Breakfast was eaten in silence, scattered around the garden, the early morning light shining down on them.
Izuku sat by himself, his back to the now repaired garden wall. An awkwardness permeated the air, no-one wanted to look at the empty chairs.
Izure, Katte, Eii, all gone in the dead of night.
And so was Momo, he hadn't had a chance to say goodbye before she'd woken up.
Back to the real world, or rather, another world, the home Izuku was fighting to get back to.
"Here, you're going to need your strength for today."
A bowl of porridge was held out to Izuku.
The green-haired teen reached out, taking the bowl from Inza. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome." Inza replied.
"I'm sorry." Izuku lowered his spoon. "I should have told you the truth straight away."
"I noticed." Inza smiled. "I noticed straight away, the same thing happened to Tozanori when he first bonded to the blades."
Izuku straightened. "Wait, Tozanori had another mind in his body like Izure and I?"
"Not for very long, just a few weeks." Inza answered. "The other Tozanori believed he was dreaming, on the edge of death."
"That must have been when All Might, my version of Tozanori, was in the coma after his injury." Izuku realised.
"He mentioned an injury back then, an enemy he killed." Inza mused. "What was the name he said? Right, that was it, All For One."
"It didn't stick, unfortunately." Nana commented, as she joined them.
Sensing a change in the air, Inza began to move on. "I'll leave you two to your conversation, and don't forget to eat up, Izuku."
Izuku nodded. "I will, thank you."
"Huh, so Toshi's been here too." Nana sighed. "I wonder how far this goes back? Maybe even to the first One For All user."
Izuku jumped to his feet. "I know what this is now, I know what Restaria is."
"And?"
"It's linked to One For All, when users are close to death they come here." Izuku explained, but as the words came out of his mouth he could tell he wasn't quite right. "But what if it's not that it's linked to, but the first user and when he passed on his quirk the link was passed on as well."
"All For One created this place as a refuge for his brother during his illness." Nana breathed. "And now he's using it to try and usurp our bodies."
"Hm." Izuku nodded, deep in thought. "But that still doesn't explain Momo and Mineta, plus whoever the fifth person is."
"You said that this Mineta is All For One's descendant and captive, perhaps this is a way to keep her docile while she is imprisoned, to grant her wish and keep her distracted." Nana reasoned. "As for Yaoyorozu, my best theory is that All For One brought her here to give you something real to fight for, someone you'd give your life for."
Izuku shrugged. "It doesn't matter now, but at least this idea would mean this world will continue on after we leave. What matters now is that we get into Darthmorr and to the way out."
Nana nodded in agreement. "Well then, are you ready?"
Hesitating for a moment, Izuku found his resolve. "Yeah, I am."
"Huh, you and Izuku are pretty similar."
Izure bit back a reflective comment, instead continuing to stare down at his feet as they trudged along.
"Shut up." Katte groused. "Izure's nothing like that dick, he wouldn't fucking lie to us like that."
"Katte's right, and wrong." Izure spoke softly, stopping suddenly. "I'm not like Izuku, I'm a failure, but while we were merged, I was him, and he was me. If you want to blame him for not telling you, then you'll have to blame me too."
"Tch, whatever." Katte dismissed. "Course I'm not gonna blame you, he's the fucking interloper."
"No, he's not." Izure sighed, speaking under his breath. "I am. I'm just a manifestation of his self-doubt, the part of him that died that day on the bridge. I fell, and he rose."
Izure looked up at the morning sky.
"So please, they all need your help. I don't deserve it."
Izuku studied the castle, a loose collection of Nomu stood guard outside the main gate, more patrolling the perimeter. Ducking back into cover, he straightened the cheap leather armor strapped on over his UA tracksuit.
"How the hell are we going to get it?" Miichi questioned.
"Yeah, there's no way we're going to be able to destroy those Nomu without alerting the whole castle." Kocha added.
Nana spoke. "That's what we want, one group will rush the Nomu on guard, causing a distraction, the other will sneak in during it, Izuku will use Variable Mist to make some cover for us."
"We should go in through there." Izuku stated, pointing at the ruined priory outside the castle walls. "There's an underground passageway into the main keep there. It's collapsed part way through, but Tenra should be able to fix it with a localised temporal reversion spell."
Mikka frowned. "A what?"
"I'll rewind time on the passageway back to a point when it was intact."
"Right." Mikka nodded. "I still don't get it."
"Tenra's going to fix it with a spell." Han'i summarised.
"Oh, now it makes sense." Mikka uttered, giving a thumbs up.
"Hokyo, you'll be leading the distraction group." Izuku explained. "Mikka, Han'i, Yuryo, Fumu, Tsuyuiri, Kouva and the Kyojingers will be under her command. The rest of us will be the infiltration team. Everyone clear?"
A chorus of affirmations greeted him.
Nana looked to Hokyo's team.
"Now, let's get started. Have fun storming the castle."
The gathered warriors nodded in agreement.
"I've always wanted to say that."
A sonic wave washed over the Nomu, shattering the nearest and rattling the others.
"Yuryo, now!"
At Hokyo's command, laser beams fired from Yuryo's eyes, turning his head to sweep them across the battlefield.
Nomu lay on the ground, some missing their legs, the others entirely bisected.
"Now's our chance, while they're still healing!"
Han'i landed in a crouch in front of a one-legged Nomu, before springing up and delivering a devastating kick to the underside of its jaw.
In an instant the Nomu exploded, followed by another suddenly dissolving, revealing Mikka stood behind.
A direwolf leapt clean over Mikka, landing on a bisected Nomu's prone form and taking its head off with a single snap of his jaws.
Transforming back into his human form, Kouva stamped down, crushing the head of another Nomu. Fumu sprinted past, creating a shadow step in front of himself to leapt from, bringing the shadow blades in his hands down to cut a Nomu's head in quadrants.
A wave of water swelled, pulled from the nearby river, washing over three Nomu and freezing solid.
Tsuyuiri lowered her hands. "Mashira, now!"
