6: Royal Test.
The wind blew creating a sound similar to that of a silent lament.
There was a uneasiness in the air, Izuku could have sworn he even felt a chill.
The hairs on his body stood on end, and a discomfort settled in his stomach as if he had eaten a bad dinner.
The figure shrouded in darkness, with a black cloak trailing on the ground and a hood that obscured all features in shadow, approached him with measured slowness.
Izuku took a deep breath to calm himself, although the situation was strange and the atmosphere gave him a sense of danger, it wasn't a danger towards him.
He didn't know exactly how to put it into words, but it was as if it was a general danger and not a focused one, as if the figure in front of him was dangerous to everything around it, which wasn't any better but somehow made it more bearable.
This lack of focus caused his body to relax in a strange way.
"Can I help you with something?" he asked, more out of courtesy than anything else, although he would be lying if he said he wouldn't help if possible. After all, he was a hero... a hero in training.
"I can sense a familiar sensation coming from you, but different at the same time. It's interesting, it's been a long time since I've seen another human using aura," the hooded figure approached cautiously, their words carrying a touch of nostalgia as well as clear interest.
On his part, Izuku was almost blank at the mention of something that only he and his mentor should know.
Recalling the figure's words so far, it was obvious that they were looking for someone, and that someone had left a trail leading here, with no other trace to follow.
Making a logical deduction, Izuku knew that this person was looking for his mentor.
Did they know him? If so, why were they looking for him here? There were so many questions, but Izuku restrained himself from asking each one of them.
Why this person set off warning bells in his mind, Somehow, he understood that mentioning his mentor would be dangerous. No, dangerous was underestimating what his senses were telling him. It would be a death sentence.
So he forced his mouth shut.
Perhaps sensing his unease, the figure chuckled softly.
"You're nervous, is it because of me? Don't worry, I have nothing against you. In fact, I find you quite interesting, even somewhat pleasant, like a little candlelight that's fun to watch."
Izuku couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that someone could emit so much danger while talking to someone they liked. Moreover, that last analogy seemed strange to him, but everything in this moment was strange in a way, so he didn't pay too much attention to it.
"but that good will will depend on your next response. After all, extinguishing a candle is as easy as blowing with enough force once you get bored of it" the voice suddenly lost its amusement and gained a penetrating coldness.
"By chance, you would not have seen a man named Dan pass by here?"
Now, almost within half a meter of him, Izuku noticed that the figure was slightly taller than him. He caught a glimpse of a chin under that hood, a color as white as marble, beyond simply pale. It wasn't a sickly tone as it would normally be, but rather a more natural shade, somehow fitting.
The scent that reached his nose was like ash and fire mixed with the coppery smell of blood, and strangely, the fragrance of a flower.
A rose, to be exact.
Izuku focused on this, rather than the powerful murderous intent that began to envelop his body from all directions, like a crushing pressure. Otherwise, he would be unable to control his trembling.
With a calmness born out of absolute fear, Izuku responded clearly and firmly.
"No, I don't think I've ever met a man by that name," even to him, the words felt honest. Clear and firm, there was no hesitation or trembling, and Izuku seriously doubted if he would ever again speak a lie in his life in such a convincing manner.
The figure looked at him with those red eyes that seemed capable of seeing his soul for several minutes, studying his face inch by inch, and Izuku almost began to sweat.
The sun started to set further and further, and just as only a ray of sunlight remained, the figure nodded.
"I see... that's unfortunate," there was a hint of disappointment in their voice, and a part of Izuku felt guilty for the lie, but only for half a second, while another part of him sighed with relief.
The figure turned around, starting to walk away, and as if swallowed by the shadows, their silhouette seemed to disappear into the darkness.
Izuku waited for another minute before releasing a long sigh he had been holding.
"What was that?" he wondered to himself more than anyone else.
Izuku prepared to head back home and try to forget this encounter until his mind was more relaxed.
But the sensation of a hand gripping his shoulder, along with slender fingers and long nails brushing against his skin, made him come to a sudden stop.
Slowly, he looked to his left, and a face shrouded in shadow greeted him with a faint smile and red eyes that gleamed with amusement and disappointment.
"Tell me, boy, didn't your parents teach you that lying is wrong?" The voice was like a whisper that sent a shiver down his spine.
Stiff as a board, Izuku almost stammered a response, but the figure spoke before he could.
"I don't like being lied to, and that man should have taught you what happens when someone does something I don't like," their voice was low and tinged with anger.
Run! his brain screamed at him.
Frozen as he was, Izuku still had enough self-preservation instinct to heed his own warning and leap high into the air in the face of imminent danger.
