Izuku POV
Thursday morning dawned, heralding another Evoker class. With Ochaco's absence lingering, I prepared for the lesson, a sigh escaping my lips. At least Eindridi could be relied upon, unlike the capricious Sarah. Perhaps he might offer some advice?
As I trod the path to the classroom, Nana's raven tresses came into view. Seizing the moment, I greeted her with a flourish, striking a pose reminiscent of a certain general. "Hello there!"
Nana jumped, startled, before bursting into peals of laughter. "Pft~! What's with that?"
"Morning. Anything fun happening?" I inquired, a sly grin playing on my lips.
Her mirth subsided, replaced by a weary exhalation. "Far too many family meetings. The Yaoyorozus are calling in favors from us and others."
"Yaoyorozu? You mean like Yaoyorozu Momo's family?" I clarified, brows furrowing.
"You know her?"
"Yeah, she's my classmate," I affirmed.
Nana tilted her head skyward, contemplating. "Well, she's the one they sent to negotiate. But this directive comes straight from their family head, Lord Yaoyorozu himself. Something has them seriously spooked."
"What's happening?" I pressed, curiosity piqued.
"The Yaoyorozu Clan is renowned for their Seers. And they claim something terrible is unfolding. That the Confluence last week was merely the beginning of something colossal. Entire Pantheons, they say, will perish before this is over," she revealed, solemn.
"How cheerful. So, Yaoyorozu-san is here to stop it or something?" I ventured.
She shook her head. "You can't stop something like that. You can only ensure it's not your family that gets run over by the oncoming train."
"'...whatever cataclysmic force is looming requires an equivalently mighty hammer to counter it,'" I murmured, recalling Midnight-sensei's words.
"What?"
"No, nothing. Nothing important," I deflected.
"Look, Izuku. I like you. But you're a terrible liar. You and Ochaco were at the heart of whatever happened last week, weren't you?" Nana challenged, eyes narrowing.
"No," I denied, averting my gaze.
"Did you know you tend to look away and to the left whenever you try to lie? You've got to be the worst poker-player," she chuckled, amused. "Which is kinda hilarious, considering how you visualize your power."
"Haha. Very funny," I retorted, sarcasm dripping.
"So, you and Ochaco stumbled over something. Was it related to the Court?" she prodded. "I wonder what part of it got her knickers in a twist. Was it in Elsewhere?" Nana speculated, undeterred.
"Yes. Okay. We ran into something in Elsewhere. It wasn't about the end of the world, just...personal. Between me and Ochaco. No, we're not doing 20 questions. Now let's go, we'll be late," I urged, attempting to steer the conversation away before divulging too much, but Nana seemed disinclined to relent.
"Have you spoken to Momo?" she inquired.
"No, I haven't spoken to random strangers about this. I shouldn't have said anything to you, either," I sighed, regretting my candor. "Nana. Look, if this gets back to Erec, I'm a dead man," I warned, jaw clenched.
"Did you fuck Ochaco? Is that why the world's actually ending 'cause you couldn't keep your dick in your pants?" she teased, grinning impishly.
"No."
"Talk about giving her a world-shaking orgasm, huh."
"Fuck off. We found a Glade near here," I blurted, cursing inwardly.
Her expression turned grave, the mirth evaporating. "There isn't one. Trust me, I'd know."
"That's what Ochaco said as well. But it's there. Like a five-minute walk from the Crowley," I persisted, resolute.
"Izuku, I've been over every path in Elsewhere for hours around here. There's no Glade. Not even the remnants of one," she insisted, unwavering.
I could only shrug, perplexed. "Yeah, but there was one a week ago. That's what has everyone so excited," I explained.
She gazed skyward momentarily before replying, "We've totally got to go. Have you been back since?"
"No. For some strange reason, I don't have a burning desire to go back," I remarked dryly.
