Boku no Hero Academia: Custodian Izuku

Disclaimer: This is a crossover fanfiction story of 'Boku no Hero Academia' and 'Warhammer 40k' (yes, really). I own nothing of the two series other than the fanfiction stories that I make.

I am making this story for the sake of fun, fluff and awesome after writing a one-shot story of the same story concept. If I am able to somehow impress fans of Warhammer 40k or even move someone to tears, even better.

Also, if anyone wants to know how in the world I got this idea in the first place, please refer to the artist, Ryuusei (Mark II), who has made some awesome pictures of gender-bent primarchs. The link is: .us/pools/17320

Please note that while I am familiar with the Warhammer 40k setting, my actual knowledge of it is casual at best. Also, if the genderbent primarchs seem at least a bit OOC, please kindly consider the fact that their bodies (especially the traitor primarchs) have changed drastically after entering Izuku's world.

In case anyone asks how much crack I was taking in to come up with the idea, I am just going to say enough to make even a loyalist Adaptus Astartes trippy.

Chapter 10: Days with the Primarchs

Two weeks had passed since Eri started living at U.A. High School with Izuku, Inko and twelve of the former primarchs. Despite her doubts and fears, including the understandable fear that she was simply having a wonderful dream before waking up to the tragically cruel reality that she was still Overhaul's prisoner, Eri felt safe and happy when she spent time with people who genuinely cared about her. Even Lion whom Eri realised was simply terrible at socialising with people and was slow to trust others, had grown to care about her in her own way.

Although everyone had been busy lately, especially after a hospital got destroyed by some very bad people, they still made time to spend quality time with her especially Curze, Angron, Vulkan, Sanguinius, Corax, Izuku and Inko. Eri's favourite thing, other than apples, was spending time with the people whom she liked even if it was something as simple as taking a nap in their arms.

Eri was about to discover one place which she would regularly visit for years to come.

-Outside the Imperial Dorm…-

"Am I the only one who thinks that the new place looks really out of place?" asked Russ while looking at a Gothic chapel that had been built next to the dorm. Originally, it was meant to be a small shrine but both Guilliman and Dorn decided to go "Plus Ultra" in the design so that it's potential to ward off the forces of Chaos could be maximised. As a result, the shrine ended up becoming a chapel nearly as big as the dorm itself.

Lion El'Jonson grimaced as she looked at the chapel and said, "It's sticking out like a clumsy Mekboy's sore thumb."

Eri frowned and said, "It looks a bit scary."

Guilliman, who knew that a chapel that had been personally designed by the former sons of the Emperor would become a hotspot for loyal worshippers from every corner of the Imperium, sighed and said, "Just be glad that the Imperial Cult is not present here."

Ken, who had played a vital role in getting the chapel built so quickly, said, "Not that I disagree, but this chapel is certainly going to attract attention regardless."

"Well… at least it looks cool," said Izuku who could not help but think that edgy teens would love the design of the chapel which had grey cement walls, pointed arches, ornate images of angels slaying demons, large traceries with stained glass sections, a steeply-pitched roof with finials that had the design of the Imperial aquila, a conical spire at each corner of the chapel and a pair of massive savage-looking wolves guarding the entrance of the chapel not unlike the stone 'komainu' that one could find at a Japanese shrine.

Yes, the wolves were designed after the Fenrisian wolves of Fenris at Russ' recommendation.

Somewhere in the Shizuoka Prefecture, a boy with the head of a crow or a raven with thin red eyes and a yellowish beak named Tokoyami Fumikage felt his desire to somehow pass the entrance exams of U.A. High School grow even stronger than before. At the same time, in the Kanagawa Prefecture, a girl with squinted dark-green eyes that had long lower eyelashes and green thorn-covered vines in place of hair named Shiozaki Ibara also felt her desire to enter U.A. High School grow.

"Doesn't make it look any less out of place compared to the rest of the school," said Khan.

"So… can we go inside and take a look?" asked Eri who was honestly curious about the interior of the chapel in spite of finding it, especially the snarling wolf statues which looked like they could come alive at any minute, intimidating.

"Sure," said Dorn before opening the wooden door of the chapel so that the others could enter. While she was willing to admit that the building looked out of place compared to all the other buildings in the entire school, she still thought that it looked good.

A short while later, everyone entered the chapel and looked around. It was clear that the interior of the chapel was as Gothic in design as its exterior. Some of the notable features of the interior included a Gothic altar which was clearly dedicated to the Emperor, two rows of bronze candle holders and, quite unexpectedly, a bowl-shaped bronze gong which was placed on a short stone pedestal in front of the altar.

