Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia/Boku No Hero Academia, Overlord, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
The Sorcerer Hero: Deku
Chapter thirty-one: Nazarick vs. the Meta Liberation Army
Over at the Detnerat Company, Rikiya Yotsubashi was watching a commercial for the company on a TV in his office while a mousey looking secretary (literally; his quirk made him look like a humanoid mouse) was tending to something nearby. "The commercial made my forehead look a lot bigger than I would have liked," Rikiya said, "It doesn't help that I'm balding a bit."
"Then get a toupee like I've been saying," said the mousey looking secretary, "But putting that business aside, the latest report on the hero support gear that the company makes is in. The heroes seem to be gearing up for war against the League of Villains, especially since the chaos that had occurred over in Fukuoka."
"Well of course," Rikiya replied, "When it comes to Meta Ability goods, we're unbeatable."
"Meta Ability?" the mousey looking secretary repeated, sounding confused.
"Sorry, I meant quirk," Rikiya replied. He took out a book, revealed it to be a copy of 'Meta Liberation War'. "I've been reading this book, you see," Rikiya said, "And they refer to quirks as Meta Abilities. It's a rather fascinating read."
"I read it too," said the mousey looking secretary, "And with all due respect, it struck me as trashy writing with a pretentious writing style."
After giving an appraising hum, Rikiya said, "Quick question, totally unrelated. What family do you have?"
"None," the mousey looking secretary replied, paying no heed to Rikiya getting up and walking to stand behind him, "My mother died last year so-"
*snap*
The mousey looking secretary never got to finish what he was saying as Rikiya snapped his neck before dropping his lifeless body to the ground. "...I, Rikiya Yotsubashi, will not stand for anyone trying to slander the ideologies of the Meta Liberation Army."
...
For the most part, the various laws in place to prevent slash restrict quirk usage are a sound idea as it permitted for managing society as it changed due to the appearing slash development of quirks. Given that quirks can range from anything like making the wielder an unkillable god to turning the wielder's head into a cactus, restricting quirk usage was seen as a necessity.
But a steadily growing group didn't like that they couldn't use the cool superpowers that they had because the law said so. These people believed that unrestricted quirk usage was a universal right, and that the law shouldn't tell them not to use their cool superpowers. This group of people grew in both size and support as time went onwards, eventually becoming a sort of army in its own right.
And that's how the Meta Liberation Army was born.
Led by a man named Destro, the Meta Liberation Army attempted to right the wrong forced onto a society that told its people they couldn't use the cool superpowers that they were born with. But the Meta Liberation Army was stopped, and Destro was arrested and thrown into jail. While in jail, he had written his book, "Meta Liberation War', and after finishing it he committed suicide.
...But what the people of society didn't know was that Destro had a son, Rikiya Yotsubashi, who was fully intending on carrying out Destro's will. Rikiya took on the moniker Re-Destro, started Denetrat, and assembled a new Meta Liberation Army with a number of soldiers exceeding one-hundred and fifteen thousand. Re-Destro intended to carry out Destro's will.
"... But first," Re-Destro began, "I need to clear out the other parties in my way, starting with the League of Villains and their big pieces."
Re-Destro was having a meeting with the other top big wigs of the Meta Liberation Army, those being Curious, Trumpet, Skeptic, and Geten. "So what all do we know about the League of Villains and the forces they possess?" Re-Destro asked.
"They have a number of elite names," Curious said, "But the vast majority of their forces consist of those nomu monsters and a bunch of Meta Ability-forged monsters that all resemble various kinds of undead in modern popular culture. The latest and strongest such monster is a vampire called Honyopenyoko, who fought All Might to a draw and forced him into retirement."
"The League of Villains also have those Black Paladins," Skeptic said, "Each one on it's own being so strong that a hero in the top ten on the Hero Billboard Charts JP is required among the forces sent to defeat said Black Paladin."
"And let's not forget the chaos in Fukuoka," said Trumpet, "Where the leader of the League of Villains, Dabi, introduced his three giant bodyguards Frieren, Nekohime, and Usagi. They're all touted as strong enough to swat Black Paladins like a human can swat a fly. There's also word that Dabi has a few other similar giant bodyguards that are boys."
