AN: Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Kwanzaa! Festivus! Whatever you celebrate this time of year! I hope you all enjoyed your time with your friends and family. Though, I doubt everyone in the US is having a great time, given the 'Storm of the Century' hitting places like Buffalo, New York, and how Southwest Airlines is basically imploding. I hope that it will end soon, and to all those who take care of their loved ones till then.
Also, we finally have some new OC art, this time of Kudelia (deviantart dot com / dinocam1795 / art / Hero-Academia-DxD-OC-Kudelia-Dantalion-939146181) and Fuyuko (deviantart dot com / dinocam1795 / art / Hero-Academia-DxD-OC-Yukimura-Fuyuko-939297553)!
By the way, a couple of things I should mention. First off, I got a new MacBook and I need to transfer the data from my old one to it soon, so I won't be able to write for a little bit. Also, on January 4th, I'm going to have the rest of my wisdom teeth removed, so you likely won't see me for a while. I am so NOT looking forward to that.
Izuku and Rias, after putting the sleeping Eri in her bed, sat at the dining table, both blushing red in embarrassment as Sirzechs talked with Izuku's parents.
"I would like to thank you again for being so kind and letting us stay in your wonderful home for the night."
"Oh, you're too kind. If anything I should be thanking you. Your family is the reason we have such a home now. Even if it was our old apartment, I'm sure we would've found room for you and your wife. You are Rias' brother, after all, there's no way we could refuse."
"Thank you so much for your hospitality… and for looking after Rias. Our parents asked me to pass on their thanks for accepting their daughter into your home. We all hope she hasn't been causing you any trouble. She has been known to be a handful, especially when she was younger."
"Sirzechs!" Rias sputtered her face the same color as her hair from embarrassment, embarrassment which only grew worse when Izuku's mother spoke.
"Not at all! Rias has been nothing short of an angel," Inko replied quickly, not noticing the small chuckle from Sirzechs, Izuku, Ochako, Ibara, and Fuyuko at her choice of words. Even Rias, in her sulking state, couldn't stop a small smile from forming.
Hisashi let out a small chuckle. "I can't believe how much has changed since I last visited," he said, looking over the rather spacious living room. "Going from an apartment to a freaking mansion, Izuku finally manifesting his Quirk, along with getting several girlfriends and having a kid…"
"DAD!" Izuku exclaimed, he and said girlfriends all blushing.
"It's honestly surprising," Hisashi continued. "I think the last time I was this surprised when I came home was when Inko went from thicc to thick."
Inko let out a fake hurt gasp. "I thought you said you like me being, and I quote, 'round and sweet'."
"I did," Hisashi smiled.
As Inko and Hisashi spiraled into playful bickering, with Sirzechs chiming in once in a while, Izuku took the opportunity to grab two nearby pillows and place them over his ears, lowing his head in an attempt to not hear his parents 'lovestruck reunion talk'.
"Does this always happen whenever your father comes home?" Ibara asked in a hushed tone.
"Unfortunately…" Izuku silently groaned. "I'm so glad the house is so big and that our rooms are on separate floors. Their catch-up sessions are unbearable. I even walked in on them once by accident," Izuku shuddered at the memory.
The girls all blushed, quickly realizing what he likely meant. "The next few days are gonna be unbearable, won't they?" Ochako asked in a tired tone.
"Yep," Izuku and Rias both nodded, the latter having followed Izuku's lead and placed pillows over her ears.
"What!? What do you mean I can't sleep with Izuku tonight?!" Rias demanded, wearing a pink nightgown as she stood opposite her brother with an adorable pout on her face.
"Sorry about this, Rias," Sirzechs apologized from just within Izuku's room. "It's just for one night, okay? I wanted to speak to him about a few things while I'm here."
Rias looked as though she seriously wanted to argue with her brother on the matter before she suddenly threw herself onto Izuku, hugging him tightly. "Oh, Izuku, life's just so cruel! To be finally together, only to be torn apart! I don't think I'll be able to get a wink of sleep without you by my side," the crimson-haired heiress stated fearfully which only served to make her appear even more adorable.
"You're exaggerating, Rias," Izuku said, trying to calm his girlfriend down.
"'Finally together'?" Sirzechs repeated with a teasing smirk. "Does that mean what I think it means?"
Both Izuku and Rias then remembered that Sirzechs was still in the room and blushed again. "Uh…"
"Come on, my lady," Rias looked over her shoulder and saw Grayfia standing at the doorway. "It's time for us to return to our room," she said.
"Yes, of course. Thank you, Grayfia," Rias said before looking at Izuku. "Sorry, Izu. Goodnight," she kissed him on the cheek before following Grayfia.
"Sleep well, gentlemen," the maid said with a bow.
It took a couple of minutes for Izuku to set up a futon that had been placed in the closet for him to sleep in. Izuku had been willing to let Sirzechs sleep in his bed while he took the futon, but the Devil King had insisted on using the futon.
"So I heard you've met Azazel," Sirzechs said, sitting in Izuku's bed as Izuku finished setting up the futon.
"Yeah," Izuku nodded. "He's been a contract of mine for a little while, since before Kokabiel. If he was after my Boosted Gear, he never tried anything, he just summoned me to hang out and talk."
"I'm not surprised," Sirzechs replied. "Azazel has always had an interest in Sacred Gears, and the Boosted Gear is no exception. He already has several Longinus wielders at his side."
"How come?"
"I'm not sure," Sirzechs lowered his head in thought. "But I doubt it's for anything nefarious. Azazel is the current Governor General of the Fallen Angels and leads the Grigori, an organization whose influence extends to Heaven, the Underworld, and the human world. If he wanted to he could turn all three upside-down. But he isn't a warmonger like Kokabiel was. In fact, the Fallen Angels were the first group to withdraw from the Great War after the God of the Bible and original Satans died."
