of his struggle. Undaunted by the perilous circumstances, they'd charged straight in to back up their treasured friend. Or at least, that was how the newspapers put it. Regardless of how truthful they were, U.A. High's Principal Nezu found some solace in the knowledge that Japan's citizens had not descended into carnage upon learning of the horror that'd transpired in Tokyo.
Perhaps due largely to the massive loss of life and the effects of the tragedy now felt across the nation, the crime rate actually fell. With so much blood spilled, hero and villain alike shared an odd sense of solidarity. Now was not the time to pursue selfish goals, but to focus on healing. The Rabbit Hero, Mirko, found herself in high demand now. Being one of the few Pros to have not only fought throughout the entirety of the conflict, but to have survived as well, meant she was now being treated by both the government and the Hero Association as perhaps their most skilled operative.
Even with the reduced crime rate and her egregious injuries, Mirko nevertheless pursued the thrill of combat with a wide grin and an eagerly prepped fist. But her former intern and now official assistant, Mikasa, spoke of those quieter moments she shared with Mirko. Brief instances when Mirko's smile would fade and her eyes glazed over. As she stared at the setting sun, and ruminated over some mysterious being in the west.
U.A.'s Izuku Midoriya did his best to avoid all the newfound attention he was receiving, instead seeking a return to the normal everyday life that he'd been unable to enjoy recently. His friends noted that while he still smiled as cheerfully as ever, the fight had nonetheless left its mark. Where once he'd run into situations raring for a fight and with minimal planning, he now devoted far more time to preparation. Preferring to attack his opponents from behind instead of the front.
The infamous Dracula's body was never found. As Izuku described it, the body turned into vapor upon Dracula's defeat. Not only the body, but also the millions of tormented souls that'd swallowed Tokyo on that day. As if God himself had placed his hand atop the city and cleansed it of all signs of bloodshed. News organizations tried to pry more information out of him, but the boy refused to elaborate further.
Outsiders attributed this to trauma, but none were certain. Gradually though, all of this theory crafting and talk of conspiracy died down as Japan settled into the calm after the storm.
Elsewhere, far away from Japan, a towering figure in a red trench coat humbled himself before a white-haired English woman.
"What would you have of me, my Master?"
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Author's Notes: And that concludes "A Demon Among Heroes". It's stunning when I reflect on the fact that I've written this over the course of almost two years. I'm reasonably proud of this story whilst being fully cognizant of my errors. While I do intend to make edits eventually, I would like to mention that I'll be taking a break from writing. This story has taken a lot out of me, so I'll require a great deal of time to recover. I have a couple of ideas I'd like to try out eventually, and one of them I find particularly interesting.
I'll probably make some sort of announcement for my next project. In the meantime, there is a chance I'll occasionally post some one-off stories just to exercise my writing muscles. But my time will largely be devoted to resting and planning the next story I hope to tell.
Hearing so much positive feedback has felt so fulfilling. I appreciate the amount of criticism my stories have drawn as well, and I'm just happy overall to have seen so much interest in my story. I hope you'll all stick with me in anticipation of what will come next.
Anyways, I'll see you in the next!