Sanguinius looked at the gong quizzically and asked, "Does the Imperial Cult use this kind of gong?"

"No, not of this design at least," said Guilliman who then explained, "When Dorn and I designed this chapel, we decided to add at least a few features that are unique to the ancient culture of this country. Those stone statues outside can arguably be considered as one of them."

Vulkan Salamander rubbed her chin and said, "So that's why you asked Ferrus and me make a gong of that shape."

"Is there a reason why you wanted to add local elements to the chapel?" asked Corax.

Guilliman wore a bitter smile and said, "While I cannot deny the fact that the Emperor has become something comparable to an actual god, I never forgot the fact that he did not want humanity to worship gods let alone be worshipped as one himself."

"Not that I disagree with your statement, but what does that have to do with incorporating some of the religious elements found on this version of Terra?" asked Russ.

"It's considered a normal practice here to worship one's late relatives and ancestors, including parents and even children who have passed away," answered Guilliman.

Realising the implications, the other former primarchs felt their approval of the chapel rise. After all, the Emperor was not the only one who have suffered from the horrors of the Horus Heresy, as well as the consequences of the said heresy, and no one said that the Emperor could not be looked up to as a mighty ancestral figure.

"It's a good concept," said Angron who then smiled bitterly and added, "Even if no one on the other side will want to listen to me if they could."

Izuku held onto Angron's hand comfortingly while Icarian wondered aloud, "Perhaps my sons, both living and dead, will be able hear my prayers somehow."

"Do you plan to use incense sticks while praying?" asked Inko who knew that the use of incense sticks was common practice among the Japanese. She also noticed that there were incense stick stands in front of not only a bronze statue of the Emperor but also nineteen stone spirit tablets which bore the Roman numbers of one to twenty with the number 'XVII' left out.

On a side note, Inko was getting back into shape thanks to doing regular physical exercise with Izuku, Eri, the former primarchs and the students of U.A. High School who had decided to train with them regularly. The said students included Mirio, Tamaki, Nejire, Yuuyu, Mawata, Gardia and Ashiko who saw the former primarchs and Izuku as friends.

"Among other things," said Guilliman.

Curze raised an eyebrow and asked, "I understand leaving the seventeenth legion out, but why are you including the other traitor legions to the altar?"

"Not all of the space marines of the traitor legions, with the possible exception of the seventeenth legion, turned traitor during the Horus Heresy," said Guilliman who then bitterly added, "Besides, it would be hypocritical to not allow prayers for those few loyalists when even space marines of loyalist chapters and legions have been known to fall to Chaos." Lion's usual frown deepened as she recalled Luther's betrayal and the Fallen Angels while Guilliman continued to explain, "As for the twentieth legion, even if we refuse to ignore the many atrocities that they have commited, it was a member of the said legion that ultimately stopped the expansion of the Great Rift during the Great Rift Crusade."

"I suppose that makes sense," said Ferrus who knew that the Emperor only learnt about Horus' betrayal because some of the loyalist space marines of the traitor legions, namely Nathaniel Garro and the rest of The Seventy from the Death Guard, managed to survive the massacre of Isstvan III and send word to the Emperor.

"So, how should we pray?" asked Eri who was ignorant due to both her age and tragic past circumstances.

"Well, following the basics of local traditions, we should light the incense sticks and then place them into the incense stands. One stick for each stand should do," said Guilliman while taking out a pack of twenty incense sticks. Vulkan, who was carrying a lighter, lit a small flame and allowed it to cover her fingertips. She used her pyrokinesis to keep the small flame burning on her fingertips and lit the twenty incense sticks. Once all the sticks were lighted and placed into their respective stands, Guilliman rang the gong once before placing her hands together in prayer. The others followed her example and prayed as well. For most of the former primarchs, their prayers were for the Emperor and the loyalist space marines of their respective legions and successor chapters. Angron and Curze mainly prayed for the people they had genuinely wronged in their past lives and the loyalist of all the traitor legions including their own. As for Izuku and Inko, they prayed for the people of the Imperium in the hope that they would one day enjoy a genuine time of peace. Ken prayed that everyone would be safe from the Ruinous Powers while Eri, being an innocent child, simply prayed, "I hope that everyone will get along and be happy."

Once everyone had said their prayers, they left the chapel to let the incense sticks burn. As they left, they never noticed the alter gaining a faintly transient golden glow.

-On the following day…-

Inko and Eri were walking back to the dorm together with Curze and Vulkan. They were about to enter the dorm when Eri noticed the chapel and asked Curze, "Can we enter the chapel again, Curze-neechan?"