"Really?" Izuku wondered. 'I guess that's reason enough to trust him for now,' he thought as he finished setting up the futon. "All done. Are you sure you don't want the bed?"
"I'm sure. I'd actually prefer it," Sirzechs replied. "In the Underworld, it would be completely unthinkable for me to be treated like a normal guest in a home. Despite the perks of my position, it can get quite tedious at times. I'm enjoying the change immensely. You and your family have been wonderful hosts tonight," it didn't take long for the Devil King to settle in the futon. "I actually feel more comfortable here than I would in a hotel," he added with a sincere smile as he looked up at the ceiling.
Izuku honestly wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"And also, I've never seen Rias have so much fun, even in the Underworld. It's all thanks to you that she's able to enjoy her life as a normal teenage girl and you have my eternal gratitude for that. That's something I've always wanted her to enjoy, and thanks to you she can. Midoriya Izuku, as her boyfriend, I'm counting on you to take care of Rias for me."
Izuku blushed, still not used to the fact that he was Rias' boyfriend now, let alone having several other girlfriends, but he still smiled and nodded. "I will! I won't let anything happen to her!"
"That's good to hear," Sirzechs smiled before his expression suddenly turned deathly serious. "Although I must warn you now that if you ever hurt Rias for whatever reason then I will find you and have you tortured for the rest of your miserable life. There will be nowhere you can hide from me and I will ensure you regret ever being born. Got it?"
Izuku shook in place, eyes white in fear. "Yes, sir!"
"That's good to hear," Sirzechs replied, his serious expression then completely vanishing in the blink of an eye and returning to his charming smile. "Sorry about that, Izuku. I've always wanted to try out the 'big brother scaring the life out his little sister's boyfriend' thing but Rias never seemed interested in anyone until you came along."
"Uh, sure…" Izuku mumbled, still reeling from the intensity he felt from Sirzechs' words and tone and unable to say anything else for a moment. "…By the way, I've been meaning to ask. If you care so much for Rias, why let her engagement to Riser happen?"
"Oh, that," Sirzechs let out an annoyed sigh. "The engagement was proposed by the Phenex family, approved by our parents, and was backed by the Great King Faction."
"Great King Faction?"
"A political faction in devil society, led by the Bael Clan, who focus more on tradition, Devil blood purity, and the continuation of the Devil noble society," Sirzechs answered. "And, as loathe I am to admit it, they have just slightly more influence than me and my fellow Satans. Enough that I can't simply say 'No, I won't let my sister marry someone like Riser Phenex' without jumping through a lot of political loopholes. The most I could do was delay it and have the Rating Game be arranged."
"I see…" Izuku nodded, understanding why Sirzechs didn't directly help. His hands were tied politically. And if he tried to cut corners, there was a chance this 'Great King Faction' would've taken advantage of it.
Sirzechs settled down into the futon. "I suggest we both go to sleep now. I don't know what Rias is like with you but Grayfia will not be pleased with me if I'm tired in the morning because we were talking all night. Good night, Izuku," Sirzechs replied as he also rolled over and drifted off to sleep.
"Good night," Izuku muttered as he rolled over and closed his eyes.
The next day, after enjoying breakfast, Rias promised to give Sirzechs and Grayfia a tour of Musutafu so they can better understand the city that would serve as the meeting place for the leaders of the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils.
"So, what did Lord Sirzechs talk to you about?" Ibara inquired out of curiosity as they made their way to school.
"He just asked me to take care of Rias," Izuku replied.
"Sirzechs sounds like a very doting older brother," Fuyuko noted.
"Yeah, 'doting'," Rias grumbled.
Ochako giggled a little before noticing that some of the other girls were up ahead waiting, mainly Ravel, Setsuna, Milia, Momo, and Kyoka, with Xenovia, Koneko, and Yuuto with them. "Hey, guys!" Ochako called out with a wave.
"Yo!" Setsuna greeted.
Milia suddenly went up to Izuku and hugged his arm. "Mi-Milia?" Izuku utters, surprised by the sudden display of affection.
"I thought yesterday was a dream," Milia said softly, hugging Izuku's arm tighter.
"Takamaki, who said you could just hug Izuku like that?" Rias asked, a little annoyed.
"No one," Milia replied. "But since most of us are dating him, I figured it wasn't a problem."
"Yeah, senpai," Setsuna grinned, now hugging Izuku's other arm. "Let us have this."
"We better take turns, then!" Ravel demanded.
'Is this what mother has to deal with?' Rias silently thought. 'Ugh, I'm going to regret it, but I better ask her for some advice later.'
Koneko silently glared but said nothing, wondering why she felt upset.
While blushing, Izuku didn't mind the affection and continued to let them hug him as they made their way to U.A., each of them taking turns as Ravel had said. Currently, Rias and Fuyuko were the ones hugging him as they neared U.A.'s gate.
Suddenly, an odd feeling raced up Izuku's left arm, causing him to shack off the two. "Gah! What the…?"
"Izuku, what's wrong?" Rias asked, concerned.
"I don't know," Izuku replied, looking his arm over. "My arm just acted up. I haven't felt anything like that since…" Izuku trailed off, his eyes widening.
"Since when?" Xenovia hesitantly asked.
"The fight with Kokabiel, when…" Izuku looked around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It didn't take him long before he spotted something. Up ahead, standing near U.A.'s gate, a young man around the same age as them, maybe a little older, was leaning against the wall, staring back at him.
The man had silver hair and light blue eyes and was wearing a dark green V-neck shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it, burgundy jeans with a silver chain drooping down over them, and black leather chaps with three bands encircling his right calf, and black shoes with black buckles.
The others soon noticed him also, prompting the young man to push himself off the wall and approach. "Who's that?" Setsuna asked.
"You're the Vanishing Dragon, aren't you?" Izuku questioned bluntly, causing everyone to look in surprise.
