After cleaning up the mess in 1-B dorms, Izuku spent the rest of the day with Eri, his senses on high alert, cautious if Eindridi would come knocking at their door at any moment. Much to his relief, the ancient God didn't show. Even Izuku wasn't arrogant enough to think he could take Eindridi on the way he is now, at least not without The Mantle. Though that wasn't to say Izuku was the same as before.
Blind as he was, he could still feel his power overflowing like a raging river, just from having X. The next day, he found he could now effortlessly fill up the gems inside his Spark, their energy humming through his body. Sometimes he'd activate a higher tier of attack without meaning to. Thankfully, it only happened within the UA training grounds. It would've been a disaster to explain the large crater that was created with just a single Pair.
When he went to The Crowley, the dim lighting and scent of aged wood and smoke enveloped him as Midnight greeted him. "Ah, Izuku. Glad to see rumors of your impending death turned out to be exaggerated," she said, shooting him a curious glance. "Though I would've appreciated a little more courtesy. You went out without even talking to me."
Izuku shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. Lots of things on my mind. Got sidetracked."
"Uh-huh. So that's what the kids call it these days," she scoffed with a smirk. "Anyway, how you been?"
"I'm back, and better than ever." The raw power thrummed through his veins, making his skin tingle.
"Excellent. Good help is so hard to find these days. Until I do, you'll have to serve," she joked, her tone sultry. Or did she?
"Happy to be of service," Izuku replied smoothly.
"So. What did you find on the other side of that locked door?"
"True Love," Izuku said, partly joking.
Midnight let out a husky chuckle, "Ah. So the Princess finally put out. That's nice for you. Probably. Though if that fixed your magic, she must be the best fuck since Cleopatra."
Not sure what to say back, Izuku simply stated, "I also found a sword, embedded in a stone. A new link to magic."
Her brows furrowed at the revelation and with a click of her tongue, she said, "So. Excalibur is back in play. I guess that means we're starting to approach the end-game of this prophecy."
"What was that old Churchill quote?"
"'I may be drunk miss, but tomorrow I'll be sober, while you'll still be ugly'?" Midnight smirked.
"No, not that one. The one about the end."
"Ah yes. 'Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning,'" she quoted, her voice taking on a wistful tone. "Well. It's good that you're still alive. Congratulations on your fancy new magical sword. Now, the bar is busy, are you here to work?"
Izuku shook his head. "No. Not today, at least. I have a feeling I should spend more time with Eri. At least until I'm sure we're safe. So I'm not working tonight."
Midnight's red lips quirked up. "Look at you, being a dad. Well, I am glad you're okay. You came far too close to the edge, there. We all did."
"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."
"The sight of your guts strewn around in Elsewhere didn't give off that impression," she said dryly.
Izuku grimaced at the graphic memory. "Maybe. Though now that you mentioned it, what was that gem you used on me? The one that almost healed me?"
Midnight's expression sobered. "An old item. One of the last things I got from Her," she said with a somber tone.
"Her?"
"It's not really important to the you right now. But it's a gift from someone I considered a Mother a very long time ago." She eyed him, seeing his guilt-ridden expression. "Don't worry about it much. I'm sure She'd rather me use it on you than have you die right then and there."
"Oh, okay," Izuku said, sensing her reticence. What Midnight said intrigued him, but there was something in the dimness of her eyes that made him second guess trying to press her for details. "Well then, see ya," he said, partly wanting to get out of the awkward mood hanging in the air. He made his way back to the dorms, the scents of smoke and liquor fading as the door closed behind him.
That night, Eri slept beside Izuku, much to her delight.
The next day, the pre-dawn chill clung to the air as Izuku Midoriya moved through the secluded training ground near the UA dorms, the metallic clinking of his plate armor a rhythmic counterpoint to the chirping crickets. The waning moon cast long, distorted shadows that danced with his every motion, the polished steel of his breastplate gleaming faintly in the dim light.
He wielded the steel longsword, its solid weight a familiar extension of his arm. Despite his lack of formal training, Izuku moved with an uncanny fluidity, his strikes imbued with a power and precision that defied his inexperience.
He began with a series of kendo-inspired strikes – men, kote, do – each blow a thunderclap in the quiet morning air. His footwork was swift and precise, a dance of measured steps and sudden lunges that echoed centuries of martial tradition.