It was futile. Even when he jumped far and fast, the figure, like a shadow clinging to his body, still caught up to him effortlessly, as if they hadn't moved at all to begin with.
Their palm pressed against his back, and an unnatural force made Izuku grit his teeth and crash to the ground with a thunderous impact that sent sand and debris flying in all directions, leaving a ten-meter-wide crater with his body at the center.
His aura shimmered, and for a moment, the figure paused, contemplating the glow with an inscrutable gaze.
"Tell me, boy, did that man not teach you anything about me? Did he not speak of what I have done and what I am capable of?" Their head tilted to the side as they asked the question, curiosity evident in their voice.
Izuku, knowing that lying at this point would be futile, shook his head before speaking with a weak voice.
"N-no, he never said anything about you," and wasn't that a big problem? It was obvious that this person, whoever they were, was an enemy of his mentor, and yet he never mentioned them even once.
If he had been given a warning, maybe he could have avoided this situation.
The figure stood still at the revelation, as if contemplating something absurd.
laughed softly and shook their head, allowing long strands of dark hair mixed with thinner strands of silver hair to spill out from their hood and sway in the wind, faintly shimmering with the last ray of sunlight before everything was enveloped in darkness.
"Nothing at all? Not even a mention or a slip of the tongue? Think carefully," they insisted, now with a touch of irritation and reluctance.
Izuku had truly been thinking, slowly rising from the ground and looking directly into the eyes of the enemy before him, he shook his head once again.
"I can't think of any mention of you," and it was the truth.
That truth seemed to hit the figure in front of him like a precise attack, his shoulders seemed to slump a bit and his posture leaned a few degrees.
"Have you forgotten what happened? What you did? Or do you care so little about the past that you preferred to erase it from your memories...? Ignore it?" The figure seemed somewhat bewildered by this revelation, with clenched fists and a slight tremor in their voice.
"And now I'm here with no way back or form of open a new path to follow because I spent everything I had thinking this would be the last place I'd have to search..." The figure moved away from Izuku, their hands rising and holding their head in frustration, strands of black and silver hair clenched between their fingers.
With that, the air of death and the sense of danger lightened.
This was an opportunity!
Izuku moved as quietly as he could, trying to distance himself further and leave silently while the figure paced in circles, lost in their thoughts.
It didn't work.
Suddenly, a large hand filled with dark fur, white bone plates, and claws emerged from its shadow and grabbed him by the legs.
"Whoa!?" Surprised, he stumbled, and then the figure emerged completely, and it was like seeing a monster come to life before his eyes.
"Sneaking away while someone is contemplating the bad decisions they've made is not good manners."
The figure composed itself and approached him, taking his arm and effortlessly lifting him off the ground.
Pale and delicate hands with black nails took hold of his face as if studying him, touching his features and caressing his skin.
Izuku felt like a toy in the hands of a child, except this child had enough strength to squeeze and break him.
"You're a bit cute and inexperienced, but you're shaping up. I suppose that will do." As if having made a decision, the figure looked into his eyes and spoke clearly.
"The man who is clearly your mentor and who gave you the gift of aura owes me a debt, an astronomical debt. But he's not here to pay that debt, and you know what they say, the sins of the master are the sins of the pupil." They laughed as if finding amusement in it.
"There's a debt to be settled, kid, and you're going to be the one to do it." It sounded like a sentence, and the cold and sinister voice didn't help Izuku calm his fear and nervousness.
Then, with a sweeter and more relaxed voice, the figure stroked his hair.
"But I'm not without mercy. As much as I want to see that man suffer, you're not him, and your suffering won't bring me the joy I seek. So, I'll give you a chance." They raised a finger to emphasize it.
"A royal test! I can feel that flame burning within you, the aura inside you I want to see it blaze. It's been a while since I've seen a soul shine with true passion." Their excitement was evident, as if recalling a pleasant memory.
"I like fire, something that burns like a passionate flame and shines like a wildfire! So, if you manage to burn brightly enough to impress me, I'll spare your life, just this once... What do you say?" Although they asked, it was obvious that it wasn't a suggestion.
Izuku composed himself as best as he could and nodded slowly, not trusting their words. What else could he do? The enemy in front of him was too strong; playing their games was his only option at this moment.
The figure released him and turned towards the monster that had emerged from the shadows, patting it on the back and asking with a smile.
"What do you say, Hunter? Are you ready for a hunt?" That question made the monster growl, and somehow a sinister smile formed on its wolf-like face.
Izuku tensed up. Was this the test? To be hunted by this monster? He didn't know how strong it was, but it shouldn't be as strong as his mentor, right?