"This is only the second time we've met, Welsh Dragon, yet you recognized me right away. I'm impressed," he said, staring at him with a calm attitude. "I am, but you can also call me Vali."
'This is the White Dragon Emperor?' Rias thought. 'Why is he here now? Don't tell me Azazel sent him.'
Izuku felt another spasm arc through his arm, causing his hand to clench up uncontrollably. This distracted him for a split second as he glanced down at his hand.
That split second was all that Vali needed to suddenly thrust his left hand straight towards Izuku's face, his index finger outstretched and aimed between his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, however, Izuku sensed the movement and his left arm subconsciously shot up and caught hold of his wrist, stopping him when his fingers were just two inches away from his face.
Rather than being surprised by his sudden action, Vali actually seemed to approve of it. "Good. You have strong reflexes. You're still nowhere near as strong as I am but you're certainly on your way to becoming a suitably strong opponent," he said with a small smirk on his face as Izuku released his wrist, letting it fall back down to his side.
*CLANG!*
In an instant, two swords, a demonic sword and Durandal, crossed right in front of Vali's neck.
"I think this joke has gone on long enough," Yuuto said with a dangerous glint in his eye.
"It wouldn't be very smart for us to let you start a fight with the Red Dragon Emperor here, would it?" Xenovia asked with a dangerous glare of her own.
However, Vali didn't even move, nor looked intimidated. "It's better if you stopped that," he said. "Your hands are shaking."
"Xenovia, Yuuto! Stand down," Rias ordered. "We saw what he's capable of. You two don't stand a chance against him. Put away your blades before you cause too much of a scene."
Vali just chuckled. "You'd better listen to her. If all of you fighting couldn't even bring Kokabiel down, you stand absolutely no chance against me. But you don't have to take my word on it; keep going if you don't mind making a scene."
Yuuto and Xenovia continued to glare at the silver-haired man for a few more seconds before releasing their magic and letting their blades disappear into thin air and moving from Vali to stand by Izuku.
"I have a question for you, Midoriya," he said with a curious look on his face. "Where do you think you stand against those with power in this world?"
"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it," Izuku replied tersely. "But if I were to take a guess, I'm probably pretty low in the ranks at my current level."
"There are many powerful figures in this world," Vali continued. "Not even the Crimson Satan, Sirzechs Lucifer, ranks in the top ten." Vali then held up his index finger. "But there is no doubt as to who sits at the top. That position has never changed."
"Who do you mean?" Izuku asked. "Are you saying you're the strongest?"
Vali shrugged. "You'll find out sooner or later, but it isn't me."
"So why did you show yourself here?" Rias demanded. "If you have ties with the Fallen Angels, then you shouldn't try to contact us beyond-"
"In the past, those involved with the Two Heavenly Dragons, the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon, didn't have easy lives," Vali interrupted her. "I'm curious to see how your life will turn out."
He glanced around at the group before him and smirked. "There's no need to look at me with such intensity. I didn't come here to fight," Vali stated. "I just wanted to see the school I dropped by last time. I'm here escorting Azazel for the upcoming conference, but I was feeling bored. I won't battle the Welsh Dragon here. Besides, I have a lot of work to do," he said calmly as he walked past everyone and left the area, leaving an aura of nervousness in his wake.
"Who was that guy?" Setsuna asked.
"It's… kind of a long story," Izuku replied.
As he walked away, Vali glanced back to U.A.'s gate, but he wasn't looking at Izuku or the others. Rather, his eyes landed on a hidden Ingvild, Vali being the only one to have noticed her presence. The White Dragon Emperor could tell right away that the girl was hiding something. Something that could make her on par with himself. 'Interesting…'
Later, during lunch, Izuku told Setsuna, but also Todoroki, Iida, Itsuka, and Liana about his Sacred Gear and its twin. "Red and White Dragon Emperors," Setsuna muttered. She, along with Todoroki, Iida, Itsuka, and Liana were sitting with the ORC members. "So that guy is your 'destined rival' or something, and you are going to eventually fight him?"
"That's pretty much it, yeah," Izuku nodded.
"…Huh. That's actually kinda cool," Setsuna grinned.
[I suppose from a certain point of view it is.] Ddraig nodded.
"I'm more surprised about this conference coming up. Is it really happening here?" Iida asked.
"Apparently," Yuuto nodded.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Todoroki asked, slurping up some soba.
"Maybe, but still, something like this could attract a lot of attention," Rias muttered.
"This meeting is happening here at U.A., correct? Does the Principal know about it?" Iida asked.
The intercom came on, and everyone in the cafeteria was treated to their principal's maniacal laughter.
"…I think that answers that question," Rias uttered in slight fear.
"I never thought a giant talking rat could be so terrifying," Xenovia muttered.
It didn't take long for them to finish eating and put away their trays, getting ready to start their afternoon classes.
But Izuku stopped when he heard a voice call out. "Midoriya?"
"Kodai-san?" Izuku blinked, noticing the stoic girl approaching him.
"Are you free after school today?" She asked.
"Yeah, I am," Izuku nodded. Since Rias needed to show her brother and Grayfia around the city today, along with the upcoming conference, it was decided to postpone any club activities until after Parents' Day.
"Want to head to Wookiees?"
Izuku blinked. "As in… a date?" He stupidly asked.
The stoic girl nodded. "Gonna make up for lost time," Yui said.
Before he could reply, though, another voice cut him off.
"Uh, Izuku…"
Looking back, Izuku saw that Ingvild was standing behind him. "Levathia-san?"
"You know her?" Rias asked.
"I met her briefly the other day," Izuku replied. "Is something wrong?" He asked the violet-periwinkle-haired girl.
"No, just… I was wondering if you have time today to show me around the city?" Ingvild nervously asked.
"Uh…" Izuku looked over to Yui, her stone-faced expression unreadable.