With a twist of his hips and a surge of Evoker-enhanced strength, he transitioned into a series of iaido techniques. The sword flashed, a blur of motion too swift for the eye to follow. One moment it was sheathed, the next it sang through the air, a lethal arc that ended in a clean, decisive cut that seemed to slice the shadows themselves.
The steel plates of his armor barely hindered his movements, their weight seemingly insignificant as he flowed from one form to the next. His body moved with an instinctive grace, as if guided by an ancient muscle memory, the echoes of countless battles whispering through his veins.
He paused, closing his eyes and sinking into a deep horse stance, the weight of his armor grounding him to the earth beneath his boots. He focused on his breath, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a counterpoint to the racing thoughts in his mind.
Eindridi's betrayal still stung, a fresh wound that festered beneath his resolve. But it was also a catalyst, a reminder of how much power he needs to protect those he loves.
He opened his eyes, their emerald depths burning with a quiet intensity. He would not be caught off guard again.
He resumed his training, his movements now imbued with a newfound ferocity. He incorporated elements of capoeira, his legs sweeping low in a series of kicks and sweeps, testing the limits of his armor's flexibility with sharp clangs. He followed up with a flurry of escrima-inspired strikes, his sword a blur of motion as he attacked from multiple angles, the steel whistling through the air.
He then transitioned to the same sword style he displayed when training with Ochaco - Gate, Boar, Guard; with each passing moment, he felt his power surging, his instincts sharpening like the blade in his grip. He was becoming something more; a weapon forged in the fire.
As the first rays of dawn pierced through the darkness, illuminating the training ground in a warm amber glow, Izuku came to a final stance, his sword poised for a killing blow. But he held the position, his breath slowing, his mind stilling amid the rising chorus of morning birds. The rising sun cast its light on his armor, a symbol of hope and a new beginning.
"You've ever used swords before?" X asked out of nowhere.
"Tried practicing with wooden swords. Why?" Izuku replied.
"You're doing extremely well for someone who has never used a real sword before," the sentient sword remarked.
"Enough to take on Thor?" Izuku asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Don't even joke about that. I may be superior to that emo hammer, but that won't make a difference if you're this inexperienced. You're doing great so far, but you're not there yet," X chided.
"Couldn't you help me with this?" Izuku asked, sensing an opportunity.
"Help you how?"
"Well, you had all these amazing wielders, right. Alexander the Great, and..."
"Oh, Alexander wasn't that great, if you know what I mean," the sword said, its tone as if chuckling to itself. "And it was easy enough to notice, since he'd take any opportunity to pull it out and show people."
"Sword fighting, X," Izuku prompted with an exasperated sigh.
"Ah. Well. No, not really. I'm not really in the best position to notice, you know. And most of my wielders were already famous sword fighters before they even met me. It's not like Khutulun would have welcomed suggestions on how to wave a sword around."
Izuku let out a frustrated sigh. His gaze went to his ornate plate armor. "Hey, you mentioned before that you can chat with the armors, right? Do you chat with this one?"
"Well, it's more of a strong and silent type. It's fresh out of the armories, of course; gears always take a while to settle on a personality."
"How about Arthur's armor? Ochaco mentioned Erec has it now."
"It was a priggish bitch back then. Most likely it still is, now. Arthur's influence, I assume."
"Nobody seems to like Arthur much."
"Including his own wife, yeah. No wonder she and Lancelot...well, let's just say Arthur's a hard man to like. Easy to admire, from a distance, but up close he was a sanctimonious prick with all the moral flexibility of a granite block and a smug sense of holier-than-thou."
"Seems a strange man to be chosen to save the world," Izuku said, furrowing his brow.
"Nah, if you know you're planning a famous last stand, he was the perfect candidate. Arthur was your man for the whole 'We ride, for death and ruin' speech, with a cult-leader's burning charisma and self-assurance."
"What do you mean?"
"Someone like you would be all too likely to get creative. But Arthur could be relied on to do his Duty whatever comes. And lead those around him to their deaths, if that was what Duty called for."
With a grimace, Izuku said, "I don't think I could ever do that. Each of my friends are precious in their own way. Except, perhaps, the psychotic Fox," he added, trying to lighten the mood with a joke.