Mashira, enlarged to twice his normal size, charged at the Nomu encased in ice, delivering a swift kick to it, the ice and Nomu shattering into nothingness.
The gates creaked open, and from them poured more Nomu, both the regular variant and the larger ones made from the fusion of multiple smaller ones.
"Kyojinger, you're up!" Hokyo commanded.
The four soldiers regrouped, each increasing their size until they surpassed the Merged Nomu, and charged to face them head-on.
The tunnel was cold, wet and foul-smelling, but no-one complained, their minds focused on the task ahead of them.
"We're here." Izuku stated, as the group halted, the tunnel collapsed in front of them. "You'll have to do this alone, Tenra, I don't have access to magic anymore."
Tenra hesitated, before nodding. "I am not certain I can, but I will try my best."
"And so will I."
The group turned.
Izure gave a weak smile and wave, behind him stood Katte and Eii.
"You came." Izuku spoke with a smile.
Izure nodded. "I thought about what you said, that you choose to hope, well, I've decided I'm going to choose to believe in myself."
"More like I beat it into him." Katte muttered. "Man, I love 'Run For Your Life'."
"You're the only one who does." Eii added.
"Then you're going to be needing this." Izuku unclipped Hinode and held it out.
Pausing for a moment, Izure forced himself to reach out and take it.
The instant his finger grasped the blade it lit up, the light spreading up Izure's arm and into his entire body.
"I'm worthy of it." Izure breathed, the relief clear on his face.
"Let's get on with this." Katte groused, before glaring at Izuku. "And by the way, I still don't like you."
"Some things never change." Izuku muttered, a rye smile on his face.
"How did you find us?" Sansho queried, suspicion etched into his features.
"What? You fucking questioning us?" Katte retorted. "Like we'd join up with a psycho like Blackthorn."
Izure tentatively raised a hand. "That was me actually, this thing, the connection Izuku and I have, it let's me know where he is."
The tunnel shook, a sonic cry just about audible, fragments of stone and loose dirt rained down on them.
"Hokyo must be having fun." Denshi noted, glancing up at the ceiling. "She only usually gets that high pitched when we're-"
Miichi placed his hand over Denshi's mouth. "It's probably safer if you don't finish that sentence."
Nana spoke. "Well then, Tenra, Izure, if you could repair the tunnel the sooner the better, I'm not sure how much longer it's going to last."
The two brothers nodded, stepping forward to the front of the group.
"So, standard double-casted localised temporal reversion spell?" Izure queried. "Or do you think it's going to need something stronger?"
Tenra tilted his head. "That spell will work as a base, but I think we'll need the Greater variant."
Izuku watched the two of them interact, his mind casting back to when he'd done the same process with Tenra to free Eii.
His mind had been brimming with ideas about potential spell modifications and crafting theory, now that was all gone.
To say I replaced Izure is wrong, I didn't usurp him, I merged with him.
"There, that should work." Tenra stated.
"Agreed." Izure took a few steps back. "Ready?"
Tenra nodded.
"Ultimum Tempus. Recurro. Caverna."
The two princes began to glow, the collapsed area shifting as rubble started to rise.
"Ultimum Tempus. Recurro. Caverna!"
As soon as the last syllable left their lips the rate at which the tunnel was repairing itself accelerated exponentially.
In a few seconds the restoration of the tunnel was complete, the stone looked as if it was freshly chiselled, in stark contrast to the weathered rock outside the area of the spell's effect.
"Let's move, Hokyo's group won't be able to distract them forever." Nana spoke, leading them onwards.
Izuku fell in step with his alternate. "I'm glad you came."
"Me too." Izure answered. "The thought of you all dying popped into my head and-"
"And your feet moved before you could think?"
Izure nodded.
"It's not a lack of fear." Izuku spoke. "But the ability to not let it control you."
"All Might, he said that." Izure rested a hand on Hinode's hilt. "I remember it, on the beach, but not much more."
"Yeah, I only have bits and pieces of your memories too, I guess when we merged it left an imprint of the other." Izuku mused.
A metallic clang grabbed their attention, the two green-haired teens turning to see Nana had opened the door at the end of the tunnel.
"Remember, try to keep quiet, stick to your groups." Nana instructed, the rest of them following her out of the tunnel.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"
Izuku froze, he recognised that voice.
Or rather, voices.
Izuku turned, standing in front of the group was Overhaul, sans his plague mask, and with white hair and red eyes.
"Now, it's not very polite to sneak into my home, is it?" Blackthorn drawled.
"Oh shit, he found us!" Denshi panicked, fumbling for his sword.
Izuku's eyes didn't leave Blackthorn. He knew the only one in Restaria who had met Overhaul was himself. And Izuku also knew he wasn't so terrified of Overhaul that the fear of him was equal to or stronger than that of All For One.
And so Izuku knew, identity of the fifth person trapped in the simulation.
It was Eri.
Izuku activated One For All in his arms at five percent, illuminating them with red lines and green lightning.
"Where is she?"
Blackthorn regarded him with a cold look of disgust. "She's here, kept trying to escape so I put her in here."
"All For One?" Nana questioned, moving herself so she shielded the others.
"In the data." Blackthorn bowed mockingly. "For the most part, I copied my mind, merged it with my alternate in this simulation. At least, that was the case before Eri's fear of Overhaul was introduced to the system, it changed me, made me stronger. Quite interesting really."
"This the fucker who's trapped you guys here?" Katte growled, looking ready to fire a concussive beam at any moment.
"Trapped them here?" Blackthorn scoffed. "I did nothing of the sort, Eri's the only one I brought here, and Miume of course."
"I was right then, Restaria is linked to One For All, if the user is in a coma, they come here." Izuku stated. "You've got Nana in a coma, and I'm in a medically-induced coma."
"A fascinating quirk, Dreamscape." Blackthorn replied. "I sometimes wonder how many more quirks like it would exist if I hadn't killed its original holder after I took it from them."
"DIE!"
A concussive beam fired at Blackthorn, aimed directly at his chest.