"Okay," Yui nodded. "I don't mind her coming with us."
"Huh?"
"Oh, I interrupt somethin'?" Ingvild asked.
"No," Yui shook her head. "You can come with me and Midoriya later. It'll be a double date."
"D-Date?" Ingvild repeated with a slight blush.
"I don't think that's how a double date works, Yui," Itsuka pointed out.
"Then throuple date," Yui amended.
Ingvild gave a nervous chuckle. "I don't mind. By the way, I'm Ingvild Levathia."
"Kodai Yui."
"I hope we get along, Yui,"
Yui nodded before looking back to Izuku. "See you later, Midoriya," she stoically said before leaving.
"I'll meet you after school, Izuku," Ingvild added before she left also.
"Wow," Setsuna gained. "Already going on dates with some of us, and inviting potential new members, too?"
Izuku reflectively blushed. "Setsuna-san…"
Rias sighed. 'I suppose I should get used to this.'
Itsuka then spoke up. "Speaking of Yui, are you going to tell her and the others about, you know…" Itsuka trailed off, but they knew what she was saying.
Izuku hummed in thought, thinking about how to tell Mina, Hagakure, Tsuyu, and Yui that he wasn't exactly human. How would they even react?
"If we want this to work, then we should tell them at some point," Milia pointed out.
"Right," Itsuka nodded.
"Yui is my friend, so at the very least I feel I should tell her about me," Itsuka added.
"There's a lot going on right now, so let's wait until after Parents' Day to tell them," Izuku suggested.
"I'll tell them about my Sacred Gear before then," Itsuka decided. "That should help them ease into all this."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rias asked.
"Don't your clients all know?" Liana pointed out.
"…Okay, fair point."
Later, Izuku went to the front gate and, as promised, Ingvild and Yui were waiting for him. Yui didn't hesitate to quickly wrap her arms around Izuku's left arm, to the surprise of both him and Ingvild.
It didn't take them too long to reach the shopping mall. "So, where should we go first?" Izuku asked.
"Over there," Yui pointed toward one store in particular.
Its sign was in bold letters right out of a comic book, reading the store's name. "'Excelsior Comics & Collectibles'?" Ingvild blinked. "Comics like… Wolverine?"
"Who?" Izuku and Yui both asked.
Ingvild blushed a little. "Oh, uh, he's an old pre-Quirk comic character," she explained. "I used to read them all the time back in Norway. And, uh… I kinda had a crush on him," she admitted, blushing further.
"Oh… cool," Yui nodded. "I used to have a crush on Simon from 'A Fragmentary Stratos'."
"You used to watch that, too?" Izuku asked.
Yui nodded as they reached their destination. The bell rang as they entered the store. Carefully lined up on shelves are paperback comic books, manga, graphic novels, and even figurines and action figures of various characters. They ranged from modern characters like Featherman to, and the main focus, older pre-Quirk characters like Ultraman, Batman, Power Rangers, and Goku.
"Oh, cool!" Izuku looked around in wonder, his inner geek showing.
"Mm," Yui nodded with a faint smile.
This got the attention of an elderly man who was rummaging from behind the counter. Blue eyes widened from behind Vendome sunglasses and a smile broke out from beneath a white mustache.
"Welcome, true believers!" He greeted. "Gosh, it's been a while since you came, Kodai."
"Hello, Stan," Yui greeted, but Ingvild stared wide-eyed at the man.
"You came at the perfect time," Stan placed a brown box on the counter. "Your package finally came. And, as always, there's a special discount for one of my most loyal customers."
Yui smiled as she opened her package. Inside, laid out on bubble wrap, is an Ultraman booklet wrapped in plastic.
"The Ultraman Archives!" Stan said. "You're gonna love it, Kodai. It contains everything from concept art, early drafts for the original Ultraman series, and even interviews with the cast and crew."
"I already love it," Yui uttered, hugging the booklet close.
"How about you two?" Stan asked Izuku and the still-staring Ingvild. "Is there anything I can get for ya?"
"Oh, not really," Izuku replied. "I'm just browsing right now. What about you, Levathia?"
"Huh?" Ingvild shook off her shock. "Uh, I'll look around a bit. You and Yui can go on ahead if you want."
"Okay," Yui nodded, having already paired, placing her booklet in a bag and grabbing Izuku's arm again.
"There's no need to pull me, Kodai!" Izuku said as Yui led them out of the store.
Once Izuku and Yui left, Ingvild turned toward Stan and sputtered. "You're- But you- How did…?"
The old man chuckled, already knowing what Ingvild was trying to say. "Let's just say that there's more to me than meets the eye and leave it at that. Besides, no matter what, I'll always live on in your heart. Same with everyone else."
Ingvild continued to stare at the man. Did he know about her? But as his words ran through her mind, Ingvild smiled and nodded. After spending a couple of minutes browsing, Ingvild bought some X-Men comics and a figurine of Wolverine.
"Thank you, Stan," Ingvild said.
"Pleasure doing business with you. Come back anytime you want," Stan waved as Ingvild left the counter. "Excelsior!"
"Excelsior!" Ingvild repeated with a smile.
Once she left, Stan looked toward the readers. "And that includes your hearts, true believers," Stan Lee gave a wink. "'Nuff said."
Before long, the sun began to set. Izuku found himself carrying several bags, some belonging to Yui, some to Ingvild, and a couple were his. 'At least they're not making me model clothes…,' Izuku silently thought.
"This was a lot of fun," Ingvild smiled.
"Mm," Yui nodded, having a faint smile. "We should be heading home soon."
"Yeah," Izuku nodded.
*Vrrr!* *Vrrr!*
"Gah! Dritt![1]" Ingvild cursed in Norwegian. Pulling out her phone, she saw a familiar number. 'Oh, not now,' she looked to Izuku and Yui. "Sorry, but I need to go."