"You may not have a choice," X lectured, its tone serious once more. "Part of being a leader is making the hard choices of who lives, and who dies. But you'd fight it the whole way, doing everything to avoid even a single rank and file soldier shedding blood, whereas Arthur could be trusted to feed troops into the breach, without fear or favor."
"Doesn't sound much like Ochaco," Izuku murmured, thinking of his girlfriend.
"Oh, there's steel under the velvet. She might surprise you when it comes to hard choices. But she lacks Arthur's arrogance and certainty; while she'd sacrifice people if she had to, she'd mourn them afterwards."
"Okay, I think I'm going to abandon that line of thought. Let's hope she never has to make choices like that," he said to the sword. Muttering under his breath, he added, "Or that I have to, come to think of it. Deciding which of your friends die so the rest could live would suck."
Izuku sighed as he made his way back to the dorms, spending the rest of his day with Eri watching movies and playing together. He found she enjoyed being read a story before bed, so he obliged, his voice taking on different tones as he brought the tales to life.
During the morning, Izuku dreaded what was to come during class. On his way to DGN1, he saw the familiar silhouette of Ochaco up ahead.
"Ochaco!" Izuku called out.
"My Heart! Good morning," she greeted with a smile. Though there was some underlying tension to her expression that wasn't usually there.
"Morning! I take it didn't go well?" he asked, picking up on her demeanor.
"Not so much," she said with a weary sigh.
"How did the Court deal with the news?"
"As well as can be expected," she said with a shrug before elaborating. "The Council of Nobles is manoeuvring, my Father is closeted in meetings, and the Fae have been informed. What the Fae Courts choose to do with the information is anyone's guess.
"So no immediate actions?"
"There will be none. Perhaps some back-channel discussions with Odin, to see if this is official Æsir policy, or just Thor's freelance contribution. It will not change much; the Æsir will not move against him, and neither will my Father."
Izuku frowned. "And my father? Eindridi...I mean Thor...said he was a hard God, and not one to cross."
Ochaco's expression grew somber. "Izuku, my love, I need you to understand something. You are living enmeshed in prophecy and sorcery. With Merlin's legacy. What would have happened if Thor hadn't broken your magic connection? Would you have found Excalibur?"
"Wait, so you're saying all of this is planned? That my father, and Merlin, knew Eindridi would betray me? That they were, in fact, counting on it?" Izuku asked, aghast.
"Beware sorcery, my heart. To The Voices the end justifies any means; they shape reality like a potter shapes clay, and never think to ask the clay if it wanted to become a vase, or if the resulting beauty was worth the heat of the kiln."
Izuku shook his head, frustrated. "So, no expecting the Lord of the Hunt to run Eindridi to ground somewhere, then."
"If that is who it is, yes. You share colouring and likeness with him, but this is true for many of the Lords of the Tuatha Dé Danann as well, some of whom are Gods in their own right," Ochaco said, reaching out to take his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.
The couple stood still in the middle of the walkway, as Izuku tried to digest the implications. He had expected being set up so he couldn't pull Excalibur from the stone with Ochaco with him, but he didn't anticipate that Eindridi's betrayal itself was not only expected, but planned as well. He felt like nothing more than a piece being maneuvered on a cosmic chessboard, and the feeling disgusted him. How much more of his life was part of their grand design?
After a moment, he noticed Ochaco staring at him intently. "What is it, Ochaco?" he asked.
Seemingly unaware she had been doing it, she blinked in surprise before replying, "Oh. Nothing much. I was just thinking I should get you some Court finery. Maybe one with a ruffled collar and tights..."
Izuku grimaced. "That's not anywhere near as good as you look in that black dress you wore on our first date. So let's avoid that line of thinking."
"Ah, but you have now set my mind racing. I can just imagine you in a ballroom in full finery," she said wistfully.
"I'm reasonably certain that would end badly for your toes, Ochaco. Formal dancing isn't part of any school's curriculum, regardless of grade, as far as I can tell."
"Well, I shall have to teach you, then. I surely could not bring home a boyfriend who does not even know how to dance."
"I thought you said it was a century too early for me to show up at the Court?" Izuku countered.
"I said it would be a hundred years or more before you became a Power. And even that is wrong, I think. Do you sense it?"
"Sense...what?"
"Sense the energy around us?"
"Well, I can just about sense a Spark if I try? And there was that time when I tried to do it with Seeing Yaoyorozu, but that didn't end well."