"Oh, don't be a pussy. How is it?" Nana prodded, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Surprisingly nice, actually," I admitted, recalling the comfortable summer sun over the lake. "There's a huge lake, and the weather is perfect for a swim."
"And we're not there chilling on the beach right the fuck now, because? Imagine it...A couple of cold beers, some revealing swimwear..." she trailed off suggestively, arching a brow.
"There's a complication," I sighed. "Someone lives there, a woman called Nimue."
"The Lady?" Nana's interest piqued. "Well...now you've piqued my interest."
"What do you know about her?" I queried.
"Not much. An old Power. She's tied to the Arthurian legend, first as the original guardian of Excalibur. Later as godmother of Lancelot. Not a big fan of the Pendragons, from what I know. Which speaks in her favor as far as I'm concerned."
"Yeah, she and Ochaco got on like a house on fire," I remarked dryly.
"I imagine. Though why did that get Ochaco pissed at you?" Nana wondered aloud, brows furrowing.
"Look, Nana. You can't tell anyone about this," I pleaded.
"I won't hide something that will hurt my family, you know that. But beyond that, I promise. Scout's honor," she vowed solemnly.
Drawing a deep breath, I revealed, "The Lady said I was destined to be the next King-in-Exile."
Nana's mouth fell agape, eyes wide with disbelief. "You WHAT?!"
"Shhh. Not so loud," I hissed urgently.
"Erec's going to have a nuclear meltdown if he finds out," she whispered, aghast.
"No shit. You've got to keep this quiet, Nana."
"Does Ochaco know? Oh, what am I saying, of course she knows," Nana groaned, facepalming. "Jesus Fucking Christ on a Pogostick, no wonder she blew a fuse at you."
"Indeed. The Lady is one mean bitch. So, excuse me if I'm not in a rush to go hang out at her private beach resort," I remarked acidly.
"You can't hide from shit like this, Izuku. Powers are like wolves, they can smell fear," Nana cautioned.
"So what do you suggest? I drag Ochaco there again? 'Cause that worked out great last time," I scoffed sarcastically.
"No. Why don't we go together? Just you and me. How about next Friday, after your classes?"
"What, just show up at the doorstep of a Power?" I balked.
"Oh, the Lady ain't bad, as far as Powers go. She interacts quite often with us mortals. My dad knew her well. But more importantly, Evokers don't back down. Not to Powers, not Gods, nae to fecking dragons. Can't have you letting the side down," she chided playfully.
Exhaling heavily, I acquiesced, "Alright. So...let's do this, Friday evening at the portal?"
"Aye. Now let's head, we'll be late for class," Nana agreed, setting off purposefully.
"Sure," I stepped beside her as we proceeded to the Evoker classroom.
We made our way to the theater, only to be greeted by an empty classroom.
"So, where's Eindridi?" Nana queried, glancing around.
"No idea. He's usually early," I remarked with a frown.
The door creaked open as our teacher strode in, a palpable aura of anger and frustration trailing him. "Izuku. Nana. Sorry I'm late. The Confluence stirred the pot a little, but Lord Yaoyorozu's envoys have genuinely brought it to a full boil. It's a mess."
"What is a Confluence?" I asked, recalling Midnight-sensei's basic explanation but craving more clarity.
"Good question, I guess. When you cast most spells, the effect is instant. You throw a fireball, you don't wait for several days before it shows up," Eindridi elucidated.
"Okay?" I nodded, urging him to continue.
"There are, however, some spells that require more power than you can deliver directly. Usually you leech ambient energy for days. Sometimes years. Whatever the fuck triggered a week ago was years. Likely a lot of them."
'That seems useful,' I mused.
"How do I do that?"
"You don't. This is Enchanter magic. And a good reminder that, while Evokers can usually take Enchanters in a straight-up fight, a pissed-off Enchantress left to her own devices can ruin your day in...oh so many ways," he cautioned gravely.
"So what did it do?"
