Daemon of Wrath: ...okay, your idea is amazing! Do you mind if I use it for the fic?
Several Months Later
A Day Before Entrance Exam
??? Dungeon
"Another day, another dungeon," Izuku mutters as he walks in a forest filled with Sugi. He's now sporting a grey hoodie with dark green sleeves, a white shirt underneath it, grey pants, and a pair of protective gloves. He now has longer hair and has grown a few inches taller.
Looking around, Izuku can't help but feel annoyed by the fact that the entire dungeon is filled with nothing but trees. "And apparently, this one is the most boring one..."
Izuku can't help but shudder before he shakes his head and slaps both of his cheeks. He bit his lips to stop him from screaming.
"Don't jinx it, Izu. You don't need a bunch of monsters swarming you all of a sudden." Izuku says as he shakes his head. He didn't want to test his luck right now, especially when he was in a place perfect for ambush.
Izuku perks up when he hears the wind blow as the leaves rustle on the tree. Izuku looked up and saw nothing but leaves.
"This place looks good..." Izuku mutters. "Wish that it wasn't in a dungeon but in real life, but then again, us humans kill too many trees for a measly one-story building."
Izuku stops before he looks around again, his eyes narrowed before he takes a stance. He felt something flying towards him at high speed and immediately summons [Black Crusader] before stabbing right at his front. To Izuku's surprise, he saw a human with a pair of wings, red skin, black hair, thick eyebrows, a long nose, and a permanent frown on his face. Izuku watches as the figure drops the katana on its hand.
"Tengu!?" Izuku asks in surprise before he senses more presence and tosses the dead body away. He rolls away from incoming arrows launching at him before using his skill [Polymorph] as his arm changes into a huge slime barrier, catching the arrows. He shapes his hand into a crossbow before launching the arrows back at the attacker, but judging by the sound of metal clanging, Izuku doubts it hits the target.
"Well, I take it back; this is interesting," Izuku says with a grin as more and more Tengu descend from the sky and land on the branch. Izuku notices that each Tengu wears a traditional Japanese outfit and armor but with a dark green color, a perfect way to camouflage within its surroundings.
Izuku narrows his eyes and notices that a lot of the Tengu are in bad condition, from the barely visible tears on their clothes to the crazed expression these Tengu display towards him. Izuku felt a chill in his spine before he gripped his [Black Crusader] and took a stance.
The Tengus yell as they all charge at Izuku, who uses [Lance Throw] as he tosses [Black Crusader] straight through the crowd. At first glance, it seems that Izuku misses his target, but in an instant, the horde of Tengu immediately explodes into a pile of blood, limbs, and organs. Izuku panicked and activated [Mana Barrier] to protect himself from getting hit by a pile of gores.
"Holy shit, I forgot how messy whenever I use [Black Crusader] to fight," Izuku says before dropping the barrier. He saw more and more hordes of Tengu and decided to recall his lance before he replaced it with [Balmung] , his official signature weapon.
"Let's get rolling!" Izuku blocks a group of Tengus trying to hit him with their katana before activating [Hellfire] on the blade and pushing them back. Izuku's eyes briefly glow green as he takes a stance and slices off the Tengus. Izuku saw more Tengus flying towards him; his eyes turned darker for a moment before he uttered one word.
"Arise!" In an instant, shadows start to emerge from the Tengus' corpse before it turns into a carbon copy of Tengu. Each creates a katana from some of its body and slices the incoming Tengu. Izuku turned around and saw Tengus aiming at him; his eyes glowed dark green once more before he extended his hand.
"Archers, shoot them down!" Izuku shouted as his shadow expanded as multiple shadow archer knights emerged from it. The Tengus try to attack Izuku, but their arrows are sliced off by the shadow archers' and hit right on their head. Izuku unsummons his shadow archers before turning around to see more Tengus charging at him with their spears. He clenches his muscles before grabbing [Balmung] with both of his hands, his blade covered in mana before he swings.
In an instant, the Tengus are sliced down into multiple pieces along with the Archer Tengus and the trees behind them. Izuku hears a loud clap in his head and can't help but sweatdrop.
"Seriously, Igris? You need to do that now?" Izuku asks with a dry tone as Igris huffs in amusement and slowly emerges from Izuku's shadow.
"Of course, my lord. I was taken aback by how you managed to copy my technique by simply clashing blades with me. And when you brought me back, I was a bit excited to teach you. To see my lessons be fruitful is everything that a teacher wanted." Igris says as he lets out a thumbs up, and Izuku sighs halfheartedly.
"Given how our fighting style is similar, I'd be stupid if I didn't learn something from a master." Izuku says as Igris snorts.