"So here's the million yen question," Geten said, "How do we beat the League of Villains?"
"You don't. Or rather, you can't."
Re-Destro and the others all perked up when they heard a voice speak up, and suddenly they saw Cocytus, though they didn't know who he was, walk in. He was flanked by a pair of Frost Virgins, one on each side, and half a dozen Nazarick Master Guarders following in behind him. Some of the spears of the Master Guarders were already stained with blood, to the unsettled horror of Re-Destro and his top brass.
Cocytus raised his halberd up and slammed the end of the shaft into the floor to make a noise to get everyone's attention. "Do not lie to me," Cocytus began, "I know it that you all are the heads of the Meta Liberation Army. The master who I proudly serve learned the truth and told me."
Gulping nervously, Re-Destro said, "What is it that you want?"
"I overheard one of you asking about how to defeat the League of Villains," Cocytus began, "That tells me you all intend to wage war on them. Good, that saves me time. I am here on behalf of the League of Villains to inform you that they are declaring war on the Meta Liberation Army. We will send Dabi's six giant bodyguards to here in Deika City where we've discovered ninety percent of the local population, heroes included, are part of the Meta Liberation Army."
"All... all six of them..." Geten said, too terrified to even think about using his Meta Ability on the present persons that obviously have an ice theme going.
Cocytus stamped his halberd's pole end into the floor to make another noise. "The attack will begin in one hour after I leave," Cocytus said, "Unless the Meta Liberation Army agrees to surrender and pledge all of itself to my master, Dabi's six giant bodyguards will lay waste to your common forces until an estimated ten percent of the Meta Liberation Army remains. After that, we shall see if you and your fellows will be more agreeable."
"Preposterous!" Re-Destro exclaimed, "No way would the Meta Liberation Army ever fold so easily! You dare to challenge a force of over one-hundred and fifteen thousand with only six?! Ha! We'll meet your challenge and prove ourselves the better!"
"Perhaps there's a modicum of good sport to be had here, then," Cocytus said, "Very well. I pray for the sake of your men who will be dying in battle that their deaths are befitting those who would see themselves as warriors." Cocytus then turned around and left with his Frost Virgins and Nazarick Master Guarders.
After Cocytus and his group left, Re-Destro and his top brass all slumped into their seats. "That big blue icy bug guy with the heteromorphic Meta Ability," Curious said, "I felt as if he could have killed all of us here in an instant if he wanted."
"Send word to the men," Re-Destro said, his tone and expression grim, "The League of Villains have challenged us to war."
Nearly an hour later, many people in Deika City were on edge, as if expecting a massive attack. But then again, they're Meta Liberation Army members, and they were told that the League of Villains had challenged them to war. The League of Villains had a number of elite names among their ranks, not to mention the nomus, undead looking Meta Ability-forged monsters, and the trio of female giant villains that wrecked Fukuoka.
"Come on, now!" Trumpet called out, using his Meta Ability to rally everyone, "Their numbers are only so few! We of the Meta Liberation Army boast a total of one-hundred and sixteen thousand five-hundred and sixteen members! There's no way the League of Villains can overcome you! They were all foolish for daring to challenge our might!"
"Hey, Trumpet's right," said one female foot soldier of the Meta Liberation Army, "We can swarm our enemies with sheer numbers! There's no way an army can lose to a handful!"
"And I got it that a grand total of six members of the League of Villains are being sent against all of us," said a male foot soldier of the Meta Liberation Army, "Only half a dozen! A single digit number of them against a six digit number of us! Who cares who those six are?!"
As the crowds of Meta Liberation Army loyalists cheered in rally, on the far end of Deika City, six large portals appeared, making many of the soldiers take pause. They could hear the rumbling of the ground as mighty behemoths stepped out of the portals; aside from one of the giants who flew out of his portal, each giant walked out. But the appearance of the six giant bodyguards of Dabi had really taxed Trumpet's ability to inspire those following him into not losing heart.