Curze tilted her head and replied, "Sure, but what for?"

Eri took out a rolled-up picture and said, "I made a picture of all of us and want to put it in there so that Emperor-san can see we're okay."

Vulkan resisted the urge to give Eri a hug as she smiled and said, "I think that's a wonderful idea, Eri."

Inko smiled as well and said, "Let me get some tape so that we can stick it on a wall."

Eri nodded with a smile and, given the positive responses from Curze, Vulkan and Inko, was quite hopeful that the Emperor would like it too. Before long, they entered the chapel and taped the picture onto a wall next to the altar. When they left, the altar glowed transiently once again with a faint golden hue without their notice.

-A few days later…-

Izuku sighed as he dragged his feet back to the dorm while being accompanied by Eri and Angron. He had just sparred with Gardia and, in spite of his improving physique and skill in weapons, especially weapons based on the Japanese tantou, katana and naginata, was rather soundly beaten. Of course, given Gardia's enhanced strength and durable insectoid shell, never mind his own training as a future pro-hero, it was no surprise that Izuku would be unable to defeat him with just a few weeks' worth of training and wooden training weapons. In spite of the loss, the former primarchs and hero students were quick to tell him that he did rather well as he was able to avoid getting defeated by Gardia for almost a minute.

While the former primarchs and hero students agreed that defeating an enemy was certainly preferable, they also knew the value of being be able to hold the line long enough for help to arrive. Besides, winning a fight would be meaningless if the greater objective had not been won.

Eri, who was a little worn out after practising her quirk while under Shouta's quirk-cancelling guidance, asked, "Do you think the gecko will be okay?"

Well aware that Eri's quirk training involved improving her control over her quirk, never mind the fact that the training involved helping a leopard gecko reattach its recently-detached tail by rewinding its physical state, Izuku smiled at her reassuringly and said, "I'm sure that it will be fine after a day's rest."

Angron could not help but feel a bit sheepish as she recalled how the gecko detached its tail out of sheer fright after she simply snarled at it and said, "Physically perhaps but I don't think its animal mind will recover so quickly." Given the alternative of physically agitating or even harming the little lizard, not even Lion disagreed with Angron's voluntary suggestion to try scaring it to the point that it would detach its own tail.

"Maybe we can give it a treat to make it feel better?" suggested Eri.

"I'm sure that Nedzu-sensei has prepared something for it," said Izuku who wondered if keeping the gecko as a pet was possible. After all, both Eri and Vulkan found it cute.

Later that day, Vulkan entered the dorm with a huge grin on her face as she brought in a terrarium that housed the very same leopard gecko that Eri had healed. The gecko, which had the classical yellow body with black spots and dark-grey eyes, would later be named Leonid after a type of solitary reptilian apex predator of the Arridian Plain from Nocturne known as a leo'nid.

While the gecko seemed comfortable around Vulkan and did not mind being handled with care by people in general, including Eri, it absolutely refused to go anywhere near Angron. If anyone noticed Angron pouting while hugging Izuku more possessively than usual that day, none of them said a word about it.

-Later that weekend…-

Eri was happily eating some honey-picked apples with Curze in the kitchen of the dorm when Vulkan approached them. Ever since Vulkan started keeping Leonid as a pet, the leopard gecko was often seen riding on her shoulder, especially the right one, as she walked around the dorm and the chapel. Vulkan, who had volunteered to be responsible for lighting the incense sticks for the altar in the chapel every morning, said, "I was going to light some incense sticks for the altar as usual when I saw that the sticks were already lighted. I also saw a small wrapped bowl of honey-picked apples at the altar in the chapel." She then raised an eyebrow and asked, "I suppose you two know something about it?"

Eri nodded and said, "We woke up early and decided to put some pickled apples on the altar for Emperor-san before having our breakfast."

"Eri was hungry and she did not want the Emperor to feel hungry either," said Curze while petting Eri on the head.

Aware of the local practices, Vulkan nodded with a smile and said, "Just wanted to be sure." While she was sure that none of the former primarchs would steal Eri's apples or apple-based treats, it never hurt to make sure. She then noticed Russ who was holding a small wooden box in her hand while exiting the elevator. As soon as she saw the liquid-filled bottles in the box, she wore a deadpan expression and asked, "Are those what I think they are?"

Russ grinned and said, "Yup, it's a box full of my bottled home-brewed drinks. Since I'm not allowed to drink all the good stuff myself, I have decided to see if any of the teachers and staff will be interesting in trying them. Besides, I need feedback on how good the drinks are and I can't be the only 'quality-tester' around."