"Lord Ashborn is a Master, I am merely an apprentice, as do you. But one day, you shall surpass me." Igris comments.
"Doesn't that apply to you too?" Izuku asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Nonsense," Igris says while shaking his head in denial; then he sees another horde of Tengu before cutting them down effortlessly, causing Izuku to sweatdrop.
'Bullshit.' Izuku gave Igris a deadpan stare, causing the Knight Commander to be confused by Izuku's expression. Izuku sighs before several shadows emerge from his shadow and disappear. Izuku hears a squelch from the distance, followed by a loud thud before the shadow returns and enters his.
"You have learn how to utilize your Shadow Monarch powers very fast " Igris praises with a hint of pride in his tone.
"Thanks." Izuku says before he hears a loud roar and huge wings flapping. He turns around to see a bulky Tengu descend into the ground, holding a war fan on its right hand. "So, that's the boss?"
"Elder Tengu. I wasn't expecting it to fly towards us." Igris comments before looking at Izuku. "Do you want to dispatch him yourself?"
"Interfere when I'm in trouble," Izuku commands as the Tengu roars and swings his war fan, sending a concentrated air cannon toward Izuku. Izuku flexes his muscles before he swings [Balmung] to create an air cannon, neutralizing it instantly, much to the boss' surprise.
Izuku pulls out his hand as arcs of green electricity appear from his hand. Several green electric orbs surround the boss before lightning blasts from each of its orbs. To Izuku's surprise, the Elder Tengu dodges it.
"Alright, let's see if you can dodge this." Izuku's eyes glow dark green before multiple Tengu shadows fly towards the boss. The Elder Tengu saw its comrades turn into undead, became enraged, and tore each of them off using its katana. Due to recklessness, one of the Tengu, who was torn apart, regenerates and stabs the Elder before it follows up with more stabs from other Shadow Tengus. The Elder Tengu swings its war fan, creating a tornado around itself. Izuku takes this chance to summon an orb of water and a cold mist before extending his hands, shooting multiple ice shards toward the Elder as the Shadow Tengu flies away from it.
The Tengu tightens its grip on the katana and starts slicing off the projectiles but doesn't notice the danger it's in. One of the ice shards is pitch black, as a shadow knight emerges from the shard at the back of the boss and slices off its wing, causing the Tengu to screech in pain and fall to the ground. Izuku extends his hand and absorbs the shadow knight as it turns into a pair of shadow gauntlets before rushing towards the Tengu.
Izuku coats each of his gauntlets with [Hellfire] and [Thunder Strike] before delivering a powerful double strike at the fallen Elder Tengu right on its gut, tearing two holes in it as blood sprays out of them.
Izuku gets rid of the blood of the gauntlet before letting it turn back to the knight. He looks at the knight with a sheepish reaction.
"Sorry if that was too rough," Izuku says as the knight shakes his head and waves his hand, gesturing that it's fine before giving him a thumbs up and entering his shadow.
"I never seen Lord Ashborn use Shadow Extraction in such ways," Igris says, impressed by Izuku's way of thinking.
"I just discovered it a while ago and haven't been using it much. Besides, I bet he knows how just never bother to use it due to how powerful he is." Izuku shrugs off.
"Not exactly. Lord Ashborn does create his weapon using shadows like you do. I think he just didn't bother to use his army to do so." Igris explains with a hint of pride towards his former leader.
"Wow, way to make people less significant, Igris." Izuku deadpanned.
"M-my apologies! I didn't mean-!" Igris was cut off by Izuku letting out a snort and chuckles. "Umm..."
"No need to be overly serious, Igris. I know I'm lacking, that's why I've been training with everyone constantly." Izuku says as Igris merely nods. "Now, let's check the rewards."
[Item: Sky-Piercing War Fan]
[Rank: A]
[Type: Weapon]
[A war fan belongs to an ancient deity that was given to the tribe of Tengu as a sign of trust. This fan has led armies through countless wars and survived unscathed.]
[Unlock user's Wind Attribute and increase Wind-Attribute Attack by 40%]
"..." Izuku stares at the weapon before letting out an unnerving chuckle as he gives the war fan an undivided attention. Igris sweatdrops as he watches this scene from the distance.
"My Lord?" Igris calls him, snapping him out of his moment before Izuku gives him a sheepish grin.
"Sorry, sorry. It's been a while since I found another weapon in a dungeon." Izuku says while rubbing his head.
"Are items really important?" Igris asks curiously.
"Some of them do, especially if they can be considered as an artifact. And unless I know how to pull a Shadow Weapon without using one of my Shadow Soldiers, I need something to compensate." Izuku explains. "Besides, some weapons are better than ones created by their elements, especially if it was crafted by the one who knows about weapons, balance, durability, materials, and so on."