The first three giants were the girls that Dabi had loosed in Fukuoka; Frieren the Magic Collecting Steed, Usagi the Rabbit-Earred Giantess, and Nekohime the Sun-Hunting Feline Beast. But although the second appearance of the female giants was still frightening, the appearance of the male giants made a few of the Meta Liberation Army soldiers piss themselves out of fright.
The first male giant had orange-ish fur covering his body, although he wore a white sleeveless shirt, pants, and shoes that changed size with him. He had dog-like ears, a dog-like nose, his face was more dog-like than human-like, and he had a long shaggy mane of hair trailing down from his head over his back. Although the first male giant stood semi-human like, it was clear he could run wild like a wolf if given the chance to do so. The first male giant looked like he stood at two-thousand five hundred centimeters tall.
The second male giant had rounded ears like a squirrel's, a squirrel-like nose with whiskers, and a long bushy squirrel-like tail. He had green vines for hair, similarly colored fur on his body aside from his face and head, he wore a white short-sleeved buttoned shirt, dark baggy shorts, white socks, and red shoes that all changed size with him. The second male giant loosed a loud chittering noise, like what a squirrel would make. The second male giant, much like the first, looked like he stood at two-thousand five hundred centimeters tall.
The third male giant, the one who flew out of his portal rather than walk out, was a gargantuan dragon. Black hair on his head with the bangs covering one of his eyes, and gray scales over his body that wasn't covered by his red sleeveless martial arts top and matching white martial arts pants. His dragonic tail swished as he flew in place, each beat of his mighty wings sending gusts of wind towards where the Meta Liberation Army loyalists all stood. The third male giant looked to be at a height of three-thousand centimeters.
The giant bodyguards of Dabi had all assembled, all six primed to charge in to challenge the Meta Liberation Army. The soldiers were all nervous; just three of them had utterly ravaged just a part of Fukuoka. All six here in Deika City could see the entire area flattened into a barren wasteland. Suddenly, the six giants all began charging in at the Meta Liberation Army, the males all clearly in possession of speed enhancement Meta Abilities given how they rushed in well ahead of the girls.
The squirrel boy giant climbed up the side of a building, then jumped from the top and soared down at a large mass of soldiers. The squirrel boy giant made his arms swell with massive muscles before he spun his arms around at incredible speeds, crashing hard into many of the soldiers of the Meta Liberation Army. He then aimed his palms at the soldiers before loosing powerful, forceful blasting torrents of water at them to wash a lot of them away.
The dog boy giant bounded at the soldiers, his metallic claws when he reached them tearing through a few soldiers already. He then lunged down and snapped some soldiers up in his canine maw. "ARUGH!" one male soldier cried out, "His bite! It oozes like septic waste! Smells like it too!" The dog boy giant spat out all of the doomed soldiers that were in his mouth before going on to spear some others with the hairs on his body not covered by his clothing.
The dragon boy giant flew overhead as he breathed a fire breath weapon down upon the soldiers of the Meta Liberation Army. He then loosed a loud roar whose sonic waves slammed into the soldiers and nearby buildings, then he whipped up powerful gusts of wind, forming tornados of a kind that picked up and tossed around a lot of the soldiers. Aiming the palm or his right hand down at more of the soldiers, the dragon boy giant blasted them with a vast explosion.
Trumpet, as he saw what was going on, began to pale in horror. "You've... you've got to be kidding me," Trumpet said, "This... this is what the League of Villains can do with only six..."
Geten was meanwhile trying to lead troops in fighting the giants on their flanks. Using his Meta Ability, Geten sent a vast torrent of ice right into the side of the dog boy giant. But that attack of cold did nothing except make the dog boy giant realize someone was trying to attack him. Turning to look in the appropriate direction, the dog boy giant spotted Geten and those with him and ran right in their direction.
As Geten and those with him prepared to face one of the giants, said giant loosed a spine chilling howl at them that made them all freeze up out of fright. Only Geten, used to freezing, was able to come to his senses in time to get away, although many Meta Liberation Army soldiers met bitter ends when confronted by the dog boy giant. Geten thought he could be safe, but the dog boy giant, his nostrils flaring, turned right in his direction and ran right for him.