"Then go, have a feast." With that said, there was a momentary silence before a monstrous howl shattered the stillness of the night.
The wind stirred, and suddenly the monster became blurry, running off in a completely different direction from where Izuku was. who remained in a half-prepared fleeing stance, looking astonished at the figure running away from him.
"Uh? What are you waiting for, kid? If you don't start running, you'll miss out on the fun. After all, Hunter hasn't eaten in a long time~" There was a small laugh, and then a cold realization dawned on Izuku.
He wasn't the prey.
He looked towards where 'Hunter' was running and realized it was in the direction of the city. Every hair on his body stood on end, his heart pounded harder, and his blood boiled at the thought.
His fears, doubts, or worries were set aside with a simple thought: 'I have to stop him.'
Unbeknownst to him, the aura gauge on his watch quickly reached 150% and continued to increase.
His foot touched the ground, and in a green blur, his body shot forward, breaking the sound barrier instantly. His aura shone brightly.
"Whoa! Hahaha, that glow, it's truly beautiful!" Watching him soar like an emerald comet, the figure applauded as if witnessing an entertaining spectacle. Quickly, their figure rose into the air, where a dark bird the size of a car awaited.
Now in their front-row seat and away from prying eyes, the figure relaxed even more. "Let's see how brightly he can burn," they whispered, a soft smile forming on their lips. Their lips, covered in a dark shade that reflected the moonlight.
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The night had descended upon the city of Musutafu in a calm manner, like any other day. With the last ray of sunlight disappearing on the horizon, the night and the city's nightlife began.
Soon, darkness settled in, accompanied by the shimmering moonlight in the sky.
Then, there was an eerie silence before a piercing sound shattered the stillness into a thousand pieces.
It was like the howl of a wolf mixed with the roar of a lion.
Those with sensitive ears fell to the ground, clutching their heads.
The more cowardly ones trembled and hid, while the braver or more foolish ones looked out of their windows or ventured out of their homes.
From the shadows, a tall figure emerged at great speed onto the streets. It was like an arrow shot with full force, obliterating any obstacle in its path and deforming the terrain.
A couple of elderly people walking towards their home was their first target, their extremely sharp white claws stretched out, the couple wouldn't even have been able to react in time to their attack.
"No!" a shout came, and in a flash of emerald, a punch struck the monster's side, pushing it away and crashing it into a wall.
The concrete broke, and a cloud of dust rose, but Hunter didn't stay still. His figure lunged forward again, this time aiming at a car that had suddenly stopped due to the commotion. A family of four was inside, and they opened their eyes in absolute terror as they saw the monster running towards them.
Its claws tore apart the front of the car in less than a second.
Then, a figure burning in green flames grabbed its arm and pulled it away, slamming it against the ground and cracking the asphalt.
The dust rose, and the only thing visible from the outside was a green blur and a black spot moving rapidly inside.
Like a whirlwind of two colors in a dance of destruction and death, then the green figure flew out, hitting a building and piercing through it.
The people exclaimed, having gathered to watch, foolishly serving themselves on a silver platter for the monster that hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, providing it with a long-awaited feast of negative emotions.
One unfortunate soul, the closest one, was taken in its claws.
"Ah!" terror spread, and everyone ran away. The man who had been captured screamed, making Hunter savor every second.
"Help! Someone help me!" he tried to break free from the grip, but it was even harder than steel. His quirk, completely useless in combat, left him completely defenseless.
Just as his head was about to be devoured by the beast's jaws, an emerald figure shot out from where it had been sent flying and quickly arrived at the scene. Both hands held the beast's open jaw, preventing it from closing.
Hunter growled and tried to shake off the nuisance that was preventing it from enjoying its meal, but without success.
Izuku clenched his teeth, his lungs burned, and adrenaline coursed through his body. His hands glowed with his aura as he exerted more effort. His muscles swelled, and with a strong pull, he felt something give way, fortunately not something of his own.
"Arghh!" the beast's jaw was dislocated, its claws released the battered man who had been captured. It hadn't been kind to him; he probably had some broken bones and injuries.
But all of that was preferable to death.
Izuku felt his body being thrown to the ground, his back impacting and breaking the asphalt.
He quickly got up, seeing Hunter already running towards another person.
In seconds, both blurry figures ran through the streets, destroying everything in their path, but Izuku made sure to move away people in danger.
Punches, kicks, elbows, no matter what method Izuku used, he couldn't stop the monster for more than a second.
The only fortunate thing was that it was nighttime, and the number of people on the streets wasn't as high as it would be during the day. If that were the case, Izuku wouldn't have been able to prevent someone from getting hurt or killed.