Vulkan sighed and said, "Well, as long as you don't get drunk and cause a mess."

"If I somehow meet an adult that allows me to drink to my heart's content, I won't make any promises!" said Russ while leaving the dorm.

After Russ had left the dorm, Curze wore a deadpan expression on her face and said, "I don't need my foresight to know that this is not going to end well."

Vulkan sighed and said, "Well, if nothing else, it'll be a memorable incident."

It should be noted that Russ made sure to leave a bottle of her home-brewed drink at the altar next to the wrapped bowl of honey-pickled apples before making her way to the teachers and staff of the school.

-Less than an hour later…-

Lion slapped her palm onto her face and groaned, "How, in the Emperor's Golden Throne, did she manage to do this in less than an hour?!"

Guilliman was rubbing her forehead to somehow soothe her growing headache and grumbled, "Just be glad that today is a weekend so the damage can be kept to a minimum."

Shortly after Russ entered the staff dormitory, which was built soon after the destruction of Jaku General Hospital, Nemuri got everyone present at the dorm to try the bottles of home-brewed alcoholic drinks. Somehow, it resulted in Nemuri and Russ being drunk and topless while singing a bawdy song loudly in front of the dorm. It also resulted in Shouta, who was drunk in spite of looking no different from usual, talking to a tree as though it was All Might himself. Hizashi, who was clearly drunk, was trying to throw rolls of toilet paper all over the staff dormitory only to fail spectacularly due to not only lacking the arm strength needed to throw the rolls of toilet paper over the multi-story building but also ended up entangling himself in toilet paper instead.

Ken wore a despairing expression as he apologised to Nedzu, "I'm so sorry about this, sir."

Nedzu was trying his best to not laugh at the veritable goldmine of blackmail material as he spoke to Ken, "That's all right. I was the one who authorised Russ to use the prototype incubator to make the alcoholic drinks in the first place." He then turned his attention to Dorn, Vulkan and Ferrus and asked, "You mentioned that the incubator can detect toxic substances, yes?"

Dorn sighed and said, "Yes, it should. However, given its role in brewing alcoholic drinks, it has been set to tolerate alcohol levels that are below 15% while brewing."

"Perhaps she was able to distil the drinks to make them more potent," suggested Ferrus.

"Doesn't that require a spirit distillation apparatus though?" wondered Vulkan who knew that such an apparatus would have been impossible to miss if it was in the Imperial Dorm.

Ken scratched the back of his head and sheepishly admitted, "Actually, after the initial taste-testing, Russ was able to convince Nemuri to give her a cheap bottle of liquor so that she can show off her cocktail-making skills. Things… escalated from there."

A moment of silence passed before Lion, Guilliman, Dorn, Ferrus and Vulkan slapped their hands onto their faces and thought in unison, "Of course that drunkard would pick up the art of making alcoholic cocktails!"

It should be noted that Russ, while physically under-age in her current form, was not only a millennia-old demigod in her past life but also had a body which allowed her to tolerate alcohol. In addition, Russ was merely tipsy and simply wanted to have a good time by playing along with whatever shenanigans the drunk teachers had decided on.

Understandably, Nemuri, Shouta and Hizashi ended up begging Nedzu for mercy once they were sober enough to realise what they had done. In spite of regretting getting drunk that day, even Shouta was willing to admit that Russ was talented in not only brewing alcoholic drinks but also making alcoholic cocktails.

It would not be the last time Russ would somehow manage to get pro-heroes drunk.

-Almost a week later…-

A tall sturdily built man with a muscular physique, short crimson hair, a moustache, a beard and sharp light-blue eyes named Todoroki Enji stood in the middle of a rocky area within U.A. High School known as Training Ground Zeta. Also known as the No.2 pro-hero in all of Japan, Endeavour, Enji wanted to test the mettle of the twelve girls who had been staying at U.A. High School for some time already. However, the match had to be delayed due to the tragedy at Jaku General Hospital. Even All Might, who had recently announced his plan to be a teacher at U.A. High School after acknowledging the fact that he was not getting any younger, got involved in the investigation.

Part of the reason why Enji wanted to test the girls was because he was honestly impressed by Lion's ability to actually make All Might bleed. He was also curious about the girls' circumstances as he knew that the "official statements" about them from both U.A. High School and the HPSC were not telling the whole truth if at all. Lastly, given the fact that the girls were somehow as old as his youngest son in spite of being so tall and sturdily built, Enji hoped that at least one of them would be a good match for him.