"Seeing a Spark is only a first step. Surely, an Evoker should be able to sense power levels?"
"Nope. Even just seeing the Spark is hard. It's very faint," he said as he stared at her intently, trying to perceive her essence.
"It must be connected to your strange Spark. It feels nothing like any Evoker I have ever seen. It burns sharp and cold, without casting shadows. And golden too."
"A Winter Spark?" Izuku joked.
Ochaco chuckled before answering seriously. "Perhaps. Either way, our group is changing. Fast. Especially you. The trips to Elsewhere should not be making us stronger at the speed they are."
"We did spend quite a bit of time in Elsewhere together," he offered as a possible explanation.
"I've been killing things in Elsewhere since I was big enough to ride with the Knights, Izuku. I have never felt the kind of energy that suffuses me when I fight at your side."
Izuku furrowed his brow. "Not that I'm not happy about it, but how would that let you bring home a boyfriend?"
"By the time our three years are up, I suspect you will be the match for any Council Battlemages. And that is ignoring your Companions. Together, I think we would make up the strongest military formation at Court, except for The Wild Hunt itself."
"We will still need to find Nana though. And so you think your father would forgive such initiative in the name of ambition?"
"He does not have much of a leg to stand on if he objects, at least my dalliances did not threaten to rupture our bond with the Fae. And politically you would make a very useful counterweight to the power of the clan lords."
"I see..." Izuku said, his expression grim. He didn't like the feeling of being viewed this way at all.
Ochaco's eyes softened. "Oh, do not pout, My Love. It is not a good look for you. My heart belongs to you, so forgive my mind for trying to navigate the rapids ahead."
"I'm sorry...I'm just unused to being seen as a cog in a machine," he sighed.
"Welcome to the Court, My Heart," she did a resigned shrug, "Where everything is political, and every action is weighed and evaluated in terms of power and advantage."
"I hate politics. Anyway, let's head to class," he said, closing on that particular conversation, turning to continue down the path. What greeted them was the sight of Mina laying on the teacher's desk, looking extremely bored.
"Ochaco! Daddy! Good morning!" Mina greeted exuberantly from atop the teacher's desk.
"Morning, Mina," Izuku replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Good morning to you too," Ochaco echoed.
It was a huge improvement over their previous antagonism, at least. Something Izuku was grateful for. He glanced around the empty classroom, noticing Sarah's conspicuous absence. Checking his watch, he saw they weren't too early.
"I guess Sarah's late today, huh?"
"Oh, Sarah's not coming," Mina said nonchalantly. "We've got DGN1 all for ourselves...Daddy..."
"What do you mean 'she's not coming'?" Izuku asked, his brow furrowing.
"I don't know what you did with your cock, but you managed to screw her brains out. Like, now I totally want to try," she teased with a suggestive wink.
"I didn't fuck her. All I did was give her some magic," Izuku stated firmly.
"Well, whatever happened, she's been brainfucked pretty hard. They've got her committed at Montrose."
"Montrose..." Izuku muttered, realization dawning. If Tartarus contained human villains, Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum housed the dangerously insane mages, its enchanted walls reputedly impenetrable even to Gods. 'Though such claims should be taken with a grain of salt,' he thought wryly. Pantheons tend to settle things within themselves if they could help it according to the things he read.
"Fuck...I didn't intend to go that far," he said, running a hand through his hair.
"The crazy bitch had it coming," Mina shrugged. "Supposedly, she tried to stab Aizawa-sensei in the eye with a letter opener. Kept rambling about the end of the world and opening the way. Thankfully, ALL MIGHT-sensei managed to catch her before she injured sensei."
Izuku's head snapped up, panic seizing his chest. "Oh, fuck...Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
Confused by his reaction, Mina asked, "Why are you freaking out like this, Daddy? I thought you'd be happy she isn't going to disturb you again."
"Because a broken mind can be a gateway to...things. I don't know. She sounds like the guy who tried to stab me in the eye, several years ago."
"What are you talking about?"
"The first time I used magic. I fought some hobo in the streets. His mind had broken, and let something else in," Izuku tried to explain, only to be greeted by a confused look from Mina.
"She does not know, My Love," Ochaco interjected gently. "I take it you never told her?"
Izuku shook his head. "No, I guess I didn't."
"What are you talking about? Is this related to this Outsider thingy?" Mina pressed.