Even now, it was too difficult to do so.
In the streets, between buildings, on rooftops, and sometimes even passing through walls or soaring briefly into the sky.
Two blurs of green and black intertwined in a high-speed battle.
Each impact sent shockwaves that shattered windows, cracked walls, and caused small tremors.
A thirty-story building was pierced through. Without pausing for a moment, both opponents continued to fight among the towering buildings, blurs running along their exteriors or piercing through them.
Any person who could have been harmed was saved, but not everyone emerged unscathed.
In a battle where one of the participants was more focused on harming others than their enemy, it was difficult to protect others.
But despite all of this, neither of them stopped even once in this encounter.
Izuku felt his body burning, like a slow fire. Every blow he received felt like a high-speed truck crashing into him.
This monster was strong, too strong. If it weren't focused on killing others instead of directly harming him, this fight would have been much more dangerous for him.
He would have preferred that, as things stood, everyone in Musutafu was in danger.
He had seen some heroes out of the corner of his eye trying to help, but they all fell behind.
were going too fast, and not all heroes could move that quickly.
Izuku felt a claw strike his side. The pain was there, but there was no damage thanks to his aura. Still, his breath almost escaped his lungs.
His body crashed into a car, completely destroying it, and Izuku felt relieved that there was no one inside. He wouldn't have been able to save them if there had been.
He quickly got up, ready to continue the pursuit, but his enemy looked at him without moving.
Izuku suddenly felt nervous.
Hunter stared at him with irritation, completely still. Since they started running, it hadn't stopped for as long as it was now.
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In the sky, atop a large black bird with white bone plates.
The figure laughed and applauded throughout the spectacle.
Every time Izuku managed to save someone, they exclaimed with joy, and every time Hunter struck him, they seemed nervous, clenching their fists or pulling their long hair as if worried.
As the fight dragged on and Izuku's aura shone more intensely, their joy grew larger within it.
Their lips curved into a wide smile.
their hands, pale as marble, soft and elegant, would clench and he would bite his lip in worry when things seemed to go wrong.
and They applauded, beaming brightly, when Izuku accomplished a rescue that seemed almost impossible.
Their eyes sparkled with emotions that contradicted who was truly responsible for all the destruction that had befallen the city below in these few minutes of high-speed combat.
Then they saw Hunter stand still, and the smile on their face faded.
"Well, that was fun, but are you tired of playing already, Hunter? What a shame... I really liked seeing his soul shine like that..." They seemed to debate with themselves about whether they should interfere, but in the end, they decided to stay in their place.
With a sigh, the figure looked bored towards the ground, already knowing what would happen next.
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For Izuku's senses, everything in the world seemed to move slowly, as if he were looking through a slow-motion camera lens.
Everything, except for Hunter. In the blink of an eye, Hunter's figure lunged towards him faster than any movement Izuku had ever witnessed before, faster than his body could react.
He saw the monster's claw approaching his stomach, ignoring his aura as if it didn't exist, and blood spurting out from there.
He felt his insides being torn apart, possibly his stomach along with his spine.
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and his eyes widened in pain.
His body was forcefully thrown backward, crashing into a solid wall.
As his aura dimmed and his thoughts became simpler and vaguer, izuku started to lose sensitivity...
From an external perspective, it all happened in an instant. Suddenly, Izuku appeared, bleeding in the middle of a cracked wall.
And the monster slowly moved away towards a family that had been too close.
The father stood in front of his children and his wife, who had fallen to the ground, injured by debris from the previous attack. The dark being seemed to smile brightly, its previously loose jaw returning to its proper position.
There were screams and cries of fear as it approached, but it didn't rush. It savored the fear and desperation like a long-awaited meal, its red eyes gleaming with hunger.
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In the sky, the figure shrouded in darkness sighed in disappointment as they saw that brilliant flame starting to fade like a candle in the midst of a storm, dwindling and weakening.
Perhaps they should have told Hunter to prolong it for as long as possible?
just as they turned to leave, they felt something hit their senses like a flash of heat that grabbed their full attention and made their body tremble.
Their head turned so quickly that a human would have broken their neck from the abruptness. Their vision returned to the scene below, and their eyes widened.
The blood-red color of their pupils was suddenly illuminated by an emerald reflection of a flame shining brightly.
It was blinding, like staring directly at the sun.
It was spectacular.
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For Izuku, it was like plunging into an icy ocean and sinking to the bottom. When he felt his aura begin to fade and his body start to numb, he knew he was going to die.
Whatever Hunter had done had inflicted more damage than it seemed, and darkness was beginning to tinge his vision.