...
The squirrel boy giant conjured spheres of glass from the glass of the buildings in Deika City. Smooth spheres that his hand and feet gripped as he flew over the Meta Liberation Army soldiers. He let go of one sphere that was still floating so he could aim his free hand at the soldiers below and fire rough wooden stakes that pierced many soldiers. He then made his vine hair grow long and lashed many soldiers with it.
Shortening his vine hair back up, the squirrel boy giant conjured near countless shots of cheery pink light that he send down to pelt the Meta Liberation Army soldiers. Curious as she led some of the soldiers tried to get in close, but the squirrel boy giant released a burst of pink smoke that made all Meta Liberation Army members exposed to it fall asleep, although ladies like Curious were able to stay awake a shade longer before passing out onto the ground.
...
The dragon boy giant landed and used his right hand to sent a wave of large blunted spikes at some Meta Liberation Army soldiers. Then he made the ground beneath him roll as earthen construct beasts, in the same size and shape as Ryukyu in her dragon form, emerge from the rolling earth and begin attacking the soldiers. Flying back up, the dragon boy giant aimed his head up to the skies above and loosed a dragonic roar.
The skies above began to darken instantly, with black clouds suddenly forming. The wind picked up, and heavy rainfall began to pour down suddenly, with flashes of lightning striking in the distance. Rain like this was rare this time of year, given it was December and as such snowfall was favored. But the dragon boy giant clearly preferred rainfall. Skeptic, as he saw what was going on from a safe place, had just one thought.
"We're fucked."
Re-Destro from his tower looked at all of the destruction that was going on in Deika City. Even he wasn't expecting the six giant bodyguards of Dabi to be this capable. Each one on their own could easily wipe out scores of Black Paladins no problem. As Re-Destro watched, he saw it as Frieren turned her considerable self to face the tower, bowed her head as if to aim her horns, then fired her horns at the tower, with new ones growing in instantly.
Re-Destro took a step back out of instinct, but stopped short when he saw that one person each was riding on the fired horns. Re-Destro was barely able to dodge as the two large horns of gold crashed into the tower, letting the horn riders jump through where the glass windows used to be before the squirrel boy giant took them with his glass manipulation Meta Ability. When they landed, Re-Destro saw who his guests were.
The first was Cocytus, who Re-Destro still didn't know the name of. The second was Dabi, who Re-Destro was familiar with by reputation. "YOU!" Re-Destro exclaimed at Dabi while pointing at him, "You have gone too far!"
Cocytus slammed the floor with the butt of his halberd's shaft. "You will be showing better respect to my brother in arms!" Cocytus demanded, "He and I fight alongside one another as allies in service to our master!"
Re-Destro went wide eyed with surprised shock. "...Someone else is controlling the League of Villains."
"Ding ding ding, we have a winner," Dabi said, "But you're gonna die here unless the boss man gets to take over running the show, so what's the point of loosing a secret or two?"
Steeling his nerves, Re-Destro began turning his skin pitch black as he bulked up his muscles to a ridiculous degree. In response to this, Dabi conjured his blue flames as Cocytus conjured a small portal, reached into it, and pulled out his God Slaying Emperor Blade. "It doesn't matter how many Meta Abilities your followers have!" Re-Destro exclaimed, "All shall fall before the Meta Liberation Army! Everyone shall know what lib-"
*slash*
Re-Destro never got to finish as he was sliced in half from head to toe by Cocytus. "...A head has been claimed in the name of Minoru Mineta," Cocytus said as with a single swing he shook all of the blood from his God Slaying Emperor Blade.
...
Despite having died, Re-Destro suddenly found himself alive again. That was because he had been resurrected by Ainz, who had his disguise illusion up to show him in his royal orange hooded robe plus the iron gauntlets and Mask of Jealousy. Only Dabi and Cocytus had seen Re-Destro die, and Dabi had his memories manipulated by magic to think Cocytus had merely struck down and not kill the leader of the Meta Liberation Army; Re-Destro's memories were similarly altered.