Raising a hand, Blackthorn froze it and Katte in place. "Tut, tut, I was trying to have a conversation."
Blackthorn waved his hand dismissively, banishing the attack back at Katte. The blond-teen slammed into the wall, dropping to the stone floor.
"That's all you've got?" Katte growled, moving to stand, only for his hand to phase through the floor. "What the hell?"
Raising his hand, Katte watched with horror as it faded out of existence, the rest of his body following it.
"You fucking bast-"
Katte was gone.
"Katte!" Eii yelled, staring at the empty space in front of him. "You spineless bastard!"
Eii charged at Blackthorn, triggering his transformation into dragon form as he did.
"Really?"
Another wave and Eii was gone as well, reducing their number to eight.
Tenra's hands tightened around his sword, but he remained where he was, glaring at Blackthorn.
"You know what?" Blackthorn mused. "Let's simplify this a bit more."
With a shouted spell, Tenra shot at Blackthorn, swinging Yuyake as he did. Blackthorn pivoted, avoiding the blade, before clicking his fingers.
Tenra, Kocha, Denshi and Sansho all vanished.
Yuyake clattered to the floor.
"Do you see now?" Blackthorn questioned. "I am the god of this reality, you mere programs, you alternates, I can banish you with a single thought."
Miichi roared with rage, sprinting at Blackthorn before jumping into the air with a spin. The white-hair man rolled his eyes and banished him from existence.
But Miichi had expected that, releasing the grip of his sword at the last moment.
The sword remained, burying itself in Blackthorn's shoulder.
"That was pretty clever." Blackthorn admitted, reaching up to the sword. "But ultimately pointless."
As soon as Blackthorn touched the blade it burst into fragments, his shoulder healing instantly.
"Overhaul's power." Izuku breathed, dread running through his veins.
"I'll have to thank Eri for it." Blackthorn chuckled, throwing his head back.
Nana acted.
Floating into the air, Nana waited until she was above Blackthorn to deactivate her quirk, delivering an axe kick to the top of his head.
"Nice try." Blackthorn mocked, catching her foot just before it made impact. "My turn."
Spinning around, Blackthorn launched Nana with a massive burst of strength, sending her through the wall of the corridor.
Izuku gritted his teeth.
I have to fight fire with fire.
Mist poured from his mouth, filling up the enclosed space.
Or in this case Overhaul.
Activating his copy of the quirk, Izuku dashed forwards, sliding under Blackthorn's wild punch and brushing his fingertips against the floor.
It broke apart, Blackthorn falling through the newly-formed hole, followed by a boulder formed from the material Izuku had deconstructed.
Aiming his right hand into the hole in the floor, Izuku tapped into Half-Hot Half-Cold, creating the largest block of ice he could manage around Blackthorn's prone form.
Nana clambered through the destroyed wall, her armor worse for wear. "That won't hold him, but he's not as strong as All For One, just a watered down copy mixed with his alternate."
"Yeah, All For One doesn't make perfect copies, he learnt that mistake with Hisashi." Izuku added, using a brief burst of Todoroki's fire to thaw the ice on the right side of his body.
The entire floor gave way, destroyed by Blackthorn's Overhaul.
Instinctively, Nana used her quirk, slowing her descent, Izuku copying her with the use of Slingshot.
Izure instead decided to go down swinging, wielding Hinode wildly as he fell.
A suppressed cry of pain told them that he had struck his mark. The mist cleared, revealing Blackthorn holding his injured arm, a small cut running diagonally across it.
"Not bad." Blackthorn commented. "But you heroes are always reticent to press the advantage."
Reeling his arm back, Blackthorn activated a number of quirks, the limb doubling in size.
"Air Cannon. Force Multiplier. Power."
In the moment before Blackthorn released his attack, the three One For All users desperately prepared themselves.
Izure dug Hinode into the floor, gripping it tightly, Nana floated up towards the missing ceiling, hoping to avoid it, while Izuku used Slingshot to form a shield of rubble.
The massive cyclone of wind crashed upon them, overpowering Izure's grip and sending him flying backwards, crashing into Nana moments before she got out of his path.
Eventually, the winds died back, the rubble shield in front of Izuku collapsing back to the floor, while Nana and Izure rolled to a stop further down the corridor.
Blackthorn strode forwards. "Nice try."
A backhand smashed Izuku into the wall, before slamming down on the floor as it collapsed on top of him.
Izuku reached desperately, able to see out of a small gap as Blackthorn sauntered towards the others.
Picking Nana up by her neck, Blackthorn drove his fist into her stomach and tossed her aside.
"You had promise." Blackthorn looked down at the prone Izure. "That caution, the need for safety, I could have used that, instead, that oaf of an alternate corrupted you, infected you with that disgusting hero virus."
"He didn't infect me." Izure coughed forcing himself to his knees. "He showed me the courage I had all along."
"Izure, no!" Izuku cried, desperately trying to free himself.
Forming an ice dagger, Izure launched himself to his feet, aiming it at Blackthorn's throat.
It never made it. Izure was gone.
And then there were two.
"NO!" Izuku roared, charging up to ten percent as he tried and failed to lift the rubble that buried him.
His muscles screamed in protest, burning and tearing as One For All ripped through them.
The rubble suddenly vanished, Izuku stumbling forwards onto all fours. Raising his head, Izuku glared at Blackthorn, before launching himself at him.
Izuku didn't even think to limit One For All, pouring his anger and frustration into his fist.
"SMASH!"
With a look of boredom, Blackthorn stood and watched as Izuku's fist impacted into his chest. The villain's skin rippled as it absorbed the blow before reflecting it back on its source.
Izuku slammed into the wall, deep cracks spiralling out from the point of contact.
"Impact Recoil." Blackthorn stated. "You could be god, you know that right? Heroism is a disease that corrupts people with quirks like ours, limits them. I alone stand unaffected."
Izuku forced himself to his feet. "You're not a god, you're just a pale copy, the real All For One isn't here."
Blackthorn sneered. "I will not be so easily riled, you think I will become sloppy with rage? I was born in the fires of anger!"