"Family issues?" Yui guessed.
"That's… only part of my problem," Ingvild sighed, grabbing hold of her bags from Izuku.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Izuku asked.
"No, I can make it back to my apartment on my own," Ingvild replied. "I had fun. I hope we can do this again soon."
"Yeah, me too," Izuku replied, with Yui nodding.
Ingvild waved to them before leaving, answering her phone once she got out of hearing distance.
Izuku offered to escort Yui home, something she graciously accepted. Eventually reaching Yui's house, a nice-looking suburban place. It was pretty far from Izuku's home, but he didn't mind the distance.
"I had fun," Yui said.
"Yeah," Izuku nodded.
Yui then smiled before she pressed a kiss to Izuku's cheek, much to his shock. "See you tomorrow, Izuku," she said before heading in.
Izuku stood there for a moment before he headed home, his hand rubbing the spot where Yui had kissed him. 'I need to get used to this.'
Once he made it home, Izuku went up to his room to relax. Swiping out his uniform for athletic pants, a t-shirt that read "pants", and slippers, sitting on the floor with his back resting against the side of his bed. His outing with Yui and Ingvild had been a good distraction, but now his thoughts went back to his morning encounter with the Vanishing Dragon.
But it wasn't just Vali. As the current Red Dragon Emperor, Izuku was bound to fight the current White Dragon Emperor eventually, but he was also the current holder of One for All. Meaning he would also have to fight All for One, the real leader of the League of Villains, eventually.
"Are you thinking about Vali? Or is it All for One?"
He was brought out of his thoughts by the shower of crimson hair now obscuring his view which was quickly followed by Rias' upside-down face appearing before his as she leaned over his head from her position on his bed.
"That obvious, huh?" Izuku sheepishly said.
Rias sighed as she got off the bed and sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck where she gently ran a hand through his fluffy hair affectionately and stared into his eyes.
"You don't have anything to worry about. The others and I all believe in you," she said. "I know you can win against the White Dragon Emperor. And you won't be alone when you face All for One. We'll be with you."
Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Rias."
"Izuku, Rias!" Inko called out from an intercom in Izuku's room, something that had to be included in such a large home. "Dinner is almost ready."
Rias grumbled, but she got off of Izuku's lap. "C'mon. We'd best get down there before she has to call us again."
"Yeah, you're right."
Wednesday soon arrived, and with it was Parents' Day at U.A. High. Since they couldn't leave Eri alone, Grayfia offered to stay at the Midoriya home and look after her. While Eri was a little scared of Grayfia at first, the red-eyed devil Queen managed to win the girl over by offering a candy apple.
Rias was not thrilled at all about the day, due to both her brother and her parents attending. The parents and/or guardians were led into the classroom a few minutes before the class started and stood at the back of the class where they would watch their kids go about their studies.
"This is gonna be a long day," Kyoka muttered, trying to ignore how her loudmouth father was talking with a transparent man, likely Hagakure's father.
"Yeah," Tsubasa nodded.
"Hey, Todoroki, who's that?" Mina pointed at a young adult with gray eyes and shoulder-length white hair with some traces of red in plain clothes, talking with Iida's brother.
"My sister," Todoroki answered flatly.
"Now Katsuki, be on your best behavior today!"
"Shut it you damn Old Hag!" Bakugo yelled. "I didn't ask for you to be here!"
"Stop your whining Katsuki! I'm here, whether you like it or not!" Bakugo's mother had ash-blonde hair and red eyes, just like her son. And she somehow maintains a youthful appearance, despite being in her late thirties.
"Dear, try and calm down," Bakugo's father, a middle-aged man with short brown hair similar in style to his wife and son, a short mustache, and rectangular glasses.
"Nice to see some things didn't change," Hisashi chuckled.
"I still can't get over how they're Bakugo's parents," Ochako muttered.
Tsuyu nodded. "I see the resemblance."
"Yeah, I hear it too," Mina groaned, covering her ears.
"Are we positive that's his dad, though?" Hyde asked.
"Yeah, he's, like, Bakugo's opposite," Kaminari noted.
"Denki!"
Kaminari grimaced, flinching at his mother. She had blonde hair cut just below her ears with a black streak near her forehead, with the rest of her blonde hair set in an extremely long and slender ponytail that stretches down all the way to her ankles with a black line in the middle of the braid. She's slim and admittedly rather good-looking for someone of her age, standing at about 5'8 with slanted, somewhat triangular yellow eyes. She's clad in a bright-red coat over a black crop top, pants, and thigh-high high-heeled boots.
She was the Voltage Heroine, Thundershock, and she was waving at her son like he was miles away. She was waving so enthusiastically that the other parents and guardians backed away so as to not get slapped by the flailing hand. "Mama's here, just like she promised! And she's ready to cheer you on! Love you!"
"Mom! You're embarrassing me!" Kaminari cried out, to the amusement of some of the class.
Aizawa arrived not long after. "Morning, class," he nods respectfully to the back of the class. "And parents."
"Good morning, Aizawa-sensei."
"Now, before we get started I have a few things to say. First off just because it is Parents' Day does not mean any of you should slack off on your studies or training. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
After finishing up his morning announcements for homeroom, 1-A's morning classes began, starting with math with Ectoplasm.
When lunchtime finally came around, Izuku, Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka left their parents and went to look for Rias and the others as they normally did for lunch.
Rias in particular looked done for the day, with the others wisely deciding not to say anything, though their trip to the cafeteria was halted when they noticed several students, all boys (Mineta among them), had gathered near the stairs and were taking pictures of an older girl standing above them on the stairs. She wore a pink sleeveless top that cut off at the midriff. She had black hair, tied into twin tails and blue eyes, and wore a pink skirt and black thigh-high stockings, and a pink hat to match, as well as a half-body length pink scepter in her hand, posing for the crowd as they took pictures.