Vulkan, whom Enji was admittedly interested in due to her apparent immunity to fire, stood before the pro-hero and asked, "May I ask you a question, Endeavour?"

Enji, whose beard and moustache were usually on fire while on duty, nodded and asked, "What is it that you want to ask, Salamander?"

"Why do you wish to challenge me when you already know about my immunity to fire and ability to manipulate it?" asked Vulkan.

"A pro-hero will not always have the luxury of facing an opponent that his quirk is strong against. In fact, many pro-heroes lose in a fight or even die due to facing enemies that have quirks or strategies that put them at a disadvantage. Therefore, it can be argued that this match is as much a test for myself as it is for you," answered Enji.

Vulkan nodded and said, "Your reasoning is sound. My immunity to fire would be of no use against freezing temperatures and whatever flames I control can be put out." Left unsaid was the countless times when soldiers and heroes of the Imperium were forced to face impossible odds against the enemies of mankind.

"However, you also possess great physical strength which, assuming that the claims are true, is at least comparable to El'Jonson's," said Enji. He then assumed a fighting stance and said, "While Miruko and Hawks have been beaten by your other sisters, as the No.2 pro-hero, I have no intention of being beaten so easily."

Vulkan smiled as she assumed her own fighting stance and said, "Very well, I shall face you with everything I can wield without causing you permanent harm."

Suddenly, an announcement made by Hizashi could be heard, "Endeavour… versus… Vulkan…! Ready… FIGHT!"

As soon as the announcement was made, Vulkan charged towards Enji with the intention of knocking him out with a punch. The pro-hero reacted quickly and created a wave of fire to block Vulkan's field of vision. Although Vulkan was basically immune to fire, she could not see through it and thus had to stop in her tracks so that she could part the flames with her bare hands and pyrokinesis. In spite of the momentary obstruction for her field of vision, Vulkan had millennia of combat experience and thus sensed Enji's presence above her. She looked up and, with her hands still coated in flames, block Enji's overhead stomp. In spite of having his attack blocked, Enji smirked as he could already tell that Vulkan would make a fine sidekick if not a pro-heroine in the future.

Before Enji could back away, Vulkan grabbed onto his extended leg and swung in an attempt to slam him onto the ground. However, Enji had the upper body strength needed to absorb the blow with both of his arms by slamming his hands onto the ground. He then unleashed a powerful torrent of flames from his feet at Vulkan's face. Normally, the attack would make even people with fire-wielding quirks flinch. However, Vulkan did not even blink as she allowed the torrent of flames to flow over her with a smile on her face. She then tilted her head to the side as a burning pebble flew past it.

Enji, who had thrown the burning pebble at Vulkan in an attempt to make her let go of him while she was distracted by his flame, said, "You have excellent reflexes. You will make an excellent pro-heroine in the future."

"I appreciate your praise but I intend to join the support course," said Vulkan.

Surprised, Enji asked, "Why the support course? Surely your strengths will be put to better use as a pro-heroine."

"Perhaps, but I have always liked crafting things and, considering that many of my family members and friends have already chosen the path of heroics, I intend to make sure that they will have the finest equipment available," replied Vulkan who then smiled and added, "Besides, no one said that I cannot be both like Power Loader."

Enji was silent for a moment before he said, "While I feel that taking the hero course is a better choice for you, I cannot deny that having reliable support equipment is vital as well. Also, as you have said, you can indeed decide to be both."

"Do you yeild?" asked Vulkan.

"Yes, if only because I do not wish to be swung around like a rag-doll," said Enji. While he was confident that Vulkan's apparent immunity to fire had its limits, using his most dangerous finishing moves on her would likely put her very life at risk and he had no intention of accidentally killing her just to win a simple sparring match. As galling as it was to lose to her, he knew that choosing her as an opponent would put himself at a disadvantage due to both her immunity and combat prowess. Also, he could always use the recording of the match as a means of educating his rebellious youngest son the very real danger of only using one half of his full power while working as a pro-hero or fighting an enemy.

Vulkan smiled as she let go of his leg, which had been bruised due to her strong grip, and allowed him to get back onto his feet. She then offered her hand to him and said, "For all that it's worth, I'm sure that you would have put up a better fight with my sisters if you had chosen to spar with them instead."

Enji accepted Vulkan's hand and shook it while saying, "Your concern for my pride is unnecessary but appreciated."

"Actually, since this sparring match ended so quickly without any serious injury, a second match for Endeavour can be arranged," said a voice that clearly belonged to Nedzu.

Enji considered the offer for a moment and then said, "If that is the case, I would like to face one of the twelve girls who can arrive at this training ground quickly so that we do not have to wait for long."