Charging One For All and Super-Stretch into his legs, Izuku leapt into the air, spinning as he passed over the top of Blackthorn.
A - Electrification. B - Discharge Digits.
"Parallel Circuit: Finger of Thor!"
Summoning the full power of One For All into his fingertip, Izuku flicked a massive gust of wind and a bolt of lightning straight towards Blackthorn's back.
A wall sprung up, cracking and buckling under the weight of Izuku's attack, but protecting Blackthorn successfully.
"Have you forgotten?" Blackthorn mocked. "I control this world, its very reality is mine to command."
Waving his hand, Izuku watched as the corridors around him shifted, the walls repairing themselves, creating a labyrinth.
"I made this world, I can erase it too." Blackthorn spoke, clicking his fingers. "I'd say you have about half an hour before this world is completely gone, if you don't get out before then, you'll be trapped here forever and your body becomes mine."
"So that's why you're doing this?" Izuku grunted. "You trap me here and All For One lets you escape the simulation in the clone body."
Blackthorn nodded. "Now you're getting it."
Izuku laughed, bowing his head. "You're an idiot if you think All For One will hand a body with One For All in it to you. He's playing you, you're just another pawn on his chessboard."
"And what does that make you?"
Izuku's expression hardened. "The magician."
Staring at his opponent in confusion, Blackthorn spoke. "You don't know how to play chess, do you?"
Izuku didn't answer.
"Fine, have it your way."
"Eri, where is she?" Izuku questioned, the hardness creeping into his voice.
Blackthorn pointed down. "In this castle, or rather, maze. You stand a chance of escaping if you look for the portal straight away, but if you go for her instead, well, I hope you've made your peace."
With a final mocking smirk Blackthorn vanished, leaving Izuku alone in the corridor.
Rushing over to the unconscious Nana, Izuku activated Heal, linking in to One For All, pressing his fingerpads to the side of her head.
Her broken leg straightened, the gash over her eye healing, Nana returned to consciousness the moment he finished.
"Where is he?" Nana demanded, trying to stand but stumbling when she tried to use her formerly broken leg.
"Blackthorn's gone, I don't know where." Izuku admitted, help her stand.
"Where's Izure?"
Izuku bowed his head. "Banished, Blackthorn erased him."
"What the hell?" Nana breathed, looking out the nearest window.
Izuku turned his head to follow her line of sight. A white void in the distance, slowly consuming the landscape and creeping towards them.
"Blackthorn's ending the simulation, we've got about twenty-five minutes to get out of here." Izuku explained.
"Right, he's shifted the corridors but I know the portal's three storeys up." Nana mused. "We should just punch through the ceiling, that should save some time."
Izuku charged One For All into his arm at ten percent, dampening the recoil with Shock Absorption and Super-Stretch.
His fist impacted the ceiling.
A red text box opened.
"Immortal Object."
Nana sighed. "Great, he's made the castle indestructible. We'll have to go the long way round."
"You go, find the portal." Izuku stated, holding his hand out as he created an earpiece in the palm. "Take this."
Nana slotted the device into her ear. "What about you?"
"Eri is in the dungeons, I promised I'd save her." Izuku spoke, fire in his voice and every action, retrieving Hinode from where it was driven into the floor, attaching it to his belt.
"I'll let you know when I find the portal."
Izuku nodded. "There's a tracker in the earpiece. Don't wait for me, go through it as soon as you can."
Nana hesitated.
"Promise me you won't wait." Izuku pleaded. "The less chance we give Blackthorn the better the outcome."
Slowly, Nana nodded, the unease and worry etched into her face.
"Good luck." Izuku gave a small smile.
"Stay safe." Nana reminded. "And if you get attacked, tell me."
Izuku nodded, before turning and heading down the nearest set of stairs.
"Please be safe, Izuku." Nana whispered.
Two floors down Izuku trudged on, all he'd come across so far were a few stray Nomu, no match for him now he had Overhaul.
Muffled crying reached Izuku's ear.
Stopping, Izuku looked around himself, his eyes quickly landing on a heavy oak door, slightly ajar.
Activating Rock Hard, Izuku turned his hands and forearms into diamond. Creeping towards the door, well aware it could be a trap, Izuku pushed it open with Slingshot.
A darkened stairway, leading downwards. With no other options, Izuku descended into the shadows.
After a few seconds Izuku stepped into the light, finding himself in a long, thin corridor, cells running down his right side.
A Nomu roared, charging at Izuku.
Half-Hot Half-Cold.
Izuku slammed his right foot down, ice blossoming out and encasing the Nomu entirely.
Wind Generation.
A cyclone formed around Izuku's arm, spiralling out and shattering the Nomu into specks of ice, blown away on a breeze.
A whimper.
Releasing his quirks, Izuku crept forwards, pushing open the door of every cell as he passed until one wouldn't budge.
It was locked, with no key in sight.
Izuku could destroy the door with ease. He could smash it, melt it, rip it off its hinges, turn it into water, decay it, just to name a few.
And all those would just make Eri more scared.
So instead, it was time for the subtle approach. Activating Slingshot, Izuku used the strands to feel around the workings of the lock until he felt and heard a definite click.
The door opened slightly of its own accord, the hinges squeaking as it did.
Another whimper, more fearful this time.
Izuku stared at his warped reflection as the door opened, trying to replicate the warming smile he'd seen on All Might so many times. It was a little grim, but Izuku wasn't unsatisfied with it.
Opening the door, Izuku's blood ran cold.
Eri was huddled in the corner, shivering in her worn hospital gown, her face hauntingly gaunt. Her horn was gone, but Izuku knew it was likely she had a proficiency like Tenra's, mutations didn't seem to exist in Restaria.
"Please, d-don't hurt me." Eri pleaded. "I'll be good, I promise."
"Eri, it's okay now." Izuku spoke, the young girl's head spinning around to look at him.
Izuku saw the breath catching in Eri's throat.
"Because I am here." Izuku finished decisively.