"What's going on?" Izuku asked. "And is she wearing Magical Girl Spiral Seven cosplay?"
"They're just being boys, taking pictures of someone in a magical girl costume," Kyoka answered, her enhanced hearing letting her know what the small crowd was saying. "But how do you know about that costume?"
"Because my first client had me watch the whole series with him," Izuku answered, flinching a little as he remembered Mil-tan.
"Magical girl? So she did come," Rias sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly.
"Who?" Ochako asked.
Before she could answer, Saji suddenly came jumping into the scene. "Hey, hey! Knock it off!" He demanded to the crowd, standing in front of the cosplayer. "We're still on school grounds! You've all taken your pictures, now go! Something like this is unacceptable on Parents' Day!"
"Hey, get out of the way!" Mineta demanded. "You're ruining our pictures!"
"Scram! This isn't the place for a photo shoot!" Saji demanded, causing the entire crowd to grumble and huff before beginning to disperse. Saji sighed, looking back at the girl in question. "Now, are you related to someone on campus?"
"That's right!" The girl said, giving a swift nod.
"Listen, unless you're a pro hero, they should have told you that your outfit is inappropriate for school grounds. As you saw, it can cause unneeded incidents." Saji began, crossing his arm.
The girl tilted her head before smiling. She did a small twirl around, and waved her wand around, exuding a bright aura. "Love love forgiveness~!"
"Stop that!" Saji exclaimed, exasperated.
"Saji!" Everyone looked towards the new voice which came from the hallway to see Sona Sitri walking toward them with an annoyed expression on her spectacled face. "What's going on here?!" She demanded.
"Oh, Kaichou," Saji said, suddenly a lot less confident than he was before.
"Geez, Sona," Kudelia uttered, walking beside her. "No reason to scare him like that. He's just doing his job."
"Sona, Kudelia," Rias greeted.
"Sorry, Kaichou, but this girl was…" Saji tried to explain, but he was cut off when said girl suddenly ran by him.
"SO-TAN~! I finally found you~!" The cosplayer exclaimed, glomping the Sitri Heiress. "I'm so happy to see you~!" She chirped, which only made Sona uncomfortable. "What's the matter? You look sad. Aren't you happy to be seeing your big sister again?"
'Big sister?!' Izuku, Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, and Ibara all mentally exclaimed.
"I'm going to need more happiness from you. Come on," the girl whined, before hugging herself. "You should be telling me how much you missed me, and I would say 'Sona, I've missed you too-'" She then started bouncing on her heels, making her breast jiggle. "-and then I would give you a big fat kiss, and you'd kiss me back and that would lead to girl-on-girl action and wouldn't that be hot?"
Sona sweated.
"…Are we positive she's the older sister?" Momo asked.
"We are. Izuku, Ochako, Momo, Ibara, Kyoka. I'd like you to meet Serafall Leviathan. One of the Four Devil Kings," Rias smiled, looking at her servants.
"Huh?!"
"S-Serafall?!" Saji stuttered quietly as it slowly dawned on him who he had been speaking to and how he had spoken to her. "I-I've never seen her before. Kaichou told us about her but I never saw her in person."
"Oh, Rias-chan! Kuda-chan! It's been too long!" Serafall greeted her sister's two friends upon noticing them. "How have you been?"
"Fine, for the most part," Rias answered.
"Yep!" Kudelia nodded. "You here to see your sis for Parents' Day?"
"Yeah! But So-tan's so mean," Serafall pouted. "She didn't even tell me about today! When Sirzechs-chan told me, I was so shocked I nearly attacked heaven!"
'I can't tell if she's joking or not,' Izuku thought to himself. While she didn't look powerful, he had to assume that she was far from weak. She had to be incredibly strong if she was one of the four leaders of a society that valued strength above anything else.
"Hey, isn't that the Red Dragon?" Serafall asked Rias as she glanced over her shoulder and noticed Izuku.
"Yes, he is," Rias said proudly, turning towards her precious servant and gesturing for him to join her. "Could you come here, Izu? There's someone who would like to see you."
Gulping but doing as she asked, he stepped beside Rias and in front of Serafall to whom he bowed his head respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Leviathan. My name is Midoriya Izuku, Rias Gremory's Pawn."
"The pleasure's all mine. As you may already know; I'm the devil king, Serafall Leviathan." She turned sideways, posing for him and making a peace sign at the same time. "But you can call me Magical Girl Levi-tan!"
Izuku sweat-dropped.
"Does anyone actually call her that?" Kyoka couldn't help but ask.
"Maybe?" Ibara said, unsure.
"But still…" her cheerful grin turned into a scowl. "I'm keeping an eye on you!" She declared, thrusting her scepter at Izuku.
"Huh? How come?"
"Because you're trying to take away my So-tan!"
Sona's face paled.
"Take away?!" Izuku repeated. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play innocent!" Serafall began pouting again. "The other day, I found where my So-tan was hiding her dating magazines! My cute So-tan can't be reading love manuals! And she even asked our mother for love-love advice instead of me! How can my So-tan be so rebellious!"
"M-manuals!" Saji gaped, turning to give a betrayed look at his King.
"Sona is this true?!" Rias demanded, turning to her friend. Sona's face was completely red by this point, which was all the answer Rias needed.
"Oh, this is too good!" Kudelia grinned, having taken out her phone, and began recording.
'How did she find out?' A mortified Sona wondered before a thought struck. She glanced at the grinning Kudelia. "You told her, didn't you?"
Kudelia gave an unapologetic smirk.
"Kudelia, I'm gonna kill you!" Sona growled before she recomposed herself. "Please listen to me!" Sona demanded desperately, attracting her big sister's attention again. "I am responsible for the entire student council here! Even if you're family, your attire is totally unacceptable! You're going to have to change!"