"...you do have a point," Igris says with a nod. Izuku inserts his new weapon into his inventory before picking up another weapon. It took Izuku a few moments before he started to blink owlishly, staring at the katana.
"...a-another one..." Izuku says as he sheds a comical tear from his eyes, startling Igris.
[Item: Saisentan Ken]
[Rank: A]
[Type: Weapon]
[A katana forged by the respected blacksmith of the Tengu, made of the black iron ore from the heart of the inactive volcano. It was meant to be a gift for the wise leader. But, it fell into the hand of a corrupt leader, and this blade was used to slaughter a lot of innoncent]
[Increases cutting damage and stabbing damage by 50%.]
[Curse: Killing an enemy will lead to [Berserk] state]
[Berserk: Increases the user's Strength by 50% but in exchange for 10% of the user's Intelligence. 30% chance for the user to lose sanity]
[If you could break the Curse, an additional feature will be added to the weapon]
"..." Izuku stares at the weapon with a look of pity before sighing. He places the weapon into his inventory.
"Is something the matter, my lord?" Igris asks.
"...it seems that even in the dungeon world, there's an issue regarding corrupt leaders...a lot of civilians under their command suffer because of them..." Izuku says with a somber tone.
"It is one thing that every being has in common: they're prone to corruption." Igris comments. "People believe power corrupts, but in reality, power is nothing more than a tool to help people. That corruption comes from a strong desire to keep that power. It's their feelings that corrupt them. Those who believe power corrupts merely refuse to take the blame."
"You're right...if powers do corrupt, then heroes would never exist in the first place." Izuku says as Igris nods. "I guess Bakugou also falls into that category..."
"Who's this Bakugou?" Izuku stiffens as Igris asks. "You never mention a person with such a name."
"Ah, well..." Izuku is sweating bullets. He gulps before letting out a sigh."He was my bully before I got my power...he hates my guts for being powerless but wanting to be a hero. It's like it insults every fiber of his being just thinking about a powerless person being a hero."
"...permission to tear that bastard limbs-to-limbs?" Igris asks as he pulls out his greatsword. Izuku sweatdrops, expecting this to happen. With how loyal Igris is, he would do anything for him, especially getting rid of someone who wronged him.
"Let's not do that," Izuku says. "He's not worth it. I ain't gonna go seek for vengeance towards him because I got my powers, I'm not gonna sink into his level."
"...very well then," Igris says as he puts back his greatsword. "But, if we meet, I'll give him a beatdown."
"...just don't kill him." Izuku sighs. "I don't want to make my mom's friends sad because her son is a piece of shit and got killed because of it."
"That monster is a son of your mother's friend!? How does that even work!?!?" Igris can't help but find it a bit ridiculous as Izuku shrugs.
"We were once close friends until he got his powers and I don't," Izuku answers as Igris looks at Izuku.
"...is that why you spend so much time with your friends?" Igris asks.
"Unlike others, I never had the luxury of growing up with friends, only bullies. I don't want to be alone anymore..." Izuku says as he rubs his arm.
"You have gone through a lot..." Igris comments as Izuku chuckles humorlessly.
"You have no idea..." Izuku says before he looks around. "...should this dungeon be collapsing right now? I mean, we did kill the boss and it's been a while now."
"Perhaps there's something in this dungeon that prevents it from collapsing? Or maybe the Elder isn't the true leader of the dungeon?" Igris questions as Izuku hums.
"That might be the case," Izuku says as both monarch and shadow walk deeper into the forest. It was a grueling journey as both of them saw nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. It took them a while before they saw a light on the opposite of the forest. As they walked out, Izuku was surprised to see a village in there, or what was left in it.
He can't help but wince as he looks at the state of the village. The buildings were obliterated, decorations were torn apart, and Izuku couldn't help but grimace at seeing skeletons lying around the villages.
"What happens here...?" Izuku mutters. "Does the corrupt elder do this to the village?"
"This place looks like it was destroyed in a battle. A very gruesome one. Judging from the scene, it seems that the battle takes place not long ago." Igris says as Izuku grimace at the scene. He also notices the food supply seems to be in poor condition.
"This is messed up..." Izuku mutters before he and Igris hear a roar from the distance. They saw more Tengus come out of their hiding, covered in blood and cuts. Izuku's eyes widened when he saw this, and he started to hear whispers around the village. It was vague, but Izuku could make out one word.
"Traitor!" And to Izuku's surprise, the rage on the voice wasn't directed to him, but to the flying Tengus. It didn't take him long to put two and two together as his eyes narrowed, black aura started to cover his body.