"You're, you're the hero the other bad man took, aren't you?" Eri questioned, silent tears streaming down her face.
"Not yet, I'm still in training." Izuku admitted.
"You tried to save me." Eri spoke sadly. "The bad man said you died, he told me that I s-stopped you from escaping."
"There was no way I was going to leave you with him." Izuku stated.
"But, but, I don't want people to get hurt because of me."
"No." Izuku declared. "Overhaul, All For One, they've hurt people, but never think for one second it is your fault, you cannot blame yourself for the actions of others."
Eri sniffled, but nodded. Izuku severely doubted he'd fixed a lifetime's worth of emotional abuse and manipulation with a few words, but it was a first step.
"W-What's your name?"
Izuku paused, he knew wasn't talking about his actual name, but his hero name, something he didn't have yet. He knew Momo and the others had picked theirs, but Izuku hadn't given it much thought, preferring to focus on escaping the simulation.
Slowly, the green-haired boy's hand lowered to the sword strapped to his belt, his fingertips crackling with power as he touched it, filling him with reassurance.
"Hinode." Izuku finally spoke. "Quirksmith Hero: Hinode."
Hinode offered his hand out to the small girl.
"Are you ready to go? Because from now on, you write your own future."
Eri crashed into Izuku, hugging him tightly.
With a relieved smile, Izuku placed an arm around her, supporting her as she clung onto him, and stood.
Now it's time to get out of here.
"I'm at the exit." Nana spoke from the earpiece.
Izuku produced a small tablet, created by his copy of Momo's quirk, comparing his location to Nana's.
At least I still have Creation.
Checking Nana's location, Izuku set off, holding Eri near.
"Let's go, Eri."
Six floors up, Izuku turned a corner, still balancing Eri with one arm. A crash came from in front of them, making Eri flinch.
"It's okay." Izuku reassured the young girl. "That must be Nana, she's a hero, and my grandmother."
"Grandmother?" Eri questioned, tilting her head. "What's that?"
Izuku's heart clenched, the poor girl had been robbed of her childhood, of normality.
"Someone who looks out for me." Izuku nodded. "You'll see in a second."
Izuku rounded the corner, faced with the sight of Nana surrounded by a horde of Nomu, behind her was a doorway it looked like she was defending.
The white void was encroaching, Izuku could see it at the other end of the corridor.
"Nana!"
"Izuku, go!" Nana blocked a Nomu's punch, revealing a graze on her side. "The way out is through there, take the girl and go, I'll be right after you."
They both knew she was lying.
With a final look, Izuku steeled himself and secured his hold on Eri. Running forwards, Izuku dodged under the swing of a Nomu and through the doorway.
Turning the corner, Izuku found a swirling white portal in front of them. Setting Eri down, Izuku looked between the portal and the way they'd just come.
"Eri, I need you to be brave now." Izuku spoke. "I need to go back and help Nana get here, you need to go through without me."
"B-But I'll be all alone again." Eri sniffled, tears beginning to form.
"No, I'll find you." Izuku stated. "I'll save you, Eri."
Hesitating, Eri finally nodded.
"Great, I promise I'll rescue you." Izuku said. "And Hinode doesn't break his promises."
Eri let go of Izuku's hand, turning her body towards the portal, but not taking her eyes off Izuku.
With a reassuring nod, Izuku watched as Eri ambled forwards and through the portal, vanishing from sight.
It'll be okay, Eri.
Drawing his blade, Izuku turned, heading back the way he came.
Nana dropped to one knee, holding the injury in her side as the Nomu bore down on her, Yuyake knocked from her grip by the last attack.
"Inko, Kotaro, Toshi." Nana lowered her head. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it home."
Just as the Nomu brought its fist down on her, an emerald green blade appeared from behind her, burying itself in its chest and carrying it into the white void, vanishing as it did.
"Nana!" Izuku cried, lifting his grandmother's arm around his shoulder.
"No, Izuku, go." Nana spoke weakly. "Leave me, we'll never make it."
"We will." Izuku replied defiantly, supporting Nana as she hobbled with him towards the exit.
"Hinode, One For All." Nana murmured. "The sword, it's gone, you threw it away."
"To save you." Izuku grunted, a grim smile on his face. "I've decided I'll be the hero who saves everybody."
Activating Endurance, Izuku channeled his motivation and drive into the quirk, feeling it noticeably enhancing his strength and speed.
As they rounded the bend in the corridor the void crept closer, only a few steps behind them now. On the other side of the portal Izuku could see the void was closing in from that direction as well.
Staring at the portal, Izuku made his calculations, even with all sixty percent of One For All he could use right now, Endurance and the one Strength quirk All For One hadn't taken, it wasn't enough.
Izuku didn't have enough strength to propel himself and Nana into the portal before the void closed on them.
"No, Izuku, you can't." Nana protested, weakly trying to free herself from Izuku's grip.
"Tell them I'm sorry." Izuku spoke, gathering 60% One For All, Endurance and Strength in his arm. "Eri, Momo, Kacchan, All Might, Mom. Tell them I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise."
"Please, no."
"OKLAHOMA SMASH!"
Planting one foot, Izuku spun on the spot, swinging Nana around and launching her towards the portal at speed.
"Izuku!"
The green-haired teen watched as Nana vanished into the portal, her hand desperately reaching out for him.
"I'm sorry." Izuku uttered as he dropped to one knee, both his arms broken. "It was the only way for one of us to make it out."
Izuku planted his leg down on the stone floor and pushed himself back to his feet.
Just because I know I can't make it doesn't mean I should give up!
Using all his strength again, this time manifested in his legs, Izuku leapt towards the portal, broken arms flapping uselessly at his side.
The portal closed, Izuku's broken body passing through the empty space where it had just been.
Rolling to a stop, Izuku stared up at the endless white void that surrounded him, every trace of Restaria, including the leather armor he'd been wearing, was gone. All four of his limbs were broken, Hyper Regeneration setting to work on healing them.
Clapping, coming from behind Izuku.