"Can't you hear the tone of your voice? You're borderline violent!" Serafall retorted. "You know how much your big sister loves magical girls! I'll use my sparkling wand to exterminate the angels and fallen angels!"
"Please be more prudent," Sona managed to rally a desperate defense against her sister's adoration. "If you were to start glittering now, Japan's main island could freeze over!"
As Serafall continued to talk to Sona and find out what was going on with her, Izuku and Rias backed away to rejoin the others. "…I take it this is the reason Sona didn't ask for her sister's help with Kokabiel?" Izuku asked.
"Pretty much," Kudelia answered. "Serafall likes her little sister a little too much. Some people would go as far as to say she's obsessed with her. The situation would have spiraled way out of control if Serafall had been there."
"I've heard the stories," Saji gave a pained grimace. "It seems that Leviathan-sama dotes so much on her sister, that if she heard a fallen angel had attacked her, she might just start a war on her own…"
"Gah! I can't take it! A-and in front of him…!" Sona cried out tearfully, glancing at Izuku for a moment before she turned and ran away from her sister who ran after her.
"Wait, Sona-chan! Don't leave!" Serafall called out as she chased after her sister.
"Stay away from me!"
"Looks like Kaichou will be needing my help. See you later," Saji said as he ran after them.
Ibara smiled sheepishly and sweated a little. "Saji-san's heading for a rough time, isn't he?"
"It isn't my place to say, but yes he is," Rias stated, with a knowing look. "All of the devil kings are like this," she groaned, nodding her head towards Serafall. "They're all high-strung and extremely excitable. It can be exhausting."
"Hey! I resent that," came a cool, familiar voice from behind them. They all turned around to see Sirzechs walking toward them, his hands in his pockets and a broad smile on his face.
"What are you doing here?" Rias asked, taken off guard by her brother's sudden appearance.
"I heard a commotion and thought I'd check it out. I should have known it'd be Serafall. She sure knows how to attract attention. Anyway, stop changing the subject. What do you mean by 'high-strung and excitable'? I seem to recall that, in the past, you would follow me everywhere I went whilst saying 'big brother this' and 'big brother that'." He sighed fondly at the memories. "Huh, I guess it must be the rebellious age you've reached…"
Rias, whose face had turned bright red from embarrassment, stomped her foot on the ground and glared at the devil king with adorable puffed-out cheeks. "Sirzechs! Please don't bring up my childhood!"
"Does that mean we should?" A familiar deep voice asked. Walking up to them wasn't not just Rias' parents, but Izuku's as well.
'Oh no,' both Rias and Izuku realized in dread.
"We were wondering where you went to, Rias," Venelana said. "Don't tell me you're avoiding us?"
"Uh…" Rias hesitated to answer.
"Mom, dad, how'd you meet Rias' parents?" Izuku asked.
"We happened to run into each other on our way to the cafeteria and started talking," Hisashi answered. "Isn't that right, Gremory-san?"
"I've told you before, Hisashi, 'Gremory-san' was my father. Please call me by my first name, Zeoticus," he chuckled as he put his hands back in his pockets and cast a quick glance at Izuku and Rias who were standing close to each other. "Besides, I think our children are close enough for us to drop all formalities, don't you agree?"
"Ha! True," Hisashi nodded.
"Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere a bit more private?" Venelana suggested. "It's quite noisy around here and I'd much rather embarrass my daughter when I know she can hear me."
"Mother!" Rias exclaimed, her face turning as red as her crimson hair.
"Good idea, Venelana," Inko smiled. "Then would you like to come back to our place for dinner? We can continue our talk and share stories there."
"Mom!" Izuku exclaimed.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Zeoticus smiled. "I've been meaning to see where Rias had been staying."
"Maybe we can invite Ochako-chan's parents, too?" Hisashi suggested, which caused Ochako to pale in dread.
The four adults continued to talk and they went on their way.
'I have a really bad feeling about this…' Izuku, Rias, and Ochako all thought.
"You all go on ahead," Sirzechs said to the group. "I want to explore the school some more for the conference."
Rias just groaned as the teens left.
Once they turned the corner, Sirzechs look up the stairway. "I know you're there. You can come out now."
The Devil King heard a startled gasp. After a few moments, a nervous Ingvild walked down the stairs.
"I must say, you did a good job hiding your aura. Most devils wouldn't have picked it up," Sirzechs noted.
"But… you're not like most devils, are you?" Ingvild said.
Sirzechs simply smiled. "What's your name? Your real name, I mean. And why were you spying on us?"
After the school day had finally come to an end, Sirzechs and Rias' parents joined Izuku and his family as they headed home. Along the way, they invited Ochako's parents, who took the offer and joined them. Once there, they enjoyed a delicious meal courtesy of a combined effort from Rias, Ochako, and Inko.
Once dinner was done came the part Rias, Izuku, and Ochako had been dreading.
"Oh, Ochako! You look so cute in this video!" Ochako's mother all but squealed as she watched Ochako on the TV.
Hisashi had been recording the day's events, displaying them on the TV as the teens all sat nearby as the adults watched, enjoying some alcohol.
"What are they watching?" Eri asked.
"Nothing that concerns you, Eri," Izuku replied.
Once they had finished with the footage that Izuku's parents had captured, Zeoticus stepped up and began showing the footage he had captured when he was watching Rias in her class. While all the adults began cooing and commentating on how brilliant Rias was, in her case, she just began shaking subtly as she worked to hide the extreme blush on her face.
"This… is an entirely new hell for me," Rias muttered.
"Of course, it's important to watch them grow," Zeoticus said as he watched his daughter spot the camera and start ordering her father to put it down which he ignored. "But I say it's also an important duty of a father to embarrass his daughter at school too!" He laughed.
"Oh look! Ria-tan is answering the teacher's question…oh, and she got it right!" Sirzechs exclaimed with a laugh which was joined by the rest of the adults.