Cocytus was sworn by Ainz to secrecy, he didn't want the people of the second New World to know that someone walking amongst them can raise the dead. But anyway, Re-Destro was helped into a sitting position by Skeptic. "Wah habben en da fide?" Re-Destro asked, showing signs of level loss due to being resurrected.
"The League of Villains had bested us," Skeptic said grimly, "After you were knocked out, Trumpet had to surrender on your behalf. An estimated twenty percent of the Meta Liberation Army was killed during the course of the fighting against Dabi's giant bodyguards. We're... we're gonna have to hear out what the League of Villains have to say."
"Indeed," Ainz said, getting Skeptic and Re-Destro to turn to look at him. "Anyway, I believe that introductions are in order," Ainz said, "My name is Ainz, and I am the true head of the League of Villains. The original plan to force the surrender of the Meta Liberation Army was to see the six giants lay waste to your army until it was down to ten percent its original size. But your fellow who surrendered on your behalf saved both time and lives."
Re-Destro was shocked. "Wha do ooo wan wid meh?"
"I am fully prepared to wipe out what's left of the Meta Liberation Army," Ainz said casually, "Hell, I may even do so personally. But that would be a waste of an army that's still existing and ready to march to war."
Re-Destro, even with his mind muddied due to a mix of level loss from resurrection and having his memories muddied to prevent him from realizing he had been killed, was able to tell that Ainz here was a being of power unlike any other. If he was able to be the true command that ruled the League of Villains and all that it had to offer, then he was at least equal to the likes of the original Destro and other notable persons like him such as All For One.
Re-Destro thought that Ainz's Meta Ability, whatever it was, had to be a power unlike any that had ever been seen before. Re-Destro was sitting on the floor in the room in which Dabi and Cocytus had confronted him, but he quickly shifted around so he could be on his hands and knees so that he could bow his head to the Sorcerer King. "...I eeild," Re-Destro said, "Da Medda Lidderadion Arry is oors to coddant."
"We can discuss the finer details once your speech returns to normal," Ainz said, "It's a side effect of the treatment administered to you to save your life. You were knocked out pretty badly."
"Yeah, I was wondering why his speech sounded a bit funny," Dabi remarked while gesturing to where Re-Destro was still bowing prostrate before Ainz. The battle between the Meta Liberation Army and the League of Villains was over, with the latter being the clear winners of the conflict. Ainz also got an army of followers in the second New World out of the deal, but like he said he'll discuss the finer details of it later.
Ainz... wanted to maintain a veil of secrecy so that his being here isn't widely known.
Later, reports were coming out about Deika City that there was a massive fight where a terrorist group with a bone to pick with Japanese pro hero society tried raising a stink, and there was even a supposed sighting of one of Dabi's giant bodyguards from Fukuoka. But while there was some damage that couldn't be hidden, it was played off as structural failure that can be easily remedied. The Meta Liberation Army's ability to suppress news from getting out was astounding.
Pro Heroes from outside of Deika City were sent in to investigate, but they found nothing to be all that concerned about. Anyway, about one week after the League of Villains defeated the Meta Liberation Army, command of the Meta Liberation Army was transferred to Dabi, who was being used as a figurehead by Ainz so that no-one outside of those who have to be in the know will have any idea that the Sorcerer King is the true mastermind behind everything as of late.
Re-Destro was able to spin things to show that the League of Villains and the Meta Liberation Army had the shared goal of liberating the people from the laws that regulate and restrict the usage of the Meta Abilities everyone was born with. Dabi addressed the people to tell all of them that this joint venture of the League of Villains and Meta Liberation Army uniting as one is going to be known as the Paranormal Liberation Front, as Toga found Dabi's original idea for what to name said venture as, and this is a direct quote from Toga, 'too boring'.
Dabi, as the Grand Commander of the Paranormal Liberation Front, named nine persons as his lieutenants; Re-Destro, Trumpet, Skeptic, and Geten from the original Army, and Spinner, Nagant, Toga, Mr. Compress, and Rappa from among the elite names from outside of the original Army that Dabi has access to thanks to Ainz. As the nine lieutenants were celebrated on stage, there was one person in the crowd who was not liking where this was going at all.