"Those who were betrayed...I shall grant you the chance to seek your vengeance...Arise!" As Izuku utters those words, every corpse in the village starts to be covered in a black aura, startling the Tengu. Each of them felt a chill in their spine as they watched the shadows of Tengu emerge from the corpses. "Now, tear them down!"
In unison, each of the Shadow Tengu screeches and charges at the horde of Tengu. It was a complete bloodbath as each of the Shadow Tengus savagely tears the Tengus apart. With their lack of weapons, they had to get creative, and they did.
Izuku winces as he watches how brutal the resurrected Tengus can be. From ripping other Tengu's eyes off, biting their tongue off, pulling off their noses, tearing their guts off, even to the point of brutalizing their testicles, something that causes Izuku, Igris, and the rest of the Male Tengus, alive or resurrected, shivers in horror.
Izuku felt someone tug his pants, and he looked down before he felt horrified. Below him is a young Tengu, the size of a small child, but Izuku could see a stark difference between the other Tengus. It has the head of a crow instead of a human, with red skin and a long nose, similar to how most media currently depict Tengus. It has smaller wings, and the body is akin to a 5-year-old kid.
Of all the things that Izuku expectss, this is not one of them. Shaking out of his thoughts, he kneeled and gave the little guy a gentle smile.
"Hello there," Izuku says as the Tengu gives a shy wave. Izuku pets his head. "...you don't deserve this. Let me set you free..." Izuku tries to release the Shadow Extraction but the small Tengu holds Izuku's hand and shakes its head rapidly.
"You...don't want to be free...?" Izuku asks as the Tengu shakes its head, and a few tears escape its eyes. Izuku is unsure how to react to it before he looks at Igris.
"The little guy didn't want you to set him free...he's terrified that he can't wake up again..." Igris says in a somber tone. Izuku can't help but feel sympathy for the poor guy.
"...I understand," Izuku says with a smile. "You can stay with us if you want to." The Tengu tears up and hugs Izuku's legs. Izuku awkwardly pets its head before looking at Igris. "Does...this ever happen?"
"No, this is the first time I've ever seen someone resurrected through Shadow Extraction react in such ways," Igris admits. "Then again, Lord Ashborn never performs this on a child."
"It...was never my intention..." Izuku mutters, ignoring the bloodbath happening in the background.
"I know. But, I think you did the child a favor." Igris says as he points at the young Tengu. "The child isn't ready for death."
"No child is, Igris." Izuku says before getting up and seeing the Shadow Tengu descend, each wielding weapons stolen from the Tengus. "Thank you for your hard work. Would you want me to set you free?"
Each Shadow Tengus looks at each other before looking at the young Tengu holding Izuku's pants before they nod at each other. To Izuku's surprise, they bow down to him.
"...please, get up..." Izuku mutters as he facepalmed, causing Igris to chuckle. "Very well, then. Welcome to the Shadow Army." Each of the Shadow Tengu cheers with a loud squawk, causing Izuku to bite his lips to stop himself from laughing. After a loud cheer, they enter Izuku's shadow as Izuku sighs.
"You wanna stay here, Kuro?" Izuku asks as the young Tengu tilts his head in confusion. "That's your name, I ain't gonna call you Tengu all the time." The young Tengu, Kuro, smiles before nodding.
"I thought you would never expand your army." Igris comments as Izuku snorts.
"With how good you guys are while doing your jobs and how limited my capacity is, I can't expand more unless I level up. And now that I do, I can expand more and Tengu just happens to be a very good choice in aerial battle." Izuku says as Igris nods.
"I see your point, my lord." Izuku looks around as they walk deeper. They notice a stair at the mountain behind them and wonder where it leads. Izuku and Igris look at each other before Izuku picks up Kuro and activates [Quicksilver] to climb up the stairs in a short amount of time while Igris enters Izuku's shadow.
As they reach the top, Izuku deactivates [Quicksilver] while Igris emerges from the shadow. Izuku sees a huge shrine in front of them and places Kuro on it. The three of them walked towards the shrine and saw something stuck in the center.
"All of this just for one measly key?" Izuku mutters in confusion before slowly approaching it. He picks the key up, and he realizes how similar it is to the first Dungeon Key he ever got. It's the only Dungeon Key he ever got from the random loot box, and have no luck getting it again.
He blames the God of RNG for this.
"Could this be a Dungeon Key?" Izuku mutters before using [Appraisal] on it.
[Item: Demon Castle Key]
[Rank: S]
[Type: Key]
[A Key that allows you to enter Dungeon. Can be used in Might Tower]
"...well damn." Izuku grins widely as he grips the key. He has hit a massive jackpot on this dungeon.
To be continued