Dreams, hopes, and goals ceased to matter when he felt the cold embrace of death begin to envelop his body.
It was over.
"At least I attended U.A., right? Even if it was only for two days."
He didn't manage to become a hero, didn't manage to help the world, and didn't manage to defeat the monster in front of him.
Even when he had been given the opportunity he had dreamed of for so long, he ended up failing.
Truly a 'Deku,' huh?
As his consciousness continued to fade, he heard something, his senses that were beginning to dim still recognized the sound.
Someone was shouting.
It was weak and faint, like when you're inside the ocean, and someone outside tries to talk to you.
"Why are you shouting?" he wanted to ask.
"What's wrong?"
He slowly lifted his gaze, and though darkness seemed to envelop everything, his senses still felt something. Like dimly lit silhouettes, he saw a small girl huddled next to what he assumed was her mother. Her mother was lying on the ground, clutching her leg in pain, while a boy embraced her from the other end. A man stood in front of them with his arms outstretched, dimly glowing silhouettes that shone faintly but more clearly than anything else – souls.
"What are you afraid of?" he wanted to say, but his mouth didn't move.
Izuku slightly turned his pupils to the side and saw a pitch-black shadow with blood-red eyes approaching them. It was a silhouette of complete darkness, darker than even the darkness tingeing his vision. It was something soulless.
"I see..."
The sound became clear; his ears started working again, and it took just one simple word for the rest of his body to follow suit and begin moving once more.
"Help!"
Then the fire engulfed everything, and as if something inside his soul woke up his body began to move even when it should have been impossible.
It's okay, don't worry; I'll save you...
Why?
"Because I'm here."
Then everything lit up once again.
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In the scene, Hunter suddenly halted in his advance. His animal instincts screamed at him, but he was unable to keep up with them. In one moment, he was about to enjoy his well-deserved meal, and in the next, he felt a fist strike his face. His white bone mask shattered, and his fangs went flying.
His body was propelled into the distance at great speed, crashing into a wall and breaking it.
He howled in pain and felt something burning his face—a green flame searing his black skin, causing unbearable agony.
He writhed and growled, his body rising, and he glared with hatred at the figure who had struck him, glowing with green flames.
Eyes that emanated intense emerald flames met his gaze, and suddenly, Hunter felt something he hadn't felt in a very, very long time.
Fear.
He forgot his hunger, and his hunt suddenly seemed less important. The beast turned without hesitation, ready to escape.
He couldn't take a single step before a green blur was in front of him.
A clenched fist, burning with emerald flames, shot forward, leaving only a residual image behind.
From his perspective, it seemed to be approaching slowly, and yet, his body couldn't move.
Then he heard it, a low whisper, but it contained a myriad of emotions that a monster like him was incapable of understanding, except for one of them.
Fury.
"Smash..."
Then there was nothing.
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It was as if a torrent of flames shot up into the sky like an eruption, suddenly for a few brief seconds, nearly half the city was bathed in its glow.
Then as quickly as it came, it all ended.
Izuku looked at the empty space in front of him with a dull expression. His mind and body felt numb, and he could barely turn his head to watch the family walk away.
They were safe.
That was all that mattered.
Suddenly, he felt tired, very tired. Then he felt pain, a burning pain coming from all parts of his body.
As if someone had burned him from the inside.
It was uncomfortable.
He would have worried more about it if his mind wasn't fading, and his consciousness dwindling.
He hoped he wouldn't get into too much trouble for this.
He hoped his mother wouldn't worry too much.
He hoped everyone would be okay.
He hoped...
Slowly, his body lost consciousness, and Izuku fell asleep. He was tired, very tired...
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It was beautiful, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
It was like looking into space and suddenly witnessing a star being born, its brilliance diminishing the darkness of the void.
It was so intense and moving that for a moment, she stood frozen, mouth agape and eyes glistening.
It was the brightest soul she had ever seen.
It was the warmest fire she had ever felt, and somehow, an organ that had long ceased to function sprang back to life.
She felt her heart beating again and blood coursing through her veins.
Like a locomotive starting to come to life within her chest, as if a numbness that had persisted for years was quickly fading away.
She snapped out of her reverie when she saw the body of her newly discovered, favorite human falling to the ground. She quickly descended from the sky, landing heavily, and ran towards him to hold him. He was warm to the touch—touch! How long had it been since she had felt anything when she touched something?
With mixed emotions, she knelt beside him and held him close to her body. She looked at his face and examined every part of him as if it were the first time she had seen him.
She stroked his cheek with one of her hands, and a soft smile spread across her face.
"Yes~, you and me we're going to have a lot of fun, my little brightness soul."
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