"That can be arranged," said Nedzu who then spoke to someone for a short while before informing Enji and Vulkan, "Jaghatai-kun is on her way to the training ground even as we speak. Just wait for a few minutes."

Just as Nedzu had predicted, Khan arrived a few minutes later. Enji blinked at the girl's blinding speed and asked, "You… arrived here in no more than five minutes."

Khan grinned at Enji and replied, "Well, I had to take a few short-cuts to get here as quickly as possible."

Vulkan looked down at Khan's feet and shook her head with a smile while saying, "You've ruined your shoes, again."

Khan's eyes widened before she looked down and realised that the soles of her shoes were missing due to rapid wear and tear. She blushed as she grumbled, "Quality shoes my arse, these Detnerat trainers didn't even last a full week of use."

"To be fair, they are meant for civilian use, not pro-hero work," said Vulkan.

"Still, if they're going to claim that these shoes are suitable for people with quirk-enhanced speed, the least they can do is make sure that they can last," grumbled Khan while kicking away the ruined shoes.

"Most people do not run as fast as you nor have your desire to run wild and free," said Vulkan who knew that Khan might have ended up no different from an 'Ork Speed Freek' if she had been cooped up in one building instead of being allowed to run all around the expansive school grounds.

"In my defence, I'm not exactly allowed to ride a bike," said Khan who sorely missed her 'Sojutsu Pattern Voidbike'.

Enji did his best to hold back a grimace as he thought, "Asking for the fastest member of those girls… might have been a mistake."

-A few minutes later…-

"Will hero-san be okay?" asked Eri after seeing Khan knock Enji out with a high-speed flying kick in the abdomen that sent him flying into a nearby boulder.

Kamiji Moe, a young woman with large dark eyes, pointed teeth and long flaming green hair, was gaping like a fish after seeing Enji get taken down by Khan. As one of Enji's sidekicks, Burnin, she was confident that her boss would have a better match with Khan compared to his earlier match with Vulkan. However, even though Khan did not have Vulkan's immunity to fire, her speed was such that she was able to run around in circles around Enji before kicking him in a stomach when the limits of his quirk, namely overheating, started to make him slow down. While the fight with Khan lasted longer than the one with Vulkan and involved a lot more fire, it could be said that Enji lost the fight almost as badly.

Izuku, who was already used to the idea of the former primarchs being strong enough to be at least on par with the top ten pro-heroes in all of Japan if not the world, smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm sure Recovery Girl will make him get better in no time."

Chiyo (a.k.a. Recovery Girl) sighed and muttered, "So much for keeping injuries to a minimum." She then glared at Nedzu and said, "If it wasn't for the fact that the first match with Salamander-chan ended quickly and without any serious injury, I would have decked you for even suggesting a second match for Endeavour."

Nedzu chuckled and replied, "Then I'm grateful that you share my opinion about the first match ending quickly in Salamander-kun's favour with no serious injuries for either party."

While Chiyo pouted, Hizashi chuckled and said, "Well, at least Endeavour didn't get a face-full of dirty feet like Death Arms."

Somewhere in Musutafu City, Death Arms was grumbling bitterly as he had to put up with the still-circulating memes of him getting run over by the former primarchs.

-Later that evening…-

"Is it just me or are there a lot of crows here lately?" asked Izuku while looking at the murder of crows perched on the chapel which had been dubbed as the Bloodline Chapel. Standing beside him were Angron, Eri and Curze. Eri, who had been abused by men that wore beak-shaped plague masks, was understandably apprehensive of the birds but was otherwise not phobic about them since they were animals, not bad people.

Noticing the crows as well, Angron said, "If the crows are here because of Corax, then we have little reason to worry about them." Left unsaid was that any bird that was a familiar of Tzeentch would have to be exterminated with extreme prejudice.

Eri tilted her head and asked, "What do you mean, An-neechan?"

"Even in her past life, Corax has a way with crows and ravens," explained Angron.

Curze nodded and said, "Knowing her, she must have fed a few of them some time ago and the rest of their murder gathered here before long."

Izuku grimaced and said, "I just hope they won't end up leaving droppings everywhere or steal things."

"If you're worried about them leaving dropping everywhere, I've instructed them to do it at the trees nearby," said Corax who approached the group from behind. She then added, "As for stealing things, they will not steal anything that belongs to the people who live at the Imperial Dorm."

"What about the other students and the teachers?" asked Izuku.

"That… will depend on whether the crows are willing to tolerate them or not," said Corax.

"You're planning to let them nest around here as security?" asked Curze.