"I can't take this anymore! Brother, stop calling me that!"
"Rias!"
With her face in her hands, Rias ran off and Izuku followed after her.
Ochako, Ibara, and Fuyuko watched the two run off before their attention was grabbed by Sirzechs getting knocked to the floor by a paper fan wielded by Grayfia.
"Let's go check on them," Fuyuko said, the other two nodding before they followed, leaving behind a confused Eri.
Rias ran into Izuku's room, leaped into his bed, and buried her face in one of the pillows. Izuku sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the bed, thinking about what he should say to cheer her up.
"…At least they're getting along," Izuku finally said.
"…Izuku?" Rias finally spoke up.
"Yes?"
"Do you regret meeting me?"
Izuku turned around, looking at Rias in surprise.
"I'm happy to have met you, Izuku," Rias continued on. "A life without you is impossible. I love you with all my heart, and I don't intend to change that."
Rias gasped as Izuku laid down next to her, turned her on her side, and kissed her. Surprised at first, Rias gladly began to return the kiss. It lasted a few seconds before they broke apart.
"I don't regret meeting you at all. I'm only where I am now because we met," Izuku answered. "If anything, I'm glad we did meet."
The door opened up and Ibara, Ochako, and Kuyuko walked in.
"Are you okay, Rias?" Ibara asked.
"I'm feeling better now." Rias sat up.
"That's good," Ochako smiled.
"It's probably safer for us to stay up here for the rest of the night, huh?" Fuyuko said.
*Knock, knock*
"Lady Rias, may we enter?" Grayfia's voice called.
"Go ahead," Rias replied.
The door opened and Grayfia walked in alongside Sirzechs, the latter having an icepack on his head.
"What happened to Sirzechs?" Izuku asked.
"He was just being stupid," Grayfia answered.
"What is it, Sirzechs?" Rias asked.
"There's something I've been meaning to talk about," Sirzechs began calmly. "After seeing how you and your peerage handled yourselves in your encounter with Kokabiel, I believe it's finally the time to release the other Bishop."
Rias gasped with surprise, alone with Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako, while Fuyuko just sported a confused look.
"What's he talking about?" Fuyuko asked quietly, glancing between Rias and Sirzechs and noting their strange expressions.
"Rias has one other active piece," Izuku answered.
"Yes," Rias confirmed. "I had a Bishop in my peerage before Ibara. However, it was decided that they be sealed away for everyone's protection, especially theirs."
"Why have them sealed away? Are they dangerous?" Fuyuko couldn't help but ask.
Rias shook her head sadly. "No, they aren't dangerous. They had to be sealed away due to the dangerous nature of their gift which they can't control yet. I wasn't strong enough to handle them safely," she added with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"That used to be the case, yes…," Sirzechs agreed with a slight nod before going on. "However, from the pace I've seen you all progress, and particularly how you handled Riser and Kokabiel, I've reconsidered my previous position on the matter. You're now more powerful than you've ever been before and I am now more than confident that now's the right time. Release the Bishop!"
"If that is the devil king's wish then I shall make it happen," Rias declared firmly.
Sirzechs then clapped his hands together happily. "Wonderful! Now then, shall we return downstairs and say goodbye to our wonderful hosts, my love?" he asked, directing his question to Grayfia who sighed slightly at his choice of address though she didn't comment on it.
"Oh, and before I forget, do any of you know an Ingvild Levathia?" Sirzechs asked them.
"Huh? Yes, she's one of my classmates, along with Fuyuko," Rias answered.
"Why bring her up?" Fuyuko asked.
"She's a bit more special than you realize," Sirzechs simply said. "I suggest you invite her to your club. She may not act like it, but she's been through a lot."
"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.
"That's something she'll have to tell you," Sirzechs replied before he and Grayfia left the room.
That left the four teens confused, wondering what Sirzechs had meant.
After school the next day, the entire Occult Research Club gathered outside the entrance to the locked room. "So, this is where your mysterious other Bishop is locked up?" Hyde asked.
"They're inside this room," Rias told everyone. "They stay in there all day. While they are allowed to leave at night as long as they stay inside the building, they refuse to even do that much."
"So they're basically a shut-in," Kyoka guessed.
"They actually have the most contracts among us," Yuuto added. "They use a laptop to make them since some humans don't want direct contact with devils."
"It must have been a very dangerous power for the Bishop to have been sealed away," Xenovia noted as she stared at the doors with intrigue.
Once everyone had stopped speaking, Rias stepped forward and stood in front of the doors where she tore off the yellow "Keep out" tape covering them which disintegrated, and then removed each of the magical seals surrounding the room which took a few seconds as she worked through each one.
"Now, let's open it."
Upon Rias's word, she grabbed the handle and started turning it.
"EYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
AN: And that's a wrap for 2022! It's been quite the year, huh? Let's hope 2023 is an improvement.
And yep, Ingvild is a Wolverine fangirl. And I made her Norwegian here. Why? Well, she is named after a famous Norwegian actress, Ingvild Deila, and she is from a seaside city in Europe, so it makes sense.
[1]: "Dritt" is Norwegian for "Crap" or "Shit".
And the Stan Lee cameo. I have been DYING to do one for a while but wasn't able to find the right place to do it until now. I hope you all like it. It's also fitting I posted it today, given it's Stan Lee's birthday (December 28th). He would've been 100 today if he was still alive. Rest in peace, Stan "The Man" Lee. Excelsior!
Also, part of the dialogue between Serafall and Izuku is inspired by "Beyond the Outer Gate Lies" by gabriel blessing, specifically Chapter 3 when Harry first meets Serafall.
Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, don't be racist, and have a Happy New Year! Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
In Loving Memory of STAN LEE
December 28, 1922, to November 12, 2018
"The definition of a hero is someone who is concerned about other people's well-being, and will go out of his or her way to help them - even if there's no chance of a reward. That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero."