Old readers, there isn't much new here, but some refinements should smooth out a few things I wasn't 100% sure about in the previous version of the story. Now, like I said before, I am ready and willing to be much more straightforward with what I reveal for this part of the story.
My Hero Academia Untold: The Black Dragon Knights
Part 1: Inferno
Chapter I: A Fresh Start
"What...is going on?"
"Damn it! Just give up, old man!"
"Get out of my head, you little beast!"
"Surrender your Quirk to me!"
"Never, you little shit! You can have my Quirk when hell freezes over!"
"What...what are you doing?!"
"In in what world?"
Hisashi and his family were happily sitting at dinner. Chatting the time away from the day's events, the man couldn't complain about just how good he had it. Things could have been better with his relationship with the man to whom he owed so much in life. Hisashi could not complain as he motioned for another bite of his meal. The house phone suddenly began to ring. At first, Hisashi didn't pay it any mind until he heard the recorded voice message that would change everything.
Pro-Hero Draco Knight: Emergency Operational Status now going active.
Please head to your assigned rendezvous point no later than 2200 hours tomorrow night for further mission details.
Operational Class: OZ-Rank S
"This is not a drill."
Hisashi looked at the mirror as he checked over every last detail of his plans with his sidekicks. Meanwhile, his good friend, Tsunagu Hakamata, better known as the Pro-Hero Best Jeanist, had just finished getting him outfitted in a finely made dark suit. It was a simple yet elegant piece that consisted of a single-breasted black jacket, white dress shirt, black pants, and mirror-shined black dress shoes that fitted him perfectly.
"You'll be fine, cousin," Ryūko said reassuringly to steady his nerves as she helped fix his poorly made tie. It was almost ironic since she had been there as an intern to learn from him in the first place.
"Ww-what ifff-if s-heshe says no?" Hisashi managed to stutter out with sweat running down his face. Another sidekick quickly dabbed it away with a cloth to avoid staining the white dress shirt collar.
It was a big day for Hisashi.
It was the day he finally planned to ask his long-time girlfriend of seven years, Inko Midoriya, to marry him. Hisashi found this situation ironic. He could fight villains with notorious records and extremely deadly quirks. He had been on several dangerous missions, including dealing with artificial and natural disasters. He had faced the possibility of death on numerous occasions. Yet this one simple question seemed to terrify him far more than almost anything he had ever encountered out in the field.
Hisashi loved Inko; even before they started dating, Hisashi had found himself head over heels for the lass during his first year at school. He had been over the moon when she agreed to be his girlfriend, having asked her out during their second year at UA, shortly after placing second place in that year's Sports Festival. Since then, she has been from the very beginning after starting a Pro-Hero, joining his agency as his marketing manager. Mostly because he couldn't afford to hire anyone else at the time due to the salary he was offering being too low.
Yet, she accepted the position and went as far as to decline several offers that would have left her far better off financially. All because she believed and supported Hisashi's dreams. Even to this day, despite now being in the top fifty in the Pro-Hero ranking, Hisashi felt he wasn't good enough for her and did not deserve her.
He remembered several people who had scoffed at the idea that a former delinquent like himself could have ever become a Pro-hero. Few believed in him, and even fewer thought he could accomplish his goal. Inko was one of those few who gave him a chance without question.
If Hisashi had to name a list of people who had been of substantial help in his career, he could count them all on the one hand, Inko currently being in the top spot, from helping him study, keeping him level during his darkest hours, and, most importantly, helping to keep his former ego in check. Inko had worked slowly to help break Hisashi out of the shell that once coated him in so much anger and sadness. Turning him into the lighthearted, outgoing man he is today.
Even before they started dating, Inko cheered for him at every sports festival and helped him pick out his hero's name. Finally, when he went on to become a professional, it was Inko who designed his emblem—the one that he and his sidekicks proudly wear on their costumes to this very day. To Hisashi, Inko was an angel in this world, an angel who saved a dragon from becoming a devil.
"You are all set to go, my friend," said Tsunagu as he stood up, face covered behind his hero costume.
"Thank you, Hakamata," Hisashi sighed without stuttering, seeing his former class representative's calming nature that helped the young man steady his nerves.
"I will be sending you the bill for the suit later. Look at the good news. I will even throw in a heartbreak discount if she declines," Tsunagu dryly joked. His smirk was hidden behind the denim face covering. He saw Hisashi's face go pale as he processed his words. The sidekicks present started laughing amongst themselves, knowing full well that Hisashi's fears were unfounded. It was an inside joke among The Drake's Den staff that Inko had been waiting for Hisashi to pop the question. At the rate he was going, some even suspected that it would be Inko who would be the one to propose before Hisashi could.
It had even gotten to the point that several sidekicks had started a betting pool of who would pop the question first. Those who had placed their bets on Hisashi were excited today about the chance of a possible payout tonight. Of course, Hisashi had to ask Inko tonight and not chicken out, as he had done before.
"I'll be taking my leave then; best of luck to you, my old friend," Tsunagu said sincerely while gathering the leftover materials from the outfitting. When finished, he quickly and silently exited Hisashi's office.
"Come on, everyone; let's give the boss some much-needed room," Ryūko said with a mischievous wink. The Dragoon hero motioned for everyone else to leave with knowing smirks, leaving their nervous employer by his desk and left to his own devices. Once Hisashi was left alone to wait, he began to check his pockets to make sure he had everything on hand. Yusuke, one of his marketing managers, was going home soon and had offered to give Hisashi a lift since the restaurant was on his way home. Knowing the man's shift didn't end for about half an hour, Hisashi took the time to begin double-checking that he had everything he needed for tonight.
'Ring box-check,wallet-check,cellphone-check, flowers-check,' Hisashi started mentally checking while patting his various pockets. He was Carefully pulling out the box that contained the engagement ring.
Opening it to reveal the gold ring that he had bought a few weeks ago. Engagement rings would often feature a diamond. Hisashi, however, had opted to go with a trio of emeralds instead, feeling that it would match much better with her stunning emerald eyes and dark forest hair. He placed the open box on the desk and continued staring at it. The date wasn't for another forty minutes, yet the wait only served to make Hisashi more nervous. He was about to make a massive step forward in his life.
His thoughts began swirling in his head.
'Hey, God? Or gods, I don't care which. Wait, maybe I shouldn't start off like that. Oh fuck, that was just completely backhanded of me, wasn't it?' Hisashi looked around his desk, looking at all the pictures of his friends, family, and staff. 'Look, I'll admit to not being on the most level terms with you guys up in the heavens. I mean, seriously! You pricks saddled me with my bastard of a father and older brother, so would it really be too much to ask for a normal family life?'
Hisashi's head slumped with thoughts of the cruelty of his childhood with said family.
'It is really too much to ask for?' Hisashi repeated mentally before continuing his prayer,' I've heard and seen plenty of people say that a simple woman like Inko isn't good enough for me. But they couldn't be further from the truth. I've had more than my fair share of drama that I've faced in my life, and I just want that one person I know who will truly love me for me and who will let me love her back.'
Hisashi relaxed on his office chair.
'She isn't the fanciest, the smartest, nor does she have a quirk anyone would consider to be all that special, but to me, she is everything I want and so much more. She is special in her own unique way with all that she has done for me, standing by me when few others would and being there for me. So I pray you, please, can I. Can I please just be with her? Can I please, finally, have the family that I have always wanted but never knew I wanted until I knew I loved her? Please? Is that too much to ask? And if you do not listen, then to hell with all of you.'
Hisashi sat there as he finished his prayer, still deep in thought, as tears slowly began welling up at the edges of his eyes. He wasn't praying to anyone in particular. After all, this wasn't the first time he had prayed like this. When things with his family had broken apart, His maternal cousins, The Tatsuma family, had taken him in. While welcomed into their household, Hisashi always felt like they had kept him more out of fear rather than out of family bonds.
Ryūko's father, Ryūji Tatsuma, his first cousin on his mother's side of the family, had supported him. However, he had kept his distance when Hisashi decided to become a Pro-Hero. It was this experience that caused Hisashi to consider if he would ever have a family of his own. Considering how miserable and lonely most of his life had been for him growing up. He thought it would have been better to end up being like his idol, All Might, and remain single for his whole life.
At least, that was the plan until Inko entered his life and made Hisashi throw that idea right out of the window. All Might was that one type of person who could live and endure a life of bachelorhood -not that there wasn't anything wrong with wanting to be single your whole life. Yet the moment he saw the chance of finding that special someone, he took it. As a flawed man like himself, he still felt the greed of desire take hold.
'Maybe I should just pray to All Might.'
Hisashi chuckled at the thought; All Might was probably the closest thing to a god in the world. And the sheer amount of merchandise that filled his office and house could probably be enough to convince people to think he was the leader of a cult. At that thought, Hisashi began chuckling, which slowly turned into hard laughter at the thought of himself being 'Pope of the Might cult.' Thankfully, the ridiculous idea had at least helped him steady his frayed nerves as he continued his laughter.
"Hey, Boss? Are you ready? Yusuke's ready to go, and word on the street is that Midoriya is already at the restaurant." Hisashi heard one of his sidekicks say from behind the door. In an instant, Hisashi stopped laughing and shot right up from his desk. Knowing that Inko was already there made a wobbly smile form on the man's face.
'A gentleman cannot keep a lady waiting.'
With that in mind, Hisashi began marching forward with a look of determination on his face. Unfortunately, in his sudden haste, the poor man failed to realize that he had left the ring on his desk.
A short ride later and a quick thank you to the driver. Hisashi was in front of a very fancy-looking restaurant with a French name that Hisashi would not even dare to pronounce.
"Go and make her day, boss!" said Yusuke, giving his employer a thumbs up and a big grin before driving away, leaving Hisashi to stand there alone for a moment.
'Okay, if I remember correctly, Inko had made the reservation,' thought Hisashi as he entered and approached the greeter.
"A table for two, Midoriya party," Hisashi announced to the well-dressed Host, who quickly checked over the list.
"Ah yes, you are the second person in the party, sir?" Asked the Host as he looked back up at Hisashi, who nodded in response.
The Host motioned for one of the waiters to escort Hisashi to the table where Inko was sitting. As Hisashi got closer, Inko looked at him and gave him that lovely smile that always made his heart skip a beat.
'I could drop dead right now looking at that face and have no regrets,' he thought as the waiter pulled up his chair.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Inko; you look amazing," said Hisashi as he handed her the flowers. All while admiring her form-fitting dark green sleeveless dress that she wore for the occasion.
"And you look very handsome in that suit...did Ryūko fix that tie for you?" Inko giggled, knowing how hopeless Hisashi often was with suit ties.
"Yep, I had to look my best for you," Hisashi answered as he scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. 'Come on, Hisashi! Pull it together! It's just another date! Only this one will decide your future...'
The date continued swimmingly, with Hisashi slowly becoming more and more confident as time progressed. From the lovely dinner and wonderful atmosphere to chatting about how her parents were doing, Hisashi could feel himself becoming poised to pop the question, only to suddenly feel his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket.
'Damn it, please don't let it be the E-line...' Hisashi mentally pleaded as he reached for his phone.
"Inko, could you excuse me for a second, please?" Hisashi silently requested, looking at her with an apologetic look while pulling out his phone from his pocket. Inko looked at him with a bit of worry but knew that it could be something urgent, such as the life of a Pro-Hero.
"It's fine, honey; go if you need to," Inko answered quietly with a face of understanding. It wouldn't have been the first time a date had been interrupted by an emergency call. Hisashi gratefully nodded while making his way outside to answer the call, not wanting to be rude to the other restaurant patrons. However, as he opened the door, he accidentally bumped into a man who rushed inside, desperately going inside the restaurant.
"Sorry about that!" Hisashi called out to the man. "Guess I'm not the only one with a nervous date here. Go ahead, Daigo."
"Oh, thank goodness! Boss! The ring! You left it here!" He could hear the panicked voice of Daigo Urashima, a long-time friend who also served as the leading developer for his agency's support gear department.
Hisashi slowly felt his world collapse as the man's words began to process in his head.
'No...'
Hisashi prayed it was a prank. Yeah, that's right. It was just a joke meant to scare him, a harmless prank meant to keep him on his toes.
'Please...'
Slowly, with his left hand still holding the phone, Hisashi searched his pockets with his right. When he realized that Daigo was telling the truth, he had left the ring in his office.
'Why...'
His chance to ask was quickly disappearing as they were finishing dinner.
"Is-s it possible for one of you guys can make it here with it? Please," Hisashi asked desperately, doing his best to stop tears from coming up.
'Keep it together, man. Don't you dare cry right now...'
"Not sure, the boss; there was a villain attack shortly after Yusuke dropped you off; nothing major, but the cops still have road-roped off for now since he seemed to have given them the slip."
Hisashi felt himself falling deeper into despair.
'Shit...'
"Don't worry about it..." Hisashi finally answered with a sigh. "I'll try and figure something out."
"I'm sorry, boss."
"It's my own fault, Daigo, but thanks for letting me know. At least I didn't flat-out lose the ring."
Hisashi hung up and sighed heavily, rubbing the front of his forehead, trying to calm himself down, doing his best to think of a way to salvage the day.
'Maybe I could convince Inko to join me in a late-night theme park trip...it's still rather early, and I could use it as an excuse to swing by my agency along the way!'
Hisashi didn't lose hope as a Pro; he knew how to improvise a situation. Having done it numerous times for various missions, this mission was just a little more personal. Hisashi turned around to re-enter the restaurant, grinning, as he now thought himself unstoppable.
CRASH
Hisashi could hear plates shattering inside the restaurant, followed shortly by a loud shriek. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
'To hell with all of you up there.'
Opening his eyes, he stepped inside to see the man he had bumped into earlier injured and wearing some worn-out and ragged clothing. He had a knife and had taken the very waiter who had been serving him earlier hostage.
'I should have paid attention earlier; rookie mistake!'
Slowly raising his hands, Hisashi made himself known to the villain. He could see that Inko had wisely taken cover in a nearby booth.
"DON'T MOVE!" The man yelled out at Hisashi, who instantly froze.
'He's using a weapon and doesn't have any obvious quirk. Okay, I need to be really careful here. What should I do next?' Hisashi observed as his eyes quickly darted around to assess the situation.
"Alright! I'm not moving. Can I do something to help you?" asked Hisashi as calmly as he could, hoping that he wouldn't have to fight inside this place. Everything looked fancy and, therefore, was probably expensive.
"Just shut it and let me think!" The man roared at him, waving the knife around dangerously and gripping the poor waiter harder and closer against him in a headlock.
'Oh great...panicked, injured and desperate...the worst trifecta.'
"Okay, okay, I get it...You're in deep, but I can help you out," Hisashi answered back calmly, looking for an opening to appear while hoping for reinforcements. 'I need to get the waiter free first. Damn it, I'm not the best at defusing...'
"I said, shut it!" The man said, now pointing the knife at Hisashi.
What Hisashi didn't see was that Inko had also been waiting for her chance. As soon as she saw the man's knife clearly, she began focusing on it with her Quirk. After a moment or two, she managed to pull the knife out of the man's hand.
"Damn it!" He roared as the knife flew from his hand, desperately trying to reach for it.
Hisashi, seeing the opening that Inko had made for him, charged and grabbed the villain's outstretched arm, pulling him in before suddenly pivoting and turning his body against the man, freeing the waiter while managing to throw his weight forward. With a practiced fluid motion, Hisashi flipped the assailant overhead and onto the floor. Hisashi's reflexes kicked in, causing him to instinctively twist the criminal's arm and pin the man's back with his right knee.
"Can you breathe?" Hisashi roared out, making sure he secured the man without trying to kill him.
"GET OFF, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The man roared out while struggling to break free, his wild hair flying and whipping about as he fought Hisashi's iron grip.
"Well, I can't argue with that one, but you are talking, so I'll take that as a yes. Is everyone else okay? Relax, I'm a Pro-Hero!" Hisashi yelled out to the restaurant to calm the patrons and restaurant staff. "Someone, please contact the police and exit the restaurant in a calm and orderly manner."
"DAMN YOU, GET OFF!" The man continued to yell as he tried to fight off Hisashi's iron hold.
The young man sighed; his suit was ruined from the attack. As he now sported, a large amount of dust and stains from the food were on the now flipped-over tables, coating him. At this point, he just wanted today to be over already. The restaurant slowly emptied, and the manager informed Hisashi about the backup coming. That is when the situation escalated.
"THAT'S IT! I'M DONE WITH YOU! I'M NOT GOING BACK TO JAIL!" The man finally announced with a growl as he stopped moving.
"Calm down, yo-Oh shit!" Hisashi suddenly let go and jumped off as the man began to glow with a sickening cacophony of pops and cracks filling the air. 'Oh, this is gonna be good...'
The man had transformed into a large wolf-like creature towering over Hisashi.
"A werewolf quirk, eh?" Hisashi said with a wide-eyed grin, having been caught off-guard.
The Werewolf laughed with a growl, baring his long, dirty yellow teeth. "You're no match for me. "Hero." He said before lunging at Hisashi at full speed.
"SHIT!"
Inko was outside worried when she saw the glow, thinking it was Hisashi transforming. However, she was proven wrong when Hisashi came crashing out of one of the restaurant's large windows.
"HISASHI!" Inko cried out.
"OW! DAMN IT THAT HURT!" Hisashi yelled wide-eyed as he scrambled to his feet, surprising several onlookers. Hisashi's suit was raked with massive claw marks, yet he barely seemed injured.
"GET BACK!" Hisashi ordered the crowd as the Werewolf villain appeared crouched by the broken window. Wasting no time, the villain leaped forward to continue his assault focused on Hisashi. Thankfully, the latter had more room to maneuver and dodge the lethal-looking dirty claws that barely missed Hisashi by mere inches.
'I just need a quick second to transform, too, damn it!'
His moment finally came when the first round of police arrived, distracting the Werewolf with the sirens and lights blaring.
'DAMN IT THIS SUIT IS EXPENSIVE!' Hisashi painfully thought with a slight groan of annoyance; he was going to have to pay Tsunagu for the whole damn thing now. The sudden flash of bright light from Hisashi attracted the Werewolf's attention. He quickly turned around, only to realize that he was royally fucked. He had been under the impression that Hisashi was just another lesser-ranked Pro, easy prey.
No, this wasn't going to be easy prey.
Hisashi's suit was now ripped at the seams, unable to handle the strain of the man's body becoming larger. Shiny black scales were visible under the torn suit, covering his body in a scaly-like armor resembling shiny black steel. His arms and legs grew longer and became tense with muscle and sinew. His hands and feet now hardened with razor-sharp claws as his thick, wavy hair stiffened.
His eyes were pitch black with golden irises piercing through him; before him stood another beast, a king among beasts.
A Dragon.
"I am the Chivalrous Dragon Hero: Draco Knight!" Hisashi roared, standing tall and proud. Golden eyes, brimming with confidence and wrath toward his foe. The Werewolf wanted to fight, but every instinct in his inner animal told him one thing as he stared down at those terrifying golden eyes.
RUN!
The Werewolf paced slowly, trying to override every instinct, while his eyes scanned over the battlefield. Hoping, no praying, to find some opening against the Dragon Hero. Unfortunately for him, the fight was over before he even knew what happened. In an instant, the young dragon knight moved so quickly that he caught the Werewolf by the throat.
Only to end up slamming him down the sidewalk hard enough that Werewolf's head cracked the pavement upon impact. The last thing the villain remembered seeing before waking up in a prison hospital hours later was a clawed fist heading toward his face. All he heard was a loud thump! Swiftly followed by a sickening crunch sound as everything went dark.
Hisashi looked around, seeing the police closing in to arrest the man. He backed off upon seeing a familiar face in the line-up; the recently promoted Captain Kai Doumeki approached him with his service pistol. Kai was a giant of a man with wild black hair and onyx eyes, with four small scars that lined the right side of his face, reaching down to his jawline.
"Good to see you, my boy," Kai said while motioning other officers to book the unconscious villain. He helped Hisashi get up to be checked out by the medics. He was one of the few officers with the strength to help Hisashi up in his much heavier armored form.
"Wish I could say the same; today sucked," Hisashi groaned, not looking forward to the future hospital visit that was due.
"How bad?" Kai asked with some amusement in his voice.
"I missed the chance to propose to Inko...could you believe I left the ring in my office? And now I ended up fighting that asshole on my day off," Hisashi began listing off while motioning to the villain with his head.
Kai chuckled, remembering when he had proposed to his then-girlfriend Saya Kobayashi. "There there, my boy. I'm sure Miss Midoriya will be there waiting for you. And if you want, I could have a squad car escort her out of here."
"That would be nice since I doubt I could drop her off myself." Hisashi sighed as Kai sat him down on a medical stretcher.
"Clear the way, you included," Kai ordered to the other officers and the EMTs while taking some steps back, knowing that Hisashi was about to cause a mess. Hisashi could feel numerous cuts and gashes on his body from before he transformed. Meaning he had stretched them, which meant the moment he shifted back to his regular form, he was going to be in danger of bleeding out.
He would have preferred waiting and getting healed before returning to normal. However, that could carry the risk of him going unconscious while transformed, which had its share of dangers. He preferred to risk his own life rather than the lives of others. Hisashi went with the latter, grateful that Kai cleared the area to avoid hitting people with the mess. Hisashi closed his eyes while his body began to glow. A moment later, there was a quick flash while a small cloud of blood seemed to burst out of Hisashi. The sudden drop in blood pressure rendered the man unconscious due to shock almost instantly.
"Now you can get to work," said Kai, directing the EMTs to do their jobs now that the coast was clear. It did not take long for Hisashi to be wrapped and loaded into the closest ambulance to get treatment.
"Well, better get things finished here," Kai muttered. He was, of course, worried for his long friend and confidant. Yet, he also knew that the man was in good hands. Now he had to finish up his work. "Sergeant!"
"Yes, sir!" The junior officer answered with a smart salute.
"Continue taking statements and have a DAM look over the damages caused by the attack." He ordered a nearby subordinate while motioning onlookers to step back from the scene. As he did, he spotted a worried-looking Inko in the crowd, one of the few onlookers who was taking too long to follow their directions. "Carry on!"
"Right away!"
As the young Sergeant moved to carry out his orders, Kai began walking towards the young woman.
"Miss Midoriya!" He called out, grabbing her attention. "You can join me here!"
Inko nodded as she began walking towards the barricade, but another officer suddenly moved before her, stopping her from passing.
"Let her through!" Kai ordered the officer, who was quickly startled and allowed Inko passage over the police line.
"Hello, Lieutenant; it's good to see you again," Inko said with a polite bow.
Kai chuckled as he pointed at the new rank insignia on his shoulder broads.
"Actually, it's Captain now."
"Oh! I'm sorry about that!" Inko suddenly squeaked with embarrassment, remembering that Hisashi had informed her of the man's promotion. Kai, however, simply waved it off without issue, taking no offense or concern.
"Don't fret about it, Miss Midoriya," Kai reassured the young woman. "Are you alright? Were you hurt during the altercation?"
"No, I'm fine!" Inko answered as she was trying to look for Hisashi among the EMTs. "Where's Hisashi? I just saw him a minute ago..."
"He's being taken to Shizuoka General." The giant man answered while gingerly guiding her to his squad car.
"He is okay?"
"He'll be just fine, Miss Midoriya. In fact, once I finish up here, I'll personally escort you to him, alright?" Said Kai, smiling warmly, trying to ease the young lady's mind before remembering.
'He said he missed his chance to propose by leaving the ring in his office.'
"Let me just make a quick radio dispatch. Look over the report, and we'll be heading out right now, Miss Midoriya."
Hours later, Hisashi woke up in a familiar hospital setting. The familiar smell of the sharp scent of medical disinfectant filled his nostrils. His eyesight was blurred as his eyes tried to focus, only to be met by Inko, who sat by his side with a small smile gracing her worried face.
"You feeling better, Hisashi?" She asked softly.
Hisashi grinned, relieved and delighted to see Inko was safe and sound. Feeling a little cheesy, Hisashi answered. "Damn, heaven is real if I have an angel like you waiting for me."
Inko was caught somewhere between wanting to laugh and cringe a bit. Yet, in the end, she simply settled for relief. The fact that Hisashi was trying to be humorous meant that he was on the mend as the man started to get the feeling back in his body. He began mentally checking every important body part with a sudden internal muscle twitch.
'Hands-check, legs-check, and finally...Oh, thank goodness; can't start a family without that.'
What surprised Hisashi, however, was the small, hard feeling in his right hand. It was a small box-like object, and Hisashi felt it under his sheet while Inko spoke to him.
"Ryūko and Urashima stopped by earlier; they left you a letter," Inko added, pointing at the side table beside Hisashi's bed.
The young man turned to see where Inko was pointing and saw a small envelope on the table. Hisashi tried reaching for it but struggled due to the lack of strength drained from using his Quirk. When Inko noticed how much effort her boyfriend was using, she decided to grab it with her Quirk and give it to him directly.
"Thank you, sweetheart," said Hisashi, giving her the biggest smile he could muster. Opening the envelope and removing the letter, scanning it to confirm his suspicions.
'Thank you so much, you two...' Hisashi wasn't sure if this was the right place or the right time. Yet if Inko would be by his side through the very worst of it now, uncommitted, then damn it, he owed it to her.
"Inko, honey?" Hisashi turned to face her with an apologetic look, placing the letter back on the stand.
"Yes, Hisashi?"
"I'm sorry for how everything turned out today," Hisashi sighed. However, Inko smiled warmly, knowing how hard Hisashi had worked to make the time for this.
"It's not like you asked for a villain attack to happen; regardless, you were really cool fighting him as usual, my knight."
Hisashi felt his face go red; she knew calling him that would always make him blush.
"And an extra thanks for the assist. I swear you should have gone Pro with me."
"But then I'd be your competition, and you wouldn't have one the best marketing managers around," Inko answered with a huff of pride that made Hisashi chuckle. She was right. The only reason his agency could get off the ground so quickly was thanks to her management. At that realization, Hisashi suddenly went quiet. He knew this was the moment.
'This is it. It's do or die time!'
"Inko, about that. You've been by my side for so many years now, and I think that needs to change," Hisashi started firmly while his nerves began to shake under his sheets. Inko looked at him, noticing that change in his voice. Instincts telling her not to interrupt, as she hoped with bated breath that maybe this was the moment she had been waiting for a long time.
"From UA to when I went Pro. From that small flat that we used as my first agency and lived out of to the nice two-story and private office we now use." Hisashi felt his voice shake, threatening to break as he remembered fondly. "From injuries to illness. You were always there for me when few others ever were," Tears finally began welling up in his eyes. "I always kept asking myself...How or why? Or, the most important question of all, what did I do to deserve someone like you?"
As those tears finally began running down Hisashi's cheeks, Inko started crying herself halfway through his little speech.
"I could never seem to find an answer, no matter how many times I kept asking myself. My answer would always be blank, yet you found something of value in someone like me. Someone that so many blew off. You are my everything, Inko Midoriya. I would have given everything to try and make this night as special as possible to ask perhaps the most important question of my life."
With every bit of effort he could muster, Hisashi pulled the ring box from under the sheets, opening it to reveal the ring to Inko.
"Will you please marry me?"
There were no words to describe the joy either of the two felt at that moment. Hisashi knew her answer, unable to speak from the tears of joy running down her cheeks. Inko simply offered her hand to him, nodding vigorously.
It was all Hisashi needed to do: take the ring and place it on her finger as tears ran down his face. The embrace that followed as he felt her lips on his finally made Hisashi's heart leap for joy. He had gotten his answer, and it was undoubtedly one of the happiest moments of his life. They finally broke apart after a few minutes of a warm, comforting silence between the two. The two radiated with happiness as the reality was now settling. Finally, Hisashi broke the silence as he had one more question for his new fiancée.
"Inko, honey... there's one last thing I want to ask you."
"I'm listening," Inko said happily, mentally listing everyone she was about to call to tell them the good news.
"Can I take your last name, please? I like the ring of Hisashi Midoriya more than Inko Kasei."
Inko looked surprised at first, but knowing Hisashi's past, she could understand why he would want to leave that part of himself behind.
"Of course, honey. If that's what you want, I don't see why we can't!"
Hisashi began tearing up once again. His family name had been a specter of his past, one he could never detach himself from until now. Now, he truly felt like this was the fresh start he so desperately wanted. What, Hisashi needed to leave that part of him at last. Hisashi Kasei would disappear, replaced with Hisashi Midoriya, who hoped that the Kasei name would never haunt him again.
"You fell in love with that weak woman?"
"NEVER SPEAK ABOUT HER IN THAT MANNER!"
"How am I having this much trouble getting you to submit?!"
"I AM A DRAGON IN HUMAN FORM! I WILL NEVER KNEEL TO MONSTER LIKE YOU!"
"I AM A PHOENIX! I AM FIRE MADE FLESH! A FUTURE KING OF THE SOUTH!"
"What did you just say?"
"And now you see why you were chosen to be placed in this vessel."
"You!"
"We are here to guide the next King of the South, with the goal of claiming all four Cardinal Thrones. My counsel, my power, your experience, your power. These will make the new Cardinal Emperor."
"That means..."
"I wasn't lying when I said he was your heir. You abandoned your birthright, and now he is here to pick up the pieces."
"No...that means he's..."
"I am..."
Author's Commentary
For old readers, you already know what's new and what remains the same.
The new sections between seeing pieces of the past will make a bit more sense in a couple chapters, but I don't think it should be too hard to discern what is going on.
The whole point of The Black Dragon Knights is to answer specific questions early and reveal other important details that are not critical to the main story; it's primarily for world-building purposes.
I hope you enjoyed the new version of the chapter. I hope to see you all again soon.
One of the central elements of the Untold Universe as a whole is issues like family and bonds.
As always, with love.
-X