"Among other things," said Corax who then took out a handful of some plain roasted sunflower seeds and did a crow's call. The crows immediately listened and gathered around the group with expectant eyes. Corax then scattered the seeds which the crows ate greedily before flying off after having their fill.

Izuku had a random thought and asked, "Have any of you and your sisters ever thought of growing plants in your past lives?"

Angron, Curze and Corax blinked at Izuku's random question before Angron shook her head and said, "I'm not sure about the rest, but I certainly haven't."

"I was about to say the same," said Curze.

"I'm sure at least a few of our fellow primarchs have thought about gardening after completing the Great Crusade but, honestly, we were all soldiers of war first and foremost," said Corax who then asked Izuku, "Why did you ask that question?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, those roasted sunflower seeds made me thing about people growing some sunflowers for their seeds."

"Sunflowers look very pretty," said Eri as she recalled a time when she saw them for the first time back when her father was still alive.

Corax rubbed her chin and said, "Well, I'm not against growing plants that can later be harvested for something useful. That being said, where can we plant them?"

"How about in front of the chapel? Sunflowers will make it look pretty," said Eri.

"It would certainly give the place a bit of bright yellow without using any gold or 'auramite'," said Curze who recalled how gold-coloured metals were often used in the Imperial Palace of Holy Terra.

A few days later, two patches of sunflower beds were prepared in front of the chapel. Angron and Vulkan tilled the soil while Corax made sure that the crows knew not to eat the sunflower seeds so that they could grow. As for Curze and Sanguinius, they helped Eri to plant the seeds while Izuku, Russ and Inko prepared snacks and non-alcoholic for everyone in the Imperial Dorm.

It would take months for the sunflowers to bloom but no one in the dorm minded the wait. After all, they had other things to keep them busy such as preparing for the upcoming entrance exams.

-In the primarchs' original universe…-

When visions of a chapel being built on the grounds of U.A. High School started to appear in the dreams of various imperial psykers, it was taken as a sign of the Imperial Cult spreading its holy influence to the people who lived on the alternate version of Terra. However, those who knew about the Emperor's desire for humanity to be freed of religious worship realised that the chapel was actually meant to be a means of using faith as a form of protection from the forces of Chaos. It also became clear that the chapel was a place to pray for the souls of not only the Emperor himself but also the many loyal and innocent people who had perished due to the Horus Heresy and the conflicts that followed after it. Regardless of the details, the prayers could still be interpreted as a form of sincere worship to the Emperor so the Imperial Cult was not completely wrong about its significance.

Then there were the visions of the young horned abhuman, Eri, who gave humble offerings to the God Emperor out of innocent concern for his well-being. Many faithful followers of the Imperial Cult who had witnessed her actions deemed her as a "little horned angel" or a "little horned saint". Even those who despised mutants and abhumans were begrudgingly willing to admit that she was, if not truly faithful, not heretical at the very least.

Given how close Eri had become with the various reincarnated primarchs, many space marines swore that they would protect her with their lives if they ever ended up in a position in which they could protect her. In fact, a sanctioned Imperial cult was formed on a 'Civilised World', Luth, in honour of not only the twelve primarchs but also Eri, Izuku and Inko. Known as the 'Cult of Guardians', it was a cult that focused on helping and comforting others with the idea that doing so would not only keep the faithful alive but also keep their faith strong and even inspire others to worship the God Emperor. Although it was a new sanctioned cult, it rapidly gained popularity on Luth especially among children and people who were raising children. Its practices, which were mainly small yet consistent acts of genuine kindness and courage instead of grand acts of fanatical faith, made it a lot easier for everyone to not only follow but also accept even if they were followers of a different Imperial cult or did not see the Emperor as a god. Abhumans who visited Luth usually enjoyed a greater level of acceptance among the followers of the sanctioned cult as long as they behaved themselves and were loyal to the Emperor.

For some reason, children who followed the Cult of Guardians enjoyed playing with ogryns. The ogryns in turn tended to enjoy the company of the "really little ones".

When the forces of Chaos heard about the new Imperial cult, most of them tried to use Eri's irrefutably abhuman image as a means to corrupt the sanctioned cult from within and ultimately spread their influence over Luth. To achieve that goal, they sent their own cultists to the planet to join the Cult of Guardians. However, other than Khorne who honestly did not even bother to try, the other three Dark Gods saw their plans fail or even backfire.

Nurgle tried to use Eri's image to spread the idea that the mutations caused by his plagues were the embodiments of love and acceptance. However, followers of the sanctioned cult believed that curing diseases and bringing genuine hope were the proper methods of helping and caring for others. Therefore, Nurgle's plan rapidly failed as the very Imperial cultists he tried to corrupt ended up treating or even curing as many of the afflicted as they realistically could. As for those who could not be saved, including the most fanatically loyal of the Nurglesque cultists, they were "cleansed" before the taint of Nurgle's plagues could take root and spread.

Tzeentch tried to use Eri's image to spread the idea that a child was the embodiment of not only innocence but also change as they were destined to grow and gain knowledge. Unlike Nurgle, Tzeentch had a bit more success in influencing the members of the Imperial cult. However, Tzeentch's plan still failed as the followers of the sanctioned cult saw inspiration in Eri and Izuku's ability to remain true to themselves in spite of their past torments and thus resisted any of Tzeentch's indirect attempts to make them change too radically. Combined with the fact that the sanctioned cult valued genuine acts over meticulously-planned ones, Tzeentch's cultists either got discovered and were "purged" or simply gave up and tried their luck elsewhere after seeing their fellow tzeentchian cultists get killed.

Slaanesh tried to use Eri's image as a means to spread the "delightfully sinful" idea of corrupting the innocence of a child. However, the plan backfired so spectacularly that even Nurgle and Tzeentch laughed with Khorne at Slaanesh's abject failure. Somehow, the few slaaneshi cultists that tried to corrupt the sanctioned cult either ended up getting discovered quikly and then killed with extreme prejudice or, in rare but extremely humiliating cases, actively turning against Slaanesh. Those few who actively turned their backs on Slaanesh were so touched by the genuine goodness in the followers of the sanctioned cult, especially the very children and youths they were supposed to corrupt in the first place, that they would rather face the wrath of the Emperor instead of fulfilling their mission on Slaanesh's behalf. What was more, the slaaneshi cultists that betrayed the 'Prince of Pleasure' willingly revealed details of various established slaaneshi cults, thus allowing the forces of the Imperium to quickly hunt them down and take them out. Slaanesh's shrieks of furious frustration lasted for six weeks, six days, six hours, six minutes and six seconds.

When the Inquisition investigated the unusually resilient nature of the Cult of Guardians, they discovered that some of the people who followed the sanctioned cult, especially the children and youths who were born during the time of the Great Rift Crusade, were latent psykers. Somehow, their faith had allowed their collective psychic energies to be channelled in a way that could be considered as potentially beneficial to the Imperium. The effects of the psychic energy included an increased sense of understanding the true intentions of others and an increased ability to convey one's own true intentions. By the end of the investigation, the Inquisition declared the cult to be worthy of protection and observation until further notice.

Little did anyone realise that one of the people who had joined the cult, a massive man who wore a dark robe and had a cybernetic left eye, was a one of the 'Eyes of the Emperor', a former member of the 'adeptus custodes'.

-End Chapter-

Author's Notes:

Someone requested that I add some wholesome stuff to counter the heavy plot stuff from the past few chapters and, well, I believe I have delivered.

For those who have read 'Izuku's Pet Noumu', Chapter 16 to be specific, this part of the notes will be familiar as I am the using the same "home-brewed training grounds". Since the training grounds of U.A. High School follow the Greek Alphabetical order, I assume that the school has a total of 24 training grounds from Alpha to Omega. Anyway, besides the canon training grounds (Beta, Gamma and Omega) the non-canon training grounds are as follows:

Training Ground Alpha: Suburban Town Zone

Training Ground Delta: Construction Site Zone

Training Ground Epsilon: Building Interior Zone

Training Ground Zeta: Rocky Zone

Training Ground Kappa: Marshland Zone

Training Ground Lambda: Maze Zone

Vulkan officially has a small pet leopard gecko named Leonid. When not used to help Eri train her quirk, Leonid enjoys lazing about in its warm terrarium or riding on Vulkan's shoulder when she's in the dorm. Due to Angron's admittedly voluntary assistance in Eri's quirk training by scaring the heck out of it, it has developed a fear of the former primarch and would often hide or seek protection when she's around.

Corax also now has her own murder of crows.

As a fan of Luth's warhammer artworks, including 'Bolter to Kokoro', I was tempted to implement the "wholesome daemonette" idea. However, I have decided to wait and see if a more opportune moment would arise as I felt that implementing the idea now was simply too soon/much. That being said, the planet which has the sanctioned Imperial cult, the Cult of Guardians, is named after the said artist.

I may add another interlude chapter, go straight to the entrance exams or do a bit of both for the next chapter of this story.

Until next time, go beyond, plus ultra!