"You were so close." Blackthorn chuckled. "You actually nearly made it, of course if you'd had made it in time I would have just stopped you."
"What?"
"Don't you get it?" Blackthorn questioned. "This was always just a bit of fun for me, Nana Shimura and the brat were just there for stakes, they're not really of interest."
"Stakes?"
"Of course, just to motivate you, all you did was wake them up, All For One will have them sedated and stored safely away before they can even blink." Blackthorn explained, smug superiority in his every word. "You achieved nothing. There was no blaze of glory, no final act of defiance, just a futile attempt to change an immutable fate. How pathetic."
Izuku struggled against his broken limbs, trying to climb to his feet.
"Now, now, calm down." Blackthorn rolled his eyes. "Like I said, this game is chess and you clearly don't know how to play."
His still healing arms gave out from under him, Izuku crumpling to the floor of the void.
Blackthorn held his arm out, sharpening it to a point as he strolled towards Izuku.
B - Fire Breath.
Raising his head, Izuku took a deep breath and released a gout of fire at Blackthorn.
Or at least he tried to, nothing happened.
"Nice try." Blackthorn drawled. "But remember, I can access any and every quirk All For One possesses, I think this one is my new favourite."
Izuku looked up to see Blackthorn's normally red eyes glowing brightly.
"Erasure." Izuku grunted.
"Paired with Moist Eyes." Blackthorn added. "An excellent combination."
"Negating the dry eyes Erasure causes." Izuku spoke as he struggled and failed to stand, his healing canceled by Erasure.
Blackthorn resumed his approach. "Now, Midoriya, this is your end."
Staring up, Izuku watched as Blackthorn stabbed downwards with his forearm spike.
"NO!"
Blackthorn's severed arm dropped to the floor next to Izuku, followed seconds later by his detached torso.
Erasure ended, Hyper Regeneration kicking in with a vengeance, pain shooting through Izuku's limbs as the quirk fixed them in a few seconds.
Standing, Izuku looked up.
"Izure."
The alternate nodded, a small smile on his face, Hinode in his grip.
"I couldn't let you face him alone." Izure assured.
"I told you. I'm a god."
The two teens turned to see Blackthorn's body dissolve to black smoke, before reforming whole and unmarred.
"I control every aspect of this world." Blackthorn bragged. "You cannot kill me."
"Clearly you can't control everything." Izure retorted. "I came back didn't I?"
"And you will vanish again." Blackthorn announced, with a dramatic swish of his hand.
Nothing happened.
A vein throbbed in Blackthorn's forehead. "What have you done? Why cannot I not-"
"I'm a part of Izuku, and Izuku's a part of me." Izure declared. "You can't banish people from the real world, hence you can't banish me, it just took me a little while to realise I could ignore your attempts."
"No matter, I will kill you both."
"You won't." Izuku uttered. "We'll beat you and restore Restaria."
"Restaria is gone, I've already deleted it." Blackthorn retorted. "Besides, what are you going to do? Beat me up until I agree to do as you say."
"Well, it's a start at least." Izure commented.
Izuku nodded.
The two burst into action, Izuku using Slingshot to push himself into the air while Izure cast one of Tenra's spells, enhancing his own speed.
Blackthorn's eyes turned red, erasing Izuku's quirks as he fell towards the villain. Izure got their first, an accelerated punch striking Blackthorn in the temple.
The villain barely shifted, but it was enough to make him blink, Izuku's quirks returning to him. Using Rock Hard to turn his forearm to diamond, Izuku enhanced his strength with 5% OFA and Endurance.
With a crack like a gunshot, Izuku's fist slammed into Blackthorn's nose, shattering it in a spray of blood and sending the villain sprawling.
Not giving the villain time to gather his bearings, Izure cast Han'i spells, before using webbing to wrap Blackthorn up and launch him into the air.
Crouching, Izuku charged his strength quirks into his legs and jumped after Blackthorn. With the graze of his fingertips, Izuku activated Slingshot's secondary ability, freezing Blackthorn in place.
"Detroit Smash!"
Izuku drove his fist, with all sixty percent of One For All's power, into Blackthorn's gut. The villain was moved higher, an elastic tension in the air.
Clutching his broken arm, Izuku spun around and released Slingshot, watching as the villain slammed into the floor at incredible speed.
Bloody and broken, Blackthorn lay face down, unmoving except for his breathing.
Landing next to his alternate, Izuku slowly approached the villain.
"We can do this forever." Izuku spoke. "You clearly are just a pale copy, all those quirks and you barely know how to use them. You fight us for an eternity, or admit defeat."
"I am not defeated." Blackthorn hissed, rising as his body pulled itself back together. "I only need you to slip up once, I can take the punishment you deal forever, you'll get careless and slip up eventually."
Izuku's mind raced, searching for a way to overcome Blackthorn's power.
Six-year old Izuku Midoriya sat at the kitchen table, laptop open to one side and a deck card in his hands. Without looking it away from the screen, Izuku tried to mimic the sleight of hand.
The cards exploded out of Izuku's grip, directly into his face.
With a groan, Izuku let his head drop onto the surface of the table. Vibrations passed through the wood, making Izuku shoot back up to sit up straight.
"Drink up, it's getting hot out today."
A smile split Izuku's face, his hands grabbing the can of All Might Cola with both hands, drinking deeply from it.
"Careful there, don't want you drowning." Hisashi Midoriya teased, lowering himself into the seat next to his son.
"Don't be silly." Izuku lowered the now empty can. "There is nowhere enough cola for me to drown in."
"Oh, right, I see." Hisashi smiled. "So what are you looking at? Magic 101: Card Tricks for Beginners?"
"Yeah, I thought that since I don't have a quirk, I thought that maybe I could use magic as an underground hero." Izuku admitted bashfully.
Hisashi stopped the video. "Hm, well, first of all, you're going about it all wrong."
Izuku tilted his head, looking at his father with confusion.
"The first principle of magic isn't card tricks, it's misdirection." Hisashi explained as he gathered up the scattered cards. "You keep them watching exactly what you want them to see, while you do what you want without them seeing."