"I'm not totally sure. Obviously a lot of energy went into hiding the Glade you stumbled over," he remarked nonchalantly as my body stiffened.
'Where did he know about it?!'
"Hahaha! Oh, stop pretending. Of course I know. But that's only part of the spell. I don't know what else, though. And that's scaring the hell out of a lot of people right now," he continued, unfazed.
"Why is that?" I pressed, heart pounding.
"Because there are worse things out there than angry gods or pissed off dragons. Something wiped out the Canaanites and the Assyrians. And someone came within a hair's breadth of doing the same thing to the Court, taking out Merlin, Arthur, and doing a full sweep of the Round Table."
"Who?"
"No idea. Nobody that deals with Gods or Mortals. We call them the Outsiders, but where that is, nobody knows. The Yaoyorozu seem convinced they're coming back," he revealed, features grave.
"And you believe them?"
"For a thousand years, the Yaoyorozu Seers have been the best prophets available for hire. They don't take payment in cash, but in favors, and now they're calling those favors as if there is no tomorrow. Which understandably makes people worry there may not be."
"Yaoyorozu-san and the Fox girl," I muttered.
"Aye. Though for the love of the Gods, don't call her that. She's sensitive about her age. This is probably the first time they've let her down from the mountain," Nana chimed in.
"And?" I prompted.
"And...? A fox demon is a bad fucking enemy to make. They're not mages, everything is physical for them. They move like nothing you've ever seen, and they hit like a garbage truck. Only way to fight them is to nuke them from a distance," Nana elaborated, deadly serious.
It seems like my previous plan was correct.
"So what brings her here?"
"She's a bodyguard. Likely also an assassin. The Yaoyorozu deal in favors, and over the years that has led to some very powerful creatures owing them. And some very powerful alliances," Eindridi explained.
Abruptly, a vivid scene unfolded in my mind's eye. A Japanese-style restaurant, the table laden with exquisite dishes. But it wasn't the food that ensnared my attention - it was the breathtaking woman seated opposite, raven tresses cascading down her back. Piercing golden eyes locking with my own emerald gaze. Her yukata left little to the imagination, while behind her swayed nine ethereal silver tails.
As quickly as the vision materialized, it dissipated, leaving me disoriented. Neither Nana nor Eindridi seemed to notice my momentary trance.
"And Yaoyorozu-san?" I probed, struggling to compose myself.
"She's the grand-daughter of the present Lord Yaoyorozu. If I was to guess, I'd say she's probably also a Seer. It runs strongly in the main family of the Clan. But mostly, she's here as an ambassador. Anyway," Eindridi segued, shifting topics. "Today, I wanted to spend some time talking about how to work with allies in combat. In any pitched battle, Evokers will usually be the tip of the spear, with Enchanters and Healers augmenting their abilities."
The lesson proceeded for the remainder of the hour, honing my skills at coordinating with comrades.
"...And that concludes today's lecture. Now, if you kids will excuse me, I need to go find out if the world is ending soon," Eindridi remarked with a chuckle as we wrapped up.
"Do you really think it's that bad?" I asked, concern etched into my features.
He shook his head ruefully. "No. But there's a lot of room between business as usual and the end of the world. The question is where on that spectrum our current problems fall. Either way, I've got to go. See you next week." With a wave, he strode out the door.
"See you next week," Nana and I echoed.
Gathering her belongings, Nana prepared to depart as well. "I've got to head as well. See you on Monday?"
"See you, Nana."
Alone once more, I readied myself for the next round of lessons, resolving to seek out Midnight-sensei about finally attaining a True Flawless Gem - whatever price she might demand. With the ominous rumblings of calamity pervading the air, bolstering my power felt imperative. Still, a nagging sense of trepidation gnawed at me.
Thanks for reading this chapter! Despite having her name on the chapter title, she's not here because it's more about the vision she and her family saw than Momo herself.
Do let me know if you have questions or feedback.
Next up: Giving and Taking (Lime chapter)