Hawks, still doing his undercover work, was now alarmed. The League of Villains had merged with and taken over an army of quirked persons all willing to overthrow the way society in Japan is at right now. Hawks got it that the large army of quirked persons currently totaled a shade over ninety-three thousand, but they were going to be recruiting to the the number up to an even one-hundred thousand, with plans to reach that within months.
There was also how Hawks got it that the League of Villains would be supplementing the Army's forces with what all they (the League) has personally; Hawks spotted a few Black Paladins in the crowd but oddly enough they weren't attacking, and six giant villains all stuck out like sore thumbs. Hawks recognized Frieren, Usagi, and Nekohime, but the dog boy giant, the squirrel boy giant, and the dragon boy giant were all new.
Hawks shuddered to think what would of happened in Fukuoka if Endeavor had picked fighting the boys instead of fighting the girls. Hawks wondered how he could report this to the big wigs that run the HPSC without making any of them soil themselves out of fright.
...
"Very good job, Dabi," Ainz said, his usual illusion disguise up, as he sat at his desk in the League of Villains manor in the woods, "Now we have an army that can be used to take Japan."
"We really are going to take over the world," Dabi said, "Aren't we?"
"At a minimum, not until after New Year's," Ainz replied, "Because I have plans that will take place between now and New Year's. It's part of why I helped speed up besting the Meta Liberation Army, their being in the way would have disrupted things, I wouldn't be able to rest easy until they had been dealt with."
Dabi arched a wry eyebrow. "I'm assuming that I'm not privy to what those plans are, boss man?"
"Sorry, but they are private, personal plans," Ainz said, "I will be out for a bit, but I will be available in person at a minimum after Christmas."
Dabi shrugged. "Fair enough. Anyway, what should I do about Hawks?" Ainz had long since learned of Hawks and, using spying magic with all appropriate counterintelligence spells in place to prevent being traced back, learned that Hawks was secretly doing double agent work on behalf of the HPSC, pretending to be all buddy buddy with Dabi and his brood but in reality reporting what all he learns to the controlling bosses that run Japanese pro hero society.
"For now, let him play the role his masters gave him," Ainz said, "Act as if you aren't in the know about it." Dabi did know about it, Ainz told him, but even if Ainz didn't tell him then Dabi still would of been suspicious of Hawks. Dabi wasn't sure how Ainz found out and confirmed the truth, but he just assumed that Ainz has more and better resources.
"When do we begin the process of bringing Japan to its knees?" Dabi asked.
"First, we wait until the part of the Paranormal Liberation Front that used to be the Meta Liberation Army gets its numbers back up to at least a flat one-hundred thousand," Ainz said, "Then, slip Hawks a fake date for when the Paranormal Liberation Front plans to begin its conquest of Japan. Hawks no doubt will slip the misinformation to his masters, and that will lead them to misinform the other pro heroes of Japan."
"Ah, I see," Dabi said, "We're gonna catch Japan with its pants down around its ankles."
"In a manner of speaking, yes," Ainz replied. The Sorcerer King did not expect to have the means to take over at least Japan this early ever since he came to the second New World, at least not without having to supplement his forces here with forces from Nazarick and the first New World. But having claimed sway over the Meta Liberation Army has sped up the process of things for Ainz.
Now he can enjoy the Christmas party that was going to be hosted over at U.A. without need to worry about anything.
END, CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Author's notes;
This chapter sees the forces of Nazarick make a joke out of fighting the Meta Liberation Army. But then again, if one floor guardian can wipe enough Quagoa to make the threat of reducing the race's numbers from eighty-thousand to around ten-thousand easy to do, then a human army doesn't really have a lot of hope for victory against Ainz's crew, now do they?
After the Paranormal Liberation Front is formed, Ainz has a private talk with Dabi, who is acting as a figurehead that everyone outside of the know thinks is the real big boss. They discuss when to begin the taking over of Japan, as well as feeding false information to Hawks who Ainz confirmed is working for the HPSC. But first, Ainz wants to do something he hasn't done since his YGGDRASILL days. See you all later.