"I think so. At the very least, I'd be really pissed at Merlin and my father if this is some third-party trying to cause more trouble."
"That's crazy," Mina said, visibly shaken.
"You got anally violated by a god, and you're only now noticing?"
Mina let out a startled laugh at Izuku's deadpan delivery. "I'd prefer the term anally initiated. So, our group against the end of the world? Sweet!"
"I love your optimism, Mina," Izuku said dryly.
"I know, right~? Anyway, since we have all of this to ourselves, how about we have some fun together?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"We are not having some extended orgy in a lecture theater, Mina," Ochaco chided.
"Welp. Too bad," Izuku said with a shake of his head. "Well, there's always next time. I guess for now, I'll practice my sword work."
"How was that going for you, by the way?" Ochaco asked.
"Could be better, to be honest. X said that I'm doing great so far but if we're to survive this..." Izuku trailed off.
"...'Great' is simply not enough," Ochaco finished solemnly.
"Yeah."
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Daddy. The Voices were sure of that, at least," Mina said, trying to cheer him up. But the mention of The Voices being involved only made Izuku's mood plummet further. Still, he tried to appear reassured for her sake, offering a small smile.
Whether Mina noticed his forced demeanor or not, she simply moved to hug him tightly. There was no innuendo, no usual sway of her hips, nor a playful smirk as she embraced him. "It's going to be fine. I know it will," she said softly.
Taken aback by this uncharacteristically tender gesture, Izuku returned the hug. "Yeah. Thanks, Mina. I do appreciate it." He took a deep breath, steadying himself once more. "Yeah. Since we're not going to have class, I'll go and practice with X for now."
"Yeah, see you later, Daddy," Mina said, releasing him.
Ochaco then approached, resting a hand on his arm. "I am sure it will be fine, in the end, My Heart. Good luck with your practice. I'll go back to the dorms for now and greet the little Snowball."
"She misses you both, you know?" Izuku said with a small smile.
Mina gasped dramatically. "Did she call me 'Mama'?"
"No, she didn't," Izuku chuckled, shaking his head. "Anyway, bye for now."
He turned and headed back down the stairs. So much rested on his shoulders now. But he couldn't falter, not when so much depended on him. Steeling his resolve, he made his way to the training grounds, determined to master the legendary blade and unlock its true power, no matter what revelations or obstacles awaited.
Meanwhile, in Scotland:
The air hung heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the sharp, acrid stench of decay. A lone figure, clad in a tattered white gown, knelt in the center of the room, her back to the iron-barred door. Around her, bodies lay sprawled in grotesque postures, their eyes wide with terror, their skin a patchwork of bruises and lacerations.
Sarah, once a renowned Ceremonial Teacher, was now a prisoner within the Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum. Her once vibrant grey eyes were dull and vacant, her long, blond hair matted with grime and dried blood.
The walls of her cell were a canvas of madness, scrawled with cryptic symbols and chilling prophecies. The most prominent message, written in crimson streaks across the cracked plaster, declared in bold, uneven letters: "The Doors will be Opened. What was Promised will be Given. The world will end. In Fire and Ice."
Oblivious to the carnage surrounding her, Sarah traced an intricate pattern on the stone floor with her fingertips. Her movements were slow and deliberate, her lips moving in a silent incantation. As she chanted, a faint glow emanated from her fingers, the lines of the pattern shimmering with an otherworldly light.
The glow intensified, growing brighter with each passing moment. The air crackled with energy, the very walls of the asylum seeming to tremble in response to the growing power.
With a final, guttural cry, Sarah slammed her palms into the center of the pattern. A blinding flash of light filled the room, followed by a deafening roar that shook the very foundations of the asylum. The stone floor cracked and splintered beneath her, the lines of the pattern glowing with an intense, white-hot heat.
When the light subsided, Sarah was gone, replaced by a gaping hole in the floor that led into the dark, unknown depths below. The only evidence of her existence was the chilling prophecy scrawled on the wall, a grim reminder of the chaos that had been unleashed.
Outside, the storm raged on, the wind howling like a banshee, the rain lashing against the windows like a thousand tiny fists. A dark omen of the cataclysm to come.
Yepp. Sarah's gone and done it. Hope you guys liked the chapter.
As always, do let me know if you have questions or feedback.
Next up: Bottle Service (internship results)