"Woah."
"Can you check the laptop for me?" Hisashi smirked.
Izuku nodded, turning to see the laptop was gone. "Wait, where did it go?"
"Right here." Hisashi held up the closed device. "See what I meant?"
Izuku nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah, I do."
"
You keep them watching exactly what you want them to see."
Izuku held out his hand, Yuyake appearing from the void and coming to rest in palm. "Izure, let's merge."
"Really?" Izure frowned. "Are you sure we can even do that again?"
"We have to try, together we could have the strength to deal enough damage to beat him." Izuku stated, stepping closer to Izure.
Blackthorn rolled his eyes. "It won't work, I patched that bug."
But the two didn't listen, clasping hands as red smoke suddenly exploded out, obscuring them entirely.
Blackthorn took a step back, covering his face with his arm.
Slowly, the smoke cleared, revealing just one of the brats, a sword in each hand, hair blowing in a non-existent breeze.
"It worked." The brat looked down, examining himself. "We did it."
"How did you do it?" Blackthorn snarled, activating Erasure and Moist Eyes, stalking towards the brat.
"I don't have to answer to you." The brat retorted, crouching down and leaping forwards.
Swinging the green blade, a wave of fire washed over Blackthorn, a fire resistance quirk protecting him instinctively. The second blade sent ice washing over him, exploiting the weakness to cold his fire resistance quirk gave him.
Limbs locking up, Blackthorn couldn't protect himself as the brat aimed his blue sword at him. A beam of light blasted from it, slamming into Blackthorn's chest and sending him flying backwards.
The brat stalked towards him as Blackthorn pushed himself up. "Fine, I bore of this."
Clicking his fingers, Blackthorn increased the personal gravity on the brat, forcing him to the ground as he cried out in place.
"Excellent, now you're exactly where I want you." Blackthorn drawled.
"Funny, I was going to say the same thing."
Hands closed around Blackthorn's face from behind.
Izuku activated Two Becomes One, his body blurring as he merged with Blackthorn. He found himself in the villain's quirkspace, in contrast to his own, a black void, and Izure's, a henge on a hill, it was field of bones, gravestones with quirk names, the original holders' names and dates, as far as the eyes could see.
Bones crunched underfoot.
Izuku turned, Blackthorn prowled towards him.
"What is this place?" The villain demanded. "Tell me."
"If Restaria is where you are all-powerful." Izuku stated. "This is where I am."
Blurring forwards, Izuku grabbed All For One's temples with his hand, he may not be able to use Quirksmith to alter his own quirks, the dampener stopping him, but it didn't stop him from altering other's quirks.
Searching through the sheer volume of quirks, Izuku found what he was looking for.
Dreamscape.
"Your power is fragile." Izuku spoke. "All it takes, is a single blow."
Izuku made one change, severing the connection between Blackthorn and the real All For One.
The gravestones around them scattered into dust, the bones under their feet fading away, and suddenly, they were back in reality, except the white void was gone, the castle's corridor had returned.
Blackthorn sprawled to the floor, the vast majority of his power gone, only Overhaul remaining.
"How?" Blackthorn uttered.
Izuku crouched down. "Simple, in chess I'm the magician. Not a piece, but a playstyle, you were too busy looking at the queen, you didn't see the pawn that put you into checkmate."
"You do know how to play chess."
"Of course I do." Izuku responded. "You want to feel intellectually superior so I let, I let you underestimate me. That was your undoing."
"I'm not done yet." Blackthorn hissed, pressing his hands to the floor, reshaping it into spikes that shot at Izuku and Izure.
A laser beam shot past Izuku and Izure, obliterating the spikes and slamming into Blackthorn.
"See, I always sparkle." Yuryo declared as he struck a pose.
Blackthorn didn't halt, the floor rising up and trapping Yuryo, slowly tightening.
"Nice try!" Mikka exclaimed, disintegrating the bindings around her friend and floor under Blackthorn's feet.
Before he could hit the floor below a wave of water washed over Blackthorn, slamming him against the far wall, cracking it with the sheer force of the water.
Smoke gathered around Blackthorn's hunched form, solidifying into a hand grasping his ankle and dragging him down along the floor towards Miichi. Slapping his hand against the floor, Blackthorn used Overhaul to sever the smoke arm.
Before he could do anything, a fist formed of smoke slammed into Blackthorn's chest, sending him sprawling. An enlarged foot came down on the villain, sending him through the floor and the one below it as well.
Mashira shrank back to his natural size. "He's all yours, Denshi."
On the floor Blackthorn was now on Denshi raced down the corridor, touching every stone brick and block in the walls and floor as he shot past the villain.
"What the hell?" Blackthorn frowned as the walls and floor began to glow.
"Enjoy!" Denshi grinned, shooting finger guns at the villain.
The corridor exploded, consuming Blackthorn in smoke and dust. A bear charged into the cloud, followed by Blackthorn being expelled from the other side at speed.
Smashing through the outer wall of the castle, Blackthorn was greeted by the fist of a giant Rikimu, sending the villain flying higher into the air. Mejiri appeared from around the corner, kicking Blackthorn back into the castle, this time on a higher floor.
Blackthorn rolled to a halt, his body battered and bloody, but not stopped.
"Enjoy." Hokyo smirked, before releasing a sonic scream.
Blown back out of the hole in the wall, Blackthorn fell towards the ground, only for Han'i to swing in and web him up, before spinning and slamming him into the floor.
Shadows appeared from the floor, encasing Blackthorn and beginning to constrict him. Reaching out, Blackthorn destroyed the constructs with Overhaul, freeing himself.
A giant fist slammed through the wall, sending Blackthorn through wall after wall until he lost enough momentum to bounce off the next wall. Groaning, Blackthorn stood, only to find Hisame and Hiasobi waiting for him.
"Shit."
With the combination of ice and fire, the two halves of a whole combined their attacks, creating an expansion effect that exploded in Blackthorn's face.
The entire corner of the castle collapsed, Blackthorn peppered with rubble as he landed in the ruins of the priory.
"I've been looking forward to this." Kocha announced as she cast a spell, sending Blackthorn floating high into the sky. "Release."
Just before Blackthorn hit the ground a kick landed in his stomach, amplifying the force of his impact with the earth.
Tenra skidded to a halt. "Now!"
A red dragon swooped in, Katte on his back, snatching a badly beaten Blackthorn in his claws. Flying above the castle, Eii released Blackthorn, followed by Katte firing a concussive blast directly into the villain, increasing the force as he slammed through every floor of the castle, rubble and debris burying him.
Slowly, the rubble shifted, Izuku using Slingshot to dig the villain out of the crater where the castle once was.
"It's over." Izuku spoke, looking down at Blackthorn, the man mangled and broken. "You've lost."
Blackthorn began to laugh, slowly at first, becoming more and more hysterical before Izuku used Variable Mist to breath knockout gas in his face.
"Restaria is back." Izuku breathed with satisfaction, looking around the rolling hills in the distance.
"It is." Izure replied, dropping down from a half-destroyed wall and moving to stand at his alternate's side. "How did you do it?"
"I edited the quirk that supported Restaria, Dreamscape, broke the connection, it's a world in its own right now, as real as any other."
"Realer maybe." Izure mused, echoing Rukk's words. "It's time for you to go home now, isn't it?"
Izuku nodded. "Home, the long way round."
"Will you ever be able to come back?"
"I don't know." Izuku answered honestly.
"Then, good luck." Izure pulled his alternate into a tight hug. "Stay safe, try not to end up in any more comas, at least for a while."
"I'll try."
"You'd better." Izure retorted playfully. "The world feels different now, doesn't it, an oppressive hand I never realised was there is gone."
Izuku nodded. "There's no pre-written script anymore, the story you create now, it's all your own."
"Don't you go forgetting about us." Izure joked, his lips quirking into a smile.
Izuku laughed. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. Thank you, Izure, for coming back."
"It's your turn to go back now." Izure nodded towards Izuku's hand.
Raising it, Izuku watched as his appendage began to fade out of existence.
"Looks like I'm waking up."
Footsteps pounded, the rest of the infiltration squad rounding the corner.
"Tenra. Kocha. Sansho. Hokyo. Denshi. Katte. Eii. Han'i. Mikka. Yuryo. Mashira. Rikimu. Toka. Meijri. Fumu. Tsuyuiri. Kouva. Izure." Izuku smiled, bowing to them all. "Thank you."
Izuku faded from existence.
Flashing lights.
A heart rate monitor.
"Izuku! Please, no, no, no!"
"Mom?"
"He's gone into cardiac arrest!"
"Ms. Midoriya, please stand back."
"Please, Izuku, you can't die!"
"Someone get Recovery Girl!"
Izuku gasped as he sat bolt upright.
He was back at the train station, the white surfaces practically blinding him.
"Huh, so you did take the wrong train. You're lucky I managed to pull you back here in time."
Izuku stood, turning to see Zeroth standing by the timetable.
"What? I was in my own body, I was waking up."
Zeroth gestured to the timetable. "Have a look."
Izuku moved to stand next to the vestige. His eyes scanned the timetable.
"I didn't take the wrong one, I was right, I took the train back to my own body." Izuku spoke. "The other one would have taken me to the clone? Not death? You said the other train would take me to the afterlife."
"What I said was that the other train was 'passing on'." Zeroth replied, with a shrug. "You assumed it was the afterlife."
"Then how was going back to my own body the wrong choice?" Izuku questioned.
"Do you think All For One didn't plan for the eventuality that you may survive, that you may defeat his inferior copy?"
Izuku lowered his head. "In the brief moment I was back in my body, I was in cardiac arrest, I was dying. If I die, my quirks, One For All, transfer to the clone."
"Exactly, All For One must have forced another quirk on you, probably some kind of temporary heart stopping quirk altered by Quirksmith to turn back on the holder."
"Just like the quirk dampener." Izuku clenched his fists. "If I die, All For One wins, he gets One For All, he becomes unstoppable."
A whistle blew, a train pulled into the station.
Izuku raised his head. "I know what I have to do."
Making his choice, Izuku boarded the train, the doors shutting behind him.
"Home, the long way round."
His surroundings dissolved into inky blackness, an empty void.
"Bold move, kid." Zeroth's disembodied voice chuckled. "Let's see if it pays off."
It has to.
And then, nothing.
Izuku Midoriya opened his eyes.
End of Restaria Fantasy Arc
Pain, the unending pain.
Thoughts evaded Guren Tsubasa, washing away like leaves on a river. He wanted to rip, to tear his foul abomination of a body to pieces, to be free.
Free of the pain, free of the voices begging for the same end he wished for, trapped in their final moments. Before they became part of him.
A Nomu.
A monster.
But he couldn't, Guren had no control of his body anymore, a passenger along for the tortuous ride, it responded to him no longer. He was nothing more than a beast on All For One's leash. His grandfather's plaything.
An experiment.
The cruel visage of his twisted grandfather appeared on the other side of the glass tube he was contained in.
"I do wonder, can you hear me, dearest creation?"
Guren wanted to scream, to shout, to smash through the glass and rip the bastard's throat out.
A fist slammed into the side of his grandfather's face, a spray of blood splashing across the glass.
"You always were a creepy bastard, should have known you'd be in league with a fucker like All For One."
His grandfather's attacker stepped into view.
Bakugo.
Older than Guren remembered, fifteen or sixteen, he hadn't thought it had been that long.
The blond-haired teen was covered in scrapes. His t-shirt had a burn in the center of the chest, revealing charred skin below, a cut ran along the right side of his jaw, blood dripping from it.
"Baku-"
Guren's childhood friend turned, staring up at the monster in the chamber.
"B-Bakugo."
"Tsubasa." Bakugo's eyes were wide, filled with a fear that looked entirely foreign to them.
"Ki-Kill me…"